ã€ŠTransmigrator Meets Reincarnatorã€‹


 Chapter 1: Marrying Mr Right (1)

    Chapter 1: Marrying Mr Right (1)

    There was a red bridal veil covering her eyes. She could see the stitches behind the embroidery: a pair of mandarin ducks, representing love and devotion. The tiny pearls attached to the veil¡¯s tassels swayed with her every move, tracing beautiful arcs.

    A delicate watery fragrance was drifting in the air, creating a calming atmosphere within the room.

    Chu Lian lifted the veil slightly and cast a measuring gaze over the arrangements of the bridal chamber.

    There was a pair of red wedding candles as thick as a child¡¯s arm burning on the table, and a basket of red eggs in front of them. A decorative screen made of agarwood with a carving of the four seasons stood next to the table. There were even square pieces of Lantian jade, each about the same size, iid on the screen.

    This scene was exactly the same as the one described in the novel!

    A wave of joy burst forth in Chu Lian¡¯s heart. She had really transmigrated into the novel she had been reading, and she had even taken the ce of the female lead!

    What she was experiencing now was the beginning of the novel.

    Chu Lian was filled with expectation. Now that she was the female lead, she could marry the perfect man described in the novel!

    She was not going to vite her marriage vows like the novel¡¯s female lead, ¡®Chu Lian¡¯, had. She was going to be a virtuous wife, pass carefree days with her husband, and properly manage her own household in order to make up for the previous regrets that she had had in the modern world.

    It was a pity that she had only read halfway through the book before she had been transmigrated.

    While she was lost in her thoughts, the sound of footsteps and voices came from outside the room. Chu Lian hurriedly lowered her veil and corrected her posture.

    A flustered maidservant, Fuyan, came in to remind her, ¡°Sixth Miss, the bridal attendants and Young Master are here.¡±

    Another maidservant, Xiyan, quickly adjusted Chu Lian¡¯s bridal dress before standing respectfully with Fuyan to one side.

    Chu Lian made a sound of acknowledgement. Her heart was thumping in her chest and she was unbelievably nervous inside. She felt like her heart was about to leap out of her throat.

    The bridal attendants¡¯ congrattions rang out, followed by the candid and teasing voices of some men. In an instant, the peace in the room was broken by the noise outside, and the atmosphere turned boisterous and joyful.

    ¡°Sang 1, quick, take off the veil and let us see what kind of beauty our sister-inw is!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, He Sang, we can¡¯t wait any longer!¡±

    One of the bridal attendants echoed the teasing and happily picked up a golden rod from a nearby maidservant¡¯s serving tray, passing it over to the third son of the He Family. ¡°Third Young Master, please pull aside the veil. May all your wishese true!¡±

    Their gazes shifted to the bride sitting in proper posture on the bed. Everyone wanted to see what the He Family¡¯s newest daughter-inw looked like.

    Thus, no one noticed the trace of mocking contempt that shed through the groom¡¯s eyes.

    From behind the cover of the bridal veil, Chu Lian could only see a pair of ck and red wedding boots in front of her. They were embroidered with aplicated pattern of flowing clouds and looked quite pretty.

    The golden rod appeared under her veil. In the next second, the red that had filled her vision transformed into a bright world. The sudden light was overwhelming; Chu Lian couldn¡¯t help but squint.

    The bride¡¯s beautiful features were revealed when the veil was lifted: curved brows, red lips, almond-shaped eyes and rosy cheeks. Like a newly blossomed lotus, she looked bashful and lovely.

    Chu Lian only raised her head and nced once at her future husband, He Changdi 2, before lowering her head again, not daring to look any longer.

    However, it was this unbearable bashfulness that added a touch of colour to the beautiful bride before them. Instantly, one of He Changdi¡¯s ¡®good¡¯ friends started to tease him.

    ¡°Sang, you lucky little brat!¡±

    Even Second Young Master patted his little brother¡¯s broad and sturdy shoulders in satisfaction, giving his approval of his new sister-inw.

    He Changdi was quickly dragged out by his good friends for drinks. The bridal attendants left some instructions before leaving as well, allowing the bridal chamber to settle back into tranquility. Chu Lian¡¯s heart was still beating crazily. Thinking back to that one quick nce, she was still in disbelief that such a handsome and perfect man would soon be her husband!

    So immersed in her joy, Chu Lian hadpletely overlooked the strange look in her new husband¡¯s eyes when she had met his gaze just now.

    Meanwhile, Senior Servant Gui 3 frowned as she tidied up some things at the side. She was already over thirty years old, and had already seen countless people. Just now, when everyone had been focused on the bride¡¯s face, she had been looking at the new young master¡¯s expression.

    You could tell whether a man was satisfied with his bride from the look on his face.

    Senior Servant Gui had absolute confidence in Chu Lian¡¯s appearance. However, after seeing such a beautiful young girl, the new young master hadn¡¯t shown any signs of being taken aback. Instead, his eyes were like a deepke or an old well, calm and still, without any signs of a ripple.

    The thought gnawed at Senior Servant Gui until she could not help but turn to look at Sixth Miss, who was still sitting by the bed with her lips curled up. A knot of anxiety sat heavy in her chest, and she could only hope that her old eyes had seen wrongly.

    Unless their hearts were made of steel, what kind of man wouldn¡¯t treasure such a beautiful flower?

    1. ¡®Sang¡¯ literally means ¡®third son¡¯. When used with a surname, it means ¡®third son of xxx Family¡¯. This is used by both outsiders and family. When used by outsiders, it bes a title, like ¡®Third Son of the He Family¡¯. When used by family, it bes more of a nickname, like ¡®Number Three¡¯. It¡¯s used interchangeably with the real name of our male lead, so treat it like a second name for him!

    2. He Changdi is the real name of our male lead. He¡¯s also referred to by his nickname: He Sang.

    3. A senior servant, or momo, is an older (usually married) female servant, different from the younger and unmarried maidservants. They are referred to by their surname, followed by -momo. Eg: Gui-momo. You¡¯ll see this asionally in the story, as using ¡®Senior Servant¡¯ didn¡¯t quite fit into dialogue. >w<

 Chapter 2: Marrying Mr Right (2)

    Chapter 2: Marrying Mr Right (2)

    Chu Lian was about to take off her phoenix crown when she was held back by Xiyan. ¡°Sixth Miss, the bridal attendant left instructions for you just now. You have to wait for Third Young Master to personally take off the phoenix crown.¡±

    Chu Lian helplessly put down her hands and stretched her aching neck instead; she could only leave it like this.

    Xiyan felt that Sixth Miss¡¯ actions were a little funny. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sixth Miss. They won¡¯t dy Young Master for too long with Matriarch He in attendance. Young Master will be back soon.¡±

    Xiyan¡¯s teasing made Chu Lian blush.

    ¡°Why do you have so much to say today when you¡¯re usually so silent?¡±

    Chu Lian red at her in rebuke and calmed down. She stood up and ordered the maidservants to put away the things she had brought with her. Before an hour had passed, a maidservant announced from outside that Young Master had returned.

    Some dried foods, including peanuts and dried longans, were scattered over the red covers of the conjugal bed. 1 Right after Chu Lian got Senior Servant Gui to clear those away, He Changdi stepped into the outer chamber.

    No one was following by He Changdi¡¯s side this time, only a bridal attendant who hade to pass down some customs.

    After He Changdi stepped into the inner chamber, the bridal attendant smiled as she indicated for a maidservant to bring in the nuptial wine that had been prepared earlier.

    ¡°Third Young Master, Third Young Madam, after drinking this nuptial wine, you¡¯ll be a couple who will go through thick and thin together!¡± The bridal attendant was full of smiles as she handed the nuptial wine over.

    He Changdi stood tall and straight like an unfeble, sturdy pine. Had there been an audience, his poise would¡¯ve garnered the admiration of many.

    He took his cup but continued to stand in front of the bed without moving. The bridal attendant suddenly felt as if the atmosphere in the bridal chamber had turned cold. She secretly wiped away the cold sweat from her forehead before smiling brightly and handing the other cup of nuptial wine to Chu Lian.

    ¡°After Third Young Master and Third Young Madam have drunk the nuptial wine, Third Young Master has to personally remove the phoenix crown on Third Young Madam¡¯s head, so that your days will be full of peace and harmony.¡±

    Right after the bridal attendant finished blessing them with auspicious words, He Changdi spoke, his tone frigid. ¡°Alright, you can leave now.¡±

    Hah? The bridal attendant was still a little stunned when she subconsciously replied, ¡°Third Young Master, you haven¡¯t drunk the...¡±

    ¡°Did you not hear what I said?¡± He Changdi¡¯s voice abruptly turned grave, chilling the previously warm air of the chamber.

    The bridal attendant was simply a servant, so she didn¡¯t dare to argue with the He Family¡¯s third young master. With extreme reverence and fear, she answered in agreement and left a few more auspicious words before leaving with the maidservant in a hurry.

    She racked her brains but couldn¡¯t tell what fit this young master was pulling, so she could onlyment that she was probably the first bridal attendant to have been chased out of a bridal chamber.

    Chu Lian had been waiting to drink the nuptial wine with her head lowered. She nked out for a moment, not understanding what He Changdi was doing.

    Why was this sequence of events a little different from the novel?

    While she was still confused, He Changdi ordered Senior Servant Gui, Xiyan, and the rest of the servants out.

    Chu Lian raised her head to look at the third son of the He Family. His brows were nicely shaped and his features were well-defined. Upon seeing his actual person, his face seemed to have been made of fine jade. Chu Lian thought that he was even more handsome than how the novel had described him. But what was with that unrestrained frosty look in his eyes? Why was he looking at her with such a cold and mocking gaze?

    For a moment, Chu Lian was stumped for words because she was stunned by his cold and arrogant countenance.

    Based on the progression of events in the novel, He Changdi had not consummated their marriage because the female lead had refused to, but He Changdi had still treated the female lead with tenderness and consideration in the bridal chamber.

    The way things had just unfolded gave her a sinking feeling.

    Seemingly having noticed the confusion in Chu Lian¡¯s shiny, ck eyes, He Changdi stepped forward and bent down slightly. His eyes were like a frozenke, without a shred of warmth or joy, and the ice seemed to extend for immeasurable depths below the surface. He watched the pretty girl before him closely, as if he were looking for something within her gaze.

    After seeing the girl panic, the corners of He Changdi¡¯s lips suddenly lifted, revealing a smile that could send chills down anyone¡¯s back. He was clearly a handsome and extraordinary man with an awe-inspiring righteous aura. However, when he smiled like that, it added on a hint of devilish charm.

    Chu Lian was so entranced by He Changdi¡¯s looks, she couldn¡¯t react fast enough.

    So, when He Changdi raised his hand and slowly poured the nuptial wine all onto the floor...

    Chu Lian could only watch his actions in disbelief as that small cup of nuptial wine left a dark, wet stain on the bright red Persian carpet.

    She subconsciously mumbled, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Without waiting for Chu Lian to react, the cup of nuptial wine in her hands was also sent flying. The wine scattered all over her red wedding dress. In the next second, her wrists had been captured in a bruising grip and a voice so cold it could freeze bone rang in her ears. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell what I¡¯m doing? My dear bride!¡±

    What the heck!? What was going on? Why weren¡¯t they going by the book anymore? Chu Lian was inwardly wailing amidst her shock and anger. However, before she could speak, He Changdi roughly pulled off her phoenix crown and threw it to the ground. Some of the strands of her ck hair were yanked out along with the headdress, leaving an aching pain in their wake.

    He Changdi kept his voice low as he roared in anger, ¡°You¡¯re not fit to wear this phoenix crown!¡±

    Chu Lian tried to push away the man before her, but unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t strong enough. Her hands were just like kitten paws in the face of a male¡¯s strength,cking any bit of might.

    When He Changdi saw that she was trying to fight back, his eyes bled with anger and he wrapped his hands around Chu Lian¡¯s tiny, snow-white neck. Even the veins on his slender hands were popping out; his hate for her was clearly reflected in his eyes!

    Chu Lian could feel every bit of that murderous intent!

    However, Chu Lian had never experienced anything like this before. She only felt the unyielding grip on her neck, squeezing like a noose, forcing her to cry from the pain. She couldn¡¯t breathe; it felt like she was going to die in the next moment!

    Her fair face had already turned blue from suffocation. He Changdi thought he only had to exert a little more strength before he could finally be free from this ¡®wicked woman¡¯ forever!

    However, the thought of his grandmother and his brothers, who he knew wished only the best for him, popped into his mind. He Changdi didn¡¯t think he could bear watching as their hopes were dashed. The reputations of both the Houses of Duke Ying and Count Jing¡¯an were also at stake if he were to kill this woman. Thus, he could only dejectedly let go of her neck and re instead, his hatred thick and cloying like miasma. He would leave this ¡®bitch¡¯ alive for now!

    After the grip around her neck loosened, Chu Lian touched the bruises left on her neck, her face pale as a sheet. Air was finally free to flow into her throat, causing her to cough uncontrobly.

    If she had really been killed by her new husband just now, she would have be the most tragic transmigrator ever.

    Chu Lian¡¯s throat was unbearably dry, and she couldn¡¯t even speak. All she could do was hold her chest and pant for breath.

    He Changdi¡¯s expression turned even more overcast and ugly. He sneered and said, ¡°Sixth Miss of the Chu Family, don¡¯t assume that everyone else is stupid!¡±

    1. This is part of Chinese wedding customs and symbolises fertility. Read more about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_pre-wedding_customs#Instation_of_the_bridal_bed

 Chapter 3: The Wedding Night (1)

    Chapter 3: The Wedding Night (1)

    Chu Lian frowned and stared at He Changdi¡¯s tall figure. Her brows were furrowed as her gaze took on a tinge of a probing glint when she looked at him.

    She was very confused. The He Changdi in the novel was supposed to be easygoing and open-hearted. He was a rare stalwart gentleman. However, the person before her had nothing inmon with the male lead who had been described in the novel. Apart from his looks, his personality waspletely different.

    If the He Changdi in the novel was like a noble, unsullied bright moon, then the He Changdi before her was like a cold wind cutting through the night, bringing chills wherever he went!

    How had this happened?

    Chu Lian thought long and hard, but she still couldn¡¯t understand. Everything had gone exactly like the novel had described, except when it came to He Changdi!

    As for the newlywed groom standing with his hands behind his back, he tossed his sleeves and heartlessly walked right out of the bridal chamber. It was as if gazing upon his pretty bride for a moment longer would make him blind, so the only answer left was to leave!

    After He Changdi had left, Senior Servant Gui and Chu Lian¡¯s personal maidservants rushed in.

    When they saw Chu Lian sprawled on the ground, eyes nk and hair a mess, the phoenix crown unceremoniously lying on the floor, Senior Servant Gui¡¯s eyes reddened as her mind filled in the details of the events that had just urred in the bridal chamber.

    ¡°Sixth Miss, please stand up. The floor is cold; you have to take care of your body.¡±

    Senior Servant Gui discreetly wiped the corners of her eyes and pulled Chu Lian up with the help of Jingyan, letting her rest on the bed.

    After sending Xiyan to the bathroom for hot water, Senior Servant Gui gently asked, ¡°Sixth Miss, what happened with Young Master just now? Did Sixth Miss suffer any grievances?¡±

    Chu Lian finally regained her senses. She still couldn¡¯t wrap her head around how He Changdi¡¯s personality had changed so much.

    Raising her head, she took a look at the nursemaid and maidservants who had apanied ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ when she had left her maiden home. Chu Lian bore with the pain in her neck and the doubts in her heart to smile at them, trying not to look so pitiful. She knew that these servants cared for ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ wholeheartedly.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You don¡¯t have to worry about it, momo. 1 Let Xiyan and the others prepare some hot water. I want to bathe and get out of this cumbersome bridal dress.¡±

    It seemed like she wanted to hide what just happened by changing the topic, so Senior Servant Gui felt that she shouldn¡¯t continue pursuing her line of questioning.

    However, she couldn¡¯t stop worrying and urged, ¡°Sixth Miss, don¡¯t forget. You have this servant and these few girls by your side!¡±

    Chu Lian nodded absentmindedly, making Senior Servant Gui anxious.

    While Fuyan was helping Chu Lian wash in the bath, she discovered the bruises ringing her fair neck. Fuyan jumped in shock, but with a quick turn of wit, she didn¡¯t ask Chu Lian how she had gotten those bruises. Instead, she went to report this matter to Senior Servant Gui without Chu Lian¡¯s knowledge.

    After having a hot bath and changing into a thin, red nightgown, the lighter weight on her body finally helped dispel the rest of the fright He Changdi had given her.

    When she came out of the bathroom, Mingyan had already tidied up the conjugal bed. Fuyan supported her as she walked to the dressing table and helped her remove her makeup. By the time Chu Lian finished drinking a small cup of fragrant tea, it was already 9pm.

    The groom should have returned to the bridal chamber by now.

    Although Chu Lian didn¡¯t understand why He Changdi¡¯s personality had changed so much, she still waited patiently.

    Finally, a maidservant dressed in green came...

    The maidservant passed on a message: ¡°Third Young Madam, Third Young Master drank too much at the banquet just now because he was receiving toasts from a few princes and close friends. He was afraid of disturbing Young Madam with the smell of alcohol, so he¡¯s already settled in the study. He says to let Young Madam rest earlier.¡±

    When Senior Servant Gui and the other maidservants heard the green-d maidservant¡¯s words, all of their expressions turned nk in shock!

    He Sang wasn¡¯t going to enter the bridal chamber!?

    If this were to spread out of the estate, how would their young miss be able to raise her head outside?!

    ¡°Sixth Miss, how could this be? Why don¡¯t you let this old servant send someone to invite Third Young Master over?¡± Senior Servant Gui couldn¡¯t understand why He Changdi had refused to even enter the bridal chamber. There were no grudges between the two families, and Sixth Miss hadn¡¯t offended anyone in the House of Count Jing¡¯an 2 either, let alone He Sang. The two of them had not even met before the wedding, so how could there be any resentment between them?

    However, Chu Lian shook her head and sent the green-d maidservant away.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Momo, why don¡¯t you all go to bed? There¡¯s no need for us to invite him; He Sang will return to the bridal chamber by himself.¡±

    As for why Chu Lian would say something like that, it was purely because of what she had just experienced. He Changdi had nearly strangled her to death, but he had left her hanging by a thread in the end: frightened, but alive. Combined with the mysterious things that she couldn¡¯t make head nor tails of, it was highly unlikely that He Changdi was avoiding the bridal chamber because he was drunk. Besides, when he hade in just now, she hadn¡¯t smelled a trace of alcohol on him.

    He was clearly doing this on purpose to humiliate her!

    Since he was doing this on purpose, why would she try to invite him back? Wasn¡¯t that just asking to be humiliated?

    Furthermore, when had a bride ever needed to beg for her husband to enter the bridal chamber?!

    ¡°Sixth Miss!¡± Fuyan stubbornly refused to go to sleep. How could Third Young Master act like this? Sixth Miss was his formal and legal wife!

    ¡°Alright, alright. Go wash up and go to bed. We still have to get up early tomorrow. Nothing will change even if you fuss around here.¡±

    Senior Servant Gui could only bring the other maidservants out with her as she left, leaving Chu Lian alone in the bridal chamber.

    1. ¡®Momo¡® means ¡®senior servant¡¯, referring to an older, married female servant. Chu Lian is speaking in a more casual tone, so having ¡®senior servant¡¯ in the dialogue didn¡¯t quite fit. I¡¯ll be using momo in dialogue and Senior Servant as the full title in narration from now on!

    2. The House of Count Jing¡¯an refers to the He Family. Jing¡¯an doesn¡¯t refer to the family¡¯s surname, but is more of a title bestowed along with the peerage.

 Chapter 4: The Wedding Night (2)

    Chapter 4: The Wedding Night (2)

    Chu Lian sat on the side of the bed and ran through everything that had happened in her mind, trying to recall some details that she had read in the novel. Then she removed the white handkerchief hidden under the bedsheets. 1 Using a silver needle that she had found, Chu Lian pricked her ring finger, letting the blood well up and drip onto the white handkerchief. Finally, she stored the handkerchief away.

    She had been orphaned at an early age in the modern world and had grown up poor. After a period of hardship and hard work, dueling back and forth with the schemes of others on her career path while learning how to be two-faced, she had finally made a better life for herself. Thus, Chu Lian wasn¡¯t naive at all. In fact, she was rather smart and tenacious. She knew how to wait and observe the situation.

    Although she had been hoping for a perfect and genuine romance, it didn¡¯t mean that she was an absolute fool.

    Everything that had happened just now was already enough food for thought. She was even starting to suspect that the current He Changdi could be in a simr situation as hers, and was no longer the original He Changdi.

    Chu Lian believed in herself. She wasn¡¯t a softie that someone could just trample over.

    The most important thing right now was to make sense of the situation.

    That said, Chu Lian felt rather lucky that she had some foreknowledge of what was going to happen.

    Although she wasn¡¯t too clear on the current situation anymore, she wasn¡¯t going to just sit there and be humiliated! If He Changdi was still the original He Changdi, then she wouldn¡¯t mind ying nice with him and treating him as her actual husband. However, if He Changdi had changed and be a bastard, then she wouldn¡¯t let him y around with her as he liked.

    After consolidating her thoughts, Chu Lian burrowed into the auspicious red nkets and slipped into dreand within a few short moments.

    ¡°What¡¯s the situation over there?¡± A tall,nky figure hidden under the dim candlelight questioned an inconspicuous maidservant.

    ¡°Replying to Third Young Master, Third Young Madam has already gone to bed.¡±

    ¡°What!¡± The hand He Changdi had been holding behind his back abruptly tightened into a fist, his knuckles turning white.

    Chu Lian¡¯s reaction waspletely out of He Changdi¡¯s predictions. He had avoided going to the bridal chamber in order to humiliate her, but he hadn¡¯t thought that that bitch could still sleep this easily!

    Recalling all the events that had happened in his past life, He Changdi felt only hatred welling up inside him. He couldn¡¯t change his marriage, but he wouldn¡¯t let this woman upying the position of his legal wife pass her days peacefully. Otherwise, how could he bear the pain she had inflicted on him in her previous life?!

    While most people treasured every moment of their wedding night, He Changdi hated that this night couldn¡¯t pass quicker. He wanted to see his good wife¡¯s ugly expression when she wouldn¡¯t be able to hand over the white handkerchief that acted as a virginity test the next day.

    As expected, before the sun rose, after waking from her deep sleep, Chu Lian heard the soft rustling of clothes being taken off. The wedding candles were still lit up, so she could clearly see the person standing by the bed just by opening her eyes a little.

    He Changdi was tall and slender, but he didn¡¯t seem too skinny or weak. With long brows and handsome features, he exuded a heroic aura. Looking at him under the dim light, the cold and gloomy expression he had during the day was gone. Without it, he appeared as handsome as a god. He really lived up to his title of ¡®He Sang the Fair¡¯.

    At this moment, He Sang finally fit with his description in the novel.

    However, upon thinking of He Changdi¡¯s changes, Chu Lian rolled her eyes and shut them, going back to sleep once again.

    He Changdi had stayed in the study for more than half the night with an uneasy state of mind. It was the start of winter, so no matter how strong and healthy he was, he still felt cold all over in the end.

    He casually took off his outer robe and threw it to one side before pushing aside the curtains on the bedchamber. 2 The scene that unfolded before his eyes caused his dormant temper to ignite again, as if it had been doused with gasoline.

    Chu Lian was curled up in the warm nkets, sleeping soundly. Her hair was slightly messy, and her lips were tilted upwards. She was clearly veryfortable, and she didn¡¯t look the slightest bit troubled!

    Meanwhile, he had been suffering in the cold study, stifled by his emotions, without even the appetite to finish his dinner.

    Suddenly, He Changdi felt that his ploy to give Chu Lian the cold shoulder had beenpletely ineffective, as if he had been punching cotton.

    He took in a deep breath and coldly watched the girl wrapped in the warm nkets. Then he pulled away the nkets wrapped around Chu Lian with a strong tug.

    Chu Lian was already used to sleeping alone, and she liked to wrap herself up in her nkets when she slept to preserve warmth. When He Changdi tugged the nkets like that, it wasn¡¯t only the nkets that were pulled away. Chu Lian rolled along with the tug and ended up sprawled over the outer half of the bed.

    He Changdi let out a depressed sigh and could only bring out another set of nkets and move them over to the now empty inner part of the bedchamber. He crawled in silently to sleep.

    However, the cold nkets on his body made him feel even worse. There wasn¡¯t a single spot on his body that was warm anymore.

    Chu Lian shifted a little and wrapped the warm nkets around herself more tightly. In her heart, she thought to herself in bad taste that He Sang could simply freeze to death.

    He Changdi took in a deep breath to calm himself down and shut his eyes.

    However, before the icy cold nkets on He Sang could warm up, some older servants from the main house came to invite the newlyweds to wake up.

    Senior Servant Gui was standing in the outer chamber, exchanging greetings from the two servants from the main house with her heart in her throat. If Countess Jing¡¯an or Matriarch He found out that Third Young Master had not stayed in the young mistress¡¯ roomst night, then how would the young mistress be able tofortably live in the estate of Count Jing¡¯an from now on?

    Although Senior Servant Gui was still carefully receiving the older servants together with Xiyan, she was close to copsing inside. Finally, she heard Chu Lian calling for Jingyan to enter in a soft voice.

    1. This white handkerchief is used as a test for the bride¡¯s virginity. If there¡¯s no blood on it after the wedding night, it either meant that the bride was not a virgin (a huge thing in ancient China) or that the couple had not consummated the marriage. Either one could cause the marriage to be annulled, and the bride¡¯s future would be ruined, as well as the reputation of her family. Other families will think twice about marrying the singledies of the bride¡¯s family as well.

    2. The bedchamber here refers to a very specific type of bed used in ancient China, called ¡®qian gong chuang¡¯,

 Chapter 5: The Virgin Test (1)

    Chapter 5: The Virgin Test (1)

    Jingyan entered with a restless heart, but came out full of smiles.

    She bobbed in greeting towards the two senior servants and respectfully said, ¡°Senior Servant Liu, Senior Servant Zhou, Third Young Master and Madam have just awoken. I¡¯m afraid the two of you will have to wait for a moment longer.¡±

    Senior Servant Liu was one of the stewards by Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s side. Upon hearing Jingyan say so, she hurriedly waved her hands and said, ¡°It¡¯s this old servant who came too early and disturbed Third Young Master and Madam¡¯s rest.¡±

    Senior Servant Gui didn¡¯t dare to let these two esteemed guests stand outside and wait, so she ordered the maidservants to bring snacks. She then brought out some Xiliang 1 specialties that they had brought specially from the House of Duke Ying for these two senior servants.

    Meanwhile, within the bridal chamber, Chu Lian had already risen after hearing the movements from outside. She smiled and put on a surprised expression as she cast a nce towards He Changdi, who had also woken up and was resting against the side of the bed.

    ¡°Husband, when did you return to our room? I didn¡¯t notice you at all.¡±

    He Changdi didn¡¯t even bother looking at her. He chose to stare at the canopy of the bed instead, speaking as if Chu Lian was worth less than even the lifeless curtains. ¡°If you have the leisure to think about when I came back, why don¡¯t you think about how you¡¯re going to confess to the two servants outside!¡±

    He leaned against the headboard, looking like he was simply here to watch a show, clearly intending to just be an observer.

    After the wedding night, if a bride wasn¡¯t able to present the white handkerchief, there were only two reasons: the bride wasn¡¯t a virgin, or the newlywed couple didn¡¯t consummate their marriage.

    No matter which reason it was, the consequences were not something Chu Lian could bear.

    She had just married into the House of Count Jing¡¯an. Although she wouldn¡¯t be able to gain a firm foothold in the household for the time being, the very least she should do was refrain from earning their ire so early into her marriage.

    ¡°Thank you for your reminder, my husband.¡± Chu Lian smiled as she spoke before letting Xiyane in to serve her.

    Her smiling face was pleasant like a flower in bloom, but He Changdi only felt that it was disgustingly fake. He turned to one side, unwilling to look at her for a minute longer.

    Xiyan served Chu Lian as she went through her morning routine and helped her change into a beautiful set of everyday wear suitable for a newlywed wife. She supported Chu Lian as she sat in front of the dressing table, and was about to help her put on her makeup when Chu Lian shook her head. ncing to the side, she noticed that He Changdi was about ready as well, so she quickly drew on her brows and dabbed a little rouge on her face,pleting her makeup for the day.

    Her face was bright and beautiful, so light makeup like this showed off her great skin more than thicker makeup would have. She looked like a flower bud about to bloom.

    As a maidservant passed a handkerchief to He Changdi for him to wipe his face, Chu Lian instructed Xiyan, ¡°Go and invite the two senior servants in.¡±

    Seeing as Third Young Master and Third Young Madam weren¡¯t even speaking to each other this early in the morning, the two of them were clearly still angry at each other. Xiyan had heard from Jingyan, who had been on the night shift, that Third Young Master had only returned to the bridal chamber in the wee hours of the day. Then... Xiyan couldn¡¯t help showing her worry on her face.

    ¡°Sixth M- ...Third Young Madam.¡± In her moment of panic, Xiyan wasn¡¯t able to remember the new way she had to address her mistress.

    Chu Lian reassured her with a look before urging her to invite the servants in.

    After all the maidservants in the inner chamber had retreated, He Sang sat by the bed. He looked like he was just waiting to watch the drama unfold.

    Chu Lian frowned and cast a sideways nce at him. She really didn¡¯t know what this new husband of hers was thinking. His personality had turned so strange.

    But Chu Lian was toozy to bother with him. She could still remember how he had tried to strangle her to deathst night. He hadn¡¯t given her any due respect as his spouse. No one could possibly be in a good mood after getting treated like that!

    Luckily, the two senior servants soon entered the bridal chamber brimming with smiles, breaking the hidden awkwardness between the couple.

    ¡°This old servant congrattes Third Young Master and Third Young Madam. May Third Young Master and Third Young Madam be blessed with children soon.¡±

    Chu Lian shot a look at Senior Servant Gui, and she quickly passed over the prepared red packets to the two senior servants. Chu Lian also thanked them for their blessings.

    He Changdi watched her smile as she exchanged greetings with the two senior servants, inwardly ridiculing how fake her actions were. The corners of his lips raised in loathing. Even if she made a good impression on the two servants, she still wouldn¡¯t be able to pass this next trial. Without the white handkerchief, even if she awarded them with ten thousand taels of gold, it wouldn¡¯t change a thing.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, it¡¯s gettingte and this old servant has to report back, could you...¡± Senior Servant Liu was a little embarrassed to request the white handkerchief from this newlywed wife, but Third Young Master was sitting by the bed with a cool andpletely unapproachable expression. They really didn¡¯t dare to request anything from him. However, this new young mistress was full of smiles and seemed rather amiable and gentle, much more approachable inparison.

    When Senior Servant Liu spoke up, Chu Lian blushed at the proper moment. She lowered her head, acting shy as she coughed twice. She even turned and nced at He Changdi bashfully, the very picture of a new wife.

    Even He Changdi was almost tricked by her. If he wasn¡¯t absolutely sure that he had only returned to the bridal chamber early in the morning, and had even slept for about an hour under cold nkets, he would have suspected that he had done something beastly to herst night.

    He Changdi gritted his teeth as his handsome face turned even more overcast.

    Chu Lian lowered her head and instructed Senior Servant Gui to retrieve an exquisite sandalwood box from the drawers to the side, before passing it to Senior Servants Liu and Zhou.

    The two servants opened the wooden box and checked its contents. They then exchanged nces and smiled brightly.

    ¡°We¡¯ve troubled you, Third Young Madam. We¡¯ll take our leave now and report to the main house.¡±

    The two senior servants were about to leave when He Changdi coldly called out to them. ¡°Hold it!¡±

    They turned around with suspicion and bobbed in greeting to He Changdi. ¡°Third Young Master, is anything the matter?¡±

    1. Xiliang was one of the states in the Sixteen Kingdoms period in Chinese history. It¡¯s located somewhere in the west of modern China now. You can read more about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Liang_(Sixteen_Kingdoms)

 Chapter 6: The Virgin Test (2)

    Chapter 6: The Virgin Test (2)

    Within two steps, He Changdi had moved in front of them and snatched the sandalwood box in their hands. Then, in front of everyone, he opened the lid. Upon seeing the spots of red on the white handkerchief inside, He Changdi coldly looked towards Chu Lian.

    His chest heaved in frustration. He found it hard to believe that she had even prepared this from early on. She had covered all her bases! So she could do anything for the sake of that man!

    After having the box shoved back into her hands by Third Young Master, Senior Servant Liu stared nkly at him,pletely stunned by He Changdi¡¯s reaction. She really didn¡¯t know what kind of fit Third Young Master was having today. Earlier, she had heard rumours that Third Young Master wasn¡¯t happy with this marriage, so it seemed like it was true. However, since the two of them had already consummated their marriage, they had to spend the rest of their days together. Third Young Madam was a legitimate daughter of the House of Duke Ying and this matter involved the reputations of two families. Furthermore, Third Young Madam was kind and seemed like a gooddy. Third Young Master had gone a little overboard with humiliating Third Young Madam like that. She definitely had to report this to Madam and let Madam knock some sense into Third Young Master.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t know that his one thoughtless action had caused Senior Servant Liu to think of reporting his actions to his mother.

    ¡°Since nothing¡¯s the matter, Third Young Master, this old servant will take her leave.¡±

    Chu Lian instructed Senior Servant Gui to escort the two senior servants out, then sent Jingyan to prepare the gifts she would need to present when meeting the more senior members of the familyter that day. She had already written out a listst night and handed it over to Jingyan to arrange for her.

    Only the two newlyweds were left in the bridal chamber again.

    He Changdi abruptly sneered and walked to her side, looking down on her with his height. ¡°It seems like you were already prepared. I¡¯ve underestimated you. So you don¡¯t even have a single shred of honour left! How could you falsify something like that?!¡±

    Chu Lian was in the middle of inserting a jade orchid hairpin into her cloud-like hair bun. Upon hearing him speak, she nced at him. However, she didn¡¯t angrily shout back as He Changdi had imagined. Instead, she smiled at him with an appropriate, easygoing smile as beautiful as a blooming peony.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you wake up in the bridal chamber this morning, my dear husband? How could I have falsified anything?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?!¡± He Changdi was so angered thatughter bubbled out of his throat. He fixed his narrowed gaze on Chu Lian, a little surprised that she would speak to him in that manner.

    Suddenly, he said, ¡°I wonder how Xiao Wujing would react if he discovered your actions!¡±

    Chu Lian frowned and searched through the memories she had of the novel. She realised that she hadn¡¯t seen any mention of a person called Xiao Wujing... at least, not in the first half of the book that she had read.

    ¡°Husband, it¡¯s gettingte, we have to go and pay our respects.¡± Chu Lian finished putting on her essories and turned to He Changdi. With a smile on her face, she then bobbed in greeting, her posture as perfect as one would expect from a noble youngdy.

    He Changdi¡¯s eyes were still tightly glued onto her. After realising that there wasn¡¯t a single glimmer in her eyes and that her expression was level and sure, even leisurely, his brows started to furrow together.

    He Changdi turned around, andpletely dropped the suspicion that Chu Lian had reincarnated like he did.

    If Chu Lian had reincarnated as well, she couldn¡¯t possibly forget who Xiao Wujing was!

    Actually, Xiao Wujing had been mentioned before in the novel. Xiao Wujing was originally named Xiao Bojian, and he was the male lead of the book... However, the first half of the book had not mentioned Xiao Bojian¡¯s other name at all, so Chu Lian waspletely clueless.

    Within the bridal chamber, the newlywed couple looked to be getting along well on the surface, but in actual fact, they were of different minds.

    He Changdi cast a nce at Chu Lian standing by his side. Although she was different in some ways, she was still the same person as before: full of malicious intent and trickery. For the sake of herself and Xiao Wujing, she had never cared about the lives of others.

    Senior Servant Gui was already getting a little anxious while waiting in the outer chamber. She quickly came in to give them a gentle reminder: ¡°Third Young Master, Third Young Madam, it¡¯s gettingte.¡±

    Chu Lian made a sound of agreement before tossing a sideways nce at He Changdi. His expression was icy cold as he stepped out of the bridal chamber first.

    Xiyan, who was supporting Chu Lian as she followed behind He Sang, couldn¡¯t help but frown. She looked at the beautiful face of her Sixth Miss in worry.

    Xiyan was more steady than the other personal maidservants, and Senior Servant Gui relied on her the most. She was older than Chu Lian by a year. Born into the Ying Household as one of the family¡¯s servants, Xiyan had been serving Chu Lian since they were little. However, she had always treated the Sixth Miss Chu Lian as her own sister.

    Ever since the Sixth Miss¡¯s engagement had been decided, there had been a rumour circting around the Ying Household. Supposedly, there was some unmentionable secret behind Matriarch He bringing He Sang over and specifically requesting an engagement to the Sixth Miss of the House of Ying.

    Although the status of the House of Duke Ying had declined in the past few decades, they were still born of nobility and had, for a few generations now, worked hard to ¡®expand¡¯ their family tree. When it came to Chu Lian¡¯s generation, there were eleven daughters alone in the household...

    Only the old Duke of Ying had a ce in the imperial court, and none of the males of the younger generations seemed to stand out. Since the House had declined to such a state, it should have been hard for thedies to even marry into another noble house, but it just so happened that thesedies had somehow be famous for a rather special trait.

    The eldest miss from the previous generation married the grandson of the Marquis of Fu¡¯an and gave birth to two healthy sons after three years.

    The second miss married the second son of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs and her first child was a boy.

    The third miss was sent far away and was married to the militarymissioner of Guizhou; she gave birth to a pair of sons in the second year of her marriage.

    ......

    After that, the first child of any brideing from the House of Duke Ying would, without any exceptions, be a son. This matter had spread all over the capital, Shenyang, two years ago for a period of time.

 Chapter 7: Tea Ceremony (1)

    Chapter 7: Tea Ceremony (1)

    The House of Count Jing¡¯an was a military family, and the grandfather of the current Count Jing¡¯an was one of the country¡¯s founding fathers. Although the title had already been passed down for three generations and their rank had dropped from duke to count, the power of the House Jing¡¯an could not be underestimated.

    The House of Count Jing¡¯an was not a normal military family. It was also not one of the powerless military families that the Emperor kept in Shenyang, corralling them like livestock.

    The current Count Jing¡¯an defended the most important border in Mingzhou, possessing the title of Defender General.

    Within the House of Count Jing¡¯an, the first son, He Changqi, managed the household. The second son, He Changjue, served in the military as one of the Left Military Guards, a particr division of guards in the pce.

    Meanwhile, He Sang had learned martial arts from his father and brother at a young age. He visited the army often and had already made a name for himself.

    Countess Jing¡¯an had given the He Family three sons. However, while giving birth to the third son, He Sang, she had suffered seriousplications and remained bedridden even now.

    Count Jing¡¯an guarded the border far away, and was only able to return home once every few years. The He Family also had a special rule: the sons of the He Family could only marry a single wife. They were only allowed to wed a concubine if, by the time they reached thirty years of age, their wife had not borne them a son.

    Although Countess Jing¡¯an was now in poor health, she had given the He Family three sons, so Matriarch He treated her daughter-inw rather well.

    However, perhaps Count Jing¡¯an had used up all of the He Family¡¯s luck in producing heirs. When it came to the youngest generation, not a single heir had been born yet.

    The heir of Count Jing¡¯an, He Changqi, had married the granddaughter of Marquis Dingyuan, Madam Zou.

    Madam Zou had only gotten pregnant a year and a half after marrying into the He Family. However, her first child was a girl. After two more years, she had gotten pregnant again, but the resulting child had been yet another girl.

    It wasn¡¯t clear if it was a problem with her or He Dng 1, but for the following four whole years, she hadn¡¯t gotten pregnant again.

    He Eng 2was a strange one. He had entered the military at an early age and was now twenty-four. However, he still refused to marry; his stubbornness had gotten to the point where it was even causing a ruckus within the family. Due to this, he would simply stay in the Left Military Guards¡¯ barracks without returning to the estate, unless there was an important event going on.

    Whenever He Dng saw this little brother of his, he felt the urge to p him.

    Now the handsome He Sang had finally married. The bride was even ady of the Chu Family, just as Matriarch He had specially requested from the imperial pce.

    Matriarch He had thought that she would soon be able to hold a fair and chubby great-grandson in her arms, but unfortunately, this He Sang had somehow been reincarnated. It would be strange if he were willing to consummate his marriage with the wife who had cheated on him in his previous life!

    Ah... Matriarch He would have a long time to wait!

    Of course, Matriarch He didn¡¯t know any of this at all.

    As for Chu Lian, who was following behind He Sang with her back ramrod straight... even though she didn¡¯t know what was going on with the sudden change in He Sang¡¯s personality, she knew all about the rest of the events that would take ce. She had be the female lead in the novel she had been reading after all!

    When she had first seen the book, the actions of the female lead who shared her name had made Chu Lian speechless.

    He Sang had looks, talent, and a good family background. His family was also simple and free from the inner conflictsmon in other households. Wasn¡¯t it good to be a young madam in a noble family such as this? Why did she have to stir up so much trouble with that damned Xiao Bojian?

    The female lead had even destroyed her own reputation. Geez. Back then, Chu Lian had wondered whether the author had a grudge against this female lead or something, making her make the most horrible decisions possible...

    Perhaps her resentment had been too strong, because when Chu Lian woke up, she had be that damned female lead herself! If she had known that this would happen earlier, she would have read a little faster and finished the book. However, that hadn¡¯t happened, and now she was in a situation where she didn¡¯t know what developments would ur in theter half of the novel. She didn¡¯t know who the female lead would end up with, or what would happen to He Sang in the end.

    Add He Sang¡¯s mysterious changes into the mix, and Chu Lian was about to go crazy.

    She was a little too distracted while walking, so she stumbled upon the cobblestone path, almost spraining her ankle. Luckily, Xiyan caught her just in time.

    He Sang heard themotion going on behind him and cast a cold re over his shoulder. The look in his eyes gave her a merciless warning, telling her without the use of words, ¡®You had better watch it!¡¯

    For an aristocratic family, the family tree of the House of Count Jing¡¯an was extremely simple.

    Matriarch He upied the highest position, while He Dng¡¯s daughters were the lowest in the family tree. There were no concubines or illegitimate children around, a huge difference from theplicated family of the House of Duke Ying.

    They had arranged for the newlyweds to pay their respects to their elders at Matriarch He¡¯s Qingxi Hall 3.

    When the pair of newlyweds reached the arched doorway, they immediately spotted Senior Servant Liu, one of the servants highly regarded by Matriarch He, walking over to wee them.

    ¡°This old servant pays respects to Third Young Master and Third Young Madam.¡±

    Chu Lian hurriedly moved forward to lift Senior Servant Liu up. ¡°How could we let Senior Servant Liu pay respects to us?¡± 4

    This Senior Servant Liu was one of the senior servants who managed the household and held actual authority. She also had a rather good personality and was someone worth making friends with.

    Chu Lian secretly made note of all this information in her heart.

    When He Changdi saw that she was being so eagerly attentive towards a senior servant on her first visit to the He Estate, he felt even more strongly that her pleasant disposition was nothing more than a facade.

    Following the saying ¡®out of sight, out of mind¡¯, He Changdi entered Qingxi Hall first.

    Senior Servant Liu frowned when she saw He Sang¡¯s actions. She turned to Chu Lian with a smile and took her hand, personally leading her into the courtyard.

    1. ¡®Dng¡¯ means ¡®first son¡¯, and is used in the same way as ¡®Sang¡¯.

    2. ¡®Eng¡¯ means ¡®second son¡¯, and is also an affectionate address like Dng and Sang!

    3. ¡®Qingxi¡¯ means ¡®celebration¡¯~ While I could have tranted it as Celebration Hall, I decided to keep names in pinyin, as the names sometimes don¡¯t have meaning to them. This will keep all the names consistent.

    4. It¡¯s quite normal for servants to pay respects to their masters. However, Chu Lian stopped Senior Servant Liu because of her age and position as a trusted servant of Matriarch He, who is two generations above Chu Lian. This gives Senior Servant Liu a good impression of her.

 Chapter 8: Tea Ceremony (2)

    Chapter 8: Tea Ceremony (2)

    An entire circle of people was sitting within the parlour of Qingxi Hall.

    Chu Lian cast a gentle, measuring gaze over them, mentally matching the people before her to their descriptions in the book.

    The silver-haired old madam wearing a jasper-coloured headband sitting at the head of the group was most likely Matriarch He of the House of Count Jing¡¯an.

    Matriarch He was dressed richly, and she held herself with natural grace and pose. Although there wasn¡¯t a single ck hair left on her head, her face did not show any hint of her age. She looked to be fifty or sixty years old at most.

    Count Jing¡¯an was stationed at the border of Mingzhou and couldn¡¯t return without an imperial edict. Although his most beloved son had just been married, he could only send a thick letter home while he stayed in Mingzhou.

    A forty-year-old woman was seated next to Matriarch He, with a pale face and a skinny figure. Although she was decked in ornaments of pearl and jade, it couldn¡¯t disguise the sickly air surrounding her. This woman must be her mother-inw, who was often bedridden due to her condition.

    Next, there was a beautiful, well-developed woman who looked to be in her twenties sitting next to Countess Jing¡¯an.

    She was dressed in a pale mauve dress, demure and poised, with a distinctive aura. Two little girls were standing by her side: one of them a little bigger and the other a little smaller. These two littledies were the youngest daughters of the House of Count Jing¡¯an, Little An and Little Lin 1.

    The wife of the first son of Count Jing¡¯an, Madam Zou, didn¡¯t seem to be good or bad as described in the first half of the novel, so Chu Lian wasn¡¯t sure if Madam Zou was someone she should get close to.

    Two middle-aged women were seated next to Madam Zou. The novel only mentioned them once; these two were Matriarch He¡¯s daughters, who had married out of the house.

    He Dng and He Eng were seated on Matriarch He¡¯s other side.

    He Dng was a tan and burly man and He Eng looked quite simr to He Dng. In this manner, it seemed like these two were the real sons of a military family, whereas He Sang¡¯s clean, elegant, and gentlemanly appearance made it seem like they weren¡¯t born from the same mother.

    She wondered if her father-inw, Count Jing¡¯an, looked like He Dng, a rough middle-aged man.

    He Sang didn¡¯t bother with Chu Lian at all. Seeing that two senior servants had ced a cushion in front of them, he immediately knelt down on it.

    Chu Lian had just married into this family, so she didn¡¯t dare to look around for too long. She followed He Sang¡¯s actions and knelt down docilely.

    Senior Servant Liu smiled as she passed two cups of tea over to the newlyweds.

    Chu Lian received the teacup and held it up with two hands as she passed it to Matriarch He.

    ¡°Granddaughter-inw pays respects to Grandmother! May your fortune be as boundless as the Eastern Sea, and may your lifespan exceed the age of the Southern Mountain! Grandmother, please ept this cup of tea!¡±

    Matriach He watched the golden pair before her with upturned eyes, baring her teeth in a smile.

    She received the teacup and drank the tea before patting Chu Lian¡¯s fair hand. She then personally removed a high-quality lucky jade amulet from her waist and ced it in Chu Lian¡¯s hands.

    ¡°What a good child. Take this jade amulet. It was a memento from your grandfather, and it¡¯s quite valuable.¡±

    Juniors weren¡¯t supposed to reject gifts from their elders. Furthermore, this was a gift from the matriarch of the family to a newlywed daughter-inw. Chu Lian smiled and thanked Matriarch He as she epted the gift.

    He Changdi continued kneeling with his back stiff as he coldly watched the events before him.

    Haha!

    As expected, it was that lucky jade amulet again! This bitch wasn¡¯t fit to have this jade amulet at all. A few yearster, this amulet would be hanging off Xiao Wujing¡¯s waist!

    The look in He Changdi¡¯s eyes was sinister and cold. He had the urge to snatch that jade amulet from her right on the spot.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t have the energy to deal with him right now. Who knew what sort of fit he was throwing?

    In this household, other than Matriarch He, there was also Countess Jing¡¯an, Chu Lian¡¯s mother-inw.

    He Sang was Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s most favoured son, and Countess Jing¡¯an cared for him the most.

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t sure what her mother-inw¡¯s personality was like, so she simply paid her respects with tea. Countess Jing¡¯an was in poor health, so she only sipped a mouthful of tea before instructing the new couple to live in peace and harmony.

    Following that, she took off a blood-red jade bangle from her wrist and gave it to Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian looked upon the first meeting gifts that were exactly the same as what the novel had described, and she smiled helplessly in her heart.

    The rest of the people left were the family members of the same generation, so she didn¡¯t need to kneel while offering them tea.

    Then it came time to greet He Dng and Madam Zou.

    Madam Zou was seated in a row with her two aunt-inws, so it was hard to pick her out at first nce.

    At the moment, the newlyweds were the only ones standing in the center of the parlour, and Chu Lian didn¡¯t have anyone to guide her.

    He Changdi stood with his hands behind his back, watching expressionlessly from beside her without a single helpful hint.

    Matriarch He frowned upon seeing this.

    Luckily, Chu Lian had read the novel. Otherwise, she really might havemitted a social faux pas.

    Chu Lian bobbed in greeting towards the young madam in pale mauve, calling out to her: ¡°Greetings to Eldest Sister-in-Law.¡±

    She then turned to the tan, burly man on the other side and greeted him as ¡®Eldest Brother¡¯.

    After presenting cups of tea to them and receiving their gifts, she then continued to pay her respects to the remaining family members in order.

    When they were done with the ceremony, the newlyweds stood at the leftmost position.

    He Changdi¡¯s handsome face was wooden. Chu Lian fidgeted a little, feeling a little constrained since the customs here were very different from modern society. Although she already had the foreknowledge of the novel¡¯s events, it was still her first time navigating this kind of society. Luckily, the He Family had a simple family tree; otherwise, she would have felt even more anxious.

    ¡°Wife...¡± He Sang, who couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with her ever since they had woken up, suddenly came close and called her with gritted teeth.

    Finding it strange, Chu Lian turned to him, blinking her big, innocent eyes as she looked at He Changdi. ¡°Husband, is anything the matter?¡±

    He Changdi wanted to strangle that wicked woman! Acting all innocent in front of him... She would probably still be acting in her coffin if he killed her right now! His entire body stiffened, and he clearly enunciated every single word as he spoke at a volume that only the two of them could hear. ¡°You¡¯re. Stepping. On. My. Shoes!¡±

    Chu Lian cast her gaze downwards and quickly pulled back her foot. He Changdi¡¯s expression turned even darker.

    He moured inwardly with rage. Keep acting, keep acting! One day, he¡¯ll reveal this wicked woman¡¯s true face to the entire He Family!

    1. Little An and Little Lin are literally: An¡¯jie¡¯er and Lin¡¯jie¡¯er, a form of address for unmarried youngdies in the family. I thought Little An and Little Lin would make more sense, given their age.

 Chapter 9: Brewing Sencha (1)

    Chapter 9: Brewing Sencha (1)

    Matriarch He instructed the two juniors to pass their days peacefully. She would have continued, but upon noticing her daughter-inw¡¯s unhealthy pallor, she chose not to keep them any longer and began to prelude their dismissal.

    However, as He Changdi was about to leave, Matriarch He stopped him.

    ¡°Sang, send your wife back first ande to Grandmother¡¯s ceter. Grandmother has something to say to you in private.¡±

    He Changdi froze for the barest of moments, before he nodded in agreement.

    When Chu Lian finished paying her respects to the elders, He Changdi grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her out.

    He Eng¡¯s white teeth were blinding against his tanplexion. ¡°Heh, Third Brother is usually so cold; who would have thought that he¡¯s actually the type to pamper his wife? We finally have proof that he¡¯s one of us after all.¡±

    At that, He Dng rolled his eyes and shot him an ugly look.

    Fine, fine. No one at home ever appreciates hispany. He Eng was about to stand and make his escape, when He Dng grabbed him by the ear and dragged him off to the study to talk.

    ¡°Peiwen, go back and take a rest. So much exertion isn¡¯t good for your body.¡± Once He Changdi and his wife had left, Matriarch He turned and addressed her daughter-inw.

    Madam Liu¡¯s body was indeed extremely weak. She had forced herself out of bed for the sake of her son and daughter-inw¡¯s tea ceremony. After only sitting for an hour or so, she was on the verge of copse.

    ¡°Mother, please help this daughter-inw take care of Sang. Daughter-inw will take her leave now.¡± Madam Liu¡¯s voice was light and feeble.

    Matriarch He waved her hand and ordered Senior Servant Liu to escort Madam Liu back to her courtyard. They left together apanied by two maidservants.

    Only Madam Zou and Matriarch He¡¯s two daughters were left in Qingxi Hall.

    Once Madam Zou saw that there was nothing left to do, she rose and paid her respects to Matriarch He, intending to move to the outer court to manage the estate for the day.

    Matriarch He was no longer in charge of maintaining the House of Count Jing¡¯an. That had originally been Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s role, but then she had fallen ill. For a period of time after, Matriarch He had once again temporarily taken up the mantle, but she had quickly passed it on when her granddaughter-inw had entered the household. Thus, it was now Madam Zou¡¯s turn to oversee the estate.

    All matters, internal or external, were all handled by Madam Zou.

    After leaving Qingxi Hall, He Changdi reverted to his ice-cold expression. He tossed Chu Lian¡¯s arm away and walked back to their courtyard in the He Estate, one step ahead of her.

    Xiyan frowned as she watched Young Master¡¯s straight back. She quietly called out to Sixth Miss, but Chu Lian shook her head with a bitter smile.

    She reassured Xiyan with a silent look before turning towards the courtyard.

    Who knew what was wrong with this He Sang?

    After returning to their own courtyard, He Changdi simply sat in the outer chamber, drinking a cup of tea before returning to Qingxi Hall. Chu Lian sat in the inner chamber, watching Xiyan and Fuyan as they put away the dowry that she had brought over from the Duke of Ying¡¯s Household. Upon hearing the movements from outside, she realised he had gone out.

    He had probably made this trip back with her just for the old matriarch to see!

    Chu Lian unconsciously frowned.

    Hah... What was going on? This He Changdi waspletely different from the male lead in the novel! Had something gone wrong somewhere?

    But other than He Changdi, everything else was exactly the same.

    She couldn¡¯t make any sense of it, so she simply chose to stop thinking about it.

    The female lead in the novel had four personal maidservants, all with the word ¡®yan¡¯ in their names 1. Each of them was a beautiful woman, with their own unique special abilities. However, only Xiyan and Fuyan had grown up with the female lead; Jingyan and Mingyan had been awarded by Duchess Ying when she had married out of the estate.

    Chu Lian knew everything about the personalities and minds of these four maidservants, as well as their endings.

    The looks that Fuyan had tossed He Changdi from time to time hadn¡¯t escaped her eyes.

    Xiyan also tossed nces, but these were towards her mistress as she was putting away the dowry boxes. Xiyan had been quiet so far, but she did have a few words she wanted to tell Sixth Miss. However, with the other maidservants by her side, it wasn¡¯t a good time to speak up.

    Sixth Miss, she realized, had rushed to the old matriarch¡¯s courtyard early that morning for the tea ceremony. She hadn¡¯t eaten much, either. Intent on rectifying this, Xiyan asked, ¡°Third Young Madam, are you hungry? Could you let this servant bring some refreshments over?¡±

    Chu Lian nodded absentmindedly.

    Xiyan brought back an exquisite box very quickly. The senior servants in charge of the main kitchen had been very courteous. Upon hearing that it was Third Young Madam who wanted some pastries, they had brought out a fresh batch for Xiyan to bring back.

    Xiyan took out te after te of sweets from the box. To cheer Sixth Miss up, she even specially teased her and exaggerated her remarks. ¡°Third Young Madam, look at these pastries! We didn¡¯t see anything like this back at the Ying Estate! These look so beautiful, why don¡¯t you try one?¡±

    1. The ¡®yan¡¯ in each maidservant¡¯s name means ¡®wild goose¡¯. Servants were usually named in sets, where a group of servants serving one master would have a simr theme, or share one character in their names.

 Chapter 10: Brewing Sencha (2)

    Chapter 10: Brewing Sencha (2)

    Chu Lian looked down and abruptly felt like pouting. For a modern foodie like her, who had eaten everything on both sides of the Yangtze River 1, these square-shaped pumpkin pastries didn¡¯t attract her at all. They had just scattered a few peach blossom petals on top, did they really think these pastries were beautiful? Did Xiyan have any sense of aesthetics at all?

    The smell of vegetable oil wafted up from the pumpkin pastries, bombarding her nose with the choke-worthy stench of grease.

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the senior servants in charge of the kitchen had been ordered by someone to make life difficult for her.

    She tried to recall her memories, but it didn¡¯t seem like there had been an event like this in the novel.

    Xiyan¡¯s expectant gaze was too much for her to bear, so Chu Lian picked up a piece of pumpkin pastry and tasted it.

    She couldn¡¯t taste any pumpkin at all. Instead, it was like eating a spoonful of sugar, saturating her tongue until all she wanted to do was down a cup of tea and forget it had ever gone into her mouth in the first ce.

    This...

    Chu Lian forced herself to finish one piece, but that was it. She hadpletely lost the will to pick up another.

    The House of Count Jing¡¯an was an aristocratic family at the very least; did they really eat these kinds of pastries at home?

    Chu Lian was starting to feel sick from the obnoxious sweetness, so she didn¡¯t even look at the tea that Fuyan had just poured and simply drank it in one gulp.

    However, the second the tea hit her tongue, Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened and she spat it all out,pletely discarding her image.

    Her personal maidservants were horrified, they thought that something had happened to Chu Lian.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, what happened? Do you feel ufortable anywhere?¡±

    Xiyan, who was her usual server and had never seen anything like this happen before, was about to burst into tears.

    Chu Lian ced the teacup back on the table. She even spat a few times before finally getting the weird taste of a mix of spring onions, ginger, garlic and other herbs off her tongue.

    ¡°Bring me some in water, quick!¡±

    When Xiyan heard Chu Lian¡¯s orders, she hurriedly poured a cup of warm water and passed it over.

    Chu Lian had learned her lesson. She stared carefully into the cdon teacup in front of her to make sure that it was really just clear warm water, before drinking it down without any qualms.

    After washing away that weird taste in her mouth, she finally let out afortable sigh.

    ¡°What did you pour into that teacup?¡± Once she had recovered her breath, Chu Lian felt a sense of urgency. Why were there spring onions, ginger, garlic, cinnamon powder, and all other kinds of seasonings in there?

    ¡°It¡¯s sencha, 2Third Young Madam. Isn¡¯t it your favourite?¡± Xiyan blinked, her eyes slightly red. She passed the handkerchief in her hands to Chu Lian to wipe her mouth with.

    Sencha! That¡¯s right, she finally remembered. In ancient China, when tea culture had just started to be popr, it was sencha that was in vogue. However, she couldn¡¯t have imagined that it was sencha that was popr in the fictional Great Wu Dynasty...

    The sencha of this era waspletely different from the sencha of the modern era. Perhaps it was because sencha had juste in fashion recently here, so there weren¡¯t any special rules to it. They just put all sorts of seasonings into the tea to boil. Once it was done, they would use a special tool to whip up froth in the tea. Some highly skilled connoisseurs would even add drawings on top of the froth, simr to thette art drawn on cappinos in modern cafes.

    However, this strange taste couldn¡¯t bepared to coffee at all.

    She had been a little nervous during the tea ceremony this morning, so Chu Lian hadn¡¯t even noticed what the tea was like.

    Chu Lian waved Xiyan and Fuyan away. As an excuse, she could only say, ¡°My appetite hasn¡¯t been faring well these two days, so I want to eat something light. Don¡¯t serve this sencha in the future; in water is fine.¡±

    Upon hearing this, Xiyan was like an anxious little bird. ¡°Third Young Madam, how can that be? Brewing sencha is your specialty! You have to show off your skills in the future! You can¡¯t stop drinking sencha!¡±

    That¡¯s right, sencha was growing in poprity by the day in the Great Wu Dynasty. Many youngdies in aristocratic families would specially learn how to brew it. The more vourful the sencha and the more beautiful the posture of the brewer, the more they would be praised as elegant and nobledies.

    Once Xiyan had spoken, Chu Lian recalled how the novel had mentioned that the female lead had been quite good at brewing sencha. When Duke Ying had invited guests over, he had specially summoned her to brew some for them.

    Right now, it wasn¡¯t that easy to be a nobledy in the Great Wu Dynasty. They had to have some skills that could wow an audience.

    Sixth Miss Chu wasn¡¯t favoured in the Ying Household. Her other skills were averagepared to the otherdies in the estate. Brewing sencha was the only skill she could boast of. No wonder Xiyan had been so anxious upon hearing that Chu Lian was going to stop drinking it.

    Unfortunately, the current Chu Lian was no longer the same as before. Even if she drank sencha by the bucketloads, she didn¡¯t know how to brew it.

    Furthermore, in her honest opinion, the sencha of this era tasted terrible. Even if she knew how to brew it like they did, she would feel bad for making anyone drink it. The nonsensical mixture of seasonings could easily kill someone someday, and when that happened, Chu Lian did not want to be that someone, or the cause of that someone¡¯s death.

    ¡°Alright, I only said that I wouldn¡¯t drink it from now on. I didn¡¯t say that I would stop brewing.¡± Chu Lian could only gloss over the matter like this. She wasn¡¯t the original female lead. Although she was the mistress of these maidservants, she couldn¡¯t change her behaviour too much all of a sudden.

    The maidservants fell for her false reassurances and let out sighs of relief.

    Chu Lian held her forehead in her hands.

    Fuyan¡¯s eyes darted around before her gazended on that golden, drool-worthy pastry on the table. She gulped in secret. It really was like how Xiyan had said. They had never eaten such beautiful pastries back at the Ying Estate!

    ¡°Third Young Madam, what do you think of these pastries?¡±

    Chu Lian had suffered too much of a shock from the sencha, to the point that she had almost forgotten about the pastries that had made her drink it in the first ce. She shook her head in disappointment. ¡°The taste is average. It¡¯s too sweet and greasy. Take one for yourselves and try it.¡±

    Chu Lian simply wanted to test the tastebuds of the people from this era. Xiyan and Fuyan had been serving the female lead for a long time. They probably knew the tastes of the female lead the best. Letting them try the pastries was the best way to find out what she was supposed to like.

    When the four personal maidservants heard her words, their eyes lit up. Mingyan and Jingyan had been sent by Duchess Ying as part of her dowry, right before her wedding. Before that, they were only second-tier maidservants in the estate, and they hadn¡¯t led very good lives.

    1. The Yangtze River runs through the middle of China, dividing it into the north and south. What Chu Lian means is that she¡¯s eaten everything in China before~ XD

    2. Sencha = a type of green tea. However, this is apparently the ancient kind of sencha, where all sorts of weird things are added to it... Oh my XD

 Chapter 11: Secret Recipe (1)

    Chapter 11: Secret Recipe (1)

    Mingyan and Jingyan were second-tier maidservants. How could they have ever had the chance to taste such fine cuisine before? These delicacies were reserved solely for the nobility!

    The four personal maidservants each took a single pastry and carefully ced it in their mouths. They looked like they couldn¡¯t bear to eat it all at once, so instead, they took small, careful bites to savor the pastry like it was some priceless treasure.

    Mingyan and Jingyan even disyed blissful expressions without any restraint.

    Chu Lian watched them curiously. If she hadn¡¯t tasted that pumpkin pastry just now, she would have suspected that there was something wrong with her tastebuds.

    ¡°How is it?¡± Chu Lian asked quietly. She didn¡¯t want to disturb their enjoyment of the food.

    Mingyan continuously nodded while she licked the sugar left behind on her fingers. ¡°Third Young Madam, it¡¯s delicious!¡± After saying so, her eyes drifted towards the two pastries left on the dish. She clearly had something else she wanted to say.

    Chu Lian: ...

    After listening to all their replies and confirming that the pumpkin pastry was indeed delicious to them, Chu Lian began to despair...

    Surely not! A pumpkin pastry sweet enough to kill someone was delicious to them?

    These four maidservants hade from the House of Duke Ying. Even if their meals weren¡¯t as fine as that of the young masters anddies, it was stillparable to the meals of a richmoner¡¯s family. If these were the maidservants¡¯ tastes, and the maidservants¡¯ tastes were the standards of the rich here in the Great Wu Dynasty... Could it be that this was the level of fine dining here? Wasn¡¯t that too poor?

    When Xiyan saw that her mistress¡¯ expression had copsed, her brows drew together. She thought that Chu Lian was unhappy, so she hurriedly said, ¡°Third Young Madam, do you think that we caused you to lose face?¡±

    A simple te of sweets from a noble family¡¯s household had been all that it took to reduce them to such a state. As she recalled their loosened expressions from just moments prior, Xiyan felt that she had done something bad.

    Chu Lian shook her head. This Xiyan was good at everything and put her whole heart into her work. However, she had the habit of overthinking things.

    ¡°How could that be? It¡¯s just a te of pastries. Don¡¯t tell me that your mistress is such a stingy person in your hearts?¡±

    They shook their heads, afraid that Chu Lian would misunderstand.

    ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing wrong. Why do you have such troubled expressions? If you like to eat them, then take these pastries and split it between all of you,¡± Chu Lian said as she smiled.

    Jingyan¡¯s eyes widened. She had a pair of canines peeking out, so she looked especially cute as she smiled and said, ¡°Third Young Madam, if you give them all to us, then... what are you going to eat?!¡±

    Xiyan had specially gone to the kitchen to bring back these exquisite pastries for Chu Lian. Third Young Madam was one of their masters; they couldn¡¯t let her go hungry.

    Chu Lian rested her chin on her slender hand and replied with an equally carefree manner, ¡°I don¡¯t like to eat these. They don¡¯t suit my tastes.¡±

    ¡°But Third Young Madam, didn¡¯t you like eating these sort of sweets back at the Ying estate?¡± Xiyan asked, finding it strange.

    Chu Lian¡¯s expression froze stiff for a moment. Damn it, she had forgotten that Xiyan and Fuyan had been the female lead¡¯s personal maidservants, and as such, they knew everything there was to know about the female lead.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like to eat sweet stuff. These pastries just aren¡¯t that tasty.¡± Chu Lian could only be honest with them.

    Fuyan inwardly snorted withughter, but didn¡¯t show any of her disdain on her face.

    As the Sixth Miss¡¯ personal maidservant, Fuyan knew exactly how Sixth Miss had passed her days at the Ying Estate. It was considered a good day if the kitchen gave them a few pastries at all. When did they ever get the chance to be this picky?

    Now that she had married into a noble family and had be the Third Young Madam, she immediately started being picky with her food?

    Who was she putting on airs for!

    Xiyan and the other two maidservants stared at Chu Lian in wide-eyed surprise. They couldn¡¯t quite believe what she had said.

    Goodness! Their mistress must have turned silly once she had gotten married. She actually thought that the pastries of the House of Count Jing¡¯an weren¡¯t that tasty?

    Even the empress wouldn¡¯t say something like that.

    The chef who made pastries in House Jing¡¯an was famous throughout high society in the entire capital. On special asions, the noble families who were on intimate terms with the House of Count Jing¡¯an were proud to receive gift boxes of assorted sweets from the Jing¡¯an Household. Normally, the Jing¡¯an Household wouldn¡¯t hand them out as gifts; if anyone wanted to have the chance to eat such delicacies, they would have toe to the Jing¡¯an Estate as a guest.

    Of course, Chu Lian didn¡¯t know any of this. Although this was the fictional universe of the novel, there was a limit to what had been described. The novel couldn¡¯t possibly exin every single little detail. Thus, something like a famous sweets maker hadn¡¯t been mentioned at all.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, could you possibly be joking?¡± Mingyan softly asked.

    Chu Lian helplessly shook her head and stood up. She looked around the room. Seeing that there were still some kumquats disyed on the table from the wedding, she walked over and picked one up, thoughts rolling about in her head.

    ¡°Xiyan,e here.¡±

    Xiyan walked briskly to Chu Lian¡¯s side.

    Chu Lian waved the little kumquat in front of Xiyan. ¡°Do you see this kumquat?¡±

    Xiyan didn¡¯t know what Third Young Madam wanted, so she simply nodded.

    ¡°Take all of these and wash them, then take some salt and scrub the skin for a while before rinsing it again. Use a small knife to make four cuts in each kumquat and take out all the seeds. Then ce the kumquats in a sugar water bath to cook until they turn translucent. After that, take them out and pickle them in honey for two hours.¡± As Chu Lian spoke, she pointed out where the cuts should be made and taught Xiyan how to remove the little seeds. 1

    The maidservants were bbergasted. It was only when Chu Lian had finished her instructions that they recovered their senses. However, Xiyan didn¡¯t immediately take the kumquats out to make them into sweets. Instead, she knelt down, knees hitting the floor with a thump.

    Chu Lian was shocked. ¡°What happened? Why are you kneeling down?¡± She hade from the modern world after all. She really couldn¡¯t get used to how the people in the Great Wu Dynasty liked to kneel down for the slightest cause.

    The other three maidservants looked at Xiyan with envy.

    Xiyan raised her head, the corners of her eyes slightly reddened already. ¡°Xiyan thanks Third Young Madam for teaching this servant a secret recipe! Xiyan will keep it absolutely secret from now on! My lips are sealed!¡±

    Chu Lian: ...

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know what to say anymore. All she wanted was to eat some candied kumquats. She was toozy to do it herself, so she had taught Xiyan how to make them. The recipe for these candied kumquats was so easy that anyone could do it after seeing it once. However, these maidservants were treating it like some secret recipe. She was a little embarrassed.

    1. Here¡¯s a recipe I found online for candied kumquats: http://saltandwind/recipes/63-make-your-own-candied-kumquats-recipe If you try it out, let me know how it went! :3

 Chapter 12: Secret Recipe (2)

    Chapter 12: Secret Recipe (2)

    Back in the modern era, you could simply search for recipes like this online, and there would be enough results to make a person¡¯s head spin. It was just a matter of whether you were toozy to make them or not.

    There was something Chu Lian did not know. In the Great Wu Dynasty, eating rare delicacies served on an array of tters while listening to a live musical performance was the height of extravagance. This was naturally a life reserved only for nobility.

    Cuisine was judged by quality and not quantity. Secret recipes were essential forrge noble families, as they signified the ability to create those sumptuous foods vital to their ostentatious lifestyle.

    The families of court officials had to have one or two secret recipes at hand. Noble wives on close terms with one another would exchange secret recipes as a sign of the highest intimacy between them.

    From this, it could be seen how important these secret recipes were to the people of the Great Wu Dynasty. It was precisely because of this emphasis that the noble families who received the iconic sweets of House Jing¡¯an were so proud of their gifts. Even though these sweets had been sent to almost every noble family over the years, the House of Count Jing¡¯an was still the sole producer due to keeping the recipe absolutely secret.

    The instructions that Chu Lian had so casually ryed had been taken for a secret recipe.

    Sixth Miss Chu¡¯s mother had passed away when she was young. The four maidservants had grown up in the Ying Estate, and had thus more or less heard of her, the Third Madam of the House of Duke Ying.

    Third Madam was Second Master¡¯s first wife. She had been born into a literary family. Unfortunately, Chu Lian¡¯s maternal grandparents had been implicated in General Chengping¡¯s rebellion, and their family¡¯s status had declined.

    Third Madam had been pregnant with Chu Lian at the time. When she had heard of the fall of her family, she had suffered a shock, which had caused the pregnancy to be unstable. After that, she had a difficultbour. When Chu Lian was only a year old, Third Madam let go of her ties to this world.

    Although she had passed away, there were rumours that she had left some valuable treasures for Sixth Miss Chu.

    Thus, the four maidservants weren¡¯t at all suspicious of how Chu Lian had recited a recipe for candied kumquats so easily. They assumed that it was a secret recipe that the Third Madam had left for Chu Lian.

    The well-known sweets maker of the Jing¡¯an Household had made the Jing¡¯an Estate incredibly famous with just a few types of sweets under their belt. Thus, it could be seen why the four maidservants treated the matter of Chu Lian teaching Xiyan a secret recipe so seriously.

    Of course, Chu Lian didn¡¯t know any of this. If she ever found out, she would probably burst out intoughter.

    She had identally transmigrated into this darn book without bringing anything from the modern world. Chu Lian might not have had any physical objects that could help her, but she had tons of these worthless ¡®secret recipes¡¯ lying around in her brain!

    Chu Lian still couldn¡¯t understand why Xiyan was so grateful over a simple recipe for candied kumquats. She didn¡¯t want to think too much about it either. Since she had juste to this world, it wasn¡¯t too good if she was overly curious about things she should already know.

    She waved Xiyan away. ¡°Alright, stop making a fuss over such a small matter. You should hurry and make some candied kumquats for me.¡±

    Xiyan wiped away her tears with a handkerchief and sniffled. She replied happily, ¡°Alright, Third Young Madam, just sit here and wait. This servant will be back soon.¡±

    Fuyan watched Xiyan¡¯s departing back with extreme jealousy. Her eyes flickered and she began to serve Chu Lian with eager attention.

    She hinted, ¡°Third Young Madam, you treat Xiyan so well! You taught her a secret recipe just like that!¡±

    Chu Lian raised an eyebrow as she sipped a cup of warm water. She turned to Fuyan and said, ¡°Hmm? Fuyan, do you want to learn how to make sweets too?¡±

    Fuyan¡¯s eyes lit up, but she hurriedly suppressed the greed in her heart and said, ¡°This servant doesn¡¯t dare to overstep her bounds.¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t speak again, and noticed a glint of disappointment shing through Fuyan¡¯s eyes.

    She didn¡¯t want to base her judgement of these few maidservants¡¯ characters off what she had read in the novel. Sometimes, there was no boundary between being a good or bad person. Sometimes, a bad person could be good by simply making the right choice. Thus, as much as she could help it, Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to judge them too quickly. She wanted to guide these few maidservants fairly before making a decision.

    Xiyan worked quickly. Before 11am, the candied kumquats were done.

    These sweets were quite simple to make.

    Xiyan ced a snow-white porcin bowl full of candied kumquats in front of Chu Lian, blushing a little shyly. She spoke to Chu Lian, full of overflowing emotion. ¡°Third Young Madam, please try it out. This is my first try, so I¡¯m afraid I didn¡¯t make it well.¡±

    The kumquats had originally been a golden colour. After they had been cooked and soaked in honey, the kumquats were now an enticing shade of translucent orange. Due to the four cuts made while extracting the seeds, they had ttened a little after cooking. The cuts also separated the kumquats into four pieces. The candied kumquats stood out against the white porcin like a flower about to bloom. When it was served on the table, a sweet fragrance with tones of citrus and honey began to drift up.

 Chapter 13: Eating Venison (1)

    Chapter 13: Eating Venison (1)

    Chu Lian picked one up with her fair fingers and tasted it. There was a refreshingly light taste in the midst of the sweetness, just enough to avoid being cloyingly sweet. When she bit into it, the chewy texture was apanied by the taste of honey. And when she swallowed, her mouth was filled with the fragrance of kumquats. It was Xiyan¡¯s first time making these, so she had put a little too much rock sugar during the cooking process and caused the taste to be a little too heavy. Other than that, she had done well.

    Xiyan watched Chu Lian¡¯s expression anxiously, waiting for her evaluation.

    Chu Lian finished eating one piece and nodded while smiling gently, ¡°Everyone, take a piece to try!¡±

    The other three maidservants had already been watching with their eyes wide. Upon hearing Chu Lian¡¯s words, they were unable to hold back and they each picked up a piece to eat. They had already been attracted to these candied kumquats the second Xiyan had carried the te in.

    Kumquats were tart when eaten directly, and might even be a little sour depending on the fruit. However, after preparing them in this manner, their tartness and sourness werepletely erased. Instead, the special, delicate fragrance and sweetness of the kumquats shone through.

    The maidservants carefully took a bite, and their eyes immediately lit up.

    Mingyan nodded bashfully. It was at this moment that Chu Lian realised that she got shy easily.

    As expected, without something topare the pumpkin pastries to, all the maidservants would have said that those were the best. However, after eating the sweets made from following Chu Lian¡¯s ¡®secret recipe¡¯, the maidservants finally realised why Third Young Madam had said that those pastries weren¡¯t all that tasty.

    ¡°How is it?¡± Chu Lian asked as she smiled.

    The maidservants nodded fervently, like chickens pecking at grains.

    When Chu Lian saw that they didn¡¯t seem content with what they just had, she turned to look at therge y te of kumquats on the other side of the room and gave a few instructions to Xiyan. ¡°Xiyan, go and turn all these into candied kumquats. This time, put less rock sugar and put aside two small bowls of it. I¡¯ll send them over to Grandmother and Mother myself. All of you can share the rest.¡±

    Candied kumquats could be eaten for dessert, or they could even be brewed in a fruity tea. It could regte qi flow within the body and dissolve phlegm. Combined with red dates, they served as a good supplement for older women.

    Xiyan had just learned how to make this recipe, so of course she wanted to make it a few more times to practice it. Third Young Madam could also use these candied kumquats to show off her skills to the He Family, and as a result, she might be able to stand a little more firmly in the household.

    It seemed like Matriarch He had a lot to say to He Changdi. It was almost 11am before he came back.

    Although Chu Lian didn¡¯t really want to bother with him, since they were now a married couple, she had to go through the motions out of courtesy.

    The two of them were to eat their midday meals together in their own courtyard.

    After sending a little maid over to the kitchen to pass the message, after 20 minutes, the kitchen would send maidservants over with the food.

    Mingyanid out the dishes together with two other maidservants before escorting Chu Lian out of her room for the meal. He Changdi had gone to his study after returning from the matriarch¡¯s ce, so Senior Servant Gui went over to inform him.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t eaten much in the morning and the pastries that Xiyan had specially brought back from the kitchen weren¡¯t to her liking. Although she had eaten two candied kumquats, those sweets couldn¡¯t fill her stomach. She had finally managed to make it to the midday meal, and she was hungry!

    Mingyan escorted her to the parlour. Chu Lian¡¯s expectant gaze was already fixed on the table from a distance away.

    However, upon seeing the four or five dishes arranged there, her shining gaze dulled with disappointment, like a little girl whose lollipop had been taken away.

    What... what was this!?

    The people of the Great Wu Dynasty were clearly well-dressed. Things here looked about the same as in the Tang Dynasty. However, why was it that their meals were this poor!

    Look, look! Look at what¡¯s on the table!

    There was a pancake 1 as big as her palm, made out of some ingredients she couldn¡¯t identify. There were also some white chunks of meat, cooked vegetables, and a fish in some soup that lookedpletely unappetising...

    Out of the few dishes on the table, the ones that looked the most attractive were the two bowls of rice. The rice grains looked white enough, at the very least.

    Chu Lian finally realised why those average pastries could make the House of Count Jing¡¯an so famous. With these unappetising dishes as the base of the country¡¯s cuisine, even the Tianjin crepes 2monly sold as street snacks would be famed all over the capital!

    Mingyan saw that the corners of her mistress¡¯ lips were twitching, and her expression didn¡¯t look quite right. She thought that there was something that Third Young Madam couldn¡¯t eat amongst the dishes, so she anxiously asked, ¡°Third Young Madam, could it be that these dishes aren¡¯t to your liking?¡±

    Chu Lian resisted the urge to spit up blood. She held on to the dredges of her conscience and shook her head, somehow managing a fake smile. ¡°Not at all.¡±

    At the same time that Mingyan rxed, she whispered into Chu Lian¡¯s ear, ¡°Third Young Madam, look, there¡¯s roasted venison! We wouldn¡¯t have even gotten the chance to eat that six months ago in the House of Duke Ying!¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know how to react. Were the people around her all hidden foodies?

    Right at that moment, He Changdi came into the room and cast a sideways nce at Chu Lian before sitting down at the head of the table. He lookedpletely reluctant to bother with his newlywed bride.

    Chu Lian bobbed in greeting towards He Changdi before sitting on the stool next to him.

    Fuyan and Jingyan, who were serving them from the side, passed chopsticks to both of them.

    Chu Lian was too busy frowning down at the dishes on the table to notice He Changdi, who was currently observing her in secret out of the corner of his eyes.

    Upon discovering the expression on her face, heughed mockingly in his heart. Oh? This vige bumpkin from the House of Duke Ying must have been scared silly by a normal meal from their House of Count Jing¡¯an! Heh! She couldn¡¯t even decide which dish to start with, how shameful!

    Any noble in the capital would know that the House of Duke Ying was no longer as prosperous as they were twenty years ago, despite their expanded family tree. At this point, the House was simply an empty shell of its former self. If there were no promising descendants in the House once the old Duke Ying passed away... There was a tacit understanding amongst the nobles of the capital that the Ying House would surely disappear, bing a mere speck in the annals of history.

    Heh! In his past life, that bitch ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ was still around to support her family¡¯s House. However, here in this new life, he was to determined to never let history repeat itself!

 Chapter 14: Eating Venison (2)

    Chapter 14: Eating Venison (2)

    A cold glint shed through the depths of He Changdi¡¯s ck eyes. When he recalled how his grandmother had requested a meeting with him in Qingxi Hall, and how she had instructed him to live in peace and harmony with Chu Lian from now on, he had found itughable.

    If he could, he would have told his family everything that had happened in his past life! If only he could do that, then he would make his kind family understand what a shameless and malicious woman that ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ was!

    Unfortunately, if he did so, his family probably wouldn¡¯t believe him. Not to mention, they would probably think there was something wrong with him.

    The hand that He Changdi was gripping his chopsticks with unconsciously tightened, almost snapping them in two.

    His abnormal actions attracted Chu Lian¡¯s attention. She watched his handsome face contort slightly as he seemed to be bearing some hidden pain. Chu Lian frowned and asked, ¡°Husband, is anything the matter?¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s voice was like a hammer knocking on his tightly wound nerves. He Changdi stiffened. It took him a few seconds to recover his calm.

    ¡°Hmph! Just eat! These dishes are probably hard toe by in the Ying Household!¡± His icy cold voice seemed to be emanating frost.

    In the past life, when they had just married, he had personally served some food to her. His heart had been filled with joy as he watched his beautiful, young wife pick from the dishes on the table timidly while her mouth never stopped moving. His young wife must have suffered much in the House of Duke Ying. Half of the dishes on the table had all gone into her stomach, especially the two pieces of roasted venison. She had praises aplenty for the meal.

    Those memories yed out in He Changdi¡¯s mind without bidding, upsetting him and filling with bitter hatred.

    When he saw that Chu Lian seemed to be in a daze and hadn¡¯t moved her chopsticks at all, the corners of his mouth raised and he took the two pieces of venison, cing them into his own bowl.

    Chu Lian: ...

    The maidservants: ...

    Senior Servant Gui: ...

    Chu Lian¡¯s expression stiffened. She didn¡¯t understand what this young master was trying to do. None of the dishes here were to her liking anyway. Especially those two unappetising pieces of venison. Actually, she was relieved that he had solved her problem and taken both pieces for himself!

    With her mood slightly improved, Chu Lian took some of the leafy vegetables in front of her. Although the cook had added some salt and pork grease to them, the fresh, natural vour of the vegetables still shone through. Mmmm, tasty!

    Chu Lian tried a few of the other dishes. There were only two vours on the table: tasteless or salty. Furthermore, because they had cooked the dishes for too long, the freshness of the ingredients was gone. All the dishes failed Chu Lian¡¯s taste test!

    After mentally drawing a line through all the dishes on the table, the only one that she had bothered to keep eating was that small te of leafy vegetables in front of her.

    With Chu Lian¡¯s picky taste buds, she barely managed to finish half a bowl of rice. Her main dish was, of course, the vegetables.

    She didn¡¯t seem to think anything of it, but the expressions of the maidservants and Senior Servant Gui changed.

    Young Madam had been so frightened by Young Master¡¯s actions that she had only dared to eat the leafy vegetables in front of her. Young Master even took away the best dish so that Young Madam couldn¡¯t have it. How could he be so evil!

    Third Young Madam¡¯s looks could bepared to a flower in bloom, and she had just married into the family. She couldn¡¯t possibly have offended Young Master. However, Young Master was already treating her in this manner when they were newly wed. How were they going to continue living out their days with a start like this?!

    Senior Servant Gui¡¯s brows drew together as she started worrying about Chu Lian¡¯s future.

    On the contrary, Fuyan¡¯s lips curled up into a secret smile. Since Young Master didn¡¯t seem to like Sixth Miss, that meant that she had a chance...

    Mingyan and Jingyan, who were standing behind Chu Lian, were shocked silly by He Changdi¡¯s actions.

    Those two pieces of venison were rather big; one of them could cover an entire bowl.

    The Jing¡¯an Household ate venison regrly. However, He Changdi actually didn¡¯t like to eat venison. He had only taken it to provoke Chu Lian in a moment of impulse. When he imagined how she would have a restless night because of the poor meal, he felt extremely refreshed.

    For the sake of making Chu Lian watch helplessly as he ate the venison, He Sang held back his disgust and acted as if he was enjoying his meal, forcing down the two pieces with huge, hungry bites.

    By the end of it, he was alreadypletely nauseous. He swallowed thest bite while suppressing the urge to vomit.

    The dishes weren¡¯t to Chu Lian¡¯s taste, and she had a small appetite. Thus, she simply put down her chopsticks and stopped eating. Without anything left to do, she watched He Changdi eat his venison while she sat idle by his side. Chu Lian gulped. She felt anxious just watching him. Honestly, what was going on in this guy¡¯s head? He looked like he was still determined to finish eating it even though he was clearly in pain. Finally, out of the kindness of her heart, Chu Lian got Mingyan to pour a cup of warm water, and she ced it in front of him.

    ¡°Eat a little slower! Why don¡¯t you drink some water?¡± Chu Lian said sympathetically.

 Chapter 15: Sending Some Snacks (1)

    Chapter 15: Sending Some Snacks (1)

    He Sang finished thest piece of venison with all his might and immediately felt his stomach rebel. He quickly covered his mouth to keep in whatever he had just eaten. Due to the pain of holding back from hurling, his fair face turned an unsightly red and his expression contorted.

    When he saw the teacup before him, he immediately picked it up and gulped the water down, beyond caring that it was Chu Lian who had poured it for him.

    Chu Lian looked at him with abination of surprise and shock, eyes widening.

    Once he had finished swallowing it all down, He Changdi turned his fierce re onto Chu Lian. He wore an extremely unnatural expression, like that of a man trying to unt his Pyrrhic victory. Finally, he left the parlour in a hurry.

    Right after He Sang left, Chu Lian made a noise of sympathy in the direction he had gone. That guy had run so fast, he must have gone to look for a ce to throw up.

    As expected, after He Sang strode out of the courtyard, his usual handsome self was nowhere in sight as he held onto a camphor tree and puked his guts out. The poor guy felt like he was about to throw up everything in his stomach, including the food he had eaten at the wedding banquet yesterday.

    After he had purged from his gut all the venison that he had scarfed down, He Changdi looked up with a pale face and rubbed away the remnants of vomit from the corners of his mouth. He stared in the direction of the courtyard with a deep and serene look. Upon recalling Chu Lian¡¯s extremely aggrieved expression and how she had stopped herself from speaking, the pain he had gone through felt almost worth it.

    When he had reincarnated back into this life, it was already too close to the wedding day, so he couldn¡¯t change their marriage. However, as long as he existed, that wicked woman had better think twice about passing her days in peace!

    Meanwhile, the object of He Changdi¡¯s curses and bad thoughts was currently bored stiff, staring at the still-full dishes on the table with a nk face.

    Senior Servant Gui used the serving chopsticks to ce some fish in Third Young Madam¡¯s bowl, her eyes slightly red. ¡°Third Young Madam, Third Young Master isn¡¯t here anymore. You didn¡¯t eat enough, so please eat a little more!¡±

    Chu Lian shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not eating anymore, I¡¯m already full. Just clear the table!¡±

    Mingyan hurriedly tried to persuade her otherwise. ¡°Third Young Madam, please don¡¯t worry. Third Young Master went out and he won¡¯t be back so soon. Although this perch isn¡¯t as delicious as the venison, it¡¯s still something we don¡¯t get to eat very often! Why don¡¯t you try a small mouthful?¡±

    Chu Lian finally realised what was happening. She looked up at Senior Servant Gui and the maidservants, stupefied. She smiled and sighed, helpless in the face of their concern. ¡°Did you think that I didn¡¯t dare to eat because I was scared of my husband?¡±

    Senior Servant Gui looked at her with concern. The look in her eyes confirmed Chu Lian¡¯s suspicions.

    Chu Lian held her forehead in her hands and exined, ¡°You were thinking too much! I didn¡¯t eat much because these dishes aren¡¯t to my taste.¡±

    Although Senior Servant Gui hoped that she could convince her to eat a little more, as Chu Lian¡¯s servant, she couldn¡¯t possibly force the matter. Since Chu Lian was insistent, she could only instruct the maidservants to clear the table.

    In thete afternoon, Matriarch He specially sent one of her most trusted servants, Senior Servant Liu, over with some nourishing soup. With Senior Servant Liu watching from the side, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t reject it; the only thing she could do was force herself to drink it down. The soup tasted extremely strange... Who knew what had gone into it? After Senior Servant Liu took her leave, Chu Lian had to drink three cups of water and eat two candied kumquats to remove that strange taste from her mouth.

    After that torture, Chu Lian lost all interest in even taking a nap.

    She recalled the candied kumquats she had ordered Xiyan to make earlier, so she got Senior Servant Gui to arrange them on some pretty tes. Chu Lian then personally set off to send them to Matriarch He and her mother-inw, Countess Jing¡¯an.

    Matriarch He had the habit of taking an afternoon nap, and was still sleeping when Chu Lian arrived at Qingxi Hall. Thus, she passed the candied kumquats to Senior Servant Liu.

    When she reached Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s courtyard, Chu Lian only spent ten minutes there before leaving, afraid that she would disturb her mother-inw¡¯s rest.

    After returning to her own courtyard, she asked for He Changdi¡¯s whereabouts. When she heard that he was in the study at the outer court, she decided not to disturb him and went to take a nap, Xiyan by her side.

    It was currently spring, right at the time when the air was starting to warm up and the flowers were starting to bloom. The temperature outside wasfortable. The bridal chamber faced the direction of the morning sun, so sunlight was streaming in from a nearby window, warming her up. Xiyan let down the thin, red curtains on the sides of the bed and left her alone, lying in the exquisitely made bedchamber.

    Chu Lian rolled about on the soft, fragrant bed, carefree and rxed. Following that, she ced her arms behind her head and stared at the auspicious drawings on the roof of the bedchamber.

    Although the husband she had married waspletely different from the novel¡¯s ¡®He Changdi¡¯, Chu Lian didn¡¯t feel any regrets or fear. She was naturally optimistic and independent, and had never ever been pessimistic in her life.

    Back in the modern world, she had been an orphan who had built her own business from scratch. However, she hadn¡¯t made many friends, and had never found her better half. Although she hade to the Great Wu Dynasty by ident, living here or living in the modern world was all the same to her!

    Besides, she was ten years younger here and had even gotten a free handsome husband to boot! Although it was true that her husband was a little strange, Chu Lian wasn¡¯t discouraged.

    If she could easily pass her days with her husband, then she would do her best to do so. If they really couldn¡¯t get along, she could just live as ayabout as a member of the Jing¡¯an Household. She would be fine as long as she didn¡¯t do anything stupid like the original female lead had.

    As for He Changdi, if he really didn¡¯t like her, there was nothing she could do.

    She had transmigrated into this world on her wedding day, so everything had already been set in stone. In this ancient era, cancelling a marriage contract, especially one involving the alliance of two families, wasn¡¯t something that could be done by just signing a divorce certificate at some bureau.

    So far, there was no danger in staying in the Jing¡¯an Estate. Her top priority now was to improve her lifestyle. Right, she should start with her food!

    Dressed in a thin nightgown, Chu Lian had her legs crossed while lying down on the bed. While thinking up some ns to improve her meals, she wiggled her little feet,pletelyfortable in her new environment.

    However, for some reason, she began to feel hot all over...

 Chapter 16: Sending Some Snacks (2)

    Chapter 16: Sending Some Snacks (2)

    In the study in the outer court, Senior Servant Liu had also delivered some nourishing soup to He Changdi. After throwing up that mid-afternoon, He Changdi hadn¡¯t eaten anything else. Now that he was being forced to drink some strange herbal soup, he was already filled to the brim with frustration.

    He Changdi no longer had the mood to continue reading the letters in front of him. Thus, he stood up and left the study.

    Laiyue, his personal manservant, was dozing off while guarding the door outside. He Changdi kicked him to relieve some of his frustration, startling Laiyue awake. He wiped away the drool at the corner of his mouth and hurriedly asked, ¡°Young Master, where are you going at this time?¡±

    He Changdi cast a sideways nce at Laiyue and was about to reply that he was returning to his courtyard. However, he instantly remembered that the wicked woman, Chu Lian, was staying there, so he turned and headed to his mother¡¯s courtyard instead.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to visit Mother.¡±

    Laiyue scratched his head and followed behind Third Young Master, confused. There were three great asions in a man¡¯s life: meeting a friend in a foreignnd, getting married, and ranking on the imperial examination. Third Young Master had just gotten married and Third Young Madam was such a beauty. Why was Third Young Master walking around with such a dark look on his face, as if the entire world owed him three hundred taels of silver and no one was paying up?

    When He Changdi reached his mother¡¯s courtyard, Countess Jing¡¯an was currently walking about in her room with the support of one of her personal maidservants.

    Something interesting seemed to have urred, as the bell-likeughter of her personal maidservant, Miaozhen, drifted out from the parlour.

    As He Sang walked closer, he could hear Countess Jing¡¯an talking andughing with the servants by her side.

    ¡°Madam, these candied kumquats that Third Young Madam sent over are really delicious!¡± That was Miaozhen¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Yes, this old servant also thinks that they¡¯re good. Speaking critically, these candied kumquats look pretty and cheerful, and they even taste great. They won¡¯t lose out to the pastries that Cook Zhou makes!¡±

    ¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t think that these sweets could get such a high evaluation from you. Let me have one to try.¡± Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s voice was clearly a little weak.

    Following that came the sound of the maidservants¡¯ footsteps.

    He Changdi¡¯s expression changed and he sprinted into his mother¡¯s room. When he saw the te of candied kumquats that Miaozhen was about to bring to his mother, he reached out and knocked it away.

    The little dish immediately shattered, making a sharp, ear-piercing sound as it hit the ground. The translucent candied kumquats scattered all over the floor.

    Everyone in the room was so shocked by He Changdi¡¯s sudden actions that they turnedpletely mute.

    It was Countess Jing¡¯an who recovered and reacted first. She stared at her youngest son with her brows slightly drawn together as she said, ¡°Sang, what are you doing? Your wife personally delivered these to me this afternoon as a gift.¡±

    He Changdi finally realised that he had acted too impulsively. However, upon thinking of the ploys that ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had used in his past life, he felt that he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong.

    ¡°Mother, you¡¯re not well. You have to be careful with what you eat. Don¡¯t let it affect your body.¡±

    No one knows a man better than his own mother. Countess Jing¡¯an seemed to have detected something from He Changdi¡¯s flickering eyes. She sent away the servants in the room before she asked her son, ¡°I heard from Senior Servant Liu that you don¡¯t seem to be very happy with your wife. Is this true? Tell Mother why you¡¯re so unhappy with her. She came to visit me this afternoon, and she seems like a good child.¡±

    He Changdi was astounded. He inwardly sneered. Who would have thought that that wicked woman, Chu Lian, would actually try and y this game while he was away? She had evene to curry favour with his mother.

    ¡°Mother, don¡¯t think too much about it. Nothing¡¯s wrong. I¡¯m just worried about your health.¡±

    Seeing that He Changdi wasn¡¯t willing to speak the truth, Countess Jing¡¯an could only sigh. ¡°Sang, Mother worries the most over you. If you don¡¯t pass your days in happiness, how can Mother rx?¡±

    He Sang¡¯s expression was extremely dark when he left Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s courtyard. By this point, he had already heard of what Chu Lian had done earlier in the afternoon. So she had been up to something while he wasn¡¯t around. He walked towards his courtyard in a huff.

    Laiyue scratched his head as he followed behind his master. He found that he really couldn¡¯t understand Third Young Master anymore.

    Chu Lian napped for an hour in a daze. She woke up in the most ufortable way, covered in sweat and stifled. Thus, she ordered Jingyan and Mingyan to prepare a hot bath for her.

    She had just entered the fragrant hot bath when she heard Mingyan¡¯s rmed voice outside. ¡°Third Young Master, Third Young Master, it¡¯s not convenient to meet Third Young Madam at this time! Please wait for a moment before going in!¡±

 Chapter 17: Visiting the Brideâ€™s Family (1)

    Chapter 17: Visiting the Bride¡¯s Family (1)

    When Chu Lian heard Mingyan¡¯s voice out of the blue, her eyes widened in shock. It took her a while to react, and when she did, she quickly grabbed a dry cloth hanging on the screen nearby to cover her chest. Immediately after, she could hear the sound of He Changdi¡¯s heavy footstepsing closer and closer.

    In the midst of his rage, He Sang simply charged right in.

    The bathroom was filled with dense steam, and a nice fragrance lingered in the air. Water sshed out of the bathtub as the girl inside hid in a corner of the tub, panicking as she clutched a wet cotton cloth to her chest that barely protected her modesty.

    However, Chu Lian didn¡¯t realise that this cotton cloth meant for drying off after a bath was very thin. Once it got wet, it was practically translucent. By cing the nearly transparent cloth over her chest, it was a hundred times more enticing than if she hadn¡¯t used it at all.

    Although she was submerged in the water, due to to her intense panic, her chest was heaving from her heavy breathing. The shapes of rounded peaks and small pink dots bobbed up and down underneath the wet cloth cover, ying a game of hide-and-seek.

    This unintentionally captivating sight shocked He Changdi so much that, upon seeing her, he was rooted to the spot. All of his reckless fury had beenpletely drained out of him.

    Mingyan stomped her foot and, with a troubled expression on her face, was about to chase after him, but she was held back by Senior Servant Gui.

    ¡°What are you doing? It¡¯s Young Master who went in, not some stranger!¡± Senior Servant Gui warned her in a low volume.

    Mingyan tried to speak up. ¡°But...¡±

    ¡°But what? Quick,e out with me.¡±

    He Sang¡¯s fair face was covered all the way up to his hairline in a deep blush, just like a cooked lobster. The heat that he had been feeling hade back at some point, and a certain part of his lower body was currently standing at attention.

    Chu Lian was angry. He was the one who wasn¡¯t willing to consummate their marriage, and he had even gone out of his way to humiliate her on their wedding night. However, now he was the one who was staring at her stupidly while she was taking a bath. What was this guy trying to do?

    At this point, she could honestly care less. Chu Lian simply picked up a bar of soap and threw it at him, her lovely voice raised in anger as she shouted, ¡°You... Get out!¡±

    After regaining his senses thanks to Chu Lian¡¯s delicate shout, He Sang¡¯s body stiffened as he noticed the desire that shouldn¡¯t have even existed in his mind. His face immediately turned as ck as an inkstick.

    Grimacing, he red at Chu Lian and shouted back, ¡°You tried to seduce me with looks like that? Dream on!¡±

    On that parting note, He Sang tossed his sleeves and spun on his foot, striding out with as much dignity as he could muster, albeit a little stiffly.

    If he had managed to match his icy tone with an equally icy expression, then Chu Lian might have been angered enough to hop right out of the bathtub and pick a fight with him. However, his face had beenpletely red and his actions extremely unnatural. Adding on the bulge sitting at a certain part of his body that should not be described, he just seemed like a haughty cat pretending not to be embarrassed.

    Thanks to He Sang¡¯s actions, Chu Lian¡¯s anger and tensionpletely dissipated. Once he left the bathroom, she couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and the corners of her lips twitched upwards in soundlessughter.

    By the time she had finished changing into some clean clothes and hade out of the bathroom, He Changdi was no longer in the room.

    With a blush on her face, Mingyan passed a cup of warm water to Chu Lian before helping Chu Lian brush her slippery wet hair.

    ¡°Where¡¯s my husband?¡±

    ¡°Third Young Master left the courtyard ten minutes ago. This servant doesn¡¯t know where he went.¡±

    Chu Lian took a sip of her water and shook her head. She really couldn¡¯t understand He Sang at all. Instead of trying to, she casually picked up a book left on the wooden sofa and started reading.

    Meanwhile, He Changdi, who had left in such a rush, was now in the outer court¡¯s study room 1.

    He had downed two cups of cold tea in quick session the minute he returned, but that strange heat in his heart couldn¡¯t be suppressed. When he closed his eyes, the scene of Chu Lian sitting in the bathtub appeared in his mind: her hands holding a cloth to her chest as she watched him with widened, teary eyes of shock.

    ¡°Damnit!¡± He cursed. How could he feel anything for that wicked woman! All he wanted to do was kill her immediately! In this moment, He Changdi hated himself. He punched the table, shaking a small tray used for washing brushes.

    The fire in his body refused to go down. In the end, He Sang went to take a cold shower with a dark expression.

    1. Ancient Chinese estates were divided into the outer court and the inner court. Guests were usually entertained in the outer court. The inner court was reserved for the womenfolk and immediate family members. It was strictly prohibited for male strangers to enter the inner court, as the good name of unmarried youngdies living there would be at stake.

 Chapter 18: Visiting the Brideâ€™s Family (2)

    Chapter 18: Visiting the Bride¡¯s Family (2)

    At night, He Changdi and Chu Lian attended a family dinner at the outer court¡¯s parlour room. After the dinner, the eldest son of the family requested a meeting with them.

    From the head of the table, He Changqi gave his brother strict instructions. ¡°Sang, your wife is going to return to her maiden home tomorrow. 1Promise me that you¡¯ll take care of everything, and don¡¯t let our He Family lose face. Understand?¡±

    He Changdi agreed expressionlessly.

    Chu Lian secretly gave her eldest brother-inw a thumbs up. He Changqi was just like the novel had described. Although he looked a little rough, he was actually a careful person who treated his sister-inw with consideration. As the saying ¡®an elder brother is like a father¡¯ goes, He Changqi was a good brother, without a doubt.

    He must have seen how they weren¡¯t getting along, so he had gotten them to stay back just to give a reminder to He Sang.

    ¡°Sister-in-Law, my brother was spoiled rotten by my grandmother and mother. Please be more understanding with him.¡±

    Chu Lian hurriedly gave a greeting and replied, ¡°Yes, Older Brother.¡±

    He Changqi only spoke a few more words to them before letting them go.

    By this time, the entire Jing¡¯an Household was already covered in the darkness of night. Only the corridors and pathways were lit up bynterns.

    Thentern light was dim, so Chu Lian couldn¡¯t see He Changdi¡¯s expression clearly. She could only feel that he was in a bad mood, like a caged beast.

    What had happened to the cheerful and famous He Sang of House Jing¡¯an from the novel? He had just gotten married; this should have been the happiest time of his life. Why was he acting this way?

    Chu Lian tossed a few nces at him. She had interacted with many people in her career. Although she didn¡¯t understand why this He Sang was different from the original character in the book, or why he seemed to hate her, she knew that he wouldn¡¯t tell her anything if she asked him right now.

    The two newlyweds should have been happily in love, but they were more like two cold porcupines, unwilling to get close to each other.

    Once they returned to their courtyard, He Changdi went straight to the study. Chu Lian couldn¡¯t be bothered with him and simply went to wash up and get ready for bed.

    It wasn¡¯t untilte that night that He Sang entered the bedroom. When he pushed aside the drapes of the bedchamber, he saw a rosy-cheeked Chu Lian sleeping in the center of the bed. A soundless sneer appeared on his lips.

    This was probably what had happened in his previous life. This wicked woman slept like a baby when he wasn¡¯t around. After this, she would probably turn around and run into another man¡¯s arms. Ha! How shameless!

    Tomorrow, at the Ying Household, he was going to expose this wicked woman¡¯s true face to everyone!

    Didn¡¯t she like Xiao Wujing? Then he would grant their wish to be together!

    He Sang let the drapes fall. He turned around, hands behind his back, and left to sleep in the study.

    The next day was the day of Chu Lian¡¯s visit to her maiden home.

    The entire He Family sent the newlyweds to the entrance of the estate. Under the watchful gaze of Matriarch He, the frosty He Changdi walked over to Chu Lian¡¯s side and helped her up the carriage.

    He then mounted his horse and led a party of their family¡¯s private soldiers and servants, together with Chu Lian in the carriage, as they headed towards the Ying Estate.

    By the time they reached the Ying Estate¡¯s main gate, only an hour had passed.

    Old Duke Ying was waiting with a huge group of people by the entrance. He Changdi first nced at the group before purposely letting his expression warm up a little, acting as if he was surprised as he dismounted from his horse.

    This was what he had done in his previous life. The He Family was small; even when everyone was there, they couldn¡¯t even fill a single banquet table. The first time he had apanied his wife back to her maiden home, there were twenty or thirty Chu Family members standing at the entrance to wee them. Back then, he had an expression of surprise.

    However, the second time around, He Changdi no longer felt any joy. Instead, what filled him was intense agony and hatred!

    He Changdi lifted the curtains of the carriage and personally supported Chu Lian off the carriage.

    Chu Lian¡¯s hands were small and soft, but tender enough to feelfortable to the touch. He Changdi couldn¡¯t help but remember how his heart had almost leaped out of his chest the first time he had touched this pair of hands in his previous life. The memory left him feeling stifled. Once Chu Lian¡¯s feet had touched the ground, He Changdi immediately took back his callused hands.

    Chu Lian turned to look at the people gathered by the entrance. Although she had tried her best to reassure herselfst night before she had fallen asleep, upon seeing this huge group of people from the Ying Household in person, her heart still fluttered with anxiety.

    She didn¡¯t recognise a single one of them!

    Chu Lian inwardly wailed in anguish. She could only guess at some of their identities from the descriptions she had read.

    She lowered her head, feeling a little guilty. In the eyes of the people from House Ying, she seemed like a shy, blushing bride.

    Old Duke Ying came up to wee them in himself. Although He Changdi wasn¡¯t happy with the Chu Family, Old Duke Ying still carried some power in court, so he couldn¡¯t dispense with courtesies in public.

    The newlyweds were led to Juxian Hall in the outer court by the whole group.

    Old Duke Ying had a generous, kind and friendly personality. He was actually rather caring towards the younger generation as well. It was just that there were too many children in the Ying Household, so he couldn¡¯t care for all of them.

    Chu Lian was the legitimate daughter of the second branch of the family, born from the deceased wife of the Second Master. However, her father had taken another wife, Second Madam, half a year after her mother had passed away. Thus, even though Chu Lian was a legitimate daughter, she wasn¡¯t looked upon too well by the second branch.

    Even her own father didn¡¯t care about her, let alone this grandfather of hers, the old duke who had a pile of matters to handle every day.

    It was the family of the eldest son who was managing the estate right now. If not for theckluster younger generation, the old duke would have retired by now since he was over seventy years of age. However, he was still working hard in court for the sake of House Ying. It was enough to make people shake their heads in pity.

    The younger generation of House Jing¡¯an stood out amongst the young men in the capital. When Old Duke Ying saw He Sang, he immediately took a liking to him, and even Chu Lian got a few nces from him as a result.

    Since Chu Lian had been born, and until she had left the household as a bride, she had probably only met Old Duke Ying a handful of times.

    Her cousins from the first branch of the family, the ones who were currently managing the estate, could see that their grandfather had taken a shine to He Sang, so they treated Chu Lian a little better.

    Chu Lian simply stood in the middle of all the olderdies of the Ying Estate, her head lowered and her body stiff, answering their questions from time to time. Luckily, Xiyan was there by her side to give her hints, or Chu Lian would probably have been exposed on the spot.

    Her eldest sister-inw from the first branch, Madam Rong, noticed that Chu Lian seemed a little awkward in the midst of all thedies. Thus, Madam Rong smiled and walked into the circle to help Chu Lian out.

    1. As part of Chinese customs, on the third day of marriage, brides return to their maiden families for a visit with the new groom to pay their respects to the bride¡¯s family.

 Chapter 19: Visiting the Brideâ€™s Family (3)

    Chapter 19: Visiting the Bride¡¯s Family (3)

    ¡°Sixth Sister, you¡¯ve only just gotten married and you¡¯re already looking so radiant! There are too many people in the outer court right now, so how about usdies go to the inner court to talk? Your Brother Rong just brought back some new tea leaves from Yubei a few days ago, so we can all have some tea while we chat.¡±

    Madam Rong helped Chu Lian out of the crowd, and in a short moment, arge group of youngdies, both married and unmarried, followed behind them.

    The previous ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ actually hadn¡¯t been too familiar with her older cousins from the main branch, let alone the current Chu Lian.

    Tightly gripping her sleeves, Chu Lian tried to encourage herself. Going by the universal rules of this era, since she had married into the House of Count Jing¡¯an, she was now considered a member of their household. Her actions no longer represented House Ying and were instead seen as the actions of House Jing¡¯an. Thus, even though she was now back at the Ying Estate and mingling with the people of the Ying Household, she was here as a distinguished guest, rather than ady of their House.

    Although House Ying was long past its glory days, it was still a noble house. Furthermore, Old Duke Ying seemed to have taken a liking to He Sang. No matter how jealous or unhappy thesedies might be, they wouldn¡¯t dare make trouble for her here and offend House Jing¡¯an.

    Anyway, in the original novel, thesedies hadn¡¯t made any trouble for ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ when she had returned to her maiden home. There had only been two unhappy incidents and a meeting with a certain person, while everything else had gone smoothly.

    After thinking it through, Chu Lian¡¯s mind settled down, and her body rxed as well.

    The crowd ofdies entered the inner court of the Ying Estate in a cacophony of noise. Tea and sweets had already been prepared in a pavilion next to a flower garden.

    ¡°Sixth Sister, you must have gotten used to the sweets of the Jing¡¯an Estate. Surely the sweets of our estate can¡¯t bepared to those.¡± The speaker was covering her mouth with a fan, but it wasn¡¯t enough to hide her sharp tone. It was the legitimate daughter of the main branch, the Fifth Miss of the Ying Household, Miss Su.1 She was only a month older than Chu Lian, and she should have been the one to marry the House of Count Jing¡¯an¡¯s He Sang... if they had gone in order of seniority.

    However, when Matriarch He had made a request to her close friend, the Empress Dowager, for a girl from the Chu Family as a granddaughter-inw, the Fifth Miss had been down with a serious illness. When an imperial physician hade to look at her, even the physician wasn¡¯t sure if the Fifth Miss could be saved. Thus, the engagement had been given to the Sixth Miss, ¡®Chu Lian¡¯.

    Right after the engagement had been decided, the Fifth Miss mysteriously recovered from her illness.

    He Sang was famous in the capital, and there were very fewdies who would refuse an engagement with him. When the Fifth Miss recovered from her illness, she was jealous, of course.

    Now, Chu Lian hade back to visit her maiden home, all radiant and dazzling, without any traces of the wretched appearance she had had when she was still living in the Ying Estate. She was clearly a beautiful little wife loved dearly by her husband. How could Fifth Miss hold back her anger? This rich, pampered life should have been hers!

    Sometimes, she even wondered if her sudden illness had been Chu Lian¡¯s doing.

    If poor Chu Lian found out what Fifth Miss was thinking, she would have definitely rolled her eyes.

    What the heck? If you want such a weird husband, I¡¯ll give him to you for free!

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t take Miss Su¡¯s words seriously. Even though she really wanted to speak the truth and tell them that the sweets of the Jing¡¯an Household actually weren¡¯t all that tasty, they definitely wouldn¡¯t believe her.

    Chu Lian just smiled. ¡°Fifth Sister, you¡¯re wrong there. No matter how delicious the sweets of the Jing¡¯an Household are, they¡¯ll never taste like the sweets I had in my maiden home.¡±

    Madam Rong sensed the jealousy in Fifth Miss¡¯ words, so she hurriedly tried to smooth things over. ¡°Sixth Sister is right. The Ying Estate is Sixth Sister¡¯s maiden home. Wedies of House Ying are united in our hearts. Even after marriage, you¡¯re still ady of House Ying. No matter how good it is outside, how could itpare to the home we grew up in?¡±

    Ady standing by her side made sounds of agreement. That person standing by Madam Rong was most likely her daughter-inw.

    Fifth Miss snorted lightly and stopped chasing that line of talk.

    Thus, the group ofdies settled down for tea.

    1. Miss is meant as a title for unmarried youngdies of a noble estate. Su is her given name, and not her surname. Both outsiders and family members may refer to the Fifth Miss as Miss Su.

 Chapter 20: Visiting the Brideâ€™s Family (4)

    Chapter 20: Visiting the Bride¡¯s Family (4)

    When Chu Lian saw from the corner of her eyes that one of Madam Rong¡¯s senior servants had gone to fetch the tools for brewing tea, her expression changed imperceptibly.

    She recalled that the novel had mentioned how ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had shown off her sencha-brewing skills to this group ofdies on the day of her visit to her maiden home.

    Before she could think of a game n, Madam Rong happily spoke up. ¡°Sixth Sister, we¡¯ve long heard of how Sixth Sister is the best at brewing sencha in our house. I wonder if we could have the honour of tasting it today?¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s ck eyes darted about. ¡°I can only do my best and hope my dear sisters won¡¯tugh at my poor skills then.¡±

    There was nothing to gain for the unmarrieddies if theypeted with Chu Lian; this was a small group consisting of family members, and Chu Lian had already married out of the house.1 Thus, thedies were smart enough to give Chu Lian some respect, at least for now. Other than the unhappy Fifth Miss, Miss Su, everyone took turns asking about Chu Lian¡¯s life in the Jing¡¯an Estate one after the other.

    However, Xiyan showed a little worry on her face as she served her mistress from behind. Sixth Miss had said that she didn¡¯t like to drink sencha anymore. She wondered if it would affect her brewing skills today.

    Chu Lian kept calm and maintained a gentle, charming expression on her face, without any trace of anxiety. Upon seeing this, Xiyan slowly calmed down as well, thinking that Sixth Miss was likely confident in her skills.

    Somewhere further away, without Chu Lian¡¯s knowledge, there was a slightly feminine-looking young man looking at her voraciously.

    Madam Rong¡¯s senior servant worked fast; within a few minutes, she had already retrieved the set of tools required for brewing, and she ced them one by one on the stone table.

    The small pot used to boil water was right next to Fifth Miss, so Madam Rong asked Miss Su to pass the small copper pot to Chu Lian.

    Fifth Miss had already been looking for a chance to make trouble for Chu Lian. When Chu Lian reached out to receive the pot, Fifth Miss let go of the pot without waiting for her to hold it properly. Normally, Chu Lian would have been able to catch it safely. However, she had just been trying to think of a way to avoid showing off her sencha brewing skills, so she went with the flow and pretended not to catch it. The hot surface of the pot brushed across the back of Chu Lian¡¯s hand, leaving behind a small patch of red.

    She cried out in shock and held onto her hand. The copper potnded on the floor with a loud ng, and the hot water sshed everywhere, causing the gentledies to shout.

    In a short moment, the pavilion was in chaos.

    Fifth Miss had also seen what had happened. Although she was happy inside because she had caused trouble for Chu Lian, she was also a little afraid that she had gotten herself into trouble too, due to Chu Lian¡¯s injury. She bit her lip, admonishing herself for being too rash.

    Xiyan suffered a huge shock and quickly pulled Chu Lian¡¯s hand over, pushing up the long sleeves. Upon seeing the red burn, about asrge as a peach blossom, on the fair back of her Third Young Madam¡¯s hand, Xiyan¡¯s eyes reddened as well in sympathy. ¡°Third Young Madam, does it hurt? Please let this servant put some medicine on it quickly!¡±

    Although she had used the long sleeves to block the pot, the small burn was still quite serious. However, she could bear with the pain. Chu Lian took her hand back and smiled at Xiyan, using her eyes to reassure her maidservant.

    On the other hand, it was Madam Rong who thought that Miss Su had acted out of line when she saw Chu Lian¡¯s burn. She red at Miss Su and pulled Chu Lian¡¯s hand over. ¡°Luckily it¡¯s not too serious. Hurry back to your courtyard here and apply some medicine. This ce isn¡¯t too far from your Anxiang Court.¡±

    When she heard Madam Rong mention Anxiang Court, Chu Lian sighed inwardly. This was what the author had written in the original story after all. No matter how hard she had tried to avoid it, it seemed like there was a strange power pulling her along the original path of the story.

    Miss Su lowered her head, not daring to exin herself. Chu Lian couldn¡¯t help but feel a little helpless.

    Someone was getting in trouble because of her, but it had been necessary. She had to y long to get out of brewing sencha! Although Miss Su had indeed wanted her to make a fool of herself, Chu Lian had also used Miss Su for her own selfish reasons.

    Feeling a little guilty inside, she said, ¡°Eldest Sister-inw, please don¡¯t get angry at Fifth Sister. I was careless and dropped the pot, it¡¯s not Fifth Sister¡¯s fault.¡±

    Miss Su red at her discreetly, the meaning in her eyes clear: I don¡¯t need you to take the me for me, you goody two shoes.

    Chu Lian decided not to continue exining. Instead, she turned and followed one of Madam Rong¡¯s senior servants to Anxiang Court.

    Anxiang Court was the courtyard that ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ lived in while she was still at the Ying Estate. Although she wasn¡¯t favoured in the Chu Family, she was still a legitimate daughter of the house after all. There were differences between daughters born of the legitimate wife versus those born from concubines. In the Ying Estate, legitimate daughters didn¡¯t have to squeeze into a single courtyard with the rest of her sisters.

    However, right after Chu Lian left, Madam Rong found that the expressions of some of thedies from the second branch seemed a little off.

    When Chu Lian was no longer in sight, Madam Rong¡¯s expression turned serious and she coldly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong now? It¡¯s just a simple visit from your married Sixth Sister. Why can¡¯t we have everything go smoothly?!¡±

    Madam Rong was the wife of the first son of the main branch. She usually stayed in the eastpound and would rarely visit elsewhere in the Ying Estate, so she wasn¡¯t up to date with thetest news in the westpound.

    Upon seeing Madam Rong¡¯s expression turn darker and darker, one of thedies hurriedly stepped out to speak, ¡°Eldest Sister-in-Law, Eighth Sister moved into Anxiang Court yesterday.¡±

    What!

    The Eighth Miss, Miss Yuan, was the daughter born from the second wife of Second Master. She was three years younger than Chu Lian. The one who had just spoken was the third branch¡¯s legitimate daughter, the Ninth Miss, Miss Fu.

    Madam Rong felt a headacheing on. Chu Lian had just married out of the estate, and after only three days, on her visit to her maiden home, her courtyard had already been taken up by someone else. If this happened to any otherdy, they would be unhappy too!

    Grandfather was intent on striking up good rtions with House Jing¡¯an through Sixth Sister. However, Sixth Sister had juste back for a visit and so many troublesome things had already happened. Would she even think of helping the Chu Family in the future?

    ¡°You, you, Little Yuan! You¡¯re too thoughtless!¡±

    Miss Yuan refused to admit any wrongdoing and raised her chin as she talked back at Madam Rong. ¡°She¡¯s already married and no longer one of us! Why can¡¯t I move into Anxiang Court? I¡¯m also one of Father¡¯s legitimate daughters! My mother agreed to it too!¡±

    Madam Rong¡¯s face flushed red in her anger. She tossed her sleeves and chased after Chu Lian.

    Seeing this situation, Fifth Miss started to feel a little pity for Chu Lian instead.

    However, after remembering that Chu Lian had a handsome and caring husband, Fifth Miss thought that she didn¡¯t deserve her pity in the slightest.

    With Xiyan supporting her at the side, Chu Lian recalled the events in the novel as she walked. Upon returning to her maiden home, the ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ from the novel had also found out that her courtyard had been taken over. Aggrieved and angry, she had gone alone to the small bamboo forest in the inner court for a walk to clear her mind, leaving her maidservants behind. That was when she had met Xiao Bojian!

    Chu Lian walked slowly as she made her way to Anxiang Court. She didn¡¯t have the mood to admire the rather impressive scenery by the sides of the path. The depths of her pupils were cool; she was no longer the original brain-dead female lead. Xiao Bojian was full of wild ambition; she wouldn¡¯t be interested in a man like that even if he were thest one in the world!

    However, Chu Lian didn¡¯t know that she already gained a follower on the path to Anxiang Court. He Sang had left the outer court with the excuse of going to the restroom, and he had been slowly following behind her, closely watching her every movement.

    1. It¡¯s customary for youngdies topete with their skills to stand out from the crowd, especially in thepany of the mothers of potential marriage prospects. In this case, they¡¯re all family and there¡¯s no point in taking the effort topete against Chu Lian or bring her down a notch.

 Chapter 21: Visiting the Brideâ€™s Family (5)

    Chapter 21: Visiting the Bride¡¯s Family (5)

    He was probably waiting for Chu Lian to make the slightest hint of a mistake, so that he could toss her into a ditch without any mercy and make her into theughingstock of the entire capital!

    ¡°Sixth Miss, we just have to pass through that arched doorway and make a turn, and we¡¯ll reach Anxiang Court. Please walk slowly, the path isn¡¯t very smooth here!¡± Xiyan reminded her. She was Sixth Miss¡¯ personal maidservant and had served by her side since they were young, taking care of every aspect of Sixth Miss¡¯ life. She had spent the same amount of time in Anxiang Court as Sixth Miss had.

    Now that Sixth Miss had returned to her maiden home after marrying out of the household, Xiyan¡¯s memories of the past had been awakened. Shepletely forgot about calling Chu Lian Third Young Madam.

    Xiyan¡¯s eyes were full of nostalgia, as if even a de of grass could trigger her memories. She carefully helped Chu Lian slowly walk along the tree-lined path of the Ying Estate.

    However, Chu Lian¡¯s mood waspletely different from Xiyan¡¯s. She knew nothing about this ce. All she knew was from that book, and that was her sole advantage here.

    After passing under the quaint doorway and walking past a garden full of azaleas, greenery came into sight. Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. This... this was Anxiang Court?

    An exquisite little residence sat in front of her, hidden in a dense bamboo forest. Only the corner of the eaves peeked out from the lush greenery.

    There was a small lotus pond with a decorative mountain inside the water, right in front of the residence. Based on the features of thend and the scenery, it was indeed a nice ce to live.

    However, since this courtyard was covered in bamboo, could someone tell her exactly which bamboo patch Xiao Bojian was hiding in?

    Where had the original female lead met him?

    Xiyan looked extremely happy; she pointed to a part of the bamboo forest and said, ¡°Sixth Miss, look at this! The shoots by the mottled bamboo have already grown out! It¡¯s just been a few days, and they¡¯ve grown really fast! You were even saying that we could dig them out and make pan-fried bamboo shoots to eat just a few days ago!¡±

    Chu Lian waspletely speechless. Could she not talk about bamboo? This garden was full of it and she wasn¡¯t a botanist. How was she supposed to know which ones were the mottled bamboo she was talking about?

    All she wanted to do now was leave this damn ce.

    Chu Lian purposely sucked in a breath at the right time, coupled with a grimace. Xiyan heard the sound and checked the burn on her hand anxiously.

    ¡°Sixth Miss, does it hurt? This servant will look for some burn salve for you right now! This servant still remembers that the salve was in the cab by the parlour in the outer hall!¡±

    Madam Rong¡¯s servant also quickly supported Chu Lian as they headed towards that residence.

    However, just as they reached the hallway of the residence, they spotted two unfamiliar maidservants eating melon seeds while skiving.

    The two maidservants heard the sound of conversation, and then noticed the dressing of the senior servant by Chu Lian¡¯s side. They immediately became so frightened that they hurriedly fell to their knees in unison and wailed, ¡°Steward, please forgive us!¡±

    Chu Lian was preupied with her own thoughts, so she didn¡¯t really take notice of thezy maidservants.

    However, Xiyan frowned and coldly asked, ¡°Who are you? Why are you here in Sixth Miss¡¯ Anxiang Court? You even had the guts to skive off!¡±

    When they were still living in the Ying Estate, Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan had been the ones managing Anxiang Court. They were Chu Lian¡¯s personal maidservants, so they held themselves with an air ofmand around these little maidservants.

    Seeing that Xiyan wasn¡¯t too friendly and that the woman by her side, Chu Lian, was dressed like a wealthy young madam, the two maidservants suddenly recalled that it was the day of Sixth Miss¡¯ visit to her maiden home. They abruptly realised who the people before them were.

    Both of them started trembling with fear, and their faces paled.

    ¡°This... this servant is called Shanqin¨C¡±

    ¡°¨CAnd this servant is called Suiqin.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re just petty servants here in Anxiang Court! We... we serve under Eighth Miss...¡± When the two maidservants finished speaking, they remained prone on the ground, trembling, not daring to move.

 Chapter 22: Visiting the Brideâ€™s Family (6)

    Chapter 22: Visiting the Bride¡¯s Family (6)

    When she heard the maidservants¡¯ reply, Xiyan clearly looked stunned. Without waiting for her to react, a tall maidservant wearingke green clothing walked out of the residence. ¡°What are you making so much noise for? You¡¯re disturbing my sleep! All you wenches know how to do is shirk your duties all day! Wait until Eighth Misses back! Let¡¯s see if we¡¯ll punish you by breaking your legs!¡±

    Xiyan was very familiar with that voice. It was Xiaoqin, who served Eighth Miss. Back when they were living in the Ying Estate, the two of them had always been at loggerheads.

    Xiaoqin often spoke badly of Sixth Miss behind her back.

    It was obvious that Xiaoqin hadn¡¯t known that Chu Lian and the others were outside; it wasn¡¯t until she walked out that she spotted Chu Lian and Xiyan.

    ¡°Sixth... Sixth Miss.¡± Xiaoqin gulped and greeted Chu Lian with a guilty conscience. As if she had just recovered her senses, she bobbed in greeting to Chu Lian as well.

    Xiyan¡¯s expression was now extremely ugly. The senior servant who had apanied Chu Lian here had also realised what had happened.

    Right after Sixth Miss had left the House to get married, her courtyard in her maiden home had been taken by someone else. They hadn¡¯t even waited until after her customary visit to take it over. Anyone would be furious at this.

    ¡°You... You¡¯ve gone too far!¡± Xiyan couldn¡¯t resist protesting this unfair treatment for her mistress.

    The senior servant¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look too good either. She inwardly scolded Eighth Miss for not knowing better. Even if Eighth Miss had taken a liking to this courtyard, she should have waited for a period of time before moving in. Yet, she had moved in this quickly anyway. This was practically a p on the face to the dignity of the House of Duke Ying!

    Furthermore, it was her mistress who was in charge of the Ying Household at the moment. In the end, the me was likely going tond on her mistress.

    Xiaoqin looked down. After getting scolded by Xiyan, she had calmed down. Anyway, Sixth Miss had already married out of the House, so this courtyard was going to be Eighth Miss¡¯ sooner orter. Daughters who married out of the House were like spilled water1; they would live far away from the estate. It was better to bear the ire of Sixth Miss rather than offend Eighth Miss.

    After arranging her thoughts, Xiaoqin stopped being afraid of the consequences. ¡°This is Eighth Miss¡¯ residence. Sister Xiyan, please mind your words.¡±

    Xiyan almost fainted from the force of her anger when she heard Xiaoqin¡¯s words. However, upon thinking of Chu Lian and realising that she was probably the one who was the most hurt and angry at the moment, she hurriedly turned to reassure Chu Lian. ¡°Sixth Miss, please don¡¯t get angry.¡±

    However, Chu Lian shook her head unexpectedly. The corners of her mouth even carried the traces of a warm smile as she spoke. ¡°I¡¯m not angry. What¡¯s there to be angry about? I¡¯m already married and I can¡¯t live here anymore. It would be such a waste if this ce were kept empty. Why not give it to my sister, so she doesn¡¯t have to squeeze in with the other daughters of the House? However, this residence is close to a pond. Now that the weather¡¯s getting warmer, Eighth Sister should be careful of the mosquitoes.¡±

    Xiyan thought back to the days when she used to live in this residence with Sixth Miss. They were surrounded by a bamboo forest and located next to a pond. During summer nights, the mosquitoes woulde out in full uproar. Before you even realised it, you would have a few extra red bites on your body that both hurt and itched. Summer was the toughest season for them back then.

    Other misses only saw the beautiful scenery of this Anxiang Court and had never experienced the pain of living here.

    Now that she knew how that arrogant, unruly Eighth Miss was going to suffer like they once had, Xiyan cheered up immediately!

    ¡°Momo, would it be possible to take me over to Eldest Sister-in-Law¡¯s ce for some medicine?¡± Chu Lian asked, smiling as she addressed Madam Rong¡¯s servant.

    The senior servant couldn¡¯t react in time for a moment. After she finally regained her senses, she warmly replied, ¡°Sixth Miss, of course it¡¯s possible! Eldest Madam has a bottle of high-quality snow cream that can treat burns! This old servant will guide you there.¡±

    Chu Lian had just turned around when she heard a delicate voice angrily shout, ¡°Chu Lian, don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll move out of Anxiang Court just because you said that! I¡¯m telling you, Anxiang Court is mine now! Don¡¯t even think about staying here another night from now on!¡±

    Chu Lian had just rxed after solving the problem before her. She was really tired now. Was Miss Yuan just fated to be at odds with her? They had already resolved the issue, but she was stilling after her and trying to add on to her troubles.

    1. Married daughters are like spilled water ¨C A Chinese saying meaning your daughters are no longer yours or your family¡¯s after they marry. They¡¯re like water that has been thrown out.

 Chapter 23: Xiao Bojian (1)

    Chapter 23: Xiao Bojian (1)

    The moment Chu Lian turned around, she saw the Eighth Miss, Miss Yuan, standing at the entrance to the courtyard, looking both flustered and exasperated.

    However, Chu Lian¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t the calm mask hiding a trace of anger that Miss Yuan had expected. Not only that, but Chu Lian was even smiling generously at her. Actually, upon remembering how Miss Yuan was to marry a bastard of a husband in the future, Chu Lian was full of sympathy for her.

    ¡°Since Eighth Sister likes this courtyard so much, it must be fated for you. There are a few spots in this courtyard where it¡¯s nice to admire the scenery alone; I¡¯ll get Xiyan to point them out to youter.¡±

    Miss Yuan stared at her with an incredulous look, eyes wide, trying to see into Chu Lian¡¯s thoughts. What was going on? That calm person before her was Sixth Miss? The same Sixth Miss who would start a fight with her over the smallest little things in the past?

    All Sixth Miss had done in the few days they hadn¡¯t met was leave the House to get married. But in those past few days, it was like her entire aura had changed!

    Miss Yuan red hard. They were both legitimate daughters of the second branch. Back when they were both still living in their maiden home, it was this Eighth Miss who had interacted the most with ¡®Chu Lian¡¯. The two of them had often quarreled over minor matters. However, Eighth Miss had Second Madam to support her, so it was ¡®Chu Lian¡¯, of course, who lost every time.

    During those years, the only thing that ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had to show off in front of Miss Yuan was this residence. For the sake of frustrating Chu Lian, the moment she had left the estate, Miss Yuan had begged her mother to let her have this residence. She wanted to see Chu Lian holding back her sadness as she returned to her maiden home, only to see that her ce here had been taken already. However, Chu Lian didn¡¯t look the slightest bit moved right now, let alone upset over it. This waspletely not what Miss Yuan had expected. How could she be happy with this oue?

    It was as if she had punched cotton; even though she had put all her might into the blow, even though she had struck so hard that she had broken out into a sweat, the person she was trying to provoke didn¡¯t care about what she had done at all.

    ¡°You! You!!¡± Miss Yuan pointed at Chu Lian with an ugly expression, but she couldn¡¯t seem to finish her sentence.

    Madam Rong, who had rushed over just in time to see this, heaved a sigh of relief and red fiercely at Eighth Miss. She then walked towards Chu Lian with a smile on her face. ¡°Sixth Sister,e over to my residence instead. It¡¯s not too far from here. If Sixth Sister thinks it¡¯s too tiring, we can rest at the pavilion near He Court. I¡¯ll let the servants retrieve the cream.¡±

    Chu Lian thanked Madam Rong and brought Xiyan along with her as she followed Madam Rong to He Court.

    The main branch of the Ying House lived in the eastpound, and it was quite far away from the westpound. Chu Lian was afraid that she would encounter some unwanted trouble along the way, so she politely declined Madam Rong¡¯s offer to go to her own courtyard, and instead, they stopped at He Court.

    He Court wasn¡¯t too far from Anxiang Court, and there was no one living there right now. It had been the previous residence of the matriarch of House Ying. After she had passed away, it had been left empty.

    There was a pavilion in the begonia forest within He Court. The scenery here was beautiful, and the Yingdies liked to take walks here and have a peaceful break.

    Madam Rong seemed to be afraid that thedies of the House would cause more trouble, so she didn¡¯t dare to let them follow along. Using the excuse of having a heart-to-heart talk with Sixth Miss, Madam Rong brought Chu Lian away and personally apanied her as they walked and chatted.

 Chapter 24: Xiao Bojian (2)

    Chapter 24: Xiao Bojian (2)

    Within a short while, they had already reached the pavilion outside He Court. Madam Rong¡¯s servants had already prepared some sweets for them.

    ¡°Sixth Sister, wait here for a moment. Qin¡¯er walks fast, so she¡¯ll be back shortly.¡±

    ¡°Eldest Sister-in-Law, please rest easy. It¡¯s just a small red patch. It doesn¡¯t even hurt anymore.¡±

    Although it really didn¡¯t hurt anymore, Chu Lian had been born naturally fair. Her hands were white and smooth, and especially pretty. Now that there was this small patch of redness on the back of her hand, it was extremely noticeable.

    Perhaps due to the burn, the outeryer of skin had started to swell. It looked like a blister.

    However, this small burn wasn¡¯t much to Chu Lian. Now that she had finally left the bamboo forest, she no longer felt like she had a ticking time bomb strapped to her body. Chu Lian heaved a long sigh of relief.

    Some people were just too dangerous to mix with. It was better to get as far away from them as possible.

    However, Chu Lian had really underestimated how strongly the novel wanted the original events to y out along their predetermined path.

    He Sang had his gaze fixed on her in secret, an unreadable expression on his face. Her every action had fallen into the depths of his eyes.

    It was at this moment that a maidservant rushed in from afar and whispered something in Madam Rong¡¯s ears. Madam Rong¡¯s expression changed instantly. She hesitated for a moment before apologetically turning to Chu Lian and saying, ¡°Sixth Sister, I have some urgent matters to attend to and I need to leave. It¡¯ll be lunch time in one more hour. Sixth Sister, why don¡¯t you head to the outer court and take a rest first?¡±

    Chu Lian saw the anxiety in her face and agreed, letting Madam Rong off to attend to her urgent matters.

    Right now, the only two left in the entire pavilion were Chu Lian and Xiyan.

    Just as Chu Lian picked up the teacup before her and was about to take a sip, she heard a pair of light footstepsing from behind her, and a man¡¯s low, maic voice followed. ¡°Lian¡¯er.¡±

    Chu Lian froze on the spot. When she turned her head and saw the new arrival¡¯s appearance and dressing, she cursed fiercely in her heart. The novel wasn¡¯t going to let her off!

    Wasn¡¯t this protagonist aura1 way too strong!? She had alreadye all the way here just to hide, but Xiao Bojian had still found her!

    If you¡¯re questioning how Chu Lian could identify the young man before her with just one look, it was because the author had described his appearance in great detail.

    Xiao Bojian was born with good looks. However, in Chu Lian¡¯s heart, He Sang was just that little bit more handsome than Xiao Bojian. Though, she couldn¡¯t deny that Xiao Bojian really was an outstanding specimen of a man.

    How should she put it? He looked more metrosexual and had a slight hint of femininity to him; the kind of guy that was popr in the modern world. He Sang was more of a dignified and heroic kind of guy.

    Xiao Bojian had a ck tear-shaped mole under his left eye, which gave him a trace of captivating charm that was rarely seen on a man.

    With this kind of appearance, if he had been born in the Wei or Jin dynasties, he would have definitely been seen as a homosexual...

    Although the novel had described his appearance vividly, it couldn¡¯t bepared to seeing it with your own eyes.

    Chu Lian felt a headacheing on. She hurriedly stood up to make her escape, but Xiao Bojian quickly strode over and blocked her retreat with his arms spread wide.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er... You... You don¡¯t want to see me anymore?¡±

    Chu Lian inwardly cursed, hating that she couldn¡¯t just dump him on the spot. However, when she remembered the power this guy had in the future, Chu Lian bore with it patiently. She cast her gaze downwards and didn¡¯t speak. If this guy noticed that she wasn¡¯t the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ anymore, she would be in huge trouble.

    Xiao Bojian was a man with great ambition who used sneaky, underhanded methods; he was far from the traditional meaning of a ¡®good man¡¯.

    Xiyan seemed to have realised how much her mistress didn¡¯t want to interact with the man before her, so she hurriedly blocked Xiao Bojian. ¡°Mister Xiao, men should keep their distance from women. Furthermore, our mistress is already married, please conduct yourself with dignity!¡±

    Xiao Bojian showed a pained expression as he clenched his fists. His upturned eyes looked upon Chu Lian with deep passion. No one would be able to doubt the depth of his feelings if they saw the look in his eyes.

    He pressed his lips together, his face full of suppressed emotions. ¡°Lian¡¯er, it¡¯s all my fault, I¡¯m useless. Do you hate me so much that you won¡¯t even look at me now?¡±

    Unseen behind Xiyan, Chu Lian nearly lost her calm to her inner turmoil.

    What the heck! What kind of line was that?! Did he have to act like a Mary Sue? She hadn¡¯t given his lines much thought when she was reading the novel, and at the time, she had even thought he hade across as a little cool, like he wasn¡¯t a very affectionate person. But now that she had to experience this all firsthand, she could feel her brain cells dying by the minute.

    Young man, you¡¯re so handsome that any woman would be ashamed of their own looks in front of you. Isn¡¯t it a little inappropriate to use those lines on a woman?!

    TL Note: My editor and I both choked on the way Chu Lian described Xiao Bojian... *diesughing*

    1. Protagonist aura ¨C Refers to the way protagonists always attract special events to them XD

 Chapter 25: He Sanlang Saves the Day (1)

    Chapter 25: He Sang Saves the Day (1)

    Chu Lian really wanted to refute him like this: ¡°I really don¡¯t want to see you anymore. Please don¡¯t try to arrange a meeting with me ever again. I¡¯m not interested in you at all!¡±

    However, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t say something like that. Instead, she leaned close and whispered into Xiyan¡¯s ear. ¡°Help me block him.¡±

    Xiyan was a smart one. She immediately shielded Chu Lian behind her and drummed up the courage to speak to Xiao Bojian. ¡°Mister Xiao, please leave. Our madam doesn¡¯t want to see you. If you¡¯re still going to continue forcing the issue, this servant... this servant will call the guards!¡±

    Xiao Bojian didn¡¯t bother with Xiyan. He only stared dead-on at Chu Lian, who was still hiding behind Xiyan. He pushed closer step by step until the girls were forced into a corner of the pavilion. Behind them was a stand of flowering trees; it looked like they couldn¡¯t escape anymore.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, please talk to me. Are you really not even going to look at me anymore? Have you forgotten about the promise we had?¡± Xiao Bojian¡¯s eyes reddened, and he looked like he was struggling with some inner pain.

    Chu Lian had been observing Xiao Bojian in secret from behind Xiyan. When she realised his emotions seemed to be getting out of hand, her brows furrowed with tension.

    Xiao Bojian was only one of Old Duke Ying¡¯s students right now. He was born in poverty, and was twenty years old now. Last autumn, he had gotten first ce in the provincial imperial examinations and had be the top schr of Jiaqing Hall. Right now, he was living in the Ying Estate to await thest two stages of examinations to be a court official: the metropolitan examination and the final imperial exam.

    Chu Lian knew that once the final imperial examination was over this year, Xiao Bojian would get the achievement of ranking first in three consecutive imperial examinations, disying his extraordinary talent in the capital. It was around that time that the original female lead had really started to ¡®hook up¡¯ with Xiao Bojian.

    Although Xiao Bojian was handsome and full of potential, Chu Lian didn¡¯t really like him. If she had to choose, she would pick He Changdi. At least He Changdi had a kind heart somewhere deep inside of him; he knew where to draw the line with his actions and wouldn¡¯t go too far.

    Those who didn¡¯t have any limits were the scariest. Xiao Bojian was undoubtedly that kind of person.

    Constantly trying to avoid him wasn¡¯t a solution. It was clear that Xiao Bojian had currently lost control of his emotions. Chu Lian gulped and managed to gather enough courage to raise her head, meeting Xiao Bojian¡¯s reddened, upturned eyes bravely.

    ¡°Xiao Bojian, no matter what we were in the past, I¡¯m already a married woman. The past is in the past. You should go your own way, and I¡¯ll go mine.¡± Chu Lian spoke resolutely. She was so nervous that the palms of her tightly clenched fists were soaked in sweat.

    Xiao Bojian could never have imagined that his long period of waiting would yield such a heartless response from Chu Lian. His face contorted with the force of his emotions and he abruptly took a step forward.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, you¡¯re joking with me, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s not what we agreed on before you left to get married. You said that even if you were married to He Changdi, that you would find a way to leave him! You even said that I was the only one you had in your heart!¡±

    As Xiao Bojian continued speaking, the trembling of his body became even more intense.

    Thedy before him was so pretty and delicate, like a blooming peony flower. Her elegant beauty and that subtle fragrance gave him the urge to pull her into his embrace and protect her from the world; he couldn¡¯t bear to see her suffer the slightest bit of pain.

    He had apanied this flower on her journey of growth; he had nurtured her, watched her grow and slowly bloom.

    However, this flower had just used her thorns against him, leaving bleeding wounds all over his body.

 Chapter 26: He Sanlang Saves the Day (2)

    Chapter 26: He Sang Saves the Day (2)

    Chu Lian had only wanted to make things clear with Xiao Bojian. No matter how much the past ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had liked him, that had nothing to do with her now. She hadn¡¯t expected that Xiao Bojian would lose control after she had made her intentionspletely clear.

    This didn¡¯t look good.

    Chu Lian felt helpless. Why was everything exactly the same as in the novel, except for Xiao Bojian and He Sang?

    He Sang had be bipr and Xiao Bojian couldn¡¯t handle the slightest bit of emotion. Her dream of living a peaceful life was flying further and further away...

    Her demands weren¡¯t too outrageous, right? All she wanted to do was to live happily and peacefully as ayabout. She didn¡¯t want to attract any trouble at all.

    ¡°Xiao Bojian, we should all calm down. Some things can¡¯t be forced.¡±

    Chu Lian really had her hands tied. This ce was so remote and quiet, and it was also the day of her visit. All the maidservants in the inner court had gone to the outer court to help out, leaving not a single person to be found around here.

    If Xiao Bojian lost control of his emotions and tried to do something, she would definitely be the one on the losing end!

    Xiyan was just a young girl; she couldn¡¯t hold a full grown man back.

    The scorching gaze that had been fixed onto Chu Lian cooled down instantly. It seemed like Xiao Bojian couldn¡¯t bear with it any longer; he pulled Xiyan away and reached out to grab Chu Lian. Since Chu Lian was no longer the ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ of the past, her guard had already been up against Xiao Bojian. The moment he had reached for Xiyan, she had already begun to dodge to the other side.

    Chu Lian quickly took a few steps away from him, increasing the distance between her and Xiao Bojian.

    The two of them stood facing each other in the pavilion.

    Not far away, behind a flowering tree, He Changdi had seen everything that had happened from the start. From here, although he could see their every action, he couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying at all.

    However, in his eyes, it was Chu Lian who had found an excuse to rest here in this pavilion in He Court. Madam Rong had then left with her servants. Not long after Madam Rong had left, Xiao Bojian had walked out from wherever he was hiding to meet with this wicked woman.

    This was what that wicked woman had told him herself before he had died in his past life. He thought that she had made it up just to spite him; who knew that it was all true!

    Chu Lian! You¡¯ve got guts! You¡¯re actually using this visit to meet your lover! Although they were merely husband and wife in name, this was an insult to House Jing¡¯an!

    He Sang felt like his head was likely shining a bright green.1 Following that, when he saw Xiao Bojian slowly forcing his way closer to Chu Lian and pulling Xiyan away, He Changdi couldn¡¯t wait any longer. He came out from where he was hiding in the greenery with a dark expression, striding withrge steps towards the ¡®paramours¡¯. He was going to expose them today!

    He Sang¡¯s footsteps were heavy and rushed. Chu Lian spotted He Changdi hurrying towards them just by turning her head a little. The worry she had been holding in her heart finally settled down.

    It was good that He Changdi hade. She no longer needed to worry about getting bullied by Xiao Bojian and the consequences of being mistakenly seen by passersby.

    Since she had rxed, the worry that had been on Chu Lian¡¯s face disappeared. She turned around, lifted the hem of her skirts, and ran towards He Sang.

    He Sang¡¯s gloomy face unexpectedly met with Chu Lian¡¯s. The girl running towards him was wearing a resplendent pink dress withyers uponyers of skirts. As she ran towards him, theyers of skirts were lifted by the wind, creating the pretty picture of a butterfly. The carefree smile on her face made it seem as if she only had him in her eyes.

    He Sang froze.

    Without waiting for him to react, Chu Lian had already reached his side. She picked up his arm in an intimate manner and called out in a coquettish voice that would give even herself goosebumps, ¡°Husband!¡±

    He Sang¡¯s entire body had stiffened thanks to Chu Lian¡¯s touch.

    Wait a minute, wasn¡¯t there something wrong with this picture?

    H-Hadn¡¯t hee here to catch a pair of adulterers? How did it turn into this?

    1. In Chinese culture, ¡®wearing a green hat¡¯ means that you¡¯re being cuckolded by your wife. When He Sang saw Chu Lian meeting with her ¡®lover¡¯, he thought that he had been cuckolded, and thus felt like there was a green aura shining from his head, aka the green hat!

 Chapter 27: Explanations (1)

    Chapter 27: Exnations (1)

    Of course, Xiao Bojian was watching all of that happen. He stared at the scene with undisguised shock.

    He had never imagined that Chu Lian would do such a thing. She had promised the rest of her life to him in secret before her marriage, yet she was now hugging another man¡¯s arm and acting like a spoiled child,pletely dependent on her husband of only a few days. This huge change caused his expression to turn extremely ugly.

    He Changdi had finally regained his senses by now. He was distressingly ufortable with Chu Lian¡¯s soft body pressing against his arm. All he wanted to do was get her off of him, and if that meant physically pushing this damned woman away, then he was all for it. However, Chu Lian clung to him like a leech. He couldn¡¯t move her at all.

    With the distance of ten or so steps between them, the two men met gazes; sparks were almost visible in the air between them. In the end, it was He Sang who shifted his eyes away first.

    He had already lost the initial panic of having Chu Lian stuck to his arm like a limpet, and had recovered his icy cold expression. He turned his head towards Chu Lian and lowered his eyes, taunting her with the hard edge of his stare. It was the same as asking her, ¡®Care to exin?¡¯

    Chu Lian was also finally able to react. She noticed the amazing timing of He Sang¡¯s appearance and the contempt in his eyes, and her head started to ache. So he had been watching when Xiao Bojian had suddenly appeared and started to bother her.

    However, Chu Lian was totally innocent. Since she hadn¡¯t done anything to be guilty about, she could raise her head with confidence.

    Chu Lian daringly met his gaze. There wasn¡¯t a single trace of guilt, worry, or fear in her bright eyes. Instead, there were hints of rebuke and coquettish flirting.

    Poor He Sang was beginning to feel a little guilty after getting stared at by her big, innocent eyes. He should¡¯ve jumped out earlier to save her from Xiao Bojian the second he noticed him disturbing her...

    Making use of the standstill, Xiyan ran back to her mistress.

    Although he had initially been a little flustered by Chu Lian¡¯s gaze, He Changdi¡¯s expression turned grave the moment he realized the change of his thoughts.

    This... This wicked woman was turning matters upside down!

    She hadpletely reversed the situation!

    He Sang was bursting with frustration. He wanted to expose this wicked woman, but she was clinging onto his arm and acting as if they were a couple madly in love. Anyone who saw this wouldn¡¯t believe that she was an adulterer at all.

    Madam Rong¡¯s maidservant, Qin¡¯er, who had gone to the eastpound to get the burn salve, finally returned.

    When Qin¡¯er spotted Xiao Bojian standing in a pavilion in the inner court, she almost leapt in fright. She immediately looked for Chu Lian¡¯s figure. After seeing Chu Lian standing a distance away with He Changdi standing next to her, Qin¡¯er let out a sight of relief. It was fine as long as Sixth Miss¡¯ husband, Sixth Young Master, was here.

    What would they do if rumours came out about the newly wed Sixth Miss and Mister Xiao!

    Qin¡¯er didn¡¯t dare to tarry and hurriedly walked towards Chu Lian. ¡°Greetings to Sixth Miss and Sixth Young Master. This is the snow cream from Eldest Young Madam. Sixth Miss, please apply it as soon as possible.¡±

 Chapter 28: Explanations (2)

    Chapter 28: Exnations (2)

    Xiyan received the snow cream from Qin¡¯er and pulled up Chu Lian¡¯s slightly long sleeves. She then gently applied the milky, translucent cream onto the slight swell of the blister on the back of Chu Lian¡¯s hand.

    It hurt a little when Xiyan touched it, so Chu Lian jerked out of reflex. Her brows started to furrow.

    Xiyan¡¯s heart ached for her mistress. ¡°Sixth Miss, please bear with it for a moment. It will be done soon.¡±

    He Sang was standing next to Chu Lian, so he could see that burn on her hand out of the corner of his eyes. His brows also unconsciously began to draw together.

    After Xiyan applied a thinyer of the snow cream to the blister, Chu Lian carelessly used her sleeve to hide it. He Sang turned away like he had been caught staring at something he shouldn¡¯t have.

    Xiao Bojian was still standing in the pavilion, refusing to leave. He Changdi¡¯s expression changed and he instantly became a polite, elegant gentleman. ¡°Mister Xiao, what a coincidence this is, meeting you here!¡±

    This was the inner court of the Ying Estate. Men unrted to the family were generally not allowed into the inner court. Thus, He Changdi¡¯s tone was full of undisguised mockery.

    Xiao Bojian didn¡¯t give a reply. His gaze rested on Chu Lian for a moment, darkness swirling in the depths of his eyes, pressuring Chu Lian. Xiao Bojian made a cupped fist greeting1 to He Changdi, the corners of his lips curled up at a strange angle. It looked like a mix of mocking in return, as well as determination to obtain the object of his desires. He then turned and vanished into one of the gardens of the Ying Estate.

    Qin¡¯er stared in a daze from the side. Although she wanted to report this to Madam Rong, she had felt Xiao Bojian¡¯s icy gaze linger on her before he had left, so she subconsciously decided to keep whatever she had seen to herself.

    Xiyan could sense that the air between Sixth Miss and Young Master wasn¡¯t right, so she tried to interrupt. ¡°It¡¯s almost time for lunch at the outer court.¡±

    Xiao Bojian had finally left. Although thest look he had cast at her before leaving made Chu Lian feel extremely ufortable, she was going to live in the Jing¡¯an Estate from now on. They were probably never going to meet again, so she didn¡¯t need to worry about it for the time being.

    The hold she had around He Sang¡¯s arm loosened. He Sang felt the change and tossed away Chu Lian¡¯s arms forcefully, coldly harrumphing once. Following that, he bent down and whispered to her in a voice that only the two of them could hear. ¡°My dear wife, I would love to hear your grand exnation for today when we get back home!¡±

    Then he pulled away, letting the threat linger with her.

    Chu Lian inwardly wailed in anguish. Xiao Bojian hade to find her of his own ord; how was she supposed to exin that...?

    She had even been trying to avoid him!

    After that, it was time to eat lunch with the various senior family members in the Ying Estate. The men and women sat in separate areas. Old Duke Ying personally apanied He Sang to drink over at the men¡¯s side, while it was much more casual for Chu Lian.

    In the beginning, Madam Rong led a toast for Chu Lian. Then, they simply had lunch in quiet.

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t familiar with the madams anddies of House Ying at all, so she naturally didn¡¯t have anything to say.

    It wasn¡¯t until close to dusk that He Sang and Chu Lian were escorted to the estate¡¯s entrance by the people of House Ying.

    Perhaps He Sang had drunk too much due to his anger at Xiao Bojian in the afternoon. Even now, the smell of alcohol still clung to him.

    Chu Lian was worried that he would fall off his horse if he tried to ride it now, so she got Laiyue to support He Sang up the carriage.

    It was only after seeing Laiyue set her husband down properly in the carriage that Chu Lian got on.

    They slowly began to move on the wide stone road.

    Chu Lian stared at He Changdi, who was resting against the side of the carriage. He had the strong stench of alcohol around him, making Chu Lian¡¯s eyes water. She couldn¡¯t resist pinching her nose and trying to fan away the smell. Who knew that He Sang would pick this moment to open his ck eyes? However, he looked sober and not at all drunk.

    His good-looking thin lips parted, but all that came out were words of ridicule. ¡°What, are you disgusted with me just because of a small thing like that? Do you want to throw me out onto the streets and let Xiao Bojian get on this carriage?¡±

    Chu Lian frowned. She took a long look at He Changdi¡¯s handsome yet cold face, and couldn¡¯t resist bursting out inughter. Then she reached over with a fair hand and patted He Sang¡¯s stiffened face. ¡°My dear husband, you have some really strong paranoia going on there! It makes you so fun to tease.¡±

 Chapter 29: An Awkward Misunderstanding (1)

    Chapter 29: An Awkward Misunderstanding (1)

    He Changdi wentpletely still thanks to Chu Lian¡¯s actions. He stared at her with a dark expression on his face.

    He was absolutely certain that this young, beautiful wife before him was the same Chu Lian from his previous life, because they looked exactly the same. However, why was there such a difference in their personalities?!

    The wicked woman ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ from his previous life would never havee this close to him. If she had to choose between him and Xiao Bojian, she would have picked Xiao Bojian without any hesitation.

    However, if she wasn¡¯t ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ from his previous life, why would she meet in secret with Xiao Bojian?

    The more He Sang pondered, the darker the look in his eyes. Finally, he inwardly shook his head andughed at himself. Of course she was the same wicked woman as before; she simply learned how to hide her true self better this time.

    Chu Lian noticed the sudden change in He Sang¡¯s face, so she stopped trying to tease him and sat properly by his side.

    He Changdi brushed away some non-existent dirt on his clothes. Then, intending to ridicule her, he said, ¡°It¡¯s only been three days since we¡¯ve gotten married. Who would have known that my dear wife had someone else in her thoughts this whole time?¡±

    Chu Lian frowned as she turned to look at He Sang. ¡°My dear husband, what are you talking about? I can¡¯t seem to understand you.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. I didn¡¯t realise that you¡¯d gotten better at acting. Chu Lian, let¡¯s see how long you¡¯ll keep this up for!¡±

    Right after he finished speaking, He Sang sat in the corner with his eyes closed, clearly ignoring Chu Lian.

    He treated the pretty little wife by his side as if she was made of air.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t bother herself with him. He Sang obviously had a huge bias against her. Trying to make nice with him now would only cause the opposite effect. Why not simply ignore him and take a break? She was pretty tired from spending the whole day making conversation with the womenfolk of House Ying, after all.

    Chu Lian sunk into silence, but the rage in He Changdi¡¯s heart only grew.

    He sneered in his heart. Heh! As expected, although she had been acting as if she didn¡¯t care, she was still thinking about Xiao Wujing in her heart!

    Let¡¯s see how long you can keep pretending!

    Sooner orter, the day wille when Xiao Wujing falls into his hands. By then, he¡¯d like to see if Chu Lian could still remain calm!

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t thinking as deeply as he was. She had beenpletely tired out by the visit today. The carriage rode stably over the broad, paved roads. The gentle shaking lulled Chu Lian to sleep in no time at all.

    He Sang had his eyes closed as he mulled over things in his head. Suddenly, something heavy fell onto his shoulder and he could feel slow, regr breaths blowing against his neck. He immediately froze. Upon opening his eyes, he cast a deep, darkened gaze downward, only to see Chu Lian sleeping defenselessly on his shoulder.

    The woman by his side had a serene expression on in her sleep, her lips slightly tilted upwards. She looked like a defenseless child.

    If he hadn¡¯t seen how ruthless she could be in his previous life, he might have thought that she could be a good wife to him!

    As his thoughts ran back to the various events that had happened in the past, the calm and gentle expression on He Sang¡¯s face disappeared in a sh. He tried to shuffle away in disdain, but Chu Lian was like jelly, clinging onto him.

    He Changdi couldn¡¯t bear with it any longer and reached out to push at her.

    After Chu Lian¡¯s head was pushed away, she frowned in dissatisfaction and mumbled something he couldn¡¯t make out before rolling back onto He Sang¡¯s body. His mouth twitched and he quickly dodged her. This time, Chu Lian didn¡¯tnd on his shoulder; instead, her head fell onto his thigh.

    He Sang waspletely speechless towards this woman.

    She managed to sleep through all of that like a dead pig, so why couldn¡¯t she just sleep herself to death?

    This time, He Sang was toozy to bother with her.

 Chapter 30: An Awkward Misunderstanding (2)

    Chu Lian slept especially well while lying on He Sang¡¯s thigh.

    After about an hour, as they were about to reach the entrance of the Jing¡¯an Estate, He Sang suddenly felt something wet on his thigh.

    He lowered his gaze to look and found that it was actually Chu Lian¡¯s drool!

    He Sang: ...

    Although he tried to suppress the building rage within his chest, he couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. He Sang pushed Chu Lian away with enough force to make the sleeping Chu Lian almost fall onto the carpet of the carriage.

    This time, Chu Lian jolted awake. She looked around in confusion before realising that she was still in the carriage.

    There was some suspicious wetness at the corner of her mouth... Chu Lian blushed deeply before taking out a handkerchief and quickly wiping it off.

    Next, she noticed that He Changdi was looking at her with anger, and maybe even the slight hint of a grudge. She faintly recalled that she had been sleeping on He Changdi¡¯s thigh, and she had been drooling. Her eyes couldn¡¯t resist drifting in the direction of He Changdi¡¯s thigh.

    It was close to summer now, and the weather was turning warm, so they were all wearing cool spring clothes.

    He Changdi was wearing a thin, light-blue robe with embroidered flowers. It looked both low key and luxurious, matching his calm, aloof aura perfectly.

    From afar, he looked like a mountain flower that no one could profane.

    However, on thatpletely unwrinkled silk brocade robe of his, there was a wet patch about half the size of a palm near the crotch area... The position was a little... awkward, and it would be extremely easy for others to misunderstand.

    If it had been a dark coloured robe, it wouldn¡¯t have been too obvious, but the wet patch stood stark against the light coloured robe.

    It only took one nce for Chu Lian to realise she had caused some trouble this time!

    The corner of her eye twitched. She hurriedly hid in the corner like an ostrich, moving as far away from He Changdi as she could and pretending she hadn¡¯t seen anything.

    He Changdi¡¯s expression had turnedpletely ck. He had the sudden urge to beat Chu Lian up, but he had never hit a woman before; it was part of the He Family principles to never harm ady.

    He snatched the handkerchief in Chu Lian¡¯s hands away and scrubbed at the ¡®suspicious¡¯ mark on his robe. However, he didn¡¯t realise that Chu Lian had already used the handkerchief to wipe her mouth, so he ended up making the wet patch even bigger...

    He Changdi threw the handkerchief to the floor. This time, his face was so ck, it could probably drip ink.

    He was about to ridicule Chu Lian when he heard Laiyue announce from outside the carriage, ¡°Third Young Master, Third Young Madam, we¡¯ve reached the entrance of the estate. Senior Servant Liu and Eldest Young Madam are waiting to wee us at the entrance!¡±

    Following that, the carriage came to a stop.

    Since Eldest Sister-in-Law had personallye out to wee the couple back home, it would be rude if they didn¡¯t get out of the carriage to meet her. He Changdi¡¯s hopes of ordering Laiyue to drive the carriage all the way back to their courtyard were dashed.

    The atmosphere in the carriage was tense and strange. Chu Lian couldn¡¯t withstand the deathly look that He Sang was sending her, so she pushed aside the curtains of the carriage and alighted.

    Madam Zou was already waiting by the side of the carriage. Matriarch He had been worried that He Sang might have drunk too much at the Ying Estate, so she had sent her eldest granddaughter-inw and Senior Servant Liu out to receive them.

    When Madam Zou saw Xiyan helping Chu Lian out of the carriage, she was stunned for a moment.

    Following that, a blush spread on her face. Senior Servant Liu coughed twice, a smile shining in her eyes.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know why they seemed to be trying but failing to hold back their smiles upon seeing her.

    The attentive Xiyan had also flushed red. She hurriedly tidied up Chu Lian¡¯s clothes and adjusted the essories on her head.

    By this time, He Sang had finally alighted from the carriage after dawdling as much as he could. After noticing Chu Lian¡¯s disorderly appearance, Madam Zou and Senior Servant Liu couldn¡¯t help but nce at He Sang.

    When they saw the wet patch on He Sang¡¯s clothes, Madam Zou almost choked on air while Senior Servant Liu¡¯s eyes merely crinkled upwards. She was already an old woman, there was nothing she hadn¡¯t seen before. She reacted quickly and walked to He Sang¡¯s side to help block the onlookers¡¯ gazes.

    He Sang¡¯s hands were trembling with the force of his rage. He wanted to strangle Chu Lian on the spot. It was all that wicked woman¡¯s fault! He had beenpletely embarrassed in front of his seniors!

 Chapter 31: Fire in the Kitchen (1)

    Chu Lian finally realised what happened. Eldest Sister-in-Law and Senior Servant Liu had made their own conclusions about what had gone on during the ride back to the estate. She had just woken up from a deep sleep, and since she had been eager to get off the carriage, she hadn¡¯t noticed her appearance. And then when He Sang had jumped off the carriage looking like that... What else were they supposed to think?

    She secretly nced at He Changdi. When Chu Lian saw the stormy expression on his face, she hunkered down a little. She really hadn¡¯t done it on purpose. She hoped that He Sang could forgive her.

    Senior Servant Liu personally escorted them back to their courtyard. Before she left, she even took care to give He Changdi some indiscreet advice. ¡°I know the two of you are newlyweds, but Third Young Madam is still young. Third Young Master, please restrain yourself a little.¡±

    He Changdi had almost forgotten about the matter after he had changed into a fresh set of clothes. After getting this kind reminder from Senior Servant Liu, his rage returned.

    He waited for Senior Servant Liu to leave before ring at Chu Lian and retreating to the study.

    After He Sang left, Chu Lian wailed in distress and sat on the window seat.

    Xiyan hid her smile. Senior Servant Gui had already found out what happened. She walked over to Chu Lian and passed her a cup of warm water. After coughing once, she asked Chu Lian lightly, ¡°Third Young Madam, did you and Third Young Master...¡±

    Before Xiyan could finish her sentence, Chu Lian had already turned to look up at Senior Servant Gui, greatly aggrieved. She then exined everything that had happened inside the carriage, having no other choice but to fight her embarrassment in order to clear the misunderstanding.

    It was only then that Xiyan found out the truth. She couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and let out herughter.

    Chu Lian rested her chin on her arms and looked out the window. She intended to admire as much of the fading spring scenery as she could, studiously ignoring Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan¡¯s ceaselessughter.

    So there had been such a huge misunderstanding. No wonder Third Young Master was wearing such an ugly expression, Senior Servant Gui thought to herself.

    Senior Servant Gui was used to Chu Lian¡¯s personality and knew that she didn¡¯t like othersughing at her, so she tried to regain control of herself by asking, ¡°Third Young Madam, what would you like to eat? This old servant will be heading to the main kitchen in a bit, and will fetch anything Third Young Madam fancies.¡±

    Chu Lian had been daydreaming when she suddenly heard Senior Servant Gui mention a trip to the main kitchen. It was only then that she remembered a certain event in the novel: there would be a fire in the Jing¡¯an Estate¡¯s main kitchen today. Eldest Sister-in-Law, Madam Zou, had been injured in that fire.

    Chu Lian thought for a bit before hurriedly getting up. ¡°Momo, I haven¡¯t seen what the main kitchen in our estate looks like. I¡¯ll go with you!¡±

    Senior Servant Gui hesitated for a moment. ¡°Third Young Madam, you¡¯ve juste back from the Ying Estate. Why don¡¯t you have a good rest?¡±

    Chu Lian saw that Senior Servant Gui didn¡¯t seem too willing to let her follow along, so she quickly shook Senior Servant Gui¡¯s arm like a spoiled child. Senior Servant Gui couldn¡¯t withstand her pleading when she acted like this, so she could only shake her head and give in.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go. Xiyan,e with us as well. Third Young Madam can take a walk in the gardens outside the kitchen. When it¡¯s this close to mealtimes, there¡¯ll be too many servantsing in and out, so please don¡¯t enter the kitchen, Third Young Madam.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded and agreed before following Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan out to the main kitchen of the Jing¡¯an Estate.

    The main kitchen was located in a second-tier building in the west part of the estate.

    It took about seven minutes to even walk there. Chu Lian was a little anxious, so she walked faster. It wasn¡¯t until they were close to the main kitchen and there was no sign of any thick smoke that Chu Lian heaved a huge sigh of relief.

    Senior Servant Gui was wondering why Third Young Madam seemed to be acting a little oddly. Since Chu Lian settled down when they were about to reach their destination, she didn¡¯t ask about her weird behaviour.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, please wait in the garden. This old servant wille back to report to you after I take a look over there,¡± Senior Servant Gui said, smiling as she spoke.

    Chu Lian nodded, and didn¡¯t forget to give her a reminder at the same time. ¡°Momo, go quickly. It¡¯s gettingte.¡±

    Senior Servant Gui patted Chu Lian¡¯s hand to reassure her. She then headed for the main kitchen, usingrge strides to hasten her pace.

 Chapter 32: Fire in the Kitchen (2)

    The garden was tastefully arranged. Beside the flower patches stood two fake decorative mountains, and next to them were a few sets of stone tables and stools fit for sitting. Not too far away was a small lotus pond, lush with verdant lotus leaves. Some water lilies had been nted near the edge, and two or three of them had already bloomed, perching delicate and white upon the green of their pads. It made quite the pretty picture.

    Xiyan brought Chu Lian over to rest on the stone stools. ¡°Third Young Madam, those white water lilies are really beautiful.¡±

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t in the mood for flower viewing. She was concentrating on searching for Madam Zou¡¯s figure, which should be appearing on the road to the main kitchen any moment now.

    As expected, Madam Zou eventually came hurrying over from beyond the begonia trees.

    Xiyan showed her doubts on her face. ¡°Third Young Madam, Eldest Young Madam seems to have gone to the main kitchen as well.¡±

    Chu Lian hurriedly walked over. ¡°Sister-in-Law, Sister-in-Law!¡±

    Madam Zou, apanied by a maidservant, paused for a moment and looked over. ¡°Sister-in-Law, what are you doing here?¡±

    Chu Lian could only lower her head, pretending to be bashful and slightly embarrassed. ¡°I came to see if there¡¯s anything to eat for tonight.¡±

    Madam Zou smiled upon hearing so. ¡°Although you¡¯re already a married woman, you¡¯re only fifteen years old. It¡¯s normal to be a little peckish. Just tell Eldest Sister-in-Law what you like to eat; Eldest Sister-in-Law will get the servants in the main kitchen to cook it for you.¡±

    When Chu Lian turned to look towards the kitchens and realised that Senior Servant Gui hadn¡¯te out yet, she quickly sent Xiyan to call her back.

    ¡°Eldest Sister-in-Law, you looked like you were hurrying somewhere. Are you heading to the main kitchen too?¡±

    Madam Zou sighed. ¡°Mother isn¡¯t feeling very well today. She couldn¡¯t get up, even byte afternoon. I¡¯m here to brew some medicine for her!¡±

    Chu Lian furrowed her brows. The book hadn¡¯t mentioned that Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s condition would worsen today. However, she couldn¡¯t bother with it right now. Countess Jing¡¯an still had a few more years of life in her; she wouldn¡¯t die today. Right now, the most urgent task was to stop Madam Zou from entering the main kitchen.

    Seeing that Madam Zou was about to go, Chu Lian hurriedly tugged on her sleeve. ¡°Eldest Sister-in-Law, how¡¯s Mother now? What¡¯s her condition like today? Should we invite an imperial physician to check on her?¡±

    Although Madam Zou was in a hurry, seeing that her younger sister-inw¡¯s face was full of worry, she couldn¡¯t leave her alone. She could only stop for a moment and exin everything to Chu Lian.

    When Chu Lian spotted Xiyan and Senior Servant Gui exiting together, it felt like a stone had been lifted from her heart. At the same time, the sound of a great explosion came from the direction of the main kitchen, and following that, the building was lit ame.

    Although Chu Lian already knew that something was going to happen, she didn¡¯t know that it would be an explosion like this. For a moment, she was stunned and rooted to the spot.

    Madam Zou, on the other hand, jumped in fright and quickly ordered her maidservant to call people from the outer court to put out the fire. She thanked her lucky stars that she had been talking to her younger sister-inw here and hadn¡¯t entered the main kitchen.

    When she turned around, the first thing she saw was a teary-eyed Chu Lian. Madam Zou¡¯s heart ached for her young sister-inw. Chu Lian was still at a tender age; she had only gone to the kitchens because she was feeling a little peckish, but before she had even found a snack, a huge incident like this had happened. She must be scared silly!

    Madam Zou softly tried to reassure her. ¡°Third Sister-in-Law? Don¡¯t be scared, I¡¯ve already sent someone to call for the water hoses to put out the fire. Those servants will be fine. It¡¯s dangerous here; why don¡¯t you head back to your own courtyard first?¡±

    After saying so, she turned to face Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan who had just walked over. ¡°Why are you two still in a daze? Hurry up and send your young madam back to her courtyard for some rest!¡±

    Chu Lian finally regained her senses and said, ¡°Eldest Sister-in-Law, I¡¯m fine. Please be careful here. I¡¯ll go back first.¡±

    She had just walked out from behind a fake mountain when she bumped into He Changdi, who had just rushed over from the inner court. He Changdi noticed her hesitant expression. His heart thumped hard, knocking against his rib cage as he quickly instructed Laiyue to bring more people over to the rescue. After remembering that his eldest sister-inw had been injured in this exact great fire, He Sang quickly rushed over to Qingxi Hall.

 Chapter 33: High Evaluation (1)

    Chu Lian was about to call out to him, but before she could, He Sang had already turned around, his face contorted into an angry mask. With quickened footsteps, he rounded the corner and disappeared.

    Senior Servant Gui sighed when she saw this. ¡°Third Young Madam, let¡¯s head back to our courtyard first. Eldest Young Madam is here, so everything will be settled just fine. And after he saw the situation, Third Young Master must have gone to the outer court for additional help as well. We should head back.¡±

    Chu Lian puffed up her cheeks and frowned in the direction that He Changdi had disappeared in. She felt that He Sang had left in far too much of a hurry. Besides, it didn¡¯t seem like he had gone to ask for more help at all. Wasn¡¯t he heading in the direction of Matriarch He¡¯s Qingxi Hall?

    Never mind, she had already done her part here, and had indeed suffered quite a shock just now It was probably better to go back and rest.

    On the other hand, with the speed he was going, He Changdi had quickly reached Qingxi Hall.

    The news of the fire hadn¡¯t reached Qingxi Hall yet. Currently, Senior Servant Liu was instructing two maidservants as they trimmed a few flower branches. When she saw He Changdi rush in like his pants had been set on fire, she hurriedly walked up to wee him. ¡°Third Young Master, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s Grandmother!?¡± He Changdi sounded extremely anxious.

    ¡°The matriarch is resting in her bedroom! Third Young Master, if your matter isn¡¯t too urgent, why don¡¯t you wait in the parlour for a moment?¡±

    He Sang couldn¡¯t care less for niceties. He charged right into Matriarch He¡¯s bedroom.

    The moment he entered, he started shouting, ¡°Grandmother, quick, send someone to the pce with your token and request for an imperial physician!¡±

    Matriarch He slept lightly in her old age. The moment He Changdi had intruded into her bedroom, she had already awakened. With the help of one of her personal maidservants, she sat up and leaned against the headboard to re at this third grandson of hers. ¡°You¡¯re already a grown man; why are you still running around like a little brat? Who in our household has fallen sick? So sick that they need a token to summon an imperial physician? Is it your wife?¡±

    It was clear that Matriarch He was in a good mood. Despite the rude wake up call, she freely teased He Sang in her own gentle manner.

    By the time the maidservant helped Matriarch He put on a sleeveless outer coat, He Sang had already walked up to her in a few big strides, his brows locked together.

    When Matriarch He noticed the expression her grandson was wearing, she immediately turned serious. Something big must have happened.

    ¡°Sang, what happened to turn you into such a state?¡±

    He Changdi sat by Matriarch He¡¯s side and gripped one of her hands in his. ¡°Grandmother, the main kitchen in the inner court caught on fire. Eldest Sister-in-Law was injured. You have to send someone to request for an imperial physician, and we should ask for the best doctor there, Head Physician Liu.¡±

    ¡°What!¡± Matriarch He hadn¡¯t imagined that the matter would be so serious. She hurriedly called for Senior Servant Liu to retrieve the jade token, an item that signified her status as a ranked madam. With it, they would be able to send someone to the imperial hospital and ask for assistance.

    Matriarch He was so anxious that she wanted to get up. Her panic showed as she urged the maidservant by her side to bring her some clothes. ¡°Quickly, help me dress. I want to see how Eldest Young Madam is.¡±

    At this moment, He Changdi had finally calmed down. ¡°Grandmother, don¡¯t be too worried. When I passed by the kitchen, I already left someone in charge of the matter. It does no good even if you panic now; you might even hurt your body instead. Why don¡¯t you get up now, but wait here? Laiyue wille and report in a bit.¡±

    Matriarch He had experienced many trials in her life before. She had only panicked due to her emotions going out of control. Upon hearing her grandson¡¯s reasoning, she slowly started to calm down as well.

    ¡°Sang, you¡¯ve done well this time. You¡¯re finally able to take more responsibility on your shoulders.¡±

    He Changdi was thinking of the sequence of events in his past life and hadn¡¯t heard Matriarch He¡¯s words at all.

    By this time, Matriarch He had already put on some moreyers of clothes and was sitting at the head of the parlour. He Changdi sat by his grandmother, his eyes darkening as he thought of how to approach this topic.

    Matriarch He rubbed the prayer beads in her hand. Her eyes kept darting to the entrance, waiting with poorly veiled impatience for someone toe and give them news.

    Suddenly, He Changdi spoke up.

    ¡°Grandmother, I have something to request of you.¡±

    Matriarch He turned to look at her youngest grandson, a little curious. Her grandson had been born with good looks, and had been raised in a noble family. Although he was smart, hecked experience. But now it seemed like her grandson had grown up right after he had gotten married; he was a little more reserved, a bit more adult-like than before.

    ¡°When has my dear Sang started thinking about making requests of others? Hadn¡¯t it always been us pleading for you to do things in the past?¡±

    Matriarch He spoke benevolently; anyone who heard her would know how much she spoiled this grandson of hers. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have specially entered the pce just to ask the empress dowager for a fertile Chu Family bride for him.

    However, He Sang had a severe expression on his face. ¡°Grandmother, if anything happens to Sister-in-Law, please don¡¯t let Chu Lian take her ce in managing the household.¡±

    Upon hearing He Sang¡¯s request, Matriarch He was confused.

    She frowned, finding this very strange. ¡°What has happened to you, my dear child? Although your wife has just married into our He Family, she seems to have a good temperament. If your Eldest Sister-in-Law has suffered some injury, she¡¯s the only healthy madam in our He Family. Although she¡¯s young, Grandmother is still here to guide her! With my guidance, and if she¡¯s willing to work hard, then what¡¯s wrong with letting her manage the household?¡±

    He Sang could sense the protective stance his grandmother had over Chu Lian in her tone. Anger filled him in an instant, and he inwardly scolded Chu Lian for being so slick. She had just entered the He Family, but she had already won the favour of all the senior members.

    However, he couldn¡¯t go along with his grandmother this time.

 Chapter 34: High Evaluation (2)

    He Sang pursed his lips, held back the frustration in his heart, and said, ¡°Grandmother, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m not willing to let Lian¡¯er manage the household. However, she¡¯s still young and she¡¯s only juste of age. There were so manydies in the Ying Estate, how could they have taught every single one properly? She¡¯scking in many areas! Let her follow at your side and learn everything slowly. Once she¡¯s familiar with the household, it¡¯s not toote to ask her to shoulder bigger responsibilities.¡±

    Once Matriarch He heard that that was the original meaning behind his words, she stared at him in rebuke.

    ¡°So our Sang is someone who pampers his wife. Well, you¡¯re right. Your wife is still rather young; she shoulde and learn by Grandmother¡¯s side. Don¡¯t worry, Grandmother won¡¯t forget about your wife. Grandmother must have been born to toil; I still have to worry over these things even when I¡¯m already this old.¡±

    However, there was some sense in what He Sang had said. Chu Lian had lost her mother at an early age, and as the saying went: ¡®With a new stepmother, fathers turn into stepfathers¡¯ 1. It was already a miracle that Chu Lian was this ignorant and meek, having grown up in those circumstances. They couldn¡¯t be too demanding on the rest. Back in the Ying Estate, she probably hadn¡¯t been taught much. So, Matriarch He thought it was indeed sensible to have Chu Lian learn the necessary skills by shadowing her. Chu Lian seemed to be smart; the duty of managing a household would fall upon her sooner orter, and it was best to have her prepared when the time came.

    He Sang had achieved his goal, so he inwardly heaved a sigh of relief and quickly refuted his grandmother¡¯s im of being old.

    Actually, Matriarch He really couldn¡¯t be considered that old. She hadn¡¯t even reached sixty years of age. Although she had some minor ailments here and there, her body was in rather good condition thus far.

    For He Sang, only one thing mattered. As long as the power of managing the household didn¡¯t fall into Chu Lian¡¯s hands, her little ploys were unlikely to seed!

    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t anyonee back to report?¡± Matriarch He was starting to get impatient from waiting.

    He Changdi had been about to get up and find out what happened when he saw a few people walking in from the garden outside. The person leading them was actually Madam Zou!

    Following behind Madam Zou was one of her senior servants. Walking right at the very end was Laiyue.

    He Changdi and Matriarch He were floored by this sight.

    It was Matriarch He who reacted first. She leaned heavily on her cane as she stepped forward to wee them. Her personal maidservant hurriedly supported the old matriarch.

    ¡°Eldest Granddaughter-in-Law, you¡¯re fine?¡±

    Madam Zou pinched the space between her brows and entered the parlour. She then supported Matriarch He from her other side and got her to sit back down on the soft couch. ¡°Grandmother, Granddaughter-in-Law is fine. Please don¡¯t worry too much.¡±

    Upon hearing that Madam Zou was fine, Matriarch He still carefully inspected her, sweeping a gaze up and down for any injuries. After confirming that she looked absolutely alright, Matriarch He was finally able to rx.

    Following that, she turned to look at He Changdi with a strange expression. ¡°Sang, what¡¯s this? Your Eldest Sister-in-Law is just fine. Why did youe here in a panic asking for an imperial physician?! You¡¯re just making trouble!¡±

    He Changdi was also stunned. Countless thoughts tumbled about in his head.

    What? How? In his previous life, Eldest Sister-in-Law had clearly suffered serious burns. She had even lost a leg because they hadn¡¯t been able to get the imperial physician here in time. Chu Lian had also taken over the management of the He Household because of this fire. She had then proceeded to steal from the household funds, funneling all that money into Xiao Wujing!

    However, Eldest Sister-in-Law was now standingpletely undamaged before him.

    He Changdi¡¯s expression turned dark. He pressed his thin lips together, speechless.

    Luckily, Madam Zou reacted quickly. ¡°Grandmother, please don¡¯t panic.¡±

    Madam Zou took the teacup from a maidservant¡¯s hand and passed it to Matriarch He before she slowly exined. ¡°Granddaughter-in-Law came here to report that the main kitchen caught on fire. Granddaughter-in-Law was about to enter the main kitchen to brew some medicine for Mother at the time. If I hadn¡¯t bumped into Third Sister-in-Law in the gardens outside and chatted for a short while with her, Granddaughter-in-Law might¡¯ve really been injured! Third Brother must have heard the servants along the way mention that I had gone to the main kitchen, so that¡¯s why he thought that Granddaughter-in-Law was injured.¡±

    When she finished speaking, Madam Zou turned to He Changdi. ¡°Third Brother, wasn¡¯t that what happened?¡±

    Everything had been messed up. He Changdi struggled to maintain hisposure and nodded towards Matriarch He. ¡°Yes, Grandmother. I thought that Eldest Sister-in-Law was injured.¡±

    Madam Zou¡¯s reasoning made sense. Matriarch He nodded.

    ¡°How did the main kitchen catch on fire? Are there any casualties in our household? What¡¯s the situation like now?¡±

    Laiyue came up to report at this time. ¡°Reporting to Matriarch, we don¡¯t know the cause of the fire yet. As it happened around mealtime, quite a few senior and junior servants, as well as the cooks, have been gravely injured. I¡¯m afraid Cook Zhou isn¡¯t likely to survive the night...¡±

    Matriarch He froze for a moment before sighing with great pity. At the same time, she addressed Laiyue with an order. ¡°Inform the main steward. Tell him that he needs to find the cause of this fire, as well as take care of the injured servants. As for Cook Zhou... If you have the time, arrange a visit with her. After all, we¡¯ve enjoyed the sweets she¡¯s made for so many years... It would only be proper to say a few words.¡±

    Laiyue hurriedly went off to obey the orders.

    Madam Zou patted the back of Matriarch He¡¯s hand in reassurance. ¡°Grandmother, please don¡¯t worry. What happened was just too sudden; there wasn¡¯t anything that could be done. We can only say that it was Cook Zhou¡¯s fate.¡±

    Matriarch He held Madam Zou¡¯s hand and patted her. ¡°Luckily you made it out alright! If anything happened to you, how would Grandmother answer to Dng and your two little girls?! Thank goodness for Sang¡¯s wife. That girl carries fortune with her; she might even be our He Family¡¯s lucky star! She¡¯s so young and you¡¯re her elder sister-inw. Do take more care of her. Since she was talking to you in the garden, she must have seen the fire personally. She might still be in shock right now! Do visit her and take a look at her tomorrow when you¡¯re free.¡±

    Madam Zou warmly smiled. ¡°I understand. I heard that Third Sister-in-Law likes brewing sencha; I have some good quality sencha with me, so I¡¯ll send some to her when I visit tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± Matriarch He patted Madam Zou¡¯s hand.

    Waves were churning in He Sang¡¯s heart as he listened to his grandmother and sister-inw speaking.

    What... What was going on? How did that wicked woman get such a high evaluation in their hearts this time around?!

    1. With a new stepmother, fathers turn into stepfathers ¨C meaning that fathers don¡¯t treat their children as well once there¡¯s a new wife in the house.

 Chapter 35: Petty (1)

    When Matriarch He saw that her grandson was still in a daze, she urged him, ¡°Return to your courtyard quickly. It¡¯s almost dark, and your wife suffered a shock. Reassure her a little.¡±

    Madam Zou urged him along in the same vein.

    He Changdi absentmindedly returned to his own courtyard, his thick and sharp eyebrows furrowed together, like a pair of wicked swords.

    Back at Qingxi Hall, Madam Zou said in a helpless sort of tone, ¡°Grandmother, it¡¯s going to take a while to repair the main kitchen after this fire. Granddaughter-in-Law will instruct each branch of the family to take care of their own meals in their own courtyards for the time being.¡±

    Matriarch He nodded. ¡°That¡¯s all we can do for now. Anyway, they do have stoves in their own courtyards. When Enges back, he¡¯ll just have to eat with me.¡±

    Madam Zou nodded in agreement. ¡°Then Granddaughter-in-Law will go now to prepare.¡±

    If each courtyard was to cook their own meals, she had to arrange for some servants to send them fresh ingredients everyday. This just added on to the list of tasks she had to manage.

    ¡°Go quickly. I¡¯ll go take a look at your mother and see how her health is like today.¡±

    Thus, Madam Zou supported Matriarch He and they left Qingxi Hall together.

    Chu Lian was lying down on a wooden chair, reading aedy that Fuyan had found for her in the study.

    The book was written in traditional Chinese, and the story was old-fashioned, so Chu Lian found it tough to keep reading. The words before her eyes slowly turned into a luby, and in just one moment, she was fast asleep.

    The fair hands that were holding onto the book were resting on the armrest of the chair. Because the position was a little awkward, her white sleeves were rolled up, revealing her white and small forearms. Under the orange light of the room, that fair white skin looked like warm jade, giving people the urge to touch it.

    Senior Servant Gui was waiting outside. After she didn¡¯t hear the sound of pages turning for a long time, she put down her embroidery work in her hands and took up a nket from the side and was about to enter to put it on Chu Lian.

    However, she didn¡¯t expect to see He Changdi walking in with a stiff expression.

    He Sang cast a sideways nce at Senior Servant Gui and walked right into the bedchamber.

    He Changdi¡¯s cold look sent chills down Senior Servant Gui¡¯s spine. She was about to follow in to take a look, but she was worried that he would be angry, so she could only bear with her anxiety and wait outside. She kept listening for movement on the inside. The moment anything didn¡¯t seem right, she would walk right in and protect her Third Young Madam.

    He Changdi walked into the bedchamber with his hands behind his back. He swept the surroundings with a cold gaze, and it was only then that he noticed the small lump on the chair by the window.

    The depths of his eyes were really dark. His cool, handsome face carried an icy aura. He looked exactly like a walking ice mountain. He was apletely different person from the nice, loyal husband that the novel had described.

    If anyone tried to describe He Sang as a handsome, gentle, and sweet husband, Chu Lian would¡¯ve been the first one to leap up in protest.

    With a long stride, he made it to the chair in just a few steps. His cold gaze slowly shifted downwards andnded on Chu Lian.

    Waves rippled across the surface of the frozenke in his eyes unconsciously the moment that he saw the scene before him.

    A burst of emotion that shouldn¡¯t have existed suddenly rose up and coiled around him.

    The young girl who had juste of age was petite and soft-looking. Her head was pillowed on one arm. After sleeping on the chair, her ck hair had alreadye loose; a few strands were lying on her slender, rounded shoulders.

    Her eyshes were long and dark, like two little fans casting shadows over her eyes, setting off a pretty picture. Her skin was practically wless, smooth and white to match her petal-plush lips. They moved in a pattern along with her shallow, long breaths. She looked exactly like a sleeping kitten, giving watchers the urge to pull her into their arms, pet her little head gently, and coo to her in a soft voice.

    Upon seeing such a defenseless Chu Lian, the showering scene that he had saw that day popped into He Changdi¡¯s mind.

    He had to admit that she was indeed beautiful. Because she was young, even if she didn¡¯t put one bit of makeup on, her face still looked like a beautiful painting. Perhaps this was one of the perks of being a main character!

    He Sang nked out for a good two seconds. Then, his face contorted.

    He berated himself fiercely, scolding himself for fantasising about that wicked woman. How could he be so silly as to think that she was good and harmless?

    He Changdi took a deep breath in, letting the cool night air wake him up. He reached out to push Chu Lian with force, saying in a cold voice, ¡°Get up!¡±

    Chu Lian was in the middle of a beautiful dream of eating a huge feast in the modern era. After getting pushed by He Sang, the book in her hands fell to the ground with a loud plop. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she woke up. Without looking properly at the person by her side, she asked, ¡°Momo, is it time to eat? I¡¯m hungry...¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s face was reflecting his inner turmoil. Upon hearing Chu Lian¡¯s words, it immediately turned as ck as a pot.

    Eat, eat, eat! All she knew was how to eat all day! Had this wicked woman suddenly became a foodie in this lifetime?

    ¡°You¡¯re still thinking of food? The kitchen¡¯s already burned down! Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll get anything to eat tonight!¡± He Sang couldn¡¯t hold back his anger as he shouted at her.

    The moment Chu Lian heard his voice, any dregs of sleep were immediately shaken off by her fright.

    With a pair of watery, big eyes, Chu Lian red up at the man standing tall beside her.

    Her almond-shaped eyes were moist because she had just woken up. There was a faint blush on her cheeks. She lookedpletely like a harmless, tender young woman. Even if someone listed off all the wicked deeds that she woulde to do in the future, there would probably be a grand total of zero who would believe them.

    Her eyebrows furrowed when she looked clearly at the frosty look on He Sang¡¯s face. She looked listless as she turned her head and leaned back against the chair once again. ¡°Husband, how are the servants in the main kitchen now? Are there any who were hurt badly?¡±

    Her voice was soft and pleasant to the ear, however, when He Sang heard it, his temper rose for no reason.

    ¡°Heh! Don¡¯t you know perfectly well whether anyone was hurt or not?¡±

    This wicked woman was probably the one who had ordered someone to set off the fire in the first ce! Didn¡¯t she feel that she was being very fake by asking about it?

    Chu Lian found it weird. She puffed up her cheeks like a squirrel. ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t the one who set the fire off. How would I know?¡±

    Conversely, He Changdi sneered in response. Her words had clearly angered him. He felt that he couldn¡¯t continue living with this wicked woman for a second longer. His chest was about to explode from the amount of rage bottled up inside. He really just wanted to strangle her to death right now!

 Chapter 36: Petty (2)

    Chu Lian was alreadypletely used to He Sang¡¯s abnormal reactions by now. Although she could feel that he absolutely despised her, except for the sudden strangling on their wedding night, he didn¡¯t seem like a threat, even though he had always given her a cold shoulder.

    She wasn¡¯t the original Chu Lian, who was entirely too greedy. She also didn¡¯t care too much for Xiao Bojian. The current Chu Lian was someone who just wanted an easy life. Even though she didn¡¯t know why He Sang didn¡¯t like her, as long as he didn¡¯t obstruct her days offort, she would leave him alone.

    Since she had mysteriouslye to this Great Wu Dynasty and had be a young madam of a noble family, then she would happily live heryabout life in bliss.

    As for He Changdi, she would leave him to his strange temper. What meaning would there be in getting angry at a little ¡®kid¡¯ throwing a tantrum?

    ¡°As you wished, the main kitchen has been burned down, but I bet you didn¡¯t expect that Eldest Sister-in-Law would be fine. I¡¯m afraid your ns have been foiled. Oh... I forgot to mention, I¡¯m afraid that Cook Zhou won¡¯t make it. Seems like you won¡¯t be able to eat the Jing¡¯an Household¡¯s signature sweets ever again!¡± He Sang said mockingly.

    Back at Qingxi Hall, he had thought that Madam Zou had imed that Chu Lian had saved her life in order to reassure Grandmother. He would have never believed that the culprit behind the fire would save his Sister-in-Law unless he saw it with his own two eyes!

    Chu Lian shook her head slightly. She really didn¡¯t know what was going on in this guy¡¯s head. Geez, was he paranoid or what?

    She didn¡¯t even have the time to cook up some real good food. How would she have the time to plot and carry out a sinister scheme?

    Not to mention, this huge Jing¡¯an Estate had so many businesses under it. How could managing all of that be fun?

    She had no desire whatsoever to hold such a tiring post. Rather, she would leave that ¡®honour¡¯ to Sister-in-Law.

    She had worked her pants off in her previous life. Now that she had gotten such a once-in-a-lifetime chance, she was just going toze her days away.

    She didn¡¯t have to worry about hunting for a promotion, or paying mortgage. Even if she did nothing but cook scrumptious food and admire the scenery all day, she would still get a sry here. The sry was pretty hefty as well. Where else was she going to find such a perfect ¡®job¡¯?

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t speak and rose from the chair, tidying up her slightly messy hair.

    Her head was slightly lowered and she was in poor light. Her face was cast in shadows, so her expression wasn¡¯t clear.

    He Sang thought that he had finally gotten one over her, and she was only hiding her frustration. Unfortunately for her, He Sang saw right through it and felt invariably smug. He would be happy as long as this wicked woman¡¯s ns didn¡¯te to fruition.

    ¡°Hmph, Chu Lian, I advise you to quit scheming while you still can. This isn¡¯t the Jing¡¯an Household of before! Your foxtail is showing¡ªyou had better keep it tucked in, or else!¡± He Changdi felt like he had gotten his point across, so he tossed his sleeves and walked away.

    Chu Lian stood up and watched him leave with her head tilted to one side. When she could no longer see his figure, she muttered to herself, ¡°That loony!¡±

    Since when had she had a foxtail?1 She only wanted to pass her days in peace, make good food, and raise her standard of living. That was it. But here he was, threatening her for no good reason!

    Was he even human?

    That was just a waste of his godly looks!

    How petty!

    He Changdi coldly walked out of the bedroom, scaring Senior Servant Gui, who was waiting by the door. She hurriedly greeted him, but he didn¡¯t even nce at her as he left for the study.

    He had just entered the corridor when he saw his servant, Laiyue, leading two maidservants into the courtyard.

    He Sang stopped and asked, ¡°Where are you going in such a hurry?¡±

    Upon hearing his Master¡¯s tone, Laiyue knew that he wasn¡¯t in a very good mood. He didn¡¯t dare to dally and rushed to exin. ¡°The Matriarch sent these maidservants over with dinner.¡± After saying so, Laiyue moved aside, revealing the two maidservants, each holding an exquisitely decorated box of food.

    The mention of dinner made He Sang remember how Chu Lian¡¯s had immediately asked for food upon first waking up. His expression turned sour.

    ¡°Send it all to my study!¡± He Changdi coldly ordered.

    Laiyue gaped before asking in a whisper, ¡°Ah? Young Master, you¡¯re not going to eat in the parlour? The... the study isn¡¯t a ce for eating...¡±

    After Laiyue had finished speaking, he felt a sinisterly cold gazend on his head. Thus, he hurriedly turned and instructed the maidservants behind him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear Young Master? Hurry up and go to the study!¡±

    The two maidservants lowered their heads and exchanged looks. They couldn¡¯t understand what Third Young Master was trying to do, but they were just servants, so all they could do was obey.

    The two of them trembled in trepidation as they sent the food over to the study.

    Laiyue moved closer to He Changdi¡¯s side. ¡°Young Master, there are also some fresh ingredients here. Where should we put them? Eldest Young Madam said that they would be a little busy tomorrow morning, and the food might be sent a bitter than usual. She sent each courtyard a package of ingredients just in case.¡±

    1. using Chu Lian of having a foxtail ¨C He Sang is warning her that her evil intentions are showing, like a fox demoness whose tail reveals her identity~

 Chapter 37: Not Letting You Eat (1)

    He Sang couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with the fresh ingredients. He waved at Laiyue impatiently. Laiyue had already been serving He Changdi for years, so he understood what He Changdi wanted. He turned and instructed the maidservants to send the ingredients to their courtyard¡¯s kitchen.

    Although the kitchen here wasn¡¯t used often, it was quite clean as the servants would still clean it every day. For a period of time, each courtyard would have to settle their own meals. As for the cookware, Madam Zou sent some senior servants over with a set overnight. She even sent some firewood and charcoal with them.

    There were norge surfaces for dining in the study room. There was only a writing desk and a few side tables. The two maidservants who brought the food in were at a loss of what to do; they didn¡¯t know where to ce the dishes.

    The moment He Changdi entered the study, he saw the two maidservants standing there carrying the boxes with troubled expressions on their faces.

    One of the servants drummed up the courage to say, ¡°Third Young Master, we really can¡¯t hold dinner here. Why don¡¯t we ce the dishes in the parlour?¡±

    He Sang¡¯s expression turned dark right after she finished speaking. He tossed a gloomy nce at her, and following that, he ordered her to scram.

    The two low-ranking maidservants were so frightened that they trembled, put down the food, and didn¡¯t dare to stay a second longer. They hurriedly ran out as if a deadly tiger was after them.

    Third Young Master usually looked handsome and heroic; who knew that he would be so frightening once he got angry?

    The poor servants¡¯ ideal image of him was instantly crushed.

    Laiyue came in from outside and saw that the maidservants had run off with pale faces. He scratched his head with a bemused look on his face. He shivered a little when he spotted He Sang¡¯s cold expression.

    Laiyue cleared his throat and carefully asked, ¡°Young Master, when do you want to call Young Madam over to have dinner? It¡¯s gettingte.¡±

    He Changdi harrumphed after hearing that. That wicked woman had already plotted and schemed against the entire estate today; did she really think she would be getting dinner?

    Hmph! Let her dream on!

    ¡°Go out and keep a watch! No one is allowed in without my permission, even Third Young Madam!¡± He Changdi instructed without an ounce ofpassion.

    Laiyue hadn¡¯t expected Third Young Master to say something like that. He instantly froze on the spot and didn¡¯t know how to react. His line of sightnded on the boxes sitting on the writing desk. He was about to say something, but shivered when he met with He Changdi¡¯s dispassionate gaze. His young master had never gone back on his words before and would never let him defy his orders. But was he really not going to let Third Young Madam eat?

    This wasn¡¯t good!

    However, Laiyue went out and kept watch at the door. He didn¡¯t dare to say a single word to He Sang.

    He Changdi stood before the writing desk with a profound look in his eyes. He then retrieved a thick envelope from a hiddenpartment inside the desk. He carefully read through the letter inside, and after making sure there weren¡¯t any problems, he sealed the envelope and wrote the words: ¡°To Grandmother¡±.

    Then, He Sang ced the envelope inside the hiddenpartment once again.

    The wick of the study¡¯s candle crackled. He Changdi turned back to the redcquered boxes, the scent of food catching his attention as it drifted up to his nose.

    He stood up and opened both of them. Each had four to fiveyers, and there were different dishes in each one. There was steamed perch in ginger and scallion, roast mutton chops, spring chicken, and vegetables in one of the boxes. Soup and rice were packed in the second box, and there was even a warm wine sk1. Every dish looked exquisite and much better than what the main kitchen usually served. They must havee from the little kitchen in Matriarch He¡¯s courtyard.

    Although they had been left out for awhile, and the dishes were cold by now, they still looked appetizing and looked more delicious than what they had eatenst night.

    He Sang felt smug after looking at these dishes. Didn¡¯t that wicked woman love to eat? Well, she wasn¡¯t getting any!

    As he was savoring his revenge in his mind, He Changdi picked up some chopsticks and chose a few dishes to taste. However, the dishes might have gotten too cold, or perhaps he wasn¡¯t in a good mood. Although the two boxes were filled to the brim with delicious food, he barely tasted any of it. He ate a few bites before setting down his chopsticks.

    He sat down again and casually took out a book to read.

    1. The wine here isn¡¯t made of grapes, but is a Chinese white wine made from sorghum. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baijiu

 Chapter 38: Not Letting You Eat (2)

    The sky had already turned dark. Chu Lian had already returned to the Ying Estate today, and had been surrounded by a group of women she didn¡¯t know. She didn¡¯t have much of an appetite, and so hadn¡¯t eaten much today. By the time she had returned to the Jing¡¯an Estate, she was already starving. However, because of the fire, she hadpletely forgotten about her hunger. By now, her stomach was growling in protest.

    Chu Lian leaned against the couch,edy book still in hand. She was bored while waiting for dinner time, so she had already showered and changed into her sleeping clothes. However, there was still no sign of dinner in sight.

    This wasn¡¯t right! Her sister-inw, Madam Zou, was the conscientious sort. The two of them hadn¡¯t eaten dinner yet, and Eldest Sister-in-Law couldn¡¯t have possibly forgotten about them. Not to mention, there was still Matriarch He...

    On the day of the tea ceremony, Chu Lian had discovered that Matriarch He was really sweet on her youngest grandson.

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t wait any longer. She shouted for Xiyan, who was in the outer chamber.

    Xiyan quickly walked in. ¡°Third Young Madam, do you have any orders?¡±

    ¡°Go ask and see if dinner has been sent over. I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    After Xiyan bobbed in acknowledgement, she went out to find out what happened to their meal. She returned as quickly as she left.

    While leaning against her red pillow as she read heredy, Chu Lian casually asked, ¡°So, how did it go?¡±

    Xiyan had a conflicted expression on her face and didn¡¯t know what to say. After a moment, when she didn¡¯t hear any reply from her, Chu Lian cast her gaze over in curiosity. ¡°What happened?¡±

    It was only then that Xiyan reported how Laiyue had stolen their food delivery away.

    Xiyan felt aggrieved inside. How could Third Young Master keep making things difficult for Third Young Madam? He wouldn¡¯t even let her have a proper meal! She was faring even worse than in the Ying Estate.

    Chu Lian gaped in astonishment, her ck eyes shining and full of disbelief.

    She couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing.

    He Sang was way too childish! So he wasn¡¯t going to let her eat at all?! Was he trying to starve her?

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes and didn¡¯t think much of it. She didn¡¯t notice the aggrievement and unhappiness in Xiyan¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Xiyan, go to the study and ask Third Young Master about it.¡±

    Xiyan agreed and left with a gloomy face.

    Outside the study, Laiyue felt like banging his head against the wall. He was forced to face the red-eyed maidservant as sheined about the unfair treatment of her mistress.

    ¡°My dear ancestor1, it isn¡¯t that I don¡¯t want to let you in, but I have my orders.¡± After saying so, Laiyue pointed in the direction of Chu Lian¡¯s bedroom and lowered his voice. ¡°Young Master said not to let anyone in, even if it¡¯s Third Young Madam.¡±

    Xiyan bit her lip as tears were about to fall from her eyes. ¡°What has Third Young Madam done wrong, that Third Young Master is treating her this way? Our madam is starving right now, and you don¡¯t seem to care at all!¡±

    Laiyue felt a headacheing on. ¡°Miss Xiyan, I¡¯m begging you, please don¡¯t make things difficult for me. I¡¯m just a servant like you. How could I disobey my master¡¯s orders?¡±

    1. My dear ancestor ¨C He¡¯s trying to put Xiyan at a higher position to show that he¡¯s helpless

 Chapter 39: Providing for Herself (1)

    Xiyan stomped her foot, feeling aggrieved. ¡°You¡¯re the same as Young Master! You think that our young madam is easy to bully because she is young and kind!¡±

    After saying so, Xiyan ran off in anger.

    Laiyue watched the maidservant run away and feltpletely helpless. Of course he knew that Third Young Master was a little unreasonable, but he couldn¡¯t persuade him.

    Xiyan quickly returned to Chu Lian and rted the story. Upon hearing it, Chu Lian was so surprised that she had to put her book down. She hadn¡¯t expected to be proven right!

    She was so speechless that she made Xiyan report everything once again.

    ¡°What? The outer court even sent ingredients over?¡± When she heard this, Chu Lian¡¯s eyes lit up.

    Xiyan was still feeling sad for her mistress; she didn¡¯t expect Chu Lian to mention the fresh ingredients out of the blue like that. Her stare turned nk for a moment before she nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! I heard that Eldest Young Madam was afraid that breakfast would be dyed in the morning, so she sent out fresh ingredients to each courtyard. They arrived alongside dinner.¡±

    Hey! If there were ingredients, then everything would be fine. It was hard enough for her to sit through one meal at the Jing¡¯an Estate. Since He Sang wanted to take it all for himself, then he could have it all. She wasn¡¯t going to miss it one bit!

    Chu Lian scrambled off the couch and tossed her book aside. She was going to the courtyard¡¯s kitchen right now.

    Xiyan couldn¡¯t keepining about her mistress¡¯ unfair treatment if she was going to do that! She rushed to stop Chu Lian from going out. ¡°Third Young Madam, you can¡¯t wear that outside!¡±

    Chu Lian took one look at the thin, cool sleeping clothes she was wearing and immediately realised how inappropriate it was. ¡°Then go and quickly find me some normal clothes to wear.¡±

    Mingyan heard her from outside and came in to help.

    With their assistance, Chu Lian quickly changed into a light yellow dress. Her hair still wasn¡¯t dry, so she simply pinned it up with a white jade hairpin. She was dressed so simply that she resembled a magnolia, gentle and refined as it rested on its outstretched perch. However, the image was easily broken as she grew impatient to appease her growling stomach.

    When Xiyan saw that she was in such a hurry, she didn¡¯t bother adding on any other essories and simply said, ¡°You¡¯re ready.¡± Chu Lian immediately rose and rushed out of the bedroom like a hurricane.

    Xiyan and Mingyan chased after her from behind, shouting, ¡°Third Young Madam, please go a little slower!¡±

    Xiyan couldn¡¯t help but watch her with sad, sorry eyes. Third Young Madam must be starving.

    When Senior Servant Gui saw that Chu Lian had left, she didn¡¯t know what was going on but followed anyway.

    Chu Lian had explored the entire courtyard yesterday, so of course she remembered where the kitchen was. In just a moment, she had already reached it.

    A woman in her thirties was looking after the kitchen when saw that Third Young Madam had arrived. She quickly weed her in. Afraid that the kitchen was too dark, the woman immediately lit up a few more candles for her.

    Full of respect, the woman said, ¡°Third Young Madam what have youe to the kitchen for?¡±

    Chu Lian scanned her surroundings. ¡°Where are the ingredients that were sent here earlier?¡±

    The woman stared at her. She hadn¡¯t expected Third Young Madam to ask that, of all things. However, she instantly recovered her wits and led Chu Lian over to the chopping board. Then she honestly replied, ¡°Third Young Madam, they are all here!¡±

    Xiyan and the rest had also entered the kitchen by this time. The moment they entered, they spotted their mistress squatting by tworge water vats, staring into them. Xiyan hurriedly went over. She had seen a goose tied up by the vats.

    Geese would be geese. Naturally, they would peck at people. Xiyan quickly pulled Chu Lian away, afraid for her mistress¡¯ wellbeing.

    However, Chu Lian didn¡¯t notice the geese at all. She was looking at the chopping board full of ingredients, and then to the ones by the water vats, and then to the ones in the water tanks. The sight of them made her extremely excited.

    Wow! Terrific! There were vegetables, eggs, and more. There was even a variety of fishes; in the water tank alone, there were two catfish, and a few snakeheads. There was also chicken and pork that had been prepared and ready to be cooked. There were even two pieces of venison! However, she hadn¡¯t eaten venison back in the modern age, so of course she didn¡¯t know how to cook it. She was just going to leave it be for now.

    It was gettingte, and although she was craving for something like boiled fish with pickled cabbage and chilli, it was troublesome to cook, as it would take some time to prepare.

    After Chu Lian took stock of all the ingredients, a n formed in her mind.

 Chapter 40: Providing for Herself (2)

    While standing beside her, Xiyan saw that Third Young Madam was reaching out to cook herself, and quickly reached out to stop Chu Lian. ¡°Third Young Madam, how could you do it yourself? What do you want to eat? Tell this servant, and this servant will cook it for you.¡±

    Xiyan couldn¡¯t help but get emotional as she said this. Although their Sixth Miss had not been favoured while in the Ying Estate, she was still a nobledy who had been raised and nurtured as one since she was young. She hadn¡¯t done any menial duties like cooking before. However, now she had to actually cook a meal for herself, just so she could fill her stomach.

    Although Eldest Young Madam, had ordered someone to send ingredients over, she hadn¡¯t actually sent a cook over. Whatever Chu Lian wanted to eat right now, she would have to cook it herself.

    Chu Lian saw that Xiyan was insistent on holding her back and understood that her current status meant that it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to do such chores. She didn¡¯t care if she had to cook her meal herself, but she wouldn¡¯t know what rumors would spread if this matter got out of the courtyard. And so, she let Xiyan do the work as she micromanaged from the side.

    Xiyan couldn¡¯t handle it by herself and Mingyan went over to help.

    Chu Lian came to watch them from the side of the stove. She saw that all themon seasonings were there, however theycked vegetable oil, chilli, and various other sauces. However it was enough to cook what Chu Lian wanted to eat.

    When she saw that Xiyan was about to simply throw the cut up Chinese cabbage into the water, Chu Lian hurriedly stopped her.

    Xiyan found it strange. ¡°Third Young Madam, if we don¡¯t cook the Chinese cabbage like this, how else should we do it? In both the Ying and Jing¡¯an Estate, they prepared it exactly like this.¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know what to say. She had finally understood that most of the dishes in the Great Wu Dynasty were either boiled or roasted, if not steamed. Other than these three methods of cooking, there were no others. There weren¡¯t even any of the moreplex seasonings that would¡¯ve enhanced the vour of the food.

    The sweet and sour fried Chinese cabbage required vegetable oil, but here, they didn¡¯t even have the habit of saving uprd, let alone vegetable oil.

    Chu Lian pointed at a b of pork belly on the chopping board. ¡°Mingyan, cut a chunk about half the size of your palm and slice them into strips as thin as chopsticks.¡±

    These strips would be used to make oil.

    Senior Servant Gui saw that Third Young Madam seemed to be giving out a secret recipe again and so she quickly ushered the woman watching the kitchen out.

    Chu Lian was already used to their actions. She stood to one side and watched over Mingyan slice the meat, pretending that she didn¡¯t notice anything.

    She had only been intending to cook some simple dishes, and other than cooking the meat which required some effort, it would only take an hour inclusive of the time needed to cook the rice.

    They wouldn¡¯t let Chu Lian do anything herself, so Xiyan was the one who actually cooked. Although Xiyan was not a stranger to cooking, she didn¡¯t cook often. Adding on the difficulty of cooking the braised pork until the meat turned brown, the braised pork didn¡¯t turn out well as the colour wasn¡¯t ideal.

    Although the braised pork looked quite average, it turned out tasting decent.

    Since Xiyan could produce something of this quality on her first try, she seemed to possess some talent in cooking.

    As they brought the dishes out of the kitchen, the surprise on Xiyan and Senior Servant Gui¡¯s faces took awhile to fade. They didn¡¯t know that food could be cooked this way. Other than boiling, roasting, and steaming, you could actually pan-fry them in such a way. To think that it could turn out looking so tasty!

    Chu Lian was long past caring about their reactions, her stomach was rumbling!

    ¡°Hurry, I¡¯m hungry! Bring it to the parlour and set up the dishes.¡±

    ¡°Yes, madam.¡± The servants behind her replied.

    The kitchen wasn¡¯t far from the study, on this summer night, there was a cool eastward wind blowing. The kitchen just happened to be upwind of the study.

    Laiyue had noticed the movements from the kitchen early on, he had even tiptoed and looked in the direction curiously. Who knew that an extremely enticing aroma would waft along with the breeze after a short moment?

 Chapter 41: Just Starve to Death (1)

    That was a fragrance he had never smelled before. He couldn¡¯t tell what the smell was made of, but it was mesmerising.

    Laiyue had not eaten his dinner yet and was nning to bear with his hunger until his master went to sleep. Then, he would grab some dried foods to tide him over. However, a mesmerizing aroma just had toe wafting in with impable timing. All it took was one second and his stomach had already began to grumble.

    The kitchen was upwind and it was breezy tonight; the aroma drifted over continuously, and he had nowhere to hide from it.

    Smelling something so delicious on an empty stomach was practically the worst punishment he could think of for someone.

    Laiyue saw that there were people moving around in the kitchen through the window; his eyes stared straight in their direction. He hated that his eyes couldn¡¯t simply stretch over and sneak through the window to see what Third Young Madam was instructing her servants to do.

    He Changdi was reading a book in the study. Since it was early summer, it was a little hot at night, so he left the windows in the study half opened.

    He had been immersed in reading his book. However, at some point in time, a particr fragrance hade drifting in through the window. It was strangely enticing; although He Sang had tried most of the delicacies in the Great Wu Dynasty, he couldn¡¯t tell what kind of delicacy this scent wasing from.

    Only faint wisps of it had drifted into the study. However it was the elusiveness of this scent that made it even more enticing.

    He Changdi took a deep breath and turned to look at the two boxes of food left on the desk. he was wondering if he should eat a little more, but upon thinking of how they looked, he lost all his appetite.

    Forget it, he would bear with it for a little longer.

    He Sang turned his attention back to the book and forced himself to concentrate.

    On the other side, Chu Lian was leading her maidservants, who were carrying the food, to the parlour. They happened to pass by the study on their way there. Laiyue stared unblinkingly at the box in Xiyan¡¯s hands, almost drooling from the smell.

    Xiyan still remembered how Laiyue had treated her when she hade to ask about dinner, so she rolled her eyes at him and kept her chin high as she walked past him.

    As Laiyue watched Third Young Madam and the maidservants pass by, he could smell something delicious; it hooked his appetite and made him even hungrier.

    However, this wasn¡¯t a good time to ask for food from Third Young Madam; he still had to guard the study door for Third Young Master.

    Chu Lian instructed the maidservants to ce the dishes on the table in the parlour.

    The dishes consisted of a fragrant, cubed braised pork belly meat, kungpao chicken, sweet and sour bok choy, and a simple egg drop soup.

    Xiyan gave Chu Lian a bowl of rice.

    Once all the dishes were ced down, the entire parlour was filled with the scent of delicious food.

    Senior Servant Gui and the personal maidservants had not eaten yet either. Chu Lian sat at the head of the table. When she saw that the maidservants were eyeing the tes and frantically gulping down their drool, she smiled. ¡°Since you¡¯re all hungry, sit down and eat with me.¡±

    The moment she finished speaking, Senior Servant Gui stopped her by saying, ¡°Third Young Madam, we are in the Jing¡¯an Household right now. You¡¯re the newly wedded bride! You must conduct yourself in a manner befitting of your new station! As our master, how could you let us servants eat together with you? If this were to get out, what would others say?¡±

    Chu Lian felt helpless, but she understood that Senior Servant Gui was right. She also saw that even though Senior Servant Gui was eyeing the food just like the rest, she didn¡¯t make a single move for it.

    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll eat first. I¡¯ve made extra for every dish. When I¡¯m done, why don¡¯t you stay here in the parlour to eat?¡±

    Senior Servant Gui nodded and didn¡¯t stop her this time.

    Actually, she felt hungry just looking at these new, never-before-seen dishes. Back in the kitchen, when the braised meat had just finished cooking, Third Young Madam had let each of them have a taste. It had been so delicious that it could bepared to that roasted venison from before! No, it might even be more delicious!

    At first she had thought that something made with this in pork would surely be oily and unappetising. She hadn¡¯t expected it to be so tasty. However, when she had one piece, she immediately wanted to have another. She couldn¡¯t stop at all.

    Senior Servant Gui was one of the older servants of the Ying Household, and she had even served at the side of Chu Lian¡¯s biological mother. She had a lot of worldly experience and a lot of self-restraint. However, even she couldn¡¯t hold back her appetite.

 Chapter 42: Just Starve to Death (2)

    Chu Lian held her bowl of rice in one hand as she ate the dishes before her. Although these few dishes couldn¡¯t bepared to those of the modern world because of theirck of seasonings, she felt happy enough that she could eat dishes like these in the Great Wu Dynasty.

    After arriving here mysteriously, this was the first meal that she had eaten so happily.

    But she was already used to eating dishes like these in the past, so Chu Lian wasn¡¯t too affected by it, even though it had been a while. After eating her usual one bowl of rice, she was already 80% full.

    As Chu Lian was eating, Senior Servant Gui hesitated for a moment before eventually speaking up. ¡°Third Young Madam, why don¡¯t we call Third Young Master here to eat together with you?¡±

    Chu Lian looked up in confusion with big, innocent-looking eyes, as if she didn¡¯t understand what Senior Servant Gui was saying. Perplexed, she said, ¡°Hasn¡¯t he already eaten in the study? He even had two full boxes of food! There¡¯s a limit to what a single person can eat; let¡¯s not force him to eat more. Not to mention, it¡¯s not good to eat too much at night.¡±

    She spoke as if she was doing it out of consideration for He Sang. Chu Lian pouted and thought to herself, I don¡¯t give a damn for your food; since you¡¯re not letting me eat, don¡¯t think of eating any of mine either!

    She used adle to scoop out a small bowl of egg drop soup. After drinking all of it, Chu Lian waspletely full.

    There was still plenty left on the table, which worked out fairly well. She had originally thought of letting the maidservants eat, as Chu Lian could only eat so much on her own, and she had a small appetite anyway. The sweet and sour bok choy was hardly touched at all.

    Chu Lian was afraid that Senior Servant Gui would feel ufortable eating with her around, so she retreated into her bedroom after eating.

    The maidservants were much more rxed when Chu Lian wasn¡¯t around, as expected. They exchanged nces and giggled before they each took a bowl of rice and sat down to eat. Of course, Senior Servant Gui sat down as well.

    The moment Fuyan and Jingyan took their first bite, their eyes lit up and the speed of their chopsticks increased.

    Jingyan had her mouth full of food as she talked,pletelycking the dignity of a noble household¡¯s personal maidservant. ¡°Sister Xiyan, did you make this? It¡¯s unbelievably fragrant and tasty! I¡¯ve never eaten such tasty meat before!¡±

    The corners of Xiyan¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Actually, I wasn¡¯t the one who came up with it. It was Third Young Madam who taught me how!¡±

    Senior Servant Gui nodded. ¡°All of you, do serve Third Young Madam to the best of your ability. Who knows if you might make her happy at some point and she¡¯ll teach you a few secret recipes in return? You won¡¯t have to worry about your livelihood or that of your future descendants.¡±

    Fuyan¡¯s eyes glimmered calctively.

    Although there was plenty for every single dish, Senior Servant Gui and the four maidservants tried to finish everything. They felt like they were about to burst.

    The five of them held onto their stomachs in pain, but none of them regretted it.

    Mingyan stood up and rubbed her swollen stomach in an exaggerated manner, causing Fuyan and Xiyan to smile.

    ¡°Look at you eat! Be careful of overeating!¡± Senior Servant Gui purposely tried to frighten Mingyan with a stern face.

    However, Mingyan wasn¡¯t fooled. ¡°Momo, it was just too delicious! Once I started, I couldn¡¯t stop!¡±

    Senior Servant Gui looked at the tes on the table. There were only a few pieces of meat and some soup left. She turned to Xiyan and said, ¡°Xiyan, bring the leftovers to the kitchen; we can have these with some rice tomorrow.¡±

    The dishes that were made with Third Young Madam¡¯s secret recipes were simply too delicious. Senior Servant Gui found it a waste to throw away even the tiniest scraps of the meal.

 Chapter 43: Just Starve to Death (3)

    Xiyan happily took the leftovers to the kitchen.

    When she passed by the entrance of the study she spotted Laiyue staring at her with bright eyes, ¡°Sister Xiyan, do you still have any more food?¡±

    Xiyan furrowed her brows and hid the boxes of food behind her. She raised her chin as she said guardedly, ¡°What are you asking that for?! Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re not getting fed while serving Third Young Master. He got two whole boxes of food!¡±

    Since she had been snubbed by Laiyue before, she couldn¡¯t help sounding a little mocking as she talked.

    ¡°That had nothing to do with me.¡± Laiyue pointed towards the study behind him. ¡°It was all Third Young Master¡¯s orders. I haven¡¯t eaten anything since afternoon, I¡¯m so hungry that my front is probably stuck to my back right now.¡±

    When he finished speaking, Laiyue¡¯s stomach grumbled.

    Xiyan gave him a good look, as if trying to tell if he was lying.

    ¡°Miss Xiyan, we¡¯re all servants, you can¡¯t possibly not know! No servant eats together with their master!¡± Laiyue was good at talking, and he managed to find Xiyan¡¯s weak spot.

    ¡°Are you sure you really didn¡¯t eat?¡±

    ¡°I really haven¡¯t eaten! See, my stomach¡¯s even growling! You heard that, right?¡±

    Xiyan pursed her lips and ced the boxes of food down on a stone table nearby. She took out some leftover rice and dishes from inside. ¡°There¡¯s not much left anyway. There¡¯s only a few pieces of braised meat, soup and a bowl of rice. Just take it to hold off your hunger for now!¡±

    Laiyue swallowed visibly, ¡°It¡¯s good enough as long as it¡¯s edible. I¡¯m not too picky!¡±

    Xiyan red at him and poured the soup and pieces of meat onto the bowl of rice. It looked exactly like the modern meal, braised meat with rice.

    She pushed the bowl to Laiyue, ¡°Here, take it! Remember to give the bowl and chopsticks to the old servant in the kitchen to wash when you¡¯re done!¡±

    Laiyue nodded furiously. Xiyan felt annoyed by his happy expression, so she took the boxes of food and quickly walked away.

    Those who have eaten braised meat would know that the gravy alone was delicious when poured over white rice.

    Laiyue¡¯s nose twitched as he realised that the fragrance he had smelled before hade from this dish. What had Xiyan called it just now? That¡¯s right, braised meat!

    Laiyue was really hungry by now. He squatted right at the entrance of the study with the bowl of food and gulped down the rice like a peasant farmer, withpletely no dignity to speak of.

    Even so, he had never eaten such afortable meal before. For some reason, he just found this dish unbelievably tasty!

    He picked up a piece of braised meat with his chopsticks and watched it wobble before he stuffed it into his mouth. That amazing vour spread on his tastebuds; it was a hundred times tastier than venison!

    Unfortunately, there was just too little braised meat left over. He finished it all in a few bites, it wasn¡¯t enough for him at all.

    Those darned maidservants were too greedy, they ate so much and left so little for him.

    Laiyue kept thinking about the food. If there was a whole te of braised meat in front of him right now, he would definitely be able to finish it all by himself. Furthermore, it would definitely be sparkling clean once he was done.

    After having another two mouthfuls of rice soaked in the gravy from the braised meat, Laiyue¡¯s eyes closed in bliss as he savoured the taste of the rice in his mouth before swallowing.

    He finished half of therge bowl of gravy-covered rice very quickly.

    Meanwhile, the hardworking He Sang in the study was being tortured by the faint fragrance of the braised meat. In the end, he couldn¡¯t bear with it any longer. He threw down the book in his hands and walked out of the study. The moment he opened the door, he saw his personal manservant squatting at the entrance like a beggar, wolfing down a bowl of rice.

    Most importantly, the fragrance emanating from the bowl in his hands was the one that was torturing him in the study.

    He Changdi narrowed his eyes and stared at Laiyue with the corners of his lips curled up.

 Chapter 44: Just Starve to Death (4)

    Laiyue was in the middle of eating happily! He suddenly felt a chill on his back; when he turned around and saw He Changdi, he looked up and abruptly started. He hadn¡¯t expected his master toe out at this time! He hurriedly tried to swallow the food in his mouth, but almost choked due to his urgency.

    Laiyue quickly stood up and hid the bowl behind him before bowing in greeting to He Changi. ¡°Young... Young Master.¡±

    ¡°Heh, I asked you to guard the door, but you¡¯re enjoying yourself eating out here! Tell me, what kind of food has made you forget all your etiquette!¡±

    Laiyue knew that there was no use in concealing it at this point. He cast his gaze downwards and scratched his head, ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s... it¡¯s from the meal that Third Young Madam cooked. These are just some leftovers. They took pity on me and gave it to me after seeing me guarding the door here.¡±

    Chu Lian!

    Rage built up in He Sang¡¯s heart. He hadn¡¯t thought that that wicked woman would actually make her maidservants cook after he took the boxes of food away!

    What made him even angrier was that her servants seemed to have cooked something even better than his meal.

    He Changdi reached out his hand with a cold expression.

    Laiyue looked at his master in a daze, stammering out, ¡°Young... Young Master, what do you want?¡±

    ¡°Hand it over.¡± He Sang¡¯s tone was icy cold, you could almost see the icicles forming in the air.

    Laiyue didn¡¯t dare to disobey his order, so he could only hand over the half-eaten bowl of rice to He Changdi with a sad expression.

    He Changdi took the bowl and used the light of the corridor to look at it.

    Although it did smell tantalising, it had beenpletely messed up by Laiyue. He Changdi harrumphed in disdain and gave his judgement, ¡°Vulgar.¡±

    Laiyue lowered his head and didn¡¯t dare to speak. However, he was hoping for Young Master to return the bowl to him in his heart; he wasn¡¯t done eating!

    He Sang shoved the bowl back into Laiyue¡¯s hands after looking at it. He turned and entered the study again.

    He murmured to himself, ¡°I was wondering what delicacies that wicked woman could have made. So it was just something like that.¡±

    Although He Changdi said so, he smacked his lips unconsciously and gulped.

    Laiyue quickly finished the remainder of the food in the bowl after taking it back, afraid that Third Young Master woulde out and demand it back at any moment.

    When the entire bowl of gravy-covered rice had entered Laiyue¡¯s stomach, he couldn¡¯t help but rub his tummy, feeling extremely satisfied.

    ......

    Chu Lian was leaning against the headboard of her bed, holding onto theedy book while thinking of what to eat the next morning.

    She had nced over the ingredients in the kitchen just now, and had actually found some flour. Making steamed pork or shrimp dumplings would be too troublesome and Senior Servant Gui surely wouldn¡¯t let her do it herself. If it was tooplicated, Xiyan and the rest wouldn¡¯t be able to learn the recipe either. After some thought, she decided that wontons were the easiest to make.

    They just had to roll the skin t, wrap some vegetable stuffing in the skin, and boil it in a pot.

    After she finished deciding, Chu Lian tossed away the book in her hands and went to sleep happily.

    ......

    He Sang slept in the study tonight.

    The next day, when He Sang woke up, he called Laiyue in to serve him. However, he found that Laiyue seemed a little rushed while helping him into his clothes, as if he was going to hurry somewhere.

    He Changdi watched Laiyue for a moment before asking in a low voice, ¡°Laiyue! What are you hurrying for!¡±

    Laiyue¡¯s hands trembled and he quickly kneeled down to apologise.

    He Sang sat by the bed and adjusted his cor. ¡°Tell me the reason or I¡¯ll give you a punishment. Decide for yourself!¡±

    Laiyue grimaced and scolded himself for being so greedy in his heart. However, Third Young Master was clearly angry by now, how could he possibly dare to hide it? ¡°Replying Young Master, Third... Third Young Madam is instructing the maidservants to prepare breakfast in... in the kitchen.¡±

 Chapter 45: Wontons (1)

    He Changdi was momentarily stunned. He hadn¡¯t imagined that that would be the reason for Laiyue¡¯s urgency.

    He pursed his lips and was about to admonish Laiyue angrily, but then he suddenly remembered that faintly tantalizing aroma he had smelled in the studyst night.

    Actually, He Changdi could imagine how tasty that dish must¡¯ve been from the way Laiyue had been wolfing his food down.

    Laiyue was his personal servant and had been serving by his side since he was young. He had eaten plenty of delicacies in his life. If a picky eater like him liked something, it was probably really good. However, since Chu Lian had made the dish, his brain refused to acknowledge that fact.

    He Sang coldly snorted, got up, and refused to pay any attention to Laiyue. He originally intended to head to the outer court, but when he caught sight of the busy kitchen out of the corner of his eyes, He Changdi abruptly changed his path and headed to the parlour.

    Senior Servant Gui, who was in the middle of tidying up the parlour, suffered a shock and rushed to greet He Changdi. ¡°Good Morning, Third Young Master.¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s gaze swept across the room before he asked in a no-nonsense manner, ¡°Where¡¯s your mistress?¡±

    Senior Servant Gui looked down, but secretly nced at him before replying in a soft voice, ¡°Third Young Madam is... in the kitchen...¡±

    ¡°Preposterous! The House of Jing¡¯an isn¡¯t so poor as to have their Third Young Madam cook her own meals! If this were to get out, what would other people think of us?¡±

    Senior Servant Gui¡¯s head dipped even lower upon hearing He Sang¡¯s rebuttal. She was renderedpletely speechless.

    He Changdi harrumphed. He sat down at the table and refused to leave.

    He was merely taking out his frustrations from yesterday night on Senior Servant Gui, since she was Chu Lian¡¯s most trusted steward.

    Senior Servant Gui gave a pointed look to a young maidservant standing nearby, signaling her to pour some tea while she observed He Sang from the side.

    She found it strange that Third Young Master was still calmly sitting here in the parlour. He was clearly unhappy with Third Young Madam, so to avoid her, he should have already gone to the outer court, rather than sit here like he was waiting for something.

    He Changdi, left with nothing to do, looked around the room as he waited. Chu Lian¡¯s dowry was ced in boxes all around the parlour. The more he looked at them, the more he thought they were an eyesore. He would have left long ago had it not been forst night¡¯s dishes arousing his curiosity.

    Meanwhile, Chu Lian had figured wontons were pretty easy to make, so she brought Xiyan and Mingyan to the kitchen early in the morning to try.

    After mincing the meat, they added eggs, spring onions, and garlic. Then, they rolled out the dough and wrapped up the stuffing. By the time the wontons were ready to be cooked, an hour had already passed.

    Although Chu Lian didn¡¯t personally do anything, she had recited instructions to Xiyan and Mingyan from the side. It was already early summer by now, and the kitchen was hot, so she was already sweating by the time they were done.

    She had worn a light, thin pink dress today. The skirt was made of severalyers of fabric, and was extremely pretty. After she had finished dressing this morning, Senior Servant Gui had evenplimented her, saying how well it suited her and how she looked like a tender blooming peony.

    However, now that she had started sweating, the thin translucent fabric clung to her body, revealing the silhouette of her light pink undergarments. The thin straps on her shoulders werepletely exposed.

    It was only when Chu Lian stood up that she realised the awkward state of her clothing.

 Chapter 46: Wontons (2)

    Chu Lian instructed Xiyan and Mingyan to bring the wontons to the parlour. She had even specially taught Xiyan how to fry up some delicious scallion pancakes as a side dish to go with them. However, there was no vegetable oil, so they used therd from the pork instead. Unfortunately, that meant it might taste a little greasyter.

    Senior Servant Gui had told them that Third Young Madam¡¯s recipes were all to be kept a secret, and ordered them to keep out any curious passersby. While Chu Lian was cooking with the maidservants, the kitchen door was always closed.

    When they finally opened the doors and let a refreshing morning breeze blow in, the sweaty Chu Lian felt much better.

    Chu Lian wanted to return to her room quickly to change, so she couldn¡¯t help but increase her pace. However, when she reached the parlour, she spotted He Sang sitting there.

    He Sang raised his head the moment he heard footsteps. When he saw Chu Lian¡¯s state of dress, he blushed. Then, his expression turned ugly.

    Chu Lian froze for a moment before she strolled right up to He Changdi, a round fan in her hands. She blinked her big, beautiful eyes before asking, ¡°Husband, why are you up so early?¡±

    He Changdi saw that her slender shoulders were practically exposed and, upon abruptly remembering that Laiyue was also in the room, he quickly stood up and pulled Chu Lian by her thin wrists towards the bedroom.

    Upon receiving such rough manhandling, Chu Lian was so shocked that her eyes were wide open. She didn¡¯t even have the time to react.

    When they entered the bedroom, He Changdi carelessly threw Chu Lian¡¯s hands to the side. Then, in an equally frigid manner, he said, ¡°Change your clothes!¡±

    Chu Lian furrowed her brows and rubbed her reddened wrists. At his pointed remark, she looked down at her clothes.

    The fabric had turned sheer from her sweat. However, to someone like Chu Lian who regrly wore bikinis to the beach, this didn¡¯t seem immodest at all.

    Chu Lian inwardly rolled her eyes before looking back at He Changdi. Didn¡¯t this guy dislike her? What did it matter to him how she dressed?

    Furthermore, what was going on with him? Didn¡¯t he want her to change? Then why was he still here staring at her?

    Although she had a slender figure, she usually wore loose clothing that masked it. Now this translucent pink dress was doing exactly the opposite and exposing her curves.

    He Changdi was a little stunned.

    Chu Lian frowned and used the round fan in her hands to hide her chest. She red at him. Then, she headed over to her closet and casually took another dress out. When she turned around, He Changdi was still standing by the folding screen with his hands behind his back. She pouted and said unhappily, ¡°I¡¯m going to change. Get out.¡±

    It was only then that He Changdi realised that he had been staring at her the entire time. Frustrated with himself, he turned around and left without another word.

    As Chu Lian was changing, sheined, ¡°Hmph, he left pretty quickly. If he was a real gentleman, he should¡¯ve left much earlier!¡±

    He Changdi returned to the parlour, where Xiyan and Mingyan had already ced the freshly made breakfast on the table.

    Although there was an enticing aroma filling the room, He Sang didn¡¯t look at the food and instead gave Laiyue a pointed look, ordering him out.

    When Laiyue left, He Sang finally sat down.

    He was staring so intently at the food that Mingyan automatically scooped a serving of wontons for him. She poured some vinegar onto it before passing over an exquisite little spoon as well.

    He Changdi hesitated, but he still took it. Then, he stared at her.

    There was so much pressure in He Sang¡¯s gaze that Mingyan trembled and couldn¡¯t speak.

    ¡°Third Young Master, these are the wontons that Third Young Madam taught this servant to make. Next to it are some scallion pancakes. Third Young Madam said that you have to eat the wontons with vinegar and finely chopped spring onions. Third Young Master, w-why don¡¯t you try it first?¡±

    He Changdi appearedpletely unmoved by Mingyan. His cold exterior didn¡¯t betray the depth of the astonishment he felt inside.

 Chapter 47: Bloated From Eating (1)

    Although the breakfast in front of him looked simple, an enticing aroma was drifting up from it. A memory fromst night came unbidden to He Sang¡¯s mind: Laiyue squatting outside his study, wolfing down a certain bowl of food as if it was thest on Earth.

    Sure, it smelled great, but was it really that tasty?

    Despite his doubts, He Changdi couldn¡¯t help but to take up a spoon and stir the contents of the exquisite porcin bowl before him. The ingot-shaped wontons bobbed in the soup as he stirred, and the scattered pieces of emerald-green spring onions drifted near the top of the bowl like aquatic nts in a clear pool. The strong aroma filtered into his nose. Saliva began to gather in his mouth; it was bing harder and harder to hold back his appetite.

    He Changdi stared into the bowl like he was under some magic spell, spoon all but forgotten. His pupils began to darken as he was lost to his thoughts. Senior Servant Gui, Mingyan, and the rest of the servants waiting on him couldn¡¯t help but gulp at the tense atmosphere.

    However, in the end, He Changdi still scooped up a wonton into his spoon and blew on it to cool it down before he moved it to his mouth.

    His handsome face was tilted downwards by just the slightest amount as he bit into that plump, white wonton. The vour and soup inside overwhelmed his taste buds and caused him to freeze for a moment. Then, the corners of his lips raised.

    He Sang¡¯s gaze contained a swirling mixture of emotions. As his darkshes cast a shadow over his eyes, no one noticed the glint of doubt that flitted through his gaze.

    After eating two wontons, he pointed towards the scallion pancakes sitting off to the side.

    His dining etiquette was impable, and his motions graceful. Senior Servant Gui and the other maidservants couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking at all from his nk expression.

    Upon seeing him point at the scallion pancakes, Mingyan could only gather up the courage to serve him. She cut up the golden brown pancake, put the pieces into a smaller dish, before cing it by his side.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t speak and merely picked up a piece of pancake with his chopsticks. He brought it up to his nose and sniffed it first, as if one whiff could tell him if the vour would be to his taste.

    His sharp eyebrows furrowed a little, and then, he ced the pancake into his mouth.

    This scallion pancake tasted very different from the hard flour pancakes and other simr dishes he had eaten in the past. It was thin, and the outeryer was slightly crispy while the inside was soft and savoury. Once you took a bite, you just had to have another.

    He Sang was inwardly very satisfied, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face at all. He simply pointed at the pancakes again.

    Mingyan slightly gaped, but she didn¡¯t dare to say a single word. She moved to prepare another pancake, once again serving the small pieces to him in a separate dish.

    Thus, the handsome and unapproachable He Sang sat at the table with an unreadable expression, having the best breakfast of his life.

    If not for the speed of his chopsticks and the movement of his mouth, as well as the rate at which the wontons and scallion pancakes were disappearing, no one would have suspected that this simple breakfast was, in fact, exactly to his taste.

    Meanwhile, Chu Lian had changed into a light blue dress and tidied up her slightly messy hair. She used a wet handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her face and neck before sitting down by the bed and fanning herself, finally feeling a little more refreshed.

    This wasn¡¯t even the hottest time of the year and it was already this tough to bear with the heat. Chu Lian sighed and thought about asking Senior Servant Gui if they could ce some ice in the bedroom to cool it off after breakfast.

    When Chu Lian finally rose and moved to the parlour again, the first thing she saw was the back of He Sang as he sat ramrod straight at the table.

    Chu Lian frowned. She hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but now she realised that He Changdi was also wearing a light blue robe today.

    With both of them dressed in the same colour, it looked like they had done it on purpose to look like a couple.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t fixate on the thought for long. As she waved away the curtsies from Senior Servant Gui and the other maidservants in the hall, she suddenly met with Senior Servant Gui¡¯s conflicted expression.

    Chu Lian tilted her head in confusion. However, Senior Servant Gui pursed her lips and didn¡¯t say anything.

    Seeing this, Chu Lian didn¡¯t think any more of it. She picked up her skirts and moved towards the table.

    As she was approaching He Sang¡¯s back, she heard the sound of a spoon clinking against porcin and quickly came to the realisation that he was eating her breakfast. She puffed up her cheeks and red at his back.

    Chu Lian suddenly had the urge to taunt him.

    ¡°Husband, are you...¡± She began speaking while walking closer. However, when she finally reached the table, she was at aplete loss for words.

    This... This He Sang was actually... a greedy bastard!

    Although his posture was elegant, his appetite was anything but. He had eaten more than half of the huge bowl of wontons, and there were only two out of the five pancakes left that she had made.

    He was even starting on the fourth one right now!

    No wonder Senior Servant Gui had given her such a weird look.

    The corners of Chu Lian¡¯s mouth twitched.

    She sat down by his side with a strange expression, her lips set in a thin, straight line. She quickly ordered Mingyan to serve her a bowl of wontons, afraid that there would be none left if she were a stepte.

    Mingyan also felt rather awkward over the whole situation. After serving the wontons to Chu Lian, she quickly retreated back into a corner.

    Chu Lian took thest pancake and ced it onto her te,ining, ¡°So all that food yesterday really went into that bottomless pit you call a stomach.¡±

    He Changdi was stunned. How could he not discern the meaning in her words? She was hinting that he ate too much!

    He Sang cast a sideways nce in her direction. He was in a good mood from the delicious meal, so he would let her off this time.

    Once she saw that he wasn¡¯t going to reply, Chu Lian felt that there was no point in taunting him further. She wasn¡¯t a petty person anyway.

    Thus, she turned her attention to eating her breakfast.

 Chapter 48: Bloated From Eating (2)

    In the time it had taken to change her clothes, the wontons had cooled down significantly, and it was just the right temperature to eat now.

    The scallion pancakes were as big as her two palms, so Mingyan came over to help her tear them into smaller pieces. However, Chu Lian stopped her.

    It was Third Young Madam who had taught her how to make the pancakes, so of course, there was no one who understood them better. Mingyan quietly retreated behind Third Young Madam.

    There was a small dish filled with an unknown sauce and shredded radish on the table. Chu Lian took a small spoon and poured half a spoon of the sauce onto the golden pancakes. Then, she picked up some shredded radish and ced them on top. It was only then that she folded up the pancake and took a bite.

    The couple sitting at the table didn¡¯t speak to each other; they simply ate their own dishes in peace... or so it appeared. Actually, He Changdi was watching Chu Lian¡¯s actions out of the corner of his eye.

    He was baffled by her pancake-eating technique, which he had never seen before in his entire life. He Changdi turned his gaze back to the original serving te, but unfortunately, it was empty.

    The look in his eyes was deep and carried traces of disappointment.

    Chu Lian was so focused on eating the pancake on her te that she didn¡¯t notice He Sang¡¯s expression.

    She hadn¡¯t been able to find a proper vegetable oil, and the quality of the flour here wasn¡¯t as good as back in the modern era, so the scallion pancakes weren¡¯t as tasty as she remembered. Chu Lian didn¡¯t like to eat oily foods, so she couldn¡¯t help wrinkling her brows as she ate.

    He Sang, who was watching her every move, noticed the change in her expression.

    Indignation on behalf of the pancake filled him to the brim.

    With jade chopsticks in hand, He Changdi turned his attention back to the remaining pieces on his personal serving dish. After a moment of pause, he picked one up and reached out to dip it in the small dish of sauce, cing the piece of pancake in his mouth directly after.

    Mmm... It was much tastier than eating the pancake by itself. Although the sauce was a little salty, it also tasted fresh somehow. He had no idea what the sauce was made of.

    After learning the merits of this new technique, He Sang ate a few more pieces all in one go. When he ran out of pancake on his te, he sent Mingyan, who was awaiting orders at the side, a meaningful look.

    Mingyan trembled under his gaze. She hurriedly lowered her head and tried to erase her presence; even her breathing became lighter.

    Chu Lian was focused on polishing off the wontons in her bowl and hadn¡¯t noticed his little actions.

    However, she wasn¡¯t able to finish off thest piece of scallion pancake. After eating half of it, she ced it back onto her te.

    Seeing that Chu Lian had pushed her bowl away and was looking like she was full, Mingyan quickly brought her a warm handkerchief to clean her hands.

    Without waiting for Chu Lian to take the handkerchief from Mingyan, He Changdi tapped on the surface in front of her and uttered a lowmand. ¡°Finish it.¡±

    Chu Lian: ......

    She looked down at thest piece of pancake on her te. It was a little cold by now, and it definitely wouldn¡¯t taste as good as when it had been freshly made. Chu Lian thought it looked utterly unappetising and wasn¡¯t willing to eat it at all.

    What was up with this He Sang? It was bad enough that he wasn¡¯t willing to talk to her, but at least whenever he did, she could just act like she hadn¡¯t heard anything. However, now he was even trying to control her meals. She hadn¡¯t forgotten that he had purposely taken away her dinner yesterday.

    ¡°I¡¯m not eating that, I¡¯m already full.¡±

    Actually, He Changdi wasn¡¯t trying to stop her from wasting food. It was just that leaving such a delicacy uneaten was equivalent to a grave crime in his eyes, so he refused to sit by and watch Chu Lianmit such a ¡®sin¡¯.

    ¡°Finish it. There are many people who don¡¯t even have the chance to eat such good food.¡±

    Chu Lian furrowed her brows, starting to feel annoyed. It was just a single piece of scallion pancake. What did it matter if she couldn¡¯t finish it? Did she absolutely need to force herself past her limits and make herself ufortable just to finish that one piece?

    ¡°I said I¡¯m not eating it! If you want to finish it, finish it yourself!¡±

    By now, Senior Servant Gui and the other maidservants were already wearing a set of strange expressions. Before they could properly recover, an even stranger scene began to y out before their very eyes.

    He Sang didn¡¯t continue forcing Chu Lian to eat the remaining pancake. Instead, after giving her an unreadable nce, he reached over to the porcin te in front of Chu Lian and picked up the pancake with his jade chopsticks, cing the piece directly into his mouth.

    The pancake was a little cold and wasn¡¯t as delicious as the rest he had eaten earlier. However, the taste of the sauce and the shredded radish on the pancake was even stronger.

    He Changdi finished Chu Lian¡¯s leftover half in just a few bites...

    His sudden action caused Chu Lian and everyone else in the room to freeze and stare.

    Chu Lian looked at him with a weird expression. Wasn¡¯t this guy disdainful of her? How could he just eat her leftover food without any care at all? She must be seeing things!

    It was only after he had swallowed thest bite of pancake that He Sang finally realised what he had done. His originally cold expression stiffened. With one nce toward the wide-eyed Chu Lian, He Sang quickly stood up and tossed out, ¡°I¡¯m going to the outer court,¡± before striding out of the room.

    Chu Lian turned to watch him as he left. For some reason, he seemed like he was running away...

    He Sang quickly stepped out of his courtyard and only slowed down when he finally reached his study in the outer court. There, he took the time to rub his stomach gingerly.

    He Sang froze.

    It began to dawn on him that he had somehow lost his usual restraint on his appetite, and had actually eaten too much...

 Chapter 49: Prince of Jin (1)

    After He Sang entered the study, he wrote a few letters and called for some servants to send them out. Then, at around 11am, he left the estate.

    In the capital¡¯s Yuehong Restaurant, there was a fragrance-filled privatepartment located on the third floor. Inside was a man dressed in an azure brocade robe leaning against a soft sofa. He was ying with two jade marbles, approximately the size of longans, in his hand. When the marbles collided, a beautiful, crisp clink would resound.

    His long, dark hair was draped loosely over his shoulders, like ebony silk floating atop the surface of a spring. Its smooth, sleek appearance was practically begging to be touched; anyone would want to feel the soft, silken sensation of the strands sifting between their fingers and brushing against their palms.

    The man¡¯s features were absolute perfection. Paired with his fair skin, he didn¡¯t lose to He Sang at all in looks.

    The man was resting on one of the armrests of the sofa, his other hand ying with the two jade marbles. His head was turned to look out the window next to him, where he watched the people moving about on the street below Yuehong Restaurant.

    When the door creaked open, the man turned his head, letting the light from the window shine on his face. Had a stranger been in the room with him, they would have definitely gasped in surprise.

    This man adorned in brocade fabrics had eyes very different from most people; his light azure pupils resembled a piece of ss: clear, but emotionless.

    When these extremely light pupils, so light that they were nearly non-existent, swept towards the person entering the room, a trace of emotion finally rippled across their depths. The corner of the man¡¯s mouth raised a little in the semnce of a smile.

    ¡°Mr. Newlywed, pretty He Sang, how could you bear to leave your sweet wife?¡±

    He Changdi directed the bottomless depths of his own pupils at the man before him. The only thing he felt in his heart was an endless amount of exasperation.

    He took a few steps forward before bending at the waist in a bow. ¡°Prince Jin.¡± 1

    A glint shed through the prince¡¯s azure pupils. His brows drew together, and he stopped ying with the marbles in his right hand.

    ¡°Ah-di,2 did you get up on the wrong side of the bed today? Or did you suffer my sister-inw¡¯s wrath?¡± Prince Jin asked, finding that his friend was acting strangely.

    When they had met just a few days ago, this guy had still been open and generous. Why did he seem like apletely different person after his wedding, like he had aged a decade in that short amount of time?

    He Changdi sneered. Newlywed? If his wife wasn¡¯t that wicked woman Chu Lian, he might truly be a little happy about his new wife.

    Prince Jin was the the fourth son of the current emperor. He wasn¡¯t born from the empress, and was the first son of Consort Xian. Prince Jin¡¯s maternal grandfather was the grandson of one of the ministers of the court.

    Starting from when he was eight, He Changdi had served as a studypanion to Prince Jin for four years. Following that, they had studied at the Imperial College together until they had graduated at the age of sixteen. Although they were registered as students at the Imperial Hanlin Academy, 3 they didn¡¯t actually study there.

    The two of them had been good friends for years.

    Thus, without waiting for Prince Jin to excuse him from standing on ceremony, He Sang moved forward and took a seat opposite the prince.

    ¡°Your Highness, how is the task I entrusted to you a few days ago progressing?¡±

    Prince Jin stared into the shadowed depths of He Sang¡¯s eyes. His rxed expression finally disappeared.

    ¡°Ah-di, tell me honestly. What are you trying to do?¡±

    In front of his best friend, Prince Jin even dispensed with addressing himself as ¡®this prince¡¯.

    He Changdi poured himself a cup of tea. It had most likely been brewed by one of the tea masters here in Yuehong Restaurant at the time of Prince Jin¡¯s arrival. A while had passed since then, and the tea had turned slightly cold, its various spices all a jumbled mix. Instead of a proper cup of sencha, it was now just some rancid water with strange vours.

    He had originally been a little thirsty, but upon seeing such a cup of tea, he lost all desire to drink.

    He abruptly thought of that wicked woman back at the Jing¡¯an Estate, who loved to show off her sencha brewing skills. Somehow, he hadn¡¯t seen her brew a single cup of sencha personally since their wedding day. Even the refreshments served in the parlour had be just simple clear water.

    1. Prince Jin ¨C Jin is his title and not his name. The title of ¡®Prince¡¯ is usually awarded to the emperor¡¯s male rtives once theye of age. You might see the emperor¡¯s uncle, brother or son being addressed as Prince. Even if they¡¯re all called princes, the amount of power they have can differ. In some other novels, you might see this tranted as ¡®Wang¡¯ or ¡®wangye¡¯.

    2. Ah-di ¨C This is an affectionate nickname shortened from ¡®Changdi¡¯.

    3. Imperial Hanlin Academy ¨C This was an actual academy in history where many famous people in Chinese history studied: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlin_Academy

 Chapter 50: Prince of Jin (2)

    He Sang covered up his teacup as thoughts swirled in his eyes. His gaze shifted to Prince Jin, who was sitting opposite him.

    ¡°Your Highness, I want to earn my merit through the military.¡±

    For a moment, Prince Jin froze. The Great Wu Dynasty had been founded for close to thirty years. The emperor was in the midst of reorganising the imperial court, as there were too many founding officials around. There was only one method left for those who wanted to earn some merit and progress quickly through the ranks: military contributions.

    As for those who wanted to be influential through their qualifications or birthright, even the smart ones would need at least five years or more to make it.

    Although the innernds of the Great Wu Dynasty were currently prospering in peace, the borders were facing significant threats. The Southern Xinjiang1 people in Mingzhou to the south, the Tuhun and the barbarians in Liangzhou to the north, the Japanese pirates and the Goryeo2 people to the east... even the west border faced the blond, blue-eyed Uyghurs. 3

    He Sang¡¯s father, Count Jing¡¯an himself, was stationed in Mingzhou.

    Since nothing unusual had happened at the border in recent years and their spies hadn¡¯t reported any movement from the neighbouring countries either, the border armies had been slowly rxing their guard.

    Without any battles to fight, even the most hardened and famous generals would lose their edge.

    Astonishment shed through the prince¡¯s azure eyes. ¡°Ah-di, why would you choose the north border? If you want to earn some merit, wouldn¡¯t Mingzhou be better? Count He is there too. Furthermore, the spies have already reported that the Southern Xinjiang people are starting to make their move.¡±

    Although Prince Jin wasn¡¯t the heir to the throne, he still had ess to some secret documents, thanks to the crown prince. Out of all of his imperial siblings, he was undoubtedly the one closest to the crown prince.

    A glimmer of light shed through He Changdi¡¯s lowered gaze as he said, ¡°As long as my father¡¯s there, I won¡¯t go.¡±

    Prince Jin was startled, but he continued on, fretting worriedly as he said, ¡°Ah-di, although we were given excellent evaluations in the Imperial College and you¡¯re skilled at martial arts, you don¡¯t have any actual battle experience and you¡¯ve never led any troops before. You should know better than me what kind of person Imperial Duke Lu is!¡±

    Imperial Duke Lu was also known as the Great General Qian, who was currently guarding the northern border. He was the man who had taught Prince Jin and He Changdi horseback riding and archery when they were young, and he was also a very strict and stubborn man.

    Going to the northern border under themand of Imperial Duke Lu was equivalent to suffering endless hardship. Furthermore, there would be zero empathy from the duke himself. It would be a true test of his endurance. Nevermind the noble sons, hardly any of the minor officials¡¯ sons would volunteer to go to the borders when they knew suffering and hardship lied ahead.

    Even though the northern border had been at peace for almost ten years, Liangzhou had a terrible climate where winters were extremely cold and summers were extremely hot. There weren¡¯t any good farnds, and all the eye could see was only the endless, dry expanse of dull grasnd, asionally cut by the army tents pitched out in the wilderness. If they tried to go further north, there was a tall, snowy mountain. It was very different from the bustling of the capital and was nearly primitive in nature.

    Frankly speaking, even criminals wouldn¡¯t be exiled to such a ce.

    The citizens of Liangzhou City reportedly never saw a single grain of rice from their harvests all year round. Although the city was half the size of the capital, it didn¡¯t even have 1/20 of the poption.

    If he could manage to earn some military achievements in the northern border, then all would be fine. However, if he failed... there was a rule at the border that stated that all soldiers without military achievements would have to stay there for a whole five years!

    Five years! For the people of the Great Wu Dynasty, whose average lifespan was only about thirty years or so, five years was an extremely long time.

    With He Changdi¡¯s noble birth, as long as he wasn¡¯t good-for-nothing, he could still get a fourth rank official title in that same amount of time.

    Rushing off to the northern border like this without considering the consequences was practically a gamble in Prince Jin¡¯s eyes. And a reckless gamble at that!

    How simple did he think it was to earn merit at the northern border? Firstly, would he even be able to find an enemy powerful enough to earn achievements for defeating? Secondly, once he encountered such an enemy, would he even be strong enough to take them down? If something went awry, what would happen to the He Family? And what about him? Was He Changdi even thinking about his best friend?

    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ve already made up my mind!!¡±

    Prince Jin¡¯s unusual azure eyes locked onto He Changdi. His stare was unwavering, searching for where he could pierce through his defenses and figure out what this best friend of his was thinking.

    ¡°Ah-di, you have to give me a good reason. Otherwise, I¡¯m not going to help you.¡±

    1. Xinjiang ¨C an area to the west of China: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xinjiang

    2. Goryeo ¨C an ancient Korean kingdom: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goryeo

    3. Uyghurs ¨C an ethnic group found mostly in central Asia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uyghurs

 Chapter 51: Mother-in-law (1)

    When Prince Jin met He Changdi¡¯s gaze, he could see faint grief reflected in his unreadable depths.

    ¡°Your Highness, there are some things I can¡¯t tell you now, but I can promise you this: there¡¯s a reason behind why I absolutely have to go to the northern border!¡±

    By the time He Sang left Yuehong Restaurant, it was already past 1pm.

    Prince Jin stood by the window and watched as his best friend¡¯s carriage disappeared around the corner of the street. He then turned away, appearing to be in deep thought.

    ......

    When Chu Lian finished her breakfast, she immediately headed to Matriarch He¡¯s courtyard to give her daily greetings.

    All thedies of the Jing¡¯an Estate were gathered in Qingxi Hall, except the bedridden Countess Jing¡¯an.

    The moment Chu Lian entered the hall, Matriarch He immediately turned to look at her. When she saw her dressed in light blue, she recalled that He Sang had also been wearing the same colour when he had dropped by Qingxi Hall on his way out this morning. Matriarch He smiled.

    Excluding her two nieces, Chu Lian was the youngest in the family. After she greeted the matriarch, she was pulled up to Matriarch He¡¯s side.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, have you gotten used to living here in the estate these past few days?¡± Matriarch He spoke in a warm, friendly tone, tinged with that special kindness the older generation always seemed to have. It was the kind of tone that made others want to draw closer to an elder.

    Chu Lian nodded and looked at the matriarch, her eyes crystal-clear and moist. ¡°Yes, I have. Granddaughter-in-Law thanks Grandmother for her concern.¡±

    ¡°Sang went out so early today, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be back until evening. Why don¡¯t you and your eldest sister-inwe over to eat with Grandmother for the midday meal?¡±

    Chu Lian nodded and agreed.

    After sitting at Qingxi Hall for about an hour, she went to visit Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s courtyard together with Madam Zou.

    Even before they entered, they could hear Countess Jing¡¯an coughing terribly.

    Madam Zou frowned; it was at this moment that Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s personal maidservant, Miaozhen, stepped out to retrieve some medicine.

    When Miaozhen spotted the two mistresses standing at the entrance, she greeted them. ¡°Eldest Young Madam, Third Young Madam, good morning.¡±

    ¡°What happened to Mother? Why does it seem like her condition has worsened since yesterday?¡± Madam Zou asked Miaozhen with her brows drawn together.

    Grimacing, Miaozhen replied, ¡°This servant doesn¡¯t know either. The medicine appeared effective at first. During the past few weeks, Madam could even get out of bed and asionally walk about. However, these days, the medicine seems to have stopped workingpletely. Even though Madam has been drinking it regrly, there¡¯s been no change to her condition.¡±

    While standing next to Madam Zou, Chu Lian dipped into her memories and tried to recall what she had read in the novel. There had been no mention of Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s exact illness. However, looking at the symptoms, if it wasn¡¯t pneumonia, then it was most likely tuberculosis. In this era, there was almost no chance of treating illnesses like those; they could only extend their lives for a bit with medicine.

    ¡°Go ahead and brew the medicine. I¡¯ll go in to look at Mother with my sister-inw.¡±

    By the time they finished visiting their mother-inw, Madam Liu had already gone to sleep from exhaustion. Her face was extremely pale. Even while sleeping, she still looked haggard from her extended illness.

    They heard from Miaozhen that Madam Liu hadn¡¯t had a proper meal in days. She couldn¡¯t keep anything down due to her sickness.

    She had been able to eat those pastries that Cook Zhou had made previously, but now that Cook Zhou had passed on, Countess Jing¡¯an wasn¡¯t able to stomach eating anything else.

 Chapter 52: Mother-in-law (2)

    When the two sisters-inw stepped out of Madam Liu¡¯s courtyard, they made a turn into one of the estate¡¯s small gardens. They each had a crimson jade bangle in hand. The vibrancy of the bangles¡¯ colour made it obvious how priceless it was. Madam Liu hade from a great noble family. Her dowry back then had been extremely rich and filled with extravagant treasures. This was something that Madam Zou told Chu Lian muchter on.

    Chu Lian looked at the bangle in her hands awkwardly. These two red jade bangles were a pair; she and Madam Zou had each gotten one. Chu Lian had never seen such a valuable essory in her life before, and although she had received quite a few treasures from the tea ceremony that day, they paled inparison to this red jade bangle.

    Madam Zou caught sight of her uneasy expression and smiled reassuringly. ¡°Since Mother decided to give these to us, just keep it. Mother won¡¯t be happy if you reject her gift.¡±

    Chu Lian could only nod. Since she had already epted it back in Madam Liu¡¯s room, she couldn¡¯t possibly go back to return it at this point.

    Madam Zou passed her own bangle to one of her maidservants, instructing her to wrap it up and keep it carefully. She then pulled Chu Lian to a winding corridor covered in purple wisterias. As they walked slowly along the corridor, Madam Zou suddenly sighed. ¡°Actually, Mother probably doesn¡¯t have much left in her dowry. These two bangles are probably thest of the more valuable ones.¡±

    Noticing the perplexed expression on Chu Lian¡¯s face and wanting to tell her more, Madam Zou waved away the personal maidservants following behind them. The maidservants hurriedly stopped where they stood, allowing Madam Zou to pull Chu Lian further away from the extra listening ears.

    Once there weren¡¯t any outsiders around to listen in, Madam Zou began to open up. ¡°Third Sister, I¡¯m sure you must have heard the details of Mother¡¯s illness.¡±

    Although He Sang had never told her about it before, Chu Lian knew how serious Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s illness was. The book had also mentioned that Countess Jing¡¯an was frequently bedridden.

    Chu Lian nodded.

    ¡°You might know a few bits and pieces... The imperial physicians don¡¯t have any way to treat Mother¡¯s illness. They can only dy its progression with specially made medicine. But the medicine requires various types of expensive herbs, and quite a few of them cost over a thousand gold taels. Although House Jing¡¯an is quite influential, Father isn¡¯t around to manage the household, and he¡¯s not the best at generating ie for the family, either. If not for the fewer mouths to feed and our simple expenses, as well as the matriarch asionally adding some ie from her personal businesses, the household would be living in a much poorer state. Mother¡¯s medicine costs a lot, and in the beginning, the money came from the household ounts.¡± Madam Zou raised a single finger.

    ¡°A thousand taels. It costs a thousand taels just to buy the herbs to make her medicine every month. Father earns a thousand strings of coins annually as a general. If you put together all the earnings from all the holdings and stores under our family, that¡¯s only about a thousand more strings of coins...¡±

    House Jing¡¯an paid Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s medicine fees for two years. Afterwards, Countess Jing¡¯an told Madam Zou to remove that expense from the household ounts. Countess Jing¡¯an then paid for her medicine out of her own dowry.

    In the next few years, Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s dowry was close to spent. There wasn¡¯t much left to her name now.

    Furthermore, the Liu family had broken one of the emperor¡¯s taboos a few years back, so they had been demoted. The entire n had left and settled down in the countryside, near Luoyang. Thus, Madam Liu was left all alone in the capital, and without any financial support from her maiden family, her dowry dwindled down even faster.

    Chu Lian was shocked by the revtions. Although she had just arrived in this era, after listening to Xiyan and the other maidservants chatting over the past few days, she had started to learn the approximate value of money in this Great Wu Dynasty.

    The copper coins used in the current era were ¡®Kaiyuan¡¯ coins. 1000 coins could be exchanged for one silver tael. There were 1000 coins in a string of coins. Without taking into ount the fluctuation of bronze and silver prices, and going by amon family¡¯s standard of living in the Great Wu Dynasty, 10 silver taels was enough to support a family of three for a year.

    Even the minor stewards in the Jing¡¯an Estate weren¡¯t given more than a single silver tael as their monthly sry.

    Meanwhile, Countess Jing¡¯an required over 10,000 strings of coins every year for medicine alone; this was an extremely shocking amount!

    No wonder Madam Zou had said that Countess Jing¡¯an had barely anything left in her dowry by now.

    Count Jing¡¯an¡¯s annual sry was only enough to cover a month of medicine costs for Madam Liu.

    Seeing the surprise and shock in Chu Lian¡¯s eyes, Madam Zou patted her hand. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you all this to put any pressure on you. I only wanted to let you realise how well Mother treats us, despite how poor she is. I hope you continue to treat her well in the future.¡±

    TL Note: 1000 bronze coins = 1 string of bronze coins = 1 tael of silver.

    Count Jing¡¯an earns 1000 taels a year, but Countess Jing¡¯an spends 1000 taels a month on medicine. Poor Countess...

 Chapter 53: Dowry (1)

    Chu Lian nodded. Of course she was going to treat her mother-inw well. Although she had only met Madam Liu a few times, Chu Lian could tell that her mother-inw was a person of integrity, someone kind and gentle.

    If she wasn¡¯t, Matriarch He wouldn¡¯t have doted on her so much ¡ª at least, not to the point of personally visiting Madam Liu¡¯s courtyard. The fact that she did said a lot.

    By the time the two of them finished their stroll and returned to Qingxi Hall, it was nearing lunch.

    When Senior Servant Liu saw that the two young madams had arrived, she called for the maidservants to begin serving the meal.

    Madam Zou¡¯s two daughters had already been brought to the parlour by their nursemaids and were seated. With the support of her maidservants, Matriarch He also settled down into her seat.

    The round table was quickly filled with dishes. However, despite the happy sight that the feast made, Matriarch He sighed. ¡°All thedies in our family are here, except for your mother... If only she were well enough to sit here with us!¡±

    After Matriarch He¡¯s words, everyone at the table sunk into silence. Senior Servant Liu noticed that the atmosphere had turned bad and quickly tried to change the topic. ¡°Madam, look here: there¡¯s hasma today!¡±

    Hasma was one of the most valuable food ingredients. It was good for beauty and keeping the lungs healthy. In the modern era, it was famous for its expensive price tag. Although Chu Lian was a foodie, due to her economical constraints, she hadn¡¯t actually seen any dishes made with hasma before.

    After hearing Senior Servant Liu point out the hasma, Chu Lian shifted her gaze over and saw a small enamel bowl with a green turtle pattern. It was half-filled with something ck.

    Chu Lian: ......

    This was hasma? Chu Lian couldn¡¯t suppress the corners of her mouth from twitching. She really should¡¯ve known better. Considering the events that had transpired over the past few days, she should¡¯ve just dropped any and all expectations she had for the cuisine here. There was no hope for this damned Great Wu Dynasty¡¯s food! She was better off expecting nothing. That way, at least she wouldn¡¯t be disappointed all the time.

    She wouldn¡¯t have minded if it were any other ingredient, but this was hasma! Even if you had the money, you wouldn¡¯t necessarily be able to buy it. They actually ced it in a wok and just... boiled it? Just like that? And they even made it into something this ck and unappetising, like it was some poisonous, dark arts cuisine! Who... who would even dare to eat this?

    Chu Lian¡¯s interest had been piqued at first, but upon looking at a hasma dish like this, she just couldn¡¯t gather up the desire to eat it at all.

    Chu Lian shrunk back into her seat. Someone else could have that ¡®delicacy¡¯ instead...

    After Senior Servant Liu reminded her of the highlight of the meal, Matriarch He immediately recovered from her sadness and smiled at her two granddaughters-inw. ¡°The Empress Dowager was the one who sent over this hasma; it¡¯s a very rare delicacy. It¡¯s good for women, so why don¡¯t the two of you share itter on?¡±

    Madam Zou had eaten hasma before it and knew of its benefits. Some of her anticipation shone through in her eyes, but Chu Lian really didn¡¯t have the courage to eat that ck dish.

    She courteously said, ¡°Since there¡¯s so little hasma, why don¡¯t you have it, Grandmother? My body is perfectly healthy; there¡¯s no need for me to eat it!¡±

    Since Chu Lian had said so, it wouldn¡¯t be seemly for Madam Zou to take all of the hasma for herself, so she said something along the same lines.

    They weren¡¯t able to change Matriarch He¡¯s mind, so Senior Servant Liu split the bowl of ck hasma into three portions. It wasn¡¯t suitable for children to eat, so they didn¡¯t give any to the two young children present.

    Senior Servant Liu was smiling as she passed a white bowl containing the hasma to Chu Lian. ¡°Third Young Madam, you¡¯re quite lucky, aren¡¯t you? Even the Empress Dowager might only get to eat hasma once or twice a year. You¡¯ve managed toe at just the right time to have some.¡±

    Chu Lian felt awkward and wanted to cry. She didn¡¯t want to be here right now, okay? Not if it meant she had to eat that!

    Finally, she had no other choice. Chu Lian forced that small bowl of ck hasma into her mouth and down her throat. Honestly speaking, it tasted terrible. The hasma had been fried and boiled so much, that it was now too salty to even taste. The only thing her tongue could discern when she put it in her mouth was salt; all of the original vour had beenpletely lost.

    After she finished eating it, she quickly washed it down with a bowl of tasteless soup.

    This meal she had at Qingxi Hall was one of the most painful she had ever had.

 Chapter 54: Dowry (2)

    Chu Lian had swallowed down the hasma like it was bitter medicine. However, she saw that Matriarch He and Madam Zou were slowly savouring it. They would alternate between taking a single bite of hasma and drinking a mouthful of soup, as if they were eating some rare delicacy. If she hadn¡¯t personally seen that charred hasma being split between the three bowls, Chu Lian might even have thought that they had been served different dishes.

    All the tea served here was sencha. Chu Lian didn¡¯t dare to deviate too much frommon sense in front of Matriarch He; essentially, she was stuck. She couldn¡¯t ask for another drink, but she couldn¡¯t stomach drinking the sencha, either.

    After the meal, Matriarch He and Madam Zou were given wet handkerchiefs by the maidservants. They then elegantly dabbed at their lips and rinsed their mouths.

    Matriarch He wanted to take a nap in thete afternoon, so Chu Lian took the chance to escape back to her own Songtao Court.

    She really didn¡¯t dare to stay any longer, lest Matriarch He force her to eat something else equally weird.

    He Sang still hadn¡¯t returned in the afternoon. When Chu Lian got back to her courtyard, the first thing she did was gulp down three cups of in water before gargling with some fine salt. Only then did she manage to get rid of that strange taste in her mouth.

    After being tormented for half the day, Chu Lian was finally able to rest. She leaned against the sofa by the window, rxing as she enjoyed the cool summer breeze. It was gentle as it blew in from the outside, perfectlyfortable to take a nap in.

    Xiyan and the other maidservants noticed how drowsy she looked. They brought over a thin nket to drape over her before they quietly retreated, leaving her in peace.

    When Chu Lian finally woke up, almost two hours had passed. The moment she raised her arm, she caught sight of the red jade bangle on her wrist and thought of what her sister-inw, Madam Zou, had told her that morning.

    She wrinkled her brows for a moment before calling out, ¡°Xiyan!¡±

    Xiyan hurriedly walked in. ¡°Third Young Madam, do you have any orders for this servant?¡±

    Chu Lian got up from the sofa. Her right hand toyed with the lustrous bangle on her left wrist as she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I want to look at my dowry in the storeroom.¡±

    ¡°Ah? You want to look at your dowry?¡± Xiyan clearly hadn¡¯t expected that Chu Lian would abruptly ask for something like that. The dowry had been selected before the wedding, and Chu Lian had overseen the addition of every item on the list. She was probably the one who knew best how much everything was worth. Why did she still want to look at the dowry?

    ¡°Yes, what¡¯s wrong? Am I not allowed to look at my own dowry?¡±

    Xiyan quickly shook her head. ¡°Please wait for a moment; this servant will go and retrieve the key to the storeroom now.¡±

    Chu Lian was a little excited as she waved Xiyan away with a smile. ¡°Go, go.¡±

    At the very least, she was a legitimate daughter of House Ying. Although she wasn¡¯t a favoured one, the House of Duke Ying had to have given her a decent dowry. She had been married out to the House of Count Jing¡¯an, after all.

    In her previous life, she had had to earn every single cent of her money. However, aftering to the Great Wu Dynasty, she had gotten a fortune that was all hers without having to do anything at all. Just thinking about it made her quite happy.

    In the Great Wu Dynasty, all daughters who married out of their houses had their dowries recorded with the local authorities. Their dowries were their personal assets. Even if they divorced their husbandster on, the women could take every single bit of their dowries away with them, no questions asked. This was one of thews of marriage in the Great Wu Dynasty. Thus, the more dowry the new brides brought with them, the more respected they would be in their new households. In this thriving capital, the amount of dowry was a measure of how favoured the daughter was in her maiden family. With a thicker dowry, they would be able to hold their heads high, even in gatherings with all the other noble wivester on.

    The novel had not described Chu Lian¡¯s dowry, and since Chu Lian had entered this Great Wu Dynasty right at the time of her wedding, she hadn¡¯t had any time to take a look for herself. Thus, she was still in the dark about the size of her personal wealth.

 Chapter 55: Dowry (3)

    Xiyan led the way and Senior Servant Gui followed by Chu Lian¡¯s side. However, both of them had their heads lowered with strange expressions on their faces. Their gazes drifted frequently to Chu Lian, who was clearly in a good mood with a smile on her lips.

    Songtao Court was not far from the couple¡¯s storeroom. They were able to reach their destination in just five minutes.

    Xiyan instructed the maidservant watching the door to leave. Then, she personally opened one of the rooms with a key. ¡°Third Young Madam, most of your dowry was ced here.¡±

    Although the room wasn¡¯t very well-lit, it was still daytime, so the light streaming in from the window allowed Chu Lian to clearly see everything inside.

    It was arge room with a few rows of antique shelves. The shelves werepletely empty, as were the few quality open cabs scattered around. Right at the back of the room, there were a few red painted wooden boxes ced in a corner. Thanks to the significant empty space, the red boxes were extremely eye-catching.

    The moment she entered, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t keep up the slight upward tilt of her lips. She looked around the room with widened eyes before turning to look at Senior Servant Gui.

    Senior Servant Gui shot Xiyan a look and Xiyan hurriedly stepped forward, holding onto Chu Lian¡¯s arm. ¡°Third Young Madam, why don¡¯t you take a seat over there? This servant will bring over the boxes with momo to let Third Young Madam look over everything.¡±

    Chu Lian looked suspiciously at Xiyan, who avoided her gaze. She let herself be led to the table without a word.

    Following that, Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan set down four or five boxes in front of her. Although they were wooden and about as tall as a person¡¯s waist, the two women alone could carry them. It was clear that there wasn¡¯t much in them.

    Senior Servant Gui pulled out a list wrapped in red leather and passed it to Chu Lian. She carefully picked her words as she said, ¡°Third Young Madam, this is the list of all the items in your dowry. Take a look and see if there¡¯s anything wrong.¡±

    When Chu Lian had instructed Xiyan to retrieve the key to the storeroom, Senior Servant Gui had been thinking over why Chu Lian wanted to see her dowry. In the end, she decided that it was most likely because Chu Lian was afraid that something was missing from it and wanted to go through every item once again.

    Chu Lian was smiling as she took the list and opened it. Her almond-shaped eyes swept down the list once and mentally tallied them up. Upon seeing that there was a total of 99 items, she inwardly nodded, satisfied with the amount.

    Thus, she started reading out the list with some excitement, beginning from the very first item. She even got Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan to bring over the item to let her see.

    ¡°Exquisite Four Season Screens,¡± Chu Lian read.

    Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan exchanged nces before pulling out a screen frame and several embroidered screens, cing them on the table in front of Chu Lian.

    Xiyan spoke up timidly. ¡°Third Young Madam, if we set up this screen and take it apart again, the embroidery might get damaged. If you don¡¯t need to use it right now, it would be better not to set it up.¡±

    Chu Lian waspletely stunned. First, she looked at the description in the dowry again before looking up at the item before her eyes. She didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. The elegantly named ¡®Exquisite Four Season Screens¡¯ was clearly just a few embroidered screens with some pieces of wood painted over... Although she wasn¡¯t an expert at appraising the value of things, she could still tell just by looking at it that these screens weren¡¯t worth much at all. They were probably barely worth ten taels or less.

    After looking at a few more items, they were all about the same as the screens. They seemed extravagant, but weren¡¯t of any actual value at all. While a little pretty, they were nothingpared to real treasures.

    Finally, Chu Lian got toozy to look at the rest of them. She waved her hand and got Senior Servant Gui to close all the boxes and put them back. Then, she held the dowry list in her hands and nked out.

    She had looked through the list carefully. There were almost 100 items in her dowry, but none of them were really worth anything. Judging by Senior Servant Gui¡¯s attitude, the only thing of value was a small yellow jade seal. She had already taken it out and personally put it into the pouch she carried with her at all times.

    Other than the hundred items here, there was nothing else. There were no shops, no holdings, or even any farnd. Not a single one!

    Chu Lianughed bitterly to herself in her heart. So she wasn¡¯t really all that lucky after all.

    Compared to Madam Liu¡¯s dowry, her dowry was way too shabby.

 Chapter 56: A Heart-to-heart Talk (1)

    She folded the dowry list back up and began to y with it, tapping it against her other palm.

    Chu Lian abruptly asked, ¡°Momo, I can¡¯t really remember... Was there any money in my dowry?¡±

    Senior Servant Gui cast a careful nce at her. Afraid some misunderstanding would arise in Chu Lian¡¯s heart, she said in a measured tone, ¡°Of course there¡¯s money! Why wouldn¡¯t there be?¡±

    Due to Sixth Miss¡¯s unhappiness over the match, on the day of her marriage, Senior Servant Gui had kept the banknotes that the presidingdy of the house, the wife of House Ying¡¯s heir, had sent over. After Chu Lian had married over, she had been frightened by the way her mistress and her new husband were interacting, so she hadpletely forgotten about the money in her care.

    Finally, something that wouldn¡¯t disappoint her. Chu Lian¡¯s eyes instantly lit up and, with a degree of urgency, she asked, ¡°How much?¡±

    Senior Servant Gui looked a little put on the spot. She awkwardly chuckled and held up five fingers.

    Chu Lian returned the smile. ¡°Five hundred taels?¡±

    Senior Servant Gui¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to get the figure right. Wouldn¡¯t most nobledies guess five thousand taels instead?

    Seeing Chu Lian smiling happily, Xiyan¡¯s heart felt like it was being crushed. Conversely, Chu Lian¡¯s seeming happiness and contentment with that sum made her heart ache even more for her mistress.

    Although the House of Duke Ying had no qualified sessors and was slowly bing a shell of its former self, a starving camel was still bigger than a horse. When the main branch¡¯s illegitimate fourth miss had gotten married, due to the favour of the main branch¡¯s legitimate wife, she had been sent out from the house with a thousand taels of silver as dowry!

    Their young miss was a legitimate daughter of House Ying, yet she had to suffer this kind of treatment.

    ¡°Sixth Miss...¡± Xiyan called out in a low voice.

    Every time this girl called out to her with a voice that sounded as if she was about to cry, Chu Lian knew that Xiyan had probably gotten sad over her circumstances, without being able to see it from a lighter perspective.

    So, when Chu Lian spoke again, it was with a clear, calm voice. ¡°What¡¯s there to be sad about? Five hundred taels isn¡¯t a small sum either. A family of three can live for a year with ten taels! Furthermore, my mother died when I was young. Are you really expecting a motherless child to be treated the same as a child with a mother? Although my dowry¡¯s a little small, I¡¯ve married a good husband, haven¡¯t I? The family elders here are all easy to get along with, too. What is there to be unhappy about? I¡¯ve already epted all this, so can¡¯t you guys ept it too? Anyway, who cares if there¡¯s less money? We just have to earn more ourselves! In this world, there¡¯s nothing easier to solve than ack of money!¡±

    Buried in Chu Lian¡¯s words were her incredible self-confidence and willpower. She had been able to stand strong and unyielding in order to survive in that technologically advanced world, where humans had be even more twisted. How could the simple civilisation of this Great Wu Dynasty pose a problem to her?

    To enjoy life, you have to be able to bear with its stresses. This was something a smart woman should know.

    Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan were shaken by Chu Lian¡¯s words. Since Senior Servant Gui was older and more experienced than Xiyan, she recovered a little more quickly. She nodded, gratified that the tender, young flower she had raised had finally broken free from its bindings and blossomed into a beautifully fragrant bud. Chu Lian was no longer a single, lone sprout that was struggling to grow in a swamp.

    However, Xiyan was still in a daze. Chu Lian¡¯s sweet, clear voice was still ringing in her ears: ¡°In this world, there¡¯s nothing easier to solve than ack of money!¡±

    What an arrogant, yet confident phrase that was. How many humans in this world would toil their lives away ¡ª maybe even to the point of throwing away their lives ¡ª for the sake of a few dirty, copper coins? The saying, ¡®everyone works for money¡¯, didn¡¯t spring up from nothing.

    Xiyan could almost see a faint, white glow around Chu Lian; it was almost like she was a god who should be revered by all men. She realised that her mistress was looking at her with a gentle gaze. Suddenly, immense relief flooded through her. The unfair treatment at the Ying Estate and the old grievances buried inside her instantly turned into tiny golden specks and disappeared.

    ¡°Yes, as Mistressmands it. This servant will always obey Sixth Miss.¡±

    Chu Lian tilted her head. Upon seeing that Xiyan had burst into a bright smile, exposing her two cute little canines, Chu Lian also felt happy for her.

    This girl hadplex issues hidden in her heart. If she could let go of all her mental burdens just like today, then maybe she wouldn¡¯t die in vain like ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had.

 Chapter 57: A Heart-to-heart Talk (2)

    ¡°Alright, now that we¡¯re done looking, let¡¯s go back!¡± Chu Lian stood up and led Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan back to Songtao Court.

    After they returned to their courtyard, Senior Servant Gui handed the purse containing all the banknotes over to Chu Lian, holding it up with both hands. ¡°Third Young Madam, this is the money that thedy of the house gave to me to keep for you on your wedding day.¡±

    Chu Lian took the purse and opened it up. As expected, there was a stack of 100 tael notes, five in total. They were all issued by Datong Bank.

    She took out one note and held it out to Senior Servant Gui. ¡°Momo, keep this hundred taels in case of emergency. I¡¯ll keep the rest.¡±

    Senior Servant Gui waved her hands as she looked at the hundred tael note. ¡°No, no! This is Third Young Madam¡¯s dowry. How could this old servant keep it? Rest assured, we don¡¯t need to spend any money within the estate. There won¡¯t be any emergencies at all.¡±

    As she finished speaking, the corners of her eyes turned red. Thinking back to the days in the Ying Estate, Sixth Miss had always hoarded her money like it was treasure, afraid that these lowly servants would find her money and steal it. Although Senior Servant Gui didn¡¯t hold that kind of behaviour against Chu Lian, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that small distance between them. As close as they were, they were still master and servant in the end. A grudge would be the worst thing that coulde between them.

    Chu Lian smiled. Of course she could guess what Senior Servant Gui was thinking. She inwardly pursed her lips, scolding the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ for being too silly.

    No matter how much Senior Servant Gui tried to reject the money, Chu Lian still pushed the note in Senior Servant Gui¡¯s hands in the end. ¡°Momo, keep it. You never know what might happen. It¡¯s better to have this money in hand, rather than none at all. Money can solve a lot of problems in this world. Anyway, I still have four hundred taels with me! It¡¯s not a small sum at all. I¡¯ve finally learned to let go of some things. Money at hand is meant to be spent anyway; why be calctive about who¡¯s keeping it? Momo, I was too narrow-minded in the past, and I was in the wrong. Please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±

    Hearing Chu Lian speak like that, Senior Servant Gui couldn¡¯t hold back her emotions any longer. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she let out a choked sob, the thin banknote gripped tightly in her hands. She couldn¡¯t find the strength to speak, and could only nod. Any servant who served their masters with all their heart would want to earn their acknowledgement and trust. Now that she had earned Chu Lian¡¯s trust today, Senior Servant Gui felt that the grievances she had suffered in the past were all worth it.

    Within her heart, she silently said, ¡®Madam, did you see that? Young Miss has grown up and matured. You can rest in peace now.¡¯

    When Chu Lian saw that Senior Servant Gui had lost control of her emotions, she wanted to cheer her up.

    She drew closer and answered Senior Servant Gui¡¯s teary expression with a bright smile, her eyes narrowing into crescents. ¡°Why? Does momo think I¡¯ve given too little? Just wait till I earn more money! I¡¯ll let you count the notes until your hands are sore!¡±

    Senior Servant Gui burst into a chuckle and red yfully at Chu Lian. ¡°Third Young Madam has such a silver tongue!¡±

    ¡°I can back my words up with results! Momo, don¡¯t you trust me?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do! Momo trusts you the most!¡±

    ¡°Hehe!¡±

    Senior Servant Gui watched the pretty young flower before her, freed from burden. She felt that she had never been as lighthearted as she was now. Sixth Miss had been restrained and gloomy in the past. The current Sixth Miss was like a beautiful piece of jade, cleansed of all impurities. She practically radiated afortable warmth that drew others in. As for whether Sixth Miss was merely boasting about earning more money or not, what did that matter? As long as they were all peaceful and happy, she would be content.

 Chapter 58: Returning Home Late (1)

    He Sang only returned to the estate when night fell.

    He stopped over at Qingxi Hall before returning to Songtao Court.

    After spending the entire day running about and meeting up with others, he hadn¡¯t eaten much in the way of food, but he had taken plenty of drinks.

    Laiyue could clearly sense the slight pressure hanging around his master today. There was a cold expression adorning his handsome face, hidden in the shadows as he moved about the grounds. His lips were slightly pursed, and with the way his eyes were glinting beneath the starlight, his master resembled a goshawk crouching in the dark, lying in wait for the chance to catch his prey.

    This bloodthirsty goshawk currently had his eyes fixed on Songtao Court, where Third Young Madam lived.

    Laiyue gathered up the courage to remind him of his current state. ¡°Young... Young Master, it¡¯s gettingte. You¡¯ve drunk quite a lot outside... Perhaps it might be better to go to bed early today.¡±

    Right after Laiyue finished speaking, He Changdi strode into the courtyard without even giving him a nce.

    When the two older servants guarding the door saw that the young master had returned, they quickly bent in greeting.

    He Changdi stood in the corridor outside the parlour after entering Songtao Court. He looked towards the main bedchamber, which was already shrouded in darkness, and the corners of his mouth tugged upwards indifferently.

    As expected, this wicked woman had never treated him as her husband, just like in their previous life. She wasn¡¯t concerned at all even though he had returnedte. He thought that things would be different this time, seeing how she had been acting these two days, but he was clearly just being stupid for even hoping so!

    Laiyue didn¡¯t dare to say anything else and simply followed He Sang to the study.

    When Laiyue cast a sideways nce at his master, he noticed the dark circles under his eyes and his unhealthyplexion. Then he recalled the earlier string of meetings where his master had been drinking but hadn¡¯t had a bite to eat. He immediately said, ¡°Young Master, this servant will go to the kitchen and bring you some soup to help you sober up.¡±

    He Sang rubbed his throbbing temples and shooed Laiyue away. Just as Laiyue was about to leave, he heard He Changdi say, ¡°Check if there¡¯s anything to eat and bring it here together with the soup.¡±

    Laiyue made a sound of agreement and quickly left the study.

    He Changdi sat behind his desk, leaning back in the chair. There was only a single flickeringmp lit in the study, casting shadows over his handsome face and adding a tinge of pallor and fragility to it.

    He Sang¡¯s second brother was on duty in the Left Military Guards.

    The Left Military Guards were formerly part of the Yulin Army, and were split into the Dragon Guards and the Tiger Guards.

    The Dragon Guards were carefully picked from the families of the military officials, while the Tiger Guards were top martial experts selected from martial artspetitions and camps.

    When you were born in better circumstances, you¡¯d have plenty more opportunities.

    The Tiger Guards were supposed to be on patrol in the pce today, but themander of the Yulin Army, He Lin, had been sent out of the capital and had taken the Tiger Guards along with him. He Lin had served in the Tiger Guards, so he was closer to them. Thus, patrol duty had fallen to the Dragon Guards.

    Amongst the Dragon Guards on patrol today was the Second Young Master of the Jing¡¯an Estate, He Changjue.

    In his past life, due to events happening during the patrol on this day, all of the Dragon Guards had been punished by martialw. As the leader of the Dragon Guards, He Changjue had been punished more heavily than the rest and was removed from the Left Military Guards. His legs never recovered properly and he was never able to practise martial arts again.

    The Tiger Guards also started suppressing the Dragon Guards, causing a drop in their performance. After two months, they were no longer performing like they had before. Within a year, they werepletely ousted from the Yulin Army. The Dragon Guards had ceased to exist.

 Chapter 59: Returning Home Late (2)

    This afternoon, He Sang had specially gone looking for his second brother before his patrol, and then had followed him into the pce. After waiting under a lush apricot tree in the outer pce, he had caught a little girl falling from the apricot tree.

    This little girl was ten-year-old Princess Leyao, the child of the Emperor and Imperial Concubine Wei. Imperial Concubine Wei was in favour with the Emperor, and thus, Princess Leyao also became one of the Emperor¡¯s beloved children.

    Imperial Concubine Wei didn¡¯t have any other children, let alone any princes, so her only daughter was extremely important to her.

    In his previous life, Princess Leyao had climbed the apricot tree out of mischief and had fallen off one of the courtyard walls, hitting the back of her head and dyingter on. The Emperor and Imperial Concubine Wei had flown into a rage and punished the Dragon Guards who had been on patrol that day.

    In this life, He Sang had saved Princess Leyao, so naturally, the Dragon Guards were spared from punishment.

    A heroic deed like this should have been announced publicly with great reward. However, Princess Leyao was already ten. If this were to be announced, the princess¡¯s reputation might be damaged. Thus, He Sang requested that the Emperor hide this matter.

    Seeing that He Sang was smart and sensible, the Emperor had a good impression of him and asked what kind of reward he would like. He Sang refused to mention any reward, but made a small request of the Emperor. He also politely rejected Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s offer of rewards.

    The moment he left the pce, he was taken by his second brother to a restaurant, where all the Dragon Guards on patrol had thanked him.

    There, he couldn¡¯t avoid drinking a round of wine with them.

    He Changjue drank a little too much and leaned against his younger brother, asking him whether he would use this opportunity to enter the imperial court. He Sang looked at his oblivious older brother and could only shake his head.

    As sons of a military house, the imperial court and the capital weren¡¯t ces they could easily step into.

    Unfortunately, it was no longer the era of the previous emperor. The current emperor favoured civil officials over the military. The sons of the military families couldn¡¯t possibly join the imperial examinations; they could only reach a high position through military achievements. They might not have any inkling of it now, but if they couldn¡¯t stabilise their power base in three to five years¡¯ time, then it would be hard for them to gain any traction in the capital as a military official. This wasn¡¯t an exception even for families like theirs, with generals serving out at the borders.

    After returning to the estate with heavy thoughts weighing on his mind, He Sang was met with a cold, dark courtyard. Naturally, he wasn¡¯t too happy.

    He thought back to how he had listened to his grandmother¡¯s stories back when he was a young child. She had spoken of her shared love with his grandfather, and how they had ovee all manner of disasters together. He could only find itughable that he had dreamed of marrying someone like that himself.

    When he remembered his previous life, he felt that the creatures he couldn¡¯t trust the most in this world were women. Underneath those beautiful exteriorsid the hearts of snakes and scorpions.

    After shutting his eyes for a moment, he heard a set of light footsteps from outside and Laiyue entered the study soon after.

    ¡°Young Master, here¡¯s the sobriety soup. Please drink it quickly while it¡¯s hot.¡±

    He Changdi scanned the table and could only see a bowl of soup and nothing else. He turned his gaze onto Laiyue, who instantly began to fidget awkwardly, stammering as he reported, ¡°There¡¯s nothing already cooked in the kitchen. All the meals were prepared by Third Young Madam and her maidservants these two days, so the temporary cooks were sent back and there¡¯s only a senior servant left to watch the kitchen. This... this servant doesn¡¯t know how to cook.¡±

    In other words, while there were fresh ingredients in the kitchen, there wouldn¡¯t be any supper without a cook.

    It was in the middle of summer, so to prevent any food from spoiling, they only cooked meals when needed. Furthermore, the food made from Chu Lian¡¯s secret recipes was so delicious that no one would leave any leftovers.

    Laiyue looked anxious as he carefully watched his master¡¯s face.

    Seeing He Changdi¡¯s sinister expression, Laiyue¡¯s pupils flickered as he tried to think of a way to resolve the situation. ¡°Young... Young Master, this servant saw that there was still something to eat in the kitchen.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Laiyue could only soldier on. ¡°The watch servant said that Third Young Madam made some snow fungus and lotus seed porridge. It¡¯s sitting on a small fire now and it¡¯s meant for breakfast tomorrow. And... and she said that it¡¯ll only be good once it¡¯s brewed long enough.¡±

    Something that Chu Lian made? That she was keeping to eat all for herself?

    He Sang coldly harrumphed and said, ¡°Bring it here.¡±

    Even if that wicked woman had made it for herself, it would be perfectly reasonable for him to try some of it.

    ¡°Ah?¡± Laiyue had a conflicted expression. This... This wouldn¡¯t be good. What was wrong with Third Young Master? Why did he keep trying to steal Third Young Madam¡¯s food? He was like a young child racking his brains, trying everything he could to provoke the person he liked even as she kept ignoring him.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t dare to say something like that out loud.

 Chapter 60: Abandoning His Wife and Entering the Army (1)

    ¡°Did you hear me?¡± He Changdi turned the full force of his gaze onto Laiyue, who froze. The poor manservant replied in agreement and left to carry out his orders, though not without a troubled expression.

    Halfway to the kitchen, Laiyue still felt ufortable. That look from Third Young Master had been like a firebrand; even though he hadn¡¯t been able to meet eye-to-eye with that fiery gaze, he still felt tense, as if his skin had been scorched by the encounter.

    Laiyue shook his head helplessly. He couldn¡¯t understand how the gentle, refined Third Young Master had suddenly turned into this unreadable, fearsome young man.

    No matter how much the servant in the kitchen pled, Laiyue still took away the bowl of snow fungus and lotus seed porridge sitting on the stove and brought it to the study.

    When he brought it to He Sang and lifted the porcin cover, the refreshing, delicious scent of lotus seeds drifted up. The porridge had been cooked until the rice grains were thin and sticky, while the snow fungus had turned translucent. There was no trace of the thick vour of meat in the porridge; instead, there were plump, cute lotus seeds mixed in with the grains. Anyone¡¯s appetite would have been awakened by the mere sight of it. This kind of porridge really suited the current hot summer.

    Laiyue couldn¡¯t resist gulping as he watched from the side.

    He Sang, on the other hand, inwardly snorted at the dish¡¯s presentation. How had he missed this in his previous life? That wicked woman really knew how to eat well.

    ¡°Serve a bowl for me.¡±

    Laiyue scooped some porridge into a small cdon bowl and ced it in front of He Sang.

    Without another word, He Sang dug in with his spoon, scooping some porridge into his mouth.

    Soft, sticky, fragrant and sweet, it was simple and refreshing to the taste, exactly like its scent.

    Since He Sang hadn¡¯t said anything, Laiyue stood by his side and didn¡¯t dare to move away. He watched as his reserved master, who usually didn¡¯t have much of an appetite, gulp down bowl after bowl of that snow fungus and lotus seed porridge without any hint of stopping...

    By the time He Changdi put down his personal bowl, there was nothing left in the original dish that Laiyue had brought to the study. Not even a single grain remained...

    Laiyue¡¯s mouth twitched and he lowered his head. He didn¡¯t dare to make a single sound and quietly took the bowls away from the study.

    As he stood outside, Laiyue looked at the empty bowls and shook his head regretfully. It must¡¯ve been delicious, based on the way Young Master had been so heartily eating. What a pity that Young Master hadn¡¯t missed a single drop; otherwise, maybe Laiyue could have had a taste of it too.

    With food in his stomach, especially since it was something that Chu Lian had prepared for herself as next morning¡¯s breakfast, He Sang¡¯s tense mood immediately rxed into something lighter.

    When he thought of how that wicked woman would wake up to find that the porridge she had worked so hard to make was gone, he felt positively ted.

    Now filled with energy, he read some military strategy books for two more hours before he finally washed up and went to bed with a light heart.

    Back in the kitchen, when the servant assigned to watch the porridge saw that Third Young Master¡¯s personal manservant had forcefully taken it away, she hurriedly ran to report to Senior Servant Gui.

    Senior Servant Gui nodded and sent the servant back.

    The next morning, the moment Chu Lian woke up, Senior Servant Gui reported the matter to her.

    Chu Lian¡¯s mouth wordlessly twitched.

    Conversely, it was Senior Servant Gui who filled in Chu Lian¡¯s thoughts.

    She picked out a hairpin made with kingfisher feathers and inserted it into Chu Lian¡¯s hair. Senior Servant Gui smiled as she said, ¡°Third Young Madam, you must have left that porridge out for Third Young Master on purpose!¡±

    After getting exposed, Chu Lian¡¯s cheeks reddened as she blushed. She pouted. ¡°Who would leave something out for that guy to eat? Didn¡¯t he eat beforeing back?¡±

    Senior Servant Gui smiled and stopped speaking, understanding that the youngdy was too shy to admit it.

 Chapter 61: Abandoning His Wife and Entering the Army (2)

    Chu Lian nked out. She was in a daze as she looked at herself in the mirror, her mind drifting far away.

    In the few days after their wedding, she could tell that He Sang had no kind feelings at all for her. In fact, his indifference might even be to the point of hatred, although she didn¡¯t know where that hate hade from.

    ording to the novel, they had only seen each other a few times before the wedding, and they had been practically married blind.

    As a main character, her looks were top-ss, and she hadn¡¯t run into any scandals before the wedding. Rightfully speaking, it was hard to expect much from two strangers who had suddenly found themselves married to each other. Any sort of feelings should be out of the question; however, there shouldn¡¯t have been any animosity, either...

    But as fate would have it, everything was different from what Chu Lian had expected. Not only was He Sang totally different from the novel¡¯s male lead, he seemed to hate her quite a lot.

    Chu Lian was fine with that, since she was currently the female lead and she could use her foreknowledge to her advantage. However, she also wasn¡¯t the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯, and she couldn¡¯t possibly fall in love with Xiao Bojian.

    She was part of House Jing¡¯an now. After spending a few days in this family, she liked everyone except He Sang and she wanted to continue staying in this family. However, that meant that she had to consider the rtionship between her and He Changdi.

    Even if they couldn¡¯t be a loving couple who grew old together, they could still stop fighting each other. They could be normal friends who wouldn¡¯t hold grudges or interfere with each other¡¯s business.

    She could live happily in the Jing¡¯an Estate as ayabout. If she was bored, she could cook some delicacies and earn some money. After two years, if He Sang wanted children, she could even help him find a concubine or two to birth some heirs to carry on his family line.

    Thus, this bowl of snow fungus and lotus seed porridge was actually a white g and a sign of peace from Chu Lian to He Sang.

    The two of them had to live under the same roof. There were still two or three more years before disaster would strike the Jing¡¯an Household. Before that, the two of them were still considered husband and wife after all. They couldn¡¯t possibly continue hating each other and fighting everyday!

    Even if he could go on with a life like that, she couldn¡¯t.

    Chu Lian had made such careful ns, but she hadn¡¯t ever considered that He Changdi might havepletely misread her actions and misunderstand entirely. Even now, He Sang was still sound asleep, thinking that he had stolen her breakfast!

    ¡°Third Young Madam, what would you like to eat this morning?¡± Mingyan came in to ask.

    Chu Lian was pulled away from her thoughts. She nced outside and saw that the sun had already risen; it was already getting hot so early in the morning. In this scorching summer, it was easy to be listless and lose appetite. Chu Lian¡¯s thoughts churned in her head and she suddenly thought of the clear, cooling raindrop mochi.

    Just as she was about to speak up, a maidservant ran in to report.

    Senior Servant Gui finished doing up Chu Lian¡¯s hair and furrowed her brows. She turned to look towards the rash maidservant and said, ¡°What happened? What are you doing, forgetting your manners?¡±

    The maidservant¡¯s head lowered, but she didn¡¯t dare to dy her report. ¡°Third Young Madam, momo, Senior Servant Liu from Qingxi Hall sent someone over with a message. She asked Third Young Madam to head over to Qingxi Hall as soon as possible.¡±

    Chu Lian frowned. A message from Senior Servant Liu?

    Senior Servant Liu was one of Matriarch He¡¯s most trusted servants. Her words were almost equivalent to Matriarch He¡¯s. Something big must have happened since she had sent a message in such a hurry.

    Chu Lian quickly tidied up her dress and brought Xiyan and Fuyan over to Qingxi Hall with her. Before stepping out of the courtyard, she recalled He Changdi and asked, ¡°What about my husband? Is he still sleeping?¡±

    Senior Servant Gui shook her head. ¡°I sent a maidservant over to look. The study was already cleaned up and there was no one inside. Perhaps Young Master is in the main study in the outer court.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded. ¡°Momo, send someone over and ask him to head to Qingxi Hall too.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    When Chu Lian reached Qingxi Hall, everyone else in the Jing¡¯an Estate, excluding the bedridden Countess Jing¡¯an and He Changdi, were already there. Even the rarely seen Second Young Master, He Changjue, was present.

    The moment she entered the parlour, everyone¡¯s gazes turned onto her. If she wasn¡¯t reading them wrongly, those eyes were clearly filled with sympathy and guilt.

    TL Note: Quick announcement! I realised that I had to change the terms for ¡®Lady Liu¡¯ and ¡®Lady Zou¡¯, due to the connotations of English titles. Lady xxx implies that xxx is their husband¡¯s surname, ie. Lord Liu, Lady Liu. However, that¡¯s not the case here. Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s maiden surname is Liu, so she should be Madam Liu. She may also be referred to as Lady He. Madam Zou may also be referred to as Lady He, due to her husband also being a Lord He.

    Lady Liu -> Madam Liu

    Lady Zou -> Madam Zou

 Chapter 62: Abandoning His Wife and Entering the Army (3)

    Chu Lian¡¯s big, clear eyes blinked once. What was going on? She was alive and well; why were they all looking at her like she had been suffering in silence all alone and they had just found out about it? What was there to pity her for?

    ¡°Grandmother, Eldest Brother, Eldest Sister-in-Law, Second Brother.¡±

    Chu Lian bobbed in greeting to each senior family member.

    Matriarch He waved her over. ¡°Lian¡¯er,e sit next to Grandmother.¡±

    Ah? Chu Lian nced at her eldest brother and sister-inw sitting a tier below the matriarch. Although she was reluctant to, she could only slowly walk over to the matriarch¡¯s side. Matriarch He¡¯s warm hands tugged her down to sit on the sofa.

    Chu Lian looked at Madam Zou and checked for any hint of jealousy on her face, but upon seeing none, she rxed.

    The matriarch kept staring at her pretty granddaughter-inw before she inwardly sighed.

    Chu Lian found it weird that everyone was staring at her. Even the matriarch was holding one of her hands, patting it gently as if tofort her for some mysterious reason.

    She innocently blinked. ¡°Grandmother, is anything the matter?¡±

    Matriarch He patted her head gently, absentmindedly noticing that her hair hadn¡¯t been brushed thoroughly in her rush to get here, and sighed. ¡°Lian¡¯er, Grandmother has something to tell you. But first, promise Grandmother that you won¡¯t get angry.¡±

    Chu Lian smiled to herself. As long as it wasn¡¯t something that concerned her safety, there wasn¡¯t really anything in the Great Wu Dynasty that could make her angry.

    Still, Matriarch He¡¯s words had piqued her curiosity. ¡°Grandmother, please speak freely. Granddaughter-in-Law isn¡¯t so petty as to get angry.¡±

    The matriarch paused for a moment, as if she didn¡¯t believe Chu Lian¡¯s reassurance. When she did speak, it was with some degree of guilt. ¡°Alright, my child. Grandmother will tell you now. Sang has gone off to the northern border to join the army. He left this morning before dawn.¡±

    Chu Lian froze; she hadn¡¯t expected that at all.

    Wait a minute, something was wrong here... How could that be?

    The novel¡¯s He Changdi had never thought of joining the army. This could be seen from how he had never taken up any official post despite growing up in a military official¡¯s family. How... how could he have gone off to join the army now?!

    Why did it seem like the story was changing? He Sang waspletely ignoring the novel¡¯s original plotline.

    If everyone in the room right now could see what Chu Lian was thinking, they would surely roll their eyes.

    As He Sang¡¯s young, newlywed wife, wasn¡¯t your focus a little off, Chu Lian?

    Shouldn¡¯t you be trying to think of why your husband would abandon his newlywed wife to join the army, rather than worry about how the current events didn¡¯t match the original fiction?

    For a good several moments, Chu Lian waspletely preupied with her thoughts. Seen through the eyes of the He Family, it looked like she was at a loss for what to do.

    The matriarch¡¯s heart ached even more for her grandaughter-inw. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, child. You still have your eldest brother, eldest sister-inw, and second brother and Grandmother here!¡±

    To the others, Chu Lian looked like a lostmb utterly shattered by the news, but only she knew what she was thinking inside her heart.

    Chu Lian was secretly raging at He Changdi.

    It seemed like that guy was hell bent on separating from her. After eating her cooking, he had actually just upped and left! He had such a pretty face, but what a pity that his personality was so terrible! Now that this hade about, she wanted to wait and see what he was going to get up to at the northern border!

    Since the two of them couldn¡¯t be friends, then they might as well cut all ties!

    It wasn¡¯t like she couldn¡¯t live without him.

    Actually, it was a good thing that he was gone. Now she could live freely at the Jing¡¯an Estate without anyone interfering or disturbing her!

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t take it to heart at all. If it hadn¡¯t been for the novel¡¯s description of He Changdi¡¯s excellent personality, she wouldn¡¯t have held any expectations towards him at all. Now that all those expectations had already fallen short, she didn¡¯t have any hopes for He Sang anymore. There was nothing to be sad about for her.

    Chu Lian smiled. ¡°Grandmother, I know you¡¯re all here for me. Even if Husband isn¡¯t here, I¡¯ll continue living well.¡±

    Her genuine smile seemed like a fake one to mask her sadness. Even the usually inconsiderate He Changjue spoke up. ¡°Sister-in-Law, please don¡¯t be sad. I¡¯m working in the Left Military Guards. The moment there¡¯s any news about my brother, I¡¯ll bring it back to Sister-in-Law.¡±

    Thus, Chu Lian passed her morning eptingfort from her family. Matriarch He even specially gifted her with a jade ornament iid with gold tofort her.

    From the looks of the ornament, it must be worth at least a thousand taels.

 Chapter 63: Abandoning His Wife and Entering the Army (4)

    A little giddy from all the proceedings, Chu Lian brought back a pile of presents from Qingxi Hall to Songtao Court.

    The moment she entered, Senior Servant Gui was shocked by all the boxes Xiyan and Fuyan were carrying in.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    Xiyan and Fuyan clearly weren¡¯t as calm as Chu Lian was. They looked rather listless. Xiyan was the one to speak up. ¡°The matriarch and Eldest Young Madam gifted these to Third Young Madam.¡±

    ¡°Ah? It¡¯s not a special asion, so what are these gifts for?¡± The boxes alone already looked expensive; she could give a good guess at the value of the items inside.

    Although the Jing¡¯an Estate was much wealthier than the Ying Estate, senior family members wouldn¡¯t randomly hand out precious gifts to their juniors without any reason.

    Xiyan cast a nce at Chu Lian, and seeing that her mistress didn¡¯t seem opposed, she reported the matter of He Sang going off to the northern border early in the morning.

    Senior Servant Gui¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What! Third Young Master just left?¡±

    Chu Lian calmly looked at the servants around her and said, ¡°Put everything away. I¡¯m a little tired, so I¡¯m going to take a nap.¡±

    It was then that Senior Servant Gui took a look at Chu Lian. It was the middle of summer, so they were dressed in feweryers. Chu Lian had rushed over to Qingxi Hall right after waking up, so she had quickly picked out a light dress. The breeze sweeping through the room had pushed her clothes flush against her body, making her seem weak and thin.

    Senior Servant Gui thought of how Sixth Miss had suffered these few days. Her husband had been at loggerheads with her right after their wedding, and now he had abandoned her for the army! He hadn¡¯t even given her any notice and she had had to find out from the matriarch instead.

    How much Sixth Miss must be suffering in her heart...

    While thinking of all the recent events, Senior Servant Gui couldn¡¯t help but shed a few tears in sympathy for her mistress.

    The personal maidservants also had sad expressions on their faces.

    Senior Servant Gui saw that the atmosphere in the parlour had dampened, so she quickly wiped at her tears with a handkerchief. Then, she took to scolding them in a low voice. ¡°Why the gloomy faces! Your mistress is standing hale and hearty before you! Dismissed, dismissed! Go off to your chores! It¡¯s not like Third Young Master will never return. This is his home; no matter where he goes, he¡¯ll still have this ce in his heart.¡±

    All the maidservants left in a hurry.

    However, Senior Servant Gui knew that the situation wasn¡¯t as good as she had tried to make it seem.

    She knew what kind of ce the northern border was. Since Third Young Master had gone there to join the army, once he entered the border troops, he¡¯d have to stay there for a full five years unless he somehow achieved some merit!

    Five years!

    Third Young Madam was fifteen this year. She would be sixteen next year. If Third Young Master really stayed at the border for five years, Third Young Madam would be twenty by the time he came back.

    Five years... How was Third Young Madam supposed to wait for him? Those were supposed to be the best years of a woman¡¯s life.

    How could Third Young Master treat their Sixth Miss this way?

    However, Chu Lian¡¯s thoughts werepletely different from Senior Servant Gui¡¯s. She was currently wearing a yellow halter top undergarment and white lounge pants as she lied on herrge bed. Her legs were crossed as she fanned herself with a round fan. In the other hand, Chu Lian held aedy book, which she was happily reading.

    Whenever she got to an interesting part, she would even forget to fan herself.

    She would also murmur to herself from time to time.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that the ancients would have such vivid imaginations; they even wrote stories with gender roles reversed! Tsk, tsk... Too bad it¡¯s not the guys giving birth, though.¡±

 Chapter 64: Raindrop Mochi and Iced Desserts (1)

    It was currently in the middle of a scorching summer. Her husband, He Sang, had suddenly traipsed off to the borders to join the army just a few days after their marriage, so everyone in the Jing¡¯an Estate took pity on her.

    In the afternoon, Matriarch He sent one of her personal maidservants over with half a basin of ice. Seeing that Chu Lian was still sleeping in the bedroom, the maidservant instructed Senior Servant Gui to ce the ice inside to alleviate the heat.

    There weren¡¯t many ice cers in the capital, and they hadn¡¯t stored a lot of icest year. Most of the ice had been sent to the pce. Even if there was extra, it would be sent to the estates of the other members of the imperial family. Most of the nobility wouldn¡¯t be able to get their hands on enough ice to use.

    Thus, it was extraordinary that Matriarch He had actually sent a basin of ice over to Third Young Madam.

    Senior Servant Gui escorted Muxiang, the maidservant who had sent over the ice, out of the courtyard. Rather than being happy over the unexpected gift, she looked sad as she sighed. Anyone could see that the ice was merely some form ofpensation for Third Young Madam.

    Third Young Master was already gone. What kind ofpensation could make up for not having your husband by your side?

    Perhaps the ice had really made the room cooler; Chu Lian slept exceptionally well that afternoon. She didn¡¯t even get up when Fuyan came in to call her for lunch.

    It was alreadyte afternoon by the time she woke up. Chu Lian felt the refreshing coolness the moment she sat up on the bed, rather dazed from sleep.

    She stood up and pushed the curtains of the bed aside. There was a wooden bucket filled with ice set down right beside the bed.

    Chu Lian let out a gasp of surprise. She didn¡¯t even spare the time to put on her embroidered shoes before she was rushing forward, peering into the ice bucket. There was still a piece of ice about asrge as her head floating inside.

    Xiyan was working on some embroidery as she remained on standby in the outer chamber. When she heard Chu Lian¡¯s gasp, she hurriedly ran in. ¡°Third Young Madam, did anything happen?¡±

    Chu Lian pointed at the bucket. Her eyes were wide as she asked, ¡°Where did all this icee from?¡±

    The corners of Xiyan¡¯s mouth pulled downwards grimly. Although the ice was a great gift, it was meant to act as constion for He Sang¡¯s leaving. She held mixed feelings towards it.

    ¡°The matriarch ordered someone to send it over to Third Young Madam in order to relieve the summer heat.¡±

    Chu Lian instantly realised why Matriarch He had sent over the ice, despite it being so valuable. The Jing¡¯an Estate wouldn¡¯t normally get any to use for themselves.

    However, she wasn¡¯t thinking as deeply as Senior Servant Gui and the rest were. Since Matriarch He had given it to her, she was going to happily make use of it!

    Otherwise, it would go to waste!

    ¡°Quick, get me a small cotton nket,¡± Chu Lian said. Though her expression hardly changed, there was a degree of excitement to her manner.

    Xiyan, still in the midst of her bout of sadness, wasn¡¯t expecting that. She let out a soft ¡®ah?¡¯ and looked up at Chu Lian in confusion.

    ¡°Quickly, quickly. What are you standing there nking out for?¡±

    Xiyan wiped at the corners of her eyes. ¡°But... but... Third Young Madam, what do you want a cotton nket for?¡±

    Chu Lian flicked Xiyan on the forehead. ¡°What else is it for? To make all this ice melt slower. I want to use them to make desserts with shaved ice!¡±

    ¡°Shaved... shaved ice...¡± The thought was enough topletely distract Xiyan from her earlier gloominess. The hurt on her face also disappeared.

    ¡°Yeah! Shaved ice is delicious and helps relieve the heat. Go on, quickly!¡±

    Thus, Xiyan was driven out to find a cotton nket for Chu Lian.

    When Xiyan returned, nket in hand, she watched as Third Young Madam used it to cover up the wooden bucket. She didn¡¯t seem to know whether tough or cry as a strange expression overtook her previously downcast face.

    ¡°Get me a change of clothes. I want to see what we have in the kitchen that I can use to make shaved ice with!¡±

    Finally, Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan went along with her to the kitchen.

 Chapter 65: Raindrop Mochi and Iced Desserts (2)

    Chu Lian looked over the ingredients that had been sent over to their kitchen this morning: amethyst-coloured grapes, red honey peaches, mandarins, and a few other fruits. She nodded to herself and picked out several fresh lotus roots, some lotus seeds with their bitter centers removed, some water chestnuts, and a few other ingredients she would need. She then sent Xiyan to the second gate to ask the gatekeeper to buy a bottle of milk from outside.

    While waiting for Xiyan to return, Chu Lian was already starting to prepare the ingredients in the kitchen. This time, she didn¡¯t get anyone to help her and worked on the dish herself.

    Senior Servant Gui only knew the name of the dish that Third Young Madam wanted to make, but she didn¡¯t know how to make it herself. Thus, she simply stood to one side and watched.

    Chu Lian was someone who would focus solely on the task at hand; it was like her surroundings didn¡¯t even exist. This was especially so when she was making delicacies.

    However, in Senior Servant Gui¡¯s eyes, her concentration seemed more like a dazed look of distraction, like she was trying to cover up her sadness.

    When Chu Lian finished preparing all the fruits she would need for the shaved ice dessert, she noticed that Xiyan still hadn¡¯t returned. Her search brought her to a small bucket of glutinous rice, soaking in the corner of the kitchen. Chu Lian instantly thought of the raindrop mochi she had been preparing to make earlier that morning. Since they had ice today... An idea popped into her mind. She called the servant stationed in the kitchen and asked her to find a bag of soy bean flour.

    It was easy to make raindrop mochi, and their appearance and taste was best suited for summer.

    Senior Servant Gui was still feeling a little sad for Third Young Madam as she watched her busy herself with making food. But the longer she watched, the more Senior Servant Gui grew entranced by the delicacies Third Young Madam was making.

    Heavens, was that clear dessert the size of arge pearl really made from glutinous rice?

    It was unbelievable! She hadn¡¯t seen such a beautiful dessert in all her years of living.

    Around this time, Xiyan came back with arge jar of milk. Chu Lian then sent the maidservants off to retrieve the leftover ice from the bedroom. Ten minutester, she finished making both the shaved ice dessert and the raindrop mochi.

    Chu Lian instructed Xiyan and Mingyan to bring the desserts to the parlour while she returned to her bedroom for a fresh set of clothes.

    There were several portions of each dessert. Chu Lian told Senior Servant Gui to find someone to send a portion to Matriarch He over at Qingxi Hall, and while she was at it, to Madam Zou as well. Since Madam Zou also lived with her daughters, Chu Lian sent arger portion their way. As for her mother-inw, Madam Liu, it wouldn¡¯t be good for her to eat cold foods due to her condition, so Chu Lian only sent the raindrop mochi over.

    It wasn¡¯t very appropriate to visit her seniors after she had just sent them gifts, especially as He Sang had left earlier that day. Thus, Chu Lian settled down with her personal maidservants, enjoying the fruits of herbour in thefort of her own parlour.

    When she finished eating, Senior Servant Gui saw that Third Young Madam looked a little weary. She couldn¡¯t resist trying to improve her mood a little. ¡°Third Young Madam, please don¡¯t be sad. Perhaps Third Young Master has a lucky star shining upon him and he¡¯ll be able toe back within two years.¡±

    Although she had just eaten some desserts to relieve the heat of summer, Chu Lian still thought it wasn¡¯t refreshing enough. She didn¡¯t like summer in the first ce, and that dislike made her seem somewhat fatigued. To her, Senior Servant Gui¡¯s remark hadepletely out of the blue. Chu Lian tilted her head and stared. ¡°Momo, I¡¯m not sad at all. Since my husband¡¯s gone, then so be it. Even if I cry to the heavens, it¡¯s not like he¡¯lle back. Wouldn¡¯t it just be a waste of my tears and energy? Why not just live happily, eat some good food, and pass my days peacefully here in the estate?¡±

    Senior Servant Gui looked at Third Young Madam, who was looking at her with her head crooked to one side. She looked as pretty as ever, despite being a little tired. Still, it felt like there was something wrong with her words.

    However, when Senior Servant Gui thought about it carefully, there wasn¡¯t actually anything amiss with what Third Young Madam had said.

    In the end, she couldn¡¯t say anything in response.

    Over at Qingxi Hall, Senior Servant Liu received the desserts that Chu Lian had sent over via Xiyan.

    Though they were both as quiet as possible as they asked after each other, Matriarch He, who was entertaining the old Duchess of House Zheng, still heard them.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on outside?¡± The matriarch¡¯s low voice echoed through the hall.

    Senior Servant Liu hurriedly brought the containers of food to the porch and reported, ¡°Replying to the matriarch, Third Young Madam sent her maidservant over with some desserts!¡±

 Chapter 66: Old Friends (1)

    Although the matriarch was getting along in age, there weren¡¯t many other family members who could take charge of the entire estate. Thus, Matriarch He had a hand in managing each courtyard. Every day, someone woulde to report the actions of the courtyards¡¯ masters.

    Several days ago, the matriarch had gotten a taste of Chu Lian¡¯s candied kumquats. Matriarch He had even specially praised them.

    Previously, whenever any guest of note visited the Jing¡¯an Estate, they would definitely be served some of Cook Zhou¡¯s special snacks. However, these special snacks had passed away with Cook Zhou in the great kitchen fire. For the guests that visited them now, the snacks seemed to have turned disappointingly ordinary.

    Their current guest was an old madam from House Zheng. She was an old friend from back when Matriarch He was still an unmarried youngdy. Their friendship had endured for decades: from their youth, all the way up until now, when they were both the matriarchs of their respective families. It was only natural that a friendship such as theirs couldn¡¯t bepared to the rtions between other nobledies.

    Old Duchess Zheng was curious. She had never seen Chu Lian before.

    She used this fact to tease Matriarch He. ¡°Hey, my dear sister, why didn¡¯t you tell me that your granddaughter-inw knows how to make desserts? Now that your pastry chef is gone, eating snacks here isn¡¯t as enjoyable as it used to be!¡±

    The two of them were old friends, so they could speak more freely with each other. Thus, Matriarch He ordered Senior Servant Liu to serve the pastries that Chu Lian had made.

    When Senior Servant Liu lifted the lid of the container, she couldn¡¯t help but let out a gasp of surprise.

    Matriarch He red at her a little unhappily.

    ¡°Matriarch, please forgive my rudeness. These desserts simply looked too beautiful and I lost myposure.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What kind of dessert could make Xiangyun lose herposure? Quick, bring it out and show me,¡± Old Duchess Zheng urged.

    Xiangyun was Senior Servant Liu¡¯s name when she had been a young maidservant.

    By the time Senior Servant Liu finished cing the desserts on a small side table, even the two matriarchs who had seen many a dessert in their time were wide-eyed.

    The shaved iced dessert was not only fragrant, but also visually pleasing. Served in a porcin bowl, the various colours of the fruits contrasted well against both the white of the dish and that of the milk. A few red orchids were arranged by the side of the bowl, making it look more like a piece of art than a midday treat. They almost couldn¡¯t bear to eat it.

    On the other hand, there was a clear, round water droplet that looked extremely interesting. It was served in a long, shallow dark green bowl. There was a single lotus leaf underneath the droplet, and served beside it was brown syrup and soybean powder. It looked just like arge bead of morning dew as it rested atop the lotus leaf. They had never seen anything quite like it before.

    While the two madams were admiring the desserts, Senior Servant Liu spoke up.

    ¡°Matriarch, Third Young Madam said that it would have been a waste if she didn¡¯t make some desserts with the ice you sent over today. Thus, in return, she sent over this iced dessert and raindrop mochi. However, these two desserts are cold, so please don¡¯t eat too much of it since your bodies might not be able to take it.¡±

    Old Duchess Zheng curiously looked up. ¡°You sent ice over?¡±

    Matriarch He took the initiative to exin how He Changdi had rushed off to the northern border. That child had clearly arranged everything early on, but he had only left a letter behind to exin where he had gone. She had sent Dng to look for him, but there had been no news at all after most of the day had passed. It was obvious that He Changdi had already decided on this n of his and had made his preparations beforehand; what a pity for her newlywed granddaughter-inw.

    Old Duchess Zheng frowned. ¡°Sister, you have to arrange things carefully and make sure the servants in your estate keep their mouths shut. Otherwise, your granddaughter-inw¡¯s good name might be tarnished!¡±

    ¡°Of course I know that. That grandson of mine caused too much trouble this time!¡±

 Chapter 67: Old Friends (2)

    No matter what, He Changdi was Matriarch He¡¯s favourite grandson. She couldn¡¯t bear to me him despite what he had done. Furthermore, he had alreadye of age; he was supposed to strike out on his own and make something of himself anyway. The Jing¡¯an Estate could not afford to keep anyzy masters around.

    Though, Matriarch He did me He Changdi for leaving so hurriedly without speaking with his family first.

    As for Chu Lian¡¯s reputation, He Changdi didn¡¯t seem to care much for his new wife anyway, so how could he have possibly made any considerations for her good name?

    ¡°Ey... Let¡¯s not talk about that now. Let¡¯s try out the desserts my granddaughter-inw made.¡±

    Old Duchess Zheng smiled and graciously epted a silver spoon that one of the maidservants passed to her. She then scooped up a small bite of the shaved ice and carefully tasted it.

    The taste of fruits soaked in honey, sweetened lotus, fresh water chestnut, and fragrant milk mixed in her mouth. It was ice-cold, refreshing, and carried the lovely taste of fruit; it was the best dessert you could have in this blistering summer heat.

    Old Duchess Zheng immediately nodded her appreciation after only tasting a single bite. ¡°After living for so many years, I¡¯ve never had such a delicious dessert before! Old sister, you¡¯re quite fortunate, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Matriarch He hadn¡¯t really had any expectations towards Chu Lian, but her culinary skills had earned her old friend¡¯s praise and had given her something to be proud of. She immediately smiled from ear to ear, temporarily forgetting all about the mncholy and worry that He Changdi¡¯s sudden departure had brought about.

    The two old duchesses were both getting on in age, so they didn¡¯t dare to eat much more of the cold desserts, delicious as they were. In the end, they held themselves back and only ate half a bowl each. The servants by their sides also rxed upon seeing this.

    ¡°I can¡¯t just partake in a gift from a junior for nothing. Here, help me give this bracelet to that granddaughter-inw of yours. You¡¯ll have to let me take a look at her one of these days.¡± Old Duchess Zheng took off the emerald jade bracelet on her wrist as she spoke.

    The bracelet was clearly one of high quality, judging from the way the emerald streaked through the jade.

    Matriarch He understood the personality of her old friend well, so she didn¡¯t reject the gift and let Senior Servant Liu ept it.

    ¡°I heard your grandson, Mister Cheng, likes eating interesting desserts like these. Why don¡¯t you take the rest of it home with you?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t stand on ceremony with you then. Little Cheng does love new desserts.¡±

    Mister Cheng¡¯s full name was Zheng Tiancheng, and he was Duke Zheng¡¯s heir. He was the same age as He Changdi and was also a young master born from the main branch of the family. However, he was the only legitimate son in his generation living in the Zheng Estate, so Old Duchess Zheng doted on him very much.

    Heir Zheng liked to eat good food, especially the snacks from the Jing¡¯an Esate. Old Duchess Zheng would always bring some back for her grandson every time she visited Matriarch He.

    She was stillmenting Cook Zhou¡¯s loss, but now that Matriarch He had given her the snacks made by her granddaughter-inw, she was happy again.

    Senior Servant Liu remembered the advice that Xiyan had given her when she had brought the desserts over. ¡°Third Young Madam said that this dessert can¡¯t be kept for more than half a day. Otherwise, it¡¯ll spoil.¡±

    Old Duchess Zhengughed out loud. ¡°Alright, I understand. It¡¯s gettingte, so I¡¯ll return now. Old Sister, don¡¯t worry too much about your Sang. I¡¯ll ask my husband to keep an ear out for news in a few days.¡±

    After exchanging some courtesies, Matriarch He sent her old friend away.

    When Old Duchess Zheng returned home, she coincidentally encountered her grandson returning home, too.

    He was dressed in a round-necked sapphire blue robe with a jade crown on his head. Although he had an average figure, his eyes would slightly crinkle whenever he smiled, making him appear quite warm and friendly.

    ¡°Grandmother, where did you go today?¡±

    Old Duchess Zheng chuckled. ¡°You little monkey! Are you trying to mind your grandmother¡¯s business now? Grandmother went to the Jing¡¯an Estate to visit an old friend; this is for you.¡±

    The personal maidservant standing behind the duchess passed over a small container with some cool vapour rising from it.

    ¡°The signature snacks of the the Jing¡¯an Estate?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all. The new Third Young Madam of the Jing¡¯an Estate made this. Go and try them quickly; they can¡¯t keep for long. Grandmother¡¯s tired now, so Grandmother will head back and rest. Don¡¯t disturb me.¡±

    Heir Zheng took the snacks. He remembered that his senior brother from the Imperial College, Senior Xiao, had juste to visit him, so he hurried to the outer court.

    TL Note: ¡®Mister Cheng¡¯ is the male equivalent of ¡®Miss Su¡¯ and ¡®Miss Yuan¡¯. It¡¯s a way to address a child of a noble house, both respectfully and affectionately, depending on the speaker. Naming a noble by their full name is considered disrespectful, so they tend to use titles paired with their surnames: Mister, Miss, Madam, Lord, Lady, etc.

    Duchess Zheng actually used ¡®Mister Cheng¡¯ as well, but it doesn¡¯t really make sense in English to call your own grandson ¡®Mister¡¯, so I made it a little more affectionate with ¡®Little¡¯. The ¡®Cheng¡¯es from thest character of his name, and not his surname!

    Chinese names are usually made up of a surname, optional middle name, and a first name. The optional middle name is usually shared amongst direct siblings in the modern world, but only amongst brothers in ancient China. So if you see a Zheng Tian-something, that¡¯s most likely Zheng Tiancheng¡¯s brother.

    The heirs of noble houses are referred to with a specific title, ¡®shizi¡¯, that I¡¯ve tranted into ¡®Heir xxx¡¯. Just remember that Heir Zheng = heir of House Zheng, and that his full name is Zheng Tiancheng.

 Chapter 68: Personal Savings (1)

    When Heir Zheng reached the outer court¡¯s parlour, he saw two young men dressed in ck robes, already seated and waiting for him.

    He quickly strode forward, and the two young men stood up to wee him.

    ¡°Heir Zheng.¡±

    ¡°Ah, senior brothers, please don¡¯t stand on ceremony. Please call me Tiancheng. Sit down, sit down.¡±

    Of the two young men, one of them was exceptionally handsome; of course, that was Xiao Bojian. The other young man, Qi Minhe, lived in the same ce as Xiao Bojian. He had a square face and thick eyebrows, and he looked a little old.

    Qi Minhe came from one of the great ns of Jiangnan, and he was very loyal to his n. The two young men were top students of the Imperial College. They were both about twenty years old, the time when many youths were filled with lofty aspirations.

    When Qi Minhe saw that Heir Zheng hade holding a container in his hands, he found it strange and asked, ¡°Tiancheng, what are you holding there?¡±

    Heir Zheng chuckled secretively and invited the two of them to sit by a table. He then ordered the maidservants to pour some sencha for them.

    He ced the container on the table carefully and said, ¡°These are snacks from the Jing¡¯an Estate.¡±

    Qi Minhe was born from nobility and was used to all sorts of delicacies. He was extremely particr about anything he ate. Having studied at the Imperial College for more than three years, Qi Minhe knew all about the food served in every single estate in the capital. He had researched the topic until he knew it like the back of his hand. The Jing¡¯an Estate¡¯s snacks were famous, but he had never had the chance to try any before. When he heard that Tiancheng was currently in possession of some, he was both surprised and ted.

    Xiao Bojian nked out for a moment; the Jing¡¯an Estate... was Chu Lian¡¯s husband¡¯s family. The image of the young man he had seen apanying Chu Lian in the Ying Estate shed through his mind.

    With elegantly arched brows, a cold aura, and thin lips, that man had ced himself between him and Chu Lian, held onto her hand, and left, without even letting him have another look at her.

    Heir Zheng noticed that Xiao Bojian was in a daze. ¡°Senior Xiao?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be enjoying these snacks all thanks to you then, Tiancheng.¡±

    Heir Zheng smiled freely and opened up the container, which still felt cool. There was thick cotton cloth stuffed on the inside, keeping heat out of the box and maintaining the cool temperature inside.

    When Heir Zheng saw the desserts within the box, he froze for a moment. ¡°This...¡±

    ¡°Tiancheng, what happened?¡±

    Heir Zheng brought out the desserts in the box, still a little shaken. ¡°Look at this.¡±

    He had eaten plenty of different snacks before, including even the ones from the pce, but never had Heir Zheng ever seen such beautiful, distinctive snacks like these before.

    Xiao Bojian and Qi Minhe were equally stunned.

    Qi Minhemented, ¡°No wonder everyone says that the Jing¡¯an Estate¡¯s snacks are the best amongst the noble families. They are indeed extraordinary.¡±

    The water droplet lying upon the lotus leaf trembled like a real dewdrop.

    However, Heir Zheng frowned slightly.

    Qi Minhe noticed that he looked a little off, so he called to him, perplexed. ¡°Tiancheng?¡±

    Heir Zheng looked up at the two men. ¡°Truth be told, I¡¯ve eaten the snacks from the Jing¡¯an Estate many times. They really are as delicious as rumoured, but it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a dessert like this.¡±

    After saying so, Heir Zheng recalled what his grandmother had told him when she had given him the desserts. Grandmother had said that these were made by the new Third Young Madam of the Jing¡¯an Estate.

    When he remembered that, Heir Zheng quickly sent his personal manservant off to the inner court to ask the old duchess.

    ¡°Oh? Has House Jing¡¯an changed the way they make their pastries?¡± Qi Minhe chuckled.

    ¡°Grandmother told me that these were made by the Third Young Madam of House Jing¡¯an.¡±

    The other two didn¡¯t notice when Xiao Bojian¡¯s entire body stiffened; it was a cruel coincidence that the next joke out of Qi Minhe¡¯s mouth was, ¡°The Third Young Madam of House Jing¡¯an? Eh? Isn¡¯t that the granddaughter of Old Duke Ying?¡±

    He turned to Xiao Bojian. ¡°Bojian, Old Duke Ying is your sponsor. Have you seen this Third Young Madam for yourself when you were at the Ying Estate?¡±

    Even though his body was still a little stiff, Xiao Bojian replied with a normal expression, ¡°Although I lived in the Ying Estate for some time, how could I, an outsider, possibly have entered the inner court of a duke¡¯s estate? Don¡¯t joke around.¡±

    He had an open face and good looks, so it was hard for people to doubt him. Qi Minhe quickly apologised. ¡°I went too far.¡±

    They chatted as they watched the maidservants pour sencha for them. Finally, the manservant that Heir Zheng had sent to the old duchess returned.

    ¡°How was it?¡± Heir Zheng asked.

    The manservant slightly bowed to show his respect as he said, ¡°Reporting to the heir. The Jing¡¯an Estate¡¯s resident pastry chef passed away in a kitchen fire two days ago. The desserts that the duchess brought back today were indeed made by the Third Young Madam of House Jing¡¯an. She even named the dessert as ¡®raindrop mochi¡¯.¡±

    Heir Zheng was a little stunned. What a pity that the amazing pastry chef was gone just like that. However, a cook was just a servant to the nobility; if they were gone, then they were gone.

    Heir Zheng didn¡¯t say anything more and waved the manservant away.

    ¡°Come, let¡¯s stop talking. I was told that these desserts don¡¯t keep for long. Senior brothers, why don¡¯t you have a taste?¡±

    They took up little silver spoons and tasted each of the desserts. Heir Zheng and Qi Minhe¡¯s eyes lit up, and they only had praise for the desserts.

    There was something special about pairing the refreshingly smooth raindrop mochi with sencha.

    Only Xiao Bojian dwelled on his bitter feelings alone, a dark glint shing through the depths of his eyes.

    He thought of the girl who had now be the Third Young Madam of House Jing¡¯an: a tender, gentle, brave and careful woman. If not for her engagement, perhaps she would be personally brewing soups for him at home right now.

    The first person to taste this new, delicious raindrop mochi would have been him. The person showing off his perfect wife in front of his fellow students would also be him.

    Under the cover of his broad sleeves, his hands curled into fists until his knuckles turned white.

 Chapter 69: Personal Savings (2)

    Meanwhile, back at the Jing¡¯an Estate¡¯s Songtao Court, Chu Lian was peacefully sleeping,pletely unaware of all that had transpired.

    After eating the desserts with the servants, Chu Lian had retired to her bedroom.

    There was a small study by the bedroom she shared with He Sang, and it was meant for her use. It wasn¡¯t very big, but since it was right next to the bedroom, it was convenient.

    Chu Lian whiled away her afternoon inside the small study. The books she had brought over from the Ying Estate were ced on the bookshelves here, as well as the books that the Jing¡¯an Estate had added on. There weren¡¯t many of them. On the bottommost shelf, there was a pear blossom wood container with copies of some of the works by a few famous calligraphy masters.

    In the original story, although ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ hadn¡¯t been exceptional in calligraphy, her handwriting had still been neat, delicate, and pretty.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t have any big ambitions, but she still understood that her calligraphy skills weren¡¯t good enough. She couldn¡¯t even read all of the traditional Chinese characters in thatedy book she had been reading... she usually just guessed at them.

    Thus,e afternoon, Chu Lian sent away her maidservants and left Xiyan to guard the door outside. Then, in the safety of the study, she practised her writing in secret, making use of an empty book that she had found earlier.

    After writing for two hours, Chu Lian tossed the previously empty book into the charcoal brazier and burned it. She had a good memory, so the two hours of practice was good enough to learn over a hundred or so characters. Chu Lian was pretty satisfied with her progress.

    Following her calligraphy practice, Chu Lian sent Xiyan out to bring back the box she kept her money and essories in. She wanted to see exactly how much money she had.

    Senior Servant Gui watched from the side.

    First, Chu Lian looked at the public ount books, where the expenses of their courtyard had been recorded. Every month, they would be given a stipend from the Jing¡¯an Household. Of course, the sries of all the servants in their courtyard were to be paid from this stipend.

    There were almost eighty taels of silver in the public ount. These were saved up from the time when He Changdi had been the sole master residing in this courtyard, and when there had been fewer servants around.

    Otherwise, in most situations, the stipend wouldn¡¯t be enough to cover the monthly expenses, and they would have to fork out a portion of their own personal ounts.

    Chu Lian put down the ount books and ordered Xiyan to open up the chest where they kept the silver for daily expenses. It was a huge chest with severalyers, but only the firstyer contained anything: a few silver ingots, some loose silver pieces, and a few strings of bronze coins.

    There were fifty taels in total.

    Together with the silver she had gotten on the day of her wedding, and after giving Senior Servant Gui a hundred taels, she only had four hundred taels left with her.

    She hadn¡¯t saved much from when she was still living at the Ying Estate. Furthermore, her mother had died when she was young, so she didn¡¯t have any silver lying around.

    In total, she only had about four hundred and fifty taels of silver she could use.

    Although Chu Lian¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all, Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan appeared to be holding back their emotions.

    Their mistress had lost her mother at a young age, and wasn¡¯t in favour at the Ying Estate. Chu Lian¡¯s stepmother, Third Madam, had kept Third Young Madam¡¯s dowry in her clutches. Third Master wasn¡¯t on her side either. The Ying Household all thought that their Sixth Miss must have had some tremendous luck to marry into the Jing¡¯an Estate, and that she would be rolling in riches. The misses of the second branch were all jealous of her, so of course, none of them would contribute anything to the dowry of Sixth Miss.

    If not for the Jing¡¯an Estate adding on a little to the dowry, then this pitiful amount would have been mocked by all.

    As a legitimate daughter of the family, her dowry couldn¡¯t even bepared to the dowry of an illegitimate daughter who was favoured.

    After marrying into the He Family, Sixth Miss had also been treated callously by Third Young Master...

    It was fortunate that their Sixth Miss wasn¡¯t upset over her marriage, otherwise she would have probably gotten sick from anger.

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t bothered by what the servants next to her were likely thinking.

    She picked up thest box.

    This was her essory box, and she had kept it since she was a young girl.

    After so many years, she only had this one box of essories. Looking down at the box, Chu Lian felt a pang of sympathy for the original owner of this body.

    At the very least, she was a legitimate daughter of a duke¡¯s estate. However, her clothing and essories were way too poor for her status. No wonder her personality had warped like that.

    Anyone¡¯s personality would change if they grew up in such an environment.

    Chu Lian retrieved the key she carried on her and opened up the box.

    The craftsmanship of the box was exquisite. There were tenyers in total, and eachyer was lined in bronze. There were evenplicated-looking patterns carved on top.

    The bottommostyer in the box held the essories she had been given when she was just born. Senior Servant Gui had told her that she had probably worn them when she was around a year to three years old.

    There weren¡¯t many essories she could wear in her infancy. So, thisyer only had a few pairs of gold bracelets and anklets, as well as some nes and flowers made from gold and pearls. After rummaging about in the box, there were even a few good jade ornaments. It was clear that the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had been treated well when she had just been born, since she was Third Master¡¯s first child.

    The essories in the secondyer were the essories she had worn after she had turned three.

    There were a few head essories, but it was obvious that they weren¡¯t as exquisitely made as the ones from her infancy. As she went through theyers, there were fewer and fewer essories that were actually worth something. After the age of ten, there wasn¡¯t even a single gold essory in the tray.

    All the essories in the box weren¡¯t fit to wear now, because they had all been used before. Chu Lian picked out a few jade ornaments that had sentimental value, then sorted the gold essories from the silver. She passed them to Senior Servant Gui and instructed her to have them melted into gold and silver pieces for future use.

    After organising the box a little, Chu Lian turned to the essory case she was currently using.

 Chapter 70: Being a Virtuous Wife (1)

    Her current essory case was made of fragrant rosewood and wasn¡¯t very big. However, it was rather finely made, consisting of multipleyers that Chu Lian began to open one by one.. There were quite a few essories inside, but the ones with any actual worth were few in number.

    While these essories were fine for normal everyday wear, there weren¡¯t many that were suitable to wear for special asions.

    There was only a ruby hair ornament decorated with colourful butterflies that she might be able to wear outside. This hair ornament had previously been mentioned in the novel as well; it had been given to ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ by her mother.

    As for the rest, there were only the lucky jade amulet from Matriarch He and the crimson jade bangle from Countess Jing¡¯an.

    Rightfully speaking, the Jing¡¯an Estate should have given their new family member some new essories. However, for some reason, Chu Lian hadn¡¯t seen a single one. The maidservants had evenined about it.

    However, it only took a little bit of thought to figure out why. Since He Changdi didn¡¯t like her, it was perfectly reasonable that he would shortchange her wherever possible.

    In the original novel, when ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had just married into the family, He Sang had cared for her wholeheartedly. At the very least, he had never been stingy with clothing, essories, or food.

    For hair ornaments alone, He Changdi had prepared over ten of them for her. That wasn¡¯t a small number.

    Chu Lian pursed her lips and closed the essory case.

    Hmph, she didn¡¯t care even if he hadn¡¯t prepared anything for her. She didn¡¯t need anything from him. Once she earned enough money, she would draw out some designs and send them to an essory store.

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t bragging. Back in the modern world, not only had she studied design, but she had also traveled the world as a gourmand, taking in different cultures and styles. Her usual hobbies had consisted of sightseeing and eating good food; she could be considered a globetrotter.

    Now that she was in the Great Wu Dynasty, the only other thing that she was good at besides cooking, was drawing.

    Chu Lian pushed away the essory case and hugged her knees close to her, zoning out as she thought. Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan¡¯s expressions changed as they watched her off to the side.

    The two servants exchanged nces and secretly decided never to mention the essory matter in front of Third Young Madam ever again, so that she wouldn¡¯t be frustrated over it. At the same time, He Changdi entered the cklist of Chu Lian¡¯s two most trusted servants.

    Which brides wouldn¡¯t have a few ornaments they could show off? Even the daughters of themon folk would have a few silver hairpins made in thetest styles when they were married! Not to mention the nobility.

    There weren¡¯t many who were treated as unfairly as their Sixth Miss.

    ¡°Put everything away! Give the keys to Fuyan. She¡¯ll manage the essory cases from now on. Xiyan, help momo manage the expenses in our courtyard.¡±

    Senior Servant Gui looked like she had something to say, but when she saw that Chu Lian didn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood, she held herself back.

    Actually, Chu Lian wasn¡¯t in a bad mood at all. She was trying to calcte just how much she had in her private funds!

    After counting here and there and adding on the gold and silver she would get from melting her essories, she wouldn¡¯t get more than six hundred taels.

    If anyone were to reveal that the legitimate Third Young Madam of House Jing¡¯an only had six hundred taels to her name, no one would believe it!

    While observing and listening to the goings on in this estate for the past few days, Chu Lian had discovered that the Jing¡¯an Estate was not as rich as the outside world believed it to be.

    At the very least, her mother-inw, Countess Jing¡¯an, didn¡¯t seem to be doing well. As for the matriarch, a granddaughter-inw had no ce in the inheritance of the matriarch¡¯s personal fortunes.

    If she wanted to live a good life, she could only depend on herself!

    Chu Lian sighed as she realised that it would be hard to be ayabout, no matter where she was. Especially ayabout whose husband could care less about her.

    After she had finished counting her personal funds, a maidservant reported from outside that someone hade to visit Songtao Court.

    Who would visit at this time?

 Chapter 71: Being a Virtuous Wife (2)

    Chu Lian put on her embroidered soft shoes, decorated with autumn chrysanthemums, and brought Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan over to the parlour.

    Three people were standing in the parlour. A tall, thin middle-aged senior servant was standing in the lead, while there were two maidservants dressed in light green dresses behind her.

    The three of them had average looks, but the aura surrounding them was imposing enough to make any onlooker feel ufortable.

    Chu Lian sat in the master¡¯s seat and looked at the three people before her.

    ¡°What have youe here for?¡± Chu Lian asked, perplexed.

    Senior Servant Zhong had been eyeing Chu Lian from the corner of her eyes since Chu Lian hade in. She saw that this new young madam was dressed in a peach-coloured dress with a light pink gauze outer garment draped over her. Since she was in her own courtyard, she only wore a simple hairstyle, with a single peach blossom jade hairpin tucked into her lustrous ck hair. Her tender youth still showed in her features, but in a few years, she would probably bloom into a beautifuldy.

    However, what attracted her the most was not Chu Lian¡¯s outstanding looks, but the pair of moist, bright eyes she carried. A single look seemed capable of seeing through anything, even human hearts.

    With her experience, Senior Servant Zhong subconsciously thought that someone with a pair of eyes like that couldn¡¯t possibly have a bad character.

    This Third Young Madam that she was meeting now was very different from the one she had imagined.

    However, upon thinking of the orders that Third Young Master had given her before he had left, Senior Servant Zhong put away her personal judgement.

    She stepped forward and lowered her head slightly. Although her looks were clearly average, her aura distinguished her from the crowd.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, this old servant is Senior Servant Zhong. Together with Wenqing and Wen, we have been ordered by Third Young Master to serve Third Young Madam.¡±

    Ah? Chu Lian gaped a little. To serve her? By He Changdi¡¯s orders?

    There were more than enough servants in the courtyard already. There were her four personal maidservants and Senior Servant Gui by her side, and five or six second-ss and third-ss maidservants around. There were also the ones who had originally been serving in Songtao Court. By sending in three more servants, they were running out of ces to keep them.

    Senior Servant Zhong saw that Chu Lian had nothing to say, and had only puffed up her cheeks a little while staring at her. Those bright, clear eyes were blinking at her so much that she felt ufortable under that gaze.

    Senior Servant Zhong could only forge on. ¡°Third Young Master instructed this old servant to correct Third Young Madam if there were any areas which needed improvement, whether in speech or conduct. Furthermore, this is a letter that Third Young Master left for Third Young Madam before leaving.¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong watched the expression on Third Young Madam¡¯s face as she spoke, but she still had the same expression on. Her cheeks were puffed up while her head was tilted to the side. She looked so cute that the corners of Senior Servant Zhong¡¯s mouth couldn¡¯t help but twitch.

    Surely this Third Young Madam wasn¡¯t an idiot? Any other newlywed bride would be shouting and scolding them by now.

    Not only had her husband left, but he also thought so poorly of her that he had ordered his people to keep an eye on her while he was gone!

    Wasn¡¯t this a giant p in the face?

    Chu Lian¡¯s expression hadn¡¯t changed because she hadn¡¯t thought of the motives behind He Changdi¡¯s actions. She said to Senior Servant Zhong, ¡°Pass me the letter and let me take a look.¡±

    Xiyan stepped forward and received the letter before passing it over to Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian looked at the strong and steadfast words written on the letter: ¡®To my dear wife, Madam Chu¡¯. This letter was probably the only time he had ever addressed her as ¡®my dear wife¡¯.

    When she opened up the letter and pulled out the thin piece of paper within, there was only a single row of ten or more words written on it.

    Her face flushed red with anger when she finished reading it.

    ¡°While I¡¯m away killing enemies in the north, I hope my wife remembers how to act virtuously!¡±

    The word ¡®virtuously¡¯ was even written in bright red, as if he was afraid she would miss it.

 Chapter 72: One More Bowl (1)

    Chu Lian was brimming with anger, but at the same time, she also had the urge to burst outughing.

    When had that fellow He Changdi seen her disobey the rules of a virtuous wife? Was it carved on her forehead somehow? Ooh, she was so frustrated!

    She didn¡¯t expect him to leave any sweet words for her, but at the very least, there really wasn¡¯t any need for him to leave a warning like this, right? That guy was off his rocker!

    Chu Lian could feel anger oozing from every pore on her body. She waved at Senior Servant Zhong and the two maidservants. ¡°Since my husband has sent you here... Senior Servant Gui, help them get settled in.¡±

    Ah? She was letting them go just like that?

    Senior Servant Zhong held back the twitching of her mouth and quickly raised her head to peek at Chu Lian. While there was clear anger on her soft, young face, Third Young Madam didn¡¯t seem to have any other thoughts.

    She couldn¡¯t resist thinking to herself, ¡®This isn¡¯t right. If it were any other newly married young madam, and they found out that their husband didn¡¯t trust them, they would definitely run off to their mother-inw toin and show how aggrieved they feel.¡¯

    But all this Third Young Madam did was puff up in anger and forget about doing anything else?

    Was this young madam simply too naive or too forgiving?

    ¡°Senior Servant Zhong, this way please.¡± Now that Senior Servant Gui knew why Senior Servant Zhong was here, although her tone still seemed polite on the surface, she was clearly putting some distance between them.

    Senior Servant Zhong could only bob in greeting before following Senior Servant Gui, bringing Wenqing and Wen with her.

    Senior Servant Gui arranged for Senior Servant Zhong to stay in the room next to hers, while Wenqing and Wen were stationed next to the other personal maidservants, with one room for each of them.

    Chu Lian¡¯s gaze unconsciously drifted towards Wenqing and Wen as they were leaving. She noticed that their footsteps didn¡¯t make a sound, even though their motions were swift. Her eyebrows slowly drew together.

    At the same time, Mingyan came running in, her footsteps resounding loudly on the floor. A lightbulb went off in Chu Lian¡¯s mind as she realised how the two new maidservants were different from the rest.

    They obviously walked without any noise. She had watched enough movies to know that these kinds of people were most likely martial artists. Perhaps these two maidservants practised some martial arts?

    Chu Lian put these thoughts to the side and made a note to ask Senior Servant Zhong about it the next time they met.

    She met Mingyan¡¯s gaze and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you in such a rush?¡±

    Mingyan carried a small wooden box in. ¡°These are the gifts that the matriarch and Eldest Young Madam sent in gratitude for the desserts Third Young Madam sent. They said the desserts were delicious!¡±

    Chu Lian opened up the wooden box, only to see a jade bangle and a golden hairpin.

    Her eyes lit up. She had just been worrying about herck of funds, and the matriarch and Eldest Sister-In-Law had just sent some over. However, Chu Lian knew that this was only due to their consideration of He Sang¡¯s departure. Otherwise, how could they possibly have sent such a heavy gift in return for her sending some desserts? That was something that was expected of her as a junior family member.

    She waved at Fuyan to indicate that she should put away the gifts.

    After such a dy, it was already nightfall. She hadn¡¯t eaten properly in the morning or afternoon, and her stomach was growling. Thus, Chu Lian led Xiyan and Jingyan to the kitchen.

    Senior Servant Zhong, Wenqing, and Wen had just finished moving in when they spotted Chu Lian¡¯s slender silhouette. She nced in the direction that Chu Lian was going and her eyes widened. ¡°Third... Third Young Madam is heading to the kitchen?¡±

    Wenqing stood on her tiptoes and peeked over. ¡°Momo, there¡¯s only the kitchen in that direction.¡±

    A glint of contempt shed through Senior Servant Zhong¡¯s eyes. A pretty face and poor manners ¡ª truly a young miss from the House of Duke Ying. A declining family couldn¡¯t be expected to raise their daughters well, after all. Honestly, how could the mistress of the house personally go into the kitchen to watch the cooks make dinner? Others might think that the Jing¡¯an Estate was starving their Third Young Madam!

    Chu Lian had no idea that Senior Servant Zhong would even see her actions in such a way. She was just really hungry. Her journey to the kitchen was to see if there were any new ingredients to use.

    Inside the kitchen, Chu Lian noticed that there was a bamboo basket filled with all sorts of mushrooms and fungi on the chopping board. The corners of her lips raised. She ordered Xiyan and Jingyan to start making noodles and to begin boiling some soup in preparation for a pot of fresh mushroom noodles.

    Noodles were easy to digest. Even if she ate too much, there wouldn¡¯t be any harm.

    While rolling out the dough for the noodles, Jingyan¡¯s face was flushed red from her exertions. She spoke excitedly to Chu Lian, who was sitting to one side. ¡°Third Young Madam, I¡¯ve only ever seen these mushrooms and fungi steamed. I didn¡¯t know you could actually put them in soup.¡±

    Chu Lian: ......

    So the nobility in the Great Wu Dynasty ate mushrooms by.... steaming? Who invented such a weird cooking method? If she ever found out, she would beat them to death!

    No wonder the kitchen servant had told her that these mushrooms weren¡¯t worth much! They had been brought over simply for a change in taste.

    Mushrooms were usually fresh, and contained lots of nutrients. In the modern world, some wild mushrooms could even sell for sky-high prices! Here, no one cared much for them...

    They were seriously wasting valuable ingredients here.

    ¡°Put the mushrooms into the pork bone soupter, and add some milk. The noodles will be even more fragrant if you do that.¡±

    ¡°Ah! Really?¡± Jingyan¡¯s cheeks flushed even more when she thought of the delicious meal she would soon get to have. Her speed of noodle-making increased further.

 Chapter 73: One More Bowl (2)

    When the mushroom noodles were done, Chu Lian polished off her meal and went off to sleep.

    After an hour, Senior Servant Zhong and the other two maidservants were invited to have dinner.

    Ever since the main kitchen had been destroyed by the fire, all the servants in each courtyard took their meals in the courtyard¡¯s kitchen, like their masters. However, they always ate after their masters were done. As for the cooking, a cook had been dispatched to each courtyard.

    However, the cook at Songtao Court had nothing to do, because Third Young Madam felt that the meals she made weren¡¯t good enough.

    At first, when Chu Lian had brought her personal maidservants over, wanting to make her own meals, the cook hadn¡¯t been too willing. However, after eating the meals that Third Young Madam had made once, her attitude had done a big 180. She was almost like a dog, waiting close to the door everyday for Third Young Madam toe over again.

    All the servants in Songtao Court were blessed with the fortune to eat the dishes made by Chu Lian¡¯s instructions, every single day. Chu Lian wanted to make sure they had enough to eat as well, so she would always order more to be made.

    Senior Servant Zhong and Senior Servant Gui, as well as the other maidservants, all sat at one table. She had been a second-ss maidservant serving Countess Jing¡¯an when she was younger. After giving birth to a child, she had be He Changdi¡¯s nursemaid.

    She had two sons of her own, and her eldest daughter-inw had been pregnant with twins two years ago. She had been worried about her, so she had gone back to her vige to take care of her daughter-inw. It was only a few days ago that she had received He Sang¡¯s request and rushed back to the Jing¡¯an Estate to take up a post again.

    Countess Jing¡¯an had been born into a life of luxury, and Senior Servant Zhong had been serving her since before she hade to the Jing¡¯an Estate. So, Senior Servant Zhong had eaten practically every delicacy there was. When she nced at the flushed, excited faces of the maidservants around her, she felt disdainful of them.

    It was just a meal to keep your stomach full. Was it worth getting so excited over? It wasn¡¯t as if they weren¡¯t being fed regrly, or that they were some poormoners who would count themselves lucky to taste some meat once every few months.

    The contempt in her heart towards Third Young Madam¡¯s servants increased, and she thought that Third Young Master had been smart to send her here to watch over Third Young Madam. She and the people around her were acting below their station. They had to be watched so that they wouldn¡¯t disgrace the name of House Jing¡¯an.

    Senior Servant Gui coolly observed the expression on Senior Servant Zhong¡¯s face. She could see that this Senior Servant Zhong looked down on their Sixth Miss. The corners of her lips raised, mocking her as she gestured to the lower ssed maidservants. ¡°Bring in the meal.¡±

    Jingyan gulped a little and couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Momo, we¡¯re having mushroom noodles tonight! It¡¯s my first time eating something like that; I¡¯m drooling just smelling the vour!¡±

    Senior Servant Gui shot a look at Jingyan.

    Senior Servant Zhong, who was sitting opposite her, also shot Senior Servant Gui a look of contempt.

    In a moment, the maidservants had brought in the white porcin dishes containing the noodles. They ced them on the table first, and then ced down a few side dishes following that.

    Refreshingly crisp pickles, wood ear fungus wrapped in beancurd skin, and soybeans that had been pickled just right.

    The white porcin bowls surrounded the tes of side dishes. Inside them, the noodles swam in a fragrant, thick, milky white soup. Shiitake mushrooms, slices of king oyster mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, and oyster mushrooms were arranged neatly on top of the noodles.

    Everything was garnished with chopped spring onions. The vibrant green dots shone against the milky white soup like glimmering emeralds. Steam rose from the white porcin dishes, hooking the appetites of everyone present.

    Senior Servant Zhong stared at the mushroom noodles before her with widened eyes. When she recalled the tasteless mushrooms she had eaten before andpared them to the masterfully arranged, delicious-looking mushroom noodles before her, she couldn¡¯t hold back a gulp. Without giving her time to voice her questions, everyone at the table picked up their chopsticks and began to eat.

    The feast was right before them; who would bother with conversation? Only the whooshing sound of noodles disappearing resounded in the hall.

    All the young maidservants shed their usual grace and poise to scarf down their meal.

    They couldn¡¯t help eating quickly!

    They had seen that there wasn¡¯t much left in the pot. For the sake of having a second bowl, they had to eat as quickly as they could!

    Senior Servant Zhong swallowed her words and shot a look at Wen and Wenqing. Then, she picked up her chopsticks, grabbed some noodles, and ced them inside her mouth.

    One moment she was chewing on them, and in the next, the speed of her chopsticks sharply elerated

    It wasn¡¯t until thest mouthful of thick soup had disappeared down her throat that she huffed out a long breath. She felt refreshed all over, and that delicious vour still remained on her tongue. Unfortunately, that serving of noodles had been a little on the small side. She wasn¡¯t full yet. Thus, she turned to the maidservant behind her and said, ¡°Bring me another bowl!¡±

    The maidservant looked troubled as she replied, ¡°Momo, there... there¡¯s no more noodles...¡±

    What?

    No more?

    Senior Servant Zhong resisted the urge to spit up blood. She had just seen a full pot of noodles, yet it was all gone just like that?

    What kind of appetites did these people have!?

    Senior Servant Zhong turned her head to therge pot nearby.

    As expected, there were only a few pitiful spoonfuls of soup left in the once-full pot of mushroom noodles. A maidservant dressed in emerald was even pouring thest bit of soup into her bowl...

    Senior Servant Gui was already an experienced veteran in the battle for food, so she was much calmer than Senior Servant Zhong. She set down her chopsticks and smiled elegantly at Senior Servant Zhong.

    ¡°Senior Servant Zhong, please take your time to eat. I¡¯ll go and take my rest now.¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong looked down at herpletely empty bowl before looking up at Senior Servant Gui¡¯s disappearing silhouette. Inwardly, she raged, ¡®I wanted to enjoy my meal slowly, but you lunatics ate up everything before I could react. What am I supposed to eat!?¡¯

    She coughed once before bringing Wen and Wenqing away.

    On the way back to their rooms, Wenqing couldn¡¯t resist saying, ¡°Momo, the meals here are so delicious, but I couldn¡¯t eat my fill!¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong rolled her eyes. She hadn¡¯t been able to eat her fill either! Thus, the originally calm and stately Senior Servant Zhong decided to eat more quickly at the next meal, so she might be able to get a second serving!

 Chapter 74: He Finally Did Something Right (1)

    On the day that He Changdi had abandoned his wife to join the army, Chu Lian had been sound asleep in her nice, warm bed, without any dreams to disturb her slumber.

    On the other hand, He Sang was bringing Laiyue along his hasty journey down the roads at Zhangzhou, a city near the capital.

    Although no one back in the estate knew of the path he was going to take to the northern border of Liangzhou, to avoid getting chased, he travelled at double the usual speed, day and night.

    It was still in the middle of summer, so even though the skies turned dark during the night, there were no cooling breezes to lighten the heat. Not only that, it was so stuffy and hot that their tolerance wore thin.

    The two horses flew down the highway with their riders bothden with cloth packs. Although the breeze created by their horses¡¯ movement was a little cooling, after getting jolted around on horseback for an entire day, even the sturdy He Sang was nearing the ends of his endurance.

    While bearing with the burning paining from their inner thighs, the two of them clocked another ten miles on their journey.

    Under the faint moonlight, Laiyue spotted a grass shack up ahead at the fork in the road.

    His joy showed on his face. ¡°Third Young Master, there¡¯s a grass shack ahead. Why don¡¯t we rest here for tonight?¡±

    There were still forty to fifty miles to go before the next city. If they traveled throughout the night, they would probably only reach it by the next day, so why not camp for a night by the roadside? Anyway, the horses needed some rest too.

    He Sang nodded and got off his horse. Laiyue took the reins from He Changdi¡¯s hands and tied the horses to a tree nearby, letting out just enough of the rope so that the horses could graze on the sweet grass surrounding them.

    This crude little shack had once been a simple tea house; it was now in ruins. The single set of table and chairs was already a little rotten, and there was ayer of dust covering everything. It was clear that it hadn¡¯t been in business for a long time.

    The grass shack was open on all four sides and the foundation didn¡¯t seem too stable. It looked like it was on the verge of copse, while the grass roofing was almost all gone. It could only serve as the most basic shelter from the elements.

    Although the conditions were a little harsh, as travellers, they weren¡¯t too picky. Having some form of a roof over their heads and even some old furniture was much better than having to camp out by the side of the road.

    Laiyue took out a thin nket from his travel pack and ced it on the chair. He then took out some steamed buns and rolls, as well as a waterskin.

    ¡°Young Master, have some water!¡±

    He Changdi had been sitting at the table, eyes closed as he rested for a bit. He took the waterskin that was passed over and drank a few mouthfuls.

    Then, he picked up a steamed roll and stuffed it into his mouth.

    He had some jerky in his pack, so he held a steamed roll in one hand and jerky in the other as he mechanically shoved each into his mouth.

    In his past life, after he had been betrayed by ¡®Chu Lian¡¯, he had suffered a lot while wandering in the wilderness. He had even eaten grass, bark, and tree roots before. Having steamed rolls and jerky to eat wasn¡¯t too bad inparison. There was nothing toin about, and he wasn¡¯t someone unreasonable.

    Although he used to think that meals were just a means to fill his stomach, for some reason, eating jerky and dry steamed rolls out in this deste ce made him feel upset. As he chewed on his rations like a robot, he shut his eyes and the memory of that delicious snow fungus and lotus seed porridge came to mind... Wontons with steam rising off them... and those scallion pancakes attacking his senses with the aroma of spring onions...

    He Changdi swallowed hard and forced the dry steamed roll down his throat. He opened his eyes in irritation, forcing himself to stop thinking of the delicacies made by that wicked woman.

    He bit off a piece of jerky, but the thought of what that wicked woman Chu Lian was making for her dinner tonight came unbidden to his mind. The more he ate, the more upset he got.

    After enduring a few more bites of food to stave off the hunger gnawing at his belly, He Sang threw the rest of the steamed rolls and jerky back into his pack in a restless fit. He drank more water before moving the nket to the ground and forcing himself to sleep.

    The two of them were so tired after a whole day of travel that they didn¡¯t want to move anymore. Laiyue leaned against the corner of the table with a steamed roll in his hand. He sighed as he ate, looking up at the moon hidden behind the floating clouds. Gulping down a mouthful of steamed roll, he sighed and said, ¡°I really miss that braised pork that Third Young Madam made. It was so tasty... What a pity I¡¯ll never be able to eat it again.¡±

    He had just finished speaking when he felt chills run down his back. Turning his head, he met with He Changdi¡¯s cold, fiery re. When he thought of the way that Third Young Master had been eating his meal unhappily, he quickly shut his mouth.

    When He Changdi saw that the noise beside him had ceased, he shut his eyes with a stiff expression.

    Hmph. Just because he was gone didn¡¯t mean he would let that wicked woman off the hook. He had sent some of his people to her side, people who he knew would watch her at all times.

    Let¡¯s see if she still dared to fool around with Xiao Wujing now!

    If they dared to have even the slightest bit of dalliance, he would definitely divorce her right away, without any mercy. He wouldpletely destroy her good name and ensure she would never be able to hold her head up high in the capital ever again!

    When he imagined what Chu Lian¡¯s expression would look like when she received his letter from Senior Servant Zhong, the silly He Sang felt vindicated. That thought dispersed his previous dissatisfaction from the terrible meal, and his dark expression lightened.

    Tucking his hands under his head, he slowly slipped into slumber.

    However, in the middle of the night, a sudden bout of heavy rain and wild winds flipped their little grass shelter over. Apanied by the roaring of thunder, raindrops asrge as beans fell, instantly soaking the two men sleeping on the ground.

    He Changdi cut a sorry figure as he rolled up his nket, grabbed his travel pack, and ducked under the table with Laiyue...

    The whole situationpletely embodied the idiom, ¡®When it rains, it pours¡¯. The next day, the two of them had to take to the road in wet clothes after eating a meal of rain-soaked steamed rolls and jerky. He Sang¡¯s face mirrored the dark clouds of the stormst night.

    Laiyue followed behind him with an awkward smile. ¡°Young Master, please bear with this for now. When we reach the next city, we¡¯ll be able to have a hot meal. Although it won¡¯t be as delicious as Third Young Madam¡¯s cooking, it¡¯ll be much better than the wet steamed rolls and jerky we just had.¡±

    Laiyue¡¯s forting¡¯ words were like adding oil to the fire. He Sang almost exploded in a fit of temper.

    ¡°Shut up! If you mention Chu Lian one more time, I¡¯ll make sure you won¡¯t get a single hot meal.¡±

    With his ultimatum made loud and clear, He Changdi fiercely whipped his horse, his originally handsome face now twisted into a terrible expression. He took off on the highway before Laiyue could follow.

    Laiyue didn¡¯t know which part of his words had offended Third Young Master. He scratched his head in confusion, and could only try to keep up with his master.

    ¡°Ah, Young Master! Please don¡¯t move so quickly! Wait for this servant!¡±

 Chapter 75: He Finally Did Something Right (2)

    Chu Lian slept soundly all the way till morning. The stormst night had lowered the usual heat of the day, and dewdrops hung on the grass and flowers in their little garden. After taking in a breath of the morning air, she felt very refreshed.

    The next thing she did upon waking up was to stare at the auspicious tapestry of fertility on the canopy of the bed while lost in thought.

    In the original novel, ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had set fire to the main kitchen, so that the Eldest Young Madam, Madam Zou, would be heavily injured and pass on the household management rights to her. Madam Zou¡¯s maiden family was House Dingyuan, and she was the eldest legitimate granddaughter of Marquis Dingyuan.

    It would be Old Marquis Dingyuan¡¯s sixtieth birthday tomorrow. As rtives through marriage, the Jing¡¯an Estate would have to attend to express their well wishes.

    Madam Zou had been heavily injured in the original story, so she had been unable to attend. Thus, Matriarch He had brought ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ along with her to send their congrattions to the Dingyuan Estate. ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had not only met Xiao Bojian in the Dingyuan Estate, but a series of events had happened that destroyed ¡®Chu Lian¡¯s¡¯ reputation and sowed the seeds of suspicion between ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ and Matriarch He.

    Since she knew what kind of disaster was going to happen at the Dingyuan Estate, she had to find a way to avoid going there at all costs.

    Furthermore, Madam Zou was perfectly well now. Her attendance at that event wouldn¡¯t make an impact on the Jing¡¯an Estate at all.

    Afterpleting her ns, Chu Lian got out from bed.

    This morning, she taught Xiyan how to make steamed soup dumplings. When a basket of soup dumplings was brought down from the tower of steamer baskets, she could see wisps of hot air rising from it. Chu Lian picked one dumpling up and bit a small hole at the top before gently sucking out all the fragrant juices within. She had purposely made them perfectly bite-sized, so she ate the whole dumpling in a single bite. There was no better feeling in the world.

    Paired with crisp pickled cucumbers and thick rice porridge, Chu Lian ate half a basket of dumplings.

    The remaining baskets were shared amongst the servants in Songtao Court.

    Since they had some martial arts skills, Senior Servant Zhong, Wenqing, and Wen were able to take a whole basket for themselves. There wasn¡¯t any trace of their haughtiness or calm fromst night as the three of them wolfed down their food.

    Chu Lian¡¯s mouth twitched as she watched them. She wondered how He Changdi would react if he found out the people he had sent to watch her had been ¡®bribed¡¯ by just two of her meals.

    When they were done with breakfast, she sent for Senior Servant Zhong to ask her some questions.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t like to keep people on tenterhooks, and she didn¡¯t have any knowledge of Senior Servant Zhong since she didn¡¯t appear in the book. Thus, she just spoke in a straightforward manner.

    Senior Servant Zhong was slightly gaping. She hadn¡¯t thought that Third Young Madam would see through Wenqing and Wen¡¯s martial arts skills in just a single night.

    She suppressed the shock in her heart and replied, ¡°Third Young Madam, Wenqing and Wen have indeed undergone martial arts training.¡±

    Chu Lian turned her gaze to Wenqing and Wen, who seemed average in both looks and figure to her. She continued to ask them questions purely out of curiosity. ¡°How are Wenqing and Wen¡¯s skills?¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong felt a little dizzy. She quickly looked up in disbelief at Chu Lian. Why did it seem like Third Young Madam¡¯s thoughts werepletely different from most people? Wouldn¡¯t most young madams ask something like, ¡®Why were these servants assigned to me? To watch over me? Does my husband not trust me?¡¯

    If she encountered such questions, she could simply reply: ¡®Third Young Madam, you¡¯re thinking too much of it.¡¯

    However, this young madam waspletely deviating from the script. She couldn¡¯t even speak the lines she had prepared.

    Senior Servant Zhong swallowed back a mouthful of blood. A twitch developed in her eyelid as she looked towards Wenqing.

    When she received the senior servant¡¯s pleading look, Wenqing quickly stepped forward and said proudly, ¡°Replying to Third Young Madam, this servant can deal with four or five normal men easily.¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong: ......

    Even the usually unflustered Wenqing had been led away from their main purpose by Third Young Madam.

    They had been sent here to keep a close watch on Third Young Madam! What was Wenqing trying to do, standing there like a loyal little puppy waiting to be praised by her mistress?

    Senior Servant Zhong suspected that if she stuck a wagging tail onto Wenqing¡¯s back right now, it would fit her perfectly.

    She felt the urge to give them a talking to once they were dismissed.

    Chu Lian had simply been guessing at Wenqing and Wen¡¯s martial arts ability yesterday. Now that she had gotten their confirmation, Chu Lian got excited.

    Her shiny ck eyes lit up like stars.

    They could use martial arts! How impressive! They were her free bodyguards from now on whenever she stepped out of the estate!

    That lunatic He Changdi had finally done something right.

 Chapter 76: Marquis Dingyuanâ€™s Longevity Feast (1)

    Seeing Chu Lian nod in satisfaction, Senior Servant Zhong had the urge to cover her face in shame.

    When they were done with breakfast, Chu Lian rested for an hour before heading to Qingxi Hall to give her daily greetings to Matriarch He.

    The matriarch was already getting on in age, so she didn¡¯t sleep much, especially in a hot summer like this. She had already been up for a while.

    When Chu Lian reached Qingxi Hall, the matriarch had just finished her breakfast.

    Chu Lian greeted her in the traditional manner of a junior family member, and Matriarch He waved her forward with upturned, smiling eyes. ¡°Sang¡¯s wife,e sit by Grandmother¡¯s side.¡±

    Chu Lian sat down on the low stool a step below the matriarch. She looked at Matriarch He as she asked, ¡°Grandmother, is there any news from my husband?¡±

    She had just been married to He Changdi for a few days and the two of them hadn¡¯t consummated their marriage. He Changdi had even treated her with the equivalent of a cold shoulder. No matter how outstanding his looks were, Chu Lian had no feelings for him at all.

    She was simply acting the part of a devoted wife for the matriarch¡¯s sake.

    Although she didn¡¯t like He Changdi¡¯s actions, she liked the matriarch. Since the second day of her marriage, during the tea ceremony, she could see the genuine care and concern this old granny held for her.

    Chu Lian wouldn¡¯t let anyone who treated her well be sad.

    Matriarch He sighed and stroked Chu Lian¡¯s soft head of hair. ¡°That Sang is really... Sang¡¯s wife, please don¡¯t worry too much about him. I¡¯ve already asked Dng to send people out with inquiries. There¡¯ll be news soon.¡±

    Chu Lian obediently nodded; she didn¡¯t look like this news particrly surprised her, or was anything really special. However, it was thisck of expression that caused the matriarch¡¯s heart to ache in sympathy.

    She had been the one to plead with the empress dowager for a girl from House Ying, but now, that girl had to suffer living like a widow while her husband was still alive. Thus, she felt a little more guiltypared to the other members of the family.

    Chu Lian noticed the gloom creeping onto the matriarch¡¯s face and hurriedly tried to change the topic. ¡°Grandmother, what did you have for breakfast today?¡±

    Immediately after she asked, Chu Lian almost blushed with shame. What was wrong with her? The only topic she coulde up with was rted to food?

    However, she couldn¡¯t take back her words, so the only thing she could do was suppress her blush and look up at Matriarch He. The matriarch could see the embarrassment on Chu Lian¡¯s face, so she burst out intoughter.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You didn¡¯t have enough to eat in your own courtyard?¡±

    Chu Lian blushed at Matriarch He¡¯s teasing. Of course she had eaten her fill! Half a basket of soup dumplings had gone into her stomach! Even now, Chu Lian still felt bloated.

    Matriarch He was already old. Her daughters had already left the estate a long time ago, and her daughter-inw had given birth to three sons. When Madam Zou had married into the estate, she had already been over twenty years old. Matriarch He hadn¡¯t had thepany of youngdies around the age of fifteen like Chu Lian in a long time, so she cherished seeing her innocent reactions even more.

    When she saw that Chu Lian was already flushed and didn¡¯t know how to answer, the smile on her face grew. ¡°Grandmother doesn¡¯t have a very good appetite in the summer. I only ate half a bowl of red bird¡¯s nest. When you return to your courtyard, I¡¯ll let Senior Servant Liu bring half a kilogram of it for youter. You¡¯re still growing at your age, so you should make sure you have enough nutrients.¡±

    Although Chu Lian had never eaten red bird¡¯s nest before, as an experienced gourmet enthusiast, she knew that red bird¡¯s nest was the best quality of bird¡¯s nest avable. Most of the nobility in the Great Wu Dynasty ate white bird¡¯s nest, two whole grades lower than red bird¡¯s nest.

    Matriarch He¡¯s red bird nest probably couldn¡¯t be bought with money, and most likely came from the pce. The matriarch was good friends with the empress dowager, so it had probably been a gift.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t dare to ept something that the empress dowager had given to Matriarch He.

    She quickly shook her head. ¡°Grandmother, there¡¯s no need for that. My body¡¯s perfectly healthy! If I take in more nutrients, I¡¯ll get fat!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re worried about getting fat with such a tiny figure?¡± Matriarch He smiled broadly.

    ¡°Grandmother, if you really want to give it away, why not give it to Mother instead?¡±

    Matriarch He froze for a moment and sighed. ¡°Child, you¡¯re always thinking of others.¡±

    Chu Lian looked up at Matriarch He¡¯s affectionate expression. ¡°Mother is my husband¡¯s very own mother. How could Mother be counted as an outsider?¡±

    Warmth suffused Matriarch He¡¯s heart and she poked Chu Lian¡¯s little nose. ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, you really are such a good child. Alright, Grandmother will send some red bird¡¯s nest to your mother. You had better take some back with you too.¡±

    Since the matriarch had already put it this way, it would be unreasonable if Chu Lian continued declining.

    Eldest Young Madam had arrived outside sometime while they were talking. She just so happened to overhear Matriarch He¡¯s words upon entering. She lowered her head and frowned a little.

    Since Madam Zou¡¯s back was to the light, no one noticed the expression on her face.

    A maidservant lifted up the curtain at the entrance of the room and let Madam Zou in.

    ¡°Grandmother.¡± After Madam Zou bobbed in greeting, she sat at Matriarch He¡¯s other side.

    Matriarch He smiled as she looked at Madam Zou. ¡°Dng¡¯s wife, why have youe here so early?¡±

    There was no change in the expression on Madam Zou¡¯s face at all. The corner of her lips lifted elegantly. ¡°Grandmother, have you forgotten? It¡¯s rest day for all the stewards in our estate today.¡±

    Every day, Madam Zou had to listen to all the stewards of every courtyard in the estate make their report. She would onlye to Qingxi Hall to greet the matriarch when she was done. After that, she would visit her mother-inw.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s the sixteenth today. Grandmother¡¯s forgotten all about the date.¡±

    Madam Zou exchanged small talk with the matriarch for some time, but seeing that Matriarch He didn¡¯t mention the red bird¡¯s nest at all, she couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed.

 Chapter 77: Marquis Dingyuanâ€™s Longevity Feast (2)

    Matriarch He picked up her teacup and took a sip. ¡°Dng¡¯s wife, it¡¯s your grandfather¡¯s longevity feast tomorrow, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Madam Zou smiled as she nodded. ¡°It is! Grandmother still remembers such a date! Granddaughter-in-Law thanks Grandmother in ce of Grandfather.¡±

    ¡°Child, you¡¯re being too polite.¡±

    While sitting on the other side, Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected the topic to be diverted to the feast. She tried to shrink into her seat and hide her presence.

    Why don¡¯t you guys attend the longevity feast by yourselves? Please, please, please don¡¯t remember to invite me along!

    However, the heavens didn¡¯t listen to her pleas.

    Matriarch He suddenly changed the discussion. ¡°Sang¡¯s wife has just married into the family, buttely, she¡¯s only spent time alone at home. Why don¡¯t you bring her along with you when the timees?¡±

    Matriarch He would be attending the feast as well, but the old madams had their own circles. It wasn¡¯t suitable for a youngdy to join them.

    Since Chu Lian was a newlywed and Madam Zou was still young, it would be better for Madam Zou to introduce some of the young madams of the capital to Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian¡¯s body stiffened. She hadn¡¯t expected Matriarch He to suggest that she follow Madam Zou to the feast.

    She wanted to speak up and reject the offer, but this wasn¡¯t the right time for her to speak.

    She could only pray silently in her heart. Madam Zou, please don¡¯t agree to it!

    Madam Zou was a sweet-tempered person, so she didn¡¯t hesitate as she replied, ¡°Yes, Grandmother. Please don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll bring Third Sister-in-Law with me tomorrow and take care of her.¡±

    Matriarch He nodded in satisfaction.

    He Changdi had just left home, and there hadn¡¯t been any news of him yet. She wanted to help Chu Lian take her mind off her missing husband, so she had made the suggestion to Madam Zou. However, her good intentions had actually caused more trouble instead.

    Chu Lian was suffering inwardly beyond words, but she couldn¡¯t show any of it.

    She could only brace herself and agree to the outing.

    The two granddaughters-inw sat with the matriarch for a while longer before they took their leave to visit their mother-inw.

    Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t too good today. When Chu Lian arrived for her visit, the countess was still asleep. Madam Zou and Chu Lian sat in the outer room for ten minutes before leaving and returning to their respective courtyards.

    The next day, Chu Lian was to follow her sister-inw, Madam Zou, to the Dingyuan Estate for the longevity feast.

    When she woke up in the morning, Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan helped Chu Lian into the dress they had already picked out. Since she was still a newlywed madam, they had chosen a brightly coloured dress. It matched perfectly with the ruby hair ornament Chu Lian had.

    Before leaving Songtao Court, Senior Servant Zhong suddenly coughed once. Chu Lian turned around and gave Senior Servant Zhong a weird look before realisation dawned on her. She then ordered, ¡°Xiyan and Wenqing will serve me at the Dingyuan Estate today!¡±

    The two maidservants obediently agreed. Senior Servant Zhong shot a look at Wenqing. Before they left the courtyard, she even whispered a reminder into Wenqing¡¯s ear. ¡°Remember what I saidst night. If you slip up, just wait for your punishment when you return.¡±

    Wenqing nodded fervently. Rest assured, she wouldn¡¯t let any men near Third Young Madam at all. For the sake of her delicious meals, she was going to fight with all her might. Any shameless man who wanted to snatch her Third Young Madam away would be beaten down without mercy!

    Luckily, Senior Servant Zhong wasn¡¯t able to read Wenqing¡¯s thoughts. Otherwise, she probably would have puked up a mouthful of blood.

    Girl, that wasn¡¯t what she instructed you to dost night!

    When they reached the screen at the entrance of their estate, Chu Lian was invited by Senior Servant Liu to take Matriarch He¡¯s carriage. Madam Zou boarded another carriage with her two daughters, Little An and Little Lin, while her husband, He Dng, followed next to the carriage on horseback with the guards.

    Their party left the Jing¡¯an Estate and made their way towards Marquis Dingyuan¡¯s estate.

    Matriarch He¡¯s carriage wasn¡¯t very big, but it wasfortable inside. Senior Servant Liu sat by the matriarch while Chu Lian sat opposite them.

    Senior Servant Liu had a round fan in hand and was gently fanning the matriarch. Matriarch He was wearing a dark purple eight-bolt dress, as well as an emerald green headband embroidered with a pattern for fortune tied around her head. Her white hair was held up by a long hairpin made out of carved jade. She looked like a noble old madam, subtle and dignified.

    ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, have you visited the Dingyuan Estate before?¡±

    When Matriarch He spoke up, Chu Lian realised why the matriarch had invited her to share her carriage today.

    The matriarch wanted to give her some pointers on the connections between the people of the Dingyuan Estate.

    Although she knew a little about the events of the novel, there was a limit to how much could be conveyed without diverting too much from the plot. She couldn¡¯t possibly know about the rtions of every single family in the capital, so she shook her head honestly.

    Matriarch He was very satisfied with her honesty, so she quietly revealed everything she could.

    House Dingyuan was Madam Zou¡¯s maiden family. They were flourishing in terms of poption, and Madam Zou was Old Marquis Dingyuan¡¯s eldest legitimate granddaughter. Imperial Consort De hade from the Dingyuan Estate, and was Old Marquis Dingyuan¡¯s daughter.

    However, it had been many years since Consort De had entered the pce. She had only given birth to a single daughter, who had unfortunately passed away at the age of five.

    Princess Leyao looked quite simr to Consort De¡¯s deceased daughter, so amongst the many princes and princesses in the pce, Consort De¡¯s favourite one was the ten-year-old Leyao.

    By the time they reached the Dingyuan Estate, Chu Lian had already been given a clear picture of House Dingyuan¡¯s situation.

    In summary, Marquis Dingyuan was one of the Emperor¡¯s most trusted officials, and they couldn¡¯t afford to offend them...

    When Matriarch He noticed the slightly overwhelmed expression on Chu Lian¡¯s face, she smiled and patted Chu Lian¡¯s hand infort. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandmother told you all this just to let you understand what¡¯s going on in the Dingyuan Estate. As for the rest, don¡¯t think about it. Just follow your sister-inw. She¡¯ll take good care of you.¡±

 Chapter 78: The Ladies Have Arrived (1)

    Chu Lian nodded obediently. Her cute appearance gave Matriarch He the urge to pinch her little cheeks.

    She had to admit that Sang¡¯s wife was rather pretty. Even in the sizeable capital, Chu Lian¡¯s appearance stood out as one of the top beauties around. In the past few days of observing her, Matriarch He had also realised that Chu Lian was of a kind and innocent nature ¡ª nothing like the arrogant, scheming personalities that most nobledies had. Thus, she tried to spoil her granddaughter-inw as much as she could, and gave her advice whenever possible, afraid that she would be taken advantage of.

    Matriarch He had simply been aiming for a fertile bride from the Ying Estate. She hadn¡¯t thought that she would get a hidden gem.

    It was also due to her understanding of Chu Lian¡¯s personality that Matriarch He found it strange that He Changdi had left home so suddenly, just to join the army.

    How could Sang leave behind such a beautiful, good-natured wife, just like that?

    Chu Lian was submerged in worries of her own, so she didn¡¯t notice Matriarch He¡¯s momentary distraction.

    After thinking it over, Chu Lian still decided to remain low-key today. She also had to avoid going to the Dingbo Pavilion in the Dingyuan Estate at all costs!

    Allowing the servants to support her as she got off the carriage, she saw that Madam Zou was already waiting outside with her two nieces.

    He Dng sent them off to the inner court before he followed a manservant to the outer court, where the guests were being received in the parlour.

    Madam Zou handed Little An and Little Lin over to their nursemaids and gave them orders. ¡°Take the youngdies to y with their cousins.¡±

    It was clear that Madam Zou returned to her maiden home often. Little An and Little Lin were probably used to ying with the children in the Dingyuan Estate too. On Madam Zou¡¯smand, the two nursemaids and a few of her personal maidservants led the two girls away.

    Madam Zou watched until her children disappeared from sight. Then, she turned back to Chu Lian with a smile. ¡°Third Sister-in-Law,e with me. Don¡¯t be nervous. Perhaps we¡¯ll bump into your rtives from your maiden family here!¡±

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t help but be a little nervous. No one would be able to rx in a strange, new environment, especially since it was her first time here.

    Madam Zou walked with Chu Lian for about ten minutes, introducing the various interesting sights in the estate on the way. When they reached arge pond covered in lotus nts, Madam Zou stopped. She pointed over to the opposite side of the pond. ¡°Third Sister-in-Law, look over there. That¡¯s Mei Court, where the young madams anddies are gathering.¡±

    Chu Lian looked in the direction that Madam Zou pointed out. As expected, she saw a few women who clearly looked like noble madams sitting on sofas along the corridor,ughing as they chatted. Maidservants and older servants were bustling in and out of the parlour next to the water. The whole ce looked lively.

    She swept her gaze over the group of young madams, but she didn¡¯t recognise a single one...

    With her sharp eyes, Madam Zou singled out one of thedies to her. ¡°Third Sister-in-Law, look, isn¡¯t that your eldest sister-inw from the Ying Estate?¡±

    Chu Lian opened her shiny, ck eyes wide, and spotted Madam Rong walking out of the parlour with another middle-aged woman. They were clearlyughing as they spoke together.

    ¡°Ah, yes, that¡¯s my eldest sister-inw,¡± Chu Lian replied.

    Madam Zou pulled Chu Lian, ¡°Let¡¯s go over there too.¡±

    Since they were already here, there was no way for Chu Lian to hide. She could only gather up her courage and follow behind Madam Zou. However, her heart was beating wildly in her chest. She secretly decided to find a ce with fewer people around to hide in.

    From far away, the noble madams noticed Heir Jing¡¯an¡¯s wife, Madam Zou, and greeted her one by one.

    Madam Zou smiled as she replied to their greetings. ¡°Alright, alright, you don¡¯t have to stand on ceremony with me. It¡¯s my grandfather¡¯s longevity feast today. I should be thanking you for attending the celebrations!¡±

    The madams replied appropriately, ¡°Not at all, not at all.¡±

    Madam Zou then retreated a step to reveal Chu Lian standing behind her. ¡°You probably don¡¯t know her yet, but this is my Third Sister-in-Law, the Sixth Miss from House Ying.¡±

    Chu Lian bobbed in greeting.

    All the noble madams returned her greeting. However, when Chu Lian quickly nced at them, she noticed contempt and scorn in their eyes. Her expression stiffened a little, and she instantly realised why these people seemed to look down on her.

    However, she wasn¡¯t the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯, so she didn¡¯t take it to heart. Although their stares made her feel a little ufortable, her usual brand of carefree personality stopped it from bothering her too much.

    She didn¡¯t need to rely on their help to survive, so why should she care about what they thought of her? All she had to do was live happily without any regrets.

    After sorting through her thoughts, the nervous tension on her face disappeared, and her bright, sunny nature shone through.

    Chu Lian was in the best time of her youth right now. With her natural beauty, and with how Xiyan had specially dressed her up this morning, she looked like a stunning youngdy. The rxed and open expression on her face only highlighted her pretty looks.

    She calmly and generously greeted all the noble madams. This time, the madams were the ones who felt ufortable. However, they could only bear with it on ount of Madam Zou watching them.

    Madam Zou brought Chu Lian over to pay her respects to Madam Huang, the wife of Heir Dingyuan.

    Although Madam Zou was the eldest legitimate granddaughter of House Dingyuan, she was born from the second branch instead of the main branch. Heir Dingyuan was the eldest son of the main branch and his wife was thus her eldest aunt.

    After greeting the wife of Heir Dingyuan, Madam Zou kept Chu Lian by her side and brought her around to meet some of the capital¡¯s other nobledies.

    ¡®Meeting¡¯ thedies was simply a matter of showing them her face and then giving them a formal greeting. This wasn¡¯t too hard for Chu Lian. She only had to stand quietly behind Madam Zou like a flower vase after giving her greetings.

 Chapter 79: The Ladies Have Arrived (2)

    A maidservant suddenly rushed out of Mei Court and came to the parlour, heading straight for Madam Zou.

    When she reached Madam Zou¡¯s side, she tiptoed a little and whispered something into Madam Zou¡¯s ear. ¡°Eldest Young Madam, Second Madam has something to discuss and wants to meet with you immediately.¡±

    Madam Zou¡¯s expression immediately turned solemn. She nodded to the maidservant, who was dressed in green and was one of her mother¡¯s handmaidens.

    Madam Zou turned to look at Chu Lian and found that she looked a little lost. She couldn¡¯t stop worrying, but fortunately, a busty young madam dressed in light yellow had juste walking by.

    ¡°Ah-zi, why are you sote?¡± Madam Zou stepped forward to wee her in delight.

    When Chu Lian looked up at the young madam Madam Zou had called ¡®Ah-zi¡¯, she felt a slight chill in her heart. Wasn¡¯t this woman one of the supporting female leads in the original novel? Her name was Wei Fengzi, and she was the youngest sister of Imperial Concubine Wei. She was also the wife of the Ministry of Personnel¡¯s vice minister.

    She only made an appearance muchter in the novel. Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected to see her here at Marquis Dingyuan¡¯s longevity feast.

    ¡°Yuanjing.¡±

    Wei Fengzi had a faint smile on her lips. Her light yellow dress made her look much younger than her age.

    Yuanjing was Madam Zou¡¯s name. From the way they addressed each other, it could be seen that they were good friends.

    ¡°Ah-zi, this is my new Third Sister-in-Law. Help me take care of her for a bit; I have something urgent to attend to at my mother¡¯s ce.¡±

    ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry about it, go ahead!¡± Wei Fengzi sent a reassuring look to Madam Zou. With that, Chu Lian watched as Madam Zou took her maidservants with her and quickly disappeared into Mei Court.

    Chu Lian, who was left behind, was extremely troubled.

    The original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had been rivals with this Wei Fengzi!

    Wei Fengzi looked Chu Lian up and down with a measuring gaze. Upon seeing her head slightly lowered, Wei Fengzi frowned.

    ¡°Little Sister Chu, why don¡¯t you sit here?¡±

    Chu Lian looked up and nced at Wei Fengzi. Another young madam started to call out to Wei Fengzi from not far away. The corners of Chu Lian¡¯s mouth twitched a little as she quickly offered, ¡°Madam, if you¡¯re busy, you don¡¯t have to look after me. I¡¯ll be fine just sitting over there.¡±

    For some reason, Wei Fengzi just didn¡¯t feel all too happy with this new Third Young Madam from House Jing¡¯an. If not for Madam Zou¡¯s request, she wouldn¡¯t have even bothered with this girl. Since Chu Lian was now rejecting her kind invitation, she naturally no longer had any patience to deal with her.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go over there then. If there¡¯s anything you need, send a maidservant to me.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded obediently and even looked up to smile at Wei Fengzi.

    It wasn¡¯t until Wei Fengzi had left that Chu Lian let out a soft sigh. She looked around and found a nice corner outside the corridor, and made her way towards it.

    Although she could hear the discussion from the crowd around her and their opinions of her, it was no use getting angry over something like that. They could choose to say whatever they wanted with their own mouths, and she couldn¡¯t control that.

    Chu Lian pursed her lips and pretended not to hear anything.

    She leaned against the sofa. There were a few tes of snacks on the small tables next to the sofa, so Chu Lian casually picked out a piece to eat. After taking a bite, she frowned and almost spat it out. What in the world was this made of!? It was sweet, but not too sweet. It was also sour, but not quite... In short, it tasted terrible.

    Now that she had tasted the snacks that the Dingyuan Estate served to their guests, Chu Lian finally understood why Cook Zhou¡¯s pastries had seemed so delicious to everyone.

    ......

    Just across the lotus pond, a handsome man dressed in a navy brocade robe stood in the corridor of Qingfeng Court with a fan in one hand. His long, narrow eyes were fixed upon a particr spot in Mei Court.

    In a corner of one of corridors in Mei Court, a young madam was lying on a sofa. Reaching out with her slender fingers, she picked up a small cake and took a bite. Her face quickly contorted into a frown. She put the cake back down on the table, and even stuck out her tongue in disgust.

    As he continued staring at Chu Lian, Xiao Bojian¡¯s eyes darkened until they were as ck as ink. He couldn¡¯t help but think in his heart: ¡®Lian¡¯er is still the same as before; she only likes sweet things. The snacks here in Marquis Dingyuan¡¯s estate are a little sour, so it¡¯s no wonder she doesn¡¯t like them!¡¯

    ¡°Senior Xiao! What are you looking at out there?¡±

    When Xiao Bojian turned around, he saw Heir Zheng walking towards him, dressed in a round-cored brocade robe.

    ¡°Heir Zheng.¡±

    Heir Zheng followed Xiao Bojian¡¯s line of sight. After a moment, he spoke up. ¡°That seems to be where all the noble madams are. My mother is there too. Why, Senior Xiao, is there someone you recognise over there?¡±

    Xiao Bojian hid the emotions swirling in his eyes and calmly said, ¡°I¡¯m just taking a look. Let¡¯s go in!¡±

    Heir Zheng was about to head inside when a youngdy who had been facing away suddenly turned, revealing her face. He was shocked by her beauty, and his eyes lit up.

    ¡°Senior Xiao, Senior Xiao, don¡¯t go yet. Look over there!¡±

    Xiao Bojian turned back and looked in the direction that Heir Zheng was pointing. He happened to spot Chu Lian, who was now gazing across the pond, and the expression on his slightly feminine face turned stormy.

    In her infinite boredom, Chu Lian was currently tearing up the small cake she hadn¡¯t been able to continue eating and throwing the pieces into the lotus pond to feed the koi.

    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam, Miss Chu?¡± A voice suddenly interrupted out of the blue.

    Chu Lian turned, a little surprised. She could hear the swell of discussion from some people not far away.

    ¡°Heavens, why are Feudal Princess Anmin, Imperial Princess Leyao, and Royal Princess Duanjia all here?¡±

    TL Note: A horde of princesses has appeared!!! Prepare for a long note here!

    Their ranking goes from highest to lowest.

    1. Imperial Princess = daughter of the emperor

    2. Royal Princess = niece or sister of the emperor

    3. Feudal Princess = daughter of a prince whose title was bestowed by the emperor, not rted to the imperial family

    Of course, the princesses outrank the noble madams!

 Chapter 80: Canâ€™t Dodge Disaster (1)

    Chu Lian¡¯s brows drew together as she looked towards the young girls standing not far away, dressed ording to their high status.

    What was going on?

    The event she was trying to avoid in the novel had urred at Dingbo Pavilion, not Mei Court. Furthermore, these noble personages hadn¡¯t appeared in that event. Why did these princesses have their eyes on her now?

    Chu Lian felt a headache brewing. She couldn¡¯t even tell which princess was which...

    Since she didn¡¯t know their identities or their family backgrounds, she could only bow in greeting towards them.

    ¡°Sister Yuanqin, is that the woman that Brother He abandoned?¡±

    The slightly older girl standing at the back chuckled in a haughty manner. She was the legitimate Fifth Miss from House Dingyuan, Zou Yuanqin. She had juste of age and was one of Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s studypanions. The sudden exmation that Chu Lian had heard earlier hade from her.

    ¡°Imperial Princess, your eyes are really sharp.¡±

    Imperial Princess Leyao was wearing an outfit of about the same colour as Chu Lian¡¯s today. She was even wearing a ruby hair ornament.

    However, the workmanship on her dress was much more exquisite, while the materials were clearly rare. The pink dress had a slight gradient from top to bottom. Beautiful patterns were embroidered onto the skirt, and there were even small pieces of precious stones woven into the material. When the light hit them, the dress sparkled like a starry sky. It was both elegant and luxurious.

    Inparison, Chu Lian¡¯s simr outfit looked much poorer.

    However, with Chu Lian¡¯s delicate looks, slender body, and lovely figure, she still managed to look stunning in the simple pink dress that she was wearing, especially since she was currently in the best period of her youth. Conversely, the eleven-year-old Imperial Princess Leyao still hadn¡¯t quite grown into her figure.

    When the two of them stood opposite each other, they each had a charm of their own. However, when looking closely at their outfits, Chu Lian¡¯s dress wasn¡¯t quite up to par. The ruby butterfly pin on her head had been bright and lovely at first, butpared to Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s ornament, itpletely lost its colour.

    The buzzing of discussion sprang up around them, and Chu Lian could feel the contempt in the gazes thrown at her.

    ¡°How shabby!¡± Imperial Princess Leyao smirked as she said.

    With that onement from the princess, the noise of discussion grew ever louder. All the voices she had been trying to ignore fell into her ears one by one.

    ¡°Well, didn¡¯t House Jing¡¯an connect with House Ying because of their particrly... fertiledies?¡±

    ¡°Did you hear? He Sang left his family and the capital just two days ago!¡±

    ¡°Haha, what a joke. Without her man, what use is her fertility?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? She¡¯s just a poor little maid. I can¡¯t believe she wore that to the Dingyuan Estate. How embarrassing.¡±

    ¡°I guess you all don¡¯t know yet. This Sixth Miss Chu didn¡¯t have a good reputation in the first ce. I¡¯m afraid that it was He Sang who must have been forced to leave because he didn¡¯t like this new wife of his!¡±

    ......

    House Ying¡¯s Madam Rong had taken a trip to the restroom and had juste back. When she noticed the mour in Mei Court, she looked over in curiosity. It was at this moment that Miss Su, from the main branch, came over to hold Madam Rong¡¯s arm. With a pale face, she said, ¡°Eldest Sister-inw, Sixth Sister is being bullied.¡±

    The second branch¡¯s Eighth Miss, Miss Yuan, also followed along. She rolled her eyes in scorn. ¡°She¡¯s been abandoned by her husband just days after her marriage. I can¡¯t believe she still dares toe out just to lose face!¡±

    Madam Rong¡¯s expression instantly changed. She red at Miss Yuan first, and then asked Miss Su, ¡°What happened exactly?¡±

    At first, House Jing¡¯an had hidden the news that He Changdi had left for the northern border. However, the news had been leaked somehow.

    Madam Rong, who usually spent her time in the inner court, didn¡¯t know much of outside news. After hearing Miss Su¡¯s exnation, her face turned solemn.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that Imperial Princess Leyao, Royal Princess Duanjia, and Feudal Princess Anmin are all here?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Judging from Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s words, it seems like she doesn¡¯t really like Sixth Sister.¡±

    Miss Yuan stomped her foot fiercely. ¡°That troublemaker! When did she anger the princess?! Now we¡¯re going to be pulled into trouble along with her. We shouldn¡¯t have let her marry into House Jing¡¯an back then!¡±

    ¡°Miss Yuan, stop speaking nonsense!¡± Madam Rong scolded her in a low tone.

    This wasn¡¯t the Ying Estate, so Madam Rong couldn¡¯t let them speak so freely. Even though Chu Lian wasn¡¯t favoured in House Ying, since she had married, anything she did would still reflect back on House Ying. Since she was here, she couldn¡¯t just ignore the situation that Chu Lian was in.

    Chu Lian wanted to scold He Changdi until his eardrums bled right now. ¡®Brother He¡¯? When did that fellow seduce this princess!? Furthermore, this princess was still pretty young. Wasn¡¯t she a little too mature for her age?!

    Royal Princess Duanjia was standing next to Imperial Princess Leyao. She was more than a head taller than Princess Leyao, and had a cold expression on. However, her gaze was fixed on Chu Lian.

    From not far away, Wei Fengzi had also noticed the situation outside the corridor. The corner of her lip lifted when she saw Chu Lian standing in the middle of the crowd. Since Chu Lian hadn¡¯t sent any of her maidservants to ask for help, she simply sat back and watched themotion.

    Feudal Princess Anmin cast a look of disdain towards Chu Lian. ¡°Since we¡¯ve already seen her, Leyao, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Following Feudal Princess Anmin¡¯s words, several youngdies of high status turned around to leave at the same time. House Dingyuan¡¯s Fifth Miss, Zou Yuanqin, shot a parting nce at Chu Lian. Unexpectedly, there wasn¡¯t any restrained anger or pain in Chu Lian¡¯s expression. Zou Yuanqin¡¯s face contorted and her nce grew contemptuous. Only then did she follow the rest of the nobledies.

    Chu Lian¡¯s mouth twitched as she watched the nobledies¡¯ figures disappear into the distance. Huh? So all they hade to do was ridicule her? Wasn¡¯t that a little too childish?!

 Chapter 81: Canâ€™t Dodge Disaster (2)

    Madam Rong was about toe over to help Chu Lian out. Upon seeing Imperial Princess Leyao leading the rest of her party away, she heaved a great sigh of relief. However, without waiting for her to rx, a sharp scream filled the air.

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    Chu Lian felt someone push her hard and she wobbled. Following that, some sweet-smelling things fell over her and rolled all over the floor.

    Chu Lian froze in shock. When she looked down, she noticed that there were some longevity peach buns scattered all over the ground.

    The person who had knocked into her was already on her knees, wailing and crying.

    Chu Lian felt the urge to roll her eyes.

    The group of nobledies hadn¡¯t gone too far. Their attention was attracted by the newmotion, so they started to turn around to look.

    The madams and youngdies surrounding Chu Lian all moved away, leaving a clear path for the nobledies.

    When Zou Yuanqin spotted the longevity peach buns all over the ground, her calm demeanour cracked and she quickly walked over. She pointed at Chu Lian while trembling in anger.

    ¡°You! How could you destroy the birthday present my mother prepared for my grandfather!¡±

    Birthday present?

    These ugly longevity peach buns?

    Lady, stop pulling my leg. Isn¡¯t this trap you¡¯ve made way too obvious?

    After Zou Yuanqin¡¯s shout, someone in the crowd eximed. ¡°Look at the shape of the buns! These must have been made by Mr Wang from De¡¯an Restaurant! They were destroyed just like that! What a waste!¡±

    The corners of Chu Lian¡¯s mouth twitched.

    These half-growndies were not just using a te of longevity peach buns to sabotage her. They were even praising these buns like they were made by some master chef! What were they trying to pull? What happened to the ¡®pushed into water¡¯ trap she had been expecting in the novel?!

    How did the trap be even more... stupid?

    Those lumps on the floor were just some white steamed buns dyed a little red. How could they be some top-ss longevity peach buns made by some amazing chef?

    Please, don¡¯t joke around with me.

    Of course, the crowd couldn¡¯t possibly hear Chu Lian¡¯s inner ranting.

    The crowd parted again and a richly dressed forty-year-old madam walked out. When Chu Lian looked at her, the madam¡¯s sharp gaze shot back at her. With anger rumbling in her tone, she questioned, ¡°What¡¯s going on here!¡±

    This was Heir Dingyuan¡¯s wife, Madam Huang, whom Madam Zou had brought her to greet earlier.

    She was also Zou Yuanqin¡¯s mother.

    The person kneeling on the ground, trembling, was a maidservant dressed in a ginger-coloured dress.

    With a wavering voice, she said, ¡°This... this servant was sending the longevity peach buns to the banquet at the outer court when... this young madam suddenly pushed this servant. Madam, please have mercy on this servant! Please have mercy!¡±

    Chu Lian: ......

    She had been standing still right here, how could she have pushed her?

    However, no one stood out to speak for her at this time. To the noble madams and youngdies here, she had already climbed the socialdder by marrying into House Jing¡¯an. He Changdi¡¯s sudden departure so soon after the marriage had then made her the hot topic of the season. Most of the people here were probably waiting to see hermit a faux pas. Even if they knew that she was being framed, not a single one would stand out for her.

    Furthermore, the one trying to put her down seemed to be Heir Dingyuan¡¯s wife. It might even be the Emperor¡¯s most favoured child, Imperial Princess Leyao.

    Madam Rong stopped in her tracks.

    Miss Su gaped a little in shock. After nking out for a moment, she finally recovered her senses. She turned to her sister-inw and said, ¡°Eldest Sister-in-Law, we... we...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say a word! We¡¯ll wait!¡±

    Madam Rong felt the urge to retreat.

    Previously, when Imperial Princess Leyao had been purposely mocking Chu Lian, the princess was the one at fault. If she went up to defend Chu Lian, that was perfectly reasonable. Even if she made an enemy of the princess then, the news of her good deed and righteous defense of her family would spread out. However, it was apletely different situation now. She hadn¡¯t clearly seen what happened. It didn¡¯t matter who the culprit was, anyway. Madam Huang¡¯s gift to Old Marquis Dingyuan for his longevity feast had been ruined, so it was now all Chu Lian¡¯s fault.

    If she went out now, she had to face both Madam Huang and Imperial Princess Leyao. There wouldn¡¯t be any merit to her reputation, and she might even bebelled as someone who tried to cover up her family¡¯s faults.

    Madam Rong was already low enough in the ranks of noble madams. She was also in charge of managing the Ying Household. House Ying¡¯s descent had slowly moulded her into someone who would seek profit and avoid all losses.

    Miss Su desperately looked at the crowd, and was about to make her way forward when Madam Rong held her back.

    Eighth Miss, Miss Yuan, hid behind Madam Rong and watched. Hidden in the shadows, her lips curled up.

    ......

    Xiao Bojian stood outside the corridor, his right hand gripping the red painted railing tightly as his gaze fixed upon the scene across the pond.

    Heir Zheng used the folding fan in his hands to block the sun shining from above and carelessly said, ¡°Senior Xiao, it seems like something must have happened over there. Even the Princess is around! It looks quite lively.¡±

    ......

    On the third floor of Qingfeng Court, the smell of hardwood incense filled the area. There was practically no one around, and it was extremely peaceful and serene. The window facing the pond was only opened halfway, and from that small opening, a tall person could be seen.

    He had sharp features, and a pair of azure eyes that were currently focused on Mei Court.

    The man waved his hand and a human figure appeared next to him.

    ¡°Master, what are your orders?¡±

    ¡°Go over to Mei Court. If they try to punish Miss Chu, save her.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    The figure disappeared in a sh.

 Chapter 82: Gambling (1)

    After hearing what the maidservant in ginger had said, all eyesnded on Chu Lian.

    Amongst the various mocking, appraising, smug, andplicated looks of the crowd, Madam Huang had the fiercest gaze.

    When she finally spoke up, slowly and surely, everyone could hear the frost that emanated from her.

    ¡°House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam. I expect you to take full responsibility for this matter.¡±

    De¡¯an Restaurant¡¯s Mr Wang didn¡¯t ept requests from just anyone. In the entire capital, he was the only one who could make such beautiful longevity peach buns. It was considered a great honour if he produced a te for a noble¡¯s longevity feast.

    Madam Huang had gone to De¡¯an Restaurant three times, and spent a whole thousand taels of silver to do so.

    However, the freshly steamed longevity peach buns she had spent so much effort to obtain were now ruined, just like that.

    Madam Huang¡¯s current rage was to be expected.

    Compared to House Jing¡¯an, House Dingyuan was currently much more favoured with the Emperor, as they had an imperial concubine from their house sitting in the pce. If they were to go against each other, House Jing¡¯an would have to bow to House Dingyuan.

    Furthermore, the cause of the trouble was House Jing¡¯an¡¯s new Third Young Madam, who hade from the declining House Ying.

    She was most likely going to be utterly humiliated here, and her crime of disrupting the Old Marquis¡¯ longevity feast would probably spread through word of mouth, affecting her reputation.

    The noble madams who hade from simrly poor houses were starting to sympathise with Chu Lian.

    Xiyan was in a fit upon seeing the situation. She wanted to squeeze out of the crowd to look for Eldest Young Madam, Madam Zou. If Eldest Young Madam were here, Madam Huang might let her go for Eldest Young Madam¡¯s sake. However, she was being held back by a few maidservants, and she couldn¡¯t get away. She was so frenzied that her eyes were turning red.

    Wei Fengzi noticed that Chu Lian still remained rather expressionless despite the trouble she was in. There wasn¡¯t a single shred of cowardice or fear in her eyes as she stood her ground in the middle of the crowd. Wei Fengzi raised a single eyebrow and she stood up; this just turned more interesting.

    Meanwhile, a spark of interest red in the eyes of Royal Princess Duanjia, who was standing behind Imperial Princess Leyao.

    Zou Yuanqin lowered her voice to a whisper that only she and Imperial Princess Leyao could hear. With a smirk on her face, she asked, ¡°Imperial Princess, are you satisfied?¡±

    Imperial Princess Leyao couldn¡¯t resistughing as she watched the sorry-looking Chu Lian surrounded by the crowd, with fingers pointing at her from every direction.

    She was extremely satisfied! Such an average, useless woman had dared to marry above her rank and snatch her Brother He away. She was going to make this useless woman suffer today; see if she would dare to evere out of her estate again after this!

    House Dingyuan¡¯s Fifth Miss, Zou Yuanqin, angrily added, ¡°House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam, do you know how much this te of longevity peach buns are worth?! Let me tell you, without counting the effort my mother put in to procure them, they cost at least a thousand taels!¡±

    Gasps of shock rippled through the crowd.

    A thousand taels! That wasn¡¯t a small sum, even to a madam living in a noble estate.

    For a declining house like House Ying, the maximum amount of dowry a legitimate daughter would get was a thousand taels. Someone like Chu Lian, who was neither loved by her father nor favoured by her stepmother, couldn¡¯t even dream of getting that much!

    The corner of Chu Lian¡¯s eye twitched. Wasn¡¯t House Dingyuan way too greedy? Or perhaps it was that Imperial Princess Leyao?

    They wanted her to fork out a thousand taels for that lousy te of buns! It was practically daylight robbery!

    Chu Lian inwardly pouted. Her entire dowry wasn¡¯t even worth a thousand taels.

    Since these people were trying to push her into this trap, wouldn¡¯t it be silly if she didn¡¯t at least try to fight back?

    That¡¯s right, she had to get them back!

    Chu Lian put on a shocked expression and looked at the longevity peach buns scattered all over the ground. She then said, ¡°These longevity peach buns are worth a thousand taels? Fifth Miss, surely you¡¯re joking?¡±

 Chapter 83: Gambling (2)

    Zou Yuanqin had been expecting Chu Lian to start worrying about how to repay the thousand taels; she hadn¡¯t thought that Chu Lian would actually start suspecting the value of the longevity peach buns instead. Her face immediately flushed red from her anger.

    Zou Yuanqin was just a twelve-year-old girl after all. She was also a favoured legitimate daughter in her house, and Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯spanion. She was usually pampered by everyone, and the one thing she hated the most was when anyone challenged her authority. Chu Lian¡¯sment had sparked the fuse on her firecracker temper.

    ¡°Chu Lian! How dare you doubt my words! Don¡¯t think that you can use us like this just because you¡¯re too poor to pay us back! Let me tell you now, I don¡¯t care about the thousand taels!¡± Zou Yuanqin¡¯s face waspletely red by now.

    Madam Huang hadn¡¯t expected her daughter to lose her calm after a single sentence from Chu Lian. She frowned and shot a look at Zou Yuanqin. Unfortunately, Zou Yuanqin was currently blinded by her rage and didn¡¯t notice the look from her mother.

    Madam Huang suddenly regretted agreeing to her daughter¡¯s request about using that te of longevity peach buns to make things difficult for Chu Lian. However, now that her daughter had spoken, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to step in. If she stepped in now, it would seem as if she was bullying a junior. Chu Lian was still a youngdy who had juste of age, after all.

    In Zou Yuanqin¡¯s rage, she had actually called out Chu Lian¡¯s full name. In a public event like this, calling out someone¡¯s full name, especially a married woman¡¯s, was extremely rude.

    Zou Yuanqin¡¯s sudden re of temper caused the spectating noble madams to frown. She was already twelve this year. In another two years, it would be time for her to be engaged. By being this unruly in such a public ce with so many noble madams watching, she was actually spoiling her own chances of finding a good husband.

    Chu Lian smiled inwardly; it was a hundred years too early for this little brat to think of trapping her.

    ¡°Fifth Miss Zou, a thousand taels isn¡¯t a small sum for me. Of course I¡¯ll have to ask a few questions to understand what¡¯s going on. Please excuse me.¡±

    Chu Lian had generously admitted to her own shorings. Yes, she was poor. Although her maiden family had a noble title, they were already on the decline. This wasmon knowledge, and there wasn¡¯t any need to hide it. At this point in time, if she tried to pretend to be rich and unt her wealth, that would simply draw their ire.

    She already knew that these stupid buns had definitely cost a thousand taels. If they were trying to humiliate her, Madam Huang definitely wasn¡¯t going to lie! However, she had purposely brought up this line of talk in order to make Zou Yuanqin get angry.

    By freely admitting her financial situation, Chu Lian actually garnered the admiration and respect of quite a few spectators. Not everyone had the courage to admit their shorings in front of a crowd, since most people were conceited creatures.

    Compared to Chu Lian, Zou Yuanqin seemed even more willful and arrogant, like a bully on a power trip.

    The slender finger that she was pointing at Chu Lian began to shake out of rage. However, Chu Lian appeared unperturbed. She stood her ground and serenely gazed forward, like Zou Yuanqin was the one at fault and was making a fuss out of nothing.

    Imperial Princess Leyao red unhappily at Zou Yuanqin.

    When Zou Yuanqin saw Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s re, her heart clenched. Even if she didn¡¯t want to continue this farce, she had to.

    Zou Yuanqin hardened her stance and said, ¡°Chu Lian! No matter what, you have to ount for this to my mother! There¡¯s only an hour left until we have to serve the longevity peach buns at the outer court. If we miss the lucky hour, my grandfather¡¯s feast will be ruined! I¡¯ll make you go to the banquet hall and ask for forgiveness from my grandfather right then and there!¡±

    Upon hearing Zou Yuanqin¡¯s ultimatum, Imperial Princess Leyao finally let the dissatisfied expression on her face disappear. She watched the cornered Chu Lian with renewed interest.

    Let¡¯s see if she can get out of this now!

    Chu Lian, meanwhile, was listening to the discussions of the spectating noble madams.

    ¡°It must be House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam¡¯s unlucky day today. Those longevity peach buns weren¡¯t made by just anyone; they were made by De¡¯an Restaurant¡¯s Mr Wang! That chef has a really strange temperament. He only makes them once per person! By now, the people in the banquet hall must have heard that Mr Wang¡¯s longevity peach buns are being served today. It¡¯ll be tough for House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam to settle this incident.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s mind nked out a little, and she felt the urge tough. If she had the chance to, she would like to meet this Mr Wang someday! Although he didn¡¯t make very good-looking longevity peach buns, he had plenty of rules to go around!

    However, the more rare something was, the more valuable it became. By setting such a rule, this Mr Wang had guaranteed that there would be peopleing after his peach buns based on its rarity alone. They would be more willing to fork over as much as they could afford to.

    Chu Lian recalled that there was an engagement ringpany who only allowed men to buy a single ring from them in their lifetime. This Mr Wang had done something simr and his business was booming; could he possibly be a transmigrator, too?

    Chu Lian tilted her head to the side. Her eyes were as clear as ss, and a pretty colour to boot. Her honest expression generated plenty of goodwill for her amongst the crowd. If this continued, there wouldn¡¯t be a single person who would believe that she had knocked over that te of buns on purpose.

    Chu Lian¡¯s brows knit together. She sincerely said, ¡°Fifth Miss Zou, I don¡¯t have a thousand taels of silver.¡±

    She really didn¡¯t have a thousand taels, or anything close to it. Even if she included the ruby ornament she was wearing right now, she wouldn¡¯t even have half of that amount.

    Hearing her reply, Zou Yuanqin cast a contemptuous look at her. She smirked. ¡°Then go to the banquet hall and plead for forgiveness from my grandfather!¡±

 Chapter 84: Gambling (3)

    The crowd sucked in their breaths. If the Third Young Madam from House Jing¡¯an really went to the banquet hall and asked for forgiveness from Old Marquis Dingyuan in front of all the distinguished male guests, House Jing¡¯an would never be able to hold their heads high in the capital again.

    Without waiting for the crowd to pity her, Chu Lian said with a clear voice, ¡°However, I¡¯m willing topensate Madam Huang with more longevity peach buns.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s sparkling eyes, straight back, andpleteck of any cowardice drew everyone¡¯s gazes.

    ¡°Oh? How are you going to make up for them? These longevity peach buns were made by De¡¯an Restaurant¡¯s Mr Wang. Can you make the exact same ones?¡± The one speaking was Feudal Princess Anmin. She raised her chin slightly, showing off her clear disdain for a lowly person like Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian smiled;ing from someone already pretty and innocent ¡ª and on her way to bing a great beauty ¡ª her smile was like a refreshing spring breeze.

    ¡°I don¡¯t dare to im that I can make the exact same ones, but I can definitely make something even better.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense! De¡¯an Restaurant¡¯s Mr Wang makes the best longevity peach buns in the entire capital. How could you possibly make something better?!¡± Zou Yuanqin hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to say something like that. She refuted her on the spot.

    ¡°Fifth Miss Zou, how could you know that without seeing it for yourself? I¡¯m in the wrong for knocking over Madam Huang¡¯s longevity peach buns today, but since Madam Huang is a magnanimous person, please grant me a chance to make up for it.¡± Chu Lian¡¯s first sentence was meant for Zou Yuanqin, but her next sentence was aimed towards Madam Huang.

    Chu Lian had already gotten some goodwill from the crowd thanks to her performance. Now that she was making such a sincere request to Madam Huang, it showed that she knew when to push and when to retreat. This action earned even more positive assessments from the crowd. Anyway, everything had happened so quickly; who knew if it was even Chu Lian who bumped into that maidservant just now?

    At this point, many of the madams were leaning towards Chu Lian¡¯s side.

    Zou Yuanqin¡¯s neck was starting to turn red from all her anger. She refused to let Chu Lian off and said, ¡°So what if you can make longevity peach buns? Don¡¯t tell me that they¡¯ll be able to match up to Mr Wang¡¯s? Mr Wang only makes one order of longevity peach buns per person!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s expression turned solemn. ¡°Fifth Miss Zou. If we¡¯re talking about food, we should judge by sincerity and taste. As long as the longevity peach buns I make are more delicious than Mr Wang¡¯s, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s better than any of those false tricks?¡±

    That¡¯s right, that was just a silly trick!

    Suddenly, the crowd was awakened by Chu Lian¡¯s words.

    No matter how expensive they were, it was just a te of longevity peach buns and De¡¯an Restaurant was out to make money. If the Emperor wanted to eat two tes of longevity peach buns, that Mr Wang couldn¡¯t possibly defy an imperial edict for the sake of this principle.

    Furthermore, how could a noble young madam from House Jing¡¯an bepared to a lowly cook from De¡¯an Restaurant?

    Chu Lian¡¯s words were like a p to the face.

    Fifth Miss Zou was so angry that her face and neck were flushed red, but she couldn¡¯t say a word in retort.

    Madam Huang red at her daughter. With the situation as it was now, she could only agree to Chu Lian¡¯s request.

    If she didn¡¯t give her this chance, then it would be Madam Huang and her daughter who were the discourteous ones.

    ¡°Alright, House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam. I¡¯ll give you this chance today. However, if you don¡¯t manage to make longevity peach buns that taste better than Mr Wang¡¯s, even if Matriarch He is here, I won¡¯t show you any mercy.¡±

    Madam Huang was the madam in charge of the Dingyuan estate now, and she was used to dealing with the high echelons of society. Thus, she had a powerful aura about her. Any normal youngdy would probably be shocked stiff by her threatening words.

    However, Chu Lian was the one facing her!

    The business dealings in the modern world were much more sly and craftier than this, and she had met all sorts of bosses before. How could she be afraid of someone like Madam Huang?

    ¡°Of course, Madam.¡± Chu Lian respectfully bobbed towards Madam Huang.

    Her actions werepletely in line with etiquette, and there was nothing to pick on.

    Although Madam Huang was inwardly raging, on the outside, she maintained her elegant demeanour.

    Her sharp eyes watched Chu Lian as she secretly harrumphed.

    Inside the privacy of her mind, she thought, don¡¯t think longevity peach buns are that easy to make! There must be something behind Mr Wang¡¯s peach buns since his business has been doing so well! At least, up until now, all the nobles who ate Mr Wang¡¯s longevity peach buns have had nothing but praise for them.

    Child, be careful. It won¡¯t be easy to clean up your mess if you¡¯ve boasted beyond your abilities!

    You might think it¡¯s easy just by watching others, but when you¡¯re really put on the spot, you¡¯ll find that it isn¡¯t as easy as you thought!

    House Jing¡¯an had managed to be popr amongst the nobles in the capital just by having a pastry chef who could make tasty snacks. That was how valuable secret recipes were. If House Ying had some secret recipe for longevity peach buns that was better than Mr Wang¡¯s, they would have used it to gain poprity a lot earlier!

    After thinking it through, Madam Huang was even more certain that Chu Lian was being too overconfident. She didn¡¯t believe that Chu Lian could make anything close to Mr Wang¡¯s longevity peach buns, never mind something better than them.

    When Madam Rong, who was still standing in the crowd, heard that Chu Lian was going to suddenly make longevity peach buns of her own, she almost fainted out of shock. She had eaten Mr Wang¡¯s longevity peach buns only once before. They were much tastier than House Jing¡¯an¡¯s pastries. Then there was Chu Lian, who hadn¡¯t even entered the Ying Estate¡¯s kitchen before her marriage. How could she possibly know how to make longevity peach buns?!

 Chapter 85: Wager (1)

    Madam Rong¡¯s body swayed a little. Luckily, Miss Su caught her and held her upright.

    Miss Su also looked tense. Even back at the Ying Estate, Sixth Sister had always tried to appear strong despite being out of favour. However, doing so in a situation like this was just silly; she should¡¯ve just kept her head down instead of standing out.

    ¡°Eldest Sister-in-Law, are you alright?¡± Miss Su whispered in concern.

    Madam Rong pressed a hand against her forehead before waving her off. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    The progression of events even frightened Eighth Miss, Miss Yuan. Even if Chu Lian was disgraced, they would still be fine by virtue of her having already married out of the estate. Plus, she belonged to House Jing¡¯an now, so she would surely be disciplined by Matriarch He. However, now that things were at this point and Madam Huang was clearly angry, if Chu Lian were to mess up, both House Ying and House Jing¡¯an would be pulled down together with her.

    Miss Yuan was a little afraid now.

    She carefully pulled on Madam Rong¡¯s sleeve and begged quietly, ¡°Eldest Sister-in-Law, let¡¯s leave now.¡±

    Madam Rong looked around her. She did want to leave, but when she caught sight of the asional nces thrown her way...

    She stiffened up.

    How could she leave in a situation like this? Although no one was speaking, plenty of eyes were watching her!

    If she were to leave now, news might spread that she didn¡¯t care about her sisters.

    Madam Rong felt immensely regretful. To her, Chu Lian was to me for everything!

    ¡°I believe House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam didn¡¯t do it on purpose. For a young girl, a thousand taels is a huge sum. If Third Young Madam can truly make longevity peach buns that are better than Mr Wang¡¯s, then I¡¯ll give her this coral bracelet to calm her nerves.¡±

    Right when Madam Huang had ordered someone to bring Chu Lian to the kitchen, a woman¡¯s voice rang out.

    The crowd slowly parted to let her through. A middle-aged madam dressed in a begonia-coloured sixteen-bolt dress stepped out, apanied by a group of people behind her.

    Immediately, whispers of discussion sprang up around them. ¡°Lady Yang is here! Madam Huang won¡¯t be able to continue doing as she likes now!¡±

    Lady Yang? Chu Lian turned her bright, clear eyes in the direction the crowd was looking in.

    The middle-aged madam was tall and luxuriously dressed without seeming too stately. She exuded elegance all over. The corners of her eyes were slightly tilted upwards, somewhat simr to Chu Lian¡¯s own eyes.

    She took off the coral bracelet on her wrist and passed it over to one of her handmaids. The maidservant then moved forward and ced the bracelet onto a silver tray sitting on a stone table outside the corridor. When the bracelet hit the tray, it produced a clear ringing sound.

    Each coral bead on the bracelet was finely carved with exquisite patterns, and their colours were about the same. Amber jade beads were ced between each coral bead, showing off a beautiful contrast of red and amber. Everyone could see at first nce that it wasn¡¯t just any ordinary bracelet.

    Chu Lian was shocked. She tried to remember when this character had appeared in the book she was reading before.

    Lady Yang? There was a character in the novel who matched this identity, age, and appearance. Yang Ge¡¯s wife! She was one of the most influential people among the ranks of the capital¡¯s noble madams. Even Matriarch He had to ord her some respect if they met.

    This madam was one of the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯s¡¯ greatest enemies...

    In the end, ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had tortured her to death with some cruel methods...

    Chu Lian cast a curious, measuring gaze towards Lady Yang.

    She hadn¡¯t expected that Lady Yang, who should have been working against her, woulde out now only to stand on her side.

    What was this called again? The tables have turned?

    Although Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to overthink things and make her lifeplicated, she wasn¡¯t so naive as to think that Lady Yang hade simply just to help her out.

    As expected, she could hear some people talking in the crowd.

    ¡°Lady Yang and Madam Huang have been at odds since they were young unmarrieddies. It would be hard to avoid shing over this matter today. Unfortunately, that poor Third Young Madam from House Jing¡¯an has be a target.¡±

    Chu Lianughed inwardly. She didn¡¯t really mind being a target. No matter what Lady Yang¡¯s motives were, that coral bracelet was pretty valuable. What did she need the most now? Money! That bracelet was going to be hers!

    ¡°Since Sister Yang has already ced something in the pot, I¡¯ll have to add in my own share.¡± A young madam with rosy cheeks standing behind Lady Yang spoke up. She looked to be in her twenties, and was dressed in a silk green dress. From what Chu Lian could hear from the crowd¡¯s whispering, this was the wife of the vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

    The vice minister¡¯s wife took off a butterfly-shaped golden hairpin decorated with pieces of jade from directly off her head and ced it in the silver tray.

    The other madams behind Lady Yang followed suit, taking a single essory off and cing it in the silver tray. There were hollowed out gold bracelets iid with jade, yellow jade amulets, headdresses with precious stones... All these high-quality, sparkling essories wereid out on this ordinary silver tray.

    The younger madams in the crowd werepletely wide-eyed in shock.

    What was going on? How did these influential senior madams suddenly start fighting with each other?

 Chapter 86: Wager (2)

    The moment Madam Huang caught sight of Lady Yang, she gritted her teeth. Although she clearly hated Lady Yang, she had to put on a fake smile and say, ¡°How generous of you, Lady Yang. Since you¡¯re betting on Chu Lian being able to make better longevity peach buns, what if she fails? It wouldn¡¯t make sense if you just take back your wager, am I right?¡±

    Lady Yang harrumphed, ¡°Oh? Then what do you think we should do if she fails, Madam Huang?¡±

    Madam Huang shot a look at her daughter, Zou Yuanqin, before she removed a gold bracelet from her arm. Threaded on it were two rare pink pearls. They were shaped differently from normal pearls; instead of the usual sphere shape, they looked like water droplets. Rounded with a lustrous shine, they were quite a rare sight.

    Those familiar with Madam Huang all sucked in a breath. That was Madam Huang¡¯s favourite bracelet; it was said that her maternal grandmother had passed it on to her.

    After cing the pearl bracelet on the tray, Madam Huang said slowly and surely, ¡°Since Lady Yang wants to interfere with this matter, why don¡¯t we do it like this? These essories will be the wager for today. If House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam has the skills, then everything on this tray will be hers, aspensation for the shock she has suffered. If she fails to carry out her task, then she¡¯ll have the same punishment I mentioned earlier: begging for forgiveness from my father in front of everyone in the banquet hall. Furthermore, Lady Yang, all the essories you¡¯ve bet will be ours.¡±

    Lady Yang smirked. Her answer came without hesitation. ¡°Heh! I didn¡¯t know that Madam Huang has an interest in games like these. Why not?¡±

    The moment she agreed to the wager, a few madams walked out from behind Madam Huang and offered up essories of their own.

    When one of the madams was about to ce a gold hairpin she had plucked from her head into the tray, Imperial Princess Leyao reached out and stopped her.

    Imperial Princess Leyao raised her chin proudly. She nced secretly at Chu Lian once, and then arrogantly dered, ¡°How could I possibly miss out on such a fun game?¡±

    After saying so, she took off a little golden qilin statue hanging from her waist and ced it on the tray. ¡°This is a golden statue that Mother Empress gave to me. Is this enough for the wager?¡±

    The Empress had given her the little golden statue on her eighth birthday. Imperial Princess Leyao loved it a lot and wore it everywhere she went. The golden kirin had two bean-sized ruby eyes, and looked very realistic.

    Madam Huang wanted to stop Imperial Princess Leyao, but this princess had been spoiled rotten in the pce and was used to getting her way. Furthermore, she was favoured by the Emperor. This was supposed to be a fight amongst madams, but now that an eleven-year-old princess had suddenly cut in, it seemed a little strange.

    Lady Yang cast a nce at Imperial Princess Leyao; even though she was the wife of an important official and a first-rank titled noble wife, it wouldn¡¯t be good for her to interfere with the princess¡¯ actions.

    Imperial Princess Leyao was part of the imperial family after all.

    It was never a good thing to interfere in the imperial family¡¯s matters.

    Just as everyone thought that the wager had been set, Royal Princess Duanjia stepped out of the crowd.

    Royal Princess Duanjia was about the same age as Chu Lian, and was the legitimate daughter of Prince Wei, the brother of the current Emperor. She was much loved by the Emperor and Empress Dowager; the moment she had been born, she had been conferred the title of royal princess.

    Her influence wasn¡¯t any less than Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s.

    ¡°Since Sister Leyao could bear to put up her most beloved treasure, how could I not participate with mine?¡±

    Without looking at Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s expression, Royal Princess Duanjia took out an item from the purse at her waist. It was apletely white jade ring with some words engraved on the inner side. From the quality of the jade alone, you could tell that it was top-quality white jade, and wasn¡¯t inferior to Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s golden qilin statue in any way.

    A smug look shed across Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s face and she purposely shot Chu Lian a look; it seemed like she was either showing off or mocking her. However, the moment she noticed Royal Princess Duanjia cing that jade ring on the opposite side from her golden qilin statue, her expression changed.

    ¡°Duanjia! You!¡±

    Without any hint of concern for the rage on Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s face, Royal Princess Duanjia tilted her head and dered cheerily, ¡°I bet on House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam winning.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s action stunned half of the people present. What was going on? Wasn¡¯t Royal Princess Duanjia on the same side as Imperial Princess Leyao? Why was she helping House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam?

    Chu Lian also found it strange. She had no rtion to this Royal Princess Duanjia at all, not in the story or as her current self. Why would she be standing on her side?

    Due to her curiosity, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t help but look twice at Royal Princess Duanjia. When their gazes met, Royal Princess Duanjia raised an eyebrow and actually smiled at Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian shifted away her gaze and felt the urge to scratch her head from confusion.

    Since two respected members of the imperial family had just joined in the bet, the excitement of the crowd had been ramped up to the maximum.

    These noble madams and youngdies usually passed their days in boredom. Just by attending a simple longevity feast at Marquis Dingyuan¡¯s estate, they had bumped into such a spectacr show. Everyone was inwardly shouting with excitement. Something like this would surely be the talk of the capital amongst the upper ss! No matter what the result was, everyone would be talking about it within two days¡¯ time.

    Feudal Princess Anmin wanted to have her turn too, and thought of stepping out to add her contribution to the pot. However, she was held back by Zou Yuanqin.

    Zou Yuanqin had received a hint from her mother, and shook her head at Feudal Princess Anmin.

    Feudal Princess Anmin could only give up the idea of joining in. She was an imperial princess¡¯ daughter, so she ranked a step lower than Imperial Princess Leyao and Royal Princess Duanjia. Since there were already two daughters of the imperial family taking part, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to join in as well.

    Madam Rong gripped a jade amulet tightly in her hands, hesitating and thinking hard. In the end, when she saw that Imperial Princess Leyao and Royal Princess Duanjia had joined the wager, her courage shrunk even more.

    Under these circumstances, if she added to the pot, she would be going directly against Imperial Princess Leyao.

 Chapter 87: Fresh Peaches (1)

    In the end, Madam Rong couldn¡¯t gather the courage to step forward, and could only quietly ce the jade amulet in her hands back into her sleeves.

    The people around her noted her hesitation and her eventual decision to not participate in the wager. Some of the madams nearby immediately rolled their eyes. Madam Rong had no choice but to keep her indignation at their reactions to herself.

    Miss Su was more clever and understood that this wasn¡¯t something that an unmarried youngdy like her should join in, so she could only watch what was happening from the crowd.

    On the other hand, Miss Yuan kept staring at the sparkling essories on the silver tray, her greed showing in her eyes. The twenty or so essories in that tray were all extraordinary items; if all of them were to be hers, she would likely go mad from the euphoria. Thus, she couldn¡¯t help the traces of jealousy and hatred leaking from her gaze when she looked at Chu Lian. She fervently hoped that Chu Lian would lose.

    When Chu Lian¡¯s gaze turned to Madam Rong, she noticed that Madam Rong had her head lowered and didn¡¯t dare to meet her eyes. She smiled inwardly, but didn¡¯t take Madam Rong¡¯s actions to heart.

    ¡°House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam, this way please!¡± Madam Huang slightly raised her voice, the corners of her lips tilting upwards. Although her tone was neither hot nor cold, her eyes carried clear contempt for Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian stood amongst the crowd, dressed rather inlypared to the others, but her fearless expression invoked praise and approval from the crowd. She bobbed in greeting to thedies before her and said, ¡°Dear madams, if you would kindly send some people to follow me to the kitchen as witnesses.¡±

    Madam Huang hadn¡¯t expected that Chu Lian would bring up a request like that, but she saw no harm in acquiescing to it. She immediately waved her hand to send two of her senior servants with Chu Lian; Lady Yang did the same.

    As the crowd watched Chu Lian leading her maidservants and the four senior servants off to the kitchen of Mei Court, the sounds of fervent gossiping grew in volume.

    Madam Huang inwardly scoffed as a maidservant helped her to a seat. She didn¡¯t believe that an unfavoured little girl from House Ying could work her way out of a situation like this.

    Don¡¯t assume that you¡¯re craftier than the rest of us, just because your womb is a little more fertile than most!

    Lady Yang sat right next to Madam Huang. Her maidservant passed her a cup of freshly brewed sencha, which she received and took a small sip from. Then, she smiled before speaking to Madam Huang. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you already scared of losing that precious pearl bracelet of yours, Madam Huang?¡±

    ¡°Lady Yang, the longevity peach buns haven¡¯t evene out of the kitchen yet. How are you so sure that you¡¯ve already won?¡±

    The two of them exchanged looks full of hidden daggers; the madams standing around them shivered as chills ran down their spines. They all tried to shrink into the background. None of them wanted to identally be a pawn in the battle between the two fearsome madams, like Chu Lian had.

    ......

    At Qingfeng Court, right across from Mei Court, the azure eyes watching from the third floor window glimmered. They filled with humor as the man murmured to himself in a low voice, ¡°That Sang has gotten a rather interesting wife for himself.¡±

    The man waved his hand and the shadow within the room appeared once again. ¡°Tell the men to retreat for now. This prince wants to see what this Sixth Miss Chu can do.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, Master.¡±

    In the same building, down at the veranda facing the pond, a manservant dressed in blue was whispering into the ears of Heir Zheng. While watching the crowd across the pond, Heir Zheng¡¯s eyes immediately lit up.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Heir Zheng, this servant dare not hide a thing.¡±

    ¡°Then go quickly! Once you have news, report to me immediately!¡± In his urgency, Heir Zheng kicked the manservant¡¯s bottom. The manservant simplyughed and ran off.

 Chapter 88: Fresh Peaches (2)

    Xiao Bojian was still standing in the same spot. Within just three steps, Heir Zheng made it to his side and tried to strike up a conversation. ¡°Senior Xiao, guess what¡¯s happening across the pond? Haha, it¡¯s really lively! I didn¡¯t think something so interesting would happen at Old Marquis Dingyuan¡¯s longevity feast. I haven¡¯t made this trip in vain!¡±

    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the crowd over there was entirely female and that Heir Zheng wasn¡¯t engaged yet, he would probably have gone over to take a look himself, thanks to his busybody nature.

    Xiao Bojian nced calmly at Heir Zheng. His features were already finer than a woman¡¯s, but now that he was pressing his already thin lips together, thebination of his expression and beauty made him look as if he was holding back his desire. Even as a straight man himself, Heir Zheng was almost dazzled by that scene.

    ¡°Heir Zheng, please get straight to the point. I dislike beating around the bush.¡±

    Heir Zheng wasn¡¯t put off by Xiao Bojian¡¯s cold attitude. He was used to his senior¡¯s icy chill and seeming disinterest in everything, so he thought there was no point in teasing him anyway. He exined everything that had happened to Xiao Bojian immediately.

    When he began to speak of the more exciting parts, Heir Zheng would even tsk in admiration.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, speaking of this Third Young Madam from House Jing¡¯an, wasn¡¯t she the one who made those raindrop mochis that Grandmother brought back for us a few days ago? Since she could make desserts like those, these longevity peach buns must be nothing to her. Haha! Madam Huang¡¯s going to lose terribly today. I really can¡¯t wait to see the annoyed expression on her face!¡±

    A huge wave of emotion rose within Xiao Bojian¡¯s chest, even as he appeared calm while listening to Heir Zheng¡¯s words.

    His thin lips pressed together again, almost forming a straight line. His slender fingers grasping the railing of the veranda also tightened.

    Even more thoughts were swirling inside his head.

    How on earth had Lian¡¯er provoked Imperial Princess Leyao? It was clear that the whole incident was a trap. Zou Yuanqin, Imperial Princess Leyao, and Madam Huang were all on the same side.

    What was that Lady Yang plotting to push Lian¡¯er into the thick of things like that?

    And that He Changdi!

    Since he had already married her, why had he treated her that way? That kind of man didn¡¯t deserve to have Lian¡¯er!

    A storm was brewing in Xiao Bojian¡¯s almond-shaped eyes as his heart clenched tightly. He hated himself a little for not having any power. He couldn¡¯t even help Chu Lian when she was in need of help, and he could only let her face those troubles on her own.

    Since He Sang wasn¡¯t worthy of her, then don¡¯t me him for stealing her back!

    All these people who were making trouble for Lian¡¯er today... he would pay them back in the future!

    ......

    Meanwhile, Chu Lian was busy teaching her two maidservants how to knead the dough in the kitchen. If she were able to hear Xiao Bojian¡¯s current thoughts, she would surely roll her eyes at him.

    She would even offer him a reply: ¡°Shoo, go stand somewhere else. Don¡¯t interfere with my moneymaking.¡±

    Does your mum know how warped your thinking is?

    Unfortunately, Chu Lian didn¡¯t know of what was going on in Xiao Bojian¡¯s mind. She was busy as a bee in the kitchen.

    The four senior servants who had followed her here were Madam Huang and Lady Yang¡¯s people. None of them could help in making the buns.

    Since De¡¯an Restaurant¡¯s Mr Wang had made the longevity peach buns in this exact kitchen a while ago, she didn¡¯tck any of the necessary ingredients.

    With Xiyan and Wenqing helping her, Chu Lian could speed up her cooking.

    At first, the four senior servants had kept a close eye on the proceedings from the side. Madam Huang¡¯s senior servants had even seemed to have grown eyes on the top of their head from all their staring. However, as time passed, the senior servants¡¯ eyes all widened; Madam Huang¡¯s servants were so anxious that cold sweat started appearing on their bodies.

    However, they couldn¡¯t leave at all due to Lady Yang¡¯s servants watching them.

 Chapter 89: Fresh Peaches (3)

    Chu Lian worked without any sense of urgency and was able to produce a few baskets of longevity peach buns within an hour.

    The four servants tried to peek as Chu Lian brought the longevity peach buns out of the steamer, but Chu Lian purposely blocked their gazes so that none of them had a good view of the buns.

    Chu Lian washed her hands and led her maidservants and the witnessing senior servants back to Mei Court. All the women in Mei Court immediately focused on Chu Lian before their eyes turned to the box that Xiyan was carrying. Curiosity itched inside their hearts; they wished for the power to see through things so that they could have a peek at what House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam made.

    The four senior servants apanying Chu Lian hurriedly returned to their own masters.

    Madam Huang¡¯s servant whispered a few lines into her ear, causing Madam Huang¡¯s expression to change. She asked in return, ¡°Are you certain?¡±

    The senior servant nodded and said, ¡°This old servant didn¡¯t get to see what the end result was, and didn¡¯t get the chance to taste it. House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam purposely hid the buns from us the moment she took them out of the steamer.¡±

    Upon hearing the senior servant¡¯s reply, the tension on Madam Huang¡¯s face faded away.

    Heh! If she tried to hide them, that meant she wasn¡¯t confident!

    Anyone could learn how to make longevity peach buns. She refused to believe that a youngdy who had never stepped foot into the kitchen could make buns that tasted better than Mr Wang¡¯s.

    After her servant had reported what she had seen, Madam Huang was even more certain that Chu Lian was simply acting the part. Furthermore, even if the buns looked good, it didn¡¯t mean that they would taste delicious. Before seeing them for herself, there was no need for her to get all flustered; that was just giving that hateful Lady Yang a chance to mock her.

    The senior servant was about to say more, but Madam Huang waved her hand in dismissal.

    She could only close her mouth and retreat a few steps to stand in the corner. Her curiosity burned in her heart as she watched Chu Lian¡¯s every move.

    Chu Lian walked into the middle of the crowd with her maidservants and curtsied to each of the madams. ¡°I¡¯ve made you wait.¡±

    Imperial Princess Leyao red at Chu Lian before sneering. ¡°How fake.¡±

    ¡°Princess, please don¡¯t get angry. All she can do is act the part. Let¡¯s wait until she brings out the longevity peach buns. We¡¯ll see if she can keep acting then!¡± Zou Yuanqin quickly said, trying to curry favour with the princess.

    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t stand on ceremony. Bring out the longevity peach buns!¡± Lady Yang stated calmly.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t tarry and instructed Xiyan to ce the box on the stone table in front of everyone. Then, she opened the box herself.

    Everyone¡¯s eyes were instantly concentrated on the box. All the people present, even Imperial Princess Leyao and Royal Princess Duanjia, opened their eyes wide, afraid that they would miss a moment of this exciting event.

    Miss Su nervously wrung the handkerchief in her hands while staring at the box. Madam Rong was both anxious and remorseful, with various emotions running through her heart. However, Miss Yuan couldn¡¯t even bear to pry her gaze away from the prizes on the tray.

    The crowd watched as Chu Lian took out three tes of perfectly-sized peaches and ced them on the stone table. The peaches were vibrant and lovely, full and plump; there were even a few fresh, verdant leaves on the top of the peaches with waterdrops glistening on their surfaces. These were clearly fresh, sweet peaches that had just been plucked off a branch!

    The noble madams present stared at the peaches in a daze, and some of them even gaped in surprise.

    Suddenly, a young voice cried out in shock, ¡°Ah! Those aren¡¯t fresh peaches! Those were made!¡±

    The young girl¡¯s voice rang out clearly, travelling into the ears of everyone present.

    What? Those weren¡¯t fresh peaches? They were longevity peach buns?!

    The young girl realised that she had spoken out of turn and quickly covered her mouth. Her face flushed as she nced at her mother beside her. The madam knew that her daughter had beencking in manners, so she apologised to the madams around her. While apologising, she exined, ¡°When House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam brought those buns out, I thought they were fresh peaches too. I didn¡¯t realise they were buns until I spotted the steam rising off these ¡®peaches¡¯.¡±

    The young girl and madam were standing near the stone table, so they had quickly spotted the difference.

    After her exnation, all the madams in Mei Court were even more stunned. Those realistic longevity peach buns were really made of flour and weren¡¯t actually fresh peaches!?

    Even Lady Yang and Wei Fengzi had their interests piqued.

    Madam Huang was staring straight at the buns with extreme disbelief in her eyes. The way she was tightly clutching onto her handkerchief revealed her unwillingness to concede.

    ¡°So what if they look realistic? It¡¯s not enough to win against Mr Wang¡¯s longevity peach buns if they don¡¯t taste right!¡± Imperial Princess Leyao couldn¡¯t hold back her anger and was the first to reply.

 Chapter 90: Jackpot (1)

    Chu Lian motioned Xiyan and Wenqing to pass the two tes of longevity peach buns around for the madams and youngdies present to taste.

    The buns weren¡¯t very big; each one was about the size of an infant¡¯s fist. They were cute and finely made, too ¡ª just about enough for two or three bites, so people wouldn¡¯t get sick of the taste.

    Xiyan first brought some buns over to Imperial Princess Leyao before serving them to Madam Huang and the other madams behind her. As for Wenqing, she served them to Royal Princess Duanjia first, then Lady Yang and so on.

    Once everyone had a peach bun in their hands, they could instantly tell that these were actually buns and not peaches.

    Royal Princess Duanjia pinched the soft peach bun in her hand and examined it seriously, just as if it was a novelty to her. When she sniffed it, she was surprised to find that it not only looked like the real thing, but even carried the clean, fresh aroma of real peaches.

    Thedies holding the adorable longevity peach buns couldn¡¯t bear to take a bite; instead, they wanted to keep them like souvenirs and put them on disy to admire how realistic they were everyday!

    Royal Princess Duanjia blinked and parted her red, tender lips. She lightly bit into the bun, enjoying the soft, sweet texture of the skin. After biting into it, there was an unexpected vour.

    Before Royal Princess Duanjia could think of what vour it was, a young madam eximed in surprised joy, ¡°Ah! There¡¯s a filling in this bun! It¡¯s soft, sticky and sweet, and it¡¯s not too heavy on your tongue either.¡±

    When Royal Princess Duanjia looked closely at it, she noted that the stuffing was indeed smooth and silky. It had the same colour as red beans, so perhaps the stuffing was made of that?

    The women who had tasted Chu Lian¡¯s peach buns were all quiet. Even those who had been picking on Chu Lian had forgotten to speak. Why? Her peach buns were simply too delicious!

    Imperial Princess Leyao and Madam Huang each took one bite. Their expressions simultaneously turned serious.

    Despite the frustration in their hearts, both of them still finished every bit of the little longevity peach bun in their hands.

    They couldn¡¯t help it. No matter how angry they were, their taste buds were begging for more!

    It only took one bite to make Lady Yang¡¯s eyes light up. She also had a sweet tooth. Upon seeing two buns left on the te before her, she didn¡¯t wait for anyone else to react and swiped both of them for herself. Then, she swiftly finished them off with a few elegant movements.

    None of thedies standing around Madam Rong were ranked highly enough to be part of the crowd that was tasting the buns. Madam Rong anxiously stared at the madams in the center. When she saw that Lady Yang had eaten three in one go, she finally rxed. However, a pool of mixed feelings quickly reced her previous anxiety.

    She regretted it a little now. If... If she had been decisive enough to stand by Chu Lian, she would be able to boast right now.

    Miss Su inwardly sighed in relief and smiled at Chu Lian. She had thought that this Sixth Sister of hers was too ambitious and arrogant in the past, and was too reckless in trying to make a name for herself. However, after this wild turn of events today, her opinion of Chu Lian changed a lot.

    She hadn¡¯t thought that Sixth Sister had such hidden talent.

    Miss Yuan had a death grip on the handkerchief in her hands. Her eyes were still locked on the essories on the silver tray. Upon thinking that those were all Chu Lian¡¯s now, her heart was filled with jealousy!

    She was the daughter of a second wife, so when it came to status, she was actually ranked a little lower than Chu Lian. Thus, ever since she was little, she had always tried topete with Chu Lian in anything and everything, and in everypetition, she was the one who won. But now, Chu Lian was on the brink of winning an entire tray of treasures that none of her essories could ever hope topare to. How could she possibly bear to see that happen?

    Wei Fengzi finished eating the longevity peach bun in her hands. There was a spark of interest in the nce she tossed at Chu Lian. Her eyebrows raised as she said, ¡°House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam has indeed made longevity peach buns that are more delicious than the ones made by De¡¯an Restaurant¡¯s Mr Wang.¡±

    Although the madams present already knew what the results would be, no one expected Wei Fengzi to be the one to announce it.

    When Imperial Princess Leyao heard Wei Fengzi¡¯s words, she pouted unhappily. ¡°Aunt! How could you side with outsiders?!¡±

    Wei Fengzi looked at Imperial Princess Leyao affectionately and sat next to the princess. She stroked the princess¡¯ hair. ¡°Princess, I¡¯m just stating the facts. Don¡¯t you think that these longevity peach buns are delicious?¡±

    Imperial Princess Leyao couldn¡¯t lie in front of the aunt who had always pampered her. Furthermore, Chu Lian had indeed made peach buns that had surpassed Mr Wang¡¯s in both look and taste.

    ¡°They are.¡± Imperial Princess Leyao was just an eleven year old child after all. She replied truthfully, as unwilling as she was.

    Wei Fengzi smiled and turned to Madam Huang.

    Chu Lian took a second look at Wei Fengzi. Although she had only said two sentences, that was enough to extract Imperial Princess Leyao out from the whole awkward fiasco.

    She was trying to show that Imperial Princess Leyao was just a eleven-year-old girl, despite her unruly behaviour at the start. Now that she had admitted that Chu Lian¡¯s peach buns were delicious, her image had turned into an obedient child who knew how to change for the better. The arrogantly wilful image of her from before would then fade away.

    Now that the situation was like this, the greatest me now lied with Madam Huang.

    Chu Lian had to admit that Wei Fengzi was crafty.

    Those two sentences had fulfilled her promise to Madam Zou to take care of Chu Lian, and they had protected the princess¡¯ image. It wasn¡¯t easy to please everyone, but Wei Fengzi had seeded.

    However, Chu Lian didn¡¯t take any of it to heart.

 Chapter 91: Jackpot (2)

    Since Wei Fengzi had spoken, Madam Huang couldn¡¯t do anything but admit to her defeat.

    Furthermore, everyone had agreed on the taste of the longevity peach buns, so how could she go back on her word?

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam to have such talent at all. We¡¯ve expanded our horizons today.¡± After saying so, Madam Huang sent her personal maidservant to bring the tray of essories to Chu Lian.

    However, only she herself knew how conflicted she felt inside. That pearl bracelet was her favourite essory!

    When the maidservant held up the tray, Madam Huang narrowed her eyes purposefully at Chu Lian.

    That look was a warning, loud and clear, telling her not to ept those essories.

    However, the young madam standing in the middle of the crowd had her head lowered, revealing her smooth forehead and her exquisitely fair nape. She reached out with her slender fingers and received the silver tray.

    She didn¡¯t lift her head at all from start to finish. No one could tell if she simply couldn¡¯t feel Madam Huang¡¯s threatening gaze, or if she really hadn¡¯t noticed it at all.

    Madam Huang wrung the handkerchief in her hands. She would¡¯ve never expected Chu Lian to win the bet.

    Imperial Princess Leyao couldn¡¯t bear to part with her golden qilin statue. She wanted to ask for it back, but Wei Fengzi stopped her.

    When Lady Yang saw how frustrated Madam Huang was at losing, she felt extremely happy.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you hurting for that pearl bracelet of yours, Madam Huang?¡±

    Madam Huang was so annoyed she almost spat up blood. Although she really couldn¡¯t bear to give up the bracelet, she had to pretend to be magnanimous on the surface. ¡°What are you saying, Lady Yang? It¡¯s just a bracelet after all. Didn¡¯t you put in a coral bracelet yourself?¡±

    Lady Yang¡¯s eyes were crinkled up in a smile. She would give up any number of coral bracelets just to see Madam Huang eat her words like this.

    Chu Lian gently smiled after receiving the silver tray and curtsied to each person in turn. ¡°Many thanks to Imperial Princess Leyao, Royal Princess Duanjia, Madam Huang, Lady Yang, and noble madams for your gracious gifts.¡±

    Haha! She had struck gold this time!

    When she looked up slightly and caught sight of the madams¡¯ unwilling expressions, the smile on Chu Lian¡¯s face grew a little more pronounced.

    She wasn¡¯t the one who started the bet! They were the ones who offered up their treasures to her; not epting them would be silly.

    The crowd watched as House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam smiled with her eyes twinkling before she passed the whole tray to her maidservant for keeping. The madams felt a pang of loss and were envious to the point of bleeding.

    Even though Chu Lian had taken the entire tray of prizes without any pretense at modesty, no one thought her greedy. Some madams even thought that she was being genuine.

    The moment Chu Lian looked up, her eyes met with Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s gaze. Very strangely, Royal Princess Duanjia even smiled at her.

    A maidservant dressed in green came rushing in from outside Mei Court. When she reached Madam Huang, she bobbed in courtesy before asking after the longevity peaches.

    When Lady Yang heard so, sheughed and pointed at the remaining te of longevity peach buns on the stone table. ¡°Those are the longevity peaches that your Madam Huang has prepared. Bring them over.¡±

    The maidservant looked at Madam Huang in surprise. Madam Huang just felt terrible after the whole ruckus, so she simply waved and let the maidservant take the peach buns off to the banquet at the outer court.

    The servant dressed in green walked over to the stone table. The moment she saw the realistic-looking peach buns, her eyes almost fell out from her staring. She quickly recovered her senses and carefully ced the te into a box before leaving in a hurry.

    Now that the entire farce was finally over, the madams present all heaved a sigh of relief. They also got an interesting story to recount to their family once they got back!

    Chu Lian bobbed in a junior¡¯s greeting to Lady Yang before leading her maidservants out of the crowd and to somewhere less popted.

    When Madam Rong saw that Chu Lian hade out of the crowd, she brought Miss Su and Miss Yuan over to wee her.

    Chu Lian frowned and bobbed in greeting to Madam Rong. ¡°Eldest Sister-in-Law.¡±

    Madam Rong held onto Chu Lian¡¯s hand and, voice full of concern, said, ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re alright, Miss Lian. You¡¯ve frightened Eldest Sister-in-Law to death.¡±

    Chu Lian gently extracted her hand out from Madam Rong¡¯s grip. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Eldest Sister-in-Law.¡±

    After saying so, she spotted Madam Zou rushing over with her servants in tow. Upon catching sight of Chu Lian, Madam Zou strode over quickly.

    Miss Yuan¡¯s eyes remained on the wooden box in Xiyan¡¯s hands, greed shimmering in their depths. She tried to speak up, but was interrupted by Chu Lian.

    ¡°Madam Jing¡¯an hase to look for me. Eldest Sister-in-Law, why don¡¯t you bring Fifth Sister and Eighth Sister around a while longer?¡± With that, she curtsied to Madam Rong and went off to Madam Zou.

    Madam Rong watched Chu Lian¡¯s slender back as she left, the light in her eyes darkening. It looked like Miss Lian med her after all.

    ......

    On the other side of the pond, Heir Zheng wasughing with praise. ¡°Hah! Is that true? House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam actually made longevity peach buns that are better than Mr Wang¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°Heir Zheng, it¡¯s true. I heard that those buns looked exactly like fresh peaches, and even had the faint aroma of fresh fruit. After pinching them open, they even had some filling in them. They¡¯re something that no one has ever heard or seen before!¡±

    Heir Zheng had tasted Chu Lian¡¯s waterdrop mochis before. Upon hearing the manservant¡¯s description, he was almost drooling.

    ¡°Are they really that good?¡± Heir Zheng asked doubtfully.

    The manservant chuckled. ¡°This servant heard from the maidservants in Mei Court. They didn¡¯t get to see them personally, but Lady Yang ate three of them in one go. They must surely be delicious.¡±

 Chapter 92: Secret Affair (1)

    Heir Zheng pulled Xiao Bojian over with one arm and smiled. ¡°Senior Xiao, I didn¡¯t think that House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam was so talented.¡±

    Xiao Bojian finally loosened the tight grip he had on the railing. The frost in his eyes also slowly faded away. His gaze scanned the area across the pond as he pressed his lips together without saying a word.

    The manservant could hear the happiness in Heir Zheng¡¯s voice, so he quickly continued his report. ¡°Heir Zheng, this servant heard that the longevity peach buns Third Young Madam made are to be sent to the feast located in the outer court. If Heir Zheng wishes to taste them, why not go to the banquet hall? The feast is about to start.¡±

    ¡°Alright, thanks for the news.¡± Heir Zheng casually tossed out a peanut made of gold; the manservant hurriedly received it and profusely thanked the young master before leaving.

    As Heir Zheng fanned himself, he eximed, ¡°Senior Xiao, let¡¯s go! We have to rush over there or there won¡¯t be any left for us.¡±

    Xiao Bojian went along with Heir Zheng silently.

    At around the same time, the prince sitting on the third floor of Qingfeng Court also stood up. The corners of his lips curled. ¡°Let¡¯s go. To the outer court.¡±

    Although the Great Wu Dynasty was more open-mindedpared to the previous dynasties, they still separated males and females whenever possible. Thus, the two genders were seated in different halls.

    Chu Lian followed behind Madam Zou obediently. Anyone looking at her now wouldn¡¯t think that she was the same Third Young Madam who had just turned the tables on a bunch of noble madams in Mei Court.

    Madam Zou¡¯s brows were slightly drawn together. By the time she had heard of Chu Lian¡¯s troubles and rushed back to Mei Court, she had already realised that someone was out to get Chu Lian.

    While House Dingyuan was prospering both in numbers and wealth and seemed like a mighty noble house, the truth of the matter was that the main branch and second branch were fighting each other.

    Madam Zou was a youngdy from the second branch, and was also the eldest granddaughter of the family. Her aunt didn¡¯t like her at all, and didn¡¯t have to worry about offending House Jing¡¯an either. There was no limit to what her aunt could do.

    Madam Zou had been informed upon reaching Mei Court that her youngest daughter had identally fallen off a decorative mountain and had been hurt. She had rushed over like someone had set her on fire, only to find that her daughter had only scraped her knee. By then, she had begun to feel like something wasn¡¯t quite right.

    However, she hadn¡¯t expected that her aunt¡¯s real target was Chu Lian.

    Madam Zou inwardly sighed and turned to Chu Lian. ¡°Third Sister-in-Law, it¡¯s Eldest Sister-in-Law¡¯s fault for not taking care of you properly and letting you suffer. Just stick to me for now.¡±

    Chu Lian shook her head and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not Eldest Sister-in-Law¡¯s fault! Even if they didn¡¯t get me this time, they have a thousand and one other tricks they could use on me Unless I never step out of the house again, I¡¯m bound to fall for one of them. Don¡¯t take it to heart. I even earned quite a few good essories today!¡±

    When Chu Lian spoke of the essories, her almond-shaped eyes lit up, clearly showing how happy she was. She really hadn¡¯t let any of what just happened affect her at all.

    Madam Zou wanted to say something, but she stopped just as she was about to speak. Thinking of the shock Chu Lian must have suffered just now, she decided to save the rest of her words for when they got back to the Jing¡¯an Estate.

    It wasn¡¯t really a good thing to take the essories from those noble madams and princesses.

    Madam Zou patted Chu Lian¡¯s hand and led her to the courtyard where the female guests would be participating in the banquet. In her heart, she decided to return home quickly once the banquet ended so that they could avoid any other traps set by her aunt, Madam Huang.

    In the end, everything went smoothly and the guests were invited to take a walk to Dingbo Pavilion after the feast. Chu Lian excused herself and rested in a guest room with her two nieces for a couple hours.

    Madam Zou wanted to leave as early as possible and Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to continue staying at the Dingyuan Estate, so before dusk, they sent someone to summon House Jing¡¯an¡¯s carriage.

 Chapter 93: Secret Affair (2)

    Wenqing was led to Xi Court by one of the Dingyuan Estate¡¯s maidservants. Just as they turned around a corner and entered a secluded area, the maidservant suddenly turned around and took out a letter from her sleeves, shoving it into Wenqing¡¯s hands.

    Wenqing froze in response, but heard the maidservant exin, ¡°This is a letter from Mister Xiao to Sixth Miss Chu. Sister, please be discreet.¡± Following that, the maidservant ran off...

    Wenqing¡¯s entire body had stiffened. For Sixth Miss Chu? Wasn¡¯t that their Third Young Madam? Who... who was Mister Xiao?

    When she finally recovered her senses, she quickly hid the letter in her sleeves. After looking left and right to make sure there was no one else around, she heaved a heavy sigh of relief.

    Xi Court was right around the corner. Wenqing made it there in two or three paces. She closed the door behind her and finally dared to take the letter out from her sleeve. There was the Chinese character for Xiao on the simple envelope, handwritten in a way that divulged the writer¡¯s strong personality.

    When Wenqing recalled the reminders that Senior Servant Zhong had given her yesterday, her heart beat like a drum.

    However, the way Chu Lian looked while making desserts, and the way she amiably mingled with the maidservants also popped into her mind. A glint of determination shed in Wenqing¡¯s eyes.

    She looked down at the letter in her hands.

    This must be from someone trying to frame Third Young Madam. Third Young Madam was such a good person; how could she possibly be having a secret affair?! Senior Servant Zhong was too narrow-minded. She had to hide this letter! It was pitiful enough that Third Young Master had left Third Young Madam all by herself to go to the northern border. She had to protect Third Young Madam! She couldn¡¯t let anyone harm her!

    After making her decision, Wenqing folded the letter and ced it back into her sleeve.

    By the time she returned to Chu Lian¡¯s side, Madam Zou was already preparing to leave the Dingyuan Estate.

    Wenqing followed behind Chu Lian, her head lowered and her expression tense. Chu Lian found it strange and turned to look at her, asking worriedly, ¡°Wenqing, are you feeling alright?¡±

    When Wenqing looked up to meet Third Young Madam¡¯s concerned gaze, her heart softened and she was even more sure that the letter she had received was from someone trying to frame Third Young Madam.

    Wenqing hurriedly shook her head. ¡°Third Young Madam, this servant is fine. It¡¯s been a little too hot these few days; perhaps this servant looks off due to the heat.¡±

    ¡°When we return to the estate, go back to your room and take a break. You don¡¯t have to serve by my side for now.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Third Young Madam.¡±

    Madam Zou and Chu Lian left the Dingyuan Estate. When they reached the Jing¡¯an Estate, it wasn¡¯t even dark yet.

    Old Matriarch He had stayed behind in the Dingyuan Estate for the night banquet. She would probably returnte at night. Chu Lian sent Wenqing back to her room to rest the moment they returned to Songtao Court.

    ......

    In the guest room provided for male guests in the Dingyuan Estate, Xiao Bojian was seated on a wooden chair. Within minutes, a knock sounded at the door. After his grunt of approval, a woman dressed up as a normal maidservant pushed the door open and entered.

    The maidservant closed the door carefully and knelt down before Xiao Bojian.

    ¡°Master.¡±

    ¡°Have you carried out your task?¡±

    ¡°Master, please rest easy. The letter was given to one of Sixth Miss Chu¡¯s personal maidservants. Sixth Miss Chu must have read Master¡¯s letter by now.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Return to hiding. Don¡¯t expose yourself.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± The maidservant opened the door and left. Right after passing through the doorway of the guest room, the cold expression on her face changed into one that was timid and weak.

    It was as if she were two different people.

    After the maidservant left, another person appeared within the guest room. This man was dressed in ash-grey clothing. He had an average figure and average looks.

    He bowed his head and lowered his voice as he said, ¡°Master, isn¡¯t it a waste to expose Seven just for a woman?¡±

    The contented expression on Xiao Bojian¡¯s face instantly turned icy and hard. He narrowed his eyes and turned to look at the man behind him. ¡°One, it¡¯s not your ce toment on what I do.¡±

    The man called One stiffened and quickly lowered his head even further. ¡°This subordinate has overstepped his bounds.¡±

    Xiao Bojian waved his hand and continued to coldly order, ¡°Don¡¯te out again unless I call for you.¡±

 Chapter 94: Secret Affair (3)

    Wenqing returned to her own room, a little flustered. She shut the door the moment she entered and took out the letter, cing it on the table. She didn¡¯t dare to read it herself. Rather, she wanted to use a fire starter to burn it to ashes.

    Just as she stood up, someone knocked on the door, scaring Wenqing into dropping the fire starter. In her panic, she hid the letter under a book.

    ¡°Sister Wenqing, Third Young Madam asked you to go to the kitchen and have some warm soup before you sleep.¡± It was the voice of the little girl who was in charge of sweeping the courtyard.

    Wenqing didn¡¯t dare to tarry and quickly went out.

    Right after she had left, Fuyan came out from the room next door. As she watched Wenqing¡¯s disappearing back, she snorted in disdain.

    She wasn¡¯t on duty today, and Chu Lian had gone off to attend the feast at the Dingyuan Estate. Since she had been feeling sore and tender all over from her monthlies, she had gone back to her room to rest after reporting to Senior Servant Gui.

    However, right aftering out of her room, she had heard the lower tier servants discussing how Third Young Madam had returned, and how she seemed to have brought some treasures back from the Dingyuan Estate.

    Following that, she had heard sounds from the room next door and realised that Wenqing had returned to her room.

    Wenqing had onlye to Songtao Court after Third Young Master had left, and had only been serving here for a few days! Fuyan, on the other hand, had been Third Young Madam¡¯s personal maidservant since she was still an unmarried young girl. She should have been the one involved in whatever fortune Third Young Madam had run into at the Dingyuan Estate. Unfortunately, Wenqing¡¯s arrival had snatched her position away.

    Fuyan wasn¡¯t satisfied. Third Young Madam had be much more friendly after getting married. She would even bestow rewards or delicacies on her personal maidservants from time to time.

    Since Wenqing had followed Chu Lian to the Dingyuan Estate today and Third Young Madam had gotten something good, Wenqing couldn¡¯t possibly have returned empty-handed. Fuyan couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous.

    That reward should have been hers!

    However, it had gone to Wenqing instead!

    The personal maidservants all lived in a small courtyard next to Songtao Court, two to a room. Since Chu Lian had just returned, the others had all gone to serve her. Only Fuyan was left in the courtyard.

    Fuyan nced at Wenqing¡¯s room, where the doors had been left half open due to her hurried departure. She suddenly turned and entered Wenqing¡¯s room.

    Since Wenqing and Wen had just moved there, the simple room was rather empty. She could see everything at one nce. Fuyan nervously gulped and started rummaging around the desk.

    There were the usual ssics on the table: ¡®Lessons for Women¡¯, ¡®Book of Songs¡¯, etc. Next to them were the essential tools for writing. Fuyan suddenly spotted a yellow corner of paper sticking out of a book; she pulled it out and found a letter.

    There was only a single ¡®Xiao¡¯ written on the envelope.

    Fuyan¡¯s eyes darted about in thought. She was about to put it back when she heard voices outside the room. She stuffed the letter into her arms in fright and quickly shut the door and left.

    When she returned to her own room and heard the sounds of the door opening and closing from next door, she copsed on the ground.

    After getting her breath back, Fuyan remembered the letter she had taken. She quickly got up and locked the door before sitting by the bed and taking out the wrinkled envelope. She opened it slowly...

    She was so nervous that her hands were trembling, but the thrill of peeking into someone else¡¯s secret excited her.

    When she opened the letter fully and read the contents, Fuyan froze.

    This... This letter was meant for Third Young Madam!

    It was Mister Xiao who had written it, intending it for Third Young Madam, and he wanted to meet her at Defeng Tea House on the twenty-sixth!

    Fuyan was Chu Lian¡¯s personal maidservant, so she naturally knew of the goings-on between the two back in the Ying Estate. However, she hadn¡¯t thought that Chu Lian would dare to continue having an affair with Mister Xiao even after marrying into House Jing¡¯an!

    In her panic, Fuyan didn¡¯t know what to do.

    She didn¡¯t dare to enter Wenqing¡¯s room again, so she could only hide the letter in the bottom of her storage chest for now.

 Chapter 95: Distributing the Spoils (1)

    Xiao Bojian had assumed that Chu Lian¡¯s personal maidservants were all on his side. Since the letter had been received by one of her handmaidens, he assumed the letter would definitely reach Chu Lian¡¯s hands.

    When Wenqing returned and found that the letter had disappeared, she was scared out of her wits. She rummaged through the entire room, but couldn¡¯t find it. After her bout of panic, she eventually fell sick and couldn¡¯t get out of bed for a few days.

    While recovering from her illness, Wenqing could only console herself by thinking that she must have identally dropped it somewhere. Even if she had dropped it within Songtao Court, only Chu Lian¡¯s personal maidservants knew how to read. Since the incident had already happened, Wenqing didn¡¯t dare to report it to Wen or Senior Servant Zhong, and simply let it pass.

    Once Chu Lian had returned to her bedroom in Songtao Court, she ordered Xiyan to bring out the box of essories.

    The moment the pear blossom wood box was opened, the dazzling glow of treasure inside was revealed. Senior Servant Gui, Senior Servant Zhong, Wen, and the rest who hadn¡¯t gone to the Dingyuan Estate were blinded by the sight.

    What? Had Third Young Madam gone shopping at a jewellery store instead of attending Old Marquis Dingyuan¡¯s longevity feast today?

    When Chu Lian looked up and noticed the shock on everyone¡¯s faces, she smiled mischievously. She took out Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s ¡®gracious¡¯ contribution to the pot, the exquisite little golden qilin statue, and showed it off to them. ¡°What do you think? Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡±

    How could it possibly not be pretty? That was something that the empress had ordered a special craftsmen¡¯s guild to make by hand!

    Senior Servant Gui and Senior Servant Zhong nodded in a daze.

    It was Senior Servant Gui who recovered first. ¡°Third... Third Young Madam, where did you get all this jewellery from?¡±

    Those couldn¡¯t possibly be visiting gifts from the Dingyuan Estate. If the Dingyuan Estate gave away things like that to their visitors, their doorstep would have been ttened by the crowds flocking there.

    Chu Lian shook the box of essories while grinning from ear to ear. These were all top-quality goods, except for a few more normal-looking golden hairpins and bangles. However, even if their quality was just average, they were still worth a hefty sum.

    The best items of the lot were Lady Yang¡¯s red coral bracelet, Madam Huang¡¯s pink pearl bracelet, Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s white jade ring, and Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s golden qilin statue.

    Chu Lian shot a look at Xiyan before looking down into the box and picking out essories to y with.

    Xiyan understood Chu Lian¡¯s hint, and exined everything that had happened at the Dingyuan Estate to the rest.

    Senior Servants Gui and Zhong were shocked; they hadn¡¯t expected Third Young Madam to run head-first into a plot like that just by visiting the Dingyuan Estate.

    However, after they had recovered from their fright, admiration blossomed in their hearts for their young madam. There must have been plenty of high-ranking officials¡¯ wives at the feast. Chu Lian was only fifteen years old, yet she had managed to deal with the situation with calm and poise. It must have been tough on her.

    Senior Servant Gui frowned upon looking at the various expensive essories ced on the table. When she thought about the noble madams whom the essories belonged to, she couldn¡¯t help but break out into cold sweat. Turning to look at her young madam, she saw that Chu Lian was happily ying with her spoils of war without a care. Senior Servant Gui started worrying about her naivete.

    Wasn¡¯t her master... a little too innocent...?

    Senior Servant Gui didn¡¯t want to speak of it in front of Senior Servant Zhong; she wanted to wait until everyone had been dismissed before reminding Chu Lian of the consequences of taking things from those high-ranking noble madams.

    However, she didn¡¯t expect Chu Lian to pass two sets of solid golden hairpins and bangles to her. ¡°Momo, take these and melt them into gold, then change them into banknotes.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Senior Servant Gui couldn¡¯t decide whether to receive the essories or not.

    Instead, she decided to tactfully remind her of their origin. ¡°Third Young Madam, these essories belong to those noble madams.¡±

    It wouldn¡¯t be too good if she took other people¡¯s precious jewellery to melt, right?

    ¡°They¡¯re all mine now. Momo, don¡¯t worry about it; I know what I¡¯m doing. Take them. Right, remember that list I gave you the other time? Follow the instructions there and have the items made before you bring them back.¡±

    Since Chu Lian had already spoken, Senior Servant Gui could only ept the essories.

    Although Senior Servant Zhong didn¡¯t say a word, she made a mental note to question Wenqing thoroughlyter on.

 Chapter 96: Distributing the Spoils (2)

    Chu Lian had her dinner at Songtao Court before going to the study alone. She was practising her writing again when Jingyan came in to report that an invitation hade from Qingxi Hall.

    Senior Servant Gui helped Chu Lian change into a new set of clothes before worriedly asking her, ¡°Third Young Madam, could the matriarch be calling you over to talk about what happened at the Dingyuan Estate today?¡±

    Chu Lian looked at Senior Servant Gui with wide, clear eyes. ¡°Momo, what are you scared of? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Even if Grandmother has called me over to talk about it, you don¡¯t have to worry at all.¡±

    Senior Servant Gui pressed her lips together without speaking. How could she not worry for Chu Lian? The people at the banquet were either members of the imperial family or high-ranking noble wives. Madam Huang, Lady Yang, Imperial Princess Leyao, Royal Princess Duanjia... they couldn¡¯t afford to offend any one of them!

    Perhaps due to living in the modern world for over twenty years, Chu Lian didn¡¯t really notice differences in status or seniority when interacting with others. That was also one of the reasons why she had been able to face so many high-ranking noble madams at Mei Court without batting an eysh.

    Even if the current emperor of the Great Wu Dynasty stood before her right now, she would most likely only bow her head in respect and perform a normal greeting without any fear or reverence.

    Senior Servant Gui¡¯s light sigh was full of worry. She sent Chu Lian off to the entrance of Songtao Court and watched as her young madam¡¯s silhouette disappeared into the dark night.

    When Chu Lian reached Qingxi Hall, she saw that the matriarch had already changed into a more casual outfit for home: a dress embroidered with cranes. Matriarch He was seated on a sofa and having a cup of tea.

    Chu Lian performed the usual greeting for seniors. She was then called to Matriarch He¡¯s side with a smile.

    ¡°Sang¡¯s wife,e, sit here.¡±

    Chu Lian obediently sat next to Matriarch He.

    Matriarch He brought out a fine yellow peach wood box and pushed it to Chu Lian.

    ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, open it and take a look.¡±

    Chu Lian tilted her head sideways and looked at Matriarch He with a puzzled expression. The warm light of thempsplemented Chu Lian¡¯s clear, spirited eyes. Since she was still young, there was a tenderness to her looks that spoke of her youth. Her appearance could easily invoke affection in the hearts of elders.

    While looking at Chu Lian¡¯s lovable, naive expression, Matriarch He found that she was liking this granddaughter-inw of hers more and more each day.

    Chu Lian opened the box, only to see a set of finely-made tableware decorated with patterns for longevity: a small bowl, ivory chopsticks, a gold-lined porcin spoon, and a jade chopstick rest.

    She held up this set of tableware and turned to Matriarch He, still a little bewildered.

    Matriarch He chuckled. ¡°This is a reward from Old Marquis Dingyuan.¡±

    Chu Lian recalled the longevity peach buns that had been served at the banquet in the outer court earlier and immediately understood. ¡°Could it possibly be because of those longevity peach buns...?¡±

    Matriarch He nodded with a smile. ¡°You silly girl. When did you learn how to make longevity peach buns? Why didn¡¯t you make some for Grandmother to have a taste earlier?¡±

    Back at the Dingyuan Estate, Matriarch He had been drinking tea in one of the courtyards,pletely unaware of the events that had taken ce at Mei Court. She had been chatting with a group of older madams when suddenly, one of Old Marquis Dingyuan¡¯s closest manservants had sent this wooden box over. It was only after she had asked the servant that she found out about Chu Lian¡¯s contribution to the feast: a te of longevity peach buns that had been highly praised.

    Various thoughts had run through Matriarch He¡¯s head at the time, but none of them had showed on her face. She epted the gift, gave her thanks, and graciously epted the praises from the other old madams. It was onlyter on that she had heard the details from a servant sent by Madam Zou.

    ¡°If Grandmother wishes to eat some, I¡¯ll make them tomorrow,¡± Chu Lian hurriedly offered.

    ¡°Good, good. Then Grandmother will be waiting for your longevity peach buns tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 97: Distributing the Spoils (3)

    Chu Lian put the lid back on the wooden box and ced it to one side. ¡°Are there any other matters, Grandmother?¡±

    If the matriarch had only wanted to pass the gift to her, she could have waited until the next day, when she gave her morning greetings. Since she had called her to Qingxi Hall alone, Matriarch He must have something to say to her alone.

    As expected, Matriarch He happily continued speaking. ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, I¡¯ve heard about what happened today. It must have been tough on you. Luckily, our Lian¡¯er is smart enough to outmaneuver any trickery. Grandmother heard that you¡¯ve gotten quite a few essories from those madams. What are you nning to do with them?¡±

    The old matriarch watched Chu Lian¡¯s expression as she waited for her reply.

    Chu Lian stared back at Matriarch He with wide eyes, appearing as if she was confused. Inwardly, she smiled.

    Matriarch He was trying to test her!

    Chu Lian already had a n for her spoils.

    ¡°Grandmother, I couldn¡¯t have gotten these essories without Lady Yang¡¯s help, so I can¡¯t just take their essories. Granddaughter-in-Law will write letters and prepare gifts in return tomorrow. Then I¡¯ll instruct some servants to send the essories and gifts back.¡±

    The slightly imposing expression on Matriarch He¡¯s face softened into kindness in an instant.

    Chu Lian continued, adding, ¡°As for the others, I won them fair and square, so they¡¯re mine! Well, Imperial Princess Leyao mighte asking for her golden qilin statue back... As for Madam Huang¡¯s precious pearl bracelet, I¡¯ll help to safeguard her treasure! She doesn¡¯t like me anyway, so I don¡¯t want to give it back to her!¡±

    ¡°Pfft...¡± Matriarch He couldn¡¯t hold back herughter.

    Chu Lian¡¯s somewhat childish tone made her want to pamper her even more.

    Although she had spoken in a childish manner, there was nothing wrong with the way she had chosen to take care of things. She had heard that most of the essories were top-quality treasures, and very few girls would bear to send them back again once they had them, especially someone without many essories herself, like Chu Lian. It was good that Sang¡¯s wife hadn¡¯t been blinded by greed and had chosen the right way to handle those ¡®prizes¡¯ of hers.

    Although she had been a little juvenile on some of the finer details, Chu Lian had a good grasp on how to please everyone involved overall. She had called Chu Lian over to knock some extra sense into her and make her more aware of the intricacies behind such dealings, but she hadn¡¯t expected that Chu Lian had already properly nned everything out.

    Matriarch He felt even more gratified that she had such a good granddaughter-inw, but at the same time, she felt even guiltier about Chu Lian¡¯s situation.

    That heartless brat Sang had abandoned such a wonderful wife! What a waste!

    Matriarch He knew about the conditions that Chu Lian had grown up in back at the Ying Estate, more or less. She wanted to wait and observe for a while longer, but after He Changdi¡¯s sudden departure and the events at the Dingyuan Estate today, Matriarch He felt that there was a need to push forward her ns.

    ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, it¡¯s gettingte. Why don¡¯t you return to your courtyard and rest a little earlier? Tomorrow,e over to Grandmother¡¯s ce a little earlier. Grandmother has something else to say to you.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± Chu Lian agreed and bowed to Matriarch He before leaving Qingxi Hall.

    The next day, Chu Lian made her way to Qingxi Hall early in the morning for her daily greetings.

    Matriarch He had also gotten up earlier, seemingly on purpose. When Chu Lian arrived, the matriarch was already sipping some tea in the parlour.

    Chu Lian shot a nce at the sencha on the table and frowned a little.

    At the matriarch¡¯s advanced age, it wasn¡¯t good for her to drink tea that contained such a strange mix of spices.

    When Matriarch He saw that she had arrived, she waved her hand to indicate that Chu Lian should take a seat by her side.

    Once Chu Lian had settled in, Matriarch He passed a thin ount book to her.

    ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, open it and take a look.¡±

    Chu Lian opened the ount book curiously; within moments, she understood what it was. This was an ount book for a restaurant. ¡®Guilin Restaurant¡¯ was written in tidy lettering on the first page.

    ¡°Grandmother, this is an ount book for Guilin Restaurant?¡±

    Matriarch He smiled as she nodded. Guilin Restaurant was part of her dowry. It had already been in business for more than fifty years by now, and it could be considered one of the capital¡¯s long-established shops.

 Chapter 98: Restaurant (1)

    Matriarch He had quite a few stores in her personal property, all of which earned her more money than Guilin Restaurant did. However, it was the only restaurant she owned. Since Sang¡¯s wife had some talent in cooking, Guilin Restaurant was the best property she could give to her to handle.

    Nobles weren¡¯t prohibited from dabbling in business in the Great Wu Dynasty. Any smart noble wife in charge of managing their estates would have at least a few money-making stores in their hands.

    Even the current empress had secretly opened a few stores in the capital. Everyone knew which stores were hers, but no one would discuss them out in the open.

    A noble wife could show off how well they managed the businesses under them as proof of their capabilities.

    Any estate, big or small, needed money to spend, after all.

    There were a few stores listed under House Jing¡¯an¡¯s public ounts. However, those were under the management of the Heir Jing¡¯an¡¯s wife, Madam Zou. It wasn¡¯t appropriate for Matriarch He to touch those properties. Furthermore, she knew that those few stores weren¡¯t earning much anyway, and it wasn¡¯t easy for Madam Zou to manage the estate¡¯s ie.

    Thus, after thinking about it all night, the matriarch had decided on picking something from her personal properties to give to Sang¡¯s wife, as a way of letting her train her management skills.

    When Chu Lian had married into the family, she didn¡¯t even have a single piece of farnd to her name, let alone any stores. Matriarch He understood the situation she was in.

    Although Guilin Restaurant had been established decades ago, it wasn¡¯t famous at all in the capital. It had been doing well enough in the early years, and there had been some ie flowing in from it. Guilin Restaurant hadn¡¯tcked for customers at first due to its location next to the bustling East Market. However, in the recent decade, the areas for the East and West Markets had been redrawn and the East Market had shifted away. The area around Guilin Restaurant then became a residential area, causing the restaurant to lose its flow of customers. Furthermore, the dishes it served were nothing special, so it slowly sank into obscurity.

    In the past few years, it had been in the red for month after month. Guilin Restaurant had five waiters at first, but now there was only one left. In its current state, two or three customers in a day would be cause for celebration.

    Matriarch He had kept Guilin Restaurant running because of her sentimentality towards it. It had been part of her dowry after all, and it had been personally handed down to her from her mother. Back then, it had been her mother who had personally named the restaurant.

    Matriarch He¡¯s mother had passed away more than ten years ago. Guilin Restaurant had be thest thing her mother had entrusted to her.

    Matriarch He started off by saying, ¡°Grandmother has noticed that you haven¡¯t had much to do in the estate these few days, so Grandmother has found a task for you. Grandmother hopes you won¡¯t feel like Grandmother is being too nosy!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°Grandmother, you want me to manage Guilin Restaurant?¡±

    Matriarch He smiled until her eyes were crescents. ¡°This restaurant was part of my dowry. It hasn¡¯t been doing well in recent years. Sang¡¯s wife, if you can revive it, then Grandmother will give this restaurant to you. However, there is one condition: Guilin Restaurant has to remain a restaurant.¡±

    Wasn¡¯t this someone offering her a pillow the moment she wanted to sleep?

    She had just started looking for a way to make money, and now Matriarch He hade along offering her a restaurant. The previous ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had never been this lucky.

    ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had used sinister plots to take over the management rights of the estate, and then used some other tricks to take the matriarch¡¯s other personal properties when Matriarch He had fallen seriously ill.

    ¡°But is this...¡± Is this real? She was overjoyed!

    However, before Chu Lian could finish speaking, Matriarch He interrupted her.

    Matriarch He purposely put on a serious expression. ¡°No buts. Grandmother wants to give this to you, so you just have to ept it. Grandmother wouldn¡¯t even give this restaurant to Dng and the others if they asked for it! Even if you can¡¯t manage it well, Grandmother won¡¯t me you. That restaurant isn¡¯t earning money now anyway, so you can¡¯t possibly make it worse than it is now.¡±

    The matriarch had misunderstood Chu Lian¡¯s meaning, but Chu Lian knew this wasn¡¯t the time to exin. Due to her happiness, her cheeks were flushed red, giving Matriarch He the urge to pinch her little cheeks to see if they felt as soft and smooth as they looked.

    Of course, Matriarch He actually gave into the urge.

    Chu Lian was a little embarrassed by having her cheeks pinched. Softly, she called out, ¡°Grandmother.¡± In her mind, she wasn¡¯t a fifteen year old girl at all, unlike her appearance!

 Chapter 99: Restaurant (2)

    The two of them were getting along well when Senior Servant Liu came in with a smile, reporting that Eldest Young Madam had brought the two youngdies over with her.

    Chu Lian looked at the ount book before looking up at Matriarch He again, her eyes shining with expectation.

    Matriarch He smiled. ¡°You silly child. Alright, I¡¯ll inform your sister-inw myself when shees in.¡±

    After getting the matriarch¡¯s reassurance, Chu Lian stopped worrying.

    She couldn¡¯t tell what Madam Zou would think about this, since the novel hadn¡¯t mentioned much of her personality. However, she was Wei Fengzi¡¯s close friend after all, and Wei Fengzi was someone to watch out for.

    In the novel, Madam Zou had gotten seriously injured from ¡®Chu Lian¡¯s¡¯ ploy early on. She couldn¡¯t even get out of bed. However, now Madam Zou was perfectly healthy and managing the entire estate. They were wives of different branches of the family and their interests weren¡¯t in conflict.

    But no matter what kind of personality Madam Zou had, Chu Lian didn¡¯t want Matriarch He¡¯s gift to give rise to any resentment between them and affect the peace they had now.

    Her husband wasn¡¯t by her side to shelter her, and she didn¡¯t want to create an enemy for herself within the estate. That would just make her days harder for herself!

    As expected, when Madam Zou entered Qingxi Hall and heard that Chu Lian had already been there for some time, her eyebrows knitted together.

    She brought her daughters into the parlour with a smooth expression. When Madam Zou performed her greetings, Chu Lian stood up and returned it.

    Following that, Matriarch He started to exin how Chu Lian would be taking over the management of Guilin Restaurant. The slight tension in Madam Zou¡¯s heart went away upon hearing the matriarch exining everything to her so clearly.

    She knew a little about the private properties that the matriarch held.

    The most profitable one was a sencha shop. Its monthly earnings were roughly two to three hundred taels. The worst property was Guilin Restaurant. It had been a losing business for years. Madam Zou still couldn¡¯t understand why Matriarch He kept it with her even though it wasn¡¯t earning money at all. She could have sold it off to buy another store in a more bustling location.

    It was just a restaurant in the red, and Matriarch He had exined it to her straightaway, so Madam Zou didn¡¯t mind that only Chu Lian was given a property. Her impression of Chu Lian also improved by a lot.

    ¡°Dng¡¯s wife, you¡¯ve managed the estate for so many years and you¡¯ve done well in managing the businesses in your hands. When you¡¯re free, do give a few pointers to Sang¡¯s wife.¡±

    Madam Zou gave a genuine smile this time. ¡°If Third Sister-in-Law doesn¡¯t mind, thene to my courtyard at any time.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to thank Eldest Sister-in-Law in advance!¡±

    Matriarch He¡¯s heart was soothed as she watched her granddaughters-inw interacting peacefully. Her gaze fell upon her great-granddaughters and she opened her arms wide. ¡°Little An, Little Lin,e over to Great-Grandmother¡¯s side and let Great-Grandmother have a look at you two.¡±

    Matriarch He tenderly stroked their heads. However, seeing them, she did have some regrets. Little An was already six, but there were no great-grandsons for her to pamper yet. As she thought so, her eyes turned to Chu Lian¡¯s t belly.

    Ever since her arrival to the Great Wu Dynasty, Chu Lian had be rather sensitive towards other people¡¯s gazes and the meanings hidden inside them.

    When she noticed the matriarch eyeing her belly, she stiffened and her mood worsened.

    She had forgotten that she had submitted that blood-stained white handkerchief to Matriarch He¡¯s servants. In Matriarch He¡¯s eyes, she and He Sang had already consummated their marriage on their wedding night.

    Furthermore, the Chu Family¡¯s misses had the reputation of being particrly fertile. Perhaps Matriarch He thought that she had ¡®hit the bullseye with one shot¡¯.

    Chu Lian¡¯s mouth twitched in her embarrassment. She was still a virgin, so it was impossible for her to be pregnant.

    It would be scarier if she actually got pregnant in this condition!

 Chapter 100: Restaurant (3)

    Taking the ount book along, she followed Madam Zou to visit Countess Jing¡¯an for about ten minutes before returning to her Songtao Court.

    She had plenty to do today. First, she had to make some snacks as return gifts for Lady Yang and the otherdies. She also had to find the time to practise her handwriting.

    She had to start managing a whole restaurant soon, so she definitely had to make sure she could read traditional Chinese words. In the remaining time, she also had to look through Guilin Restaurant¡¯s ount book.

    After reaching Songtao Court, she stored the ount book in a safe ce before bringing Xiyan and Jingyan with her to the kitchen. The ingredients for longevity peach buns were easy enough to prepare. Chu Lian noted that there was still a good amount of red beans left; an idea sparked off in her mind and she remembered the ¡®Eight Confections¡¯, a set of desserts from Beijing.

    They were Beijing-styled desserts that had endured through years of history and variations. Back in her previous life, when Chu Lian had gone to Beijing to y, she had learned it from an old granny staying in the same block of apartments. For the sake of learning how to make an authentic set of Eight Confections, she had specially stayed there for half a month.

    There were different variations of Eight Confections, namely the big, small, and fine variations.

    They were called the Eight Confections because there were eight desserts in total, each with a different filling and shape. This was one of the mostplicated desserts Chu Lian had ever made. However, the ingredients for Eight Confections were quitemon. Even in the Great Wu Dynasty, she could still gather the eight different kinds of filling.

    Chu Lian first taught Xiyan how to pound the red beans into paste. She then instructed Jingyan to wash the green plums and raisins, while she herself started making the dough.

    When the confections were done, Xiyan and Jingyan¡¯s eyes were about to pop out of their sockets.

    Senior Servant Gui was waiting in the corridor outside the kitchen. From her hands, Chu Lian took some oval-shaped decorated bamboo baskets that she had ordered to be prepared earlier.

    She walked to the table and smiled at Xiyan and Jingyan. ¡°Watch carefully. I¡¯ll arrange the desserts once, and I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡±

    Since she had to send gifts to quite a few houses this time, Chu Lian had made plenty of desserts.

    There were kidney-shaped ones, fist-shaped ones, and even bat-shaped ones. She carefully ced them one by one into the bamboo basket before adding a freshly plucked peony that was in the midst of blooming. She scattered a few drops of water on the flower petals before putting it in an empty space inside the basket.

    Thus, she finished arranging one set of Eight Confections.

    The various vours of desserts were arranged artfully in the exquisite little bamboo basket. They were already pretty by themselves, but since they all had crispy pastry skins made of flour, their colours looked a little uniform. Adding the vibrantly red peony made the arrangement of desserts a feast for the eyes.

    The basket of desserts carried an elegant, subtle fragrance of flowers, hooking the appetite of anyone who looked at it, especially in this particrly scorching hot summer.

    Jingyan¡¯s eyes were as wide as they could possibly be. She gulped and mumbled, ¡°Third... Third Young Madam, these are beautiful! This... This servant can¡¯t bear to eat these.¡±

    Chu Lian smiled before ring yfully at her. ¡°Remember, arrange the rest of the baskets like this. There are still plenty remaining; when you¡¯re done, take some to try for yourselves too!¡±

    When Xiyan and Jingyan heard that there was a share of desserts for them too, they grinned from ear to ear.

    The desserts meant as return gifts were sent to Chu Lian once they were arranged properly. Chu Lian then picked out suitable packaging for them, cing ck velvet on the insides of the gift boxes. She then put in the bamboo baskets and closed the lid. After that, she brought out the essories she was going to return and ced them into suitably sized wooden boxes, which were all handed to the steward.

    The steward sent out the more quick-witted manservants to each of the noble estates. They also passed on the message that there were desserts within the boxes that had to be eaten within the day.

 Chapter 101: A Gift in Return

    After making the longevity peach buns, Chu Lian sent some over to each courtyard of the Jing¡¯an Estate, together with a set of Eight Confections.

    It was still hot out, and Chu Lian had already eaten all these pastries before in her previous life, so she only had a few to satisfy her taste buds.

    On the other hand, the servants in Songtao Court were happily eating away while they admired the desserts.

    After tasting Chu Lian¡¯s desserts, the confections that the famous Cook Zhou had made in the past were inedible inparison.

    They had never thought that a small te of desserts like this could have so many different forms and vours.

    The stuffing in each one was different, and so were the shapes. There was even both sweet and salty vours! Heavens, if Chu Lian hadn¡¯t actually made them, they wouldn¡¯t have believed that there could be such delicious desserts on earth, even if you beat them to death.

    The Eight Confections were even more shocking than the longevity peach buns.

    Fuyan¡¯s favourite was the one with red date stuffing. The outside was soft and crisp while the inside was filled with a delicate fragrance, and there was even the aroma of red dates. She ate so much that her cheeks were bulging like a little squirrel hoarding its food.

    While distributing the confections, Xiyan smiled and ced the ones shaped like peach blossoms with the red date stuffing onto Fuyan¡¯s te.

    ¡°Here, you greedy little cat. Although Third Young Madam made a lot of these, there¡¯s just about enough for all of us to share. Here¡¯s an extra red date voured one. If you like to eat them, why not ask Third Young Madam for the recipe? Then you can make them on your own next time.¡±

    Fuyan froze for a moment in the midst of chewing. She stared at Xiyan with wide eyes, who didn¡¯t notice the look as she was distributing the confections.

    This was how it had always been back at the Ying Estate. Although she and Xiyan had both been assigned to serve Third Young Madam on the same day, for some reason, Third Young Madam liked Xiyan more and had always entrusted her with more tasks. Of course, she didn¡¯t like losing to Xiyan, but Xiyan often looked after her, giving her the first pick of any of the good food. They had eaten red dates together a while back, and Xiyan liked them too. But instead of keeping the red date voured pastries for herself, Xiyan gave them specially to her.

    Fuyan took a deep breath and looked down, trying to suppress the sour jealousy in her heart. She decided to hide the letter that Mister Xiao had written to Third Young Madam for the time being. She wouldn¡¯t give it to anyone, at least for now. Eating Third Young Madam¡¯s great cooking every meal was pretty good anyway.

    Xiyan was unaware of the swirling thoughts in Fuyan¡¯s heart. She smiled as she ced a pomegranate shaped pastry stuffed with a salty pepper paste onto Wenqing¡¯s te.

    Wenqing hunkered down and ate her desserts in small, savouring bites,pletely silent.

    These desserts suited her taste buds perfectly. She had never liked sweet things, but most of the confections in the capital were sweet. She had never eaten a salty confection that was pepper-voured before. However, the more she enjoyed it, the more she thought of the incriminating letter she lost. It made her feel more and more uneasy by the second, causing the pastry to lose all its wonderful taste in her mouth.

    Meanwhile, in Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s courtyard, Miaozhen was serving the countess a round, drum-shaped confection.

    Countess Jing¡¯an hadn¡¯t eaten a proper meal for days, yet she actually managed to eat three pieces of the confections that Chu Lian had sent over. This made her handmaiden, Miaozhen, really happy.

    ¡°Madam, I wonder how Third Young Madames up with these ideas!¡±

    Perhaps due to finally having eaten some food, Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s pale and hollowed face was a little flushed. She waved her hand, indicating that she was full. ¡°That girl, she really shouldn¡¯t have gone to the trouble. I can¡¯t finish it all. Why don¡¯t you share the rest? If we leave it for too long, it¡¯ll be spoiled by tomorrow. Ah... I don¡¯t have much to reward her with by now...¡±

    Miaozhen wiped the corners of Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s mouth with a handkerchief. ¡°Madam, what are you saying? Third Young Madam did this out of filial piety, and not for a reward. Didn¡¯t you hear from Third Young Madam that she received Guilin Restaurant from the matriarch today? Madam, you were so good at managing businesses when you were younger. Why don¡¯t you give her a few pointers when shees for her daily greetings tomorrow?¡±

 Chapter 102: Fighting for Peaches (1)

    Countess Jing¡¯an smiled and patted Miaozhen¡¯s slender hand. ¡°You¡¯re the only one around here who I can count on to n so perfectly. Miaozhen, you¡¯re already seventeen this year. Do you have any ns for the future? You can¡¯t possibly stay by my side forever.¡±

    When she heard Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s words, Miaozhen froze. She bit her lip and said, ¡°Madam, Miaozhen wants to serve you forever.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense! As ady, you¡¯ll have to marry someday. How could youbour by my side for your whole life? If you really do that, wouldn¡¯t your mother be hurt?¡±

    Miaozhen was the daughter of Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s nursemaid. When she was ten, her mother sent her to serve serve at Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s side. Unfortunately, Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s nursemaid had passed away from sickness sometime in the past few years. Before she died, she had begged Countess Jing¡¯an to look after Miaozhen for her.

    Since Miaozhen had always been smart and considerate, Countess Jing¡¯an was happy to look after her.

    Miaozhen¡¯s eyes immediately turned watery. She looked up and cast a shy nce at the countess before mumbling quietly, ¡°Madam, Miaozhen really doesn¡¯t have any requests at all. Miaozhen would just like to marry someone in this estate so Miaozhen can continue to serve Madam even after marriage.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an stared at the girl she had watched grow up. As she thought, the images of suitable candidates popped up in her mind one after another, but in the end, she still crossed them all out.

    The main steward of the outer court had a second son that might be suitable, and that child was also pretty clever. Unfortunately, that second son already took a wifest year. Otherwise, it would have been good for Miaozhen to be the wife of one of the estate¡¯s stewards.

    As she was distracted by her thoughts, a senior servant announced from outside that the heir of the family had arrived.

    Just as the voice of the announcer faded away, Heir Jing¡¯an entered the room.

    ¡°Mother, how has your health beentely?¡±

    The heir of House Jing¡¯an, He Changqi, had the body of a martial artist. He also looked the most simr to Count Jing¡¯an. Although he wasn¡¯t even thirty years old yet, his buff body, tan skin, and full beard made him look much older.

    He was as tall as He Changdi, but if they stood together, no one would be able to tell that they were brothers.

    Countess Jing¡¯an hadn¡¯t expected Dng to charge right in just like that. She rolled her eyes helplessly at him. ¡°How old are you by now? How is it that you haven¡¯t learned any manners?¡±

    He Changqi wasn¡¯t bothered by his mother¡¯sint at all. He wasn¡¯t someone who was bothered by trifling details. At a young age, he had usually kept to his father¡¯s side as he learned martial arts, so he had never been very conscious of the rules that bound the womenfolk of the inner court. Besides, this was just his mother¡¯s room.

    He Changqi looked down and noticed a few leftover desserts on the table next to the bed. With a refreshing smile, he said, ¡°Mother, are the confections that Third Sister-in-Law made to your liking?¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an waved He Changqi over to sit by her bed side.

    Since the eldest young master had arrived, Miaozhen didn¡¯t dare to dispense with etiquette. She kept her head lowered, and was already standing respectfully next to Countess Jing¡¯an. When He Changqi had entered, she had immediately bobbed in greeting. Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s gaze inadvertently passed over Miaozhen, and she noticed that the little maidservant¡¯s face was flushed red. The countess was taken aback; she looked her eldest son up and down and found that the brat was standing with his back straight and hands behind his back, a broad smile on his face.

    ¡°They suit my tastes very well! Mother has never eaten such exquisite, interesting desserts before!¡±

    After the Eight Confections had been finished, Chu Lian had sent a set to each branch of the family. Since there were two children in Dng¡¯s branch, she naturally sent a few more to his courtyard. He Changqi had tried two of them and found them delicious.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Third Sister-in-Law would have secret recipes with her. Mother, I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t heard this yet. At Old Marquis Dingyuan¡¯s longevity feast, everyone was fighting over a small te of longevity peach buns!¡±

    Ah?

    Countess Jing¡¯an was dumbfounded; what had happened?

    A bunch of noblemen had been fighting over longevity peach buns?

    Were those longevity peach buns... possibly made by Chu Lian?

 Chapter 103: Fighting for Peaches (2)

    Chu Lian had reported the entire events of the Dingyuan Estate to Countess Jing¡¯an upon her return.

    Back then, the remaining longevity peach buns were sent to the banquet over at the outer court, and that was thest Chu Lian had seen of them. Since it was the male guests who had been the recipients, the female guests, who were in apletely different location, naturally had no idea what happened. Even the matriarch had only received the reward that Old Marquis Dingyuan had bestowed on Chu Lian, and no other information.

    Countess Jing¡¯an hadn¡¯t thought that something like that had happened at the male guests¡¯ side of the feast.

    He Changqi had purposelye over to make his mother happy, so of course, he narrated the entire course of events to her. It was a funny story and involved one of their family members, so he gave a lively description of the whole tale.

    Over on their side of the banquet, the feast hadn¡¯t been going on for long; the crowd was busy toasting the old white-haired marquis. It was at that moment that a maidservant brought in a te of realistic longevity peach buns, saying that it was Heir Dingyuan¡¯s wife, Madam Huang, who had sent them.

    After that announcement, everyone¡¯s eyes had been glued to the te. The old marquis had been seated the closest to the peach buns. Although his sight was fading, his sense of smell was still as good as ever.

    Old Marquis Dingyuan sniffed and found that the peach buns actually carried the scent of fresh peaches. Finding it interesting, he immediately took one to have a taste, and gave his grand approval after one bite!

    Since a man who had lived a long life had tasted and approved of the peach buns, the peach buns immediately became a lucky charm. It would be a good omen of fortune and prosperity for a young person if they managed to eat one.

    The feastgoers¡¯ curiosity was already piqued by the buns¡¯ appearance. No one could have predicted that Heir Zheng, who was known for chasing after novel things, would stand up on the spot to congratte the marquis before shamelessly asking for one of the longevity peach buns to eat.

    Old Marquis Dingyuan hadughed three times in amusement. Having a young man request for one of his longevity peach buns at his own longevity feast spoke of how esteemed he was in their eyes. He naturally agreed to the request.

    Heir Zheng didn¡¯t stand on ceremony at all. He took two buns at once, and after biting into one, his eyespletely lit up.

    Then, the usually tight-mouthed and silent Prince Jin actually spoke up to request a longevity peach bun from Old Marquis Dingyuan too. He was even more shameless than Heir Zheng and grabbed three buns at once.

    Heir Zheng was famous for being picky with his food, so it certainly said something when he made such an expression of enjoyment. Since he and Prince Jin had already paved the way for the rest, only adding to the crowd¡¯s curiosity, the te of longevity peach buns had beenpletely swiped clean in a matter of minutes...

    Two of the most influential and respected court officials were speechless upon beholding that scene.

    When had so many of their peers turned into foodies? How had they missed this? What were their spies doing?!

    Hey! Isn¡¯t that the prideful old censor who likes to impeach others for fun, and turns all of his politicalments into righteous preaching?! Who knew that you were someone who would do anything for food! Do you still have any face left?! What an eyesore! I hope you¡¯ll choke on those longevity peach buns!

    However, at the end of the day, the two court officials who couldn¡¯t put away their pride to snatch some of those longevity peach buns had stormy expressions on their faces.

    He Changqi¡¯s vivid descriptions made Countess Jing¡¯an break out into a wide smile.

    She couldn¡¯t resist smiling as she pretended to re at her eldest son. ¡°Keep this kind of talk inside our estate! Don¡¯t speak of this outside, lest we draw trouble to ourselves. We can¡¯t afford to offend those great officials!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mother. I know. I¡¯m just trying to make youugh.¡±

    ¡°Alright, Mother understands. You still have some work to do after lunch, don¡¯t you? Head out soon; don¡¯t waste your time here with Mother.¡±

 Chapter 104: Fighting for Peaches (3)

    He Changqi noted that it was about time, so he stood up to take his leave. After moving just two steps away, Countess Jing¡¯an instructed from behind him, ¡°Come back a little earlier for tonight¡¯s dinner.¡±

    Although the various branches of the Jing¡¯an Estate didn¡¯t usually take their meals together, they would eat dinner together in the middle and end of every month. Everyone would gather in Qingxi Hall and strengthen their family bonds.

    ¡°Aye, I understand. I won¡¯t bete for my meeting.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an noticed that Miaozhen was still staring distractedly after her eldest son, long after he was gone.

    She inwardly sighed.

    Five years ago, Miaozhen had fallen into one of the ponds in the estate by ident and the passing He Changqi had saved her. It was likely then that this girl had fallen in love with him.

    Unfortunately, the He Family had that rule against taking concubines.

    However, Dng had been married to Madam Zou for quite a number of years and they still didn¡¯t have any sons. Furthermore, Madam Zou had suffered someplications after giving birth to Little Lin. Little Lin was already four this year, but there was no news of another pregnancy from Dng¡¯s wife.

    Dng was about to hit the age when he would be allowed to take a concubine, since he had no sons.

    Countess Jing¡¯an abruptly made a decision.

    She pulled Miaozhen¡¯s hands into her own and smiled as she asked, ¡°Miaozhen, what do you think about the heir?¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Miaozhen hadn¡¯t expected Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s sudden question; her face flushed red and her soul seemed to have flown to the far reaches of the earth in her panic.

    She quickly cast a sideways nce at the countess, but she couldn¡¯t read the expression on Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s face at all. The redness on her face gave way to pallor and she knelt to the ground with a thump. Trembling, she said, ¡°This servant has such a lowly identity, this servant doesn¡¯t dare to have any thoughts of the heir.¡±

    After she finished speaking, she ced her head on the footrest before the bed, shaking like a leaf in the wind. She didn¡¯t dare to say another word.

    As one of Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s handmaids, she knew the rules of the estate clearly. The men of the family were only allowed to take a concubine if they didn¡¯t have any male heirs when they reached the age of thirty. Thus, she had quickly cut off her own desires for Heir Jing¡¯an. She would daydream of that unattainable man only when she was alone, but because she had gotten a little lost in her thoughts just now, the countess had actually discovered that the object of her affections was Eldest Young Master.

    Countess Jing¡¯an was a little startled; it was only now that she realised her silly handmaid had misunderstood her intentions and thought that she was angry that Miaozhen had stepped out of bounds for daring to long for her eldest son.

    Countess Jing¡¯an sighed helplessly. She reached out to pull the trembling Miaozhen up and red at her. ¡°You silly girl. How could I possibly think like that? Alright, I¡¯m not ming you. Just tell me honestly, what do you think about Dng?¡±

    Miaozhen stared at Countess Jing¡¯an in a daze. It took a long moment before she looked down with a flush that spread all the way to her neck. ¡°Heir... Heir Jing¡¯an is... tall and... handsome.¡±

    ¡°Pfft!¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an burst out intoughter. Tall and handsome? As his mother, she knew better than anyone what her eldest son was like.

    If Dng¡¯s burnt skin and ruffian-like appearance could still be considered tall and handsome, then love really was blind. If Miaozhen had used that description on Sang, she might have believed it.

    ¡°Alright, I understand. Miaozhen, don¡¯t worry about it and continue serving at my side for now.¡±

    Upon hearing Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s words, Miaozhen¡¯s heart almost leapt out of her throat.

    In the Yang Estate, Lord Yang had just returned from Wenhua Hall. He had taken care of quite a few tricky tasks today, so he was more tired than usual, and was even hungrier than he usually was.

    When Lord Yang reached the outer court¡¯s parlour, he just happened to see a steward carefully bringing in an exquisitely decorated box, and paused in his steps.

    The steward saw that the master of the house had returned, so he quickly came over to greet his master.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Lord Yang tilted his chin towards the box in the steward¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Replying to Master, this was sent by someone from the Jing¡¯an Estate. They said that it¡¯s a return gift for the madam, and that it¡¯s food, so we can¡¯t leave it for long.¡±

    The Jing¡¯an Estate? Food? Could it be those longevity peach buns from Marquis Dingyuan¡¯s feast?

    While on the way back to their estate yesterday, Lord and Lady Yang had been talking about the interesting events behind Chu Lian making longevity peach buns. Lord Yang hadn¡¯t been able to set his pride aside to request for a bun, so they had been on his mind for a while.

 Chapter 105: The Power of Snacks (1)

    Lord Yang grew even grumpier when he thought of how even the shameless censor who had submitted a petition against him had gotten to eat a longevity peach bun, while on the other hand, he could only imagine what it might¡¯ve tasted like.

    Nothing had gone his way today; was it because he had skipped out on eating one of those lucky buns?

    Lord Yang coughed lightly and said, ¡°Send them to the parlour. I¡¯ll bring them to the missuster when I visit her in the inner court.¡±

    Lord Yang didn¡¯t like sencha either, so he had his manservant pour him a cup of warm water instead as he took a seat in the parlour to rest. When his line of sight fell upon the brocade box innocently positioned next to him, Lord Yang reached out and opened it.

    The vision inside made his half-shut eyes fly wide open.

    Eight pastries were arranged inside the small, exquisite green bamboo basket. They each had different shapes, and the blooming red peony nestled to the side made them extremely eye-catching.

    When Lord Yang breathed in, he could smell a faint fragrance of flowers mixed in with the buttery aroma of the pastries.

    Lord Yang couldn¡¯t resist. He gulped and picked up a bat-shaped pastry, looking it over curiously before he bit off a mouthful. Mm, there was even stuffing inside. Were those raisins? Refreshing, crisp, and sweet without being too greasy... Delicious!

    Lord Yang took out a second piece shaped like a peach. Oh? This one tasted like chestnuts. A novel, sweet taste, with the aroma of chestnuts lingering in the mouth long after the pastry was eaten.

    The third piece was shaped like a hand and had the aroma of roses. Despite eating so many already, he wasn¡¯t sick of them yet. This one had an elegant, light vour, which was very much suited to his tastes.

    ......

    By the time Lord Yang came back to his senses, he found that there were only two pieces left in the entire box of confections. The hand he had extended towards the leftovers awkwardly retreated.

    The manservant next to him had been watching the whole time with his eyes twitching. Inwardly, he was thinking, ¡®My lord, those were meant to be a return gift for the mistress! How could you eat so many of them, just like that?¡¯

    ¡°Bring these along, we¡¯re going to the inner court to visit your mistress.¡± Lord Yang coughed to hide his embarrassment as he ryed his order to the manservant.

    On the way to the inner court, Lord Yang kept a constant inner monologue ofints running.

    That House Jing¡¯an was being way too petty. How could they send such a small box ¡ª only eight pastries! ¡ª as a return gift? There was only one of each vour, too! So when he finished one pastry in two bites, that meant he couldn¡¯t have another of the same vour.

    They arrived at the inner court¡¯s main courtyard to the sight of Lady Yang speaking to her daughter-inw.

    Lady Yang turned her head and immediately spotted her husband. She stood up and weed him with a smile. ¡°Dear, why are you back so early today?¡± she asked. When she noticed the brocade box that the manservant was carrying, the smile on her face grew even more pronounced. ¡°Why, you even brought me a present today?¡±

    Lord Yang¡¯s face stiffened a little in his embarrassment. ¡°This is a return gift from House Jing¡¯an.¡±

    The manservant set the brocade box on the table before retreating.

    Lady Yang raised an eyebrow in inquiry. Upon remembering the girl she had met at Marquis Dingyuan¡¯s longevity feast, she walked to the table without bothering to give a second thought about Lord Yang¡¯s expression.

    ¡°House Jing¡¯an¡¯s return gift? What could it be? I¡¯ll have to show it to my daughter-inw too.¡± Lady Yang¡¯s eldest daughter-inw hadn¡¯t been able to make it to Marquis Dingyuan¡¯s longevity feast that day, so upon hearing her mother-inw¡¯s words, she stepped forward.

    Lord Yang couldn¡¯t possibly stop her, so he pretended as if nothing was wrong and sat to one side.

    The moment Lady Yang opened the box, she was greeted with the two lonely pieces left in the strangely empty box.

    She turned to Lord Yang in surprise, ¡°This...¡±

    ¡°I was a little hungry just now, so I ate two pieces.¡± Lord Yang stiffly exined.

    There was such a huge empty space in the box; are you sure you only ate two pieces?

    The corner of Lady Yang¡¯s mouth twitched. She closed the lid of the box.

 Chapter 106: The Power of Snacks (2)

    Her eldest daughter-inw gaped a little when she saw the contents, or more specifically, theck thereof. However, she still remembered to close her mouth to avoid making a faux-pas in the midst of a delicate situation. ¡°Since Father has returned, Daughter-in-Law will go to the main kitchen and instruct them to add more of Father¡¯s favourite dishes.¡±

    Lady Yang only managed to restrain herself until her daughter-inw left. Afterwards, she burst outughing. ¡°Was this sent by House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam?¡±

    Lord Yang nonchntly nodded as he sipped his tea, keeping up his innocent pretense.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say I me you; that girl makes the most delicious food.¡± After saying so, Lady Yang opened the box and picked up a pastry. The moment she tasted it, her eyes lit up. ¡°That girl... What did she make this time? It fits my tastes even better than those longevity peach buns she made before. Mm, it¡¯s actually salty!¡±

    Lord Yang licked his lips. A salty pastry? What a pity he hadn¡¯t been able to taste it.

    ¡°There were only eight pastries in this box. So it seems like each one has a different vour.¡±

    Lady Yang was surprised. There were such finely made desserts?

    She quickly ate the veryst one and confirmed that the two pastries she had eaten hadpletely different tastes. It was only after she was done eating that she picked up the smaller box at the side. When she saw that her coral bracelet was inside, the corners of Lady Yang¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°It looks like there¡¯s more to this girl from House Ying than just being more fertile.¡± They finally had someone who had brains amongst them!

    Lady Yang immediately wrote a reply and sent one of the Yang Family¡¯s most trusted manservants to the Jing¡¯an Estate with the letter.

    Ever since Lord Yang had eaten the Eight Confections that Chu Lian had sent over, he had fallen in love with rose-voured desserts. He instructed the chefs in his estate to make some, but none of them couldpare to the ones that Chu Lian had made that day, causing Lord Yang to be even pickier about his food. He even lost a few kilograms of weight after that! Of course, the birth of the gourmand Lord Yang was ater story.

    ......

    The same return gift had been sent to Prince Wei¡¯s estate.

    Royal Princess Duanjia opened up the brocade box without any hesitation. Her big eyes were shimmering when she saw the desserts within. In order to enjoy them all by herself, she carefully brought them back to her own courtyard. Not even her second brother received a single piece when he came over looking for snacks. Seeing his little sister acting like a puppy guarding her food, the royal prince was extremely amused.

    He immediately ran off to his mother¡¯s room to tattle on his sister. ¡°Mother, Third Sister found something really delicious, but she¡¯s so stingy she wouldn¡¯t let me have a single bite!¡±

    ¡°Oh? Has she?¡± Princess Wei raised an eyebrow. Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s personality was haughty and aloof, and it was rare to find something that could move her. Princess Wei found it interesting that something like food had managed to make her daughter act out of character.

    As mother and son were talking, Royal Princess Duanjia entered the room. ¡°Brother, how old are you? What are you doing snitching to Mother about me at your age!¡±

    The royal prince sat next to Princess Wei and retorted, ¡°I¡¯m just trying to find out exactly what kind of food has bewitched my darling little sister!¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia red at the royal prince and moved to Princess Wei¡¯s other side. ¡°Mother, in a few days, I want to invite someone to our estate.¡±

    Princess Wei was sitting in the master¡¯s seat. Brimming with an aura of elegant luxury, a faint smile appeared on her lips. ¡°Is it the person who gave you those desserts?¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia smiled mysteriously. ¡°I¡¯m not telling Mother yet! Mother will know when shees!¡±

    Princess Wei lovingly poked her only daughter¡¯s forehead. ¡°Mother won¡¯t stop you from making friends, but don¡¯t forget your status.¡±

    ......

    Back in the Jing¡¯an Estate, the main steward in the outer court had already ordered a senior servant to bring over two letters to Songtao Court before dinner. One of the letters was even apanied by a gift.

    Chu Lian received the letters and nced at the contents within.

    One of the letters was from Lady Yang and the other was actually from Royal Princess Duanjia.

    Lady Yang had sent the coral bracelet back again, saying that it was a gift for her anyway, and that she couldn¡¯t possibly take it back. She also said to keep the bracelet properly, and if they met in the future, she could make a few more different kinds of pastries as gifts instead.

    Although Lady Yang didn¡¯t state outright if they were on visiting terms with each other, this was already a great concession for Chu Lian, and could be counted as a good connection.

    What Chu Lian had found strange was Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s letter.

    Royal Princess Duanjia had actually invited her over to Prince Wei¡¯s estate for a small gathering.

 Chapter 107: The Power of Snacks (3)

    Chu Lian remembered seeing Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s mysterious goodwill towards her in the Dingyuan Estate. She frowned; the novel had only mentioned Royal Princess Duanjia a few times, and she hadn¡¯t even properly made an entrance in the scenes that Chu Lian had read. She didn¡¯t know much about Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s personality or Prince Wei¡¯s estate.

    However, since it was a royal princess who had sent her a proper invite, it wouldn¡¯t be good if she rejected it.

    There were many nobledies in the capital who would love to get connected to Royal Princess Duanjia, but weren¡¯t able to. Besides, Chu Lian didn¡¯t hold any ill will towards her.

    After epting Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s invite, Senior Servant Gui and Senior Servant Zhong were happy as well.

    Royal Princess Duanjia was famed for being detached from the social circles of the nobility. At most, she would asionally mix with some of thedies from the imperial family, but she didn¡¯t have any known close friends amongst the nobility. Prince Wei was someone that even the most favoured courtiers would have to pay respects to, so if Chu Lian could form a connection with Royal Princess Duanjia, even House Jing¡¯an¡¯s prestige would rise a level.

    Dinner was at Qingxi Hall tonight. When Chu Lian arrived at the entrance, she could hearughtering from within.

    Chu Lian walked in curiously, and Matriarch He waved her over. ¡°Sang¡¯s wife,e over, we were just talking about you!¡±

    With the exception of Madam Zou¡¯s two daughters, Chu Lian was the youngest amongst them. She obediently greeted all her seniors before she was pulled by Matriarch He to sit on a soft chair just one step below hers.

    ¡°Grandmother, what were you talking about me?¡± Her inquisitive wide eyes made the matriarch smile again.

    ¡°Your eldest brother was just talking about those longevity peach buns you made at the Dingyuan Estate! Grandmother tried them today as well; they¡¯re really tasty!¡±

    Chu Lian smiled back and replied, ¡°It¡¯s good that Grandmother likes them! I¡¯ll make more interesting ones for Grandmother¡¯s birthday!¡±

    ¡°Look at this, so those longevity peach buns weren¡¯t even the best ones. There are more interesting ones to be had!¡±

    Everyone in the parlourughed together. Chu Lian¡¯s sharp gaze swept over each member and picked out some unhappiness in Madam Zou¡¯s eyes, so she quickly changed the topic. ¡°Second Brother hase back early today. I heard that we¡¯re having venison for the banquet! Granddaughter-in-Law can¡¯t wait!¡±

    After Chu Lian changed the topic, she nced at Madam Zou again and noticed the lightening of her expression.

    However, He Changqi just had to add fuel to the fire at this moment. ¡°Third Sister-in-Law, since you know how to make those fine pastries, do you know how to cook a better dish of venison?¡±

    Chu Lian cried out in her heart. Madam Zou was already starting to dislike her, but her eldest brother just had to add that line.

    ¡°Venison¡¯s quite rare, so Sister-in-Law doesn¡¯t have any secret recipes for venison.¡±

    When Chu Lian finished speaking, He Changqi¡¯s face practically radiated disappointment.

    Following that, the family ate their dinner together. Chu Lian didn¡¯t want her eldest sister-inw to feel like she was taking the spotlight, so she didn¡¯t speak much during the meal, except to reply the matriarch.

    When she returned to Songtao Court afterwards, Chu Lian patted her chest in relief without minding her image one bit.

    She had been scared to bits! She hadn¡¯t thought that just making some desserts would be enough to draw her eldest sister-inw¡¯s jealousy. It looked like her journey to be a peacefulyabout in the inner court wouldn¡¯t be that easy.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t even mentioned Lady Yang¡¯s gift of a coral bracelet and Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s invite to her estate in front of the family. She wondered if Madam Zou might misunderstand if she had spoken of it just now.

    After she had thought it through, Chu Lian decided to tell the matriarch alone when she made her morning greetings at Qingxi Hall the next day.

    Royal Princess Duanjia had invited her to meet at her estate on the twenty-sixth of the month; there were still two days left to prepare, so it wasn¡¯t too urgent.

 Chapter 108: A Peaceful Courtyard (1)

    On the way back to the main branch¡¯s courtyard with her husband, Madam Zou¡¯s head remained lowered as she seemed to be in deep thought.

    However, He Changqi just had to move up beside her with a regretful expression as hemented, ¡°If only Third Sister-in-Law knew how to cook venison. I wonder how delicious that would be.¡±

    Hearing thise from her own husband, Madam Zou was frustrated beyond belief.

    Her footsteps paused for a moment before she quickened her pace, leaving her slow, dimwitted husband behind.

    ¡°Hey, Yuanjing, Yuanjing! Slow down a little! It¡¯s dark and the paths are uneven!¡±

    Madam Zou bit her lip with a terrible expression on her face.

    Ever since her husband hade back yesterday, he had kept talking about how popr Chu Lian¡¯s longevity peach buns had been at Marquis Dingyuan¡¯s longevity feast. He had narrated the tale once to his mother, and then once more at the family dinner in Qingxi Hall. Now he was even expressing his regret that Chu Lian didn¡¯t know how to cook venison.

    As He Changqi¡¯s legitimate wife, how could she not be angry?

    So what if her sister-inw was good at cooking? Chu Lian was Sang¡¯s wife! Not He Changqi¡¯s!

    Madam Zou felt extremely stifled by this treatment.

    If Chu Lian found out the reason behind her eldest sister-inw¡¯s sudden irritation towards her, she definitely would have cried at her brother-inw, He Changqi.

    Brother! Why are you digging holes for me?!

    Also, is Eldest Sister-in-Law aware of how dense you are?

    As Senior Servant Gui was helping Chu Lian change for the night, she handed over the silver taels she had gotten from selling off the jewellery. She also passed over the items that Chu Lian had requested on her list.

    While heading towards her little study, Chu Lian opened the small wooden box that Senior Servant Gui had given to her.

    Inside were four small gold bricks, which sat together with the silver essories she had ordered before.

    Senior Servant Gui, who was following right behind her, hesitated for a moment before she spoke up. ¡°Third Young Madam, why don¡¯t you save these taels instead? Although we¡¯re living in the estate now, you¡¯re only a member of the third branch, after all. Third Young Master won¡¯t be inheriting the family title. After the matriarch passes away, each branch of the family will undoubtedly be split up. With Eldest Young Madam controlling the estate¡¯s finances, you won¡¯t get much for your expenses!¡±

    Chu Lian turned and looked strangely at Senior Servant Gui. Under the light of thenterns around them, her almond-shaped eyes were like shining stars and as clear as water. ¡°Momo, are you expecting me to get rich just by saving money?¡±

    Senior Servant Gui turned speechless. After a pause, she tried to continue her persuasion. ¡°But you¡¯ve just started managing your branch of the family. Perhaps it wouldn¡¯t be too good to spend so much right from the beginning.¡±

    What she didn¡¯t say was that, if Chu Lian started bestowing rewards on people without any particr reason, it would be setting a hard precedent to live up to. If the servants were given regr rewards from then on, then they would definitely expect even more on special asions. If not, the servants would be disappointed, making them hard to manage in the future.

    Furthermore, although those custom-made silver essories weren¡¯t too expensive, they were all high-ss designs! They would even be suitable for the imperial family to wear, let alone a few noble servants.

    By now, Chu Lian had already walked into her study and arrived at her desk. She set the wooden box down and took out the silver essories within, moving them to acquered redwood tray, which Chu Lian had specially covered with a dark blue silk cloth.

    The contrast between the dark blue and the glint of the silver made the essories shine even brighter. Coupled with the novelty of their designs, they wereparable to any set of gold essories.

    ¡°Momo, don¡¯t worry. Didn¡¯t Grandmother give me a restaurant?¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s reply was rather distracted as she happily arranged the essories on thecquered tray, separating them into different types.

    Senior Servant Gui couldn¡¯t say a word. A restaurant? That lousy restaurant?

    It wasn¡¯t located in a busy area of the capital, the dishes were just average, and it couldn¡¯t even earn its upkeep. How could it be counted as a source of ie for them? It would be good enough if they could break even!

    Senior Servant Gui was seriously wondering if the matriarch had it out for Chu Lian and if she had given Chu Lian that failing restaurant to make her pay for its upkeep.

 Chapter 109: A Peaceful Courtyard (2)

    ¡°Goodness, my dear Third Young Madam, how could that restaurant possibly make any money? Please don¡¯t pin all your hopes on that restaurant!¡±

    Chu Lian finally turned to look at Senior Servant Gui. ¡°Momo, I know that you only have my best interests at heart, but for matters like this, I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±

    Unlike her usually soft and kind voice, the Chu Lian of now carried the strict authority of a person in power.

    Senior Servant Gui stiffened and quickly stopped speaking.

    Although Third Young Madam¡¯s personality had changed and she had be much more easy-going with them aspared to before, it didn¡¯t mean that Senior Servant Gui could overstep her bounds as a servant and think to change her master¡¯s decisions. She hadmitted one of the taboos as a servant.

    Finally realising what she had done, Senior Servant Gui broke out into cold sweat.

    Chu Lian had the same thoughts. Although she didn¡¯t like being harsh towards others and preferred to live casually, even to the point of being a little dazed and silly at times, she never yed around with important matters. She also had her own ideas, and hated when others tried to make decisions for her.

    She knew that her way of thinking was very different from the way the people here thought, so upon arriving in the Great Wu Dynasty, she had always tried to be as easygoing as possible. However, that didn¡¯t mean she would allow others to interfere with her choices.

    It was the same for the silver essories today, as well as any important decisions from now on.

    ¡°This old servant understands.¡±

    When Chu Lian saw that Senior Servant Gui had finally gotten the message, her expression softened and returned to her usual tender smile. Her gentle demeanor also returned.

    ¡°Momo, you have to trust me. Money is easy to earn!¡± Chu Lian even broke out into a mischievous grin, blinking innocently at Senior Servant Gui.

    Although Senior Servant Gui was nodding on the surface, she didn¡¯t believe Chu Lian¡¯s words a single bit on the inside. Even though Third Young Madam had a good head on her, due to her status back in the Ying Estate, she hadn¡¯t been able to interact much with the outside world. Third Young Madam¡¯s stepmother had never really taught her much about the world either, so it would be normal if Chu Lian had good ideas, but not the experience to execute them well.

    Senior Servant Gui sighed inwardly. It might be best to let Third Young Madam suffer some setbacks so that she could understand clearly.

    After dismissing Senior Servant Gui from the room, Chu Lian kept the gold bricks in the wooden box. Now that she had these gold bricks at hand, she had a total capital of six hundred taels. Although this was already a huge sum in the eyes of most people, it wasn¡¯t enough at all for Chu Lian. She opened up another brocade box on the side, this time to admire Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s golden qilin that sat within. The corners of her lips lifted up into a smile.

    ¡°Imperial Princess Leyao, since you like your Brother He so much, I¡¯ll let you donate the rest of my funds.¡±

    Before heading off to sleep, Chu Lian flipped through the ount book that Matriarch He had given her for Guilin Restaurant.

    What she had was the ounts of thest three months. Since there were barely any customers, the records for all three months could fit into a single thin book.

    Without even talking about whether the numbers would add up correctly in such a thin ount book, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t agree on the way the ounts were being recorded. She could see that there were quite a few ces where the records didn¡¯t make sense, just from skimming through them roughly.

    For example, the following entries...

    1st June: Kitchen expenses, 1 tael.

    ¡®Kitchen expenses¡¯?

    What had they bought? Was it the fresh ingredients for the day, kitchen utensils, or even furniture? They had only described the expenditure in such vague terms that she had to suspect that there was embezzling going on.

    12th June:

    2.5kg of pork, 100 coins.

    Chinese cabbage, 10 coins.

    Tea leaves, 500 coins...

    There had only been two or three customers daily for the first half of June. At its lowest, there might not even be any customers at all. At the peak, there had never been more than five customers in a day. And amongst all these diners, only one person had even ordered a pork dish.

    This meant that Guilin Restaurant¡¯s pork dishes weren¡¯t very popr, so they shouldn¡¯t be buying more than 0.5kg of pork a day. However, on that day, they had bought five times that amount. So they were using thepany¡¯s ounts for their own expenses, hmm?

    Hehe!

    She had only gone through a third of this thin ount book, and she had already found so many suspicious points. There was no need to keep reading further.

    It looked like there wasn¡¯t just a problem in management for this Guilin Restaurant, but there were also some rats amongst the employees. Even if this group of embezzlers were to run the most popr restaurant in the entire capital, it would probably still be a losing business!

 Chapter 110: A Peaceful Courtyard (3)

    The next day, Chu Lian told Matriarch He alone about the invite she had been given to Prince Wei¡¯s estate. The matriarch was overjoyed and held onto her hands before she instructed her to ept the invite without any worry.

    When she returned from Qingxi Hall, she told Senior Servant Zhong to gather all the maidservants in Songtao Court.

    Chu Lian handed over the matter to Xiyan and went off to her study to practise her writing.

    Xiyan held thecquered redwood tray in her hands and announced to the parlour filled with maidservants, ¡°Third Young Madam¡¯s birthday ising soon, so a few days ago, she ordered these essories to be made. She wanted to use this opportunity to award everyone and pass the fortune along.¡±

    Xiyan¡¯s words had been carefully scripted by Chu Lian, and they weren¡¯t false in the least. The birthday of Chu Lian¡¯s current body was indeed within these two days; the 26th of July, to be exact. It just so happened to be the day that Royal Princess Duanjia had invited her to appear at Prince Wei¡¯s estate.

    She had to give a reason for this bestowal of gifts, otherwise the expectations of her servants would be raised too high. Although Senior Servant Gui hadn¡¯t said it outright yesterday, Chu Lian had already thought of this problem.

    This was exactly like howpanies would give a bonus on certain holidays. It encouraged the employees to continue working there.

    Senior Servant Gui froze for a moment. She hadpletely forgotten to give Third Young Madam a reminder yesterday, due to her panic in overstepping her boundaries. However, Third Young Madam had still managed toe to the same conclusion, and as evident by Xiyan¡¯s speech, she had already taken the necessary steps to avoid the problem. A tinge of guilt seeped into Senior Servant Gui¡¯s heart.

    When all the servants heard that there would be rewards today, all of their faces were filled with joy.

    Xiyan coughed twice, and they all settled down into silence.

    ¡°Third Young Madam has passed down these orders: second-ss maidservants are to pick one silver hairpin and two rings each. Third-ss maidservants are to take one silver hairpin and one ring each. As for those without any ranks, they are to take one ring each.¡±

    Then, Xiyan handed the tray in her hands over to Wenqing, instructing her to pass it around for the rest.

    Everyone was overjoyed and said in unison, ¡°Many thanks to Third Young Madam for the rewards!¡±

    ¡°Do your work properly from now on. As long as you do a good job, Third Young Madam will surely reward you again. However, anyone who doesn¡¯t follow the rules will be immediately kicked out of Songtao Court.¡±

    Upon hearing Xiyan¡¯s strict reminder, the voices of everyone present blended together into a single, unanimous answer. ¡°We will do our jobs properly.¡±

    Baicha was one of the menial servants working in Songtao Court. Her parents were both family servants of the Jing¡¯an Estate. However, they hadn¡¯t been able to rise in the ranks. At first, her mother had been in charge of tending the fire in the main kitchen. When the main kitchen had been lit ame, her mother had been burned. Now she couldn¡¯t even get up from bed. Her father had been running errands for one of the main stewards in the outer court. However, a few years ago, someone had set him up to take the fall for embezzling some funds from the estate. He had been punished by Eldest Young Madam and was now working in the stables, shoveling horse manure.

    Perhaps due to the shock, he had be an alcoholic, getting drunk everyday. Her two older brothers weren¡¯t in very high positions in the estate either. Baicha had started working as a menial servant since she was ten. Even after four years had passed, she was still sweeping floors in the estate.

    She had wanted to try catching Third Young Master¡¯s eye, but Third Young Madam had entered the estate then.

    Since Third Young Master had suddenly left the estate for the northern border, Baicha could only do her job quietly.

    However, her mother¡¯s health was deteriorating and she desperately needed money to get a doctor for her mother. All the funds at home had been taken away by her father for drinks. She was right at the point of no hope when Chu Lian had suddenly bestowed these rewards.

    She grasped the three-leaf clover ring tightly in her hand, her eyes full of gratitude as she looked towards the main bedroom of the courtyard.

 Chapter 111: A Growing Distance (1)

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know that her decision to bestow rewards to keep her courtyard peaceful had calmed the fire in the heart of one of her maidservants.

    When everyone received their silver hairpins and rings, their faces filled with pleasant surprise.

    One by one, the servants inspected their rewards and immediately realized that these were no ordinary essories.

    Firstly, the craftsmanship was excellent. Secondly, their designs were so lovely that they couldn¡¯t bear to sell them off.

    For servants of an estate, the majority of them could only wear roughly made silver earrings. Their finest jewellry were those same types of earrings engraved with a few simple patterns. However, the essories that Third Young Madam had bestowed upon them werepletely different.

    These earrings were perfectly sized, and there were many different shapes: three-leaf clovers, hearts... there were also some other patterns that they didn¡¯t know the names for, but regardless, all of the earrings looked beautiful!

    Some of the younger and more vain maidservants immediately put them on.

    These essories looked so exquisitely made, surely only the capital¡¯s Cuiyin Pavilion could have made them!

    Third Young Madam had really spent a lot of effort on this reward.

    Initially, the servants had thought that there was no future in serving the third branch of the He Family. Third Young Madam didn¡¯t have much status, and was merely a youngdy from the Ying Estate known for bearing sons. She didn¡¯t seem to have any other redeeming qualities that had brought her into the Jing¡¯an Estate. And just a few days after their marriage, Third Young Master had left, so the servants became even less diligent in carrying out their duties.

    However, based on Third Young Madam¡¯s gifts today and Miss Xiyan¡¯s words, they would definitely work harder from now on.

    Getting silver essories as rewards wasn¡¯t something verymon amongst the servants. Taking Baicha¡¯s mother as an example, although she had served in the Jing¡¯an Estate for her whole life, she had only gotten two or three pieces of silver essories. Those had been bestowed by the old madam only when she had gotten married.

    The servants who had gotten their rewards dispersed happily.

    When Xiyan was done with the distribution, she reported to Chu Lian in the study.

    Chu Lian set down the ount book in her hands and stood up. She picked up the case next to her and walked out to the outer room before calling Senior Servant Zhong, Senior Servant Gui and her four handmaids to her.

    She pushed the case towards them. ¡°I had these prepared specially for all of you. You¡¯re my most trusted servants, so I couldn¡¯t possibly miss your share of rewards!¡±

    Fuyan had been wondering why all the lower ssed servants had gotten rewards, while she and the other personal maidservants hadn¡¯t gotten a single thing.

    She hadn¡¯t thought that Third Young Madam had already prepared their share and was waiting to pass it to them.

    Fuyan had seen all the silver essories being handed out. They were finely made and their designs were beautiful and novel. Even just looking at them, she found it difficult to hold back her desire.

    Senior Servant Zhong acted like Senior Servant Gui had the day before: she looked at Chu Lian with a disapproving gaze.

    How could Third Young Madam act this way? Handing out rewards so generously the moment she entered the estate was a grossly inappropriate use of money.

    However, she didn¡¯t say a word out loud. She simply kept score in her heart, preparing to report all of this in a letter to Third Young Master.

    Wenqing and Wen were just second-ss maidservants, so of course, they weren¡¯t included in the share for Chu Lian¡¯s personal handmaids.

    ¡°Come here, take a look and see which ones you like the most!¡±

    When the case was opened, pairs of golden earrings and rings were revealed.

    There were two sets of essories that had more traditional designs and contained more gold. Chu Lian had prepared those two sets for the two senior servants.

    The other sets were made of more new and interesting designs with lovelier patterns.

    One pair of earrings was shaped like peach blossoms. They were pretty within the box, but they were even more charming when worn: two delicate, golden peach blossoms glinting against the curve of a youngdy¡¯s ears.

    The earrings and rings were slim and the patterns were drawn exactly to Chu Lian¡¯s designs, so they didn¡¯t use up too much gold. This was all that was made from melting the two golden hairpins she had gotten from her childhood jewellery box.

    These golden essories¡¯ main valueid in the exquisite, novel patterns that they had.

    They suited Xiyan and the other youngdies well.

    All the handmaids were jumping for joy. Senior Servant Zhong looked at the pair of earrings and ring in her hands and snorted arrogantly in her heart.

    Third Young Madam, even if you try to bribe me like this, I¡¯ll still report everything to Third Young Master, word for word!

    I definitely won¡¯t put in a single good word for you!

    Chu Lian smiled and waved them away to return to their own tasks.

 Chapter 112: A Growing Distance (2)

    In the blink of an eye, it was already the day of the visit to Prince Wei¡¯s estate.

    Chu Lian rose early that morning and personally cooked a bowl of shredded chicken longevity noodles for her own birthday. She also epted some embroidery from her maidservants as gifts.

    When she went to Qingxi Hall for her daily greetings, Matriarch He gave her a bolt ofke blue silk fabric. Even the bedridden Countess Jing¡¯an sent her handmaid, Miaozhen, over with a kilogram of sencha. Her eldest sister-inw, Madam Zou, was the only one who hadn¡¯t given her anything.

    Right after bidding goodbye to Matriarch He, Chu Lian immediately boarded a carriage, carrying the confections she had made this morning to Prince Wei¡¯s estate.

    Back at Qingxi Hall, Madam Zou had just brought over her two daughters to give their daily greetings.

    Matriarch He frowned a little and tested her with a question. ¡°Dng¡¯s wife, do you remember if there¡¯s any special asions today?¡±

    Due to the heat of the day, Madam Zou had been a little absentminded since she had woken up. Hearing this, she asked curiously, ¡°A special asion?¡±

    When the matriarch saw that she hadn¡¯t reacted at all to her test, she set down her teacup. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Perhaps my memory¡¯s getting a little muddled in my old age.¡±

    Madam Zou rushed to reassure her. ¡°Grandmother, your body¡¯s still healthy and strong, how could you possibly be muddled? Has Granddaughter-in-Law missed out on something? Granddaughter-in-Law still needs Grandmother to give her reminders!¡±

    The matriarch looked at this granddaughter-inw of hers. Madam Zou had married into the Jing¡¯an Estate for close to ten years now. Although she wasn¡¯t the best at managing the estate, she did a good enough job of it. At the very least, there weren¡¯t any obvious mistakes in her work.

    Why had Madam Zou started making mistakes the moment Sang¡¯s wife entered the estate? She had been observing her for the past few days. Dng¡¯s wife seemed to look a little haggard, and she was no longer as orderly in her tasks. Her strength seemed to becking now.

    She had even forgotten the birthday of Sang¡¯s wife.

    There was a small booklet recording the birthdays of every master in the estate. When it came to someone¡¯s birthday, they would distribute some funds from the public ounts to each branch of the family for a birthday celebration.

    Matriarch He took another sip of tea and kept quiet.

    Instead, it was Madam Zou who asked, ¡°Grandmother, I just heard one of the servants report. Third Sister-in-Law has gone out?¡±

    The matriarch nodded. ¡°Sang¡¯s wife received an invite from Royal Princess Duanjia, so she¡¯s gone to Prince Wei¡¯s estate for a small gathering.¡±

    What!

    Royal Princess Duanjia!

    Madam Zou instantly went through a raging storm of emotions. She knew clearly how influential Prince Wei was!

    Prince Wei was the emperor¡¯s brother, and a leisurely prince. When the emperor had been fighting the other princes for the throne, Prince Wei had contributed much to his efforts.

    However, when the emperor had ascended to the throne, Prince Wei had handed over all the authority in his hands and requested that he be ayabout prince.

    Due to the guilt he felt towards Prince Wei, as well as the fact that they shared the same mother, the emperor thought very highly of this brother of his. Since Royal Princess Duanjia was Prince Wei¡¯s only daughter, she was pampered to the same degree of any imperial princess.

    Although Prince Wei didn¡¯t hold any power now, he was officially the next in line to be the imperial n leader.

    Why hadn¡¯t she heard anything about Third Sister-in-Law going to Prince Wei¡¯s estate?

    Shocked, Madam Zou could do nothing but look at the matriarch.

    The matriarch didn¡¯t even twitch as she said, ¡°Royal Princess Duanjia sent someone over with an invite two days ago. I forgot to mention it; it¡¯s not Sang¡¯s wife¡¯s fault.¡±

    After hearing the matriarch¡¯s exnation, Madam Zou¡¯s eyes darkened.

    She sat for another ten minutes before leaving and taking her daughters with her.

 Chapter 113: The Northern Border (1)

    Matriarch He watched Madam Zou leave. That girl looked more haggard by the day, she mused. Her fingers tapped gently on the table beside her as she began to consider some thoughts she had previously set aside.

    A few days ago, Countess Jing¡¯an had mentioned the matter of letting her eldest son, Dng, take a concubine to the matriarch.

    Truthfully speaking, the matriarch had been waiting for a great-grandson for much too long. She had given Dng¡¯s wife ten years, but there was still no news.

    ......

    After He Changdi and Laiyue passed Zhangzhou and went as far north as they could go, they took to the water and reached Qizhou. They then changed horses and continued northward. After half a month of harsh travel, they finally reached the northern border of the Great Wu Dynasty: Liangzhou.

    Looking at the endless grasnds of the northern border, memories from He Changdi¡¯s past life bubbled to the surface. His heart was a mess of muddled emotions.

    Laiyue rode his horse up to his young master¡¯s side before asking, ¡°Young Master, are we entering the city directly?¡±

    He Changdi shook his head and pointed in another direction.

    Laiyue turned his gaze over, only to see a few scattered tents dotted yonder on the boundless grassy ins.

    He gulped, but didn¡¯t say a word.

    Throughout their journey, the fuse on Third Young Master¡¯s temper had just grown shorter and shorter. He wore a gloomy expression around all day, and practically radiated the aura of a porcupine: don¡¯t touch me!

    Laiyue subconsciously took a deep breath and instantly regretted it. He looked down at his own travel-worn clothing, fighting the urge to throw himself into a pool of water. He was emitting the stink of the century here, and it was to the point where he was about to lose his sense of smell. He hadn¡¯t thought that Third Young Master, who had always loved cleanliness, could actually keep travelling without bothering to wash the dirt off his body.

    It was full summer right now. Thest time they had properly cleaned themselves was back when they had left Qizhou. The further north they went, the fewer pools andkes they could find. Since they were rushing to their destination, they were living roughly. A normal thing like a bath had be a luxury.

    Now that they had arrived at the uncivilised northern ins, they were surrounded by grasnd all around. There weren¡¯t even that many tents, let alone any inns or restaurants where they could rest in.

    Laiyue secretly shot a nce at Third Young Master. His fitted grey riding clothes were already stained with dirt, and there were even a few tears here and there. His ck hair had been tied up at the back of his head, but the journey had made it a mess. Dark stubble was already growing all over his chin due to theck of shaving. Half a month of travelling out in the sun and wind had made Third Young Master not only more tan, but also skinnier than before.

    The corners of Laiyue¡¯s mouth twitched. If his young master were to ride along the streets of the capital now, probably no one would be able to connect this coarse man with the He Family¡¯s Sang the Fair.

    Master and servant urged their horses towards the scattered tents in the distance.

    Just as they arrived, a slightly plump madam happened to walk out of one of the tents, carrying some butter and tea as she pushed up the tent ps. Seeing the two strangers, she looked over curiously and spoke in some gibberish that Laiyue couldn¡¯t understand.

    Laiyue stared at the madam. Although he had expected the northern border to be harsh and cruel, he hadn¡¯t thought that they wouldn¡¯t be able tomunicate...

    The madam spoke a bunch of words to them, but Laiyue still couldn¡¯t understand a single one. He felt a headache building.

    He turned to his master helplessly.

    Who could have expected that He Changdi would get off his horse, walk up to the madam, and speak in the same gibberish!? Laiyue couldn¡¯t understand a thing. However, after he was done, took out a stamp from the purse at his waist and passed it to the madam.

    The madam eyed the stamp for a long time, holding it up to the light to see it better. Suddenly, she practically leapt for joy and returned the stamp to He Changdi. She then respectfully bowed 90 degrees to him, before pulling He Changdi into the tent.

    Laiyue was stunned. He didn¡¯t know how his young master had suddenly learned how to speak a barbariannguage. And looking at the way he had spoken, he was extremely fluent, too.

    Laiyue stood stock-still as he held the horses¡¯ reins,pletely dazed. His feet had be one with the ground due to his shock. In the end, He Changdi had to turn around and shout at him before he regained his senses.

    In a moment, a half-grown teenager stepped out from the tent, smiling widely as he tried to take the reins of the horses from Laiyue. He Changdi noticed that Laiyue wasn¡¯t moving, so he instructed, ¡°Give the horses to him; he¡¯ll help us take care of them.¡±

    Laiyue then handed the reins over to the grinning, tanned teen.

    Laiyue caught up to his young master in a few steps. He scratched his head helplessly and said, ¡°Young Master, this servant doesn¡¯t understand...¡±

    He Sang red at his manservant. ¡°What are you nking out for? Just follow me.¡±

    Laiyue quickly nodded. However, not even a minute had passed before he was no longer able to hold back his curiosity. ¡°Young Master, when did you learn how to speak the barbariannguage of the northern border? This servant didn¡¯t realise you could do that at all.¡±

    He Sang looked at Laiyue in contempt. ¡°With your wits, it¡¯s normal that you didn¡¯t know. All you think about all day is eating!¡±

    Poor Laiyue didn¡¯t dare to ask again.

    All he did was eat a bowl of Third Young Madam¡¯s braised meat with rice. That bowl of rice had even been leftovers from the maidservants¡¯ meal! Third Young Master had been ridiculing him for that one bowl the whole way here; what injustice!

    However, upon remembering that braised meat, saliva gathered in Laiyue¡¯s mouth. That thick sauce and fatty meat... With one bite, the taste lingered in his mouth for hours... It was the most delicious meat he had ever eaten in his life!

    If he could have another bowl right now, he would put the entirety of it on another bowl of rice. Three huge servings of that wouldn¡¯t be a problem! Wait, no, maybe he could even eat the entire pot of rice!

    As he thought of the harsh journey they had gone through to get here, Laiyue missed that delicious food even more.

 Chapter 114: The Northern Border (2)

    He Sang experienced an instant of confusion. Barbariannguage? His fluency with it was all because he had been exiled to the northern border in his previous life. He had lived amongst the lowest of the barbarians for three years, suffering all the hardships there were in this world. After all that, how could he possibly not know the most basguage amongst them?

    Thinking back to those dark days, He Changdi¡¯s hands clenched into fists, hidden under his sleeves.

    However, the heavens had been kind to him; they had given him a chance to redo it all!

    When they entered the tent, a short but sturdy barbarian came up to wee them. He ced his right hand over his heart and bowed respectfully to He Changdi.

    He Changdi nodded and headed towards the short table in the center of the tent. He waited for the barbarian to sit together with him. In a moment, the madam they had met outside brought in two earthenware jars.

    The barbarian man indicated for him to go ahead, in the manner of the Han people. He Changdi didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and filled the roughly made bowl before him with food. He ate one bite before jerking his head towards Laiyue, who was kneeling behind him, indicating for him to eat as well.

    The two of them hadn¡¯t eaten for almost a day in their rush to reach Liangzhou; their empty stomachs were growling by now. They had relied on each other along the way, so He Changdi didn¡¯t bother with keeping up with his noble airs and simply treated Laiyue as arade. Each time they entered an inn to eat, they always shared a table.

    Laiyue didn¡¯t reject the offer and followed He Changdi¡¯s example to fill up a bowl of food for himself. Due to his hunger, he drank a huge gulp of the food in the bowl immediately.

    However, the moment the food touched his tongue, Laiyue¡¯s face contorted. He secretly nced at his master, only to see that He Changdi¡¯s expression hadn¡¯t changed at all, and that he was eating the food in the bowl with small bites. It was only because of that that Laiyue managed to swallow the mouthful he had taken.

    Looking down at the ck, strange substance in his bowl, Laiyuepletely lost the courage to take another bite.

    What was this made of? It was harder to swallow than the steamed buns they had on the way here. The barbarians couldn¡¯t possibly be eating only this everyday, could they?

    After a while, He Sang had already elegantly polished off all the food in his bowl. He looked calmly at his manservant. ¡°Finish it all. There¡¯s nothing else to eat here. You¡¯ll go hungry otherwise.¡±

    Laiyue looked at his master¡¯s empty bowl. With no choice, he faced his own bowl and valiantly did battle with the food in it, not daring to taste it at all.

    That food was the northern border¡¯s specialty, Chinese olive porridge. Although the taste wasn¡¯t very good, it was the main source of food for the barbarians living here. In He Changdi¡¯s past life, even this terrible porridge was hard toe by. He could only have it once a month, thanks to a barbarian woman who pitied him and secretly brought him some every month.

    Upon tasting this vour again, He Changdi had initially thought that he might reminisce about his past, or even like the taste of it this time. However, he didn¡¯t feel anything special at all upon tasting it. He stared at the steam rising from the earthenware jars, going into a daze. The Chinese olive porridge on the table slowly changed into steaming hot scallion pancakes and wontons.

    Hispanion at the table changed into a lovely, innocent young woman, who would stare at him huffily from time to time. The look in her eyes was using him of being a big eater who had snatched away the food she had carefully made.

    The taste of those delicious wontons and crispy scallion pancakes seemed to slowly cover up the vour of that Chinese olive porridge, causing him to forget what he was actually eating.

    He Sang suddenly pinched his own palm fiercely. His eyes froze over into pools of ck jade.

    Damn it! Was he cursed or what? Why was he thinking of that wicked woman again?!

    He reyed the tragedies that he had faced in his past life in his mind, reminding himself that all the hardship he had gone through was caused by that woman and that woman alone. He slowly shut his eyes... When he opened them again, they were back to his usual clear gaze.

    Laiyue set down his bowl with all sorts of emotions on his face, and turned towards his young master with a pitiful look.

    The barbarian man was sitting across from him. He found Laiyue¡¯s expressions amusing, so he openly burst out into peals ofughter, before ordering the woman to clear the table and serve some fermented milk.

    Laiyue was more careful with what he ate this time. He picked up the fermented milk before him and sipped a tiny mouthful. Although it couldn¡¯t bepared to the capital¡¯s cheapest yellow rice wine, it was heavenlypared to that Chinese olive porridge.

    The barbarian man smiled again upon seeing Laiyue¡¯s change of expressions. He turned to He Changdi to speak.

    Laiyue couldn¡¯t understand anything, but he did see the barbarian man pause in his words to pull out a small pouch, handing it over to his young master with both hands.

    He Sang opened up the small pouch and took out the two letters inside. Following that, he nced at the remaining things in the pouch and balled it up before he stuffed it into the sack he carried with him at all times.

    When Laiyue noticed the seal on the back of the letters, his expression turned more serious.

    Those two letters had been sent along Prince Jin¡¯s connections.

    He Changdi first opened the letter from Prince Jin and skimmed through it. No change in emotions could be discerned from his face. Next, he opened the other letter.

    The handwriting in this letter wasn¡¯t as bold as the previous one, but was more neat and orderly. This had been written by Senior Servant Zhong.

    There were five pages in total, miniscule words covering every nk space on the letter. They reported every single thing that Chu Lian had done in the two weeks he had been away from the Jing¡¯an Estate, big or small.

    He Sang¡¯s face noticeably cooled as he read the letter. At the same time, a trace of doubt surfaced in his eyes, unseen by the rest.

    He Changdi continued reading. When he reached certain parts, his mouth couldn¡¯t help but twitch in response.

 Chapter 115: Donâ€™t Bother Shaving

    Senior Servant Zhong¡¯s letter was written as if she were talking, devoid of any flowerynguage.

    As he read, He Sang could clearly feel Senior Servant Zhong¡¯s joy and gratitude.

    This was what was written in the letter.

    ¡°This old servant didn¡¯t know about Third Young Madam¡¯s great culinary skills. The meals in Songtao Court are different every time. Third Young Madam understands and sympathises with us lowly servants, so this old servant was also blessed with the chance to taste her delicious food. With this old servant¡¯s age and old teeth, it was the shredded chicken noodles that suited my tastes the most. No, no, there were also the silver floss flower rolls... the poria mushroom buns were good, too. After living for so long, it was the first time this old servant experienced such appetite! This old servant has to be frank; the hour that this old servant looks forward to the most is meal time...¡±

    There was still a huge paragraph at the end. Perhaps it was because Senior Servant Zhong couldn¡¯t stop writing once she started talking about Third Young Madam¡¯s cooking. When she finally came to her senses and realised that she had written far too much, the only thing she could do was forcefully change the topic.

    ¡°Third Young Madam is someone who likes to eat a lot. While Third Young Master is at the northern border, please don¡¯t worry about Third Young Madam¡¯s health. Young Master, please take care of yourself and eat more every day...¡±

    He Changdi felt the urge to spit up blood; he barely managed to rein in his frustrations. This Senior Servant Zhong! After mentioning so many delicious dishes, she actually told him to eat more! Couldn¡¯t she remember that he was in the bitter north? There was nothing to eat here!

    He Sang looked down at the fermented milk before him and suddenly felt like it was too hard to swallow.

    That wicked woman was poisonous indeed!

    She actually used food to bribe his people over!

    He Sang¡¯s handsome face contorted. He secretly decided to remind Senior Servant Zhong in his next reply not to forget her orders after eating that wicked woman¡¯s cooking. She wasn¡¯t supposed to be bought over that easily!

    Finally, he read about the whole fiasco at the Dingyuan Estate. He Sang¡¯s eyes dimmed down considerably.

    The hand that was holding the letter tightened.

    How could this be? The series of events at the Dingyuan Estate had turned outpletely different...

    That wicked woman had actually gotten connected to Royal Princess Duanjia because of that?

    He Changdi suppressed the shock in his heart and quickly thought up a n.

    In thest paragraph, Senior Servant Zhong rebuked Chu Lian a little for not knowing how to manage her finances. ording to Senior Servant Zhong, Chu Lian had used a flimsy reason like her birthday to bestow rewards upon every servant in the courtyard.

    Birthday? Rewards?

    He Changdi knew exactly when Chu Lian¡¯s birthday was, of course. However, there was no need to help celebrate the birthday of a woman he hated so much. It seemed she was still able to entertain herself without him though, whimsically rewarding the servants like that. When he read in Senior Servant Zhong¡¯s letter that she herself had gotten a pair of golden earrings and a golden ring, He Changdi snorted coldly.

    Contempt filled his heart. Did she think that a small gift like that would be able to win the loyalty of the servants he ordered to watch her?

    Dream on!

    He Sang didn¡¯t know why he was getting so angry. Wasn¡¯t his hatred bone-deep already? He should be ustomed to her wicked schemes by now...

    In this life, he wanted to be a strong lion, hiding and biding his time with all the cards in his hand. But in reality, he had never been able to hold back his anger; time and time again, he impulsively leaped straight into a blinding rage, and it was all thanks to that wicked woman.

    It was as if his self-restraint disappeared and he lost his temper the moment he noticed that she did anything differently from his previous life.

    He knew about the pitiful state of Chu Lian¡¯s dowry immediately after she married into the Jing¡¯an Estate. In his past life, he had helped by adding to it. In this life, he wanted to see her suffer!

    Didn¡¯t she like rewarding the servants to feed her own ego?

    In that case, he would eagerly wait for the day she spent all of her family fortune.

    Off to the side, Laiyue had been carefully watching his master¡¯s expression. His curiosity was eating him alive. He wanted to know what was going on with his young master, or why his expression was changing so much during the course of reading one single letter. From clear rage to savage vindictiveness, and then a cold sneer... Laiyue shrunk back into himself. Despite the day¡¯s zing weather, he felt chills roll down his spine.

    As if he knew what He Changdi was going to do, the barbarian man stood up and personally fetched a brush and paper. He Changdi sent a look towards the two people next to him, and they moved to stand off to one side.

    When He Changdi was done with his reply, he sealed it in an envelope and passed it to the barbarian man. The barbarian man nodded and carefully slid the envelope into his clothes.

    He Changdi and Laiyue rested for a while longer inside the tent. Eventually, the woman who had left earlier returned with the young teen looking after the horses. He was carrying a giant wooden tub as he came in.

    The teenager walked in and out of the tent, carrying buckets of hot water and filling up the wooden tub. Laiyue finally realised that this was probably meant for the young master to bathe.

    When everything was done, only Laiyue remained in the tent to serve his master.

    He Changdi soaked in the bathtub, letting out afortable sigh. His long arms were ced on the sides of the tub, showing off his growing muscles. He didn¡¯t look too slender in his clothes either. Laiyue used a cloth to wipe his master¡¯s back. When he was done washing his master¡¯s hair, Laiyue noticed the stubble on his face. He took out a razor he always carried with him, and was about to help his young master shave it off.

    He Changdi noticed his movements and pushed him away. ¡°There¡¯s no need to shave my stubble. Leave it like this.¡±

    Ah?

    Laiyue froze up a little. The standards of beauty in the Great Wu Dynasty were simr to that of the Wei and Jin Dynasties. Men with fair skin would have plenty of admirers. Thus, in the brothels, the male prostitutes would add powder onto their faces to make themselves more fair.

    This happened not only in the brothels, but even some noble sons would apply powder before heading out to meet their friends. Some would even wear flowers in their hair. The young nobles didn¡¯t much like leaving a beard, either.

    It was because of this aesthetic that Xiao Bojian could attract so many admirers with his feminine looks.

    While He Sang didn¡¯t imitate those other men by adding flowers to his hair, he would always keep a clean appearance. He was born handsome, without appearing too feminine. His heroic and manly appearance, coupled with his slightly cool, arrogant aura made him appear haughty, but in an elegant manner rather than an outrageous one. It was enough to make the hearts of his admirers beat wildly.

    However, that once handsome face was now half-covered with ck stubble. There was nothing good-looking about it now.

    Due to He Changdi¡¯s vtile emotions today, Laiyue didn¡¯t dare disobey his order and did not shave his stubble. He could only put the razor away.

 Chapter 116: The Haughty Spoiled Princess (1)

    After running through the downtown area for an hour, the Jing¡¯an Estate¡¯s carriage finally arrived at the main entrance of Prince Wei¡¯s estate.

    Without waiting for Chu Lian to send a manservant over to the guard house with the invitation, a senior servant who had been waiting by the entrance led two younger maidservants over to wee her.

    Chu Lian had just gotten off the carriage with Xiyan¡¯s help when the weing senior servant asked with a bright smile, ¡°Excuse me, could thisdy be House Jing¡¯an¡¯s young madam?¡±

    Wen bobbed in greeting to the senior servant in front of her and replied, ¡°It is.¡±

    ¡°Third Young Madam, we¡¯ve been waiting for you. Our royal princess sent this old servant to wait by the entrance much earlier. Please,e in with us.¡± The senior servant was only about thirty years old. Thebination of her round face, warm tone, and friendly smile gave off a good first impression.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble momo.¡±

    When Chu Lian entered Prince Wei¡¯s estate, the senior servant had even prepared a sedan for her. With two menial servants hoisting it, they reached Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s courtyard in eight minutes.

    Prince Wei¡¯s estate was much more imposing than the Jing¡¯an Estate. There were decorative mountains, pavilions, covered corridors, and drawing rooms all over the ce. Everywhere she looked, there would be beautiful scenery awaiting her eyes. No wonder Prince Wei¡¯s estate was considered the first amongst the top three estates in the capital.

    Chu Lian looked at everything with wide, clear eyes. She openly admired her surroundings.

    Although this behaviour couldn¡¯t be considered dignified or elegant, her innocent and honest expressions made it hard to have a bad impression of her.

    At least, it was much betterpared to thedies who would feign a reserved manner despite their curiosity, while their eyes were full of jealousy and envy.

    Chu Lian sat on the sedan admiring the scenery in Prince Wei¡¯s estate. She felt that this garden wouldn¡¯t lose one bit to the Humble Administrator¡¯s Garden in the modern world.

    When she noticed a pavilion as tall as a decorative mountain in the distance, Chu Lian looked it over for a while longer out of curiosity.

    The senior servant following next to Chu Lian kindly provided an exnation for Chu Lian. ¡°Third Young Madam, that pavilion is called Buliu Pavilion. The signboard above it is a valuable piece of calligraphy, reportedly written by a great schr from the previous dynasty, Chu Buliu! That pavilion is a great ce to cool off on a hot day like today. When the wind blows, it¡¯s very refreshing.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded and smiled.

    With her tender smile, pure gaze and honest personality, as well as the fact that she was someone that the royal princess had personally invited over, the senior servant¡¯s gaze leant more towards goodwill.

    When they reached Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s courtyard, one of the servants supported Chu Lian as she got off the sedan. When she looked up, Royal Princess Duanjia was standing in the corridor outside the parlour.

    When she walked up to the princess, Royal Princess Duanjia raised an eyebrow and looked her up and down. The moment the princess noticed the box of food Xiyan was carrying, surprise lit up in her eyes. She strode up to Xiyan and took the box from her hands. Royal Princess Duanjia then raised her chin slightly, turning to Chu Lian as she said, ¡°Chu Liu, this is for me, right?¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. She hadn¡¯t expected the precious royal princess she had met at the Dingyuan Estate to have such a tsundere personality.

    She nodded, and with a forgiving tone, Chu Lian said, ¡°I made these myself this morning. They¡¯re for you, Royal Princess.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s voice was soft and kind. Although she was already a married woman, other than the difference in hairstyles from the maiden princess, she looked like a youngdy who was still the same age as Royal Princess Duanjia.

    While Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s status was much higher than hers, Chu Lian didn¡¯t act differently in front of her. Instead, she treated the princess like a sister from the same family, without any of the usual fear or carefulness that others might have. This raised her evaluation in Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s eyes.

    Without waiting for Chu Lian¡¯s greeting bow, Royal Princess Duanjia took her hand and led her to the parlour.

    After the two of them were seated, Royal Princess Duanjia ordered her handmaid to serve the confections that Chu Lian had brought.

    When the confections were brought out in two little porcin dishes, Royal Princess Duanjia stared at them in a daze.

    There were six pieces of confections sitting on one of the exquisite blue porcin dishes, and there were two pieces of every colour: milky yellow, light green, and light red.

    The t confections had somehow been made into cutely shaped cat heads. Every cat had a different expression, provoking amusement in the onlookers.

    Chu Lian smiled a little as she watched Royal Princess Duanjia gape in surprise.

    As expected, girls liked cute little confections the most!

    She had made a set of cookies. The three different colours also signified the three different vours of the cookies: milk, matcha, and red date. She had used a cat head shaped mould that she had prepared in advance to make them, and then used some natural food colouring to draw some simple, adorable little expressions on top. The cookies were done after a round of baking in the oven. It was much simpler to make thesepared to the Eight Confections.

    On the other te was a disy of sugared haw fruits. They were round and red, covered in ayer of white icing sugar. Though they weren¡¯t as sour as eating the haw fruits by themselves, they weren¡¯t sickly sweet either. In addition, the seeds inside had already been removed, so there was no need to spit out anything. They were both delicious and convenient, and were great for snacking.

    Royal Princess Duanjia eyes were sparkling as she looked at the confections before her. Her handmaid was also absorbed in staring at the snacks, but she managed to regain her senses and hurriedly turned to serve some tea.

 Chapter 117: The Haughty Spoiled Princess (2)

    When Chu Lian saw that the maid was about to serve this world¡¯s terrible sencha, she grimaced. She quickly stopped the maid and said, ¡°Princess, this dessert doesn¡¯t go along with sencha; it¡¯ll spoil the taste.¡±

    Hearing that, the princess lost her usual noble bearing as she rolled her eyes at Chu Lian. ¡°Chu Liu, you¡¯re just saying that because you don¡¯t like to drink sencha, right?¡±

    From the shine of Chu Lian¡¯s eyes, she could see that she was just trying to make up an excuse.

    The corner of Chu Lian¡¯s mouth twitched speechlessly; this princess was way too clever.

    Princess Duanjia¡¯s personal maidservantughed in response. ¡°Third Young Madam, please be at ease. Our princess doesn¡¯t like sencha either. This servant will be pouring honey water, not sencha.¡±

    Chu Lian sheepishly chuckled. How awkward.

    Princess Duanjia picked up a matcha-vored cookie and asked curiously, ¡°Chu Liu, can you tell me how you made this ¡®cookie¡¯?¡±

    Inwardly, Princess Duanjia was thinking to herself, ¡®Chu Liu must havee up with the name herself. It¡¯s so weird, and so inelegant. Hmph, all she knows how to do is eat!¡¯

    Chu Lian was quite surprised. In the past few days, she had made quite a number of delicacies which exceeded the current standards of the Great Wu Dynasty. Although every dish she made had received tremendous praise, since the people here guarded their secret recipes even more preciously than their own lives, no one had ever straight out asked her for the recipe. That is, until she met Princess Duanjia!

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t quite know how to react for a moment. ¡°Princess, do you really want to know?¡±

    ¡°Of course, do you think I¡¯m kidding!?¡± Princess Duanjia rolled her eyes at her again.

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes were wide open by now, and her thick eyshes trembled as she blinked. ¡°Since you¡¯re that curious about how the cookies were made... Well, it¡¯s hard to say. It could be hard for some and easy for others.¡±

    ¡°Then make it easy for me.¡±

    Chu Lian almost choked. All she could do was gather up her patience and begin to recite the instructions. ¡°To make these cookies, you¡¯ll need butter, eggs, flour, and sugar. Prepare all these ingredients first, then mix the butter, add in the sugar, throw in the beaten eggs, and stir the mixture. After mixing them thoroughly, add the flour and stir. Shape the dough as you like, then just bake it. However, it won¡¯t be easy for most people to grasp how to mix and bake it properly.¡±

    Although Chu Lian made it sound simple, it was practically impossible for the people of this era to make a proper cookie without experience. They would probably be in over their heads just trying to deal with the butter alone. The recipe was only simple to Chu Lian; it was apletely different matter for other people.

    Princess Duanjia frowned. ¡°So that means... for most people, it¡¯ll be very hard to bake this cookie?¡±

    Chu Lian nodded. ¡°Princess, something like this cute matcha cookie you¡¯re holding will require even more steps to make. If you want to try making some, you could learn how to make a simple cookie first, without making any special shapes.¡±

    ¡°No way! I want to make one shaped like a cat¡¯s head, and it has to be matcha-voured!¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Chu Lian¡¯s suffering showed a little in her expression, but without waiting for her to gather her thoughts, Princess Duanjia spoke again.

    ¡°Bring more cookies the next time youe over! Remember, they must be shaped like cat heads, and they have to be as cute as this one! I won¡¯t let you go if they¡¯re not cute!¡± A little embarrassed by her own words, Princess Duanjia pouted. Her awkward expression was rather endearing.

    Once again, Chu Lian replied with a stupefied, ¡°Ah?¡±

    After some thought, she realised that she had been invited by the princess again.

    She suddenly thought that Princess Duanjia¡¯s awkward expression was actually pretty adorable.

    Chu Lian smiled, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bring some other vours next time.¡±

    Princess Duanjia¡¯s eyes lit up, but she immediately followed it up with a pout. ¡°Who wants you toe? I just want to eat more of these cute cat-shaped snacks.¡±

 Chapter 118: Yuehong Restaurantâ€™s Roast Duck (1)

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t expect the regal, aloof Royal Princess Duanjia from Mei Court to turn out more like an awkward, endearingly haughty child.

    Her smile grew even wider. ¡°Of course, I understand.¡±

    ¡°Right, I¡¯m the only one you can make cat cookies for! Otherwise, I¡¯ll make you answer for your crime!¡±

    Chu Lian took a mental note: Royal Princess Duanjia was not only awkward and endearingly haughty; she was also very possessive.

    The two of them dined on sweet desserts and honey water as they sat in the parlour. Sometime during their t¨ºte-¨¤-t¨ºte, Princess Wei btedly brought over some cherries as additional snacks for them, but upon seeing her daughter on a rare y date, she chose not to disturb them. It wasn¡¯t amon sight to see her daughter get along so well with someone.

    Royal Princess Duanjia noticed that it was already the middle of the afternoon, so she coughed gently and prompted, ¡°Chu Liu, how about I bring you out to eat somewhere today?¡±

    Chu Lian really didn¡¯t know how to react. Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s personality was too different from the norm. When inviting guests to lunch, wasn¡¯t it more natural to eat inside the estate rather than somewhere else? Why was the princess asking her out to eat?

    Since Chu Lian¡¯s response was only a wordless, wide-eyed stare, Royal Princess Duanjia could only pout and add, ¡°Fine, I just wanted to eat Yuehong Restaurant¡¯s roast duck. Are youing or not?¡±

    Yuehong Restaurant?

    It was one of the best restaurants in the capital, and simr to the modern world¡¯s famous Quanjude roast duck restaurant, it was also famed for its roast duck.

    Chu Lian still had her Guilin Restaurant to manage. It would be a good idea to take a look at what the best restaurant in the capital was like.

    She smiled and nodded.

    Royal Princess Duanjia excitedly sent one of her maidservants off to inform Princess Wei before sending another senior servant to the outer court to prepare a carriage.

    Royal Princess Duanjia and Chu Lian arrived at the side entrance of Yuehong Restaurant before 11am. The two of them were supported off the carriage by their servants. Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened as she looked around.

    As expected, this Yuehong Restaurant was extraordinary. It was located in the best spot of the whole Zhuque Main Street. There were customers ranging in the hundredsing in and out every day. From where they were standing, Chu Lian could see that the first floor¡¯s main hall was already full.

    A special waiter ushered them in from the side entrance. Royal Princess Duanjia seemed to be a regr customer of Yuehong Restaurant, as the two of them were guided by the waiter into a private roombelled ¡®Heaven¡¯.

    Royal Princess Duanjia rattled off a list of dishes to the waiter, some of which Chu Lian had never even heard of before.

    She observed how this private room was decorated. It was sumptuously furnished; there were even expensive bonsai trees ced on the side tables next to the window. Although it looked very elegant and high ss, she still had to see if their food could match up to the restaurant¡¯s appearance.

    Royal Princess Duanjia rested her chin on one hand while her clever eyes were fixed onto Chu Lian. ¡°Chu Liu, you¡¯ve never been to a ce like this?¡±

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected Royal Princess Duanjia to be so direct. She simply smiled and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve never been to a ce like this before. It¡¯s my first time!¡±

    The original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ hadn¡¯t been on very good terms with the otherdies in her family. She had also been suppressed by her stepmother, so she didn¡¯t have much money. Setting aside the question of whether she would even have the chance to leave the estate, she couldn¡¯t even afford to tip the servants if she went out, nevermind dine at a luxurious restaurant like Yuehong.

    When Royal Princess Duanjia heard her honest confession, she could guess that her days at the Ying Estate hadn¡¯t been too great. However, seeing that her eyes were bright and clear, without a hint of darkness or resentment, the princess admired her carefree personality even more.

    ¡°Then eat more today. When we¡¯re done, let¡¯s go to Defeng Teahouse for a bit. I heard that someone will be performing ¡®The Phoenix Seeks His Soulmate¡¯ there today.¡±

    It was rare for her to find someone she could get along with to go out and y. Chu Lian wasn¡¯t too bothered about things like differences in social status either. The two of them were just like two best friends on a shopping trip, so Chu Lian agreed without thinking too much.

    When all the dishes were served, the hopeful Chu Lian couldn¡¯t hold back the twitch at the corners of her mouth.

    There were over ten signature dishes on the table, but only the roast duck looked passable. The rest of the dishes were about the same as what she had in the Jing¡¯an Estate.

    On the other hand, Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s eyes were alight as she took in this poor spread. Her handmaid had already started cing pieces of roast duck in Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s personal dish, as well as Chu Lian¡¯s.

    There were two other small dishes ced in front of them. One of them was filled with a dark soy sauce, while fine salt crystals were piled on top of the other.

    Royal Princess Duanjia pointed at the two white dishes and said, ¡°Chu Liu, you have to dip the roast duck into the dark soy sauce and the fine salt. It¡¯s delicious! Try it out!¡±

    As she finished speaking, she quickly picked up a piece of roast duck on her te, dipped it into the sauce, and then stuffed it right into her mouth. Royal Princess Duanjia closed her eyes as she savoured it.

    Upon finishing that one single piece, she smacked her lips like she was recording the vour into her memory. Then she turned her expectant eyes towards Chu Lian.

 Chapter 119: Yuehong Restaurantâ€™s Roast Duck (2)

    Faced with that waiting gaze, Chu Lian could only follow Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s instructions, dipping the duck into the sauce, and then putting it into her mouth.

    Chu Lian: ......

    Although the roast duck was so crisp that the surface was covered in oil, the inside waspletely devoid of vour! No wonder they had to dip it in soy sauce and salt.

    The soy sauce and saltbo could add some taste to the meat, but that was only on the outermostyer. It was worth noting that even the most finely ground salt here was coarser than the table salt of the modern world. She could clearly see every single grain of salt, and therger crystals arguably made the crispy skin it coated even saltier. The meat on the inside was theplete opposite: utterly tasteless. While biting down was like eating a mouthful of salt, chewing was equally horrid. She couldn¡¯t taste any duck at all. With this sort of uneven vour distribution, how could anyone consider this delicious?

    Chu Lian was used to lighter vours, and this duck definitely didn¡¯t match her tastes. However, Royal Princess Duanjia was watching her so she couldn¡¯t just spit it out. She quickly chewed the piece of duck in her mouth and swallowed it with difficulty.

    She coughed twice to disguise her disgust. When Royal Princess Duanjia saw her reaction, she asked, ¡°Chu Liu, how is it? Did you like it?¡±

    Chu Lian looked up at Royal Princess Duanjia. Although her expression was rather calm, the anticipation of a positive answer in her eyes gave her away.

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t bear to waste her good intentions, so she tried to gloss over it. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±

    Upon receiving an answer she hadn¡¯t expected, Royal Princess Duanjia frowned. ¡°Is it tasty or not?¡±

    Chu Lian awkwardly smiled. She was already numb to the dreadful food here. Perhaps even the imperial banquets in this darn Great Wu Dynasty were of this standard.

    Suddenly, Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Chu Liu. Could it be... that you know how to make even tastier roast duck?¡±

    Chu Lian wanted to say no, but Royal Princess Duanjia quickly followed with, ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! Or I¡¯ll tell my father that you bullied me!¡±

    Uh... Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected the amiable Royal Princess Duanjia to suddenly behave like a tsundere towards her.

    Considering Prince Wei¡¯s status, andparing him to her own father, who was simply cking around in a cushy official job while House Ying was going into decline, Chu Lian had to give in. The princess¡¯ dad was too strong for her. If they were to call out their fathers, she would bepletely obliterated.

    Chu Lian replied with a quick turn of wit, ¡°Royal Princess, I can¡¯t guarantee that my roast duck is magnitudes better, but it would be at least a teeny bit better than Yuehong Restaurant¡¯s roast duck.¡±

    Chu Lian even held out her right hand and made a pinching gesture to show how tiny the difference would be, with her fingertips almost touching.

    Royal Princess Duanjia hadn¡¯t thought that this little brat in front of her actually knew how to cook roast duck. Her eyes darted about as she thought. ¡°In a few days, I¡¯ll send another invite for you toe to my estate. How about we cook roast duck together?¡±

    Although Royal Princess Duanjia was proposing this with a straight face, she wasughing her head off on the inside. Hmph! She knew that this roast duck wasn¡¯t all that good. Her fourth brother had actually spent a huge sum to buy the secret recipe for this duck. Now even Chu Liu could make something better than this. What a joke! She definitely had to give Fourth Brother a piece of Chu Liu¡¯s roast duck. Let¡¯s see if he¡¯ll expire from anger!

    While indulging in her smug thoughts, Royal Princess Duanjia hadpletely forgotten that she had been the one who wanted toe to Yuehong Restaurant to eat this roast duck in the first ce.

    However, now that Chu Lian had given it such a poor evaluation, it didn¡¯t seem to be as delicious as before, no matter how much she continued eating.

    Out of all the ways she had tried to imagine how this day with Royal Princess Duanjia would go, Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected them to spend the whole day on eating.

    Again, she didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.

    The roast duck was the only dish in Yuehong Restaurant that the princess liked, and she didn¡¯t think the other dishes were all that good. Since Chu Lian had made her lose interest in eating any more of the roast duck, the two of them just ate a little more of the meal. They did take a liking to the sweet, fragrant fruit wine that Yuehong Restaurant offered, so the two of them drank more of that.

    Royal Princess Duanjia and Chu Lian chattered on happily in their private room, not knowing that every word was falling into the ears of someone in the room next door.

    Tang Yan couldn¡¯t help but cover his mouth with a hand, his cheeks flushing red as he held back hisughter. In the end, he lost the fight and burst into a fit of coughing. He gave up andughed outright.

    The Fourth Brother that Royal Princess Duanjia had mentioned happened to be Prince Jin. He already had an unhappy expression on his face. Those extraordinary azure eyes of his coldly swept over Tang Yan, causing the man in question to abruptly shiver.

    Tang Yan quickly stoppedughing after receiving that warning re. He straightened up and put on a serious face as he said, ¡°This lowly official dares to ask Fourth Prince, how much did you spend on the secret recipe for this roast duck?¡±

    Prince Jin¡¯s face stiffened and he shot another flying dagger of a re at the man. ¡°Tang Yan, do you perhaps feel that you¡¯re being paid too much as an official, since you¡¯reing to Yuehong Restaurant to spend it all?¡±

    Having some intelligence about him, Tang Yan immediately shut up. However, just like Royal Princess Duanjia, he didn¡¯t feel much like eating the crispy roast duck before him now.

    Hemented, ¡°This lowly official wonders how skilled the princess¡¯ friend is at cooking roast duck. This lowly official would like to try some.¡±

    Prince Jin generously bestowed another cold re upon him. ¡°Have you gotten addicted to testing your courage?¡±

    Tang Yan awkwardly coughed before turning the conversation back to their original topic. ¡°Your Highness, He Sang has already reached Liangzhou. These are the letters that he sent.¡±

    Tang Yan was one of Prince Jin¡¯s subordinate officials, as well as one of his trusted advisors.

    Prince Jin took the stack of letters from Tang Yan, only reading the letter that He Changdi had written to him. The other two letters meant for House Jing¡¯an were kept to one side. He would send someone to the Jing¡¯an Estate with them when he reached home.

    ¡°Send a team of men and horses over to Changdi. They are to be at his disposal.¡±

    Tang Yan nodded.

    When the two of them were almost done with their business, Prince Jin heard thedies next door preparing to leave for Defeng Teahouse for the show.

    Remembering He Changdi¡¯s words in the letter just now, asking him to take ¡®special care¡¯ of Chu Lian, Prince Jin and Tang Yan also stood up to move to Defeng Teahouse in secret.

    Actually, while writing the words ¡®special care¡¯, He Changdi had been gritting his teeth in anger. His brush had been trembling while writing out the words, and he had almost fainted from the force of his rage. Who could know if Prince Jin could sense the conflict and anger in his heart?

 Chapter 120: Playing for the Deaf (1)

    It was just past 1pm. At this hour, Defeng Teahouse didn¡¯t have much of a crowd, so Royal Princess Duanjia and Chu Lian picked a private room and settled in. It was still an hour before the show would start.

    At the same time as their arrival, someone else was already sitting in the best private room there was. High on the second floor, the room had a good view of everything happening in the teahouse. As he scanned the area, Xiao Bojian¡¯s eyes lit up. His deep gaze settled upon the sole person he was waiting for.

    She hade! Lian¡¯er hade!

    Xiao Bojian tightly gripped his teacup, barely restraining his excitement. The liquid in the cup trembled with his shaking hands. In his agitated state, Xiao Bojian only managed to drink half a sip of tea..

    Xiao Bojian turned his gaze to the young girl apanying Chu Lian. They were about the same height, but there was no mistaking her identity. Upon recognizing her, the smile he hadn¡¯t been able to hold back dampened.

    His narrowed eyes lowered even further. He didn¡¯t understand why Royal Princess Duanjia was out with Chu Lian. They even looked like they were close friends, talking andughing together.

    Somewhere else in Defeng Teahouse, Prince Jin and Tang Yan had already chosen the private room next to Royal Princess Duanjia and Chu Lian¡¯s. They were able to settle down without being seen, thanks to their guards.

    Suddenly, One appeared out of the shadows in Xiao Bojian¡¯s private room, respectfully asking, ¡°Master, what are your orders?¡±

    Xiao Bojian shot a look in the direction of Chu Lian¡¯s private room. Then, he turned to One and whispering something into his ear. One received his orders and left.

    Within Chu Lian¡¯s private room, Royal Princess Duanjia was holding her teacup in her hands, slowly sipping her honey water mouthful by mouthful, bored out of her mind. She looked up at the woman sitting opposite her and her excitement grew. For some reason, she could get along very well with Chu Liu.

    Thinking back to the professional tea brewer they had chased out of the room earlier, Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s lips pressed into a smile. ¡°Hey, Chu Liu, why don¡¯t you like to drink sencha?¡±

    ¡°The taste is tooplicated, I don¡¯t like it.¡±

    Most people liked sencha in this time, especially the process of brewing sencha. They liked to treat it like an art form, adding all kinds of spices, ssifying the various types of tea and determining their different vours, as if it was something sophisticated. However, Chu Lian had just deemed the entire process ¡®tooplicated¡¯, like it was silly to fuss over something as small as brewing a cup of sencha. How interesting!

    Royal Princess Duanjia seemed to think that Chu Lian disliked things because she knew of something better.

    ¡°Chu Liu, what kind of tea is even tastier than sencha?¡±

    Since Royal Princess Duanjia had asked so eagerly, Chu Lian quickly replied without thinking, ¡°Mingqian tea and Yuqian...¡±

    Even before she had finished speaking, Chu Lian knew she had messed up. She quickly stopped talking.

    The Great Wu Dynasty didn¡¯t have any proper green tea at all, let alone the high-grade types of mountain-grown tea like Mingqian tea and Yuqian tea. Hadn¡¯t she just put her foot into her own mouth?!

    Chu Lian regretted her words so much.

    When Royal Princess Duanjia saw that she had stopped speaking halfway, she immediately kept asking. ¡°Hey, Chu Liu, you can¡¯t just stop like that! What¡¯s that Mingqian tea you were talking about? Exin it to me now!¡±

    Chu Lian had a conflicted expression on her face. How was she supposed to exin it? The Great Wu Dynasty didn¡¯t even have a proper tea ntation. If she were to exin further, wouldn¡¯t the princess turn speechless?

    While she was worrying over how to exin things to the princess, there was a knock at the door.

    Royal Princess Duanjia shot a look at her handmaid. A momentter, the handmaid returned, leading a clean-looking waiter into the room.

    ¡°Princess, it¡¯s a waiter. He¡¯s brought some snacks.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia nodded. The quick-witted waiterid out Defeng Teahouse¡¯s specialty confections on the table before carefully taking out a narrow necked bottle from a box. He then exined in a prim manner, ¡°Esteemed guests, this is aplimentary bottle of mead from the teahouse. The owner happens to be celebrating a happy asion today, so every guest will receive a portion. The form used to brew this mead has been passed down in the owner¡¯s family for generations, and the vour is excellent. Dear guests, would you like to try some?¡±

 Chapter 121: Playing for the Deaf (2)

    Royal Princess Duanjia liked to try new things, but Chu Lian wasn¡¯t too interested. However, seeing the curiosity on Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s face, she apanied her in having a cup.

    Royal Princess Duanjia nodded. Her handmaid then took a cup of mead and tasted it. After making sure there was nothing wrong with it, she signalled for the waiter to pour more for the twodies.

    Chu Lian took a small sip. The mead was sweet and mellow, and even had a hint of grape vour.

    She hadn¡¯t expected the taste of it to be just like the waiter had described: excellent. The taste of alcohol was light, so it was perfectly suited for women. It didn¡¯t lose out to Yuehong Restaurant¡¯s fruit wine at all.

    When the waiter left the room, Royal Princess Duanjia drank a few more mouthfuls of the mead. Honey water was a little too mild to suit her tastes. Conversely, this mead was just right to her liking.

    The two of them began to discuss the songs that were performed in Defeng Teahouse daily. Just as Royal Princess Duanjia mentioned that the song for today, ¡®The Phoenix Seeks His Soulmate¡¯, was only performed once a month, a light tinkling could be heard from the main hall. Then, the music began to y.

    Royal Princess Duanjia ordered her handmaid to open the windows and let down the curtains. From the gaps in the curtains, they looked towards the main hall and saw that the performance had indeed started.

    Royal Princess Duanjia found it strange and asked, ¡°It¡¯s not supposed to be time yet, so why has the performance already started?¡±

    Chu Lian had nevere to this teahouse before, and could only shake her head in confusion.

    She had no temperament for music at all. The best she could do was tell if the song was nice. If she had to point out why it was nice, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to give an answer, regardless of whether she listened to the song once, twice, or even ten times!

    As for tunes or notes, just forget it.

    Chu Lian took a sip of mead and acted like she understood. In actuality, who cared if it was the phoenix seeking its mate or the mate seeking its phoenix? It didn¡¯t matter to her if the performance time was moved forward, nor did it even ur to her that the song could have a hidden meaning.

    It was the handmaid by Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s side who gasped in shock. She said quietly, ¡°Princess, Third Young Madam, it seems like it¡¯s not the usual performer today.¡±

    The sounds of music filled with emotion rose through the air. The notes were struck precisely; just by listening, anyone could tell that the yer was extremely skilled at the guqin.

    Royal Princess Duanjiaughed. ¡°A song only yed once a month couldn¡¯t possibly be performed by the usual musician; wouldn¡¯t they y it all the time if they could? I¡¯m afraid it must be some lovelorn idiot borrowing this chance to confess his love!¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia hit the nail on the head. It wasn¡¯t the first or second time that someone had used ¡®The Phoenix Seeks His Soulmate¡¯ to confess at Defeng Teahouse. Everyone knew that it was extremely ttering for ady if she got a confession from a gentleman at Defeng Teahouse.

    Chu Lian looked up, her eyes shining. Who could have imagined that a simple song could have such an interesting story behind it? How fun!

    Women were the same in any time. Once they smelled gossip, their eyes would light up and they would be restless for it.

    Chu Lian excitedly began to discuss all the old gossip in Defeng Teahouse with Royal Princess Duanjia. She waspletely oblivious to the fact that the receiver of this emotional confession... was herself.

    Xiao Bojian sat before the guqin, making sweet music with his fingertips, carrying his own emotions, hating that he couldn¡¯t show his every lingering thought and emotion to thatdy.

    While imagining how touched and infatuated Chu Lian must be, a determined smile gathered on Xiao Bojian¡¯s lips.

    His long fingers elegantly stroked the strings of the guqin. He had assumed that Lian¡¯er wouldn¡¯te to their meeting today, so he hadn¡¯t had much hope. But who could have expected that she had actuallye?

    In the moment that he saw her, his heart had swelled with indescribable feelings. There was only one thought in his mind: Chu Lian still had feelings for him.

    Although he couldn¡¯t confess his love face-to-face, by borrowing the power of music, he could let her know of the restlessness in his heart and his longing for her.

 Chapter 122: Playing for the Deaf (3)

    While Xiao Bojian was immersed in his overwhelming joy, he couldn¡¯t have known that this method of confessing when used on Chu Lian was like ying to the deaf. She hadn¡¯t even known that a song like ¡®The Phoenix Seeks His Soulmate¡¯ existed until today, so how could she know what the song was trying to express?

    In the private room next door, Prince Jin and Tang Yan had looks of understanding on their faces.

    Prince Jin waved over one of his personal guards and instructed, ¡°Go and find out the identity of the yer.¡±

    His azure eyes narrowed together, and his gazended on the wall as if it could pierce through and observe the twodies next door.

    Which one of them was meant to be the recipient of this love song...?

    It was just past 1pm. There weren¡¯t many youngdies in Defeng Teahouse right now. The only ones who had just arrived were House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam and Royal Princess Duanjia.

    After the song was done, Xiao Bojian wrapped up in style and switched with the teahouse¡¯s usual yer. The guard One took this opportunity to return and quietly report to his master that he had sessfully carried out his orders.

    The corners of Xiao Bojian¡¯s lips curled up and he nodded.

    He stood up quickly, striding out to a room where he wouldn¡¯t be noticed. Under his wide sleeves, he held tightly onto a in brocade box.

    As the music slowly faded, Royal Princess Duanjia nodded a few times. She couldn¡¯t help but praise the yer. ¡°Setting aside the yer¡¯s looks, there¡¯s nothing to criticise about his skills on the guqin. Anyone who can y the guqin to this extent can¡¯t possibly be someone unaplished. This humble listener has been blessed.¡±

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t understand her words at all. She could only tell that the song had been yed well. However, to someone from the modern world who had heard all sorts of music and even gone to concerts, these ancient guqin songs weren¡¯t much.

    This was the problem of having too wide a world view. It couldn¡¯t be helped.

    Royal Princess Duanjia shot a nce at the slightly dazed-looking Chu Lian, who was drinking some mead. How could she be so unmoved after listening to such brilliant guqin music? Curiosity welled up in the princess again as she asked, ¡°Chu Liu, what do you think about that person¡¯s ying?¡±

    How could Chu Lian possibly be able to critique that yer¡¯s music skills? She coughed and tried to go along with what Royal Princess Duanjia had said. ¡°It was not bad.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia gaped a little. She had been deceived by Chu Lian¡¯s culinary skills before, so she thought that Chu Lian must have hidden her skills in other areas too. However, that wonderful ying had only earned a ¡®not bad¡¯ from Chu Lian!? The stubborn princess inwardly decided that she had to y a song for Chu Lian the next time they met.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know that her casualment had inspired Royal Princess Duanjia to y for her. If she had known, she would have rather spoken the truth.

    Then she wouldn¡¯t have to suffer through Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s ying day after day.

    The two of them were chatting casually when Royal Princess Duanjia suddenly frowned. Her expression contorted.

    Chu Lian sensed the change and suffered a fright. She quickly asked, ¡°Royal Princess, are you okay? Does it hurt anywhere?¡±

    When questioned, Royal Princess Duanjia flushed red and hurriedly replied, ¡°Chu Liu, wait here for me. I¡¯m going to thedies¡¯.¡±

    Seeing Royal Princess Duanjia seemingly trying to hold back something with difficulty, Chu Lian nodded in quick session and let her go.

    Once Royal Princess Duanjia left, only Chu Lian and Xiyan were left in the room, while Wen was standing guard outside.

    Wen was standing ramrod straight outside the room, but her expression suddenly changed. She hadn¡¯t had the time to react when a burst of pain struck the back of her neck and she lost consciousness in the next second, copsing bonelessly against the wall.

    Xiao Bojian shot a look at the guard next to him, and One quickly hid into the shadows.

    Xiao Bojian stared at the beautiful silhouette he could see from behind the screen at the entrance of the room, and his heart beat faster. The hand gripping his dagger under his sleeve tightened before he strode forward and passed through the screen.

 Chapter 123: Meeting (1)

    Chu Lian held up the cup of mead and took a small sip. Just like the swirling of the golden mead within the snow white porcin cup, Chu Lian¡¯s heart also slowly lost its calm.

    She had a faint inkling that what happened just now seemed a little strange.

    Why would Royal Princess Duanjia suddenly have a stomachache? They had clearly eaten the exact same foods. However, Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s expression hadn¡¯t seemed fake.

    It felt like she had unknowinglynded in someone¡¯s.

    The more she thought about it, the faster Chu Lian¡¯s heart beat. Her face suddenly turned pale. She turned to Xiyan, who was standing next to her, and was about to mention leaving a little early. However, the moment she turned around, her eyes met with the gaze of Xiao Bojian.

    Chu Lian¡¯s pupils abruptly shrunk and she was stunned for a moment. Why would Xiao Bojian appear here?

    Xiao Bojian hadn¡¯t expected to meet Chu Lian¡¯s gaze the moment he passed the screen at the entrance of the room. The coincidence made it seem like their thoughts were connected. With that thought in mind, his heart couldn¡¯t help but melt.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er!¡±

    Chu Lian: ......

    How could she have such rotten luck?! Darn it!

    Chu Lian inwardly snapped curse after curse to the high heavens.

    Nothing good ever happened when she ran into Xiao Bojian. Previously, she had managed to escape him at the Dingyuan Estate. But evidently, that luck didn¡¯tst for long. She just had to bump into him here. Was the story ever going to let her live her life in peace? She wasn¡¯t the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯! Deceptively pretty, carnivorous Venus flytraps weren¡¯t her type.

    It was too dangerous to like someone like Xiao Bojian; you wouldn¡¯t know when you¡¯d be sold for his own selfish benefits.

    Although Chu Lian waspletely frustrated and unhappy on the inside, after she got over the initial shock of seeing Xiao Bojian here, her heart slowly regained its inner calm.

    She wasn¡¯t the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯, who might have gotten flustered over this guy¡¯s appearance. Judging from the situation, Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s sudden departure must have had something to do with him.

    Xiyan¡¯s soul almost left her body when she heard Xiao Bojian¡¯s sweet call of ¡®Lian¡¯er¡¯.

    She turned and stared dazedly at the tall gentleman standing by the screen.

    Xiyan had a stronger reaction than Chu Lian; her entire body stiffened. She couldn¡¯t believe that Mister Xiao had appeared here at Defeng Teahouse of all ces. Furthermore, in Third Young Madam and Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s private room!

    Chu Lian had already stood up by now. Xiao Bojian¡¯s greedy eyes were locked onto her.

    After so many days apart, he eagerly looked at his ¡®lover¡¯: she was dressed in a light yellow dress with a light blue outeryer embroidered with flowers. She carried a small green pouch at her waist, together with a thousand blessings jade amulet. Her fingers looked long and slender.

    There was a jade green hairpin with gold iys nestled in her hair, and a ruby headband on her forehead. The peach blossom pattern of the lining suited herplexion well. Xiao Bojian¡¯s eyes roamed greedily over her red lips, curved nose, almond-shaped eyes and rounded cheeks. His fingers stroked the inside of his sleeve, as if he were touching the face of the person before him.

    Unfortunately, he was only looking at what Chu Lian was wearing, and didn¡¯t notice the guarded look in her wide, moist eyes.

    Chu Lian remained standing in silence as she waited for Xiao Bojian to speak. She wasn¡¯t trying to act calm; she knew clearly that she couldn¡¯t leave now, no matter how much she wanted to!

    With how tricky Xiao Bojian was, she highly doubted that he wouldn¡¯t have a backup n.

    Perhaps Xiao Bojian had finally noticed that the atmosphere was a little tense. He lowered his head, shifting his gaze away from Chu Lian¡¯s body. Then, he walked up to Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s vacant seat and sat down without so much as a by your leave.

    He realised that Chu Lian was still standing a little stiffly. His brow wrinkled slightly and he called out in a gentle tone, ¡°Lian¡¯er,e. Sit down.¡±

    Wouldn¡¯t she have sat down already if that was what she wanted?! If she had a choice, she would have long left already without turning back!

    Though these were her true thoughts, Chu Lian still obediently sat down anyway. She lowered her gaze, hiding the emotions in her eyes that were surely different from what he would expect from ¡®Chu Lian¡¯.

 Chapter 124: Meeting (2)

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, I¡¯m so d you came today. You must have heard my song, ¡®The Phoenix Seeks His Soulmate¡¯, just now. What do you think?¡±

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s tone was full of tenderness, and his eyes were soft with affection.

    However, his words stirred up a wave of emotion in the heart of the woman sitting opposite him.

    What was going on!

    Why... Why was Xiao Bojian talking as if the two of them had made ns to meet here at this teahouse? She hadn¡¯t received any sort ofmunication from him though!

    Was Xiao Bojian pulling a bluff on her, or had something happened without her knowing?

    Also, he had been the one ying the song that almost put her to sleep?!

    Bro, you yed it well, but I don¡¯t even know how to appreciate music like that!

    Chu Lian wanted to cry. If she had known that something like this would happen, she wouldn¡¯t have agreed to go out with Royal Princess Duanjia.

    Chu Lian¡¯s head lowered even further. Her voice was as tiny as a mosquito¡¯s as she said, ¡°It was passable.¡±

    Upon receiving an evaluation like this, Xiao Bojian¡¯s disappointment was clearly reflected in his eyes. However, he immediately put on a warm smile again and ced a small brocade box he had been carrying onto the table. Pushing it towards Chu Lian, he said, ¡°Lian¡¯er, it¡¯s your birthday today. This is a birthday present that I¡¯ve prepared for you. Open it and see if you like it.¡±

    Chu Lian shot a nce at the in brocade box on the table. She tried her hardest to hold back the twitching of her face. What was going on here? Her legitimate husband didn¡¯t mention her birthday at all, and had probablypletely forgotten about it. However, this outsider came all the way up to her just to give her a present... Chu Lian wanted to roll her eyes at the heavens.

    She took a deep breath and tried her best to let him down gently. ¡°Thank you for your kind thoughts, Mister Xiao, but I can¡¯t ept this gift.¡±

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s breathing slowed. There was a storm whirling in his eyes as he furrowed his brows. ¡°Lian¡¯er, Brother Xiao has spent a lot of effort to prepare this especially for you.¡±

    Xiao Bojian stared tensely at the woman sitting across from him; with her head lowered, he couldn¡¯t read her expression at all. He fisted his hands under his wide sleeves, feeling his fingernails pierce into the skin of his palms.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, why are you so afraid? Why haven¡¯t you looked at me yet?¡±

    For the second time already, Chu Lian felt like crying. Who wanted to look at this darn pervert! If she could, she would have escaped already!

    The pressure of facing the book¡¯s original male lead, Xiao Bojian, was too much for her. It was much easier to face her crazy husband!

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, since you¡¯vee here today, aren¡¯t you implying that you still have me, your Brother Xiao, in your heart? I know you were forced into these circumstances. Don¡¯t worry, leave it all to Brother Xiao. Someday, Brother Xiao will get you out of this.¡± Near the end, Xiao Bojian¡¯s voice held a hint of ferocity.

    The way the vicious expression contorted his handsome features could send chills down anyone¡¯s spine.

    Xiyan had only caught a glimpse of it; she was so frightened that she ducked down and didn¡¯t dare to move again.

    Chu Lian wanted to knock herself out with a block of tofu. Her heart was full of frustration from her suffering. If she had known that this idiot would be here at Defeng Teahouse, she wouldn¡¯t havee here even if they beat her to death!

    Bro, don¡¯t be like this. Could you be a little more normal? I¡¯m already married. Although my husband isn¡¯t really all that sane and even likes to act out, I have no intention of cheating at all! What¡¯s up with you,ing over here all sneaky and silent? Why are you so obsessed with trying to make memit adultery?

    Chu Lian pursed her lips and decided not to say anything in the end. She had a hunch that if Xiao Bojian discovered that she wasn¡¯t the real ¡®Chu Lian¡¯, he might go even crazier. Her life could very well be in danger. Thus, it was better to keep a low profile...

    What kind of mess had the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ left for her to clean up?!

 Chapter 125: Meeting (3)

    Xiao Bojian suppressed the sourness in his heart and forced his face into a gentle, kind expression. Since Chu Lian didn¡¯t even want to reach over and ept the gift, he pulled it back towards himself, opened it up, and ced it in front of her again.

    He put on his warmest, most persuasive tone of voice and said, ¡°Lian¡¯er, take a look. It¡¯s the golden hairpin with jade iys that you were eyeing for so long back then. Do you like it?¡±

    Chu Lian swept her gaze over it. The hairpin was covered in exquisitely engraved flower patterns. Both the hearts of the flowers and their petals were decorated in high quality jade. On the head of the hairpin were five small sapphires glimmering in the light, forming thergest flower of them all. This essory was indeed of high value, and it was certainly beautiful; no wonder the previous ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had yearned over it.

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s expression softened a little, perhaps due to sensing Chu Lian¡¯s admiration of his gift.

    Since his Lian¡¯er didn¡¯t want to speak, then he could be the one to fill the silence. He had to let Lian¡¯er understand the true depths of his sincerity. That damn He Changdi wasn¡¯t good enough for her!

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, it¡¯s Brother Xiao who was wrong. I should have bought this hairpin for you earlier. After making you wait for so long, why don¡¯t you let Brother Xiao put it on for you now?¡±

    Chu Lian: ......

    She was already at her limit just trying to keep up her calm facade! What was this guy trying to do now?!

    What the two of them didn¡¯t know, was that their whole conversation had been heard by Prince Jin in the private room next door.

    Waves of emotion rippled across the calmkes of Prince Jin¡¯s azure eyes.

    Xiao Bojian?

    He hadn¡¯t expected Miss Chu to be so daring. Prince Jin instantly felt gratified that he had chosen to follow Miss Chu here. He was also starting to understand why He Sang had asked him to keep a watch on this newlywed wife of his.

    His azure eyes glimmered and the corner of his mouth raised; all this was going to be even more fun now.

    Chu Lian hurriedly waved away the offer. For the sake of cating Xiao Bojian¡¯s anger, she could only say in a small voice, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯ll just bring it back.¡±

    After saying so, she picked up the in brocade box from the table and passed it to Xiyan, who was waiting behind her.

    Seeing Chu Lian ept the gift, Xiao Bojian seemed to finally rx and stopped trying to put it on for her.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, wait a little longer for Brother Xiao, won¡¯t you? Trust Brother Xiao. It won¡¯t take too long.¡±

    Xiao Bojian stared at the tender, fair little hands that Chu Lian had ced on her knees. He had the urge to take them and cover them with his ownrge palms so that he could massage them. The more he thought about it, the more tempting it was. He unconsciously kneaded his palms with his fingers.

    Chu Lian had to resist the urge to re back at him with all her might. Could this damned Xiao Bojian stop pushing his one-sided feelings on her? Had he ever considered her feelings in the matter? As expected, he was extremely hateful, and even more annoying than He Changdi!

    Xiao Bojian was about to continue speaking when a loud bang resounded from next door. Chu Lian suffered a fright¨C what followed was the nging sound of a fight.

    Chu Lian¡¯s expression immediately turned serious as she looked at the wall separating her room from the one next door.

    Xiao Bojian sat up in his seat, clearly startled by the noise as well. He was more sensitive than Chu Lian.

    At that exact moment, a man dressed in grey came out from the shadows and walked up to Xiao Bojian. He whispered into Xiao Bojian¡¯s ears, seemingly reporting something.

    The furrow between Xiao Bojian¡¯s brows grew more pronounced. He reached out to grab Chu Lian, who was just a short distance away, but the man dressed in grey held him back.

    The man said, ¡°Master, there¡¯s no time, we have to leave quickly. If those people discover us, the consequences will be dire.¡±

    ¡°But, Lian¡¯er...¡±

    ¡°Miss Chu is not their target; she¡¯ll be fine! Come with me, quickly! If you don¡¯t leave now, all the years of preparation will be ruined in an instant!¡±

 Chapter 126: Sudden Change (1)

    It seemed like the man in grey had finally convinced him; Xiao Bojian pressed his lips together tightly and followed the man out.

    As he passed by the entrance screen, he couldn¡¯t resist turning back to look at Chu Lian, who was still standing by the table. At the same time, Chu Lian just happened to direct her gaze towards him. Their eyes met.

    In his mind, Xiao Bojian felt like he would never forget Chu Lian¡¯s current expression.

    It was an expression that conjured a piercing pain inside his heart, numbing him to all other feelings.

    Chu Lian¡¯s almond-shaped eyes were opened wide, a trace of confusion in their depths. Her eyes were bright and crystal-clear, like sunlight shining through ss. There was also a tiny little bit of contempt that she was trying hard to conceal. That¡¯s right, contempt! Contempt towards Xiao Bojian!

    Xiao Bojian felt as if he had been stabbed directly through the chest. His brows furrowed in pain.

    Ayer of frost zed over his eyes. It froze even his strong, beating heart, turning it into a sculpture so fragile it would shatter at a single touch. He would¡¯ve rather not understood that look in Chu Lian¡¯s eyes then.

    However, there was still the looming risk of pursuers urging him on. He gritted his teeth and mouthed something to her; then, in the span of a second, he left without turning back.

    ¡®Lian¡¯er, I¡¯ve disappointed you this time. Wait for me. I¡¯ll definitely make it up to you and give you the best in the whole world!¡¯

    Xiao Bojian disappeared just as quickly as he had appeared.

    When Xiao Bojian left, a bunch of thoughts ran through Chu Lian¡¯s mind.

    That smidge of contempt in her eyes had not been faked; she really looked down on him.

    She could surmise from the sudden appearance of Xiao Bojian¡¯s subordinate that something bad must have happened in Defeng Teahouse, something that would affect even the lives of bystanders!

    However, at such a dangerous time, Xiao Bojian had followed his subordinate and left all by himself, leaving his ¡®beloved¡¯ Chu Lian behind in Defeng Teahouse. Heh! Someone who only cared for himself in the face of danger wasn¡¯t qualified to be spouting romantic words like that! Chu Lian suddenly pitied the original female lead.

    By falling in love with and following a man like that, the original female lead would¡¯ve surely been backstabbed by him someday.

    After this whole event, Chu Lian felt even more disgusted by Xiao Bojian. She decided that she had to be more careful next time and avoid meeting such a terrifying man in the future.

    The most important thing right now was to protect herself!

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to be someone who could only helplessly await her fate.

    Luckily, the soul that resided in the original female lead¡¯s body was now Chu Lian. Otherwise, how would she have calmly considered all this? It would¡¯ve been good enough if she didn¡¯t lose her wits over that man.

    Xiao Bojian didn¡¯t know that his shameless, lone escape had earned him thebel of a self-centred rat, something that he would never be able to remove for the rest of his life.

    Chu Lian tugged at Xiyan, who had almost lost her soul from the tension just now. ¡°Xiyan, what are you nking out for? We have to leave now! Didn¡¯t you hear what that man in grey said!¡±

    Xiyan was only a maidservant in the end. No matter how loyal she was, with everything that had just happened, her spirit had already beenpletely shattered since Xiao Bojian¡¯s mysterious appearance in the private room. After Chu Lian pulled her into motion, she becamepletely flustered. However, upon seeing how calm Third Young Madam was, she seemed to have found her backbone. She watched Chu Lian closely and forcefully nodded.

    Chu Lian patted her arm and led her towards the exit. The fighting sounds from next door had be even louder, apanied by the sounds of porcin shattering on the floor.

    Since Chu Lian was in such a rush, the jade amulet she had at her waist got hooked onto the screen and fell to the carpet silently. Chu Lian and Xiyan didn¡¯t notice it at all.

    When she reached the door, she found the unconscious Wen. Chu Lian¡¯s expression turned solemn. No wonder Wen hadn¡¯t even warned her about Xiao Bojian¡¯s visit. She had already been taken care of.

    When Xiyan saw Wen copsed against the wall, she almost shouted in fright. However, upon receiving Chu Lian¡¯s warning re, she hurriedly covered her mouth and silenced herself.

 Chapter 127: Sudden Change (2)

    Chu Lian and Xiyan were both women, and their strength was limited. There was no way they would be able to carry the unconscious Wen with them.

    Xiyan tried her best to suppress her building anxiety, but she couldn¡¯t hold back the tremor in her voice as she asked, ¡°Third... Third Young Madam, what should we do now?¡±

    Chu Lian looked at the unconscious Wen and then back at Xiyan, who was clearly frightened out of her mind. Her hands clenched into little fists, hidden under her wide sleeves. When she felt her nails dig into the palm of her hands, she forced herself to calm down.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t reply Xiyan immediately. Her clear, determined eyes made a sweep of the area outside the private room. When she noticed a rack of basins nearby, she hurried over to it and took up one of the bronze basins. Then, in a single quick movement, she upended the basin, pouring cold water all over Wen¡¯s face.

    Chu Lian had no idea if this would work. If they couldn¡¯t wake Wen up, she and Xiyan would have to leave first.

    Perhaps Wen¡¯s senses were more developed than most due to her martial arts training, because right after the cold water hit her, Wen quickly woke up. Her eyelids trembled as she fought to open her eyes. The first thing she saw upon regaining consciousness was Chu Lian squatting in front of her with a solemn expression. Afterwards, it didn¡¯t take long to recall what had happened before she had been hit.

    Wen¡¯s pupils abruptly shrunk and her eyes turned clear. Worried, she asked, ¡°Third Young Madam, did anything happen to you? Someone ambushed me!¡±

    Chu Lian let out a sigh of relief and helped Wen up with Xiyan¡¯s support. ¡°There¡¯s no time to exin. Wen, we have to leave this ce right now!¡±

    The sounds ofbat from the next room hadn¡¯t ceased while they were talking. Conversely, it sounded like the fighting was actually getting worse. Chu Lian wasn¡¯t sure when the fight would spill over into their room, so it was best to leave right at this moment.

    With her experience, Chu Lian¡¯s words, and the fact that she had been ambushed by someone, Wen¡¯s reacted quickly after the fuzziness in her mind cleared up. She noticed the situation they were in and understood that Third Young Madam was right. Wen¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Third Young Madam, this servant will head out first in a moment. Please follow behind this servant together with Xiyan.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded in acknowledgement. After Wen finished speaking, she wiped off the water on her face and took out a whip from where it had been hidden in her belt. She kept it in her hands as she moved. First, she leaned against the door to the room and listened for some time. Then, when she believed it was clear, she signalled over to Chu Lian and Xiyan.

    Wen carefully opened the door and led them out slowly. It was just after 1pm, so there weren¡¯t many people upying the private boxes in Defeng Teahouse. They didn¡¯t see anyone else at all upon leaving their room.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, let¡¯s leave quickly. House Jing¡¯an¡¯s carriage is at the back of this building!¡± Wen whispered a reminder.

    Chu Lian forcefully nodded. Her heart was beating furiously.

    Just as she and Xiyan were about to move, the door behind them burst open with a huge bang. An assassin dressed in ck had been kicked out of the room; he took down the doors with him as hended. Right after, a few men in ck appeared suddenly, and the sounds of shing swords rang out.

    All of this happened right before their eyes. The assassin who had broken the door was only two to three meters away from Chu Lian.

    Her heart thumped even faster. The participants in the fight that had spilled out of the room and into the corridor all nced in Chu Lian¡¯s direction. Cold sweat broke out on the girls¡¯ backs as time seemed to freeze.

    In the next second, two masked men in grey and two richly dressed men dashed out from the room in pursuit. One of them was wearing a jade crown, protected in the center of the three other men.

    That man¡¯s gaze couldn¡¯t help but turn towards Chu Lian; Chu Lian¡¯s gaze also coincidentally met with his.

    Azure eyes! A sharp look!

    Chu Lian¡¯s entire body shivered.

    Tons of details rushed into her mind like a flood. So it was him!

    Chu Lian stomped her foot fiercely. How could she be this unlucky! She managed to bump into such an important figure while out for a simple cup of tea. No wonder they had suddenly been dumped into the middle of this once-in-a-blue-moon assassination attempt.

    As much as Chu Lian hated the situation, the more anxious she got, the clearer her mind became. She ordered the two maidservants to leave right now.

    She turned and left; in her peripheral vision, she noticed that the azure-eyed man simply nced at her before continuing his fight with the men in ck. Another seven or eight more assassins rushed out from the room, each of them highly skilled in martial arts.

    Chu Lian was absolutely frightened. She hadn¡¯t expected to bump into an assassination, let alone one with so many assassins.

    And there were only three guards around that azure-eyed man!

    Chu Lian shut her eyes tightly. Although she wanted to help him, she knew her own limits. If she were to try to help him, she would only be a burden. There was no way she would be able to assist him.

    Chu Lian ran even faster. Luckily, the assassins were fixed on their target. Although they noticed her running away, they didn¡¯t send anyone to chase after her. Thus, she was able to heave a great sigh of relief.

    Just as Chu Lian thought that the three of them were finally clear of danger, she heard heavy footstepsing from the stairway to the second floor of Defeng Teahouse. When Chu Lian looked up, she met with Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 128: Sudden Change (3)

    Royal Princess Duanjia clearly hadn¡¯t discovered the intense fighting going on just beyond the corridor. She smiled a little weakly and asked, ¡°Chu Liu, why did youe out of the room?¡±

    Chu Lian knew that things were going to turn bad; she turned back in a panic. As expected, the assassins surrounding the azure-eyed man noticed Royal Princess Duanjia. One of them made a gesture towards two others, and those two men came chasing after with their swords raised.

    In that short moment, Royal Princess Duanjia had also discovered the strange events going on not far down the corridor. Her pupils shrunk and she shouted anxiously, ¡°Fourth Brother!¡±

    Immediately after her shout, the man trapped in the middle of the assassins got shed on his arm. Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s heart grew heavier with worry. She decisively ordered the two people following behind her to help.

    Chu Lian felt a headacheing on. She walked up to the princess within a few strides and tried to pull her along as she ran downstairs.

    Chu Lian tried to pull with all her might, but she realised that she couldn¡¯t even move the princess. Her expression turned serious and she snapped in a fit of anger, ¡°Princess! You can¡¯t save Fourth Prince even if you stay here. You¡¯ll just be a burden for him. If you don¡¯t leave now, there might really be no hope left for Fourth Prince!¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia stared nkly at Chu Lian for all of two seconds before she recovered her senses thanks to Chu Lian¡¯s shout. Now back to her rational self, she was the one who took up the task of pulling on Chu Lian¡¯s arm while running away.

    Chu Lian froze for an instant before finally sighing in relief. The servants apanying Royal Princess Duanjia had already gone to help Prince Jin, so the princess didn¡¯t have any servants left with her.

    Wen was the only one who knew martial arts, and the men in ck were gaining on them from behind.

    Chu Lian and Princess Duanjia were only weak youngdies after all. After running for a while, their legs were already out of strength. When they reached the first floor and headed towards the back of the building, Chu Lian gazed at the unfamiliar surroundings. She abruptly made a decision in her heart.

    She tugged Royal Princess Duanjia to a corner, before instructing Wen and Xiyan, ¡°Wen, you¡¯re faster on your feet. Go and get some help! Xiyan, find a ce to hide. Don¡¯te out, no matter what. Do you understand?¡±

    Third Young Madam¡¯s usual soft and gentle tone had morphed into one brimming with determination and unshakeable resolution. Although her voice sounded the same, there was an unseen power that made others want to obey.

    Wen was about to reject her orders, but when Chu Lian¡¯s moist, determined eyes met her gaze, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to speak.

    Royal Princess Duanjia peeked at Chu Liu from the side, her own eyes filled with both amazement and a trust that she hadn¡¯t realised she held towards Chu Lian.

    Wen pressed her lips together in worry, but quickly turned and left. Without Chu Lian and the others holding her back, Wen¡¯s speed increased twofold. In a few seconds, she had already vanished from their sight.

    Chu Lian cast a single nce at Xiyan beforepletely ignoring her. She tugged Royal Princess Duanjia towards a narrow doorway.

    Chu Lian smiled bitterly inside. It would actually be pretty easy for her to stay alive. All she had to do was to abandon Royal Princess Duanjia. She could sense that the assassins were only targeting members of the imperial family. However, she couldn¡¯t do that.

    Setting aside her burgeoning friendship with Royal Princess Duanjia, even if she really abandoned the princess here, she would definitely be affected no matter the oue of the events today. The rage of the current emperor and Prince Wei would not be easy to bear. Besides, she and the princess had already had the good fortune to meet. Whether or not that was through cosmic design, theirpatible personalities still meant something. Abandoning the princess was not something she could ever do.

    Chu Lian was a little frustrated with herself, but she couldn¡¯t suppress her sense of righteousness. She could only get angry at herself. Her face also turned cold due to her inward tussle with her thoughts.

    The faster the two girls ran, the more tired they became. The sound of footsteps behind them had grown louder and louder, like a countdown to their deaths. Chu Lian¡¯s heart was beating fast; there were no other entrances in the little courtyard they were in, so they couldn¡¯t escape. She urgently scanned the area for something that could help.

    Her gaze paused at two particr areas of the courtyard. Chu Lian could feel her resolve strengthening.

    She pulled Royal Princess Duanjia to the side of the well in the courtyard, and with a grave voice, said, ¡°Princess, take off your outer coat!¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s pupils abruptly shrunk as she looked right into Chu Lian¡¯s eyes. She seemed to understand immediately what Chu Lian was trying to do. ¡°Chu Liu! You can¡¯t!¡±

    How could Chu Lian possibly allow the princess to object now? She was already undoing the ties of the princess¡¯s coat. ¡°Princess, trust me. Hurry up, we don¡¯t have any more time left. It¡¯ll all be over if they catch up to us!¡±

    Tears gathered in Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s eyes. She bit down hard on her lower lip before she stripped off her outer coat without any more hesitation.

    Chu Lian threw her own outeryer of clothing to the princess before quickly putting on the outer coat that Princess Duanjia had taken off. Upon hearing the sounds of their pursuers talking, she tensed, and without waiting for Royal Princess Duanjia to put on her coat properly, Chu Lian pushed the princess into the well.

    There was the sound of a huge ssh! The princess stifled her cry of surprise by covering her mouth tightly. The water surrounding her was slightly cold. Before she could react, Chu Lian threw something into the well and the princess hurriedly dodged.

    Chu Lian stood by the well, fretting as she looked down into the dark confines. Royal Princess Duanjia could hear her soft voice calling out a reminder: ¡°Princess, hold on to that piece of wood! Hide in the water!¡±

    In the next second, the mouth of the well was covered, plunging the world within into an unnatural silence.

    Royal Princess Duanjia did as Chu Lian had said, hugging tightly onto the round piece of wood as she floated near the surface of the water. Her eyes were already damp from the water in the well, but it felt like something hot was about to gush out of them.

    She smacked the surface of the water hard, raging in her heart. ¡°Chu Liu! If you didn¡¯t throw this piece of wood in after, I would have thought you were trying to murder this princess! You idiot! Do you even know how to save someone? Aren¡¯t you lucky that this princess is so brave and knows how to swim? If I were one of those delicate little nobledies who couldn¡¯t even lift a handkerchief, wouldn¡¯t I have been frightened to death by you before ever getting close to being assassinated?!¡±

 Chapter 129: Saved (1)

    Royal Princess Duanjia rubbed the corners of her eyes as she inwardly continued her outburst. ¡°Chu Liu, you dummy! You¡¯d better be alive after this! You still owe this princess a whole roast duck! You promised that we¡¯ll make it together next time! You can¡¯t go back on your promises! Otherwise, this princess will make trouble for the entire House Jing¡¯an, especially that darn annoying husband of yours!¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia suddenly had something out for He Changdi. After all that happened, Chu Lian had already be her best friend. Furthermore, Chu Lian was such a nice person, but that He Sang actually dared to abandon her. He was definitely a wife-abandoning animal!

    Chu Lian, still standing in the small courtyard, didn¡¯t have the spare time to think of all that. Her heart was thumping rapidly in her chest. It was impossible not to be scared. However, she didn¡¯t have a choice. Chu Lian quickly put on Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s coat and ran over to the pile of kindling near the entrance of the closed courtyard. She dove inside in a panic. Under the cover of some dried grass, Chu Lian didn¡¯t dare to move an inch. She held the mental map of the courtyard in her mind and calcted the escape route she was going to take.

    She pressed on her own chest with her right hand and felt the beating of heart. In her heart, she prayed for Wen to return quickly with reinforcements.

    From the gaps in the grass covering her, Chu Lian could see the two pursuers carefully stepping into the courtyard. They werepletely covered in ck clothing. Even their faces were wrapped up in ck, leaving only their sinister-looking eyes peeking out. The swords they held had been covered in blood at some point; beads of red were rolling down the sharp des and dripping onto the tile-covered ground. Chu Lian felt like she could almost hear the pitter patter of the falling blood.

    Her heart in her throat, she watched every movement that the assassins made. The two men swept the courtyard with their gazes once they entered, as if they were just about to find either her or Royal Princess Duanjia.

    Chu Lian shut her eyes and took a deep breath. The next time her eyes opened, they were as bright as stars in the night sky.

    She mentally counted to three before pushing aside the kindling covering her. Without any room for further thought, Chu Lian ran towards the entrance of the courtyard.

    When the two assassins spotted the young girl appearing out of nowhere, one of them quickly followed after her while the other remained in the courtyard.

    The remaining assassin walked up to the kindling pile that Chu Lian had just been hiding in and used his sword to poke through it. After pushing aside the grass and discovering that there was no one else hiding in there, he spat in anger. After that, he continued looking through the courtyard.

    It seemed like the assassins weren¡¯t stupid.

    Eventually, the gaze of the remaining assassinnded on the only well in the courtyard.

    He strode towards the well and lifted the wooden cover on top of it, scanning the inside. Although it was rather deep, the sunlight reached far enough that he could see the bottom.

    Seeing that there was only a piece of wood floating on the water¡¯s surface and nothing else, he harrumphed and turned to leave.

    Hiding under that piece of wood was Royal Princess Duanjia. She waited until a few more moments had passed before she dared toe up for air. In her heart, she cursed the assassins a million times over, while worrying for Chu Lian¡¯s safety.

    As her lungs cried out for more air, Chu Lian¡¯s steps grew heavier and heavier.

    The footsteps behind her sounded closer and closer and it seemed like there wasn¡¯t a shred of hope left for her. Under the wide sleeves of her clothes, Chu Lian gripped a golden hairpin she had removed from her head. If there was really no other choice, then she would choose death!

    She took a deep breath. Death didn¡¯t seem so scary in the midst of all this tension. She wondered if she would return to her original world if she died. If she could, the first thing she would do was write a five hundred long review to scold the author of this book!

    The face of her pursuer seemed to carry a wretched smile behind the dark cloth wrapping around his face. His sword was just about to reach her; Chu Lian could almost feel the air being pushed towards her by the de.

    All her energy was gone. She was struggling to breathe. She purposely stumbled on her next step, miraculously dodging the assassin¡¯s fierce strike.

    Sprawled on the ground without any more strength to dodge the next attack, Chu Lian turned and stared at the assassin. She pressed her lips together tightly, determination clear on her face.

    When the assassin finally saw the face of his target, a sh of annoyance passed through his eyes. He had been chasing the wrong person!

    He angrily shouted, ¡°You damned bitch! You tried to trick me! Since you¡¯re not the princess, there¡¯s no use in keeping you!¡±

    Right as he finished speaking, his sharp de began its descent, its target Chu Lian¡¯s snow white nape.

    The silhouette of the de was reflected in Chu Lian¡¯s eyes.

    Her gaze sharpened. She refused to give up! Even at this critical moment, she didn¡¯t want to give up. No matter where she was, nothing was more important than her very own life. The spark in her eyes brightened as strength gathered in her body from who knew where. She flipped over and actually dodged the man¡¯s attack! At the same time, she rolled next to his feet.

    She tightly gripped the hairpin in her hands and, without any hesitation at all, plunged it into his foot.

    The man cried out in pain as his eyes flushed red. Even in his wildest dreams, he would never have thought that this fragile little noble girl could hurt him.

    He punted Chu Lian away and increased the ferocity of his attacks.

    That burst of movement has expended thest drop of energy in Chu Lian¡¯s body. She didn¡¯t have any power left in her to fight. The bloodstained de shed; it was going to fall upon her any second now. Chu Lian quickly shut her eyes.

 Chapter 130: Saved (2)

    However, the pain she had expected never came. Instead, she heard... a whoosh?

    Chu Lian panted as sheid sprawled on the ground. When she slowly opened her eyes, she saw that the assassin had already fallen next to her, his eyes wide with an arrow through his throat.

    Chu Lian pushed herself up with difficulty before she looked around. She immediately spotted the azure-eyed man on the second floor, sporting a bow in his hands.

    That arrow was his.

    Chu Lian let out a sigh of relief as her body softened into mush.

    Without waiting for Chu Lian to catch her breath, that whoosh sounded again. She turned to look, a little stiffened, and saw that the second pursuer had also been shot to death with a single arrow...

    By then, Chu Lian had finally regained her senses and realised that someone had just died right in front of her. Her pupils shrank and her face turned extremely pale.

    Still leaning on her arms, she began to shuffle backwards, as if trying to get away from the dead men.

    Not muchter, a number of troops charged down from Defeng Teahouse. The azure-eyed man led them straight to Chu Lian.

    She saw that the soldiers were wearing armour and carrying swords at their waists. These must have been the reinforcements from the city guards that Wen had sent for.

    The azure-eyed man extended a hand to help Chu Lian up. ¡°Sixth Miss Chu, are you hurt anywhere?¡±

    Chu Lian felt like jelly all over, but she persisted in standing up. She took a small nce up at him before quickly lowering her gaze. Chu Lian pressed her lips together and shook her head. ¡°Your Highness Prince Jin, I¡¯m fine. I just suffered a shock, but I¡¯m uninjured.¡±

    Once he heard Chu Lian addressing him as Prince Jin, his extraordinary azure eyes narrowed slightly. Prince Jin waved two people forward, and two maidservants immediately came forth from behind him. They gently supported Chu Lian at either side.

    By this time, Wen had alsoe charging out of the crowd. Seeing that Chu Lian was safe, tears spilled out from her eyes. ¡°Third Young Madam, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re alright!¡±

    Chu Lian tried her best to pull out a weak smile for Wen. Without waiting for her to speak, Wen knew what she wanted to ask. ¡°Third Young Madam, please don¡¯t worry. Xiyan is fine! She had a small injury, but the doctors are tending to her in the forecourt of the teahouse.¡±

    Without waiting for the two to finish their conversation, another person rushed forward from the crowd.

    Chu Lian turned to look and realised that it was Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s handmaid, Jinxiu.

    The moment Jinxiu came over, she grabbed onto Chu Lian¡¯s thigh. She cried out in anxiety, ¡°Third Young Madam, what about our princess! Where has our princess gone?!¡±

    Prince Jin nced at the outer coat that Chu Lian was wearing. When he recognised it as Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s, a trace of understanding shed through his mind.

    Chu Lian blushed, the red evident against her pale face. After narrowly escaping danger, she had actuallypletely forgotten about the princess in the well...

    She awkwardly coughed to hide her guilt and secretly nced at Prince Jin. ¡°Come with me.¡±

    Wen quickly moved up to support Chu Lian. When Chu Lian led Prince Jin and the soldiers to that little courtyard, she peeked into the well and saw that there was no one there. Noticing that the piece of wood was still floating on the surface, she shouted loudly, ¡°Princess! Come out quickly! Help hase!¡±

    The tough soldiers surrounding them had constipated expressions on their faces.

    Following that, ripples appeared on the surface of the water as a head suddenly popped up from under the wood, like a water ghost. Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s voice resounded with anger, ¡°Chu Liu! You¡¯rete!! Hurry and get someone to pull this princess up!¡±

    Hearing the anger in Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s voice, Chu Lian was finally able to rx.

    Actually, as Chu Lian reflected on her actions, she admitted it was a little too rough of her to have pushed the princess down the well. She had only been thinking of saving her life, but she hadn¡¯t thought of the mental anguish that the saved princess would have been going through. Luckily, Royal Princess Duanjia wasn¡¯t such a fragile person.

    The soldiers quickly prepared some rope and threw it into the well.

    Once they brought up the soaking wet princess, without waiting for Prince Jin to put the cloak he had prepared around the princess, Royal Princess Duanjia reached out and hugged the dazed Chu Lian tightly.

    The princess¡¯ voice sounded a little hoarse as she whispered into Chu Lian¡¯s ear. ¡°Stupid Chu Liu! Do you know how scared I was alone in that well?! If I have nightmares after this, I¡¯m going to buy a puppet, paste your name on it, and stick a needle into it every day to relieve my trauma!¡±

    Chu Lian froze up after hearing the princess¡¯s words. As expected, this princess was really hateful. All she had wereints after she had saved her life! Chu Lian was at a loss for what to do when she suddenly realised that there was something hot flowing down her neck.

    Chu Lian¡¯s heart immediately softened. She patted Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s back lightly and reassured her with a gentle tone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my fault. If Princess has nightmares in the future, I¡¯ll make something delicious for you to eat, okay?¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia was choked with sobs as she pushed Chu Lian away and wiped her tears. She stared at Chu Lian with reddened eyes before pursing her lips, ¡°Chu Liu, are you serious? Don¡¯t you dare lie to me! I want to eat that cat head cookie! And your handmade roast duck!¡±

    Chu Lian: ......

    My dear princess, could you stop changing moods so quickly? My delicate heart can¡¯t take it.

    Are you sure you weren¡¯t crying so pitifully just to trick some food out of me?

    Chu Lian wanted to roll her eyes at the princess.

 Chapter 131: Twins (1)

    Prince Jin had been watching off to the side the entire time. The corner of his lips twitched. After bearing with it for a long moment, he gave in and spoke up. ¡°This prince will send some men to escort you back to Prince Wei¡¯s estate.¡±

    It was only then that Royal Princess Duanjia turned around and noticed Prince Jin there. She wiped away the tears in her eyes before asking, ¡°Fourth Brother, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Just some minor wounds, they¡¯ll heal soon. This prince has to continue investigating with the city guards, so Longcheng will escort you back with some men.¡±

    ¡°Mm, Fourth Imperial Brother, please be careful.¡±

    The maidservants waiting at the side brought over a cloak and covered Royal Princess Duanjia with it. With Chu Lian supporting her, the two of them boarded a carriage driven by one of Prince Jin¡¯s bodyguards.

    The carriage went all the way into the main entrance of Prince Wei¡¯s estate and even passed the screen at the entrance. There, it stopped.

    Chu Lian alighted before Royal Princess Duanjia, so she was the first to notice the middle-aged woman anxiously waiting next to the carriage with a group of maidservants and senior servants. The moment Royal Princess Duanjia got off the carriage, she charged right into the arms of the nobledy.

    ¡°Mother!¡±

    ¡°My good child! You¡¯ve scared Mother to death today!¡±

    The group of servants flew into a flurry of activity when the princess alighted from the carriage. Some of them brought clothes, while others brought over warm braziers. In this panic, Chu Lian didn¡¯t forget her manners. Although she couldn¡¯t move forward, she made a perfect bow to Princess Wei.

    Although Princess Wei was concerned with her daughter¡¯s condition, she still kept an eye on Chu Lian from the corner of her eye. Noting that Chu Lian hadn¡¯t shown a single shred of panic or fear, she inwardly gave a nod of approval.

    After a moment, when Royal Princess Duanjia was warmed up again, she remembered that Chu Lian was still waiting at the side. She quickly pushed aside the servants surrounding her and tugged Chu Lian closer. ¡°Mother, the only reason I¡¯m still standing before you today is all thanks to Chu Liu.¡±

    Princess Wei raised an elegant eyebrow. ¡°Oh?¡±

    One of Princess Wei¡¯s most trusted servants saw that Royal Princess Duanjia was about to continue speaking, so she hurriedly spoke up and suggested, ¡°Royal Princess and House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam have just narrowly escaped cmity. Why not drive away the bad luck first by stepping over these braziers? If there are things to say, surely it can wait untilter in Princess Wei¡¯s room, after a nice warm bath? ¡°

    Princess Wei nodded and called someone to bring a small brazier in front of the two youngdies. Royal Princess Duanjia insisted on holding Chu Lian¡¯s hand as they stepped over the braziers together, so Chu Lian had no other choice but to follow. After that, the two of them were sent to the bath in Princess Wei¡¯s courtyard.

    Princess Wei sent a handmaid over to serve Chu Lian. The handmaid thought ahead and prepared a set of clothing for her to change into after her bath.

    When the two youngdies had changed into a fresh set of clothes, they came out from behind the changing screens supported by some maidservants. They took one look at each other and burst out intoughter.

    The servants wiped their hair dry as they sat together in front of the dressing table. Royal Princess Duanjia turned to look at Chu Lian, then at herself, before pointing at a set of essories on the table. ¡°This, this, and this. Put them on this princess and Chu Liu.¡±

    Chu Lian nced at the essories and quickly tried to put a stop to it. ¡°Princess, I can¡¯t do that. That¡¯s a phoenix tail hairpin.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia wasn¡¯t happy. ¡°Why can¡¯t you wear that? It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a special five-tailed phoenix hairpin. Even a titled noble wife can wear one.¡±

    The corner of Chu Lian¡¯s lips twitched. She didn¡¯t even have a noble title, so how could she wear that hairpin!

    Royal Princess Duanjia harrumphed. ¡°That He Sang is really useless. What good is he other than being a little handsome? He¡¯s like an embroidered pillow. He couldn¡¯t even get a noble title for his wife. How were you so blind as to choose him? Don¡¯t worry, Chu Liu. Just put this hairpin on first. This princess will get you a noble titleter on!¡±

    This sounded really strange, regardless of the context. For one, the people here believed in having their parents choose their marriage partners, so she hardly had a choice in who to marry. If she had known earlier that He Sang had such a crazy personality, she wouldn¡¯t have wanted to marry him!

    Chu Lian was helpless. She couldn¡¯t win over Royal Princess Duanjia, since the princess had a much higher status. Not to mention, she was the guest here! In the end, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t say anything.

 Chapter 132: Twins (2)

    Princess Wei was still waiting in the parlour outside. When the two youngdies were done dressing up, they walked into the parlour holding hands. Princess Wei was stunned for a moment.

    In her eyes, two youngdies, around the age of fourteen or fifteen and about the same height, had just entered the room. The girl on the left was wearing a light pink dress made out of soft silk with wide sleeves and a translucent overcoat. The girl on the right was dressed in the same style, but with a different colour: light purple.

    The two of them had simr figures and had adorned themselves with the same hairstyle; even the hairpins and essories on their heads were exactly the same. Only their expressions and features were different. However, they were both tender youngdies in the bloom of their youth; no one could shift their gazes away.

    In an instant, everyone in the room was dazed from the sight.

    Royal Princess Duanjia tugged Chu Lian forward with her a few steps. She tilted her head to one side and asked, ¡°Mother, what do you think? Do we look pretty?¡±

    It was only then that Princess Wei came to her senses. Her gaze still seemed misty, and she hurriedly tried to hide the trace of pain in the depths of her eyes. One of her senior servants noticed that something wasn¡¯t right and quickly poured a cup of tea for Princess Wei to help her hide her sorrow. The senior servant then smiled happily and replied, ¡°Royal Princess and Third Young Madam, you both look beautiful dressed like this. This old servant is almost blinded by how pretty you look!¡±

    ¡°Senior Servant Lan usually has high standards. Since she thinks that we¡¯re pretty, then we definitely must be! Chu Liu, see, this princess made a good choice, right?¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s heart was almost in her throat. How was this good in any way? Royal Princess Duanjia was way too oblivious. If she were to dress in the same clothes as her host in any other estate, it would be considered very disrespectful towards her hosts. In this case, that would be the two princesses before her. Luckily, it seemed like Princess Wei hadn¡¯t taken it badly, so Chu Lian heaved an inner sigh of relief.

    Senior Servant Lan didn¡¯t have the time to care about what the two youngdies were thinking. She nced at Princess Wei¡¯s expression from time to time, her hands had also travelled to Princess Wei¡¯s back at some point and were patting the princess¡¯s back gently, as ifforting her.

    Senior Servant Lan sighed in her heart. Who would have expected Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s careless gesture to have pierced right into Princess Wei¡¯s most painful spot?

    No one knew of this other than Prince Wei and the old servants who had served at Princess Wei¡¯s side back then, not even the two young princes. At the birth of Royal Princess Duanjia, Princess Wei had given birth to twins.

    Both of the twins were daughters, but only one survived. They weren¡¯t able to save the other. To prevent others from using this event to im that Prince Wei¡¯s estate was unlucky, Prince Wei made the decision to cover it all up.

    Even now, Royal Princess Duanjia didn¡¯t have the slightest idea that she had a twin sister who had passed away.

    Other than their looks, Chu Lian was simr to Royal Princess Duanjia in age and figure. Now that she was dressed in the same set of clothes as Royal Princess Duanjia and standing in front of Princess Wei, didn¡¯t they seem like a lovely pair of sisters? To Princess Wei, it was like she was looking upon the daughter who had passed away so early in life; how could her heart have possibly remained unmoved?

 Chapter 133: Twins (3)

    Princess Wei took in a deep breath. By the time she set down her teacup and raised her head, she had already calmed the turbulent emotions in her heart. She cast a careful, measuring gaze over the two young girls in front of her, before reaching out to pull them closer. She stroked Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s forehead and patted Chu Lian¡¯s little hand gently. When she caught sight of the phoenix tail hairpin in Chu Lian¡¯s hair, her eyes narrowed and she sent an admonishing re to Royal Princess Duanjia.

    ¡°Good, good. This princess ordered these two bolts of fabric a few days ago, it looks like the dresses turned out well. Look at these two girls; they look like sisters dressed in the same outfit.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s reply was a bright smile, like her mother¡¯s reaction was only to be expected. On the other hand, Chu Lian was shocked. But she managed to hide it well, not forgetting to issue a standard polite reply as she said, ¡°It¡¯s Royal Princess Duanjia who has good taste.¡±

    ¡°Alright, the two of you must have suffered much shock today. This princess has arranged for some guards to send Chu Liu home. On another day, this princess will personally send an invite for Chu Liu toe and spend time with this princess and Royal Princess Duanjia.¡±

    She hadn¡¯t realised that time had passed so quickly that it was already evening. Royal Princess Duanjia knew that it wasn¡¯t appropriate to keep Chu Lian any longer, so she could only agree to sending Chu Lian home with the estate¡¯s guards. Royal Princess Duanjia even escorted her all the way to the entrance. Even when Chu Lian was boarding the carriage, she still seemed reluctant to let her go. ¡°Chu Liu, don¡¯t forget, you promised to cook roast duck with me.¡±

    Chu Lian patted Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s hand infort. ¡°Princess, you should return quickly. Don¡¯t let Princess Wei worry. I won¡¯t forget about our promise. I¡¯ll even bring cat head shaped cookies with me the next time Ie, too.¡±

    It was only after Chu Lian¡¯s carriage had departed that Royal Princess Duanjia returned to her estate, apanied by her maidservants.

    One of Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s handmaids, Jinxiu, had already exined the whole course of events today to Princess Wei.

    Senior Servant Lan shared her thoughts. ¡°It really was all thanks to House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam that our young princess made it back safely today. No wonder the young princess is unusually close to her and treats her like a sister.¡± Even to the point of reliance, went unsaid.

    Princess Wei¡¯s gaze was a little darkened. She suddenly stood up and entered her bedroom deeper within the building. When she pressed a certain spot behind a table, a small door appeared on one of the walls of the bedroom with some calligraphy hanging on it. Princess Wei passed through the door and walked right up to the incense table filled with offerings. She took up the small memorial tablet on the table and wiped it gently with her handkerchief.

    When she heard the soft footsteps behind her, Princess Wei could no longer hold back her tears.

    She asked, ¡°Momo, do you think it¡¯s Little Ni¡¯er who hase back? Back then, thatdy doctor told me, Little Ni¡¯er passed on the moment she was born because she wanted to protect her little sister. She gave all the nutrients she had in her mother¡¯s womb to her little sister, so she couldn¡¯t survive. Now Duanjia has been saved by her again...¡±

    Senior Servant Lan¡¯s heart ached for Princess Wei, but she noticed that the princess looked a little off. Princess Wei¡¯s body had been injured during the birth of the twins, and she could never have any more children. The firstborn young princess hadn¡¯t taken her first breath after leaving her mother¡¯s womb. Thus, Royal Princess Duanjia became even more precious to Princess Wei, and she showered her with all the affection meant for two children.

    That lost little princess became a sore spot in Princess Wei¡¯s heart. Although she had never mentioned it before, she had prepared this altar for the lost princess. However, it was clear that Princess Wei¡¯s heart had never recovered from the loss, and it seemed like her mental state was deteriorating.

    Senior Servant Lan had also taken a good look at House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam today. If that Third Young Madam had been someone with impure motives, she would have definitely persuaded Princess Wei out of her dangerous mindset. However, Sixth Miss Chu had saved Royal Princess Duanjia without caring for her own life.

    Senior Servant Lan sighed with emotion and went along with Princess Wei¡¯s belief. ¡°Perhaps that Sixth Miss Chu really does share some fate with her! Although she¡¯s already married, she¡¯s the same age as our young princess. Even her figure and looks are somewhat simr. If they had gone out in those dresses today, perhaps they might have been mistaken for sisters! Since she saved the young princess, it¡¯s perfectly normal for Princess to treat her well.¡±

    Princess Wei seemed to be reassured by Senior Servant Lan¡¯s words. She caressed the small tablet in her hands and ced it back onto the altar, her eyes a little misty. ¡°Momo, you¡¯re right. That child deserves better. Furthermore, she saved my Duanjia today.¡±

    Senior Servant Lan saw that Princess Wei had recovered her usual calm, so she finally rxed.

    Meanwhile, Chu Lian had gone through a roller coaster of emotions today. It wasn¡¯t until she boarded the carriage that she could truly rx.

    As Wen fanned her from the side, Chu Lian leaned against the carriage window and shut her eyes to rest. After a short moment, she asked, ¡°Where are the clothes and essories I changed out of?¡±

 Chapter 134: Lucky Jade Amulet (1)

    Xiyan quickly brought out a wooden case from one side. ¡°Third Young Madam, the essories you were wearing this morning are all here. As for your clothes, the princess¡¯s senior servant said that they were stained with bad luck, so they were burned together with the royal princess¡¯ clothes in the braziers.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded and took the wooden case from Xiyan¡¯s hands. Xiyan had only been injured on her elbows and legs. The rest of her body waspletely fine.

    She opened the case and rummaged through its contents. Chu Lian¡¯s expression instantly darkened. She searched once again; all the essories she had been wearing were still there, except for that lucky jade amulet!

    ¡°Xiyan, when you were putting my things away, did you see that jade amulet I was carrying at my waist this morning?¡±

    Xiyan was also extremely tired and tense. When she heard Chu Lian¡¯s words, her face immediately turned pale. She looked into the wooden case and recalled that Third Young Madam had indeed been wearing a jade amulet this morning. However, now it wasn¡¯t in the case.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, when this servant was putting away the essories, this servant didn¡¯t... didn¡¯t see the jade amulet at all...¡±

    What!

    Chu Lian copsed against the side of the carriage, the events from the original story continuously shing through her mind.

    That lucky jade amulet had been gifted by Matriarch He during the tea ceremony. Later on, ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had given it to Xiao Bojian during one of their ndestine meetings as a token of their love.

    Xiao Bojian had worn the amulet at his waist every day after that. Of course, He Changdi coincidentally caught sight of it and quarrelled with ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ when he got home.

    However, ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ hadpletely ignored He Changdi¡¯s anger. She had also been brazen to the point of meeting Xiao Bojian in front of He Changdi¡¯s very nose.

    Chu Lian felt a headacheing on. Xiao Bojian couldn¡¯t possibly have picked up the jade amulet that she lost by ident, right? If that really happened, she wouldn¡¯t be able to wash her sins away even if she jumped into the Yellow River.

    However, thinking back to the events at Defeng Teahouse and recalling the distance she had run to avoid the assassins, she had most likely dropped it somewhere along that path. If the city guards picked it up, there might even be a possibility that they would return it to her.

    That thought helped Chu Lian calm down a little.

    Her mind was a mess right now. However, Xiyan suddenly knelt in front of her with a thump. ¡°Third Young Madam, it¡¯s all this servant¡¯s fault! This servant failed to take care of your possessions. Please punish this servant!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes opened wide in shock. She then sighed and helped Xiyan up. ¡°This has nothing to do with you. I was the one who carelessly lost my amulet. You couldn¡¯t possibly have kept an eye on my essories the entire time! Forget it, it¡¯s just a single jade amulet. I¡¯ll ask Royal Princess Duanjia if she has seen it the next time we meet. Perhaps it¡¯ll turn up somehow!¡±

    Xiyan secretly checked Chu Lian¡¯s expression and found that she really wasn¡¯t angry. Her heart was full of guilt, but at the same time, she felt that Third Young Madam¡¯s temper had gotten much better.

    If this had happened when they were back in House Ying and Third Young Madam had lost something, it would have been their fault for not taking care of her things, and they would have been punished severely.

    Now that she thought about it, back then, Third Young Madam had been obsessed with riches. However, now she seemed not to care about these material possessions as much. Perhaps Third Young Madam had be more forgiving after marriage?

    As she thought along these lines, Xiyan started to sympathize with Third Young Madam.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t have the time to care about the direction of Xiyan¡¯s thoughts. She was near speechless at how she had been able to bump into Xiao Bojian despite all her effort in dodging him. She had a strange feeling that there was some hidden hand guiding all these events along.

    Chu Lian pouted in a fit of temper. She was going to be more careful the next time! She refused to believe that she wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge that Xiao Bojian!

    She didn¡¯t want to be involved with that damned Xiao Bojian one bit. Her carefree days were much more important.

    Anyone who dared to disrupt herzy days would be making an enemy out of her!

 Chapter 135: Lucky Jade Amulet (2)

    The carriage slowly made its way through the streets. Just as they were about to reach the Jing¡¯an Estate, Chu Lian instructed Wen to rearrange her hair. Then, she would change back into the essories she had been wearing when she left this morning.

    Her hair had been arranged in a maiden girl¡¯s hairstyle back at Prince Wei¡¯s estate, so she definitely had to change out of it before she returned to her husband¡¯s home. The phoenix tail hairpin that Royal Princess Duanjia had made her wear also had to be removed, otherwise it would be another cause for wagging tongues.

    However, she couldn¡¯t change out of the dress that Royal Princess Duanjia had given to her.

    The news that Chu Lian had returned to the Jing¡¯an Estate quickly made its way to Matriarch He and Madam Zou¡¯s ears.

    Chu Lian knew that she couldn¡¯t possibly hide the day¡¯s events, so she didn¡¯t return to Songtao Court upon reaching the Jing¡¯an Estate. Instead, she took Wen and Xiyan with her to Qingxi Hall.

    The waiting Madam Zou also brought her servants with her as she headed to Qingxi Hall.

    The two of them met in the corridor outside.

    Chu Lian had already sensed the discontent that Madam Zou seemed to hold for her, so she made doubly sure that her every gesture and action was courteous and in line.

    ¡°My greetings to Eldest Sister-in-Law.¡± Chu Lian bobbed in salute to Madam Zou.

    Madam Zou moved forward a few steps to help her up; however, her gaze was looking Chu Lian up and down. When she recognised the fabric that Chu Lian was wearing, something shook in the depths of her eyes. Despite that, on the surface, she was full of smiles. ¡°Sister-in-Law, you seem to be wearing a different dress than the one you were wearing this morning.¡±

    Soft silk!

    An imperial tribute!

    Even the imperial family didn¡¯t get much of this fabric. It was an imperial tribute from the small country of Xinan. Only titled noble wives were allowed to wear them.

    Consort De had gotten two bolts of this fabricst year and had given half a bolt to Heir Dingyuan¡¯s wife, Madam Huang. Madam Huang had used all of it to make a dress. When she wore it to the orchid appreciation party amongst the titled noble wives, she had looked outstanding and garnered much admiration. However, Chu Lian was now wearing a dress made of that very same fabric.

    Another headache started building in Chu Lian¡¯s head. She knew this was going to happen. She gathered up every shred of her patience to exin everything to Madam Zou.

    ¡°Eldest Sister-in-Law, something happened at Prince Wei¡¯s estate today. Let¡¯s enter Qingxi Hall first. I¡¯ll exin everything to you and Grandmother together. This dress I¡¯m wearing belongs to Royal Princess Duanjia, and she¡¯s simply lending it to me temporarily.¡±

    Madam Zou was shocked! Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s dress!

    When had Chu Lian gotten so close to the princess? How could Royal Princess Duanjia have given her such an expensive dress just like that? Judging by how new and pristine it looked, it seemed like the princess had never even worn it after it had been made.

    Madam Zou suppressed the shock in her heart and followed Chu Lian into Qingxi Hall.

    It was only after exining everything to Matriarch He and Madam Zou that Chu Lian could drag her exhausted body over to Songtao Court to rest, escorted by Senior Servant Liu.

    When Madam Zou returned to her own courtyard, her mind was reeling. She hadn¡¯t expected such a windfall to have fallen into Chu Lian¡¯sp after a simple trip outside. Not only had she built a connection to Prince Wei¡¯s estate, but even the normally unapproachable Prince Jin was now in her debt. With things as they stood, Chu Lian would definitely be making another visit to Prince Wei¡¯s estate. Madam Zou had already started making ns in her mind.

    After Senior Servant Liu returned from sending Chu Lian back to Songtao Court, she saw that Matriarch He was still sitting in the parlour. The candles around her flickered, casting her face in alternating light and shadow. She seemed to be deep in thought.

    Senior Servant Liu walked up to the matriarch¡¯s side and gently massaged her shoulders. ¡°Matriarch, are you thinking about what happened to Third Young Madam today?¡±

    The matriarch heaved a long sigh. ¡°This old woman could have never expected that girl to bring about such change.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s due to Third Young Madam¡¯s courage, intelligence, kindness, and how much she values friendship. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have thought up a n to save Royal Princess Duanjia under those circumstances. If this old servant is permitted to say more, then His Highness Prince Jin was also saved thanks to Third Young Madam today! If not for Third Young Madam sending Wen to get the city guards, how could they have caught the assassins so quickly?¡±

 Chapter 136: Loverâ€™s Token (1)

    ¡°Of course I know all that! I just didn¡¯t expect that the wife I happened to pick out for Sang would turn out to be such a lucky star.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it so! If Third Young Madam continues her friendship with Prince Wei¡¯s estate, it¡¯ll be tremendously beneficial for our estate.¡±

    Prince Wei was extremely close to the current emperor, yet he wasn¡¯t involved in politics. His house was also known for being morally upright. Having connections with Prince Wei¡¯s estate would only bring them benefits, and no harm at all.

    ¡°Matriarch, this old servant isn¡¯t sure whether to speak freely...¡±

    Matriarch He red at Senior Servant Liu. ¡°You silly servant. There¡¯s nothing that you can¡¯t say freely in front of me.¡±

    Senior Servant Liu paused her massage and moved over to face the matriarch. ¡°Matriarch, this old servant wonders if you noticed Eldest Young Madam¡¯s expression today. This old servant is afraid that Eldest Young Madam¡¯s thoughts may be straying towards the wrong path...¡±

    Matriarch He sunk into silence.

    Dng¡¯s wife!

    When Chu Lian returned to Songtao Court, she had a quick meal with some snacks before returning to her bedroom. It had been a physically and mentally taxing day for her, so she intended to go to bed early and get a good night¡¯s sleep.

    Regardless of the troubles currently guing her mind, Chu Lian determined that leaving the pondering to tomorrow was a better course of action than keeping herself up the entire night today.

    Fuyan pushed aside the gauze curtains on the bedchamber. First, she nced at Xiyan, who was standing ramrod straight as she guarded the chamber. Next, she peeped at Chu Lian, lying on the bed.

    Although nothing showed on her expression, her curiosity was burning. She hated that she couldn¡¯t immediately question Xiyan about what had happened today.

    She wanted to know if Third Young Madam had met Mister Xiao today while out of the estate. Was she secretly having an affair with Mister Xiao?

    That high-quality dress that Third Young Madam had changed into was also suspicious. She couldn¡¯t possibly have changed into it after meeting Mister Xiao, right?

    All sorts of scenarios yed out in Fuyan¡¯s mind. When she thought of Third Young Master¡¯s cool and handsome face, she pinched her palm for courage.

    Third Young Master was so good-looking. If Third Young Madam had betrayed Third Young Master, she... she wouldn¡¯t let it continue!

    Though Fuyan was so hung up over He Changdi¡¯s looks now, if she could see what He Sang looked like as he roughed it out at the northern border, she probably wouldn¡¯t be using the word ¡®handsome¡¯ to describe him any time soon.

    Xiao Bojian had already escaped Defend Teahouse long before the city guards¡¯ arrival, but that didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t close by.

    Standing inside a fabric store opposite the teahouse, Xiao Bojian repeatedly clenched his hands into fists at his side. His eyes were murky, as if he were struggling inside. Finally, he turned and spoke to One in a low voice. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to Defeng Teahouse and see how Lian¡¯er is doing?¡±

    The expression on the bodyguard¡¯s average-looking, forgettable face seemed to flicker for a bit. However, in the end, he didn¡¯t disregard his master¡¯s request. He grunted in acknowledgement and merged back into the crowd on the street.

    After an hour, One was back.

    Xiao Bojian had already moved to a room on the second floor of the fabric store. He sat behind a desk, a calm expression on his face. However, his voice betrayed the anxiety he felt inside as he asked, ¡°How was it?¡±

    One cupped his fists. ¡°Reporting to master. Sixth Miss Chu is already safe. Master can rx now. The city guards have already taken down all the assassins.¡±

    Xiao Bojian caught the thread of hesitation on One¡¯s face as he spoke. His expression darkened. ¡°What are you trying to hide? Speak!¡±

 Chapter 137: Loverâ€™s Token (2)

    One was most afraid of the darkly sinister look that sometimes graced his master¡¯s face, and it was this exact expression that he was wearing right now. One¡¯s body trembled a little as he pulled out an exquisite piece of jade from his sleeve. He respectfully offered it up to his master with both hands. ¡°Master, this subordinate found this in Sixth Miss Chu¡¯s private room.¡±

    Xiao Bojian reached out and took the jade amulet in hand. His slender fingers caressed the surface of the amulet. He recalled that this was the amulet that Chu Lian had been wearing today. It was a quality piece of jade, and the carving was finely detailed. He could tell that it was of great value at one nce.

    The carving on this jade amulet was beyondpare. It was also perfectly sized so it could be worn by either gender. The embroidered string that it hung on was a bright pink, perhaps since Chu Lian had been wearing it. If it were changed to a dark blue or green string, it should be fine for a man.

    Xiao Bojian didn¡¯t think that Chu Lian would carelessly leave behind such a valuable piece of jade in the room. There was only one possibility... That she had done it on purpose...

    As for who this jade amulet had been meant for, he was the only man who had visited that room today, so the conclusion was clear.

    With a burst of emotion, Xiao Bojian¡¯s clenched the amulet in his hands, a glint shing through his eyes.

    When he heard One¡¯s report, the longing he felt in his heart grew even stronger.

    He never knew that his Lian¡¯er could be so smart and calm. Even if it had been him in that situation, he might not necessarily have been able to make the same bold and brave decision that Chu Lian had.

    Saving the Fourth Prince and building ties with Prince Wei¡¯s estate ¡ª his Lian¡¯er was truly one of a kind.

    The light in Xiao Bojian¡¯s eyes shone even brighter. Every time he discovered another one of her merits, it was even harder for him to let go of her. Even though she was already married to someone else, his covetous heart had never loosened its ws on her; not once!

    He was the only one fit for his Lian¡¯er!

    He had been nning on approaching Chu Lian slowly, creating more chances for the two of them to meet. However, that He Sang had wisely backed out and left for the northern border all by himself.

    Heh! Then he didn¡¯t need to act recklessly. He had all the time in the world toe up with a n, to make his beloved woman walk step by step into his carefully prepared trap, and finally be his.

    Though he was still in the midst of building up his base of power, there wasn¡¯t any need to fear a small house like House Jing¡¯an. Although the Jing¡¯an Estate was full of military officials, the current emperor heavily favoured the literary officials. The only exceptions to this were the Dragon and Tiger Guards. Other than the border generals, there were hardly any military officials with some sort of influence in the court now.

    Once this year¡¯s autumn examinations began, it would be his time to shine and disy his ambition!

    One was watching the changes in his master¡¯s eyes as he held onto the jade amulet. He coughed twice and carefully asked, ¡°Master, when this subordinate investigated the assassins for a moment, this subordinate noticed that there were ck imprints on their left forearms.¡±

    ck imprints? Xiao Bojian¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly.

    When One noticed that Xiao Bojian wasn¡¯t speaking, he continued his report. ¡°As far as this subordinate knows, ck imprints were a secret imperial technique from the previous dynasty. There are venomous worms in the imprints. When these assassins fail their mission, the person controlling the main worm can activate those ck imprints to force the assassins tomit suicide.¡±

    Xiao Bojian waved his hand and didn¡¯t say anything else, simply acknowledging the report.

    Upon noticing his master¡¯s expression, One didn¡¯t continue speaking.

    However, he did continue that line of thought in the safety of his own mind. Were the mysterious assassins sent to kill the Fourth Prince and Royal Princess Duanjia by someone supporting the previous dynasty?

    They had changed to the Great Wu Dynasty for many years now. Even if there was a remaining trace of the old imperial bloodline, they should have slowly faded into nothing by now. How could they have had the power to send assassins after a prince and princess in broad daylight, let alone on one of the main streets of the capital?

    The mystery of the assassins would require further investigation to resolve.

 Chapter 138: Loverâ€™s Token (3)

    The morning after saw Chu Lian rising much earlier than usual, as she had gone to bed earlyst night.

    She had already decided what to make for breakfast the night before. It was going to be refreshing vegetarian wraps, paired with a light and salty vegetable porridge.

    After breakfast, Chu Lian noticed it was still early and went back to her little study to practise her calligraphy.

    She had some talent in calligraphy already, and she had experience in writing simplified Chinese words with pens. Now all she had to do was learn to use a brush and write in traditional Chinese words instead. She wasn¡¯t used to it at first, but after practising for a few days, she had no problems writing most of themonly used words. However, it was impossible for her to write exactly like ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had.

    Firstly, she wasn¡¯t good at copying. Secondly,there weren¡¯t many examples from the former host of this body that she could reference. Besides, she was herself and she wasn¡¯t going to try to imitate the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯. They were twopletely different people in the first ce!

    Although using a brush and writing in traditional Chinese words were easy enough, she still had a long way to go before her calligraphy could be anywhere close to passable.

    Chu Lian was more used to using pens instead of brushes. She got Xiyan to find some goose feathers and made her own feather pens. When she wanted to practise writing fancier characters, or writing for longer amounts of time, she would switch to the feather pens.

    After filling up two sheets of paper with her calligraphy practice, Chu Lian made her way over to Qingxi Hall to give her daily greetings to the matriarch. Afterwards, she intended to stop by her mother-inw¡¯s courtyard for a visit.

    Who could have known that Chu Lian would receive something she hadn¡¯t expected at all- a letter from He Changdi all the way from the northern border!

    Matriarch He had a wide smile on her face as she passed the letter over. She was acting just like she was watching her cute pair of grandchildren being lovey-dovey right in front of her.

    The corner of Chu Lian¡¯s mouth twitched. She kept her expression neutral as she took the letter, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to speak. The matriarch mistook this as Chu Lian simply being shy, so she dismissed her with a wave of a hand to let her read the letter in private. Matriarch He even reminded her to write a reply after she was finished reading. The man who had brought them the letters was still waiting to send everyone¡¯s replies back together to the northern border!

    Seeing Matriarch He¡¯s pleased expression, Chu Lian felt like she was out of her depth. When she recalled what Senior Servant Liu had told herst night while escorting her back to Songtao Court, Chu Lian¡¯s mood took a turn for the worse.

    Senior Servant Liu¡¯s words yed again in her mind. ¡°Third Young Madam, please don¡¯t me this old servant for speaking up about this. The countess hasn¡¯t been in the best of health since the birth of Third Young Master, so this old servant was the one who took care of him from childhood. This old servant feels warm just watching the two of you interact so well. But now, Third Young Master must be suffering over at the northern border, and our Master can¡¯t help him either. He¡¯s all alone over there without apanion he can share his troubles with. Although it¡¯s been so hot as ofte over here in the capital, it¡¯s actually terribly cold over there, especially at night. I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s impossible to survive without a jacket on. Third Young Master left in such a hurry, this old servant doesn¡¯t know if he brought enough supplies...¡±

    After Senior Servant Liu had dragged on and on in this vein, Chu Lian instantly understood. She only had one purpose; that was to make Chu Lian, as Sang¡¯s wife, send more care for the He Family¡¯s lonely, suffering Third Young Master.

    If she could be a caring and considerate wife and prepare some changes of clothing and such for her dear husband, it would be great.

    As much as Chu Lian wanted to roll her eyes, she couldn¡¯t say anything to Senior Servant Liu. She could tell that Senior Servant Liu genuinely cared for He Changdi. She treated him like her very own son.

    There was nothing wrong with those kinds of feelings.

    Chu Lian agreed to it. Despite how terribly He Changdi acted in front of her, she was still his legitimate wife. There were expectations she had to fulfill ording to that role. As for that crazy husband of hers, pfft. As long as he wasn¡¯t around to disturb her, there was nothing to worry about.

    Chu Lian¡¯s thoughts were in and simple.

    When she returned to her study, Chu Lian sat alone at her desk. She measured the thickness of the envelope with her fingers; it seemed pretty thick. There must be quite a few pieces of paper in there!

 Chapter 139: Reply (1)

    There were a few boldly written words on the front of the letter: ¡®To my dear wife, Madam Chu¡¯.

    A corner of Chu Lian¡¯s lips lifted in amusement. She wondered if he felt any guilt at all while writing that down. Calling her his ¡®dear wife¡¯ ¡ª yeah, right. He hadn¡¯t even been willing to consummate their marriage! Did he have a conscience somewhere in that head of his or not?

    Chu Lian tore open the letter and pulled out a few pieces of paper. Now that she could see the contents, he really had written a whole stack of letters to her. Each page was packed with tiny little words. She had to get as close as possible to decipher them. But the moment she tried, her face instantly turned dark.

    What the heck was this! The handwriting on these letters were so bad that they looked like exorcism amulets! She couldn¡¯t understand a single one!

    No, wait. She was able to understand two words. The big, bold words at the start of the letter: Chu Lian.

    After that warm ¡®my dear wife¡¯ on the front of the envelope, He Sang still ended up addressing her by her full name ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ in the letter itself.

    Even though she couldn¡¯t really make out what the letter was about, just based on those two words alone, Chu Lian could understand that He Sang hadn¡¯t written anything good about her in that letter.

    She pursed her lips. Luckily, He Changdi¡¯s handwriting was so terrible that she couldn¡¯t read the letter. Otherwise, she would have probably gotten angry and expired from the force of her rage.

    She carefully folded up the letter and ced it back into the envelope, then tucked it away in a fragrant rosewood box. Then, Chu Lian prepared some ink and picked up her brush to start writing a reply.

    He Changdi had written out three whole pages while full of anger, all to warn the wicked woman Chu Lian against trying any of her tricks while he was gone. If he were to find out that she hadn¡¯t even read a single word of it, perhaps he might even spew out a mouthful of blood. If he were to also find out that it was all because of his flowery handwriting, perhaps he might also regret trying his best to show off his calligraphy skills.

    After thinking for a long time, Chu Lian still didn¡¯t know what to write as a reply to He Changdi. She wrote a few words, before staring at the remaining nk space on the paper. Her eyebrows furrowed together and she quickly scrunched the paper up into a ball and threw it into the fire.

    No way, it was impossible! Although her handwriting had improved, it was still miles apart from someone who should be used to writing with a brush. It wouldn¡¯t be good to expose herck of skills to He Changdi by writing a letter. What if he started getting suspicious? That husband of hers was already crazy enough; she couldn¡¯t risk provoking him any more.

    Since she couldn¡¯t write, how was she supposed to reply He Sang¡¯s letter?

    Chu Lian scratched her head in frustration. Somehow, her gazended on the set of goose feather pens and charcoal that she usually used for practising.

    Her eyes instantly lit up. Oh yes! Although she couldn¡¯t write, she could draw!

    For an art enthusiast like her, those simple littleics with four boxes were easy as pie!

    Now that she had a n, Chu Lian immediately started putting it into action. She took up her brush and with a few strokes, a lively... interesting drawing started to take shape on the paper.

    The little person wearing a dress with a lopsided hairstyle was herself.

    With a few simple, quick lines and some nice brush strokes, the paper was filled with quite the animated scene.

    In less than an hour, Chu Lian had already drawn twentyics. She couldn¡¯t even fit the whole stack into the envelope.

    Finally, Chu Lian called Xiyan into the study.

    ¡°Xiyan, help me find arger envelope!¡±

    Xiyan was still dazed by the request. She was wondering what Chu Lian needed such a thing for. If she wanted to mail somethingrger, she could just use a package!

    Chu Lian waved the stack of paper at Xiyan, and the maidservant immediately understood.

 Chapter 140: Reply (2)

    Xiyan hurried out with a smile on her face to look for another envelope. She bumped into Senior Servant Gui outside the bedroom. Senior Servant Gui found it strange that the normally calm maidservant had a bright smile on.

    Xiyan chuckled. ¡°Momo, you should have seen it! The size of the reply that Third Young Madam has written for Third Young Master¡¯s letter! It can¡¯t fit in a normal envelope, so this servant is going to find a much bigger envelope to fit it in.¡±

    As Xiyan was speaking, she even gestured with her fingers to show how thick the stack was... with some exaggeration, of course.

    Senior Servant Gui chuckled along with her. She recalled that Third Young Master had sent back a letter for their Third Young Madam. It must have been something he¡¯d written that had made her so happy. Why else would Third Young Madam have so many things to say? Her reply couldn¡¯t even fit in a normal envelope!

    ¡°Good, that¡¯s good. This old servant will help search for one as well.¡±

    In the end, they had to make a request to the steward of the outer court for one!

    The fact was that such big envelopes were rarely used, so they didn¡¯t have any in the estate. In the end, it was the steward who used leather to fashion one in a stroke of genius. There was a special feeling to it when Chu Lian held it in her hands, almost like the file holders back in the modern era.

    Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan happily watched as Chu Lian personally put the thick stack of papers into the envelope and sealed it. She even wrote the words ¡®To my dear Sang¡¯ on the front. The two servants imagined their Third Young Madam stuffing the entirety of her sweet little heart into thatrge envelope.

    Remembering Senior Servant Liu¡¯s special reminder, Chu Lian had Senior Servant Gui find a cloth for wrapping up a package. She packed up a few of He Changdi¡¯s inner clothes, cloaks, winter clothing, shoes, and so on. These had already been made for He Changdi anyway, so Chu Lian didn¡¯t need to do a single thing.

    Senior Servant Zhong was also present in the room. A corner of her lips lifted in appreciation. In her heart, she nodded. Third Young Madam really did have Third Young Master in her heart. She even knew to pack up some clothes for her husband.

    The courier had already told them that he could help bring some things over, but not too much, or it wouldn¡¯t be very convenient for him.

    Matriarch He also knew how strict the army camps at the northern border were, so she didn¡¯t try to make things difficult for the courier. She even specially told Chu Lian of the package limit.

    After preparing a small bundle of things, Senior Servant Zhong had already brought the younger maidservants out to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

    Senior Servant Gui thought for a while before deciding to stay behind. She helped Chu Lian tidy up the bundle beforementing, ¡°Third Young Madam, this old servant heard that the northern border is extremely barren; there¡¯s not much to have there. Third Young Master must be used to afortable life here in the capital. He might not be able to get used to the northern border... It¡¯s possible that his appetite is suffering as well. He must surely miss the fine cuisine back here in the capital.¡±

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t understand what Senior Servant Gui was trying to say. She tilted her head in confusion as she looked at Senior Servant Gui. Her eyes were bright and moist, and she even made a cute ¡®mm?¡¯ sound in questioning.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t he decide to go there by himself? He didn¡¯t even tell me beforehand. It¡¯s none of my business, even if he suffers there!¡±

    Senior Servant Gui sighed inwardly. ¡°That¡¯s not what this old servant meant. This old servant was simply saying that Third Young Master is most likely not sleeping or eating well. Didn¡¯t you have Xiyan and the other girls make some snacks a few days ago?¡±

    Only those who were fortunate enough to taste the splendors of Chu Lian¡¯s ¡®secret recipes¡¯ would know the temptation of food. As the saying went, ¡®the primary necessity of the people is food.¡¯ In the ranking of all of life¡¯s pleasures, food was number one!

    Just take Senior Servant Gui for example. After getting used to eating the dishes made from Third Young Madam¡¯s recipes, she would probably look down on even the most famous restaurant in the whole entire capital now. Those ¡®fine cuisines¡¯ wereplete garbage whenpared to the food here at Songtao Court!

    Their Third Young Madam wasn¡¯t good at much. In the past, she had some skill in brewing sencha, but since she refused to even touch the tea now, this was thest remaining skill that she could show off.

    Who didn¡¯t like to eat in this world? Especially good food. No one could possibly dislike it!

    There was nothing good to eat over at the northern border. If Third Young Madam were to send something nice along, wouldn¡¯t Third Young Master be tremendously happy?

 Chapter 141: Reply (3)

    After listening to Senior Servant Gui, Chu Lian remembered that she had taught the girls how to make a whole bunch of snacks on a particrly boring day. Since they usually had some spare meat left in the kitchen that would spoil if they couldn¡¯t finish it, Chu Lian had the girls turn them into all sorts of meat-based snacks.

    There was pork jerky, translucent shredded beef, spiced beef jerky, and many more!

    This was the first time she had made these kinds of snacks sinceing to the Great Wu Dynasty. There actually wasn¡¯t all that much meat left in the kitchen too, so they only had a few bags¡¯ worth, even after spending all that effort to make them. Even the handmaids weren¡¯t given any; the jerky was meant only for her. That translucent shredded beef was still soaking in a small jar, waiting to be eaten in two days.

    However, Senior Servant Gui was now suggesting that she give all her hard-won snacks to He Changdi. How could the greedy Chu Lian bear to part with her food?

    ¡°Momo, it wasn¡¯t easy for me to make those snacks. I haven¡¯t even eaten more than a few pieces! I¡¯ve been craving them for so long. Anyway, that translucent shredded beef was just made. I don¡¯t know if it can be eaten now. What if it doesn¡¯t taste good?¡±

    Senior Servant Gui hadn¡¯t thought that the usually generous Third Young Madam, who could even bear to reward her servants with silver essories without batting an eysh, would suddenly turn into such a miser. She couldn¡¯t even bear to part with a few bags of snacks?

    Senior Servant Gui felt helpless. She knew that Third Young Madam¡¯s childish temper was going to re up again, so she patiently tried to persuade her. ¡°Third Young Madam, how could anything you made not taste good? Don¡¯t worry, this old servant has tasted it already. That translucent shredded beef is delicious!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. She pointed at Senior Servant Gui and said poutily, ¡°Momo, you ate my shredded beef in secret!!¡±

    Senior Servant Gui didn¡¯t expect that she would expose herself in a moment of carelessness. She awkwardly continued, ¡°This old servant simply tasted it a little. Didn¡¯t Third Young Madam say before that it would be done after soaking for four to five days? This old servant was simply helping Third Young Madam conduct a taste check first.¡±

    Chu Lian was extremely put out. She had been wondering why her beef jerky had been running out so quickly. So it was Senior Servant Gui who had been sneakily eating some!

    Why were the people around her such gluttons for food! Wasn¡¯t it enough having just one glutton around?

    Senior Servant Gui realised that they had strayed from the topic at hand, so she quickly pushed it back to the right track. ¡°Ay, it was this old servant¡¯s fault for stealing Third Young Madam¡¯s snacks. This old servant promises not to steal any more snacks and to watch over Xiyan and the rest. Third Young Madam, there isn¡¯t much left, and it won¡¯t be enough for you anyway. Besides, we can make them any time here. If you send it to Third Young Master and he likes it, he might even begin to long for you! It¡¯ll all be thanks to these snacks, if you send them along...¡±

    Chu Lian was a little motivated by Senior Servant Gui¡¯s words. That was true. She could make them any time she wanted, but it was impossible for He Changdi up in the north.

    It was also true that there wasn¡¯t much left anyway, as much as she liked them. She was simply trying to have some other vours to spice up her usual meals. Fine, she would give the remainder to He Changdi.

    ¡°Alright, momo, get Xiyan to bring the snacks over. Put them into a small bag alone and ask the courier to take special care of it.¡±

    ¡°Very well, this old servant will do so now.¡± Senior Servant Gui quickly rushed off to find Xiyan.

    The pork and beef jerky had a long shelf life as long as they were careful about not letting them touch water. Thus, Chu Lian wasn¡¯t afraid of the food spoiling before it reached the northern border.

 Chapter 142: Jealousy (1)

    Xiyan was also happy that Third Young Madam was finally thinking about Third Young Master. In her excitement, she took out all of Chu Lian¡¯s snacks and packed them up, including a few pretty little blue cloth bags and the small jar of translucent shredded beef. Though it wasn¡¯t much, it was just enough for a small package.

    On the other hand, when Senior Servant Gui looked at the package, she felt that it was too small. Wouldn¡¯t sending such a small amount reflect badly on their young madam? Thus, she took the initiative to take out the grape wine that Chu Lian had fermented a few days ago. After adding one bottle into the package, Senior Servant Gui was satisfied.

    Poor Chu Lian didn¡¯t know that all of her snacks had been offered up by Xiyan. Not even her grape wine, which hadn¡¯t been easy to make either, was left untouched by these two.

    Once both the letter and package had been prepared, they were sent on their way to the outer court. By then, the entire estate knew that Chu Lian was going to send a giant letter to He Sang.

    The main steward retold the story in front of the other stewards, boasting that he had personally made that huge envelope for Third Young Madam¡¯s letter!

    The faces of Matriarch He, Countess Jing¡¯an, and Heir Jing¡¯an were filled with gratified smiles upon hearing this bit of news.

    They praised Chu Lian, eximing that Sang had really married a good wife!

    Thus, the letters that the other family members intended to send to He Changdi were full of praise for Chu Lian, noting that she was both sensible and filial. It was probably only Madam Zou¡¯s letter that didn¡¯t contain something nice about her.

    All of House Jing¡¯an¡¯s letters and packages were quickly sent to the northern border.

    Within the study room of Prince Jin¡¯s estate, the usually cheerful Tang Yan had lost his smile. His expression was extremely grave. He nced towards the seemingly rxed Prince Jin, sitting at the head of the room with his eyes closed and resting.

    ¡°Your Highness, the city guards just sent some news over. The assassins we captured all died overnight.¡±

    Prince Jin¡¯s startlingly blue eyes instantly flickered open.

    ¡°Have you found any leads?¡±

    ¡°All of the assassins had a ck imprint on their left arm. After examining the bodies, we suspect that the imprints are part of a secret technique from the previous dynasty to control kamikaze warriors.¡±

    ¡°Send people to continue the investigation. Check on the background of Defeng Teahouse as well.¡±

    Tang Yan indicated that he had received his orders and left.

    Prince Jin¡¯s long, elegant fingers tapped gently on the table before him.

    His eyes seemed to have darkened, showing hidden depths.

    Everything that happened in Defeng Teahouse yed in Prince Jin¡¯s mind once again. He hadn¡¯t forgotten how Chu Lian had been able to recognise him at first nce back then.

    Although he was part of the imperial family, and even held the status of fourth prince, he wasn¡¯t as favoured as the other princes. His mother had passed away long ago, and his mother¡¯s maiden family was too weak. Thus, he had no support to speak of.

    He was already eighteen this year, and had left the pce two years earlier to establish his own estate. After moving out, other than for the major court meetings held twice every month, he didn¡¯t enter the pce often. In their earlier years, he and He Changdi had regrly visited the military camp located in the outskirts of the city, so he was familiar with most of the military officials at court. Otherwise, he couldn¡¯t possibly have arranged a position for He Changdi at Liangzhou.

    However, the Great Wu Dynasty favoured literary officials over the military. Thus, not many cared that he was making connections with the military officials.

    Due to his umon eye colour, the emperor had already told him in private that a prince with mixed blood would never be epted in thepetition for the throne. Thus, Prince Jin had never sought to fight for it, even in his younger days. This was also the main reason he had been given an official title of Prince and sent out of the pce to establish his own estate much earlier than the rest.

    Perhaps in two more years he would take a wife and be sent off to some other territory, but for now, he was allowed to spend his days in the capital mostly idle.

    Prince Jin¡¯s abnormal eyes were one of the taboos in the imperial family. With his reclusiveness, not many people knew of this strange trait of his apart from some trusted officials at court.

    Even if people found out about this fact, few of them would dare to discuss it openly. As much as Prince Jin wasn¡¯t favoured, he was still one of the imperial sons carrying the bloodline of the emperor.

    Despite this, Chu Lian had been able to identify him at first nce.

    Sixth Miss Chu had simply been a forgotten little miss of House Ying before her marriage. She had probably never attended any important feasts in her entire life. He Sang wouldn¡¯t have mentioned him to her either. And judging from He Sang¡¯s attitude towards her during the first few days, did he really seem like someone who would share intimate details of his life with Sixth Miss Chu? Not at all!

    Prince Jin hadn¡¯t been dressed like a prince that day in Defeng Teahouse. However, Chu Lian had been able to tell who he was the moment she had met his gaze aftering out of her privatepartment. She had clearly recognised him.

    This was getting interesting.

    He Sang, He Sang... You¡¯ve been pretty fortunate to have picked up such an interesting wife. Not only was she in contact with some strange man, she seemed to be hiding a lot of secrets.

    Prince Jin didn¡¯t dare to guess at what Sixth Miss Chu was thinking. However, it was a fact that Chu Lian had sent her servant to bring the city guards back, saving his life.

    Prince Jin knew how to repay his debts.

    He wouldn¡¯t refuse to acknowledge Chu Lian¡¯s efforts in saving him just because his good friend, He Changdi, happened to despise her.

 Chapter 143: Jealousy (2)

    Chu Lian spent two peaceful days in the estate. She was already starting to consider the revival n for Guilin Restaurant. In two more days, she would ask Matriarch He for permission to go out and take a look at the restaurant herself.

    It was almost mid-autumn soon. The estate was starting to prepare the necessary items for the colder months ahead. The temperature outside was getting lower, thanks to a few rounds of autumn rain, and it had be much cooler.

    After having breakfast at Songtao Court in the morning, Chu Lian gave her morning greetings to Matriarch He as usual. She bumped into Madam Zou while she was there.

    Matriarch He took a sip of tea. Perhaps due to theing of autumn, Matriarch He had added some dried chrysanthemum flowers into her sencha today, giving it a fresh burst of vour.

    While looking at the floating yellow petals in her tea, Matriarch He suddenly remembered something. She immediately said, ¡°It¡¯s almost autumn now. It¡¯s about time for all the courtyards to get additional clothes made. Dng¡¯s wife, have you finished the preparations?¡±

    Madam Zou had just picked up her cup of tea. She hadn¡¯t expected Matriarch He to mention this matter to her so abruptly, but she quickly replied, ¡°Please don¡¯t worry about it, Grandmother. The steward in charge of the needlework has already mentioned it to me. I¡¯ve already given them my orders; the new clothes for this season will be made in the most trendy styles of the capital.¡±

    After saying so, she turned to look at Chu Lian, who was sitting opposite her. Her eyes seemed to dim a little before she continued to say, ¡°Third Sister-in-Law has just married in this year, and she¡¯s so young and pretty. I took the initiative to add three more sets of clothing for Third Sister-in-Law. Does Grandmother have any other requests?¡±

    It seemed like Madam Zou¡¯s reply had satisfied Matriarch He. ¡°Mm, you¡¯ve done well, Dng¡¯s wife. Since Sang isn¡¯t in the capital, we should be taking care of Sang¡¯s wife as her senior family members. In my opinion, when it¡¯s time for each courtyard to get new essories, why don¡¯t you add two more sets for Sang¡¯s wife?¡±

    ¡°This granddaughter-inw understands.¡± Although Madam Zou replied positively, beneath the surface, she had taken offence. Giving Chu Lian a few more sets of clothing was already considered special treatment; now she even had to order more essories to be made for her.

    A single set of clothes wouldn¡¯t cost more than a hundred taels, regardless of the quality of the material used.

    However, one set of essories could cost at least a hundred or more! They would have to be high quality, too!

    Upon thinking that Matriarch He had suddenly added on five to six hundred taels of expenses with just one sentence, Madam Zou felt extremely put off. Matriarch He didn¡¯t know the cost of things since she wasn¡¯t managing the household ounts.

    The stores and fields that the estate had under their name didn¡¯t produce much annual ie for them.

    None of the masters present in the Jing¡¯an Estate knew how to manage businesses, so after deducting the necessary expenses for upkeep and maintaining connections with other houses, they didn¡¯t have much money left.

    Once Countess Jing¡¯an used up her own funds, her medicine expenses would be shifted to the general ounts. A thousand taels a month was not a small sum. By then, it would be hard to manage this estate.

    When Madam Zou thought back to when she had first married into the estate, she recalled that Matriarch He had never treated her this well. Jealousy and frustration took root in Madam Zou¡¯s heart.

    Chu Lian wanted to say something, but it wasn¡¯t her turn to speak. She could see that the look in Madam Zou¡¯s eyes was changing, and cried bitterly in her heart.

    Ah, my dear grandmother, aren¡¯t you creating trouble for me?!

    How could their third branch get any extra essories when the main branch wasn¡¯t getting any?

    Chu Lian was about to speak up and reject the offer when Matriarch He cut her off. ¡°Sang¡¯s wife is so young, it¡¯s just the right time for her to dress up. A few essories shouldn¡¯t cost too much; furthermore, our estate should be able to spare that much.¡±

    The matriarch¡¯s gazended on Chu Lian¡¯s abdomen.

    Chu Lian choked and couldn¡¯t bring herself to speak...

    What else could she say? The matriarch had already had the final word.

    Madam Zou, who had her eyes trained on Matriarch He, immediately caught the look she shot towards Chu Lian. rm bells rang in her head.

    She couldn¡¯t help the frustration she felt pressing like a heavy weight on top of her chest. Her face flushed red from the strength of her emotions.

    After Chu Lian and Madam Zou headed to Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s courtyard together for a visit, Matriarch He called her trusted Senior Servant Zhou over. She asked in a casual tone, ¡°Is there any news about Sang¡¯s wife?¡±

    Senior Servant Zhou¡¯s face crinkled up and she replied with difficulty, ¡°I heard that Third Young Madam had her monthlies yesterday.¡±

    Matriarch He¡¯s face was filled with disappointment. It looked like the great-grandson she had been looking forward to wasn¡¯ting this year.

    Senior Servant Zhou tried tofort her. ¡°Matriarch, although Third Young Madames from House Ying, Third Young Master only stayed a few days after they got married. How could she fall pregnant that easily?¡±

    Matriarch He sighed, looking crestfallen. ¡°You¡¯re right, I was too hasty.¡±

    When Chu Lian took her leave a step ahead of Madam Zou, Countess Jing¡¯an kept Madam Zou back, intending to say a few words in private.

    ¡°Mother, is anything the matter?¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s face was pale as she leaned against the headboard of her bed; every once in awhile, she would cough. As she held onto Madam Zou¡¯s hands, she slowly said, ¡°It¡¯s almost time for the seasons to change. Since it¡¯s almost autumn, there are many preparations to be done around the estate. It must have been tough on you.¡±

    ¡°Mother, what are you saying? It¡¯s all part of my duty.¡± Madam Zou feltforted by her mother-inw¡¯s words. The lingering frustration she felt from Qingxi Hall began to dissipate, and she managed to squeeze out a refreshed smile.

    ¡°Mother has also been in your position, and Mother knows how tiring it must be. While working to keep our estate running, don¡¯t forget to take care of your own body.¡±

    ¡°Mm! I understand, Mother.¡±

    After a short pause, Countess Jing¡¯an spoke up again. ¡°Sang¡¯s wife has just joined our family. As her eldest sister-inw, do take care of her a little more. Why don¡¯t you give her an extra set of essories this season?¡±

    The rage that had just been quelled instantly red up again.

    So her mother-inw had simply been saying thoseforting words to pad her request for Chu Lian! Hah! How nice! All the senior family members were thinking of the third branch. Wasn¡¯t it just because Sang had gone off to the northern border? But that was Sang¡¯s own choice to go. Shouldn¡¯t the me be ced on Chu Lian for not managing to keep him here?

    All of them wanted her to help make up for Sang¡¯s absence, but who was going to make up this slight to her?!

    She and Chu Lian were both legitimate wives of the estate!

 Chapter 144: Chillis (1)

    After Madam Zou had finished agreeing to her mother-inw¡¯s requests, she walked out of Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s courtyard with a tense, fearsome expression. The servants following behind were so afraid that they didn¡¯t even dare to breathe.

    Madam Zou suddenly paused in her steps and turned around to ask the senior servant behind her, ¡°How is it? Is there any news from Songtao Court?¡±

    This senior servant was well aware that her mistress wasn¡¯t in the best of moods today, and it would be far too easy to make it even worse. So when her mistress asked her a question she could answer without fear, the senior servant breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Eldest Young Madam, please don¡¯t worry. This old servant heard that Third Young Madam¡¯s schedule ran as usual.¡±

    After getting a definite answer, the knot in Madam Zou¡¯s heart finally loosened.

    How fortunate, how lucky that Chu Lian hadn¡¯t gotten pregnant. If Chu Lian were to get pregnant and give birth to the eldest grandson of the house, how would she be able to keep her position as the wife of Heir Jing¡¯an?

    ¡°That¡¯s right, did Heir Jing¡¯an say when he would being back today?¡±

    One of the maidservants behind her answered, ¡°Heir Jing¡¯an said he would be going to Honglu Temple this morning. It seems like he¡¯s meeting with some outsiders there. When he left, he mentioned that there¡¯d be no need to wait for him for the midday meal.¡±

    ¡°Tell the kitchen to prepare his share anyway. How can the food of those restaurants outside possiblypare to the food of our estate?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Eldest Young Madam. This servant will send the orders now.¡±

    Her senior servant walked forward to support Madam Zou¡¯s arm. With some emotion in her voice, she said, ¡°Eldest Young Madam is always so considerate. I believe Heir Jing¡¯an will be able to feel Eldest Young Madam¡¯s painstaking care when hees back.¡±

    Madam Zou¡¯s expression was still a little dark upon hearing these words from her trusted servant.

    Dng did treat her very well. If her body wasn¡¯t up for it, Dng would only rest in his study, and he would never summon one of the maidservants to quell his urges. She probably wouldn¡¯t be able to find more than a handful of men who could control themselves like this in the entire capital.

    One of House Jing¡¯an¡¯s rules prohibited the men from taking concubines unless they were still without an heir upon turning thirty. For Dng, that age was fast approaching, and she still had yet to give him any sons. Were the happy days of their peaceful, loving marriage about to end, just like that?

    The more she thought about it, the more her worry showed in her eyes. He Changqi was meant to inherit the title of Count Jing¡¯an. How could he not have any heirs of his own?!

    Even if He Changqi didn¡¯t mind it, the Count and Countess, as well as Matriarch He, couldn¡¯t possibly not mind.

    The grape wine that Chu Lian had been fermenting for the past few days was now ready to drink. Since Senior Servant Gui had taken the initiative to send off one of her gourds to He Changdi, Chu Lian was a little angry. She held onto her remaining wine gourd and kept eating long past her usual amount during the midday meal.

    As a result, she ate too much and her stomach was a little bloated now. It wouldn¡¯t be good for her body if she immediately went to nap, so she brought Wenqing and Jingyan along with her for a walk in the gardens to digest her meal.

    Although it was close to mid-autumn, it was still a little hot outside. Chu Lian favoured walking along the more cool corridors, and somehow made it all the way to the entrance that connected the inner and outer courts.

    There was a set of stone tables and chairs in the bamboo forest near the entrance, so Chu Lian stopped and sat for a short rest. She intended to head back for a nap afterwards.

    Right as Chu Lian sat down, she heard the sounds of an ongoing conversation near the outer court exit. Who knew her original n would be derailed just like that?

    ¡°Heir Jing¡¯an, what should we do with this whole carriage of chillis? Your heart is too soft; you bought up his entire stock just because that outsider imed he didn¡¯t have enough money to go back!¡±

    ¡°Hand it over to the estate¡¯s steward. If they¡¯re really useless, just throw them away. That kid was so pitiful, I just wanted to give him some money to help him get home.¡±

    It was the slightly coarse voice of Dng that spoke.

 Chapter 145: Chillis (2)

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t quite make out what they were saying, but she could recognise her eldest brother-inw¡¯s voice, so she was a little curious. Thus, she sent Wenqing off to ask about what was going on.

    In a short moment, He Changqi walked over with his manservant, Kangshou.

    Chu Lian quickly stood up to greet him.

    ¡°Third Sister-in-Law, how did youe to be here in the middle of the day?¡±

    Chu Lian smiled. ¡°Replying to Eldest Brother-in-Law, I ate too much in the afternoon, so I¡¯m taking a walk in the gardens to digest my meal. I walked all the way here without realising and happened to notice Eldest Brother-in-Law¡¯s voice outside, so I sent my maidservant over to check. Eldest Brother-in-Law, where did you go? Have you taken your midday meal?¡±

    Chu Lian looked sweet and pretty. Adding on to the fact that she had been quiet and obedient after marrying into the estate, as well as having earned a good reputation for herself at the Dingyuan Estate, He Changqi had a very positive impression of this newlywed sister-inw of his.

    He was so used to being the eldest sibling that he would dote on the younger members of the family even more. Although he looked a little fierce on the outside, he had a kind heart. Chu Lian was his little brother¡¯s wife; with He Changqi¡¯s character, of course he treated her like his own younger sister.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already had my lunch. I went over to Honglu Temple this morning to meet some outsider friends. Third Sister-in-Law, did you know? Those outsiders really do have red hair and green eyes!¡±

    He Changqi spoke in such an interesting manner that Chu Lian¡¯s eyes brightened with interest.

    ¡°Eldest Brother-in-Law, did you eat the food the outsiders made?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    ¡°Is their food very different from what we eat in our Great Wu Dynasty?¡±

    After hearing Chu Lian¡¯s questions, a constipated expression came over He Changqi¡¯s face. Combined with the tan of his skin and hisrge build,, he looked exactly like a pouting bear. It was very funny, but Chu Lian and her maidservants managed to hold back theirughter, thanks to their status.

    ¡°That meal... Ay... Let¡¯s not talk about it...¡±

    It tasted so bad that he wanted to tear up. After eating that strange meal, He Changqi had started to pity those outsiders. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have spent tens of taels to buy that carriage of useless ¡®chillis¡¯.

    He recalled what those outsiders had said, that those ¡®chillis¡¯ were a type of food. However, after he and Kangshou had a bite, their mouths were on fire! They had to gulp down two whole cups of tea to evene close to calming the burning of their tongues.

    Casting a look over the curious and sparkly-eyed sister-inw of his, He Changqi had a sudden idea.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I bought something from those outsiders today ¡ª they told me it was a type of food. Does Third Sister-in-Law want to take a look?¡±

    Chu Lian happened to be super curious about it, so how could she reject the offer?

    Thus, she followed He Changqi through the entrance to the outer court.

    He Changqi waved his hand at the two manservants moving some goods out of the carriage. He Changqi lead her over, and when they got close enough, he personally took up one of the cloth sacks and opened it up for her.

    Chu Lian peeked in, only to see that the bag was full of dried chillis. Their skins were red and shiny, and they had teeny tips. Cute!

    Chu Lian tried to stay calm, but she couldn¡¯t help but get excited at the sight. ¡°Eldest Brother-in-Law, what are these?¡±

    He Changqi seemed to feel that these goods weren¡¯t useful at all. He simply twisted the sack closed before tossing it back onto the carriage. ¡°The outsiders who sold this to me told me they¡¯re called chillis.¡±

    Chu Lian had to gulp down the saliva that had unconsciously begun to pool in her mouth . ¡°Umm, I wonder... if Eldest Brother-in-Law could give me some of these chillis? I want to use them as ingredients to cook with.¡±

    To cook with?

    When Chu Lian mentioned food, He Changqi remembered the snacks that she had made over the past few days. These chillis were useless to him anyway, so why not give them to Chu Lian?

    ¡°Third Sister-in-Law, if you want them, you can have them all. These things are useless to me.¡±

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected her eldest brother-inw to give her the whole lot just like that, so she was a little shocked. She wanted to reject the offer, but He Changqi¡¯s manservant spoke up, ¡°Third Young Madam, these chillis aren¡¯t worth much; they¡¯re just some goods that a young outsider brought into the capital. He wanted to sell it for a good price, but he didn¡¯t expect that no one even wanted to buy them. He was in a rush to go home, so he came to Heir Jing¡¯an looking for help. Heir Jing¡¯an took pity on him and gave him some taels so he could go home. This carriage of chillis just happened to be something extra. If you don¡¯t want these, the steward is most likely going to toss everything away!¡±

 Chapter 146: Chillis (3)

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. No one had managed to recognise what a good ingredient these were; no wonder the outsider had to sell it for so little.

    Since they had gotten these chillis so cheaply, Chu Lian didn¡¯t continue to decline the offer. To be honest, this carriage of chillis would only be able to reach their full potential in her hands.

    ¡°Then many thanks to Eldest Brother-in-Law. If I cook anything new with these chillis, I¡¯ll send a share over to Eldest Brother-in-Law!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a deal then. Kangshou, call up two female servants to move all these chillis to Songtao Court¡¯s kitchen.¡±

    After giving away the burdensome chillis, He Changqi felt refreshed. He then returned to his own courtyard with his manservant.

    Of course, Madam Zou had already received the news of what had happened.

    Madam Zou sat in the parlour with an unhappy expression, clearly angry.

    The moment He Changqi entered the parlour, he noticed that his wife didn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood. He walked over and took a seat by Madam Zou. ¡°Yuanjing, what happened? Did any of those silly servants make you angry today?¡±

    Madam Zou felt even more frustrated upon hearing him say that, but she couldn¡¯t bear to take out her temper on her dear husband. She could only smoothe out her expression and quietly ask, ¡°Dng, you brought a carriage full of something back from Honglu Temple today?¡±

    Although He Changqi looked like a rough man, contrary to his appearance, he was very sensitive to the hidden meanings behind words. Thus, he immediately realised that his wife¡¯s thoughts had gone down the wrong path.

    ¡°Oh you! What are you thinking? Those were just some goods that some outsider kid didn¡¯t manage to sell off. He brought them all the way here to our capital, but couldn¡¯t manage to sell off his stock for an entire half a year. I took pity on him and spent twenty taels to buy those, just to give him some money to help him get home.¡±

    When Madam Zou heard this, she rxed. ¡°What was it?¡±

    ¡°Just a carriage full of some ¡®chillis¡¯.¡±

    Women were still a little more narrow-minded. Even Madam Zou, who had grown up in House Dingyuan, wasn¡¯t an exception to the rule.

    She hit He Changqi lightly. ¡°Even so, you can¡¯t give all of it to Third Sister-in-Law!¡±

    ¡°If I don¡¯t give them to her, am I supposed to just throw them away? I don¡¯t know what to do with them, and you don¡¯t know what to use them for either. Even if we keep them, they¡¯ll just spoil. It¡¯s just twenty taels, why do you care?¡±

    Madam Zou couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She turned her back to He Changqi.

    ¡°Alright, alright. Yuanjing, I¡¯ll bring a headdress back for you tomorrow, how about that? It¡¯s thetest style from Jinshi Pavilion. I ordered it for you a few days ago. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s about time for it to be done.¡±

    Once Madam Zou heard that her husband had ordered a headdress for her from Jinshi Pavilion, that paltry sum of twenty taels waspletely tossed to the back of her head. She quickly started questioning He Changqi about what the essory was made of and the style it was made in.

    Jinshi Pavilion was the most famous essory store in the whole capital. Even princesses and influential officials¡¯ wives often ordered essories there.

    Having a headdress from Jinshi Pavilion was something worth showing off.

    He Changqi¡¯s words had finally assuaged the depression that Madam Zou had been in, thanks to Matriarch He and Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s talk about giving Chu Lian more essories.

    After eating a little with his wife, He Changqi went to his study with his servant, Kangshou.

    He Changqi sat before his desk and instructed, ¡°Kangshou, take a thousand taels over to Jinshi Pavilion and get them to make a headdress for me. Tell the shopkeeper that this order is from me, and I won¡¯t tolerate any mistakes.¡±

    Kangshou was about to turn and leave when He Changqi called him back, ¡°Don¡¯t take the money from the estate¡¯s ounts. Take it from my personal funds.¡±

    ¡°Yessir!¡± Kangshou quickly left to perform the errand.

    He Changqi was a little worried over his finances now. It wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t have any personal funds, but these days, he had been secretly helping out with his mother¡¯s medicine expenses. Even if he had a mountain of gold, it would run out eventually.

    He had already detected his wife¡¯s unhappiness, so he chose to use a headdress to soothe her ruffled feelings. How could he have possibly have ordered it in advance? He had only said so to make Madam Zou happy.

 Chapter 147: Poached Fish Slices (1)

    If his father wasn¡¯t stationed at Mingzhou, and if the heir didn¡¯t have to be around for the family, He Changqi would have actually preferred to join the army himself. However, since he was the eldest son, he had to let go of his dream and stay at home to take up the responsibility of his absent father.

    He Changqi¡¯s position was merely a ck fourth ranked official. He wasn¡¯t good at business, either, so although he was House Jing¡¯an¡¯s heir, he didn¡¯t have much funds at hand.

    As the heir to a count¡¯s estate, the only reason he had started worrying about money was because of his mother¡¯s condition.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know any of this, as she wasn¡¯t managing any part of the estate; it was all happening in the background. The original story hadn¡¯t made any mention of these details either.

    After getting a full carriage of chillis, Chu Lian was dying of happiness.

    Her mind was already full of chilli oil, spicy spring chicken, boiled mutton, sour and spicy soup, fried spicy shredded beef, mapo tofu, and all the other spicy dishes she could think of.

    When she got back to Songtao Court, she immediately rushed into the small kitchen without bothering with an afternoon nap.

    At the entrance of the kitchen, Senior Servant Zhong and Wen were staring wide-eyed and tongue-tied at the servants carrying in sacks of something into the kitchen.

    That carriage of chillis managed to fill up half of their small storehouse.

    Senior Servant Zhong went up to Chu Lian and asked while gaping in shock, ¡°Third Young Madam, what is all this? Why is there so much of it?¡±

    Chu Lian smiled so widely that her eyes had narrowed into slits. She purposely skirted around the topic and said, ¡°Momo, don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s something good. Eldest Brother-in-Law gave them to me.¡±

    ¡°From Heir Jing¡¯an?¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong followed behind Chu Lian and watched as she opened up a sack and got Jingyan to bring some big wooden basins over. Chu Lian then held up the sack that went up to her knee and poured out the dried chillis, making a satisfying sound as they fell en masse into the basin.

    Senior Servant Gui rushed over after getting the news. Upon seeing this basin of fiery red... somethings, she eximed in surprise, ¡°What are these? They actually look kind of pretty...¡±

    Chu Lian reached out and ran her hand over the stack of chillis. Looking at all the fresh, bright red chillis, a mischievous thought sprang up in her mind.

    She turned to look at her gathered servants with upturned eyes and said, ¡°This is a food from the outside. They¡¯re edible even without cooking. Would you like to try some?¡±

    The first ones to nod were the younger maidservants: Xiyan, Fuyan and the others. Their eyes were full of expectation. Third Young Madam was just too good at cooking; whatever she made was always delicious! They even thought they looked a little chubbier in the mirror, and that was only with two days¡¯ worth of observations.

    Before each meal, they would tell themselves to eat a little less this time, but they just couldn¡¯t control themselves once they saw the food. It was extremely frustrating.

    When Chu Lian saw that they were willing to try out the chillis, and she couldn¡¯t hold back the smile on her lips. She stepped aside and let them reach into the basin.

    The younger maidservants took one dried chilli each. After ncing at it once or twice, without asking about its vour, they shoved it straight into their mouths.

    In less than two seconds, their throats were on fire! They quickly spat out the chillis and rushed into the kitchen to find some water to drink.

    Senior Servants Gui and Zhong had watched the whole affair from the side. They were shocked silly when the maidservants took off. What... what just happened?!

    Senior Servant Gui wanted to follow after the maidservants to see if they were okay, but Chu Lian held her back while trying to suppress her smile. ¡°Momo, it¡¯s okay, they¡¯ll be fine. All they did was eat a chilli. Their tongues must be burning from the spiciness! They¡¯ll be just fine after drinking a few cups of cold water.¡±

    After finishing her exnation, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t help but burst out intoughter. Senior Servant Gui rxed after hearing this. However, she shot a weird look at her young madam, who had been so mischievous as to prank the younger girls.

    Senior Servant Zhong turned around and quickly instructed some other maidservants to fetch cold water for the girls in the kitchen to drink.

    When the younger maidservants returned, their eyes were red and full of tears. They shot pathetic looks at Chu Lian like they had been bullied.

 Chapter 148: Poached Fish Slices (3)

    Chu Lian purposely kept her expression straight, scolding them, ¡°Let¡¯s see if you¡¯ll dare to eat before thinking the next time! If you ever do something wrong, the punishment from now on will be to eat a whole bowl of these chillis!¡±

    The younger maidservants quickly bowed their heads, not daring to make a peep. Even the expressions of Senior Servants Gui and Zhong instantly turned serious.

    Actually, Chu Lian had phrased her words like this on purpose.

    Two days ago, for He Sang¡¯s package, Xiyan and the rest had taken her snacks and Senior Servant Gui had taken her wine without asking for her permission. Furthermore, ever since they had started cooking their own food to eat, since her recipes were so good, there would be some food missing from time to time. Chu Lian had only pretended not to notice, but recently, they had started overstepping their bounds too much.

    Although Xiyan and Senior Servant Gui had been acting on her behalf when giving away her snacks and wine for He Sang¡¯s package, they had to have rules in ce. She was the actual mistress of Songtao Court, after all, and that was only within this courtyard. Outside was still the hierarchy of therger Jing¡¯an Estate.

    It might be a small matter to take some food, but she couldn¡¯t let bad habits like this fester. Letting it pass would eventually lead to the servants bing bolder and greedier. Chu Lian took this chance to knock some sense back into the servants of her courtyard, clearly asserting her stance. She was going to punish anyone who overstepped their bounds again, and even Senior Servant Gui was not exempt from this rule.

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes swept over the gathered servants. After sensing that her warning had been taken seriously, she rxed and her expression returned to her warm and friendly self.

    ¡°Fuyan, go and see if there¡¯s any fish in the kitchen today. Wen, Mingyan, bring out two more basins to keep these chillis. Jingyan, bring me some sesame, garlic, scallions, and ginger.¡±

    After she finishing giving out orders, Chu Lian stood to one side and instructed the remaining handmaids on how to wash and chop the dried chillis.

    For the entire afternoon, Songtao Court was filled with a fragrant yet spicy aroma, making most of the people in the kitchen choke on the smell.

    Chu Lian got Xiyan to move out one of the wooden chairs to a spot under some wisteria nts. She held Guilin Restaurant¡¯s ount book in her hands and made markings from time to time, all the while keeping an eye on the servants bustling around the lively kitchen.

    When she held her hand out, Xiyan quickly passed a delicate dish over, filled with little pieces of bittergourd with toothpicks sticking out of them.

    Chu Lian picked up one of the pieces with a toothpick and felt refreshed. When Xiyan noticed her change in expression, she hurried forward to help massage Chu Lian¡¯s shoulders.

    Chu Lian would speak up every few moments ¡ª ¡°A little more to the left.¡±

    ¡ª And Xiyan would follow her orders.

    Chu Lian closed her eyes and rxed. This was the idealyabout¡¯s life for her!

    Not long after, Fuyan and the rest walked in covered with the smell of grease and smoke. Their faces were flushed red from the heat and exertion. When they reached Chu Lian¡¯s side, they were coughing non-stop.

    Chu Lian purposely coughed into her fist and asked, ¡°Is it all done?¡±

    ¡°Replying to Third Young Madam, the chilli oil has been prepared ording to your instructions. There are about two jars worth of oil in total. Once it has cooled down, we can pour it into the jars.¡± Jingyan replied.

    ¡°Since it¡¯s done, go back to your rooms to bathe and change. Wash off that smell on you.¡±

    The maidservants acted like they had just been given amnesty and fled.

    Satisfied, Chu Lian ate another piece of bittergourd. ¡°Xiyan, have you taken a good look? This is the fate of anyone who dares to steal my food for the benefit of others! Don¡¯t worry, I still have sacks and sacks of chilli left!¡±

    Xiyan was scared stiff by Chu Lian¡¯s words.

    She tried to stay strong, but she couldn¡¯t hold it back in the end. ¡°Third Young Madam, this servant will not dare to touch your belongings without your permission in the future! Third Young Madam, please have mercy on this servant this one time!¡±

    Chu Lian cast a nce at Xiyan, ¡°Xiyan, it¡¯s good that you understand. I hope you won¡¯t lose something bigger for the sake of a small gain.¡±

    Although it wasn¡¯t easy to make those snacks, they were just something to fulfill a craving. Chu Lian wanted to use this opportunity to remind Xiyan that she had to protect whatever was entrusted to her safekeeping. If she were to make the same mistake again, there were punishments awaiting her.

 Chapter 149: Poached Fish Slices (3)

    For the evening meal, Chu Lian personally cooked up some poached fish slices and a pot of sour and spicy soup. The rest of the dishes were what they normally had here in Songtao Court.

    The snow white poached fish slices were ced on top of a fresh pile of beansprouts, with bright red chillis scattered on top. When the slices were served, it was a feast for the eyes. The fish meat was soft and tender. Although there was ayer of chillis on it, it wasn¡¯t too spicy. Once that thin slice of fish entered her mouth, Chu Lian shut her eyes in pleasure as the corners of her lips lifted up.

    It was just a pity she was eating alone. A dish like this felt more magnificent when it was served up in a huge te. However, since it was just her, she told Xiyan to put the fish in a small bowl.

    For the remainder of it, Chu Lian ordered Xiyan to split it into two portions and send them to Qingxi Hall and the main branch¡¯s courtyard.

    Senior Servant Gui personally delivered the portion for Qingxi Hall and was received by Senior Servant Liu.

    ¡°This is a new dish that Third Young Madam made today. This old servant was sent under Third Young Madam¡¯s orders to bring some over for the matriarch to have a taste. However, Third Young Madam also has a reminder. These poached fish slices are a little spicy, so if the spiciness is too much for the matriarch, a small taste will do.¡±

    Senior Servant Liu smiled and acknowledged the message. She received the dish and passed it to the maidservant behind her to send to Matriarch He. Next, Senior Servant Liu personally escorted Senior Servant Gui out of the courtyard.

    Over at Dng¡¯s courtyard, they also received their share of the poached fish slices. It just so happened that He Changqi was present.

    He Changqi opened the lid of the container, only to see ayer of red chillis on top. He eximed in surprise, ¡°Is this made from those chillis I brought back this afternoon?¡±

    ¡°Replying to Heir Jing¡¯an, it is! Our Third Young Madam personally cooked this dish, and has a message. If these poached fish slices are too spicy, please don¡¯t eat too much of it.¡±

    ¡°Since it¡¯s made from those chillis, I have to taste this properly.¡±

    Before Xiyan had even left, He Changqi had already ordered the senior servants in his courtyard to start serving the evening meal.

    He clearly couldn¡¯t wait to taste what a dish made from these chillis would be like.

    The next day, when Chu Lian arrived at Qingxi Hall for her usual morning greetings, she bumped into her eldest brother-inw, He Changqi.

    The matriarch smiled and let Chu Lian sit by her side, joking, ¡°Your eldest brother specially waited for twenty minutes more for you toe over.¡±

    Chu Lian found it strange, so she asked, ¡°Eldest Brother-in-Law, is anything the matter?¡±

    He Changqi¡¯s broad, tan face seemed to flush a little as he pressed his lips together, too embarrassed to speak up. He could only turn to Matriarch He for help.

    ¡°Look at you, it¡¯s just a small matter and it¡¯s gotten you so flustered you can¡¯t even speak. Sang¡¯s wife married into our family, so you¡¯re her older brother now!¡± Matriarch He pretended to scold He Changqi before taking Chu Lian¡¯s hand into her own and smiling. ¡°Your eldest brother has some friendsing over as guests in two more days. After eating those poached fish slices you sent overst night, he thought that your cooking was delicious. Thus, he wanted to ask if you could help cook a meal to impress them.¡±

    When inviting guests over, the host always had to have either fine food or fine wine prepared. Since secret recipes were regarded so preciously in this time, each estate always had at most one or two signature dishes to bring out for their guests.

    Previously, House Jing¡¯an had Cook Zhou¡¯s confections as their specialty. Now that Cook Zhou had passed, He Dng felt that he didn¡¯t have any good food to impress his friends with, so he continued to dy the meal he owed them time after time.

    Now that he had this chance, he couldn¡¯t let it go.

    Chu Lian had thought that it would be something hard for her. If it was just adding one or two dishes for her eldest brother-inw¡¯s guests, then that would be extremely easy. Chu Lian immediately nodded and agreed to the request.

    Dng had finally gotten rid of the one thing weighing on his mind and was about to leave when Senior Servant Liu rushed in from outside.

    ¡°Matriarch, the outer court¡¯s steward just sent over some news! There¡¯s someone from the pce requesting an audience!¡±

 Chapter 150: Honoured Lady (1)

    Someone from the pce?

    Matriarch He and He Changqi exchanged confused gazes the moment they heard this news.

    The master of the estate was away at the border, and their heir only had a minor position at court. A family like theirs wouldn¡¯t usually get visitors from the pce. Even if Matriarch He were to send her token to the pce to request a visit, they would have to wait days for a reply, even though the matriarch was close friends with the Empress Dowager.

    Upon seeing their surprised faces, Senior Servant Liu quickly added a few more details. ¡°The steward said that it¡¯s one of the high-ranked eunuchs from the inner chambers. He¡¯s here to read out an imperial decree that he brought along with him.¡±

    What?

    An imperial decree?

    This was even more startling to them.

    None of the masters of House Jing¡¯an had ever done something worthy of getting an imperial decree.

    Although they were still extremely confused, Matriarch He sent the news out to all the masters of each courtyard, ordering them to gather in the parlour at the outer court to await the announcement of the imperial decree.

    In a short moment, the entire He Family was kneeling on the floor inside the parlour. Chu Lian knelt behind Madam Zou, ording to rank.

    She lifted her head a little so she could see what happened next. The high-ranked eunuch cast a swift nce over the gathered crowd before he straightened, adjusted his sleeves, and took up the yellow imperial decree from a tray held by a lower-ranked eunuch.

    His sharp voice began to read.

    ¡°By order from the heavens, as decreed by His Majesty: Madam Chu, the wife of House Jing¡¯an¡¯s third son, He Changdi, has been recognised for her praiseworthy and beautiful spirit, peaceful and pure demeanour, as well as her quick wits and vast intelligence. Our great emperor, by his benevolence, hereby bestows upon Madam Chu the fifth-ranked title of Honoured Lady, and grants the name Jinyi...¡±

    Even before the eunuch finished, that one line was enough to stun everyone present.

    Even the old Matriarch He, who had experienced more of the world, was staring with her eyes slightly widened. What was going on? How had Sang¡¯s wife acquired the title of Honoured Lady in the blink of an eye?

    Even Chu Lian herself was in disbelief.

    Suddenly, she remembered what Royal Princess Duanjia had said to her back in Prince Wei¡¯s estate. ¡°Just you wait, I¡¯ll get you a noble titleter on!¡±

    It seemed like this sudden bestowal of a noble title definitely had something to do with Royal Princess Duanjia.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. She thought that the princess had just been joking; who could have expected that she had really gotten her a ranked noble title? Although it was the lowest ranked Honoured Lady, it was bestowed upon her directly by the Emperor. That kind of honour meant that she had far more cloutpared to any feudal princess.

    Madam Zou, who was kneeling in front of Chu Lian, waspletely dumbfounded. She subconsciously nced over her shoulder, as if there was still a chance that her sister-inw was a different Chu Lian than the one being mentioned in the imperial decree.

    She only peeked a little before turning back around. However, what she saw didn¡¯t please her. Her hands were already clenched into two tight fists.

    An uncontroble amount of envy and jealousy flooded her mind.

    Third Sister-in-Law had gotten such a great honour simply by going to Prince Wei¡¯s estate. If she had known earlier about it, she would have surely followed along with Third Sister-in-Law when she went to Prince Wei¡¯s estate. Perhaps then she would be the one mentioned in this imperial decree, rather than Chu Lian.

    This Honoured Lady title personally bestowed by the Emperor would have been hers. After building a strong connection with Prince Wei¡¯s estate, even if she could no longer produce any more children, Dng wouldn¡¯t be allowed to take any concubines.

    Though Chu Lian was kneeling behind Madam Zou, she could sense that something wasn¡¯t quite right with her eldest sister-inw¡¯s emotional state. However, she was unable to observe her and figure out why. She could only guess at the thoughts running through Madam Zou¡¯s head right now.

    When the high-ranked eunuch had finished reading the imperial decree, he lifted the scroll with both hands and a wide smile. ¡°Honoured Lady Jinyi, please rise and receive the decree!¡±

    Xiyan quickly helped Chu Lian stand up, and Chu Lian walked up to the front of the crowd. She then received the yellow imperial decree from the high-ranked eunuch with both hands.

    ¡°We¡¯ve troubled you.¡±

 Chapter 151: Honoured Lady (2)

    The high-ranked eunuch carefully looked over this newly minted Honoured Lady Jinyi. A hint of befuddlement entered his eyes. He hadn¡¯t expected that this Honoured Lady Jinyi would be so young. She looked like she had just recentlye of age.

    Honoured Lady Jinyi wasn¡¯t even wearing a speck of powder on her natural, lovely face. When she smiled, it felt like a warm spring breeze. She rated highly just on her looks alone, and seemed particrly matching with He Sang the Fair.

    By the time Chu Lian had received her decree, Matriarch He had already risen to her feet, supported by a few servants. She shot a look behind her at Senior Servant Liu, and Senior Servant Liu brought out a deep blue purse from her sleeve, passing it over to the high-ranked eunuch who had announced the good news.

    The eunuch smiled and epted it.

    Matriarch He started to exchange pleasantries with the high-ranked eunuch. It turned out that he had served by the Empress Dowager¡¯s side before, and Matriarch He had seen him once or twice while visiting the Dowager.

    It was at this moment that a younger eunuch walked out from behind the high-ranked eunuch and slightly bowed towards Chu Lian.

    ¡°This servant greets Honoured Lady Jinyi.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s brows were slightly furrowed as she turned to look at this young eunuch. He was tall and slender with a high nose bridge. While his facial features were handsome on their own, when they were ced all together on his face, it just seemed a little... off.

    Though the eunuch¡¯s words were full of respect, Chu Lian could see the disdain he held in his eyes.

    ¡°May I ask what business you have with me?¡±

    The corner of the eunuch¡¯s lips curled up. However, his features weren¡¯t softened by the smile ¡ª it actually made his expression look even more sinister and wretched.

    ¡°Replying to Honoured Lady Jinyi, this servant works in Yonghe Hall, and this servant heard that the Imperial Princess identally left behind a golden qilin here with Honoured Lady Jinyi.¡±

    Yonghe Hall!

    That was the name of a certain hall in the pce and the residence of Imperial Concubine Wei, who just so happened to be Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s mother.

    A shadow passed over Chu Lian¡¯s eyes. She had expected Imperial Princess Leyao to send someone to demand her golden qilin back, but she hadn¡¯t really thought that the princess would resort to such a shameless tactic as this. She was trying to use the name of Yonghe Hall to pressure her.

    She wondered if Imperial Princess Leyao was overestimating or underestimating her with this move.

    As long as He Changdi was her husband, she wouldn¡¯t trouble herself ying nice with Imperial Princess Leyao. She had already offended the princess anyway, so it didn¡¯t matter if she acquiesced or not now; the end result would be the same. Since that was the case, why bother giving in to the bullying?

    If the dear princess wanted her precious treasure back, she would have to pay the price first.

    Chu Lian sneered in her mind.

    ¡°Oh? Did something like that happen? Howe I don¡¯t remember? Gonggong, your memory doesn¡¯t seem to be working too well. Is your age catching up to you?¡± Although Chu Lian¡¯s expression seemed friendly on the surface, her words didn¡¯t leave a single shred of mercy for the eunuch.

    Although the eunuch wasn¡¯t old and could even be deemed young, from the perspective of a youngdy like Chu Lian who had juste of age, he was definitely much, much older.

    The eunuch flushed red in anger. As someone working in Yonghe Hall, even in the pce, not many people dared to offend him, and the only exclusions to that were the servants of the Emperor and Empress Dowager.

    His face was a little contorted as he gritted his teeth and said, words dropping from his mouth like stones, ¡°Is Honoured Lady Jinyi sure that she doesn¡¯t remember? You should think carefully. It wouldn¡¯t be good if you offended the Imperial Concubine and Princess, right?¡±

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t afraid of him at all. Anyway, she didn¡¯t have any reason to enter the pce. Even if Imperial Concubine Wei and Imperial Princess Leyao wanted to take out their anger on her, they had toe out of the pce first!

 Chapter 152: Honoured Lady (3)

    ¡°Oh my. Perhaps gonggong needs a reminder? I¡¯ve only met Imperial Princess Leyao once at the Dingyuan Estate. If Imperial Princess Leyao lost something, then it should be in the Dingyuan Estate. Gonggong, this is the Jing¡¯an Estate. When you came in through the entrance, did you not see the signboard above the doors?¡±

    The eunuch was close to bursting due to anger. This was the first time that using the names of Imperial Concubine Wei and Imperial Princess Leyao hadn¡¯t worked.

    Chu Lian was warning him that Imperial Princess Leyao had lost the golden qilin to her. She had to ept her loss if she was willing to use it as a bet in the first ce. If she wanted her treasure back, she had to give up something in exchange.

    This eunuch had just tried to falsely charge her with the crime of taking Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s treasure. However, that bet had been carried out under the eyes of everyone at the Dingyuan Estate. If it were to get out that Imperial Princess Leyao had forcibly demanded her wager back, then it would reflect badly on the princess herself.

    The eunuch held back his rage and instead, tried a different approach. He humbled himself and took out a in purse from within his sleeve, holding it up with two hands as he tried to pass it over to Chu Lian. ¡°Honoured Lady, this is a gift that Imperial Concubine Wei entrusted to me, for the sake of exchanging for the princess¡¯s golden qilin.¡±

    Chu Lian sent a look to Xiyan, who quickly returned to Songtao Court to retrieve the golden qilin.

    Chu Lian had a spark of realisation; she didn¡¯t really need to be too courteous with this eunuch after all. She took the purse directly and opened it to peek inside before she smiled and said, ¡°Gonggong, rest assured. Although it¡¯s something that the princess lost to me, I¡¯ve kept it in good condition all this time. I¡¯ll pass it to you in front of everyone here today, so please look after it properly, gonggong.¡±

    Xiyan returned quickly with the qilin. The young eunuch took the brocade box from Xiyan¡¯s hands. He then opened it and looked over the contents carefully. After making sure that it was indeed Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s golden qilin, he bowed and said, ¡°This servant has troubled Honoured Lady Jinyi today. This servants hopes Honoured Lady Jinyi hasn¡¯t taken offence.¡±

    After the people from the pce had departed, Chu Lian was called to Qingxi Hall by Matriarch He.

    She only came out of Qingxi Hall about an hourter.

    On the way back to Songtao Court, Chu Lian thought about what Matriarch He had said to her as she felt a headache about toe on.

    So she still had to enter the pce to give her thanks for the title bestowed upon her...

    When she realised that she might even bump into Imperial Princess Leyao and Imperial Concubine Wei while at the pce, Chu Lian fell into a slight depression. Were the heavens against her somehow?!

    Xiyan followed after Chu Lian and was frowning as she thought of the events this morning. She couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Third Young Madam, why did you have to say those words after passing that golden qilin over to the eunuch just now?¡±

    Those words? Oh, right, her reminder to the eunuch to check the golden qilin.

    Chu Lian turned around and poked Xiyan on the forehead. ¡°Why, you haven¡¯t figured it out yet?¡±

    Xiyan replied with a dazed, ¡°Ah?¡±

    Chu Lian sighed. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you tell that the intimidation at the start was all a ploy by that eunuch? Otherwise, how could he have taken out that purse full of banknotester on?¡±

    Imperial Princess Leyao and Imperial Concubine Wei might not really like her, but as members of the imperial family, if they wanted to take something back, they wouldn¡¯t be so shameless as toe empty-handed.

    Imperial Concubine Wei was of such high status that it would be beneath her to deal with a mere honoureddy in such a shameless manner.

    The eunuch had been given those banknotes to buy back the golden qilin, but he had probably gotten greedy and thought to keep the money. This was likely why he had tried to use the name of Yonghe Hall to threaten Chu Lian into giving the qilin back. How could he have known that Chu Lian wasn¡¯t going to be taken in by his empty threat at all?

    As for why she specially asked the eunuch to check over the golden qilin before leaving, she was afraid that he would do something to it and cause a misunderstanding between her and Imperial Concubine Wei for revenge.

    Though he might not be able to do that anymore, she had definitely offended him today. That eunuch would probably add his own embellishments when he reported back to the imperial concubine and princess.

    There was a phrase that fit this situation perfectly well: it was better to offend a gentleman than a petty person.

 Chapter 153: Letters From Home (1)

    However, even if Chu Lian hadn¡¯t epted the money today, the eunuch probably would¡¯ve looked down on her anyway. Either action would¡¯ve led to the same result, so why not let him know that she wasn¡¯t someone he could bully? Even if he wanted to y his sneaky tricks on her next time, he would think twice before trying it again.

    Chu Lian¡¯s words made Xiyane to a sudden realisation.

    So it wasn¡¯t such a simple event after all. There were all these unseen twists in the middle of it.

    Chu Lian was a little down now. Anyone else would be pretty happy after getting a noble title, but she wasn¡¯t the slightest bit ted. Conversely, she was deep in worry.

    Who would want this honoureddy title? Royal Princess Duanjia had done her a disservice with this move.

    What Chu Lian didn¡¯t know was that this surprise gift hadn¡¯te about with just the efforts of Princess Wei and Royal Princess Duanjia. Prince Jin had also helped out in getting her this title!

    When she returned to Songtao Court and saw the parlour full of gifts from the bestowal of her honoureddy title, she waved her hands and had Senior Servants Gui and Zhong take care of it.

    Although she hadn¡¯t been given an apanying medal or token of immunity along with the noble title, the Emperor had personally picked out a name for her. That honour meant that she could stand on par with any feudal princess now.

    An honoureddy was given a set of appropriate dresses for court gatherings and their matching headdresses. Other than that, she had also been given a small estate in the capital, about 6 hectares of good farnd and a hundred pieces of gold. These were all part of the standard awards for an honoureddy. Other than the special name ¡®Jinyi¡¯, the Emperor hadn¡¯t added on anything more.

    Chu Lian pointed at the headdresses and said a little helplessly, ¡°ce those together with the phoenix tail hairpin that Royal Princess gave to me.¡±

    Now that she had a noble title, she could wear the simplest phoenix tail hairpin and no one would say anything bad about her.

    Senior Servant Gui held up a stack of court dresses. ¡°Third Young Madam, why don¡¯t you try these on? If they don¡¯t fit, we have to adjust them as early as possible.¡±

    Chu Lian had suffered a series of shocks and surprises this morning, so she wasn¡¯t in the mood to y dress up. Furthermore, these court dresses were made out of cloud-pattern brocade and were extremely thick. If she tried them on, she would probably start sweating.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try them tomorrow!¡±

    Senior Servant Gui could only put away the clothes.

    Chu Lian returned to her own little study and took out the purse that the eunuch had given her. She had only taken a short nce inside just now, and estimated that there was about 800 taels inside. After carefully counting, she realised that there were actually over 1200 taels¡¯ worth of banknotes inside.

    Imperial Concubine Wei really didn¡¯tck money at all!

    Exchanging that golden qilin had earned her quite the tidy sum.

    She handed the banknotes to Xiyan to keep safely together with the rest of her savings.

    Then, Chu Lian drank a bowl of sweet soup, had a quick bath, and settled down for a nap.

    Matriarch He gave Senior Servant Liu some instructions as she slowly savoured a bowl of birds¡¯ nest soup. ¡°Send someone over to Dng¡¯s wife and have her make two more outfits suitable for a fifth-ranked noble wife for Sang¡¯s wife. And also, have her make two more phoenix tail hairpins.¡±

    Senior Servant Liu voiced her acknowledgement of the orders, but didn¡¯t immediately send someone off to execute them. She stood by Matriarch He¡¯s side as if she had something to say but did not dare to speak up.

    Matriarch He cast a sideways nce at her. ¡°Why? Do you think this old woman isn¡¯t being fair to Dng¡¯s wife?¡±

    ¡°This old servant doesn¡¯t dare to question Madam!¡±

    Matriarch He set down the jade bowl in her hands and said, ¡°Xiangyun, I¡¯ve given her enough time. Dng can¡¯t go without a male heir. If Dng¡¯s wife can¡¯t even hold herself together over this small matter, then how will she face the day that Dng takes a concubine? Dng will be the one to shoulder the responsibility of taking care of this family in the future.¡±

    Upon hearing Matriarch He¡¯s words, Senior Servant Liu suppressed the concerns that she had wanted to bring up. She simply agreed with the matriarch and turned to do her bidding.

    ¡ª

    When Madam Zou received the news, she couldn¡¯t hold back her rage and immediately threw a teacup to the ground, scaring the trembling maidservant who had passed on the message.

    However, as angry as she was, she couldn¡¯t disobey Matriarch He¡¯s orders.

    She tried her best to suppress the fire in her heart. At night, when Dng tried to initiate intimacy with her, she didn¡¯t have the mood to acquiesce. Although both husband and wife slept on the same bed, they had different thoughts in mind this night.

 Chapter 154: Letters From Home (2)

    At the northern border in Liangzhou, the weather grew colder, as it had been since the start of August. While the nobles of the capital were still donning summer garments, the people of Liangzhou had to put on a thick coat in order to step outside.

    In the simple city of Liangzhou, there was an unassuming little courtyard with only three rooms and an open air kitchen that had a stack of freshly cut firewood next to it.

    There was still a small fire sitting on the range inside the kitchen. White smoke drifted up from it, and a strange smell wasing from the pot on the stove. A person stood up from behind the range with a face full of soot.

    The entrance to the courtyard was pushed open with a creak, and a young man with a full beard stepped in. He was dressed in ck with a sword at his waist.

    Although he seemed a little dusty and worn from his travels, there was a resolute light in his eyes.

    The soot-faced man quickly ran over to wee his master. ¡°Third Young Master, you¡¯re finally back! Quick,e in and rest. The meal will be done soon.¡±

    Laiyue took the package off He Changdi¡¯s back and the long sword at his waist before leading his master into the main room.

    This was He Changdi¡¯s tenth day in Liangzhou.

    This courtyard that he was staying in had been bought just ten days ago. He Changdi was now darker than when he first entered Liangzhou. The elegant line of his chin had beenpletely obscured by a dense beard, but his originally deep eyes had be even more spirited and determined.

    He had been running all over the city these few days and slimmed down quite a bit. In return, his body had be more toned with muscle. If He Sang the Fair could bepared to a handsome, tall bamboo tree previously, then the current He Sang was now a straight, tall pine standing by a cliff.

    When Laiyue saw the dust covering his master, his heart ached for his master¡¯s plight. He served up some tea and water before saying, ¡°Young Master, rest here in this room for now. This servant will get you some good food to eat.¡±

    He Sang was indeed a little tired by now. He washed his face and hands before resting on a bamboo chair with his eyes closed. It wasn¡¯t until a strange smell seeped into the room that He Changdi opened his narrow eyes and looked towards the table.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    Laiyue cast a guilty nce at the food on the table and said, ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s porridge.¡±

    The corner of He Sang¡¯s eyes twitched. Could that white and yellow slop with pieces of wheat bran mixed in be called porridge? It was bad enough that the appearance was so strange. However, there was also a weird smell apanying this ¡®porridge¡¯.

    Laiyue¡¯s face showed an expression full of suffering as he said, ¡°Young Master, you know that this servant doesn¡¯t know how to cook. However, there¡¯s also a limit to the food avable here in Liangzhou, so this is the best this servant could do...¡±

    What Laiyue didn¡¯t say was that they didn¡¯t have much money left on them and it wasn¡¯t enough to buy any good ingredients.

    Polished rice cost 1000 coins per kilogram back at the capital. Out here at the border, polished rice cost ten taels of silver per kilogram!

    It was bad enough that it was so expensive, butmoners weren¡¯t allowed to buy polished rice even if they had the money to do so. Liangzhou had been embroiled in tussles over the border for years and wasn¡¯t well maintained. How could the quality of life here be any good?

 Chapter 155: Letters From Home (3)

    Since there was a shortage of goods, when Laiyue had gone shopping earlier today, he had only been able to buy some millet, sorghum, and wheat bran.

    He couldn¡¯t even find any fresh vegetables, fruits, or even wild-caught meat.

    There was only a single ce selling alcohol in this bleak and deste ce. The alcohol was simply some watered down low quality wine.

    Laiyue had never needed to cook while serving his young master before. His culinary skills were close to non-existent. Making something edible was already amendable feat for him.

    There were monthly raids by the Tuhun soldiers here and the whole city was almost empty. They were indeed in dire straits.

    He Changdi red fiercely at Laiyue. This manservant was way too useless; how could he be even more pampered than his own master?

    Laiyue¡¯s legs turned to jelly under that intense stare. He had to summon up enough courage to say, ¡°Young Master, if you think that my cooking is bad, then why don¡¯t I buy back a maidservant for you tomorrow?¡±

    There were plenty of poor families forced to sell their sons and daughters to survive in this city. It was quite cheap to buy a girl to cook and clean for you.

    He Changdi took up the wooden chopsticks at the side and harrumphed. ¡°Buying a maidservant? Are you going to raise her then?¡±

    After hearing He Changdi¡¯s words, Laiyue immediately shut up. Although it was only a single maidservant, he couldn¡¯t afford to keep her. He had to eat and drink! The money they brought was barely enough for the two of them as it was.

    Toozy to continue talking to this useless manservant of his, He Changdi held his bowl in hand and took a sip with his brows furrowed.

    As expected, this ¡®porridge¡¯ tasted as bad as it smelled. Even the Chinese olive porridge made by the barbarians was better...

    For the sake of keeping his body fueled, He Changdi forced himself to drink down the entire bowl. It wasn¡¯t the time to be picky. After the morning market in Liangzhou closed, there were barely any street stalls or shops open. Even if they wanted to eat something better, they didn¡¯t have the money for it.

    Laiyue drank down a bowl of ¡®porridge¡¯ with a bitter expression. When he was done, he stared at the empty bowl before him with a nk expression and began talking to himself. ¡°If only Third Young Madam were here... Even the lousiest ingredients be heavenly dishes in her hands...¡±

    As he daydreamed about a heaping bowl of braised meat, Laiyue felt that he had be even more of a glutton after these few months...

    ¡°What did you say?¡± When He Changdi heard Laiyue¡¯s mumbling, he abruptly turned his fearsome gaze onto his dazed manservant.

    Laiyue shrunk back and quickly kept silent.

    He Sang red at him again before standing up and leaving for his room. He had been out the whole day and was really tired by now.

    Lying on the simple bed made of mud, He Changdi rested with one arm behind his head and one arm on his chest. Perhaps due to Laiyue¡¯s words, what shed through his mind wasn¡¯t the anger, regret, and hatred from his previous life, but the memory of Chu Lian having breakfast in the parlour of Songtao Court.

    Shrouded by the steam from the food, her face seemed tock the perverse ruthlessness and entricity he had seen before, and she seemed like a totally different person from that wicked woman of his previous life.

    Even though their faces were exactly the same, he felt that they werepletely different people.

    What in the world was going on?

    Could the allure of food be that great? So much so that it could change his mind towards someone so sinister and venomous?

    With an unsettled heart, he shut his eyes before opening again. His thoughts returned to those few meals he had had in Songtao Court.

    He realised that that wicked woman could use even the most simplest of ingredients to cook up a tasty meal.

    Those wontons and scallion pancakes he had the other day were just made of flour, vegetables, and some meat.

    If Chu Lian were here by his side now, what culinary delights could she make with the millet, sorghum, and wheat bran?

    No matter what, it would surely be delicious.

    When he realised where his thoughts had led him, He Changdi¡¯s slender body abruptly froze up. His expression turned ugly and gloomy.

    He rubbed his temples in frustration. It must have been his fatigue, coupled with Laiyue¡¯s words. Otherwise, how could he be missing that wicked woman who had condemned him to a life not worth living!

    Sometimes, it wasn¡¯t good to keep talking about others. While He Sang was regretting his thoughts and trying to force himself to sleep, a series of furious knocks at the door interrupted him.

    ¡°Young Master, Young Master! The estate sent some letters for you!¡± Laiyue excitedly eximed.

 Chapter 156: Reading Letters From Home (1)

    He Changdi immediately stood up and opened the door. The moment he entered the courtyard, he spotted a middle-aged man dressed as a merchant standing in the middle of the open space, carrying a huge bag on his back.

    After He Changdi took the package from him, the man gave a salute and quickly left.

    When Laiyue saw that his master seemed to be so distracted by his own thoughts that he had yet to open the bag, he helpfully reminded, ¡°Young Master, quick, open it and see what¡¯s inside!¡±

    He Changdi walked back into the house and ced the bag on top of the table. He gently loosened the strings tying the sack closed and opened it, peeking at the contents inside.

    The bag had been stuffed full to the brim, and the topmostyer was made up of autumn clothes. These clothes were not the unlined long gowns normally worn by the nobles in the capital; instead, they were short and made of the mostmon fabric. For outerwear, there was only a single cloak made of two separate pieces. For innerwear, there were a few more sets of inner clothes, as well as socks. These were also made of much higher quality material, since no one would be able to notice them when they were worn on the inside.

    Other than that, there was also a pair of deerskin boots. They were perfect for this weather, since deerskin was hardy and waterproof.

    A light shed in He Sang¡¯s eyes as he took in the sight of them all.

    Laiyue was happy for his master as he looked over all the clothes. He heaped on generous praise as he said, ¡°Third Young Madam is so considerate. The things she sent are all what Young Master needs most right now.¡±

    Chu Lian had done some backpacking before back in the modern world, so she knew what was most needed when out in the wild. Although she had gotten Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan to pack things for her, she had looked over the contents and taken out all the useless things like unlined long gowns, fans, and jade amulets. She had changed them out for socks, inner clothes, short gowns, gloves, and so on.

    They had left in a hurry and in secret, so they didn¡¯t bring much with them. The pair of shoes on He Changdi¡¯s feet had already been worn out in a few ces. It was about time for him to switch to a new pair.

    The letters were squashed by the clothes inside, so He Changdi carefully pulled out the fragile papers. When Laiyue noticed the especially huge envelope within, he eximed loudly, ¡°Third Young Madam wrote such a thick letter!¡± After saying so, he chuckled with a silly grin directed at his master.

    He Sang cast a sideways nce at Laiyue and didn¡¯t open Chu Lian¡¯s letter in front of him. Instead, he carefully ced it off to one side.

    There was a smaller package in a corner of the bag.

    He Changdi pulled the smaller package out and opened it up. Inside was a gourd, some small jars and a few exquisite cloth bags.

    While finding it strange, he picked up the gourd and gently uncorked it. Instantly, a fragrant, refreshing aroma came drifting out of the gourd.

    Laiyue¡¯s nose was sharper, as he normally drank quite a lot while out with his young master. He hadn¡¯t had a drop of wine in months, so the moment he detected the scent of alcohol in the air, his eyes sparkled.

    ¡°Young Master, this... this is wine.¡±

    He Sang¡¯s eyes glimmered for a moment before he gave a light snort and quickly corked the gourd again. He put it off to the one side that Laiyue couldn¡¯t reach, like he was protecting a little chick from a big bad wolf...

    Following that, He Sang purposely put on a calm facade while opening one of the exquisitely made cloth bags. When the blue bag was opened, the smell of something delicious mixed together with spices permeated the air.

    He Sang cast a measuring gaze over the rest of the bags. He seemed lost in a daze for a moment.

    Laiyue was dying of curiosity. He moved closer to his young master and asked in a light tone, filled with expectation, ¡°Young Master, what¡¯s in this cloth bag? Is it food?¡±

    He Changdi was brought back to the real world by Laiyue¡¯s words. The corners of his mouth twitched. He looked over the bags and picked the smallest one out. With an unwilling expression, he tossed it over to Laiyue before he swiped the rest along with the package and retreated into his own room.

    Laiyue was someone who was extremely easy to satisfy. When he received the cloth bag, he couldn¡¯t wait and immediately opened it up. He walked over to the door and used the dim light of the evening to look inside before taking a long sniff at it. After confirming that the bag contained jerky, he was delighted!

    He quickly took out a piece as big as half his palm and bit into it.

    His mouth chewed at top speed; it was so good that tears almost leaked out from his eyes.

 Chapter 157: Reading Letters From Home (2)

    After using a bag of pork jerky to keep that gluttonous Laiyue away, He Changdi was finally able to enjoy some peace and quiet in his room.

    He gently ced the bag of snacks off to the side before sitting down by his desk and taking out his letters.

    He read the letters from Matriarch He and his eldest brother He Changqi first, then those from Countess Jing¡¯an and his best friend Prince Jin.

    When he noticed that every family member had sung praises of Chu Lian, for the first time, He Changdi wasn¡¯t filled with contempt. He gripped the letters in hand, lowered his gaze, and pursed his lips, seemingly lost in thought.

    After being distracted for a good while, He Changdi put the letters from his family aside and opened the letter from Prince Jin.

    However, the moment he read Prince Jin¡¯s two-page letter, the hard-won sliver of guilt and bafflement from before vanished into thin air, without leaving a single speck behind!

    Chu Lian! That wicked woman! How dare she!

    So it was true ¡ª it was easier to move mountains and rivers than change a person¡¯s nature!

    He had truly been too naive, thinking that she had actually turned over a new leaf just because she was a bit different from the previous lifetime. Who would have thought that... Hmph! So a leopard really couldn¡¯t change its spots!

    Xiao Bojian, Chu Lian... One day... He¡¯ll make that cheating couple pay!

    By the time He Sang recovered from his episode of overwhelming hatred, Prince Jin¡¯s letter was all crumpled up into a ball. When he released his grip on it, the bits of torn paper slipped between his fingertips and scattered, just like snow.

    He Sang leaned back against the chair and closed his grudge-filled eyes, only to open them a few momentster. His eyes had darkened, and his aura also changed, bing colder and stern.

    He Sang¡¯s gaze lowered, locking onto the huge leather envelope on the table. The sight of it now conjured a sense of ridicule instead of warmth.

    An icy, mocking snort slipped out from between his lips.

    He Sang reached out and tore open the massive envelope with his long, nimble fingers.

    Although his face was still cold and stern, his slightly trembling fingers exposed his true feelings.

    His heart was filled with hatred, but his fingers still moved to open the envelope, almost against his own will. He pulled out a thick stack of papers from inside.

    In his past life, that wicked woman had never written a single letter to him, so he rarely got to see her handwriting.

    With that, it could be assumed that he, her legal husband, didn¡¯t even have a ce in her wicked heart.

    When he opened the letter and saw the simple drawings on the very first page, He Sang was stunned.

    His almond-shaped eyes flickered with uncertainty, and he quickly flipped through the next few pages.

    Damn it! Just like the first page, they were all drawings! Every single one of them! There wasn¡¯t a single written word!

    Despite the simplicity of the artwork, a vivid, lively scene was presented with just a few brush strokes. But no matter how innocent the picture, He Sang still wasn¡¯t able to contain the rage swirling inside his chest.

    He mmed his fist against the table, causing the paperweight on the table to flip over twice.

    He Sang felt that all the letters he sent to provoke Chu Lian had beenpletely ignored. His anger was all pent up in his chest, and it was obviously a difficult thing to bear.

    He got up and paced around the room to try and suppress the raging anger and frustration he felt inside.

    A long whileter, He Sang gradually calmed down.

    He once again returned to his desk. When his gazended on the stack of drawings, He Sang sneered.

    It had been months since theyst met, and that wicked woman was getting better and better at acting. A mere stack of drawings had given the whole family a favourable impression of her. They probably thought that the envelope contained thousands upon thousands of words of longing as deep as an endless sea, as if by writing them she wanted to send the entirety of herself over to him. If he hadn¡¯t opened it himself, perhaps he would have been fooled by that wicked woman as well.

 Chapter 158: Reading Letters From Home (3)

    After taking a few deep breaths, He Sang once again suppressed the endless waves of anger rising from within him.

    Once he was calm enough, he picked up the drawings once again and took a proper look at them.

    But now that he was giving them a good look, He Sang actually becamepletely immersed in them.

    The drawings in Chu Lian¡¯s letter were simr to the four box manga style of the modern age. Although she didn¡¯t include a single word in there, it managed to do a fine job at narrating and expressing exactly what she wanted to. Theck of words didn¡¯t have any negative impact on conveying the content.

    In the drawing, the cutely drawn female lead was Chu Lian herself. On every page, the little girl had different expressions and actions; sometimes she was angry, sometimes haughty, and sometimes sincere.

    The expressions and emotions given to the little girl were all lively and fresh. Despite the art¡¯s simplicity, it was attractive, and appealed to people in a way that drew others closer to the artist.

    Actually, there was a reason why Chu Lian had made theseics instead of just writing a reply. She was afraid that she would be exposed by her handwriting, so she had no choice but to draw instead.

    The contents of the drawings were also quite random. Perhaps due to her professional habits from her previous life, she subconsciously drew each of them with a theme. Theics were all centered around interesting things that happened in her daily life.

    A single picture could convey more than a thousand words, and was far more intuitive to understand. Moreover, a manga style like this hadn¡¯t appeared in the Great Wu Dynasty before.

    Looking at these drawings, He Changdi felt like he could envision Chu Lian¡¯s everyday life. The lively, happy-go-lucky girl in these drawings deviated greatly from the personality of the insidious, deceitful, wicked woman that he knew her as.

    A short whileter, he abruptly opened his eyes. He hated that he had unwittingly had a change of heart once again. He Sang took a deep breath to suppress the strange feeling before his deep gazended on the final drawing.

    In that drawing, a little girl who had her hair tied up in a bun sat on a chair, facing a kind, middle-ageddy. The two were happily chatting away. The middle-ageddy had a benevolent smile, but there was a red patch on the left cheek of her slightly plump, round face. There was also a servant pouring some tea for her.

    The little girl with the bun had a thought bubble floating on top of her head. There wasn¡¯t a word in it, but there was a remarkably detailed portrait of a nobledy with white hair.

    The nobledy had a kind face, but it wasn¡¯t very recognisable. The most notable aspect of her was the phoenix headdress on top of her head, and this phoenix had nine phoenix tails on it.

    The nobledy with white hair was smiling brightly with an aura of a saint, and her hand was drawn giving a thumbs up.

    It went without saying that the little girl with the bun was Chu Lian. That woman felt no shame in drawing herself so cutely. As for the background of the drawing, He Changdi only needed a second to recognise it: it was the Dingyuan Estate.

    A middle-aged woman with a red patch on her face... Anyone in the capital would know that the northern border troop¡¯s Captain Guo had an extremely ugly wife.

    However, Captain Guo had nothing but deep respect for his wife. Not only did he treat her as his equal, but he never even took a single concubine. They had two sons and three daughters together, and were well-known in the capital as a couple.

    The identity of the nobledy in the bubble was even more obvious: it was the current Empress Dowager.

    There was a rule in the Great Wu Dynasty that only the Empress Dowager was qualified to wear ornaments with nine phoenix tails. Even the Empress was limited to just seven phoenix tails.

    Chu Lian was happily chatting with Captain Guo¡¯s wife, while the Empress Dowager was happily showing her approval.

    Hmm? What was that wicked woman trying to tell him?

    The northern border troops were under themand of the Duke of Lu, Great General Qian. Captain Guo was one of his subordinate officers. Although he didn¡¯t have the most important position amongst the general¡¯s men, he was still close to General Qian.

    The officers serving in the northern border troops all had actual authority. Captain Guo was brave and fierce, good in battle, and empathetic to the soldiers under hismand. He was a great leader who protected his men, and didn¡¯t steal credit for deeds that weren¡¯t his. Although he had many good points to him, he was also hot-headed and impulsive. It was due to this fatal weakness that General Qian hadn¡¯t given him a more important post.

    TL Note: Some important changes in names!! While tranting this chapter, I realised that I made a mistake in tranting the names of the Dukes in this story.

    Chu Lian¡¯s maiden family is the House of Duke Yingguo, but it should actually be Duke Ying. I didn¡¯t realise that ¡®guo¡¯ is part of the title ¡®Duke¡¯ in Chinese, as the other noble houses all had two Chinese characters in their names (ie. Count Jing¡¯an, Marquis Dingyuan etc.). >w<

    All the chapters before this have already been changed!

    Duke Yingguo -> Duke Ying

    Duke Zhengguo -> Duke Zheng

 Chapter 159: Reading Letters From Home (4)

    He Changdi wouldn¡¯t have known about all these military secrets had it not been for the fact that he¡¯d lived it once already.

    If he threw his lot in with a leader like that and boosted Captain Guo¡¯s bravery with his own resourcefulness, General Qian would definitely notice the improvement in Captain Guo. Using that as a chance, he could then make himself known to the Duke of Lu and earn the opportunity to get into his graces!

    This was He Changdi¡¯s current n for himself. During the past few days, he had kept himself busying and going in order to build connections with the northern border troops, all in the hopes of getting posted under Captain Guo.

    He hadn¡¯t mentioned a single word of these secrets to anyone, not even Prince Jin. However, that wicked woman had somehow had the same thoughts as him!

    He Sang had already confirmed that Chu Lian hadn¡¯t experienced the same past life that he had, so he was certain that Chu Lian didn¡¯t know how events would progress from now on. So why had she sent him a hint like that in such an obscure way?

    Wasn¡¯t her ¡®true love¡¯ Xiao Wujing?

    Meanwhile, the sleeping Chu Lian back in Songtao Court didn¡¯t know that her small gesture of kindness had caused the paranoid He Changdi to nearly pull his hair out over the various possibilities.

    Since she couldn¡¯t possibly be irvoyant, and she hadn¡¯t been reincarnated, then He Changdi could only say that that wicked woman Chu Lian was sharper than he had initially thought.

    He hadn¡¯t expected that there was anotheryer of depth to her intelligence that she had kept secret, even throughout her previous life. All this mystery had erased any shred of gratitude he had ever felt towards her. On the contrary his caution against her had increased by another level.

    If Chu Lian found out what chaos her drawings had caused, she would have definitely sprawled out on her bed and beat the mattress a few times with her fists.

    Please, my dear husband, how does your brain work? If a normal wife were to do such a helpful thing, shouldn¡¯t you be heaping praises on her and showering her with your love? How about apliment or two about being smart and virtuous? Why are you doing the opposite?!

    He Changdi folded up the letter and put it back into the huge leather envelope. Following that, he took it and walked up to the fire burning in the brazier.

    With a wave of his hand, the envelopended inside the brazier and waspletely surrounded by mes. When he saw that the letter had caught fire, He Sang¡¯s eyes suddenly dimmed; he reached out at lightning-fast speed and pulled the envelope out of the fire.

    There was a flurry of activity as he put out the burning envelope. When He Sang saw the singed corner, the only evidence to his rash action, there was a strange feeling in his heart.

    The set of drawings tucked inside appeared in his mind.

    Had that wicked woman really just been trying to give him a hint? Perhaps the truth wasn¡¯t as dark as he thought?

    Thoughts as messy as the scattered grass of the ins ran through his head. Eventually, he tossed the singed envelope into a wooden box. Out of sight, out of mind.

    Chu Lian had practised two pages of calligraphy in her little study. After destroying the evidence, she had gone to try on her new court dresses. Senior Servant Gui recorded down any parts that hadn¡¯t fit in order to alter the dresses herselfter.

    During her daily greetings, Chu Lian made a request to Matriarch He to pay a visit to Guilin Restaurant. She wanted to see for herself what state it was in.

    After finishing all the small tasks, Chu Lian changed into a in blue dress and brought Wen and Wenqing along with her. She boarded the carriage that the estate had already prepared for her and left for Guilin Restaurant, apanied only by a few manservants and guards.

    Guilin Restaurant was located in the old west market, which was rather far away from the Jing¡¯an Estate. The alleys were small and twisty, so it took an hour before they arrived.

 Chapter 160: Incognito Visit to Guilin Restaurant (1)

    Chu Lian hade down to make an incognito visit today, so she dressed very inly. Even the carriage she tookcked the House Jing¡¯an insignia.

    Together with the rest of the party, most people would just assume that she was the wife of a low ranking official.

    Guilin Restaurant was situated deep in the old west market. Ever since the bounds of the west market had been redrawn by the Ministry of Transport, this whole area had be a part of Anle Lane.

    Anle Lane was a housing district for civilian families. Back then, a majority of the shops here had been bought, and thend they stood on had been turned into small homes meant formoners. Never mind the only restaurant, Guilin Restaurant was probably the only business left in the area.

    Although the ordinary folks on Anle Lane weren¡¯t poor, the number of families who could afford to eat at a restaurant wasn¡¯t enough. During this period, the cost of having a meal at a restaurant was equivalent to several sumptuous home-cooked meals of fish and meat.

    Guilin Restaurant didn¡¯t have arge customer base to begin with. To make matters worse, its food was so ordinary that it even fell short of the street food outside. Business was obviously very poor.

    If not for the special meaning this restaurant held to Matriarch He, it would have most likely closed down over ten years ago. How could a business be allowed to continue operating at a loss?

    The carriage steadily rode along the alleyways on Anle Lane. It was close to noon, so there was smokeing out from the chimneys of the houses on the street. There were kids ying in the open and adults carrying bamboo poles loaded with items as they walked by. They had faces full of sweat, but they carried bright and happy smiles.

    Chu Lian slightly lifted the carriage¡¯s curtain and took in the scene of howmoners of the Great Wu Dynasty lived with her eyes wide open. It was so fresh and vivid that she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off it; she waspletely immersed in this reality.

    When Wenqing noticed that Chu Lian was entranced with the view outside, she thought Chu Lian was running out of patience, so she said, ¡°Third Young Madam, we¡¯re just two alleys away from Guilin Restaurant.¡±

    Wenqing and Wen used to live in a manor together with Senior Servant Zhong. As Wenqing¡¯s home was close to Anle Lane, she was the most familiar with this area. She had also passed by Guilin Restaurant several times, but she had never gone in before.

    Chu Lian let down the blinds and took a sip of the honey water in the teacup before her. She tilted her head to one side and said, ¡°When we reach Guilin Restaurantter, all of you are not to reveal my identity. Understand?¡±

    Although Wenqing and Wen were curious about the reason behind Third Young Madam¡¯s order, they were smart enough not to question it. They nodded and agreed in unison.

    As expected, the gently shaking carriage reached the entrance to Guilin Restaurant in just a moment.

    Guilin Restaurant was situated at a bend in the corner of the street. In the original west market, it was a great position, but after it became a residential area, the surrounding businesses closed one after another and Guilin Restaurant was the sole business that remained.

    There was a certain quaint charm to Anle Lane, but it was a pity that there was very little human traffic. The people who did pass by were mostlymoners who ate at home.

    Chu Lian got off the carriage with Wenqing supporting her.

    She raised her head slightly to take in the sight of Guilin Restaurant.

    Perhaps due to the uniform buildings of the west market in the past, Guilin Restaurant¡¯s entrance wasn¡¯t that big, and it only had a single floor.

    The sandalwood signboard had the words ¡®Guilin Restaurant¡¯ drawn on it with ck ink, and the calligraphy looked bold and charismatic. It was inviting and gave off the feeling of being free with the wind.

    However, the signboard was also aged and mottled, with peeling paint all over, making the restaurant look decrepit.

    This was obviously due to the restaurant being poorly maintained.

    Chu Lian¡¯s gaze shifted from the signboard to the restaurant itself.

    It was close to noon, but the entrance of Guilin Restaurant was barren, devoid of any life except for a few small sparrows. No one was behind the counter either, but there was a short wooden stool next to it. A young man dressed in coarse fabric who looked about fifteen or sixteen was sitting on the stool. He was snoring in his sleep and drooling all over the counter.

    Seeing Guilin Restaurant in such azy state, Chu Lian furrowed her brows together. Wenqing was so angry that her expression turned grave.

    Chu Lian stepped forward and entered Guilin Restaurant. The sleeping young man didn¡¯t wake up, not even when she walked right up to him.

    Wenqing moved up and pushed him. The young man tilted over and finally woke up from his dreams with an abrupt start.

    ¡°Who was it! Who pushed me!¡±

 Chapter 161: Incognito Visit to Guilin Restaurant (2)

    Upon being woken from his nice nap, the young man raised his head and sent an angry re to the people around him.

    When he noticed that it was an extremely young-looking madam with a couple of equally young maidservants, his expression turned timid for a moment. However, once he took a closer look and realised that they weren¡¯t dressed very richly, he regained his bravado.

    The waiter stood up and tossed a sideways look at Wenqing before brushing off the non-existent dust on his clothes.

    ¡°What are you doing! Didn¡¯t you see that I was sleeping!¡±

    Wenqing frowned and stuck her hands on her hips before ranting back, ¡°What was I doing?! Aren¡¯t you running a restaurant here?! We¡¯re here to eat, what else could we be doing here?¡±

    The young man grimaced, baring his teeth. He sent a sideways nce towards Chu Lian and her maidservants as he said, ¡°Sorry, our restaurant isn¡¯t open today. The manager isn¡¯t around. Find somewhere else to eat at!¡±

    Ah? Not open?

    Wenqing sniffed the air and could clearly smell something cooking in the kitchen at the back of the restaurant. Their doors were wide open too; how could the restaurant be closed?

    Chu Lian stood to one side and remained silent. Her bright eyes looked over the waiter, and then inspected the main hall behind him.

    Wenqing secretly observed Chu Lian¡¯s expression. Seeing as her mistress had no other orders, she continued with her own line of questioning.

    ¡°What kind of business are you running here? Your doors are wide open, but you¡¯re chasing customers away? If you don¡¯t want to run this business, then why leave the entrance open? Just close your doors and restaurant altogether!¡±

    The waiter was infuriated by Wenqing¡¯s words. He was the nephew of the manager here. Because of that connection, those working in Guilin Restaurant all gave way to him. He had never suffered the brunt of a young girl¡¯s temper before, not like he was now. Thus, his temper red up.

    ¡°Who are you to be criticising the way we do business? Go and find out who owns this business, then you¡¯ll know better than to stick your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong! Scram!¡±

    The young waiter was not only treating his customers with disrespect, but even throwing an even bigger tantrum back at them. Chu Lian wandered into the main hall without bothering to deal with him, one corner of her lips curled up in amusement.

    The noise in the main hall had drawn the attention of the people further inside the restaurant.

    A momentter, a middle-aged voice resounded from the back, ¡°It¡¯s almost time to eat. Ah Cai, who are you talking to outside?¡±

    Chu Lian heard the voice first before she saw someone push aside the curtains leading to the back, revealing a middle-aged woman wearing a flowery indigo dress.

    The middle-aged woman had a long face and was slightly plump. Her eyes were so small that, when she smiled, they formed a single line.

    When she reached the main hall and spotted Chu Lian and her servants standing there, the middle-aged woman showed an expression of surprise. She stepped forward and put on a friendly smile. ¡°May I ask what business this madam has with us?¡±

    Wenqing almostughed despite her anger. This was a restaurant; why would anyone ask their customers what they were here for? Was this woman trying to make a joke?

    Chu Lian was toozy to speak. She shot a look at Wenqing. Understanding her mistress¡¯ order, Wenqing turned around and walked two steps towards the entrance, pointing her slender finger at the signboard above their heads.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t ¡®Guilin Restaurant¡¯ written up there? You have the word ¡®restaurant¡¯ written so boldly on the banners next to the door, too. Our madam is here to have a meal. Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s not possible?¡±

    The middle-aged woman felt embarrassed after getting talked to by Wenqing. She wanted to reject these guests, since they hadn¡¯t bought much from the west market today. They had only prepared enough for the restaurant staff to eat. However, the few sturdy-looking manservants caught her attention. When she saw them respectfully bow to Chu Lian as they made their reports, her words caught in her throat.

    She pulled out another smile and politely said, ¡°Our restaurant has been remiss in weing our guests. Ah Cai just started working here not long ago and he¡¯s not familiar with the rules. Please forgive him, madam. Please,e in!¡±

 Chapter 162: Incognito Visit to Guilin Restaurant (3)

    Chu Lian followed the woman to a table in the main hall. When she looked down at the table, she realised that there was ayer of dust on it. Wenqing quickly used a handkerchief to wipe away the dust before supporting Chu Lian as she sat down.

    Ah Cai had followed behind the middle-aged woman, and was currently sporting an extremely unwilling expression on that ordinary face of his. If the woman hadn¡¯t tugged his arm once, he probably would have thrown another tantrum.

    Wenqing noticed that there was dust on the teacups on the table as well. Seeing as there was dust everywhere, she didn¡¯t bother spending the effort to clean any more. She stood behind Chu Lian and asked, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that your restaurant has been open for quite a number of years. Our madam loves to eat good food. What signature dishes does your restaurant have to offer?¡±

    The middle-aged woman choked on the answer. Guilin Restaurant hadn¡¯t been doing business for quite a few months already. The cooks here had quit long ago, how could they possibly have any signature dishes to serve? The woman thought for a bit before replying, ¡°This youngdy must be very knowledgeable. Our restaurant has indeed been open for many years. We have a few signature dishes, of course. Otherwise, how else could we have remained here for so long?¡±

    Wenqing inwardly snorted, but didn¡¯t show a speck of her disdain on her face. She still remembered Chu Lian¡¯s orders back in the carriage.

    ¡°Oh? Since you have some signature dishes, then list out their names for our madam. Our madam has eaten dishes from all over this country, and she¡¯s had her fair share of delicacies.¡±

    The woman hadn¡¯t expected Wenqing to be so thorough with her questioning. Her expression instantly stiffened. There weren¡¯t any cooks at all in Guilin Restaurant right now. How could they possibly know the names of themonly served special dishes?

    Seeing that Ah Cai wanted to step up and throw the guests out, the woman grabbed his arm and tried to discreetly hold him back. Her eyes darted about the room as she tried toe up with a solution, but upon seeing none, she quickly tossed out another smile and said, ¡°Young madam, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m too uneducated and don¡¯t know the proper names for all those fancy dishes. Why don¡¯t I go back to the kitchen, get one of the cooks, and have them make some for you to see instead?¡±

    What kind of restaurant wouldn¡¯t know the names of their signature dishes? Was this woman taking them for fools?

    Wenqing harrumphed. She was about to expose the trickery of this sly woman when Chu Lian sent her a reassuring look.

    The maidservant bit her lip and waved her hand at the woman. ¡°Then hurry up and get the cooks to make the meal then. Our madam wants one portion of every signature dish you have. Remember to make it quick.¡±

    ¡°Certainly. Please wait for a moment, madam!¡± After saying so, the woman turned and red at Ah Cai. She lowered her voice and said, ¡°Ah Cai,e with me to the back to prepare some tea for our guests.¡±

    Finally, she dragged away the unwilling Ah Cai.

    It was only after Wenqing had confirmed that the woman and the waiter were no longer within hearing range that she asked, ¡°Third Young Madam, Guilin Restaurant is clearly no longer doing business. Why did you have me ce an order for food anyway?¡±

    Chu Lian winked mischievously at Wenqing. ¡°I want to see what kind of tricks they¡¯ll try to pull.¡±

    Wenqing scratched her head speechlessly.

 Chapter 163: Incognito Visit to Guilin Restaurant (4)

    The middle-aged woman was Ah Cai¡¯s eldest aunt from his father¡¯s side of the family. Her name was Wang Lu, or as most people called her, Mrs Wang. The entire Wang family of servants had been part of Matriarch He¡¯s dowry back when she had married into the He family. Later on, they had been sent to manage Guilin Restaurant.

    Ever since the west market had been redrawn, Guilin Restaurant¡¯s business had taken a sharp turn for the worse. Their finances were perpetually stuck in the red, and had been for the past several years. When the original manager left, the Wang family had been put in charge.

    Matriarch He had known that Guilin Restaurant was bleeding money, but she hadn¡¯t shut it down due to her memories of it. She hadn¡¯t inquired about the management either, so she didn¡¯t know that the Wang family was running it in this manner.

    After entering the backyard, Ah Cai tugged at Mrs Wang. ¡°Eldest Aunt, why are you keeping them? We can just kick them out! It looks like she¡¯s some minor official¡¯s wife. How could they possiblypare to House Jing¡¯an¡¯s status?¡±

    Mrs Wang red at him. ¡°All you know how to do is kick our customers out! How many customers have you chased out of our doors this month? Although we¡¯re helping House Jing¡¯an manage this business, we haven¡¯t had a single bit of ie for the past few months. It doesn¡¯t look good on the books at all. Furthermore, didn¡¯t you see those sturdy manservants that that young madam brought? It won¡¯t be good if we get into trouble. Your uncle isn¡¯t back yet!¡±

    Ah Cai frowned. ¡°Eldest Aunt, you¡¯re just too timid. We all know that Guilin Restaurant hasn¡¯t changed owners yet because of Matriarch He. As long as the matriarch is around, Guilin Restaurant will remain standing, and we can live an idle life here. What can a lowly noble¡¯s wife do to us? The moment she hears that we¡¯re backed by House Jing¡¯an, she¡¯ll probably wet herself in fright!¡±

    Mrs Wang sighed, ¡°Alright, alright. Ah Cai, Eldest Aunt knows about all that. No matter what, we have to deal with them first! I wonder which cave that vixen crawled out of. She must have seduced some minor official¡¯s son and brought out some manservants to show off. She even had the gall to im that she¡¯s eaten the finest gourmet dishes across the entire country. Hmph! She¡¯s probably never even had those confections that Cook Zhou of House Jing¡¯an makes! Alright, that¡¯s enough. Just watch while I cook up some random dishes to satisfy her. When she¡¯s done eating, tack on some charges to the bill and buy back half a roast chicken at night for our dinner.¡±

    When Ah Cai heard Mrs Wang¡¯s instructions, he chuckled devilishly and said, ¡°Whatever Eldest Aunt says.¡±

    The two of them entered the kitchen and Mrs Wang started cooking. She started with a dish that could be cooked quickly, so that they could buy some time for the rest of the dishes.

    Mrs Wang took out a white porcin te and was about to pour a pot full of meat into it when Ah Cai noticed what she was doing. He quickly moved to stop her. ¡°Eldest Aunt, that¡¯s for us to eat! If you give that to those people, won¡¯t it be such a waste?¡±

    Ah Cai liked to eat meat. He had nagged Mrs Wang to cook up some meat for days before she agreed to cook this one pot. How could he bear to let it go to Chu Lian and her party?

    Mrs Wang found his childish actions funny and red at him, but didn¡¯t go through with serving up the meat in the end. She moved the meat back into the pot and looked around the kitchen. She then made up some dishes without much care and sent Ah Cai to deliver it to the main hall.

    After fifteen minutes, the waiter Ah Cai returned to the main hall with some dishes in hand.

    He ced them on the table none-too-gently with loud thuds.

    Ah Cai then proudly lifted his chin and said, ¡°Madam, look carefully. These are Guilin Restaurant¡¯s signature dishes!¡±

    Chu Lian looked at the table before her with an unmoved expression. Two dishes were filled with something so charred she couldn¡¯t tell what it was. Another dish to the side was filled with soup, with a pitiful amount of scattered cabbage leaves. The other dish had been broiled for so long that its colour had changed and she couldn¡¯t even tell what it was made of.

    The four dishes lookedpletely inedible.

    Did these people think she was blind?

    Without waiting for Wenqing to speak for her, Chu Lian said in a t tone. ¡°Signature dishes? I¡¯m afraid these were made to feed the pigs!¡±

    After saying so, Chu Lian swept the four dishes to the floor without the slightest hint of hesitation. The tinkling sound of the porcin dishes shattering on the limestone floor resounded in the main hall.

    Wenqing and Wen had also been frightened by Chu Lian¡¯s sudden action. However, when they looked at the ugly expression on that arrogant waiter Ah Cai, the maidservants were delighted! It was as if they had finally let go of the frustration guing their hearts; their bodies felt light and free of burden.

 Chapter 164: Teaching a Lesson (1)

    Right after witnessing that scene, Ah Cai¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot from anger.

    He was truly shocked. This young madam had remained calm and silent from the moment she had entered, and she had seemed to have a mild temperament. When they entered, she had let her glib-tongued servant speak. Furthermore, she seemed pretty young to boot. Ah Cai had subconsciously assumed that she was weak and easy to bully. Hepletely hadn¡¯t expected her to sweep all the dishes onto the floor when angered.

    This young madam had even said that their food was the food of pigs. However before she and her entourage arrived, these dishes were originally meant to be consumed by none other than his family! His eldest aunt had simply served the food already being cooked. So, didn¡¯t this mean she was calling them all pigs?!

    Ah Cai¡¯s face flushed with anger. He always had an explosive temper. Ever since his uncle made use of his connections to give him a job at Guilin Restaurant, Ah Cai had never faced any setbacks. How could he endure this terrible insult?

    He was shocked speechless for a moment before his anger took over. Ah Cai¡¯s face warped, and he found the voice to shout, ¡°Heh! Who the hell do you think you are, creating trouble at our Guilin Restaurant? Why don¡¯t you ask around and find out just who this Guilin Restaurant belongs to! Let me tell you, if you don¡¯t want this matter to blow up, pay up and get out!¡±

    Themotion in the main hall had finally managed to alert Mrs Wang, who was all the way in the backyard. She hurriedly rushed out. When she saw the mess on the floor, her eyes widened in shock as well. She stuttered, ¡°What... what¡¯s going on?¡±

    Ah Cai turned to tell her, ¡°This arrogant madam was the one who tossed them to the floor!¡±

    ¡°What!¡±

    Chu Lian calmly nced at Ah Cai. She couldn¡¯t care less about their conversation.

    She dusted off her hands and stood up. ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to pay up and refuse to leave? What can you do to me?¡±

    Ah Cai hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to be so forceful. However, with House Jing¡¯an backing them, she had to think again if she thought they were going to be easy to bully!

    Thus, he started getting aggressive too.

    ¡°What can we do? I¡¯ll let you have a taste of what jail is like!¡±

    Wenqing and Wen stood in front of Chu Lian with angry expressions, shielding her. Their bodies were tense; the moment Chu Lian gave the order, they would immediately take this boastful fellow down.

    Chu Lian sneered. So this trip wasn¡¯t aplete waste.

    She had seen clearly for herself what the state of affairs were like at Guilin Restaurant, so she didn¡¯t have to continue acting out this farce with these two servants. Chu Lian sent amanding look towards the manservants behind her.

    Before Ah Cai and Mrs Wang could throw up another fuss, the two of them were caught and tied up by the two burly manservants.

    In a rage, Mrs Wang cried out, ¡°How dare you tie us up! We¡¯re servants from House Jing¡¯an! You can¡¯t tie us up!¡±

    Chu Lian walked a circle around the two of them, then another for good measure. ¡°House Jing¡¯an? I¡¯m apprehending some bad servants on behalf of House Jing¡¯an!¡±

    ¡°You! How dare you! Aren¡¯t you scared that House Jing¡¯an will hold you ountable for your crimes and punish you?!¡± Ah Cai struggled and wriggled against his bonds. His eyes were nowpletely bloodshot from anger. However, since he was just a teenager, he couldn¡¯t possibly beat the manservants who practised martial arts. His struggles bore no fruit, only seeding to tighten the ropes around him further.

    ¡°You bitch! Just you wait! My uncle has already gone to report this to the officials!¡±

    Wenqing was trying her best to hold back herughter. If these two clowns before her realised who their master was, they would probably pee their pants in fright!

    Just as Ah Cai finished speaking, they could hear someone running in from outside Guilin Restaurant¡¯s entrance. Following that, a panting middle-aged man entered the main hall.

    The man proudly pointed at the middle of the hall where Chu Lian¡¯s party stood, before turning back to say, ¡°Sirs, these people are the ones who came to cause trouble in our restaurant! Please arrest them, quickly!¡±

    Right after that, five bailiffs with tall figures and fierce expressions came striding into the hall. Each of them had a sword hung at their waists.

    One of the sturdy-looking bailiffs with a full, curly beard seemed to be their leader. He started roaring when he marched into the hall. ¡°Which one of you was so impudent as tomit a crime in broad daylight! Arrest them all!¡±

    TL Note: These bailiffs work for the criminal court. They patrol around their assigned districts and can arrest anyone who¡¯s doing something against thew. They are somewhat like a police force in ancient China, but they work directly for the criminal court.

    ¡®Bailiff¡¯ is my own trantion of the Chinese term ÑÃÒÛ (ya yi), or literally yamen (criminal court) runners. I went with the British definition of the word: a sheriff¡¯s officer who executes writs and processes and carries out distraints and arrests.

    I¡¯m trying to localise words where I can so it¡¯s easier to read, but at the same time, providing enough context like the original Chinese term. Let me know if any terms seem out of ce, as my understanding of English might be different from yours. :3

 Chapter 165: Teaching a Lesson (2)

    When the bound Ah Cai and Mrs Wang saw that the head of their family hade, they shouted for help.

    Two of the bailiffs came up to arrest Chu Lian and her servants, but two of House Jing¡¯an¡¯s manservants blocked them while Wenqing and Wen hid Chu Lian behind them.

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t even the slightest bit anxious, even in this situation. Conversely, she felt that this Wang family was being too theatrical.

    She didn¡¯t retreat like they expected. Instead, she stepped forward, chin slightly raised as she looked straight at the leader of the bailiffs with a serious gaze. ¡°Dear sir, do think carefully on who you¡¯re going to arrest today. If you arrest the wrong person, it won¡¯t be good for you.¡±

    The bearded leader was stunned by Chu Lian¡¯s words. He visibly hesitated for a moment.

    He was just a normal bailiff on patrol on Anle Lane, where most of the poption weremon citizens. However, in this capital, you could find officials almost anywhere. If you threw a rock, there was a high chance that it mightnd on some prince or noble. He had managed to eke out a peaceful living with this career thus far due to his caution in dealing with people and making sure not to offend the wrong person.

    He knew that Guilin Restaurant was owned by House Jing¡¯an. Although they were considered a noble house, in this huge capital, they stood somewhere in the middle of the rankings. There were still a bunch of imperial family members and important officials above them.

    The head bailiff debated with himself for a little longer.

    While their leader was hesitating, the other bailiffs paused their actions as well.

    Manager Wang got anxious upon seeing this. ¡°Sirs, look at how those people are dressed. They don¡¯t look like nobles at all. They¡¯re just trying to deceive us all! Don¡¯t listen to them!¡±

    When the leader took a closer look at how Chu Lian¡¯s party was dressed, he frowned. As Manager Wang had said, they were only dressed like slightly richermon folk.

    Chu Lian knew that the bailiff¡¯s thoughts had started going in the wrong direction, but she was toozy to continue this farce further. She looked at Wenqing, and the maidservant quickly moved forward. The bailiff before her tried to stop her, but Wenqing casually leaped up and swept the two bailiffs to the floor in just two kicks. The bailiffs groaned in pain and couldn¡¯t get up.

    She walked up to the head bailiff and extended the jade token in her hands to the bailiff.

    When the bearded bailiff saw the jade token, his legs turned to jelly and he almost copsed to the ground.

    ¡°Im... Imperial family...¡±

    Wenqing harrumphed and kept the jade token before returning back to Chu Lian¡¯s side. She then spoke loudly to the bearded bailiff. ¡°Do you understand who you¡¯re trying to arrest now?!¡±

    The bearded bailiff immediately knelt down in fear and anxiety. ¡°This humble one has startled Honoured One, this humble one deserves to die!¡±

    The other bailiffs had also recognised the jade token that Wenqing took out. Even Manager Wang managed to get a good look at it. The moment heid his eyes on that token, Manager Wang felt as if he was about to copse.

    His expression was full of utter shock. He hadn¡¯t expected this ordinary young madam to have brought out a jade token that only the imperial family was supposed to have!

    In the Great Wu Dynasty, the Ministry of Internal Affairs would issue a jade token to anyone with a noble title. Although the jade tokens had different carvings on them, the quality was the same, and it was a mark of the imperial family.

    The token that Chu Lian had given to Wenqing to show had been delivered together with the imperial decree.

    She hadn¡¯t thought that it woulde in handy so soon.

    Once the bearded bailiff came back to his senses, the one to be arrested turned into Manager Wang.

    Manager Wang didn¡¯t dare to say a single word. Even House Jing¡¯an was ranked lower than the imperial family.

    The shouting Mrs Wang and Ah Cai had also deted like balloons. Their heads were down and they kept as quiet as a mouse.

 Chapter 166: Teaching a Lesson (3)

    Upon recalling the insults he had thrown at Chu Lian earlier, Ah Cai started to tremble. The face that had been full of fighting spirit earlier was nowpletely ashen pale in fear.

    Two bailiffs took the bound Mrs Wang and Ah Cai off the hands of the manservants.

    Suddenly, a puddle appeared on the cyan floor tiles, followed by a terrible fishy stink. When Wenqing looked down, she realised that the crotch of Ah Cai¡¯s pants were soaked...

    He had actually peed himself in fright.

    When Manager Wang saw Ah Cai¡¯s state, shame flooded his being. He red at Ah Cai angrily; this was all that idiot¡¯s fault!

    Manager Wang had just gone to the gambling dens and lost some money. Afraid that Mrs Wang would find out, he had entered sneakily through the back door and bumped into Ah Cai when he was bringing out the dishes to the main hall. Ah Cai had cooked up this n to get Manager Wang to bring over some bailiffs they were familiar with to scare Chu Lian and have her cough up more money.

    Who would have thought that they would shoot themselves in their own foot!

    Of course Manager Wang was filled with hatred!

    The bearded bailiff came over to Chu Lian eagerly and bowed at the waist, ¡°Does Honoured One have any other orders?¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t bother speaking with the leader. Instead, she turned to Wenqing and said, ¡°Bring me the ount books from the counter.¡±

    Despite feeling the embarrassment of getting ignored, the bailiff didn¡¯t dare to voice anyints. The gap in their statuses was too great. Furthermore, judging by the ability that the maidservant had showed just now, he didn¡¯t dare to underestimate them. Even if this young madam hadn¡¯t shown off her imperial identity, the five of them wouldn¡¯t have been a match for that one maidservant.

    When he thought of that, the curly bearded leader appeared even more respectful and humble.

    Manager Wang startled when he heard Chu Lian¡¯smand.

    What? The ounts?

    Someone who was affiliated with the imperial family actually wanted to see the ounts of his little restaurant? There had to be something wrong with that, or he had misheard.

    Manager Wang gulped in fright. Somehow, he managed to say a few words. ¡°Hon... Honoured One, what¡¯s there to see in our little restaurant¡¯s books? They are merely a bunch of insignificant numbers; please do not tire yourself.¡±

    Chu Lian looked down at Manager Wang. ¡°Manager Wang, I forgot to mention this to you. Guilin Restaurant has been given to me by my grandmother. This ce will not require your services any longer.¡±

    It was like Manager Wang had been struck by lightning!

    The shock factor from this simple sentence of Chu Lian¡¯s was worlds above the time she brought out the jade token carrying the insignia of the imperial family!

    Manager Wang¡¯s eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head. Chu Lian¡¯s words echoed in his mind, and when he finally processed what they meant, he immediately knew her true identity.

    A young madam from House Jing¡¯an? Who else could she be other than the third young madam, the most recent addition to the Jing¡¯an household? Furthermore, this third young madam had only just received a personal title of Honoured Lady two days ago, conferred to her by the Emperor.

    They had just tried to bully their own masters!

    Had this young madam simply been a member of the imperial family, then their punishment for offending her would¡¯ve only been spending a few nights in a jail cell. With their connection to House Jing¡¯an, they wouldn¡¯t have even experienced any hardship.

    However, things were totally different now. Third Young Madam was not only a member of the imperial family, but she was also a member of House Jing¡¯an. For mere servants of House Jing¡¯an, like them, Third Young Madam¡¯s words werew. To make matters worse, she was also the new master of Guilin Restaurant! Even if she wanted their lives taken, all she had to do was say the word!

    A moment after, a wet patch appeared under Manager Wang¡¯s crotch as well...

    The apple didn¡¯t fall far from the tree. Both uncle and nephew had peed their pants; what an impressive ability!

 Chapter 167: Disbelief (1)

    The bearded bailiff¡¯s eyes darted about as he thought. Although the capital wasrge, there was a great number of people upying the space. As long as someone intentionally tried to spread some news, even the most boring gossip would spread like wildfire.

    The House of Count Jing¡¯an was also a noble house. When ordinary folk had nothing better to do, they enjoyed discussing interesting tidbits like the private affairs of the noble houses during their meals.

    A few days ago, when Chu Lian had received an imperial edict and been conferred the title of Honoured Lady Jinyi, House Jing¡¯an hadn¡¯t hidden the news at all. Chu Lian usually stayed inside the Jing¡¯an Estate without paying attention to what went on outside, so she had no idea that this matter had already spread throughout the capital.

    Although there were many members of the imperial family who were conferred titles, House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam was the first non-imperial family member to receive a personal title in decades, so it was normal for everyone to be surprised.

    In fact, there were also plenty of nobledies who were looking for an opportunity to meet this Honoured Lady Jinyi as well!

    Due to a mere fifth-ranked Honoured Lady title, Chu Lian had been pushed to the height of gossip. She had practically be famous overnight among the capital¡¯s people.

    These bailiffs weren¡¯t stupid; the leader immediately realised what Chu Lian¡¯s identity was! He red at Manager Wang, wishing he could split that man¡¯s head open!

    What the hell! And he even called himself a servant of the Jing¡¯an Estate! If he couldn¡¯t even recognize his own master, he deserved whatever punishment came to him!

    The leader¡¯s attitude became even more deferential. He even seemed to be trying to curry favour with the ttering lilt of his tone. ¡°Honoured one, please let this humble one deal with these bad servants who don¡¯t know any better for you, so they don¡¯t spoil your mood.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s brows furrowed together. She really didn¡¯t like how this head bailiff had changed his attitude towards her so quickly, like he was merely flipping the pages of a book. She indifferently said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯ll send someone to bring them back to the estate, and have the steward personally punish them.¡±

    No matter how terrible this Wang family¡¯s actions had been, they were owned by the matriarch. It wouldn¡¯t be proper to use her title and order the bailiffs to deal with them ¡ª certain things should stay within the family, especially as the matriarch was her elder.

    The leader was rather embarrassed by the rejection, but he had no choice but to keep quiet.

    When they heard what Chu Lian had said, the three servants were all scared out of their wits and knelt on the floor, begging for forgiveness.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to deal with this annoying family, so she ordered the manservants who hade along with her to stuff their mouths and send them to the steward of the estate.

    Wenqing politely sent the bailiffs off.

    Guilin Restaurant¡¯s main hall finally settled into silence again. Only Chu Lian and her party were left.

    It was at this moment that she heard footstepsing from the back. Chu Lian raised her brows. She hadn¡¯t thought that there were still other people inside Guilin Restaurant.

    The curtains in front of the door shifted, revealing a white-haired old man dressed in a rough tunic.

    When the old man lifted his gaze, he was met with Chu Lian¡¯s appraising eyes. He was slightly stunned, but immediately followed with an amiable smile.

    ¡°May this old servant ask if you¡¯re the master of this ce?¡±

    Wenqing and Wen exchanged nces, both wearing identically puzzled expressions on their faces.

    Wenqing walked up to him and supported him as they walked over to Chu Lian. ¡°Old sir, this is House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam. The matriarch has already handed over this restaurant to Third Young Madam.¡±

    The old man¡¯s eyes immediately lit up, causing his wrinkled face to look like peels of dried tangerines.

    ¡°There¡¯s finally hope for Guilin Restaurant! It can be saved!¡± The old man began tough and cry with joy. He used his sleeves to wipe away his tears.

    Chu Lian was confused. ¡°Old sir, may I ask your identity?¡±

    The old man quickly calmed himself down and said, ¡°My apologies, Third Young Madam, this old servant has been inconsiderate. I am the bookkeeper of Guilin Restaurant...¡±

    The old man¡¯s surname was also Wang, but he wasn¡¯t rted to Manager Wang and his family at all. However, the old man was also a servant originally from the Jing¡¯an Estate.

 Chapter 168: Disbelief (2)

    Twenty years ago, the old man had been sent to Guilin Restaurant to be a bookkeeper. He had toiled away, doing enough careful and conscientious work for a lifetime. Although he should have retired back to the Jing¡¯an Estate at such an age, when he saw how Guilin Restaurant¡¯s business was failing in the hands of the Wang family, he couldn¡¯t bear to just leave.

    The old Count had saved Bookkeeper Wang a long time ago, when Bookkeeper Wang had been a wounded soldier. Due to his age, he hadn¡¯t tried to look for a wife after recuperating from his injuries, so he didn¡¯t have any rtives back at the estate. He hadn¡¯t been able to contend against the Wang family in his circumstances either, so he could only continue to bide his time in Guilin Restaurant.

    ¡°Please wait here, Third Young Madam.¡± Bookkeeper Wang walked to the back of the restaurant and soon returned with a small wooden box. He held up the box with two hands and passed it to Chu Lian. ¡°Third Young Madam, these are the ounts that this old servant has been privately keeping. Please have a look.¡±

    It turned out that Manager Wang had stopped letting Bookkeeper Wang handle the ounts for quite some time already. The books that he handed over to the family were merely forged. Since Bookkeeper Wang couldn¡¯t do anything about that, he had secretly made his own copies while waiting for the day that he could hand it to his masters.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected this old man to have done this. Although she knew inside that the ounts he had kept were practically useless to her now, she still received it with gratitude. The fruits of someone¡¯s hard work, whether small orrge, sweet or sour, should be received with the importance and respect they deserve.

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Bookkeeper.¡± Chu Lian sincerely thanked him.

    Bookkeeper Wang smiled so widely that his eyes turned into slits. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Third Young Madam, it is this old servant¡¯s duty.¡±

    Following that, Bookkeeper Wang showed her around Guilin Restaurant.

    There was a woman over forty who did chores for the restaurant in the backyard. Bookkeeper Wang had been able to stay safe and sound all this time because she had taken care of him throughout the time of the Wang family¡¯s exploitation.

    Chu Lian stood in the backyard, examining theyout of the whole building. Although Guilin Restaurant wasn¡¯t very eye-catching from the outside and couldn¡¯t bepared to the majestic restaurants on Zhuque Avenue, it had its own charms.

    Guilin Restaurant¡¯syout was like a gourd. It had a small entrance, but the area inside was huge. The backyard even had two sections, which made up for theck of a second floor.

    The buildings on either side of Guilin Restaurant were both ordinary homes. ording to Bookkeeper Wang, ever since the west market had been shifted, the properties on Anle Lane had lost their value. In fact, one of the neighbouring properties had been empty all this time, and nobody was staying there.

    Bookkeeper Wang led Chu Lian into the second section of the backyard and exined, ¡°Initially, this courtyard was meant for guests, but ever since the business took a dive, the Wang family took it over for themselves.¡±

    Chu Lian entered the courtyard and noted the borate design.

    There was some mottled bamboo nted in a corner with a small decorative mountain beside it. Beside the mountain were some stone tables and stools. On the other side, there was a small cluster of banana trees.

    The corridor leading up to the main building in this courtyard was covered in wisterias. Interestingly, on the side of the building facing the banana trees, there was a small music room for ying the zither.

    Although there were no longer any zithers or incense burners in it and it had long been filled up with junk, Chu Lian could still imagine what Guilin Restaurant looked like decades ago.

    This losing business hadpletely exceeded Chu Lian¡¯s expectations.

    Chu Lian chatted with the old bookkeeper for an hour or so before taking the wooden box full of ount books with her and leaving in the carriage.

 Chapter 169: Disbelief (3)

    Bookkeeper Wang and the middle-aged woman who did chores escorted Chu Lian all the way to the entrance of the alley. The white-haired Bookkeeper Wang kept watching the carriage as it left and entered the bustling main street. He finally heaved a sigh of relief, but his clouded old eyes didn¡¯t seem to hold much hope.

    He turned around and used a cane for support as he hobbled back to Guilin Restaurant. The middle-aged woman who was supporting him on his other side heard a soft, unmistakable sigh from him.

    She didn¡¯t understand why he was sighing and asked, ¡°Mr Wang, the estate has sent Third Young Madam here to fix the restaurant. Shouldn¡¯t you be happy?¡±

    The old bookkeeper paused and looked around them. He gave a bitter smile. ¡°In a ce like this, how could we possibly regain our former glory?¡±

    Actually, the old bookkeeper didn¡¯t believe that Guilin Restaurant could return to its glory days. He was experienced enough to determine this after living so many years and working as a bookkeeper in Guilin Restaurant for twenty years. He had lived through the ups and downs of this restaurant¡¯s life as well. The world was ever-changing. It wasn¡¯t as if the Wang family was the only reason that the restaurant hadn¡¯t been doing well.

    All of the famous tea houses, restaurants, silversmiths, and goldsmiths in the capital were located in bustling, lively districts. There was an old saying that fit this situation: ¡°A dead district is a dead business.¡± Restaurants needed a constant flow of people to survive.

    The middle-aged woman couldn¡¯t quite understand the bookkeeper¡¯s meaning. She thought rather simply. In her eyes, as long as their master had money, anything could be done! Was there anything that couldn¡¯t be done with money?

    ¡°Old sir, aren¡¯t you thinking too negatively? See, since Third Young Madam came today, she already threw out the Wang family. That was a delight!¡± It was clear that this middle-aged servant had also suffered torment under the Wang family.

    ¡°Mrs Li, how could you possibly understand? Just wait and see! Ah...¡± The old bookkeeper didn¡¯t bother trying to exin further. He slowly walked back to Guilin Restaurant.

    Honestly speaking, Third Young Madam was just a young girl who had juste of age. Even if she had been raised well with the bearing and talents of a nobledy, it wasn¡¯t an easy task to revive a failing restaurant, especially in a residential district like this one.

    Even if she had a noble title backing her, reviving this old restaurant still wasn¡¯t going to be easy!

    ¡ª

    Back in the carriage, Chu Lian didn¡¯t know that the old bookkeeper didn¡¯t have a shred of confidence in her. She was peeking out from the curtains of the carriage to look outside from time to time.

    It hadn¡¯t been easy for her toe out alone today. Wouldn¡¯t it be such a waste if she didn¡¯t go out for some shopping before returning home?

    Wenqing and Wen had also noticed Chu Lian¡¯s interest. They exchanged smiles.

    Wenqing said, ¡°Third Young Madam, this servant can act as your guide, if you wish.¡±

    Chu Lian turned to look at Wenqing, her eyes wide with surprise. ¡°You¡¯re familiar with this ce?¡±

    Wen pressed her lips together to hide her smile. She was a little more introverted than Wenqing and usually spoke less. If she could avoid it, she would rather not speak. Whenever she was with Wenqing, it was always Wenqing who would speak for them.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, this servant and Wenqing both grew up in the streets of the capital. It was only in the past two years that we lived with Senior Servant Zhong on an estate. However, we came out to buy things quite often, so we¡¯re very familiar with the capital.¡±

    Chu Lian blinked. Her eyes lit up in pleasant surprise. Wow! So they were like living maps!

    ¡°Tell me about the capital, quickly!¡±

    Although the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had also lived in the capital since birth, she was the legitimate daughter of a noble house, so she rarely left her estate. How could she be familiar with themon roads and markets like Wenqing?

    In the gentle shaking of the carriage, Wenqing smiled as she exined they of thend to Chu Lian.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, we¡¯re about to leave the boundaries of Changping Lane. After we pass this small street, Pingkang Lane will be in front of us...¡±

    To the left of Pingkang Lane was the east market, while Xuanyang Lane was to its south. To the north was Chunming Avenue, where most of the important officials stayed. This included the visiting officials normally stationed in other parts of the country, as well as some of the up-anding schr candidates.

    For example, Lord Yang¡¯s official residence was located in Pingkang Lane.

    Chu Lian lifted the curtain and curiously peeked outside. Suddenly, a figure cut into her line of sight.

 Chapter 170: Something Fishy (1)

    Although she had only met that person once before, Chu Lian knew she would never forget his face.

    Back when she had returned to her maiden family for a visit, Chu Lian had served him tea together with He Changdi as a rite of respect. His attitude had been cool and indifferent as he received the cup of tea and returned to them a red envelope, just as if he were merely conducting some routine business transaction. Then, when she had been led away by the womenfolk of the family, he hadn¡¯t given a single word of advice to her, his own daughter. She didn¡¯t know if the biological father of her current body was happy with his new son-inw, He Changdi, or whether or not they had bonded together over some wine.

    Chu Qizheng was dressed in an borately embroidered grey brocade robe. He stood before the entrance to an estate with some manservants by his side.

    He was pacing back and forth, seemingly anxious and impatient.

    In actual fact, this Second Master of House Ying wasn¡¯t considered that old. He was only thirty-five. He didn¡¯t keep a beard or moustache, and he had a jade crown on his head. Coupled with his slender figure, he looked about six or seven years younger than his actual age.

    Chu Lian¡¯s almond-shaped eyes slightly narrowed. She looked up at the signboard above the residence he was standing in front of, which read ¡®Pan Estate¡¯.

    As she watched, a servant who had been guarding the doors quickly ran into the estate. Shortly after, two strongly built retainers carrying swords came out together with the servant who had gone in. The servant pointed in the direction of Chu Qizheng and his party.

    The two retainers strode over to Chu Qizheng in a few steps. One of the retainers pushed Chu Qizheng forcefully. If not for Chu Qizheng¡¯s personal manservant reacting quickly and catching him, he might have beenpletely pushed onto the ground and lost all his face.

    Immediately after that, Chu Qizheng¡¯s expression contorted and he started arguing with the retainers. His personal manservants could tell that the Pan Estate¡¯s retainers had some martial arts skill, so they shielded Chu Qizheng behind them.

    The two retainers were annoyed by Chu Qizheng¡¯s scolding. Their rage showed clearly on their faces and their hands shifted towards the swords they carried at their waists, as if they might draw them at any moment.

    Chu Lian knocked on the carriage wall and ordered the driver to slow down a little. She lifted the curtain a little and continued watching the entrance of the Pan Estate, but she did nothing else.

    She wasn¡¯t the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯, after all. Upon receiving such cold treatment from this father of hers during the tea ceremony, she already understood that she wasn¡¯t loved by him. Chu Lian didn¡¯t care much for that. She was someone who would give as much as she got. Since Chu Qizheng didn¡¯t care for her, she wouldn¡¯t bother going out of her way for him.

    Wasn¡¯t it more fun to simply sit back and watch the drama?

    When Wenqing noticed Third Young Madam¡¯s instructions to the driver, she peeked out of the window as well. When she noticed the signboard on top of the estate¡¯s entrance, she gasped quietly and eximed, ¡°The Pan Estate!¡±

    Wen saw that Chu Lian seemed to be intently watching the show, so she secretly pushed Wenqing a little. Wenqing quickly covered her mouth, and her eyes blinked in apology.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t have the mood to care about what Wenqing had been surprised about. Her eyes were fixed on the drama unfolding in front of the Pan Estate¡¯s entrance.

    Just as the two retainers were about to use force, a carriage came out from the alley next to the Pan Estate¡¯s entrance. The carriage quickly stopped in front of the entrance. The manservant guarding the doors ran to the carriage and eagerly lifted the curtain doors before helping a white-haired, bearded old man who looked to be about fifty or sixty off the carriage.

    At this distance, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying at all.

    The white-haired man was about to enter the estate immediately, but he seemed to have heard something that Chu Qizheng had shouted while being restrained by the retainers. He abruptly turned around and sent a shocked and dangerous-looking gaze towards Chu Qizheng. The bearded old man stopped outside the Pan Estate¡¯s mahogany doors with his hands behind his back and looked at Chu Qizheng, as if trying to bore a hole through him with his gaze alone.

    Time seemed to slow from the intensity of this man¡¯s gaze. Finally, the man waved away the two retainers. Chu Qizheng¡¯s originally nervous expression finally rxed; he even seemed to be a little pleased with himself. A hint of evil shone in his eyes.

    Chu Qizheng forcefully pushed away the two retainers who had been holding him back. After doing so, he seemed to feel relieved of his frustration from before. He even kicked at them twice.

    After releasing his previous frustration, Chu Qizheng smoothed out his clothing, which had turned to disarray from the scuffle. He ced his hands behind his back and strode into the Pan Estate with his manservants.

    It wasn¡¯t until Chu Qizheng¡¯s figure had disappeared past the first wall of the Pan Estate that Chu Lian let down the curtain. A few expressions flitted across her face. Her original desire to go shopping in the capital had beenpletely erased by witnessing this strange incident.

    Chu Lian lowered her head in thought. Wenqing and Wen didn¡¯t dare to disturb her, so they sat in silence by her side.

    After a long moment, Chu Lian finally lifted her head and turned to Wenqing. ¡°Wenqing, which official in the capital upies the Pan Estate?¡±

    She remembered that Wenqing had gasped in surprise just now, so the owner of the Pan Estate must be someone important in the ranks of the court.

    Wenqing replied honestly, ¡°Third Young Madam, the Pan Estate of Pingkang Lane is owned by Pan Go.¡±

    At the moment, there were five ministers in the cab. Amongst these five, they were also ranked differently. This Pan Go was the man who had the highest status amongst the cab. He was only one rank below the Imperial Scribe, a real first-ranked official!

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t care much about the court matters of the Great Wu Dynasty. In the portion of the original novel that she had read, there was no mention of this high and mighty Lord Pan, so she wouldn¡¯t know anything about him.

    Chu Lian nodded. ¡°I understand now.¡±

 Chapter 171: Something Fishy (2)

    Although Wenqing seemed to be curious about the identity of the middle-aged man Third Young Madam had been staring at, since Third Young Madam didn¡¯t seem to want to speak about it, she held back her questions.

    The servants who had apanied her today were all from House Jing¡¯an, so none of them had recognised Chu Qizheng as her father.

    When Chu Lian heard Wenqing¡¯s reply, she slipped back into deep thought.

    Judging by that situation just now, Lord Pan hadn¡¯t wanted to see her father at all. What changed his mind was something that her father had said at thest minute.

    Back then, Lord Pan¡¯s expression had looked veryplicated, with a bunch of emotions all mixed together. It could send shivers down anyone¡¯s spine.

    In the slowly declining House Ying, Chu Qizheng wasn¡¯t the eldest son, nor someone who was very smart. He clung onto the protection of his family to survive. Up until now, he hadn¡¯t managed to get even a low-ranked ck official position in court. He was essentially useless.

    This kind of noble would normally keep meeting the same small number of friends to pass the time. They wouldn¡¯t interact with officials who held actual power in court.

    Lord Pan hadn¡¯t even nced at Chu Qizheng when he first arrived at the estate. However, after Chu Qizheng said something, Lord Pan had not only looked at him, he had even invited him into his estate. It was clear that they were going to be discussing something rted to business.

    Could her father have found something to use against Lord Pan?

    But Chu Lian found this thought too ridiculous; she shook her head and snorted.

    How could that be possible!

    How could someone in a high position of power like Lord Pan be an average person? Those with power had to have the charisma, ambition, and cunning to get them there in the first ce. Even if Lord Pan didn¡¯t have all of those traits, he likely had one or two at the very least.

    The very notion that an idle noble like her father, who yed around all day, could somehow outy Lord Pan, who held actual authority in his hands, wasughable. Even the thought of Chu Qizheng holding some sort of weakness of Lord Pan¡¯s was absurd. Perhaps not even a child would believe that!

    Furthermore, House Ying had never been connected with the Pan Estate. The two men had probably never even met before, so the chances of such a thing decreased even further.

    Chu Lian frowned and tried to recall the events of the book. However, she couldn¡¯t think of any details relevant to the current situation as it was now. In the end, she could only give up.

    She would cross that bridge when she came to it. Even if her father was plotting something, it was none of her business now. Married daughters were like water; once thrown out, they were no longer connected to their original family. She was now a member of House Jing¡¯an as He Sang¡¯s wife.

    After reassuring herself, Chu Lian finally rxed.

    When Wenqing saw that Chu Lian¡¯s expression had rxed, she spoke up and asked, ¡°Third Young Madam, would you still like to shop around?¡±

    By this time, they had already left Pingkang Lane and were driving along Zhuque Avenue.

    Chu Lian had already lost her initial anticipation after witnessing that scene. She was about to order them to return home directly, but she suddenly remembered that it would be Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s birthday in a few days. She didn¡¯t have a suitable gift for her mother-inw yet. Thus, she held back her words.

    ¡°Let¡¯s look for a few stores to shop in. Mother¡¯s birthday ising.¡±

    Although she didn¡¯t have to buy something extremely valuable for her mother-inw¡¯s birthday and Countess Jing¡¯an wasn¡¯t one to mind, the entire estate knew that she had received a nice sum of money from Imperial Concubine Wei, thanks to Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s golden qilin. When she had been given the title of Honoured Lady, she had also received an award of one hundred gold taels. If she didn¡¯t spend a good amount of money on Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s gift, she might draw the gossip of certain jealous people.

    Chu Lian inwardly sighed. That sister-inw of hers, Madam Zou, was waiting for her to make a mistake! How could she let Madam Zou have any chance of reprimanding her or punishing her?

    It didn¡¯t matter what gift she picked this time. It just had to be suitably expensive. She could have imed that she didn¡¯t have any money in the past, but she couldn¡¯t do that now.

    Chu Lian pouted, feeling a little angry inside. It was just two measly awards, but the people around her were already jealous. How annoying! She was better off hiding whatever money she made in the future. Her husband wasn¡¯t by her side, so there was a real chance that someone else might try to take the money from her using all sorts of reasons!

    Wenqing lifted up the curtains a little and pointed at the stores on both sides of Zhuque Avenue. She introduced them to Chu Lian one by one. ¡°Third Young Madam, that¡¯s Hengsheng Medicine Hall, Luohe Calligraphy, Lanqiao Clothing, and oh, that one over there is Jinshi Pavilion. These are all famous stores in the capital. Many high-ranked nobles and youngdies like to shop here.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded. Since she hadn¡¯t thought of what she wanted to buy, she decided to look around each of them.

    Wenqing told the driver to stop and she helped Chu Lian off the carriage together with Wen.

    There were many people walking on Zhuque Avenue. Some richly dressed men and women would also pass by from time to time.

    Chu Lian looked around her. Her impression of the Great Wu Dynasty increased a notch. This dynasty wasn¡¯t as restrictive towards the freedom of its women, unlike the old Song and Ming dynasties. The openness of this dynasty seemed more like the early Tang.

    Most of thedies out here didn¡¯t even cover their heads while they were out. There were even women studying at the capital¡¯s Imperial College.

    It was normal for nobledies to be out shopping as well.

    Chu Lian entered Hengsheng Medicine Hall first. For the sake of her incognito visit today, she had dressed inly. Her clothes were made of ordinary fabric. With two young maids like Wenqing and Wen by her side, she looked like the newlywed wife of a minor official.

    When she entered the medicine hall, none of the staff came up to greet her. Chu Lian didn¡¯t mind this at all. She slowly looked around the store with Wenqing and Wen.

 Chapter 172: Digging a Hole for Herself (1)

    Chu Lian had taken a ss on traditional Chinese medicine back when she was in university, so she could recognise a few types of herbs. She wasn¡¯t too good at it until she read a few wilderness survival bookster on and became somewhat familiar with the basics. Now that she was browsing through a medicine hall, she understood quite a bit. Chu Lian even picked up one or two types of herbs and took a sniff to check their quality, but that was the limit of her abilities.

    Right across the street from Hengsheng Medicine Hall was the most famous jewellery store in the capital, Jinshi Pavilion.

    At this moment, there were a few youngdies standing at a counter in Jinshi Pavilion, chattering away. Their eyes were lit up with excitement as they looked at the essories a female manager was showing to them, probably so they could try them on.

    Thesedies weren¡¯t strangers to Chu Lian; they were a few legitimate daughters of House Ying.

    They had originallye out with two of their older brothers escorting them, but when they had reached Jinshi Pavilion, the two young masters had found excuses to leave, not wanting to apany their sisters to jewellery shop.

    Now, only the young girls were left in the store, discussing their essories happily.

    Fifth Miss Su took a liking to a lustrous, transparent green jade bangle.

    Although the quality of the jade wasn¡¯t the best, it won in its vibrant colour. Its hue alternated between green and blue, like the image of a flowing river. During this hot summer, it was especially cool and refreshing.

    When worn on her slender, fair wrist, it brought out the colour of her skin.

    She couldn¡¯t resist asking the female manager, ¡°Manager, how much is this bangle?¡±

    The manager smiled and replied, ¡°This jade bangle does match your fair and slender wrist very well, miss. What a good eye you have!¡±

    As she said so, she brought out an exquisite wooden box from under the counter and opened it. There was a matching pair of jade earrings in the box, shaped like teardrops and extremely beautiful.

    ¡°Miss, if these earrings are to your liking, why don¡¯t you have these earrings for free together with the bangle? Then this madam will simply ept fifty taels for it. What do you think?¡±

    Fifty taels...

    Although that wasn¡¯t considered much, it was a little expensive for young nobledies like them, who only received a small monthly allowance.

    The legitimate daughters of House Ying only received eight taels of silver for their monthly allowance. A single jade bangle from Jinshi Pavilion actually cost half a year¡¯s worth of their allowance...

    Miss Su had brought sixty taels out today, but those sixty taels were the result of half a year¡¯s worth of saving. It was still too much for her to hand them all over for a single bangle. She was still thinking of buying another set of essories for her mother.

    The corners of Miss Su¡¯s lips tugged downwards and she set down the bangle. Her eyes carried a trace of unwillingness as she said, ¡°Manager, I¡¯ll look at something else.¡±

    The manager seemed to notice her difficulty. However, she didn¡¯t say anything more. Without any change in expression, she brought out cheaper essories for her to choose from.

    While holding a golden hairpin iid with jade and pearls, Miss Yuan chuckled, ¡°Fifth Sister, you¡¯ve brought more than fifty taels out today. Are you so miserly that you can¡¯t even bear to buy a single jade bangle?¡±

    Eighth Miss Yuan¡¯s words made Miss Su flush.

    Miss Su pressed her lips together, but didn¡¯t say anything in reply. She lowered her head to look at the new set of ornaments, pretending she didn¡¯t hear anything.

    Miss Yuan chuckled again and passed the golden hairpin in her hands to the manager, boldly saying, ¡°Manager, pack up this hairpin for me.¡±

    The manager hadn¡¯t expected this youngdy to be so generous. Her smile seeped into her eyes as she brought an exquisite box over to ce the hairpin in. ¡°This youngdy has a good eye, too. This golden hairpin has three emeralds on it, each of them the same size. The style of the flowers on top of it is good, too; only two flowers, simple yet elegant. It matches perfectly with the pink dress you¡¯re wearing today, miss. This hairpin is the handiwork of our Master Liu. This madam will set the price low at a hundred and fifty taels, just for you, miss.¡±

 Chapter 173: Digging a Hole for Herself (2)

    When the manager had beenplimenting her, Miss Yuan had her nose so high in the air she was about to start floating away in pride. She had good taste, to have picked such a beautiful hairpin. It was so much better than that silly bangle that Fifth Miss Su had picked. However, when she heard what the price was, Miss Yuan¡¯s expression froze in ce.

    What? A hundred and fifty taels?! Why didn¡¯t the manager simply steal the money from her? It was just a golden hairpin!

    Miss Yuan had seen that this golden hairpin would definitely be more expensive than Miss Su¡¯s jade bangle, but she thought that it would cost a hundred taels at maximum. She had begged for a hundred taels from her mother so she could go shopping today, and in addition to that, she had also brought thirty or so taels from her own savings.

    Even a youngdy of a first-ranked noble house would bring out only a little more than a hundred taels at most. How could she, of the declining House Ying, take out even more than them?

    If they had been shopping at Jinshi Jewellery next door, the hundred and thirty taels she had brought would be more than enough. However, this was the high-ss Jinshi Pavilion that they were perusing.

    She had originally thought of showing up Miss Su and shaming her. In the Ying Estate, it was only this unmarried Fifth Miss who continued to be at loggerheads with her, the Eighth Miss. She was going to make Miss Su eat dirt today in public so that she would fight her less in the future. However, she hadn¡¯t thought that she would be digging a hole for herself as well.

    She only carried a hundred and thirty-something taels on her right now...

    Miss Yuan¡¯s expression turned ugly. Due to her conflicting emotions and present embarrassment, her face went red, then white. She opened her mouth and met with the manager¡¯s eager gaze. Though she wanted to withdraw her previous ims, the words were stuck in her throat and wouldn¡¯te out.

    Miss Yuan¡¯s panicked gaze darted around the shop. Her personal maidservant¡¯s expression was even uglier; she looked like she was about to cry from her anxiety. She even tugged at her master¡¯s sleeve carefully.

    If Eighth Miss really bought a golden hairpin for a hundred and fifty taels, Second Madam would surely scold her up and down. Most of the madam¡¯s own essories and ornaments cost less than a hundred taels.

    Eighth Miss would simply get a reprimand and a lecture, but as her personal maidservant, she could be dragged out of the estate and sold.

    Fifth Miss and Ninth Miss weren¡¯t dumb; in a few moments, they quickly noticed the dilemma that Eighth Miss was in.

    Ninth Miss Fu smirked and began to provoke her. ¡°Ah, Eighth Sister hasn¡¯t said anything. You can¡¯t possibly be feeling embarrassed because you didn¡¯t bring enough money, right? Well, if you didn¡¯t bring enough, it¡¯s understandable. We¡¯re all unmarrieddies here, so it¡¯s normal that we don¡¯t have much money to spend. It¡¯s fine if we don¡¯t buy this and get something cheaper. The manager won¡¯tugh at us.¡±

    The manager served the wives and daughters of nobles and important officials every day. She was good at observing other people¡¯s expressions. Although she was disdainful of the group of girls before her, she didn¡¯t show it on her face. She simply nodded and yed along.

    However, Miss Yuan felt even more keenly that she couldn¡¯t get out of the trap she had sprung on herself. She was used to acting high and mighty. Before Chu Lian had gotten married, she had always beenpeting with Chu Lian in every aspect of their lives. Though Chu Lian was now married and no longer in the Ying Estate, there was still the main branch and the third branch to contend with. The master of the second branch, Chu Qizheng, had no achievements to speak of, so thedies of the second branch had always kept their heads a little lower when the other branches were around.

    This was also why Second Madam had given her a hundred taels to spend upon finding out that she was going shopping with the sisters of the main and third branches.

    As tough as life was inside the estate, they couldn¡¯t lose face out in public.

    Miss Yuan¡¯s chest was heaving up and down from the frustration brought about by Ninth Miss¡¯s words. However, the fact of the matter was, she just didn¡¯t have enough money, so she couldn¡¯t get off this high horse once she had gotten on. She could only bite her lip until it bled and grind her teeth into dust. Miss Yuan raised her head and was about to admit that she hadn¡¯t brought enough taels, when she spotted a familiar figure out of the corner of her eyes.

 Chapter 174: Digging a Hole for Herself (3)

    Miss Yuan was a little surprised, but the cogs in her mind quickly turned and she thought of a way to escape her troublesome situation.

    The effects were instant. The colour in her face returned, and now that she had a solution, she immediately swallowed the words she had been about to say and recovered. Fifth Miss and Ninth Miss couldn¡¯t figure out why her expression had suddenly changed so quickly, like she¡¯d been flipping through a book and gone from the climax to the resolution.

    Miss Yuan didn¡¯t mention the golden hairpin. Strangely enough, she took a step to the side and grabbed Fifth Miss Su¡¯s arm, acting like they were a pair of true sisters from the same branch as if the past minute hadn¡¯t ever happened. ¡°Fifth Sister, Ninth Sister, look across the street! Isn¡¯t that Sixth Sister? What a coincidence! We just bumped into her the moment we got a chance to go out.¡± Miss Yuan pointed over to Hengsheng Medicine Hall.

    It just so happened that Chu Lian had turned around and led her two maidservants out of the medicine hall. One of the maidservants bent down to whisper into her ear, and Chu Lian seemed to be listening intently and nodding.

    Since she was out in the open, Miss Su and Miss Fu could recognise her clearly. Wasn¡¯t that Chu Lian, who must be enjoying a life of luxury after marrying into House Jing¡¯an?

    They watched as Chu Lian led her two maidservants across Zhuque Avenue. Weren¡¯t they heading this way anding into Jinshi Pavilion?

    None of the staff had bothered to wait on them in Hengsheng Medicine Hall, and Chu Lian hadn¡¯t seen any precious medicinal ingredients on disy on the counters, so she gave up. Furthermore, she wasn¡¯t too sure on what Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s condition was. Medicine wasn¡¯t always good for the body, so it was better not to give her mother-inw something to be ingested.

    After listening to Wenqing¡¯s rmendation, Chu Lian decided to head into Jinshi Pavilion for a look.

    When she reached the center of Zhuque Avenue, she looked up at Jinshi Pavilion and spotted some familiar figures.

    If not for the fact that the people inside had already seen her, she would have definitely turned right around and ran the other way. Associating with thedies of her maiden family, especially with that half-sister of hers around, was never a good thing.

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t resist looking up to the sky and wondering if her luck was that bad today. She had met with a bunch of unlucky events already, and now here was one more.

    Chu Lian pressed her lips and asked Wenqing, ¡°Is it possible to run away now?¡±

    Wenqing saw that the three luxuriously dresseddies were walking their way, clearly about to wee their Third Young Madam, so she could only heartlessly shatter Chu Lian¡¯s dream. ¡°We can¡¯t, Third Young Madam. They¡¯re on their way to wee you.¡±

    ¡°Wenqing, don¡¯t you know martial arts? Can¡¯t you fly into the air, walk on the walls, and take me away? I really don¡¯t want to meet those people.¡±

    Wenqing had a difficult expression as she replied, ¡°Third Young Madam, have you been reading too many stories? Even the Dragon and Tiger Guards can¡¯t fly and walk on walls, let alone this servant and Wen.¡±

    Chu Lian could only hang her head and sigh in distress. She was resigned to her fate.

    In a pitiful voice, Chu Lian said, ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to protect meter, or else I¡¯ll get bullied by those people.¡±

    Wenqing was speechless. She had already gone out with Chu Lian a few times before. Even if Third Young Madam was a physically weak, youngdy, had she ever really been bullied by anyone they met? It was always Third Young Madam who angered her opponents until they could choke to death on their rage. She pressed her lips together, no longer willing to reply. She became even quieter than Wen.

    Chu Lian could only harrumph, acting disappointed. ¡°You girls are bing more and more boring.¡±

    In the time it took for their conversation to end, they had already reached the main entrance of Jinshi Pavilion and the other three misses had alreadye out to wee them.

    Fifth Miss was in the front with a slight smile. It made her round face look a little more innocent.

    ¡°What a coincidence, Sixth Sister! Who could have thought that we¡¯d meet here on Zhuque Avenue?¡±

    Miss Yuan stood behind Miss Su, eyeing Chu Lian up and down. Chu Lian was only wearing a in, light blue dress with a simple jade hairpin in her hair. She didn¡¯t even have a single bangle on her wrist. This poor appearance looked even shabbier than when she had been living in the Ying Estate!

 Chapter 175: Fishing for a Gift (1)

    It looked like Chu Lian wasn¡¯t living the life of luxury like she had expected!

    After jumping to conclusions, Miss Yuan¡¯s anger from Miss Su and Miss Fu¡¯s provocation subsided.

    Chu Lian nodded at these ¡®sisters¡¯ of hers. She was a titled noble madam now, so she didn¡¯t need to make any bigger gestures of respect towards them.

    Miss Su invited Chu Lian into Jinshi Pavilion. In a abnormal disy of behaviour, Miss Yuan walked close to Chu Lian¡¯s side and bumped Wen away before grabbing onto Chu Lian¡¯s arms and calling her ¡®Sixth Sister¡¯.

    Chu Lian felt goosebumps rising all over her body thanks to Miss Yuan¡¯s overly intimate tone. Her gazended on Miss Yuan¡¯s hands wrapped around her left arm, and she didn¡¯t bother hiding the disgust she felt in her eyes. Miss Yuan¡¯s gaze met hers, but she acted as if she hadn¡¯t noticed how annoyed she was. Conversely, she acted as if they were best friends, ttering her with, ¡°Sixth Sister, we heard about your noble title! We just didn¡¯t have the time to visit you in the Jing¡¯an Estate to congratte you. You won¡¯t me this sister, would you?¡±

    Chu Lian snorted inwardly. If House Ying really cared about this matter, then they would have made it known to her, instead of waiting for Miss Yuan to mention it now after they had ran into each other.

    Although it was rare to get the Honoured Lady title, it was just a low-ranking title without any imperial privilege. It wouldn¡¯t affect the court a single bit. To House Ying, she was no longer part of their family once she got married. Her parents didn¡¯t care about her either, so it was normal to receive such cold treatment from them. Luckily, she wasn¡¯t the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯, so this waspletely fine to her.

    What was there toin about? She had more freedom now than they would¡¯ve ever given her back there!

    Since House Ying had drawn the lines between them, they would have to think again if they wanted to make use of their connection in the future!

    Chu Lian really didn¡¯t want to y nice with them at all, but they were out in public now so she had to care about keeping up House Jing¡¯an¡¯s reputation.

    She said with good temper, ¡°I won¡¯t me you, it¡¯s just a small matter.¡±

    Miss Yuan rolled her eyes, and a corner of her mouth hooked up. Her expression practically screamed, ¡®At least you¡¯re smart enough to realise that¡¯. Wenqing almost choked on her anger upon seeing that expression. Her hands balled into fists as she felt outrage on behalf of her master.

    Miss Su was about two steps in front of them as she listened to their conversation. Her brows drew together in a frown. Afraid that Miss Yuan would chase Chu Lian away with her provocation, she quickly tried to smooth out the tense atmosphere. ¡°Sixth Sister, have youe to Jinshi Pavilion to pick out some essories as well?¡±

    By this time, the Ying sisters had reached Jinshi Pavilion¡¯s main hall.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to let them know that she was here to pick out a birthday present for Countess Jing¡¯an, so she casually nodded.

    Miss Su¡¯s eyes darkened a little. Ever since the incident at the Dingyuan Estate, she could feel the distance that Chu Lian was putting between her, Madam Rong, and the whole of House Ying.

    Back at the Dingyuan Estate, she hadn¡¯t jumped out to support Chu Lian at the first hint of something wrong, and she had always felt guilty over it. Seeing Chu Lian¡¯s attitude towards them, she dropped the conversation.

    The main hall of Jinshi Pavilion was decorated elegantly andvishly. There were small rest areas with tables, chairs, and incense burners behind the screens of the main hall for the noble madams anddies to rest. There was even a tea room in the building in the back.

    When the fourdies sat down, maidservants came up to serve them sencha. The same manager came up to serve them personally.

    Miss Fu¡¯s eyes nced over Chu Lian¡¯s outfit and a tinge of disdain filled her expression. The three branches of House Ying had never been at peace with each other. Even if Chu Lian had married out of House Ying, she was still ady from the second branch. From Miss Fu¡¯s perspective, she and Miss Yuan were on the same boat. Now that the chance had fallen into herp, how could Miss Fu not make use of it?

    Miss Fu faked envy as she looked at Chu Lian. ¡°It was really a matter of pride for our House Ying when Sixth Sister received that personal title from the Emperor! Grandmother even praised Sixth Sister in front of me two days ago! It even made me a little jealous. Grandmother also said that the imperial family usually bestows material awards when the Emperor personally gives out an Honoured Lady title! I heard that it¡¯s usually at least a few hundred taels of gold, and that¡¯s not counting the number of dresses and essories you must have received! I¡¯m really quite envious of you!¡±

    Miss Su hadn¡¯t expected Miss Fu to have brought that topic up. She shot a warning look at Miss Fu.

    Miss Yuan¡¯s eyes abruptly lit up with greed before it was quickly reced with jealousy and unhappiness.

    Chu Lian remained unmoved. She simply continued watching thedies before her with wide eyes, inwardly wanting tough. Miss Fu hadn¡¯t even done her research before trying to make up this lie. The original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had probably met the old madam of House Ying maybe twice a year at most. Any servant in the Ying Estate knew that the old madam didn¡¯t like this daughter from the second branch at all. How could she have possibly done something so out-of-character as praising her? Also, getting a reward of a few hundred gold taels from a measly Honoured Lady title? Did she think that the imperial treasury was a mountain of gold and silver?

    Miss Fu¡¯s words were just too fantastical. She was probably only able to hoodwink the narrow minded Miss Yuan. Even Jinshi Pavilion¡¯s manager hadn¡¯t moved at all; she clearly didn¡¯t think much about what Miss Fu had said.

    When Miss Fu finished speaking, she cast a measuring gaze over Chu Lian and Miss Yuan, smirking with bad intentions.

    The single motive she had for saying something like that was to provoke that Eighth Miss, Chu Yuan.

    Chu Yuan had clearly gotten hooked. Back then, when they had both been unmarrieddies of House Ying, she had been better at Chu Lian in everything. Food, living standards, even her monthly allowance had been ten taels higher than Chu Lian¡¯s.

    When Chu Lian had gotten married, Second Madam had used some underhanded measures to cut the original sum of a thousand taels by half. She had been especially happy back then, because her mother had given her half of the confiscated silver.

    However, things were different now. It was bad enough that Chu Lian had gotten a noble title and a personal name from the Emperor. She had actually gotten that much in rewards? A few hundred taels of gold? How could she hold back her jealousy?

    The n that she had thought of just now came to mind again.

 Chapter 176: Fishing for a Gift (2)

    Chu Yuan held back the jealousy in her heart and forced herself to show a smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Sixth Sister to have be so rich! No wonder you¡¯vee to Jinshi Pavilion. I took a liking to an essory just now, it¡¯s only a hundred or so taels of silver. That must be nothing to Sixth Sister. Perhaps Sixth Sister could buy it for your little sister?¡±

    Chu Yuan wanted all of Chu Lian¡¯s gold to be hers. However, she couldn¡¯t just snatch all of it in one go; she could only resort to these small tricks to make away with it bit by bit.

    When Chu Yuan finished speaking, she shot a nce at the manager. The manager knew that thesedies were fighting, so she didn¡¯t say much. She simply brought out the essory that Miss Yuan wanted earlier and ced it on the table in front of thedies. She smiled as she introduced it to Chu Lian. ¡°Madam, this young miss in yellow took a liking to this jade bangle earlier, fifty taels. This golden hairpin with emerald iys is the one that thedy next to you chose, one hundred and fifty taels. As for the youngest miss here, she picked this pearl and gold bracelet, sixty taels.¡±

    Not a single one of them was cheap!

    When the manager secretly nced at the humbly dressed Chu Lian, she was surprised. Dressed like that, who could have recognised her as the subject of thetest gossip in the capital, Honoured Lady Jinyi?

    The manager only took a quick look and didn¡¯t dare to stare too openly. She was trying to guess if Honoured Lady Jinyi was really that poor, or if she had purposely dressed like this for a reason.

    Chu Lian reached out with her slender fingers and looked over each of the three essories carefully. She kept nodding, seemingly satisfied. However, when she put thest item back into the brocade box, her brows drew together and she seemed a little put on the spot.

    ¡°As expected of essories made by Jinshi Pavilion, they¡¯re made quite finely.¡± As she said so, Chu Lian showed a slight trace of embarrassment on her face.

    Miss Fu and the others had been closely observing Chu Lian, so when Miss Fu spotted that minute change of expression, she inwardly snorted. She had guessed it right. So what if she was House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam? Or Honoured Lady Jinyi? Judging by her shabby appearance today, she probably wasn¡¯t passing her days very well in the Jing¡¯an Estate. She probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to take out a hundred taels of silver, going by her expression!

    ¡°We¡¯re still young, so we chose simpler essories. These three ornaments don¡¯t even add to three hundred taels. It¡¯s not a small sum for us, but it must be barely anything to Sixth Sister. Sixth Sister is an Honoured Lady that the Emperor personally named!¡± Miss Fu added on evilly.

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes in her mind.

    If three hundred taels isn¡¯t much, why don¡¯t you just rob me directly?!

    Three hundred taels would be enough for amoner¡¯s family to live out their whole lives!

    Chu Lian put on a troubled smile. ¡°Ninth Sister, what are you saying?¡±

    Miss Su had also detected Chu Lian¡¯s floundering, so she reprimanded Miss Fu. ¡°Ninth Sister, how could we possibly ask Sixth Sister to pay for our shopping? Don¡¯t make trouble for her!¡±

    ¡°Fifth Sister, that¡¯s an unjust usation. How could Sixth Sister be troubled by a mere three hundred taels?¡±

    Chu Lian could have imed not to have any money in the past, because that was the truth! However, thanks to that Honoured Lady title, she couldn¡¯t just im to be poor now.

    Her noble title meant that her actions affected the reputation of the imperial family. With the personal name, she could be counted as half an imperial family member. If she imed to be poor, then it would be the same as iming that the imperial family was poor, disgracing the imperial family.

    Chu Lian looked more carefully at this Ninth Sister of hers. She hadn¡¯t expected a thirteen year old child to be trying such plots already.

    How was Miss Fu so confident that she would just take this lying down?

    Miss Yuan¡¯s gaze was fixed on that golden hairpin. It was made with fine detail, and the three simrly sized emeralds at the top of the hairpin were pretty. Under themp light, it would probably shine even more. When she thought of how this beautiful hairpin would soon be hers without having to spend a single coin, and how angry Chu Lian would be in the process of paying for it, her heart was filled with joy.

    Thus, Miss Yuan helped to further the ploy. ¡°Fifth Sister, don¡¯t forget. It¡¯s not the same as before. Sixth Sister is the Honoured Lady Jinyi now!¡±

    Although Miss Su wanted to protect Chu Lian, the two younger sisters were coborating against them so she couldn¡¯t even think of a rebuttal. Finally, she could only look at Chu Lian apologetically.

    Chu Lian returned a troubled smile to her. Without saying whether she could afford to buy these essories, she turned to the manager standing by the side to ask, ¡°Manager, are there other designs? Take them out to show me.¡±

    Miss Fu was delighted by Chu Lian¡¯s increasingly troubled expression. She didn¡¯t care whether Chu Lian would buy that bracelet for her or not. All she wanted was to make Chu Lian lose face and fall in disgrace. She wanted her to know that it wasn¡¯t easy to keep that noble title of hers. Once the news that Chu Lian had disgraced the imperial family¡¯s name spread out, someone would definitely pass it on to the Emperor or Empress. By then, before she could even settling down with her noble title, it would probably be taken back. Chu Lian would be the joke of the capital then!

 Chapter 177: Gifting a Jade Bangle (1)

    The female manager made a sound of agreement and quickly brought back quite a few sets of jewellry with the help of a maidservant. She ced them all in front of Chu Lian, one by one.

    This time, the essories that the manager brought over were cheaper than the previous three.

    The moment Chu Lian picked up a gold ring and nced over it, she realised these new essories couldn¡¯tpare to the three that the House Ying sisters had chosen. Without exposing the manager¡¯s actions, she gently set the gold ring back down. However, Chu Lian didn¡¯t continue browsing through the new selection.

    Instead, she stood up and walked over to the counter. Everyone else exchanged nces. Even the manager didn¡¯t know what this inly dressed Honoured Lady Jinyi was thinking. It wasn¡¯t until Chu Lian¡¯s soft voice rang out again that the manager regained her senses.

    ¡°Manager, take these jade rings out. I¡¯d like to have a look at them.¡±

    The manager quickly strode over to the counter and slipped behind it. When she saw exactly what Chu Lian was pointing at, she was rendered speechless.

    The manager recovered a momentter. She swiftly removed the exquisite wooden box andid it out for Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian had pointed to a pair of green Hetian jade thumb rings. One wasrger while the other was smaller. It was clear that they formed a matching set.

    Green Hetian jade was a prized type of jade. Whatever the form, it was viewed as extremely valuable. Wearing rings on the thumb had not yete into fashion in the Great Wu Dynasty. In court, only military officials would wear rings on their thumbs, which helped in drawing bows.

    When Jinshi Pavilion had received this piece of Hetian jade back then, they hadn¡¯t nned on making thumb rings out of them. Unfortunately, there was a w in the raw material, so after much consideration by the master craftsman, they decided to make a pair anyway. It was the best usage for that particr piece of jade they had. However, not many people were interested in buying thumb rings, so the customers had always passed over this pair... until now.

    Thus, Chu Lian ended up reaping the benefits today.

    This exact pair of green Hetian jade thumb rings had appeared in the original story as well. ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had also chanced upon this set of rings, though it hadn¡¯t been at Jinshi Pavillion, and she had also bought them. Therger ring that was clearly sized for a man had ended up on Xiao Bojian¡¯s hand.

    Xiao Bojian had been a literary official. It was thanks to his wearing of this green jade thumb ring that thumb rings turned into a status symbol and a fashion trend.

    When held in hand, the Hetian jade rings felt slightly warm to the touch. The jade was of extremely high quality; its lustre and colour were top-notch. The smaller ring seemed to have been made for Chu Lian. When she put it on her thumb, the vibrant green of the jadeplemented her fair fingers. It was beautiful.

    Even thedies from House Ying were a little dazed from the sight. They had never thought that an essory that only roughshod military men wore could look this good on a woman¡¯s hand. If it was matched by a full set of riding clothes, then the effect would be greatly magnified.

    Chu Lian was satisfied, of course. She looked at the manager and indicated with her eyes that she would like an exnation about the rings.

    After the manager got over her surprise, she calmed down and stated, ¡°Madam, this one doesn¡¯t dare to hide anything from you. What you¡¯re holding now is a pair of thumb rings. It¡¯s made from the highest quality green Hetian jade. The amount of jade we received back then was limited, so all we could make was these. But hardly anyone is interested in buying thumb rings; they¡¯ve been on disy for quite some time now without any buyers. If Madam would truly like to buy these, this one will take the initiative and make an offer of three hundred taels of silver for you. Is this agreeable to you?¡±

    Chu Lian nodded as she listened. It was the same as the novel. This pair of rings was much cheaper than normal Hetian jade essories, as expected. Jinshi Pavilion¡¯s manager was rather honest and had given her a fair price for them.

    However, three hundred taels wasn¡¯t a small sum, either.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t make any mention of buying them, but she didn¡¯t let the manager put the rings away. Instead, she took a look at some other essories.

    Miss Fu was right behind Chu Lian. At an angle where no one could see, she sneered as she thought, ¡®If you can¡¯t afford it, why bother asking at all? Does she think that she can buy some time and wait for someone to pay up for her instead?¡¯

    Miss Yuan was also starting to be impatient. ¡°Sixth Sister, after looking at so many essories, are you finally done browsing?¡±

    Chu Lian turned to nce at her. She set down the orchid-shaped jade hairpin in her hands and actually pulled out a smile for Miss Yuan.

    ¡°Is anything the matter? It seems like Eighth Sister is more anxious than I am.¡±

    Without waiting for Miss Yuan¡¯s angry rebuttal, Miss Fu took the initiative to speak up next. Her smile concealed a certain hidden meaning as she said, ¡°Sixth Sister, you couldn¡¯t have possibly left your house in such a hurry that you forgot to bring any money with you, right? It¡¯s alright, we can forgo those essories.¡±

    Miss Su was angered. ¡°Eighth Sister, Ninth Sister! That¡¯s enough from you two!¡±

    Miss Fu was keeping a close eye on Chu Lian¡¯s expression. Although Chu Lian seemed calm on the surface, there was a hint of panic in her almond-shaped eyes. Thus, Miss Fu was satisfied by the effect of her provocation.

    She was inwardly thinking, ¡®Let¡¯s see how she tries to recover from this now!¡¯

    The manager maintained her silence and secretly peeked at Chu Lian. She didn¡¯t really believe that the inly dressed Chu Lian had more than a thousand taels to spend on these essories.

    Chu Lian looked at Miss Su and reassured her. ¡°Fifth Sister, there¡¯s no need to worry. I think that jade bangle is a good choice. It will look good on you.¡±

    Then, she turned and shot a look at Miss Yuan and Miss Fu. A bright spark shone in her ck eyes. The sudden difference in her expression made Miss Yuan and Miss Fu uneasy for a moment; they couldn¡¯t speak.

    The traces of reluctance and worry hadpletely disappeared from Chu Lian¡¯s eyes. Instead, they shone bright with humour and cunning, as brilliant as the stars in the night sky.

    She turned to face the stunned manager and said, ¡°Manager, please pack up the three essories that thesedies picked out just now and this pair of thumb rings. Wenqing, follow the manager and settle the bill.¡±

 Chapter 178: Gifting a Jade Bangle (2)

    Chu Lian had already looked around at the other essories in Jinshi Pavilion. Although their workmanship and material were high quality, their designs were old and simple. There weren¡¯t many fresh designs in the lot either. It would be much better if she made a design herself and gave it to a master craftsman at Jinshi Pavilion to craft for her.

    The manager had thought that she couldn¡¯t afford a single essory at all. Who could have expected that she would be so generous when the time came? She actually bought the set of rings she had taken a liking to, as well as all the essories the threedies had picked.

    Altogether, that was a purchase of six hundred taels of silver; this was a huge sale.

    The manager smiled widely from ear to ear and said, ¡°Since Madam is buying all these essories, this one will take the initiative to round off the final figure to six hundred taels. Of course, the pair of jade earrings this one offered for free earlier will be counted in.¡±

    Hearing this, Wenqing took out six hundred taels¡¯ worth of banknotes from her purse and passed it over to the manager. After the manager checked the banknotes, she took care to pack up the essories properly in their wooden boxes, and passed these over to Wenqing and Wen.

    Chu Lian smiled until her almond-shaped eyes turned into upturned crescents as she looked at the threedies.

    The three sisters from House Ying couldn¡¯t hide the shock on their faces. However, there were different nuances to their shock. Miss Su¡¯s face carried a trace of concern, while Miss Yuan¡¯s smile was full of the secret delight taken in an unexpected windfall. Meanwhile, Miss Fu was showing resentment and dissatisfaction from not seeing her plotse to fruition.

    Miss Fu sourly remarked, ¡°Sixth Sister has really changed her fortunes since getting that noble title! I¡¯ve really broadened my horizons today!¡±

    This time, Chu Lian didn¡¯t remain quiet and looked right at Miss Fu with a broad smile. ¡°Thank you for your praise, Ninth Sister.¡±

    Miss Fu was so choked by those words that she couldn¡¯t even maintain the fake expression on her face. A hint of her unhappiness shone through.

    Miss Yuan¡¯s gaze darted to the boxes that Wen was carrying. She hated that she couldn¡¯t take that emerald hairpin she wanted immediately.

    Only Miss Su followed behind Chu Lian and watched her with concern, worried that she had spent too much of her money after getting provoked just now.

    After buying the essories, Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to stay in Jinshi Pavilion any longer. The fourdies of House Ying were escorted to Jinshi Pavilion¡¯s entrance by the manager.

    When they reached the ce where Chu Lian¡¯s carriage had stopped, she paused and turned. She took one of the boxes from Wen and gave it to Miss Su, who was right behind her.

    ¡°Fifth Sister, this is the jade bangle you wanted. Take it.¡±

    Miss Su rejected it and shook her head. ¡°Sixth Sister, this bangle is too expensive, I can¡¯t take it. You should bring it home with you to wear!¡±

    Miss Su had never expected nor wanted Chu Lian to give her that jade bangle at all.

    Chu Lian red at her yfully and shoved the jade bangle into her hands. ¡°Fifth Sister, this jade bangle doesn¡¯t suit me at all. It¡¯ll be useless if I bring it home with me.¡± She even showed her wrists to Miss Su.

    Chu Lian¡¯s wrists were much more slender than Miss Su¡¯s, so the jade bangle really didn¡¯t suit her.

    Miss Yuan¡¯s eyes were wide open and her heart was filled with anxiety as she watched the two of them politely passing the box here and there. She really wanted to help Miss Su ept the gift, so that Miss Su¡¯s rejection wouldn¡¯t affect the likelihood of Chu Lian giving her the golden hairpin. When Miss Su finally epted that jade bangle, she heaved a sigh of relief. Miss Yuan¡¯s gaze immediately locked onto Chu Lian next.

    Miss Su had no other choice but to ept the bangle. She felt guilty and happy at the same time. Chu Lian¡¯s willingness to give her something meant that the rtionship between them could still be repaired. ¡°Then I¡¯ll thank Sixth Sister here. The next time I have something good in my hands, I¡¯ll definitely think of Sixth Sister first.¡±

    Chu Lian smiled at her and patted the back of her hand. Next, she set her eyes on Miss Yuan and Miss Fu.

    Miss Yuan was staring at her with an almost frenzied gaze, while Miss Fu had been going around with an ugly expression since getting pped in the face by her actions in Jinshi Pavilion. She couldn¡¯t even be bothered to fake a pleasant smile, and instead, pursed her lips without speaking.

    Chu Lian inwardly rolled her eyes. Miss Fu was still expecting a gift from her even in this state? Did Miss Fu really think that she was a saint or something?

    Chu Lian looked away from them and looked to Miss Su instead. With a warm expression, she said, ¡°Fifth Sister, it¡¯s gettingte now. It¡¯s about time for me to head home. Let¡¯s say our goodbyes here. I¡¯ll send you an invite for a flower appreciation party at the Jing¡¯an Estate some other time.¡±

    Miss Su smiled and nodded. Goodbyes done, Chu Lian immediately turned to her carriage, leaving a slender silhouette for Miss Fu and the others to gaze upon.

    Miss Yuan was momentarily stunned. Without even thinking, she reached out her hand towards Chu Lian as if she wanted to bring her back. When Miss Yuan recovered her wits, she couldn¡¯t help but chase after her.

    ¡°Sixth Sister, wait!¡±

    Chu Lian stopped and turned around. She blinked innocently and tilted her head to one side in mock confusion. ¡°Eighth Sister, is there something the matter?¡±

    Miss Yuan pressed her lips together, her eyes full of disbelief. She... she... she actually forgot her golden hairpin! How could she do that! She had picked that golden hairpin first! It should be hers!

    Miss Yuan exercised thest of her restraint to hold back the unhappiness and frustration in her heart and managed to squeeze out a slightly strained smile. She tried to remind Chu Lian by saying, ¡°Sixth Sister, have you forgotten something?¡±

    Chu Lian looked upwards, as if she was giving a serious amount of thought to this question. After a moment, she smiled as she met Miss Yuan¡¯s expectant gaze and shook her head. ¡°My memory¡¯s still good! I remembered everything important, and didn¡¯t forget anything.¡±

    What!

    Miss Yuan¡¯s eyes widened and her hands curled into fists under her sleeves. She angrily said, ¡°Since Sixth Sister can¡¯t remember, then I¡¯ll remind Sixth Sister. That golden hairpin!¡±

 Chapter 179: Who Said Itâ€™s For You? (1)

    Chu Lian acted as if she had just realised what was going on. ¡°Oh, does Eighth Sister mean that golden hairpin I just bought from Jinshi Pavilion? What¡¯s wrong with it?¡±

    When Miss Yuan saw that Chu Lian was still pretending to have forgotten about their deal, she wanted to charge right up to Wen and take the golden hairpin out of her hands.

    ¡°I was the one who chose that hairpin!¡±

    Chu Lian nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, Eighth Sister did choose that golden hairpin.¡±

    To Miss Yuan, Chu Lian admitting this fact was the equivalent of a box of tinder resparking the me of hope in her eyes. But her next words left Miss Yuan utterly dumbfounded.

    ¡°However, I was the one who paid for it. Does Eighth Sister think that anything you take a liking to is automatically yours? Aren¡¯t you too naive?¡±

    This statementpletely blindsided her. Although Miss Yuan now knew there wasn¡¯t much of a chance that she would get that golden hairpin from Chu Lian, she continued to argue anyway. ¡°But you gave that jade bangle to Fifth Sister!¡±

    ¡°So I did. But I never thought of giving the golden hairpin to you. Did you ever hear me say anything like that?¡± Chu Lian threw down her final words and turned to walk towards her carriage.

    Now that her back was facing those three sisters of House Ying, she couldn¡¯t resist showing a mischievous smile. Wenqing and Wen felt just as refreshed from that scene. Their hearts were filled with the deepest admiration for their master. What great face-pping skills their master had! What a delight!

    This oue was out of Miss Fu¡¯s expectations. She stood rooted to the spot, too stunned from the sudden twist of events to move. It took her a long time to recover.

    Miss Yuan¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. How could Chu Lian do this to her! How could she be so shameless! That golden hairpin should be hers!

    The House Ying sisters¡¯ trap was too obvious. From the very beginning, Chu Lian had never intended to let their schemes seed. Buying all the jewellry they had picked out? Part of the n. Giving Miss Su the jade bangle? Also part of her n, to make the other two think she had indeed bought those essories for them. However, Chu Lian had intentionally never once said that she was going to give them to them!

    Buying the essories was one thing. Whether she was going to give them to them was a whole other matter.

    For a moment, Miss Su watched Chu Lian¡¯s back as she departed. Then, she turned her gaze back onto Miss Yuan and Miss Fu, and with a sneer, she said to them, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. We should be going home, too.¡±

    ¡°Going home? I don¡¯t want to go home! I want that golden hairpin!¡± In her rage, Miss Yuan began to throw a childish tantrum.

    ¡°Since you want it so much, go back to Jinshi Pavilion with a hundred and fifty taels and you¡¯ll have one.¡± Miss Su was done being polite. While she had a kind personality, she wasn¡¯t someone to be bullied. Miss Yuan wasn¡¯t from the same family branch anyway, so she didn¡¯t have any reason to give in to her whining.

    Miss Yuan felt very aggrieved. Tears fell one by one from her eyes, shining like pearls. She had been spoiled rotten by Second Madam, so though she was already fourteen this year, her attitude was still careless and thoughtless. The moment things didn¡¯t go her way, she would throw a tantrum.

    Even her handmaid was embarrassed for her.

    Miss Yuan looked around for someone she could childishly badger until they gave in, like back at home, but Miss Su and Miss Fu simply looked at her with disdain.

    However, by looking at her surroundings, she actually found someone she could use her charms on. Not too far off, a middle-aged man was walking in their direction with a manservant behind him. Who else could it be but the second master of House Ying, Chu Qizheng!

    The moment Miss Yuan caught sight of Chu Qizheng, she dashed over and hugged him. ¡°Daddy!¡±

    Upon leaving the Pan Estate, Chu Qizheng had bumped into House Ying¡¯s two young masters on the street. He had heard from them that the three youngdies were at Jinshi Pavilion, and thus, had rushed over.

    When he looked down and saw that his daughter¡¯s nose was red and her face was covered in the tear tracks, Chu Qizheng frowned. Who had dared to bully his daughter? He tenderly patted her hair and said, ¡°What happened to our little Yuan? Why are you so sad?¡±

    ¡°Daddy! Sixth Sister stole my golden hairpin! I was clearly the one who picked it out!¡± Miss Yuan¡¯s voice softened as sheined to her father.

    Chu Qizheng¡¯s brows furrowed together even more. Chu Lian?

    Miss Su was about to exin when Miss Fu pulled her away. Miss Fu lowered her voice and whispered into Miss Su¡¯s ear, ¡°Fifth Sister, it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t bother with the second branch¡¯s family matters. Beware of biting off more than you can chew.¡±

    Miss Su hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to keep silent. This second uncle of hers was known for being headstrong. Even if she tried to cut in, he probably wouldn¡¯t listen to her.

    Miss Yuan had finally found someone she could depend on. She looked up at Chu Qizheng with her teary eyes and pointed in the direction that Chu Lian had left in.

    At this moment, Chu Lian had just walked up to her carriage. Wen had retrieved a small stool from inside the carriage and was preparing to help Chu Lian up.

    Chu Qizheng didn¡¯t have any male heirs, and he only had a single daughter left with him in the Ying Estate. He had spoiled his second daughter like a pearl in the palm of his hand since she was young. Of course he was going to help rectify this injustice she had suffered. Thus, he strode towards Chu Lian together with Chu Yuan, even though he had only heard just a few words from his daughter.

    Right before she could get into her carriage, Chu Lian noticed her father walking towards her from the corners of her eyes.

    Thus, she stopped moving and stood by the carriage, brows slightly drawn together as Chu Qizheng came closer.

    When he was close enough, Chu Lian made a slight bow and gave a proper greeting to Chu Qizheng.

    ¡°Does Father have any urgent business with me?¡±

    Chu Qizheng¡¯s features were pretty good for his age, and he might even be considered a suave middle-aged uncle. What a pity that he was currently frowning with a serious, unhappy expression. It utterly spoiled his natural good looks.

    He didn¡¯t bother beating around the bush with Chu Lian and simply stated, ¡°Return that golden hairpin to your sister. Your sister said that it¡¯s hers. As her older sister, you should give in to your younger sister.¡±

    If she wasn¡¯t sure that she was a legitimate daughter of House Ying, Chu Lian might have suspected that she wasn¡¯t of his blood. He was the father of both of them, but Chu Qizheng¡¯s heart was clearly too biased towards one daughter!

    Luckily she wasn¡¯t the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ and Chu Qizheng was simply some middle-aged stranger she had met a few times. If she really took him as her father, wouldn¡¯t she choke to death based on his words alone?

 Chapter 180: Who Said Itâ€™s For You? (2)

    Now that she had someone to back her up, Miss Yuan looked at Chu Lian in delight, unting her power.

    Chu Lian was toozy to argue with this braindead pair of father and daughter. She rolled her eyes with an exaggerated motion, without any care for her image. She then snorted and said, ¡°Daddy, why did youe to interrogate me without first making sure of the truth? Those not in the know might even think that I¡¯m not really your daughter!¡±

    Chu Qizheng red at her in disbelief that she would say such words. His rage shot through the roof and he was about to vent his temper and give her a sound scolding. However, Chu Lian didn¡¯t give him the chance.

    ¡°Next time, I hope Daddy can investigate the truth properly beforeing to interrogate your daughter. Don¡¯t just ce all the me on me without any proof. My husband isn¡¯t around and I¡¯m alone, so I can¡¯t withstand your usations. It was me who bought that golden hairpin you mentioned. One hundred and fifty taels: no more, no less. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask the manager over at Jinshi Pavilion. If Eighth Sister likes it, Daddy can buy one for Eighth Sister there. I¡¯m sure that Daddy won¡¯t be bothered about spending such a trivial sum of money since you¡¯re such a great and mighty man.¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t continue any further. She boarded her carriage by herself. With a crack of the driver¡¯s whip, Chu Lian¡¯s carriage departed with the escort of her family servants, disappearing from Chu Qizheng¡¯s sight.

    Chu Qizheng only knew Chu Lian as the daughter who sometimes craved for his approval. He hadn¡¯t expected her topletely abandon all consideration for his pride- she had disgraced him without a second thought! His face was as ck as a pot. However, he couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with what Chu Lian had said, either.

    Finally, he could only hold back his anger and question Miss Yuan. ¡°Is what your Sixth Sister said true?¡±

    Miss Yuan knew that her plot had failed again, so she harrumphed and said, ¡°Sixth Sister bought that golden hairpin, but I was clearly the one who chose it first!¡± As she spoke, she started to cry. She looked up at Chu Qizheng with a pitiful expression. ¡°Daddy, I really like that golden hairpin. Maybe... Daddy can buy a hairpin for little Yuan?¡±

    Buying a hairpin?

    Chu Qizheng¡¯s face froze. Second Madam was strictly in charge of the finances at home, and he didn¡¯t have much squared away in his private funds. He usually went out to y, drink, and have fun. How could he possibly have a hundred taels to buy a hairpin?! What a dangerous thought that Miss Yuan had!

    ¡°Nonsense! Stop thinking about buying this and that! All you know how to do is spend money on essories! Girls your age should be doing more productive things, like focusing on your studies.¡± Chu Qizheng tossed his sleeves and left. Due to Chu Lian¡¯s words, his chest was full of rage.

    When Miss Yuan saw that her n hadn¡¯te to fruition, she wiped her tears with a handkerchief and looked down with reddened eyes. Her heart was full of hate for Chu Lian.

    Miss Fu and Miss Su were watching from afar. Miss Fu¡¯s lips curled up and she mocked, ¡°Ever since Sixth Sister got married, she¡¯s been getting more and more difficult to deal with. ¡°

    However, Miss Su didn¡¯t share her thoughts. If only she could be as straightforward and decisive as Sixth Sister was!

    On the way back to the Jing¡¯an Estate, Chu Lian leaned against the wall and rested her eyes for a while. Wenqing and Wen sat to one side and carefully watched her expression. Finally, Wenqing couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and began to try to console her. ¡°Third Young Madam, please don¡¯t think too much about what just happened. You¡¯re now a member of House Jing¡¯an. You have Third Young Master, Madam, and the matriarch!¡±

    Hearing this, Chu Lian opened her eyes to look at Wenqing. She suddenly smiled and reached out to pinch Wenqing¡¯s nose. ¡°You silly girl, what are you thinking about? I¡¯m not angry.¡±

    Her mother-inw and grandmother-inw both treated her very well. Chu Lian was already satisfied. As for that crazy, absentee husband of hers, forget it. She had never thought of expecting anything from him.

    When Wenqing saw that Chu Lian¡¯s smile seemed to be genuine and she really wasn¡¯t bothered by what happened just now, she heaved a sigh of relief together with Wen. Following that, she purposely tried to cheer her master up with a couple jokes.

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes. ¡°Alright, enough. Your jokes aren¡¯t funny at all!¡±

    Wenqing covered her smile with a hand. ¡°If Third Young Madam has any funnier jokes, then why don¡¯t you share them with us servants?¡±

    Chu Lian coughed once for effect. ¡°Then listen carefully.¡±

    Wenqing and Wen nodded seriously. Chu Lian coughed again into her fist before sending a sneaky nce at Wenqing and Wen with wide, watery eyes. ¡°If a fatty jumps from a nine-storey pagoda, what will he turn into?¡±

    Wenqing and Wen thought long and hard, and gave all sorts of guesses. They even tried guessing ¡®a god¡¯, but Chu Lian still shook her head.

    Wenqing was burning with curiosity since she couldn¡¯t guess the answer. With a coquettish lilt, she pleaded, ¡°Third Young Madam, please tell us the answer~! What will he turn into?¡±

    Dead serious, Chu Lian stated the answer without a single break in her expression. ¡°What else could it be? He¡¯d turn into a dead fatty, of course! What kind of human can survive a fall from a nine-storey tall pagoda?¡±

    Upon hearing the final answer, Wenqing and Wen looked like they just ate a mouthful of flies. Their mouths opened and closed, but in the end, they couldn¡¯t manage to say anything. From then on, the two maidservants never asked Third Young Madam for a joke ever again. Her jokes were way toome! They weren¡¯t funny at all. Sob sob sob.

    When she saw Wenqing and Wen¡¯s expressions, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t restrain herself any longer and fell backughing inside the carriage.

    Although her maiden family didn¡¯t love her and her husband wasn¡¯t interested in her, at least her handmaids were all really cute. With these sisters by her side, she didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit lonely at all.

 Chapter 181: Having Meat in the Army (1)

    The capital was currently in early autumn, signalling the arrival of the strong winds that would blow and disturb the people¡¯s daily lives every once in awhile. On the other hand, the northern border- specifically the city of Liangzhou- was already in the early stages of a deste winter.

    The roaming nomads had already stopped grazing their herds. They set up tents instead, storing up food to pass their winter. In the army camp just 5 kilometres away from Liangzhou, other than handling their normal daily chores, the army was still training for battle.

    Smoke was rising from the cookhouse in the camp. It was already time for dinner.

    The setting sun hung at the boundary of the horizon, casting its red light over the wide, vast ins, breathing additional colour into the scenery. However, no matter how vibrant and warm the colours, they couldn¡¯t erase the cold, piercing winter winds that blew over the ins at this time of year.

    A crisp, loud signal began to ring throughout the camp, transmitted to every nook and cranny.

    The moment thest section of training on the grounds ended, there was a roar of male voices as the captains shouted to begin eating.

    Even though it was the start of winter, the northern border troops were on standby, so they only got to eat two meals a day. One in the morning and one at night.

    After training for the whole day and getting drenched in sweat, the troops were so hungry that they could eat a horse, each. When the captain gave the order, they dashed towards the cookhouse at a speed that even the general¡¯s fastest shot couldn¡¯t match.

    In Captain Guo¡¯s camp, more than three hundred elite soldiers charged towards the cookhouse like hungry wolves.

    The tall, burly Captain Guo followed behind his soldiers. His tanned face carried a smile as he mock-scolded his speedy troops.

    Two men followed behind Captain Guo. The one on the left was sturdy, and even taller than Captain Guo by a full head. His eyes were like deep pools and his nose was tall and straight. He looked to be about twenty or so. However, his good looks were obscured by a thick, full beard covering half of his face. What a pity.

    The man on the right was about as tall as Captain Guo. He was clean-shaven, but his face was too square and his eyes were too small. Furthermore, his body was about one size bigger than Captain Guo¡¯s, so he wasn¡¯t as good-looking as hispanion. However, this burly, square-faced man seemed to be rather young as well.

    Captain Guo patted the backs of the two people next to him. ¡°Zixiang, Yuhong, you should manage these brats carefully. They¡¯re too rowdy!¡±

    Zixiang was He Changdi¡¯s name, while Yuhong was the burly square-faced man, of course.

    Due to Count Jing¡¯an and Prince Jin¡¯s influence, although this was He Changdi¡¯s first time serving in the northern border troops under Captain Guo, he was able to start off a little higher than the rest thanks to his status. He had managed to join as a lieutenant.

    In the Great Wu Dynasty, the rank of lieutenant meant that he had a small group of about a hundred men or so under hismand.

    Captain Guo had three lieutenants serving under him. Other than He Changdi and Xiao Yuhong, there was also a man in his thirties, Zhang Mai.

    He Changdi and Xiao Yuhong quickly chuckled and agreed with the captain.

    When Captain Guo saw that they had already started fighting over the food over at the cookhouse, he quickened his pace. ¡°Let¡¯s move a little faster before those hungry brats eat up all of our food.¡±

    Captain Guo was only joking. The army cooks would always keep his and his three lieutenants¡¯ meals aside.

    But even with this little courtesy, Captain Guo treated his soldiers like brothers. His meals were exactly the same fare as what the troops ate, although his portions might be a littlerger. He was an upright, honest person who never ordered any separate or special meals from the army cooks.

    The only time he had ever eaten something different from the troops was when he had insisted on leading their training even while he was sick. The old army cook hadn¡¯t been able to bear with seeing this, so he had specially made some wild chicken soup for him. That had already been a whole year ago.

    However, the northern border was a poor ce to be anyway. Although the troops were regrly given provisions and money, there was still a limit to the cirction of goods in this ce. The army provisions were also rough fare. When they weren¡¯t preparing for battle, it was only enough to fill the stomachs. Even if Captain Guo wanted to have something better, there wasn¡¯t really much else to eat.

 Chapter 182: Having Meat in the Army (2)

    When the three of them reached the cookhouse, the old army cook quickly brought out threerge porcin bowls and ced them on a small wooden table, which had four wooden stools ced around it. It was still dusk. Under the cover of the tent p, which blocked the wind from reaching them, they could use the fading light to have a rough meal of army fare.

    Captain Guo had his two assistants sit down first before pointing at the three bowls on the table. ¡°It¡¯s been a tiring day, let¡¯s just eat!¡±

    He Changdi and Xiao Yuhong didn¡¯t stand on courtesy and picked up some chopsticks to begin wolfing down their food.

    Today¡¯s dinner was Chinese olive porridge with some cabbage thrown in. There were two wheat pancakes thrown on top of the porridge- and no meat. The porridge itself was simply voured with a little bit of coarse salt. Since it was the lowest quality of salt, there was a strange taste to it as well.

    With this kind of food, they couldn¡¯t be picky about the taste. They could only use it to fill their stomachs out of ack of better options.

    Xiao Yuhong finished off a wheat pancake in two or three bites. When he tried to swallow it down, it got stuck in his throat. He had to gulp down quite a few mouthfuls of the porridge before he could push that piece of pancake down into his stomach.

    His face was flushed red from the exertion, and he stared into his bowl in a daze.

    Although he looked as strong as a bull, he was younger than He Changdi by a year at only neen years old. He had joined the army justst year, and his family was also a military official house. Although his family had been strict with his education, he had nevercked for any sort of food ever since he was young.

    ¡°Brother Guo, Brother He, at every meal time, I really miss eating the meat that my mother cooked. Back at home, I still thought that that meat was too fatty and oily. If I could have a whole pot of it now, I¡¯d finish it all up and lick it clean...¡±

    Captain Guo found it funny and pointed at his bowl. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You still have half your bowl left. If you can¡¯t finish it, give it to me; I¡¯ll help you eat it up!¡±

    Xiao Yuhong quickly pulled his bowl into a protective embrace, just like a little puppy trying to protect its food. The others couldn¡¯t hold back theirughter at the sight.

    ¡°No way! Brother Guo, I¡¯m not done yet!¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to eat meat?¡±

    ¡°But there isn¡¯t any! If there was meat, who would eat this porridge or these pancakes?¡±

    He Changdi held his bowl and slowly ate his meal. Although he ate pretty quickly, he didn¡¯t look like a starving wolf at all, and even seemed to have an elegant grace in his actions.

    It was just his beard that seemed a little inconvenient. Some porridge would get on it from time to time. He Changdi simply buried his head and ate his meal, acting deaf to the conversation of the two people beside him.

    Right after Captain Guo and Xiao Yuhong finished talking, a man¡¯s voice joined in, easy like a refreshing breeze. ¡°Who says there¡¯s no meat!¡±

    ¡°What? There¡¯s meat?¡± Xiao Yuhong immediately stood up, his eyes almost shining red from his hunger. He hadn¡¯t had a bite of meat for months now. Thanks to his excitement, his small eyes had grown wide.

    The man who spoke walked over with an empty bowl. He was about as tall as He Changdi, but without a beard on his face. He was also wearing a lieutenant¡¯s uniform, but he was clearly older than He Changdi by a whole decade. He was the third lieutenant under Captain Guo¡¯smand, Zhang Mai.

    Zhang Mai had been exempted from training today due to an old wound ring up. After resting in his tent for half the day, he had wandered over to the cookhouse for dinner.

    For some reason, the previously silent He Changdi suddenly froze.

    Xiao Yuhong was practically drooling from the thought of having meat to eat. He quickly moved over to Zhang Mai, face sticking out as if he could smell the meat. He pleaded in a friendly tone, ¡°Brother Zhang, you just said that there¡¯s meat to eat. You can¡¯t forget about your brother here!¡±

    Zhang Mai smiled mysteriously before reaching out with one finger and pointing at the now rigid He Changdi.

 Chapter 183: Having Meat in the Army (3)

    Both Xiao Yuhong and Captain Guo¡¯s gazes turned in unison to He Changdi. He Changdi looked up with a stiff expression; his deep eyes drew their attention, but screamed his innocence.

    Zhang Mai awkwardly coughed into his fist. Embarrassed, he said, ¡°Captain, I was a little too hasty with my words. The meat I mentioned was something that Zixiang¡¯s wife sent to him via messenger.¡±

    Life was tough out here in the border troops. Even a captain wouldn¡¯t be able to eat meat more than once a month out here. If someone wanted some, they would have to hunt it themselves out in the ins, and that was only when they were on a rare vacation. However, with the arrival of winter, the animals were all in hibernation. It was getting harder and harder to find anything to hunt. Suffering from meat withdrawal was an all toomon problem out here amongst the northern border troops.

    The troops did not maintain contact with the Tuhun or the nomadic barbarians, and they didn¡¯t raise any livestock in their camp either. The amount of meat avable to them was pitiful.

    Zhang Mai shared a tent with He Changdi, and usually took good care of his junior. Big Brother Zhang was older than He Changdi by a whole decade, and had already been in the army for about that long as well. He had participated in countless battles and was Captain Guo¡¯s most trusted subordinate. He had much experience to share, but his years in the army had left old wounds on his body, so his health wasn¡¯t as good as the others.

    Furthermore, Liangzhou had just entered winter. After sweating it out on the training grounds and getting hit by a st of cold wind, coupled with the aching of his old wounds because of the chill, Zhang Mai had caught a cold. It had unfortunately manifested in a high fever, leaving him bedridden.

    The old doctor in camp hade over to take a look. All he had done was some acupuncture, and then had prescribed some medicine. As for food and water, that was all left to the patient¡¯s means to supply.

    When Captain Guo was notified of his situation, he ordered the army cooks to send a pot of white rice porridge to Zhang Mai. Captain Guo had had nothing better to offer.

    Since He Changdi shared a tent with Zhang Mai, he took up the responsibility of caring for him. As he watched Zhang Mai grow ever paler and skinnier due to his illness and old wounds, He Changdi quietly took out the translucent shredded beef that Chu Lian had sent to him. He scooped some out of the jar and ced it into Zhang Mai¡¯s porridge.

    When the bedridden Zhang Mai saw the shredded beef covered in oil sitting on top of his usually in porridge, his eyes wentpletely wide.

    Zhang Mai didn¡¯t stand on courtesy with He Sang, and quickly wolfed down his porridge in only a few big gulps. After he was done, he wiped his mouth and pointed at the bowl, asking with surprise, ¡°Where did thate from?¡±

    The normally taciturn He Sang then said, ¡°My wife sent it over.¡±

    Zhang Maiughed out loud, which only ended up making him cough. ¡°Since your wife sent it to you, you must have eaten much of it in the past. Why don¡¯t you leave the rest of it for your big brother here? It¡¯ll be good for my recovery.¡±

    Although He Sang looked calm andposed, Zhang Mai still hadn¡¯t expected him to be such a tough nut to crack. He Sang refused to answer him. In the end, he only gave Zhang Mai that shredded beef a few more times. When Zhang Mai had recovered, he had searched through every nook and cranny of that tent, but it was pointless. He couldn¡¯t find where He Changdi had hidden that little jar of translucent shredded beef.

    Zhang Mai could only shake his head and smile.

    When he had overheard that kid Xiao Yuhong talking about eating meat, Zhang Mai had simply mentioned He Changdi¡¯s store of meat casually.

    Although Captain Guo raised his troops with love, he trained them very strictly. He might seem coarse and open-hearted on the surface, but he actually wasn¡¯t too easy to get close to. Zhang Mai had been serving under this superior officer of his for many years, so he understood him a lot more than Xiao Yuhong and He Changdi did.

    Right now, though Captain Guo called these two kids his ¡®brothers¡¯, they weren¡¯t all that important to him on the inside. In order to soften the steel walls of Captain Guo¡¯s heart, some small tricks were needed.

    For example, this small matter of eating meat.

    Zhang Mai had seen He Changdi¡¯s ability. He came from a good background and had proven that he had both ambition and the talent to back it. He was also a good kid inside. Unfortunately, perhaps since it was his first time in the army, he still fell a little short when it came to interacting with others. Zhang Mai didn¡¯t know why, but he guessed that it might have been due to how he grew up when he was a child. That kid liked to keep a nk expression; although half of it was usually hidden by his full beard, it was inevitable that thebination of He Changdi¡¯s appearance and attitude would give a bad first impression.

    When he had first started interacting with He Changdi, Zhang Mai hadn¡¯t really liked him. He had toiled for ten years to get to this position of lieutenant, while He Changdi had gotten in just by a letter from Prince Jin.

    However, after interacting with him more, he had slowly began to approve of this young man. When he had fallen sick, He Changdi had taken very good care of him despite his cold expression. From his clumsy actions, Zhang Mai could tell that He Changdi had never really taken care of someone before. It was then that Zhang Mai had set down his initial misgivings and fully epted this junior of his. He hade out now with the intention of helping He Changdi out.

    Xiao Yuhong¡¯s eyes were alight. He quickly moved up to He Changdi and stared at him with wide eyes. ¡°Brother He, you really have meat?!¡±

    Although he spoke with some degree of yearning, he didn¡¯t ask for it outright. Still, Xiao Yuhong¡¯s desire was visible; his drool was about to drip out of his mouth.

    Captain Guo didn¡¯t press He Changdi at all. Instead, he continued eating the hard wheat pancake in his bowl. He looked up with a smile and shot He Changdi a nce.

    Zhang Mai was starting to regret trying to help this blockhead out, seeing as he hadn¡¯t realised what he was supposed to do. He kicked the wooden stool under He Changdi and said, ¡°You stupid brat, what are you nking out here for? It¡¯s just something your wife sent you. It¡¯s fine if you couldn¡¯t bear to let me eat it, but now you¡¯re even refusing to serve it to the captain?¡±

    He Changdi pressed his lips together and stood up. He bowed respectfully towards Captain Guo and said, ¡°Please wait for a moment, Captain.¡±

    He Changdi returned soon enough carrying a small jar. He ced it on the table and opened the lid; the unique smell of pickled beef drifted out and filled the room.

    ¡°Captain, it¡¯s all here now. Please try it.¡±

    He Changdi ordered someone to bring another bowl. He poured the remaining half of the translucent shredded beef into it.

 Chapter 184: Having Meat in the Army (4)

    Captain Guo used his chopsticks to pick some up, and took an experimental bite. After savouring the taste, his eyes lit up and he praised, ¡°It¡¯s good. Sister-in-Law must be a really good cook.¡± After saying so, he used his chopsticks to point at He Changdi. ¡°You lucky brat, you married a good wife! You were crazy enough toe all the way out here to the northern border, but not only did your wife not me you, she even sent you something good to eat. I heard that you came out here just a few days after getting married, too!¡±

    Xiao Yuhong hadn¡¯t heard of this news. He had been intently listening to this juicy piece of gossip while shoveling the shredded beef into his mouth, and didn¡¯t even bother to swallow before noisily asking, ¡°Brother He, what¡¯s wrong? Is Sister-in-Law not pretty enough for you?¡±

    Captain Guo harrumphed. ¡°Not pretty? So what if she¡¯s not pretty? As long as she can manage the household and give birth to a few sons, she¡¯s a good wife! Besides, I heard that he married a legitimate daughter from House Ying!¡±

    When Xiao Yuhong received a sudden warning re from Zhang Mai, he abruptly came to a realisation.

    The captain¡¯s wife was an ugly woman, but was deeply respected by the captain. She had also given birth to a fair amount of good sons and daughters for him. Xiao Yuhong came from amon family, but he still knew this much from listening to his mother and sisters¡¯ gossip sessions from before. That was also why he knew that, although House Ying was on the decline, theirdies had the reputation of being exceptionally fertile. Furthermore, their looks were all top notch. His wife was most likely not the reason that Brother He had left his home in such a hurry.

    Xiao Yuhong knew that he had stepped on andmine with his careless words, so he stopped talking and buried his head in his bowl of meat.

    From the side, Zhang Mai tried to smooth the dispute over. ¡°Captain¡¯s right. In the future when we return to the capital, we definitely have to go to the captain¡¯s estate and visit Sister-in-Law.¡±

    It was only then that Captain Guo was satisfied. He continued pointing at He Changdi as he lectured him. ¡°Since you¡¯vee out already and you can¡¯t disobey army orders, you won¡¯t be able to return home for quite some time. Still, you can¡¯t keep your head in the sand! You left a young wife back at home, you heartless bastard! She¡¯s living like a widow, but she hasn¡¯t forgotten to send you packages even with how you¡¯ve treated her. If you have time, make sure you send more letters back home. And when you have the money, don¡¯t forget to buy some local specialties and send them back to your wife and family.¡±

    Compared to how he usually addressed his brothers on the training grounds, there was an additional trace of sincerity in Captain Guo¡¯s tone. The way he was pointing out He Changdi¡¯s wrongs seemed more like an older brother earnestly lecturing a younger family member for their own good.

    Zhang Mai¡¯s smile widened a little upon hearing this. He Changdi also stopped being a block of wood and immediately stood up to bow deeply towards Captain Guo in thanks for his teachings.

    He could also feel that he had be much closer to Captain Guo thanks to this small jar of translucent shredded beef.

    He Changdi stared at the empty jar with mixed feelings in his heart.

    In the middle of this brotherly atmosphere, Xiao Yuhong, who had been acting like a backdrop up till now, pointed at the bowl of shredded beef and mumbled, ¡°Brothers, if you¡¯re not going to eat, this little brother is going to eat it all!¡±

    Right after he finished speaking, everyone¡¯s chopsticks shot towards the bowl. Now that everyone had joined the fray, the bowl was quickly emptied. When there was only a thinyer of beef left, Captain Guo red at He Changdi and said, ¡°What are you still eating for? Your wife made this, so you must have eaten tons of this before. And yet you still have the face to keep fighting with us?¡±

    This time, He Changdi was much more thick-skinned. He scooped up another piece with his chopsticks and, with nary a change in his expression, he said in a low voice, ¡°I left my home just a few days after getting married. This is my first time eating my wife¡¯s cooking, so why can¡¯t I eat more of it?¡±

    Zhang Mai patted He Changdi¡¯s shoulder and burst out into loudughter. ¡°Well, look who¡¯s be a miser now!¡±

    That small bowl of shredded beef wasn¡¯t enough when shared between four people. When the bowl was finally empty, none of them was satisfied. In the end, Xiao Yuhong poured the remaining scraps and oil into his own bowl to mix in with the porridge and fill his stomach.

    After that meal, Xiao Yuhong stuck close to He Changdi. ¡°Brother He, when is Sister-in-Law going to send more things over?¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s gaze was solidly stuck to the ground. He was truly beginning to regret giving them that taste of beef! Since the beef was so precious to him, he had only eaten small bits of it each time he had taken it out. If he had known that this day woulde, he would have definitely eaten his fill and saved himself from heartbreak.

    However, he hadn¡¯t revealed all his cards. He hadn¡¯t taken out the beef and pork jerky that Chu Lian had sent him along with the shredded beef.

    When he heard this brat Xiao Yuhong asking for more, He Changdi looked up and stared coldly at him, thinking in his heart, ¡®My wife didn¡¯t cook this for a stinky man like you! Dream on!¡¯

    Xiao Yuhong awkwardly rubbed his nose. He was inwardly bubbling with frustration. Brother He seemed easy to get along with normally, so why was he being so stingy now? Xiao Yuhong was determined; in the future, he definitely had to marry a wife from House Ying who could cook well!

    When they finished their meal, the group began to idly chat. Due to this sudden event, they had be much closer whenpared to before.

    As they were speaking, there was a sudden burst ofmotion from the outside of their small tent.

 Chapter 185: Lucky Star (1)

    ¡°Help, someone fainted! Get the doctor!¡±

    They weren¡¯t too far from the tent where the incident had happened, so Captain Guo led He Changdi and the others to the area.

    After they finally managed to squeeze past the crowd, Captain Guo squatted down by one of the unconscious soldiers and sternly asked, ¡°What happened here?¡±

    ¡°Replying to Captain, Zhao Qi seems to be having a bad fever!¡±

    Captain Guo reached out to touch the forehead of the soldier, and it was indeed feverish to the touch.

    The soldier seemed dazed from the fever; he started to rave like a madman.

    The crowd waited for a moment, but the doctor still hadn¡¯t arrived. Captain Guo¡¯s brows furrowed tightly together. He was about to shout the order again when the soldier who had gone off to get the doctor returned in a panic. Without wasting any more time, the soldier said, ¡°Captain, the doctor already departed for the left wing; he¡¯s not in camp right now.¡±

    What! Captain Guo punched the ground in frustration, causing a dull thud to ring out from the muddy earth.

    Captain Guo was part of the army¡¯s right wing, and though the majority of the right wing were members of the cavalry, he was a member of the vanguard. Out here in the border camps, he was at loggerheads with Captain Gao Zhangwei of the army¡¯s left wing.

    He Changdi saw that the soldier¡¯s face was already flushed red from the fever and couldn¡¯t help but notice how pitiful he looked. He stepped forward and said to the angry Captain Guo, ¡°Captain, let me take a look.¡±

    He Changdi had read a few medical books before. In his previous life, when he had been wandering across the ins, he had learned some folk remedies from Ah Ma, the barbarian woman. Currently, he had with him some of themonly used Chinese medicines that Chu Lian had sent over. They could probably be used to ease some of the soldier¡¯s pain, at least for now.

    He knelt by the soldier¡¯s side and first checked his pulse before opening his eyelids and checking his tongue. Following that, He Changdi pulled a small, finely detailed pouch out of his clothes. He took out a honey-coloured pill and fed it to the soldier, but the soldier¡¯s mouth was too dry so he couldn¡¯t swallow the pill. He Changdi then took out a small gourd from his waist, and when he opened it, a special aroma began to drift out: the dry, sweet smell of alcohol.

    As the aroma of alcohol filled the air, some of the old alcoholics amongst the troops deeply inhaled, sinking into the thick and sweet smell of the wine.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t care about the others¡¯ expressions. He only tipped a small mouthful into the soldier¡¯s mouth. Next, he quickly stoppered up the gourd and hung it back at his waist.

    Under the fading light of the setting sun, the soldiers saw He Changdi feed the feverish soldier some thick, light purple liquid. The swig of wine was finally able to wash down the pill in the soldier¡¯s mouth.

    After doing all this, He Changdi turned to a few soldiers near him and said, ¡°He should be fine now. Take him back to his tent; he should recover after a good night¡¯s rest.¡±

    Captain Guo patted He Changdi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that Zixiang would know how to diagnose illnesses. That soldier has you to thank for today. However... What wine did you feed him just now? Someone ill shouldn¡¯t be drinking alcohol.¡±

    He Changdi stood up and made a slight bow to Captain Guo. ¡°The soldier just now was merely a bit feverish due to a cold. The pill I gave him was some medicine from a store in the capital. As for the wine, it wasn¡¯t a very strong one- just some grape wine that was sent to me.¡±

    Grape wine had antibacterial properties that could fight the bacteria from the cold. Although He Changdi didn¡¯t know anything about the science behind it, he had seen an old travelling doctor use it as a remedy in his past life. Thus, he had given the soldier a mouthful of grape wine just as he had seen the doctor do back then.

    ¡°Well, well, well. You little brat, you¡¯ve kept all sorts of good things from us!¡±

    Before Captain Guo could think of a way to get the grape wine from He Changdi, a deep, loud voice boomed, ¡°Grape wine?! Who here has the grape wine? Hand it over immediately!¡±

    Captain Guo froze. Upon regaining his senses, he quickly got up to wee their unexpected guest. ¡°General! What business has brought you here?¡±

    The guest was dressed in silver armour. He had a white beard and looked a little skinny, but he was full of vigour from head to toe. His eyes were especially bright and full of life.

 Chapter 186: Lucky Star (2)

    The Duke of Lu, Great General Qian, harrumphed. ¡°Why? Am I not allowed to be here? Who said there was grape wine here? Bring it out!¡±

    Captain Guo quickly shot a look at He Changdi, who stiffened for a moment before stepping forward. He bowed towards Great General Qian before taking the gourd of wine off his waist and handing it over, though not without some hesitation.

    Great General Qian didn¡¯t really have much that he liked, except for wine.

    Although the northern border troops were only given rough fare to eat, as the highest rankingmander there, General Qian was different from themon soldiers. At every meal, he could still afford to have a few cups of wine, though it wasn¡¯t the best quality.

    This old alcoholic Great General Qian was very sensitive to the smell of alcohol. Just now, he had been attracted to this area by that elusive smell of wine in the air, and he had happened to overhear Captain Guo and He Changdi¡¯s conversation.

    It was rare to find grape wine in the Great Wu Dynasty as they mostly produced sorghum wines. The grape wine of this era was pretty much like what He Changdi had seen in his previous life, and most of them were made as medicinal wines.

    Even in the capital, there were very few people who had the opportunity to taste grape wine before, never mind the folks of this deste border city.

    The wine-lover General Qian had seen all sorts of wines in his life, but this was his first time seeing grape wine.

    He immediately took off the stopper on the gourd and took a sniff right in front of He Changdi and the other soldiers. The sweet, crisp smell of the wine tickled Great General Qian¡¯s senses. He wasn¡¯t in any hurry to taste it, so he closed the gourd again and hung it at his waist.

    General Qian then pointed at He Changdi and turned to Captain Guo to ask, ¡°Who is this child, and when did he enter the army?¡±

    Captain Guo hadn¡¯t thought that General Qian would ask for personal details about the provider of the wine. After a slight moment of surprised hesitation, he shot a look at He Changdi, indicating that he should introduce himself.

    He Changdi had been trying to find a chance to meet General Qian for days. He obviously hadn¡¯t expected that a small gourd of grape wine would do the trick that easily. When he managed to get over his shock, He Changdi quickly seized his moment and respectfully answered, ¡°Replying to Great General, this subordinate is the third son of House Jing¡¯an, He Changdi. It has been more than a month since this subordinate joined the northern border troops, and this subordinate is currently serving as a lieutenant in the right wing.¡±

    Great General Qian¡¯s eyes bulged as he stared at He Changdi in disbelief. Once upon a time, he had taught a few martial arts skills to Prince Jin and a certain brat called He Sang- this very same He Sang! However, wasn¡¯t that brat tall and handsome back then? How did he turn into a bearded ruffian like this? Not that many years had passed, had they? If he remembered correctly, He Sang shouldn¡¯t be older than twenty this year.

    Actually, it wasn¡¯t strange that General Qian thought this way. People of any era liked to admire beauty. There were even men in the capital who would stick flowers in their hair. Most men would keep their face clean of any facial hair, even when they were well into their thirties. The Second Master of House Ying, Chu Qizheng, was a model example of this.

    Any bearded man on the street was likely over the age of fifty. There really weren¡¯t many young men like He Changdi with beards.

    He Changdi¡¯s full beard was covering more than half of his handsome face. No wonder General Qian hadn¡¯t been able to recognise him at all.

    ¡°You brat! Why have youe over here?¡± General Qian¡¯s first reaction was amazement, but he quickly turned stern and dissatisfied.

    He Changdi was about to reply when General Qian¡¯s expression turned serious. He suppressed his anger and said, ¡°Come with me right now!¡±

    Captain Guo watched as He Changdi¡¯s tall and slender silhouette followed behind General Qian as he walked to the main tent of the camp. A long moment passed before the captain finally shifted his gaze away.

    The corners of Captain Guo¡¯s lips curled up. He sighed and said, ¡°That brat¡¯s pretty lucky.¡±

    Zhang Mai gently smiled as he stood beside Captain Guo. ¡°If there¡¯s a chance in the future, we really have to meet our brother¡¯s wife.¡±

    He Changdi had been able to get close to Captain Guo as well as meet Great General Qian thanks to two small things that his wife had sent over to him. Those two small things had helped him a lot. That newlywed wife of his was really his lucky star.

 Chapter 187: Lucky Star (3)

    Captain Guo shot a nce at his oldrade and said, ¡°If you really envy him, why don¡¯t you take another wife, Ah Mai? It¡¯s already been more than ten years.¡±

    Originally, Zhang Mai did have a wife. He had been born into a military family, and so when the imperial court had sent out a conscription order, he was forced to abandon his wife of six months and leave home, leaving behind both his old father and young wife.

    Before he left, his wife had just gotten pregnant. He had thought that his wife would give him a son or daughter to pamper. Who could have predicted that his vige would get attacked by mountain bandits when his wife was seven months pregnant?

    His father had sacrificed his life to protect his wife, but in the end, both of them had perished together with the unborn child in his wife¡¯s belly.

    Before Zhang Mai had left, he had a whole family. Not even a yearter, he had no one. It was due to this that he hadn¡¯t retired from the army and stayed with the troops, even though he had been wounded.

    Zhang Mai shook his head and changed the topic. ¡°It looks like that brat hid other good things, too. When I get back to my tent, I have to search harder. There might be something even tastier to eat!¡±

    Captain Guo could only shake his head helplessly.

    ¡ª

    When Chu Lian returned to the Jing¡¯an Estate, she went to Qingxi Hall first. Senior Servant Liu came out to wee her. She reported the news of the Wang family¡¯s punishment to Chu Lian before leading her into Qingxi Hall to meet Matriarch He.

    Matriarch He reassured her for a bit before reminding her that she needed to attend the Mid-Autumn Banquet, which was a feast held inside the pce. She had to show her gratitude for the bestowal of the noble title there, too. The matriarch reminded her to prepare for the banquet.

    The Mid-Autumn Banquet was meant for titled noble madams. It shouldn¡¯t have affected Chu Lian at all, and she could have had a nice celebration with the girls in her own courtyard otherwise. However, since she was now fifth-ranked Honoured Lady Jinyi, she was no longer able to skip the banquet.

    Chu Lian took leave of Matriarch He and returned to her own courtyard. Senior Servants Gui and Zhong had the other servants show her the court dress she was to wear for the Mid-Autumn Banquet. Chu Lian didn¡¯t know a single thing about the etiquette and rules for this type of clothing, so she could only tell the senior servants to do as they saw fit.

    She practised two more pages of calligraphy in her small study before looking over her n to revitalise Guilin Restaurant once again. She removed the parts that weren¡¯t very suitable and added a few more based on what she had seen today. After this bit of business, it was already time for rest.

    Over the course of the next two days, Chu Lian handed over the silver she had saved up and requested the matriarch to find some good workers for her. She needed help to renovate Guilin Restaurant ording to her n.

    Time flew by too quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was already the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

    The custom of the Great Wu Dynasty was to eat round cakes today. These were a type of dessert made out of glutinous rice, soft and sticky. When the glutinous rice was cooked, it could be formed into a round shape and rolled in a finishingyer of powder. To get different vours, they merely rolled the cakes in different powders. The mostmon vours were sesame, soybean, and chestnut.

    They were kind of like mochi in the modern world.

    It was extremely easy to make them, and the only difference was in the outeryer of powder...

    When Chu Lian got up, the first thing she saw was Senior Servant Gui ordering the cooks to make round cakes. Chu Lian couldn¡¯t muster up any appetite at all when she looked at these sticky desserts. Instead, she thought back to the mooncakes eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festivals of the modern world.

    In the end, she couldn¡¯t resist the urge and decided to make some. Even if she didn¡¯t give them away to others, she could eat them and reminisce about life back in a more modern era.

 Chapter 188: Venturing into the Palace (1)

    Upon hearing that Third Young Madam was thinking about a new type of confection, all the handmaids grew excited. They went about making the preparations with wide grins on their faces, clearing out the kitchen in order to make space as well as readying the ingredients for assembly and baking.

    It wasn¡¯t too hard to make mooncakes. As long as they had the right ingredients, it was much simpler than the Eight Confections.

    Since there was a limit to the ingredients they could prepare on such short notice, Chu Lian¡¯s mooncake stuffing was limited to egg yolk, ham, bean paste, and pine nuts with jujube paste.

    She had Xiyan retrieve the previously prepared moulds for the mooncakes. Next, she wrapped the stuffing inside the mooncake skin and carved an auspicious image on top of the soft skin. Finally, they put the mooncakes into the oven to finish them off.

    It was easy to shape the Cantonese-style mooncakes. After baking, the outeryer of skin was crisp and fluffy with delicate, lovely forms.

    Since it wasn¡¯t one of the Great Wu Dynasty¡¯s traditional mid-autumn desserts, Chu Lian didn¡¯t make many mooncakes, for fear that they would outshine the round cakes. She didn¡¯t send any mooncakes to the other branches of the family either, and only prepared enough for herself to eat in her own courtyard, just to satisfy her cravings.

    Chu Lian made each mooncake about the size of a lychee, even with the stuffing inside. You could finish one piece in two or three bites, so it was very convenient.

    When she was done making mooncakes, Chu Lian changed into her court dress befitting a fifth-ranked honoureddy. She let Jingyan dress her up with all the essories that came in the set. When she was done, Senior Servant Liu hade over to invite her to the outer court.

    Before she left, Xiyan nced at the mooncakes sitting on a tray on the table and asked, ¡°Third Young Madam, do you want to bring some mooncakes to eat on the way there?¡±

    Senior Servant Liu had just told Chu Lian that the entire banquet would probablyst until night time, and they would likely return to the estate at a veryte hour. She had to bring everything she needed, as the pce wasn¡¯t like any other normal estate; there were many rules and inconveniences. After keeping that in consideration, Chu Lian nodded. ¡°Bring some. Pack some extra clothes just in case, too.¡±

    Xiyan filled up a small exquisite box with a whole te of mooncakes and took out a pale pinkish-purple coloured purse embroidered with autumn lotuses. She then quickly stuffed three mooncakes within and shoved it into Chu Lian¡¯s hands.

    As Chu Lian watched Xiyan¡¯s actions, she almost burst out intoughter. ¡°Why, are you afraid that your master will starve to death?¡±

    Xiyan¡¯s face flushed a little. Actually, the me for Xiyan¡¯s strange habit of bringing Chu Lian snacksid with Chu Lian herself. It was all thanks to Chu Lian always bringing some snacks along with her whenever she left the estate. It had also been Chu Lian who had ordered the maidservants to make these small purses in the first ce.

    Chu Lian took the purse and even added a few pieces of jerky inside. Senior Servant Gui held back the urge to sigh at this. Thinking she might need a reminder, Senior Servant Gui piped up, ¡°Third Young Madam, it¡¯s gettingte; it¡¯s about time to leave.¡±

    By the time they reached the outer court, the steward had already finished preparing the carriages. Matriarch He was already seated in the parlour waiting with her handmaid Muxiang and Senior Servant Zhou. Seated next to her was Madam Zou.

    Madam Zou hadn¡¯t changed into a court dress. The Mid-Autumn Banquet banquet started in thete afternoon, so she would have to wait until then to enter the pce. Matriarch He was apanying Chu Lian into the pce this early in the afternoon for a few reasons. Firstly, she was afraid that Chu Lian would mess up somehow while giving thanks to the emperor on her first venture into the pce. Secondly, she wanted to take this chance to chat with her old friend, the Empress Dowager. She could also take her youngest granddaughter-inw to meet the Empress Dowager on the way.

    When Madam Zou noticed that Chu Lian had entered the parlour with her servants, she couldn¡¯t resist looking this third sister-inw of hers up and down.

    Chu Lian was wearing an honoureddy¡¯s court dress. Although it was just a fifth-ranked title, it was very different from the court dress of a normal noble madam.

 Chapter 189: Venturing into the Palace (2)

    The court dresses for the noble madams, from the first-ranked to thest, were all dark in colour. The styles were also passed down from the previous dynasty, very traditional and old. Even a youngdy would seem old wearing them.

    However, the court dresses for female members of the imperial family, which included imperial princesses, royal princesses, feudal princesses, and honoureddies, were always made in thetest styles of the dynasty. The honoureddy¡¯s court dress had a pale pinkish-purple base and embroidered golden flowers on the cors and sleeves. The main part of the dress was a bright red Jacquard weave with peonies sewn on top with golden brocade. Such a fresh, tender colourplemented Chu Lian¡¯s equally tender age well. A broad sash tied at the waistpleted the outfit, making her waist look even more slender than before.

    One of the jade hair ornaments that the Emperor had given her was set on the top of her head. The dignified hairstyle served as the figurative cherry on top- it emphasized her blossoming femininity and discarded thest bits of her childish girliness.

    Matriarch He had obviously been blown away by Chu Lian¡¯s getup today. She nodded inwardly, appreciating the beauty of Sang¡¯s wife.

    Beauty is loved by all, and Matriarch He wasn¡¯t an exception to the rule. She chuckled and waved towards Chu Lian. ¡°Sang¡¯s wife,e over to Grandmother¡¯s side. Let Grandmother take a good look at you.¡±

    After Chu Lian bowed in greeting to Matriarch He and Madam Zou, she quickly moved over to Matriarch He¡¯s side.

    The matriarch looked her over in satisfaction before helping her adjust the jade hairpin on her head that had gone slightly askew.

    Although there was still a trace of a smile on Madam Zou¡¯s face, her inner heart wasn¡¯t at all as peaceful as her expression suggested. She suppressed the anger within and said, ¡°Third Sister-in-Law, since you¡¯re preparing to enter the pce to give thanks today, you should have gotten ready earlier. How could you let Grandmother wait in the parlour like this?¡±

    Chu Lian was momentarily stunned. She hadn¡¯t expected Madam Zou to make trouble for her right in front of the matriarch.

    Actually, she wasn¡¯tte at all. The matriarch had instructed her to meet at this time in the outer court so they could leave together. Matriarch He was older, so it was easier for her to get up in the morning. Thus, she had happened to arrive at the parlour just a moment earlier.

    The matriarch¡¯s outstretched hands that were helping to straighten Chu Lian¡¯s hair suddenly froze.

    Chu Lian sighed in her heart, helpless. If she had known that this would happen, she shouldn¡¯t have bothered to interfere when the main kitchen had caught fire.

    Since she was about to enter the pce, Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to cause a ruckus about it now. She turned around and bobbed in Madam Zou¡¯s direction. ¡°Eldest Sister-inw is right. I¡¯ll take note of it next time.¡±

    When Chu Lian had bowed down to her and apologised while dressed as a fifth-ranked honoureddy, a perverted sense of satisfaction had suffused within Madam Zou¡¯s heart. She immediately switched to a benevolent expression and personally lifted Chu Lian up from her curtsy. ¡°Third Sister-in-Law, it wasn¡¯t my intention to reprimand you, but Grandmother is already at such an age... she can¡¯t withstand such trouble. Just take note of it in the future. If not, I won¡¯t let it go just like that the next time.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s lowered face instantly turned cold.

    Matriarch He had been watching the entire scene with sharp eyes. She blinked and said, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to go. Sang¡¯s wife, let¡¯s leave.¡±

    Madam Zou watched Chu Lian help Matriarch He up the carriage before returning to her own courtyard. Theke blue handkerchief in her hands had already been wrung until it wasing apart at the seams.

    ¡ª

    Chu Lian helped Matriarch He off the carriage in front of Zhuque Gate. Following that, they got onto the sedans that the Empress Dowager had sent to them, and they rode these until they reached the south gate of the inner pce. They were invited to disembark from the sedans and led inside by a eunuch.

    Red roof tiles, painted green walls, grand rafters, carved walls, and ss tiles scattered the afternoon sunbeams, creating a radiant scene that did well to show off the splendour of the Great Wu Dynasty.

    Matriarch He was about to follow Chu Lian on her way to meet the Emperor to give thanks, but was held back by a middle-aged eunuch.

    ¡°Matriarch, please follow this one to the Empress Dowager¡¯s pce. The Empress Dowager has been waiting since morning.¡±

 Chapter 190: Venturing into the Palace (3)

    Matriarch He sighed. She had expected this to happen, so she had given Chu Lian all the instructions she could in the carriage. Now, she could only pat Chu Lian¡¯s small, fair hand infort and hope that Chu Lian¡¯s heart was big enough to face what was ahead.

    Since Matriarch He couldn¡¯t even meet the Emperor, servants like Xiyan and Senior Servant Gui were held back in a side hall. Only Chu Lian was led by a young inner pce eunuch towards the great pce hall ahead.

    The golden tiles beneath her feet had been shined until they reflected her image like mirrors. Chu Lian didn¡¯t dare to walk too quickly, afraid that she would fall. Thus, this became a long and arduous walk for her.

    She was about to meet the leader of the entire Great Wu Dynasty, the emperor of a whole country who held power over life and death here. She would be lying if she said she wasn¡¯t nervous.

    She hadn¡¯t been born in this dynasty, so although she respected the imperial family, she didn¡¯t really fear them.

    ¡°Eunuch Sun, where are you taking Honoured Lady Jinyi?¡±

    Suddenly, a thin, clear voice called out from behind them. Chu Lian turned around at the same time as the eunuch guiding her, and was met with the sight of a tall and slender man standing at the top of some white stone stairs. The man¡¯s azure eyes were too outstanding; how could she possibly forget them so easily?

    Eunuch Sun bowed towards Prince Jin. ¡°Replying to Prince Jin, this servant is taking Honoured Lady to meet the Emperor.¡±

    Prince Jin¡¯s light gazended upon Chu Lian. His clearly measuring gaze made Chu Lian feel ufortable. ¡°At least you¡¯re dressed better today.¡±

    Chu Lian froze for a bit, her almond-shaped eyes widening in surprise. What? Was Prince Jin criticising her outfit?

    When had she be so familiar with Prince Jin?

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to get involved with any of the imperial family at all, especially the children of the Emperor. They were the center of imperial power. She definitely didn¡¯t want to be stuck in between any imperial power struggles.

    Although she did help him out a bit thest time they met, Chu Lian intended to keep her distance from him, as much as she could.

    Chu Lian bobbed towards Prince Jin, as thanks for his...pliment.

    ¡°If Prince Jin doesn¡¯t have any business with this one, this one will continue guiding Honoured Lady Jinyi,¡± Eunuch Sun said respectfully.

    Chu Lian was about to turn and leave, when Prince Jin suddenly drew closer and shot Eunuch Sun a look. Eunuch Sun quickly lowered his head and retreated a few steps, waiting at the side.

    Prince Jin was about as tall as He Changdi, so when he stood in front of Chu Lian, it was as if there was a huge ominous cloud before her.

    Prince Jin looked down at her without any sort of expression of his face. Although his tone was calm, his words made Chu Lian stiffen up for a brief moment.

    ¡°Jinyi, since you helped this prince, you¡¯re likely a smart one inside. This prince advises you not to act beyond your means. Even if you have the desire to, you should think twice and measure the consequences in your heart first. Think thrice before you decide to do anything.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s slender brows drew together. ¡°Prince Jin, I can¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t understand, then think more on it!¡± Prince Jin¡¯s light yet murky eyes shot a warning look at Chu Lian.

    Although Chu Lian didn¡¯t show any of her emotions on the surface, she was already hitting her head against a wall on the inside. What was this?! What kind of ruthless, preposterous thing had she done to make Prince Jin suspicious of her? Was he going crazy, too?

    Chu Lian felt that she hadn¡¯t done anything harmful sinceing to the Great Wu Dynasty. However, the fact of the matter was she had just been used, and by someone like Prince Jin whom she had only met once before! Even the nicest person had a limit to their temper! Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to pretend to be polite to Prince Jin any longer. Her cheeks were puffed up as she red at him. ¡°I¡¯ll think over Prince Jin¡¯s words carefully when I get home. There¡¯s no need for Prince Jin to trouble yourself over me!¡±

    When she was done, she turned and ran, stunning Prince Jin for a moment.

    Eunuch Sun found the whole situation a little awkward. After bowing in farewell to Prince Jin, he chased after her, shouting, ¡°Honoured Lady, please walk a little slower. That¡¯s the wrong way, the hall isn¡¯t that way!¡±

    Chu Lian could only turn to run in the right direction- however, who could have expected the floor to be so slippery? She was moving too fast, and the court dress had way too manyyers. She identally stepped on the hem of her dress and fell to the floor...

 Chapter 191: Meeting the Emperor (1)

    By the time Chu Lian had awkwardly gotten up from the floor with the help of Eunuch Sun, she nced back and saw that Prince Jin was still standing at the top of the stairs. His azure eyes were definitely pointed in her direction. Strangely, Chu Lian got the feeling that there was a trace of humor in those unusual eyes of his, almost like he wasughing at her.

    After she finished straightening out her clothes, Chu Lian stomped her foot in frustration. She didn¡¯t dare to turn back around anymore, afraid that she would fall down again. This time, she obediently followed behind Eunuch Sun, carefully watching her steps.

    Prince Jin turned around, and at an angle that Chu Lian couldn¡¯t see, the corners of his lips hooked up into a slight smile.

    Now that he had seen more of Chu Lian¡¯s personality, he couldn¡¯t quite believe that she would arrange a secret meeting with Xiao Bojian.

    Perhaps his good friend He Sang had misunderstood her?

    Eunuch Sun brought Chu Lian inside the imperial gardens to Tingyu Pavilion.

    He announced, ¡°Your Majesty, Honoured Lady Jinyi has arrived.¡±

    After that report, he retreated to one side, revealing Chu Lian behind him.

    Chu Lian lowered her gaze and kneeled down to greet this Chengping Emperor. ¡°Chu Lian pays respects to Your Majesty.¡±

    Suddenly, bell-likeugher rang out. ¡°Your Majesty, this new Honoured Lady Jinyi that you¡¯ve named is quite the well-mannered youngdy!¡±

    The Chengping Emperor above herughed along with her. His voice was low and maic, imposing through sound alone. Chu Lian listened as the Chengping Emperor said, ¡°Alright, Imperial Concubine, don¡¯t tease the girl.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s head was still lowered, but a glint shed through her eyes. Imperial Concubine? Imperial Concubine Wei?

    Her face contorted into an expression full of suffering. The more she didn¡¯t want it, the more likely it was to happen, wasn¡¯t it? She had gone against Imperial Princess Leyao before. Now the moment she entered the pce, she was faced with Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s mother, Imperial Concubine Wei? Were the heavens toying with her?

    ¡°Rise, and let me take a look at you.¡±

    The Chengping Emperor seemed to be in a good mood today, so his tone was rather carefree.

    Chu Lian stood and slowly looked up. She sneaked a nce at the two people seated above her.

    The Chengping Emperor was dressed in imperial yellow. Although he was already middle-aged, he hadn¡¯t lost his figure. His eyes were deep and unreadable.

    The beautiful woman next to him, dressed in an borate purple court dress, looked to be in her twenties. She had a tall and slender figure. Her dress was tied right below her bust, emphasising the fullness of her bosom. She radiated an aura full of pride and strength. Her makeup only added to her charm- with lips painted bright and red, she was just as equally a temptation as she was untouchable by mortal men. This was the Emperor¡¯s most favoured concubine at the moment: Imperial Concubine Wei. The cat-like shape of her eyes made it seem as if she was peering down at Chu Lian from the corner of her eyes.

    Chu Lian had only taken a quick peek at these two great personages before looking down again. Since she had moved too quickly, she hadn¡¯t been able to get a clear view of their expressions.

    When the Chengping Emperor caught sight of Chu Lian¡¯s face, there was a minute shift in his originally calm expression. The deep pools of his eyes shed for an instant, quickly masking over the change as if he had never been surprised in the first ce.

    Imperial Concubine Wei held onto the Chengping Emperor¡¯s toned arm, all smiles. She purposefully rubbed her bosom on his arm, smiling tenderly as she said, ¡°My, my, what a surprise... So fertility isn¡¯t the only virtue of ady from House Ying. Look at how beautiful she is. The He Family¡¯s Sang is a lucky one.¡±

    After saying so, she let out a peal ofughter.

    Chu Lian frowned, but kept her head lowered. To a bystander, Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s words might seem like nothing but a harmless joke.

    However, Chu Lian could discern the mockery within her words. As a nobledy, who would want their fertility, a matter that was usually kept quiet, to be taken as their main selling point? If not for House Ying¡¯s declining status, not a single person in this entire capital would dare to mention such a topic in front of a Chu Familydy.

    The Chengping Emperor kept his stare on the girl before him. Suddenly, his brows drew together.

    ¡°Jinyi, I¡¯ve heard that you know how to make longevity peach buns that are a little different from the norm. They say your longevity peach buns look like real peaches. Since there¡¯s a festival today, why don¡¯t you make a te to add to the festive spirit?¡±

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected such a request from the Chengping Emperor. However, after thinking about it for a bit, it wasn¡¯t all that strange. On the day she had visited the Dingyuan Estate, that te of longevity peach buns had given Madam Huang a huge p on the face and earned the praise of the Old Marquis Dingyuan. It had likely spread to all the social circles of the capital by now.

    Chu Lian agreed to the request without any hesitation. When Eunuch Sun heard this, he quickly stepped forward and asked Chu Lian what ingredients she would need.

    The Chengping Emperor was momentarily surprised. He hadn¡¯t thought that she would agree so quickly. The people of this era guarded their secret recipes with their lives. Getting a secret recipe was akin to getting a huge fortune.

    Making those longevity peach buns right here in Tingyu Pavilion, in front of a crowd, meant that all the servants here would be able to watch. The secret recipe would definitely be exposed. Did she not care about that one bit?

    The Chengping Emperor¡¯s impression of this magnanimous girl increased favourably.

    If Chu Lian were to find out that the Chengping Emperor had been using that request to test her personality, she would have definitely rolled her eyes. Even longevity peach buns could be deemed a secret recipe? She wascking in everything right now, and of them all, the biggest was money! But the one thing Chu Lian did actually have was secret recipes.

    If the Chengping Emperor wanted ten secret recipes, she could write them all out for him now without even blinking.

 Chapter 192: Meeting the Emperor (2)

    Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s eyes turned cold. She shot a nce at her handmaid and lightly tapped her seat with a finger. When the handmaid saw that, she lowered her head and snuck out of the area.

    In a moment, Eunuch Sun had brought over all the ingredients that Chu Lian needed. He ced them on top of a wooden table that had been moved into the room just for this purpose. Next to it was a specially made stove, which the imperial pce¡¯s unique small steamers could be ced on.

    A handmaid stood behind Chu Lian, apparently tasked with assisting her.

    When the Chengping Emperor looked towards the center of the hall, his gazended upon the handmaid standing respectfully behind Chu Lian. ¡°Imperial Concubine, for some reason, I find that handmaid behind Jinyi a little familiar to the eye...¡±

    Imperial Concubine Wei froze for a moment. She hadn¡¯t expected the Chengping Emperor to have such a good memory. That handmaid served in her pce.

    However, her expression didn¡¯t change one bit as she exined, ¡°That handmaides from this concubine¡¯s pce. She usually boils some soups for me and she has rather good culinary skills. This concubine was afraid that other maidservants wouldn¡¯t put forth their best efforts, so this concubine specially called her here to help Jinyi.¡±

    The Chengping Emperor kneaded Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s slender hand. ¡°How thought of you, my beloved concubine. Jinyi, since Imperial Concubine Wei has made such a kind consideration for you, make sure you live up to her expectations.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Your Majesty!¡±

    Chu Lian started preparing the ingredients before her with an unhurried and calm air. The handmaid also came forth to help her.

    Although Chu Lian was suspicious that Imperial Concubine Wei was going to pull some tricks on her, they were right in front of the Emperor. Imperial Concubine Wei wouldn¡¯t be able to do much. Thus, Chu Lian took a little more care in preparing each ingredient before her.

    The corners of Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s lips curled up as she watched the busy Chu Lian bustling about below. Her eye blinked once quickly, and the handmaid helping Chu Lian happened to catch the wink.

    Imperial Concubine Wei then put on a caring facade as she said, ¡°What a surprise that Jinyi is so familiar with cooking. This concubine heard that you even know how to make quite a few types of confections. Why don¡¯t you stay in the imperial kitchens and teach some of your skills to the imperial cooks when you¡¯re done here? It can be counted as making a contribution to the imperial family.¡±

    Without waiting for Chu Lian to reply, a woman¡¯s voice sounded from outside the hall. ¡°Imperial Concubine Wei, aren¡¯t your words a little inappropriate there? No matter what, Jinyi is a nobledy. She has also been given the title of honoureddy by His Majesty. By having her stay back to teach the imperial cooks, isn¡¯t that an insult to the face of our imperial family?¡±

    Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s attention immediately locked onto the woman who walked in, dressed in imperial yellow. Her eyes were lit with a spark of anger.

    Imperial Concubine Wei sneered as she said, ¡°This sister greets Empress. It¡¯s the first time that Empress is meeting Jinyi, but Empress is already speaking up for her. Jinyi will have to properly thank my dear sister Empresster on.¡±

    Empress Shen¡¯s lips twitched upwards in a smile. She first turned to the Chengping Emperor to make her greeting bow. Chu Lian had to stop whatever she was doing and give a proper greeting to the Empress.

    The smile on the Emperor¡¯s face disappeared. ¡°Empress, why have youe here?¡±

    ¡°Hearing that Your Majesty summoned Jinyi, this humble one wanted toe over to have a look. See, hasn¡¯t this humble one arrived right in time? Otherwise, the most exciting part would be over!¡±

    ¡°Since you¡¯vee, take a seat!¡±

    Even though Imperial Concubine Wei waspletely unwilling, the Empress ranked higher than her. She had to give up the seat right next to the Emperor and sit below them instead.

    When the eyes of the two women met, there was an exchange of daggers in their gazes.

    The Chengping Emperor rubbed at his temples and waved at Chu Lian to continue what she was doing. However, he had already lost his earlier excitement.

    Imperial Concubine Wei suddenly smiled at Empress Shen with a trace of provocation. Following that, she continued watching Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian calmed her heart down again. She wasn¡¯t too frightened by imperial power in the end. Even though there were three great personages watching her cook, she treated them as normal guests and didn¡¯t feel too pressured by them at all. She was serious about everything she did, especially when it came to food. An old woman who had taught her how to cook had once said, ¡®Food tastes best when a serious person cooks it seriously.¡¯

    Thus, shepletely immersed herself in the process of cooking with an extremely earnest expression. Someone working hard with all their concentration could always give a favourable impression. The annoyance that had risen in the Emperor¡¯s heart thanks to Empress Shen¡¯s appearance had been entirely cast away by Chu Lian¡¯s seriousness.

    He watched the hardworking Chu Lian in satisfaction, even admiring her dutifulness a little.

    When Chu Lian finished preparing the dough, the handmaid had already ced two beautiful, freshly washed peaches right next to Chu Lian for her use.

    Since she didn¡¯t have any peach juice concentrate prepared, Chu Lian could only try to squeeze out the fruit juice herself and mix it into the dough. That way, the freshly steamed longevity peach buns would have the refreshingly sweet vour of fresh peaches.

    She picked up a small knife and started to peel off the skin of the peaches, intending to cut them into smaller pieces.

    When Imperial Concubine Wei noticed Chu Lian¡¯s actions, an evil smile appeared on her lips.

    ¡°AH!!¡±

    In the next moment, a girl¡¯s shrill scream filled the entire Tingyu Pavilion...

 Chapter 193: Trap (1)

    Chu Lian was still holding a fresh, juicy peach in her left hand and a peeling knife in her right. She pressed her lips together lightly and tilted her head to one side as she looked at the handmaid who had screamed. Her eyes were bright and crystal clear.

    The handmaid¡¯s voice was sharp and thin. In her extreme fright, she had not only cried out once, but even kept screaming after that. When she had tried to retreat, her panic had caused her to step onto the hem of her own dress, leaving her a pathetic heap on the floor. Instantly, Tingyu Pavilion was as silent as a cemetery. When the handmaid recovered her wits and looked around her, she immediately turned pale. In the next second, she scrambled up to kneel on the floor and continuously kowtowed to the three great personages before her, pleading for mercy.

    ¡°This... this servant deserves to die! This servant deserves to die for losingposure in front of Your Majesties! Please have mercy, Your Majesties!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s gaze swept towards the pleading handmaid, whose body was practically stuck to the ground. A trace of coldness shed across her almond-shaped eyes. Then, she ced both the peach and the knife back onto the table.

    The shrewish scream had sounded like a banshee¡¯s cry. Chu Lian cast her gaze downwards and stood to one side. If she hadn¡¯t reacted in time, and if she hadn¡¯t had experience and guts much stronger from the girls of this era, she would have been the one who screamed instead. The one trembling and begging for mercy on the floor in front of the Emperor would be her!

    The Chengping Emperor¡¯s previously uplifted mood took a plunge, thanks to that sharp, girlish scream. His expression was stern and dark. The pressure of a long-standing ruler made even Empress Shen and Imperial Concubine Wei feel like cowering.

    The Chengping Emperor¡¯s gazended upon Imperial Concubine Wei. ¡°Concubine, is this how a handmaid from your pce behaves?¡±

    Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s expression changed instantly. She caught the smug smile of Empress Shen from the corner of her eyes, and immediately felt the urge to kill this stupid servant. She had simply instructed her to make a little bit of trouble for Honoured Lady Jinyi. Well, Jinyi was still standing there perfectly fine! However, that stupid bitch had dragged herself into a hole, and she had even dragged her master with her.

    Imperial Concubine Wei grit her teeth and pulled out a smile to face the Chengping Emperor with. ¡°Your Majesty, please calm down. It was this concubine¡¯s failure to teach this servant that caused Your Majesty to suffer such a fright. She deserves to be severely punished.¡±

    After Imperial Concubine Wei finished speaking, she waved her wide sleeves and summoned two tall eunuchs into the hall. The two eunuchs grabbed hold of the handmaid¡¯s arms and were about to stuff her mouth shut, intending to drag her out to be executed.

    This handmaid had served Imperial Concubine Wei for quite a few years, so she knew the concubine¡¯s temper well. She knew that if she were dragged out right now, there was only one fate that awaited her: death.

    Thus, the handmaid struggled with all her might. Perhaps her strong will to live had brought out hertent power; the weak handmaid actually managed to push the two tall eunuchs aside.

    This handmaid still had some wits about her. She knew that it would be useless to plead with Imperial Concubine Wei now. She stumbled forward a few steps and knelt before the Emperor and Empress, words pouring out for her mouth as she half-sobbed, ¡°Please spare my life, Your Majesties! This servant didn¡¯t do it on purpose. It was all the Honoured Lady! It was the Honoured Lady! If it hadn¡¯t been for the Honoured Lady, this servant wouldn¡¯t have lostposure in front of Your Majesties and let Your Majesties suffer such a fright...¡±

    When the handmaid had broken out of the eunuchs¡¯ hold, Imperial Concubine Wei had continued shooting looks at the eunuchs. However, they were still toote. The handmaid had already spilled out what she wanted to say. Imperial Concubine Wei was extremely frustrated. Her gaze was icy cold, and she looked upon that handmaid as if she was instead a convict on death row rather than a loyal servant.

    It was rare for Empress Shen to get such a great chance to knock Imperial Concubine Wei down a few pegs in front of the Emperor. How could she possibly let this opportunity go? She purposely raised a brow and asked, ¡°Oh? So there¡¯s something else to this matter. Emperor, since there is some other reason behind her actions, we have to investigate this matter fully. Otherwise, there¡¯ll be injustice in our imperial pce.¡±

    The Chengping Emperor rubbed his temples and waved at Empress Shen, giving her the go-ahead.

    With one look from Empress Shen, the eunuchs who were about to grab hold of the handmaid again retreated.

    Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s hands turned into fists under her wide sleeves. She was so angry that she almost pierced her palms with her nails. She stared at the kneeling figure below her, eyes as cold as a tundra.

    Even though the handmaid had gotten a chance to exin herself from Empress Shen, she still didn¡¯t dare to drag Imperial Concubine Wei down with her. Otherwise, if she somehow managed to walk out of Tingyu Pavilion alive today, she would definitely die in several hundred other ways.

    Empress Shen gazed down at the handmaid who had broken custom in front of the Emperor, her stare heavy with the weight of her imperial might. ¡°You just said that it was all because of Honoured Lady Jinyi. Tell me exactly what happened, truthfully!¡±

    Malice shed through the handmaid¡¯s lowered eyes. With all the great personages gathered here in this Tingyu Pavilion, as a lowly handmaid, the only one she could attack was that measly Honoured Lady.

    She took a few deep breaths and tried her best to calm her tone down. ¡°Replying to Your Majesty, this servant was just assisting Honoured Lady Jinyi, but a huge ck worm suddenlynded on this servant¡¯s hand. This servant suffered a fright, so... so... this servant couldn¡¯t help but scream.¡±

    Empress Shen¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°How could there possibly be worms before us? Are you lying to me?¡±

    When Empress Shen finished speaking, her gaze shifted to Chu Lian¡¯s face, only to realise that House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam was expressionless and calm. It was as if this whole fiasco had nothing to do with her, and she was only an onlooker.

 Chapter 194: Trap (2)

    The handmaid kowtowed a few more times, each one making a dull thud when her head hit the floor. ¡°How could this servant dare to lie in front of Your Majesties? That worm came from within the fresh peach! Your Majesty, if it seems beyond belief, how about ordering someone to check the peach?¡±

    Empress Shen shot a look at a middle-aged eunuch waiting on the side. In a moment, that middle-aged eunuch picked up the half of the peach that Chu Lian had ced on the table. As expected, he found arge hole where a worm had been near the center of the peach. The eunuch reported his finding, and after a few moments, he found that trouble-making, ck, wriggling worm near the table...

    When the handmaid saw that evidence to her ims had been found, her tense heart rxed for a moment. She almost copsed on the ground after losing all the strength in her body. ¡°It was the Honoured Lady who tossed that worm onto this servant¡¯s hand, causing this servant to loseposure before Your Majesties. Your Majesty, please seek justice for this servant.¡±

    Chu Lian cast a sideways nce towards the handmaid who had suddenly be the victim. The corners of her lips curved upwards. This silly girl, did she think anyone here was stupid?

    As expected, Empress Shen had thought further. ¡°So what you¡¯re trying to say is that Honoured Lady Jinyi purposely tried to lead you into a trap? You¡¯re just a lowly handmaid. What benefit is there for Honoured Lady Jinyi to harm you?¡±

    The handmaid who had just found a moment to rx was suddenly plunged back into the depths of despair. Her eyes widened, and she couldn¡¯t speak for a long moment.

    ¡°This... This servant... does... doesn¡¯t know...¡±

    Chu Lian was supposed to make longevity peach buns for the Chengping Emperor. The ingredients were all prepared by people in the pce. Furthermore, this handmaid was one of Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s servants. She had also been the one to wash those peaches before handing them over to Chu Lian. However, a disgusting worm had appeared in those supposedly fresh peaches, and Chu Lian was supposed to prepare the peaches herself... It was clear what had happened.

    Imperial Concubine Wei had tried to quickly get rid of this handmaid earlier, because she didn¡¯t want the handmaid to make a mistake and expose everything. Even those with the slightest bit of brains could guess what was going on.

    However, Empress Shen had stopped her with the intention of trapping Imperial Concubine Wei.

    Now that things had progressed to this step, it was as if Imperial Concubine Wei had been pped in the face by Empress Shen right in front of the Emperor. Her face felt like it was on fire.

    Without waiting for Empress Shen to speak, the Emperor ordered in a low tone. ¡°Take her out! Beat her to death!¡±

    The Emperor¡¯s words were much more powerful than Empress Shen¡¯s or Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s. Before the handmaid could speak another word, she was immediately taken away by two guards dressed in ck and dragged out.

    Next, the Chengping Emperor nced at Chu Lian and how she was standing obediently to one side with her head lowered, merely watching the show. If Chu Lian had raised her head at this moment, she would have been able to see the strange glint in the Emperor¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Concubine, you failed to teach your servants properly. When the Mid-Autumn Festival is over, you are grounded in your pce for half a month.¡± The Chengping Emperor¡¯s tone sent chills down everyone¡¯s spine.

    Imperial Concubine Wei looked up at the Emperor in disbelief. However, the Emperor looked like a cold and unreachable ruler right now; nothing at all like the Emperor who had snuggled up with Imperial Concubine Wei earlier on the same sofa.

    Imperial Concubine Wei looked at the Chengping Emperor with aggrieved eyes, hoping that that he would retract his order. However, the Emperor had already shifted his gaze away. Empress Shen looked gleeful. Right now, the only one in the pce who could vie with her for status was this Imperial Concubine Wei. This concubine had used so many little tricks in secret to fight with her. Who would have thought that a small matter like this would make Imperial Concubine Wei fall from grace? How could Empress Shen not be delighted?

    Following this line of thought, Empress Shen turned her head to look at Chu Lian, a miniscule hint of a smile on her face. As expected, a dog who would bite wouldn¡¯t bark. She had underestimated this Honoured Lady Jinyi.

    Imperial Concubine Wei had no other choice but to ept her punishment.

    The Emperor¡¯s gaze swept across the entire Tingyu Pavilion before he ordered, ¡°Forget it. I no longer have any interest in this. Jinyi, go to your grandmother over at the Empress Dowager¡¯s pce.¡±

    Chu Lian respectfully bowed and answered in agreement.

    However, before the crowd started to leave Tingyu Pavilion, a bell-like voice called out from outside the entrance. ¡°Father, Father! Yao¡¯er hase to greet you!¡±

    When he heard that voice, the dark clouds in the Emperor¡¯s expression dissipated a little. He turned to the entrance, and in a short moment, a little girl in a pink court dress came running in like a little butterfly. Following that, she threw herself into the Emperor¡¯s weing embrace.

    The Emperor bent down slightly, his face full of tender love as he patted Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s hair gently. He asked her, ¡°Leyao, why have youe all the way here?¡±

    Imperial Princess Leyao coquettishly answered, ¡°Yao¡¯er missed Father, so Yao¡¯er asked the eunuchs and came over! Yao¡¯er hasn¡¯t seen Father for two whole days! Did Father miss Yao¡¯er?¡±

    The Emperor burst out intoughter, enjoying such a warm exchange with his daughter. ¡°Father misses you too.¡±

    Imperial Princess Leyao let out a bright smile. ¡°Yao¡¯er knows that Father loves Yao¡¯er the best!¡±

    The Emperor pinched his daughter¡¯s cheeks gently.

    Imperial Concubine Wei had been kneeling at the side. When she saw her daughter entering the hall, her expression rxed and she heaved a sigh of relief in her heart.

    Imperial Princess Leyao looked around Tingyu Pavilion and ran into Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s embrace next. ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you kneeling on the floor?¡±

    Imperial Concubine Wei showed a slightly fatigued smile andbed through Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s slightly messy fringe. ¡°Yao¡¯er, Mother made a mistake. Mother has to kneel on the floor in repentance.¡±

    Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s eyes widened and she tried to pull her mother up from the ground. However, Imperial Concubine Wei didn¡¯t move. Imperial Princess Leyao ran up to the Emperor and hugged his arm, shaking it. ¡°Father, Mother didn¡¯t do it on purpose! Could you forgive Mother just this once?¡±

    The Chengping Emperor looked into Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s eyes and finally gave in. ¡°Alright, get up. If there¡¯s a next time, you won¡¯t be able to make up for it even if Leyao pleads for you again.¡±

    Delight bloomed on Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s face. She quickly said, ¡°This humble one wouldn¡¯t dare. There won¡¯t be a next time.¡±

    Empress Shen was about to grind her teeth down from frustration. She couldn¡¯t believe that the Emperor hadpletely let go of his anger and pardoned Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s crime just because of two simple sentences from Imperial Princess Leyao!

 Chapter 195: Get It For Me (1)

    Upon hearing that her mother was pardoned, Imperial Princess Leyao smiled even more sweetly as she clung onto the Chengping Emperor¡¯s arm and giggled.

    The Chengping Emperor looked at this young daughter of his who he had spoiled since the day she was born. In the blink of an eye, she had already turned ten and was starting to bloom into a youngdy¡¯s figure. Looking upon her now, he could onlyment as his heart was filled with sadness.

    When Imperial Princess Leyao had been a little younger, he would even carry her in his arms. However, as she grew older, the most affectionate gesture he could give her was simply petting her soft head of hair.

    Imperial Princess Leyao was the Chengping Emperor¡¯s youngest daughter. Daughters were meant to be spoiled, while sons were to be raised strictly. Furthermore, there were some other hidden matters that most people wouldn¡¯t know about, so the Chengping Emperor didn¡¯t mind pampering this youngest daughter of his a little more than usual.

    Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s almond-shaped eyes, a little simr to Chu Lian¡¯s own pair, flitted about Tingyu Pavilion once before finally settling on Chu Lian.

    Hidden by the Emperor¡¯s broad sleeves, Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s eyes narrowed before returning to their normal, lovable expression. ¡°Father, Father, is she the new Honoured Lady Jinyi that you blessed with a title?¡±

    The Chengping Emperor smiled. He wasn¡¯t a fool- he knew that his daughter was a little narrow-minded and liked to y some tricks on people she didn¡¯t like. For example, he knew that Imperial Princess Leyao had definitely met Chu Lian at the Dingyuan Estate, and he also knew that that particr encounter hadn¡¯t ended well for his daughter. Despite this fact, she was now acting as if today was the first time she was meeting Chu Lian.

    The Emperor was toozy to expose her, so he yed along. ¡°Yes, she is. Why are you asking, Leyao?¡±

    Chu Lian stood where she was and gave an appropriate greeting to Imperial Princess Leyao from afar. Her heart sunk a little when she heard Imperial Princess Leyao mentioning her on purpose. A grudge had been born between them during their first meeting, and it wasn¡¯t going to go away anytime soon.

    Imperial Princess Leyao looked up at the tall and handsome Emperor with wide eyes filled with admiration. Using a childish voice, she said, ¡°Father, Yao¡¯er heard that Honoured Lady Jinyi makes some tasty longevity peach buns! Why don¡¯t you let her make some for Yao¡¯er in Yao¡¯er¡¯s pce? Yao¡¯er is really craving them!¡±

    The moment Imperial Princess Leyao finished speaking, the gentle expression on the Emperor¡¯s face immediately turned into stormy clouds. Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s heart leaped in fright and she tugged Princess Leyao towards her, scolding her in a quiet voice. ¡°Yao¡¯er, the pce has everything you could ever want to eat. Those longevity peach buns are only meant to be eaten during longevity feasts. You¡¯re not allowed to eat them otherwise.¡±

    Imperial Princess Leyao had only heard that the Emperor was meeting Chu Lian in Tingyu Pavilion. She hadn¡¯t paid attention to anything else before rushing straight over, intending to cause some trouble for Chu Lian. Thus, she didn¡¯t know anything about what had just urred here.

    Those longevity peach buns had been the cause of the Emperor¡¯s earlier ire. Now that he was reminded of the matter, how could the Emperor be in a good mood?

    Princess Leyao had only wanted to cause trouble for Chu Lian somehow. How could she bother to listen to Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s reprimand? She pushed her way out of Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s arms and hugged the Emperor¡¯s arm again. ¡°Father, didn¡¯t you say you love Yao¡¯er? Why won¡¯t you agree to such a small request for Yao¡¯er? Yao¡¯er just wants to eat Honoured Lady Jinyi¡¯s longevity peach buns!¡±

    Chu Lian fought hard to keep the calm in her expression. This Imperial Princess Leyao had really been spoiled beyond hope. The Emperor¡¯s mood was clearly sinking lower and lower, but the princess still wasn¡¯t giving up.

    Empress Shen looked at Imperial Concubine Wei and her daughter with cold eyes. Her gloom from earlier hadpletely disappeared; instead, she now looked down upon Imperial Princess Leyao full of disdain. What a narrow-minded girl!

    Imperial Princess Leyao was already used to being spoiled. What she wanted was what she would get. Inside the pce, she was pampered by the Emperor and spoiled by the Imperial Concubine. Even Consort De would give in to her demands. There wasn¡¯t a single time when she hadn¡¯t gotten her way. When she saw that the Emperor remained silent, tears of frustration rolled down her cheeks in an effort to seek his attention.

    ¡°Father doesn¡¯t love Yao¡¯er anymore... sob sob...¡±

    The Chengping Emperor¡¯s mood had been dismal from the very beginning. It had only been alleviated slightly with the entrance of his daughter. But now, that very same daughter was crying, and her incessant cries were like needles piercing his brain. He was the great and mighty sovereign of this country- even if he was inclined to spoil his children, there needed to be a limit in ordance with his stature.

    He looked down at his daughter, who seemed to have grown much taller since thest time he had seen her. She was already ten years old. He had thought that that was still too young, so he had given in to her time and time again. However, now that her personality had been warped to this degree, he could no longer give in to everything she wanted.

    The Chengping Emperor abruptly tossed his sleeves, shaking away the little hands that were clutching onto it. In a low voice, he rebuffed her and said, ¡°Leyao, are you finished with this nonsense?¡±

    He had never ever reprimanded the princess before, but now he was scolding her in such a cold tone of voice! Leyao was shocked by the first scolding she had ever received from the Emperor. She stared up at him with wide, disbelieving eyes, as if she couldn¡¯t believe that those words hade out of his mouth.

    After what seemed like an eternity, she asked with a trembling voice, ¡°Father... You¡¯re... scolding Yao¡¯er?¡±

    Just as Imperial Princess Leyao was about to say something else, Imperial Concubine Wei covered her mouth in fright.

 Chapter 196: Get It For Me (2)

    The Chengping Emperor tossed his sleeves again with a dark expression. ¡°Leyao, I¡¯ve been far too lenient with you in the past. I allowed you to do whatever you wanted without any limits. Even though Jinyi¡¯s rank is low, she is still an honoureddy whose name I personally bestowed. How could I have her be a cook for you in your pce? Concubine, if you don¡¯t rein Leyao in and teach her some proper manners, I¡¯ll send her to the Empress to be raised under her name.¡±

    Empress Shen and Imperial Concubine Wei hadn¡¯t expected such a proposal toe from the Emperor. Give her to the Empress to raise? How could that be possible! Imperial Princess Leyao was already ten this year; she wasn¡¯t a young, unknowing child. How could the Empress possibly raise her to love her as a mother at this age?

    Empress Shen and Imperial Concubine Wei were both extremely resistant to this action. Imperial Concubine Wei had been injured during childbirth, so Imperial Princess Leyao was the only child she would ever have. How could Imperial Concubine Wei possibly be willing to give up her only child to someone else?

    In her fright, Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s hold over Leyao¡¯s mouth loosened.

    Imperial Princess Leyao immediately cried out and made a fuss after getting free. ¡°Father, Yao¡¯er doesn¡¯t want to go with the Empress! Yao¡¯er doesn¡¯t want to leave Mother!¡±

    ¡°Nonsense! Who gave you the right to address the Empress with such disrespect? Remember, the Empress is your legitimate mother!¡± The Chengping Emperor rubbed his temples in fatigue. ¡°Forget it; I was the one who pampered you to this state. When the Mid-Autumn Banquet ends, Concubine Wei and Leyao will be grounded for a month. I¡¯ll send Senior Servant Xi to teach Leyao some etiquette and manners by then.¡±

    After tossing out these orders, the Chengping Emperor left with his entourage, leaving only the sight of his broad back for the rest of the crowd to watch.

    Imperial Princess Leyao couldn¡¯t believe that she had failed to teach a lesson to Chu Lian, and had even gotten both herself and her mother grounded. She turned her grudge-filled re onto Chu Lian. Fortunately, after having suffered such a scolding from the Emperor, she had grown some brains and didn¡¯t go up to fight with Chu Lian directly.

    Chu Lian simply cast a sideways nce towards the Empress and Concubine before Eunuch Sun came over to her side and quietly said, ¡°Honoured Lady, please follow this servant. The Emperor has given orders for you to be escorted to the Empress Dowager¡¯s pce.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded and said her thanks before bobbing in goodbye to the Empress. She then followed after Eunuch Sun and exited Tingyu Pavilion.

    Now, there was only Empress Shen, Imperial Concubine Wei, and the shell-shocked Imperial Princess Leyao left in the parlour of Tingyu Pavilion.

    Empress Shen smoothened out some invisible creases on her imperial yellow dress before walking with perfect steps to stand in front of the half-sprawled Imperial Concubine Wei. She looked at her from the corner of her eyes and said, ¡°Little Sister Wei, you should consider that lesson you just learned carefully. As much as the Emperor loves you now, that favour is just as easily lost as it was gained.¡±

    With these ambiguous words as her parting message, Empress Shen led her group of servants out of the hall.

    Imperial Concubine Wei hugged Imperial Princess Leyao to her, biting her bright red lips until she could taste a hint of blood in her mouth. It was only then that she carefully rearranged her expression and turned to look at her daughter.

    ¡°Yao¡¯er, remember everything that happened today. The day wille when we¡¯ll get our revenge for all that we¡¯ve suffered!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t until she had left Tingyu Pavilion far behind that Chu Lian could finally ease out of her state of tension.

    When she recalled Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s expression before she had left, Chu Lian just knew that the princess wasn¡¯t going to let her off that easily. She sighed. Was it just her fate to be a trouble ma?

    TL Note: Leyao calling the Empress by her title (which serves as her name, since no one is allowed to address the Empress with her actual name except the Emperor) is disrespectful ording to their customs.

    The Empress is considered to be the legitimate mother of all the Emperor¡¯s children, even if she didn¡¯t give birth to them herself. Thus, Leyao is supposed to call her ¡®Mother Empress¡¯ or ¡®muhou¡¯, while she can only call her own concubine mother by ¡®Mother Concubine¡¯ or ¡®mufei¡¯ (I shortened this to Mother as it¡¯s a bit of a mouthful).

    To draw aparison to Western norms, it would be like a child calling their mother by their full name instead of saying ¡®mum¡¯.

 Chapter 197: Get It For Me (3)

    The imperial gardens were huge, and it was in the middle of autumn now. Large fields of chrysanthemum flowers were in bloom,ing in all different varieties and colours. From time to time, a few maidservants would pass through, painting quite the lively, bustling scene.

    The Empress Dowager¡¯s Ninghe Pce was quite far from Tingyu Pavilion. Eunuch Sun had mentioned this to her as he lead the way.

    However, as they walked down a secluded path through the gardens, Chu Lian didn¡¯t feel like it was a long way off at all. There was much to see, and she freely admired the beautiful view of blooming, multicoloured chrysanthemums around her.

    Eunuch Sun pointed out a pavilion not too far from them. ¡°Honoured Lady may rest in that pavilion for a moment.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded and let Eunuch Sun lead them there. This pavilion was also surrounded by chrysanthemum flowers, and the scenery was beautiful. It was indeed a good ce to take a short break.

    Eunuch Sun stood off to one side and smiled. ¡°Would Honoured Lady like some tea and refreshments? This servant will fetch some, so Honoured Lady may stay in this pavilion and rest for a moment.¡±

    Chu Lian saw that Eunuch Sun was a nice person, so she smiled and shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no need, gonggong. I¡¯m only sitting here for a short while. Grandmother¡¯s still waiting for me, so it won¡¯t be good to tarry too long.¡±

    Since Chu Lian had already made her refusal clear, Eunuch Sun didn¡¯t leave to fetch any refreshments.

    Chu Lian was actually being careful. The pce wasn¡¯t at all like the Jing¡¯an Estate. Anyone she bumped into here could be someone with great authority and power. It was better to keep a low profile. She had almost fallen into someone¡¯s trap just now, so she wasn¡¯t about to risk something else happening.

    At least her own maidservants were much more considerate. After that trip to Tingyu Pavilion, she was both physically and mentally tired. While looking over the beautiful flowers, she was indeed a little peckish.

    Eunuch Sun had his head lowered as he waited at the side. From the corner of his line of sight, he kept an eye on Honoured Lady Jinyi. Her unperturbed expression hadn¡¯t budged one bit while facing those great personages in Tingyu Pavilion, but now she had a wide grin on her face as she happily took out a small purse from within her wide sleeves and deftly opened it with her slender fingers.

    The contents of the purse were a little odd. Honoured Lady Jinyi quickly took out a golden-brown pastry embossed with a fancy pattern of the likes he had never seen before. This pastry was small enough to hold between her two fingers, and she kept a delicate grip on it as her cherry-red lips enclosed around one of the edges.

    He watched as she took her first bite, and her reaction was near instantaneous: her wide, watery, almond-shaped eyes closed in enjoyment, forming two mini-crescents as she savoured her snack. In the next second, the round, fancy pastry had already disappeared into her stomach.

    Eunuch Sun unconsciously gulped a mouthful of saliva. In his heart, he was trying to match that pastry with the confections he had seen in the pce. However, even after going down the long list of confections that the pce served, he still couldn¡¯t recall if he had seen anything like what Honoured Lady Jinyi had just taken out to eat.

    The pastry in her hands looked really, really tasty. There was some sort of stuffing inside the crisp pastry skin, too; it looked like... egg yolk? Could egg yolks be used to make confections? Then was it sweet or salty?

    Eunuch Sun knew he couldn¡¯t continue this line of thought. Otherwise, he would surely be unable to resist the urge, and would snatch that little purse of snacks right out of Honoured Lady Jinyi¡¯s hands.

    Eunuch Sun¡¯s head lowered even further. He didn¡¯t want to continue watching Chu Lian¡¯s blissful expression as she ate those snacks. Sob sob sob. No wonder the Honoured Lady hadn¡¯t wanted him to fetch refreshments and tea. She had brought her own!

    Blinded by the delicious food, Eunuch Sun forgot that it wasn¡¯t normal for nobledies to bring their own snacks when entering the pce. This wasn¡¯t a trip to the wilderness, after all! It was clear that Honoured Lady Jinyi was a strange exception to the rule.

    Chu Lian took out a thin strip of air-dried beef jerky and stuffed it into her mouth. This was a new vour of beef jerky she had made. It was spicy and helped increase her appetite. She wondered if that fellow He Changdi could eat spicy food.

    Not too far away, the Chengping Emperor stood at the corner of a corridor. Next to him was his personal senior eunuch, Eunuch Wei.

    From this angle, the Chengping Emperor could see Chu Lian enjoying some sort of snack sitting in the pavilion a distance away. Sunlight happened to be streaming down upon her, lighting up her tiny face andpletely exposing her extremely blissful expression to the Emperor¡¯s gaze.

    The Emperor couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡®What is that girl eating? Is it really that tasty?¡¯

    Thus, in the next moment, Eunuch Wei heard the Emperor order, ¡°Go and retrieve that girl¡¯s purse for me.¡±

    Eunuch Wei¡¯s eye twitched. For a second, he thought he was hallucinating, and it was purely his imagination that the great and wise Emperor had said such an odd thing. Had the Emperor, their high and mighty ruler, really just ordered him to snatch some snacks from an Honoured Lady...?

 Chapter 198: A Purse of Snacks (1)

    When the Emperor saw that Eunuch Wei hadn¡¯t moved, he shot an icy re at him. Eunuch Wei didn¡¯t dare to disobey orders, so he obediently went on his way, despite his troubled expression.

    Chu Lian was in the middle of eating her second mini mooncake when she heard Eunuch Sun greeting someone.

    Curious, Chu Lian turned around, only to see that there was now another middle-aged eunuch standing behind her, holding a horsetail whisk in his arms.

    Eunuch Sun smiled as he introduced the newly arrived eunuch to Chu Lian. ¡°Honoured Lady, this is the chief steward of the imperial pce, Eunuch Wei. He serves by the Emperor¡¯s side.¡±

    Chu Lian smiled and nodded, greeting him cheerfully with a ¡®Chief Steward Wei¡¯.

    Chief Steward Wei bowed towards Chu Lian respectfully. His eyes swept over the purse she was holding in her hands, and upon seeing its quickly depleting state, he couldn¡¯t help but inwardly beg: ¡®My dear ancestor, please eat a little slower- the Emperor¡¯s still waiting for those snacks!¡¯

    ¡°Honoured Lady really knows how to enjoy life. This Mixiang Pavilion is the best ce to admire flowers in the entire imperial gardens. Just a few days ago, the Empress Dowager even mentioned that the best thing to do during the middle of autumn is admire the chrysanthemums while enjoying some round cakes.¡±

    Chu Lian found this whole meeting rather strange. This Eunuch Wei should be a very busy person, judging from his job title. How could he have the spare time to stand here and make small talk with her?

    When she saw that Eunuch Wei seemed to want to continue chatting, Chu Lian could only y along. ¡°Chief Steward Wei, you¡¯re overestimating me. I just happened to be passing by and stopped to eat a few snacks since I was feeling hungry.¡± Chu Lian looked down at the snack purse she was holding and continued, ¡°These aren¡¯t round cakes, by the way. They¡¯re just some snacks I made for myself.¡±

    ¡°Oh? This servant has long heard that Honoured Lady¡¯s heart is as good and pure as an orchid. This servant didn¡¯t think that Honoured Lady would also know how to make her own confections. This servant wonders if there might be a chance to taste Honoured Lady¡¯s cooking.¡±

    When those words left Eunuch Wei¡¯s mouth, even he couldn¡¯t hold back the slight, embarrassed flush on his cheeks. But no matter how awkward this was, he couldn¡¯t disobey the Emperor¡¯s orders!

    Chu Lian was stunned. What? A high-ranked eunuch she had never met before- the chief steward of the pce, at that- was asking her for... her snacks?

    With Chu Lian¡¯s baffled gaze focused on him, Eunuch Wei awkwardly received the snack purse. Following that, he gave her a deep, low bow, and then... he ran off... at lightspeed...

    Only Chu Lian was left standing in the pavilion, her hands still outstretched as she said to thin air, ¡°Eunuch Wei... My purse...¡±

    Unfortunately, Eunuch Wei was already long gone by now.

    Chu Lian¡¯s expression was cloudy. She turned to ask the frozen Eunuch Sun, ¡°Eunuch Sun, is the food in the pce that bad?¡± Otherwise, why would the chief steward have stolen her snacks and run away?!

    The corners of Eunuch Sun¡¯s lips twitched. In the end, he could only let Honoured Lady Jinyi continue believing her own conclusions. After all, he worked under Eunuch Wei. How could he dare to cast suspicion on Eunuch Wei¡¯s conduct? Though, within the privacy of his mind, he was also severely perplexed by this series of events. Eunuch Wei was one of the Emperor¡¯s trusted servants: he could eat the best birds¡¯ nest and the best abalone every day if he wanted to. How could he havee to covet a young girl¡¯s snacks, and then just steal them away like that? Had the sun risen from the west today?

    But Eunuch Wei was already long gone, and it was just one small purse with a couple snacks in it. There was nothing special about it, so Chu Lian didn¡¯t pursue the matter further.

    She was about to rest for a moment longer before going over to the Empress Dowager¡¯s pce to look for Matriarch He, but Royal Princess Duanjia suddenly came striding over from not too far away.

    When Royal Princess Duanjia reached Chu Lian¡¯s side, she pulled her up without waiting for Chu Lian to give her a bow in greeting. ¡°I heard from the Empress Dowager that you were over here in the imperial gardens when I entered the pce, so I came over to find you. I didn¡¯t think I would bump into you at Mixiang Pavilion!¡±

 Chapter 199: A Purse of Snacks (2)

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t seen Royal Princess Duanjia for quite a few days, so it was a pleasant surprise to run into her here.

    She was about to speak when she noticed Royal Princess Duanjia looking her up and down with a measuring gaze. Finally, the princess¡¯s gazended on the remains of the half-eaten mooncake in her left hand. The princess blinked and asked, ¡°Chu Liu, what are you eating?¡±

    The moment she heard that, Chu Lian didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. She held up the remaining mooncake in her hand and replied honestly, ¡°This is a type of snack I made earlier; it¡¯s called mooncake.¡±

    ¡°Mooncake? It sounds really tasty. Chu Liu, how could you bring snacks into the pce? Why didn¡¯t you bring some for me, too?!¡± Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s cheeks puffed up as she questioned her friend.

    Chu Lian replied very intelligently with an ¡®uhhhh¡¯. She really didn¡¯t know how to deal with Royal Princess Duanjia.

    Suddenly, Royal Princess Duanjia held out an open palm in front of her face.

    Chu Lian stared at Princess Duanjia¡¯s face in befuddlement before looking at her open palm. ¡°Princess?¡±

    ¡°What are you nking out for? Hand over all your food!¡±

    Chu Lian: ......

    ¡°Princess, you were a little toote. I just finished everything; there¡¯s only this half left...¡±

    Chu Lian pressed a hand against her forehead. Why were the people around her such gluttons for food?! It was just a simple snack, so why were there waves of people trying to snatch it away from her? Did they really have to be this way?!

    Royal Princess Duanjia thought for a moment before harrumphing in her uniquely tsundere manner. ¡°Well, if you¡¯ve only got that half left, then so be it. I just want a small taste first. You¡¯ll make more for meter anyway, right?¡±

    Chu Lian stared at her. This half was only a half because she¡¯d eaten the rest already. Her saliva was already on it...

    In the end, Chu Lian didn¡¯t have any other choice but to hand it over. ¡°If Royal Princess Duanjia would like more, there¡¯s still one more box of it that my maidservants are carrying.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia tossed the piece of mooncake into her mouth without any hesitation. She chewed it for a bit before her eyes lit up. ¡°Chu Liu, this ¡®mooncake¡¯ is a lot tastier than those round cakes!¡±

    Eunuch Sun¡¯s eyes were twitching when he saw the normally calm, cool, and collected Royal Princess Duanjia was acting like a naive, haughty child.

    The two girls sat in Mixiang Pavilion for a while longer. However, because Chu Lian was afraid that more strange people would pop out of the bushes, she dragged Royal Princess Duanjia off to the Empress Dowager¡¯s Ninghe Pce before long.

    At a corner hidden out of sight from Mixiang Pavilion, Eunuch Wei stood before the Emperor. He offered the purse he took from Chu Lian to the Emperor with both hands, and the Emperor, in turn, received it.

    The purse itself was light in colour, and there was some oil paper sewn inside of it. On the outside, the embroidery was fairly borate, but it wasn¡¯t anything special. It looked just like a simple snack purse that any noble would prepare for their children.

    The Emperor opened the little purse and looked inside, only to see thest remaining pastry within. It was about half the size of an egg and circr in shape, and its maker had imprinted the word ¡®fortune¡¯ on top of it. Overall, it looked delightful and well-made.

    The Emperor took it out and had a taste. His deep eyes squinted. The stuffing inside was actually quite salty!

    When he took a closer look, he discovered that the stuffing was made of salty egg yolk.

    It seemed that that girl did possess some talent in the culinary arts after all.

    Eunuch Wei stood behind the Chengping Emperor, sweating a little. If Honoured Lady Jinyi hadn¡¯t already been married off to House Jing¡¯an¡¯s third son, he would have thought that their Emperor¡¯s heart had been moved by the Honoured Lady.

    ¡°This pastry is quite good. Since Jinyi was able to make it, then it¡¯s not strange that she could have made better longevity peach buns than Mr Wang.¡±

    ¡°It is exactly as the Emperor says. Honoured Lady Jinyi seems a little different from most nobledies!¡±

    The Chengping Emperor finished the mooncake in just two or three bites. He seemed to have recalled something, as he burst intoughter and said, ¡°She is indeed a little different from most. She¡¯s much braver than the average nobledy as well!¡±

    The corners of Eunuch Wei¡¯s mouth twitched. Wasn¡¯t that just so? If it had been any otherdy who had found a disgusting, ck, wriggling worm inside of a fresh peach, they would have surely screamed in fright. However, Honoured Lady Jinyi had the guts to pick out that disgusting worm and instead used it to scare the person who had tried to prank her instead.

    However, when he thought back to how Imperial Concubine Wei and her handmaid had tried to trick Jinyi into losingposure before the Emperor, Eunuch Wei thought that Honoured Lady Jinyi¡¯s actions had really made for quite the satisfying end.

 Chapter 200: A Purse of Snacks (3)

    Meanwhile, Chu Lian finally arrived at the Empress Dowager¡¯s Ninghe Pce, together with Royal Princess Duanjia.

    At this time, Ninghe Pce was in a flurry. Most of the female imperial rtives had already arrived. Since she had been dyed for quite some time in the imperial gardens, Chu Lian didn¡¯t have the chance to meet the Empress Dowager personally. Instead, it was Princess Wei who pulled her to one side and helped her, giving her instructions on the necessary etiquette for today¡¯s event.

    Chu Lian hade into the pce today dressed as an Honoured Lady, so her maidservants had not given her a married noble madam¡¯s hairstyle as usual. When Princess Wei had seen her daughter Duanjia standing together with Chu Lian, their simr figures made them look like a pretty pair of sisters from behind.

    Princess Wei smiled and patted Chu Lian¡¯s fair, tender hand. ¡°Matriarch He and Old Duchess Zheng have gone to apany the Empress Dowager. In a few moments, just follow behind me with Duanjia. After the meal, all the titled noble madams will be allowed to enter the pce for the banquet.¡±

    It was clear that Princess Wei was being kind to Chu Lian. Of course, Chu Lian had sensed it for herself. She immediately gave a genuine smile and agreed.

    After having her afternoon meal with the various female members of the imperial family, Chu Lian and Duanjia sat in the corner of a side hall and sipped some honey water to help with digestion. They also watched as some pce servants led a few noble madams in to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager.

    This was the first time Chu Lian had seen such a grand event, so she couldn¡¯t resist observing everything.

    ¡°Royal Princess, why are all the madams carrying a container of food?¡± Chu Lian asked curiously.

    Royal Princess Duanjia set down the teacup in her hands and cast a strange look at her. She was clearly surprised as she eximed, ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±

    Chu Lian shook her head, puzzled. She really didn¡¯t know anything about that at all. In the original novel, or at least the part she had read, Chu Lian had never attended any event as grand as this in the pce.

    Royal Princess Duanjia rolled her eyes at Chu Lian, speechless with her. ¡°Your mind must bepletely used up for thinking about food! How could you not know about something this simple?! Those madams are carrying round cakes in those boxes.¡±

    After Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s exnation, it was only then that Chu Lian found out that there was traditionally a round cakepetition held inside the pce during the Mid-Autumn Banquet, ever since the time of the Emperor¡¯s great-grandfather.

    Every noble madam who came to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager or the Empress would bring some round cakes prepared in their own estates, representing their house. The pce servants would ce each set of round cakes on an offering table. When the banquet ended, everyone would choose the most delicious round cake, and there would be a prize for the winning house.

    This was also the current Empress Dowager¡¯s favourite part of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

    Chu Lian found it a little funny. She hadn¡¯t expected that there would be such an interesting event during the pce¡¯s Mid-Autumn Banquet.

    ¡°Which house won thepetitionst year?¡± Chu Lian asked.

    Royal Princess Duanjia sipped some tea before throwing a sideways nce at her. ¡°The Pan Estate.¡±

    The Pan Estate? Pan Go¡¯s estate?

    A trace of suspicion showed up on Chu Lian¡¯s face.

    Royal Princess Duanjia had been watching her expression. She chuckled once and said, ¡°Chu Liu, you¡¯re pretty sharp! Let me tell you, it wasn¡¯t justst year, two years ago, or even the year before that. The Pan Estate has always been the champion of the Mid-Autumn Banquet!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened a little. The inklings of something wereing together in her mind.

    Royal Princess Duanjia didn¡¯t try to disrupt her thoughts. She continued on to exin, ¡°Last year, Madam Pan presented a te of hazelnut-voured round cakes.¡±

    The princess then reached out to point at a distance away. ¡°There, see that person dressed in a purple overcoat? That¡¯s Madam Pan.¡±

    Following the direction that Royal Princess Duanjia was pointing in, Chu Lian saw a round-faced middle-aged madam with slender brows. Her face was fair and her lips a little thick. When she smiled, she revealed eight pearly-white teeth, and when she was speaking with others, she always carried a slight smile on her lips, giving everyone a good impression of her.

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t help but remember the day she had gone to Guilin Restaurant and chanced upon the sight of her father in front of the Pan Estate¡¯s entrance.

    Just as Chu Lian was about to sink into her thoughts, she suddenly heard a voice filled with mockery call out in their direction.

 Chapter 201: Offering Round Cakes (1)

    ¡°Dear cousin, you¡¯ve be rather capable, haven¡¯t you? You¡¯re actually keeping someone like that aspany!¡±

    Chu Lian was pulled back to reality by that young, angry voice. When she focused her gaze on the source, she saw Imperial Princess Leyao standing not too far from them. The twodies standing behind her were the same ones she had seenst time at the Dingyuan Estate, House Dingyuan¡¯s Fifth Miss, Zou Yuanqin, and Feudal Princess Anmin.

    One of Chu Lian¡¯s eyebrows shot up. She was about to speak, but Royal Princess Duanjia beat her to the punch and started to retort with, ¡°Leyao, when has it been up to you to manage my business? If you¡¯re that free, why don¡¯t you mind your own!¡±

    On the way to Ninghe Pce, Chu Lian had already told Royal Princess Duanjia about everything that had happened at Tingyu Pavilion, so Duanjia also knew about Princess Leyao¡¯s grounding.

    Imperial Princess Leyao was actually a rank higher than Royal Princess Duanjia. However, Prince Wei and the Chengping Emperor were blood brothers, and the Emperor favoured Prince Wei. Since Royal Princess Duanjia was Prince Wei¡¯s only daughter, she held favour with both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. She wasn¡¯t any less favoured than Imperial Princess Leyao.

    Imperial Princess Leyao had always maintained a cordial rtionship with her cousin, the equally pampered Royal Princess Duanjia. However, who could have expected Royal Princess Duanjia to side with Chu Lian?

    Leyao¡¯s face had instantly turned white from rage. She couldn¡¯t win over Royal Princess Duanjia, but was she really going to lose to a measly Honoured Lady like Chu Lian?

    What was strange was that Imperial Princess Leyao didn¡¯t say anything in retaliation to Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s retort. Instead, she actually managed to hold back her anger, and only led her entourage away. At the same time, she shot a fierce re at Chu Lian and smirked.

    Chu Lian¡¯s brows drew together. That smirk gave her an ufortable feeling.

    When Royal Princess Duanjia saw that Chu Lian didn¡¯t seem too happy, she tried to reassure her in her own clumsy way. ¡°Chu Liu, you don¡¯t have to care about that sort of person. She¡¯s just throwing a tantrum because she¡¯s used to being spoiled. Who knows when she¡¯ll be able to grow some brains!¡±

    Chu Lian managed to pull out a smile for the princess, but her right eyelid kept twitching for some mysterious reason.

    After about ten minutes, Matriarch He¡¯s handmaid, Muxiang, came rushing over from somewhere. Her face was extremely troubled. When she saw Chu Lian, it was as if she had seen salvation.

    Chu Lian looked over, but before she could ask what had happened, Muxiang had already spoken first. ¡°Third Young Madam, something bad happened! The matriarch requires your presence!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s brows were raised high. She had a hunch that this had something to do with Imperial Princess Leyao.

    Seeing that Chu Lian was going to leave in a hurry, Royal Princess Duanjia frowned and asked, ¡°Chu Liu, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Chu Lian suppressed her anxiety and said, ¡°Royal Princess, my grandmother is looking for me. I have to go first.¡±

    ¡°Do you want me toe along with you?¡±

    Chu Lian shook her head.

    Royal Princess Duanjia didn¡¯t press the matter. After watching Chu Lian leave with that handmaid, she moved to another wing of the side hall.

    Princess Wei seemed to have noticed themotion. She sent someone to look for Royal Princess Duanjia, who then personally went to meet Princess Wei.

    ¡°It seems like something has happened to House Jing¡¯an. Chu Liu was called over by Matriarch He.¡±

    Princess Wei gripped one of her handkerchiefs and thought for a moment. Then, to one of her senior servants, she instructed, ¡°Send someone to take a look. If there¡¯s really something that can¡¯t be resolved, report back to me.¡±

    Chu Lian was taken to another wing of the side hall by Muxiang. She went further in as Muxiang turned back around to shut the doors tight. As expected, there was Matriarch He, sitting by the table with Madam Zou standing next to her respectfully.

    Muxiang led Chu Lian over to Matriarch He, only to see Matriarch He m her cane on the ground and shout, ¡°Dng¡¯s wife! What is going on here? How could you have lost our round cakes?¡±

    Madam Zou lowered her head, face pale as she replied to the matriarch with a trembling voice. ¡°Grandmother, when Granddaughter-in-Law left the estate, Granddaughter-in-Law checked through everything personally. When Granddaughter-in-Law entered the pce, our round cakes were still there. They only disappeared once Granddaughter-in-Law entered Ninghe Pce... Granddaughter-in-Law... really doesn¡¯t know where they went...¡±

    Matriarch He banged her cane on the floor again, restraining the urge to hit Madam Zou with it instead.

    ¡°Dng¡¯s wife, tell me! When you entered the pce, who was holding onto that box of round cakes?¡±

    Although the pce was hosting a Mid-Autumn Banquet today, the noble madams of each estate were not allowed to bring just anyone with them. Someone of Madam Zou¡¯s rank was only allowed to bring in two servants at most.

    She had brought her most trusted senior servant and handmaid, Senior Servant Qiao and Jinshui.

    This whole matter was extremely suspicious, so Madam Zou didn¡¯t dare to hide anything. However, she also wanted to protect her own servants. After mumbling for a bit, she didn¡¯t say anything concrete. Chu Lian was starting to frown as she watched on from the side.

    ¡°Madam Zou! Look at what has happened! Are you not going to answer me? Are you trying to bring down our entire family?!¡± Matriarch He was usually amiable, and she rarely lost her temper like this. Years of umted stress poured out all at once, even scaring Chu Lian, let alone the guilty Madam Zou.

    ¡°Grandmother, please calm down! Granddaughter-in-Law will say it! It was... It was Granddaughter-in-Law¡¯s Jinshui...¡±

    Once Madam Zou had given a name, Senior Servant Zhou, who served Matriarch He, immediately shouted, ¡°What a daring servant! Even aftermitting a crime, you¡¯re still refusing to admit to it? Kneel down at once!¡±

    Jinshui was already afraid since she had lost the estate¡¯s round cakes. Now that she was being shouted at by Senior Servant Zhou, her legs turned to jelly and she copsed on the ground. She tried and failed to support herself with her trembling arms a few times before she finally managed to crawl over to Matriarch He.

    ¡°Matriarch, Matriarch, please have mercy on this servant! This servant... this servant didn¡¯t lose the box on purpose. This servant was carefeully holding onto the box while following Eldest Young Madam into Ninghe Pce. When this servant was turning a corner, a eunuch suddenly pushed this servant. This servant smelled something strange and immediately fainted. When this servant came to, the box was gone! That eunuch had also disappeared. Matriarch, this servant... has been caught in someone else¡¯s schemes!¡±

 Chapter 202: Offering Round Cakes (2)

    Chu Lian¡¯s brows furrowed together. In these circumstances, this Jinshui probably wasn¡¯t lying. She was Madam Zou¡¯s trusted handmaid. Madam Zou wouldn¡¯t be so silly as to shoot herself in the foot.

    If it wasn¡¯t Madam Zou, then it had to be someone else. When Chu Lian thought of that strange smirk that Imperial Princess Leyao had sent her earlier, she feltpletely helpess inside.

    When Madam Zou saw that the matriarch¡¯s gloomy expression had not changed one bit, she pleaded, ¡°Grandmother, please don¡¯t me Jinshui; it was someone else who stole the box from her!¡±

    Matriarch He was so angry she almost took up her cane to start bashing Madam Zou. ¡°Do you know what time it is? If you still have the mood to plead mercy for her, then use your brains to think of a way past this problem!¡±

    Matriarch He held onto her cane with both hands, chest heaving with the force of her frustration. She turned her head away from Madam Zou.

    Madam Zou¡¯s body also turned to jelly. How could she have expected such a thing to happen? If their house didn¡¯t offer up any round cakes, they would be taken to me by the Empress and Empress Dowager!

    Senior Servant Zhou started fretting to one side. ¡°Matriarch, could we borrow some round cakes from other madams to substitute for our offering?¡±

    ¡°Borrow? How? Most of the houses have already offered up their round cakes by now, so who would we borrow from? Furthermore, every estate has their own unique round cakes; how could we possibly borrow some without being found out?¡±

    Since someone was trying to teach their House Jing¡¯an a lesson from the shadows, that meant that someone was definitely watching them. If they really were to borrow someone¡¯s round cakes, then they would definitely be exposed the moment they offered the round cakes up. By then, not only would it be a disgrace to their house, it would also be a crime of deceiving the Emperor.

    When Senior Servant Zhou heard the matriarch¡¯s reply, shepsed into silence.

    Chu Lian was almost frowning by now. This was a tough problem to resolve. Each estate had already prepared their share of round cakes. Borrowing someone else¡¯s wasn¡¯t a good solution.

    When Matriarch He saw that Sang¡¯s wife was standing to one side, she was about to ask if Chu Lian had any ideas, when Madam Zou hurriedly said, ¡°Grandmother, Sister-in-Law knows how to make all sorts of confections. Why don¡¯t we let her make some round cakes from scratch? It shouldn¡¯t be too hard.¡±

    When she finished speaking, both Chu Lian and Matriarch He were frowning.

    Make them from scratch?

    Hah! Wasn¡¯t Madam Zou overestimating her? Ignoring the fact that there wasn¡¯t any ce for her to make confections in Ninghe Pce, even if there was one, she had never made these special Mid-Autumn Festival round cakes before. If they didn¡¯t turn out well, wouldn¡¯t she be the one carrying all the me and disgrace?

    It didn¡¯t matter if Madam Zou was simply too confident towards her abilities or if Madam Zou was trying to drag her down into the hot water with her. Madam Zou clearly didn¡¯t care for her well-being in the slightest!

    However, no matter what Madam Zou thought of her in private, Chu Lian was indeed Matriarch He and House Jing¡¯an¡¯sst hope at this moment. Even Matriarch He held a shred of expectation in her eyes when she looked at Chu Lian.

    ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, do you have any ideas to deal with this emergency?¡±

    Chu Lian shot a look at Madam Zou; her watery eyes made Madam Zou feel slightly ashamed.

    She turned her gaze back to the matriarch and thought for a bit. She took in a deep breath and said, ¡°Grandmother, Granddaughter-in-Law has thought of a solution. However, Granddaughter-in-Law doesn¡¯t know if it would be appropriate...¡±

    As much as she didn¡¯t want to take on the responsibility for this disaster, she was already part of House Jing¡¯an now. Their names were bound together for better or for worse. Even if she wanted to take care of Madam Zou, she couldn¡¯t risk it with this matter at hand.

    When Matriarch He heard Chu Lian¡¯s words, she seemed to rx. She pulled Chu Lian¡¯s hands into her own and massaged them. ¡°Good child, Grandmother has let you suffer a fright. Quick, tell Grandmother what your idea is.¡±

    Chu Lian quickly exined her idea, but left the final decision in Matriarch He¡¯s hands. ¡°Grandmother, would this solution be appropriate?¡±

    Light flickered in Matriarch He¡¯s astute eyes. For some strange reason, she trusted this young granddaughter-inw of hers.

    The matriarch patted Chu Lian¡¯s hands. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say.¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t rx. She only turned to instruct Xiyan, who had followed her in, to make her preparations. When she had reached Ninghe Pce, she had also brought Xiyan and Senior Servant Gui with her.

    After Matriarch He gave some instructions to Chu Lian, she directed her attention back to Madam Zou, whose head was still lowered. In a cold, unforgiving tone, she ordered, ¡°Madam Zou, you won¡¯t be needed when it¡¯s time to offer up the round cakester. Sang¡¯s wife will take your ce. Keep your servants close with you and stand behind me when the timees. No one is allowed to leave before the banquet is over!¡±

    This time, Matriarch He was truly angry.

    At a grand banquet like this, it was customary for the noble madam in charge of the household to be the one presenting their offerings to the Empress Dowager and Empress. However, the matriarch had taken away that privilege of hers. This was a huge p in her face. Following this, Madam Zou would not be able to hold her head high in the capital for some time.

    This punishment was even harsher than sending away her two trusted servants.

 Chapter 203: Winner (1)

    When Matriarch He came out of the side hall with Chu Lian supporting her at one side, a handmaid who had been watching from the shadows quietly left.

    Lady Pan caught sight of Matriarch He first, walking with her two granddaughters-inw behind her. She came over with a friendly smile and walked up to Matriarch He¡¯s side, bobbing in greeting. Matriarch He was about to return the greeting, but was held up by Lady Pan.

    ¡°Matriarch He, you¡¯re already at a grand age, please don¡¯t stand on ceremony with me. I don¡¯t see Countess Jing¡¯an with you today; how is her health now?¡±

    Matriarch He¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, as if they hadn¡¯t panicked over losing their round cakes just moments earlier. With a calm expression, she amiably replied, ¡°I thank you for your kind thoughts in ce of my daughter-inw, Lady Pan. Her body is still a little weak, so she sent a reply to the pce a few days ago, exining that she couldn¡¯t make it to the banquet.¡±

    Lady Pan¡¯s gaze casually passed over the twodies standing behind Matriarch He before focusing on Chu Lian¡¯s young and tender face. Her smile grew even warmer. ¡°Thisdy behind you must be your newest granddaughter-inw?¡±

    ¡°She is. Sang¡¯s wife may be young, but she¡¯s very sensible.¡±

    Following Matriarch He¡¯s words, Chu Lian bobbed in greeting to Lady Pan.

    The smile on Lady Pan¡¯s face hadn¡¯t budged an inch. ¡°What great fortune you have, Matriarch He. Your granddaughter-inw is a sensible one, and she¡¯s also ady from House Ying. It won¡¯t be too long before you¡¯ll get to y with a great-grandson, then.¡±

    Lady Pan¡¯s sudden shift in topic caused the expressions of the three madams from House Jing¡¯an to change.

    Noting the fertility of thedies of House Ying was a slight to Chu Lian. Mentioning a great-grandson was to provoke Madam Zou, who hadn¡¯t produced a heir for the family line yet. Saying that it wouldn¡¯t be too long now was pping both Chu Lian and Matriarch He in the face.

    In the entire capital, who didn¡¯t know of the news that House Jing¡¯an¡¯s He Sang had entered the army just three days after his marriage? Without her husband at home, what did it mean if the wife was suddenly pregnant?

    This Lady Pan, who seemingly hadn¡¯t done any wrong on the surface, was actually a master of provocation.

    Matriarch He was more experienced on this end. After a spark of rage had passed through her eyes, she quickly regained her calm. ¡°Lady Pan, you¡¯re usually closed up in your estate. You probably don¡¯t know that that unfilial grandson of mine has already left to join the army at the northern border.¡±

    Shock appeared on Lady Pan¡¯s face, and she quickly tried to apologise. ¡°Matriarch He, it was my bad for that slip of the tongue. I hope you don¡¯t me me. Who could have expected He Sang to be so resolute in leaving? Unless...¡± Her gaze shot towards Chu Lian, leaving the nonverbal usation to hang in the air. It was clear by her actions that Lady Pan harboured some bad intentions towards them.

    Since their parties had been conversing for quite awhile, some of the madams were starting to shoot casual nces in their direction. Although nothing showed on their faces, their ears were keenly tuned to the slightest inflection as they tried to catch every word of Matriarch He and Lady Pan¡¯s conversation. Their eyes shone like vultures¡¯, seeking to scavenge some gossip.

    Lady Pan was trying to put the me for He Changdi¡¯s leaving on this newlywed wife of his. Although she hadn¡¯t finished her sentence, anyone with a brain could tell what she was trying to get at.

    Madam Zou lowered her head. Although Lady Pan was provoking House Jing¡¯an right now, she didn¡¯t feel anger at all. Actually, it was theplete opposite- she felt delighted!

    Lady Pan happened to cross gazes with Chu Lian and was abruptly stunned by what she saw. Chu Lian¡¯s wide, clear eyes were looking right back at her without any hint of anger, as if she wasn¡¯t the subject of her provocation at all. What Lady Pan had done was akin to tossing a bucket of icy water into a bamboo basket. The icy water didn¡¯t affected the basket one bit, and had actually slipped through the seams like the basket was no more than a sieve, making Lady Pan feel like she had failed to do any damage at all.

    The two-faced Lady Pan hadn¡¯t made Chu Lian angry, but had conversely suffered some frustration herself. She stared at Chu Lian as she continued to say, ¡°Now that He Sang has joined the army at the northern border, if he doesn¡¯t rue some sort of achievement, he¡¯ll only be able to return in five years. What a waste of Honoured Lady Jinyi¡¯s best years.¡±

    Chu Lian found all this rather funny. What was going on? Why was everyone targeting her? This was the first time she had ever met Lady Pan. The Pan Estate was also ranks above her, so she couldn¡¯t have possibly encountered them before marriage either. Why was Lady Pan suddenly at odds with her?

    Could it be because of Chu Qizheng¡¯s visit to the Pan Estate?

    When she thought of this, Chu Lian¡¯s expression turned dark.

    She didn¡¯t ask for her father¡¯s love, but he shouldn¡¯t be dragging her down, either!

    ¡°Many thanks for Lady Pan¡¯s kind thoughts. My husband is extremely fortunate, so he¡¯ll surely have a lucky turn of events.¡± Chu Lian threw her neutral reply back at Lady Pan. She was toozy to beat around the bush with this Lady Pan and couldn¡¯t be bothered to form a more politically correct response. That Lady Pan was already trying to bully her, wasn¡¯t she allowed to throw something back?

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t someone who liked to hold grudges. She would rather give as good as she got on the spot.

    Lady Pan choked on that response. That evesting smile on her face also slowly disappeared. She tossed onest cold sentence at Chu Lian. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Honoured Lady Jinyi to be so open-minded!¡±

    Chu Lian tilted her head to one side and gave a dazzlingly bright smile to Lady Pan.

    Lady Pan¡¯s tempo had beenpletely messed up by Chu Lian¡¯s unexpected reply. She suddenly gave a furtive smile. ¡°Matriarch He, I haven¡¯t seen your estate¡¯s round cakes. What¡¯s going on? Are you trying to deceive the Empress Dowager?¡±

    Matriarch He sent a look at Chu Lian, who held up an exquisite container and showed it off to Lady Pan. ¡°Thank you for reminding me of the round cakes, Lady Pan. I have to present them now, please excuse me.¡±

    After she said so, Chu Lian took the round cakes and her maidservants with her to greet the Empress Dowager.

 Chapter 204: Winner (2)

    Lady Pan stared after Chu Lian¡¯s figure in disbelief. By the time she managed to regain her senses, Chu Lian had already disappeared into the crowd. Lady Pan¡¯s good mood waspletely destroyed by this one short conversation. In her frustration, she shot a look of contempt at Madam Zou before she left, not forgetting onest action to show her vexation.

    When the madams around them saw that it wasn¡¯t House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Eldest Young Madam who was to present the round cakes, there were a bunch of strange looks directed towards Madam Zou. Madam Zou immediately felt the urge to dig a hole and hide in it.

    By the time Chu Lian had properly presented her round cakes and returned to Matriarch He¡¯s side, Royal Princess Duanjia had squeezed in beside her. She leaned close enough to whisper in Chu Lian¡¯s ear and asked if she needed any help.

    Chu Lian smiled and shook her head, telling her that everything was fine.

    Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s expression rxed and she gave her a nod before leaving.

    The banquet was about to begin, and the judging of the round cakes would ur at the end. Royal Princess Duanjia was part of Prince Wei¡¯s estate, so she wasn¡¯t going to be seated with Chu Lian¡¯s group.

    By the time all the female guests were seated, the banquet officially started.

    Royal Princess Duanjia was sitting with Princess Wei, closer to the imperial family. At the top sat the Empress Dowager and the Empress. Imperial Concubine Wei was seated below the Empress, while a few old concubines of the previous Emperor were seated below the Empress Dowager.

    Princess Wei was ranked below the various concubines, so she was seated with the wives of the other princes. Royal Princess Duanjia was at the table next to hers, where all the princesses were seated. Imperial Princess Leyao was ced diagonally across from Royal Princess Duanjia.

    Chu Lian was sitting beside Matriarch He, with other noble madams of the same rank. There was one more seat reserved for House Ying¡¯s matriarch here, but House Ying¡¯s matriarch hadn¡¯te, seemingly due to health issues.

    Other than their matriarch, none of the madams of House Ying were qualified to enter the banquet. Thus, Chu Lian didn¡¯t see anyone from House Ying here in Ninghe Pce.

    When Chu Lian turned to look at Empress Shen, who was giving a speech, she felt a gaze burning like coals on her. She followed the sensation, only to meet with Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s eyes.

    Imperial Princess Leyao was so angry that her little hands were curled into fists. She had never suffered a setback like that before!

    With her high and mighty status, if she wanted to teach anyone a lesson, she would be able to do so without any restraint. Even if they died in the process, no one would be able to touch her. Now, all she had been trying to do was make trouble for Brother He¡¯s annoying wife. However, she kept failing to do so! She was able to ept it back at the Dingyuan Estate, as that hadn¡¯t been in her territory, but here? In the pce? She should¡¯ve been able to get Chu Lian in trouble by now, but all her schemes were still failing spectacrly! How could she not be angry?

    If she could, Imperial Princess Leyao would kill Chu Lian on the spot to relieve this hatred within her.

    Chu Lian¡¯s gaze swept over Imperial Princess Leyao once before she shifted her eyes elsewhere, as if she hadn¡¯t seen that burning hatred in the princess¡¯ eyes.

    Chu Lian performed perfectly at the banquet, doing everything as customary. She didn¡¯t attract anyone¡¯s attention nor did she flout any rules of etiquette. She was just waiting for the banquet to end so she could go home to Songtao Court, have a nice hot bath, and then fall in bed for a good night¡¯s sleep.

    In theter half of the banquet, it was finally time for the round cakes to be judged. Each estate¡¯s round cakes were ced in simr silver trays. The top ten ranked noble madams and imperial family members would then taste each one before choosing a winner.

    From her conversation with Royal Princess Duanjia earlier, Chu Lian knew that thispetition wasn¡¯t as fair as most people would think. The ¡¯round cakes¡¯ that she had submitted were also a little different from most, so she wasn¡¯t too worried about being chosen as the winner. She just sat calmly and ate while watching the show.

    Although the food of this imperial banquet wasn¡¯t too tasty, the fruits offered after the main meal were delicious. They were serving dragonfruits and mangosteens that were part of the tributes from the western regions. They never had a chance to taste these in the Jing¡¯an Estate. It was unexpected that the Empress Dowager would bring these rare fruits out for her guests at this banquet.

    The round cakepetition was at its peak when the eunuch guarding the entrance at Ninghe Pce suddenly announced, ¡°The Emperor has arrived!¡±

    Normally, the Emperor wouldn¡¯te to Ninghe Pce. In previous years, it had always been either the Empress Dowager or the Empress hosting banquets like this. Their guests would also be thedies of the noble houses. In the past two years, the Chengping Emperor had nevere to grace the Mid-Autumn Banquet. However, since he was here now, the crowd was naturally happy to see him. They didn¡¯t have many chances to peek at the face of the almighty Emperor on normal days.

    The Chengping Emperor hade over purely for a change of pace after a long stretch of boredom in his imperial study. He hadn¡¯t arranged this visit in advance.

    He happened to chance upon the judging of the round cakes, so he joined the judges since he was in a good mood.

    The banquet became even livelier after the arrival of the Emperor. In a short moment, the judging was over. The scroll with the results of thepetition was passed to one of the courtdies who served in the Empress Dowager¡¯s pce.

    The Chengping Emperor was seated next to the Empress Dowager as he chatted warmly with her, all the while listening to the courtdy announce the winner of this year¡¯s round cakepetition.

    The announcer¡¯s voice was bright and clear, covering the entire hall in an instant.

    The madams seated at the same table as Lady Pan were already smiling and congratting her in low voices, without waiting for the announcer to finish speaking. Lady Pan was also full of pleasant smiles upon receiving their congrattions; a nice warmth settled in her heart.

    The announcer¡¯s voice rang out in the hall, dering, ¡°After the judges¡¯ appraisal, the winner of this year¡¯spetition is House Jing¡¯an...¡±

 Chapter 205: Not Accepting the Loss (1)

    Chu Lian had been in the middle of leisurely drinking some nine-flower honey water that a pce servant had poured out for her. The moment she heard that announcement, she almost choked on the water and ended up coughing intensely.

    What? How could the winner of thepetition be House Jing¡¯an?!

    Fortunately, they were seated far away from the main center of attention, so her moment of inelegance hadn¡¯t been noticed by many.

    Xiyan quickly passed a handkerchief over to Chu Lian, worriedly whispering a question into her ear, ¡°Third Young Madam, are you alright?¡±

    Chu Lian waved her hand, indicating that she was fine.

    By this time, most of the noble madams had turned to look in the direction of House Jing¡¯an¡¯sdies. After a moment¡¯s pause, some noble madams started giving their congrattions to Matriarch He.

    Matriarch He had been stunned for a few seconds. However, she reacted just in time to lead her two granddaughters-inw in graciously epting the congrattions headed their way.

    Lady Pan was seated at a table right in front of them. Sharing her table was the wife of one of her husband¡¯s colleagues in court: Lady Yang.

    Lady Pan¡¯s table was currently frozen in the midst of an awkward atmosphere.

    Just now, before the courtdy had started announcing the winner, the madams at this table had already started congratting Lady Pan. However, now that the winner wasn¡¯t the Pan Estate, their words had turned into ps on Lady Pan¡¯s face.

    Each of the madams who had spoken up too early all had their heads lowered and their mouths tightly shut. They were trying their best to disappear into the ground.

    Only Lady Yang remained calm with a smile on her face.

    Lady Pan¡¯s warm and ever friendly face had lost its modest and amiable air, and was currently as ck as the bottom of a pot.

    She looked up at the main seats in the hall in disbelief. Everything had been arranged beforehand, how had everything changed just like that? How could it be House Jing¡¯an that had won?!

    Unable to hold back her rage, she stood up and took in a few deep breaths before she could manage to bring out a smile. She turned to the table that Matriarch He was seated at and said, ¡°Matriarch He, that¡¯s quite the talent you¡¯ve hidden away. I wonder if I might have the luck to taste the round cakes you¡¯ve offered up today?¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s brows furrowed together. However, Matriarch He was the most senior member of the family present right now, so it wasn¡¯t her ce to speak as a granddaughter-inw.

    Lady Yang also stood up. However, she didn¡¯t say a word and simply continued looking in the direction of House Jing¡¯an with a smile in her eyes. When she looked at Chu Lian, her expression turned especially warm and kind.

    Lady Pan refused to believe that House Jing¡¯an¡¯s round cakes had managed to win thepetition!

    The others might still be in the dark, but she knew for a fact that House Jing¡¯an¡¯s round cakes had been stolen away by someone when they had entered Ninghe Pce!

    If some random recement cakes from who knows where could win thepetition, it would be a p in the face to all the noble participants here!

    She was going to expose House Jing¡¯an¡¯s tricks today, right in front of the Emperor! Let¡¯s see how they¡¯ll be able to hold their head up high in the capital from now on!

    Imperial Concubine Wei was seated diagonally across from the tables where all the noble titleddies were. She happened to nce over curiously at the area where House Jing¡¯an¡¯s table was situated. When she saw that some noble madams had stood up and seemed to be fighting, the corners of her eyes tilted upwards in a subtle disy of her inner joy. If they didn¡¯t start fighting by now, that would have been a waste of this whole y she had arranged!

    When the Chengping Emperor cast his gaze sideways, he noticed that Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s expression was all smiles. He took up his wine cup for a sip, using that movement to follow where her gaze was directed at. He suddenly spoke up, ¡°Concubine, it seems like you¡¯re rather happy today?¡±

    Imperial Concubine Wei froze for a moment before quickly discarding the out-of-ce expression on her face. She replied in a coquettish manner, ¡°Your Majesty, this lovely Mid-Autumn Festival onlyes around once a year. How could your humble concubine not be joyous?¡±

    The Chengping Emperor turned his gaze onto her and set down his wine cup, uttering an ambiguous, ¡°Is it so?¡± in reply.

    ¡°Of course, how could your humble concubine dare to deceive Your Majesty?¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia had also noticed themotion. When she saw that Chu Lian seemed to be in trouble, she quickly stood up, wanting to go over to help. However, she was held back by Princess Wei.

    ¡°Mother! Don¡¯t stop me, I want to go over to take a look. That idiot Chu Liu is getting bullied again!¡±

    Princess Wei red at her. ¡°You¡¯re forbidden from going there! If you go there now, you¡¯ll just be adding to the trouble. Jinyi isn¡¯t as stupid as you might think. If she really didn¡¯t have a way to deal with them, she would naturally have sent someone to us for help.¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    ¡°No buts. Stay here and watch. Who knows if the bully will end up getting their way?¡±

    After Princess Wei had given her orders, Royal Princess Duanjia could only sit down and watch the situation over there with a face full of anxiety.

    Matriarch He had been socialising for years with these noble madams since she was a youngdy herself. So of course she wasn¡¯t someone to be bullied so easily. Lady Pan¡¯s forceful request to take a look at House Jing¡¯an¡¯s round cakes had clearlye out of her disbelief that they could win thepetition, and she was clearly looking to make some trouble for them.

    When Matriarch He noticed the confidence in Lady Pan¡¯s expression, the pieces of the puzzle fell into ce. That mysterious attacker who had stolen away their estate¡¯s round cakes definitely had something to do with this Lady Pan.

    Although Matriarch He was already getting on in age and her hair waspletely white, her eyes were still sharp and she still had her wits about her.

    Matriarch He didn¡¯t back down one bit. Instead, it was Madam Zou who shrunk back upon facing the eyes of all the other noble madams around them. She shuffled behind the matriarch in an attempt to hide herself.

    She hadpletely forgotten her jealousy of Chu Lian taking her ce to offer up the round cakes, and was simply relieved that this had nothing to do with her.

    Chu Lian was standing by Matriarch He¡¯s side and holding onto her arm. When she saw that Matriarch He hadn¡¯t backed down and had even straightened up, Chu Lian felt like she had grown a few inches taller.

    ¡°Lady Pan, are you purposely trying to trouble this old woman? The round cakes have already been offered up to the Empress Dowager. If Lady Pan would like to taste them, then I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to ask for that favour from the Empress Dowager herself!¡±

 Chapter 206: Not Accepting the Loss (2)

    Lady Pan was so enraged that her hands had started trembling, hidden under the broad sleeves of her court dress. She tossed her sleeves and left the banquet area. When she reached the tform where the esteemed personages were seated, she bowed towards the Empress Dowager.

    The Empress Dowager was already old, so she couldn¡¯t see clearly the person who had just walked up to the bottom of the tform and greeted her. It was a courtdy at the side who quickly informed her of the person¡¯s identity.

    ¡°Lady Pan? What business do you have?¡±

    Although Empress Shen didn¡¯t know what had happened behind the scenes at the banquet today, she was happy to watch the drama unfold. She continued looking upon the scene before her with her eyebrows raised.

    When Lady Pan heard the Empress Dowager personally replying her, her excitement sparked. She replied respectfully, ¡°Replying to Your Grace, for the sake of the Mid-Autumn Banquet¡¯s round cakepetition, your humble servant started researching on new recipes for round cakes half a year ago. Thus, it¡¯s quite hard for your humble servant to ept today¡¯s loss. Might Your Grace be inclined to favour your humble servant with some of the winning round cakes of this year¡¯spetition? Your humble servant will be able to rest easy upon tasting them.¡±

    Lady Pan had a distinguished and powerful background, so she was able to speak so freely to the Empress Dowager. If it had been any other courtier¡¯s wife who had dared to cast even the slightest bit of doubt on the Empress Dowager¡¯s decision, they would have been used of the crime of lese majeste.

    However, even if it was Lady Pan who had brought forth such a request, her actions were still slightly inappropriate.

    When the Empress Dowager heard the reason for this request, her expression turned stormy. Actually, the Empress Dowager couldn¡¯t care less for the judging of the round cakes. In her old age, she had simply wanted to enjoy some lively festivities at the Mid-Autumn Banquet. However, this doubting of her judgement had caused her mood to turn sour.

    Although the Empress Dowager didn¡¯t take Lady Pan to me for her request, her voice had lost all traces of kindness when she replied.

    ¡°Since that is so, I¡¯ll let you satisfy your uneasiness. Go, bring over House Jing¡¯an¡¯s round cakes and let all the noble madams try some.¡±

    The courtdy-in-waiting serving the Empress Dowager bobbed in acknowledgement before quickly leading away two handmaids to the area where the round cakes were on disy.

    The Chengping Emperor sat at the highest seat, casting his gaze on the proceedings below him without any change in expression, as if he hadn¡¯t been the one to pick the winner of the round cakepetition.

    When Lady Pan heard that the Empress Dowager had actually acquiesced to her request, she immediately rxed. She turned to look in the direction of House Jing¡¯an¡¯sdies with a disdainful re, as if she had already seen their terrible end.

    The courtdy serving the Empress Dowager was conscientious in her work. She split House Jing¡¯an¡¯s round cakes into many portions and had them ced in pure white porcin dishes. She then instructed a few handmaids to serve them up to Lady Pan, as well as the Emperor, his wives and the extended imperial family.

    A handmaid brought the porcin dish up to Lady Pan¡¯s side. She knelt down and said, ¡°Noble Madam, this is today¡¯s winning round cakes. Please have a taste.¡±

    When the handmaid finished speaking, the noble madams around her had already focused their gazes on the dish in her hands. When they looked at the confection offered up on that porcin dish, they drew in their breaths in surprise.

    It was a round confection with a flowery pattern on top. The edges were repeating waves that formed a flower, while an exquisite ¡®fortune¡¯ word was carved into the pastry skin that had been baked into a beautiful golden-brown. Each piece was only about the size of half an egg and there were five in the dish.

    Impossible! How could there be such aplicated pattern on such a small piece of confection? The amount of detail on it wasparable to a piece of embroidery!

    Even before the noble madams had taken a single bite, their attention had already been stolen away by the exquisiteness of the pastries.

    Madam Zou stared at that small dish of confections in disbelief. Where... where had these beautiful confectionse from? Why hadn¡¯t she seen or known of these before? When her mind led her to this thought, she abruptly turned to Chu Lian, who was standing next to Matriarch He. It was her! It was her younger sister-inw again!

    Actually, Matriarch He hadn¡¯t seen Chu Lian¡¯s recements for the round cakes either, so her heart had been beating like a drum in her chest. Upon seeing the confections for herself, half of the anxiety in her heart eased away.

    She turned to Chu Lian with a warm gaze, and Chu Lian returned it with a faint smile.

    However, Lady Pan¡¯s expression had turned for the worse. She picked up one of the offered pastries with a trembling hand. When she bit through the pastry skin, there was some soft stuffing inside that looked translucent. She couldn¡¯t tell what it was made of, but it was simr to the stuffing in round cakes. There was even a thinyer of sweetened bean paste in the center. The pastry was very small, so you wouldn¡¯t feel very full after eating one. The soft skin broke easily while the stuffing within was slightly sweet and sticky with a hint of the fragrance of red beans. After finishing off one piece, even Lady Pan felt like taking up one more piece from the dish...

    It was only when she had reached her hand out that she remembered what she had set out to do.

    She gulped the saliva that had pooled in her mouth from eating House Jing¡¯an¡¯s ¡¯round cake¡¯. Although she wasn¡¯t willing to admit it, the truth was staring her in the face. Furthermore, everyone was about to get a chance to taste House Jing¡¯an¡¯s round cakes, and the voices of the people would decide this match. She couldn¡¯t refute the judgement any further.

    After Lady Pan had taken a mooncake, Lady Yang had immediately taken one for herself as well. After eating it up, she shot a satisfied look over at Chu Lian. The remaining mooncakes were split between the other noble madams, who all voiced their praise for the confections.

    Princess Wei¡¯s table had also been given some mooncakes. When Royal Princess Duanjia looked at the confection ced before her mother, shemented on what she found strange about it. ¡°Hmm? This pastry... Isn¡¯t this the same one I took from Chu Liu in the imperial gardens? Chu Liu told me these were called ¡®mooncakes¡¯ or something. How did they turn into round cakes?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Mooncakes?¡±

    ¡°Mm! Chu Liu said so. But whatever they¡¯re called, they¡¯re really delicious! Mother, try it now! The one I ate had some salty egg yolk inside.¡±

    Princess Wei smiled and bit into that exquisite little mooncake. Mmmm... This one was actually salty. There was... ham in the stuffing? Wonderful. It suited her tastes exactly.

    In the grand hall of Ninghe Pce, everyone who had eaten House Jing¡¯an¡¯s round cakes stared at Lady Pan with strange looks.

    Lady Pan had beenpletely disgraced today. She took the initiative to step up to the Empress Dowager and admit her wrong. As the banquet continued, she didn¡¯t say a single word. When the banquet ended, she led her servants away with her and quickly left the pce. It seemed like she wouldn¡¯t be bothering to make some small talk after the banquet today.

 Chapter 207: A Request from Old Duchess Zheng (1)

    Since House Jing¡¯an¡¯s round cakes had won thepetition, Matriarch He was surrounded by all the nobledies who wanted to congratte her on the win. The Empress Dowager even specially awarded her with a sapphire headdress, adding on to House Jing¡¯an¡¯s glory at the event.

    Even after so many years, Matriarch He had never enjoyed such attention in the pce before. Of course, she was in an extremely good mood now. Chu Lian kept by her grandmother¡¯s side, so there were many questions directed towards her by the nobledies around them.

    Since Matriarch He had the intention of introducing her to the others, Chu Lian took the chance to get acquainted with a number of noble madams in the capital.

    When it was time to leave the pce, Princess Wei specially sent one of her courtdies over to invite her over to Prince Wei¡¯s estate to y in a few days, thus drawing another wave of envy from thedies gathered.

    When they finally reached House Jing¡¯an¡¯s carriage, Chu Lian was about to help Matriarch He up the carriage when they were hailed by an elderly madam who hade rushing over from behind.

    This elderly madam was no stranger; it was Old Duchess Zheng. There was a middle-ageddy following next to the old duchess, who was slightly chubby. When she smiled, her eyes morphed into upturned crescents, giving her a friendly appearance.

    ¡°Old Sister, please hold on!¡±

    Matriarch He turned around only to see her old friend. She smiled in wee, ¡°We¡¯re sisters, the two of us. Why the rush? Walk a little slower, and be careful not to strain your waist!¡±

    Old Duchess Zheng came over with a wide smile. When she reached Matriarch He¡¯s side, she first smiled at Chu Lian before talking to the matriarch. ¡°I havee looking for Old Sister for a certain matter...¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so courteous between us. Just say it straight.¡± Matriarch He answered generously.

    Old Duchess Zheng was about to speak of her matter when Chu Lian caught sight of some people who had just exited the pce behind them. That person with a round face and slender brows; wasn¡¯t that Lady Pan?

    Hadn¡¯t she left the banquet early on? Why was she only exiting the pce at this hour?

    Chu Lian¡¯s brows drew together in a slight frown. They had offended Lady Pan today, so she was afraid that they would get into a quarrel if they bumped into each other now. Thus, she spoke up with a suggestion, ¡°Grandmother, there are many peopleing and going from the pce entrance here. How about chatting inside the carriage instead? It might be morefortable for Grandmother and Old Duchess Zheng.¡±

    Matriarch He had clearly spotted Lady Pan on the way out of the pce with her group of servants in tow. Thus, she invited Old Duchess Zheng onto House Jing¡¯an¡¯s wide carriage and they boarded together.

    Although the carriage was quite spacious, it wasn¡¯t meant to be a room after all. When all four of them entered, it became a little cramped.

    Madam Zou had just lifted the curtain and was about to enter, when Matriarch He spoke to her. ¡°Dng¡¯s wife, the carriage is a little cramped. Go to the other carriage at the back instead!¡±

    The hand that Madam Zou was using to hold up the carriage curtain clenched. She looked up at the four people seated in the carriage before bowing slightly to Matriarch He and leaving for the other carriage.

    Chu Lian nced at Madam Zou¡¯s departing figure and sighed inwardly.

    The distance between them had still increased in the end.

    Her eldest sister-inw was already looking at her through tinted sses. From now on, no matter what she did, Madam Zou would probably look badly on her. Chu Lian wasn¡¯t one to go seeking trouble if no one tried to attack her. Although she didn¡¯t like squabbling over petty matters, she wasn¡¯t one to sit back and let others take her to task either. In the future, she and Madam Zou would be like a well and a river; their waters were not to seep and mix into each other.

    Duke Zheng¡¯s estate wasn¡¯t far from Count Jing¡¯an¡¯s estate. They would be taking the same route along Zhuque Avenue for some time anyway, so this was a convenient time for them to talk.

    With House Zheng¡¯s carriage following behind, the two old sisters chatted in House Jing¡¯an¡¯s carriage with a lively air.

    Old Duchess Zheng had also seen something fishy in the events at the banquet. She held onto Matriarch He¡¯s hand and reassured her, ¡°It¡¯s not umon for things like that to happen when ites to such a big asion. It¡¯s fine as long as you¡¯ve made it out safely.¡±

    Matriarch He nodded and smiled at Old Duchess Zheng. ¡°Oh, you. Stop thinking about that. Hasn¡¯t our House benefited from that unfortunate turn of events?¡±

    Old Duchess Zheng smiled and looked at Chu Lian. ¡°After tasting those round cakes, I just knew it was your youngdy¡¯s idea. Since Sang isn¡¯t at home, you probably don¡¯t have much to do in your estate. Come to the Zheng Estate with your grandmother some other time.¡±

    Chu Lian was slightly surprised. She hadn¡¯t thought that Old Duchess Zheng would take the initiative to give her an invite to her estate. In the original story, this old madam was like a hermit. She would only socialise with the few madams she had befriended in her younger days.

    Chu Lian turned to Matriarch He. For a matter like this, it was better for Matriarch He to make the decision for her as the senior member of her family.

    Matriarch He was very satisfied with Chu Lian¡¯s action. She yfully rebuked her old friend, ¡°I think you just want to taste my granddaughter-inw¡¯s culinary skills for yourself. Inviting her to have some fun is just a pretense!¡±

    Even though Old Duchess Zheng and Matriarch He had already been close friends for a few decades, when she heard Matriarch He exposing her ploy, she still blushed a little.

    She sighed lightly, ¡°I¡¯m not going to hide things from you. I¡¯ve brought my daughter-inw along with a request.¡±

    Chu Lian found it strange. Duke Zheng had a very sessful career and their only heir was in the Imperial College. In theing Autumn Examinations, he would definitely be able to score in the higher ranks. It could be said that all things were going smoothly for House Zheng. Why then, did Old Duchess Zheng need to request help from Matriarch He?

    Even if she were to request for help, something that troubled House Zheng was likely something that Matriarch He wouldn¡¯t be able to help with. Although Matriarch He was highly regarded in their social circles and was even close friends with the Empress Dowager, she didn¡¯t have the power to interfere with the court.

    Suddenly, a thought shed through Chu Lian¡¯s mind, which rendered her speechless.

    ¡°Do speak directly. As long as it¡¯s something within my means, I¡¯ll do my best to help.¡±

    Old Duchess Zheng shot a sideways look at Matriarch He and seemed a little tongue-tied. When the younger Duchess Zheng saw that her mother-inw was too embarrassed to speak up, she helped her out by saying, ¡°Matriarch He, the matter is like this...¡±

 Chapter 208: A Request from Duchess Zheng (2)

    When Matriarch He heard her exnation, she was stunned. She couldn¡¯t have imagined that the problemid with Old Duke Zheng. Apparently, he was currently bedridden and refusing food and drink.

    Those close to House Zheng knew that Old Duke Zheng was a glutton for food. He had visited most of the top-ranked restaurants in the capital. Ever since he had passed the duke¡¯s seat to his heir, Old Duke Zheng would travel far and wide each day to search for gourmet food. He had just returned home two months ago, but for some reason, he hadpletely lost his appetite. It was almost to the point that he was refusing to eat any food at all.

    When the reason behind her request was revealed, the two Duchesses Zheng looked at Chu Lian with hope in their eyes. Chu Lian was close to being embarrassed to be the focus of those expectant looks.

    Matriarch He hadn¡¯t thought that Old Duchess Zheng¡¯s request would turn out to be something like that. She didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry for the moment. She had no choice but to speak truthfully. ¡°Old Sister, I know that you¡¯re worried about Old Duke Zheng. I¡¯ll just speak honestly with you. Sang¡¯s wife does know how to make some interestingly new dishes, but we can¡¯t promise that we¡¯ll be able to solve your problem for you. We can only say that Sang¡¯s wife will try her best.¡±

    ¡°Aye! Of course! As long as Honoured Lady Jinyi is willing to help out, I¡¯ll be endlessly grateful. We have simply run out of ideas. The old man isn¡¯t willing to eat anything at all. If this goes on, his body won¡¯t be able to hold on...¡± It was clear in her tone that Old Duchess Zheng was anxious.

    After they had finally gotten Chu Lian¡¯s agreement and Matriarch He promised to help out with Old Duchess Zheng¡¯s request, they set the visit to the Zheng Estate to be three dayster.

    Chu Lian wanted to hide her face in her hands but didn¡¯t know whether to start sobbing orughing her heart out. Old Duke Zheng had passed away about two monthster from now in the original story. Had the cause of his death truly been from refusing food after not being able to taste the gourmet food he had wanted?

    When they reached the point where their paths home diverged, Old Duchess Zheng bid her farewells and led her daughter-inw back to their own carriage.

    Now only Matriarch He and Chu Lian were left in the carriage.

    Matriarch He petted Chu Lian¡¯s fair and tender hand gently, ¡°Lian¡¯er, you¡¯ve done us a great service today. Otherwise, our house would havepletely lost its reputation.¡±

    Chu Lian realised that the matriarch liked to call her ¡®Lian¡¯er¡¯ when they were talking in private.

    She smiled, ¡°Grandmother, don¡¯t say that. I¡¯m also a part of House Jing¡¯an, I was just doing my part for our House.¡±

    When she heard Chu Lian¡¯s answer, Matriarch He was even more gratified. ¡°You silly child. It¡¯s been hard for you. It¡¯s not all your eldest sister-inw¡¯s fault today, so don¡¯t hold a grudge against her. Grandmother knows that it¡¯s not easy for her either.¡±

    Chu Lian felt a slight pang of shock. She hadn¡¯t expected the matriarch to think that she might hold a grudge. ¡°We¡¯re all one big family. What is there to hold a grudge against? Eldest Sister-inw couldn¡¯t have known that she would lose the round cakes like that. We still need Eldest Sister-inw to manage our household in the future!¡±

    ¡°Grandmother knows. Your eldest sister-inw has been treating you too harshly recently. Don¡¯t worry, Grandmother will remind her of her duties.¡±

    Chu Lian tried her best to suppress the fright in her heart. She didn¡¯t realise that Matriarch He had those sorts of thoughts in her mind. Did she think that Chu Lian hade out to save the day and bring glory to the family just to p Madam Zou in the face for mistreating her?

    Chu Lian sighed inwardly and felt fatigueing over her. No wonder the older generations liked to say thatmunication was the most important. Chu Lian felt that it would be much better for her if she were to clear the misunderstanding with Matriarch He right now, rather than to let it persist and affect herter on.

    She looked up at the matriarch; her almond-shaped eyes shone with intelligence under the dim lighting of thenterns within the carriage.

    ¡°Grandmother, there¡¯s an order of seniority in the family. It was Granddaughter-in-Law¡¯s fortune to be able to marry into the He Family. Granddaughter-in-Law doesn¡¯t have much ambition or talent, and would just like to live out peaceful days while making some delicious food. If it earns some ie, then that¡¯s even better. Granddaughter-in-Law is veryzy. After doing all those, Granddaughter-in-Law would rather take a nap in the courtyard or give Grandmother somepany. Although Sang is from the main line of inheritance, he¡¯s the third son after all. There are two older brothers above him, and Granddaughter-in-Law ranks the lowest in this family, of course. When some time passes, maybe we might even have Second Sister-in-Law joining the family!¡±

    What Chu Lian wanted to say was that she really didn¡¯t want to be in control of the household, and she didn¡¯t have any intention at all to oust Eldest Brother-in-Law and Eldest Sister-inw from their ces in the family.

    As she watched the young girl before her saying out all those words, Matriarch He¡¯s sharp eyes grew ever brighter. In the end, she sighed and patted Chu Lian¡¯s hand. ¡°Grandmother has med you unjustly.¡±

    Chu Lian finally rxed inwardly. She had spoken her true thoughts just now. It was better to be ayabout. Who would want to crack their brains thinking about how to support a noble house all day? As well as thinking of how to socialise with the various other noble houses in the capital?

    Chu Lian smiled and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t me Grandmother. Our hearts are all hidden in our chests. Even the wisest man wouldn¡¯t be able to see into human hearts. Granddaughter-in-Law just hopes that Grandmother can voice out any problems first, rather than keeping it inside. Granddaughter-in-Law will definitely change for the better!¡±

    Being frank and sincere, as well as opening your heart, was the best way tomunicate.

    Chu Lian had no desire to y twisted mind games with others.

    Matriarch He found that she was starting to like this granddaughter-inw of hers even more, after this honest talk with her in the carriage.

    She reached out to poke Chu Lian in the forehead. ¡°You silly girl! Don¡¯t think that Grandmother can¡¯t see through your thoughts! You just want toze at home all day. Although your eldest sister-inw is around to take care of the family, you can¡¯t be toozy either, since you¡¯re thedy-in-charge for your branch of the family. In the future, when all of us seniors aren¡¯t around anymore, you and Sang will have to separate your branch of the family and live on your own. If you don¡¯t know how to do anything at all, how are you going to manage your own house in the future?¡±

    After Chu Lian had cleared away the doubts in Matriarch He¡¯s heart, she started to act cutely like a child towards the matriarch. Matriarch He was the first senior who had treated her well since she hade to the Great Wu Dynasty, so she had already taken this affable old woman to be her real grandmother in her heart.

    She leaned against Matriarch He¡¯s side and replied in a yful tone, ¡°But Grandmother will still be around to help Granddaughter-in-Law out~ When Sang and I leave the estate to create our own household, Grandmother has toe along too! Otherwise, Granddaughter-in-Law won¡¯t be able to manage a household without Grandmother! The servants will make fun of me then!¡±

    ¡°You little imp! Since you already know that, why are you still trying to think of ways to skive all day?¡±

 Chapter 209: An Old Matriarchâ€™s Worries (1)

    Even though Matriarch He said that, she knew that Sang¡¯s wife wasn¡¯t stupid. She had been watching Sang¡¯s wife this whole time. Perhaps she really was azy bones and didn¡¯t like to manage others. However, her little courtyard was managed very well. It was clear that Chu Lian just didn¡¯t like to work. Why had she been so wary of thiszy little imp trying to take away the main branch¡¯s authority? She had really had her age get to her.

    ¡°Alright, alright. All you know how to do is act like a spoilt child. Wait until Sanges back! Then you can use that act on him! Grandmother¡¯s heart can¡¯t take your silliness any more. That¡¯s right, what about that restaurant Grandmother gave to you? How is it doing now?¡±

    Chu Lian chuckled and sat up straight again before replying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandmother! Granddaughter-in-Law has already made arrangements. We¡¯ll be able to reopen in a few more days. By then, Grandmother has to help Granddaughter-in-Law out and grace the restaurant with your illustrious presence!¡±

    When her thoughts led to the restaurant, something else had the matriarch worrying all over again.

    The title of Count Jing¡¯an was surely going to be passed down to Dng. Sang had left so hurriedly for the northern border. Who knew if he would be able to make a name for himself out there? Although Sang¡¯s wife was a good child, with House Ying as her background, she surely didn¡¯t have much money at hand now. How was she supposed to maintain her own household in the future?

    She only hoped that this young girl could really make something out of Guilin Restaurant again. She didn¡¯t hope for Chu Lian to earn tons of gold. It would be good enough if she could have some source of ie for her household. That way, when Sang returned in a few more years, the couple would have a nice nest egg. As long as she helped out by adding some gold here and there, their lives wouldn¡¯t be too poor.

    Now there was only that disappointing brat, Eng, who still refused to marry. Matriarch He had to keep some money in reserve for him as well. With so many areas to fund, as full as her purse might be now, it was slowly slimming down further.

    After some time, her daughter-inw¡¯s medicine fees would still have to be drawn from the shared household funds. That would be a humongous expense. When she thought of this, Matriarch He started feeling overwhelmed by all her worries.

    To most people, it might look like a bed of roses to be a member of a noble house. However, if the noble house didn¡¯t have someone who knew how to earn money, then searching for sources of ie was a massive headache on its own.

    When Matriarch He was younger and in charge of the He household, she had managed to save up a good amount of money for her personal funds. She could be considered a rather wise matriarch from this action alone. However, she still wasn¡¯t all that good at business, and she had only managed to keep the properties in her hands running normally.

    Later on, when she passed on the household management to her daughter-inw, Countess Jing¡¯an hadn¡¯t been in charge for long. She had given birth to her three sons in those years and hurt her body. The household management rights had been passed back to Matriarch He.

    It wasn¡¯t until Madam Zou had married into the family that the rights had passed into her hands. However, Madam Zou was even worse at making money than Matriarch He, so it was good enough that their stores had even continued business as usual.

    If not for the fact that Matriarch He had trained up some loyal managers in her younger days and kept them in charge of the family properties, most of their businesses would probably be in the same state as Guilin Restaurant.

    House Jing¡¯an didn¡¯t have much spare ie and it was impossible for Madam Zou to expect any extra money from her mother-inw, Madam Liu. Her dowry had all been used for her own medicine. Although Matriarch He did contribute some funds to the household from time to time, she had to keep enough for her grandsons as well, so she didn¡¯t give much.

    Madam Zou hadn¡¯t been able to give Dng any heirs for so many years, so she put all her heart into managing the household to assuage her inner guilt. Sometimes, when the household expenses exceeded the monthly budget, she would use her own personal funds to cover the difference.

    However, this wasn¡¯t a long-term solution. Madam Zou¡¯s personal funds weren¡¯t unlimited.

    Eng was serving in the Dragon Guards and didn¡¯te home much. He practically wasn¡¯t involved with managing the household at all. Dng had gotten a ck position. Although he tried his best to support the Jing¡¯an Estate, he was still a military man to his core, just like his father, Count Jing¡¯an. He looked down upon merchants and their sneaky ways, so he rarely bothered with helping to increase the estate¡¯s ie.

    The men of the He Family were all hotheads. Although they didn¡¯t spend much, they didn¡¯t think to make more money for the family either. This had thedies of the Jing¡¯an Estate wracking their minds for ways to keep their household afloat.

    If they had more n members like other noble families, they would still be alright. If the main branch wasn¡¯t good at business, they still had the other branches to support the family. However, Count Jing¡¯an was the only son and their ancestors had mostly been single sons as well.

    Old Count Jing¡¯an had a brother, but he had died on the battlefield, leaving behind a single daughter. That daughter had gotten married, but she died in the second year of marriage due to a difficult birth, and they hadn¡¯t managed to save her child either.

    It was only when they had reached He Changdi¡¯s generation that they had miraculously gotten three sons in the same generation. This was also why Matriarch He still favoured and respected Madam Liu even though she had gotten injured while giving birth to He Changdi and was now mostly bedridden. Madam Liu had helped the He Family spread their family tree.

    However, who could have expected that their youngest generation would cause them so much worry? The eldest son¡¯s wife hadn¡¯t been able to give birth to a male heir despite close to ten years of marriage. The second son refused to marry. Worried for Sang¡¯s future, Matriarch He had been forced to plead the Empress Dowager to bestow an engagement of a House Yingdy for He Changdi.

    Now that she thought about it, after so many years, that decision had been the best one she had ever made.

 Chapter 210: An Old Matriarchâ€™s Worries (2)

    Although the matriarch had been absorbed in all her thoughts, not too much time had passed. When Chu Lian saw that the matriarch was in deep thought, she didn¡¯t disturb her.

    Suddenly, Matriarch He¡¯s eyes caught sight of a brocade box ced to the side. This was the sapphire headdress that the Empress Dowager had awarded them for winning the round cakepetition.

    Her expression changed slightly and she turned to look at Chu Lian. Her young granddaughter-inw¡¯s eyes were fluttering as she fought the urge to sleep. Her head was shaking as she was close to nodding off.

    The worry in Matriarch He¡¯s heart eased away for a moment. This child was just a carefree one, never taking anything to heart. Something that would draw most people¡¯s attention seemed to be like some background scenery to her. She really wondered how House Ying had managed to bring her up with this kind of personality.

    ¡°Sang¡¯s wife! Wake up!¡±

    After calling once and not receiving any reply, and seeing that her head was about to hit the wall of the carriage, Matriarch He found it funny. She could only reach out to push Chu Lian a little.

    Chu Lian was jolted awake. It had been a tiring day for her after all. Her nerves had been tightly wound up all day, and she had finally gotten a chance to rx. Her eyelids were struggling to stay apart from each other.

    ¡°Ah? Grandmother, what¡¯s wrong? Are we home yet?¡±

    Matriarch He purposely put on a strict expression, ¡°What do you mean, are we home yet? There¡¯s still a long way to go!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s shoulders drooped down. ¡°It¡¯s too tiring to enter the pce... Grandmother, please please please don¡¯t bring Granddaughter-in-Law there next time. Granddaughter-in-Law prefers to sleep at home and cook.¡±

    Matriarch He patted Chu Lian¡¯s slender shoulders a little helplessly. ¡°You¡¯re really azy little imp. Alright, drink some tea to help your mind stay awake. We don¡¯t even have a nket in this carriage, so you can¡¯t sleep. It won¡¯t be good if you catch a cold. We¡¯re almost home, hang in there for a while longer.¡±

    Chu Lian pped her own cheeks and managed to chase away some of her sleepiness. When she turned and saw that Matriarch He was still looking at her with humour in her eyes, she tilted her head to the side and asked, ¡°Does Grandmother have something else to say?¡±

    When Matriarch He¡¯s eyes met with the bright and clear eyes of Sang¡¯s wife, she felt a mysterious soothingfort in her heart. She nodded and pointed at the brocade box in the corner. ¡°Lian¡¯er, who do you think this headdress should belong to?¡±

    Chu Lian cast a sideways nce at the brocade box before remembering that this was the sapphire headdress that the Empress Dowager had awarded to them. She wasn¡¯t all that interested in essories. She would simply wear some normal ones usually, and she wasn¡¯t very picky with them. Furthermore, she had managed to peek at the headdress when the Empress Dowager had awarded it to them. It was indeed an exquisite and expensive-looking ornament. However, perhaps due to the passing of time, the style it was made in was a little old, and it didn¡¯t suit a young girl like her.

    Matriarch He was watching Chu Lian. When her eyes drifted to the brocade box, her expression had remained unchanged as if the contents didn¡¯t attract her one bit. The matriarch was satisfied with this reaction.

    ¡°Granddaughter-in-Law feels that this headdress should be given to Eldest Sister-inw. Eldest Sister-inw has also suffered no small amount of fright today.¡± Chu Lian said with a smile.

    As much as she had already lost all interest in making friends with Madam Zou, since Matriarch He was clearly expecting her to say something along those lines, then she would go along with her wishes. Anyway, Matriarch He was still going to be the one in charge of determining the recipient of the headdress. She knew that Matriarch He would still give it to Madam Zou in the end, no matter what she said. Since the stage was already set like this, why go against the flow?

    Actually, Chu Lian didn¡¯t really care. Anyway, it wouldn¡¯t end up in her hands anyway, so it didn¡¯t matter who got it. Since it was a gift from the Empress Dowager, they couldn¡¯t sell it for money anyway. It was the same as keeping it as a pretty decoration to look at.

    As expected, Matriarch He¡¯s smile turned softer. ¡°Good child, you¡¯re starting to think along the same lines as Grandmother now.¡±

    Chu Lian was as thick-skinned as they came. After receiving Matriarch He¡¯s praise, she didn¡¯t blush at all. She even smiled from ear to ear, showing off her pearly white teeth.

    When they returned to the Jing¡¯an Estate, Matriarch He instructed her to return to her courtyard to rest. She wa still in the middle of growing after all!

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t stand on courtesy and refuse the offer. She declined to send Matriarch He back to her own courtyard, and let Xiyan help her back to Songtao Court.

    She had gone out in the morning and onlye back when it was dark. She had used up all her energy on this tiring day. Wenqing even had to be on standby to help her while she was bathing.

    When she climbed onto the bed and burrowed under her nkets, it wasn¡¯t long before she fell asleep.

    Senior Servant Gui was both gratified and sympathetic to her plight. She pulled the covers over Chu Lian before ordering Jingyan to keep watch over her in the night. It was only then that she returned to her own room to rest.

 Chapter 211: Food Delivery (1)

    A day after the the Mid-Autumn Festival, Heir Jing¡¯an, He Changqi, invited his friends to a small gathering at their estate. Keeping to the promise she had made earlier with Matriarch He and Eldest Brother-in-Law, when it was close to noon, Chu Lian guided her maidservants as they worked together to prepare a few special dishes to be sent to the outer courtter.

    However, Chu Lian was He Changdi¡¯s wife after all. It wouldn¡¯t be very appropriate if she and her maidservants brought the dishes to the outer court just like that. She thought for a moment and decided that it would be better to go over to Qingxi Hall first and let Matriarch He¡¯s servants send the dishes instead.

    When they arrived at the entrance of Qingxi Hall, they could hear the sounds of conversation from inside. Matriarch He¡¯s handmaid, Muxiang, happened to be on her way out at this time, and spotted Chu Lian at the entrance. She smiled and greeted her, ¡°Third Young Madam, you¡¯vee over! Pleasee in. Eldest Young Madam and the two youngdies are already inside!¡±

    After she said so, she lifted the bamboo blinds covering the entrance for Chu Lian and took over the big box of food from Mingyan¡¯s hands. Next, she followed behind Chu Lian as she walked into the parlour of Qingxi Hall.

    Matriarch He was seated in the highest ranked seat. She didn¡¯t know what Matriarch He and Madam Zou were talking about, but they wereughing together and obviously in a very good mood. Chu Lian¡¯s gaze shot over to Madam Zou. She noticed that Madam Zou was wearing a navy-blue dress made in thetest style, with a sheer smoky blue outer garment. The ornament on her head was the sapphire headdress bestowed by the Empress Dowager at the Mid-Autumn Banquet. Although she was dressed elegantly, it was a pity that this headdress looked very old-fashioned and added several years to her age. Madam Zou was only in her mid-twenties, but looked to be in her mid-thirties instead with this headdress.

    Madam Zou was all smiles. Whatever she had said before seemed to have amused Matriarch He.

    ¡°Greetings to Grandmother and Eldest Sister-in-Law.¡± Chu Lian bobbed towards the both of them.

    ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, you¡¯ve arrived! Come and sit down. Your Eldest Brother-in-Law just sent someone over from the outer court to inquire about the food!¡±

    Madam Zou cast a nce over and found that Chu Lian was still dressed in in home clothes. Her ck hair was fixed into a bun with just a single green jade hairpin and she wasn¡¯t wearing any other jewellery on her body. Only then did Madam Zou heave a sigh of relief in her heart.

    It seemed that Chu Lian wasn¡¯t intending to go to the outer court, dressed like this.

    Chu Lian gave a slight smile, ¡°One of the dishes had to be stewed for a longer period of time so Granddaughter-in-Law was dyed for a bit. Grandmother, Eldest Sister-in-Law, please forgive Granddaughter-in-Law for beingte.¡±

    Matriarch He pulled Chu Lian to her side. If she didn¡¯t have to worry about Dng¡¯s wife being there, Matriarch He would definitely have pinched Chu Lian¡¯s tiny nose. ¡°Silly child, how could Grandmother me you? Senior Servant Liu, take these food boxes to the outer court.¡±

    Right after Matriarch He finished speaking, Madam Zou quickly spoke up, ¡°Grandmother, since they¡¯re Dng¡¯s close friends, there¡¯s no need to trouble Senior Servant Liu. It would be better for Granddaughter-in-Law to send it over personally!¡±

    Matriarch He casually nced at Madam Zou¡¯s dressed up appearance. She paused for a moment before nodding. ¡°Why don¡¯t you lead the servants and send it over then? Just be careful on the way there. Don¡¯t let Dng lose face in front of his friends.¡±

    Seeing that Matriarch He had agreed, Madam Zou heaved a sigh of relief and quickly assured her, ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, Grandmother. Granddaughter-in-Law knows how to behave appropriately.¡±

    Madam Zou then bowed respectfully towards Matriarch He before she led her servants away with the food boxes and hurried to the Outer Court.

    It wasn¡¯t until Madam Zou¡¯s figure had passed through the entrance of the parlour that Chu Lian said with a smile, ¡°Grandmother, I boiled an entire pot of old duck soup just now. I made sure that the meat is soft enough toe right off the bone, it¡¯s perfect for you to eat! Today, Granddaughter-in-Law offers up this dish and will trade it for a free meal here with you. Does Grandmother have a seat at the table for me?¡±

    ¡°Pfft,¡± Matriarch Heughed. ¡°There¡¯s no need to act like that, silly child. You can just say it out directly if you want to have a meal with Grandmother. ¡°

    Matriarch He got busy with instructing Muxiang to have the other maidservants serve up the meal.

    Chu Lian ate lunch together with Matriarch He in Qingxi Hall. She waited upon Matriarch He until the matriarch took her afternoon nap before returning to her own Songtao Court.

 Chapter 212: Food Delivery (2)

    The sun was shining brightly in the sky today, making it somewhat hot and stuffy. There was a small garden next to Songtao Court filled with blooming chrysanthemum flowers, and within the cluster of chrysanthemums, there was a decorative mountain with an interesting shape. A small stream flowed continuously into a lotus pond beside the decorative mountain. Unfortunately, the lotus leaves and flowers in the pond had already withered away by this time. However, you could admire the view of the autumn chrysanthemums alongside the glimmering pond from the pavilion. The chrysanthemums adjacent to the decorative mountain made for a very beautiful scene.

    There was a zither room located next to this pavilion. Since it was close to Songtao Court, Chu Lian went there frequently in the afternoon to enjoy the cool weather.

    While returning to Songtao Court, Chu Lian happened to pass by the little zither room. She nced at it and then told Mingyan behind her, ¡°It¡¯s a little hot today, get someone to move a lounge chair over there. I¡¯ll have a nap over in that zither room.¡±

    In the outer court of the Jing¡¯an Estate, a group of young men were seated at the main table in the Hall. All of them were good friends of He Changqi who had been invited to the small gathering.

    Standing amongst them was the newly appointed young official of the Honglu Temple, Lord Ge. There was also Marquis Weiyuan, who had inherited his title not long ago from his predecessor, Madam Zou¡¯s brother, Zou Wu, from the second branch of House Dingyuan and House Zheng¡¯s young heir, Zheng Tiancheng. There was a tall young man in a green robe right next to him; it was none other than Xiao Bojian from the Imperial College.

    Xiao Bojian and He Changqi weren¡¯t actually friends or even acquaintances. He had been invited to the Jing¡¯an Estate thanks to his connection to Heir Zheng.

    Everyone present here knew that Heir Zheng had a best friend who was a senior brother one grade above him at the Imperial College.

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s looks were a perfect match to the aesthetic taste of the people of this era. Furthermore, he had a natural gentlemanly aura and carried himself with elegance. This meant that it was rare for anyone not to have a good impression of him.

    Thus, Xiao Bojian had always been like a fish in water when interacting in society. People made friends with him most likely due to his good appearance and temperament while ignoring his humble background.

    Lord Ge sipped at his cup of sencha and smiled, ¡°Brother He, surely you¡¯re not trying to y a trick on us? It¡¯s going to be noon in the blink of an eye, but you haven¡¯t ordered your servants to start serving the meal. Are you trying to let your brothers starve to death?¡±

    A trace of awkwardness appeared on He Changqi¡¯s face after he heard those words. A few days ago, he had boasted in front of his friends that he would be treating them to delicacies that they had never seen before. He even used the longevity peach buns from House Dingyuan¡¯s longevity feast to tempt his group of brothers, making them crave for the food they hadn¡¯t even seen yet. However, nothing had been served up till now, so even he was starving a little.

    ¡°Brothers, please stay calm. Since these are delicacies we¡¯re talking about, it will definitely be worth the wait for us.¡± Xiao Bojian disyed a gentle smile, and everyone nodded in agreement.

    He Changqi had mentioned in advance to everyone gathered today that the entire meal would be personally prepared by the Third Young Madam of House Jing¡¯an, the Emperor¡¯s newly-conferred Honoured Lady Jinyi.

    It could be considered an honour to be able to eat the food personally made by an Honoured Lady.

    Atst, He Changqi¡¯s manservant came over in a hurry and whispered something into his ear. He Changqi lit up in delight upon hearing this. ¡°Brothers, it seems like our wait has finally paid off.¡±

    As expected, in a moment, the luxuriously dressed Madam Zou entered the parlour, leading a maidservant with a huge food box and directing her to the dining table in the hall.

    He Changqi¡¯s friends had also gotten up to give Madam Zou a respectful bow. Apart from Madam Zou¡¯s older brother, each of them greeted her with a call of ¡®Sister-in-Law¡¯. Amongst these people, He Changqi was the oldest so there was nothing wrong with how they had addressed her.

    Madam Zou rarely had the opportunity to meet with He Changqi¡¯s good friends. Now that her husband had finally brought his friends over for a small gathering, she had to meet them and give them a good impression of her. However, she had dressed a little excessively today. A small gathering between close friends was supposed to be rxed andfortable, but she had inadvertently made the atmosphere a little stiff dressed like that. When Xiao Bojian lowered his head in a slight bow, his eyes were filled with disdain.

 Chapter 213: Lies (1)

    He Changqi¡¯s group of friends couldn¡¯t be bothered with judging Madam Zou once the handmaid started bringing out dish after dish from the huge container.

    The first dish was a whole row of sweet and sour pork ribs covered in a thick sauce served on a delicate porcin te. The second dish was served in a y pot. When the lid was lifted, the fragrant aroma of the braised duck within drifted out. Next, there was a huge serving of poached fish slices that looked as soft and tender as tofu, covered in ayer of red hot chillis. Right after that, it was a te of sauteed shredded pork in sweet bean sauce, decorated with thinly sliced spring onion. Then arge bowl of steaming hot tofu soup... As each dish was ced on the table, the eyes of the gentlemen seated at the table widened more and more.

    Finally, the handmaid brought out a small pan and stove and ced it in the center of the table. When she carefully lit up the stove, the gentlemen all wore expressions of astonishment.

    Heir Zheng had never seen such a method of eating before. Furthermore, he had never seen nor eaten anything like all the delicious and fragrant dishes ced on the table before!

    He pointed excitedly at the lit stove in the center. ¡°Sister-inw, what¡¯s that called? I¡¯ve never seen a dish like this before, even when I visited the pce!¡±

    Seated at the host¡¯s ce at the table, He Changqi was clearly more than satisfied with the dishes that Chu Lian had cooked for them today. Other than the poached fish slices that he had eaten before, he hadn¡¯t even seen or heard of the other delicacies ced before him now.

    Since Madam Zou was to present the dishes in ce of Chu Lian, Chu Lian had already told her all about the dishes and their names.

    By this time, all the hungry men had turned to look up at her with expectation. Having those eyes fixed upon her gave Madam Zou the long-awaited satisfaction of having all attention drawn to her.

    That satisfaction also gave her courage; the courage to follow through with a thought she had been harbouring for some time.

    She smiled elegantly, showing off the aura of a model nobledy.

    Thus, He Changqi¡¯s friends heard her speak in a lovely, womanly voice. ¡°Gentlemen, the one in the center is called a ¡®dry steamboat¡¯. This method of eating is very simple. You just have to prepare all the ingredients for cooking beforehand and ce it in the pan. When you want to eat, all you have to do is light the fire under this pan. It¡¯s very convenient.¡±

    Heir Zheng loved novel things, so he leaned forward to take a closer look before apuding and giving praise, ¡°Wonderful, wonderful! This is just too wonderful! With this, no matter when you¡¯re hungry, you¡¯ll be able to eat some freshly cooked food! What a great idea!¡±

    The other men gave their agreement.

    When Madam Zou heard Heir Zheng¡¯s praise, she was even happier. The corners of her lips lifted up as she couldn¡¯t hold back the excitement in her heart. ¡°Indeed. I just so happened to discover this method of eating one day, I didn¡¯t think that Heir Zheng would like it this much.¡±

    The joy on the men¡¯s faces faded away and they all stiffened. He Changqi was flooded with embarrassment. He wanted to tug at his wife¡¯s sleeve to stop her, but Madam Zou was already carrying on with her exnation. ¡°These here are poached fish slices. The red pieces floating on top are a new type of vegetable that Dng bought over from some outsiders. I thought these looked strange and new, so I tried using them in my cooking. Who could have expected that these would enhance the vour of these poached fish slices so much? You¡¯ll have to try it for yourselfter! As for that dish over there...¡±

    Madam Zou jabbered on by herself and introduced all the dishes on the table. However, she didn¡¯t realise that the expressions of the men at the table had already changed and be a little unusual. Xiao Bojian¡¯s nted eyes were full of disdain. He looked at Madam Zou with contempt. This woman had just tried to im Lian¡¯er¡¯s credit for herself. Wasn¡¯t she even the slightest bit ashamed that she was speaking such tant lies right in front of them?

    He Changqi¡¯s face was already flushed red from his suppressed emotions. However, he just didn¡¯t have the heart to expose his wife, upon seeing her so animated.

    It wasn¡¯t until Madam Zou had finished introducing every single dish that she realised that her surroundings had fallen silent. The air around them wasn¡¯t as lively as it had been when the dishes had been brought out. She looked around, feeling a little lost, as her heart leapt into her throat. She tried asking lightly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you not like the dishes that Sister-inw has prepared?¡±

    The young Marquis Weiyuan and Honglu Temple¡¯s Lord Ge both exchanged looks and had a tacit understanding. Marquis Weiyuan smiled and bowed towards Madam Zou. ¡°Sister-inw, you¡¯re thinking too much. It¡¯s our fortune to be able to taste Sister-inw¡¯s cooking for ourselves.¡±

    After hearing Marquis Weiyuan¡¯s words, Madam Zou¡¯s heart settled down. She was about to speak further when He Changqi quickly cut in. ¡°Alright, enough. I¡¯m going to chat with my good friends here. Why don¡¯t you return first?¡±

    Madam Zou could only keep her silence. It was a rare asion for her husband to bring his friends over after all. Furthermore, they were all men. It wasn¡¯t very appropriate for her to stay in this gathering as ady of the inner court. Thus, she bid her farewells to them and left with a distinguished and elegant air, apanied by her maidservants.

 Chapter 214: Lies (2)

    It wasn¡¯t long after Madam Zou¡¯s figure had disappeared from their sights that He Changqi stood up and bowed deeply to his friends with his fists cupped together. ¡°My humble wife wasn¡¯t honest. I would like to ask for your forgiveness, and hope that you won¡¯t hold it against her for this dishonesty.¡±

    Madam Zou didn¡¯t know that He Changqi had already told his friends about Chu Lian¡¯s cooking. However, Madam Zou had suddenly tried to steal Chu Lian¡¯s credit in front of He Changqi and his friends. Her n had failed and she had shown that she didn¡¯t have the virtues that a good wife should have. Not only that, she had practically pped He Changqi in the face in front of his good friends.

    Lord Ge quickly helped He Changqi back up. ¡°Brother He, please don¡¯t me yourself. Everyone has some form of greed for fortune and fame. Sister-inw simply wanted to impress us brothers for your sake. There¡¯s no reason for us to me her.¡±

    Marquis Weiyuan smiled and agreed with Lord Ge¡¯s sentiment. ¡°It¡¯s rare for us all to have the time to meet. There¡¯s a great feast before us, so let¡¯s not waste it. Come,e, let¡¯s eat and drink!¡±

    After this whole turn of events, Madam Zou¡¯s lies had already been exposed. Although He Changqi¡¯s friends let it pass so as to help He Changqi keep his dignity, the same couldn¡¯t be said for their private thoughts.

    However, there was one point of simrity. Madam Zou¡¯s image had been utterly destroyed in front of them. Even Heir Zheng and Marquis Weiyuan were starting to pity He Changqi.

    Without speaking of how Madam Zou hadn¡¯t given He Changqi a male heir yet, just based on what they had seen of her personality today, it hadpletely changed how these few men thought of thedies of the Dingyuan Estate.

    He Changqi had been expecting to impress his friends today. However, after Madam Zou¡¯s little y, He Changqi was so ashamed that he couldn¡¯t hold his head high amongst his friends.

    Luckily, the awkward atmosphere didn¡¯tst for long. When the men started tasting the food before them, theypletely forgot about Madam Zou and her lies. All that remained in their minds was the delicious food on the table! Right here and right now, they couldn¡¯t let these delicacies go to waste!

    There was usually a refined and lofty air at these friendly meetings between noblemen. They would brew some tea, warm up some wine and maybe grill some venison with their good friends. If the mood was right, they might evenpose a few poems or couplets with brushes in hand and wine cups in the other... Basically, it would be very elegant and dignified. Wolfing down their food and searching for seconds in the pot was something that unrefined barbarians would do. It was something that these noble and high-born gentlemen would never do.

    However...

    Nobility, manners, elegance? Are those edible? Could those silly principles satisfy the hunger in their bellies?

    Of course not!

    Marquis Weiyuan and Lord Ge were childhood friends and had grown up together. When they had started studying, they had studied together in the Ge Family¡¯s private school for their own n members. Their mothers were best friends, so the two kids had practically grown up wearing the same pair of pants. However, at this moment...

    Marquis Weiyuan quickly finished off one of the sweet and sour pork ribs before staring at the remaining ribs on the te. As he watched, Heir Zheng reached out and stole away one more rib, so there was one left on that blue porcin te. Marquis Weiyuan immediately sent his chopsticks flying towards thatst pork rib on the te, but sparks flew as he suddenly met with another pair of silver chopsticks on his way.

    Marquis Weiyuan¡¯s gaze traced the chopsticks back to their owner, only to see the normallyposed Lord Ge with his cheeks bulging.

    His eye twitched and he quickly spoke up, ¡°Brother Ge, I touched it first, move your chopsticks away!¡±

    ¡°Brother Li, I¡¯m older than you by a year. When you were younger, I gave in to you all the time. This time, you should let your older brother have a turn!¡±

    ¡°Brother Ge, your mouth is still full!¡±

    ......

    Marquis Weiyuan and Lord Ge, who were practically twins since birth, had suddenly started arguing over a single sweet and sour pork rib.

    He Changqi¡¯s awkwardness upon witnessing this scene didn¡¯t prevent him from continuously reaching out to grab some poached fish slices at all. It was good that they were arguing anyway. As a result, no one was fighting with him over this te of fish. Although Third Sister-in-Law had sent over an entire bowl thest time, it hadn¡¯t been enough! Furthermore, he had a big appetite, so he hadn¡¯t eaten his fill yet. This time, perhaps due to consideration for the guests, Chu Lian had prepared a muchrger portion. That soft, tender, white meat was paired with the fiery fragrance of chilli, yet it still melted in the mouth like butter. It was so tasty he even felt like swallowing his tongue along with it!

    Right after he had ced a thin slice of fish in his mouth, he caught sight of Xiao Bojian, who was sitting across from him, reaching into therge te with a spoon. After some quick maneuvering with his chopsticks, when his spoon was lifted up from the sea of red chillis, it was full of tender, white fish slices...

    Following that, He Changqi watched with wide eyes as Xiao Bojian poured all the fish slices into his small white porcin bowl...

    Next, his empty spoon reached out once again towards the te of poached fish...

    What the heck... What happened to their noblemen¡¯s gathering? There were only hungry ghosts sitting at this table!

    A meal that should have been filled with conversation,ughter and drink... ended in just an hour.

 Chapter 215: Lies (3)

    As He Changqi looked at his friends holding their full bellies and leaning against their seats, burping with satisfaction, the corners of his mouth couldn¡¯t help but twitch.

    Luckily he had noticed that the situation was turning a little strange, so he had sent all the servants out of the room. Otherwise, if they had let their servants witness that battle just now, their servants would surely have thought that the whole group of gentlemen had been switched out for some imposters. They would likely have thought that the imposters must have been picked out from some beggars who hadn¡¯t eaten for days too!

    After he looked again at the empty tes and dishes on the table that had practically been licked clean, He Changqi couldn¡¯t even be bothered to say anything.

    Once the hungry ghosts before him had rested for a while, Heir Zheng mmed his palm on the table unhappily. ¡°Brother He, you¡¯re too selfish! We¡¯ve always invited you to join us for meals and drinks! The food here is so delicious, how could you wait until today to invite us to your estate for a meal?¡±

    Lord Ge shot a sideways nce at He Changqi, whose expression was turning dark. When he thought back to Madam Zou¡¯s actions just now, he realised that the situation was a little delicate. He Changqi had also been wolfing down the food like he hadn¡¯t eaten in days. This was probably his first time eating such amazing cuisine too.

    Lord Ge didn¡¯t me He Changqi like Heir Zheng did. He simply leaned against his chair without any consideration for his image while sipping at some old duck soup to satisfy his remaining cravings. He spoke with a little sourness in his tone, ¡°He Sang¡¯s quite the lucky one. He deserves to go all the way to that terrible northern border! I pitied that brat at first, but now, I¡¯ve lost all pity for him. If he were right here in front of me now, I¡¯d tell him, ¡®you deserve it¡¯!¡±

    Now that the sweet and sour pork ribs were all gone, Marquis Weiyuan and Lord Ge were the best of buds again. ¡°Poor He Sang the Fair!¡±

    After eating his fill, Xiao Bojian kept a low profile. His eyes were half-shut and his longshes hid the pools of emotion in his eyes. He pinched his left index finger with his right thumb and index finger. His thin lips were flushed red thanks to the spiciness of the fish from earlier. No one could see the dissatisfaction and resentment in his eyes. He remained as still as a statue.

    If Heir Zheng wasn¡¯t familiar with his personality, he might have asked his senior brother about his mood.

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s eyes swept over He Changqi, a hidden glint in their depths.

    All of this should have been his!

    Lian¡¯er personally cooking for him, praising Lian¡¯er¡¯s skills in front of his friends, Lian¡¯er helping him to manage the household... Facing each day as a couple, exchanging sweet nothings, supporting each other through the trials of life...

    Right after the group had just finished an unforgettable meal, a manservant entered the room with a wine gourd in hand.

    The manservant looked at the now-empty dishes on the table with shock. He blinked a few times in disbelief beforeing to his senses. He quickly walked over to He Changqi¡¯s side and lowered his voice to ask, ¡°Eldest Young Master, do... do you still want to serve this wine?¡±

    The manservant had gone to fetch the ten year old Yudongchun wine which Marquis Weiyuan had specially brought over.

    Who could have thought that the food would bepletely decimated before the wine had even reached the table?

    Heir Zheng looked around the group of gentlemen and said, ¡°Just serve the wine!¡±

    Marquis Weiyuan and Lord Ge nodded. They had already filled their bellies, so the wine wouldn¡¯t hurt them. Since they had had such a great meal, they were starting to have the interest to drink some wine.

    He Changqi nodded and ordered the manservant to call in two maidservants to clear out the empty dishes. He then had the main kitchen send out some food to have with the wine, so that they could all drink their fill.

    After tasting those amazing delicacies, they didn¡¯t have any appetite from looking at those normal dishes. They even felt a little depressed.

    The men had the feeling that their days were going to be rough from now on... As the saying went, it¡¯s easy for the frugal to be extravagant, but it¡¯s hard to reverse the process. After having such delectable gourmet food, it was going to be hard to swallow down their usual fare.

    With those thoughts in their head, all of them drank more than usual to drown out those depressing thoughts. The ten year Yudongchun was considered one of the strongest spirits in the capital and packed a punch. Furthemore, the men couldn¡¯t bring themselves to eat the food that the main kitchen had sent over, so they ended up drinking even more.

    After an hour, even He Changqi, who usually had a great tolerance for alcohol, was drunk and incoherent, let alone the rest.

    When the manservant saw the state that the men were in, he could only order some servants to bring the gentlemen to rest in some rooms.

    The seemingly woozy Xiao Bojian was brought to a private room by an average-looking manservant. Once they were alone, those originally misty eyes abruptly awakened. His gaze was sober and calm,pletelycking any sign of his earlier drunkenness.

    The average-looking manservant, who was One in disguise, bowed to his master. ¡°Master, you¡¯re not drunk?¡±

    Xiao Bojian made a vague sound in reply before rubbing his temples. ¡°Follow me to the inner court of the Jing¡¯an Estate. Leave Neen here to guard this ce.¡±

 Chapter 216: Taken Advantage Of (1)

    One¡¯s brows drew together and his lips parted in preparation to give voice to an objection. However, when he met with Xiao Bojian¡¯s icy gaze, he lowered his head and kept his thoughts to himself.

    It was just past 1pm, so most of the servants in the Jing¡¯an Estate¡¯s inner court had already gone to rest or ck about. On their way to the inner court, they didn¡¯t bump into anyone at all.

    After walking for a moment, Xiao Bojian pulled out a crude map from his sleeve. He looked down at it and checked his bearings before moving directly towards Songtao Court.

    One followed behind Xiao Bojian closely while watching his surroundings with caution.

    Chu Lian had finally managed to sneak in a half-day break at that waterside pavilion. She was lying in the pavilion having a nice afternoon nap right now. When a light breeze passed by, it brought along the mild fragrance of the chrysanthemums around them.

    When Xiyan saw that her master had fallen asleep, she gently ced a thin woven nket over Chu Lian before carefully retreating to the zither room nearby. She sat herself at a table and worked on some embroidery as she guarded Chu Lian.

    Xiao Bojian entered Songtao Court through a small path in the garden and walked slowly while holding up the corner of his robe.

    It was already autumn, so the most of the flowers in the courtyard were withering, painting a yellow and bleak scene. Xiao Bojian¡¯s gaze swept over the arrangements of the courtyard as if memorising them. In his mind, he was already thinking of building an evenrger and even more exquisite estate for Chu Lian to live in, once she finally became his.

    As wild thoughts ran in his head, a sh of colour at the corner of his vision caught his attention. His leisurely expression changed as his pupils contracted. He turned his head unconsciously and focused his gaze on that small ssh of colour.

    Not far away in the pavilion by the waterside, a girl wearing a simple light green dressid sleeping on a wooden lounge chair. One arm was nested underneath her head, while the other was in the midst of slipping off the armrests. Her wide sleeves had slid down to her elbows, revealing her forearms; her tender, white skin shone starkly against the dark coloured wooden armrests. Her slender little fingers were slightly opened and her small fingernails were unpainted, giving off a natural and cute impression.

    Xiao Bojian stood still, frozen to the spot, his gazending greedily on that woman¡¯s slim body.

    One looked at his master¡¯s expression and pressed his lips together. Despite his desire to speak, he suppressed his inner thoughts once again.

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s hands clenched into fists under his wide sleeves. After a short moment, he gave his orders in a low voice. ¡°One, take care of that handmaid over there.¡±

    When he followed Xiao Bojian¡¯s line of sight, One noticed the handmaid working on some embroidery in the open zither room nearby. He cupped his fists in acknowledgement to his master before leaping into the air and disappearing from sight.

    In just a few minutes, Xiyan¡¯s body copsed as she fainted. One then moved Xiyan to lie against one of the wooden supports in the zither room.

    When Xiao Bojian saw that One had finished his task, he strode towards the pavilion.

    Despite his calm outer appearance, his heart was beating like a drum.

    With every step he took that brought him closer to Chu Lian, his heart seemed to quicken a beat. When he entered the pavilion, he stopped by that sandalwood chair and looked upon the girl he had been thinking of day and night. His heartbeat paused for an instant, before pulsing ever faster, almost leaping out of his chest.

    He tilted his head downwards and took in the entirety of Chu Lian¡¯s appearance in his eyes.

    She was sound asleep, her hair scattered over the back of that lounge chair. Some loose strands were dancing along with the passing autumn breeze, inadvertently plucking at the strings of his heart.

 Chapter 217: Taken Advantage Of (2)

    The girl¡¯s eyes were closed, her thick eyshes covering her lower eyelids like two small fans. Her fair skin and shapely nose were framed by the slight flush on her cheeks; her pink lips were parted slightly in her sleep.

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t an unmatched beauty by any means, but she looked lovely and innocent when she was deep in sleep like this, like a little creature that needed protecting.

    As Xiao Bojian greedily devoured the enchanting scene with his eyes, he slowly bent down and reached out with his elegant fingers to touch the beauty before him.

    Right before his fingers were about to touch Chu Lian¡¯s soft cheeks, he curled his fingers back and retreated. In the end, he had to muster up all the reason he had to hold back from touching her face. However, he didn¡¯t pull his hand back; his fingers twitched slightly before tracing the curve of Chu Lian¡¯s profile.

    His finger glided over that lovely raised nose and passed over those parted petal-like lips, before sliding along the distinguished line of her chin and reaching her corbones.

    His eyes followed the lines of her corbones and went even further down, seemingly out of his control.

    The cor of her dress was made up of two lotus flowers and there was a light yellow piece of fabric peeking out from in between. The fabric below her cor was held up by the curves of her figure underneath... And even further down was her light green skirt. A cute little pair of shoes were exposed under the skirt.

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s eyes turned a little bloodshot and his breathing became heavier.

    He forced himself to pull his hand back and shifted his eyes back to Chu Lian¡¯s pretty little face instead.

    Chu Lian had been in the middle of a veryfortable nap. However, she suddenly felt a slight chill at her side, as if some danger had approached her body. Her brows drew together unconsciously and her mouth moved in her sleep. The tip of her tongue reached out a little from her mouth and glided along her pink lips.

    The originally innocent-looking girl had suddenly turned a little more seductive and charming thanks to this unconscious action.

    Chu Lian shifted in her sleep and pulled out the arm that had been under her head, turning to one side instead and gathering her arms together.

    Xiao Bojian had frozen to the spot when he noticed Chu Lian moving. when he realised that she hadn¡¯t woken up, he rxed and let out a small sigh. However, as he watched her change poses, the primal urges that he had been suppressing surged up again, seemingly about to overwhelm his rational mind at any moment.

    Due to her movement, Chu Lian¡¯s cor had parted, and that light yellow fabric underneath was even more visible now. Furthermore, her new sideways pose meant that more of the fair white skin underneath her cor was now exposed.

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s mind had been blown apart by this scene. His restraint and reason vanished in the space of a second and he suddenly bent down, hands grabbing on the armrests of the sandalwood chair.

    To hell with patience and self-control! Lian¡¯er should have been his! If not for that Empress Dowager¡¯s decree, how could he have lost Lian¡¯er to House Jing¡¯an? How could she have be He Changdi¡¯s wife?

    He Changdi was at the northern border now, so who knew if he would even be able to return? Once he gathered enough power, he was going to erase He Changdi from the earth, without even a grave to mark his existence!

    While these hateful and painful thoughts passed through his mind, Xiao Bojian was already face to face with Chu Lian.

    Up close, Chu Lian¡¯s skin looked even more soft and tender, like the skin of a fresh peach.

    The warmth of her breath tickled his face. With eyes as deep as the ocean, he took in every little expression of hers with greedy eyes. Finally, he lowered his head and met the moist, pink lips before him with his own.

 Chapter 218: A Close Shave (1)

    The soft feeling on his lips was like the headiest wine, leaving him drunk with emotions. He parted his lips a little more and even brought his tongue to y. With his restraint long lost, he slid a hand further downwards...

    While trapped in deep sleep, Chu Lian suddenly felt a chill all over her body. When she felt something cold touch her lips, she abruptly opened her eyes and was immediately met with that graceful, handsome face up close. Rage burst forth like a volcano in her mind, manifesting outwardly as a furious re. Her first reaction was to bite down hard while her hands pushed with all her might at the person holding her down.

    Xiao Bojian was still immersed in his emotions and was caught off-guard when Chu Lian pushed him; he couldn¡¯t catch his bnce and retreated a few steps.

    It was only after that that he felt the pain on his lips.

    His gaze darkened and he reached out to wipe his lower lip before bringing his fingers up to his eyes.

    His head was bent down as he looked at the streak of bright red blood on his hand. He then raised his head to stare at Chu Lian.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, it¡¯s me!¡±

    It was him, it wasn¡¯t some stranger! How could Lian¡¯er treat him like that?

    Chu Lian was nauseous with disgust. She had already climbed off the lounge chair in her panic and retreated as far back as she could, all the way to the other side of the pavilion. Her brows were drawn tightly together as she red at Xiao Bojian.

    She hadn¡¯t expected Xiao Bojian to be so shameless! How could he have taken advantage of her while she was asleep!

    Calling him a beast would be an insult to all animals! She was already married! How could he do something so immoral!

    Inparison, although her husband He Sang was a little crazy, he was still a proper gentleman.

    Furthermore, how had hee to the inner court of the Jing¡¯an Estate?

    In just a short moment, Chu Lian¡¯s mind was already filled with hundreds of thoughts and doubts.

    She realised that the main events in the original story hadn¡¯t changed their course despite her interference. However, many of the smaller details and events were already different.

    It seemed that she wouldn¡¯t be able to depend on the events she had read in the book to avoid disasters in the future.

    She had to make more thorough backup ns and preparations.

    Chu Lian furrowed her brows, eyes full of caution. ¡°Mister Xiao, why are you here?¡±

    If Chu Lian hadn¡¯t checked the surroundings and found out that there was no one around, she would have started shouting. She didn¡¯t want to stay around this dangerous man even a second longer.

    When Xiao Bojian noticed the caution in Chu Lian¡¯s eyes, a pang of pain pierced his heart. He quickly tried to exin, ¡°Lian¡¯er, we haven¡¯t met in so long. I just wanted to see you.¡±

    Only ghosts would believe that!

    If you just wanted to see me, then why did you have to attack me? Chu Lian didn¡¯t believe in Xiao Bojian¡¯s excuse one bit.

    Chu Lian pressed her lips together. She had caught sight of the unconscious Xiyan, who had somehow fainted against a pir, in the zither room not too far away. When she connected it back to how Wen had fainted back in Defeng Teahouse, she became even more vignt.

    This was the inner court of the Jing¡¯an Estate. Although it was already after 1pm and there weren¡¯t many servants about, if anyone happened across this situation, she wouldn¡¯t be able to clear her name no matter what.

    Although the Great Wu Dynasty was more open-minded, women would always be on the losing end of things. Furthermore, she was a newlywed wife whose husband wasn¡¯t at home. It would be hard for anyone not to suspect her of consorting with another man.

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve already seen me, it¡¯s about time for you to leave, Mister Xiao!¡± Chu Lian tried her best to use a level tone to speak.

    Although Xiao Bojian wasn¡¯t very strong himself, he had a skilled bodyguard. This was something that the original novel had mentioned. Thus, despite how frustrated Chu Lian was, she did her best to control her rage. She was afraid that Xiao Bojian would lose his rationality and call out his bodyguard to attack her if she provoked and angered him.

    Her few paltry self-defense skills were nothing in front of a skilled martial artist like that.

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s long and narrow eyes were focused tightly on the frightened girl before him. His arms were ced behind his back, hiding the fists that were clenched from exerting every bit of his self-control.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, didn¡¯t you miss me at all? I know I was in the wrong for leaving you behind that day... I¡¯m a bastard! I¡¯ve been sunken in my guilt for all these days. Lian¡¯er, you have to believe me. Can you believe me in just this once? If something like that day happens again, I won¡¯t ever abandon you again, even if my life is in danger. I¡¯ll keep you by my side always and protect you. You¡¯ll never suffer a single bit of hurt ever more.¡±

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s voice was brimming with emotion as he spoke. Coupled together with that beautiful metrosexual face of his, it could probably convince any naive and sheltered youngdies in seconds.

    If she were the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯, perhaps she would have been touched enough to run into his embrace. However, what a pity for him! Chu Lian was no longer the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯.

    She wasn¡¯t the slightest bit touched. Conversely, she was disgusted beyond belief.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t even try to discern if Xiao Bojian had any bit of sincerity in his words. She only thought itughable. She finally realised why she didn¡¯t have any feelings for Xiao Bojian even though she had taken over the body of the female lead, his supposed lover, in the story.

    This man was full of ambition and had the silver tongue to match. Before actual danger approached, he could promise anything he wanted. However, if he were really sincere about protecting her, he should have just shown it with his actions before making the promise!

    Since he had already ¡®abandoned¡¯ her once, he shouldn¡¯t havee back so shamelessly, much less trying to make up for it.

 Chapter 219: A Close Shave (2)

    Chu Lian thought once again that He Changdi was much better than Xiao Bojian. At least that man would show his sincerity through his actions, rather than just using meaningless words.

    She sneered inwardly. Did Xiao Bojian really think that those empty promises would melt her heart?

    That only showed how much he didn¡¯t understand her.

    ¡°Mister Xiao, don¡¯t you know that you¡¯re causing trouble for me like this? Right now, I don¡¯t have any ties with you at all.¡± Chu Lian lowered her head as she spoke, so that Xiao Bojian wouldn¡¯t see the annoyance and disgust in her eyes.

    Xiao Bojian stiffened and looked around them with some anxiety.

    This ce was foreign to him. This was the Jing¡¯an Estate, and the woman before him had the title of House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam.

    When his thoughts led him to this realisation, it was as if he had lost his soul. He felt as if thorns were piercing him right in his heart.

    That¡¯s right! How could he have forgotten that fact? Such a wonderful and perfect Lian¡¯er... didn¡¯t belong to him right now!

    The depths of his eyes turned cold in an instant, but the guilt in his heart only increased.

    He took a deep breath and managed to calm down a little. He raised his gaze and stared at Chu Lian. ¡°Lian¡¯er, I didn¡¯t think things through carefully enough. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get you out of this and give you a proper title as my wife! You... have to wait for me! It won¡¯t take too long.¡±

    Shock red up in Chu Lian¡¯s mind, but she didn¡¯t dare to disy it on her face. She looked downwards without speaking, as if she was pretending to be angry at him.

    It was clear from Xiao Bojian¡¯s expression that he couldn¡¯t bear to part with her. However, he pressed his lips together and finally said, ¡°Lian¡¯er, don¡¯t be angry with me. I¡¯m leaving now, we won¡¯t be discovered.¡±

    After saying so, he strode right out of the pavilion. When he stepped out, he paused before adding on, ¡°Lian¡¯er, the meal you cooked today was delicious!¡±

    In the future, would you just cook for me alone? Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have the right to say that now.

    Perhaps Xiao Bojian was really feeling shame and remorse; he didn¡¯t even turn back to look at her again after leaving.

    It wasn¡¯t until Xiao Bojian¡¯s figure hadpletely disappeared from sight that Chu Lian dared to raise her head. Her remaining strength left her body and she copsed on the spot.

    That was way too dangerous. If she hadn¡¯t discovered Xiao Bojian¡¯s guilt towards her in time, their meeting wouldn¡¯t have ended well for her.

    If that Xiao Bojian could act so fearlessly even in the Jing¡¯an Estate, it looked like just avoiding him wasn¡¯t going to work next time. She had to prepare some precautionary measures somehow.

    Sob sob. She really didn¡¯t like him at all! If she could pay a thousand taels to stop Xiao Bojian from liking her, she would have gritted her teeth and paid out the full amount! Why was she so unlucky?!

    Chu Lian wiped her lips fiercely with a handkerchief until they were red and sore, before throwing the handkerchief to the ground in a temper.

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s thin lips looked so soft, pink and weak... They were pretty much better-looking than hers. Wasn¡¯t his kiss the same as getting kissed by a woman??

    Chu Lian flipped a table in her mind! (¨s¨F¡õ¡ä)¨s¦à©ß©¥©ß

    She wasn¡¯t the type of person who dwelled on things. For the whole incident today, she just treated it as getting bitten by a passing stray dog. Thus, she managed to calm herself down and walked over to Xiyan to wake her up.

    When she took a look at the back of Xiyan¡¯s neck, there was a bruise, just like the previous time with Wen.

    After Xiyan woke up, she waspletely panic-stricken. ¡°Third Young Madam, are you well?¡±

    Chu Lian shook her head and helped her up from the floor. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Xiyan looked Chu Lian up and down. When she saw that her master really seemed okay, she heaved a sigh of relief.

    Her voice trembled as she asked, ¡°Was it Mister Xiao?¡±

    Chu Lian knew that she couldn¡¯t hide this matter from Xiyan, so she nodded.

    Xiyan¡¯s cheeks immediately puffed up, shaking with anger as she said, ¡°He.... How dare he! This is the Jing¡¯an Estate!¡±

    Chu Lian was also helpless. Xiao Bojian was indeed very bold. If she hadn¡¯t made use of his guilt towards her today, he probably wouldn¡¯t have left so quickly.

    When Xiyan noticed Chu Lian¡¯s silence, she quickly tried to reassure her. ¡°Third Young Madam, please don¡¯t worry too much. As long as we don¡¯t associate with him, he can¡¯t do anything to Third Young Madam.¡±

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t be bothered to say any more on the matter. She had already lost the interest to nap by this time. She simply ordered listlessly, ¡°Let¡¯s return to our courtyard.¡±

    Xiyan answered her and quickly followed behind Third Young Madam. However, she had already decided in her heart to send Wenqing and Wen with her master, no matter where she went.

    While full of suppressed emotion, Xiao Bojian quickly strode along. Since Xiao Bojian had left that pavilion, One had alreadye out of the shadows to follow behind his master. He kept a watchful eye on their surroundings as they left the inner court of the Jing¡¯an Estate. Along the way, he even knocked out two servants who had been passing through the gardens.

    No matter how skilled he was in martial arts, he couldn¡¯t make any careless mistakes while protecting his master.

    Just as Xiao Bojian was passing through the door connecting the outer and inner courts, he was caught by someone¡¯s gaze.

    Madam Zou couldn¡¯t stop worrying when she wasn¡¯t serving by her husband¡¯s side. When she heard that her husband¡¯s friends had been sent to rest after getting drunk, she had gone to the outer court to check on the situation. However, on her way back to the inner court, she suddenly spotted a familiar figure.

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s appearance was rather outstanding and would attract a second look from anyone, regardless of gender. No matter how much he tried to keep a low profile with his dressing and personality, he couldn¡¯t hide his extraordinary looks.

    TL Note: The author put the table flip emoji there, so I kept it in the text (¨s¨F¡õ¡ä)¨s¦à©ß©¥©ß

 Chapter 220: Who Else to Target? (1)

    Today, Xiao Bojian was dressed in a dark green round-cored robe with a matching green belt tie around his waist. Other than a simple square piece of jade, he hadn¡¯t hung anything on his belt, let alone a small pouch for some essories. Although he was dressed in such a low-key colour, to the point that it could even act as camouge, his broad shoulders and narrow waist carried the robe well and made him stand out instead. Under his round cor, there was an inner piece of fabric that extended beyond the cor and wrapped around his throat, giving him an air of restraint.

    He Changqi¡¯s close friends were rather good-looking and they all came from distinguished family backgrounds. Thus, their temperaments and dressing stood out above most. However, when they stood next to Xiao Bojian, they paled inparison and became foils to his handsomeness instead.

    Thus, Xiao Bojian had given Madam Zou a very deep impression from just that short period at the small gathering today. The moment she caught sight of his back, she could tell who it was.

    Although Xiao Bojian wasn¡¯t really well-known amongst the social circles of the nobility in the capital, he did have some fame in the Imperial College. Even Madam Zou had heard of Xiao Bojian once or twice before.

    Her gaze was stuck on Xiao Bojian¡¯s back until he vanished through that connecting door. Next, she traced the small path he had taken with her eyes and she realised whatid in that direction.

    At the end of the small path that Xiao Bojian had just taken... was Songtao Court!

    Suddenly, all sorts of thoughts red up in Madam Zou¡¯s head. In a short moment, she clenched her fists in excitement!

    By the time Heir Zheng and the rest had woken up from their drunken stupors, they attempted to stay in the Jing¡¯an Estate for dinner. When he thought back to those new delicacies he had eaten at lunch, Heir Zheng even wanted to badger He Changqi to let him stay over at the Jing¡¯an Estate for some time!

    Sob sob sob. That damned He Sang was way too lucky. Why did the heavens bestow him with such a virtuous wife who could cook so well? I can¡¯t go on like this! I have to get Grandmother to send someone to House Ying to check if they have any singledies to wed when I get home!

    He Changqi didn¡¯t know how to react. These friends of his! Normally, he¡¯d have to invite them a few times before they woulde over. However, now they were trying to drag out their stay and were even refusing to leave. Did they have to be so shameless?

    He Changqi was a little troubled. If these dishes had been made by his own wife, then he would have just treated them to one meal. However, it was Third Sister-in-Law who had cooked the meal. He wasn¡¯t so shameless as to trouble her again.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough for today? Did you forget your manners? My sister-inw isn¡¯t a cook at your beck and call!¡±

    Marquis Weiyuanined with a cry of, ¡°Brother He¡¯s being petty!¡±. However, they were all gentlemen, so they understood the rationale behind He Changqi¡¯s statement. As much as they really wanted to have another meal, they could only stop with their requests.

    Each of them sighed withments. They suspected that they wouldn¡¯t be able to eat anything else when they returned home to their estates.

    He Changqi was rather helpless upon seeing the situation like this. He suddenly recalled something that his grandmother had mentioned offhand to him while chatting the other day. He then called out to the men who were on their way out, ¡°If you really want to eat Third Sister-in-Law¡¯s cooking again, you can wait until Guilin Restaurant opens again. Grandmother gave her Guilin Restaurant over to Third Sister-in-Law to manage, so it shouldn¡¯t be too long before it reopens.¡±

    ¡°Really? Honoured Lady Jinyi is going to run a restaurant?¡±

    The three of them were overjoyed. Since Chu Lian was going to open a restaurant, it was definitely going to have some specialties. Thus, if they craved for those delicious foods in the future, they wouldn¡¯t need to throw away their dignity to beg He Changqi for a meal then.

    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely let all of you know when Third Sister-in-Law¡¯s restaurant reopens.¡±

    With this news in mind, the group returned home in high spirits.

    The next day, Chu Lian brought Wenqing and Wen along with her to Guilin Restaurant again. She passed on some instructions regarding the restaurant¡¯s renovations before rushing home.

    The renovations were almost done. She had chosen a chef from one of the servants who had followed her from House Ying when she had gotten married. The novel had mentioned this person before. He was a loyal servant, and the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had frequently used him to send letters out to Xiao Bojian.

    Mao Zhangzhi¡¯s parents were still alive and well, and they were all servants under Chu Lian¡¯s name. He was eighteen this year. His father used to be a third-rank cook in House Ying, so he had learned some culinary skills from his father at a young age. He did have some talent in cooking.

    Chu Lian had never kept her handmaids and senior servants away while she was cooking. Xiyan was meticulous and had learned how to cook quite a few dishes from her, so Chu Lian sent her to teach Mao Zhangzhi how to make the specialties for Guilin Restaurant. From Xiyan¡¯s report, Mao Zhangzhi had already managed to learn most of them. He was even better at cooking some of the dishespared to his temporary teacher, Xiyan.

    Last night, she had specially ordered Mao Zhangzhi to cook dinner for Songtao Court. After tasting his handiwork, Chu Lian was pleased.

    The bookkeeping was still left to Guilin Restaurant¡¯s old Bookkeeper Wang.

    As for the manager, she let Manager Qin, the manager she had temporarily borrowed from Matriarch He, take up the post.

    In the past few days, the thirty-something Manager Qin had been very diligent and conscientious in his work for her. What was even more rare was that he wasn¡¯t stuck in old ways and was open to new ideas. He was also quite smooth when it came to talking business. He was the third son of Matriarch He¡¯s main steward. The matriarch had been thinking of training him to be a main steward at first, but she had specially sent Manager Qin over due to her love for Chu Lian. Thus, his abilities were definitely top-notch.

    After some discussion, Chu Lian and Matriarch He had decided that the first of September was a good day. Thus, the reopening of Guilin Restaurant was set to be on that date.

    Chu Lian had already prepared gold-embossed invitations to be sent out. All she had to do next was to decide who to invite.

 Chapter 221: Who Else to Target? (2)

    Both Matriarch He and the servants in Chu Lian¡¯s courtyard were looking forward to Guilin Restaurant¡¯s reopening.

    Guilin Restaurant held a special ce in Matriarch He¡¯s heart. As for the third branch, the restaurant was going to be a very important source of ie for them.

    He Sang had ventured out to the northern border by himself. Who knew when he would be able to return to this courtyard? Third Young Madam was all alone in the estate and her dowry was rather pitiful. She also wasn¡¯t in line to manage the estate. The expenses of their branch were paid from the estate¡¯s shared ounts, but they still had to have some personal funds to use freely. Otherwise, they would definitely be looked down upon by others.

    Back in the Ying Estate, she was just a young miss, so it was fine if she didn¡¯t have much money of her own. However, Chu Lian was now thedy-in-charge of the third branch, so she had to have some funds squared away.

    Furthermore, Third Young Madam wasn¡¯t miserly. If she got rich one day, she would naturally award her servants richly as well.

    Thus, from Senior Servants Gui and Zhong to the menial servants sweeping the floors in the courtyard, all of them were hoping that Third Young Madam¡¯s Guilin Restaurant would do well and prosper.

    In the end, Chu Lian turned out to be the most rxed person in the estate. She just ate, drank and slept all day, enjoying what little pleasures she could. Guilin Restaurant¡¯s reopening seemed to be an event as ordinary as her daily calligraphy practice to her. As the date of the reopening drew closer, even Xiyan started to get anxious. However, her master was just lying on a lounge chair and eating some candied fruits while casually flipping through a newly publishededy book.

    Looking at her master¡¯s overly rxed appearance, Xiyan didn¡¯t know whether toin or rx along with Chu Lian.

    She walked over to Chu Lian with a few different types of fabric in hand. ¡°Third Young Madam, which colour should we use for the drapes in the private rooms?¡±

    When Chu Lian heard Xiyan¡¯s words, she didn¡¯t even look up. She was in the middle of an exciting part of her book. ¡°You can decide that yourself, you don¡¯t have toe to me for these small matters.¡±

    If she had to be consulted for details as small as the colours of the drapes, wouldn¡¯t she be overwhelmed with work in the future when she had more stores in hand? She was reopening Guilin Restaurant so that she could earn more money and enjoy life, not to create more troubles and work for herself.

    Her final goal was to be a carefree and rxedyabout!

    Xiyan felt a little helpless, but she knew that Third Young Madam¡¯s words were thew. Thus, she quietly picked out a colour that she liked.

    However, she didn¡¯t leave after that and continued talking, ¡°Third Young Madam, should we train two more loyal cooks?¡±

    Chu Lian finally looked up from her book and turned to Xiyan. ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    Seeing that Third Young Madam was finally paying attention to her, Xiyan got a little excited. ¡°Third Young Madam, have you seen thoserge restaurants in the capital? They¡¯re always so full to the point that there aren¡¯t any empty seats. The restaurants with some unique specialties usually have a long queue outside. How will Cook Mao be able to manage everything alone? Won¡¯t he be overworked?¡±

    After hearing Xiyan¡¯s words, Chu Lian smiled and put down her book. She then took up a teacup from the table next to her and sipped some honey water.

    ¡°Xiyan, you¡¯re overthinking things. I¡¯m nning to have only about twenty tables of guests each day.¡±

    Xiyan¡¯s eyes widened in shock and she said in disbelief, ¡°Third Young Madam, didn¡¯t you say that you were going to make Guilin Restaurant famed throughout the capital and defeat that Yuehong Restaurant on Zhuque Avenue?¡±

    With just around twenty tables of guests a day, how were they going to win Yuehong Restaurant? Just the amount of ie daily was definitely not going to be enough to support the restaurant¡¯s expenses.

    After seeing Xiyan¡¯s astonishment, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t resist the urge to chuckle. She looked just like a cute little white fox whose tricks had finally seeded.

    ¡°Silly girl. I¡¯ll give you an example. If there was a set of armour that could protect your whole body and there was only one like it in the whole world, then it would be a one-of-a-kind treasure. All the warriors in the world would definitely pit their lives to win it. If there were ten sets of this armour, then it could be called a rarity. If there were suddenly ten thousand sets of it, there would be enough to outfit every single member of the city guards. Then this armour would no longer be a treasure, and it would simply be somemon rubbish.¡±

    Xiyan wasn¡¯t slow. After getting Chu Lian¡¯s guidance, it was as if she had woken up from a dream.

    Actually, this was very simplemon sense. Everyone knew that the value of things was pegged to their rarity. Otherwise, why would Hetian jade be something that even money couldn¡¯t buy? The easier it was to get something, the less people would treasure it.

    This applied to Third Young Madam¡¯s secret recipes as well.

    As long as the restaurant built up a good reputation and kept its services rare, it would definitely attract the nobility of the capital, to the point that they might even fight over it.

    By then, even if they set the cost to reserve a single table as a hundred taels, there would still be buyers lining up with cash in hand.

    The difference between earning a hundred taels from a hundred tables versus earning a hundred taels from a single table was like heaven and earth.

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked at Xiyan. ¡°Do you understand now?¡±

    Xiyan¡¯s expression had also turned to joy. She stared at her master with admiration, just so happening to look like a loyal little puppy.

    Chu Lian smiled.

    This was what she had nned from the moment she had decided to reopen Guilin Restaurant. Who had the most money to spend in the Great Wu Dynasty? It was the nobility of course! She was a madam of House Jing¡¯an and also held the title of Honoured Lady Jinyi now. She was starting off with an advantage and she didn¡¯t need to fear some nobles trying to use their status to take advantage of her business. Furthermore, she would feel more at peace with herself if she targeted the nobles. The purses of those distinguished houses were all stuffed full of money. Who else would she target if not them?

    If she had to go against her conscience and target themoners who earned their money with blood, sweat and tears, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do it!

    After another day passed, Chu Lian made her preparations early in the morning and went over to Qingxi Hall. Today, she was to apany Matriarch He to make a visit to the Zheng Estate.

    They had just gotten ready and were about to head over to the outer court to board the carriage when a steward came over to report that House Zheng had sent someone over.

    Matriarch He quickly ordered the servants to guide the person from House Zheng into Qingxi Hall.

    It was the main steward of the Zheng Estate who hade. The moment he entered, he fell to the ground on his knees and knelt before Matriarch He.

    ¡°Matriarch He, please allow Honoured Lady Jinyi to save our Old Duke Zheng!¡±

 Chapter 222: Old Gourmet (1)

    Chu Lian stared with eyes wide open in shock. Had this steward gotten her mixed up with someone else? Please, she wasn¡¯t a doctor and she didn¡¯t know how to treat people. She didn¡¯t have any miraculous cure-all either. How was she supposed to save Old Duke Zheng?

    Matriarch He was also confused. However, the steward kneeling at her feet didn¡¯t seem to be lying. The anxiety and grief in his expression wasn¡¯t something that could be faked so easily.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Sang¡¯s wife doesn¡¯t know medicine. How can she save Old Duke Zheng?¡±

    Upon hearing Matriarch He¡¯s questions, House Zheng¡¯s steward blushed for an instant. However, he couldn¡¯t hide the truth anyway, so he exined the circumstances in full to Matriarch He and Chu Lian.

    Even when Chu Lian had already boarded House Zheng¡¯s carriage, she was still a little dizzy from the sudden turn of events.

    What a strange predicament this was. Who could have expected that Old Duke Zheng¡¯s illness had been caused by theck of gourmet dishes that fit his exacting tastes...

    No wonder House Zheng had kept this matter sealed up so tightly. The exnation they gave to outsiders was that Old Duke Zheng was getting on in age and his health was declining to the point that he was bedridden.

    If the social circles of the nobility were to find out that Old Duke Zheng had stopped eating due to his pickiness over food and that it had caused the decline in his health, wouldn¡¯t theyugh until their faces cramped up? House Zheng would also be theughingstock of the capital if that were to happen.

    The corners of Chu Lian¡¯s mouth twitched. This Old Duke Zheng had really contracted a very strange illness...

    Chu Lian also finally understood why Old Duchess Zheng had been so anxious to invite her to their estate.

    Luckily, Chu Lian wasn¡¯t a cold-hearted person. Since they hade to her for help due to the circumstances, she was happy to oblige. As the saying goes, there is more merit in saving a person¡¯s life than in building a seven-story pagoda. Furthermore, the person in need here was Old Duke Zheng, who had a good reputation in the capital.

    However, she couldn¡¯t make an empty promise. She had only told House Zheng¡¯s steward that she would try her best.

    Even so, that steward had thanked her profusely, as if he had finally found the help they needed.

    While watching Chu Lian¡¯s actions, Matriarch He had given a nod of approval inwardly. Sang¡¯s wife was kind but not too soft. She knew her own limits and hadn¡¯t tried to show off her skills. Although she was a littlezy normally, when it came to major events, she was good at keeping the situation under control.

    On the way to the Zheng Estate, Chu Lian hadn¡¯t been idle.

    She started by asking the steward what Old Duke Zheng liked to eat, before asking after his physical health. After thinking it over in her mind, she started forming an initial list of dishes to make.

    Once the steward got Honoured Lady Jinyi¡¯s instructions, he immediately ordered one of the manservants in their party to rush back to the estate to prepare the ingredients that Honoured Lady Jinyi required.

    Matriarch He and Chu Lian finally reached the Zheng Estate after half an hour.

    They got off the carriage at the side gate of the estate and were led into the inner court by Old Duchess Zheng herself. They then entered Old Duke Zheng¡¯s bedroom.

    When Heir Zheng returned to the estate, he noticed a few carriages parked outside the side gate and one of the estate¡¯s grooms taking care of the horses.

    Xiao Bojian dismounted from his horse and looked carefully at the carriages. He spoke his observations in a baffled tone, ¡°Tiancheng, those seem to be House Jing¡¯an¡¯s carriages.¡±

    Heir Zheng looked more closely at the symbols on the carriage and agreed. The heir only knew that his grandfather¡¯s health was failing, but his parents hadn¡¯t told him the reason for his grandfather¡¯s illness. Thus, Heir Zheng was still in the dark about the situation.

    He shot a nce at his manservant. The quick-witted manservant got the message and quickly went over to enquire about the carriages. In a short moment¡¯s time, he returned and whispered something into Heir Zheng¡¯s ear.

    Heir Zheng¡¯s expression turned into one of surprise. ¡°Brother Xiao, House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Matriarch and Honoured Lady Jinyi havee to visit my estate.¡±

    Xiao Bojian was also a little surprised. At the same time, a sweet feeling suffused his heart. See, he and Lian¡¯er were still connected by fate. He had even bumped into her here at the Zheng Estate.

 Chapter 223: Old Gourmet (2)

    Honoured Lady Jinyi¡¯s delicious cooking was still fresh in Heir Zheng¡¯s mind. Unfortunately, his grandfather¡¯s health had been declining day by day recently, so he wasn¡¯t in the mood to think about food. However, since Honoured Lady Jinyi had specially prepared those dishes for them that day, he decided to thank her personally if he happened to meet her in the inner court.

    A glint shed in Xiao Bojian¡¯s eyes, but he didn¡¯t say anything. However, he had already formed a n inwardly.

    Although Xiao Bojian was good friends with Heir Zheng, he was still an outsider and a male at that. It wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to enter the inner court of the Zheng Estate.

    He regrly came to the Zheng Estate as a guest, but he rarely set foot into the inner court. He would usually follow Heir Zheng to his study in the outer court; today was no exception.

    Old Duchess Zheng had already been waiting at the entrance of her courtyard. Once she caught sight of Matriarch He and Chu Lian, she immediately stepped forward in wee.

    When she was within arm¡¯s reach, she grasped Matriarch He¡¯s hands with tears in her eyes. ¡°Old Sister, you¡¯ve finallye!¡±

    Matriarch He patted her hand and reassured her, ¡°You don¡¯t have to stand on courtesy with us. Let¡¯s go in to see Old Duke Zheng first. Do tell Sang¡¯s wife if there¡¯s anything that Old Duke Zheng can¡¯t eat.¡±

    Old Duchess Zheng wiped away her tears and nodded. Following that, she led Chu Lian and Matriarch He into the bedroom.

    Old Duke Zheng was indeed quite ill. He seemed to be sleeping in a lethargic state and was in the midst of dreaming. He was even mumbling something unintelligible. However, he barely had any strength and his voice was so soft that Chu Lian had to move right next to him before she could hear what he was saying.

    The moment she could finally make something out, she didn¡¯t know how to react. Old Duke Zheng was already one foot in the coffin, but even in his dreams, he was mumbling, ¡°Oranges... Crabs...¡±

    How much of a gourmet was this Old Duke Zheng?

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know how to check pulses, let alone anything to do with traditional Chinese medicine. There was still an imperial physician checking on Old Duke Zheng¡¯s pulse next to his bed, so Chu Lian asked the physician what foods the old duke had to avoid in his condition. When she finally had a good understanding of what he couldn¡¯t eat, she led Xiyan and Mingyan over to the small kitchen that the Zheng Estate had already prepared in advance.

    The kitchen was outfitted with plenty of fresh ingredients. Some had even been sent in not too long ago after Chu Lian¡¯s instructions on the way here.

    It was the middle of autumn now, so it was just the time when crabs would be meaty and tasty. It was also the time when oranges ripened, so no wonder the old gourmet duke would be thinking of those two foods even in his sleep.

    Since he clearly wanted to eat those, Chu Lian already knew what to do. How about some stuffed orange with crab meat?

    Just like how you had to have the right medicine to cure a certain illness, you had to make sure the right dish matched the cravings of the diner.

    Stuffed orange with crab meat wasn¡¯t hard to make. They just had to pick some good, fresh oranges and a fat crab. They did have crab here in this kitchen, but they didn¡¯t have any oranges here.

    She ordered Xiyan to notify the servant waiting outside to find her some quality oranges. It was the season for oranges, so they shouldn¡¯t be too hard to find.

    The senior servant then brought two maidservants with her and quickly headed off to the outer court to find the steward in charge of buying ingredients.

    Chu Lian prepared the crab herself, digging out the meat within the shell and giving instructions to Xiyan by her side. Mingyan was sent off to cook some ginseng porridge.

    The crabs were ready in a short moment. By then, the senior servant had already returned with the fresh oranges that Chu Lian needed.

    The oranges were brightly coloured and fragrant with a nice, even shape. At one look, you could tell that they were quality oranges. They had to cut open the oranges, remove the contents within and then pack it with stuffing made of crab meat, pork, water chestnuts, ground ginger and rice wine. After covering it back up with the cap they cut off the top, they had to put it on a steamer basket and steam it.

 Chapter 224: Old Gourmet (3)

    The servant who had brought the ingredients didn¡¯t dare to stay in the kitchen and watch. She lowered her head and led the other maidservants out and took her post by the kitchen entrance again.

    Xiyan washed the oranges before passing them to Chu Lian. In order to make them look more appetising, Chu Lian carefully carved out some simple patterns on the skins of the fruits. After that, she cut them open. When it came to the third orange, as she slid the knife into the orange, it was suddenly blocked by something within. Chu Lian frowned and pulled the orange apart. Somehow, there was a thin iron capsule within!

    Xiyan¡¯s eyes widened and her face was filled with shock.

    Conversely, Chu Lian had only paused for a moment before calming down. She shot a nce at Xiyan before looking at Mingyan, who was busy cooking porridge at the stove, indicating that Xiyan had to stay quiet.

    Chu Lian quickly pulled out that thin iron capsule with her nimble fingers. She found the mechanism that kept it closed and activated it, opening the capsule with a quiet click. Inside was a small roll of paper.

    As for why Chu Lian was so familiar with the capsule¡¯s mechanism, she had read it in the original novel before. Xiao Bojian liked to send messages to ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ in this manner. He had used these kinds of iron capsules previously.

    Before she even opened the paper roll, Chu Lian noticed a small ¡®Xiao¡¯ written on the outside.

    As expected, this was a message from Xiao Bojian!

    That Xiao Bojian was still this delusional! He still thought that she liked him and refused to go away. Rage surfaced in Chu Lian¡¯s heart.

    She immediately lost all interest in the note¡¯s contents. In front of Xiyan, she threw the unopened note and capsule into the fire of the stove. Sparks flew from the roaring fire, turning the note into ashes.

    When Xiyan saw Chu Lian¡¯s actions with her own eyes, a sense of relief came over her heart. She knew that her master didn¡¯t have any feelings for Mister Xiao at all. Her master¡¯s decision was right.

    She was House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam now. Even though she wasn¡¯t thedy-in-charge of the main branch, she was still the mistress of the third branch. She also had the title of Honoured Lady Jinyi now. Even if she didn¡¯t want to fight for more status and power, she still had to uphold her responsibility and reputation.

    Furthermore, other than leaving for the northern border, Young Master hadn¡¯t let down Third Young Madam in any other way. Even without including Third Young Master¡¯s handsome looks, just based on the He Family¡¯s rules, it was a House worthy of Third Young Madam¡¯s efforts to protect it. For a nobledy who married into a distinguished house, it was quite rare that they didn¡¯t have to face an inner court full of their husband¡¯s concubines.

    Just based on that alone, it was worth the effort for Third Young Madam to keep her reputation clean.

    Furthermore, He Sang had a good family background and was so much better than Mister Xiao.

    It was all that Mister Xiao¡¯s fault! Their young miss had already married someone else. Why was he stilltching on to her like a leech and refusing to let go?

    Xiyan vented her hatred on Xiao Bojian in her heart. The originally kind and gentle handmaid was now questioning Xiao Bojian¡¯s ancestors in her mind about the wretch their family had given birth to.

    Chu Lian nced at Xiyan and instructed her in a calm tone. ¡°You never saw that.¡±

    Xiyan nodded in acknowledgement.

    After that, Chu Lian continued preparing the oranges as if nothing had happened.

    Two hourster, the warming and nourishing ginseng porridge as well as the fragrant stuffed orange with crab meat were both done. Chu Lian then specially cooked up two side dishes with her own hands.

    Old Duke Zheng had been bedridden for a long time and had stopped eating for quite a few days. He couldn¡¯t eat anything hard. Thus, she had picked out some foods with softer textures for him.

    Chu Lian cleaned up a little before having her maidservants carry the food in some food containers. They then rushed back to Old Duke Zheng¡¯s bedroom .

    Back in the Zheng Estate¡¯s outer court, Xiao Bojian was left alone in the study. Heir Zheng had already rushed off to the inner court.

    There was a vast collection of books in the Zheng Estate¡¯s study, so Xiao Bojian came over regrly to borrow books. At this moment, the secret guard One was whispering into Xiao Bojian¡¯s ear while disguised as a manservant.

    Xiao Bojian frowned. His tone carried a trace of anger as he spoke, ¡°What? She threw the note into the fire without looking at it?¡±

    One stood respectfully at one side and nodded.

    Rage rose like a wave in Xiao Bojian¡¯s chest. He leaned against the boxwood chair with his eyes shut for a long moment before managing to calm himself down again.

    Lian¡¯er! How could you be so silly? Why don¡¯t you trust me? Do you know what I wrote in that note?!

    Bitterness and helplessness were mixed in Xiao Bojian¡¯s thoughts. He really wanted to grab that annoying woman and bully her a little to vent his frustrations.

 Chapter 225: Keeping Her Behind (1)

    This time, Xiao Bojian had actually sent a proper message for once. What he had written on that note wasn¡¯t flowery professions of love, but he had ¡®cried wolf¡¯ too many times, so no wonder Chu Lian didn¡¯t even want to look at it.

    The contents of that note were rted to Chu Lian¡¯s father.

    Through some sheer luck, the normally idle Second Master of House Ying, Chu Qizheng, had somehow gotten a proper fifth-ranked position that was actually just a cushy job. Not only that, but he seemed to have gotten connected to the Pan Estate somehow.

    There was definitely something up considering how abnormal this situation was. Xiao Bojian had just wanted to inform Chu Lian of this news and ask if she had any idea what was going on. Unfortunately, that little paper note had already gone up in mes.

    When Xiao Bojian noticed that his fists had clenched at some point, he realised that he was starting to lose his patience.

    The Autumn Examinations!

    This year, no one was going to stop him. He had borne with so much for ten years, all for the sake of finally showing off his brilliance in court. He was definitely going to be the person standing at that peak!

    Chu Lian led her maidservants into Old Duke Zheng¡¯s bedroom. At this moment, Old Duchess Zheng and Matriarch He were both waiting for her in the outer room.

    When she heard someone report that Chu Lian hade back with the food, Old Duchess Zheng couldn¡¯t sit still any longer and she quickly stood up.

    Matriarch He gently reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this old woman has faith in the cooking skills of Sang¡¯s wife.¡±

    Chu Lian was actually more anxious than the two elderly women. She even had a little doubt in her heart. Was Old Duke Zheng really going to be cured with just a tasty meal?

    She was led to Old Duke Zheng¡¯s bedside. Some maidservants had already set up a small table next to the bed. Chu Lian took the box of food from Xiyan¡¯s hands and personally arranged the dishes one by one on the small table.

    Chu Lian nced at the unconscious Old Duke Zheng and frowned. Her shiny ck eyes darted about in thought before she spoke up in a soft and gentle tone.

    ¡°A superior man possesses extraordinaryprehension and intellect. His excellence within is disyed through his posture and actions without. To seek enlightenment from crabs, today we have offered up some crab in orange.¡±

    ¡°The cool of mid-autumn is when the taste of crabs and oranges are at their best. No wonder Old Duke Zheng has them in his thoughts. However, as a gourmand, Old Duke Zheng surely must have eaten many fresh crabs and quality oranges before. However, have you ever tried eating crabs and oranges together?¡±

    ¡°This junior has a secret recipe here called stuffed orange with crab meat. With this method of cooking, you could say that the fragrance of oranges and the freshness of the crab have both been expressed fully. Fresh and fragrant, paired with five other types of seasonings. If you¡¯re not able to taste it in this life, then it would truly be a regret...¡±

    While Chu Lian was describing the dish, she even opened up one of the stuffed oranges. The originally sealed aroma instantly drifted through the air and filled the room. The whole room was now brimming with a smell that was as fresh and fragrant as Chu Lian had described.

    Furthermore, her speech was so tempting that even Old Duchess Zheng and Matriarch He, as well as the imperial physician waiting on the side, had all secretly sniffed at the air and gulped down some saliva. Of course, this also had an effect on the bedridden old duke.

    Old Duke Zheng had still been in the midst of unconsciousness. Suddenly, his eyelids twitched and he opened up his wrinkled old eyes.

    Although his pupils seemed a little misty at first, they quickly turned sharper. His nose wrinkled up, as if detecting the smell of good food in the air.

    When he finally distinguished what that aroma was made of, his old eyes shone brightly. He struggled to sit up, shouting with a hoarse voice, ¡°Quick, quickly! Help me up!¡±

 Chapter 226: Keeping Her Behind (2)

    When Old Duchess Zheng saw that her husband had finally woken up, the tears that she had been holding back dripped down from her eyes. She cried out mournfully, ¡°My Duke, you¡¯ve finally recovered your appetite!¡± Without waiting for the servants to move, she rushed over to the old duke¡¯s side and personally helped him up to lean against the headboard.

    Chu Lian was clever enough to recover quickly from her instant of surprise. She moved the small table before Old Duke Zheng.

    Old Duke Zheng had been bedridden for quite a period of time. The struggle just now seemed to have used up all his remaining strength. He couldn¡¯t even lift his hand up at this time, so he could only stare right at that te of stuffed orange with crab meat with his eyes.

    Old Duchess Zheng quickly took up one of the oranges and fed him personally.

    Once the soup entered his mouth, Old Duke Zheng¡¯s eyes shone even brighter. His heart was moved, his eyes were lit up, his nose was red and his mouth was in the midst of enjoying bliss.

    After swallowing a mouthful of heaven, Old Duke Zheng hadpletely tossed his idea of fasting to the back of his head. If not for Old Duchess Zheng holding him back and not letting him eat too much at once, he would probably have gulped down an entire stuffed orange in two or three bites.

    Since Old Duke Zheng had woken up and had already broken his fast, it wasn¡¯t appropriate if strangers continued staying in the inner room. Leaving Old Duchess Zheng inside, the younger Duchess Zheng invited the guests, including the imperial physician, to the outer room.

    After Duchess Zheng invited Matriarch He to take a seat, she curtseyed to Chu Lian in gratitude. ¡°This was all thanks to Honoured Lady Jinyi¡¯s efforts today. Please, ept this bow from me.¡±

    Chu Lian quickly helped the younger Duchess Zheng up, ¡°Madam, please don¡¯t stand on ceremony with me. It was just a small matter.¡±

    Duchess Zheng shook her head. ¡°Honoured Lady Jinyi, you don¡¯t have to be so humble. Even the imperial cooks couldn¡¯t have made such an amazing dish. Honoured Lady really has some marvellous ideas. It¡¯s awe-inspiring to me.¡±

    The back of Chu Lian¡¯s ears felt a little hot. How were these ¡®marvellous ideas¡¯? She was merely a gourmet who had collected knowledge from the centuries of cooks before her¡­ Duchess Zheng had really evaluated her too highly.

    When Matriarch He saw that her granddaughter-inw was seemingly embarrassed, she chuckled. ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, have you made more of those stuffed oranges? If there¡¯s more, bring some up for us to taste as well. My appetite has been awoken by your descriptions just now.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded, ¡°I have!¡±

    After saying so, she retrieved arger box of food from Mingyan¡¯s hands. The servants had sent over quite a number of oranges to the kitchen just now, and it didn¡¯t take much to prepare them. Thus, Chu Lian had made a few more portions, thinking to let everyone have a taste of something new. It was just the right time to bring out the extra portions now.

    Each person had one orange, even the imperial physician who hade to check on Old Duke Zheng had one.

    The people present here weren¡¯t as picky as Old Duke Zheng. Thus, the impact of the gourmet food was even more stronger on them.

    The imperial physician held on to the empty orange, feeling unsatisfied. He stared at the empty shell in his hands, finally having a shred of sympathy for Old Duke Zheng¡¯s predicament.

    After tasting something so carefully prepared and so delicious, having to return to normal fare was like going from heaven to hell. It was extremely painful.

    Old Duke Zheng had just woken up, so no matter how tasty the food was, Old Duchess Zheng didn¡¯t dare to give him much of it. She could only try her best to persuade him and finally managed to convince the old duke.

    After finishing his meal, Old Duke Zheng had used up all the energy he had. He closed his eyes and returned to bed. The imperial physician took this chance to enter the inner room again and check the old duke¡¯s pulse. When he came out, Old Duchess Zheng anxiously asked about the old duke¡¯s health.

    The physician smiled and reported that the duke would be fine.

    Actually, Old Duke Zheng had a healthy body and sharp mind despite his age, he was just a little more picky about his food. This time, he had be bedridden due to fasting. So now that he was willingly to eat again, and since Chu Lian had prepared a nourishing meal, his body would recover just fine after some time. In the days ahead, he just had to drink some nourishing decoctions and eat normally.

 Chapter 227: Keeping Her Behind (3)

    Thedies of the Zheng Estate were overjoyed. Matriarch He was also happy for her old sister upon hearing the news.

    Since Old Duke Zheng was fine now, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for them to continue disturbing his rest. Thus, Matriarch He wanted to bid her goodbyes for today.

    Old Duchess Zheng had just agreed to send them off when her daughter-inw, the younger Duchess Zheng, tugged at her sleeve and shot a look at her.

    She then whispered a little into Old Duchess Zheng¡¯s ear.

    The old woman stiffened for a bit. Her expression turned a little troubled and she turned to Matriarch He with some embarrassment. She then looked again at the bright-eyed Chu Lian standing behind Matriarch He.

    ¡°Old Sister, I have a request...¡±

    The slight smile on Matriarch He¡¯s face disappeared and she stated sternly, ¡°Although we¡¯re not sisters by blood, our friendship is no less closer than any real sisters! What is there that you can¡¯t speak of in front of me?¡±

    After hearing such a generous reassurance from Matriarch He, Old Duchess Zheng finally set down her pride to plead, ¡°Could you let Honoured Lady Jinyi stay in the Zheng Estate for a few more days? Old Sister, you know that my Duke has such a picky appetite. I¡¯m afraid that he won¡¯t want to eat anything again after waking up...¡±

    Old Duchess Zheng knew that her request was a little too much. Chu Lian wasn¡¯t married to House Zheng and she didn¡¯t have any close connections with House Zheng either. Furthermore, she was already married to someone else. It would be very improper for her to stay at the Zheng Estate.

    Also, this request did make it seem like the old duchess was treating Chu Lian like a mere cook. Even if Chu Lian didn¡¯t hold a ranked noble title like she did now, this was a rather degrading request.

    If this matter didn¡¯t concern Old Duke Zheng¡¯s health, Matriarch He would have thrown a temper at her old sister.

    When she heard this request, Chu Lian¡¯s brows furrowed together. She really wanted to reject it outright, but this was Old Duchess Zheng and Matriarch He¡¯s conversation. It wasn¡¯t her ce to speak here, let alone interrupt.

    Thus, Chu Lian¡¯s expectant eyes turned to Matriarch He¡¯s face. If the matriarch ¡®handed¡¯ her out without any hesitation at this moment, then Chu Lian would be utterly disappointed at the ¡®He Family¡¯.

    Any trace of a smile had beenpletely wiped from Matriarch He¡¯s face. A stern expression took its ce instead. She looked at her old sister and shook her head after a moment of thought. She firmly said, ¡°I know you¡¯re anxious, but this request is too unreasonable. Sang¡¯s wife is still young. I won¡¯t be able to rest easy if she¡¯s staying out of the Jing¡¯an Estate.¡±

    On top of that, Chu Lian could only help with the pressing matter at hand, but she couldn¡¯t take care of Old Duke Zheng forever. She wasn¡¯t a servant. She was House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam, Sang¡¯swfully wedded wife.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected Matriarch He to have refused the request so resolutely. On one hand, she hadn¡¯t been disappointed. On the other, she felt warm inside and her fondness for the He Family grew a little more.

    Due to this fondness, her eyes had lit up brightly with the warmth of her feelings.

    Old Duchess Zheng also hadn¡¯t expected such a curt refusal from her old sister. She didn¡¯t know how to round up the current situation. She opened her mouth, but was at a loss for what to say. Old Duchess Zheng also knew that her request had been too overboard, but she was still unhappy that she had been refused so directly.

    The younger Duchess Zheng didn¡¯t know what to say either, so the air around them turned awkward.

    Chu Lian noticed that the situation was taking a turn for the worse, so after a quick turn of wits, she spoke up, ¡°Grandmother, Old Duchess Zheng is just worried for the old duke. Old Duke Zheng is simply craving for good food. As long as he has something new to eat, he should be fine. Actually, this can be solved even without Granddaughter-in-Law around!¡±

    When she finished speaking, everyone looked at her with surprise.

    She really had a solution to this problem?

    As long as Matriarch He supported her, she would give her best to help them out. If it was just having to make new delicacies for Old Duke Zheng, then Chu Lian had plenty of ideas that could work even without her there.

 Chapter 228: A Test (1)

    Anyway, at worst, she could just pass down some secret recipes to the best cooks in the Zheng Estate. What she had in abundance were those so-called ¡®secret recipes¡¯.

    Chu Lian smiled, ¡°Old Duchess Zheng, Duchess Zheng, please wait for a moment. I would like to discuss this matter with my grandmother first. You won¡¯t be disappointed by the results.¡±

    Old Duchess Zheng and the younger Duchess Zheng exchanged looks. They had indeed gone overboard with their request, so they felt a little guilty. Since Chu Lian was still trying topromise despite their rude request, they quickly agreed.

    Old Duchess Zheng even ordered her handmaid to lead them to a nearby room for privacy.

    Once they entered the room and closed the door, Matriarch He took Chu Lian¡¯s hands into her own. Her tone carried me as she spoke, ¡°Lian¡¯er, they are the ones in the wrong for this matter. You don¡¯t have to try to amodate them.¡±

    Chu Lian helped Matriarch He to a chair made of yellow peach wood and reassured her, ¡°Grandmother, I know you¡¯re trying to protect me because you¡¯re worried for me. However, you and Old Duchess Zheng are such old friends and Old Duchess Zheng was just worried for Old Duke Zheng¡¯s health. I think her actions are forgivable. Furthermore, this matter isn¡¯t as serious as you think. Granddaughter-in-Law has plenty of ways to let Old Duke Zheng eat all the delicacies he wants! Just sit here for a moment and don¡¯t worry for Granddaughter-in-Law. Granddaughter-in-Law will take care of everything!¡±

    Matriarch He stared into Chu Lian¡¯s bright eyes. When Chu Lian simply continued blinking at her innocently without any hint of forced reluctance, Matriarch He set aside her worries and smiled.

    She was close with Old Duchess Zheng, so she didn¡¯t want to make a huge fuss over this. No matter what, the two of them were the matriarchs of their respective houses, so it was hard to avoid these sorts of conflicts of interest. They had different statuses and different interests at heart. They usually tried to avoid shing with one another, but if they couldn¡¯te to an agreement, then neither of them would give way.

    Today, if their roles had been reversed, Old Duchess Zheng would have done the same.

    However, if there was a solution that fulfilled the interests of both sides, that would be even better.

    ¡°Alright, Grandmother will listen to you.¡± Matriarch He patted Chu Lian¡¯s soft little hand.

    Chu Lian sat right next to Matriarch He. The only people in this room were the trusted servants she had brought from the Jing¡¯an Estate and there weren¡¯t any strangers here, so there was no need to observe etiquette so strictly.

    Chu Lian looked straight at the maidservants she had brought with her today: Xiyan and Mingyan.

    Both of them stiffened a little after receiving her gaze; they instantly understood what Chu Lian was thinking about. Actually, after listening to Chu Lian¡¯s conversation with Matriarch He, they had already started to have an inkling of what Chu Lian¡¯s solution was.

    Xiyan¡¯s inner conflict waspletely exposed from her expression and her brows started to furrow together. On the other hand, Mingyan didn¡¯t seem to show much emotion.

    Chu Lian quietly observed their reactions and waved them over to her, ¡°Xiyan, Mingyan,e over here.¡±

    Xiyan and Mingyan walked up to Chu Lian with their heads lowered before asking in unison, ¡°Third Young Madam, do you have any orders for us?¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t like to beat around the bush, so she immediately said it out straight, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already guessed what I¡¯m thinking of. Old Duke Zheng needs someone to take care of him while he¡¯s recovering, but I can¡¯t stay behind in the Zheng Estate. You¡¯ve been serving me all this time and I¡¯ve never kept my cooking and secret recipes hidden from both of you. You must have learned quite a bit from the daily meals in my courtyard. Now that this chance hase, are either of you willing to stay behind and take care of Old Duke Zheng¡¯s meals?¡±

    As expected, Xiyan and Mingyan had indeed guessed what their young madam had in mind.

    When Chu Lian finished speaking, Xiyan looked toward Chu Lian with unwillingness and anxiety showing in her eyes. Conversely, Mingyan was much more calmer than Xiyan. Her head was lowered, so her fringe shielded her eyes. Chu Lian couldn¡¯t tell what she was thinking. Mingyan cast a sideways nce at Xiyan and realised that Xiyan was holding back her emotions and keeping quiet, so Mingyan didn¡¯t speak up.

    Chu Lian frowned when her two maidservants refused to speak. She continued exining, ¡°The two of you are my first-ranked handmaids, so I can¡¯t bear to send you off to someone else just like that. If one of you is willing to stay behind, when Old Duke Zheng gets better, I¡¯ll still send someone to bring you home. Of course, if both of you are not willing to stay back, I won¡¯t force it. There are always plenty of other solutions we can think of.¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t like to force others at all. If none of the handmaids wanted to stay back, she wouldn¡¯t force the issue. She could just give out a few more secret recipes to settle the matter.

    However, staying behind to take care of Old Duke Zheng was a rare opportunity for Xiyan and Mingyan. The two of them weren¡¯t stupid. They could most likely realise that there were many benefits for them in this arrangement.

 Chapter 229: A Test (2)

    Matriarch He hadn¡¯t expected such a solution from Chu Lian. Her smile was full of hidden meaning as she also looked at Xiyan and Mingyan.

    After hearing Chu Lian¡¯s additional exnation, Xiyan had obviously rxed, but Mingyan suddenly tensed.

    Chu Lian continued staring at the two handmaids. There was no small amount of pressure on them, facing down those piercing eyes. Xiyan and Mingyan¡¯s hearts were beating like drums.

    ¡°Tell me honestly what you think about this. No matter what your choice is, I won¡¯t me you.¡±

    In an instant, Xiyan took in a deep breath and found the courage to look up. In a trembling voice, she said, ¡°Third Young Madam, this servant doesn¡¯t want to stay behind. This servant... only wants to serve by your side.¡±

    Chu Lian was only startled for a moment. She smiled. ¡°Then just stay by my side. Mingyan, what about you?¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s answer lifted the great burden in Xiyan¡¯s heart. She looked at her master with slightly misty eyes before moving to one side.

    When Mingyan heard Xiyan¡¯s response, she clearly became even more nervous. After a fierce battle with herself, Mingyan still chose the path that was the most beneficial to herself. She looked up into Chu Lian¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Third Young Madam, this servant is willing to stay behind to look after Old Duke Zheng.¡±

    Mingyan had a pair ofrge eyes with double eyelids. Compared to Fuyan¡¯s liveliness, she was much more taciturn. The original novel hadn¡¯t described Mingyan much. Chu Lian also hadn¡¯t noticed any shorings in her personality after observing her for a few days. However, as she was someone serving her so closely, Chu Lian would always find a way to test her personality. Today¡¯s problem was one such chance. Unfortunately, Mingyan had clearly disappointed her.

    However, this was her own choice, so Chu Lian wasn¡¯t going to me her.

    Chu Lian¡¯s expression didn¡¯t reveal any trace of her inner thoughts. She smiled sweetly and said, ¡°Alright, then you¡¯ll stay and take care of Old Duke Zheng. Since you¡¯re my handmaid, don¡¯t disgrace my name. Don¡¯t be stingy with the secret recipes you¡¯ve learned from me and use them generously for Old Duke Zheng¡¯s meals. As for the rest of the arrangements, leave it to me and Grandmother.¡±

    Mingyan hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to have agreed so quickly; her sudden happiness showed on her face. She secretly nced at Chu Lian before looking carefully at Matriarch He. It was only after observing their expressions that Mingyan finally rxed.

    She began to look forward to her new life in the Zheng Estate.

    In the end, as smart as Mingyan was, she was only a young maidservant who hadn¡¯t seen much of the world. As ambitious as she might be, there was a limit to her vision.

    Since they had already finished their discussion and there wasn¡¯t any need for the other ideas she had prepared, Chu Lian instructed Mingyan on a few other things before helping Matriarch He out of the room.

    Old Duchess Zheng hadn¡¯t thought that a simple handmaid serving Chu Lian could know so many secret recipes. She was full of shock and surprise, as well as disbelief. A single secret recipe was already rare enough. Even if Chu Lian could cook well, she couldn¡¯t possibly be so generous as to teach all of her recipes to her handmaids!

    Taking in their disbelief, Chu Lian smiled and asked someone to prepare some ingredients. She then told Mingyan to show off her skills for the old duchess.

    Mingyan prepared some dragon beard noodles. Rolling out the dough and cooking the noodles were not skills that normal people would know.

    It wasn¡¯t until the finished dish was ced before Old Duchess Zheng that she finally believed that Chu Lian¡¯s handmaid was actually a skilled cook.

    Since she had proven her skill, Mingyan was left behind to take care of Old Duke Zheng¡¯s meals. Old Duchess Zheng also knew that this was Matriarch He¡¯srgest concession to her request, so she personally escorted Matriarch He and Chu Lian all the way to the outer court together with her daughter-inw.

    Just as they were preparing to board their carriage, Heir Zheng rushed over.

    Heir Zheng was young, and good at ttery. The moment he arrived, he greeted Matriarch He and thanked Chu Lian for the feast the other day. Finally, he asked about the opening of Guilin Restaurant.

    Chu Lian was a little surprised. ¡°Heir Zheng, how did you know that I¡¯m about to open up a restaurant?¡±

    Heir Zheng grinned. ¡°I heard Brother He talking about it a few days ago. When the timees, please don¡¯t forget to send me an invite, Honoured Lady Jinyi!¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    So that was what had happened. Chu Lian smiled. Heir Zheng was so straightforward that it was hard to be annoyed by him.

    After exchanging some pleasantries, Chu Lian followed Matriarch He back to the Jing¡¯an Estate.

    After he watched House Jing¡¯an¡¯s carriage leaving the Zheng estate, Heir Zheng turned to his grandmother and mother curiously. ¡°I heard that Honoured Lady Jinyi left her handmaid behind in our estate. What happened?¡±

    When Duchess Zheng heard his question, she red at him. ¡°You keep ying around and skiving off on your work just to pry into small matters like this? Why do you want to know all these things?¡±

    Heir Zheng had always had a sweet tongue around others, especially senior members like his mother and grandmother.

    He hugged Duchess Zheng¡¯s arm. ¡°Mother, like you said, it¡¯s just a small matter. Since it¡¯s something small, just tell me~ Then I won¡¯t have to go and ask other people.¡±

    Duchess Zheng only had one son, so she normally pampered him a lot. She looked at her son helplessly before poking him in the forehead. ¡°The handmaid that Honoured Lady Jinyi left behind is good at cooking. She¡¯s here to take care of your grandfather, so don¡¯t go around making trouble for her.¡±

    Heir Zheng was surprised by this answer. ¡°Good at cooking? Then how is shepared to Honoured Lady Jinyi?¡±

    Old Duchess Zheng red at her grandson. ¡°How could she bepared to Honoured Lady Jinyi? She was taught by the Honoured Lady herself. Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯ve tasted the Honoured Lady¡¯s skills? If you try that handmaid¡¯s cooking in the future, then you¡¯ll know for yourself.¡±

    When Heir Zheng heard this, he couldn¡¯t help but grow excited. With the meal he¡¯d had back at the Jing¡¯an Estate, it was no surprise that he had some high expectations.

    It was alreadyte afternoon by the time Matriarch He and Chu Lian finally returned to the Jing¡¯an Estate.

    Chu Lian escorted Matriarch He back to Qingxi Hall first. Right before she left, Matriarch He sent all the servants out of the room. She held Chu Lian¡¯s hand and spoke intimately with her.

    ¡°You silly child. How could you send your handmaid off just like that? Now there¡¯s one less person serving you. How about having Grandmother¡¯s Muxiang serve you?¡±

 Chapter 230: Filled with Their Own Thoughts (1)

    Muxiang was one of Matriarch He¡¯s most trusted handmaids. How could Chu Lian ept her offer?

    She shook her head. Her bright eyes glimmered, full of spirit and affection.

    ¡°Grandmother, I¡¯m notcking for help. Furthermore, I¡¯m the only one they have to serve in Songtao Court since my husband isn¡¯t around. There¡¯s no need to have so many servants just for me alone. Before Sang went off to the northern border, he even sent over Wenqing, Wen and Senior Servant Zhong for me. Even if Mingyan is going away, Wen can just take her ce.¡±

    After some thought, Matriarch He came to the same conclusion. Chu Lian did have more than enough people to serve her since Wenqing and Wen had been added in. Since that was the case, she dropped the issue.

    ¡°Alright, since you have enough people on your side, Grandmother won¡¯t give Muxiang to you then. You did very well today. Even if that Mingyan decides toe backter on, think of a way to dismiss her from her service anyway. At least that other girl Xiyan seems to be more grateful.¡± Matriarch Hepletely exposed Chu Lian¡¯s intentions in offering that choice to her handmaids.

    Chu Lian smiled sweetly, ¡°Grandmother¡¯s eyes are as sharp as ever!¡±

    Upon seeing her sweet smile, Matriarch He reached out to poke her in the forehead. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell that you were actually so good at reading people. That¡¯s good. These handmaids are meant to be our trusted servants, we can¡¯t keep those harbouring other thoughts by our sides.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded in agreement.

    After they finished their conversation, Chu Lian returned to Songtao Court with Xiyan in tow.

    Xiyan felt a sense of pride welling up in her as she followed behind Chu Lian. Third Young Madam really trusted her now.

    When they returned to Songtao Court, in just a short moment¡¯s time, the news that Mingyan had stayed behind to take care of Old Duke Zheng had spread. All the maidservants in the courtyard had uncertain expressions on their faces as all sorts of thoughts ran through their heads.

    Chu Lian handed down some orders to Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan before heading into her bedroom for some rest.

    Mingyan wasn¡¯t here anymore, so there was an empty position of a first-ranked handmaid to fill. After Senior Servant Gui and Senior Servant Zhong discussed the matter, they let Wenqing take up Mingyan¡¯s ce. Her new responsibility was to take over Mingyan¡¯s work.

    Wenqing and Wen had been second-ss maidservants. Now that Wenqing had been promoted to a first-ss personal handmaid, Senior Servant Gui promoted a few more third-ss maidservants to second-ss to fill the gap. In the end, even the little menial servant girl who had been in charge of sweeping the courtyard, Baicha, had been promoted to third-ss.

    Baicha hadn¡¯t expected such an unexpected fortune to befall her. She was going to cry out of happiness on the spot, but was ultimately persuaded not to.

    Now that the ranks of the courtyard had been settled, Senior Servant Gui dismissed everyone with a wave of her hand and they all returned to their duties.

    Chu Lian¡¯s handmaids usually took turns in shifts. Xiyan and Fuyan were originally paired together while Mingyan and Jingyan took the other pair. However, now that Mingyan had been left in the Zheng Estate and Xiyan had juste back from serving Chu Lian, today¡¯s shift was taken up by Fuyan and Jingyan.

    It was in the middle of the afternoon and it wasn¡¯t time for afternoon tea yet, so most of the servants in Songtao Court were resting in their own rooms. Chu Lian was also having a nice nap in her own room.

    Senior Senior Servants Gui and Zhong brought Wenqing and Wen over to Xiyan¡¯s room with the intent of asking about the details of what had happened at the Zheng Estate.

    In a small room off to the side of Chu Lian¡¯s bedroom, Fuyan and Jingyan were sitting on standby while drinking tea and eating some snacks.

    Jingyan sipped a mouthful of sencha before sighing in a brooding manner. ¡°Mingyan¡¯s so lucky.¡±

    She and Mingyan had both been sent to Chu Lian to serve as part of the dowry before Chu Lian had gotten married. The two girls weren¡¯t family servants and had been bought from an outside ve trader.

    Why would Chu Lian¡¯s stepmother have been so nice as to give her servants born within the Ying Estate, who would be loyal to the Chu Family as well as educated on the customs of noble families?

    Fuyan shot a nce at Jingyan. ¡°It¡¯s all up to luck for these kinds of things. We didn¡¯t know there would be such a great chance for us before Third Young Madam left for the Zheng Estate.¡±

    That¡¯s true! If she had known earlier, she would have fought to be one of the servants apanying Third Young Madam today.

    Jingyan pressed her lips together in frustration. If she had taken Mingyan¡¯s ce and followed Third Young Madam out today, she would have been the one left behind.

    This was House Zheng they were talking about! Furthermore, she would have been put in charge of Old Duke Zheng¡¯s meals! She knew how to cook all those dishes that Mingyan knew of too!

    Setting aside how rich House Zheng was, Old Duke Zheng was someone that even the Emperor respected! If she served him well and received the old duke¡¯s favour, she might even be adopted as his daughter! Following that, even if she had to return to the Jing¡¯an Estate, she would have a higher status. She wouldn¡¯t just be a simple maidservant like Xiyan and Fuyan.

    Other than that, House Zheng had only had a single son for three generations. The current Heir Zheng also just happened to be in the prime of his life! A ripe time for marriage!

    Heir Zheng was currently studying in the Imperial College. He had a carefree and elegant bearing. Thest time he hade to the Jing¡¯an Estate as a guest, he hadn¡¯t entered the inner court. Otherwise, she would definitely have found a chance to peek at him.

    Fuyan sent a disdainful look at Jingyan; she was looking down on her for being short-sighted. It couldn¡¯t be helped since she was bought from outside. Just a little bit of wealth hadpletely mesmerised her. She wasn¡¯t fit to carry heavier responsibilities, what a waste of Third Young Madam¡¯s guidance.

    Due to Jingyan¡¯s depression, she couldn¡¯t even bear to continue eating her snacks.

    Her tone was equally down. ¡°Fuyan, don¡¯t you want to go to the Zheng Estate too?¡±

    Fuyan tossed the remaining fried fish skin and peanuts in her hand back into the porcin dish on the small table. She dusted off her hands and stood up. ¡°I don¡¯t want to, I¡¯ve been serving by Third Young Madam¡¯s side since I was little. Who would bother with that little bit of credit from serving Old Duke Zheng? Only you girls who cameter would be so short-sighted.¡±

    After saying so, she turned around and went back to the outer chamber of Chu Lian¡¯s room to wait for her master¡¯s orders.

 Chapter 231: Filled with Their Own Thoughts (2)

    Jingyan hadn¡¯t expected Fuyan to speak like that. It lit a fuse in her, making her grit her teeth in frustration as she pointed a trembling finger at Fuyan¡¯s departing back. However, she didn¡¯t dare to scold Fuyan either. There were quite a few other maidservants outside, after all.

    In the end, Jingyan could only scold Fuyan in her mind for being a fake. Fuyan was clearly dead envious on the inside, but on the surface, she still acted like she could care less. What a fraud!

    What could they gain from staying here in the inner court of the Jing¡¯an Estate? Their young master was far off at the borders, and the main branch of this family wasn¡¯t close to theirs, either. The young master of the second branch only came back to the estate once or twice a month, so they didn¡¯t even have the chance to get close to him. Later on, when they came of suitable age, if Third Young Madam was happy with their service, she would bestow them to a steward of the estate. If she wasn¡¯t happy, then she might even marry them off to some menial manservant, to toil away for the rest of their days in poverty.

    Mingyan was so lucky to have met such a good chance. Even if she couldn¡¯t get into Heir Zheng¡¯s bed, she might be able to get married to a minor official instead and be an official¡¯s legitimate wife.

    As for her, she could only stay by Third Young Madam¡¯s side, toiling away her days in this Songtao Court. What kind of future could she have?

    Mingyan¡¯s sudden departure had caused all sorts of hidden thoughts to surface in Jingyan¡¯s mind.

    Meanwhile, as Fuyan continued walking towards the parlour, she kept up her calm exterior despite no longer being in front of Jingyan. But in reality, how could she not be boiling with jealousy of Mingyan?!

    However, there were other thoughts in her mind that kept her more patient than Jingyan.

    When she thought of He Changdi¡¯s outstanding figure and his handsome looks, as well as that strangely attractive cold demeanour and sombre air of his, Fuyan was filled with excitement. She was going to wait, no matter how many years it took. She was going to wait until the day that Third Young Master returned. With that letter in her hands, she was certain that she would be able to get Third Young Master¡¯s favour.

    Meanwhile, Chu Lian was lying in her soft bed, covered in a fragrant, light nket. She was deep in aforting slumber, without any mind to care about what the maidservants in her courtyard were thinking about.

    In the following days, Chu Lian was kept busy with the opening of Guilin Restaurant. Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and before they knew it, there was only one day left before the first of September, the day of Guilin Restaurant¡¯s reopening.

    Mingyan had already been left in the Zheng Estate to take care of Old Duke Zheng¡¯s meals for about six days.

    After eating the delicious food that Mingyan had personally cooked, Old Duke Zheng¡¯s spirit was back. In just a few days, he had already recovered to his usual state of health. By the fourth day, he was already able to get out of bed and move around. When it came to the sixth day, he could get up in the morning to practise the five-animal exercises of qigong.

    On this day, Heir Zheng hade over to his grandfather¡¯s courtyard early in the morning. Old Duke Zheng had just changed into a short-sleeved tunic and was about to do some morning exercise when he saw that his grandson hade to visit him. He cheerfully extended an invitation to him and said, ¡°Tiancheng,e and practise some techniques with me.¡±

    Upon receiving his grandfather¡¯s invitation, Heir Zheng grinned widely, showing off his teeth. He immediately took off his outer robe and tossed it to his manservant. Then, he strode over to his grandfather¡¯s side and started practising some morning exercises with Old Duke Zheng.

    ¡°You brat, why have youe over to grandfather¡¯s ce so early in the morning? Are you here to steal a free meal?¡± Old Duke Zheng harrumphed.

    Heir Zheng was a talkative one. ¡°Grandfather understands Grandson the most! But Grandson isn¡¯t here just to fulfill some simple appetite today.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s the matter? Tell me.¡±

    Old Duke Zheng was full of energy. His punches were brimming with power. There was no trace of the man who had been on his deathbed just six days ago after almost starving to death.

    The power of gourmet food was really quite miraculous.

    ¡°House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam, otherwise known as Honoured Lady Jinyi, is about to open up a restaurant tomorrow. If Grandfather would like to go and take a look, Grandson happens to have two invites here.¡±

    ¡°Honoured Lady Jinyi is that girl who came to our estate with Matriarch He the other day?¡±

    ¡°Indeed she is. That favoured maidservant you have here was left behind by Honoured Lady Jinyi.¡±

    ¡°That does sound interesting. Leave one invite for Grandfather then!¡±

    Heir Zheng was so happy that even his eyebrows were beaming.

    After grandfather and grandson finished an hour of exercise together and took a shower, a senior servant entered the room to inform them that breakfast was ready.

    Old Duke Zheng brought his grandson to the parlour, where the table had beenid out with a variety of dishes. There were steamed rice cakes, flower rolls, steamed dumplings, fried breadsticks, and also some steaming hot pork porridge.

    They could the smell the tempting aroma of the food even from the entrance of the parlour. The two men were already starving, so they quickly walked right in and sat at the table.

    As Old Duke Zheng looked over the tableden with breakfast foods he had never seen before, a passionate fire seemed to be burning in his eyes. He shot a look at Mingyan, who was waiting by his side. ¡°Mingyan, quick, tell me what all these are.¡±

    After Old Duke Zheng spoke up, Heir Zheng turned to look at Mingyan, who was standing by the table. When Mingyan caught sight of Heir Zheng¡¯s gaze from the corner of her eyes, a faint blush covered her cheeks. However, she still managed to say, ¡°Replying to Old Duke Zheng and Heir Zheng, the te over on that end contains a dish called ¡®Double Golden Spears¡¯. It¡¯s crispy on the outside and soft on the inside...¡±

    Mingyan¡¯s gentle voice resounded within the parlour, but as Heir Zheng continued listening, he sensed something wrong.

    Although this girl was introducing the dishes properly, there wasn¡¯t any mention of Honoured Lady Jinyi in her descriptions. By excluding her, Mingyan was trying to imply that she had been the one to invent all these dishes. How was that possible!

    Heir Zheng¡¯s brows furrowed together as he took another look at Mingyan. This time, Mingyan also turned to meet his gaze. Her eyes were flush with desire, like a soft autumn wind.

    Heir Zheng stiffened and quickly turned his gaze away.

    Of course, all these little interactions had fallen into Old Duke Zheng¡¯s sharp eyes.

 Chapter 232: Promotion (1)

    There was an old senior servant standing behind Old Duke Zheng who served Old Duchess Zheng. She also had the wisdom and sharp eyesight that came with age.

    Heir Zheng had recently started toe to Old Duke Zheng¡¯s courtyard for breakfast more often.

    In the past few days, this maidservant that Honoured Lady Jinyi had left behind had always quietly retreated back into the outer chamber of the parlour after bringing the food in. She would wait for Old Duke Zheng¡¯s summons beforeing back in.

    However, ever since Heir Zheng had starteding over for breakfast, this maidservant began to stay by the table instead of leaving afterying out the dishes.

    Once the heir entered the room, her eyes would be stuck onto him, as if no one else existed.

    Her desires were so obvious that the old senior servant felt the urge to snort.

    The old senior servant had also tried cing her own subordinates by Mingyan¡¯s side to learn from her cooking these past few days, thinking that Mingyan wouldn¡¯t notice. However, Mingyan was still rather careful. When cooking, she actually sent everyone else out of the kitchen and even locked the door. She would rather cook everything herself and guard every single secret recipe than to let others steal her secrets.

    When Old Duke Zheng finished listening to Mingyan¡¯s exnations, he waved her away. ¡°You¡¯re dismissed.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Mingyan was caught off guard by the sudden change. In a dazed manner, she said, ¡°How about letting this servant serve Your Grace at the table? In the Jing¡¯an Estate, Honoured Lady likes this servant¡¯s service the most.¡±

    The old senior servant sneered. So she finally remembered Honoured Lady Jinyi. Why hadn¡¯t she mentioned Honoured Lady Jinyi at all when she was exining those dishes?

    Old Duke Zheng suddenly looked at Mingyan with a frown. His eagle eyes carried an edge that stripped away all pretenses from their target.

    Mingyan couldn¡¯t hold back the urge to tremble with fear and quickly retreated with her head down.

    Old Duke Zheng cast a nce at Mingyan¡¯s back. What was that youngdy thinking, sending her least loyal maidservant to him? Hmph, was she treating him like a test? Was that youngdy satisfied with this result?

    When Old Duke Zheng thought back to those words that Chu Lian had spoken to lure him out of hisa, his interest in her grew more and more. It seemed like he really did had to go and see for himself what skills that youngdy had in store.

    By the time both grandfather and grandson had finished their meal and allowed the servants to clear the table, the younger Duke Zheng had arrived.

    When Duke Zheng saw that his son was at his father¡¯s ce again, his brows furrowed together. ¡°What time is it already? Why aren¡¯t you going over to the Imperial College yet? Your grandfather has just recovered. In the future, you¡¯re not allowed toe over in the morning and disturb your grandfather!¡±

    Heir Zheng pouted and ran off in the blink of an eye.

    House Zheng had been seeded by only sons for three generations. Their family rules were actually very strict. Although Heir Zheng was pampered by his family, Duke Zheng was a strict parent. Case in point, Heir Zheng was already seventeen this year, but the servants in his courtyard were all male. He didn¡¯t have a single maidservant for his nightly needs, and was a genuine virgin.

    Duke Zheng had already noticed that the maidservant Honoured Lady Jinyi had left behind to cook Old Duke Zheng¡¯s meals had impure motives, so how could he possibly give her a chance to get close to his son?

    Old Duke Zheng nced at his son and pointed at the seat next to him.

    ¡°You¡¯vee. Sit down, how¡¯s that matter I entrusted to you?¡±

    Duke Zheng took up a teacup and sipped some tea. Then, he nodded once and said, ¡°I¡¯ve alreadypleted the tasks you¡¯ve entrusted to me.¡±

    Old Duke Zheng leaned against the back of his chair and yed with a pair of walnuts in his hands. He closed his eyes, appearing quite fatigued.

 Chapter 233: Promotion (2)

    Duke Zheng paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Father, why did you suddenly think of the He Family¡¯s third son? Even if Mother and Matriarch He are old friends, our houses have always maintained a distance. If Father wants to repay Honoured Lady Jinyi¡¯s favour, then there are still plenty of other opportunities to do so.¡±

    Old Duke Zheng shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a simple thing that doesn¡¯t require any effort from me. Just let that girl reap some benefit from this. Don¡¯t worry, Father won¡¯t interfere in any more of House Jing¡¯an¡¯s matters.¡±

    After hearing such a promise from his father, Duke Zheng finally rxed. Although his father had a distinguished reputation, he had already retired from the court. If he continued interfering in political matters, it would definitely draw protests from others.

    It was nightfall at the northern border of Liangzhou. The setting sun dyed the brown grasses of the ins golden. Although it was a bitterly poor ce, the breathtaking scenery still brought joy to the residents¡¯ hearts.

    Not far off, this golden sunlight fell upon two men, drawing out long shadows on the dried grassy ins.

    A cold wind blew past, lifting up the ends of their robes. Seen from afar, it seemed as if they were standing on the edge of the horizon, taking step after step towards the fading light of hope.

    Laiyue rushed forward to catch up to his master. He hadn¡¯t followed He Changdi when he had gone to join the northern border troops; instead, he stayed behind in the city of Liangzhou to help his master handle other affairs.

    It was a rest day for the whole camp today, so Laiyue brought some necessities for his master over to the entrance of the camp.

    It was only when he reached the camp that he discovered that his master had been promoted.

    He had gone from a lieutenant leading a hundred men to a captain leading five hundred men.

    Although it was only an additional four hundred men under hismand, it was still a huge transformation.

    A lieutenant could be called an officer, but could also be considered a slightly more elite soldier, as they onlymanded a mere hundred men. However, captains were different. They carried a rank with them.

    Of course, He Changdi¡¯s position ofmanding five hundred infantry couldn¡¯t bepared to Captain Guo¡¯s position as amander of cavalry. However, he was still considered a mid-ranked officer now, with an official sixth-ranked title.

    In peacetime, it would normally be hard for soldiers to get promoted to a higher rank. What¡¯s more, it was under themand of the strict general of the northern border, Duke Lu. Luck like this was extremely hard toe by.

    Laiyue was immersed in joy. His master¡¯s efforts hadn¡¯t been wasted, and he could finally hold up House Jing¡¯an¡¯s name as a military official family.

    If he reported this matter in his letters to home, Matriarch He would probably be ovee with joy!

    If Third Young Master got promoted again, Third Young Madam might even be able to be a titled noble wife!

    With these thoughts, the corners of Laiyue¡¯s mouth unconsciously curled into a smile. However, when he saw that his master¡¯s expression was as cold as usual, he was a little confused.

    Laiyue came over to his master¡¯s side. ¡°Third Young Master, where are we going? It¡¯s a rare break for you; aren¡¯t we going back to our courtyard in the city for a good rest?¡±

    He Changdi looked up at the old tent fluttering in the wind up ahead. He didn¡¯t reply Laiyue, but asked instead, ¡°Have you received any letters from the capital?¡±

    Laiyue had been serving He Changdi for years. He understood that his master didn¡¯t want to answer his question, so he dropped the issue. ¡°Judging by the time that has passed, we should be receiving letters from the capital in the next two days.¡±

    He Changdi nodded and sunk back into his silence.

    As they continued on their way, he didn¡¯t say anything more. Laiyue¡¯s thoughts were a jumbled mess as they tumbled around in his mind. What was wrong with his master? Hadn¡¯t he gotten promoted? Why was his expression still so dark, as if everyone owed him a few thousand taels?

    TL Note: Our cute author wrote this little scene at the bottom of the chapter~ The chapters have also been getting a little shorter than usual >w<

    Author¡¯s Note:

    Mini theater:

    In a small dark room.

    He Sang: Let me out, let me out!!

    Snow Mountain Mists (wielding a whip): What are you shouting for?!

    He Sang: Snow Mountain Mists, if you don¡¯t let me out, I¡¯m going to kill you! Don¡¯t you know I¡¯m a reincarnator?!

    Snow Mountain Mists: What are you so anxious for? I¡¯m your mother, I know everything! I¡¯ve only kept you locked up for a few chapters and you¡¯re already this impatient. How are you going to bear greater responsibilities in the future?

    He Sang (drawing his sword): What greater responsibilities?! My wife is about to run off with someone else; how are you going to make this up to me?!

    Snow Mountain Mists (carefully avoiding the sword): Fine, I¡¯m going to grant you some mercy and let you out to y for a while.

 Chapter 234: Ah-ma (1)

    He Changdi turned his gaze towards the horizon. Though his footsteps remained steady, his thoughts had already drifted far away.

    Other than Duke Lu and himself, even Captain Guo didn¡¯t know the real reason for his sudden promotion.

    Even though he had been performing exceptionally in the army, he wasn¡¯t the only one. He wasn¡¯t as silly as to think that this was some special treatment gifted from the heavens because of his reincarnation.

    He knew clearly what the personality of Duke Lu, also known as Great General Qian, was like after living two lifetimes. Even if General Qian¡¯s very own son came to this army, then he would still have to start from the lowest rank amongst soldiers. Furthermore, the general¡¯s demands would be even stricter. Since that was the case for the general¡¯s own flesh and blood, then some stranger like him would never receive any preferential treatment.

    Getting to work under Captain Guo and rising to the post of lieutenant in such a short time was already quite the feat. That was also due to abination of his previous life¡¯s memories and the help of Prince Jin.

    He had been able to meet Great General Qian once more thanks to that grape wine Chu Lian had sent over. But although General Qian loved wine, he definitely wouldn¡¯t promote him based on that alone.

    Thus, when Captain Guo had informed him that he had been promoted to a captain of the infantry, even He Changdi himself had been surprised.

    At that moment, he had immediately requested to meet General Qian.

    General Qian wasn¡¯t someone who liked to hide things, so he immediately revealed that it was Old Duke Zheng who had sent him a letter and requested for his promotion.

    Old Duke Zheng had been General Qian¡¯s teacher in the past. His teacher had sent him a letter all the way from the capital just to tell him to give He Sang a chance. How could he not ept his teacher¡¯s request and do this small favour for him?

    Furthermore, Old Duke Zheng was the person that General Qian respected most in his life. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that if his own father gave an order, General Qian might not even listen, but if it were Old Duke Zheng, then his words were likew. No matter what, General Qian would do his best to execute his orders.

    Old Duke Zheng rarely requested favours from others, too, so General Qian couldn¡¯t just ignore the request.

    However, He Changdi wasn¡¯t stupid. He wouldn¡¯t reject the promotion due to some misced sense of pride. As his rank grew higher, it meant that his starting point was ced even closer to his end goal, and he would be able to achieve his desires even faster.

    He just didn¡¯t want to be someone blissfully unaware. There was always a reason behind abnormal situations. Although his grandmother was close with Old Duchess Zheng and they interacted often, that was only between the two old matriarchs. Their houses remained aloof to each other.

    In his past life, after House Jing¡¯an hadnded in such a sorry state, Old Duke Zheng had never even said a single word of mercy in front of the Emperor. Why would he send a letter to General Qian now to take special care of him?

    As much as He Changdi wanted to continue asking, he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to find anything out from General Qian. Firstly, without considering whether General Qian even knew about the details behind this request, he probably wouldn¡¯t be willing to divulge them to him.

    After He Changdi asked to be excused from General Qian¡¯s presence, he could only wait for Prince Jin¡¯s letters or any letters from home to give him some sort of an exnation.

    He Changdi hadn¡¯t received any letters from home for quite some time. He didn¡¯t even know if that wicked woman Chu Lian had been behaving properly in the estate. If she dared to make any inappropriate moves, then he would cast her off the moment he returned to the capital!

    As these messy thoughts brawled back and forth inside his head, he managed to walk a rather far distance.

    He Changdi remembered something from his previous life: a month after the Autumn Examinations, the Tuhun had suddenly begun to attack the northern border- the same northern border that had remained peaceful for five years before.

    General Qian had brought over his troops to suppress the invasion for five whole months before he seeded in maintaining the peace. Back then, the northern border troops had suffered heavy casualties. Furthermore, it had been winter and a blizzard had sealed off the mountain area. Supplies had been cut off from Liangzhou and over a fifth of the army had starved to death.

    It was only after the snows had melted and spring hade, letting supplies flow into Liangzhou once again, that the situation had eased. They then destroyed the invading Tuhuns in one go.

    It was also in that war that the captain of the left wing army under General Qian¡¯smand had achieved much merit and was promoted to General Changping. This captain-turned-general had even been given a noble title.

    He Changdi¡¯s eyes narrowed and a bright glint shed from within his pupils.

    This time around, the wilnds where he¡¯d met his end, his old ce of exile, would be the same ce he would start his journey from in his new life!

 Chapter 235: Ah-ma (2)

    After walking for another hour, the rundown old tent in the horizon was finally right before them.

    This was a small hillock and the old tent had been set up where the hillock blocked the wind. The broken parts of the tent had already been patched up by someone using dried grass.

    Not too far off from the tent was an area cordoned off by a line of short fences, corralling two thin-looking horses and a few old sheep.

    The bleating of the sheep was transmitted across the ins thanks to the blowing winds.

    By this time, the sky was already beginning to darken. However, there were no lights shining from the tent. As they stood outside, they could hear someone coughing and a woman speaking in a hoarse voice.

    He Changdi¡¯s heart had long frosted over in the bleak freezing winds of Liangzhou, but it seemed like the woman¡¯s rough voice had slowly warmed it up.

    His eyes seemed to carry more passion than usual as he stared at the tent, which had almost been swallowed in darkness. His deep gaze was currently filled with warmth.

    He stood outside the tent for who knows how long. Finally, the tent ps lifted, and a middle-aged woman walked out.

    Darkness had already fallen. Clothed in some thick furs and fabric, the woman couldn¡¯t even see the neer¡¯s face. She could only vaguely make out a rough silhouette.

    ¡°Ah-ma.¡±

    He Changdi mumbled from the corner of his mouth.

    The middle-aged woman had juste out to toss some water and wash some bowls. When she looked up only to see two dark shapes standing not too far away, she cried out sharply and fell to the ground.

    He Changdi quickly went forward to help her up.

    Up close, the middle-aged woman could finally make identify the silhouettes as two young Han. She immediately rxed and tried speaking to them in the barbariannguage.

    He Changdi replied to her in the samenguage. He was so fluent that he sounded exactly like someone born to it. The middle-aged woman then happily weed He Changdi and Laiyue into the tent to talk.

    The barbarians living out here in the borders of Liangzhou were always friendly and weing. They would treat those who could speak theirnguage like their own family, with honesty and enthusiasm.

    This quality of theirs, whether in his past life or present one, had never changed.

    It was also due to this fact that theycked caution against others, and in a few years, would bepletely decimated by the Tuhun.

    The middle-aged woman lifted up the tent p, and a strange odour immediately filled He Changdi and Laiyue¡¯s nostrils.

    This was due to the tent not being aired out for a long period of time, keeping all sorts of mouldy, stale smells within.

    Laiyue couldn¡¯t resist the urge to pinch his nose. When he turned to look at his master, he found that He Changdi¡¯s calm expression hadn¡¯t changed a single bit, as if he was already used to this nausea-inducing odour.

    When Laiyue saw his master¡¯s calm, he could only lower his hand and bear with the odour as much as he could.

    There were no lights in the tent, so it was even darker inside.

    He Changdi turned around to give Laiyue an order: ¡°Light antern.¡±

    Laiyue felt his way to the short table ced in the middle of the tent before taking out an oilntern from his bag and lighting it up.

    With the flickering light of thentern, the dark insides of the tent were instantly filled with a yellow glow. Using that dim light, He Changdi could finally see his surroundings clearly, including the face of the barbarian woman standing across from him.

    The barbarian woman¡¯s eyes had widened and she was looking at that small oilntern in disbelief. After staring in a daze for a moment, she quickly waved her hands and reached out to extinguish thentern¡¯s me.

    ¡°Ah-sai, there¡¯s no need to light antern;ntern oil is very expensive!¡± The barbarian woman said anxiously. ¡®Ah-sai¡¯ was a respectful term for esteemed gentlemen in the barbariannguage.

    The barbarians worked only by the natural light of the sun and slept when the sun set. They didn¡¯t have any money to spare for luxuries likentern oil. To buy antern and the fuel needed for one, they would have to visit a Han family or go to the Tuhun markets. Furthermore, a single bottle ofntern oil cost half a sheep. Most barbarians wouldn¡¯t be able to afford one.

    Lantern oil was an absolute luxury for them.

 Chapter 236: Blank (1)

    Chapter 236: nk (1)

    This chapter has been stolen from vrenovels. Please read from the original source!

    He Changdi held the barbarian woman back and shook his head. Then, he began to exin something to her in the barbariannguage.

    The barbarian woman shot a careful look at He Changdi before agreeing not to extinguish thentern with a worried heart.

    She anxiously stood up, intending to warm up some sheep milk for He Changdi. This time, He Changdi didn¡¯t stop her.

    It wasn¡¯t until the barbarian woman had left the tent that He Changdi started to scrutinise the insides of this broken old tent.

    There was a nket covered by a fur skin in a corner of the tent. Two young boys were sleeping on top of it, one older and one younger. The older one looked to be seventeen or eighteen at most. The younger was most likely not even older than ten. The two boys had pale faces and were both clearly sick. Other than that strong odour of mould in the tent, there was also the light scent of medicinal herbs.

    The younger child was still sleeping at this moment. However, the older one had been staring at He Changdi with eyes full of caution ever since he had stepped foot into the tent.

    He Changdi¡¯s usually icy expression suddenly turned into a smile. Coupled with the warm glow of thentern, highlighting his handsome features, he seemed like a deity who had descended onto this mortal earth. The young man lying in bed seemed a little dazed from this sight.

    ¡®Muren¡¯. This young man seemed exactly the same as the first time they had met in his previous life.

    Even the caution in his eyes hadn¡¯t changed.

    However, in his past life, they had met in thends of exile he had been sent to, whereas now they were meeting in this small, simple tent.

    In his past life, this young man had stood in front of him as a shield, but had been killed by the steel wielded by the guards supervising him. In this life, he hade to meet him three years early in order to protect him and his family.

    By the time He Changdi led Laiyue out of the tent, stars had filled up the night sky. Even Laiyue, who didn¡¯t know the barbariannguage, had found out that the barbarian woman was called ¡®Wulihan¡¯ while the two boys were called ¡®Muren¡¯ and ¡®Narisong¡¯.

    The middle-aged Wulihan escorted He Changdi far away from the tent, before watching as his back disappeared beyond the horizon of the ins. It was only then that she returned home.

    Laiyue followed He Changdi under the light of the stars. Although he was curious as to why his master wanted to help a widowed barbarian woman and her children, it seemed like his master had too many thoughts on his mind to pay attention to him.

    Their silence persisted until master and servant returned to the little courtyard they had bought in Liangzhou city.

    Laiyue had been living in the little courtyard all this time, so it was kept very clean. Most of the things required for normal day-to-day living were also already present, so they could stay there immediately.

    He Changdi had only returned for barely a moment when an average-looking man leaped into the courtyard and personally passed a blue cloth bag into He Changdi¡¯s hands.

    Laiyue¡¯s face was filled with joy. ¡°Third Young Master, it¡¯s a package from the capital.¡±

    As He Changdi held the package, for some reason, there was a strange sense of expectation in his heart, but even he didn¡¯t know what he was expecting to see inside.

    Laiyue followed closely behind his master, waiting for his master to open up the package so he could peek inside as well. If there was jerky inside from Third Young Madam, then his master would definitely share some with him. However, who could have expected He Sang to carry the package into his room, locking Laiyue outside of the door.

    The moment He Changdi entered his room, his long legs unconsciously walked faster in order to reach the table in record time. Next, he unwrapped the package at lightning speed.

    He Changdi was stunned.

    He stared at the contents for more than a few seconds before he finally managed to react. A bad premonition rose in his heart. Once he recovered his senses, he pulled out everything inside.

    This package wasn¡¯t like the previous one. Not only was there not a single snack inside, there weren¡¯t even any carefully packed pieces of clothing within.

    When he opened the package, there were only a few winter tunics inside. Even though they were made of fine fabrics and looked luxurious, he couldn¡¯t wear this type of fabric and styles at the northern border.

    He Changdi couldn¡¯t help but remember thest package from home he had received.

    The previous package had contained bruise balm, waterproof leather boots,fortable inner clothes, short tunics for martial arts practice, and even wrist and shin guards. Although there were only a few of each item, they were all things he needed. Even those he hadn¡¯t thought of were there.

    Laiyue had said that the wicked woman Chu Lian had prepared those for him.

    Having experienced that sort of care and consideration, He Changdi felt an unexpected sense of disappointment after looking at the small package he had just received.

    He Sang pressed his lips together and suppressed that strange feeling welling up within him. He reached out to move aside the clothing at the top of the package and took out the wooden box below containing letters from the capital.

    When he opened the wooden box, his hands were unconsciously trembling and his heart was filled with a sense of uncertainty.

    However, the moment he lifted the lid of the fragrant rosewood box, the first thing he saw was the giant leather envelope ced at the very bottom.

    That wicked woman! Had she drawn more letters for him?!

    Hmph! All she knew was how to skive!

    He Sang was alone in the room now. If Laiyue had been there, he would have definitely caught a shocking, faint smile on his master¡¯s face.

    He Changdi pushed aside the letters on top and took the giant leather envelope out of the box. His slender fingers flipped it over, every movement carrying a sense of urgency.

    However, upon removing the stack of paper, He Changdi wordlessly stared at them for a good ten whole seconds. His originally warm eyes frosted over with anger. Finally, his handsome face turned dark and gloomy at a speed that human eyes could barely see. However, with the addition of his thick beard, his expression seemed a little funny instead.

    After a few more seconds, He Sang threw the stack of papers to the ground in a fit, and even stomped all over them.

    Those papers that had been tossed to the ground were actually all nk!

    He Sang felt like his lungs were about to burst from anger.

    That... that wicked woman! How dare she!

    In order to deal with him, she had actually sent him nk pages!

    He Sang hated that he couldn¡¯t just appear in front of Chu Lian and grab her- recklessly bully her for a bit, so that she would finally know her duties as a man¡¯s wife.

    The impatient, moody He Sang paced about his room. If not for his extraordinary patience, this room would have already been destroyed to bits.

 Chapter 237: Blank (2)

    Back at the Jing¡¯an Estate, Chu Lian was currently lying in bed in Songtao Court. She flipped over and sighed in rxation. She hadpletely forgotten about the fact that she had sent He Sang a bunch of nk pages.

    When the main steward had personallye over to ask for Songtao Court¡¯s portion of the letters for He Sang, Chu Lian had asked if He Changdi had sent any replies back. The steward had hemmed and hawed for a long time before revealing that the young master hadn¡¯t sent a reply.

    Chu Lian had rolled her eyes on the spot. She had then entered her study, folded up a few pieces of nk paper and given them to the steward.

    An eye for an eye. He Sang had to dream on if he thought she would send him letters when he hadn¡¯t replied to hers!

    Meanwhile, He Sang didn¡¯t realise that it was his own fault that he had gotten a nk reply.

    Laiyue was guarding his young master¡¯s door. He listened to the pacing footsteps of his young master and wondered as he pricked his ears, ¡®Is Third Young Master so happy that he got a letter from Third Young Madam that he can¡¯t sleep?¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t until fifteen minutester that He Changdi finally managed to calm his anger. He sat back at the table and tore the rest of his letters open.

    After reading through them, his brows started to furrow together.

    It hadn¡¯t been as peaceful as he thought back at the capital.

    That wicked woman Chu Lian alone had done quite a lot.

    She had actually gotten a title for herself, and had even been personally named by the Emperor. She had gone to the pce¡¯s Mid-Autumn Banquet with Grandmother. Even Old Duke Zheng¡¯s recovery had something to do with her. Furthermore, she was going to open a restaurant, and it was actually the one that Grandmother had long given up on.

    For some reason, He Changdi started to remember the joking words that Laiyue had used earlier today.

    ¡°Third Young Master is rising up the ranks so quickly. Maybe Third Young Master will be a general in a few more months and Third Young Madam will be a titled noble wife!¡±

    It was a matter of pride and glory for a husband to earn a noble title for his wife through his own hard work and achievements. However, that woman had somehow managed to earn a noble title for herself without him ying any part in it.

    He shouldn¡¯t even care, but for some reason, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of dissatisfaction with himself.

    He Sang swore in his heart that he definitely had to be a high-ranked official in the future. He was going to get a first-ranked noble title for her and beat that stupid honoureddy name. He was going to let the whole world know that she was He Sang¡¯s wife, and not some rubbish Honoured Lady Jinyi.

    Immersed in his rage, He Sang didn¡¯t realise that his feelings about Chu Lian had changed from wanting to divorce her, to working hard in order to get her a first-ranked noble title...

    Of all these letters, Prince Jin¡¯s letter contained the most details. After reading everything, He Changdi eventually managed to restrain the tumultuous feelings in his heart and think.

    He finally realised why he had mysteriously gotten a promotion.

    After finding out that it was all thanks to Chu Lian, He Changdi didn¡¯t even know how to name the emotions sitting inside his heart right now. All he knew was that the only thing he wanted to do now was to grab that wicked woman and sit her down before him so he could question her on what she was trying to do.

    In the murky depths of his mind, something was slowly starting to change.

    Was she really trying to help him?

    Why?

    Wasn¡¯t Xiao Wujing the one she really liked?

    He Changdi waspletely confused and disconcerted.

    He took in a deep breath. By the time he managed to settle his thoughts, half of the night had already passed.

    He personally changed the room¡¯s candle and adjusted the wick before sitting back at the table and taking out a sheet of paper. Perhaps due to calming himself down earlier, his writing wasn¡¯t as wild and crazy like the scribblings on thest letter he had sent. This time, he set his brush to paper with firm and forceful strokes.

    It was only when the first light of dawn started creeping up from the east that He Sangid down on his bed, exhausted.

    There were three envelopes on the table. The one on the bottom was the fattest and probably contained about seven or eight pieces of paper inside. On the outside of the envelope were the words: ¡®To my dear wife, Madam Chu¡¯.

    In the blink of an eye, it was already the first of September.

    It was already deep autumn. The weather was also starting to cool down, especially in the early morning and night.

    The best thing to do during this kind of weather was to stay in bed all day.

    It wasn¡¯t too cold or too hot. There was a slight warmth encasing the room, making it veryfortable. Chu Lian was wrapped up in a soft brocade nket, half of her porcin white face and flushed red cheeks peeking above the hem of the nket. Her breaths were long and even, indicating that she was in deep slumber.

    When Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan entered the room, this was the scene that greeted them.

    The corners of Senior Servant Gui¡¯s eyes twitched. She personally drew aside the curtains of the bedchamber and sat by the bed.

    She gently shook Chu Lian twice. ¡°Aiyah, my dear Third Young Madam. Look at howte it is, how do you still have the mood to sleep?¡±

    Chu Lian rubbed her sleepden eyes and asked in a careless manner, ¡°What time is it?¡±

    Senior Servant Gui¡¯s expression was about to turn dark. ¡°Third Young Madam, it¡¯s already the time of the dragon.¡±

    ¡°The time of the dragon?¡± Then that was only about 7:30 in the morning in modern terms. Chu Lian shut her eyes, wanting to go back to sleep.

 Chapter 238: Opening (1)

    How could Senior Servant Gui let her continue sleeping? Perhaps if it was a normal day, then she would allow it as she usually did- even the matriarch regrly doted on Third Young Madam, exempting her from the sunrise morning call so their young madam could sleep in a little bit longer. The servants of Songtao Court were no better; they sympathized with their third young madam and always let her sleep as much as she wanted.

    However, today was different. It was the day of Guilin Restaurant¡¯s reopening, something that Third Young Madam had been nning for quite a few months. The matriarch was also eager to see the results of her work!

    ¡°Third Young Madam, Guilin Restaurant is reopening today! You have to go over there yourself! Senior Servant Liu from Qingxi Hall even sent someone over to ask after you just now.¡±

    After hearing Senior Servant Gui¡¯s words, Chu Lian opened her eyes and sighed. She sat up and ordered Xiyan to bring her clothes.

    While dressing herself, Chu Lian told them, ¡°Momo, you don¡¯t have to be so worried. Even if I don¡¯t go there myself today, Guilin Restaurant will still do well.¡±

    How could Senior Servant Gui believe that? As magnificent as Guilin Restaurant was after the renovation, even though it now looked just as good or even better than that Yuehong Restaurant on Zhuque Avenue, she still didn¡¯t believe that Guilin Restaurant would be able to fill its tables with customers right after opening. After all, its location was less than ideal: surrounded by residential areas and on a deserted street to boot!

    Senior Servant Gui thought Third Young Madam was trying to cate her like she was a naive child!

    When Chu Lian noticed the doubt in Senior Servant Gui¡¯s eyes, a corner of her lips lifted helplessly. She decided to use the results of today to prove it to her instead.

    Xiyan picked out an apricot-coloured dress with plum blossoms for Chu Lian. It wasn¡¯t too outstanding, but still seemed celebratory enough due to the red plum blossoms on the skirt. Although Chu Lian wouldn¡¯t be making a public appearance at the opening, she had to personally attend to the guests she had sent invitations to.

    There weren¡¯t many invites; only ten in total. She had personally written all of them. After all those months of practice, her calligraphy was finally passable enough to show. All the effort she had put into her daily calligraphy practice had paid off.

    Although there were only a few invites, they had all been sent to the most distinguished guests.

    The Zheng Estate and Prince Wei¡¯s Estate had received two invites each. Lord Ge and the young Marquis Weiyuan had also received one each. Of the remaining four invites, two of them had gone to the Yang Estate, while the other two had been sent to her maiden house, the Ying Estate.

    These were the distinguished guests that Chu Lian had invited today.

    Chu Lian got dressed and slowly enjoyed her breakfast without any sense of urgency. It was only after Senior Servant Gui¡¯s anxious urging that she finally went to Qingxi Hall.

    Today, it was Wenqing and Wen¡¯s turn to apany Chu Lian. The other maidservants were to wait until it was close to noon before following the two senior servants over to Guilin Restaurant to serve their distinguished guests.

    Fuyan and Xiyan stood by one side and looked at Chu Lian¡¯s slender silhouette.

    Fuyan waspletely dumbfounded. She clicked her tongue in admiration. ¡°Hey, why isn¡¯t our Third Young Madam worried at all? Will that out-of-the-way restaurant really be a booming business?¡±

    Xiyan red at her, confidence written all over her face. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. I believe in Third Young Madam.¡±

    Fuyan was still filled with disdain in her mind. She was just speaking the truth, why was Xiyan stopping her?

    She didn¡¯t know where Xiyan got that self-confidence of hers. In her heart, even a person as wise as the matriarch hadn¡¯t been able to save that lousy old restaurant. How could their Third Young Madam be even smarter than the matriarch?

    In the courtyard of the main branch, Madam Zou waved her hand to dismiss the stewards who hade over to give their daily reports. A maidservant passed over a fresh cup of tea to her.

    Madam Zou took the teacup and carefully sipped at it, her lips slightly curved into a smile.

    If she remembered correctly, today was the day that her third sister-inw was going to reopen Guilin Restaurant.

    Guilin Restaurant was one of the matriarch¡¯s businesses. She knew better than anyone else about the situation of that old restaurant. She admitted that her third sister-inw¡¯s secret recipes were really quite delicious, but the restaurant¡¯s abysmal location couldn¡¯t be denied: it was too deste an area to attract a crowd. No one would think to walk over there just for a meal.

    A dead district is a dead business, what more for a restaurant!

    Building up a name for the restaurant wasn¡¯t something that could be achieved in just one or two days. By the time that happened, it would be toote. In the end, all of Chu Lian¡¯s hard work would have gone to naught, only for her to benefit from it.

    When she thought of this, Madam Zou felt especially pleased. Today, she was waiting to see Chu Lian¡¯s disgrace.

    Just as her thoughts were lifting her mood, she spotted He Changqi striding out from their bedroom. When she saw that he had taken special care in dressing up today, she frowned. ¡°Dng, where are you going?¡±

    He Changqi straightened his cor and ordered a maidservant to bring over his breakfast. He then sat at the table and picked up some chopsticks before exining, ¡°Third Sister-in-Law¡¯s restaurant is going to open today, so I¡¯m going there to help her out.¡±

    When Madam Zou heard this, her eyes immediately widened. ¡°It¡¯s just a small restaurant, why do you have to be there too?¡±

    He Changqi frowned as he looked at her. ¡°Brother Ge, Tiancheng, and Marquis Weiyuan are all going there to support the restaurant¡¯s opening. If I don¡¯t go, who¡¯s going to attend to the male guests?¡±

    Madam Zou stiffened and she looked at her own husband in disbelief. Suddenly, her heart was wavering with uncertainty. She thought back to the day that her husband had brought his friends over for a meeting and she had stolen Chu Lian¡¯s credit. Had... had they already known before that?

    When he recalled the events of that day, He Changqi lost all appetite. He set down his chopsticks and lifted the edge of his robe as he stood up. Right before he left, he shot a meaningful look at Madam Zou. Finally, he walked right out of the courtyard without even a goodbye.

    Left alone in the parlour, sitting on a fragrant wood chair, Madam Zou¡¯s face turned deathly pale.

    She wanted to call him back, make him turn around with a cry of ¡®Dng¡¯, but the word stayed stuck in her throat, even long after her husband had already left.

 Chapter 239: Opening (2)

    At Yuehong Restaurant.

    A lively feast was currently underway in the restaurant. People were urging their friends to drink and creating a pleasant buzz of noise. Suddenly, they heard the sounds of amotioning from the street outside, followed by an uproar of voices. Everyone subconsciously exchanged looks before the person closest to the windows pushed open the window pane.

    The cacophony from outside poured into the room.

    ¡°What a huge crowd on the streets!¡± someone said.

    Arge man with curly whiskers roared withughter. ¡°What¡¯s strange about that? There¡¯s usually a crowd on the streets.¡±

    Suddenly, all the people in the main hallughed in unison.

    The cheeks of the person who had first spoken up flushed red. ¡°No, no, it seems like there¡¯s something going on. Someone¡¯s splitting up the crowd and making way for someone else... Some of them are dressed in lion dance costumes!¡±

    The people of the capital all held a curious heart, no matter their status or rank. Very quickly, there were people poking their heads out to find out what the buzz on the streets was about.

    ¡°What a grand-looking lion dance troupe. I¡¯ve never seen six people dancing at once. Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯ve also prepared music to go along with this performance?¡±

    ¡°Is it really that grand?¡±

    At this time, a young man dressed in blue walked in from the entrance. The moment he entered, he started shouting, ¡°Quick,e with me to check out the performance! I just came over from Changping Lane and that grand lion dance troupe is preparing for their performance over there!¡±

    The crowd couldn¡¯t hold back their curiosity. Quite a few of them came out of the restaurant and onto the streets one after another.

    De¡¯an Restaurant¡¯s Mr Wang had still been settling some ounts at the counter of his restaurant. Following the increase in noise from outside, the originally full main hall of his restaurant suddenly emptied out. A few waiters hurriedly chased after the leaving customers to settle their bills.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± the grey-haired Mr Wang frowned as he asked one of his waiters.

    ¡°Manager, will you allow this one to go out to check for you?¡±

    Mr Wang waved his hand in permission.

    After a short moment, the waiter returned. ¡°Manager, Manager, there¡¯s something big going on outside!¡±

    ¡°What kind of event is it?¡±

    The waiter gestured with his hands as he said, ¡°There are six people dressed in lion dance costumes out there, with shining lion heads this big! They even have musicians and singers behind them, all wearing the same kind of clothes, and though they look very festive, no one knows what they¡¯re going to do. They¡¯re currently finishing preparations out on the streets. It looks like the performance is going to start in a while. Manager, do you want to go out and watch too? There are lots of people outside on the streets right now!¡±

    The waiter was clearly excited, and it was written all over his face, too.

    Mr Wang set down the abacus in his hands and strode over to watch together with the waiter. All the customers in the restaurant had been drawn away, so they couldn¡¯t do business anyway. Why not check out what was going on outside and find out who was trying to cause trouble?

    When it was finally 10am, the lion dance troupe gathered on Zhuque Avenue right outside Yuehong Restaurant suddenly began shouting together. The golden lions behind them started dancing, and following that, the music troupe behind them began to y their instruments.

    With the lion dancers in front and the rousing music behind, everyone was captivated. After a few beats, some of the spectators who had an interest in music began to cry out in surprise.

    ¡°What tune is this? Why is it so strange yet so full of emotion?¡±

    Just as someone finished saying so, one of the musicians started singing in a rough, loud voice.

    ¡°The great rivers all run to the east! The stars in the sky look up to the North Star!¡±

    Right after the first line, the remaining ten or more men in the troupe continued in a chorus, ¡°Hey hey~ Look up to the North Star~ A cup of wine for our sworn brothers~¡±

    The leading singer continued, ¡°If I say march, we all march! Yours and mine are all shared between us!¡±

    The low and fierce chorus line shouted, ¡°Hey hey~ All shared between us~ No retreate floods or fire!¡±

    Of all the people of the capital, no matter if they were nobles ormoners, this was the first time they had heard such a strange yet catchy song.

    These lyrics were like normal speech and the tune was easy to follow. The wild and heroic music made people¡¯s hearts soar with excitement.

    The crowd on the streets started getting bigger and bigger as all of them tried to peek at what was going on.

    Someone at the front of the crowd shouted, ¡°The lion dance troupe is moving! They¡¯re moving! Everybody make way! Make way!¡±

    Amidst the bobbing heads of the crowd, someone asked, ¡°What are they doing? Why is it so lively here?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know either. Look, the troupe is moving forward, let¡¯s follow along and see!¡±

    A middle-aged man interrupted their conversation and said, ¡°Hmm? That troupe looks like it¡¯s heading to the stage northwest of here. Don¡¯t tell me that it was this group of people who built it... That wooden tform was just set up a few days ago!¡±

    The lyrics to the song ¡®Song of Heroes¡¯ were simple, and there were only two parts to it, yet the melody was rousing and majestic. The singing troupe had only repeated the song twice, but the crowd following behind them had already learned how to sing along.

    The leader of the music troupe sung once again, ¡°When I see injustice, I roar with anger! When it¡¯s time to act, I fight! I travel the world, doing as I like!¡±

    Without waiting for the chorus from the troupe, the crowd had already started chanting, ¡°Hey hey, hey hey yo hey hey, hey hey, hey hey yo hey hey.¡±

    That strange melody and maic song suddenly spread through the entire street in an instant. The lyrics were so easy to remember that even the little children had learned them. They ran alongside the lion dance troupe, chanting along with the singers.

    With the lion dancers dancing and the troupe members singing, the wide Zhuque Avenue was actually filled to the point that even a pebble couldn¡¯t squeeze through.

    ¡°Look, the lion dance troupe is finally stopping!¡±

    The lion dance troupe had indeed stopped before the wooden stage that had been built beforehand. Following that, they nimbly climbed up onto it, causing the crowd to gasp in admiration.

    The sounds of singing and drums suddenly disappeared.

    At thest moment when the singing and drums stopped, the raised lion head suddenly spit out arge red scroll.

 Chapter 240: Becoming Famous (1)

    Chapter 240: Bing Famous (1)

    This chapter has been stolen from vrenovels. Please read from the original source!

    ¡°Sleepy birds return to the forest at dusk, floating clouds return to the mountain when it¡¯s clear. Congrattions to Guilin Restaurant for its grand reopening!¡±

    Guilin Restaurant, Guilin Restaurant?

    So it¡¯s Guilin Restaurant!

    Many of the old gourmands standing below the stage had a sudden spark of realisation. Following that, they shouted out in excitement.

    Others in the crowd stared strangely at the old foodies.

    A white-bearded old gourmand posed in deep thought as he stroked his beard. He made sure that the people around him were itching with curiosity before he started speaking, ¡°This Guilin Restaurant is one of the old well-known restaurants in the capital. It¡¯s located where the entrance of the old west market used to be.¡±

    So it was a restaurant!

    The crowd finally realised what was going on.

    After such a huge buzz, it was just a restaurant? And here they were thinking that it was some grand event!

    The news spread quickly, and the originally festive atmosphere brought about by the lion dancers and the lively song dampened a little.

    Some people reacted with disdain.

    ¡°I was wondering what was going on. So it¡¯s just the opening of a restaurant, and an old poor one at that. It¡¯s even located in that deste old west market. Does the owner of the restaurant even know how to do business? Who¡¯s going to go to a ce like that?¡±

    ¡°A restaurant? They actually dared to open a restaurant? There are already over ten or more famous restaurants on Zhuque Avenue alone. They¡¯re really overestimating themselves.¡±

    ¡°I think we can all just leave now. What else are you waiting for? Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!¡±

    Not far off, the watching Manager Qin smirked.

    By this time, a young server hade up to greet him. ¡°Master Qin.¡±

    ¡°Is everything ready?¡±

    The server stood to the side and revealed the things arranged behind him.

    ¡°The other five points in the city are also ready.¡±

    Manager Qin¡¯s gazended on the three mid-sized jars behind the server and he nodded at the young man.

    ¡°Bring them up.¡±

    The server immediately called up a few men behind him to help.

    Just as the crowd was about to disperse, Manager Qin walked up onto the stage.

    The moment he entered the stage, the drummers in the troupe hit their drums with two forceful strokes.

    The crowd¡¯s attention was once again drawn to the stage.

    Manager Qin was dressed in a sapphire blue brocade robe. His ck hair was tucked away neatly into his headpiece. Dressed as he was, he didn¡¯t seem like a servant; rather, he seemed more like a schr.

    Manager Qin was someone who knew how to give off a good impression. He bowed slightly in a semicircle facing the crowd, instantly drawing their favour.

    With a slightly raised voice, he said courteously, ¡°It¡¯s the opening of my master¡¯s restaurant today. Firstly, thank you all foring.¡±

    After this first line, Manager Qin bowed to the crowd once again before continuing.

    ¡°My master would like to pass on these words. Guilin Restaurant is one of the old restaurants in this capital after all, so it wouldn¡¯t be good if it were to fail in her hands. For today¡¯s opening, my master has specially instructed me to treat everyone to a taste of Guilin Restaurant¡¯s cooking. If you think it¡¯s good, you can draw a lot to win a seat at today¡¯s free tasting feast in Guilin Restaurant. My master said this: we¡¯re going to make our Guilin Restaurant the best restaurant in this capital, or quit the business entirely!¡±

    Wow, what a boast!

    Manager Qin¡¯s words had practically drawn all the hatred of the other restaurants.

    His words had offended all the famous restaurants in the capital at once. Quite a few of the people in the crowd today were the managers and servers of the big restaurants in the capital!

    Without waiting for those managers and servers to stand out to scold him, some of the ardent supporters of those restaurants had already stepped up.

    ¡°Nonsense! It¡¯s obviously Yuehong Restaurant that makes the best food in the capital!¡±

    ¡°...what?! It¡¯s De¡¯an Restaurant¡¯s feast that¡¯s the best! You¡¯re just a nameless little rascal, how dare you talk so wildly!¡±

    ......

    The huge crowd of people had a favourable impression of this schrly manager at first. However, after his great boast, they only thought that he couldn¡¯t tell good from bad and was too cheeky for his own good.

    In an instant, the sounds of chiding and cursing filled the area below the stage.

    TL Note: ¡®Sleepy birds return to the forest at dusk, floating clouds return to the mountain when it¡¯s clear.¡¯ ¨C This is a pretty Chinese poem incorporating Guilin¡¯s name, which means ¡®return to the forest¡¯.

    Regarding the managers, servers, and other staff of the restaurant, the modern English terms don¡¯t quite match the context of the ancient Chinese restaurant staff, but I tried my best so that we don¡¯t have more pinyin terms in the text.

    Manager ¨C runs the restaurant on behalf of an owner/master

    Server ¨C mid-level staff who can wait on tables and settle bills

    Runner ¨C wees customers from the street, waits on tables

    Why not ¡®waiter¡¯? Well, the servers here are doing all sorts of menialbour too, which is not quite rted to the term ¡®waiter¡¯, which makes me think of high-ss restaurants. I thought that ¡®server¡¯ might be a more neutral term. Give me your thoughts on this!

    Customers will also call for the staff by their titles, but it would be weird to hear, ¡°Server! Runner!¡± so this might be reced by ¡°Waiter!¡± when it appears. >w<

 Chapter 241: Becoming Famous (2)

    Chapter 241: Bing Famous (2)

    This chapter has been stolen from vrenovels. Please read from the original source!

    The poor Manager Qin was about to be universally condemned by these people.

    However, Manager Qin still stood up straight on the stage with his hands behind his back. He even carried a faint smile on his face, as if those scoldings couldn¡¯t even shake him one bit. He quietly waited for the crowd to release their emotions for a moment before continuing calmly, ¡°As the saying goes, if you don¡¯t have glue, don¡¯t try to fix a broken bowl. You won¡¯t know what I can do until you see for yourself. If you don¡¯t believe me, why note up and have a taste? My master and I will be satisfied, no matter your judgement, if you try it at the very least.¡±

    Oh ho, that young manager was putting out wild boasts again!

    Fine, I¡¯ll make sure this conceited man returns in defeat!

    The spectators below hadn¡¯t thought that Manager Qin would challenge them to judge like this, earning their ire and determination. They all moured to go up for a taste, wanting to make sure that this lousy Guilin Restaurant would have no choice but to admit their loss. They wanted to make this restaurant that hadn¡¯t even opened officially turn into the joke of the capital.

    Manager Qin shot a look at the server behind him. The server brought out six strong men, who then moved a pile of crude porcin dishes to the sides of the stage.

    Next, the crowd watched as big fat jars as tall as their calves were moved to the center of the stage.

    Looking at the three crudely made jars, someone below startedughing. ¡°Hey, Mr Manager, your master can¡¯t possibly be treating us to some ¡®delicacy¡¯ in those jars, right? Let me guess, don¡¯t tell me that it¡¯s pickled vegetables in those jars?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, so Guilin Restaurant¡¯s specialty is pickled vegetables! They must be as old as Guilin Restaurant itself!¡±

    Manager Qin wasn¡¯t bothered by the taunts from the crowd below. He simply looked at the three jars and waved his hand at the server.

    The three servers standing behind the jars lifted their hands and took off the leather lids from the jars all at once.

    The autumn wind blew past from behind the stage, causing the fragrant aroma from the jars to drift all around the area.

    The noses of the people closest to the stage twitched.

    ¡°What is that smell? Why does it smell so good?¡±

    ¡°I smelled it too! Heavens, what is that?!¡±

    Steam was rising from the three crude jars, shrouding the stage in mist.

    Suddenly, someone pointed at the three ordinary-looking crude earthenware jars. ¡°The smell ising from those jars!¡±

    After that person pointed it out, quite a few people started moving closer to the stage, causing the crowd to thicken.

    ¡°It¡¯s reallying from those jars. What is it!¡±

    When someone finally asked the question, Manager Qin¡¯s smile slowly widened. He patiently exined to the watching crowd, ¡°This is my master¡¯s secret recipe of braised pork in pot. It¡¯s one of our Guilin Restaurant¡¯s specialties. We used top-quality pork belly and cooked it in our own secret way. All of you here have good luck! This is the first time this dish is making an appearance in this world. If you want to taste it, you¡¯ll have to be quick!¡±

    Meat! Heavens! So it was actually meat in those jars!

    It was the first time they had seen someone using jars to cook. Furthermore, this delicious aroma was so rich and appetising. Was it really just pork in there?

    How could that base pork smell so heavenly? Impossible!

    In the current age, very few of the nobles would use pork in their cooking. Most of the meat they ate wasprised of venison or mutton. Pork was meant for the poormoners who couldn¡¯t afford to buy mutton.

    TL Note: Here we go, the long-awaited food porn!

    One of my favourite foods~ braised pork!

 Chapter 242: Becoming Famous (3)

    Chapter 242: Bing Famous (3)

    Of course, the standards of cooking in the Great Wu Dynasty went without speaking. Since the food made in a noble house was already that poor, how could the normalmoners¡¯ fare any better?

    Normally, pork meat had a certain odour to it. The usage of seasonings in this era wasn¡¯t very advanced either. Pork voured with salt and cooked in water... just the thought of it wasn¡¯t very appetising.

    The aroma of this carefully braised jar of pork was an immense shock to the crowd.

    Themoners who had been surrounding the stage and flooding them with curses suddenly had the urge to run up to grab one of the crude porcin dishes on the stage.

    There was a waiter stationed behind each of the threerge jars with a small copperdle in their hands, shouting and telling the crowd to line up. They dipped thedles into the jars giving off fragrant steam and scooped food into the dish of the first person in line.

    The copperdles were just too small. A single scoop would bring up only two or three small cubes of meat. Another waiter would then sprinkle some finely diced spring onions on top of the meat that had been turned brown by the sauce. For some reason, although it was just some meat sitting in a crude grey porcin dish, it seemed rather artistic with the green of the spring onions, further increasing their appetite.

    The old gourmet who had first recognised Guilin Restaurant¡¯s brand had finally managed to get a small dish of the braised pork in pot after an arduous wait. He held it up in his hands carefully as he walked away. The small meat cubes in the dish were still steaming hot and trembled with his every step, practically seducing him to eat it all up.

    The old gourmet squeezed out of the crowd with the dish cradled protectively in his embrace before stopping and taking a long sniff at the aroma of the pork in pot. He sighed as if drunk on the smell. Following that, he took out a pair of silver chopsticks wrapped up in a cloth from his sleeves. Using the chopsticks, he carefully picked up a piece and ced it in his mouth.

    That delicious taste enveloped his entire mouth. After chewing it precisely two times, that thick vour filled his tastebuds. The meat cubes were fresh and tasty, fatty but not greasy.

    The old gourmet was instantly captivated by the taste of this braised pork in pot. He lost all the patience to carefully judge the remaining two pieces and quickly stuffed the remaining pork into his mouth.

    He chewed on that big mouthful of food and gulped it down.

    When he looked down at the empty porcin dish in his hands, the old gourmet¡¯s mind instantly turned nk.

    Those three pieces of pork in pot weren¡¯t enough by far. He hadn¡¯t even been able to savour its vour before it was all gone. That amount was really way too little. He smacked his lips and suddenly recalled what Manager Qin had said earlier on the stage.

    Other than this free sample of braised pork, they could draw a lot to win a chance to eat a free feast in Guilin Restaurant!

    The old gourmet immediately plowed through the crowd to charge back towards the stage with a strength he hadn¡¯t even known he had.

    Even though it seemed like there was a lot of meat in the three jars, it wasn¡¯t enough to feed all the people in this crowd. Furthermore, even though the jars looked big on the outside, its volume was only half of what it looked like it could contain.

    All the meat in the jars had been given away in an instant.

    When hisdle touched the bottom of the jar, the waiter realised that there was only some sauce left. He looked up and spoke apologetically to the young man at the front of the line, ¡°Young man, I¡¯m sorry, we¡¯ve finished giving out all the free samples for our opening today. If you would like to try out Guilin Restaurant¡¯s cooking, thene to the alley in the west market early in the morning!¡±

    The young man stared at the waiter in disbelief, his eyes wide open. He refused to believe the waiter and even snatched the jar over to look at the emptiness within for himself. It was only then he pounded his leg in frustration and med himself for not queueing up earlier.

    The other people waiting in the queue had simr reactions after hearing the waiter¡¯s announcement. However, like the old gourmet, they recalled Manager Qin¡¯s words and fought to be the first to draw a lot from Manager Qin.

    In an instant, it had be more lively than ever. After eating Guilin Restaurant¡¯s braised pork, all the voices of opposition had melted away into nothing.

    Even though Guilin Restaurant had just newly opened and was even situated in the deste old west market, many of them even immediately turned into Guilin Restaurant¡¯s loyal fans.

    These three jars of braised pork in pot were like strong drugs. If you hadn¡¯t tasted them, you would be fine. However, after tasting it once, you would only want even more. Those few pieces of meat had drawn everyone¡¯s curiosity and appetites out of hiding.

    Right now, even if Guilin Restaurant was located in the neighbouring city of Zhangzhou instead of the out-of-the-way old west market, there would still be people who would travel hundreds of miles without fatigue just to have a taste of this heavenly food again.

    Manager Qin¡¯s smile was kind and he faced all the people who came up to draw lots with good humour. However, De¡¯an Restaurant¡¯s Mr Wang, who was not too far away, felt that there was clearly a wily little fox standing behind the friendly facade of this young manager.

    Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t just this Manager Qin who was a wily little fox. That master that he had spoken of must be an even more cunning and even bigger fox!

    Mr Wang¡¯s horizons had broadened from today¡¯s spectacle. He had never seen a restaurant opening like this. He believed that it wouldn¡¯t even take a month- no, maybe not even a day- before this newly opened Guilin Restaurant¡¯s name would be known all over the capital!

    He didn¡¯t want to admit defeat! The master behind this Guilin Restaurant was quite the schemer! However, he couldn¡¯t do anything but ept this hard truth. Guilin Restaurant¡¯s food was just way too tasty.

    Mr Wang had already experienced much of the world with his years. He also had a noble sponsor backing his restaurant. On New Year¡¯s Day and other special days, he could use that connection to have a meal or two in a noble estate. The dishes served in that noble house were already considered heavenly delicacies to most people. However,pared to thispletely ordinary-looking pork in pot, those ¡®delicacies¡¯ instantly became some unptable rough fare.

    Mr Wang sighed. However, his mind wandered back to those measly pieces of braised pork he had just eaten. He really wanted to have a few more bites!

    He looked down at the wooden tablet in his hands; the lot that he had just drawn. There was even a sense of anticipation within him, hoping that he would be one of the lucky ones.

 Chapter 243: Becoming Famous (4)

    The sound of drums rang out from the stage. Manager Qin stood in the center, carrying himself with grace as he read out the numbers of the winning lots.

    With every number he read out, an excited cheer would cry out from below. Obviously, the person who held the lot with that number was the one cheering.

    In the end, De¡¯an Restaurant¡¯s Mr Wang wasn¡¯t so lucky. However, he wasn¡¯t about to admit defeat. He spent ten whole taels of silver to buy a winning lot from one of the lucky winners.

    He was going to Guilin Restaurant¡¯s feast today, no matter what!

    The waiter following behind Mr Wang developed an eye twitch as he watched his manager give away those big silver taels. That was ten whole taels right there! A whole year of living expenses for his family!

    Guilin Restaurant had been renovated ording to the blueprints that Chu Lian had drawn. Later on, she had also gotten Manager Qin to buy the two residences on either side of the restaurant.

    Although Guilin Restaurant¡¯s entrance was still the same size, its insides had been changedpletely.

    The rear court had been changed into a two-part courtyard,plete with its own decorative mountain and long corridors. Although it couldn¡¯t bepared to the noble estates of the capital, it still had a certain air of delicate elegance, like the watery regions of Jiangnan.

    The original two-part main courtyard had been changed into several small little courts. Each court had its own style of furnishing. Some of them were simple and traditional-looking, others were homely and elegant, and there were even some modelled after the Japanese restaurants of the modern world. Basically, each court had its own unique ir.

    For their customers¡¯ convenience, the inner courtyard was reserved for females, while the outer courtyard was used for males.

    These little courts were made for those with higher status, while themon folk who came here just to eat would be served in the main hall and on the second floor of the main building.

    Guilin Restaurant had two entrances. There was even a hidden entrance in the back after rounding the corner, made for those with special status.

    The waiters and maidservants serving in the two-part courtyard at the back were all carefully picked out by Manager Qin. They were on a different level from the servers who had been shouting and serving out the free samples on the stage.

    Seeing as it was almost noon, Chu Lian entered Guilin Restaurant from the back entrance, apanied by her maidservants.

    Once she entered the courtyard, Manager Qin came over to wee her. ¡°Third Young Madam, Lady Yang and Royal Princess Duanjia have already arrived. They¡¯re waiting for you in Earth 1 Court!¡±

    Chu Lian nodded in acknowledgement. She hadn¡¯t expected her two guests to havee so early.

    ¡°What about the male guests?¡±

    When he heard Chu Lian¡¯s question, Manager Qin smiled. ¡°Heir Jing¡¯an has already arrived. He¡¯s helping to attend to the male guests right now! Old Duke Zheng has alsoe.¡±

    Chu Lian raised an eyebrow. She had sent Heir Zheng two invites. However, she hadn¡¯t expected him to give one to Old Duke Zheng.

    When Manager Qin saw that Chu Lian¡¯s expression had changed slightly, he paused before adding on, ¡°Miss Mingyan has alsoe over with Old Duke Zheng.¡±

    Chu Lian nced at Manager Qin, but didn¡¯t reply to him outright. She only said, ¡°Have someone keep an eye on the situation. Make sure that the people who won the lucky draw are treated well, too. We can¡¯t have anything going wrong today.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, please rest assured. This subordinate will send some people to keep an eye on everything.¡±

    After she finished instructing Manager Qin, she led Wenqing and Wen with her to meet Royal Princess Duanjia and Lady Yang.

    At this time, two carriages arrived at the entrance of the alley of the old west market, apanied by a few retainers following alongside them. Even from afar, there were alreadymoners gawking at this expensive-looking carriage.

    Some ignorant children were even following the carriage from behind and running along with it. After getting shouted at by two burly-looking retainers on horseback, the children ran off in fright.

    The curtains at the front of the carriage were pulled aside from the inside. Miss Yuan rolled her eyes after taking a peek. ¡°What kind of terrible ce is this? Sixth Sister must have gone mad, opening a restaurant in a ce like like this.¡±

    Thedy sitting opposite her, Miss Su, red at her. ¡°If you have nothing good to say, then don¡¯t speak at all.¡±

    Miss Yuan harrumphed in contempt, ¡°You¡¯re just saying so for appearances. I bet you¡¯re feeling the same way in your heart, maybe even more than I am. What are you ying the good guy for?¡±

    Miss Fu smiled as she watched from the side.

    Miss Su¡¯s face flushed red. However, she didn¡¯t have anything to say as a retort.

    She was indeed thinking the same thing inwardly. Opening a restaurant out here in this deste residential area... would any customers reallye all the way out here?

    Even she, as a young miss who didn¡¯t know much about business, understood this logic. Could Chu Lian really be that stupid?

    When Miss Yuan saw that Miss Su was tongue-tied and red from frustration, she feltpletely refreshed.

    Miss Yuan was filled with disdain. It was just a small restaurant- that bitch Chu Lian even sent an invite over. She hadn¡¯t wanted toe at first, but after thinking it over, she sent someone to hear more about the situation, only to find that the restaurant was actually located in such an out-of-the-way area. Of course, she suddenly found the interest toe after that.

    She wanted to see how Sixth Sister was going to lose face!

    She still carried the grudge from that incident with the hairpin!

 Chapter 244: Becoming Famous (5)

    Chapter 244: Bing Famous (5)

    This chapter has been stolen from vrenovels. Please read from the original source!

    It was exactly because of that grudge that Miss Yuan had pestered Second Madam until she agreed to let her attend the restaurant¡¯s opening together with the other youngdies of their family.

    Madam Rong had been intending toe along as well, but an unexpected incident in their estate had held her back. As thedy-in-charge of the Ying Estate, she had to attend to the matter. Madam Rong had personally escorted the threedies to the estate¡¯s entrance and instructed the eldest amongst them, Miss Su, to take care of her younger sisters before sending off their carriage.

    The three sisters had arrivedte. It was already 12pm by now. The manservants and maidservants in charge of weing the guests had already returned to the restaurant by now. Chu Lian had also thought that House Ying wouldn¡¯t be sending any representatives by this hour.

    Without any escort at all, House Ying¡¯s carriage went straight to Guilin Restaurant¡¯s main entrance.

    Before they got off the carriage, one of the retainers outside leaned in close to the carriage and reported at a low volume, ¡°Misses, Guilin Restaurant¡¯s entrance has been blocked.¡±

    The disdain on Miss Yuan¡¯s face was wiped clean. She lifted the curtains and looked towards Guilin Restaurant¡¯s in-looking entrance.

    The entrance of Guilin Restaurant was swarming with people. There was even a long queue outside, filling the already narrow alley.

    How could this be possible! How could a restaurant in such a deste area have this many customers?!

    Miss Su also found it strange. She instructed the retainer to ask around Guilin Restaurant¡¯s main entrance.

    In a moment¡¯s time, that retainer returned.

    He carried a doubtful and baffled expression as he reported, ¡°Replying to Fifth Miss, all these people are here to eat at Guilin Restaurant.¡±

    ¡°What!¡± Miss Yuan couldn¡¯t hold back her shout. Her sudden fuss over something so trivial earned her a re from Miss Su.

    Miss Su paused a while in thought before taking out two fine invitations from her sleeve and passing them to the retainer. ¡°Give these two invitations to Guilin Restaurant¡¯s manager. Tell him that we¡¯re here to meet Honoured Lady Jinyi.¡±

    The retainer acknowledged the order and left.

    Not too longter, the retainer led Manager Qin and a wise-looking senior servant over to the carriage.

    Manager Qin personally ordered someone to bring House Ying¡¯s carriage over to the rear entrance. Once they entered the inner court meant for female guests, Senior Servant Zhong took over and led them to a small court within.

    Senior Servant Zhong instructed the maidservants standing by in the courtyard to attend to House Ying¡¯sdies and invited them to sit down. After doing so, she then stood by the side and respectfully said, ¡°Misses, please wait a moment. Our Third Young Madam will be arriving shortly.¡±

    Miss Fu cast a measuring gaze over Senior Servant Zhong. Her eyes flickered, but she didn¡¯t speak in the end.

    Miss Su thanked Senior Servant Zhong.

    Meanwhile, Miss Yuan tsked in disapproval, ¡°What? We¡¯re guests today. Is Sixth Sister really going to make us wait?¡±

    Right after she spoke, Miss Su frowned. Senior Servant Zhong stiffened for a moment before uttering an apology with her lips pressed together, ¡°You¡¯re our Third Young Madam¡¯s esteemed guests. It¡¯s this old servant¡¯s fault for not inviting Third Young Madam over earlier.¡±

    Miss Yuan¡¯s expression changed and she red at Senior Servant Zhong. She hadn¡¯t expected this old servant to be so tactless. She was actually trying to protect Chu Lian even at this time. She was just a lowly menial servant, but she actually dared to retort to her?

    Miss Yuan was used to getting her way in the Ying Estate. She was about to scold Senior Servant Zhong on the spot. However, before she could even speak another word, she was held back by Miss Su and Miss Fu.

    Even Miss Fu, who usually liked to sit back and watch the sparks fly, had tried to hold her back today. She immediately turned to Miss Fu with a re.

    However, Senior Servant Zhong wasn¡¯t at all flustered by Miss Yuan¡¯s temper. She bobbed towards the three youngdies and continued as if nothing had happened, ¡°This old servant will personally prepare some tea and snacks for the young misses. Please make yourself at home.¡±

    Miss Yuan stared as Senior Servant Zhong walked right out of the courtyard before turning to her sisters with a face flushed red from frustration. ¡°Fifth Sister, Ninth Sister, look at that! Is this how Sixth Sister treats her guests? Why didn¡¯t you let me scold her?¡±

    Miss Su and Miss Fu weren¡¯t stupid. They weren¡¯t going to agree with Miss Yuan¡¯s me towards Chu Lian.

    Miss Su put on a stern expression with furrowed brows, ¡°Seventh Sister, that¡¯s enough from you! This isn¡¯t House Ying¡¯s second branch. Don¡¯t take things too far!¡±

    Miss Fu sneered, ¡°That¡¯s right, don¡¯t throw our dignity out together with yours!¡±

    Miss Yuan had been in a bad mood ever since entering Guilin Restaurant and looking at the novel arrangements within the building. Adding on to that, her two sisters were even scolding her. Her face turned red with anger. However, there was no one here to back her up now. Furthermore, ever since that incident at Jinshi Pavilion, she had learned to behave a little more. She wrung her handkerchief and managed to resist the urge to retort more.

    However, she hade here to see Chu Lian make a joke out of herself. How could she let Chu Lian go so easily?

    She shot a nce at one of her handmaids, who then quickly brought out a container of food from behind her.

    In a moment, one of Guilin Restaurant¡¯s maidservants brought in freshly brewed tea.

    Steam billowed up from the tea, giving off a special dry and bitter smell. Although House Ying was in decline, a starving camel was stillrger than a horse. They had been carefully raised from a young age, so they could recognise that this was a loose-leaf tea from North Fujian.

    Although sencha brewing was now trending in the Great Wu Dynasty, there were many different types of tea, seperated by the region they came from. North Fujian loose-leaf tea was one of the main branches of tea. Loose-leaf tea fell into two categories: normal and high-quality. However, if you weren¡¯t a tea enthusiast, it wasn¡¯t so easy to discern their quality.

    The threedies of House Ying could only distinguish what type of sencha this was. However, they couldn¡¯t really tell much else about it. If it had been the former ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ though, she might have been able to discern its quality.

    Miss Yuan sniffed and rolled her eyes. ¡°Sixth Sister¡¯s already opened a restaurant, how could she be so miserly as to serve her sisters this kind of tea?¡±

    The maidservant who had brought in the tea was so embarrassed that her cheeks flushed red. She looked downwards, not daring to reply.

    When Miss Yuan noticed the maidservant¡¯s fingers trembling, she felt a little better. She turned to her handmaid and ordered, ¡°Brew some tea for me.¡±

    Her handmaid had a smug expression on as she slowly brought out a fine porcin container. She then purposely ced the porcin container in front of Miss Su and Miss Fu to show it off a little.

 Chapter 245: Becoming Famous (6)

    Chapter 245: Bing Famous (6)

    This chapter has been stolen from vrenovels. Please read from the original source!

    Miss Su frowned. She could tell that this was a container of Zhengshan tea, one of the best quality sencha teas around. Every year, Old Duke Ying would only be able to get two containers of this fine tea. Last year, Old Duchess Ying had bestowed one of them to the second branch. She hadn¡¯t expected that this tea had somehownded in Miss Yuan¡¯s hands.

    How could Miss Su know of the reason behind this? Miss Yuan was so determined to disgrace Chu Lian today that she had prepared a lot more than just some fine tea. Furthermore, she hadn¡¯t pleaded with her parents to get this tea, she had just stolen it directly from her father¡¯s study.

    Shock showed in Miss Fu¡¯s eyes, but she only pressed her lips together without saying anything.

    ¡°Miss Yuan, you...¡± Miss Su was about to say something, but was interrupted by Miss Yuan before she could continue.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Fifth Sister? Look at how poorly they¡¯re treating their guests. Why can¡¯t I bring my own tea to drink?¡±

    How was this poor treatment? It was clearly Miss Yuan who was picking at the most trivial matters and making a mountain out of an anthill!

    The handmaid turned to Guilin Restaurant¡¯s maidservants to request for some tea-brewing tools. However, another handmaid opened up the box of food. Without waiting for Senior Servant Zhong toe back with snacks, the second handmaid carefully brought out te after te of exquisite snacks and ced them on the table.

    This time, even Miss Fu had joined Miss Su in staring at Miss Yuan with a strange look in her eyes.

    They could tell that these snacks hade from De¡¯an Restaurant. What¡¯s more, the tes had lotus flower patterns, so this was clearly the best assortment of snacks in the whole capital, as established by high-ss society. Of course, it wasn¡¯t cheap. A small box of this assortment cost more than ten taels.

    As youngdies of House Ying, their monthly allowances didn¡¯t even hit ten taels!

    This time, Miss Yuan had really given an arm and leg for her little ploy!

    Upon receiving the weird looks from her sisters, the corners of Miss Yuan¡¯s lips lifted into a smile instead.

    ¡°What are you doing nking out like that? Come and eat some! I got these snacks from De¡¯an Restaurant. We don¡¯t get to eat these often in the estate.¡±

    Miss Su¡¯s expression turned even more stern and she gave a warning to Miss Yuan, ¡°Seventh Sister, remember that we¡¯re here to give our congrattions and not for other motives.¡±

    Miss Yuan reached out and picked up a piece of osmanthus cake. ¡°What are you thinking about, Fifth Sister? I haven¡¯t done anything at all, have I?¡±

    Chu Lian was currently attending to Lady Yang and Royal Princess Duanjia in Earth Court 1 when a servant sent by Manager Qin came to report that her sisters from House Ying had arrived.

    When Royal Princess Duanjia heard the report, she immediately rolled her eyes. ¡°What have theye here for?¡±

    Chu Lian smiled but didn¡¯t reply. She knew that Royal Princess Duanjia didn¡¯t like thedies of House Ying. Lady Yang wasn¡¯t someone who liked pandering to social niceties, so she asked Royal Princess Duanjia to continue chatting with Lady Yang while she went over to attend to thedies from her maiden house.

    While on her way, she met Senior Servant Zhong.

    Senior Servant Zhong hesitated for an instant, but she still reported the current situation in the courtyard to Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian looked at the maidservants carrying boxes of snacks behind Senior Servant Zhong and smiled. ¡°Although they could care less, we can¡¯t be remiss with our manners. Momo, send the snacks in anyway.¡±

    Although Senior Servant Zhong looked down upon thedies of House Ying thanks to their behaviour, since Chu Lian had given the order, she couldn¡¯t disobey.

    She bobbed in acknowledgement and followed after Chu Lian together with the two maidservants behind her.

    When Chu Lian noticed this, she was satisfied. Although He Sang had left these three servants to watch her, they were all useful to her in their own ways.

    The moment Chu Lian entered the courtyard, one of the maidservants announced her arrival.

    She entered the parlour of the little court and saw that her sisters had stood up to wee her. However, only Miss Yuan had purposely stood further back to show off the items on the table to her.

    Chu Lian took one nce at the table and curled her lips in disdain inwardly. She just knew that this Miss Yuan would be up to no good. If not for the sake of maintaining peace between the two houses tied by marriage, she really wouldn¡¯t have sent any invitations at all to House Ying.

    Without waiting for Miss Su to speak, Miss Yuan had already started talking, her words dripping with sarcasm. ¡°Sixth Sister must be really busy today. Even your own sisters have been cast off to one side. I wonder which esteemed guests Sixth Sister was attending to just now. Why didn¡¯t you introduce them to us so that we can make their acquaintance?¡±

    Thedies here had heard a little about the friendship between Chu Lian and Prince Wei¡¯s Estate. In Miss Yuan¡¯s eyes, Chu Lian had gotten her Honoured Lady title thanks to her friendship with Royal Princess Duanjia.

    How could she not be jealous?

    Before Chu Lian had gotten married, she had just been someone that she could bully any time she wanted. However, right after marrying into House Jing¡¯an, her fortunes had suddenly changed. Seeing Chu Lian getting along so well in life only made Miss Yuan grit her teeth in anger.

    Chu Lian gestured for her sisters to sit before speaking with a warm smile, ¡°I was apanying Lady Yang and Royal Princess Duanjia earlier, so please pardon me for neglecting Fifth Sister, Seventh Sister and Ninth Sister. However, Lady Yang doesn¡¯t like to interact with strangers, so I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help with Seventh Sister¡¯s request.¡±

    When Chu Lian finished speaking, Miss Yuan¡¯s expression had already turned even darker.

    She hadn¡¯t thought that Chu Lian would reject her so directly.

    However, she couldn¡¯t just force Chu Lian to bring her to meet Lady Yang and Royal Princess Duanjia. Thus, she could only do her best to exercise her self-restraint. She cast her eyes down, only to see the snacks on the table. She harrumphed coldly in her heart and an evil smile surfaced on her lips.

 Chapter 246: Becoming Famous (7)

    Even though Chu Lian wasn¡¯t too fond of this half-sister of hers, it was the grand opening of her restaurant today, so she couldn¡¯t really leave Miss Yuan hanging. She reached out and tugged at Miss Su¡¯s sleeve with a smile as she said, ¡°It¡¯s about time now. Fifth Sister, Seventh Sister, Ninth Sister, the kitchen will send our meal over soon.¡±

    Miss Su quickly shot a nce at the table behind them before looking at Chu Lian again. When she noticed that Chu Lian¡¯s expression was calm, she inwardly heaved a sigh of relief before leading Chu Lian down to sit by the table.

    As much as Miss Su and Miss Fu wanted to avoid creating any awkward situations, with Miss Yuan around, how could that be possible?

    Miss Yuan sent another look at her handmaid. The handmaid then brought over a tray with the freshly brewed tea with an arrogant swagger to her walk. She kept her haughty expression even as she set a teacup in front of each of thedies at the table.

    Miss Yuan picked up the white porcin teacup and lifted it to her nose. After a short sniff, she acted as if she was drunk on the smell of the tea. She then smiled and boastfully said, ¡°Sixth Sister, I usually drink this Zhengshan tea at home, thanks to Grandfather and Grandmother¡¯s love for me. After getting used to it, I just can¡¯t drink any of this North Fujian loose-leaf tea of yours. I¡¯m sure Sixth Sister has never had a chance to taste this Zhengshan tea before. Why don¡¯t you try some?¡±

    Chu Lian stared at Miss Yuan with her big, bright eyes- eyes that seemed like they could see through everyone¡¯s hearts. Miss Yuan didn¡¯t dare to meet that gaze and hurriedly looked away. Even though she should have been pleased with herself, there was a mysterious sense of guilt in her heart.

    Miss Su and Miss Fu stiffened in surprise and turned to Chu Lian with peculiar expressions.

    Chu Lian innocently blinked. ¡°Thank you for the offer, Seventh Sister, but unfortunately, I don¡¯t like sencha anymore.¡±

    She had absolutely zero interest towards sencha. Forget Zhengshan; even if it was the highest grade of tea straight from the imperial tribute itself, Chu Lian still wouldn¡¯t be interested. Seventh Miss Chu Yuan could slowly savour her precious Zhengshan tea by herself.

    Chu Lian¡¯s answer waspletely out of Miss Yuan¡¯s expectations. She stared at Chu Lian with wide eyes, her true emotionspletely revealed on her face despite her best efforts to hide them.

    How could that be? Back in the Ying Estate, Chu Lian had taken utmost pride in her sencha-brewing skill. Even Old Duke Ying had praised her for it once. At every special asion or family banquet, she would always offer to brew some sencha to show off her skills and earn the favour of the older members in their family. However, despite her skill in tea ceremony, she still wasn¡¯t able to get any high-quality tea in her hands. Miss Yuan always mocked her for that, even purposely wasting precious high-quality tea right in front of her eyes.

    Today, she had gotten this Zhengshan tea specifically to provoke her. How could Chu Lian say that she didn¡¯t like sencha anymore!

    How could someone who had previously been so in love with sencha suddenly change her mind? Was that even possible?

    All sorts of thoughts ran through Miss Yuan¡¯s head for a while before she finally managed to calm down. She found the perfect excuse for herself and decided that Chu Lian was just hiding her real emotions. She was probably going mad with envy and jealousy inside, and only acting as if nothing was wrong on the surface.

    Saying that she didn¡¯t want to drink the tea was just to avoid feeling sad over it.

    Hmph, she had already figured out exactly what that Chu Lian was thinking!

    ¡°Since Sixth Sister doesn¡¯t like it, then the three of us will drink it together.¡±

    After saying so, she took a sip right in front of Chu Lian, and even purposely started telling Miss Fu how sweet and aromatic the tea was and how it contained all sorts of vours.

    If Chu Lian knew that Miss Yuan¡¯s abnormal behaviour was meant to provoke her, she would have rolled her eyes directly at Miss Yuan.

    Since she was so good at jumping to conclusions, why didn¡¯t she just jump straight up to heaven?

    Conversely, Miss Su was the one who looked at Chu Lian with worry. ¡°Sixth Sister, you used to love sencha so much. Why don¡¯t you like it anymore?¡±

    Chu Lian reassured her with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why, but I just lost all liking for it. Now I prefer to drink honey water or fruit teas. Perhaps our tastebuds just change with time.¡±

    When Miss Su heard her exnation, she got lost a little in her thoughts. When she thought of how different Chu Lian¡¯s life had turned after marrying into House Jing¡¯an, she didn¡¯t know whether she felt more sympathy or happiness for Chu Lian.

    ¡°Sixth Sister said it well. You¡¯ll be happy as long as you follow your heart.¡±

    Miss Yuan nced at them from the corner of her eyes. Her mind was filled with hatred as she thought, ¡®Keep acting, just keep acting! I want to see how long Chu Lian can keep acting for!¡¯

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t have any energy to waste on guessing Miss Yuan¡¯s thoughts. There was so much on her te. There was no need to bother with a small fry like Miss Yuan who only knew how to jump up and down in a temper. She wasn¡¯t the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ so Miss Yuan was just a stranger to her. As long as Miss Yuan didn¡¯t go overboard, she wouldn¡¯t use any of her limited time and energy to deal with her.

    She wasn¡¯t the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ anymore and she didn¡¯t share any of her past likes. If she suddenly changed all at once, it might draw unnecessary attention, so why not remind her maiden family bit by bit that she was slowly starting to change? She was no longer that Chu Lian who stayed hidden in the Ying Estate.

    Telling them that she no longer liked sencha was just the start.

    She believed that Miss Su would remember her words. As long as Miss Su knew this, Madam Rong would naturally find out about it as well, and if Madam Rong knew, then so did the entire Ying Estate.

 Chapter 247: Becoming Famous (8)

    Chapter 247: Bing Famous (8)

    This chapter has been stolen from vrenovels. Please read from the original source!

    When Miss Yuan saw that Miss Su was chatting happily with Chu Lian, her hands curled into fists. She took in a deep breath and purposely picked up one of the white square snacks on the table. With a voice a little louder than usual, she then said, ¡°This white snow cake from De¡¯an Restaurant matches this Zhengshan so well! I heard Grandmother say that De¡¯an Restaurant¡¯s confections are just as good as the ones in the pce!¡±

    She then looked over to Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian waved over the maidservants behind her who were still carrying the boxes of snacks. ¡°Fifth Sister, Seventh Sister, Ninth Sister, would you like to try the confections from my Guilin Restaurant?¡±

    Without waiting for Miss Su to reply, Miss Yuan cut in again, harrumphing.

    ¡°Sixth Sister, aren¡¯t you overestimating yourself? You¡¯ve just opened this restaurant and you don¡¯t have any secret recipes. How could your confections be better than De¡¯an Restaurant¡¯s? Even if you make them look pretty, that¡¯s just deceiving people. Sixth Sister, you should just pack these up so you don¡¯t dirty other people¡¯s eyes.¡±

    Miss Yuan had gone overboard with her words. These were just some confections, how could they possibly ¡®dirty people¡¯s eyes¡¯?

    Miss Su shot a fierce re towards Miss Yuan and quickly made to reassure Chu Lian. ¡°Sixth Sister, don¡¯t listen to her nonsense! Her personality has always been like this ever since she was little, and I¡¯m sure you know that too. Don¡¯t take her words to heart. Bring out your confections, I want to try them!¡±

    Chu Lian smiled at Miss Su first before looking at Miss Yuan. ¡°If you don¡¯t like my confections, then you don¡¯t have to eat them, Seventh Sister.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, I wouldn¡¯t eat them even if you gave them to me! Let me tell you, I couldn¡¯t care less about your snacks, and I¡¯m not going to eat a single bit of the banquetter!¡±

    Misses Su and Fu were already stunned. Who could have expected the twodies from the second branch to start fighting right in front of them?

    Chu Lian tilted her head as she looked at Miss Yuan without much change in expression. She only said, ¡°Seventh Sister is a guest here at my Guilin Restaurant. Of course Seventh Sister is free to do as she likes.¡±

    After saying so, without a second look at Miss Yuan, she turned to instruct the maidservants on arranging the trays of snacks on the table.

    Multi-coloured round little sponge cakes, steamed vermicelli rolls, osmanthus chestnut biscuits, specially made heart-shaped jujube paste cakes... Various types of snacks were ced in porcin dishes of a variety of different shapes. They looked like miniature art pieces meant for only for admiring: not to be touched, let alone to be eaten.

    Each of the confections were made to be about the size of a quail egg, just about enough for two bites, and each tray contained just three or four pieces. That was just enough for them to have something to snack on with the tea and still have room to enjoy the banquetter on.

    A light fragrance drifted up from the exquisite, elegant pastries. They were ced right next to the ones from De¡¯an Restaurant.

    As long as you don¡¯tpare things, there¡¯s no harm done. De¡¯an Restaurant¡¯s confections looked quite beautiful until they were set right next to Guilin Restaurant¡¯s. They seemed like fine delicacies at first, but now they seemed like a poor man¡¯s fare.

    The contrast was too great to ignore. As blind as Miss Yuan was, she could also tell that De¡¯an Restaurant¡¯s confections just couldn¡¯t bepared to Guilin Restaurant¡¯s.

    Miss Fu let out a gasp of shock. ¡°Sixth Sister, these confections are so beautiful!¡±

    ¡°Have a taste!¡±

    After they ced the round sponge cakes into their mouths, they could feel the soft and sticky texture of the cake as its unique aroma enveloped their tongues. It wasn¡¯t too sweet and even carried a slight bitterness, almost like tea. Miss Su and Miss Fu¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

    Even the normally steady Miss Su¡¯s face had a mixed expression of shock and enjoyment.

    Although Miss Fu carried hidden motives, she was still a young girl. When she found something she liked, she wouldn¡¯t conceal her happiness.

    ¡°Sixth Sister, what is this one called? It¡¯s so tasty!¡±

    Chu Lian pointed at each of the confections and gave a simple introduction of each one.

    Miss Yuan stared at Miss Su and Miss Fu in disbelief. She ground her teeth in frustration as her gazended upon the confections on the table. Although she was about to explode from the pent up emotions in her heart, saliva pooled in her mouth. If not for those words she had said earlier, she would already have grabbed a piece to try for herself and see exactly how tasty these confections were.

    Hidden under her broad sleeves, Miss Yuan¡¯s right hand gathered into a fist. The satisfied expressions of Miss Su and Miss Fu as they ate the confections had be the greatest ridicule to her. She reached out with one hand, seemingly headed towards the tray of Guilin Restaurant¡¯s confections- but she turned and picked up a confection from De¡¯an Restaurant¡¯s tray instead.

    When she ced the white snow cake in her mouth, she could no longer taste the same feeling of sweetness and satisfaction.

    Chu Lian noticed all of her actions, but didn¡¯t say anything. This was what Chu Yuan decided for herself, and she couldn¡¯t me anyone else. Furthermore, the only consequence was that Chu Yuan wouldn¡¯t be able to eat anything from her Guilin Restaurant. That couldn¡¯t be counted as any sort of punishment.

    After fifteen minutes, the trays of confections were cleared away by the maidservants. Out of sight, out of mind. Miss Yuan¡¯s stiff expression loosened a little. However, before she could take a moment¡¯s respite, Chu Lian had already ordered Senior Servant Zhong to bring in the banquet.

    It was then that Chu Yuan realised her torture had just begun, thanks to her presumptuous actions.

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t continue apanying her sisters from House Ying alone, since she still had to attend to Lady Yang and Royal Princess Duanjia. She also had to check in with the male guests in the outer court, since she was the real owner of Guilin Restaurant.

    Miss Yuan still had some integrity in her. Right after Chu Lian left, she took the chance to escape and immediately left Guilin Restaurant. Miss Su and Miss Fu couldn¡¯t let her leave alone, so they notified Senior Servant Zhong. Leaving behind their apologies and gifts, they followed Miss Yuan back to the Ying Estate.

    Miss Yuan had lost her bait along with the fish today. She hade to pick at Chu Lian, only to p herself in the face and be a sorry sight.

 Chapter 248: You Donâ€™t Have to Come Back Anymore (1)

    Chapter 248: You Don¡¯t Have to Come Back Anymore (1)

    This chapter has been stolen from vrenovels. Please read from the original source!

    Later that day, when Miss Yuan returned to the Ying Estate, Second Master Chu Qizheng found out that she had stolen his tea. The two of them started a fight and ended up bearing a grudge against each other.

    When Chu Lian found out about this muchter on, she just listened as if she were hearing a joke.

    Back at Guilin Restaurant, in the outer court meant for male guests, a group of nobles of various ages were sitting together at a table. The eldest there was Old Duke Zheng while the youngest was the young Marquis Weiyuan. These people wouldn¡¯t normally mingle, but had been brought together today thanks to Chu Lian¡¯s amazing food.

    All of them chose to simply enjoy the delicacies before them and avoid bringing up any topic rted to politics.

    After half a month of rest and eating the food carefully made by Mingyan, Old Duke Zheng was now hale and hearty like before. There was even a healthy flush on his nose and he seemed full of energy.

    Old Duke Zheng had recently fallen in love with spicy poached fish. He would order it for every meal in back in the Zheng Estate. The snow white fish slices looked even more fresh and tender when floating in a pool of spicy red chilli oil. They looked so soft that he might even swallow his tongue by ident.

    He had thought that poached fish slices were the highest level of gourmet food. However, it was only today at Guilin Restaurant that he found out this wasn¡¯t so. When a manservant came in and ced a te of grilled fish on the table, Old Duke Zheng¡¯s eyes almost popped out from surprise.

    Guilin Restaurant used the most tender freshwater fish from the Min River to make this spicy grilled fish dish. The specially selected freshwater fish had to be at their freshest when killed. The fish¡¯s flesh had to remain soft and tender when cooked, while the outeryer of fish skin had to be grilled to a crispy brown. During the grilling process, the oiliness of the fish skin had already been wrung out, so after dipping the grilled fish slices into the apanying chilli sauce, so all that was the soft, slippery flesh and the crispy fish skin. After swallowing that down, they couldn¡¯t resist taking another bite and another and another... Their chopsticks couldn¡¯t stop grabbing more fish and cing it in their mouths until the tip of their tongues turned numb. However, that only enhanced their enjoyment of this delicacy.

    There were also some side dishes on the te, like fresh beansprouts, lettuce, roasted chestnuts, and other bright green leafy vegetables. These ordinary vegetables were cooked using the juices from the fish, so they had a different addictive taste.

    All the men seated in the parlour hadpletely forgotten to make small talk while gorging on the delicious food before them. When they finally set their chopsticks down, their noses were already runny. Seeing this, the manservants behind them passed some wet towels up for them. Old Duke Zheng wiped away his snot in satsifaction. It was already autumn, yet there was ayer of fine sweat on their foreheads thanks to the spicy food they had just eaten. Even though this was a rather wretched appearance for a noble man, Old Duke Zheng still gave out a shout of ¡°Amazing!¡± inpliment of the food.

    This made the manservants behind them sweat from embarrassment.

    Marquis Weiyuan¡¯s tastebuds tended more towards light vours and he couldn¡¯t really take spicy food. However, when he saw everyone¡¯s chopsticks reaching out for that steaming hot te of grilled fish, he couldn¡¯t resist the temptation. He gulped some saliva before reaching towards that square te as well.

    After eating two slices of grilled fish, Marquis Weiyuan was almost tearing up from the spiciness. His originally pink lips had also turned red and swollen and looked to be on the verge of turning into mini sausages.

    While rubbing at his lips with one hand, he still couldn¡¯t help picking up more fish with his other hand. He had totally lost his usual noble and handsome bearing. Right now, he was just a greedy foodie with a voracious appetite without any care for his image.

    The heads of the manservants sunk even lower. Each of them tried their best to sink into the floor in shame. Were these men really nobles? Look at the way they were fighting for food!

    Mingyan had also followed Old Duke Zheng to Guilin Restaurant today. She wasn¡¯t actually allowed to be in the parlour with the nobles, so she hid behind a screen and peeked in.

    The manservants in this parlour had all been personally chosen by Manager Qin for their quick wits. Old Duke Zheng had only brought a single maidservant today, so it was obvious that she wasn¡¯t just a normal maidservants. Thus, they simply closed one eye towards her peeping. Anyway, she was just watching from behind a screen and wasn¡¯t doing anything overboard.

    Mingyan¡¯s face had turned pale while she was watching the nobles eat.

    When her gaze hadnded on therge dining table in the middle of the parlour, she suddenly realised that she had never seen a single one of the dishes on the table before!

    Mingyan¡¯s heart sank.

    What was this? How had Third Young Madame up with so many new dishes? Could it be that she had even more secret recipes in hand?

    Lost in her shock, Mingyan leaned on one of the carved flowers on the screen¡¯s frame and the screen almost fell over due to her weight. Luckily, a manservant standing nearby noticed it in time and quickly caught the screen.

    The manservant then spoke up unhappily, ¡°Excuse me, miss. If you¡¯re not needed here, please leave this parlour. If there¡¯s an ident, we won¡¯t be able to make up for it even with our lives.¡±

    Mingyan finally recovered her senses and rationality. She hurriedly thanked the manservant and then stumbled her way out of the parlour with her thoughts in a mess.

    TL Note: I can¡¯t take spicy foods like Marquis Weiyuan, so the sight of all these chillis is scary to me TvT

 Chapter 249: You Donâ€™t Have to Come Back Anymore (2)

    Chapter 249: You Don¡¯t Have to Come Back Anymore (2)

    This chapter has been stolen from vrenovels. Please read from the original source!

    Could it be that Third Young Madam had hidden most of her secret recipes from them when she was back at Songtao Court?

    No, that was impossible. Third Young Madam never evaded them whenever she cooked. She even taught them her secret recipes personally. She wasn¡¯t silly, so she had earnestly remembered and picked up whatever Third Young Madam had taught them.

    Third Young Madam was just a normal person, how could she have an endless store of secret recipes? Even if she had more than a few secret recipes, after all this time, she should have finished learning all of them. Why were there suddenly even more dishes that she hadn¡¯t even seen before?

    Actually, Mingyan had only learned about twenty or so dishes. That number was just a drop in the ocean for the great foodie Chu Lian, who had eaten most of the foods on either side of the Yangtze River.

    It was only Mingyan herself who had thought that she had learned all of the secret recipes that Third Young Madam¡¯s family had passed down.

    Judging from the scene just now, Guilin Restaurant¡¯s dishes had clearly stolen away Old Duke Zheng¡¯s favour.

    How was she going to gain a foothold in the Zheng Estate by Old Duke Zheng¡¯s side from now on like this?

    As she continued thinking, Mingyan¡¯s mood worsened. She wasn¡¯t satisfied. She had already bravely taken the first step away from Chu Lian. She definitely wasn¡¯t going to return.

    She paced about in the corridor outside the parlour, the handkerchief in her hands had already been wrung into knots. Finally, she abruptly made a decision and quickly strode out of the courtyard in the next second.

    She asked directions from a manservant before moving quickly towards the kitchen. However, before she could enter, she was blocked by a tall server guarding the kitchen.

    ¡°Miss, please stop there. Outsiders are not allowed in Guilin Restaurant¡¯s kitchen.¡±

    Mingyan lowered her head and trembled imperceptibly. In the next moment, she had already made up her mind. She raised her head and met the server¡¯s sharp gaze. She spoke confidently, ¡°I¡¯m Third Young Madam¡¯s handmaid and I¡¯vee here with her orders to handle some affairs in the kitchen. How dare you stop me!¡±

    The originally confident server froze for a moment and was at a loss for what to do when a familiar voice sounded from behind Mingyan. ¡°Ah-zhong, go inside and help. Leave this to me.¡±

    The speaker was Xiyan. Xiyan often came to Guilin Restaurant to teach the cooks new dishes, so the staff here were all familiar with her.

    The server called Ah-zhong immediately saluted to Xiyan before entering the kitchen.

    Mingyan¡¯s body was rooted to the spot. She hadn¡¯t expected Xiyan toe to the kitchen at this time.

    However, her next thought calmed her down. She wasn¡¯t doing anything against her conscience here. Furthermore, while serving Old Duke Zheng, he didn¡¯t treat her as a maidservant at all. Even if she imed to be Old Duke Zheng¡¯s granddaughter, others might believe it. Her current status was higher than Xiyan¡¯s, so she could hold her head high and keep her back straight.

    ¡°Miss Mingyan, you¡¯ve been taking care of His Grace all this time. How could I not have noticed when Third Young Madam sent you some orders?¡± Xiyan mocked.

    This Mingyan seemed honest enough in their daily life together previously. Who could have thought that she would have such a disloyal heart? She even tried to fake Third Young Madam¡¯s orders. If she really entered the kitchen, who knew what kind of disaster might ur?

    Today was Guilin Restaurant¡¯s first banquet. It was extremely important and there was no space for mistakes.

    Mingyan could sense Xiyan¡¯s distance in her tone.

    She frowned and scolded Xiyan in her heart. However, she still forced a smile on her face.

    She walked over to Xiyan¡¯s side and said, ¡°Sister Xiyan, you¡¯ve mistaken me. I just noticed that the dishes that Guilin Restaurant brought out today were all new, so I wanted toe over and broaden my horizons a little. I didn¡¯t have any other intentions.¡±

    Xiyan tugged her arm away from Mingyan¡¯s hold and looked at her with a cold expression. ¡°You had better not have any other intentions. If there¡¯s nothing, you should go back to His Grace¡¯s side. Guilin Restaurant¡¯s dishes are all made from secret recipes, it¡¯s not convenient for outsiders to enter.¡±

    There was no courtesy left in Xiyan¡¯s very direct words. She wasn¡¯t someone who liked to beat around the bush anyway. Furthermore, this Mingyan was annoying, so she just spoke however she liked.

    Mingyan couldn¡¯t hold the smile on her face any longer. She stomped her foot in rage, ¡°Sister Xiyan, what do you mean by that? You¡¯re treating me as an outsider? Even when Third Young Madam was cooking back in the estate, she never minded letting me watch!¡±

    ¡°That was because you were still Third Young Madam¡¯s handmaid back then and was someone serving Third Young Madam. However, your current master is Duke Zheng. Whenever you start serving Third Young Madam again is when everything will be as before.¡±

    After throwing down these words, Xiyan couldn¡¯t be bothered to continue talking to this ingrate. She quickly turned and entered the kitchen, leaving just the sight of her back for Mingyan.

    Mingyan red at the kitchen door for a long moment. However, in the end, she could only spit at the door and stomp her foot once more before leaving.

    Following that, Mingyan tried searching for Jingyan and Fuyan. However, they were currently serving by Chu Lian¡¯s side, so she wasn¡¯t able to meet them.

    With an uneasy and impatient heart, Mingyan returned to wait outside the parlour with tumultous emotions.

    Right as she reached the entrance of the parlour, she could hear Old Duke Zheng¡¯s booming voice from within. After a moment of hesitation, she walked forward and came even closer to the parlour.

    ¡°Jinyi, it¡¯s good that you opened this restaurant. This old man will have a ce to eat at from now on.¡± That was Old Duke Zheng¡¯s voice, brimming full of undisguised joy.

    ¡°Then Guilin Restaurant will be depending on Old Duke Zheng from now on!¡± Chu Lian¡¯s voice was uniquely gentle and bright and very pleasing to the ear.

    ¡°Oh yes, these few days, I¡¯ve been recovering well all thanks to the maidservant you left in my estate. Her skills aren¡¯t bad at all. However, my body¡¯s almost fully recovered and I can¡¯t keep your personal handmaid away from you. Why don¡¯t you send someone to take her back today?¡±

    Chu Lian blinked and smiled, ¡°It seems like Mingyan has gotten Your Grace¡¯s favour. This junior has enough servants. Since Your Grace likes her skills, there¡¯s no need to send her back. This junior will send over that girl¡¯s contract over to the estate some other day. That girl has learned quite a few of my secret recipes after all. Your Grace, you have to ept this present from your humble junior.¡±

 Chapter 250: Aftermath of Becoming Famous (1)

    Chapter 250: Aftermath of Bing Famous (1)

    This chapter has been stolen from vrenovels. Please read from the original source!

    What? Third Young Madam wanted to give her away to the Zheng Estate?

    Mingyan¡¯s eyes almost popped out in shock and disbelief.

    Taking the initiative to abandon someone and getting abandoned werepletely different matters.

    Old Duke Zheng looked at Chu Lian with a thought-provoking expression.

    He had been involved in politics for many years, so he could see the real reason behind Chu Lian¡¯s actions without much effort. He thought that Chu Lian would feel awkward or ashamed under his stare, but unexpectedly, there wasn¡¯t even the slightest hint of a blush on her face. Conversely, her eyes remained bright and clear and even carried some amusement. When their gazes met, it was he who felt uneasy first.

    After freezing for a moment, Old Duke Zheng burst out intoughter. ¡°Fine. Since it¡¯s a token of Jinyi¡¯s regard, this old man will ept it!¡±

    Chu Lian bobbed slightly towards Old Duke Zheng. ¡°Mingyan is blessed to be able to take care of Your Grace.¡±

    ¡°Alright, child. There¡¯s no need for all those wishy-washy pleasantries at my age. If that girl serves me sincerely, then I¡¯ll treat her fairly. Now, Jinyi, you¡¯ll have to leave a small court for me here at your new restaurant.¡±

    Chu Lian smiled and agreed to it with a nod.

    Marquis Weiyuan wanted to ask Chu Lian for a court here as well, but unfortunately, with Old Duke Zheng sitting at the same table, he didn¡¯t dare to speak up. He could only scratch his ear and wait for a chance to ask He Dngter instead.

    While the people inside the parlour were chatting away warmly, Mingyan was slowly freezing over outside.

    She was really going to be one of the servants of the Zheng Estate from now on.

    When she thought back to the past few months at Songtao Court, they didn¡¯t seem real now.

    Mingyan pressed her lips together and raised her head. The glint in her eyes shone with resolution. This was the road she had chosen for herself and there was no longer any space to retreat! Compared to living in that small courtyard in the Jing¡¯an Estate and serving a living widow, why not try her luck in the Zheng Estate? She still had Third Young Madam¡¯s secret recipes anyway!

    Once she gained a foothold in the Zheng Estate, she would be able to stand up straight in front of Third Young Madam in the future. She was going to make sure that Third Young Madam regretted abandoning her today!

    A trace of hatred shed across Mingyan¡¯s eyes.

    After getting rid of a burden, Chu Lian felt refreshed. She returned to Earth Court 1 apanied by Wenqing and Wen.

    The days of an empty main hall and deserted entrance were gone. A huge crowd was gathered outside Guilin Restaurant¡¯s in entrance, drawing a strikingparison with the past. If not for the servers constantly reassuring the crowd outside, the customers would all have charged into the restaurant by now.

    The thirty lucky customers who had drawn the winning lots had already been ushered in and given seats.

    The servers were shouting in a lively manner as they passed back and forth between the tables and served up food. Four cold dishes and eight hot ones, together with one soup, were all ced on the tables in just a few moments.

    There were thirteen dishes representing the Thirteen Great Guardians for an auspicious opening.

    This was the first time most of themon folk had seen such a luxurious spread for a banquet.

    There were all sorts of methods of cooking represented by at least one dish on the table: steaming, boiling, frying and even grilling. Two dishes drew everyone¡¯s attention; arge te of poached fish swimming in chilli oil and a te of golden brown, crispy fried chicken.

    The spicy fish dish was extremely new to themoners, so the servers gave a short introduction for the dish when it was served.

    De¡¯an Restaurant¡¯s Mr Wang loved hunting for and trying out new dishes. As he listened to the server introducing this strange-looking dish, his eyes almost popped out of his head.

    On the way here to Guilin Restaurant, he had already gotten one of his servers to investigate the owner of this restaurant.

    It was one of House Jing¡¯an¡¯s businesses, but it wasn¡¯t clear who the real owner was. However, his server had mentioned spotting House Ying¡¯s carriage outside just now, so Mr Wang had a good guess as to who the owner of Guiling Restaurant was.

    Looking again at this table of novel dishes, Mr Wang was ny percent certain that it was that person.

    He had heard about the incident with the longevity peach buns at the Dingyuan Estate. Since he had been the one to make those longevity peach buns, it wasn¡¯t weird at all that he knew about what happened then.

    He had always wanted to meet this Third Young Madam of House Jing¡¯an- that is, the current Honoured Lady Jinyi. If all these brand new dishes hade from that Honoured Lady, then there was nothing unjust about this whole situation. He would willingly admit his loss.

    Mr Wang reached out and grabbed a piece of poached fish with his chopsticks. Chu Lian had been afraid that the people in this era wouldn¡¯t be ustomed to eating spicy vours, so she had prepared the chillis ordingly. After drying the chillis, they wouldn¡¯t be as spicy when used in cooking. There was only a mild spicy taste to the fish, but that was already enough to shock all the foodies present.

    The snow white fish slices were smooth and tender. They practically melted in the mouth without any chewing required and carried a faint fragrance of chilli. It was very appetising.

    Mr Wang¡¯s eyes widened as he savoured this new sensation. He couldn¡¯t wait to try all the other dishes. As he tried each and every one, the pleasant surprise in his eyes only grew heavier. By the time he had tasted all the dishes on the table once, he had already lost all traces of his previous calm.

    Amazing! Amazing! Who could have known that such normal ingredients could bring out such an addictive taste? He was starting to believe that Guilin Restaurant could really live up to its reputation.

    The boasts that Manager Qin had made earlier to attract the attention of the crowd weren¡¯t too exaggerated at all. He believed that the name of this old restaurant that had been hidden for more than ten years in this old west market would be spread all across the capital by tomorrow.

    TL Note: You¡¯ve already seen the poached fish slices just a few chapters back~

    The fried chicken in the story is most likely this famous Taiwanese street food~

 Chapter 251: Aftermath of Becoming Famous (2)

    Mr Wang suddenly recalled that some of his old friends would being to the capital soon. If those old fellows were to taste these dishes, they would probably be addicts on the spot.

    By the time Mr Wang finally regained his senses, there were only scattered dishes and cups left on the table. He gaped in shock with his chopsticks still raised in his right hand. All the dishes had beenpletely emptied. Some of the customers had even poured the remaining bits of sauce into their bowls and scarfed it down with rice.

    ¡°Damn it, I¡¯ve lived for over thirty years and I¡¯ve never tasted anything as delicious as this before,¡±mented a stocky middle-aged man wearing a short tunic.

    Mr Wang mmed his chopsticks on the table in a fit of anger. Although he looked down on this group of people for wolfing down all the food without any manners at all, he realised that he would have acted the same way if he hadn¡¯t been lost in his thoughts. Actually, Mr Wang had the samements as that stocky man. Compared to that man¡¯s thirty years of life, the fifty-year-old Mr Wang was starting to think that all the food he had eaten before had gone to waste.

    After eating such amazing food, he felt that the past fifty years of his life were spent living in hell.

    The excitement of Guilin Restaurant¡¯s opening finally drew to a close.

    Now that the opening had officially ended, the old west market started to recover some of its usual peace and quiet.

    When night fell, Chu Lian returned to the Jing¡¯an Estate together with her servants. Manager Qin would take care of the remaining business at Guilin Restaurant, so she didn¡¯t have to do anything else.

    When she returned to the estate, she first reported everything over at Qingxi Hall before returning to her Songtao Court. Senior Servant Gui knew what Chu Lian¡¯s habits were like; after such a busy day, Chu Lian was definitely going to take a good rest.

    Thus, she had already prepared some soup for Chu Lian. After Chu Lian took a bath and ate some red bean porridge, she immediately entered her bedroom andid down.

    The next day, before the sun had even risen, the narrow entrance of the old west market seemed to have regained some of its past glory.

    It wasn¡¯t just the richermon folk who had gathered there. There were even expensive-looking carriages from different noble estates lined up at the market¡¯s entrance.

    In order to stay close to Guilin Restaurant and be at hand for any matters, Manager Qin slept in one of the courtyards at the back of Guilin Restaurant. Now that the opening day was over, it was as if a burden had lifted from everyone¡¯s hearts. When it was time to rest at night, their hearts and minds had alreadypletely rxed.

    However, before they could get a good night¡¯s sleep, someone knocked loudly at Guilin Restaurant¡¯s entrance.

    Manager Qin struggled to open his eyes. He got off the bed and pushed the windows open a little. When he saw that it was still dark outside and that the moon was still hanging high in the sky, he guessed that it was around 4 in the morning.

    Just as he was about to return to bed and continue sleeping, there was a knock on the door of his room. ¡°Manager Qin, Manager Qin! Wake up! Come over to the entrance and take a look! Someone charged into the restaurant!¡±

    What!

    Manager Qin was shocked wide awake thanks to the furious knocks on his door and the anxious tone of the server outside. He didn¡¯t bother trying to go back to bed and instead tugged on his outer robe and opened the door.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±

    The server was carrying antern. When he noticed that Manager Qin looked like he had just gotten out of bed, he quickly exined, ¡°The entrance was filled with people. For some reason, Ah-zhong opened the door and those people just charged right in. They¡¯ve been making a ruckus about reserving a table. I was going to call more of our staff to chase them off, but some of the people in the crowd look like the stewards of a noble house... The main hall¡¯s already full, so it¡¯s hard to ask them to leave now.¡±

    The server¡¯s face was creased with worry. He was sweating with tension, having to deal with this situationte at night. Furthermore, one of the manservants had reported that one of the doors had been broken from the crowd squeezing in...

    Other people worried about whether they would get enough business. However, their Guilin Restaurant had to worry about how they were going to chase away their customers!

    When this thought passed through the server¡¯s head, he had to resist the urge to sigh.

    Manager Qin had first thought that some hoodlums were trying to cause trouble for them. Who could have expected that it was actually their customers? He didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry, but he didn¡¯t dare to tarry. He changed into decent clothes and followed the server out to the main hall to deal with the situation.

    Although their owner was House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam, there were too many nobles in the capital. A single moment of carelessness could mean identally offending some noble family and bringing disaster upon themselves.

    In the dark of the night, Manager Qin and a few of his more capable subordinates got to work. It wasn¡¯t until daybreak that they finally appeased this crowd of people and got them settled. However, without even giving him the time to take a short break or even a sip of water, another crowd arrived. There were a few middle-aged men in the lead. Before they got to the entrance of Guilin Restaurant, they pointed out the entrance to the people behind them with smiles on their faces. At this distance, he couldn¡¯t tell what they were saying.

    It wasn¡¯t even time for the restaurant to open, but Manager Qin was already sitting by the reception counter with a cup of tea. When he saw that twenty or more people were walking towards them from afar, he felt his head go numb.

    Those... those people weren¡¯t here to have a meal or reserve a table, right?

    Their tables had been booked all the way up till next next month!

    As wise as Manager Qin was, he had never experienced such a situation before. In the end, he sent someone to report this matter to Chu Lian. Fortunately, he was given a solution to deal with this problem- at least temporarily.

 Chapter 252: Getting Rich (1)

    In the blink of an eye, the name of the old restaurant that had almost been buried in the sands of time was now known throughout the entire capital.

    The song that had been sung on the day of the opening, ¡®Song of Heroes¡¯, spread through all the roads and alleyways of the city. The sounds of little children singing ¡®The great rivers all run to the east¡¯ were heard often by the people passing by on the streets.

    The little courts in the back of Guilin Restaurant had been practically booked full by the famous, powerful officials of the capital. Furthermore, the price to reserve a court increased day by day. Even though the customers knew very well that Guilin Restaurant was doing it on purpose to earn their precious silver, there were still people who had money and were willing to spend it.

    On the other hand, the main hall in the front of Guilin Restaurant was open to all regardless of status. The prices were also much more fair. Unfortunately, in order to have a meal there, customers had to reserve a seat at least one month in advance.

    Seeing that the demand for a table at Guilin Restaurant far outstripped the supply, the majority of the capital was waiting with bated breath for Guilin Restaurant to expand their business or even open up more branches. However, there was no movement at all on the part of Guilin Restaurant, just like an old monk who had already settled into meditation. The number of avable tables per day remained the same as well, and they refused to add even just one more to the main hall.

    Before the sky would even turn dark, Guilin Restaurant would close its doors for the night. This frustrated many of the foodies waiting to have a taste of its novel dishes.

    However, even so, Guilin Restaurant wasn¡¯t forgotten by the masses; rather, they became even more famous instead. The more schrly customers who had managed to have a meal there would evenment: ¡°If you travel to the capital and leave without having a taste of Guilin Restaurant¡¯s food, your trip waspletely wasted!¡±

    Those with money to burn would spend great amounts of silver to eat at Guilin Restaurant everyday, thinking that they would eventually be able to wean themselves off of this addiction. However, before they could even get tired of eating the dishes currently avable, Guilin Restaurant would bring out brand new dishes every month, without any repeats.

    The rich, the noble, and even the despotic would eat the dishes here with tears of joy; unable to escape this heavenly trap.

    The daily flow of customers to Guilin Restaurant brought new life to the old west market, making the whole street much more livelier. In just two months, the normal residences around Guilin Restaurant had already opened up shopfronts and began to do business on the street. The old west market was now bustling with noise and excitement-a far cry from itsparatively silent streets not too long ago.

    It had been a whole month since Guilin Restaurant had opened. Today was the day that Manager Qin would meet Chu Lian to check over the ount books.

    Xiyan was even more anxious than Chu Lian was. Early in the morning, while on duty to serve by Chu Lian¡¯s side, she was so nervous that she even identally spilled some honey water.

    When Chu Lian saw this, she found it funny. ¡°Xiyan, why are you so absentminded today?¡±

    Xiyan thought that she might as well set down the teapot in her hands. She walked over to Chu Lian¡¯s side and took a light purple outer coat with a pattern of entwined branches from a young maidservant standing by, and then helped Chu Lian put it on. ¡°Third Young Madam, aren¡¯t you the slightest bit worried? Manager Qin will be sending over the ount books today.¡±

    Chu Lian let Xiyan help her with her belt before reaching out for a teacup and taking a sip of the warm water. She nodded and said, ¡°I know. What¡¯s there to be worried about?¡±

    After Xiyan finished dressing Chu Lian, she felt a sense of helplessness rising within her. ¡°Third Young Madam, don¡¯t you want to know if Guilin Restaurant has made a profit or loss this first month? If the restaurant didn¡¯t manage to turn a profit, then you¡¯ll be two thousand taels in the red! That¡¯s all the money you have at hand! Won¡¯t your heart bleed?¡±

    Right after she said that, Xiyan visibly became even more tense. This little brat, why was she acting as if the money used to renovate Guilin Restaurant hade from her own pockets?

    Chu Lian still found this funny. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be worried about. There¡¯s no question that we¡¯ll be able to earn it back.¡±

    Ah? Xiyan¡¯s mouth gaped wide open in disbelief.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, did you know this... even before you renovated the restaurant?¡±

    ¡°Of course I did; otherwise, why would I have gone ahead with my ns?¡±

    Xiyan hurriedly shook her head and kept quiet. No one else would have that sort of confidence.

    There was no one else who knew better than she what Third Young Madam had sacrificed to open Guilin Restaurant. In order to get the funds for the renovation and opening, Third Young Madam had taken all the gold essories she had and gave them to Senior Servant Gui to melt.

    Two thousand taels wasn¡¯t a small sum. Even the most experienced merchants wouldn¡¯t have the spirit to put all of their eggs- their entire fortune- in a single basket.

    Xiyan was speechless with amazement. The only thought she had in mind was that her Third Young Madam was incredible.

    Actually, Chu Lian wasn¡¯t as incredible as Xiyan thought she was. She simply didn¡¯t treat money as all that important. In her eyes, even if she lost the two thousand taels she had invested, it wouldn¡¯t matter too much. She would still be House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam and be able to eat good food all day. Furthermore, she wasn¡¯t all that bad at business in the first ce, at least not to the point that she would lose all her capital.

    If Xiyan were to find out that the master she greatly admired had thoughts like that, she would definitely roll her eyes.

 Chapter 253: Getting Rich (2)

    In the afternoon, Manager Qin came to the estate dressed in a new purplish blue robe.

    Chu Lian met him in the parlour of Songtao Court.

    Perhaps due to a whole month of good business, as well as Guilin Restaurant¡¯s good food, the young Manager Qin seemed to have be fatter. His originally slim body had turned into a potbelly, giving the maidservants the urge to sweat.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, this is Guilin Restaurant¡¯s ount book for the past month.¡± Manager Qin bowed respectfully towards Chu Lian before offering up the ount book with two hands.

    Chu Lian flipped through one or two pages of the book before setting it aside. ¡°Manager Qin, give me a short summary of the ounts. I¡¯ll keep this ount book and go through it in detail over the next few days.¡±

    Manager Qin couldn¡¯t wait for Chu Lian to ask him about the ounts.

    He had learned how to manage shops by following his father around since he was young. Later on, as the years passed, he was able to manage businesses by himself. Perhaps due to the influence of his younger years, he was able to turn a normal store into a profitable business at the tender age of fifteen. He was already in his twenties now, but this Guilin Restaurant was one of the most sessful businesses he had ever managed.

    Thus, he couldn¡¯t wait to show off his achievements to Chu Lian.

    When Xiyan heard the number that Manager Qin reported, she froze on the spot from shock.

    Three thousand, five hundred and eighty taels!

    That was after subtracting the running expenses for Guilin Restaurant!

    That is to say, Guilin Restaurant had turned a profit of 3580 taels alone this month!

    Heavens!

    Taking away the 2000 taels of initial capital that Chu Lian had invested in Guilin Restaurant at the start, that was still 1800 tales of pure profit!

    What kind of concept was that?!

    Xiyan¡¯s mind immediately turned nk.

    Chu Lian had already expected a profit from Guilin Restaurant, so she wasn¡¯t as shocked as Xiyan was. However, even so, that amount hadpletely exceeded her expectations for the first month. She had really underestimated the spending power of the people in the capital.

    After asking Manager Qin for a few more details, it was only an hourter that Senior Servant Gui escorted Manager Qin out.

    Chu Lian opened up the wooden box of money that Manager Qin had left behind and took out two bills to pass to Xiyan.

    ¡°Keep these for Songtao Court¡¯s daily expenses. Mother¡¯s birthday ising, so we can use that chance to give out some rewards for all the people in our courtyard. You can decide what to do with the rest of the money by yourself.¡±

    Xiyan held the two hundred-tael bank notes in her hands and spoke with disbelief in her tone, ¡°Third Young Madam, all this is from Guilin Restaurant¡¯s profit?¡±

    Chu Lian red at her speechlessly. ¡°Of course! Do you want to count through all the notes in this box and see if it¡¯s really a thousand taels?¡±

    Xiyan quickly shook her head. ¡°No, no, this servant doesn¡¯t have to count it. This servant trusts that there¡¯s a thousand taels in there. Third Young Madam, you¡¯re amazing! This servant just can¡¯t really believe it. Back in the Ying Estate, it would have taken us quite a few years to save up a hundred taels!¡±

    Chu Lian blinked in surprise. She hadn¡¯t expected this girl to think back to the past. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t think about those things now. I¡¯m not the Sixth Miss of House Ying anymore. I¡¯m now House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam and an Honoured Lady personally named by the Emperor.¡±

    Xiyan rubbed away the tears that had leaked out unconsciously from her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right! Young Madam¡¯s days are much better now. If only Third Young Master could be by Young Madam¡¯s side, then all would be well.¡±

    Xiyan¡¯s words made Chu Lian¡¯s face stiffen.

    Her days had been too carefree; she had almost forgotten that she had a husband who had gone off to the northern border.

    She wondered how that crazy, unfortunate husband of hers was doing. She hadn¡¯t gotten any letters from him for a month. Maybe the nk letters she had sent him had upset him and made him even more unhinged?

    Chu Lian shook her head. What was she doing thinking about He Sang?

    It was more important to pass her days in peace.

    She remembered that the Great Doctor Miao was supposed to appear in the capital around this time.

    Chu Lian blinked and the corners of her lips lifted up in excitement.

    With her here, she wasn¡¯t going to let that Xiao Bojian get to Great Doctor Miao first.

    Sometimes, you really can¡¯t speak of the devil. Not even an hour had passed since she had thought about how He Sang hadn¡¯t sent any letters back for a while, when Senior Servant Liu personally came over to Songtao Court with some maidservants in tow.

    Chu Lian stood up to wee her.

    Senior Servant Liu was wearing an azure cloak lined with down. Her hair was pressed t to her face thanks to the outside winds, and it looked like she had rushed all the way here.

    ¡°Momo, pleasee in and sit! Have a cup of hot tea.¡± Chu Lian quickly ordered Fuyan to serve some tea.

    It was already October and the weather was turning cold.

    Winters in the capital were always bitterly cold and dry.

    Senior Servant Liu was clearly in high spirits as she took out a thick letter from her sleeve without waiting for the tea. She passed the letter to Chu Lian and said, ¡°Third Young Madam, Third Young Master personally wrote this for you! Look, it¡¯s such a thick letter, too!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s lips parted in surprise as she took the parcel. ¡°Hus.... Husband sent letters back?¡±

    It was only then that Senior Servant Liu took a seat and sighed. ¡°If it isn¡¯t so! There was another letter for the matriarch as well. These were just sent here by a soldier from the posthouse. He said that there was a huge snowstorm near the northern border and the highways between the cities were blocked. We were supposed to get this letter about half a month ago, but it was dyed thanks to the snowstorm. I heard the northern border is supposed to be many times colder than the capital! Third Young Master has never been to the northern border before, I wonder if he¡¯ll be able to get used to the weather there...¡±

    As Senior Servant Liu spoke, her eyes started to redden and the tears gathered in her eyes fell.

    Amongst the three young masters in House Jing¡¯an, Senior Servant Liu cared the most for He Changdi. Back then, after Countess Jing¡¯an had given birth to He Changdi, her health had taken a turn for the worse and He Sang had been practically raised by his grandmother. Senior Servant Liu had taken care of He Sang alongside his nursemaid.

    Chu Lian had gotten lost in her thoughts after hearing Senior Servant Liu¡¯s words. The weather at the northern border had already turned cold, and it was already snowing in the nearby cities!

    So early!

    There was no longer any trace of the excitement and joy she had had earlier. Instead, her brows drew together in tension.

    This was the first time Senior Servant Liu had seen such an expression on Third Young Madam. She thought that her words had caused Third Young Madam¡¯s to worry, so she quickly wiped away her tears and forced herself into using a happier tone. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s this old servant¡¯s fault. Third Young Madam, please don¡¯t worry. Although Third Young Master looks a little skinny due to his height, he has been practising martial arts alongside the Count and his brothers ever since he was a child, and he¡¯s very skilled! The weather at the northern border must be nothing to him. Furthermore, all we¡¯ve heard is some hearsay from others, so it might not be true. See, Third Young Master sent out his letters after all. Third Young Madam, why don¡¯t you open it up and see what Third Young Master has written?¡±

 Chapter 254: My Dear Wife Madam Chu, Treat This Letter Like My Person (1)

    After noticing Senior Servant Liu¡¯s expectant expression, Chu Lian could only tear open the letter on the spot.

    As expected, there was a thick stack of paper within. Chu Lian didn¡¯t know what to expect. She had never received a reply from He Sang before. Remembering those ghastly brushstrokes of his thest time, it would be a miracle if she could make out what he was writing.

    Chu Lian took out the papers from the envelope and prepared herself for some major squinting and headaches to make out He Sang¡¯s terrible writing. However, when she looked at the letters, it seemed like he had actually put effort into his writing this time. The brushstrokes on the paper looked beautiful and refined, yet bold and powerful at the same time.

    ¡°To my dear wife Madam Chu, treat this letter like my person.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened slightly in surprise, but she calmed down her emotions and continued reading.

    There were actually eight whole sheets of paper in this very thick letter. Although Senior Servant Liu couldn¡¯t see what was written on the papers, she could see that each sheet was covered in writing. Her eyes curved upwards in a smile; it looked like Third Young Master had a lot to say to Third Young Madam!

    Those servants outside were all blind. How dare they say that Third Young Master and his wife weren¡¯t on good terms with each other? How could they say that Third Young Master had gone to join the army at the northern border because he wasn¡¯t happy with this marriage that the old matriarch had gotten for him? Look at this thick stack of papers! If those people dared to continue speaking nonsense like that, she was going to smack them in the face with this letter!

    He Sang had written a lot in this letter. It took Chu Lian fifteen whole minutes to finish reading it all.

    When she lifted her gaze from the paper, she was met with Senior Servant Liu¡¯s bright, sparkling eyes. The old servant practically had the words ¡®tell me what¡¯s in the letter¡¯ written on her forehead.

    Chu Lian felt a little embarrassed and was very put on the spot. She didn¡¯t know what to tell Senior Servant Liu.

    Did she really have to tell Senior Servant Liu that He Sang had questioned why she had sent him an envelope full of nk papers? That he had said she didn¡¯t deserve to be his wife since she hadn¡¯t put in full care and consideration for him?

    He had alsoined that she hadn¡¯t sent anything for him in the previous package. Her husband was fighting hard in the far off northern border, yet she hadn¡¯t even sent him proper clothes and shoes or socks. Furthermore, she hadn¡¯t sent any of the beef jerky and grape wine that she had sent thest time!

    He Sang even added on that she shouldn¡¯t think too highly of herself even though she was already an Honoured Lady personally named by the Emperor. An Honoured Lady was just a fifth-ranked title. If she wanted a greater noble rank in the future, she would still have to depend on him, her ¡®useless¡¯ husband!

    When Chu Lian had started reading the letter, she did get a little angry at his words. However, as she continued reading on, she couldn¡¯t help but find it funny instead.

    When she looked carefully at the words again, why did it seem like these bold brushstrokes carried the traces of sourness?

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes. This crazy husband of hers, He Sang, was being a hypocrite.

    Right after they had gotten married, he hadpletely changed into a different person and left her all alone in the estate without any warning at all. However, now he suddenly turned around and was trying to dictate her life; what gave him that right?!

    Just look at what this guy had written at the end of his letter:

    ¡°Madam Chu, as my wife, what are you doing cooking for other people all day! Remember what a wife is supposed to do!¡±

    Could she just trante these words into: ¡®You¡¯re not allowed to cook for anyone else but me! Otherwise I¡¯m going to get mad!¡¯

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes and didn¡¯t take He Changdi¡¯s words to heart at all. He Sang was far off at the northern border, how was he going to do anything to her from that distance?

    However, she hadn¡¯t expected that He Sang would get promoted to captain this quickly. She actually admired him for his ability due to this. It wasn¡¯t easy to rise through the ranks in the army, especially during peacetime and in such a short amount of time. Great General Qian was known to be a strictmander as well.

    It looked like the hints she had drawn for He Sang thest time hade into y.

    Chu Lian was still in the dark about her unintentional involvement in He Changdi¡¯s promotion.

    Chu Lian coughed awkwardly before reporting to Senior Servant Liu, ¡°My husband wrote that he¡¯s already a captain of the infantry in the northern border army. He has a sixth-ranked military title now.

    ¡°Aiyah, that¡¯s great news! This old servant has to report this to the matriarch immediately!¡±

    After saying so, Senior Servant Liu quickly got up and rushed all the way back to Qingxi Hall with the people she had brought with her.

    Chu Lian helplessly wiped away some sweat. At least she had somehow gotten Senior Servant Liu out of here. Otherwise, she really didn¡¯t know how she was going to exin the rest of the letter to the wise senior servant.

    However, it seemed like Senior Servant Liu hadn¡¯t been acting in her reaction just now. Hadn¡¯t He Sang reported his promotion in his letter to Grandmother?

    But why? Could it be that he was aiming much higher and thought that a small captain rank wasn¡¯t worth mentioning?

    Then why had he talked about it in his letter to her? Furthermore, he had even emphasised his newly gotten rank to her.

    Chu Lian thought hard and finally arrived at a possible conclusion.

    Could her Honoured Lady title have aggravated him somehow? Was He Sang trying to show off to her that he had a bright future ahead as well? That any future noble titles of hers would be up to him to bestow on her?

    Chu Lian shook her head and smiled. This sudden thought was just too silly.

    He Sang clearly didn¡¯t like her at all, judging by how he had treated her after marriage. If he could divorce her without any reason at all, he probably wouldn¡¯t even take a minute to make a decision. How could a man who treated her like that suddenly think of her in that way?

    The corners of her lips tugged downwards. She wasn¡¯t supposed to think about all this. It was better to just be ayabout who didn¡¯t need to care about annoying things like this!

    Xiyan was watching her master¡¯s expression change from the side with an uneasy heart. She didn¡¯t know what Third Young Madam was thinking about.

 Chapter 255: My Dear Wife Madam Chu, Treat This Letter Like My Person (2)

    The day after tomorrow was Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s birthday. All these important events had been squeezed together for some reason. It was going to be Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s birthday right after the autumn examinations ended, so the results of the autumn examinations would likely be posted on that day. However, since House Jing¡¯an was a military official family and none of their family members had taken part in the examinations, they wouldn¡¯t need to bother with the results. They would most likely hear about the top three schrster and discuss it for a moment before forgetting about it.

    However, Chu Lian knew that the top schr for the autumn examinations was going to be Xiao Bojian, the original male lead of the story. That scheming and ambitious man was going to use this result to transform himself and secure a seat at court.

    As much as Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to see that happen, she had no way to stop it either. There was a limit to her ability, and Xiao Bojian had a mysterious power backing him. She hadn¡¯t finished reading the book. Up to where she had stopped, the author had only mentioned that Xiao Bojian had a powerful force backing him, but hadn¡¯t revealed more details about it.

    As her thoughts led up to here, Chu Lian wanted to smash her bed out of regret and frustration. Why hadn¡¯t she read the ending first before starting the book!

    Her half-baked knowledge of the events of the book was now making her uneasy. She didn¡¯t know what Xiao Bojian was going to doter on.

    However, since she didn¡¯t know what was going to happen, she could only take it one step at a time. At least she still had a general understanding of the events of the near future, so she didn¡¯t have to worry too much for now.

    The day before Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s birthday.

    It wasing close to winter in the capital. Cold winds blew past like knives gliding across people¡¯s cheeks.

    The north wind was blowing in the courtyard, but the bedroom in Qingxi Hall was as warm as spring thanks to the underground heating.

    By this time, Matriarch He had already woken up and was in the midst of having breakfast. While drinking some warm tea, she chatted with Senior Servant Liu and Muxiang.

    Senior Servant Liu was squatting down and massaging Matriarch He¡¯s legs. ¡°Matriarch, you should have seen how sweet Third Young Master and Third Young Madam are with each other. Third Young Master wrote a letter this thick for Third Young Madam!¡± After saying so, she even held up two fingers to illustrate her point. ¡°This old servant was just sitting next to Third Young Madam and watching her read the letter. Third Young Madam read through that letter at least seven times over!¡±

    ¡°Oh my, this Sang. He¡¯s finally realising how good his wife is after leaving for the north. That¡¯s fine, the two of them are still young. Once Sang remembers this suffering, the two of them will be even closer after hees back.¡± Matriarch He had still been a little unwell over the past few days. However, after receiving a letter from her youngest grandson yesterday, her spirit had returned, along with her smiles. She looked both cheerful and energetic today, and her pallor seemed to have improved.

    Senior Servant Liu knew that Matriarch He was the most worried about He Changdi out of her grandsons, so she took the chance to try to cheer Matriarch He up with some news.

    What else could make Matriarch He happy other than good news about the youngest couple of their family?

    When Madam Zou arrived at the entrance of the bedroom with her daughters in hand, she heard the sounds ofughter from within.

    Madam Zou frowned; in this month, she had actually slimmed down quite a bit. Her originally slightly plump cheeks were now sunken in on her face, making her look much older than she actually was.

    She gritted her teeth with a spark of unhappiness in her eyes.

    Her mother-inw¡¯s birthday was almost here and she was the one who had to take care of all the matters rted to it as thedy-in-charge of the household. She was so busy that she barely had any time to rest. It was already bad enough that the matriarch wasn¡¯t helping her, but look at what was happening in her courtyard. They wereughing so loudly like they had forgotten their manners.

    Little An and Little Lin trembled in their mother¡¯s grip. Their expressions seemed a little strained, as if they could sense their mother¡¯s unhappiness.

    The maidservant watching the door helped Madam Zou lift the curtains covering the entrance and Madam Zou led her two little ones into the warm room.

    When they caught sight of the affable Matriarch He, Little An and Little Lin immediately broke free from their mother¡¯s hands and ran towards the matriarch.

    Matriarch He chuckled and lifted the two children to sit on either side of her. She then patted their heads.

    ¡°Little An and Little Lin havee! Was it cold outside?¡±

    Little An tugged at her little sister¡¯s hand and secretly nced at Madam Zou before shaking her head obediently, ¡°Little An isn¡¯t cold at all. Little An wanted toe and see Great-Grandmother earlier!¡±

    ¡°Ay, my Little An¡¯s the best!¡±

    Matriarch He quickly carried the six-year-old Little An and hugged her.

    Since the matriarch¡¯s health had just recovered, Senior Servant Liu was afraid that the weight of Little An might hurt the matriarch¡¯s body. She quickly shot a look at the two nursemaids standing by and the two nursemaids hurried forward to carry the children away to y.

    It was only after Madam Zou had finished watching Matriarch He bonding with her two children that she stepped forward to greet the matriarch. ¡°Granddaughter-in-Law greets Grandmother.¡±

    Matriarch He waved away the formality and instructed her granddaughter-inw to take a seat.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting colder outside now. Little An and Little Lin are still young and they¡¯re just little girls. Their bodies are frail, so you don¡¯t have to bring them to greet me every day. Let the two children sleep a little more.¡±

    These were just Matriarch He¡¯s way of caring for her great-granddaughters, but it seemed to hold a different meaning in Madam Zou¡¯s mind.

    Her expression stiffened and she replied, ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be good, Grandmother. Although they¡¯re young, they¡¯re still your legitimate great-granddaughters. Greeting you in the morning is part of their duties.¡±

 Chapter 256: Targetting Guilin Restaurant (1)

    Matriarch He stiffened imperceptibly and turned towards Dng¡¯s wife, who was sitting not too far away with her head down.

    Even though they met every day, why did she have the feeling that Dng¡¯s wife had changed a lot recently?

    How could Matriarch He have missed that hidden meaning in Madam Zou¡¯s words? Dng¡¯s wife was afraid that the two little ones had lost favour with her and was trying to make sure that she wouldn¡¯t forget about the existence of the two young girls.

    Unfortunately, Madam Zou hadn¡¯t understood her kind intentions at all. Her heart was only filled with thoughts of fighting for favour.

    Matriarch He¡¯s earlier good moodpletely dissipated.

    ¡°Do as you like. Make sure that the servants keep a watch on the girls¡¯ health. The weather outside is so cold now, so make sure they put on moreyers and bring a hand warmer with them when going out.¡±

    ¡°Granddaughter-in-Law understands.¡±

    Matriarch He picked up her teacup and took a sip before she said, ¡°It¡¯s your mother¡¯s birthday tomorrow; how are the preparations going?¡±

    ¡°Rest assured, Grandmother. Granddaughter-in-Law has already ordered the servants to prepare everything. There won¡¯t be any idents tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°This old woman is already getting on in age and your mother¡¯s health still isn¡¯t what it was. It¡¯s been hard on you all these years!¡±

    Madam Zou almost cried out upon hearing these words of praise from Matriarch He. Wasn¡¯t it so? She was the only one managing this huge estate. How could it possibly be easy? She had to get up early in the morning before the sun rose and listen to the daily reports from all the stewards of the estate, arrange for servants where needed, and even had to mind the rtionships between the people in the estate.

    It could be said that this great Jing¡¯an Estate wouldn¡¯t be able to function without her.

    Madam Zou felt even more aggrieved upon thinking about all this and sunk even further into her self-pity.

    Tears leaked out of her eyes, already beyond her control. ¡°As long as Grandmother understands Granddaughter-in-Law¡¯s hardships, then this bit ofbour is nothing to Granddaughter-in-Law.¡±

    ¡°Alright, stop crying, don¡¯t spoil your eyes by crying too much. If you have any hardships, you can tell Grandmother directly.¡±

    Madam Zou was still choked up with tears as she looked up at Matriarch He with wet eyes. ¡°Grandmother, since you asked, Granddaughter-in-Law won¡¯t keep it from you anymore. Granddaughter-in-Law does have a matter to discuss with Grandmother.¡±

    Matriarch He was slightly stunned. She hadn¡¯t expected that Madam Zou would really take her up on her offer.

    ¡°What is it? Just say it out directly. There¡¯s nothing you have to hide from me.¡±

    Madam Zou hesitated before finally gathering the courage to speak. ¡°Grandmother, Mother¡¯s medical expenses... I¡¯m afraid our estate¡¯s public ounts can no longer afford them...¡±

    A single month of Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s medicine cost at least a thousand taels. The monthly ie for House Jing¡¯an¡¯s public ounts was merely one to two thousand taels. Furthermore, Madam Zou wasn¡¯t good at business management, and the managers of the stores and properties they had were appropriating funds for themselves. It was getting harder and harder to keep this noble estate afloat.

    Countess Jing¡¯an had previously paid for her own medicine, and her expenses had only shifted to the shared ounts just two months ago. After less than three months, the estate¡¯s funds were already dwindling.

    Matriarch He hadn¡¯t expected that their estate¡¯s funds would be exhausted so quickly. Her brows drew together in a frown and she was about to speak when a maidservant announced the arrival of Third Young Madam.

    Even though the matriarch had been interrupted, she wasn¡¯t angry at all. Instead, her expression turned cheerful. ¡°Quick, invite Sang¡¯s wife in. It¡¯s cold outside!¡±

    The thick curtains covering the entrance of the heated room were pulled aside by the maidservant standing outside, and Chu Lian crouched slightly to enter the room.

    Since Chu Lian¡¯s noble title had been bestowed by the Chengping Emperor himself, she could be counted as part of the imperial family. Thus, the pce¡¯s Department of Textiles had sent Chu Lian two outfits when they prepared winter clothing for the imperial family.

    There was a lovely light vermillion court dress and a simpler teal dress with auspicious pictures embroidered over it. There were twelve pictures of flowers embroidered on each dress, and the design was bothplicated and beautiful at the same time. This standard of craftsmanship was as expected from the department in charge of clothing the imperial family.

    Today, Chu Lian was wearing that bluish green dress with a red skirt.

    Her slender hands were stuffed into a snow white sleeve made of rabbit fur. She only wore a single white jade hairpin on her head, and the rest of her ck hair was left cascading down her back with some strands resting on the fluffy white fur cor of her dress. She looked like a cute, obedient little bunny in this getup. If not for the fact that her hair was done up in a married madam¡¯s hairstyle, one might think that she was a young noble maiden who had juste of age!

    ¡°Granddaughter-in-Law hase to greet Grandmother,¡± Chu Lian cheerfully called out as she entered the room.

    Matriarch He felt happy just seeing Chu Lian¡¯s smooth as porcin, doll-like face with a smile. ¡°What are you doinging here so early on such a cold day! Come, sit next to Grandmother!¡±

    Chu Lian bobbed towards Madam Zou before sitting next to Matriarch He.

    The matriarch ordered Senior Servant Liu to give Chu Lian a cup of warm honey water. She knew her little granddaughter-inw didn¡¯t like to drink sencha, unlike most people.

    Madam Zou watched coldly as Matriarch He unconsciously showed loving care and consideration for Chu Lian. The hands under her sleeves curled into fists.

    Madam Zou suppressed her jealousy and waited until Chu Lian had been given a warm cup of honey water. Only then did she say, ¡°Grandmother, about that matter that Granddaughter-in-Law mentioned earlier...¡±

    Reminded of the pressing problem at hand by Madam Zou, Matriarch He¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°It was my fault for not considering this matter more carefully. However, I seem to remember that we should have at least three thousand taels of ie from the shopfronts in our estate¡¯s ounts.¡±

    Three thousand taels were more than enough to sustain the estate¡¯s monthly expenses, even after taking away Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s medicine fees.

    Madam Zou¡¯s lips parted, but she hesitated to speak. Finally, she used her remaining courage to say, ¡°Grandmother, that was the situation five years ago. It can¡¯t bepared to the situation now.¡±

    Madam Zou suddenly shot a nce in Chu Lian¡¯s direction. When she saw that her sister-inw had her head lowered and was drinking some honey water instead, a spark of dissatisfaction shed through her heart. ¡°Granddaughter-in-Law doesn¡¯t have a single store in hand that canpare to Third Sister-in-Law¡¯s Guilin Restaurant.¡±

 Chapter 257: Targeting Guilin Restaurant (2)

    Chapter 257: Targeting Guilin Restaurant (2)

    This chapter has been stolen from vrenovels. Please read from the original source!

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t in charge of managing the estate and had no desire to take up the responsibility, either. She had just been drinking her water and doing her best to be one with the background. Why had this eldest sister-inw of hers suddenly shifted the topic to her instead?

    Chu Lian¡¯s hands froze while in the midst of holding up her cup. However, she knew it wasn¡¯t a good time to speak and remained silent.

    Matriarch He¡¯s brows furrowed together. How could the estate¡¯s ie have shrunken so fast?

    When given the rights to manage the properties of their noble estates, the madams of other estates would likely develop the properties in their hands further and bring in more ie. However, look at Dng¡¯s wife. Not only had their businesses stagnated, but their ie had even shrunk by half. How was she managing the estate¡¯s properties?

    After Madam Zou spoke, she did feel a little guilty. She had appropriated some funds to plump up her dowry and House Dingyuan¡¯s second branch after bing thedy-in-charge of the estate. Otherwise, the estate¡¯s ie couldn¡¯t have declined so fast.

    In the beginning, Guilin Restaurant hadn¡¯t been Chu Lian¡¯s property; rather, it had been part of the matriarch¡¯s dowry.

    Madam Zou only saw the vast profits that Guilin Restaurant was bringing in now, but had never thought of the reason, or person, behind Guilin Restaurant¡¯s sess.

    If not for Chu Lian, then Guilin Restaurant would still be hidden away in the old west market and making a loss!

    After hearing Madam Zou¡¯s words, Matriarch He was stunned for a moment. When she recovered from her daze, she said, ¡°Dng¡¯s wife, what are you thinking about now?¡±

    Madam Zou took a deep breath and pinched herself under her sleeves. She gathered up her courage to say, ¡°After all this time, Granddaughter-in-Law has finally seen that Third Sister-in-Law has a good hand at managing businesses! We¡¯re all House Jing¡¯an¡¯s granddaughters-inw, so Third Sister-in-Law should put some responsibility on her shoulders, too. Since Third Sister-in-Law has the capability, why don¡¯t we move Guilin Restaurant into our estate¡¯s public ounts? If Grandmother thinks that this is doing a disservice to Third Sister-in-Law, I can move out some other properties from the public ounts aspensation. Since Third Sister-in-Law is so skilled, I¡¯m sure those properties can be the next Guilin Restaurant in less than two months.¡±

    Once Madam Zou finished speaking, it was not only Chu Lian, but even Matriarch He and Senior Servant Liu who were shocked.

    A glint shed through Chu Lian¡¯s wide almond-shaped eyes. Chu Lian inwardly sneered. She hadn¡¯t expected that Madam Zou would try to pull such a trick on her here.

    It seemed like she had set her sights on Guilin Restaurant and was already green-eyed with envy.

    What a pity that Matriarch He had already handed over the deeds and documents for Guilin Restaurant to her a few days ago. Guilin Restaurant was nowpletely hers. It was useless for Madam Zou to ask for it from Matriarch He. If she wanted Guilin Restaurant, Madam Zou should be pleading her for it instead.

    Chu Lian lowered her gaze and continued her silence with a calm expression, as if Madam Zou¡¯s words had nothing to do with her, as if Madam Zou wasn¡¯t trying to steal the property in her hands right in front of Matriarch He.

    Matriarch He and Senior Servant Liu turned to look at Chu Lian at the same time.

    The furrow between Matriarch He¡¯s brows grew even deeper. ¡°Dng¡¯s wife, what are you saying? I¡¯ve already told you that I¡¯ve given Guilin Restaurant to Lian¡¯er. You were present then and you didn¡¯t say anything. Why are you trying to ask for it back now? This isn¡¯t appropriate. Furthermore, I¡¯ve already given Lian¡¯er the deed to Guilin Restaurant.¡±

    Madam Zou¡¯s expression changed abruptly. ¡°Grandmother, if we have this Guilin Restaurant in the estate¡¯s public ounts, we won¡¯t have to worry about Mother¡¯s medicine fees any longer. What¡¯s more, Third Sister-in-Law is capable in this respect, she...¡±

    ¡°Alright, you don¡¯t have to say any more. I¡¯ve already made my decision. Since you said that the public funds can no longer amodate your mother¡¯s monthly medical expenses, then I¡¯ll pay for half of it from my own private funds. The remaining half will be paid for with the public funds.¡±

    This wasn¡¯t the result that Madam Zou wanted. What she wanted was Chu Lian¡¯s Guilin Restaurant! That was the real golden goose!

    If she managed to get it in hand, that meant that she would own all of Guilin Restaurant¡¯s secret recipes. By then, she could even open up ten restaurants like Guilin if she wanted to. Wouldn¡¯t she be rolling in riches then?!

    Just as Madam Zou was getting antsy and trying toe up with her next n, Chu Lian suddenly spoke up. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Eldest Sister-in-Law and Grandmother were worried over this matter. Grandmother, let Granddaughter-in-Law pay for Mother¡¯s medicine expenses instead. Granddaughter-in-Law¡¯s Guilin Restaurant has indeed earned quite a sumst month. Since Granddaughter-in-Law has the ability to do so, Granddaughter-in-Law should support the estate in this manner. It¡¯s also Mother¡¯s medicine expenses we¡¯re talking about here. Since Sang isn¡¯t around, this is all Granddaughter-in-Law can do for the estate. Granddaughter-in-Law hopes that Grandmother and Eldest Sister-in-Law will ept this small effort.¡±

    Chu Lian had been intending to act as a silent prop in the background and drink her favourite honey water while listening to Grandmother and Eldest Sister-inw chat about family matters. However, since Madam Zou was trying to plot against her, she wouldn¡¯t simply lie back and take it. She wasn¡¯t someone to be bullied!

    She hadn¡¯t really wanted to say something like this at first, but the situation had forced her hand.

    Bringing up the matter of Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s medicine fees in front of Matriarch He was already reflecting rather badly upon Madam Zou. However,ter on, without offering to pay for her mother-inw¡¯s medicine herself, she had even tried to snatch away Guilin Restaurant, her sister-inw¡¯s only property. Those high-sounding words she had used to pave the way beforehand were just that, grand yet empty. How could Matriarch He not detect the selfish motives in Madam Zou¡¯s words?

    Despite that, Chu Lian had readily agreed to this when Madam Zou waspletely unwilling to do so.

    She was even going to pay for her mother-inw¡¯s expenses.

    With thisparison, it was easy to tell who was the better person. Madam Zou had been leftpletely in the dust.

    Besides that, Chu Lian was originally a poor miss without much in her dowry, so thisparison stood out even more.

    Madam Zou¡¯s face turned a different colour and shifted through all sorts of expressions.

 Chapter 258: Birthday (1)

    Chapter 258: Birthday (1)

    This chapter has been stolen from vrenovels. Please read from the original source!

    Chu Lian¡¯s offer waspletely out of Matriarch He¡¯s expectations. She stiffened for a moment in surprise before tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.

    She knew roughly how much Guilin Restaurant earned in a month. Manager Qin had previously been one of her servants after all.

    She also knew that Dng¡¯s wife had brought up that idea purely out of jealousy. In order for their family to stand stably, the inner court had to be at peace or in bnce. The matriarch was gratified that Chu Lian was able to make such an offer for the greater good. At the same time, shemented how much Madam Zou had changed.

    In the end, she made the final decision. ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, since you have the heart to do so, you¡¯ll be the one to pay for your mother¡¯s medicine fees from now on. However, only do so within your own capability and don¡¯t push yourself too hard. No matter what happens to you afterwards, you still have this old woman here to support you!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s almond-shaped eyes turned upwards in a smile. ¡°Granddaughter-in-Law understands! I won¡¯t be too shy to ask for help from Grandmother!¡±

    Matriarch He dwelled in thought for a moment before turning to Madam Zou and speaking, ¡°Dng¡¯s wife, this old woman did not expect the family¡¯s shared properties to have declined to this state. The me for this can¡¯t be ced on your shoulders, since you didn¡¯t have a capable steward to help you manage these properties. I gave Sang¡¯s wife a manager before, so I¡¯ll send you one as well. He¡¯ll help you with managing the estate¡¯s properties!¡±

    Madam Zou looked up in shock right after Matriarch He finished speaking. Her lips trembled and parted as the urge to reject this arrangement flooded her being. However, when she met Matriarch He¡¯s sharp old eyes, any hope of struggling faded away.

    It seemed like Matriarch He had already detected those small tricks she had pulled with the estate¡¯s properties beforehand, but the matriarch hadn¡¯t bothered to stop it due to her trust in her. Now that she was starting to target the third branch with her schemes, Matriarch He naturally wouldn¡¯t continue letting her greed run free.

    Now that Matriarch He had ced a manager by her side with apletely upright reason, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to continue appropriating funds in secret.

    Madam Zou was filled with regret. Not only had she failed to steal Guilin Restaurant, but she had even lost her source of ie to boot.

    When Matriarch He saw that Madam Zou had remained silent and was simply looking downwards at the floor, the matriarch frowned and raised her voice with an unhappy tone, ¡°Dng¡¯s wife, did you hear me?¡±

    Madam Zou¡¯s body shook once. Matriarch He¡¯s rage showed clearly through her voice. ¡°Granddaughter-in-Law hea.. heard you.¡±

    Matriarch He had already been feeling unwell these two days. After facing such a huge problem in the morning thanks to Madam Zou, her head was starting to ache.

    ¡°Alright, since there¡¯s nothing else to discuss, all of you should return. Bring Little An and Little Lin back with you too.¡±

    Madam Zou was currently feeling very low, so she left quickly with her two daughters.

    Chu Lian was one step behind her. Just as she was about to step out of Qingxi Hall¡¯s entrance, someone with a clear voice called out from behind.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, please wait.¡±

    Chu Lian paused and turned back to look, only to see Matriarch He¡¯s handmaid Muxiang and a few maidservants carrying some exquisite wood boxes.

    Muxiang hurried over in two strides, ¡°Third Young Madam, the weather has turned cold, so the matriarch has sent this servant over to escort you to Songtao Court.¡±

    Thus, with Muxiang supporting her arm on one side and chatting to her, Chu Lian returned to Songtao Court. Following that, Muxiang instructed the maidservants behind her to ce the brocade-lined boxes on the parlour¡¯s table.

    ¡°These are some rewards that the Empress Dowager bestowed upon the matriarch. There¡¯s a handsome white fox fur coat within; it¡¯s quite a rare treasure due to its purity. The matriarch said: a white fur coat like this wouldn¡¯t suit her at her age, but it will fit Third Young Madam perfectly. There are also a few brand new exquisite ruby and sapphire essories. The matriarch ordered this servant to bring these over to Third Young Madam as well because they¡¯ll go along perfectly with the outfits the pce sent over for you!¡±

    Chu Lian epted the gifts and had Senior Servant Zhong send Muxiang off. She returned to her own little study, knowing very well that these gifts were Matriarch He¡¯s way ofpensating her.

    She had taken a look at that white fox coat earlier. It was brand new and hadn¡¯t even been worn, so it was indeed a rather expensive gift. If not for that ruckus today, this fox coat would most likely have been given to that sister-inw of hers, Madam Zou.

    Of course, the reason Chu Lian knew this was because she had read about it in the story before.

    However, due to her arrival in this story, she had changed some of the events.

    Just as Chu Lian was about to sink into her thoughts, Wen came in to pass a message. ¡°Third Young Madam, Manager Qin hase over. He¡¯s waiting in the parlour outside.¡±

    Chu Lian stood up to meet Manager Qin.

    In less than fifteen minutes, they were done with the meeting and Manager Qin left.

    Senior Servant Gui had been standing behind Chu Lian during the meeting. She had a bewildered expression on her face as she asked, ¡°Third Young Madam, what is this about?¡±

    Just now, she had watched as Chu Lian gave Manager Qin a letter and listed out three questions. Manager Qin was to put up these three questions at the entrance of Guilin Restaurant with a notice to announce that anyone who could answer all three questions correctly would get a free meal at Guilin Restaurant.

    Chu Lian smiled mysteriously, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, momo! It¡¯s not anything bad. It¡¯ll be a surprise!¡±

    Senior Servant Gui was even more confused. She couldn¡¯t even start to guess at what her master was trying to do now.

    Nheless, with Chu Lian¡¯s guarantee, Senior Servant Gui felt reassured.

 Chapter 259: Birthday (2)

    In the afternoon, someone from the outer court came to ask Chu Lian for her reply to He Changdi¡¯s letter.

    The manservant who hade was Senior Servant Liu¡¯s son, who was working in the outer court.

    Actually, Chu Lian had already prepared the letter and the apanying package yesterday.

    If not for the huge package that Third Young Madam¡¯s maidservants were carrying, the manservant would have already tried to hint at how the letter seemed to be a little too thin.

    When he held it in his hands, it was almost as light as a feather. Looking at how thin it was, there was most likely only a single sheet of paper inside. Didn¡¯t Third Young Madam have any sweet nothings to say to Third Young Master?

    Third Young Master¡¯s letter had been so much thicker!

    As the manservant carried the package on his back and left Songtao Court, his lips were pressed together tightly. This letter was way too thin! How was he going to report this to his motherter?

    Wasn¡¯t Third Young Madam way too rxed? Wasn¡¯t she worried that Third Young Master would fall for other women while he was away?

    Even though she had been given the chance, she hadn¡¯t tried to bond more with her husband. Third Young Madam was still too young!

    If this manservant were to find out how He Sang had been passing his days at the northern border, he probably wouldn¡¯t be thinking like that.

    Once House Jing¡¯an¡¯s letters and packages had been sent to Prince Jin, they still had to be brought to the northern border through Prince Jin¡¯s connections before they could reach He Sang¡¯s hands.

    In Prince Jin¡¯s study, he was currently pacing about in the room with his hands behind his back. His umon azure eyes were shining under the light of the candles illuminating the space. After a short moment¡¯s wait, the sound of footsteps could be heard from outside the study.

    When the footsteps stopped, a rough voice called out, ¡°This subordinate greets Prince Jin.¡±

    ¡°Enter.¡±

    A man carrying a sword at his waist, dressed in a ck robe that red widely at the ends entered the room. He walked straight up to Prince Jin¡¯s side.

    ¡°Have you carried out the tasks that this prince has entrusted to you?¡±

    The square-faced man tensed and knelt down on one knee next to Prince Jin. ¡°This subordinate is useless. This subordinate hasn¡¯t found the person that Your Highness is searching for.¡±

    Prince Jin sighed and walked over to his desk. He took a seat and picked up the small brush that had already been dipped in ink. Then, he set the brush to paper with vigorous and lively movements. After a few moments, he lifted his brush and let the paper dry before inserting it into an envelope.

    He ced the letter into the package from House Jing¡¯an and stood up before giving orders to the man in ck. ¡°Send this to the Eagle team. They¡¯ll know what to do. As for the other matter this prince has entrusted to you, continue investigating. You must find that person as soon as you can!¡±

    After the ck-robed man left with the letter and package, Prince Jin sat back down behind his desk with his brows drawn together. Even though He Changdi was one of his most trusted brothers, he still found it hard to believe what He Changdi had written in his letter.

    Countess Jing¡¯an had been ill for more than twenty years. Could that wandering traveller called Miao really treat her sickness?

    Of course, Prince Jin didn¡¯t know that it was this Great Doctor Miao who had been the one to treat the Chengping Emperor when he had been afflicted with an incurable illness in He Changdi¡¯s past life. Xiao Bojian had been the one to rmend this doctor to treat the Emperor, extending the Emperor¡¯s life for five more years.

    Later on, when Count Jing¡¯an had met this Great Doctor Miao, he had described his- by then deceased- wife¡¯s symptoms to this doctor. Great Doctor Miao had then personally dered that Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s illness could be curedpletely. After treatment, her body would simply be a little weaker than most.

    Back then, when the newly returned Count Jing¡¯an had learned of this news, he had locked himself in his study for three whole days and nights. It was also due to this abnormal action from Count Jing¡¯an that the He Family had all learned that Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s illness could have been treated. They simply hadn¡¯t been able to meet the right doctor at the right time.

    The tenth of October was Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s forty-fifth birthday.

    Although it didn¡¯t mark the end of another decade of life, it was about halfway.

    Additionally, Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s health had always been rather poor. Her situation had also been getting worse in the recent months; perhaps due to the lower quality of medicinal herbs or some other reason.

    These few days, she hadn¡¯t been able to get up from bed at all.

    Matriarch He was extremely worried. Her son and his wife were very close. However, her son was currently guarding the border at Mingzhou. If anything were to happen to his wife, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to meet her onest time. What were they going to do in that case?

    What¡¯s more, it wasn¡¯t just Count Jing¡¯an who was far away from the estate. There was also that little rebel Sang out there!

    Matriarch He wanted to use Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s birthday as a chance to celebrate and cheer her up a little.

    However, she didn¡¯t send out many invites to the celebration. She only invited the noble madams anddies that their House was closer to.

    She also sent a letter to her second grandson, He Changjue, who was still serving in the Left Military Guards, asking him to return home that day for a meal.

    He Changjue normally stayed away from home out of fear that his senior family members would try to force him to marry. Thus, he usually stayed in the Left Military Guard barracks even on rest days.

    However, this time, it was his mother¡¯s birthday. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid returning home. He switched shifts with one of hisrades and rushed home early on the day itself with his mother¡¯s birthday present.

    Chu Lian had already prepared her present much earlier. It was a pearl headdress that she had personally designed and specially requested one of Jinshi Pavilion¡¯s master craftsmen to make.

    Pearls were good for the health and suited Countess Jing¡¯an more than those blinding precious stones.

    Furthermore, the headdress design that Chu Lian hade up with waspletely new to the Great Wu Dynasty. Fresh and elegant, they were most suited for a forty-five-year-old noble madam to wear.

    Royal Princess Duanjia wasing to the celebration today too. They had agreed on it beforehand. If she hadn¡¯t been afraid to steal the spotlight at Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s birthday banquet, Princess Wei would have also liked toe!

    Early in the morning, Royal Princess Duanjia was escorted to House Jing¡¯an¡¯s entrance by her estate¡¯s guards.

    Chu Liu had said that she would personally cook breakfast for her if she arrived early.

    Even though Royal Princess Duanjia knew that Chu Liu was a foodie, she hadn¡¯t actually seen her cook with her own eyes yet!

    Royal Princess Duanjia had been waiting forever for this day. Thus, when getting off her carriage, she was a little rash in her actions.

    She tried to jump off the carriage before it had evene to aplete stop. In the next instant, all she could hear was the bellow of a horse as the world turned into a flurry of motion.

 Chapter 260: First Place (1)

    He Eng innocently rode his handsome horse on his way back to the estate without any inkling of what was about to happen to him.

    After getting scolded by his superior yesterday, he then had to face a messenger sent by his grandmother to harry him into returning home for his mother¡¯s birthday. He hade out from his barracks on horseback early this morning with his heart filled with frustration. Thus, he had let his horse sprint all the way to the entrance of the estate before thinking to pull in the reins, only to see a low-key luxuriously decorated horse carriagee speeding over recklessly. Before the carriage even stopped, someone jumped out from the carriage and started on a collision course with his horse¡¯s belly.

    He Eng was pretty skilled in martial arts; with a twist of his waist, he reached out with his muscled arms and grabbed hold of the person about to fall out of the carriage.

    However, in order to do so, he had to kick off on his horse¡¯s side. The horse began to cry out from the immense pain it was feeling; it reared up and tried to shake He Eng off its back.

    He Eng¡¯s arms were wrapped around Royal Princess Duanjia. Upon realising that he was about to fall off his horse, he could only twist his body again and roll off from the horse¡¯s back himself. However, he wasn¡¯t able to adjust his center of gravity properly and ended up in a position where he was going to fall onto Royal Princess Duanjia.

    He Eng suddenly realised that he was holding a fragile youngdy in his arms. If he really fell right on top of her with his huge frame, wouldn¡¯t she be squashed t?

    After that thought shed through his mind, He Eng had already made his decision. He shifted his body slightly and let his broad back face the carriage. His toned arms tensed and pulled Royal Princess Duanjia into his embrace.

    Just as Royal Princess Duanjia was about to scream from fright, she heard the muffled thud of a body mming against the side of the carriage.

    Finally, it was He Eng¡¯s broad back that hit the ground first. Royal Princess Duanjia was protected in his embrace, so all she suffered was some messy hair and disheveled clothing.

    He Eng felt a twinge of pain in his back, but his only reaction was a slightly furrowed brow. He quickly loosened the hold of his arms and asked in his deep and slightly husky voice, ¡°Miss, are you alright? Have you been hurt?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t until she heard He Eng¡¯s caring words that Royal Princess Duanjia finally returned to her senses. She was still slightly dazed andpletely forgot how to move, or even how to speak. She simply stared at the strong-looking man under her nkly.

    ¡°Your Highness, Your Highness! Are you alright?!¡± Without waiting for Royal Princess Duanjia to finish regaining her wits, her servants had alle running over to her with pale faces.

    When one of her handmaids saw that the princess was still dazed and lying on top of a man¡¯s body, all the remaining colour drained from her face. She quickly went over to help Royal Princess Duanjia up.

    ¡°Your Highness, have you been hurt anywhere?¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia subconsciously shook her head in reply. She allowed one of her handmaids, Jinxiu, to straighten out her disheveled clothes with the help of another handmaid while she turned to look at the man who had just saved her.

    After hearing how the group of servants had addressed the girl he had just saved, He Changjue was also slightly surprised. He hadn¡¯t expected that the person he had just saved would turn out to be a royal princess.

    When Royal Princess Duanjia had been helped up by those servants, He Changjue had also gotten up onto his feet and dusted off his sleeves.

    His height wasn¡¯t noticeable while he was still lying on the ground. However, the moment he stood up, his head seemed to be a whole length higher than thedies around him. He Changjue looked both tall and strong, and the uniform of the Left Military Guards only emphasised his broad shoulders and narrow waist.

    His skin was slightly tanned, and although his features weren¡¯t as fine as He Changdi¡¯s, he gave off a firm and resolute aura. Just his mere presence was reassuring to the people around him.

    When He Changjue noticed Royal Princess Duanjia looking up at him, he shifted his gaze away and bowed towards her. He apologised and said, ¡°My name is He Changjue of the Left Military Guards. This humble one was terribly impolite towards Your Highness just now, but this humble one was forced to do so due to the circumstances. Please forgive this humble one, Your Highness.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia kept staring at him silently. However, in her heart, she was now clear on He Changjue¡¯s identity. When she saw that this tall, strong man had to bend down and lower his head to her, that he didn¡¯t even dare to look at her, it was odd- the princess didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit inclined to me He Changjue for the incident. Instead, the mischievous urge to keep watching his awkwardness rose up in her mind.

    When He Changjue didn¡¯t hear any response from the princess before him for a long while, he looked up a little and nced at Royal Princess Duanjia. However, when he caught sight of the sly look in her eyes, He Changjue stiffened and felt even more uneasy.

    Jinxiu was getting more and more antsy just watching this. It wasn¡¯t good for them to continue standing like this in front of the Jing¡¯an Estate¡¯s main entrance. Today was Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s birthday, so there were definitely going to be more guestsingter on.

    Royal Princess Duanjia hid away the emotions in her eyes and purposely raised her chin to say, ¡°Then this princess will forgive you just this once for your offence. There will be no next time.¡±

    After finally getting a response from the princess, He Changjue inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Many thanks, Your Highness.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia soon entered the Jing¡¯an Estate with her servants supporting her on either side and He Changjue following behind with some distance between them. Royal Princess Duanjia had thought that he would escort her to the parlour in the outer court at first, but He Eng quickly turned and left on a different path after they entered the Jing¡¯an Estate.

    When she turned around, all she caught was his tall figure hurriedly leaving.

    Royal Princess Duanjia couldn¡¯t help but bite her lip in frustration. Following that, she went to Songtao Court to look for Chu Lian.

 Chapter 261: First Place (2)

    Chu Lian knew that Royal Princess Duanjia was going toe early today, so she was in the middle of cooking some chicken porridge for the princess!

    She ordered Xiyan to make more crystal buns since Royal Princess Duanjia liked them, and then retreated from the kitchen back to her bedroom to change into another outfit.

    Right after she finished changing, she heard some noise from Songtao Court¡¯s entrance.

    Royal Princess Duanjia immediately told Chu Lian all about what had happened to her just now, giving Chu Lian a huge fright. How lucky that Second Brother hade back to the estate at the right time. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been good if Royal Princess Duanjia had really fallen.

    She instructed Wenqing and Wen to bring Royal Princess Duanjia to another room to wash up a little and change out of her clothes before the two of them sat down to have breakfast.

    Royal Princess Duanjia pouted. ¡°Chu Liu, I missed the chance to watch you cook for me again.¡±

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes speechlessly. ¡°Princess, isn¡¯t it good enough if you get to eat the results of my cooking? Why do you want to watch me cook? Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re trying to learn how to cook yourself? If you want to learn how to cook, it¡¯s easy enough. I¡¯ll just write out some of my recipes for you and you can get one of your estate¡¯s cooks to teach you.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia quickly shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to learn how to cook. That¡¯s too troublesome. If I want to eat something good, I¡¯ll juste look for you. Anyway, I cane at any time and you¡¯ll cook for me regardless, right, Chu Liu?¡±

    ¡°Then why do you want to watch me cook?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just curious! I want to see how you made all these delicacies step by step.¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know what to say at all about Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s strange liking.

    Royal Princess Duanjia suddenly reached out with her chopsticks and pointed at the ¡®crystal buns¡¯ and ¡®crystal dumplings¡¯ in front of her. ¡°Chu Liu, you haven¡¯t made these for He Sang to eat before, have you?¡±

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t sure why Royal Princess Duanjia had suddenly asked such a question, but she shook her head honestly.

    Strictly speaking, it seemed like He Changdi had only eaten her wontons and scallion pancakes before? Uh... and that beef jerky she had sent.

    Now that she thought about it, he really hadn¡¯t eaten much of her cooking.

    ¡°Hahaha...¡± Royal Princess Duanjia suddenly burst out intoughter, even holding onto her stomach.

    Chu Lian tapped the jade bowl in front of her. ¡°Princess, are you going to eat or not? If you¡¯re not going to eat this, I¡¯ll let the maidservants clear it away.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia quickly covered the bowl full of chicken porridge protectively and shook her head. ¡°No, don¡¯t clear it! I haven¡¯t even eaten enough! Chu Liu, I just suddenly thought that He Sang is rather pitiful, hahaha! He actually hasn¡¯t tasted such delicious buns before!¡±

    Chu Lian nced at Royal Princess Duanjia helplessly. She was clearly reveling in someone else¡¯s misfortune. Who wouldugh like that if they were pitying others¡¯ circumstances?

    It wasn¡¯t until Royal Princess Duanjia had filled up her tummy that she let the maidservants clear away the dishes on the table and ordered two cups of honey water.

    Royal Princess Duanjia held up the white porcin teacup with both hands. ¡°Chu Liu, the rankings for the autumn examinations are already out. Take a guess at who the top three are?¡±

    Chu Lian stiffened. She hadn¡¯t expected the rankings to havee out so quickly. When she remembered that Xiao Bojian had been the top schr for the autumn examinations in the story, her mood turned sour.

    She half-heartedly replied, ¡°Schrs from the imperial college?¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia didn¡¯t notice Chu Lian¡¯s sudden change of mood. She nodded and continued, ¡°That¡¯s right. Other than the second ced schr, the first and third ced schrs all came from the Imperial College. The top schr this time is the Imperial College¡¯s Xiao Bojian. Speaking of which, you should know of him. He¡¯s one of your grandfather¡¯s pupils and he¡¯s even been living in the Ying Estate.¡±

    Chu Lianpletely missed whatever Royal Princess Duanjia said after she heard that Xiao Bojian had gotten the first ce in the examinations. Her heart seemed to quiver as she thought about the events in theter part of the book. As optimistic as she was, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t help but frown.

    ¡°Chu Liu, Chu Liu. What¡¯s wrong? Are you listening to me?¡±

    Chu Lian was dragged back to reality by Royal Princess Duanjia. ¡°Ah? What did you say, Your Highness?¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia cast a measuring gaze towards Chu Lian. ¡°Chu Liu, what¡¯s happened to you? You seem a little absentminded.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. My spirit hasn¡¯t been too good these few days, perhaps due to how busy I¡¯ve been.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia could tell that Chu Lian wasn¡¯t willing to talk about it, so she simply repeated the question she had just asked. ¡°What kind of gift did you prepare for Countess Jing¡¯an? When I arrived at Songtao Court just now, a few of your maidservants were chatting and saying that your eldest sister-inw¡¯s going to give the Countess a hundred-year-old ginseng! He Sang isn¡¯t around, so you can¡¯t let her beat you!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing topare.¡±

    ¡°No way, I just don¡¯t like that eldest sister-inw of yours. Look at how fragile and gentle she¡¯s acting. You must be getting bullied by her often here! This won¡¯t do! I¡¯ll send someone back to my estate to bring a two-hundred-year-old red ginseng over!¡±

    The corner of Xiyan¡¯s eyes twitched as she listened to this conversation and she sighed in her heart. With Third Young Madam¡¯s temperament, how could she possibly get bullied? If anyone actually dared to bully her, she would return it eye for eye on the spot.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that! I¡¯ve already prepared my gift.¡±

    After saying so, Chu Lian sent Xiyan into her room to bring out an essory case to let Royal Princess Duanjia have a look.

    ¡°This headdress is for Princess Wei. Your Highness, help me bring it back to her. I¡¯ll also be giving my mother a pearl headdress, just in a different style and with different materials. However, I personally designed both of these and ordered a master craftsman from Jinshi Pavilion to make them both.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia opened up the case, revealing an elegant pearl headdress within. Its design was novel and exquisite. Even the essories from the pce couldn¡¯tpare to this. She said sourly, ¡°Chu Liu, don¡¯t tell me that my mother has a higher position in your heart than I do?¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. She could only bring out another small box. ¡°Here, I prepared this for you. It¡¯s a pink pearl bracelet, also designed by me. I have a matching bracelet.¡±

    It was only after seeing the bracelet that Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s mood lifted. She immediately put it on her slender wrist and showed it off to Chu Lian.

    Actually, there wasn¡¯t any special meaning behind Chu Lian¡¯s gifts. She only felt that she had to give them something in return, especially since Princess Wei would bestow some rewards to her each time she visited Prince Wei¡¯s Estate. Princess Wei was her elder too, so it wasn¡¯t good for her to keep receiving gifts from her without an appropriate return gift. It was already prettyte to be giving her a return gift at this time.

    Princess Wei treated her very well. She could even tell that Princess Wei looked at her with the same loving gaze she would look at Royal Princess Duanjia with.

 Chapter 262: Birthday Gift (1)

    Chapter 262: Birthday Gift (1)

    This chapter has been stolen from vrenovels. Please read from the original source!

    Although Chu Lian didn¡¯t know why Princess Wei cared for her so much, she knew that Princess Wei was being genuine.

    Chu Lian and Royal Princess Duanjia chatted happily together in Songtao Court. When Chu Lian noticed that it was about time, she led Royal Princess Duanjia over to Matriarch He¡¯s Qingxi Hall.

    The moment they reached Qingxi Hall¡¯s entrance, they could hear the pleasant buzz of women chattering away.

    Royal Princess Duanjia nced curiously towards Qingxi Hall before tugging at Chu Lian¡¯s sleeve and asking, ¡°It sounds like there are a lot of youngdies inside.¡±

    A sly glint shone in Chu Lian¡¯s eyes. She covered the mischievous smile on her lips and replied, ¡°Royal Princess, didn¡¯t you see my Second Brother today? I¡¯m afraid Grandmother¡¯s using this chance to help him look for a bride!¡±

    Ah?

    He Changjue was looking for a bride?

    For some reason, Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s spirits fell upon hearing this piece of news.

    Chu Lian assumed Royal Princess Duanjia didn¡¯t know the context for this, so she continued to exin the current state of the Jing¡¯an Household. ¡°Princess, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t know this, but my Second Brother doesn¡¯te home often. Even Grandmother can¡¯t do anything about him. However, as a legitimate son of House Jing¡¯an, he can¡¯t stay single forever. So Grandmother is using Mother¡¯s birthday banquet as an excuse to invite more noble families over with their eligible daughters.¡±

    He Changjue was already twenty four this year. At this age, he could be considered an old bachelor in the capital.

    However, considering House Jing¡¯an¡¯s good reputation and noble family status, coupled with He Changjue¡¯s looks, character, and position in the Dragon Guards, there were still many families looking to marry their daughters to him, even though he was slightly older than the usual age of a bachelor.

    Thus, there were quite a few noble madams anddies in attendance today.

    The sweet and charmingdies here were all waiting for the chance to meet He Engter on when it was time to wish Countess Jing¡¯an a happy birthday.

    Royal Princess Duanjia had actually heard some rumours about the He Family¡¯s second son before. However, they had still beenplete strangers at that time, so she had just treated them as some funny stories to listen to. Now that Chu Lian was talking about it to her directly, there was a strange feeling in her heart.

    Was He Eng really going to choose a wife?

    Chu Lian pulled Royal Princess Duanjia along with her into the courtyard and headed towards the heated room.

    Chu Lian had gotten the chance to marry into House Jing¡¯an thanks to that peculiar reputation thedies of House Ying had. Later on, she had made a name for herself at House Dingyuan. Almost right after that, the Emperor had personally given her the title Honoured Lady Jinyi, and then she had opened a restaurant that seemed to be growing more and more popr each day.

    Any one of these events would be enough to fuel the capital¡¯s gossip mills for a while. However, they were all centered around the same person and had happened one after another. The group of noble madams anddies gathered around Matriarch He were eagerly waiting to meet the Honoured Lady Jinyi, who had somehow gone from a nobody to the talk of the town right after marrying into House Jing¡¯an.

    Thisdy had been an insignificant youngdy from a third-rate noble house before. How had she suddenly turned into such a bright personage that no one was able to ignore?

    When Chu Lian and Royal Princess Duanjia entered the heated room, everyone¡¯s gazesnded on the two of them at the same time.

    The two youngdies had very simr figures; the only differences were in their clothing and essories. Their facial features even carried the same sense of purity and beauty. If not for the very different hairstyles and clothing the two were wearing, this group ofdies might not have been able to tell which one was Royal Princess Duanjia and which one was House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam.

    When they had their first look at Chu Lian, who was wearing a dress with some auspicious patterns outlined in silver thread, thedies were all slightly surprised.

    The actual appearance of Chu Lian was way too different from the image of the infamous Honoured Lady Jinyi they had in their minds.

    Chu Lian¡¯s young face still carried some baby fat in her cheeks. Her skin looked as soft as rose petals kissed with morning dew, and the rest of her features were equally fair and fine. There was the smallest smidge of pink lipstick entuating her tender lips, and the corners of her mouth seemed to naturally curve upwards, so she looked like she was smiling even in the most neutral expression. The most startling feature of them all were her almond-shaped eyes.

    Slightly moist and crystal-clear, they looked as if they could see through anything.

    Some of the older madams held a hand up to their foreheads in shock. They couldn¡¯t quite ept this huge gap between their expectations and reality. The... The Honoured Lady Jinyi who was the talk of the town was merely a young and tender little girl!

    After Chu Lian bobbed in greeting to the elders present, she tilted her head in extreme confusion. The corners of her eyes twitched as she had a strange feeling that the noble madams and misses seemed to be looking at her rather weirdly.

    Royal Princess Duanjia wasn¡¯t just any normal royal princess. With Chu Lian by her side, the attendees of today¡¯s banquet were naturally jumping for the chance to speak to either her or Chu Lian.

    Additionally, the food lovers present tried toe over to ask Chu Lian about reserving one of the special little courts in Guilin Restaurant that only the rich could afford. They all hoped that they might use this chance to trade favours and get themselves one of those little courts.

    Regardless of gender, thetest trend amongst the capital¡¯s upper ss was now to treat their friends to a meal at Guilin Restaurant. That was something even more impressive than hosting a banquet at Yuehong Restaurant.

    All the noble madams anddies gathered around Chu Lian and Royal Princess Duanjia. Even the focus of their chatter switched to these two outstanding youngdies, causing the expression of the originally popr Madam Zou to turn a little stiff.

    However, Matriarch He was happily watching. Prince Wei didn¡¯t participate in politics, and he was also the Emperor¡¯s full-blooded brother. Now that Royal Princess Duanjia was close with her Third Granddaughter-in-Law, it also meant that Prince Wei¡¯s Estate was close to House Jing¡¯an. That was a very good thing indeed.

    Sang¡¯s wife might be somewhatzy, but her actions always seemed to align with Matriarch He¡¯s wishes.

    Thus, even though their guests were now surrounding the two youngdies, Matriarch He didn¡¯t call a stop to it.

 Chapter 263: Birthday Gift (2)

    Madam Zou wanted to draw everyone¡¯s attention back, but she didn¡¯t dare to make any moves in front of Matriarch He. She could only grit her teeth and bear with it. However, the gaze she cast towards Chu Lian was full of envy and disgust.

    This state of affairs didn¡¯t carry on for too long. When Matriarch He saw that it was about time, she led the group of guests over to Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s courtyard.

    Once they entered the courtyard, they met Heir Jing¡¯an, He Changqi, and the second son, He Changjue.

    All of the guests here knew very well what the actual purpose of this gathering was. As soon as they entered the parlour, the focus of the noble madams anddies shifted towards the two men.

    Royal Princess Duanjia was walking by Chu Lian¡¯s side. She turned her head slightly to look at He Eng, only to see him standing there with his head lowered like a block of wood or a statue, not even daring to look up.

    It was only then that a hint of satisfaction showed in Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s eyes.

    Countess Jing¡¯an had already changed into an auspicious dark red gown and an outer coat lined with red fox fur. There was a turquoise headband resting on her forehead, and she had taken the care to powder up her face a little, concealing most of her usual sickly air. The thickness of her winter clothing also covered up how skinny she was. At a nce, she didn¡¯t look much different from a normal, healthy noble madam.

    The noble guests came up one by one to wish Countess Jing¡¯an a happy birthday and to offer up their gifts.

    The guests today were all from houses familiar with House Jing¡¯an. Knowing that the sickly Countess Jing¡¯an wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand a prolonged banquet, they didn¡¯t drag out the ceremony and moved at a quick pace.

    Finally, it was time for the two daughters-inw to congratte their mother-inw on her birthday.

    Madam Zou¡¯s gift was indeed a hundred-year-old ginseng, causing the people gathered to react with amazement.

    Countess Jing¡¯an held Madam Zou¡¯s hands in hers and patted the back of her hand. ¡°Dng¡¯s wife, you didn¡¯t have to go to such big expense!¡±

    ¡°Mother, I would be willing to go vegetarian and pray in our family¡¯s Buddhist shrine for three months as long as it can help you recover, let alone give you just one ginseng.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an smiled and rebuked her gently for not caring more for her own health instead.

    The noble madams seated around Matriarch He and Countess Jing¡¯an all praised Madam Zou for being filial.

    Madam Zou cast her gaze downwards as if embarrassed by the praise. In actual fact, she was brimming with glee.

    She had spent a few hundred taels on that hundred-year-old ginseng and had even been feeling a little sorry about the expense. However, now that this ginseng had earned her some good reputation amongst thesedies, she felt that the money had been well spent.

    Filled with satisfaction, Madam Zou¡¯s gaze couldn¡¯t help turning to Chu Lian. A glint of provocation and smugness from her victory shone in her eyes.

    Now that she had given such a precious gift right before Chu Lian, if Chu Lian¡¯s gift looked too shabby inparison, she wouldpletely lose face. She wanted to see how this ¡®smart¡¯ Third Sister-in-Law of hers was going to deal with this situation.

    Chu Lian was in the middle of whispering something to Royal Princess Duanjia, so she hadn¡¯t noticed her eldest sister-inw¡¯s nasty look at all.

    Realising that it was her turn, she turned around and took the box that Wenqing had been carrying for her before offering it up to Countess Jing¡¯an.

    ¡°Mother, this headdress is my gift to you. I hope you¡¯ll like it!¡±

    A headdress?

    Ha?

    How could a countessck for any essories at all? It looked like her Third Sister-in-Law wasn¡¯t as smart as she imagined.

    Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s expression seemed normal. She received Chu Lian¡¯s gift cheerfully and affably. ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, you shouldn¡¯t have gone to all that trouble!¡±

    Chu Lian was so young that she should have been able to stay in her maiden home for another two years, if not for Matriarch He¡¯s burning desire to have a great-grandson!

    Later on, after she had married in, He Sang had treated her so abnormally; he hadn¡¯t been home much after getting married and had then taken off for the northern border without any warning. This little daughter-inw of hers hadn¡¯t cried orined. Instead, she had remained kind and innocent. There wasn¡¯t any resentment in her towards House Jing¡¯an for He Sang¡¯s actions, nor had she maintained a distance from the family.

    Countess Jing¡¯an already felt guilty enough in her heart. Seeing how young Chu Lian was, she felt even more inclined to spoil Chu Lian.

    It¡¯s not the gift that matters, but the thought that counts.

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t expecting to show off her gift. Just as she was about to turn and sit back down at her seat, Madam Zou hurriedly shot a meaningful look at a young madam next to her.

    That young madam stepped forward and smiled as she said, ¡°I wonder what kind of headdress Honoured Lady Jinyi has presented as a gift. It can¡¯t possibly be something from the pce, could it? If Countess Jing¡¯an doesn¡¯t mind, could you show it to us and let us expand our horizons?¡±

    As expected, when it came to essories, all the noble madams anddies here were interested as well. Since someone had already started the topic, they all started to mour, wanting to see what Chu Lian¡¯s gift was.

    Countess Jing¡¯an hadn¡¯t been intending to open it on the spot. She also thought that her youngest daughter-inw¡¯s gift would be rather average. While she was hesitating, Madam Zou had already added oil to the fire after a quick turn of wit.

    ¡°Mother, this is Third Sister-in-Law¡¯s way of being filial to you. Why don¡¯t you just let everyone have a look?¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an didn¡¯t know how to get out of this situation without offending someone. She sent an apologetic look to Chu Lian before allowing her handmaid, Miaozhen, to open the essory case.

    Royal Princess Duanjia looked down upon petty people like Madam Zou the most. She rolled her eyes at Madam Zou without the slightest bit of respect.

    When Madam Zou turned her head, she just happened to catch Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s eye roll. The anger that abruptly rose within her made her face turn all sorts of colours as she almost fainted right then and there in rage.

 Chapter 264: Taking a Concubine (1)

    When the essory case was opened, a sleek sh of light shone from within. Immediately after that, the watching noble madams anddies all gasped in unison.

    A set of smooth and bright white pearl essories was lying within the case,posed of a headdress, a ne, a bracelet, a pair of earrings and rings.

    The nobledies gathered here had seen plenty of pearl essories, but they had never seen such an elegant and eye-catching set of essories before.

    The pearls weren¡¯t one-of-a-kind, but the designs of the essories were enough to stun the onlookers.

    The pearl ne was the most impressive. On either side of the thin silver chain, there were white pearls separated by some intricate little golden flowers, while twoplicated-looking golden lotus flowers were entwined with each other and dangling at the center of the chain.

    Sitting in the center where the lotus flower patterns linked together was a smooth and silky golden pearl about the size of a thumbnail. Despite being surrounded by gold, the golden pearl didn¡¯t lose any bit of its own glow and instead looked even more lustrous, adding an aura of elegant luxury to the ne.

    Actually, in this entire set of pearl essories, this golden pearl was the main focus. It was also due to this golden pearl that the other normal pearls on the other essories seemed even more white and ornate.

    Thedies were all stunned. They had never seen pearl essories like these before. Even the essories from the imperial pce couldn¡¯t match up to this!

    In a short moment, all the nobledies were so entranced by the glowing pearls that they had forgotten to speak.

    Madam Zou¡¯s pleased expression had instantly flipped the moment that essory case had been opened. As much as she was able to keep her rage from showing previously, this time, she couldn¡¯t hold back the anger in her heart.

    Irrespective of their ages, thedies here lived luxurious lives, so they were naturally most interested in essories and the like. While a rare hundred-year-old ginseng might be able to make them gasp in surprise, a novel set of essories would be able to make them go crazy.

    Countess Jing¡¯an hadn¡¯t looked at the essory case yet. When she noticed the expressions of the crowd surrounding her didn¡¯t look right, she turned to look at her side.

    Now it was her turn to be stunned.

    She quickly came up with a light reprimand, ¡°Sang¡¯s wife! Dear child, how could you give me something so expensive?¡±

    There weren¡¯t many women who didn¡¯t like dressing up in pretty clothes and jewellery. Everyone liked beautiful things. Even the sickly Countess Jing¡¯an wasn¡¯t an exception.

    Countess Jing¡¯an wouldn¡¯t have med Chu Lian if her gift had been ordinary. However, if her gift could make others envious, then of course she would be even more pleased with the gift.

    Now Countess Jing¡¯an felt that the love and effort she had spent on her youngest daughter-inw hadn¡¯t been wasted at all. Chu Lian was a good child who knew how to repay kindness.

    After getting praised by her mother-inw in front of a crowd, Chu Lian didn¡¯t reply with some nice-sounding empty words to win even more of her favour like Madam Zou had.

    She stood up and curtsied towards Countess Jing¡¯an first before giving an exnation with a smile, ¡°Mother, please rest assured. This essory set isn¡¯t as expensive as it looks. The pearls used on this set are all easily bought from Jinshi Pavilion. It¡¯s only the designs that were personally drawn by me. I had one of Jinshi Pavilion¡¯s master craftsmen to make it for me.¡±

    Chu Lian really hadn¡¯t spent much on it. For two sets of pearl essories and a few bracelets, it hadn¡¯t even cost five hundred taels. Not only that, Jinshi Pavilion¡¯s manager had even given her quite a few free gifts in addition.

    Jinshi Pavilion¡¯s manager wanted to keep the novel design she had given them and research on it!

    After hearing Chu Lian¡¯s exnation, Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s heart melted. Her eyes were full of affection and helplessness, ¡°You silly child. You¡¯re just too honest.¡±

    The noble madams here weren¡¯t empty-headed. They knew that it was precisely because of the novel design that Jinshi Pavilion would have specially made these essories just for Honoured Lady Jinyi at such a low price.

    They really wanted a set of those essories for themselves. However, it would probably cost at least a thousand taels at Jinshi Pavilion.

    The crowd became even more envious.

    One of the madams in the crowd even smiled and said, ¡°Even so, it¡¯s even more rare that Honoured Lady Jinyi could personally draw some new designs for the Countess. Furthermore, pearls aren¡¯t like those precious stones or gold or silver. As we know, pearls are nurturing. I even heard that when worn over a long period of time, they might even have calming and beautifying effects!¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an felt even more happier and touched after listening to this noble madam¡¯s words. The gaze she sent towards Chu Lian turned even warmer.

    The nowpletely ignored Madam Zou gritted her teeth as the dissatisfaction in her heart grew even more.

    Perhaps due to the grudge in her heart,ter on, she even made mistakes while making seating arrangements for the banquetter, causing a few jokes at her expense.

    In the end, Matriarch He couldn¡¯t continue watching and sent Senior Servant Liu to help her. It was only then that the birthday banquet waspleted sessfully.

    When the guests had left and it was only their family left, the main branch was ordered to stay behind by Matriarch He and Countess Jing¡¯an, right in front of the rest of the family.

    Chu Lian returned to Songtao Court with her servants.

    On the way back, Fuyan couldn¡¯t resistining next to Chu Lian¡¯s side.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, Eldest Young Madam went overboard today! Do you think the matriarch kept Eldest Young Madam behind to give her a scolding?¡±

    Chu Lian turned back to look at Fuyan. ¡°What Grandmother wants to say to Eldest Sister-in-Law has nothing to do with our third branch. We just have to keep our own consciences clear in our actions.¡±

    Her expression was indifferent; it was clear that she wasn¡¯t happy with Fuyan for gossiping. Fuyan also knew that Third Young Madam was angry, so she immediately lowered her head and kept silent.

    It didn¡¯t matter if Fuyan gossiped about these matters within the confines of Songtao Court. However, if this were to spread out of their courtyard, then others would be able to reprimand her for not managing her servants properly.

    Furthermore, careless talk invites disaster. Being talkative wasn¡¯t necessarily a good thing, especially when it was one of her personal handmaids.

    Actually, she had already guessed at why Matriarch He and Countess Jing¡¯an had kept the main branch behind just now.

    This was something that was supposed to have happened earlier. It was only because she had interfered with Madam Zou¡¯s fate and saved her from that kitchen fire that this matter had been dyed. She had thought that this event wouldn¡¯t happen now that Madam Zou was hale and hearty. However, who could have known that some things would still run their course?

    Just as Rome wasn¡¯t built in a day, the trouble broiling in the main branch hadn¡¯t suddenlye into existence.

    Chu Lian sighed. Now that things had progressed to this stage, it was already out of her hands.

 Chapter 265: Taking a Concubine (2)

    At this time, He Dng had just walked out of Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s courtyard. However, it wasn¡¯t just him and his wife now; a youngdy was following behind them with her head lowered and a blush on her cheeks.

    Thisdy was Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s handmaid, Miaozhen.

    Miaozhen was no longer Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s handmaid, and was now Dng¡¯s bed servant- essentially, a concubine.

    This was something that Matriarch He had personally decided. The matriarch had even ordered He Dng to consummate their rtionship this very night.

    He Changqi had a cold expression on his face now. His looks had taken after Count Jing¡¯an- a square face and a tall, strong body with tanned skin. When he put on such an expression, it was hard for others to get close to him.

    Right behind He Changqi was the pale Madam Zou. Halfway back to their courtyard, she wanted to tug at her husband¡¯s sleeve. However, even though she reached out a few times, she couldn¡¯t bear to lower her dignity to do it in the end. By the time they reached home, the couple still hadn¡¯t exchanged a single word.

    Matriarch He¡¯s Senior Servant Liu was following behind the couple. She observed the couple indifferently before shifting her gaze away, remaining silent as well.

    When they reached the parlour, instead of trying to plead with He Changqi, she simply continued standing there with a ghastly pale face. This action made He Changqi press his lips together in empty disappointment.

    Even Senior Servant Liu who was not far behind shook her head secretly. Madam Zou was just too much of a failure as a wife. When the steadfast loyalty of her rtionship with her husband was being tested, she was still unwilling to lower her head and only tried to keep up a strong and haughty pretense. What sort of result could that action get her?

    Senior Servant Liu hadn¡¯t spoken at all on the way here in order to give Dng and his wife a chance. This was also something that Matriarch He had instructed her to do in secret. Unfortunately, Madam Zou hadn¡¯t been able to grasp this chance.

    In the parlour of their courtyard, husband and wife kept silent and waged a cold war with each other. He Changqi was originally a more traditional kind of person. How could he lower himself to coax his wife? Thus, the cold war brewed even fiercer.

    Finally, Senior Servant Liu had to step up to break this stalemate.

    ¡°Eldest Young Madam, it¡¯s gettingte. You¡¯ve been busy the whole day, so why don¡¯t you rest a little earlier? This old servant will help arrange matters for Heir Jing¡¯an.¡± Although Senior Servant Liu spoke politely, it was clear in her tone that she wasn¡¯t going to ept any refusal.

    Frustration had been brewing in Madam Zou¡¯s belly for a long time. Senior Servant Liu¡¯s words were like the spark to light the fuse. While in front of her mother-inw, Countess Jing¡¯an, she had to control herself and suppress her emotions, but now that it was just an old servant in front of her, she could no longer continue holding herself back.

    Madam Zou abruptly stood up and pushed Senior Servant Liu with a burst of strength that hade out of nowhere. ¡°You old servant! What are you?! When has it been up to you to dictate matters in our branch?!¡±

    How could Senior Servant Liu have expected the normally dignified Madam Zou to have lost her temper? What¡¯s more, she was acting like an immoral and unreasonable shrew. After getting pushed by Madam Zou, Senior Servant Liu lost her bnce and fell right onto the floor on her behind.

    Senior Servant Liu was no longer young. How could her body bear such a fall? She cried out in pain, unable to get up.

    It was only when Madam Zou noticed the extremely pained expression on the servant¡¯s face that she realised what she had done. She froze on the spot, not knowing what to do.

    He Changqi¡¯s eyes widened in shock. By the time he could finally react, he was about to try catching Senior Servant Liu, but she had already fallen to the ground.

    He strode over quickly and asked, ¡°Momo, are you alright?¡±

    He Changqi had already been angry with Madam Zou. Now that he had watched her personally push down his grandmother¡¯s trusted old servant, he was beside himself with rage.

    He red fiercely at Madam Zou and shouted, ¡°Madam Zou! Look at what you¡¯ve done! Calling you a shrew would be letting you off lightly!¡±

    Madam Zou had already been frightened by this turn of events. Now that her husband was shouting at her, she immediately switched gears. ¡°He Changqi, who are you calling a shrew?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about you!¡±

    ¡°Good, very good. He Changqi, you traitor! You bastard! How dare you scold me like that?!¡±

    How could Madam Zou bear with such insult? Furthermore, this was someone she had walked hand in hand with for close to ten years.

    Her rage turned her face white; her chest heaved as she swept everything off the nearby table.

    tter, crash, went the porcin teapots and cups as they met with the floor.

    That wasn¡¯t enough to quell her rage, so she picked up a cup that had been spared from the carnage and threw it at He Changqi. He Changqi stood there without dodging it, ring at her with an icy expression. Thus, the cup smashed against the corner of He Changqi¡¯s forehead. In the next second, crimson blood dripped down from the cut, dyeing half of his face red.

    TL Note: In ancient China, there were different levels of concubines. The normal concubine is usually seen as half-wife and half-servant and may even take up the role ofdy-in-charge of the household if there is no wife present. Meanwhile, men can take maidservants (sometimes their wives¡¯ very own handmaids) into their harem as ¡®bed servants¡¯, who were usually seen as just servants. Bed servants might even be able to rise to the rank of a normal concubine if they gave birth to sons. Children born from these concubines or bed servants were all seen as ¡®illegitimate¡¯ and only children born fromwfully wedded wives were seen as legitimate.

    There is also another rule (which can be broken) that men cannot take concubines until they have a legitimate wife- or they might be seen as ¡®crooked¡¯ and not very ideal as husbands. The exception to this is taking a bed servant- usually a handmaid bestowed by their mothers- who is meant to educate them on... nightly duties.

    Hopefully this helps to exin some of the inner tensions and reactions of the noble families, as well as why Matriarch He and Countess Jing¡¯an seem so se about giving He Dng a bed servant. A bed servant would hardly take the ce of Madam Zou and might even help with giving birth to a son for Dng, so there¡¯s no threat to Madam Zou. As a virtuous wife, she is also expected to ept her husband¡¯s expanding harem.

 Chapter 266: Found Him (1)

    Chapter 266: Found Him (1)

    This chapter has been stolen from vrenovels. Please read from the original source!

    One of the more quick-witted maidservants quietly retreated upon seeing this turn of events and rushed off to report to the matriarch.

    Not too far off, the waiting Miaozhen had suffered a fright. Eldest... Eldest Young Madam had actually hit the heir!

    By the time she regained her senses, she quickly ran over to He Changqi¡¯s side and pulled out a handkerchief to cover the wound on his forehead.

    Her voice was choked up with anxiety as she said, ¡°Heir Jing¡¯an, you¡¯ve been hurt! Quick, we have to call the imperial physicians!¡±

    Madam Zou froze upon seeing the blood on He Changqi¡¯s face, her witspletely gone. However, upon seeing that slut Miaozhen still trying to spoil the rtionship between her and her husband at a time like this, her quelled rage reignited once again. She lost all semnce of rationality as her eyes reddened due to her anger and fury within.

    ¡°You little bitch! How dare you speak in front of me?!¡± Right after Madam Zou shouted, she bent down and picked up one of the porcin shards on the ground, intending to throw it at Miaozhen.

    Having seen what had happened to He Changqi, Madam Zou¡¯s maidservants reacted much faster this time and quickly ran up to stop her.

    Madam Zou¡¯s trusted senior servant cried out, ¡°My Eldest Young Madam, please stop acting so rashly!¡±

    He Changqi stared Madam Zou straight in the eyes with a cold re as icy as the tundra. He reached out and pulled Miaozhen behind him, shielding her. His tone was colder than ever as he told his wife, ¡°Madam Zou. I want to see how far you¡¯re going to take this madness today!¡±

    After the maidservants took the porcin shard from Madam Zou¡¯s hands, she looked up only to see her normally loving husband staring at her with cold eyes. When she saw that He Changqi was actually protecting another woman behind him, the final string in her mind snapped.

    She screamed shrilly like a mad harpy and charged towards He Changqi recklessly, already beyond caring.

    He Changqi ignored the fresh blood flowing down from his forehead and continued watching Madam Zou descend into madness with half of his stony face covered in blood.

    He couldn¡¯t get his mind around how his warm and caring wife had suddenly turned into this... this person he didn¡¯t recognise at all!

    For so many years, he could swear on his conscience that he hadn¡¯t mistreated Madam Zou in any manner. The He Family¡¯s rules were strict and he hadn¡¯t taken any concubines. Furthermore, he hadn¡¯t fooled around with other women outside the estate, either. Even when out with his friends, he always drew the line.

    Although he and Madam Zou still hadn¡¯t been able to get a son, they had everything else together. He had never pushed Madam Zou on the matter of carrying on the next generation.

    He had also secretly considered what to do if he never had any sons in his life. Since he still had two brothers down the line, it wasn¡¯t necessarily just up to him to carry on the family line. As long as he and his wife remained harmonious, Grandmother wouldn¡¯t say anything more.

    However, before he had been able to tell all this to Madam Zou, she had somehow changed.

    He Dng¡¯s heart instantly turned as deste as the wild ins of Liangzhou. The image of his brilliant and virtuous wife seemed to have abruptly shattered and vanished into nothing.

    Madam Zou put up a wild struggle against the people holding her back. Upon managing to break free, she pushed the maidservants aside and charged towards He Changqi with a deranged look on her face, shouting, ¡°You little slut! How dare you seduce the heir! I¡¯ll teach you a lesson right now!¡±

    However, before Madam Zou could even touch the corner of Miaozhen¡¯s dress-

    A clear smack echoed throughout the room.

    Madam Zou felt an intense pain in her cheek. In the next second, her body fell to the ground against her will.

    When Chu Lian helped Matriarch He in, it was just in time to see He Dng p Madam Zou on the face without any bit of mercy.

    Chu Lian¡¯s almond-shaped eyes widened in absolute shock.

    In the next moment, she caught sight of He Changqi¡¯s half-bloody face and suffered another shock once again.

    What was going on? How had things gotten to this state in less than an hour?!

    Madam Zou had also been stunned by He Changqi¡¯s merciless p. She was sprawled on the ground, one hand held up to her swollen left cheek, while she looked up in disbelief at He Changqi. As if her heart was about to break, she cried, ¡°He Changqi! You actually hit me!¡±

    By this time, Matriarch He¡¯s sharp old eyes were lit up with rage, especially after she spotted Senior Servant Liu still paralysed and lying on the ground. She paused where she stood, only to tighten her grip around her vermillion bird head cane and m the end of it down onto the marble tiles with a clear thunk.

    ¡°All of you, stop right now! Are you trying to start a rebellion here?!¡± Matriarch He¡¯s tone was full of dignity.

    Right after she spoke, the family guards that the main steward had sent from the outer court separated Madam Zou and He Changqi. On the other side, some maidservants carried the injured Senior Servant Liu off to a side room.

    There were also servants who immediately started tidying up the mess in the parlour.

    Perhaps Matriarch He¡¯s angry shout hade to some use, as Madam Zou finally regained some of her rationality.

    Her eyes were fixed on that slut Miaozhen as she helped He Changqi to a chair and then helped the doctor with cleaning up the wound on his forehead. The corner of Madam Zou¡¯s lips tugged downwards, but in the end, she wasn¡¯t able to say a word.

    Now that the situation was under control, Chu Lian helped Matriarch He to the main seat in the parlour.

    Once the matriarch was seated with her hands on her cane, she shouted once again with a stony expression, ¡°All of you in the main branch! Kneel down right now!¡±

    Chu Lian nced at the enraged Matriarch He next to her before secretly ncing at her brother-inw and sister-inw in front of her, about to kneel down with the support of the servants around them. She quickly whispered into Matriarch He¡¯s ear.

    Following that, Chu Lian led the servants she had brought with her out of the parlour to check on Senior Servant Liu, who was being treated by a doctor in one of the side rooms.

    Matriarch He was about to reprimand the main branch. As the most junior family member present, she would have only earned her brother-inw and sister-inw¡¯s ire if she were to witness such a humiliating scene.

 Chapter 267: Found Him (2)

    Chapter 267: Found Him (2)

    This chapter has been stolen from vrenovels. Please read from the original source!

    Chu Lian watched over Senior Servant Liu in the side room while waiting for movement from the parlour. Luckily, Senior Servant Liu¡¯s body was still rather robust so she had only broken a bone from this fall. She would bepletely fine after lying in bed and resting for three to four months.

    It was only about an hourter that someone came over from the parlour to report. When Chu Lian finished listening to the report, she quickly got up to return to the parlour.

    As she held onto Matriarch He¡¯s arm to support her as they left the main branch¡¯s courtyard, Chu Lian turned back to look through the parlour¡¯s open doors. The master and mistress of the main branch were still kneeling in the center of the parlour, their backs ramrod-straight. However, husband and wife were now like strangers, ignoring each other.

    After sending Matriarch He back to Qingxi Hall, it was clear that the matriarch was worn out. Before she left, the matriarch didn¡¯t forget to remind her not to speak of the matter, and especially not to let Countess Jing¡¯an find out.

    Chu Lian nodded in agreement. She sent the matriarch all the way to her bedroom before returning to Songtao Court.

    The next day, Madam Zou had been grounded by Matriarch He. She heard that He Changqi had already consummated his rtionship with Miaozhenst night and that Miaozhen had settled into He Changqi¡¯s study.

    Due to various reasons and circumstances, He Dng had still taken a concubine before he had hit thirty years of age. However, when the servants talked about it in private, they would say that the heir had merely epted a bed servant. A bed servant couldn¡¯t be counted as a concubine, so he hadn¡¯t broken the He Family¡¯s rules. After all, it was his wife who hadn¡¯t been able to give birth to a male heir after ten years!

    Since Madam Zou had been grounded by Matriarch He for half a month, the management of the estate fell to Matriarch He instead. In the past few days, whenever Chu Lian made her morning visits to Qingxi Hall, she would be held back by the matriarch for quite some time, either getting forced to go over some of the estate¡¯s ount books or to watch the matriarch handle various matters of the estate.

    If not for Chu Lian being a bag ofzy bones who didn¡¯t want to take over the management of the estate, Matriarch He would have probably let her temporarily rece Madam Zou as thedy-in-charge.

    In the blink of an eye, it was already mid-October. These days, Chu Lian didn¡¯t leave the estate at all in order to avoid the inescapable pest, Xiao Bojian.

    During this time, Royal Princess Duanjia only visited her once to pass on some gifts from Princess Wei.

    Before she left, Chu Lian apanied Royal Princess Duanjia on a walk around her own courtyard. They had even gone to the study in the outer court, but Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s expression still remained unhappy for some reason.

    Chu Lian had too many things on her te, so she didn¡¯t delve deeper into the matter.

    She and Royal Princess Duanjia also discussed opening a jewellery store together. This time, with Prince Wei¡¯s Estate taking the lead, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about much. Everything would be left up to Princess Wei¡¯s people to arrange. All she had to do was contribute her part to it: designing some new essories every month.

    Currently, Chu Lian was lying on the wooden lounge chair by the window in her room. She had a book in one hand, but she had been stuck on the same page for quite a while.

    If they went by the novel¡¯s original plot, then the final imperial examination would be held in the uing days. Xiao Bojian¡¯s name would most likely spread throughout the whole capital by then, because he would be the top schr of the year. It would also signify the start of the war; the Tuhuns were going to gather up an army to invade Liangzhou after years of peace in the north.

    The novel had simply given this event a small mention in the story. Chu Lian didn¡¯t know what the exact details were like. She only knew that it was a hard-won war and that there had been many casualties in the northern border troops.

    Now that her crazy husband He Sang was there in the north, was he going to be safe...?

    Chu Lian sighed. Even though her aim had always been to be a happyyabout, she didn¡¯t know why she was actually feeling a little worried.

    While Chu Lian¡¯s thoughts were a mess, Xiyan¡¯s joyful voice rang out from the outer room.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, some news came from Guilin Restaurant!¡±

    Chu Lian set down the book in her heads and turned to look. Xiyan was usually very calm and steady. Why was she suddenly getting so excited? Had something good happened?

    When she heard Xiyan mention Guilin Restaurant, a single thought appeared in Chu Lian¡¯s mind.

    Had they found that person?

    Without waiting for Xiyan toe over to her, Chu Lian pushed herself up using the armrests and cried out in surprise, ¡°Have they found the person who can answer all three questions?¡±

    Xiyan was smiling so widely that her eyes had turned to crescents. ¡°Indeed they have, Third Young Madam! Right after they found him, Manager Qin sent someone over to the estate to report it. He said that that person¡¯s currently eating in one of Guilin Restaurant¡¯s private rooms together with an elderly man.¡±

    Chu Lian hurriedly got up, not even caring that one of the embroidered shoes on her feet had dropped off. She ran to her closet with one foot d in only silken socks. ¡°Quick, help me change! Tell Wen to prepare the carriage in the outer court first. I have to go to Guilin Restaurant right now! Oh, right, get Senior Servant Zhong to bring out one of the jars of grape wine I brewed recently. And, and don¡¯t forget to send someone to notify Grandmother that I¡¯m going out!¡±

    Chu Lian waspletely flustered. That person was Great Doctor Miao! She had actually found him!

 Chapter 268: The Great Doctor Shows His Skill (1)

    When Chu Lian finally reached Guilin Restaurant, Manager Qin personally guided her to a private room where the person she was looking for was waiting.

    The moment Chu Lian entered the room, she could hear people talking behind the screen ced in front of the entrance.

    ¡°Brother Miao, if not for you, we would have had to wait a whole month to eat in this Guilin Restaurant!¡±

    ¡°Oh? This Guilin Restaurant is that popr?¡±

    Brother Miao, you¡¯ve just arrived here so you wouldn¡¯t know about this, but the owner of this Guilin Restaurant is the very, very wise...¡±

    Immediately after, a deep chuckle resounded. ¡°As smart as this owner is, how could theypare to Brother Wang?¡±

    De¡¯an Restaurant¡¯s Mr Wang burst out intoughter. ¡°I can¡¯t live up to that boast! Honoured Lady Jinyi and I can¡¯t bepared on the same level! Her business skill is so much better than mine. Can you guess how long it took for Guilin Restaurant to be this popr in the capital?¡±

    ¡°A month, maybe two? Surely you¡¯re not going to tell me that it only took ten days? Old Wang, even if you like to exaggerate your stories, that¡¯s just too unbelievable! There¡¯s always a certain order to things. When you brought me here, it was obvious to me that this old alleyway isn¡¯t a good location for a restaurant.¡±

    Mr Wang shook his head and grinned. He lifted one finger for the man sitting across from him, happy that he had finally found something that could shock his old friend. ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m going to tell you. Brother Miao, it only took a single day for this restaurant to be known across the entire capital!¡±

    Great Doctor Miao was in the middle of picking up some pork slices in mashed garlic. When he heard his old friend¡¯s words, his eyes almost popped out of his head. ¡°Brother Wang, you¡¯re not pulling my leg, are you?¡±

    Mr Wang cast a sideways look at his old friend with sharp eyes. ¡°Hmph, if you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Honoured Lady Jinyi herself when shees.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that the owner of this restaurant will being to look for us?¡±

    Mr Wang really didn¡¯t know what to do with this innocent, naive old friend of his. There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch. Since his old friend was the only one who could answer Guilin Restaurant¡¯s three questions, what did that mean? Those questions had been specially prepared for Great Doctor Miao. They had been put up just to lure this big fish into their.

    Someone had likely reported this news to Honoured Lady Jinyi. In a short moment, he would finally be able to meet the owner of this Guilin Restaurant.

    ......

    Chu Lian took in a deep breath to suppress the excitement in her heart and made sure she had a normal expression in ce before stepping around the screen. Once she passed the screen, she could see two men sitting across from each other as they ate and drank.

    Chu Lian bobbed in greeting towards the two men before taking a seat at the same table facing the window.

    Manager Qin personally guarded the private room from outside. An hourter, Chu Lian brought her maidservants out with her as she exited the room.

    Manager Qin fell into step behind her and carefully asked, ¡°Third Young Madam, was it sessful?¡±

    Chu Lian had lost control of her emotions; her good cheer was written all over her face. To Manager Qin, she nodded and instructed, ¡°Let Mr Miao stay in Dark Court 1 over the next few days. In seven days, pick someone you trust and bring Mr Miao to the Jing¡¯an Estate.¡±

    After she finished giving Manager Qin his orders, she returned to the Jing¡¯an Estate.

    The novel was right. Great Doctor Miao was an absolute foodie. With those questions as bait, and after offering up the grape wine she had personally brewed, Great Doctor Miao hade to an agreement with her and agreed to go to the Jing¡¯an Estate in seven days to check Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s illness. However, one of the conditions was that Chu Lian had to personally cook a dish he hadn¡¯t tried at Guilin Restaurant.

    This condition was an easy one for Chu Lian, so she agreed to it without hesitation.

    On the way back to the Jing¡¯an Estate, Chu Lian had already thought of what to make: the crispy roast duck that Royal Princess Duanjia kept talking about.

    House Jing¡¯an¡¯s carriage was driving down a spacious green cobblestone street when a ck horse galloping at full speed approached the carriage from the front. At a nce, it could be seen that the ck horse wasn¡¯t just anymon steed off the street.

    The manservant driving the carriage was worried that they might get into an ident, so he nudged the carriage horses to the side of the road while cutting their speed drastically, doing his best to give the galloping horse as much space as he could.

    However, the rider of that galloping horse didn¡¯t seem to notice that gesture at all. Conversely, he stuck to his own path and even moved closer to the carriage.

    Without waiting for House Jing¡¯an¡¯s manservant to react, the ck horse crossed paths with Chu Lian¡¯s carriage with just a hair¡¯s breadth between them, and then disappeared at the end of the street.

    As the horse sprinted past, the gust of wind it left in its wake parted the curtains covering the window of Chu Lian¡¯s carriage.

    Chu Lian could only hear the thundering hoofbeats pass by a little too close forfort. She was about to ask the guards outside what was happening when she saw that a thin bamboo tube had been thrown into the carriage. It had rolled onto the carpet right in front of her

    Any words she had to say were stuck in the back of her throat as her gaze slowly shifted to the thin bamboo tube. The special pattern on it was all too familiar to her. It was the exact same pattern as the one on the capsule she had found in the orange at the Zheng Estate when she had requested for fresh oranges. The capsule back then, however, had been slightly more fine.

    Xiyan was sitting with her inside the carriage. When she saw the bamboo tube as well, she suffered a huge fright. Her head was also lowered as she stared at that little bamboo tube on the carpeted floor of the carriage. Fear filled her heart; if it hadn¡¯t been a simple bamboo tube, but instead some hidden weapon... then her master would probably be injured right now.

    Xiyan was about to speak up to ask a question when Chu Lian tugged at her sleeve and shook her head, her eyebrows furrowed.

    Xiyan then quickly covered her own mouth and nodded a few times at Chu Lian, indicating that she wasn¡¯t going to say anything.

    By this time, one of the guards escorting the carriage from outside hade over to the window. He asked in a worried tone, ¡°Third Young Madam, are you alright?¡±

    Chu Lian quickly tried to regain herposure and make her voice sound normal before answering, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Why? Has something happened outside?¡±

    Hearing her calm tone, the guard rxed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it was just a galloping horse passing by. Third Young Madam, if you need anything, please call for this subordinate.¡±

    After waiting for a moment and ensuring that there were no other sounds outside the carriage, Chu Lian reached out to pick up the bamboo tube. With the tube in her hands, she waited yet another moment before taking in a deep breath and opening it up.

 Chapter 269: The Great Doctor Shows His Skill (2)

    There was a rolled up piece of paper inside the bamboo tube. She gently smoothed out the paper and read the two lines of words written in the shoujin style.

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s writing waspletely different from He Changdi¡¯s. He Changdi¡¯s words were usually written in bold and powerful strokes, lending a somewhat grand air to them. Xiao Bojian wrote with such force that his words could be seen from the back of the paper, but they were neat and almost mechanical. It was rare to see any words touching.

    You could tell what a person was like through their handwriting. However, just looking at this meticulous handwriting, it was likely that no one would be able to discern the well-hidden greed and ambition within Xiao Bojian.

    Anything could be faked. What the naked eye could see, what was shown on people¡¯s faces... all of it could be used to deceive others.

    Xiyan¡¯s eyes were fixed on her master. When she saw that Chu Lian¡¯s brows were drawn together and her expression didn¡¯t seem too good, she tried asking, ¡°Third Young Madam, is anything the matter?¡±

    Chu Lian returned to reality and directly passed the note over to Xiyan without any intention of concealing its contents.

    Xiyan took the note and nced over it. There wasn¡¯t much to read, but the gist of the message was that they were requesting to meet with her master half a monthter. Xiao Bojian had sessfully be the top schr in the final imperial examination, and Old Duke Ying had been his mentor. He would hold a banquet of gratitude for his mentor in the Ying Estate then.

    Xiao Bojian was hinting that Chu Lian should use this chance to return to her maiden house.

    Xiyan looked at Chu Lian worriedly and bit her lip in unease. ¡°Third Young Madam, do... do you want to go...?¡±

    Chu Lian returned Xiyan¡¯s stare for a long while before asking, ¡°Xiyan, do you think that I¡¯ll be going?¡±

    Xiyan cast her gaze downwards, not daring to look at Chu Lian. Quite some time passed before she finally managed to squeeze out the words, ¡°Mister Xiao¡¯s status is no longer as ordinary as before...¡±

    Chu Lian sneered. No longer ordinary? He was just a measly top schr. Even if he had a mysterious organisation in his hands, so what? She, Chu Lian, wasn¡¯t one to follow someone else¡¯s bidding.

    Chu Lian took the paper note from Xiyan¡¯s hands and tore it to shreds before throwing it into her hand warmer and turning it into ashes. The specially carved bamboo tube was also thrown out of the carriage.

    Xiyan¡¯s eyes widened as she watched Chu Lian¡¯s actions. ¡°Third Young Madam, you¡¯re...¡±

    ¡°Not going. Even if he bes a first-ranked official, that has nothing to do with me! I¡¯m the Third Young Madam of House Jing¡¯an now, and I¡¯m no longer that helpless, powerless Sixth Miss of House Ying.¡± There were plenty of people willing to protect her now!

    Xiyan was struck into a daze. When she finally recovered, she smiled sweetly despite the tears in her eyes.

    Chu Lian was helpless before this silly handmaid of hers. ¡°What are you crying for, you little...!¡±

    Xiyan quickly wiped at her eyes with her handkerchief, her smile still shining brightly underneath her tear-stained cheeks. ¡°Third Young Madam, this servant isn¡¯t crying; this servant is happy!¡±

    She was really happy! Compared to the past Sixth Miss Chu, she liked the current Third Young Madam of House Jing¡¯an more. It was great that Third Young Madam could think so clearly!

    When the carriage reached the Jing¡¯an Estate, master and servant both treated that bamboo tube as if it had never existed. Chu Lian continued passing her dayszily. She didn¡¯t think that Xiao Bojian would send someone to kidnap her if she didn¡¯t go to the Ying Estate. Xiao Bojian wasn¡¯t that bold yet.

    Seven dayster, Great Doctor Miao was personally escorted to the Jing¡¯an Estate by Manager Qin. Chu Lian had also notified Matriarch He of this visit beforehand.

    Today, Chu Lian had invited Royal Princess Duanjia over. Since this matter involved Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s health, He Eng had also rushed back to the estate despite his busy schedule.

    The Dragon Guards had been given a mission and He Changjue was to be posted to the neighbouring city of Zhangzhou the day after tomorrow. He was also taking this chance to return to the estate and bid his farewells to his family. Three dayster, he would be departing the estate to meet hismanding officer at the west gate of the capital and set off for Zhangzhou.

    Chu Lian personally made roast duck for the foodie Great Doctor Miao.

    When Great Doctor Miao came out from Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s bedroom, even the normally calm Chu Lian was so anxious that she quickly stood up to wee him.

    ¡°Mr Miao, how is Mother¡¯s illness? Can it be treated?¡±

    Great Doctor Miao nodded confidently. ¡°Honoured Lady, please rest assured. Madam¡¯s condition isn¡¯t that severe, and I can cure it once and for all. However, there¡¯s something I have to tell Honoured Lady beforehand.¡±

    Matriarch He was seated at the head of the room. When she heard those words, it was as if a burden that she had carried for years had suddenly lifted. Her expression seemed rxed as she said, ¡°Mr Miao, please feel free to speak. We¡¯ll do anything as long as it¡¯s something within our ability.¡±

    Great Doctor Miao stroked his beard as he said, ¡°Well, this matter could be easy or difficult, depending on the circumstances...¡±

    Chu Lian earnestly listened, not willing to miss a single word he said.

 Chapter 270: War at the Northern Border (1)

    ¡°If you want to cure Madam¡¯s illness once and for all, you need a single medicinal ingredient. However, this ingredient only grows in the high mountains of the extreme north...¡±

    The medicinal ingredient that Great Doctor Miao needed was a type of alpine flower. It was also one of the rarest alpine flowers and was called ¡®Snow Mountain Mists¡¯. It grew only on the peaks of snow-capped mountains and would only bloom at the coldest times of the year. After blooming, it would wither away in just two to three days. To be able to use it in medicine, the flower had to be picked right before it withered, otherwise it would lose all its worth as a medicinal ingredient.

    It was known to grow in the border between the Great Wu Dynasty and the Tuhuns¡¯ territory- Mount Ah-Ming.

    In another three months, it would be time for the ¡®Snow Mountain Mists¡¯ on Mount Ah-Ming to bloom.

    This rare ingredient was hard to preserve and there weren¡¯t many fields that required the use of it. Most doctors didn¡¯t even know of the medicinal uses of this flower, so it was impossible to find it on the market.

    Even Great Doctor Miao had only incidentally found out about its uses during his younger days when he had wandered all over thend.

    Great Doctor Miao spoke bluntly to the various members of the He Family gathered in the parlour. The treatment for Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s body couldn¡¯t be dyed for too long. Even if he personally helped stabilise her condition, she could only go on like that for another two years. If they couldn¡¯t find this ¡®Snow Mountain Mists¡¯ flower within two years, then there would be nothing he could do.

    After Great Doctor Miao finished exining the situation, he left the parlour to write a prescription for Countess Jing¡¯an.

    Only Matriarch He, the eldest son He Changqi, the second son He Changjue, and the newlywed wife of the third son, Chu Lian, were left in the parlour.

    The joy that had been present on their faces earlier had disappeared. The matriarch¡¯s expression was so serious that the wrinkles on her face creased further.

    When Chu Lian noticed this, her heart ached for the matriarch. She tried to reassured the olddy by saying, ¡°Grandmother, at least there¡¯s some hope for Mother now. And it¡¯s not as if this type of flower ispletely unheard of. Having some hope is better than having none at all, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Matriarch He took in a deep breath and patted Chu Lian¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯re right, Lian¡¯er. At least there¡¯s some hope for your mother¡¯s illness now. I should be happy instead.¡±

    Silence reigned in the parlour for a while more before He Eng abruptly stepped forward and knelt before Matriarch He. In a firm voice, he said, ¡°Grandmother, let me go to the north to search for this flower for Mother!¡±

    Right after He Eng spoke, He Dng also knelt down in front of Matriarch He. ¡°Grandmother, don¡¯t let Eng go! Eng hasn¡¯t even gotten married yet. I¡¯m the eldest son of this family. When Father left to protect the border, he instructed me to take care of Grandmother, Mother, and my two younger brothers. It¡¯s obviously me who should go on this trip to the north!¡±

    ¡°No, Eldest Brother, I¡¯ll go!¡±

    ¡°Second Brother, are you going to disobey your older brother? Let me go!¡±

    ......

    The normally harmonious brothers were actually fighting to be the one to go to the northern border. Matriarch He was starting to get a headache from their quarrelling. She pped the table next to her with a loud bang and said, ¡°Enough! What are you fighting for?!¡±

    It was only then that the two brothers stopped and quieted down. However, none of them stood up and they simply waited for Matriarch He¡¯s final verdict.

    Matriarch He massaged her forehead. After a short pause, she heaved a sigh and said, ¡°This old woman knows that you¡¯re all filial children. However, Dng, you hold a position at court. Without the Emperor¡¯s permission, you can¡¯t abandon your post without a proper reason. Our estate needs you here as well. We can¡¯t do without a male master here to hold the fort in such a big estate. And Eng has just gotten a mission in Zhangzhou. I heard this mission was ordered by the Emperor himself. You can¡¯t disobey imperial orders. If you go to the northern border at this time, are you going to willingly deceive the Emperor? So neither of you are allowed to go!¡±

    What?

    Neither of them were allowed to go?! But they were the only male members of House Jing¡¯an left in the capital. If neither of them were to go, how could they stop worrying? It was their very own mother who was severely ill!

    ¡°Grandmother, you can¡¯t! If we don¡¯t go, what¡¯s going to happen to Mother?¡± He Dng and He Eng asked in unison.

    Matriarch He opened her mouth to speak. She had a troubled expression on her face. Count Jing¡¯an was deeply in love with his wife. If he were to find out about this piece of good news, he would never let the chance go. She also felt very guilty towards this daughter-inw of hers, and wished for her speedy recovery.

    Chu Lian pressed her lips before reminding all of them, ¡°Grandmother, have you all forgotten about Husband? Why don¡¯t you ask Husband to send someone to Mount Ah-Ming to investigate? With Husband around, he¡¯ll surely get the job done.¡±

    Matriarch He froze for an instant. She looked at Chu Lian before turning to the two grandsons kneeling before her. She felt that Chu Lian had brought up a good suggestion. After thinking it over, she dered, ¡°Even if you want to go to the northern border, you won¡¯t be able to set out in just one or two days. There are too many things to prepare for in the estate. I have to think about it carefully. Lian¡¯er is right, we still have Sang at the northern border, so the two of you shouldn¡¯t worry too much. Especially you, Eng. You can¡¯t fool around with an imperial mission on your shoulders! Pack up and go back to the Left Military Guards today!¡±

    He Changjue wanted to protest, but after getting red at by He Dng, he could only lower his head and agree to it.

    Chu Lian escorted Matriarch He back to Qingxi Hall before returning to her own courtyard.

 Chapter 271: War at the Northern Border (2)

    Great Doctor Miao had been invited to stay longer in the Jing¡¯an Estate, and his daily meals were now the responsibility of the kitchen in Chu Lian¡¯s courtyard.

    Great Doctor Miao was an amiable guest as long as he had some delicious food before him, so he settled in rather peacefully.

    Three dayster, House Ying sent Matriarch He an invite for Xiao Bojian¡¯s thank-you banquet for his mentor.

    They specially invited both the matriarch and Honoured Lady Jinyi.

    As Matriarch He held the invitation in her hands and wondered how she should reply, Chu Lian¡¯s father, Chu Qizheng, had also sent an invite over. It was delivered straight to Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know that Matriarch He had been invited as well. Her brows furrowed when she received the invitation from her father.

    Xiao Bojian seemed to have anticipated her reluctance to attend the banquet and had purposely gotten her father to send her an invite.

    What was he trying to do?!

    Chu Lian¡¯s mood remained agitated untilte afternoon, when she brought the invite to Qingxi Hall to discuss the matter with Matriarch He.

    Just as grandmother and granddaughter had settled down in the parlour of Qingxi Hall, they could hear some noiseing from outside.

    Matriarch He hadn¡¯t been in a good mood in the first ce. When she heard the disturbance, her expression turned grave. ¡°Muxiang, go outside and find out what¡¯s going on.¡±

    In a short moment, Muxiang returned.

    Her face was full of anxiety as she ran back in without minding her usual etiquette. She hurriedly reported, ¡°Matriarch, the person causing the disturbance outside is a guard from Prince Jin¡¯s Estate. He said that there¡¯s something urgent to report to Matriarch. This servant identally overheard a part of it- war has broken out at the northern border!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Matriarch He abruptly stood up in shock.

    Chu Lian¡¯s almond-shaped eyes had also widened in surprise. However, she had already been mentally prepared for this piece of news, so her reaction was much calmer than Matriarch He¡¯s.

    The news was too much for Matriarch He. Her body wavered before shepletely lost her strength and almost fell forward. Luckily, Chu Lian spotted this in time and quickly caught hold of Matriarch He. The maidservants nearby also hurriedly stepped forward to support the matriarch.

    ¡°Grandmother! Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?¡±

    Matriarch He leaned on Chu Lian¡¯s shoulder as she massaged the bridge of her nose.

    After a long moment, she seemed to have finally recovered some of her spirit. She slowly opened her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m alright now. Quick, let the messenger in!¡±

    Muxiang rushed out to call the messenger.

    Chu Lian helped Matriarch He to her seat once again. Scared for the matriarch¡¯s health, she told Wen to request Great Doctor Miao¡¯s presence.

    The worn-looking man was escorted in by the main steward of the outer court. It was only after the messenger showed his token that Matriarch He finally believed that this man was from Prince Jin¡¯s Estate.

    ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s happening at the northern border?¡± Matriarch He¡¯s voice was hoarse and carried a heavy sense of fatigue.

    The messenger bowed before he started his report. ¡°The Tuhun army has gathered outside Liangzhou. The northern border troops have already skirmished with them a few times. Great General Qian is currently leading the northern border troops and doing his best to defend against the Tuhuns. However, the weather is getting worse over there and Liangzhou City is seeing heavy snowfall. The only worry is that the heavy snow might close up the mountain pass and block the supply line...¡±

    When two armies are at war, their biggest worry is running out of supplies. The Tuhuns had bided their time for over a decade. It was likely that they had already sussed out the supply times of the northern border troops and had specially chosen this period to mount a surprise attack...

    Matriarch He and Chu Lian both gasped upon hearing this news.

    Once their supplies ran out, the whole army would likely starve to death before the Tuhuns took action. This wasn¡¯t a warm spring day they were facing; the winter over there could even kill the hardy, frost-resistant yaks.

    Matriarch He felt her body turn to jelly. She turned an affectionate yet pitiful gaze upon the young granddaughter-inw next to her. The words she wanted to say refused toe out of her throat.

    After a short moment, Matriarch He seemed to have rediscovered her voice. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve received your report. You can go back now. If there¡¯s any news, please ask Prince Jin to inform us.¡±

    The guard who had yed messenger bowed once again before quickly departing.

    The atmosphere inside the parlour was heavy.

    It was only after a long period of time had passed that Matriarch He finally spoke up again. ¡°Lian¡¯er, it¡¯s been hard on you!¡±

    Chu Lian paused for a moment in surprise before reaching out to grasp Matriarch He¡¯s wrinkled hand. She shook her head gently and said, ¡°Grandmother, please don¡¯t say that. When Husband went off to the northern border, no one could have expected those Tuhuns to start acting again after so many years of peace. As the saying goes, danger opens the door of opportunity. Maybe this Tuhun attack might be a good chance for Husband. It¡¯s useless for us to keep worrying here in the estate. Why don¡¯t we invite Eldest Brother here to discuss this matter? Eldest Brother has many connections, so he might be able to look for more news.¡±

    Matriarch He was getting old after all. Even though she was still wise, her mind wasn¡¯t as quick as it had been. Upon hearing Chu Lian¡¯s reminder, it was like a light went off in her head. She quickly ordered someone to summon He Dng back to the estate.

    He Changqi¡¯s many connections dide to use. He quickly gathered some news using various channels.

    War had indeed broken out at the northern border. Furthermore, it was snowing heavily in Liangzhou City now. Although the court wanted to send in relief, they were held up by the snows at the foot of the Qin Mountains. The reinforcements and supplies weren¡¯t able to pass.

    The alternate path was to go through Chongzhou Prefecture and go down the Li River to reach Su City. Beyond Su City was Lake Qianshan. However, by this time, theke had already frozen over and they couldn¡¯t sail across at all.

    With all the roads to the northern border closed, the officials at court were at a loss for what to do! They could only watch the situation get increasingly worse.

    Right at this time, the news of a major case of embezzlement in the neighbouring city of Zhangzhou spread throughout the capital. As part of the Dragon Guards, He Eng was assisting with the case, so he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to return for another month.

    Prince Jin sent news about Liangzhou every day. Meanwhile, Matriarch He was looking more and more frail as the days passed. Countess Jing¡¯an, whose health had just taken a turn for the better, inadvertently overheard the servants talking about the war in Liangzhou and immediately fainted right over, bing bedridden once more.

    This winter, the whole of House Jing¡¯an seemed to be on the verge of copse, as if it would just vanish to the whims of time on the next tick of a second.

 Chapter 272: Preparations (1)

    On the night that Chu Lian had found out that war had broken out in the northern border, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep until midnight, even though she usually liked to go to bed early and get her beauty sleep.

    Chu Lian tossed and turned on her bed. The drowsiness that had gued her earlier had all but disappeared, and she couldn¡¯t summon it back no matter what she tried.

    In the end, Chu Lian could only lie t on her back underneath her warm nkets, staring up at the canopy of her bed shrouded in darkness.

    Although she had read the original book, so many things had changed by now. And even if the events had somehow miraculously stayed the same, it wasn¡¯t like the book had described every single matter in great detail, either.

    Take, for example, the battle going on at the northern border. Chu Lian only knew that an event like that would happen. She didn¡¯t know whether they were going to win or lose in the end, let alone how they might have won.

    Although she wanted to be a carefreeyabout who just cooked good food and earned money all day, the prerequisite for this was that House Jing¡¯an had to be doing well. If House Jing¡¯an was in a precarious situation, then this title of Third Young Madam would turn to nothing.

    Furthermore, she loved the family she had in the Jing¡¯an Estate very much, with the exception of Madam Zou. She didn¡¯t want to see them sad or grieving, nor did she want to see them individually sacrifice themselves for the family.

    Chu Lian closed her eyes, on the brink of making a decision that would determine the fate of her family. When her almond-shaped eyes reopened, it was as if the entire universe was reflected in them, even in the midst of absolute darkness.

    All this time, she had been living happily under the protection of her senior family members. Now that it was time for her to carry her part of the family burdens, she wasn¡¯t going to shy away.

    After she had finished thinking things through, Chu Lian stopped tossing and turning. Her eyes slid shut and her breathing turned long and even in just a short moment.

    Xiyan was on night duty today and waiting in the side room just outside Chu Lian¡¯s bedroom. When she could no longer hear any noises from within, she settled down to rest for the night in relief.

    The next day, thezybones Chu Lian actually managed to get up by herself without waiting for the maidservants to wake her.

    When Senior Servant Zhong entered the bedroom, she saw that Chu Lian had changed into a pink tunic suited for physical exercise, while her soft, dark hair had been tied up into a high ponytail that went all the way down to her waist.

    Senior Servant Zhong gaped. She had to calm herself down for some time before she finally found her voice again. ¡°Third Young Madam, why are you dressed... like that?¡±

    Chu Lian tidied up her hair a little, swung her arms and legs around and then pulled on some riding boots. It was only after all that that she looked up and smiled at Senior Servant Zhong. ¡°For morning practice of course!¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong¡¯s face flushed purplish red. ¡°Morning... practice?¡±

    She knew that the master and young masters of the estate had the habit of getting up early in the morning to practise martial arts, especially Third Young Master, who would practise every day regardless of the weather outside. That was because House Jing¡¯an was a military official family. If they wanted to get a post at court, they had to use their abilities to earn one. However, the young and sweet Third Young Madam was just a fifteen-year-old girl who still had baby fat on her cheeks. Wasn¡¯t the idea she was going to morning practice quiteughable?

    Xiyan and the rest hadn¡¯t mentioned that Third Young Madam practised martial arts, either!

    There was a special martial arts arena and indoor gym in Songtao Court. It was He Changdi who used those areas previously. Now it was Chu Lian who was reaping their benefits.

    When Senior Servant Zhong saw that Chu Lian really was going out in such a thin outfit, she quickly grabbed a fox fur-lined cloak from the nearby rack for Chu Lian to wear.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, it¡¯s already winter! You can¡¯t go out wearing so little, you¡¯ll freeze!¡±

    Chu Lian quickly pushed the cloak aside. Was Senior Servant Zhong joking? How was she going to run in such a thick cloak?

    ¡°Momo, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be fine! It¡¯s just a little cold. Once I start runningter, I won¡¯t even feel a thing.¡±

    After saying so, she quickly strode out of her bedroom, ignoring how Senior Servant Zhong was shouting and running after her with the fur-lined cloak. When she reached the outside, the cold air attacked her from the front. Chu Lian rubbed her arms and breathed out white puffs of air as she started running around the boundaries of her courtyard.

    When Senior Servant Zhong saw that Third Young Madam had really started running around outside dressed in such thin clothing, she was about to continue chasing after Third Young Madam. However, she was held back by Wen, who had juste out from the parlour.

    ¡°What are you holding me back for? Why don¡¯t you chase after Third Young Madam and stop her? The matriarch and Countess are already unwell; what will we do if something happens to Third Young Madam as well?¡±

    Wen pressed her lips together and shook her head. She was a martial arts practitioner herself, so she knew better than the old servant did. She replied coolly, ¡°Momo, Third Young Madam will be fine. Running like this is good for her body. Just rx, momo. Go and check on breakfast in the kitchen and give the cloak to me. I¡¯ll stay here and look after Third Young Madam.¡±

    When Senior Servant Zhong saw that she couldn¡¯t win against Chu Lian and Wen, she stomped her foot before shoving the cloak into Wen¡¯s arms and storming off in a huff.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t done any sort of physical exercise for far too long. After a short period of running, she started panting.

    She slowed down and tried to adjust her breathing.

    Actually, she had already thought it overst night.

    Her thought process was simple. Since she had decided to go to the northern border herself, then she had to make sure her body was in the best condition possible.

    Back in the modern world, she had learned enough that she understood how important a strong and healthy body was.

    Now that she had decided to make the long journey, she had to do her best to strengthen her body first. She had heard that it would get extremely cold after passing north of the Longxing Basin.

    The temperatures there couldn¡¯t bepared to those in the capital. Some of the older and more experienced servants in the estate had mentioned that simply spitting a mouthful of saliva could make icicles form.

    Chu Lian¡¯s body was just too weak right now. She might not even make it past the Longxing Basin, let alone the rest of the journey north. Whether it was helping with the war in the north or searching for the Snow Mountain Mists flower, time was of the essence.

    Without a strong body, she would only be a burden for House Jing¡¯an if she went to the northern border.

    As these thoughts passed through her head, the determination in Chu Lian¡¯s heart grew even more.

 Chapter 273: Preparations (2)

    A momentter, Wen had actually changed into appropriate clothing and began to follow her on her jog.

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t understand what she was doing. She shot a questioning look at the silly girl.

    Wen pursed her lips before replying, ¡°Third Young Madam, this servant will apany you.¡±

    Chu Lian smiled and nodded.

    When she felt that she had reached her limit, Chu Lian gradually slowed down and let Wen help her into the gym.

    Eventually, Wen¡¯s curiosity got the best of her. ¡°Third Young Madam, why did you suddenly think of jogging? Are you thinking of learning kungfu?¡±

    Chu Lian was taken aback. She took a moist towel from Xiyan to wipe the sweat on her forehead before turning to Wen. Initially, Chu Lian shook her head, but then she changed her mind and nodded instead. In the end, she could only verbally exin, ¡°I¡¯m only thinking of learning some basic moves to keep my body healthy and defend myself.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s thoughts were usually out of the norm anyway, so Wen didn¡¯t think much of it. She paused before offering, ¡°Since Third Young Madam has such intentions, would Third Young Madam like this servant to teach you a few self-defence moves?¡±

    Chu Lian wanted to p her leg in realisation. Aiyah, how could she have forgotten that Wenqing and Wen knew martial arts? Although she had learned a few self-defence moves in the modern world, how could thatpare to Wenqing and Wen¡¯s actual skills? With them as her teachers, although she might not be able to take on five people at once, she might at least have some ability to defend herself against some ruffians if needed.

    Thus, the period when Chu Lian normally went to visit Matriarch He was converted into morning practice.

    This continued on for quite a few days. Chu Lian would get up early in the morning before dawn and eat something light before jogging around her courtyard. Next, she would learn some basic moves from Wenqing and Wen in the gym. An hourter, she would have her breakfast before going to visit Matriarch He at Qingxi Hall.

    Every day, a guard from Prince Jin¡¯s Estate woulde to the Jing¡¯an Estate to report some news about the northern border.

    As Matriarch He¡¯s expression turned ever more serious, He Changqi was out from dawn till dusk, listening for more information about the war.

    The court was still at a loss for what to do.

    Finally, the day came when Matriarch He could no longer sit still and do nothing. She patted Chu Lian¡¯s hand and ordered Senior Servant Zhou to summon He Changqi.

    Chu Lian observed her expression. Her eyes darted about in thought before she finally said, ¡°Grandmother, are you thinking of sending Eldest Brother to the northern border?¡±

    Matriarch He turned to look at Chu Lian in surprise. She hesitated for a moment before showing a bitter smile. ¡°So Lian¡¯er hase to the same conclusion as Grandmother. The court hasn¡¯t been able to think of a solution, but our He Family can¡¯t just sit back and do nothing. As long as there¡¯s still a shred of hope, I won¡¯t give up. Sang... Sang¡¯s still so young! He¡¯s only twenty!¡±

    There were already far too few descendants of House Jing¡¯an. They had been seeded by a single son generation after generation, and it wasn¡¯t until He Changdi¡¯s generation that they had finally gotten three male descendants. It was already a huge regret that Old Count Jing¡¯an had died on the battlefield.

    Now, other than Dng, the other sons were all in the military somehow. Sang had just gotten married not too long ago and he didn¡¯t have any sons to carry on his branch! How could Matriarch He bear to see that child sacrifice himself just like that?

    Matriarch He¡¯s old eyes turned red and teary. Chu Lian gulped before saying, ¡°Grandmother, let me go to the northern border!¡±

    The matriarch¡¯s tears hadn¡¯t even dripped out of her eyes yet; she was instantly frightened by Chu Lian¡¯s words. As she stared at Chu Lian in shock, she said, ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, what are you saying?¡±

    Chu Lian looked at Matriarch He earnestly. Her almond-shaped eyes were shining brightly like the stars in the sky, filled with an indomitable spirit. She repeated her words once more. ¡°Grandmother, let me go to the northern border. There¡¯s no better choice. Eldest Brother has to take care of the estate and he can¡¯t leave the capital. Furthermore, he has a job at court to do. My two nieces are still young, too. The men of our house are all out, so Eldest Brother can¡¯t leave now.¡±

    It was only now that Matriarch He realised that Chu Lian was serious. She couldn¡¯t react for a moment before she reached out to grasp Chu Lian¡¯s hand, and in a heavy tone, she said, ¡°You can¡¯t! How can we let a young girl like you go off to a wastnd like the northern border?¡±

    Chu Lian had already expected Matriarch He¡¯s protest. She replied with as gentle a tone as she could muster. ¡°Grandmother, you¡¯re an exceptional woman yourself. Didn¡¯t you follow Grandfather to Xinjiang when you were younger? You¡¯re the one who knows the best how we women aren¡¯t any less capable than the men! When the timees, we can hold up our half of the sky! Furthermore, we¡¯re not the ones who can decide whether Eldest Brother can leave the capital or not; it¡¯s the Emperor!¡±

    Although Matriarch He hadn¡¯t been born into a military family, after getting married to Old Count Jing¡¯an, she had followed him to the border at Xinjiang.

    Chu Lian had heard her mother-inw Countess Jing¡¯an mention that Matriarch He had been extremely clever when she was younger and that she had been Old Count Jing¡¯an¡¯s little strategist. Many times, when they had been fighting to death with the Xinjiang people, it was thanks to Matriarch He¡¯s schemes that Old Count Jing¡¯an had achieved victory by the skin of his teeth.

    Chu Lian¡¯s words reminded Matriarch He of one thing.

    The sons of the He Family were all stationed out of the estate. He Dng hadn¡¯t taken a post in the capital purely out of consideration for the He Family¡¯s next generation; it was mostly due to the Emperor¡¯s wishes.

    Count Jing¡¯an was a general defending one of the country¡¯s borders and there was aw that stated that father and son couldn¡¯t be in the same army. If He Dng wanted to seed the family title and responsibilities, he would have to wait for Count Jing¡¯an to retire from Mingzhou. Furthermore, as the eldest son, the main reason that He Changqi had stayed behind in the capital was to act as a hostage to keep the Emperor reassured of their family¡¯s loyalty.

    Since He Dng had such a status, how could he leave the capital?

 Chapter 274: Setting Off (1)

    When Matriarch He heard Chu Lian¡¯s exnation, she sunk into silence.

    In her heart, she knew that Chu Lian was right. She just wasn¡¯t willing to face the truth.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to force her into making a decision, so she softened her tone. ¡°Grandmother, let¡¯s wait until Eldest Brotheres back. We can discuss this with Eldest Brother.¡±

    Matriarch He nodded with a grave expression on her face.

    It took He Changqi an hour to rush back to the estate. Once he passed the main entrance, he hurried over to Qingxi Hall.

    When He Changqi looked up and saw that Chu Lian was present as well, he seemed slightly surprised.

    Matriarch He pointed at the chair next to her. ¡°Take a seat and rest for a while before we speak.¡±

    Muxiang served some tea to He Changqi. However, he only managed to finish half of it before he could no longer sit still. He set down the teacup and said with a serious face, ¡°Grandmother, what if I plead with the Emperor and ask him to allow me to go to the northern border?¡±

    Matriarch He was an exception amongst women. She had experienced great upheavals and changes when she was younger. As they waited for He Changqi to arrive, she had continued to think on the matter and came to a conclusion.

    Sang¡¯s wife was right. Dng couldn¡¯t leave the capital, so they would have to depend on Sang¡¯s wife for this trip to the north.

    After she heard Dng out, Matriarch He shook her head. ¡°Dng, you know the situation our family is in now. The Emperor will never agree to let you leave the capital. But our He Family can¡¯t just watch Sang fall into danger without doing anything. This old woman has already decided. We¡¯ll send Sang¡¯s wife out to the north.¡±

    ¡°What!¡±

    He Changqi¡¯s shout was full of disbelief and surprise. When he realised that his reaction had been a little over the top, he coughed awkwardly and cast a suspicious nce at Chu Lian, who was sitting beside Matriarch He.

    ¡°Grandmother, this isn¡¯t fitting. Third Sister-in-Law is only fifteen and she¡¯s a girl. How can we send her to a ce as cold as the northern border? What will we do if something happens...?¡±

    Matriarch He¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°So what if she¡¯s a girl? So what if she¡¯s only fifteen? Lian¡¯er managed to make Guilin Restaurant famous at the young age of fifteen. Are you able to do the same? What¡¯s more, this old woman followed your grandfather all the way to Xinjiang when I was younger. At that time, I was only sixteen. Rest assured, we¡¯re not going to send her off right this instant. We¡¯re definitely going to prepare her as much as possible. I¡¯ll send some of our estate¡¯s secret guards to follow Lian¡¯er when it¡¯s time to go. She¡¯ll be fine!¡±

    Although He Changqi looked like a rough, burly military official with all brawn and no wits, he was actually very aware of the overall situation.

    Seeing how decisively Grandmother had spoken, he had already guessed that Grandmother had already made her decision earlier.

    He also knew that he couldn¡¯t leave the capital that easily. However, as he looked at his young and fragile Third Sister-in-Law, He Changqi couldn¡¯t help but inwardly sigh. Could such a small girl really bear these great responsibilities?

    The mission was to head to the northern border to send help to Sang. At the most critical time, she might even have to use all the resources at her disposal to rescue Sang; this required both wisdom and foresight. It wasn¡¯t going to be as easy as opening a restaurant and cooking up some dishes!

    He Changqimented once again in his heart. He regretted sorely how he hadn¡¯t discovered He Sang¡¯s desire to go to the north earlier. If he had known, he would have stopped him on the spot.

    ¡°Since Grandmother is already decided, I have nothing to say. However, your grandson has a request.¡±

    ¡°Speak!¡±

    ¡°I will send someone to help out on this trip to the north. If Third Sister-in-Law can¡¯t give out orders in the spur of the moment, my representative will make the decisions for her.¡±

    Upon hearing He Changqi¡¯s words, Chu Lian paused before looking at her eldest brother-inw.

    Actually, to tell it straight, He Changqi didn¡¯t trust in her capabilities at all. However, that was a normal reaction. Although He Changqi hadn¡¯t been very sessful in managing his marriage, he was a responsible and careful person. If not for the identity of House Jing¡¯an¡¯s eldest son binding him here, he would have definitely be a brave and wise general in the military.

    Matriarch He cast a nce at Chu Lian. Seeing that she hadn¡¯t gotten angry because of He Changqi¡¯s words, sheid her worries to rest. Although Matriarch He hadn¡¯t said it out loud, she had also thought of the same possibility that He Changqi was trying to prevent.

    Chu Lian¡¯s calm demeanour gave Matriarch He the feeling that she could rely on this young, tender granddaughter-inw of hers.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s natural for Eldest Brother to make such a request. If I fail to help Husband myself, I can¡¯t be a burden to others trying to help him. Husband¡¯s safety is the most important.¡±

    He Changqi hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to be so level-headed and rational. If it were some other family¡¯s young wife, they would have cried themselves to sleep in their own courtyard. How would they have thought of personally going out to save their husband? After a moment of stunned surprise, He Changqi nodded and had nothing left to say.

    The preparations were left for Matriarch He and He Changqi to make.

    The next day, Matriarch He sent her token to the pce and requested a meeting with the Empress Dowager.

    Just two dayster, the Empress Dowager¡¯s imperial decree was sent out, ordering Honoured Lady Jinyi to bring the cotton-padded clothes and nkets that had been donated by the citizens of the capital to support the warriors fighting in the extreme cold of the northern border.

    Actually, this was just a cover-up for Matriarch He¡¯s real request to the Empress Dowager. No one had actually collected donations from the citizens- the supplies had been prepared by House Jing¡¯an themselves to perpetuate the lie.

    He Changqi had already notified Prince Jin; the prince had sent a reply back, saying that he would send some men on the trip as well.

    The most surprising thing was that Princess Wei had somehow gotten wind of the news too. She personally visited the Jing¡¯an Estate along with Royal Princess Duanjia to see Chu Lian.

    It wasn¡¯t just Chu Lian who was surprised by this. Even Matriarch He needed some time to recover from her shock.

 Chapter 275: Setting Off (2)

    Royal Princess Duanjia held onto Chu Lian¡¯s arm, trying to persuade her not to go to the northern border.

    While the two of them were talking inside her bedroom, Matriarch He was entertaining Princess Wei in the parlour outside.

    ¡°Chu Liu, are you crazy? Are you really going to Liangzhou? I heard my big brother say that you can¡¯t even stick out your hands over there, or else they¡¯ll freeze!¡±

    Chu Lian noticed Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s tightly furrowed brows. Her eyes were full of worry.

    Chu Lian smiled. ¡°Princess, the matriarch has already requested this from the Empress Dowager. I have to go.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia immediately stood up, indignant. ¡°How can that old woman force you like that? Just tell me now! If you really don¡¯t want to go, this princess will go and plead with Grandmother- the Empress Dowager right now!¡±

    Chu Lian hurriedly tugged the agitated Royal Princess Duanjia back down. She held onto the princess¡¯s arm and shook it. ¡°Princess, it¡¯s not like that, I wanted to go myself!¡±

    ¡°You!! Chu Liu! You¡¯re trying to anger me to death!!¡± Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s chest heaved up and down in her frustration. Finally, she turned her head and refused to pay attention to Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian was at a loss for what to do. She could only try to patiently exin her rationale. ¡°Princess, He Sang is facing danger in the north. Our family can¡¯t just sit back and do nothing. Eldest Brother can¡¯t leave the capital and Second Brother is away in the next city on imperial business. The only one who can leave the estate is me! Also, if I¡¯m the one to go, we won¡¯t alert the enemy. We might even be able to snatch a victory if an opportunityes along.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia rolled her eyes without any consideration for Chu Lian¡¯s feelings. ¡°Chu Liu, you don¡¯t even know a single martial arts move. What can you do if you go there?¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t intend to hide anything from Royal Princess Duanjia. She admitted, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know what I can do. But if I don¡¯t go and something happens to He Sang, I won¡¯t be able to live with myself.¡± Looking at Matriarch He and Eldest Brother¡¯s preparations, they weren¡¯t hoping for any miracles from her. She was just meant to be a cover for the He Family to send resources to save Sang.

    Royal Princess Duanjia knew that she couldn¡¯t convince Chu Lian, so she stomped hard on the floor. Full of dissatisfaction, she said, ¡°What did that He Sang do in his previous life to marry a wife like you?! Did he save the country or something? If I had met you earlier, I would have gotten my brother to marry you so you could be my sister-inw!¡±

    When Chu Lian heard Royal Princess Duanjia speak so carelessly, the corners of her mouth twitched. This princess was really daring in her choice of words.

    ¡°Princess!¡±

    ¡°What? Are you unhappy because I¡¯m dissing He Sang? He¡¯s a good-for-nothing in the first ce. What are you defending him for? See, that title of yours had nothing to do with him!¡±

    When Royal Princess Duanjia wanted to insult people, she went all the way.

    Luckily, He Changdi wasn¡¯t here. Otherwise, he might have choked on his anger and died!

    When the princess saw that Chu Lian hadn¡¯t answered her and was just looking down and sipping her honey water, Royal Princess Duanjia suddenly sucked in her breath. She moved closer to Chu Lian and said, ¡°Chu Liu, have you really fallen in love with that He Sang?¡±

    Chu Lian was speechless. She didn¡¯t understand how Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s mind could leap to conclusions like that. Why was she suddenly asking about the feelings between her and her husband?

    When Chu Lian only looked up and blinked at her, Royal Princess Duanjia became more anxious, ¡°Chu Liu! How could you be so silly! Are you made of putty?! That stupid man abandoned you five days into your marriage, but you¡¯ve actually set your heart on going to the northern border to save him from danger. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t even care if he lived or not! It would be best if he just died; this princess can still take another husband!¡±

    Chu Lian almost spit out the honey water in her mouth thanks to Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s outrageous words.

    She didn¡¯t ignore Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯sints and replied frankly, ¡°I¡¯m not going to the northern border just for He Sang. It¡¯s more for the sake of House Jing¡¯an, since I¡¯m the Third Young Madam of House Jing¡¯an first and foremost. As long as House Jing¡¯an is doing well, I¡¯ll be able to live my days well, too.¡±

    It was only when Royal Princess Duanjia heard Chu Lian¡¯s reply that she turned quiet.

    She stopped refuting Chu Lian and remained silent for a moment. Finally, she looked up and met Chu Lian¡¯s eyes. ¡°Chu Liu, you have to be careful when you go to the northern border. I¡¯ll ask my father to send some guards to protect you!¡±

    Chu Lian smiled. ¡°Princess, it¡¯s not as dangerous as you think. I¡¯m not going to the army camp, so why would anything happen to me? At most, I¡¯ll be staying in Liangzhou City for a while. Oh yes, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to eat hotpot some time ago? Why don¡¯t we eat hotpot together today since we have the chance?¡±

    Although saliva had already began to pool in her mouth, Royal Princess Duanjia still rolled her eyes at Chu Lian. Sheined, ¡°Chu Liu, you¡¯re still thinking about food at this time?¡±

    Chu Lian made a ¡®pfft¡¯ sound. ¡°So~ Princess doesn¡¯t want to eat hotpot? Then I¡¯ll tell Xiyan and the rest to stop preparing it.¡±

    Just as Chu Lian was about to stand up and do exactly that, Royal Princess Duanjia tugged on her sleeve and said, ¡°Chu... Chu Liu... Since you want to eat hotpot, then this princess will do you a favour and apany you for a meal.¡±

    Chu Lian covered her smile and shot a look at Royal Princess Duanjia.

    As expected, once food was mentioned, Royal Princess Duanjia had been sessfully distracted. In an instant, she had already started to ask more questions: How was hotpot made? Could they really put all sorts of food in to cook? Would it still taste good that way?

    After the meal, Princess Wei grasped Chu Lian¡¯s hand and nagged at her for a long time. It wasn¡¯t until after 2pm that Princess Wei and Royal Princess Duanjia finally went home in a low-key manner.

    The situation in the north could change at any moment, so House Jing¡¯an didn¡¯t dare to tarry. They quickly set the date for Chu Lian¡¯s departure to the north.

    Very coincidentally, it happened to be the day of Xiao Bojian¡¯s appreciation banquet in the Ying Estate.

 Chapter 276: Retribution (1)

    To travel from the capital to the northern border, mostmon folk and merchants would choose to use the government-built highway. The highway passed through many important towns and cities and it was very convenient for doing business or taking a break on the road.

    However, because Chu Lian and her party were rushing to the northern border, they couldn¡¯t take any detours on the road. Furthermore, they were travelling light. Other than the few carriages of cotton clothes and nkets, they didn¡¯t have to take any heavy loads into consideration.

    Thus, after Matriarch He and He Changqi had a discussion with the private soldiers serving their family, they chose a small road that led to Liangzhou.

    The small road cut straight into the hintend of the northern border from the outskirts of the capital. There weren¡¯t any small viges they could rest in along the way, and there might even be stretches of days where there wouldn¡¯t be any water sources nearby. For the most part, they would be travelling through mountain forests, but that meant they would have to have enough supplies or some skilled hunters as part of their entourage. Otherwise, it would be hard to reach the northern border.

    However, they could save a lot of time travelling on a small road like this as long as they had a good horse under them. It would only take around ten to twenty days to reach Liangzhou from the capital, and it would cut their travel time by two-thirds aspared to the highway.

    As the day of her departure grew closer and closer, Chu Lian didn¡¯t dare to waste a single second of her time. She continued waking up before the sun was up to practise. She was now extremely familiar with the few moves that Wenqing and Wen had taught her for self-defence.

    She also went over to Great Doctor Miao¡¯s to ask for some preventives and also for medicines that could cure the mostmon wounds.

    Great Doctor Miao was very generous towards Chu Lian and packed up a bundle for her that included a bottle each of poison antidotes, bug repellent, and even frostbite and burn salves.

    Chu Lian also passed Manager Qin a list of things and had him prepare everything on the list for her.

    The day before departure, two guards came from Prince Wei¡¯s Estate, saying that they were sent by Princess Wei to protect Chu Lian¡¯s safety on the trip.

    The guards were a pair of siblings: an older brother and a younger sister. The man was called Li Xing while the woman was called Li Yue.

    The two siblings looked simr, both dressed in a guard¡¯s uniform from the Prince¡¯s Estate with their heads lowered respectfully. It was the first time Chu Lian had met them, so she didn¡¯t know what their personalities were like.

    Since Princess Wei had sent them specially for her, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t reject them. She told Xiyan to bring the two guards to a room so they could rest.

    When it was finally the day of departure, Chu Lian had already finished packing all of her luggage. Prince Jin sent a small team of men and horses, about twenty people in all. The leader was a young man called Tang Yan.

    Tang Yan had already seen Chu Lian before, but this was the first time that Chu Lian had seen him.

    Tang Yan walked up to Chu Lian. When he saw the things piled up inside the carriage, his jaw almost dropped from shock...

    He first bowed towards Chu Lian and gave a simple self-introduction before gaping as he asked, ¡°Is... is this all of Honoured Lady¡¯s luggage?¡±

    Chu Lian nodded while standing next to the carriage, a calm expression on her face. ¡°It is! Is there any problem, Sir Tang?¡±

    Tang Yan opened his mouth as if wanting to speak. In the end, he couldn¡¯t resist giving her a reminder. ¡°Actually, Honoured Lady, you don¡¯t have to bring so many things. Your estate has already informed His Highness that we¡¯re going to be using a small road, so this subordinate has already ordered the men to prepare enough food and supplies. We¡¯ve also brought a doctor and a cook along.¡±

    Chu Lian looked at him and then tilted her head. ¡°Then could Sir Tang tell us how many carriages of goods we¡¯re bringing on this trip?¡±

    ¡°At least nine to ten.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded, ¡°Since that¡¯s so, it won¡¯t be much to bring along one more carriage! Furthermore, these are just some day-to-day items that I¡¯m used to using. They¡¯re just a few items, not worth a mention.¡±

    Tang Yan didn¡¯t know how to reply to this statement. He cast a nce at the full carriage next to her. Wasn¡¯t that a small metal pot sticking out from the corner?!

    He sweated and inwardlyined, ¡®How is that not worth a mention? She¡¯s even brought pots and pans along... This is going to be a harsh journey with very little food. Is she going to cook up some delicacies with that pot?¡¯

    When Chu Lian was about to leave, everyone in the estate except the grounded Madam Zou and the bedridden Countess Jing¡¯an came out to send her off.

    For this trip to the north, Chu Lian was going to bring Wenqing and Wen with her, as well as Manager Qin. The other people in the party were all arranged by Matriarch He. She heard that Matriarch He had also sent two secret bodyguards. However, they were to remain hidden and wouldn¡¯t appear except when needed.

    Other than that, there were also the two guards that Princess Wei had sent, Li Xing and Li Yue.

    In front of the estate¡¯s entrance, He Dng was talking to Tang Yan while Matriarch He took Chu Lian¡¯s hands in hers, unwilling to part.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, it¡¯ll be hard on you for this trip to the north. You must take care of your own safety first and foremost.¡±

    ¡°Grandmother, don¡¯t worry. I can take care of myself. I¡¯m also bringing Wenqing and Wen! It¡¯s Grandmother who should take better care of your health. When Granddaughter-in-Law returns home with Husband, I want to see a bright and healthy Grandmother!¡±

    Matriarch He nodded, her eyes slightly moist. She patted Chu Lian¡¯s hand and tucked away some stray strands of hair for her before urging her to get onto the carriage.

 Chapter 277: Retribution (2)

    Standing off to one side, Senior Servant Gui¡¯s eyes were already red. She had raised Chu Lian and followed her all the way to her husband¡¯s household. This was the first time that she was going to be separated from her. If only she had been a few years younger, then she might have followed along with or without Chu Lian¡¯s permission.

    Chu Lian stepped onto the carriage and turned back to look. When she saw that Senior Servant Gui hade out with Xiyan to chase after her, she felt the corners of her eyes turn a little wet as well. Chu Lian shouted, ¡°Momo, Xiyan, go back!¡±

    Senior Servant Gui covered her mouth with a handkerchief before nodding forcefully, ¡°Third Young Madam, don¡¯t worry! This old servant will take good care of Songtao Court for you!¡±

    Chu Lian turned around and stopped looking back. She stepped forcefully onto the step and boarded the carriage. Then she was seen no more as the felt curtain fell over the entrance, blocking the wind and all the gazes of the crowd.

    House Jing¡¯an¡¯s private troops and Tang Yan¡¯s team quickly disappeared from House Jing¡¯an¡¯s entrance.

    It wasn¡¯t until they could no longer see any of the party that He Changqi personally escorted Matriarch He back into the estate.

    Half a day after Chu Lian had left, in the afternoon, a messy-haired, crazy-looking woman stumbled over to the normally peaceful entrance of the Jing¡¯an Estate. Her hair was aplete mess and her face was covered in dirt, making her unrecognisable.

    She lurched over to the Jing¡¯an Estate¡¯s entrance and tried to enter, but how could the manservant guarding the door let her in just like that? He kicked her to the ground. ¡°Where did this crazy womane from? Hey, can¡¯t you see where this is? How dare you try to charge into the estate! Are you sick of living?¡±

    The messy-haired womanid on the floor, groaning in pain. After a moment, she started shouting, ¡°Quick... notify... notify Third Young Madam! I¡¯m Third Young Madam¡¯s handmaid! Right, I¡¯m a handmaid who married over with Third Young Madam! Quick, notify Third Young Madam for me!¡±

    The door guard looked at her in contempt. ¡°Tch, you¡¯re just a miserable lying wretch! Trying to impersonate a handmaid of one of our noble madams? Why don¡¯t you take a look in the mirror first? Let me tell you, I¡¯ve seen all the handmaids serving our Third Young Madam before. Not a single one of them looks like you!¡±

    When the woman heard the door guard¡¯s disdainful words, her expression almost cracked. She crawled off the ground and tried to pull at the hem of his clothes. She even brushed aside the messy hair covering her face, revealing her looks. Unfortunately, her face was still covered in dirt. The hand she used to grasp at the manservant was also covered in rotting sores. ¡°Look at my face! Look at my face! I¡¯m one of Honoured Lady Jinyi¡¯s handmaids! It was Third Young Madam who gave me my name! I¡¯m Mingyan! My name is Mingyan! Please, go in and notify Third Young Madam for me... Please!!¡±

    The manservant waspletely disgusted by her ckened face and sore-covered hands. How could he bother with discerning her looks? He kicked Mingyan away again with an expression full of loathing. ¡°Stupid beggar. Stop acting! If you continue like this, I¡¯ll get the city guards toe over and throw you into jail!¡±

    The manservant harrumphed inwardly. The only handmaids serving Third Young Madam were called Xiyan, Fuyan, and Jingyan. There was also Miss Wenqing. When had there ever been some Mingyan? Did this person really think that she could bluff her way into the Jing¡¯an Estate just by giving herself a name ending with ¡®yan¡¯?

    How could Mingyan possibly give up herst chance at survival? Even though her body was already weak, she found thest remnants of her strength and stumbled forward a few steps. She grabbed onto the door guard¡¯s calf and pleaded, ¡°Please! Please!! Just let me meet Third Young Madam, just once! As long as you help me pass a message to her, I¡¯ll give you whatever you want! R-right, I know Third Young Madam¡¯s secret recipes! If you send a message for me, I¡¯ll tell them to you! I¡¯ll give them all to you!¡±

    The manservant was already at the limits of his disgust thanks to this crazy woman. This time, he showed no mercy and called over two others to pull away the madwoman hugging his leg. They forcefully removed her and tossed her down the steps in front of the estate¡¯s entrance. The door guard had onest parting remark for her. ¡°Let me tell you, even if you really know Third Young Madam, you¡¯re toote. Our Third Young Madam received an imperial edict to go to the north, and she¡¯s already left!¡±

    After that, he stopped bothering with the madwoman. He ordered the two retainers to beat the woman to death with some rods if she dared to get close to the entrance again.

    Mingyan¡¯s dull eyes widened, her expression filled with disbelief. She shook her head in denial. How could it be? How was that possible? Third Young Madam went to the north... How could that be? If Third Young Madam was no longer in the estate... then who was going to save her life?!

    No matter how much Mingyan tried, she wasn¡¯t able to enter the Jing¡¯an Estate. In the end, the guards tossed her into one of the corners outside the estate. Mingyan hugged her knees to herself and curled up where she was.

    The cold invaded her body, stealing away her warmth and making her stiff with frost. In her mind, she couldn¡¯t help but think back to the days she had lived with Chu Lian in Songtao Court.

    Third Young Madam had been so friendly, and she had never mistreated any of her servants. Although Third Young Master wasn¡¯t around, the servants of Songtao Court could always walk around with straight backs.

    Third Young Madam had bestowed golden hairpins and rings on her handmaids. Those designs were so pretty. It had been her first time seeing such beautiful jewellery in her life!

    What a pity that it was all gone. Someone else had taken them from her.

    Third Young Madam had never avoided her handmaids when making one of her secret recipes. She would even teach them a little more when she was happy. Once, Mingyan had made a gamble and asked Third Young Madam for some dessert recipes. Third Young Madam hadn¡¯t gotten mad in the slightest and patiently instructed her. And after the first time she exined it, Third Young Madam had even asked if the steps were clear enough.

    The secret recipes she had learned from Third Young Madam had be hers. If those people wanted to steal them for themselves, even if her hands rotted away, she wasn¡¯t going to reveal Third Young Madam¡¯s secret recipes to anyone!

    As Mingyan¡¯s thoughts ran through her head, she looked up at the high wall of the estate behind her.

    How she wished that she hadn¡¯t been possessed by greed back then!

 Chapter 278: The Passing of A Woman (1)

    That stubborn and loyal Xiyan had still ended up with a better fate than hers, heh!

    Mingyan felt like she was immersed in the middle of an ice-coveredke. Although there was still a tiny bit of warmth left in her chest, it felt like a flickering candle me, slowly shrinking and fading away.

    She leaned against the cold wall behind her, the memories from the Zheng Estate swirling in her mind.

    Old Duke Zheng¡¯s visits to Guilin Restaurant had be more and more frequent. A month after Guilin Restaurant had opened, the old duke was having all his meals at the restaurant apart from breakfast.

    Chu Lian had specially reserved a small court in Guilin Restaurant for Old Duke Zheng. As long as he went over there at meal times, he didn¡¯t need to queue at all and he would be able to eat any of the dishes in Guilin Restaurant.

    Ever so slowly, Old Duke Zheng started to feel that Mingyan¡¯s dishes weren¡¯t as appetising as before.

    One day, after Old Duke Zheng hade back to the estate, Old Duchess Zheng asked her husband what he would like to eat at night. Old Duke Zheng had just casually replied with ¡®Top Grade Hotpot¡¯. He had eaten that dish at Guilin Restaurant in the afternoon and it was one of the restaurant¡¯s new dishes for the month. He had only eaten it once before, so he hadn¡¯t had enough; the answer he gave his wife came entirely from his subconscious.

    The old cooks in the Zheng Estate were pretty much useless by now. It was mostly Mingyan who was in charge of Old Duke Zheng¡¯s kitchen. Since Old Duke Zheng had made a request, the responsibility of actually making the dish fell onto Mingyan¡¯s shoulders.

    Due to the fact that she would chase everyone out whenever she cooked in the kitchen, the servants in the kitchen were already biased against her.

    After Old Duke Zheng had requested thispletely foreign dish, no one was willing to speak up for her.

    Mingyan was almost dancing on the spot from her anxiety. She didn¡¯t know how to make this ¡®Top Grade Hotpot¡¯ at all!

    Back then, she had started hating Chu Lian. Why hadn¡¯t Chu Lian taught her a few more secret recipes? If she had, then she wouldn¡¯t be in this desperate state right now.

    Of course, she wasn¡¯t able to make the ¡®Top Grade Hotpot¡¯. Mingyan was summoned by Old Duchess Zheng and suffered a harsh scolding.

    It wasn¡¯t until she was kneeling before the old duchess that Mingyan finally realised she was at the end of her path.

    Thus, she started thinking up a scheme for her own survival.

    Heir Zheng woulde over to Old Duke Zheng¡¯s courtyard every morning for breakfast. She used that chance to slip some drugs into his food. However, before Heir Zheng had even touched the drugced food, a maidservant had already reported Mingyan¡¯s actions to the younger Duchess Zheng.

    The Zheng Estate only had this one heir, so he was absolutely precious to them. Duchess Zheng kept watch over him tightly. When she found out that her son had almost been drugged by a maidservant, she exploded.

    Thus, Duchess Zheng personally took over the punishment and had Mingyan beaten until she was half-dead. After that, she ordered the servants to buy some drugs that could make her handsme so she would never cook again.

    There was no shortage of skeletons in the closet behind the tall walls of the inner court. While the matriarchs of noble families were elegant and poised on the outside, their hands were likely stained with the blood of countless people.

    Duchess Zheng was not a soft-hearted matriarch. Furthermore, Mingyan was just a servant. As favoured as she was, she was still just a servant who could cook a little. In the eyes of most masters, she was no different than a dog.

    While Mingyan was being punished, Old Duke Zheng didn¡¯t even try to plead for mercy for her. In the end, Mingyan used all her savings to bribe the maidservant guarding the entrance so she could escape from the Zheng Estate.

    The first person she had thought to seek help from was Chu Lian.

    Unfortunately, she was never going to be able to meet her again.

    As thest vestiges of warmth faded from Mingyan¡¯s heart, the soft glow of the afternoon sun shone upon her head.

    The next day, Xiyan led a few maidservants out from the side entrance on an errand to Guilin Restaurant. The moment she stepped out, she noticed the broken body lying in a corner outside the estate.

    The menial servant guarding the door noticed Xiyan¡¯s frown and quickly tried smiling in a cating manner. ¡°Miss Xiyan, that¡¯s just a lunatic! She kept fussing and trying to enter the estate yesterday, iming that she¡¯s one of Third Young Madam¡¯s handmaids. In the end, the guards at the entrance beat her up and threw her out. She crawled into that corner herself. Maybe she¡¯s already lost the little bit of life left in her!¡±

    Handmaid?

    A bad premonition surfaced in Xiyan¡¯s heart.

    She quickly ordered for two manservants toe. By the time they checked the body, the woman was no longer breathing. When the manservant pulled aside the messy hair covering the woman¡¯s face, Xiyan sucked in a gasp of cold air. It really was Mingyan!

    Standing before a sister who had served together with her in the past, Xiyan¡¯s heart was filled with mixed emotions. She stood in silence for a long moment until the manservant next to her carefully asked, ¡°Miss Xiyan, what... what should we do?¡±

    Xiyan took in a deep breath and suppressed the burgeoning emotions threatening to burst out of her. She took out a silver ingot from her sleeve and passed it to the manservant. ¡°Buy a coffin and bury her!¡±

    Mingyan had been part of the dowry when Chu Lian had married into the Jing¡¯an Estate. Before that, she had just been a newly bought servant who had no parents or rtives.

    Xiyan cast onest look at that cold, stiff body before leading her party away without another look back.

    Mingyan had chosen her own path. The only person she could me for her end was herself.

 Chapter 279: The Passing of A Woman (2)

    On the day that Chu Lian had departed for the north, the Ying Estate was bustling with noise and excitement. Early in the morning, the Ying Estate had opened its doors and begun weing guests at the main entrance. Even the manservants and retainers guarding the doors were all wearing new uniforms.

    By holding his appreciation banquet at the Ying Estate, Xiao Bojian had lifted the declining House Ying into a position of fame once more.

    House Ying had never been so lively, even during weddings.

    When it was close to 11am and most of the guests had arrived, everyone gathered in the main hall to greet Old Duke Ying and present their gifts.

    Within a study in the outer court of the Ying Estate, Xiao Bojian had already changed into a brocade robe. He was wearing a white jade crown on his head. There was no trace of his usual gloom in his narrow, nted eyes. Instead, they appeared energetic and full of life.

    He was currently standing at the top position amongst his peers, looking down upon them from a metaphorical mountain. No wonder he seemed to be in a great mood and in high spirits.

    Xiao Bojian straightened a ribbon tied to his belt. He ced that lucky jade amulet with great care into the purse tied around his waist. Before he slipped it in, he even rubbed it affectionately.

    By the time he had finished preparing himself, One had entered the study after knocking on the door.

    One stood right next to him with his head lowered, silent and not daring to meet his eyes.

    In his happiness, Xiao Bojian didn¡¯t notice One¡¯s mood and immediately asked, ¡°Has shee?¡±

    One stiffened. He hesitated before gritting his teeth and pretending to be muddled as he asked, ¡°Who does Master mean by ¡®she¡¯?¡±

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s originally high mood sunk into a gloomy low. His gaze was as sharp as a knife as he turned it on One. ¡°One, don¡¯t y stupid with me. Where¡¯s Lian¡¯er!¡±

    One knew he couldn¡¯t hide the truth any longer. In the face of his master¡¯s dissatisfaction, he could only reply, ¡°Honoured Lady Jinyi didn¡¯te today. The matriarch of House Jing¡¯an only sent a servant carrying gifts.¡±

    ¡°What!¡±

    The air around Xiao Bojian turned frighteningly stiff and cold. ¡°How could that be? I even got Second Master to send an invite. Why wouldn¡¯t Lian¡¯ere?¡± It was his appreciation banquet today, and it was even being held at the Ying Estate!

    One didn¡¯t dare to hide anything from Xiao Bojian in his current state. ¡°Master, it¡¯s not that Honoured Lady Jinyi wasn¡¯t willing toe. Honoured Lady Jinyi has gone off to the northern border!¡±

    The northern border!

    It was as if a bolt had struck Xiao Bojian¡¯s head out of the blue.

    Right after getting the top rank out of all the schrs this year, the Emperor had summoned him for a meeting. Following that, he had to attend a banquet held in celebration of the top few schrs, and that involved socialising with the others... He hadn¡¯t been able to pay attention to Chu Lian¡¯s activities for the past few days. Who could have known that she had gone off to the north while he was still waiting to meet her again!

    Xiao Bojian knew that war had broken out in the northern border. However, he had just been recognised as one of the literati; he couldn¡¯t interfere with politics yet. After getting an official post, he still had to stay in the Imperial Academy and continue studying. These weren¡¯t things within his control. Actually, he had even been a little happy over the news of the war in the north. He Changdi was in the north. If the war didn¡¯t go well and He Changdi just dropped dead, then no one would fight him for Lian¡¯er!

    Hepletely hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to go to the north herself!

    She would rather risk her life to search for a heartless husband thane and see a loverpletely besotted with her!

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s earlier good mood had dissipated by now. His hands curled into fists. ¡°Tell me! When did Lian¡¯er leave?¡±

    One kept his head lowered as he replied, ¡°Replying to Master, Honoured Lady Jinyi left early this morning.¡±

    Xiao Bojian could no longer hold back his rage. He mmed the table with his hand, turning his fair palm red. However, that was already beyond his caring. ¡°Send some men to chase after her! Even if you have to kidnap her, you have to bring Lian¡¯er back for me!¡±

    One immediately sucked in his breath in surprise. He quickly tried to stop his master. ¡°Master, you can¡¯t! Honoured Lady Jinyi has Prince Jin¡¯s men with her. She¡¯s going to the north to support the northern border troops with the Empress Dowager¡¯s imperial edict. If we stick our hands in this and get discovered, then all our previous efforts will be wasted!¡±

    Xiao Bojian bit his lip forcefully. Finally, he swept all the things on the table to the floor. In a short instant, the study had turned into a mess.

    One stood in the corner, not daring to move, trying his best to reduce his presence. After a long moment of silence, Xiao Bojian ordered, ¡°Send some men to follow her, and don¡¯t alert the enemy...¡±

    When One heard this order, he made a cupped fist salute and quickly left the messy scene.

    Xiao Bojian copsed dejectedly into a chair behind the desk. His originally effeminate face was twisted into a ruthless yet pained expression. He looked like a blood-sucking demon who had crawled out of the depths of hell.

    A voice was screaming in his heart, ¡®Lian¡¯er! How could you abandon me and choose him instead?!¡¯

    Were all those feelings that they had shared... just lies?!

    When he thought of how Chu Lian would be reunited with He Changdi like a pair of lovebirds in the north, the pain in Xiao Bojian¡¯s heart was indescribable.

    One of his hands was still tightly curled around the purse containing the lucky jade amulet.

    He swore secretly in his heart that one day, he would make Chu Lian regret her choice and beg for the chance to return to his side!

    If Chu Lian were to find out what Xiao Bojian was thinking right now, she would surely roll her eyes andment at how the men around her were all crazy lunatics.

    The team headed to the north travelled as quickly as they could, in order to reach the northern border at the earliest possible moment to find out as much as they could about the situation.

    This time, themander of the private soldiers who hade along with Chu Lian was an old subordinate of Old Count Jing¡¯an. He was over forty years old now and skilled in martial arts. When he was younger, he had trained in the army for over twenty years. It was only after Old Count Jing¡¯an¡¯s death on the battlefields that he had finally returned to the capital to be one of House Jing¡¯an¡¯s private soldiers.

    This old subordinate was called Mo Chenggui. Even in front of Count Jing¡¯an, he was someone who enjoyed a fair amount of prestige.

    For this mission, he would be the one to take over themand at critical moments.

    House Jing¡¯an¡¯s private soldiers didn¡¯t normally live in the Jing¡¯an Estate. They would take shifts to guard the estate, but most of them lived in a vige on the outskirts of the capital.

 Chapter 280: Rabbit Hotpot (1)

    This time, there were fifteen private soldiers apanying Chu Lian to the northern border. Adding the estate guards and retainers raised the total count to more than thirty.

    Mo Chenggui was an old soldier. The imposing aura around him from his years on the battlefield made him hard to approach. Even when facing Prince Jin¡¯s subordinate, Tang Yan, he was unshakeable. Coupled with the deep scar that cut across the left side of his face, he felt cold, terrifying, and unapproachable to the others.

    Amongst the party heading to the north, the men were all riding horses. Only Chu Lian and her two maidservants, Wenqing and Wen, were seated inside a carriage.

    Manager Qin, who wasn¡¯t that good at riding, was ced at the front of the carriage next to the manservant driving it.

    The further north they went, the colder it got.

    Chu Lian was wrapped up in arge cloak with a fox-fur robe on the outside. She hugged a warm water bottle in her arms. Even so, she still felt cold!

    She was d she had tried to train her body for half a month before departing on the journey. Otherwise, she would have definitely fallen ill before even reaching the north.

    The road wasn¡¯t smooth, causing the carriage to shake along the way. Chu Lian couldn¡¯t read her book in that sort of situation, so to keep herself awake, she started ying a card game called Madiao with Wenqing and Wen.

    As the cheery sounds ofughter resounded from within the carriage, Mo Chenggui¡¯s thug-like countenance took on a fierce cast.

    His roughened hands tightened on the reins he was holding.

    He had thought highly of this Third Young Madam at first. Not just any young miss had the spirit and determination to go to the bitterly cold northern border. Thus, he hadn¡¯t said a word when he had seen how much luggage she was bringing.

    However, he hadn¡¯t expected her to be frolicking so happily in the carriage without any consideration for their circumstances!

    She was just a spoiled little noble girl after all. Did she think they were going out on a leisure trip?

    She probably hadn¡¯t expected the weather in the north to be this bad. It probably wouldn¡¯t take very long before this Third Young Madam would start making a fuss to turn back.

    However, he was going there to help Third Young Master. Even if Third Young Madam were to pester him with unreasonable demands along the way, it wasn¡¯t his business to care about what happened to her!

    The corner of Mo Chenggui¡¯s lips raised at a cold angle.

    While riding his horse alongside the carriage, Tang Yan was having simr thoughts to Mo Chenggui. However, he simply shook his head and smiled, instead of showing his thoughts on his face like Mo Chenggui.

    He cast a look at the carriage, eyes shifting into upturned crescents like a wily fox.

    Hehe! He was waiting for a good show!

    Manager Qin straightened the fur hat that almost engulfed his head with its size. With his hands tucked into the sleeves of his cotton robe, he looked like a rough man from the northeast. His eyes were narrowed as he looked between the private soldiers and guards on both sides of the carriage. At a time when no one was paying attention to him, he curled his lip and inwardly harrumphed. Third Young Madam was right. These people were inted with their own self-importance, disdainful of others just because they were physically stronger. They actually dared to look down on their Third Young Madam!

    Before they had even reached the north, the petty Manager Qin was already holding a grudge against Tang Yan and Mo Chenggui for this matter.

    Their party had been on the road for a day. Seeing that the sky was turning dark and it would be dangerous to continue travelling since they were currently in a mountain forest, Mo Chenggui and Tang Yan decided to rest a night in the forest after some discussion.

    The party stopped and Tang Yan ordered some men to start up a fire and cook the evening meal. Mo Chenggui started assigning guard duty for the night to the old soldiers and guards.

    Chu Lian was helped off the carriage by Wenqing. The moment she stepped on the ground, she noticed that Manager Qin and the two Li siblings had already put up her tent for the night.

    Li Xing and Li Yue seemed to have undergone some special training and were especially good at taking care of her needs while roughing it outside. Even Tang Yan and Mo Chenggui couldn¡¯tpare to them when it came to building afortable sleeping space in the woods.

    Chu Lian was really starting to like this pair of siblings.

    After Wenqing brought her to sit on a thick fur carpet outside the tent, Chu Lian started ordering her servants around.

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t someone who would let herself suffer. Although they were roughing it out in the wild, she was never going to make a shabby meal as long as it was within her limits to do better.

    Hunger breeds discontent, after all. They would only have the strength to carry on if they ate well.

    Wen stoked up the fire and took out a bronze stove to boil some water.

    Meanwhile, Chu Lian instructed Wenqing to retrieve a specially made bronze pot from the carriage, which had a little opening in the center to allow room for smoke to rise up. Following that, she grabbed a few different types of dried vegetables from an indigo bag and tossed them into the hot water to soak.

    Chu Lian personally seasoned the broth with the set of spice containers she had made sure to bring along. She also instructed Li Xing to bring some private soldiers with him to hunt in the nearby forest.

    Once Chu Lian was finished with her side of the preparations, Li Xing had returned with three fat rabbits.

    Li Yue took the live rabbits and went over to the nearby brook to take care of them.

    In just an hour, Chu Lian¡¯s rabbit hotpot waspleted.

    Li Xing was skilled with his knife. He cut the lean rabbit meat into thin slices. When it was time to eat, they just had to swish the slices around for a few moments in the fragrant, boiling broth before it was cooked.

    The broth was slightly spicy, so their bodies warmed up as they ate. Although the dried vegetables weren¡¯t as tasty as fresh ones, they were like a heavenly blessing in this cold winter season when it was usually impossible to get any vegetables at all.

    Wenqing used the campfire to cook a small pot of rice to pair with the rabbit hotpot.

    Their meal for tonight was snow white rice and green vegetables soaked in the spicy red rabbit hotpot broth; even those with smaller appetites could probably finish a huge bowl of it by themselves.

    For the servants following Third Young Madam on this dull and hasty journey, the time they looked forward to every day was meal time.

 Chapter 281: Rabbit Hotpot (2)

    Chu Lian was protective and generous towards her own people. Whatever she ate each day was exactly what Wenqing and Wen could eat each day.

    Thus, Chu Lian, Wenqing, Wen, Manager Qin, Li Xing and Li Yue would prepare their own meal together every night. As for the rest, House Jing¡¯an¡¯s private soldiers were grouped together under Mo Chenggui¡¯s lead while Tang Yan and Prince Jin¡¯s guards shared their meal.

    The rabbits that Li Xing had hunted today were big and fat, so Chu Lian told Wenqing to take some to Mo Chenggui and Tang Yan.

    After eating the warm rabbit hotpot, Chu Lian had already entered her tent to rest under the care of Wen and Li Yue.

    Wenqing reached Mo Chenggui and Tang Yan¡¯s tent with a box of food in hand.

    When she entered the tent, she saw that Mo Chenggui and Tang Yan seemed to be in the middle of discussing something. The two men stopped talking after she entered, and they seemed to be in equally bad moods. It was clear that their discussion wasn¡¯t going well.

    However, that wasn¡¯t any of Wenqing¡¯s business. She bobbed in greeting to them before saying, ¡°Third Young Madam has specially sent this servant with some food after seeing how Sirs have worked so hard all day.¡±

    Mo Chenggui cast a disdainful nce at Wen without bothering to reply her. Contempt filled his heart. What did that Third Young Madam know how to do besides enjoying life all day?

    What a burden!

    If they didn¡¯t need to use her name as an excuse to go to the northern border, he wouldn¡¯t have agreed to let such a spoiled young madam join their journey!

    Tang Yan was more smooth and slick. When he saw that Mo Chenggui had simply remained silent with a dark expression and that the air was turning awkward, he quickly spoke up. ¡°Miss Wenqing, please put down the food here. It¡¯s gettingte, so please thank Honoured Lady for us when you return.¡±

    Wenqing wasn¡¯t stupid. She could see how dissatisfied Mo Chenggui and Tang Yan were towards her master. Thus, she dropped all sense of decorum towards them and set the food down. Without another word, Wenqing turned to leave the tent as if she couldn¡¯t bear to stay in their presence for even a second more.

    After Wenqing disappeared from their sight, Mo Chenggui harrumphed. ¡°This subordinate is too lowly to enjoy the rewards that Third Young Madam has bestowed. Brother Tang, this lowly one will leave it to you!¡±

    After saying so, he tossed his sleeves and left.

    Tang Yan watched Mo Chenggui¡¯s tall, burly back disappear before shifting his gaze to the box of food that Wenqing had left behind. Although he didn¡¯t show it on his face, his heart was filled with unhappiness.

    How could Honoured Lady Jinyi only be thinking of food at a time like this?

    He coughed to clear his painfully dry throat and shook his head. She was still too young after all. She had probably saved Prince Jin and Royal Princess Duanjia out of luck back then in Defeng Teahouse.

    Tang Yan waved his hand towards the two guards standing behind him and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave Honoured Lady¡¯s rewards to you guys. Don¡¯t waste it!¡±

    The two guards had simr expressions of excitement and happiness as their eyes widened. They almost failed to hold back their drool.

    They had just switched shifts with the guards in the tent. Previously, they had been standing not too far from where Honoured Lady was cooking. When the wind had blown past, it had carried an absolutely delicious smell along with it. The guards were well-ustomed to eating dry wheat pancakes while out on duty, but after smelling that aroma, the dried rations in their hands seemed hard to swallowpared to that rabbit meat.

    However, the guards were very disciplined. There was a huge difference in status between them and Honoured Lady Jinyi, so they would never dare to try and ask for food from her. Thus, their only option was to bear with the tantalising scent of the hotpot and stuff their dry rations into their mouths, forcing it down even as they almost choked on it.

    But now? Sir Tang was actually bestowing Honoured Lady¡¯s food upon them! Who could have expected such a miraculous gift would fall right into theirps?

    The two guards immediately shouted their thanks and started discussing whether they should eat it in Sir Tang¡¯s tent, so that they wouldn¡¯t get robbed of their delicious food by the pack of ¡®hungry ghosts¡¯ outside.

    One of the guards turned to Tang Yan with a bright smile. ¡°Sir, we¡¯re on duty now so it¡¯s not convenient for us to leave the tent. Sir, please grant us permission to eat here!¡±

    Tang Yan red at the two guards. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I can¡¯t tell what you¡¯re trying to do. Fine, just eat here then. Send the box back to Honoured Lady when you¡¯re done. Remember, don¡¯t let her know that you gluttons were the ones who ate it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Many thanks to Sir for granting us this boon!¡±

    The two men immediately took the box of food and set it on a short table in the corner.

    Upon opening it, the two guards¡¯ eyes alighted with joy. They both took in a deep breath.

    It was this exact aroma! This was what Honoured Lady¡¯s servants had made today!

    He had heard Brother Li Xing say that this was called ¡®rabbit hotpot¡¯, and that it was delicious!

    The two guards couldn¡¯t stay still any longer. They grabbed their chopsticks and quickly began gulping down the food.

    Tang Yan had gotten a cold sometime during the past two days. Luckily, it wasn¡¯t too severe. He just lost his sense of taste and had his nose blocked some of the time. Due to his sickness, he hadn¡¯t had much appetite recently. He would just drink a bowl or two of gruel to fill up his stomach.

    However... As the spicy, fragrant smell of rabbit hotpot filled the tent and invaded his nostrils, Tang Yan¡¯s nose twitched.

    He turned towards that smell and sniffed the air again before realising that it wasing from the table where the two guards were eating.

    When he looked at how the two guards had practically buried their faces into their bowls, Tang Yan couldn¡¯t resist gulping.

    What kind of dish was that? It was a deep red, and some sort of heavenly smell was drifting up from it... It looked really tasty...

 Chapter 282: Sneak Attack

    While sitting at the head of his desk, he stared at the two ravenous guards before coughing twice purposely.

    The guards were so focused on eating those thin and tender slices of rabbit meat that they didn¡¯t even raise their heads.

    Tang Yan¡¯s expression turned stormy. He stood up and walked towards the guards.

    One of the guards spared a nce at Tang Yan before turning back to his food and eating even faster.

    Wave after wave of that delicious-smelling rabbit hotpot attacked his senses. Coupled with how the guards were wolfing down the food, Tang Yan felt himself getting even hungrier. When he saw that there wasn¡¯t much left in the bowl containing the rabbit hotpot, Tang Yan quickly spoke, ¡°How is the taste of Honoured Lady¡¯s food?¡±

    The two guards hurriedly nodded. In their rush to eat, they couldn¡¯t even speak; they simply raised two thumbs up.

    Tang Yan hadn¡¯t expected these two guys to be so thick. They couldn¡¯t understand what he was getting at all.

    ¡°How tasty is it?¡±

    One of the guards replied with a mouthful of meat, ¡°Sir, you follow His Highness Prince Jin every day, so you must eat good food really often. You can¡¯t possibly be trying to fight with us for this hotpot, right? You just bestowed this to us too!¡±

    Tang Yan didn¡¯t know how to reply to that. His face flushed red and he harrumphed. He scolded them angrily, ¡°All you know how to do is eat! What a bunch of gluttons! Hurry up and eat faster. Can¡¯t you tell that the whole tent smells like rabbit hotpot now?¡±

    Actually, Tang Yan¡¯s reminder waspletely unneeded. In less than fifteen minutes, the whole bowl of steaming rabbit hotpot had disappeared down the gullets of the two guards. There wasn¡¯t even a single drop of soup left.

    Tang Yan wanted to kick both of them out of his tent in rage.

    After Wenqing returned from sending the rabbit hotpot, she reported Mo Chenggui and Tang Yan¡¯s reactions to Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian simply smiled faintly and entered her tent to rest for the night.

    The next day, the party set off early in the morning.

    By this time, they had already covered more than half of the distance to Liangzhou.

    In the afternoon, the party was just preparing to set off again after a break when Tang Yan received some news about the northern border. The report said that something unexpected had happened in the northern border troops and there was a fierce battle going on outside Liangzhou City.

    Before Chu Lian could react, Mo Chenggui had already started getting antsy.

    They were already travelling at the fastest speed they could manage, since they were using a small road and not the well-maintained highway.

    However, since there was a female guest amongst their party and they had those cotton clothes, nkets and other goods slowing them down, they couldn¡¯t travel at a faster pace.

    Mo Chenggui immediately called for a meeting with Chu Lian and Tang Yan. He spoke bluntly and said that he was going to take House Jing¡¯an¡¯s private soldiers with him and head for the northern border first.

    Mo Chenggui was an old servant of House Jing¡¯an and was already biased towards Chu Lian. He also looked down upon Tang Yan as a subordinate of Prince Jin. Even though he was supposedly having a discussion with Chu Lian and Tang Yan first before leaving, he was actually just informing them of his actions.

    Later in the afternoon, Mo Chenggui led House Jing¡¯an¡¯s soldiers and left. He even took along the secret bodyguards that Matriarch He had sent to protect Chu Lian¡¯s safety.

    Thus, the size of the party was halved instantly.

    After another day had passed, the party finally passed by a small town and rested there for a night. However, when it was time to depart the next morning, Chu Lian was told that Tang Yan was having a high fever.

    She was speechless. Even though the weather had been terrible this whole time, she hadn¡¯t suffered even the slightest sniffle. Conversely, it was Tang Yan who had fallen sick from the bitter cold.

    When it rained, it poured.

    Although Tang Yan didn¡¯t practise martial arts, he wasn¡¯t a weakling by any means. However, as young as he was, he had never experienced such a harsh winter before and he was bedridden by illness.

    Tang Yan¡¯s high fever refused to break. His condition was getting worse and he couldn¡¯t even ride a horse or even the carriage. The party could only stay in the small town for another day. However, when it came to the following day, Tang Yan¡¯s condition hadn¡¯t improved at all.

    Chu Lian was starting to get impatient even as she worried over Tang Yan. A dy of a day or two was still eptable. They could still make it in time if they rushed a little more on thest leg of the journey. However, Tang Yan¡¯s sickness hadn¡¯t improved even up to the third day.

    Without waiting for Chu Lian to speak, Tang Yan asked Chu Lian to make a move first.

    They left half of Prince Jin¡¯s men to take care of Tang Yan while Chu Lian and her group left first for the northern border. They couldn¡¯t bring much with them considering their smaller numbers, so they left most of the material goods with Tang Yan¡¯s group to bring alongter.

    On the afternoon of the third day, Chu Lian led her party and left the small town.

    By now, they were only three days away from Liangzhou.

    Chu Lian took special care on the way. Finally, there was just a day left before they would finally reach the northern border.

    Right now, as they sky turned dark, Manager Qin ordered the carriages to stop and they found a dry clearing to rest for the night.

    They thought that they would be able to reach Liangzhou City peacefully after being so careful, but who could have expected that they would get sneak attacked in the middle of the night?! Wenqing was the first to discover the attack with her sharp senses.

    Chu Lian was shaken awake by Wen.

    After getting informed of the situation, Chu Lian quickly pulled on her clothes and grabbed the keen dagger hidden under her pillow, hiding it in her sleeve.

    Despite the cutting, cold wind outside, Wenqing rushed into the tent carrying her sword, dressed only in her sleep clothes. Even though Chu Lian couldn¡¯t see Wenqing¡¯s expression in the dark, she could hear the worry and anxiety in her voice. ¡°Third Young Madam, someone¡¯s attacking us and their numbers are too much. We¡¯re not their match. You have to leave first, quickly!¡±

    When she finished speaking, she shouted at the stiff Wen. ¡°Wen, what are you doing freezing up now? Hurry up, take Third Young Madam with you and run! The horses are tied to the third elm tree next to this tent. Get Third Young Madam on a horse and escape from here!¡±

    Wen came to her senses after getting shouted at by Wenqing. She immediately pulled Chu Lian¡¯s wrist and led her out of the tent.

    Once they left the tent, Chu Lian could hear the sounds of fighting as well as shouts in anguage she couldn¡¯t understand. Under the flickering torchlight, she could see that their attackers were wearing furs and their hair was tied up in long, thin braids.

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    These people were the barbarians!

    They wielded broadswords in their hands and their actions were just as ferocious as their appearances. However, they weren¡¯t very skilled. They could only depend on their massive strength when fighting the people of the Great Wu Dynasty.

    One of the guards didn¡¯t dodge in time and Chu Lian watched with her own eyes as his arm was lopped off. The guard copsed on the ground and groaned in pain.

    The sounds of battle roared around them. Although Chu Lian couldn¡¯t bear to leave, her measly self-defence skills weren¡¯t enough to fend off the strong barbarians. As much as she wanted to stay and help to fight off their enemy, she knew her own strengths clearly. She didn¡¯t know a single thing about army formations and fighting.

    Staying here would just be burdening them.

    Thus, Chu Lian bit her lip and followed Wen blindly, running in the direction of Wen¡¯s tug on her arm.

    As their breaths shortened and their footsteps became heavier, they finally found the ce where the horses were tied, as Wenqing had described.

    Wen was in the middle of untying the reins when they heard the sounds of two people talking close by.

    Chu Lian turned to the direction of the talking in caution.

    The voices of the three men running towards them sounded strange, and their footsteps sounded even stranger.

 Chapter 283: Help (1)

    The men were calling out with strange gibberish sounds.

    Chu Lian¡¯s brows furrowed together. Her expression turned grave and she immediately turned to Wen, ¡°Be careful, Wen, these people are Tuhuns!¡±

    They hadn¡¯t even reached the northern border and they were still within the territory of the Great Wu Dynasty. How had the Tuhuns set an ambush for them here?

    Although Wen didn¡¯t know how Chu Lian had been able to tell that these people were Tuhun, she had always put her full trust in Chu Lian.

    Wen gripped Chu Lian¡¯s wrist tightly and forcefully pulled Chu Lian onto a horse.

    She held the reins as she looked up at Chu Lian and said, ¡°Third Young Madam, run away first! This servant will hold them back!¡±

    After saying so, without waiting for Chu Lian to speak, she pped the horse on the rump. The red chestnut horse reared up in fright and cried once before taking off.

    Chu Lian quickly held grabbed the reins in fright. She crawled forward as far as she could on the horse¡¯s back and grabbed onto its neck.

    With the howling of the wind in her ears, Chu Lian could hear the sounds of battle getting further and further. After a moment, she could hear hoofbeats.

    Chu Lian grabbed tightly onto the horse¡¯s neck. The cold wind was cutting her face as she wailed inwardly.

    Wen had been too concerned with protecting her that she had forgotten to ask if her master even knew how to ride a horse! This was great. Even if she somehow evaded capture by the Tuhuns, she was going to be half-dead after falling off the horse!

    As the horse charged out of the forest, the hanging branches of the trees forced Chu Lian into a sorry state. Before she could rx and try to control the horse, the sounds of hoofbeats from behind her increased in pace, as if someone hade chasing after her.

    Chu Lian¡¯s nerves tightened and she tried her best to hug the horse¡¯s neck with the reins in her grip. She bnced herself properly on the horse¡¯s back and turned around to look behind her.

    With that one nce, she took in a gasp of cold air.

    Those two Tuhuns hade after her.

    When she had nced back, the Tuhuns were actually not more than twenty metres away from her!

    A chill snuck down her spine. Chu Lian knew that she wouldn¡¯t meet a good end in the hands of the Tuhun. Even if she managed to survive in the Tuhuns¡¯ grasp and returned to the Great Wu Dynasty alive, her reputation would be ruined.

    Even though the Great Wu Dynasty was more open-minded, they were still a feudal society and females were on the losing end.

    Furthermore, going by how crazy He Sang was towards her even when her reputation was just fine, once she was kidnapped, he would probably write a divorce contract on the spot!

    She forced herself to calm down and stop thinking of anything irrelevant to her situation. She gritted her teeth and plucked a hairpin from her head before stabbing the horse¡¯s rump viciously.

    The horse had already started slowing down; after getting stabbed, it went crazy and started sprinting forward again.

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t care about anything else any longer. The only thing she could do was hug the horse¡¯s neck in a death grip and do her best to stay on the horse¡¯s back as she was jolted around.

    The winter winds beat on her face like icy knives. The Tuhuns behind her seemed to be angered by her move. They shouted in gibberish she couldn¡¯t understand, but their tone was clearly scolding.

    Even though Chu Lian couldn¡¯t understand, she didn¡¯t dare to look back and stuck closely to the horse.

    After the chasing Tuhuns realised that screaming angrily at her was useless, one of the Tuhuns spoke again and pulled out the bow he carried on his back.

    He drew out a sharp arrow from his quiver and notched the arrow to his bow. Therge bow was pulled into the shape of a full moon. The Tuhun shut one eye and aimed his arrow at Chu Lian¡¯s back!

    Li Xing and Li Yue battled against the attacking barbarians with some other guards in their party for a long moment. Although the barbarians didn¡¯t know martial arts, they had strength that the Great Wu people did not.

    Even though Li Xing and Li Yue were skilled at martial arts, they still couldn¡¯t hold back thebined attacks of so many strong barbarians at once.

    Soon, Li Xing blocked a blow for his sister and sustained a heavy injury.

    The barbarians were divided into two groups. One group was in charge of besieging the men that Chu Lian had brought along, while the other group was stealing away the party¡¯s supplies and luggage.

    The luggage from the carriage was all shifted onto horseback.

    Wenqing was tripped by a middle-aged barbarian. Just as that thick sword was about tond on her chest, Wenqing still shut her eyes in fright despite having been trained in martial arts at a young age.

    Even though she was filled with fright and the refusal to concede defeat, Wenqing was still worried for the escaping Third Young Madam. However, at this moment, she could only pray to the gods to protect Third Young Madam¡¯s safety.

    She had thought that this would be the end of her life. However, the shing of metal rang out in front of her and that broadsword was stopped. The tip of the sword lost its original course and stabbed into the tree behind her.

    Before Wenqing could recover from her brush with death, she heard an icy yet familiar voice. ¡°Where¡¯s your Third Young Madam!¡±

    Wenqing abruptly opened her eyes and looked up, only to see a slender man dressed in ck armour standing before her... with a huge beard...

    Wenqing¡¯s eyes almost popped out. She called out with uncertainty, ¡°Third... Third Young Master?¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s expression was stormy as he shot a cold re at Wenqing. ¡°I asked you, where¡¯s Chu Lian!?¡±

    Wenqing immediately came to her senses and ignored her injuries as she replied, ¡°The situation was critical just now, so Wen took Third Young Madam to escape in that direction! Third Young Master, please hurry!¡±

    Right after Wenqing finished speaking, she could barely catch He Changdi from the corner of her eye as he darted out in the direction she had pointed in.

 Chapter 284: Help (2)

    With the help of the men that He Changdi had brought, the daring barbarian attackers were quickly captured. It was only when the grave-looking Mo Chenggui hade over to ask Wenqing about the situation that he found out He Changdi had chased after Chu Lian alone.

    Mo Chenggui quickly gathered a group of men to chase in the direction that He Sang had gone.

    By the time he realised that he was already on horseback and racing away, He Changdi wasn¡¯t sure what he was thinking.

    He was in disbelief with himself. He clearly hated that woman since she had caused his terrible fate in his past life. Now that he had reincarnated, he should be skinning her alive and torturing her for revenge. When had his feelings towards her started to change?!

    As the cold winds howled in his ears, He Changdi¡¯s heart was a mess. He had just realised that he couldn¡¯t put a name to his feelings towards Chu Lian in this life. However, one thing was clear. At this extremely critical juncture, he didn¡¯t want anything to happen to her, at least not now.

    When He Changdi came across the gravely injured Wen with a dead Tuhun next to her, his expression turned even gloomier.

    He asked Wen about Chu Lian¡¯s whereabouts. He only had enough time to throw a bottle of wound salve to Wen before racing off again.

    The Tuhuns!

    He Changdi¡¯s eyes turned into ck holes of loathing. He gritted his teeth, feeling the urge to tear apart every single Tuhun he could find!

    He harrumphed in his heart. Hadn¡¯t that wicked woman been full of tricks in his past life? She would get things done by hook or by crook and her thoughts had been so orderly and refined. In his past life, she had driven him to such a terrible fate. How had she turned into such a weakling in this life? She was actually getting chased to death by the Tuhuns!

    Hmph! Useless!

    While He Changdi wasining inwardly, it was only a deeply buried and undiscovered part of his psyche that realised hisints were meant to reassure himself.

    It was as if remembering how wily and vicious Chu Lian was would mean that she would turn out perfectly fine while being chased by those Tuhuns. Weren¡¯t troublemakers supposed to have an extensive lifespan? What was getting chased by two measly Tuhuns in the grand scheme of things? She was definitely going to be alright.

    He Changdi gripped his reins even tighter and whipped his horse forward. Even though He Sang normally loved horses, in the current circumstances, he couldn¡¯t care about his own precious steed.

    He followed the hoofprints left by the Tuhuns and finally caught sight of them ahead.

    As he chased from behind, He Changdi saw that there was a red chestnut horse galloping wildly in front of them. A small figure was sprawled over its back.

    The worries in his heart lifted the moment his eyes finallynded on Chu Lian. As expected, this wicked woman was a scourge on the earth. How could something happen to her so easily?

    However, his heart jumped back into his throat as he watched one of the Tuhuns aim his bow at Chu Lian¡¯s back.

    He Changdi¡¯s pupils shrank as his arms moved faster than his thoughts. He took up his red-tasselled spear and threw it like a javelin.

    In the next instant, he could hear a Tuhun¡¯s scream. He Changdi watched as the arms carrying the bow lost their strength, the bow dropping to the Tuhun¡¯s side, the arrow falling over the horse¡¯s side to somewhere on the ground, lost for good.

    For some reason, when He Sang thought of how that sharp arrow could have pierced Chu Lian¡¯s slender back and draw her crimson blood, his calm facade threatened to break into pieces.

    The injured Tuhun clung to his horse with the red-tasselled spear lodged into his right shoulder. The tip of the spear had gone right through, poking out from his front and dying the fur there red.

    However, other than the initial cry of pain, the injured Tuhun was now silent. Even though his face was deathly pale and covered in cold sweat, he didn¡¯t make another sound. He simplyid on his horse¡¯s back, keeping tense as he turned a hate-filled gaze onto He Changdi, who hade up behind him in pursuit.

    He Sang¡¯s brows drew together. Judging by his abnormal endurance, this Tuhun probably wasn¡¯t a normal soldier!

    With this discovery, He Changdi didn¡¯t dare to be careless. He drew the sword at his waist and charged forward.

    The Tuhun clearly didn¡¯t dare to underestimate He Changdi. Going by the armour he was wearing, the Tuhun had more or less guessed that he was one of the Great Wu¡¯s high-ranking military officers.

    The other Tuhun also drew his longbow and shot at He Changdi.

    Horsemanship and archery were the Tuhuns¡¯ forte. Their warriors were all expert marksmen who could shoot a target with perfect uracy.

    The Tuhun fired off seven or eight shots. As skilled as He Changdi was, and despite his harsh training in this lifetime as well as his daily training in the army, he couldn¡¯t dodge all the shots at such close range.

    Clinking sounds marked the number of times the longsword shed with the arrows in midair. Although not a single one of the arrows injured He Changdi gravely, his sword couldn¡¯t quite block all of them and he couldn¡¯t avoid getting a small scratch.

    The two Tuhuns hadn¡¯t expected He Changdi to be so hard to deal with. When they saw that He Changdi was getting closer and closer, the two of them exchanged nces and abandoned their chase to split up and flee.

    How could He Changdi let them off so easily? With a quick tug of the reins, he started chasing after the Tuhun who had shot at him.

    The horse He Changdi was riding was fast; he caught up to that Tuhun in no time. He swung his longsword once, twice, and that barbarian rolled off his horse, already dead, without any time to shout.

    When he turned around to chase the Tuhun who had been pierced by his red-tasselled spear, He Changdi suddenly heard Chu Lian¡¯s shrill scream.

 Chapter 285: Beardy (1)

    Chapter 285: Beardy (1)

    He Sang¡¯s heart shook. He could no longer care about the escaping Tuhun, instead turning his gaze in Chu Lian¡¯s direction.

    His heart almost jumped out of his chest as he processed the sight that met his eyes.

    Under the faint, bleak moonlight, he could see that there was an endless cliff in front of Chu Lian!

    Chu Lian was about to cry. What was going on with her luck today?

    Just now, Chu Lian had put her full concentration on hugging the horse¡¯s neck and sticking onto its back without moving. She was so scared that she just shut her eyes tightly. When she actually heard some fighting and screams behind her, she wanted to open her eyes and turn around to look, but she wasn¡¯t able to!

    Even though she knew that help hade, the horse under her was still locked in its mindless craze. It charged towards the chasm in front without pause. Perhaps due to the stab she had given it earlier, the horse wasn¡¯t listening to anymands now.

    When she saw that the chasm was just mere metres ahead of her by now, Chu Lian chose to scream as loud as she could, hoping that the rescuer behind her who had stopped the Tuhuns would find her and help her stop the horse.

    He Changdi¡¯s expression was as dark as it could get. He ground his mrs together and whipped his horse yet again, urging it towards Chu Lian¡¯s direction. However, as fast as his horse was, it was already toote to pull back the mad horse rushing over the cliff.

    He Sang gripped the reins and pushed himself up to stand on the horse¡¯s back nimbly. He and Chu Lian were just two metres apart by now.

    He Changdi used all the strength he could summon from his body and jumped towards Chu Lian with his arms open.

    A sudden force from behind pushed Chu Lian off the horse, and shended in a strong and muscled embrace.

    Even though Chu Lian was still out of her wits in fear, when those arms appeared out of nowhere and hugged her, her wildly beating heart seemed to calm down.

    Although the two of them had managed to avoid the mad horse, the force He Sang had used to push Chu Lian off still caused them to tumble down the steep hillside that looked like a chasm.

    A pair of strong arms held her tight, and one of the man¡¯srge hands pressed her head against his chest to act as a cushion at the same time.

    While in the man¡¯s embrace, Chu Lian felt her body getting jolted about before there was a dizzying sense of falling.

    Everything happened so fast that Chu Lian didn¡¯t even have the time to think about anything. She heard a few grunts of pain from the man above her and all she knew was that they had tumbled down the steep hillside.

    When they finally came to a stop, both of them lost consciousness...

    A piercing ray of sunlight filtered through the dense canopy of the forest, causing Chu Lian to wake up.

    The moment she opened her eyes, she felt sore all over. Chu Lian tried to move her arms, but she quickly realised that she was being held in someone¡¯s embrace. The strong arms around her clearly belonged to a man, and one of them was even wrapped around her waist. This pose of his seemed distinctly possessive.

    Chu Lian stiffened asst night¡¯s memories came rushing into her mind like a flood.

    The ambush, the pursuit, the Tuhuns, and finally, her rescue!

    She shifted her body, causing her to bare her teeth in reaction. She could feel that she wasn¡¯t severely injured anywhere, even though there was some soreness and a few pricks of pain from some minor scratches.

    Chu Lian reached out and tried to push away the man¡¯s arm, but no matter how she tried pushing and pulling, his arm didn¡¯t budge. It remained tightly fixed around her waist.

    Chu Lian had no other choice but to wiggle as far away from the man as she could and put some distance between them. Then, she sat up, still ensconced in his embrace.

    She could finally see what her saviour looked like.

    When she noticed the giant beard covering half of the man¡¯s face, Chu Lian was flooded with shock!

    She continued staring at his bearded face for half a minute before recovering her wits.

 Chapter 286: Beardy (2)

    Chapter 286: Beardy (2)

    The bearded man¡¯s appearance was just too shocking for her. When she thought back to the events ofst night and looked at the man¡¯s hands, even though his fingers were thick and rough, the back of his hand was smooth and his fingers were long. Someone with skin like that should be a young man; why did he look like a rough and unshaven old brute?

    The people of the Great Wu Dynasty loved beauty, so even the men cared for their outer appearance. Chu Lian¡¯s own father, Chu Qizheng, waspletely clean-shaven despite his age! The young man by her side, on the other hand, didn¡¯t look older and thirty, yet he touted such a thick beard around- what was up with that?

    Chu Lian was only stunned for a moment. She quickly realised there was something wrong with the man beside her.

    Her heart thumped and she reached out to touch the man¡¯s forehead- it was burning hot! She turned her attention to his thin lips and realised that they didn¡¯t have the distinct pink of health. Instead, his lips had lost all colour and were peeling.

    By this time, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t care about the reservation between men and women in this dynasty. How could she ce those fusty customs above the life of her own saviour?

    Chu Lian started checking if the man had any wounds on his body, her brows tightly furrowed as she worked.

    The man¡¯s armour was still fine, so other than any internal injuries she couldn¡¯t check for, then there was only a single wound she had to attend to: a cut on the side of his neck that was also turning pale.

    Chu Lian did have some sort of knowledge in dressing wounds in the wild.

    She knew that she couldn¡¯t leave him just like that. The brows of the unconscious man were drawn together. Judging from his terrible expression, he seemed to be in arge amount of pain.

    Chu Lian took a deep breath and pushed harder at the arm encircling her waist before finally escaping from the man¡¯s embrace.

    She checked over the supplies she carried with her and heaved a sigh of relief. Luckily, the things she had on her hadn¡¯t been lost in the fall down the hill.

    Chu Lian untied a small gourd from her waist.

    She lifted the seal and carefully poured some of the honey water into the man¡¯s mouth.

    Although the man was currently unconscious, he still managed to swallow the honey water in his mouth out of reflex.

    It seemed like her saviour had been poisoned. However, that was where her knowledge ended. She couldn¡¯t tell what kind of poison he was suffering from.

    Even though there was no harm in drinking honey water, Chu Lian didn¡¯t dare to give him too much of it.

    Chu Lian kept the small gourd and stood up to check they of thend around them, before tearing up the overly long hem of her dress and shoving it into her waistband. She then bent down, took in a deep breath, and used every single bit of her strength to drag the tall man into the shade of a pine tree and let him lean against the trunk.

    She pulled out the skirt length she had torn off and covered the man with it. She made a marking nearby before hobbling off to find some herbs in their surroundings that could help clear the poison from his system.

    Although she didn¡¯t know the exact herbs that could cure his condition, she did know of a fewmon herbs that could stop bleeding and alleviate the poisoning.

    Right after Chu Lian had left, theatose He Sang suddenly mumbled, ¡°Chu Lian...¡± Unfortunately, Chu Lian was already gone by then.

    He was still worried for Chu Lian¡¯s safety, even though he wasatose. Who knew what he would feel when he woke up and found out that Chu Lian didn¡¯t even recognise her own husband?

    It was already winter now, and this area was close to the northern border, so it was much colder than the capital. Chu Lian hugged her sore arm and ran about the forest for about an hour before managing to gather a few herbs.

    By the time she returned to her saviour, she found out that his body was trembling even though he was still in the throes of a high fever.

 Chapter 287: Spending the Night Together (1)

    Chu Lian frowned and stood up to check her surroundings first. She then squatted down and ced the herbs she had just picked into her mouth, chewing them into a paste. She fed half of it to He Changdi and applied the other half to the wound on his neck.

    He Sang¡¯s brows were tightly furrowed, perhaps due to his sickly condition. Chu Lian touched his forehead a few times and tried to rub away the crease between his brow, but in the end, she could only leave him to it.

    Chu Lian went out to search for another hour and finally found a crude cave near a pile of earth. Even though the cave wasn¡¯t big, it was enough for at least a temporary shelter.

    It was the start of winter, and to make matters worse, they were in the middle of a mountain forest. They were still fine during the day, but when night fell or if the weather changed, even the healthiest man wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the bitter cold.

    Well, you know what they say- speak of the devil and he shall appear. Just as Chu Lian finished checking around the cave, she poked her head out and heard the telltale pitter-patter of raindrops hitting the canopy above.

    Chu Lian cursed at the heavens and hurried back to where she had left He Sang.

    When she saw that her saviour was still safe under the shade of the pine tree, she heaved a sigh of relief.

    Ignoring the rain pelting her face, Chu Lian lifted He Sang by the arm and prepared to head towards the cave.

    Unfortunately, He Sang was taller than Chu Lian by a whole head. He was also a strong, burly military officer with long limbs. How was a weak youngdy like Chu Lian supposed to carry him over?

    But Chu Lian braved the icy rain anyway and used all the strength she had to heave the heavy weight on her shoulders towards the cave. The physical exertion quickly made her break out into a cold sweat. When she turned back to check, she had only shifted the man less than five metres in total...

    When she realised this fact, her remaining energy threatened to seep out of her limbs.

    Chu Lian wailed and copsed on the ground. Without any support, theatose He Changdi also fell- right on top of her.

    Chu Lian wanted to cry from frustration. She stared at the man¡¯s broad shoulders and hit him twice,ining, ¡°Why do you have to be so big?¡±

    Herints were just to vent some frustration. Chu Lian really couldn¡¯t bear to leave her saviour out in the rain, especially not in a random forest in the mountains. He had already been poisoned and was currentlyatose. If he really got drenched by this bout of winter rain, he definitely wouldn¡¯t wake up at all.

    So, Chu Lian gritted her teeth and climbed up, pushing herself off the dry leaves of the forest floor.

    She managed to prop the man up against a nearby tree trunk, and after a moment of thought, she also took off herrge cloak and wrapped it around the man.

    Although the cloak wouldn¡¯t be able to keep all of the rain off him, she couldn¡¯t let him get battered by it directly.

    After Chu Lian finished doing all that, she rubbed her trembling arms and walked deeper into the forest.

    This time, it took her an hour before she came back. Right at this time, He Changdi woke up for a short moment. He tugged groggily at the cloth obscuring his vision. His eyelids felt like they were covered in lead, and as he squinted through them, he caught sight of a familiar little figure dragging a crudely fashioned stretcher made from vines behind her.

    He wanted to stay awake a little longer, but his body felt like it was on fire. He couldn¡¯t control his mind and quickly fell back into unconsciousness.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t think to check the man¡¯s condition. She ced the crude stretcher next to He Sang and rolled him onto it. The rain was getting heavier now, and as Chu Lian looked up at the sky, she knew she would have to hurry. After heaving a hapless sigh, she took up the vines to pull the stretcher and started heading towards the cave she had found.

    With the help of the stretcher, it was much easier to shift the man. However, even so, an hour had passed before they managed to reach the entrance of the cave.

 Chapter 288: Beardy (2)

    Chapter 288: Beardy (2)

    When Chu Lian finally dragged her saviour inside, the rain still hadn¡¯t stopped. She found that she had used up all the strength left inside her.

    Chu Lian leaned against the cave wall and tried to catch her breath. She gave herself a short break to recover before looking out towards the cave entrance. Judging by the colour of the sky, it seemed like it was almost dusk.

    Chu Lian red at the man lying next to her. There was no other choice- she could only muster up her willpower and drag her fatigued body to go out and gather firewood.

    The temperature in the forest dipped heavily at night. Even though they had already found shelter, they would surely freeze to death without a fire. Furthermore, their clothes were now soaked through thanks to the rain. If they wanted to keep warm, they would have to use the fire to dry their clothes first.

    Unfortunately, the dried leaves and branches on the forest floor had been drenched by the rain. It was going to be hard to find kindling.

    Chu Lian spent another lifetime of strength before she finally found some dry branches and leaves in a mountain pass. She stored them in her skirt like a basket and hurried back to the cave.

    The sky quickly turned dark. By the time Chu Lian reached the cave, thest trace of light had disappeared; it was so dark that she couldn¡¯t see her fingers in front of her face.

    Chu Lian sniffled and carefully ced the branches to one side. She started feeling around the rocks nearby. When she found the flints that she had hidden here earlier, she sighed in relief.

    With the flints in hand, she rubbed them together and finally managed to set the small pile of kindling on fire. A warm glow suffused the inside of the dark cave.

    Looking at the warm, dancing mes before her, Chu Lian could finally stop worrying.

    At the same time that she set her burdens down, her stomach began to gurgle.

    Chu Lian was surprised by the sound. It was only then that she recalled that she hadn¡¯t eaten anything at all apart from a few sips of honey water.

    She checked her waist and found that her snack pouch was still there. Fortunately, there was still her beef jerky inside, though it was a little wet from the rain.

    Chu Lian took one piece out for herself before counting how many remained. Her head turned to look at theatose man lying by the fire.

    She sighed and swallowed the delicious beef jerky in her mouth before looking back to her pouch regretfully. In the end, she closed it up and tucked it away.

    This was all the food she had on her, and there was still a sick man here to take care of. It would be better to keep the food for him first. As for herself, when it was day again, she was going to go out into the forest to look for edible fruits.

    Chu Lian checked the temperature of the man¡¯s forehead again before chewing up the remaining herbs she had found and applying them to the man¡¯s wound. When she checked its progress, it seemed like the skin around the wound had regained its normal colour, so the herbs had worked.

    With this bit of news, another burden lifted off Chu Lian¡¯s heart and she took the time to dry off her clothes.

    When she touched the man¡¯s clothes and found that they were wet too, Chu Lian looked down at the bearded face of the man and gritted her teeth. In the end, she still reached out and removed the man¡¯s armour and clothes to dry them by the fire.

    Chu Lian stared dazedly at the man¡¯s lean and muscled upper body after taking off his clothes. Her gaze travelled down from the man¡¯s neck to his eight pack abs. She awkwardly swallowed some drool that had pooled in her mouth.

    Uponing to her senses, Chu Lian realised that she had lost control of herself and quickly averted her gaze. She mumbled under her breath, ¡°He looked so tall and skinny on the outside. Who could have thought that he would have such fine goods hidden beneath his clothes?¡±

    Then, she stuck her tongue out at theatose man to hide her own embarrassment.

    What Chu Lian didn¡¯t know was that He Changdi still retained some awareness despite hisa. He had heard every bit of her backhandedpliment towards him.

 Chapter 289: Spending the Night Together (3)

    By the time her clothes were almost dried, Chu Lian had already yawned several times in session as she waited by the fire.

    This whole day had just been too tiring for her. She had ridden a horse, escaped the Tuhuns, fallen off a cliff, stumbled around an unknown mountain forest, been pelted with icy winter rain, somehow managed to drag herself and this big, burly military officer to shelter... It hadn¡¯t been easy holding up to this point. Chu Lian had used up her entire store of energy, and she didn¡¯t even have enough food to replenish it at the end of the day.

    She ced her cloak on the ground next to the fire. Afraid that her saviour would freeze, she had moved him closer to the fire, too. After checking his temperature by touching his forehead, Chu Lian set down her worries andid on her cloak, finally shutting her eyes for a well-deserved rest.

    He Sang first felt a piercing pain in his head when he woke up. Next, his thick eyshes trembled as he struggled to open his eyes.

    He tried to move his arm and felt the prickling of pins and needles in response. He frowned with difficulty and shifted his gaze. In the next instant, his entire body stiffened up.

    Chu Lian!

    Her eyshes fanned out like butterfly wings as they rested over her closed eyelids. There was a slight pout on her face as she drew in long, shallow breaths. From the upward curve of her lips, it was clear that she was in the midst of deep slumber.

    One of her hands was curled over her heart while the other was ced on his chest. Her body was curled up in the crook of his arm and she was stuck to him like a leech.

    He Changdi¡¯s expression turned stormy and he subconsciously reached out to push the clingy Chu Lian away.

    However, when he caught sight of that familiar woman¡¯s cloak from the corner of his eye and realised that more than half of it was draped over his body, the hand that was in the midst of reaching out to push her stopped.

    The memories of everything Chu Lian had done for him after he had gotten injured drifted up into his consciousness.

    The depths of He Sang¡¯s eyes turned unreadable as his gazended on Chu Lian¡¯s porcin white face.

    Had things changed in this lifetime? Had this wicked woman¡¯s personality changedpletely? Otherwise, why would she have spent so much effort to save him when it was such a good opportunity to get rid of him? Wasn¡¯t abandoning him to die more in line with her goals?

    A multitude of feelings churned together in He Changdi¡¯s heart.

    Even though he was looking at the exact same face of his tormentor from his past life, he could feel that his feelings towards this person had changed.

    He Changdi¡¯s lips pursed together. The right hand hovering in midair finally moved towards the cloak. He tugged more of the makeshift nket over Chu Lian, covering up her dainty little form.

    The arm ced under Chu Lian¡¯s neck was starting to go numb, but He Sang didn¡¯t move it away. He simply raised his arm a little and moved Chu Lian closer to him so she could be morefortable.

    For some reason, even though this was an insignificant action between a married couple, there was a trace of satisfaction in the depths of He Sang¡¯s heart.

    While in the midst of her deep slumber, Chu Lian was starting to feel a little chilly in the middle of the night, so she flipped herself around. When her arm touched something warm, her body unconsciously wriggled towards that warmth.

    As expected, after obtaining a source of warmth, she was able to drift back into afortable sleep.

    After an unknown amount of time, Chu Lian slowly regained consciousness.

    She realised that she was being held by a strong arm, and her nose was filled with a rather masculine smell.

    It was mixed with the slightly mouldy scent of damp earth and the rotting leaves of the forest floor. The smell wasn¡¯t pleasant at all, but she felt strangely reassured by its presence.

 Chapter 290: Spending the Night Together (4)

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t a morning person. When she opened her eyes, her head was still fuzzy and shepletely forgot where she was.

    When she looked up, a pale, sickly-looking face with fine features covered by a great beard met her eyes.

    Actually, this man had a pretty good-looking face. Furthermore, from his smooth, unwrinkled skin, she could tell that he was rather young.

    The imposing set of armor and the ck tunic underneath it made him look like a strong and mighty man; his presence made all those around him feel safe.

    Oh, this was the beardy who had saved her. The nice guy who had helped her out of that pickle with the Tuhuns.

    Back then, Chu Lian thought that would be the end of the line for her. However, this man had pulled her into his protective embrace even in such a precarious situation, and he even fell down the cliff together with her without a care for his own life.

    As Chu Lian thought back to those moments, she was suffused with a feeling of safety.

    Chu Lian was about to burrow deeper into this warm and safe embrace, but before she could, she abruptly recalled who she was.

    She was a married woman- House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam, He Sang¡¯s wife!

    Her husband was that crazy He Changdi who always had strange requests for her and an eternally gloomy face!

    It was as if she had been doused in ice cold water. Chu Lian had never been more awake in her life.

    Chu Lian yanked back her hand as if she had been burned. She felt that there still wasn¡¯t clear enough of a boundary between them, so she reached out to push the man away and keep him at arm¡¯s length.

    Chu Lian crawled up from the ground with her head lowered to hide her flushed face. Torn with herself, she said, ¡°Excuse me, mister. Although I¡¯m very grateful that you¡¯ve saved my life, you can¡¯t use this chance to take advantage of me!¡±

    Hah?

    He Sang¡¯s originally warm expression immediately turned into the stormiest one he could summon!

    Just now, he had been enjoying the fluttering warmth in his heart as he watched Chu Lian lie in his arms so trustingly. He had still been taken aback that this wicked woman had such a lovely and endearing side to her.

    However, when he thought back to how he had saved her without reservation previously, it was normal that she would fall in love with him. Furthermore, they were husband and wife, so this level of intimacy was a given. As strict as the customs of the Great Wu Dynasty were, this much was still eptable between a married couple.

    Completely out of his expectations, in this warm and loving moment, that wicked woman Chu Lian had actually blurted out something to kill the moodpletely!

    He Sang¡¯s body went stiff from shock.

    He stared at her with his eyes an unfathomable ck. Within those depths, a storm was brewing.

    He Changdi wasn¡¯t stupid. Of course, he had understood the meaning behind Chu Lian¡¯s words. This wicked woman... He had risked his life to save her and she... she hadn¡¯t recognised him!!

    Outrageous!!

    Did she really think that he wouldn¡¯t dare to punish her!

    How could Chu Lian have expected this crude-looking, strong young man with a beard to turn out to be her own husband?

    Actually, Chu Lian really wasn¡¯t to me here.

    The day of their wedding had been their first meeting.

    On their wedding night, He Sang had threatened Chu Lian and had only ever shown her his crazy side thereafter.

    Chu Lian was a normal person; she wasn¡¯t a masochist. After getting treated like that by her newlywed husband, even if He Changdi were to look like a deity descended onto the mortal ne, she refused to look at him any more than she had to.

    Coupled with He Sang¡¯s unwarranted enmity and how he shunned her, it was impossible for Chu Lian to believe that He Changdi would risk his own life to save her.

    He Changdi had earned the nickname of ¡®He Sang the Fair¡¯ back in the capital. His looks were really fine and fair. Now that he had a beard obscuring half his face, there was just too much of a difference between his appearance back then to now. Any other person wouldn¡¯t be able to recognise him either, let alone Chu Lian!

    Chu Lian just hadn¡¯t spent enough time with He Sang, so it was understandable that she hadn¡¯t managed to recognise him.

 Chapter 291: Spending the Night Together (5)

    When Chu Lian saw that the man before her was just staring at her inplete silence, she thought that she hadn¡¯t made herself clear.

    She pressed her dry lips together and put a little more thought into her words. Then, she said, ¡°Mister, I have to be frank with you. I¡¯m already married.¡±

    The undercurrent of her words was that, even if he had feelings towards her, he should give them up and keep his distance.

    He Sang almost puked blood. He was so angry that he felt tendrils of pain stabbing his head. However, after hearing Chu Lian dere her marital status, he was also relieved.

    At least this wicked woman still remembered her ce and how important her good name and reputation were. She wasn¡¯t trying to seduce other men and make a cuckold out of him.

    However, before He Sang even had the time to rx, Chu Lian¡¯s next words gave him the urge to strangle her.

    Chu Lian had carefully observed the man¡¯s expression before continuing to speak.

    She coughed gently to dispel the awkward atmosphere.

    ¡°I¡¯m very grateful that you saved me under those circumstances. Judging by the look of your armour, you must be one of the soldiers in the Liangzhou border troops? My husband¡¯s also in the same army. He might even be your superior! And with that weird temperament of his, if he finds out that you¡¯ve taken advantage of me, he might even decide to cut your hands off!¡±

    He Changdi sneered inwardly and added his own line at the end. If someone really dared to touch Chu Lian, he wouldn¡¯t just stop at chopping off the adulterer¡¯s hands. His gaze turned cold when itnded on Chu Lian¡¯s own soft, white hands, which were tightly clenched in her clothes.

    His half-lidded eyes concealed his cold expression from Chu Lian¡¯s notice. She thought that she had sessfully reminded the man of the stakes and huffed a little in relief.

    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t me you at all. This cave is cold and chilly and you were both poisoned and injured yesterday. You had a high fever, too, so it¡¯s understandable that you did something like that. Since you were so kind-hearted as to save a stranger you had never met before, I¡¯m sure your character is trustworthy. However, there aren¡¯t that many good people in the world, and mouths talk. But since we¡¯re the only ones who know about us spending the night together, as long as you don¡¯t say anything after we leave this ce, then my good name will be safe.

    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to be a woman. You surely have a few sisters or a mother yourself, don¡¯t you? Surely you can sympathise with my plight?¡±

    When she finished speaking, Chu Lian stared at him innocently with her pair of big, almond-shaped eyes.

    As if she would keep staring at him for all eternity if the man before her didn¡¯t agree.

    He Sang¡¯s expression was already dark. He was close to choking on his anger and had the urge to discipline her. However, when she looked at him with those puppy eyes, his heart couldn¡¯t help but soften.

    Even so, he did have quite a bit of anger left in him still. He had risked his life to save her, but she hadn¡¯t recognised him as her husband at all. Any other man in his position would feel the exact same way!

    He Sang was on the verge of falling into depression. He didn¡¯t want to reveal his identity immediately. He wanted to see what other outrageous words woulde out of this wife of his- and exactly how long it would take her to catch on. How long would it take for Chu Lian to realise his true identity?

    A mischievous sort of anticipation bubbled up in his heart. He wondered what expression Chu Lian would have when she finally realised that strange, savage husband she was speaking of was right in front of her.

    He Sang suppressed his resentment and managed to keep the twitching of his lips under control. He slightly nodded.

    When Chu Lian saw that he had agreed to her request, she heaved a long sigh of relief. She stood up and straightened out the cloak on the floor before saying, ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t forget the debt I owe you for saving my life. From now on, if you meet any difficulty, you cane and look for me. I¡¯ll do my best as long as it¡¯s something within my capabilities.¡±

 Chapter 292: Spending the Night Together (6)

    He Changdi¡¯s condition had gotten much better. However, his fever hadn¡¯t brokenpletely, although it was still better than yesterday.

    When he heard Chu Lian¡¯s words, a corner of his lips lifted up. His tone was full of disdain as he replied, ¡°What can a person like you help me with?¡±

    Chu Lian turned to him with an unhappy frown. ¡°Well, who knows what¡¯ll happen in the future! How do you know that I won¡¯t be able to help you? I can even help you right now! Wait here, I¡¯ll go and find something to eat.¡±

    He Sang turned towards the cave entrance. The rain had stopped, and there was a thickyer of snow on top of the dried grass outside the cave. He snorted inwardly. With this sort of bitterly cold weather in the middle of a mountain forest, it was going to be impossible for a weak little girl like Chu Lian to find anything edible.

    Chu Lian had been watching He Changdi¡¯s expression, so she immediately noticed the disbelief and contempt on his face, which provoked her stubborn temper.

    Her cheeks puffed up as she said angrily, ¡°Sit here and don¡¯t move! I¡¯ll be back soon!¡±

    Then, Chu Lian took her big cloak with her as she quickly walked out of the cave. When she reached the entrance, the cold air immediately forced her sleepy mind to wake up all at once.

    Somewhat disturbed, Chu Lian shook her head and stomped her foot.

    What had gotten into her? Why was she so easily provoked by that beardy? He hadn¡¯t even really said anything to her and here she was, all ready to go out and look for food by herself.

    But now that she had already left the cave, she couldn¡¯t just return empty handed. Wouldn¡¯t that just make her die of embarrassment?

    Chu Lian sighed and tried to calm herself down. She epted her fate and picked a random direction before trudging off into the woods.

    After walking for some time, the scene in the cave yed in her mind again. That beardy¡¯s voice seemed strangely familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before. However, she couldn¡¯t recall exactly where...

    Chu Lian shook her head and set that matter aside. There were so many people who looked alike in this world, it wasn¡¯t a surprise if there were people who sounded the same, too. After reassuring herself, Chu Lian stopped thinking about it.

    He Changdi watched as Chu Lian¡¯s slender figure disappear from sight. Only then did his stiff body untense in relief.

    He looked up at the uneven surface of the cave wall, thoughts hidden in the unreadable depths of his eyes.

    However, after a short moment, he suddenly stood up. Due to his abrupt movement, he felt a wave of dizziness crash over his head, and he couldn¡¯t help but stumble. He Changdi immediately grabbed onto the cave wall for bnce and shut his eyes. After resting for a while, his body felt better.

    Although He Sang¡¯s condition had improved since yesterday, he was still poisoned and feverish. The remaining toxins hadn¡¯t been cleared from his system yet, so his body was still weak. Actually, he was in very frail health right now, but when he thought of how Chu Lian had gone into the woods all by herself, he couldn¡¯t rest easy.

    Who knew if those crafty Tuhuns were still out there in the forest? What if Chu Lian encountered them? Even if there weren¡¯t Tuhuns around, the forest was a dangerous ce in winter.

    He had risked his life to save Chu Lian¡¯s, so if anything happened to her now, wouldn¡¯t all his previous efforts go to waste?

    He Sang¡¯s expression was as gloomy as ever. He couldn¡¯t stop thinking about everything that could go wrong, and so he used this twisted reasoning to cover up the concern he felt for Chu Lian.

    He Changdi bore with the weakness of his body and left the cave. He quickly found a ce to leave a distress signal for his subordinates to find, and then began to track Chu Lian¡¯s footprints to follow after her.

 Chapter 293: Donâ€™t Move (1)

    As Chu Lian shivered from the cold, hugging her arms to herself, she began to realise how silly her decision to rush out to look for food was.

    The mountain forest in the midst of winter was a deste ce. Piercing cold winds battered her body as they raced through the gaps between the trees, as if nature was trying to steal thest vestiges of warmth away from her. From time to time, the ck crows perching on the branches above would caw mockingly in her general direction, sending chills down her spine.

    This area was close to the northern border where there was already ack of natural resources. It was even harder to find food in the winter.

    Although Chu Lian knew a little about survival in the wilderness, she had never experienced a terrible environment like this before.

    Chu Lian looked into the bleak forest and smiled bitterly to herself. She had really stuck her foot into her mouth. If she had known it would be like this earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have tried to boast about her ability.

    However, since she hade out of the cave, she had to give it her best shot. If she was lucky, she might find some pine cones on the ground.

    As it turned out, she really wasn¡¯t all that lucky after all, especially when she was around He Sang.

    He Changdi had been too worried to let Chu Lian go out alone, so he had gone looking for her by following her tracks. However, before he had even found her, he first heard a familiar scream.

    He Changdi¡¯s pupils shrunk. He sprinted towards the direction the scream hade from without care for the current state of his body.

    When he finally found that troublemaking woman lying helplessly on a pile of fallen leaves not too far away, He Sang¡¯s high-strung nerves slowly rxed again.

    However, when he caught sight of the pitiful expression on Chu Lian¡¯s face- like she was trying to stay strong as she struggled with a great amount of pain- a mysterious burst of anger red up within him.

    He clenched his fists and took in a deep breath before he managed to get his rage under control. However, this action made his features look even more chilly.

    His long legs carried him over to Chu Lian¡¯s side in a few strides. In an icy voice, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    When Chu Lian heard the sound of footsteps behind her, she turned around in surprise. Her shock at seeing her bearded savior was so great that she nearly forgot her pain as she stuttered, ¡°W-Why did youe out?¡±

    He Sang didn¡¯t want to answer her question at all. He lowered his gaze and looked at the right leg she was holding.

    Chu Lian was already feeling a little guilty. When he refused to give her a reply and his expression turned even uglier, she followed his line of sight and found out what he was looking at. Chu Lian immediately pulled the hem of her skirt down and tried to give some sort of excuse. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just an idental sprain.¡±

    When there was still no hint of a reply from the beardy, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t hold still. She looked up and nced at him- with that one look, she was scared stiff by the hair-raising frostiness in his eyes. The hand holding her skirt hem down subconsciously loosened.

    He Sang looked down on her from above. His sharp eyes noticed the sh of red on her leg that had previously been hidden by her light green skirt.

    He Changdi¡¯s eyes narrowed and he quickly squatted down. He pulled aside her hands and lifted up the hem. When he saw that her slender right leg had been caught in the jaws of a menacing steel bear trap, the intensity of his gaze could almost light a fire.

    ¡°So this is a mere sprain? Well done!¡± Although his voice was usually maic and soothing, it was now coated in icicles, making Chu Lian shiver in fright.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected him to move so quickly. He had also ignored the customary distance between opposite genders and flipped up her skirt just like that!

    How could this beardy be so... so horrid!

 Chapter 294: Donâ€™t Move (2)

    Chu Lian had already been feeling both ashamed and aggrieved at the same time, a mix of feelings that made her feel like she might implode at any moment. Without her noticing, even her ears had flushed red with embarrassment. However, when she heard his mocking reprimand, she just couldn¡¯t muster up any energy to retort.

    That... It¡¯s not like she wanted to step on this trap... It¡¯s not her fault... Okay...

    Dejected, Chu Lian defended herself... in her mind.

    In actual fact, her external appearance and internal thoughts werepletely opposite.

    Her head was lowered, her long eyshes trembling as they covered her eyes like little fans. She looked extremely pitiful, like she was afraid of getting scolded.

    However, He Sang¡¯s determination to reprimand her hadn¡¯t decreased one bit despite the guilt and self-me she was demonstrating.

    He harrumphed inwardly. This wicked woman was too used to acting pitiful.

    Chu Lian snatched the hem of her skirt from his hands and covered up her legs.

    ¡°You... How could you do that!¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s gloom and doom hadn¡¯t dissipated at all. His voice turned harder and colder as he disregarded Chu Lian¡¯s retort and warned, ¡°Move your hands away!¡±

    A fire had been stoked in Chu Lian¡¯s heart thanks to this man¡¯s icy, forceful attitude. Her cheeks puffed up and she met his eyes directly in a spurt of courage. ¡°Mister, men and women should keep their distance! I can do it myself.¡±

    After saying so, Chu Lian pulled down her skirt tightly before ring up at the bearded man, her eyes full of stubborn determination.

    He Sang was instantly filled with anger.

    Heh! Men and women should keep their distance!

    She was trying to use that silly rule on her own husband!

    Very well!

    Then he was going to see how capable this wicked woman was today!

    He Changdi released her ankle and stood up. He walked off to one side and even turned his back towards her a little, as if just the distance wasn¡¯t enough- he also had to avert his gaze.

    Without that beardy staring at her, Chu Lian was much more rxed since she no longer felt so on edge. She sneaked a peek in the beardy¡¯s direction, only to see that his tall back was ramrod straight. After making sure that he really wasn¡¯t looking this way anymore, she reached out to pull aside the cloth covering her trapped ankle.

    Just that slight movement of her body pained her enough that she sucked in her breath.

    Her attention had been drawn away by that beardy earlier. It was only now when she looked at her wound that the pain returned with double or triple the force.

    She slowly shifted into a morefortable position before she tried to pry the animal trap apart using her hands.

    However, she quickly realised that this animal trap wasn¡¯t as easy to open as it first seemed to be. Since her ankle was trapped, she couldn¡¯t really use all of her strength. Furthermore, the animal trap was mped on too tightly. She tried a few more times, but the trap was unmovable. Conversely, she had be fatigued from her exertions and the pain she was suffering.

    She kept sucking in her breath due to the pain. Her gaze hesitantly turned to the bearded man not too far away. She wanted to ask for his help, but when she thought back to how she had refused his help earlier, she just couldn¡¯t set down her pride to do so.

    Chu Lian scolded herself in her mind in her frustration.

    Although He Sang was standing to one side and pretending not to care, he had been watching Chu Lian from the corner of his eyes.

    He watched as that tiny yet stubborn figure gritted her teeth while trying to pry off the animal trap, her eyshes already wet with tears from her struggles.

    Those little hands, reddened from the cold, were gripping the two sides of the animal trap so fiercely that her knuckles had turned white. However, that steel trap remained mped onto her leg without budging. In the end, she weakly let go of the trap. Her leg was still caught in it, and all she had to show for her efforts was more blood seeping out from her wound.

    The knot in He Changdi¡¯s heart tightened and he could no longer continue standing still. He berated himself for striking apromise with her and forgetting his original purpose.

    He ignored all of the wicked woman¡¯s protests and grabbed hold of Chu Lian¡¯s hands with one of his arms. He stuck so close to her that he could feel her breath ghosting over his face. When he spoke, his slightly husky voice carried an undertone of restraint as he warned her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t move, or you¡¯ll never use this leg of yours again!¡±

 Chapter 295: Shameless Man (1)

    Chu Lian had been scared stiff thanks to the initial anger in the bearded man¡¯s shout. This time, she really did keeppletely still, not daring to move a single inch. However, in the next second, Chu Lian realised that there was anotheryer behind the beardy¡¯s cold words- hidden beneath the anger was a sense of concern for her wellbeing.

    She blinked at him with wide, innocent eyes. Chu Lian wasn¡¯t a person who didn¡¯t appreciate kindness. Since someone else had already taken the initiative to help her, she wasn¡¯t going to reject his help. If she really rejected his help again, she wouldn¡¯t just be stupid, she would be courting death!

    Right now, the two of them were so close that Chu Lian could see each individual eysh on his eyes.

    What did a man need such long and lovely eyshes for?

    Although half of his face had been obscured by his beard, she could still tell that underneath all that hair, his features were quite fine. His side profile was especially beautiful with his tall nose bridge, long and narrow eyes, and slightly pale lips.

    Chu Lian¡¯s interest in seeing what he looked like under that beard was growing.

    After He Sang had stopped Chu Lian from moving, he bent down and used both of his hands to pull open the steel trap before carefully lifting her thin ankle out of the cold metal jaws.

    Without any particr expression on his face, He Sang asked, ¡°So why aren¡¯t you talking about keeping a distance between men and women now?¡±

    The tiny bit of goodwill that he had umted in Chu Lian¡¯s heart after handling her injured ankle so gently waspletely swept away by that one question.

    Chu Lian¡¯s face was flushed red with anger. However, she couldn¡¯t scold him, either, since she had been in the wrong for being too stubborn earlier. On the other hand, if this beardy hadn¡¯t provoked her with his cold words, how could she have acted so rashly?

    He Changdi watched as the wicked woman¡¯s cheeks turned pink with frustration and her originally wide eyes turned watery, making her look like a little fawn that needed reassurance. She was surely hopping mad within, but she couldn¡¯t find any excuse to vent it out on him. The thought soothed the frustrations in his heart, making his icy expression warm up a little.

    As He Sang continued looking at Chu Lian, who was squatting on a dry log, she pouted and turned her head away, intent on sulking. His eyesnded on her injured ankle once again. He hesitated for a moment before squatting down and turning his back to her.

    When Chu Lian caught sight of his strange action, she immediately grew alert. ¡°What are you doing!¡±

    He Sang swept a profound gaze over her before stating, ¡°Get on.¡±

    Get on? On what?

    It was only when Chu Lian looked at his broad back that she finally realised what he wanted. Was he going to piggyback her all the way back?

    The fading blush on her cheeks was reignited once again. This wasn¡¯t much back in the modern world; it would just be seen as a kind and helpful gesture. However, she was in the Great Wu Dynasty right now! The most intimate action she had shared with her husband, He Sang, had just been to sleep in the same bed. That had been with separate nkets, too!

    How could she crawl onto a stranger¡¯s back just like that? And... and this beardy kept a gloomy expression on all day. He probably wasn¡¯t a nice guy at all. He might even be harbouring some bad intentions!

    Chu Lian remained silent, intending for a soundless protest.

    He Changdi¡¯s brows furrowed. Clearly unhappy, he said, ¡°So you don¡¯t want me to carry you? Are you going to walk all the way back yourself?¡±

    After he finished speaking, he stood up and loomed over Chu Lian with his height.

    Chu Lian felt really embarrassed. Every time this beardy opened his mouth, he never failed to aggravate her! She was going to curse this stupid man to a lifetime of solitude!

    Chu Lian tried to stand up by herself, but her ankle injury was too severe. She began to teeter and instantly fell back down. Chu Lian was on the verge of tears. She couldn¡¯t put any weight on her right leg.

    ¡°Do you still want to go back on your own in this condition?¡± He Sang snorted. ¡°You have two choices. Either stay here to feed the wild beasts, or let me carry you back obediently.¡±

 Chapter 296: Shameless Man (2)

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t the kind to give in to pressure, and she was both stubborn and proud to the bone.

    As the saying went, you can change mountains and rivers, but not a person¡¯s nature. If He Sang talked to her nicely, she wasn¡¯t an unreasonable person. However, the more someone provoked her, the more stubborn she became.

    When she looked up and saw the man standing there, arms crossed like his word was thew, her temper red up!

    Was there really no other way to get back to the cave than let him carry her? Be carried by this arrogant man? She refused. Chu Lian just wouldn¡¯t ept his help today.

    She puffed up her cheeks and said, ¡°I¡¯ll let the wild beasts have me, then!¡±

    He Sang¡¯s eyes lit up with mes when he heard her reply.

    If this was one of his subordinates back in camp, he would have kicked them by now. Unfortunately, the person stoking his rage was Chu Lian!

    He had originally intended to lessen her suffering wherever he could. However, this stupid woman was scorning his kindness and choosing to suffer instead.

    The depths of He Changdi¡¯s eyes darkened. The words that came out of his mouth were like daggers as heughed mockingly. ¡°You keep bringing up the distance that men and women should keep, but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a littlete? We¡¯ve already spent the night together! Don¡¯t forget where you woke up this morning.¡±

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t thought that this beardy would talk so brazenly in front of her. Her anger reached its peak. Without thinking twice about it, she shouted, ¡°I thought He Sang was already shameless and cold enough! You... you¡¯re even more shameless than he is!¡±

    Uponing to her senses, Chu Lian was flooded with regret.

    What was going on with her? Why was her temper ring up so much when around this beardy? She had even spoken before thinking. Where had her calmposure gone?

    They were all alone out here in the wilderness. If he had any untoward intentions, she was going to be the losing party. Furthermore, her leg was already injured. She was like a fish on a chopping block!

    Buried in her upset reflection, Chu Lian didn¡¯t dare look up at the beardy¡¯s expression.

    Her lips parted with the desire to apologise, but in the next second, she felt herself getting picked up and thrown across broad shoulders.

    The movement was too sudden. By the time she could react, her body was already on his shoulders. She could feel a strain in her abdomen, and it was even more ufortable for her dangling head.

    One of his arms wrapped around the back of her knees while another hand held onto her ankles. He warned her coolly, ¡°Don¡¯t move, or I¡¯ll throw you off.¡±

    Since she was being hung upside down, Chu Lian¡¯s originally fair face was now red from all the blood rushing to her head. Even her ears were all red.

    She hit his back with her fists in shame and frustration. ¡°You... Set me down right now! You¡¯re being inappropriate! If... If my husband finds out, he¡¯ll chop off your arms and legs!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s tiny punches were like tickles to the slender, sturdy He Sang. He snorted, ¡°You don¡¯t have any principles, do you? Weren¡¯t you just insulting your husband for being shameless and cold?¡±

    Chu Lian was left speechless by his words. She could only retort by struggling even more in his grasp.

    He Changdi had reached the limits of his patience. This wicked woman just liked to stir up trouble. He had thrown her onto his back in a moment of impulse. However, he was still feeling rather angry. So that was what she really thought of him, was it?

    Shameless? Cold? Heh! Fine! How could hepare to that warm and romantic Xiao Wujing after all?

    She probably didn¡¯t know that he was the very person that she just insulted!

    He Changdi was feeling extremely vexed thanks to Chu Lian¡¯s punches and kicks. The poison was still circting in his body, so he wasn¡¯t feeling all too well, either.

    Chu Lian was his wife. He could do whatever he wanted to her without impunity!

    As his irritation with her increased, He Sang gripped her legs with one arm, freeing his other hand. A loud smack resounded as his palmnded on Chu Lian¡¯s soft, plush bottom...

 Chapter 297: Bandage (1)

    This time, it wasn¡¯t just Chu Lian who was shocked sillly. Even He Changdi¡¯s body stiffened a little, stunned by his own action borne out of frustration. However, he quickly recovered his usual calm. She was his wife, so giving her a little smack was well within his rights.

    Although he had reasoned it out in his head, the back of his ears still turned red with embarrassment underneath his hair. The hand he had used to smack her bottom with dangled loosely at his sides. He Changdi made a grasping motion with his hand. It was almost like he could still feel the memory of that soft, plush feeling against his palm. He couldn¡¯t help but absentmindedly wonder, ¡®Why was that so soft...¡¯

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t agree. When she finally regained her senses, she was about to explode.

    Her previously stiff body seemed to be filled with strength now that her wits had returned. This time, she put all her energy into struggling as she shouted, ¡°You shameless man! How could you do that?¡±

    When He Sang saw that she was struggling even more than before, he began to feel the inklings of a headacheing on. However, all he could do was continue threatening her with an icy expression. ¡°Was that one smack not enough? I won¡¯t mind being even more shameless.¡±

    Chu Lian froze. Like a deting balloon, her body softened and she flopped obediently against He Changdi¡¯s back.

    She bit her lip and stopped struggling without saying another word.

    Since she was being carried on He Changdi¡¯s shoulder, he couldn¡¯t see her expression at all. The watery tears and redness in Chu Lian¡¯s almond-shaped eyes wentpletely unnoticed.

    When he saw how effective his threat had been on her, He Sang rxed and continued striding towards the cave with Chu Lian still slung over his shoulder.

    He felt terrible all over, and the high fever hadn¡¯t subsided fully, either. By the time he reached the cave and set Chu Lian down, his inneryer of clothing waspletely soaked in cold sweat. As he panted and tried to catch his breath, his gazended on Chu Lian. She had hidden in a corner and was silently hugging her knees to herself. When he looked a little closer, a sudden realisation struck him like a lightning bolt.

    Chu Lian had remained silent all the rest of the way back; he hadn¡¯t expected her to be crying.

    The corners of her eyes were red, along with the tip of her nose. Her almond-shaped eyes were all watery and it was clear she hadn¡¯t been able to hold back her tears.

    Chu Lian turned her head away, refusing to look at him. Her eyes were fixed on a pile of dried grass in the cave.

    He Sang had calmed down more by now. He was starting to regret his rash actions from earlier. However, even though he wanted to exin things to Chu Lian and possibly reveal his identity, she refused to look at him. It was a little discouraging.

    He Changdi stood awkwardly to one side with his tall figure. The look he directed towards Chu Lian wasplex. He tried opening his mouth to speak, but nothing came out- not even the spittle of a clumsy exnation. Finally, he just tossed some words at her. ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere, the mountain forest isn¡¯t a safe ce. Rest here for a while, I¡¯ll go and look for something to eat.¡±

    With that, He Sang turned and left the cave.

    It was only after the bearded man had finally disappeared that Chu Lian dared to look up towards the cave entrance. The beardy had just been too scary earlier.

    Now that it was just her alone in the cave, Chu Lian finally calmed down.

    She furiously rubbed at the tear tracks near the corners of her eyes. In her heart, she gave herself a warning. She couldn¡¯t get too close to this beardy, but she couldn¡¯t abandon him either. Her impulsive actions today hadted her a warning. Furthermore, this forest was full of hidden dangers. If she wanted to get out, she would still have to depend on that beardy.

    After an hour or so had passed, Chu Lian heard the sound of footstepsing from the direction of the cave entrance. She peeked over and caught sight of that familiar tall figure.

    Chu Lian took a deep breath to remind herself to keep calm.

 Chapter 298: Bandage (2)

    The beardy was carrying two pheasants, already stripped of their feathers, as he walked towards Chu Lian. With the lighting from his back, most of his face was shrouded in shadow and only his jet-ck eyes shone with a profound glint.

    Chu Lian had only dared to risk a quick nce before looking down again.

    It seemed like the beardy had realised that his rash actions had made her more cautious towards him. When he walked towards the fire, he didn¡¯t say anything and simply pierced the two pheasants through with wooden sticks before cing them over the fire to roast.

    With Chu Lian¡¯s guard up, the moment the bearded man started walking towards her, she quickly tried shifting away. However, before she could get any further, her injured leg was caught in his grasp.

    Chu Lian abruptly looked up at the beardy, dumbfounded by his action.

    Her eyes shone with unhappiness, reluctant to let him do as he pleased.

    He Sang simply cast a calm nce at her and asked with his maic voice, ¡°What are you hiding for? Don¡¯t you want to keep this leg?¡±

    Upon hearing this, Chu Lian turned her gaze to the hand he was using to grip her ankle. The warmth of his palm scorched wherever it touched her skin. Even through the thick winter pants she had on, she could feel the intense heat of his body where he held her calf.

    Chu Lian shifted her gaze away awkwardly. She just didn¡¯t know how to react when he was acting so proper while bandaging her ankle. It was too different from that evil teasing of his before.

    He Changdi lifted his own armour and pulled away the tunic beneath it to tear off a piece of his soft undershirt.

    Next, he attempted to lift up the hem of Chu Lian¡¯s skirt. However, after having experienced this once before, how could Chu Lian let him have his way? She quickly pulled down her skirt and said, ¡°I know how to do it. I¡¯ll bandage it myself.¡±

    He Sang paused but didn¡¯t say anything. He stood up and moved over to one side, passing the strip of cloth to Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian took it and turned aside, presenting her back to him. Using the light of the fire, she carefully pulled down her white socks before rolling up the hem of the pants she was wearing underneath her skirt.

    Quite some time had passed since she had gotten injured. Blood from her wounds had already soaked through her socks and pants and then dried up, so her clothing was now stuck to her wounds. When she tried to peel it off, some of her flesh came off with it- it hurt a lot.

    With an additional beardy next to her, Chu Lian¡¯s heart was filled with resentment. She didn¡¯t want the beardy to look down on her, so she gritted her teeth and bore with the pain, pulling off the cloth stuck to her wounds all at once.

    Finally, her slender ankle and calf were exposed.

    After that bit of pain was over, Chu Lian sighed in relief. She was about to wipe at the fresh blood leaking from her wounds with the hem of her skirt when arge hand appeared in her vision. Held within those long, slender fingers was a damp white cloth.

    Chu Lian was a little stunned. In the next second, the low, maic tone of a man¡¯s voice said, ¡°Wipe your wounds with this. This cloth is clean.¡±

    Of course it was clean. He Sang had torn it off from the hem of his own undershirt.

    Chu Lian pressed her lips together. For some reason, she didn¡¯t quite dare to meet the beardy¡¯s eyes. She reached out and took the damp cloth from his hands before carefully wiping at the wound on her ankle with her head bent down.

    Luckily, the wound wasn¡¯t too severe. It hadn¡¯t damaged any of her muscles or bones, but the flesh around her ankle was a mess right now. She probably wouldn¡¯t be able to walk normally for ten to twenty days.

    As much as Chu Lian tried to hide her wounds, the cave was only sorge, so He Changdi had already caught sight of what it looked like.

    Chu Lian¡¯s skin was already fair in the first ce. The exposed parts of her calf and ankle peeking out from under her clothes were equally fair and smooth, which made the raw and bloody wound look even more wretched. He Sang felt like he was suffocating. He turned away, unable to bear looking at that wound.

    After she finished cleaning, Chu Lian took some crushed herbs from the beardy¡¯s hands to apply around the wound before carefully wrapping it up.

 Chapter 299: Roast Pheasant (1)

    He Changdi sat against the cave wall with a hand holding up his forehead. His eyes were shut and it looked like he was resting.

    After Chu Lian finished taking care of her wound, she settled down in a daze. The cave was silent. Neither of them made a sound. Finally, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t resist any longer and snuck a nce in his direction. The beardy didn¡¯t move. She nced at him a few more times, but he still didn¡¯t show the slightest sign of movement.

    Chu Lian frowned and assumed that he was asleep.

    However, He Changdi wasn¡¯t asleep at all. His head currently felt like it was splitting apart, and the high fever that had subsided earlier this morning had returned with a vengeance. After breaking out in cold sweat from lugging Chu Lian back to the cave, his bout of hunting, then cleaning off the pheasants with cold water at a brook, his body was on the verge of copsing from all the physicalbour. Furthermore, the poison hadn¡¯t beenpletely cleared from his system yet.

    The only reason he was still hanging on was because his body was more robust thanks to his daily training. If it had been any other normal man, they might have already long sumbed to the poison.

    With the warning she had received earlier, Chu Lian didn¡¯t dare to provoke him. She left him to his own devices, thinking he was asleep.

    Her gazended upon the two fat pheasants roasting on the fire. Chu Lian had worked herself to the bone today; since she had given all of her beef jerky to the beardy the day before, she had been unable to eat anything after all that work. Thus, it had been almost an entire twenty-four hours since herst decent meal. As she stared at the two fat birds, she unconsciously began to drool.

    Chu Lian reached out and took one of the pheasants, carefully keeping an eye on the man next to her. When she saw that he hadn¡¯t reacted at all, she grew a little more daring.

    The pheasants had only been roasted on the outside. When Chu Lian sniffed at it, she realised that the side facing the fire was a little burnt since the pheasants hadn¡¯t been flipped at all...

    Chu Lian shot another nce at the bearded man before looking at the pheasant in her hands.

    Was the beardy really thinking of just cing the birds over the fire until they were done roasting?

    Chu Lian suspected that the two pheasants wouldn¡¯t even be edible by the time the beardy woke up. They would probably bepletely charred, right? Even if they hadn¡¯t been turned to ashes, the outside would surely be burnt with the insides probably still raw...

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes and took out a purse and a small dagger from her waistband.

    Next, she brought out two small white porcin bottles from her purse.

    As a true foodie, how could she not bring her own seasonings out with her on a trip to the wilderness?

    Of the two small bottles, one of them contained finely ground salt and the other contained Chu Lian¡¯s own special blend of five-spice powder. The five-spice powder was especially convenient when camping outdoors.

    She used the dagger to cut open the fattest part of the pheasant before rubbing the salt and five-spice powder inside the meat. Then, Chu Lian found a t, thin piece of rock lying around the cave. After cleaning it, she ced the rock over the fire to warm until it grew hot enough to put the pheasant on.

    cing the meat on the rock would distribute the heat more evenly so it wouldn¡¯t burn as fast. It was also more convenient to flip the meat.

    Chu Lian looked at the remaining bird. When she thought back to how the beardy had taken advantage of her, she curled her lip and decided not to bother with it. Since he wanted to roast it that way, he could eat it however he liked.

    He Sang¡¯s head was extremely heavy and fuzzy. He was feeling terrible, so he wasn¡¯t sleeping at all. He was just resting his eyes since he didn¡¯t have the energy to move.

    When he noticed Chu Lian taking one of the pheasants in the middle of his haze, he started to be a little more alert.

    Then, when he saw her take out a small purse and start to season the pheasant, he wanted to burst out intoughter.

    When had this wicked woman turned into a foodie? She had actually brought seasonings out with her, and she even had a little knife to cut up the meat...

    As hi vision turned blurry and his mind felt even more dizzy, only Chu Lian¡¯s busy figure was left reflected in his eyes. How strange. They were clearly the same person, but why did he feel that the Chu Lian before him and the Chu Lian from his past life were starting to separate in his mind?

    Chu Lian¡¯s stomach had already grumbled a few times. She stared at the pheasant on the fire, drool almost spilling from her mouth.

    An enticing aroma slowly came off the salted and seasoned pheasant. The fats in the pheasant¡¯s skin were helping to make the surface brown and crispy; the outeryer of meat was glistening with a thinyer of oil. Chu Lian could almost imagine the tenderness of the meat in her mouth. All it would take was one bite...

    Chu Lian carefully took the roast pheasant down from the t rock and let it cool down on another rock she had cleaned earlier. She was about to tear off a fat, tender drumstick when a hand shot out from the side.

    Chu Lian watched with widened eyes as the newly awakened beardy tore off a drumstick without asking and immediately began to bite into it.

    By the time Chu Lian managed to react, she could only cry out angrily, ¡°What did you eat my pheasant for?! Yours is still on the fire!¡±

    He Sang had bitten into the meatiest part of the drumstick with his first bite. The skin of the pheasant was crispy, and its meat tender. The juices within oozed out and filled his mouth with their fragrance. That new and delicious taste was instantly etched into his memory.

    He was just about as hungry as Chu Lian was, so he managed to polish off the entire drumstick in just three bites.

    In this lifetime, the wicked woman had really be a great foodie. Possibly the only trait she had that was worthy of praise was her godly cooking skills.

    Since she was taking up the position of his legitimate wife, there was no reason for him not to enjoy the fruits of herbour, right?

    As he watched Chu Lian puff up her cheeks with a helpless expression on her face, He Sang felt a trace of satisfaction soothing his battered body.

 Chapter 300: Roast Pheasant (2)

    He Sang swallowed hisst mouthful of meat and tossed the bones to one side. Then, he looked up at Chu Lian and narrowed his eyes. ¡°I hunted this wild pheasant.¡±

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯te up with anything to say to that.

    She tried her utmost to calm her anger. He was right; he had been the one to catch it. She had only added a little bit of work to cook it. If he wanted to snatch it from her, she had no right to stop him at all.

    In the end, Chu Lian could only give him a fierce re.

    From that whole pheasant, Chu Lian only managed to get one drumstick and a few pieces of tender meat. The rest of it went down He Sang¡¯s gullet.

    Chu Lian rubbed her bloated tummy whileining under her breath that He Sang had eaten too much and that she hadn¡¯t gotten her fill.

    Meanwhile, He Sang leaned against the cave wall, toozy to even look at the two-faced woman.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t realised it yet, nor had He Changdi himself. When the two of them had shared the roast pheasant, apart from the first drumstick that He Sang had eaten, he had given the best parts of the pheasant to Chu Lian. It was only after Chu Lian had eaten enough that he had gobbled up the rest of it.

    Chu Lian was helpless against a forceful, food-stealing tyrant like He Sang. When the two of them finished eating, Chu Lian turned to look at the other pheasant that had been moved off the fire. She inwardlymented. They couldn¡¯t waste food like that.

    In the end, she took the remaining half-cooked pheasant and seasoned it before wrapping it up in clean dry leaves, setting it off to one side. It would be their breakfast tomorrow.

    When Chu Lian looked out towards the cave entrance, she noticed that the sky was slowly turning dark. She then shot a careful nce at the beardy. Who knew if he had any assurance that he would be able to bring her out of this deste forest?

    Chu Lian secretly made a decision: if the beardy didn¡¯t mention leaving at all tomorrow, she would have to start a frank discussion with him.

    Night fell once again. This time, Chu Lian was very careful. She set down her cloak across the fire from the bearded man and slowlyid down. She even turned her back to him.

    He Sang inwardly snorted and wasn¡¯t bothered at all by Chu Lian¡¯s caution. He simplyid down on the floor and ced his arms behind his head. He wasn¡¯t feeling well in the first ce, so he quickly fell asleep.

    However, Chu Lian tossed and turned and was unable to join him in slumber. Even by the fire, the cold in a cave in winter was enough to make her curl up like a shrimp.

    When she thought back to the warm slumber she had yesterday, Chu Lian felt rather pathetic.

    Her body shrunk into itself and she hugged her knees, almost transforming into a round, human ball. Chu Lian forced herself to shut her eyes and get some rest.

    Luckily, she was sessful with coercing herself to sleep. Thanks to the fatigue she had racked up during the day, she quickly fell into a sweet dream.

    Chu Lian woke up blearily to the sound of someone talking after sleeping for an unknown period of time. The fire next to her had already been extinguished; she had woken up from the cold.

    She wrapped her cloak tightly around herself and used the weak moonlight streaming in from outside the cave to feel her way around and add some dried branches to the fire. When the cave was illuminated once again, Chu Lian realised that the sounds she had heard in her dream had been made by the beardy across the fire.

    She stayed where she was and carefully stared at the beardy for a while. When he didn¡¯t seem to react, she used the cave wall as support to limp over to his side.

    When Chu Lian finally reached the bearded man, she realised that the half of his face illuminated by the fire¡¯s light waspletely red. A few loose strands of his hair were stuck to his face thanks to theyer of sweat on his skin. Chu Lian suffered a shock and quickly reached out to touch his forehead.

    She had only touched it for a mere second before taking her hand back; it was just too hot.

    Now Chu Lian was starting to panic. Although the beardy was very annoying, she couldn¡¯t let anything happen to him now. If he didn¡¯t survive, she would never be able to leave this forest, ever!

    Chu Lian gritted her teeth and squatted by the fire. She fashioned a crude torch for herself and hobbled out of the cave.

    If she remembered correctly, there was a small brook about fifty metres away from the cave.

    By hopping on one leg, Chu Lian took half an hour to cover the total distance of a hundred metres or more.

    She covered the beardy¡¯s boiling hot forehead with a damp cloth before taking off the armour and tunic he had on, revealing his muscled chest.

    They were currently in a state of emergency, so Chu Lian had no mood to admire the body exposed to her eyes. She quickly used the damp cloth to wipe down his chest and hands to lower his temperature.

    However, He Sang¡¯s skin was really nice. Even though he was training outdoors every day in the northern border, getting whipped by the wind and tanned by the sun, he hadn¡¯t gotten that much darker. There wasn¡¯t much difference in the colour of his skinpared to when he had been in the capital. If he hadn¡¯t specially kept a beard and gone out with his full set of armour, no one would believe that he was the son of a military official, let alone an officer in the army.

    While his chest was buff and muscled, it wasn¡¯t bronzed like those of many other men in the army. His skin was still rather fair, but not the sickly pale skin of someone who rarely saw the sun; it was a healthy and natural light colour.

    As expected of someone with the nickname of ¡®He Sang the Fair¡¯.

    Chu Lian wiped the bearded man down three or four times in this manner. When she checked his forehead again, his fever seemed to have subsided a little.

    Chu Lian sighed in relief. As long as his fever continued subsiding, the beardy would probably survive the night.

    It was at this time that the man started to talk in his sleep.

    ¡°You wicked woman! I¡¯ll never forgive you! You... dream on!¡±

 Chapter 301: The Virgin He Sanlang (1)

    Chu Lian was shocked by the sudden shout. She yanked back her hand and stared at the man with wide eyes, but his own eyes still stayed shut.

    When she realised that he had only been sleep talking, she patted her chest in relief and calmed down.

    That had really scared her.

    The beardy¡¯s mouth moved again as he mumbled something. However, he spoke too softly and quickly; Chu Lian couldn¡¯t catch what he was saying at all.

    Chu Lian crept over again, too curious to deny herself. She leaned her ear closer to see if she could catch anything. She wanted to know what he was saying.

    Even though she was as close to him as she could get, Chu Lian could only make out a few words.

    After a moment, Chu Lian straightened up. Her brows furrowed as she thought about his odd ramblings.

    ¡°Hah! You wicked woman! Are you regretting your betrayal now? He turned out to be a bad guy in the end! He even betrayed you! Are you sad? Are you hurt? Let me tell you, the pain I feel is a hundred times more than yours!¡±

    Chu Lian: ......

    The corner of her mouth twitched as she looked at the man before her. Had this guy suffered some sort of heartbreak previously?

    Just as Chu Lian was thinking about listening to more of his juicy ramblings, the man quieted down and stopped talking.

    Shortly after, his temperature began to rise again. Chu Lian had no choice but to continue wiping him down with a cloth to help him lower his temperature.

    Finally, Chu Lian leaned against the cave wall and let the beardy use herp as a pillow. This way, if his condition changed, she could wake up from her sleep and check if he was still burning up.

    Near the end of the night, Chu Lian was just too tired. She fell asleep leaning against the wall.

    In her dreams, she felt something tighten around her waist. However, she was just way too tired to react. She didn¡¯t even have the energy to open her eyes to see what it was.

    Trapped in his nightmares, He Sang¡¯s brows were tightly knitted together. Right as he was being tortured both mentally and physically, in his most troubled time, it felt like his body had suddenly been immersed in some ce warm andfortable.

    He caught a hint of a familiar,forting scent and quickly calmed down. His entire head seemed to be ensconced in that sweet smell, helping to quiet his chaotic thoughts.

    The high fever slowly subsided along with them.

    At some point, He Sang¡¯s arms had reached out to wrap around Chu Lian¡¯s slender waist. That soft and cosy feelingforted him in the midst of his deep slumber.

    He Sang took in deep breaths, subconsciously wanting to keep this sweet smell and feeling to himself.

    The hold of his arms tightened along with his thoughts. It wasn¡¯t until Chu Lian wriggled a little due to the ufortable embrace that theatose He Sang finally awoke.

    He opened his eyes slowly. When he noticed what he was hugging in his arms, his entire body stiffened instantly.

    The remnants of his terrible dreams reyed in his mind. When he looked up only to see the same face of the woman that haunted his nightmares, He Changdi felt extremely disgusted, as if he had just swallowed a big fat fly.

    He quickly let go of Chu Lian¡¯s waist and sat up. He even shifted back a few steps to put some distance between them.

    Luckily, that wicked woman was sleeping like the dead. His sudden movements hadn¡¯t caused her to wake up at all.

    He Changdi rubbed his temples. His head was hurting beyond belief.

    The moment he had woken up and seen Chu Lian, he had thought that his past and present lives had ovepped.

    However, as his mind slowly returned to consciousness, the Chu Lian in his mind slowly started to split apart and turned into two pr opposites.

    He Changdi turned to Chu Lian with an unreadable expression. She was still in the same pose as earlier, leaning stiffly against the uneven cave wall with her legs straight. One of her limp hands was holding onto a damp cloth. The small gourd filled with water had been flipped over, leaving a small puddle of water on the ground that was slowly icing over.

    With his intellect, it wasn¡¯t hard for He Changdi to guess at what Chu Lian had done for him. However, it also threw his heart into even more chaos.

    He kept his eyes fixed on the sleeping woman just a few steps away from him. In his mind, two different figures were shing one after another.

    Which one was the real Chu Lian?

    Should he trust her again?

    Just as He Sang was absorbed in his painful thoughts, his sharp ears caught the soft sound of footsteps from outside the cave. He tensed and immediately leaped up, moving over to Chu Lian¡¯s side and shaking her awake.

    Chu Lian was shaken awake. While she was still in a sleepy daze, she heard the beardy say with a grave expression, ¡°Shh... Someone¡¯sing.¡±

    The remaining sleepiness in her mind was instantly pushed away by her fear.

    He Sang tossed aside hisplicated thoughts and subconsciously ced himself in front of Chu Lian, shielding her behind him. He took out a dagger from his waistband. His deep eyes were focused on the cave¡¯s entrance like an eagle on the hunt.

    They didn¡¯t have time to hide now. Someone had clearly discovered their presence in the cave.

    He Changdi¡¯s sharp brows were locked together. He only hoped that the intruders weren¡¯t Tuhuns. He didn¡¯t have any weapons at hand and his body wasn¡¯t at peak condition. Furthermore, he had a weak woman by his side to protect. He wouldn¡¯t be a match for the elite warriors of the Tuhun right now.

    Chu Lian¡¯s gaze was also fixed on the entrance of the cave, her eyes filled with extreme caution. She felt in one of the purses hung at her waist and took out a bottle of chilli powder. If it really came down to a fight, she was going to fling this powder right in her opponent¡¯s face!

 Chapter 302: The Virgin He Sanlang (2)

    It didn¡¯t take too long for their visitors to arrive. Two strange figures appeared at the cave entrance.

    Now that He Sang could make out the faces of the neers, his tightly wound nerves rxedpletely.

    ¡°Brother He!¡±

    ¡°Captain!¡±

    Two shouts full of surprised joy jolted Chu Lian awake.

    He Sang set down the dagger in his hands and went over to wee them. The people who hade were Lieutenant Xiao Yuhong and another good soldier under He Changdi¡¯smand, Zhao Liang.

    It seemed like the signal he had sent out earlier had worked.

    Xiao Yuhong, who was younger than He Changdi by just a year, hugged him tightly in happiness. He then pounded He Changdi on the back forcefully. ¡°Brother He, you scared us to death. Are you okay? When Zhao Liang and I found the signal and came looking, we bumped into a Tuhun scout. We¡¯ve already settled him.¡±

    Zhao Liang, standing off to one side, nodded in agreement.

    He Sang patted both of them on the shoulders. ¡°Good work, you two.¡±

    While standing behind He Sang, Chu Lian waspletely dazed. She stared at Xiao Yuhong first, then Zhao Liang, with her big, innocent eyes. For some reason, the way they addressed the beardy seemed a little strange to her... ¡®Brother He¡¯?

    This beardy¡¯s surname was He and he was also a captain... Surely it wasn¡¯t just a coincidence!

    Chu Lian finally set her gaze on her saviour¡¯s tall and muscled back. His bearded face came up in her mind...

    She shook her head. No matter how she tried, she just couldn¡¯t reconcile He Changdi¡¯s handsome good looks to the gruff, bearded face of her saviour.

    Chu Lian huffed in relief and reassured herself that it was only a coincidence. There were tens of thousands of men in the northern border troops. It wouldn¡¯t be weird for there to be another Captain He, right?

    However, despite thinking that, there was a sense of unease in her heart.

    As Xiao Yuhong was chatting with He Sang, he happened to take a nce behind him. A look of startled envy flitted across his eyes and he gaped like an idiot. Xiao Yuhong immediately blurted out, ¡°Brother He, is this Sister-in-Law?¡±

    He Sang hadn¡¯t expected Xiao Yuhong to blurt out a question like that. He didn¡¯t reply to Xiao Yuhong immediately and simply turned back to cast a calm look at Chu Lian. He wanted to know what kind of expression that wicked woman was going to make.

    Chu Lian¡¯s almond-shaped eyes widened into huge circles. Her body froze uppletely as she looked at the grinning Xiao Yuhong before turning back to the beardy.

    Heh! What kind of joke was that?

    Chu Lian did her best to recover from her extreme stupefaction. When she didn¡¯t hear any response from the beardy after a few seconds, the heart that had just about beat out of her chest settled down again. It must be a misunderstanding after all. Perhaps this beardy had alsoe to pick up his wife and happened to rescue Chu Lian along the way in a bout of coincidence. That might be why she had been mistaken for his wife.

    That¡¯s right, that must be it.

    Even though Chu Lian knew just how poor that reasoning was in the depths of her heart, she would rather believe that the beardy she had spent two days and nights with wasn¡¯t He Changdi. Thinking back to all the silly things she had done, she just wanted to dig a hole in the ground and burrow into it.

    Not recognising her own husband... Scolding him as if he were some other man... And even getting a little intimate with him while under the assumption that he was some other man...

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t bear to continue thinking along those lines. She just hoped that the heavens would bless her with a bit of luck and help her out, just this once.

    He Changdi moved his gaze away from Chu Lian, a corner of his lips raising as he mocked her in his heart.

    Even the dense Xiao Yuhong had realised that something wasn¡¯t right between the couple. His smile faded away and he quickly bumped He Sang with his shoulder. In a low voice, he asked, ¡°Brother He, what happened? Did you make Sister-in-Law unhappy?¡±

    He Sang red at him coldy, warning him to keep his mouth shut.

    Xiao Yuhong was naturally a person who didn¡¯t like silence. His eyes darted around the cave before he moved closer to He Sang and continued his questioning at an even lower volume.

    ¡°Brother He, since you spent two nights outside with Sister-in-Law, could it be that Sister-in-Law is angry because you didn¡¯t give her enough ¡®goods¡¯? If that¡¯s the case, you have to exin things properly to her! We don¡¯t even have any women in camp tofort us since thews in our camp are more strict.¡±

    When Xiao Yuhong finished speaking in a boorish tone, he sent a meaningful look in the direction of He Sang¡¯s third leg.

    The people in the camp were all men. When they gathered together to chat at night, it was hard to avoid the topic of women. In the course of time, even the virgin Xiao Yuhong had been infected by their coarse talk.

    Furthermore, He Changdi and Chu Lian hadn¡¯t even been married for half a year. He Changdi had also left the capital soon after marriage. Since the young couple¡¯s rtionship was still new at the time of his departure, they obviously hadn¡¯t had enough quality time together. It was normal to assume they had done the horizontal dance while trapped together for the past couple days.

    He Changdi hadn¡¯t expected that his younger armyrade would make a joke like this right in front of him. His handsome, bearded face froze up, turning darker and darker.

    To Xiao Yuhong, He Changdi roared, ¡°What nonsense are you saying!¡±

    Luckily, He Sang¡¯s hair hid his flushed ears. Otherwise, if the mischievous Xiao Yuhong caught sight of them, he would definitely get smug and tease him for being shy.

    Actually, even though He Sang looked calm and wise on the outside, what with his normally cool expression, he was still a virgin- in both this life and the past one.

    If Xiao Yuhong ever found out about this fact, he would probably point at He Sang andugh for three days straight. He had such a beautiful wife by his side, yet he hadn¡¯t touched her at all. Could he even be considered a man? His tall and vigorous Brother He couldn¡¯t possibly be impotent, right?

 Chapter 303: The Beardy is He Sanlang (1)

    Just as the two men were bickering, the sound of footsteps came from the cave entrance.

    When Xiao Yuhong noticed that He Changdi¡¯s eyes were turning grave, he quickly hit his own head as if he had just remembered something. ¡°That¡¯s right, Brother He, I forgot to tell you! Your family¡¯s private soldiers came with us. That should be them arriving now.¡±

    Right after he finished speaking, a group of men entered the cave. In the lead was Mo Chenggui.

    Once Mo Chenggui caught sight of He Sang, he ran up to his young master excitedly. He stood in front of the other private soldiers and bowed to He Changdi. ¡°Third Young Master, this old servant is relieved that you¡¯re well.¡±

    Perhaps due to the difference in their status, there was no trace of the haughtiness and disdain that Mo Chenggui had shown in front of Chu Lian when he stood before He Changdi. These old soldiers who had followed Old Count Jing¡¯an into battle were truly loyal and concerned for the male masters of the He Family.

    Standing behind the rest, just a few metres away, Chu Lian was immersed in shock.

    Her almond-shaped eyes were wide open while her slightly pink lips were parted. A single sentence resonated in her mind, ¡®The beardy is He Sang!¡¯

    How could that be!

    Her eyes unconsciously fixed on He Changdi. Her heart pounded quickly in her chest. She didn¡¯t know whether it was due to the flurry of emotions that had risen, or due to the tension and nervousness within her heart...

    The moment she remembered all the stupid things she had done in front of He Sang while taking him for a stranger, she really wanted to just bury herself.

    As her thoughts ran wildly in her mind, she couldn¡¯t hold back a re at He Sang. That... that fellow had known all along and had actually teased her on purpose, just to watch her make a joke of herself. How... how utterly shameless!

    Chu Lian¡¯s face flushed red as her chest heaved with every breath. However, she couldn¡¯t reveal the truth in front of these people, so she could only bear with the frustration.

    He Changdi nodded and replied calmly, ¡°I¡¯m fine, but the war in Liangzhou continues. We have to return quickly.¡±

    Xiao Yuhong had also turned serious. He smiled and nodded at Chu Lian before leading the men out of the cave and ordering someone to bring He Changdi a horse.

    It was only then that He Sang turned to look at Chu Lian and noticed her frustrated expression.

    Chu Lian knew that she was the one at fault for being face blind and not recognising him, so she felt too embarrassed to be the one to speak first.

    When she met with his cold gaze, she shifted her eyes away guiltily. He Sang stood ramrod straight with his hands behind his back and continued staring at her until Chu Lian could feel goosebumps rising on her skin. Finally, he walked over to her slowly.

    ¡°How impressive, my wife. You didn¡¯t even manage to recognise your own husband? Then you should open your eyes a little more and take a good look. Otherwise, you might even take a stranger for your husband next time and put a green hat on my head!¡±

    After he finished saying all of this in an icy tone, he didn¡¯t wait for Chu Lian¡¯s fiery gaze to turn to him before sweeping her up into a princess carry and bringing her out of the cave.

    Chu Lian was extremely angry, but she couldn¡¯t quarrel with her husband in front of so many people. It would be bad for both of their reputations.

    Thus, the most she could do was to re at He Sang while in his embrace.

    Of course, He Changdi could feel the grudge and killer intent in Chu Lian¡¯s eyes.

    He looked down coldly at Chu Lian, ¡°If you like to look at me so much, I¡¯ll let you have your fill when we get back to Liangzhou!¡±

    Chu Lian gritted her teeth andined to herself inwardly. Who¡¯s trying to look at him? It¡¯s only that crazy He Sang who can say something like that without any expression on his face!

    When Xiao Yuhong saw that He Changdi was carrying Chu Lian out of the cave, a mischievious look lit up in his eyes. ¡°Brother He, take good care of Sister-in-Law!¡± He pointed at a handsome horse nearby which was all ck except for its white tail and hooves and exined, ¡°Brother He, we found your horse for you, but it has quite a few wounds on its body. The wounds were probably made by those damned Tuhuns. You can¡¯t ride on this horse for now, so you and Sister-in-Law can take my horse instead. I¡¯ll ride with Zhao Liang.¡±

    He Sang looked at his beloved steed and nodded.

    Chu Lian turned her gaze curiously towards that handsome ck horse. The horse seemed to be rather intelligent. When it noticed its owner, He Changdi, looking at it, it even whickered at He Sang and blinked its big eyes coquettishly.

    When Chu Lian¡¯s eyes followed the curve of the horse¡¯s smooth back, she noticed that there were some wounds on the horse¡¯s rump and back which had already started to scab over. A small suspicion surfaced in her mind. If she didn¡¯t guess wrongly, these wounds weren¡¯t made by the Tuhuns- instead, they were likely made by He Changdi himself to drive his steed on when chasing after her mad horse...

    Thus, Chu Lian sent an apologetic look to the horse.

    He Sang personally helped Chu Lian onto Xiao Yuhong¡¯s horse, before leaping up and sitting behind her. When Zhao Liang saw that the captain was only wearing his armour and that the cloak on the captain¡¯s wife was dirtied, he took off his own cloak and passed it to He Sang.

    He Sang gave pause before receiving the cloak. He looked down at the fragile woman before him. He hesitated for a moment, but finally, he wrapped the dark coloured cloak around Chu Lian and made sure she waspletely covered.

    When Chu Lian felt the warmthing back to her body and noticed the thick cloak on her body, she was about to speak up to thank him. However, He Sang spoke first at a low volume, ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. I just don¡¯t want you to catch a cold and be a burden for me!¡±

    That one sentence made the gratitude in Chu Lian¡¯s heart vanish into thin air.

    Chu Lian decided to shut her mouth and stop bothering with that crazy husband of hers!

 Chapter 304: The Beardy is He Sanlang (2)

    Everyone quickly mounted their horses. It was gettingte; if they didn¡¯t move quickly, it would be dark by the time they left the forest. There were too many unknowns in the dark, and there had already been one ambush. They couldn¡¯t give the Tuhuns another chance to attack them.

    Furthermore, He Changdi held a post in the army. This time, he hade out against the wishes of Captain Guo. It had already been two days, so they couldn¡¯t dy their return any longer. Even so, when He Sang returned to the camp, he would likely have to suffer some punishment.

    The men rode their horses hard and none of them had the mood to talk at this time. Chu Lian gripped the saddle of the galloping horse under her tightly as the cold winter winds brushed against her cheeks like knives. Her shaking body had been stabilised at some point by a strong arm wrapped around her waist. As furious as she was with her husband, it would be silly of her to struggle at this time and ce.

    Thanks to that strong arm holding her steady, Chu Lian¡¯s back was pressed against He Sang¡¯s chest. Even through that cold and hard armour, she could still hear the fast, powerful beat of his heart.

    She pressed her lips together as a warm flush overtook her face.

    She covered her face with her hands and told herself that the only reason her face was so hot was because of the chaffing cold winds.

    When dusk fell, the party finally reached a small town close to Liangzhou City.

    The maidservants and retainers who had apanied Chu Lian here, along with the two guards that Princess Wei had sent, were resting in a residence here and recovering from their injuries.

    Zhao Liang dismounted first and went off to report their arrival. The entrance of their courtyard was immediately flung open from the inside as Wenqing and Wen came out to wee her.

    He Changdi carried Chu Lian off the horse, but didn¡¯t let her down. He carried her straight into the courtyard under the watch of Wenqing and Wen. The two maidservants followed after with pale and panicked faces. Manager Qin¡¯s face was also full of worry. He looked towards the men who had escorted He Changdi and Chu Lian back. Since he had clearly seen how Mo Chenggui had treated his Third Young Madam, his gaze skipped over the old soldier andnded on Zhao Liang and Xiao Hongyu instead.

    He quickly walked over to ask, ¡°Excuse me, sirs. What happened to our Third Young Madam? Has she been injured anywhere?¡±

    Xiao Hongyu saw that he was truly worried, so he reported what he had been told. ¡°I heard Brother He say that she injured her foot. Don¡¯t worry, Sister-in-Law¡¯s injury isn¡¯t too bad. She should be fine after a few days of rest.¡±

    When he heard Xiao Hongyu¡¯s reply, Manager Qin heaved a sigh of relief. He thought carefully about their current situation. Half of Third Young Madam¡¯s party was injured, so they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to continue their journey immediately. They would likely have to stay in this small town for a few days.

    ¡°Sirs, pleasee in and rest. I¡¯ve already ordered the servants to cook a meal for our guests.¡±

    Xiao Hongyu and Zhao Liang were indeed hungry. However, when they thought of the military order hanging over their heads, they waved their hands in rejection. ¡°Kind sir, there¡¯s no need for that. Once Brother Hees out, we have to hurry back to camp.¡±

    Manager Qin almost gaped in shock. ¡°You... You¡¯re still rushing back to camp?¡± He looked up at the darkening sky. ¡°But it¡¯s almost night.¡± It was already dangerous enough to rush on the roads in winter. This area was close to the northern border, so the risk was even higher.

    Zhao Liang smiled bitterly. ¡°Thanks for your kind offer, sir, but we have to follow our orders.¡±

    Seeing how resolute they were, Manager Qin couldn¡¯t hold them back. However, he couldn¡¯t let their guests continue standing outside either. These men were clearly Third Young Master¡¯srades and subordinates. He had to treat them well.

    Thus, he invited the men into the courtyard to sit for a while and ordered the servants to bring in hot water. He also prepared some food and wrapped it up for the soldiers to bring along.

    Manager Qin was very smooth and capable. He did all of the above under Chu Lian¡¯s name, so that He Sang¡¯srades would have a good impression of their brave sister-inw who hade all the way to the northern border.

    In the main room of the small courtyard, He Sang set Chu Lian down on the bed and turned to leave with a cold expression. Wenqing and Wen came over anxiously to ask about Chu Lian¡¯s condition.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t have the mood to answer the two girls. Instead, she turned towards He Changdi¡¯s departing back and quickly called, ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    He Changdi hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to call out for him. He froze and stopped walking.

    Wenqing and Wen could see that their masters had something to say to each other. Wenqing shot a look at Wen and the two girls quietly stood up, bobbed towards Chu Lian, and retreated. They even closed the room¡¯s door for the couple.

    He Changdi shifted sideways so he could look back and see Chu Lian¡¯s small figure sitting on the bed.

    He suddenly felt that his throat was as dry as a desert; he couldn¡¯t say anything at all and could only cough and use the sound to cover up his guilt and awkwardness.

    Chu Lian clenched the hem of her clothes in her hands and seemed to be having trouble speaking as well. However, it hadn¡¯t been easy for them to meet again, and they were married after all. If they left this misunderstanding as it was, it wouldn¡¯t be good for them. She could also feel that He Sang¡¯s attitude towards her had improved significantly since their wedding day.

    With that thought, she gathered up her courage and blurted out in one go, ¡°He Sang, I... I¡¯m in the wrong for not recognising you. I¡¯m apologising to you first.¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s eyes that had always been unreadable since his reincarnation began to ripple with emotion. Those beautiful ripples expanded and grew until they reached his heart.

    TL Note: Announcing a change of names!

    Xiao Yuhong -> Xiao Hongyu

    All previous chapters have been updated and this character will be referred to with Xiao Hongyu from now! The author pulled a switch on me and swapped the two Chinese characters of this guy¡¯s name at Chapter 301 and I didn¡¯t realise until 3 chapterster >w<;;

    (It¡¯s Óñºì -> ºìÓñ for those who are curious)

 Chapter 305: Military Law (1)

    When Chu Lian saw He Sang just stand there, she became a little discouraged and down. She began to sulk, and in a low voice, she said, ¡°You can¡¯t me me for that. You¡¯re like a totally different person once you grow a beard. Grandmother probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to recognise you, let alone me!¡±

    He Sang was skilled in martial arts and had excellent physical abilities to boot. His five senses were also stronger than most people, and that included hearing. Even the tiniest mumble from Chu Lian would reach his ears.

    He Sang chuckled lowly. Chu Lian couldn¡¯t tell if hisughter was out of joy or mocking her.

    She heard him say, ¡°By saying so, you think you¡¯re justified even though you didn¡¯t recognise your own husband?¡±

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t help but ridicule him in her head. This crazy bastard had such a sharp tongue. She had already set down her pride to apologise to him first. She could ignore how he hadn¡¯t forgiven her, but now he was actually mocking her instead.

    The pool of calm that she had managed to recover was almostpletely drained by that bastard He Changdi. Chu Lian sucked in a deep breath and let the cold air help her calm down again.

    ¡°He Sang, must you always pick a fight with me?¡±

    After he suffered a jolt from her words, He Changdi pressed his lips together and sunk into silence.

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes. What was going on? The He Changdi in the novel had clearly been a handsome, caring nice guy. How had he turned into such a frustrating tsundere? He was just like a cold piece of rock!

    Were the heavens trying to make a fool of her?

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to stay on this topic any longer.

    Yet when she remembered how he looked back in the cave, poisoned and running a high fever throughout the night, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t set down her worry for him.

    Her leg was still injured, so she couldn¡¯t stand. She could only tilt her head back and strain her neck as she asked him, ¡°Has the poison beenpletely cleared out of your system? When I checked your body, I found a wound on the side of your neck. That poison probably came from the arrows of the Tuhun.¡±

    He Sang¡¯s lips moved slightly, but he paused before replying, ¡°It¡¯s fine now. It¡¯s just amon poison; it won¡¯t leave behind any side-effects.¡±

    Hearing him exin so, the burden of worry in Chu Lian¡¯s heart was finally set loose.

    No matter what, He Changdi had gotten poisoned while saving her. If anything happened to him, she would feel guilty for the rest of her life.

    ¡°It¡¯s already sote. Why don¡¯t you invite your brothers-in-arms to stay back and eat dinner with us?¡±

    He Changdi cast a nce at the woman who was finally acting a little more like a matriarch of the He Family. His heart warmed, but the cold expression on his face didn¡¯t budge a single bit.

    ¡°No need. My brothers and I will set off for the camp immediately.¡±

    ¡°Ah? You¡¯re going back right now? It¡¯s already dark outside!¡± In her surprise, Chu Lian blurted out her thoughts directly.

    This action stunned both of them for a moment. He Changdi recovered first. In a slightly softer voice, he said, ¡°You want to keep me back?¡±

    Chu Lian looked downwards, her neck flushed.

    She quickly said, ¡°Since you¡¯re so anxious to go, it must be due to military orders. You should leave earlier then! I¡¯ll get Wen to pack some food for you to bring on the way back.¡±

    When He Changdi heard her reply, he felt a sliver of disappointment. ¡°Take good care of yourself, then. I can¡¯t always be around to save you just in time.¡±

    On that parting note, He Changdi turned and left without looking back.

    Chu Lian raised her fist and shook it at He Sang¡¯s departing figure. That guy just had to make her mad, even when he was leaving! As expected of a lunatic!

    Ooh, she was so mad!

    When Wenqing and Wen saw that He Changdi had left, they quickly ran back in.

    Chu Lian let them look at the wound on her ankle. She thought for a moment before giving them some orders. ¡°Wenqing, go and prepare two sets of inner clothes for Third Young Master. Add some jerky and wine as well. And that pair of thick deerskin leather boots! Ah, right, don¡¯t forget to pack those detoxifying creams and medicinal ointments too!¡±

    He Changdi had torn his inner clothes to bandage her wound. Who knew if he still had enough to wear back at camp?

    Wenqing and Wen noted down all of Chu Lian¡¯s instructions and nodded. As they left the room, they exchanged sly, happy smiles.

    It seemed like their Third Young Madam was getting along well with their Third Young Master.

    Just look at how worried she was. She was practically shoving everything she brought to Third Young Master.

    He Changdi entered the sitting room and exchanged some words with Manager Qin before leading Xiao Hongyu and the others away, preparing to set off on an overnight journey back to camp.

    He didn¡¯t expect Mo Chenggui to lead the family¡¯s private soldiers out and mount their steeds along with them, clearly intent on following He Sang back.

    He Changdi frowned and gripped his reins. He turned to Mo Chenggui and said, ¡°Uncle Mo, stay here with your men and take care of Third Young Madam. You¡¯re not to follow me back to camp this time.¡±

    Although He Sang¡¯s tone was calm, there was a hidden trace of unhappiness within. How could Mo Chenggui not detect that?

    ¡°Third Young Master, that won¡¯t do. This old man has been ordered by the matriarch to help Third Young Master!¡±

    He Changdi looked him right in the eye. Although his young master had juste of age, Mo Chenggui could feel a domineering aura from within their cold depths. He found he was unable to meet his master¡¯s gaze directly. It was as if the old count himself was standing right before him.

    ¡°Uncle Mo, helping me take care of Chu Lian is the best way you can help me right now!¡±

    Although Mo Chenggui wasn¡¯t very willing, since Third Young Master had already given his orders, he couldn¡¯t keep rejecting them.

    ¡°Yes, Third Young Master. This old servant will obey yourmand.¡±

    Mo Chenggui waved his hand, ordering the family soldiers to dismount. He Changdi picked up the package that Chu Lian had prepared for him and led his men on the long journey back to camp.

 Chapter 306: Military Law (2)

    It was only when He Changdi¡¯s figure had disappeared into the dark alleyways of the small town that Mo Chenggui brought his men back, a gloomy expression on his face.

    By his side was his oldrade, Huang Zhijian. Huang had be one of the He Family¡¯s private soldiers after retiring together with him.

    The two of them were as close as real brothers.

    Huang Zhijian patted his old brother¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Old Mo, don¡¯t take it to heart. We shouldn¡¯t have been so rash as to leave Third Young Madam behind like that. If we hadn¡¯t tried to rush ahead of her, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±

    A bellyful of anger had long been brewing within Mo Chenggui. He had managed to suppress it this whole time, but after the past few days, it was about to spill out from his eyes. He had thought he would be able to dampen it eventually, but after the aggravation of today¡¯s events, he could no longer hold it back.

    ¡°I just can¡¯t understand why the matriarch sent a spoiled young girl like Third Young Madam out to the northern border! Isn¡¯t she just making trouble for Third Young Master? Look at her tiny size, what can she do? See, we haven¡¯t even reached Liangzhou and she¡¯s already caused trouble for Third Young Master! Military orders must be obeyed. Once Third Young Master returns to camp, he¡¯ll be punished by militaryw! And that militaryw...¡±

    ¡°Old Mo, that¡¯s enough, stop right there.¡±

    Before Mo Chenggui could vent enough, Huang Zhijian shoved his arm.

    ¡°What! I can¡¯t even rant now?¡±

    ¡°Old Mo! Third Young Madam¡¯s right behind us!¡± Huang Zhijian had no other choice but to lower his voice and try to remind him of their location.

    Mo Chenggui paused and turned around to look. As Old Huang had said, Chu Lian was currently standing under the eaves of the courtyard with the support of Wen, frowning while staring at them. Her expression didn¡¯t look too good.

    Mo Chenggui was still angry, so his tone wasn¡¯t very nice as he said to her, ¡°It¡¯s already dark. Third Young Madam should go and rest while it¡¯s early, otherwise the Tuhuns might capture Third Young Madam again.¡±

    Huang Zhijian quickly tugged his oldrade and turned to Chu Lian apologetically. ¡°Third Young Madam, please don¡¯t me Old Mo. This is just how he is.¡±

    The two of them were both leaders of House Jing¡¯an¡¯s soldiers and old retainers of House Jing¡¯an, so they held a high position within the estate. However, Chu Lian was still one of their masters, so they didn¡¯t have the right to speak to her in such a tone.

    From the way He Sang had rushed to save Chu Lian- running headfirst into danger without concern for his own life- Huang Zhijian could tell that the young couple¡¯s rtionship was not as bad as what the rumours outside would have them believe.

    Third Young Madam was doted on by Matriarch He within the estate. Right now, the estate was stillcking the next male heir. If Third Young Madam got pregnant someday and gave birth to the first male of the next generation, her standing within the estate might even match that of Heir Jing¡¯an¡¯s wife. If Old Mo offended Third Young Madam greatly at this time, the ones to suffer in the future would be Old Mo and his family.

    Furthermore, Third Young Madam wasn¡¯t as weak as she looked. That Guilin Restaurant she opened had be the top restaurant in the capital almost overnight.

    If she was really that weak, how could her restaurant have be so popr?

    It was just the stubborn Old Mo who refused to see things clearly.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t care about what Mo Chenggui had said at all. Her focus had beenpletely drawn by what Mo Chenggui had said before that.

    She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What did you say just now? My husband will be punished by militaryw?¡±

    Mo Chenggui¡¯s rage seemed to have been stoked by Chu Lian¡¯s sudden question. ¡°Third Young Master left his camp without permission. Of course he¡¯s going to be punished!¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t really know much about the army, especially in the ancient Great Wu Dynasty. She waspletely stunned by Mo Chenggui¡¯s reply. ¡°What... what kind of punishment will he receive?¡±

    Mo Chenggui was practically huffing fire by now, so Huang Zhijian didn¡¯t dare to let him speak. He quickly replied first, ¡°Third Young Master has disobeyed orders, so the minimum punishment he¡¯ll get will be twenty smacks with the rod. Third Young Madam, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. Third Young Master has a strong body and he¡¯s all muscle. Those twenty smacks are nothing to him.¡±

    After Huang Zhijian finished speaking, he shot a sideways nce at Chu Lian. When he saw that she was still in a daze, he quickly pulled Mo Chenggui away and bade his farewells. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing you need us for, Third Young Madam, Old Mo and I will withdraw for now. Please don¡¯t worry about the safety of this courtyard, we¡¯ve already set up watch over the area for the night.¡±

    It was long after Mo Chenggui and Huang Zhijian had left that Chu Lian abruptly came back to her senses. She looked at Wen and sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s return.¡±

    Wen was both happy yet sorry. ¡°Third Young Madam, Third Young Master treats you so well! In the future, if anyone dares to say that Third Young Master doesn¡¯t treat you well, this servant will tell them this story to make them shut up!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s heart was a mess right now, so none of Wen¡¯s words made it through to her head. She simply made a half-hearted tug of her lips in reply.

    For some reason, when she thought of He Changdi¡¯s smooth, muscled back being dotted with rod-shaped bruises, her heart felt extremely pained.

    Chu Lian was already tired beyond belief. She should have fallen deep asleep for a good night¡¯s rest.

    However, the moment she shut her eyes, Chu Lian had a nightmare about He Changdi being beaten by rods.

    In the dream, the perpetually cool-and-collected He Sang didn¡¯t even make a sound as the rods struck blow after blow to his back. He simply stared at her until the punishment was done. Then, he stood up and showed his bloody back to her, forcing her to look at his once smooth, unmarred skin, now a messy canvas of bruises and blood. Only after she had gotten an eyeful did He Sang finally turn his head and meet her gaze, smiling at her with deep affection.

    ¡°Look and see, Chu Lian! This is all your fault! You better take responsibility for it!¡±

 Chapter 307: Sima Hui (1)

    Chapter 307: Sima Hui (1)

    Chu Lian was so frightened by the weirdness of He Changdi that she subconsciously picked up the teacup by her side and threw it at him. He Changdi fell to the floor with a grunt and Chu Lian anxiously ran over- when she checked his nose, she realised he had stopped breathing...

    Chu Lian screamed and sat up in fright.

    When Wenqing heard the noises from within the room, she quickly pushed open the doors and entered.

    The sight that met her eyes was Chu Lian sitting up in bed, eyes dazed as she panted for breath. Her hands were tightly clenched in the nkets. Wenqing was shocked.

    She walked up to the bed and asked with concern, ¡°Third Young Madam, what happened?¡±

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t thought that her movements would wake Wenqing, who had been sleeping in the outer room. When she recalled the scene in her dreams, she waved her hand in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it was just a bad dream.¡±

    Wenqing saw that Third Young Madam seemed to have suffered a fright. She touched Chu Lian¡¯s forehead and found it was full of sweat, so she brought another pillow over and ced it at the head of the bed before helping Chu Lian to lie against it. Wenqing tried tofort her. ¡°Third Young Madam, you must have been disturbed by what happened these past two days. Please rest for a while, this servant will bring you a bowl of sweet soup.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded. When she thought back to that dream just now, there was still some lingering fear in her heart, so she quickly shifted her thoughts to other things.

    In the cold of the winter night, He Changdi led his subordinates as they rushed back to the army camp, situated at the outskirts of Liangzhou City.

    Even in the early morning on a cold, blustery winter day, themander¡¯s tent was already lit up withnterns from within.

    The highestmander of the northern border troops, Great General Qian, was seated at the head of the table. Below him were the high-ranking leaders of the border troops, and Captain Guo was amongst them.

    The sound of hoofbeats resounded from outside the tent, followed by a chaotic rush of footsteps. The tent p was lifted by the soldier outside and in the next moment, a bound bearded man was marched in- who else could it be but He Changdi?

    Once He Sang was inside the tent, Great General Qian started scolding him furiously. ¡°He Sang, you¡¯ve got some guts! Before you¡¯ve even managed to finish learning the military tactics I¡¯ve taught you, you¡¯ve already managed to copy my stubborn temper! Take him out and give him thirty smacks with the rod before you bring him in again for interrogation!¡±

    Xiao Hongyu, who had followed them in, turned pale. He sent a pleading look towards Captain Guo.

    Captain Guo subtly shook his head, indicating for him to keep quiet.

    How could Xiao Hongyu remain silent in a situation like this? The poison in Brother He¡¯s system hadn¡¯t been cleared yet. These thirty smacks of the rod were going to push him halfway to death¡¯s door! They still had to fight a war ahead, how would Brother He be able to fight in such terrible condition?

    ¡°General, please wait. This subordinate has something to report.¡±

    Great General Qian sneered and swept He Changdi up and down with a look. His gaze finally ended up on Xiao Hongyu. ¡°Oho, He Sang. You¡¯re pretty skillful, aren¡¯t you? It hasn¡¯t been that long since you¡¯ve joined this camp and you¡¯ve already made a sworn brother. Which camp are you from? Report your name first! If your report is nonsense, you can share the same punishment as He Sang!¡±

    Xiao Hongyu began to sweat. Since he had already decided to speak out, all he could do was grit his teeth and forge on.

    He obediently reported his camp, which caused General Qian to cast a meaningful look at Captain Guo. ¡°Little Guo, very well done. These brats are all from your camp!¡±

    Captain Guo could feel his head going numb upon hearing those words. He had the urge to kill those two brats on the spot.

    Following that, Xiao Hongyu reported the events of the past few days truthfully: the barbarians and Tuhuns¡¯ ambush, as well as how He Sang had gotten poisoned. After he finished speaking, he knelt down with his head lowered, obediently waiting for his punishment.

    General Qian¡¯s expression abruptly changed upon hearing all this. ¡°What did you say? The Tuhun soldiers have invaded thends of our Great Wu?!¡±

    The Tuhuns couldn¡¯t have appeared in that forest for no reason. There must be something driving them to go there.

    General Qian¡¯s thick brows furrowed together. After thinking for a bit, he waved his hand and ordered He Changdi to be brought in for further questioning.

    In the end, with Captain Guo helping them plead for mercy, He Changdi was subjected to only twenty five smacks of the rod, while Xiao Hongyu received ten.

    This was also the reward that General Qian was giving He Changdi for his good deed in the face of his crimes. At the same time, the border troops were in desperate need for every able man right now. Otherwise, the strict General Qian wouldn¡¯t have let the two of them off so easily. He had even broken his own nephew¡¯s leg before, let alone some unrted brats like He Changdi and the rest.

    In thest two days, the Tuhuns had stopped their ambushes and attacks on the city, giving the northern border troops a breather. The injured He Sang and Xiao Hongyu were carried into their tent to settle down.

    Right as the two of them had justid down, Captain Guo and Zhang Mai entered the tent.

    Captain Guo walked over and stood by the simple wooden bed, looking down at He Changdi from above. ¡°So how was it? Has your wifee to the border?¡±

    He Sang was stunned. He hadn¡¯t expected Captain Guo to ask a question like this out of the blue. He looked up at his formermanding officer and made a sound of agreement.

    Captain Guo burst out intoughter and patted his shoulder forcefully. ¡°You brat. Those twenty plus smacks were well-deserved.¡±

    Lying in the bed next to He Sang¡¯s, Xiao Hongyu couldn¡¯t resist interrupting. ¡°Captain, Brother Zhang, I managed to meet Sister-in-Law this time! I didn¡¯t expect Sister-in-Law to be such a looker considering our He Sang¡¯s bearded face! She¡¯s like a fresh flower wasted on a piece of cow dung like this. Why couldn¡¯t I be that lucky?¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s expressionpletely darkened after hearing so. Who could have thought that the famed pretty boy He Sang would one day bepared to cow dung...

 Chapter 308: Sima Hui (2)

    As He Changdi¡¯s face turned more and more stiff, in order to stop these people in the tent from blurting out any more earth-shattering revtions, he reached out to his side, picking up a package and tossing it to them.

    Zhang Mai caught it smoothly and opened it. When he saw the beef jerky he had been longing for day and night within, his eyeballs almost fell out with how wide he opened his eyes.

    ¡°You lucky brat! It¡¯s not safe out here in the northern border, make sure your family¡¯s soldiers protect Sister-in-Law properly.¡± Zhang Mai immediately tore open the oil paper packaging wrapped around the beef jerky.

    He Changdi kept a serious expression on his face as he said, ¡°Brother Zhang, you¡¯re older than me by a whole generation. It¡¯s not really appropriate for you to call her Older Sister-in-Law like Hongyu does!¡±

    After so many years spent in the army, Zhang Mai was already as thick-skinned as he could possibly get. How would He Changdi¡¯s mild provocation bother him? He chuckled and said, ¡°He Sang, you have a higher ranking position than me now, so it¡¯s proper for me to call your wife Older Sister-in-Law.¡±

    Captain Guo and Zhang Mai sat down by He Changdi¡¯s bedside, munching happily on the goods they had been given.

    Xiao Hongyu was rather sharp-eyed. His brows drew together as he suddenly recalled what he had seen while getting carried in on a stretcher.

    ¡°Brother Guo, did my eyes deceive me? I seemed to have seen a woman while I was being carried in just now...¡±

    After Xiao Hongyu mentioned that, Captain Guo and Zhang Mai abruptly stopped wolfing down their food and let out simr constipated expressions, as if they had been forced to swallow a few kilograms of flies...

    ¡°Oh, her...¡± Captain Guo scratched his head. He didn¡¯t know how to exin this. That female general had just arrived in the camp two days ago. Furthermore, she seemed to be trusted by General Qian.

    When Zhang Mai saw that Captain Guo didn¡¯t know how to exin, he cut in. ¡°Zixiang, Hongyu, you guys should have heard of the Sima family, right?¡±

    He Changdi, who lived in the capital and socialised in noble society, knew a little more than Xiao Hongyu did.

    ¡°The Simas should be... that rich and influential family in Shandong?¡±

    Zhang Mai nodded and continued speaking. ¡°The Simas of Shandong have been around for thousands of years and can be traced back to the Great Xia Dynasty. In thest dynasty, there were plenty of Simas working as court officials. Later on, when this new dynasty was founded, the Simas of Shandong started moving away from politics. Some people say that it¡¯s because the Simas lost too many talents during the changing of the dynasties. Others say that it¡¯s because the Simas don¡¯t want to stand out too much during the early stages of this dynasty, so they¡¯re hiding their abilities.¡±

    Zhang Mai paused before continuing again. ¡°That female general you saw today, she¡¯s called Sima Hui. She¡¯s from one of the Sima¡¯s branch families. Although you might not recognise her name, you should have heard of Sima Feng at least, right?¡±

    Xiao Hongyu replied first. ¡°Of course I know about Sima Feng! He was one of the border generals of the previous dynasty. Unfortunately, he was betrayed by his most trusted adjutant in the end and died at the feet of the Russians. He passed away filled with hatred.¡±

    Zhang Mai nodded in agreement. ¡°That Sima Hui in our camp, she¡¯s Sima Feng¡¯s legitimate granddaughter.¡±

    Xiao Hongyu was so shocked that his jaw had dropped.

    ¡°She¡¯s actually one of Old General Sima¡¯s descendants?!¡±

    ¡°As far as I know, the main branch of the Simas didn¡¯t support Sima Feng at all. They even fought with Sima Feng¡¯s branch of the family. All of Sima Feng¡¯s male descendants entered the army and most of them died on the battlefields. By the time it reached Sima Hui¡¯s generation, there were only the old, weak, women and children left. Sima Hui practically grew up in the army. Without caring about her family¡¯s objections, she bravely enlisted in the army. This time, she was the one who brought the Shandong troops over as support.¡±

    Xiao Hongyu¡¯s cheeks were a little flushed from embarrassment. ¡°So that girl turned out to be so impressive... I¡¯ve underestimated her.¡±

    Although He Changdi¡¯s expression was calm, his mind was racing. He hadn¡¯t participated in the war against the Tuhuns in his past life, and he hadn¡¯t heard of someone like Sima Hui before, either. Had the natural course of events changed, or were there other secrets behind this anomaly?

    Captain Guo harrumphed. ¡°Don¡¯t judge her for being a woman. She¡¯s one of the fiercest generals in our army. She¡¯s already led soldiers for five to six years, and she¡¯s more experienced than a greenhorn like you. General Qian trusts her ability enough to ce her in important positions.¡±

    The shape of Zhang Mai¡¯s mouth suddenly formed into a slight leer. ¡°Most importantly, General Sima has specially formed a female camp; there are hundreds of female soldiers there!¡±

    Hearing this, Xiao Hongyu¡¯s eyes were about to pop out. ¡°What?! Female soldiers? Women can be soldiers too? Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re... Hehe...¡±

    Captain Guo gave a resounding smack to the back of Xiao Hongyu¡¯s head. ¡°General Sima¡¯s female camp was made at the personal order of the Emperor himself! Stop having all these dirty thoughts in your head all the time! If you lose to that group of female soldiers in the battle against the Tuhuns, I¡¯m going to break your legs!¡±

    Xiao Hongyu¡¯s shoulders immediately shrunk upon being chastised.

    Captain Guo red at Xiao Hongyu for good measure before turning to He Changdi. ¡°One more thing, General Qian has given orders for you and Hongyu to investigate the area where you met the Tuhuns in the forest. You have to keep this mission a secret- both that its been given to you and that you¡¯re doing it. You can¡¯t leave camp too many times, as well.¡±

    He Sang was a little surprised. He hadn¡¯t expected Great General Qian to have entrusted this matter to him. It seemed like the events in themander¡¯s tent earlier had just been a show that the general had put on for outsiders.

    Captain Guo and Zhang Mai stayed in He Sang¡¯s tent for an hour. As they left, they even forcefully snatched away half of the food that Chu Lian had given to He Sang.

    Xiao Hongyu took pleasure in his loss while lying on the bed next to his. ¡°Hehe, Brother He. Luckily, I was already prepared for that. I¡¯ve already hidden all the goodies that Sister-in-Law gave me.¡±

 Chapter 309: Useless Money (1)

    The corner of He Sang¡¯s mouth twitched and he immediately turned his head. He really didn¡¯t want to talk to a glutton like Xiao Yuhong right now.

    While Chu Lian had been resting and recovering in that little town close to the border, Tang Yan and the rest of the party had caught up.

    Although they had been robbed by the barbarians previously, He Changdi hade over with the rescue party just in time, so all of Chu Lian¡¯s things were safe.

    The moment Tang Yan arrived, he heard about how Chu Lian had been attacked by the elite Tuhun soldiers and was astounded. After reassuring Chu Lian a little, he decided not to separate from Chu Lian for the rest of the journey.

    Even though not everyone in the party had recovered from their wounds, just in case, they only stayed in the small town to rest for four days. After four days, they set off on their journey again. They still had the winter supplies meant for the northern border troops,

    The closer they got to Liangzhou City, the more deste their surroundings became. When they finally reached the outskirts of the city, Chu Lian stared at thepletely devastated Liangzhou City with disbelief in her eyes.

    How could be called a city? Any town within thends of the Great Wu would probably be richer than this ¡®city¡¯ by a few times. The city walls were made of mud- when the wind blew, some clods of earth would even get blown off. There were broken walls all over the city and hardly any citizens could be seen. One or two would scurry by asionally, their bodies thin and sallow.

    There weren¡¯t many brick houses within the city itself. Most of the houses were made of mud and covered with thatch roofs. Even though it was dusk and about time to cook dinner, the number of houses that had smoke drifting up from their kitchens could probably be counted on one hand.

    There probably weren¡¯t as many citizens living here as there were soldiers in the army stationed outside.

    Chu Lian had finally seen for herself why the nobles in the capital considered Liangzhou City a barrennd.

    This area was probably part of the great grasnds of the future. Although there were plenty of mountains and vast tracts ofnd, the terrible weather conditions and the long winter here just weren¡¯t suited for farming. If they headed just a little closer to the innernds of the Great Wu, the farm fields at the boundaries of Liangzhou might even be fertile enough to allow for a harvest once a year. However, once they went further north into Liangzhou, the quality of the earth wasn¡¯t enough even to support life.

    When it came to winter, the surface of the ground would be covered in a thickyer of now. When it came to spring, after the snows melted away, the ground would then turn into a swamp...

    Chu Lian looked up at the city wall made of yellow mud bricks. There were two soldiers standing up there, their bodies curled up into balls. She couldn¡¯t even tell what they were wearing, but she could see that they were shivering up there on the city walls.

    Chu Lian sighed. Could this fragile wall really stand up to the attacks of the ferocious Tuhuns?

    Tang Yan was riding on a horse beside her carriage. When he saw that Chu Lian had lifted the curtain of her carriage and that she was looking at the walls, he urged his horse over to her.

    ¡°Honoured Lady, are you looking at the yellow mud walls?¡±

    Chu Lian cast a sideways nce at him and nodded.

    The corner of Tang Yan¡¯s lips tugged upwards and he spoke with a helpless tone, ¡°Liangzhou City is located in the north of our Great Wu¡¯s territory. You¡¯ve also seen it on the way here, Honoured Lady. This area iscking in resources. The court sends a huge sum each year here to reinforce Liangzhou City¡¯s walls, but unfortunately, there hasn¡¯t been much effect.¡±

    Chu Lian was shocked. ¡°A huge sum? Then how could that wall possibly be in this state? It looks like it will crumble in one hit!¡±

    Chu Lian identally blurted out her true thoughts.

    Tang Yan didn¡¯t mind and simply continued, ¡°Before we talk about where the money the court sends has ended up, there are other more important reasons behind this. Once you enter the city, you¡¯ll be able to see why without any hints from me.¡±

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected him to have held back information at thest moment. Was Tang Yan trying to test her?

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t really mind. She nodded and ordered Manager Qin to lead the carriages into the city. With the Empress Dowager¡¯s decree, it was easy enough to enter the city.

    Trash littered the streets of Liangzhou. When a breeze blew by, a strange odour drifted up from the ground, giving them the urge to puke. It was clear that no one hade by to clean this ce for quite some time.

    Chu Lian lifted the curtains of her carriage slightly and peeked outside. When she caught sight of the situation outside, her brows furrowed together. Luckily it was winter. If this had been the middle of a hot summer, this would be the perfect breeding ground for diseases and the like.

    Tang Yan had already sent someone ahead of them to arrange for some ce to rest, so they were headed straight there.

    When they reached their destination, Chu Lian looked up at the simple que hung above the courtyard entrance: He Estate. She was then informed that this was the residence of the prefect of Liangzhou City.

    The residence looked to be about 3500 square metres in area. In any other city of the Great Wu, it would only be some rich country man¡¯s humble farm abode, but in Liangzhou City, it was considered one of the best residences around.

    Although the houses in the estate were also made of mud, at least the outeryer was made of processed earth and the roofs were made of crude tiles instead of thatch.

    When they came to this street, it was clear that the conditions here were slightly better than that of the other areas of this city.

    Chu Lian was carried off the carriage by Wen. She couldn¡¯t put weight on her leg still and she had another four to five days to go before it was fully healed. Right as she got off the carriage, Chu Lian spotted a half-grown child dressed in furs squatting in the midst of some rubble not too far away. There was a pile of small skins in front of him which seemed like sheepskin.

    He was currently curled up in the corner of the ruined wall, sneakily ncing their way with his wide eyes, as if trying to guess at the purchasing power of their party.

    Chu Lian looked right back at him with her lips pressed together.

 Chapter 310: Useless Money (2)

    The half-grown child seemed to have abandoned his original misgivings and came running over with the pile of sheepskins hugged to his body. It was only when he was a little closer that Chu Lian could clearly discern his dirt-covered features.

    Before the child could reach Chu Lian, he was captured by one of the strong private soldiers and pressed to the ground.

    Mo Chenggui¡¯s expression was as dark as usual. ¡°Third Young Madam, the northern border isn¡¯t as safe as the inner walls of the capital. If we meet some Tuhun scouts just like thest time, Third Young Master will me this Old Mo again.¡±

    Wen could hear the thorns in Mo Chenggui¡¯s words, standing as she was next to Chu Lian. She was about to move in front of Chu Lian to angrily defend her, but Chu Lian tugged her back and sent her a look.

    Wen suppressed the anger in her chest and retreated.

    Chu Lian sent a faint smile towards Mo Chenggui. ¡°Many thanks to Uncle Mo for the reminder. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±

    Mo Chenggui hadn¡¯t expected such a reply from Chu Lian, so he didn¡¯t have a retort ready.

    The child wasn¡¯t struggling and didn¡¯t even seem panicked even though he was being pressed to the ground. He took the chance to shout, ¡°Noble sirs, please have mercy! This humble one only wanted to see if noble sirs could buy these sheepskins! This humble one¡¯s mother and sister are about to starve to death and there¡¯s no food in our house. Our hope for survival lies solely in these sheepskins in this humble one¡¯s hands!¡±

    Tang Yan ordered one of the guards to investigate. As expected, they weren¡¯t able to find anything on the child¡¯s body. He nodded towards Chu Lian.

    After seeing how Chu Lian seemed determined to stick her nose in unnecessary business, Mo Chenggui snorted and turned to enter the He Estate first. Out of sight, out of mind.

    Chu Lian pointed at one of the rolls of sheepskin. ¡°Bring that over to me and let me have a look.¡±

    Manager Qin personally bent over to pick up the sheepskin. He examined it carefully before holding it up respectfully with both hands for Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian casually flipped it over and looked at it for a moment. There was nothing special about it, really. The hide was taken from a normal sheepmonly reared by the northern herdsmen and barbarians. There were even some spots on it, and its colour was slightly dark. It looked like it had seen some regr use at home. If not for the fact that their household was in dire straits, they probably wouldn¡¯t have taken out their own sheepskins to sell.

    Her gazended on the child next. His clothes were tattered and torn. Some form of beast fur was wrapped around him haphazardly. His arms were exposed from the elbow down and his two hands were red from the icy cold.

    Judging by the child¡¯s pitiful appearance, Chu Lian didn¡¯t even have to think further to decide that his story was true. She spoke to Wen for a bit and Wen nodded. She took out a small piece of silver from her own purse and walked over to the child who was still being held down by their family¡¯s soldier. She said to him, ¡°Child, our master will buy all of your sheepskins. This is a silver tael for the sheepskins. Next time, don¡¯t rush out so recklessly to hold back other nobles. Our master is kind and won¡¯t do anything to you, but not everyone is like our master, so take care of yourself!¡±

    The silver ingot was worth at least 500 to 600 copper coins: three or four times that of the market price for the sheepskins in the child¡¯s hands. Wen ced the silver tael in front of the child and ordered the soldier to release him. She then turned around, preparing to help Chu Lian into the He Estate.

    However, just as she turned around, the newly released half-grown child grabbed onto her leg and pleaded, ¡°Big sister, this humble one doesn¡¯t want silver. Please, change it into food for this humble one!¡±

    Wen suffered a shock and almost kicked the child away out of instinct.

    She turned around helplessly and got a guard to help pull the child away. A trace of unhappiness could be seen in the wrinkles between her brows. ¡°You little brat, how could you be so shameless! Do you think that our master offered you too little? This silver tael is enough to buy your sheepskins three or four times over!¡±

    ¡°No, no, this humble one doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s too little. This humble one begs big sister to give just a few wheat pancakes.¡± After saying so, he turned to Wen and kowtowed as if his life depended on it.

    Wen waspletely stunned. She couldn¡¯t believe that someone would rather have a few copper coins worth of wheat pancakes rather than a silver tael worth a few hundred of those coins. Was this child silly in the head?

    Chu Lian watched the situation before her with furrowed brows. Tang Yan directed a meaningful gaze at her with the shadow of a smile.

    Suddenly, a lightbulb lit up in Chu Lian¡¯s mind.

    She turned to Wen and said, ¡°Wen, get him some food.¡±

    Although Wen found it strange, she still followed the order.

    The half-grown child took the three cold and hard steamed buns that Wen passed to him, his face full of unconcealed joy. He quickly stuffed them into his shirt before looking carefully around him. Only then did he kneel down and bow towards Chu Lian before taking off and disappearing around the corner of a small alleyway.

    Chu Lian watched the child disappear before ordering the party to get settled into the estate.

    Her leg was wounded, so she walked very slowly with the support of Wenqing and Wen. Tang Yan was able to catch up in just a few steps.

    He smiled and asked, ¡°Do you know the reason now, Honoured Lady?¡±

    Chu Lian smiled bitterly. How could she not? After that little incident with the child, it was impossible not to understand the reason.

    She sighed lightly and replied, ¡°What Liangzhou Citycks isn¡¯t money. It¡¯s material goods.¡±

    Tang Yan nodded, ¡°How smart, Honoured Lady.¡±

    In Liangzhou City, many of the areas here still used the most basic way of trading: barter. Here, the currency mostmonly used wasn¡¯t gold nor silver, or even copper coins. Most of the time, the people here used cows, sheep, or other livestock, as well as cloth, food, and salt.

    In the eyes of themoners of Liangzhou City, a silver ingot that could buy them fifty kilograms of white rice in the capital wasn¡¯t worth as much as a single piece of hard wheat pancake.

    No wonder the walls of Liangzhou City were still so dpidated despite the funds the Ministry of Revenue sent for renovation year after year.

    Even before considering the cuts taken from officials going down the chain ofmand, the amount of goods the funds could purchase was already pitiful the closer one got to Liangzhou. Not only was there a shortage, but even just looking at the cost of transporting materials to the north, the cost was just too high. Goods? What goods? After all was said and done, the amount of things the funds could buy was close to non-existent.

    Here, money was practically useless.

 Chapter 311: Eating Breakfast (1)

    Chu Lian shook her head. It was also very hard to transportrge amounts of goods into Liangzhou in the bitter cold of the winter. This also exacerbated Liangzhou City¡¯s dire situation.

    If not for that, the court wouldn¡¯t have been that anxious upon finding out that the Tuhuns were invading the northern border in winter.

    It wasn¡¯t easy to send supplies to the army in the winter in the first ce. Now the reinforcements were trapped at the Yueqin Mountains. No wonder the Tuhuns had chosen to attack Liangzhou at this time.

    Although Chu Lian was worried, she didn¡¯t have any good ideas for now.

    Since money was useless here at the northern border, the first order of business was most likely to solve the problem of transporting goods.

    Tang Yan escorted Chu Lian to her designated courtyard before bringing his men over to their own residence.

    The prefect of Liangzhou City had been removed from office in the first half of the year. Later on, the position of prefect had been passed down to Great General Qian. There were very few citizens in Liangzhou and most of them were the troops stationed here. Thus, General Qian had ordered the secretary of the infantry, Sir Wu, to take over the responsibilities of the prefect.

    As of now, the troops were all stationed in the camp right outside the city. In these extraordinary circumstances, Sir Wu naturally had to return to the camp. Thus, the original estate of Liangzhou¡¯s prefect, the He Estate, had been empty for quite a few months.

    General Qian knew perfectly clear what the current state of Liangzhou City¡¯s walls was, because the duty of repairing those broken walls would fall upon the northern border troops every year.

    That wall couldn¡¯t even hold up to any enemy attacks right now. Actually, the real border between the Great Wu and the Tuhuns was a single river called the S River. The S River was the lifeblood of the grass ins of the north. Right now, General Qian was leading the northern border troops in guarding this natural barrier.

    Once the Tuhuns passed the S River, then it would be the same as opening the doors to Liangzhou for them. The rest of the ins behind were just a wide expanse of tnd.

    By then, the Tuhuns would most likely charge right into the Great Wu¡¯s territory. One of the first ces in their path was the fishing haven, Tianjing Harbour.

    It could be seen how important it was to guard the S River.

    Chu Lian was helped to a seat on the hearth by Wen. The hearth had already been lit by the servants in the estate, so it was nice and warm on top of it. Manager Qin stood in front of her and reported all the news he had been able to dig up about the area.

    Chu Lian thanked her lucky stars after listening to his report. She considered them lucky for having brought enough supplies here. She had even brought those household wares that she normally used in the Jing¡¯an Estate. Thus, their party didn¡¯t need to worry about their daily necessities for a while.

    She was here under the Empress Dowager¡¯s decree and the scroll was still with her. The supplies were still with her as well. Although there wasn¡¯t much, it was better than nothing. It looked like she had to find a chance to visit the camp of the border troops.

    However, it was better to discuss it with Tang Yan within the next two days before deciding on any action.

    The northern border was bitterly cold. Although the He Estate was already considered one of the best residences around in Liangzhou City, once she left the warm hearth bed, Chu Lian still felt frozen. Even the two siblings trained in martial arts, Li Xing and Li Yue, were wrapped up like huge balls, let alone Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian rested her leg for another two days before she could finally put some weight on it and walk slowly. In the morning, Chu Lian sent someone to bring Tang Yan here.

    The people of the Great Wu Dynasty put emphasis on etiquette and appearances. Although Tang Yan was from Shandong, where the people weren¡¯t as strict on upkeep, after staying in the capital for so long, he had long be ustomed to the styles of the capital.

    This morning, upon waking up and finding that he had grown ayer of stubble, he had gotten his manservant to bring him a razer and conscientiously shaved it all away. The guards serving him had also taken this chance to shave their facial hair as well.

    Once he stepped out of his house, he felt both refreshed and clean, so he was in a very good mood.

    On this trip to the north, due to the urgency of the matter, Chu Lian had only brought her two martial arts trained maidservants, Wenqing and Wen, with her. Even if they counted the female guard Li Yue in their number, there were just four women in the whole party, including Chu Lian. The remaining servants, regardless of whether they did the sweeping, washing or cooking, were all men.

    There were only two door guards in the He Estate, and they were older, wounded soldiers.

    Right now, the entire estate was pretty much all male.

    Chu Lian had gotten up from bed early in the morning. Tang Yan came early as well. When he saw Wenqing bringing breakfast in, he shamelessly asked Wenqing for his own portion. Chu Lian was ady after all, so he still wasn¡¯t thickskinned enough toe over and scrounge a meal from her every day. Thus, Tang Yan had speciallye at this time to get some breakfast.

    How could Chu Lian not see through this foodie¡¯s line of thought?

    She didn¡¯t expose him and simply nodded towards Wenqing.

    The moment she looked up and noticed the good mood that Tang Yan was in, she was a little surprised, but a momentter, a trace of admiration shed through her eyes.

    Tang Yan was just twenty six this year. He couldn¡¯t quite bepared to the top-notch looks of He Sang or Prince Jin, but without them around, his appearance could be considered above average.

    His nose bridge was especially high and his eyshes were thick and dark. He must have specially shaved away his stubble today, so he gave off a clean and gentle feel, making him a little more of a feast for the eyes.

    Who didn¡¯t like beautiful things? Chu Lian looked at Tang Yan with pure, innocent admiration. Her eyes turned to Prince Jin¡¯s guards standing not too far behind Tang Yan as well.

 Chapter 312: Eating Breakfast (2)

    The guards were dressed in red ck robes with grey rat fur cloaks. Each of them was tall and their bodies seemed to brim with strength thanks to their years of martial arts training. Adding on their clean faces, just like Tang Yan¡¯s, the group of men made for a nice spectacle.

    Wasn¡¯t there a saying that went something like, women put on makeup to show respect to others? These men before her had taken the time to clean up and dress well, and that was a simr form of respect. Chu Lian suddenly felt that the customs of the Great Wu Dynasty weren¡¯t too bad.

    She praised them unreservedly, ¡°Sir Tang is quite the spectacle today.¡±

    Who didn¡¯t like praise? Even Tang Yan wasn¡¯t exempt from this. On the way here, Tang Yan had already be familiar with Chu Lian. He understood that there was no other meaning to her words and that she was purely praising him for his looks.

    He was already in a good mood. The full wash up he had done this morning was the first time he had taken a bath this whole trip. Washing off all the dirt and detritus of a long journey could always make anyone feel refreshed. Getting this unexpected praise lifted up his mood by a bit more.

    Tang Yan was about to speak up when a cold snort sounded from the entrance. Following that, a low, maic and cool voice resounded in the room, practically forming icicles, ¡°What a way with words you have, Lian¡¯er.¡±

    Once the voice finished speaking, Chu Lian stared at the entrance in astonishment. He Changdi was standing there stiffly behind the felt curtain covering the entrance. Behind him was the anxious yet helpless Wen.

    More than half of his face was covered by his thick facial hair, so she couldn¡¯t tell what his expression was like. However, massive waves seemed to be rippling in those narrow eyes of his. Chu Lian felt as if she might be ovee by one of this waves in the blink of an eye.

    Chu Lian frowned as she stared at him. His appearance at this time waspletely out of her expectations.

    There were a few snowkes on He Sang¡¯s shoulders and his tied up hair was a little messy. His tough armour was looking a little worn out and dirty as well. His thick army boots were covered in mud and snow. He Changdi¡¯s wretched appearance was a huge contrast when set against the clean and neat appearance of Tang Yan and his group.

    Just now, if Wen hadn¡¯t noticed the huge beard that had be his trademark, she might not have realised that this was her very own master.

    Chu Lian stood up and walked slowly in He Sang¡¯s direction. ¡°Why have youe at this time?¡±

    It was just a normal question, but it sounded like disdain for his presence to He Sang¡¯s ears. His expression turned even darker.

    The corner of his lips tugged downwards, ¡°What? Lian¡¯er doesn¡¯t wee Husband back?¡±

    Chu Lian tilted her head to one side and looked carefully at He Changdi. She could detect that trace of unhappiness in He Sang¡¯s words. Was this guy going on a bend again? If she remembered correctly, they hadn¡¯t even met these few days. She couldn¡¯t possibly have made him mad again, right?

    Hadn¡¯t they been just fine thest time when he had left?

    However, Chu Lian was alreadypletely used to He Sang¡¯s bipr attitude. This time, her emotions remained unchanged. When she heard his words, she only smiled and didn¡¯t reply.

    Tang Yan stood up at this time and greeted He Changdi.

    Even though there was practically no rtion between He Sang and Tang Yan and they were acquaintances at most, when He Changdi looked at the bare-faced and neatly dressed Tang Yan at this moment, a strange feeling of dissatisfaction rose in his heart.

    Tang Yan hadn¡¯t interacted much with He Changdi and they had only met at Prince Jin¡¯s estate once or twice.

    He generously exined the reason he hade to find Chu Lian today to He Sang.

    He Changdi took in a quick breath to calm his emotions and nodded in acknowledgement. He sat down assuredly at the table. At the moment he sat down, he gritted his teeth forcefully to bear with the pain on his buttocks.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t mind at all. Since thest time when she had inadvertently overheard Mo Chenggui¡¯s words, she had been absent minded these few days. Now that she was finally meeting him again, the attention that she had originally ced on Tang Yan and Prince Jin¡¯s guards waspletely drawn to him. She wanted to ask He Sang whether he had been punished or not, but with Tang Yan still around, it wasn¡¯t the right time for her to ask. She could only sit at the table together with He Changdi.

    At this time, Wenqing came in with breakfast. To her surprise, Third Young Master hade.

    After she bobbed in greeting, she ced the food on the table. Today¡¯s breakfast was fried spring rolls and shredded chicken and mushroom porridge.

    When Tang Yan saw the food, his eyes lit up. He picked up a pair of chopsticks. ¡°Honoured Lady, Third Young Master He, I won¡¯t stand on ceremony with you then. I¡¯ll start first!¡±

    Once he was done speaking, he immediately started wolfing down food.

    Chu Lian picked up her own spoon and lowered her head to have a sip of porridge. She was about to ask whether He Changdi had had breakfast yet, but in the next second, the spoon in her hands was stolen by him.

    Chu Lian could only watch as that fellow used her own spoon, right before her very eyes, and dug a up a spoonful of porridge from her bowl and stuffed it into his mouth.

    Chu Lian was absolutely stunned. That... that He Sang! That was her breakfast! Wasn¡¯t he being overly familiar with her?

    She red at him with wide eyes,pletely forgetting to speak. Her eyes were filled with the scene of He Changdi gulping down her breakfast voraciously. His movements were even faster than Tang Yan¡¯s. When she looked at how the two men eating, she was seriously questioning whether they were really nobles from the capital.

    It was Wenqing who reacted first. ¡°Third Young Madam, please wait. This servant will get another bowl for you.¡±

    Chu Lian pursed her lips and could only nod.

    By the time Chu Lian¡¯s new bowl of porridge was served up, the spring rolls on the table had disappeared into thin air...

    He Sang kept count inwardly. He had eaten one more spring roll than Tang Yan. With that result, his mood became much better. He set down his chopsticks and looked at Tang Yan.

    Tang Yan had already sensed He Changdi¡¯s disdain towards him by now. Since he had already eaten the gourmet food he hade for, there was no other reason for him to stay. Thus, he bid them goodbye. ¡°Third Young Master He, Honoured Lady, why don¡¯t you discuss it between yourselves first? Once you¡¯ve decided, just send someone to inform this subordinate.¡±

 Chapter 313: Too Few Servants (1)

    Chu Lian usually didn¡¯t eat much, so she quickly set down her bowl and chopsticks. However, He Changdi ate three whole bowls of porridge.

    After Tang Yan left, Wenqing ushered out all the other people from the room and even kindly shut the door on her way out, giving the couple some room.

    When Chu Lian saw that He Changdi had finally set down his chopsticks, she awkwardly tried to make conversation.

    ¡°How¡¯s your wounds?¡± As she said so, Chu Lian¡¯s gaze darted towards He Changdi¡¯s lower half.

    He Sang¡¯s body froze and immediately realised what Chu Lian was asking. The back of his ears flushed red out of sight underneath his hair, even as his visible expression remained as cold and stiff as ever. When he parted his lips, it took him a moment before he was finally able to spit out, ¡°What do you mean by that? I wasn¡¯t wounded at all. The poison fromst time has already been flushed out as well. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±

    After spending a few days together, Chu Lian had already figured out a little of He Changdi¡¯s personality. When she heard his reply, the corners of her mouth twitched. This lunatic He Sang really preferred suffering to losing face. She had already gotten confirmation from Mo Chenggui that He Sang would definitely get smacks of the rod as punishment; there was no need for him to hide it from her.

    However, Chu Lian didn¡¯t expose He Sang¡¯s lies. She simply turned around and retrieved a thin white porcin bottle, cing it in front of He Changdi. ¡°This is some wound salve that I brought from the capital. Grandmother has used it before and says it¡¯s even better than the medicines from the pce.¡±

    He Changdi could feel the burning in his ears spread down to his neck. He couldn¡¯t meet Chu Lian¡¯s eyes as he said, somewhat stiff, ¡°My body¡¯s just fine, what are giving me medicine for? Are you trying to curse me into getting injured?¡±

    Chu Lian was amazed yet again by He Changdi¡¯s special brand of lunacy. She was clearly being nice and giving He Changdi some of the medicine that Great Doctor Miao had specially prepared for her. It was fine if he didn¡¯t want it, but he even used her of cursing him!

    Chu Lian¡¯s expression turned dark. ¡°If you don¡¯t want it, then at least bring it back to camp and give it to one of your brothers there. There¡¯ll surely be need of this kind of ointment in an army camp.¡±

    After hearing Chu Lian say so, He Changdi had nothing to retort. He took the bottle of ointment and stuffed it into his shirt. Although his expression remained as cool and calm as ever, a small trace of sweetness suffused throughout his heart.

    How could Chu Lian have expected He Sang to be such an awkward, outwardly cold yet inwardly passionate man? The guilt she had been carrying all this time finally dissipated after giving him the ointment.

    She turned their conversation back to business. ¡°He Sang, my trip here was a little hurried, so I didn¡¯t have the chance to exin everything to you beforehand. I personally made the trip to the northern border not just because our family is worried about you, but because there¡¯s another important task at hand: to search for the missing ingredient to cure Mother¡¯s illness.¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s heart had been thumping a little harder before, thanks to Chu Lian¡¯s actions. Now that he had heard the truth of the matter straight from Chu Lian¡¯s mouth, his heart abruptly froze. As good as he was at concealing his emotions, this was a matter concerning his beloved parents. He couldn¡¯t restrain the astonishment and shock he felt. Chu Lian just happened to catch sight of his exposed emotions and inwardly rxed. So the He Changdi who had always appeared cool and uncaring wasn¡¯t actually a heartless person. He also had people he cared about. With those emotions in his eyes, he finally seemed like a living person.

    He Sang met Chu Lian¡¯s gaze straight on- he looked like he was trying to stare into her soul. He didn¡¯t dare miss a single trace of emotion in her own pair of eyes, as if he could discern whether Chu Lian was telling the truth just by what he saw.

    Although He Changdi had only allowed his emotions to surface for a very short period of time, that was enough to show how uneasy he was. However, he calmed down quickly.

    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that... you¡¯ve found a doctor who can cure Mother¡¯s illness?¡±

    As far as he knew, there was only one doctor who could cure his mother¡¯s illness: Great Doctor Miao. Had Prince Jin already found Great Doctor Miao?

    He had only told Prince Jin about this matter, no one else. Furthermore, due to the ongoing war in the north, he hadn¡¯t received any letters from Prince Jin for some time... The depths of He Sang¡¯s eyes seemed steeped in darkness as he nced at Chu Lian in doubt.

 Chapter 314: Too Few Servants (2)

    Chu Lian felt rather strange being stared at him like that, but she still answered as if nothing was wrong. ¡°Yes, that doctor¡¯s surname is Miao. What he needs is the Snow Mountain Mists flower from Mount Ah-Ming. There¡¯s only two months left before the Snow Mountain Mists flower blooms.¡±

    He Changdi didn¡¯t ask further. He sunk into thought instead.

    On their wedding night, he had made sure to test Chu Lian to see if she had reincarnated along with him. Though his tests had proven that she hadn¡¯t, now he was a little unsure.

    Prince Jin had written to him about all the things that Chu Lian had done in the capital.

    Turning the tables at the Dingyuan Estate, saving Royal Princess Duanjia, winning thepetition in the pce, and even having Old Duke Zheng owe her one. Right now, it seemed very possible that she had been the one to find Great Doctor Miao, not Prince Jin...

    All these things added together were just too much of a coincidence. He refused to believe that someone could have such luck.

    He Changdi¡¯s eyes swept over Chu Lian¡¯s face in a seemingly casual nce, but behind the front, he was trying to probe the truth out of her.

    Her eyes were wide and moist. When her eyes met his, there was a trace of confusion. He Changdi choked as the thoughts in his mind raced about.

    He remembered vividly how the past Chu Lian had looked at him- mocking, full of disdain, contempt... These were clearly the same pair of eyes, but he couldn¡¯t see any shadow of the past Chu Lian in them.

    He Sang waspletely confused and disconcerted. He shut his eyes and recovered his calm. No matter what, in this life, Chu Lian had risked her life toe to the northern border. Her mission to find the missing ingredient for his mother¡¯s cure was real. This matter... if she really seeded, he was going to owe Chu Lian a huge favour.

    ¡°Right now, the war at the border is more pressing. However, you don¡¯t have to worry about it. I¡¯ll wait for a suitable time. Even if I don¡¯t go there myself, I¡¯ll arrange for someone to find that missing ingredient for Mother at Mount Ah-Ming.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded in agreement before starting a discussion about when she should visit his camp to hand over the supplies she had brought.

    Once the two of them had decided on a time, they both sunk into silence.

    Chu Lian felt a little awkward sitting at the table like that, but He Changdi¡¯s butt seemed to have taken root on the chair. He didn¡¯t mention leaving at all. He even leaned against his chair with his eyes gently shut. However, they opened up to nce at her from time to time.

    Chu Lian was so ufortable getting looked at like that, that she scrambled for a topic to make small talk with. ¡°Is it okay for you to leave camp like that?¡±

    The meaning behind her words was that, they had already finished discussing business, why wasn¡¯t he leaving yet?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I left under orders for another task. It¡¯s still early right now, so I¡¯ll leave after lunch.¡±

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t thought He Sang would be staying that long. And he was intending to eat here as well? She was slightly taken aback and blurted , ¡°You¡¯re staying for lunch?¡±

    He Changdi had originally been leaning back in his chair, eyes shut as he rested. Upon hearing Chu Lian¡¯s question, his eyes immediately snapped open and locked onto her. ¡°What? Can¡¯t I stay?¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t dare to say no, of course. He was her husband after all, and if not in feeling then at least in name. She had no right to object even if he wanted to stay the night with her, let alone have a simple midday meal.

    With that conclusion in mind, Chu Lian had no more qualms left to mention. She shook her head and said, ¡°Since you¡¯re staying, what would you like to eat for lunch? I¡¯ll get Wenqing to prepare whatever you want to eat.¡±

    Actually, ever since they had escaped from the mountain forest together, the rtions between them had improved significantly. Chu Lian wasn¡¯t a calctive person by nature, either. With her straightforward and honest manner, this young pair was starting to look like a sweet couple in love.

    He Changdi hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to ask him what he wanted to eat. A trace of warmth suffused through his heart. However, he was too ustomed to being stubborn at this point and refused to soften his words. In the same cold attitude as he usually had, he said, ¡°Vegetables.¡±

    Almost immediately after saying that, He Sang regretted it. Actually, he was fine with eating anything. There was a severeck of resources in the north. The best meal he could get in his camp was just some wheat pancakes dipped in an ordinary sauce- where would vegetablese from? There wasn¡¯t even any out in the wild to scavenge, never mind a market to buy them from. This bitterly cold winter ensured no one saw even a lick of green. Vegetables had been off the table ever since the middle of autumn.

 Chapter 315: Too Few Servants (3)

    Even in the capital, the only one who got to eat green vegetables in the middle of winter was the imperial family. Those were specially grown in the fields near the imperial-owned hot springs. Even so, the fields were so small that the harvest produced from them was overwhelmingly precious. Only the Emperor, Empress, and Empress Dowager could have any. There were no shares left, not even for the princes and princesses.

    Some time ago, one of the noble madams of the capital, Madam Guo, had been feeling unwell, so the imperial pce had sent a few kilograms of green vegetables as a show of favour. Even though those bunches of spinach had already been beginning to wilt, Madam Guo had unted the fact within her social circles for quite some time.

    He Sang was about to change his request when Chu Lian nodded and replied with a resounding, ¡°Okay.¡±

    This time, it was He Changdi¡¯s turn to lose his calm. ¡°Did you hear what I said correctly?¡±

    Chu Lian found it strange. Her ears were working just fine and were actually pretty sensitive. Of course she heard him right. She and He Sang always spoke in Mandarin to each other, and they weren¡¯t using any dialects, either. How could she have misunderstood him? Furthermore, she didn¡¯t think that wanting to eat vegetables in the winter was an outrageous request. In the modern world, eating fresh, green vegetables at this time of year was pretty normal, wasn¡¯t it?

    ¡°You said vegetables just now, right? Did I hear wrongly?¡±

    He Changdi was stunned. After a moment, he gulped and said, ¡°You... have some?¡±

    Chu Lian nodded and made a ¡®mm¡¯ sound in agreement. She had known about theck of resources in the north beforeing here, so she had gotten Senior Servants Gui and Zhong to lead a group of maidservants to dry plenty of vegetables. She had brought all sorts of them with her. Dried vegetables were not only easy to keep, they didn¡¯t take up much space, either. They were also extremely convenient to prepare. All she had to do was to ce them in warm water and wait for them to soften. Although they couldn¡¯tpare to fresh vegetables in taste, the amount of nutrients in them was about the same.

    Since they were already in the north, she couldn¡¯t be too picky about not having fresh ingredients.

    When He Sang heard Chu Lian¡¯s affirmative ¡®mm¡¯, saliva began to pool in his mouth without his control. It couldn¡¯t be helped. He hadn¡¯t eaten any vegetables in months. Due to theck of vitamins in his diet, he had even grown a few ulcers in his mouth.

    Since the two of them hadmon topics to talk about, the atmosphere wasn¡¯t as awkward.

    Chu Lian noted his wretched appearance and made a suggestion. ¡°Since you¡¯re only leaving after lunch, why don¡¯t I get Wen to boil some water so you can take a bath?¡±

    Since the day she had inadvertently overheard Mo Chenggui¡¯s words, she had specially gone to look for Huang Zhijian to learn more about what it was like in the army.

    She was told that it wasmon for the soldiers to go without bathing for up to a month in the winter, even the officers. When she looked at He Changdi¡¯s appearance, she had brought up this suggestion with purely kind intentions.

    However, in He Sang¡¯s ears, it sounded like something else. The words of praise that Chu Lian had given Tang Yan resounded in his mind.

    What, did this wicked woman think he was dirty? He Sang gritted his mrs and harrumphed in his heart. As dirty as he might be, he was still her husband! She had no other choice!

    If Chu Lian were to find out about his twisted line of thought, she would surely start to curse at him.

    She was just offering him a bath out of the kindness of her heart. Wasn¡¯t he too good at leaping to conclusions?

    When He Sang thought back to those young, fit guards by Tang Yan¡¯s side, the right hand he had ced on the table unconsciously curled into a fist. That Tang Yan! He had abandoned his duties to bring a group of flowery-looking guards over to show off in front of Chu Lian! Hmph, let¡¯s see who gets thestugh when I report this to Prince Jin!

    Chu Lian called for Wen and instructed her to start boiling some water. He Sang didn¡¯t say a word, but he abruptly remembered that Chu Lian had only brought two female maidservants to attend to her on this trip. The rest of the people in this courtyard were all men. Thinking back to how that wicked woman liked to admire handsome men, as well as how Tang Yan and his guards had been decked out in their finest, He Changdi immediately felt as if he had swallowed some flies.

    Wen was about to turn and leave after receiving Chu Lian¡¯s instructions, when He Changdi added on another order in a dark tone. ¡°Bring some middle-aged female servants back tomorrow. It looks like there aren¡¯t enough servants here.¡±

 Chapter 316: Shaving His Beard (1)

    Chu Lian felt that He Changdi¡¯s mind was just tooplicated for her to understand. She had just been asking if he wanted to take a bath, how had the topic switched to buying servants?

    She rolled her eyes speechlessly. However, Manager Qin had discussed this matter with her two days ago, too. When she recalled their conversation, Chu Lian nodded. She was going to stay in Liangzhou for an indefinite amount of time. Just having Wenqing and Wen by her side wasn¡¯t enough.

    Thus, Chu Lian didn¡¯t think much of it and agreed.

    ¡°Have Manager Qin go out with some men to search for some suitable people tomorrow,¡± Chu Lian added.

    Perhaps Chu Lian¡¯s quick agreement had helped lessen the frustrations in He Changdi¡¯s heart. He sat in the room for a while before leaving to take a bath in the wing that Chu Lian had arranged for him.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t need any attendants for bathing. In his past life, after the He Family had fallen into ruin, he had suffered through all sorts of hardships. Even in this life, while living in the northern border camp, he had gotten used to doing everything himself.

    He removed his dirty clothing, revealing his slender yet muscr upper body. His eight-pack abs were well-defined; a striking V-line at his hips pointed downwards to a bulge in the center. Further down were his long and powerful legs...

    His long legs carried him into the bathtub in just one stride. The temperature of the water was just right. As his tired body soaked in the warmth of the water, He Sang let out afortable sigh.

    He leaned against the side of the tub, his sturdy arms hanging over the edge. Steam rose in front of his face, softening the normally sharp impact of his gaze.

    He Sang¡¯s thin lips pressed together as his mind brought up the image of Tang Yan and his guards again. For some reason, he was getting upset.

    At the time, the smile on that wicked woman¡¯s face had been just too dazzling!

    The hands that He Changdi had slung over the edge of the bathtub were starting to tense up again.

    He suddenly shouted, ¡°Servants! Bring me a razor!¡±

    This was the wing that Chu Lian lived in, and Chu Lian was in the room right next door. Even she heard He Changdi¡¯s shout.

    She looked up from her book, a little puzzled, before turning to nce at Wen, who had just stood up.

    Wen covered up her smile. ¡°Third Young Madam, this servant will bring the razor to Third Young Master!¡±

    Hearing so, Chu Lian waved her hand.

    Wenqing had been in the middle of taking inventory of their things, together with a few other servants. When she noticed a grinning Wen walking over to her, she found it strange and asked, ¡°What are you smiling like that for? Did something good happen?¡±

    Wen waved the razor in her hands, eyes alight as she said, ¡°Third Young Master wanted this!¡±

    Wenqing was stunned for a moment, but she immediately realised what the razor was for. She couldn¡¯t resist remarking, ¡°I saw that Sir Tang and Prince Jin¡¯s guards all shaved this morning.¡±

    The sisters shared a secret smile before Wenqing pushed Wen. ¡°Alright, alright, don¡¯t keep Third Young Master waiting. Hurry up and send it to him!¡±

    Wen quickly left.

    As Chu Lian was staring at the county¡¯s annual records and pondering over a particrly tricky part, a razor suddenly appeared in front of her.

    Without thinking too much about it, she said, ¡°Wen, just send it directly to my husband.¡±

    However, how could Wen possibly dare to do so? She stayed steadfast at Chu Lian¡¯s side and said, ¡°Third Young Madam, it might be better if you send it instead. Third Young Master has never liked having maidservants serve him ever since childhood.¡±

    Chu Lian had no choice but to set down the county records in her hands. She thought back to her time in the Jing¡¯an Estate. Actually, she really hadn¡¯t seen a personal maidservant at Songtao Court before, excluding her own. He Sang¡¯s personal grooming and other trivial chores had always been handled by manservants instead.

    Thus, she could only take the razor and head to He Sang¡¯s room herself.

    The side room wasn¡¯t very big. At this moment, steam was billowing up from behind the screen. Chu Lian hesitated as she walked up to it. She could feel a mysterious trace of tension in her heart. She gave her cheeks a light pat before walking in.

    When she ducked behind the screen, the first thing that Chu Lian saw in the swirling clouds of steam was He Sang standing in the bathtub with his back to her, rinsing his body with the warm water in the tub.

    His long, ck hair was let loose across his back and half of it was drifting in the water like strands of seaweed. His back was muscled, yet his skin was white. The alluring line of his body that led up from the lowest part of his back to his waist was half-hidden amidst the length of his hair.

    She almost stopped breathing from the sight; disregarding everything else about him, He Changdi¡¯s figure was perfect.

    He wasn¡¯t so skinny that he looked weak, yet he wasn¡¯t overly buff. You could sense a certain aura of solid strength emanating from his body.

    His nickname of He Sang the Fair wasn¡¯t undeserved.

 Chapter 317: Shaving His Beard (2)

    Chu Lian was so stunned by the scene before her that she forgot to speak. In the next second, He Changdi¡¯s bone-piercingly cold voice resounded throughout the small room. ¡°Put down the item and leave!¡±

    He Changdi hadn¡¯t even turned around. He was still standing there in the bathtub. Even though there hadn¡¯t been any malice in his voice, Chu Lian still felt like someone had just dumped a basin of ice water over her head. She quickly regained her wits.

    Frustrated at herself for her loss ofposure just now, Chu Lian quickly set down the razor on a table next to the screen and turned around. She hobbled as quickly as she could with one injured foot and left the room.

    Perhaps due to the provocation from He Changdi¡¯s icy words, she didn¡¯t feel any of the paining from her injured ankle as she strode away.

    It wasn¡¯t until He Sang had heard those unique hobbling footsteps that he finally realised who had juste in.

    He froze up, then pped the bath water in frustration, scattering water all over the floor.

    He Sang let his body slide back into the bathtub and leaned against the side as he covered his face with a hand.

    He had just been in the middle of deep thought. When he had heard those light footsteps, he had assumed that it must have been some rude servant who hade in without saying anything. His temper had red up on the spot. Who could have thought that it was Chu Lian, thatme wicked woman!

    When had that wicked woman be so reserved? Would she die if she didn¡¯t say something when entering the room?

    Wen heard the sound of footsteps and quickly went to the door to support Chu Lian, but when she arrived, she was met with a pair of puffed up cheeks and an angry expression. Wen got a sinking feeling at the sight. Still, she asked, ¡°Third Young Madam, what happened?¡±

    Chu Lian dropped back onto her seat by the hearth and harrumphed. ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling rather hungry these few days. There aren¡¯t enough snacks to eat, even for just myself. Don¡¯t give any of them to your Third Young Masterter!¡±

    The sheer amount of spite in Chu Lian¡¯s order was enough evidence for Wen to have a good guess of what had happened. It must¡¯ve had something to do with Third Young Master. Wen felt a little grudgeful towards He Changdi in her heart.

    Third Young Madam was a girl. She had been captured by the Tuhuns and suffered much while lost in the forest. The wound on her leg hadn¡¯t even healed properly yet. In this situation, Third Young Master as her husband should be trying to pamper her a little, or at least amodate for her injury and mental state and be a little nicer! Instead, he had gone and made her angry!

    Even though Wen was taking Chu Lian¡¯s side on this matter, she and Wenqing had served He Sang ever since they were children. She still wasn¡¯t willing to let her master suffer back at camp.

    Thus, she attempted to persuade Chu Lian into rescinding hermand. ¡°Third Young Madam, how could you possibly finish all of those snacks by yourself...¡±

    Before Wen could finish, she noticed that Chu Lian had redirected her gaze towards her and was now sizing her up.

    Wen suffered a fright and quickly looked down, not daring to continue.

    ¡°Wen, if you continue your sentence, you can eat in the main kitchen from now on.¡±

    The corner of Wen¡¯s mouth twitched. She was already used to Chu Lian¡¯s higher standards for food, how could she possibly withstand eating normal fare instead? She meekly replied in agreement.

    Third Young Master, this servant has tried her best. The rest is up to you!

    Aspared to fulfilling He Changdi¡¯s wants, it was more important to satisfy her own appetite first. Having a good meal to eat was of the highest priority. Wen sent a silent apology to He Changdi.

    After Chu Lian took a seat, she realised that the wounds on her ankle had started bleeding again due to the force she had exerted while walking away just now. When Wen discovered this, she suffered another fright and quickly ran off to find some ointments to wrap up her madam¡¯s ankle again.

 Chapter 318: Shaving His Beard (3)

    He Sang didn¡¯t continue bathing for much longer. He changed into the new underclothes and cloak that Chu Lian had instructed the servants to prepare. As for his armour, he would put that on right before leaving for camp.

    He Changdi haphazardly dried his hair with a cloth before using a wooden hairpin to tie it up. Then, he carefully removed all the facial hair on his face, returning to his neat and clean appearance from before.

    He Sang was just twenty years old this year. After staying in the northern border for a few months, he had managed to grow even taller. His features had also be more mature and outstanding. The narrow shape of his eyes, shaded by his long eyshes, entuated the deep pools within.

    He Sang rubbed his clean chin. He felt a little ufortable suddenly, as if he had taken off a mask that he had been wearing for a long time. However, he quickly calmed back down and took a moment at the door to straighten out his slightly rumpled clothes. Only then did he push open the door and re-enter.

    At the moment He Changdi entered the room, Chu Lian was still drinking her medicine. The medicinal soup was very bitter. When it touched her tongue, her face wrinkled up in distaste. He Changdi watched from the entrance as she drank the whole bowl of medicine down with difficulty.

    Although Chu Lian hated drinking these Chinese medicines, she knew they were necessary and never rejected them. However, that didn¡¯t mean she had to like them. She would always eat a few candied dates to wash away their bitter aftertaste.

    A glint shed across He Changdi¡¯s eyes. He watched as Chu Lian finished her medicine and then proceeded to begin eating a few preserved fruits from a small dish- all without noticing him. When He Changdi felt that he would continue to go unseen, he coughed twice on purpose.

    Thanks to those coughs, He Sang sessfully drew Chu Lian¡¯s attention. He Changdi saw those wide, almond-shaped eyes of hers turn his way, and then, she spoke.

    ¡°Has Husband caught a cold? Wen, tell the kitchen to prepare a bowl of ginger soup. The more ginger the better.¡±

    He Changdi saw that her moist eyes seemed cool without any hint of admiration, unlike the way she had looked at Tang Yan. A trace of disappointment shed through his eyes. When he heard her order the servants to boil a bowl of ginger soup for him next, He Changdi choked.

    His originally cold face contorted as the hands resting by his side twitched. He walked over to Chu Lian¡¯s side and sat down heavily.

    Frustration bloomed in He Changdi¡¯s heart. How could she not know that he didn¡¯t like to eat ginger!

    She actually told the servants to cook ginger soup for him! That wicked woman must have done it on purpose.

    Although He Sang was angry inside, he found that he just couldn¡¯t muster up any fire when he sat next to Chu Lian like this.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, I¡¯m perfectly fine!¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t even bother looking at him and even turned away, showing her back to him as she leaned on the hearth.

    He Changdi¡¯s handsome face turned gloomy. The hand he had ced on the table curled up into a fist. He had just bathed and his mouth was dry; in his frustration, he didn¡¯t think carefully and picked up a teacup filled with water from the small table at the side. He immediately gulped it down, and in the next moment, his mouth was flooded with a sweet, fragrant vour.

    It was only then that He Sang realised this was most likely Chu Lian¡¯s teacup. That darned wicked woman. She normally loved drinking honey water.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t like sweet things. He didn¡¯t eat anything that had the slightest bit of sweetness in them. However, at this moment, he actually thought that this sweet honey water was rather delicious. His eyes fell upon Chu Lian¡¯s soft, luscious lips without his conscious bidding...

 Chapter 319: Shaving His Beard (4)

    Chu Lian liked to drink something while reading. Wenqing and Wen knew her habits well, so they never served her sencha. They only ever prepared honey water for her.

    The hearth was burning in the room so it was a little dry and hot. As Chu Lian stared at the county records, her other hand unconsciously moved for the teacup ced on the side table. However, her hand didn¡¯t meet the smooth surface of the cup. Instead, she touched something warm- she jumped in fright and turned to look.

    He Sang had just set down the teacup, feeling a little unsatisfied. He hadn¡¯t moved his hand from the teacup yet when Chu Lian¡¯s fair and tender hand had covered his. His pupils constricted, but he didn¡¯t draw his hand back and he let her touch it as much as she liked.

    When Chu Lian realised that her hand was on He Sang¡¯s, she gaped in shock and it took her a moment to pull her hand back.

    Chu Lian panicked. She rushed to exin, ¡°I-I didn¡¯t do that on purpose, I just wanted to drink some water.¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s head was slightly lowered. From the corner of his eyes, he caught sight of her flushed neck, and his mood mysteriously got a little better.

    ¡°I just finished it. Have the maidservantse in to pour another.¡±

    Chu Lian opened her mouth, but she ultimately decided against uttering the protest, ¡°It¡¯s my cup!¡± This time, she specially instructed Wen to bring two cups of water in.

    In the time that the couple waited patiently for Wen to send in the cups of water, they didn¡¯t speak at all. He Changdi sat on the other side of the hearth bed. He leaned against the headboard and shut his eyes. Chu Lian couldn¡¯t tell if he was sleeping or thinking.

    She felt awkward, but she could only bear with it and continue reading while curled up at the other side of the hearth.

    Chu Lian looked down and forced herself to continue reading the county records. She didn¡¯t dare to even look at He Changdi before Wn came back. Thus, she didn¡¯t realise that He Sang had been carefully observing her with narrowed eyes.

    Ever since the two of them had gotten married, they had rarely gotten the chance to be alone together. Wenqing and Wen were very happy about this. When Wen came in to deliver their drinks, she didn¡¯t even dare to stay for more than a second. She set down the teapot and quickly retreated.

    Senior Servant Zhong had instructed Wenqing and Wen about He Changdi¡¯s likes and dislikes, so they knew that he didn¡¯t like sweet things. The honey water that they had made for him was very light. Meanwhile, Chu Lian preferred stronger tastes and liked both spicy and sweet things. The colour of the honey water in the cups was different. Chu Lian¡¯s was slightly darker while He Changdi¡¯s was light.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t move. He watched as Chu Lian picked up her teacup and sipped a little from its edge. Her soft, pink lips were now glossy from the water and glistened in the light.

    He abruptly sat up and looked at the two cups of honey water. He feigned a solemn mask and asked, ¡°Why does the water in these two cups look different? Could they taste different as well? The honey water in your cup looks tastier.¡±

    After saying so, before Chu Lian could reply, he took the cup that Chu Lian had just drank from and took a sip from it. When he finished drinking, he picked up his own cup and tasted it before shaking his head.

    In the end, he moved Chu Lian¡¯s cup to his side. ¡°I¡¯ll have this one.¡±

    Chu Lian was stunned from his sudden string of actions. Her almond-shaped eyes were wide open as she stared at her lunatic husband with a weirded out expression.

    He Changdi felt a little ufortable being stared at like that by Chu Lian. He knew very well that his actions had been a little strange just now. In order to cover up his actions, he ended up drinking both cups of honey water...

    The result of doing so? He Changdi was already full from honey water before it was even time for dinner.

    He Changdi only left when it turned to dusk, bringing his two subordinates along with him. Before he left, he called Mo Chenggui, Huang Zhijian, and Manager Qin for a meeting. When Manager Qin came back, he had a suffering expression on his face. Chu Lian tried to ask about what had happened, but he only said that Third Young Master had given him some orders and he couldn¡¯t reveal what they were to Third Young Madam.

 Chapter 320: Barred from Entering Camp (1)

    Chu Lian thought that He Changdi must have given them some sort of secret mission, so she stopped prying into the matter. When Manager Qin exited the parlour, he let out a terrible sigh.

    Manager Qin wondered what kind of fit Third Young Master was having. He had ordered them to tell all the men in the estate that they weren¡¯t allowed to shave their facial hair, at all, as long as they remained in Liangzhou. Anyone who disobeyed the orders would be thrown out of the party.

    Manager Qin was only in his twenties this year. Now that he was working under Chu Lian, he was a main steward that plenty of people would respect. Just as he was thinking about settling down, the young master had given out this mysterious order. What was he going to do? With a face full of stubble, were anydies going to take a liking to him?

    They were the innocent casualties of a series of unfortunate events.

    By the time He Changdi managed to rush back to the northern border camp, there was just a sliver of the setting sun left on the horizon. The army cooks would have just started preparing dinner. The camp was at its busiest at this time, as it was around now that the soldiers also changed shifts.

    He Changdi pulled at his reins and urged his horse to slow down as they neared the wooden barricade surrounding the camp

    The soldiers who had just taken their shifts stood by the entrance. Even though the cold winds had caused the tips of their noses to turn red, the grips they had on their spears hadn¡¯t loosened one bit.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t find anything wrong with this. He didn¡¯t bother to get off his horse and simply made his way forward as he normally would. However, before he could enter camp, two spears appeared in front of him and blocked his path.

    One of the soldiers lifted his chin and tried to make himself look imposing. He raised his voice and shouted, ¡°Who are you and where did youe from? This is an army camp! Any trespassers will be killed!¡±

    He Sang¡¯s freshly shaven face turned grave, making him look even more cold and stiff. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t manage to scare the soldier blocking his way.

    The soldier¡¯s eyes turned into narrow slits. This person seemed a little familiar to him. However, beautiful people were difficult to forget, and he couldn¡¯t remember seeing a guy with this level of outstanding looks anywhere in camp. It was suspicious. Not only that, but the Captain had reminded everyone to be on the alert. There had been an increase in Tuhun spiestely; whatif this person was one of them?

    He Changdi¡¯s sharp eyebrows furrowed together. He reported his identity, ¡°The Right Wing Army¡¯s Infantry Captain He Changdi!¡±

    The two soldiers exchanged nces, their eyes full of suspicion. One of the soldiers harrumphed. ¡°Captain He doesn¡¯t look like you at all! Stop talking nonsense and hand over your pass!¡±

    He Changdi¡¯ expression turned even darker. He had gone out on an investigation under the secret orders of Great General Qian, so he hadn¡¯t brought out his pass. How could he bring it out at this time?

    The two subordinates behind him were starting to get anxious. They tried to help exin, ¡°Brothers, this is really Captain He. We¡¯re not trying to deceive you. If you don¡¯t believe us, you can ask for Captain Guo to identify him.¡±

    The soldiers were still wary about their identities. One of the soldiers mumbled under his breath, ¡°Do they think we¡¯re blind? Isn¡¯t Captain He¡¯s face covered in a beard? This pretty boy doesn¡¯t look the slightest bit like our heroic Captain He!¡±

    Even though they didn¡¯t believe the intruders, one of the soldiers still ran off to find someone who could verify their identities.

    Although the soldier had only been mumbling, He Sang had still heard what he had said. A twitch developed in his eyes and he started to regret shaving away his beard.

    Sima Hui stepped out from themander¡¯s tent, two of her female lieutenants by her side. She was being escorted out by the tall and burly Gao Zhangwei.

    ¡°General Sima is a hero amongst women. With your help, I¡¯m sure the Tuhun soldiers will no longer be a threat to our border troops.¡± Although Gao Zhangwei was tall, his eyes were narrow and long. His forehead stood out more than average. As he talked, his eyes kept drifting all over the ce,nding from time to time on Sima Hui¡¯s chest and neck.

    Sima Hui was currently dressed in full battle attire. Although her skin wasn¡¯t as fair as most nobledies, she was tall, with long legs and a full bust. Her long hair was tied up into a ponytail with a single red feather, and it dangled behind her back. She carried a heroic spirit in the arch of her brows. Her actions and words weren¡¯t coy or reserved and were instead direct and open. She was a very special woman.

    Of course, Sima Hui had already noticed Gao Zhangwei¡¯s leers. Although she felt contempt towards him, she didn¡¯t disy it outwardly.

    She made a cupped fist salute towards Captain Gao. ¡°Captain Gao, thank you for escorting me this far. My camp isn¡¯t too far from here. I¡¯ll have to depend on your guidance in the future as well.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. General Sima is a great heroine to us border troops. When the Tuhuns attacked us a few days ago, if not for General Sima¡¯s timely arrival, our Left Wing Army would have suffered serious casualties. To demonstrate my appreciation, it would be better for me to escort General Sima all the way.¡±

    Sima Hui frowned slightly. This time, she didn¡¯t refuse his offer and nodded, turning to leave swiftly.

    Gao Zhangwei shot a look at his two subordinates and followed behind Sima Hui.

    He nced sideways at these two subordinates, whose looks could be ranked lower than average, and felt a thread of satisfaction within. Although he didn¡¯t look as heroic as Captain Guo nor as schrly and refined as Zhang Mai, he thought that his looks weren¡¯t too badpared to most of the soldiers in camp- especially when he was dressed in a set of shining armour like he was now, with his hair neatlybed back and his face clean shaven. With his two subordinates acting as his foils, at least he looked better than that beardy He from the Right Wing Army! Sima Hui was just an overaged tomboy; she was already in the bag with looks like his.

    Gao Zhangwei¡¯s confidence exploded through the roof, as if Sima Hui was already his.

 Chapter 321: Barred from Entering Camp (2)

    It was dusk, the camp¡¯s most chaotic time. As soldiers bustled about around them, Gao Zhangwei kept trying to start up a conversation with Sima Hui.

    Sima Hui¡¯s lips were tightly pressed together, though her face remained calm. She would reply to Captain Gao once in a while. Suddenly, there was a hubbub of noise from somewhere in front. A foot soldier ran by, headed in the direction of the Right Wing Army¡¯s tents. However, due to his urgency, he tripped in front of Sima Hui and Sima Hui quickly reached out to steady him.

    When the foot soldier saw that the person who had helped him was the newly arrived female general, he looked overwhelmed by her favour.

    Sima Hui¡¯s brows knitted as she asked, ¡°What happened? Why are you in such a rush?¡±

    When the foot soldier saw that the female general was questioning him, he didn¡¯t dare to hide any details. ¡°General, some men are trying to barge into the camp at the main entrance. This humble one is going to look for Captain Guo.¡±

    Sima Hui was astonished and she urged the soldier onwards. After thinking for a bit, she started striding towards the main entrance of the camp.

    Before Gao Zhangwei had the chance to speak, he saw that Sima Hui had already left. He gritted his teeth and quickly rushed to catch up to her.

    When they reached the entrance, Sima Hui swept a gaze over the scene before her. A tall man in a ck cloak holding a handsome horse in hand was being blocked from entering the camp. He was standing right outside the barricades.

    His back was to the camp entrance. From behind, his upright posture brought to mind a tall and straight bamboo tree.

    One of the soldiers nearby recognised the female general and called out a greeting. Perhaps drawn by the shouts behind him, He Changdi turned around.

    When that handsome face entered Sima Hui¡¯s sight, she forgot to breathe for a moment.

    Her eyes widened and her mind unconsciously sighed. How could there be such a handsome man on earth?

    His facial features seemed to have been carved by angels; there wasn¡¯t a single blemish on his whole face.

    Gao Zhangwei was also stunned by the man¡¯s looks. When he finally recovered his senses, his first reaction was jealousy.

    His fists clenched. Where had this mane from? There was absolutely no one like him in the whole entire camp!

    All those traits that he had thought were the best parts of himself... had been instantly beaten by this man.

    When he noticed that Sima Hui¡¯s gaze carried a trace of infatuation as she stared at that man, Gao Zhangwei was quick to anger. ¡°What are all of you standing around for? Don¡¯t you know that the first militaryw is to kill all who trespass into an army camp?!¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s gazended on Gao Zhangwei and then drifted away just as quickly, as if disgusted by the sight.

    Before He Changdi could speak, his subordinate¡¯s temper had already red up. ¡°Captain Gao, don¡¯t you dare push us too hard! Ourmanding officer is Captain He of the Right Wing Army! Don¡¯t make nderous usations without proof!¡±

    What! Captain He? That beardy He Changdi?

    What a joke! If this man was trying to impersonate He Changdi, he should have covered his whole face with a beard first!

    Gao Zhangwei didn¡¯t believe them at all. He mocked them instead. ¡°What? A pretty boy like this is trying to impersonate Captain He? If he¡¯s Captain He, then I¡¯m the Great General himself!¡±

    ¡°You...¡±

    ¡°Alright, stop fighting. We¡¯ll know whether he¡¯s Captain He or not once the men from the Right Wing Army arrive,¡± Sima Hui suddenly said.

    Her words carried some weight around here, so the men stopped quarrelling. In a moment, the soldier who had run off to the Right Wing Army returned with Captain Guo, Zhang Mai, and Xiao Hongyu in tow.

    Captain Guo stared at He Changdi as if he were a ghost. He quickly walked up to him and patted He Changdi¡¯s shoulder forcefully. Then he asked, ¡°Are you really Zixiang?¡±

    The corners of He Sang¡¯s mouth twitched. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°Brother Guo, you have some obscene drawings hidden under your pillow. There was this night when...¡±

    Captain Guo¡¯s expression turned stiff. He quickly gripped He Sang¡¯s shoulder and squeezed. ¡°You brat! Why do you keep acting beyond your years? See, now that you shaved away that beard of yours, no one recognises you!¡±

    Xiao Hongyu ran closer and stood in front of He Sang, staring right into his eyes. ¡°Wait, what the heck? It¡¯s really Brother He! Why did you shave your beard?!¡±

    Zhang Mai couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter as he watched He Changdi¡¯s expression getting darker and darker.

    ¡°Alright, alright. It was just a misunderstanding. This person really is Captain He. Move along, everybody. It¡¯s almost time for dinner.¡± Zhang Mai showed his pass to the soldiers guarding the entrance.

    The foot soldier held up the pass with reverence and awe as he returned it with both hands. He even rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he apologised to He Changdi.

    He Sang waved his hand. The soldier was just doing his job.

    As the band of brothers were about to leave, Sima Hui suddenly called out to them. ¡°Excuse me, Captain He!¡±

    He Changdi turned slightly and bowed to Sima Hui. He asked in his usual low tone of voice, ¡°Do you have any orders for me, General Sima?¡±

    Sima Hui¡¯s face was flushed, but it wasn¡¯t obvious under the fading light of day. However, her slightly rushed words betrayed how nervous she was.

    ¡°May I ask if Captain He is the son of the border general at Mingzhou, Great General He?¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s brows drew together. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded. Although his identity wasn¡¯t well known here at the northern border, he didn¡¯t intend to hide it. Captain Guo and the rest knew exactly who he was, so there was nothing he couldn¡¯t admit to.

    ¡°I¡¯ve long admired Great General He. May I ask if Uncle and Aunt He are doing well? Is the matriarch still sound of health?¡± Sima Hui turned to He Changdi with eyes full of expectation, face slightly flushed with color.

    He Sang¡¯s expression didn¡¯t budge at all, but his tone turned frosty. ¡°General Sima, I haven¡¯t returned home in a long time, so I¡¯m not too sure about the situation at home. I have some pressing matters at hand, so please excuse me.¡±

    After saying so, He Sang turned and left. Sima Hui watched in a daze as He Sang¡¯s figure slowly disappeared into the falling night, her heart full of unvoiced disappointment.

 Chapter 322: Rumours (1)

    Gao Zhangwei had been standing next to Sima Hui the entire time, his face hidden in the shadows, causing his expression to look a little contorted. His sinister gazended on He Changdi¡¯s back. His heart was full of dissatisfaction. That handsome young man had really turned out to be that beardy Captain He!

    He Changdi followed Captain Guo and the rest back to camp. The moment they reached their tent, Xiao Hongyu could no longer hold back his curiosity. He stood right in front of He Changdi and stared dead on at He Changdi¡¯s face. Then, he chuckled boorishly and said, ¡°Brother He, I finally realised why you like to keep your face covered with that beard.¡±

    Off to the side, Zhang Mai picked up a cup of tea and took a sip with an understanding smile.

    He Changdi cast a cold nce at Xiao Hongyu. He had zero desire to hear whatever Xiao Hongyu had to say next.

    ¡°Ahhhh! Even though our Brother He was so cold to her, thatdy was still throwing herself into his arms! Brother He, how did you grow to look like that? Aunt He really knows how to make ¡¯em! Why couldn¡¯t my old mom do the same?¡±

    Captain Guo snorted inughter. ¡°Brat, looking like that, you should be content that your mom even brought you into this world!¡±

    Xiao Hongyu cried out in anguish and continued staring at He Changdi¡¯s face.

    He Sang shot a sideways look at him. ¡°What are you staring at me for?¡±

    ¡°To see if I can grow a face like that.¡±

    Zhang Mai smiled. ¡°Brat, it¡¯s time to stop daydreaming!¡±

    Xiao Hongyu thumped his chest and stomped his foot. However, after just two seconds, his eyes began to shine like a thief¡¯s again. ¡°Hey! Brother Guo, Brother Zhang, did you see just now? General Sima was looking at Brother He differently. Brother He has got some luck with women!¡±

    Captain Guo harrumphed. He gave a friendly reminder, ¡°Zixiang, I heard that your wife has already settled down in Liangzhou City.¡±

    He Changdi nodded.

    It was only then that Xiao Hongyu realised he had put his foot in his mouth again. He shrunk back and tried to make up for his wrongs with ttery. ¡°Brother He, I saw Sister-in-Law with my own two eyes back then! Sister-in-Law is a hundred times prettier than General Sima! Look at how tomboyish that General Sima looks. How could shepare to even a single strand of Sister-in-Law¡¯s hair? Brother He, don¡¯t act rashly!¡±

    Zhang Mai pped Xiao Hongyu¡¯s head. ¡°Brat! What are you saying all that nonsense for? After eating all that food, when are you going to grow some brains?¡±

    Great. Xiao Hongyu thought that it was better if he just kept his head down and stopped talking. He was running out ofmon ground with these three loyal wife-loving big brothers. If he had time at night, he could just secretly look at some obscene drawings to scratch his itches...

    Captain Guo¡¯s expression abruptly turned serious as he asked He Changdi, ¡°Zixiang, did you find anything in your investigations today?¡±

    ......

    Even though it was close to midnight, the lights in Sima Hui¡¯s tent were still on.

    Under the flickering of candle light, Sima Hui¡¯s handsome face looked softer and more like a woman¡¯s. She was frowning; her expression didn¡¯t look too good. ¡°What did you say? He Sang is already married?¡±

    The female adjutant next to her nodded. She wasmenting the fact inwardly as well. He Changdi had been born into a military official family. His father was also a border general that her young miss admired greatly. She had heard that the He Family was upright and that the men would only take concubines if they didn¡¯t have any heirs by the time they turned thirty. Her young miss¡¯s marriage had been dyed due to Old General Sima¡¯s passing. Now she was already twenty, and she happened to be the same age as He Sang. If He Sang wasn¡¯t married, he would indeed be the best candidate for her young miss¡¯ hand.

    ¡°He Sang married before he came and joined the army. The He Family¡¯s Third Young Madam is House Ying¡¯s Sixth Miss.¡±

    ¡°Why did the He Family take a bride from House Ying?¡± Although Sima Hui hadn¡¯t returned to the capital for a long time, she still had some understanding of theplicated rtions between the nobles in the capital. If not for Old Duke Ying still holding up House Ying, it would probably have fallen to a third-rate noble house.

    Going bymon sense, a noble house in imperial favour like the He Family wouldn¡¯t choose to marry a bride from House Ying.

 Chapter 323: Rumours (2)

    The female adjutant exined all the details behind the He Family¡¯s situation. Sima Hui shook her head helplessly. Although she had taken a liking to He Changdi, since he had already taken a wife, she wasn¡¯t going to break up his marriage. She had her own pride and dignity.

    She could onlyment that she hadn¡¯t met He Changdi earlier.

    The female adjutant had been serving Sima Hui since they were children and was her close confidant and handmaid. She had been raised in Old General Sima¡¯s estate like an adopted daughter at a young age and had apanied Sima Hui all this while.

    She was extremely loyal to Old General Sima, as well as Sima Hui. When Old General Sima had died in battle, the female adjutant treated Sima Hui as her only remaining master.

    She carefully asked, ¡°Miss, do you like He Sang?¡±

    Sima Hui was normally a very direct woman. Furthermore, there was nothing she couldn¡¯t say in front of a handmaid who had grown up with her like a sister. Thus, she admitted her liking for He Sang.

    The female adjutant¡¯s eyes darted about in thought. Sima Hui had followed Old General Sima to the army ever since she could walk. In Old General Sima¡¯s estate, she had been raised like a son. When it came to rtionships, she wasn¡¯t very reserved, but she had never admitted to liking a man so readily before.

    Ever since Old General Sima had passed away, the female adjutant had worried her little heart away for her young miss¡¯ marriage.

    Now that she heard that Sima Hui had a man she liked, she racked her brains in thought.

    ¡°Miss, this servant heard that He Sang¡¯s wife hasn¡¯t gotten pregnant yet.¡±

    Sima Hui nodded and replied a little absentmindedly. She was feeling down, so she didn¡¯t think before she said, ¡°They¡¯ve just gotten married. How would she get pregnant so fast? However, they¡¯ll surely have a child sooner orter.¡±

    The female adjutant seemed to disagree with Sima Hui¡¯s reply.

    ¡°Miss, you might not know this, but House Ying¡¯s Sixth Miss was only able to marry He Sang because of that reputation thedies of House Ying have. Matriarch He must have been at her wits¡¯ end to try a method like that. If this servant¡¯s guess is correct, He Sang must havee to the northern border just a few days after getting married. He Sang probably isn¡¯t too happy with that newlywed wife of his...¡±

    Sima Hui¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Xiaoyan, you¡¯re not allowed to gossip about others like that. We¡¯ve never met any of the He Family before. Those are just wild guesses.¡±

    After getting a warning from Sima Hui, the female adjutant, Xiaoyan, immediately pressed her lips together and bowed her head in apology. ¡°It¡¯s this servant¡¯s fault for making wild guesses about others. This servant will ept any punishment, Miss.¡±

    Sima Hui couldn¡¯t bear to see her like this, so she took Xiaoyan¡¯s hands into hers and reassured her. ¡°Alright, Xiaoyan. I know you¡¯re just trying to help me, but I¡¯ve already missed out on my chance. Unless we get reborn again, it¡¯s just not possible between He Sang and I. It¡¯s gettingte, so why don¡¯t you return to your tent and rest early? Let Xiaoya take the night shift tonight.¡±

    The female adjutant could only agree with her master. She helped Sima Hui prepare for bed before leaving the tent.

    Xiaoyan stood in the shadows by the tent for a long while. Her eyes shone with a bright light as she stared up at the dark sky.

    My good young miss. You still don¡¯t understand. You have to fight for what you want. If you don¡¯t fight for it, you¡¯ll only end up with the same fate as the old general!

    However, as long as she, Xiaoyan, was around, her miss wouldn¡¯t need to fight. She would naturally prepare everything for her young miss.

    On the fifth day that Chu Lian had settled into the He Estate at Liangzhou City, a second wave of snow started falling.

    The snowstorm continued for three days and grew evenrger as time passed, covering the whole of Liangzhou City in a nket of white.

 Chapter 324: Rumours (3)

    From afar, it looked as if the endless grasnds had melded into one.

    Tang Yan and Chu Lian were at a loss of what to do. They heard that it had also started snowing over at Tianjiang Harbour. If the snows continued like this, in just two days, the roads that led to Liangzhou, whether onnd or by water, would bepletely covered in ice and snow. By then, Liangzhou City would be an isted city. Without any supplies, the Tuhuns probably didn¡¯t even need to fight them; given three months, the northern border troops would simply starve to death without any external interference.

    Tang Yan had already sent some men out to Su City to check out the situation. They could no longer use the route traveling through the Yueqin Mountains, either. The snowstorm had already cut off all paths. Neither the supplies nor the reinforcements could pass.

    By thest day of November, Chu Lian¡¯s injury was already mostly healed over. With the apaniment of Tang Yan and the rest, she brought a small portion of supplies from the capital over to the northern border camp.

    She had already agreed on the time with He Sang, so Chu Lian set out early in the morning in her carriage.

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t going to the frontlines. She was just going to the camp of the reserve forces, so there wasn¡¯t any danger.

    When she reached the camp before 11am, it was still snowing. Thanks to the Empress Dowager¡¯s decree that Chu Lian had in her hands, it was Great General Qian himself who would receive her.

    Since most of the soldiers in camp were all rough men, Great General Qian had specially borrowed a team of female soldiers from Sima Hui to wee Chu Lian.

    The northern border was currently in the middle of an extremely cold winter. As Chu Lian was helped off the carriage by Wen, she waspletely wrapped up like a round ball.

    She wore arge grey squirrel fur coat, the fluffy fur-lined sleeves of which nearly enveloped the entirety of her hands. She was also holding a hand-warmer for additional protection. More than half of her face was covered up by her hood, so that only her wide almond-shaped eyes could be seen. Since her leg had just healed recently, she walked much slower than most people and her awkward gait looked a little amusing.

    When Sima Hui¡¯s female adjutant, Xiaoyan, finally met with the He Family¡¯s Third Young Madam, she had to suppress her snort ofughter.

    Her heart was filled with disdain. How clumsy-looking. No wonder the handsome He Sang didn¡¯t like her.

    She heard that this Third Young Madam had even been given the title of Honoured Lady?

    Xiaoyan wondered which noble she had begged for that title, all in hopes of giving herself a little more status. The He Family¡¯s matriarch had really racked her brains out to help this Sixth Miss.

    The female adjutant shot a look at the handmaids nearby, dressed in battle attire like she was. The leader of the handmaids nodded and quickly followed Chu Lian¡¯s small party.

    When they entered the camp, the first one to wee them was Captain Guo.

    With Tang Yan by her side to introduce her, Chu Lian bobbed slightly in greeting to Captain Guo.

    Captain Guo cast a measuring gaze over Chu Lian before chuckling. ¡°Zixiang should have been the one to wee you today, but he went to the frontlines yesterday, so he¡¯s not in camp right now. Thus, the duty of weing you has fallen on this old brother¡¯s shoulders. I hpoe you can understand the circumstances, Sir Tang, Sister-in-Law.¡±

    Chu Lian shook her head and smiled. ¡°Brother Guo, there¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony like this. It¡¯s the first time my husband has joined the army, we¡¯ll have to rely on Brother Guo¡¯s care in the days ahead!¡±

    After saying so, she signalled for Wen to offer a blue pouch up to Captain Guo.

    ¡°These are just some small snacks, I hope Brother Guo will ept this small token of my gratitude.¡±

    Captain Guo had taken a liking to this bright-eyed and generous newly met sister-inw of his. He took Chu Lian¡¯s gift respectfully with both hands and epted the gift with a smile.

    ¡°Sir Tang, Honoured Lady, please rest in these two tents for a moment. I¡¯ll go ahead and report your arrival to the general.¡±

    Tang Yan bowed to Captain Guo. ¡°Sorry for the trouble, Captain Guo.¡±

    Chu Lian was led into the tent on the left by the female soldiers. Since Tang Yan was a man, he was led to the tent on the other side.

 Chapter 325: Rumours (4)

    Thick furs wereid down on the floor of the tent, and there was a charcoal brazier burning within. It was much warmer in here than outside. Although the decor was rather simple, each of the items were still of high quality.

    There was a screen painted with pictures of Chinese plum blossoms and orchids in the center of the tent. Behind was a simple, narrow bed. There were two sets of white clothes ced on the table beside it, as well as a pair of deerskin boots on the carpet nearby.

    Although the boots were made of steel and leather, judging by their size, Chu Lian surmised that they were probably worn by a woman.

    Chu Lian¡¯s expression changed slightly. This was most likely the tent of General Sima, the female general that the book had mentioned only in passing.

    She looked around her surroundings curiously. This was the first time she had seen a female general¡¯s tent. However, it wasn¡¯t much different from normal tents, apart from the slightly higher quality items and warmer decor. While looking at the tent, she thought of He Changdi and wondered what his tent looked like.

    Chu Lian decided to ask Captain Guo to take her to He Changdi¡¯s tent to have a peek after she was done with official business. For some reason, once she decided on that, there was a secret trace of delight in her heart.

    Wenqing and Wen weren¡¯t as rxed as Chu Lian was.

    They were also looking around the tent like Chu Lian was. Wenqing helped her master out of therge squirrel fur coat and set it down on a wooden chair nearby. She then took the hand warmer from Chu Lian and refilled the charcoal within. While Wenqing was doing all this, she had the strange feeling that the women behind them dressed in battle attire were staring at her master with hostility.

    Wen couldn¡¯t hold back her unease. She carefully poked her older sister in the side and used her eyes to ask Wenqing: why were there so many women in the army camp?

    Wenqing shook her head at her and looked pointedly at her hands, instructing her to keep her focus on serving Third Young Madam.

    Xiaoyan was standing to the side. Her figure was simr to Sima Hui¡¯s, and they were both tall women. However, she was the skinnier of the two. Due to the long years of training in the army, she had an imposing air that most normal women didn¡¯t have. As she stood at the side and looked down at the weak woman seated next to her, even though her tone was calm, there was still a hint of contempt and arrogance in her words.

    ¡°This subordinate greets Honoured Lady Jinyi on the general¡¯s behalf. Honoured Lady must know that our general has already led most of the Right Wing Army to the frontlines yesterday and that Captain He was also amongst them. Thus, this subordinate takes the ce of our general to wee Honoured Lady. This subordinate hopes that Honoured Lady Jinyi doesn¡¯t take offence.¡±

    After Xiaoyan finished speaking, she took a cup of tea from one of the handmaids next to her and offered it to Chu Lian by cing it on the side table with both hands.

    When Wenqing heard this female adjutant¡¯s words, her brows furrowed and she turned to her master with worry.

    Chu Lian shifted her gaze from her surroundings and looked up at the adjutant who had just spoken. She blinked and smiled before replying courteously, ¡°General Sima is too kind.¡±

    Xiaoyan kept her eyes on the face of the He Family¡¯s Third Young Madam, which still held the traces of her tender youth. Upon hearing her calm reply, Xiaoyan didn¡¯t know how to react. What was she trying to pull here? Couldn¡¯t she tell that the expressions of her two maidservants had already turned stormy?

    The adjutant lost a little of herposure. She could only do her best to try and smile as she said, ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as Honoured Lady doesn¡¯t me this subordinate.¡±

    Chu Lian smiled as well and took the refilled hand warmer from Wenqing¡¯s hands. She turned to Wen and said lightly, ¡°I¡¯m a little thirsty.¡±

    Wen quickly took out a small copper pot wrapped in cloth from the little bag that she always carried around. She took out a porcin cup as well and poured out a steaming hot cup of honey water for Chu Lian.

    Xiaoyan looked at the actions of the master and servant before her, her eyes filled with disdain. As she had lived in the Sima Estate ever since she was a child, she had grown up around all sorts of luxury items and foods- naturally, she could tell that this honey water wasn¡¯t just any normal honey water. But who cared about the quality? In the end, only poor country bumpkins favored honey water over sencha.

    This Honoured Lady Jinyi couldn¡¯t even recognize high quality sencha when it was right under her nose. Xiaoyan couldn¡¯t resist remarking, ¡°Honoured Lady might not know this, but this subordinate just offered some Zhengshan tea to Honoured Lady. This tea is what our general usually drinks.¡±

 Chapter 326: Rumours (5)

    What General Sima normally drinks?

    The quality of Zhengshan tea was only slightly lower than that of the imperial tribute teas. The amount of Zhengshan tea produced was even less than that of the North Fujian loose-leaf tea.

    Every year, before it was time for the spring harvest of tea, the nobles would fill up all the reservations for Zhengshan tea cakes. It wasn¡¯t something that could be bought with money alone.

    Back then, Miss Yuan had tried to use some Zhengshan tea stolen from her grandfather to provoke Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian looked at the adjutant and almost burst outughing. Were General Sima¡¯s thoughts the same as this adjutant¡¯s, or was it just this female adjutant who was stupid?

    Chu Lian had thought about declining the tea outright, but instead, she chose a more subtle route and hoped the female adjutant would get the message. Honestly, this kind of ploy was just too clumsy and silly. She had also seen it done before by Miss Yuan.

    However, before Chu Lian could speak, Wen could no longer hold back her desire to protect her master. ¡°Excuse me, Madam. You might not know this, but our master doesn¡¯t like to drink sencha because it tastes weird.¡±

    After getting such a reply, the female adjutant¡¯s face flushed red and her lips started trembling.

    Chu Lian turned to look at Wen disapprovingly. Wen stopped talking.

    The female adjutant¡¯s disrespect had been written all over her face. Chu Lian didn¡¯t intend on admonishing her own maidservants in front of strangers. She turned back around, keeping her face warm and friendly as she kept her silence.

    After some time, the female adjutant finally got over the dissatisfaction in her heart.

    She took in a deep breath and forced a smile. ¡°It was this subordinate¡¯s fault for not checking about Honoured Lady Chu¡¯s likes in advance.¡±

    Chu Lian replied with a courteous, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    The adjutant Xiaoyan wanted to continue saying something else, but before she could, a soldier announced from outside the tent that Great General Qian had sent an escort for Honoured Lady Jinyi, and they were to head to themander¡¯s tent immediately.

    Chu Lian stood up and led her party out of the warm tent.

    Xiaoyan sent them off at the entrance. As she stared at Chu Lian¡¯s disappearing back, the smile on her face finally faded away and her long face contorted.

    The handmaid next to herined in a low voice, ¡°Hmph, that Honoured Lady Jinyi can¡¯t even tell good from bad. She even dislikes sencha! This servant thinks that she probably hasn¡¯t ever had sencha before and just doesn¡¯t dare to admit it!¡±

    Xiaoyan¡¯s lips curved up in a mocking smile. That was probably the case!

    She was just a poor noble from a declining house. How could she possiblypare to their female general?!

    The female adjutant Xiaoyan hadn¡¯t lied on one point. Sima Hui did drink sencha often. Her favourite was Zhengshan tea. Although she wasn¡¯t part of the main branch of the Sima Family, she had Old General Sima¡¯s connections. While the current Sima Family had be rather short of male heirs, they still lived in luxury and had much better lives than most of the second-rate noble families in the capital.

    Otherwise, the handmaid Xiaoyan, who had been raised like an adopted daughter, wouldn¡¯t have be so arrogant.

    Xiaoyan sneered. ¡°Make sure you follow the orders I gave youst night.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sister Xiaoyan. This servant will go and make the preparations now.¡±

    General Qian personally escorted Chu Lian out of themander¡¯s tent. With the war at hand, he didn¡¯t have much time to apany Tang Yan and Chu Lian¡¯s party. He had taken time to meet them personally out of respect for the Empress Dowager¡¯s decree and the supplies they had brought.

    Due to the rtionship between Captain Guo and He Changdi, once Chu Lian left themander¡¯s tent, General Qian handed them over to Captain Guo.

    It was already past 1pm by now. Since it was Chu Lian¡¯s first time in the army camp and He Sang wasn¡¯t around, Captain Guo took the initiative to invite Chu Lian, Tang Yan, and the rest to stay for lunch.

    Captain Guo smiled and said, ¡°Sister-in-Law, although the meals in our camp are just some simple fare, it might be an interesting experience for you, just once in your life.¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t reject him. Since she had alreadye over to the border camp, she wanted to take a good look around; a chance like this didn¡¯te along every day.

    Tang Yan¡¯s thoughts were along the same line as Chu Lian¡¯s. However, the only difference was that he was a man, so it was much more convenient for him to move around in the army camp. In recent years, he had been working for Prince Jin so he hadn¡¯t left the capital in quite a few years. He wanted to take this chance to observe how things were structured in the army, as well as their daily training and other general affairs.

 Chapter 327: Rumours (6)

    Tang Yan wanted to take a look at the training grounds, so he bid farewell to Captain Guo and Chu Lian before leaving with another officer.

    Although Chu Lian wanted to to look at the training grounds too, the grounds were likely filled with strong, young men, so it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to watch them. She could only follow Captain Guo to the campgrounds of the Right Wing Army and see exactly what kind of environment He Sang lived in.

    More than half of the Right Wing Army had gone to the frontlines to act as reinforcements, so there were only little more than half of the men left here. Most of the men remaining had gone to the training grounds, so there were even fewer people milling about. However, it was more convenient for Chu Lian that way.

    Captain Guo did have some business at hand and he was the only officer left in the Right Wing Army now, so he had to do everything himself. Once their party reached the camp grounds, a soldier rushed over to report that one of the squad leaders had twisted his leg on the training grounds, and had even started fighting with another squad leader from the Left Wing Army.

    Captain Guo¡¯s expression turned icy.

    When Chu Lian noticed that Captain Guo seemed put on the spot, she said, ¡°Brother Guo, if you have something urgent to settle, please feel free to go ahead. I just need someone else to bring me around.¡±

    Captain Guo hesitated for two seconds, but there was nothing else he could do. ¡°Then please sit in Zixiang¡¯s tent for a while, Sister-in-Law. Once I¡¯ve settled my business, I¡¯lle back immediately and apany Sister-in-Law for the midday meal.¡±

    Captain Guo instructed his adjutant to lead Chu Lian over to He Sang¡¯s tent before he left with the soldier who had given the report.

    Wenqing watched as Captain Guo¡¯s back disappeared into the distance. For some reason, she felt that the chain of events had been too much of a coincidence.

    However, she couldn¡¯t say anything with strangers present. Wenqing could only helplessly worry and keep an eye on her carefree master.

    Captain Guo¡¯s adjutant was a slightly short and plump young man with a squarish face. When he smiled, his eyes would pinch up and be two tiny, upturned smiles of their own. He looked like someone who was very easy to get along with.

    This adjutant took the lead and pointed at the right side of the camp. ¡°Honoured Lady, please follow this subordinate this way. Captain He¡¯s tent is in the second tost row.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded and allowed Wen to support her as they walked. Her leg hadn¡¯t recoveredpletely yet, so she was a little slow while walking. The adjutant specially slowed down to amodate her.

    Little kes of snow were drifting in the sky, so Wen put a warm hat on Chu Lian¡¯s head. He Sang¡¯s tent wasn¡¯t too far, but due to Chu Lian¡¯s snail-like pace, they used more than twice the normal amount of time it might take.

    Once they reached the tent that the adjutant had mentioned, it didn¡¯t look too different from any of the other tents around- except for the two female soldiers standing in front of the tent!

    Chu Lian paused in her steps and her almond-shaped eyes narrowed. The hands she had stuffed into her rabbit fur sleeve clenched unconsciously.

    The adjutant¡¯s eyes widened in shock. He rubbed the back of his head as he tried to think of an exnation.

    In the entire army, no one but General Sima hadmand of the female soldiers. So, why were General Sima¡¯s female soldiers standing in front of Captain He¡¯s tent?

    In front of the tent, there was a wooden basin filled with water and a few shirts. It clearly announced for all to see what the female soldiers were doing for He Changdi.

    As for who could have given orders to the prideful female soldiers... there was only one possible culprit...

    When had that He Sang gotten such good treatment?

    The adjutant was a little jealous. However, when he turned to look at the pretty little Honoured Lady Jinyi next to him, his expression changed. As he thought of the terrible situation that the poor He Sang was about to be embroiled in, he felt that he would rather be an old bachelor who washed his own clothes by himself...

 Chapter 328: Rumours (7)

    As Xiaoyan stood behind Chu Lian obediently, the corner of her mouth curled up.

    Wen¡¯s eyes widened. She bit her lip as she tried to control her anger.

    The atmosphere turned awkward in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, Chu Lian smiled. In a carefree manner, she said, ¡°What are you standing around all dazed for? Let¡¯s go!¡±

    The adjutant quickly added, ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go. It¡¯s cold outside, and it looks like it¡¯s about to start snowing hard. We should return to the tents to warm up.¡±

    As if they hadn¡¯t noticed the party over there at all, the female soldiers in front of the tent continued busying themselves with their chores. While washing the clothes, they even happily chatted amongst each other, asionally bursting into peals ofughter.

    The male adjutant¡¯s rank wasn¡¯t very high. These female soldiers were also General Sima¡¯s subordinates. Even if they bumped into each other on normal days, both the Left Wing and the Right Wing would have to give way to them. He didn¡¯t have any authority to chase those female soldiers away.

    Since Honoured Lady Jinyi hadn¡¯t said anything, he couldn¡¯t do anything about the female soldiers now, either.

    The adjutant nced at the female soldiers from time to time before looking at Chu Lian. His expression turned more and more pained. He had thought that this would be an easy task; who could have known that something like this would happen?

    He had to ask for some extrapensation from Captain Heter.

    As the party drew closer to the tent, they could hear every word of the female soldiers¡¯ conversation.

    Wenqing¡¯s expression turned cold. She was about to go up and reprimand them, but Chu Lian held her back with one raised hand.

    ¡°Our general treats Captain He really well!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? Captain He risked his life to save our general thest time they were on the frontlines. It¡¯s only right that our general treats him well.¡±

    ¡°And I couldn¡¯t tell before, but Captain He is so skilled!¡±

    ¡°If you ask me, Captain He and our general are the most perfect match for each other. They were both born in military families. Our general can even assist Captain He in the future.¡±

    ¡°But I heard Captain He is already married?¡±

    ¡°Hmph, Captain He¡¯s current wife is just some poor noble. How could shepare to our general?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Our general and Captain He are getting along so well. When our general left for the frontlines yesterday, Captain He followed along because he couldn¡¯t stop worrying. When the war in the north ends, we might even be able to attend our general¡¯s wedding banquet!¡±

    ¡°Stop daydreaming and hurry up. We have to finish washing these clothes or the general will punish us when she returns!¡±

    ......

    Chu Lian¡¯s brows drew together in a slight frown. It was only after she had finished listening to their conversation that she started walking again and continued heading towards the tent.

    She sneered in her heart. Who could have thought that her lunatic husband was so attractive to others?

    Even General Sima had taken a liking to him.

    Chu Lian cast a sideways nce at the female adjutant slowly following behind them.

    It wasn¡¯t until they had gotten close enough to see the two female soldiers in front of the tent that the female adjutant seemed to finally ¡®realise¡¯ that they were part of her general¡¯s troops. She hurriedly rushed forward to reprimand them.

    ¡°What are you doing here? Why aren¡¯t you at training? You know very well what our rules say, so why haven¡¯t you admitted your wrongs yet!¡±

    The two female soldiers knelt on the ground and trembled after getting scolded by the female adjutant. ¡°This servant is in the wrong! Sister Xiaoyan, we are willing to bear the penalty.¡±

    ¡°Go back to our camp now. It¡¯ll be ten smacks of the rod for each of you!¡± Xiaoyan coldly ordered.

    The female soldiers acknowledged the orders while trembling. However, they continued kneeling on the ground and refused to get up.

    Xiaoyan¡¯s face turned even more grave. ¡°Why are you still here?¡±

    The female soldiers exchanged looks before finally gathering up the courage to speak and said, ¡°This servant hasmitted a wrong and is willing to receive punishment, but Captain He¡¯s clothes haven¡¯t been washed clean yet. If General finds out, we¡¯ll be punished even more.¡±

    Chu Lian blinked as she watched from the side. Had thesedies gotten addicted to acting?

 Chapter 329: Rumours (8)

    Although Xiaoyan¡¯s expression seemed angry on the surface, there was a glint of delight in her eyes. She was clearly happy with the performance that the female soldiers had put on. Just as she was about to finish up the whole act, Chu Lian suddenly spoke up.

    ¡°What they said is right. There must always be a start and an end to things. Since you¡¯re here to help my husband wash his clothes under the orders of General Sima, then you should finish washing them before you leave!¡±

    Xiaoyan had been expecting Chu Lian to stomp her foot in a tantrum. She hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to calmly order her subordinates to continue instead.

    Xiaoyan parted her mouth to retort, but she realised that she couldn¡¯t find a reason to reject that order.

    It was like trying to eat a peach: the peach looked fresh, juicy, and fragrant, but in her haste to eat it, she realised that she had bitten off more than she could chew and was about to choke herself.

    The two female soldiers were also clearly shocked. They gaped in silence as they lost theirposure.

    Seeing how the two soldiers hadn¡¯t moved, Chu Lian turned to the female adjutant and frowned.

    The female adjutant¡¯s heart thumped. She could only grit her teeth and order her trusted subordinates to continue washing the clothes. It was only after finishing that they would return to their camp to get punished.

    The two female soldiers could only lower their heads and continue washing the clothes. However, their moods were markedly different from earlier.

    The hot washing water had already cooled down. They were standing at the entrance of the tent, so cold winds were blowing little kes of snow at them. When they soaked their hands in the icy water, they ached from the cold. However, even so, they could only grit their teeth and bear with it for now.

    Chu Lian entered He Changdi¡¯s tent without a second look back at the female soldiers.

    The expression of Captain Guo¡¯s adjutant hadn¡¯t changed during the whole event, staying shocked and dazed. Now that it was over, he scratched the back of his head and beamed with a silly smile. Although Honoured Lady had only said a single line during that whole scene, why did it feel like all his frustrations had been vented for him?

    Their Right Wing Army normally also suffered from the bullying of these ¡®tyrant flowers¡¯.

    It wasn¡¯t until Chu Lian and her party had entered the tent that the two female soldiers dared to lift their heads up. One of them called out in an aggrieved voice, ¡°Sister Xiaoyan! This water is so cold!¡±

    The female adjutant gritted her mrs and red at the closed tent p. She squatted down and reassured them. ¡°Sorry I¡¯ve gotten you involved in this mess. I¡¯ll wash these together with you so we can finish up faster. That way you can return to camp earlier to rest.¡±

    The female soldier who had spoken up made a feeble sound of agreement and the three women started washing the clothes together.

    The aggrieved female soldier was Xiaoyan¡¯s very own little sister. Xiaoyan normally spoiled her, and her little sister had never suffered much at all. Xiaoyan usually kept her well-protected under her wings, so she couldn¡¯t bear to see her little sister suffer even the tiniest bit of grievance.

    There actually weren¡¯t many clothes in the basin- just three pieces in total. They each took one and managed to finish washing them quickly. Even though the washing water was ice cold, it was still bearable for that short moment.

    Just as the three of them had finished washing the clothes and were about to pour away the water, the tent p suddenly opened from the inside and Wen tossed a whole bunch of clothes into the wooden basin.

    ¡°These are all the dirty clothes that Honoured Lady found in the tent. I¡¯m guessing that you must have missed them earlier. Why don¡¯t you just wash them all together?¡±

    After Wen finished speaking, she turned around and entered the tent again, leaving behind three dazed women.

    One of the female soldiers looked at the small pile of clothes that the wooden basin was struggling to contain. Her lip trembled as she caught sight of a thick and heavy cloak in the basin.

    How were they going to wash such a heavy cloak?!

    The female soldier was on the verge of tears. ¡°Sister Xiaoyan! Let¡¯s not wash these anymore! Let¡¯s go back!¡±

    They had been the ones to im that they were washing the clothes under General Sima¡¯s orders in the first ce, how could they disobey their ¡®orders¡¯ at this point? Xiaoyan knew that Honoured Lady Jinyi was showing them that she wasn¡¯t to be bullied. However, she didn¡¯t have anything to counter the Honoured Lady. Helpless, she could only do her best to finish the task that had been so unceremoniously dropped on them.

    ¡°Stop talking. Save your strength for washing!¡±

 Chapter 330: Naughty Book (1)

    The moment Wen let the tent p fall, she couldn¡¯t resist any longer and let out a snort ofughter. Wenqing red at her.

    Wen ran up to Chu Lian and whispered, ¡°Third Young Madam, that felt so good.¡±

    Wenqing was also proud of her master. She knew that her master wasn¡¯t someone who would allow others to bully her. If someone provoked her, Chu Lian would always return an eye for an eye. If she didn¡¯t, then that meant she didn¡¯t care about the insult and would let it slide. Chu Lian was the type of person who kept her frustrations inside her; her expression wouldn¡¯t change even as her annoyance grew. Taking retribution was a way of venting her anger- if there wasn¡¯t any anger, then naturally, there wouldn¡¯t be any reason to vent.

    When Chu Lian saw how happy Wen was, she replied a little helplessly, ¡°They¡¯re just little girls. Let them go back once they¡¯re done washing everything.¡±

    After hearing Chu Lian¡¯s words, Wenqing and Wen calmed down, although their worry still showed on their faces.

    Wenqing thought for a bit before saying, ¡°Third Young Madam, don¡¯t think too much of it. Third Young Master isn¡¯t that sort of person. That was just some groundless gossip.¡±

    Chu Lian turned around to smile at Wenqing, her almond-shaped eyes turning into upturned crescents. Under the heat of that stare, Wenqing felt a little awkward. She quickly exined, ¡°Third Young Madam, this servant isn¡¯t trying to speak for Third Young Master...¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯m not ming you.¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t express any of her thoughts on the rtionship between He Changdi and General Sima. In her view, things weren¡¯t certain yet. All they had heard were a few rumours, which couldn¡¯t be considered substantial evidence that there was something going on between the two. Furthermore, even if He Sang and General Sima had some sort of dalliance, she could discuss things with He Sang and find a way to allow General Sima to take her ce.

    As long as she remained an Honoured Lady, she could live happily by herself. She would even be free of those troublesome social engagements back in the capital. Wouldn¡¯t that be a win-win situation? She could find a man she liked and settle into a peaceful, happy life.

    He Sang, who was fighting for his life on the frontlines, had no idea that his wicked wife was thinking about how to get away from him. They hadn¡¯t even consummated their marriage yet and she was already considering divorce...

    If He Sang ever found out, it was highly possible he¡¯d puke blood.

    Wenqing and Wen had been serving Chu Lian for a while now, and they understood a little of her personality. They knew that Third Young Madam didn¡¯t want to discuss General Sima¡¯s matters anymore, so they all kept quiet.

    A soldier from outside sent in a brazier. Wenqing shifted it closer to keep Chu Lian warm.

    He Sang¡¯s tent couldn¡¯t bepared to General Sima¡¯s.

    The tent wasn¡¯t very big. Inside, there were only two narrow beds with a simple screen dividing the space in two. There were no carpets ced on the floor, either; it was just some ck dirt stripped bare of its surfaceyer of turf.

    Snow had been falling for quite a few days here, so the tent entrance was already a muddy mess. Thanks to the low temperatures, the mud had frozen over. The tent felt extremely moist and wasn¡¯t veryfortable.

    There wasn¡¯t much inside besides that, other than a small table next to the bed on the left. A few tactic books were stacked in a neat pile on top alongside a basic set of ink, brush, and paper.

    There was also a wooden box ced beside both beds, most likely for the soldiers to store their clothes and other items.

    Chu Lian knew that He Sang wasn¡¯t staying in this tent alone, but was sharing with Xiao Hongyu.

    Of these two beds, only one was He Sang¡¯s.

    Wenqing and Wen were also taking in the arrangements. Of the two, Wen was the first to speak. Her cheeks puffed up as she said, ¡°That General Sima¡¯s living arrangements are so nice; how is it that our Third Young Master¡¯s are so terrible inparison?¡± This tent was cold and dark. Without a charcoal brazier burning, it would be practically inhospitable.

 Chapter 331: Naughty Book (2)

    Chu Lian smiled without answering. He Changdi¡¯s status was different from Sima Hui¡¯s, after all. He had just entered the army and was a man. Furthermore, Great General Qian was known for being strict with his troops. He Changdi was already pretty lucky to get a two-man tent like this, and in such a short period of time, too. Otherwise, he would have had to squeeze into the barracks.

    Chu Lian was right. If not for how she had helped Old Duke Zheng, and had Old Duke Zheng not sent the letter to Great General Qian, He Changdi wouldn¡¯t have been able to rise in the ranks so quickly, nor would he be getting this sort of treatment.

    Wenqing pointed at the bed that was further in. ¡°Third Young Madam, that one should be Third Young Master¡¯s bed. Look, there¡¯s the fleece mattress we brought from our estate. Why don¡¯t you sit there?¡±

    Chu Lian walked up to the bed and pulled her hand from her sleeve. She gently touched the slightly ttened, worn mattress before holding her hand up to her nose and taking a sniff. Then, she shook her head and sat on the other bed instead. ¡°This one is Husband¡¯s bed.¡±

    Ah? Wenqing found it strange so she looked at the two beds again. She didn¡¯t understand how Third Young Madam had been able to differentiate them.

    The mattress on the other bed was clearly from the Jing¡¯an Estate though?

    Without waiting for Wenqing to ask, Chu Lian began to exin. ¡°Look at the boots next to the bed.¡±

    He Changdi was tall and his legs were long. Of course his feet were bigger. Xiao Hongyu was shorter, so his feet tended towards a smaller size.

    Furthermore, Chu Lian had been the one to send this pair of boots to He Changdi. She had changed them a little, adding ayer of leather on the inside of the boots. The insides wouldn¡¯t get wet even when it rained. She had also made a small decorative mark on an unassuming corner of the boots that only the maidservants of Songtao Court would recognise.

    Fleece bedding and nkets could be given away, but everyone¡¯s shoes were differently sized. He Changdi and Xiao Hongyu¡¯s feet were so different that they couldn¡¯t possibly share their socks and boots.

    Wenqing and Wen looked down at the very different boots. Both of them understood.

    They looked up at Chu Lian with shining eyes. Wen couldn¡¯t hold back the smirk tugging up the corners of her lips.

    Hmph! Who would dare to cast doubts on Third Young Master and Third Young Madam¡¯s rtionship now? Third Young Madam had discerned Third Young Master¡¯s bed at one nce!

    Chu Lian had only given them a very simple reason. Actually, she hadn¡¯t used the shoes to determine which of the beds was He Changdi¡¯s.

    He Sang was rather fussy, even bordering a little on the obsessivepulsive side. He was also a clean freak, although it wasn¡¯t too serious.

    She had discovered this thest time he had taken a shower at Liangzhou¡¯s He Estate.

    The first time she saw him enter, He Sang had been covered in dirt. His expression had been ugly as well, clearly hating his state of uncleanliness. Later on, he had taken a whole hour to bathe. When Wenqing had gone to clean up the dirty clothes in the bathroom, she had discovered that He Sang had actually folded up all the dirty clothes and ced them neatly on the side table next to the bathtub. The soap bar had also been covered back up, and the towel had been folded up right next to the soap box.

    The corner of Chu Lian¡¯s mouth twitched as she nced down at He Changdi¡¯s bed.

    Although it was simple, the nkets on it had been neatly made. The pillow was ced right at the head of the bed, and not a single wrinkle could be seen on the nkets. As for the other bed, although it couldn¡¯t be considered messy, it was a whole different story whenpared to He Changdi¡¯s.

    There was one more point that Chu Lian was too embarrassed to reveal. Although He Changdi was a man, he always carried a clean, nice-smelling scent. Meanwhile, that fleece nket had stunk of sweat...

    If Xiao Hongyu were to find out that he had been slighted by Sister-in-Law in this way, he would have definitely rolled around on the floor like a child, demanding snacks to recover from this mental blow.

 Chapter 332: Naughty Book (3)

    Chu Lian pressed down on the mattress with her small hands.

    The thin mattress was practically stuck to the bed board. She flipped it over to check the insides of it and discovered that it was not made of cotton or fur, but dried grass.

    Chu Lian¡¯s brows gathered together in a frown. Such a thin mattress wouldn¡¯t be able to keep the body warm at all. If it was spring or autumn, it might still be alright to make do with this mattress, but in this bone-piercingly cold winter...

    She remembered that she had specially ordered the servants to send bedding to He Changdi when she was back in the estate. Her gazended on Xiao Hongyu¡¯s bed. That thick fleece bedding that should have been He Changdi¡¯s had somehow been ced on someone else¡¯s bed.

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t so silly as to think that He Changdi had been bullied in the camp. The short and plump Xiao Hongyu had been amongst the rescue party that hade for them back then too.

    She wondered if Xiao Hongyu had any sort of internal injury that caused him to be more susceptible to the cold. That seemed like a possible exnation for why He Sang had given him his own bedding...

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes. That lunatic husband of hers had only ever showed her cold expressions, yet he was extremely kind to others!

    However, that fellow was rather stupid. After giving away all his things to others, what was he going to use to cover himself? Didn¡¯t he know how to buy another for himself?

    Chu Lian felt a momentarypse of disappointment at He Sang.

    She stood up and wrapped her grey squirrel cloak around her as the cold air turned her sigh into a white puff of breath. She then turned to Wenqing and Wen to give them orders.

    ¡°Have someone bring the big rugs and nkets from my carriage here. Bring some needles and thread too.¡±

    Wen blinked as she processed the order. In a quick moment, she understood what Chu Lian was going to do, so she hurriedly ran off to execute the order.

    Wen was a practised martial artist, so she was pretty fast on her feet. In fifteen minutes, she had brought everything over.

    Chu Lian took off her cloak and moved the nket on He Changdi¡¯s bed aside before pulling up the thin bedsheet. There was only dried grass under the sheet, although the grass wasid out quite evenly.

    Chu Lian was about to move the dried grass away, when she noticed a sh of blue hidden within them. She walked over to it curiously and brushed the grass aside, revealing an indigo purse lying t on the bed.

    Chu Lian pulled out the purse from where it had been stuck between a gap in theyers of dried grass. When she shook it out in front of herself, Wenqing spotted the purse and spoke up, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the purse that you use to keep your snacks, Third Young Madam?¡±

    All of Chu Lian¡¯s snack purses had been made by the maidservants in Songtao Court and most of them were in in colour without much embroidery on them. Wenqing and Wen had made quite a few of them too, so they could recognise it with just one nce.

    Chu Lian had recognised it as well. The purse was bulging slightly, but it wasn¡¯t heavy. The jerky and snacks that had originally been ced inside were already gone. She undid the ties on the purse and realised that there was a stack of simr purses ced neatly within.

    When Chu Lian finished eating all the snacks in a purse, she would normally throw the purse away, since they were just some crude bags like the stic bags of the modern era. However, He Sang had actually kept every single one of them...

    A strange and indescribable feeling sparked to life within Chu Lian¡¯s heart.

    She tied up the purse again and put it back where she had found it.

    Just as she was about to stand, she noticed a blue leather book slotted between a gap in the nks of the wooden bed.

    In a moment of curiosity, she bent down and took the book out.

    The cover of the book was made of blue leather and it was a very thin book. It looked like there were twenty or so pages in it at most, yet there was nothing written on the cover.

    Chu Lian found it strange, so she carefully flipped the book open.

    It was only when she looked at the first page that Chu Lian finally found some words: ¡®Pleasures of the World¡¯.

    Chu Lian frowned. That seemed to be the title of this book. Why was it so weird though? There wasn¡¯t any author¡¯s name written in the book either.

    When she flipped to the next page, Chu Lian finally realised why this book didn¡¯t have a title on the cover nor any author.

    The page she had flipped to was a crude picture of a half-dressed couple. They were locked in a passionate embrace while lying on a bed next to a half-opened window.

    Chu Lian almost puked up some blood. He... He Sang actually read naughty books?! It was such a crudely made one too...

    After she recovered from her shock, she continued flipping through the book with a calm expression. It was just twenty or so pages, so she quickly finished looking through the book. There wasn¡¯t actually much of note inside. The people and scenes inside were just too cartoonish and unrealistic. Some of them were even contorted into such weird positions that their heads and bodies seemed disconnected. Why was He Sang hiding a book as lousy as this like it was some kind of treasure?

    If she randomly picked out a porn book from the modern era and gave it to He Sang, wouldn¡¯t he dig out a secret vault to hide it then?

    Her lunatic husband was way too inexperienced.

 Chapter 333: Naughty Book (4)

    Chu Lian casually tossed the obscene drawings aside and continued cleaning out the dry grasses on the bed.

    Wenqing and Wen had curious expressions on as they asked, ¡°Third Young Madam, what kind of book is that?¡±

    Chu Lian cast a sideways nce at the book and spoke in an indifferent tone. ¡°See for yourselves.¡±

    Wen was the more active of the pair. Her curiosity was already burning like an itch in her heart. Third Young Madam had looked through that book for quite some time just now! She had even been holding back herughter while reading. That just made her even more curious.

    She nced at her older sister before taking the book in hand. Wenqing also drew closer to her.

    However, after flipping the first two pages, the two girls screamed and the book dropped to the ground.

    Chu Lian found their actions weird, so she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Wenqing and Wen¡¯s faces werepletely flushed. They stared at Chu Lian with eyes of rebuke. ¡°Third Young Madam, those are lewd drawings!¡±

    Chu Lian almost tilted her head in confusion, ¡°I know that.¡±

    How are you so calm and indifferent since you know that... Wenqing and Wen were speechless.

    Chu Lian¡¯s lips crooked up at one corner. It was just a roughly drawn book of slightly lewd drawings. Young guys and girls wouldn¡¯t even give it another nce back in the modern world.

    Wen picked up the book and quickly put it on the side table next to her as if it was a hot potato. The moment she set down the book, she quickly drew her hand back. Her cheeks were even glowing red.

    Chu Lian wanted to hold her forehead. Weren¡¯t these two girls too innocent?

    She ordered Wenqing and Wen to change He Sang¡¯s bedding into the morefortable and thick set she had brought. She then put a fleece nket on top of the bedding. This way, it was much more warmer than before when she sat on top of the bed again.

    After she tested the thickness of the bedding, Chu Lian nodded in satisfaction. She ordered Wenqing and Wen to patch up the areas where the seams of the fleece nket hade apart slightly.

    When they were done, Wen looked outside and realised that it was almost 11am.

    Captain Guo¡¯s adjutant came in to report that they would be having their midday meal soon. The soldiers of the Left Wing Army would be returning from the frontlines soon, so they would be eating together.

    Joy showed on Wenqing and Wen¡¯s faces. Third Young Master was back!

    The three girls washing clothes outside the tent also heard this piece of news. Xiaoyan and the other girls who had been washing clothes numbly suddenly perked up.

    Xiaoyan¡¯s eyes darted in thought before she said, ¡°Let¡¯s wash a little slower.¡±

    ¡°Ah? Sister Xiaoyan, we¡¯re almost done with all these. Why don¡¯t we finish up and head back to rest earlier?¡±

    Xiaoyan¡¯s expression turned cold as she drew out her reddened hands from the icy cold water. She said fiercely, ¡°Our general is about to return. I want to show our general how much we¡¯ve been bullied by that woman while she wasn¡¯t around!¡±

    The other two female soldiers¡¯ moods lifted upon hearing that. That¡¯s right, their general was back. No one would dare to bully them now!

    Thus, the three girls purposely left their hands a little longer in the cold water until they were almost purple. This way, they would look more pitifulter.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t care about whatever the three girls outside were thinking at all. Once she heard the report, she simply nodded and had Wen go off to boil up a kettle of hot water.

    He Changdi knew that Chu Lian woulde to visit the camp today. Thus, upon receiving the order to return to camp, he quickly led his subordinates and rushed back.

    With a whip in her hands, Sima Hui led the army and followed He Changdi. The red tassel on her helmet danced in the icy winds. As she stared at He Changdi¡¯s heroic figure, she frowned and asked, ¡°Why is Captain He in such a rush today?¡±

    Although He Changdi was young and had an absolutely stunning face, he normally kept that handsome face in a cold expression. He was also quick and resolute in his actions and he was very skilled in martial arts. He had never once lost in the martial artspetitions in the army before. He was normally steady and introverted. Even during that sneak attack by the Tuhuns a month ago, he had been able to remain calm and decisive. Thus, it was a rare surprise to see him this hurried and flustered.

    The military officer apanying Sima Hui on the way back burst out intoughter.

    ¡°That damn brat, he¡¯s just rushing back to our camp to meet his wife!¡± The military officer spoke a little crudely, but there was a hint of affection in his tone. It was clear that he was close to He Sang and maybe even held admiration for the steady and experienced junior officer.

    Sima Hui was a little stunned for a moment. A bitter feeling passed through her heart, making her unable to speak.

    The military officer thought that Sima Hui wasn¡¯t in the know, so he kindly exined things to her. ¡°That brat is House Jing¡¯an¡¯s third son. He came out here to this godforsaken northern border in a fit of stupidity. If he were my son, I would have broken his legs! But that brat¡¯s pretty lucky. He married a good wife. His wife got a decree from the Empress Dowager toe to the northern border with some supplies. The young couple must not have met for quite some time, look at how rushed that brat is.¡±

    TL Note: A quick note to rify things since there was a misinformed review posted on TMR¡¯s NU page and I can¡¯t reply to the review...

    ...chapters are now being split into 7 or 8 parts instead of 2 or 3!

    ...I have been reading the same chapter for 7 days now...

    I¡¯m splitting chapters into two parts now. I split them into three parts around the hundred chapter mark because the word count per chapter shot up, but I don¡¯t do that anymore because the word count has gone down.

    I have never split chapters into 8 parts as the reviewer ims! There was a chapter titled Rumours (8) because the author reused the same chapter title for 4 different chapters: Rumours (1) (2) (3) and (4)... which were then split up into Rumours (1) ¨C (8).

    Chapters are so short now / Plot isn¡¯t moving

    For the word count, the author has written 2k Chinese words per chapter for the past 10 or so chapters, where she wrote about 3k Chinese words previously.

    I understand that it¡¯s frustrating to read shorter chapters, but I can¡¯t trante more. My wrist strain injuries prevent me from typing too much, and I only get 2 hours of free time on weekdays after I get home from my full time job. >w<

    Thank you to all the readers making cutements about the story and sending their appreciation, you¡¯ve been keeping me motivated :3

    Unfortunately, I¡¯ve been getting a little bummed out by some negativements recently, so I really need a break... Sorry to leave you with this cliffhanger, but I hope you¡¯ll understand.

    TMR will be on hiatus for one week, and I¡¯ll be back with more chapters on June 12 after this break <3

    ¨C timebun

 Chapter 334: Scram (1)

    Sima Hui put on a forced smile as a courteous reply to the military officer.

    Xiao Hongyu was following right behind He Changdi. He chuckled and whipped his horse onward to keep up with his superior officer.

    After rushing to the frontline as reinforcements, they had managed to defeat the Tuhuns while keeping their losses to less than ten percent of the Right Wing Army. It was considered a major victory, so most of the people on the way back to the camp were in very good moods.

    The soldiers who had gotten kills on the battlefield were beaming with joy. Xiao Hongyu had forged forward bravely in battle, so he had also contributed quite a bit to their victory.

    The atmosphere amongst the triumphant troops was rxed. It was likely the best they had felt since the war had started. Thus, they weren¡¯t as hasty to get back as they had been on the way to the frontlines. Only He Sang¡¯s squad was rushing back like their lives depended on it.

    ¡°Brother He, is there something urgent going on?¡±

    He Changdi was dressed in a full set of ck armour with a grey cloak whipping about in the flurry of snow-speckled winds behind him. Upon hearing Xiao Hongyu¡¯s question, He Sang turned to nce at him before replying, ¡°Your sister-inw ising to the camp today.¡±

    What?! Xiao Hongyu¡¯s eyes widened in surprise!

    ¡°Sister-in-Law ising today?¡±

    He Sang shot a look at him as if he were an idiot.

    ¡°Brother He, why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?!¡± Xiao Hongyu fretted and whipped his horse¡¯s rump. His mount neighed before sprinting forward like a shooting star.

    He Changdi¡¯s expression darkened and he urged his own mount on to chase after Xiao Hongyu.

    That stupid brat. Chu Lian was his wife! Why was he running back so quickly? Was he already sick of living?

    Actually, what Xiao Hongyu was racing after wasn¡¯t Chu Lian herself. In his mind, Chu Lian was equivalent to delicious meat and porridge instead.

    There was still quite a bit of distance between the frontlines and the border troops¡¯ camp.

    The two brothers started chatting idly on the way back.

    ¡°Brother He, why did Sister-in-Lawe to camp?¡±

    ¡°The Empress Dowager¡¯s decree,¡± He Changdi replied very sinctly. He was still a man of few words.

    Xiao Hongyu was smart enough to understand after a moment of thought, so he nodded.

    ¡°Brother He, I really admire Sister-in-Law. My father had to threaten me with a stick to make me go to the northern border and join the army! It¡¯s an amazing feat for a youngdy like Sister-in-Law toe out to a ce like this.¡±

    Xiao Hongyu¡¯s casual words made He Changdi stiffen up. His originally icy expression dropped a few more degrees.

    However, Xiao Hongyu was just too oblivious to realise that his simple words had roused a hive of bees in He Sang¡¯s heart.

    All of a sudden, Xiao Hongyu seemed to have recalled something. The joy that had been on his facepletely disappeared, only to be reced with embarrassment.

    Xiao Hongyu hesitated for a moment. Then, he asked, ¡°Brother He, Sister-in-Law won¡¯t be going to our tent, right?¡±

    He Changdi frowned as he replied, ¡°Brother Guo should be bringing your sister-inw over there. What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Upon hearing He Sang¡¯s answer, Xiao Hongyu cried out in anguish. He then tried to nce secretly at He Sang. Unfortunately, when faced with He Sang¡¯s gloomy stare, he didn¡¯t dare to hide anything and confessed exactly what he had done.

    ¡°What! Say that one more time!¡± He Changdi wanted to kick this stupid fellow right off his horse.

    ¡°Brother He, just forgive me this once. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose! I was just afraid that Brother Guo woulde and search our tent! How about I lend you that lewd bookter on? Anyway, I hid it really well. Sister-in-Law won¡¯t be able to find it at all.¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s face was as ck as the bottom of a pot. He didn¡¯t even want to bother talking to Xiao Hongyu anymore.

    Xiao Hongyu followed behind He Sang obediently. He knew that he had really done Brother He dirty this time.

    However, there was also a shred of dissatisfaction in his heart. Xiao Hongyu felt that he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong at all.

    All of them were already married, and Brother He¡¯s wife had evene thousands of miles to visit him. The two of them were probably going to exchange sweet nothings with each other once they met. He was the only single man in the group; were they going to bar him from looking at some lewd drawings to release all his pent up pressure?

    Xiao Hongyu felt that instead of He Sang, he was the one who had suffered some grievous harm.

 Chapter 335: Naughty Book (4)

    As expected, when He Changdi finally led his troops back into camp, a messenger came over to report that Chu Lian was currently in his tent!

    He Changdi shot a severe re at Xiao Hongyu. Xiao Hongyu rubbed his nose awkwardly from behind him.

    He decided to run off with the other troops to have their midday meal and leave He Changdi and Chu Lian alone in the tent.

    When He Changdi reached his tent, he noticed three female soldiers squatting in front, washing clothes. He Changdi furrowed his brows together.

    He barked, ¡°What are all of you doing here?!¡±

    His gazended on the wash basin and he realised that the garments inside were his clothes.

    Xiaoyan and the others hadn¡¯t expected He Changdi to have returned so early. Their faces were full of surprise. However, Xiaoyan was experienced with dealing with unexpected situations after serving Sima Hui for so long, and she managed to quickly recover.

    Xiaoyan acted as if she had been wronged and ced her hands, which had turned an ugly purplish red from the cold, on top of the wet clothes in the basin to make them more obvious.

    She intentionally made her voice soft and weak to draw their pity. ¡°Captain He, we escorted Honoured Lady here. Our general ordered us to serve Honoured Lady, so we had to follow Honoured Lady¡¯s orders when she told us to wash these clothes. Although this subordinate was born a lowly servant, this subordinate is still General Sima¡¯s personal handmaid.¡±

    Xiaoyan was right. Chu Lian had indeed been the one to order Wen to bring these clothes out for them to wash. However, she had purposely phrased her words to imply that it was an unfair order.

    As Xiaoyan spoke, she kept sneaking nces at He Changdi¡¯s expression.

    Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t discern any bit of emotion from He Changdi¡¯s cool and handsome face, so she couldn¡¯t tell if her ploy was working.

    She gritted her teeth and continued. ¡°This subordinate ventures to say that Honoured Lady has taken things too far. Our general has never held any dishonest intentions, yet Honoured Lady has already tried to nip things in the bud. This subordinate has never seen such a thing!¡±

    Xiaoyan kept her back straight and her head high.

    She was even a little pleased inside. With this, Captain He should know how unbearable his wife was!

    Nothing had even happened yet, and Sima Hui wasn¡¯t even a threat to their marriage. However, his wife had already tried to discipline Sima Hui¡¯s personal handmaid. He Changdi would surely hate such a petty and jealous wife.

    Wenqing and Wen had heard everything from within the tent. Their faces were flushed red with anger. Wen wanted to run right out of the tent to scold Xiaoyan, but Chu Lian held her back.

    Chu Lian shook her head soundlessly. Wen stomped her foot in frustration and walked further away from the tent entrance. Out of sight, out of mind. If she couldn¡¯t hear any of the conversation outside, her frustration would surely dissipate.

    However, Chu Lian stood by the tent p without moving. There wasn¡¯t much of an expression on her face, but her clenched fists hidden by her wide sleeves betrayed her nervousness.

    He Changdi was a tall man. Even though Xiaoyan wasn¡¯t short, he could still look down upon her.

    He swept the three female soldiers with an icy re. Next, his lips moved and his low, maic voice resounded in a frighteningly cold tone. He only had one word to say.

    ¡°Scram!¡±

    That short syble was enough to make Xiaoyan and the others shudder.

    Their eyes widened in disbelief. They couldn¡¯t believe He Changdi could act like that.

    A storm seemed to be brewing in the dark pools that served as He Sang¡¯s eyes. He focused his gaze on Xiaoyan, who struggled to breathe when faced with eyes as icy as those.

    ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you hear me? I told you all to scram!¡±

    It was as if a basin of cold water had been dunked over the three female soldiers¡¯ heads. Their bodies started trembling.

    They ran off helter-skelter after a moment¡¯s pause, even stumbling in their efforts to leave as quickly as possible.

    The soldier standing on guard nearby was filled to the brim with admiration for his captain. He stood up even straighter, looking just like a sharp spear.

    He Sang¡¯s gaze turned to the wooden basin by his feet next. When he thought of how his clothes had been handled by those female soldiers, his brows drew together in disdain. He then ordered, ¡°Throw out all the clothes in this basin.¡±

 Chapter 336: Getting Along in the Tent (1)

    Chu Lian had been standing behind the tent p expressionlessly. The corners of her lips curled up when she heard He Changdi¡¯s words, and she finally lifted up the tent p to peer outside.

    The moment the p was lifted, she met directly with the ck pools of He Changdi¡¯s eyes, causing her to cough awkwardly.

    Although her lunatic husband was usually rather disagreeable, it seemed like he was able to see through deceptions when needed. He hadn¡¯t failed her expectations at all.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t realise that her eyes were bright and sparkly right now. If she looked at anyone right now with that seemingly shining expression, anyone would be able to tell that she was in an extremely good mood at the moment.

    Like a miniature sun, Chu Lian¡¯s smile seemed to cast bright rays on He Sang, driving away all the gloomy clouds that had just gathered in his heart.

    She seemed to be exuding a natural charisma, attracting his gaze to her without him even realising.

    When Chu Lian looked down and noticed that a soldier was about to follow He Changdi¡¯s orders and throw away the clothes that Xiaoyan and the other female soldiers had been washing, she frowned and spoke up. ¡°Don¡¯t throw those away. Let them dry and give them to any soldiers who need more clothes for winter.¡±

    The soldier hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to give him such an order. Although he had thought that it was a pity to throw away these perfectly good clothes, these were the captain¡¯s own clothes, so they didn¡¯t have any right to do anything else to them. The soldier turned to his superior officer with a questioning look.

    He Changdi¡¯s brows drew together as his lips formed a thin line. ¡°Do as Honoured Lady says.¡±

    When the soldier heard that, he took away the basin of clothes with a happy smile.

    Xiaoyan and the others were standing in a hidden corner some distance away, watching the scene in front of He Changdi¡¯s tent. When Xiaoyan saw that the soldier was taking away the wet clothes and giving them away to other soldiers who needed them, her face contorted into an ugly expression.

    She wasn¡¯t stupid. She knew that He Sang had done that out of disdain for them.

    They were Sima Hui¡¯s subordinates. By doing so, wasn¡¯t he showing his contempt for Sima Hui as well?

    An indignant expression covered Xiaoyan¡¯s face.

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes were turned up into crescents as she looked up at the travel-worn He Sang. He was still wearing his cloak and helmet; it was clear that he had rushed straight over from the battlefield.

    ¡°Come in, it¡¯s too windy outside.¡±

    He Sang paused before entering and struggled to keep his usual cold expression on. Unfortunately, after he passed under the raised tent p and was met with the warm air within the tent, the tips of his ears reddened unconsciously.

    That cute, pink flush didn¡¯t match with his cool and handsome face at all.

    Once he entered the tent, He Changdi nced towards Chu Lian¡¯s ankle twice. Following that, he took off his cloak, helmet and scabbard and passed them to the waiting Wenqing and Wen.

    Although his voice sounded the same and his tone seemed as icy as usual, anyone would be able to tell that there was a shred of concern in his question: ¡°Has your wound recovered?¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s almond-shaped eyes were upturned in a smile as she stared at the tall He Sang. She had been feeling a little awkward earlier, but now she was feeling as thick-skinned as she could be.

    ¡°I can walk now, just not too quickly.¡±

    Long legs carried He Changdi over to Chu Lian¡¯s side in just three strides. He pushed aside the long hem of his robe and sat down next to Chu Lian.

    The originally stiff and hard bed had suddenly turned into warm and soft bedding. The difference in his expectations made him freeze for a second. An instant of panic shed across his normally calm and collected face.

    However, he quickly concealed his flustered emotions. His seemingly casual gaze brushed over Chu Lian for a moment, as if checking whether she had detected his moment of abnormality.

    His thin lips pressed together as he bent over, preparing to lift up Chu Lian¡¯s skirt.

 Chapter 337: Getting Along in the Tent (2)

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. He Sang seemed to have gotten into a bad habit. Back in the cave, he had also lifted up her skirt without any warning. She was already so used to it that she was no longer surprised by his actions.

    However, Wenqing and Wen were still in the tent. Showing off such an intimate action with an audience made Chu Lian blush a little.

    She drew her legs back with the intention to escape, but before she could, He Changdi caught hold of her calf.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± he murmured.

    Chu Lian froze on the spot.

    Wenqing and Wen exchanged nces, sharing their joy. Wenqing sensibly said, ¡°Third Young Master, Third Young Madam hasn¡¯t eaten yet. We servants will go and bring some food back.¡±

    Without waiting for permission from their two masters, Wenqing tugged Wen behind her and escaped from the tent.

    Now that their audience was gone, Chu Lian rxed.

    She looked down and watched as He Changdi¡¯s slender fingers rolled up her pants leg before gently removing her sock. Her slender and fair leg was now exposed to his eyes, from her calf to her ankle.

    As He Sang¡¯s warm palms brushed along her calf, the wound around her ankle was revealed.

    The severe-looking wound had already scabbed over. However, since the skin around it was as white as snow, the dark coloured scab stood out even more and seemed a little eye catching.

    A glint shed through He Changdi¡¯s eyes as he looked at the wound. His Adam¡¯s apple trembled a little as he touched the scab gently. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡±

    Chu Lian was enjoying the warmth of his palms as they massaged her skin. Her almond-shaped eyes turned into narrow slits, showing how much she was enjoying the massage. She shook her head in reply to his question, ¡°It stopped hurting after it scabbed over. It just gets a little itchy at night under the warm nkets.¡±

    He Sang carefully inspected her wound for a while more. When he realised that her wound was indeed much better after it had scabbed over, he breathed a soft sigh of relief. A weight he hadn¡¯t even known he had been carrying seemed to have fallen from his shoulders.

    When He Changdi noticed that the leg he was still holding in his hands was turning a little cool, he quickly put Chu Lian¡¯s sock and shoe back on. His palm lingered on that smooth leg for a moment as if he couldn¡¯t bear to let go, before he finally stood up.

    All the care he had just shown had been carried out from his subconscious mind. He hadn¡¯t thought much of it while checking her wound, but now that he was done, the atmosphere seemed to turn a little awkward.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t think much of the intimacy at all. She turned to continue staring at He Changdi with her wide eyes. As she blinked, she felt that He Sang seemed to be exceptionally handsome today.

    Could her lunatic husband possibly have been cured?

    He Changdi hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to stare directly at him without any reserve or shyness. His originally rxed mood slowly turned tense once again. While his eyes still seemed like dark, icy pools, his neck and the tips of his ears were flushing red,pletely out of his control.

    Chu Lian noticed his reaction and found it fun, so she simply continued staring.

    They were husband and wife anyway and He Changdi was a good-looking man after all. Since she couldn¡¯t consummate their marriage, wasn¡¯t she at least allowed to admire her eye candy as much as she wanted?

    He Changdi felt trapped by Chu Lian¡¯s gaze. He felt ufortable at the start and he was about to speak up to reprimand this wicked woman about her unreserved staring. Such ¡®loose¡¯ behaviour was unbing of a nobledy.

    As his eyes wandered about the inside of the tent a little absentmindedly, his tense gaze abruptly concentrated on one spot.

    That familiar-looking blue leather-bound book seemed to leap into view, causing not only his neck and ears, but even his entire face to turn red in a full-on blush.

    That Xiao Hongyu! He was going to take that brat to task!

    He Changdi shared a tent with Xiao Hongyu, so he knew that that damn brat liked to read that blue leather book at night while hiding under themp, acting like some sneak thief.

    He only had to nce at it once or twice before realising what it was. It was just some lewd drawings. He wasn¡¯t interested and hadn¡¯t minded Xiao Hongyu¡¯s reading at all before this. However, the fact that it was lying in such an obvious spot today didn¡¯t bode well for him.

    That wicked woman Chu Lian must have discovered it. She might even have opened it! That shameless, wicked woman! She actually looked at those sorts of drawings!

    Surely that wicked woman didn¡¯t think that this naughty book was his?

 Chapter 338: The First Kiss (1)

    Although the changes in He Sang¡¯s expression weren¡¯t obvious, Chu Lian had been watching him all this time, so she noticed how the glint in his eyes had changed. When she followed He Sang¡¯s line of sight, the crude naughty book that she had casually thrown onto the side table came into view.

    Chu Lian blinked as curiosity welled up inside her.

    He Changdi normally seemed like a cool and aloof type of guy. She had never seen him smiling openly even in front of Matriarch He. Would a man as icy and reserved as He Sang really read that kind of book?

    Of course, Chu Lian didn¡¯t intend to judge him. He was a man after all and it was prettymon for them to watch a few ¡®movies¡¯ here and there. In the modern world, they might even have an entire hard disk¡¯s worth of ¡®movies¡¯ featuring their idols!

    She was simply curious. Chu Lian was definitely not going to admit that this was one of her stranger interests.

    He Changdi¡¯s body stiffened slightly. He shifted his gaze away from that blue leather-bound book forcefully. He then stood up abruptly and walked over to Chu Lian¡¯s other side before sitting down again.

    With his height and the armour he was wearing, as long as he bent his body forward slightly, he could block Chu Lian¡¯s view of that blue book on the table.

    Chu Lian looked at him strangely, ¡°Why did you shift to the other side so suddenly?¡±

    He Changdi cast a quick nce over and met Chu Lian¡¯s perplexed gaze. It was only then that he pretended to be calm and collected as he replied, ¡°I¡¯m more used to sitting on this side.¡±

    Chu Lian muttered to herself, ¡°What a weird habit. Aren¡¯t you still sitting on the same bed?¡±

    When He Sang saw that Chu Lian hadn¡¯t mentioned the little blue book at all, he heaved a sigh of relief inwardly. However, since he was leaning his body a little sideways, his current pose seemed rather strange.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t realised why He Sang had moved at first. It was only when she turned her gaze in the direction of the side table that she realised what had happened.

    Her first reaction was to burst out intoughter within her mind. This lunatic husband of hers was trying to bury his head in the sand and ignore the book?

    He Sang hadn¡¯t even fully rxed when Chu Lian¡¯s uniquely soft tone rang out, ¡°So you like looking at lewd drawings?¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s cool and handsome face instantly exploded into a furious blush that covered his entire face. His skin was the type that tended towards lighter tones, so the flush of red was extremely obvious.

    Chu Lian watched the changes on He Sang¡¯s face in surprise. She finally understood what the phrase ¡®ripe as a peach¡¯ meant.

    He Changdi¡¯s deep and serious eyes were now filled with embarrassment.

    His lips were pressed so tightly together that they formed a thin line. His face got redder and redder. After a moment of struggle, he managed to spit out a single sentence, ¡°That book¡¯s not mine.¡±

    Chu Lian was already rolling on the floor inughter within her mind. She was holding on to thest vestiges of her calm facade with all her might. She hadn¡¯t expected He Changdi to be so cute when embarrassed, so she hadn¡¯t been able to hold back her impulse to tease him just now.

    ¡°I found that book under your bed, so who else could it belong to? Who would put a book like that under someone else¡¯s bed?¡±

    He just knew that this would happen! It was in this wicked woman¡¯s nature to be utterly infuriating!

    He had clearly been telling the truth, yet she refused to believe a single word of it.

    Frustration built up within He Sang¡¯s chest. However, there was no way for him to let it out. His current expression was extremely entertaining.

    Chu Lian just couldn¡¯t resist throwing in another jab, ¡°There aren¡¯t any women in most military camps, so it¡¯s normal to look at these kinds of books. But there¡¯s nothing much to this one.¡±

    There were just some normal positions shown in that book. They didn¡¯t even change the backgrounds of the drawings; it was too primitive.

    Upon hearing Chu Lian¡¯s statement, a dangerous glint started shining in He Changdi¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°So you looked inside?¡± He abruptly cut in with a sinister-sounding tone.

 Chapter 339: First Kiss (2)

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t detected the change in his mood, so she openly admitted her doings, ¡°Mm, I flipped through it.¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s eyes instantly opened wide. His face was still flushed as he pointed at Chu Lian with a trembling hand, ¡°You... Chu Lian, you loose woman...!¡±

    Ah?

    It was Chu Lian¡¯s turn to open her eyes wide. Just looking at some lewd drawings was enough to condemn her as a loose woman? They were such lousy drawings too.

    A corner of her lips tugged downwards. Or should she say that this lunatic husband of hers was just too inexperienced?

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t care about He Sang¡¯s reprimand at all. She simply rolled her eyes wordlessly. ¡°Isn¡¯t your book too low quality?¡± Even with such poor quality, He Sang was still hiding it like it was some treasure.

    He Changdi almost exploded on the spot upon hearing that. His frustration was stuck in his chest with nowhere to go. That chattering mouth of hers was really annoying as well. His pupils contracted; he finally lost control of his emotions and grabbed her shoulders before sweeping her up in a fierce kiss.

    Chu Lian had just been in the middle of enjoying He Sang¡¯s blushing a second ago. In the next instant, her mind wentpletely nk.

    She could feel the pressure of something soft and slightly cool on her lips. She blinked once, then twice, before she finally came to her senses.

    He Sang was kissing her by force!

    She immediately put her hands on He Changdi¡¯s chest and instinctively struggled as she tried to push him away.

    However, He Changdi¡¯s palms were so strong that they seemed to be made of steel. They held onto her slender shoulders so that she couldn¡¯t move.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t understand what kind of fit he was having now.

    The fires of He Sang¡¯s rage were still burning brightly. If he were to let go of her mouth and let her continue speaking, who knew what new ways she would find to infuriate him? Thus, he simply kept her mouth upied.

    He still hadn¡¯t realised that his heart was beating tremendously fast while he was kissing Chu Lian.

    He Changdi was still a virgin after all. He didn¡¯t even know how to kiss, let alone act out the scenes shown in that naughty little book. When he realised that Chu Lian was struggling, his only reaction was to press his lips even more forcefully onto hers, as if he could subdue her by doing so. How naive.

    Although the mouth that was always filled with words meant to provoke him was annoying, it tasted rahter good. He wondered what Chu Lian had just eaten. There was an addictively sweet taste on her soft, supple lips that drew him back time and time again for more.

    Chu Lian made muffled sounds ofint. Their teeth were grinding against each other, so she was feeling very ufortable. However, He Sang was like a bull locked on his target, he just tried going forward without turning back.

    While wailing in her heart, Chu Lian had no choice but to part her lips slightly so she could catch He Changdi¡¯s upper lip between her own, giving herself a chance to breathe.

    He Sang reacted as if he had just been struck by lightning. His body stiffened unconsciously as enlightenment seemed to have dawned upon him from the heavens.

    It was easy for men to grasp what to do in these kinds of situations without any prior experience. Chu Lian¡¯s simple action had somehow opened a gateway in his mind; He Changdi had somehow managed to gain insight into the art of kissing in a mere instant.

    He mounted a counterattack, causing Chu Lian to lose her advantageous position and face a pending defeat.

    By the time He Changdi finally let go of her, Chu Lian¡¯s lips had already turned red and swollen...

    Chu Lian was a little annoyed. She covered her lips and red fiercely at He Sang. ¡°He Changdi! Would it kill you to be gentle?¡±

    It was He Sang¡¯s first time experiencing something so wonderful. He had still been panting for breath while immersed in the recollection of the sweet taste on his lips. Chu Lian¡¯sint snapped him back to reality and caused his expression to darken, as if his pride as a man had been questioned.

    However, he did feel a little guilty, since he hadn¡¯t known how to kiss at all at the start. It was onlyter on that he had discovered the true technique of kissing, so he held back his retort. After struggling for a moment, he finally managed to reply with a subdued, ¡°I¡¯ll be gentler next time...¡±

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes.

    She muttered to herself, ¡°There won¡¯t be a next time!¡±

    Although it was just a kiss, it felt like she had almost beenpletely eaten up by him. That feeling was just too scary.

 Chapter 340: Having a Meal Together (1)

    He Sang¡¯s senses were quite sharp. Although Chu Lian had spoken in a low mutter, he still managed to catch it with his hearing. His thick brows drew together to express his clear displeasure at Chu Lian¡¯s words.

    ¡°Chu Lian, what did you say?¡±

    Chu Lian covered her mouth and gave off an awkward titter. She leaned her body away from He Sang¡¯s and quickly replied, ¡°Nothing.¡±

    She didn¡¯t dare to provoke him any longer. He Sang was just too dangerous right now. Chu Lian was smart enough not to bait the tiger in its den.

    When He Changdi saw that he had somehow managed to survive this whole turn of events, he breathed a sigh of relief in his mind. He stood up, walked over to the small table and pretended to bump into the table ¡®identally¡¯, causing the little blue book to drop into the brazier ced conveniently next to the table. The book was instantly consumed by the mes within.

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes. Anyone with eyes could tell that He Sang had done that on purpose.

    He Changdi turned his body towards hers and stated in a calm tone, ¡°I bumped it identally. Never mind, it¡¯s no loss if it burns.¡±

    It really was no loss to He Sang. He couldn¡¯t wait to see it disappear from the face of the earth. Xiao Hongyu was likely the only one who would cry over the loss.

    His veryst book of obscene drawings had been burned into ashes. He must be destiny¡¯s favourite ything!

    While standing outside the tent, Wenqing and Wen secretly exchanged nces. After confirming that there weren¡¯t abnormal soundsing from within the tent, they announced their return.

    ¡°Third Young Master, Third Young Madam, we servants have brought back your meals.¡±

    Chu Lian fixed her disarrayed hair before calling Wenqing and Wen in.

    Wenqing moved the small table over to where the couple was seated. Wen then took out the dishes from within the box they had brought over and ced them on the table. While Wenqing busied herself with setting out chopsticks and bowls for the couple, she exined, ¡°Captain Guo sent a message saying that something came up and that he won¡¯t be able to apany Third Young Madam for the meal. This servant is to inform you that Lieutenant Xiao has also gone over to Captain Guo¡¯s side.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded with a slight upward tilt of her lips. It seemed like the officers of the Right Wing Army were really good at reading the situation. They seemed to be letting her and He Changdi have some private time to themselves!

    She stopped her wandering thoughts and turned her gaze to the table in front of her instead. When she looked at the simple- almost crude- dishes disyed on the table¡¯s surface, she eximed in surprise, ¡°Is this what you eat normally?¡±

    Although He Sang¡¯s position in the army wasn¡¯t very high, he was still an elite captain whomanded a few hundred men. Surely his meals shouldn¡¯t be this poor.

    He Changdi shot a nce at her and nodded.

    What he left unsaid was that these dishes were likely what Captain Guo had specially ordered the cookhouse to send them, considering that Chu Lian was a special guest.

    Chu Lian eyed the wheat pancakes before her, which looked as hard as bricks, and some unknown food that was so charred that she couldn¡¯t tell what it had originally been. The nicest-looking dish was probably the te of broiled preserved meat in the center.

    Although there was steam rising from the dishes, Chu Lian lost all appetite from the whiff that she got.

    When He Changdi saw that her brows had creased together, he wasn¡¯t too eager to start the meal either. He asked, ¡°No appetite?¡±

    After thinking for a bit, he understood what had happened. To the soldiers here in the north, the taste of Chu Lian¡¯s normal fare would be heavenly or almost inconceivable. How would she be able to swallow these military rations?

    Wenqing and Wen felt anxious for their young mistress. Even they couldn¡¯t muster up any appetite looking at these dishes, let alone their Third Young Madam!

    After a slight pause, He Sang turned to Wenqing and Wen. ¡°Go and cook something else for your Third Young Madam.¡±

    He turned to Chu Lian, who was sitting opposite him, and gave her a suggestion: ¡°If you¡¯re feeling hungry, why don¡¯t you have some honey water first?¡± He knew that Chu Lian had the habit of drinking honey water.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t really want to eat the food served here in the northern border camp. However, when she looked at the food on the table, she could tell that they had been given enough for two. The northern border troops were alreadycking in supplies, so it wouldn¡¯t be good to waste any of it.

    She reached out and pointed at the tes.

    ¡°Then what about these?¡±

 Chapter 341: Having a Meal Together (2)

    He Sang looked at the crude porcin bowl in front of her. He took her bowl and put it in front of himself before replying in his usual maic tone, ¡°I¡¯ll eat these. Wait for Wenqing and Wen to make you something else.¡±

    After saying so, He Changdi took up the bowl of charred mystery food and started gulping it down furiously.

    Chu Lian saw that he had put the less perishable wheat pancakes and salted meat to one side and had only put the two bowls of mystery food in front of himself. She could guess at what he was intending to do. He Sang was going to finish the two bowls of charred stuff by himself in order not to waste food.

    Her chest felt heavy for some reason and she started to feel pity for He Changdi.

    Chu Lian suddenly called out and stopped the maidservants who were about to go out to look for a ce to cook.

    Wenqing and Wen looked at Chu Lian strangely, ¡°Do you have any other orders, Third Young Madam?¡±

    Chu Lian shook her head, ¡°There¡¯s no need to go to the trouble. I¡¯ll eat these.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t as if she was a spoiled princess who couldn¡¯t bear the slightest bit of suffering. Since thousands of men in the army were eating these every day and even He Changdi was eating this kind of food, then why couldn¡¯t she do the same?

    Wenqing and Wen¡¯s eyes widened. They couldn¡¯t believe that their Third Young Madam, who would rather starve than eat something terrible, would actually choose to eat such unappetising food. However, since their master had given the order, they couldn¡¯t disobey her. They retreated outside the tent so as not to disturb the young couple.

    He Changdi clearly hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to actually eat this poor fare.

    He remained stunned for a second before recovering his sense. Thinking that Chu Lian was only interested in the food because he was gulping it down quickly, he gave her a kind reminder, ¡°Chu Lian, don¡¯t look at how quickly I¡¯m eating this. Actually, it doesn¡¯t really taste that good. It¡¯s like heaven and earthpared to your cooking.¡±

    Chu Lian looked at him before pointing at the bowl he had taken from her, ¡°Pass it to me.¡±

    He Sang had no other choice but to follow her order. He knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to convince her at this point. He thought for a moment before pouring half of the mystery food from her bowl into his own. He then told Wenqing to pour a bowl of warm water for them.

    He ced the bowl in front of Chu Lian before speaking up in a light and casual tone, as if he wasn¡¯t concerned at all. However, anyone would be able to sense the care in his words.

    ¡°This bean paste doesn¡¯t taste good and you¡¯re probably not used to this kind of taste. Just have a little taste of it. The wheat pancakes are too hard, so tear them up and soak them in the warm water before you eat them. You can have some of the salted meat as well.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded and took her bowl from him. She looked at the ck substance that she now knew was ¡®bean paste¡¯ and gulped. Following that, she used her spoon to scoop up some bean paste and ced it gingerly into her mouth. Almost immediately, that weird taste overwhelmed her tongue and she almost spit out the paste in her mouth. In the end, she forced herself to swallow it. After managing that feat, she quickly drank some warm water to wash away the lingering taste in her mouth.

    She was absolutely shocked at the taste of this strange bean paste. She had no idea how it was made either. The taste of it was almost at the level of Surstr?mming, one of the worst foods in the world.

    As much as Chu Lian had tried to mentally prepare herself, she just couldn¡¯t summon the courage to take a second bite out of the small bowl of bean paste in front of her.

    The hint of a smile could be seen in the crease of He Sang¡¯s eyes, a rarity for the normally icy-faced man. He took Chu Lian¡¯s bowl back and pushed the bowl of wheat pancakes to Chu Lian. ¡°Eat this instead!¡±

    He took out a fine-looking dagger from his waist band and cut off a few pieces from the salted meat with practiced movements before putting them in her bowl.

    ¡°If it¡¯s tasteless to you, then take a bite of salted meat.¡±

    Chu Lian nibbled at a wheat pancake and heaved a sigh of relief upon finding that it tasted pretty normal. Although it couldn¡¯t be considered delicious, it was like gourmet foodpared to the bean paste.

    While taking small bites from the pancake, she nced at He Changdi from time to time. She watched as he expressionlessly finished off the two bowls of bean paste and cut off a small piece of salted meat. He chewed on the salted meat for a while before setting down his chopsticks.

 Chapter 342: Getting Angry (1)

    Chu Lian had always been picky with her food. Although she managed to force herself to eat a little bit of each dish in front of her, she could feel her limits and sensibly set down her chopsticks after a few bites.

    He Sang didn¡¯t say anything upon noticing her actions. He simply took her leftover wheat pancake and finished it.

    Chu Lian blinked and watched as He Changdi ate all of her leftovers with a coldly handsome face. She felt both embarrassed and guilty at the same time.

    In order to lessen her awkwardness, Chu Lian tried to start up a conversation. ¡°So this is what all the officers in this camp eat every day?¡±

    He Changdi finished drinking all the warm water left in the bowl and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief that Wen passed over before turning to look at the young and weak woman in front of him.

    The wicked woman¡¯s doe-like eyes were shining brightly, like a little creature filled with curiosity.

    He Sang shifted his gaze away as casually as he could before carefully replying, ¡°Mm, even the great general is no exception.¡±

    Chu Lian wailed in her heart at the bleakness of his answer. However, she also found it strange. Even the unpaid volunteer forces formed to fight against sudden rebellions, like the Hunan Army from history, wouldn¡¯t be forced into conditions where they only had bean paste to eat and no grains at all. While He Sang¡¯s position wasn¡¯t very high, he was still a captain. She hade today with an imperial decree to bring them supplies, so Great General Qian had specially invited her to stay for a meal. They wouldn¡¯t normally wee their guests with such poor fare, what more an Honoured Lady representing the Empress Dowager.

    However, all they had sent over were these dishes...

    They had been given some salted meat and wheat pancakes at least. But what about the lowest ranked soldiers?

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes abruptly widened into huge circles. She gulped and suddenly moved over to He Changdi¡¯s side.

    When Wenqing and Wen noticed their young madam¡¯s sudden action, they were stunned for a moment before their cheeks flushed red and they quickly retreated out of the tent.

    Absence really did make the heart grow fonder. Third Young Madam hadn¡¯t gotten enough alone time with Third Young Master.

    When Chu Lian sat down next to He Changdi, she even squeezed closer to him, as if they weren¡¯t already close enough.

    All He Changdi could smell right now was Chu Lian¡¯s uniquely refreshing and sweet scent. His entire body froze instantly as he tried to figure out what Chu Lian was trying to do.

    He wanted to push the wicked woman away, but his hands just refused to listen to him.

    Her familiar scent drew him back to the memories of that wonderful kiss from before.

    The tips of He Sang¡¯s ears turned red and he gulped unconsciously, causing his Adam¡¯s apple to move noticeably.

    The depths of his pupils seemed to turn even darker as his eyes darted towards Chu Lian¡¯s tender, pink lips. However, Chu Lian¡¯s next words made him drop his wayward thoughtspletely.

    ¡°He Sang, tell me honestly, is the border army running out of food?¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s body seemed to have frozen into a statue-like stillness. His eyes narrowed dangerously and he grabbed Chu Lian¡¯s arm with hisrge hand. In a deep and icy tone, he questioned, ¡°How do you know that?!¡±

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t noticed his strange mood yet; her only reaction was to widen her eyes as shock filled her heart. So it was true!

    ¡°Didn¡¯t your manservant Laiyue follow you here to the northern border? Howe I haven¡¯t seen him these few days?¡± Laiyue definitely wasn¡¯t in the camp. Otherwise, he should havee out to wee her in He Changdi¡¯s stead by now. However, he wasn¡¯t at Liangzhou¡¯s He Estate either... Chu Lian¡¯s eyes lit up.

    ¡°You¡¯ve sent him out to secure supplies?¡± Chu Lian¡¯s bright and sparkling eyes were filled with certainty as she looked up at He Changdi.

    However, the sight that met her eyes was enough to make her tremble in fright.

    The look in He Sang¡¯s eyes was cold. He looked exactly like the day they had first met, back on their wedding night, as if he wanted to chew her up and spit out her blood. Back then, when he had almost strangled her to death...

    Goosebumps rose on Chu Lian¡¯s head and she subconsciously took a step back, trying to distance herself from the danger before her.

    However, He Changdi maintained his tight hold on her upper arm and refused to let her move. His dangerous gaze was locked onto Chu Lian¡¯s eyes, as if he was trying to see into her heart and all her thoughts with his eyes alone!

    He asked again, ¡°How. Do. You. Know. That!¡± His tone was even more sinister than the first time.

    He had been able to make preparations in advance because he had experienced it in his previous life, but how had Chu Lian been able to find out about theck of supplies?

 Chapter 343: Getting Angry (2)

    By now, Chu Lian had realised that there was something wrong with He Sang. However, she still didn¡¯t know how she had triggered him.

    She pushed at the hand grasping her arm and pitifullyined, ¡°Can¡¯t you loosen up a little? You¡¯re hurting me! What do you mean, how do I know that? No need for someone to tell me; anyone with a brain would be able to guess it! If the meal they sent to wee me as an envoy of the Empress Dowager looks like this, then what could the normal soldiers be eating?¡±

    He Changdi continued his one-sided, fierce staring contest, even as Chu Lian gave him a wounded look. Just as she was about to let loose a furious scolding and start struggling, he finally let go.

    In his past life, that wicked woman had cast a shadow over his heart, and a tremendous amount of fear still remained within him. Now that he realised he was somehow starting to care for this wicked woman- that is, if she was truly just this lifetime¡¯s Chu Lian- he was both afraid and uncertain. He was so very scared that the Chu Lian in front of him would disappear, only to be reced by the tormentor of his previous life.

    That was why his reaction had been so over the top.

    Chu Lian was still in the dark about the reason behind He Changdi¡¯s abrupt change. She gingerly rubbed her arm and red at the silent lunatic next to her, full ofints.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely bruised! He Sang, what kind of fit are you having?!¡±

    When He Changdi finally came to his senses, the first emotion that came to his mind was regret. He didn¡¯t know how to face Chu Lian, so he bowed his head and let his long, thick eyshes obscure his eyes. It was only after a long moment that he managed to say, ¡°I didn¡¯t do that on purpose.¡±

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes and sighed.

    She called for Wenqing and Wen.

    ¡°Help me up.¡±

    Wenqing carefully helped Chu Lian to her feet. When she touched Chu Lian¡¯s arm, her mistress let out a hiss of pain. Wenqing was startled; she secretly nced at He Changdi.

    Chu Lian straightened out her skirts before turning to the dazed He Sang sitting opposite her. ¡°Husband, it¡¯s gettingte. If I dally any longer, it¡¯ll be dark by the time I return to the He Estate.¡±

    Without giving He Changdi the chance to answer, she turned around and ordered Wenqing and Wen to help her into her cape. She stuffed her hands into her hand warmer before lifting the tent p and leaving the tent.

    Judging by how cold Chu Lian had suddenly be, anyone could tell that there was trouble in paradise.

    When He Changdi saw that Chu Lian had left without even ncing back, his expression turned ugly. He resisted the urge to escort her out. The tent p fell. It was only after it stopped moving that He Changdi raised his arm, preparing to shove over the small table still filled with food.

    However, upon seeing the leftover wheat pancakes and salted meat, he had to hold himself back. In the end, without any other way to vent his anger and frustration, he kicked over the brazier on the side.

    Bright red coals spilled all over the ground. Luckily, the floor of his tent was just bare dirt, so the coals didn¡¯t set fire to anything.

    He Sang stared at the rolling hot coals on the ground with a dark look in his eyes. He paced around the tent twice in anger before sitting back down on his bed.

    The originally hard, damp bedding had turned into a soft and warm one. The fleece nketid out on top was even morefortable than the one he had brought with him from the capital. There were also flowers embroidered on the nket, so he could tell that it belonged to a woman.

    He Sang brushed the surface of the bed with his long fingers before checking the insides of his mattress. The mess of dried grass within had disappeared, reced by a soft woollen nket.

    As the image of that wicked woman gritting her teeth and recing his bedding for him came to mind, he could no longer sit still. He mmed the bed with his fist in ast show of temper before grabbing his cloak and dashing out of the tent after Chu Lian.

 Chapter 344: Lacking Supplies (1)

    As He Sang exited his tent, he happened to bump into Sima Hui. When Sima Hui noticed He Sang, she pulled her horse along and quickly strode over with a smile on her lips. She was about to greet him when He Sang simply moved right past her.

    Sima Hui¡¯s hand hung frozen in the air. An awkward expression appeared on her face.

    Sima Hui could only return to the main camp in a gloomy mood, disappointed. After giving her report in themander¡¯s tent, she met her adjutant Xiaoyan and two other female soldiers who had been waiting outside.

    Her adjutant¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t very good. Her hands were red from frostbite and her eyes were both reddened and swollen from tears. When Sima Hui saw the state that Xiaoyan was in, her expression changed immediately. ¡°What happened?¡±

    Xiaoyan simply looked down and bit her lip without speaking, which only emphasised her pitiful appearance.

    In the end, the female soldiers behind her were the first to lose their patience. They immediately began to spill theirints. ¡°General, you have to mete out justice for Sister Xiaoyan and your subordinates.¡±

    Sima Hui took a deep breath to control her anger. Then, she ordered, ¡°Follow me back to camp and exin everything there.¡±

    The three women obediently agreed and followed behind Sima Hui as they made their way back to their own tent.

    When her subordinates finally finished reporting the entire chain of events, Sima Hui looked up at Xiaoyan, who was standing before her. She hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Xiaoyan, tell me if what they said was true.¡±

    The adjutant Xiaoyan didn¡¯t know what was going on. Although the general¡¯s voice was as gentle as usual, she could feel her heart tightening with apprehension.

    She sent a careful nce at Sima Hui before gritting her teeth and nodding. ¡°Miss, everything they said is true. Honoured Lady Jinyi didn¡¯t show you a single ounce of respect. She even made trouble for this servant on purpose. She might have something against you because of Captain He.¡±

    Her young miss had always protected her; she couldn¡¯t even count the number of times she had done so. Xiaoyan believed that this time would be no exception. As long as her young miss wanted to fight for the man, with her around to plot for her young miss, Captain He was practically in the bag already.

    Xiaoyan was brimming with self-confidence. However, this time, she might really have overestimated her own value.

    Disappointment shed through Sima Hui¡¯s eyes. She briefly hesitated before finally saying, ¡°Xiaoyan, you know what your punishment should be. Go and mete it out yourself. I won¡¯t need you to serve by my side any longer; let Xiaoju take your ce.¡±

    Sima Hui wasn¡¯t a stupid person. There was a reason why she had managed to earn the position of general at such a young age.

    While Old General Sima had been alive, he had personally taught her everything he knew. Later on, she had also spent almost five years in the army, starting from the lowest rank. Xiaoyan had grown up together with her and had served her as her personal handmaid for all that time. Although she had already gotten used to spoiling Xiaoyan, Sima Hui still stood by her own principles. Xiaoyan had crossed the line and Sima Hui had no mercy for offenders.

    Xiaoyan had thought to borrow her general¡¯s power to intimidate Chu Lian. She assumed that her long years of service would lessen any consequences. Even if her mistress found out the truth, the worst punishment she would receive would only amount to a light reprimand. Xiaoyan never expected her mistress to dismiss her directly from her personal service. That punishment was even worse than sentencing her to fifty strikes of the rod.

    Xiaoyan¡¯s previous calm instantly turned into panic and fear. ¡°Miss, if this servant has done something to displease you, please punish this servant directly! Please don¡¯t send this servant away! The old general has already gone; this servant only has one master left!¡±

    This time, Sima Hui remained unmoved by her pleas. With a wave of her hand, her two female guards stuffed Xiaoyan¡¯s mouth with cloth and took her away.

    As for the two remaining female soldiers, when they saw how Xiaoyan had ended up, they lost all the courage to speak. They knelt down and lowered their heads, trembling with fear. Without any prompting from Sima Hui, they began to beg for mercy as they cried, ¡°General, it was Sister Xiaoyan who ordered us to do everything. It wasn¡¯t our idea at all! General, please have mercy on us!¡±

    Sima Hui¡¯s handsome face was all cold. Her brows were drawn together and her eyes were filled with fatigue and disappointment.

    With another wave of her hand, the two remaining female soldiers were also taken away. To their dismissal, Sima Hui included an additional order. ¡°Take these two to Captain He¡¯s tent and let him decide their punishment.¡±

 Chapter 345: Lacking Supplies (2)

    There was only silence in her warm tent, now. After a few days and nights of fighting, she should have long been sound asleep in bed, but Sima Hui wasn¡¯t sleepy at all. She listened to the north wind howling outside her tent with a bitter and helpless feeling in her heart.

    Actually, when she had returned to the main tent, Xiaoju had already reported the day¡¯s events to her. She just hadn¡¯t expected Xiaoyan to have betrayed her expectations so badly.

    The corner of Sima Hui¡¯s lips tugged downwards bitterly. Xiaoyan had been too naive. Honoured Lady Jinyi had managed to teach them a lesson with nary a change in expression. How could someone like that be taken down by such a weak scheme?

    A few moments ago, when she had passed by the hurried Captain He, he had most likely been chasing after that Honoured Lady Jinyi.

    She was a little curious about this Honoured Lady Jinyi now.

    As Sima Hui immersed herself in her thoughts, Xiaoju brought over some food.

    She knew that her young miss was still angry over Xiaoyan, so Xiaoju was even more careful and conscientious in her service. ¡°General, please eat. You haven¡¯t eaten anything since you¡¯ve returned!¡±

    Sima Hui took a deep breath to calm her emotions and nodded.

    When she picked up the silver chopsticks on the table, her gaze took in the food disyed before her.

    Sima Hui was momentarily stunned. She asked, ¡°Why isn¡¯t there any rice today?¡±

    Although Sima Hui¡¯s ancestors were from Shandong, her likings were more akin to her mother¡¯s, who hade from the southern parts of the country where there were manykes and rivers. She loved rice. When she had the luxury to, she would rarely eat things made of flour as her main dish.

    It was usually Xiaoju who took care of her clothing and food in the main camp. She usually had rice or porridge for all three meals of the day. However, there wasn¡¯t a single grain of rice in any of the dishes before her. What was going on?

    Xiaoju sunk into silence, but after a moment, she said, ¡°General, we¡¯ve used up all the rice we brought with us.¡±

    Sima Hui paused in thought for a short while, but ultimately, she didn¡¯t say anything. She picked up a wheat pancake and bit into it. In the end, she had to pair it with water before she managed to swallow the tough pancake.

    She looked again at the other dishes. There was a small saucer of some sort of ck sauce and half a te of salted meat. She set down the wheat pancake in her hands and asked, ¡°Is this what all the officers in camp eat every day?¡±

    With Xiaoyan¡¯s example before her, Xiaoju didn¡¯t dare to hide anything from her general.

    ¡°Yes, this is what this servant was given by the cooks in camp. Even the great general himself eats food like this. The dried meat and sauce were specially given to you because of General Qian¡¯s orders.¡±

    Sima Hui¡¯s brows furrowed. Her gut told her that something wasn¡¯t right.

    ¡°Other than those under mymand, what do the normal soldiers eat?¡±

    ¡°For the soldiers who aren¡¯t deployed at the frontlines, they get two bowls of bean porridge and one wheat pancake each day. The soldiers at the frontlines get three meals a day and each meal consists of one wheat pancake and a bowl of bean porridge.¡±

    Upon getting this answer, Sima Hui¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°When did the border troops start eating bean porridge?!¡±

    Xiaoju was much more reliable than Xiaoyan. She had a conscientious personality, so she normally scouted for more news in camp.

    ¡°They started eating bean porridge even before we arrived. However, that had only been for one meal a day back then. There was also some rice porridge in the morning and night. However, since the end ofst month, the camp haspletely stopped eating rice. The quartermaster said that they¡¯re saving the grains to pass the winter.¡±

    Sima Hui wasn¡¯t that naive. Her expression was full of worry. She stood up and walked over the tent entrance. The moment she lifted the p, a bone-piercingly cold wind came barrelling in from outside,plete with ice and snow. It was enough to make anyone shiver.

    Saving supplies? Who would start saving supplies in winter? Their men would freeze to death if they tried to cut back in this cold weather.

    She was afraid that their supplies had most likely run dry...

 Chapter 346: He Sanlang Doesnâ€™t Know How to Placate His Wife (1)

    Not long after Chu Lian¡¯s carriage had left the camp, He Changdi came chasing after her on a horse with two of his subordinates in tow.

    There was a brazier burning within the carriage, but it was still cold and breezy. In the northern border, it was so cold that spit would turn into ice the moment it hit the ground. The fleece rug and nkets that had originally been ced inside the carriage had been used to rece He Changdi¡¯s bedding, so all that was left were bare wooden boards. Chu Lian wasn¡¯t used to the cold and hard interior yet.

    Wenqing heard the sound of hurried hoofbeats outside the carriage, so she lifted the curtain slightly to peek outside. Her face lit up with happiness and she turned to Chu Lian. While speaking, she adjusted therge fur cloak on her mistress properly. ¡°Third Young Madam, Third Young Master hase to send you off.¡±

    Chu Lian was still angry at that lunatic husband of hers and had no desire to see him at this point. All she did was harrumph in reaction to Wenqing¡¯s words.

    Wenqing started getting anxious when she saw Third Young Madam¡¯s reaction. However, there was nothing she could do.

    Chu Lian was intent on stewing in her anger in the carriage. Meanwhile, He Sang had never been a man who was good at cating his wife, let alone after reincarnating from his previous life. The thought of shamelessly begging his wife for forgiveness had never even crossed his mind. Thus, he kept his face cold and continued following by Chu Lian¡¯s carriage on his horse, escorting her silently all the way back to the He Estate in Liangzhou City.

    He dismounted from his horse and stood by the carriage. It wasn¡¯t until he finally saw Chu Lian as she was being helped down from the carriage by Wen, that his deep, dark gaze finally lit up with some life. He moved forward with some urgency, intending to help Chu Lian, but when he received a fierce re from his wife in return, he pulled his hand back.

    As he was right now, He Sang looked like a poor dog who had been abandoned by his master...

    After Chu Lian red at him, she simply walked straight into the He Estate without Wenqing and Wen¡¯s support, treating He Changdi as if he was thin air.

    He Sang stood silently by the entrance of the estate as the cold winter winds blew past.

    The two subordinates who had followed after him lowered their heads with scared looks on their faces, afraid that their captain would turn around to take his anger out on them instead.

    Damn it, which brat had told them that there would be good food to eat if they apanied the captain to the He Estate!? They were going to kill him when they got back to camp!

    He Changdi continued staring in the direction that Chu Lian had left in, his thin lips pressed tightly together. His hands curled into fists at his side. The small trace of warmth in his eyes disappeared and his expression turned cold and dark.

    Just like this, he stood by the entrance of the estate without going in nor leaving, as if the howling icy winds would be able to calm the swirling emotions in his heart.

    After fifteen minutes, Chu Lian could no longer sit still. She wasn¡¯t the kind of girl to y cold wars with others anyway. She had done so with He Changdi because that fool had deserved it!

    When Wenqing noticed that Third Young Madam seemed a little distracted, she quickly took the chance to ask, ¡°Third Young Madam, we haven¡¯t heard any sound of hoofbeats. It¡¯s still snowing outside right now, wouldn¡¯t it be unbearable to stand out there in the cold? Third Young Master might be sent back out to the frontlines to fight our enemies too...¡±

    Before Wenqing could finish speaking, Chu Lian had already interrupted her.

    ¡°Go out and give him some stuff!¡±

    Seeing that Third Young Madam had finally given in, Wenqing¡¯s face brightened up with joy. She quickly called Wen to follow her out to prepare a package. Just as they were about to leave, Chu Lian quickly added on, ¡°Don¡¯t tell him that it was my order! I¡¯m still angry here! And I haven¡¯t forgiven him! It¡¯s just... for the sake of his efforts on the frontlines.¡±

    Wenqing resisted the urge to smile and respectfully agreed.

    As Wenqing rushed towards the estate entrance with a package in hand, she spotted Manager Qin standing to one side awkwardly. When Manager Qin noticed her arrival, he reacted as if he had seen his saviour.

    ¡°Is Young Master still standing at the entrance?¡± Wenqing asked in a whisper.

    Manager Qin nodded with a troubled expression. ¡°Miss Wenqing, please try to convince Third Young Master to return. Those two soldiers standing behind Third Young Master look like they¡¯re about to freeze.¡±

    Wenqing told him to return to the estate first, while she hurried towards the entrance.

 Chapter 347: He Sanlang Doesnâ€™t Know How to Placate His Wife (2)

    He Changdi had been standing at the entrance with his hands to his back for quite some time by now. When he caught sight of Wenqing from the corner of his eyes, the hopes that he had been harbouring secretly in his heart were dashed.

    By the time Wenqing finished bobbing in greeting to her young master, all that greeted her in return was her young master¡¯s icy voice, ¡°What have youe here for?¡±

    Wenqing was afraid that Third Young Master would mistake her intentions, so she quickly exined, ¡°Third Young Master, this servant hase under Third Young Madam¡¯s orders.¡±

    He Sang¡¯s stiff expression rxed a little upon hearing this. He shifted awkwardly on the spot before giving his best shot at feigning a casual tone, ¡°What did she say?¡±

    Although Wenqing wanted tough, how could she possibly dare to do so?

    She presented the package to He Changdi with both hands, ¡°Third Young Master, Third Young Madam asks for you to return to camp quickly. These are some things that she had this servant prepare for you. Third Young Madam was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t have enough clothes to wear since you gave away your clothes today, so she had these two sets of new clothes prepared.¡±

    As He Changdi took the package from Wenqing, his expression grew a little warmer. He hesitated for a moment, but he couldn¡¯t resist asking in the end, ¡°Is your young madam still angry with me?¡±

    When Wenqing heard her master actually asking something like this, she took the chance to say, ¡°Third Young Master, this servant has been serving by Third Young Madam¡¯s side for some time now, so this servant understands Third Young Madam¡¯s personality a little. Third Young Madam has always been friendly and easygoing, even with us lowly servants. She always meets everyone with a smile on her face. This servant has seen how much Third Young Madam has suffered on the way here to the northern border, so this servant hopes that Third Young Master might try to understand Third Young Madam¡¯s plight.¡±

    Wenqing¡¯s words made the regret in He Sang¡¯s heart grow even deeper. He pressed his lips together without speaking for a long moment. He finally said, ¡°Go back and take good care of your young madam. Although her ankle is almost healed, she can¡¯t be careless with it.¡±

    Even though He Changdi¡¯s voice was still the same, his tone had changed to a much warmer and gentler one. Wenqing knew that her persuasion had worked. She agreed with a lighter heart, ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, Third Young Master, this servant will take good care of Third Young Madam.¡±

    He Sang hooked his arm through the handle of the package and slung it onto his back. He mounted his horse and led his subordinates away from the He Estate and back to camp.

    If Chu Lian were to find out that Wenqing had exined the situation like that to He Sang, she would surely award her maidservant with a huge eyeroll.

    To be honest, on the whole journey here to the north, she really hadn¡¯t suffered much at all, excluding that sneak attack by the barbarians and Tuhuns. She had made enough preparations and Tang Yan was a capable man. They hadn¡¯tcked for anything on the way here. Although they had travelled as fast as they could, it couldn¡¯t bepared to the harsh pace that army reinforcements had to travel at.

    She even had the free time to order Wenqing and Wen to cook something appetising each time they had stopped for a break. All she had done on the journey here was to eat and look at the pretty scenery. It was much better than some budget backpacking trips back in the modern world.

    After urging his horse on with his whip, He Changdi finally managed to return to the main camp before the sun set.

    Once he reached his tent, he saw that a bunch of his good friends were all waiting for him within.

    Zhang Mai was met with He Changdi¡¯s terrible expression the moment he lifted the curtain p and entered the tent. The corner of his lips curled up and he tsked, ¡°Ay, we single bastards just don¡¯t get the same level of treatment as these happily married fools.¡±

    He pped Xiao Hongyu¡¯s shoulder as the poord was still searching around He Changdi¡¯s bed, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. What are you still searching for? Those lewd drawings of yours are probably ash in the brazier by now.¡±

    Xiao Hongyu immediately let out an anguished wail and copsed onto He Changdi¡¯s soft bed. ¡°Brother He, Sister-in-Law couldn¡¯t possibly have found that book, right?!¡±

    He Sang hadpletely lost all of his dignity as a man in front of Chu Lian today. When Xiao Hongyu fearlessly reminded him of the incident, he sneered sinisterly.

    Author¡¯s Note:

    Snow Mountain Mists: Sang, you can¡¯t go on like this! Come here, mommy will teach you how to make your wife happy!

    He Sang (with a terrible expression): Heh heh!

    Snow Mountain Mists: You brat, you have to work harder. You¡¯re still a virgin even now! ¦Å(©Ð©Ð©n©Ð©Ð)3

    He Sang: ...... (draws sword)

    Snow Mountain Mists: ......¦²(¡ã¡÷¡ã|||)

 Chapter 348: Green Jade Thumb Ring (1)

    Xiao Hongyu immediately ducked behind Zhang Mai after hearing such a sinister sound from He Changdi.

    The wooden chair by the side table was taken up by Captain Guo. The tent was furnished very simply and there weren¡¯t any extra chairs around, so He Changdi could only stand to one side once he joined the group.

    Captain Guo smiled and gave a meaningful look at the fleece nket embroidered with flowers, which clearly didn¡¯t belong to a man, on He Changdi¡¯s bed. He then patted the bedding folded up nearly on the side table and shook his head. ¡°I was worrying about Zixiang¡¯s health, having to sleep on such a cold bed all the time, so I requested for a new set of bedding from the great general. It looks like it¡¯s not needed anymore.¡±

    After saying so, he tossed the bedding to Xiao Hongyu, ¡°How lucky for you, brat!¡±

    Xiao Hongyu chuckled but he didn¡¯t ept the bedding. He turned and pushed it into Zhang Mai¡¯s arms. ¡°Brother Zhang has some old injuries, we can¡¯t let him suffer the cold. I¡¯m still young so that fleece nket that Brother He gave me will be enough for me to pass this winter.¡±

    The sun didn¡¯t shine much out here in the north and temperatures were extremely low. Although Captain Guo and Zhang Mai were only in their thirties and they looked healthy and strong in their armour, the many years of army life had already left unseen marks on their bodies.

    When it was cloudy, rainy or cold, especially in this winter season, their old injuries would re up.

    The court hadn¡¯t been able to send supplies to them, so they were severelycking in not only food, but warm cotton-padded nkets and clothes to survive the winter. Great General Qian had not only personally met Chu Lian out of respect for the Empress Dowager, but also because the supplies that Chu Lian had brought over were just what they needed.

    Even now, many of the foot soldiers didn¡¯t have cotton-padded nkets or clothes. Most of them were using dried grass to make do. This was also why Captain Guo had to go to Great General Qian personally just to request for a set of bedding.

    If this were any other camp, they might still be able to ask the citizens nearby to donate some supplies. However, there weren¡¯t many people in the north they could ask for supplies from. Liangzhou was practically a shell of a city with only their troops left to defend it. Thus, the situation was looking quite bad.

    In the end, the bedding that Captain Guo had brought over ended up with Zhang Mai.

    Captain Guo shot a nce at the package that He Changdi was carrying and smiled. ¡°Seeing how lovey-dovey you and your wife are is making me miss my own. I wonder how she and the kids are doing in the capital.¡±

    All the routes overnd or water had been blocked by the snows. Letters hadn¡¯t been able to pass through for some time. Even the officers like Captain Guo and the rest hadn¡¯t been able to receive any letters from home for a month or two.

    Captain Guo¡¯s words made the originally lively atmosphere in the camp quieten down to a dead silence.

    He Sang¡¯s thoughts were also drawn out. He thought of his grandmother back in the capital, as well as his sickly bedridden mother.

    In the end, Captain Guo realised that the air didn¡¯t seem right and tried to lighten the atmosphere, ¡°Alright, alright. What are you all thinking about? Our fifty thousand brothers-in-arms here in the north all share the same fate now. If all our brothers start bing as gloomy as you guys, then how are we going to fight off the Tuhuns?¡±

    Xiao Hongyu rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, ¡°And who was the one who mentioned that topic in the first ce...¡±

    ¡°Xiao Hongyu! I see that you¡¯re just bent on looking for trouble! Hmph, I¡¯ll loose my temper on you!¡± Captain Guo stood up and acted as if he was going to give Xiao Hongyu two ck eyes.

    After ying around for a bit, the sad atmosphere from beforepletely dissipated.

 Chapter 349: Green Jade Thumb Ring (2)

    He Changdi suddenly spoke up. ¡°Brother Guo, the Tuhun army hasn¡¯t been attacking in full force for the past few days.¡±

    This seemed like a good thing on the surface, almost like the Tuhuns had been scared off by them. While he had been battling on the frontlines during the past few days, He Changdi could clearly feel that the Tuhuns were no longer fighting as furiously. They only sent out small waves of soldiers to mount surprise attacks or harass them, as if they were trying to y for time.

    Captain Guo and the rest frowned.

    Captain Guo rapped the surface of the side table with his knuckles as he mused, ¡°Zixiang, what do you think they¡¯re trying to do?¡±

    Although He Changdi¡¯s features were handsome, his current expression was somber and grave. ¡°They¡¯re trying to drag out the war. I¡¯m afraid they already know about ourck of supplies.¡±

    Captain Guo gave a huge start.

    Their supply routes werepletely blocked, and none of the essential supplies they needed could be sent in. Once the enemies realised the border troops¡¯ situation, they would be sitting ducks here, with only death awaiting them.

    By then, the Tuhuns wouldn¡¯t need to use a single soldier or arrow to capture all fifty thousand border troops without resistance.

    After all, not everyone would be able to keep thinking of serving the country when faced with extreme hunger.

    Captain Guo abruptly stood up. He paced the tent with his hands behind his back in an impulsive mood.

    In a sh, he looked up and swept his gaze across the entire tent. ¡°Continue chatting. I¡¯m going to look for the great general. Remember to watch what you say!¡±

    Actually, Captain Guo wasn¡¯t worried about any loose lips within this group. They were sworn brothers, after all. However, he had to give reminders when he could.

    Captain Guo took his cloak and rushed over to the entrance of the tent. He suddenly turned back and told He Changdi, ¡°Zixiang, General Sima sent over two soldiers for you to punish at night. Take a look at the tent next to this.¡±

    After saying so, he lifted the tent p and left in a flurry of wind.

    Since the atmosphere had turned so grave suddenly, the brothers no longer had any desire to chat. Zhang Mai bid them goodnight and took the bedding back to his own tent.

    He Changdi called one of the soldiers on duty outside and questioned him about what had happened for a moment. Following that, he ordered someone to send the two female soldiers back. He didn¡¯t want to think about what was going on with Sima Hui at this point, nor did he want to have any association with her at all.

    When he returned to camp, Xiao Hongyu came over with a face expecting some gossip. ¡°Brother He, how was it? How did you deal with those two female soldiers? I peeked a bit earlier and one of them is quite pretty.¡±

    He Sang sent a cool nce towards him. ¡°I sent them back.¡±

    ¡°What! Brother He, you let such a tasty morsel slip through your fingers!¡±

    ¡°Did you have something in mind?¡±

    Xiao Hongyu rubbed the back of his round head sheepishly. ¡°Brother He, you have a wife, but I haven¡¯t married one yet!¡±

    He Changdi snorted. ¡°If you want them, go ask General Sima for them yourself.¡±

    Xiao Hongyu stiffened up. ¡°What, you want me to beg that tomboy for them? Forget it, it¡¯s better for me to be single!¡±

    ¡°Good that you realise that!¡±

    Xiao Hongyu was instantly beaten into the dust by those words. He copsed in his bed lifelessly.

    It was only now that He Changdi finally had the time to open up the package that Wenqing had given him.

    Xiao Hongyu secretly watched as He Sang opened up the package, prepared to snatch away anything tasty within.

    Unfortunately, he was left with disappointment. It was just some ordinary clothes within and an exquisite-looking wooden box.

    Xiao Hongyu rarely saw such fine-looking fragrant rosewood boxes, so driven by his curiosity, he came over to see. ¡°Brother He, open it! I want to see what¡¯s inside!¡±

    He Changdi lifted up the wooden box and examined it. The fragrant rosewood box was decorated with fine details. Its surface had been painted over in ck and some auspicious patterns to draw luck for a prosperous career were carved onto it. If the box already looked this exquisite, then what about its contents?

    He Sang was a little fazed. His deep gaze was fixed on the wooden box as if he were trying to see through it.

    He had seen this in his past life before. It was something that he was very familiar with.

    He already knew what was inside without opening it.

    A green Hetian jade thumb ring. The one that Xiao Bojian had carried on his thumb, a perfect match with the one that Chu Lian had frequently worn.

    But now, it hadnded in his hands!

 Chapter 350: Perfect Match (1)

    Although He Sang wasn¡¯t surprised, he still felt ambivalent.

    Xiao Hongyu, on the other hand, didn¡¯t have heavy thoughts brewing in his head like He Changdi. Instead, his curiosity was like a million cat ws scratching at the walls of his heart. He couldn¡¯t sit still any longer and tried to urge He Changdi on. ¡°Brother He, what are you in a daze for? Quick, open it and see what¡¯s inside.¡±

    With such a nice box, surely it wouldn¡¯t turn out to be jewellery? He really couldn¡¯t think of an essory that a man would wear.

    For He Changdi, it was impossible to think with such a noisy guy right next to him. Thus, he abandoned his train of thought and turned his focus to the box. It couldn¡¯t be opened straightforwardly. He Changdi located the hidden mechanism and pressed down, releasing the lock. The exquisitely fragrant rosewood box popped open with a ck.

    Nestled within the dark red silk-lined box was a dark green piece of jade in the shape of a thumb ring. Its vibrant colour and glossy surface were a testament to its quality; it even seemed to glow in the light.

    Although Xiao Hongyu didn¡¯t understand the finer points of jade quality, he could tell with one nce that something of this colour and texture was definitely high-quality. Furthermore, as a military man, Xiao Hongyu could immediately tell what the item was.

    ¡°A thumb ring!¡±

    The lowest ranked foot soldiers of the Great Wu Dynasty were given bows and arrows. Thus, thumb rings were something that almost every soldier would use.

    Some of the standard thumb rings would have grooves to help with holding the bow string. The mostmon type of thumb rings were made of elk horn and were rather cheap in the Great Wu Dynasty.

    Xiao Hongyu was a little jealous upon seeing He Changdi¡¯s gift. The thumb ring he was wearing now was only made of elk horn; he certainly didn¡¯t own any made out of jade. How nice it was to have a wife!

    ¡°Brother He, quick, put it on and see if it fits!¡±

    He Changdi stared at the green jade thumb ring for a moment, but instead of putting it on, he closed the lid and didn¡¯t say a word.

    Xiao Hongyu immediately grew anxious. ¡°Brother He, aren¡¯t you going to try it on?¡± When that didn¡¯t work, Xiao Hongyu smiled and then began to cajol, ¡°Brother He, if you¡¯re not going to use it, then why don¡¯t you lend it to me? The one I¡¯m using is just made of elk horn. It¡¯s not really good and it usually rubs against my skin. See, I¡¯m getting a blister on my thumb from it!¡±

    He Changdi gripped the wooden box in his hands and cast a cool look at the shameless Xiao Hongyu. ¡°Who said I¡¯m not going to wear it?¡±

    After saying so, he took out the green Hetian jade thumb ring and put it onto his right thumb.

    Although He Sang regrly practised martial arts, resulting in some calluses on his hands, his fingers were long and slender. His hand was so slim that his finger bones could be counted from the back of his hand. When he pushed the dark green Hetian jade ring onto his thumb, it made his whole hand seem even more elegant and good-looking. It looked even better than when Xiao Bojian had worn it.

    When Xiao Hongyu saw that the thumb ring was now on He Changdi¡¯s hand, he shook his head in pity andmented, ¡°Sister-in-Law really has a good eye for things.¡±

    He had no choice but to admit that this Hetian jade ring was perfect for He Changdi, as if it had been tailor made for him.

    Even He Changdi himself lost track of his surroundings and stared at the ring for two entire seconds.

    After Xiao Hongyu turned and crawled back into his own bed, He Changdi threw another wooden box at him. ¡°You can use this from now on.¡±

    Xiao Hongyu¡¯s expression turned to joy after he opened the box. Inside it was the white jade thumb ring that He Changdi had been using. He hugged the wooden box and broke out into a wide, foolish smile. ¡°Brother He, at least you have some conscience left in you!¡±

    The Hetian jade ring was warm to the touch, a constant reminder of that wicked woman¡¯s existence.

    A little ufortable, He Changdi rubbed at the thumb ring.

    Finally, he set his gaze on the other items in the package. Xiao Hongyu was ying with the white jade ring that He Changdi had given him, so he was being very quiet.

    There wasn¡¯t much else in the package. Just some sets of clothes that he usually wore. It was just enough to rece the two sets that he had ordered to be thrown away today. They were all inner clothing meant to be under armour.

    One of them was grey and the other was indigo.

    He Sang stroked the cloth with his slender fingers. He suddenly paused and looked closely at the indigo set of clothes.

 Chapter 351: Perfect Match (2)

    Despite the dimness of the tent, he was still able to see the patterns embroidered on the cloth.

    Male clothing usually had less embroidery than female clothing. However, on inner clothing like this, the sleeves and cor would still have some simple patterns sewn on. The mostmon were cloudttices and geometric patterns.

    He Sang had once inadvertently heard Xiyan mentioning that Chu Lian¡¯s embroidery wasn¡¯t very good, so she hadn¡¯t been able to make any clothes for him. Xiyan had requested that he forgive Chu Lian for thepse in her wifely duties.

    As he stroked the crooked square patterns on the cor of the indigo shirt, his cold face slowly shifted to a warm and gentle expression.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t say anything. He touched the clumsy embroidery again before taking it out and cing it carefully by his pillow, intending to wear it the next day. As for the grey clothing with more uniform embroidery, he rolled it up and wrapped it in the package before tossing it into his trunk of clothes.

    The army¡¯s supplies were also running low onntern oil, so He Changdi put away the rest of the package¡¯s contents before blowing out themp and heading to bed.

    Some distance away in Liangzhou City, Chu Lian was still awake.

    After dinner, Manager Qin hade to report everything he had been able to find about Liangzhou City. He had also found a few middle-ageddies to act as servants for her after thoroughly vetting them.

    Once Chu Lian had settled all of that, it was alreadyte.

    Wen escorted Chu Lian back to her room while Wenqing brought over a basin of hot water for her to soak her feet in.

    Chu Lian suddenly recalled that Wenqing had brought a huge package out to He Sang, so she casually asked, ¡°Wenqing, what did you secretly give away to your Third Young Master?¡±

    Wenqing knew that Third Young Madam would ask her about the package sooner orter, so she didn¡¯t try to hide anything from Chu Lian. She replied honestly, ¡°I gave Third Young Master two sets of clothing and the jade thumb ring that Third Young Madam bought from Jinshi Pavilion.¡±

    Chu Lian was stunned for a moment. She hadn¡¯t expected Wenqing to give away the green jade ring on her behalf. She had mentioned it in front of her personal maidservants before, saying that she was intending to give one of the rings to her husband, He Changdi. However, she hadn¡¯t found the right time yet when the barbarian ambush came, and then there she had been busy with settling down in Liangzhou City¡¯s He Estate... so she hadpletely forgotten about the thumb ring.

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t bothered by Wenqing taking initiative. That thumb ring was meant for He Changdi anyway; it didn¡¯t matter how it was given to him.

    Chu Lian stopped thinking about the ring and asked, ¡°Which two sets of clothes did you give him?¡±

    She had prepared plenty of things for this trip to the north. Matriarch He was also biased towards He Changdi, so she had prepared lots of food for him. Adding up Matriarch He¡¯s and her own contributions, Chu Lian had brought three whole trunks filled with things for He Sang alone.

    When Wenqing saw that Third Young Madam didn¡¯t me her for her actions, she brightened up and pointed at a red painted trunk in the corner of the room. ¡°This servant took out two sets of inner clothes from that trunk there, one indigo and one grey.¡±

    Chu Lian had been soaking her lily white feet in the hot water. She was supposed to be rxing, but upon hearing Wenqing¡¯s reply, she abruptly stiffened up.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. ¡°Wenqing, why didn¡¯t you check the clothes when you took them out?¡±

    Wenqing didn¡¯t understand what Third Young Madam meant. ¡°Aren¡¯t the clothes in that trunk the ones that the matriarch prepared for Third Young Master? This servant was in a rush, so this servant ced the clothes in the package without checking...¡±

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t hold back the urge tough any longer. ¡°There¡¯s a set of clothing in there that Ah Yue embroidered. Don¡¯t you remember?¡±

    Chu Lian had a good memory, so she clearly remembered that the clothes Li Yue had embroidered were indigo in colour.

 Chapter 352: Idea (1)

    On the way here to the north, they had been bored stiff while sitting in the carriage all day, so Wenqing and Wen had started doing some sewing and embroidery while travelling.

    The guard siblings that Princess Wei had sent followed Chu Lian all the time. Since Li Yue was female, Chu Lian would regrly invite her into the carriage to pass some time together.

    Li Yue had been training in martial arts ever since she was young, so her martial arts skills were even stronger than some of the generals out there. However, when it came to the more womanly arts, she was aplete stranger to them.

    She had already gotten engaged to her childhood sweetheart, so when she saw that Wenqing and Wen were so good at the womanly arts, she had gotten the urge to try her own hand at them. Chu Lian had then told Wenqing to give her one of He Changdi¡¯s tunics to practise on.

    Although Li Yue was very earnest at learning, her skills weren¡¯t very good still. It was just a simple square pattern, but she had somehow made it all crooked.

    Later on, she hadpletely given up on fighting against her natural ¡®talents¡¯ and abandoned the art of the needle.

    Back then, Chu Lian had been absolutely stoked by the whole chain of events. She couldn¡¯t have expected that Li Yue¡¯s embroidery practice would inadvertently have been sent to He Changdi.

    With how the mind of her lunatic husband worked, he couldn¡¯t possibly have thought that that crooked embroidery was done by her, right?

    Chu Lian resisted the urge to sigh as she thought. If that really happened, He Sang would still be overestimating her. She didn¡¯t even know how to make a tunc, let alone embroidering some patterns... Hehe...

    After Chu Lian reminded her about the incident, Wenqing recalled what had happened and pped her own forehead. ¡°Third Young Madam, what should we do?¡±

    She had been the one to teach Li Yue embroidery in the first ce. To be honest, Li Yue¡¯s embroidery was a little ugly.

    In contrast to Wenqing¡¯s regret about the mistake, Chu Lian was calm.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, forget about it. It¡¯s just some embroidery. Anyway, your young master is a man and he¡¯s in the army. Who would look at the embroidery on his undershirts? It¡¯s good enough as long as he has clothes to wear.¡±

    That indigo tunic had been ready-made anyway. It was just a simple piece of clothing with some loose threads. Although Li Yue¡¯s embroidery wasn¡¯t that good-looking, it didn¡¯t affect the undershirt¡¯s usability in any way.

    Wenqing wasforted by Chu Lian¡¯s words and stopped thinking about the mistake.

    After soaking her feet, Chu Lianid down on the warm hearth bed. Wenqing blew out the lights for her and shut the door.

    However, Chu Lian stared at the dark ceiling above her head without any hint of sleepiness.

    Her head was filled with thoughts about the border army¡¯s supply problem. The original story had only briefly mentioned how fierce the battles had been in the northern border war. Of the fifty thousand soldiers in the border troops, less than ten percent of them had managed to survive the war.

    Since that was all that was mentioned, Chu Lian had no way of finding out more information.

    Right now, the biggest problem was the snow blocking the paths to the north. As long as the paths were clear, they would be able to bring supplies into the northern border and there would be no more problems.

    However, there was no way they could control the weather. The Great Wu Dynasty wasn¡¯t like a technologically advanced civilisation, unlike the modern world where they would still have the option of air freight if the routes onnd and water were blocked...

    Up till her sleepiness got the better of her, Chu Lian still hadn¡¯t thought of any practical and useful methods to solve the issue.

    Back at the capital, the officials gathered for court were already arguing furiously over the situation at the northern border. Xiao Bojian had been appointed as secretary for the reinforcements marching towards the north and was now following the troops stationed at Chongzhou Prefecture as they made haste towards Su City. They were to make camp next to Lake Qianshan outside Su City and act as the first line of defence in the case that the fortress at Liangzhou City were to fall.

 Chapter 353: Idea (2)

    The next day, Chu Lian was heading to the center of the courtyard after getting up when she saw Li Xing and the other guards shovelling snow. In just a single night, the snow covering the ground had stacked up enough to reach their knees! The whole He Estate had practically been buried in snow.

    Wen spotted Chu Lianing out of her room and standing at the corridor just like that, so she quickly rushed into the room and took out her cloak. She helped Chu Lian into her cloak and stuffed a hand warmer into her hands.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, the wound on your leg has just healed. Please be careful not to get a chill, or Third Young Master will me this servant.¡±

    Chu Lian red at Wen in response. ¡°It snowed a lotst night.¡±

    Wen also found it strange. She had grown up in the capital. Although it snowed in the capital every year as well, it had never snowed as much as it did here.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Third Young Madam. Last night, my sister and I came out to check the surroundings and the amount of snow falling was enough to block our visionpletely. If we were to go out on such a snowy day, wouldn¡¯t we get buried by the snow?¡±

    Chu Lian turned to look in the direction of the border camp with worry filling her heart. She wondered how the border troops were doing now.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Manager Qin?¡±

    ¡°In the outer court. He¡¯s probably taking care of the carriage horses we brought with us. It snowed so muchst night that the stables copsed. Two of the horses froze to death.¡±

    ¡°Have someone bring him to me. I have some tasks for him.¡±

    Wen quickly went to do as ordered. Chu Lian stood in front of her room door and watched as the estate¡¯s guards shovelled snow. The heap of snow that they cleared was as tall as a small hill. It took the five men an hour before they managed to clear the snow that had piled up in Chu Lian¡¯s small courtyard.

    After twenty minutes or so, Manager Qin rushed over from the outer court.

    The He Estate was quiterge and there were five small courtyards within. They couldn¡¯t clear all the snow in the estate so quickly, so Manager Qin had designated Chu Lian¡¯s courtyard as the first to be cleared out.

    They would only start on the outer court after Chu Lian¡¯s courtyard had beenpletely cleared, so the paths in the outer court hadn¡¯t been cleared yet!

    As Chu Lian stood in the corridor, she watched as Manager Qin, who was wrapped up until he looked like a ball, waddled into her courtyard.

    Manager Qin had seen Chu Lian standing at the door from afar. Before he entered the courtyard, he shouted while gasping for breath, ¡°Third Young Madam, it¡¯s cold outside! Please enter the room first, I¡¯m walking rather slowly.¡±

    Of course he was walking slowly! He had tied two wooden boards onto his feet!

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t speak and simply smiled at him. When her gazended on Manager Qin¡¯s feet, she abruptly fell into a daze. Her almond-shaped eyes were obscured by haze as if she had suddenly sunk deeply into her own thoughts.

    Manager Qin found it strange. He looked down at his own feet and the boots that he had tied wooden boards too. It didn¡¯t seem like anything was wrong?

    He struggled as he fought with the snow and finally entered the courtyard. When he finally reached the cobblestone path that had been cleared of snow, he let out a sigh of relief. He bent down and took off the wooden boards tied to his boots. He stomped his feet to clear the snow stuck to his boots before taking a brisk pace as he walked towards Chu Lian, freed of his burden.

    Chu Lian¡¯s gaze was still fixed on the wooden boards that Manager Qin had set down not too far away. Manager Qin followed her gaze and looked at the boards as well. Those were just two normal pieces of willow wood. There were still quite a few ced in the storehouses of the estate that had been left abandoned for years. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything special about them.

    However, since Chu Lian seemed to be interested in them, Manager Qin exined as he walked towards her.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, that was something that the old servants of the estate taught me. They said that it would be easier to walk with the wooden boards tied to your feet and you wouldn¡¯t fall into the snow. I followed exactly as they said and it actually worked pretty well. I did have to use more strength while walking, but I didn¡¯t have to worry about falling into a deep pile of snow and freezing my legs off.¡±

    When Manager Qin turned back to look at his young mistress, he found that her almond-shaped eyes were lit up and sparkling.

    In the next second, Chu Lian stamped her feet excitedly and said, ¡°I was so stupid! Why didn¡¯t I think of such a simple method?¡±

    After blurting that out, shepletely forgot about Manager Qin and rushed back into the room.

    Manager Qin continued standing in the corridor with one hand stretched out and a dazed expression on his face. He didn¡¯t know what had gotten into his mistress.

    When Wenqing came out of the side room and saw that he was still standing in the same spot with a silly look on his face, she didn¡¯t know what to do either.

    ¡°Manager Qin,e into the side hall and take a seat first. There¡¯s hot water on the stove too. I¡¯m going into the room to see what happened to Third Young Madam.¡±

    Manager Qin waved his hand at Wenqing, ¡°Please go, quickly!¡±

    That excited expression on Third Young Madam¡¯s face had been a little frightening. After he had been informed bright and early that morning that the stables had copsed, he was now rather cautious and careful about protecting his mistress.

    TL Note: Manager Qin¡¯s expression was literally described as ¡®Erkang¡¯s dazed expression from My Fair Princess¡¯, which made me lol. He¡¯s calling out for his soon-to-be wife, Ziwei, in this shot.

    Ziwei...!

    My Fair Princess is an old TV drama about a long-lost princess called Ziwei trying to reconnect with her father, the Emperor. Of course, through some shenanigans, a youngmoner girl, Xiaoyanzi, got caught up in the mess and she now has to pretend to be the long-lost princess herself or lose her head. The drama shows what it was like to live in the pce and lots of funny dramatic scenes!

    I watched it as a little kid and absolutely loved it~ Xiaoyanzi was my favourite character! Erkang is one of the male leads in it too XD

    If you¡¯ve heard of Fan Bingbing, who acted as Blink in X-Men: Days of Future Past, she yed a faithful servant in the drama and became famous because of this drama~ I really rmend watching My Fair Princess for a cool look into ancient Chinese customs and also for a really cute and funny female lead~

 Chapter 354: Dissatisfaction (1)

    When Wenqing pushed open the doors and entered the room, she saw Chu Lian sitting in front of the desk with her head slightly bent forward. She was using some ck eyebrow dye to draw on some paper.

    She walked over as soundlessly as she could and stood to one side. She looked at the paper, but she couldn¡¯t tell what Chu Lian was drawing at all. There were even strange symbols marked on the paper here and there.

    Before Wenqing could ask, Chu Lian spoke up first. ¡°Quick, tell Manager Qin to find the best carpenter in Liangzhou City and bring him here! Quickly!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s tone was so firm that Wenqing couldn¡¯t help but treat it as a very serious matter. She had absolute trust in her Third Young Madam. As absurd as Chu Lian¡¯s actions might look to others sometimes, Wenqing would never doubt her mistress. After experiencing the power of her young madam¡¯s ideas so many times, Wenqing had already be a loyal fan of Chu Lian¡¯s.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, rest assured. This servant will go and look for Manager Qin right now!¡±

    After Manager Qin had been given his orders, although he found it rather strange as well, he set to work immediately.

    Manager Qin was quite capable. In just half a day, he managed to find the best carpenter in Liangzhou City and invited him to the He Estate.

    Just as they entered the estate, they bumped into the leader of the He Family¡¯s soldiers, Mo Chenggui.

    Mo Chenggui was dressed in just a singleyer of clothing. He was drenched in sweat from shovelling snow, even to the point that his hair seemed to be giving off steam.

    The private soldiers behind him were all panting for breath as well.

    When Mo Chenggui looked up, what he saw was Manager Qin leading an old man in with a bright smile on his face which looked almost ingratiating.

    Mo Chenggui was a stubborn man who had no forbearance for anything. He was already biased against Chu Lian, so he never had anything nice to say to Chu Lian¡¯s subordinate, Manager Qin.

    Normally, the two of them would mind their own business, somewhat keeping the peace in the estate. However, Mo Chenggui wasn¡¯t going to let him off so easily today.

    Everyone in the estate had been put to shovelling snow. Even the two guard siblings from Chu Lian¡¯s courtyard, Li Xing and Li Yue, hadn¡¯t been exempt. However, look at this Manager Qin. It was fine if he didn¡¯t help out, but he had even gone out early in the morning for some idle walk. Now he was bringing back some stranger to the estate.

    Mo Chenggui shot a nce at Manager Qin from the corners of his eyes. He spoke with a mocking tone, ¡°While everyone in the estate is working so hard, Manager Qin seems to have plenty of free time. Even the knee-high snow isn¡¯t enough to stop your feet from wandering out.¡±

    Manager Qin didn¡¯t have the time to argue with Mo Chenggui. He bowed towards Mo Chenggui before quickly leading the carpenter towards Chu Lian¡¯s courtyard.

    Mo Chenggui¡¯s wrinkled old face turned dark with anger.

    ¡°Look at what a good dog he is!¡±

    The private soldiers next to him kept silent, afraid that they would identally spark the temper of their vtile old brother.

    After getting ignored by Manager Qin, Mo Chenggui couldn¡¯t hold down the frustration in his heart. He spit on the ground before saying, ¡°Send someone to see what kind of trouble Third Young Madam is trying to cause now!¡±

    One of the soldiers acknowledged the order and left.

    When Manager Qin led the carpenter into the courtyard, Chu Lian was already seated in the parlour with some papers in hand.

    Manager Qin was very reliable when it came to business. Although the carpenter he had found wasn¡¯t literate, when Chu Lian exined her blueprints to him, he immediately understood. He was really the best in the woodworking business around here after all. The old carpenter examined the three blueprints, each with a different view of the design, for about fifteen minutes before knowing exactly what he had to do.

    ¡°Old Master, how fast can you make this?¡± Chu Lian asked impatiently.

    The old carpenter looked at the blueprints in his hands for a moment before speaking, ¡°Esteemed Madam, this old man has never done anything like this after living for so long. This old man will speak to you honestly. If this old man were to do it alone, it would take at least five days. If you would allow this old man to bring in this old man¡¯s sons and grandsons to help, then it can be done in about two to three days.¡±

 Chapter 355: Dissatisfaction (2)

    Chu Lian looked carefully at the old carpenter. Although his face was already wrinkled, his eyes weren¡¯t hazy or unfocused in the slightest. On the contrary, they were bright and filled with intelligence.

    Sheughed in response. ¡°Old Master has indeed lived much longer than I have. I can agree to your conditions, but I have a condition of my own. If this design were to leak out without my express permission, then we won¡¯t be standing here having a nice discussion like we are today.¡±

    The old carpenter¡¯s eyes lit up. He clutched the blueprints in his hands and immediately knelt down before Chu Lian, kowtowing twice to her. The sound of his forehead meeting the floor made resounding thuds echo throughout the room. ¡°If this old man were to act against Esteemed Madam¡¯s wishes, then this old man will die without any heirs!¡±

    The ancients ced a lot of importance on passing on their legacies. They were also rather superstitious and revered the gods. Chu Lian wasn¡¯t too worried now that the old carpenter had made such a solemn vow.

    ¡°Old Master, I¡¯m entrusting this to you. You can bring any number of helpers you want. I¡¯m only giving you three days. In three days¡¯ time, I want to see that design built!¡±

    ¡°This old man won¡¯t betray Esteemed Madam¡¯s expectations.¡±

    Chu Lian turned now to instruct Manager Qin. ¡°Manager Qin, you are to arrange for anything that Old Master needs as soon as possible.¡±

    Manager Qin was very efficient with his work, so he immediately pulled the old carpenter over to one of the side rooms to discuss what was needed.

    Thus, before it was even midday, the old carpenter had already started work.

    Manager Qin sent someone to bring the old carpenter¡¯s three sons and eldest grandson into the estate. Chu Lian¡¯s courtyard wasn¡¯t very big in the first ce, so the sudden increase in the number of peopleing to and fro was very eye-catching.

    Due to the absolute secrecy of the blueprints, Chu Lian had arranged for the old carpenter and his family to work in one of the empty storehouses on the side of the courtyard. She also had the Li siblings take turns standing guard.

    The entire He Estate was startled by how serious Chu Lian was treating her little project. Even Tang Yan sent someone over to inquire about what she was doing, only to be sent back with some excuse.

    All of this made Mo Chenggui very unhappy.

    While Chu Lian had been able to deflect Tang Yan, Mo Chenggui wasn¡¯t one to back down so easily.

    It snowed heavily the next few days. The streets of Liangzhou City were practically buried by the snowfall, so it became even harder to travel out of the estate.

    Mo Chenggui sent some men to check on the situation at the border camp early in the morning. When his men returned and reported on what they had found, Mo Chenggui frowned and shook his head silently. They were all old and grizzled soldiers who had fought on countless battlefields, so they knew that the situation was taking a turn for the worse.

    Mo Chenggui had gotten a good overview of the border troops¡¯ situation from He Changdi, but he couldn¡¯t do anything but sit and wait anxiously. These few days, due to his worries and stress, he had even gotten tworge blisters at the corner of his mouth.

    Since he was biased against Chu Lian, he had never eaten the meals that she sent over. Even though the food was fragrant and looked extremely delicious, he never took a single bite. He would order his men to send all the meals back unopened. Not only that, he never allowed his soldiers to eat those meals either.

    Chu Lian had only sent meals over out of basic courtesy in the first ce. After getting rejected by Mo Chenggui, she got the hint and stopped sending food over.

    Up till now, Chu Lian¡¯s party had been eating dishes made out of dried vegetables for at least a few days every week. Thanks to the good nutritional bnce of their meals, their faces were glowing pink with health.

    However, it was a whole other story for the private soldiers under Mo Chenggui¡¯smand. Since they weren¡¯t eating the meals cooked by Chu Lian¡¯s party, all they ate every day was the dry and hard wheat pancakes made by the border camp¡¯s cooks. asionally, they would be able to have a bowl of thin gruel and a piece of salted meat. As more time passed, their faces became more and more sallow and their health declined.

    Whenever the private soldiers went out of the estate with Chu Lian¡¯s subordinates, they looked like they hade frompletely different ces.

    By this time, the men that Mo Chenggui had sent to spy on Chu Lian had also returned.

    Mo Chenggui sat at the head of the room. To the old soldier who had gone to check on Chu Lian, he asked, ¡°What is Third Young Madam doing now?¡±

 Chapter 356: Chu Lian Loses Her Temper (1)

    The old soldier shook his head awkwardly. It was hard for him to admit he hadn¡¯t been able to find out what Chu Lian was up to. That small courtyard of hers was now bustling with activity and there were people hauling wooden nks in and out all the time.

    Although the old soldier was unable toe up with any words to report, Mo Chenggui was able to understand the meaning behind his silence. He had already been simmering with anger towards Chu Lian before this. This strange new activity of hers was thest bit of fuel that sent his temper rocketing sky-high!

    He mmed his palm on the table, making the porcin teacups on it tter as they trembled from the force. ¡°Is Third Young Madampletely ignoring our presence?!¡±

    Back then, he hadn¡¯t been very approving of the matriarch sending Third Young Madam here to the north. She was just a little girl, barelye of age, who was probably used to being spoiled all day and night. What would she be able to achieve out here?

    Just look at what she had done on the way here.

    She had been sent here to help Third Young Master, but her actions said otherwise. She had clearlye out to sightsee on her personal leisure trip, but at public expense!

    The moment she had arrived at the northern border, she had already caused trouble for Third Young Master and he had been punished by martialw.

    Mo Chenggui had been held back by He Changdi¡¯s orders previously. Even though he was extremely unhappy with Chu Lian, he had suppressed his anger towards her and hadn¡¯t done anything. They had each minded their own business.

    However, this sudden snow storm was like thest piece of straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. All of the negative emotions within Mo Chenggui had umted to a point where he could no longer suppress them. Right now, he felt like a volcano about to explode.

    These two days, the first thing that Chu Lian did every morning after waking up was to visit the old carpenter in the storehouse and check on the progress of her project.

    Although the old carpenter was a little too shrewd, he was an utmost professional and skilled at his craft. After making a promise to Chu Lian, he had devoted his heart to his work. After working with his sons and grandsons for two days and two nights, Chu Lian¡¯s project was almostplete.

    The old carpenter had started working before the sun had even risen. When he heard the door opening, he knew that it was Chu Lian who hade to visit. Every day at this hour, the esteemed madam woulde over personally to take a look at his progress.

    He set down the woodworking ne in his hands and hurried over to wee her, ¡°This old man gives greetings to Esteemed Madam.¡±

    Chu Lian waved her hand and asked, ¡°Old Master, will you be able to finish your work today?¡±

    When it came to the topic of woodworking, the old carpenter¡¯s originally bent back immediately straightened up with pride.

    He focused his gaze at the object ced in the center of the storehouse as if he were looking at a child he had raised, ¡°Esteemed Madam, please don¡¯t worry. This old man is as good as his word. This old man will be able to finish this before night falls.¡±

    Chu Lian moved a little closer to the object. The old carpenter was right, it looked exactly like the object she had drawn out in her blueprints.

    She nced at the rest of the storehouse and noticed that the old carpenter¡¯s sons and grandsons were standing respectfully to one side. She found it strange and spoke up, ¡°You don¡¯t have to care about my presence here, please be at ease and continue your work!¡±

    The old carpenter let out an unabashed bark ofughter that was as honest as the man it hade from, ¡°Esteemed Madam, these kids aren¡¯t purposely standing around because of you. We¡¯ve used up all the wood we had, so Master Qin went out early in the morning to buy more. This old man¡¯s just waiting for the materials. Once Master Qin returns, we¡¯ll be able to finish our work in just one hour.¡±

    Although Chu Lian knew what the rough design should be, she wasn¡¯t very sure about the kind of materials she should use for it since it was her first time making something like this. After discussing with the old carpenter, she had decided on using fir wood, which was harder and more robust.

    After testing their first prototype, they wouldn¡¯t have to be so rigid with the choice of materialster on.

    Chu Lian nodded and left the storehouse. Once she reached the entrance, she ordered Wen to send the old carpenter and his helpers something nice to eat.

 Chapter 357: Chu Lian Loses Her Temper (2)

    After a short moment, the old carpenter and his workers sat on the floor together with arge bowl of vegetable porridge each. They gulped down the porridge as if they hadn¡¯t eaten in days. The spark of shrewdness that the old carpenter had shown during his negotiations with Chu Lian hadpletely disappeared in the face of delicious food.

    His sons and grandsons were acting just the same as the old carpenter. They buried their heads in their bowls, only looking up once the bowl was emptied.

    After eating up all of his vegetable porridge and gulping down some extra cabbage and meat buns, the old carpenter wiped his mouth on his sleeve with utmost satisfaction. He sighed with deep feeling, ¡°Heavens!¡± Having vegetables to eat on a winter day, let alone such fresh and juicy green vegetables, was nothing short of a miracle! On the first morning, when he had been given such amazing food for breakfast, the old carpenter had been frightened half to death!

    Green vegetables in the middle of a harsh winter! Surely even the Emperor wouldn¡¯t be able to have much better food than this!

    The old carpenter mulled over his thoughts.

    Furthermore, there seemed to be something added to this vegetable porridge that made it taste absolutely fresh. Hemented the fact that he couldn¡¯t just have three heaping bowls of this for every meal.

    Whenever the old servant who brought their meals came to take the bowls away, the bowls used by the old carpenter¡¯s family were always gleaming. She hardly had to wash them after taking them back to the kitchen.

    When Chu Lian returned to her room, she sat on the hearth absentmindedly. From time to time, she would send Wenqing and Wen out to check if Manager Qin had returned.

    Wenqing found it strange, but she took her task even more seriously. No matter how bad the situation, their Third Young Madam had always been able to keep a smile on her face. This was the first time she had seen such an anxious and worried expression on her mistress.

    Unfortunately, this time, Chu Lian¡¯s worst fears came true.

    After one hour had passed, Li Xing hurriedly rushed in to report.

    ¡°Honoured Lady, Manager Qin and the others have been taken to another courtyard by Old Mo.¡±

    Chu Lian frowned and ordered Wen to help her up from the hearth bed. She announced with a solemn expression, ¡°Let¡¯s go there quickly!¡±

    With a grave expression on her face and additional shadows in her bright eyes, she actually looked a little more like He Sang.

    In the side courtyard of the He Estate, Manager Qin and his men had been forced to kneel on the snow-covered ground. The old soldiers were skilled in martial arts, so Manager Qin and the other manservants didn¡¯t have any chance against them.

    Mo Chenggui stood in the corridor facing the yard and stared with cold eyes at Manager Qin. He shouted with disappointment, ¡°Third Young Madam is just a little girl, so it¡¯s fine if she doesn¡¯t know better. However, you, as her loyal servant, how could you let her act so frivolously without persuading otherwise? While you were acting so recklessly in this estate, did you give any thought to how themoners and soldiers outside are faring?¡±

    Manager Qin¡¯s mouth had been stuffed with a piece of cloth and his hands were tied behind his bed. His slightly plump face was flushed red with effort as he tried to speak and exin, but he just couldn¡¯t make any sound!

    Mo Chenggui harrumphed. When he cast his gaze at the good quality fir wood piled up at the side, his temper red up once again.

    Fir wood! That type of wood was expensive everywhere. In Liangzhou City, where they couldn¡¯t even use money, it was likely bought back by exchanging huge amounts of material goods.

    These few days, he and the other soldiers had been trying their best to eat less and save up what they could. However, on the other hand, Third Young Madam had taken their food supplies and gone out to spend itvishly on some useless materials!

    Mo Chenggui¡¯s temper was burning high in his heart. He stared coldly at the ¡®dogs¡¯ acting for Third Young Madam and spoke sinisterly, ¡°Third Young Madam is of the weaker sex, so she probably can¡¯t bear to use bloodier measures. Since the matriarch gave orders for me to protect Third Young Madam on this journey, then I¡¯ll take action on behalf of Third Young Madam today to punish these infidels!¡±

    ¡°Men, reward him with fifty strikes of the rod!¡±

    Once Mo Chenggui gave the order, two old soldiers pushed Manager Qin to the ground and pulled away the fur cloak he had wrapped around him.

    The soldiers were each carryingrge wooden rods thicker than their arms. They raised them high up in the air and prepared to aim them at Manager Qin¡¯s body.

    Mo Chenggui had retired from the army, but he still kept the habit of using the military¡¯s style of punishment.

    Without even giving the other party a chance to defend himself, he had immediately decided the punishment of fifty strikes. Even the strongest elite soldiers wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand fifty strikes of the rod, let alone Manager Qin, who wasn¡¯t trained in any martial arts at all. He was clearly trying to sentence Manager Qin to death.

    The first rodnded on Manager Qin with a muffled thump thanks to the protection of his thick winter clothing. Although Manager Qin didn¡¯t seem to react much, he actually wanted to shout in pain. Unfortunately, his mouth was covered so he couldn¡¯t make any sound apart from a stifled grunt.

    Before the next rod couldnd, an enraged shout carried over from the entrance of the courtyard, ¡°Stop right now!¡±

 Chapter 358: Chu Lian Loses Her Temper (3)

    Mo Chenggui hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to havee over so quickly. However, he had already set his heart on punishing her subordinate to give her a warning today. He simply frowned without any intention of calling off the punishment.

    Others might be afraid of Third Young Madam¡¯s power and influence, but he wasn¡¯t afraid! He had already experienced countless battles as a soldier. It was already a blessing from the heavens to have survived battle after battle with his life intact. Although his family was already gone, he had pledged his loyalty to Old Count Jing¡¯an and his House. His life and death were no longer of any consequence. If he could make the young and naive Third Young Madam wake up with this show of military punishment today, it wouldn¡¯t matter even if she demanded his life in return.

    The old soldiers carrying out the punishment froze. However, Mo Chenggui waved his hand and ordered, ¡°Continue the punishment! No one is allowed to stop unless I say so! Anyone who disobeys this order will serve the same punishment themselves!¡±

    Although they were oldrades in arms, everyone understood Mo Chenggui¡¯s temper. They knew that the old fellow was dead set on his path and wouldn¡¯t change for anything.

    Hearing this, Chu Lian was simrly straightforward in her actions. She shot a look at the Li siblings behind her.

    Li Xing and Li Yue had been sent by Princess Wei, so they naturally only listened to Chu Lian¡¯smands.

    The Li siblings quickly captured the two soldiers. Mo Chenggui watched with wide, angry eyes as his two subordinates were subdued by Li Xing and Li Yue. He ran forward and picked up one of the rods on the floor, intending to carry out the punishment himself.

    Chu Lian¡¯s expression tensed and she sneered, ¡°Uncle Mo, if you let that rodnd, there¡¯ll be no more hope for the border troops!¡±

    When Mo Chenggui heard Chu Lian¡¯s words, his features contorted into a wretched expression. He was a retired soldier, so he could never bear to hear anyone talk bad about the army. Those words were like a curse upon the border troops, dooming them to defeat.

    He abruptly stopped his actions and rushed towards Chu Lian instead. ¡°Third Young Madam, you can¡¯t be careless with your words!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s sneer was as frosty as her tone, ¡°Oh? I¡¯m not allowed to speak carelessly? Then how is it that Uncle Mo is allowed to beat others indiscriminately?¡±

    Mo Chenggui¡¯s face turned as ck as a pot, ¡°Third Young Madam, this treasonous servant used valuable food supplies to buy these useless pieces of wood. Why shouldn¡¯t he be punished? Or are you saying that he¡¯s an exception to the rule just because he¡¯s your subordinate?¡±

    Seeing that Manager Qin hadn¡¯t been harmed too badly, Chu Lian had slowly calmed down. She turned her bright and clear gaze on Mo Chenggui.

    There wasn¡¯t any trace of a smile on her porcin-like face. ¡°Fine. You said that he deserves to be beaten. Then let me ask you, Uncle Mo. Since you¡¯re so worried for the border troops, have you thought of an idea to save them and help those fifty thousand warriors out of the situation they¡¯re in?¡±

    Mo Chenggui hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to throw such a question at him at this time.

    What a joke. If he had thought of a good idea, would he still be staying in this tiny He Estate? He would have sprinted over to the border camp to share his ns with Third Young Master by now.

    He wasn¡¯t the only one trying to think of a solution either. Even those highly regarded officials in court back at the capital hadn¡¯t been able toe up with a good idea. What kind of ideas could a rough military man like him have? Third Young Madam was clearly just trying to put him on the spot and make things difficult for him.

    This Third Young Madam had nothing good about her except being a glutton and being protective over her own people.

    TL Note: I think the first part of this chapter has already shown you Mo Chenggui¡¯s perspective and the reasons behind his actions. I¡¯ll add on some information that might help paint a better picture of the ancient China setting here.

    There are two ways to be a servant: sell yourself/be sold into eternal servitude or be born to a servant. The masters hold a bond certificate which represents the servant¡¯s freedom as a person, and this is why servants usually don¡¯t run away. This is also why servants are treated as less than human or disposable, or tradable in the case of Mingyan. Matriarch He trusted the servants in Guilin Restaurant with managing the money because she likely has the rest of their families in her hands.

    Manager Qin is a servant born within House Jing¡¯an. Mo Chenggui was a soldier who served under Old Count Jing¡¯an and proved himself enough to earn his trust. So Mo Chenggui is a free person working in an influential position in House Jing¡¯an, while Manager Qin is just a ve of House Jing¡¯an. Mo Chenggui honestly thought that Manager Qin was wasting precious resources and it is well within his power to punish a servant, even to death.

    Mo Chenggui is also considered to be in the same generation as Old Count Jing¡¯an, who is two generations above Chu Lian. Mo Chenggui is a very senior person and used to being obeyed in the military. Chu Lian is a sheltered young teenager to him and she has also been calling him ¡®Uncle Mo¡¯ in deference to his seniority and position. He is also fiercely loyal to the old count and his mindset is likely to help guide the next generation and make sure that House Jing¡¯an won¡¯t go into ruin. I think you also have to keep in mind his age and how stubborn old men can be.

    Whew, that was a long note. I know that some of you are frustrated by the seemingly irrational actions of the characters, so I wanted to try to add more context to help you understand them if possible. This novel was written for a Chinese audience andes with many unwritten rules of ancient Chinese society that shape how the characters act. I just wanted to make sure you guys get that information as well and that you might be able to see the characters in a different light. Of course, if you still think that the characters¡¯ actions don¡¯t make sense, feel free to voice it out in thements! :3

 Chapter 359: Chu Lian Loses Her Temper (4)

    Mo Chenggui¡¯s disdain for her only grew. He stood ramrod straight with his chest pushed forward and his chin raised, ¡°Third Young Madam, are you joking with me?! An idea!? I really do have to ask for your pardon, Third Young Madam. I¡¯m just a simple boor without any magic powers.¡±

    The mockery in his tone was so thick and infuriating that Wenqing and Wen lost their patience. They red at Mo Chenggui with anger. If not for Chu Lian holding them back, the twodies would have started fighting with Mo Chenggui on the spot.

    He snorted in response, ¡°Hmph! Third Young Madam¡¯s subordinates are really united, huh? Did you bribe them with your food?¡±

    Chu Lian really didn¡¯t understand how this fellow¡¯s mind worked. He couldn¡¯t think of a solution on his own, so he had decided that everyone else was just as stupid as he was. Who knew if it was due to his unwarranted self-confidence or because he thought too highly of himself? If all the soldiers in the army shared the same level of wit as this guy, then the Great Wu Dynasty should just throw down their weapons and admit defeat!

    While Chu Lian normally looked like a young, soft, warm and gentledy, anyone who assumed that she was an easy target to bully would be the first to face defeat.

    She wasn¡¯t the kind to leave grudges to fester overnight. That was because she would take revenge on the spot the moment anyone dared to bully her!

    Mo Chenggui had already crossed the line. Chu Lian had no more patience and tolerance left for him.

    As Wenqing and Wen stood behind their Third Young Madam, they noticed that her eyes were shining brightly and her pink lips were drawn up into a smirk despite her grave expression. Although their mistress clearly looked even more vibrant and livelier than normal, the two maidservants shivered in unison.

    Mo Chenggui was doomed. Third Young Madam was really angry this time!

    Wenqing and Wen exchanged looks with their eyes twitching. They must have been brain dead just now to think that Third Young Madam would be bullied. It would be considered a good day if Third Young Madam didn¡¯t bully someone.

    ¡°Mo. Cheng. Gui! I really don¡¯t know what Grandfather saw in you to make you one of House Jing¡¯an¡¯s family soldiers! You¡¯re so blinded by your own presumptuous self-conceit; why haven¡¯t you ascended yet?¡±

    She no longer called him ¡®Uncle Mo¡¯ out of respect for his age and changed to calling his full name directly.

    Chu Lian had been holding down her discontent for so long that she felt refreshed upon letting loose her tirade.

    However, Mo Chenggui and the others in the courtyard were all stiff with shock. They directed simr expressions of disbelief at Chu Lian and gulped in unorchestrated unison. They trembled as they thought inwardly, ¡®Third... Third Young Madam was scolding Leader Mo?¡¯

    Although Third Young Madam was so young, her daring knew no bounds!

    Even the heir¡¯s wife wouldn¡¯t dare to scold Leader Mo right to his face like that...

    For some reason, although they knew that Third Young Madam¡¯s straightforward and bold approach wasn¡¯t right either, they still felt a mysterious sense of satisfaction!

    Everyone stood by silently without moving, hiding their intentions of watching the drama unfold.

    Mo Chenggui had clearly been dealt a blow by Chu Lian¡¯s words. He opened his eyes wide and red right back at her. Although he had never heard the word ¡®ascended¡¯ being used to scold others, he could tell that it didn¡¯t mean anything good from her tone.

    Mo Chenggui was just a boorish man to the core. He was the best at using his fists, not his tongue.

    Before he was able to retort, Chu Lian continued her tirade, ¡°Mo Chenggui, let me tell you this now! Anything that is impossible to you bes a real possibility in my hands! Don¡¯t use that narrow-minded gaze of yours to judge others! Just because you can¡¯t do it doesn¡¯t mean that others can¡¯t do it too! I¡¯ll reveal a little more to you; these useless pieces of fir wood might not even be worth a wheat pancake to you, but they¡¯re going to do what you couldn¡¯t do and save those fifty thousand soldiers!¡±

    Leaving behind her words, Chu Lian turned and left. Tang Yan, who had been standing right outside the courtyard for some time, had heard her. She trusted that he would be able to take care of the rest.

    Actually, Mo Chenggui wasn¡¯t as bad as Chu Lian made him out to be. He was just too stubborn and didn¡¯t know how to adapt to new changes. She believed that her words would be enough to wake him up and prevent him from bing an obstacle on their northern journey.

    Chu Lian left just as quickly as she hade like a breeze.

    However, this wasn¡¯t a gentle and refreshing breeze; it was a fearsome hurricane that hadpletely bowled over everyone present in the courtyard.

    Mo Chenggui was so stunned by the whole chain of events that all the nerves in his body seemed to be frozen. He couldn¡¯t move at all.

 Chapter 360: Shut Out (1)

    Had he been hallucinating?

    What had Third Young Madam said just now?

    Did she say... that she had a way to help the border troops out of their dangerous situation?

    Mo Chenggui stood dazed for twenty whole seconds before the haziness in his eyes cleared and he seemed toe back to life. He looked around the courtyard in a panic, but Chu Lian¡¯s figure had long since disappeared.

    Agitated, he roared, ¡°Where is Third Young Madam?!¡±

    The old soldiers who had been carrying out Manager Qin¡¯s punishment were stricken with terror. Although they were already getting on in age, their hearing was still working fine. They had heard Third Young Madam¡¯s words just now. Manager Qin had gone out to find these nks of fir for the sake of saving the fifty thousand border troops. However, they had not only med him unjustly for his actions, but they had also almost beaten him to death...

    When the soldiers thought of what they had almost wrought, cold sweat ran down their backs, regardless of the fact that it was the middle of a cold winter day. The soldiers stared at Mo Chenggui with condemning gazes and said, ¡°Brother Mo, Third Young Madam is already gone...¡±

    Mo Chenggui ran after her without thinking. Although he didn¡¯t quite dare to trust her yet, since Chu Lian had spoken, that meant that there was hope- even if he had no idea how fir wood, of all things, would be able to save the troops.

    The people of the Great Wu Dynasty ced great emphasis on keeping to one¡¯s word. This wasn¡¯t the modern era where even the most binding contracts could be broken. This was an era where a promise was worth a thousand taels of gold. All families, no matter their size or influence, would keep the promises made by their ancestors for generations upon generations.

    Thus, when Chu Lian made her outrageous im in front of Mo Chenggui, he didn¡¯t have an ounce of suspicion that she was spinning up a story. Since she had said it was so, then there was definitely hope!

    It was indeed so. The old carpenter had already finished building Chu Lian¡¯s idea. It was just a matter of time before they were able to put it to use.

    At this moment, Mo Chenggui had instantly forgotten all the disdain he had for Chu Lian. He chased right after her without any shame at all.

    When the old soldiers saw their Leader Mo acting so shamelessly, they wanted to turn their cheeks and pretend they didn¡¯t know him.

    This was entirely different from what they had imagined would happen!

    O Great Leader, shouldn¡¯t you be scolding her right back with anger and arrogance?

    Mo Chenggui ran off quickly, leaving a huge mess behind him!

    Manager Qin and the manservants were still tied up, and there was still a pile of fir wood at the side.

    One of the old soldiers hurriedly ran off to ask about what they were supposed to do. Mo Chenggui then ordered them to untie Manager Qin and help send the fir to Chu Lian¡¯s courtyard.

    Tang Yan stood at the entrance of the side courtyard with his guards. When he heard what was going on, he shook his head. Even he had been frightened by Chu Lian¡¯s words just now. He had thought toe out to mediate at first, but who knew that the whole scene woulde to such a dramatic end?

    Honoured Lady Jinyi was really full of surprises.

    ¡°Sir, will you step in to this matter?¡± One of the guards next to Tang Yan inquired.

    Tang Yan shook his head with a smile. ¡°This matter has already been settled. Didn¡¯t you hear? Honoured Lady has already found a solution. Come on, let¡¯s go and take a look.¡±

    Tang Yan turned and started walking towards Chu Lian¡¯s courtyard as well.

    When he reached the entrance, he was met with the sight of Mo Chenggui being blocked from entering the courtyard. When he saw the old soldier pacing back and forth at the entrance without care for the feather-sized snow falling from the sky, Tang Yan hesitated before going up to him.

    ¡°Leader Mo, why are you standing out here? Why don¡¯t you go in and take a look?¡±

    Leader Mo hated literary officials like Tang Yan the most. After ring at him, he continued pacing with his hands behind his back.

    Tang Yan didn¡¯t mind the frosty reception. He turned towards the entrance and was about to stride right in when Li Xing used a sword to block his path.

    ¡°Sir Tang, please stop right there. Honoured Lady has given us instructions to prevent anyone from entering, with the exception of the people who work in this courtyard.¡±

 Chapter 361: Shut Out (2)

    Tang Yan hadn¡¯t thought that he would be blocked from entering as well. He ended up standing right next to Mo Chenggui in the corridor.

    Tang Yan shook his head helplessly and turned to Mo Chenggui. Heined, ¡°Leader Mo, I¡¯ve been dragged down by you!¡±

    Mo Chenggui had no desire whatsoever to acknowledge a literary official, who was just a weak chicken in his eyes. He simply harrumphed.

    Tang Yan wasn¡¯t deterred by the cold response and said, ¡°Li Xing, see here. I¡¯m not Leader Mo and I didn¡¯t argue with your mistress. Why can¡¯t you let me in?¡±

    ¡°Sir, please don¡¯t make it difficult for this subordinate. This subordinate is simply following Honoured Lady¡¯s orders. Honoured Lady said that this matter is top secret. Even when it¡¯s finished, she won¡¯t be able to give you a demonstration. The first priority is to send it to the border camp.¡±

    Fine! He was dealing with another stick in the mud! Tang Yan finally gave up on trying to enter. His heart was itching with curiosity and he really wanted to know what miracle Chu Lian had somehowe up with to save fifty thousand border troops. However, since she wasn¡¯t willing to divulge the secret to him, he had no other choice.

    Tang Yan immediately turned around and left. He wasn¡¯t going to stand there in the cold wind and snow like that silly Mo Chenggui.

    On the way back to his own courtyard, Tang Yan was still trying to guess at what Chu Lian¡¯s solution was.

    What kind of magic powers did that Chu Lian have? Why was it that every single person by her side was so loyal to her? Even the guards from Prince Wei¡¯s estate, Li Xing and Li Yue, were already treating her like their real master. Could it be due to her foodie ways?

    As expected, foodies were full of potential.

    Tang Yan was shamelessly disregarding how he had taken every chance he could to take a meal over at Chu Lian¡¯s courtyard. During the past few days of heavy snowfall, he had constantly been sending guards over to check on what Chu Lian was eating in her courtyard...

    Once the old carpenter had the rest of the materials in hand, he was able to work fast. They had already nned out the designs. Before actually starting the project, they had also made prototypes.

    Even so, they wasted a portion of the wood that had been gathered while working. Now on the brink of finishing, their materials fell short: they still needed onest nk...

    Chu Lian had been watching from the side this whole time. The old carpenter stopped working and hurried over to Chu Lian a little anxiously. ¡°Esteemed Madam, we¡¯re stillcking one more piece of wood. It was all this old man¡¯s fault for having such clumsy skills... We wasted some of the wood earlier...¡±

    Chu Lian looked at the project. It did indeed look like it was nearly finished, so she sent the orders down to her subordinates.

    Wenqing quickly ran out to inform Manager Qin.

    Manager Qin had only gotten hit once with the rod, so he could bear with the pain in his buttocks. However, he could only stand and he wasn¡¯t able to sit. It would take a few days for him to recover enough to sit andy on his back.

    When he saw Wenqing rushing out of the workroom, he moved forward to meet her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are wecking something?¡±

    Wenqing sighed. ¡°We just need one more piece of fir wood! Why didn¡¯t you buy just one more this morning?¡±

    Manager Qin sighed bitterly. It really wasn¡¯t because he hadn¡¯t bought enough materials. He had been captured by Mo Chenggui while on the way back and Mo Chenggui had burned some of it as firewood. If not for him struggling and shouting that the fir wood was expensive, they might not have even had what they did.

    However, it wasn¡¯t the time to exin this to Wenqing.

    ¡°Ask Third Young Madam to wait a little longer. I¡¯ll go out right now and look for more fir. Rest assured, I¡¯ll definitely bring the remaining materials to Third Young Madam today.¡±

    ¡°Alright, go quickly. I¡¯ll pass your words on to Third Young Madam.¡±

    Manager Qin rubbed his backside gingerly and hobbled towards the courtyard entrance.

    He cursed and swore at Mo Chenggui hundreds and thousands of times over in his heart.

    When he reached the entrance and looked up, only to see the man he had been cursing at, Manager Qin was so frightened he almost fell onto the ground. Once he could see the man¡¯s face clearly, Manager Qin spat on the ground and mumbled angrily under his breath, ¡°How unlucky!¡±

    Although Mo Chenggui found it awkward as well, he still reached out to help Manager Qin find his feet before asking anxiously, ¡°Manager Qin, how is that thing that Third Young Madam is building? I definitely won¡¯t interfere or leak any information, could you let me in to look at it?¡±

    Manager Qin snatched his arm back in a cold manner before sending a side-eyed nce at Mo Chenggui. Then, he said, ¡°Thanks to Leader Mo¡¯s heroic actions, we¡¯re now short on fir wood so we can¡¯tplete the project. This humble one is about to go out and search for more!¡±

 Chapter 362: Snowboat (1)

    What?! They werecking one more piece of fir wood?

    Leader Mo was filled with regret as he remembered the pieces of wood he had carelessly burned earlier.

    When he looked at how Manager Qin was hobbling away while holding on to his behind, he felt even more anxious. At this rate, wouldn¡¯t he take too long to find more fir wood?

    Mo Chenggui followed closely behind Manager Qin and said, ¡°Manager Qin, you¡¯re injured, so leave this matter to me!¡±

    Manager Qin looked him up and down and snorted in his heart. This Mo Chenggui was making his two-faced act so obvious that he felt irritated just looking at him.

    ¡°If you want to go, then go ahead. I¡¯m not holding you back. However, since this is something that Third Young Madam has ordered me to do, I have to do my best toplete my task no matter what!¡±

    After saying so, Manager Qin tossed his sleeves and hurried away while bearing with the pain from his injury,pletely ignoring Mo Chenggui.

    Mo Chenggui knew that he had gone overboard with his actions previously. However, what was done was done. He couldn¡¯t turn back time. He gritted his teeth and led a party of his men out to search for fir wood as well.

    After four hours, it was still Manager Qin who found some supplies of fir wood first and sent it back to the He Estate. He had already gone out to buy wood a few times, so he had some connections.

    In just a short moment, the object that Chu Lian had entrusted to the old carpenter to bought waspleted.

    Chu Lian ordered her people to move the object to one of the more deserted courtyards. She then ordered them to harness horses to the object and test how the object moved over an area that was covered in knee-deep snow.

    When she saw that there were only two shallow tracks on the snow where the horses had apssed, Chu Lian then passed orders to Manager Qin to have heavy items put on top of the object for another test.

    The result? The horses were actually able to maintain a normal speed even while pulling a load of goods!

    Manager Qin couldn¡¯t help but cry out in surprise, ¡°Third Young Madam, it was a sess!¡±

    Chu Lian heaved a sigh of relief and let out a refreshed smile. With this, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the problem of transporting goods through heavy snow!

    Wenqing and Wen had simliar expressions of joy. Wen asked excitedly, ¡°Third Young Madam, what is this thing called?¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s almond-shaped eyes were curved into crescents as she spoke in a tender and soft tone, ¡°A snowboat.¡±

    ¡°A snowboat? A boat that can travel over snow?¡± Manager Qin¡¯s eyes lit up and he praised her, ¡°What a fitting name.¡±

    The old carpenter and his helpers were already smiling from ear to ear as they watched from the side.

    Chu Lian came closer to examine the ¡®snowboat¡¯. Actually, it was a sleigh that wasmonly used during winter in the northeast of China back in the modern world. It could also be called a sled, but there were some differences between sleds and sleighs.

    There were many different types of sleighs, but the one she had drawn out was most suited for transporting goods. It was slightlyrger than most sleighs and should be able to withstand the same load that normal carriages could. They could even create a small warm pen on top of the sleigh by putting up a tent of animal skins and leaving small windows at the side for venttion. With braziers within for warmth, they would be able to travel long distances without getting frozen.

 Chapter 363: Snowboat (2)

    With a wave of Chu Lian¡¯s hand, Manager Qin ordered their men to move the sleigh back to the courtyard. On their way back, the joy on everyone¡¯s faces shone through undisguised.

    Manager Qin was smart enough to realise how important the sleigh was. He moved into a room close to the sleigh¡¯s storehouse and even ordered some guards to keep a close watch on the carpenter and his family.

    Wenqing and Wen helped Chu Lian back to her room. Wen¡¯s face was flushed red from the icy winds outside, but her joyful mood wasn¡¯t affected. ¡°Third Young Madam, are we going to send the snowboat to the border camp now?¡±

    Chu Lian shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s toote now. Night is about to fall and it¡¯s still snowing outside. It¡¯s not safe to travel at this time. Furthermore, I still have a few more designs to draw.¡±

    While Wen was a little disappointed with her answer, she didn¡¯t question further.

    Just as Chu Lian had settled down at her desk and flipped over a fresh sheet of paper, preparing to draw out the design for the warm pen, Li Yue came in with quick strides to report something.

    Chu Lian turned to her with a strange look and charcoal pencil in hand. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Li Yue frowned, but replied honestly, ¡°Honoured Lady, Leader Mo is outside the courtyard. He and his subordinates are carrying arge piece of fir wood and they¡¯re requesting entrance.¡±

    Chu Lian stayed silent for a moment. Mo Chenggui was seriously out to make her mad today.

    Wen huffed, ¡°So it¡¯s only now that he realises our Third Young Madam wasn¡¯t doing all that for nothing!? Why didn¡¯t he mind his own business earlier? If not for him, we might have been able to send the snowboat to the camp today! Our Third Young Madam¡¯s snowboat is alreadypleted so we don¡¯t even need that fir wood of his! What¡¯s he doing here now?¡±

    Chu Lian waved her hand, indicating for Li Yue to send them away.

    Li Yue pressed her lips together and decided to report everything she had heard. ¡°Third Young Madam, this subordinate knows that Leader Mo and his men havemitted wrongs. However, this subordinate heard from the old soldiers that Leader Mo traded all of his winter clothing and cloaks in order to buy that one piece of fir wood. Right now, he¡¯s just wearing his inner clothing as he stands outside the courtyard. Although he¡¯s an old soldier, he¡¯ll likely fall sick from the cold outside sooner orter.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s brows finally drew together into a frown. Li Yue wasn¡¯t trying to speak for Mo Chenggui at all. She was simply worried that He Changdi would me Chu Lian if anything really happened to Mo Chenggui due to exposure to the cold. Chu Lian could sense Li Yue¡¯s good intentions.

    ¡°Tell him to put the fir wood down and return to his courtyard with his men.¡± Chu Lian paused before turning to Wen. ¡°Go over personally and give them something to eat.¡±

    After hearing her orders, Li Yue was clearly relieved. She quickly went off to carry out the task she had been given.

    Once Li Yue had left the room, Wen mumbled inint, ¡°Third Young Madam, are you really going to have this servant send them something to eat even after what he did?¡±

    Chu Lian looked up and shot her a look, ¡°It¡¯s just some porridge and buns. When did you be so stingy, you little rascal? Furthermore, those are just some simple items. If we¡¯re able to ¡®bribe¡¯ Leader Mo with those, won¡¯t it save us more time and energy?¡±

    She wouldn¡¯t even have to speak then!

    Upon hearing Chu Lian¡¯s words, Wen gaped.

    Fine, she was worrying for nothing then. Their Third Young Madam probably already had some n in mind.

    She should be lighting a candle and praying for that Leader Mo instead.

    As expected, once Wen sent over a pot of porridge and a box of buns over to Leader Mo¡¯s courtyard, that stubborn old soldier really ended up getting bought over by the food...

    The man who had refused to eat anything from Chu Lian¡¯s courtyard was now the most fervent fan of her food. He even snatched more than half of the buns in the box just for himself and refused to let anyone have them.

    All of the old soldiers were now ashamed to be part of Mo Chenggui¡¯s party.

    However, the scar-faced Leader Mo was so thick-skinned that his eyes didn¡¯t even twitch when faced with his oldrades¡¯ mocking remarks.

    Early in the morning, Great General Qian gathered his most trusted subordinates in themander¡¯s tent.

    Once everyone left themander¡¯s tent, most of their faces looked about the same as He Sang¡¯s usual icy expression.

    Xiao Hongyu patted He Changdi¡¯s shoulder with a bitter smile. ¡°I¡¯m not used to there being so many Brother Hes in the camp so suddenly.¡±

    When Zhang Mai saw that he still had the mood to joke around, he red fiercely at the brat.

    Xiao Hongyu pouted with a wronged expression.

    Even the officers had been forced to eat bean paste these few days. Couldn¡¯t he just crack a joke to lift the mood a little?

    He Sang stood on the observation tower in camp and looked towards the horizon. Urgency was like a raging beast in his heart. Why hadn¡¯t theye yet?!

 Chapter 364: Immediate Needs (1)

    Of course, he wasn¡¯t waiting for Chu Lian.

    Although the Chu Lian of his lifetime seemed to be a whole other person from the previous one, He Sang¡¯s feelings for her were growing the more he interacted with her.

    However, He Changdi had never thought that Chu Lian might have a solution for the border troops¡¯ situation. In his eyes, as clever and cunning as Chu Lian was, she wasn¡¯t so capable as to share in the burden of helping the border troops.

    Although he only had a rough understanding of what had happened in this war from his previous life, since had already managed to cheat death once, he wouldn¡¯t be so silly as to sit and wait for his second death.

    Once he saw the border troops¡¯ situation for himself, he had still sighed in worry. He understood that his preparations were far from enough. It might still be able to help the border troops out of trouble momentarily, but it wouldn¡¯t be able to treat the root of their problems.

    It hadn¡¯t been that long since He Changdi hade to the border, so it was already pretty impressive that he had been able to take some preemptive measures.

    ¡°Captain, it looks like there¡¯s someone over there!¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s thoughts were pulled back into reality by the guards on duty. His gaze lifted and focused on the swirling snow in the distance.

    The wind-propelled snow blocked most of his vision, but he could still make out the vague outline of a party of men and horses.

    He Changdi¡¯s eyes shone with life and the eternal ice that covered his face seemed to have melted a little. He signalled the soldiers up on the watch tower and strode towards the tower himself. When he reached the foot of the tower, he shouted for his personal guards and mounted his horse. In a short moment, he was already leading his soldiers out of the main camp and sprinting towards the barely visible group of people in front.

    The guards on the watch tower waved a small red g and made a few signals towards the camp. The soldiers on patrol immediately informed their leaders, rousing the camp. Barely a few momentster, a few hundred people had charged out of the camp, hot on the heels of He Sang.

    Before he had even reached the group of men and horses in the snow, He Changdi leaped from his horse, making a somersault beforending soundly right in front of the leader of the party.

    It was only after they had drawn close that He Changdi¡¯s guards finally saw that it was a merchant caravan they were facing. They formed a long line of men with twenty or more carriages following behind. The carriages were clearly used for transport and loaded down with goods.

    The guards¡¯ eyes lit up the moment they realised what the caravan was transporting. They couldn¡¯t resist gulping down some drool. This... this carriage couldn¡¯t possibly be transporting... food?

    They hadn¡¯t been to eat their fill for many days by now.

    The leader of the caravan was seated at the front of the first carriage. He waspletely wrapped up in a fur cloak, topped off with a fur hat, such that only his eyes could be seen.

    By this time, his gaze had alsonded on He Sang. He stumbled off the carriage and almost fell into the slow. With staggering steps, he ran towards He Changdi and made it in front of him in just two strides.

    He immediately kneeled down without caring for the calf-deep snow and broke out into loud wails, ¡°Third Young Master, this servant has finally returned! This servant hasn¡¯t failed you!¡±

    Laiyue¡¯s voice was all hoarse and even the skin on his face had cracked up from the harsh winds.

    Hepletely disregarded his image and sobbed his heart out with his snot and tears flowing out freely, making an absolutely pitiful picture.

    He Changdi felt that his manservant was being ridiculous, but his heart was filled with warmth. He hadn¡¯t trusted the wrong person in this lifetime.

    ¡°Alright, alright. Get up. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re nning to sleep overnight on the snow here?¡± While He Sang spoke in his usual cold one, everyone could sense the caring in his words.

    Laiyue immediately scrambled up from the ground. He roughly brushed away the tears left on his face before pulling down the fur hood wrapped around his neck. It was only then that He Sang could finally see his manservant¡¯s face.

    After so many months apart, Laiyue¡¯s originally chubby face had slimmed down entirely. Right now, there were traces of maturity showing on his face.

    However, with his disheveled stubble, dry and cracked lips, as well as frost-reddened skin, he didn¡¯t make for a pretty picture. His heart had been in his throat for the whole journey here to the north with the supply caravan. Now that he had finally aplished this mission, it was as if a burden had lifted from his heart. He smiled like a silly fool at He Changdi.

    As for He Changdi¡¯s guards, when they heard what their captain and the wretched-looking man before them had said, their jaws dropped in shock.

    Despite his appearance, the leader of the caravan was one of their captain¡¯s subordinates?

    Didn¡¯t that mean that all of the supplies in this caravan were meant for the border camp?

    The guards couldn¡¯t hide their joy at all.

    The winds were harsh and snow was beating on their faces. It was cold and painful, but the hearts of the soldiers were brimming with warmth.

    He Changdi gave out straightforward orders and had his personal guards take over the supply caravan that Laiyue had brought. He told Laiyue to get on a horse and follow him back to the main camp to report the good news first.

    Laiyue knew that time was of the essence, so he gathered up thest of his strength. On the way back to the camp, he exined everything he had done to He Changdi.

    ¡°Third Young Master, this servant followed your orders and bought supplies near the Yueqin Mountains. Even after two months, this servant was only able to gather up 200,000kg of food. When we were crossing the border into Liangzhou, we were attacked by barbarians and we lost around 20,000kg of our supplies. Taking away the supplies we used on the journey here, we only had 150,000kg worth left by the time we came to the heart of Liangzhou.¡±

    150,000kg of food! If they went by the normal amount of army rations, it would only be enough to feed fifty thousand troops for six to seven days. Even in these extreme circumstances, it wouldn¡¯tst more than ten days.

    The border troops were already running out of supplies. This 150,000kg of food could only buy them a few more days, they were still treading very close to danger!

    He had to find another way!

    He Changdi¡¯s hands curled up into fists so tight that he almost snapped his reins!

    He gazed at the camp in the distance with unreadable eyes and a resolute expression, cheering himself on in his heart.

    He was no longer the He Changdi of the past. He was going to find a way to get the border troops out of this crisis!

    The current snowstorm was likely tost for another month. They had to survive this month somehow and mount a counterattack to take down the Tuhuns once and for all!

 Chapter 365: Immediate Needs (2)

    When He Changdi brought Laiyue back to camp and dismounted from his horse at the entrance, he realised that Great General Qian was already waiting at the entrance with the other officers in tow.

    Great General Qian was smiling from ear to ear and eyeing He Changdi as if he was carrying a whole store of grain. Some of the soldiers had likely run ahead of him and reported the good news to Great General Qian first.

    He Sang kept his face cool and calm as usual, but General Qian didn¡¯t show any hint of dislike this time. He came forward and pped He Changdi¡¯s shoulder forcefully and stopped He Changdi before he could make a salute, ¡°You brat! So you were still keeping this ace up your sleeve! Come, let¡¯s go to my tent and have a talk!¡±

    He Changdi shot a look at Laiyue to indicate that he should follow.

    It was only after two whole hours that General Qian finally let He Sang and Laiyue go.

    Laiyue¡¯s face was full of happiness. He followed behind his young master like an annoying duckling, ¡°Third Young Master, did you hear that? The general said that you¡¯ve made a huge contribution this time, so you¡¯ll be able to return to the capital once the war is over! Hehehe, too bad the roads are all blocked by this snowstorm now, otherwise this servant would definitely write back to the estate with this piece of good news! If Third Young Madam were to find out, wouldn¡¯t she be over the moon?¡±

    He Changdi had calmed down by now. He didn¡¯t share Laiyue¡¯s joy, as the biggest cause of the problem hadn¡¯t been solved yet. The food that Laiyue had sent over was only enough to solve their immediate needs and they were merely dying the ticking time bomb about to explode in their faces.

    He just couldn¡¯t cheer up at all.

    While his worries still dominated his heart, it was easy for his mood to shift. However, Laiyue still had to mention Chu Lian.

    He Changdi¡¯s eyes narrowed into slits. That wicked woman Chu Lian!

    If not for her, he wouldn¡¯t have met such a terrible fate. He wouldn¡¯t have reincarnated ande running out to this dratted border to fight for a slim chance of survival!

    He Changdi snorted, ¡°So you were bought over by just a single bowl of Third Young Madam¡¯s braised pork? How cheap!¡±

    Laiyue shrunk back. He had instantly realised that his master was angry from that mocking tone of his. However, hadn¡¯t he been perfectly fine moments ago? Why was he so unhappy now?

    Laiyue scratched his head in confusion. He just couldn¡¯t understand theplicated nuances of his young master¡¯s moods.

    ¡°Then this servant won¡¯t write any letters to Third Young Madam. This servant will only write to the matriarch and Madam, they¡¯ll be extremely delighted for sure!¡±

    He Changdi sneered. Could his manservant get any more stupid? If he wrote back to the estate, wouldn¡¯t his doting grandmother tell that wicked woman everything anyway?

    When He Sang abruptly realised that his mind was drifting to meaningless possibilities, he nked out for a moment before pressing his lips together.

    He said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to think about writing back. Your Third Young Madam is right here in Liangzhou City.¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s tone was emotionless, but Laiyue jumped in surprise after hearing his words. His eyes opened wide as he asked in disbelief, ¡°Third Young Master, what did you say?! Third Young Madam is here in Liangzhou!?¡±

    The only reply that Laiyue got from He Sang was a cold sneer frosty enough to freeze his nose off.

    This time, Laiyue finally believed that Third Young Madam had reallye to Liangzhou.

    He quickly spoke up, ¡°Then this servant will rest for two days and go to visit Third Young Madam after this servant¡¯s body has warmed up. It¡¯s not easy for Third Young Madam toe all the way to Liangzhou as a youngdy...¡±

    As Laiyue mumbled by his ear about how it wasn¡¯t easy for a woman to travel this far out, the ice block that was He Changdi¡¯s face slowly started to melt.

    His imagination brought forth an image to his mind. He thought of how Chu Lian must have trudged through the snow while holding up her thin skirt, showing how her pretty embroidered shoes had been soaked through. Her cheeks had most likely been flushed red from the cold winds while her wide eyes had been filled with unshed tears as she soldiered on.

    A strong breeze almost pushed the Chu Lian of his imagination into the snow. That wicked woman abruptly looked up towards him with two watery and aggrieved eyes. He Changdi¡¯s body froze and he was filled with the urge to reach out to pull her into his arms and wrap her entire person with his warm cloak and embrace.

    However, the reality was vastly different from He Sang¡¯s imagination. On her way here, Chu Lian had simply sat in a brazier-warmed carriage with handwarmers. She had been wrapped in a fur coat coupled with fur-lined boots.She hadn¡¯t even gotten a single chilin from the cold. How could she possibly havee to the north by walking through the snow?

    If the overly imaginative He Sang were to find out the truth, who knows if he would be angry with himself or the wicked woman Chu Lian?

    This time, He Changdi kept his calm and didn¡¯t speak a word of agreement or disapproval. However, Laiyue had been serving his master for a long time, so of course he understood his master¡¯s thoughts.

    Actually, their Third Young Master was a really kind person. He was just held back by his pride sometimes.

    Laiyue chuckled and took He Sang¡¯s silence as approval.

    After he finished chatting about happier matters, the smile on Laiyue¡¯s face slowly vanished.

    He spoke in a grave tone, ¡°Third Young Master, while this servant was in the Yueqin Mountains, this servant wanted to buy more food, but this servant didn¡¯t have enough silver on hand. This servant used up all the silver and traded away the jade amulets and essories you gave, but this servant was only able to bring back this much.¡±

 Chapter 366: Where is She Now!? (1)

    Even before Laiyue had exined his actions, He Changdi had already guessed the situation.

    ¡°No matter. This isn¡¯t your fault. You¡¯ve done well this time. Let¡¯s head back and have a meal and some rest.¡±

    Laiyue made a sound of agreement before following one of He Changdi¡¯s guards to a tent to rest.

    As Laiyue watched his young master turn back into his own tent with his brows tightly knitted together, he couldn¡¯t help butment their current state.

    Third Young Master had really put his all into this gamble. His master had once been just like any of the other young noblemen living in the capital-pared to his current penniless state, it was toorge a difference. Laiyue couldn¡¯t help but feel extremely sad.

    He didn¡¯t understand why his young master had been so resolute in his decision toe to the northern border. His initial dissatisfaction towards Third Young Madam definitely wasn¡¯t one of the reasons.

    They had used up all of the money they had brought from the capital, along with all the properties in Third Young Master¡¯s name. There wasn¡¯t a single valuable left. Right now, other than his rank as Captain He, Third Young Master had nothing else to his name. He was probably even poorer than those concubine-born sons from the third-rate noble houses...

    Through letters from home, Laiyue had also heard of the things that Chu Lian had done back in the capital. Third Young Madam was a really capable person. Who could have thought that a noble youngdy would be so good at earning money? Just going by ¡®Guilin Restaurant¡¯ alone, Third Young Madam¡¯s pockets were likely filled to bursting.

    In the entire House Jing¡¯an, it was probably Third Young Madam who had the most money now.

    Now that Third Young Madam had alsoe to Liangzhou, did that mean his wise and mighty young master would have to rely on his wife to keep himself fed?

    As Laiyue¡¯s mind continued wandering through these thoughts, he felt that his foresight was excellent. He had to quickly recover from his fatigue and toss his lot in with the wealthy Third Young Madam.

    If He Sang were to find out that his manservant was thinking of switching sides, he would probably break all of the little bastard¡¯s legs!

    The lights in He Changdi¡¯s tent remained on untilte in the night. Exhausted, He Changdi rubbed his temples as he fell back onto his bed. His eyes stared straight up at the dark canopy of the tent as he listened to the howling wind outside. No matter how tired he was, He Changdi couldn¡¯t muster up the slightest bit of sleepiness.

    He went through solutions in his mind the entire night, but none of them were actually useful.

    With Xiao Hongyu¡¯s rhythmic snores as apaniment, He Changdi subconsciously smoothed his elegant hands over the fluffy, warm fleece nket covering him. The memory of the day Chu Lian hade to visit the camp floated into his mind.

    He turned on his side and took in a deep breath, wanting to get rid of the images in his head. However, there was a faint fragrance on the nket covering him that made his memory even clearer.

    He Changdi¡¯s brows drew together in frustration, and he almost made to throw the nket onto the ground. Although that urge lingered in his mind, the hand he had ced on the nket refused to move.

    It wasn¡¯t until the faint light of day had broken over the horizon that He Sang was finally able to slip into slumber.

    Time passed quickly. The Tuhuns had practically stopped all attacks on the frontline. They would only send small parties tounch sneak attacks from time to time, clearly trying to y the waiting game with the border troops.

    The Tuhuns¡¯ living conditions had been poor from the start. This wasn¡¯t the first time they had started eyeing the Great Wu Dynasty¡¯s rich, fertile fields.

    The Tuhuns weren¡¯t like the people of the Great Wu. They had been living on the grasnds and icy mountains of the region for generation after generation, and as a result, they were well-used to the harsh, bitter conditions, particrly the winter¡¯s icy winds and snowstorms that the border troops had difficulties with. Furthermore, the Tuhuns had been plotting an invasion for years. They had their ways to pass this harsh winter.

    As the snow fell even harder and the days grew even colder, the conditions were turning more and more to their favour.

    It was an entirely different matter on the side of the Liangzhou border troops. The government had been spending huge sums to maintain the army at the border. There were quotas set on the military supplies sent every season. The rtive peacetime of the Great Wu Dynasty meant that the military officials didn¡¯t have as much influence and respect in court. Meanwhile, the literary officials spread ideals of leading the nation with virtue rather than weaponry. This was most evident in the previous year, when the cab had argued for months over the budget set for military expenditure.

    When the turn of the year hade around, military spending had been cut down even further, rather than increased.

    Thus, the border troops were in imminent danger.

    Due to the early snows in Liangzhou this year, the army¡¯s winter supplies hadn¡¯t been able to make it here in time. It was as if their lifeline had been cut.

    The Tuhuns had spent a decade sharpening their des, waiting for this chance. Although their weapons couldn¡¯t bepared to the Great Wu¡¯s, they had the advantage, having prepared enough food tost the whole of winter. It was the Liangzhou border troops who couldn¡¯t afford to wait.

    One of the officers had bristled with anger at the Tuhuns¡¯ tactics. He suggested gathering all fifty thousand soldiers and feeding them a good meal before sending them out to trample the Tuhun army without leaving a trace!

    The Liangzhou army was under themand of Duke Lu, so they weren¡¯t a bunch of cowardly soldiers. They had the courage to die on the battlefields to protect their country.

    The soldiers were good soldiers and the leaders were good leaders. However, the Tuhun army wasn¡¯t stupid. They weren¡¯t going to stand out and let the border troops attack them without fighting back, nor did they leave their supplies out for just anyone to discover.

    The northern border was a hugend with a sparse poption. Sometimes they wouldn¡¯t even see a single soul out there on the grass ins.

    The Tuhuns were used to living in these conditions and scrabbling for survival. Gueri warfare and hiding were what they were good at, and this was well-suited to the northern border¡¯srge space.

    The most likely result from the angry officer¡¯s suggestion would be their fifty thousand soldiers dying of hunger or exposure after crossing the river without finding a single hint of the Tuhuns...

    Thus, all they could do was wait as their supplies dwindled down. If they wanted to bring supplies in, they would have to think of a way to get to the hearnds of the Great Wu.

 Chapter 367: Where is She Now!? (2)

    Another officer brought up a suggestion: how about raiding the barbarians?

    Heh heh. The barbarians were even poorer than the Tuhuns. They only knew how to graze their livestock and they didn¡¯t even know if they would be able to survive the winter themselves. There was nothing for them to raid there.

    The barbarians were much fewer in number than the Tuhuns anyway. Most of them were scattered all throughout the ins. They also suffered from regr raids by the Tuhuns, so they were likely all hiding under a pile of snow somewhere. The troops couldn¡¯t depend on finding ten thousand nomadic barbarians to feed their fifty thousand soldiers. Even the suggestion of having onest meal and fighting it out with the Tuhuns was better.

    In the end, no one had a solution that was sound enough.

    Most of the leaders in the army were old generals who had experienced many battles. Despite their many sesses and ideas in the past, when it came to the current situation, all of them could only scratch their heads in futile search of a good solution.

    It wasn¡¯t as if General Qian hadn¡¯t tried sending men to Su City to bring back their supplies. However, half of the party had already suffered frostbite even before making it out of Liangzhou. Their carriages hadn¡¯t been able to move in the knee-deep snow. If they did miraculously make it to Su City, then how were they supposed to get the supplies back? They couldn¡¯t possibly rely on just men and packhorses.

    Transporting supplies for fifty thousand soldiers on just the backs of men and horses?

    That was impossible!

    In the blink of an eye, two days had already passed. Right now, each passing day meant that their food supplies were shortened by a day. The secretary of the army was so worried about the food left in their stores, his originally white hair had grown even whiter.

    No matter how much they tried to scrimp and save, the food wasn¡¯t enough tost a single month.

    Early in the morning, Laiyue packed up a small bag. A red object shaped like a rod was sticking out of his bag.

    Right before he left, Laiyue came to He Changdi¡¯s tent to report.

    Xiao Hongyu was away leading his subordinates on a morning training exercise, so only He Sang was left in the tent.

    Laiyue set down the bag he was carrying on his back and stared at the objects in the bag while trying to hold back his drool. ¡°Third Young Master, are you really not going to eat some of this? This servant can keep some of this aside for you. All you¡¯ve been eating in the army is bean gruel for so many days. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to have some of this to chew on for a change of taste asionally?¡±

    He Sang was holding a military tactic book in hand as he cast a cool nce at Laiyue. ¡°No need. These are all women¡¯s snacks, why leave them for me? Give them all to your Third Young Madam.¡±

    Laiyue could only take up the bag once again. ¡°Third Young Master, is there any message you would like this servant to pass on to Third Young Madam?¡±

    He Changdi thought for a moment before walking over to his bedside and taking out a letter from under his pillow. He passed it over to Laiyue casually.

    Laiyue received the letter with both hands and smiled eagerly. It seemed like his master was warming up to his mistress.

    When He Sang caught sight of Laiyue¡¯s silly and joyful smile, his expression stiffened up a little and he aimed a kick at Laiyue¡¯s behind. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you gone yet? Are you waiting for me to escort you out?¡±

    Laiyue dodged his young master¡¯s kick skilfully before chuckling, ¡°Third Young Master, please calm down. This servant will leave right now! This servant is good at riding, so Third Young Madam will definitely get your letter as soon as possible!¡±

    After saying so, Laiyue carefully ced He Changdi¡¯s letter in the bag containing stalks of sugarcane.

    When he left He Sang¡¯s tent, Laiyue was still carrying a smile on his face. Even though Third Young Master had imed not to like Third Young Madam, just look at what he was doing now. He had spent so much effort to bring back this sugarcane, but Third Young Master wasn¡¯t keeping a single piece. Instead, he was sending them all to Third Young Madam!

    After an hour had passed, a familiar voice called out to He Changdi from outside the tent. He Changdi looked up from his tactic books with a frown.

    What was wrong with Laiyue? Hadn¡¯t he left just a while ago? Why was he back so soon?

    In the next second, He Changdi¡¯s cold and handsome face was contorted into an ugly expression.

    Had something happened to that wicked woman Chu Lian?

    When he thought of the possibility, He Sang couldn¡¯t hold still any longer. He stood up abruptly in panic, almost toppling his chair over. Just as he was about to grab his cloak and sword and rush out of his tent, the tent p lifted and Laiyue entered from outside. His face was filled with joy and he immediately started shouting even before he hadpletely entered the tent, ¡°Third Young Master, good news!¡±

    He Changdi could sense Laiyue¡¯s excitement and uncontainable joy from his voice alone, so the tension and fright drained away from his heart.

    His grip on his scabbard loosened, although there was still some frost in his tone when he spoke, ¡°What happened? If you don¡¯t give me a good reason for all this, I¡¯ll sentence you to a suitable military punishment!¡±

    The news was just too uplifting. Laiyuepletely disregarded his master¡¯s threat and finished stepping into the tent. When he saw what He Changdi was holding in hand, he spoke up curiously, ¡°Third Young Master, are you on the way out?¡±

    He Sang harrumphed and set his cloak and sword back to their original ces.

    Laiyue felt shivers go down his spine from the cold aura that his master was emanating, so he quickly reported everything he had just heard.

    ¡°This servant was on the way to Liangzhou¡¯s He Estate this morning, but while on the way there, this servant met Sir Tang and Uncle Mo with a party of men and horses. On such a cold day and so much snow on the ground, they actually brought out arge carriage. This servant was stunned speechless so this servant was about to go up and ask about what was going on when Third Young Madam spoke from the carriage...¡±

    After He Sang finished listening to Laiyue¡¯s exnation, the depths of his eyes grew darker. ¡°What did you say? The carriage that Chu Lian was sitting in didn¡¯t have any wheels?¡±

    Laiyue nodded furiously, disbelief still clear on his face.

    ¡°This servant doesn¡¯t know how Third Young Madam¡¯s carriage was built. It¡¯s strange enough that it doesn¡¯t have any wheels, but it can move really fast over snow, as if it¡¯s flying! It won¡¯t sink into the snow either!¡±

    Thoughts flew through He Changdi¡¯s mind at lightning fast speeds. Almost in the same instant, he thought of how this wheel-less carriage could be used.

    His eyes lit up like stars in the night sky. Even the cool and reserved He Sang had moments of excitement like this. ¡°Where is she now?! Tell me! Where is she?¡±

 Chapter 368: Because Iâ€™m Lazy (1)

    Laiyue suffered a fright from seeing his master¡¯s sudden agitated state. He froze for a moment before quickly replying, ¡°Third Young Madam is still on the way here. This servant came back earlier to report the news first. Judging by the time, Third Young Madam must have reached by now. Third Young Madam...¡±

    Before Laiyue could finish speaking, He Sang rushed out of the tent like a whirlwind...

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t going to report to Great General Qian about the sleigh herself. Firstly, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to do so as a woman ording to the customs of this dynasty. Secondly, it was because she had a personal wish she wanted to fulfill.

    Although her lunatic husband was rather abnormalpared to most people, in the days aftering to the northern border and interacting with He Sang, her impression of him was much better than the day they had first met.

    Many times, it was just He Changdi¡¯s pride getting in the way of him speaking up. She was a generous person, so she decided not to be as narrow-minded as he was.

    Furthermore, even though she had been given the title of ¡®Honoured Lady Jinyi¡¯ by the Emperor and was considered part of the imperial family, when others mentioned Sixth Miss Chu, the first thing that woulde to their minds would be her position as House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam, He Sang¡¯s wife.

    Married daughters were cut off from their family trees. Her honour or disgrace would reflect on the He Family.

    Since she had a good idea and since she wasn¡¯t a hare-brained person, the first person she had thought of was He Sang.

    Thus, before He Sang could ride out to find her, Chu Lian had already sent Mo Chenggui out to find He Sang.

    Mo Chenggui was able to find He Changdi mounted up on his horse right before he left the camp, but before Mo Chenggui could speak up, He Changdi had already fired a question at him: ¡°Where¡¯s Third Young Madam?¡±

    Undisguised joy was showing on Mo Chenggui¡¯s old face. ¡°Replying to Third Young Master, Third Young Madam is right behind and will reach the main camp in fifteen minutes. Third Young Madam requests that you wait for her outside the camp, she has something she wants to say to you.¡±

    With a wave of his whip, He Sang zed off, leaving only the words, ¡°I¡¯m going to look for her.¡±

    Chu Lian was personally escorted to He Changdi¡¯s tent by the man himself.

    Chu Lian stared at the clearly anxious He Changdi with wide eyes and guessed that he had most likely thought of why she was here. She didn¡¯t beat around the bush and spoke to him straight, ¡°He Changdi, you saw the carriage I came here in. Here, these are the blueprints. I¡¯ve also brought over the carpenter. Take a look and see if these will be useful.¡±

    He Changdi reached out with his long fingers to take the blueprints from Chu Lian¡¯s slender hands. When his warm fingertips touched her chilled skin, despite the difference in temperature, a fuzzy feeling came to life in both their hearts.

    Chu Lian hurriedly retracted her fingers and coughed.

    For some reason, she felt that their interaction was somewhat awkward today. He Sang¡¯s attitude was very different from the norm. She had been calm at first, but now she was starting to feel a little fidgety.

    He Changdi was quick-witted. The snowboat that Chu Lian had brought to him set the ball rolling in his mind, instantly sparking plenty of ideas.

    He Sang¡¯s unfathomable gaze fell upon the frail youngdy before him who seemed like a little bunny who needed his protection. In that single instant, all sorts of emotions shed through his pupils. When they settled down, only joy and warmth remained in the depths of his eyes.

    When He Changdi finally spoke, his tone was a little hoarse, but strangely sexy.

    Although it was just two short words, ¡®thank you¡¯, Chu Lian could feel the sincerity behind them.

    She looked at the urgency in He Changdi¡¯s expression. Without waiting for He Changdi to promt her, Chu Lian started exining how the snowboats could be used.

    Following that, Chu Lian took He Sang over to the snowboat she had brought over,plete with an added heated pen. After fifteen minutes, He Sang took the blueprints and headed to themander¡¯s tent.

    A short whileter, Great General Qian¡¯s trusted officers were all summoned to themander¡¯s tent.

    Chu Lian stayed in He Changdi¡¯s tent. Laiyue kept watch on the goings-on outside. When Laiyue entered the tent to report that Great General Qian had summoned all of his officers, it was only then that Chu Lian finally felt relief.

    It looked like General Qian was taking the snowboats seriously.

    Chu Lian heaved a long sigh of relief. Now that she had finally set down her burden, her body felt light and loose. She even had the mood to direct Wenqing and Wen in an effort to pack up the tent for He Changdi.

    Only Chu Lian and her maidservants were left in the tent. As slow as they were, Wenqing and Wen had already understood the true reason why Chu Lian had ordered the snowboat to be built when Third Young Madam handed over the blueprints to Third Young Master.

    The respect that the two rascals had for their Third Young Madam only increased.

    They turned to Chu Lian with sparkling eyes like miniature suns.

    Chu Lian could feel the hairs on her arms standing up from theirbined stares, even though she was seated by the warm brazier at the foot of the bed. She red at Wenqing and Wen, ¡°What are you looking at me like that for? I¡¯m getting goosebumps.¡±

    Wen had been serving Chu Lian for long enough that she was starting toe out of her introverted shell.

    She eximed, ¡°Third Young Madam, you¡¯re so smart. How did youe up with the idea of a snowboat?¡±

    Chu Lian was speechless. She couldn¡¯t just say that she had gotten the idea from the sleighs of the modern world, after all!

    Thus, she could only do her best toe up with an exnation. ¡°Think about it. We can travel over water using boats. This snowboat is exactly the same as a boat on water. However, a boat can only travel over water while a snowboat travels over snow. Although they¡¯re used in different locations, the principle behind them is the same.¡±

    Wen nodded seriously. She didn¡¯t forget to add in some praise while she was at it. ¡°Although the idea is simple, we servants weren¡¯t able to think of it at all. It¡¯s still Third Young Madam who¡¯s the smartest of us all.¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.

 Chapter 369: Because Iâ€™m Lazy (2)

    Wenqing noticed that Chu Lian was rubbing her hands together and huffing out her breath to warm them, so she quickly stuffed a new handwarmer into her hands. She hesitated before asking, ¡°Third Young Madam, since you were the one who came up with the idea, why didn¡¯t you give the blueprints directly to General Qian?¡±

    After Wenqing blurted out the question, she immediately realised that it wasn¡¯t appropriate.

    She hurriedly tried to make up for it, ¡°Third Young Madam, please don¡¯t me this servant. This servant went over the line. This servant shouldn¡¯t have cast doubt on Third Young Madam¡¯s decision.¡±

    Chu Lian looked up just in time to catch the fear that shed across Wenqing¡¯s face. She reacted with a bright, yet cunning smile. Her beautiful almond-shaped eyes curved into upturned crescent moons.

    ¡°I have nothing to hide from the two of you. If you want to know, I¡¯ll just tell you. Of course it¡¯s because I¡¯mzy!¡±

    There is a saying called ¡®self-preservation is the firstw of nature¡¯. Everyone has moments when they¡¯re selfish, when their beloved partners are no longer more important their own selves. Isn¡¯t it more silly not to put your own survival first?

    If you don¡¯t even treat yourself well, how can you expect others to treat you well?

    There was nothing wrong about Wenqing¡¯s question. If Chu Lian had presented the snowboat to Great General Qian today, then she would definitely have gotten credited for the major contribution.

    From their understanding of General Qian¡¯s personality, if the northern border troops managed to ovee this trial, he would likely push for a promotion for Chu Lian. Even if she didn¡¯t mention anything to him, she would most likely rise up another rank or even be a Royal Princess.

    However, Chu Lian had gone straight to Third Young Master the moment she had arrived in the camp. She had even ordered the men in her party not to reveal that she had been the one to design the snowboat.

    Wenqing and Wen had been waiting with bated breath to hear what kind of righteous reason Chu Lian had for doing so.

    Could it be that Third Young Madam¡¯s heart was filled with Third Young Master and that her goal was to be her husband¡¯s silent support? Or perhaps she wanted to be a hidden hero...?

    Although there were plenty of hot-blooded reasons, those werepletely unrted to Chu Lian.

    She had actually revealed without any shame at all that she had just been toozy!

    The mes burning in Wenqing and Wen¡¯s eyes were instantly extinguished by a basin of ice cold water and disappeared without even the slightest trace of smoke...

    Wenqing and Wen¡¯s faces were now stiff. The corners of their lips twitched as they tried to think of a reply for their mistress.

    Third Young Madam kept mumbling about Third Young Master being a ¡®lunatic¡¯, but from their point of view, Third Young Madam wasn¡¯t any better.

    Just take a look at the other noble madams. They fought for their husband¡¯s favour all the time. When their Third Young Master wasn¡¯t around in the estate, their Third Young Madam lived even more happily than when he was around. Other noble madams cared about their reputation. Their Third Young Madam treated her Honoured Lady title as if it was just for show. Other noble madams loved to dress up. Their Third Young Madam was only upied with eating...

    Wenqing and Wen ranted crazily in their hearts.

    Chu Lian nced at her abnormally ¡®silent¡¯ maidservants and noticed that their expressions were quite nk, so she kindly exined further.

    ¡°Think about it. If I were to give the snowboat blueprints directly to General Qian, he would definitely keep me in his tent for questioning. Later on, the rest of the officers would also have to ask me tons of questions...¡± Following that, it would be having to coordinate the mass production of the snowboats, setting the principles and discussing the usage of the snowboats...

    The moment she thought of all that had to be done, Chu Lian felt dizzy. Rather than working herself to the bone, why not hand over the tiring stuff to He Sang? He would definitely be willing to do it!

    Wenqing and Wen: .....

    The two of them were a little exasperated by Third Young Madam¡¯s reasoning. ¡°Don¡¯t you want everyone to see you in a new light, Third Young Madam?¡±

    If the Emperor ever found out about this, he might even praise their Third Young Madam in front of the whole court. That was an honour that most people couldn¡¯t even dream about. With that, every time anyone in the capital mentioned Chu Lian, the first thing they would think about wouldn¡¯t be how her fertility had caught House Jing¡¯an¡¯s eye.

    Everyone would have to be respectful towards their Third Young Madam so as not to offend the Emperor then. Thatdy from House Dingyuan, Zou Yuanqin, wouldn¡¯t have the guts to frame Third Young Madam any longer!

    Chu Lian stared curiously at Wenqing and Wen. She hadn¡¯t expected her two maidservants to be sopetitive. She found it funny and smiled as she said, ¡°Why do I have to make others see me in a new light? I think that it¡¯s good enough for me to eat well and live well. Why do I need approval from others? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m living for other people¡¯s attention. It¡¯s good enough if I¡¯m happy. I like to befortable and I don¡¯t like to worry about so many things. Let me tell you girls. If you worry too much, you¡¯ll age faster!¡±

    Chu Lian reached out to poke Wenqing and Wen¡¯s foreheads, copying the mannerisms of an elder educating her juniors.

    Wenqing and Wen were shocked stiff by Third Young Madam¡¯s strange worldview. Their jaws dropped in amazement.

    Chu Lian smiled, ¡°Does this mean that you girls think General Sima is impressive?¡±

    Wenqing and Wen nodded furiously. Of course! General Sima was quite well-known in the army despite her young age. Even they had heard of General Sima when they had been in the capital. Any woman who knew a bit of martial arts would admire General Sima!

    She was the modern ¡®Hua Mn¡¯!

    Even the Empress Dowager, who usually remained a recluse in the pce and never talked about court matters, had personally praised Sima Hui at the national banquet and awarded her with a set of custom-made armour.

 Chapter 370: Teppanyaki (1)

    Chu Lian smiled in response without any intention of ming Wenqing and Wen. Instead, she said, ¡°Lady General Sima is already twenty this year, yet she has not wed. After her grandfather, Old General Sima passed on, she has never returned to her hometown in Shandong. Her female soldiers often receive harsh criticism from others, so other than those affiliated with Old General Sima, Lady General Sima rarely has dealings with aristocratic families. General Sima seems to have spent the past three New Years in camp...¡±

    Despite Chu Lian¡¯s calm tone, Wenqing and Wen were already gaping with surprise.

    They had no idea that the almighty General Sima¡¯s life wasn¡¯t as good as they imagined it to be.

    Wenqing and Wen instantly felt that General Sima¡¯s tiresome life was nowhere as good as theirs. They had the pleasure of eating delicacies alongside Third Young Madam while living idle lives...

    The two youngdies didn¡¯t realise that their worldview was gradually being thwarted by their mistress...

    A rare glint of wit shone in Chu Lian¡¯s eyes. Wasn¡¯t there a saying about how the nail that sticks out gets hammered down? She didn¡¯t want to draw unwanted attention! In any case, as He Changdi¡¯s wife, she could use him as a shield for everything. It would be a waste if she didn¡¯t use the conveniently ced scapegoat.

    As for her, she just had to live happily as azyyabout. She wasn¡¯t the original Chu Lian, so she didn¡¯t have any thoughts of taking revenge.

    ¡°Go out and ask around the camp. What are they having for dinner now?¡±

    Wenqing and Wen hadn¡¯t even recovered from the daze induced by Chu Lian¡¯s words. When they heard Third Young Madam¡¯s question, the two of them channelled He Sang¡¯s spirit as their expressions turned dark.

    In the end, Wenqing sighed. Fine! Their Third Young Madam was intent onying low like an ostrich for the rest of her life. Since their mistress couldn¡¯t be bothered, why did they, as her servants, have to worry about?

    Wenqing epted her fate and headed out to carry out her orders.

    A short whileter, Wenqing returned and reported her findings to Chu Lian in detail.

    Chu Lian¡¯s mouth was agape and her face was filled with shock. She gulped with some difficulty, ¡°Bean paste?¡±

    She thought back to thest time she had eaten with He Sang when she had been served that weird-smelling bowl of disgusting ck porridge and lost all appetite.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, should we eat with them?¡± When in an army camp, most visitors simply shared what the soldiers had.

    With lingering fear, Chu Lian quickly shook her head, ¡°I think it¡¯s better if we prepare our own!¡±

    They could start up their own stove and use their own ingredients instead of army supplies. Her status was also different from most people, so no one would dare to gossip about her actions. Since He Changdi hadn¡¯t returned, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to leave without saying her goodbyes either.

    As expected, Great General Qian¡¯s meeting with his officers took a long time. Although the sky had darkened and the snow had also lightened up, the officers of the Right Wing Army still hadn¡¯t returned.

    Chu Lian was already feeling hungry, so she chose not to wait for He Sang and ordered Wenqing and Wen to make preparations.

    Wenqing carefully held a round piece of metal while trembling, ¡°Third Young Madam, are you really going to use Third Young Master¡¯s chestte?¡±

    Chu Lian nodded. She had searched all over the tent and this chestte was the closest to what she wanted. It was round and approximately the same size as a regr frying pan. She rapped on its metallic surface, confirming that this was indeed the most suitable item for teppanyaki!

    Chu Lian was satisfied with it, ¡°Why are you wasting time? Hurry up and ce it on the brazier.¡±

    Wen was close to tears, ¡°Third Young Madam, why don¡¯t you let this servant look for something else more suitable instead? It doesn¡¯t seem like a good idea to use Third Young Master¡¯s chestte... Th-Third Young Master has to use this on the battlefield!¡±

    Chu Lian turned to look at the armor disyed on the wooden frame and shook her head with a chuckle.

    Going to war in armor that looked like it weighed a hundred kilograms?

    It was truly miraculous that He Changdi hadn¡¯t gotten injured on the battlefield thus far!

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If my husbandes looking for someone to me, just say that you did it under my orders.¡±

    Unable to change Chu Lian¡¯s mind, they could only submit to her orders.

    The chestte even had a slight depression in its center, like it had been born to be a frying pan. Chu Lian had Wenqing wash the chestte before she ced it over the brazier.

    After heating it up, she ced a piece ofrd on top of it. There was no way around it, vegetable oil hadn¡¯t been invented yet in the Great Wu Dynasty, so she could only make do withrd.

    The snow-white piece ofrd quickly dissolved on the chestte, turning into a pool of aromatic oil. Next, Chu Lian took a te of thin marinated beef slices from Wen and ced them one by one on the makeshift frying pan.

    When the thin slices of beef came into contact with the hot greasyrd, it instantly gave off a sizzling sound. The originally t slices of beef began to shrink; they turned from interspersed pale red and white to a nice and even brown. Its aroma was also released into the air, permeating throughout the whole tent.

    Chu Lian used a specially made spat to p the beef a few times before she took out a small white bottle and poured seasoning onto the meat. For some reason, the unknown seasoning in the bottle made the originally mouth-watering aroma several times better!

    Her fair and delicate hands handled the spat nimbly, flipping the pieces of meat over with deft movements. She then poured out more seasoning and used a pair of chopsticks to ce them on an empty te.

    Chu Lian nced at the two girls who were gulping down their saliva with all their might. With a smile, she asked, ¡°Wenqing, do you want to give it a taste?¡±

    Wenqing¡¯s eyes lit up like fireworks. She quickly picked up a pair of chopsticks and stuffed a slice of beef into her mouth without any care for how hot it was. She sucked in air frantically due to the heat, but she couldn¡¯t bear to spit it out of her mouth. When she finally managed to swallow, her lips were all red.

 Chapter 371: Teppanyaki (2)

    Before Chu Lian could ask, Wen had already piped up impatiently, ¡°How was it, Sis? Is it good, is it tasty!?¡±

    Wenqing couldn¡¯t spare any thought to being reserved at this moment, she nodded enthusiastically with a hand over her mouth.

    Wen was dying of envy inside. She didn¡¯t know what Third Young Madam used, but this aroma was just too overwhelming. She stared expectantly at Chu Lian andined, ¡°Third Young Madam, you¡¯re being biased!¡±

    Chu Lianughed, ¡°Don¡¯t you like spicy food? I¡¯ll make a spicy one for you.¡±

    Wen¡¯s eyes sparkled. So this could also be made spicy.

    Chu Lian followed the same steps as before, but added some chili powder while she was grilling the beef slices. As expected, Wen enjoyed it so much that she felt like swallowing her tongue along with the food.

    They had been serving Chu Lian for a while now. When Chu Lian cooked, she had never avoided her close aides. Wenqing and Wen were no longer the same girls who didn¡¯t even know how to make candied kumquats back when they had just entered Songtao Court. While serving Chu Lian, they had eaten plenty of delicacies, but it was the first time that they had tasted such an amazing dish.

    Wenqing and Wen¡¯s eyes were alight with sparkles. Cooking teppanyaki was incredibly simple. As long as they prepared some good seasoning, it would be easy for a beginner to put out a decent tasting dish.

    They were in the thick of winter now, where water turned to ice. Winters in the northern border have always been colder than in the capital. There were also only grasnds to be found in this area, so there was very little vegetation avable at this time. The main sources of food for the people in this area were beef and mutton. Grain crops, on the other hand, were pure extravagance.

    This could be seen from how the officers still had meat in their meals despite theck of provisions.

    Back in Liangzhou City, she had ordered the He Estate¡¯s guards to ughter several yaks and sheep. Half of the meat had been taken outside to be frozen and stored.

    At this point of time, the northern border was like a natural refrigerator. Meat could be kept even without curing.

    When it was time to eat, they just had to take out and prepare the frozen meat.

    The beef and mutton Chu Lian ate were all stored like this. At such low temperatures, the freshness of the meat wasn¡¯t really affected at all.

    Chu Lian demonstrated the process a few times in front of Wenqing and Wen beforepletely handing over the task to the two maidservants.

    She watched over the bowl ofmb organ soup boiling in another earthenware pot and stirred it with a woodendle from time to time. She tasted it and nodded. The fire was just right and it was almost done.

    Wen ced a te of slightly spicy grilled beef slices on the small table in front of Chu Lian before serving her a bowl of warm and nourishingmb organ soup.

    Chu Lian picked up her chopsticks and sniffed lightly. Ah, only this kind of aroma could be called dinner!

    As for that bean paste, she would leave it to the officers and soldiers of the camp to finish!

    While Chu Lian and her servants were happily cooking up delicacies in the tent, the soldiers guarding the tent outside were suffering.

    Although the tent entrance was covered with a thick felt curtain to block the wind and snow, it couldn¡¯t hold back the aroma of food at all!

    From a small gap in the tent entrance, an enticing aroma drifted out, testing the hungry guards¡¯ restraint and making their eyes turn red.

    That maidservant had only brought two pieces of frozen meat into the tent. They couldn¡¯t understand how she could produce such an alluring fragrance in such a short amount of time!

    Damn it! Today¡¯s guard shift was going to be torture!

    The two soldiers wanted to rush in and ask Honoured Lady what she was doing. If only she might award them with a piece of whatever smelled so good. However, the memory of He Sang¡¯s usual cold expression kept them in bay. The two guards really didn¡¯t have the guts to disregard their orders, so they could only cry out in their hearts.

    Each of the officers leaving themander¡¯s tent had the same expression: as if dark clouds had finally been chased away.

    Even the atmosphere in camp had suddenly warmed up.

    He Changdi was met with smiles and praise from everyone that he met. Gao Zhangwei stood at the entrance of themander¡¯s tent. His jealous gaze was fixed on He Sang¡¯s ramrod straight back.

    He watched as Captain Guo and some other officers slung their arms around He Sang¡¯s shoulder and massaged his back a little. Even Sima Hui was standing not too far away, looking at He Changdi with aplex gaze.

    The veins on Gao Zhangwei¡¯s forehead popped out and his hands curled into fists so tight that his bones ground against each other with a popping sound. Unfortunately, the slight noise was covered by the howling of wind, so no one heard it at all.

    When Sima Hui recalled the blueprint that He Changdi had spread out in front of Great General Qian, she followed behind the officers of the Right Wing Army in a daze, along with her female adjutant.

    As she watched how close Xiao Hongyu, Captain Guo and Zhang Mai seemed to be to He Sang, envy rose from her heart.

    Sima Hui¡¯s bold eyebrows drew together with a trace of sadness as the worried Xiaoju watched her general¡¯s reaction from the side.

    Captain Guo and the others in front quickly reached He Changdi¡¯s tent.

    The moment they arrived, a faint and tantalising aroma drifted over. Mixed in with the cold wind, the aroma became even more distinct.

    Xiao Hongyu¡¯s first reaction was to scold the culprit behind the aroma, ¡°Damn! Which bastard is eating secretly by himself!? Why does it smell so good?¡±

    He sniffed the air, posing just like a dog would, before his gazended on He Changdi¡¯s tent.

    Xiao Hongyu was stunned for a moment, but he quickly recovered and spoke excitedly with joy, ¡°Brother He, is Sister-in-Law here?¡±

    By the time He Sang finally regained his senses, he realised that the wicked woman was cooking up something again.

    Sima Hui stared nkly upon hearing this from behind their party. He Sang¡¯s wife, Honoured Lady Jinyi?

    That delicious aroma piqued her curiosity. She suddenly wanted to meet Honoured Lady Jinyi.

 Chapter 372: Gathering for a Meal (1)

    Thus, Xiao Hongyu and his friends witnessed a very strange scene.

    The normally solitary and aloof General Sima suddenly started chasing after their group.

    Xiao Hongyu shot a sneaky and teasing look at He Changdi. He looked like he was preparing to settle down and watch a good show. When Zhang Mai spotted what their youngest member had done, he pped the back of Xiao Hongyu¡¯s head.

    Captain Guo was the eldest of the group and the most mature one. He peeked at He Sang¡¯s cold expression and realised that he wasn¡¯t going to speak up. In the end, Captain Guo had to take up the role of speaking for the group and made a greeting bow towards Sima Hui. ¡°How may we assist you, General Sima?¡±

    Although Sima Hui¡¯s features gave off a certain heroic spirit that most girls wouldn¡¯t have, she looked especially gentle when she smiled. Her actions were also upright and straightforward, so most of the officers in the army held a good impression of her.

    Since Sima Hui was trying to be friendly, they couldn¡¯t just reject her overtures. She was a woman too, so that meant that it would be an even greater faux pas if they didn¡¯t respond to her.

    ¡°This general heard that Honoured Lady Jinyi hase to the camp today. Thest time Honoured Lady came over with extra supplies, this general wasn¡¯t able to meet her, so this time, this general has to pay her a visit today at the very least.¡±

    General Sima¡¯s reason made it hard for them to reject her. Since the general was here to visit Chu Lian and they were both female, they couldn¡¯t really stop them as a bunch of guys.

    Furthermore, it was already prettyte now. Honoured Lady Jinyi definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to return to Liangzhou City tonight. He Sang shared a tent with Xiao Hongyu and it wasn¡¯t appropriate for them to let He Sang and his wife have the tent by themselves. They would have to request for assistance from General Sima in the end anyway.

    If they offended her at this point, it wouldn¡¯t be good for them.

    Captain Guo¡¯s thoughts ran quickly. He spoke with a polite tone, ¡°We¡¯re on our way to visit Honoured Lady as well. Since General Sima has the same intention, why don¡¯t we go together?¡±

    Xiao Hongyu saw that He Changdi¡¯s gaze hadn¡¯t even grazed Sima Hui¡¯s body for even a second, so he rubbed the back of his head. When there wasn¡¯t any exciting gossip or drama to look at, he felt a little bored.

    Zhang Mai and Xiao Hongyu had no objections to Sima Hui¡¯s addition to their party. Only He Changdi seemed to be emanating an icy aura to keep people thousands of miles away from his person, but his unspoken opinion was automatically disregarded.

    Sima Hui¡¯s gaze drifted casually over to He Changdi. When she realised that his eyes hadn¡¯t turned in her direction even once, a pang of pain rose in her heart before abruptly fading into nothing.

    She smiled mockingly at herself inwardly. It wouldn¡¯t have been possible between them anyway, it was better if she could let it go.

    After finally letting go of the twisted emotions in her heart, self-confidence returned to Sima Hui¡¯s expression and she started exuding a charismatic and maic aura.

    ¡°Since that¡¯s so, let¡¯s go together!¡±

    Today¡¯s teppanyaki had been rather good, especially when paired with that warmingmb organ soup. After she had gulped down the bowl of soup, it felt like her entire body had warmed up.

    Chu Lian had her te in hand as she ate herte dinner. However, she was only able to eat a few bites of the delicious grilled beef slices before the guards outside announced, ¡°Reporting to Honoured Lady, General Sima, Captain Guo, Captain He, Lieutenant Xiao and Lieutenant Zhang are here.¡±

    The corners of her lips twitched. What was up with this group of people? Their noses were even better than those of dogs! They were somehow able toe by every time she was having a meal.

    Wenqing and Wen both stiffened and froze at the same time, their faces turning pale. They exchanged troubled looks. What were they to do? Third Young Master¡¯s chest te was still serving as the frying pan over the fire...

    Chu Lian demolished the remaining beef slices on her te in record speed and with absolute calm before standing up and straightening out her clothes.

    As expected, in a short moment, the tent p was lifted from outside and her visitors poured into the tent.

    The tent wasn¡¯t that big, so there was hardly any space left once everyone had entered.

    Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to the brazier next to Chu Lian the moment they entered the tent, their eyes filled with curiosity and expectation.

    Xiao Hongyu was the first to lose to his curiosity. He strode over to Chu Lian, not forgetting to give her a greeting bow, before asking her with wide, sparkling eyes, ¡°Sister-in-Law, what are you cooking now? It smells delicious!¡±

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t hold back the twitch in her eyes any longer.

    These gluttons! The first thing on their minds wasn¡¯t asking after her wellbeing, but eyeing the table and tes in front of her...

    Was this really how they should be acting?

    However, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t share her honest thoughts with these gluttons, so she could only summon up her well of patience and reply, ¡°I¡¯m not used to the food here in the army and I had nothing to do, so I made these with my maidservants. They¡¯re just some small snacks. If it seems interesting to you, please feel free to have a taste.¡±

    That invite was exactly what the gluttons had been waiting for. When they heard her words, their faces lit up with delight. They had been stuck in the meeting in themander¡¯s tent for almost the entire day. In the afternoon, all they had was just bean paste. They were absolutely starving right now. If not for Chu Lian¡¯s status and gender, they would probably havee charging in to snatch her food when they had smelled that delicious aroma, rather than trying to be polite.

    Sima Hui formed a cupped fist salute with her hands in Chu Lian¡¯s direction. The manly gesture didn¡¯t seem out of ce with her military outfit. Instead, it made her seem even more dashing and bold.

    ¡°Honoured Lady Jinyi, my name is Sima Hui. I¡¯ll be troubling you today.¡±

    Sima Hui was half a head taller than Chu Lian. She had long legs, a narrow waist and a heroic aura. Her eyes were slightly tilted upwards at their corners, giving her sharp features a hint of loveliness. Chu Lian met her eyes and saw the resolution in her gaze, so she bobbed in reply and smiled with good intentions.

    As she expected, Sima Hui wasn¡¯t the kind of woman who would be narrow-minded or a stickler for social conventions.

 Chapter 373: Gathering for a Meal (2)

    He Changdi hadn¡¯t looked at Sima Hui since the start, although it wasn¡¯t clear if he was simply presenting his best behaviour in front of Chu Lian or trying to avoid suspicion. His gaze darted to Chu Lian¡¯s tiny face from time to time.

    When he saw that her almond-shaped eyes were looking brightly at Sima Hui with admiration, he felt a sudden wave of dissatisfaction within.

    Heh! This wicked woman had never looked at him with worship like that. What? Could it be that he couldn¡¯t bepared to Sima Hui in her eyes?

    He Sang¡¯s hands curled into fists and his dislike towards Sima Hui grew even more.

    Captain Guo poked his head out of the tent and ordered the nearby guards to bring over a few more tables. There were six of them here and the tiny side table in the tent wasn¡¯t enough to aodate all of them.

    The guards worked quickly and brought over four tables in just fifteen minutes.

    All of them were part of the army and Sima Hui was a female general. Chu Lian was a married woman with her husband right there with them, so they sat together without any restraint.

    The person with the highest status, Sima Hui, was given the right to pick her seat first. However, she shook her head and smiled before allowing Chu Lian to find a seat first. Following that, before the rest had a chance to speak, she sat herself right next to Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian admired how outspoken and straightforward Sima Hui was, so she had no issue with having the general right next to her.

    About half a metre away from Chu Lian¡¯s side, Wenqing and Wen were still grilling slices of beef and mutton. She turned and gave them some orders. When she turned back, she was met with the sight of a expressionless He Changdi pulling away a wailing Xiao Hongyu from her side and seating himself in the remaining seat next to her.

    Xiao Hongyu couldn¡¯t beat He Sang, so he could only admit defeat and sit next to He Sang instead.

    Captain Guo and Zhang Mai were already old friends, so they picked a seat without any fuss.

    Actually, Xiao Hongyu didn¡¯t have any other intentions. He just wanted to sit a little closer to the brazier where the amazing food was being cooked, so he could eat more.

    It was just a teeny tiny request, but Brother He refused to fulfill it. What a good sworn brother!

    Chu Lian took two tes of grilled beef slices from Wen and ced them in the center of thebined table. She pointed at a te with lighter coloured slices and exined, ¡°These are teppanyaki beef slices. The ones in this te are just in and the ones in this other te are spicy. If you¡¯ve never eaten spicy food before, be careful when you¡¯re eating these. Take a small bite so you won¡¯t choke on the spiciness.¡±

    Captain Guo and the rest weren¡¯t going to stand on ceremony before a delicious spread like this, especially Xiao Hongyu. He had eaten at the He Estate before, so he knew that Honoured Lady Jinyi¡¯s servants cooked very tasty food. If not for Sima Hui¡¯s presence, he would probably have stolen one of the tes for himself and run off.

    Right before Chu Lian finished speaking, the men before her were already gulping down the food voraciously. The grilled beef slices were lean and seasoned well. The special seasoningplimented the natural taste of the beef, bringing tears to the eyes of the men who had been eating bean paste for a month.

    Sob sob sob... This was proper human food! That bean paste they had been eating was only fit for feeding pigs!

    The wretched sight of the three men eating didn¡¯t faze He Sang at all. He sat ramrod straight at the table without touching his chopsticks. His eyes seemed to be fixed on the table, but he was actually watching Chu Lian from the corner of his gaze.

    It was Sima Hui¡¯s first time seeing Captain Guo and the rest eat like that. She was stunned and could only continue staring nkly for some time. It was only when Chu Lian spoke up from beside her that she finally regained her senses.

    Chu Lian was already used to seeing reactions like those of Captain Guo and the rest after opening ¡®Guilin Restaurant¡¯.

    She remained calm, as if it waspletely normal to be wolfing down food like Xiao Hongyu and the others were doing. Sima Hui was starting to wonder if she was the one who was abnormal for not reacting like that.

    Chu Lian kindly reminded her, ¡°General Sima, please have a taste. They¡¯re eating really fast.¡±

    It was only then that Sima Hui picked up her chopsticks and reached towards the te. Unfortunately, she was still toote; thest slice of spicy beef was quickly taken away by Xiao Hongyu.

    Sima Hui: ......

    Chu Lian: ......

    Xiao Hongyu didn¡¯t notice that he was being judged at all. He was still immersed in the delicious food!

    Mm, the spicy ones seemed to carry more vour and were even better than the normal beef slices.

    Chu Lian was toozy to reason with a glutton like Xiao Hongyu. She shot a look at the busy Wenqing, who quickly passed over a smaller te to Chu Lian. There were two freshly grilled beef slices on the small dish.

    She set the dish in front of Sima Hui and smiled, ¡°General Sima, please try this.¡±

    As thick-skinned as Xiao Hongyu was, he still didn¡¯t have the guts to steal from Sima Hui¡¯s dish. He could only chew on his chopsticks with a pitiful look on his face.

    Sima Hui used her chopsticks to pick up a slice of beef and blew on it first, before putting it into her mouth.

    She chewed once, twice, before her eyes abruptly lit up. Following that, her chewing got faster and faster...

    Even though she had been raised on the best delicacies that money could buy and she had eaten plenty of good food back in Shandong, Chu Lian¡¯s little beef slices had already conquered her taste buds in seconds.

 Chapter 374: Not Afraid of A Little Spice? (1)

    Chu Lian smiled after seeing Sima Hui¡¯s reaction. It looked like the teppanyaki suited her tastes.

    Wen served up another bowl ofmb organ soup for everyone.

    Chu Lian held up her bowl with two hands and sipped slowly. Since the soup was piping hot, her cheeks were flushed red from the heart. She said, ¡°This isn¡¯t anything fancy, it¡¯s made frommb intestines. It¡¯s good for keeping your body warm though.¡±

    The intestines of cows, sheep and pigs were not considered good ingredients in the Great Wu Dynasty. They were seen as some byproducts of killing livestock. Only the families who were really poor and couldn¡¯t afford other types of ingredients would eat them.

    Everyone had been drinking the soup happily. Upon hearing the truth from Chu Lian, their eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

    Captain Guo was in absolute disbelief. He looked at his empty bowl and looked again at the steaming pot of soup boiling over the brazier. ¡°Is this really made frommb intestines?¡±

    Chu Lian blinked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just eat it for yourself?¡±

    Once Captain Guo had confirmed the truth with Chu Lian, he pped his leg in anger and his whole person seemed to sag. He looked rather depressed.

    Chu Lian found it strange and didn¡¯t understand why Captain Guo had such a huge reaction. She set down the bowl in her hands, ¡°Brother Guo, please don¡¯t worry. Although this soup is made frommb intestines, Wenqing and Wen have already cleaned them thoroughly. You won¡¯t get ill from eating this.¡±

    The people of the Great Wu Dynasty didn¡¯t dare to eat intestines because some people had fallen ill after eating them. As the news passed by word of mouth, it became that no one dared to eat intestines any longer.

    It was true that it was easy to get infected with some sort of bacteria or virus by eating unclean animal organs. However, as long as the organs were washed carefully, there wouldn¡¯t be any problems.

    He Changdi drank a mouthful of the soup. For some reason, although he was absolutely starving, when he saw how Chu Lian was ignoring him, he just couldn¡¯t muster up any appetite.

    Zhang Mai shook his head. He was the one who understood Captain Guo the most here. ¡°Honoured Lady, it¡¯s not what you think. Captain Guo is regretting how he threw away all the intestines before this!¡±

    The border army had ughtered livestock like cows and sheep to preserve the meat for winter. Those intestines and organs had been immediately thrown away and buried.

    If they had known that these organs could be made into such a delicious soup, they wouldn¡¯t have wasted a single cow intestine. If they had kept those organs, their army would have a few more days of supplies!

    The party had onlye over for a free meal; no one expected the mood to turn depressing so suddenly.

    Captain Guo, Zhang Mai and Xiao Hongyu all sunk into silence. He Changdi¡¯s face had been cold from the start. Sima Hui joined them with an expression of deep thought.

    Chu Lian really hadn¡¯t expected a simple bowl ofmb organ soup to have provoked such reactions from them. She rolled her eyes speechlessly. What was the use of regretting it now? Those organs had long been buried. By now, the organs must be dposing naturally. Even if they regretted it, it wasn¡¯t as if they could dig up the organs and eat them now.

    Wasn¡¯t it good enough to take note of this knowledge and apply it in the future?

    While Chu Lian was remaining calm, it didn¡¯t mean that the others shared her open-mindedness.

    Wenqing and Wen were getting anxious watching them. Once the atmosphere in the tent had taken a turn for the worse, the two sisters¡¯ actions had be more careful as they continued grilling meat.

    Wen¡¯s hand trembled, identally moving the chest te and causing it to make an ear-piercing screech as it rubbed against the steel wire mesh it was bnced upon. Following that, it wobbled and fell off the wire mesh... letting out a clear ¡®cling ng¡¯.

    Everyone was jolted back to their senses and they turned towards the sound in unison.

    Wenqing and Wen¡¯s faces turned pale as they tried their best to blend into the walls.

    When six pairs of eyes focused on the object still shaking and wobbling on the floor, they shared a sense of familiarity.

    Hmm... This round te didn¡¯t seem like a wok... Although it had been charred ck by the fire in the center and was covered in glistening oil, the sides that hadn¡¯t been burned looked like shiny golden metal.

    They were all officers in the army and for all soldiers shared the same style of armour apart from the generals. Even Sima Hui¡¯s armour looked about the same, except for the two chest tes in the front.

    Suddenly, in uncoordinated unison, everyone turned towards the armour hanging on the wooden rack in the tent and sweat drops seemed to form simultaneously on their faces.

    Chu Lian immediately realised that they had found out that her teppanyaki te was the chest te on He Sang¡¯s armour. However, she had already used it right in front of them so it wasn¡¯t good to exin too much at this moment. Anyway, they had all eaten it together. They couldn¡¯t scold her now after eating her food.

    Chu Lian was very thick-skinned. She acted as if it were nothing.

    He Changdi was the first to lose his temper. He cast a cold gaze over the defaced chest te and pressed his lips together. With gritted teeth, he shouted, ¡°Chu Lian! Is this your doing?!¡±

    After getting shouted at by He Sang, Chu Lian did feel a little guilty. She tried to soften him up by giving him a sweet smile.

    The group saw that tension was rising between the couple, so they immediately made their escape.

    Sima Hui hadn¡¯t expected that the normally cool and reserved He Sang had moments where he showed his anger; she stared in stunned astonishment.

    Xiao Hongyu stood outside the tent in the cold and breezy night. ¡°Brother Guo, Brother Zhang, let me sleep over in your tent tonight! Brother He was way too scary just now.¡±

    The two of thempletely ignored Xiao Hongyu¡¯s request and ran away as fast as they could.

    Sima Hui stood outside the tent with a smile. She really hadn¡¯t expected to see that that was how He Changdi and his wife got along.

    When that calm, intelligent and cold He Sang was in front of Honoured Lady Jinyi, it was as if his divine aura had suddenly been lifted and he had be a real, living human being with emotions, rather than a cruel and heartless robot.

    The couple seemed to be getting along very well. How could anyone possibly get in between them? Xiaoyan had really been too naive.

    When she thought of Xiaoyan, Sima Hui let a long sigh. She left Xiaoju behind with some instructions before bringing the rest of her party back to her tent.

 Chapter 375: Not Afraid of A Little Spice? (2)

    Only He Sang and Chu Lian were left in the tent now. Wenqing and Wen had already made their escape.

    If this had been a normal day, Chu Lian would definitely have been stubborn and hardheaded. However, she just couldn¡¯t summon up her courage today. She snuck a nce at the missing space in front of the armour and made a silent prayer for herself.

    Her body had just been warmed up by the soup, but now her lunatic husband had gone and made things all cold again.

    When she looked at how He Sang was sitting up straight at the side without moving, as if he were a statue, Chu Lian felt extremely awkward.

    After a long moment of silence, Chu Lian lost her patience first.

    ¡°It was my mistake today. I¡¯llpensate you with another set of armour.¡±

    He Changdi looked straight at his wife, who had her head slightly lowered. All the anger in him had already disappeared when their guests had left.

    Seeing how she had shrunk back into herself like a scared little bunny, the reprimand that he had been about to unleash remained stuck in his throat.

    Thinking back to the ¡®snowboat¡¯ that she had gifted to him this morning, He Changdi¡¯s heart softened.

    This woman had thought about him at the first moment. She had given him that precious blueprint without any caution at all. No one knew the value of that snowboat better than he did.

    His image of her was slowly pulling away from the wicked woman from his previous life.

    When he thought of that, He Sang¡¯s frozen heart melted into a pile of water, as if spring had alreadye. The issue with the armour became inconsequential to him.

    Looking again at the timid-looking Chu Lian, he just couldn¡¯t bear to speak any words of scolding.

    Luckily, He Changdi was the kind who kept his guard up and his thoughts to himself. He wouldn¡¯t share his thoughts just like that. Otherwise, if Chu Lian were to reveal the real reason for giving him the snowboat rather than presenting it herself, he would be the one to puke blood in anger.

    Chu Lian was still waiting for her lunatic husband to scold her with her head lowered. Who could have thought that she wouldn¡¯t hear anything from He Changdi at all, even though her neck was already starting to hurt?

    She looked up and cast a quick nce at He Changdi.

    Only to realise that he was looking at her with that deep gaze of his. The emotions swirling in his eyes were just too strange. Chu Lian shivered; why did she feel like he was going to eat her up in the next instant...

    After getting caught by Chu Lian, He Changdi shifted his gaze away and coughed awkwardly. Following that, he picked up the chest te from the floor. Under Chu Lian¡¯s frightened gaze, he wiped the chest te clean and ced it back over the brazier.

    He moved a te of raw beef slices that hadn¡¯t been grilled in front of Chu Lian, ¡°Cook this.¡±

    Chu Lian thought that she was hallucinating and replied with a dazed, ¡°Ah?¡±

    He Changdi tried his best to adjust his expression and make it as neutral as possible, instead of cool.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t eat just now. I¡¯m still hungry.¡±

    Chu Lian shot a doubtful nce at him. She hadn¡¯t been watching him just now, so she didn¡¯t know if he was speaking the truth. Had he really not eaten at all just now?

    When He Changdi¡¯s eyes met hers, Chu Lian could only admit defeat and help him grill the meat...

    As Chu Lian skilfully flipped the beef slices on the metal te, the meat made sizzling sounds.

    She took up the te of seasoning at the side and asked, ¡°Do you eat spicy food?¡±

    He Changdi was staring at Chu Lian¡¯s fair hands, lost in thought. He didn¡¯t seem to hear Chu Lian¡¯s question at all.

    Chu Lian made an exaggerated roll of her eyes.

    What was going on with her lunatic husband? It was bad enough that he had chased everyone out of the tent. Now he was making her cook for him personally. However, when she asked him what vour he would like to have, he was actually being absent minded.

    Chu Lian continuedining in her heart and ¡®identally¡¯ shook her hand twice, adding in twice the usual amount of chilli powder.

    Hehe... Since you¡¯re not going to reply, I¡¯ll let you have all the spice!

    She finished grilling the beef slices quickly and ced them neatly on a te. They looked delicious and alluring.

    Chu Lian personally set the dish in front of He Sang.

    He Sang stared at the grilled beef slices in front of him, finally feeling satisfied.

    His wife should only care for him alone and cook for him alone.

    Although He Changdi was happy within, there wasn¡¯t much change in his expression. Chu Lian sat back down next to him and watched as he used his wooden chopsticks to put a slice of meat into his mouth.

    In the next second, He Changdi¡¯s body stiffened up for an instant before returning to normal.

    He Sang ate very elegantly. Even though he was moving his chopsticks quickly, his motions were still a joy to watch.

    As Chu Lian watched him devour piece after piece until all the meat on the te was gone, her eyes widened in shock.

    What was going on? Had He Changdi been born in Sichuan in his previous life? How was he so good at eating spicy food?

    She had been the one to grill the meat and she had brought the chilli powder over from the capital. She knew very well how spicy it was.

    Chu Lian was already considered someone who could hold her spice. The chilli powder that she had made was already spicy enough when she used about a fingernail¡¯s worth of it. When she had been cooking the meat for He Changdi, she had used two to three times the usual amount!

    His expression hadn¡¯t even changed when he had been eating that meat, as if nothing unusual had happened.

    If not for theck of any spicy seasoning like this chilli powder in the Great Wu Dynasty, Chu Lian might have suspected that he was the kind to eat only spicy food.

    However, Chu Lian found out very quickly that she was wrong.

 Chapter 376: Itâ€™s Hard to Say Sorry (1)

    Chu Lian stared at He Sang in astonishment, ¡°Isn¡¯t it spicy?¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s thin lips were slightly swollen. He licked them and continued his pretense of calm, ¡°It was okay.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes focused on his face, her almond-shaped eyes seemingly trying to discern whether he had been telling the truth.

    Her gaze drifted down to his neck. He Changdi¡¯s skin was fair and the clothes he had on now were a dark colour, making the colour of the skin on his neck even more obvious.

    His originally pale skin was nowpletely flushed red. There was also a thinyer of sweat on his neck, indicating that He Changdi probably hadn¡¯t been telling the truth.

    Chu Lian went into a daze for a moment before she shifted her gaze away to the unassuming dark green cor on his neck.

    The cor peeking out was from the undershirt he wore within. Although it was just a tiny sliver of cor, Chu Lian managed to recognise the undershirt instantly.

    This was definitely the undershirt that Li Yue had embroidered that Wenqing had identally packed for him...

    Dark green was an unassuming colour, so it shouldn¡¯t be noticeable when worn on the inside.

    However, since it was Li Yue¡¯s first time doing embroidery, she wasn¡¯t very good at picking a matching thread colour. Although it was a dark-coloured shirt and she had intended on doing some patterns on the cor, she should have picked something closer to the shirt¡¯s colour. However, Li Yue had picked out some shiny thread with the colour of autumn leaves, thus making the crooked embroidery on the cor especially obvious.

    It was extremely eye-catching.

    Chu Lian fell into a daze and stared at the embroidery for too long, causing He Sang to notice that something was wrong. He looked downwards and realised that he was still wearing the undershirt that his wife had embroidered for him. His ears flushed red instantly.

    The atmosphere within the tent was slowly turning a little weird.

    When Chu Lian finally regained her senses, her face wrinkled up into a strange expression. She knew that He Changdi had probably assumed that that undershirt was her handiwork.

    She was trapped in a dilemma now. Should she tell him the truth or not?

    Once she thought of the fits of insanity that He Changdi seemed prone to from time to time, she decided to remain silent on the matter for the sake of her own safety... If the truth ever came to light, she could honestly say that she had never imed to have any part in making that undershirt.

    However, Chu Lian still felt a little guilty for now. She turned and poured a cup of warm water for him, exining kindly, ¡°The taste of the grilled beef is a little strong. Why don¡¯t you have some warm water to rinse away the vour?¡±

    He Sang coughed twice to hide his struggle before nodding. When he took the cup, he immediately drained it in one gulp...

    Chu Lian secretly watched from the side. Upon seeing how urgently he was drinking the water, she knew that she had guessed correctly.

    She thought back to how he had been eating so fervently and she felt a little touched. If they had switched ces and she had been the one served with those extremely spicy beef slices, she probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to down a single one.

    They were just like a loving couple. The husband would eat his wife¡¯s cooking withoutint, regardless of how it tasted, because it was made by his wife. For the sake of making her happy, he would pretend to love eating the food and polish off everyst bit of food on the te.

    Chu Lian realised that He Changdi had the habit of never wasting any food.

    He had been like this even back at Songtao Court and even more so when eating that terrible bean paste.

    Although He Sang¡¯s personality was too aloof sometimes and he would have random periods of insanity from time to time, her heart softened immediately. She wanted to treat him a little better. She promised to herself never to tease him in that manner ever again, and to always cook delicious food for him.

    Once He Sang got over the burning feeling in his mouth, he sipped a mouthful ofmb organ soup. He pressed his lips together in hesitation before finally gathering the courage to say, ¡°Chu Lian, many thanks to you for your help.¡±

    Chu Lian blinked in surprise and the corners of her lips curled up, ¡°It was just a small suggestion. It¡¯s good if it¡¯ll be useful to you.¡±

    She acted so casually that He Sang didn¡¯t know what else to say.

    The depths of his eyes were as fathomless as the night sky, dotted with the light of faraway stars, as thoughts ran through his mind. He Changdi finally let go of the unseen chains tying his mind to his past life.

    Although many things were simr, there were just as many changes in this life. Everything seemed to have been reset. How could he be sure that the Chu Lian before him was the same Chu Lian from his past life?

    Other than sharing the same face, their personalities werepletely different!

    He no longer wanted to escape reality. Despite how much he wanted to argue against it, a voice was calling out from deep within and reminding him that he had already fallen in love with the Chu Lian right in front of him.

    This was an unavoidable truth that he didn¡¯t want to admit.

    Chu Lian had described how she had invented the snowboat as if it was a normal everyday thing to do, and it had indeed been as easy as drinking and eating for her. However, that wasn¡¯t what He Sang thought.

    After getting hurt so deeply and encasing himself in unbreakable ice, He Changdi had thought that he would never develop feelings for any woman ever again. Who could have expected that his heart would fall for his greatest sworn enemy?

    It was fortunate that his personality was strong enough to withstand this turn of events, or he might have made himself go crazy for real.

    There was a period of silence within the tent that made Chu Lian feel like years had passed instead of just minutes. She adjusted her skirt and wondered whether she should try to take her leave. It was only then that she suddenly heard He Changdi¡¯s low, maic voice speaking. ¡°Chu Lian, let¡¯s get along well from now on.¡±

 Chapter 377: Itâ€™s Hard to Say Sorry (2)

    He Changdi had used up every bit of courage in his body to say those words. However, after speaking, he found that he had only be even more nervous. His gaze subconsciouslynded on Chu Lian¡¯s face.

    There was no good way to describe what Chu Lian¡¯s expression looked like now. The closest approximation was ¡®like she had stepped in dog poop¡¯.

    Sigh... This lunatic He Sang... When had she ever not tried to get along with him?

    She had focused on cooking good food to raise her standard of living, respected her elders and even earnestly started a business to earn money. She was living perfectly well!

    She wasn¡¯t the one throwing fits of lunacy since their wedding night!

    Chu Lian fought the urge to smile out of overwhelming anger. Wasn¡¯t it lucky for him that she was the He Family¡¯s Third Young Madam? If he had said that to any other nobledy, wouldn¡¯t they have expired on the spot from frustration?

    When He Changdi noticed the mocking expression on Chu Lian¡¯s face, his body froze up and his lips pressed together into a thin line as his expression turned colder and colder. The hands hidden under his sleeves slowly tensed into fists.

    He wanted to speak, but he found that he couldn¡¯t say a word when faced with the sort of expression on Chu Lian¡¯s face.

    Chu Lian tilted her head to the side and started examining the tall He Sang the Fair, who would still tower over her by half a head even when seated.

    At this moment, He Sang¡¯s fine features were contorted with tension. There was an aura of restraint around him, as if he was a dog trying to suppress the feelings of having been abandoned by his master.

    Chu Lian smiled, ¡°He Changdi, what¡¯s with that pitiful act? It¡¯s not like I abandoned you!¡±

    He Sang¡¯s current expression was extremely entertaining. He stared at Chu Lian with wide eyes. Her reply had beenpletely out of his expectations.

    Before he could gather his wits to summon a reply, Chu Lian continued her tirade, ¡°Haven¡¯t you realised it yet? I¡¯ve always been trying to get along with you! Otherwise, why would I havee all the way out to this poor and deste ce? Why else would I be sitting right next to you now? Are you taking me for a fool?¡±

    The fog covering He Sang¡¯s eyes seemed to have lifted in an instant.

    Shame and guilt shed through his eyes. Chu Lian¡¯s mocking words felt like a p to his face. Although it didn¡¯t hurt, he was still upset.

    That¡¯s right! Hadn¡¯t he been the one determined not to get along with her?

    Although he hadn¡¯t caused any physical or fatal harm to Chu Lian¡¯s body, ever since their wedding day, all of his actions had been damaging Chu Lian¡¯s reputation and self-respect.

    How hrious. How could he have had the guts to ask Chu Lian to ¡®get along well¡¯ with him? He deserved every word of ridicule from her.

    He Sang pressed his lips and parted them, yet he just couldn¡¯t let a single sound out.

    The smile on Chu Lian¡¯s face slowly faded away. She looked up at that handsome face with her almond-shaped eyes. ¡°He Changdi, is it so hard to say that you¡¯re sorry?¡±

    Chu Lian no longer wanted to wait for his apology. She abruptly stood up, but her legs were numb from kneeling down for too long. Her body refused to listen to hermands and wavered. He Changdi was about to reach out to support her, but Chu Lian recovered her bnce and stabilised herself before he could do so.

    He Changdi¡¯s outstretched arms looked pitifully lonely and useless. He lowered them in destion.

    Chu Lian watched all this happen, but her heart was set.

    ¡°He Changdi, it¡¯s gettingte. Lieutenant Xiao must be suffering in the cold wind outside. You have a mission to carry out tomorrow as well, so I¡¯ll stop bothering you.¡±

    After leaving behind these words, Chu Lian turned and quickly left. Although her figure seemed slender and weak, she moved faster than expected. She was already long gone by the time He Changdi thought to chase after her.

    When Chu Lian stepped out of the tent, the cold northern winds were like a p to her face, instantly calming down her tumultuous emotions. Chu Lian took in a deep breath, but her expression didn¡¯t improve.

    The tent had muffled all the sounds from inside, so Xiao Hongyu, Wenqing and Wen didn¡¯t know what the couple had discussed. However, judging from Chu Lian¡¯s expression, all of them could tell that the couple had fought.

    Wen quickly hurried forward to wrap a cloak around Chu Lian. Xiaoju stepped up to wee her, ¡°Honoured Lady, our general has charged this subordinate with the duty of leading Honoured Lady to a ce to sleep.¡±

    Captain Guo had been intending to send Chu Lian over to the women¡¯s camp for the night anyway. It was even better that Sima Hui had sent one of her most trusted adjutants over to lead Chu Lian there personally.

    Chu Lian smiled at Xiaoju. She wasn¡¯t an unreasonable person. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be troubling your general. I¡¯ll head over right now.¡±

    Although it was Xiaoju¡¯s first time interacting with Chu Lian, she felt that it was easy to interact with the baby-faced Honoured Lady Jinyi. Her personality was also straightforward, unlike most of the nobledies in the capital.

    Xiaoju was already used to living in the army with her mistress, so she hated the way that nobledies would talk in circles with hidden meanings. It was better to be honest and direct in everything.

    Chu Lian followed Xiaoju to Sima Hui¡¯s tent with Wenqing and Wen behind her.

    When He Sang came out of his tent, all that he caught was Chu Lian¡¯s slender back walking into the flurry of snow.

    Noticing that He Changdi¡¯s expression was very gloomy, Xiao Hongyu acted appropriately for once and said, ¡°Brother He, Sister-in-Law has gone over to General Sima¡¯s camp. Don¡¯t worry, Brother Guo has already made a proper request to General Sima, the general won¡¯t mistreat Sister-in-Law.¡±

    He Changdi didn¡¯t reply Xiao Hongyu. He simply stood at the tent entrance and watched until Chu Lian¡¯s silhouette hadpletely faded into the darkness of the snowy night. He finally turned around and returned to the tent. However, for some reason, when he heard from Xiao Hongyu that Sima Hui had sent her trusted female adjutant to wee Chu Lian, there was a hint of upset in his heart.

 Chapter 378: Getting Along with Sima Hui (1)

    Sima Hui didn¡¯t arrange another tent for Chu Lian. Firstly, it was already quitete. Secondly, even if she arranged for another tent, it wouldn¡¯t be asfortable as her own.

    The two of them were women and the soldiers outside were all female too, so it was much more convenient than it was at the Right Wing Army¡¯s camp.

    It was the coldest it ever got at the northern border now, where sticking out your hands meant risking possible frostbite, yet it was warm as spring in Sima Hui¡¯s tent.

    Chu Lian had visited the tent once before, but that was when the owner hadn¡¯t been around.

    This time, when she followed Xiaoju into the tent, Sima Hui personally came over to wee her in.

    She had already changed out of the military outfit she normally wore in the day. Right now, she was wearing a loose andfortable light pink set of inner clothes. Her ink ck hair was let loose to fall over her shoulders while two locks of her fringe framed the sides of her face, softening her bold features and giving them a hint of womanly charm.

    Sima Hui was so tall that the crown of her head surpassed Chu Lian¡¯s by half a head when she stood next to her. She walked behind Chu Lian and said warmly, ¡°Honoured Lady, pleasee over here and have a seat. Warm yourself up by the fire.¡± Following that, she ordered Xiaoju to serve some tea.

    Chu Lian followed Sima Hui and sat down next to the brazier. ¡°General Sima, you don¡¯t have to stand on ceremony with me. I don¡¯t drink sencha, so Xiaoju won¡¯t have to busy herself with brewing tea. You don¡¯t have to call me Honoured Lady either, you can use my name.¡±

    Sima Hui smiled, ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to call me General Sima either, Lian¡¯er. I¡¯m older than you by a few years, so why don¡¯t you call me Sister Hui like my cousins do?¡±

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected Sima Hui to get so familiar, but it would be impolite to reject her now. Thus, she nodded, ¡°Then I¡¯ll be thick-skinned with you, Sister Hui.¡±

    This tent was outfitted for a female general after all. Everything in Sima Hui¡¯s tent was of good quality. Even though the tent wasn¡¯t very big, the furniture within was exquisite. There was even a small incense burner in a corner of the tent, giving off a faint watery fragrance that calmed the mind and rxed the body.

    Compared with He Changdi¡¯s ordinary tent, it was likeparing between heaven and earth.

    However, for some reason, although Sima Hui¡¯s tent was very cosy, Chu Lian just didn¡¯t feel asfortable as she was in He Changdi¡¯s simple tent.

    Sima Hui ordered Xiaoju and two more female soldiers to add another bed next to her own. Wenqing and Wen set it up with thick bedding and a fleece nket, and that was to be Chu Lian¡¯s bed for the night.

    Chu Lian had the habit of sleeping in, especially in such a cold ce like the north. Back in Liangzhou¡¯s He Estate, she would sleep till noon before getting up.

    However, this morning, the moment Chu Lian heard some movement from Sima Hui right next to her, she woke right up.

    Sima Hui was already standing behind the privacy screen and changing into her set of silver armour. Chu Lian sat up on the bed, a little groggy. Sima Hui noticed Chu Lian getting up and how dazed she looked. Any hint of the intelligence she had seen yesterday was gone.

    Chu Lian¡¯s soft hair was slightly disheveled from sleep and her cheeks were red. Her young age and small body size also gave Sima Hui the urge to treat her like her real younger cousin.

    Unbeknownst to her, her tone now carried a trace of warmth when she spoke, ¡°It¡¯s still early. Why don¡¯t you continue sleeping, Lian¡¯er? I¡¯m going out to train my soldiers.¡±

    After sitting for a while, Chu Lian had already fully woken up, so she didn¡¯t feel like going back to sleep. She replied in a soft tone with a hint of sleepiness, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sister Hui. I¡¯ll get up now.¡±

    Sima Hui didn¡¯t stop her. However, since it was so rare to see Chu Lian so dazed, she couldn¡¯t resist the urge to pet that messy head of hair.

    When Wenqing and Wen walked past the entrance screen, that was the scene that greeted them. They somehow felt that General Sima¡¯s actions seemed a little weird...

    He Changdi had gotten up especially early on this day. When he walked out of his tent, the sun was barely reaching out across the horizon. He did a set of boxing exercises outside his tent and broke a wooden post before a soldier came over to report that General Sima was awake and having breakfast with Honoured Lady in her tent.

    He froze for a moment before gritting his teeth and asking, ¡°Have you found Honoured Lady¡¯s maidservants?¡±

    The soldier felt that the air around his officer was turning a little too chilly. He trembled as he replied, ¡°Y-Yes, this subordinate has f-found them...¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s cold gaze focused on the soldier, whose knees started knocking together, ¡°Miss Wenqing said that Captain should take care of his own body. They¡¯ll serve Honoured Lady so Captain doesn¡¯t need to worry about them.¡±

    ¡°Did Wenqing pass on any message from Honoured Lady for me?¡±

    The corners of the soldier¡¯s mouth twitched and he hesitated. In the end, he still reported the truth, not daring to lie to his superior officer, ¡°N-No...¡±

    ¡°Scram!¡±

    The soldier staggered and stumbled as he ran away, nearly tripping over himself. It wasn¡¯t until he could no longer see his captain that he wiped at his forehead. Captain had been way too scary just now. On a dry winter day like this, he had actually broken out into cold sweat.

    He Sang was extremely angry now. He paced furiously outside his tent. He finally seemed to think of something and quickly returned to his tent.

    After about fifteen minutes, Laiyue hurried into the tent after him.

    ¡°Third Young Master, do you have any urgent orders for this servant?¡±

    He Changdi nodded.

    Laiyue immediately focused 120% of his attention on his master and waited for his orders.

    ¡°Have you given the sugarcane that you brought back yesterday to your Third Young Madam yet?¡±

    Laiyue nked out for a moment. Was this the urgent business that Third Young Master had summoned him for?

    Although he was a little disappointed, Laiyue still replied honestly. ¡°Not yet. This servant was in a rush to report the news after meeting Third Young Madam on the way to Liangzhou City yesterday, so this servant hasn¡¯t given her the sugarcane.¡±

    A rare hint of joy appeared on He Sang¡¯s face. ¡°Bring the sugarcane here, I¡¯ll send it to her myself.¡±

    Laiyue secretly nced at his Third Young Master. Although he had some suspicions in his heart, he didn¡¯t dare to question his master and immediately agreed.

    ¡°This servant will go and bring it here.¡±

 Chapter 379: Itâ€™s Hard to Say Sorry (2)

    Xiao Hongyu wasn¡¯t in the tent now. After Laiyue left, He Changdi continued pacing within his tent frantically. He started rubbing the green jade ring that Chu Lian had given him that he was wearing on his right thumb. It seemed like his heart would only calm down if he did so.

    Chu Lian had been intending to leave today. However, Sima Hui persuaded her to stay one more day.

    With Sima Hui as her guide, it became much more convenient for Chu Lian to take a tour around the border army camp. She could even take a peek at the female soldiers¡¯ training grounds.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know how to ride, so Sima Hui¡¯s adjutant Xiaoju picked out a gentle mare for her and helped her onto the horse¡¯s back. Following that, Xiaoju got on her own horse and helped to lead Chu Lian¡¯s mare around.

    It was Chu Lian¡¯s first time riding a horse, so she was excited. Sima Hui apanied her on her own handsome snow-white steed, pointing out the sights in the camp and exining the details to her from time to time.

    Chu Lian learned a lot on this little trip. With her fur cloak wrapped around her, despite the strong winds turning her cheeks red, she didn¡¯t feel cold at all. Her mood remained high and excited throughout the day.

    How often would she get the chance to be shown around the northern border camp by a female general? Of course Chu Lian was going to seize the opportunity and make the most of it.

    Sima Hui took off the red fox fur hat on her head and passed it over to Chu Lian, ¡°Lian¡¯er, why don¡¯t you wear this? This will be warmer than that hood on your cloak.¡±

    Chu Lian looked the smiling Sima Hui. Seeing that Xiaoju had already passed another hat to Sima Hui, she didn¡¯t turn down the offer and took the hat over. She pulled down her hood and put the hat on her head.

    Since they were in an army camp right now, she had chosen a simple hairstyle. She didn¡¯t have many essories on her head either and half of her hair was let loose behind her back, so nothing got in the way of the hat.

    She was wearing on a red cotton-padded dress with pomegranate flowers embroidered on it, paired with an additional short vest on her upper body. The sleeves of her vest and the hem of her skirt were covered in ayer of white rabbit fur. Wrapped around her was a thick pink cloak. Sima Hui¡¯s red fox fur hat turned out to be rather matching with her outfit for today.

    Most of her ck hair was covered by the hat, which also had a ring of round white pearls. There were even a few strands of pearls hanging on either side of her temple, forming miniature curtains. The pearl strands swayed with every step of the horse underneath her, highlighting her fair face and flushed cheeks and making her seem even more dazzling.

    Sima Hui was very satisfied upon seeing Chu Lian¡¯s outfitpleted by her hat. She pointed to the left, ¡°Lian¡¯er, the Right Wing Army¡¯s training grounds are over there. Captain Guo, Captain He and the other officers usually train their soldiers there.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s gaze followed where Sima Hui was pointing and was immediately met with the sight of He Changdi looking over from far away.

    Despite the distance between them and despite not being able to see He Changdi¡¯s face clearly at this distance, she was absolutely sure that He Changdi was looking at her right now, perhaps due to her women¡¯s intuition.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t greet him at all. Instead, she followed Sima Hui on a path around the borders of the male camp, checking out other areas of interest.

    He Sang was skilled in martial arts and his five senses were much more sensitive than most people. Furthermore, Chu Lian¡¯s outfit today was rather eye-catching. It was hard for him not to notice her.

    Think about it. Most of the people in the army were wearing dull grey armour. Even Sima Hui¡¯s female soldiers were dressed in simr outfits. It was impossible for Chu Lian not to stand out in her red clothes!

    Not only that, He Sang had been watching from the start as Sima Hui had taken off her own hat for Chu Lian to wear!

    Sima Hui was dressed in silver armour with a bright red cloak behind her. She had anky figure and carried herself with a heroic bearing. Her waist and back were straight and she had a red-tipped spear strapped to her back. She even had a handsome white horse under her. When she was riding next to Chu Lian, if no one looked closely, they wouldn¡¯t look like two women at all. Instead, they would seem like a young couple deeply in love...

    Especially when Sima Hui had taken off her hat and given it to Chu Lian to wear. He Changdi was hopping mad within!

    Sima Hui had instantly taken the top spot on the list of people he hated.

    His eyes were like daggers as he focused on Chu Lian, fighting his urge to rush over there immediately. However, that wicked woman pretended as if she hadn¡¯t seen him and walked away!

    Thus, Captain He¡¯s subordinates suffered through hell today.

    After the training ended, all of the soldiers were grabbing onto their sore waists and legs and crying for their mothers.

    Wasn¡¯t it bad enough that they hadn¡¯t had a full meal in days? Why were they still being tortured through training like this? Had they offended the heavens somehow?

    Once he was done training his troops, He Changdi took Laiyue with him and headed for Sima Hui¡¯s tent.

    He made a trip back to his own tent to change out of his clothes first. When Xiao Hongyu spotted him taking out a grey set of inner clothes from his wooden chest, he hade over curiously with a bright smile. ¡°Brother He, you¡¯re finally going to stop wearing that dark green tunic? Hehe, I even made a bet with Brother Zhang to see when you were going to change out of that! It looks like it¡¯s my win!¡±

    The end result of Xiao Hongyu¡¯s teasing was getting punched. Of course, he didn¡¯t dare to return the blow.

    Chu Lian and Sima Hui were eating snacks in her tent. Xiaoju set down a te of nicely cut sugarcane on the table.

 Chapter 380: Gathering Grain (1)

    The bad weather, harsh climate and geography of thend meant that the northern border wasn¡¯t suited for nting grains. Even if they tried to nt some crops, the harvest would be dismal. That was why the disgusting Chinese olive porridge was so precious to the people here.

    Since grain crops couldn¡¯t survive in the northern border, fruit trees were a mere dream.

    This was also winter. Even in the capital, the types of fruit avable in the middle of winter were just some frozen pears or tangerines.

    Even Chu Lian, who seemed to have prepared an entirerder for herself, hadn¡¯t brought any fresh fruits with her. When she was craving for some fruit, the most she could do was to have some candied kumquats.

    Thus, when Sima Hui served up some juicy and sweet sugarcane, she was overwhelmed by the luxurious treat.

    Chu Lian knew perfectly well what the soldiers in the camp were going through now.

    When Xiaoju saw that Honoured Lady Jinyi was looking at the white porcin dish containing the sugarcane with surprise, she smiled and exined, ¡°The general brought these over from Su City. Since the weather hasn¡¯t been very good, some of the sugarcane was spoiled by the frost. The only ones we have left are here.¡±

    When Chu Lian heard that, she didn¡¯t feel like eating the sugarcane any longer. She pushed the dish towards Sima Hui. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy to have kept this sugarcane for so long. Sister Hui, you should have it instead.¡±

    Sima Hui smiled gently, ¡°I don¡¯t like to eat sweet things. Lian¡¯er, go ahead and eat it. The only reason I even have these is because Su City had an abundant harvest of sugarcane. I bought them while passing by with my subordinates. If you feel bad, then you can make some salty snacks for me.¡±

    Chu Lian did have a sweet tooth, as could be seen from how she always drank honey water without any hint of getting tired of it.

    Since Sima Hui had already exined her reasons, it would be impolite for Chu Lian to refuse the sugarcane. Her lips curled up into a smile, ¡°Since Sister Hui has already offered it to me, I won¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡±

    Chu Lian used the toothpicks ced next to the dish to pick up a piece and put it in her mouth. The sugarcane had been kept well and it was still very juicy. She chewed it forcefully, bringing out the sweet juice within and filling her mouth with the unique taste of the sugarcane. This taste waspletely different from eating candied kumquats.

    Chu Lian quickly crunched her way through five pieces. Although her actions weren¡¯t as elegant as those of noble-borndies, the way she ate made anyone watching her hungry too! When Sima Hui saw how happily she was eating, she picked up a piece of sugarcane and ate it as well, even though she normally didn¡¯t like sweet things.

    Thus, the scene that greeted He Changdi when he entered the tent was his dear wife sitting at the table and happily gnawing away at sugarcane!

    Of course, the scene wasn¡¯tplete without Sima Hui staring at Chu Lian with a warm and gentle gaze.

    There was a small te on the table where Chu Lian had spat out the remains of the sugarcane after chewing on them. The amount of sugarcane mush there was like a thorn in He Changdi¡¯s eye.

    Now the bag of sugarcane he was carrying on his back had be hard to give away.

    When Laiyue followed his young master into the tent and was met with the same scene, he was filled with regret.

    Why was Third Young Madam having sugarcane here in General Sima¡¯s tent? If only he had brought back some fruits instead! Why did he have to bring back sugarcane?

    He Sang hade in rather abruptly. He had charged right in without waiting for the guard outside. It was then that the female guard came in to report herpse while trembling. Sima Hui waved her hand and sent the guard back out without any punishment.

    Chu Lian¡¯s cheeks were slightly puffed up since she hadn¡¯t finished chewing on the piece of sugarcane in her mouth.

    She blinked and stared as she spoke. The food in her mouth made her words muffled, ¡°He Jangdi, why are you here?¡±

    He Sang turned around and threw the bag in his hands to Laiyue before turning back to Chu Lian. He replied her in a cool tone, ¡°What? Can¡¯t Ie over to take a look at my wife?¡±

    Chu Lian frowned and spat out the sugarcane bits in her mouth. She was extremely vexed. What was wrong with her lunatic husband now?

    He Changdi¡¯s eyes shifted towards the table not too far away from him. He noticed that there were a few types of fine-looking confections disyed there and realised that he hadn¡¯t eaten any of them before. He didn¡¯t even have to think to know that those had definitely been made by Chu Lian or one of her maidservants. Even he hadn¡¯t tried any of those before as her husband. However, she had brought them out now to suck up to Sima Hui!

    As the anger within him grew, his expression grew even more frosty. He suppressed the frustration in his heart and said, ¡°Since you¡¯re clearly eating and drinking well, I¡¯ll take my leave now!¡±

    He Sang left as hurriedly as he hade. Before Chu Lian could even say a word, he had already swept the tent p up and left the tent...

    The short exchange between the couple left Sima Hui gaping in shock. The corner of her lip tugged downwards in sympathy as she turned to Chu Lian, ¡°Lian¡¯er, um, do you have to chase after him?¡±

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes. What should she chase him for? Had Sima Hui gotten their roles in reverse somehow? Why did she, as a woman, have to chase out after her unreasonable husband?

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to. He¡¯s always been like that.¡±

    Laiyue was still in the tent. When he heard his young madam¡¯s reply, the corner of his mouth twitched. He didn¡¯t want to see his master¡¯s efforts go to waste, so he purposely let one side of the bag slip, revealing the sugarcane within. He turned to Third Young Madam with a troubled expression and started saying, ¡°Third Young Madam, this...¡±

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t blind. Laiyue had been too obvious in his actions, so she had definitely seen what was inside the bag. Her lips tugged downwards and she seemed a little helpless, ¡°Just make your own way back first. I¡¯ll visit himter on.¡±

    After getting Chu Lian¡¯s promise, Laiyue let out a silly and bright smile. He bowed respectfully to her before turning and leaving.

 Chapter 381: Gathering Grain (2)

    At dusk, Chu Lian brought Wenqing and Wen with her to He Changdi¡¯s tent, without forgetting to bring over a small box of confections too.

    However, when Chu Lian reached the tent, she was informed by one of the guards that Captain He had already left the camp with some of his men. He hadn¡¯t given a date when he would be back.

    Chu Lian was astounded. Just as she was about to go looking for someone familiar to ask about the reason behind He Changdi¡¯s departure, Captain Guo happened to pass by. He led her into He Changdi¡¯s tent.

    ¡°Sister-in-Law, Zixiang left the camp in the afternoon.¡± Captain Guo turned to the wooden chest next to the bed and pulled out a bag, passing it to Chu Lian. ¡°This is something that Zixiang asked me to pass to you. Why don¡¯t you open it and see what¡¯s inside?¡±

    Chu Lian took the bag and set it on the table. She quickly removed the knot on the bag and saw that there were a few items within.

    Captain Guo cast a nce at the bag before freezing for a moment. He then shot a look at Wenqing and Wen, who were standing behind Chu Lian, and quietly tiptoed out of the tent.

    Inside the bag was the sugarcane that He Changdi hadn¡¯t been able to give Chu Lian, as well as a thick stack of letters.

    Chu Lian knelt down by the table and moved aside the sugarcane pressing down the letter.

    The letter at the top had been written today.

    On the envelope were the words ¡®To my dear wife, Chu Lian¡¯ as well as the date.

    Chu Lian picked up the envelope and stared at it nkly before tearing it open. There was only a single sheet of paper inside. The letter had been written in a bold hand with regr, even strokes. It wasn¡¯t very long either, but Chu Lian read every single word earnestly.

    Although she could have read the contents in a few seconds, Chu Lian read it for seven whole minutes. After finishing the letter, she carefully folded up the paper and ced it back into the envelope before taking up the next letter.

    From dusk till nightfall, Chu Lian continued reading until she had finished the veryst letter.

    This letter seemed especially big and there wasn¡¯t anything written on the envelope. However, the sides already seemed worn. It was clear that He Sang had taken it out regrly from time to time to have made it so seasoned.

    Chu Lian carefully opened it. When she saw what was inside, her almond-shaped eyes widened instantly.

    These were the letters she had written to He Changdi! No, wait, these couldn¡¯t be considered letters. She had been afraid of exposing her origins through her handwriting, so she had sent drawings to He Changdi.

    Chu Lian pulled out the sheaf of drawings within, but found that the edges seemed to be slightly charred. Her brows drew together in confusion. In the end, she slid the papers back into the envelope with care.

    She looked at the table covered in letters and a strange feeling rose within her heart.

    These letters had been arranged ording to the dates they had been written. The one on top was the most recent one that He Sang had written, while the one at the bottom was the stack of drawings she had first sent him.

    He had started with a letter a month, before increasing it to two. By the time it was November, He Changdi was already writing a letter every three days. The address on the letter was always ¡®To my dear wife, Chu Lian¡¯.

    The roads had been sealed by the snowstorm in November, so letters hadn¡¯t been sent out in a long time. They had just umted here. However, he hadn¡¯t stopped writing letters. Some of them were just a few simple sentences and some of them talked about things that had happened in the camp. While reading them, Chu Lian could imagine how He Sang must have sprawled on the desk with furrowed brows in the middle of the night while writing these letters.

    In today¡¯s letter, he had informed her that he would have to leave the camp for a period of time. The details of this mission were a military secret, so he couldn¡¯t tell her anything else. However, given how she had sent the snowboat to the camp the other day, she was instantly able to guess what He Changdi had gone out to do.

    He had most likely gone to Su City by Lake Qianshan to gather grain using the snowboat!

    He Changdi¡¯s letter had specially told her to stay in the northern border camp. Since he wasn¡¯t in Liangzhou anymore and he had taken Mo Chenggui and the other soldiers with him, it wasn¡¯t safe for her to return to the He Estate now. He had already reported this situation to Great General Qian and had gotten permission for Chu Lian to stay in the female camp until he returned.

    As for the mountain flower on Mount Ah-ming, the Snow Mountain Mists, he had already sent someone to investigate it, so she didn¡¯t have to worry about it.

    Chu Lian suddenly realised that He Sang was pretty reliable when he wasn¡¯t having one of his fits of lunacy.

    She took a deep breath and put away the letters, returning them to the bag neatly.

    Following that, she told Wen to bring the sugarcane back with them. Once she was done, Chu Lian finally left He Changdi¡¯s tent and returned to Sima Hui¡¯s female camp.

    After General Qian had entrusted He Changdi with this great responsibility, he had brought his trusted subordinates and his sworn brothers from the Right Wing Army out of the camp. Together with the snowboat, they were headed to the nearest city from Liangzhou- Su City.

    In the dark of the night, despite the falling snow and howling winds, his heart was on fire.

    The tragedy of the northern border troops wouldn¡¯t be repeated again! Not only that, they might even get a chance to defeat the Tuhuns. If they could somehow survive this winter and store up enough grain, the Tuhuns would no longer be a threat to the northern border!

    He Changdi¡¯s heart burned with passion. When his thoughts turned to to Chu Lian, who was waiting for him back in camp, confidence and urgency filled up his heart.

    High up on the city walls of Su City, the night was brightened by the light of torches and braziers. Elite soldiers stood guard on the city walls, giving the ancientkeside city a menacing air.

    A tall and slender man stood at the highest point of the city¡¯s gate tower, facing the harsh winter winds.

    The man was wearing a dark coloured court outfit lined with leopard fur at the cor. His cloak pped crazily in the wind. He wore a jade crown high on his head. The flickering torch lights were to his back, so his features were shrouded in darkness.

    He suddenly burst out into a fit of coughing, causing the man behind him to ask with concern, ¡°Master, why don¡¯t we head back? The wind is too strong here. You haven¡¯t been well these two days.¡±

 Chapter 382: Clashing Head-on (1)

    Xiao Bojian gazed out at the dark expanse of Lake Qianshan, his eyes clouded over with thought.

    ¡°Have you gotten any news?¡± Due to his cold, his voice came out a little hoarse.

    One had no other choice but to apany his master on this gate tower, suffering theshing of the winter winds.

    ¡°Master, I just got the news that Honoured Lady Jinyi is perfectly safe. She was only hurt on her ankle. It took some time for the news to travel here, so she has most likely recovered by now. She should be in Liangzhou City now.¡±

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s cold and sinister features finally softened a little. However, his expression remained grim. Although he had a beautiful face, that expression would strike fear into anyone.

    ¡°Pass down my order. No matter what situation the northern border troops are in, Lian¡¯er must be kept safe.¡±

    One carried a troubled expression and his lips parted to speak. However, in the end, he swallowed his objection and replied with, ¡°Yes, Master.¡±

    Xiao Bojian covered his coughing with one hand while reaching into the pouch he carried on his waist with the other. He groped around inside the pouch before pulling out the fine lucky jade amulet that Chu Lian had ¡®gifted¡¯ to him.

    The lucky jade amulet shone with a warm glow under the light of the torches around him. It was clear that it was regrly held in a person¡¯s hand and worn.

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s lips stretched into a sinister smile. He Changdi had better watch out! Chu Lian was going to be his someday. Anyone who wanted to take his woman would have to do it over his dead body!

    At this point of time, neither of the two adversaries knew that they would soon face each other in the ancient Su City...

    When dawn finally broke, the soldiers standing on the city walls spotted a group of men and horses travelling over the frozen Lake Qianshan.

    All of them were extremely rmed and quickly sent out scouts to investigate the situation while reporting everything to their superiors.

    Half a dayter, He Changdi and his group were invited into the camp of the reinforcement army, who had set up base within Su City.

    The reinforcement army consisted of the northwest army and twenty thousand soldiers from the Hunan Army.

    Themander of this army was the great general of the northwest army, Yuan Zhong. He had originally been one of Great General Qian¡¯s subordinates. If He Changdi were to use this connection to request for aid, the result would likely be favourable for the northern border troops.

    He Sang had arrived at the Su City camp right in the middle of mealtime. The subordinates who had joined He Sang on this mission noticed that the northwest army even had rice to eat and their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in envy as their mouths filled with drool.

    Although they envied the northwest army, the border troops were still happy.

    Since the northwest army was eating rice, that meant that the northwest army didn¡¯tck for supplies. Their request should go along much smoother then.

    One of the officers of the northwest army led He Changdi and his party to a tent.

    This tent was clearly much more luxurious than the others, so it was most likely themander¡¯s tent.

    He Changdi, Xiao Hongyu and Zhang Mai waited outside the tent. It had been a harsh six day journey to reach Su City using the snowboat. All of them looked quite haggard right now. Even Zhang Mai, who was usually more concerned with keeping up his neat appearance, sported some messy stubble. There were even some ash marks on his face here and there. His hands and feet were covered in chilins from exposure to the elements.

    After fifteen minutes, He Changdi and his party were ushered into the tent.

    Yuan Zhong and a few officers of the northwest army weed He Sang and the rest.

    Once He Changdi entered the tent, he followed protocol and bowed in greeting to the great general of the northwest army, Yuan Zhong.

    When Yuan Zhong saw that the three men had all knelt down on one knee while keeping their backs straight, he hesitated before bursting out intoughter. He stepped forward and personally helped the three men up.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Great General Qian to have sent such young officers out here! The younger generation is truly to be reckoned with!¡±

    Xiao Bojian was seated beside Yuan Zhong. His gaze abruptly sharpened as he noticed the young man who was the leader of the party.

    His grip tightened around the teacup he was holding in one hand. He Changdi! He hade here!

    So it was true that enemies were always destined to meet!

    He Changdi¡¯s senses were finely honed, so he immediately realised that there was a cold gaze levelled on him. He shifted his eyes upwards and caught sight of Xiao Bojian seated above him; his thin lips pressed together in response.

    In an instant, the originally amiable atmosphere in the tent turned so tense that there should have been sparks flying in the air.

    Yuan Zhong was the first to notice that the atmosphere didn¡¯t seem right. He nced at the two men strangely, ¡°Do you know each other?¡±

    The two men replied at the same time with simr cold tones, ¡°Not at all!¡±

    Yuan Zhong had no choice but to cough awkwardly. In a quick turn of wit, he swallowed the question ¡®Then is there a grudge between you two?¡¯ he had been about to bring up.

    If He Sang were to give an answer to that unsaid question, he would surely have said: ¡®The grudge of stealing my wife and ruining my family.¡¯

    Thus, the discussion within the tent continued with the strange atmosphere in the air.

    Yuan Zhong made sleeping arrangements for He Changdi¡¯s group. As for the supplies, they were in charge of gathering them themselves.

    The general also kept He Changdi and his party behind for a meal. After the meal, perhaps due to some inner sadist tendencies, he actually ordered Xiao Bojian to escort He Changdi out of themander¡¯s tent.

 Chapter 383: Clashing Head-on (2)

    When they left the tent, the faces of the two men who absolutely hated each other were icier than the frozenke beyond the city walls.

    Xiao Bojian announced coldly, ¡°Goodbye!¡±

    He Changdi had not even an iota of interest in talking to him, so he was about to turn around and leave when his eyes swept over Xiao Bojian¡¯s body.

    A single item immediately caught his attention.

    There was a pure white piece of jade hanging from Xiao Bojian¡¯s waistband. He Changdi couldn¡¯t be more familiar with the carvings on that jade.

    That was the lucky jade amulet that Grandmother had given Chu Lian on the second day of their marriage at the tea ceremony. His grandfather had worn it often while he had still been alive.

    Why was that jade amulet hanging off Xiao Bojian¡¯s waist?!

    The darkness in He Sang¡¯s eyes gathered into a thick fog. The hands resting at his sides clenched into fists, and his knuckles creaked as if he might break his own fingers.

    However, a thread of reason still remained within him, keeping him from losing control and grabbing Xiao Bojian by the cor to interrogate him.

    Just that tiny ripple of emotion in He Changdi was enough for Xiao Bojian to sense that something wasn¡¯t right.

    When Xiao Bojian noticed that his expression had turned into one of restraint, he looked at He Changdi with a faint smile. ¡°Oh? Are you perhaps feeling well, He Sang? Should I send one of the doctors over to look you over?¡±

    As Xiao Bojian spoke, he couldn¡¯t help stroking the warm jade at his waist.

    He Sang¡¯s expression sunk and he turned and left themander¡¯s tent.

    Xiao Bojian looked at He Changdi¡¯s hastily retreating back and let out a bark ofughter out of the blue.

    The guard following closely behind him nearly shivered as goosebumps rose all over his body. One knew that it was never a good thing whenever his masterughed.

    Xiao Bojian turned around and spoke as he yed with the jade in his hand, ¡°Let¡¯s return to our tent. It seems like things are getting more interesting...¡±

    All the anger he had felt from Chu Lian leaving for the north so abruptly without a word had been instantly calmed by the sight of He Changdi¡¯s expression just now. Xiao Bojian knew exactly why He Changdi had been unhappy.

    Although he didn¡¯t know where this jade amulet hade from, it was likely something precious, judging from the shade of red that He Changdi¡¯s face had turned into.

    Since Lian¡¯er had given such a precious jade amulet to him, that clearly meant that he was the one in Lian¡¯er¡¯s heart. He Sang was probably nothingpared to him.

    On the way back to his tent, Xiao Bojian¡¯s exquisite features were contorted into a ruthless expression. ¡°One, report on the matters that I ordered you to investigate. The mountain paths have been blocked for days and the snow is up to our knees. How did they make it over with a carriage to ask for aid?¡±

    Ever since Xiao Bojian had earned the top rank in the imperial examinations, One had been ever more careful with his moody and unpredictable master.

    He replied, ¡°He Sang didn¡¯t use a carriage. He used something called a snowboat. From what this subordinate heard, it can glide over snow and ice and its speed doesn¡¯t lose out to that of carriages.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± A sh of rm flitted across Xiao Bojian¡¯s face. How had he never heard of something like that before?

    ¡°That is all this subordinate has been able to find out so far. The snowboat that they brought here is being closely guarded by his men. Even our spies won¡¯t be able to get close to it so soon.¡± One added with his head lowered.

    ¡°Continue investigating!¡± Xiao Bojian¡¯s voice turned a little hoarse from his displeasure.

    What kind of weapon was that? He Changdi couldn¡¯t have had it from the start, or the northern border troops wouldn¡¯t have waited until now!

    There must be someone helping them from the shadows.

    Xiao Bojian clenched his fists. His ns had beenpletely disrupted by He Changdi¡¯s arrival.

    He Changdi and his group were brought to the tent they had been assigned.

    On the way there, Xiao Hongyu and Zhang Mai could sense that He Changdi¡¯s mood wasn¡¯t very good.

    Zhang Mai knew that He Sang was a quiet one. Even if he had something weighing on his heart, he would only keep it in and stew on it by himself. He would never talk to someone to help release the burdens he carried within.

    He patted He Changdi on the shoulder, ¡°After being on the road for so long, let¡¯s take a hot bath and rest for a bit. No matter what it is, perhaps you¡¯ll be able to think through it once you have a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±

    After saying so, he pulled Xiao Hongyu with him and left the tent.

    Once Zhang Mai and Xiao Hongyu had left, He Changdi could no longer hold back the frustration in his heart. He turned to the table in the tent and flipped it over.

    He was feeling very conflicted right now.

    Although he had finally cleared up the feelings in his heart, he had suddenly been dealt a sound p in the face!

    What did that wicked woman Chu Lian want?

    He had started trusting in her, but he had just seen grandfather¡¯s jade amulet on Xiao Bojian!

    He Sang felt torn apart by his pain. He didn¡¯t know how to face his budding feelings for Chu Lian now. It was impossible for him to ignore what had just happened too!

    He wanted so badly to fly back to Chu Lian¡¯s side right now and ask her about everything once and for all.

    Thuds sounded in the tent as the table flew to the floor and the tea set that had been on top shattered.

    The ear-piercing sharp sounds calmed down the raging tsunami within He Changdi¡¯s heart. Heid down on the bed,pletely worn out. His chest rose and fell with his breathing as he covered his eyes with one arm. Snippets of his past and current lives shed through his mind. The current He Changdi was very, very lost.

    Two dayster, Xiao Bojian finally got news of the snowboat.

    One handed a tiny metal tube to Xiao Bojian, ¡°Master, this is what our spy in the northern border sent over.¡±

    Xiao Bojian tapped the trigger on the surface of the tube, causing the tube to spring open, revealing a slender roll of paper within. There was only a single line of words on the note, but that was enough to make Xiao Bojian start trembling with emotion.

    Lian¡¯er! So it was Lian¡¯er! He just knew it. How could the bunch of old men in the north havee up with the snowboat? Such an innovative and novel idea could only havee from his brilliant Lian¡¯er!

    Xiao Bojian trembled with excitement. He wanted to be right in front of Chu Lian right now. He wanted to trap her in his embrace and nt a kiss on those petal-like lips of hers.

    However, before he even finished getting over his excitement, an icy aura started creeping back over his body.

    He had suddenly realised that Chu Lian hadn¡¯t made that marvellous snowboat for him... she had made it for that He Changdi!

    His hands turned into tightly clenched fists. Due to the abrupt change in his emotions, he started coughing intensely.

 Chapter 384: Deal (1)

    One spoke up worriedly, ¡°Master, why don¡¯t you rest for a moment?¡±

    Xiao Bojian refused to acknowledge One¡¯s suggestion. He harrumphed and continued forming the n in his mind.

    By the time He Changdi woke up, it was already morning of the next day.

    Even though Su City was close to Liangzhou City, their climates werepletely different. While it was still snowing heavily in Liangzhou, the residents of Su City were able to experience the asional warm winter morning day.

    When Xiao Hongyu and Zhang Mai walked out of their tent after a nice long night of rest, they had the feeling of having walked out of a prison and into the sunlight once again.

    Having gotten used to the bone-piercing cold winds and harsh snow of Liangzhou, the two men felt a little ufortable when they were only met with warm and gentle sunshine on their faces.

    After they moved into He Changdi¡¯s tent, Xiao Hongyu started joking around. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Brother He? Why are you in such a rush to go shopping in Su City? Are you looking to buy some of their specialties for Sister-in-Law?¡±

    Zhang Mai smiled upon hearing Xiao Hongyu¡¯s teasing.

    However, He Changdi didn¡¯t show any reaction to the joke. Instead, his expression turned even more grave.

    ¡°Brother Zhang, Hongyu, I have something I have to discuss with you.¡±

    Two bright and sunny days passed in Su City before another wave of cold wind and snow came by. The city that had managed to thaw for a little while was once again engulfed by a snowstorm.

    Right now, there were only a few people in themander¡¯s tent, but the atmosphere was tense.

    Yuan Zhong was seated at the head of the table with his two trusted lieutenants by his side. To his left was the secretary of their current march, Xiao Bojian. To his right was the representative of the northern border troops who hade to request aid, He Changdi.

    Xiao Bojian lifted up one of the teacups set out on the table in front of him, his feminine features set into an expression that spoke trouble for He Changdi. ¡°Captain He, I hope that you¡¯ll understand the situation that you¡¯re in now. The great general just has one small request. If you agree to it, then our rescue army will immediately hand over the supplies once we finish preparing them.¡±

    He Changdi had turned pale with rage. He gripped the edge of the table with one hand so tightly that his veins bulged against his skin. Although he had managed to keep his expression cool and focused, anyone could tell that he was furious.

    ¡°You¡¯re trying to take advantage of us while we¡¯re in need!¡±

    Xiao Bojian was enjoying He Changdi¡¯s little fit of temper very much. He smiled, ¡°This is where you¡¯re wrong, Captain He. There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. We¡¯re happy to provide whatever you need, but you should be able to fulfill our teeny tiny little request in return, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    He Sang nced at Yuan Zhong, but the general had his head lowered as he seemingly downed some wine to drown his troubles. He was clearly silently agreeing with Xiao Bojian¡¯s actions.

    He Changdi felt immense disappointment. If Great General Qian were to find out what Yuan Zhong had done today, he would likely be equally, if not even more, disappointed.

    ¡°Captain He, it would be wiser to acquiesce to our request. You might be able to continue waiting, but those fifty thousand soldiers in the northern border might not.¡± Xiao Bojian was practically sneering at him.

    Under these circumstances, he didn¡¯t believe that He Changdi would keep the blueprints of the snowboat in exchange for the lives of hisrades.

    Dejection appeared on He Changdi¡¯s face, as if he had finally given in to Xiao Bojian¡¯s forceful threat.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll give you the blueprints for the snowboat. But you have to give me half a day¡¯s time. I have to persuade the brothers who apanied me here.¡±

    He Changdi shut his eyes. Shame was disyed on his handsome features, along with plenty of helplessness. Seeing such a pained expression on his rival, a wave of satisfaction flooded Xiao Bojian¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Good, at least you¡¯ve managed to think it through, Captain He. I¡¯ll have someone escort you back. I hope you won¡¯t make us wait too long.¡±

    He Sang left with an air of defeat. However, the moment he was sure that Xiao Bojian could no longer see his face, his gaze sharpened.

    Once He Changdi was gone from the tent, Yuan Zhong¡¯s mncholy and troubled expression faded away and he suddenly lit up with energy. He walked over to Xiao Bojian¡¯s side and patted his shoulder, praising him, ¡°Your idea worked, Wujing! As long as we get those blueprints and make even more of those snowboats, then the achievements of the northern border troops will be ours!¡±

    Xiao Bojian yed along and praised the general as well. After gettingplimented, Yuan Zhong felt even better.

    Zhang Mai and Xiao Hongyu quickly weed He Sang once he returned to the tent.

    ¡°Brother He, how did it go?¡±

    He Changdi sat down by the table and shook his head with his brows tightly furrowed, ¡°It looks like they won¡¯t give in unless we hand over the snowboat.¡±

    ¡°Then did you agree to it?¡±

    He Sang clenched his fists and nodded, ¡°I agreed to give them the blueprints before night falls.¡±

    Xiao Hongyu¡¯s eyes widened in shock after hearing that. He spoke in disbelief, ¡°Brother He, you actually agreed to it?! What if they refuse to give us the supplies after you give them the blueprints? Does this mean that our fifty thousand troops can¡¯t do anything but wait for death?¡±

    Zhang Mai hurriedly stopped Xiao Hongyu once he noticed how agitated he was getting. ¡°What nonsense are you saying? Would your Brother He be so stupid?¡±

    After he finished scolding Xiao Hongyu, Zhang Mai turned to He Changdi, ¡°Zixiang, tell me honestly. Do you have a backup n?¡±

    He Changdi looked at the two men with his lips pressed together and a resolute glint in his eyes. There was no hint of the destion he had shown back in themander¡¯s tent. ¡°It¡¯s not time yet, so I can¡¯t tell you guys. But as long as you trust me, I won¡¯t disappoint you!¡±

    ¡°Good! Since you¡¯ve said so, this old brother will trust you!¡± Zhang Mai¡¯s gaze showed the same determination. He didn¡¯t forget to pat Xiao Hongyu¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Brat, did you hear that?¡±

    Xiao Hongyu took a deep breath, but it was obvious that he still had unvoiced objections. He sat by the bed silently, unlike his normal boisterous self.

    Zhang Mai shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s just how he is. Don¡¯t mind him. He¡¯ll be fer on.¡±

    He Changdi and the rest had been living together for a few months. He was even sharing a tent with Xiao Hongyu, so of course he knew the brat¡¯s personality well.

    He really didn¡¯t mind it at all.

 Chapter 385: Deal (2)

    He Sang had foreseen that things wouldn¡¯t go smoothly after meeting Xiao Bojian. However, he hadn¡¯t expected Xiao Bojian to be eyeing the snowboat. Luckily, he had taken precautions before entering the northwestern army¡¯s camp.

    Otherwise, they would really have had no other choice.

    He had already dragged out the discussions for two days. If he didn¡¯t pretend to give in to their demands today, Yuan Zhong would likely have tried to take the snowboat by force instead.

    The northwestern army hadn¡¯t seen any action for a long time. Right now, the Great Wu Dynasty was slowly progressing into a golden age, so there wasn¡¯t as much need for the military aspared to when the dynasty had been founded.

    The northwestern army was facing imminent disarmament. The Yuan family had gotten into power due to their control over the northwestern army. Once the northwestern army was disbanded, the Yuan family would fall into decline.

    This wasn¡¯t just Yuan Zhong alone who was struggling, but the entire noble house of the Yuan family.

    After years without any notable achievements, the northwestern army would likely be destroyed if things continued this way. So what did they need the most right now? Outstanding military achievements. If they managed to im the feat of defeating the Tuhuns for themselves, then even the Emperor would have to think twice and wait a few more years before cutting away the northwestern army.

    Xiao Bojian had most likely used this angle to form an alliance with the northwestern army!

    This man was just as formidable as he had been in his past life!

    The depths of He Changdi¡¯s narrow eyes darkened. However, he was no longer the naive and trusting He Sang from his past life!

    Xiao Bojian was having a rare break within his tent at this moment. He held a letter in his hand.

    Gripped in his beautiful hand were two pieces of paper. His eyes flickered as he read quickly.

    The letter had been sent by Duke Ying. It was just a normal letter asking after his well-being, but at the end of the letter, the duke had mentioned his marriage.

    Xiao Bojian wasn¡¯t considered young any longer at his age. The duke hadn¡¯t mentioned marriage at all to him previously because his identity was lowly. However, now that he had managed to be the top schr of the imperial examinations and with Duke Ying¡¯s help, he was now a trusted official at court.

    Duke Ying had mentioned offhandedly in the letter that he wanted to marry Fifth Miss Su to him. Since they were already teacher and student, if Xiao Bojian became his son-inw, it would only boost the rtions between them.

    The old duke¡¯s tone made it seem like the matter was already decided and that there was no need for further discussion.

    An ominous glint shone in Xiao Bojian¡¯s eyes before he snorted and threw the letter into the brazier next to him.

    A tongue of me slipped through the wire mesh on top of the brazier and consumed the two thin pieces of paper in an instant.

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s heart was filled with contempt. Hmph, that stupid old man. He was only looking to bind him down with ties of marriage in order to use him to strengthen his position in court. Did that old fart think that he, Xiao Bojian, would still let him do as he wished after finally bing sessful?

    Furthermore, he was trying to marry Chu Su to him? A third-rate noble miss wasn¡¯t fit to be his wife!

    Back then, Duke Ying had been one of those facilitating Chu Lian¡¯s engagement to the He Family. As his teacher, how could Duke Ying not have known that he and Chu Lian were in love? He had even hinted so to his teacher. However, inparison to the chance of making a connection to the influential House Jing¡¯an, Duke Ying hadn¡¯t even considered his feelings and had sent Chu Lian off to be married to He Sang without any hesitation!

    Other than Chu Lian, he would never marry any daughter of the Chu family in this lifetime!

    Back in the capital far away, the city was bustling with liveliness and joy.

    It was almost time to celebrate the new year again. The streets were filled with citizens buying Chinese New Year goods.

    In the Ying Estate, it was more livelier than it had been in previous years, since the top schr had been produced from their estate.

    The top schr was the famous Xiao Wujing from the imperial college and Old Duke Ying¡¯s prized pupil.

    Although he wasn¡¯t really part of the Chu family, a disciple was still considered half a son. Thus, the sombre Ying Estate had be especially boisterous. Even the servants who went out to purchase goods all had their chins lifted high in the air, as if the feat of Mister Xiao had elevated their status somehow.

    Within the inner court of the Ying Estate, the junior members of the family were greeting the patriarch and matriarch.

    Old Duchess Ying felt frustrated upon looking down at all of her granddaughters. Her sons had been working hard with their concubines. There would likely be a few more young missesing out in the new year.

    The youngest of her grandchildren now was Little Chong who had just made it through her first month. She was a child born from one of Chu Lian¡¯s father¡¯s concubines and was now the fifteenth young miss in her generation...

    Old Duchess Ying nced at her with disdain, grumbling in her heart, ¡®Just another burden to feed!¡¯

    The concubines of the Ying Estate were producing children non-stop. It seemed like they had be even more fertile ever since Xiao Bojian had be the top schr.

    However, there weren¡¯t many legitimate sons or daughters being birthed.

    When she thought about it, the legitimate wives of the main, second and third branches were already getting old. They were already past childbearing age. Even if they were still fertile, their husbands had most likely lost interest in them in favour of younger and prettier things. The number of concubines in the estate had been increasing ofte.

    The Ying Estate had nevercked for children, so the old duchess was even more s¨¦ about these concubine-born grandchildren of hers.

    Old Duchess Ying looked at the grandchildren gathered before her once before waving her hands impatiently, ordering the concubines to dismiss themselves, along with their children. The only ones left behind were the legitimate wives of each of the branches and the few legitimate children of the estate.

 Chapter 386: Contingency Plan (1)

    The hall that had been full to the point of bursting emptied out in an instant.

    Miss Su stood on the right side of the hall with her mother and aunts. She had her head and eyes lowered, the very picture of a virtuous and humble woman.

    Old Duchess Ying cast a measuring gaze over her before she was satisfied. She beckoned to Miss Su, ¡°Miss Su,e over to Grandmother.¡±

    Miss Su shot a quick nce at her mother before hurrying over to the old duchess.

    The old duchess patted her head with affection, ¡°Our Miss Su has already grown into a youngdy in the blink of an eye. Look at how lovely these cheeks are. Grandmother still remembers when you were just a tiny little infant in your mother¡¯s arms!¡±

    These ¡®caring¡¯ words were very generic and had been used hundreds of times over. Back when it had been time for Second Miss to be betrothed, the old duchess had said the exact same words. The same had gone for Fourth Miss. Now that she was saying them to Fifth Miss Su, everyone pricked up their ears.

    As much as Miss Su didn¡¯t like this grandmother of hers, she still showed her respect. ¡°Granddaughter thanks Grandmother for her concern.¡±

    ¡°Ay, my good granddaughter.¡± Old Duchess Ying spoke with so much feeling that it almost seemed like her eyes were about to tear up.

    If not for the unspoken understanding in the family that the matriarch didn¡¯t like girls, they might even have been moved by this show of grandmotherly love.

    One of the maidservants handed the old duchess a handkerchief just in time and the old duchess dabbed at the corners of her eyes.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re already a growndy, Grandmother can¡¯t keep you any longer. I¡¯ve been in discussion with your grandfather these few days and we¡¯ve chosen a good husband for you. You and your mother should be familiar with the man in question- he¡¯s our estate¡¯s top schr!¡±

    When Miss Su heard this, her body trembled in shock. She lost control of her emotions and was about to reject it on the spot. However, before she could say anything, her mother tugged at her.

    The madam of the main branch chuckled and said, ¡°That really is a good marriage partner for our Miss Su. You¡¯ve worked hard, Mother.¡±

    There were all sorts of expressions on disy in the hall right now, making for a marvellous show!

    Miss Yuan was standing next to her own mother. When she heard the news, her eyes immediately widened and she looked as if she was in disbelief.

    Mister Xiao had such extraordinary looks and he was the top schr to boot! How could he possibly marry Miss Su?!

    After the imperial examinations, Xiao Bojian had visited the Ying Estate often. Due to his newly earned status, he came and went from the estate freely. House Ying was falling over themselves and trying their best to treat him as one of their own, as if that would somehow make him one of their descendants.

    He had already created a reputation for himself in the imperial college even before he had attended the imperial examinations. Later on, when he had be the top schr, he had be even more popr as a target of admiration for most of the men and women in the capital.

    Miss Yuan hadn¡¯t seen him much previously. Now that Xiao Bojian was regrlying and going from the Ying Estate, Miss Yuan had found a chance to sneak a peek at him. From just that one peek, her heart had fallen for him.

    She wasn¡¯t a young child any longer. She would turn fifteen and be of marriageable age in the new year.

    Xiao Bojian had a bright future ahead of him. How could she do nothing upon hearing that Grandmother wanted to betroth Miss Su to him?

    The moment she got back to the second branch, Miss Yuan hugged her mother¡¯s leg and startedining.

    Second Madam only had this one precious daughter, so she naturally thought of Miss Yuan first in all things. She had a pretty good impression of Xiao Bojian as well, so her heart softened when her daughter pleaded with her.

    When Miss Yuan saw that she had a chance, she continued hugging her mother and ying up to her, asking her mother to persuade Grandmother to let her marry Xiao Bojian instead.

    Things weren¡¯t set yet and only their family knew about it so far.

    Hadn¡¯t Chu Lian been sent to House Jing¡¯an because Miss Su had fallen sick that time? If Grandmother couldn¡¯t be convinced, then couldn¡¯t she just have Miss Su fall sick again?

    Back in Liangzhou and Su City, worries over the war had dampened the festive spirits of the residents.

    He Changdi stood before his tent and looked up at the grey sky. It was already dusk. Night would be falling soon.

    Time was trickling slowly, second by second, towards Xiao Bojian¡¯s deadline.

    He turned to the direction of themander¡¯s tent, only to see Xiao Bojian slowly walking towards him with that same guard next to him.

    Suddenly, He Sang¡¯s slightly nted eyes narrowed as his frozen features broke out into a faint smile.

    Xiao Bojian hadn¡¯t even taken more than two steps when a soldier came running from behind and requested his presence.

    His leisurely and rxed expression flipped into a gloomy one and he seemed to have turned into a monster who seemed ready to swallow humans alive. ¡°What did you say?! The Min Family army is here?!¡±

    The soldier shrunk into himself and nodded, not daring to say anything at all.

    Xiao Bojian ground his teeth hard. He shot a cold re towards He Changdi¡¯s tent and just so happened to catch the sight of He Changdi standing in front of his tent with his back straight and hands behind his back. Although there was still a distance between them, their gazes seemed to sh in midair with imaginary sparks.

    It was as if a thunderp had split the cloudy skies.

    The Min army guarded the border running along the Min River and there were thirty thousand soldiers serving in it. Themander of the Min army was an oldrade of Count Jing¡¯an. At the same time, he was also a subordinate of Prince Jin.

    Zhang Mai and Xiao Hongyu had gotten the news as well. They rushed out from the tent and bumped fists with He Changdi. Zhang Maimented, ¡°Zixiang, if you hadn¡¯t taken precautions and sent Leader Mo¡¯s group away when we entered the city, the Min army wouldn¡¯t have been able to rush here in time.¡±

    In his previous life, He Changdi had experienced the fickle nature of humans, as well betrayal from those he once trusted. How could he remain the same naive fool as before? Of course he had kept a contingency n when it came to something as important as the lives of hisrades.

    Within an hour, He Changdi and his party had been invited to themander¡¯s tent.

 Chapter 387: Contingency Plan (2)

    Great General Min was seated at the same level as Yuan Zhong. There were only about thirty thousand men in the northwestern army. With the Hunan troops added in to this temporary army, they only numbered fifty thousand. Although the Min army only had about thirty thousand men, their weapons and equipment were of much better quality than those of the northwestern army. If they were to face off in a battle, the northwestern army would not be a match for the Min army.

    Furthermore, there were twenty thousand Hunan troops mixed in with the northwestern army right now. If it really came down to a fight, the Hunan troops might take advantage of the confusion for their own benefit. Yuan Zhong hadn¡¯t climbed up to this position by being stupid. He could onlyment that He Changdi had been too thorough and careful in his actions. He and Xiao Bojian had been too careless.

    Now that the Min army had arrived, they had lost their best chance to strike. Those snowboat blueprints were now out of their grasp.

    With the Min army supporting He Changdi, the northwestern army handed over the grains they had stored in Su City the very next day.

    Great General Min personally escorted He Changdi¡¯s group out to Lake Qianshan.

    Although the Min army had rushed over to Su City in just two short days, they hadn¡¯t been given actual military orders so they couldn¡¯t stay in Su City for too long, despite being under Prince Jin¡¯s orders.

    Thus, on the third day after He Changdi¡¯s grain supply group had left, the Min army also made their way back to the Min River area.

    Xiao Bojian stayed in his tent with an overcast expression. Yuan Zhong¡¯s trust in him had lessened since his n had failed. These few days, Yuan Zhong seemed to be avoiding him on purpose, leaving him furious.

    One silently stood behind Xiao Bojian and pretended not to exist.

    It was only when Xiao Bojian called out to him that he made a sound of acknowledgement and walked over to his master¡¯s side, ¡°Your orders, Master?¡±

    After a slight pause, Xiao Bojian¡¯s face contorted into an extremely fierce expression, ¡°Send the information I wrote yesterday to Liangzhou, as soon as possible!¡±

    Without a shred of hesitation, One answered affirmatively and dashed out to execute his orders!

    Xiao Bojian toyed with the jade amulet attached to his waist. Once he thought of the fact that He Changdi¡¯s efforts to bring provisions to Liangzhou might simply be fuel for someone else¡¯s achievements, he wondered how He Changdi would feel, and whether he would fall apart.

    Although the skies over Su City had cleared up for two days, Liangzhou was still experiencing heavy winds and snow. As of now, the snow was already knee deep and it was difficult even for horses to pass through.

    Chu Lian stayed in the female camp with her maidservants and passed her days in rxation.

    Ten days had passed since He Changdi left, and she couldn¡¯t help but start to worry about him.

    Going by normal speeds, even if he went to Su City to borrow provisions, he should have been back in ten days. Even if he got dyed along the way, it would take another two days at the most.

    However, other than the endless wind and snow blowing over the ins, there was no other news from the border army camp.

    Chu Lian could guess that the state of the army¡¯s supplies was close to critical.

    Over the next two days, there were cases of soldiers from both the Left Wing and Right Wing armies fainting while on guard duty due to hunger.

    However, even so, the army cooks still didn¡¯t give the hungry soldiers even a single bowl more of bean porridge.

    At this stage, even the female camp was down to eating bean porridge, and the bean porridge was also getting even more dilute.

    Chu Lian nced at the steaming hot bowl of rice porridge in front of her. Due to her worry for He Changdi, her appetite had been very poor over the past few days, so she had only eaten a few mouthfuls of it.

    Chu Lian waved her hand, ¡°Take this away, and give it to the guards outside.¡±

    At this point of time, the most popr job in the female camp was guarding Chu Lian¡¯s tent. Those who guarded her tent would often receive rewards from the Honoured Lady such as a piping hot bowl of congee, or a few delicious pieces of pastry, or several slices of jerky.

    Chu Lian had already moved out of Sima Hui¡¯s tent and was now staying in a tent right opposite Sima Hui¡¯s.

    She had heard from Captain Guo that this was something that He Changdi had specially arranged for...

    There was a limit to the supplies Chu Lian had brought, so she couldn¡¯t possibly donate them all to the border army. Besides, there wasn¡¯t even enough to give each soldier a single grain of rice. The most she could do was to provide a little aid to a female soldier or two.

    Chu Lian¡¯s poprity in the female camp was outstanding, and she was only second to Sima Hui at this point.

    Today, after having lunch with Wenqing and Wen, sheid on her bed and flipped through a book of folk stories.

    The guards outside announced that their general hade.

    Once they finished speaking, the tent p was lifted and Sima Hui strode in, dressed in full armour.

    Upon seeing Sima Hui¡¯s grave expression, Chu Lian quickly sat upright.

    ¡°Where are you going, Sister Hui?¡±

    Sima Hui was dressed in full battle armour and was even wearing a silver helmet on her head. Her red-tasseled spear hung on her back while she kept one hand on the sword hung at her waist. She walked up to Chu Lian¡¯s side and fixed her gaze on the youngdy. Her tone was dead serious as she spoke, ¡°The Tuhuns have suddenly gathered up their men and seem to be on the verge of mounting arge scale attack. Lian¡¯er, I¡¯ve been ordered to lead my troops out to the frontlines immediately.¡±

    Chu Lian waspletely stunned by her words. She didn¡¯t understand why the Tuhuns would be trying to mount an attack at this time. It was the middle of the coldest period of the whole year in Liangzhou, when the winds and snow were still blowing strongly. It was far from the right time to attack for the Tuhuns. Had something gone wrong along the way?

    After a brief period of dazed silence, Chu Lian finally reacted, ¡°Sister Hui, the battle at the frontlines is more important, please don¡¯t worry about me!¡±

    Sima Hui gripped the hilt of the sword in her hands and nodded, ¡°Lian¡¯er, I¡¯ll leave some soldiers behind to protect you. Stay safe here!¡±

    TL Note: The Min (Ãö) River is an actual river in China, in the Fujian province. The Min army isn¡¯t actually named after the river, but after Great General Min¡¯s family name (ãÉ). This usually means that the Min family controls or funds the army, which may be why they have better equipment aspared to the northwestern army, which is funded by a government trying to cut military spending.

    The author specifically uses the term fubing to refer to the soldiers in the Min army, which can trante to ¡®citizen militia¡¯. This might imply that the soldiers in the Min army are actually farmers conscripted into service as reserve soldiers, but we have to wait and see if the author mentions more of this systemter in the story (I can¡¯t remember, oops).

    On a side note, the He (ºØ) Estate in the capital and the He (ºÍ) Estate in Liangzhou City actually use different characters in Chinese too. :3

 Chapter 388: Captured (1)

    Chu Lian quickly agreed to Sima Hui¡¯s request and told her to hurry quickly to the frontlines. It wouldn¡¯t be good if she wasted too much time here.

    The originally quiet camp was now inplete chaos. Bugle horns sounded loudly, one after another. Everyone started preparing for battle. The sounds of hoofbeats and the soldiers¡¯ bugle calls blended into a mess of noise.

    Even though Chu Lian was staying put in her tent, she could still feel the tension in the air outside.

    Wenqing and Wen had simr expressions of anxiety.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, what should we do?¡± Wen asked with a frown.

    Chu Lian¡¯s almond-shaped eyes were fixed on the tent p, which had lifted a little from the winds outside. ¡°We¡¯ll stay in this camp. They¡¯re still preparing for battle out on the frontlines. There¡¯s nowhere safer in the whole of Liangzhou City than the back of the main camp now. Furthermore, General Sima Hui left some soldiers behind to guard us.¡±

    Wenqing nodded upon hearing this. The two maidservants could only try their best to keep their anxiety under control for now. However, just in case, Wenqing went out to call the Li siblings over. The few of them discussed how they should guard Chu Lian¡¯s tent.

    Chu Lian no longer had the mood to continue reading her book. The Tuhuns had clearly chosen to stall and wait out the winter and it had seemed like there would still be another month before they would take any action. They were hidden in the snowy mountains and they had enough provisions. Furthermore, the Tuhuns¡¯ bodies were much hardier and more resistant to the cold, unlike those of the people of the Great Wu Dynasty.

    Why had they chosen to mount an attack so suddenly?

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes narrowed. She thought of the current situation that the border troops were in. There was only one possibility for this situation.

    There was an informant in their ranks!

    The only ones who knew about the snowboat were Great General Qian¡¯s trusted subordinates. Even Sima Hui hadn¡¯t known what He Changdi had been sent out to do.

    Then the only suspects were General Qian¡¯s most trusted officers...

    Shivers went down Chu Lian¡¯s back when her thoughts led up to that conclusion. The border troops were already in a dangerous situation, but now there were informants amongst them. If Great General Qian failed to handle this situation properly, then the army would probably fall apart even before He Changdi returned with the supplies!

    When Wenqing noticed that Chu Lian¡¯s face had been drained of all colour, she suffered a fright, ¡°Third Young Madam, what happened to you?!¡±

    Chu Lian waved her hand, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯ll be fine after a short rest.¡±

    After more careful thought, she felt that she couldn¡¯t stand by without doing anything. She ordered Wenqing to fetch her brush and ink; she was going to write a letter.

    Fifteen minutester, the letter was done. Chu Lian quickly sealed it in an envelope and summoned Li Xing, who had been guarding the tent outside. She told him to take a snowboat and head straight to Su City immediately. He was to send the letter directly to He Changdi, as soon as possible.

    Although Li Xing didn¡¯t know what was contained inside the letter, he didn¡¯t dare to tarry even a moment longer. His mission was to obey Chu Lian¡¯s orders, so no matter how strange the order, he wouldn¡¯t have anyints.

    When it came to dusk, more than half of the soldiers in the border camp were gone. The cold winds yed with the gs hoisted up in the camp, making them flutter and snap.

    Even in Sima Hui¡¯s female barracks, only a single group of soldiers was left behind to look after the camp.

    As the final trace of sunlight disappeared over the horizon, light snow started falling from the skies, covering the tents.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know what was wrong with her today. There was an uneasy feeling burdening her heart. Although it was already dark outside, she didn¡¯t feel any hint of sleepiness at all. Not only that, she had started to order Wenqing and Wen to pack things up, as if that would help her forget her worries.

    Wenqing and Wen knew that their mistress was feeling uneasy, so they didn¡¯tin. They followed her orders obediently.

    They had already prepared themselves. If the border troops failed to defend the border, they would take Third Young Madam with them and escape. If the time came, they would need to have all of their supplies ready. Getting ordered to pack things up at this time was in line with their ns.

    Suddenly, there was a burst of noise from outside the camp. The threedies strained their ears to listen, and they heard a female voice speaking, ¡°Honoured Lady, this subordinate has something to report.¡±

    Chu Lian let out a sigh of relief. She recognised that voice, it was one of the female soldiers who usually guarded her tent.

    ¡°Enter.¡±

    The tent p was lifted and the female soldier entered the tent. The inside of the tent was illuminated with faintmplight, making their surroundings rather dim. The female soldier¡¯s head was lowered and her features were hidden by shadows.

    She panted as she spoke urgently, ¡°Honoured Lady, this subordinate just received news that Manager Qin¡¯s tent has been attacked!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s expression immediately changed. Manager Qin had been attacked!

    That was where they were storing all of their supplies!

    In her worry, she didn¡¯t think further and ordered, ¡°Wenqing, take Li Yue with you and go over there immediately.¡±

    Wenqing sounded off her acknowledgement. She picked up a weapon and her cloak before quickly following the female soldier out.

    Chu Lian stared at the fluttering tent p in a daze. Suddenly, her whole body stiffened.

    Her mind reyed the moment that the female soldier had turned to leave the tent.

    No wonder she had felt that something wasn¡¯t right. Her shoes!

    That female soldier had been wearing leather boots with flexible soles!

    Due to the harsh climate of the north and their duties on the battlefield, the female soldiers wore out their boots very quickly. For Great General Qian¡¯s soldiers, as well as Sima Hui¡¯s female soldiers, all of them wore warm boots with thick soles. The front of the boots was even covered with steel, so that they could damage their enemies on the battlefield even more.

    Although those thick boots were durable and very practical, they were heavier than the normal type of boots. Furthermore, they were covered in steel at the front, so all the soldiers made light thunks as they walked.

    As for the female soldier who had juste in, her feet hadn¡¯t made any sound on the ground and she had been wearing light boots more suited for trekking.

    Chu Lian grabbed hold of Wen¡¯s hand with a grave expression. ¡°Wen, we¡¯ve been tricked! Hurry, pack up our things, we have to escape right now!¡±

 Chapter 389: Captured (2)

    Wen couldn¡¯t hide her astonishment at Chu Lian¡¯s sudden order. However, she trusted Third Young Madam from the bottom of her heart. Luckily, they had already been in the middle of packing up their things. She shoved all the necessities into Chu Lian¡¯s arms and told her to hold on tight to them. Next, she wrapped Chu Lian into a fur coat and gave her a small dagger.

    Wen took up her own backpack and a sword before pulling Chu Lian out of the tent.

    However, before the two of them could make it out, three people entered the tent.

    The neers were dressed in the armour of the northern border troops. A tall cor hid half of his face, so they could only hear a slightly raspy voice say, ¡°Honoured Lady, why don¡¯t youe with us?¡±

    Wenqing and Li Yue quickly arrived in front of Manager Qin¡¯s tent with more than ten guards following behind. However, Manager Qin¡¯s tent was still lit up from within. Two guards were standing outside looking a little tired, but alert.

    The twodies exchanged nces as their hearts thumped in unison.

    Li Yue¡¯s brows furrowed together. ¡°Miss Wenqing, take two men and stay here to look after Manager Qin. I¡¯ll bring the rest of the guards back! I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ve fallen for their diversion!¡±

    The female bodyguard gripped her sword in one hand and quickly left. Wenqing turned around to look for the female soldier who had brought them here, but that soldier was already long gone.

    She stomped the ground in frustration and quickly walked up to the tent.

    At this time, Manager Qin seemed to have heard themotion outside. He lifted the tent p with his clothes draped loosely over his body. When he saw Wenqing standing in front of him with fury and regret written all over her face, he asked curiously, ¡°What did youe here for thiste at night? Shouldn¡¯t you be guarding Third Young Madam?¡±

    Wenqing exined everything to Manager Qin. The chubby man¡¯s face turned grave and he quickly followed Wenqing back to Chu Lian¡¯s tent without even bothering to put on his clothes properly.

    By the time they reached the tent, the sight of a dark tent and four fallen female soldiers met their eyes...

    Li Yue bit her lip hard, filled with regrets. ¡°Honoured Lady has been captured...¡±

    Wen was unconscious on the ground inside the tent. Although she was still gripping her sword tightly in her hand, there was no sign of a struggle anywhere. Even the snacks that Chu Lian hadn¡¯t finished were still sitting on the table untouched.

    Li Yue sshed Wen¡¯s face with cold water to wake her up.

    Wen regained consciousness, only to find herself surrounded by their party¡¯s guards. It took her a dazed moment before she came back to life and shouted, ¡°Hurry! Quick, chase after Third Young Madam! She was taken away by some people... Hurry!!¡±

    Wenqing wrapped Wen up in her arms until Wen finally calmed down.

    ¡°Wen, calm down. Think back to just now. What happened exactly? Who took Third Young Madam away?¡±

    Wen was now rtively calm. She replied with unshed tears in her eyes, ¡°Those kidnappers covered up their faces, so I couldn¡¯t tell who the were.¡±

    She wiped at her tears before continuing, ¡°They said to let Third Young Madam go with them. One of them unsheathed his sword and was about to fight me- that sword had blood on it still. Third Young Madam told them that she would go with them peacefully if they let me go, but how could I just let them take Third Young Madam away without a fight? I took out my sword and I was going to hold them off so Third Young Madam could escape, but I felt something hit the back of my head the moment I took a step forward. I just fainted immediately...¡±

    Wenqing, Li Yue and Manager Qin understood that it was Chu Lian who had purposely knocked Wen out. Although the kidnappers were only targeting Third Young Madam, they were likely looking to kill all witnesses. Wen wasn¡¯t a match for three people alone. Chu Lian had knocked her out purely to save Wen¡¯s life.

    ¡°What should we do now?¡± Li Yue asked.

    Manager Qin thought for a bit before speaking up, ¡°Take some men with you and search around the camp first. They can¡¯t possibly have left without a trace. There should be some hints left behind somewhere, or they might even be hiding in the camp still. I¡¯m going to look for Sir Tang to see if he can help us.¡±

    Most of the border troops had gone off to the frontlines. Even General Qian and Captain Guo weren¡¯t in the camp right now. The only person they could go to for help was Sir Tang.

    After getting jolted around, Chu Lian finally woke up painfully from unconsciousness with a subconscious cry.

    When she opened her eyes, all she could see was the moving legs of a horse. She tried to move her body, but was immediately held down forcefully by someone. It was only then that she realised she was currently on horseback...

    She had been tied down on a horse horizontally like she was a sack of rice. No wonder she was about to puke from all this shaking.

    The rider seemed to know that she had woken up. The first time she fired off was a cold threat, ¡°If Honoured Lady would like to avoid suffering, it would be best to cooperate with us.¡±

    Chu Lian frowned. That was a woman¡¯s voice. Furthermore, it was the same woman who had lured Wenqing and Li Yue away.

    Back in the tent, these people had called her ¡®Honoured Lady¡¯. It was clear that they knew of her identity.

    However, along the way to an unknown destination, other than knocking her out, they hadn¡¯t done anything else to her. She could feel that she had been covered with a warm fur coat.

    These people weren¡¯t out to kill her.

    After determining this, Chu Lian quickly calmed down.

    Her thoughts turned crystal clear.

    She coughed to get the attention of the rider before asking, ¡°Could you let me sit up straight? I¡¯m really ufortable right now.¡±

 Chapter 390: Quick-witted (1)

    The woman hesitated for a while, as if considering whether there was a trick in Chu Lian¡¯s suggestion.

    Chu Lian used the most childish and demanding voice she could muster, ¡°I don¡¯t know martial arts and you have four people on your side. I¡¯m trapped on this horse so how could I possibly run away?¡±

    The woman seemed to think that Chu Lian¡¯s words made sense. She spoke in a low voice, ¡°Then hold on tight to me.¡±

    She reached out with her right arm and lifted Chu Lian up so that she could sit upright on the horse¡¯s back.

    Chu Lian was still trapped because she was seated in front of the woman on the horse and the woman¡¯s arms acted as a cage around her. Although she felt uneasy, it was much morefortable than lying horizontally on the horse.

    The party of five, including Chu Lian, travelled at a brisk pace for almost an hour. During this hour, no matter what Chu Lian asked, no one answered her.

    In the end, Chu Lian gave up. It was clear that this group of people had undergone special training. They might even be some special agents trained to kill themselves before revealing their backers.

    The skies turned darker and the winds started up again, throwing snow in their faces. It was as if the snowstorm had engulfed them. No matter where she looked, she couldn¡¯t see anything around her other than the weak glow from thenterns they carried.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t understand how these people were navigating when she couldn¡¯t even see anything than snow and darkness.

    Just as Chu Lian¡¯s face was about to turn numb from the cold, the party finally stopped.

    Chu Lian trembled as she rubbed her hands together for warmth, trying to bring some heat back into her frozen appendages.

    The woman she was riding with helped her off the horse and towards a small hill. The four horses were gathered up by one of the men and led on a rope.

    Chu Lian pulled her fox fur cloak tightly around her body and hobbled through the knee-deep snow.

    It was only when she got closer that there was a hollow carved into the hillside and that there were people in there.

    Thanks to the snow covering everything and the darkness of the night, the visibility here was extremely low. If she looked up from the bottom of the hill, she wouldn¡¯t be able to see the hollow at the middle of the hill. It was only visible from a close distance.

    Halfway up the hill, there was a natural hollow that spread inside the hill. The slope of the hill acted like a roof that blocked the wind. In the cold winter, this was the perfect location to make a small base.

    Once Chu Lian reached the hollow, she could see two tents set up. The areas outside the entrances of the tents had been cleared of snow. Even though it was alreadyte, there was still a barbarian woman with her hair tied up in braids busying herself outside the tent. She was trying to cook something using the little bit ofmp light spilling out from one of the tents.

    After hearing the noise made by the new arrivals, the barbarian woman turned around and nced at them. Chu Lian took the chance to take a good look at her; she was a middle-aged woman with a face full of wrinkles. Her expression seemed indifferent. After a single apathetic nce at them, she turned her attention back to the jar she was heating over the fire.

    The tallest man amongst the four people who had brought Chu Lian here stepped forward first. He walked towards the tents and shouted something before speaking a string of words. Chu Lian couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying because he used the barbariannguage.

    In a short moment, the tent p was lifted and a head peeked out. The person within reached out to the man, and the man handed over the bag in his hands.

    The tent p dropped back down. The person inside seemed to be satisfied with whatever he had been given, because he lifted up the tent p once again and weed them in.

    Chu Lian was forced inside by the female rider. When they passed by the barbarian woman, she could smell something medicinal. She shot a nce at the jar heating over the fire and guessed that the barbarian woman was trying to brew some medicine. As expected, right before she entered the tent, she heard some coughing from the other tent.

    The tent that Chu Lian entered was much bigger than the other one. There were also some furs and nkets stacked up against the edge of the tent, so it seemed to be a sleeping area.

    There was a brazier ced in the center of the tent for warmth.

    In the harsh winter of the north, it would be impossible to sleep in a tent unless there was a brazier warming the tent from within.

    There was a terrible odour in the tent, most likely due to not airing it out for some time.

    The barbarian man who had weed them in spoke to the leader of her kidnappers in a fawning manner before retreating. It was clear that he had gone to the other tent to sleep.

    Chu Lian heard the barbarian man scolding someone outside, most likely the woman who was brewing medicine. Unfortunately, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t understand what they were saying.

    She waited for her four kidnappers to take off their cloaks before using the light of the fire in the tent to get a close look at them.

    There was only one woman, and the rest were men. The tall man who acted as the leader kept a thin moustache on his lip. It seemed like he was the oldest one of the group. The other two men were skinny and didn¡¯t have any special characteristics to them. The woman was taller than average and had thick lips.

    Basically, the four people had very ordinary appearances, the kind that you wouldn¡¯t be able to identify in a crowd.

    People with such appearances were most suited for spying and secret missions.

    Once the four kidnappers had taken off their cloaks, they each found a ce to sit and shut their eyes in rest.

    The woman remained right next to Chu Lian. She bent down and shook out the fur nket at the side and set it out nicely on the ground. She then turned to Chu Lian and spoke in monotone, ¡°It¡¯ste. Honoured Lady should rest.¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t reject her offer and quickly curled up in the nket. She then wrapped her own fox fur cloak around herself. Since the woman had initiated a conversation with her, she took the chance to ask, ¡°Who sent you here to kidnap me?¡±

    The woman looked at her with lifeless eyes. There wasn¡¯t any change of emotion on her face at all. She pressed her thick lips together, clearly not willing to speak any longer.

    Chu Lian refused to give up and continued asking while staring at the woman, ¡°Was it Prince Jin? The Wei family? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s Xiao Bojian!¡±

 Chapter 391: Quick-witted (2)

    Despite Chu Lian¡¯s attempts at probing her, the woman didn¡¯t show any reaction to the names Chu Lian mentioned. In the end, shepletely ignored Chu Lian andid down right next to her. She turned her back to Chu Lian and shut her eyes.

    Chu Lian stared at the canopy above her, wrapped up warmly in her fur cloak. It was so quiet in the tent that she could hear the non-stop coughing from the tent next door. She wanted to escape. Although her kidnappers hadn¡¯t mistreated her so far, they definitely had other ns for her.

    No matter who the real mastermind was, it wasn¡¯t going to bode well for her if she really ended up in that person¡¯s hands. Just her reputation alone would be ruined, no matter the oue.

    So she had to do whatever she could to escape!

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know how much time passed as she thought. As the wind howled outside, it was so quiet that she could hear a pin drop inside the tent.

    Her mind was so upied with escaping that she didn¡¯t feel sleepy at all. She took a deep breath and gently shifted away the cloak around her. She carefully flipped over to her other side. She did this so carefully that she barely made a sound. However, as soon as she finished turning over, she was immediately met with the woman¡¯s cold re.

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened in fright.

    She gave out a bitterugh inside. It seemed like it would be impossible to sneak out in front of these guys.

    Since she had already failed her attempt, Chu Lian didn¡¯t bother wasting any more effort and went to sleep. She would have to find another way to escape.

    Early in the morning of the next day, Chu Lian woke up abruptly. Since there wasn¡¯t any movement from her kidnappers, she didn¡¯t bother getting up just yet.

    It was only when the sound of the barbarians talking outside filtered into the tent that her kidnappers slowly opened their eyes.

    They exchanged nces. Even without speaking, it seemed like they were able to understand each other.

    The two shorter men pulled on their cloaks and left. Only the tall man and thick-lipped woman were left in the tent.

    The woman stood up and took out an iron kettle from the side. She dug up some snow right at the tent entrance and tossed them into the kettle before setting the kettle on top of the brazier in the tent. She was most likely going to heat up some hot water.

    Chu Lian quickly put on her own cloak and walked up to the woman. She looked up with her moist, wide eyes and said, ¡°It¡¯s too stuffy in here. I want to go out for some fresh air.¡±

    The woman shook her head.

    Chu Lian immediately frowned. She nced at the woman in front of the brazier and decided not to speak another word more. She simply headed straight towards the tent entrance.

    However, before she had even reached the tent p, she heard the sound of something flying through the air. In the next instant, there was already a sword stabbed into the ground at her feet. It would have cut right through her foot if it hadnded one centimeter closer!

    Chu Lian froze in ce and nked out for a moment. When she finally regained her wits, cold sweat ran down her back.

    Her wide eyes seemed to turn into imprable depths for a short second before they quickly returned to normal.

    Chu Lian looked down at the sword that was at least seven or eight centimeters deep in the ground as her face flushed red with anger.

    ¡°You... How dare you do that! Wait till I tell my husband He Changdi, I¡¯ll get him to kill you all!¡±

    She was so indignant and furious that even her neck had turned red. Hopping mad, she pointed a trembling finger at the woman.

    A trace of contempt shed across the thick-lipped woman¡¯s originally expressionless face. She hadn¡¯t expected that her master would actually like such a brainless woman.

    ¡°Honoured Lady, I would advise you to be more obedient. Although we were ordered to assure your safety, if an ident were to happen... it¡¯s not something within our control.¡±

    Chu Lian seemed to have been pushed to the edge by the woman¡¯s words. She continued pointing at the woman, unwilling to stop. ¡°You had better not let me meet my husband then, or all of you will be dead!¡±

    The thick-lipped woman could no longer hold back her disdain. She snorted, ¡°Honoured Lady, I¡¯ll admit that He Changdi is pretty strong, but you seem to have forgotten where you are now. If you want your husband to take revenge for you, then you¡¯ll have to wait until you actually see him again!¡±

    This time, Chu Lian looked like she had finally been dealt a blow. She looked down at the ground and slowly walked back to her original position. There was no more mention of going out of the tent from her as she sat back down on the nket in a cross-legged pose. She wrapped her fox fur cloak around herself and curled up as if she was a pitiful, bullied little orphan.

    The woman shot another disdainful re at her, eyes full of contempt.

    However, she had to admit that this honoureddy did indeed have the looks to make a man fall deeply in love with her. Although her hair was in a mess from the rough journey through the night, the few loose strands of hair framing her face only ented how smooth and fair her skin was, like a piece of fine white jade. Her beauty invited onlookers to reach out to touch her and check if she was real. The way she looked all pitiful right now would also be able to tug at anyone¡¯s heartstrings.

    Unfortunately, there was nothing contained in that pretty little head of hers! She had probably been spoiled stupid when she was younger to be this naive!

    As a female spy, she hated the vapid, fragile flowers raised in the depths of noble houses the most. All they could do was to seduce men with their looks and they werepletely devoid of any practical skills or talent.

    During Chu Lian¡¯s ¡®fit of temper¡¯, the barbarian woman who had been brewing medicine the night before had passed by the tent with a wooden basin in hand.

    There were three words in Chu Lian¡¯s shout that made her freeze in ce.

    Chu Lian had spoken in the officialnguage of the capital of the Great Wu Dynasty. The barbarian woman didn¡¯t actually understand thatnguage at all, but she could recognise the words ¡®He Changdi¡¯.

 Chapter 392: Quick-witted (3)

    The two men who had left the tent returned not too long after, each carrying a bag in their hands. One of them passed the bag he was holding to the thick-lipped woman next to Chu Lian.

    The two of them exchanged nces and the woman immediately began to open the package.

    Although Chu Lian had her head lowered. She was still watching the woman out of the corner of her eyes.

    The woman untied the package, loosening the ties and revealing the items inside.

    So the package was full of food.

    There was a frozen piece of meat about the size of two palms. It looked like mutton, judging by the colour of it. There was a small handful of rice, a bowl of Chinese olives, and a porcin bottle. Chu Lian could smell the faint scent of milk. It was probably either cow¡¯s milk or goat¡¯s milk.

    The woman looked down at the bag of food and nked out for a moment. She then sighed, seemingly disappointed.

    Chu Lian watched as she took out the mutton and cut off a piece before grilling it right on top of the brazier. As for the rest of the items, she wrapped them back up into the package and threw it over to Chu Lian.

    She mocked, ¡°If Honoured Lady is hungry, go ahead and cook it yourself!¡±

    The woman had originally treated Chu Lian with respect and extra care due to her master¡¯s orders. However, Chu Lian had truly angered her, so she wanted to torment this fragile nobledy.

    The three men nced over for a moment before pretending that they hadn¡¯t seen anything.

    She technically wasn¡¯t viting any of their orders. Besides, they had worked together for a long time now, and they were unwilling to provoke her over such a small matter as this. It was easier to simply shut one eye to her actions.

    After a moment, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t hold back her hunger any longer. Her stomach made embarrassingly loud rumbles. She carefully nced at the thick-lipped woman, who was still grilling mutton over the fire, and moved a few steps forward until she reached the bag of food.

    A slender, fair hand reached out from the fur cloak and tugged the bag over. Finally, two little hands peeked out and clumsily opened it up.

    When she saw what was inside, Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment.

    Her pink lips trembled. Full of disbelief, Chu Lian asked, ¡°You... You¡¯re only giving me this to eat?¡±

    The woman shot a sideways look at her and snorted. ¡°I¡¯d advise Honoured Lady to dispense with that noble temper! If you don¡¯t want to eat this, then you can just go hungry.¡±

    After she finished saying so, the thick-lipped woman seemed more refreshed. Her originally emotionless face was now tinged with a trace of joy. She flipped over the piece of mutton she was grilling and even took out a small piece of salt from somewhere in her clothes. After pinching and breaking off some of it with her fingers, she scattered it over the meat.

    In a short moment, the tent was filled with the delicious aroma of grilled mutton.

    Chu Lian stared at the mutton in a daze. She even gulped.

    The woman shot a look at her before taking the mutton off the fire. Using the dagger she always carried on her, she cut it up into smaller pieces and put them on a te. Next, she picked up a piece and stuffed it into her mouth, shutting her eyes as if she was savouring its taste.

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t help but swallow another mouthful of saliva.

    Actually, the mutton that the woman had cooked wasn¡¯t that delicious. The only seasoning she had used was salt, and the salt was just some coarse rock salt. All she had done was put the mutton on a fire to cook. How tasty could it be? She had eaten grilled mutton like this every day for too long, and she was tired of it.

    Even though the thick-lipped woman was rather tall, she was actually born in the south and didn¡¯t like eating mutton or beef. What she really wanted was some warm, soft rice porridge. Unfortunately, none of them could cook, so they could only make do like this every day. They could only hope to finish the mission sooner so they could go to back to Su City and have a great feast in one of the restaurants there to reward themselves.

    The woman had purposely acted as if the meat was delicious in order to provoke the pampered Honoured Lady.

    Surely those tender hands of hers wouldn¡¯t be able to cook the mutton!

    The thick-lipped woman felt soothed upon thinking of that.

    She finished up her meal in no time and sat back in afortable position, clearly not intending to move.

    ¡°Honoured Lady, we¡¯re not like those maidservants and manservants of yours. If you want to eat, you¡¯ll have to do it yourself.¡±

    The spoiled, fragile young woman sitting in the corner was tightly gripping the bag of food with her head lowered. She looked as if she was holding back her tears and only barely enduring this hardship. Suddenly, Chu Lian lifted her head, lips pressed together, seemingly determined to do something.

    She walked over to the fire with the bag in hand.

    With her chin raised high, she looked disdainfully at the thick-lipped woman sitting not too far away and said, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it myself then!¡±

    The thick-lipped woman sneered and turned away. She didn¡¯t have any sort of expectations at all for this Honoured Lady and was simply waiting for her to make a fool of herself. Her eyes darted towards Chu Lian from time to time, waiting to see what spectacle she was going to make.

    However, her hopes were quickly dashed.

 Chapter 393: Quick-witted (4)

    Chu Lian opened up the bag and found a clean earthenware pot in a corner of the tent. She set it over the fire and poured water inside. Then, she took out a dagger and sliced off a piece of mutton before carefully cutting it up into smaller cubes and throwing it into the bowl.

    Afterwards, Chu Lian quickly sliced the rest of the mutton and used some bamboo sticks to turn them into skewers, which she set aside.

    When the water in the pot had turned red with blood, she took out the mutton cubes and changed the water inside the pot. Next, she threw the small handful of rice and the mutton cubes back into the pot, adding more water with a small amount of goat¡¯s milk.

    After she was done with all that, she took out a small porcin bottle from somewhere on her body and poured a light-coloured seasoning into the bowl before covering up the pot.

    Now it was time for Chu Lian to start grilling the mutton skewers. Firstly, she patted the skewered mutton pieces so that the meat was spread evenly across the skewers. Next, she sprinkled ayer of her special seasoning over it and set the skewers to grill over the fire.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t put the skewers right in the middle. Instead, she kept them at the edges of the brazier so she could use the peaks of the mes to grill the meat.

    Using the bamboo sticks, she carefully flipped the mutton skewers over. The fragrance of the meat soon filled the entire tent.

    The well seasoned meat skewers couldn¡¯t bepared to the haphazardly grilled and salted mutton from before.

    It was the kind of aroma that came from street stalls selling barbecued skewers. Chu Lian¡¯s seasoning wascking cumin; in this condition, it was only natural that her version of skewers couldn¡¯t match up to the more developed modern vors. For the people of the Great Wu Dynasty, however, this was an irresistibly enticing food.

    By the time Chu Lian was done with her skewers, the mutton porridge in the pot was half done. The fragrance of it was also starting to drift out from the pot.

    Rice had a natural fragrance to begin with. When nched mutton was added to the rice, together with some goat¡¯s milk, it created a wonderful aroma with a hint of milk. In contrast to the oily and vourful smell of the grilled skewers, the porridge smelled clean and refreshing. It even evoked the warm feeling of home cooking.

    The four kidnappers werepletely stunned!

    The thick-lipped woman was staring in disbelief. How had those simple, basic ingredients turned into such criminally enticing food in the hands of that pampered Honoured Lady?

    She was suffering now. The tantalising aroma of the food was constantly attacking her senses, and she couldn¡¯t stop it even if she wanted to.

    After experiencing such a heavenly fragrance, when she thought back to the half-cooked salted mutton pieces she had eaten earlier, she suddenly felt that her meal hadn¡¯t been fit for human consumption.

    The three men on the other side of the tent had already set down their food. Although they had all used the same ingredients, how was it possible that the results were so different? The three men weren¡¯t satisfied.

    They spat out the weird-tasting mutton in their mouths as inwardly cried tears of frustration. How could they continue eating their terrible cooking with that amazing smell in the air?

    It was as if they were watching someone else have a feast while all they had in their bowls was in white porridge.

    How could they even have the mood to continue eating their food after that...

    Chu Lian took the skewers off the fire and pushed the meat off the bamboo sticks onto her little te. By this time, the mutton porridge was pretty much done. She covered the lid of the pot with a cloth and lifted it slowly. Chu Lian could feel four pairs of eyes fixed on her as she lifted the pot lid. Her thumb shook a little, causing some tiny powdery substance to drop into the pot.

    Once the lid was lifted, a cloud of steam billowed up, concealing her action. Together with the steam, the fragrance of the mutton porridge filled the tent.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t look at any of the kidnappers. She took out an earthenware bowl and filled half of the bowl with the savoury mutton porridge before putting her grilled mutton slices on top.

    The steaming hot white porridge and the slightly charred grilled mutton slices were a feast to the eyes and the stomach. By now, any starving person would have likely charged forward to snatch the bowl from Chu Lian¡¯s hands.

    Of course, the four kidnappers weren¡¯t the kind to do that, but their appetites had been hooked by the smell of the food.

    They had been hiding in Liangzhou City for a number of months. All they had to eat every day was mutton or beef, or that damned Chinese olive porridge. The group hadn¡¯t been able to eat any in rice porridge for incredibly long, let alone this delicious-looking mutton porridge.

    They were all secret agents, so they didn¡¯t have the time to learn how to cook. Of course, even if they were to try and learn, the standards of the Great Wu Dynasty weren¡¯t all that great.

    Chu Lian took the bowl and returned back to her original position. She found some chopsticks and picked up a piece of grilled meat, putting it into her mouth immediately.

    She couldn¡¯t help but savour it. The meat had been cooked just right, to the point of perfection.

    A look of satisfaction appeared on Chu Lian¡¯s face, thanks to the delicious food.

    The onlookers were getting frantic from watching her eat- even the thick-lipped woman wasn¡¯t immune.

    In the end, it was the tall man with the thin moustache who lost his patience first. He casually nced over at the pot sitting over the fire; there was still more than half of the porridge left.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t scooped out much of the porridge for herself. Theyer of grilled meat on top of her bowl had made it seem like a lot more.

    The man gulped and walked over to Chu Lian¡¯s side. His usually nk expression had finally changed.

    His eyes scrunched up a little as if he was trying to smile. Unfortunately, since he never smiled, it had the opposite effect.

    ¡°Honoured Lady, can I have a word with you?¡±

    Chu Lian finally looked up from her bowl. She made a questioning ¡®mm¡¯ with doubt written all over her face.

 Chapter 394: Murder (1)

    The man gave an awkward cough before pushing on shamelessly. ¡°Honoured Lady, could you give us the leftover porridge?¡±

    As the man was asking this, all eyes in the tent were fixed on him in anticipation.

    Chu Lian frowned as if she hadn¡¯t expected such a question from him. Her brows were furrowed in thought for about two seconds before she finally made a decision.

    Under the man¡¯s intent gaze, she nodded unhappily. ¡°Okay, but you have to let me serve the porridge.¡±

    The starving kidnappers would agree to anything as long as they could have the food.

    The three men nced at the thick-lipped woman, taking pleasure in her misfortune, but they turned away after getting red at.

    As expected, when they watched Chu Lian split the pot of porridge into four bowls, three of the bowls had about the same amount but the fourth bowl only had half as much. Chu Lian pointed out the smallest bowl of porridge with puffed cheeks, indicating that it was meant for the thick-lipped woman, before stomping off to one corner.

    The tall man patted the thick-lipped woman¡¯s shoulder before taking away the biggest bowl.

    The mutton porridge was just too fragrant. For people like them who hadn¡¯t even eaten in rice porridge for the longest time, it was an irresistible gourmet dish.

    All of them took a deep breath and buried their heads in the porridge once they got their bowls.

    While they were upied with their food, they didn¡¯t notice that Chu Lian hadn¡¯t eaten any of her porridge. She was only eating the grilled meat she had put on top of the porridge.

    That one bowl of porridge wasn¡¯t enough to fill them up. The three men and one woman wanted to lick their empty bowls clean. In their eyes, Chu Lian had eaten from the same pot of porridge, so there wasn¡¯t any chance of it being poisoned.

    Chu Lian slowly chewed through the food in her bowl. After fifteen minutes, she sneaked a nce at the other people in the tent.

    They were leaning against a corner of the tent,pletely down for the count.

    Excitement brewed in Chu Lian¡¯s chest. She did it! She did it in the end!

    She had first acted like a useless nobledy to lower their guard before using food to lure them into her trap. Chu Lian set down her bowl and patted her chest.

    She didn¡¯t dare to waste any second of her hard-earned time. First, she kept her dagger back where she had been hiding it and wrapped her fox fur cloak tightly around her. She then packed all the food she hadn¡¯t used to take away with her.

    Just as she walked up to the tent p, she heard a weakened whisper from behind. Chu Lian froze and turned around, only to see the thick-lipped woman ring at her fiercely. The woman used all of her strength to spit out, ¡°You... You actually drugged us!¡±

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected the woman to be awake. That was most likely because she had eaten less of the porridge than the others.

    However, even though she had managed to keep her consciousness, her body was already paralysed and she didn¡¯t even have the strength to stand up.

    Chu Lian knew how strong the drug was supposed to be and she couldn¡¯t leave the woman awake in the tent. She gritted her teeth and turned around. The youngdy picked up the sword next to the woman and mmed the hilt of it on the back of her head forcefully.

    With a grunt, the woman finally lost consciousness.

    Once the woman had fainted, Chu Lian copsed on the ground. She threw away the sword in her hands as sweat ran down her forehead.

    She quickly forced herself to calm down and overcame the weakness in her legs. Grabbing her bag, she hurriedly left the tent.

    Actually, if she had been able to, it would have been better to eliminate them while they were still unconscious so she wouldn¡¯t be pursued. However, Chu Lian didn¡¯t dare to kill another human being. The modern world she had been raised in had shaped her worldview. She wasn¡¯t a cold and detached person as well.

    She couldn¡¯tmit murder, not because she was a saint, but because of her nature.

    The environment she hade from determined that she would never be able to do something like that.

    Once she left the tent, Chu Lian bumped right into another person- the barbarian woman she had seen outside the tentst night.

    Chu Lian tried to get away from her in a panic, but the barbarian woman caught hold of her wrist.

    She looked up at the woman with wide eyes in shock. A million thoughts flew through her mind as she bit her lip. However, since the barbarian woman hadn¡¯t said anything yet, she forced herself to calm down yet again and remain silent.

    If she made any sound and alerted the other people in this area, they would surely find out that she had drugged the four people in the tent. She wouldn¡¯t be able to control what happened afterwards.

    As Chu Lian stared at the barbarian woman in uncertainty and bewilderment, she finally spoke up with some difficulty. To Chu Lian¡¯s surprise, it was poorly pronounced Chinese.

    ¡°I dake yew away.¡±

    Chu Lian had expected the woman to shout and call the others, but never in her wildest dreams had she thought that the woman would say something like that.

    She had also used the officialnguage of the Great Wu Dynasty. Even though the pronunciation was a little off, Chu Lian had been able to understand it.

    Despite how amazed she was, Chu Lian didn¡¯t trust the barbarian woman immediately. There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. She wasn¡¯t as gullible as her young appearance might lead others to believe.

    When the barbarian saw that Chu Lian was still frowning and that her eyes were filled with distrust, she got a little anxious. She quickly said another string of words.

    ¡°He Changdi!¡±

    There were no more words to describe the extent of Chu Lian¡¯s astonishment. She quickly asked, ¡°Auntie, you know He Changdi?¡±

 Chapter 395: Murder (2)

    The barbarian woman nodded furiously in answer and pulled Chu Lian to another side of the hollow in the hill.

    When they turned out of the main area, there was another recess with ayer of dry grass on the ground. A few horses and goats were tied up inside.

    The barbarian woman brought Chu Lian into the midst of the horses. She made some gestures at Chu Lian frantically. It took a long time for Chu Lian to finally understand what she meant.

    She slowly asked, ¡°Auntie, do you want me to wait for you here?¡±

    Although the barbarian woman wasn¡¯t very familiar with the officialnguage of the Great Wu, it seemed like she could still understand some simple words.

    The barbarian woman nodded in answer and pushed Chu Lian deeper into the herd of horses, using therger horses to hide Chu Lian¡¯s tiny little frame.

    Once she had hidden Chu Lian, the barbarian woman quickly ran back to the tents. Luckily, the weather was terrible today and the temperatures outside were very low so no one was walking around.

    When she walked over to the two tents, the barbarian woman paused in thought before gritting her teeth and entering Chu Lian¡¯s tent. The moment she saw the three men and one woman unconscious in the tent, she was startled. An instantter, she gathered her courage and checked if they were still breathing. Once she confirmed that they were only unconscious, the barbarian woman¡¯s eyes turned sharp. She took a sword from one of the men and slit the throats of all four of the kidnappers...

    It was only when the thick-lipped woman took herst breath that the barbarian woman sat on the ground, panting in fear. However, there was no time to waste.

    She forced herself up and walked over to the tent p, first listening for any movement outside and confirming that there was no one there. Once she was sure that it was clear, she lifted the tent p and walked out.

    Chu Lian squatted amongst the horses for thirty minutes until the barbarian woman ran back over with two other people.

    Chu Lian quickly went up to wee them.

    It was only when they got closer that she realised the barbarian woman was holding on to two boys.

    The older one looked about seventeen or eighteen years old. The younger one was skinny and dark and looked about ten.

    The barbarian woman spoke some gibberish to the older boy, who then nodded and looked at Chu Lian. ¡°Miss, my Ah-ma says that we have to leave this ce immediately. We¡¯ll be in trouble if anyone finds out.¡±

    While the older boy¡¯s pronunciation wasn¡¯t that urate either, at leastmunication wouldn¡¯t be a problem.

    The four of them didn¡¯t dare to stay for even a second longer there.

    Since Chu Lian still didn¡¯t know how to ride a horse, in the end, the two boys shared a mount while the barbarian woman and Chu Lian shared another.

    The horses quickly vanished into the boundless horizon of the endless wind and snow. In just a few seconds, they could no longer be seen from the hill.

    During their journey, Chu Lian got a rough understanding of the situation from the older boy.

    The barbarian woman was called Urihan and the older boy was called Myeryen. The younger boy¡¯s name was Narisong.

    They were a family of mother and sons. The two boys were both sick and Narisong¡¯s illness was bad enough that he had to drink medicine every day.

    They hade from an ordinary family of herders. The boys¡¯ father had passed away early on, so Urihan had raised them all by herself.

    However, the boys had been afflicted with illness and life was hard for them. Even though Urihan knew that the two boys weren¡¯t suffering from any major disease, they didn¡¯t have the right medicine to treat their illnesses, so they had been suffering all this while.

    They hadn¡¯t been staying in the natural hollow of the hillside at first, but somewhere else.

    Winter hade too abruptly this year. The snowstorms had crushed the tent they were living in and half of the goats that they depended on had frozen to death. In order to keep her sons alive, Urihan had brought her sons away to that hillside.

    She had used their remaining goats to barter for their stay there. Urihan and her sons lived there for half a month before Chu Lian came by.

    After listening to this, Chu Lian finally realised that the two tents on the hillside had been like an inn. The owner of the ce rented out space to passersby. The leader of the kidnappers had given the owner of the tents a bag of something, like a fee for staying there.

    Luckily, Urihan was a daughter of the grasnds. She had lived on the grasnds for decades. Even in the endless ins of winter, she could still determine which direction to head in.

    Close to four hours after Chu Lian and Urihan had left, a small group of men on horses came to the hillside. The owner of the tents came out to wee them with a smile, but was mercilessly kicked away.

    The man on top of the horse looked down on the owner of the tent and barked out something harshly, causing the owner of the makeshift inn to scramble up from the ground, leading the neers to the tent that Chu Lian had stayed in.

    ¡°Sir, the people you¡¯re looking for are here. This lowly one saw someonee out this morning to take some bags.¡±

    The leader of the newly arrived party harrumphed and leaped off his horse. He strode over to the tent p and was about to open it when the unmistakable metallic scent of blood hit his nose. The man¡¯s expression changed and he ripped open the tent p.

    Four corpsesid inside the tent, the ground awash with their blood. Due to the low temperatures, the red liquid had already coagted on the ground. There was no sign of Honoured Lady Jinyi in the tent.

    TL Note: Urihan and Myeryen were previously tranted as ¡®Wulihan¡¯ (ÎÚÀöº±) and ¡®Muren¡¯ (ÄÁÈÊ) in pinyin. I¡¯ve changed it after doing more research on Mongolian names and converting the Chinese words to Mongolian. That sounds about right and much better than leaving their names in pinyin. As for Narisong (ÄÇÈÕËÉ), there was no good trantion of his name avable, so I kept it as is. Do let me know via Discord or @timebun on Disqus if you have a better idea of what their names should be!

 Chapter 396: Sheâ€™s Gone (1)

    ¡°Where is she?!¡± The leader of the group hadn¡¯t expected to see hisrades¡¯ corpses upon entering the tent. He kicked the owner of the tents to the ground.

    The owner was scared silly. His whole body trembled as he knelt.

    Those were people lying dead in that tent! Not just some livestock!

    The leader stared at the corpses with a grave expression. He immediately summoned his subordinates, ¡°Ten, Thirteen, chase after her! The rest of you, follow me back to Su City.¡±

    He Changdi was trudging his way back with the supply group. Even with the snowboat, they couldn¡¯t go any faster.

    The horses needed to rest and the snows had never stopped. The weather in the north was actively trying to kill them.

    Xiao Hongyu jumped into the warm pen of the snowboat. He immediately rubbed his body all over and warmed himself at the brazier for a long time before finallying back to life.

    He covered his reddened and frozen ears with his hands,ining, ¡°It¡¯s so cold outside. Brother He, how many more days before we reach our camp?¡±

    He Changdi had slid his gloves back on upon seeing Xiao Hongyu enter the pen, ¡°Hongyu, rest here with Brother Zhang. I¡¯ll go take a look outside. If my guess is right, we should be able to reach camp in two days at the most, going at this speed.¡±

    Xiao Hongyu heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing He Changdi¡¯s words. He never wanted to pass his days getting frozen outside anymore.

    Zhang Mai was grilling some beef slices over the fire. While cooking the meat, he shook his head with regret. ¡°Although we used the same beef, but how is it that the ones I grilled are so different from Sister-in-Law¡¯s?¡±

    He Changdi had been about to step out of the warm pen. When he heard Zhang Mai¡¯s mumbling, hepletely stopped moving for an instant.

    Xiao Hongyu shot a disdainful look at the beef slices that Zhang Mai was grilling. When he saw that half of every slice was alreadypletely charred ck, he rolled his eyes.

    He would rather starve to death than eat Brother Zhang¡¯s cooking. It was too scary.

    He Sang sat on his horse¡¯s back and stared out into the pure white horizon that stretched as far as the eye could see. There was a ck veil attached to his hood to make his vision a little obscured.

    When travelling over a snow-covered surface, if the human eye continued looking at the nk white expanse, their eyes would be hurt by ultraviolet rays reflecting off the white snow and they might be snow-blind. This was especially true for the grasnds of the north where everything turned white the moment it snowed. The thin ck veil acted as a rather effective protective shield for his eyes so he wouldn¡¯t be snow-blind.

    The veil was simr to the modern protective snow goggles.

    Ever since he had given each soldier in his group a single piece of ck muslin, not a single one of them had suffered from snow blindness.

    This simple solution had been something that Chu Lian had mentioned to him offhandedly.

    He Changdi gripped the reins in his hands tightly and felt the tension from the leather gloves covering his hands. These gloves were different from the standard gloves issued by the army.

    Each finger of the glove was sewn separately and there was an extra toughyer of leather added to the palm. The whole glove was not only waterproof, it was also extra warm inside thanks to a thinyer of fleece. Compared to the simple gloves given by the army, which only had two parts for the thumb and four fingers, it was much more convenient and practical for use. Xiao Hongyu had been drooling over his gloves for a long time.

    He looked down at the gloves and recalled what Chu Lian had said to him when she had given him the gloves, ¡°Keep these. They¡¯re better than what they issue in the army.¡±

    They weren¡¯t just better. He didn¡¯t even have to take them off when he was fighting in close quarters.

    He Changdi abruptly stiffened up.

    He shut his eyes, as if trying to pull himself out of this sweet dreamscape.

    What was going on? Why was Chu Lian like a constant shadow by his side?

    The most disgraceful part of it was that he didn¡¯t hate that kind of feeling at all. He even continuously reyed memories in his mind as if addicted to them. For some reason, he still remembered every single word that the Chu Lian of this lifetime had said to him, down to the simplest greeting.

    He Sang¡¯s thin lips pressed together tightly as the depths of his eyes turned into the fathomless sea. His emotions crashed against his heart like the fierce waves of the azure ocean.

    A crack appeared in his nk mask and turned into a bitter smile. He had really been ¡®poisoned¡¯ by Chu Lian¡¯s drug.

    That woman must be eating and drinking happily in the main camp while he was out fighting for the lives of the fifty thousand border troops. She just had a strange kind of power; no matter where she ended up, she was able to live just as well.

    This gave rise to a feeling of dissatisfaction in He Sang¡¯s heart, as if he had been thwarted by her tricks and half of his heart had been stolen away.

    Just as his thoughts were about to meander into daydreams, a few ck dots appeared on the horizon.

    As the dots grew bigger and bigger, He Sang¡¯s brows drew together slightly. He waved at the troops behind him and a small group broke off to pursue those little dots.

    Soon, he could see the scouting group and three additional people headed their way.

    Once the neers had drawn close, He Changdi recognised the leader straight away. He was one of the guards that Princess Wei had sent to keep Chu Lian safe.

    For no reason at all, He Sang¡¯s heart sank and he got a bad feeling.

    Li Xing ran up to He Changdi and immediately raised his hands in a cupped first greeting. Without giving himself time to catch his breath, he panted as he reported, ¡°Third Young Master He, Honoured Lady has an urgent message for you. One day ago, the Tuhunsunched a major offensive against the northern army.¡±

    What?!

    He Changdi¡¯s expression turned stormy. He quickly took the message from Li Xing¡¯s hands and opened it up.

    Chu Lian¡¯s letter was short, but it exined all the necessary details he had to know about the whole situation in a concise and sinct manner.

    She told He Changdi to return as fast as he could to the main camp once he read the letter. The stores of the northern army had already run empty. The Tuhuns might really defeat them if the supplies didn¡¯t reach in time.

    Although both of them knew what was going to happen from their previous lives, there had been too many changes in this world. Neither of them could guarantee that events would happen exactly the same as they had in the past life. They weren¡¯t as silly as to leave the decision up to fate. That would bepletely brainless.

 Chapter 397: Sheâ€™s Gone (2)

    He Changdi slipped the letter into his clothes once he was done reading.

    The crease between his sharp brows deepened. He sent out orders to cancel the scheduled break for tonight and to rush back to camp at the fastest speed they could manage.

    He Changdi and his party sprinted back to the border camp without any break for a whole day and night.

    The original two day journey was shortened to a single day and they managed to reach just as the border army had reached breaking point. The secretary of the northern army personally led a group of men out to wee them back to camp, before ordering the cooks to prepare a full meal for all of the soldiers on the frontlines.

    Now that they were well fed, the troops under Great General Qian¡¯smand turned into ruthless warriors. They quickly took back the upper hand and mounted a counterattack against the Tuhun army. Their equipment was a few magnitudes better than the Tuhuns¡¯ in the first ce. They had only been held back by their supply problem earlier. Now that they didn¡¯t have to worry about their rations, the morale of the army swelled.

    After getting their well deserved fill of food, all of the northern border troops revealed their fighting strength, fiercely attempting to make up for theirck of performance in the earlier shes.

    Now that the border troops¡¯ morale had been stoked, there was no longer any uncertainty about their victory.

    General Qian admired He Changdi even more now. He hadn¡¯t expected this junior noble from House Jing¡¯an to have shown off such capability.

    Needless to say, He Changdi¡¯s timely delivery of supplies was one of the most important factors that had brought about their victory.

    The Tuhun army was in decline now. The strict and inflexible General Qian bent his own rules and decided to sent He Changdi out to the battlefield right this moment.

    There was close to no danger now in heading to the battlefields. He Changdi might even be able to add another achievement to his belt if he went out with thest wave of soldiers to clean up the Tuhuns. Furthermore, he had already earned plenty of merit from contributing the snowboat blueprints and delivering supplies. The person who made the most contribution to the northern war efforts would likely be none other than him.

    This was going to be an easy task. Anyone else would probably have agreed to it on the spot.

    However, He Sang rejected General Qian¡¯s rare good intentions.

    It wasn¡¯t because he was stupid, but because Chu Lian had gone missing!

    In a certain tent in the main camp, a group of people were kneeling on the ground.

    The ones in the front were Wenqing, Wen and Manager Qin.

    He Changdi sat at the head of the tent with a stormy expression and looked down upon the kneeling servants, holding back the urge to p each and every one of them.

    ¡°What happened! How was Third Young Madam taken away?!¡±

    Anger flooded his chest, overwhelming him as he choked on his frustration.

    Wasn¡¯t that wicked woman usually infallible? She even had guards by her side this time! Where was the quick wit that she always turned against him? She had actually let herself get kidnapped!

    Wenqing and Wen had been serving He Sang ever since they were young girls. Although they didn¡¯t get to meet him much, they had never seen him looking so fearsome before. The pressure he exuded was like a mountain pressing over their heads. None of them dared to look up at their master at all.

    If they even nced at him, they might be sent down to hell immediately.

    The servants were all extremely worried about their mistress, so they didn¡¯t hide any bit of what had happened. They reported the whole chain of events that had led to Chu Lian getting abducted.

    He Changdi gripped the arms of his chair hard. His eyes narrowed dangerously. Although his gaze seemed to be focused on the tent p, it didn¡¯t seem like it either.

    No one dared to say a word. They tried to make their breaths as silent as possible.

    He Sang suddenly thought of the snowboat. He remembered how Xiao Bojian had been so desperate to get the blueprints for the snowboat and the jealous and begrudging look that Xiao Bojian had given him when he had left Su City with the supplies. Then the Tuhuns had suddenly attacked...

    In his previous life, even though he had been hurt by the wicked Chu Lian, he had been one of Xiao Bojian and Chu Lian¡¯s closest friends. Later on, he had found out in one way or another that Xiao Bojian had some sort of power hidden behind the scenes. He had more people backing him than the one Old Duke Ying that everyone else could see.

    He had also been able to get a foothold in court so quickly, due to that mysterious power he had behind him.

    He Changdi hadn¡¯t touched Xiao Bojian at all after reviving in this life because he knew that Xiao Bojian was more than he seemed on the surface and that he was going to be a tough nut to crack.

    As for Chu Lian¡¯s sudden disappearance, he didn¡¯t even have to guess to know who the mastermind was.

    He Sang clenched his fists. Xiao Bojian... Did he really think that he would be just as easy to bully as he had been in his past life?

    The Chu Lian of this lifetime was his wife! No one else would be able to take her away from him!

    He Changdi already had some ns formed in his mind.

    He summoned Laiyue with a cold expression on his face, then sent a message to Prince Jin via Tang Yan about searching for Chu Lian in Liangzhou.

    After he had returned to the main camp, he hadn¡¯t even changed into a fresh set of clothes before setting off to lead the investigation personally.

    Even though he kept his cool on the outside and seemed almost heartless about his wife¡¯s disappearance, no one could see the mix of anxiety, upset and heartache in his heart right now.

    He kept himself busy and numb so that his thoughts wouldn¡¯t wander in bad directions...

 Chapter 398: Hanging on to Life (1)

    Once General Qian heard that He Sang had rejected his mission, his first reaction was disappointment. After a moment, his next reaction was to grin with frustration from the brat¡¯s actions.

    No matter what, He Sang was an upstanding man who followed his own moralpass. He hadn¡¯t been tempted by the easy chance to gain merit and had instead chosen to save his own wife first. Great General Qian only respected him even more for that choice.

    It was more human to be carried away by one¡¯s emotions. If a man could abandon his wife and children for the sake of chasing achievement or merit, then even if he had great talent, General Qian would prefer that he simply vanish without having those talents recognised.

    He Changdi personally led his men in the investigation. After half a day of searching, they finally got some leads.

    He Sang¡¯s tense, statue-like face finally loosened and warmed up a little.

    He took the men under him who were the most skilled in martial arts and rushed all the way through the night to the ce the leads pointed to.

    The harsh winds were apanied by icy snowkes, cutting like razors and jagged stones across his face. However, He Changdi acted as if he couldn¡¯t feel any of it and urged his mount onwards across the snow-white ins fading into twilight.

    He realised that he couldn¡¯t think of Chu Lian at all. The moment she appeared in his thoughts, it felt as if someone had stabbed him in the heart. It hurt a lot.

    He Changdi suddenly felt that he had turned into something beyond his control, something scary and fearsome. If anything happened to that wicked woman, even killing every single person wouldn¡¯t be able to ease the hatred in his heart.

    The mix of emotions in his chest made him uneasy. Ever since his reincarnation, he had thought that there would only be hatred left for him in this lifetime, that he would be able to remain calm and detached towards anything. However, in these mere six months, he had experienced a greater swath of emotions than he had ever felt in his previous life. And now the person who had brought all that to him was possibly in danger.

    He Changdi raised the whip in his hands and directed it at his horse¡¯s rump. He had to go faster, even faster!

    He wanted to fly right to Chu Lian¡¯s side and pull her into his embrace andfort her.

    Xiao Hongyu, Li Yue, Li Xing, and the rest of the party behind him could only grit their teeth and do their best to follow upon watching him whip his horse on faster and faster.

    A hill finally came into sight before them, surrounded by darkness and the swirling snowy winds.

    By the time He Changdi and his party had reached the two tents in the middle of the hill, night had fallen.

    The owner of the tents had already been frightened half to death by the sudden visitors earlier that day. Now that another party brimming with a ferocious aura hade, he was ovee with misery.

    He scrambled over to wee them in a panic and tried his best to show them an amodating smile. He raised his arm, prepared to wee the icy-looking man in front with a proper Han salute. However, before he could, the owner was immediately pushed over onto the snow by that same handsome man.

    He Changdi couldn¡¯t wait for the man to speak. He strode forward with great urgency and quickly pulled aside the tent p of one of the tents.

    There were more than ten makeshift beds on the floor, with people of varying ages. He looked at face after face, but the woman he wanted to find wasn¡¯t there!

    A pang of disappointment flooded his chest. He quickly walked over to the other tent. His hand trembled as it reached out for the tent p, but he finally found his determination in the next second.

    The tent p flew up and He Changdi stared into the tent.

    The sight of it empty was like a dagger piercing into his chest. His heart had been emptied of all hope in the blink of an eye.

    He Changdi stared at the emptiness in a daze, his mindpletely nk. The sourness and bitterness in his heart was overwhelming.

    Xiao Hongyu, who had followed in behind He Changdi, was a little stunned by the scene. However, he was just an observer to this and thus was able to keep his reason.

    He reached out to pat He Sang¡¯s shoulder and slid past Sang to enter the tent first. When he looked around, he quickly realised that something was not quite right.

    Xiao Hongyu squatted down in a corner and felt around. His hands were immediately met with ayer of dark red earth. When he lifted his hand to his nose and took a sniff, Xiao Hongyu was met with a familiar rusty smell. Anyone who had been on a battlefield would recognise it as the smell of fresh blood.

    Xiao Hongyu¡¯s heart sank. With a grave expression, he said, ¡°Brother He,e and take a look over here.¡±

    He Changdi immediately strode over to Xiao Hongyu¡¯s side. When he noticed the bloodstains in the corner of the tent, his entire body stiffened up.

    His lips were pressed so tightly together that he couldn¡¯t speak. Xiao Hongyu sighed inwardly. It looked like Brother He really cared a lot about Honoured Lady Jinyi.

    ¡°Brother He, don¡¯t think too much for now. We¡¯ll go and question the owner of this ce. Maybe it¡¯s someone else¡¯s blood.¡±

    It was at this moment that the owner of the tents was dragged inside.

    After a round of questioning which revealed that Chu Lian had escaped, the cloud of despair over He Changdi finally lifted.

    The owner of the tents could tell that he couldn¡¯t afford to offend these people. He personally brought He Changdi and the rest to where he had buried the three men and one woman.

    He Changdi examined the kidnappers¡¯ clothing closely. When he found a tattoo inked in the same spot on all of the kidnappers, his brows furrowed. Now he was certain that Xiao Bojian was the one behind this incident.

    As careful as Chu Lian had been, because she had left in such a rush, she had still left some traces behind.

    He Changdi had brought one of the scouts skilled in reconnaissance from the northern border troops. They followed the traces and continued on their journey.

 Chapter 399: Hanging on to Life (2)

    Even with the thick fox fur cloak around her, the icy northern winds battered her body with snow and stole away whatever warmth she originally had. Her face and hands were already numb from the cold.

    Chu Lian looked up at the darkening sky, face worn with worry. Although they were able to bear with the low temperatures during the day, if they didn¡¯t find a ce to rest for the night soon, they would surely freeze to death out here in the open.

    She couldn¡¯t determine any sense of direction in the middle of this white in. Furthermore, she didn¡¯t know if there were any pursuers on their tail.

    Chu Lian panted for breath as she turned to Myeryen. ¡°Myeryen, could you ask your Ah-ma if she can find a ce to sleep for the night? If we continue like this, we¡¯ll freeze to death.¡±

    The teen nodded and turned to Urihan. Chu Lian listened as he spoke to her in the barbariannguage.

    Myeryen nodded at his mother before turning back to Chu Lian and reporting what he had found out with a frown. ¡°Sister Chu, Ah-ma said that there¡¯s no ce suitable to rest nearby. We have to walk for another five kilometres before we can find a ce to rest.¡±

    Chu Lian sucked in a gasp of air upon getting such an answer.

    Five kilometres!

    In the army, when soldiers were forced to march at their fastest on a normal road surface, they would cover about five hundred kilometres or so in a day. For a normal person, they would be able to walk twenty five to thirty kilometres at the most.

    Although they had horses right now, they were in the middle of the icy north in knee deep snow. Their horses could go fifteen or twenty kilometres in a day without food or water.

    Now that the sky was already starting to turn dark, the closest ce they could make camp at was still five kilometres away!

    It was impossible to reach there before night fell and the temperatures dropped.

    Chu Lian turned to look at the middle-aged Urihan and discovered that she had a simr expression of anxiety.

    However, they had no other choice but to try their best to survive out on the grasnds.

    They didn¡¯t have any fire, and the ground was covered in a thickyer of snow. Any firewood they might be able to find was likely already damp and moldy. The white horizon spread out before them without an end. There wasn¡¯t even an outcrop where they could take shelter, so the experienced Urihan was also helpless in the face of the cruel reality of nature.

    Their whole group seemed to have understood the danger they were in. Death was like a silent shadow slowly creeping over them.

    The atmosphere between the four of them turned dead and tense. Urihan was starting to regret bringing Chu Lian out.

    She hadn¡¯t expected the snow-covered grasnds to be this hard to traverse. A ce they could normally reach in a day of travel now took twice as long. This was under the assumption that they didn¡¯t lose their way.

    Chu Lian¡¯s wide eyes stared out into the falling snow around them. Her dry lips pressed together as a spark of resolution lit up in her eyes. She didn¡¯t realise that this subtle action she took in the face of emergency was actually rather simr to He Changdi¡¯s.

    The sky darkened abruptly, and the limited warmth of the day went along with the light.

    Chu Lian could now feel that her body was slowly trembling.

    She suddenly patted Urihan¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Ah-ma, we can¡¯t continue going on like this. Even if we keep going for the whole night, we won¡¯t be able to reach a ce where we can safely pass the night.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s simple words had obviously gotten through to Urihan.

    Urihan lowered her head and started sobbing lowly. She spoke in the barbariannguage with a tone full of regret.

    Myeryen was also upset. He hugged his brother¡¯s thin frame tightly and tranted his Ah-ma¡¯s words. ¡°Sister Chu, Ah-ma says that she has let you down. She shouldn¡¯t have been so reckless.¡±

    Chu Lian focused her gaze on the mother and sons before her, the gears in her head turning.

    She had learned all sorts of survival knowledge in the modern world. Surely there was something that could help get them through this emergency. There must be something! She just hadn¡¯t remembered it yet!

    Chu Lian gripped the reins in her hands tightly and sunk into deep thought.

    When Myeryen didn¡¯t hear any reply from her and noticed the nk expression on her face, he thought that she was ming Ah-ma. He lowered his head in guilt.

    The northern wind howled in her ears, apanied by the steady beat of the horses¡¯ hoovesnding on the snow. The horse under her suddenly snorted. It wavered, as if it could no longer endure the burden on its back.

    Chu Lian¡¯s attention was drawn by the horse- an idea shed in her mind.

    She had a way for them to survive the night!

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes lit up like the glittering stars in the expanse of night sky above them.

    ¡°Ah-ma, Myeryen, I know how we can survive the night!¡±

    Myeryen had already epted his fate. When he heard Chu Lian¡¯s words, his eyes widened in shock. ¡°Sister Chu, are... are you serious?¡±

    Even Urihan turned to Chu Lian with eyes full of hope.

    As long as there was a way to survive, who would really let themselves die? Urihan was no exception. Furthermore, she had two young sons. If there really was hope for survival, she would even sacrifice her own life in exchange for a fighting chance for her sons.

    Chu Lian nodded with certainty. Although her voice was soft and pleasant, theposure she held was able to calm the others and left no room for doubt or mistrust.

    ¡°We can¡¯t go on any further. It¡¯s about to turn even darker and the temperature is only going to drop further. Let¡¯s stop here first and use the horses as a shield against the winds. We have to eat something and recover our strength.¡±

    Her solution for their survival was going to require a lot of their energy. They had to rest and conserve their energy now. The horses had been carrying the weight of two people each for some time, and they likely wouldn¡¯t be able tost much longer.

 Chapter 400: Reunion (1)

    The four of them got off their mounts, which Chu Lian then led to one side. She told Urihan to stand at a position where they would be shielded from the wind before taking out some of the food they had packed into the cloth bags hanging on the horses.

    They leaned against the horses and tried to warm themselves with the horses¡¯ body heat. After distributing the food, they forced themselves to eat it to preserve their energy.

    Chu Lian gulped down some goat¡¯s milk and exined her idea to them while they were eating.

    Myeryen had been eating peacefully at first, but after hearing Chu Lian¡¯s solution, his eyes widened in astonishment.

    He said anxiously, ¡°Sister Chu, we can¡¯t do that! These two horses are thest thing we can count on. Without them, we¡¯ll never be able to walk out of these ins on our feet alone!¡±

    Chu Lian knew that Myeryen was speaking the truth. She sucked in a deep breath of the bracing cold air around her and rubbed the nk of the horse she was leaning against before sighing. ¡°Myeryen, take a good look at this horse. Even if we don¡¯t use my solution, these two horses won¡¯t be able to live till the next morning.¡±

    Furthermore, the horses needed food. In their rush to leave the hill and due to Urihan¡¯s mistake in estimating the distance they could travel, they hadn¡¯t brought any feed for the horses at all.

    Without food, the horses wouldn¡¯t be able to go on for much longer. The condition of the two mounts they had hadn¡¯t been very good in the first ce.

    Myeryen turned to look at the horse behind them. He reached out to touch the horse and found that its body was trembling and that it was in low spirits. It wasn¡¯t a good sign. He was a man of the ins and he herded goats for a living so he definitely loved the animals he took care of. Unless he had no other choice, he would never hurt a horse.

    Myeryen shut his eyes, looking pained. Finally, he nodded. He knew too that killing these two horses was probably their best chance at survival at this point. They would only be able to survive in the deadly cold night by doing so.

    Chu Lian let out a breath of relief after sessfully convincing Myeryen. Horses seemed to have human-like intelligence, so she wouldn¡¯t have chosen to do so either except in extenuating circumstances.

    She looked up at the endless horizon of white snow. As the day¡¯s light slowly faded into darkness, she stuffed thest bite of jerky into her mouth and said, ¡°Let¡¯s start after we¡¯re done eating.¡±

    Myeryen nodded with his fists clenched. While eating, he exined Chu Lian¡¯s idea to his mother and brother.

    Urihan was more cool-headed than her son. Even though Chu Lian¡¯s idea was just a short term solution and they would be facing an even more troubling situation the next morning, they would freeze to death this very night if they didn¡¯t do so.

    Once everyone was in agreement, they started preparing everything they needed. Luckily, there were already two swords inside the sacks hanging off the horses. Chu Lian would have gone mad if they only had her tiny dagger to kill the horses with.

    Naturally, it was Urihan and Myeryen who handled the actual killing. They had lived with livestock and horses for years so they were familiar with ughtering animals. They knew how to kill a horse with the least amount of suffering.

    Once the two horses were lying motionless on the snow, even Chu Lian couldn¡¯t help but shed tears for their plight.

    It was getting darker and darker now, and the temperature was dropping. Chu Lian had to hurry up.

    She and Urihan dug out all the organs from the horses¡¯ abdomens and piled them up to one side on the snow. Theyid the two horses on their sides. Once all the innards were gone, Chu Lian and Urihan first helped the youngest Narisong into the horse¡¯s body. Myeryen then entered the body himself, setting his back to the opening while hugging Narisong.

    Chu Lian pushed the pile of innards over the opening, covering the two boys.

    The other horse was to be her resting ce for the night, along with Urihan. Luckily, she and Urihan were both small in stature and slim. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be able to fit into one horse together.

    Chu Lian and Urihan gestured at each other for some time before she finally persuaded Urihan toy on the inside.

    After Urihan had entered the horse¡¯s body, Chu Lian squatted down and pushed her way in. Luckily, she still had her fox fur cloak around her so it wasn¡¯t too cold for her even though she was on the outside.

    It smelled terrible inside the horse¡¯s belly. Blood and other fluids dripped onto her face. However, for the sake of survival, she had to bear with it.

    He Changdi¡¯s heart sank even more the further they travelled while chasing the traces of Chu Lian and her party.

    It was alreadypletely dark by now. All of the men who hade out with He Changdi were hiding inside the warm pen of the snowboat.

    He Changdi opened up the p a little to look out into the darkness with a grave expression.

    Damn it, it was already night!

    Out on the ins in winter, without anything to keep them warm, the dark of the night was the harbinger of death.

    They had a specialised guide with them who was an old barbarian who had lived on the grasnds for decades.

    The abnormally serious Xiao Hongyu turned to ask the old guide, ¡°Is there any ce to rest nearby?¡±

    The old guide pursed his lips and spoke honestly, ¡°There isn¡¯t any ce to rest for five kilometers or so from here. It will take at least two days or more to get out of these endless ins.¡±

    Hearing that made the expression on He Sang¡¯s face turn even more icy.

    A guard on the outside reported, ¡°Young Master, there are some tracks ahead.¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s voice came out a little rough, ¡°Keep following the tracks!¡±

    After the guard made a sound of agreement, he passed down the orders.

    If not for the snowboat and the warming pen, even trained elite guards like them wouldn¡¯t be able to travel normally in these dark and snowy conditions.

    He Changdi had checked the traces that Chu Lian and her party had left back at the hill. After questioning the owner of those tents, he knew exactly what Chu Lian had with her when she had escaped.

    How were four people and two horses going to survive out in this kind of night?!

 Chapter 401: Reunion (2)

    They had chased after her on the snowboat. Along the way, they had found two frozen corpses, both male.

    Judging from the direction they had been headed, they were likely Xiao Bojian¡¯s men, sent after Chu Lian.

    If even they hadn¡¯t been able to survive in this weather, how would a young and fragiledy like Chu Lian fare?

    He Changdi refused to continue that line of thought.

    Xiao Hongyu couldn¡¯t help but try to reassure him after seeing how silent his brother had been the whole time, ¡°Brother He, try to think positively. Since Sister-in-Law managed to escape this far, she must have found a way to survive.¡±

    He Sang shot a nce at Xiao Hongyu, theplicated bitterness in his eyes speaking volumes. He couldn¡¯t even think of his pastints about her at this time. His only hope now was to see Chu Lian safe and sound.

    Wasn¡¯t there the saying ¡®troublemakers live for thousands of years¡¯? How could anything happen to that wicked woman?!

    The snowboat glided silently over the snow-covered ground in the night. They continued travelling for what seemed like years to He Sang before the whole group abruptly stopped.

    He Changdi finally showed some signs of life as he started and headed out of the warm pen to ask why they had stopped.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did we stop?¡± Fatigue was clear in He Sang¡¯s husky voice.

    Li Xing quickly ran over, ¡°Third Young Master, there¡¯s no sign of any more tracks...¡±

    Terror took over He Changdi for a moment.

    What did they mean by no more tracks? What a bunch of useless fools!

    He Changdi disregarded the objections of his subordinates and headed out to see for himself.

    The scout had no choice but to lead him to where the tracks had vanished.

    The hoof marks had disappeared under the snow. They couldn¡¯t find any more tracks despite checking in every possible direction. He Changdi stood in the middle of the endless snow-covered ins. His heart felt like an icy block in his chest that had frozen over in an instant, even colder than the northern night around him.

    His hands clenched into fists as the depths of his eyes turned murky. He turned to all of his subordinates around him and ordered, ¡°Look around! Even if we have to dig up all of the ground in a radius of a hundred kilometres from here, I want to see Third Young Madam in front of me!¡±

    He was normally a man of few words and cold expressions. His subordinates had never seen him in such a frenzy before.

    Thus, they could only obey their orders.

    Each of them got back onto their respective snowboats and started searching for clues in their surroundings.

    He Changdi stood right at the spot where the tracks had disappeared, as if he had turned into a statue. He refused to believe that Chu Lian would have simply vanished and died out here!

    At a loss for what to do, his gaze drifted over the surroundings and he noticed that his soldiers had made a campfire not too far away. About twenty metres away from the fire, there was one area that protuded out strangely...

    He Changdi had simply been scanning the horizon when he had noticed the lump. He abruptly stopped moving and stared at that spot.

    In the next second, he was madly sprinting out towards that lump in the ground.

    When he reached that spot, he reached out into the snow with his fingers. He seemed to have touched something as his entire body trembled and he immediately knelt to the ground and started shovelling snow with his hands.

    While digging, he called out for the rest as loudly as he could.

    Xiao Hongyu quickly noticed his actions and led a team over, equipped with shovels.

    ¡°Dig, dig right here! But be careful!¡± Xiao Hongyu ordered after seeing how frenzied He Sang¡¯s movements were.

    The topyer of snow was quickly removed and they finally saw what was underneath: two horses! Two dead horses, to be precise.

    Xiao Hongyu stopped digging in disappointment, but He Changdi noticed that the horses¡¯ bellies had been sliced open.

    His eyes lit up and he threw himself at the horses.

    Xiao Hongyu thought that he had gone crazy because they had only found some dead horses. He hurriedly pulled him back and tried to persuade him in a mournful tone, ¡°Brother He, don¡¯t lose hope! These are just some horses, Sister-in-Law... Sister-in-Law isn¡¯t here, stay strong!¡±

    He Changdi pushed the brat away and let out an angry roar, ¡°What nonsense are you saying? Your sister-inw is right here inside the horse¡¯s belly! Hurry up and help me pull her out!¡±

    After Xiao Hongyu was abruptly pushed by He Changdi, he stumbled and fell into the knee-deep snow. It took him a moment to process the words before his expression turned into stunned astonishment, ¡°What? Sister-in-Law is in the horse¡¯s belly!? The hell are you guys waiting for?! Quick, we have to save her!¡±

    He Changdi pulled apart the horse¡¯s belly with his bare hands, only to discover the brothers Myeryen and Narisong curled up together within.

    Even while hidden inside a horse¡¯s belly, they hadn¡¯t beenpletely shielded from the low temperatures outside. The two brothers had been sickly to start with, so they had already passed out by now.

    He Changdi stared nkly at them for a second. When he finally recognised that they weren¡¯t Chu Lian, he turned to the other horse immediately.

    Xiao Hongyu was already there with his men.

    Once the horse¡¯s belly was opened, they found Chu Lian lying inside, hugging a barbarian woman.

    Xiao Hongyu cried out in surprise before shouting, ¡°Brother He, Sister-in-Law... Sister-in-Law is here!¡±

    The moment He Sang had turned around, he had already seen Chu Lian lying in the middle of the horse¡¯s belly with her eyes shut. He pushed away the people surrounding the horse like a madman before throwing himself down on the ground next to Chu Lian. His hands shook as they reached out to embrace Chu Lian, his heart in his throat. It was only when he felt the warmth of her body on his fingertips that his heart finally settled back down into his chest.

 Chapter 402: In the Warm Pen (1)

    Chu Lian had already passed out by this time. Even though she had her fox fur cloak wrapped around her, she had been affected by the cold because she had been lying on the outside.

    He Changdi carried her in his arms like she was a rare and precious treasure. He hugged her tightly, as if afraid that she would disappear from his embrace if he loosened his hold even a little.

    Chu Lian was all covered in blood and fluids from the horse¡¯s belly and she didn¡¯t smell very pleasant right now. However, He Changdi was able to ignore the nauseating odourpletely.

    He looked down at Chu Lian¡¯s bloodstained face and kissed her forehead gently.

    Xiao Hongyu was so shocked by the sight that he stared in astonishment.

    He recalled how Brother He had been so obsessed with cleanliness back in the northern border camp. When he looked at how Brother He was carrying someone covered in blood and dirt, Xiao Hongyu felt like his image of him had beenpletely shattered.

    He Sang brought Chu Lian into the warm pen on one of the snowboats. Although Xiao Hongyu was usually more careless with his actions, he was considerate when it came to certain things. He let He Sang have the warm pen all to himself and went over to squeeze into Li Xing¡¯s warm pen after leaving some orders for his men.

    He Changdi carefully set down the woman in his arms on a fleece nket.

    It was much warmer inside the penpared to the cold night outside. He personally took off Chu Lian¡¯s bloodstained fox fur cloak and threw it off to one side. Next, he grabbed a damp cloth from somewhere and wiped away the dirt on Chu Lian¡¯s face.

    His dark eyes were locked onto the unconscious Chu Lian and his normally cool expression had softened into a gentle gaze.

    Once he was done cleaning her face, the doctors in their team had rushed over.

    He Changdi called them in with his low and maic voice. The doctor entered the warm pen with a wooden box full of medicines.

    By then, He Changdi had already covered up the whole of Chu Lian¡¯s body with a nket, with only her slender white wrist revealed for the doctor to take her pulse.

    He Sang¡¯s face was still carved into its usual strict expression without any change in emotion. However, the hands hidden under his sleeves were tightly curled up and he was still staring at Chu Lian¡¯s ashen face with tension.

    ¡°How is it?¡±

    The middle-aged barbarian doctor took his hands off Chu Lian¡¯s wrist and spoke in a respectful tone, ¡°Captain, please don¡¯t worry. Honoured Lady has a healthy body and she hasn¡¯t suffered the cold for too long. She only slipped into unconsciousness because of the low temperatures earlier. Once her body warms up again, she¡¯ll be fine after resting for a few days. Do keep her warm over the next few days.¡±

    It was only after hearing the doctor¡¯s diagnosis that He Sang finally let go of his worries.

    ¡°Go and take a look at the mother and children who were with Honoured Lady!¡±

    The doctor quickly left.

    There was some hot water boiling over the brazier in the pen, so He Sang dipped a damp handkerchief into the water and wiped Chu Lian¡¯s hands. When he saw that her hands were reddened from the cold, he wrapped another cloth dipped in hot water around her hands to warm them up.

    Chu Lian was still trapped in an unconscious daze, her mind heavy and fuzzy.

    As it had gotten colder and colder, she had struggled to stay conscious. However, in the end, she hadn¡¯t been able to resist the cold and she had fainted.

    After an indeterminate amount of time, the surroundings had suddenly be warmer. There was also a strangely familiar and pleasant scent in the air. Following that, her body seemed to have been submerged into a furnace. The red hot embers of the furnace seemed to be radiating heat, easing her difort. Her hands were suddenly wrapped up in something warm, making her sofortable she wanted to sigh in relief.

    Chu Lian¡¯s furrowed brows slowly eased apart. He Changdi was sitting right next to her at this moment.

    His eyes were still fixed on her with murky and unreadable depths, his thin lips pressed into a line.

    He had assumed that he was only slightly attracted to this wicked woman. It wasn¡¯t until this time that he had discovered that he hadpletely fallen into Chu Lian¡¯s ¡®trap¡¯. Willingly, at that.

    He would never forget the anxiety and despair he had felt while searching for her earlier.

    He Sang stared at the ¡®shameless¡¯ wicked woman who had stolen a spot in his heart for a long time. Although she had the exact same face as that person, his feelings towards her had already changed.

    While deep in sleep, Chu Lian felt a hint of cold touch her body. There were still limits to how warm the pen on the snowboat could be,pared to a tent, especially since it was the middle of the night.

    After her body had finally adjusted to the temperatures in the pen, Chu Lian regained her sensitivity to the cold.

    Her rxed brow started to wrinkle again and she mumbled under her breath, ¡°Cold...¡±

    He Sang had long drifted away, immersed in his thoughts. He was called back to earth by Chu Lian¡¯s murmur. He looked around him and realised that there weren¡¯t any spare nkets he could use. After nking out for a second, he recalled the doctor¡¯s instructions to keep Chu Lian warm. He suddenly loosened the ties around his neck and took off both his cloak and his outeryer of clothing before lying next to Chu Lian, reaching out and pulling her into his embrace.

    He wrapped his cloak and outer shirt around them.

    The chain of actions came naturally to He Changdi. The two of them had slept like this back in the cave as well, so this was familiar to him.

    Although Chu Lian¡¯s body was small and slim, she had curves in the right ces. Furthermore, she had specially trained herself to prepare for the trip to the north, so even the little padding on her waist had gone away.

    Curled up in He Sang¡¯s arms, she was like a little soft doll.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t want to let her suffer the slightest bit of cold, so he hugged her tightly to his body.

 Chapter 403: In the Warm Pen (2)

    Men had higher body temperatures than women in the first ce. Once Chu Lian had gotten close to this heat source, she subconsciously wanted to get even closer. It was all part of her natural instincts.

    In order to hug her heat source tight, one of her legs even found its way onto He Sang¡¯s body.

    The cool-faced He Changdi looked down at Chu Lian for a moment as his body stiffened up. After some time, he simply let her do as she liked.

    The two of them were each down to a singleyer of clothing now, which was made of a thin material. He Sang had one arm under Chu Lian¡¯s neck while the other circled around her slender waist.

    Chu Lian was exhaling warm puffs of air around He Changdi¡¯s corbone. One of her hands had subconsciously curled around the cor of He Changdi¡¯s shirt, like she trusted and relied on him.

    The couple was stuck close to each other without any gaps between them.

    He Sang¡¯s cool mask had melted a little by now. When his arms were filled with Chu Lian¡¯s presence, it felt as if his heart was full too.

    Hidden from Chu Lian¡¯s view, He Changdi sighed lightly in satisfaction and shut his eyes, as if he was about to join Chu Lian in slumber.

    He hadn¡¯t rested for a very long time in order to look for Chu Lian. His nerves had been tightly wound up all the while until she had finally returned to his arms again, so he was rather tired by now.

    His eyelids slowly slid shut and he was just about to fall asleep when Chu Lian suddenly moved. She wriggled as if trying to burrow deeper into his embrace. It seemed like her current position wasn¡¯t toofortable and she wanted to change into a better one.

    After Chu Lian moved, He Changdipletely lost all traces of sleepiness.

    He loosened his hold on her and let Chu Lian shift into a morefortable position. Once she had fallen back into deep slumber, he slowly tightened his arms around her again, keeping her safe and secure in his embrace.

    However, after all that movement, He Sang didn¡¯t feel like sleeping any longer.

    He sighed helplessly and stared nkly at his surroundings while hugging Chu Lian.

    After a short moment, He Changdi started to feel that something wasn¡¯t quite right.

    His expression changed and his ears started to flush red.

    While Chu Lian was ensconced in his arms, she was breathing out directly over his Adam¡¯s apple. The warm puffs of her breaths were making his mouth dry.

    He had been too worried earlier to think about how intimate their actions were. Now that he had calmed down, everything that had escaped his notice earlier was standing out. It was hard for him to ignore it again.

    Since the two of them were bundled so tightly together and wearing thin clothing, he could feel the softness of her chest on his.

    The palm that he had ced on Chu Lian¡¯s waist suddenly felt burning hot. Hepletely froze up, not daring to make the slightest bit of movement.

    He forcefully adjusted his breathing, trying to make himself calm down.

    He Sang¡¯s tall body was now tensed up like a drawn bow.

    A bow that was already pulled to its limits and about to shoot at any moment with all its stored energy.

    The sleeping Chu Lian just had to start getting restless at this moment.

    He Sang had been tensing his body in restraint due to the strange sensations oveing his body. Thus, he had lost control over the strength of his arms, which turned into tight bars around Chu Lian. Chu Lian wanted to escape the ufortably tight hold around her, so she started to wriggle.

    She rubbed her body against He Changdi¡¯s and let out an ufortable moan. It was then that He Changdi finally realised that he was crushing her. He let go of her in panic, a light blush dyeing his handsome face pink.

    Chu Lian wriggled a few more times before realising that the ufortable bindings around her had disappeared. She smacked her lips and slipped back into peaceful slumber.

    He Changdi¡¯s body remained stiff for a long time after that. It wasn¡¯t until Chu Lian stopped moving that he finally dared to move. The pen¡¯s surface area was small so there was only so much space for them to sleep on.

    Afraid that she would still be affected by the cold, He Changdi could only attempt to hug Chu Lian once again, but more carefully this time.

    He reached out towards her under the nket and wrapped his arm around Chu Lian¡¯s waist. However, in the next second, what his fingers touched wasn¡¯t soft and smooth fabric, but something soft and warm.

    His body froze up once again. This time, his whole face turned a bright lobster red. The thoughts that he had managed to suppress earlier came flooding back into his mind.

    Chu Lian¡¯s earlier movements had caused her clothes to unravel a little, revealing some of the smooth skin around her waist.

    He Sang wanted to remove his scorching hot palm from Chu Lian¡¯s bare skin, but it was stuck and he couldn¡¯t move it at all...

    Although He Changdi¡¯s expression remained as cool as usual, the raging blush on his face revealed his inner turmoil. He gulped a mouthful of saliva with difficulty.

    He looked down at the woman in his arms.

    Her lips were currently formed into a pout and her hair was slightly messy. A few strands had fallen over her flushed cheeks, right under her eyes. Her cute little nose was twitching slightly.

    He Sang¡¯s gaze couldn¡¯t help but follow the line of her nose down to Chu Lian¡¯s slightly parted red lips.

    He pressed his dry lips together.

    His face moved closer to her, inch by inch, until he could feel the warmth of her breath on his face. At this point, he forced himself to stop.

    He Changdi was fighting a massive battle in his heart. His breathing became more hurried. In the end, he could no longer hold himself back and he ced a light kiss on Chu Lian¡¯s soft lips.

    The palm resting at her waist glided over her skin before moving upwards in a very natural movement.

    He still remembered the heavenly softness that had been pressed against his hard chest earlier, tempting him to lose control of himself...

 Chapter 404: Together in the Pen (2)

    Scorching heat red up in He Changdi¡¯s palm, making him feel like he was burning up.

    The feel of the smooth skin under his fingers was intoxicating. He couldn¡¯t pull away even if he wanted to.

    He Sang kissed Chu Lian gently. His breathing became hurried. For some reason, those obscene drawings that Xiao Hongyu had kept in their tent suddenly floated up into his mind. His hands were already slowly climbing up to the soft peaks on Chu Lian¡¯s chest¡­

    A strange feeling washed over him when he finally reached that newnd. Every fibre of his being drew taut with tension.

    He swallowed hard. Even though his expression was as cool as ever, his eyes had darkened into fathomless pools.

    He Changdi had always been more aloof than most. Due to the tragedy he had experienced in his past life, his personality had be even more stoic and unfeeling.

    It was hard to move the heart of someone like that. However, the moment they fell in love, they fell hard.

    He Sang stared at Chu Lian with eyes as deep as the star-filled skies above.

    He was ufortably tensed all over and his mouth was dry. The hand he had ced over that soft lump finally started moving a little.

    That novel sensation finally pushed He Sang over the edge of no return.

    He had never known that his wife¡¯s body was so soft to the touch. Compared to her, he was hard all over and definitely not as nice to touch. He was really a dumb rock of a man.

    He Changdi¡¯s neck was also slowly turning red. Despite that, he continued maintaining a cool and aloof expression his face. Only the heavens knew how excited and stirred up he was inside.

    His long ck eyshes trembled as his eyes focused on the unconscious Chu Lian. The movement of his hand paused as well. However, he couldn¡¯t bear to let go of that amazingly plush feeling under his palm, so he kept it there and even spread his fingers to dominate the whole area.

    After freezing for an agonising few seconds and making sure that Chu Lian was still sleeping and had no consciousness of what he was doing, his palm started moving again. Now that he was reassured that she hadn¡¯t woken up, he became even bolder.

    He gently kneaded the area under his hand before realising that he wanted even more. Finally, he let go of his restraint and reached his entire hand in to cover her breast. As if testing it out, he pinched the entire handful before groping it. He found a little nub standing out from the rest of the smooth skin under his palm.

    He Sang¡¯s lips were already pressed into a thin line. Sweat had started appearing on his palms. After a slight pause, he reached out with one finger to touch that raised spot in the middle.

    It seemed like that area was too sensitive and couldn¡¯t withstand any sort of teasing. It started changing rapidly¡­

    The natural reaction from Chu Lian¡¯s body acted like a catalyst, causing a strange sensation to arise from He Sang¡¯s own body.

    In the dimly lit warm pen, thentern hung on the side swayed with the movement of the snowboat, casting a warm and romantic light over the tiny little pen.

    Even a man as aloof as He Sang wouldn¡¯t be able to keep an iron hold over his control when faced with the woman he liked.

    Furthermore, Chu Lian was hiswfully wedded wife. It was only natural for a husband to be intimate with his wife.

    Now that He Sang had found an excuse for hispse of control, his movements became even bolder.

    It wasn¡¯t enough for him to cope a feel with his hand alone now. He wanted to see exactly what he was touching.

    His eyes nced down at Chu Lian¡¯s pale face, touched with a flush of red. He pulled his rebellious hand out from her clothes reluctantly.

    He left another gentle kiss on Chu Lian¡¯s forehead before he reached towards the ties keeping her clothes together. Shifting back a little gave him more space to maneuver about so that one of his hands could work to undo the ties on Chu Lian¡¯s inner clothing.

    Perhaps due to his nerves or his sense of urgency, he wasn¡¯t able to untie her clothes no matter how much he tried. Not only that, since he had pulled hard at the ties in a fit of frustration, the originally loose knot had turned into a dead one¡­

    The tips of He Sang¡¯s ears turned even redder and his breathing turned into heavy pants. In the end, he lost all patience and used his internal energy to break the tiepletely¡­

    He Changdi¡¯s gazended on the sliver of fair skin exposed from the loose cor of Chu Lian¡¯s clothes, where her pretty corbones stood out under her slender neck. His eyes slid further downwards to the area where his hand had wandered to.

    Her clothes were still keeping everything under wraps, but the pressure of lying down sideways had pushed the two round buns on her chest together, making an enticing valley.

    He Sang picked up one side of her inner robe with his fingers; his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he gulped hard.

    The halter top that Chu Lian wore as underwear had be skewed from his movements earlier. Despite his usual blockhead appearance, He Changdi simply untied the strings at the back and gently tossed it to one side without any pause.

    Thus, the soft and tender buns that had just been in his palm were revealed to his sight.

    His gaze was now affixed to Chu Lian¡¯s chest.

    Looking at them waspletely different from holding them blindly in his hand. The visual impact caused He Sang¡¯s body to tense up to its maximum. He had never thought that the two little buns on Chu Lian¡¯s chest would be so cute.

    He was almost trembling with how taut he was holding his body. Although he knew he shouldn¡¯t, he couldn¡¯t restrain himself anymore. He reached out to rub one of the soft peaks.

    The moment his fingers touched her smooth skin, he couldn¡¯t hold back his strength.

    His slightly cool lips rained kisses on Chu Lian¡¯s forehead, then her nose, as he headed further downwards.

    He Changdi waspletely immersed in enjoying the sensations overwhelming his body.

    The one thing he couldn¡¯t have expected was Chu Lian waking right this moment.

 Chapter 405: Together in the Pen (2)

    Deep in her slumber, Chu Lian had started feeling her body warming over once again. However, at some point in time, her chest had started feeling ufortable. She had been able to bear with the pressure on her chest at first, butter on, it had gotten stronger and stronger until she wanted to escape from that overbearing feeling.

    Chu Lian¡¯s almond-shaped eyes fluttered open blearily as she woke up from the pain of having her chest groped hard. Who could have thought that she would be met with such an awkward scene the moment her vision cleared up?

    She was stunned still for a second before rage bubbled up from within her. The slender leg that had been thrown over He Sang¡¯s body immediately retracted and delivered a swift and merciless kick.

    Chu Lian had used every bit of strength she could summon from her body.

    Even a strong man like He Sang was pushed away by the force of Chu Lian¡¯s kick... he rolled out of the nket, a wretched sight to behold.

    He Sang was abruptly woken from his fit of euphoria. A crack appeared in his cool expression as he directed a disbelieving look at Chu Lian.

    After getting kicked at by Chu Lian, his arousal had faded away... Little Brother He likely wouldn¡¯t be able to get up to any mischief for the moment...

    His left hand was still curled up as if cradling something, so anyone could tell that he had been up to no good.

    Chu Lian looked down, only to see that half of her chest was exposed! A furious blush lit up on her cheeks. She finally understood what had been happening just now, and what He Sang had been doing to her while she was unconscious!

    Anger swelled up in her heart. She quickly pulled up her clothes, covering up the little bun that was slightly reddened from all the groping.

    She was filled to the point of bursting with fury, which all came out in an angry roar, ¡°He Changdi, when did you be so shameless?!¡± He had actually taken advantage of her while she was unconscious! He had even touched her... there... and it had been so painful that there were likely marks left on her skin!

    Was this still the same cold and stoic lunatic He Sang?!

    In the midst of her rage, tears had welled up in Chu Lian¡¯s wide eyes. Despite the fiery light in them, she didn¡¯t look the slightest bit imposing while ring at He Changdi. Instead, she looked like a bullied puppy.

    He Sang was stunned while staring into Chu Lian¡¯s eyes. In the next moment, he actually mbered back up expressionlessly and returned to Chu Lian¡¯s side. He lifted the fox fur cloak covering her, trying to burrow back into the pile of nkets.

    This waspletely out of Chu Lian¡¯s expectations. She didn¡¯t think that He Sang would be so shameless as to return without any sort of shame in his expression at all!

    Her fury climbed to new heights. What was this lunatic He Sang trying to do?!

    Chu Lian¡¯s brows drew together and she tried to voice an enraged shout, ¡°He. San. Lang!¡±

    However, Chu Lian¡¯s voice was naturally tender and pleasant to the ears. She didn¡¯t seem threatening in the least, let alone in this situation. Conversely, she was the very picture of a frazzled little kitten who had just been bullied and was trying to threaten someone by showing off her fluffy little ws. However, those tiny kitten ws probably wouldn¡¯t even leave a mark if she tried using them on someone.

    He Sang reached out with one long arm and captured her immediately, stuffing her back into the nest of nkets in one smooth movement as if her struggles were nothing.

    ¡°The doctor said that you have to keep warm. You can¡¯t let your body get chilled again. Lie down first.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s chest was still hurting!

    This darned He Sang didn¡¯t know how to control his strength!

    She wanted to object to his order, but she didn¡¯t have the physical strength to do so, so she could only let him wrap her up in the warm nkets again.

    ¡°You little...¡±

    ¡°Do you remember where you were before?¡± Although there was the usual cool cast to He Sang¡¯s handsome features, his husky and maic voice had be softer. Before Chu Lian could start chewing him out, he had cut in with his question.

    That one question pulled Chu Lian¡¯s thoughts away from her rage.

    That¡¯s right. Chu Lian blinked. How had she woken up in this warm ce with her lunatic husband next to her?

    Hadn¡¯t she been hiding with Urihan in a horse¡¯s belly in the middle of the snowy ins?

    She had been trembling so hard from the cold that she thought she wouldn¡¯t be able to make it.

    Had He Sang found her?

    Chu Lian¡¯s moist eyes widened in surprise. She found it hard to imagine how He Changdi had managed to find her out on that inhospitable swath of snow-covered ground. What kind of dangers had he faced in order to get to her?

    She had still been in the horse¡¯s belly then!

    ¡°Do you remember now?¡± He Sang asked gently.

    Chu Lian nodded, looking rather shaken.

    She had been in precarious situations twice now, ever since she hade to this world. Each time, it had been He Changdi who had saved her in the nick of time while her life had been dangling on a thread. She wasn¡¯t made of stone, of course she felt something for him in return.

    So He Changdi.... actually cared for her that much...

    When He Sang saw that Chu Lian had slipped into a daze, a wave of relief swept over his heart, though his outer expression remained unchanged.

    That had been way too awkward just now. It was bad enough that he had lost control over himself, but he had actually gotten caught by Chu Lian. Luckily, he had changed the topic in a quick turn of wit, otherwise the ¡®wicked woman¡¯ would probably have annoyed him for a long time over this matter.

    He continued hugging Chu Lian and stroked her back gently, as if he were soothing a puffed up little kitten.

    However, after finishing twoforting strokes, his hand couldn¡¯t help but twitch. The sensation of touching those buns still remained on his palm and had yet to fade away.

 Chapter 406: You Look More Handsome (1)

    Chu Lian looked up at the man embracing her. Although the lighting was dim, she could see his features clearly.

    He Sang didn¡¯t look as handsome as his usual self. Right now, he looked more like a normal man worried about his wife.

    His face had an unhealthy pallor to it and he was starting to look like a panda. Even stubble had started growing on his chin. However, he didn¡¯t look disheveled or unkempt. Instead, those marks of fatigue gave him the charisma of a mature man.

    She had to mention it again; He Sang¡¯s looks were really top-notch. Although his brilliant and heroic features weren¡¯t as popr as Xiao Bojian¡¯s in this era, He Changdi was the better-looking out of the two in Chu Lian¡¯s heart.

    As Chu Lian looked up at him with her wide eyes, the back of He Sang¡¯s ears were slowly turning red and his expression was bing a little stiff.

    His icy tone resounded in the small space as he spoke, a hint of awkwardness present in his voice, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    Chu Lian replied without thinking, ¡°Looking at you.¡±

    He Changdi hadn¡¯t expected such a frank statement from her. A blush immediately spread down his neck in reaction.

    He turned his face away stiffly as his eyes darted to and fro until they finallynded on the roof of the pen.

    When Chu Lian nced at him and noticed that his entire neck was now red, she stared in stunned surprise. He... He Changdi was actually embarrassed... Had he always been so sensitive?

    He Sang resisted the urge to squirm under Chu Lian¡¯s probing gaze and reacted by covering up her inquisitive eyes with his hand. His voice was slightly husky as he said, ¡°Stop looking, there¡¯s nothing to see here. Go to sleep!¡±

    Considering what she had woken up to, Chu Lian didn¡¯t dare to actually fall asleep again!

    Who knew what her lunatic husband was going to do if she fell asleep this time...

    Even though Chu Lian hadn¡¯t brought up the topic, it didn¡¯t mean that she had really forgotten about what had just happened. She just felt that it was too awkward and she wasn¡¯t brave enough to mention it. One side of her chest was still throbbing a little in pain!

    That damned He Sang!

    She tried her best to hold back her question, but she ended up asking anyway. ¡°Are you going to be here as well? I¡¯m fine now.¡±

    The hint in her words was that she was already perfectly well and he should move along with his own business. His presence would be disturbing her rest.

    He Changdi still had some smarts left in that head of his. He instantly understood the meaning behind Chu Lian¡¯s words. His expression turned slightly stormy; any husband who had just been disdained by his wife would probably react the same.

    ¡°There aren¡¯t enough warm pens and we have too many people in our party. Some of the other pens are packed with up to five people.¡±

    Chu Lian bit her lip. She had no choice here, He Changdi had actually managed to corner her with his words.

    He had a point. If she really threw him out at this time, wouldn¡¯t his brothersugh at him?

    It would be hard to exin why he wanted to squeeze in with the other guys instead of staying with his wife.

    Chu Lianmented her misfortune inwardly and gave up. They were married anyway and she didn¡¯t actually dislike He Sang. On the contrary, she might even have taken a liking to him somewhere deep in her heart.

    There wasn¡¯t really anything in the way of them bing husband and wife in truth, rather than just in name.

    Chu Lian showed him a faint frown, ¡°Then you had better behave yourself.¡±

    He Sang¡¯s expression had somewhat rxed after Chu Lian hadn¡¯t taken him to task for his misdeeds. The moment she brought up the elephant in the room, his handsome face lit up in a spectacr blush once again.

    He gulped hard. Even his fingers felt rather stiff from all the tension in him.

    It was only after a long pause that he finally managed to give a response, ¡°Sleep, I won¡¯t move at all.¡±

    Chu Lian shot a doubtful nce at him before grunting lightly in agreement. From the way she wrapped her clothes tightly around herself, it was clear that she didn¡¯t trust in He Changdi¡¯s weak self-control.

    She was about to shut her eyes when she abruptly remembered Urihan and her sons.

    ¡°What about the people who were lying in the horses with me?¡±

    He Sang shifted the cloaks and fleeces covering the two of them and made sure that Chu Lian¡¯s entire body was properly shielded from the cold, ¡°They¡¯re in another warm pen. Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s a doctor looking after them. They¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Upon hearing that herpanions were safe, Chu Lian sighed in relief and finally let herself rx fully.

    She looked up at He Changdi. He seemed to have recovered from his blush and was now back to the normal calm and cool-headed Sang. However, when she looked closer at his narrow, upturned eyes, she could still detect a well-hidden trace of tenderness in their depths.

    Chu Lian blinked, ¡°He Sang, did you find out who did all this?¡±

    The question made He Sang¡¯s sharp brows lift a little. He didn¡¯t like how Chu Lian had addressed him.

    After a slight pause, he cast a searching gaze downwards at the woman curled up between his arms, as if trying to see through her thoughts.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    The space between Chu Lian¡¯s brows wrinkled as she thought seriously. Her face was like an open book. All of her thoughts and emotions could be read just by looking at her.

    ¡°Those kidnappers couldn¡¯t possibly have been sent by Xiao Bojian, right?¡± Chu Lian¡¯s words sent a ripple of shock through He Changdi.

    His pupils constricted; he met Chu Lian¡¯s innocent gaze with a grave expression.

    ¡°Why would you think so?¡±

 Chapter 407: You Look More Handsome (2)

    A corner of Chu Lian¡¯s mouth tilted downwards. She spoke honestly, as if she hadn¡¯t noticed the doubts in He Sang¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I think that there¡¯s something wrong with his mind. He keeps pestering me. You saw how he was like on the way we went back to the Ying Estate. Later on, he even tried to meet me at Defeng Teahouse on the basis of being acquainted in the past, but I rejected him. He¡¯s my grandfather¡¯s favourite pupil and he entered the Imperial Academy after just half a year of examinations so he has some smarts. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s not someone to be trifled with.¡±

    Although she hadn¡¯t revealed some details in herints, everything she had said was true.

    Chu Lian had read the original story before and she knew that Xiao Bojian wasn¡¯t a good man. She had decided to draw the boundaries with him when she had arrived in the Great Wu Dynasty. Of course she wouldn¡¯t let He Changdi have any misunderstandings of the rtionship between her and Xiao Bojian.

    She wasn¡¯t the original wicked woman ¡®Chu Lian¡¯. She wasn¡¯t the one who was hell-bent on loving Xiao Bojian and wanted to keep her body pure for him even after marrying someone else.

    Chu Lian knew that He Changdi likely already knew about everything she had just told him.

    Why else had he sent Wenqing and Wen to serve her?

    Just because she hadn¡¯t mentioned it outright didn¡¯t mean that she waspletely oblivious to what was going on. She knew that Senior Servant Zhong would add a letter for He Changdi every time they sent letters to the northern border troops. Even if she had never read those letters before, she could guess at their contents.

    They were most likely reports about her.

    Her goal had always been to be ayabout. As long as she had good food and enough money to live on, she would be perfectly happy. With her sister-inw, Madam Zou, around, she didn¡¯t even need to manage the household and she could just spend her time having fun. Thus, she had been toozy to bother with controlling Senior Servant Zhong and the Wen sisters¡¯ surveince of her.

    He Sang clearly hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to beining about Xiao Bojian. When she had been talking about him, He Sang had been able to feel how much she disliked him from the disdain in her expression alone.

    His brows wrinkled for a bit before he broke out into a sudden smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you thought of Mister Xiao that way. You¡¯ve really surprised me there. Don¡¯t you know that Xiao Bojian has been the ideal lover of many of the nobledies around even back in the Imperial College?¡±

    He Changdi wasn¡¯t exaggerating at all. If Chu Lian had been able to see for herself the carnage at Xiao Bojian¡¯s victory parade after he had be the top schr, she would probably have marvelled at thedies going crazy over him.

    Back then, it had been raining flowers all over. The girls on either side of the road had tossed flower petals at the top schr sitting atop a horse. The streets that Xiao Bojian had passed had been left strewn with so many flower petals that they formed a thick carpet.

    Chu Lian was already numb to the strange and abnormal aesthetics of the Great Wu Dynasty. She rolled her eyes hard and almost cringed as her imagination brought up an image of Xiao Bojian¡¯s feminine face, all dolled up with a huge flower tucked into his hair, wearing his bright red schr¡¯s robe and parading about town.

    The corners of her lips twitched. ¡°In my eyes, you¡¯re much better-looking than he is.¡±

    It was He Sang¡¯s turn to freeze in shock. He pressed his lips together. He wanted to ask if she meant it, but he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to ask.

    In the end, He Sang took a deep breath to calm the repressed yet happy feelings within him and told her the truth, ¡°It was him. Xiao Bojian is in Su City right now.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s response was to open her eyes as wide as they could go to show her disbelief.

    Xiao Bojian was in Su City?!

    Going by the original story, Xiao Bojian and He Changdi didn¡¯t get along in the first ce. Did that mean that they had already crossed swords in Su City?

    He Sang had sessfully brought supplies back to camp. It was clear who had won their first duel.

    Chu Lian suddenly felt a burst of pride. Although her husband was a little crazy sometimes, he was still pretty strong when it came to fighting!

    She wanted to add something else, but He Sang patted her back lightly. His voice was still husky as he prompted her, ¡°It¡¯ste, hurry up and go sleep!¡±

    Chu Lian swallowed her words and agreed.

    She had been kidnapped suddenly and taken away to that hill where she spent all night trying to think of a way to escape. Luckily, the sneak attack she had suffered in that forest thest time had increased her caution. From then on, she had always kept some drugs on her all the time.

    Once she had drugged those kidnappers and taken Urihan and her sons away, they had spent a whole day travelling through windy and snowy ins. Later on, they had killed the horses and hidden inside their bellies for warmth. After a whole day and night of tumultuous events, Chu Lian had already gone past the limit of her body and she was extremely fatigued.

    If not for He Sang and his excessive use of force, she wouldn¡¯t have woken up at all. The feeling of He Changdi¡¯s gentle pats on her back brought her back to her childhood, when her mother had held her in her arms and soothed her to sleep with pats.

    The sleepiness she had been holding back rushed back into her mind immediately. In less than a minute, Chu Lian had already slipped back into slumber, as evidenced by her long and shallow breaths.

    He Sang cast his gaze down at her, scanning Chu Lian¡¯s young features with unreadable depths.

    He hugged the slender body in his arms more tightly and sighed.

    In his past life, Urihan had saved him, so he hade looking for her family earlier in this life. He had given them some necessary supplies for winter. Later on, there had been too many military matters at hand keeping him busy until the war with the Tuhuns started. He hadn¡¯t had any time to check on Urihan and her sons at all. He hadn¡¯t expected her to appear at this time, and for her to have saved his wife.

    Fate worked in strange ways.

    It was as if the hidden strings of destiny had already connected all these events together.

    Although the events seemed like random coincidences, it felt like they were simply following predestined paths.

 Chapter 408: Take Good Care of Your Wife (1)

    A thread of anxiety flickered in He Sang. It felt as if his heated body had cooled instantly. He subconsciously hugged the warm and soft woman in his arms more tightly, as that seemed to be the only way he could feel reassured.

    Urihan and her sons were fine. After eating some food and resting for the whole night in a warm pen, their spirits were better than ever.

    By the time Chu Lian woke up again, she realised that it was already the afternoon of the next day.

    She curled up a little and rubbed at her sleepy eyes. The natural furnace that had been keeping her warm was already gone. Her body shook a little to warm up from the cold and she quickly became alert.

    Just as she was about to sit up and call for someone, the curtain that worked as a door for the warm pen shifted. He Changdi used only one arm to push himself into the warm pen.

    He set an indigo coloured little package to one side. When he looked up and identally met her gaze, he immediately looked away.

    Chu Lian noticed that his expression seemed a little weird and the tips of his ears were slightly red. Her brows drew together in confusion and she looked downwards at herself. It was then that all was made clear and her own face started flushing red.

    The inner clothes she had been wearing had loosened in her sleep. Since the tie holding the two sides of her top closed had been broken by someone, her clothes were wide open, showing the light yellow halter top she wore inside. However, the halter top had also shifted in her sleep and was now exposing a great amount of her fair skin. There were obvious red marks all over the skin on her chest, the remaining evidence of He Sang¡¯s ¡®indulgence¡¯st night.

    Chu Lian red at him and quickly pulled her top closed. She barked at him angrily, ¡°Turn around!¡±

    This time, He Sang was strangely obedient. He turned around without any retort. Once Chu Lian was sure that he couldn¡¯t see her, she quickly adjusted her own clothes.

    However, when she found out that the tie keeping her top closed had been broken, she could no longer suppress her upset emotions, ¡°He Changdi, this is all your fault!¡±

    He Sang had already forgotten about that small detail. When his wife started shouting at him out of the blue, he felt rather aggrieved.

    He pressed his lips together, but he still kept his back to her like she had ordered.q

    ¡°Can I turn back now?¡±

    ¡°Turn back here!¡± Chu Lian fumed.

    When He Changdi turned around and looked at Chu Lian, he finally understood what she was angry about.

    A furious blush red to life on his cheeks as he recalled how exactly he had broken that cloth tiest night. His right hand twitched in rememberance as well. Even the cool He Sang couldn¡¯t quite summon up the courage to speak in the face of his wife¡¯s admonishment at this point.

    ¡°Do you have any clothes? Get me some.¡±

    She could only make do by holding her inner clothes closed for now. The fox fur cloak she had been wearing yesterday was nowpletely covered in horse blood and was stinking to high heaven. She couldn¡¯t put that on her any more.

    He Changdi coughed awkwardly and reached out towards a small cab built into the wall of the warm pen. He dug around in it and found a set of clothes.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have any female clothing here, you have to make do with mine first.¡±

    This was the snowboat that He Changdi had taken to Su City, so there were a few sets of his clothes in here.

    Since they were still stuck in the vast snowy ins, Chu Lian had no choice but to wear He Sang¡¯s clothes for now.

    He had given her a thick ck long robe with green bamboo patterns embroidered on it. It seemed like any other piece of clothing at first, but once she pulled it on, she immediately felt the difference between her and Sang.

    He Sang¡¯s figure was tall andnky. After training for almost half a year in the north, his body had be much more sturdy aspared to before.

    Conversely, Chu Lian¡¯s figure was small and slim. When the two of them stood together, she only reached his chest. Now that she had He Sang¡¯s robe on her, she looked as if she was wearing some long-sleeved stage costume...

    After she finished doing up the round little buttons on the top, the robe still felt loose around her.

    Chu Lian sighed. She really didn¡¯t have any other options. She couldn¡¯t just keep wearing a singleyer of inner clothing with the tie broken. Even if she didn¡¯t have to meet anyone in that state, she would surely freeze to death.

    She climbed up from her nest of nkets and dug out her waist band before using it to tie up the huge robe around her.

    Following that, she rolled up the sleeves high so she could finally see her hands. Once she was done with all that, Chu Lian heaved a sigh of relief. Now she could sit down in peace.

    He Sang was watching her with his slightly nted eyes the whole time.

    Actually, the robe was made to be worn by itself and he usually didn¡¯t need a waist band to tie it up. However, in order to hold the loose robe down, Chu Lian had to use the waistband from her inner clothes to tie it down. Unexpectedly, once the robe was secured, it only emphasised the curves on Chu Lian¡¯s chest. His mind drifted back to the sensation on his handsst night without his bidding.

    Furthermore, Chu Lian was wearing his clothes right now. Any man would feel a sense of domination and satisfaction upon seeing the woman he liked in his clothes.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know that her simple actions had somehow managed to satisfy a hidden desire of Sang¡¯s. She sat down and turned her gaze to the package that He Sang had brought with him.

    She gulped once. Her stomach started rumbling loudly just in time.

    He Sang was pulled back to the present by the sound. However, he didn¡¯t seem disagreeable at all. Instead, he seemed to understand what she wanted.

    He passed over the cloth bag in his hands to Chu Lian, ¡°Eat something first to fill your belly. We¡¯ll reach the main camp by evening.¡±

 Chapter 409: Take Good Care of Your Wife (2)

    When she opened up the bag, there was just some jerky and preserved food. Chu Lian didn¡¯t mind the poor offerings and simply started eating.

    In a situation like this, Chu Lian knew better than toin about the food. No matter what, she couldn¡¯t let herself go hungry.

    He Sang sat at one corner and watched her eat. When he didn¡¯t catch any trace of disdain or unhappiness in her expression, a part of his heart rxed and warmed up at the same time.

    Actually, Chu Lian was a very caring and consideratedy. She had never been difficult on purpose and everyone got along well with her, no matter their position. She wasn¡¯t at all like the spoiled and aloof nobledies of the capital.

    When he thought back to the reports he had received from Prince Jin regarding Chu Lian, his brows suddenly drew together and his chest tightened.

    Although Chu Lian was the Sixth Miss of the Ying Estate, her mother had died when she was young and Chu Qizheng had remarried. As the saying went, once there was a stepmother, there would be a stepfather. She hadn¡¯t been favoured in her estate. Since there were too many children in the Ying Estate, Duke Ying and Duchess Ying had never taken notice of her. She hadn¡¯t had a good life in the Ying Estate.

    Her quality of living was sometimes even worse than some of the concubine-born daughters in the estate.

    He had never given much thought to Chu Lian¡¯s past before. However, when he thought of it now, his heart felt a little heavy.

    Chu Lian was currently focused on the jerky, so she hadn¡¯t noticed any of He Sang¡¯s little changes in mood.

    Even if she knew what he was thinking now, she would only roll her eyes at him.

    Anyway, the person he wasmenting for wasn¡¯t her. She wasn¡¯t the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯. She couldn¡¯t even recognise all the people in the Ying Estate!

    However, He Sang had gotten something right. Although Chu Lian was picky with her food and loved eating good food, she wasn¡¯t someone who would be difficult on purpose.

    She would consider the circumstances she was in before thinking of making good food. If she still fussed about food while in dire situations, wasn¡¯t that the quickest way to die?

    Once her stomach was full, Chu Lian sat by the brazier in the warm pen and kept herself warm.

    The glowing embers cast a red glow over Chu Lian¡¯s fair face. It was rare for the couple to get a chance to sit together for a chat like this.

    Actually, when He Sang wasn¡¯t in one of his fits of lunacy, he was still a pretty handsome man, albeit rather stone-faced. Chu Lian couldn¡¯t get enough of his looks.

    Under Chu Lian¡¯s forceful questioning, He Changdi reported every detail of how he hade to find her. However, he hid the details about the murders of the four kidnappers.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t know why he had done so subconsciously. When he looked into Chu Lian¡¯s wide and trusting eyes, he just felt the urge to protect the innocence shining within them.

    Chu Lian stared into the embers in the brazier, her eyes sparkling. Her head was lowered, so no one could see the upwards curve of her lips she hadn¡¯t been able to hold back.

    She hadn¡¯t made the wrong choice to stay with this husband of hers now, hadn¡¯t she?

    When evening came, before thest traces of the sun fell below the horizon, He Changdi and the rest of the search party managed to reach the border camp on time.

    Captain Guo, Sima Hui, Zhang Mai, Tang Yan and the others had already gotten the news and were waiting at the main camp entrance to wee them back.

    Chu Lian was still wearing He Changdi¡¯s clothes, so it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to make an appearance.

    He Changdi jumped out of the warm pen with his usual cold expression and exchanged a few words with the wee party before personally escorting Chu Lian to her tent.

    Once Chu Lian had changed into a proper set of clothes and be presentable again, she came out to personally greet all of the friends who had been worried for her.

    Since Chu Lian was still living in the female camp, it wasn¡¯t good for He Changdi to stay there, so he returned to his own camp and tent after giving Wenqing and Wen some instructions.

    Once he entered his tent, he could hear Xiao Hongyu and the others talking.

    Captain Guo and Zhang Mai hurried over after seeing He Sang enter the tent.

    Captain Guo patted his shoulders, ¡°It¡¯s good that Sister-in-Law is safe. Don¡¯t think too much about all of this.¡±

    Zhang Mai chipped in with his own words offort.

    The two of them were much older than He Changdi and Xiao Hongyu, so they thought more than the others.

    Chu Lian was a woman after all. After getting kidnapped like that, even if she had her identity as an Honoured Lady to keep some from talking, there was plenty that other people could say about a woman taken out to the wilds by a pack of rogues...

    If rumours like those affected her reputation, it wouldn¡¯t be good for the young couple.

    Captain Guo was afraid that He Sang would overthink things.

    He Sang was a little dumbfounded, which showed in his expression as he looked at his two older brothers. He replied helplessly, ¡°What are you thinking about? Why would I even think like that?¡±

    When Captain Guo heard his response and saw that he seemed open-minded, he finally set down his worries. ¡°You brat. I¡¯m not worrying for you. Alright, it¡¯s good as long as you understand. Sister-in-Law is a gooddy, you had better not mistreat her.¡±

    During these years of peace, what kind of nobledy woulde all the way out here to this deste north and suffer through so much for the sake of her husband?

    Although Honoured Lady Jinyi¡¯s words and actions showed maturity beyond her years, she was still a youngdy who hadn¡¯t even reached the age of sixteen.

    ¡°Thank you for your concern, brothers. But you¡¯ve worried too much for this matter. Rest assured, I¡¯ve already ordered my men to seal their lips shut. Not many people know about what happened other than my trusted subordinates.¡± He Changdi was usually meticulous with his actions. Before leaving the main camp to look for Chu Lian, he had already settled the matters at hand in the army.

    Since he had the responsibility of being Chu Lian¡¯s husband, he couldn¡¯t let allow her reputation to be besmirched.

    Captain Guo nodded in admiration. He was also someone who would protect his wife with his life, so he understood why He Sang had done so.

    ¡°Rx, I¡¯ll take care of everything else in the army. I won¡¯t let anyone spread the news.¡±

    When He Sang heard this, he made the rare gesture of bowing deeply to Captain Guo.

    The corners of Zhang Mai¡¯s lips lifted up. ¡°What are you being so formal for between us brothers?¡±

    Captain Guo burst out intoughter, ¡°Let him bow, we deserve this gesture! Damn brat, take good care of your wife from now on.¡±

 Chapter 410: Protecting His Wife (1)

    Although it was a verymon phrase, it sounded a little strange to He Changdi when it finally filtered into his mind. He felt like there was a double meaning to the word ¡®care¡¯, especially after he had experienced more intimate contact with his wife...

    Thus, the tips of He Sang¡¯s ears started turning a little red.

    Captain Guo and the others didn¡¯t notice this little detail. At most, they just thought that He Sang¡¯s expression seemed slightly awkward.

    However, they weren¡¯t bothered about such minute changes amongst brothers.

    The men sat down at the center of the tent.

    As He Changdi removed his sword from his waist, Zhang Mai nced at him and asked, ¡°Have you found the culprit behind this?¡±

    He Sang looked at his brothers and said a single name.

    ¡°Xiao Bojian.¡±

    Although his tone hadn¡¯t changed, Captain Guo was able to sense the deep hatred for the man in his heart.

    Zhang Mai furrowed his brows. His surprise showed in his voice as he asked, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this name before, how is he involved in this?¡±

    Captain Guo¡¯s home was in the capital and he exchanged letters with his wife and children regrly, so he knew a little more about the news in the capitalpared to Zhang Mai. He frowned as well, ¡°That person is this year¡¯s top schr for the imperial examinations. His good name has spread through the whole city. He¡¯s Old Duke Ying¡¯s disciple.¡±

    When the mention of Duke Ying came up, Captain Guo shot a meaningful look at He Changdi as his expression turned a little strange.

    Xiao Hongyu was lying on his bed. His lips tilted to one side, ¡°That old man Duke Ying must be really blind. He¡¯s raised a feral wolf by his side without knowing.¡±

    The young Xiao Hongyu had somehow stumbled upon the truth of it.

    He Sang sat down and poured himself a cup of tea. After holding up the cup and taking a small sip, his brows drew together and set down the cup. It was clear he didn¡¯t like the mixed taste of sencha. He licked his lips and realised that Chu Lian¡¯s sickly sweet honey water was actually better than sencha.

    ¡°Although House Ying is linked to me in marriage, we¡¯re not close to House Ying.¡±

    He Sang had put it nicely. Not only were they not close to House Ying, Chu Lian probably would never want to go back.

    He Changdi brought his fingers together and touched the green Hetian jade ring on his right thumb before continuing, ¡°Xiao Bojian is currently the secretary of the northwestern army encamped in Su City.¡±

    This time, Captain Guo and Zhang Mai¡¯s expressions both changed.

    Surprise and bewilderment showed on their faces. They had never expected a newly minted top schr to have climbed his way up the ranks in court so quickly!

    When Captain Guo noticed the darkness swirling in He Changdi¡¯s eyes, he startled a little and held down Sang¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We have to think about this in the long term, don¡¯t be rash.¡±

    He Sang looked helplessly at his two older brothers, ¡°Brother Guo, Brother Zhang, don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m not an impulsive person.¡±

    In his past life, he had already suffered enough torture under the hands of that adulterous couple. How would he fall for their tricks once again? Once bitten, twice shy, but he had already been bitten more than just once!

    Although He Changdi was young, even Great General Qian ced utmost trust in him, let alone his band of brothers.

    Zhang Mai patted He Changdi¡¯s shoulder infort. However, he added on, ¡°There¡¯s one more thing.¡±

    He Sang looked up at Zhang Mai in slight confusion.

    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know this yet since you just came back to camp, but the traitor in our camp has been caught. It was Gao Zhangwei.¡± Zhang Mai¡¯s expression was grave, as were his words.

    Although Gao Zhangwei didn¡¯t get along with their Right Wing Army and constantly went against them in the northern border troops, conflict within an army was one thing and selling out their country was another.

    Even if they fought within the army ranks, there wouldn¡¯t be any grudges left once one side won. However, if they betrayed the entire army by colluding with the enemy, the entire army would look down on them.

    Who could have expected Gao Zhangwei to have done such a thing?!

    Great General Qian was also both shocked and angry. He immediately decided to have Gao Zhangwei executed under the gpoles of the border camp.

    He Changdi was a little startled. He remembered that Gao Zhangwei¡¯s collusion with the enemy hadn¡¯t been discovered in his past life. Not only that, he had even earned a lot of merit from this war and hadter been personally titled General Changping by the Emperor himself. He had also been awarded a noble rank along with the title.

    Thoughts swirled in He Sang¡¯s eyes. Although Gao Zhangwei was narrow-minded, he didn¡¯t have much courage to do anything. If he had really sent secret military information to the Tuhuns, then there had to be a mastermind behind it.

    ¡°The execution will be held tomorrow. In order to send a warning to the whole army, the general will be doing the execution himself in front of the two wings and the female army. We have to be present as well.¡±

    On this night, everyone was able to set aside the worries in their hearts to have a good night¡¯s rest. Even the burdened He Sang was no exception.

    Since the Tuhun army had already been defeated, it wasn¡¯t too appropriate for Chu Lian to continue staying in the camp. The next morning, He Changdi escorted her back to Liangzhou City¡¯s He Estate, along with his subordinates and House Jing¡¯an¡¯s private soldiers.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t sit in the warm pen together with Chu Lian this time, and stayed on horseback next to the snowboat instead.

    Mo Chenggui was following right behind him, his old face wrinkled up. He stared at He Changdi for a long time with his lips parted and a conflicted expression. In the end, he wasn¡¯t able to say a single word.

    He Changdi cast a neutral nce at him before speaking, ¡°Uncle Mo, if you think that you shouldn¡¯t speak up, then don¡¯t speak at all. Keep your words to yourself forever.¡±

    Mo Chenggui was startled by the frank words and hurriedly chased up to He Changdi on his horse. He looked around them first before asking He Sang in a low tone, ¡°Third Young Master, when Third Young Madam was taken away...¡±

 Chapter 411: Protecting His Wife (2)

    Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by He Changdi. He stared at Mo Chenggui unhappily with a threatening aura that demanded obedience. ¡°Uncle Mo, you had better remember this. Nothing happened to Lian¡¯er at all. If I happen to hear anything that says otherwise, I won¡¯t let you off easy even if you¡¯ve served our family for so long!¡±

    Mo Chenggui was shocked by the sudden forceful air his Third Young Master had taken. That aura had been exactly like that of the old count when he had still been alive. Like a bucket of cold water, it hadpletely woken him up.

    In the end, Mo Chenggui nced at He Sang and chose to seal his lips on this matter. ¡°Please rest assured, Third Young Master. This old Mo knows how to behave.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good that Uncle Mo knows how to behave. I hope that Uncle Mo will pass down this order to the rest of the old soldiers. I don¡¯t want to hear any other misunderstandings about Lian¡¯er in the future either.¡±

    After throwing down those words, He Changdi twitched the reins in his hands and pushed his horse ahead to the warm pen where Chu Lian was.

    Mo Chenggui stopped his mount and stared at He Changdi¡¯s leaving back as he moved to meet his wife. Uncertainty wavered in his heart. Ever since he hade to the northern border and seen everything that He Changdi had done in the military for himself, his turbid old eyes had a new shine to them.

    The current Count Jing¡¯an, also known as the North Defender General of the border at Mingzhou, was arge, tan and burly man who simply didn¡¯t look at all like the tall and slim Old Count Jing¡¯an.

    If not for how loving the old count and countess had been and how he had watched Matriarch He swelling up for ten months and eventually giving birth to Count Jing¡¯an, he would even have suspected that the current Count Jing¡¯an wasn¡¯t the old count¡¯s biological son.

    Everyone said that He Sang took after his mother, Countess Jing¡¯an, but that was because they had never seen Old Count Jing¡¯an in person. Out of the three sons that Madam Liu had given birth to, He Sang was the most simr to the old count when he had been young. This was most evident in his slender build and his steady and introverted nature.

    It was most likely because of the simrity to her husband that the matriarch liked this grandson of hers the most.

    The second son of House Jing¡¯an was already twenty four this year. Even though he still refused to take a wife, the matriarch had left him to his own devices. However, when He Sang came of age, the matriarch had gone to plead the empress dowager for the sake of getting him one of House Ying¡¯s fertile young misses.

    This wasn¡¯t purely because Matriarch He wanted the He bloodline to go on, but also because she wanted the grandson who looked the most like her husband to leave behind some children of his blood for the future.

    A resolute glint lit up in Mo Chenggui¡¯s old eyes. He seemed to have returned to the days when he had followed the old count to the battlefields and lost themselves in the heat of battle. Since the old count had already gone ahead without him, he would have to take the ce of the old count to take care of the grandson who looked the most like him.

    When they returned to the He Estate, He Sang actually personally helped Chu Lian out of the warm pen.

    Wenqing and Wen were waiting on Chu Lian nearby. When they saw this, they couldn¡¯t contain the tion on their faces. It seemed like this incident hadn¡¯t created a gap between Third Young Master and Third Young Madam, but had actually pulled the young couple closer instead.

    Chu Lian shot a look at the huge palm that He Sang had offered to her and ced her tiny hand in. The corners of her lips curled up.

    Just as the couple had entered the He Estate and settled down at the table, before they even had the time to breathe, Mo Chenggui had already strode in with someone behind him. It was a familiar face to all of them: Laiyue.

    This was when Chu Lian recalled that He Changdi had entrusted the matter of searching for the Snow Mountain Mists flower to Laiyue. Did this mean that there was good news?

    As the thought crossed her mind, she became even more alert.

    When Laiyue entered the hall after Mo Chenggui, his face was practically radiating joy. Even before He Changdi or Chu Lian could ask, he had already spoken up, unable to contain himself. ¡°Third Young Master, Third Young Madam, we found it! We found the Snow Mountain Mists!¡±

    As expected. Chu Lian¡¯s almond-shaped eyes lit up, ¡°Did you find it at Mount Ah-ming? Have you heard when it will bloom?¡±

    Laiyue nodded so furiously that he looked like a chicken pecking at grain. ¡°We¡¯ve investigated all the details. It seems like the Snow Mountain Mists will bloom in about seven or eight days. We heard from an old barbarian living at the foot of Mount Ah-ming that the flower blooms for about five days. We just have to climb up to the mountain peak during this period and pluck the flower.¡±

    Although there wasn¡¯t any change in He Changdi¡¯s expression, his eyes were also overflowing with the light of expectation. ¡°Since that¡¯s so, send out the orders. Prepare to leave immediately, we¡¯ll depart for the mountain tomorrow!¡±

    Mo Chenggui had received the good news along with them, so he followed Laiyue and went off to prepare for the journey.

    Soon, only the young couple were left in the hall, along with Wenqing and Wen.

    Chu Lian abruptly turned to He Changdi with her eyes sparkling. She was about to speak when He Changdi cut in first.

    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to go!¡±

    Chu Lian was stunned speechless, but she had enough wit left to roll her eyes. What was this? When had He Sang learned how to read her mind? She hadn¡¯t even said anything yet, but he had already anticipated what she was going to say.

    He Changdi¡¯s gaze fell onto her ankle.

    ¡°The wound on my ankle healed a long time ago. I can walk the same as any other person now.¡±

    He Sang remained resolute, ¡°Even so, you¡¯re not allowed to go. Be good and stay in the He Estate. I¡¯ll lead my men to Mount Ah-ming.¡±

    In the end, no matter how Chu Lian tried to persuade him, He Sang was stubborn and refused to let her go. Even though Chu Lian was on the verge of getting angry at him, He Sang still remained steadfast.

    Chu Lian had no choice but to give up on following along.

    Actually, she knew that He Sang was worried for her health. However, when she saw him being so stubborn, she just wanted to knock heads with him anyway.

 Chapter 412: Looking for Snow Mountain Mists (1)

    Of course, she obviously wasn¡¯t allowed to go in the end, so she stayed in the mansion.

    However, she wasn¡¯t silly enough to just wait around doing nothing. Shepiled modern tips and tricks for hiking onto a sheet of paper for He Changdi to take along with him.

    Although Chu Lian had never climbed Mount Everest in her past life, she had tried climbing some other snow mountains. Furthermore, she had taken the time to go through several lessons with professional coaches, so it was obvious that she was more well trained for mountain climbing than the people of ancient times.

    When He Sang tucked the ¡®things to note¡¯ list away into his clothes to keep it, it felt as if his heart was being warmed by the thin piece of paper.

    When he looked at the writing on the paper and saw how different it was to ¡®her¡¯ writing in his past life, He Changdi didn¡¯t know why he didn¡¯t feel a single shred of rm or oddity. Conversely, the tightly wound nerves in his heart had rxed.

    The northern border troops had achieved an overwhelming victory over the hundred thousand strong Tuhun army, and this news only took two days to reach Suzhou City, next to Lake Qianshan.

    Suzhou City then passed on the news to the capital, sent out at the highest speed and priority.

    The scourge of the north had been defeated and it wasing close to the new year. If the good news could reach the capital before New Year¡¯s Eve, then the celebrations in the capital would be even more joyous.

    With their borders safe and their tributary statesing down to pay their respects for the new year, it was a double blessing for the Great Wu Dynasty.

    When the news reached Suzhou City, Xiao Bojian was in the middle of drinking some tea in his tent.

    Three men dressed in ck were kneeling in the center.

    One stood right next to Xiao Bojian at his usual ce. He was trying his best to erase all signs of his presence, afraid that he might provoke his unstable master somehow.

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s cool gaze swept over the three kneeling men at one nce. Although his tone seemed normal, the three men knew exactly what he meant when he spoke. They couldn¡¯t help but shiver in fear.

    ¡°One, settle this ording to our standard procedures.¡±

    Even the leader of the secret guards, One, couldn¡¯t hold back a shiver from the unfeeling words.

    However, he didn¡¯t have any right to plead for mercy for them. He walked up to the three men and stuffed a small brown pill in each person¡¯s mouth so quickly that they couldn¡¯t react.

    After having the small pill forcefully fed down their throats, the faces of the three men turned deathly pale.

    ¡°It¡¯s yourst chance now. You know what will happen if this poison isn¡¯t cured after a month.¡± One gave the three men their warning.

    Following that, Xiao Bojian dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

    One took his ce at Xiao Bojian¡¯s side again, turning back into an invisible person.

    Only he knew what he felt inside at this moment.

    He just couldn¡¯t understand how a pampered and weak girl like Honoured Lady Jinyi could have escaped from the hands of their deadly operatives. She had also been able to kill the four operatives before escaping... His throat suddenly felt a little dry and cold sweat gathered on his back.

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s features had always been more feminine. The threatening aura draped around him only emphasised the sinister cast of his face. Now that the northern border troops had won the northern war, there was no longer any need for the northwestern army to continue camping at Suzhou City. He believed the Emperor would recall the northwestern army once he received the news and send them back to their original posts.

    Then he would be returning back to the capital soon.

    Although he refused to ept this truth, there was no longer any need to remain in Suzhou.

    But thinking of Lian¡¯er... Whenever Xiao Bojian thought of how Chu Lian was still by He Changdi¡¯s side, his rage would slip out of his control and he would feel the urge to rip He Changdi to shreds.

    While the clouds hanging over Xiao Bojian¡¯s expression had yet to fade, someone outside the tent had something to report.

    Returning to his senses, Xiao Bojian hid his emotions and allowed the messenger to enter.

    The entrance p was lifted and a low-ranking soldier entered with a letter.

    The soldier greeted with utmost respect, ¡°Sir Xiao, you have a letter from the capital.¡±

    It was One who stepped forward and picked up the letter, handing the letter to Xiao Bojian with two hands.

    Xiao Bojian gripped the thin letter with his slender fingers and waved in dismissal at the soldier. The soldier then bowed his head and left.

    As he stared at the letter, his brows drew together.

    He checked both sides of the envelope, but there weren¡¯t any markings on the letter at all. If not for the feeling of something inside the envelope, he would have thought that it was empty.

    He sneered inside; this was probably a ploy from someone.

    His parents had died when he was young and his n had fallen into decline. There weren¡¯t that many of them left. The only people he was familiar with in the capital were members of House Ying and his schoolmates. He had already received House Ying¡¯s letter a few days ago, so this couldn¡¯t have been sent by Old Duke Ying. This made the anonymous sender even more of a mystery.

    After tearing the envelope open, he took out a thin piece of paper.

    Not much was written within, only up to half the paper had been filled. However, just the content alone was enough to make Xiao Bojian¡¯s expression changepletely.

    The disdain that had been on his face was instantly wiped clean. He suddenly gripped the paper in his hands hard as his features contorted. After a moment, he actually burst out into loudughter. The sight was so spine-chilling and fearsome that even One¡¯s body trembled.

    ¡°Mas... Master, is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°The heavens are truly on my side!¡± Xiao Bojian was already so immersed in the waves of excitement overwhelming him that he didn¡¯t even hear what One said.

    His upturned eyes were filled with excitement as he gripped the letter in his hand, ¡°Send some men to Mount Ah-ming! They must annihte He Changdi no matter the cost! If they fail the mission, then their heads will roll! Send someone to investigate the source of this letter as well!¡±

    One didn¡¯t dare to question his master further and immediately left to carry out hismands.

 Chapter 413: Looking for Snow Mountain Mists (2)

    After One left, Xiao Bojian was left alone in the tent.

    He stared at the words on the letter. Mount Ah-ming, Snow Mountain Mists! He Sang, this is going to be a journey of no return for you!

    After staring at the letter for a while, Xiao Bojian felt that the writing was strangely familiar, but he lost the feeling after inspecting it carefully.

    When he gave it some thought, Xiao Bojian couldn¡¯t help but find it strange. He Changdi had gone into the army so quickly, just who could it be that hated him so much? House Jing¡¯an didn¡¯t have many enemies in the capital as Count Jing¡¯an spent most of his time guarding Mingzhou. Furthermore, the information contained in the letter was a huge secret that should only be known to the family members of House Jing¡¯an.

    Even his spies hadn¡¯t been able to find out that they needed the Snow Mountain Mists flower.

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s eyes turned into narrow slits as he pondered.

    The following day, He Changdi brought a team of people he trusted and rushed towards Mount Ah-ming.

    Mount Ah-ming wasn¡¯t too far from Liangzhou City. Now that they had the snowboats and the warm pens, there wasn¡¯t any ce that was out of reach for them even on the snowy days of the northern border.

    The northern border troops had just achieved a huge victory and He Sang was one of the soldiers who had contributed much to that. After he had privately exined his reasons to Great General Qian, the general had kindly given him half a month off and even allowed him to choose a few elite soldiers to apany him.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t depart from the He Estate, and left directly from the main camp instead. Thus, Chu Lian didn¡¯t have to send him off.

    On the third day after He Sang had left for Mount Ah-ming, Chu Lian had just gotten up from bed when she noticed Manager Qin, Wenqing and Wen all busy directing the other servants in a buzz of activity. Her courtyard was especially lively with people going to and fro.

    Even Urihan and her two children were pitching in to help.

    Chu Lian was bbergasted. She didn¡¯t know what they were so busy with.

    When Wen noticed her bewildered young madam standing in the corridor and watching them, she hurriedly went over to wee her with a smile.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, why didn¡¯t you put on an extra cloak on such a cold day?¡±

    Chu Lian waved her hand to indicate that she was fine. Her body waspletely healthy now and she wasn¡¯t that fragile.

    ¡°What are you so busy with? There are so many people moving about so early in the morning.¡±

    Wen¡¯s eyes widened with how startled she was. She covered the smile that had sprung up on her lips, ¡°Third Young Madam, you must have forgotten the date! The Kitchen God Festival is approaching, so we are getting everyone to clean the courtyard in preparation for the Kitchen God Festival.¡±

    Chu Lian smacked her head. Her mind had been so upied with worries these few days that she hadpletely forgotten about the Kitchen God Festival.

    It was 18th December now, so in a few more days, it would be the Kitchen God Festival.

    She smiled helplessly, ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve actually forgotten such an important date.¡±

    Wen smiled along with her and ordered one of the maidservants passing by to retrieve a list, which she then passed to Chu Lian. ¡°Third Young Madam, these are the things that Manager Qin, Wenqing and I havee up with after discussing what we need to prepare. Please take a look and let Manager Qin know if there¡¯s anything we¡¯ve missed out.¡±

    Chu Lian took the list from her and nced over the long list of goods. She felt a little overwhelmed; they had even listed all the types of dried fruits and nuts they needed.

    Her fingers pointed at a few items on the list, ¡°This, this, and this. Are we able to get these in Liangzhou City?¡±

    Wen covered her mouth and chuckled, ¡°Third Young Madam, have you forgotten that we have the snowboat now? Suzhou City isn¡¯t far from Liangzhou. If we rush over there to buy the things we need now, we¡¯ll definitely be able to send them back before the Kitchen God Festival.¡±

    Chu Lian: ...

    Alright, she had actually forgotten about the ¡®sled¡¯ she had ordered to be made.

    After hearing what Wen had said, a light bulb lit up in Chu Lian¡¯s head. Her limpid eyes were sparkling brightly as if there were gold ingots in her eyes, ¡°Quick, go and call Manager Qin over.¡±

    Before Wen could answer her, she turned back and returned to her room. She sat by the desk in front of the window and began fervently writing with her charcoal pen.

    When Wen led Manager Qin in, Chu Lian was still hunched over the table. Seeing that she was in deep concentration, Wen didn¡¯t dare to disturb her, so she stood there silently waiting, along with Manager Qin.

    By the time Chu Lian had finished writing out the idea that had suddenly struck her, an hour had already passed.

    She stretched out her sore body. It was only when she turned her head that she noticed the two waiting for her.

    Chu Lian walked over to the warm hearth and pointed at the seats on either side of her. ¡°Everyone, take a seat. I have some orders for you.¡±

    Following that, Chu Lian handed over the papers in her hand to Manager Qin on her right.

    It wasn¡¯t the first time Manager Qin had worked for Chu Lian. No one knew better than he did how novel Chu Lian¡¯s ideas and how well she could execute them.

    He respectfully received the few pieces of paper and his attention was immediately taken away by them. He lowered his head and started reading earnestly.

    At first, the space between his brows was wrinkled in confusion, but as he got to the end, his eyes started sparkling even more. Finally, his whole face was flushed red from his excitement. He held the few pieces of paper reverently as if they were some ancient treasure.

    Manager Qin looked at Chu Lian with his eyes as wide as they could go, ¡°Third Young Madam, please entrust this matter to this humble one! This humble one will definitely execute everything perfectly!¡±

    Chu Lian smiled, ¡°I called you over to look at this, so of course I was nning to hand this task over to you. Even if you want to reject this task, I won¡¯t allow you to.¡±

    After getting confirmation from Chu Lian, Manager Qin¡¯s excitement shot through the roof. ¡°Thank you for granting my wish, Third Young Madam. This humble one will head out to select the helpers immediately!¡±

    Wen stared after Manager Qin with a face full of curiosity. When she saw how stirred up he was as he ran out, her face showed that she couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of it. ¡°Third Young Madam, what¡¯s wrong with Manager Qin? Why is he acting like that all of a sudden?¡±

    Chu Lian smiled secretively, but didn¡¯t exin her n to Wen at all.

    TL Note: The Kitchen God Festival, also known as the ¡®Little New Year¡¯, is typically held on the 23rd or 24th day of the twelfth month of the lunar calendar. Basically, 5-6 days before New Year¡¯s Eve. This day is taken as the start of the New Year festivities.

    The Kitchen God, Zao Jun, records every good and bad thing that every household has done over the past year. Sort of like a Chinese Santa us~ The day of the Kitchen God Festival is when he takes a break and brings his reports to the Jade Emperor. On this day, Chinese households make offerings to him in order to get better reports or keep their bad deeds from being known.

    There¡¯s a Wikipedia article on him if you want to know more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitchen_God#Worship_and_customs. Check out his origin story too, I found it pretty interesting!

 Chapter 414: Aunt (1)

    Instead, Chu Lian changed the topic, ¡°Since the border troops havee out victorious, we should celebrate the New Year even more. I¡¯ve thought of some foods we can have for the New Year. Go and discuss it with Wenqing then put all the ingredients we need on this list and hand it over to Manager Qin.¡±

    After all that had happened ever since they hade to Liangzhou, Wen was very happy to see that her mistress had finally recovered the mood to cook up some good food. Chu Lian had just mentioned the food offhandedly and Wen was already bubbling with questions about what she was going to make this time.

    Although they were stuck out here in rural Liangzhou, Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to just make do for this New Year. Anyway, they weren¡¯t going to make it back to the capital in time for New Year¡¯s Day, so why not make their own preparations here and have some nice festivities with He Changdi?

    Thus, for the following days, Chu Lian, Wenqing and Wen made spring rolls, dumpling skins, then the actual dumplings, new year cake and all sorts of assorted snacks...

    Time passed so quickly that it was already the night of the Kitchen God Festival in the blink of an eye. Chu Lian and the maidservants prayed to the Kitchen God before they sat down with Urihan and her sons for a hearty dinner. Wenqing and Wen weren¡¯t willing to sit at the same table as their mistress at first, but after Chu Lian shot them a warning look, the two of them sat down awkwardly.

    The table was filled with all sorts of food. A huge hotpot was ced right in the center with plenty of ingredients prepared next to it. There were thin slices of beef and mutton, tofu, clean sheep intestines, dried vegetables, beancurd skin, beef meatballs...

    Chu Lian and a whole group of maidservants had been kept busy the whole day in order to prepare this authentic ¡®Chongqing hotpot¡¯.

    Other than theck of fresh vegetables, it was pretty much the same as the modern Chongqing hotpot.

    There was some weak yellow rice wine, especially suited for women to drink, warming over the brazier. Chu Lian waved her hand to signal the maidservants to start cooking.

    The He Estate in Liangzhou was filled with people making merry and enjoying the passing of the Kitchen God Festival. Even the outer court was no exception, with Li Xing and the old soldiers leading the celebrations.

    However, it wasn¡¯t so peaceful and lively back in the Jing¡¯an Estate in the capital.

    At the end of November, the estate had been greeted with the news that Heir Jing¡¯an¡¯s servant concubine, Miaozhen, was pregnant.

    On the very same day, the heir¡¯s wife, Madam Zou, had burst out in a fit of temper and broken the teacup in her hand. She had even brought Senior Servant Qiao and her handmaid, Jinshui, to Miaozhen¡¯s courtyard to make a fuss.

    Miaozhen had almost been force fed some herbal medicine to make her miscarry.

    Luckily, her maidservant had been quick-witted enough to run away and report the situation to Countess Jing¡¯an, Madam Liu.

    When Madam Liu had heard what was going on, she flipped her lid and pushed her sickly body out of bed to stop Madam Zou.

    Following that, she had brought Miaozhen back to her side so that she could have a peaceful pregnancy.

    However, after forcing herself out of bed and having her blood pressure shoot up from her anger, the efforts that Great Doctor Miao had put into strengthening her body werepletely wasted. The state of her health was back to where they had started.

    When He Changqi returned to the estate, since she had no other outlet to vent her anger on, Madam Zou had another huge quarrel with him.

    He Dng had been feeling guilty about the whole mess at first, but after what Madam Zou put him through, the little bit of guilt he had been harbouring instantly disappeared.

    Madam Zou took her two daughters with her back to her maiden home, the Dingyuan Estate, for a week. After getting persuaded by her mother and after Matriarch He sent a messenger over to invite her back, she finally returned to the Jing¡¯an Estate.

    The New Year was almost here. The estate couldn¡¯t do without a woman in charge of the household and there was no one else who could take the post.

    However, Madam Zou suddenly started ying up her helplessness at this time. Her belly was still boiling with anger. Furthermore, the stores in House Jing¡¯an¡¯s name weren¡¯t earning much. They had to spend lots of money to keep up their dignity as a noble house while visiting friends around in the capital.

    On this day, she brought her two daughters over to Qingxi Hall to give their greetings to the matriarch.

    Madam Zou pulled the six-year-old Little An and the four-year-old Little Lin close to her and whispered in their ears, ¡°Hurry up and greet your great-grandmother.¡±

    Little An and Little Lin ran over to the matriarch on their little legs and called out sweetly in unison, ¡°Great-Grandmother!¡±

    The matriarch patted the two girls¡¯ heads with affection.

    When she had a good look at how the two girls were dressed, Matriarch He¡¯s expression abruptly turned grave.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost the New Year now, why haven¡¯t you let the children dress up a little? At such a young age, they should be wearing brighter and livelier colours. They should have their golden lock amulets and pearls too.¡±

    After Matriarch He mentioned their dressing, everyone in the parlour directed their gazes on the two youngest misses of the house. They showed all sorts of expressions after doing so.

    The two young girls were wearing some worn and in coloured short dresses today. There wasn¡¯t even a single kind of decoration on their little heads. Even the pearl-iid gold cors they usually wore had been taken off. They didn¡¯t look anything like the precious nobledies they were. Instead, they looked no different from the daughters ofmoners.

    It was going to be the New Year in a few more days, yet the legitimate misses of their estate were dressed so shabbily and poor. No wonder the matriarch wasn¡¯t pleased.

    Madam Zou had been waiting for Matriarch He to say something like this. She gripped the handkerchief in her hand without saying a word, as if she was embarrassed to speak. Senior Servant Qiao couldn¡¯t stand seeing her mistress like that, so she spoke up.

    ¡°Matriarch, please pardon us. The two young misses are our madam¡¯s dear children. How could Eldest Young Madam bear to treat them shabbily? It¡¯s just that our Eldest Young Madam has found it hard to make ends meet as thedy-in-charge, especially since we¡¯re preparing for the New Year now. Eldest Young Madam still has to spend an appropriate amount for gifts to other estates so that our estate won¡¯t be looked down upon. Since the two misses are Eldest Young Madam¡¯s daughters, the two misses have to share a little of the burden now that the main branch has cut down on spending.¡±

    Senior Servant Qiao immediately kneeled down right after she finished speaking, as if she knew she had done wrong by exining all that and was prepared to receive any punishment for speaking out of turn. This made it hard for the matriarch to say anything else.

 Chapter 415: Aunt (2)

    The corners of Madam Zou¡¯s eyes reddened and she mumbled, ¡°Grandmother, it¡¯s Granddaughter-in-Law who wasn¡¯t capable enough to manage the household properly and made Grandmother worry.¡±

    Matriarch He frowned deeply. Although she was starting to dislike this granddaughter-inw of hers more and more, Dng had indeed taken a concubine before he had turned thirty, so she still felt like she owed Madam Zou a little for that.

    After thinking for a bit, the matriarch swallowed her frustrations.

    ¡°Bring over the public ount books for me to see how much we¡¯recking.¡±

    Madam Zou celebrated inwardly even while she had her head lowered in an obedient pose. She quickly shot her handmaid Jinshui a look.

    In a short moment, the ount books had been brought over.

    Matriarch He set the ount books on a table next to her and waved her hand at Madam Zou, ¡°Go and mind your tasks. I¡¯ll keep this ount book with me for now. Come back again tomorrow morning. Also, Little An and Little Lin are still young. Even if we can¡¯t make ends meet any longer, we can¡¯t let the children suffer.¡±

    Madam Zou stood up and led her two daughters to bow towards the matriarch with reverence. ¡°Thank you for your teachings, Grandmother. Granddaughter-in-Law won¡¯t let this happen again.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright. You¡¯re dismissed.¡±

    Madam Zou left and brought her daughters back to the main branch¡¯s courtyard.

    Little An and Little Lin were taken back to their own rooms by their nursemaids. Only Madam Zou¡¯s most trusted servants, Senior Servant Qiao and the handmaid Jinshui, were left in the room.

    Senior Servant Qiao passed a teacup to Madam Zou. ¡°Eldest Young Madam, will this really work? Even though Third Young Madam is no longer in the estate, the matriarch¡¯s servants are still managing Guilin Restaurant. The matriarch didn¡¯t agree to this before, so why would the matriarch agree to it now?¡±

    Madam Zou harrumphed, ¡°This time, it¡¯s not up to the matriarch any longer! Just wait and see!¡±

    Although Senior Servant Qiao didn¡¯t agree with what Madam Zou was doing, she couldn¡¯t stop her anymore. When she heard so, she could only sigh inwardly.

    Ever since the heir had taken a concubine, Madam Zou¡¯s thoughts had gone to new extremes.

    Actually, House Jing¡¯an¡¯s family tradition was one of the best around. Even though He Changqi hadn¡¯t waited until he was thirty to take a concubine, ording to the familyws, he was already twenty nine this year. That was already close enough to thirty. The couple had been married for almost ten years, but they still only had Little An and Little Lin.

    There was no male heir for House Jing¡¯an at the moment. It was perfectly normal for the senior family members in any other noble house to be feeling antsy by now.

    Even so, Eldest Young Madam wasn¡¯t putting her efforts into winning back her husband, but on trying to control the family fortunes instead. Senior Servant Qiaomented again in her heart.

    Madam Zou¡¯s eyes were still alight with her determination.

    The matriarch¡¯s only daughter was about to return home. She really had to thank the person who had revealed that information to her.

    Within Qingxi Hall, Matriarch He was still lying back on the wooden couch with an ount book in hand. The more she looked at the ounts, the more she wanted to tear the book apart with her bare hands.

    Senior Servant Liu was doing some embroidery next to the old matriarch, together with Muxiang. When she saw the tightly furrowed brows and depressed expression on the matriarch, she quickly set down the needle and thread in her hands to walk over to the matriarch¡¯s side. She tried tofort her, ¡°Matriarch, what¡¯s the matter? Please don¡¯t get angry over small matters like these.¡±

    The matriarch tossed the ount book in her hands to one side and pointed at it angrily. She let out a long sigh, ¡°Take a look at it yourself. How is that a small matter? You know how much our family assets were worth when I handed them over to her. Look at what she¡¯s done to them! The value of our assets have shrunk by at least half. For this whole year, not a single store brought in any profit for us. No wonder she doesn¡¯t even have the money to send out the New Year presents!¡±

    Senior Servant Liu took up the ount books and flipped through the pages. Soon, her brows were furrowed just like the matriarch¡¯s. ¡°How can this be? How could we have such heavy losses? Still, you should calm down, Matriarch. You know that Eldest Young Madam isn¡¯t good at managing businesses.¡±

    ¡°Forget it, forget it. Who told Dng to have done such a sorry thing to her! Go and get my personal ount books from the drawers.¡±

    The matriarch flipped through the personal ount book in her hands and pointed at a few parts, ¡°Tell the steward to give all these to Madam Zou.¡±

    Senior Servant Liu was watching carefully the whole time. When she heard so, she pressed her lips together like she had something to say.

    Matriarch He nced at her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What is it that you can¡¯t say in front of me now?¡±

    ¡°This old servant doesn¡¯t dare. But this old servant was just thinking, if you give all these to Eldest Young Madam, then what about Miss Ying...¡±

    The matriarch froze for a moment. Miss Ying was Matriarch He¡¯s only daughter and she had married far away to Siyang. Back when she had gotten married, something had happened that had caused Matriarch He to stop all contact with her daughter for many years.

    After so many years, Senior Servant Liu had still kept the habit of calling the past Eldest Miss of House Jing¡¯an by her maiden title, Miss Ying.

    Half a month ago, Miss Ying had sent a letter home, saying that her husband had passed away from illness and that her husband¡¯s family had fallen into ruin. She wanted to bring her daughter back to her maiden home to live out the rest of her days.

    Things had happened so long ago and her son-inw was already gone. Miss Ying was still Matriarch He¡¯s very own daughter after all. How could the matriarch bear to ignore her for the rest of her life?

    Thus, the soft-hearted matriarch had sent a letter and some servants to bring Miss Ying and her daughter back to the capital to celebrate the New Year together.

    The matriarch stayed in a daze for a long time, as if she had slipped back into her memories. Finally, she spoke up, ¡°For all the assets under my name, which store is the most profitable right now?¡±

    Senior Servant Liu replied truthfully, ¡°You have two silk stores and two grain stores under your name, as well as a dried medicinal herb store. As for the most profitable one, that would have to be that old Guilin Restaurant that you gave to Third Young Madam.¡±

 Chapter 416: Not Stupid (1)

    The profits from Guilin Restaurant were helping with the burden of Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s medicine expenses now and the matriarch had handed the deed for the restaurant over to Chu Lian back then. If she were to take it back and put it into the public ounts now, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate.

    Matriarch He thought of how Chu Lian was still in the north and sighed, ¡°Xiangyun, what should I do?¡±

    Senior Servant Liu frowned. It took a short while for her to reply, ¡°How about putting two months of Guilin Restaurant¡¯s profits into the public funds for now? When Third Young Madam returns from the north, Matriarch can return Guilin Restaurant to her. How does that sound?¡±

    Matriarch He¡¯s lit up and she nodded immediately, ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±

    The matriarch¡¯s private assets weren¡¯t infinite either. Their whole family wasn¡¯t good at business. She had used her private funds to make up for shortfalls here and there and she still had to leave enough for He Eng¡¯s wedding. There really wasn¡¯t much left.

    As for Miss Ying¡¯s matter, although her daughter hadn¡¯t lived up to her expectations when she was younger, that was still a child she had carried for ten months in her womb. Now that her daughter had left her husband¡¯s family and had no other support in the world, along with her newlye-of-age daughter, she had to stretch her funds to ount for Miss Ying as well now that she wasing back.

    Children would always be a debt for their parents. As rational as Matriarch He was normally, when it came to her own daughter, she just couldn¡¯t make her usual clear-headed decisions.

    ¡°Muxiang,e with me to Guilin Restaurantter,¡± Senior Servant Liu instructed.

    Muxiang had been doing needlework in the corner. She seemed a little dazed and she didn¡¯t respond for quite some time.

    Senior Servant Liu shot a nce at the girl when she didn¡¯t get a reply. Upon noticing her odd behavior, she found it weird and asked, ¡°Muxiang, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡±

    It was only then that Muxiang returned to her senses. She shook her head and replied respectfully, ¡°Matriarch, momo, this servant is fine.¡±

    Senior Servant Liuughed and joked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re upied with thoughts of your marriage now that you¡¯re all grown up! Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re the most capable maid under our matriarch. When you marry someday, she¡¯ll definitely treat you well.¡±

    Muxiang acted shyly in response, ¡°That¡¯s not it at all, momo! This servant is going to serve Matriarch forever!¡±

    Matriarch He smiled and poked her forehead, ¡°Alright, stop that silly talk. Make a trip down to Guilin Restaurant this afternoon with Xiangyun and exin things clearly to the steward there. Take these ten taels of silver and buy more clothes and essories for yourselves.¡±

    Senior Servant Liu smiled and led Muxiang in a grateful bob to the matriarch.

    On the night of the Kitchen God Festival, a few days before New Year¡¯s Eve.

    It was rare for all the masters of the Jing¡¯an Estate who were in the capital to be home at the same time. They all gathered at the parlour in the outer court for a meal.

    However, there was a single seat that remained empty. Countess Jing¡¯an was still bedridden due to her fit of anger at Madam Zou¡¯s actions previously.

    Only Dng¡¯s family and Matriarch He were seated at therge round table.

    The pregnant Miaozhen was currently kept by Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s side so that her pregnancy could go smoothly.

    There was a subtle pressure in the air that made the entire meal ufortable.

    Matriarch He sighed deeply, ¡°Dng, do you have any news of Eng and Sang?¡±

    He Changqi knew that his grandmother was worried for them. The He family already had very few members to being with, yet the men of the family were all fighting hard in distantnds, away from the family. He Changqi knew he couldn¡¯t really share every single detail to his grandmother. Of course he would only report the good news while withholding the bad.

    ¡°Grandmother, please don¡¯t worry. Eng is currently investigating a case with Prince Jin in Zhangzhou. They¡¯ve already found some clues, so if there aren¡¯t any unexpected incidents, he should be able toe back for the New Year. Third Sister-in-Law is still in the north so Sang has someone to take care of him!¡±

    The matriarch let out another long sigh. She couldn¡¯t muster up any appetite, so she set down her chopsticks and reached out behind her, signalling for Muxiang to help her stand. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte and my old body is tired. Eat slowly, you two. I¡¯ll be heading back to rest. Don¡¯t forget to visit your mother after you¡¯re done eating.¡±

    ¡°Grandson understands. Please walk carefully, Grandmother.¡±

    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t bother with sending me off. Spend more time with your wife and children.¡±

    Not long after the matriarch had left, He Changqi got up and left in huge strides, without even ncing back at Madam Zou.

    Madam Zou stared at He Changqi¡¯s retreating back with hatred as her nails dug angrily into her palm.

    Within Songtao Court, Senior Servants Gui and Zhong were leading the whole courtyard of maidservants in the celebrations for the New Year.

    Since their masters weren¡¯t around and they were all servants, the two stewards didn¡¯t dare to make too much of a fuss over the festivities. They simply sat down together with the other servants and had a good meal together and that was the end of it.

    When they were done with the meal, the two senior servants and the few handmaids were tidying things up in the warm room.

    Xiyan wrote down some records in an ount book with a serious expression before cing all the ounts that had been sent over from Guilin Restaurant on the table.

    Senior Servants Gui and Zhong were working on some new clothes for Chu Lian at the side. One of them smiled and asked, ¡°So how much did Third Young Madam¡¯s Guilin Restaurant earnst month?¡±

    When this was mentioned, Xiyan first reacted by freezing up, then taking a deep breath to calm the fires raging in her heart.

    ¡°Momo, don¡¯t talk about that anymore. No matter how much Guilin Restaurant has earnedst month, it has nothing to do with our Third Young Madam.¡±

    The senior servants exchanged bewildered looks before they spoke up, ¡°Why not? It was Third Young Madam who single-handedly made Guilin Restaurant what it is. Although she borrowed the restaurant that the matriarch gifted to her, the deed is still under Third Young Madam¡¯s name!¡±

 Chapter 417: Not Stupid (2)

    Xiyan was clearly still huffy over the whole matter. Her usual calm and generosity waspletely non-existent as she snorted, ¡°So what if it belongs to our Third Young Madam? Our Third Young Madam is the most junior in this family, so she can¡¯t beat the senior family members. See, with one word from Matriarch He, a whole month of profits from our Third Young Madam¡¯s Guilin Restaurant have been confiscated for the public funds! They didn¡¯t even leave a single silver behind!¡±

    Senior Servants Gui and Zhong were astounded. They hadn¡¯t expected Matriarch He to have done so.

    To be honest, even though it was the matriarch who had ordered this, it was still a little too much.

    Guilin Restaurant now belonged to Chu Lian alone!

    A shared sense of foreboding appeared in their hearts.

    Senior Servant Zhong mulled over it before saying, ¡°Tell me, what do you think the matriarch means by this? Is she thinking of taking Guilin Restaurant back?¡±

    Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan both sunk into silence.

    Momentster, Xiyan bit her lower lip and said, ¡°Forget it, Third Young Madam was already prepared for this even before she left. I thought she was overthinking things back then, but it seems like it¡¯s a real possibility. We can¡¯t just sit back and do nothing now.¡±

    Senior Servants Gui and Zhong looked at Xiyan with amazement. Could it be that Third Young Madam had left some instructions for Xiyan before leaving?

    Since things had progressed to this stage, there was no need for Xiyan to continue hiding it anymore. Chu Lian trusted Senior Servants Gui and Zhong as well.

    Chu Lian had already considered that a situation like this would happen even before she had left for the north. She had written down some solutions and left them to Xiyan. She instructed Xiyan not to use them until she really had to. Xiyan had never even considered opening that letter before, but now she had no other choice.

    ¡°Alright, momo, did you really think that our Third Young Madam is someone who¡¯s easy to bully?¡±

    Since Xiyan had said so, the two senior servants¡¯ worries turned into smiles.

    While they were speaking in the warm room, a servant from outside reported that Princess Duanjia¡¯s handmaid Jinxiu hade.

    Joy brightened up Xiyan¡¯s face and she quickly replied, ¡°Invite her in!¡±

    The three personally went to the entrance to receive her.

    A short whileter, Jinxiu was weed into the warm room.

    A servant brought tea over for their guest. When Jinxiu looked at the three servants, her expression changed subtly and she asked, ¡°The three of you seem rather downcast, is there something in the estate that¡¯s troubling you?¡±

    Back when Chu Lian had still been in the capital, she had gotten along the most with Royal Princess Duanjia. She had even saved the princess once. When Chu Lian had left for the north, Princess Wei had even specially sent some guards from her estate to follow along.

    Xiyan and the others were Chu Lian¡¯s most trusted subordinates, so they knew that they didn¡¯t have to hide things from Princess Duanjia¡¯s servant. They exined the situation with Guilin Restaurant.

    Jinxiu frowned. Although she was from Prince Wei¡¯s estate, even from the perspective of a bystander, Matriarch He had gone overboard with her actions.

    ¡°Do you require any assistance from our princess?¡±

    Xiyan hurriedly shook her head, ¡°How could we trouble the royal princess? Our madam isn¡¯t someone who would let others bully her just like that. Third Young Madam left some solutions for us, so we should be able to work things out by ourselves.¡±

    Jinxiu nodded, ¡°Alright, then be careful. We¡¯re all servants here, remember that we don¡¯t have the same immunity as our masters.¡±

    Xiyan put some dried snacks in front of Jinxiu to let her have a taste.

    ¡°What have youe over for, Sister Jinxiu?¡±

    Jinxiu quickly set down the snacks in her hand and dusted them off. She turned to a lower-ranking maidservant behind her and took a small bag from her.

    ¡°I was so upied with chatting that I almost forgot about the task that Princess Wei and Royal Princess have entrusted to me.¡±

    After saying so, Jinxiu opened up the small bag right in front of the others.

    There were a few exquisite long boxes and a set of luxurious clothing within.

    Jinxiu carefully took out the dress first and exined, ¡°This is a dress made from some silk Sichuan brocade that our princess acquired from Mianzhou. There were only two outfits made in total; one light yellow and this pink one. Honoured Lady has the same measurements as our Royal Princess, so Princess sent me over with one set for Honoured Lady.¡±

    Xiyan and the other servants hurriedly epted the dress and thanked Princess Wei in ce of Chu Lian. Even though Chu Lian wasn¡¯t in the capital, Princess Wei had been able to think of her even while having dresses made for Royal Princess Duanjia. That showed how much Princess Wei favoured Chu Lian.

    Xiyan, Senior Servant Gui and the rest were genuinely happy for Chu Lian over this.

    They couldn¡¯t count on House Ying for any support. Now that Princess Wei had be Chu Lian¡¯s backer, even if Chu Lian distanced herself from her maiden house, the noble madams anddies of the capital wouldn¡¯t be able to bully her.

    Jinxiu then opened several of the pear blossom wood boxes.

    ¡°Here is the share of the profits for the jewellery store for this month. Since Honoured Lady isn¡¯t around, you can keep these for Honoured Lady first. The rest of the boxes are all essories that the master craftsmen of the store have made. These were personally picked out by our Royal Princess for Honoured Lady.¡±

    Before leaving the capital, Chu Lian had opened up a jewellery store together with Royal Princess Duanjia. They had agreed on leaving the management of the storefront and personnel to Princess Duanjia, while Chu Lian was in charge of drawing up new and interesting designs for the jewellery.

    Although Chu Lian had handed over a stack of designs to Royal Princess Duanjia before leaving, the store hadn¡¯t opened that month.

    It wasn¡¯t until the start of November that the jewellery store Treasure Pavilion had officially opened.

    The banknotes that Jinxiu had just sent over were the first time that Chu Lian had received any of the profits from the jewellery store.

    Xiyan, Senior Servant Zhong and Senior Servant Gui stared at the thick piles of banknotes in the wooden boxes. They were all slightly dazed from shock. All of this was from just a single month¡¯s earnings?

    Jinxiu seemed to have guessed at their train of thought. She smiled and exined, ¡°You might be surprised now, but if you go over to Treasure Pavilion and take a look for ourselves, you¡¯ll realise that this much profit is actually on the lower side. It¡¯s almost the New Year, so all the noble families in the capital are going toe to the store to make new essories or headdresses. The earnings for thest month of the year should be at least twice as much as the previous month!¡±

 Chapter 418: Hurt (1)

    Xiyan had no words to describe how amazed she was. She hadn¡¯t expected that a store Third Young Madam and Royal Princess Duanjia had casually decided to open would actually be so profitable! Could their Third Young Madam somehow be the reincarnation of the God of Wealth...

    Jinxiu took in Xiyan¡¯s ck jaw and red at her rebukingly. ¡°It¡¯s not really that much. Don¡¯t tell me that Guilin Restaurant earns less than this in a month.¡±

    Xiyan looked a little embarrassed as she replied, ¡°Well, no...¡±

    She sighed inwardly. Wasn¡¯t it precisely because Guilin Restaurant earned so much that they were facing these troubles now? While Third Young Madam was still away from the capital, others were eyeing the restaurant.

    Jinxiu didn¡¯t stay for too long. She left after an hour of chatting and tea.

    Right after the Kitchen God Festival, Guilin Restaurant suddenly shut its business down on the very next day!

    A die-hard group of their customers squatted in front of the doors of Guilin Restaurant early in the morning. It was only when the ancient doors remained shut even after noon had alreadye and gone that they finally gave up and left with manyments.

    Actually, while most businesses would shut down for the new year celebrations, for restaurants and inns, they would usually wait till after thest two days of the year before shutting down. After that, they would usually open their businesses on the fifth day of the new year.

    However, going by the sign that Guilin Restaurant had hung on its doors, they were going to close right when the new year celebrations had just started, and they would be undergoing renovation right at the start of the year. They didn¡¯t even reveal when they would open again!

    Even though the customers gathered outside Guilin Restaurant were brimming with anger, Guilin Restaurant had always gone by its own rules and they had never bent them for anyone. Guilin Restaurant likely wouldn¡¯t change their minds even if the customers were to charge in and demand an exnation.

    Furthermore, Guilin Restaurant had somehow been emptied outpletely in the span of a single night. Not one person could be found in the restaurant now. It was clear that the staff had known about this for a while.

    On the same day, when it was almost 11am, Old Duke Zheng rode his simple blue carriage over to the rear entrance of Guilin Restaurant. The servant driving the horses stopped the carriage and went over to knock on their doors, like he had done many times before. In a short moment, the doors were opened from within by a manservant dressed in blue.

    However, this time, the blue manservant didn¡¯te up to lead Old Duke Zheng¡¯s carriage away. Instead, he bowed deeply towards Old Duke Zheng¡¯s servant with an apology written all over his face. ¡°Your Grace, our most sincere apologies. Our humble business will be closed from today onwards.¡±

    Old Duke Zheng had just alighted from his carriage when these words hit him like a ton of bricks. His wrinkled yet spirited eyes red at the manservant as he said, ¡°What? What do you mean closed?! Since you¡¯re running a restaurant, why aren¡¯t you open for business? Are you trying to ck off while your owner isn¡¯t in the capital?!¡±

    The corners of the blue manservant¡¯s lips twitched and he continued respectfully, ¡°That¡¯s not possible, Your Grace. We servants would love to work more and earn more money. We wouldn¡¯t dare to skive. This decision didn¡¯te from us, but from Third Young Madam herself. We humbly beg for your understanding, Your Grace.¡±

    Once the blue manservant had given his exnation, Old Duke Zheng frowned. He grumbled lightly, ¡°What is that girl doing now?¡±

    Following that, he turned to ask the blue manservant, ¡°Are there any chefs left in Guilin Restaurant?¡±

    Upon hearing this, the blue manservant knew that the old duke hadn¡¯t given up. He could only grit his teeth and reply, ¡°Your Grace, all the staff in Guilin Restaurant have already left. Only this servant and a few old servants have been kept here to look after the building.¡±

    In the end, Old Duke Zheng had no other choice but to return to his own estate with a very stormy expression.

    On this day, the blue manservant had to hold off at least twenty more waves of noble customers who hade to have a meal at Guilin.

    Next to Guilin Restaurant, in a private room on the second floor of a newly opened teahouse, a middle-aged man harrumphed. He mmed the porcin teacup in his hands back on the table, causing the tea within to slosh out and spill.

    The middle-aged man¡¯s voice was low and husky, filled with a domineering aura that only someone of a high status would have. ¡°Yang Yanfeng. So this is the restaurant famed all over the capital that you¡¯ve brought us to? So famous that it has shut down?¡±

    Lord Yang coughed awkwardly. ¡°Your Majesty, please forgive me. This humble subject did not expect Guilin Restaurant to have shut down so suddenly.¡±

    The man who had forgone his imperial robes in favour of more ordinary clothing sitting opposite Lord Yang was the current ruler of the Great Wu Dynasty, the Chengping Emperor. The Emperor was dressed in a low-key grey brocade robe today, with a simple white jade crown on his hair. He looked just like any other rich nobleman. If not for the imposing aura that he wore like a cloak, he looked like a handsome, finely aged man.

    Through the ts of the windows, the Chengping Emperor¡¯s sharp eagle eyes narrowed as they focused on Guilin Restaurant¡¯s rear entrance.

    Very well. So this is where all his good subjects had been running to after morning court to enjoy themselves.

    They had been sat here for two hours. Just look at the people who hade knocking on those doors.

    Dukes, Great Generals, the Head of the Secretariat, the Minister of Transport, many of his cab and trusted officials. Even the reclusive and lofty schrs who never stepped out of their studies hade.

    The Chengping Emperor didn¡¯t understand how a restaurant tucked away in such a remote alley was so enticing to all of his subjects. All manner of important people were rushing up to their doors. Any one of them could make the entire capital shake if they simply stomped their feet. Could these people be trying something behind his back, rather thaning here merely for a meal?

    However, it didn¡¯t seem quite right the more he looked at it. If they were trying to plot something, why would they bring empty food containers along with them?

    They were clearly nning to bring home another set of food after eating their fill!

 Chapter 419: Hurt (2)

    That... what¡¯s his name... Wasn¡¯t that Li Xiuxian from the west suburbs?

    The Chengping Emperor had sent envoys three times to invite that sour schr to be the princes¡¯ private tutor, but that old fellow had kept refusing to move like a stubborn old tortoise. Well look now, a simple restaurant¡¯s dishes had somehow lured him out of his home!

    Look at how that old fellow¡¯s body trembled as he got off his carriage. He looked like he was about to be blown away by the wind any second now, but he didn¡¯t fall. Instead, he stood in front of Guilin Restaurant¡¯s rear entrance, full of energy and spirit.

    The Chengping Emperor was about to faint from the sheer intensity of his anger.

    As Lord Yang watched clouds gather over the Emperor¡¯s face, he smiled bitterly inside. He could only do his best to persuade the Emperor and say, ¡°Your Majesty, perhaps we should return to the pce first. It looks like Guilin Restaurant has really shut its doors. There¡¯s no meaning in waiting any longer.¡±

    However, the Chengping Emperor remained stubborn as a mule. ¡°We¡¯ll sit for a while longer! We want to see which gluttons are going to show up now!¡±

    Cold sweat was running down Lord Yang¡¯s forehead. He lit a candle in mourning for hisrades who hade to Guilin Restaurant and been met with closed doors today.

    ¡°Yanfeng, does the food in this Guilin Restaurant hold such attraction? Half of my court has been enticed here.¡±

    The Chengping Emperor felt a little uneasy.

    When Lord Yang heard such a question from the Emperor, he tried his best to reply, ¡°If Your Majesty might allow me to be bold, this humble subject thinks that even the imperial cooks in Your Majesty¡¯s pce can¡¯tpare.¡±

    He hade to Guilin several times himself ever since Guilin had opened. As busy as he might be, he would definitelye to Guilin Restaurant every month with his wife to have a meal. There were small private courtyards in Guilin Restaurant, separated from other courtyards. Furthermore, their soundproofing and the way they had designed the ce were excellent. Even if he knew that many of his colleagues came here to eat as well, if he didn¡¯t make the effort to meet and greet them, they would never bump into each other while in Guilin.

    If he were not kept busy by official business, Lord Yang would have liked toe to Guilin Restaurant every day for meals.

    Unfortunately, most of them couldn¡¯t enjoy their lives like Old Duke Zheng, taking all three meals of the day there and practically living in Guilin Restaurant.

    When the Chengping Emperor heard Lord Yang ¡®s appraisal, he was taken aback. Better than the imperial cooks... How could he leave it be now?

    Once he thought of how his subjects were eating better than him, the very ruler of this dynasty, the Chengping Emperor felt a huge sense of unfairness.

    ¡°Hmph, so all of you have been eating such delicacies every day! What loyal subjects you are!¡±

    Lord Yang had simply spoke the truth. He hadn¡¯t expected his frank admission to have provoked the Emperor somehow.

    He gulped anxiously. Keeping the Emperorpany was really like lying next to a wild tiger.

    ¡°Your Majesty, this is the only indulgence this humble subject has. Furthermore, now that Guilin Restaurant has shut down, it won¡¯t be possible toe here any longer.¡±

    The Chengping Emperor only felt slightly better after staring at the tightly closed doors of the restaurant.

    ¡°Who¡¯s the one behind such an impressive restaurant?¡±

    When Lord Yang saw that the Emperor had dropped the previous topic, he rxed and quickly replied, ¡°Actually, Your Majesty has already met the owner of this restaurant.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Tell me more.¡±

    Lord Yang smiled, ¡°It¡¯s thedy you¡¯ve personally named, Honoured Lady Jinyi.¡±

    ¡°Jinyi?¡±

    When that familiar face popped back into the Emperor¡¯s mind, his mind went into a daze for a moment. By the time he regained his senses, there was a slight upward curve to his lips. ¡°So it¡¯s that girl. Where is she? Send someone to call her here. We will question her and see why that silly girl has shut down the restaurant.¡±

    Lord Yang tried to hold back his sweat. ¡°Your Majesty, Honoured Lady Jinyi has gone to the northern border. She¡¯s not in the capital now...¡±

    ¡°What? She¡¯s gone to Liangzhou in the north?¡± The Chengping Emperor started frowning deeply. With his fearsome gaze focused on Lord Yang, Lord Yang was starting to feel unwell.

    He could only harden up his courage and try exining the situation. Luckily, he had some connection with Chu Lian, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t know how to exin everything.

    ¡°She¡¯s been gone for two or three months. Your Majesty might have forgotten that He Sang is in Liangzhou right now! When the situation in the north changed, the He matriarch must have felt uneasy, so she requested the Empress Dowager to pass down a decree for Honoured Lady Jinyi to head to Liangzhou.¡±

    ¡°Even so, how could she send a youngdy to the north! What nonsense is House Jing¡¯an thinking?!¡±

    Lord Yang didn¡¯t know what to say. Helpless, he replied, ¡°Your Majesty, there¡¯s no one else House Jing¡¯an can send other than Honoured Lady Jinyi.¡±

    When the Chengping Emperor was reminded of this fact by Lord Yang, realisation dawned upon him. His eyes narrowed. Even though he now knew that Matriarch He hadn¡¯t had any other choice, he still felt disgruntled.

    Honoured Lady Jinyi was considered part of their imperial family after all, since he had personally given her her title. How could she be sent to and fro just like that by that old biddy in the He Family?

    Since their conversation had turned to the topic of the war in the north, the Emperor lost the mood to remain in disguise. He brought Lord Yang with him as he returned back to his ¡®estate¡¯.

    Once the Kitchen God Festival was over, time passed fleetingly.

    In the blink of an eye, five days had passed and it was almost New Year¡¯s Eve.

    Even in the main camp of the border troops, the mood had turned festive and the army cooks had all started preparing the food they would need for New Year¡¯s Eve.

    However, at this time, Chu Lian seemed to be rather listless. She had been kept busy by the preparations for the past few days. Now that they were done, her mood had sunk quite low.

    It had been ten days since He Changdi had left, and he wasn¡¯t back yet.

    Going by the news that Laiyue had brought, the Snow Mountain Mists flower on Mount Ah-Ming should have wilted yesterday.

    Although Chu Lian had both hands stuffed into a rabbit fur tube with a little handwarmer to boot, she still felt cold all over.

    She had been asking Wenqing and Wen to check at the entrance every day. She had even gone so far as to send someone to the border camp to ask after He Changdi.

    The servants¡¯ reports had left her disappointed each time. Chu Lian sat against the warm hearth bedcking the mood to do anything at all. She tried hard to remember all the details in the story she had read, but unfortunately, the book had never mentioned the northern border in detail.

    While she was still in a daze, Manager Qin came running into the room in a panic, all etiquette having flown out of his mind.

    Terror and anxiety filled his face as he said, ¡°Third... Third Young Madam, pleasee with me. Quickly! Third Young Master is hurt!¡±

 Chapter 420: Treatment (1)

    Chu Lian¡¯s expression abruptly changed. She hadn¡¯t expected He Changdi to get hurt.

    Before Manager Qin could say any more, she leaped from the hearth bed, even forgetting to put on her shoes in her haste.

    ¡°Quick, lead me there!¡±

    Manager Qin had only given the situation in the outer court a cursory nce before rushing over to report to Chu Lian. The only thing he knew was that Third Young Master was badly injured.

    When He Changdi had been brought in by the guards, he was already in aa.

    Without knowing more about his condition, Manager Qin didn¡¯t dare to say anything else to Chu Lian. Thus, on the journey to the outer court, the atmosphere remained sombre and tense.

    Once they reached the central room of the outer court, they were met with the sight of a group of guards surrounding the soft bed in the center of the room. Amongst them was a sorry-looking Mo Chenggui, who stood to one side with an expression full of self-me and guilt.

    When Chu Lian saw the slender figure lying in the center, her mind wentpletely nk. She hurried over to check on He Changdi¡¯s injuries.

    The usual humour in her almond-shaped eyes was gone, reced with anger and worry.

    The guards surrounding He Changdi shifted away upon seeing that it was their young madam who hade.

    Before Mo Chenggui could exin, Chu Lian was already throwing out questions in a cold tone. ¡°Where is he injured? Hurry up and call for a physician!¡±

    Mo Chenggui moved his mouth without speaking at first, looking close to sobbing. When Chu Lian shot him a fierce re, he gritted his teeth and replied, ¡°Third Young Master fell from the mountain. The worst injury is on his right thigh and there are a few smaller injuries all over his body. We¡¯ve already called a physician, he¡¯ll be here soon.¡±

    Chu Lian cast a cold look at him before shifting away. Right now, she wasn¡¯t in the mood to ask what exactly had happened on Mount Ah-Ming and how He Sang had gotten into this state.

    She ignored the customary reserve between men and women and reached out to take off He Changdi¡¯s clothes.

    When Manager Qin noticed her movements, he knew that Third Young Madam wanted to inspect the wounds herself.

    Manager Qin was one of the calmer ones present. He quickly ushered the guards out and called Wenqing and Wen in to help.

    Mo Chenggui rushed over to stop Chu Lian when he realised that she wanted to check on He Changdi¡¯s wounds herself. She wasn¡¯t a doctor, and Third Young Master was injured all over. If she made his injuries worse by ident, he could die from it!

    However, before Mo Chenggui could reach Chu Lian, he was held back by Manager Qin.

    The space between Manager Qin¡¯s brows was tightly furrowed as he stated coldly, ¡°Leader Mo, Third Young Madam knows what she¡¯s doing. The physician hasn¡¯t arrived yet, but Third Young Master¡¯s wounds can¡¯t wait!¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    ¡°But what? Are you going to tell me that you know what to do?¡±

    Mo Chenggui finally sunk into silence. How could he possibly know what to do in this case? The extent of his medical knowledge was to cover up any areas that were bleeding with bandages... If he were a physician, would he have waited until now to take action?

    Once Manager Qin saw that he had been cated, he ushered him off to one side and said, ¡°Rest here, Leader Mo. When the doctores, Third Young Madam will definitely have some questions for you.¡±

    Although there weren¡¯t any deadly wounds on Mo Chenggui¡¯s body, he cut a sorry figure. He likely had some hidden wounds underneath his rumpled clothing. The thick fur cloak on him had traces of dried blood all over.

    With Wenqing and Wen as her helping hands, Chu Lian worked fast.

    He Changdi was covered in bloodstains, and there were cuts all over his body. Some of the wounds had been left exposed to the elements and were frostbitten, exacerbating his condition.

    However, Chu Lian simply couldn¡¯t bring herself to think about the smaller wounds now. She took a deep breath to keep calm.

    Taking a pair of scissors from Wenqing, she began carefully cutting his right pants leg while making sure to avoid contact with his wounds.

 Chapter 421: Treatment (2)

    The pants leg was covered in numerous cuts, and blood from the wound had caused more than half of the cloth to be stuck to his leg. There were also parts that were stuck directly to his wounds. Chu Lian clenched her teeth and mustered up the courage to pull it off in one go.

    The unconscious He Sang was covered in cold sweat. There was an unnatural flush on his cheeks, and his lips were pale and cracked. These were the signs of a high fever.

    Wen ordered a servant to bring in a few more braziers, then ced a towel soaked with cold water on He Changdi¡¯s forehead.

    Chu Lian pursed her lips tightly, holding back her tears with everything she had.

    After cutting for approximately five minutes, she finally managed to cut off the clothing stuck to his wounds, revealing his entire right leg.

    His right leg was badly mangled from thigh to calf,. She couldn¡¯t even see a single patch of clean skin- everything was covered in blood.

    Chu Lian had gone through special training for emergency first aid in the wilderness before. Although she couldn¡¯t match the treatment a medical professional might provide, she could still patch up his wounds before a doctor arrived.

    She asked Wenqing and Wen to search for some supplies before she began tending to He Changdi¡¯s thigh. Before long, the condition of his thigh and calf was stabilised.

    Those who remained in the room were all Chu Lian¡¯s trusted servants, so nobody questioned Chu Lian¡¯s decisions. Even though Mo Chenggui had tried to object, his objection had already been quelled by Manager Qin.

    By the time Chu Lian finished, an old physician with a snow-white beard was helped in by two guards.

    Chu Lian quickly weed him in. This physician was a familiar face. He had been the one to see to the wound on Chu Lian¡¯s ankle, and he was an experienced old physician who was skillful with external wounds.

    ¡°Sir, please take a look at my husband¡¯s wounds,¡± Chu Lian said as she supported the physician to the bed.

    When the old physician saw that the wounds on the patient¡¯s right thigh had already been cleaned, he seemed astonished. ¡°Who tended to these wounds?¡±

    The question from the unknowing physician lit a fire in Mo Chenggui¡¯s heart. He thought that the physician meant that Chu Lian had made the condition of He Changdi¡¯s wounds even worse. He immediately stood up to face Chu Lian with a fierce re.

    Chu Lianpletely disregarded his angry look. Instead, she focused on suppressing her own anxiety and remaining calm. ¡°Sir, it was me.¡±

    The old physician raised his head to nce at Chu Lian. He nodded with approval. ¡°Madam, you¡¯ve done very well. You must have studied a little about medicine before. I didn¡¯t bring any of my assistants in my rush toe here, so I¡¯ll need to trouble you in a bit.¡±

    Chu Lian quickly nodded and took off her loose outer robe, which would only get in the way. She changed into a more flexible tunic.

    Mo Chenggui was stupefied. It waspletely out of his expectations that a youngdy like Third Young Madam would actually have some medical knowledge at the tender age of sixteen. However, since the old physician had said so, he believed it.

    For a moment, he felt rather guilty.

    Manager Qin nced at him with contempt. For some reason, Manager Qin just couldn¡¯t get along with Leader Mo.

    He just couldn¡¯t see eye to eye with this old ruffian no matter how much he tried.

    The old physician didn¡¯t like how crowded the room was, so he only allowed Chu Lian and Wenqing to stay while everybody else was chased out of the room.

    After a whole two hours, the old physician finally exited the room with the support of Wenqing, while the weary Chu Lian came out right behind them.

    The moment the door was opened, Mo Chenggui and Manager Qin anxiously went up to them.

    Mo Chenggui asked apprehensively, ¡°Doctor, how is Third Young Master?¡±

    The old physician looked him up and down. When he saw that the middle-aged man also seemed to be covered in wounds, he rattled out a list ofints. ¡°Were you involved with bringing the patient back here? You, don¡¯t you know how to take care of someone? If that young man in there had stayed on horseback for just half a day longer, you can forget about keeping his right leg! Luckily, your madam arrived just in time to take care of those wounds. Otherwise, even if I were Hua Tuo reborn, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep that leg! A fine young man would have been crippled just like that!¡±

 Chapter 422: Taking Care of He Sanlang (1)

    Although Mo Chenggui wasn¡¯t happy to be the subject of the old physician¡¯s nagging, he understood that He Changdi¡¯s condition had taken a turn for the better thanks to Chu Lian.

    He hastily lowered his head in apology.

    Chu Lian pressed her palm to her forehead, clearly fatigued. She shot a signal at Manager Qin with her eyes. Manager Qin caught on to her intentions and quickly helped the old physician to a room nearby for some tea and snacks.

    The old physician was skilled at his craft, but he seemed to enjoy prattling on a little too much, perhaps due to his age.

    Chu Lian still had questions for Mo Chenggui, so she couldn¡¯t just let the old physician ramble on like that.

    Once the old physician was out of sight, Chu Lian called Mo Chenggui to the study for a chat.

    He Changdi had suffered severe injuries. Despite the fact that his condition had been stabilised, it wasn¡¯t good to move him at this point. There was no way for him to return to the northern border army for now, so they would have to send a messenger to notify them.

    Some timeter, He Changdi was moved off into a side room. Chu Lian took on the task of feeding him herself and used a teapot with a narrow spout to pour the medicine straight into his mouth. After she fed him a total of three bowls¡¯ worth of medicine, she touched his forehead and sighed in relief. He Sang¡¯s high fever had finally broken.

    When Chu Lian set the special teapot aside, her gaze was attracted by a long box that had been ced on the side table. She sat on the stool beside the bed, picked up the box, and carefully opened it. Two pure white flowers withyers uponyers of petals wereid out on a velvety red fabric. They were only about the size of her thumb. Although their shape somewhat resembled cherry blossoms, these were much prettier.

    ording to Great Doctor Miao, the Snow Mountain Mists flower supposedly grew bright red on its tree, and it only turned a pure white two days after it was picked if it had reached full bloom. It was a very magical existence.

    When He Changdi had led his men up Mount Ah-Ming, the arduous journey had taken most of their strength and energy. Right at the moment when they were picking the flowers, they had been ambushed. It was clear that the enemy had been lying in wait for some time. Most of the attackers had been Tuhuns, but there had also been several masked people from the Great Wu. They were most likely trained assassins.

    Although He Changdi had brought elite fighters with him too, they had already used up most of their stamina on the journey there. To make things worse, they were on a mountain peak where the air was thin. They struggled against the enemies for as long as they could, but the odds were stacked against them.

    The enemies were ruthless and fearless. In the end, there were only four people left on He Changdi¡¯s side.

    As powerful as He Sang was, it was impossible for him to contend against so many enemies alone, so they had no choice but to flee.

    As they were fending off the Tuhun assassins, He Changdi¡¯s thigh had been pierced by a sword. He Changdi then ordered Mo Chenggui to bring the Snow Mountain Mists flowers back while he stayed to hold off their pursuers.

    Mo Chenggui had been left with no choice but to take the Snow Mountain Mists and escape first.

    The enemy seemed to havee just for He Changdi, as none of them chased after Mo Chenggui.

    Once he got away from them, it took Mo Chenggui half a day to find He Changdi by the tracks he left behind. Eventually, Mo Chenggui found his young master in a pile of snow.

    Somehow, He Changdi had actually managed to survive the whole ordeal by hiding in this thick pile of snow. By his side were two frozen Tuhun corpses.

    When Mo Chenggui finally found the bloodsoaked He Sang, his eyes had filled with tears.

    Later on, it was Mo Chenggui and two other old soldiers who transported He Changdi back.

    Chu Lian shut the lid of the wooden box and carefully put away the lifesaving medicinal herbs. A glint of light passed through her limpid, almond-shaped eyes. Her usual smile was gone, reced with a grave expression.

    Assassins had ambushed He Changdi on Mount Ah-Ming!

    And there had been a group of Tuhuns with them!

    There were very few people who knew that they hade out to the northern border to look for the Snow Mountain Mists flower, and most of them were within their circle of trust. Even Prince Jin¡¯s subordinate, Tang Yan, didn¡¯t know about their mission.

    The only ones in the army who were in the know were Captain Guo, Zhang Mai, and Xiao Hongyu.

    They had only mentioned it to Great General Qian in private when He Changdi had departed.

    None of them had any motive to attack He Changdi. Furthermore, those Tuhuns had already been lying in wait near the Snow Mountain Mists flowers, so it was clear that they had been prepared beforehand.

    When she thought back to the people who had kidnapped her, Chu Lian¡¯s eyes were filled with a dangerous aura.

    Xiao Bojian!

    As far as she knew, the only one who would use such despicable methods to achieve their goals was him!

    But how had he known that He Sang would be going up Mount Ah-Ming to pick the Snow Mountain Mists?

    It was impossible for anyone here in the north to leak that information, so it had to be someone back in the capital!

    With that, the list of suspects was narrowed down greatly; it had to be someone in the Jing¡¯an Estate.

    While Chu Lian was immersed in her thoughts, Wen entered the room carrying some clean clothes with her. She called out softly to Chu Lian, who blinked and returned to the present. She turned to Wen.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, Laiyue has already set off for the army camp to inform them about Third Young Master¡¯s situation. These are some of Third Young Master¡¯s clean clothes. Do you want to change them now?¡±

    Chu Lian nodded and handed over the box of Snow Mountain Mists flowers to Wen, ordering her to keep them hidden well.

    ¡°Put down the clothes and bring some hot water over.¡±

    The walls of this side room were heated, so it wasn¡¯t cold in here at all. Chu Lian brought a pair of scissors over to the bedside before pulling the nket off He Changdi¡¯s body.

    The old physician had left behind plenty of salves and had told Chu Lian to apply them to He Changdi¡¯s smaller wounds, which were littered all over. In order to ess them, He Changdi would need to be stripped.

    Fortunately, there was a convenient way to do this. When Chu Lian had been tending to the injury on his thigh earlier, she hadn¡¯t had the time to change him out of his torn, dirty, bloodstained clothes. Thus, It would be easier to simply cut them off and throw them away than to carefully strip him of them.

 Chapter 423: Taking Care of He Sanlang (2)

    Chu Lian worked quickly and managed to get He Sang¡¯s outer robe off. When she could finally see the dark green undershirt he was wearing, she was slightly startled.

    The square patterns embroidered on the cor were so crooked that they looked like furry little worms instead. Wasn¡¯t this the shirt that Li Yue had practised on?

    He Changdi was actually wearing it! Judging from how worn the edges of the cloth seemed to be, she could guess that he wore this shirt quite often...

    He couldn¡¯t possibly have worn these clothes for so long because he thought that I was the one who made them... right?

    Chu Lian covered her face with a hand. Considering He Changdi¡¯s fickle temperament, she didn¡¯t dare to tell him the truth behind the shirt now.

    Thus, she followed the mantra ¡®in for a penny, in for a pound¡¯ and simply destroyed the shirt.

    This lousily embroidered shirt that He Changdi wore the most was cut to shreds by the indignant Chu Lian...

    Although He Changdi looked like a tall, skinny man, his body was actually brimming with hidden strength once his clothes were stripped away. Though his muscles weren¡¯t overlyrge, they gave him an underlying aura of power.

    Even though he was covered in tiny little cuts and scratches from his chest down to his waist, Chu Lian felt her cheeks heating up from looking at his body.

    She murmured under her breath, ¡°Isn¡¯t He Sang¡¯s figure a little too perfect?¡±

    An eight-pack of abs sat on his abdomen. They didn¡¯t look very obvious because he was lying prone right now. Then there were the two alluring lines on either side of his waist, leading down further...

    Even though Chu Lian was treating He Changdi as a patient right now, she couldn¡¯t help the blush that spread across her face.

    She moved faster and stripped He Sang in record time before panicking and throwing the nket over his excellent figure.

    By this time, Wen had returned with the hot water.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, here¡¯s the hot water. The salves are on the side table. This servant has some tasks at hand, so this servant won¡¯t be able to help. If Third Young Madam has any orders, just call this servant.¡±

    Once she finished speaking, Wen vanished from the side room. The speed of her disappearance left Chu Lian agape.

    Wen thoughtfully shut the doors, leaving He Changdi and Chu Lian alone in the room. She hunched her shoulders and chuckled evilly.

    Since there was a chance, she had to let Third Young Master and Third Young Madam spend more time together!

    Even though she was just a maidservant, she had noticed that there was something wrong between the couple.

    They had been here in the north for so many days, yet they had never once spent the night together. It wasn¡¯t as if Third Young Master didn¡¯t have any opportunities to stay overnight, either.

    From her objective point of view, the problem definitely wasn¡¯t ack of passion between the two. Third Young Master had been furious upon hearing that Third Young Madam had been kidnapped. She and her sister, Wenqing, had been scared stiff by the bloodlust in his eyes.

    Although Third Young Madam was still young, she didn¡¯t seem to be interested in much in particr, apart from cooking gourmet food. She had never really put her full attention into anything else, even when it came to making money. However, when it came to matters that concerned Third Young Master, she had actually gotten so worried that it had been written all over her face. Third Young Madam had even personally thought of a n to solve his problems. Didn¡¯t that mean something?

    Since the couple clearly had each other in their hearts, then all they needed was a good opportunity. They were already married anyway. If they got along well enough, there might even be a baby born next year!

    There were still no male heirs in the next generation of House Jing¡¯an yet. If their Third Young Madam managed to produce the first one, wouldn¡¯t the matriarch favour Third Young Master¡¯s branch even more?

    Thus, Wen had specially left the couple alone at this time.

    Chu Lian could almost feel the sweat dripping down her forehead. Wen¡¯s thoughts were as clear as day to her.

    However, she didn¡¯t mind it for now. Her first priority was to get He Changdi healed up.

    She nced at the basin of hot water on the table before resigning herself to the manualbour. Chu Lian used a warm wet towel to wipe off all the dirt on He Sang¡¯s body. When he was all clean, she started applying medicine to his wounds.

    When evening fell, the old physician came by to check up on his patient again.

    Although He Sang was still unconscious, his high fever was gone by now.

    To Chu Lian, the old physician exined, ¡°Madam, as long as the patient¡¯s fever doesn¡¯t return tonight, his condition will be stable from tomorrow onwards. He¡¯ll just have to focus on recovery from then on.¡±

    Chu Lian thanked the old physician and ordered Manger Qin to send him off personally.

    After she had her dinner, Chu Lian stayed by He Sang¡¯s bedside. When Li Xing, Li Yue, and Manager Qin saw that she was going to take the grueling night watch, they were about to offer to take Chu Lian¡¯s ce, but Wenqing and Wen held them back.

    ¡°What are you poking your noses into? It¡¯s enough to have Third Young Madam alone to care for Third Young Master. Don¡¯t worry, my sister and I will keep watch in the outer room through the night. If there¡¯s any news, we¡¯ll let you know immediately.¡±

    Since Wen had given her guarantee, the group of people backed down and went off to bed.

    Chu Lian told Wen to move a chaise next to He Changdi¡¯s bed. It was warm inside the room, so she didn¡¯t need extra nkets. A thin nket draped over her body was sufficient.

    Chu Lian picked up a book of folk stories and leaned against the chaise to read. She touched He Changdi¡¯s forehead and palms from time to time to check if his fever returned.

    It was fact, however, that Chu Lian had already gotten used to sleeping early. She had already yawned countless of times before it had even reached midnight.

    In order to keep awake, Chu Lian ate some sour candied fruit, but even so, she only managed to hang on till after midnight. When she finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore, sheid sideways on the chaise and fell asleep.

    When Wenqing noticed that there were no more sounds of activitying from the room, she crept in silently and tucked the thin nket more securely over Chu Lian. She checked He Changdi¡¯s temperature before leaving as quietly as she hade.

    Sometime before daybreak, when the skies were at their darkest, theatose He Changdi finally opened his eyes with great difficulty.

    His vision was still rather blurry, but the first thing he noticed was the face that he had been yearning to see the most.

 Chapter 424: Taking Care of He Sanlang (3)

    He Sang fell back into a dazed state for a moment. He thought he was dreaming!

    The wound on his leg was actually very serious, so even he thought that it was the end of the line for him. If not for his strong will to live, those attackers would really have achieved their goal and offed him once and for all.

    At the critical moment, thoughts of what would happen to Chu Lian when he was gone had shed into his mind. She would most likely be kidnapped by Xiao Bojian, or even locked up into a dungeon somewhere. Those thoughts had pushed him to fight to keep his consciousness and to live.

    He opened his eyes again. This time, he didn¡¯t open them slowly. Instead, he flicked them open impatiently. When light filtered into his eyes and his vision cleared, revealing Chu Lian¡¯s lovely sleeping visage once again, He Changdi¡¯s dull eyes immediately lit up with the spark of life.

    So it wasn¡¯t a dream. It was real! He had survived! And Chu Lian was right by his side...

    Those wide, limpid eyes of hers were shut tightly now. Her thick eyshes were still, casting a shadow on her cheeks. Her breathing was slow and shallow and the puffs of air she exhaled were warming up his face, even as her cheeks were flushed red.

    Even up close, her skin remained as fair and smooth as it looked from afar. It looked as wless as a boiled egg, giving him the urge to reach out and pinch her cheeks, just to see if they were as soft and smooth as they looked.

    Especially now when Chu Lian was in the middle of deep slumber and her face was rxed into an innocent and harmless expression. It made him feel even more like teasing her.

    While He Sang¡¯s mind was still processing these thoughts, his palm had already slunk out of the nkets and was reaching towards Chu Lian¡¯s tender cheeks.

    The calloused tips of his fingers gently touched Chu Lian¡¯s fair face. His pupils dted and he couldn¡¯t help sliding his fingers down her raised nose bridge and tapping her slightly parted pink lips.

    That soft and smooth sensation on his fingertips sent a bolt of lightning through his body, transmitting a numb feeling from his arm down into his heart, making his heart beat faster.

    He Changdi shifted his body and bore with the pain of the injury on his thigh so he could see the sleeping Chu Lian better.

    Time seemed to have stopped in this moment. He Changdi couldn¡¯t keep his hands off of Chu Lian¡¯s sleeping face. He just couldn¡¯t stop himself from reaching out to touch her face here and there. The millenia-old ice on his face seemed to have thawed into a gentle and warm expression. The strangest thing of all was that the corner of his lips had lifted into a smile without his knowing.

    He looked exactly like a man enamoured with his lover, who would do anything for her sake. It waspletely unlike what he had shown Chu Lian so far.

    Luckily Chu Lian was asleep right now. Otherwise, she would probably get the shock of her life from such a ¡®terrifying¡¯ sight.

    Although He Sang constantly acted cold and indifferent, he was actually like a nk piece of paper when it came to romantic rtionships. He hadn¡¯t even had the chance to fall in love in his past life before he had been so cruelly betrayed.

    The things that the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had done to him had be a shadow haunting his heart.

    It really hadn¡¯t been easy for him to set his grudge aside and fall in love with the current Chu Lian.

    It didn¡¯t take long for He Changdi to be dissatisfied with some simple touching. Although his leg was injured, his arms were perfectly fine. The chaise she was lying on had been ced right next to his bed and was at the same level. He pushed himself up to a sitting position and managed to move Chu Lian over to his bed with a little strength.

    He had been worried that she would wake from his actions, but he soon found out that there wasn¡¯t the slightest bit of resistance from her, even when he had her entire person ensconced in his arms.

    He Sang rxed and tightened his embrace around her. He ced a gentle kiss on her soft lips before shutting his eyes in satisfaction.

    Although he wanted to do something a little more intimate to her, something that only couples would do, he had just suffered grievous injury after all, so he didn¡¯t have that much energy.

    With his chin resting on the top of her head, He Sang slipped back into dreand with her familiar scent all around him.

    While He Sang was now perfectly content, it was getting ufortable for Chu Lian in his tight embrace.

    Her nerves had been strung tight for the whole day. Later on, she had acted as the doctor¡¯s assistant and then stayed up by He Sang¡¯s side for most of the night.

    It had always been easy for her to fall asleep in the first ce. Since she was so tired, her slumber was even deeper this time. She had been feeling prettyfortable at first, but she soon felt her body heating up while her nose seemed to be squashed by something. It was all stuffy and hard for her to breathe.

    Chu Lian finally found it difficult to continue sleeping and opened her eyes, only to be met with the sight of a wall of flesh. She was still a little stunned at first, but she quickly realised what was going on.

    Her first reaction was to roll her eyes before thinking of pushing away the lunatic He Sang. However, when she noticed the various wounds on his chest exposed by his slightly open shirt, she hesitated. The reminder that there was a serious injury on his right thigh came to her mind. In the end, she just softly sighed and let him do as he liked.

    She wanted to move out of his embrace a little at first, but his arms were wrapped around her too tightly and she couldn¡¯t budge him. After trying for some time, she managed to create at least a hand¡¯s width of space between them. Finally, Chu Lian reached an impasse so she gave up on it. She yawned sleepily and shut her eyes to continue her slumber.

    He Sang was her husband anyway. Even if the servants chanced upon them like this, no one would actually be as stupid as to gossip about it outside.

    It was only after he heard Chu Lian¡¯s breathing devolve into long and slow breaths that He Sang finally dared to open his eyes and nce at the woman in his arms. When he saw that she was still obediently curled up and sleeping in his embrace, his mind rxed while a warm feeling spread through his heart.

 Chapter 425: Taking Care of He Sanlang (4)

    The next day, when the sun had already risen, it was the sound of Wenqing pushing the doors open that woke Chu Lian.

    Her eyelids fluttered open as consciousness filtered back into her eyes. This time, she mercilessly forced He Sang¡¯s arms away from her and crawled out from his embrace. She put on her embroidered shoes and walked over to the screen in one corner of the room to put on her clothes.

    Chu Lian turned around to nce at the seemingly unconscious He Changdi and the corners of her lips twitched subconsciously.

    That fellow had already been awake for who knows how long. He was still pretending to be asleep even now. He really should improve his acting skills though. His eyelids were twitching from time to time and his breathing was too heavy for him to be sound asleep.

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes.

    When Wenqing entered the room, she was greeted with the sight of a fully dressed Third Young Madam seated on a round stool and waiting for her.

    Wenqing had brought hot water with her. When her gaze darted towards the neat chaise and then the disheveled bed, she couldn¡¯t help the upward curve of her lips. It looked like they could move the chaise away today! They probably wouldn¡¯t need it any longer tonight.

    It was only when Chu Lian hade out from the bathroom that He Sang finally ¡®woke up¡¯ with a frown.

    Chu Lian sat by his bedside and resisted the urge tough, ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±

    He Changdi looked at her with his deep gaze and nodded in a serious manner.

    ¡°Too bad, I thought my dear husband was going to continue pretending to sleep! It¡¯s still early now, it¡¯s only 8am.¡±

    He Sang hadn¡¯t expected his dear wife to see through his acting as well as to expose itpletely, without any care for his dignity.

    He shifted away his gaze, the roots of his ears flushing red. He pressed his lips into a thin line and said, ¡°Chu Lian, don¡¯t speak nonsense.¡±

    Wenqing¡¯s eyes almost fell out of their sockets at this sight. This tsundere Third Young Master who refused to admit his mistake was apletely different person from the grim and gloomy master she knew.

    Er... The way Third Young Master was acting now really fit how Third Young Madam had described him once upon a time.

    Wenqing felt that she had stumbled upon a dangerous truth. She quickly lowered her head and did her best to erase her presence. Third Young Madam was untouchable, but she wasn¡¯t! If Third Young Master realised what she knew, she would have to face the consequences.

    Chu Lian was toozy to argue with him now. If he hadn¡¯t been pretending to be asleep, why didn¡¯t he at least ask what was going on the moment he woke up?

    ¡°Stay there and rest first. I¡¯ll go to the kitchen to see how the preparations for your medicine and our breakfast are going.¡±

    He Changdi felt extremely embarrassed right now, so he didn¡¯t stop Chu Lian from leaving.

    Today¡¯s breakfast was wontons, spring rolls and egg rolls, made by the kitchen staff under Wen¡¯s lead.

    In the time it had taken to ce all the breakfast dishes on the side table, Chu Lian had already changed into another set of clothes and returned to the room, carrying a bowl of medicine in her hands. Chinese medicine was usually a little harsh on the stomach, so it was better to have some food before taking the medicine.

    Chu Lian helped He Sang up so he could lean against the headboard. Wen quickly shifted the side table over to the bedside where He Changdi could easily reach.

    Looking at the food before him, memories rose to the forefront of He Changdi¡¯s mind, distracting him.

    He remembered that the first breakfast Chu Lian had made for him was wontons. Back then, all he had felt towards her were hatred and contempt, but now he was deeply enmired in the blossoming feelings between them.

    The stark difference in the situations then and now filled him with regrets.

    Chu Lian was already starving, so she quickly scooped up one of the fat wontons and stuffed it into her mouth.

    The stuffing in the wontons had been made with only three simple fresh ingredients: pork, mushrooms and shrimp. The wontons had been cooked in a fragrant and thick chicken broth and chopped spring onions had been scattered on top. When she picked one up and bit into it, the juices within would gush out in a burst of vour. Mixed with the thick chicken broth, it was a deliciousbination that she couldn¡¯t stop eating.

    He Sang watched as Chu Lian ate the wontons. Her delicate lips drew close to the spoon and she blew gently on the wonton before she moved the spoon into her mouth. She then chewed on it as her eyes closed in delight; it was clear that she was enjoying the food a lot.

    He Changdi couldn¡¯t help but gulp. When he saw how busy Chu Lian was with eating and how she didn¡¯t have the time to care for him, jealousy sprung up in his heart. He purposely put on a grave expression and said, ¡°Is it good?¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t even bother to nce at him and nodded, ¡°Of course it¡¯s good! This is Wen¡¯s best dish! Even if I made these myself, I wouldn¡¯t be able to make the wontons look as nice as when Wen does them.¡±

    With a dark expression, He Sang gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Really?¡±

    Chu Lian finally noticed that something was amiss. She looked at him with a baffled expression. What¡¯s wrong with this lunatic He Sang? Even the delicious wontons couldn¡¯t get him to shut up?

    Chu Lian kind-heartedly pushed the white bowl of wontons closer to him, ¡°Hurry up and eat some. I¡¯m not lying to you, it¡¯s really tasty! I taught Wen her skills myself.¡±

    ¡°Well aren¡¯t you generous to others?¡± He Changdi mumbled.

    Chu Lian raised a brow in silentment. She didn¡¯t know what was going on in her lunatic husband¡¯s mind again and she didn¡¯t want to know. She chose to ignore him and focus on eating her fill first.

    He Sang hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to ignore him just because of that. Anger, disappointment and dissatisfaction rose up in his chest all at once.

    He kept his frosty gaze on Chu Lian with an overcast and unreadable expression. Nobody could tell what was up with him.

    Even Wen was starting to pity Third Young Madam.

    Third Young Madam was right all along, Third Young Master is a lunatic...

    Chu Lian lost her appetite under his gaze. She set down her chopsticks and bowl before staring at He Changdi with a frown. She crossed her arms on her chest and questioned in a sharp tone, ¡°He Sang! What are you trying to do?! If you¡¯re not going to eat, I¡¯ll get Wen to clear the table!¡±

    Seeing that she was truly unhappy with him, He Sang set aside his pride and finally revealed his true motive.

    ¡°I¡¯m injured and I can¡¯t really move.¡±

    Chu Lian was smart enough to understand what he was hinting at. Her slightly angry expression turned dazed upon her realisation.

    What? His arms were so strong that he had kept her trapped as his bolster all night, yet now he¡¯s trying to say that he can¡¯t even lift a damned bowl now? Did he take her for a fool!?

 Chapter 426: Cleansing (1)

    If it had been any other day, Chu Lian would have just ignored her lunatic husband.

    However, considering how he was currently her patient and how injured he was, Chu Lian suppressed her rage and forced herself to calm down.

    She shot a sideways look at He Changdi before resigning herself to her fate. She picked up one of the wontons on the side table with her spoon and blew on it before sending it to He Sang¡¯s mouth.

    He Changdi¡¯s dark eyes lit up and sparkled like the stars of the night sky. His lips parted and Chu Lian shoved the spoonful of wonton right into his mouth.

    She thought gleefully to herself inwardly as she looked at He Changdi with disdain. There! He could have his fill of wontons!

    It was obvious that He Sang¡¯s stiff features had softened into a warm expression. He followed Chu Lian¡¯s movements closely. Every time she moved the spoon close to him, he would open his mouth obediently.

    While eating, he didn¡¯t forget to add, ¡°It¡¯s pretty good, but it¡¯s not delicious as the ones you made.¡±

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes. She felt that He Changdi was just lying brazenly. Setting the matter of the taste aside, Wen had already surpassed her in the skill of folding the wontons up into their ingot shape. Furthermore, Wen hade up with this chicken broth herself after much trial and error.

    Chu Lian snorted in dismissal, but there was still a trace of warmth in her heart from his words.

    When Sang¡¯s band of brothers entered, they were met with the scene of Chu Lian patiently feeding He Sang.

    Xiao Hongyu was stunned and the corners of his eyes immediately turned red. He showed his usual loud personality as he quickly strode towards the bed and wailed, ¡°Brother He, so it wasn¡¯t just your leg that was hurt, even your hands have been crippled! Just... How can this be?! Tell your little brother which damned bastard did this, I¡¯ll kill them all!¡±

    He Sang¡¯s warm expression immediately froze over into his usual cold one. He red once at the wailing Xiao Hongyu before taking the bowl from Chu Lian¡¯s hands and gobbling the rest of the wontons down.

    Xiao Hongyu watched his movements with a stupefied expression before understanding dawned upon him. He pointed at He Changdi¡¯s arms, ¡°Brother He, so your arms aren¡¯t injured at all!¡±

    Following that, his gazended upon the awkward Chu Lian, ¡°Sister-in-Law, since Brother He¡¯s arms arepletely fine, you don¡¯t have to wait on him. Brother He is actually really tough when he¡¯s in our army camp! There was even this one time when...¡±

    Before Xiao Hongyu could finish, he felt an eerily icy gaze fall upon him, which sent a chill down his back. When he looked up, he was met with He Changdi¡¯s warning gaze. His voice trailed away and his throat clogged up.

    He scratched the back of his head and chuckled sheepishly.

    Captain Guo came up and delivered a smack on the head to Xiao Hongyu, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough nonsense from you. Single brats can go wait over there.¡±

    Xiao Hongyu held the back of his head and gave off another pitiful wail before going off to one corner to lick his wounds.

    Zhang Mai shook his head. Bachelors like Hongyu wouldn¡¯t understand the little enjoyments shared between couples.

    Chu Lian ordered Wenqing and Wen to clear the table and serve tea to their guests. She wanted to leave so that the band of brothers could have some privacy to chat, but He Changdi grabbed hold of her hand and told her to sit at the side.

    Thus, she had no choice but to stay.

    As she listened to their analysis of what had happened to Sang, Chu Lian was lulled into deep thought. She hadn¡¯t expected that it was truly Xiao Bojian who sent those men.

    Her brows scrunched together tightly, disbelief showing on her face. There was no other reason for there to be any enmity between Xiao Bojian and He Changdi, other than her. Count Jing¡¯an was away guarding the border so Xiao Bojian couldn¡¯t possibly have any interactions or connections with House Jing¡¯an, nor would it benefit him politically to pit himself against House Jing¡¯an.

    Chu Lian was extremely vexed with the whole situation. She waspletely innocent and she had done her best to avoid Xiao Bojian. However, he was still targeting her even when she was way out here in the north. Is he crazy!?

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know if there was actually something wrong with Xiao Bojian¡¯s mind, but she was going to be driven mad by him soon.

    Captain Guo and the others who hade to visit He Sang shamelessly stayed for lunch before leaving. They even cleared out the He Estate¡¯s kitchen before they left.

    Chu Lian took the chance to have some free time to herself when He Sang settled in for an afternoon nap.

    She ordered the servants to summon Manager Qin and had an hour-long meeting with him in the parlour.

    After getting pointers from his young madam, Manager Qin happily ran off to work on his business.

    Ever since He Changdi¡¯s fever had broken, Chu Lian would apany him in the side room every day. However, she told the maidservants to move the chaise away from the bedside.

    When it was time to rest for the night, Chu Lian would return to her own courtyard within the He Estate. This was something she didn¡¯t budge on even when He Sang gave her a long face.

    Was he joking? The wound on his thigh was still in bad condition and it couldn¡¯t be touched right now. If the two of them slept in the same bed and if Chu Lian were to identally kick him in the thigh in her sleep, He Sang would really lose the use of his leg.

    They definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to make it back to the capital before the new year now. Even if He Sang wasn¡¯t injured, snowstorms were still raging all over the north. It would take too much effort to head back to the capital now, even with the snowboats. Furthermore, the report of their victory likely hadn¡¯t reached the capital yet, so the northern border army had to remain on standby and await the Emperor¡¯s orders.

    It seemed like they would have to wait till after the New Year to get any news.

    Thus, it was already certain that they were going to spend the New Year in the north.

 Chapter 427: Cleansing (2)

    It was the first time that Chu Lian was celebrating the New Year in the Great Wu Dynasty. Although it was only going to be the two of them together for the festivities, Chu Lian didn¡¯t feel lonely at all. On the contrary, she was looking forward to it.

    Once the Kitchen God Festival had ended, time seemed to pass in a sh.

    In a blink of an eye, it was already the twenty-seventh, and there were only three more days to New Year¡¯s Eve.

    On this day, everyone had to bathe and cleanse themselves. Themoners living in the harsh environment of Liangzhou were no exception, even for the poverty-stricken. They would heat up pots of water and wash themselves with the scraps of soap they had collected in the summer to wash away the filth they umted in the year. This was all to ensure that they greeted the New Year with a clean body.

    Early in the morning, Chu Lian was woken up by Wenqing. After washing up in a daze, she listened to Wenqing as she chattered on.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, today¡¯s the twenty-seventh, the day of cleansing. This servant has prepared a flower bath for you. After lunch, you should take a bath and wash away your fatigue.¡±

    Even out here in the freezing north, Chu Lian still kept clean and she would take a bath every three days, so she didn¡¯t take much notice of Wenqing¡¯s words.

    However, after putting on her face cream, she suddenly remembered about the bedridden He Changdi. She asked, ¡°Wenqing, is it an absolute must to go through the cleansing today?¡±

    Wenqing thought that she was interested in the tradition, so she exined with a smile, ¡°Yes, we do. Even the guards watching the doors have to prepare their own baths to wash off the dirt of this year in preparation for the new one!¡±

    A corner of Chu Lian¡¯s mouth twitched. Didn¡¯t that mean that the patient He Sang had to bathe too?

    How was he going to bathe with his body covered in scabs!

    Chu Lian felt a headacheing on.

    Chu Lian went to visit the recuperating He Changdi after breakfast. After convalescing for eight days, he was finally able to move his gravely wounded right leg. He no longer needed help from others to sit up or turn over.

    The moment she entered the outer room, a servant weed her.

    ¡°Greetings to Third Young Madam.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded at her, ¡°Is my husband awake?¡±

    The servant respectfully answered, ¡°Third Young Master woke up two hours ago, Laiyue has already served Third Young Master his breakfast.¡±

    Chu Lian nced into the room. She found it strange as Laiyue was always the first to wee her whenever she came looking for He Sang, yet he was nowhere to be found.

    ¡°What about Laiyue?¡±

    ¡°Replying to Third Young Madam, Laiyue was sent out on business on Third Young Master¡¯s orders early in the morning. Before he left, he said that he would only be back tomorrow morning.¡± The servant took out a small wooden box from a cupboard and held it up with both hands respectfully for Chu Lian to inspect.

    ¡°Laiyue told this servant to pass on this message to Third Young Madam. Third Young Madam will have to help with changing Third Young Master¡¯s bandages for today.¡±

    Chu Lian: ...

    That clean freak He Sang didn¡¯t like others serving him and wasn¡¯t used to having maidservants around him. Other than Chu Lian, only Laiyue was allowed to change his bandages every day. Now that Laiyue wasn¡¯t around, this task had fallen upon Chu Lian¡¯s shoulders.

    Chu Lian suspected that she had walked right into his trap.

    She waved her hand to dismiss the servant and told Wenqing to pick up the medicine box instead. After a short pause, she entered the side room where He Sang was.

    Now that it wasing close to the New Year, the whole capital was abuzz with activity. It was only in the Jing¡¯an Estate that the atmosphere seemed a little gloomy.

    The roads to the north had been sealed by the snows, so there wasn¡¯t any news at all. He Eng was still investigating the corruption case in Zhangzhou with Prince Jin. He had sent a letter back yesterday saying that he might not be able to get back to the capital in time for the New Year.

    Matriarch He sat alone in the parlour of Qingxi Hall. Although she was dressed in riches, her silhouette looked pitiful amidst the understated luxury of her surroundings.

    She leaned back in her seat as she stared nkly at the entrance of the parlour, as if there would be someone entering and calling out for her in the next second.

    Senior Servant Liu came in from the side with some teacups. The sight of the matriarch in this way made her heart heavy with sadness.

    Although the He Family was few in number, at least they had Second Young Master and Third Young Master in the estate as well as the two young daughters of the main branch to add a bit of liveliness to their festivities in past years.

    This year, the main branch was still in pandemonium over the new concubine and the countess was bedridden and unable to attend the celebrations. They had been holding expectations of a new family member to join them over the new year after He Sang had married his wife, but fate had dashed their hopes. Sang and his wife were now out there in the north and they didn¡¯t even know if they were faring well!

    The matriarch heard Senior Servant Liu¡¯s movements and came to life briefly. She touched the side of her head, where her hair was turning more and more white as days passed. ¡°Do you think this old woman has chosen wrongly by letting Lian¡¯er go to the north?¡±

    How could Senior Servant Liu let the matriarch beat herself over this? The matriarch had spent so many days in her worries that her body¡¯s condition had deteriorated.

    Senior Servant Liu quickly consoled her, ¡°What are you saying, Matriarch? The roads from the northern border have been blocked, there¡¯s no way for us to know anything! Perhaps Third Young Master and Third Young Madam are actually preparing to celebrate the New Year over there!¡±

    A wave of guilt rose in Matriarch He¡¯s heart, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, I didn¡¯t think it through enough.¡±

    As master and servant were speaking, Muxiang suddenly entered in a panic.

    Senior Servant Liu put on a stern expression, ¡°Is this how a personal handmaid should be acting?¡±

    Muxiang paused and quickly collected herself.

    ¡°What is it? Speak!¡± The matriarch ordered.

    Muxiang gulped before stammering out, ¡°Matriarch, many of the noble houses we¡¯ve sent New Year gifts to have returned them to us untouched!¡±

 Chapter 428: Losing Favour (1)

    They returned the New Year gifts?

    Returning those gifts meant that they no longer wanted to associate with their house.

    Matriarch He mmed her palm heavily on the side table, causing the teacups to shake and clink.

    ¡°Are they trying to bully our House Jing¡¯an now that we have fewer members around?¡± Matriarch He¡¯s chest heaved as she bellowed in rage.

    Senior Servant Liu saw that Matriarch He¡¯splexion had turned pale and noted how she was desperately trying to catch her breath. She quickly patted the matriarch¡¯s back in fright and tried to reassure the old woman, ¡°Matriarch, please keep your health in mind! It¡¯s not worth it to let those fairweather friends anger you so much that your health declines. The countess is still bedridden and Eng and Sang aren¡¯t around. This house still needs your support to stand strong.¡±

    Matriarch He finally calmed down a little. She rested for a moment before questioning, ¡°Which houses returned our gifts? Have you recorded their names?¡±

    Muxiang had lowered her head during the matriarch¡¯s rage, not even daring to breathe until Matriarch He had spoken to her. She obediently reported the names of every house that had returned their gifts in a small voice.

    Matriarch He¡¯s hands curled into fists. ¡°Remember all of those names! Since they don¡¯t want to associate with us any longer, we don¡¯t have to go out of our way to amodate them either!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Matriarch.¡±

    The matriarch paused in thought before giving them another order, ¡°Get someone to bring over all the gifts that were sent back. I want to inspect them myself.¡±

    Muxiang left to carry out her orders immediately.

    In half an hour, Muxiang returned with the stewards of the outer court, along with a group of manservants who carried the New Year gifts into Qingxi Hall¡¯s parlour.

    The stewards bowed respectfully towards the matriarch, ¡°Matriarch, these are all the gifts that were sent back from various noble houses.¡±

    Matriarch He walked over to the gifts with the help of her cane. She pointed at the boxes ced on the carpet and ordered, ¡°Open all of them! I want to see what¡¯s inside for myself.¡±

    The manservants carefully opened up each of the red carved wooden boxes. When Matriarch He was finally able to see what was in them, her eyes widened in disbelief.

    Her first reaction was to blow up in anger, ¡°Is this what you prepared as gifts?! An absolute disgrace, the lot of you!¡±

    The stewards were all frightened by the matriarch¡¯s temper and immediately kneeled down on the ground. ¡°Please have mercy on us, Matriarch. It was Eldest Young Madam who ordered us to do so. Although we felt that it wasn¡¯t appropriate, we couldn¡¯t disobey Eldest Young Madam¡¯s orders.¡±

    Matriarch He was trembling with rage. She wanted to lift her cane up to teach all these servants a lesson, but she managed to restrain herself in the end.

    Senior Servant Liu hurriedly stepped forth to support the matriarch. She was genuinely worried that the matriarch would faint from her anger.

    ¡°Matriarch, what¡¯s done is done. There¡¯s no way to make up for this even if you lose your temper.¡±

    Matriarch He took in a deep breath and let out a long sigh, seemingly having lost all her spirit in that one huff. She said with disappointment, ¡°Tell them to dismiss themselves.¡±

    Senior Servant Liu waved her hand at the stewards kneeling on the ground. The stewards quickly took the chance to make their escape and left.

    Senior Servant Liu helped Matriarch He over to the warm hearth for a break.

    ¡°That Madam Zou is bing more and more careless! Send someone to bring her here.¡± The matriarch¡¯s anger hadn¡¯t died out at all. She had only suppressed it momentarily. Once Madam Zou appeared, the wrath of the heavens would likely rain down upon her.

    Just look at what she had prepared for the noble houses as New Year gifts! They would normally send out the highest quality of mountain ginseng, but it had been swapped for an inferior grade of ginseng. The jade Buddha statues in the gift boxes were actually made of wed jade and the high-quality sencha tea cakes had been changed to low-quality loose leaf teas...

    Madam Zou had been in charge of the household for at least five or six years. How could she be so careless as to make such a terrible mistake?

    Shortly after, Madam Zou rushed over to Qingxi Hall with her trusted senior servant and handmaid by her side.

    ¡°Granddaughter-in-Law greets Grandmother.¡± Madam Zou made a perfect curtsey without any fault. Even her expression was dignified andposed, without any trace of impatience or apprehension.

    Senior Servant Liu frowned upon seeing Madam Zou acting in this manner.

    The matriarch harrumphed, ¡°There¡¯s no need to greet me now. Just take a look at those gift boxes behind you!¡±

    Hearing so, Madam Zou finished her curtsey to the matriarch before turning to look at the brocade-lined gift boxes.

    When she was done, she turned back to the matriarch and asked curiously, ¡°Grandmother, these are the New Year gifts I ordered the stewards to send to other noble houses. Why are they here?¡±

    The matriarch was almost forced tough from the intensity of her anger. ¡°Madam Zou. Don¡¯t you know exactly why these are here in my hall?¡±

    It was only now that surprise showed on Madam Zou¡¯s face. She asked with disbelief in her tone, ¡°Grandmother, were these New Year gifts returned?¡±

    Matriarch He¡¯s expression was overcast as she watched her granddaughter-inw putting on a show.

    Madam Zou walked over to Matriarch He¡¯s side, her head lowered. She acted as if she was suffering some grievance and said, ¡°Grandmother, it¡¯s not that Granddaughter-in-Law was trying to skimp on the New Year gifts, but the public funds are simply not enough. Granddaughter-in-Law had no other choice.¡±

    The matriarch frowned, ¡°Didn¡¯t I draw Guilin Restaurant¡¯s profits into the public ounts?¡±

    Madam Zou acted as if she was struck dumb and quickly exined, ¡°Grandmother, Guilin Restaurant has already closed down since the middle of the month. Just a single month¡¯s worth of profits isn¡¯t enough for our New Year expenditures.¡±

    Closed down?

    Matriarch Hepsed into deep thought for a moment.

    Although she now knew the reason behind theckluster New Year gifts, Matriarch He still couldn¡¯t forgive Madam Zou¡¯s carelessness as thedy-in-charge of the household.

    She continued restraining her anger and replied, ¡°No matter what, it¡¯s your responsibility that something like that has happened. I see that you no longer want to be in charge of the household. I¡¯ll be the one to take over yourbours then. Return to your courtyard and reflect on your mistakes!¡±

    Getting her authority revoked was something out of Madam Zou¡¯s expectations.

    The rm and astonishment she had been faking instantly became real. Her eyes widened, showing off her disbelief. It took her a good long moment to finally regain her senses and react to the order. She lost all of her noble reserve and dignity and kneeled in front of the matriarch, even going so far as to grab on to the matriarch¡¯s leg as she pleaded.

    ¡°Grandmother, you can¡¯t do this! It was all my fault, I shouldn¡¯t have insulted the noble houses by sending such poor quality gifts. I¡¯ll make up for it right now! I¡¯ll use my own funds to make up for it! Please, give Granddaughter-in-Law a chance!¡±

    Matriarch He seemed indifferent to her pleas. She looked at the sorry Madam Zou as she dered, ¡°Madam Zou, it¡¯s toote to regret your actions now. Servants! Send Eldest Young Madam back to her courtyard!¡±

    Once Matriarch He had given the order, Madam Zou was dragged out of the parlour by a few strong senior servants.

 Chapter 429: Losing Favour (2)

    When Madam Zou¡¯s cries could no longer be heard in Qingxi Hall, Matriarch He rubbed her forehead with fatigue. Some timeter, she instructed, ¡°Call all of the stewards and stewardesses of every courtyard here. I have some orders for them. Tell the stewards in charge of the ounts toe here as well.¡±

    There was a never-ending stream of peopleing to and from Qingxi Hall on this day. The whole estate soon knew that the heir¡¯s wife was no longer in favour with the matriarch.

    The moment Madam Zou returned to her own room, she swept every single thing in arm¡¯s reach to the ground. It was only when Senior Servant Qiao hugged her tightly that she finally stopped her path of destruction.

    ¡°Eldest Young Madam, please calm down. You still have the two young misses to take care of!¡±

    Little An and Little Lin had already been woken up by themotion and had been drawn over to the noise. The maidservants and senior servants hadn¡¯t been able to hold back the two young misses, so the two children had witnessed Madam Zou¡¯s fit of madness. Little An and Little Lin were frightened by the sight of their gentle and loving mother turned into a violent demon.

    Their young faces were filled with panic as they stayed rooted to the spot, not daring to make a peep. It was at this time that Madam Zou turned to look at them.

    Her eyes were fixed upon them for a long time before her features contorted into a contemptuous snarl. ¡°Hah! Why weren¡¯t either of you born as boys! If one of you had been a boy, would I have fallen to this state?! You useless things, get out of here!¡±

    Senior Servant Qiao was shocked to her core. She hadn¡¯t expected Eldest Young Madam to have spat out such vitriol at the two children. Although Eldest Young Madam had med herself for not being able to give birth to a male heir, she had still treated the two young misses with tender loving care. She had personally taken care of the children every day instead of leaving their care to the servants. This attack towards the innocent children waspletely out of the blue for her.

    Although Little An and Little Lin were young, they were already aware of the situation. When faced with such contempt from their own mother, the two girls burst into tears in unison and ran towards Madam Zou. They wanted to make sure that their mother¡¯s words weren¡¯t serious.

    Senior Servant Qiao didn¡¯t dare to let the crazed Madam Zou near the children right now. She quickly shot a look at Jinshui, who caught the hint and ordered the maidservants to bring the two young misses out.

    After Little An and Little Lin had been taken away, Madam Zou seemed to have calmed down from the sound of the children¡¯s cries. She copsed into a chair, her eyes empty and listless.

    She was really done for this time. Her husband loathed her, the concubine was pregnant, and she had lost the power to manage the household once again. She, the wife of House Jing¡¯an¡¯s heir apparent, was probably going to be theughingstock of all in the capital.

    She suddenly recalled the strange letter she had received two days ago.

    That¡¯s right, it was that letter! That letter had urged her to send shoddy gifts to all the noble houses and to report theck of funds to the matriarch. She was supposed to inform the matriarch of the fact that Guilin Restaurant had shut down and the matriarch was supposed to take back the deed for Guilin Restaurant in a fit of temper. When the restaurant was ced back into the public ounts, she would then have the most profitable restaurant in the whole capital under her control.

    She had clearly followed the instructions on the letter through and through, so just how had things ended up like this!?

    Lady Zou frantically grabbed onto Senior Servant Qiao¡¯s arms as if she had finally found a straw to clutch at, ¡°Momo, that letter, where¡¯s that letter!? Hurry, find that letter for me! Grandmother will surely return control of the household to me once she sees that letter!¡±

    Although stunned, Senior Servant Qiao was able to recall the letter that the Eldest Young Madam was referring to.

    A few days ago, Eldest Young Madam had somehow been given a mysterious letter. She had sat down and read it by herself. Once she was done, excitement and malevolence had shed across her face before she quickly tossed the letter into a brazier.

    Even she and Jinshui hadn¡¯t gotten a glimpse of its contents.

    Senior Servant Qiao sighed. She guessed that Eldest Young Madam had been used by someone.

    ¡°Eldest Young Madam, you¡¯ve already burned that letter.¡±

    ¡°What? B... Burned?¡±

    As much as she didn¡¯t want to deal another blow to Madam Zou, Senior Servant Qiao still had to tell her the full truth.

    Madam Zou nked out for a moment before bursting out intoughter.

    It looked like she only had herself to me!

    Matriarch He sat at her desk and flipped through the ount books. Her age was really catching up to her by now. She had only been reading for a short period of time, but her back and waist were already aching.

    Senior Servant Liu couldn¡¯t continue watching without doing something. She brought up a suggestion. ¡°Matriarch, why don¡¯t you take a rest? The maidservants can help you with looking through the ounts and report a summary to you at the end. Wouldn¡¯t it be the same?¡±

    Matriarch He knew that her body couldn¡¯t take much more of this abuse, so she nodded in agreement. She pointed at Muxiang, who was waiting behind her, ¡°Muxiang,e and look through these ounts. If it¡¯s too much for you alone, pick two second-tier maidservants that you trust to help you with this.¡±

    Muxiang quickly lowered her head and made a sound of agreement before sitting down and getting to work.

    Matriarch He was helped to one side by Senior Servant Liu for a quick break.

    ¡°Go and see what has happened to Guilin Restaurant, and why it has suddenly shut down its business.¡±

    Senior Servant Liu immediately left to carry out her orders.

    Chu Lian led Wenqing into the side room where Sang was. The moment she entered, she was greeted with He Sang¡¯s usual frosty expression.

    He Changdi sent a cool nce over before turning away. He even shifted his body so that his back was to Chu Lian.

    Following that, Chu Lian heard him speak, ¡°Why are you here? Haven¡¯t you left me for dead?¡±

 Chapter 430: The Horrible He Sanlang (1)

    Chu Lian froze for a moment from her astonishment. She hadn¡¯t expected those to be He Sang¡¯s first words after seeing her again.

    The way he was acting now was exactly like a dog that had been ignored by his owner. She didn¡¯t know how to react.

    The corners of her lips twitched and she headed over to the bedside with Wenqing trailing after her.

    She sat down on the stool next to the bed and started speaking, ¡°Since Laiyue has gone out, I¡¯ll be the one to help change your bandagester. It¡¯s already the twenty-seventh, so you should take a bath at the same time. I¡¯ll put on your ointments after you¡¯re done with your bath.¡±

    He Changdi turned back around and looked at Chu Lian silently.

    Chu Lian remained her usual calm and easygoing self. ¡°He Changdi, if you don¡¯t answer me, then I¡¯ll take it that you¡¯ve agreed.¡±

    After she was done, Chu Lian turned to Wenqing and told her to get the maidservants to prepare the items required for a bath.

    Just as Chu Lian stood up to look for bandages and gauze, He Changdi directed his frosty gaze at the servants present in the room. The maidservants trembled and retreated quietly.

    A trace of satisfaction showed on He Changdi¡¯s face.

    As Chu Lian set the bandages and gauze to one side, together with the ointments that she had ordered to be brought to her, she felt that the room was strangely quiet. It was when she turned around and looked around the room that she realised she and He Changdi had been left alone.

    She put the medicine box down and shot a confused look at He Sang, ¡°Where¡¯s everyone?¡±

    He Changdi was calm as he replied, ¡°I¡¯ve sent them away.¡±

    Ah? Chu Lian didn¡¯t understand. What had he sent them all away for?

    ¡°Is there something important you have to tell me?¡± Chu Lian sat down next to He Sang and drew close to him, expecting some secret.

    Although there was still some distance between them, He Changdi could already smell the fragrance on Chu Lian¡¯s body. He couldn¡¯t tell what fragrance she used, but he just thought that it was very nice.

    There was a faint smile in He Changdi¡¯s eyes, though he wasn¡¯t aware of it.

    He tilted his body slightly to be even closer to Chu Lian. His breath was now gliding across Chu Lian¡¯s soft cheeks.

    ¡°It¡¯s not anything major, but I want you to help check my wounds. They were hurting a little when I woke up this morning.¡± He Sang¡¯s tone was very cool and impersonal. Aside from his heated breathing, he had managed to hide his ¡®evil¡¯ intentions very well.

    If this had been a normal situation, Chu Lian would definitely have been able to detect the white lie in his words. However, when it came to matters concerning his body, Chu Lian instantly tensed up and forgot her usual calm.

    Astonishment and reproach were disyed on her expression as she admonished him, ¡°Did it only start hurting this morning? How about during the past two days? He Changdi, are you stupid? Why didn¡¯t you mention your wounds hurting before? Why would you bear with the pain silently!¡±

    Once she had finished her scolding, she quickly reached out for the nkets covering He Changdi.

    The old physician had gone home for the New Year the day before yesterday. Since He Changdi¡¯s injuries had been healing well, Chu Lian had not asked the old physician toe to the He Estate every day. Before the old physician had left, he had also left instructions for them. As long as his bandages were changed daily and he continued drinking his medicine, he would be able to walk in another month. After the few days he had spent recuperating from his wounds, there was no longer any danger to his life. It was only a matter of time before he was fully healed.

    However, Chu Lian had also seen the state of He Sang¡¯s injuries with her own eyes. His leg had been a bloody mess at the time and it was extremely frightening. That was why she reacted immediately when He Sang mentioned that his wounds hurt.

    He Sang suddenly felt guilty upon seeing how panicked Chu Lian was over him. He wanted to reach out to hold her still and stop her frantic movements.

    However, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t rest easy until she inspected his wounds personally after finding out that his wounds were hurting. In the modern world, there were many cases where external wounds would fester and be inmed if they weren¡¯t taken care of properly. If that happened to He Changdi, the result would be even worse than the original state of his injuries.

    Chu Lian pushed away He Sang¡¯s hand and puffed up her cheeks. She threw a re in He Changdi¡¯s direction with an angry huff, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare move, or your wounds might be affected!¡±

    Although Chu Lian had been going for a fierce tone, her voice was naturally soft and charming. Even though she tried to harden her stance, there wasn¡¯t a single threatening bone in her. Instead, He Changdi felt warm inside. He wanted to pull the angry little kitten in front of him into his arms for a nice round of snuggles and pets.

    It was only then that He Sang finally realised he wasn¡¯t going to win over his stubborn wife when she was on a roll. Thus, with a resigned smile, heid back against the headboard and let her do as he wished.

    The wound on He Changdi¡¯s right leg was on the inner part of his thigh. Actually, it was very dangerous to have a wound at that spot as it was close to a major artery. Any cuts could easily cause extreme blood loss and death.

    Lucky for He Sang, he had somehow escaped that fate- the wound hadn¡¯t gotten close to his artery. Right now, he was only dressed in a pair of really short pants to make it easier to change the bandages every day. The pants were so short that they only covered the most important parts of his lower body.

    Once Chu Lian had gotten the nket out of the way, she was met with the sight of He Sang¡¯s muscled thigh all covered in bandages.

    She nced at him and said, ¡°Bear with it for a while, I¡¯m going to remove the bandages and check on your wound.¡±

    Before He Sang could give his assent, she had already started to untie the bandages.

    The corners of He Changdi¡¯s lips twitched. How were her movements so fast?

    He watched Chu Lian¡¯s serious expression as she went about her task. Although his features were still locked in their usual cool mien, there was warmth welling up deep inside his heart.

    It had been a long time since he had experienced being cared for like this.

 Chapter 431: The Horrible He Sanlang (2)

    Chu Lian¡¯s fingers were nimble and she quickly but carefully took off the bandages covering He Sang¡¯s leg.

    She looked at the wound on his knee first and found that the wound had already scabbed over. The surrounding skin was also clean and dry, so there was nothing wrong with it.

    Chu Lian frowned and traced the wound upwards. She started checking on the injuries on He Sang¡¯s inner thigh.

    Since He Sang couldn¡¯t move his leg right now, Chu Lian had no choice but to move into another position and climb onto the bed. She kneeled on the inner side of the bed while bending over to take a good look at the wound.

    He Changdi hadn¡¯t thought much of her inspection at first, but her unintentional pose made his thoughts run wild. His gaze flitted downwards, only to see her fair little face near a very important part of his body...

    He had already fallen for Chu Lian, and desperately wanted to be closer to her physically, so it was even harder to restrain his reaction.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t noticed her lunatic husband¡¯s response at all. She finished inspecting that wound on his right thigh and found that it was actually healing pretty well and that there was no problem with it.

    The realisation that he had been lying, coupled with how he had tried to stop her earlier, hit her like a ton of bricks. She instantly puffed up with anger.

    Due to her fury, her face flushed red and even her almond-shaped eyes were lit up with the fire of her rage.

    Chu Lian harrumphed. She looked up, about to vent her temper on He Changdi, when her gaze identally fell upon a part of his body that was a little abnormal right now.

    What could a thin pair of shorts hide?

    The excited Little Brother He stood out clearly.

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as all of the blood in her body rushed into her cheeks. Her blush even extended all the way down to her neck.

    It took Chu Lian a dazed two seconds before she quickly moved away. Following that, her limpid eyes directed towards He Sang inint.

    She gaped for a while as she tried to recover her lost wits. Finally, she spat out, ¡°He Changdi, you pervert!!¡±

    In the whole of the Great Wu Dynasty, iHe Sang was like the only one who had ever been branded a pervert by his own wife.

    He Changdi was also both ashamed and frustrated at his own reaction. The roots of his ears were alsopletely red. However, he still managed to keep his aloof expression on his face as he stared at Chu Lian¡¯s lobster-red face in a daze.

    After a while, he tried to exin in a raspy voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose, I couldn¡¯t hold it back...¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s response was to shoot a fierce re at him. The meaning behind it was clear: could you be any more shameless?

    He Changdi: ...

    Chu Lian¡¯s heart was thumping rapidly in her chest. Even though she had lived in the modern era for over twenty years, she had never experienced anything like this before. Her face was so red that it felt like it was on fire. She wanted to escape from this awkward situation as fast as she could.

    Chu Lian scrambled off the bed in a panic, intending to pull on her shoes and run away. However, the more panicked she was, the clumsier she became. As she was getting off the bed, she identally tripped over her own skirt and almost tumbled right off the bed.

    Luckily, He Sang had been watching her the whole time and was able to catch her at the right time. With a tug of his strong arms, Chu Liannded in his embrace.

    Chu Lian had already gone through the whole spectrum of emotions by now. The fright from the near-fall shocked her into a dazed state. Bewilderment filled her eyes, softening her usual sharp wit and adding an extra trace of cuteness.

    Urged on by that lovely sight, He Changdi¡¯s pupils dted before he bent over to capture those rosy red lips. The soft and slightly cool feeling that met his lips sent a wave of enjoyment crashing through his whole body.

    Ever since they had shared their first kiss in the tent, the memory of it would pop up in his mind from time to time. Each time he reminisced about it, he would feel even more drunk on the feeling of love.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected this sudden attack from He Sang at all. Her almond-shaped eyes widened as far as they could go and she struggled in his grasp. Her muffled grunts didn¡¯t do anything to move him and she didn¡¯t have any strength to push him away. She wanted to try kicking instead, but when she remembered that his leg was still heavily injured, she stuck to using only her hands to push against his chest.

    However, Chu Lian¡¯s weak arms were like ants trying to push down a tree. Once He Changdi had tasted enough of the sweetness of her lips, he gently pushed past her teeth to brush against her tongue.

    He Sang had be even more familiar with this after the first time.

    The all-consuming kisses made Chu Lian short of breath. Although the force of her arms against his chest slowly weakened, He Changdi wasn¡¯t willing to let her off so easily.

    The hands he had ced on her back started wandering and caressing her. Although she was dressed inyers of clothing due to the cold weather, he was still able to hold on to her slender waist easily. With a slight pull of his hand, she was now flush against his body.

    It was only when Chu Lian¡¯s face had flushedpletely red again that He Sang finally let her go. Even then, he wasn¡¯t willing to part with her. He showered kisses lovingly on her fluttering eyelids, the bridge of her nose, the fine corners of her lips and her dainty little chin.

    Chu Lian had almost fainted over from theck of air during their kiss. Her mind was aplete nk while her body felt like a wet noodle. All she could do was gasp for air right now, so she didn¡¯t have the spare energy to mind the light kisses that he was dropping on her face.

    However, it didn¡¯t take long for her to recover. When she finally realised that there was something hard jabbing her in the waist, Chu Lian¡¯s soul instantly returned to her body.

    Right as He Changdi¡¯s trail of kisses had reached Chu Lian¡¯s slender neck, she shot out a hand to cover his face.

    ¡°He Sang, why are you so horrible!¡±

 Chapter 432: The New Year (1)

    He Sang¡¯s eyes shone with the light of the stars as he stared fixedly at Chu Lian with a flushed face and heavy breathing.

    Chu Lian¡¯s own face was turning more and more red as she felt his gaze on her.

    All of a sudden, He Sang actually broke out into a smile and let out a peal of rxedughter. That spontaneous and genuine smile shocked Chu Lian silly.

    He Changdi was well-known for his outstanding appearance all over the capital.

    Ever since Chu Lian had arrived in the Great Wu Dynasty, all she had seen of him was his aloof and haughty side. He always kept a cold aura cloaked around himself to repel everyone away from him. She had never seen such an unguarded and unrestrained smile from him before.

    That rare disy of emotions from him drew a profound change in her own heart; it was as if an ancient wall of ice had melted under the strength of the sun. It felt warm andfortable.

    Compared to his usual cool facade, Chu Lian felt that this agreeable and warm look suited He Sang more.

    When she thought back to the original story¡¯s description of him, this was likely how He Changdi had been before he had gotten married!

    A pang of sympathy surfaced in her heart when her thoughts led her to that reminder.

    Although she didn¡¯t know why he was fighting so hard, she knew that he must have some sort of reason for his actions.

    Now that Chu Lian had broken the strange mood that had been hanging over them, a little of He Sang¡¯s rationality had returned. He suppressed the desires in his heart, but kept Chu Lian close to him.

    Due to the passion from before, his voice was still a little husky. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m horrible. It¡¯s my bad, I shouldn¡¯t have lied to you.¡±

    Chu Lian had already suffered several rounds of fright ever since waking up this morning. Her life was terribly exciting.

    She stared at He Changdi, mouth agape. So this stubborn man actually had times when he would apologise?

    She pulled out her hand and rested it on He Sang¡¯s forehead, murmuring under her breath as she did so, ¡°That¡¯s weird, he doesn¡¯t have a fever...¡±

    The warmth on He Sang¡¯s expression immediately faded away, exchanged for frustration.

    He replied with a mix of shame and anger, ¡°Chu Lian!¡±

    Chu Lianughed sheepishly, ¡°Ehe. So you¡¯re actually normal sometimes, my dear husband?¡±

    ¡°When have I been abnormal?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve always been abnormal.¡± Unfortunately, Chu Lian only dared to speak these words in her heart. She wasn¡¯t so stupid as to provoke the bear who had her in his clutches right now.

    When He Sang looked down and noticed that her eyes were sparkling with humour at her own thoughts, he had to urge to rub his cheeks against hers.

    The moment the urge came to him, he acted it out without any restraint.

    Chu Lian suffered the stabbing and prickling of stubble on her tender skin and quickly shook her head, trying to dodge his face.

    She raged, ¡°He Changdi, you haven¡¯t shaved!¡±

    The air between the couple had turned harmonious all of a sudden.

    By the time He Changdi had his fill of snuggling, the two of them were panting for breath.

    He Sang cradled the back of Chu Lian¡¯s head with his palm, pressing her head on his broad chest. He took a deep breath to gather his determination before dering, ¡°Chu Lian, once I¡¯m fully healed, let¡¯s get together. If... that¡¯s alright with you?¡±

    This time, Chu Lian didn¡¯t shove his words back in his face like she had done previously in the army camp. She gripped his cor tightly as she rested her head on his chest. After a moment, her low and muffled voice resounded.

    There weren¡¯t any words in her reply; just a simple affirmative ¡®mm¡¯ mumbled into his shirt.

    The anxiety in He Sang¡¯s heart instantly transformed into a burst of fireworks, overwhelming him and giving him the urge to fly up into the sky.

    Fifteen minutester, He Changdi pulled Chu Lian away from him with his strong arms, tugging her slender body out from his embrace.

    It was rare for them to have such a warm and peaceful moment, so Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to move at all. She looked up with confusion at He Changdi, asking with her soft voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    He Sang leaned over to ce a kiss on her tender pink lips. ¡°Be good for me and get off the bed first. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to hold back any longer.¡±

    A blush returned in full force to Chu Lian¡¯s face and she quickly scurried out of his arms awkwardly.

    She put on her embroidered shoes again and straightened out her clothing before shooting a ¡®fierce¡¯ re at He Changdi.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to find a razor. You have to shave your stubble now.¡± After giving herself a shoddy excuse, Chu Lian turned and made her escape from the room.

    After they had finally agreed to be together, even though their following interactions weren¡¯t very intimate, it took He Sang a lot of effort to control his physical reactions so that it wouldn¡¯t cause more embarrassing incidents.

    He Changdi was a very restrained person in the first ce. Although it was hard for him to hold his bodily reactions back, when he thought of how Chu Lian had finally agreed to be with him, this sweet torture felt like nothing.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t give much thought to their snuggling at all. As a woman, she didn¡¯t have much in the way of sexual needs.

    Instead, she rather enjoyed the sweet closeness they shared.

    When Chu Lian finally found a razor and returned to the room, He Changdi didn¡¯t let her do it for him and shaved his own stubble. Later on, with Chu Lian¡¯s help, he wiped down his body and washed his hair.

    He couldn¡¯t take a bath due to the position of his injuries, so he could only make do.

    Once the twenty-seventh had passed, New Year¡¯s Eve soon arrived.

    There was a touch of celebration in the air, even in the frigid north.

    Naturally, Liangzhou City was the most festivepared to the other cities nearby.

    Chu Lian had gotten up early in the morning to start preparing dinner for the New Year. Wenqing and Wen were also so busy that they didn¡¯t have any time to rest. Manager Qin and his subordinates finally returned to the He Estate in the afternoon.

    Wenqing and Wen knew that Manager Qin had gone out on Third Young Madam¡¯s orders, but they didn¡¯t know what exactly he had gone out to do. However, they weren¡¯t too curious about it. They knew that anything done on Third Young Madam¡¯s instructions was definitely good for their household and good for Third Young Master, so there was nothing for them to worry about.

    Chu Lian had ordered Wenqing to start cooking arge pot of braised pork in the morning. Wenqing had found it strange and asked, ¡°Third Young Madam, even if we give a whole bowl of this to everyone in this estate, we won¡¯t be able to finish this up!¡±

    Chu Lian smiled secretively, ¡°You¡¯ll know why when ites to dinner time.¡±

    Since Chu Lian had already exined it like that, Wenqing dropped her line of questioning.

    Chu Lian found it funny. She refused to believe that Captain Guo and the others wouldn¡¯te over to the He Estate to beg off a free meal when faced with such a great excuse.

 Chapter 433: The New Year (2)

    As expected, when night fell and the maidservants had just started serving up a whole array of steaming hot dishes on the table, the gluttons from the northern border troops arrived.

    He Changdi was bedridden so the only person who could host their uninvited guests was Chu Lian.

    She stood at the main entrance in wee and looked upon the huge group of foodies helplessly. It seemed like it wasn¡¯t just He Sang¡¯s band of brothers who hade. Even Great General Qian had followed along. Of course, Sima Hui was here too.

    Chu Lian was starting to suspect that the extra portions of food she had ordered Wenqing and Wen to prepare weren¡¯t going to be enough.

    However, it was toote to prepare more food. If they really ran out of food, they would just have to add on a big bowl of dumplings for them and make sure that they left with full bellies.

    In order to match the festivities, Chu Lian was wearing a pink dress with white rabbit fur ents. There was a bright red vest on top of that and a white fox fur cloak on the outside. Some baby fat was still clinging on to her tiny little face, giving her a youthful air. When she was dressed up in so manyyers, she looked like a cute little ball.

    After Chu Lian personally greeted Great General Qian with a respectful bob, General Qian pulled out a red packet from his sleeve and passed it to Chu Lian.

    ¡°Take this, it¡¯s a New Year gift from your Uncle Qian.¡±

    Chu Lian stared in a nk daze for a moment before quickly reacting and receiving the envelope with both hands. She smiled at General Qian, ¡°Uncle Qian, I¡¯m already married, I¡¯m not a child any longer.¡±

    Although her current body was only fifteen, she had been in her twenties in her modern world and was long past the age where she would receive red packets from her elders. When she had gone home for the New Year in the past, she had even given out red packets to her nieces and nephews. Now that an elder had suddenly given her a red packet, Chu Lian felt a little awkward.

    While Duke Lu was the fearsome Great General Qian in the border camp, he hade here to visit her as an elder, so she had changed her form of address for him ordingly.

    General Qian found it amusing that the little Honoured Lady Jinyi was acting like an adult. ¡°Even though you¡¯re already married, you¡¯re just a youngdy who has juste of age. Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re too shy to ept your Uncle Qian¡¯s red packet?¡±

    Chu Lian smiled in return and said, ¡°Alright, please don¡¯t tease me, Uncle Qian. I¡¯ll ept it!¡±

    Now that General Qian had opened up the way, the rest of the people who hade for her cooking all gave her red packets. Even the youngest Xiao Hongyu managed to take out a thin red envelope and pass it to Chu Lian. He showed a foolish smile and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have much savings, so please don¡¯t take offense, Sister-in-Law.¡±

    Although Xiao Hongyu called Chu Lian ¡®Older Sister-in-Law¡¯, he was actually older than Chu Lian by four years, so it was still eptable for her to ept his gift as a junior.

    Thest person to enter was Sima Hui.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t seen her in quite some time, so she was naturally happy to meet her friend again on New Year¡¯s Eve. Sima Hui was normally taller than Chu Lian by half a head. Today, she had stuck a red feather in her neat hair, making her look even taller and slimmer than usual.

    Sima Hui offered up a smile and pulled on Chu Lian¡¯s hand in a familiar way. She took off a red purse with embroidered flowers from her waist and gave it to Chu Lian. ¡°Lian¡¯er, I didn¡¯t prepare a red packet for you unlike the Great General and the others. Take this as Sister Hui¡¯s New Year gift to you.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s smile was even brighter than usual as she dispensed with the usual courtesy of rejecting the gift. She reached out to receive the purse immediately. ¡°Since it¡¯s something that Sister Hui prepared for me, I¡¯ll ept it shamelessly!¡±

    Once Chu Lian had finished epting a stack of red packets and one red purse, she finally weed everyone into the He Estate.

    While He Changdi and Chu Lian were passing their first New Year together with a lively celebration, things weren¡¯t going so well back in the Jing¡¯an Estate in the capital.

    It was now certain that Count Jing¡¯an couldn¡¯te back for the New Year, while Second Young Master He Changjue, who was investigating a case in Zhangzhou, had also sent a letter stating that he wouldn¡¯t be able to make it either.

    Eldest Young Madam was grounded in her branch¡¯s courtyard. It was rumoured that she wasn¡¯t feeling very well these two days and that Senior Servant Qiao had taken over management of her own courtyard¡¯s matters.

    Matriarch He had just taken control of the household again and was going through the public ount books. The sudden stress and hard work had caused her old illnesses to re up and made her bedridden.

    Eldest Young Master He Changqi disapproved of his grandmother¡¯s overwork. He specially ordered Senior Servant Liu to keep watch over the matriarch¡¯s health.

    Senior Servant Liu had no other choice but to take up the task of checking the ounts herself. She picked a portion of the ount books and left the rest to Muxiang.

    Senior Servant Liu wasn¡¯t good at numbers, so it was Muxiang who oversaw the ounts.

    At the end of the year, rumours started swirling about the capital that the northern border troops had fallen into critical danger and that it wasn¡¯t boding well for the fifty thousand troops hanging in the bnce.

    Matriarch He¡¯s health declined even further upon hearing these rumours. Due to the spreading of the news in the capital, many noble houses stopped associating with House Jing¡¯an.

 Chapter 434: Eldest Madam Returns (1)

    On the following day, Matriarch He¡¯s health had deteriorated so much that she was too weak to get out of bed. He Changqi had suddenly be the only master in the entire estate who was entirely healthy and normal.

    He Changqi was actually mired in his own worries and he was in no mood to celebrate the New Year. Each day, he would leave early in the morning to search for any news of the situation in the north, only returningte at night. He even used his connections to send a request to Princess Wei.

    Early this morning, the silent and subdued entrance of the Jing¡¯an Estate suddenly turned lively again.

    A few carriages marked with the gs of the Jing¡¯an Estate stopped in front of the estate¡¯s gates.

    Following that, a green-d maidservant jumped out from the lead carriage before quickly setting out a wooden stool by the carriage. She lifted up the curtain covering the carriage entrance and carefully helped the person within the carriage out.

    The first to emerge from the confines of the carriage was a youngdy wearing a dark green hood. She looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. Her figure was slender and she was dressed in a in-coloured vest over a reddish brown dress. Closely following behind her was a middle-aged woman.

    The woman was slightly plump and was wrapped in a brocade cloak. Her hair wasbed up into a conch shape, with only a simple silver hairpin to decorate her ck hair.

    She turned her head slightly and patted the youngdy¡¯s hand, as if reassuring her.

    Her face actually held some resemnce to House Jing¡¯an¡¯s matriarch.

    ¡°Nianzhen, this is your grandmother¡¯s home.¡± He Ying¡¯s voice was clearly emotional right now. The gaze she was directing towards House Jing¡¯an¡¯s gates were filled with both yearning and greed.

    Pan Nianzhen hugged her mother¡¯s arm tightly. Uncertainty and envy showed in her narrow eyes as she took in therge and luxurious gates of the Jing¡¯an Estate and the roofs of the buildings within.

    She gulped nervously, ¡°Mother, Grandmother¡¯s home is so huge. I¡¯ve never seen such arge courtyard in my whole life. Can we stay here forever from now on?¡±

    The corners of He Ying¡¯s mouth tilted upwards, ¡°Of course. Since we¡¯ve returned, no one can chase us out!¡±

    Senior Servant Liu had hurried over with some servants in tow after receiving the report from the gatekeepers.

    Ever since He Ying had married into the Pan Family, far away in Siyang, they hadn¡¯t met at all for decades. Now that she was meeting the He Family¡¯s former Eldest Young Miss again, a mix of emotions welled up within Senior Servant Liu.

    She walked up to He Ying and bobbed in greeting towards her, together with the servants behind her. It was only after a respectful pause that she raised her head and said, ¡°Eldest Madam, it must have been a long journey for you. Please, follow this servant into the estate.¡±

    Even though it had been many years since they hadst met, He Ying was able to recognise the senior servant who was even more well dressed than she was.

    ¡°Senior Servant Liu, I hope you¡¯ve been well since we parted.¡±

    After saying so, He Ying rearranged her expression into a frown as she took in the servants who hade to wee her together with Senior Servant Liu. All of a sudden, she let out a mocking peal ofughter, ¡°I see that we¡¯re not that wee after all, since you¡¯ve only sent servants out to wee us back.¡±

    Senior Servant Liu¡¯s expression changed. She pressed her lips together and managed to hold back the sharp words bubbling up within her. She lowered her head respectfully as she replied, ¡°Eldest Madam might not have gotten the news yet. None of the male masters of our house are home now. The matriarch and the countess are both sickly and bedridden, so the honour of weing you has been left to this old servant.¡±

    He Ying¡¯s brows drew together, ¡°Mother is sick?¡±

    Senior Servant Liu nodded, her heart clearly aching for the matriarch. ¡°Eldest Madam and Miss Pan, please enter first and listen to this old servant¡¯s exnationter.¡±

    It was only then that He Ying stopped talking and let the maidservants help her and her daughter into the estate.

    The news had been sent to Qingxi Hall already. Perhaps due to the pending reunion with the daughter she had been separated from for decades, the matriarch was much more spirited than the two days before. She forced herself out of bed and on her feet.

    The matriarch let her maidservants help her dress up before letting Muxiang escort her to the hearth in the parlour. It was there that she awaited the arrival of her long lost daughter.

    Matriarch He¡¯s old eyes remained fixed on the entrance the whole time. Eventually, she urged, ¡°Muxiang, send someone to ask if they¡¯ve entered the inner court.¡±

    Muxiang covered her lips and smiled, ¡°Of course, this servant will go now. Please don¡¯t worry, Matriarch. Eldest Madam has already entered the estate, it will only take her a moment toe into the inner court. Senior Servant Liu has even sent out sedans for them and specially arranged for the most fleet-footed menial servants to carry them. They won¡¯t be dyed.¡±

    The matriarch sighed, ¡°I know that, but I just can¡¯t help myself.¡±

    Just as Muxiang walked over to the parlour entrance and lifted up the heavy drapes covering them, she spotted Senior Servant Liu leading a group of people down the corridor. She turned around joyously and said, ¡°Matriarch, Eldest Madam has arrived!¡±

    ¡°Quick, wee them in!¡± Matriarch He was so happy she almost leaped up from the hearth, giving Muxiang a fright as she hurriedly went over to support the matriarch.

    The haughtiness on He Ying¡¯s face immediately faded the moment Senior Servant Liu lifted the curtains.

    Once she entered the parlour, she fixed her eyes on the old woman sitting by the hearth. Tears seemed to spring to her eyes almost instantly.

    ¡°Mother!¡±

    Matriarch He looked down upon the daughter who had left her as a youngdy and grown into a middle-aged woman. Her old eyes looked hazy as tears welled up.

    ¡°Miss Ying,e to Mother¡¯s side and let Mother take a good look at you.¡±

    He Ying ran forward and threw herself into Matriarch He¡¯s arms. The mother and child who had been separated for years hugged each other tightly and cried their hearts out.

    Pan Nianzhen was at a loss for what to do. She shrunk back and looked up at the kindly matriarch sitting at the head of the room before her attention was attracted by the sumptuous luxury of the parlour furnishings. Her eyes darted here and there, looking over everything with desire.

    TL Note: The titles that the servants use go by the rtion of the addressee to the current head of the house.

    Matriarch He, mother of the current count (one generation up) = Matriarch

    He Ying, sister of the count (same generation) = Eldest Madam

    Chu Lian & Madam Zou, daughter-inws of the count (one generation down) = Young Madams

    Pan Nianzhen, maternal niece (one generation down, but not within the family) = Miss Pan (meaningdy of the Pan family)

    The servants use ±íÐ¡½ã for Miss Pan, which is literally ¡®cousin miss¡¯, to indicate that she¡¯s rted to the family, but not through the direct line.

 Chapter 435: Eldest Madam Returns (2)

    Senior Servant Liu and Senior Servant Zhou were afraid that the matriarch¡¯s fragile health would decline even more if she went through more emotional upheaval, so they hurriedly spoke words of reassurance. ¡°Matriarch, now that Eldest Madam is back and the New Year ising, you should be happier! Miss Pan is watching from the side!¡±

    As expected, with the reminder that her granddaughter was watching, Matriarch He slowly got her emotions under control. She let go of her daughter and dabbed at her tears before finally getting a good look at her daughter. When she was satisfied, she turned her gaze to her granddaughter, Pan Nianzhen.

    He Ying pulled her daughter closer, ¡°Nianzhen, this is your maternal grandmother. Quick, greet her.¡±

    Pan Nianzhen was a little timid. She darted a nce at the kindly yet intimidating olddy before her and greeted in almost a whisper, ¡°Grandmother.¡±

    ¡°What a good child!¡± The matriarch reached out and took Pan Nianzhen¡¯s hand in her own. She carefully looked over the youngdy before asking, ¡°How old is Nianzhen this year?¡±

    He Ying looked at her daughter with pride, ¡°Hering of age ceremony was done just this summer, so she¡¯ll be sixteen thising year.¡±

    Sixteen years of age? That was considered an adult woman in the Great Wu Dynasty. It was also the right time to start preparing for marriage and it wouldn¡¯t be good to tarry on that matter.

    An idea sparked to life within Matriarch He.

    She let the twodies sit down next to her. At the same time, she had also noticed that they were dressed in rather in and shabby outfits.

    He Ying seemed to have sensed her mother¡¯s measuring gaze. She lowered her head in shame.

    The matriarch frowned, ¡°Why are you dressed in this manner?¡±

    He Ying nced at her mother. Her lips parted, as if she wanted to speak, but it seemed like her shame was holding her back.

    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t want to dress up, you should have given Nianzhen a few good dresses at least. She should be dressing prettily at her age.¡±

    Once Matriarch He had spoken, He Ying could no longer hold back her words, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m not willing to, but I just don¡¯t have the money right now.¡±

    Matriarch He stared in disbelief, ¡°Did you spend all of the silver I gave you back then?¡±

    He Ying acted aggrieved when reminded of the money she had been given, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s been so many years. How could there be anything left from just those ten thousands of taels?¡±

    Matriarch He deeply regretted that she hadn¡¯t raised Miss Ying properly.

    She was actually dismissing those ten thousands of taels. How could ten thousands of taels be a small amount?

    Ten thousands of taels was enough to buy at least ten or more storefronts. Even if they did nothing with the storefronts and rented them out, they would be able to live much morefortably than they seemed to be now. She would at least have the money to make some new clothes and essories for her daughter.

    The frustration within the matriarch almost shot through the roof after that casualment from her daughter.

    However, as angry as she was, she couldn¡¯t just let her daughter and granddaughter continue dressing so shabbily.

    She looked her daughter up and down once more before speaking again. ¡°The two of you can stay in my Qingxi Hall for now. You¡¯re about the same size as I was back then, so you can take some of my clothes for now. Muxiang, lead Eldest Madam over to the storehouse in a while.¡±

    Muxiang respectfully acknowledged the orders.

    Matriarch He looked at the timid Pan Nianzhen and faced a dilemma.

    Pan Nianzhen was fifteen this year and in the prime of her life. Matriarch He didn¡¯t have any clothes suitable for her to wear. Even if they ordered the seamstresses to rush out something, it would still take a few days. It was already close to the year¡¯s end, so the clothes stores outside were all closed. They wouldn¡¯t be able to buy any ready made dresses. It was really a tough problem for the matriarch.

    Senior Servant Liu was observant. She smiled and whispered a suggestion to the matriarch.

    ¡°Matriarch, why don¡¯t you send someone over to Third Young Madam¡¯s courtyard to ask?¡±

    Now that Senior Servant Liu had reminded her, realisation dawned upon the matriarch. That¡¯s right. Sang¡¯s wife was also fifteen. Although the two youngdies were a little different in size, it wasn¡¯t so drastic.

    ¡°Xiangyun, take Miss Pan over to Sang¡¯s courtyard and borrow two outfits for the time being. Get our seamstresses to measure the two of them tomorrow afternoon to make some outfits they can wear,¡± Matriarch He instructed Senior Servant Liu.

    Once those details were settled, Matriarch He held on to her daughter¡¯s hand and started chatting about their past memories.

    He Ying wanted to get closer to her mother, so she put all her efforts into caring for the matriarch. They started talking about He Ying¡¯s childhood and kept chatting until it was time for the midday meal.

    In the afternoon, they had lunch served in the parlour of Qingxi Hall. Matriarch He shared the meal together with her daughter and granddaughter.

    On the table was Eight Treasure Duck, boiled fish with pickled cabbage and chilli, imperial tofu, pork strips in chilli sauce and meatballs in clear soup. There weren¡¯t that many dishes, but He Ying and her daughter were stunned.

    They had never eaten or even seen such exquisite dishes before.

    The parlour was filled with the fragrance of food.

    ¡°Mother, what... what is all this?¡± He Ying pointed at the dishes and gulped.

    Matriarch He puffed up with pride at the mention of the food, ¡°These dishes were all taught to our estate¡¯s cooks by Lian¡¯er. They¡¯re much better than what we had before. Come, have a taste! Nianzhen, start eating!¡±

    He Ying found it strange. ¡°Mother, who¡¯s Lian¡¯er? One of your maidservants?¡±

    Matriarch He red at her daughter upon hearing so, ¡°What nonsense are you speaking? Lian¡¯er is your niece-inw! She married Sang this year in early autumn.¡±

    He Ying¡¯s eyes almost bulged out at her shock, ¡°Sang is married?¡±

    ¡°You silly child. Have you forgotten everything as the years passed? Sang is already twenty this year, important matters like marriage can¡¯t be dyed!¡±

    Upon hearing her mother¡¯s reply, a trace of disappointment shed across He Ying¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough of that. Let¡¯s eat first. Once we¡¯re done, Xiangyun will exin everything that has happened on our estate.¡±

    None of what her mother and grandmother were talking about had gone into Pan Nianzhen¡¯s ears. She had just taken a bite of the Eight Treasure Duck and almost swallowed her tongue along with it because of how tasty it was. She couldn¡¯t help but think: how could there be such delicious food in the world?

 Chapter 436: Borrowing Clothes (1)

    Although Pan Nianzhen had heard her parents talk of the riches and luxury of the capital in the past, it was nothingpared to seeing it for herself.

    Setting aside the exquisite decorations, clothes and jewellery, even a simple meal here was a hundred times better than what the wealthy in Siyang had.

    If even House Jing¡¯an was living in such luxury, one could imagine just how amazing it would be in the houses of the first rate nobles.

    Pan Nianzhen felt that she had made the right decision toe to the capital with her mother. It was no wonder that her mother missed the capital so dearly.

    Once she thought of it this way, Pan Nianzhen began to envy the nobledies who grew up here.

    She stealthily nced at Matriarch He who sat at the head of the table with a grudging look. Even though the capital was so rich andvish, even though House Jing¡¯an was obviously thriving, it wasn¡¯t until autumn this year that her grandmother had allowed the two of them to return.

    It had been a long time since Matriarch He had been this happy. She kept adding food into their bowls. Satisfaction warmed her heart as she watched them enjoy their meal.

    No matter what He Ying had done in her youth, she was still Matriarch He¡¯s very own flesh and blood. Matriarch He only had this one daughter as well. Now that decades had already passed, her daughter had likely undergone enough suffering and hardship in the outside world to learn her lesson. It was fine if her daughter now returned to stay and pass her days happily with her again.

    As for this granddaughter of hers, Matriarch He nned to treat her well.

    The six dishes should have been more than enough for the three of them, especially since the matriarch had a small appetite. There should even be leftovers. However, all of the tes werepletely wiped clean. When He Ying and her daughter were done, there was no longer any food left in sight. They had even used some in buns to soak up all the remaining gravy in the sliced pork dish.

    It was only after setting down their bowls and chopsticks that the two finally noticed the difort from their bloated stomachs. When they looked again at the messy table, as thick-skinned as she was, even He Ying¡¯s face flushed red.

    The servants waiting on them had awkward expressions as they looked at them. Even Muxiang was looking at them with some contempt.

    The matriarch, on the other hand, had a gentle look in her eyes. She asked with sympathy, ¡°Have you had your fill? If you want more, I¡¯ll have the kitchen cook a few more dishes.¡±

    He Ying quickly shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mother, we¡¯re already full.¡±

    As they had eaten too much at lunch, He Ying and her daughter rested in a side room in Qingxi Hall for over two hours. When they woke up, Senior Servant Liu led Pan Nianzhen to Songtao Court to borrow some clothes.

    Once they arrived at the entrance of Songtao Court, Senior Servant Liu happily introduced the ce to her, ¡°Miss Pan, this is the residence of Third Young Master and Third Young Madam.¡±

    Pan Nianzhen looked into the courtyard. Although it was winter, it didn¡¯t seem chilly here at all. There was even some greenery left in the garden amidst the decorative mountains, and there were some wintersweet flowers blooming to the side.

    She looked at the ce with admiration and envy. Back in Siyang, only the elders of the family would get to live in a courtyard as lovely as this. The junior members of the family wouldn¡¯t get a turn at all. So her older cousins had been living in such a wonderful environment their whole lives.

    Senior Servant Liu wasn¡¯t bothered by her silence. She just continued introducing the interesting things in the courtyard, not knowing if Pan Nianzhen was actually listening.

 Chapter 437: Borrowing Clothes (2)

    In the main room of Songtao Court, a servant had just informed Xiyan, Senior Servant Gui and the others of this matter.

    Xiyan was in the middle of cataloguing all of Chu Lian¡¯s essories together with the other servants.

    She had heard from some of the servants in the outer court that an Eldest Madam hade to the estate, but she hadn¡¯t expected that Eldest Madam to bring her daughter over to Songtao Court.

    She put down the register, and brought the servants over to wee her.

    Pan Nianzhen was politely escorted to the main room of Songtao Court, while Senior Servant Liu tactfully exined the situation to Xiyan.

    With a slight smile, Xiyan said, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, please follow this servant, Miss Pan.¡±

    Pan Nianzhen carefully sized up the decor in the main room of Songtao Court. As her gaze swept the room, a book ced on the side table caught her eye.

    That was the book that Xiyan had been using to catalogue Chu Lian¡¯s essories. Pan Nianzhen¡¯s appearance had been so sudden that she had forgotten about the catalogue, even though she had ordered the servants to keep the jewellery. Xiyan had left it open on a little table near the hearth. It was unfortunate that it caught Pan Nianzhen¡¯s eye.

    At first, Pan Nianzhen had just nced at it due to curiosity. However, when she read the names of the essories recorded on the book, she was first startled, before envy and jealousy flooded her heart.

    Golden hairpin with sapphire and jade iys, Eight Treasure hairpin with pearl chains, dangling hair ornament shaped as a blooming blossom with ruby... The names of some essories leaped out at first nce- they sounded like they were worth a few hundred taels at least!

    In Siyang, even the provincial official¡¯s wife didn¡¯t own such jewellery.

    Pan Nianzhen was ovee with jealousy. In her mind, Chu Lian was merely the wife of the third young master, but she had so many expensive essories! What about the wives of the first and second sons then!?

    Xiyan, Senior Servant Liu and the others didn¡¯t notice where Pan Nianzhen¡¯s gaze had been directed. Xiyan continued with a smile, ¡°Miss Pan, please follow this servant, Third Young Madam¡¯s clothes are all in the bedroom.¡±

    Although Chu Lian wasn¡¯t home, Xiyan still followed their standard procedures and switched out the clothes in the closet for ones suited for winter.

    Once the closet was opened, it became too dazzling for Pan Nianzhen to behold.

    Her mouth was agape as she looked at the various winter clothes in disbelief. Her eyes were filled with greed.

    When Xiyan looked towards the fragile-looking Miss Pan, she noticed that something was amiss with her gaze. She turned her head to check what she was looking at. When she realised that Miss Pan was eyeing the clothes in the closet, her brows knit together.

    Xiyan suppressed the displeasure in her heart and tried her best to keep up her calm tone, ¡°Miss Pan, Third Young Madam¡¯s winter clothes are all here. These were all newly made this year and Third Young Madam hasn¡¯t worn them yet. Please go ahead and pick a few from here.¡±

    The clothes that Xiyan had pointed at had been made by the seamstresses in the estate and were part of the regr allowance sent to every member of the household. There were six sets in total, all made to Chu Lian¡¯s measurements. There were high-quality dresses, fur-lined jackets, vests and cloaks.

    However, Pan Nianzhen¡¯s eyesnded on another chest of clothes off to the side. The outfits in that chest were just too outstanding. One of the full-length dresses was even decorated with ck pearls the size of rice grains. The pearls followed a winding pattern on top of the dark-coloured dress. It was the epitome of understated luxury. Pan Nianzhen couldn¡¯t help pointing at that outfit with her eyes glistening, ¡°I¡¯ll take that set then.

    Xiyan followed where Pan Nianzhen was pointing. The moment she saw the outfit Pan Nianzhen wanted, her expression changed and she took a deep breath. Xiyan used all her patience to exin, ¡°Miss Pan, I truly apologize, the winter clothes in this wardrobe were all bestowed to our Third Young Madam by Princess Wei, we can¡¯t give them to you.¡±

    What? Bestowed by Princess Wei?

    Although her hopes had been crushed, Pan Nianzhen refused to give up.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I just borrow these and wear them for a bit?¡± Pan Nianzhen spoke in a slightly whiny tone as if she had been bullied.

    Xiyan was stunned. She didn¡¯t expect this Miss Pan to be so stubborn as she had already stated things very clearly.

    Princess Wei doted on Chu Lian, so she had sent a whole chest of clothes over at the end of the year. The clothes in the closet could all be lent to Miss Pan, but the outfits bestowed by Princess Wei truly couldn¡¯t be lent to her. Their own mistress hadn¡¯t even worn them once yet, so it would be bad if Princess Wei found out that the clothes had been lent to others.

 Chapter 438: Third Young Master is Here (1)

    ¡°My sincerest apologies, Miss Pan. Since Third Young Madam isn¡¯t here, we servants can¡¯t act on our own initiative.¡± Although Xiyan was speaking tactfully, the meaning in her words was clear: the clothes that Princess Wei had given to Chu Lian couldn¡¯t be lent to her.

    Pan Nianzhen scrunched up the handkerchief in her hands, showing her displeasure. She wanted to continue insisting, but Senior Servant Liu quickly jumped in upon seeing the situation turning bad. ¡°Miss Pan, these clothes over here are all in thetest styles and colours trending in the capital this year. Miss Pan will surely look good in them.¡±

    Pan Nianzhen¡¯s hopes were left unfulfilled. In the end, she picked from the winter clothes that the estate had given to Chu Lian for the year. In a fit of temper, she picked out six sets of clothing from the closet, practically taking all of the winter clothes that Chu Lian had been given.

    Xiyan stood to one side and watched. Although her heart ached for the clothes taken away, she couldn¡¯t do anything to stop it as a mere servant, especially since her masters weren¡¯t even around.

    All she could do was to stand by respectfully and let Miss Pan Nianzhen take them away.

    Once the group of visitors had taken a box full of clothing and left Songtao Court, the second-tier maidservant Baicha asked, ¡°Sister Xiyan, are we going to let those people take Third Young Madam¡¯s things away just like that? This servant thinks that that Miss Pan isn¡¯t a good person at all.¡±

    Xiyan turned around and shot a re at Baicha, ¡°We¡¯re servants. Even if we want to protect our Third Young Madam, we can¡¯t go over the authority of the other masters in this household. We have to keep our thoughts in our hearts and remember everything that happens. We¡¯ll report all of these to Third Young Madam when she¡¯s back. Third Young Madam will know what to do. Also, while it¡¯s fine for you to say something like that in front of me, keep your lips sealed around others, or we might identally make new enemies for our masters. While our masters aren¡¯t around, we servants of Songtao Court must behave ourselves.¡±

    Baicha nodded, ¡°Baicha will remember Sister Xiyan¡¯s teachings.¡±

    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t just hang around me now. Go and put Third Young Madam¡¯s clothes back in order. Record all of the clothes that Miss Pan just took. We have to make sure we keep our records straight.¡±

    After getting her orders, Baicha went off to do her work.

    Xiyan watched as the young girl hurried off diligently and smiled.

    Although Baicha was only twelve this year, she was good at her work. In fact, she was even more trustworthy than Jingyan and Fuyan.

    When Senior Servant Liu returned to Qingxi Hall, she mulled over the issue for some time before reporting what Pan Nianzhen had done at Songtao Court to Matriarch He.

    The matriarch¡¯s first reaction was stunned amazement. Later, she sighed, ¡°That child has grown up by her mother¡¯s side all these years and has never seen enough of the world. Since it¡¯s her first time here, she¡¯s more shallow-minded. It¡¯s still within the realm of forgiving. Xiangyun, tell the inner court steward to add a few more headdresses and essories for Miss Ying and her daughter. Take another two headdresses from my personal stores for them too.¡±

    Senior Servant Liu hadn¡¯t expected such a reaction from Matriarch He. Not only had she not increased her guard against them, but she was even pitying Eldest Madam and her daughter. While Senior Servant Liu wanted to try persuading otherwise, she knew clearly that Matriarch He wouldn¡¯t listen to her at this time. Thus, she could only resign herself to following her orders.

    Eldest Madam He Ying was in her forties this year. Her figure was slightly plump and her round face was simr to Matriarch He¡¯s, but with fewer wrinkles. The two lines framing her mouth were rather deep, giving her a mean appearance.

    After her afternoon nap, He Ying started strolling about Qingxi Hall. She looked closely at every corner of it. This courtyard hadn¡¯t changed much overall since she had left, but there were a few parts that had changed a lot.

    The furniture and arrangements throughout the courtyard had be even morevish. She could tell that Qingxi Hall had gone through at least two renovations after she had left to marry in Siyang.

    Ever since she had stepped into the Jing¡¯an Estate and all the way till the midday meal had ended, she had felt that the current House Jing¡¯an couldn¡¯t bepared to its former self from twenty years past.

    In these twenty years, House Jing¡¯an had already made its footing in the capital.

    The corners of her mouth tilted upwards in a smile, deepening the wrinkles around her lips and making her look even more harsh.

    As she turned around, her gazended upon a half-open window.

    This corridor ran parallel to Qingxi Hall¡¯s little study.

    The study was originally where Matriarch He took care of the household matters. However, after the old Count had passed away, Matriarch He had moved her own study into the old Count¡¯s study in the outer court instead, to remember her husband, leaving the little study empty. Now it was used by the trusted servants in Qingxi Hall for their work.

    Through the half-open window, she could see the matriarch¡¯s most trusted handmaid, Muxiang, seated at a desk with an abacus.

    Eldest Madam He Ying thought for a moment before walking over.

    The study was quiet and there was only a maidservant watching the door. However, the maidservant had already dozed off in front of a brazier, so He Ying was able to sneak into the study.

    Muxiang was staring at the ount books and working diligently. The cking of the abacus beads hid the sounds of the footsteps behind her.

    He Ying looked over at the ount books that Muxiang was working on from a meter or two away. Her eyes widened and she sucked in a breath.

    What kind of storefront was that? How was it able to earn so much money?! It was bringing in more than three thousand taels of ie a month!

    Her gaze quickly darted up to the start of the entries, only to see two words printed at the top: Guilin Restaurant.

    Guilin Restaurant?

    Wasn¡¯t that part of her mother¡¯s dowry?

    Even at its peak, it had only been one of the oldest restaurants in the capital at most without anything special to it. How had it suddenly be a money tree?

    Three thousand taels! That wasn¡¯t a small sum. Most nobledies wouldn¡¯t even be given that amount in their dowries when they married. This Guilin Restaurant was bringing in three thousand taels of pure profit each month!

    Back then, when Matriarch He had sent her away to Siyang, she had only been given ten thousand taels of silver.

    He Ying¡¯s eyes lit up instantly.

 Chapter 439: Third Young Master is Here (2)

    When Muxiang turned around and noticed Eldest Madam standing behind her, her expression changed and she quickly shut the ount book. She stood up to give her greetings, ¡°Eldest Madam, how did youe to be here?¡±

    He Ying had recovered her senses by now. She hid the greed in her eyes and raised her chin, ¡°I was just taking a walk around since I was bored. Why? Are you trying to pry into my business?¡±

    ¡°Of course not, Eldest Madam. If Eldest Madam wishes to take a stroll, this servant will arrange for some of the brighter maidservants to apany you. Although it¡¯s winter, there are still some scenic areas around our estate.¡±

    He Ying could sense that this handmaid Muxiang was more stoic and stubborn. She thought for a bit before replying, ¡°I won¡¯t trouble you. I¡¯ll go over to the matriarch, continue with your task!¡±

    Muxiang escorted Eldest Madam to the door before turning back to deal with the skiving maidservant guarding the door.

    The little maidservant trembled and pleaded for mercy, but Muxiang¡¯s face was contorted into a fierce expression.

    Another maidservant standing at the side couldn¡¯t hold back her own tremors upon seeing Muxiang¡¯s appearance.

    Back in Liangzhou on the night of New Year¡¯s Eve, the guests who hade to the He Estate were now seated together in the parlour after eating their fill at the feast. They stayed up to usher in the New Year until it was past midnight. Chu Lian then ordered the servants to bring them to some rooms to rest.

    Chu Lian returned to her own little courtyard and ced all the red packets and one purse she had received that night on the table. She sat next to the table and opened up the red packets using the faint light of thenterns around her.

    Opening these red packets was like opening presents. The most enjoyable part was the surprise right before opening the envelopes. She hadn¡¯t gotten any red packets for a long time back in the modern world, so she wanted to experience the delight of it again.

    Meanwhile, although it was already the New Year, He Sang was still pulling a long face in his room, causing the whole room to be enveloped in cold.

    Laiyue stood to one side with a conflicted expression- he didn¡¯t know whether he should sit or stand.

    He rubbed his hands together and said, ¡°Third Young Master, it¡¯s alreadyte. Your wounds aren¡¯tpletely healed yet, why don¡¯t you sleep earlier?¡±

    He Changdi didn¡¯t look at him. Instead, he showed his palm to Laiyue, ¡°Give it to me.¡±

    Laiyue quickly pulled out a thin and exquisite wooden box out of his clothes and offered it up to his young master with both hands, ¡°Third Young Master, it¡¯s right here. This servant kept it close at all times, this servant didn¡¯t dare to be careless with it.¡±

    He Changdi took the wooden box without another word.

    An idea red to life in Laiyue¡¯s mind and he coughed lightly. He bent over and whispered a suggestion in He Changdi¡¯s ear, ¡°Third Young Master, it¡¯s a matter of course for a couple to be together. Since it¡¯ll be the first day of the new year tomorrow, it seems like you should spend the night with Third Young Madam no matter what. Although Third Young Madam hasn¡¯t said anything, she surely has you in mind. However, she¡¯s still young so she¡¯s likely a little too shy to mention anything.¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s handsome face finally melted a little upon hearing Laiyue¡¯s words. His slender fingers gripped the wooden box. After a short pause, he said, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll head over to your young madam¡¯s room tonight then!¡±

    tion showed on Laiyue¡¯s face. When He Changdi turned his gaze away, he quickly wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and heaved a sigh of relief inwardly. He thought to himself, ¡®Sheesh, I¡¯ve finally pushed this load over to Third Young Madam. Now no matter what Third Young Master¡¯s mood turns out to be, it won¡¯t be my problem anymore!¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t easy to be a manservant. Not only did Laiyue have to look after his master¡¯s daily needs, he also had to keep guessing at what his master wanted and help him out of awkward social situations. If things continued in this manner, his lifespan would probably be shortened by at least ten years.

    Thus, Laiyue quickly ordered some servants to carry He Sang over to Chu Lian¡¯s courtyard. Once they set their young master down, Laiyue made his escape.

    Chu Lian was still happily opening her red packets in her room! When she heard noises from outside, she found it strange and called for her maidservants. Wenqing came running in and reported, ¡°Third Young Madam, Third Young Master is here.¡±

    Ah?

    Chu Lian gaped speechlessly. It was already sote. Why had hee over to her ce instead of restingfortably in his bed?

    She set down the purse that she had been about to open- the one that Sima Hui had given her, and followed Wenqing to the outer room.

    He Changdi wasn¡¯t able to walk on his own yet, so he had been carried over to Chu Lian¡¯s courtyard by a few of the family¡¯s soldiers. Right now, he had been set on the hearth bed in the outer room.

    He was dressed in a ck fur-lined cloak that entuated the current pallor of his handsome face. His long and narrow eyes were half-lidded and his lips were pressed together. He was lying sideways on the hearth. Due to his height, his long legs stuck out a little past the length of the hearth bed, so he had propped them up on the armrest. His slender fingers were ying with the green jade ring on his left thumb.

    Chu Lian realised that He Changdi would y with the ring whenever he was in deep thought, ever since she had unwittingly given him the jade ring.

    Stunned as she was by his otherworldly looks, Chu Lian stood by the door in a daze.

 Chapter 440: Warmth (1)

    Chu Lian cleared her throat to gloss over the awkward moment. She lifted the curtain and asked, ¡°It¡¯s sote, why aren¡¯t you resting yet? Is there something you need to tell me urgently?¡±

    Although He Sang¡¯s eyelids were lowered, he had been watching Chu Lian from the edge of his vision. When she had paused in front of the pearl curtain at the door and had been seemingly entranced by him, he was beside himself with delight despite his cold countenance.

    Restraining the fireworks in his heart, He Changdi said in a low, husky voice, ¡°I remembered that there is something I haven¡¯t given you yet, so I came over.¡±

    Chu Lian looked at him doubtfully.

    She walked over and sat down beside him. Tilting her head to one side, she asked, ¡°Really?¡±

    He Changdi covered his lips and let out a cough, before he shifted his gaze elsewhere, ¡°When have I ever lied to you?¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s brows creased together. Her limpid eyes stared at He Changdi, her suspicion as clear as day.

    This lunatic He Sang was always full of empty words.

    He Sang scolded Chu Lian for ¡®shamelessly¡¯ staring at him in his heart. She was clearly too brazen for her own good. However, he also felt like he was floating on clouds at the same time. He enjoyed this ¡®scorching hot¡¯ gaze of hers and he wished that Chu Lian would only ever have him in her eyes. Thus, a short whileter, the tips of his ears began to redden.

    Chu Lian reached her hand out towards He Changdi.

    He Sang caught sight of her small outstretched hand as he looked up. Before he realised it, he had already reached out to grab it with hisrge and coarse hand.

    When their hands came into contact with each other, it was as if a spark of electricity had passed through their arms and hit them straight in their hearts. He Sang couldn¡¯t help rubbing and kneading her soft and delicate hand.

    His wife¡¯s hand was so lovely to the touch!

    Her hand was so soft, so warm, and especially smooth. It was so tender and fragile that he was afraid of squeezing too hard. Coming here tonight was the wisest decision he had ever made.

    Chu Lian¡¯s temples twitched. She watched as He Sang¡¯s chiseled face gradually turned warmer while his eyes lit up like the stars in the night sky. She could feel hisrge palm enveloping her hand. As if grabbing her hand wasn¡¯t enough, he rubbed and caressed her hand all over, like he had just found his favourite toy. It looked to her like he wanted tomit even the length of her nails to memory.

    Although this feeling wasn¡¯t half bad, this wasn¡¯t what she had intended when she reached her hand out.

    Chu Lian forcefully pulled away her hand from his, before showing her palm once again to He Changdi, ¡°So where is it? Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to give me something?¡±

    It was only then that He Sang finally understood why his wife had reached her hand out. So it hadn¡¯t been for him to touch, it was to ask him for his present...

    He Sang felt like he had been dealt a blow.

    The icy countenance that had thawed a little froze right over again. He scanned the young girl before him with half-lidded eyes. He was fuming inside and he wanted to punish this ¡®wicked¡¯ woman. Unfortunately, his heart was willing but his flesh was weak.

    He Sang retracted his gaze and didn¡¯t reach out to continue touching Chu Lian¡¯s hand. Chu Lian thought that he was purposely feigning ignorance and was about to speak up when she heard a violent fit of coughing from him.

    Chu Lian¡¯s brows creased together and she asked with worry, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Is it because you had a drink earlier? Brother Guo and the others are really too much, even if we¡¯re celebrating the new year, they shouldn¡¯t be getting a sick person to drink...¡±

    Chu Lian grumbled on and on, until Wen couldn¡¯t hold back any longer, ¡°Third Young Madam, the outer room¡¯s windows are still open for venttion.¡±

    Chu Lian: ...

    ¡°Why are the windows open at the peak of winter? Hurry up and close them!¡± Chu Lian awkwardly ordered.

    Wen was speechless. It had been Third Young Madam who hadined that the room was too warm due to the hearth in the first ce and ordered them to open the windows.

    Wen shut the windows before turning around and making a suggestion, ¡°In this servant¡¯s opinion, Third Young Master and Third Young Madam should move to the inner room to talk.¡±

    Chu Lian thought it over and asked He Changdi, ¡°Do you need someone to carry you over?¡±

    He Sang shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine if you help me. Only one of my legs is injured. I can¡¯t walk too far, but such a short distances is fine.¡±

    Chu Lian also felt that it would be too heartless to wake the servants up at this time, since most of the servants had already gone to rest for the night. Thus, she followed his wishes and supported him by lending him an arm.

    Knowing that Third Young Madam¡¯s body was slender and fragile, Wen was afraid that she wouldn¡¯t be able to support their tall Third Young Master. She was about to step forward and offer her help, but before she could walk over, she felt a frosty re from He Changdi.

    Wen was so shocked that she stayed rooted to the spot. Realisation dawned upon her eventually.

    She was really dumb, of course Third Young Master was still able to walk! He obviously wanted to take this opportunity to get closer to Third Young Madam.

    She was overjoyed for Third Young Madam. As long as Third Young Master cared about their Third Young Madam, their days would only be more and more blissful.

    With a smile, Wen stealthily retreated to the side room, and even dismissed the two maidservants that were on duty.

    Chu Lian¡¯s head was at the same height as He Changdi¡¯s shoulders, and that was only because she had grown a littlest year. Otherwise, she would only be as tall as his chest, like before. Despite all that, she still appeared frail and puny beside He Sang.

    He Changdi rested an arm on Chu Lian¡¯s shoulders. With half of his body leaning on hers, he carefully got off the hearth bed. Hisrge ck cape practically covered Chu Lian¡¯s whole body. The two of them were so close that Chu Lian could smell the bitter ointment on his body.

    With the two of them like this, it didn¡¯t look like Chu Lian was supporting him. Instead, it seemed more like He Changdi was embracing her.

    Actually, He Changdi wasn¡¯t even putting much of his body weight on her because there was no way she would be able to shoulder that burden with the little strength that she had.

    The young couple then entered the bedroom together.

 Chapter 441: Warmth (2)

    The incense burner in the bedroom was giving off a faint watery fragrance. The decor of the room made it clear that it belonged to ady. He Changdi took in the entirety of the room in one nce and frowned, as if he wasn¡¯t satisfied with how the room was only suffused with her taste. He decided that he would have to add his own touch to this room in the near future and turn this living space into a mix of their styles.

    He Sang¡¯s gaze finallynded on the desk in the room. There was a lotusntern on the desk, lighting up the in brocade-lined surface. A stack of opened red envelopes and a small pile of banknotes and silver ingots, as well as a slightly opened purse, were ced on the table. It looked like she had stopped in the middle of opening the purse.

    Chu Lian looked around the room as well. The whole courtyard was small, so even though this was the main room, there wasn¡¯t much space inside. There were only the most basic furnishings: a bed, closet, chairs and a desk. There wasn¡¯t even a single chaise here.

    He Changdi¡¯s thigh was wounded so he couldn¡¯t sit down. Thus, she could only have him lie down on the bed that she used.

    Chu Lian had no other choice but to help He Sang over to her bed. She gave him a long cushion to lean against.

    ¡°Take off your cloak.¡±

    He Sang stretched his arms upwards to let Chu Lian take off his cloak, which she then hung over a nearby screen.

    When she turned back, Chu Lian noticed that her husband was staring at the pile of red envelopes on the table with creased brows. She exined with a smile, ¡°Uncle Qian and the others gave those to me as a blessing when they came over to eat!¡±

    As she was saying this, her eyes sparkled. He Sang could tell that she was truly happy over receiving these red envelopes despite how there weren¡¯t even fifty taels of silver in total.

    He Sang couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Didn¡¯t you receive red envelopes in the past?¡±

    Chu Lian blurted out the truth without thinking, ¡°It¡¯s been years since Ist received a red packet.¡±

    It was only after speaking that she remembered that she was supposed to be House Ying¡¯s Sixth Miss and not Chu Lian from the modern world.

    An awkward silence ensued, causing Chu Lian¡¯s happy expression to cool off into indifference.

    He Sang was absolutely stunned by what she had said.

    He had heard about things to some extent and he had even sent someone to investigate her after he reincarnated, so he definitely knew about her situation back when she was still in the Ying Estate. Her birth mother had died earlier and her birth father was absent from her life. Her stepmother was harsh towards her. There were plenty of children in House Ying and the old Duke and Duchess favoured boys over girls, so Chu Lian had never gotten much love from her family. Even though she had her loyal and caring nursemaid Senior Servant Gui by her side, Senior Servant Gui was just a servant after all.

    It felt as if a thousand needles were pricking his heart. In the past, he had wished for her to receive all of the suffering in the world, but now he couldn¡¯t bear to listen to even a single one of her bad experiences.

    He adjusted his expression and waved at Chu Lian, who wasn¡¯t too far away.

    When Chu Lian saw that he wasn¡¯t going to pursue that line of conversation, she quickly walked up to him, wanting to bury the earlier topic.

    He Changdi caught her wrist and pulled her into his embrace.

    While his tone remained cold, there was a hint of warmth when he spoke, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a red packet every new year from here on out.¡±

    Chu Lian was frozen stiff. She hesitated for a moment before turning her head to meet his gaze. Her heart was full of self-reproach and warmth at the same time.

    Here she was afraid of exposing her true identity, yet he was trying to soothe her past wounds.

    Actually, this lunatic husband of hers was a true tsundere- a person with a sharp tongue and a soft heart.

    Even the rational Chu Lian had a sour feeling in her heart. She scolded the past ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ angrily in her mind: ¡®You stupid idiot! Why did you abandon such a good husband? You were really dumb!¡¯

    However, she was d that this good husband was now all hers.

    Chu Lian blinked in an attempt to stop the warm tears in her eyes from spilling.

    She sent a pout to He Changdi and couldn¡¯t hold the back the urge to tease him when she saw how serious he was.

    ¡°How much are you going to give me then? I don¡¯t want it if it¡¯s too little.¡±

    He Sang had a sincere expression on his face as he reached out to touch her soft and delicate face gently, ¡°I¡¯ll give you everything that I have.¡±

    Chu Lian had only been trying to tease him; who could have expected words like that toe from He Sang¡¯s mouth? Chu Lian gaped a little from her astonishment, ¡°Are you stupid? If you give me everything that you have, then what about yourself? Most men usually think of ways to hide their money instead. What if I¡¯m a spendthrift and I end up spending all of the money you give me?¡±

    A rare burst ofughter spilled out from He Changdi. He tightened his hold around her and enjoyed the warmth of her soft body against his. ¡°If you spend it all, then so be it! You¡¯re my wife anyway. If you really spend it all, you¡¯ll have to go out and beg for food with me.¡±

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes. This naive He Sang was assuming that she wouldn¡¯t leave him in that case, just because they were married on paper.

    The two of them continued hugging for a while before He Changdi finally took out the long, exquisite wooden box that Laiyue had given him earlier.

    ¡°This is for you.¡± He Changdi looked down at her with love and devotion in his eyes.

    Chu Lian was astounded, ¡°So there was really a present for me?¡±

    When he had ignored her in the outer room after she had demanded that he take his present out, Chu Lian had assumed that he was only using that as an excuse to visit her.

 Chapter 442: Giving His Wife a Present (1)

    Chu Lian sat up in his embrace. He Sang continued holding her with one arm, just in case she slipped and fell from the bed.

    The wooden box was finely made and there was a hidden lock on its side. If one were to push at it gently, the box would spring open.

    With a tter, the box sprung open, revealing the indigo velvet lining inside. A lovely pure white jade amulet was nestled within,pletely white and wless. The amulet wasn¡¯t very big. It was only about the size of her thumb and it had been carved into a very life-like handsome steed.

    Every hair on the horse¡¯s body could be seen clearly. The detailed carving indicated that this amulet was definitely very valuable. The top part of the amulet was threaded through and hung on a red string mixed with gold thread. It was clear that this was meant to be worn on the neck.

    Chu Lian¡¯s zodiac was the horse, just like the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ in the story.

    Her wide eyes glowed with happiness. It was clear that she really liked the very first present He Changdi had ever given her.

    She took the exquisite jade amulet into her hands and showed it off to He Sang. She asked with a sweet smile and an even sweeter tone, ¡°When did you buy this?¡±

    He Sang¡¯s expression was a little frozen. He had been observing her face the whole time- when he saw that her smile seemed genuine, he let out a sigh of relief. Only the heavens knew how nervous he had been when he had given her the present. His heart was still hovering in his throat. He had thought of a thousand possible reactions from her. What if she didn¡¯t like it? What if she thought that the jade amulet was too cheap? Basically, all of his uncertainty had disappeared into thin air the moment he saw how happy she was with his gift.

    However, He Changdi had always been awkward at expressing his feelings. His reply to Chu Lian¡¯s question was just a simple, ¡°I bought it in passing when I went to Su City.¡±

    Of course, the part about buying it ¡®in passing¡¯ was an absolute lie. This fellow hadin in bed thinking about what to give her for many days. It wasn¡¯t until the twenty-seventh that he had finally sent Laiyue off to Su City to pick out something very carefully. Laiyue almost died from how hard he had to rush for the trip.

    He had used up most of the savings he had on him to buy such a small piece of white jade. He originally wanted to buy something even better, but this was all he was able to afford at the moment.

    Chu Lian could sense the white lie he was telling, so she giggled and moved closer to He Sang, ¡°My dear husband is so lucky. A jade amulet that you randomly purchased just so happened to be horse-shaped, just like my zodiac. It¡¯s even made of high quality white jade. If there¡¯s a next time, why don¡¯t you buy a few more so I can give them away as presents to my friends in the capital?¡±

    He Sang¡¯s temples throbbed. Buy a few more? He would have to sell himself to get that much money.

    Chu Lian presented the jade amulet to him on her palm.

    The white jade amulet sat prettily on her fair and soft hand, dazzling He Changdi¡¯s eyes. He raised an eyebrow in question, asking her what she was doing with his gaze.

    Chu Lian lifted a hand to her forehead and puffed up her cheeks. A little speechless from her slow-witted husband, she said, ¡°Help me put it on! Didn¡¯t you buy this for me to wear?¡±

    It was only then that He Sang took the jade amulet from her with a poker face. He lifted up the hair covering her back, revealing a fair and smooth neck. Following that, he helped her put on the horse-shaped jade amulet with gentle hands.

    Her porcin white skin made the gold and red string of the amulet stand out. The red string wandered down her neck and ran parallel to the curve of her chin, cing the amulet right in front of her chest.

    The jade amulet sat there above her bust like a beautiful ent to her beauty, leaving his mark on her.

    Chu Lian pushed away the arms that He Sang had wrapped around her and turned around. She looked up at him with a lovely smile and asked, ¡°Does this look nice?¡±

    Warmth had already melted the ice block on He Sang¡¯s face. He reached out to touch the jade amulet on her chest and nodded cheerfully.

    ¡°Beautiful,¡± he murmured in a low and husky voice.

    Chu Lian was taken off guard by his sudden passion. She quickly stuffed the amulet into her clothes and got off the bed in one swift movement. She walked over to her desk before speaking, ¡°Go ahead and rest first. I¡¯m not done with opening my red packets, I¡¯ll sleep right after that.¡±

    Although He Changdi seemed a little embarrassed, he didn¡¯t stop Chu Lian this time.

    He had already made it into his wife¡¯s bed anyway. Now that he had achieved his goal, he wasn¡¯t too bothered by other minor details.

    After experiencing that heart-pounding moment, Chu Lian actually didn¡¯t have the mood to continue opening her New Year¡¯s gifts. She was only using them as an excuse to avoid him because she was too shy to face him right now.

    In an absent-minded daze, she opened up the purse that Sima Hui had given her.

    The ties keeping the purse close had already been undone earlier. Chu Lian simply upended the purse onto her palm, causing whatever was inside to slide out.

    Something cool fell onto her warm palm, surprising her. Jolted out of her daze, she looked down at it. Her first reaction was a stunned silence, before she quickly closed her fingers around the item and snuck a look behind her at He Changdi, who was lounging against the headboard of the bed. She smiled at him a little stiffly.

    He Sang caught sight of her gaze and frowned. He asked suspiciously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s in that purse?¡±

    Chu Lian quickly exined, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s just some banknotes. I¡¯ll go and get Wen to bring some hot water in!¡±

    After saying so, she quickly left the bedroom.

    He Changdi watched as his wife practically sprinted out of the room. His eyes darkened over.

    Why would she have to go out of the room to get the servants to bring some hot water in? The side room where the servants rested was ced right next to this one. Most master bedrooms had a rope connected to a bell in the side room so they could call the maidservants in with just a simple tug.

    Chu Lian patted her chest once she was out of the bedroom. A whoosh of air signified her relief from the awkward situation. She swiftly hid the item in her hand. If that lunatic He Sang saw this, it would surely leave a blow on his heart.

    Luckily she had been sitting with her back facing him.

    Chu Lian sighed and called out to Wen before returning to the bedroom.

    When Chu Lian returned, He Sang didn¡¯t say anything as if he hadn¡¯t noticed anything strange about what had happened just now. Once Chu Lian had finished washing up for the night, he went to sleep with his arms around her.

 Chapter 443: Giving His Wife a Present (2)

    The next day, on the dawn of the first day of the year, the sound of firecrackers could be heard all over the normally deste Liangzhou City.

    Even though they were out here in the north, there were still customs they had to follow. Chu Lian woke up bright and early in the morning to prepare New Year gifts for General Qian and the others.

    When Chu Lian woke up, He Sang was still sleeping. She carefully tucked the nkets back around him without waking him up and quietly got off the bed to put on her clothes.

    Once Chu Lian had left the bedroom, He Sang opened his eyes. He stared at the ceiling for a while before finally moving the covers aside and moving out of bed. He took the cloak that was still hanging on the screen before heading outside.

    Wenqing was on duty in the outer room. He Sang¡¯s sudden appearance gave Wenqing a fright, as he was hobbling and favouring one leg.

    ¡°Third Young Master, this...¡±

    He Changdi sent her a cold re and order in a frosty one, ¡°Go and guard the door. Don¡¯t let anyone in.¡±

    Wenqing looked back at him in surprise, but unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t withstand He Changdi¡¯s ice-cold gaze for long. She gave in to the threatening aura around her young master and obediently followed his order to guard the door, despite the uncertainty in her heart.

    Once Wenqing had left and shut the door, He Changdi started opening up all the cabs and chests in the outer room.

    After training in the army, He Changdi had gotten pretty skilled at tracking. He found the traces left by Chu Lian and quickly found what he was looking for.

    In just a few moments, as he was digging under the pillow on the hearth bed, he felt something icy cold and pulled it out. When he got a good look at it, he instantly froze up.

    It was a jade amulet carved into the shape of a horse. Although it was also made of white jade, both the craftsmanship and quality of the jade were better than the one he had given her.

    He had grown up in a noble house, so he had a discerning eye for quality. This jade seemed quite old; it was probably something from the previous dynasty. It might even havee from the imperial pce, making it priceless.

    His gift couldn¡¯t even bepared to this jade horse.

    However, Chu Lian had quietly hidden this piece away.

    A warm feeling suffused He Sang¡¯s heart. He understood why Chu Lian had done so.

    After a momentary daze, He Changdi carefully hid the jade back where he had found it and called Wenqing back in.

    He leaned against the headboard of the hearth bed coolly with a neutral expression. The threatening air around him, honed by his time in the army, made Wenqing lower her head in deference.

    She and Wen had grown up under Senior Servant Zhong¡¯s guidance. They hadn¡¯t seen Third Young Master much when they were young. Now that she had finally met her master again in the north, she always felt pressured whenever she was around him. She didn¡¯t even dare to lift her head before him now.

    Wenqing gulped anxiously and asked, ¡°Third Young Master, do you have any orders for this servant?¡±

    He Sang¡¯s tone practically dripped icicles, ¡°Who gave your Third Young Madam that purse yesterday?¡±

    Wenqing hadn¡¯t expected her master to ask something like that. She was worried that the purse might have caused some sort of misunderstanding between him and Third Young Madam, so she quickly exined, ¡°The red purse with embroidered patterns that Third Young Madam received yesterday was from General Sima. This servant witnessed it personally!¡±

    Please don¡¯t mistake it as Third Young Madam receiving a present from some stranger!

    He Changdi¡¯s eyes narrowed into slits. Sima Hui. It was that Sima Hui again!

    Chu Lian is his wife! What was she trying to move in on? That damned butch!

    Wenqing felt like her head was still in the clouds even after she was dismissed. She couldn¡¯t wrap her head around why Third Young Master had only asked her a single question about the purse before letting her go.

    Left alone in the room, He Sang leaned against the headboard in deep thought.

    He hadn¡¯t bothered much about material items before. As long as he had enough silver to buy what he needed, he had felt perfectly fine. Furthermore, there usually wasn¡¯t much that he needed to spend on in the army. However, it looked like it wouldn¡¯t do if he continued like this. He had to start earning some money!

    At the very least, he had to be able to afford better presents for his wife so that he wouldn¡¯t get outshined again.

    Chu Lian spent the whole afternoon busying herself with the New Year gifts before ordering Mo Chenggui to send them to the army camp, along with some of the family soldiers.

    Just as she finished that task, Manager Qin came into the main room, beaming from ear to ear.

    During this period of time, he had been busy with what Chu Lian had ordered him to do. His whole figure had slimmed down,pared to back in the capital, and his face had be sharper.

    As the saying went, every chubby man was an unpolished jewel. Once he had slimmed down, Manager Qin was a rather good-looking man himself.

    The way he smiled before saying anything made him look like a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. He was looking more and more like a proper steward as time passed.

    Chu Lian was sitting on the hearth bed in the main room, drinking some red bean and lotus porridge. When she saw how radiant Manager Qin seemed to be, she smiled back, ¡°Is there some good news?¡±

    Manager Qin never forgot his manners in front of Chu Lian. He bowed respectfully to her first and spoke some customary words of blessing for the New Year before moving on to report on his tasks.

    ¡°When there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way. This servant has finally fulfilled Third Young Madam¡¯s order.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s almond-shaped eyes lit up. The speed at which Manager Qin had aplished her request was out of her expectations.

    She set down the porcin bowl in her hands to ask, ¡°When can we start operating?¡±

    ¡°The day after tomorrow at thetest. The barbarians don¡¯t celebrate the New Year. This period is when there¡¯s great demand for material goods. This servant has already inquired about the location. There are eighteen ces in total. We¡¯ll send the goods over in the next two days. As long as we have enough manpower, we¡¯ll be able to start operating immediately.¡±

    Chu Lian was generous with her praise, ¡°You¡¯ve done well for this task. Remember what I said to youst time. Offer whatever goods we manage to get to the northern border troops first. Move whatever they don¡¯t want ording to the ns I¡¯ve given you. Also, give the northern border troops forty percent of the profits we make from this. We¡¯ll keep the other sixty percent.¡±

 Chapter 444: Princess Weiâ€™s Birthday Banquet (1)

    Having the best ideas in the world alone is not enough. One needs to have the resolution to give up something in order to make ideas a long-term reality.

    Manager Qin admired his mistress a lot for this quality of hers. If he had been the one toe up with this idea, he wouldn¡¯t have the generosity to give away forty percent of the profits just like that.

    Manager Qin noted down all of Chu Lian¡¯s instructions for him.

    ¡°Also, I want to be there for the opening day.¡±

    Manager Qin was happy about that, of course. It was going to be a very important day; the culmination of all of his efforts over the past few days. If he were to get Chu Lian¡¯s approval from this, that would make him even prouder and more satisfiedpared to getting ten percent of the profits.

    Before all these events, there had been something else important happening in the capital: Princess Wei¡¯s birthday. It was on the the day right before the eve of the New Year.

    Although Prince Wei¡¯s Estate had always been favoured by the Emperor, both Prince and Princess Wei remained as low-key and humble as possible. It was also precisely because they didn¡¯t go around unting or boasting of their favour that they were able to remain in the good graces of the Emperor.

    Princess Wei usually kept it quiet for her birthday and would only hold a small family banquet in their estate. Her birthday was so close to the end of the year anyway, so she didn¡¯t want to disrupt the New Year celebrations of the other noble houses. However, this year was different, because it was Princess Wei¡¯s fortieth birthday.

    Even before her birthday hade, even the Empress Dowager in the pce had instructed her to host arge celebration this year, let alone her husband.

    Royal Princess Duanjia was in her mother¡¯s room right now, writing invitations together with her.

    ¡°Mother, Chu Liu isn¡¯t around now. What are you doing, inviting those people from House Jing¡¯an!¡± Royal Princess Duanjia pouted, showing her displeasure on her face. She didn¡¯t like a single person from that house except for Chu Liu and He Eng.

    Princess Wei petted her daughter¡¯s hair helplessly, ¡°You¡¯re already fifteen. If not for your father and I wanting to keep you with us for two more years, you¡¯d be married by now. How are you still so rash when ites to these social matters?¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia continued pouting, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re still nagging at me! It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t understand what you mean, but I just can¡¯t see eye to eye with that Madam Jing¡¯an! Did you forget what happened at the mid-autumn banquet?¡±

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. We¡¯re just inviting them for a meal. Even if you don¡¯t like them, they¡¯re Jinyi¡¯s inws. Since you like Jinyi so much, you¡¯ll have to get along with House Jing¡¯an if you want to keep associating with her.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia rolled her eyes, ¡°Fine! Mother knows best!¡±

    Thus, House Jing¡¯an received an invite from Prince Wei¡¯s Estate the next day.

    Even though Princess Wei was hosting arge celebration this year, it was still very low-keypared to other members of the imperial n. There were only ten or so noble houses who received invites, so these invites were extremely precious. They were a mark of association with Prince Wei¡¯s Estate.

    House Jing¡¯an wouldn¡¯t receive an invite normally, since their house didn¡¯t have any connections with Prince Wei¡¯s Estate. However, thanks to Chu Lian, Princess Wei had sent House Jing¡¯an an invite this time.

    Those who didn¡¯t know about Princess Wei¡¯s connection with Chu Lian would think that it was House Jing¡¯an¡¯s prestige that had earned them an invite. He Ying was one of them.

    Matriarch He was extremely happy about receiving an invite and took it very seriously. She immediately ordered Senior Servant Liu to prepare the gifts. He Ying pleaded with her mother for half a day before the matriarch finally agreed to bring her and her daughter to Princess Wei¡¯s birthday banquet.

    If not for theck of other female family members to apany her, since her daughter-inw was still bedridden and her granddaughters-inw weren¡¯t present, Matriarch He wouldn¡¯t have agreed to bringing He Ying and Miss Pan so easily.

    On the morning of Princess Wei¡¯s birthday, He Ying and her daughter got up early to prepare.

    The two of them were staying in a side room in Qingxi Hall now. Matriarch He had given them some of her maidservants to serve them and all of the maidservants had been trained well, so their standard of living was much better than before.

    Eldest Madam and her daughter, Miss Pan, had brought a maidservant each back from Siyang. The one serving He Ying was called Qiuyun and the other serving Miss Pan was called Pinglu.

    Pinglu was older than Qiuyan by a year and was already sixteen this year. She was small and frail-looking. Apparently, she had been trained as a female escort before entering the estate as a maidservant.

    Once mother and daughter were both dressed up, they went to Matriarch He¡¯s bedroom in Qingxi Hall together. Matriarch He inspected their dressing and essories personally and made sure that there was nothing offensive about them before leading them to the carriage that would take them to Prince Wei¡¯s Estate.

    The entrance at Prince Wei¡¯s Estate was currently filled with arriving guests. The young royal princes were standing at the door to wee their guests, along with Princess Wei¡¯s trusted senior servant and courtdies.

    It was Pan Nianzhen¡¯s first time attending such a grand banquet, so she was a little timid. Once she was helped out of the carriage by a maidservant, she kept her head low and followed right behind her mother and grandmother, imitating their every step.

    When Princess Wei¡¯s trusted senior servant, Senior Servant Lan, noticed that House Jing¡¯an¡¯s matriarch had arrived, she walked towards their party with a weing smile.

    ¡°This old servant greets the matriarch. It¡¯s already the end of the year, but our house has troubled Matriarch He to make the trip all the way here. Princess Wei was still telling this old servantst night that she feels guilty for it!¡±

    Senior Servant Lan had a rank as a courtdy in the pce, as she acted as Princess Wei¡¯s subordinate. With her rank, she didn¡¯t actually have to bow towards the madams of the various noble houses. She was treating House Jing¡¯an¡¯s party with respect purely due to Princess Wei¡¯s affection for Chu Lian.

 Chapter 445: Princess Weiâ€™s Birthday Banquet (2)

    Matriarch He had been living in the capital for so long that she understood all the nuances of the etiquette in y here. Her face was kindly, making her look approachable despite her age.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to greet me. It is my honour to be invited to Princess Wei¡¯s birthday banquet. I will have to trouble Senior Servant Lan to pass on my blessings to Princess Wei.¡±

    He Ying was standing to one side. When she saw how courteous her mother was acting towards a servant, disdain surfaced on her expression.

    This person wasn¡¯t even the princess herself, she was only a servant. Did her mother really need to fawn over a mere servant like this, with her title as first-ranked noble wife? Could it possibly be her age getting to her?

    Senior Servant Lan was sharp-eyed, as befitted her position. She had caught He Ying¡¯s small movements.

    ¡°You¡¯re too courteous, Matriarch. This old servant will pass on your words to Princess Weiter on. It¡¯ll be the eve of the new year tomorrow. Has there been any news from Honoured Lady Jinyi in the north?¡±

    Senior Servant Lan had mentioned Chu Lian in front of Matriarch He at this time on purpose. A smart person would instantly realise what she meant.

    Matriarch He had never been a slow-witted person as the de-facto leader of her family.

    Senior Servant Lan wasn¡¯t really asking about news of Chu Lian. Princess Wei had sent two of her bodyguards along when Chu Lian had left for the north. If there was really any news, Prince Wei¡¯s Estate might even find out earlier than they did.

    Right now, she was using the mention of Chu Lian to remind her that the only reason they had received the invite and why they now able to mingle with Prince Wei¡¯s Estate, was purely due to Chu Lian¡¯s efforts.

    When you drink water, think of the person who dug the well.

    Matriarch He sighed, ¡°I have not received any news of her. I¡¯ve always been thinking of Lian¡¯er, please pass on my gratitude to Princess Wei for remembering Lian¡¯er. If there¡¯s any news, I¡¯ll definitely send a message to the princess immediately.¡±

    When Senior Servant Lan saw that the matriarch had understood her reminder, she ended the topic. She spoke up courteously, ¡°Look at this, this old servant haspletely forgotten about the time while chatting. Apologies for keeping Matriarch here out in the cold wind. This old servant has failed in my duties. Matriarch, it¡¯s gettingte. This old servant will guide you to the inner court.¡±

    He Ying had already lost her patience some time ago while waiting.

    It wasn¡¯t until the threedies had gotten onto the sedan that the prince¡¯s estate had arranged to take them into the inner court that Matriarch He finally got the chance to give a stern warning to her daughter.

    ¡°Miss Ying, what kind of look was that just now?¡± Matriarch He intoned.

    He Ying was too stubborn to ept the scolding and snapped back, ¡°Mother, what were you doing talking so nicely to an old servant? Even if she¡¯s dressedvishly, she¡¯s still just a servant. We¡¯ll lose our dignity if we lower ourselves in front of a servant!¡±

    Matrairch He harrumphed, annoyed with her daughter¡¯s tone. ¡°What do you know?! That servant you¡¯re talking about is a highly ranked courtdy! Her rank is even higher than yours!¡±

    He Ying was frozen stiff in shock, ¡°That old woman is a courtdy?¡±

    Matriarch He suppressed her rage, not wanting to have it out with her daughter at this time. However, her tone turned more icy, ¡°Put away that haughtiness of yours! This birthday banquet is extremely important, and so are all the guests here. If you offend a respected personage and make enemies for me, I¡¯ll send you right back to Siyang.¡±

    He Ying shrunk back. It was only after the matriarch had pulled out that threat that she really felt fear.

    Back when she had still been a young miss in House Jing¡¯an, the house hadn¡¯t been as illustrious as it was now. They didn¡¯t even have a noble title then. Old Count Jing¡¯an had earned that title by risking his life on the battlefield.

    Thus, she had never interacted much with the nobles in the capital. It was normal that she wouldn¡¯t realise an unassuming senior servant would be a formally titled and ranked courtdy.

    The courtdies¡¯ ranks in the Great Wu Dynasty were equal to ranked noble madams. Senior Servant Lan was a seventh-ranked title at the very least. That was much higher than He Ying¡¯s own rank now. Furthermore, courtdies had always been looked up to.

    After this smallmotion, He Ying decided to give up all of her airs and remain low-key on this day.

    The timid Pan Nianzhen had also been properly frightened from all this. The capital was really teeming with all sorts of noble ranks. If a stone randomly fell from the sky, it would likely hit someone with a noble title.

    Princess Wei was waiting in the main hall of the inner court for her guests.

    There were many esteemed madams and misses here today. Some of them were the noble wives of the ministers of the cab. There were even some high-ranked imperial n members around.

    Even Matriarch He wasn¡¯t able to lift her head high in front of all these people.

    She hurriedly gave her greetings to Princess Wei before retreating from the circle with He Ying and Miss Pan.

    Old Duchess Zheng and a few other senior members of noble houses were gathered in one area, naturally forming a social circle.

    Matriarch He entered the circle and sat down. Old Duchess Zheng greeted her with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s just us olddies left in this circle.¡±

    After saying so, she nced over at He Ying, who was behind Matriarch He.

    Old Duchess Zheng was close with Matriarch He and knew about all the events that had happened in their estate a few decades ago. She frowned slightly before continuing, ¡°When did Miss Ying return to the capital?¡±

    Matriarch He set aside the ill feelings in her heart and returned the smile. ¡°She came back just a few days ago. After so many years, I just couldn¡¯t rest easy with her raising her child in Siyang. The young ones in my estate aren¡¯t around much so I get lonely easily. Thus, I thought of bringing Miss Ying back.¡±

    While Old Duchess Zheng didn¡¯t approve of the matriarch¡¯s decision, she kept it to herself and didn¡¯t make any mention of it in front of He Ying. She nodded, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯ve brought her back. Now that we¡¯re old, all we want is to see our children happy by our side!¡±

    Following that, Old Duchess Zheng turned to Pan Nianzhen, whose head was still pointed at the ground, ¡°This is...¡±

    House Jing¡¯an didn¡¯t have any young misses around this age. She had seen Chu Lian a few times before, so she would recognise her if it was Chu Lian.

    Matriarch He smiled, ¡°This is my granddaughter. She came back from Siyang along with her mother.¡±

 Chapter 446: News Reaches the Capital (1)

    Realisation dawned upon Old Duchess Zheng. She sized up Pan Nianzhen seriously for a moment. The way the youngdy kept her eyes down shyly was much more to her liking than how her mother acted.

    As Matriarch He¡¯s old friend, she couldn¡¯t help but be curious.

    ¡°How old is she? Is she engaged yet?¡±

    ¡°She just had hering-of-age ceremony this year. She¡¯ll be sixteen in the new year.¡±

    ¡°Why, she¡¯s a full-growndy already!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that exactly why I¡¯m worrying about it now?¡±

    Old Duchess Zheng chuckled and shot her old friend a look, ¡°Alright, I understand. I¡¯ll keep an eye out for you. If there are any suitable families, I¡¯ll bring it up with them.¡±

    The matriarch was d that her friend could help her, of course.

    Meanwhile, the young miss in question sitting behind Matriarch He ducked her head down as her cheeks flushed upon the sudden mention of her future engagement.

    He Ying¡¯s expression turned.

    Her mother was trying to marry her daughter off to someone else?

    Right now, she and her daughter were penniless and helpless. They didn¡¯t have any noble titles or ranks and she was a widow. Even with House Jing¡¯an backing them, her daughter wouldn¡¯t be able to attract a good family. It would most likely be a poor minor official¡¯s family or some noble¡¯s son with something wrong in his household.

    Compared to that, wouldn¡¯t it be better to let her daughter stay in House Jing¡¯an?

    They would be able to stay in her maiden home forever then.

    She hadn¡¯t been cking these few days in her maiden home. She had gone around listening to all the news she could get about the estate.

    Her elder brother had three sons. The eldest and the youngest were married, but the second one, Eng, was still single. Furthermore, he was working for Prince Jin in Zhangzhou. His future was extremely bright!

    He Ying had her own ns for her daughter¡¯s marriage. The conversation between Matriarch He and Old Duchess Zheng had agitated her and she now felt that she should push her ns a little earlier.

    As she was thinking of how she could do that, Old Duchess Zheng spoke to Pan Nianzhen, ¡°Royal Princess Duanjia is here. She¡¯s going to take all of you youngdies off to y! Why don¡¯t you follow along?¡±

    Everyone turned towards Princess Wei. The pretty youngdy dressed in bright red with a white fox fur cloak was obviously Royal Princess Duanjia.

    Royal Princess Duanjia gave her birthday wishes to her mother before she was ordered to take care of all the young noble misses who hade today.

    Matriarch He turned to look at Pan Nianzhen, ¡°Go on. It¡¯s rare for the royal princess to be in the mood to socialise. There¡¯ll be more to talk about with youngdies your age.¡±

    However, after she thought on it a little more, she couldn¡¯t rest easy sending Miss Pan away alone, so she ordered Senior Servant Liu to follow.

    Pan Nianzhen was still hesitant. Most of the beautiful youngdies in the group following after the princess had very high statuses, so it was rather intimidating. However, just as she raised her head, she caught a threatening re from her mother.

    Pan Nianzhen didn¡¯t dare to disobey her mother. She stood up and bid her goodbyes to the older women before rushing off to follow Royal Princess Duanjia.

    Princess Duanjia didn¡¯t like to socialise with all these fragile noble misses in the first ce. It just sucked all the energy out of her just looking at them. If it hadn¡¯t been a very special asion for her mother, she would have snuck off toze somewhere by now.

    She sighed inwardly. When was that darned Chu Liuing back? She was going to die of boredom here in the capital.

    Of course, Pan Nianzhen¡¯s identity as a distant rtive of House Jing¡¯an wasn¡¯t enough to attract Princess Duanjia¡¯s attention.

    The princess didn¡¯t like hanging around with so many people so she was only doing the bare minimum of hospitality for her guests. Thinking of the task her mother had given her, she led the group ofdies over to Plum Pavilion.

    It was the end of December, so it was just the right season for plum blossoms. There had been plum trees here in this Plum Pavilion in Prince Wei¡¯s Estate since the previous dynasty. After a hundred years or so had passed, the branches of the old plum trees had be gnarled and they bloomed even more vigorously. Princess Wei loved plums, so Prince Wei had ordered all sorts of plum trees to be nted here.

    The current Plum Pavilion was overflowing with plum trees in full bloom. Their beauty and aroma had long be one of the famed winter scenes in the capital.

    There was a special corridor built in the plum tree garden of Plum Pavilion, where some tables and chairs had already been ced. Light muslin veils were covering both sides of the corridor and braziers had been ced within. The moment they entered the corridor, a burst of warm air surrounded them. It was a really good location for admiring the plum blossoms.

    However, it wasn¡¯t just the plum blossoms they were meant to be admiring today.

    Right next to this walled off garden, with just a single barrier separating them, came a burst of men¡¯s voices andughter.

    Once they heard the sounds of young men so close to them, most of the youngdies instantly knew what the real purpose of this plum blossom party really was.

    All of them exchanged nces and smiles.

    Instruments of the Four Arts¡ª zither, Go, calligraphy and painting¡ª had been ced in the corridor. They were meant for the youngdies to y with and pass the time, but mainly for them to show off their talents in front of the young noblemen.

    Once Royal Princess Duanjia had led the party ofdies in, she leaned against a chaise in the corner with apletely disinterested expression.

    She had no interest in this matchmaking party. After she ordered Jinxiu to pour a cup of honey water, she sipped a little and frowned.

    Inwardly, sheined to herself, ¡®Why isn¡¯t Chu Liu back yet? There¡¯s such beautiful scenery yet. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if we sat here with some barbecue and wine? Why do I have to entertain these snobby and pretentious noble misses here? How boring!¡¯

    Pan Nianzhen was timid and Senior Servant was still keeping an eye on her, so she simply sat at one side and watched the noble misses in the center ying the zither and painting.

    There was envy in her gaze.

    Suddenly, there was a burst of movement from the crowd. Thedies gathered together and pointed at the wall separating this garden from the next one, chattering in excited tones.

    Pan Nianzhen stood up in curiosity and followed where thedies were pointing.

 Chapter 447: News Reaches the Capital (2)

    Through the thin muslin veils, they could see a tall man through the holes in the walls of the courtyard.

    Although he gave off a gloomy aura, that exquisite face looked like it had been sculpted by the heavens, as if he hade straight out of a painting.

    He had upturned eyes and the space between his brows was slightly wrinkled. His elegant hands moved as if they were plucking at their heartstrings.

    The young man was dressed in blue from head to toe, with an azure brocade robe and a darker navy cloak. There was a jade amulet hung at his waist and a crown tied in his hair. He looked like a brilliant and noble man.

    The way he carried himself dazzled the eyes of most of thedies there.

    Pan Nianzhen was staring with her eyes wide herself and it took her a long time to regain her senses.

    It was the first time she had ever seen such a good-looking man.

    Excited snippets of chatter filtered into her ears.

    ¡°Sir Xiao!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the top schr this year!¡±

    ¡°Old Duke Ying must be proud.¡±

    ......

    Pan Nianzhen soon found out what that man was called¡ª Xiao Bojian! He had been a talented student in the Imperial College and was now a rising official in the court!

    A promising youth! With looks beyond measure!

    In this short moment, Pan Nianzhen had already fallen for Xiao Bojian.

    Although Xiao Bojian was on the other side of the courtyard wall, he could hear the excited discussion from the youngdies on this side. He cast a casual nce their way. His gloomy expression and perfect features made him seem like an abnormal person, but the noble misses loved that type of air somehow.

    Perhaps due toplete coincidence, Xiao Bojian¡¯s gaze paused in Pan Nianzhen¡¯s direction for a second.

    Pan Nianzhen felt her heart leap out of her chest at that look.

    She quickly pressed a hand on her chest. Even after Xiao Bojian had taken a seat with his back to them, she was still staring at him dazedly for a long time.

    This caught Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s attention and she frowned, ¡°Who is she?¡±

    Her handmaid, Jinxiu, looked to where the princess had focused before bending down and whispering into her ear, ¡°Replying to Royal Princess, she¡¯s from House Jing¡¯an.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia found that strange. She looked at Jinxiu with confusion in her eyes.

    ¡°Princess, she¡¯s the daughter of the Eldest Madam of House Jing¡¯an, surnamed Pan. This servant heard that she came to the capital from Siyang just two days ago.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia nced at Pan Nianzhen once again, her brows still furrowed.

    She made a mental note of this event and looked towards the courtyard wall as well.

    Her next reaction was a light snort. She disliked Xiao Bojian at first sight. He might be slightly better-looking than most men, but he was purposely acting in such a way to tempt youngdies. How shameless!

    Although this was a disguised matchmaking party, there were no further incidents.

    The noble misses stayed in Plum Pavilion until it was close to midday and they were taken to the banquet by Royal Princess Duanjia.

    They had only been sitting in the lunch banquet for a while when good news came from the pce.

    Princess Wei was seated at the head of the female guests. Although none of thedies in the inner court of the pce hade today, the Empress Dowager and Empress had each sent their trusted servants over with gifts. They likely hadn¡¯te so that they wouldn¡¯t overshadow Princess Wei in her birthday party.

    At this moment, Senior Servant Lan was whispering something into Princess Wei¡¯s ear with a smile.

    When she was done speaking, Princess Wei¡¯s eyes lit up and she beamed happily and nodded, ¡°When did this news arrive?¡±

    Senior Servant Lan was very happy as well, ¡°The eunuch who delivered the presents from the pce said it himself.¡±

    That meant that the news was practically confirmed and wasn¡¯t just rumour. However, there wasn¡¯t much possibility that it was a rumour anyway. No one would dare to joke with such important matters.

    The guests seated below had noticed the joy in Princess Wei¡¯s expression by now.

    All of them found it strange. Princess Wei was normally more subdued in everything, even her expressions. It was rare to see her showing her emotions so openly.

    Now they all wanted to know what it was that her senior servant had whispered to her that made the princess so happy.

    It was Princess Wei¡¯s sisters who understood her the most, in the end.

    A middle-aged noble madam dressed in a gorgeous dress, sitting not too far down from the princess, was the first to ask, ¡°I wonder what news has made Your Highness so lively?¡±

    Princess Wei shot a displeased look at the madam who had spoken, ¡°Second Sister-in-Law, are you so afraid that I¡¯ll hide the good news from you?¡± After saying so, she turned to the hall full of nobledies, prepared to reveal the news.

    ¡°Even if I don¡¯t tell you now, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find out when you get home today.¡±

    Everyone exchanged looks, curious about the good news that the princess had mentioned.

    Princess Wei gave a restrained smile, ¡°There was news from the pce that the north hase out victorious in the war with the Tuhuns!¡±

    A cloak of silence hung heavy in the air after the announcement, before it burst and gave way to deafening cheers.

    Some madams even tried using this opportunity to fawn on the princess, ¡°Your Highness must be a lucky person. Such wonderful news came from the pce today! It¡¯s double the blessings for your birthday!¡±

    Princess Wei usually didn¡¯t like this kind of ttery, but she didn¡¯t speak up this time, only sending a reprimanding look at the madam.

    The happiest person amongst the group of noble madams was Matriarch He.

    Hot tears spilled over in her eyes. She had been the most worried about Sang, out of all her grandsons. This news sent her mood soaring through the roof.

    They could finally have a nice and peaceful new year ahead.

    On the day of Princess Wei¡¯s birthday, news of the great victory of the northern troops exploded in the capital like fireworks.

    The Chengping Emperor was the first to receive the report, of course. He immediately summoned the messenger who had reported the news for a personal audience.

 Chapter 448: Becoming a Marquis (1)

    The messenger respectfully handed over Great General Qian¡¯s report to the Chengping Emperor.

    There were detailed records of the events in the war with the Tuhuns in the report.

    When the Chengping Emperor finished reading the report, his shout of approval rang three times, before he immediately ordered a servant to bring him a writing set. He wanted to personally write the imperial decree.

    Having received such wonderful news at the end of the year, the New Year celebrations in the pce were going to be livelier than previous years.

    On the first day of the New Year, the Chengping Emperor¡¯s decree arrived at the Jing¡¯an Estate.

    Matriarch He took the lead in front of the entire estate to kneel and receive the decree at the entrance between the inner and outer courts. Astonishment, apprehension and joy warred within her heart. It waspletely out of her expectations that her youngest grandson, He Sang, had contributed the most to the victory in the northern war!

    The Great Wu Dynasty was at peace and their ruler was wise. It was rare for anyone to earn great military merit in a golden age like this. Even if they held equal ranks in the imperial court, the positions of the military officials could hardly bepared to the literary officials now. A noble house like House Jing¡¯an, which hade to power using their military contributions, would find it hard to rise in the ranks now. Even for those with ambitions, it would likely take at least a decade of effort to establish a foothold in court.

    The previous Count had passed too early, while the current Count Jing¡¯an was stationed far away in Mingzhou. Matriarch He had actually been very worried about the future of her grandsons. She hadn¡¯t expected He Changdi to have made a name for himself just by making a trip to the northern border!

    This was truly a pleasant surprise.

    The imperial decree was written very simply, so it was likely that the proper bestowal of the rewards would have to wait until He Changdi returned to the capital.

    Even so, the simple sentences written in the decree were enough to leave the matriarch in a daze.

    The Chengping Emperor had actually bestowed the title of Marquis upon He Changdi!

    Marquis Anyuan!

    That was a whole rank higher than the Count!

    Despite her decades of experience, Matriarch He was still dumbfounded by this.

    The person who had read out the decree to them was a eunuch favoured by the emperor himself.

    He smiled and said, ¡°Matriarch, this is such wonderful news. When the Marquis returns, this lowly one would like to join in the celebration.¡±

    Matriarch He was pulled back to reality by his words. She immediately set aside all other in her head and cleared her mind so she could attend to the eunuch. ¡°Then this old woman shall await youring when the timees, gonggong.¡±

    Matriarch He epted the decree and rewards on He Changdi¡¯s behalf and had Senior Servant Liu offer up a gift in return. The eunuch had to rush back to the pce to report thepletion of his task, so he politely declined Matriarch He¡¯s invitation to stay.

    Once the party that had delivered the imperial decree had left, Matriarch He was still holding onto the imperial decree in a daze.

    So there were now two noble titles in House Jing¡¯an?

    Excluding the previous dynasty, since the beginning of the Great Wu Dynasty, there hadn¡¯t been any noble families who had the honour of possessing two noble titles.

    This meant that a second-rate aristocratic family like House Jing¡¯an had made the leap to the upper echelons of the nobility with a single promotion.

    Matriarch He had doted on He Changdi the most from the beginning. It was a fact that the title of Count Jing¡¯an would be passed down to the eldest grandson He Changqi. The second son, Eng, spent most of his time with the Dragon Guards and was unwilling to marry, so the matriarch couldn¡¯t be bothered with him.

    Initially, her n for He Changdi was for him to take the imperial examination and go on the path of bing a literary official. Although it would definitely have been difficult, with the support of House Jing¡¯an, he would still be able to be sessful in court after a few years of effort. However, who could have expected that he would sneak off to the northern border?

    All the worries that Matriarch He had carried throughout his absence now turned to joy.

    Now that He Changdi had a noble title, even if the children decided to split the family into smaller branches one day, there was no need for her to worry.

    The one that she had to worry about from now on was the single He Eng.

    It went without saying that Madam Liu was exultant upon hearing that her son had be even more sessful than his father and grandfather.

    The eldest son He Changqi had always been self-aware of his talents. He knew that he wasn¡¯t half-bad, but he was willing to admit that he wasn¡¯t as good as his youngest brother. Now that He Sang had managed to achieve sess at the northern border, He Dng was proud of him as a member of the He Family.

    In the whole of House Jing¡¯an, Madam Zou was probably the only one who was unhappy to receive this news.

    She had already been less favoured than Chu Lian before this, but the third branch now had a noble title ranking above theirs. Coupled with the fact that she hadn¡¯t birthed a heir for the main branch, her days in House Jing¡¯an would only get tougher from now on.

    Madam Zou lowered her head while being helped up by Senior Servant Qiao. No one noticed her jealous and hostile expression.

    As for He Ying and Pan Nianzhen, they were first shocked, then ovee with joy.

    He Ying was the Eldest Madam of House Jing¡¯an. Now that House Jing¡¯an¡¯s position had risen, her status would naturally rise alongside it.

    Once He Sang returned to the capital, he would likely be ced in an important position considering the Emperor¡¯s intentions behind this imperial decree. When that happened, House Jing¡¯an would be an esteemed house even amongst the nobility in the capital.

    Since her older brother, Count Jing¡¯an, was still around, House Jing¡¯an wouldn¡¯t be splitting up their family branches anytime soon. However, the only way for them to maintain this standard of living for the rest of their lives was to have her daughter marry into her maiden house.

    He Ying¡¯s slender eyes glistened.

    At the same time, the Chengping Emperor¡¯s decree was being sent to Liangzhou at top speed.

    However, as it was still winter, it would still take more than ten days for the news to get from the capital to Liangzhou. In all likelihood, the Lantern Festival would probably have passed by the time the decree reached Liangzhou.

 Chapter 449: Becoming a Marquis (2)

    Once the first day of the New Year was over, the days that came after seemed to pass in a sh.

    Liangzhou City was still snowed in, so anyone who wanted to travel long distances had to ride the snowboat that Chu Lian had ordered to be made.

    ording to Urihan, who had lived in the north for decades, the ice of winter would only melt in the second month of the year. When that happened, more than half of the snow-covered ins would turn into wends, which was just as dangerous as snow.

    Urihan and her sons now lived in the He Estate. After spending some time with them, Urihan was now able to speak themonnguage used in the Great Wu at a basic level. Although her intonation was a little strange, there was no problem inmunicating with day-to-day matters.

    Having survived an arduous trial with Urihan and her sons, Chu Lian had a great rtionship with them now. Urihan only had two sons and no daughters and Chu Lian was even younger than her eldest son Myeryen, so she doted on Chu Lian like her very own daughter.

    The barbarians were a straightforward people and weren¡¯t bound byplicated rules and etiquette like the nobles of the Great Wu Dynasty. As an honest youngdy born in the modern world, Chu Lian found it easy to get along with Urihan. They acted more like long-lost rtives around each other.

    The health of the eleven-year-old Narisong had slowly improved after days of proper nutritious food and medicine in the He Estate. Now the two brothers were working under Manager Qin.

    Chu Lian had already discussed the matter of Urihan and her sons with He Sang. They were going to bring the three along with them when they returned to the capital, and they would stay with them from now on.

    The usually ¡®narrow-minded¡¯ He Sang had generously agreed with Chu Lian¡¯s suggestion for this matter. This had caused Chu Lian to confirm it with him again as she wasn¡¯t sure if he had heard her clearly. Only then was she sure that he wasn¡¯t joking.

    Chu Lian was seated beside He Changdi¡¯s bed with a bowl of medicine in hand. Finding her husband¡¯s sudden geniality strange, she asked, ¡°He Changdi, when did you be so agreeable?¡±

    He Changdi shot a quick nce at her before he closed his eyes, hiding the sh of emotion in their depths. The changes in his mood couldn¡¯t be detected from his even tone, ¡°When have I ever been anything but agreeable?¡±

    Chu Lian had been stirring the concoction in the bowl with a spoon. She rolled her eyes when she heard He Changdi¡¯s reply, ¡°When have you ever been agreeable? You get into a temper if I stay for just a moment longer with Sister Hui!¡±

    The tips of He Changdi¡¯s ears reddened. He then pursed his lips and remained silent.

    During the time they had spent together in the past few days, they hadn¡¯t been glued to each other the whole time, but they had still shared the same bed and ate all three meals together everyday. Now, they were both more familiar with each other.

    Chu Lian had always been sharp-witted, so she had a much better understanding of how socially awkward her husband was now.

    The fact that he had pursed his lips and maintained his silence probably meant that he had justified his own actions to himself a hundred times over.

    Chu Lian¡¯s mouth twitched. She wanted to stuff the bowl of medicine into his hands.

    He Sang intentionally stayed still, so Chu Lian could onlye to apromise. What could she do since he was still injured?

    She resigned herself to her fate, and lifted a spoonful of medicine to He Sang¡¯s mouth.

    It was only then that He Changdi finally opened his mouth to take the bitter medicine.

    Chu Lian was speechless. She had tried tasting the medicine he was drinking out of curiosity before. It was bitter as hell! If she had the choice to, she wouldn¡¯t be able to take a single sip.

    Wouldn¡¯t it better to just gulp it all down considering how bitter it was? Why did he insist on her feeding him spoonful by spoonful? Could it be that He Sang had lost his sense of taste? He even looked so happy drinking it, what a weirdo.

    Chu Lian started discussing the matter at hand with him only after he had finished thest mouthful of medicine.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be going outter, and I¡¯ll probably only be able to return in the afternoon. The doctor will being to the estateter to prescribe more medicine, so let Laiyue attend to him.¡±

    He Sang had initially been in a good mood. However, his wife¡¯s words immediately made his mood take a turn for the worse.

    There wasn¡¯t much change in his expression, as he already had a cold and handsome face, but his eyes seemed to darken a little. His aura became so imposing that it would make others freeze up, but he didn¡¯t realize that.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    Chu Lian knew that he was leaping to conclusions in his mind again, so she reassured him, ¡°Get Laiyue to follow me then. I¡¯ll have Wenqing and Uncle Mo stay behind to take care of things.¡±

    They were husband and wife, so she didn¡¯t want to keep him in the dark regarding what she was doing. Thus, she might as well open up everything she was doing to his watch. If Laiyue followed along, He Sang would definitely trust what Laiyue reported about her doings.

    In the end, He Changdi agreed, but he didn¡¯t forget to remind her, ¡°Bring more guards with you.¡±

    With augh, Chu Lian suddenly kissed him on the cheek, then quickly made her escape.

    The sounds of her sweet bell-likeughter resounded in the room.

    He Sang was stunned by Chu Lian¡¯s sudden kiss. It was only after she was long gone that he managed to regain his senses. His first reaction was to blush hard.

    Luckily, there was no one else in the room at this moment, otherwise they would have witnessed the poker-faced Third Young Master blushing after getting assaulted by Third Young Madam. The sight alone would likely shake them to their core and they might even worry that he had been possessed.

    Manager Qin had already prepared the snowboats for departure.

    Chu Lian was helped up onto the snowboat by Wen. She and Wen shared the snowboat with Li Yue.

    Laiyue and Manager Qin sat in another.

    The ces they were heading to today weren¡¯t too far away, it would only take about an hour to get to the closest one.

    When they arrived at the first area, Chu Lian lifted the curtain in the carriage slightly to look at the six sturdy tents nearby.

    There were barbarians travelling to the tent from all directions from time to time.

    Most of the barbarians were herding yaks, horses and goats. There were also some who carried goat and yak skins. However, they all shared onemon trait, which was their skinny bodies and haggard faces.

    Someone with experience would be able to tell that they had be like this because of their quality of life.

    It may not necessarily have been caused by ack of food.

    There could be a few causes for their haggard appearances. Not eating salt for a long time, or an imbnce of nutrition due to only eating meat for extended periods of time. It may even be due to themcking coal to provide them warmth.

    This small area with the six tents in the center was a simple market specially prepared for them to trade goods.

 Chapter 450: Returning to the Capital (1)

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t get out of the warm pen immediately. She simply lifted the curtain and watched.

    It was only when she was sure that everything was working smoothly here that she sent the order to move to the next spot.

    Just like Chu Lian had predicted, they were already back in the He Estate in the afternoon.

    Chu Lian was so tired out from the long trip out that she quickly ate a simple meal and went off for her afternoon nap. He Sang took this chance to summon Laiyue in for some questioning.

    Laiyue¡¯s excitement showed all over his face. The moment he entered the room, without any prompting from He Changdi, all of his words were already spilling out of his mouth like beans.

    ¡°Third Young Master, Third Young Madam is amazing! This servant is starting to wonder if Third Young Madam is the reincarnation of the God of Wealth! She actually managed to find a business opportunity out here in this deste north.¡±

    Hearing this, He Changdi frowned. He made a ¡®mm?¡¯ sound to prompt Laiyue to exin further.

    Laiyue trembled and quickly held back his excitement to make a proper report.

    When Laiyue finished reporting everything he had seen today, He Sang was dumbfounded.

    With the convenience of the snowboats, Chu Lian had sent some men out to Suzhou to trade forrge amounts of basic necessities. For example, coarse cloth, salted vegetables, coal,mp oil and assorted grain crops. Following that, they had split them up and brought them to a few designated areas.

    The barbarians whocked these basic goods could trade for them with their livestock: yaks, horses and goats.

    A single fat yak would get the barbarians only a single small jar of salted vegetables in return. Laiyue¡¯s eyes were about to pop out of his head from the absurdity.

    If he hadn¡¯t seen it with his own eyes, he probably wouldn¡¯t have believed it.

    Back in the capital, a single yak was worth at least ten taels of silver, and it was a raremodity!

    Even though their Third Young Madam was so ¡®ruthless¡¯, the barbarians were actually pleased while trading. They even looked like they had just scored a great deal instead. It made Laiyuepletely bbergasted to watch.

    Thew in the Great Wu Dynasty prohibited the trading of important resources like salt and iron to other countries. Chu Lian was an upright andw-abiding citizen, so instead of selling salt, she sold salted vegetables! Anyway, the barbarians weren¡¯t picky about it, they were happy as long as it was salty.

    He Sang hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to havee up with such a brilliant money-making idea. Even if they didn¡¯t process the barbarians¡¯ livestock, they could sell them as they were for at least ten times the original value of the goods they traded them for.

    It was an extremely profitable trade.

    He Changdi shook his head. When he thought of how their estate had been unable to gather a thousand taels for his mother¡¯s monthly medicine costs, he smiled helplessly.

    However, as a man, he couldn¡¯t let his wife tire herself out trying to earn money for the family. It was time for him to start making his own ns to earn money now.

    While thinking so, he waved Laiyue over and whispered into his ear.

    This time, it was Laiyue¡¯s turn to be stupefied. His bodypletely froze up.

    He gulped hard and asked while trembling, ¡°T-Third Young Master, what you¡¯re saying... is... is true?¡±

    He Sang¡¯s expression hadn¡¯t changed throughout this exchange. He calmly nodded in response, ¡°Bring Tang Yan here tomorrow afternoon. Tell him that I have something to discuss with him.¡±

    Laiyue nodded forcefully, ¡°This servant will do as you say!¡±

    The afternoon was the most idle period of the day for the northern border camp. Sima Hui was too bored to stay in camp, so she would frequently bring her guards along with her to the He Estate to look for Chu Lian.

    Although she was never able to get a weing expression from He Sang each time, Sima Hui had already chosen to ignore it.

    Chu Lian had found a chance to return the horse amulet that Sima Hui had given her and she had exined the whole story to Sima Hui. Sima Hui was a smart person and didn¡¯t reject the returning of the gift. She simply turned to her female adjutant, who then offered up a gilded jade headdress to Chu Lian that was even more valuable than the jade amulet.

    He Sang was furious when he found out.

    After the day of the Lantern Festival had passed, the imperial decree from the capital finally reached the north.

    Anyone who had contributed to the war efforts in the army were all given some reward.

    Only the ones who had achieved great merits like Great General Qian, He Changdi, Sima Hui and Captain Guo were to receive their rewards back in the capital.

    Everyone knew that the Emperor had bestowed the title of marquis upon He Changdi.

    Although many of them were envious, they admired him first and foremost. It was He Changdi who had contributed the snowboats in time and gone to Su City with an elite group to bring supplies back to save them. He had even gone up against the northwestern army and Xiao Bojian to do so. Without him, the northern border troops wouldn¡¯t have been able toe out victorious in the war.

    Although transporting the supplies was a small matter, it had been the key to victory. The dangers he had faced while doing so weren¡¯t any less than facing the Tuhuns in battle. Furthermore, He Sang had killed just as many Tuhuns on the battlefields as they had.

    Thus, his brothers-in-arms in the army were all happy and satisfied to see that he had been bestowed a noble title.

    Since they had already received the imperial decree and their next set of orders, the worries of the northern border troops dissipated. Great General Qian then decided to bring all of the men who had contributed outstanding service back to the capital for their rewards.

    Since her mother-inw, Countess Jing¡¯an, was still awaiting the Snow Mountain Mists flower to treat her illness, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t stay too long in the north either.

    On the twentieth of the month, Chu Lian made preparations to return to the capital.

    He Sang¡¯s injury wasn¡¯tpletely healed yet, so they had to avoid jolting him too much on the journey back. This meant that he couldn¡¯t travel too quickly. Thus, Great General Qian ordered He Changdi and his wife to set off earlier with General Sima and the others. In four or five days, General Qian would catch up to them with the rest of the men.

 Chapter 451: Returning to the Capital (2)

    Although only half a month had passed, the simple market that Chu Lian had opened in Liangzhou was already developing quickly. She predicted that they would able to create a new trade route in a year or two if business went well, with the support of the northern border troops.

    By then, this trade route with the barbarians would likely be the best way to supply the army with good-quality steeds.

    Even if they had to hand over a half of the profits of the trade route to the government, the remaining profits were still a good amount.

    Since the simple market was still in the middle of growing, Chu Lian left Manager Qin, Narisong and Myeryen behind in Liangzhou. Once everything was stable and once they found some suitable managers to take over, she would summon them to the capital.

    After resting for a month, He Changdi¡¯s wounds were getting much better. Although he still couldn¡¯t walk normally, he could move slowly using some crutches.

    ording to the doctor, He Sang was young and his body was in good shape. Although he had been wounded heavily this time, with enough nutrition during his recovery period, he would be able to recover quickly. After one more month, he would be able to walk normally. In two more, even riding wouldn¡¯t pose any problems.

    The troops heading to Suzhou formed a long line, winding through the snow-covered grasnds like a little dragon.

    He Changi was seated in a snowboat alone with an overcast expression.

    Laiyue huddled in a corner of the warm pen upon seeing how his master was in bad mood. He didn¡¯t even dare to breathe audibly.

    He Sang leaned against the wall of the warm pen with a book in a hand. Who knew if he managed to read any of it? Anyway, an hour had already passed but Laiyue hadn¡¯t seen him flip the page yet.

    He Sang suddenly put down the book and ordered Laiyue, ¡°Go and ask your Third Young Madam what¡¯s for lunchter.¡±

    Laiyue quickly obeyed and jumped off He Changdi¡¯s snowboat. It wasn¡¯t until he had gotten off the snowboat and switched to a horse that Laiyue heaved a sigh of relief. He shook his head helplessly and headed towards Third Young Madam¡¯s snowboat instead.

    Right now, Sima Hui was chatting with Chu Lian in a warm pen. Their maidservants would interject with some jokes from time to time, so there were asional bursts ofughter from the warm pen.

    When Laiyue drew close, he sighed inwardly. No wonder his young master wasn¡¯t happy. Third Young Madam had abandoned him in a snowboat by himself toe chat with General Sima so happily. It would be crazy if Third Young Master was happy about this.

    In a short moment, Urihan had lifted the curtain covering the entrance and jumped into the warm pen. She passed Laiyue¡¯s words over to Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian found it funny. She asked for the time and realised it was almost time for the midday meal.

    She then ordered Wen to pass a small box of food to Urihan, who was to pass it to Laiyue outside and send it to He Changdi.

    It wasn¡¯t easy to travel to Suzhou, even with the snowboats, so they wouldn¡¯t stop in the middle of the day, even for lunch. Thus, most of their midday meals were some dry rations. They would only make a warm meal when they stopped for the night.

    Holding the small box of food, Laiyue didn¡¯t even dare to lift the curtain of his master¡¯s warm pen.

    It was only when He Sang purposely coughed that Laiyue had to brace himself and enter.

    As expected, he was met with He Sang¡¯s fist.

    They finally reached Su City on this night. Some of the family soldiers had already gone ahead to book their rooms for the night.

    He Changdi had specially made arrangements in private. He would naturally share a room with Chu Lian when they reached the inn.

    This time, before Sima Hui could stick to Chu Lian, she had already been dragged back to their room by He Sang.

    Once they reached their room in the inn, the wooden door was mmed shut with a bang. He Changdi threw his crutches to one side and pressed Chu Lian up against the wooden door.

    His strong arms were ced on either side of her body, trapping her within his embrace.

    Chu Lian was still dazed from all the movement. She felt a pinch on her soft lips, then her mouth was open to He Changdi¡¯s plundering.

    His demands were both sudden and forceful. Chu Lian couldn¡¯t fight against him with the tiny bit of strength she had. The hands she had ced against his chest slowly turned limp and slipped down to grasp thepels of his tunic.

    Once that domineering kiss was over, the two of them panted for breath. Chu Lian was especially flushed while her almond-shaped eyes were zed over. Her warm and fragrant breath blew over He Changdi¡¯s chest in puffs. Although they were separated by ayer of clothing, it felt as if those warm puffs were brushing directly over his bare chest.

    Chu Lian quickly covered up her burning face with one hand and frowned. She used her other hand to push forcefully at the strong arms He Sang had put on either side of her.

    ¡°He Changdi, let me go! Let me out!¡±

    He Sang cast his eyes downwards to stare at the flushed woman in his arms. His eyes darkened but he didn¡¯t speak, as if trying to carve this moment into his heart.

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t push him away, but it was just too embarrassing to be in this pose, trapped against the door. She gulped nervously, subconsciously trying to hide from this intimacy.

    She eyed the gap under his arms and prepared to squeeze her body out from that gap.

    However, before she could move, He Changdi seemed to have predicted her actions. He moved his right arm so it was no longer pressed against the door. Instead, he wrapped it around her slender waist, trapping her solidly within his embrace. She wouldn¡¯t be able to escape now.

    His hand started kneading her waist gently, tickling Chu Lian and making her want tough. She started struggling and trying to escape, but his hand moved downwards smoothly andnded a sound smack on her butt.

 Chapter 452: A Little Fatter (1)

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected such a brazen action from him. She red at him fiercely as a warning.

    But who could have known that He Changdi knew nothing of restraint? He continued to rub that soft and perky area with force.

    He leaned against Chu Lian, resting his head on her shoulder. He sniffed the faint sweet smell of her body and touched his lips to her reddened earlobes. He requested in an overbearing manner, ¡°Lian¡¯er, you¡¯ll share a carriage with me tomorrow.¡±

    Chu Lian felt that her lunatic husband had suddenly turned into an extremely possessive child ever since he had gotten injured..

    With what he just said, she was able to deduce the reason behind his actions earlier.

    Chu Lian asked helplessly, ¡°What about Sister Hui then?¡±

    Sima Hui was ady after all, so she couldn¡¯t just squeeze into a warm pen with the two of them. Furthermore, she had a good rtionship with Sima Hui. The female general had taken good care of her while she been staying at the border camp. It wouldn¡¯t be right for her to set Sima Hui aside just to apany He Sang.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine in a carriage by herself.¡±

    After getting ignored by his wife the whole day, He Sang was starting to be obstinate.

    Chu Lian could almost feel sweat drops on her head. How had she not realised before that this man was so stubborn and possessive? He was even getting jealous over another woman.

    From what she understood about He Changdi, Chu Lian knew that if she didn¡¯t give him a proper answer now, there would be no end to this tonight.

    Chu Lian put her hands on his chest and forcefully pushed him away to create some space between them.

    He Sang looked at her with his head tilted downwards, obviously displeased.

    Chu Lian stared up at his handsome face and broke out into a smile.

    Her beautiful eyes formed into crescent moons. Watching her smile was like watching a fragrant flower blossoming instantly and it dazzled He Sang.

    Chu Lian suddenly hooked her arms around He Changdi¡¯s neck and forcefully pulled him down.

    He Sang obediently bent over until his head was at the same level as hers. Their gazes met; Chu Lian could see every single eysh of his clearly.

    The smile on Chu Lian¡¯s face widened a little more. She set her lips next to He Changdi¡¯s ear and whispered something.

    Once Chu Lian was done speaking, He Changdi¡¯s icy expression melted away, only to reveal sparkling warmth beneath. His pupils dted until his eyes were like ck holes, as if trying to suck her into his soul.

    With a husky voice, he sought confirmation from her, ¡°Really?¡±

    Chu Lian refused to repeat herself, so she just continued smiling at him with her arms around his neck.

    He Changdi lifted her up with one hand at her waist and the other under her butt. With just that small bit of effort, he managed to carry her like a child, scaring her into tightening her grip on his neck.

    This was a lucky moment for He Sang. While Chu Lian was panicking, she pressed her chest against his face unintentionally.

    When Chu Lian finally noticed what was happening, her face was red beyond belief.

    He Sang¡¯s leg still hadn¡¯tpletely recovered, so despite how excited he was, he didn¡¯t dare to make any more rash moves. After carrying Chu Lian for a while, he put her down.

    He personally neatened up Chu Lian¡¯s disheveled clothes, before warning her with a deep voice, ¡°You can¡¯t lie to me! Or you¡¯ll face the consequences!¡±

    The blush on Chu Lian¡¯s face hadn¡¯t receded yet, so when she heard what he said, she could only nod silently to gloss over it.

    When it was time for dinner, Laiyue noticed that his master was in a much better mood than usual. He only dared to peek at him from time to time, wondering just what could have happened to make Third Young Master this happy.

    Seated beside her husband, Chu Lian could obviously sense the change in him as well. The normally quiet and restrained He Sang was now breaking out into smiles asionally while eating. She held up her rice bowl to hide the roll of her eyes she couldn¡¯t hold back.

    She had only promised to consummate their marriage when they returned to the capital. Look at how happy he had be from just that.

    The next day, they left Suzhou the same way they had arrived: with Chu Lian sharing a carriage with Sima Hui, while He Changdi sat alone.

    Laiyue found it really odd. Third Young Master¡¯s good mood hadn¡¯t faded at all since he had boarded the carriage. Third Young Master didn¡¯t even order him to disturb Third Young Madam during lunch time.

    When Chu Lian had set out on the journey to the north, she had taken small, deste roads so that she could get there as quickly as possible. It was different now since they weren¡¯t in a rush. She went shopping on the whole journey back to the capital. Furthermore, Sima Hui was someone who knew how to have fun, just like her, so they went around looking at all the shops and shopping crazily. She purchased plenty of local specialities along the way.

    Sima Hui was from a wealthy family, while Chu Lian had nevercked for money since she opened Guilin Restaurant. Thus, during the journey to the capital, the twodies spent at least three thousand taels between them.

    The carnagepletely shocked Laiyue into speechlessness.

    He mulled over how the amount Third Young Madam had just spent was about the same as all that he and Third Young Master had brought when they had left for the northern border. Seeing how much of a spendthrift Third Young Madam was, he worried over whether Third Young Master would be able to support her lifestyle.

    He Changdi, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem to care at all. He even ordered Laiyue to follow Chu Lian, take note of what she liked, and report everything back to himter.

    Their trip continued in this manner until Chongzhou, where Great General Qian and the other officers caught up with them.

    From then on, the pace of their journey to the capital got even faster.

    Even though the pace had increased, it still took approximately twenty days.

    When they reached Zhangzhou, the closest city to the capital, He Sang was already able to ride a horse as per normal.

    They bumped into Prince Jin and He Eng there, who had just settled the corruption case in Zhangzhou, and decided to return to the capital together after some discussion.

    Although Chu Lian and the others hadn¡¯t arrived at the capital, they had already sent letters ahead of them.

    Everyone, including Matriarch He, Countess Jing¡¯an and Princess Duanjia, was eagerly waiting for the couple to return by now.

 Chapter 453: A Little Fatter (2)

    He Changdi shared a carriage with Prince Jin.

    They hadn¡¯t met in a long time but they still got along like they hadn¡¯t parted.

    Prince Jin seemed much more haggard than before. There was now a gloomy cast to his abnormal azure eyes. He had also be thinner.

    He Changdi nced at his close friend and personally filled his cup.

    The alcohol warming up over the brazier today was milk wine, a local specialty of the north. Its alcohol content was low and it was nourishing for the body. They wouldn¡¯t get drunk on it either, so it fit this asion very well.

    ¡°Your Highness, did you find anything while investigating the corruption in Zhangzhou?¡±

    The gentle and refined Prince Jin kept his silence for a while, before raising the small cup and downing the alcohol like it was a form of release. He then picked up the pot of wine and downed another three cups before he managed to calm his emotions.

    ¡°Ah-di, I found something.¡±

    He Sang¡¯s eyes were as dark as the boundless night sky when he looked towards his friend. Nothing changed in his expression, as if he had already expected the answer.

    Prince Jin¡¯s brows drew together and he tightened his grip on the cup, ¡°Ah-di, you knew this would happen a long time ago, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    He Sang also downed his cup of milk wine in one go. His silence was as good as an answer.

    ¡°Back then, before you left for Liangzhou. You suggested that I should investigate this case because you already guessed what was happening.¡±

    Bitterness surfaced at the bottom of He Sang¡¯s heart. He hadn¡¯t guessed it at all. He had experienced it all himself once! That agony was something he didn¡¯t want his friend to experience again. Since he had reincarnated, he had to let his good friend see for himself the true nature of that pair of mother and son!

    ¡°Even though I¡¯m a close friend of Your Highness, there are some things that you wouldn¡¯t believe even if I said it outright.¡± He Sang finally spoke up.

    The light in Prince Jin¡¯s azure eyes faded even more. He stared into thin air nkly for a while, before letting out a chuckle, ¡°You¡¯re right. If I hadn¡¯t seen it for myself... If It hadn¡¯t investigated it myself... I wouldn¡¯t have believed it even if you said it right to my face.¡±

    However, now the ugly truth had been presented right in front of him. He had no other choice but to believe it!

    What a joke!

    So the people he had cared for the most had always thought of him as a chess piece that could be sacrificed at any time.

    He was merely a shield for the Crown Prince.

    In He Sang¡¯s past life, Prince Jin had been framed and sentenced to death because he had blindly trusted the ones he cared about so much.

    Back then, even though He Sang had warned him, Prince Jin hadn¡¯t taken what he had said seriously.

    Muchter when the matter had been brought to light, it had been revealed that Prince Jin had been framed. By that time, despite wanting to save his best friend, He Sang had his hands tied because House Jing¡¯an itself had been in imminent danger.

    The two men fell into silence within the carriage.

    After a long period, Prince Jin finally spoke, ¡°Ah-di, I feel terrible. Drink with me.¡±

    He Sang didn¡¯t speak a word. His only action was to pour out wine for Prince Jin personally.

    Prince Jin finally recovered a little of his spirit after taking a nap in the carriage. He tidied up his hair, got off the carriage and switched to horseback together with He Changdi.

    The two handsome men, one dressed in ck and the other in navy, riding side by side under the warm sun, formed an extremely eye-catching scene.

    One of them had a warm and elegant aura, while the other was more cool and stern.

    Prince Jin¡¯s smile evoked thoughts of spring, while He Sang¡¯s handsome features were cloaked in a cold yet remarkable air.

    They were in the outskirts of the city where the roads were wide and the weather was sunny today. Chu Lian couldn¡¯t take being stuck in the carriage any longer, so she asked Sima Hui to teach her how to ride a horse.

    Sima Hui specially ordered her female adjutant to prepare a gentle chestnut mare for Chu Lian, as well as a proper saddle, before she began teaching Chu Lian the basics.

    Chu Lian had always been both intelligent and daring. In less than thirty minutes, she was already able to use the reins to control the horse and was trotting down the highway.

    Right at this time, they heard the sounds of fast hoofbeats from behind, so the twodies turned around in confusion.

    It was Prince Jin and He Changdi who wereing their way.

    Although it wasn¡¯t Sima Hui¡¯s first time going to the capital, she had never met the Fourth Prince before.

    The man who was riding his mount over from a distance had eyes that were of a strange colour. Although there was nothing reflected in those light-coloured eyes, Sima Hui felt as if she saw a shadow of herself in them.

    Afraid that Sima Hui might notport herself with the proper manners towards Prince Jin, Chu Lian hurriedly mouthed the words ¡®Fourth Prince¡¯ at her.

    With the help of Chu Lian¡¯s hint, a trace of realisation dawned upon Sima Hui and she recalled the little that she had heard about him.

    She had previously heard that the fourth prince was different from most people, but she hadn¡¯t thought that it referred to his eyes.

    In the imperial family, different-coloured eyes weren¡¯t considered auspicious. Considering the fact that his birth mother, Concubine Xian, had passed away when he was still a child, one could imagine that his days growing up in the pce weren¡¯t easy.

    Sima Hui had also lost her parents when she was a child, so she sympathised with Prince Jin¡¯s plight. A hint of kindness and tenderness showed in the gaze she directed at him.

    Prince Jin¡¯s abnormal eyes aside, his looks were on par with He Changdi¡¯s. They were both extraordinarily handsome men that were hard toe by.

    When He Sang and Prince Jin approached them, Chu Lian greeted the prince with a smile, ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Jinyi, we haven¡¯t met for a few months, but you¡¯ve somehow gotten a little fatter instead in the north.¡±

 Chapter 454: Returning Home (1)

    The corner of Chu Lian¡¯s mouth twitched. Nothing good ever happened each time she met Prince Jin. He hadn¡¯t left a shred of mercy in his words for her. Didn¡¯t he know that women hated being called fat?!

    Furthermore, it was the frail-looking and thin type of beauty that was favoured in the Great Wu Dynasty.

    Chu Lian managed to squeeze out an awkward smile for Prince Jin before introducing Sima Hui to him.

    Sima Hui had a straightforward and brave air to her because she spent so much time in the army. She had traded the reserve that most nobledies had for an easygoing and dignified attitude.

    Somehow, the fourth prince who rarely interacted with unfamiliardies got along with her rather well.

    Chu Lian followed behind them while holding the reins of her mare, looking at their backs with the spark of an idea forming.

    The author of the original story had only mentioned Sima Hui in a single line. From what she knew, the fourth prince had never even met Sima Hui before. However, the two of them seemed like old friends right now.

    Chu Lian¡¯s almond-shaped eyes were sparkling bright now. Even her lips had tilted upwards in a curve.

    Just as she was immersed in her thoughts, her horse suddenly changed directions and tried to head towards the side of the road, giving her a fright. When she quickly turned to look, she realised that it was all He Sang¡¯s doing.

    Sheined, ¡°He Changdi! What are you doing?¡±

    He Sang turned to her with a faint smile as he continued leading her horse away. ¡°Teaching you to ride.¡±

    Chu Lian cried out in rm as the gentle mare under her suddenly started galloping. Her face turned pale from fright. Just as she felt as if she were going to fall off the horse, something tightened around her waist and pulled her up into the air. When she finally regained her senses, she was already sitting on He Changdi¡¯s mount.

    Chu Lian was still in a panicked state. She gripped tightly onto He Sang¡¯s narrow waist once she was ensconced in his embrace.

    Despite having only one hand on the reins and one arm around Chu Lian, He Changdi was at ease even as his steed was galloping freely.

    As they travelled under the clear sky, there was a warm and genial smile on He Sang¡¯s face that had never been seen before even in his past life.

    Once Chu Lian had recovered her breath, she pinched his arm forcefully in anger.

    He Changdi¡¯s eye twitched in pain. He lowered his gaze helplessly, ¡°Chu Lian, if you continue pinching me that hard, I¡¯ll lose my grip on the reins and we¡¯ll really fall off the horse.¡±

    Chu Lian red at him fiercely, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to do that anymore!¡±

    He Sang looked down and ced a kiss on her smooth, flushed cheek. ¡°Then you can¡¯t let anyone else teach you how to ride next time. Only I¡¯m allowed to teach you.¡±

    ¡°I know how to ride now, so there¡¯s no need for you to teach me.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t hard to ride a horse. The hard part was getting used to the bumpy ride.

    He Changdi raised an eyebrow in question, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve already learned how to ride?¡±

    Chu Lian refused to give in, ¡°Didn¡¯t you watch me just now? I was riding that horse perfectly well.¡±

    Just as Chu Lian finished speaking, He Changdi urged his horse on with a low shout. The handsome steed responded by opening up its stride and flying into a gallop.

    The scenery on either side turned into a blur and the ride turned even more bumpy. Chu Lian was frightened by the sudden speed and clung tightly onto He Changdi.

    Somehow, she could still hear He Changdi¡¯s husky, maic voice by her ear, ¡°Are you still sure that you know how to ride a horse?¡±

    Chu Lian had already realised that this fellow was purposely teasing her. Her cheeks were flushed red with anger as she eximed, ¡°He Changdi! Why are you so childish!¡±

    The only response she could hear through the winds blowing past was He Changdi¡¯s bright and openughter, which she could feel through his shaking chest.

    Chu Lian was startled. She couldn¡¯t help but look up at He Changdi¡¯s sharp jaw. Right now, he had lost all of the gloominess that had always been present on his face ever since she had met him.

    He was genuinely and truly living in this happy and warm moment now.

    Chu Lian suddenly had the urge to freeze time to keep him in his current state, freed of all his worries and burdens.

    She tightened her hold around him and buried her head into his chest. Having lost all desire to retort to him, she broke out into a whole-hearted smile.

    By the time the couple returned to the group, an hour had already passed.

    The fierce winds they had encountered on horseback had messed up their cloaks, so He Sang and Chu Lian both looked a little haggard. However, the messiness of their clothes couldn¡¯t hide the pure joy on their faces.

    He Changdi personally escorted Chu Lian to her carriage.

    Xiao Hongyu eyed the two of them from not too far away with shining eyes. He tsked to himself and let out a chuckle with a wretched expression, ¡°Doesn¡¯t Brother He know how to control himself? We¡¯re still on the road here! He just took Sister-inw out like that!¡±

    Zhang Mai had no idea what to say to the brat. He red at him and threw a chestnut at his silly head, ¡°You little brat. What are you thinking of in that head of yours?¡±

    Xiao Hongyu held his wounded head in a pitiful manner and protested, ¡°Brother Zhang, you¡¯re not allowed to hit my head! My mother already thinks I¡¯m stupid enough. If you keep hitting my head, I won¡¯t be able to get a wife in the future!¡±

    Captain Guo burst out into raucousughter while watching the two banter.

    The victory in the war against the Tuhuns had lifted the mood of their their long-suffering soldiers.

    They entered the capital on the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar, the day of the Longtaitou Festival.

    The Chengping Emperor had sent officials from the Ministry of Rites to wee them five kilometres out from the capital.

    General Qian and his troops would have to change into special ceremonial armour and enter the capital under the lead of the officials armed with ceremonial weapons. They would then enter the pce for the official bestowal ceremony. This was the highest honour that could be given to a military official returning home.

    It was also due to this arrangement that Prince Jin and Chu Lian had to part ways with the border troops when they were close to the outskirts of the capital.

 Chapter 455: Returning Home (2)

    At the five kilometre mark out from the capital, Chu Lian bid goodbye to He Changdi and followed He Eng back into the capital.

    As for He Sang¡¯s party, they would have to head straight to the pce to attend the ceremony before they would be allowed to return to their estates.

    In the afternoon, Chu Lian finally reached the entrance of the Jing¡¯an Estate.

    They had already sent some of their family¡¯s soldiers ahead to report their return. Just as Chu Lian¡¯s carriage stopped, the sound of excited female voices carried in from outside.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, you¡¯re finally back!¡± Xiyan had been trying to put on the steady air that a handmaid should have, but who could have thought that she would lose control of her emotions even before seeing Chu Lian in person? Her voice was almost close to a sob.

    Wenqing, who had been seated in the carriage with Chu Lian, leaped out to lift the curtains covering the entrance of the carriage. She shot a speechless look at Xiyan before teasing her, ¡°You missed Third Young Madam that much? What are you nking out for? Come and help Third Young Madam out!¡±

    It was only then that Xiyan came to her senses and looked up into the carriage. As expected, she was met with the sight of Chu Lian trying to hide a warm smile.

    She quickly wiped away the tears in the corners of her eyes and reached out to hold Chu Lian steady, ¡°Third Young Madam, please excuse this servant.¡±

    Chu Lian let Xiyan help her out of the carriage before speaking with affection, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. I¡¯ll forgive you this time.¡±

    Once she was out of the carriage, Chu Lian spotted the group of people standing at the entrance.

    The one in the lead was the kindly Matriarch He. Her mother-inw, Countess Jing¡¯an, was standing right next to her with the help of Miaozhen. Chu Lian¡¯s gaze slid down to Miaozhen and she noticed that her clothes were loose, while her belly seemed to have swelled a little.

    A brief wave of emotion passed through her. She hadn¡¯t expected Miaozhen to have gotten pregnant with her brother-inw¡¯s child so quickly.

    Her gaze shifted again, only to be met with two strangers.

    A middle-aged woman was standing to Matriarch He¡¯s right. Her face was rounded and she was dressed richly. However, that unbridled measuring look she had on her face only drew dislike. If she looked a little closely, the middle-aged woman¡¯s features were a little simr to Matriarch He.

    Standing behind the middle-aged woman was a tall youngdy.

    The youngdy seemed to be about her age. She was dressed in a bright pink dress with a vest on top. An exquisite fox fur-lined cloak was wrapped around her. The strings of pearls on her golden hairpin shook gently in the breeze.

    Her outfit seemed strangely familiar to Chu Lian¡¯s eyes.

    The girl seemed a little timid as she shied away from meeting Chu Lian¡¯s eyes directly. She darted nces at Chu Lian from underneath her loweredshes from time to time.

    Xiyan noticed the misgivings in her master¡¯s eyes and whispered behind her, ¡°Third Young Madam, those two are Eldest Madam and Miss Pan. They returned to the estate right before the New Year.¡±

    Eldest Madam? Miss Pan?

    Chu Lian thought back to the events described in the story, but it seemed like those two had never been mentioned at all. However, she had heard her mother-inw mention that the matriarch had a daughter who had married far away.

    Why had they suddenly been brought back to the capital?

    Although Chu Lian had some doubts in her heart, she didn¡¯t show them on her face.

    She smiled sweetly and quickly walked towards Matriarch He.

    When she was right in front of the matriarch, she curtsied respectfully before saying, ¡°Granddaughter-inw hopes Grandmother is well. Granddaughter-inw has returned.¡±

    Following that, she bobbed towards Countess Jing¡¯an and the rest.

    Matriarch He held on to Chu Lian¡¯s arm, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. Good, good. Quick,e into the estate. Look at how thin you¡¯ve gotten, you must have lost so much weight.¡±

    In the time it took to enter the estate, He Ying had already spoken up, ¡°Mother, this must be Ah-di¡¯s wife. Why don¡¯t you introduce us? It¡¯s my first time meeting this child!¡±

    Matriarch He smiled, ¡°What are you in such a hurry for? Lian¡¯er has just returned. You have to let her take a sip of hot tea first at the very least. You¡¯ll have all the time in the world to chat with your nieceter on.¡±

    Since the matriarch hadn¡¯t acquiesced to her demand, He Ying pouted and followed Matriarch He closely.

    Pan Nianzhen¡¯s eyes hadn¡¯t left Chu Lian once, even as she continued following behind her mother.

    Now that Chu Lian was in front of her, she didn¡¯t have to meet those piercing eyes that made her feel ashamed. She could rest easy and look her over all she wanted.

    She hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to be so young. She looked about the same age as her, although she was much shorter. Chu Lian was also dressed very casually. There was only a single dark green jade hairpin on her head and a lovely jade ring on her left thumb. She wasn¡¯t even wearing a single bangle.

    Pan Nianzhen felt that her looks weren¡¯t that bad and could be considered above average even in the capital. In the past, her face had been her pride. However, upon seeing the unadorned, fine features of Chu Lian, she suddenly felt inferior.

    Even though Chu Lian wasn¡¯t wearing any makeup at all, her face was still as beautiful as a flower. Pan Nianzhen trembled at the thought ofparing her looks with Chu Lian now.

    Pan Nianzhen crumpled the handkerchief in her hands and took in a deep breath. A thread of dissatisfaction wound around her heart.

    When she had heard that Chu Lian and He Sang would be returning to the estate today, she had specially ordered her maidservant to pick out the best outfit and essories to dress her up. However, she couldn¡¯t even match up to Chu Lian in her in and simple clothes.

    What Pan Nianzhen didn¡¯t understand was that some things couldn¡¯t be earned with outer appearances alone.

    The jealousy in her heart built up until it was showing in her eyes. She had visited Chu Lian¡¯s Songtao Court before. When she had inadvertently nced at the book that one of the servants had been writing in, there had been lines of essories recorded there that were all more valuable than whatever she had on now. However, Chu Lian hadn¡¯t worn any of those beautiful andvish essories and had dressed so simply. Was she trying to humiliate her and her mother?

 Chapter 456: Trifling Matters in the Estate (1)

    Chu Lian followed Matriarch He and the others into Qingxi Hall.

    She had gone to the northern border with a mission. Although her letters had already informed the elders in the family of important matters such as the war or the Snow Mountain Mists flower, there were many details Matriarch He was unsure of and wanted to hear straight from the source.

    In Qingxi Hall, everyone was seated while Chu Lian was pulled to sit by Matriarch He¡¯s side.

    The matriarch took a good look at Chu Lian from head to toe. It had only been half a year since theyst met, but Chu Lian had actually changed a lot in that time.

    The baby fat on her face had receded, leaving only the charm and delicate beauty of a youngdy.

    Her almond-shaped eyes were like clear springs, giving the impression that she could see through one¡¯s heart. Her figure had also be even more shapely than when she had left home. Although she had slimmed down a little, her body was more like an hourss now.

    Her simple, unadorned robes were unable to conceal her resplendent beauty.

    The matriarch nodded inwardly. This journey had forged her granddaughter-inw¡¯s inner radiance. When she was younger, she had travelled extensively with the previous Count, fighting on the battlefield and killing bandits and foes. She had only settled down into the inner court when she had grown older. If not for the perspective she had gained from her time journeying in her youth that put her in a different league from other nobledies, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to build such arge empire for House Jing¡¯an when she returned to the capital.

    That was why she believed thatdies should not be confined to the boundaries of their own courtyard. Ladies also had to get out of theirfort zone and experience the outside world. It was precisely this train of thought that led her to allow Sang¡¯s wife to embark on the journey to the north.

    Discovering this change in Chu Lian obviously made her happy.

    As the matriarch looked at her lovable granddaughter-inw, her gaze subconsciously drifted to Chu Lian¡¯s t tummy. When she noticed Chu Lian¡¯s broad belt emphasizing her slender waist, she couldn¡¯t help but reveal a tiny bit of disappointment in her eyes.

    The fact that she was wearing such a tight-fitting outfit meant that she definitely wasn¡¯t pregnant...

    While the matriarch was sizing up Chu Lian, Chu Lian had been watching her with a smile.

    Thus, she had immediately caught that speck of disappointment in the matriarch¡¯s eyes. She didn¡¯t show any reaction to what she had noticed, but she took down a mental note.

    Compared to how Chu Lian had grown taller and be more beautiful, Matriarch He on the other hand, looked much older than before.

    Her grey hair had fadedpletely into white. The number of wrinkles on her round face seemed to have increased significantly. Her robes also seemed loose on her, indicating that she had lost a fair bit of weight. These observations made Chu Lian sigh inside.

    Before the matriarch could speak, Chu Lian asked, ¡°Grandmother, you haven¡¯t introduced Aunt to me yet!¡±

    It was only then that Matriarch He returned to reality. She smacked her own thigh in vexation, ¡°Oh dear me, my mind isn¡¯t what it used to be. I¡¯ve be more forgetful in my old age.¡±

    She took Chu Lian¡¯s slender white hand into hers and pointed towards the middle-aged woman next to her. In a friendly tone, she introduced, ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, this is your aunt, she became a widow several years ago. This autumn, I sent some servants to bring her back from Siyang. Thedy over there is your cousin, Miss Pan, the sole daughter of your aunt. She was born just two months after you, so the two of you are of the same age. Do take care of her in the future.¡±

    Chu Lian stood up to give her aunt-inw, He Ying, a formal greeting before turning to Pan Nianzhen to give a less formal curtsey towards her peer.

    If not for the sake of giving Matriarch He face, Chu Lian didn¡¯t have to greet them so respectfully at all. Setting aside the fact that He Changdi¡¯s new title of Marquis meant that she was now a Marchioness, she already had the title of Honoured Lady Jinyi. With her noble title, she didn¡¯t need to curtsey to He Ying and her daughter, who were practicallymoners.

    He Ying looked at the inly dressed Chu Lian and nodded haughtily. Although Pan Nianzhen was jealous of Chu Lian, she was a timid person at heart, so she stood up properly to return the curtsey and greeted her, ¡°Third Cousin¡±.

    Chu Lian shot Xiyan a look and the handmaid promptly hurried forward to hand over two exquisite pouches to her.

    She gave one pouch to her aunt-inw He Ying, and the other to Pan Nianzhen. With a smile, Chu Lian said, ¡°These are just some trinkets I purchased in Su City. I hope Aunt and Cousin will like these.¡±

    He Ying opened the pouch on the spot, and dumped out what was inside onto her palm. It was a white jade bangle. Judging from the smooth and glossy surface, she could tell that it was made of high grade white jade at first nce. The arrogance in her eyes finally faded a little as satisfaction shone in her gaze.

    However, the fact that she didn¡¯t even thank Chu Lian made the matriarch throw a few looks her way for a bit.

    Chu Lian was stunned for a moment by theck of reaction from the two. Eventually, she let it go and went back to her own seat calmly.

    Chu Lian told them about her experiences at the northern border. But of course, she hid some major events such as getting kidnapped, opening a market at the north, and He Changdi getting hurt.

    An hourter, Matriarch He was visibly getting tired, so Chu Lian tactfully mentioned that she wanted to return to Songtao Court to settle some tasks.

    Matriarch He allowed her to leave and told her to have a good rest. After some other pleasantries, she asked Chu Lian to have dinner here in Qingxi Hallter with He Changdi.

 Chapter 457: Trifling Matters in the Estate (2)

    Once Chu Lian had left, Matriarch He immediately reprimanded He Ying.

    ¡°What were you doing! You¡¯ve already lived for decades, yet your manners lost out to a youngdy who has juste of age! You¡¯re the elder, but you didn¡¯t even have a first meeting gift for your junior. You even had Sang¡¯s wife give you a gift out of filial piety!¡±

    The moment Matriarch He chastised her, He Ying lowered her head and turned on the waterworks.

    The matriarch was angered further by her sobbing and crying, ¡°Think about how old you are now! Yet all you know how to do is cry! What happened to your fierce streak from the past!?¡±

    After this continued for some time, He Ying finally exined while sobbing, ¡°Mother, did you think I didn¡¯t want to? It¡¯s not like you aren¡¯t aware of the situation we¡¯re in. Despite how I¡¯m dressed today, every single of these items from head to toe all belong to you. Sang¡¯s wife is an honoureddy. The pce sends out jewellery for the titleddies during the New Year or other festivities. Sang¡¯s wife was able to casually give out this high-grade white jade, how could I have something suitable to gift her? Even if I did have something to give, she wouldn¡¯t fancy it. In any case, we¡¯re broke, so why should we care about dignity...¡±

    What her daughter said tugged on Matriarch He¡¯s heartstrings, so shepletely forgot about the rudeness He Ying had just disyed towards her granddaughter-inw here in the parlour.

    Matriarch He sighed, ¡°Forget it, forget it. I¡¯m tired. Take Miss Pan back to your room to rest ande back here for dinner.¡±

    He Ying obediently got up and left with Pan Nianzhen, but the moment she left the parlour, she couldn¡¯t help breaking out into a smirk.

    After leaving Qingxi Hall, Chu Lian didn¡¯t go directly to Songtao Court. Instead, she went looking for Great Doctor Miao and carefully ced the Snow Mountain Mists flower into his hands for verification.

    With a nce, Great Doctor Miao was able to confirm that it was the Snow Mountain Mists and he sighed in relief, ¡°Thank goodness Third Young Madam returned in time. The treatement for this illness can¡¯t be dyed for much longer. Rest assured, Third Young Madam, as long as this Snow Mountain Mists is used, I have a seventy percent chance of curing the Countess¡¯s old illnesspletely.¡±

    Chu Lian curtseyed respectfully towards Great Doctor Miao, which he epted gracefully. He took the medicine and quickly went to the medicine room that House Jing¡¯an had prepared for him.

    By the time she returned to her own courtyard, another hour had already passed.

    Finally, Chu Lian had time to change her clothes and cleanse her body. She thenid on the sofa and shut her eyes for a quick nap.

    After napping for half an hour, Chu Lian got up to drink a cup of honey water and summoned Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan for a chat.

    ¡°Has anything happened while I was away?¡±

    Senior Servant Gui spoke first, ¡°Third Young Madam, Mingyan has passed on.¡±

    Chu Lian was startled, but she didn¡¯t reveal any other emotions on her face. There was no need to sympathise with someone who had betrayed her, so she simply asked, ¡°Has she been buried?¡±

    Senior Servant Gui nodded, ¡°Xiyan gave some silvers to the manservants at the corner gate to buy a casket and have her buried.¡±

    They didn¡¯t have much affection for Mingyan here, so after exchanging a few words, they changed the topic.

    Xiyan handed the ount books to Chu Lian, before passing on Princess Wei and Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s messages to her. Finally she said, ¡°Third Young Madam, Guilin Restaurant is still under the public ounts. It¡¯s already the second month of the year, but it remains closed. The matriarch has sent Senior Servant Liu to enquire about it several times.

    To prevent Guilin Restaurant from getting stolen, Xiyan had followed the solution that Chu Lian had left behind and closed Guilin Restaurant. However, as a restaurant, Guilin Restaurant couldn¡¯t possibly stay closed forever!

    Even if they didn¡¯t mind, their regr customers would probablye to the estate to make a fuss eventually.

    Amongst them was Old Duke Zheng, who was someone they couldn¡¯t afford to offend.

    Chu Lian smiled, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about this, I¡¯ll settle it.¡±

    Hearing that made Xiyan relieved. Now that their masters had returned, they finally had a pir to lean on, and they could stand tall as servants.

    After dealing with these important matters, Xiyan suddenly recalled the matter of Miss Paning to Songtao Court to borrow clothes.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, as Miss Pan came to the estate in a hurry, she didn¡¯t have enough clothes. The new clothes that were made for youst year have all been borrowed by her.¡±

    Realisation dawned upon Chu Lian. It was no wonder she had found Pan Nianzhen¡¯s clothes so familiar. Those were the winter clothes made with materials that she had personally picked out.

    It seemed like Miss Pan wasn¡¯t actually as timid as she seemed, she was obviously a ¡®white lotus¡¯, someone who looked pure and innocent on the surface but was scheming inside!

    Chu Lian¡¯s fair fingertips tapped on the side of the teacup, ¡°Momo, have someone investigate this new aunt of mine.¡±

    Senior Servant Gui beamed until her eyes turned into crescents. She could feel that Third Young Madam had be even more mature after returning from her journey. Previously, she had only cared about matters regarding Songtao Court, but now she had learned to be vignt and observant towards others.

    ¡°Understood! This old servant will have it done, Third Young Madam.¡± As she spoke, Senior Servant Gui couldn¡¯t help but size up Chu Lian¡¯s body.

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes at her speechlessly, ¡°I haven¡¯t even consummated my marriage! Momo, you should stop overthinking things!¡±

    Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan¡¯s eyes widened; they had disbelief written all over their faces.

    The fact that she and He Changdi had not consummated their marriage was only known to the two of them as Chu Lian¡¯s close aides. They hadn¡¯t thought that the couple still hadn¡¯t consummated their marriage even after their trip to the northern border, so...

    Even Senior Servant Gui was starting to feel anxious.

    Previously, when He Sang had gone to the northern border with no known date of return, she had turned a blind eye when Chu Lian acted willfully, but things were different now. He Sang had be a marquis from his military aplishments and their Third Young Madam was now a marchioness.

    Count Jing¡¯an was still alive now, but the day woulde when Count Jing¡¯an passes his title to his heir. House Jing¡¯an¡¯s third branch would have to break away from the family then. Chu Lian¡¯s first son would then be the heir of Marquis Anyuan. Now that this concerned the survival of a noble house, it was a problem of epic proportions that they still hadn¡¯t consummated their marriage!

 Chapter 458: The Department of Appointments (1)

    As Chu Lian¡¯s former wet nurse, Senior Servant Gui couldn¡¯t help but remind her, ¡°Third Young Madam, it won¡¯t do for you and Third Young Master to keep dying this.¡±

    Even without considering the future, they had the matriarch to deal with right now. The matriarch was expecting a great-grandson soon. There was also the sudden appearance of that Eldest Madam and Miss Pan.

    From how the mother and daughter pair had been acting, it was unlikely that they would be easy to get along with.

    They had managed to escape from the remote Siyang to the morous capital, so it would be crazy to think that they would want to go back.

    If they didn¡¯t want to go back, getting Miss Pan to marry into the He Family would be the best choice for them!

    Despite the fact that the Second Young Master wasn¡¯t married yet, Third Young Master was the most outstanding one amongst the brothers, so it was hard to say with certainty that Miss Pan wouldn¡¯t set her sights on him.

    Chu Lian knew that Senior Servant Gui was speaking out of consideration for her, but having such things spoken outright still made her blush.

    ¡°Momo, I understand that. My husband was injured for some time before, so I¡¯ve already promised him to consummate our marriage after we returned to the estate.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s words were a pleasant surprise to Xiyan and even more so for Senior Servant Gui.

    She couldn¡¯t help grabbing onto Chu Lian¡¯s hands, ¡°Sixth Miss, as long as your first child is a boy, your position in House Jing¡¯an will be secured.¡±

    Senior Servant Gui was so ovee with emotion that she had actually called Chu Lian by her previous title from House Ying.

    Once Chu Lian had an heir by her side, it wouldn¡¯t matter even if He Changdi¡¯s love for her changed. Her position in the He Family would be as unshakeable as a rock.

    Taking Dng¡¯s wife as an example, if Madam Zou had a son, her rtionship with He Changqi wouldn¡¯t have deteriorated to this point.

    If she had a son, even if she quarreled with her husband, the matriarch and the countess would have considered taking her side.

    In any case, no matter how high one¡¯s status was, there was still a need to birth a male heir as a noble¡¯s legitimate wife.

    Senior Servant Gui wasn¡¯t exaggerating in the slightest. This was just how noble families were in the Great Wu Dynasty. House Jing¡¯an was better as there were fewer members and the men never took concubines. Otherwise, things would be worse than they already were.

    Chu Lian had never considered such matters in the past. She had only thought about how she could live her days well as azy bug who nevercked money. Things were different now that she and He Changdi were in love. She naturally thought of sharing in some of his burdens.

    It wouldn¡¯t do for her to remain ayabout then.

    She didn¡¯t know what kind of post the Emperor would give to He Changdi currently. If he received an important position, then as his wife, she would have to start socialising with others.

    For a whole afternoon, Chu Lian settled the many trivial matters in Songtao Court.

    The Li siblings who had escorted her to the northern border had also returned to Prince Wei¡¯s estate afterpleting their mission. Chu Lian had ordered the siblings to bring back the presents she had gotten for Princess Wei and Princess Duanjia too.

    Chu Lian also ordered the servants to send the local specialties she had bought on her journey to the various branches of the family. By the time she was done, it was already evening.

    A burst of noise started from the entrance of the courtyard. Xiyan went off to take a look and happily returned to report, ¡°Third Young Madam, Third Young Master has returned.¡±

    Chu Lian set aside the ounts that she had been looking through and ordered Fuyan and Jingyan to prepare a change of clothes for He Changdi.

    He Changdi was still d in his silver ceremonial armour when he entered the estate. He headed straight to the bedroom after entering Songtao Court.

    Chu Lian, who was right beside her desk, turned to see him walking in with big strides.

    She found it a little strange, ¡°Why are you in such a rush? Is something the matter?¡±

    He Changdi set down the helmet he had been holding and took a seat by the desk without even changing his clothes. He beckoned Chu Lian over.

    Thinking that he had an emergency to discuss with her, Chu Lian quickly went to his side. However, before she could even open her mouth to ask, He Changdi had already wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace.

    With his tall build, his head was still at the level of Chu Lian¡¯s chin even when he was seated, which was why it was so easy for him to pull her into his embrace.

    The servants nearby were all shocked by the intimate actions between Third Young Master and Third Young Madam. In the end, it was the experienced Senior Servant Gui who quickly shot a signal at Xiyan with her eyes and had Xiyan chase the other servants out.

    Jingyan and Fuyan, who had juste out from the bathroom, were also dragged away by Xiyan.

    It had been months since Fuyan hadst seen He Changdi.

    Third Young Master had be more mature and steadfast than before, and his face seemed more masculine and handsome. He looked like a diamond that had juste out of the rough, which made it even harder for women to draw their eyes away from him.

    When Third Young Master pulled Third Young Madam into his arms, there was a little more warmth and tenderness on his icy countenance. This was a Third Young Master that no one in the whole of Songtao Court had ever witnessed.

    Greed brewed in Fuyan¡¯s heart. A tinge of darkness shed in her eyes as she wished fervently that she could be the one in Third Young Master¡¯s arms at this moment. Fuyan¡¯s hands curled into fists under her long and broad sleeves.

    After onest look of longing, she was finally dragged out of the room by Xiyan.

    Chu Lian was feeling ufortable with her waist being squeezed and her body pressed flush on his cold armor. She pushed He Sang away and spoke with a blush, ¡°The servants were still here earlier, can¡¯t you be more aware of your surroundings?¡±

    With a cold expression that was at odds with his loving actions, He Sang rested his head on Chu Lian¡¯s slender shoulders. They were so close that Chu Lian could hear his heart pounding hard.

    He Changdi¡¯s deep and maic voice resounded close to her ears, ¡°His Majesty has conferred the position of a fifth-ranked administrator of the Department of Appointments to me.¡±

    A fifth-ranked administrator of the Department of Appointments?

    Chu Lian was so astounded that she didn¡¯t have the mind to pay attention to He Sang¡¯s misbehaving hands.

 Chapter 459: The Department of Appointments (2)

    Chu Lian had just taken a bath in the afternoon and the main bedroom of Songtao Court was warm andfortable, so she was only wearing a loose andfy casual dress, which turned out to be to his benefit.

    He Changdi¡¯s slightly coarse palm slid right into her dress. He then gently caressed the smooth skin at her waist.

    Chu Lian¡¯s mind was churning at lightning speed.

    Although she wasn¡¯t well-versed in the bureaucratic system of the Great Wu Dynasty, she still knew a little.

    The system used in the Great Wu Dynasty was pretty much the same as the Ming Dynasty from history.

    Back in the Ming Dynasty, there were four official departments recognised by all as the most lucrative: the Ministry of Personnel¡¯s Departments of Administration and Examinations and the Ministry of War¡¯s Departments of Appointments and Logistics. He Changdi had just been given a position at one of these lucrative departments. Although his rank wasn¡¯t very high, he did hold actual authority. A fifth-ranked administrator like him could stand up to a first-ranked official with an empty post.

    Any military official would have to go through his department in order to get transferred to other posts.

    It was only when therge hand sneaking around in her clothes gradually reached up and touched the ties holding her underclothes closed that she finally returned to her senses.

    She pulled down He Sang¡¯s misbehaving hands and red at him.

    Feeling a little speechless, she said, ¡°You¡¯re going to be facing trouble soon, how do you still have the mood to y around? What do you think His Majesty¡¯s intentions are? Your achievements at the northern border are already eye-catching on their own and the bestowal of your marquisate is unprecedented. Why would he still give you a position like this? Isn¡¯t this practically drawing a target on your back?¡±

    The Chengping Emperor was ying a game of chess here, but doesn¡¯t he know that tall trees attract the woodman¡¯s axe?

    Bestowing a marquisate on He Sang and giving him a lucrative post, just what was the Emperor trying to do?

    He Changdi had only been mentioning this to Chu Lian off-handedly. He hadn¡¯t expected her to have read so deeply into it.

    So this little woman who normally only thought of how to eat better actually knew how to navigate the twists and turns in the imperial court. He had truly underestimated her in the past.

    At this point of time, Chu Lian was like a great treasure that had been discovered in the mud and He Sang was the one who had discovered her. Each time he found out how different she was, it felt as if his treasure had multiplied, he was both astonished and delighted.

    After recovering from his astonishment, he burst into a bout of openughter, ¡°Chu Lian, why aren¡¯t you happy that I¡¯ve gotten such a lucrative post? Why are youining about your husband¡¯s position instead?¡±

    Chu Lian pushed at him, trying to break free from his embrace, but his muscr arms were like steel prongs, they simply refused to budge. She rolled her eyes at him, ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.¡±

    He Changdi tightened his arms around her, ¡°Don¡¯t move, let me hug you for a little longer.¡±

    As he spoke, he rested his head back on Chu Lian¡¯s shoulder. Chu Lian assumed that he was trying to think, so she stopped struggling and stayed still.

    A good whileter, He Changdi said, ¡°Xiao Bojian has gone to the Ministry of Personnel. Although he isn¡¯t in the Department of Administration, it¡¯s still an important position.¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s words made Chu Lian stiffen up as she found this hard to believe.

    If that was the case, then she found it even harder to understand the Chengping Emperor¡¯s intentions.

    Furthermore, in this life, Xiao Bojian was actually climbing up the ranks quicker than he had in the book!

    It had to be emphasised that in the original book, it was with the help of ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ along with House Ying¡¯s full support that he jad managed to enter the Ministry of Personnel one year from now.

    Who could have thought that his rise would be so much faster this time!

    Chu Lian was in He Changdi¡¯s embrace right now, so even though she hadn¡¯t made much movement, He Changdi detected the suble stiffening of her body. He raised his head to look at her and stared into her clear eyes.

    He Changdi still didn¡¯t understand her. After numerous tests, he had confirmed that Chu Lian wasn¡¯t interested in Xiao Wujing at all. Furthermore, her disinterest went further than that. She was actually disgusted by him.

    Yet whenever he mentioned Xiao Wujing, there would be an obvious and strange reaction from his wife. It didn¡¯t seem like she waspletely ignorant of Xiao Wujing¡¯s plight. He Changdi¡¯s eyes darkened, he had a faint feeling that Chu Lian was concealing something from him.

    Although he wasn¡¯t happy about that, if he turned to look at it from another perspective, he still had his whole lifetime ahead to spend with her. There was no need to worry that she would keep him in the dark forever.

    The couple cuddled for a while before Chu Lian urged He Changdi to take a bath and change out of his clothes.

    It was gettingte and they still had to rush to Qingxi Hall for their reunion dinner.

    After he finished bathing, He Changdi donned a navy blue robe and a ck cape with a qilin embroidered on the lower half. These were clothes that the estate had specially made for him this winter.

    He Changdi was a lot more well-built than before after training in the army. He had broad shoulders, a slim waist, and long muscr legs. He wasn¡¯t too slender andnky, but he wasn¡¯t overly muscr and burly either.

    The robesplemented his tall and slightly muscr build perfectly.

    Even Chu Lian couldn¡¯t keep her eyes off him.

    When He Sang noticed her unending stare, a spark of delight red up within him. However, his face remained as icy as ever. He even pretended to be indifferent as he said, ¡°Have you stared enough? If you have, thene and tie my hair for me.¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t bother bickering with this weirdo and beckoned him over, ¡°Come on, sit over here.¡±

    He Sang walked to the dressing table and sat down obediently like a good puppy. Chu Lian then picked up the sandalwoodb on the table and startedbing and tying up his hair.

    Thankfully, the simple hairstyle that Chu Lian had done was still passable. Once she stuck a white jade crown with a design that matched the hairpin she wore on his head, He Sang¡¯s poker face finally regained some colour.

    He nced at his own image in the mirror, coughed twice, and managed to squeeze out some praise, ¡°Not too bad.¡±

    TL Note: I couldn¡¯t find an official trantion for the departments mentioned here, so I did some research on them and came up with approximate titles.

    So if you were an official in the Ming Dynasty, these are the four departments that are known to be lucrative posts. Why? It¡¯s because these were seen as easy jobs with the likelihood of bribesing your way.

    Ministry of Personnel (Àô²¿)

    Department of Administration (ÎÄÑ¡Ë¾)

    Department of Examinations (¿¼¹¦Ë¾)

    Ministry of War (±ø²¿)

    Department of Appointments (ÎäÑ¡Ë¾)

    Department of Logistics (Îä¿âË¾)

    I think it¡¯s quite clear why for the Departments of Examinations and Appointments, as you can bribe these officials to smooth your way through the ranks. Even for upstanding officials, it¡¯s standard to give gifts in celebration/gratitude for promotions, etc.

    The Department of Administration is in charge of improving bureaucratic processes. From my own perspective, maybe you could bribe officials to push for a certain process that¡¯s beneficial for you? *not a historian in any way lol*

    The Department of (War) Logistics is quite clear too, because war supplies would be a huge source of ie for merchants. Some bribes going the way of the administrator could help you get that business. OwO

 Chapter 460: Reunion at Qingxi Hall (1)

    Chu Lian nced at his reddened ears with a smile and didn¡¯t argue with him.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m just going to change my clothes in the bathroom before we go over. Otherwise, we¡¯ll make Grandmother wait.¡±

    After she finished speaking, Chu Lian turned and entered the bathroom. Xiyan had already prepared a change of clothing for her in the bathroom.

    Once Chu Lian had left the inner room, He Sang checked his reflection in the bronze mirror. Although it was just a normal hair style, he felt more and more satisfied as he looked at it. In the end, he broke out into a foolish smile.

    Luckily the maidservants of Songtao Court didn¡¯t catch him in his current state, or they would most likely have knelt for hours out of fright, thinking that their Third Young Master was possessed.

    While waiting for Chu Lian to return from the bathroom, He Sang had already turned back to his usual cold and stern self. He sat by the table and picked up a storybook that he had seen Chu Lian reading often to pass the time.

    His brows creased together as he read.

    What was this story about? An abandoned wife living carefree? In the Great Wu Dynasty, abandoned wives didn¡¯t even have a ce in society, let alone being able to spend their days leisurely. Flipping back to the front of the book to look for the author¡¯s name, He Changdi snorted. Was this ¡®Snow Mountain Mists¡¯ crazy? Their imagination was just too far-fetched. From what he could see, this person had probably been born with a hole in their head!

    His wife woulde up with peculiar ideas from time to time. Could that have been due to reading Snow Mountain Mist¡¯s books?

    He Changdi¡¯s heart was set afire with rage. He wanted to burn up this book.

    While He Changdi was thinking, a sound from behind caught his attention. When he looked up and turned towards Chu Lian¡¯s direction, his deep eyes immediately lit up.

    Chu Lian had grown a little taller aftering back from the northern border and her old clothes didn¡¯t fit as well anymore. The newest garments made for her over the winter had been borrowed by Miss Pan, so she was wearing a dress that Princess Wei had given her right now.

    The dress was a bright red withplex patterns embroidered on the hem, cuffs, and neckline. The buttons were glossy pearls of the same size. Even though it was a winter garment, it was cut with a narrow waist that showed off Chu Lian¡¯s slim figure.

    He Changdi had actually never seen Chu Lian all dressed up before. He had always known that she was beautiful and that her looks were considered outstanding even within the capital.

    He used to hate her face so much that he didn¡¯t even want to look at her.

    Thus, he waspletely stunned right now. The youngdy reflected in his deep gaze was as breathtaking as the sunrise.

    When Chu Lian noticed his dazed expression, she tilted her head to one side with a smile, looking utterly adorable, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Have you been stunned by my beauty?¡±

    He Sang¡¯s body stiffened up as a twitch developed in the corner of his mouth.

    How had he been so foolish before? How could someone who could speak such ¡®shameless¡¯ words be the former ¡®wicked woman¡¯ Chu Lian?

    How had he been so blind? He had made himself so constrained and miserable.

    He Changdi tugged the corner of his lips downwards before ordering in a cold tone, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Chu Lian knew that he was just shy and ufortable, so she ran after him with a giggle.

    After taking a few long strides forward, He Sang suddenly noticed that he had lost sight of Chu Lian behind him. He unconsciously came to a stop when he heard the sound of footstepsing closer.

    As he stood in the corridor,nterns cast a faint light on him from behind, entuating his perfect posture and making him appear even taller and more handsome.

    It was only when the sound of footsteps in disarray drew closer that He Changdi turned slightly and looked behind him.

    He was met with the sight of a youngdy holding the heavy hem of her dress chasing after him and trying to close the remaining distance of a few steps between them. The sound of herints came next, ¡°He Changdi, why are you walking so fast?¡±

    When Chu Lian finally reached He Changdi¡¯s side, a sudden warmth encased her right hand, which had been hanging naturally by her side. By the time she came to her senses, her right hand was already in the grip of arge and slightly rough palm.

    He Changdi snorted, ¡°You¡¯re really useless. Why are you walking so slowly?¡±

    Chu Lian was about to re at him in response, when she was suddenly lifted into the air. She had actually been scooped up into a bridal carry by He Changdi.

    All the maidservants following behind them quickly lowered their heads and kept their distance from their masters.

    Xiyan felt very pressured. What was wrong with Third Young Master? Why had he suddenly started going all lovey-dovey with Third Young Madam without any warning? Could he not treat the servants like air and give them some time to react?

    Chu Lian shot a nce at the maidservants following along at a distance and turned to give Sang a helpless re. Beaming from ear to ear, she fired off a question with a double meaning, ¡°I might be slow, but aren¡¯t you going to wait for me?¡±

    He Changdi paused in his steps. His eyes seemed as dark as night against the light. Chu Lian knew that he was staring at her. She could even feel his warm breath on her face.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how slow you walk in the future. I¡¯ll just carry you along just like this. You¡¯ll definitely be able to catch up to me.¡±

    He Sang was usually socially awkward, so it was extremely rare to see him saying such warm and romantic words.

    It was even more heartwarming to hear such gentle wordsing from a cold person like him.

    Even Chu Lian wasn¡¯t able to withstand his ¡®attack¡¯. Utterly defeated, she drowned in his tender love for her.

    She wrapped her arms around He Changdi¡¯s neck and buried her little head in his broad chest. He Changdi put some strength into his arms and lifted Chu Lian up a little more. After a short pause, he stated in a seemingly serious manner, ¡°His Highness was right, you really are heavier than before.¡±

    Chu Lian had still been immersed in his earlier sweetness. His remark immediately jolted her out of her daze and sent her into a fury. Grinding her teeth with hatred, she mped her teeth on He Changdi¡¯s slender neck.

    Her little canines were really powerful. In her moment of impulse, Chu Lian didn¡¯t hold back, leaving two red rows of teeth marks on his pale neck.

 Chapter 461: Reunion at Qingxi Hall (2)

    Her action caused He Changdi¡¯s entire body to tense up. In a low voice, he berated her, ¡°Chu Lian, behave yourself.¡±

    Chu Lian let go of him with a grunt. She shed her little fist in his face, before she threatened with a whisper into his ear, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to say that I¡¯m fat.¡±

    He Changdi didn¡¯t know know whether tough or cry. His wife was really ¡®stupid¡¯ sometimes. She couldn¡¯t even tell when he was joking.

    Also, what she should be worrying about now wasn¡¯t her weight, but whether there were any marks left on his neck...

    This heartless woman.

    He Changdi still had a sense of propriety. When they reached the entrance of Songtao Court, he let Chu Lian down and switched to holding her small, soft hand.

    A young couple acting sweet in their own courtyard was one thing. If they did the same outside, then it would be inappropriate. Others would look down on Chu Lian as thedy-in-charge of the third branch and deem her undignified.

    He Ying and her daughter were living in Qingxi Hall now, so they arrived very early.

    They had already been seated next to Matriarch He for half an hour.

    Today was a rare reunion for House Jing¡¯an. It wasn¡¯t just the young couple from the third branch who had returned, but the second son, He Changjue, had also returned to the estate.

    Even the grounded Madam Zou and the bedridden Countess Jing¡¯an had alsoe.

    Pan Nianzhen sat beside her mother, wringing the handkerchief in her hands. Her heart was in turmoil.

    She was preupied with thinking about what her mother had told her earlier in their room.

    Her second cousin would being for the reunion dinner tonight. The current head of the family had three sons and Second Cousin was the only one who was still single. He was working as one of the Left Military Guards now. Recently, he had gone to Zhangzhou with Prince Jin to investigate a major case. Although he hadn¡¯t gotten as much merit as her third cousin, his future wasn¡¯t looking too bad.

    Each year, the Emperor would pick out around ten people from the Left Military Guards to be imperial guards. Anyone would die for the position of apanying and protecting the Emperor.

    Furthermore, Second Cousin was already considered rather old for a bachelor. He had turned twenty-five this year. At his age, it would be hard to find a suitable nobledy in the capital for marriage. Therefore, a young girl of marriageable age like her with a clear family background and suitable social status would be the most ideal partner.

    If she married him, then she would be able to stay in Grandmother¡¯s house. Under Grandmother¡¯s care, her future wouldn¡¯t be too bad.

    Although He Ying had a lot of shorings, it was undeniable that she genuinely cared about her daughter¡¯s future.

    She was right. Marrying into House Jing¡¯an would be the best oue for Pan Nianzhen.

    Pan Nianzhen¡¯s mood was uneasy. Although she was timid, she wasn¡¯t stupid. At times, she was able to see things even more clearly than her mother.

    It was true that it would be the best if she could marry her second cousin. However, young girls at her age tended to have fantasies about love and be a little rebellious.

    Her heart beat uncontrobly when she thought back to that day at Plum Pavilion in Prince Wei¡¯s Estate and that unexpected glimpse.

    She had grown up in a small town in Siyang and she had never seen such a perfect man before. Furthermore, he had purposely turned towards her with a gentle smile. At that moment, it was as if all the plum blossoms around her had bloomed at once. The elegant fragrance of plum blossoms had filled her head.

    It was hard for her to forget. How could there be such a good-looking man in this world?

    Later on, she had asked around and discovered that he was the top schr fromst year and Old Duke Ying¡¯s prized disciple. The Emperor had ced him in an important position despite his young age. Furthermore, he wasn¡¯t engaged yet. She had heard that his parents died early and his family had been poor. The only reason he had been able to participate in the Imperial Examination was due to the support of Old Duke Ying.

    Since he wasn¡¯t from a noble house, there was nothing standing in the way of her bing his wife.

    No matter what, she was currently a legitimate-born young miss of House Jing¡¯an and Marquis Anyuan¡¯s cousin!

    As long as her mother was willing to bring it up with Grandmother and as long as her third cousin-inw was willing to put in a good word for her when she visited her maiden home, then it wasn¡¯t impossible for her to marry Xiao Bojian.

    While her second cousin was good, she still preferred the dangerously handsome top schr, Xiao Bojian.

    If she could marry him, her uncle could also provide him some guidance and support. She would also be able to stand proudly in front of Xiao Bojian.

    Pan Nianzhen was one-sidedly making her own ns right now, as if all the good men in the world had to stand in line for her to pick as she chose. As if they would marry her just because she decided on them. Who knew where her confidence came from?

    There was amotion at the entrance of Qingxi Hall. Senior Servant Liu¡¯s joyful voice filtered in from the entrance, shocking Pan Nianzhen back to reality.

    Senior Servant Liu spoke from the bottom of her heart, ¡°You¡¯ve finally returned! The matriarch has been missing you dearly! She has been asking this old servant about you at least once a day. Hurry,e in, all of you!¡±

    A steady and captivating voice sounded in response, ¡°I¡¯ve caused momo to worry.¡±

    It was such a pleasant voice, like the poignant sound of a zither tapping on one¡¯s heartstrings, causing a person¡¯s body to turn numb.

    Pan Nianzhen quickly shifted her gaze towards the entrance of the parlour. There, she saw a man as handsome as the bright moon walking in with his hands sped behind his back.

    His features seemed to be carefully sculpted. There was a cold air around him while his eyes were like frozenkes with imprable depths. His thin lips were slightly pursed together, making him look fickle, yet irresistible.

    He looked handsome, tall and heroic. Dressed in an ordinary set of clothing as he was, he still gave off a noble aura.

    Compared to Xiao Bojian, this person in front of her seemed more cool, reserved and imposing. Her heart beat incessantly in her chest.

    Pan Nianzhen broke out into a blush and stammered out shyly, ¡°Second... Second Cousin...¡±

 Chapter 462: He Erlang Grows Up (1)

    Pan Nianzhen couldn¡¯t really be med for her mistake.

    She had never met her second and third cousins, He Changjue and He Changdi, before. From what she had found out since arriving at the Jing¡¯an Estate, she only knew that Third Cousin was very good-looking and she knew even less about Second Cousin.

    He Changjue rarely stayed in the estate and his whereabouts were usually unknown. Plenty of servants in the estate wouldn¡¯t be able to recognise their Second Young Master, let alone Pan Nianzhen.

    She knew that Third Cousin, Third Cousin-inw, and Second Cousin were alling to Qingxi Hall for the reunion dinner. Third Cousin would certainly be arriving with his wife, so the personing in right now couldn¡¯t be Third Cousin, as he was alone.

    It wasn¡¯t strange that she made a mistake at first nce.

    He Changdi¡¯s five senses were acute. As soon as Pan Nianzhen had shyly called out ¡®Second Cousin,¡¯ he had instantly swept his icy gaze over.

    That one look made her cold to the bone, as if she had been sshed by a basin of water during the coldest day of the winter. He Changdi¡¯s nce caused Pan Nianzhen¡¯s whole body to freeze up. The blush on her face was especiallyughable now.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t correct Pan Nianzhen immediately. His brows wrinkled into a slight frown and he turned to look behind him. He stopped right at the entrance, as if he was waiting for someone.

    Chu Lian¡¯s face was flushed as she ran over holding up the hem of her dress. She lifted her head and smiled apologetically at He Changdi. Her big, watery eyes gave He Sang the irresistable urge to touch her face.

    He Changdi gathered the hands he had sped together behind his back. He waited until Chu Lian reached the doorstep before extending his hand to help her slowly cross the step.

    Chu Lian huffed a little as she caught her breath. She secretly vowed in her heart that she would never wear this dress again.

    Although it looked good, it was too troublesome to walk in. It had been so tiring to walk the short distance from Songtao Court to Qingxi Hall. Moreover, He Sangughed at her a few times along the way.

    If she hadn¡¯t stopped him, he would have thrown her over his shoulder and carried her into Qingxi Hall.

    Even though he had been scorning her for walking so slowly earlier, he had waited for her of his own ord when he had reached the door. It warmed up Chu Lian¡¯s heart. Although her husband was a little entric, he was a few times better than any other man.

    When they entered the parlour, Chu Lian wanted to take her hand out of He Sang¡¯srge palm, but he refused to let her go.

    Thus, Chu Lian was brought over to Matriarch He¡¯s side by He Changdi like this.

    He Changdi pulled Chu Lian along with him to greet Matriarch He.

    The Matriarch was seated on the warm hearth bed. As she looked at the young matching pair in front of her, she was extremely pleased in her heart.

    One could tell whether a couple had a good rtionship from their daily interactions.

    Based on how He Sang was doting on his wife, she could tell that they were currently in the honeymoon phase.

    It seemed she had made the right choice when she had let Sang¡¯s wife go to the northern border. The young couple had truly opened their hearts to each other. Their current state waspletely different from when they had just gotten married. At that time, they had only appeared harmonious on the surface and they had actually been divided at heart.

    Matriarch He kept looking at Chu Lian¡¯s t abdomen. Judging by how affectionate the young couple was with each other, it seemed like it wouldn¡¯t be long before she would be able to hold her great-grandson.

    She made a mental note to ask Great Doctor Miao to have a look at Sang¡¯s wife on another day and to help prepare her body for pregnancy.

 Chapter 463: He Erlang Grows Up (2)

    Matriarch He was full of smiles, ¡°Stop kneeling and get up. Look at you two. Both of you have lost weight. Do eat moreter.¡±

    While Matriarch He was happily asking all sorts of questions and showing great concern towards He Changdi, it had be awkward for Pan Nianzhen who was at one side.

    When Pan Nianzhen had called out ¡®Second Cousin,¡¯ she had drawn a re from He Ying in response. She had also made a joke of herself in front of the maidservant that served her in Qingxi Hall.

    Luckily, the maidservant had managed to avoidughing out loud by covering her mouth. She bent over slightly and whispered into Pan Nianzhen¡¯s ear, ¡°Miss Pan, that was Third Young Master, not the Second Young Master of our estate.¡±

    Pan Nianzhen¡¯s entire body stiffened up and her face turned ashen.

    What?

    This... this was Third Cousin?

    So he was really Third Cousin, who was already married!

    Actually, Pan Nianzhen had already started questioning He Changdi¡¯s identity when Chu Lian had followed behind him and he had held her hand disregarding other people¡¯s eyes.

    It was just that her heart was reluctant to believe in it.

    By the time the maidservant had exined his identity to her, it was already toote to make herself numb.

    So that remarkable gentleman who had just walked past her was really the married Third Cousin...

    While staying in the Jing¡¯an Estate, she had heard the servants gossip about Third Cousin¡¯s appearance. However, it was even more astonishing seeing him in person today.

    His looks could bepared to that top schr she had seen at the Plum Pavilion in Prince Wei¡¯s Estate!

    Moreover, the Emperor bestowed had bestowed the title of Marquis Anyuan to Third Cousin after his great achievements at the northern border!

    Right now, the peerage of House Jing¡¯an was merely that of a count! Third Cousin¡¯s title was even one rank higher than her grandfather¡¯s.

    Pan Nianzhen couldn¡¯t contain the glow in her eyes. She didn¡¯t dare to lift her head, but out of the corner of her eyes, she looked at Chu Lian with much more envy and resentment.

    Soon after He Changdi and Chu Lian had settled down into their seats, the maidservant waiting at the entrance of the parlour announced the arrival of Second Young Master.

    The curtains wavered slightly at first before they were lifted by someone on the outside with great force. At the same time, a tall and burly young man walked in gantly.

    He Eng was dressed in a ck official¡¯s robe. He had a sturdy figure and a darkplexion. He looked very simr to He Dng, but his facial features were more refined and prominent. He gave off the impression of a very masculine young man.

    He Eng¡¯s appearance didn¡¯t really fit the current aesthetics of the Great Wu Dynasty. However, if he had lived in modern times, he would have been quite popr among girls. He looked exactly like a typical manly man.

    That was Chu Lian¡¯s opinion of He Eng, but it didn¡¯t mean that Pan Nianzhen had the same thoughts.

    She was shocked stiff once He Changjue entered the parlour. In an instant, Pan Nianzhen¡¯s face turned deadly pale and she lowered her head in fright.

    She really hated ¡®boorish¡¯ men like He Eng. He looked no different than the shirtlessbourers working on the docks. He Eng looked like a ssic example of a simple-minded person with all brawn and no brains.

    She lowered her head, pursed her lips pursed, and remained silent.

    Yet, He Eng didn¡¯t even notice the sudden addition of a new cousin.

    He smiled and went up to pay respects to his grandmother, ¡°May Grandmother remain healthy as always. Grandson gives a bted New Year greeting to Grandmother.¡±

    Matriarch He gave He Eng a re, ¡°A bted New Year? Don¡¯t you know what date it is? It¡¯s already ten days into February.¡±

    He Eng rubbed the back of his head andughed sheepishly as he was helped up by Matriarch He.

    Anger rose up in Matriarch He while looking at the cause of the thorn in her heart, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to run off this year! I¡¯ve heard that the Emperor intends to let you join the Imperial Guards. You had better seize this opportunity. Since you¡¯re in the capital now, let¡¯s also take care of your marriage as well this year. Just take a look around you! In this entire capital, are there any young masters around your age that are still single?! Are you trying to make this olddy and your parents die of frustration?!¡±

    He Eng normally hated it when the elders in the family mentioned marriage. Whenever the topic came up, he would lose his temper and patience. His next course of action was usually to avoid returning to the estate after that. However, his attitude had beenpletely reversed this time .

    He smiled and bent over at the waist to hold on to Matriarch He¡¯s arm. He looked like a big circus bear nodding and bowing to please people.

    ¡°Grandmother, I¡¯ve made you worry in the past. This year, I¡¯ll listen to you and bring back a Granddaughter-inw for you.¡±

 Chapter 464: Muxiang (1)

    His words shocked Matriarch He.

    When had this brat be so sensible?

    The more she looked at it, the stranger it seemed!

    He Ying¡¯s eyes lit up after she heard He Eng¡¯s words. She nced at her daughter with clear intentions. Unfortunately, Pan Nianzhen was still looking down in a daze and she didn¡¯t catch the look her mother had thrown her way.

    He Ying furrowed her brows slightly as she looked at her absent-minded daughter.

    Matriarch He hadn¡¯t expected He Eng to have suddenly turned so amenable to her requests. Her mood was currently better than it had ever been for some time.

    She called for everyone to sit down. There were only a few of them and they were all family, so they didn¡¯t separate the men and women for dinner. Everyone gathered around arge round table to eat.

    Fermented rice wine had been specially prepared for the asion so the women could drink freely without fear of bing drunk.

    Although they were not separated by gender for dinner, their seating positions had been specially prepared.

    He Dng was sat to the left of Matriarch He, while Countess Jing¡¯an was seated on her right. Chu Lian sat beside He Sang and Miss Pan was on her other side.

    He Eng was seated across from Pan Nianzhen.

    For the reunion dinner tonight, Matriarch He had specifically ordered the kitchen to prepare a table full of dishes. There were also several new dishes that Chu Lian had instructed Xiyan to make in the main kitchen.

    The table wasden with a magnificent feast.

    He Ying looked at the exquisite dishes in front of her, before turning to smile at Chu Lian, ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, I heard about Guilin Restaurant the moment I arrived at the capital. Everyone has been saying that the dishes at Guilin Restaurant are the best in the capital. When will I get the chance to try them sometime?¡±

    Before Chu Lian could answer, He Ying pinched Pan Nianzhen¡¯s hand under the table.

    While Miss Pan was shocked, she quickly reacted and continued the conversation, ¡°Mother, what do you mean by going to Guilin Restaurant? Third Cousin-inw¡¯s Guilin Restaurant hasn¡¯t been reopened yet!¡±

    Upon hearing her daughter¡¯s words, He Ying looked surprised and smiled sheepishly.

    Chu Lian swept a cool gaze over the two women beside her. Her expression didn¡¯t show any hint of change and she maintained a faint smile on her face.

    Thanks to He Ying and her daughter, Matriarch He was also reminded of Guilin Restaurant.

    The matriarch asked, ¡°Lian¡¯er, what¡¯s happened to Guilin Restaurant? Why hasn¡¯t it reopened yet?¡±

    If it was only He Ying and her daughter asking about it, Chu Lian could simply smile and ignore them. However, now that the matriarch had personally spoken up, she couldn¡¯t continue pretending ignorance.

    Chu Lian replied in a serious manner, ¡°Grandmother, I was nning to make some changes to theyout of Guilin Restaurant at first, so I told Xiyan to close the restaurant before the new year. The servants probably didn¡¯t dare to do anything else without my approval, since I wasn¡¯t in the capital. Thus, the reopening has been dyed until now. Now that I¡¯m back in the capital, I¡¯ll work on reopening the restaurant as soon as possible.¡±

    Matriarch He dropped her line of questioning and nodded. She advised, ¡°It¡¯s best if you can reopen it earlier. The old Duke of House Zheng has already sent his servants over several times to ask about it.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded.

    Actually, she knew that it was actually the matriarch who was pushing her to reopen the restaurant.

    If Old Duke Zheng really couldn¡¯t wait to eat those delicacies again, he wouldn¡¯t have sent people over to ask the matriarch. He would havee to look for her himself.

    He Changdi¡¯s thick brows wrinkled slightly as he listened to his grandmother¡¯s words from the side.

    The matriarch gave the order to start eating.

    Since it was a rare reunion, they disregarded the usual formalities and the whole family chatted while eating.

 Chapter 465: Muxiang (2)

    He Sang spoke the least during dinner. He only gave some short replies whenever the matriarch asked him some questions.

    However, no one thought it was strange since he always kept a cold expression on his face.

    Senior Servant Zhou and Matriarch He¡¯s two personal maidservants had also set up a small table in the side room. Three dishes and a small pot of rice wine were enough for the three of them.

    Senior Servant Zhou noticed that Muxiang seemed preupied, so she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you still feeling unwell from that cold you got a couple days ago?¡±

    Muxiang quickly shook her head, ¡°Momo, I¡¯m fine now.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re fine, then hurry and eat. These dishes are all your favourites. The matriarch specially told the cook in the main kitchen to make more for you.¡±

    Muxiang stared at the appetising dishes in front of her and scowled in her heart. She didn¡¯t like to eat these at all!

    Did these people really think that she was the former Muxiang?

    Seeing that Muxiang still looked weary, Senior Servant Zhou muttered grudgingly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this girl? She¡¯s acting like she¡¯s been possessed.¡±

    Muxiang snorted in her heart. That was exactly it! Why else would she be in this lowly body?

    Muxiang promptly stood up.

    Senior Servant Zhou set down her chopsticks and frowned.

    ¡°Girl, what¡¯s wrong with you!¡±

    Muxiang¡¯s eyes fell on the wall beside her. She suddenly lowered her head and innocently smiled at Senior Servant Zhou, ¡°Momo, since I don¡¯t really have any appetite, why don¡¯t I go and serve the matriarch?¡±

    Senior Servant Zhou thought that she was too dedicated to her work. She tried to persuade her otherwise, ¡°Xiangyun and Hexiang are taking care of the Matriarch. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    ¡°Momo, just let me go, please? I have nothing to do anyway. I just want to spend more time with the matriarch.¡±

    Senior Servant Zhou had no other choice but to let her go. She reprimanded with a smile on her face, ¡°Just go then, you silly girl. I knew you were a restless one. Everyone else can¡¯t wait to rest more, but you just can¡¯t stop working throughout the day.¡±

    Muxiang curtsied towards Senior Servant Zhou before she turned to walk to the parlour with a giggle.

    What Senior Servant Zhou didn¡¯t see was how Muxiang¡¯s expression instantly changed after she left the side room.

    The previously pure and sweet smile morphed into a contorted expression.

    Muxiang tightly clenched her fists. Her heart was beating fast in her chest as she couldn¡¯t hold back the mix of emotions surfacing on her face.

    It seemed like there was agitation, agony, as well as excitement and tension. In short, various emotions were all mixed up, causing her originally pretty face to warp into a monstrous grimace.

    Herplex emotions caused her steps to be disorderly.

    Even though she was trying to restrain it, there was still a voice screaming in her heart. A voice that was trying to break through all the heavy shackles imprisoning it.

    ¡°He Changdi, I¡¯m finally going to meet you again! This time, I won¡¯t make the wrong choice anymore! You¡¯re my husband! In all our lifetimes, you can only be my husband!¡±

    Muxiang¡¯s whole body was shaking like a leaf as she stepped into the parlour. Not because she was scared, but due to her extreme excitement and tion.

    All the masters of the He family were busy with their dinner, so they didn¡¯t notice Muxiang entering cautiously with light steps.

    Muxiang slowly lifted her head and looked towards the table in the center of the parlour.

    The moment her gazended on He Changdi, she couldn¡¯t pull it away.

    It was him! It was really him!

    That was the face that was engraved into her memory. Now that she could finally see his face again, she realised that it hadn¡¯t changed at all.

    Muxiang tightly clenched her hands, using nearly all her strength to prevent herself from jumping right into He Changdi¡¯s arms.

    While in the middle of eating dinner, He Sang suddenly turned his gaze towards one corner with cold, probing eyes.

    Muxiang immediately withdrew her gaze and took on a respectful pose with her hands to her sides.

    When He Sang looked over, all he saw was a familiar-looking maidservant. He was slightly puzzled, but he didn¡¯t think much of it. He lowered his head and continued eating. At times, he would pick some food from the dishes that were far away from Chu Lian and ce them in her bowl.

 Chapter 466: The End of the Family Banquet (1)

    Chu Lian had never gotten such treatment from He Sang before, especially under the scrutiny of everyone. As thick-skinned as she normally was, this time, she couldn¡¯t help but blush.

    When no one was watching, Chu Lian shot a re at He Changdi, who pretended not to notice it and continued putting food into her bowl.

    Chu Lian was feeling rather helpless about the situation, but she could only let him continue and pretend that there was nothing going on.

    However, when someone else noticed He Sang¡¯s loving actions, they were so jealous that their eyes almost turned red.

    Madam Zou secretly nced at He Dng, who was only concerned with his own meal. Ever since she had been grounded, their rtionship had grown even more tenuous. Now that Miaozhen was pregnant, he would asionally go over to Miaozhen¡¯s room to rest for a night. However, he hadn¡¯t stepped into her room for months, even though she was his legitimate wife!

    The more she thought about it, the more her hatred and dissatisfaction grew.

    Conversely, it was Matriarch He who was happy with the loving young couple of the third branch. Since the two of them were so harmonious, she believed that she would be able to see a great-grandson soon.

    Pan Nianzhen¡¯s head was lowered to hide the disappointment in her eyes. She imagined how happy she would be if that person next to He Sang was her instead.

    Meanwhile, Muxiang stood to one corner, her wide sleeves hiding her clenched fists. She didn¡¯t even realise that her nails had pierced right into her palms.

    The mistiness over her eyes showed how lost she was. The image of that loving couple in front of her seemed to be both clear and fuzzy at the same time.

    Her mind seemed to be covered in a haze that made her unable to see clearly what was right in front of her.

    She was Chu Lian, who had been reborn into another body after her death in her previous life. Since that was the case, then who was that Chu Lian who had taken over her original body?

    Was that still her?

    A spark of wit shed through her mind, clearing the strange daze she had fallen into. Her eyes instantly turned clear and fierce.

    How could it be her?

    She had never shown such an expression on her face ever!

    Muxiang wasn¡¯t stupid. As the original female lead, she was rather smart. Furthermore, she was a reincarnated soul, and that had made her even more enlightened than before.

    Since she had been able to be reborn into a maidservant¡¯s body, then it wasn¡¯t all that strange that her original body had been taken over by someone else!

    She was only curious who that person living in her original body was!

    Muxiang took in a deep breath and concealed all the doubts in her heart. She stared greedily at He Changdi one more time before lowering her head and transforming back into the old Muxiang.

    Since her enemies were out in the open, she had to hide herself in the shadows.

    The element of surprise was going to be her biggest advantage. After living a whole lifetime, she had to be even more careful in this one and plot carefully to get what she wanted. She had enough patience and willpower to wait for her prey to fall into her trap, never to escape again.

    The corners of Muxiang¡¯s lips curled up and she sneered sinisterly.

    Unfortunately, there was one factor that was out of the careful Muxiang¡¯s expectations. He Changdi was no longer the bright, innocent, handsome young man of the past. He was a man who had undergone the trials and tribtions of his past life. His personality was vastly different from before.

    He Changdi and Chu Lian had only just returned to the capital after many days of travel, so Matriarch He didn¡¯t keep the couple for too long. After they were done with dinner, she instructed them to return to their courtyard early to rest.

    The young couple then escorted Countess Jing¡¯an on the way out of Qingxi Hall.

    Since the main guests of the family banquet had left, there was no reason for the other family members to outstay their wee.

 Chapter 467: The End of the Family Banquet (2)

    It was He Eng who bid his goodbyes first. Following that, He Dng stood up with a flourish of his robes, bowed towards the matriarch, and left the parlour just like that. Madam Zou bit her lip after watching He Dng¡¯s burly silhouette disappear behind the curtains of the entrance. Finally, she let Senior Servant Qiao help her up and they left together.

    Only Matriarch He, He Ying, and Miss Pan were left in the originally lively parlour.

    Matriarch He waved at her daughter in dismissal. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Why don¡¯t you go to bed too?¡±

    He Ying had been intending to stay back to discuss something with her mother. However, seeing the fatigue on her mother¡¯s face, she swallowed her words. She bobbed her goodbye together with her daughter, Pan Nianzhen, and left.

    By the time He Changdi and Chu Lian left Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s courtyard, it was already dark.

    There werenterns hanging on either side of the path, lighting up the estate with a warm glow.

    Xiyan and the other servants followed behind the young couple.

    After experiencing what had happened earlier, Xiyan kept her eyes on the ground and walked slowly,gging behind her masters until there was some distance between them. She had trained the younger maidservants behind her well enough that they understood her actions and followed exactly as she did.

    He Changdi held onto Chu Lian¡¯s soft little hand and walked in front of her. It was still February, so the night was a little cold.

    Chu Lian¡¯s hand waspletely enveloped by He Changdi¡¯s. She held up the hem of her heavy dress with one hand and stumbled asionally as she was tugged along by him.

    She wanted to pull her hand out from his hold, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t.

    He Changdi suddenly paused in his steps and nced at her, his eyes a pair of bottomless wells. Chu Lian looked up and caught sight of his pressed lips before her hand was abruptly released.

    In the midst of her surprise, He Sang had already bent down and grabbed hold of her slender waist with one arm while the other went under her knees. Following that, with a slight application of force, Chu Lian was now curled up in his arms in a bridal carry.

    Chu Lian let out a gasp in shock. When she finally regained her senses, she beat at his solid chest with a tiny fist, scolding him angrily. ¡°He Changdi! What are you trying to do? Put me down now!¡±

    He Sang looked down at the woman in his arms and lowered his head to nt a quick kiss on her soft, fair cheek. His maic voice rumbled close to her ear with a warning. ¡°Behave yourself.¡±

    Chu Lian was extremely vexed, but she knew that hitting him was only going to make her hand hurt.

    In the few months that they had grown close together, Chu Lian had already gotten a handle on his strange temperament.

    Thus, she pleaded in a soft tone, ¡°Husband, put me down and let me walk on my own. Xiyan and the others are right behind!¡±

    When the two of them were alone, Chu Lian would rarely call him ¡®husband¡¯. Most of the time, she simply addressed him as ¡®He Sang¡¯ or ¡®He Changdi¡¯.

    Hearing such a tender, loving call from his wife, especially when she was curled up in his arms, sent a bolt of electricity racing down He Changdi¡¯s body. He stiffened uppletely for a whole second. His deep gaze darkened even more until his eyes were like pools of ink, and his thin lips pressed into an even finer line as his strides quickened.

    All Chu Lian heard was his husky response. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s night time now. They won¡¯t be able to see what they¡¯re not allowed to.¡±

    When his breathing changed, Chu Lian finally realised what had happened.

    She wailed inwardly to herself. She hadn¡¯t used the right solution after all; she had just provoked the beast!

    Since she could feel the changes in his body, Chu Lian was in an absolute state of awkwardness.

    She kept a tight hold on thepels of his shirt and gave up on trying to get him to set her down. Lying obediently in his arms, she tried negotiating instead.

    ¡°Then could you put me down when we reach the corridor right before we enter our courtyard?¡±

    There were so many servants around Songtao Court. It would be so embarrassing if they spotted her like this!

    He Changdi kept his expression cool as he struggled with himself in his mind. Finally, he nodded and agreed to her request.

    Actually, his wife¡¯s body was all nice and soft. She felt sofortable in his embrace that he didn¡¯t want to put her down at all. He wanted to carry her all the way to the bed in their room...

 Chapter 468: Nightclothes (1)

    It went without saying that He Changdi absolutely wouldn¡¯t voice those thoughts to his wife.

    While trapped in his embrace, Chu Lian made a silent vow to never wear such an impractical dress again. It was beautiful to look at, but walking in it was just putting herself in trouble.

    He Sang was a man of his word.

    He put Chu Lian down by the decorative mountain in front of the corridor. However, he didn¡¯t just walk off straight after. Instead, he helped her straighten out her disheveled clothes before taking her hand and walking to their room in Songtao Court together.

    When Senior Servant Gui caught sight of Third Young Master holding Third Young Madam¡¯s hand, she couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    The moment He Changdi entered the parlour, he shot a signal at Wenqing, Wen, and Senior Servant Zhong with his eyes before pulling Chu Lian towards the bedroom.

    When Senior Servant Gui was about to enter the bedroom with Jingyan behind her to wait upon them, they were held back by Senior Servant Zhong.

    ¡°Dear sister, there¡¯s something I need to discuss with you! Let¡¯s just have Wenqing stand guard here for today!¡±

    Senior Servant Gui nced at the couple who had just disappeared past the curtains covering the entrance of the bedroom, then back at the smiling Senior Servant Zhong. Realisation dawned upon her.

    She smacked herself on the forehead and admitted with some embarrassment, ¡°Look at how muddle-headed I¡¯ve gotten.¡±

    Thus, the two senior servants sent away all the other nearby servants in tacit understanding, leaving only Xiyan and Wenqing in case Third Young Master and Madam called.

    Chu Lian¡¯s face began to heat up uncontrobly the moment she was pulled into the bedroom by He Changdi.

    She had a sinking feeling that He Sang wasn¡¯t going to let her off tonight...

    Thinking of the promise she had made to him back when he was still recovering from his wounds, Chu Lian was both shy and nervous.

    He Changdi had finally managed to get Chu Lian alone in the bedroom with him. There was no way he was going to remain restrained and reserved.

    At almost the exact moment the curtains fell behind them, Chu Lian was already wrapped tightly in his embrace.

    Chu Lian had a petite figure, so being bound by He Changdi¡¯s arms made her feel like she was being folded into his body.

    Her dainty cheek pressed against his chest. She could hear the strong and hurried thumps of his heart.

    The pace of his heartbeat seemed to be contagious as her heart also started to beat faster without her control.

    He Sang¡¯srge palms gently caressed her back, like he was reassuring a panicking kitten.

    He lowered his head and gently kissed her jet-ck hair. In a deep voice, he asked, ¡°Lian¡¯er, do you still remember what you promised me?¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s breathing came to a halt and her grip on his shirt tightened. She gulped nervously before putting on a strong front and mumbling, ¡°Dinner was rather salty tonight. Husband, I want some water.¡±

    She had truly run out of ideas. Otherwise, Chu Lian wouldn¡¯t have used such a crappy excuse to change the subject.

    She shut her eyes, filled with such embarrassment that she didn¡¯t dare to check his reaction. She hadn¡¯t thought much of it when she had made the promise as she thought that it was something that would be over with in the blink of an eye. However, now that it was actually time to fulfill her promise, she couldn¡¯t help but grow nervous and scared.

    It was Chu Lian¡¯s first time in both this life and herst. She had also heard that it would be painful... So, she had suddenly turned into a scaredy cat and would take every opportunity to dy her impending doom.

    Chu Lian believed that her words would anger the bipr He Sang. However, who could have thought that, just a momentter, all she would hear was his deep, pleasantugh from above? With her head on his chest, she could feel him shaking withughter.

    Chu Lian¡¯s blush instantly deepened. This guy was actuallyughing at her!

    She pushed He Sang away in equal parts shame and anger before raising her head to look at his expression.

    The moment she saw his smiling eyes, Chu Lian became even more annoyed.

    He... he was actuallyughing at her!

    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed tough!¡±

 Chapter 469: Nightclothes (2)

    He Changdi was a good man who listened to his wife, so he endured his urge tough and wiped any semnce of a smile off his face. He reinstated his usual cold, indifferent expression. Coupled with the depths of his eyes, he looked rather fearsome now.

    Chu Lian felt dejected upon seeing how ¡®dignified¡¯ he looked. His current demeanour made her even more nervous and embarrassed.

    Her face was stiff as the corner of her mouth tugged downwards. ¡°It¡¯s better if youugh instead.¡±

    The hapless He Sang let her go and pulled her to the table by the hand. He checked the teapot there only to find out that the water inside had already turned cold.

    Thus, he sat Chu Lian down by the table before walking off to the outer room, where he ordered Wenqing to bring in her usual honey water.

    By the time He Changdi returned to the bedroom, Chu Lian was already gone...

    He Changdi¡¯s cold countenance cracked and he snorted. He shook his head with affection and helplessness.

    She was usually so capable, yet when push came to shove, she was actually a scaredy cat.

    However, what he had tonight was time.

    With this mindset, He Changdi walked out of the bedroom and ¡®kindly¡¯ instructed Wenqing and Xiyan to wait upon Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian had been hiding in the bathroom. When she heard the footsteps of He Changdi leaving, she patted her chest in relief.

    Although this was the oue she wanted, when He Changdi had actually left, there was an inexplicable feeling of disappointment in her heart.

    Before Chu Lian could return to her senses, Wenqing and Xiyan had already entered with something in their hands for her.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, this is honey water at the perfect temperature for drinking right now.¡±

    With a smile, Xiyan ced the cup in Chu Lian¡¯s hands.

    The blush that had just receded on Chu Lian¡¯s face resurfaced once again.

    She slowly took a sip from the cup before probing them. ¡°Where¡¯s Third Young Master?¡±

    Wenqing was already preparing hot water for Chu Lian¡¯s bath, so Xiyan was the one who answered. ¡°I think he went to the study. Before Third Young Master left, he instructed us to take care of you, Third Young Madam.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s mind was in a state of utter disarray now. When she saw that Wenqing was done with preparing the bath, she gestured for them to leave. She stepped right into the bathtub after disrobing.

    As per usual, her nightclothes were ced on the table behind the screen.

    Wenqing waited outside the bathroom. Afraid that soaking in the bath for too long might be bad for Third Young Madam, the maidservant called out to her once fifteen minutes had passed.

    Chu Lian was startled back to her senses by the call, so she got out of the bathtub, wiped herself dry, and reached out for her nightclothes.

    It was only after putting on the pale pink nightgown embroidered with a pair of mandarin ducks that Chu Lian realised how sexy it was.

    The colour of the robes was already light in the first ce, but the sheerness of it meant that it was as good as wearing nothing. Even the light green inner robe waspletely visible.

    Seething with anger, she was about to call for Xiyan to bring in a different set of robes. However, once she recalled that it was Senior Servant Gui who was in charge of her clothes, she put that thought to rest.

    If she didn¡¯t wear this now, Senior Servant Gui would definitely torture her with a round of nagging the next day.

    Senior Servant Gui genuinely wished the best for her, so she couldn¡¯t let her down.

    Chu Lian sighed. Looking at it from another perspective, since He Sang had already left, it wouldn¡¯t matter what she wore since she was alone in the bedroom.

    She took down therge cape hanging on the screen and wrapped it around herself before she left the bathroom.

    The fact that Third Young Madam hadn¡¯t requested for a change of clothes made Xiyan very happy. She had still been in the middle of thinking up ways to make Third Young Madam give up on changing into another set of clothes!

 Chapter 470: Nuptial Wine (1)

    Xiyan helped Chu Lian with wiping her hair dry and anointed her with some perfume before taking her leave.

    The room was extremely warm andfy because of the heated floors. There were also several braziers ced around the room.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit of chill even when she took off her cloak. She unfolded the nkets and dove into the bed. The warm and soft nket covering her body made her sigh fromfort.

    With her entire body ensconced in warmth, the tension in Chu Lian quickly dissipated and she fell asleep.

    While in a half-dazed state, she felt someone pulling her into the crook of an arm. Due to her experience from before, Chu Lian hadn¡¯t fallen into a deep sleep, so this action startled her awake.

    The moment she opened her eyes, she was faced with He Changdi, whose eyes were as bright as stars in the night sky.

    Chu Lian turned mute with shock. It took her a moment to take ahold of herself and speak, ¡°You... why are you here?¡±

    At this point, He Changdi had already lifted up the nket and made his way into the warm and cosy nest. He tightened his grip around her and stared calmly at her blushing face. He let out a gentleugh, ¡°Were you expecting me to sleep in the study instead of our bedroom?¡±

    Since he had just lifted up the nket, it hadn¡¯tpletely settled down to cover their bodies yet. The whole area from Chu Lian¡¯s neck to her chest was exposed to his gaze.

    The faintntern light streaming through the curtains on the bed made her exposed snowy white skin look all the more appetising.

    He Sang sized up the nightclothes she seemed to have worn ¡®intentionally¡¯ with a smile. His voice dipped a few notches as he continued, ¡°If I hadn¡¯te, wouldn¡¯t you have worn this robe for nothing?¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s mind was still hazy after getting woken up. However, his words made her recall that she was still wearing those extremely revealing nightclothes...

    Her cute little cheeks lit up in a furious blush instantly.

    Chu Lian hastily exined, ¡°This was prepared by momo! I didn¡¯t choose this, don¡¯t misunderstand!¡±

    ¡°Senior Servant Gui?¡±

    Chu Lian quickly nodded.

    He Changdi¡¯s eyes were already alight with humour, but he put on a dignified face and said, ¡°Senior Servant Gui is indeed an experienced senior servant, it¡¯s about time that I give her a raise.¡±

    Once he finished speaking, He Changdi pulled away the nket covering their body in one go.

    Shyness and anger welled up within Chu Lian. She hadn¡¯t expected such a sudden movement from him and her whole body stiffened up in response. It was only when He Changdi looked all over her body with his gleaming eyes that she finally returned to her senses.

    Realising that she had nothing to cover herself with, Chu Lian sat up in a panic and tried to cover He Sang¡¯s eyes with her hands instead.

    When she raised her slender arms, the two soft lumps under her clothes were squeezed together, forming a deep ravine that called out to the beholder.

    The Adam¡¯s apple on He Changdi¡¯s throat trembled as he gulped down his drool. Unfortunately, his eyes were immediately covered in the next second.

    Chu Lian¡¯s soft hands blocked He Changdi¡¯s invading gaze. Her face waspletely flushed as she said furiously, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to look!¡±

    He Changdi didn¡¯t know what to do right now. Wasn¡¯t his little kitten being too difficult? He was probably the most pitiful husband in the whole capital for getting scolded just for looking at his own wife. It left a bitter taste in his heart.

    Now that He Changdi¡¯s vision was obscured, Chu Lian felt safer. Little did she know that she was merely deceiving herself by dying the inevitable

    It was a rare sight for He Changdi to see her in such a helpless and shy state, so he didn¡¯t stop her and let her cover his eyes as she liked.

    Besides, her hands were so small and she was so tense that she hadn¡¯t noticed that her ¡®blindfold¡¯ had already slipped and he could take in everything.

    He Changdi wasughing endlessly inside. His dear wife was just too cute.

    Chu Lian might have seeded in blocking He Changdi¡¯s ¡®evil eyes¡¯, but she had no way to counter his ¡®evil ws¡¯.

    He Sang reached out to hook her around the waist again and pulled her soft and fragrant body on top of him with barely any effort at all.

    The bedroom was very warm, so He Sang wasn¡¯t worried about her feeling cold despite her thin clothes.

    Chu Lian could feel the burning heat of his hand on her waist. She struggled a little in an attempt to break free from his evil ws, but it was pointless as she was imprisoned in his embrace...

 Chapter 471: Nuptial Wine (2)

    Her attempt at struggling made He Changdi stiffen up even more.

    The dangerous swelling from a certain part of He Sang¡¯s body made the huffed up ¡®kitten¡¯ on top of him quieten down.

    Chu Lianid in He Sang¡¯s embrace stiffly, not daring to move at all. Her hands were still on his eyes. This position was extremely ufortable for her, but she felt too embarrassed to put down her hands.

    The hand that He Sang had wrapped around her waist was now rubbing her back in a soothing motion. He said with a chuckle, ¡°Put down your hands.¡±

    Chu Lian shook her head first before realising that he couldn¡¯t see her action since his eyes were covered. She coughed awkwardly and attempted to start a negotiation, ¡°I can put down my hands, but only if you let me change my clothes, okay?¡±

    He Changdi found this really funny. Even at this point, his little kitten was still trying to flee.

    He stopped being courteous and used his other hand to grab hold of her slender wrists. He easily pulled away both of her hands from his eyes.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected him to resort to brute force, so she tried to struggle subconsciously. However, He Changdi reacted by chiding her in a cold manner.

    ¡°Stop moving!¡±

    He Sang had always possessed a naturally chilly temperament. After spending a few months with the northern army and experiencing real fights on the battlefield, his aura had been forged into one of blood and steel. When he reprimanded someone now, the air around him was truly frightening.

    Chu Lian was also shocked still by him.

    Now that the woman on his chest had stopped struggling, He Changdi was able to take a good look at her. He continued to caress her back as he turned around, picked up a gold cup from the side table and passed it to Chu Lian.

    When Chu Lian returned to her senses, she had already epted the golden cup that He Changdi had passed to her.

    She looked down at the contents of the cup before bringing it closer and sniffing at it. She tilted her head in confusion and asked, ¡°This is wine?¡±

    He Changdi reached out to the side again to pick up an identical cup. He tapped it against the one in Chu Lian¡¯s hand with a light clink before nodding. With an averted gaze and a light tone, he exined, ¡°Nuptial wine.¡±

    Despite how soft his voice had be, Chu Lian heard him clearly.

    Nuptial wine...

    Her mind flew back to their wedding night. Back then, He Changdi had poured away the nuptial wine prepared by the bridal attendant right in front of her, throwing her into a state of stunned shock.

    Was he trying to make up for what happened then by offering her nuptial wine now?

    Noticing that the kitten on his chest hadn¡¯t lifted up the cup to her lips, He Sang¡¯s expression became a little more awkward. He adjusted his posture and coughed once. He humbled his tone to ask, ¡°Lian¡¯er, what happened back then was my mistake. I shouldn¡¯t have poured away the nuptial wine. Will you let me make up for that today?¡±

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes at him.

    Making up for that!?

    Had this guy ever thought of how horrified and disappointed he had made her when he had gone insane then?

    She didn¡¯t really feel like forgiving him, but when she thought of the time they had spent together and how he had saved her without any regard for his own safety, she couldn¡¯t bear to do that to him.

    He Changdi wasn¡¯t made of steel after all. He couldn¡¯t bear watching as his wife refused to forgive him. Panic arose in him as he stared fixedly at the nuptial wine in their hands.

    He recalled the instructions of the bridal attendant on their wedding night; they had to drink half from each cup of nuptial wine for their marriage tost forever.

    Thus, Chu Lian was met with the spectacle of the frosty He Sang emptying the wine in his cup into his mouth. However, it seemed like that wasn¡¯t enough for him. He grabbed her wrist and poured the contents of her cup into his mouth as well.

    Chu Lian: ...

    Had this fellow¡¯s mind snapped from her lengthy silence?

    The moment the strange thought appeared in Chu Lian¡¯s mind, she was pulled back into He Sang¡¯s embrace.

    She felt a slight chill on her lips before warm wine flowed into her mouth.

    A forceful tongue slid in as well, forcing her to swallow all of the spicy alcohol.

 Chapter 472: Conjugal Love (1)

    Once all of the wine had slid down her throat, he twined their tongues together in a dance until Chu Lian was gasping for breath. It was only when her hands tightened around thepels of He Changdi¡¯s sleep robe that he finally let her go.

    Chu Lian¡¯s face waspletely red and she didn¡¯t even know whether it was from the heat of the alcohol or He Changdi¡¯s passionate kiss.

    She gulped air down into her burning lungs and red at her husband inint.

    However, her almond-shaped eyes were misted over with tears now, shining with the reflection of thentern light and looking especially innocent. That lovely sight was pushing thest remnants of He Changdi¡¯s control.

    He took in a deep breath himself, as if trying to calm the rising tides in his body.

    He Changdi¡¯s gaze fixed upon the woman before him as his pupils dted. He shifted his body, preparing to start another passionate kiss.

    Chu Lian¡¯s heart was about to leap out of her chest from how nervous she was. She quickly raised her hands to stop him.

    Sheined pitifully, ¡°He Changdi, it¡¯s all your fault! My mouth is filled with the taste of alcohol now. I don¡¯t like it... Can you let me up to rinse it out?¡±

    When He Sang¡¯s only response was to continue staring at her with sealed lips, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t help the twitch at the corner of her mouth.

    Her watery eyes darted from side to side in thought before she moved her body back. She tried putting on an eagerly attentive tone, ¡°Husband, I saw that you didn¡¯t eat much earlier. Why don¡¯t we order some supper? Xiyan mentioned that she made some red date and bird¡¯s nest porridge and she¡¯s keeping it warm on the stove. I¡¯m a little hungry now too.¡±

    He Changdi finally spoke up in a husky voice, the tail end of his sentence rising with implication, ¡°Lian¡¯er, are you worried that I won¡¯t have enough strengthter tonight?¡±

    Chu Lian stiffened up in surprise. It took her a second before she realised what he meant.

    Her face exploded into a furious blush once again. She hadn¡¯t expected that this gloomy fellow would turn into such a perverted scoundrel in front of her!

    Chu Lian stammered, not even daring to look at him now.

    ¡°N... Not at all...¡±

    ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like to say now, Lian¡¯er? Just say it all at once. You probably won¡¯t be able to speakter.¡± He Changdi purposely emphasised his words again to hint at what wasing up, causing the blush on Chu Lian¡¯s cheeks to glow even brighter.

    Chu Lian was looking everywhere except at He Changdi right now.

    Since they had both drunk the nuptial wine, there was a light scent of alcohol on their breaths.

    An idea sparked in Chu Lian¡¯s mind and she quickly said, ¡°We just ate at Grandmother¡¯s ce and we just drank some wine. You probably haven¡¯t taken a bath yet, right? I¡¯ll go and ask Wenqing and the rest to prepare the bath!¡±

    After blurting all of that out, she tried to climb off the bed. However, He Sang¡¯s leg was in her way. Of course he wouldn¡¯t be letting her off so easily.

    Chu Lian huffed as she shoved his leg away with all her might. She had just managed to take a step forward on the soft carpet at the bottom of the bed when He Changdi grabbed hold of her slender waist yet again without any effort.

    The nightclothes Chu Lian was wearing were simply too see-through. Her curves werepletely visible under the mint-coloured robe that fell down to their ankles. He could see the loose pink pants and light green top she had underneath; even the shiny strap of her halter top underwear was visible in the dim light.

    He Changdi¡¯s pupils dted. With a slight pull of his arm, Chu Lian was already back in bed.

    He leaned over her as his wandering palm caressed the soft skin around her waist.

    Squished under her husband, Chu Lian didn¡¯t have the energy to think about her seductive nightwear any longer. She stared up at him innocently with her wide, watery eyes, looking exactly like a little rabbit waiting to be eaten.

    ¡°You really aren¡¯t going to bathe?¡±

    The soft and gentle tones of Chu Lian¡¯s voice made He Changdi stiffen up even more.

    He reached out with one hand to stroke her smooth, porcin cheeks. With a puff of breath by her ear, he spoke huskily, ¡°I bathed when I came back to the estate earlier. There¡¯s no need to waste any more time.¡±

 Chapter 473: Conjugal Love (2)

    Once he finished speaking, Chu Lian could feel some wetness on her sensitive earlobes as he sucked on them.

    Chu Lian tried to push him away and tried to retort in her urgency, ¡°But it¡¯s already been a whole afternoon and we just drank wine...¡±

    He Changdi couldn¡¯t let her off any longer now that they were already here. Chu Lian was hiswfully wedded wife after all. This was supposed to have happened a long time ago. Since they were in mutual love now, he had done pretty well to restrain himself up to this point.

    Before Chu Liuan could finish her words, He Changdi grabbed the tip of her chin. His dark eyes were slightly narrowed as they roamed all over her body, like a conqueror looking over his territory.

    He Changdi¡¯s gaze passed over her ruddy red lips, then down to her slightly open cor, then her inviting corbones. He abruptly bent down and captured her parted, tender lips. Once he had the first taste, he could no longer hold back his desire to lick and explore her mouth.

    Chu Lian panted for breath, her cheeks flushed red again, as she hit his sturdy chest in protest. Unfortunately, He Changdi easily caught her hands and trapped them between their bodies so that she couldn¡¯t move.

    When He Sang felt that the woman under him had already given in, he pushed past her teeth with his tongue and tangled with hers...

    The smell of alcohol mixed with the aroma of the incense burning in the room made Chu Lian¡¯s mind dazed. Her husband had trapped her so utterly within his hold that she couldn¡¯t bring up any strength to struggle, even if she still wanted to.

    As if sensing Chu Lian¡¯s remaining reluctance, He Sang tightened his hold around her wrists. Chu Lian¡¯s waist finally rxed, indicating that she hadpletely given in.

    Chu Lian wanted to cry inside as she thought to herself dejectedly. It looked like she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape tonight.

    Why was He Changdi so overbearing!

    He Changdi loosened his hold a little once he felt that his wife had stopped trying to escape. He let go of her lips, allowing her to gulp in air once again.

    Following that, he littered gentle kisses on her lips and yed with her tongue. The hand he was using to hold her chin slowly moved downwards...

    By this time, He Changdi¡¯s cold countenance had already taken on a tinge of red. His eyes were like dark mirrors; the only image reflected in them was his absolutely lovely wife. He lowered his gaze and stopped his kisses, only to switch to licking her trembling tongue.

    Chu Lian felt a sudden chill on her shoulders and realised that He Changdi had already slipped her thin nightclothes off. She subconsciously tried to cover herself up again by sitting up and pulling forcefully at the nket nearby, but He Sang took that chance to catch the thin cloth ties on her back and pull them loose.

    By the time Chu Lian had grabbed hold of the edge of the nket, all she had left on her was that thin pair of sleeping pants...

    Her eyshes trembled as she looked up in rm. He Changdi had never been so forward with her before.

    Unfortunately for her, she had only grasped a tiny bit of the nket and the rest of it was still trapped under He Sang¡¯s legs. She couldn¡¯t move it with the power contained in her slender arms...

    The pitiful amount of nket she had was only able to cover her upper half, leaving her lower half exposed...

    He Sang¡¯s usual calm and cool expression had already crumbled into a light blush. As he admired how the red hue of the mandarin duck nketplemented his lovely wife¡¯s fair skin, his breathing got a little heavier.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t have any fight left in her by now.

    She held onto the corner of the nket to protect what was left of her modesty as she tried to appeal to her husband with a pitiful expression and a soft voice, ¡°Husband, please let me off for tonight...¡±

 Chapter 474: Husband and Wife (1)

    He Changdi watched as she clung tightly to the corner of the nket, which was only covering the most important spot on her body.

    Everything else was practically bared to his gaze. The faintmp light filtering through the gauzy bed curtains gave her fair skin a lovely glow, enticing him.

    Chu Lian was like amb ced on the table for ughter. The sight soothed He Changdi¡¯s sense of urgency.

    He raised his body slightly and stripped off his top. He asked her with a trace of humour, ¡°How would you like me to spare you, Lian¡¯er?¡±

    Chu Lian stared back in a daze. That¡¯s right, how exactly did she want him to spare her?

    They were husband and wife already. This was something inevitable.

    However, his hurried actions had made her a little afraid and uneasy.

    Chu Lian continued holding on to the corner of the nket as she asked him in a soft and coaxing manner, ¡°How about doing this another day, Husband? We¡¯ve just returned to the capital today and you even went to the pce, so you must be tired. Why don¡¯t we postpone this to... tomorrow? It¡¯s alreadyte, let¡¯s rest for the night!¡±

    He Sang held back the urge to burst intoughter. His little kitten was actually trying to escape even at this point.

    He casually tossed his inner clothes to the floor, revealing the fine lines of his body and his well-defined abs to Chu Lian¡¯s eyes.

    He Changdi wasn¡¯t going to let her avoid him forever. He pulled away the nket in his eyes and whispered huskily into her ear, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you. We¡¯ll rest early.¡±

    Chu Lian barely had the time to let out a surprised gasp when He Sang pounced on her.

    Within a few minutes, the couple was intertwined like a pair of mandarin ducks and the sounds of lovemaking resounded in the room.

    Unfortunately, as bold and strong as He Sang was, he was still a virgin...

    The couple¡¯s first time together was over in less than fifteen minutes...

    Chu Lian¡¯s face waspletely flushed red. Her pleading hadnded on deaf ears, so in ast show of temper, she pulled over the nket and bit onto it, resisting the foreign waves of pleasure rushing over her body.

    Her mind waspletely hazy and dazed. She wailed inwardly, not knowing how long the torture wouldst. Her body felt like jelly all over and she was on the verge of giving in...

    It was Chu Lian¡¯s first time, so she didn¡¯t get to enjoy much of the pleasure of this conjugal activity. On the other hand, He Sang had already be an addict.

    Just as Chu Lian was wondering when this would end, she felt a strange sensation in the lower half of her body. Her strong husband froze up and the stiff object inside her softened.

    Neither of them had expected their first time to be over so quickly.

    Chu Lian slowly opened her eyes, only to be met with a ck-faced He Changdi.

    Chu Lian quickly used up all of her restraint to hold back the urge tough. Luckily, she seeded in her efforts. Otherwise, her lunatic husband might have taken that as a challenge to make her bedridden the next day.

    Since it was already over, Chu Lian bore with the soreness in her body and reached out with her wobbly arms to push him.

    She blinked innocently and spoke in a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°He Sang, I¡¯m feeling too sore so I¡¯m going to take a bath.¡±

    He Sang was still immersed in the shock from the blow of finishing so quickly. Thanks to his momentarypse, Chu Lian was able to make her escape.

    Chu Lian quickly scrambled off the bed, bearing with the soreness between her legs. She grabbed the nightclothes by the side of the bed and pulled the robe over her body before running towards the bathroom...

    Although she was stumbling a little, she finally made it.

    Chu Lian rang the bell to summon Wenqing in.

    Wenqing entered from the servant¡¯s entrance, her head lowered as she waited obediently for Third Young Madam¡¯s orders.

 Chapter 475: Husband and Wife (2)

    Chu Lian¡¯s strength had already beenpletely sapped by the activities just now, so she leaned against the screen and told Wenqing to prepare a hot bath.

    When that was done, Chu Lian entered the fragrant, steaming bath and let out afortable sigh of relief. Strength was slowly returning to her limbs. When she recalled what she had just done with He Changdi in bed, a furious blush red back to life on her cheeks.

    She covered her burning cheeks with her hands and soaked in the bath in an absent-minded daze until the sound of footsteps resounded behind her.

    The moment she turned around, she was met with the gloomy-looking He Sang. Her husband stripped off his sleeping robe and tossed it haphazardly to one side before stepping right into the bathtub.

    She didn¡¯t have any time to react before He Changdi was already in the bath with her. With another pull of his long arms, she was already wrapped in his naked embrace.

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened in shock. It took her a moment to find her voice again, ¡°He Changdi, what are you doing! Get out!¡±

    The usual coldyer of frost had returned to He Sang¡¯s handsome face. He scooped up some warm water and poured it over Chu Lian¡¯s smooth shoulders before suddenly bending over to nibble her earlobe. His deep and hoarse voice echoed in the bathroom, ¡°What am I doing? I¡¯m just taking a bath!¡±

    Chu Lian saw that his hands were starting to wander, so she started struggling. The level of water in the bath dwindled as water sshed all over the bathroom.

    In the end, they weren¡¯t able to finish their bath as half of the water in the tub had spilled over...

    Chu Lian let out a shrill cry as she was carried back to their bed by He Changdi.

    He Sang seemed to be trying to prove himself to her as he entered her continuously, ignoring Chu Lian¡¯s pleas for mercy. Atst, he managed tost longer than their first hurried coupling...

    Near the end, Chu Lian didn¡¯t even have the strength to lift a finger any longer. The moment He Changdi had finished, she dozed right off into sleep from fatigue.

    He Changdi was covered in beads of sweat all over, but his mood was the highest it had ever been.

    He pulled out and went off to the bathroom to clean himself. When he was done, he found a handkerchief and dipped it in warm water to clean Chu Lian¡¯s body.

    When he finished cleaning his wife and realised that red marks had been left all over her snow-white skin from his excessive use of force, guilt rose within him and he started feeling vexed with himself.

    He helped Chu Lian into a clean set of nightclothes and gently fed her a few spoonfuls of the warm honey water on the side table. Finally, he changed the bedsheets before carefully setting her back down on the bed and snuggling right in with her, gaze fixed on her defenseless sleeping expression.

    Outside, in the servant¡¯s wing, Xiyan was feeling sorry for her mistress.

    She knew that Chu Lian hadn¡¯t consummated her marriage with He Changdi on their wedding night and that this was the couple¡¯s first time together.

    Even at the start, when there hadn¡¯t been much movement from the bedroom, she had still been extremely worried.

    Later on, after Wenqing had gone in to prepare a hot bath, the sounds and movementsing from inside the bedroom were even louder than before.

    She could even hear her young madam¡¯s soft cries.

    Chu Lian had never cried in front of her servants before. Xiyan was frantic with worry, afraid that Third Young Master was abusing her mistress.

    She had listened to the gossiping senior servants in the past when she had been bored. The servants had talked about how there was a servant being abused by her husband, who took out the stresses of his job on her and beat her until she cried for mercy.

    The more she thought about it, the more worried she got until she couldn¡¯t take it any longer. Xiyan abruptly stood up and spoke, ¡°I have to go in to check on Third Young Madam! I won¡¯t let anyone bully Third Young Madam, even if it¡¯s Third Young Master!¡±

    Wenqing was rmed by Xiyan¡¯s deration. How could she really let Xiyan enter the bedroom?

    If the two of them entered the bedroom at this time, their lives would likely be forfeit.

    She practised martial arts, so her hearing was more acute than Xiyan¡¯s.

    Furthermore, Senior Servant Zhong had specially educated them on the birds and the bees, so she was much more knowledgeable than Xiyan on these matters.

    It wasn¡¯t easy for her to exin it so openly. However, she understood that it was always hard for women on their first time. Although she felt for Third Young Madam as well, she was more afraid of Third Young Master.

    They were just servants, so it was better if they didn¡¯t interfere with their masters¡¯ activities.

 Chapter 476: Early Morning (1)

    Wenqing held Xiyan¡¯s arm and shook her head. She whispered, ¡°Sister Xiyan, you don¡¯t have to worry so much. Third Young Master usually dotes on Third Young Madam, why would he bully her? As servants, we shouldn¡¯t interfere with our masters¡¯ business. Moreover, Third Young Madam didn¡¯t call for us. We can¡¯t just go in like that. Also, think about Third Young Madam¡¯s personality. If she was really being bullied, wouldn¡¯t she call for help?¡±

    Although Xiyan was still worried, Wenqing ultimately convinced her.

    After their masters had returned to Songtao Court, they were able to see for themselves how much Third Young Master cared for Third Young Madam. Also, Third Young Madam was someone who would definitely return an eye for an eye. If she really suffered any grievance, she wouldn¡¯t endure it silently.

    The two personal maidservants stayed up until midnight. Xiyan finally breathed a sigh of relief when they could no longer hear any movement within the room.

    Wenqing finally rxed as well, her face flushed.

    Since their masters had settled down for the night, they didn¡¯t need two servants to stay up for the night shift. In the end, Wenqing told Xiyan to take a rest and leave her to keep watch through the night in the side room by herself.

    After leaving the room, Xiyan didn¡¯t immediately go back to her room to rest. She headed to Senior Servant Gui¡¯s room first to report that the young couple had finally consummated their marriage.

    Senior Servant Gui was still awake, waiting for Xiyan¡¯s report.

    After receiving the news, Senior Servant Gui sped her hands together and bowed in prayer. A smile appeared on her face.

    She pushed Xiyan and said, ¡°Well, I can rest assured now. If Third Young Madam gives birth to a son in the future, I¡¯ll be able to enjoy my old age in peace. It¡¯s gettingte now. You should hurry and go sleep.¡±

    Xiyan watched as Senior Servant Gui got up from bed instead and started getting dressed. She asked curiously, ¡°Momo, why are you getting up when it¡¯s already thiste?¡±

    Senior Servant Gui grinned so widely that her eyes disappeared, ¡°Sixth Miss has a thin and weak body. This first night must have been tough for her. I¡¯m going to brew some nourishing soup, so she can drink some first thing in the morning.¡±

    Seeing how excited Senior Servant Gui was, Xiyan didn¡¯t stop her, ¡°Momo, do rest earlier when you¡¯re done. I¡¯ll go back to my room first.¡±

    Xiyan and Fuyan lived in the same room.

    When Xiyan returned to her room, she saw that the room was still lit. Her brows creased into a frown and she muttered to herself, ¡°It¡¯s already sote, why hasn¡¯t Fuyan slept yet? What¡¯s that girl doing at this hour!¡±

    She quickly walked towards the door and tried pushing it open, only to find out that someone had actually locked it from the inside.

    Chu Lian¡¯s personal maidservants all lived together in a small courtyard within Songtao Court. They usually took turns to be on standby with their masters at night, so the courtyard entrance and the room doors were never locked.

    There was also a senior servant guarding the courtyard entrance at night. It was even more strictly guarded outside, so nothing had ever happened before.

    A trace of suspicion was aroused in Xiyan¡¯s heart. She called out softly to Fuyan from outside the door.

    Fuyan suffered a fright when she heard the door being pushed. She had been expecting Xiyan to be on duty until morning since she was taking the night shift. Who could have thought that Xiyan would return to their room at this time?

    She panicked and hid the letter she had been clutching in her hands under her pillow. She straightened out her dress and calmed her breathing before opening the door as if nothing had happened.

    When the door opened from the inside, Xiyan immediately entered the room, only to see that Fuyan haven¡¯t even changed her clothes. It was obvious that she hasn¡¯t slept yet, so she asked, ¡°It¡¯s sote, why aren¡¯t you resting? It¡¯s your turn to serve Third Young Madam tomorrow!¡±

    Fuyan went over to the bed and sat down. She picked up the sewing basket next to her and said, ¡°I wanted to finish sewing the flower on this handkerchief before going to sleep. I didn¡¯t realise that time flew by so quickly. So it¡¯s already midnight.¡±

    Xiyan furrowed her brows, ¡°There¡¯s no need to stay up sote. You can work on the handkerchief anytime. Alright, go to sleep now. If something goes wrong tomorrow, momo won¡¯t spare you.¡±

    ¡°Mm, I¡¯ll listen to Sister Xiyan. I¡¯ll pack my things up and sleep now. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±

 Chapter 477: Early Morning (2)

    Xiyan looked at Fuyan from the corner of her eyes as she changed her clothes. She felt that Fuyan was acting rather strange tonight, but she hadn¡¯t been able to find out anything after questioning her. In the end, she decided to let it go.

    The light in the room was quickly snuffed out. Fuyan reached for the letter under her pillow in the dark, her eyes wavering. Finally, she gritted her teeth and made her decision.

    Chu Lian slowly opened her eyes. Her mind was still in a haze since she had just woken up. However, once she moved, her whole body began to ache and she almost cried out loud.

    Memories fromst night suddenly rushed into her mind like a tidal wave. Chu Lian was stunned by her recollections for a moment before annoyance and anger overtook her mind.

    That He Sang! Last night, he had actually ignored her wishes and tortured her like that!

    Chu Lian turned over and noticed that He Changdi wasn¡¯t there. She reached out to touch the bedsheets beside her and realised that the area where he had been lying was already cold.

    She wrinkled her brows and prepared to call for a servant toe in.

    Wenqing heard the slight movement from outside and quietly entered the bedroom. She stood beside the bed, where the curtains had been let down, shielding Chu Lian from her gaze. She asked in a soft tone, ¡°Third Young Madam, do you need this servant¡¯s assistance?¡±

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected Wenqing to be waiting outside. Blood instantly rushed into her cheeks.

    She gave an awkward cough before asking in her slightly hoarse voice, ¡°What time is it? Where¡¯s Third Young Master?¡±

    Although He Changdi had been bestowed the title of Marquis Anyuan and an official position, he hadn¡¯t split off from the family yet. Their elders, Matriarch He, Countess Jing¡¯an, and Eldest Young Madam, were also present in the estate, so everyone in the Jing¡¯an Estate still called him Third Young Master. Thus, Chu Lian was still Third Young Madam.

    Wenqing smiled and replied, ¡°Third Young Madam, please don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s only around seven in the morning. Third Young Master went to the martial arts arena an hour ago. ¡°

    It was February right now, so it was still chilly in the capital. Although the bedroom was heated, it was much morefortable to stay in bed.

    Since it was still early, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t be bothered to wake up. She hadn¡¯t gotten a good rest anyways. She spoke to Wenqing briefly before turning right around and going back to sleep.

    Wenqing smiled and tiptoed back out of the room.

    Third Young Madam had probably been tired outst night. Before Third Young Master had gone to the martial arts arena, he had instructed her to let Third Young Madam sleep more. Even if Third Young Madam wanted to get up, she would have had to persuade her otherwise.

    He Changdi came back about half an hourter.

    Wenqing and Wen, who were now on duty in the outer room, handed him a wet towel.

    He Sang¡¯s gaze swept over them, ¡°Is your young madam awake?¡±

    The corners of Wenqing¡¯s lips were still tilted upwards with humour, ¡°She woke up once half an hour ago and asked after Third Young Master. Then she went back to sleep.¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s stern and icy face softened a little. He handed back the towel in his hand before striding into the bedroom with his hands sped behind him.

    It was just a little over an hour since he hadst seen her, but he was already starting to miss her terribly. He wanted to see that lovely, sweet face of hers immediately.

    Chu Lian was still deep in slumber when she felt something ticklish on her nose. She impatiently reached out with one hand, wanting to brush it off.

    Her slender wrist emerged from the loose sleeve of her nightgown. The little strength that she used was nothing to He Sang.

    There were a few obvious red spots on her pale wrist, which looked strangely simr to the marks on her neck.

    The light in He Changdi¡¯s deep eyes darkened. He held her fair arm and started dropping light kisses over the marks on her arm.

    Next, he gently tucked her arm back into the warm nkets.

    He took off his shoes and shifted closer to Chu Lian before pulling her into his embrace, nket and all.

    That action finally woke Chu Lian up. She opened up her almond-shaped eyes, looking slightly dazed with a lovely blush on her face.

 Chapter 478: Early Morning (2)

    The moment she opened her eyes, it was He Changdi who fell into her sight. By the time she was able to ovee that short instant of confusion, He Sang had already tried cing a gentle kiss on her soft lips.

    Chu Lian immediately reacted by turning her head to avoid it.

    Her temper piqued, she said, ¡°He Changdi, you lied to mest night!¡±

    Her whole body was wrapped up in the nket within his embrace. She couldn¡¯t move at all. At this moment, she could only move her lips. He Changdi couldn¡¯t hold back his chuckles when he saw her flushed face.

    ¡°When did I ever lie?¡±

    When Chu Lian recalled his shameless and insatiable demands fromst night, she gnashed her teeth in frustration. However, she had already experienced for herself how well he could twist his words. Moreover, they were lying together on the bed right now and her whole body was still aching. She couldn¡¯t afford to provoke him.

    Chu Lian pouted and turned her head away. She didn¡¯t want to answer his question.

    He Sang stared at her reddened earlobe for a moment. He lowered his head to suck on it, his warm breath puffing over Chu Lian¡¯s ear as he whispered huskily, ¡°It was my badst night. Does it still hurt?¡±

    The blush on Chu Lian¡¯s ears extended to her entire face after hearing his question, especially since they were in such an intimate pose.

    She pursed her lips together and remained silent. It was too embarrassing to talk about this.

    Moreover, He Changdi wasn¡¯t a doctor. He wouldn¡¯t be able to help even if she told him that it was hurting.

    When He Sang saw that his wife was evading his gaze with a bashful look, he could guess what her answer would have been.

    He Sang was worried about her, so he suggested, ¡°Don¡¯t go over to visit Grandmother and Mother this morning. I¡¯ll send someone to let them know.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened and she immediately shook her head upon hearing his suggestion.

    ¡°You can¡¯t!¡±

    She had beenpletely fine and healthy yesterday. If she didn¡¯t visit her elders today for the usual morning greetings, what would everyone else think?

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to discuss this topic with him any longer. She shifted her position and looked at the handsome man beside her. She brought up her own question, ¡°You went out to exercise in the morning?¡±

    A spark of difort shed through He Changdi¡¯s deep eyes, but he quickly recovered his usual calm.

    He squeezed the lovely woman in his embrace, ¡°Mm, it¡¯s an old habit I¡¯ve had even before I went to the north. When I joined the northern border troopster, Uncle Qian was really strict, so the time I spent on training became even longer.¡±

    He Sang didn¡¯t dare to speak the truth.

    Actually, after consummating their marriage, he had been too excited to fall to asleepst night. He held her in his arms and just stared at her all night and only managed to nap for about 3 hours.

    When he had woken up, it was still dark outside. Chu Lian had been sleeping on his chest with her rosy cheeks, fair skin, and bright red lips. Moreover, her nightclothes had gotten a little disheveled in her sleep. A man¡¯s lust was the strongest in the morning. He Sang was also at the age when his body was full of vigour. With his beloved wife sleeping in his arms, it was unbearable.

    However, afraid of hurting Chu Lian, He Sang pursed his lips with a grim expression and headed out to the martial arts arena to vent... Ahem... He also paid a visit to Great Doctor Miao on the way.

    Chu Lian nodded without noticing the hidden meaning in He Changdi¡¯s eyes.

    She wriggled a little andined, ¡°He Changdi, let go of me. It¡¯s gettingte. I need to get up.¡±

    While Chu Lian was struggling, He Changdi suddenly bent down and whispered something into her ear.

    Chu Lian instantly froze, the healthy blush on her face instantly fading to a pale pallor. She seriously wanted to strangle He Changdi right now.

    ¡°You.....You actually went to look for Great Doctor Miao!¡±

 Chapter 479: Early Morning (4)

    He Sang had a cold expression on his face, but his voice was hoarse, ¡°Be good. I¡¯ll apany you to greet Grandmother after you apply the medicine.¡±

    Ahem.... He had done a careful inspection while cleaning her upst night. That area was red and swollen because he had been too reckless...

    Chu Lian wailed and covered her head with the nket. She felt too ashamed to face anyone else right now.

    About twenty minutester, Chu Lian was still curled up in the nket, covering her flushed face. She slowly calmed down as she listened to the sound of watering from the bathroom.

    He Sang had actually ignored her opposition and personally applied the medicine for her.

    It served him right that he had to take a cold bath.

    Chu Lian thought angrily.

    Afterwards, she called Wen and Fuyan in to help her.

    Chu Lian was still feeling somewhat ufortable, so she walked about awkwardly when she got off the bed. It took a few rounds around the bedroom before she got used to the strange new feeling. Wen was keeping a happy smile hidden with her head lowered, but the look in Fuyan¡¯s downcast eyes were filled with envy and jealousy.

    When He Changdi came out of the bathroom wearing a loose robe, before Wen could walk up to him, Fuyan had already beaten her to it and handed him the dry towel in her hand.

    She attempted to reach out and help him dry his dark hair, but He Sang cast a cold gaze over the two maidservants.

    Wen immediately bobbed towards her two masters and turned to leave. When she noticed that Fuyan was still standing there in a daze, she grabbed Fuyan¡¯s hand and dragged her out before Third Young Master got angry.

    When they got to the outer room, Fuyan angrily flung off Wen¡¯s hand and scolded her, ¡°Wen, what are you doing?!¡±

    Wen took a deep breath and red at Fuyan, ¡°Fuyan, can¡¯t you tell? Third Young Master doesn¡¯t like us staying in there.¡±

    Fuyan snorted, ¡°You¡¯re just being overly cautious! Third Young Master didn¡¯t even say anything!¡±

    Wen¡¯s brows furrowed even more when she heard her reply, ¡°Fuyan, I¡¯m going to give you some advice. Even if you came as part of Third Young Madam¡¯s dowry, you still need to know your ce. Remember Mingyan!¡±

    Wen turned and left the outer room after leaving her warning.

    She was starting to dislike Fuyan even more. Did Fuyan really think Third Young Madam was an idiot? Although Third Young Madam was usually very kind and friendly and didn¡¯t like to make a fuss over small matters, that didn¡¯t mean that she was naive person who would be easily fooled.

    Even if they didn¡¯t have a Third Young Madam, did Fuyan seriously think that Third Young Master was someone she could afford to provoke?

    Fuyan hadn¡¯t gone to the northern border with them, so she hadn¡¯t seen how many people Third Young Master had killed on the battlefields. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have these presumptuous thoughts.

    Fuyan couldn¡¯t care less about Wen¡¯s warning.

    Third Young Master might be treating Third Young Madam as sweet as honey right now, but wait until he learns about Third Young Madam¡¯s betrayal! Once he finds out about her dalliance with another man, there was bound to be a trace of doubt in his heart.

    No man can stand a woman¡¯s betrayal, especially if she is his wife!

    Fuyan smirked.She had been waiting for so long. Wasn¡¯t it all for this day?

    He Sang¡¯s expression finally softened up once the two handmaids had left the inner room. He walked over to Chu Lian and handed her the towel in his hand.

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes before taking it. She got up and made him sit on the stool in front of the dressing table.

    She moved to his back and started drying off his wet hair gently.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t Wen and Fuyan around just now?¡± Chu Lian asked with a slight pout.

    He Sang¡¯s dark eyes looked at Chu Lian through the bronze mirror.

    His voice was cold and stiff, ¡°I don¡¯t like them serving me.¡±

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t help smiling as she recalled what Senior Servant Zhong had told her before.

    Before she had married He Changdi, Songtao Court didn¡¯t have any ranked maidservants at all. There had only been a few menial servants responsible for cleaning. He Changdi¡¯s basic needs had always been handled by Laiyue.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t know how to serve others.¡±

    Chu Lian was speaking the truth. She really didn¡¯t know how to take care of others. After experiencing the luxury of the maidservants¡¯ service, her actions couldn¡¯t be considered a proper service...

    Humour shone in He Changdi¡¯s deep eyes, ¡°I need you to take care of me, except in bed.¡±

    Chu Lian was stunned by his words. Her face instantly flushed and she threw the towel at He Changdi. If he didn¡¯t need her help, then he could do it himself!

    Chu Lian felt that just throwing the towel at him wasn¡¯t enough, so she also shot a re at him. What was wrong with this He Sang? Ever since their rtionship had progressed to the next step, he had been constantly making dirty jokes. How annoying!

 Chapter 480: To Manage the Household (1)

    Although the Emperor had already verbally appointed He Changdi as an administrator of the Department of Appointments, he hadn¡¯t taken up the post officially yet as he had just returned to the capital not too long ago. He would have to go to the imperial court to receive the role through an official ceremony eventually.

    After he and the other aplished officers from the north had returned to the capital, they had all been granted half a month of leave after their meeting with the Emperor. During this period, He Sang nned to spend more quality time with his family.

    The couple continued whispering sweet nothings to each other in the bedroom. Once they had their breakfast, it was time for them to pay their respects to their elders.

    The two first visited Qingxi Hall, before going over to Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s courtyard.

    Countess Jing¡¯an was leaning slightly skewed against the headboard of a bed with a thick quilt covering her body. She seemed to be in great spirits, perhaps thanks to He Changdi¡¯s safe return from the north and the news of his great aplishments.

    Her previously thin and pale face had now gained a little more colour, making her seem more lively.

    He Changdi and Chu Lian went to visit Great Doctor Miao together and heard from him that Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s condition was taking a turn for the better. He was preparing to use the Snow Mountain Mists flower in a few more days to make some medicine to permanently cure the root of Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s illness.

    The young couple was seated by Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s bed.

    Countess Jing¡¯an held Chu Lian¡¯s hand as she chatted with them.

    In the middle of their conversation, Countess Jing¡¯an said with a smile, ¡°Lian¡¯er, I¡¯ve missed your cooking while you were away.¡±

    A slight smile surfaced on Chu Lian¡¯s face, ¡°What would you like to eat, Mother? As long as it¡¯s good for your health, I¡¯ll make it right away.¡±

    Before she had departed for the north, Chu Lian had regrly sent portions of food to the other courtyards whenever she cooked up something new in Songtao Court. She assumed that Countess Jing¡¯an had be ustomed to her cooking.

    Countess Jing¡¯an looked to be in serious thought for a moment, ¡°The candied kumquats I ate thest time were very good, but kumquats are hard to find right now. Would you be able to use hawthorns instead?¡±

    Chu Lian nodded with a smile, ¡°Yes, hawthorns are fine too. I¡¯ll make them myself and send them over to you myself when I¡¯m done, Mother.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an chatted with the two for some time before letting them leave.

    They left the bedroom and headed out to the parlour, but the moment they had just stepped out of the parlour, Chu Lian¡¯s footsteps came to a halt.

    He Changdi found it strange, so he followed the direction of her gaze and looked towards the corridor on the right.

    They watched as a pregnant woman with a protruding belly walked towards them while being supported by two servants.

    The pregnant woman seemed pretty young. She was wearing a loose apple-red robe with a matching brocade cloak. Her hair was shaped into a simple bun, with just an ordinary golden hairpin holding it up.

    Although her face had be chubbier, Chu Lian was still able to recognise her instantly. She was Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s personal maidservant, Miaozhen.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected Miaozhen¡¯s belly to have grown so quickly in the few months that she had been away/

    When Chu Lian thought of her eldest brother-inw He Changqi, she felt sorry for him.

    He Changdi and Chu Lian were standing in a rather secluded area. They were basically in a blindspot from where Miaozhen was right now.

    Just as Chu Lian and He Changdi were about to leave, they heard conversationing from Miaozhen¡¯s direction.

    One of the maidservants supporting Miaozhen asked, ¡°Sister Miaozhen, are you feeling any difort today?¡±

    Miaozhen smiled and replied, ¡°Not at all, I¡¯m feeling good.¡±

    The servant then asked, ¡°Sister Miaozhen, are you still craving sour foods?¡±

    This time, Miaozhen didn¡¯t reply and shyly nodded instead.

    The servant gave a wide smile, ¡°Sister Miaozhen, my mother said that craving for sour food means that it¡¯s a boy and craving for spicy food means that it¡¯s a girl! The child in your belly is definitely a little young master!¡± The servant then paused for a moment as if she was afraid that someone might be eavesdropping. She intentionally moved closer to Miaozhen¡¯s ear and lowered her voice, ¡°Our house doesn¡¯t have a little young master yet, if Sister Miaozhen gives birth to a boy, your position will be stable!¡±

    She had kept her voice quiet, but Chu Lian was still able to hear every word she said.

    The brows on Chu Lian¡¯s little face furrowed together.

    Happiness was written all over Miaozhen¡¯s face at the thought, while the servant supporting her giggled out loud.

    While Chu Lian was staring nkly at them, He Changdi grabbed her hand. It was still cold in February, so this sent warmth to her icy cold hand.

    He Sang¡¯s handsome face reverted back to the grim expression that he put on in front of others. He then stooped over and whispered into Chu Lian¡¯s ear, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Chu Lian stopped looking in Miaozhen¡¯s direction and gave a slight nod in response. After getting her agreement, He Changdi quickly pulled her away.

    Wen and the other servants tactfully kept a distance while still following behind their masters.

    It was only when Chu Lian and He Changdi had finally left the parlour that Miaozhen noticed their presence.

    She immediately stopped in her tracks, subconsciously attempting to greet Third Young Master and Madam, but it was impossible for her to catch up with them considering the speed at which He Sang was dragging Chu Lian away.

    The servants by Miaozhen¡¯s sides stared after the tall figure of He Changdi with dazed looks, ¡°Sister Miaozhen, is that Third Young Master?¡±

    Miaozhen nodded. Her brows knitted together, but she didn¡¯t speak.

    She looked away and continued heading towards Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s bedroom.

 Chapter 481: To Manage the Household (2)

    Chu Lian seemed to have her mind elsewhere while He Changdi pulled her along.

    Her mother-inw, Countess Jing¡¯an, had requested for sour candied hawthorns, while the pregnant Miaozhen just happened to be craving sour foods. Was this really just a coincidence?

    As her mind was preupied, Chu Lian didn¡¯t notice the dark clouds gathering on He Sang¡¯s handsome face.

    The couple continued walking in silence for a good distance. When they arrived at the garden outside of Songtao Court, He Sang suddenly stopped short and led Chu Lian over to an octagonal pavilion nearby.

    He stood with his back against the wind and used his tall figure to shield Chu Lian from the chilly breeze, ¡°Lian¡¯er, you don¡¯t have to make the candied hawthorns anymore.¡±

    Chu Lian was still lost in her thoughts. Upon hearing this statement from her husband, she let out a confused ¡®huh?¡¯ and looked up at He Changdi.

    It was only then that she finally noticed the peculiar expression on his face.

    When met with Chu Lian¡¯s clear and innocent eyes, despite having already lived one lifetime, He Changdi didn¡¯t know what to say.

    He pursed his lips and extended his arm to take Chu Lian¡¯s small and soft figure into his embrace.

    The feeling of his wife lying peacefully in his arms made him sigh contentedly.

    With a possessive tone, he proimed, ¡°You are MY wife, you don¡¯t need to cook for anybody else.¡±

    Despite how baffling and awkward his words were and how controlling they seemed, Chu Lian still felt warm and fuzzy inside.

    Chu Lian snuggled into his chest for a bit, before she raised her head and stared at him, ¡°It¡¯s your mother we¡¯re talking about, she¡¯s not just anybody.¡±

    He Changdi didn¡¯t reply this time. He tightened his arms around her and turned his gaze out towards the frozenke which had yet to melt, with a profound look in his eyes that probably no one would understand.

    In his previous life, Miaozhen had miscarried, and the culprit had been ¡®Chu Lian¡¯...

    Was the mastermind in the shadows trying to pull something again?

    At Qingxi Hall.

    The brazier in the parlour was burning brightly and the walls were heated, so the room was as warm as spring. Senior Servant Liu was feeling hot in her cotton jacket, but the matriarch who sat on the heated bed felt that it was still chilly.

    Senior Servant Liu took a porcin bowl with the sign of longevity painted on it from another servant and carried it over to Matriarch He, ¡°Matriarch, perhaps this servant should ask Great Doctor Miao to check on you. Your health is a far cry from before.¡±

    Matriarch He waved her hand to reject that notion, ¡°Unnecessary. Putting aside the fact that Great Doctor Miao just gave me a checkup two days ago, this illness of mine can only be cured by a deity. You don¡¯t have to trouble Great Doctor Miao.¡±

    Senior Servant Liu let out a soft sigh. Matriarch He had too many worries on her mind and she was getting old, which was why her health had declined so much. To have a healthy body, one had to have a clear mind, so it was indeed pointless to rely on Great Doctor Miao to cure the matriarch.

    No matter how great a doctor is, they couldn¡¯t possibly restore vigour that had been sapped away by time.

    ¡°Nevertheless, you should still drink this bowl of medicinal soup, Matriarch!¡±

    Matriarch He didn¡¯t reject her this time. She epted the bowl and drank two mouthfuls of it. Finding it tasteless, she put it to one side.

    She dismissed the other servants waiting upon her in the room before taking Senior Servant Liu¡¯s hand into her own. She asked seriously, ¡°Xiangyun, what do you think about Sang¡¯s wife?¡±

    Senior Servant Liu was stunned by this sudden question, but she immediately realised what was on Matriarch He¡¯s mind.

    Senior Servant Liu smiled and said, ¡°Matriarch, you must be thinking about letting Third Young Madam manage the household, right?¡±

    Matriarch He looked at her with surprise, ¡°You old fox, I can¡¯t hide anything from you.¡±

    Senior Servant Liu started massaging Matriarch He¡¯s shoulders as she spoke, ¡°This servant may be overstepping her bounds but I believe that Third Young Madam is the best choice for managing the household in our estate. It¡¯s obvious just from looking at Songtao Court and Guilin Restaurant. Hasn¡¯t Third Young Madam done well beyond expectations for both of them? Third Young Master also seemed very pleased with Third Young Madam. The couple looked like they were joined at the hip when they came for their morning greetings earlier, how enviable.¡±

    After Senior Servant Liu gave her opinion, Matriarch He fell into deep contemtion.

    Noticing the silence of the matriarch, Senior Servant Liu didn¡¯t disrupt her from her thoughts and just continued massaging her gently instead.

    A long whileter, Matriarch He sighed deeply, ¡°How could I possibly be unaware of how well Sang¡¯s wife has done? However, she¡¯s still so young... When all¡¯s said and done, she¡¯s just a mere sixteen years of age. She¡¯s only a little older than Nianzhen.¡±

    Hearing this statement from Matriarch He, Senior Servant Liu realised that the matriarch had alreadye to her own conclusion in her heart. She stayed silent now, knowing that the matriarch didn¡¯t fully trust Third Young Madam.

    If the matriarch did not truly believe in someone, even if she tried persuading otherwise, the matriarch wouldn¡¯t waver at all. She might even damage the friendly rtionship that they had cultivated over the years.

    While the master and servant shared a private conversation in the room, a maidservant outside the room announced that ¡®Leader Mo¡¯ was requesting an audience.

    When Matriarch He shot Senior Servant Liu a look, Senior Servant Liu bobbed in acknowledgement and headed out to bring Leader Mo in.

    Mo Chenggui scanned the parlour the very moment he entered. He rxed when he noticed that there were no outsiders around.

    He greeted Matriarch He with a bow.

    The matriarch had him take a seat and ordered Senior Servant Liu to bring tea for him.

    Once he had settled down, the matriarch asked, ¡°Leader Mo, is something the matter?¡±

    The guards of House Jing¡¯an worked in shifts under a schedule specially nned by Heir Jing¡¯an, He Changqi. Except in the cases of emergencies or matters concerning the inner court, the guards normally wouldn¡¯t request to meet the matriarch.

    However, looking at Mo Chenggui, he seemed to have a special reason foring to visit her.

    Leader Mo mulled over the question for a moment and finally nodded.

    ¡°Matriarch, there¡¯s a matter that I have been brooding over for some time... Since the Count isn¡¯t around, I¡¯ve decided to report this matter to you.¡±

    Fifteen minutester, Leader Mo departed from Qingxi Hall, leaving behind an rmed Matriarch He and Senior Servant Liu.

    There was aplicated look in Matriarch He¡¯s eyes. She had never expected Sang¡¯s wife to have been abducted while at the northern border!

    Furthermore, she had spent the night out...

    Although the Great Wu Dynasty was starting to be more open-minded, that was only whenpared to the previous dynasty. Even though women in this dynasty had more freedom than before, the reputation of nobledies were still regarded with utmost importance.

 Chapter 482: Protective of His Wife (1)

    Once a woman¡¯s reputation was damaged, she faced the possibility of being divorced and abandoned by her husband¡¯s family. If thedy in question was not married, it might even affect the marriage prospects of the otherdies in the family.

    Senior Servant Liu abruptly came back to her senses. She took a careful peek at the matriarch¡¯s expression. When she saw a grim expression on the matriarch, she knew that things were going to turn bad.

    She pondered over the matter and decided to help mediate a little.

    ¡°Matriarch, this is a situation that we didn¡¯t experience personally. There are probably things we don¡¯t know about this matter. Third Young Master and Third Young Madam are so loving with each other. It¡¯s clear that nothing could have possibly happened to Third Young Madam! Please don¡¯t overthink things.¡±

    While Matriarch He still had an awful expression on her face, she kept her rationality. She turned a disapproving look on Senior Servant Liu, ¡°Xiangyun, you need to remember who your master is.¡±

    Senior Servant Liu trembled and her face instantly paled. She kept her head lowered and remained silent at the side.

    She stood there with uncertainty and anxiety for a long moment before she heard the matriarch speak again.

    ¡°Alright, I was too harsh with my words earlier. Don¡¯t let any hint of this news leak out. We don¡¯t know the actual details of what happened at the northern border. However, in the meantime, send someone to monitor the third branch over the next few days. Also, I don¡¯t want to hear any more regarding the matter of letting Sang¡¯s wife manage the household affairs.¡±

    Senior Servant Liu was shaken to her core. She would never have thought that Third Young Madam¡¯s trip to the northern border would cause the rtionship between the matriarch and Third Young Madam to break apart...

    What were they to do now? Judging by how things were going, House Jing¡¯an would still need to rely on the third branch to keep their prestige in the future!

    Even if she didn¡¯t want to admit, Senior Servant Liu understood in her heart that the matriarch was getting old...

    She asked worriedly, ¡°Then the household affairs...¡±

    Matriarch He coughed a few times, her old age now showing in her demeanour.

    ¡°I¡¯ll manage the household affairs for now. If I can¡¯t bear it, since Miss Ying is back now, she can help out with the management.¡±

    Senior Servant Liupletely hadn¡¯t expected that the matriarch had made such a decision in her heart...

    She couldn¡¯t believe her ears. Letting Eldest Madam manage the household? Considering Eldest Madam¡¯s misconduct when she was younger, this didn¡¯t seem like a reliable solution.

    The worry in Senior Servant Liu¡¯s heart only deepened.

    Chu Lian was peacefully spending her days in Songtao Court, unaware that Leader Mo had told Matriarch He what happened at the northern border in secret.

    After mulling it over for some time, Chu Lian still decided to make some ¡®candied hawthorns¡¯ and send them over to Countess Jing¡¯an.

    Although He Changdi disagreed, she couldn¡¯t really offend her mother-inw by refusing.

    Of course, Chu Lian wasn¡¯t stupid. She sent someone over to Great Doctor Miao to make an inquiry before instructing the maidservants to prepare the ingredients.

    She made them with her own hands this time, without any help from her maidservants.

    The candied hawthorns were ready just before dinner. She personally sent them over to Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s room after cing them in a food container.

    Chu Lian had made more than enough, so she prepared another box to bring over to Prince Wei¡¯s Estate for the following day.

    Royal Princess Duanjia was a glutton. If she didn¡¯t bring some food over, the princess would probablyin.

    That night, He Changdi was rather well-behaved when they slept.

    He had finally gotten his first taste of pleasure and it was even harder for him to restrain himself now. However, when he thought of how Chu Lian¡¯s body hadn¡¯t recovered from their first night, all he did was to help her apply some medicine before kissing and caressing her to temporarily satisfy his desires.

    In the end, he left to go take a bath in the bathroom.

    Chu Lian slept soundly all the way till morning. The furnace next to her was already gone, so she knew that He Changdi had gone to the martial arts arena again.

    She stayed snug and warm in bed until He Changdi returned.

    The couple ate breakfast in their own room before heading to Qingxi Hall for the usual morning greeting.

    Today, He Ying and her daughter were also present when they arrived.

    The tall and slender He Changdi was wearing a long ck robe embroidered with auspicious clouds on the hem today. A simple jade ornament hung at his waist while his hair was tied up into a high bun, exposing his forehead. His handsome and cold face was like the first ice formed on the surface of ake during winter and he was emitting an imposing aura from his body. After training in the military, He Sang had lost some of his gloominess, in exchange for a more mature and steadyposure that would seem more dependable to a woman.

    Despite his stern temperament, his actions were thoughtful and caring as he reached out and supported his wife as she lifted her feet to cross the doorstep.

    He Ying didn¡¯t know if it was just her imagination, but she felt that there was something different about her nephew¡¯s wife today. She seemed even more beautiful aspared to the past couple of days. She was like a graceful rose that was beginning to bloom, exuding a light and attractive scent.

    Miss Pan was seated next to He Ying and staring dazedly at He Sang.

    The couple bobbed in greeting towards Matriarch He.

    The matriarch¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t very good and she simply waved her hand in eptance.

    For some reason, Chu Lian felt that Matriarch He¡¯s attitude towards her seemed to be colder than before.

    He Sang had sensed it as well, so his gaze lingered a few seconds longer on his grandmother¡¯s face.

 Chapter 483: Protective of His Wife (2)

    Matriarch He started speaking after everyone in the parlour had settled down.

    She looked over Chu Lian first. The youngdy was wearing a lc dress that cinched at the waist, paired with a jacket that buttoned down the front. Her hair had beenbed into a style that was currently popr in the capital. A ruby chain headdress shone against her dark hair, which made her skin appear even more fair and smooth. The bright smile on her face made her a picture-perfect beauty.

    Matriarch He suddenly felt somewhat displeased with her granddaughter-inw, who seemed to be blossoming into her looks.

    However, there wasn¡¯t a single hint of her inner thoughts showing on her facial expression as she asked, ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, are you going out today?¡±

    Chu Lian nodded upon hearing the matriarch¡¯s question, ¡°Replying to Grandmother, Royal Princess Duanjia sent an invitation yesterday. Since I happen to be free today, I wanted to pay a visit to Prince Wei¡¯s Estate.¡±

    He Ying and Pan Nianzhen were shocked when they heard her words. It was out of their expectations that the first person Chu Lian would visit upon returning to the capital was Royal Princess Duanjia!

    They had heard about the status of Royal Princess Duanjia.

    Pan Nianzhen had also personally met Royal Princess Duanjia that day at the birthday banquet in Prince Wei¡¯s Estate.

    Royal Princess Duanjia had a high status by birth. She also had a haughty and cold personality which meant that she didn¡¯t interact much with other nobledies. Pan Nianzhen had seen how several legitimate daughters of noble families had tried to chat with Royal Princess Duanjia at Princess Wei¡¯s banquet and how they had been coldly rejected.

    A personage like Royal Princess Duanjia had actually sent an invitation to Chu Lian post-haste!

    Pan Nianzhen was shaken to the core by this bit of news.

    He Ying was surprised as well, but she had already begun making her own ns.

    Matriarch He wasn¡¯t really surprised by this, since she knew that Chu Lian had a good rtionship with Royal Princess Duanjia. She had also gone to Prince Wei¡¯s Estate often before going to the northern border.

    Thus, the matriarch simply stated, ¡°Princess Wei provided much assistance during your journey to the northern border. You should indeed pay her a visit in person to express your gratitude. When I visited Prince Wei¡¯s Estate some time ago, Princess Wei even asked after you. Don¡¯t forget your manners when you go today. ¡°

    Chu Lian¡¯s expression showed that she was listening very seriously. When the matriarch finished speaking, she nodded in response.

    Although there was nothing wrong with Matriarch He¡¯s words, Chu Lian could sense the difference in the matriarch¡¯s attitude.

    Her words were polite, but she seemed to bepletely ignoring her obligation as an elder member of the family.

    If her attitude was the same as before, Matriarch He would have instructed the servants to help prepare a suitable gift.

    After all, Prince Wei¡¯s Estate had really provided much needed help throughout the trip to the northern border. Moreover, Chu Lian wasn¡¯t the only one who benefited from their help. It could be said that Prince Wei¡¯s Estate had taken care of House Jing¡¯an as a whole.

    Otherwise, Princess Wei wouldn¡¯t have invited Matriarch He to her important birthday banquet.

    He Ying quickly shot her mother a look. She stared at Matriarch He with pleading eyes.

    When the matriarch made eye contact with her daughter, she was momentarily stunned. It didn¡¯t take long before her heart softened.

    She still felt a little guilty when she thought of the cold treatment her only daughter had received upon returning to the capital.

    The matriarch had the intention to help her daughter settle in the capital. Although her daughter had been rather ¡®rebellious¡¯ when she was younger, she had already matured with age and she was able toport herself with proper etiquette now.

    The only problem was that she still had a bad reputation, especially as a widow who had returned to her maiden family. Thus, she wasn¡¯t very wee in the social circles of the noblewomen in the capital. The matriarch had brought her daughter and granddaughter along to several banquets, so she had personally seen her daughter being excluded. It was inevitable that Matriarch He would feel ufortable with this situation.

    Although she med those nobledies for only pandering to power, her daughter had indeed been a little too deviant in the past. Therefore, there was nothing she could do about her exclusion from noble society.

    However, if her daughter and granddaughter could get on friendly terms with Royal Princess Duanjia and Princess Wei, then there might be a favourable turn to this situation.

    The matriarch couldn¡¯t bear her daughter¡¯s earnest pleading for long.

    She let out an awkward cough before asking, ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, are you going to Prince Wei¡¯s Estate alone today?

    While Chu Lian thought that the matriarch¡¯s tone had changed rather quickly, she hadn¡¯t realised that it was rted to He Ying and her daughter. Thus, she answered truthfully .

    ¡°Husband is also going, but he¡¯s stopping by the Left Military Guards first.¡±

    The road to Prince Wei¡¯s Estate and the Left Military Guards happened to be in opposing directions. Matriarch He smiled kindly, ¡°Since you¡¯re going by yourself, then take Miss Pan along with you. You¡¯re all about the same age as Royal Princess Duanjia. There¡¯ll be plenty to talk about with three youngdies together.¡±

    Pan Nianzhen hadn¡¯t expect her grandmother to say this. Delight appeared on her face. She would be able to interact more with Third Cousin like this.

    Hesitation red up in Chu Lian¡¯s heart, but she didn¡¯t let it show on her face. She shot a nonchnt nce at the matriarch, before turning her gaze on Eldest Madam and her daughter.

    Although she was unhappy, as a granddaughter-inw, she couldn¡¯t reject Grandmother upfront when she had made such a request.

    Matriarch He was obviously using her to help He Ying and her daughter make some connections.

    He Changdi¡¯s cold voice resounded just as Chu Lian was about to agree.

    ¡°Grandmother, I need to apany Lian¡¯er to Prince Wei¡¯s Estate first. Princess Wei and Royal Princess Duanjia have been taking great care of Lian¡¯er. As her husband, it¡¯s improper that I haven¡¯t paid them a visit them yet. Thus, it would be inconvenient for Cousin to follow along.¡±

    He Changdi spoke with a cool tone that brooked no argument. The Emperor had ced him in an important position, so even Matriarch He had to give some face to her youngest grandson.

    ¡°If that¡¯s so, then the two of you should leave earlier. Miss Pan, you won¡¯t go along today. Sang¡¯s wife can bring her along next time.¡±

    ¡°Grandmother, thank you for your understanding. It¡¯s gettingte, so Lian¡¯er and I will take our leave first.¡±

    Matriarch He waved her hand and dismissed the couple.

    He Changdi pulled Chu Lian up with him and they both bowed towards Matriarch He before leaving Qingxi Hall.

    As soon as they left, He Ying let all of her dissatisfaction show on her face.

    Sheined with indignation, ¡°Mother! Is Sang looking down on us? If Sang dislikes us, then I can¡¯t continue living in this estate. I¡¯ll bring Nianzhen back to Siyang tomorrow morning.¡±

    Pan Nianzhen was simrly stunned. She hadn¡¯t thought that He Changdi would actually refuse Grandmother and leave her in the estate.

    Matriarch He was getting a headache from the sound of her daughter¡¯s wailing. Her heart was also pent up with frustration.

    Of course she had noticed that He Sang had done that to protect Chu Lian.

    There was a hint of anger in her voice when she spoke, ¡°What¡¯s there to cry about!? If it weren¡¯t for all the preposterous things you¡¯ve done in the past, would Sang have rejected you on the spot?¡±

 Chapter 484: Considerate (1)

    Matriarch He had only mentioned her daughter¡¯s mistakes from the past in the heat of the moment.

    The moment she said it, regret overcame her when her daughter¡¯s cries turned even more aggrieved.

    She sighed deeply, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough crying. They have a lot of socialising to do because they have just returned. Just wait for a few more days, and I¡¯ll have Sang¡¯s wife take Miss Pan around.¡±

    Matriarch He¡¯s promise immediately stopped He Ying¡¯s sobbing. She lifted her head with a face full of tears and spoke in a hoarse voice, ¡°Mother, do you mean that for real?¡±

    Matriarch He grabbed He Ying¡¯s hand and a slight smile finally surfaced on her face, ¡°You¡¯re my own flesh and blood, when have I ever lied to you?¡±

    The mistakes He Ying made in her youth were already matters long past.

    She had finally gotten to see her daughter after so many years apart. How could she bear to see her sad?

    After leaving Qingxi Hall, He Sang and Chu Lian didn¡¯t return to Songtao Court. Instead, they headed straight to the outer court to embark on their trip to Prince Wei¡¯s mansion.

    He Sang personally helped Chu Lian up the carriage and immediately followed after her with a single stride of his long legs.

    Xiyan tactfully went to the next carriage instead of sitting with her master as usual.

    Chu Lian stared at him with her clear eyes, her mouth still slightly agape from the surprise.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Laiyue bring Leaping Clouds out for you earlier?¡±

    He Changdi nced at her and casually straightened out his robes before replying, ¡°Who said that the horse has to be ridden if it¡¯s brought out?¡±

    Forck of a good response, Chu Lian rolled her eyes at him. The noblemen of the capital rarely sat in carriages unless there was some physical reason keeping them from riding.

    Wasn¡¯t he afraid of gettingughed at by others for sitting in a carriage with her like this instead of riding on a horse like a man?

    He Sang¡¯s dark pupils were focused on Chu Lian. Seeing her luscious lips and almond-shaped eyes, he couldn¡¯t help swallowing his saliva. He reached out and pulled her against his side.

    Chu Lian nearly let out a startled cry but she held it in. Once she managed to calm down, she realised that she was already sitting on her lunatic husband¡¯sp.

    Despite the contrast between his ck robe and her bright lc dress, they gave off a inexplicable sense of harmony when put together.

    He Sang held the woman in his embrace tightly and dropped a light peck on her forehead. The ruby that hung over her forehead made her little face all the more brilliant.

    Chu Lian was already a little ufortable when she realised she could feel a certain reaction from his very male body even through his clothes. She started struggling a little andined with an enraged whisper, ¡°He Changdi, can¡¯t you be a little more decent!?¡±

    He Sang¡¯s sharp brows furrowed together and he used a little more force to keep her iling body in ce. He held her soft earlobe between his lips and gently nibbled on it. His husky voice resounded in her ear, ¡°Stop moving, or I might truly lose control.¡±

    His deep and maic voice and the warm breath caressing her ear caused her whole body to turn limp.

    As a result, she turnedpletely stiff and motionless on He Changdi¡¯s chest.

    He Changdi petted her ck hair and kissed the top of her head, ¡°Smart girl.¡±

    Chu Lian leaned against He Changdi¡¯s broad and muscled chest like this for a while. When she finally felt his horniness fade away, she gulped down her saliva and spoke up.

    She raised her head and put some distance between them. Her head tilted to one side as she looked at his handsome and chilly face and stared deeply into his gentle eyes. Chu Lian suddenly pouted andid back down on his chest. With an aggrieved tone, she asked, ¡°He Changdi, why does it feel like Grandmother doesn¡¯t like me anymore?¡±

    He Sang¡¯s heart melted from the needy look in his wife¡¯s eyes.

    With great difficulty, he opened his mouth and spoke in a deep voice, ¡°Call me Hubby.¡±

 Chapter 485: Considerate (2)

    Chu Lian pouted, buried her face into the front of his robes, and said in a slightly muffled voice, ¡°Hubby, Grandmother doesn¡¯t like me anymore.¡±

    Chu Lian had been using a questioning tone earlier, but now she was stating a fact.

    She wasn¡¯t stupid. Despite the Matriarch¡¯s attempt at acting as per normal, she had still been able to sense that something was wrong.

    When someone truly cared for you, you would be able to sense it in their gaze, their actions, their words.

    It wasn¡¯t just Chu Lian who had this feeling, He Changdi felt the same.

    His brows wrinkled slightly and he thought of the movements in the estate for the past two days.

    Chu Lian had suffered on the trip to the north and she had even seeded in bringing back the medicinal ingredient needed to cure his mother. Grandmother wasn¡¯t an unreasonable person, so she should be treating Chu Lian even more dearly. Why had she be cold and distant instead?

    There had to be some external factor influencing her.

    He Sang¡¯s pupils dted as he sunk deep into his thoughts. When a sudden notion came to him, his eyes narrowed.

    After his past life, He Changdi knew how important it was to make sure that there were no conflicts between even the closest of families. Otherwise, the gaps in their hearts would give rise to internal family troubles.

    Grandmother was aging and his aunt was right by her side. Many things were different from his past life.

    Heforted his wife by stroking her back with his palm. Resolution formed a decision in his heart.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, what do you think happened?¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s brows formed a frown. She sat up and straightened her posture before sharing her analysis, ¡°Hubby, could it be... Uncle Mo?¡±

    He Sang looked at her with undisguised admiration, as they had reached the same conclusion.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this, I¡¯ll handle it. As for Grandmother, she¡¯s old and may have be muddleheaded, don¡¯t take her actions to heart. I¡¯m the one who you¡¯re spending the rest of your life with, not her.

    Chu Lian knew that He Sang was right, but feeling alienated from the matriarch for no reason left a bad taste in her mouth. In the past, she may not have cared about this, but since she wanted to pass her days happily with He Changdi and help him manage the family, it was hard for her to stay positive.

    As a granddaughter-inw, she didn¡¯t want to be disliked by her grandmother-inw.

    Chu Lian puffed up her cheeks and said, ¡°But I¡¯m still unhappy.¡±

    He Changdi understood his wife¡¯s train of thought. It was precisely because she cared about him that she wanted the approval of all of his rtives, and to be on equal footing with him.

    The caring consideration from his wife warmed He Sang¡¯s heart. Her cute and chubby puffed up cheeks gave him a sudden urge... He let out a low chuckle and pulled her closer. With just a simple tilt of his head, his lips were already covering her pout. He tasted her smooth and sweet lips before pushing past them and plundering her mouth...

    When Chu Lian ran out of air, she pushed at his chest and he finally released her.

    ¡°Do you still have the strength to get angry now?¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s lips had turned red from his bullying. She red at him with her clear eyes, ¡°He Changdi, you¡¯re getting more and more out of hand.¡±

    He Sang¡¯s icy face broke into a smile that resembled a warm breeze.

    Although Chu Lian was still displeased with him, she couldn¡¯t bear to spoil this rxed expression of his.

    Now that she had be estranged from the matriarch, albeit through no fault of her own, he was the one stuck in the middle. Things would be tough for him in the future.

    Chu Lian¡¯s heart ached for her grim-faced husband.

    She stroked He Sang¡¯s cheek and said softly, ¡°Forget about it. I¡¯m not made of gold, so I can¡¯t be liked by everyone. I can¡¯t control how Grandmother thinks, but I¡¯ll be fine as long as my conscience is clear. You don¡¯t have to think too much about this, we¡¯re not living our lives for others to see.¡±

    He Sang hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to be able to let the matter go. His heart was instantly enveloped in warmth that he had never felt before.

 Chapter 486: Roast Duck (1)

    It was hard to hold back his emotions, so he was about to catch Chu Lian for a round of intimate snuggling when she abruptly rejected him.

    Chu Lian¡¯s fair hands covered his thin lips, ¡°You can¡¯t! I have to meet Princess Wei in a short moment.¡±

    He Changdi did his best to restrain himself and simply groped her chest a little. He whispered something softly into her ear.

    Whatever he said made Chu Lian flush bright red. She pressed her lips together, struggling to find a response.

    He Changdi watched her with his ck pupils as his hands started misbehaving again. Chu Lian knew that he had a domineering personality, so she quickly pleaded for mercy and agreed to his request.

    He Sang finally broke out into a smile.

    ¡°If only it was already night time.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s reaction to his words was a harsh pinch to his arm.

    Unfortunately, He Changdi¡¯s biceps were rather tough, so it was Chu Lian¡¯s fingers that hurt instead.

    After a few minutes, Chu Lian asked, ¡°What happened to your aunt?¡±

    She had been curious about Eldest Madam¡¯s past since yesterday. However, He Sang had turned into a pervert the moment he had returned, so she hadn¡¯t been able to find a chance to ask.

    Luckily, they had some time now.

    The only ones who knew about matters in the estate from two decades ago were the matriarch¡¯s old servants. They were also likely to be the matriarch¡¯s closest aides, so she couldn¡¯t just ask them about it. The original novel hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about He Ying and her daughter either, so if she wanted to know more, the quickest way would be to ask He Changdi.

    He had plenty of useful subordinates around and he could even ask his mother, Countess Jing¡¯an, so he probably knew most of it.

    He Sang poked Chu Lian¡¯s forehead with a finger, ¡°You¡¯re only thinking to ask your husband now? I thought you weren¡¯t interested in that matter anymore!¡±

    The trust and reliance his wife had for him had satisfied He Sang¡¯s male ego.

    A soothing warmth suffused his heart.

    Chu Lian red at him. She had been wanting to ask for a while, but this great pervert hadn¡¯t given her the chance!

    When He Changdi had been born, Eldest Madam He Ying had already married off to Siyang, so he didn¡¯t have any impression of this aunt of his. It was Countess Jing¡¯an who actually had more of an impression of He Ying in the past.

    The majority of what He Sang knew of his aunt hade from his mother.

    He Ying was Matriarch He¡¯s only daughter and the Eldest Miss of the He Estate back then.

    When Count Jing¡¯an and He Ying had still been young, Matriarch He had followed the old Count to the battlefields. The foundations of the He Family hadn¡¯t been very stable back then and they had a pitiful number of family members.

    Count Jing¡¯an, He Yanwen, was seven years older than this little sister, He Ying. When the old Count had gone to battle, He Yanwen had been old enough to follow his parents in the army. However, He Ying had only been two or three then, so Matriarch He had no choice but to leave He Ying behind in the care of her mother-inw. She also left some trusted maidservants in the old He residence to watch over her daughter.

    The couple had then taken their son with them to the army, leaving only He Ying and her grandmother behind in the family residence.

    Matriarch He¡¯s mother-inw was already old then and she spoiled her granddaughter. She had been the one to raise He Ying alone until she turned seven. In all that time, Matriarch He and the old Count had only returned three times.

    It wasn¡¯t until the old Count had made a significant achievement and gotten his noble title that the He family finally established their foothold in the capital.

    The couple was finally able to take their young daughter back to live with them.

    Unfortunately, the young He Ying had already been groomed into a pampered and unruly brat by her grandmother.

    Following that, when the He Family finally settled down in the capital and Matriarch He wanted to correct He Ying¡¯s upbringing, she had her mother-inw obstructing her on one hand, while He Ying¡¯s personality had already been formed on the other. She wasn¡¯t able to achieve her goal. Later on, although her mother-inw had already passed away, He Ying had already grown into a youngdy.

    Matriarch He knew that her daughter was too obstinate to change, so she tried her best to restrain her daughter so that she wouldn¡¯t cause any trouble.

    When it finally came to He Ying¡¯sing-of-age, Matriarch He looked all over the capital for a good husband for her.

    However, on the day before hering-of-age, thanks to her abrupt fever, the doctor actually found out that He Ying was pregnant!

    Matriarch He fainted from anger on the spot.

    After some investigation, they found out that the child in her belly belonged to a handsome young manservant in their estate... Matriarch He almost fainted once again.

    She had finally found a good husband for He Ying, yet their unmarried young miss had actually gotten pregnant! How could she marry her to a good noble family then?

    Thus, all she could do was to cancel the engagement.

    In order to conceal the whole matter, she and Senior Servant Liu personally forced the abortion medicine into her very own daughter. The manservant that had gotten the young miss pregnant was beaten to death.

    To keep this scandal from affecting the standing of their family, Matriarch He and the old Count hardened their hearts and married He Ying off to faraway Siyang...

    In contrast to He Changdi¡¯s calm narration of the events, Chu Lian¡¯s eyes were wide with shock.

    The corners of her mouth twitched. She really wanted to say that Eldest Madam was too stupid... but she kept it to herself considering He Ying was still He Changdi¡¯s aunt.

    However, He Sang seemed to know what she was thinking anyway. He snorted, ¡°Lian¡¯er, you don¡¯t have to keep your thoughts to yourself. Aunt is an idiot to me. Although her lover was a childhood sweetheart of hers, it was absolutely shameless of her to have done something like this as a legitimate miss of a noble house.¡±

    From the way He Ying had acted in the past few days, they could tell that she had been spoiled rotten by the old Count¡¯s mother. Furthermore, no matter how much the matriarch had tried to hide it, the circumstances made it nearly impossible. A legitimate young miss sent off to a small city faraway in Siyang to marry, especially in such a rushed manner, as well as her usual unruly reputation amongst the noble circles, would set tongues wagging. Anyone with half a mind would be able to guess at what had happened.

    No wonder she had been excluded from society even after returning as a widow after so many years.

 Chapter 487: Roast Duck (2)

    The matriarch was also most likely facing a ton of guilt over all of this. She probably med herself for not teaching He Ying better in her younger years and causing He Ying to be such a dislikeable character. This was also probably why the matriarch was so patient and amodating to He Ying, especially in her old age.

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes narrowed into slits. The apple didn¡¯t fall too far from the tree. Growing up under a mother like that, it was likely that Pan Nianzhen¡¯s personality would be simr.

    Time flew by as the couple were immersed in their chat. Before they knew it, the carriage had already slowed down ande to a stop.

    Someone announced from the outside, ¡°Third Young Master, Third Young Madam, we¡¯ve arrived at Prince Wei¡¯s Estate.¡±

    He Changdi lifted his wife off hisp and sat her down gently to one side. He straightened out the crooked phoenix hairpin in her hair before helping her off the carriage.

    Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s handmaid, Jinxiu, was already waiting at the entrance of Prince Wei¡¯s Estate.

    When she noticed that Chu Lian had alighted from the carriage, she quickly brought a group of maidservants over in wee.

    ¡°This servant greets Marquis Anyuan and Honoured Lady Jinyi,¡± Jinxiu said with a bright smile.

    Chu Lian quickly helped her up from her bowed position.

    ¡°Are Princess Wei and Royal Princess Duanjia in the estate today?¡±

    Jinxiu came over to support Chu Lian as she walked and led her towards the estate as she exined, ¡°Honoured Lady, our Royal Princess has been waiting for you for the longest time! Princess Wei also missed you very much. When Royal Princess heard that you would being today, she woke up early this morning.¡±

    He Changdi was following behind Chu Lian with a cold expression.

    Seeing how his wife had been taken away by a servant, his heart felt a little sour.

    Also, what had that lowly servant addressed his wife with just now?

    Honoured Lady Jinyi?

    Shouldn¡¯t she be called ¡®Marchioness Anyuan¡¯ now?

    The expression on tall and slender He Sang turned overcast. He kept his cool as he followed his wife into Prince Wei¡¯s Estate.

    Right as they passed the screen wall of the main gates, they met a young man.

    He Sang gave pause as he watched Chu Lian bob in greeting towards the man.

    The young man had handsome features and a slender body. He was dressed in a long sapphire robe with a fierce mountain tiger embroidered on it.

    He Changdi had a good guess as to who this man was.

    He strode over to his wife¡¯s side and bowed precisely towards the young man.

    ¡°Royal Prince.¡±

    The youngest son of Prince Wei¡¯s Estate, Lu Tai, raised an eyebrow in surprise before returning the bow. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Marquis Anyuan came visiting as well. Since this prince has nothing at hand, would Marquis Anyuan have some time for a short discussion on tactics?¡±

    He Changdi had already agreed the moment his eyes had met with Lu Tai¡¯s gaze.

    There were two royal princes in Prince Wei¡¯s Estate. The older one, Lu Kang, had already taken a wife at the start of year and had taken up an official position in another province. He would only return home for the New Year. There was only the younger royal prince left in the estate and he had note of age yet.

    It was rare for Chu Lian to meet the younger royal prince, Lu Kang, when she came to visit Prince Wei¡¯s Estate, so this was an interesting coincidence.

    He Changdi nced at his wife before following the royal prince to the main study in the outer court.

    Chu Lian followed Jinxiu into the inner court to meet Royal Princess Duanjia and Princess Wei.

    She was helped onto a sedan and brought into Princess Wei¡¯s courtyard within fifteen minutes.

    Once the sedan came to a halt, the curtain p was immediately lifted forcefully from outside.

    Following after was a loudint, ¡°Chu Liu! Were you having too much fun up in the north? Why did you take so long toe back!¡±

    Chu Lian felt speechless upon seeing that Royal Princess Duanjia had already stuffed most of her head into the sedan to re at her.

    She quickly alighted from the sedan and smiled as she blinked innocently, ¡°Good day to Royal Princess Duanjia.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia quickly helped her up from her bow and rolled her eyes, ¡°Good? What¡¯s good about these days? I¡¯ve been dying of boredom in my estate while you were out living free and happy as ark!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s smile grew even wider. If living in the north could be termed ¡®free and happy¡¯, then there wouldn¡¯t be so few people living there.

    Royal Princess Duanjia tugged at her arm, ¡°Hurry up, let¡¯s go in, Mother¡¯s waiting for you!¡±

    The two of them walked into the courtyard with linked arms as they chatted, ¡°Chu Liu, did you bring any presents? If you didn¡¯t, I won¡¯t forgive you!¡±

    Chu Lian chuckled, ¡°Would you like some pearls? Agate? Or maybe some rubies and sapphires?¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia turned her head away haughtily, acting like she couldn¡¯t be bothered with Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian covered her mouth to hide her grin. She turned her wide and innocent gaze on Royal Princess Duanjia, ¡°Alright, alright. I know Royal Princess loves to eat the most. I brought some new foods for you to try. We can eat them together with Princess Weiter.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s words made Royal Princess Duanjia cheer right up.

    The edges of her mouth were curved upwards, ¡°Really? Tell me what it¡¯s made of!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s lips were pressed together into a smile, ¡°It¡¯s a secret!¡±

    ¡°Very well, Chu Liu! We haven¡¯t seen each other for a few months and you¡¯ve already turned bad! Don¡¯t forget that you still owe me a roast duck!¡±

    Chu Lian resisted the urge to sweat. How much did Duanjia love eating roast duck? It had already been a few months and she still remembered that promise.

    ¡°Well, since I¡¯m free today, why don¡¯t we make it today? Otherwise, you¡¯ll keep thinking of it night and day!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s eyes were sparkling now.

    Chu Lian found her reaction a little overboard, ¡°Royal Princess, do you like eating roast duck that much?¡±

    Upon getting questioned by Chu Lian, Royal Princess Duanjia abruptly sunk into silence and the smile that had been on her face slowly disappeared.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the one who likes roast duck, it¡¯s my father!¡±

    Chu Lian was stunned speechless.

    Prince Wei?

    Royal Princess Duanjia sighed, ¡°Actually it was Grandfather who loved eating roast duck. It¡¯s almost the anniversary of Grandfather¡¯s death in a few more days, so Father hasn¡¯t been in a very good mood.¡±

    Chu Lian really hadn¡¯t seen thising. Who could have thought that a simple roast duck would somehow involve the previous Emperor?

 Chapter 488: Fox Fur Capes (1)

    Chu Lian patted Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s tiny little hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll teach you how to cook roast duck today. Once you know how to, you can make it more often for your father!¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia felt a little better from Chu Lian¡¯s assurance.

    Chatting as they walked, they quickly reached the parlour of Princess Wei¡¯s courtyard.

    Princess Wei was wearing an elegant silver and red court dress. She was sitting on the warm hearth bed with a gentle expression as she watched Royal Princess Duanjia and Chu Lian enter.

    The two youngdies bobbed in greeting to Princess Wei together.

    Senior Servant Lan quickly stepped forward to help the youngdies up.

    She smiled as she said, ¡°The Princess has been waiting for Honoured Lady to return for some time.¡±

    Princess Wei waved Chu Lian over, ¡°Come,e over here quick. Let me take a good look at you.¡±

    When Chu Lian moved closer, her hands were sped by Princess Wei¡¯s.

    The princess looked at Chu Lian with a motherly and loving gaze. She inspected her for a bit before eximing, ¡°You¡¯ve lost weight! You¡¯re much thinner than you werest winter. We¡¯ll have to get the imperial physician in to check your pulseter.¡±

    Chu Lian quickly shook her head, ¡°Princess, there¡¯s no need for that. The doctor in our estate has already done an examination and given me a clean bill of health!¡±

    Princess Wei put on a stern face and disagreed, ¡°Li Yue has already spoken with me. You were injured in the north. Although you had some treatment and the doctor said that the wound has already healed, you can¡¯t guarantee that it has healed all the way. Let¡¯s have the imperial physician look at you anyway, so that this princess can rest easy.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s heart felt warmed by the princess¡¯s obvious affection for her. She smiled and agreed to it. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble Princess.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia pouted, ¡°Chu Liu, see, with you around, Mother forgets that I even exist.¡±

    Princess Wei red at her daughter helplessly.

    She caught sight of the dress Chu Lian was wearing today and her expression softened even more. ¡°Ah, so the dress fits you perfectly. Duanjia has the exact same measurements!¡±

    Senior Servant Lan was simrly happy and spoke up in teasing, ¡°If it isn¡¯t so! Honoured Lady looks beautiful in this dress. Honoured Lady and Royal Princess look like sisters standing together in these matching outfits.¡±

    Since both her mother and Senior Servant Lan had already said so, Royal Princess Duanjia scooted over to Chu Lian¡¯s side andpared their outfits. Even she was surprised as she eximed, ¡°That¡¯s true! Chu Liu, you¡¯re as tall as me now!¡±

    Chu Lian was also mystified by their strong resemnce to each other.

    If she took a closer look, not only were their figures about the same, even their facial features seemed to be simr.

    Royal Princess Duanjia became even more interested in their appearances now.

    She held Princess Wei¡¯s arm and swung it as she tried to plead coquettishly, ¡°Mother, didn¡¯t you have two brocade dresses made for me recently? Why don¡¯t we change into them for you to see?¡±

    Princess Wei¡¯s eyes lit up at the idea and she quickly nodded in approval.

    Thus, Royal Princess Duanjia pulled Chu Lian away to her room to change into the new outfits.

    When the twodies finally returned to the parlour, even Senior Servant Lan was stunned still.

    The youngdies were now wearing two dresses of the same style, one red and one blue. Their hair was put up in the same hairstyles and they had the exact same items all the way down to their essories. When they held hands and stood before Princess Wei, they looked like real sisters.

    The impact they gave the onlookers was even greater than before.

    Chu Lian felt a little awkward. She had the strange feeling that Princess Wei¡¯s gaze was rather heavy with emotion when looking at her, as if she were not merely her daughter¡¯s friend.

    Senior Servant Lan¡¯s eyes misted over with unshed tears.

    Royal Princess Duanjia tugged Chu Lian into spinning around on the spot to show off their dresses before she beamed at Princess Wei and asked, ¡°Mother, do we look pretty?¡±

    Princess Wei gripped the handkerchief in her hands tightly, restraining the dam of emotions about to break within her. She nodded hurriedly, ¡°Yes, of course!¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia walked up to Princess Wei, hand in hand with Chu Lian. She turned to Chu Lian with a mischievous air, ¡°See, Chu Liu, I told you that these dresses are pretty!¡±

    She nced over Chu Lian from head to toe before wrinkling her nose in dissatisfaction, ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful! You¡¯re wasted on that brat He Sang.¡±

    When Princess Wei noticed that her daughter¡¯s mouth was running out of control again, she quickly reached out and tugged at her arm, ¡°Duanjia! What are you saying! He Sang has been personally named Marquis Anyuan by the Emperor!¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia rolled her eyes, ¡°So what if he¡¯s a marquis now? He wasn¡¯t able to protect Chu Liu anyway! She got injured out there in the north and she suffered so much.¡±

    Princess Wei did agree on that point. She thought privately that He Changdi hadn¡¯t taken good care of Chu Lian.

    The bodyguard siblings, Li Xing and Li Yue, had served Chu Lian throughout the whole journey to the north, so Princess Wei knew all the details of what had happened there.

    It was at this time that Chu Lian spoke up, ¡°Husband came to the estate today and he was invited to the study by Royal Prince.¡±

    When she heard Chu Lian¡¯s words, Royal Princess Duanjia looked like she was gloating in someone¡¯s misfortune, ¡°Chu Liu, did you say that my second brother invited He Sang to the study?¡±

    Chu Lian nodded, not quite understanding why Royal Princess Duanjia looked so excited.

    ¡°Haha! That He Sang deserves it! Second Brother loves to y pranks on others!¡±

    Ah?

    Lu Tai liked to y pranks?

    What a strange pair of siblings! Chu Lian was at a loss for words and she started to worry a little for He Changdi.

    Her lunatic husband wouldn¡¯t so silly as to fall for someone else¡¯s prank, would he?

 Chapter 489: Fox Fur Capes (2)

    Once Royal Princess Duanjia finished speaking, Princess Wei shot her a re and took Chu Lian¡¯s hand to reassure her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, although Tai¡¯er is a little mischievous, he¡¯s not malicious. Marquis Anyuan will be fine.¡±

    Although that was what Princess Wei was saying, she hoped inwardly that her youngest son could teach He Sang a lesson and make him understand his role. Even though Chu Lian¡¯s maiden family couldn¡¯t be counted on, she still had Princess Wei to stand up for her!

    The topic was glossed over just like that. Royal Princess Duanjia was all smiles as she sidled up to Chu Lian, ¡°Chu Liu, didn¡¯t you say you brought something new to eat? Why haven¡¯t you taken it out yet?¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s lips unconsciously lifted into a smile and she instructed Xiyan and Wen to bring the food in.

    A cloth-wrapped package and a food container were soon ced on the table.

    Chu Lian opened the package personally and took out two bright red capes.

    Princess Wei and Royal Princess Duanjia had discerning eyes and were able to tell that the capes Chu Lian were holding were made of top-quality red fox fur.

    Royal Princess Duanjia was startled by the sight, ¡°Chu Liu, where did you get these?¡±

    The two capes had slightly different designs and Chu Lian gave one to each princess.

    ¡°I brought these back from the north. I was lucky enough to happen upon these fox pelts, so I had them made into capes for Your Highness and Princess Duanjia.¡±

    Red fox pelts were even more rare than white fox pelts in the Great Wu Dynasty.

    The two capes that Chu Lian had brought were sleek and practically perfect, making them almost priceless.

    Royal Princess Duanjia immediately draped it over her shoulders and twirled around to show it off, ¡°Mother, look! Isn¡¯t this pretty!¡±

    Princess Wei red at her before ¡®scolding¡¯ Chu Lian, ¡°These furs are too valuable! I¡¯ll ept them this time, but you¡¯re not allowed to spend so much on gifts in the future.¡±

    Chu Lian froze up a little and her face took on a tinge of embarrassment, ¡°Your Highness, I actually didn¡¯t spend that much...¡±

    The way she spoke piqued their curiosity.

    ¡°How much is not that much?¡± Royal Princess Duanjia asked to satisfy the itch in her heart.

    Chu Lian disyed one slender finger in response.

    Royal Princess Duanjia guessed, ¡°A ten-thousand tael note?¡±

    The corners of Chu Lian¡¯s mouth twitched and she coughed before shaking her head.

    Ten thousand taels? She didn¡¯t even have five thousand taels on her while in the north...

    Royal Princess Duanjia covered her mouth in shock, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it was a hundred thousand taels!¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Chu Lian replied awkwardly.

    Princess Wei was also looking on curiously. Finally, she sent a re to her daughter first before stating, ¡°It can¡¯t be a hundred thousand taels, even our estate doesn¡¯t hold that much in taels. I¡¯m afraid Jinyi must mean a thousand taels.¡±

    ¡°What! A thousand taels?! Isn¡¯t that a steal? Chu Liu, your luck is ridiculously good! A thousand taels for these two fox pelts in such great quality... What a huge bargain!¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia bit her handkerchief in jealousy, wondering why she didn¡¯t have that sort of luck too. Whenever she yed the gambling card game Madiao with her mother, she would lose terribly.

    A chuckle escaped from Chu Lian, which she quickly turned into a cough, ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s not a thousand taels, but a hundred catties of brown rice...¡±

    These red fox furs had been traded for grain and food by a barbarian in the simple market she had opened in the north. One of the workers in the market had reported the furs to Manager Qin, who had then sent them over to her.

    When Chu Lian finished speaking, Royal Princess Duanjia wailed and threw herself at Chu Lian.

    ¡°Chu Liu, what kind of crazy luck do you have?! Let me have some of it! Aren¡¯t you breaking thews of heaven with your luck?¡±

    Princess Wei didn¡¯t know how to reply to her daughter¡¯s silly exmation.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t even mentioned the new northern trade market to Princess Wei, but the two red fox fur capes alone were enough to make them all jealous.

    It was clear how profitable the market was.

    Guilin Restaurant¡¯s ie was now a paltry sumpared to the sky-high profits that the northern market was bringing in.

    No matter how cheap that two red fox fur capes had been, Princess Wei and Royal Princess Duanjia were still touched by the gifts.

    This wasn¡¯t due to the value, but due purely to the sentiment behind the gifts.

    Chu Lian opened up the box of food and took out an exquisite porcin te, ¡°These are some hawthorn balls I made yesterday. Your Highness, Princess, please try them.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia loved eating Chu Lian¡¯s novel treats the most. She immediately picked up one of the balls and stuffed it into her mouth.

    The sweet, yet mellow sugared ball melted in her mouth. When she bit into it, a burst of sourness came out thatplemented the sweetness. There weren¡¯t any cores or seeds inside, so she could swallow it down right after chewing.

    Sweet, sour, delicious, and easy to eat. Royal Princess Duanjia wanted to eat another one immediately after finishing the first.

    Princess Wei took one to taste as well, and praised Chu Lian.

    ¡°What a marvelous taste this little candied fruit has. It¡¯s sour and sweet at the same time and very appetising. But this doesn¡¯t seem to taste like hawthorns?¡±

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected Princess Wei to be able to tell the difference.

    She nodded, ¡°Your Highness is right. Although I call this dessert ¡®hawthorn balls¡¯, they¡¯re not actually made from hawthorns.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t good for pregnant women to eat too much hawthorn, so Chu Lian had kept that in mind while making this confection. She had swapped out the hawthorns for a special fruit she had found in the north called ¡®gooseberries¡¯, which looked and tasted very simr to hawthorns. However, their medicinal uses were entirely different from hawthorns.

    After they finished their desserts, the imperial physician that Princess Wei had called for arrived.

    She had sent for an imperial physician skilled in treating external wounds. Once Doctor Min had taken Chu Lian¡¯s pulse and dered her to bepletely healthy, Princess Wei was finally able to rx and set aside her worries.

    The moment Doctor Min left, Royal Princess Duanjia pulled Chu Lian off to cook roast duck.

    Princess Wei had no choice but to let them go, with onest re at Royal Princess Duanjia.

 Chapter 490: Four Beauties (1)

    While Chu Lian was worrying over He Sang, the man in question was currently seated opposite the young Prince Lu Tai with a cool expression. There were already three pieces of men¡¯s essoriesid out on the table to his side.

    Lu Tai stared at the Go board with agitation. He was already regretting the move he had just made. Wasn¡¯t he leaping right into He Changdi¡¯s trap? Why didn¡¯t he notice it earlier!?

    However, he couldn¡¯t withdraw the move due to his pride.

    While Lu Tai was getting frustrated with himself, He Changdi¡¯s long fingers reached into the bowl beside him and picked up a Go stone made of ck jade. With a ck, he set it down on the board and sealed the fate of the white stones.

    He Changdi nced at the rigid young prince. When he noticed that the young prince didn¡¯t have any more essories left on him to bet, he generously said, ¡°Thank you for going easy on me, Prince. Let¡¯s forget about this round.¡±

    This young royal prince of Prince Wei¡¯s estate was also a famed and talented person. Although he was a legitimate son, he wasn¡¯t the heir apparent. The estate would be seeded by his elder brother in the future. However, he had already been bestowed a separate princehood by the Emperor, showing that he was more favoured by the Emperor in the imperial court than his elder brother.

    Unfortunately, Prince Lu Tai had the strange habit of bullying those who yed Go with him.

    Although he had a rather mischievous personality, he respected those who were skillful at Go.

    A game of Go was the best way to befriend him.

    He Sang had never thought of befriending Lu Tai, but since Lu Tai hade knocking, he wouldn¡¯t let this opportunity go.

    Lu Tai stared deeply at the pieces lined up on the board with incredibly bright eyes. He would never have thought that this newly promoted Marquis Anyuan was so skillful at Go.

    It had been a long time since he had suffered such a crushing defeat.

    ¡°Brother He, let¡¯s start another round!¡± While speaking, Lu Tai was already cing the ck and white stones back into their respective bowls.

    His friendly actions were aplete opposite to his haughty teasing a while ago.

    His way of addressing He Changdi had also changed from the distant Marquis Anyuan to the more affectionate Brother He...

    He Changdi was stunned for a moment, and the edges of his mouth twitched.

    Actually, He Changdi hadn¡¯t attained outstanding skills in Go from training hard.

    The fact of the matter was that Lu Tai was a terrible Go yer, while He Changdi was only a tiny bit above average in Go.

    When Lu Tai yed Go with others, they didn¡¯t dare to win due to Lu Tai¡¯s status, so they racked their brains trying to give way to him. He Sang had won four consecutive rounds, but he had only used an average level of skill.

    It was the young prince¡¯s own fault for taking a fancy to the green jade ring on He Changdi¡¯s thumb and demanding it as a bet.

    He had gone through great pains to receive a present from his dearest wife and it was a precious treasure to him. How could he possibly lose it to someone else? Thus, he had gone all out when ying.

    He Sang stood up and bowed towards the young prince, ¡°Prince, I have to go to the Left Military Guards to settle some urgent matters, but I can visit again another time to y Go with you.¡±

    Since He Changdi had spoken so politely, Lu Tai couldn¡¯t possibly decline.

    In a spontaneous decision that was out of character for him, he decided to follow He Changdi to the Left Military Guards.

    There were many steps to preparing roast duck. As it was only two hours to midday, they would only be able to eat roast duck at dinner.

    Chu Lian and Princess Duanjia changed into more lightweight casual dresses. They each brought a handmaid along to Princess Wei¡¯s kitchen to start cooking. There were also two skillfuldy chefs assisting them.

    There were many different styles of roast duck. Chu Lian had travelled to many cities back in the modern world and she had tried their local styles of roast duck, which all had their own special vours.

    Her favourites were the Nanjing Duck and Peking Duck.

    As she hailed from Nanjing, what she first learned was of course the Nanjing style.

    The origins of the Nanjing Duck could be traced back to the era of the Ming Dynasty¡¯s first emperor, the Hongwu Emperor. The mostmon ways of cooking it were by grilling or with a stone oven.

    Chu Lian was more practiced at cooking roast duck with a stone oven, so she was going to teach Princess Duanjia this method.

    There were many steps they had to prepare before roasting the duck in a charcoal oven. While the steps were prettyplicated, with two chefs aiding them, things were a lot easier for Chu Lian and Princess Duanjia.

    The usually haughty Princess Duanjia was now learning conscientiously. She pressed her lips together and tried her best to memorise every single step.

    She also asked Chu Lian from time to time if she was doing it right.

    When Princess Duanjia asked about the oil coating step for the third time, Chu Lian looked at her with a puzzled expression, ¡°The recipe for roast duck is quiteplicated and I only managed to memorise it after doing it many times. Since it¡¯s your first time, it¡¯s normal to forget the steps or make some mistakes. You just need to practise it a few more times, Princess. If you¡¯re worried that you can¡¯t remember the recipe, I can write it downter when we¡¯re finished.¡±

    Princess Duanjia¡¯s features froze in shock for a moment before blooming into a genuine and beautiful smile. She grabbed Chu Lian¡¯s arm and shook it from side to side, ¡°Chu Liu, are you serious? You¡¯re really giving me the recipe?¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know whether tough or to cry. Since she was already teaching her exactly how to roast the duck, the recipe was simply trivial inparison!

    ¡°Of course. There are so many steps, how could you remember it all in one try, Princess?¡±

    Princess Duanjia hugged Chu Lian¡¯s arm, her eyes suddenly a little misty, ¡°Chu Liu, you¡¯re the best!¡±

    Although Princess Duanjia had been born into a sheltered life, as the only daughter of Prince Wei, her life was actually extremely lonely due to Prince Wei¡¯s high status.

    The other nobledies in the capital only befriended her because of her status and none of them actually wanted to be true friends.

    Chu Lian was the first friend that she had ever opened her heart to.

    Thedy in question pursed her lips and smiled, shining like a bright jewel, ¡°Princess, you¡¯ve only realised how good I am now?¡±

 Chapter 491: Four Beauties (2)

    Princess Duanjia red at her and raised a little clenched fist. She threatened, ¡°Chu Liu, you¡¯re really stupid. You have no idea what giving away this roast duck recipe means! You¡¯re just lucky that it¡¯s me you¡¯re dealing with. If you gave it to someone else, you¡¯d definitely regret it.¡±

    Still feeling uneasy, Princess Duanjia added, ¡°Chu Liu, listen to me. Don¡¯t give away your secret recipes to others so casually.¡±

    Chu Lian found it funny, but she could only agree and nod.

    These recipes might be precious and priceless in the eyes of others, but to her, their only value was to cook up a delicious meal.

    If she wanted more recipes, she had plenty in her mind.

    After seeing Chu Lian¡¯s nod, Princess Duanjia finally rxed a little. Princess Duanjia gave a weird sigh and said, ¡°This princess is now a little worried for Marquis Anyuan. Since he married such a silly wife, he¡¯ll have to watch you closely in the future.¡±

    The side of Chu Lian¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like my husband, Princess?¡±

    Princess Duanjia burst into giggles. ¡°That was in the past! That was when I thought he was a useless person! I didn¡¯t expect him to be a marquis from a single trip to the northern border... Although you¡¯re already a fifth-ranked noble wife, the title of Marchioness Anyuan is way more valuable than Honoured Lady Jinyi.¡±

    ¡°Your viewpoint switches really quickly, Princess!¡± Chu Lian teased.

    Princess Duanjia was feeling a little guilty inside. The reason she was ttering He Changdi now wasn¡¯t just because of his aplishments; most of it had to do with his elder brother He Eng...

    The perceptive Chu Lian noticed the odd expression on Princess Duanjia and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is the smoke in the kitchen making you unwell?¡±

    Princess Duanjia quickly waved her hand to deny that notion.

    It was already past lunch time when they finished the basic preparations for the duck. All that was left was to hang it in the oven above charcoal-fuelled mes and to turn it several times. Once it was out of the oven, they just had to brush it with a specially made oil. These could all be done by the twody chefs, so Chu Lian didn¡¯t need to continue supervising them anymore.

    The guards of the front courtyard informed them that He Changdi had gone to the Left Military Guards, so Chu Lian had her lunch in Princess Wei¡¯s courtyard.

    When it was evening time, the roast ducks were taken out of the oven.

    Chu Lian personally brushed ayer of fragrant oil on the duck. By doing this, she could make the duck¡¯s skin shinier and counteract the overly intense smoky vour, making the duck¡¯s taste stand out instead.

    The whole kitchen was enveloped in the alluring aroma of duck fresh out of the oven.

    It was getting dark, so Chu Lian wanted to return home, but she was kept there by Princess Wei.

    ¡°Jinyi, let¡¯s have dinner together. My husband will be back in a while. You¡¯ve been here so many times, but you¡¯ve never gotten to meet him!¡±

    Princess Duanjia also chimed in. ¡°Chu Liu, aren¡¯t you hungry? We haven¡¯t even enjoyed the roast ducks we spent most of the day cooking!¡±

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t put a downer on Princess Duanjia¡¯s enthusiasm, so she decided to return after having dinner in Prince Wei¡¯s Estate instead.

    Who could have known that, when night fell, Prince Wei would return with a few familiar-looking young men?

    The Great Wu Dynasty was more open-minded. When there were senior family members present, young men and women could speak freely with each other. More progressive families even allowed men and women to sit at the same table, but it was still a rare sight in the noble circles.

    A maidservant came from outside to announce that the prince had returned.

    Princess Wei led Princess Duanjia and Chu Lian over to the parlour to await his arrival.

    They waited for less than ten minutes before they could hear the sounds of servants greeting the prince.

    Chu Lian and the others seated in the parlour suddenly frowned in uncoordinated unison.

    When the curtains of the parlour were pulled to the side by two maidservants, a middle-aged man walked in with a majestic air. He was tall, and despite the marks left on his face by the vestiges of time, he still possessed an amazing presence.

    When Prince Wei saw Princess Wei, it was as if a strong breeze lifted a veil on his face and his stern expression instantly turned gentle.

    There were four young men who entered following Prince Wei.

    The most well-built figure amongst them belonged to He Changjue, He Sang¡¯s second brother.

    He was wearing his Dragon Guard uniform, which was a white martial arts robe with ck embroidery, his sword hung at his waist. His chiseled jaw, wide shoulders, slim waist, and tanned skin gave off a manly aura. Despite his burly looks, he had a very cheerful vibe unlike the two men right behind him, who were about to form a blizzard from their iciness.

    He Changdi cut a striking figure in all ck. His handsome face was kept stiff and cool, while his eyes were like deep pits of darkness. When he stood next to Xiao Bojian, it almost seemed like there was a repelling field between the two of them.

    He was taller than Xiao Bojian and had a more chilly countenance. He Changdi gave off the feeling of a beautiful flower on a tall cliff, refined but unattainable...

    Xiao Bojian was dressed in a purple robe and arge cloak in aplementary darker shade of purple. He had a slim figure which made him look like a typical court official. However, his features seemed to be crafted by the gods themselves. He was so beautiful to the point that people could forget to breathe while looking at him. With the slightly sullen expression in his eyes, it gave others the urge to coddle him more.

    Thest man entering was the young Royal Prince Lu Tai, in his royal blue robe and white jade crown. As he hadn¡¯te of age yet, only half of his hair was bunned up, while the other half hung freely. The baby fat that he had yet to shed gave him the handsome charm of youth.

    Lu Tai¡¯s mouth was slightly upturned. His eyes were narrowed so that it was impossible to tell if he was smiling. On such a cold day, he was still holding a sandalwood fan and swaying it slightly, seemingly unafraid of catching a cold.

    The looks of the four men were all impressive in their own ways and practically embodied the different tastes of all the nobledies in the capital. However, if they judged them ording to the aesthetic sense of the Great Wu Dynasty, the winner would definitely be Xiao Bojian.

 Chapter 492: Eating Roast Duck (1)

    Chapter 492: Eating Roast Duck (1)

    This story ispletely free to read on vrenovels~ Please support my trantions on the original source!

    It wasn¡¯t just Chu Lian and Royal Princess Duanjia who were shocked; Princess Wei was rather dumbfounded too.

    Prince Wei never got involved with politics at court and he rarely interacted with younger nobles. Why did he bring back three young men along with their son? Furthermore, their identities weren¡¯t ordinary.

    He Changdi¡¯s arrival didn¡¯t surprise Chu Lian much as he had mentioned that he woulde to pick her up after settling his business with the Left Military Guards. But how had Xiao Bojiane into the picture?

    Chu Lian¡¯s features tensed up subconsciously and there was an extra spark of guarded caution in her eyes.

    It had been about half a year since Xiao Bojian hadst seen Chu Lian. The moment he entered the parlour, his gaze was drawn uncontrobly to Chu Lian¡¯s figure. His gloomy eyes were like those of a desperate man who had found an oasis in the desert, glittering with excitement.

    If it wasn¡¯t for his extreme self-control, he might have actually run up to her the moment he spotted her.

    He murmured her name in his heart as the hands hidden under his sleeves formed into fists.

    He Changdi had beenpletely focused on Xiao Bojian¡¯s movements while standing next to him, so he had naturally noticed the changes in him. Luckily, Chu Lian hadn¡¯t weed Xiao Bojian¡¯s gaze and she even had a disgusted and guarded look in her eyes. Otherwise, He Sang might actually have spit up blood from the anger.

    Although five new people had entered the parlour at the same time, the atmosphere took on a strange air. There was an awkward silence no one could deal with.

    Prince Wei nced at them with a hint of a smile, as if he wasn¡¯t affected by the weird atmosphere at all.

    Knowing that his wife was surely puzzled over his guests, he quickly walked over to Princess Wei¡¯s side. He took the master seat and exined, ¡°I was at the Left Military Guards to handle some business today and I happened to bump into these fine young men. Ah-tai was there as well. I heard from Ah-tai that Jinyi was here, so I decided to bring them over here for dinner.¡±

    As he spoke, Prince Wei and his wife exchanged looks. After so many years of marriage, they were able to read each other¡¯s intentions just from looking at each other.

    Princess Wei looked at the young men before her with aposed and dignified smile, ¡°Well, since that¡¯s the case and it¡¯s already getting dark, let¡¯s start dinner! You¡¯ve lucked out today, Duanjia and Jinyi spent most of the day making tonight¡¯s roast duck. Even the pce hasn¡¯t served such a dish before.¡±

    Hearing this, Lu Tai¡¯s brows raised in interest. Jinyi¡¯s skill in cooking was widely acknowledged. He had gone to Guilin Restaurant once before, and the food there was indeed better than the imperial kitchen¡¯s. It was addictive from the first bite!

    Roast duck? Although Yuehong Restaurant had roast duck too, he felt that something that Chu Lian had made personally would probably be better.

    He Eng was a simple man who had never been very interested in good food, but upon hearing that Royal Princess Duanjia had done half the work for the dish, he was starting to look forward to it as well.

    He Sang¡¯s face turned ck, he obviously wasn¡¯t happy about this.

    If his wife cooked for Prince Wei and Princess Wei alone, then she was simply showing filial piety to her elders and it was part of her obligations. After all, Princess Wei had showed care and concern for his wife. However, the fact that the dish that his wife had personally cooked was going to be shared with Royal Prince Lu Tai, and above all, that damned Xiao Bojian, made him extremely unhappy.

    The jealousy in He Changdi¡¯s heart was hitting its peak. He wanted to cast Xiao Bojian out from the estate on the spot.

    The gloominess on Xiao Bojian¡¯s fine features faded a little upon hearing this. He sent a tender look at Chu Lian. There were manyyers of unsaid emotions in that one stifling look.

    How wonderful, he thought. He had never expected to have another opportunity to taste Lian¡¯er¡¯s cooking again.

    With such sweet thoughts upying Xiao Bojian¡¯s mind, hepletely ignored He Changdi¡¯s ice-cold re.

 Chapter 493: Eating Roast Duck (2)

    Chu Lian was feeling exceedingly awkward. That Xiao Bojian had to be absolutely mental. She had already made it so obvious that she disliked him, yet he pretended not to notice a thing. Seeing her, he looked like a fly that had just found food.

    She truly couldn¡¯t help but suspect that there was something wrong with Xiao Bojian¡¯s mind.

    Seemingly oblivious to the drama happening under his nose, Prince Wei ordered for the food to be brought in. He took delight in announcing, ¡°Today, this prince shall have a proper taste of Jinyi and Duanjia¡¯s cooking.¡±

    The servants of the estate moved very quickly and the dining tables were prepared in a few short moments.

    There were two tables set out; one was upied by Prince Wei and the young men, while Princess Wei sat at the head of the other with Chu Lian and Royal Princess Duanjia.

    There weren¡¯t any screens ced between the men and women to obscure their view of each other. This was was alreadymon practice in the capital and there was nothing inappropriate about it.

    The servants soon carried in te after te and carefully ced them on the table.

    The tes in the centre of the two round tables were the first to catch everyone¡¯s attention. A single roast duck with glistening, crispy skin was disyed on each table.

    While the roast ducks were exactly the same, they had been split into two tes with twopletely different ways of eating it.

    On the first te, the duck had been cut up into convenient bite-sized pieces and submerged in a special gravy. Meanwhile, the duck on the second te had been cut into small slices and deboned, with thin wheat-flour pancakes and various vegetables to go along with it. There were also several small dishes with different dipping sauces.

    Thetter was the renowned Peking Duck.

    Even the experienced and knowledgeable Prince Wei had his eyes wide open in astonishment. After looking at the fragrant roast ducks, he turned to Chu Lian who was at the other table and asked, ¡°Jinyi, could you introduce these roast ducks to us?¡±

    As Prince Wei had called her out by name, Chu Lian quickly stood up and patiently exined how the dishes had been cooked, as well as how the Peking Duck was to be eaten.

    After Chu Lian¡¯s exnation, Prince Wei waved his hand and everyone immediately rushed for the food...

    Lu Tai had been starving for a while now and he was practically drooling from the aroma of the roast duck. The moment his father had given permission, his chopsticks were already hastily reaching into a te of roast duck.

    There was only one roast duck for each table, with the two halves separated into two different eating styles.

    Although roast ducks were delicious, it was too rich to eat all by itself. Thus, there were more than ten other dishes on the tables. These other dishes were the handiwork of the chefs from Prince Wei¡¯s Estate.

    The moment a slice of the roast duck entered his mouth, Royal Prince Lu Tai revealed an expression of utter bliss. The duck was crispy, fragrant, and fatty without being too greasy. The meat wasn¡¯t dry or hard, and was incredibly soft and tender! The most delicious part of it all was the smoky and crispy duck skin.

    Once he was done with his first piece of duck, Lu Tai¡¯s gaze fell upon the te in the middle and widened in absolute shock.

    What the hell happened!? The te was obviously full just a moment ago, but... why was there only half of it left in the blink of an eye!?

    While he was dumbstruck, Prince Wei had already picked up another piece and stuffed it into his mouth at a ridiculous speed.

    Lu Tai wailed in his heart for the lost piece of duck. He reacted quickly and reached his chopsticks out for thergest piece, cing it in his small white bowl.

    He Eng¡¯s eyes stayed on the te at all times while his arms moved continuously. As he stuffed piece after piece into his mouth, he thought to himself, ¡®This was made by the princess, no wonder it¡¯s so delicious...¡¯

    Xiao Bojian had finally gotten the opportunity to taste Chu Lian¡¯s cooking, so he wasn¡¯t going to let anyone get the better of him in this situation. Although he appeared to be eating gracefully, his chopsticks weren¡¯t any slower than the rest.

    Although He Sang¡¯s expression remained stormy, he didn¡¯t give the others any chances.

    The scene over at Chu Lian¡¯s table was much better. After all, it was only Chu Lian, Princess Wei, and Royal Princess Duanjia seated there.

    Prince Wei¡¯s Estate had never followed the ancient custom of remaining silent during a meal, but today was the exception with everyone busy gulping down their food.

    There wasn¡¯t much meat on a single roast duck in the first ce, so it didn¡¯t stand any chance against the five grown men at the table. In less than five minutes, the duck waspletely gone...

 Chapter 494: Dinner Conversation (1)

    The five men were still unsatisfied. Since Prince Wei was present, they even had to leave the veryst piece for him.

    This was the young prince¡¯s own home, so the maidservants were watching their masters attentively. When the young prince gave two light coughs, one of them hastily bent down to ask for his orders.

    Lu Tai whispered, ¡°Why are you so tactless? Can¡¯t you see that the tes on the table are empty?¡±

    The maidservant had a troubled expression on her face after hearing his question. She exined, ¡°Young Prince, Honoured Lady and Royal Princess only made two roast ducks. We¡¯ve already served everything here...¡±

    What?!

    They had gone to the trouble of specially cooking this food, yet they had only made so little of it. It wasn¡¯t even enough to feed a child.

    Lu Tai really wanted to stomp around in a fit of childish temper. He definitely had to enlighten his sisterter.

    Since there wasn¡¯t any roast duck left, all Lu Tai could do was to wave his hand and dismiss the maidservant.

    He couldn¡¯t help looking over at his mother¡¯s table. After that one nce, jealousy red up within him.

    The mouths of the threedies were all oily from eating. Both tes were still half full.

    If father wasn¡¯t here, he would definitely have gone over to sit at his mother¡¯s table shamelessly for more roast duck.

    Princess Wei usually avoided eating rich foods, but Chu Lian¡¯s roast duck was different. It was fat, yet not greasy. It was also crispy and tender. She just couldn¡¯t resist eating more of it and she had nothing but praise for Chu Lian¡¯s roast duck.

    Since the roast duck was gone, the men at the other table all regained theirposure.

    Prince Wei took a sip from the wine cup in front of him and said, ¡°I really liked the roast duck that Jinyi made. Doe to visit more often in the future, child.¡±

    Chu Lian promptly got up and bobbed in agreement after hearing his words.

    Prince Wei continued speaking, but this time, his words were directed at Xiao Bojian and He Changjue.

    ¡°This prince has heard that the two of you are currently seeking a wife. Have you found someone suitable yet? Although this prince doesn¡¯t interfere with politics, I still have some connections within the capital.¡±

    Xiao Bojian was surprised that Prince Wei would ask about this. His first instinct wasn¡¯t to answer Prince Wei, but to dart a sideways nce at Chu Lian instead. There was a persistent gloom remaining on his face, as if the thought of a major life event like marriage still wasn¡¯t enough to lift his spirits.

    He secretly clenched his fists to control his emotions before respectfully answering Prince Wei, ¡°In response to Your Highness, I¡¯m currently seeking a wife. This junior doesn¡¯t have any blood-rted rtives left in this world, so my teacher has been helping me with this matter. It¡¯s just that there hasn¡¯t been any progress so far.¡±

    How could there be no progress so far? Xiao Bojian was just lying openly. Old Duke Ying had already mentioned his intention to have him marry his legitimate granddaughter several times. It was just that Xiao Bojian hadn¡¯t agreed to it yet.

    After hearing his response, Prince Wei said, ¡°Since Old Duke Ying will handle this matter, then there is no need for this prince to worry.¡±

    After saying so, he looked towards He Changjue with an obvious meaning.

    The tips of He Eng¡¯s ears instantly reddened, ¡°Replying to Your Highness, my grandmother hasn¡¯t found a suitable person yet, but this junior already has someone in mind.¡±

    Oh?

    Prince Wei lifted a brow since he wasn¡¯t expecting this answer from He Changjue. Was the die-hard bachelor of the capital finally awakening to love?

    ¡°Since that¡¯s so, this prince will be the first to wish you all the best for your marriage. If you run into any problems,e look for me. This prince will help you.¡± Prince Wei rarely interfered with the affairs of the noble families in the capital. It was a great surprise that he would be willing to help out with He Changjue¡¯s marriage. From this, it could be seen that Prince Wei was really fond of He Eng.

    He Changjue was pleasantly surprised after hearing this. He immediately stood up to bow in gratitude without thinking about where he was, ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡±

    Prince Wei kindly waved his hand, unaware that he had sold his precious daughter with just a few sentences.

 Chapter 495: Dinner Conversation (2)

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened. She hadn¡¯t expected her normally dense Second Brother-inw to be so good at grasping opportunities. If he really liked Royal Princess Duanjia and was intending to marry her, his biggest obstacles were definitely Prince and Princess Wei. Since he had just managed to get a promise from Prince Wei, they might actually be able to get together.

    The humour in Chu Lian¡¯s smile deepened. She knew that Royal Princess Duanjia also had feelings for He Changjue. While the current dynasty was more open-minded then the previous one and women could freely go out to visit their friends, most people still abided by the traditional perspectives of marriage. Marriage was to be decided by the parents. Moreover, the marriages of noble children were often sacrificed for the sake of the family¡¯s benefit.

    Therefore, it was rare for the children of noble families to be able to fall in love before marriage and get the chance to marry each other.

    Chu Lian was really happy to see that He Eng and Royal Princess Duanjia could possibly be one of those rare couples.

    Royal Princess Duanjia had been in high spirits and had been constantly sneaking nces at He Eng for a while. However, after overhearing the exchange between Eng and her father, her face instantly turned pale. Her big eyes were filled with disappointment and sorrow. She quickly lowered her head to hide her emotions.

    Chu Lian and Royal Princess Duanjia were seated on either side of Princess Wei, so they didn¡¯t notice the abrupt change in Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s mood.

    When Prince Wei had invited these juniors over for dinner, his only intention had been to treat them to a meal...

    During dinner, they didn¡¯t talk about anything other than some recent gossip within the capital, as well as Xiao Bojian and He Eng¡¯s respective marriages.

    There were only threedies at Chu Lian¡¯s table, so they naturally talked less than the men. Moreover, the usually talkative Royal Princess Duanjia wasn¡¯t in the best of moods, so they were almostpletely silent throughout dinner.

    After they were done, Prince Wei dismissed them to return to their own estates.

    He Eng was still rubbing the back of his head with a foolish grin as they were leaving. The sight made Royal Princess Duanjia even more furious.

    Chu Lian followed He Changdi out to the side entrance, where Princess Wei¡¯s most trusted servant, Senior Servant Lan, had already arranged for the horse carriages to wait.

    Laiyue brought Leaping Clouds over after Chu Lian got on the carriage.

    Right after He Changdi helped his wife up the carriage, he simply stood there next to the carriage with his hands sped behind his back. He turned to look at the handsome man standing not too far behind him. His lips suddenly curved upwards in a smirk and he refused the reins that Laiyue was trying to hand over. Instead, he stepped onto the carriage and entered thepartment where his wife was.

    When Xiao Bojian saw this, he instantly tightened his fists under his cloak, his eyes filled with a sinister light, along with envy.

    One didn¡¯t dare say more than needed when he noticed the look in his master¡¯s eyes. He could only whisper a reminder, ¡°Master, it¡¯s gettingte. We have to go back now. Old Duke Ying said he wanted to meet you in the study tonight.¡±

    Xiao Bojian was standing underneath a begonia tree. It was still chilly during early spring, so the begonia tree was bare without even the slightest hint of green buds. The feeling of the cold wind rustling the hem of his robes matched the cold and disappointment in Xiao Bojian¡¯s heart.

    The scene of He Changdi¡¯s obvious unting and contempt gave him the urge to tear that man into pieces.

    ¡°Go!¡±

    He growled out a hoarsemand, before disappearing into the darkness of the night.

    The carriage left Prince Wei¡¯s Estate quickly. Chu Lian had stayed at Prince Wei¡¯s Estate for the whole day, teaching Royal Princess Duanjia how to make roast duck, as well as entertaining Princess Wei. She finally felt the fatigue sink in once she rxed in her own carriage.

    Senior Servant Gui and the others had made the carriage veryfortable. Although it looked simr to the carriages used by other noble families on the outside, its interior was meticulously furnished.

    A carpet with a repeating pattern was spread out inside the carriage. In order to keep the inside warm, the wall was covered with a special type of cloth called nnel that they had found at the northern border. Soft andfortable pillows were ced on the seats inside the carriage. Once someone sat down, they could rx entirely.

    Chu Lian had just leaned against a pillow when she felt a bone-piercingly cold aura invading her space.

 Chapter 496: Chance Encounter with Chu Qizheng (1)

    Chu Lian whole body stiffened up. She opened her eyes and looked towards the man that was emitting cold air.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Chu Lian just couldn¡¯t tell why He Changdi was suddenly acting so strangely after a simple trip out. She thought about it, but she couldn¡¯t recall triggering him in any way today...

    He Changdi sat perfectly straight across from her with a stern expression on his face. His cold eyes stared at his wife, who was sitting in an easy manner in front of him.

    He recalled the scene of Chu Lian and Xiao Bojian meeting at Prince Wei¡¯s Estate earlier, as well as the infatuation in Xiao Bojian¡¯s eyes when he looked at Chu Lian.

    He knew that his wife didn¡¯t have any feelings for the ¡®lover¡¯ from her past life. Moreover, she seemed to detest Xiao Bojian. However, it still felt like a thorn stuck in his heart. There was a sourness that was simr to drinking a whole jar of vinegar.

    He knew that it was wrong to me the innocent Chu Lian, but he couldn¡¯t help being jealous.

    He Changdi gripped the fists resting on his knees. He turned his head away and muttered, ¡°Nothing.¡±

    Chu Lian carefully observed her entric husband. She tilted her head and furrowed her brows. A momentter, she suddenlyughed. Herughter was clear and melodious, like a silver bell. Even Laiyue, who was outside escorting the carriage, heard the sound and perked his ears curiously.

    He Sang hadn¡¯t expect his wife to burst intoughter at his expense. However, he reacted swiftly despite his annoyance. He pulled Chu Lian into his embrace with lighting speed and covered her alluring red lips with his wide palm.

    His eyes narrowed dangerously as he directed the full force of his dark gaze at the lovely woman in his arms, as if he wanted to see through her heart by looking her clear eyes.

    Chu Lian noticed the changes in the depth of his gaze- staring into his eyes was like falling down a deep well. Finally, she realised that his gaze had taken on a dangerous tint.

    It was as if she were confined in the arms of a ticking time bomb. How could she continueughing in this situation?

    She knew that this wasn¡¯t the time to beughing, so she quickly hid the smile on her face. Her watery eyes stared up at him pitifully, as if she was pleading with him to be magnanimous and to spare her.

    The corner of He Sang¡¯s mouth lifted slightly. The dangerous air in his eyes was about to seep out. He slowly bent down and crept closer to Chu Lian. When they were close enough to feel each other¡¯s breath, he gradually released his hold over Chu Lian¡¯s mouth. In a hoarse voice, he whispered, ¡°It¡¯s toote!¡±

    After saying so, He Sang immediately attacked Chu Lian¡¯s red lips. She tried her best to mumble around his lips and resist, but He Changdi¡¯s strong arms held her even tighter.

    Chu Lian knew that he was a little tyrant, so she gave up on struggling andplied with his intimate actions.

    He gently parted her teeth before capturing her soft tongue and forcing it into a passionate duel.

    A momentter, Chu Lian¡¯s face and neck were flushed red from theck of air. Her small hands grasped thepels of his ck robe tightly. The contrast of her pale skin against the darkness of his clothes gave off a strange sense of beauty. Soon afterwards, Chu Lian¡¯s hands released his cor and shifted to pushing him away instead.

    However, He Changdi was still pent up with frustration, so he refused to let her retreat. He trapped her soft and sweet body firmly within his arms, keeping her from moving while his lips and tongue continued to plunder her mouth and tease her.

    He Changdi released Chu Lian after he had finally released all the frustration in his chest.

    By this time, Chu Lian was already breathing heavily with a flushed face.

    Chu Lian red at He Changdi¡¯s cold face and scolded him, ¡°He Changdi, do you really think that I don¡¯t have a temper?¡±

    He Changdi froze after hearing what Chu Lian had said. He lowered his eyes and looked at her, a trace of indiscernible uneasiness in his deep gaze. He pressed his lips together, which had turned red from the kiss.

    He couldn¡¯t bring himself to speak the apology that was on the tip of his tongue.

 Chapter 497: Chance Encounter with Chu Qizheng (2)

    Chu Lian took a deep breath and used her handkerchief to wipe her swollen lips. She struggled slightly before she was able to break free from He Changdi¡¯s embrace. Following that, she returned to her seat across from him.

    She could vaguely sense that He Sang¡¯s gloomy and depressed mood was rted to Xiao Bojian. Perhaps it was due to the way Xiao Bojian had looked at her in Prince Wei¡¯s Estate.

    But what did that have to do with her? She wasn¡¯t the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯. She had already done her best to distance herself from Xiao Bojian. It wasn¡¯t her fault that she had encountered Xiao Bojian at Prince Wei¡¯s Estate today. He Sang was being unreasonable by venting his anger on her.

    Although it was his fault, he couldn¡¯t even bring himself to apologise now? Even if he had his pride, he should also be able to distinguish right from wrong!

    She was usually able to tolerate He Sang¡¯s weird temperament. However, she was genuinely angry today.

    There had been some things she wanted to ask him about, but now that the two were locked into a cold war, there was no chance to speak.

    Actually, Chu Lian was rather meek and good-natured. She wouldn¡¯t make trouble for someone unless they provoked her first. Moreover, there weren¡¯t many things that she cared about in the Great Wu Dynasty. Thus, her personality had be even more carefree and easygoing.

    He Changdi had truly provoked Chu Lian¡¯s temper now. On one hand, it was because Chu Lian genuinely cared for him. On the other hand, He Sang¡¯s actions had been utterly infuriating.

    Chu Lian leaned against the pillow. Her pair of clear almond-shaped eyes were shut, as if she no longer wanted to see the man across from her.

    There was a gloomy atmosphere inside the small carriage. It was so quiet that even the turning of the axles on the carriage could be heard.

    Chu Lian propped her head on one arm and closed her eyes. It was hard to tell if she had fallen asleep.

    He Changdi kept his eyes fixed on Chu Lian¡¯s beautiful face. There was an unprecedented sense of regret in his heart. He loosened and tightened his fists. The frustration in his chest built up until his chest felt like it was going to explode.

    He parted his thin lips and took a deep breath. He was about to apologise when the carriage abruptly stopped and Laiyue¡¯s voice sounded from outside.

    ¡°Third Young Master, Third Young Madam, a carriage broke down ahead so the road is blocked.¡±

    He Changdi was interrupted by Laiyue just as he was about to speak. Thus, his face immediately became as ck as the bottom of a pot. He gritted his teeth and forced out three words, ¡°Take a detour!¡±

    After he finished speaking, his gaze turned towards Chu Lian, only to see her acting as if nothing had happened. She was still leaning against the pillow with her eyes shut, like she was asleep.

    He Sang¡¯s fragile heart tightened, as if it had just been ruthlessly squeezed.

    For some unknown reason, Laiyue felt a chill down the back of his neck when he heard his master¡¯s voice. He hunkered into his shoulders, lifted the reins, and was about to order the guards to take a detour.

    However, before the carriage had even moved, Laiyue noticed a familiar figure.

    A troubled expression appeared on his face. He could more or less guess that Third Young Master and Madam were probably fighting. However, he couldn¡¯t pretend not to see the person that had just gotten out of the carriage in front of them. Thus, he mustered up some courage to report, ¡°Third Young Master, the person in the carriage before us is the Second Master of House Ying.¡±

    The original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯s¡¯ father, Chu Qizheng!

    He Changdi couldn¡¯t just take a detour now, since he now knew that it was his father-inw¡¯s carriage that had broken down in the middle of the road.

    Although Chu Lian wasn¡¯t treated well during her maiden days in House Ying, Chu Qizheng was still her biological father. He was the person who had given her life.

    Chu Lian, who had been resting, also opened her eyes now.

    She didn¡¯t look at He Changdi and turned her head towards the waiting Laiyue outside. She instructed, ¡°Invite Second Master toe sit in our carriage.¡±

 Chapter 498: Father-in-Lawâ€™s Invitation (1)

    This story ispletely free to read on vrenovels~ Please support my trantions on the original source!

    Laiyue hesitated for a moment. When he didn¡¯t hear any orders from He Changdi, he guessed that his master was allowing it. He got off his horse and led a few guards over to meet the Second Master of House Ying.

    Chu Lian lifted the curtain p, intending to disembark the carriage to wee Chu Qizheng herself. However, the cool-faced He Changdi suddenly reached out to grasp the hand she was using to lift the carriage curtain.

    ¡°It¡¯s cold outside; I¡¯ll go wee Father-in-Law by myself.¡±

    When Chu Lian saw how firm his grip on her hand was, she sent He Changdi a warning look, but she didn¡¯t continue her action.

    Chu Lian took her hand back and sat still.

    He Changdi¡¯s heart twisted into knots. His fingers curled up into a fist. When Chu Lian had pulled her hand away from his grasp, it felt as if a piece of his heart had been taken away along with it.

    He lowered his head and nimbly leaped off the carriage.

    Chu Qizheng and his manservant were quickly brought over to the carriage by Laiyue.

    He Changdi greeted Chu Qizheng cordially with a closed-fist salute. ¡°Father-in-Law.¡±

    Chu Qizheng cast a measuring gaze over the handsome, heroic young man before him. The more he looked, the more he found himself liking the young man. At the same time, there was a hint of dissatisfaction in his heart. Why was a young man with such potential wasted on that jinx Chu Lian? He could have been married to Miss Yuan instead!

    However, Chu Qizheng kept these thoughts to himself without disying them on his face.

    He smiled and made some casual chat with his son-inw. ¡°Zixiang, now that the Emperor has entrusted you with an important position, you have to do your best to work for the court. We haven¡¯t shared some wine for a while, so why don¡¯t youe and visit the Ying Estate with Lian¡¯er in two days¡¯ time? Lian¡¯er¡¯s mother misses her.¡±

    He Sang eyed the tall, clean-shaven middle-aged man in front of him and resisted the urge tough.

    He had been married to Chu Lian for almost a year and this was the first time his father-inw had invited him to his estate. This was likely due to his newly bestowed title of Marquis.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t reject the invite and epted it instead, in order to protect his wife¡¯s dignity in front of her father.

    Chu Qizheng treated him like a promising junior family member and patted He Changdi¡¯s shoulder in familiarity. ¡°Lian¡¯er is still young. I¡¯ll have to depend on you to take care of her in the days ahead!¡±

    If not for his experience in his past life, he might have thought that Chu Qizheng was a kind father who cared for his daughter!

    ¡°As you say, Father-in-Law. This son-inw will take good care of Lian¡¯er. She will never experience any suffering at all.¡±

    Chu Qizheng showed an amiable smile. ¡°Father will rest assured with your promise.¡±

    He Changdi invited Chu Qizheng up the carriage. He waited until the curtain was let down before he mounted his beloved steed, Leaping Clouds. With a wave of his hands, the carriage started rolling along again.

    Within the carriage, Chu Qizheng settled down in He Changdi¡¯s original seat. The moment he sat down, his expression turned thunderous.

    He red at Chu Lian, who was slowly opening her eyes, and scolded her. ¡°Where are your manners!¡±

    Chu Lianzily looked up at the ck-faced Chu Qizheng and chuckled. It was a rather strange day. Why was it that everyone she met today was trying to make her mad? Was she supposed to just take it lying down?

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t someone with a lot of forbearance. She preferred giving as good as she got. Chu Qizheng wasn¡¯t her real dad anyway, so there wasn¡¯t any need to respect him.

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that the fault of my dear father? Otherwise, I might have manners as good as my Eighth Sister.¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Chu Qizheng¡¯s face was flushed red with anger from his daughter¡¯s words.

    It was out of his expectations that the personality of his timid and careful daughter would change so much.

    He clenched his fists and managed to swallow his frustration for the moment.

    ¡°Miss Lian, don¡¯t think that Father won¡¯t be able to reprimand you now that you¡¯re Marchioness Anyuan. Let me tell you. No matter how high your status rises, you¡¯ll always be a member of my Chu Family and the daughter of Chu Qizheng!¡±

    TL Note: If you like family drama, try reading Return of the Swallow (tranted by etvo) for more facepping!

 Chapter 499: Father-in-Lawâ€™s Invitation (2)

    Chapter 499: Father-in-Law¡¯s Invitation (2)

    This story ispletely free to read on vrenovels~ Please support my trantions on the original source!

    Chu Lian cast an idle look over the red-faced Chu Qizheng. ¡°Father, don¡¯t you know that married daughters are like spilled water? Since you know that I¡¯m Marchioness Anyuan now and not House Ying¡¯s Sixth Miss Chu, don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re not familiar with thew of the Great Wu Dynasty? When a noble house is to be eliminated, it doesn¡¯t include daughters who have married out of the house.¡±

    This time, Chu Qizheng was unable to hold back his next re of temper. He had never gotten talked back to in this manner before. However, knowing that He Changdi was right outside and close to the carriage, he didn¡¯t dare to let his raised handnd on Chu Lian¡¯s tender cheek.

    He took in a few deep breaths before sneering, ¡°So you¡¯re a slut, just like your mother!¡±

    The mother he had mentioned wasn¡¯t his current wife and Miss Yuan¡¯s mother, of course, but his deceased first wife.

    Chu Lian had taken on an indifferent attitude at first, since Chu Qizheng was intent on bullying her no matter what. She wasn¡¯t going to just bear the brunt of his temper silently, but she wasn¡¯t motivated to do anything but talk back at him.

    However, Chu Qizheng had taken things a step further. She would have been fine if he reprimanded her alone, but now he was even insulting his original wife, who had passed away many years ago. This was something that crossed the line for Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian¡¯s gaze turned sharp. ¡°Father, I finally understand why you don¡¯t have any heirs. Someone as dreadful as you deserves to be thest of the family line!¡±

    The greatest pain in Chu Qizheng¡¯s life was the fact that he didn¡¯t have any sons. Chu Lian had just mercilessly brought it up in front of him, baring his insecuritiespletely. He almost fainted from the rage that overcame him.

    Just as he was about to retort, Chu Lian interrupted him. ¡°Father, it¡¯s best to save your breath, lest you spit up blood out of anger.¡±

    Chu Qizheng¡¯s face was now a steely white. His breathing turned into rough pants. It took him a good while to finally get his emotions under control. He red at Chu Lian, unresigned to his defeat, but he decided against speaking any further.

    It was good that he had finally shut up. Chu Lian was toozy to bother wasting her breath on him now. She picked up a teacup that had been ced to the side and took light sips of honey water.

    After a long period of silence, Chu Qizheng managed to calm himself enough to say, ¡°In a few more days,e back to the Ying Estate with Marquis Anyuan. Your younger sister is about to get engaged.¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t make any response or acknowledgement, but Chu Qizheng took it as if she had heard him.

    He shot a sideways nce at her, his eyes glittering. His eldest daughter had grown into a delicate and lovely beauty. Her tiny figure shone with a natural, elegant aura. It was those almond-shaped eyes of hers that resembled his first wife the most.

    Every time he looked at Chu Lian, the anger he held towards that woman kept ring up.

    As the carriage carried along on its way, Chu Qizheng shut his eyes. Out of sight, out of mind.

    He Changdi¡¯s ears were sharp, so he had heard every single word of the conversation between father and daughter in the carriage. A corner of his lips curved up. Although his wife looked frail and cute, with an innocent face to boot, her ability to provoke others was unrivalled. He had already been on the receiving end of her skills many times before.

    However, the humour on He Sang¡¯s face quickly dissipated, allowing his naturally cold expression to take over once again. At the same time, he delved into deep thought.

    While he had lived separately from ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ in his past life, he still knew a little of her history. Even in this lifetime, it remained true that House Ying¡¯s Second Master wasn¡¯t too fond of his legitimate first daughter.

    Back then, even after he and ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had been married for a year, Chu Qizheng hadn¡¯t graced their doorstep even once. Why was he seemingly so kind-hearted as to invite them over to the Ying Estate now?

    He Sang and Chu Lian sent Chu Qizheng to the Ying Estate before returning to their home.

    On the way back to the Jing¡¯an Estate, He Changdi didn¡¯t enter the carriage again to share the ride with Chu Lian. Chu Lian said nothing and simply leaned against a pillow, eyes shut. In the gentle rocking of the carriage, it seemed like she had fallen asleep.

    Just as they were about to reach the Jing¡¯an Estate, a guard came running up to meet them.

    Perhaps since he had already recognised them from afar, the guard quickly shouted, ¡°Third Young Master, Third Young Madam, bad news!¡±

 Chapter 500: Miscarriage (1)

    Chapter 500: Miscarriage (1)

    This story ispletely free to read on vrenovels~ Please support my trantions on the original source!

    Still seated in the carriage, Chu Lian slowly opened her eyes, a glint of something shing across her gaze.

    The corners of her lips curved upwards with a hint of ridicule as she whispered to herself, ¡°So it¡¯s finallye?¡±

    He Changdi hadn¡¯t been in a good mood from the start and his expression was overcast. When the guard came rushing over in a panic shouting his report, the thunder on his face could scare even the boldest of tigers.

    ¡°What news!¡±

    Laiyue shot the reporting guard a look. Luckily, the guard seemed to have some wits about him and quickly suppressed his emotions. He came over to He Changdi¡¯s side and reported more quietly, ¡°Third Young Master, Miss... Miss Miaozhen¡¯s child might not make it.¡±

    After saying so, the guard lowered his head, unable to face Third Young Master¡¯s stormy gaze.

    The air around He Changdi turned frosty. ¡°What does that have to do with us?¡±

    The guard¡¯s legs were shaking from having to bear the force of Third Young Master¡¯s temper. He trembled and stuttered, but finally, under the pressure of He Changdi¡¯s icy aura, he spat out the truth in one go. ¡°The... the doctor said that, M-Miss Miaozhen¡¯s miscarriage was caused... by eating the candied hawthorns that Third Young Madam sent over...¡±

    Candied hawthorns?

    A cold light filled He Changdi¡¯s fathomless eyes. He kept his gaze on the quaking guard before him, his every word emanating a violent chill as he said, ¡°Who sent for the doctor?¡±

    The guard didn¡¯t dare to hide anything when Third Young Master was in this state. ¡°It was the heir... The heir personally sent for the old doctor in Chongde Hall.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve received your report. You¡¯re dismissed.¡± Not a single emotion could be heard from He Changdi¡¯s maic voice.

    The guard, who had fallen to his knees in fear, managed to gather enough courage to look up at Third Young Master and then at the carriage that hadn¡¯t even moved. However, in the end, it wasn¡¯t enough to make him spit out the rest of the report.

    He didn¡¯t believe that the good-natured Third Young Madam would do such a thing, but from the doctor¡¯s testimony and the clear benefits involved, he had no choice but to think that the culprit was indeed Third Young Madam.

    When he thought of Third Young Madam¡¯s lovely visage and how there was a poisonous heart hiding underneath, he couldn¡¯t help but tremble.

    The main branch of the Jing¡¯an Estate had no heirs. Miaozhen had invited a doctor specialising in gynecology to make a diagnosis a few months after getting pregnant. The doctor had mentioned that there was an eighty percent chance of the child being a boy. Although there hadn¡¯t been any official announcements made, the whole estate knew that both Countess Jing¡¯an and Matriarch He had great expectations for the child in Miaozhen¡¯s belly.

    Countess Jing¡¯an had even kept Miaozhen by her side to keep an eye on things, afraid that there would be some unfortunate ident. Who could have thought that problems would arise when Miaozhen was this far along!

    Now that the possibility of a male heir for the main branch was gone, if Third Young Madam were to fall pregnant, she would give birth to the very first little young master of House Jing¡¯an.

    What a scheme!

    Laiyue knew that Third Young Madam had made candied hawthorns for Countess Jing¡¯an yesterday, so he hurriedly exined, ¡°Third Young Master, it definitely wasn¡¯t Third Young Madam. There must be some exnation for this.¡±

    He Changdi turned to look at the anxious Laiyue, but he didn¡¯t say anything besides instructing the party to hurry back to the estate.

    Laiyue couldn¡¯t tell what was going on in his master¡¯s mind. However, he knew that Third Young Madam and Third Young Master seemed to have quarrelled earlier. Now that this matter had suddenly arisen, his master wouldn¡¯t really think that this had anything to do with Third Young Madam, right?

    News spread fast. In just a short moment, even Xiyan, who was sitting in the carriage behind them, knew of the matter.

    Her face immediately turned ashen. She remembered what Chu Lian had said to Princess Wei and Royal Princess Duanjia when they had been eating the so-called ¡®hawthorn balls¡¯ and clenched her fists as her thoughts raced. Who was trying to pin the me on their Third Young Madam?!

 Chapter 501: Miscarriage (2)

    Chapter 501: Miscarriage (2)

    This story ispletely free to read on vrenovels~ Please support my trantions on the original source!

    The young couple quickly made it back to their estate.

    Once they were behind the screen of the main entrance, the carriage rolled to a stop and He Changdi dismounted from his horse. In a few quick strides¡¯ time, he was already beside the carriage.

    The moment he shoved the curtain p out of the way, He Changdi was immediately met with Chu Lian¡¯s startled gaze.

    The dim light of the evening under the shade of the privacy screen and He Changdi¡¯s tall figure were enough to obscure anyone else from peeking into the carriage.

    Chu Lian¡¯s first reaction upon meeting her husband¡¯s gaze was stunned amazement. For some reason, her mood lightened up.

    ¡°Do you really think that I¡¯m not the culprit?¡±

    He Changdi nodded his head as the ice on his face melted a little. He tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear in a show of affection.

    ¡°Why? You¡¯re really trusting me just like that?¡± Chu Lian was curious. Everyone else likely thought of her as the culprit behind this matter. Furthermore, they had just been squabbling.

    He Sang suddenly bent over to ce a gentle kiss on her lips. His voice was soft as he stated, ¡°My Lian¡¯er isn¡¯t that stupid.¡±

    Chu Lian was rather satisfied with his answer. This proved that her husband wasn¡¯t aplete idiot and that he did love her. The sacrifices she had made hadn¡¯t gone to waste after all.

    Chu Lian let out a crafty smirk, but she didn¡¯t reveal the cards in her hand to He Changdi. Her test of He Sang¡¯s faith in her had only just begun.

    He Changdi¡¯s expression suddenly turned stern. ¡°Lian¡¯er, I want you to act along with me.¡±

    Their enemies were still hidden while they were exposed in the open. They needed to put on a show to get their enemies to reveal themselves!

    When Xiyan alighted from the second carriage, she happened to see Third Young Master walking away coldly from the first carriage. Laiyue turned to shoot her a troubled look.

    Xiyan stared after Third Young Master¡¯s straight back, icy tendrils of fear creeping into her heart. Did Third Young Master not believe in their Third Young Madam?

    Xiyan¡¯s face turned pale at the thought. By the time she managed to regain her senses, she saw that Chu Lian had lifted the curtain and was about to get off the carriage.

    She quickly blinked away the sour tears in her eyes and went up to help her.

    It was only when she was close enough to her master that she noticed how pale and fragile her master looked under the hazy glow of thentern lights around them. Her tiny face was tense with worry and the blood had drained away from her cheeks, making her seem like a delicate porcin doll that would break at the slightest touch.

    Xiyan¡¯s heart hurt for her master. When had her lively and wilful Third Young Madam ever looked so down? She lost control of her emotions and the wetness in her eyes overflowed. This was exactly like how things had been back in the Ying Estate.

    Afraid that her mood would affect Chu Lian, she quickly tried to reassure her master by whispering, ¡°Third Young Madam, please stay strong. Didn¡¯t you say it yourself? Those candied hawthorns you made weren¡¯t actual hawthorns.¡±

    Chu Lian turned to Xiyan with a weak smile.

    If she didn¡¯t have to support Chu Lian right now, Xiyan might have covered her mouth and burst into tears.

    Although she knew that this matter had nothing to do with Third Young Madam, what use was that when Third Young Master didn¡¯t believe in her? The one on the losing end was still Third Young Madam!

    Though Chu Lian seemed like she didn¡¯t have any energy left and herplexion was rather pallid, she still rushed over to Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s courtyard as soon as she could.

    The lights were burning brightly in the courtyard and the parlour was full of people. Even the grounded Madam Zou was present.

    Countess Jing¡¯an and Matriarch He sat at the head of the room. To the matriarch¡¯s side was He Ying and her daughter. As for Madam Zou, she was seated by Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s side.

    The eldest son, He Changqi, was standing to the side speaking to an old doctor, while Great Doctor Miao was seated with his medicinal chest ced nearby, sipping his tea without a care in the world.

 Chapter 502: Slander (1)

    Chapter 502: nder (1)

    This story ispletely free to read on vrenovels~ Please support my trantions on the original source!

    When He Changdi stepped into the brightly lit parlour, practically everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on him.

    His jet-ck robes and perfectly straight posture, as well as the way he emerged from the darkness, made him look like an impartial and upright authority about to impose justice.

    He Changdi¡¯s handsome face was rather serious and grim. His gaze swept over everyone in the parlour as if he could see into everyone¡¯s hearts. Finally, he stood in the middle of the parlour, as if he was awaiting an exnation from those gathered here.

    Ever since He Sang had be a marquis, his position in House Jing¡¯an had gone beyond what it had been before.

    Those who were originally slightly afraid of Third Young Master were nowpletely silent from fear.

    Even Matriarch He and Countess Jing¡¯an weren¡¯t able to bring themselves to speak for a moment when they looked at He Changdi.

    This was especially so for Countess Jing¡¯an, who felt a little guilty.

    Madam Zou was watching from the side with as much patience as she could muster. The silence of the more senior members of the family at such a crucial time made her anxious and nervous. There was only one chance! If she missed it, who knew when the next one woulde, if ever!

    The parlour became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. The wife of the heir, Madam Zou, pinched her palm to bring tears to her eyes before lowering her head to weep.

    ¡°Third Brother, you¡¯re still young, so you won¡¯t understand your eldest brother¡¯s plight. It was my fault in the past for not being considerate enough to your brother. It took so much for your brother to finally have hopes for an heir and he would have had a son to hold in just a few more months, yet his hopes have been crushed so suddenly. It¡¯s so painful, it¡¯s unbearable! Although the child didn¡¯te from my womb, I would still have been Mother to him once born.¡±

    With those words said, it seemed as if Madam Zou lost all control of her emotions as she began to sob uncontrobly with grief.

    Those not in the know might actually think that the lost child was hers instead!

    A cold glint that shed through He Changdi¡¯s eyes. His thin lips pressed into a grim smile and the words fell out of his mouth like ice, ¡°What do you mean by that, Sister-in-Law?¡±

    Madam Zou sent a signal to the physician standing beside He Changqi with her eyes.

    She used a handkerchief to wipe away the tears on her cheeks and took a deep breath, as if she was doing her best to appearposed.

    ¡°Third Brother, you¡¯re young and you haven¡¯t been married for long. You¡¯ve also been through a lot with your wife in the northern border, so I can understand you being protective of her. However, the evidence is undeniable, there¡¯s no way that you can defend her now!¡±

    Standing outside the parlour, Chu Lian could hear every single word her sister-inw, Madam Zou, had said. She sneered inwardly. Madam Zou was already unable to hold back her scheming this early into the game, wasn¡¯t she afraid of pushing herself into a corner?

    The sight of her master¡¯s pale face and Madam Zou¡¯s nder pushed Xiyan to the brink of her temper. She bit her lips so hard that she almost drew blood.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in,¡± Chu Lian muttered weakly.

    Xiyan held up her master with all her might, almost as if she were trying to take on her burden instead. She blinked repeatedly, holding in her tears with everything she had.

    When they reached the parlour¡¯s entrance, the two maidservants who guarded the entrance lifted the curtains on either side and Xiyan guided Chu Lian in.

    The moment Chu Lian stepped into the parlour, the gazes of everyone inside fell upon her like a physical weight.

    He Ying, who was seated beside the matriarch, sneered, ¡°Well, well, it looks like the culprit is finally here. I thought she was going to hide for the whole night!¡±

    He Changdi couldn¡¯t help turning his head to look at Chu Lian as well. When he noticed how pale she looked, his pupils shrunk and his body turned subconsciously with the desire to stand by his wife¡¯s side. However, recalling the promise they made in the carriage, he firmly restrained himself.

    The hands held behind his back tightened into fists.

 Chapter 503: Slander (2)

    Chapter 503: nder (2)

    This story ispletely free to read on vrenovels~ Please support my trantions on the original source!

    Chu Lian kept her head down. She didn¡¯t meet the eyes of anyone in the parlour. With Xiyan supporting her, she took a few steps forward and bent her knees to greet her elders.

    Although herplexion was bad, her posture remained upright. Before anyone could question her, she looked up and fired off a blunt question, ¡°Grandmother, Mother, do you actually believe that I¡¯m the culprit behind this?¡±

    The overbearing attitude Chu Lian showed was aplete opposite to the frail woman who had walked in with the aid of her handmaid. This sudden turnaround caught both Matriarch He and Countess Jing¡¯an by surprise and frightened Madam Zou.

    After Chu Lian¡¯s straightforward question, she looked directly into the eyes of the matriarch and her mother-inw. She could see that her question had shaken them from their original beliefs.

    Without giving them any chance to reply, she continued, ¡°Have you considered what I would actually gain from doing such a thing? This may be a pompous thing for me to say, but my husband is already a marquis. A marquis is a whole rank above a count. In the future, my husband and I will have to move away from this estate and my husband¡¯s title will be passed down to his children. Eldest Brother doesn¡¯t have any male heirs now, but even if Miaozhen doesn¡¯t have a child, who is to say that he can¡¯t take another concubine in a few more years? Why worry aboutcking a heir?¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s words were like a thunderbolt, shaking Countess Jing¡¯an out of the fog she had been in.

    That was true! If this had all happened before He Changdi had earned his noble title, then there might have been some benefit for Chu Lian in doing so, but now it didn¡¯t make sense at all!

    What good would it even do for her if the child died?

    The title of Count Jing¡¯an wouldn¡¯t be passed down to her child anyway! Besides, there was still her second brother-inw, He Changjue, in the way!

    When it came down to the family¡¯s problem of not having any little young masters in the next generation, how could an illegitimate son from a servant-born concubinepare to the legitimate son of a noble wife?

    She and the matriarch had been so engrossed with losing a male heir that they weren¡¯t thinking clearly.

    However, even though Countess Jing¡¯an had managed to think things through, it didn¡¯t mean that the others had been enlightened too.

    Matriarch He¡¯s eyes were still clouded. She was already old and her eldest grandson was still without an heir. Although she didn¡¯t voice her worries, it had been weighing on her heavily.

    Matriarch He¡¯s eyes were cast downwards and she remained silent. Chu Lian had been observing her expression all the while and was able to tell that the matriarch didn¡¯t actually agree with what she just said.

    Madam Zou didn¡¯t speak either, but her tension could be seen from how tightly she was grasping her handkerchief. She lowered her head as she didn¡¯t dare to look at Chu Lian, enduring the jealousy and hatred she held inside. Madam Zou was afraid that someone would notice something if she looked up, or she might reveal some clues if she argued with Chu Lian.

    With everyone¡¯s attention turned elsewhere, she let out a crafty smirk on her face.

    Even if she kept silent, there was someone else who would speak out!

    As expected, that person didn¡¯t let her down!

    ¡°Miss Chu, did you really think that we¡¯d believe you just like that? Quit dreaming, how do you exin the hawthorns that you sent then!?¡± The cowardly He Ying put on a fierce performance and acted as if she was an extremely upright individual!

    Pan Nianzhen was seated obediently beside her mother with a timid expression. She looked around constantly following the drama. While there was a sympathetic expression on her face, she was actually utterly delighted within.

    Out of everyone in House Jing¡¯an, she envied Chu Lian the most.

    She wasn¡¯t just jealous of the restaurant that Chu Lian had opened which made thousands of taels every month. There was also the fact that Princess Wei had taken a liking to Chu Lian, that Royal Princess Duanjia was her good friend, but most importantly, she had taken the position of He Changdi¡¯s wife!

    Chu Lian was just a nobody from a third-rate noble family ¡®renowned¡¯ for its fertile young misses. How was that any better than her?

    As for her silly noble title? Hah, even an honoureddy was at a loss for words in the face of the interrogation from the elders in the family!

    What a joke!

    Chu Lian¡¯s clear eyes met with He Ying¡¯s smug look. For some reason, the confidence that He Ying had in her usation deted under the full attention of those limpid eyes.

    The corner of Chu Lian¡¯s lips curved upwards.

 Chapter 504 - Who Said The Child is Beyond Saving? (1)

    <strong>Chapter 504: Who Said The Child is Beyond Saving? (1)</strong>

    ¡°Aunt, if my memory serves me correctly, I am still the Honoured Lady Jinyi, a title which was personally conferred by the emperor.¡±

    The meaning behind her words was that He Ying had no right to call her ¡®Miss Chu¡¯! After all, He Ying was just amoner with nothing to her name!

    Chu Lian¡¯s words were like a fist clenched around He Changdi¡¯s heart. His expression showed how displeased he was. As he looked at his wife¡¯s delicate figure, there was a prick of pain in his heart.

    When Chu Lian had spoken, she hadn¡¯t mentioned her authority as Marchioness Anyuan, and had fallen back on her title as Honoured Lady Jinyi instead.

    Although the honoureddy title had given her the status of an honorary member of the imperial family, it was still a few ranks below the wife of a marquis, who was automatically given a first-rank noble title.

    Insecurity ate at He Sang from within. He couldn¡¯t help allowing his imagination to run wild. Could it be that his wife hadn¡¯t acknowledged him and had never thought of relying on him?

    Eldest Madam He Ying waspletely shut down by those words from Chu Lian. Her face turned deathly white and her lips trembled as she struggled to speak.

    ording to their customs, even as a senior family member, He Ying was supposed to curtsey towards Chu Lian in her capacity as an honoureddy.

    This was simr to how it would be fordies who entered the pce and became imperial concubines. When imperial concubines returned to their maiden homes for a visit, the elders in her family would have to kneel and kowtow to her in deference to her title.

    Chu Lian had never exercised that right on Eldest Madam He Ying before, because she respected the matriarch. However, now that Matriarch He simply wasn¡¯t worthy of her respect anymore, was there any need to be mindful of He Ying¡¯s pride?

    Did she really think that Chu Lian was an easy target to bully?

    ¡°You! How dare you speak to me like this! I am your senior!¡± He Ying was utterly flustered. In her anger, her face contorted into an ugly expression.

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    The matriarch finally spoke.

    She raised her voice with an authoritative tone, ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, does this olddy need to get up and greet you as well?¡±

    So the matriarch has finally decided to shed all pretenses? Hmph!

    Chu Lian lowered her head slightly to hide the mocking smile on her lips as the tension in her chest faded away. She wasn¡¯t afraid of going up against the matriarch, she had only been worried about hurting someone who truly cared for her.

    What Matriarch He just said hadpletely depleted all the goodwill that Chu Lian had left for her.

    It was better this way. She wouldn¡¯t have to deal with the burden of guilt in the aftermath and it would be easier to talk back to her.

    Seeing that the matriarch was on her side, He Ying¡¯s contorted face immediately turned into a proud smile. That smile was as infuriating as any smile could get.

    He Changdi clenched his fists. It took thest shreds of his patience to stop himself from going up to Chu Lian, taking her into his arms, and shielding her from all this.

    Madam Zou was also smirking on the inside. On the other hand, Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s expression had slowly morphed into a frown. She opened her mouth, thinking to persuade the matriarch, but looking at the terribleplexion of her mother-inw, she decided against aggravating the situation further.

    Chu Lian bowed slightly, ¡°I dare not.¡±

    Matriarch He mmed the table beside her, causing the teacup that had been ced there to crash to the ground.

    ¡°You dare not? What else could you possibly dare not to do!?¡±

    Chu Lian kept her head lowered and maintained her silence.

    Matriarch He gripped the edge of the table and nced at He Changdi. Seeing that he hadn¡¯t moved an inch and didn¡¯t seem to have the intention to intervene at all, relief washed over her.

    In her mind, she thought that her grandson probably had something against his wife as well.

    After finding out that Chu Lian had been kidnapped in the northern border, Matriarch He had be estranged from Chu Lian. With He Ying¡¯s multiple attempts at sowing discord between them, the aged matriarch who had be increasingly muddle-headed was now biased against Chu Lian.

    She absolutely wasn¡¯t going to relent now.

    ¡°Doctor Qian, please exin the situation and let us hear if I¡¯m wrongly using her!¡±

    Having received permission from the matriarch, the doctor who had been standing quietly beside He Changqi immediately walked into the center of the parlour. He started off with a respectful bow towards the matriarch.

    Doctor Qian was dressed in a grey robe. He had a long face and his eyes wererge but murky, as if there was something darker hidden in their depths.

    ¡°Matriarch, this humble one has already taken Miss Miaozhen¡¯s pulse three times. Miss Miaozhen¡¯s miscarriage was indeed caused by overconsumption of hawthorns.¡±

    After listening to Doctor Qian, the matriarch turned to the heir apparent, He Changqi, ¡°Dng, speak!¡±

    He Changqi had a haggard expression, evidently grieving over his lost child. Although he usually seemed indifferent about the matter, no noble would be happy aboutcking an heir.

    Despite all that, he was still much more rational than Matriarch He was.

    ¡°Grandmother, although it was my personal attendant who called Doctor Qian here, it¡¯s better if a proper investigation is held. I don¡¯t think this matter is that simple.¡±

    He Ying hadn¡¯t expected such a sentiment from her oldest nephew at a time like this. Infuriated, she pelted him immediately with reprimands, ¡°Dng, think about what you just lost! That was your own flesh and blood! Why are you still speaking up for others!?¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s face tensed up. He turned to look at He Ying with his thick brows furrowed tightly.

    Matriarch He ignored the dispute between her daughter and grandson and questioned Chu Lian instead, ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, do you have anything more to say?¡±

    He Ying and her daughter were overjoyed within. Look at what had be of Honoured Lady Jinyi, the Marchioness Anyuan! See how far she had fallen! Even the husband standing right beside her hadn¡¯t spoken up for her at all! What a pitiful sight!

    Chu Lian was just about to speak when a heartbroken scream was heard from the inner room.

    ¡°AHHHH!¡±

    Following immediately after was the sound of panicked footsteps and maidservants talking.

    ¡°My child! My dear child!¡±

    The woman¡¯s voice was hoarse and filled with despair, as if she was carrying anger that she didn¡¯t have the energy to express. Chu Lian had heard this voice before and she knew that it belonged to Miaozhen.

    Next, the voice of an old servant resounded withforting titudes, ¡°Lady Miaozhen, the child is gone. It has already died in your womb. If we don¡¯t take it out, you¡¯ll lose your life as well.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to, my child isn¡¯t dead, he isn¡¯t dead! Please, please don¡¯t take away my child...¡±

    ......

 Chapter 505 - Who Said The Child is Beyond Saving? (2)

    <strong>Chapter 505: Who Said The Child is Beyond Saving? (2)</strong>

    Even Chu Lian was feeling some sympathy for Miaozhen by this point, so He Changqi had it even worse.

    Madam Zou caught sight of the heartache and guilt that shed across his expression. Even as she showed a frown on her face, a perverted sense of enjoyment rose in her heart.

    Miaozhen¡¯s tragic wails could be heard in the parlour from time to time, causing everyone¡¯s expressions to sink.

    Even though Chu Lian had ways to absolve herself from suspicion, this wasn¡¯t a good time to speak.

    It was right at this time that Great Doctor Miao, who had been acting as a bystander, picked up his medicine box and walked to the middle of the parlour.

    He stroked his white beard and said with a wide smile, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, why are you all fretting so? Matriarch, so much worrying isn¡¯t good for your health! Isn¡¯t it just a child? Who said the child is beyond saving?¡±

    His casual words downyed the situation and shocked everyone to the core!

    Matriarch He and Countess Jing¡¯an were so surprised that they leapt out of their seats.

    They stared at him with disbelief, as if he had just spoken in gibberish.

    ¡°What did you just say? The child can still be saved?¡± Countess Jing¡¯an asked in a soft voice.

    Before Great Doctor Miao could nod, Doctor Qian retorted aggressively, ¡°You old fogey, what kind of nonsense are you spouting? I took Miss Miaozhen¡¯s pulse myself, her child is already dead in her womb!¡±

    ¡°Exactly! How is that even possible? Miaozhen bled so much!¡± Madam Zou couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. Fear and rm warred within her heart; if Miaozhen¡¯s child could actually be saved, wouldn¡¯t all her efforts go to waste?

    As she spoke, she kept shooting signals at Doctor Qian with her eyes.

    The smirk on Great Doctor Miao¡¯s eyes deepened as he took in the expressions of every person in the parlour.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t let me take a look earlier. Well, now that you¡¯ve all determined that the child has perished, what harm is there in letting me do it now? It¡¯s not like things can get any worse.¡±

    Great Doctor Miao¡¯s words couldn¡¯t get any more blunt, but everything he had said was true!

    They had already epted the worst possible oue. If he managed to save the baby, wouldn¡¯t it be an unexpected surprise?

    They weren¡¯t stupid, so He Changqi immediately said, ¡°Lead Great Doctor Miao in.¡±

    A senior servant immediately led Great Doctor Miao into the inner room.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t thought that Great Doctor Miao still had something up his sleeves at such a crucial time.

    As Great Doctor Miao entered the room, Madam Zou and Doctor Qian¡¯s expressions turned a little strange.

    Everyone had abruptly lost the mood to interrogate their suspect. Madam Zou herself was feeling guilty, so she couldn¡¯t be bothered with Chu Lian at this moment . It would also be hard for He Ying to go up against Chu Lian alone, so as much as she wanted to, she couldn¡¯t act right now.

    Chu Lian was helped over to a seat at the side of the parlour by Xiyan. He Changdi casually took a seat right beside her. No one noticed as husband and wife exchanged gazes.

    There was a profound look in He Changdi¡¯s eyes. He was getting overwhelmed by his emotions, and the desire to take her away from this ce was growing. He reached his hand out to take hold of the small hand that Chu Lian had rested on the side table.

    Chu Lian immediately noticed his intentions and quickly drew her hand away.

    She subtly shook her head at him.

    Since she had made it this far, she couldn¡¯t squander all of their efforts! There were still some people who hadn¡¯t shown themselves!

    She also wanted to make He Changdi understand that she would be able to resolve this matter without a scratch even without him. She wanted to show him that she wasn¡¯t a woman who had to rely on a man for everything!

    Simrly, she had the same expectations for her man!

    They were husband and wife, not master and dependent. They had to stand shoulder to shoulder as equals!

    He Changdi was feeling a little depressed and empty inside. In this moment, he could somehow sense that Chu Lian would be able to live happily even on her own, if he ever messed up his rtionship with her.

    When his thoughts veered in that direction, it felt as if his heart had been pierced by a million needles. He withdrew his hand and formed it into a fist.

    Impossible! As long as he willed it, even if he had to tie her down to keep her with him, he wouldn¡¯t give her any chance to escape!

    Everyone in the parlour was thinking of different things, while most of them were absent-mindedly awaiting news from the inner room.

    Fifteen minutester, when they could no longer hear the anguished wails of Miaozhen, the inner room gradually quietened down.

    In another fifteen minutes, everyone was starting to be impatient.

    Having spent so much time in silence, He Changqi was now icily calm.

    As the eldest son of the family, he was more thoughtful than most. After some consideration, he broke the silence by saying, ¡°It seems like Great Doctor Miao can¡¯t provide us any answers anytime soon. Grandmother, Mother, Third Brother, Third Sister-in-Law, it¡¯s gettingte. You should all go and take a rest, I¡¯ll stay here to keep watch.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an found her son¡¯s words reasonable. When she saw how exhausted the matriarch looked, she realised that it was indeed better if they didn¡¯t continue waiting here and voiced out her agreement.

    In the end, everyone returned to their courtyards to rest.

    When Chu Lian and He Changdi left, they left with him in the lead and hergging behind, so that those who were attentive would see that there was a problem between them.

    While supporting Matriarch He out of the parlour, Muxiang red at Chu Lian¡¯s figure with hatred. Her red lips parted in a malicious sneer, giving her the appearance of a monster looking at its prey.

    Back at Qingxi Hall, Muxiang helped the matriarch freshen up before taking her leave and entering a small study. She beckoned a maidservant over and whispered into the maidservant¡¯s ear. The green-clothed servant nodded and left Qingxi Hall, disappearing into the darkness of the night.

 Chapter 506 - Snitch (1)

    <strong>Chapter 506: Snitch (1)</strong>

    Over at a side entrance to Songtao Court, an anxious figure was pacing around in the cold wind beneath the dimntern light.

    Finally, after a long period of waiting, a light rapping sounded from the other side of the door. The shadowy figure stiffened before swiftly moving to open it.

    The person outside handed over a letter and made two hand gestures. They left as quickly as they hade.

    One side of Fuyan¡¯s face came to light under thenterns, the wavering shadows blurring her expression and contorting her features.

    She hastily stuffed the letter into her clothes and looked around the side entrance once again. After a few more furtive nces about and confirming that no one had noticed her actions, she quickly departed from the scene.

    It was around this time that Chu Lian and He Sang returned to Songtao Court. Senior Servant Gui¡¯s eyes widened a little when she saw the young couple entering separately, one after the other. Her heart leaped into her throat.

    Senior Servant Gui knew that something was wrong when she saw Chu Lian entering the bathroom without saying a word to Third Young Master.

    Taking the chance when He Changdi left for the study, she pulled Xiyan aside for some questioning.

    ¡°What happened? Wasn¡¯t Third Young Madam fine when she went out this morning?¡±

    Xiyan didn¡¯t have much in the way of an exnation as she was still confused by the chain of events. ¡°Momo, I¡¯m not really sure either. It seems like Third Young Madam and Master fought on the road back. Also, we ran into Second Master on the way...¡±

    Xiyan¡¯s face was also filled with worry. Her heart was still quaking from the showdown in Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s courtyard!

    Senior Servant Gui showed an expression of deep thought. She sternly ordered, ¡°Give me more details.¡±

    Of Chu Lian¡¯s four handmaids, it was Xiyan and Wen who were on thete night shift tonight. As the hour waste, handmaids who weren¡¯t on night duty could return to their room to rest.

    He Changdi was seated at the desk in the study. The tranquil night was especially quiet, strangely so. Only the asional crackling from thenterns broke the silence.

    He Changdi¡¯s dark eyes stared into the emptiness before him. He propped his head on his hand as if he was thinking about something. No one would have been able to guess that his mind was filled with Chu Lian¡¯s figure.

    Her conversation with Chu Qizheng inside the carriage. Their agreement behind the screen at the entrance. Her indifference towards him. Also, when she addressed herself as ¡®Honoured Lady Jinyi¡¯ while arguing with Aunt.

    He Changdi suddenly felt an impending sense of crisis. He didn¡¯t want to continue ying out this farce any longer.

    This was obviously torture for him.

    The hand that He Sang had rested on top of the desk suddenly clenched into a tight fist. The veins on the back of his hand bulged out from the tension in his limb.

    He abruptly stood up, wanting to leave the study. However, at this time, someone knocked on the door.

    He Changdi paused for a second before narrowing his dark eyes.

    Perhaps due to theck of response from within the room, histe night visitor knocked on the door once more. This time, the knocking was apanied by a woman¡¯s dulcet tones.

    ¡°Third Young Master, this servant hase to serve you some tea.¡±

    It was Fuyan¡¯s voice.

    A corner of He Changdi¡¯s lips curled up in a mocking smirk.

    ¡°Enter.¡±

    The door to the study was opened with a creak from the outside.

    Over at the parlour, Chu Lian was drinking a bowl of white fungus lotus seed soup when Baicha came in to report.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, this servant saw it in person. It¡¯s Fuyan.¡±

    At this moment, the people around Chu Lian were all her most trusted servants. Xiyan, Wen, and Senior Servant Gui all had shocked expressions on their faces.

    Fuyan! To think it was actually Fuyan!

    Baicha was so frightened that her face turned deathly pale. After she had been promoted to a second-ss maidservant in Songtao Court, she had always been nothing but respectful towards the first-ss handmaids. She never expected that a servant so close to their master, like Fuyan, would possess this kind of ulterior motive.

    Chu Lian¡¯s face was calm, as if she had already known about this matter.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, this old servant will lead some servants over to catch that slut Fuyan,¡± Senior Servant Gui said, gnashing her teeth.

    If it had been Mingyan or Jingyan whomitted that sort of betrayal, it wouldn¡¯t have been so bad. They wouldn¡¯t expect loyalty from them since they were just some outside servants who had been randomly picked by Second Madam¡¯s senior servant right before Chu Lian¡¯s wedding. However, it was different for Fuyan and Xiyan. They had been serving Chu Lian ever since House Ying, and they shared several years of friendship with her.

    Chu Lian raised her hand to halt Senior Servant Gui¡¯s action.

    ¡°Third Young Madam...¡± Senior Servant Gui protested anxiously.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to go.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s voice was calm. If her rtionship with He Changdi could be shaken with just a few words from Fuyan, then it would just mean that she had misjudged He Changdi as a person.

    There were so many maidservants in Songtao Court as well as the Jing¡¯an Estate. There would be no end to it if she had to keep a constant guard up day and night.

    ¡°But what if Fuyan harms your rtionship with Third Young Master...¡±

    ¡°Momo, don¡¯t worry. I have my own ns.¡± Chu Lian patted Senior Servant Gui¡¯s hand.

    Senior Servant Gui couldn¡¯t do anything since Chu Lian had given her an order. She couldn¡¯t disobey her master.

    ¡°Momo, have an early rest. It¡¯s already prettyte, so I¡¯m going to rest as well. It¡¯ll be enough with just Wening in to serve me.¡±

    Chu Lian headed back into the bedroom. She let Wen prepare her for bed as she sunk into the warm and soft nkets.

    Wen couldn¡¯t let go of her worries as she was letting down the bed curtains, so she asked, ¡°Third Young Madam, should this servant send someone to monitor the situation in the study?¡±

    ¡°No need. Do you think your Third Young Master is a fool? He probably knows that Baicha came over to report. There¡¯s no need for these useless actions. Go take a rest. I¡¯ll call you if I need anything.¡±

    Wen was astonished. A momentter, she nodded and quietly left after putting down the curtains.

 Chapter 507 - Snitch (2)

    <strong>Chapter 507: Snitch (2)</strong>

    Chu Lian was lying under her soft nkets as she breathed in the faint scent of Chinese agarwood drifting around the bed. It was snug under the covers because Wen and the others had warmed them up with a hot water bottle earlier.

    Despite her warm andfortable surroundings, Chu Lian wasn¡¯t the slightest bit sleepy at all.

    She blinked hard as she stared up at the begonia-colored canopy of the bed. Her heart felt unsettled for some reason.

    Although she had read the original novel, she hadn¡¯t been able to finish reading it. Moreover, many things had changed since she had arrived in the Great Wu Dynasty, and events had turned outpletely different from the novel.

    It was February right now. Her knowledge of events onlysted until May.

    She regretted it very much now. She regretted not reading more in the past. She should have at least read the ending first.

    If she had, then she wouldn¡¯t be at a loss for what to do right now.

    Chu Lian¡¯s sleepiness was fading away as she tossed and turned like a pancake.

    In the end, as she grew more and more awake, memories of her interactions with He Changdi today shed through her mind unbidden.

    She had appeared calm in front of Senior Servant Gui and the others. However, she was the only one who knew if her facade matched what was going on inside her heart.

    For some reason, her thoughts kept drifting to what Fuyan might be saying to He Changdi in the study right now.

    After some time had passed, Chu Lian still wasn¡¯t sleepy. She got up and opened the curtains, picking up the storybook she had ced on the nightstand and settling in to read.

    Wen heard the soundsing within the room and came in to take a look. When she saw that Chu Lian had sat up against the headboard and started reading, she hastily trimmed the candlewick to make it brighter in order to avoid any damage to her master¡¯s eyes in the dim lighting.

    Wen sighed inwardly as she retreated from the room.

    Third Young Madam¡¯s words and actions were very different.

    Someone who would normally fall asleep the moment her head touched the pillow was unusually sleepless tonight. If it wasn¡¯t because she was worried about Third Young Master, then what would it be?!

    Inside the study.

    Fuyan was wearing a brand new light green dress, a pearl hairpin made in thetest style in her hair. Her figure was tall and slender, especially at her waist. Her most attractive feature was her slim and delicate waist.

    She was holding a tea tray as she swiftly walked towards He Changdi¡¯s desk with her head lowered. Fuyan covertly lifted her eyes to peek at the tall and handsome man behind the desk. Her heart instantly began to beat even harder due to her nervous excitement.

    She held the tea tray in front of He Changdi and said, ¡°Third Young Master, please have a cup of tea to warm your stomach.¡±

    He Changdi finally shifted his deep gaze towards Fuyan.

    His gaze was cold and expressionless.

    ¡°Leave.¡±

    Fuyan froze when she heard hismand. Although pleasant to the ear, his voice waspletely devoid of any emotions.

    A moment of disbelief made her give pause. She had never thought that Third Young Master would use such a cold and chilly tone to talk to her.

    She had purposely dressed up today. Didn¡¯t people often say that women looked more beautiful under antern light? Furthermore, her looks weren¡¯t too bad in the first ce. She could still be considered a slender and graceful beauty.

    The manservants at the second entrance would stare at her every time she went out for an errand.

    How could Third Young Master be so indifferent to her charms?!

    Fuyan secretly bit her lip in anger and clenched her hands.

    He Changdi was quickly losing his patience when he saw her still standing there.

    ¡°What are you still doing here?! Scram!¡±

    Fuyan hadn¡¯t thought that Third Young Master would get angry. She trembled with fear and kneeled down immediately.

    She refused to leave just like that. This was a rare opportunity toe by.

    Someone had deliberately informed her that Third Young Master and Madam had just quarrelled. If she didn¡¯t take the chance to fan the mes now, then it would be hard to find a better time in the future.

    Since He Changdi hadn¡¯t personally thrown her out yet, she suddenlyid prone on the floor and cried, ¡°This... this servant has an important matter to report to Third Young Master.¡±

    Fuyan didn¡¯t hear any response from He Changdi. With her head lowered, she didn¡¯t catch the jeering expression that shed over He Changdi¡¯s handsome face, either.

    She didn¡¯t dare to hesitate anymore this time. Fuyan hastily took out the letter and moved a couple steps forward on her knees, presenting the letter to He Changdi with both hands.

    ¡°Third Young Master, please take a look at this letter. Then you¡¯ll understand this servant¡¯s sincerity.¡±

    He Changdi didn¡¯t reject her request and took the letter from Fuyan. The writing on the letter looked very familiar. It belonged to Xiao Wujing.

    However, he didn¡¯t open the letter. He stared at the maidservant beside him, his thin lips pressed together without a word.

    Fuyan panicked when she didn¡¯t hear the sound of the letter being opened. She lifted her head in a spurt of bravery and looked towards He Changdi.

    Taking a deep breath, she said,¡°Third Young Master, this is a letter that Mister Xiao wrote to Third Young Madam! Third...Third Young Madam is unfaithful to you!¡±

    Fuyan had gritted her teeth as she blurted out her deration. Quickly following after, she lifted her head and stared intently at He Changdi¡¯s expression.

    The rage, shock, and regret that she had been expecting... None of those negative emotions appeared...

    He Sang¡¯s expression hadn¡¯t changed a bit. It was still the same coldly handsome face as always. The evidence that would have churned up a storm of emotions in anyone else hadn¡¯t phased him at all.

    Fuyan¡¯s eyes widenedically until they looked like they were about to pop out of her sockets. Her internal panic was on full disy in her expression.

    ¡°Third...Third Young Master, don¡¯t you care about Third Young Madam¡¯s infidelity? She... she has an illicit rtionship with Mister Xiao. She¡¯s not being faithful to you!¡±

    He Changdi suddenly bent down and got closer to Fuyan. His slender fingers caught hold of Fuyan¡¯s chin, digging into her tender flesh.

    The sharp pain on her chin made Fuyan cry out. He Changdi¡¯s sinister, icy tone crept into her ears like a slow, winding snake. ¡°Even if that were true, how is it any of your concern?¡±

 Chapter 508 - Dealing with Her (1)

    <strong>Chapter 508: Dealing with Her (1)</strong>

    This story ispletely free to read on vrenovels~ Please support my trantions on the original source!

    Once those words had sunken into her mind, Fuyan didn¡¯t even get a chance to speak. She first heard a light crack before an intense pain on her jaw overwhelmed her senses. Her forehead broke out into cold sweat from the pain.

    She couldn¡¯t even close her mouth, so how would she be able to say anything?

    He Changdi threw her to the ground, where she sprawled out in a pitiful manner. She was in so much pain that she couldn¡¯t even straighten her back.

    He Sang had just dislocated her jaw!

    Following that, He Changdi ordered with a shout, ¡°Servants,e in and take her away!¡±

    Someone pushed open the door to the study once again from the outside. The person who entered was none other than He Changdi¡¯s manservant, Laiyue.

    Laiyue hade in with two guards. With a wave of his hand, they swiftly dragged Fuyan out.

    After Fuyan was taken away, Laiyue secured the door before reporting to his master.

    ¡°Third Young Master, after some investigation, we found that it was someone from Qingxi Hall.¡±

    ¡°Who is she serving?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a third-ranked maidservant who used to do menial chores in Qingxi Hall. When Eldest Madam and Miss Pan returned to the estate, Senior Servant Liu promoted her and assigned her to serve Eldest Madam.¡±

    ¡°Send someone to keep an eye on her.¡±

    Laiyue acknowledged the order, but he didn¡¯t leave right away. He stood beside He Changdi appearing as if he was hesitating to speak.

    He Changdi turned a nd look on him.

    Laiyue felt a chill all over his body and the hesitation in his mind suddenly cleared up.

    ¡°It¡¯s about Third Young Madam. Third Young Madam¡¯s servants already know that Fuyan came in earlier.¡±

    After listening to Laiyue¡¯s report, a trace of panic appeared in He Changdi¡¯s eyes. However, he managed to get his emotions under control in short order.

    ¡°I understand. You¡¯re dismissed.¡±

    Leaving behind that order, He Sang abruptly broke into a quick stride and exited the study. He seemed to be going towards the direction of the bedroom.

    Laiyue was still rooted to the same spot in his confusion.

    What exactly was going on? Wasn¡¯t his master still mad at Third Young Madam? Why did it seem like he was in a rush?

    Since he couldn¡¯t understand it, he decided that it was better to stop thinking about it. A bachelor like him wouldn¡¯t be able to understand the goings-on between couples anyways. It would be more practical to just go back to his room earlier and rest.

    He Changdi slowed down only when he reached the parlour. He suddenly realised that he was still holding the letter in his hand.

    He paused in his steps and held up the letter in his hand. He stared at it for a few seconds. A shadows fell over He Sang¡¯s eyes and he walked towards the brazier in the parlour. With a quick flick of his hand, the unopened letter fell into the brazier. The greedy mes quickly crept over the paper. It only took a few seconds before the letter turned into a pile of ashes.

    He Sang breathed a sigh of relief after he watched the letter turn to dust. The knot of emotions within his eyes seemed to have disappeared along with the letter.

    He turned around and walked towards the bedroom, his rapid pace betraying his sense of urgency.

    Wen was on the night shift, so she was the one who heard his arrival from the side room. Knowing that it was He Changdi, she didn¡¯te out to disturb him.

    The moment Chu Lian heard the footsteps from outside, she hurriedly put away the storybook and hid inside the nket.

    In the darkness, she could sense the other side of the bed sinking in a little.

    Following that, she was suddenly pulled into a familiar embrace, nket and all.

    Before she could even open her eyes, kisses were raining continuously on her face. Finally, her dewy lips were captured, forcing her to open her crystal-clear eyes.

    He hadn¡¯t given Chu Lian any chance to resist. By the time he released her, she was already panting hard with a flushed face.

    He Changdi¡¯s expression was strangely calm. He stared at that beautiful and delicate face in front of him and suppressed his burgeoning desires so that he could speak, ¡°It was Fuyan. The one who ryed the message was a maidservant who serves He Ying.¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t seem surprised by the news. She had already known that Fuyan wasn¡¯t loyal to her, but that maidservant was definitely suspicious.

    ¡°Someone from Aunt¡¯s side? But this doesn¡¯t feel like the way she works.¡±

    He Changdi took off his shoes and got on the bed. He didn¡¯t even take off his outerwear and leaned directly against the bed frame, his long arms cradling Chu Lian.

    He let out a cold snort, breaking the silence, ¡°He Ying? She¡¯s not that smart. She¡¯s not responsible for this.¡±

    The gravity of the matter they were discussing slowly helped to calm the young couple down from their previous intimacy.

    Chu Lian lifted her head and asked out of curiosity, ¡°Then who do you think is responsible for this?¡±

    He Sang couldn¡¯t resist caressing Chu Lian¡¯s shoulder with the arm that he had ced around her.

    ¡°Eldest Sister-in-Law. But I¡¯m not sure about the mastermind behind her. Madam Zou doesn¡¯t have the guts to do this herself.¡±

    Chu Lian inadvertently thought of the servants under Matriarch He. Multiple faces shed through her mind, but none of them stood out to her.

    In the end, even her brows had furrowed together.

    He Changdi¡¯s thoughtful gaze had returned to Chu Lian¡¯s face at some point. The little wrinkles that the frown had made on her face gave him the irresistible urge to smooth them out. He gave in to the desire and reached out to stroke the crease between her brows gently.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, are you still angry?¡±

    Chu Lian was jolted out of her thoughts by his sudden question. She red at him, ¡°What did Fuyan say to you?¡±

    He Sang suddenly remembered that letter. His eyes narrowed and he hugged the lovely figure in his arms more tightly a momentter, ¡°Nothing much. She was just an ambitious maidservant.¡±

    His half-hearted attempt at brushing off the topic made Chu Lian even more suspicious.

    She ced her hands against He Changdi¡¯s chest and pushed him away slightly. Her brows furrowed even more.

    ¡°He Changdi, do you take me for a fool?¡±

    He Sang was slightly startled by her reaction. He had no choice but to confess the whole truth, ¡°The letter Xiao Bojian wrote to you.¡±

    Chu Lian: ...

    Had she been cursed with bad luck somehow? When had Xiao Bojian written a letter to her? Why didn¡¯t she know anything about it?

    So such an important piece of evidence had been in Fuyan¡¯s hands this whole time. Coupled with the feelings that she had for her crazy husband, it was no wonder that she had decided to jump at the chance tonight.

 Chapter 509 - Dealing with Her (2)

    <strong>Chapter 509: Dealing with Her (2)</strong>

    Chu Lian really didn¡¯t know if she should cry orugh. She showed her pale and smooth hand to He Changdi.

    ¡°Mm?¡± He Changdi pretended not to understand his wife¡¯s meaning.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the letter? I want to read it. I want to see what nonsense that Xiao Bojian was trying to pull!¡± Chu Lian was about to explode in anger.

    What kind of situation was this? Why did it feel like she had been wronged through no fault of her own?

    Her hand was beginning to feel sore from being outstretched, but He Changdi didn¡¯t move an inch.

    ¡°I want to see the letter.¡±

    Chu Lian reminded him again.

    He Changdi awkwardly coughed a few times.

    He tried to avoid meeting his wife¡¯s questioning gaze.

    Chu Lian gaped in shock. She asked with a hint of disbelief, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you destroyed the letter?¡±

    He Sang awkwardly turned his head away. He pursed his lips without speaking.

    Chu Lian noticed his evasive gaze and knew that she had hit the nail on the head.

    Anger red up within her, giving her the urge to punch him a few times.

    She puffed up her cheeks and red at He Changdi with her big eyes for a long moment. Finally, Chu Lian angrily turned around so her back faced He Changdi.

    It was only at this moment that He Changdi finally realised that he had been too impulsive earlier.

    However, there was absolutely no way he could have controlled the rage and jealousy in his heart while holding a letter from his love rival in his hand.

    He Changdi knew he had made a mistake. He reached out, wanting to turn Chu Lian around to face him.

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t willing to let him have his way and stubbornly ignored him.

    He Sang knew his wife was really angry with him, so he didn¡¯t dare to use force. He could only pat on her back lightly, like he was trying to soothe a grumpy little kitten.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to continue like this for long, so she spoke up, ¡°Go wash up first.¡±

    He Changdi stared at the side profile of his wife¡¯s face for a while before he got up and went to the bathroom.

    Chu Lian¡¯s mood was slightly better when she didn¡¯t hear him call for the maidservants outside.

    Sheid on her side, wrapped inside the soft nkets, and thought about the things that He Changdi had just told her. She was really curious about what Xiao Bojian had written in the letter that Fuyan had been keeping. Also, how had Fuyan gotten hold of that letter? It was too bad that He Changdi had already burned that letter. She couldn¡¯t even read it if she wanted to.

    Perhaps due to having waited for He Changdi toote into the night, or perhaps from all the tiring activities of the day, she ended up falling asleep as she was thinking...

    When He Sang came out of the bathroom, the first thing he noticed was his wife¡¯s sweet sleeping visage.

    He didn¡¯t get into bed immediately. He sat by the bedside for a long time, dressed only in a thin sleeping gown. His shadowed eyes stayed on Chu Lian¡¯s gentle face. It was as if he wanted to engrave her face into his heart, so that he would never forget it.

    The night had already passed when he finallyid down and embraced the petite woman beside him. Slivers of light were creeping up over the horizon to the east.

    The next morning, when the young couple ate breakfast together, the atmosphere between them had be a lot more rxed.

    It was such a surprise that Senior Servant Gui even purposely asked Wen about it in private.

    When Chu Lian and He Changdi finished their breakfast and the maidservants had cleared the table, He Changdi asked Chu Lian a question as she was sipping some honey water.

    ¡°How are you nning to deal with Fuyan?¡±

    Now that they had lured all the perpetrators out from hiding, the couple didn¡¯t need to continue acting at odds anymore, so their interactions were naturally more intimate than yesterday.

    However, the tension from their quarrel in the carriage still hadn¡¯t been dispelledpletely. Thus, there was still a tiny bit of distance between them.

    Chu Lian understood her own shorings. She wasn¡¯t someone born and raised during the Great Wu Dynasty after all, so she was too soft-hearted at times.

    ¡°You decide what to do with her.¡±

    He Changdi looked up to meet her eyes, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll be too severe with her? Despite everything, she has been serving you since your maiden days.¡±

    Chu Lian shook her head, ¡°Since I¡¯ve already handed her over to you, do with her as you see fit. If you leave it to me, it might cause us some trouble in the future.¡±

    He Sang dropped the topic, ¡°Alright. Since you¡¯ve handed her over to me, don¡¯t ask about it anymore.¡±

    Chu Lian and He Changdi were still talking when a maidservant came in to report that Matriarch He had requested the couple to go over.

    The couple exchanged looks. They returned to their room to change before going to Qingxi Hall.

    It was still rather early. It wasn¡¯t even time yet for the usual morning greetings.

    Most of the family were already present when the young couple arrived at Qingxi Hall.

    Even Countess Jing¡¯an was only a few moments behind them.

    The couple from the main branch was also present. Madam Zou had a terrible expression on her face.

    Matriarch He¡¯s eyes turned towards Chu Lian and He Changdi right after they came in. She calmly said, ¡°Take a seat. I¡¯ve called everyone here to concludest night¡¯s incident.¡±

    The matriarch didn¡¯t say anything else. She looked like she was waiting for someone.

    Chu Lian quickly found out who she was waiting for.

    A few minutester, Great Doctor Miao strode in, carrying his medicine box.

    After staying up for the whole night, Great Doctor Miao¡¯splexion wasn¡¯t very good. However, he seemed to be in a rather rxed mood. Based on his expression, Chu Lian could guess that Miaozhen and her child were already fine.

    As expected, Great Doctor Miao cupped his hands together in a greeting when he entered the parlour. He stroked his white beard as he said, ¡°Miss Miaozhen is fine now. If she takes in proper nourishment and takes care of her health in theing days, she will be able to give birth to her child without any problems.¡±

    Matriarch He and Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s faces were naturally filled with joy after hearing his report.

    ¡°This was all thanks to Great Doctor Miao,¡± Matriarch He bowed to express her humble gratitude.

    However, Great Doctor Miao¡¯s expression remained rather s¨¦. There wasn¡¯t any fear on his face as he remarked, ¡°This old man thinks that the matriarch is thanking the wrong person. The one you should thank is Third Young Madam.¡±

 Chapter 510 - Chu Lianâ€™s Defence (1)

    <strong>Chapter 510: Chu Lian¡¯s Defence (1)</strong>

    Once Doctor Miao¡¯s words rang out, Matriarch He¡¯s first reaction was stunned silence before her expression instantly darkened.

    Chu Lian was also shocked by the doctor¡¯s action. She helplessly shook her head. Great Doctor Miao was too ustomed to acting as he liked. Although he had spoken up to defend her, it had backfired instead. Judging by the expression on the matriarch¡¯s face, it seemed that the misunderstanding between them had deepened.

    Great Doctor Miao only realised that he should have put more thought into his words after the fact.

    However, there was no use in regretting it now. Words couldn¡¯t be taken back once thrown out.

    He made a cupped fist salute towards Matriarch He before finding an empty seat in the corners of the parlour and sitting down.

    Matriarch He wasn¡¯t in the mood to be angry with Great Doctor Miao right now. Her expression turned grim and she abruptly turned her gaze towards Chu Lian, who was seated beside He Changdi. She demanded with a thunderous shout, ¡°Madam Chu, do you still have anything to say for yourself!¡±

    It was out of Chu Lian¡¯s expectations that the matriarch¡¯s first reaction was to condemn her, let alone with such a hostile tone.

    This was likely all ¡®thanks¡¯ to Great Doctor Miao¡¯s previous remark.

    Likewise, He Changdi hadn¡¯t expected that Grandmother¡¯s mindset hadn¡¯t changed even after a whole night. It wasn¡¯t as if this incident was airtight. If Matriarch He had her wits about her, then she would have already realised the truth overnight.

    He Sang¡¯s expression darkened. He was about to stand up to defend Chu Lian, but Chu Lian tugged at his hand and lightly shook her head.

    After that, she stood up in a calm and easy manner.

    There was a faint smile on her face, as if she wasn¡¯t facing a ¡®trial¡¯ and interrogation from all sides. Instead, her peaceful expression made it seem like she was enjoying akeside garden with beautiful scenery. She looked around leisurely. Her gaze stayed the longest on Madam Zou and Eldest Madam¡¯s faces, before she finally made eye contact with the matriarch¡¯s muddled yet sharp eyes.

    There wasn¡¯t a single trace of fear in Chu Lian¡¯s bright eyes. A momentter, her reply to the matriarch resounded in the parlour for everyone to hear.

    ¡°In reply to Grandmother, Granddaughter-in-Law has plenty to say!¡±

    Matriarch He¡¯s expression became even darker and uglier. Beside her, He Ying¡¯s temper was also provoked by Chu Lian¡¯s nonchnt attitude.

    She sneered coldly, ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, do you think that everyone will believe you just because you¡¯re acting this way? Let me warn you! Even if the child is safe, we won¡¯t pretend like this never happened! Mother, our estate can¡¯t tolerate the existence of such a cruel and vile woman!¡±

    He Ying¡¯s words were very harsh. She had obviously said those words because she wanted to kick Chu Lian out of House Jing¡¯an and to have He Changdi divorce her.

    What a pity that she didn¡¯t have much in the way of smarts. The Empress Dowager herself had decreed He Changdi and Chu Lian¡¯s marriage. He Changdi wouldn¡¯t be allowed to divorce his wife as he liked. Furthermore, Chu Lian had a noble title on her that gave her the status of an imperial daughter.

    ¡°Aunt, please make sure to your brain before speaking in the future. Polish your eyes while you¡¯re at it too.¡±

    When dealing with people like Eldest Madam, there was no need to reason with her and give her respect.

    Although Matriarch He knew that He Ying¡¯s words had been out of line, since He Ying was her very own daughter, she still sided with He Ying in the end. She reprimanded, ¡°Madam Chu, Miaozhen nearly had a miscarriage because she ate the candied hawthorns that you made! Though that child will be born an illegitimate child, but he¡¯s still your eldest brother-inw¡¯s first son!¡±

    The first person to feel guilt from the matriarch¡¯s words was Countess Jing¡¯an. She couldn¡¯t resist ncing at her youngest daughter-inw, who was standing ramrod straight, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m also at fault regarding this matter. I¡¯m the one who told Sang¡¯s wife that I wanted to eat some candied hawthorns to boost my appetite. It didn¡¯t ur to me that the pregnant Miaozhen liked sour foods...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say anymore. Even if that¡¯s true, she was still the one who made those harmful candied hawthorns.¡±

    Anyone who had a mind would probably have realised what was going on by now.

    Matriarch He hadn¡¯t convened this trial just to investigate the truth regarding Miaozhen¡¯s miscarriage. Her hidden motive was to take this opportunity to discipline Chu Lian.

    He Changdi clenched his fists as a glint shed in his deep eyes.

    The matriarch had been wielding great power and influence within House Jing¡¯an for many years after all. Moreover, Countess Jing¡¯an had been bedridden for so long that she hadn¡¯t managed the household for a long time. Thus, her character was much weaker inparison. After that retort from her mother-inw, she couldn¡¯t continue speaking.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t seem to care about Matriarch He¡¯s harsh words. She calmly took a couple steps forward, tilted her head, and said, ¡°Grandmother, even if you¡¯ve already decided that I¡¯m guilty, you should let me have a chance to defend myself at the very least!¡±

    Matriarch He stared at Chu Lian without saying a word. Her silence meant that she had agreed to give Chu Lian a chance to exin herself.

    He Ying smirked. Her eyes were full of pride for herself. She wanted to see what kind of exnation her nephew¡¯s wife coulde up with today.

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t stupid. She wasn¡¯t really going to let others nder her.

    She turned her head towards Countess Jing¡¯an, ¡°Mother, do you still have some of the candied hawthorns that I sent you?¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an quickly nodded in response, ¡°There is. Miaozhen only ate a few because she wanted a snack. The rest are still here.¡±

    After she said that, Countess Jing¡¯an turned around and told her handmaid to retrieve the hawthorns.

 Chapter 511 - Chu Lianâ€™s Defence (2)

    <strong>Chapter 511: Chu Lian¡¯s Defence (2)</strong>

    Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s courtyard wasn¡¯t far from Qingxi Hall and the maidservant was fast on her feet. Several minutester, the te of candied hawthorns that Chu Lian had personally made was ced on the sandalwood table in the center of the parlour.

    Chu Lian walked over to the table and pointed at the tasty-looking candied hawthorns on the white porcin te.

    ¡°What do all of you think this is?¡± Chu Lian asked.

    He Changdi was keeping a close watch on Chu Lian. After hearing her question, an idea popped up in his mind.

    Eldest Madam covered her mouth and tittered loudly, ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, you¡¯re not trying to stall time, right? We¡¯re not blind. Do you think we can¡¯t recognise hawthorns?¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an seemed rather puzzled as well, ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, these are the candied hawthorns that you sent over. I¡¯ve tried them myself. The sweet and sour taste was really appetising.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s lips lifted up into a smile and she called over one of the maidservants in the parlour.

    The maidservant trembled with fear. She kept her head lowered as she asked in a shaky voice, ¡°Third...Third Young Madam, what do you require of this servant?¡±

    Chu Lian held up a sugar-coated hawthorn and handed it to the maidservant, ¡°Why don¡¯t you try one, and then tell me what this is?¡±

    The maidservant was clearly relieved to hear that it was such a simple request. She timidly took the hawthorn ball from Chu Lian¡¯s pale and delicate fingertips and slowly ced it in her mouth.

    The sweet and sour taste spread on her tongue. It was neither too sweet nor too greasy. After eating one, there was an irresistible urge to have another.

    After carefully chewing and swallowing it, the maidservant couldn¡¯t resist smacking her lips a couple of times as if she was trying to bring back the taste of the hawthorn ball she just ate.

    ¡°Replying to Third Young Madam, it¡¯s hawthorn. It tasted really good. It¡¯s the first time this servant has eaten such a delicious hawthorn.¡± The hawthorns that she ate were usually very sour. She had never thought that it could be so tasty when it was prepared in this way.

    The gluttonous maidservant couldn¡¯t help ncing at the te of candied hawthorns a couple more times.

    He Ying rolled her eyes, but Chu Lian let out a smile.

    She waved her hand to dismiss the maidservant. She then took another hawthorn ball and walked towards Great Doctor Miao.

    Great Doctor Miao smiled, ¡°Honoured Lady, you wouldn¡¯t be asking this old man to taste one as well, right?¡±

    Chu Lian stared at him with an expression that read, ¡®you should know what to do¡¯.

    Great Doctor Miao found it funny and shook his head with a grin. He took the hawthorn ball and sniffed it first. After that, he broke it apart and carefully examined the ingredients inside. Finally, he burst outughing.

    He stood up, holding half a hawthorn in each hand, and strode towards Matriarch He.

    He lifted his hand respectfully, ¡°Matriarch He, this isn¡¯t hawthorn. It¡¯s a special type of gooseberry from the northern border. Its taste is very simr to a hawthorn, but its effect ispletely different. Hawthorns are good for digestion and cirction, but pregnant women shouldn¡¯t eat too much of it. The gooseberries from the northern border possess a warmer attribute. It can nourish vitality and calm the mind. It can even be used as an ingredient for medicines to stabilise pregnancies. For pregnant women, there¡¯s no harm at all in eating this. It¡¯s even beneficial to their pregnancy.¡±

    Whenpared like this, the medical properties of the northern gooseberries that Chu Lian used were quite close to those of wild ginseng.

    Great Doctor Miao¡¯s words shocked nearly everyone in the parlour.

    What?

    Those confections on the table weren¡¯t hawthorns, and they were some kind of gooseberry from the northern border instead?!

    How could that be!

    If that really wasn¡¯t a te of hawthorns, then this incident had nothing to with Chu Lian at all!

    There was one person whose expression couldn¡¯t be described with just the word ¡®shocked¡¯.

    Madam Zou¡¯s face had instantly turned deathly pale and she clenched her hands tightly under her wide sleeves. She didn¡¯t even notice when her sharp nails had pierced the skin of her palms.

    A strange look appeared in He Changdi¡¯s eyes after Great Doctor Miao revealed the truth.

    Matriarch He, He Ying, and even Miss Pan were unconvinced.

    ¡°What are you talking about? This is clearly hawthorn!¡± Matriarch He was still doubtful.

    Great Doctor Miao scoffed, ¡°If the matriarch doesn¡¯t believe this old man¡¯s words, then you can go ask the imperial physicians from the pce to distinguish them.¡±

    Most of the people in the parlour were convinced after Great Doctor Miao said that.

    Chu Lian bobbed towards Matriarch He and Countess Jing¡¯an, ¡°Grandmother, Mother, I¡¯m done speaking.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s face was full of guilt, ¡°Lian¡¯er, Mother has wronged you.¡±

    On the other hand, Matriarch He didn¡¯t apologise. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, as if she was calming her fluctuating emotions. She opened her eyes a long whileter.

    Her gaze swept over everyone in the parlour before she let out a small sigh, ¡°Since this matter has nothing to do with Sang¡¯s wife, then Sang¡¯s wife can go sit to one side!¡±

    It was only then that Chu Lian turned around and returned to her seat beside He Changdi.

    When He Sang caught sight of the tranquil and serene look in Chu Lian¡¯s almond-shaped eyes, his heart felt painfully sour. So the reason she had refused to let him intervene earlier was because she had already taken precautions beforehand.

    If it wasn¡¯t for herck of trust in Grandmother and Mother, why would Chu Lian have prepared a backup n for everything?

    Did that also mean that she had some backup ns for him?

    The storm brewing in He Sang¡¯s expression worsened when he thought about this possibility.

    He Changdi and Chu Lian were too upied with their own thoughts to listen to what Matriarch He had to say until a loud smack jolted them back to reality. They watched as the table in front of the matriarch trembled from the force of the olddy¡¯s blow, followed by an angry bellow from the matriarch, ¡°This old woman wants this matter investigated thoroughly! Even if this estate is turned upside down, this olddy wants to know who the culprit behind this terrible incident is!¡±

    The matriarch was really furious now!

    Anyone with a few brain cells could tell that Chu Lian had been framed by someone.

    There weren¡¯t many family members in House Jing¡¯an to begin with, so Matriarch He was extremely sensitive about anything that endangered the children of their house and their bloodline. In House Jing¡¯an, little schemes against one another could be tolerated. Even coveting the family¡¯s wealth could be forgiven. However, plotting to harm their bloodline was absolutely forbidden!

 Chapter 512 - Mutual Divorce (1)

    <strong>Chapter 512: Mutual Divorce (1)</strong>

    He Sang stood up at this time, ¡°Grandmother, leave it to me to investigate this matter.¡±

    Matriarch He looked at her most aplished and youngest grandson first, before ncing at the frowning He Changqi. She brooded over it for a moment before speaking, ¡°This concerns the bloodline of our He Family, so I¡¯ll let the two of you handle it.¡±

    The brothers agreed in unison.

    Thus, the morning interrogation was concluded.

    Matriarch He ordered everyone to return to their respective courtyards.

    Off in the side room next to the parlour of Qingxi Hall, Muxiang was listening to a maidservant¡¯s report. There was a stormy expression on her pretty face. After the maidservant left, she took up the teapot on the small table beside her and smashed it on the ground.

    The freshly brewed hot tea scattered all over the patterned carpet, soaking arge portion of it.

    Her hands tightened into fists, reflecting the fury in her heart. She never would have thought that her meticulously nned trap would be solved so easily by Chu Lian.

    Who exactly was that woman upying her original body?!

    Madam Zou returned to her own courtyard in a state of confusion and panic.

    Senior Servant Qiao had a cup of tea ready for her master, but Madam Zou pushed it away.

    Senior Servant Qiao had no choice but to put the sencha aside.

    She attempted tofort Madam Zou, ¡°Eldest Young Madam, you must not panic at this time. Please don¡¯t worry. The investigation hasn¡¯te upon any leads that would point to us and I¡¯ve already taken care of that maidservant. Even if Eldest Young Master and Third Young Master suspect you, as long as you deny it, what can they do to you since they won¡¯t be able to find any evidence?¡±

    The panic that had flooded Madam Zou¡¯s mindpletely dissipated when she heard Senior Servant Qiao¡¯s words.

    She grabbed onto Senior Servant Qiao¡¯s arm. Her voice became much calmer, ¡°Yes, momo, you¡¯re right. Even if they start investigating us, they won¡¯t be able to do anything as long as we deny it!¡±

    Senior Servant Qiao nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. Eldest Young Madam, we can¡¯t panic and make a mistake at such a crucial time.¡±

    Right after they had finished talking, there was a burst ofmotion from the outer room.

    Madam Zou twitched as her body tensed up from a sudden rush of fear. She turned her head and looked at Senior Servant Qiao. Senior Servant Qiao frowned and patted Madam Zou¡¯s hand to cate her, ¡°Eldest Young Madam, please take a rest first. This old servant will go out to see what happened. Those brats are bing more and more undisciplined.¡±

    Madam Zou nodded her head wearily and leaned back on the soft lounge to rest.

    Senior Servant Qiao lifted the curtains, only to see Jinshui kneeling in the middle of the room.

    It was apparent that Jinshui had already been punished. There were bloodstains on both her hands and arms and she was crying as sheid sprawled on the floor.

    Senior Servant Qiao¡¯s heart thumped in rm.

    In a stiff motion, she raised her head to look towards the seats at the head of the room, where she was greeted with the sight of He Changqi and He Changdi. They were both looking down at her with ice-cold eyes.

    The two brothers who looked nothing alike carried the same icy glint within their eyes at this moment.

    ¡°Senior Servant Qiao, bring Eldest Young Madam out here!¡± Despite the pleasant and husky tones of He Changdi¡¯s voice, his words sounded like a death knell.

    Senior Servant Qiao¡¯s entire body turned to jelly. If she hadn¡¯t been leaning against the doorframe, she would have hit the floor.

    Despite her experience with these sorts of situations, she wasn¡¯t able to remain calm when it came to facing these two brothers.

    The voice she let out was shaky, ¡°Eldest Young Master, Third Young Master, Eldest Young Madam, she... she just settled down to rest... If you need anything, just... just let this old servant know.¡±

    ¡°She still dares to rest?¡±

    The temper of the normally calm He Changqi was out in full force now.

    Although he had been disappointed with his wife, he had thought to make the best of it and just continue living in this way. However, Madam Zou had actually done something so despicable.

    She had plotted to kill his child and ced the me on her sister-inw. What a ¡®clever¡¯dy-in-charge.

    Senior Servant Qiao could tell with one nce that the current situation was really bad.

    She red fiercely at Jinshui, who was still prone on the ground. With a loud roar, she jumped on the hapless handmaid and started beating her up.

    ¡°You little bitch! What did you say to Eldest Young Master and Third Young Master! You caused a misunderstanding between them and Eldest Young Madam! You¡¯re a bitch who betrayed your own master. I¡¯m going to beat you to death today!¡±

    Senior Servant Qiao instantly turned into a madwoman. She held Jinshui up and started to pummel her brutally.

    Her actions were so sudden that even He Changdi and He Changqi didn¡¯t manage to stop her in time.

    Jinshui had already received punishment from the brothers and was lying on the ground half-dead. She didn¡¯t have any strength to resist Senior Servant Qiao, so she received several heavy blows full-on.

    Luckily, Laiyue swiftly ordered the guards beside him to separate them. If not, Senior Servant Qiao would really have beaten Jinshui to death.

    Jinshui coughed several times in pain. When she finally recovered a little, she sent a wrathful re at Senior Servant Qiao, ¡°You¡¯re trying to kill me to get rid of all the witnesses! I¡¯m not going to let you have your way! I¡¯m telling you now, even if I die, I¡¯m going to drag both of you down with me!¡±

    Senior Servant Qiao¡¯s expression changed. She knew that their n had failed because she hadn¡¯t seeded in silencing Jinshui.

    Her hair was in a mess because of the fight just now. Several strands had fallen out of her bun and now covered half of her face.

    Under the cover of her hair, various emotions shed over her face. In the end, she gritted her teeth as if she had finally made a decision. She turned around and hugged He Changqi¡¯s leg, wailing loudly, ¡°Eldest Young Master, this old servant was responsible for everything. It has nothing to do with Eldest Young Madam. This old servant came up with the idea while blinded by greed. It was also this old servant who schemed against Third Young Madam. You and Eldest Young Madam have been married for so many years, so you should understand her personality. Although she¡¯spetitive, she¡¯s not calcting in the slightest. She wouldn¡¯t dare conspire to harm the bloodline!¡±

    Senior Servant Qiao was choking on her sobs, ¡°It¡¯s this servant who couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. This servant nned everything because this servant doesn¡¯t want Eldest Young Madam to continue suffering injustice. This old servant is Eldest Young Madam¡¯s nursemaid. Eldest Young Madam didn¡¯t say anything because she wanted to protect this servant. Eldest Young Master, please consider the many years of affection as husband and wife between you and Eldest Young Madam, as well as Little An and Little Lin, and spare Eldest Young Madam this time!¡±

 Chapter 513 - Mutual Divorce (2)

    <strong>Chapter 513: Mutual Divorce (2)</strong>

    Senior Servant Qiao had taken all the me onto herself through her confession and she had painted a very pitiful picture.

    However, He Changdi and He Changqi remained unmoved. If this had happened in the past before the rtionship between Dng and his wife had be strained, then perhaps Senior Servant Qiao would have gotten some understanding and sympathy from He Changqi. However, after experiencing major disappointment from thest incident, he no longer believed in Madam Zou.

    If Madam Zou could treat their very own daughters that way, then there was no limit to what she wouldn¡¯t do!

    It was even less likely for He Changdi to believe in Senior Servant Qiao¡¯s words.

    The one who had been framed earlier was his wife! If they could take pity on Madam Zou right now, then why hadn¡¯t anyone taken pity on his wife earlier?!

    There was still a pool of rage seething in his belly that he hadn¡¯t been able to vent. Senior Servant Qiao and the others were standing in the line of a volcano!

    He Changqi kicked Senior Servant Qiao away. He had a strong and burly figure, tanned skin and a square jaw, so he looked even more frightening when he kept a grim expression on his face.

    ¡°Tell that Madam Zou toe out. Don¡¯t make me go in myself to get her!¡±

    He Changqi¡¯s voice was piercingly cold.

    Senior Servant Qiao understood that there was absolutely no way to save this situation now.

    Sheid prone on the floor for a long while before stumbling into the inner room.

    Two hourster, in the study of the main branch¡¯s courtyard.

    The brothers, He Changdi and He Changqi, sat across from each other.

    They each had extremely terrible expressions on their face.

    He Changdi turned to look at his eldest brother, who was resting his eyes, ¡°Eldest Brother, what are you nning to do?¡±

    He Changqi¡¯s eyes slowly slid open. He let out a mocking bark ofughter, ¡°I thought that we would be able to spend a lifetime together. I never thought that we would end up like this. Third Brother, I¡¯ve already decided. We¡¯re getting a divorce! It¡¯s better for everyone involved.¡±

    The current dynasty was more open-minded, so while there weren¡¯t many divorced couples, they did exist. Moreover, there were many who remarried after a divorce.

    In actual fact, for cases like He Changqi¡¯s, the husband could choose to forcefully divorce his wife. However, he didn¡¯t want to do that. A mutual divorce and a one-sided divorce initiated by the husband had twopletely different oues.

    After a mutual divorce, the woman could remarry. However, a woman forcefully divorced by her husband would essentially be a social pariah. There were only two choices for wives who were kicked out from noble houses: be a nun ormit suicide.

    In the end, He Changqi had still thought of their many years together as spouses and he had given her some leeway.

    Actually, the main reason He Changqi wanted to divorce Madam Zou was due to her abuse of their children.

    They didn¡¯t have a son, but He Changqi had never insisted on having one. He had simply thought that he would wait until a suitable age to take a concubine, and if the concubine gave birth to any sons, he would have registered the son under Madam Zou¡¯s name and let her raise him as her own. They could just think of him as their own child. However, if Madam Zou disagreed with that, then he could have considered adopting a son from Second Brother or Third Brother¡¯s families. Anyway, there were so many solutions they could have considered. Unfortunately, Madam Zou had chosen the most extreme one.

    He could have let it go if it was only their rtionship which had suffered from her actions, but Madam Zou had turned her grudge against him towards their two young daughters instead. She constantly med their daughters for not being boys on a daily basis. He Changqi had only found this out after noticing that something was off with his daughters and making secret inquiries into the cause.

    How could he let his children be raised under a mother like this? It would be better to get a divorce sooner.

    He Changdi hadn¡¯t expected his eldest brother to have thought it through so quickly.

    He nodded, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already made your decision, then I don¡¯t need to say anything else, Eldest Brother. You should inform the Zou Family as soon as possible.¡±

    He Changqi sighed and stared at the desk in a daze.

    He Sang stood up, ¡°Eldest Brother, make sure you have a good rest. I¡¯m going back first.¡±

    He Changqi waved at his brother.

    He Changdi stood at the entrance of the study and turned back to observe his eldest brother. He Changqi¡¯s back was against the light. From this angle, the messy stubble covering his chin and the exhaustion on his pale face made him look ten years older. It was clear that his eldest brother had aged after this whole incident.

    He pursed his lips, opened the door, and strode out.

    Sunlight shone down on He Changdi¡¯s body. It should have been warm and cosy, but he couldn¡¯t feel any traces of warmth.

    His gaze was icy as he looked at the closed wooden door of the study.

    He knew that there was someone else directing this incident from behind the scenes. Madam Zou was only a chess piece in the hands of that mastermind.

    He will definitely find that hidden culprit!

    He Changdi lifted his head and looked towards the bright sunshine in the sky. When the sunlight pierced his eyes, he lowered his head and turned towards the direction of Songtao Court.

    The grim line of his lips suddenly lifted. His sunshine was right over there. The only ce he could feel genuine warmth was right beside Chu Lian.

    He immediately cast away all the aimless thoughts in his mind and quickly made his way towards Songtao Court.

    In the Imperial Pce, Qinzheng Hall.

    Eunuch Wei was in the midst of serving tea to the emperor.

    ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯ve already been reading the imperial memorials for two hours. It might be good to take a break.¡±

    The Chengping Emperor set down the document in his hand in exchange for the cup of freshly brewed tea.

    After taking a sip, he set down the teacup and abruptly asked, ¡°Is it time to let He Yanwen return?¡±

    He Yanwen, the Defender General of the South, also known as Count Jing¡¯an.

    <strong>TL Note:</strong> There are two specific terms for divorce used in ancient China, which are a little hard to trante into an exact term in English.

    Firstly, there¡¯s a <i>¡®mutual divorce¡¯</i>, where husband and wife agree to separate. The wife is looked upon more favourably by society in this option.

    Secondly, there¡¯s a <i>¡®forced divorce¡¯</i> or <i>¡®one-sided divorce</i>¡® which is only ever initiated by the husband and is specified in the Chinese term itself: ¡®retiring wife¡¯. The forced divorce is only used in extreme cases where the wife breaks major family rules, but may also be used to shame/get rid of legal wives to marry a concubine, as you might have seen in some dramas. This is also why women divorced in this manner are essentially social outcasts.

    As for the <i>¡®imperial memorials¡¯</i> the Emperor is looking at, they¡¯re like long reports from his subjects, usually his ministers, about various matters in his kingdom. You can read more about it on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_to_the_throne

 Chapter 514 - Finances (1)

    <strong>Chapter 514: Finances (1)</strong>

    Eunuch Wei didn¡¯t dare to reply. After serving the Chengping Emperor for so many years, he understood that the Emperor wasn¡¯t actually trying to ask him for advice. The Emperor had likely alreadye to a decision in his mind.

    The question was entirely rhetorical.

    As expected, after a few minutes, the Emperor ordered, ¡°Call Yang Yanfeng in.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, this servant will go immediately.¡±

    After the whole fiasco with Miaozhen, everyone, including Dng, Matriarch He and Countess Jing¡¯an, were in agreement with the main branch¡¯s divorce.

    On the next day, House Jing¡¯an sent a notice to House Dingyuan.

    They had already prepared the divorce papers with the relevant authorities the day before. The only step remaining was for Madam Zou to pack up her dowry and leave the estate.

    Madam Zou was the eldest daughter of the second branch of House Dingyuan. While she was a true nobledy, old Marquis Dingyuan was already getting on in age and the main branch of House Dingyuan was in charge now.

    Once old Marquis Dingyuan passed on and the main branch seeded the title of marquis, the second branch would be cast out of the estate. The second branch¡¯s influence would only deteriorate from then on.

    He Changdi was now trusted by the Emperor and he held the title of marquis. The second branch of House Dingyuan could no longer match up to House Jing¡¯an.

    Even though Madam Zou had been divorced, the second branch of House Dingyuan didn¡¯t dare to make anyments. Furthermore, this had all been Madam Zou¡¯s own doing.

    As much as Madam Zou¡¯s mother wanted to reprimand her daughter, since she had already gotten divorced by her husband, there was nothing else to say!

    Since she couldn¡¯t do anything to her daughter, Madam Zou¡¯s mother, the Second Madam of House Dingyuan, could only help her daughter pack up her dowry.

    Luckily her daughter hadn¡¯t been aplete idiot. After so many years, her dowry hadn¡¯t decreased one bit. Conversely, it had actually grown muchrger.

    Madam Zou had been in charge of the household for so many years. Of course she had dipped her hands into the public funds from time to time.

    Once Madam Zou¡¯s dowry had been taken out from the storehouses, the amount of silver as well as the properties belonging to the estate had actually been halved!

    Madam Zou took her divorce papers and returned home to the Dingyuan Estate with Second Madam richer than before.

    While this was what the He Family had agreed on, there wasn¡¯t any hint of a smile on Matriarch He¡¯s face.

    In the warm room of Qingxi Hall.

    Matriarch He sat on the hearth bed. Although it was already early spring, the winter chill still hung in the air in the capital. Matriarch He¡¯s body was weak to start with, so she couldn¡¯t bear to be out in the cold. The fires warming the hearth bed and the walls had never stopped.

    He Ying and her daughter, Pan Nianzhen, were keeping the matriarchpany in that room as warm as spring.

    Pan Nianzhen was squatting by the matriarch¡¯s side and kneading her legs while He Ying was flipping through some ount books on the other.

    The matriarch¡¯s eyes were slightly shut. She breathed a sigh offort before opening her eyes again, ¡°You¡¯re getting better at this, Miss Zhen. My old bones are feeling morefortable thanks to your massage.¡±

    Pan Nianzhen blinked her eyes bashfully and smiled, ¡°Grandmother, as long as it¡¯s good for your health, I won¡¯t mind serving you like this forever.¡±

    The matriarch reached out to stroke Pan Nianzhen¡¯s smooth locks, ¡°Grandmother can¡¯t bear to tire you out so. Alright, your hands must be sore from massaging me for so long. Go and take a rest at the side. There are some new confections on that table that the kitchen sent over this morning. Why don¡¯t you have a taste and see if you like them?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll massage Grandmother for a while longer.¡±

    Pan Nianzhen¡¯s actions and words hadpletely won over Matriarch He¡¯s heart.

    He Ying secretly sent a look at her daughter, indicating that she had done well.

    A wave of gratitude washed over Matriarch He¡¯s heart. Only her real daughter and granddaughter would treat her so well. They weren¡¯t at all like those granddaughters-inw she had. Although they had married into this house, they had grown up in other houses after all.

    ¡°This old woman regrets not bringing the two of you back to the capital earlier. Otherwise, Miss Zhen¡¯s marriage wouldn¡¯t be dyed.¡±

    Pan Nianzhen was the same age as Chu Lian and she had turned sixteen over the New Year. Since she hadn¡¯t been engaged yet, it was indeed a littlete for her.

    He Ying smiled, ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t have to me yourself. We¡¯re fine as long as we know that we¡¯re in your heart.¡±

    The matriarch feigned an angry re at her, ¡°You silly girl. What are you saying? You should know better at your age! I gave birth to you myself, why would I not have you in my heart?¡±

    This time, when He Ying smiled again, a satisfied glint shed across her eyes as she lowered her head.

    In a short moment, He Ying handed the ount book over to Matriarch He with a frown, ¡°Mother, take a look at these ounts.¡±

    Matriarch He¡¯s health was failing and she didn¡¯t have as much vigour as before. Although the household management rights were in her hands, she hadn¡¯t been able to work on the household at all. Most of the work had been given to her handmaid, Muxiang, while another portion had been handed over to Senior Servant Liu. He Ying was now the one looking over ost of the ounts.

    Her eyesight had be blurry over the past two years, so she couldn¡¯t quite see the fine words on the ounts now.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Matriarch He took the book and squinted hard. It took her some effort before she could finally see the words clearly.

    Once she read the writing on the book, her eyes widened in shock. ¡°That Madam Zou! I shouldn¡¯t have left her in charge of the household back then!¡±

    Half of the money and properties of the estate had actually been taken away!

    That was a whole half of the assets under the Jing¡¯an Estate!

 Chapter 515 - Finances (2)

    <strong>Chapter 515: Finances (2)</strong>

    Madam Zou wasn¡¯t good at business, so Matriarch He had been making up for the losses of the public funds over the past few years. Matriarch He¡¯s personal funds were almost gone by now.

    Even if she wanted to make up for the difference, she just wasn¡¯t able to.

    In order to maintain such arge noble estate, they needed money for almost everything. He Eng hadn¡¯t found a wife yet and her daughter and granddaughter were now living with her. The thought of all the building expenses sent Matriarch He into a fit of worry.

    All this had been hidden before, but now that the truth wasid bare before them, she had no choice but to face the reality of things.

    He Ying was also dumbstruck. If she hadn¡¯t gone through the ounts herself, she wouldn¡¯t have known that the bright and luxurious estate was actually just a shell of its former self. The ie from the public assets was now unable to make ends meet...

    ¡°Mother, what should we do now?¡± Eldest Madam He Ying wasn¡¯t able to make money appear out of nowhere. Although she had some savings, she had never thought of taking them out to help House Jing¡¯an.

    A migraine was building up in Matriarch He¡¯s head. She had been able to manage the household and its businesses well in her younger days and she had saved away a good amount of money. She had never had to worry about the finances of their estate. Who could have thought that she would still have to worry over these matters in her old age?

    How pitiful.

    The originally lively room sunk into a long period of silence.

    Everyone lowered their heads and kept their mouths shut. No one had anything to say, whether it was the outspoken He Ying, the timid and weak Pan Nianzhen, or even Matriarch He¡¯s trusted servant Senior Servant Liu.

    Matriarch He was under a tremendous amount of pressure, but she couldn¡¯t think of any solution at the moment.

    Money was such a strange thing. When they had more of it, it didn¡¯t feel like they had enough. When they had less of it, it made things so much more difficult.

    ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡± In her urgency, Matriarch He suddenly threw the question to the handmaids in the room.

    Muxiang had been standing quietly to one side, her silence making her seem like a unmovable statue.

    When Matriarch He turned towards her with expectant eyes, she softened her expression. She paused in thought for a moment before suggesting, ¡°Matriarch, if our estate requires more funds, why don¡¯t you ask for Guilin Restaurant back?¡±

    She had only been intending to take the profits of Guilin Restaurant for a few months, especially since she had been the one to give Guilin Restaurant away in the first ce. However, times were different now. Since the estate was in desperate need of money and the matriarch¡¯s own savings couldn¡¯t cover theck of funds, she no longer had the same reservations as before.

    The matriarch had refrained from this extreme action in the past out of consideration for the third branch and because the third branch had no position or power back then, and she had doted on Chu Lian. However, everything had changed.

    Setting aside the fact that He Sang had been given the title of marquis, Chu Lian was on such good terms with Princess Wei and Royal Princess Duanjia that the prince¡¯s estate had sent over countless gifts every season.

    Guilin Restaurant wasn¡¯t worth that much in the eyes of the third branch now, but it could cover the expenses of the entire estate if it were ced into the public ounts.

    In the end, the matriarch was swayed to their side.

    Matriarch He nodded. ¡°Alright, since it¡¯s a time of emergency, let¡¯s do that first. Sang¡¯s wife isn¡¯t an unreasonable person. When theye over to visit in the evening, I¡¯ll exin it to Sang¡¯s wife.¡±

    Muxiang nodded and retreated a step. No one noticed the strange expression she had.

    Actually, even if the stores in House Jing¡¯an¡¯s name weren¡¯t doing well, they wouldn¡¯t have made such a loss so quickly. As much as Madam Zou had grafted from the public funds for her own pockets, she hadn¡¯t taken enough to push the Jing¡¯an Estate into poverty.

    Thus, this extreme deficit of silver was actually Muxiang¡¯s doing.

    Matriarch He had entrusted her with the ount books for a period of time.

    Eldest Madam He Ying was ted by this turn of events. Ever since the day she had wandered over to the little study that Muxiang had been working in and happened to notice the profits from Guilin Restaurant, she had been scheming to get the restaurant in her hands.

    As long as the matriarch took Guilin Restaurant back, she naturally had her own ways to convince the matriarch to let her manage Guilin Restaurant.

    By then, she could gloss over some expenses and gather a few thousand taels for herself.

    Greed leaked into He Ying¡¯s eyes at the thought of it.

    Her dowry had only been ten thousand taels of silver.

    That was actually already a huge fortune. As long as she managed it well, she would never have had to worry about living the rest of her life.

    However, some people were just too greedy. When she found out that Guilin Restaurant¡¯s monthly profits were worth a few thousand taels, her mind had already been set on that sum. There was no going back.

    Senior Servant Liu hadn¡¯t expected them to have decided on such a terrible measure. She wanted to give some advice, but since the matriarch had already made the decision, she would only be attracting unnecessary attention by speaking up at this time.

    She red unhappily at Muxiang, who had brought up the idea in the first ce.

    Her brows drew together in a frown. For some reason, she was starting to feel that there was something off about Muxiang. However, when she observed the maidservant closely, she couldn¡¯t tell what was wrong.

    Senior Servant Liu sighed inwardly and decided to find a chance to sit down to talk with herter.

    After helping He Changqi with all the matters in the estate, He Changdi returned to Songtao Court for a moment before stepping out again.

    Since he was now an Administrator of Appointments, even if he hadn¡¯t officially received his position, there were still many things that he had to take care of. Even during the Emperor¡¯s specially mandated leave, he had to find some time to work on official business.

 Chapter 516 - An Invitation from House Ying (1)

    <strong>Chapter 516: An Invitation from House Ying (1)</strong>

    It was already 1pm by now, and this was when Chu Lian just woke up from her afternoon nap. She got up from bed and had azy stretch before entering her little study.

    Although she wasn¡¯t thedy-in-charge of the Jing¡¯an EState, there were still plenty of matters for her to take care of within her courtyard.

    The first item on her to-do list today was a thick letter that had arrived from the northern border. It was from Manager Qin and contained reports about the trade market with the barbarians.

    She had to finish reading all the pages of the letter ande up with some appropriate suggestions for Manager Qin before sending someone to mail it back to the north.

    The jewellery store that she had opened with Royal Princess Duanjia, Treasure Pavilion, hadn¡¯t produced any new designs for a while. Yesterday, Princess Duanjia had mentioned to her while she was at the Wei Estate. She had to find some time this afternoon to draw up a few more new and unique designs and send them over quickly.

    After listing out her tasks in her mind, she realised that there were really quite a few matters on her hands today, enough to keep her busy for the entire afternoon.

    She tackled Manager Qin¡¯s letter first. He had sent a really thick envelope with at least twenty or more sheets of paper inside...

    Chu Lian noted down some of the more important questions as she read, in preparation for her replyter.

    However, she had only made it halfway through the letter when Senior Servant Zhong requested to meet with her.

    Chu Lian frowned. The servants of Songtao Court were all sensible enough to avoid interrupting her while she was taking care of proper business, so this was likely an emergency.

    She set down the letter in her hands and moved over to a sofa before calling out to the maidservants outside to let Senior Servant Zhong in.

    The old servant entered with a face full of worry. She quickly bobbed in greeting before she spoke in a hurry, ¡°Third Young Madam, this old servant has something to report.¡±

    Chu Lian instructed Wenqing to bring two cups of honey water in, ¡°Unless it¡¯s a matter of life or death, it won¡¯t help to be so rushed. Momo, take a seat and have a sip of water to calm your nerves first.¡±

    Despite her earlier urgency, Chu Lian¡¯s words were somehow able to get Senior Servant Zhong to calm down.

    Once she had calmed down and regained a clear mind, Senior Servant Zhong couldn¡¯t help smiling inwardly. It really was just as Third Young Madam had said. As urgent as the matter was, there was no point in being so anxious as she would be more likely to make a mistake in that state.

    The warmth of the honey water sliding down her throat settled her nerves and Senior Servant Zhong was able to give her report with a steady voice.

    Chu Lian set down the teacup in her hands. Her tone didn¡¯t hold any of the rm or anger that Senior Servant Zhong had expected. She only seemed slightly surprised at the most, ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that Grandmother wants me to give Guilin Restaurant¡¯s deed to the public ounts?¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong nodded helplessly.

    The servants of the third branch didn¡¯t just keep to themselves in the estate after all. Senior Servant Zhong was also someone that He Changdi had specially trained, so she had her own ways to watch for news in the estate. It wasn¡¯t strange that she had been able to discover the movements from Qingxi Hall so quickly.

    A corner of Chu Lian¡¯s lips tugged downwards. Since Matriarch He had started showing her displeasure towards her, she had already foreseen such a daying. She just hadn¡¯t expected it this soon.

    The ie from Guilin Restaurant was too dazzling after all. Just as birds would die in pursuit of food, men would perish for money. This was the same even amongst the nobility. The matriarch had likelye to this decision with the ¡®help¡¯ of Eldest Madam He Ying.

    She hadn¡¯t reopened Guilin Restaurant even now, in preparation for this day!

    Guilin Restaurant was a golden goose in the eyes of those who coveted it. However, only Chu Lian knew that Guilin Restaurant was nothing but a dead goose without her!

    Senior Servant Zhong waited for a long time for Third Young Madam¡¯s reply. When she finally raised her head to peek at Chu Lian, she realised that Third Young Madam was just daydreaming while staring nkly into the air!

    The corners of her mouth twitched. She was stunned speechless.

    Even she, as a servant, was already anxious beyond belief, yet Third Young Madam seemed to be in a daze?

    She knew that the profits that Guilin Restaurant brought in every month were enough to support all the monthly expenses of the Jing¡¯an Estate with more to spare!

    Although most people were greedy for money, could it be that Third Young Madam didn¡¯t care about the profits at all?

    Chu Lian really didn¡¯t!

    While she had brought Guilin Restaurant up all by herself and it was indeed a very profitable restaurant, she was no longer the penniless Third Young Madam who had just entered the Jing¡¯an Estate.

    She had the shares from Treasure Pavilion and the profits from the northern market in her pockets now. The money earned from either venture was magnitudes above that of Guilin Restaurant.

    However, even though she didn¡¯t really care about the profits from Guilin Restaurant, that didn¡¯t mean that others could simply take it for themselves.

    When Guilin Restaurant hade into her hands, it had just been a deserted little restaurant bleeding money from the Jing¡¯an Estate every month. She had used her own dowry to renovate it and bring it back to life, putting in her time and effort into rebuilding it. She had even made a special n for its reopening to turn the nameless little restaurant into one famed across the entire capital, even transforming it into a ce of amusement for nobles.

    Out of all the effort required to transform Guilin Restaurant into its current state, all that Matriarch He had contributed was a deed worth three hundred taels at the maximum.

    However, when it came to ¡®sharing the spoils¡¯, everyone wanted a part of it. There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world! Even if she was disinclined to fight for her share, that didn¡¯t mean that she wouldn¡¯t do it.

    Senior Servant Zhong was getting a little antsy. She and the other servants of Songtao Court had watched how Third Young Madam had made Guilin Restaurant a sess with their own eyes. No one else knew better than they did how much Third Young Madam had put into Guilin Restaurant.

    Matriarch He wasn¡¯t being fair with this move.

    The deed had been transferred under the name of Third Young Madam back then! They had even registered it with the authorities.

 Chapter 517 - An Invitation from House Ying (2)

    <strong>Chapter 517: An Invitation from House Ying (2)</strong>

    Senior Servant Zhong couldn¡¯t tell what Chu Lian wanted to do, so she could only try asking, ¡°Third Young Madam, are you really going to hand over Guilin Restaurant?¡±

    Chu Lian returned to reality and showed a faint smile. She was still young. Her features were more mature aspared to the previous year. Now that she had lost some baby fat and gained a little more elegance and womanly grace, she seemed even more beautiful than before.

    When she smiled like this, in a mischievous and charming manner, no one could keep their eyes away from her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hand it over to them! I¡¯m not that kind!¡±

    The unexpectedly childish tone startled Senior Servant Zhong into a smile. Her unrest and unease washed away with her master¡¯s reply.

    ¡°So Third Young Madam has a n already? Then this old servant can stop worrying blindly.¡±

    Although Third Young Madam was young, everyone in Songtao Court respected her, even an old servant like Senior Servant Zhong who was already halfway into her grave.

    Senior Servant Zhong smiled once again, ¡°Since that¡¯s so, this old servant won¡¯t disturb Third Young Madam any longer. This old servant will take her leave.¡±

    Chu Lian waved in acknowledgement of Senior Servant Zhong¡¯s dismissal. When the old servant stood up, she seemed to have thought of something else as she spoke up again, ¡°This old servant heard from Wenqing and Wen just now. Third Young Madam was injured in the north. Please do take care of nourishing your body and recovering from your old wound now that you¡¯re back. This old servant does not have many talents, but this old servant has studied fertility treatments for women before. Yesterday, this old servant also consulted with Great Doctor Miao on this matter. From today onwards, this old servant will help Third Young Madam with nourishing the body for fertility.¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong was one of He Sang¡¯s servants, so there was nothing she had to be cautious about. Chu Lian nodded in agreement.

    Senior Servant Zhong was happy to receive her agreement and quickly left the study, preparing to make some soup for Chu Lian.

    Actually, Wen had told her about Third Young Master and Third Young Madam¡¯s nightly activities the past two nights. Third Young Master was brimming with vigour at his age, but Third Young Madam was much younger. Her body seemed so slender and fragile, it couldn¡¯t possibly bear the full force of Third Young Master¡¯s affections. She had to help Third Young Madam nourish her body so that the couple would be able to have a child as soon as possible.

    Chu Lian wouldn¡¯t have expected Senior Servant Zhong¡¯s motives to be soplex. Once the old servant had left, Chu Lian had dived right back into her work. By the time dusk had fallen, she finally walked out of the little study and sent couriers off with letters and the designs for jewellery.

    Xiyan came over to her with an invitation in hand and a troubled expression.

    Chu Lian was seated at the desk with Wenqing gently kneading her shoulders. She had holed herself up in the study for an entire afternoon, so her shoulders had gotten a little sore. Wenqing¡¯s massage was helping to rx them again.

    ¡°Who sent that invite?¡± Chu Lian nced over at Xiyan as she asked.

    Xiyan presented the invitation respectfully to Chu Lian with both hands, ¡°Third Young Madam, it¡¯s from House Ying.¡±

    Chu Lian was startled for a moment. After the whole incident with Miaozhen¡¯s miscarriage, she had almost forgotten that they had bumped into Chu Qizheng on the way back from the Wei Estate and what Chu Qizheng had said to them.

    She flipped open the invite and scanned through its contents.

    Heh, so it was for Chu Yuan¡¯sing-of-age ceremony.

    She was about a year older than Chu Yuan, so it was indeed time for Eighth Miss Yuan toe of age.

    Although she wasn¡¯t the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ and she didn¡¯t know much about what ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had faced in the Ying Estate, her servants would mention the past from time to time, especially Xiyan and Senior Servant Gui who had been with her the longest.

    She recalled what Senior Servant Gui had told her.

    At theing-of-age for this body of hers, no guests had been invited at all. It had been a simple dinner with family where her elders had taken care of all the ceremonial steps. Although she hadn¡¯t thought much of it since she hadn¡¯t experienced it personally, the corners of Senior Servant Gui¡¯s eyes would turn red whenever she spoke of it.

    Now looking at the gold-embossed invite for Chu Yuan¡¯s ceremony, it was clear that the difference of treatment for both of Chu Qizheng¡¯s daughters was like heaven and earth.

    Xiyan was standing right next to Chu Lian, so she could see the contents of the invite as well. When Third Young Madam remained silent, she assumed that her master was thinking of past memories and her eyes slowly filled up with hot tears.

    She wanted to tell Third Young Madam not to go, but this was Eight Miss Yuan¡¯sing-of-age ceremony. As terrible as the days at the Ying Estate had been for Sixth Miss, she was still Eighth Miss¡¯s older sister. She couldn¡¯t choose not to go after receiving an invite.

    ¡°Third Young Madam...¡± Xiyan called out to Chu Lian worriedly.

    Chu Lian returned to her senses and set the invite down on the table. When she turned to look and saw that her silly handmaid was already close to tears, she found it a little funny. She teased Xiyan, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Who bullied you? Tell me who it was and I¡¯ll serve justice for you!¡±

    The mischievous grin on Chu Lian showed how little she had been affected by the invite.

    Xiyan hurriedly shook her head and squeezed out an awkward smile, ¡°No, no, this servant is fine. No one dares to bully this servant.¡±

    Chu Lian shot a mock re at her, ¡°Then why are you crying? Go wash it off with some warm water. You¡¯re already an adult, why are you still such a crybaby?¡±

    When Xiyan left, Senior Servant Gui piped up, ¡°Third Young Madam, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to go.¡±

    Based on Chu Lian¡¯s current status, it really was as Senior Servant Gui said. No one would hold her to it or gossip about her if she didn¡¯t go. However, it was her maiden house that had sent the invite. If she refused to socialise with them at all, others might not mention it to her face, but they would still look down on her behind her back.

    Chu Lian blinked innocently, ¡°Of course I¡¯m going. I¡¯m doing so well for myself, why wouldn¡¯t I go?¡±

    After saying so, she winked yfully at Senior Servant Gui.

    When Senior Servant Gui got over her startlement, she broke out into a smile as well.

    That¡¯s right. There was no reason for Third Young Madam not to go. Out of all the misses in House Ying, the house she had married into was the most highly ranked. Furthermore, Third Young Master waspletely devoted to Third Young Madam. He had even received the title of marquis recently, together with an important position at court. With these conditions, what did Third Young Madam have to fear when returning to the Ying Estate?

 Chapter 518 - Lack of Table Manners (1)

    <strong>Chapter 518: Lack of Table Manners (1)</strong>

    He Changdi had sent a messenger in the afternoon to inform her that he would be returningte tonight, so Chu Lian didn¡¯t need to wait for him to have dinner.

    When it was time, Chu Lian set off to make greetings to the elders as per usual.

    Since it was still rather early, Chu Lian brought Wenqing and Xiyan to her mother-inw¡¯s residence first.

    In thest few days, Countess Jing¡¯an had been drinking the medicine made with the Snow Mountain Mists flower. The medicine, paired with acupuncture, had greatly improved her health, so she was now able to get out of her bed and walk more frequently.

    Since Miaozhen¡¯s child had been saved and she didn¡¯t have anywhere else to stay, she had remained at Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s courtyard.

    When Chu Lian entered the parlour, Countess Jing¡¯an was sitting cross-legged on the hearth bed and ying with Little An and Little Lin.

    Little An was already seven years old this year and was bing more aware of her surroundings. She had be increasingly quiet, perhaps due to the separation of her parents. She sat silently by Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s side, toying with a Chinese Ring puzzle.

    The five-year-old Little Lin was at the age when children were the most mischievous. She was livelier than her sister and was calling out for a handmaid to y cat¡¯s cradle with her.

    Countess Jing¡¯an was watching her granddaughters with a doting expression. When she heard a servant announce that Chu Lian hade, she beckoned Chu Lian over. The quick-witted maidservant quickly moved a stool over to Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s side.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er,e sit with me.¡±

    Chu Lian smiled and curtseyed towards Countess Jing¡¯an before taking a seat on the stool.

    When Countess Jing¡¯an noticed that Chu Lian was looking at the children, she sighed and said, ¡°Madam Zou might have made some mistakes, but the children are innocent. The ones who were hurt the most by Dng¡¯s divorce are Little Lin and Little An. I couldn¡¯t trust the servants in Dng¡¯s courtyard, so I¡¯m temporarily raising them here. I don¡¯t have much to do anyway, so I might as well upy myself with something.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an was actually exining Little An and Little Lin¡¯s presence in her courtyard to Chu Lian.

    To be frank, Chu Lian didn¡¯t know her mother-inw well as she hadn¡¯t spent much time with her. Countess Jing¡¯an had been bedridden since the start of her marriage, so Chu Lian didn¡¯t have a good grasp of her personality.

    However, Chu Lian had gotten some insights during the ruckus over the miscarriage.

    What was a good way to phrase it?

    Countess Jing¡¯an was a good person, but she was too weak and naive. She was also easily swayed by the words of others. With those qualities, it would be hard for her to take on the role ofdy-in-charge, a role which required both wits and willpower. Perhaps it was due to her years spent bedridden, or perhaps Count Jing¡¯an had shielded her too much from reality. Even at her age, her thoughts were still so innocent!

    Although she was simr to the matriarch in the sense that she couldn¡¯t wait to see her eldest son, He Changqi, have an heir, she would never mistreat her granddaughters in the process.

    This could be seen from the fact that she had the two youngdies move over the moment He Changqi and Madam Zou divorced.

    From Little Lin and Little An¡¯s expressions and actions, Chu Lian could tell that the two children loved their kind and gentle grandmother very much.

    Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s request for candied hawthorns that day had probablye from someone else whispering by her ear, leading her into unintentionally creating the drama that had happened.

    As for Miaozhen...

    Chu Lian believed that Miaozhen couldn¡¯t possibly have put the child in her womb at risk, as long as she truly liked He Changqi and wished to birth a son for him, as well as to stabilise her position in House Jing¡¯an.

    The mournful wails from Miaozhen they had heard that day was proof of that.

    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful that Little Lin and Little An have you to take care of them, Mother.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s words hade straight from her heart. The two girls had just lost their mother and their father, as the heir of his house, wouldn¡¯t be able to focus on them and give them the care and attention that they dearly needed. Thus, their grandmother¡¯s care was sorely needed to help fill theck of maternal love in their lives.

    While Little An continued to quietly fiddle with her Chinese Ring puzzle, Countess Jing¡¯an petted her head.

    Chu Lian noticed her mother-inw¡¯s eyes turning a little red, so she quickly changed the subject, ¡°Mother, how has your health been recently?¡±

    The swell of emotion in Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s heart was disrupted by Chu Lian¡¯s timely interruption. She then replied, ¡°Great Doctor Miaoes by every afternoon to treat me with acupuncture. I can feel my health improving drastically everyday, thanks to his treatment and medicine. Just look at me now, I can already get off the bed and move around. This morning, I even brought Little An and Little Lin out for a stroll in the garden!¡±

    Chu Lian nodded as she listened. If Countess Jing¡¯an could be cured of her long-time illness, that alone would make her trip to the northern border worthwhile. It would also mean that He Changdi¡¯s perilous journey to Mount Ah-ming to obtain the Snow Mountain Mists flower hadn¡¯t been made in vain.

    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re feeling better, but please do be careful not to tire yourself out.¡±

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ve already experienced the pain of being bedridden for years. Now that I¡¯ve gotten better, I¡¯ll definitely cherish my body more than ever.¡±

    Chu Lian smiled and nodded. Her mother-inw might be weak, but she wasn¡¯t a fool, and that was good enough for her.

    Since Countess Jing¡¯an was still undergoing treatment, she didn¡¯t have to go to Qingxi Hall to pay her respects, but Chu Lian still did. Seeing that it was about time to go, she mentioned that she had to leave and got up after bidding her goodbyes to the countess.

    However, Countess Jing¡¯an grabbed her hand out of the blue. After hesitating for two seconds, she forged ahead with her words, ¡°Lian¡¯er, I believe Sang has already spoken to you about your aunt. I¡¯ve been observing the events of the past few days, and it seems like the matriarch is bing increasingly dissatisfied with your branch of the family. She¡¯s already getting on in age and she has an... unreasonable person like your aunt by her side, so it can¡¯t be helped that her actions have been a little irrational. Please be more forgiving towards her as your elder.¡±

 Chapter 519 - Lack of Table Manners (2)

    <strong>Chapter 519: Lack of Table Manners (2)</strong>

    Chu Lian was astonished; it was obvious that she hadn¡¯t expected such words toe from her mother-inw at all.

    It seemed like even a ¡®naive¡¯ person like her mother-inw could tell that there was something wrong with the matriarch¡¯s attitude.

    Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s description was extremely tactful. The way she had put it was that the matriarch was dissatisfied with their branch of the family? How could the matriarch be dissatisfied with the third branch? He Sang was her most aplished grandson, and she was probably more fond of him than his brothers! There was no way she¡¯d be dissatisfied with him, so Matriarch He was obviously only dissatisfied with just her alone.

    People often said that it was hard to be a wife and marry into someone else¡¯s family. Chu Lian hadn¡¯t felt that way at all in House Jing¡¯an previously, but now she was experiencing exactly what the saying meant for herself.

    Chu Lian grinned. She was very grateful that her mother-inw cared about her enough to give her such advice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother, I¡¯m aware of that.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an spoke a few more lines of advice before letting Chu Lian go off.

    Fifteen minutester, Chu Lian arrived at Qingxi Hall.

    While walking down a corridor, she bumped into Senior Servant Liu who had just came out of the warm parlour.

    When Senior Servant Liu noticed Chu Lian, she hastily stepped forward to wee her.

    ¡°Third Young Madam,¡± Senior Servant Liu had already greeted her although she was still some distance away.

    While Senior Servant Liu had a smile on her face, it didn¡¯t reach her eyes.

    Chu Lian suddenly figured out that there was something else going on.

    ¡°Momo, where are you heading to?

    While Chu Lian was speaking, Senior Servant Liu took the chance to raise her hand and make a gesture while everyone else was focusing on Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian¡¯s expression froze before turning into a smile, ¡°Since momo is busy, don¡¯t let me hold you back. I¡¯ll go pay my respects to Grandmother now.¡±

    Senior Servant knew that Chu Lian had understood from the look in her eyes. She nodded, curtseyed towards Chu Lian, and quickly walked out of the bounds of Qingxi Hall.

    Chu Lian paused in her tracks for a moment. Senior Servant Liu had made a gesture indicating the act of ¡®drinking wine¡¯. This obviously referred to a ce where wine was served¨C a restaurant. The only restaurant that could be rted to her was Guilin Restaurant.

    Just as Senior Servant Zhong had said, the matriarch had probably set her heart on taking Guilin Restaurant back.

    The signal from Senior Servant Liu was likely a warning that the matriarch was going to mention this matter to her today.

    This was out of Chu Lian¡¯s expectations; she hadn¡¯t thought that they would be so impatient as to actually snatch ¡®food¡¯ right off her te. What apleteck of table manners.

    Before Chu Lian even entered the heated room, a servant had already scurried in to report her arrival.

    Her aunt-inw, He Ying, was in the room. She gave a little cough, nced at Matriarch He, and smiled.

    ¡°Mother, it won¡¯t be too good if you speakter. Let me take the burden off your hands and be the bad person.¡±

    The matriarch thought about it for a moment before nodding.

    Chu Lian was led into the warm room by a maidservant.

    She then greeted them both as a junior family member.

    Matriarch He was seated in the middle with Muxiang behind her, earnestly massaging the matriarch¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, there are no strangers here. Have a seat.¡±

    The edges of Chu Lian¡¯s mouth curved upwards. After thanking the matriarch for her kindness, she took an empty seat on the matriarch¡¯s right side.

    ¡°Has Sange back yet?¡±

    ¡°My husband mentioned that he would be having dinner outside and that he¡¯ll be homete tonight.¡±

    ......

    Matriarch He asked a few more superficial questions, clearly trying to make some small talk, before falling silent.

    Eldest Madam He Ying was getting a little impatient. She gauged the matriarch¡¯s mood from her expression first, before her eyes darted from side to side. She interrupted the conversation as if she had just thought of something, ¡°Mother, if I remember correctly, your birthday ising soon. Are we going to hold arge celebration this year?¡±

    Chu Lian nced at her aunt-inw with her eyebrows raised slightly. While her lips were obviously raised into a smile, He Ying had a weird feeling as if Chu Lian had already seen through her motives long before she had even mentioned it.

    The matriarch showed a bitter smile in response to the question, ¡°Dng¡¯s recent divorce hasn¡¯t reflected well on our house. Let¡¯s forget about celebrating my birthday this year, it¡¯s not a major milestone anyway. When the timees, we can just have a nice reunion dinner with family. Besides, our estate iscking in funds now, it¡¯s better if we save more.¡±

    He Ying let out a startled expression, ¡°Mother, how can that do? Even if we¡¯re low on funds, we¡¯d rather save more from our daily spending than just let your birthday pass without a proper celebration! Don¡¯t you agree, Sang¡¯s wife!?¡±

    A faint smile hung on Chu Lian¡¯s face, but she didn¡¯t answer her aunt-inw¡¯s question.

    Chu Lian¡¯s indifference and refusal to take the bait made He Ying extremely vexed.

    A new idea sparked in He Ying¡¯s mind and she changed strategies, ¡°Mother, how about this? Tell me how much our estate needs. If the amount is within my capabilities, I¡¯ll help to make up for it, alright? No matter what, you must be able to have a proper birthday celebration.¡±

    He Ying shot Muxiang a look while speaking.

    Muxiang looked at the matriarch awkwardly, and the matriarch helplessly red at He Ying.

    ¡°Miss Ying, do you really think your mother is that useless? To actually need your contributions? Let me tell you frankly, our estate is indeed severelycking in funds. Arge part of it is due to Madam Zou, but we¡¯re not in as dire a state as you think. Besides, we still have Sang¡¯s wife¡¯s Guilin Restaurant helping to keep us afloat. Once Guilin Restaurant reopens, we¡¯ll be able to survive this period of hardship just fine.¡±

    Chu Lian wasughing inside. After the many twists and turns, they had finally moved on to the main topic. It had truly been tough on this mother-daughter pair.

 Chapter 520 - Iâ€™ll Let You Have It (1)

    <strong>Chapter 520: I¡¯ll Let You Have It (1)</strong>

    At this moment, Chu Lian really wanted to ask one question: when on earth had she even consented to putting all of Guilin Restaurant¡¯s earnings into the public funds? She also wanted to remind Matriarch He that it had been the matriarch herself who had said that Guilin Restaurant would belong to Chu Lian back then. No matter how much it earned, all profits would belong to the third branch.

    Unfortunately, there was no such things as video or voice recordings in this era, so even if she pointed these out, they would never admit to it.

    After Matriarch He spoke, He Ying¡¯s brows immediately furrowed together. She looked towards Chu Lian, ¡°That¡¯s right. Sang¡¯s wife, the Longtaitou festival has already passed, why hasn¡¯t Guilin Restaurant opened up for business? Practically every other shop in the capital has already opened by now.¡±

    There wasn¡¯t any expression in particr on Chu Lian¡¯s face. She put on a benign smile and said, ¡°I ordered the managers to renovate the restaurant and it was dyed until now, which is why it hasn¡¯t reopened.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s the renovation going?¡± The matriarch asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s nearlyplete.¡±

    ¡°Since it¡¯s almost finished, it¡¯s better not to dy the reopening date for too long. Do reopen as soon as possible then.¡±

    Chu Lian smiled at her.

    He Ying had been keeping a close eye on Chu Lian¡¯s expression. Noticing that there wasn¡¯t a trace of disagreement in her, He Ying continued, ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, I¡¯ve also heard Mother mention that Guilin Restaurant was given to you, and that the deed is in your hands. However, when all¡¯s said and done, you¡¯re part of our He Family now. Right now, the estate¡¯s public funds are severelycking. Using the profits of Guilin Restaurant to fill the estate¡¯s coffers was something that Mother had no choice but to do. I hope you¡¯ll understand why Mother did this. At her age, it¡¯s not easy to keep thisrge estate going.¡±

    He Ying paused, fully into her role as a caring senior, ¡°But there¡¯s something I need to be frank with you about, please don¡¯t get angry.¡±

    Chu Lian was tempted to reply with, ¡®If you know I¡¯m going to get angry, you might as well not say it.¡¯

    He Ying stared at Chu Lian, believing that there was nothing but absolute sincerity in her eyes right now, ¡°I¡¯ve been by Mother¡¯s side long than you have. Guilin Restaurant was part of the dowry given to my mother by my grandmother. Back when I got married, Mother couldn¡¯t bear to give it to me, yet she gave it to you. From that, we could see how important you are to Mother. However, in the end, the long-established Guilin Restaurant still belongs to Mother.¡±

    Chu Lian tilted her head to the side and met with He Ying¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Aunt, if there¡¯s something you¡¯re trying to imply, please say it straight.¡±

    When the edges of He Ying¡¯s mouth curved upwards, the wrinkles at the sides of her lips looked like they were carved into her skin, giving her the appearance of an extremely harsh person. ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, I like your straightforward attitude. Fine then, I¡¯ll state it bluntly. Since you know that Guilin Restaurant¡¯s earnings have been drawn into the public ounts now, it isn¡¯t very appropriate for the deed to be in your hands, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    After all that setup, they just wanted to take Guilin Restaurant back and appropriate it for themselves.

    He Ying was using the logic of a bandit.

    A mocking thought popped up in Chu Lian¡¯s mind. Going by her aunt-inw¡¯s logic, if she stayed long-term in their house, then the deed of the house should naturally belong to her.

    She would have retorted back in a temper, if not for the fact that the person in front of her was House Jing¡¯an¡¯s matriarch and He Sang¡¯s own grandmother. Chu Lian had to keep in mind her position as a He Family daughter-inw, and the deed had indeed been a present from the matriarch.

    Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have tolerated all this.

    If all they wanted was Guilin Restaurant, she would let them have it!

    With an indifferent expression, Chu Lian asked the matriarch, ¡°Is this your stance as well, Grandmother?¡±

    There was an awkward look on the matriarch¡¯s face. She had just recalled that she had stated that all earnings would be theirs when gifting Guilin Restaurant to Chu Lian. She had even assigned Manager Qin to be Chu Lian¡¯s assistant for this purpose.

    In the end, she was the one who had broken her promise first.

    At this moment, she didn¡¯t know how topose herself.

    However, when she thought about the monthly profits of Guilin Restaurant, Matriarch He¡¯s will became resolute. She bore with the embarrassment, gritted her teeth, and nodded.

    ¡°Sang¡¯s wife,y the me for this on me. Our estate truly needs the funds right now. This decision is certainly unfair to you, so let me make it up to you. I¡¯ll take responsibility and transfer two fabric stores from the public ounts to you in exchange, what do you think?¡±

    Fabric stores?

    How funny. Was the matriarch going to ask for those back again once she made them profitable like Guilin?

    She was taking Chu Lian for a fool!

    Chu Lian turned her head back and beckoned Wenqing over. The handmaid took out a long wooden box from her sleeve and handed it over to Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian stood up from her seat, took two steps forward, and ced the box on the table by the matriarch¡¯s side.

    Chu Lian spoke up, ¡°Grandmother, since this is your wish, then I shall return this deed to you in the exact same condition as it was when you gave it to me! Like Aunt said, Guilin Restaurant wasn¡¯t originally mine, it was part of your dowry.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re thedy-in-charge of the house, Grandmother, so I¡¯ll defer to you. Now that Guilin Restaurant has been transferred to the public ounts, it naturally won¡¯t be of any concern to me. From now on, all matters regarding Guilin Restaurant will be handled by you, Grandmother.¡±

    After a slight pause, she continued, ¡°As for the stores you mentioned for exchange, I wouldn¡¯t dare to ept them. My younger cousin, Miss Pan, hasn¡¯t found a match yet, so please keep it for her dowry instead.¡±

 Chapter 521 - Iâ€™ll Let You Have It (2)

    <strong>Chapter 521: I¡¯ll Let You Have It (2)</strong>

    Both Matriarch He and He Ying hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to let go of Guilin Restaurant so easily.

    To them, this was truly an unexpected surprise, as they had prepared many more ways to convince her that they hadn¡¯t even used.

    They were overjoyed right now. Despite the slight sarcasm contained in Chu Lian¡¯s speech, they couldn¡¯t care less about that.

    Would a wolf that had just stolen arge juicy steak mind a few barely visible shards of bone on the meat?

    Matriarch He was ecstatic. As long as she had Guilin Restaurant, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about providing funds for her daughter or dowry for her granddaughter.

    ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, I know that this matter is unfair to you. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely make it up to you.¡± Matriarch He spoke with passionate sincerity, as if she would actually make it up to Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian got up and curtseyed towards the matriarch.

    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, I shall not bother Grandmother and Aunt any further. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±

    With Guilin Restaurant in hand, the matriarch and He Ying had no need for Chu Lian any longer, so the matriarch waved her hand to dismiss Chu Lian.

    Once Chu Lian and her maidservants had left the parlour, He Ying hurriedly opened the wooden box and took out a stack of deeds.

    She carefully examined the official seal on the deeds under the light of antern for a long moment before bursting into an excited grin, ¡°Mother, these deeds are all real!¡±

    Matriarch He red at her daughter, ¡°Of course they are. She wouldn¡¯t dare to fool me with fake deeds!¡±

    In actual fact, there were even extra pages tacked on to the original Guilin Restaurant deed that Chu Lian had just returned her. These were the deeds of the neighbouring properties that had been bought when extending Guilin Restaurant¡¯s rear court.

    He Ying¡¯s eyes were glimmering as she stared at the deeds in her hands, as if she was looking at chests of gold.

    She asked eagerly, ¡°Mother, since Sang¡¯s wife has returned the deed for Guilin Restaurant, how about I go over in person tomorrow and tell the the managers to hurry up with the reopening?¡±

    Before the matriarch even had the time to consider it, He Ying had already grabbed onto the matriarch¡¯s elbow as she pleaded like a spoilt child, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m your own flesh and blood, won¡¯t you rest easy if I¡¯m the one doing things? I can bring Miss Pan out and buy her some jewellery too. It¡¯s been a while since she hase to the capital, but she doesn¡¯t have any decent sets of essories! She¡¯s young, so she can¡¯t be wearing our old essories. Ah, I heard that the jewellery sets of Treasure Pavillion are the best in the capital, I want to check out that ce tomorrow.¡±

    The matriarch turned to look at her obedient granddaughter who had been silent the whole time, and finally nodded.

    ¡°Alright, alright, go ahead. She¡¯s at the age where she¡¯s blossoming and she should dress up more.¡±

    Thedies connected through three generations were all in high spirits tonight.

    Having seen everything that had happened, there was some doubt on Muxiang¡¯s face.

    She didn¡¯t understand why had Chu Lian had agreed to their demands and let go of Guilin Restaurant so easily.

    The earnings of Guilin Restaurant were nothing to scoff at. If it were anybody else, they¡¯d probably bementing inside.

    At this point, she felt that she couldn¡¯t make sense of House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Third Young Madam at all.

    When Chu Lian returned to Songtao Court, Senior Servant Zhong and the others had already prepared dinner for her.

    When Chu Lian had her meals, she didn¡¯t like having servants standing around, so she usually only kept one person by her side.

    Xiyan stayed in the parlour to serve the food, while Wenqing was called over by Senior Servant Zhong and Senior Servant Gui.

    When Chu Lian had returned from Qingxi Hall just now, the two had learned that Third Young Madam had been bullied in Qingxi Hall from Xiyan¡¯s offhandment.

    Thus, the two senior servants had been searching for a chance to grab hold of Wenqing for the full story.

    Wenqing had a bitter expression as she grudgingly said, ¡°The matriarch asked for Guilin Restaurant back.¡±

    Senior Servang Zhong was utterly shocked. Although she had heard the news from servants in Qingxi Hall, the fact that this had happened so quickly was out of her expectations.

    ¡°The matriarch personally asked for it?¡±

    Wenqing nodded. The profits from the restaurant were such a huge sum, of course the matriarch had to ask for it personally.

    ¡°Then...¡± Senior Servant Gui asked hesitantly.

    ¡°Third Young Madam agreed to it. Third Young Madam had me bring the deed beforehand, and she handed it over to the matriarch just like that.¡±

    Senior Servants Zhong and Gui were both stunned silent. It took them quite a while to recover.

    Wenqing sighed, ¡°Third Young Madam had no choice in the matter. After all, Guilin Restaurant originally belonged to the matriarch. When the matriarch personally requested for it back, our Third Young Madam couldn¡¯t possibly reject her.¡±

    The two senior servants nodded. That was indeed the case, but the matriarch was also too unreasonable.

    How could an elder act like that?

    The three sighed in frustration. They wanted toin on behalf of Chu Lian, but in the end they were just servants, and they weren¡¯t in any position to speak.

    However, Senior Servant Zhong thought that there was something strange about the whole matter.

    Third Young Madam had said to her that she wouldn¡¯t let the matriarch and the others have their way, yet she had returned Guilin Restaurant to the matriarch so easily, just why...

    Senior Servant Zhong shook her head with a bitter smile.. She couldn¡¯t understand Third Young Madam¡¯s actions at all.

    Wenqing was right. Third Young Madam had no choice but to hand over Guilin Restaurant, or she would have started a fight with the matriarch.

    If Chu Lian and the matriarch turned against each other, the one that would suffer the most would be their Third Young Master.

    In the end, Third Young Madam had borne with the matriarch¡¯s unreasonable demands for Third Young Master¡¯s sake.

    Senior Servant Zhong inwardly decided that she would have to inform Third Young Master of this matter when he returned.

    As for He Changdi, he wasn¡¯t out busy on official business like Chu Lian had thought. He was actually in a private residence right now, interrogating someone.

 Chapter 522 - Interrogation (1)

    <strong>Chapter 522: Interrogation (1)</strong>

    Deep inside a private residence, there was a dark and enclosed room without any windows, where it was hard to tell if it was even day or night. The cramped and ustrophobic space could push any sane person into a nervous breakdown after a period of time.

    There was an interrogation room set up right outside this enclosed room, where He Changdi was seated at the head of the room with a cold expression. He waved his hand towards Laiyue.

    ¡°Bring her out.¡±

    A momentter, Laiyue led two guards into the enclosed room and they dragged out a person who looked to be on theirst breath. They threw her in front of He Changdi¡¯s feet.

    That half-dead person was d in a light green dress, her hair disheveled and her face pale and haggard. The lifeless and empty expression in her eyes made her seem more like a corpse. With that distinctively soft and slender waist, who else could it be other than Fuyan?

    Fuyan remained unresponsive. Sheid prone on the floor where she had been thrown, seemingly ignorant of the remnants of dried blood around her. She looked as if her soul had been taken away from her.

    He Sang lowered his eyes and his icy gaze fell on Fuyan, ¡°Speak. Who ordered you to do it?¡±

    Fuyan¡¯s whole body trembled when she heard He Changdi¡¯s question, as if she had just been brought back to reality.

    She raised her pitifully dirty face. With dismay in her eyes, she pleaded, ¡°Third Young Master, please! Please don¡¯t lock this servant up inside that pitch dark room. This lowly servant will confess everything. This lowly servant will tell you everything that you want to know!¡±

    After Fuyan finished speaking, there was a sudden foul odour spreading throughout the room. Her emotional breakdown had led to her physical incontinence...

    Beside her, Laiyue immediately covered his nose in disgust.

    He Changdi came out of the interrogation room fifteen minutester.

    Dressed in a ck robe, he stood in the corridor with his hands sped behind his back and stared up at the darkening night sky. His ramrod-straight back appeared even more lonely and deste under the dim light.

    Laiyue came out to join him after a few moments.

    ¡°Third Young Master, all she knows is that someone was sending her messages, she doesn¡¯t know who the sender was. She got hold of that letter during Old Marquis Dingyuan¡¯s birthday banquet. Someone had specially sent it to Third Young Madam and she just happened to be the one chosen as the messenger. However, she hid the letter and never delivered it to Third Young Madam.¡± Laiyue reported all the details that he had found out to He Changdi.

    He Changdi¡¯s lips drew up into a cold arc. Xiao Wujing was truly resourceful!

    When Laiyue didn¡¯t hear any response from his master, he hesitated for a second before asking, ¡°Fuyan is already useless to us. What should we do with her?¡±

    He Changdi rubbed the jade thumb ring on his left thumb with his finger. There wasn¡¯t any trace of emotion in his maic voice, but it sent chills down Laiyue¡¯s spine, ¡°Settle it.¡±

    Laiyue was stunned silent for a moment when he heard his order, but he quickly reacted and nodded, ¡°This servant will take care of it.¡±

    Laiyue had worked under He Changdi for many years, so he understood what his master had meant by those two words. Although he felt these measures were rather merciless, it was undoubtedly the best solution. Death was the only oue for a traitor with such greedy ambition.

    He Changdi nodded slightly before walking towards the outer court of the private residence. There was still someone else waiting for him. Today was the day that he would take care of all his debts!

    The subordinate guarding the entrance of the parlour gave He Changdi a silent salute when he arrived.

    There were already two people seated inside the parlour.

    Xiao Hongyu was the first to walk up to him when he walked in.

    He gave a wide and silly grin as he greeted He Changdi, ¡°Brother He, since you¡¯ve arrived, I¡¯ll leave these guys to you. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±

    He Changdi patted his shoulder.

    A momentter, there were only three people left in the entire parlour, which included himself, Mo Chenggui and Huang Zhijian.

    He Sang walked up to the seat at the head of the room and sat down. He lifted his lips into an unexpected smile. The strange smile didn¡¯tplement his cold and handsome features and sent chills down the backs of those present instead.

    ¡°Uncle Mo, Uncle Huang, please sit.¡±

    Mo Chenggui and Huang Zhijian had already gotten up when He Changdi entered.

    Although they were also veterans of the battlefields, theycked the imposing and formidable aura that Third Young Master carried.

    The immense pressure of his aura made them extremely tense.

    Although they knew that they shouldn¡¯t be acting this way, it was just a basic involuntary response to stress. It waspletely out of their control.

    Mo Chenggui and Huang Zhijian looked at each other doubtfully before anxiously sitting down.

    There wasn¡¯t anyone else inside the parlour, so they were more or less sitting across from each other. It was so quiet that they could probably hear a needle dropping to the floor.

    The more the silence stretched, the more nervous the two old soldiers became.

    They waited for a long time for He Changdi to speak. They were both bing increasingly restless.

    In the end, Mo Chenggui was the first to break the silence, ¡°May I know what Third Young Master has invited us over for today?¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s shadowed gaze swept over him, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t have the answer to that already, Uncle Mo?¡±

    Mo Chenggui¡¯s scarred cheek twitched in response. The mocking tone in He Changdi¡¯s words made his heart thump.

    He racked his mind for all the possible reasons. When a startling idea popped into his mind, his eyes abruptly widened and he looked at He Changdi in shock.

    ¡°Is it... Is it because of Third Young Madam?¡±

    ¡°You may be getting on in age, but your memory is still as sharp as ever, Uncle Mo.¡±

    Once He Changdi confirmed his suspicions, it was as if the floodgates had broken. Mo Chenggui started sweating profusely. Despite the chill of the early spring night, his inner garments were quickly soaked with sweat.

    An hourter at the entrance of the residence, He Changdi mounted his horse with a suave wave of his ck brocade cloak. The sound of hoofbeats apanied their departure as he led his men away into the darkness of the streets.

 Chapter 523 - Interrogation (2)

    <strong>Chapter 523: Interrogation (2)</strong>

    Mo Chenggui and Huang Zhijian stood at the entrance of the private residence. They each had a horse in hand with dreadful expressions on their faces.

    The dimntern light from the front gate illuminated their faces, giving Mo Chenggui¡¯s scarred face a yellowish cast as if it was covered by ayer of crude paper.

    He muttered weakly, ¡°It¡¯s over... It¡¯s over... It¡¯s all over now. Brother, I¡¯ve dragged you down with me this time.¡±

    What else could Huang Zhijian say now? He just shook his head with a bitter smile. This waspletely Mo Chenggui¡¯s fault. As a private soldier for a noble family, he hadmitted the worst taboo: disloyalty. He had good intentions at the start, but he had reported some baseless information to the matriarch. That had been a very foolish action.

    Most established military families kept private soldiers in their household. His band of soldiers had gone into service for the He Family after serving under the old count in the army. They were considered the most experienced and respected generation of family soldiers.

    Once the private soldiers pledged their loyalty to the head of the household with blood-smeared lips, they would have to remain loyal to the household for the next three generations of family heads. If they failed to fulfill this oath, it would be regarded as betrayal. Although it seemed like the soldiers were on the losing end of the deal, that was not the case.

    The head of the household would take care of the next three generations of the soldier¡¯s family in return for their loyalty.

    When it came time for session, the private soldiers would simply follow the next head of the family. The blood oath would still be in effect.

    Huang Zhijian and Mo Chenggui knew that the next head of House Jing¡¯an would be Second Young Master or Third Young Master.

    Eldest Young Master upied a cushy position within the capital. He would also need to inherit the title of Count Jing¡¯an in the future, so there was no way that he would be the next head of the family. The family soldiers would follow the orders of the head of the He Family, not the sessor to the noble title of Count Jing¡¯an.

    If there were some special circumstances, it would be possible to both inherit the title of Count Jing¡¯an and be the head of the family. This was the case for the current Count Jing¡¯an.

    However, judging by the current situation, it seemed like Third Young Master had the highest possibility of bing the next head of the He Family.

    If Third Young Master ever became the He Family head, then their rtionship with Third Young Master would definitely be broken because of what Mo Chenggui did.

    Mo Chenggui¡¯s actions had silently killed the future prospects of the next three generations of their families.

    The future of a whole family with more than a dozen members was ruined because of a few careless words. Troubles stemmed from a loose tongue.

    Since it had already happened, it was useless even if Mo Chenggui regretted it now.

    It was already around 9pm when He Sang returned to the Jing¡¯an Estate.

    Most people were already asleep at this time during the Great Wu Dynasty.

    He Changdi found out that Chu Lian had already gone to bed when he entered Songtao Court. When he met with Senior Servant Zhong, she was in the middle of cleaning up while holding a y pot.

    With his sensitive nose, He Sang detected the scent of medicinal herbs from the ceramic pot. He creased his brows as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong was all smiles as she replied, ¡°This old servant prepared some nourishing soup for Third Young Madam. Third Young Master, please don¡¯t worry. Great Doctor Miao has already looked over the prescription and approved of it. This old servant will personally brew the soup every day as well.¡±

    He Changdi finally rxed after hearing Senior Servant Zhong¡¯s reassurance.

    ¡°Third Young Master, you¡¯ve only just returned home and it¡¯s already sote. Would you like some supper?¡±

    He Changdi waved his hand in response. He took off his brocade cloak and handed it over to Senior Servant Zhong before entering the bedroom.

    He had been out for business for most of the day. Just half a day away from his dear little wife was enough to make him miss her terribly.

    He paused for a moment in front of the doors before entering the bedroom.

    A dimntern had been lit inside the bedroom, so he was able to see everything inside.

    He Sang strode towards the side of the bed with his long legs. He reached out with one hand and lifted the gauzy curtains around the bed, only to be greeted with the sight of a small lump in the middle of therge bed.

    The ice within He Changdi¡¯s eyes slowly melted away as he stared at that small lump. His gaze even carried a hint of humour.

    He sat down carefully on the side of the bed and pulled the nkets away gently to reveal Chu Lian¡¯s delicate face and her lovely cheeks flushed from sleep.

    The early spring night was as chilly as a coldke. Chu Lian was most afraid of the cold, so Xiyan and the others had heated up the nkets before she had settled into the bed. However, the nkets had turned cold again shortly after sheid down.

    His fragiledy seemed to be made of ice. Even if she slept in a warm nket for a whole night, her hands and feet were still ice-cold.

    Chu Lian¡¯s silky dark hair was scattered loosely around her, with a few strands covering her tiny face. He Changdi reached out to tuck the stray strands behind her ears and ced a gentle kiss on her cheek. Following that, he touched the hands and feet she had hidden under the covers.

    They were cold, as he had expected.

    A frown formed between He Changdi¡¯s brows. He tucked her back into the nkets before finally going into the bathroom to wash up and change.

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes fluttered open right after he left. The corners of her lips lifted as she touched the area that He Changdi had just kissed. Satisfied, she smacked her lips and fell asleep for real.

    He Changdi finished his bath swiftly . When he returned to the bed, he gently lifted the edge of the nket and coaxed the curled up Chu Lian into his arms.

    Sensing the broad chest with a familiar, safe scent, Chu Lian instinctively scooted over and buried herself in He Changdi¡¯s embrace.

    They were both wearing thin sleep clothes and they had recently consummated their marriage. Their close proximity and intimacy was starting to make it unbearable for a certain someone.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t feel anything since she was sleeping. She only took He Changdi as a heated pillow.

    However, this was torture for Sang.

    His beautiful wife was in his arms, but he couldn¡¯t do anything. He was about to grind away his mrs from all the restraint he was exercising.

 Chapter 524 - Heâ€™s Not Happy (1)

    <strong>Chapter 524: He¡¯s Not Happy (1)</strong>

    Chu Lian clung onto the new source of heat next to her out of habit.

    The softness of her chest was pressed closely against his body. While He Sang still kept his usual icy expression on his face, the backs of his ears were already flushed red.

    He lowered his deep gaze to look at the petite woman in his arms. The hand that he had wrapped around Chu Lian¡¯s waist slipped downwards slowly until it reached a soft and curved area.

    He didn¡¯t want to disturb her, so he settled for some light touching in the end.

    The first rays of dawn emerged from the horizon, setting off the drops of morning dew on the leaves outside. Chu Lian had gotten a good night¡¯s sleep. When she finally opened her eyes, the other side of the bed was already empty.

    She reached out and felt around the empty area. There was still some warmth left under the nkets and a familiar scent.

    Chu Lian furrowed her eyebrows slightly. Wasn¡¯t there a saying about men who had just awakened and how they were as voracious as wolves and tigers? So why was He Sang so... so restrained?

    Could it be that he didn¡¯t have any interest in that?

    Chu Lian shook her head. Considering the way he had acted the night they consummated their marriage, he didn¡¯t seem like someone whocked desire though...

    However, she still wasn¡¯t all thatfortable with those sorts of activities, so it was actually a good thing for her if He Changdi didn¡¯t want it.

    Chu Lianid in bed with her eyes open as her mind wandered into flights of fancy. Wen seemed to have heard her movements from outside the room, so the maidservant walked over to the bedside and called out softly.

    Chu Lian pulled open the gauzy bed curtains and got out of bed. After she finished washing up in the bathroom, she sat in front of her dressing table and realised that there was already a bowl of soup ced there.

    Wen was in the middle of choosing a dress for Chu Lian when she turned her head and noticed the questioning expression in her master¡¯s eyes. She smiled, ¡°Third Young Madam, I brewed that soup myself early this morning. It¡¯s a nourishing soup. Third Young Madam should drink it while it¡¯s still warm.¡±

    Chu Lian took the bowl into her hands and scooped up a spoonful of the concoction. There was a faint aroma drifting up from the soup and she could detect a mixture of scents of medical herbs that she couldn¡¯t quite identify. She gave it a taste. Upon realising that it didn¡¯t taste bad and that it was at just the right temperature to drink, she downed it in a few gulps.

    It was just a small bowl of soup, so there wasn¡¯t a lot of it.

    Wen hung the dress that she had picked out on the dressing screen before going up to Chu Lian to help style her hair.

    Chu Lian was currently picking out essories at the dressing table.

    ¡°Did momo say what this herbal soup was for?¡±

    Wen didn¡¯t hide the truth from her and replied honestly, ¡°Great Doctor Miao said that Third Young Madam¡¯s body is a little weak. There¡¯s also some remaining ¡®coldness¡¯ within your body, which might have been caused by the low temperatures at the northern border. He had a discussion with momo and they came up with a prescription for you. It¡¯s just two bowls of soup daily, one in the morning and one in the evening.¡±

    A weak and cold body?

    Chu Lian smiled bitterly. That sounded about right.

    She had stayed out on the freezing, snow-covered ins of the northern border for an extended period of time. Moreover, she had just recovered from an injury then. It was already rather fortunate that she hade away from that with just some physical weakness and a slightly cold body. No wonder her limbs always felt cold when she slept without He Sang. She never felt warm enough even after sleeping under thick nkets for the whole night.

    Wen had skillful hands; she quickly transformed Chu Lian¡¯s loose hair into one of the trendiest hairstyles in the capital. Chu Lian opened her jewellery box, thinking of picking from the essories that Royal Princess Duanjia had sent over at the end ofst year.

    However, she was stunned still when she opened the jewellery box.

    Her fiveyered mahogany jewellery box was filled with brand new essories...

    A jade hairpin with a spiral-shaped topaz iy, a flower-shaped clip with a pearl center and coral and agate petals, a jade phoenix hairpin, a sapphire ne... She was almost blinded by the sight of all the precious essories.

    She was very familiar with the designs of most of these essories. How could she not? More than half of them hade from Treasure Pavilion. She had drawn those designs herself!

    But... she hadn¡¯t requested for any of these? She had specifically told Royal Princess Duanjia that she didn¡¯t have to send her one of each essory. She wouldn¡¯t be able to finish wearing them all since there were so many.

    Wen was watching Chu Lian¡¯s expression closely!

    The bewildered expression on the normally calm and clever Third Young Madam caused Wen to give a snort ofughter.

    Chu Lian red at her with a very clear meaning, urging her to give her an immediate exnation.

    Wen couldn¡¯t hold back the smile growing on her lips, ¡°Third Young Madam, Third Young Master picked all these out himself and had them sent overst night.¡±

    Chu Lian was slightly surprised, ¡°These are from He Changdi?¡±

    Where did all his moneye from? This whole pile of jewelry wasn¡¯t cheap...

    It would cost at least four to five thousand taels. The jewellery at Treasure Pavilion were all high-end essories.

    Although He Changdi had been given a reward during the bestowal of his noble title, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to buy all these essories.

    Wen was genuinely happy for her young madam, but she was also somewhat shocked. It seemed like Third Young Madam really didn¡¯t know that Third Young Master had bought so many essories for her.

    With a quick turn of wit, Wen chose not to ask about the reason despite her curiosity. She changed the subject instead by asking, ¡°Third Young Madam, why don¡¯t you pick one to wear now?¡±

    Chu Lian suppressed the suspicion within her heart. She picked out a pair of golden butterfly hairpins with ruby iys and handed it to Wen, ¡°This one.¡±

    Wen inserted the golden butterfly hairpins on the two sides of Chu Lian¡¯s head. The butterflies were so realistic that they looked like they had justnded on her lush, dark hair and their wings shook with the slightest movement of her head. They moved just like a real pair of butterflies. Wen looked at them and sighed in admiration.

    There was a reason why the essories of Treasure Pavilion were so popr amongst the noblewomen of the capital.

    No one would have thought that their Third Young Madam was the one who had designed these exquisite pieces.

    Chu Lian was also satisfied with the two golden butterflies. The craftsmen at Treasure Pavilion were very skilled and they had been able to express the essence of her designs in their work.

 Chapter 525 - Heâ€™s Not Happy (2)

    <strong>Chapter 525: He¡¯s Not Happy (2)</strong>

    After changing into an azure dress embroidered with crape myrtle flowers, Chu Lian asked, ¡°Where¡¯s my husband?¡±

    ¡°Reporting to Third Young Madam, Third Young Master went to the martial arts arena early in the morning. He headed to the study immediately after training. Laiyue met him there, so it seems like they have some business to take care of.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded. Since that was so, she didn¡¯t have to bother with He Changdi¡¯s whereabouts today. She went to the parlour for breakfast after getting ready.

    Wen followed behind Chu Lian. She tried to speak up several times, but she was stopped by Chu Lian¡¯s re each time she did so. Finally, Wen could no longer hold back her question when Chu Lian was seated and eating breakfast alone at the table, ¡°Third Young Madam, should this servant go to the study and invite Third Young Master over?¡±

    Chu Lian lifted her head and blinked innocently. She pretended as if she didn¡¯t understand, ¡°What for? He¡¯s already a grown man, wouldn¡¯t he know when he¡¯s hungry?¡±

    Wen didn¡¯t dare to say anything else after hearing Chu Lian¡¯s reply.

    Chu Lian made short work of her breakfast. When she was done, she wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and rinsed her mouth. She immediately stood up and headed straight for her little study.

    Wen anxiously followed behind her. In the end, she shot a look at the junior maidservant behind her. The young maidservant quickly understood her meaning and hastily ran out towards the direction of He Changdi¡¯s study.

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t hold back her grin any longer once she settled down in front of the desk of her little study.

    That He Sang was really useless. He clearly wanted to please her and make her happy, but he chose to do it in such a sneaky and covert manner. He couldn¡¯t set down his pride to face her this morning, so he had deliberately gotten up earlier.

    She couldn¡¯t indulge this awkward tsundere personality of his. He deserved to suffer for his silly actions.

    In the main study of Songtao Court, He Sang sat ramrod straight in front of his desk with two stacks of official documents piled on top of the surface before him. His head was lowered and he was seemingly reading the document in his hands. Laiyue had been observing him the whole time while standing beside him.

    Uhhh... If he remembered it right, his young master had been staring at a nk page in that document for almost half an hour...

    Is he really reading?

    When a sudden knock sounded on the door of the study, He Sang¡¯s deep gaze immediately turned towards the door.

    Laiyue rushed to the entrance to answer the knock A momentter, he shut the door and walked over to He Sang.

    Laiyue really wanted to kill himself. His luck was seriously terrible. Why did he have toe look for his master at this time today? He hade right when his master and his wife were in the middle of a quarrel.

    He asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Third Young Master, Third Young Madam is currently having breakfast. Would you like to go over?¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s stomach growled right as Laiyue was speaking.

    He Sang¡¯s expression froze up and his handsome face immediately turned as ck as the bottom of a pot.

    ¡°Your young madam didn¡¯t send any message over at all?¡± He Sang gritted his teeth as he sought confirmation.

    Laiyue had a troubled expression on his face as he shook his head. Seeing how his master looked right now, Laiyue really wanted to turn into a quail and hide in a corner so that no one could see him.

    ¡°Then how is her appetite today?¡±

    Heh heh... Laiyue¡¯s eyes twitched. The maidservant who hade to report had told him that Third Young Madam seemed to be in a very good mood. She had even eaten an extra steamed pork dumpling...

    In order to save his pitiful little life, it was probably better if he didn¡¯t mention that...

    Laiyue continued to lower his head until it was almost buried into his chest.

    When He Changdi didn¡¯t receive any response after a long moment, his expression turned so dark that ink was about to seep out from his pores.

    The temperature inside the study instantly hit subzero. Laiyue felt like he was about to suffocate.

    He Sang continued sitting in front of his desk and sulked all by himself. After waiting for about an hour, someone else finally came over.

    Wen had personallye over this time.

    When Laiyue saw that their next guest wasn¡¯t Third Young Madam, he knew that the situation was bad. He went out to wee Wen before she had even reached the entrance of the study.

    He pulled Wen over to the corridor outside the study. Laiyue was so anxious that his brows were creased together, ¡°Where¡¯s Third Young Madam!¡±

    Wen pulled her arm away from Laiyue¡¯s grip and gave him a good re before she replied, ¡°What¡¯s with all this tugging? Third Young Madam is in the little study.¡±

    Laiyue was on the verge of tears. Why wasn¡¯t Third Young Madam looking for Third Young Master at this time? Why had she gone over to the little study instead?

    ¡°Can¡¯t you see that Third Young Master isn¡¯t happy? Hurry up and bring Third Young Madam over.¡±

    Wen rolled her eyes, ¡°Why do I have to invite Third Young Madam over? Third Young Madam has some business to do in the study. I can¡¯t disturb her.¡±

    ¡°Ahhhh, my dear ancestor, don¡¯t you know what time it is right now? Do you even want to continue living?! I¡¯m begging you, please! Please go and invite Third Young Madam here!¡±

    Toozy to bother with a response, Wen simple turned around to leave, but Laiyue blocked her way.

    Wen was getting a little angry, ¡°Why do I have to bring Third Young Madam over? Third Young Madam didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It¡¯s not just Third Young Master who¡¯s busy. Can¡¯t our Third Young Madam be busy too?¡±

    Laiyue was stunned. When had this brat started siding with Third Young Madam? It was He Changdi who had arranged for Wen and Wenqing to be by Chu Lian¡¯s side. So they were ultimately considered He Changdi¡¯s servants.

    As the two servants started arguing, He Sang had finally lost his patience within the study.

    Laiyue and Wen were still quarrelling when a shadow darted past them. By the time they regained their senses, all they could only see was Third Young Master¡¯s tall back disappearing into the distance.

    Based on the direction he had gone, it seemed like he was going to look for Third Young Madam...

    He Changdi moved quickly and reached the parlour in no time. Senior Servant Zhong was about to greet him when she saw himing in, but he simply entered the little study as if he hadn¡¯t seen her at all.

    Chu Lian was in the middle of writing down some recipes when the brush in her hand was abruptly taken away.

    She raised her head with bewilderment, only to be met with the gloomy expression on He Changdi¡¯s handsome face.

    The gloomy look in his eyes, the dark aura around him, the sharp angles of his furrowed brows and the thin line formed by his lips; all these signs were a loud deration that he wasn¡¯t happy.

 Chapter 526 - How Couples Should Communicate (1)

    <strong>Chapter 526: How Couples Should Communicate (1)</strong>

    Chu Lian gave him a sideways nce as if she hadn¡¯t seen the look ofint in his eyes. She picked up a brush from the rack and dipped it in the inkwell, seemingly intent on continuing her writing.

    This time, He Sang caught hold of her wrist.

    Chu Lian finally set aside the recipe in her hands. She looked up with furrowed brows as she asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    He Sang¡¯s handsome features were cast in a stiff expression and his lips were pressed together. He continued staring down at her with a shadowed gaze, as if hoping that Chu Lian would be able to read his thoughts from his eyes alone.

    Chu Lian met his gaze with her own clear, innocent eyes. She could see the mix of frustration and petnce in his gaze, and she even understood where he wasing from. However, not everything could be conveyed by his eyes alone. As close as they were, there would likelye a time where she wouldn¡¯t be able to read him with just one look.

    Chu Lian shifted her gaze away as she stated with a cool tone, ¡°He Changdi, if you have something you want to tell me, then speak. Otherwise, get out. Don¡¯t disturb me.¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s pupils contracted. He obviously hadn¡¯t expected such an order from Chu Lian. The grip he had around Chu Lian¡¯s wrist tightened unconsciously.

    When Chu Lian felt a sharp pain around her wrist, she struggled and tried to pull her hand away.

    ¡°He Sang, you¡¯re hurting me!¡±

    After He Changdi realised that her expression had even contorted from the pain, he quickly let go. A red mark in the shape of his grip stood out usingly on her fair skin.

    That red mark kept the words that He Sang had been about to speak in his throat. However, seeing how Chu Lian had turned her back to him in a fit of pique while rubbing her wrist, the anger that he had just suppressed red back up again.

    The couple continued their standoff in the study, Chu Lian remaining seated with her back to him. The tension between them filled the tiny little room and made it suffocating.

    Time seemed to have stopped and every second passed at an agonisingly slow speed.

    He Sang¡¯s eyes never left Chu Lian¡¯s figure. He stood frozen by the desk, his hands clenched tightly into fists behind his back and his lips pressed together in a thin, white line. He was waiting for Chu Lian to speak up first.

    Chu Lian had been angry with He Changdi¡¯s attitude ever since they had returned from the Wei Estate. After that, although they had acted out a pretense together during the incident with Miaozhen and he had bought a whole box of essories to make her happy, he had never admitted his fault in the matter. He had also never exined the reason behind his attitude face to face.

    It wouldn¡¯t do for their interactions as a couple to be this way. While they were attracted to each other and in love for now, theyckedmunication and trust between them.

    During their time together, Chu Lian had understood that He Changdi wasn¡¯t someone who liked to open his heart to others.

    They couldn¡¯t keep having mimunications and quarrels like this. They had to sit down and face their problems together.

    Otherwise, if they continued on in this manner, it would only make things worse in the future.

    Chu Lian had already decided that she wouldy her cards on the table and get rid of all theirmunication issues today. Thus, she was resolute on remaining silent until He Changdi spoke up.

    In the end, it was He Sang who sucked in a deep breath and spoke, ¡°Lian¡¯er, we bumped into Xiao Bojian inadvertently that day and Prince Wei was the one who invited us all back to his estate.¡±

    With her back still turned towards her husband, Chu Lian heaved a sigh of relief inwardly. She had been afraid that He Changdi¡¯s temper would rear its ugly head and that his pride would keep him from speaking. Although he had gone a little off topic with his first words, it was good that he had broken the silence first. That showed that he had realised it was his fault.

 Chapter 527 - How Couples Should Communicate (2)

    <strong>Chapter 527: How Couples Should Communicate (2)</strong>

    This story ispletely free to read on vrenovels~ Please support my trantions on the original source!

    Chu Lian had actually been taking a chance. She had been betting on He Changdi¡¯s feelings for her. If he truly loved her with all his heart and treated her as his wife, then he would definitely speak up. However, if he had given up and left, their rtionship as husband and wife would have ended right there.

    It seemed like He Changdi couldn¡¯t bear waiting any longer. Before Chu Lian could reply, he had already stepped forward, picking up the petite woman seated behind the desk and carrying her with ease over to the chaise at the side.

    He gently set her down on the inside of the chaise before settling down on the outside. The chaise wasn¡¯t very wide, so Chu Lian was pushed close to the wall. The limited amount of space meant that she was pressed against He Changdi¡¯s solid chest and that they were facing each other eye-to-eye in close proximity.

    The space between Chu Lian¡¯s brows crinkled up. She didn¡¯t like being trapped this way, it felt more like an interrogation than anything. She reached out her arms, intending to crawl over to the other side of the chaise and escape He Changdi¡¯s control.

    He Sang seemed to have seen through her intentions, as he retracted one of his outstretched legs and crossed it over his other knee instead. The position of his raised leg just happened to block off Chu Lian¡¯s escape route.

    ¡°Let¡¯s clear up everything today, like this.¡± He Changdi fixed his eagle-eyed gaze on her, destroying her chances of escape.

    With a wall behind her, He Changdi¡¯s hard chest in front, as well as having her entire body within his reach, Chu Lian was like a little bunny who had fallen into a trap. No matter how much she struggled now, she wouldn¡¯t be able to get free.

    He Changdi wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her closer towards him so she wouldn¡¯t have to lean against the cold wall. He then set his other palm on the wall next to the side of her face so he loomed over her in a textbook ¡®kabedon¡¯ pose. Chu Lian¡¯s heart was about to leap out of her chest from the tension.

    He Sang was just way too imposing in this position. Chu Lian felt that she couldn¡¯t summon up any courage like this, so she lowered her eyes, unwilling to meet with He Changdi¡¯s shadowed gaze.

    When she dipped her head, quivering golden wings drew He Sang¡¯s gaze to her dark hair, where two brilliant, life-like butterfly ornaments were dancing with her sudden movement.

    His heart clenched as he held his breath unconsciously. The rage burning in his heart faded a little.

    He remembered these golden butterflies clearly. He had chosen them himself. When he had picked them out, he had been imagining how lovely they would look on her. His imagination hadn¡¯t been too far from reality now that he was looking at the real thing.

    The ice in He Changdi¡¯s gaze melted away, forming into pools of affection instead. He stroked Chu Lian¡¯s smooth hair and touched the two golden butterflies gently, setting off their quivering wings once more. His maic voice was as soft as it had ever been, ¡°Beautiful. They suit you very well.¡±

    Chu Lian had been busy thinking of how she should navigate the conversation ahead. When thepliment hit her out of the blue, she looked up with a confused expression, meeting He Sang¡¯s tender gaze straight on. As he quickly lowered his hand, she realised that he had been referring to the essories she was wearing.

    A hint of sweetness blossomed within her heart. Who wouldn¡¯t be touched by apliment from their loved one?

    However, Chu Lian¡¯s mind remained clear as ss. She wouldn¡¯t be led astray by a simple sentence from He Changdi.

    Her brows formed into a frown, ¡°He Sang, since you want to have a proper discussion, don¡¯t change the topic.¡±

    While He Changdi¡¯s features remained unchanged, the emotions in his eyes werepletely different now.

    Chu Lian had worn a simple and elegant azure dress today, made up of a long skirt and a long-sleeved blouse. Since the little study was heated, she hadn¡¯t put on a cloak or vest.

    While the winter dress was made with thick fabric, there was only a singleyer of cloth. The skirt started at her chest, and there was a crape myrtle flower embroidered right there. The light yellow flower rose and fell along with her breathing, making for a mesmerising sight.

    He Changdi felt his throat dry up instantly. His Adam¡¯s apple wobbled as he gulped hard and pulled his gaze away with difficulty. Finally, he spoke.

 Chapter 528 - How Couples Should Communicate (3)

    <strong>Chapter 528: How Couples Should Communicate (3)</strong>

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, can you avoid meeting Xiao Bojian in the future?¡±

    Chu Lian blinked in astonishment before shaking her head inwardly. He Changdi was really tsundere!

    However, she suddenly felt that there was something strange about his question. Was there something up with He Changdi? Ever since she had gone to the north, she could sense that He Changdi seemed to be secretly guarding against Xiao Bojian.

    As if they had been born to be enemies.

    She had read the original novel, so she knew about the enmity between the two. However, the current He Changdi was just too different from his novel counterpart. It could be said that he and the gentle, straightforward He Sang from the book were twopletely different people aside from sharing the same face.

    She had already struck out the possibility that he might be the same as her early on. However, from the way he treated his family, he didn¡¯t seem like a ¡®fake¡¯ He Changdi at all.

    Then what on earth had caused his personality to change so much?

    Although Chu Lian really wanted to know the truth, it clearly wasn¡¯t the right time to ask now.

    She let out a helpless sigh, ¡°He Changdi, answer me this. When have I ever actively gone to meet Xiao Bojian? Wenqing and Wen are your servants. I¡¯m sure that you know about everything I¡¯ve done before I went to the north. Don¡¯t tell me that I have to list them all out for you again?¡±

    His jealousy waspletely unfounded. There was no reason for him to have thrown his little fit of temper.

    A glint shed through He Changdi¡¯s eyes. Chu Lian was right. He knew every single one of her movements while she had been in the capital.

    He had indeed assigned Senior Servant Zhong and the Wen sisters to her side to keep an eye on her. Chu Lian had never tried to meet Xiao Bojian. When he had be the top schr of the year, she had even politely rejected his invite to a celebration.

    Even so, there was a single scene in his memory remained like a thorn in his heart.

    He Sang reached out and stroked Chu Lian¡¯s soft cheek. His voice came out in a low rumble, ¡°Then what about that lucky jade amulet? Why is it in Xiao Bojian¡¯s hands?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Chu Lian made a sound of confusion in response. She couldn¡¯t remember what amulet He Changdi was talking about.

    He Sang was a little unhappy with her response, so his tone dipped a few degrees, ¡°The jade amulet that Grandmother gave to you the day after our wedding.¡±

    Thanks to He Changdi¡¯s hint, realisation dawned upon Chu Lian.

    So it was that lucky jade amulet!

    ¡°What did you say? That lucky jade amulet is with Xiao Bojian?¡±

    He Changdi kept his eyes fixed on her, not willing to miss the tiniest change of expression on her face.

    ¡°I saw it with my own eyes.¡±

    He was all too familiar with that jade amulet. It had belonged to the old count and he had seen that amulet pretty often ever since he was a little boy. He couldn¡¯t possibly have misidentified it.

    Chu Lian held a hand up to her forehead. She waspletely speechless from this turn of events. She slowly thought back to the events of the day she had met with Royal Princess Duanjia at Defeng Teahouse. That was where she had lost the amulet.

    Her wide almond-shaped eyes darted from side to side as she thought. It couldn¡¯t possibly have been such an amazing coincidence, right? That Xiao Bojian hadtere by to pick up the amulet she had dropped in that room...

    The corners of her lips tugged downwards as she realised that that really might have been the course of events.

    Chu Lian wanted to curse Xiao Bojian a hundred times over. As expected of the main lead of a novel! His mind really worked differently from others. He had picked up an amulet that she had identally dropped and somehow taken it as a sign of her affection for him.

    She knew that He Changdi wouldn¡¯t be convinced if she came up with any sort of reason now. She weighed her options inwardly for a few seconds and decided to tell him the whole truth.

    ¡°...He Changdi, that¡¯s exactly what happened. I didn¡¯t know that I dropped the jade amulet and he somehow picked it up. However, I think that Xiao Bojian isn¡¯t as simple as he looks. There must be some hidden power backing him. Otherwise, he couldn¡¯t possibly have lured the princess away so easily at the teahouse.¡±

 Chapter 529 - How Couples Should Communicate (4)

    <strong>Chapter 529: How Couples Should Communicate (4)</strong>

    Surprise leaked out from He Changdi¡¯s gaze. He hadn¡¯t expected the truth to be so absurd. However, Chu Lian¡¯s tone had been even and sincere, so it didn¡¯t seem like she was lying.

    His memories from his past had also corroborated Chu Lian¡¯s words. Xiao Bojian did indeed have some sort of power backing him. He Changdi had been exiled in his past life and he had entered the army under a pseudonymter on. Despite living far away from the capital and not knowing anything of the situation there, he had still managed to use his limited influence to investigate major events.

    A dangerous glint came to life in his eyes as he narrowed his gaze.

    Xiao Bojian... He was going to take back every debt owed to him and let him have a taste of his suffering from his past life.

    He Changdi quickly pulled himself away from his dark thoughts and stared at Chu Lian for a few seconds, ¡°The letter that Fuyan gave me was something passed to her during Old Marquis Dingyuan¡¯s birthday banquet. Xiao Bojian sent a messenger to pass the letter to you, but Fuyan kept it instead.¡±

    The sudden mention of the letter stunned Chu Lian for an instant. She wanted to cry out loud. What was going on? She hated Xiao Bojian so much that she never ever wanted to see him again, yet the events around her seemed to be connecting the two of them together no matter what.

    Wasn¡¯t this the plight of being the protagonist of the story? If He Changdi was even the slightest bit dumber, their rtionship might really have been destroyed by this.

    Chu Lian looked up and met his shadowed gaze, ¡°He Sang, you believe me, don¡¯t you?¡±

    He Changdi frowned deeply, ¡°What did you call me?¡±

    The corners of Chu Lian¡¯s lips tugged into a pout. She turned her gaze away and refused to speak.

    He Changdi lifted her chin first before raising his upper body to lean over and nt a gentle kiss on her lips. He softened his tone and coaxed, ¡°What should you call me?¡±

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t understand how their open and frank conversation had somehow turned into a flirtatious scene. The two of them were just too close together now. Her exhales were blowing directly over his slightly exposed corbones. Chu Lian couldn¡¯t help but flush in response to the situation.

    ¡°Call me Hubby.¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s low and maic voice resounded beside Chu Lian¡¯s ears, raising goosebumps all over Chu Lian¡¯s body.

    Since she was still trapped in the circle of He Changdi¡¯s arms, she could only give in. She bit her bottom lip before letting out a frustrated huff, ¡°Hubby!¡±

    A faint smile finally appeared on He Changdi¡¯s lips. He tugged with the arm around Chu Lian¡¯s waist, pulling Chu Lian into his embrace and enveloping her body with his own, forming a protective cage around her.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be better if you use a gentler tone next time.¡±

    Chu Lian raised a brow, ¡°He Sang! You¡¯re still picking on my tone?¡±

    He Changdi rested his chin on the top of Chu Lian¡¯s head. As lowughter rang out from above her, Chu Lian could feel the vibrations of his chest. Before she had the chance to enjoy the warm moment, his palmnded a sound smack on her pert bottom.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already forgotten what I just taught you?¡±

    The abrupt switch from their serious conversation into perverted flirting caught Chu Lian off guard. That one smack made her cover her bottom instinctively as she trembled with indignation. Her next reaction was to push He Changdi away and re at him.

    He Changdi reached out to stroke her back as if soothing an rmed kitten.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, I believe you.¡±

    Chu Lian took in a deep breath to gather all the fury rising within her and quickly bit down hard on his exposed corbone.

    Afraid that she would hurt her teeth on his tough skin, He Changdi purposely rxed his muscles and let her do as she liked.

    Chu Lian gnawed on He Sang¡¯s corbone until all her anger had been spent. Despite her best efforts, all she managed to leave in the end was two faint rows of tiny tooth marks. She hadn¡¯t even drawn any blood and had instead made her jaw ache from all the effort.

 Chapter 530 - How Couples Should Communicate (5)

    <strong>Chapter 530: How Couples Should Communicate (5)</strong>

    Speechless at the toughness of his skin, Chu Lian stopped biting him and buried her head in his chest instead. The discontentment in her slowly faded away and the impulse that had filled her head dissipated. When she finally regained her calm, Chu Lian suddenly realised that He Changdi had derailed the conversationpletely!

    She had been intending to have a serious discussion with him and make him realise his mistakes. How on earth had it turned into asking if he believed her about the letter and the jade amulet?

    Thinking back on it carefully, she wasn¡¯t the one at fault for the letter or the jade pendant! She was the innocent victim here!

    Once she had thought it through, Chu Lian quickly pushed He Sang away and red at him with her clear, almond-shaped eyes.

    He Sang lowered his head to meet his wife eye-to-eye. Upon seeing her eyes clear without any of the anxiety and impatience from before, he realised that Chu Lian had realised what he just did.

    He looked away and said, ¡°Ahem. Lian¡¯er, how I acted after we returned from Prince Wei¡¯s estate was entirely my fault, I apologise.¡±

    For the first time, He Sang had stopped trying to avoid the topic and had actually admitted to his mistake.

    Although his apology was rather vague, it was already a huge step forward that he had admitted fault to this degree, especially considering his awkward personality. Chu Lian knew that she shouldn¡¯t push him too hard for now. Rome hadn¡¯t been built in a day after all.

    Chu Lian believed that their understanding of each other would naturally deepen over time as long as they could live together harmoniously.

    By then, these mysterious problems wouldn¡¯t need to be resolved at all, as they wouldn¡¯t even exist.

    He Sang had never admitted to his mistakes in such a straightforward manner before. When he finished apologising, his ears even turned red without his knowledge.

    Staring at his stiff expression, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t help bursting into a wide grin. She reached out with her fair fingers and touched He Sang¡¯s flushed ears.

    They were hot to the touch and were at a much higher temperature than the rest of his body. He Changdi¡¯s earlobes had always been sensitive, so having it touched by his lover made him stiffen up. All of the surplus blood in his body gathered into a certain area.

    ¡°It took so much to get you to admit your mistake. Also, don¡¯t go around getting jealous for no reason, I don¡¯t have any rtionship with Xiao Bojian at all!¡± Chu Lian dered to He Sang in a serious tone.

    He Changdi wrapped both arms around her and pulled her into an even closer embrace. The rigid tension that had filled his body slowly drifted away from having her soft figure in his arms. He sulked a little as he said, ¡°I know that I shouldn¡¯t be jealous, but I can¡¯t help it. The way Xiao Bojian looked at you didn¡¯t help that either.¡±

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes. She was on the verge of suffocating from all this injustice being piled upon her. What could she even do about it if someone looked at her funny?!

    Xiao Bojian wasn¡¯t some randommoner, so she couldn¡¯t justsh out at him in the open or dig out his eyes... He Sang¡¯s jealousy waspletely unreasonable.

    He Sang¡¯s hand was caressing her petite back even as he continued sulking, ¡°You¡¯re MY wife! Anyway, other men aren¡¯t allowed to look at you in such a manner at all. Just you wait, I definitely won¡¯t let Xiao Bojian off.¡±

    The corner of Chu Lian¡¯s lips twitched. She didn¡¯t feel like replying to He Changdi¡¯s pointless promation. In any case, she didn¡¯t care about what happened to Xiao Bojian. If He Changdi really had the ability to drag Xiao Bojian down from his high horse, she would actually support her lunatic husband in doing so.

    Now that they had resolved all the misunderstandings between them, the couple had naturally became closer as a result.

    Chu Lian frowned and dered fiercely, ¡°He Changdi, you¡¯re not allowed to brood so much on your thoughts in the future. I can¡¯t always guess your meaning. If you¡¯re feeling uneasy, you have to let me know.¡±

 Chapter 531 - How Couples Should Communicate (6)

    <strong>Chapter 531: How Couples Should Communicate (6)</strong>

    He Changdi reached out and caught hold of Chu Lian¡¯s delicate chin, lifting her head upwards to make her meet his chilly and serene gaze. Chu Lian noticed the tinge of dissatisfaction in his eyes and made a moue of frustration. She repeated the words she had said earlier, but this time, she addressed him as ¡®Hubby¡¯ instead. Finally, the tsundere He Sang was satisfied.

    He made an affirmative grunt in response and followed up by moving to kiss her soft cherry lips. His tongue pushed its way past her teeth and toyed with the sweet softness inside.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected things to develop in this direction. She froze up at first, but she quickly melted into his tender and gentle kiss. She felt as if she had turned into a puddle of water and was going to fuse into his warm, broad chest.

    He Changdi couldn¡¯t stop his hand from roaming up and down her soft, supple back, as if he were inspecting his territory.

    At this point, Chu Lian¡¯s mind was turning fuzzy. Her skin was suddenly heating up, as if she was getting scalded by his touch.

    Her rational mind gradually faded away and she couldn¡¯t help releasing a moan. Her body rubbed against his chest subconsciously.

    He CHangdi had been holding back with everything he had from the start, but when Chu Lian let loose such an enticing sound, the floodgates burst open.

    In an instant, his reason was blown to smithereens.

    His hand headed up Chu Lian¡¯s back and fiddled around for a few seconds, causing her dress to slide away from her chest. He immediately pounced upon the two soft peaches and toyed with them like a tyrant.

    Chu Lian panted for breath. She was feeling feverish all over, but there was still a shred of rationality left in her which found this strange.

    She didn¡¯t understand why her inhibitions had suddenly disappeared. With just that small motion from He Changdi, she had been unable to stop herself from rubbing herself against him...

    There seemed to be a strange energy in her body spurring her on to follow her instincts.

    When they got to the point when their clothes were in disarray and they were about to lose control, He Changdi suddenly pushed Chu Lian away. There was a terrifying darkness in his eyes and his breath sounded uncontrobly hoarse.

    He ced his arms on Chu Lian¡¯s feeble shoulders and put some distance between them.

    He looked down; he didn¡¯t dare to look at the alluring sight that Chu Lian was right now. He forcefully calmed his breathing, reached to his side, and put his ownrge cloak on Chu Lian,pletely covering up her exposed skin.

    His hands turned into fists and he quickly got up. Before leaving, he announced, ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡±

    He then made a hasty escape from the study as if a monster was chasing at his heels.

    Chu Lian watched dazedly as he cut a sorry figure in his departure.

    When the scorching feeling in her body receded, her wits finally returned to her.

    A furious blush bloomed on her face after the return of her rationality.

    She punched at the chaise with her fists and bit her bottom lip.

    What had happened to her just now? Why had she started rubbing against He Changdi? And why had she acted so... wanton?

    Could it be that shecked self-control? Could it be that it was just this easy for He Changdi to seduce her?

    More importantly, He Changdi had actually rejected her!

    How embarrassing!

    Chu Lian wanted to bury herself in a hole somewhere.

    However, when she thought back to He Changdi¡¯s reaction, she found it strange. He was already in that state, so he obviously wanted it. Why did he end up pushing her away at thest minute?

    The more Chu Lian wondered, the darker her expression became. She wasn¡¯t just angry at herself for being so easily seduced, she was also angry because of He Changdi¡¯s abnormal rejection.

    Taking in a deep breath, the red-faced Chu Lian took off the dark cloak that He Changdi had put on her. When she looked down at herself, her face heated up uncontrobly.

    There were red marks all over her fair chest, including a long chain of them on her corbones. She frantically pulled the skirt of her dress back up, before adding on a vest. Once she had covered herself up properly, she finally gathered the courage to leave the room to get a change of clothes.

 Chapter 532 - Nourishing Soup (1)

    <strong>Chapter 532: Nourishing Soup (1)</strong>

    With so many hickies on her neck, she couldn¡¯t continue wearing this slightly revealing dress.

    While she was changing clothes, Chu Lian could hear the sounds of He Sang taking a bath in the bathroom. She pouted and cursed him under her breath.

    When she was done sorting out her appearance, she returned to the study to do some work.

    Once Chu Lian had left and He Sang couldn¡¯t hear any more soundsing from the bedroom, he was finally able to move freely without the fear of being heard.

    Some timeter, a small piece of fabric fell out of He Sang¡¯s hand, which had been draped over the edge of the bathtub. If Chu Lian had been there to see the soft light-coloured piece of fabric, she would have immediately identified it as her breast band...

    He Changdi took a deep sigh and leaned back against the wall of the bathtub, basking in the afterglow while calming down.

    He smiled bitterly, feeling as if his actions were like shooting himself in the foot.

    When he got out of the bathtub, He Changdi picked up the small piece of fabric and put it together with his dirty clothes. He rubbed his nose a little awkwardly, before putting on clean clothes and leaving the bathroom.

    He Changdi and Chu Lian had lunch together at noon.

    Chu Lian had the habit of taking afternoon naps, so she went to sleep an hour after lunch.

    He Changdi was tempted to take a nap with his wife, but when he recalled what had happened in the study, he gritted his teeth and went to his study to work.

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t be bothered with him. She had been craving sleep more for the past two days, perhaps due to the nourishing soup that Senior Servant Zhong had given her. It might also have been due to the arrival of spring, and she was having trouble adjusting to the changing seasons.

    In any case, Chu Lian fell asleep soon after getting into bed.

    Senior Servant Gui lifted the drapes to take a peek, before stealthily leaving the room.

    Happiness was shining from Senior Servant Gui¡¯s eyes. She bumped into Xiyan at the side room and couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Third Young Madam has suddenly been sleeping so much, could it be...?¡±

    Although Xiyan was a young maiden herself, she had been educated about various things by Senior Servants Zhong and Gui for the sake of serving Chu Lian as a handmaid. Therefore, she was aware of many details regarding matters after marriage.

    Hearing that, she smiled and answered, ¡°Momo, you¡¯re overthinking things! How could anything happen this quickly? Third Young Madam has only just consummated her marriage! Perhaps she¡¯s feeling easily tired now that it¡¯s spring because she overexerted herself at the northern border.¡±

    Xiyan¡¯s suggestion caused the smile to fade from Senior Servant Gui¡¯s face, ¡°That won¡¯t do. I¡¯ll have to ask Great Doctor Miao to take a look at Third Young Madam tomorrow.¡±

    Xiyan smiled; Senior Servant Gui was worrying too much.

    ¡°Have you forgotten? Third Young Master recently asked Great Doctor Miao to take Third Young Madam¡¯s pulse and Third Young Madam has been drinking nourishing soup daily!¡±

    After getting reminded of the situation, Senior Servant Gui shook her head helplessly .

    She couldn¡¯t resist adding on, ¡°I really hope Third Young Madam can get pregnant soon, so she can get a foothold in the estate.¡±

    Xiyan sighed in response. Didn¡¯t they all!

    The customs in the Great Wu Dynasty were more open than the previous dynasty, so even youngdies who hadn¡¯te of age could participate in banquets and visit their friends. However, the rules were still more strict on women, especially after marriage. If a wife didn¡¯t manage to produce any heirs, it was as good asmitting a crime.

    This could be seen from what had happened to the first branch. If Madam Zou had birthed a son, her rtionship with He Dng would never have deteriorated to its current state.

    It had been at least half a year since Third Young Madam and Third Young Master had gotten married. Although they knew that the two had only consummated their marriage a few days ago, no one else did! If people started gossiping about it, Third Young Madam would be the one who received the me.

    When a wife couldn¡¯t produce any heirs, the me was always directed at the woman.

 Chapter 533 - Nourishing Soup (2)

    <strong>Chapter 533: Nourishing Soup (2)</strong>

    Chu Lian slept extremely well. Other than feeling slightly warmer than usual, she felt great when she woke up from her nap.

    She was helped by Xiyan to the bathroom to wipe down her body. After changing into a loose andfortable home dress, she returned to her bedroom.

    She immediately noticed the small porcin bowl on the table and let out an anguished wail, ¡°I still have to drink that!?¡±

    Wen covered her mouth to hide her grin, while Senior Servant Zhong exined, ¡°Third Young Madam, this nourishing soup only takes effect after drinking it long-term. Great Doctor Miao said that you¡¯ll have to drink it everyday for half a month. It¡¯s only been four days.¡±

    Chu Lian: ...

    Although the nourishing soup wasn¡¯t hard to swallow and even had a nice aroma, she was still sick of it after drinking it daily. Furthermore, she drank it more than once everyday.

    Under the watchful eyes of Senior Servant Zhong and the other servants, Chu Lian had no choice but to gulp down the soup with an unwilling expression.

    She didn¡¯t know if she was just imagining things, but she started feeling ufortably hot inside after drinking the soup.

    She tolerated it for a while, but eventually she couldn¡¯t continue enduring the ufortable feeling, so she asked Xiyan, ¡°Cut a pear for me, I¡¯m feeling a little thirsty.¡±

    Now that it was February, the only fruit avable in the capital was pear. Apples hadn¡¯t been discovered yet in the Great Wu Dynasty, so there was no point in asking for those. As for tangerines, they hadn¡¯t been in season for a while now.

    The pears avable now had been specially preserved fromst year¡¯s harvest using a special method, so they were rather expensive too. Mostmoners wouldn¡¯t be able to afford them at all.

    Thinking about this, Chu Lian kind of missed the modern times where she could eat practically all kinds of fruit during winter.

    When fruits returned to the market this year, she was going to think of ways to turn them into canned fruits or candied fruits.

    Xiyan revealed a troubled expression, while Senior Servant Zhong secretly shook her head at Xiyan.

    Chu Lian noticed that Xiyan hadn¡¯t moved to get her a pear, so she looked at her in confusion, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going? Could it be that there¡¯s no more pears in the estate?¡±

    Since Chu Lian hade up with a usible exnation herself, Xiyan quickly nodded and agreed, ¡°That¡¯s right, Third Young Madam. The remaining few have been sent to Countess Jing¡¯an.¡±

    Chu Lian could only sigh in response. She had them move the braziers out of the room, before she changed into a thinner robe. After making these changes, she was finally feeling morefortable.

    Senior Servant Zhong took the excuse of sending some tea to meet with He Changdi in the study and make a report.

    He Sang was seated behind the desk with a pile of official documents that he had justpleted. His expression was grim and he was obviously in a horrendous mood at this time.

    ¡°What did you say? Grandmother demanded Guilin Restaurant back!?¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong nodded, ¡°Third Young Madam has already returned the deed to the matriarch.¡±

    A shadow covered He Sang¡¯s gaze. He stared into nk space, but there was no telling what he was thinking about. Senior Servant Zhong stood to one side quietly as she didn¡¯t dare to disturb him. With how still she was, she looked just like a statue.

    After some time had passed, He Changdi¡¯s deep, maic voice resounded, ¡°I¡¯ll take note of this matter. Is there anything else, momo?¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong hesitated for a moment, before speaking up a little awkwardly, ¡°Third Young Master, Great Doctor Miao instructed that Third Young Madam must not participate in any bedroom activities within seven days of taking the nourishing soup.¡±

    He Changdi: ...

    Even though he was a man, it was still ufortable for him when Senior Servant Zhong was so blunt about it. Great Doctor Miao had already made this clear to him before, yet Senior Servant Zhong was reminding him about it again... Was he someone who seemed to becking in restraint?

    He Changdi coughed to conceal his awkwardness, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, momo. I am aware.¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong sigh in relief inside upon hearing his answer. She had been afraid that the youthful Third Young Master would be unable to suppress his desires... However, Third Young Master had always been a calm and collected person who followed through with his promises. If he said so, he would definitely do it. Besides, this concerned Third Young Madam¡¯s health, so he wouldn¡¯t be careless.

    After making these things clear, Senior Servant Zhong quickly left.

    When evening fell, He Changdi finally left the study and returned to the parlour. He then asked after Chu Lian¡¯s whereabouts.

    Wen replied, ¡°Third Young Madam went to visit the countess over an hour ago.¡±

    He Sang thought about it for a moment, before heading off to his mother¡¯s courtyard himself.

    The moment he entered the parlour, he was met with the sight of Chu Lian happily picking up a small slice of snow pear with a toothpick and putting it into her mouth.

 Chapter 534 - Health is Important (1)

    <strong>Chapter 534: Health is Important (1)</strong>

    He Sang¡¯s face instantly turned ck. He first swept his icy gaze over to Xiyan, who was standing beside Chu Lian. Xiyan¡¯s whole body froze as a troubled expression appeared on her face. Following that, He Sang strode towards Countess Jing¡¯an and bowed in greeting.

    ¡°Sang, you¡¯vee too! Come,e sit beside Mother.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an was clearly happy that her youngest son hade to visit her. He Changdi quickly sat down beside his mother. Once seated, he extended his long arm and took away the te of pear slices on the table beside Chu Lian.

    When the toothpick that Chu Lian was holdingnded on thin air, she looked at him in astonishment.

    What was wrong with He Changdi? She couldn¡¯t even eat a few pieces of pear now?

    Countess Jing¡¯an was also finding it strange, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Since Lian¡¯er likes to eat pears, why not let her have a few more pieces? I haven¡¯t been eating them much so it¡¯s a waste to leave them lying around here anyway. Have the maidservants take some back with youter. Mother has too many pears to finish!¡±

    The first half of her words was directed at He Sang and thetter half was directed towards Chu Lian.

    Before Chu Lian could happily agree and thank her mother-inw, He Changdi had already rejected the offer, ¡°No need. Mother, you should keep the pears and eat them yourself. If you can¡¯t finish them all, then give them to the servants.¡±

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t been expecting He Sang to say that, so she secretly gave him a re. However, He Changdi was seemingly ignorant of theint in her eyes. He continued to speak to his mother, ¡°Pears are cold by nature. Lian¡¯er is susceptible to the cold, so it wouldn¡¯t be good for her health if she eats too much.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an initially wanted to put in a good word or two for Chu Lian, but she held her tongue when she saw that her son was doing it for the sake of his wife¡¯s health. Instead, she turned tofort Chu Lian.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, Sang is right. We have to take good care of our own health. It¡¯s better to eat fewer of these ¡®cold¡¯ fruits. It¡¯s still chilly outside now, so you should make sure to keep your body warm...¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an had been bedridden for many years and had been drinking different medicines during that whole time. She had be half a doctor after going through a prolonged period of illness. During the long suffering, she had also learned plenty of methods to maintain good health. Once she started on the topic, she couldn¡¯t stop talking.

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t interrupt her since the countess was her elder. All she could do was to listen earnestly and put on an enlightened expression, while suffering in her heart.

    Now that the root of Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s illness was gone, her health had improved by leaps and bounds. She had also be more livelier than before. With her new-found energy, she actually managed to talk about the subject of health for an hour.

    When the countess finally realised what she had done, she felt embarrassed for a moment.

    However, since it was only her son and daughter-inw before her, the moment of embarrassment faded away quickly.

    She was happy for the young couple instead, as she saw the genuine concern in the gaze that her son directed at his wife.

    ¡°Alright, I hope you don¡¯t find me too naggy. But you must pay attention to your health no matter how busy you are. Lian¡¯er, as a woman, it¡¯s especially important for you to take good care of your body. That¡¯s all from me today. It¡¯s gettingte now. I won¡¯t keep you two for dinner, so go back to eat by yourselves.¡± Countess Jing¡¯an could also see the suffering expressions on the young couple¡¯s faces from her long lecture, so she waved her hand to dismiss them.

    Even He Sang hadn¡¯t been able to withstand his mother¡¯s endless nagging. He breathed a sigh of relief after leaving the courtyard while holding Chu Lian¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 535 - Health is Important (2)

    <strong>Chapter 535: Health is Important (2)</strong>

    Chu Lian had only managed to eat half a te of snow pears at her mother-inw¡¯s. Her craving hadn¡¯t been satisfied and she wanted to eat more!

    She didn¡¯t think that He Changdi would start minding what she ate, so she wasn¡¯t very happy.

    ¡°He Changdi, I want to eat pears.¡±

    Chu Lianined to him directly. They had made an agreement today that they would tell each other everything and that they wouldn¡¯t have cold wars or sulk by themselves.

    He Sang wanted tough when he heard the rare childish tone from Chu Lian.

    He whispered, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m just ying with you? You can¡¯t eat cold-natured fruit right now. I¡¯ll exin it to you when we get back.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Chu Lian was slightly baffled. What was going on? Why were fruits suddenly forbidden?

    She had even ate ice cream during winter back in modern times and nothing had happened to her health.

    When he finished speaking, He Changdi quickly dragged Chu Lian back to Songtao Court.

    It was already dinner time. Senior Servant Zhong had already received the report that the young couple was on their way back, so she began to instruct the maidservants to prepare dinner.

    By the time Chu Lian and He Changdi arrived, there was already a table full of food in the parlour.

    When Chu Lian looked over all the foods on the table, she couldn¡¯t drum up any of her appetite.

    She was feeling stuffy and ufortable since He Changdi had pulled her into a brisk walk back from Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s courtyard. She wanted to eat something cold right now, but everything on the table was steaming with heat. She really didn¡¯t have any appetite.

    However, He Changdi had pulled her down to sit at the table.

    Chu Lian sighed, then turned her head to instruct Baicha, ¡°Bring me a cup of tea first!¡±

    Baicha was surprised, ¡°Third Young Madam, do you mean sencha?¡±

    Chu Lian nodded in affirmation.

    Baicha thought it was strange and nced in askance at Xiyan. Didn¡¯t Third Young Madam dislike sencha? Didn¡¯t she normally only drink honey water or honeydew juice?

    Baicha was stopped by He Changdi¡¯s icy gaze right when she was about to go prepare the sencha.

    Chu Lian noticed that Baicha wasn¡¯t moving. When she traced the cause back to He Changdi, she eximed in astonishment, ¡°He Changdi, do you have a problem? You¡¯re not even going to let me drink some tea!¡±

    He Sang¡¯s face darkened after being reprimanded by his wife. He waved his hand to order the attending servants to leave.

    A momentter, they were the only ones left in the parlour.

    He Changdi sat beside Chu Lian in the quiet and empty parlour. Since there wasn¡¯t anyone else in the parlour, he tugged Chu Lian onto hisp with an easy wave of his arm.

    With Chu Lian¡¯s petite figure, trying to resist He Sang was like an ant trying to move a tree. She struggled a little to no avail, so she gave up.

    Seeing that she was still trying to resist at this time, He Sang reached towards the softness of her chest and squeezed it. He lowered his voice and scolded her, ¡°Are you going to behave?¡±

    She didn¡¯t know if it was something to do with the tonic that she had drunk, but Chu Lian¡¯s whole body felt like it was on fire when he casually teased her. She stiffened up, not daring to move again.

    She gritted her teeth and smacked He Sang¡¯s hand away. She replied with rising anger, ¡°He Changdi, if you don¡¯t give me an exnation now, then don¡¯t expect to stop me from eating pears!¡±

    He Changdi didn¡¯t know how he should react. She usually acted so clever, but she was actually just a glutton. She couldn¡¯t be kept from any of her cravings at all.

    He Sang put some strength into his arms and cuddled Chu Lian. He let out a light sigh and asked, ¡°I believe the maidservants have already told you about the situation with your body, right?¡±

    ¡°My body¡¯s slightly cold?¡±

    He Changdi nodded.

    ¡°The nourishing tonic that you¡¯re drinking twice a day was decided upon after much deliberation from Great Doctor Miao and Senior Servant Zhong. It contains some special medicinal herbs that will help to supplement the warmth of your body, but you have to avoid cold-natured foods. While you¡¯re drinking this tonic, you¡¯re not allowed to eat anything cold.¡± He Sang patiently exined to her.

    Chu Lian instantly wailed when she heard his words. She knew that it was difficult to bnce the inner systems of a body. Great Doctor Miao was already being nice by not prescribing her those really bitter medicines. But drinking this nourishing soup was also suffering for her!

    The corners of Chu Lian¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°How long do I have to drink this tonic for?¡±

 Chapter 536 - Bamboo Green (1)

    <strong>Chapter 536: Bamboo Green (1)</strong>

    He Sang looked downwards and examined the displeased expression on her face. He littered kisses over her smooth and tender cheeks to soothe her, ¡°Seven days. You can change to a different tonic after seven days and you won¡¯t have to so strict about avoiding certain foods by then. You¡¯ll be able to eat fruits and drink tea then, but not too much.¡±

    Chu Lian shook her head helplessly when she heard He Changdi¡¯s reply.

    At least it was only seven days. If it was one or two months, then she would probably from the suffering.

    Chu Lian pursed her lips. All she could do was to ept this reality.

    She tried to pry open He Changdi¡¯s hold around her waist. ¡°Let me go, I want to eat my dinner.¡±

    He Sang smiled and loosened his arms. Chu Lian promptly got off hisp and sat beside him.

    To be honest, Chu Lian wasn¡¯t the only one blushing and feeling embarrassed when they were sitting together so intimately. He Changdi couldn¡¯t endure it for much longer either, so it was better for them to sit separately.

    Chu Lian still didn¡¯t have much appetite. She only ate some of the mild-voured dishes before setting down her chopsticks.

    When He Changdi noticed that she wasn¡¯t eating a lot, his brows creased together. He personallydled a bowl of chicken soup and ced it in front of her.

    ¡°You¡¯re eating too little.¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to waste his good intentions, so she took up a spoon and slowly drank the soup one sip at a time.

    She suddenly recalled something she had been wanting to ask, so she turned her head towards He Changdi, who was focused on his food.

    ¡°He Sang, where did you get all the money to buy those essories for me?¡± Those essories cost at least four to five thousand taels, which was a ratherrge sum of money.

    He Changdi¡¯s hand hovered in the air for a moment, jade chopsticks still in his grasp. His deep gaze turned towards her.

    The corner of her lips twitched slightly in a guilty manner and she added a sweet call of ¡®Husband¡¯. He Changdi¡¯s discontentment was finally suppressed after he heard that.

    The young couple hadn¡¯t been together for long. Chu Lian was unable to step into the role of a wife and naturally address He Changdi as ¡®husband¡¯ so quickly, unlike the nobledies who had been born and raised in this era. She still needed some time topletely adapt to it.

    He Sang set down the chopsticks in his hand and looked at Chu Lian seriously. He pondered for a moment before speaking, ¡°Lian¡¯er, I don¡¯t want to lie to you. I can¡¯t tell you where I got the money from right now. But you don¡¯t have to worry. All of it belongs to me rightfully and I didn¡¯t use any illegal means to obtain that money.¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t expect to receive such a reply.

    She was slightly shocked, but she didn¡¯t push him for more answers. She had read the original novel, so she knew the general direction that the Great Wu Dynasty would move towards in the future.

    She didn¡¯t want to bother with the politics in court and she didn¡¯t have any wild ambitions. As long as she could have afortable life with enough money to spend, she didn¡¯t want to interfere with irrelevant matters.

    Moreover, there were certain things that she couldn¡¯t change by herself no matter how much she tried.

    Her only wish was to live leisurely andze around. As long as others didn¡¯t provoke her first, she would keep to her ce.

    When the time came, all she had to do was to make sure that the He Family was moving in the right direction and that their future would be guaranteed.

    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t ask anymore. Even if it¡¯s your money, you shouldn¡¯t spend it so recklessly. If Grandmother and the others find out, they might misunderstand.¡±

    Wasn¡¯t it so?

    House Jing¡¯an was severelycking in money right now. They had even been thick-skinned enough to ask her to return Guilin Restaurant. If Matriarch He ever found out that He Changdi had spent a few thousand taels to buy essories for her, then she would definitely be mad at the third branch.

    The He Family haven¡¯t split off yet and they still lived with their elders. Thus, they had to do everything in a more low-key manner.

    He Sang understood his wife¡¯s misgivings and concerns. He reached over and stroked Chu Lian¡¯s hair, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Grandmother won¡¯t find out. Don¡¯t tell me that I still have to ask for permission from others before buying some jewellery for my wife?¡±

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes. He hadn¡¯t just bought ¡®some¡¯ jewellery. He had brought back almost all the essories on disy at Treasure Pavilion.

    ¡°Eat some more.¡±

    He Changdi added more food to her bowl.

    Seated as she was beside He Changdi, when she watched him eating in such a serious manner, she unconsciously followed along and ate more than she expected.

    She noticed that He Sang wouldn¡¯t waste any food no matter his circumstances.

    The couple¡¯s meals usually consisted of three dishes and one soup, a typical amount served in most noble households. However, Chu Lian had improved the menu slightly and their meals tasted better than most. The amount served on the table was also just enough for the couple, so there wouldn¡¯t be much leftover.

    Two dayster, the day of Chu Yuan¡¯sing of age ceremony had arrived.

    Chu Lian had already received the invitation beforehand. Furthermore, it concerned her maiden family so she couldn¡¯t just skip the event.

    He Changdi had to go to the Ministry of War today to take over his duties so he wouldn¡¯t be free until noon.

    After the young couple had woken up this morning, Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan came to help Chu Lian pick out a dress to wear to go out today.

    Chu Lian found it strange that He Changdi was still around when she came out of the bathroom. She asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you have to go to the Ministry of War today? Why haven¡¯t you left yet?¡±

    He Changdi nced at the casually dressed Chu Lian, ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry. I¡¯ll go over to the Ministry of War after escorting you to the Ying Estate.¡±

    Chu Lian was slightly surprised, ¡°Won¡¯t that dy your official business?¡±

    As Chu Lian was speaking to He Changdi, she sat in front of the vanity table and let Wen style her hair.

 Chapter 537 - Bamboo Green (2)

    <strong>Chapter 537: Bamboo Green (2)</strong>

    He Changdi leaned against the wooden lounge chair beside the window. Today, he was dressed in a bamboo green-coloured robe with a slightly darker cloak. His jade-embellished belt was secured with a high-quality ck jade piece in the shape of a tortoise. A jade crown kept his high bun in ce. Although he had a cold aura, he looked every bit a handsome gentleman.

    Just by lounging on the wooden chair in a rxed pose, he was like a living painting enticing the viewer into infatuation.

    He Changdi was already prepared to leave and was just waiting for his wife to be done. Since he didn¡¯t have anything to do, he picked up one of the storybooks that Chu Lian usually read that was ced on the table beside him and casually flipped through the pages.

    Chu Lian was in the peak of her life now. Her skin was smooth and fair, so she didn¡¯t even need to put on any makeup.

    Afterbing her hair, she picked out a phoenix hairpin with emerald iys and a sapphire headdress. She filled in her eyebrows lightly and finished up by putting some rouge on her lips.

    Though He Changdi appeared to be reading the storybook in his hand, he hadn¡¯t flipped the page for a whole fifteen minutes.

    While Baicha was serving him some tea, she hid her smile when she noticed that Third Young Master was asionally ncing in Third Young Madam¡¯s direction.

    Third Young Madam had turned sixteen this year. Her facial features had maturedpared to when she had just gotten marriedst year and the baby fat on her cheeks hadpletely faded. She looked absolutely stunning now; her natural beauty still shone no matter how many times they looked at her. Even a maidservant like her was smitten by Third Young Madam¡¯s looks, let alone Third Young Master!

    At this time, Senior Servant Gui walked out from behind the screen with two dresses in hand.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, which one would you like?¡±

    The two dresses that Senior Servant Gui had picked out were begonia-coloured and bamboo green-coloured respectively.

    Both dresses were presents from Princess Wei which Chu Lian hadn¡¯t worn yet.

    Chu Lian was about to pick the begonia-coloured dress when He Changdi pointed at the bamboo green-coloured one instead, ¡°That one.¡±

    Senior Servant Gui was a little conflicted from themand and she nced at Chu Lian, asking for her opinion with her eyes.

    Chu Lian nodded.

    Both sets of clothing were skillfully tailored and made of high-quality fabrics. Since they had been sent over by Princess Wei, there was no way that they would be of bad quality.

    Although the designs on them were slightly different, it didn¡¯t matter much for Chu Lian.

    She wasn¡¯t picky about her dressing, so Senior Servant Gui was usually the one who took care of her wardrobe.

    Senior Servant Gui instructed a maidservant to put the begonia-coloured dress back in the closet and handed the bamboo green-coloured dress to Xiyan.

    It was only after Chu Lian finished changing and nced at He Changdi that she finally came to a realisation.

    They were actually wearing the same colour today. If they stood together, then it looked like they had purposely worn matching outfits...

    Chu Lian smiled inwardly when she recalled He Changdi interrupting and picking out a dress for her just now.

    Senior Servant Gui and the maidservants in the room came to the same realisation when they saw their masters standing together.

    When He Changdi saw that she was about ready, he set the storybook aside.

    He didn¡¯t forget to help Chu Lian into an auburn cloak before stepping out the door.

    Thirty minutester, the couple arrived at the Ying Estate.

    Since Miss Yuan was a legitimate daughter of the second branch, the estate was throwing arge and lively party for hering of age ceremony today.

    Chu Lian¡¯s carriage stopped in front of the main gate. There were already senior servants and maidservants waiting for the guests in front of the main entrance.

    He Changdi got off the carriage first, before turning around and offering his hand to help Chu Lian off the carriage.

    The senior servants greeting the guests at the main entrance were all sharp-eyed, so they were able to recognise Chu Lian with a single look.

    A senior servant ran over hastily with a maidservant following behind, ¡°Sixth Miss is finally back. The old master and old madam have always been mentioning how they¡¯ve missed you very much.¡± They then bobbed in greeting towards He Changdi, who was standing beside Chu Lian.

    The senior servant¡¯s gaze darted all over the couple. When she noticed the matching attire on Chu Lian and He Changdi, as well as how attentive He Changdi was to Chu Lian, she became even more careful in her interactions with them.

    ¡°Sixth Young Master, the old master, Eldest Master, Second Master, Third Master, as well as the young masters are all in the study of the outer court! This old servant will send someone to guide you over.¡±

    The servants of Ying Estate had be even more humble in front of He Changdi, thanks to his newly bestowed title of marquis.

    Chu Lian turned towards him in question, ¡°Do you want to enter and have a seat first?¡±

    He Changdi shook his head, ¡°No, you should go ahead. I have to go to the Ministry of War. I¡¯lle back around noon.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded in acknowledgement.

    He Sang took the reins that Laiyue offered to him with one hand and grasped Chu Lian¡¯s hand lightly with the other. He also shot Wenqing and Wen a meaning look before mounting his horse and quickly leaving.

    The senior servant could see how much He Changdi cherished Chu Lian. Even though he had official business at hand, he had still personally escorted Chu Lian back to her maiden home. It was clear as day that Sixth Miss held an important position in Sixth Young Master¡¯s heart. Thus, the senior servant didn¡¯t dare to slight her.

    She cautiously invited Chu Lian into the estate.

    Just as Chu Lian entered the Ying Estate and passed the screen at the entrance, a maidservant hidden in the shade hastily ran towards the inner court.

    Anxiang Court.

    This had been Chu Lian¡¯s courtyard when she lived in the Ying Estate, but it belonged to Miss Yuan now.

    Miss Yuan was currently in the middle of dressing up in her bedroom. She was the main character today and it was the very important day when she would finallye of age.

    Second Madam had been afraid that she would make a mistake, so she had sent her trusted senior servant over.

    Miss Yuan was currently sitting in front of the vanity table as her nursemaidbed her hair.

    A maidservant suddenly ran over in a flustered manner. She almost bumped into the handmaid Xiaoqin, who was holding a tray.

    Xiaoqin berated her furiously before asking, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you in such a hurry!¡±

    The maidservant peeked into the room at Eighth Miss, who was still getting ready, before she cautiously nced back at Xiaoqin, ¡°Sister Xiaoqin, Sixth Miss is back.¡±

    Miss Yuan had heard the noiseing from outside, so she ordered the maidservant to enter the bedroom and report.

    The maidservant anxiously entered the bedroom with her head lowered.

    Miss Yuan lifted her hand to stop the nursemaidbing her hair. She turned her head towards the maidservant, ¡°Tell me exactly what happened when Sixth Sister stepped into the estate.¡±

 Chapter 538 - Meeting Miss Su (1)

    <strong>Chapter 538: Meeting Miss Su (1)</strong>

    The maidservant recounted all the details regarding Chu Lian¡¯s arrival upon Eighth Miss¡¯s request.

    Her narration was so detailed that she even reported that Chu Lian and He Changdi had worn the same colour.

    The maidservant¡¯s report stirred up the ho¡¯s nest in Miss Yuan¡¯s heart. The one thing she couldn¡¯t stand the most was to see Chu Lian living better than she was.

    In the past, she had always been able toe out above ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ in the Ying Estate. She had also caused ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ to suffer much in secret. However, the gap between them seemed to have widened incredibly fast after Chu Lian had gotten married.

    Chu Lian had the extremely profitable Guilin Restaurant in her pockets, yet she still had to ask for her parents¡¯ permission to buy an essory. It wasn¡¯t even a given that they would give their approval either.

    Although Chu Lian was already married, Brother Xiao was still thinking about her. He couldn¡¯t forget her.

    Even her husband¡¯s family was superior to House Ying. Her husband had gained merit at the northern border and had been bestowed the title of Marquis Anyuan. They were clearly both daughters of the second branch, but Chu Lian had already be a marchioness without any notice while she remained a nobody!

    Miss Yuan couldn¡¯t ept this massive gap between them.

    They hade from the same roots, so how could Chu Lian be doing so much better than her! Even Prince Wei¡¯s Estate held her in high esteem!

    She had invited Chu Lian over today with the intention to humiliate her. There was a huge difference between theiring of age ceremonies after all.

    Upon seeing the grandeur of her ceremony, Chu Lian would definitely recall how her own had been so in and half-hearted.

    Even so, Miss Yuan was still unsatisfied in her heart.

    He Changdi had official business to take care of, yet had had still personally escorted Chu Lian to the Ying Estate. Wasn¡¯t Chu Lian trying to show off her position in House Jing¡¯an and He Sang¡¯s current merits?

    Miss Yuan wrung the handkerchief in her hand with a wretched expression on her face. Her heart was filled with resentment.

    The only advantage that Chu Lian had over her was her looks alone!

    Xiaoqin noticed the grim expression on Eighth Miss and how she was silently biting her lips, obviously deep in her thoughts. She waved her hand to signal the reporting maidservant to retreat.

    ¡°Eighth Miss?¡± Xiaoqin probed with a call.

    Miss Yuan came back to her senses and took in a deep breath to suppress the monstrous jealousy within her heart.

    Chu Yuan sent a look at Xiaoqin, who immediately understood what she wanted. The handmaid stealthily left the courtyard while no one was paying attention.

    Chu Yuan stared at her reflection in the mirror. A corner of her lips curved upwards, forming a sinister smile on her young face.

    Chu Lian, so you think you¡¯re living better than me? I¡¯ll destroy your reputation andpletely ruin you!

    He Sang was known to be an upright and honest man who was also crazily devoted to his wife. She really wanted to know if he would still want Chu Lian once he sees what she¡¯s really like!

    Chu Lian was invited into the inner court by one of the old madam¡¯s handmaids.

    All the womenfolk of the Ying Estate were currently there.

    When ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had been a young miss of House Ying, she had rarely met the old madam. Yet the old madam was currently holding Chu Lian¡¯s hand and asking about her life in a warm and caring manner.

    The aunts from the other branches who had looked down on House Ying¡¯s Sixth Miss in the past were also acting thoughtful and attentive towards her now.

    She had already married into the Jing¡¯an Household for more than half a year. The question that these two-faced rtives asked the most was whether there had been any news from her belly.

    Amongst them, a particr aunt-inw¡¯s words were the most unpleasant to hear.

    ¡°The women of our Chu family are all very fertile. Miss Lian, take a look at how your married sisters have fared. All of them have given birth to sons, so you mustn¡¯t bring shame to our Chu family.¡±

    While it sounded as if she was urging Chu Lian to be pregnant as quickly as possible, it was actually a sarcastic remark about Chu Lian having been able to marry into the Jing¡¯an Estate due to this absurd stereotype. Furthermore, she had only managed to turn her life around all thanks to that enviable windfall.

    In addition, she was also mocking her for not being pregnant yet.

    This group of women were definitely mad with jealousy over Chu Lian¡¯s current status, so it was inevitable that they would say such unpleasant words.

    However, they only dared to do so because Chu Lian¡¯s position wasn¡¯t high enough. If Chu Lian¡¯s status reached a certain level, then these women wouldn¡¯t dare to speak up at all.

    A good example would be the eldest princess royal of the previous dynasty, the sister to the Emperor, Princess Royal Chaoyang. Though she had never borne any children in her lifetime, she was considered a heroine. She led a hundred thousand elite soldiers to defend against the rebellion of Prince Huai¡¯an and protected the position of the imperial family. Chaoyang was then bestowed the title of Protector Princess Royal.

    Princess Royal Chaoyang and her husband, Princess Consort Qu, never had any children throughout their lives, but the Qu family had never dared to have anyints. Matriarch Qu had even advised her son not to take any concubines.

    Although the people now were uncertain about whether Princess Consort Qu and Princess Royal Chaoyang truly loved each other, it remained a fact that Princess Consort Qu had never taken a concubine despite Princess Chaoyang being barren. That was enough to prove his love for her.

    Chu Lian sat beside the old madam with a faint smile. She didn¡¯t deign to reply to the rude aunt-inw¡¯s words.

    The old madam held her hand with a kind expression on her face, ¡°Miss Lian, your aunt¡¯s words may be somewhat unpleasant, but they¡¯re true. You¡¯ve been married to Marquis Anyuan for nearly half a year. Why hasn¡¯t there been any news? This isn¡¯t good!¡±

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t thought that the entire House Ying would be eyeing her stomach.

    She was only sixteen right now, so it would still be considered too early for her to get pregnant even by normal means!

    Her third aunt-inw, seated further down on the right side, seemed to have thought of something. Her eyes turned from side to side suspiciously, before she smiled at Chu Lian and said, ¡°Miss Lian, our Miss Fu is turning fourteen this year. Hering of age ceremony will be held the very next year. You should also know that your Third Aunt-inw is very fertile. Miss Fu has three older brothers! If there¡¯s still no news from your belly a few monthster, it wouldn¡¯t be good to let things drag on!¡±

 Chapter 539 - Meeting Miss Su (2)

    <strong>Chapter 539: Meeting Miss Su (2)</strong>

    Chu Lian had initially found it a little strange that Third Aunt-inw had suddenly mentioned Miss Fu. However, once she finished speaking, Chu Lian instantly understood what she had meant.

    She was extremely shocked, to put it lightly. Third Aunt-inw was hinting at giving Miss Yuan to He Changdi as a concubine to bear children!

    What kind of mother was she? Why was she so desperate to give away her own daughter?

    Even if the prestige of the present House Ying had declined, a legitimate daughter of the family couldn¡¯t just be given away as a concubine, even to a highly ranked official! What was wrong with this Third Aunt-inw¡¯s brain!

    The smile that Chu Lian had somehow managed to squeeze outpletely disappeared after Third Aunt-inw said those words.

    She really didn¡¯t want to bother with what these aunts of hers had to say, but she had to nip things in the bud and give them a direct response now.

    ¡°Grandmother, I know that you¡¯re thinking for my sake. However, my husband has already said that we¡¯re still young and that he¡¯s not in a rush to have children right now. It¡¯s best to let nature take its course. Besides, you should know about the rules of the He Family.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s response was a merciless p to everyone¡¯s face. It was also a firm rejection to Third Aunt-inw¡¯s suggestion.

    Out of all the women present, not a single one of their husbands was without a concubine or even a bedservant. Even the old madam¡¯s husband, Duke Ying, had two maidservants under the age of twenty to ¡®prepare his ink¡¯ in the study! Of course, the fact that there was a bevy of aging concubines in his harem went without saying.

    There were plenty of illegitimate children in this household. Chu Lian¡¯s father, Chu Qizheng, was considered the best amongst the husbands of House Ying. She and Chu Yuan didn¡¯t have any illegitimate siblings, but that was most likely because Chu Qizheng wascking in vigour with old age...

    Of all the women in the room, it was only Chu Lian¡¯s husband, He Changdi, who didn¡¯t have a concubine. It was written right in the rules of the He Family after all!

    All the noble madams who had been babbling away earlier instantly fell silent. The atmosphere of the entire parlour was instantly transformed into an awkward tension.

    In the end, it was Madam Rong who purposely gave off a loud cough and drew back everyone¡¯s attention. Madam Rong smiled and said, ¡°Aunts, don¡¯t you feel ashamed as elders for envying a youngdy like Miss Lian? It¡¯s also a blessing for our Chu Family that Miss Lian was able to marry so well.¡±

    Those who had more wits hastily chimed in and agreed with her.

    Chu Lian smiled slightly. It wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to say anymore right now. However, the old madam was smiling somewhat awkwardly.

    ¡°Alright, alright, it¡¯s gettingte now. Theing of age ceremony will start soon. Everyone should get going now,¡± Madam Rong took the chance to remind them.

    Everyone in the room promptly stood up and walked towards the parlour in the outer court of the Ying Estate, where theing of age ceremony was being held.

    Once the maidservants had helped the old madam out of the room, Madam Rang personally came over to Chu Lian.

    Madam Rong examined Chu Lian carefully from head to toe first, before she beamed with a genuine smile, ¡°Miss Lian, it¡¯s only been a few months since west met and you¡¯ve be even more beautiful. It¡¯s no wonder that Marquis Anyuan wouldn¡¯t let youe back by yourself.¡±

    It was undeniable that Madam Rong was good at speaking.

    With such a formidable daughter-inw at the helm of the main branch, their inner court was likely much more organised than those of the other two branches.

    Chu Lian returned the smile, ¡°Eldest Sister-inw, don¡¯t tease me.¡±

    Madam Rong reached out and hooked her arm with Chu Lian¡¯s. They left the parlour of the inner court together, ¡°Miss Lian, I¡¯m busy today, so I can¡¯t take care of you. Could you go to the outer court with Miss Su?¡±

    It might have been because of the previous incident at the Dingyuan Estate, but Chu Lian had a strange feeling that Madam Rong was being more careful and ttering towards her.

    Chu Lian nodded, ¡°Eldest Sister-inw, please go ahead since you¡¯re so busy. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I¡¯ll look for Fifth Sister right now and go to the outer court with her.¡±

    Madam Rong gave her an apologetic smile before making a hasty departure.

    When Chu Lian left the old madam¡¯s courtyard and turned the corner, the first thing she spotted was Miss Su standing beside some rose bushes.

    Miss Su had be much thinner since thest time they had met.

    The baby fat on her cheeks had disappeared. Not only that, her cheeks were actually slightly sunken in. She didn¡¯t exactly look like the picture of health in this state.

    Chu Lian frowned. She hadn¡¯t expected Miss Su to have be so gaunt after just a few months.

    ¡°Fifth Sister,¡± Chu Lian called out softly when she got closer.

    Miss Su snapped out of her light daze after hearing her voice. She turned towards Chu Lian¡¯s direction and gave a wan smile.

    ¡°Fifth Sister, why have you lost so much weight!¡±

    Miss Su shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I got wrapped up in some troublesome matters within the estate that I couldn¡¯t avoid, so I naturally lost some weight...¡±

    Seeing that Miss Su didn¡¯t want to talk about her troubles, Chu Lian didn¡¯t press the issue.

    Miss Su pulled Chu Lian¡¯s hand into her own and looked her over with a measuring gaze. The faint smile on her face became a touch more sincere, ¡°Sixth Sister seems to be more lively than before.¡±

    Chu Lian forced a smile. How could she not be ¡®lively¡¯? She had to drink a nourishing tonic twice a day. He Changdi was still on leave, so he was eating with her everyday. With He Changdi watching her at mealtimes, she had to eat a lot more aspared to before...

    ¡°Come, let¡¯s chat over there,¡± Miss Su held hands with Chu Lian and led her towards the outer court.

    There was a small garden just up in front. Everyone was gathered in the outer court right now, so there were barely any servants around in the inner court. It was quiet and serene in the garden, so it was a good ce for a private chat.

    Miss Su sent a signal to the handmaid behind her with her eyes. The handmaid immediately bobbed in acknowledgement and retreated several steps, keeping a good distance from Miss Su and Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian could understand Miss Su¡¯s intention, so she waved at Wenqing and Wen to do the same.

 Chapter 540 - Sixth Sister, Be Careful (1)

    <strong>Chapter 540: Sixth Sister, Be Careful (1)</strong>

    The cousins walked together along the garden path. When Miss Su saw that there was no one else around them, she sped Chu Lian¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°Sixth Sister, you have to be careful today in the estate. You can¡¯t trust anyone¡¯s words! Be extra cautious even during the banquet. It¡¯s best if you can avoid drinking any wine.¡±

    Chu Lian was stunned by Miss Su¡¯s words.

    ¡°Fifth Sister, do you mean that someone is trying to trap me?¡±

    Miss Su hesitated for a moment before nodding.

    The gears in Chu Lian¡¯s head turned quickly. There were only a few people within the entire Ying Estate who had enough resentment and benefits at stake to do so.

    Her stepmother, Second Madam, and the one who hated her, Miss Yuan.

    Chu Lian sneered, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t happen to be the two people that I¡¯m thinking of, right?¡±

    Miss Su¡¯s expression turned grim. She shook her head and revealed two words, ¡°Not only.¡±

    For some reason, Miss Su felt that Chu Lian had be much more likeable after she had gotten married, aspared to when she had been a young miss in the Ying Estate Could it be that a person¡¯s personality would be affected by a change of environment?

    Miss Su quickly got rid of the foolish thoughts in her heart. Her expression turned grave as she stared at Chu Lian.

    Even though she hade prepared, Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened in surprise after she heard this unexpected answer.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you to be careful,¡± Miss Su patted her hand.

    Chu Lian slowly hid the shock in her eyes and started making ns in her heart.

    She recalled her encounter with Chu Qizheng in the middle of the road that day and the special invitation that he had extended to her at the end... Could it be that her father had a part to y in this?

    Chu Lian raised her head and looked towards Miss Su, ¡°Fifth Sister, thank you for the warning.¡±

    Miss Yuan smiled indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just happened to stumble upon this news inadvertently. Since you happened toe over today, it was a simple matter to give you a quick warning.¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t say anything else. They couldn¡¯t stay in the garden for too long because theing of age ceremony was about to begin.

    Second Master and Second Madam had put in a lot of effort for Chu Yuan¡¯sing of age ceremony. They had even invited several esteemed noblewomen to keep up with appearances. Miss Yuan¡¯sing of age ceremony was a grand event. The married daughters of the Chu Family in attendance were wringing their handkerchiefs in jealousy.

    Chu Yuan was so proud that she couldn¡¯t even conceal the smugness in her expression.

    Miss Yuan had purposely nced over at Chu Lian as she was walking up the ceremonial stage. It was clear from her gaze that she was trying to unt her status and provoke Chu Lian.

    There was a banquet right after theing of age ceremony ended.

    Chu Lian was assigned to sit next to the main table. This banquet was held solely for the female guests and it was separated from the men¡¯s banquet.

    During the meal, there were people who kept striking up conversation with Chu Lian. Since they were all her married cousins, Chu Lian went along with the flow and chatted a little with them.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t eat much at the banquet since she had gotten a warning from Miss Su. She only tasted dishes that others had already eaten from and took a few bites to make it appear as if she was eating. She used the excuse that she was currently taking medicine to nourish her body to avoid drinking wine.

    Second Madam was sitting anxiously within the adjacent room. The handkerchief in her hands was already crumpled up from her worrying. She asionally looked towards the door as if she was waiting for someone.

    Finally, someone knocked on the door from the outside and a maidservant in a blue dress entered the privatepartment.

    The maidservant quickly walked over to Second Madam, ¡°Madam, this is bad. Sixth Miss didn¡¯t drink any wine.¡±

    Second Madam stood up excitedly at the maidservant¡¯s arrival, but she sat back down in frustration after hearing her report.

    ¡°How can that be? How could she avoid drinking a single cup of wine during a banquet?¡±

    The maidservant looked equally troubled, ¡°One of Sixth Miss¡¯s servants said that Sixth Miss is currently drinking a medicinal tonic, so she can¡¯t take any alcohol.¡±

    Second Madam¡¯s features contorted into a wretched expression. She clenched her fists as her face was flooded with resentment.

    ¡°Madam, what should we do now?¡±

    Second Madam was getting impatient. Her eyes darted around the furnishings in the room frically. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and the corners of her thin lips curved upwards into a smile.

    She beckoned the maidservant over and whispered something into her ears.

    After receiving her orders, the maidservant left the room at speed.

 Chapter 541 - Sixth Sister, Be Careful (2)

    <strong>Chapter 541: Sixth Sister, Be Careful (2)</strong>

    Halfway through the meal, Chu Lian turned around to ask Wenqing, ¡°Has Third Young Master arrived yet?¡±

    Wenqing whispered into Chu Lian¡¯s ears, ¡°Replying to Third Young Madam, the driver of our carriage, Uncle Liu, sent someone to ry a message. He said that Third Young Master is being dyed by some matters, so he¡¯lle by a littleter.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded and turned back around without asking more.

    The older cousin beside her had been trying to eavesdrop with her ears pricked, so her whispers to Wenqing had been overheard. The round-faced and slightly chubby cousin raised one brow, ¡°Sixth Sister, you¡¯re already missing Marquis Anyuan when you¡¯ve only juste back to your maiden home? What a loving couple, you really make us all envious.¡±

    A furrow developed between Chu Lian¡¯s brows. There was an obvious trace of jealousy and dissatisfaction within this unfamiliar cousin¡¯s words.

    Even Wenqing and Wen couldn¡¯t help but frown when they heard her words.

    Right when Chu Lian was being distracted by this older cousin, someone bumped into her, causing her to lose her bnce. Almost at the same time, she felt something hot on her shoulder.

    Teacups fell to the floor with a tter, apanied by a brief cry an instantter.

    When she turned around with a frown, she was met with the sight of a trembling maidservant prone on the ground and wailing constant apologies to her.

    Wen¡¯s face was full of fury as she set her eyes on the maidservant kneeling on the ground before them. She was using all of her willpower to refrain from shouting at the maidservant.

    Wenqing¡¯s brow furrowed as she held up Chu Lian¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Third Young Madam, your dress.¡±

    Chu Lian turned to look at her shoulder. A weird stain was spreading over the exquisite bamboo green fabric, which made it appear rather disconcerting.

    It was a cup of sencha that had been spilled on Chu Lian just now. The sencha of the Great Wu Dynasty consisted of various spices. The strange mixture was much more difficult to clean,pared to most stains. Furthermore, there was a strange odour that was unbearable to the senses.

    Chu Lian stared at her stained sleeve for a few seconds. The maidservant who had bumped into her with the sencha earlier continued to kowtow and apologise. Chu Lian waved her hand to dismiss the maidservant. Even though she had already tried her best to be as low-key as possible, themotion at their table had still attracted the attention of others.

    Chu Lian¡¯s stepmother, Second Madam, rushed over.

    Her expression didn¡¯t look too good. She immediately berated the troublemaking maidservant the moment she arrived and ordered two senior servants to drag the culprit away.

    Once that was taken care of, she finally walked up to Chu Lian. When she saw the stain on her sleeve, she eximed, ¡°Miss Lian, you can¡¯t wear this dress anymore. Mother will arrange for you to change in a room nearby.¡±

    Although Chu Lian didn¡¯t like this stepmother of hers, she couldn¡¯t reject Second Madam under the watchful eyes of the crowd around her.

    She apologised to her cousins and excused herself from the table. She followed behind Second Madam with Wen and Wenqing in tow and left the banquet hall to change in another room.

    On the way there, Second Madam was all smiles, ¡°Miss Lian, your figure is simr to Miss Yuan¡¯s. I¡¯ll take you to the room first and send someone to bring over a set of Miss Yuan¡¯s clothes. Is that alright?¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to spend any more time with Second Madam than she absolutely had to. Miss Su had given her a warning earlier, so she was already inwardly taking precautions against the second branch of House Ying.

    Chu Lian nodded her head. Second Madam smiled when she saw that she hadn¡¯t rejected the offer.

    Second Madam was certainly good at acting. Those not in the know would surely believe that she was Chu Lian¡¯s birth mother!

    She led Chu Lian to a quiet room nearby, then turned around to order the handmaid behind her to fetch the change of clothes. She immediately put on an apologetic expression while saying, ¡°Miss Lian, I can¡¯t leave the outer court for too long. I¡¯ll have to leave you here by yourself.¡±

    Chu Lian showed a light smile, ¡°Mother, go ahead. I¡¯ll have my maidservants here with me, so there won¡¯t be any problems.¡±

    Second Madam kindly patted Chu Lian¡¯s hand before turning around to leave.

    After confirming that Second Madam had really left, Chu Lian immediately stood up.

    Wenqing was puzzled by her sudden action, ¡°Third Young Madam, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Resolution shone in Chu Lian¡¯s gaze, ¡°We¡¯re leaving right now and returning to the estate!¡±

 Chapter 542 - Escape (1)

    <strong>Chapter 542: Escape (1)</strong>

    ¡°Ah? But you haven¡¯t changed out of this dress!¡± Wen was currently using a handkerchief to soak up as much of the wet stain as she could.

    ¡°There¡¯s no time for that. We have to leave now.¡±

    Ever since that maidservant had bumped into her and gotten her clothes dirty, she had been feeling that something wasn¡¯t right.

    She wasn¡¯t seated at the main table and her table was ced right along the side of the hall. Even the maidservants serving tea wouldn¡¯t walk right by her. Furthermore, with Miss Su¡¯s warning still fresh in her mind, the whole incident seemed even more fishy.

    Although Chu Lian had brought Wenqing and Wen with her just in case, there wasn¡¯t an absolute guarantee of her safety even with their martial arts skills.

    This was the Ying Estate, not the Jing¡¯an Estate.

    She wasn¡¯t the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ and she wasn¡¯t familiar with this ce. There was still Xiao Bojian waiting somewhere in the shadows too. She couldn¡¯t be sure that she wouldn¡¯t get into trouble.

    Thus, the best way to avoid any unfortunate idents was to leave right now!

    When she thought back to the incident at Defeng Teahouse and how Wenqing and Wenbined hadn¡¯t been enough to stop Xiao Bojian, a wave of fear swept over her.

    Chu Lian was starting to regret attending Chu Yuan¡¯sing-of-age now.

    Of course, Wenqing and Wen obeyed Chu Lian¡¯s orders unconditionally.

    The three women immediately got up to prepare to leave the secluded room.

    When Chu Lian pushed the door open, she spotted a in-looking purple-clothed maidservant standing guard right outside.

    Various thoughts flew lightning-fast through her mind. There weren¡¯t any guards outside when they had entered the room. When had this maidservant appeared?

    In the time it took for those thoughts to pass through her mind, she shot Wenqing a meaningful look.

    Wenqing flew forward with an outstretched w, ready to capture the maidservant. The purple-clothed maidservant subconsciously reacted to the attack and bent over, managing to dodge Wenqing¡¯s grasp.

    rms red in Chu Lian¡¯s head.

    That was no ordinary menial servant! She was a martial arts practitioner!

    It wasn¡¯t just Chu Lian who had a bad feeling about all of this now. Even Wenqing and Wen could sense the danger approaching.

    Before Chu Lian had the chance to give any orders, the Wen sisters had already moved in front of her and started tangling with the purple-clothed maidservant.

    Chu Lian only knew some basic self-protection moves, which were nothing when faced with a true practitioner of martial arts.

    All she could do was watch anxiously as Wenqing and Wen exchanged blow after blow with the purple-clothed maidservant.

    She could tell that the seemingly normal servant was very skilled. Even though she was up against two opponents, she hadn¡¯t lost much ground.

    Chu Lian knew that she had already fallen into a trap. She was afraid that even Wenqing and Wen wouldn¡¯t be able to protect her if she didn¡¯t escape quickly.

    Right now, there was only this one unfamiliar maidservant watching this secluded room. However, more were sure toe as time passed. Wenqing and Wen couldn¡¯t keep this fight up forever either.

    With a quick turn of wit, Chu Lian took out a cloth purse from her waistband and quickly stepped forward. She waited for a chance when the guard wasn¡¯t looking and threw a packet of red powder right into the purple-clothed maidservant¡¯s face.

    The maidservant let out a cry of pain and immediately shut her eyes. Tears flowed continuously down her cheeks.

    ¡°Wenqing! Wen!¡±

    The Wen sisters reacted equally fast and captured the purple-clothed maidservant together.

    They stuffed a handkerchief into her mouth and Wenqing knocked her out with a chop to her neck. When all that was done, they looked towards Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian made a snap decision, ¡°Search her and look for clues, then hide her on the bed inside.¡±

    Wenqing and Wen worked quickly and did as Chu Lian had ordered. Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t manage to find anything on the purple-clothed maidservant¡¯s body.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Chu Lian stated calmly.

    With the Wen sisters protecting her on both sides, they made a hasty exit from the room while hoping no one had discovered them.

 Chapter 543 - Escape (2)

    <strong>Chapter 543: Escape (2)</strong>

    Since she had visited the Ying Estate once before, Chu Lian had a rough idea of theyout of the estate. Although they passed a few servants along the way, the servants were all low-ranked and they didn¡¯t dare to question why Chu Lian had appeared there at that time.

    They reached the side entrance without any obstructions. Wenqing found House Jing¡¯an¡¯s guards and driver and helped Chu Lian up the carriage. Without further ado, they left the Ying Estate.

    When Chu Lian was finally sitting safely in the carriage, her heart was still beating rapidly.

    That was too close!

    Wenqing¡¯s expression was still grim as she poured a cup of warm water for Chu Lian, ¡°Third Young Madam, please have a cup of water to calm your nerves.¡±

    Chu Lian took the teacup in her hands without bringing it up to her lips, she simply held it in a daze.

    Wen was filled with self-reproach, ¡°Third Young Madam, it was this servant¡¯s fault for being so unskilled. This servant couldn¡¯t even beat a maidservant and Third Young Madam was almost in danger...¡±

    If not for that bag of chilli powder that Chu Lian had thrown, the Wen sisters couldn¡¯t possibly have subdued that purple-clothed maidservant so quickly.

    Chu Lian returned to reality and shook her head, ¡°You don¡¯t have to me yourselves. That maidservant was specially trained so it¡¯s normal that you weren¡¯t able to beat her. We left in such a hurry that we didn¡¯t get to inform my husband. Send someone to inform him now.¡±

    Wenqing nodded and left to carry out her orders.

    Back in the Ying Estate.

    The banquet was in full swing in the parlour of the outer court. A senior servant whispered something into Miss Yuan¡¯s ear over at the female guests¡¯ side of the party.

    A satisfied glint shed through Miss Yuan¡¯s eyes.

    She clutched her handkerchief with excitement. She whispered a few words in reply to the senior servant who hade to report.

    The senior servant bobbed in acknowledgement and left the parlour.

    He Changdi had been dyed by official business and had only been able to leave the Ministry of War after 2pm. Once past the gates of the ministry, he urged his horse into a gallop and headed straight for the Ying Estate.

    Upon entering the estate, he was informed that the banquet had already started. A manservant guided him over to the parlour where the banquet was being held.

    Before He Changdi even had the chance to greet the officials in attendance at the banquet, he first sent Laiyue off to notify Chu Lian.

    When Laiyue returned, his expression didn¡¯t look too good.

    The cool aura wrapped around He Changdi dipped a few degrees in temperature when he saw Laiyue¡¯s expression. Those closest to him immediately ducked their heads out of fright at the building storm in his eyes.

    ¡°What happened! Speak!¡±

    Laiyue reported everything he had been told, ¡°Third Young Master, please don¡¯t worry. Second Madam brought Third Young Madam into a side room for a change of clothes. Wenqing and Wen are with her, so she¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Where is she? Take me there now!¡±

    Laiyue was good at his job and he had predicted that his master would want to see Third Young Madam for himself, so he had already brought over one of Second Madam¡¯s senior servants to lead the way.

    An extraordinary aura was exuding from He Changdi¡¯s tall figure. He had survived the fields of war and killed Tuhuns with his own hands, so there was a military air around him. How could an old servant who had lived years in the sheltered inner court dare to slight him?

    The senior servant spoke carefully without ever raising her head in front of He Sang. She pointed out the way with light gestures.

    As they drew closer to their destination, He Sang noticed that their surroundings were bing more secluded. His expression turned grim.

    The old servant felt that the air around her was starting to be even frostier, so she wiped the cold sweat on her forehead in fright. When she saw that they were almost there, she heaved a sigh of relief inwardly.

    ¡°My Lord, it¡¯s right in front.¡±

    There weren¡¯t many servants around in this quiet and secluded courtyard. When they passed the entrance, it was strangely silent.

    As He Changdi strode down the corridor towards the guest room, he stiffened up and halted his steps, as if something had caught his attention.

    His senses were sharper than most, and the first thing he could hear was the abnormal sounds of lovemaking in the room...

 Chapter 544 - Leaving First (1)

    <strong>Chapter 544: Leaving First (1)</strong>

    The senior servant guiding them didn¡¯t notice that He Changdi had stopped. She continued walking forward until she was closer to the guest room. By then, the soundsing from the room had gotten so loud that the servant could hear them too.

    Blood rushed away from the senior servant¡¯s face and she turned back to look at He Changdi with a petrified expression.

    He Changdi¡¯s anger was written clearly all over his face, as the fire in his heart almost consumed his whole being. Luckily, he managed to hold on to hisst shred of sanity.

    He stood there in the corridor without moving, as if taking the next step would be harder than fighting a whole war.

    The hands hanging at his sides had already curled into fists.

    Laiyue was frightened by the sight of his master, as well as what the sounds meant. His mind turnedpletely nk and he didn¡¯t dare to finish his thoughts.

    If the person inside was really Third Young Madam...

    Perhaps thanks to thatst bit of reason clinging to his mind, as the seconds ticked by, He Sang finally noticed that there was something wrong.

    The voice echoing from the room, husky with lust... wasn¡¯t Chu Lian!

    Once he had confirmed that, all of his wits and calm returned to him. His expression cooled down into its usual icy mask and he quickly strode forward on his long legs. He raised a foot and kicked the wooden doors wide open.

    Bam! The heavy wooden doors immediately flew out of the frame, making loud thunks as they hit the floor.

    He Sang was about to step inside when an enraged roar sounded from behind.

    ¡°You can¡¯t go in!¡±

    A familiar man¡¯s voice. He Sang stood still for a moment before he turned around with his hands behind his back.

    Heh! So it was Xiao Wujing! As expected!

    ¡°Oh? Why can¡¯t I enter? My wife is in there! Sir Xiao!¡±

    He Sang¡¯s tone was frosty as he stared down Xiao Bojian. The man in question was obviously panicking while running towards him in a flurry.

    There were clear traces of genuine worry and fury in the eyes of the normally sinister and gloomy-looking Xiao Bojian. This wasn¡¯t what he had nned!

    Xiao Bojian didn¡¯t have any mind to pay attention to He Changdi at this point. He attempted to charge right into the guest room impatiently, but He Changdi wasn¡¯t such an easy opponent.

    Although Xiao Bojian also had a tall figure, he was still shorter than He Changdi. Furthermore, he didn¡¯t practise martial arts and his body was more on the slender side. He wasn¡¯t a match for He Sang at all.

    By simply reaching his arm out and applying a minimal amount of force, He Changdi had already managed to pull Xiao Bojian behind him. Before Xiao Bojian could even react, his butt was already seated on the floor, courtesy of He Changdi.

    One jumped in fright. He hadn¡¯t thought that his master would be so reckless. By the time he managed to chase up to his master, the dust had already settled on his sorry-looking master. He quickly helped Xiao Bojian up and stood in front of him with his sword drawn.

    Of course, Laiyue wasn¡¯t there for show. He stood right next to He Changdi and red at Xiao Bojian and One with his hand on the pommel of his sword.

    He Changdi¡¯s cold gaze swept over Xiao Bojian before his lips curled up into a smirk. He stepped into the room without giving them any time to react, leaving Laiyue behind to guard the entrance.

    He Sang walked right up to the bed and pulled off the bedcovers. When he saw that the figure he had been looking for wasn¡¯t amongst the pale naked bodies tangled together, thest itch of worry faded from his heart.

    The bare bodies of the couple on the bed were too dirty for his eyes, so He Changdi took care of them first before they could regain their senses. With a swift chop to the back of the woman¡¯s neck, she was down for the count.

    It took another three blows to settle her male partner. He Changdi took one of the pieces of clothing scattered on the floor and stuffed it into his mouth.

    The man was pushed off the bed and onto the floor.

 Chapter 545 - Leaving First (2)

    <strong>Chapter 545: Leaving First (2)</strong>

    He Sang had interrogated countless Tuhuns while at the north, so he had developed his own ways for interrogation. It didn¡¯t take long before he found out what had happened.

    ¡°Where is Marchioness Anyuan?¡±

    The man was covered in bruises. He didn¡¯t know what the young nobleman before him had forced down his throat, but he understood that he had to reveal everything he knew in order to leave this ce alive. He didn¡¯t dare to hide anything.

    ¡°My lord, my lord, please spare this humble one. This humble one doesn¡¯t know of any Marchioness Anyuan. This humble one was paid to do this, this humble one doesn¡¯t know anything else!¡±

    The man trembled with fright. It wasn¡¯t long before a puddle spread on the floor beneath him, a clear sign that he had wet his pants.

    He couldn¡¯t possibly be lying, judging from the state he was in. He Changdi frowned in distaste and knocked the man out as well.

    As he was preparing to leave, it started getting noisy outside.

    Miss Yuan was leading a group of her sisters over. She smiled as she exined to them, ¡°Sixth Sister is resting in this courtyard. Her status is so prestigious now that I wouldn¡¯t dare to disturb her if I were alone. With all of you aspany, I¡¯m sure Sixth Sister won¡¯t feel like I¡¯m bothering her.¡±

    Following behind Miss Yuan were married madams and youngdies of the Chu Family. Miss Fu was included amongst them and was looking around the secluded little courtyard curiously.

    She found it a little strange that Chu Lian had chosen such a quiet courtyard out of all the guest rooms the Ying Estate had.

    Once they entered the courtyard, thedies realised that there were already a few people standing within. That handsome man standing in the corridor not too far from the guest room¡ª wasn¡¯t that the top schr Sir Xiao?

    Why was he here at this time?

    A glint shed through Chu Yuan¡¯s eyes. Although jealousy was churning in her heart, she didn¡¯t dare to meet the sinister and grim expression in Xiao Bojian¡¯s eyes.

    Most of thedies who had followed her here had never seen Xiao Bojian before. Although they thought it was weird for him to be here, the person they were here to see was Chu Lian.

    One of the marrieddies had already spoken up with her misgivings, ¡°Eighth Sister, you said that Sixth Sister is here, but I don¡¯t see her anywhere.¡±

    Miss Yuan purposefully frowned and turned towards the bedroom, ¡°Maybe she¡¯s inside?¡±

    After saying so, she tried to lead the group of women towards the room.

    The senior servant who had guided He Changdi here had been staying out of the way in a corner. When she saw what was about to happen, rm spread through her and she leaped into action.

    She couldn¡¯t let a bunch of unmarrieddies enter that room! There were inappropriate things going on in there!

    She tried to hold back Chu Yuan and the others, ¡°Eighth Miss, please listen to this old servant. You can¡¯t enter the room right now.¡±

    Thedies exchanged gazes, finding it odd that the servant would try to stop them, ¡°Why won¡¯t you let us enter?¡±

    Miss Yuan was doing her best to avoid Xiao Bojian¡¯s icy gaze. She held up under the pressure and put on an innocent act, ¡°Momo, isn¡¯t Sixth Sister in there? Why can¡¯t we go in?¡±

    She looked at the open doors and nced over Laiyue, who was standing as still as a statue at the entrance. Realisation seemed to dawn upon her and she covered her mouth in shock, ¡°Wait, is Sixth Sister actually...¡±

    Right after she finished speaking, the distinctive sounds of a man¡¯s groans and a woman¡¯s moans rang out.

    The expressions of thedies behind Chu Yuan changed. Those who were married instantly understood what those sounds meant.

    Everyone stared in the direction of the room with astonishment. They wished desperately for the ability to see through the walls to check out what was going on inside.

    They looked again at the tall guard standing in front of the entrance and his terrible expression, and their minds helpfully filled in the nks.

    Could it be that Chu Lian was having a sordid affair in there right now? While meeting with her lover in there, had she actually been caught by her very own husband?

 Chapter 546 - Drama (1)

    <strong>Chapter 546: Drama (1)</strong>

    Miss Yuan¡¯s face was flushed red from neither anxiety nor shyness, but from her excitement.

    Whenever she thought of the time Chu Lian had ¡®humiliated¡¯ her in Jinshi Pavilion, she would choke on all the anger that surfaced in her heart. Now it was her turn to enjoy Chu Lian¡¯s humiliation! Chu Lian had been toyed with by another man and she was going to lose her reputation and integrity. To put the cherry on top, there were so many witnesses here to watch it all happen. Even though her marriage with He Changdi had been decreed by the Empress Dowager and she possessed the title of Honoured Lady Jinyi, she would still be theughing-stock of the whole capital.

    She wanted Chu Lian to lose her standing in the capital and get stomped into the ground!

    To be frank, Chu Yuan wasn¡¯t just a vengeful person; she was also dumb as hell.

    She hadn¡¯t considered how this would affect her at all. She and Chu Lian were bothdies from House Ying and they were close siblings from the same father in the eyes of others. Thus, if Chu Lian¡¯s reputation became tarnished, hers would be as well. The first thing implicated by these events would be her marriage prospects.

    However, jealousy had already taken over all her wits and rationality, so she couldn¡¯t care less about the consequences.

    She didn¡¯t even notice the sinister and furious gaze that Xiao Bojian was directing at her.

    At this point, the courtyard was buzzing with whispers. Everyone seemed to be sure that there was a show worth watching and they weren¡¯t willing to leave.

    Many of them were waiting to see Chu Lian make a joke of herself.

    Laiyuemitted the face of each and every one of them to memory as he continued standing guard.

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s hands curled into tight fists. He regretted everything now.

    He had nned everything perfectly, but he hadn¡¯t expected the second branch to pull a fast one on him!

    Those who hade to join in the fun were desperate to enter the room so they could see what was going on inside. Unfortunately, Laiyue was guarding the door with his sword drawn. The fierce expression his face made it so that no one dared to enter.

    Amongst thesedies, there were still some of them who were clear-headed. They quickly ordered their personal servants to inform Madam Rong, thedy-in-charge of the estate.

    While everyone was itching to see what was going on inside, the sound of firm and steady footsteps could be heard from within the room.

    He Changdi appeared at the doorless frame of the room¡¯s entrance in his bamboo green official¡¯s robe.

    He Sang had a tall figure and a narrow waist. When he stood in the entrance, he was practically blocking half of the space with his broad shoulders. His grim gaze swept over everyone in the courtyard, pausing on Miss Yuan for a moment, before staring right at Xiao Bojian.

    With his hands behind his back, he possessed a chilly aura, like an unwavering blood-soaked general on a battlefield.

    He Changdi emitted a cold tone as he said, ¡°Sir Xiao, if I recall correctly, this is thedies¡¯ quarters. Why would you be here at this moment?¡±

    Everyone¡¯s attention had been upied by the trampled door and the lovemaking sounds emanating from the room, so they hadn¡¯t considered why Xiao Bojian was here. Now that He Changdi brought this up, doubts started popping up in their minds.

    He Sang had an appropriate reason, as he hade here to look for his wife and he was a son-inw of the family. However, it was rather inappropriate for Xiao Bojian, a young man unrted to the family, to be here in the Ying Estate¡¯s inner court.

    After He Changdi finished speaking, Laiyue whispered something into his ear.

    Xiao Bojian didn¡¯t know how to react to He Changdi¡¯s question. Hisplexion had already turned a little pale from his anger earlier, and now a storm was starting to brew on his face. He red right back at He Changdi with his feminine features contorted into a sinister grimace.

    Since it was getting dangerous for him, he endured his anger and sarcastically replied, ¡°This is my teacher¡¯s home. I¡¯m usually in the estate and I pay visits to his wife, Matriarch Ying, often. It¡¯s nothing out of the ordinary for me to be here.¡±

 Chapter 547 - Drama (2)

    <strong>Chapter 547: Drama (2)</strong>

    The marrieddies who had lived in the Ying Estate all epted Xiao Bojian¡¯s answer, as they knew that this courtyard was indeed close to where Old Duchess Ying stayed. If he had been on his way to greet her, they could see why he had passed by this ce.

    Besides, most of the capital knew about Xiao Bojian¡¯s circumstances. He hade from a poor family, so he had been living in the Ying Estate ever since the imperial examination. He was a highly regarded student of Old Duke Ying and a famous figure in the Imperial College. There were many young noblemen and officials who were friends with him.

    Miss Yuan had already run out of patience before He Changdi had the chance to reply.

    She took a step forward, inquiring as if she were worried, ¡°Sixth Brother-inw, where¡¯s Sixth Sister? My mother told me that she brought Sixth Sister here so she could change out of her clothes.¡±

    The attention of the crowd was once again focused on He Changdi. Some of them even tried to sneak peeks behind He Changdi.

    He Sang coldly looked at Chu Yuan.

    His frosty gaze made Chu Yuan shiver subconsciously, but she forced herself to maintain eye contact with He Changdi.

    ¡°Is Sixth Sister still inside? We¡¯re all her sisters, why isn¡¯t sheing out to talk to us?¡±

    He Changdi kept the same chilly expression on his handsome face as he remained silent, a clear refusal to answer Miss Yuan. He stood in front of the room¡¯s entrance like a solid pine tree.

    Although everyone wanted to push He Sang away to take a look at what was happening inside, they didn¡¯t dare to get closer to him.

    While both sides were in a deadlock, some new arrivals entered the courtyard.

    This time, it was the first branch¡¯sdy-in-charge, Madam Rong, along with the couple from the second branch.

    The moment he entered, Chu Qizheng roared, ¡°What on earth is going on!?¡±

    Seeing that her saviour hade, Chu Yuan quickly went over to Second Master¡¯s side, ¡°Father, you¡¯re here! Sixth Sister has been doing that sort of thing in our estate! Please send someone in to take a look!¡±

    Chu Qizheng¡¯s expression sunk, ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡±

    As a handsome middle-aged man, when he set his face in a stern expression like that, he managed to look somewhat imposing.

    One of the senior servants immediately went up to Chu Qizheng and exined the situation to him in a whisper. After all, she couldn¡¯t just blurt out such words in front of the many unmarrieddies present.

    ¡°What!?¡± Chu Qizheng¡¯s expression instantly changed. Without caring for his daughter¡¯s reputation or even verifying the truth, he started yelling and scolding her, ¡°Lian¡¯er actually did such a thing!? I¡¯ll beat her to death!¡±

    After that furious deration, he pushed away the people in his way, seemingly about to charge right into the room.

    Second Madam snickered inwardly from her position behind him. It went without saying how Chu Yuan felt, it had been a long time since she had felt so happy.

    Madam Rong was stunned still. She hadn¡¯t expected such a thing to happen after Chu Lian had made a rare visit home!

    Xiao Bojian was filled with endless regrets now, but as an outsider, it wasn¡¯t right for him to stop Second Master from charging into a room in his own estate.

    Everyone thought that He Changdi would stop Second Master from entering the room to catch the adulterer in order to protect his own face, but he actually gave way and pulled his attendant away as well.

    He didn¡¯t stop there. With a few quick strides, he had already reached Second Madam¡¯s side.

    He Sang looked down at Second Madam as he spoke in his chilly yet captivating voice, ¡°Second Madam, if you still have so much free time in the future, you should use it to educate your own daughter! Since Lian¡¯er is already married, there¡¯s no need for you to worry about her. As her husband, I¡¯ll take care of her.¡±

    After throwing these words at her, He Changdi quickly strode out of the courtyard with Laiyue in tow. Judging by the direction they were headed, they seemed to be leaving the estate.

    Second Madam was so dazed from the force of He Changdi¡¯s words that she stared into thin air for a long moment.

    Everyone was eagerly awaiting news from Second Master Chu Qizheng, so no one noticed the deeper meaning behind He Changdi¡¯s words.

    Chu Yuan was over the moon with giddiness. Chu Lian, you¡¯ve finally gotten what wasing to you! Look at your ¡®great¡¯ husband! After you fell into a trap, he just walked right off without a care!

    It did made sense though, which man would be able to stay calm after getting cheated on?

 Chapter 548 - Drama (3)

    <strong>Chapter 548: Drama (3)</strong>

    The moment He Changdi left, Xiao Bojian quickly entered the room without any care for the stares of the crowd. Even One couldn¡¯t stop him in time.

    One helplessly shook his head. Afraid that the situation would take a turn for the worse, he decided to take up the spot Laiyue was in earlier and guard the door.

    Chu Yuan wanted to go in as well after seeing Xiao Bojian head inside. Fortunately, Second Madam still had the presence of mind to pull her back.

    Xiao Bojian had an ugly grimace on, as he pushed away the curtains and entered the room.

    Second Master Chu Qizheng was standing by the bed with a nk expression, shocked beyond words.

    Xiao Bojian took in the room at one nce, but all he could see from his angle were the figures of two people lying down together in the bed.

    In a moment of panic, he actually pushed Chu Qizheng aside and lifted up the curtains around the bed. The sight of two strangers entered his viewÒ» no, that wasn¡¯t right, the naked woman was someone he knew, she was one of the subordinates he had sent to execute the n...

    As for the unconscious man, Xiao Bojian had a slight inkling as to who he was. He looked like a distant rtive of the Eighth Miss, Chu Yuan. Xiao Bojian had seen him once before by sheer coincidence.

    The tension in Xiao Bojian¡¯s heart disappeared in an instant. He subconsciously wiped away the cold sweat that had gathered on his forehead.

    What a relief... Lian¡¯er was unharmed.

    With the burden on his heart released, Xiao Bojian returned to his usual calm and gloomy self in the next moment.

    There was a grim look on his face as he turned to look at Chu Qizheng. He gave off a cold sneer as he said, ¡°It seems like Sir Chu isn¡¯t worthy of trust when ites to business. Our deal is off. All the best to you, Sir Chu.¡±

    At this point, it was obvious that Xiao Bojian was now aware that he had been fooled by the second branch of House Ying.

    Chu Qizheng hadn¡¯t thought that Xiao Bojian would figure things out so quickly, so he hastily exined, ¡°Mister Xiao, I do not know why things happened this way either! Perhaps it was those two skilled handmaids around Chu Lian who turned the tables. This has absolutely nothing to do with me. You¡¯ve agreed to marrying Miss Yuan, how can you go back on your word!¡±

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s patience had been thoroughly depleted. He let out a cold snort as he walked past Chu Qizheng, not even deigning to give him a reply.

    Chu Qizheng was shocked by theck of reaction from Xiao Bojian. It took him a few seconds to recover and scold with a low, raspy shout, ¡°Xiao Bojian, don¡¯t forget who your teacher is!¡±

    Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t matter how angry Chu Qizheng got, as Xiao Bojian quickly vanished from his field of vision.

    Chu Qizheng staggered a few steps forward as all his energy left his body. Luckily, he managed to grab onto an old wooden rack, or he would have fallen to the ground.

    Chu Qizheng took some time to put up a calm front before leaving the room. The first thing he did was to walk up to Second Madam in fury and berate her, ¡°All you do is cause trouble!¡±

    He then turned to Miss Yuan, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you returned to your damned room!? You¡¯re getting more and more outrageous!¡±

    Even someone as slow as Miss Yuan could tell that something was wrong.

    Her father had only revealed these ns to her after discussing them with her mother, so why would her father chastise her at a time like this? There was only one possible reason for that: the n had failed!

    Chu Qizheng left the scene quickly, charging out of the courtyard furiously with his attendants, while Second Madam and Miss Yuan went into the room with disbelief.

    They looked all over the room, but they couldn¡¯t find any trace of Chu Lian, even down to her dirty clothes! Chu Yuan stared nkly in shock. There was a terrible expression on her face.

    This whole affair turned out to be a dramatic y where they had ended up shooting themselves in the foot, so the gossipy expressions of thedies who had tagged along with Chu Yuan faded into awkward silence.

    The news of Miss Yuan falsely using her own sister of adultery at her owning-of-age ceremony would likely spread everywhere soon.

    When that happened, there would probably be no one who would speak up for her or even take her side.

 Chapter 549 - Drama (4)

    <strong>Chapter 549: Drama (4)</strong>

    As the saying went, good deeds don¡¯t go very far, while bad deeds can spread a thousand miles. Before theing-of-age banquet in House Ying had even ended, the news had already spread to the ears of every noble madam present.

    One of the noble madams who had good rtions with House Zheng softlymented, ¡°It¡¯s no wonder that Marchioness Anyuan left in such a hurry. If my maiden family was like this, I¡¯d sever all ties with them.¡±

    ¡°Precisely! With a stepmother and sister like that, Marchioness Anyuan certainly led a hard life.¡± Another madam added.

    ......

    With the news spreading like this, most of the guests had already left before the banquet even ended.

    Miss Yuan watched as the guests who hade to congratte her left the Ying Estate in droves. Her polite facade was on the verge of breaking as fury shook her being.

    She stood at one corner with a deathly pale and malevolent expression, staring at the screen behind House Ying¡¯s main gates.

    Her handmaid, Xiaoqin, quickly went to Miss Yuan¡¯s side, ¡°Eighth Miss, the matriarch has summoned you.¡±

    Chu Yuan held back the rage that was about to explode within her, and turned to leave in the direction of Old Duchess Ying¡¯s residence.

    Since all of the guests had already left, there were no outsiders around in the Old Duchess¡¯s courtyard. Second Master Chu Qizheng and his wife were kneeling before the old duke and duchess, who were seated above them with thunderous faces.

    Chu Yuan had never experienced anything like this before, so she walked into the parlour in a shocked daze.

    Before she even had the chance to speak a word, Old Duke Ying had already ordered her to kneel down.

    ¡°You utterly useless fools!¡± The old duke cursed.

    Miss Yuan had never received such a merciless scolding from her grandfather before. Her eyes immediately reddened and her tears fell freely. However, since both of her parents were keeping their heads down, she didn¡¯t dare to open her mouth recklessly.

    The old duke had already ruthlessly reprimanded his son before Chu Yuan had arrived, so he was already tired of speaking. An epassing silence fell over the parlour as it became so quiet it seemed like time had stopped.

    After the long bout of silence, Old Duke Ying dered, ¡°I have decided to pair Miss Su off to Wujing, so the two of you can settle Miss Yuan¡¯s marriage on your own!¡±

    This sentence made the kneeling family of three raise their heads in disbelief.

    ¡°That won¡¯t do! Father, didn¡¯t you agree to let Miss Yuan marry Xiao Bojian?¡± Second Madam quickly implored.

    Without giving Second Master the chance to speak, the Old Duke harshly shot her down, ¡°My mind is set! You can go back and reflect on your mistakes over the next few days!¡±

    Old Duke Ying got up and left the parlour without further ado. He didn¡¯t respond no matter how the second branch begged. The old duchess red at them as well, before leaving with the help of her handmaids.

    Not a single ounce of strength was left in Miss Yuan. She immediately copsed to the floor as her limbs turned weak. Her eyes became unresponsive and empty.

    When He Sang left the estate on horseback, he learned that Chu Lian had already made it out of the Ying Estate in one piece.

    It was only at this point that his heart finally settled back down into his chest. He turned back for one final stare at House Ying¡¯s main entrance, a grim and icy look in his eyes.

    He whipped his horse and headed straight back to the Jing¡¯an Estate, his entire visit to the Ying Estatepleted without even having a single bite of food from the banquet.

    Only fifteen minutes had passed since Chu Lian returned to Songtao Court before He Changdi returned as well.

    The moment he entered Songtao Court, his first reaction was to ask, ¡°Where¡¯s Third Young Madam?¡±

    Senior Servant Gui shivered from the chilly aura he was emanating and replied out of reflex, ¡°Third Young Madam is changing her clothes in the bedroom.¡±

    He Sang impatiently entered the inner room on long strides. When he walked up to the screen in front of the bathroom, he spotted Xiyan standing by the entrance and caught the sounds of running water with his sharp ears. He waved at Xiyan to dismiss her.

    Xiyan threw one nce at the bathroom, before leaving obediently with her head lowered.

    He Sang paused for a second. After taking a deep breath, he moved past the screen and entered the bathroom.

 Chapter 550 - Mutton Soup (1)

    <strong>Chapter 550: Mutton Soup (1)</strong>

    The bathroom was filled with a hazy mist. Chu Lian was leaning against the side of the bathtub with her eyes closed, as if she was thinking about something.

    From He Changdi¡¯s position, all he could see was half of her exposed snow-white back and her long ck hair.

    All the tension he had been carrying in his body faded away. The stiff expression on his face also became more gentle.

    Chu Lian seemed to have heard the movement, so she turned her head in curiosity. She met with He Sang¡¯s tender gaze as he stood several steps away from her.

    ¡°Husband?¡± Chu Lian¡¯s voice carried a hint of uncertainty. It was clear that she hadn¡¯t expected He Changdi to return so soon.

    He Changdi couldn¡¯t hold himself back any longer. He quickly strode towards Chu Lian and reached out to stroke the top of her head.

    He sighed ruefully, ¡°It was my fault that you suffered a fright.¡±

    Chu Lian hastily shook her head, ¡°They probably nned everything even before I returned to the Ying Estate. Even if we were fully prepared, it wouldn¡¯t have guaranteed that I would be able to escape their trap.¡±

    Chu Lian was somewhat distracted as she spoke. The young couple had consummated their marriage just recently, so she wasn¡¯t fullyfortable with being naked in front of each other yet.

    Especially when she was submerged in the bathtubpletely naked, while he stood on the side neatly dressed.

    She shrunk deeper into the water subconsciously, allowing the rose petals floating on the surface of the water to cover up her smooth and fair skin.

    Her subtle action had attracted He Sang¡¯s attention.

    He had rushed into the bathroom without thinking at first, because he was still worried and he wanted to check on his wife¡¯s safety. He finally realised how suggestive their current positions were when he noticed Chu Lian¡¯s little action.

    The desire that had been suppressed by his worry immediately engulfed him like a tidal wave.

    He Changdi couldn¡¯t resist letting his slender fingers slide through Chu Lian¡¯s dark hair. He traced her reddened earlobe and her smooth cheek, before he finallynded on her beautiful corbone.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know if it was because of the nourishing tonic that she had drunk, but her body had be especially sensitive now.

    The areas his fingers had traced over were burning up, as if she had been set on fire. Even her breathing quickened into short pants...

    Chu Lian closed her eyes to suppress the desire rising in her heart. She reached out to smack He Changdi¡¯s troublemaking hand away.

    ¡°There¡¯s too much steam in the bathroom, you should go out first. I¡¯m almost done washing.¡±

    He Sang felt his throat turning dry as he looked at the beautiful scene in front of him. His Adam¡¯s apple moved a couple of times. If not for Senior Servant Zhong¡¯s continuous reminders, he wouldn¡¯t have resisted his wife¡¯s charms for so long!

    He Changdi shifted his lust-filled gaze away with great difficulty. His wide palm returned to Chu Lian¡¯s hair. He gently caressed and patted her head, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you outside. Although the water is still hot, it¡¯s not good to soak in it for too long.¡±

    Thus, Chu Lian watched as He Changdi strode out of the bathroom.

    She breathed a sigh of relief after He Sang disappeared past the entrance screen of the bathroom. However, she felt strangely dejected, as if she hadn¡¯t really wanted him to leave.

    Chu Lian was stunned by the thoughts that had suddenly surfaced from her mind. Her hazy almond-shaped eyes widened from the shock, while the corners of her mouth twitched. When had she be so thirsty?

    They hadn¡¯t been intimate again after the night they had consummated their marriage. Even when they slept in the same bed at night, He Changdi would only kiss or caress her. He restrained himself so carefully that they wouldn¡¯t progress further than mere touches.

    There were several times when she had wanted to say something, but hesitated. As a woman, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to mention this matter first. In the end, she just forced herself to close her eyes and sleep.

    This situation had alreadysted for nearly seven days.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t been very enthusiastic about intimacy at first. Her first two experiences hadn¡¯t been that great after all. However, how were they going to have children if they didn¡¯t sleep together?

    After He Changdi left the bathroom, Chu Lian¡¯s thoughts wandered all over.

    Eventually, her train of thought returned to House Ying again.

    Miss Su¡¯s warning, Miss Yuan¡¯s trap, as well as the jealousy the married daughters of House Ying had disyed.

    When she looked back on it now, everything regarding this whole situation was extremely odd.

    Even without considering Miss Yuan in the mix, there was already something strange about Miss Su.

    Miss Su was a legitimate daughter of the main branch. Aftering to the Great Wu Dynasty, Chu Lian had only interacted with her a few times. She hadn¡¯t been mentioned much in the original novel, so she was probably just a minor character.

    However, Miss Su had left a favorable impression on her in the few interactions between them.

    How did she find out what the second branch was plotting as an unmarried youngdy? And how had she been able to give her a warning with such great timing? Had she really done it merely for her sake?

    Miss Yuan and the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ were mortal enemies, so Miss Yuan¡¯s motivations were clear. The two sisters had been like water and fire ever since their childhood. However, why would Chu Qizheng be so cruel as to plot against his own daughter?

    Even a tiger wouldn¡¯t harm its cubs. No matter how much Chu Qizheng disliked her mother, she was still his biological child. Even if he didn¡¯t care about her, he shouldn¡¯t go as far as to harm her.

    Did he really frame his own daughter just to ensure Miss Yuan could marry Xiao Bojian? Was their goal really that simple?

    Chu Lian¡¯s mind became even more confused the more she thought about it. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.

    She suddenly heard Xiyan calling out from the other side of the bathroom¡¯s curtains, ¡°Third Young Madam, are you done bathing? It¡¯s gettingte, so Third Young Master told this servant to check on you. The water is getting cold.¡±

    Thanks to Xiyan¡¯s reminder, Chu Lian noticed that the bathwater had turned lukewarm. She sighed and shook her head helplessly. She hadn¡¯t expected time to pass by so fast while she was lost in her thoughts.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    She stepped out of the bathtub and Xiyan hastily wrapped her whole body in arge cotton towel.

 Chapter 551 - Mutton Soup (2)

    <strong>Chapter 551: Mutton Soup (2)</strong>

    Chu Lian changed into a set of casual home wear: a cherry blossom coloured jacket and a pleated skirt embroidered with golden flower patterns.

    When Chu Lian came out of the bathroom holding her slightly damp long hair, she looked up only to see He Changdi sitting on the chaise beside the window. There was a cup of tea on the table beside him and he was holding the storybook that she usually read in his hand. His brows were furrowed slightly. It seemed like he had clearly seen something he didn¡¯t like.

    He must have heard Chu Lian¡¯s footsteps, as he set down the storybook and lifted his piercing gaze. He beckoned Chu Lian over and spoke in his husky voice, ¡°Come over here.¡±

    Chu Lian blinked once and went over without any hesitation.

    He Changdi sat up and moved back into the chaise, leaving the outer part for Chu Lian to sit on. He took the towel from Chu Lian¡¯s hand and started, with gentle movements, to help her dry the ends of her hair which had gotten wet while she was bathing.

    Chu Lian sat on the chaise with her legs crossed. When she nced over the table, she noticed that there was only in hot water inside the teacup so she asked curiously, ¡°Why don¡¯t you drink sencha anymore?¡±

    He could drink honey water even if he didn¡¯t feel like drinking sencha. When did He Sang start drinking only in water?

    Xiyan had already served Chu Lian a cup of warm honey water in the time it took for her to speak. After gauging the moods of Third Young Master and Madam, Xiyan tactfully waved over the other two maidservants on duty and they retreated in unison.

    The movement of He Changdi¡¯s hands hadn¡¯t stopped once during all this. When he heard her question, he looked up slightly and met with his wife¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Tastes terrible. Sickening.¡±

    Chu Lian was dumbfounded by his answer. He Sang was really a miser with words. If not for the fact that she had spent enough time with him to understand his personality, then she really wouldn¡¯t have understood his words.

    The first half of his answer was to say that sencha tasted disgusting, while thetter half was to express that honey water was too sweet...

    He Changdi had been ustomed to drinking sencha at first. After all, it was the general preference within the capital. Even the royal family drank sencha.

    It was some time after he had gotten married with Chu Lian that he had inadvertently heard the reason why she didn¡¯t drink sencha from a maidservant. From that point onwards, He Changdi suddenly felt that the sencha that had been ptable to him had suddenly be hard to swallow.

    Perhaps this was part of the inevitable sharing of preferences between couples.

    However, He Sang couldn¡¯t get used to drinking the honey water that Chu Lian usually drank either. Thus, in water was his only remaining option...

    With that reminder, Chu Lian thought back to the tea leaves that she had drunk during modern times.

    Back when she had still been in the modern world, she had enjoyed traveling in her free time. Thergest tea-picking ntation she had visited was Longjing Vige in Hangzhou. She had even watched an old tea-making master pan-frying tea in person. Later, she had purposely researched the whole process of making Longjing tea online. Even though it had happened a long time ago, Chu Lian still remembered it very clearly.

    Her eyes lit up after she realised what date it was. It was almost the end of February, so it would be the best time to pick spring tea in a little over ten days.

    ¡°Wait a few more days, I¡¯ll pan-fry some tea for you to drink.¡±

    He Changdi didn¡¯t actually take Chu Lian¡¯s words to heart. Even the most valuable Zhengshan tea doesn¡¯t pique his interest. What kind of tea could his wife produce that would beat that?

    Thus, He Sang just gave her a half-hearted grunt of acknowledgement.

    When Chu Lian turned around and noticed his rigid and cold expression, she asked in a displeased tone, ¡°He Sang, don¡¯t you believe me?¡±

    ¡°Of course I believe you.¡±

    ¡°Your reply was too half-hearted!¡± Chu Lian rolled her eyes and shifted to an upright sitting position, ¡°I¡¯ll have to make you eat your words when the timees!¡±

    He Sang smiled slightly. His wife really possessed an abnormally stubborn attitude towards anything to do with food.

    After he was done drying her hair, He Changdi casually tossed the towel to the side and pulled Chu Lian into his embrace with one long arm. He buried his head into the side of her neck and took a deep breath. He asked, ¡°What exactly happened today?¡±

    Chu Lian knew that he would have asked sooner orter, so she told him all the details without holding back.

    He Changdi¡¯s thick brows drew together into a frown and his expression became increasingly grim as he listened intently to her. It seemed like Xiao Bojian wasn¡¯t going to give up that easily. However, he wasn¡¯t going to give that bastard any opportunities either!

    Setting the matter of Xiao Bojian¡¯s participation aside, he had the same question as Chu Lian. Why would Chu Qizheng plot against his own daughter?

    He Changdi was afraid that Chu Lian would be hurt by her father¡¯s actions, so he didn¡¯t bring up his suspicions with her.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, you probably don¡¯t know this yet, but your Fifth Sister¡¯s marriage prospects aren¡¯t going very well.¡±

    Miss Su was older than Chu Lian and she had already turned seventeen after the New Year. However, there still wasn¡¯t any news regarding her marriage.

    Since Chu Lian had married well, it should have been easier to find a groom for Miss Su. However, it was precisely due to theparison with Chu Lian¡¯s marriage that the eldest madam of the main branch became pickier. There had originally been several suitable families asking after Miss Su, but Eldest Madam had rejected all of them in secret.

    Thus, her engagement had been dyed till the New Year had passed and was still undecided even now. Miss Su had already turned a year older after the New Year, so her choices had also narrowed down... At this rate, it wasn¡¯t looking good for her marriage.

    Chu Lian recalled her encounter with Miss Su at the Ying Estate earlier today. Her figure looked thin and weak, and herplexion was ashen. Compared to thest time they had met, Fifth Sister had be a whole size thinner.

    Was Eldest Aunt-inw the one behind Miss Su¡¯s strange actions...?

    She was deep in her thoughts when the feeling of something moist and soft on her neck jolted her back to reality. Chu Lian immediately came back to her senses and leaned away in an attempt to avoid He Changdi¡¯s affectionate actions.

 Chapter 552 - Mutton Soup (3)

    <strong>Chapter 552: Mutton Soup (3)</strong>

    Chu Lian heard He Sang tell her in a hoarse voice, ¡°Don¡¯t go to the Ying Estate anymore.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded. She shared the same sentiment.

    Her mother had passed away a long time ago and her own father didn¡¯t even like her, let alone Old Duke and Duchess Ying. She wasn¡¯t the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ either, so House Ying was like a stranger to her. It would be better to have as little contact with them as possible in the future.

    A rumble of hunger came straight from her tummy. Chu Lian turned around and looked at the chiseled profile of He Sang¡¯s face. ¡°Have you eaten your lunch yet?¡±

    The corner of He Changdi¡¯s lips lifted into a smile. ¡°Why? Is Lian¡¯er going to cook a meal for me?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Is there anything that you want to eat?¡±

    He Changdi was indeed hungry by now. He hadn¡¯t noticed it earlier because he had been too worried about Chu Lian. The moment she mentioned lunch, the ufortable sensation of an empty stomach immediately returned.

    He nted a gentle kiss on Chu Lian¡¯s delicate cheek and said, ¡°I¡¯ll eat whatever you make.¡±

    Chu Lian red at him before pushing him away and hopping off the chaise. Once she pulled her embroidered shoes on, she immediately left the bedroom.

    He Changdi was still a little worried after he thought about it. He called in Wenqing, who was on duty in the outer room, and questioned her thoroughly about the details of today¡¯s incident again. Finally, he instructed Wenqing to keep a careful watch of Chu Lian in the kitchen and prevent her from secretly eating cold-natured foods.

    Once Chu Lian entered the kitchen and spotted the ingredients ced on top of the chopping board, she instantly knew what she was going to cook.

    Wenqing stared at Chu Lian intently, afraid that Third Young Madam would ¡®identally¡¯ pick up ingredients that were ¡®cold¡¯ in nature.

    The handmaid was relieved when she noticed that Chu Lian was only picking up meat items: mutton,mb leg bones,mb chops, and variousmb organs. She rxed enough to ask, ¡°Third Young Madam, what are you going to make with these ingredients?¡±

    Chu Lian smiled. ¡°Mutton soup.¡±

    Wenqing was slightly stunned by the answer. Mutton soup?

    Did a simple mutton soup require that many parts of amb?

    Chu Lian turned and began to give Wen instructions. ¡°Prepare a basket of steamed buns and flower rolls. We¡¯ll eat them with the mutton soupter.¡±

    Whenever Chu Lian prepared meals herself in the kitchen, Senior Servant Gui would prevent any other maidservants from entering. Only Chu Lian¡¯s handmaids were allowed to help out.

    Although there were shops selling mutton soup now which were especially popr during the winter, the soup they sold didn¡¯t taste good at all. The odour of the mutton was just too strong to make for a pleasant taste. Chu Lian had tried it once, but she hadn¡¯t even been able to finish a single spoonful.

    Mutton was considered a fairly high-grade meat in the Great Wu Dynasty. Mostmoners could only afford to eat pork, chicken, or duck. Mutton cost three to four times more than pork, so ordinary families rarely bought mutton. They would only buy some during the New Year and other important holidays as an asional treat.

    Themoners¡¯ method for preparing mutton and mutton soup was rather crude. The market price for mutton soup was also very high; a bowl of mutton soup was equivalent to several bowls of Yangchun noodles.

    However, mutton soup could warm up the body. During the coldest days of the winter, a bowl of steaming hot mutton soup and arge piece of dry wheat pancake was a heavenlybination that even immortals wouldn¡¯t refuse.

    Thus, even though mutton soup was expensive, there was still a big market for it.

    It had also been a long time since Wenqingst drank mutton soup. When she heard that Third Young Madam was going to make mutton soup, she could feel the anticipation rear its head within her heart.

    Third Young Madam hadn¡¯t made any new dishes since they had returned to the capital!

    It actually wasn¡¯t veryplicated to make a delicious bowl of mutton soup. The recipe went something like this:

    First, crack open some freshmb leg bones.

    Next, stew the bones in a pot with mutton andmb organs. Keep at a constant boil, letting the meat slowly cook. This method will allow the strong odour of the meat to be significantly reduced over time while simultaneously enhancing the aroma of the soup.

    When the stew reaches a certain temperature, throw in the various seasonings. Optionally, add in some carrots to help get rid of the strong mutton smell.

    Finally, remove the mutton andmb organs, now fully cooked, and cut them into thin slices. Dip the slices back into the soup before serving to warm them up, and then eat together with the rich mutton soup.

    This way, the mutton soup will be delicious and fragrant without the odour of the meat.

 Chapter 553 - Mutton Soup (4)

    <strong>Chapter 553: Mutton Soup (4)</strong>

    After preparing the mutton soup, Chu Lian told Wenqing to watch over the fire. She then took a box filled with steamed buns over to He Sang.

    The mutton soup needed to cook for some time. It would probably be ready in a little over two hours. The freshly steamed buns could be used to fill their tummies in the meanwhile.

    Chu Lian had told Wen to prepare Shandong steamed buns. The buns were even bigger than a man¡¯s fist. The stuffing wasn¡¯t the usual minced meat; instead, the meat had been chopped into small cubes, which had been mixed with plenty of spring onions before getting wrapped up in a bun. These Shandong steamed buns wererge in size and had a fresh taste thanks to the spring onions, so they wouldn¡¯t lose out to the southern soup dumplings.

    The exquisite food container could only hold four of these steamed buns at a time.

    Laiyue had been watching the kitchen intently for a long time. After seeing that Chu Lian had left, he shamelessly asked Senior Servant Gui for a steamed meat bun...

    He Changdi was really hungry now, so he ate three steamed buns in one sitting. Even though Chu Lian usually didn¡¯t like greasy foods, she was still able to eat an entire Shandong steamed bun.

    After finishing the steamed buns, the aroma of the mutton soup drifted in from the kitchen.

    The wind was blowing from the east today and Songtao Court¡¯s kitchen was located on the east side. The breeze carried the delicious fragrance in, filling up the entire courtyard.

    Even He Sang couldn¡¯t help swallowing his saliva.

    Chu Lian thought that little action was amusing. ¡°I made some mutton soup. it¡¯ll be ready in about an hour.¡±

    He Changdi raised his brows. They were both seated on the chaise. Chu Lian was sitting knees bent near the window on the inner portion, while He Sang reclined against the outer part of the chaise. He readjusted the nket on Chu Lian¡¯s legs and said, ¡°A soup cooked with mutton?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I noticed that it was served quite often in the camp back at the northern border!¡±

    The situation in Liangzhou was different from the central region of the Great Wu Dynasty. The barbarians¡¯ main source of meat came from goats and sheep, so it was natural that they ate mutton often.

    He Sang¡¯s mouth twitched. He immediately lost his appetite when he thought about the mutton soup that the army cooks made...

    The soldiers at the northern border had joked about the top three dark cuisines of the northern border troops. The first ce winner just happened to be mutton soup. Chinese olive porridge took the second ce, while the dry wheat pancakes that were harder than rocks ced third...

    Back in the kitchen, Wenqing noticed that the mutton soup was ready, so she poured it into a specially prepared ypot. After cing the ypot in the food container, she brought it over to the bedroom.

    Countess Jing¡¯an was on a strict diet since she was still taking medication. Thus, Chu Lian didn¡¯t send her any mutton soup. As for the matriarch, since they had already had their confrontation out in the open, it wasn¡¯t necessary for her to go out of her way to express goodwill to the matriarch¡¯s cold shoulder.

    Thus, the mutton soup became an exclusive treat for the third branch. Of course, Chu Lian hadn¡¯t forgotten the old gourmet, Great Doctor Miao. She had already sent Wen over to deliver some Shandong steamed buns and mutton soup to him.

    Pan Nianzhen was casually walking around the gardens of the Jing¡¯an Estate when a maidservant suddenly came to report that Third Young Master and Madam had returned.

    Pan Nianzhen was surprised by the news. She knew that He Changdi and Chu Lian had gone to the Ying Estate today. She had heard that it was for theing-of-age ceremony for the Eighth Miss of House Ying, who was Chu Lian¡¯s younger sister. With such a close rtionship between them, Chu Lian shouldn¡¯t have returned so early. Why had shee back when it was only past noon?

    Pan Nianzhen bit her lip in thought and quickly went off to report the news to her mother.

    He Ying had much more insight into this than her daughter. Her eyes darted back and forth as she gripped the handkerchief in her hand and gritted her teeth.

    He Ying had been managing Guilin Restaurant ever since Matriarch He had taken it back.

    She had reopened the long-closed Guilin Restaurant on the very day they had taken it back. It has been reopened for two days now, but the results were shocking. Guilin Restaurant used to be so busy that reservations had to be made several months in advance. However, there were barely any customers now.

 Chapter 554 - Mutton Soup (5)

    <strong>Chapter 554: Mutton Soup (5)</strong>

    Many customers had returned in high spirits, only to leave in disappointment.

    By this morning, Guilin Restaurant waspletely deserted.

    He Ying didn¡¯t understand how things had turned out this way. The restaurant had clearly been a money tree, how had it suddenly withered away in an instant?

    In order to get to the bottom of things, she personally visited Guilin Restaurant herself early this morning.

    It was when she tasted the dishes that she finally realised what had happened.

    The famed dishes of Guilin Restaurant had suddenly bepletely unptable! Even the cooks in the Jing¡¯an Estate could do better than this!

    He Ying was immediately enraged. She called the manager over for questioning.

    This manager was someone that Matriarch He had newly assigned to manage the restaurant. He was an old servant who had already managed the matriarch¡¯s businesses for many years. With his long, white beard, he looked like a wise old sage.

    Under He Ying¡¯s questioning, the manager revealed the whole story.

    All the staff in Guilin Restaurant, from the cooks to the waiters and the ountants, had beenpletely reced. However, this hadn¡¯t been their intention at all. They simply hadn¡¯t been able to find any of the original staff.

    Since they wanted to reopen Guilin Restaurant at the earliest possible time, they had no choice but to fill the staff with new hires.

    Unfortunately, even though they had enough hands now, they couldn¡¯t replicate the original taste of the restaurant¡¯s dishes.

    The dishes that Guilin Restaurant had produced had been made from Third Young Madam¡¯s secret recipes, so of course they wouldn¡¯t be able to find anyone who could reproduce those dishes so easily.

    It had been Manager Qin who had chosen the cooks himself and Xiyan who had personally taught them the recipes and cooking techniques required for the dishes.

    Themoners of the Great Wu Dynasty valued recipes greatly. Many techniques and secrets were passed down to male descendants alone, and it wasn¡¯t guaranteed that masters would teach their disciples their secrets. Themon view that most masters held was that passing down their secret skills would lead to their death. Guilin Restaurant¡¯s cooks had been taught those secrets by Xiyan, so they treated her as their master. Thus, they upheld their honour and integrity as her disciples and kept the recipes secret.

    Eldest Madam He Ying gritted her teeth and mmed the table, shaking the teacups on the wooden surface.

    No wonder Chu Lian had given the restaurant back to her mother so easily! So this was where her trapy!

    However, when she had returned the deed, Chu Lian had already made it clear that anything concerning the restaurant would have nothing to do with her from then onwards.

    Thus, He Ying couldn¡¯t confront Chu Lian face-to-face and demand for all of Guilin Restaurant¡¯s original staff to be returned.

    He Ying was still fuming when a senior servant rushed into the restaurant.

    With her belly full of fire, He Ying was about to unleash her rage upon the unfortunate servant, when the servant hastily spoke up first, ¡°Eldest Madam! Bad news!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong now?! Speak!¡±

    The senior servant stepped forward and took out a few letters from her sleeve, offering them up to Eldest Madam with both hands.

    He Ying took the letters and scanned through the senders¡¯ names. Her hands trembled and she almost dropped the letters to the floor.

    Duke Zheng, Lord Yang, Marquis Fu¡¯an, Duke Ding...

    These were all well-known nobles or high officials in the capital.

    Although House Jing¡¯an had risen in status, they couldn¡¯t handle this many great personagesing to ¡®greet¡¯ them at the same time...

    She didn¡¯t understand why all these people had suddenly written letters to House Jing¡¯an and why they had been specially passed on to her.

    She took in a deep breath to calm her curious and anxious heart before opening the first letter, which had been personally written by Lord Yang, one of the officials of the cab.

    When she finished reading his letter, she was rooted to the spot in shock.

    Of all the possible reasons that these great personages would have written to House Jing¡¯an, this was something she hadn¡¯t expected in the least!

    Lord Yang had actually written a public letter just to reprimand her for ruining Guilin Restaurant and destroying one of the food paradises of the capital.

 Chapter 555 - Mutton Soup (6)

    <strong>Chapter 555: Mutton Soup (6)</strong>

    Pressure gathered in He Ying¡¯s chest and she almost spat up a mouthful of blood on the letter.

    She pped the letter onto the table and resisted the urge to throw the thin, yet harsh letter into the fires of a nearby brazier.

    Pan Nianzhen was seated right next to her mother, so she had been reading along with He Ying as well. Rage boiled in her chest as well.

    It wasn¡¯t as if they didn¡¯t want the restaurant to do well! Chu Lian had made things difficult for them on purpose. If not, why would she have taken away all the original staff of Guilin, leaving her mother to suffer all this unwarranted criticism alone?

    Even the cowardly Pan Nianzhen was filled with jealousy and hatred towards Chu Lian at this moment.

    What a peculiar line of thought from this mother-daughter pair. While they were getting resentful at others, they hadn¡¯t thought of the whole reason behind this fiasco. They had snatched Guilin Restaurant from the hands of its original owner. It wasn¡¯t something that belonged to them in the first ce. Was their victim supposed to have offered it up with both hands willingly, with all bells and whistles attached?

    There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

    He Ying opened up a few more letters in session. As she continued reading them, her expression darkened further. Even Old Duke Zheng, who had left politics behind, had written in to her. His words were especially sharp and harsh. He Ying seemed to have be a great criminal who had snatched away his one source of food in his eyes.

    Eldest Madam He Ying scolded him right back silently in her heart and left the rest of the letters unopened.

    She wrung her handkerchief as if she were holding Chu Lian¡¯s neck in her hands.

    Pan Nianzhen had never seen her mother this angry for a long time. Ever since they hade to the capital and started living in the Jing¡¯an Estate, her mother had always been in high spirits. With her grandmother¡¯s affection and blessings, she and her mother had nevercked nor wanted for anything here.

    The luxurious life they had in the Jing¡¯an Estate couldn¡¯t bepared to the rural Siyang. No wonder her mother had always been talking about how great the capital was.

    She held onto her mother¡¯s arm and swayed it like a child, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t get angry. This isn¡¯t your fault at all. Why don¡¯t we go over to Songtao Court and see what¡¯s going on?¡±

    There was definitely something wrong with how quickly He Sang and Chu Lian had returned from the Ying Estate. The servants of Songtao Court had their lips sealed shut. In order to find out what had happened, they would have to pay a visit to Chu Lian themselves.

    She hadn¡¯t seen Third Cousin for quite a few days anyway.

    Pan Nianzhen thought to herself bashfully.

    She didn¡¯t know if He Changdi was doing it on purpose, or whether he had sensed something, but recently, whenever he went to visit Matriarch He or Countess Jing¡¯an, he would make an extra effort to miss meeting her entirely.

    He Ying thought her daughter¡¯s words made sense, so she immediately nodded.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll definitely find this Madam Chu¡¯s weak spot somehow!¡±

    Once they caught hold of Chu Lian¡¯s weakness, they would be able to make her return the old staff of the restaurant.

    Mother and daughter were both in great spirits over their ambitious ns. They made preparations and headed over to Songtao Court with their maidservants.

    They arrived outside Songtao Court in less than fifteen minutes.

    Before they even stepped through the courtyard entrance, He Ying¡¯s nose twitched.

    ¡°What¡¯s that aroma? It smells delicious...¡±

    Pan Nianzhen had also detected the same. She subconsciously gulped as the smell hooked her taste buds. She looked into the courtyard and said, ¡°Mother, it looks like it¡¯sing from inside.¡±

    A shadow settled over He Ying¡¯s face. However, at the same time, she couldn¡¯t control her saliva from pooling in her mouth.

    After living in the Jing¡¯an Estate for so many days, it was a given that she knew that Chu Lian had plenty of secret recipes. Some of the dishes she made were even better than those made by the imperial cooks.

    The cook in Qingxi Hall had only learned a few dishes from Xiyan, but now her cooking had risen to a whole new level and had be even better than the food served at most nobles¡¯ banquets. It went without saying how delicious the food at Chu Lian¡¯s own courtyard must be.

 Chapter 556 - Mutton Soup (7)

    <strong>Chapter 556: Mutton Soup (7)</strong>

    Indignation rose in Eldest Madam¡¯s heart. It was bad enough that Chu Lian hadn¡¯t made a peep after Guilin Restaurant¡¯s reopening had failed so spectacrly. However, she still had the mood to cook up more delicious food at home!

    Wasn¡¯t that too much of her?!

    In the time it took for these thoughts to pass through her mind, she had already entered Songtao Court with her daughter.

    A maidservant immediately ran in to report their arrival.

    By the time they reached the parlour, Chu Lian and He Changdi were already drinking mutton soup and eating flower rolls.

    The savoury vegetable flower rolls and the pot of thick, warming mutton soup, as well as the various tes of appetisers, presented a huge feast for the eyes. He Ying and her daughter had started salivating without realising it.

    Chu Lian and He Sang had already been informed that He Ying and her daughter hade, so they weren¡¯t surprised in the least.

    When Chu Lian set down the white porcin bowl in her hands, Xiyan immediately stepped forward with a wet towel for her to wipe her hands. Following that, Chu Lian slowly stood up and bobbed towards Eldest Madam in greeting.

    ¡°What might be the reason for this visit, Aunt?¡± Chu Lian¡¯s smile was as charming and brilliant as ever. Her tone was also friendly and her voice pleasant to the ear. The way she kept a faint smile on her lips as she spoke was as refreshing as the newly arrived spring breeze.

    However, when faced with this sight, only anger and irritation abounded in He Ying¡¯s heart.

    She harrumphed coldly, ¡°What? I can¡¯t just pay a visit to you without a proper reason now?¡±

    Once she finished speaking, He Sang looked up from his soup and cast a deliberate, cold nce at her.

    That one look was enough to send chills down Eldest Madam¡¯s spine. However, she quickly recovered her calm and propped herself up with the facade of a senior family member. She sat right down on a sandalwood chair without waiting for an invite.

    Pan Nianzhen sat obediently behind herm other like a harmless little pet.

    ¡°What do you mean, Aunt? Of course you¡¯re wee to visit us anytime you like,¡± Chu Lian¡¯s mood didn¡¯t seem to be affected by He Ying¡¯s words at all. Conversely, she seemed rather agreeable and amenable. She took her seat again right after.

    While He Sang was seemingly drinking his soup without a care at one side, he had been watching Chu Lian the whole time. Seeing that her appetite wasn¡¯t very good and that she hadn¡¯t eaten much, he filled up her bowl of soup again and set it before her.

    ¡°Drink more,¡± He Changdi¡¯s maic voice was especially seductive when he lowered his volume to a husky whisper.

    It was Pan Nianzhen¡¯s first time hearing such a gentle tone from her cousin. Her face instantly turned red.

    She reyed the scene again in her mind, but ced herself in Chu Lian¡¯s position instead. While listening to He Changdi¡¯s voice, she drifted away into her daydreams...

    Chu Lian wanted to reject the bowl of soup. She had already eaten a whole Shandong steamed bun earlier and she had topped it off with half a bowl of soup and a single flower roll. This was already more than enough for her tiny stomach, so she tried to push the bowl away. Unfortunately, He Changdi was much more stubborn than she was, especially with the effect of his threatening re sent her way.

    Chu Lian still felt rather hot, so she hadn¡¯t wanted to drink too much mutton soup. It wasn¡¯t good to disobey He Sang at this time though.

    If his strange temper really red up, he wouldn¡¯t care if it were right in front of outsiders.

    Chu Lian pouted and started sipping slowly at the fresh mutton soup, still acting like an unwilling child. She even fished out the mutton andmb organs she didn¡¯t like and threw them into He Sang¡¯s bowl.

    Although He Changdi¡¯s expression hadn¡¯t changed and he looked as unfriendly as ever, he didn¡¯t seem to mind eating all of the food that his wife had rejected and thrown into his bowl.

    This unintentional disy of unconditional love and pampering from He Sang made Pan Nianzhen mad with jealousy!

    She wanted to push Chu Lian away and sit in her ce to ept all of He Changdi¡¯s care and concern.

    Meanwhile, Eldest Madam stared at the loving couple seated across from him, stunned by their reaction and about to explode from frustration.

    She hadn¡¯t thought that Chu Lian would continue eating by herself right after those short replies.

    Hey! They weren¡¯t invisible!

    He Ying¡¯s face was flushed red from her mounting anger.

    Most importantly, that soup they were drinking was just too fragrant. She didn¡¯t know what it was, but it had hooked her appetite.

    As stubborn and proud as Eldest Madam and Miss Pan were, they couldn¡¯t control the unconscious reaction of saliva pooling in their mouths.

    Especially when they watched He Changdi eating so heartily. They were starting to get hungrier and hungrier...

    Thanks to the failing mess of Guilin Restaurant, Eldest Madam had barely been able to summon up any appetite these two days. She and her daughter had only eaten a few bites for their lunch today too, so it was about time to eat again.

    It was the ultimate torture to be faced with delicious food while starving.

    He Ying and Pan Nianzhen were facing that exact torment now.

    Perhaps even her stomach was agreeing with her sentiments, as a loud grumble sounded from Eldest Madam¡¯s belly.

    Wen, who was on standby in the parlour, almost burst out intoughter, but she managed to get it under control after her sister red at her.

    Dissatisfaction was now clear in He Ying¡¯s eyes. She had already made it so obvious, yet these people were acting as if they hadn¡¯t noticed anything at all. They just refused to bring up the steaming hot and tantalising dishes on the table.

    He Changdi had a huge appetite. Furthermore, since these dishes had all been cooked by Chu Lian herself, he couldn¡¯t help eating a few more bowls than usual.

    When Eldest Madam saw that He Sang had just taken another serving of soup from the ypot in front of him, she finally spoke up, unable to resist the great temptation presented by the food.

    ¡°Ah, what a coincidence, I didn¡¯t think that you would be having your lunch at this time. What is this soup? It smells delicious, and I¡¯ve never tried this before.¡±

    He Ying stared right at the ypot in a very obvious hint.

 Chapter 557 - Mutton Soup (8)

    <strong>Chapter 557: Mutton Soup (8)</strong>

    Chopped spring onions were floating on the surface of the thick, milky white soup as steam billowed up from the fish-patterned ypot. It looked extremely tasty, giving He Ying the urge to taste it for herself.

    He Ying thought that she had made herself more than clear. Anyone with the slightest bit of brains would definitely invite her to have a taste immediately.

    Unfortunately, she was up against the ¡®strange¡¯ couple of He Sang and Chu Lian!

    Chu Lian took a pause in drinking her soup to shoot a look at Xiyan behind her.

    Xiyan blinked in surprise before she caught her master¡¯s intentions.

    She was all smiles as she exined to He Ying, ¡°If I might reply to Eldest Madam, this is mutton soup. Our Third Young Madam made this herself with a special recipe. It¡¯spletely different from the mutton soup avable in the markets now. Not only is it fresh to the taste and thick in texture, it doesn¡¯t have the usual odour of meat that you might find in normal mutton soup. It¡¯s a perfectplement to any dish. Even Third Young Master has never tried such a marvellous delicacy before...¡±

    Xiyan did her utmost best to describe how delicious the mutton soup was, but what was missing from her words was any hint of an invite for He Ying and her daughter to taste the soup.

    Eldest Madam and Miss Pan were already starving. Xiyan¡¯s descriptions only added to the fire of hunger in their bellies, yet they weren¡¯t able to have any taste of the feast before them. Eldest Madam almost flipped the table in her frustration.

    However, they didn¡¯t have any other choice. If Chu Lian refused to take the initiative to give them some, they weren¡¯t so shameless as to take it without asking.

    Eldest Madam chuckled with an ugly grimace.

    Meanwhile, Chu Lian was enjoying their interactions with a touch of schadenfreude. They had clearlye without any good intentions, so they could dream on if they wanted to eat any of the mutton soup she had made!

    Although she had failed at getting any of the delicacies before her and was on the verge of spitting up blood from frustration, Eldest Madam wasn¡¯t going to give up without getting what she hade for.

    She bore with the hunger gnawing at her belly and said, ¡°I heard that you attended your sister¡¯sing-of-age ceremony today, but why are you back so early? Don¡¯t most ceremonies end in thete afternoon? Unless¡ª¡± He Ying dragged out the word, adding on anotheryer of meaning in her tone, ¡°Unless you¡¯ve somehow gotten into a spot of unpleasantness with your sisters back at home?¡±

    Even though Chu Lian had indeed run into some trouble at the Ying Estate, especially with the second branch, she couldn¡¯t badmouth House Ying in front of others, since it was her maiden house. It would only reflect badly on her instead.

    Eldest Madam had chosen her words well. She had nted a nice trap for Chu Lian.

    This time, no matter what Chu Lian answered, she would be at a disadvantage.

    It seemed like even Eldest Madam had her moments of wit.

    Before Chu Lian could reply, He Changdi had already spoken up, ¡°Aunt, since Grandmother has entrusted Guilin Restaurant to you to manage, you should know what your priorities are. I¡¯m the one who told Lian¡¯er to return home earlier today. Are you going to question me for the reason?¡±

    He Ying was stunned speechless by He Sang¡¯s words. She hadn¡¯t thought that the taciturn He Changdi would pick this moment to speak up and defend Chu Lian. He hadn¡¯t been like this back when Miaozhen had almost miscarried.

    Despite the anger in her heart, He Ying didn¡¯t have any measures to deal with He Changdi, whose status was greater than everyone in the entire Jing¡¯an Estate.

    With her little bit of intelligence, she was still able to surmise that the one person she couldn¡¯t afford to offend in the estate was He Sang. If she ever did so, she and her daughter wouldn¡¯t be able to continue having the sweet lives they had now.

    What a pity that she hadn¡¯t realised that offending his wife was a far greater offence in He Changdi¡¯s eyes,pared to offending him.

    ¡°Sang, what are you saying! I¡¯m only asking because I care about you two!¡±

    He Changdi shot a cold re at her and remained silent.

    Thus, He Ying had no choice but to abandon this line of conversation. The gears in her head turned. Since she had already lowered herself toe to Songtao Court, she couldn¡¯t possibly leave without getting something in return!

    ¡°Sang, since you mentioned Guilin Restaurant, I¡¯ll be honest with you. There have been some problems with Guilin Restaurant. I was wondering if you would be able to help your dear aunt a little. I¡¯m doing this for the good of our estate after all. Think about it, if our public coffers grow richer, then your third branch will have more to spend as well, won¡¯t it?¡±

    Since He Changdi had already taken over the conversation, Chu Lian let him continue talking to Eldest Madam without any interruption.

    Now that He Ying had mentioned Guilin Restaurant, her curiosity was piqued. She wanted to know how He Changdi was going to reply to her.

    It would be impossible for her to continue helping Guilin Restaurant to earn money. Even if He Sang agreed to it on her behalf, she would reject him on the spot.

    As her thoughts were wandering, He Changdi finally replied, ¡°Has your age caught up to you, Aunt? Or is your memory going bad? Have you forgotten what Lian¡¯er said when she returned Guilin Restaurant?¡±

    He Ying froze uppletely. He Changdi hadn¡¯t left a single shred of dignity for her in his words! She was still his senior family member after all! As well as his only aunt!

    However, He Changdi couldn¡¯t be bothered with their feelings. His expression darkened and became even more frostier than before, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Since you¡¯re helping Grandmother with managing the household, you must have plenty on your te. It¡¯s about time for dinner too. Why don¡¯t you head back to Qingxi Hall first, Aunt? You should spend more time with Grandmother.¡±

    He Ying didn¡¯t think that He Changdi would chase her out with such frank words. Her eyes were still widened from her shock when Chu Lian¡¯s handmaids, Wenqing and Wen, moved over to her side and ¡®invited¡¯ her to leave with smiles on their faces.

    Thus, He Ying and her daughter unwillingly left Songtao Court.

    It wasn¡¯t until they were far away from the ursed ce that He Ying let out an indignant stream of rants that she had been keeping in.

 Chapter 558 - Consort Liang (1)

    <strong>Chapter 558: Consort Liang (1)</strong>

    Once He Ying and her daughter left, Chu Lian turned to look at He Sang with a wide smile on her face. She blinked at him with her bright almond-shaped eyes, giving the icy-faced He Sang an itch in his heart.

    A loud gulp sounded from his throat, before he set down his spoon and asked seriously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s bell-likeughter rang out, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that! You were really impressive.¡±

    He Sang felt that his wife was talking nonsense; when had he ever been anything but impressive?

    Despite such thoughts, he was still in high spirits from Chu Lian¡¯s praise.

    In his usual tsundere way, he snorted, ¡°So you¡¯ve finally realised how amazing your husband is?¡±

    Chu Lian chuckled. She held back her retorts and made a rare show of agreement, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve only just realised that. You¡¯re sooo amazing, I¡¯ll listen to everything you say from now on!¡±

    It was at this moment that the beaming Senior Servant Zhong entered the room with a bowl of tonic in her hands, ¡°Third Young Madam, it¡¯s time to drink the soup.¡±

    After drinking the same soup for so many days, Chu Lian had the urge to puke just from the smell alone. She stood up with the intention to leave, but He Sang grabbed hold of her petite wrist.

    ¡°Drink the tonic. Have you forgotten what you just said?¡±

    Chu Lian wanted to knock herself out on a block of tofu. She had just shot herself in the foot! What kind of brain fart did she have just now? Why did she make such a promise to her lunatic husband!?

    She had basically dug a hole and jumped straight into it!

    There was no way around this. She didn¡¯t have the moral high ground here, so she had no choice but to down the tonic in a single breath.

    ......

    Darkness had fallen over the capital, but the imperial pce remained a resplendent sight under the pale light of the moon, dripping with riches and grandeur.

    The tallest hall in the pce stood as proof of the highest authority.

    The moment Prince Jin left Qinzheng Hall, a eunuch ran over with a smile.

    Prince Jin¡¯s azure eyes fell upon the eunuch, but it was hard to tell if there was any emotion in those depths.

    The eunuch¡¯s joy was unaffected by this though. When he ran up to Prince Jin, he first made a deep bow, before announcing warmly, ¡°Fourth Prince, Consort Liang has invited you over for dinner!¡±

    The eunuch in a dark-red robe was a trusted servant of Consort Liang. His name was Liu Buyong and he was nearly forty. Back when Prince Jin was being fostered in Chengxiang Hall, this eunuch was already working there, so one could say he had watched Prince Jin grow up.

    Prince Jin didn¡¯t answer immediately. He stood on the snow-white steps of Qinzheng Hall, looking down upon Liu Buyong, and the wrinkles that were starting to show on his face.

    Liu Buyong suddenly felt a chill run down his back. There was a tinge of shock and confusion on his face. He didn¡¯t understand why the gentle Fourth Prince had suddenly became hard to read.

    Just as Liu Buyong was about to be overwhelmed by Prince Jin¡¯s gaze, he heard the prince¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Lead me there.¡±

    As soon as those words were spoken, Liu Buyong felt the grip on his heart loosen and his anxiety washed away. He wanted to check Prince Jin¡¯s mood, but he didn¡¯t dare to look at Prince Jin due to the lingering fear from just a moment ago. Thus, he lowered his head, bent his back, and led Fourth Prince away.

    When they arrived at the entrance of Chengxiang Hall, Prince Jin could see a tall and skinny figure standing in a corridor from far away.

    The man had his back to the main entrance of Chengxiang Hall, and the dim light of dusk was fanning out from behind him, forming a warm halo of light. Unfortunately, it was too dark for Prince Jin to make out his expression.

    This silhouette belonged to someone who was most familiar to Prince Jin. It was the second prince who had grown up alongside him¡ª no, wait, he had already be heir apparent ever since the eldest prince had passed and was now the current Crown Prince.

    In the past, he would have gone up immediately and called out affectionately to his Second Brother, but this time, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it.

    Who could have thought that Consort Liang, a woman he respected like his own mother, would turn out to be the culprit behind his mother¡¯s death!

    Consort Liang was even his mother¡¯s cousin!

 Chapter 559 - Consort Liang (2)

    <strong>Chapter 559: Consort Liang (2)</strong>

    A glint shed through Prince Jin¡¯s green eyes, as he recalled all of his memories over the years with Consort Liang.

    If he hadn¡¯t personally gone to investigate the corruption case in Zhangzhou, he would never have suspected Consort Liang.

    When he had lost his mother at a young age, it had been Consort Liang who had begged the emperor to let her take care of him and to adopt him under her name. His second brother was only two years older than him, and they had been at the age where they craved attention. However, Consort Liang had treated him even better than she treated Second Brother. She had even taught Second Brother to yield to him since he was younger.

    This had made Second Brother unhappy with him on many asions, as he believed that he had taken away his mother¡¯s love.

    Every time Father bestowed treasures to them, Consort Liang would let him choose first, before letting Second Brother choose from the remainders.

    He remembered the favour she had shown towards him, so after growing up and bing an adult, he had always helped Second Brother.

    He had even helped Second Brother to get the role of Crown Prince.

    Second Prince wasn¡¯t particrly talented, so without his help, there was no way the position of Crown Prince would have fallen to him after their eldest brother had passed away from illness.

    He had never thought of vying for that position of supremacy. He only wished for Second Brother to ascend the throne, so he could then live in peace.

    But what he had learned had caused his heart to freeze over.

    Once Second Brother ascended the throne and Consort Liang became the Empress Dowager, he was likely going to be the first one they were going to kill off!

    Liu Buyong noticed that Prince Jin had been standing still for quite some time, so he mustered his courage to remind him, ¡°Fourth Prince, it¡¯s cold outside, please go indoors quickly. Crown Prince is still waiting for you under the eaves!¡±

    Prince Jin returned to his senses after Liu Buyong¡¯s reminder. There was no change in his expression as he stepped into Chengxiang Hall.

    After his attendants notified Crown Prince of Prince Jin¡¯s presence, Crown Prince turned to look at Prince Jin who was walking over from a distance.

    A grudgeful look showed in Crown Prince¡¯s eyes for a moment and was quickly hidden away.

    When Prince Jin finally came up to Crown Prince and was about to bow and greet him, Crown Prince grabbed Prince Jin¡¯s arm to help him up.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so formal with me, Fourth Brother. Let¡¯s go in, Mother is waiting! I heard from Liu Buyong that tonight¡¯s dinner was personally cooked by Mother. I can¡¯t wait to taste Mother¡¯s cooking!¡±

    Prince Jin was dragged into the main hall by his brother.

    There were more than tennterns lit up on each side of the main hall, making it as bright as day within Chengxiang Hall.

    On a slightly raised tform at the back of the hall, there was a slim middle-ageddy seated on a chaise. She had a kindly look on her face, while dressed in a simple ochre-coloured imperial robe with a five-tailed phoenix hairpin iid with jade on her head. The tassels on the hairpin hung all the way down to her temple, and it made her look more lively when they swayed.

    The woman¡¯splexion was slightly pale. Her curved brows, wide eyes, tall nose, and thin red lips came together to present the very picture of a gentle noblewoman.

    Although she didn¡¯t seem to be in the best of health, her marvellous beauty still shone through.

    This dignified and elegantdy was Consort Liang.

    Consort Liang sat cross-legged on the chaise. When her gaze swept past the entrance, she noticed Crown Prince and Prince Jin entering shoulder-to-shoulder. Her eyes brightened up and she happily stood to receive them.

    ¡°Ah Sheng, Ah Yi, you¡¯ve finallye! Ah Yi, let me take a good look at you, I haven¡¯t seen you for ages!¡±

    Consort Liang¡¯s eyes were filled with tender affection, she looked over Prince Jin carefully to assess him with tears welling up in her eyes.

    The Crown Prince stood to one side, left out of the heartwarming scene. If a stranger were watching, they would probably think that Fourth Prince was Consort Liang¡¯s own son instead! From an angle that others couldn¡¯t see, Crown Prince stared at Prince Jin with jealousy in his eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯ve be taller, and skinnier too. Ah Yi, you must have gone through much hardship outside. It¡¯s all my fault, I should have stopped your Father from giving you such a difficult task.¡± As she spoke, tears started to fall from her eyes from her heartache.

 Chapter 560 - Shifting Responsibility (1)

    <strong>Chapter 560: Shifting Responsibility (1)</strong>

    Prince Jin stiffened, but he quickly regained his usual calm and patted Consort Liang¡¯s back to console her. ¡°Mother, it was I who wanted to go, so this isn¡¯t your fault. Besides, I¡¯ve returned safely, haven¡¯t I?¡±

    Ever since Consort Liang had adopted him, Prince Jin had addressed her as Mother, just like Second Prince did.

    Hearing Prince Jin¡¯s words of constion, Consort Liang made great efforts to hold back her tears. ¡°You¡¯re right, Ah Yi, I was overthinking things. Come, both of you, take a seat! I¡¯ll have the food served up now. I cooked dinner myself today, so the two of you had better eat more!¡±

    The servants quicklyid out the dishes, and the ¡®happy family¡¯ sat around the table. It was part of pce etiquette to stay silent while eating, so it was a quiet meal.

    Consort Liang didn¡¯t eat much herself, but she repeatedly filled the bowls of the princes with food.

    After dinner, Consort Liang had her attendant bring out a brand new robe.

    She pulled Prince Jin over and said with a wide smile, ¡°Here, try this on, see if it fits you. I made this for youst year, but since you didn¡¯t return for the new year, it¡¯s been in storage until now.¡±

    Prince Jin epted Consort Liang¡¯s kindness as per usual.

    Off to the side, Crown Prince added enviously, ¡°Fourth Brother, I bet you didn¡¯t know that Mother only made a robe for you. I didn¡¯t get one!¡±

    Consort Liang immediately smacked the crown prince¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What are you saying! You¡¯ve already formed a family, so if you want a robe, get your wife to make one for you. Ah Yi is still all alone. As his mother, I obviously have to shower him with more love.¡±

    When it was close to midnight, Prince Jin finally returned to his estate.

    His aide who followed closely behind him held the new robe up with both hands and asked, ¡°Your Highness, shall I pass this robe to momo for keeping?¡±

    Prince Jin¡¯s voice suddenly turned cold and sinister. ¡°Burn it!¡±

    His aide was stunned by the unexpected reaction, but he immediatelyplied. The aide quickly had someone bring forth a brazier and he tossed the robe that they brought back from Consort Liang¡¯s ce straight into the fire.

    Prince Jin stood beside his own bed. As there was nothing lit in the room, only the silver-white moonlight that shone through the windows gave light to Prince Jin¡¯s figure.

    In his mind, the reminder that Consort Liang had given him before he left resounded over and over.

    ¡°Ah Yi, your Second Brother isn¡¯t as capable as you are, so please help him as much as possible in the future.¡±

    Hmph! Help him?

    ......

    Chu Lian was in the middle of drinking honey water in her courtyard when Xiyan rushed in with a smile on her face.

    Chu Lian nced at her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is it good news?¡±

    Xiyan nodded like a chick picking rice grains off the ground. ¡°Third Young Madam, I heard that Guilin Restaurant is closing down soon.¡±

    Chu Lian nearly spit out all the honey water in her mouth.

    What? That was way faster than she expected!

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    Even without her at the helm of Guilin Restaurant, it shouldn¡¯t have shut down so quickly. Before she had taken it over, Guilin Restaurant had been constantly in the red, but it had never been at the risk of closing down.

    Xiyan came closer to her and whispered, ¡°I heard that there were nobles in the capital who wrote letters ofint.¡±

    Pfft...

    It suddenly dawned upon Chu Lian. No wonder Lady Yang had sent her a letter two days ago. She had questions about Guilin Restaurant, so Chu Lian had tactfully replied that Guilin Restaurant was now back in the hands of the matriarch, and that she was no longer managing it.

    That made sense though. Back when Guilin Restaurant had first reopened, the main market of consumers she targeted had been the capital¡¯s upper ss. Now that the management of Guilin Restaurant had been swapped out, the ones who bore the brunt of it were the nobles. Matriarch He may have some authority in the capital, but it was nothing when going against the higher ranking nobility. Guilin Restaurant¡¯s permanent closure was something that would have happened sooner orter.

 Chapter 561 - Shifting Responsibility (2)

    <strong>Chapter 561: Shifting Responsibility (2)</strong>

    Xiyan took out a letter from her sleeves and presented it to Chu Lian. ¡°Third Young Madam, this letter came from the northern border. It¡¯s from Manager Qin.¡±

    Chu Lian opened the letter and skimmed through it quickly.

    When she finished reading, she smiled and said, ¡°Manager Qin has finished setting up the simple market, so he and the others are already on the way back to the capital.¡±

    Since everything was going swimmingly, Xiyan was happy as well.

    The mood in Songtao Court was harmonious with the sounds ofughter and happy chatter, but it was theplete opposite in the gloomy Qingxi Hall.

    The matriarch mmed the letters in her hand on the side table, herints bursting out in a furious exmation. ¡°This is absurd! How can these people be so brazen!¡±

    He Ying stood by her side, dabbing at her tears. ¡°Mother, please don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s all my fault. I couldn¡¯t find a good chef, causing Guilin Restaurant to get criticised.¡±

    Senior Servant Liu stood behind the matriarch and patted the matriarch¡¯s back. There was a disapproving expression on her face as she looked at He Ying.

    ¡°Enough, stop weeping. This isn¡¯tpletely your fault; Sang¡¯s wife transferred all of the original personnel away, so there¡¯s nothing you could have done about it!¡±

    He Ying wiped away her tears and nodded dejectedly. ¡°Mother, what are we going to do then? Our family still needs funds! We couldn¡¯t possibly go borrowing from others, right?!¡±

    There was only a small amount of funds left in the public ounts in the first ce. After they were returned to Matriarch He¡¯s hands, Muxiang and He Ying had both taken their cut, leaving a paltry sum of ie. The funds couldn¡¯t cover their estate¡¯s expenses now.

    The matriarch¡¯s brows were furrowed tightly together. She hadn¡¯t thought that she would have to worry about their bread and butter even after reaching such a grand old age. She should¡¯ve been happily retired by now.

    Seeing the terrible expression on the matriarch¡¯s face, Pan Nianzhen spoke up in a soft tone, ¡°Grandmother, I¡¯ve heard that Aunt¡¯s health has gotten much better. She can get off the bed and walk around now, as well as take care of the management of her courtyard!¡±

    Thanks to Pan Nianzhen¡¯s reminder, a lightbulb went off in He Ying¡¯s head.

    She looked approvingly at her daughter. ¡°Mother, Nianzhen is right. You¡¯re already in your golden years. This is when you should be able to rx and enjoy the fruits of yourbour. It shouldn¡¯t be up to you to manage these tiresome matters in the estate. Sister-in-Law¡¯s health wasn¡¯t up to the task in the past, but now that she¡¯s healthy again, shouldn¡¯t she be the one to manage these household matters?¡±

    The matriarch¡¯s body wasn¡¯t as hearty and hale as it had been in the past. She was starting to struggle with the estate¡¯s management. Her daughter¡¯s suggestion sounded perfectly reasonable to her. Since she didn¡¯t want to handle these trivialities any longer, she might as well hand it off to her daughter-inw.

    Her daughter-inw had been resting for so many years. It was indeed time for her to take the mantle back up again.

    Gears were turning in Eldest Madam¡¯s head as she thought of how best to gouge another cut from the funds after handing the public ounts over to Countess Jing¡¯an.

    Once the ount books reached her sister-inw¡¯s hands, it would then be her business to take care of making ends meet. It wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with her.

    While He Ying was deep in thought, the matriarch brought up an abrupt question. ¡°Miss Ying, how are Nianzhen¡¯s marriage prospects going?¡±

    Since the new year had passed, Matriarch He had been busy looking at potential grooms for Pan Nianzhen. Her friends had passed on some candidates, but her daughter and granddaughter had rejected all of them.

    Actually, she wasn¡¯t very satisfied with the choices presented either. Most of them were from minor officials¡¯ families, or some poor households. If the potential candidate had some money, then it was only because they were a lowly merchant.

    Unfortunately, the matriarch hadn¡¯t taken Pan Nianzhen¡¯s status into consideration while thinking this.

    Other than being linked to House Jing¡¯an through her mother, she didn¡¯t have any other redeeming qualities to her. Her mother was also a widow who had abandoned her husband¡¯s house. In her younger days, her mother had also made a bad name for herself.

    It hadn¡¯t been easy to collect this list of men without any bad reputation.

    Actually, He Ying didn¡¯t like the potential candidates because she had her mind set on He Eng.

    She secretly nced at her mother to gauge her mood before pretending to be furious. ¡°All of them are looking down on us! Look at who they¡¯ve rmended. Miss Zhen has been suffering with me ever since her childhood. How could I let her marry just anyone? Wouldn¡¯t she have to continue suffering under her mother-inw after marrying then?¡±

 Chapter 562 - He Yingâ€™s Confidence (1)

    <strong>Chapter 562: He Ying¡¯s Confidence (1)</strong>

    Pan Nianzhen bowed her head without saying anything, as if she had suffered a major grievance.

    Matriarch He felt a little guilty in her heart. She sighed, ¡°It was all my fault for agreeing with your father¡¯s decision to marry you off to Siyang that year.¡±

    He Ying hastily shook her head, ¡°Mother, what are you saying? It¡¯s already been so many years. I¡¯ve already moved on from what happened. At that time, I was the one in the wrong, causing Mother to lose face.¡±

    After spending time together these past few days, He Ying had already noticed that her mother wasn¡¯t as sharp as before. She has be more muddle-headed and soft-hearted as she got older. Every time she acknowledged her mistakes and acted pitiful, her mother would be especially affectionate to her.

    She had tried this trick many times and it had worked every time so far.

    As expected, Matriarch He¡¯s face was filled with remorse. Her heart ached as she patted her daughter¡¯s hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Ying. Mother will find a good husband for Nianzhen.¡±

    Pan Nianzhen was her daughter¡¯s only child, so she couldn¡¯t bear letting her suffer.

    A corner of He Ying¡¯s lips lifted up in celebration of her sess, hidden by the shadows falling over her face.

    Her eyes darted about. She felt that this was a good chance to mention her suggestion to her mother.

    She organised her thoughts and moved closer to Matriarch He. She hugged Matriarch He¡¯s arm and swayed it lightly, ¡°Mother, Miss Pan is my only daughter. I can¡¯t bear to let her marry somewhere far away. I¡¯m also worried that her husband¡¯s family will mistreat her. After all, I experienced that misery myself in the past. If possible, I would rather keep Miss Pan right here with me forever.¡±

    The matriarch¡¯s gaze was unfocused. A bitter and remorseful expression emerged on her face. It was hard to tell if she was thinking of the year that her daughter had been sent off far away.

    He Ying continued, ¡°Mother, Eng is already twenty-five this year. The sons of other families around his age already have several children by now. Since he¡¯s still single, there are unpleasant rumours spreading outside. Miss Pan is Eng¡¯s younger cousin and she¡¯s also at a suitable age. Since Eng doesn¡¯t want to marry a woman that he doesn¡¯t know, why don¡¯t we pair them up? Elder Sister-inw has a good personality, so I¡¯ll be at ease with her taking care of Miss Zhen.¡±

    Matriarch He was baffled by her daughter¡¯s words.

    Although she wanted to help her granddaughter find a good husband, she had never considered letting her granddaughter marry into her own household.

    Eng was an old bachelor and she had been continuously searching for a suitable bride for him. However, Eng was stubborn and he had never agreed to any of her suggestions before.

    Although He Eng seemed careless, he actually had his way of doing things. Even his mother couldn¡¯t convince him otherwise, let alone his grandmother!

    If it wasn¡¯t so, she wouldn¡¯t be waiting for a grandson still.

    Matriarch He didn¡¯t agree blindly with her daughter¡¯s suggestion this time. Her expression became stern for a moment, but she instantly felt that she was being too harsh on her daughter. Thus, she rxed her expression and tried persuading her daughter, ¡°Miss Ying, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help Miss Zhen, but it¡¯s really not appropriate to have Eng marry Miss Zhen.¡±

    He Ying didn¡¯t think that her normally agreeable mother would reject her immediately. Her eyes reddened in grievance. She pulled her arm back andined, ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t say it out loud, but you actually hold contempt for us, right? Scorning us for potentially staining my nephew¡¯s reputation.¡±

    The matriarch was heartbroken when she saw her daughter weeping, ¡°There¡¯s no such thing. Miss Ying, why would I scorn you? I gave birth to you! You¡¯re my very own daughter!¡±

    ¡°Then why won¡¯t you Mother agree to Miss Pan and Eng¡¯s marriage? Eng isn¡¯t getting any younger. Don¡¯t you know the rumours that other people are spreading about Eng? Miss Pan is as beautiful as a flower and of a suitable age. Apart from her family background, which part of her isn¡¯t worthy to match Eng?!¡±

 Chapter 563 - He Yingâ€™s Confidence (2)

    <strong>Chapter 563: He Ying¡¯s Confidence (2)</strong>

    The matriarch hesitated after listening to her daughter¡¯s words, but she recalled her son¡¯s letter and what her grandson had purposely told her. Thus, she bore with the pain and shook her head, ¡°Miss Ying, it¡¯s not that Mother doesn¡¯t want to agree, but I¡¯m not the one who can make a decision regarding this matter. Your elder brother sent a letter back saying that Eng will be the one to decide his own marriage. Furthermore, your sister-inw¡¯s health is better now. Eng is her son, so we have to seek her opinion for this too.¡±

    Furthermore, He Eng had already informed Matriarch He at the beginning of the year that he had a girl whom he liked and that he would be getting married this year.

    Back then, she had been the one who had requested the Empress Dowager to bestow a marriage for He Sang. Count Jing¡¯an had sent a letter from Mingzhou to express his rage over that. Thus, the old matriarch didn¡¯t dare to arbitrarily make decisions over Eng¡¯s marriage now.

    Count Jing¡¯an was also her son. Though she wanted to pamper her daughter, her son and grandsons were the ones who would inherit the family assets. They were equally important to her.

    Since both sides were dear to her, it wasn¡¯t easy for Matriarch He to speak for one over the other.

    Since her mother had already said so, He Ying understood that it would be difficult to persuade her mother right now.

    She decided to give up for now and changed the topic.

    Matriarch He was inwardly relieved when she noticed that her daughter dropped the matter. The smile returned to her face and she happily chatted about other things.

    Neither of them took notice of Pan Nianzhen, who was beside them. Her head was bowed, so that her bangs covered her face.

    Under the cover of her fringe, she breathed a long sigh of relief, while slightly loosening the tight grip on the handkerchief in her hand.

    She didn¡¯t like strong and burly men like Second Cousin. She preferred beautiful men like Third Cousin and Schr Xiao.

    Her heart had actually rxed since the talk about her marriage with Second Cousin hadn¡¯t seeded.

    As long as Chu Lian remained childless, she trusted that she would definitely be Third Cousin¡¯s woman.

    Pan Nianzhen subconsciously clenched her fists as she was filled with confidence.

    When He Ying left Qingxi Hall¡¯s parlour with her daughter, her eyes narrowed slightly.

    She had already decided to have her daughter marry He Eng. If the proper way didn¡¯t work, then she would have to try alternative methods.

    He Ying quickly pulled her daughter back to their room in Qingxi Hall.

    She ordered all the maidservants to leave, and had someone trustworthy guard the door. When it was just the two of them in the room, He Ying tugged on her daughter¡¯s arm and sternly asked, ¡°Miss Zhen, tell Mother the truth, are you willing to stay in House Jing¡¯an?¡±

    Although Eldest Madam was idiotic and her personality was greedy and selfish, she truly doted on her only daughter, Pan Nianzhen, with all her heart.

    She didn¡¯t have a son, so she needed her daughter to take care of her in her old age!

    Pan Nianzhen raised her head to look at her mother, hesitating to speak.

    He Ying was getting impatient, ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question! Why are you still hesitating in front of your mother? If you don¡¯t agree, I won¡¯t force you.¡±

    Pan Nianzhen thought about the handsome He Changdi with his refined bearing and his cold temperament. His deep eyes were always imprable, carrying an attractive sense of mysteriousness. With that thought, her cheeks instantly flushed. She summoned up her courage and nodded.

    ¡°Mother, I understand my own status, so I don¡¯t dare to have any improper desires regarding House Jing¡¯an.¡± Although Pan Nianzhen usually kept very quiet, she was actually a very maniptive person.

    A ssic example of ¡®a dog that bites won¡¯t bark.¡¯

    She had triggered her mother¡¯spetitive nature with just a few words.

    He Ying had always believed that House Jing¡¯an owed her a lot. Thus, as long as her daughter was willing to marry into House Jing¡¯an, there was nothing impossible about it to her.

    She patted the back of Pan Nianzhen¡¯s hand, ¡°Miss Zhen, if you want to marry into House Jing¡¯an, then I have my ways to make it happen. You¡¯re my daughter, so keep in mind, you¡¯re just as good as any of those royal princesses and honoureddies.¡±

 Chapter 564 - How Do I Walk Like This (1)

    <strong>Chapter 564: How Do I Walk Like This (1)</strong>

    He Ying and her daughter were whispering in their room with their heads lowered. It was hard to tell what kind of wishful ns they were making.

    A whileter, Pan Nianzhen widened her eyes in shock. ¡°Mother, this... this doesn¡¯t seem appropriate!¡±

    She couldn¡¯t believe that He Ying would tell her to use that kind of method.

    He Ying sneered. ¡°How is it improper?! As long as we can achieve our goal, there¡¯s no such thing as an inappropriate method!¡±

    Once things were done and settled, and with her to put her foot down, she refused to believe that her daughter wouldn¡¯t be able to marry Eng!

    Pan Nianzhen nervously gulped and took a deep breath. Her hesitant gaze slowly shifted into resolute determination.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to Mother. I know you¡¯re the one who treats me the best in this world.¡± Pan Nianzhen had warm words to speak, but those weren¡¯t the true thoughts within her heart.

    Her mother had devised a n for her and she was also going to make the arrangements for it. However, she had her own twist in mind.

    This was something that she hid even from He Ying.

    However, neither of them noticed that the maidservant whom they had trusted to guard the door, Pinglu, had already inwardly taken note of their n. She even reported it directly to the matriarch¡¯s handmaid, Muxiang,ter on.

    For some reason, Chu Lian¡¯s whole body felt terribly ufortable after drinking the nourishing soup today. It was nearing the end of February and it was still rather chilly outside, yet she couldn¡¯t stand wearing even the lightest cotton clothes in her room.

    Her body was so hot that her face was also flushed red.

    As she leaned askew on the chaise while looking over the ount book sent by Manager Qin, Chu Lian appeared to be in low spirits.

    The bedroom was heated, so the handmaids didn¡¯t stop Chu Lian from only wearing a single thin garment inside.

    Chu Lian set down the ount book impatiently. She looked towards Xiyan and Jingyan, who were moving around quietly as they tidied the room, and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you hot? Why are you still wearing vests?¡±

    When they heard her question, Xiyan and Jingyan stopped what they were doing and shook their heads in reply.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, why would it be hot? It¡¯s still early spring. The branches of the willow trees have just begun to bloom; the capital is still quite chilly,¡± Xiyan answered with a smile.

    Chu Lian stared at their faces. That seemed to be the case. They had been constantly walking around to organise things inside this warm room, yet there wasn¡¯t any sweat on their foreheads at all. It was clear that the weather wasn¡¯t hot to them.

    Chu Lian used the ount book to fan her face. Her cheeks were rosy, making her appear like a delicate,nguid begonia flower.

    ¡°Why do I feel so hot?¡± Chu Lian eximed with irritation.

    She really missed the days of eating ice cream during winter. With that thought, Chu Lian smacked her lips while lying on the chaise.

    The handmaids knew exactly why Third Young Madam was feeling hot, but they weren¡¯t thick-skinned enough to tell Chu Lian directly.

    After hearing herint, they bowed their heads with flushed faces and remained silent, pretending not to hear her.

    Chu Lian promptly sat up on the chaise, smacking her lips a couple more times. ¡°Xiyan, can you go get me some pears to eat?¡±

    Xiyan didn¡¯t dare to agree to her request. She had a troubled expression on her face as she replied, ¡°Third Young Madam, please have mercy on this servant. Senior Servant Zhong has repeatedly warned us that you¡¯re not allowed to eat cold-natured foods. If Third Young Master finds out, then this servant will be in serious trouble.¡±

    Chu Lian raised her eyebrows. ¡°Whose maidservant are you exactly? You¡¯re not even listening to me anymore!¡±

    ¡°Please have mercy on this servant. Both you and Third Young Master are my masters, so this servant can only follow the rules without bias.¡±

    Chu Lian sighed. He Changdi was truly frightening. The maidservants in her courtyard had all submitted to him.

 Chapter 565 - How Do I Walk Like This (2)

    <strong>Chapter 565: How Do I Walk Like This (2)</strong>

    ¡°Since I can¡¯t eat pears, can I at least take a bath?¡± Chu Lianpromised.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, please wait a moment. This servant will prepare a bath for you immediately.¡± Xiyan told Jingyan to finish organising the rest before heading out to instruct a maidservant to prepare hot water for bathing.

    He Changdi returned to Songtao Court much earlier today, aspared to his track record over the past few days.

    As soon as he returned, a maidservant had told him that Chu Lian was bathing. The stiff expression on his face promptly rxed and a faint trace of humour emerged in his eyes.

    He walked into the bedroom and changed his clothes. After that, he sat on the chaise and drank a cup of warm water. Although he still maintained an icy expression on his face, he was already feeling quite restless within his heart.

    Only the heavens knew how difficult it had been for him to endure these past few days.

    He had finally made it past the number of days Great Doctor Miao had instructed him to wait. He Changdi was so restless that he didn¡¯t even have the mood to continue working today, so he had returned to the estate much earlier than usual.

    Chu Lian had already been bathing for quite a while by the time He Changdi returned.

    The hot steaming from the bathtub had made her even more ufortable at first, but as the water gradually cooled down, it had be soothing.

    With her whole body submerged in water, it felt like the heat being emitted from the core of her body was finally being driven out. She sighedfortably as she leaned against the bathtub, unwilling to get up.

    Before Xiyan even noticed that there was something amiss, He Sang had already furrowed his brows while resting inside the bedroom. He asked coldly, ¡°How long has your young madam been bathing?¡±

    Hearing his question, Xiyan calcted the time mentally, and her eyes instantly widened. ¡°Replying... Replying to Third Young Master, almost an hour...¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s sharp gaze swept towards Xiyan. His voice became even colder. ¡°Go receive your punishment from Senior Servant Zhong.¡±

    After giving his order, he strode directly into the bathroom.

    He shoved aside the thick curtains of the bathroom and was immediately greeted with the sight of the woman he was so worried about. She was currently leaning against the bathtub with her eyes closed. There wasn¡¯t much steaming from the water within the tub anymore.

    Anger filled He Changdi, pushing him to walk right over and pull the resting Chu Lian out of the bathtub.

    Chu Lian had been leaningfortably against the bathtub, deep in her thoughts, when he had abruptly fished her out of the water. She waspletely dumbfounded by this sudden action.

    When she turned around and saw that it was only He Sang, the thumping of her heart calmed down a little. However, she immediately realised that she wasn¡¯t wearing anything right now. Her cheeks were instantly covered in a bright blush.

    She tried to use her hands to cover up her bare body, but her hands were too small for that. The spark of an idea suddenly shed through her mind and she quickly covered up He Changdi¡¯s eyes with her hands instead.

    ¡°Put them down!¡± He Sang gave off a stern order in his slightly hoarse, maic voice.

    Chu Lian¡¯s still wet body was being carried by He Changdi. Her husband¡¯s sleeves had been soaked through when he lifted her out of the bathtub, so they were quickly turning cold. However, the hands on her body felt scorching hot, making her tremble uncontrobly.

    Chu Lian subconsciously shook her head, but she quickly realised that He Sang couldn¡¯t see her gesture.

    She had no choice but to speak up and say, ¡°I can¡¯t! I¡¯m not wearing any clothes!¡±

    Her voice was soft, sweet, and inexplicably alluring.

    He Changdi suddenly let out a sudden burst ofughter. The curve of his pressed lips tilted upwards into a seductive smirk. ¡°Which part of your body have I not seen before? Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s toote to cover my eyes now?¡±

    Chu Lian was instantly rendered speechless by his words, but her arms remained stubbornly still.

    He Sang felt helpless. They had already consummated their marriage, but she was still so shy around him.

    He sighed inwardly, but he tried his best to coax her patiently. ¡°How do you expect me to walk around like this?¡±

 Chapter 566 - Too Much â€˜Nourishmentâ€™ (1)

    <strong>Chapter 566: Too Much ¡®Nourishment¡¯ (1)</strong>

    The corners of Chu Lian¡¯s lips twitched. She had just found out they truly wouldn¡¯t be able to move in this position.

    With her covering He Changdi¡¯s eyes and He Changdi carrying her...

    ¡°Then... then set me down and I¡¯ll walk by myself,¡± Chu Lian suggested after a long moment.

    He Sang¡¯s mouth curled up into a smirk, ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    After saying so, he moved into a stance where he seemed ready to set her down.

    Chu Lian abruptly recalled the difference in height between them. If he really put her down like this, she would barely be able to cover his eyes and it would take just way too much effort to do so... She would bepletely exposed to his gaze anyway. Wouldn¡¯t she be stuck right back in the situation she was right now?

    ¡°Wait, wait!¡± Seeing He Sang about to let her down, Chu Lian raised her voice in rm.

    He Sang¡¯s face was lit up with a mischievous smile. He shifted her higher up and even managed to grope a feel on her butt while he was it. A blush immediately bloomed to life on Chu Lian¡¯s cheeks.

    ¡°You...!¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to put down your hands? Do you really want to catch a cold?¡±

    Chu Lian bit her lip and slowly pulled her arms back down.

    She crossed her arms over her chest instead to hide the cherry buds on top of the ¡®hills of snow¡¯. However, it only pushed her hills together to form an even deeper and tempting valley.

    He Sang¡¯s gaze travelled down her neck to behold the view of that valley. His pupils dted with interest, but he managed to hide it quickly.

    He Changdi would never put Chu Lian¡¯s health at stake for a mere joke. Worried that she would really catch a cold, he swiftly carried her over to the changing screen and grabbed arge cloak. He wrapped it securely around her before running out of the bathroom with her still in his arms.

    He took one of the nkets from the bed and added anotheryer of warmth around her before calling for Wenqing to help Chu Lian dry off. Meanwhile, he turned back and re-entered the bathroom instead.

    When Wenqing came in to help Chu Lian dress up, she couldn¡¯t keep the smile off her face. Chu Lian was so embarrassed that she couldn¡¯t look up.

    The sounds of water sshing came from the bathroom. It was only then that Chu Lian realised that the bath water hadn¡¯t been changed, and that it had already cooled down by the time she was done.

    She hurriedly finished dressing and put on her shoes to rush over to the bathroom, only to see that her husband was already in the tub.

    A twitch developed at the corner of her mouth. She reminded, ¡°Hubby, that water¡¯s already been used. I¡¯ll call someone to get you a fresh change of water.¡±

    Before Chu Lian could set off, He Changdi stopped her, ¡°No need, I¡¯m already done.¡±

    After saying so, he stood up from the bathtub without warning.

    Chu Lian got a good eyeful of his perfect figure: tightly packed abs, defined lines down his hips, and... a certain part of him that looked to be brimming with vigour...

    Chu Lian: ......

    The blush that had just faded from her cheeks came back to life, spreading all the way down to her neck this time.

    She was stunned speechless by the sight. It took a good moment before she managed to shift her gaze away in a panic.

    By then, He Changdi had already walked up to her and was nonchntly putting on his clothes...

    Chu Lian stomped her foot in annoyance before fleeing pathetically from the bathroom.

    That He Sang! He looked like an upright and cold man on the outside, but he was actually a great big pervert!

    Wasn¡¯t he way too epting of her? He had actually used her dirty bathwater...

    When He Sang stepped out of the bathroom, Senior Servant Zhong hade over to ask if they would like their meal served now.

    The couple had their dinner on the small table in the bedroom. It was an exceptionally fast meal and they quickly cleared the dishes.

    While drinking her nourishing tonic, Chu Lian stared at He Changdi with a strange expression.

    He Sang lifted one brow, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Chu Lian tilted her head to one side, ¡°I thought you were acting especially weird today. Why are you so rushed for time today? You even ate dinner so quickly. Do you have to go over to your study to settle some business?¡±

 Chapter 567 - Too Much â€˜Nourishmentâ€™ (2)

    <strong>Chapter 567: Too Much ¡®Nourishment¡¯ (2)</strong>

    A corner of He Sang¡¯s mouth twitched. He shot a look at his oblivious little woman and didn¡¯t deign to reply her question immediately. He waved one hand at the servants in the room in dismissal.

    Seeing the mood between the couple, Senior Servant Zhong understood what was going on. She bobbed towards He Changdi and Chu Lian before leading the two maidservants in the room away. She even considerately dismissed the maidservant who was supposed to be on the night shift.

    For some reason, now that only she and He Changdi were left in the room, Chu Lian felt that the atmosphere was a little strange. There was a certain tension in the air. Her throat was starting to be a little dry, so she lifted up the teacup in front of her to sip at some warm water.

    ¡°It¡¯s still early, why did you chase them all out? Do you have a lot of documents to go through? Don¡¯t you have to work on some every night? Aren¡¯t you going tonight?¡±

    Another twitch developed in He Sang¡¯s forehead. His wife was too good at ruining the mood.

    If not for fear of losing control, would he have gone to his study every night to clear his mind?

    Thinking of those painful days, He Changdi felt a pang of sympathy for himself.

    He dropped all pretenses of courtesy with Chu Lian and quickly walked up to her. He bent down and immediately had her entire body wrapped up in his arms. Without further ado, he maderge strides towards their bed.

    Realisation finally dawned upon Chu Lian in an instant. Her face flushed tomato red and she thought of struggling. However, her body felt like it was on fire. There was a burning desire for He Changdi¡¯s affections in her heart...

    He Changdi drew close to her reddened ear and bit onto her plump earlobe. His low voice had a hint of devilish temptation to it as he whispered, ¡°I¡¯m not going. I¡¯ll be keeping youpany all night.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s body had be extremely sensitive after drinking the nourishing tonic for so many days. She couldn¡¯t bear with his wanton teasing.

    As if a switch had suddenly been flipped, her body was starting to change.

    By the time He Changdi set her down gently on their bed, her mind had already turned foggy and her consciousness was fluctuating between the boundary of reason and desire.

    Tears had gathered at the corners of her eyes at some point, making her wide almond-shaped eyes even more alluring.

    She tried her best to hold on to herst shred of sanity to stem the tide of desire flooding through her body. Unfortunately, her efforts were futile.

    Even though her rationality had already been taken over, Chu Lian still cringed from her actions deep inside. She couldn¡¯t understand why she had changed so much. This unwanted change gave her a terrible sense of defeat.

    She whined and made herst struggle.

    He Changdi hovered above her, looking down at her difited expression from above. He finally sighed and reached out to stroke her flushed cheek gently. His other hand went behind her back to soothe her tensed nerves. ¡°Lian,¡¯er, don¡¯t be scared. It¡¯s perfectly normal for you to feel this way.¡±

    He Sang¡¯s gentle voice managed to summon some of Chu Lian¡¯s wits back. She blinked at him in a dazed manner with tears in her eyes, as if urging him to continue his exnation.

    He lowered his head and ced a soft peck on her lips before whispering, ¡°Silly girl, didn¡¯t you realise that the tonic was making your body ¡®hotter¡¯? Did you think that ¡®fire¡¯ could be doused with just a few slices of pears or by soaking in cold water?¡±

    His wife was just too cute.

    Chu Lian¡¯s reaction to He Changdi¡¯s exnation was a stunned stare.

    She continued blinking her widened eyes without speaking.

    He Sang buried his head in the space between her neck and shoulder, trying unsessfully to hide his muffledughter.

    He stopped his pretense of courtesy and plucked off the thin nightclothes on Chu Lian with an agile twist of his hand.

    After waiting for so long, He Sang had already reached his limits. His feast was already bared before his eyes. There was no turning back now!

 Chapter 568 - Count Jingâ€™an is Returning (1)

    <strong>Chapter 568: Count Jing¡¯an is Returning (1)</strong>

    Perhaps due to her ¡®overnourishment¡¯, Chu Lian was especially energetic this night.

    The couple kept at it all through the night. Even the experienced Senior Servant Zhong, who was on duty in the side room, couldn¡¯t help blushing over the noises she heard.

    The next day, Chu Lian slept in until the sun was high in the sky.

    She turned to one side without thinking and was suddenly re-acquainted with all the sore parts of her body, especially her waist...

    When her eyes flickered open and her mind started to wake, the scenes fromst night yed in her head one by one.

    Chu Lian¡¯s face turned bright red and she hugged the warm nkets to herself as she beat the bed with her fists. Regret washed over her in waves.

    How could He Changdi do that! He had actually hid the truth from her! No wonder she had felt that something was strange with her body these few days. She even thought that He Sang had be a herbivore, but he was actually a sheep in wolf¡¯s clothing!

    Thinking of the nourishing tonic she had readily drunk over the past few days, Chu Lian felt that she was amb being fattened for ughter.

    The crazy passion they had sharedst night made Chu Lian wish she could spontaneously erase all her memories. Where did He Changdi learn all those shameful poses...

    She pulled the covers over her face and hid like an ostrich with its head in the sand.

    However, the sounds of footsteps outside the bedchamber made her get up again.

    She took in a deep breath and rubbed at her warm cheeks. When she felt calm again, she asked, ¡°What time is it?¡±

    Wen was standing by the bed. When she heard the question, she immediately replied, ¡°Third Young Madam, it¡¯s almost the eleventh hour of the morning.¡±

    Chu Lian stiffened up. She threw back the nkets and leapt up in a single instant.

    Wen quickly added on after hearing the noises, ¡°Third Young Madam, please don¡¯t worry. Third Young Master has already informed the matriarch and the countess before he left this morning. You don¡¯t have to greet them today.¡±

    Chu Lian blinked and let out her anxiety in a single breath. Although her rtions with the matriarch had already soured, she still had to do what was required as a junior member of the family. If she wascking in her etiquette, it would reflect badly on her instead. Luckily, He Changdi had already taken care of that for her.

    ¡°Third Young Master went to the Ministry of War and he said he would return in the afternoon. Would you like to get up now, Third Young Madam?¡±

    Chu Lian lifted the bed curtains and told Wen to bring her clothes.

    When she finished washing up and sat at the table for breakfast, she seemed to have the strange feeling that the servants were looking at her with knowing expressions, coupled with teasing glints.

    She couldn¡¯t sit still. It felt like she had done something wrong.

    After she was done with breakfast, Countess Jing¡¯an even specially came over to Songtao Court to visit her with a bowl of soup...

    The obvious intentions of her mother-inw gave Chu Lian the urge to pummel He Changdi to get rid of all the embarrassment welling up within her.

    However, she was still happy to see that Countess Jing¡¯an had be well enough to visit her.

    ¡°Mother, do you feel any difort in your body now?¡±

    Since her health had improved, her mood had never been better.

    The current Countess Jing¡¯an had filled out a little. Her cheeks were now rosy with the pink of health.

    The countess shook her head with a smile, ¡°Not at all, I¡¯m perfectly healthy. I can eat well and sleep well. I never dared to dream of recovering my body to this state before.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an had spent many years bedridden still. Even though the root of her illness had been cured, she was still a little more fragile than most. She would have to be careful not to expend too much energy in the future. However,pared to her condition a few months ago, this was a vast improvement.

    She was already very content with what she had now. She had been expecting to spend the rest of her life in bed before this.

 Chapter 569 - Count Jingâ€™an is Returning (2)

    <strong>Chapter 569: Count Jing¡¯an is Returning (2)</strong>

    Sang¡¯s wife had been the one to bring Great Doctor Miao to the Jing¡¯an Estate. It had also been Sang and his wife who had travelled thousands of miles, risking their lives in the north, to retrieve the key to her recovery, the Snow Mountain Mists flower. Chu Lian was definitely high in the list of people that Countess Jing¡¯an was thankful for.

    ¡°My husband and I are thrilled that Mother has gotten better. I¡¯m sure Father will be equally happy once he finds out.¡±

    When Chu Lian mentioned her father-inw, Madam Liu suddenly remembered some news.

    Her lips curved upwards and a warm smile blossomed on her face. He Changdi¡¯s lips were the most simr to his mother¡¯s; thin in shape, but not in feeling.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, I¡¯m afraid you haven¡¯t heard this yet. Your father will be returning from Mingzhou soon. If I count the days... he must be on his way already!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes sparkled. Her father-inw was on the way back to the capital?

    This was happening half a year earlier than in the original novel!

    She had already married into House Jing¡¯an for more than six months, but she hadn¡¯t met her father-inw yet!

    Madam Liu seemed to have sensed her daughter-inw¡¯s surprise and uncertainty. She reassured with a smile, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be scared. Dng is the one who resembles your father the most amongst my three sons. While your father might look a little fierce, he¡¯s a softie inside. He loves doting on the younger generation the most.¡±

    Madam Liu¡¯s description gave Chu Lian a good guess at her father-inw¡¯s appearance. She lost a little of her trepidation and started looking forward to meeting her father-inw instead.

    Countess Jing¡¯an didn¡¯t stay for long. She soon headed back to her own courtyard with her handmaids in tow.

    Chu Lian took a nap in the afternoon. When she woke up, it was to the sight of He Changdi reading a book while leaning against the headboard.

    She rubbed her eyes and red at He Sang. He seemed to have noticed her movements from the corner of his eyes. He reached out with one hand to pet her on the head, ¡°Have you slept enough?¡±

    Chu Lian wanted to scold him for getting too greedyst night and going on until she almost fainted over. However, just as she was about to speak, her bashfulness overcame her and she stopped.

    In the end, she expressed her feelings by giving him a good pinch on the arm.

    He Sang¡¯s brow wasn¡¯t even ruffled by the attack. When she was done taking out her frustration on him, he turned to look at her. He unexpectedly took her hand into his and reached into his clothes, setting her hand down on the prominent muscles on his abdomen.

    ¡°Pinch here. Your hand will hurt from pinching my arm.¡±

    Chu Lian was utterly defeated by his shamelessness. She gave him onest ferocious pinch. Unfortunately, his abdomen wasn¡¯t soft either and it was taxing on her fingers.

    On the other hand, He Changdi stiffened up from her actions. A dangerous glint had seeped into his eyes when their gazes met again.

    Chu Lian quickly let go out of fright. She didn¡¯t dare to provoke him again.

    He was definitely a shameless man through and through! The one who would suffer instead was her!

    He Sang knew that she had beenpletely tired out fromst night, so he hadn¡¯t thought of ying with her again. He secretly doused the rising mes of desire within him before reaching out to draw Chu Lian into his arms.

    He stroked her hair tenderly and slowly, giving the impression of soothing an affectionate cat.

    Afortable haze fell over Chu Lian from his warm actions. She leaned against his shoulder amiably and even twirled a lock of his long hair between her fingers.

    ¡°Oh, right, Mother mentioned some news when she came by to visit in the afternoon. Father will be returning from Mingzhou.¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s eyes hadn¡¯t shifted from his book, but he let out a light grunt of acknowledgement. After some time, he said, ¡°It¡¯s due to a secret decree that the Emperor sent out some time back. I just found out two days ago.

    ¡°What could the Emperor¡¯s intentions be?¡±

    Thoughts flew by in Chu Lian¡¯s head. Her father-inw, Count Jing¡¯an, had been stationed at the border in Mingzhou for over a decade. While the current political state in court meant that military officials couldn¡¯t bepared to the literary officials, it was different for the generals who defended the borders.

    House Jing¡¯an was only a countship, but no one in the capital dared to look down upon them because of her father-inw, Count Jing¡¯an, guarding the border of Mingzhou.

    There were at least sixty thousand soldiers under Count Jing¡¯an¡¯smand, twice the number of Liangzhou¡¯s troops!

 Chapter 570 - Donâ€™t Seduce Me (1)

    <strong>Chapter 570: Don¡¯t Seduce Me (1)</strong>

    Although the southern border at Mingzhou was stable, it didn¡¯t mean that skirmishes didn¡¯t happen.

    The environment of those living beyond the southern border was horrid, so the people there have been coveting the fertilends of the Great Wu Dynasty for ages.

    There was only one reason why the Emperor would call the defender of the border back to the capital at this time. He wanted to prop He Changdi up.

    He was going to do this by slowly taking away the powers of Count Jing¡¯an, and transferring the influence that the He Family had in the imperial court to He Changdi.

    Otherwise, if the He Family collected too much power, it wouldn¡¯t be a good thing for the imperial court.

    Count Jing¡¯an was already fifty. That was rather old for an officer. Furthermore, he had spent years away from his family, so it was time for him to return to the capital and spend the remainder of his life in peace.

    He Sang stared at her clear almond-shaped eyes, and smiled, ¡°Have you figured out the reason yet?¡±

    Chu Lian blinked at him, ¡°The Emperor intends to entrust you with greater responsibility?¡±

    He Changdi raised his hand to pinch her soft and rosy cheeks, ¡°You¡¯re pretty smart.¡±

    Chu Lian puffed up her cheeks and escaped from his evil clutches.

    ¡°When my holiday ends, all the matters regarding the Department of Appointments will be my responsibility. When that timees, I won¡¯t have as much time to spend with you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need yourpany,¡± Chu Lian softly retorted.

    He Changdi tossed the book in his hand aside. He suddenly lowered his body and held her down with one leg. His warm breath washed over her ear as he said, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need mypany?¡±

    His aggressive move caused Chu Lian¡¯s face to bepletely flushed. Afraid that he would do something naughty, she used both arms to push against his solid chest, ¡°You¡¯re too heavy! Don¡¯t squash me, it¡¯s so ufortable.¡±

    He Sang noticed that his body was reacting to her actions, but knowing that she was likely too tired from what had happenedst night, he endured it. He lightly pecked the side of her lips and said, ¡°Don¡¯t seduce me.¡±

    Chu Lian was feeling very wronged. She hadn¡¯t even done anything at all! How was that considered an attempt at seducing him?

    She red at him with her wide, watery eyes, but He Changdi covered them with his wide palm. He pressed his lips together, gritted his teeth, and said, ¡°I just told you not to seduce me! Stop, or I¡¯ll do you right here and now.¡±

    Chu Lian: ......

    He Changdi reverted back to the rxed position he was in against the bed. He took out an envelope from his sleeves and handed it to his wife.

    Chu Lian sat up, crossed her legs, and leaned against him. With a confused look, she stared at the envelope, ¡°A letter? Who is it from?¡±

    She was only wearing a thin brown robe. Although the room was heated and it wasn¡¯t cold, He Sang was still worried that she would feel chilly, so he pulled up the nket to cover her legs, ¡°It isn¡¯t a letter, open it up and see.¡±

    Chu Lian received the envelope with suspicion and opened it. There were two booklets inside. When she took them out, she could feel that they were made of high-quality paper. Once she flipped them open, she realised that they were deeds.

    The deeds were for a storefront situated in an excellent location on Zhuque Avenue. The two deeds were for the shophouse in the front and the courtyard right behind it.

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes went wide with astonishment and she eximed, ¡°Where did you get such a good storefront?¡±

    All the good locations on Zhuque Street were already owned by someone high-ranking in the capital. It was no simple task to obtain such a good storefront, as it was something that money couldn¡¯t buy.

    Even if these were obtainable through wealth alone, the value of these two deeds added together would at least be five thousand taels...

    That was going by a conservative estimate.

    Even House Jing¡¯an hadn¡¯t owned any storefronts on Zhuque Street at its prime. They had held one or two shops on a side street nearby at the most.

 Chapter 571 - Donâ€™t Seduce Me (2)

    <strong>Chapter 571: Don¡¯t Seduce Me (2)</strong>

    ¡°Do you like it?¡± He Changdi didn¡¯t answer Chu Lian¡¯s question. He just wanted to know whether she liked it or not.

    Chu Lian gaped a little. She didn¡¯t know what to say; her husband was just too mysterious.

    She answered honestly, ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t like a great store like this?¡±

    Although she implied that she liked it, her face didn¡¯t show much excitement at all.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already sent someone to the authorities to transfer this deed into your name. It¡¯s good as long as you like it. Don¡¯t you like cooking? You can do whatever you like with this shopfront.¡± He Changdi¡¯s icy gaze softened when he looked at her.

    Chu Lian gripped the deeds tightly. She raised her head to look into her husband¡¯s fathomless eyes.

    ¡°Hubby, tell me now. Where did you get the money for these?¡±

    She had asked this question back when he had bought jewellery for her, but He Changdi hadn¡¯t given her an answer. After obtaining this storefront for her, he must have already spent at least ten thousand taels altogether.

    All he had done recently was join the northern army. He had never done any business on the side, so how did he obtain so much money? Could it be through bribery?

    However, in her subconscious mind, Chu Lian didn¡¯t want him to have obtained his money through those means.

    Seeing her tightly knit brows, He Changdi knew that his wife¡¯s thoughts had veered away from legal means.

    A dryugh came out of him, and he couldn¡¯t help but pinch her cheeks. ¡°Lian¡¯er, what is going through your head? It¡¯s not what you think it is.¡±

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Your way of earning money is just too profitable! Even my businesses don¡¯t bring in nearly as much as you!¡±

    He Changdi knew that it wasn¡¯t good for him to keep Chu Lian in the dark. If he didn¡¯t exin himself to her, she would likely let her imagination run wild. Therefore, rather than letting her listen to wild rumours or gossip, he might as well tell it to her straight.

    He beckoned Chu Lian over with his long fingers. Chu Lian hesitated for a moment, but still chose to lean into his embrace, putting her ear close to his lips.

    He Sang¡¯s deep voice whispered something into her ears. A few momentster, Chu Lian sat up straight with her eyes wide open, staring at him in disbelief.

    She waspletely bbergasted. ¡°Is... is this true?¡±

    He Sang smiled. ¡°Has your husband ever lied to you?¡±

    ¡°You guys are really too brazen!¡±

    He Changdi shook his head. ¡°Any noble would have done the exact same thing in this case. I¡¯ve already held myself back.¡±

    Chu Lian stopped asking about the origin of his money. She only warned He Changdi to handle the hot potato in his hands carefully.

    He Sang didn¡¯t want her to worry, so he quickly changed topics. ¡°Now that you have this storefront, what do you n to do?¡±

    Chu Lian knew his motivations very well in her heart. He Sang had probably heard of the matriarch taking back Guilin Restaurant, so he had spent his money to make it up to her.

    Although his expressions were as cold and stiff as the King of Hell and he disliked speaking, his actions spoke volumes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll open a restaurant.¡±

    When she had lost Guilin Restaurant, she had already been nning on opening another, but it wasn¡¯t easy to find a good location. Furthermore, she didn¡¯t have that much money on hand, as she had invested heavily in the market at the northern border. Thus, her ns had been dyed.

    With He Sang¡¯s present, she could put her ns into action earlier than she had expected.

    He Changdi raised one sharp brow. As he had expected, Chu Lian would open a restaurant again.

    The couple hadn¡¯t snuggled and chatted intimately like this for a long time, so He Sang, the man of few words, was in the mood to speak more.

    When he recalled how Chu Lian had set up Guilin Restaurant by herself, He Changdi felt admiration towards his little woman.

    Just what was her brain made of? How could it produce so many wondrous thoughts? She even had ideas that he would never be able to think of.

    When he had been chatting with his sworn brother Prince Jin one day, even Prince Jin had spoken highly of Chu Lian¡¯s innovative ideas.

 Chapter 572 - New Restaurant (1)

    <strong>Chapter 572: New Restaurant (1)</strong>

    ¡°Is it going to be just like Guilin Restaurant?¡± He Changdi became curious as to what his wife had in mind.

    Back when Chu Lian had single-handedly brought Guilin Restaurant to fame, he hadn¡¯t helped at all, but now, he wanted to be a pir of support for her.

    Chu Lian shook her head.

    ¡°It¡¯d be boring to do the same thing again. This time, I¡¯ll open a restaurant specialising in roast duck! I¡¯m going to be selling the roast duck I made at Prince Wei¡¯s estate. You¡¯ve already tried it, so what do you think?¡±

    He Sang burst into a bout of openughter. ¡°In that case, I¡¯m going to be receivingints from Fourth Prince.¡±

    Confused, Chu Lian tilted her head, but she immediately caught on. ¡°Prince Jin is the owner of Yuehong Restaurant?¡±

    Wasn¡¯t Yuehong Restaurant famed for having the best roast duck in the capital?

    Royal Princess Duanjia had brought her there for a mealst year, but the taste of their duck was nothing to write home about.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that even better? Prince Jin is rich anyways, and that Yuehong Restaurant only has a single signature dish. Besides, the restaurant I¡¯m going to open won¡¯t just be selling roast duck.¡±

    Feeling helpless, He Changdi said, ¡°This time, I¡¯ll find you some helpers, so don¡¯t push yourself to take care of everything.¡±

    There were two downsides if Chu Lian personally managed the restaurant. Firstly, it¡¯d be tough on her. Secondly, it wouldn¡¯t reflect well on her since she had given the broken Guilin Restaurant away.

    If it was left to someone else to manage, even if people suspected them, they wouldn¡¯t go running their mouths off if they didn¡¯t have any solid evidence. This would also serve to protect the tentative peace between Chu Lian and Matriarch He on the surface.

    Chu Lian knew that He Changdi was doing this for her own good, so she didn¡¯t object. When the time came for it to open, she could just make a few covert trips there to keep an eye on things.

    Chu Lian nodded.

    He Sang reached out to pull Chu Lian into his embrace. ¡°We¡¯ll move out once Father returns.¡±

    Caught off guard by this sudden statement, Chu Lian¡¯s eyes went wide. She put her hand on his chest and asked, ¡°Really?¡±

    Her mind immediately rejected this possibility. Although Count Jing¡¯an had three sons, the eldest had just divorced and had no heirs. The second one was a stubborn man who still hadn¡¯t married. She and He Changdi may have gotten marriedst year, but they had only consummated their marriage recently. Other than that, there was only the elderly Matriarch He and her mother-inw, who had only just recovered. It wouldn¡¯t be reasonable for the third branch to move out at this point of time.

    He Changdi kept his eyes on his wife¡¯s face. When he noticed that the joy from receiving the deeds paled inparison to the news of them moving out, he became even more resolute with regards to this decision.

    Since his aunt and cousin had moved in, his grandmother had be increasingly paranoid. There was a saying amongst themon folk that some things were better with distance.

    It actually wasn¡¯t normal for a family of dual nobilities to live under one roof. Now that he had be a marquis, he could leave this house to his father once his father returned. He had his own ways to convince his father to let the two of them move out. Second Brother couldn¡¯t remain single forever either, so Father would make the decision for him. With Mother¡¯s health improving day by day, there wasn¡¯t much left for him to worry about in House Jing¡¯an.

    After moving out with his wife, Chu Lian would then be the one to handle their estate, so he would no longer have to be stuck between his wife and his grandmother.

    He Changdi stroked her hair. ¡°I¡¯m your husband. Have I ever lied to you?¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s mood immediately brightened up. She didn¡¯t want to interfere with how He Changdi was going to persuade his parents, so she would just wait to move out with him.

    The couple chatted for a while longer before going to have a meal together.

 Chapter 573 - New Restaurant (2)

    <strong>Chapter 573: New Restaurant (2)</strong>

    On the next day, the help that He Changdi had arranged for Chu Lian arrived.

    Zhou Wen was one of He Changdi¡¯s subordinates from the northern army. He was eighteen years old this year and was now working under He Changdi. He hade from a family of merchants and was quick on his feet, so he had been sent to aid Chu Lian with her restaurant.

    Zhou Wen respectfully greeted Chu Lian. Due to his years at the northern border, his face was tanned, and he was as skinny as a monkey. When he smiled, his wide grin and white teeth made him look rather dim.

    He didn¡¯t greet her as Third Young Madam or Marchioness Anyuan. Instead, he addressed her as ¡®sister-inw¡¯.

    A twitch developed in Chu Lian¡¯s forehead. This fellow looked too silly and sweet; did He Changdi make a mistake and send the most honest person he had?

    Chu Lian nodded and had him sit down to talk.

    ¡°Since you¡¯vee to me, do you know what you¡¯re here to do?¡±

    Zhou Wenughed in a foolish manner and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. ¡°Brother He told me to help you earn money, Sister-in-Law.¡±

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. This fellow was way too honest.

    Could such a silly person actually manage the restaurant?

    ¡°I heard from our brothers that Sister-in-Law¡¯s cooking is delicious. Could I have a taste of it today?¡± After saying that, he lowered his head bashfully.

    This fellow had the guts to ask for a free meal? Chu Lian had finally found a praiseworthy quality in him.

    ¡°After I¡¯m done with instructing you, you can stay for lunch. I¡¯ll have Laiyue escort you to the guests¡¯ courtyard and you can have your lunch there.¡±

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t someone who would be so stingy as to not provide a meal.

    When she finally got down to business with this sweet and silly-looking Zhou Wen over the restaurant, she was astonished to find that this man was nothing like he seemed.

    He was actually a smart man, someone who hid his abilities to gain the upper hand. Thanks to the influence of his family, he had been gaining experience with managing a shop ever since childhood, and he was even able to contribute his own ideas.

    If one wasn¡¯t careful and judged a book by its cover, they would be fooled by him.

    If she had topare, Zhou Wen was certainly just as good as Manager Qin.

    After lunch, Laiyue sent the satisfied Zhou Wen out.

    Chu Lian wrote a letter to Royal Princess Duanjia to let her know that she was going to open another restaurant. When Royal Princess Duanjia heard that Chu Lian was going to have roast duck as the signature dish, she was so interested that she personally paid a visit to discuss and contribute ideas.

    Time flew by, and He Changdi¡¯s long leave ended. Every day, he had to go to the Ministry of War to work, and he had to attend court every single morning.

    It was February, so the days were still shorter than the nights. He Sang left home before the sun rose each day.

    For the past two days, Chu Lian insisted on waking up with him to have breakfast together. She would then send him off to the courtyard¡¯s entrance. However, because of that, she hadn¡¯t been sleeping well. After going to Qingxi Hall for morning greetings, she was always extremely sleepy when she returned. In just a few days, her sleep patterns had be a mess and her mind grew muddled.

    He Changdi had been observing all this. Thus, one fine morning, when Chu Lian felt some movement next to her, she prepared to get up just as she had previously. However, in the next second, she was unexpectedly pressed down by He Sang...

    After a bout of morning exercise, Chu Lian didn¡¯t even have the strength to move her fingers, so she wasn¡¯t able to get up to have breakfast with her husband.

    Thanks to that, she no longer got up early, so her sleep patterns actually improved.

    He Sang did this for a few consecutive days. When they were done with their ¡®exercise¡¯, Chu Lian would be so sore all over that she couldn¡¯t even open her eyes. On the other hand, He Changdi¡¯s mood was better than ever.

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t take it any longer, so she obediently slept in the morning and never mentioned getting up early again. It was only then that He Sang let her off the hook.

    Time quickly passed. On one particr day, Chu Lian was apanying Countess Jing¡¯an to Qingxi Hall to greet the matriarch, when Matriarch He mentioned something out of the blue.

    This statement instantly left both Chu Lian and her mother-inw bbergasted.

    Still in shock, Countess Jing¡¯an asked, ¡°Mother, you want me to manage the estate?¡±

    Matriarch He sat on the raised tform in the center of the room, with Muxiang and Pan Nianzhen massaging her legs and shoulders. She seemed rxed as she slowly opened her eyes to look at Madam Liu. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve mostly recovered, as the eldest daughter-inw of the family, it makes perfect sense for you to take over the management of the household.¡±

 Chapter 574 - Countess Jingâ€™an Takes Over (1)

    <strong>Chapter 574: Countess Jing¡¯an Takes Over (1)</strong>

    What else could Countess Jing¡¯an say? Matriarch He was using her responsibility as a daughter-inw to pressure her. If she didn¡¯t take over the management of the household, then she would deemed unfilial.

    While standing beside them, Chu Lian frowned slightly. She didn¡¯t understand Matriarch He¡¯s intentions.

    Although she wanted to speak up for her mother-inw, the matriarch and Madam Liu were both her elders. She was in no position to speak right now.

    Countess Jing¡¯an was soft-hearted. She didn¡¯t dare to disobey the matriarch upfront. Thus, she reluctantly agreed.

    She couldn¡¯t decline because she didn¡¯t have any legitimate reason to refuse.

    She hadn¡¯t managed the household in the past because she had been seriously ill and she didn¡¯t have the energy to do it. She had even needed the matriarch¡¯s help to take care of her. However, her health had gotten better now. Since the matriarch had personally requested to hand over the rights to manage the household to her, she didn¡¯t have any good reason to decline.

    Countess Jing¡¯an grasped the handkerchief in her hand, stood up, and bobbed towards the matriarch, ¡°Mother, please rest assured. I¡¯ll do my best to manage the household.¡±

    ¡°Hurry and stand up. You¡¯ve just recovered, so there¡¯s no need to keep bowing like that. Well then, I¡¯ll rest easy now that you¡¯ll be taking care of the household affairs. If you have any questions, feel free to ask Muxiang and Miss Ying.¡± A smile finally appeared on the matriarch¡¯s face.

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Thus, Countess Jing¡¯an returned to her courtyard with several maidservants, each carrying a stack of ount books.

    Chu Lian followed behind her mother-inw. She noticed that the countess was frowning deeply, and she appeared to beden with worry. She tried consoling Countess Jing¡¯an, ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. We don¡¯t have that many people in our estate. There¡¯s only a head steward and an assisting steward in the outer court. There are also plenty of senior servants acting as stewards in the inner court. As long as you keep these people in check and you look over the ount books thoroughly, there shouldn¡¯t be any major problems.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an was a little embarrassed. She smiled apologetically at Chu Lian, ¡°I¡¯m really useless. At this age, I still need reassurance from a young girl like you. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not that easily fooled. When I married into House Jing¡¯an, I did manage the household for several years.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good that Mother thinks of it this way. If you need any help, you can send someone to Songtao Court to find me. I don¡¯t have much to do anyway. Although I¡¯ve never managed a household before, I can help you out.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an felt more rxed after Chu Lian¡¯s offer of help.

    She nodded and told her to return to her courtyard for some rest.

    She patted Chu Lian¡¯s hand, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s just some minor household affairs. I have senior servants who can assist me as well, so I¡¯ll be fine. You should concentrate on nourishing your body. I¡¯m still waiting for my grandsons!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s face immediately reddened due to her mother-inw¡¯s words.

    She had never thought about having children at such a young age. Back then, she had even thought about finding a nice and quiet ce to live out a rural lifestyle in seclusion. However, with the passage of time and the progression of her rtionship with He Changdi, she was actually starting to hope that a child would form in her belly as soon as possible.

    She and He Changdi could watch their adorable little child grow up, bit by bit. They could raise him or her together.

    After sending Chu Lian off with her servants, Madam Liu returned to her own courtyard and headed directly for her study.

    She had much to do today, and she wasn¡¯t going to have any free time to take care of her granddaughters. She sat in front of her desk and flipped open the ount books. It didn¡¯t take long before Countess Jing¡¯an discovered many suspicious gaps in them.

    She was dumbfounded after making a rough calction of the estate¡¯s assets. Why were there so few stores and properties left in the public ounts?

    Judging by these calctions, the monthly ie probably wouldn¡¯t even hit five hundred taels...

    Moreover, that was under the assumption that the stores were turning a profit...

 Chapter 575 - Countess Jingâ€™an Takes Over (2)

    <strong>Chapter 575: Countess Jing¡¯an Takes Over (2)</strong>

    As for their farm holdings, they only collected rent from the tenants at the end of the year. The farms usually produced some fruits and vegetables, which were usually only sent to the estate for their own consumption. They wouldn¡¯t be able to make much money even if they sold the produce from that.

    The servants within the estate and their other properties, the shopkeepers and workers of the stores, as well as the monthly allowances of the masters of the estate... These were what their estate¡¯s ie had to support.

    Their monthly expenses were approximately six to seven hundred taels. It was just a rough estimate that didn¡¯t include the cost of maintaining friendships with other noble estates.

    The monthly ie of their estate was only five hundred taels. Their expenses were so much more than the profit collected from their assets...

    She recalled the smirk on her sister-inw¡¯s face when the matriarch had handed the management rights of the household to her.

    Countess Jing¡¯an was now boiling with rage. Yet, at the same time, she felt frustrated and helpless.

    She remembered clearly that House Jing¡¯an hadn¡¯t been in this shape twenty years ago. When she had been in charge of the shared ounts, the cash flow had been around five to six thousand taels.

    They earned a lot of monthly profit from the stores, properties, and rural estates.

    After so many years, how had House Jing¡¯an ended up like this? They hadn¡¯t umted any savings and their finances had instead withered away into poverty.

    By the time the ounts had been handed to her, the estate was already struggling to make ends meet.

    Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s most trusted servant, Senior Servant Wang, was beside her. She asked worriedly, ¡°Madam, what¡¯s wrong? Great Doctor Miao instructed this old servant that you can¡¯t stress yourself out since you¡¯ve just gotten better.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an sighed and handed the paper with her rough calctions to Senior Servant Wang, ¡°Suxin, take a look yourself.¡±

    Suxin was Senior Servant Wang¡¯s name when she had still been a maidservant. It was only Countess Jing¡¯an who still called her that.

    Senior Servant Wang took the paper and swiftly nced over it. She was astounded, ¡°Madam, how can this be!¡±

    The senior servant had still been inwardly rejoicing for her madam since her health had gotten better. She thought that it was time for her madam to take control of the household affairs again. Countess Jing¡¯an was the wife of the head of House Jing¡¯an, so it was better that House Jing¡¯an¡¯s finances were in her control rather than in Eldest Madam¡¯s hands. However, who knew that she had just been thrown a bomb instead? The countess had ended up in the losing end of this deal.

    Countess Jing¡¯an was extremely worried. The management of the household was in her hands now. Thus, she would have to use her personal funds to support the entire estate starting tomorrow. Most of her dowry had been used up on her medication in the past. She didn¡¯t have the money to make up for the loss of the public ounts right now.

    As Countess Jing¡¯an most trusted servant, Senior Servant Wang was the one who understood her the most.

    Looking at the expression on her face, she knew that Madam was trying to think of a way to make up the deficiency in funds! But how were they going to get that money?

    They would need at least three to four thousand taels just to make the ounts even.

    She hesitated for a moment, before steeling herself and speaking with determination, ¡°Madam, you can¡¯t just try to work this out by yourself. You must bring up this matter with the matriarch and Eldest Madam.¡±

    Although Countess Jing¡¯an was somewhat timid and soft-hearted, that didn¡¯t mean that she was muddle-headed. After hearing Senior Servant Wang¡¯s reminder, she decided to look for Eldest Madam.

    She promptly went over to Eldest Madam¡¯s living quarters within Qingxi Hall with her servants.

    However, they were chased out by Eldest Madam in less than an hour.

    While Countess Jing¡¯an and her servants were walking back to their courtyard, Senior Servant Wang was huffing with rage, ¡°How could Eldest Madam act that way? This old servant refuses to believe that she had nothing to do with the deficits in the public ounts!¡±

    He Ying hadn¡¯t been willing to contribute even one or two silver taels. Moreover, she had pushed all the me onto Madam Zou, who had already divorced with He Dng.

    While Madam Zou was likely the main reason for the deficits, it was impossible to think that He Ying wasn¡¯t part of the problem either!

    Countess Jing¡¯an shook her head, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t say anymore. People are going to gossip if this spreads.¡±

 Chapter 576 - My Dear Daughter (1)

    <strong>Chapter 576: My Dear Daughter (1)</strong>

    Senior Servant Wang was extremely anxious, ¡°But, Madam...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll think of a solution for this problem.¡±

    Senior Servant Wang had no choice but to keep quiet then.

    Over the next few days, Chu Lian felt that there was something strange going on with Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s courtyard whenever she went over for morning greetings.

    However, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t pinpoint what exactly was amiss.

    Chu Lian was currently sketching jewellery designs for Treasure Pavilion in her little study with a piece of charcoal.

    When she abruptly came to a halt in the middle of her sketch, Xiyan quickly noticed her movements. The handmaid set down the needle and thread within her hands and asked, ¡°Third Young Madam, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Chu Lian put down the thin charcoal block in her hand and sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve finally realised why I felt that there was something strange about Mother¡¯s courtyard recently.¡±

    Xiyan stared at her with wide eyes, waiting for her to continue.

    ¡°Did you notice that many of the decorations inside Mother¡¯s room have been changed?¡±

    Xiyan furrowed her brows upon this realisation after Chu Lian¡¯s reminder.

    There used to be a pair of flower-patterned cloisonn¨¦ vases on the table next to the main seats of the parlour. Several gorgeous peacock feathers had been on disy inside the vases.

    They had even talked about those pair of cloisonn¨¦ vases before during one of their chats. Those were some very rare vases. Senior Servant Gui had even mentioned that they might have been handed down from a previous dynasty and were probably worth several thousands of taels. Wenqing and Wen had been stunned after hearing that. They had never seen such a valuable vase before.

    Countess Jing¡¯an had had a very rich dowry. She hade from arge n in Jiangnan, which had existed for several hundred years. They had also been quite famous during the previous dynasty. However, their family had been on a slow decline since the era of Emperor Chengping. Even so, they hadn¡¯t been stringy with Countess Jing¡¯an when she had gotten married.

    At that time, Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s dowry was considered one of the most valuable amongst the noble madams within the capital.

    It was a pity that she had been in poor health ever since the birth of her third son. After over a decade of seeking treatments and taking expensive medications, her dowry was nearly spent.

    However, a starving camel was still bigger than a horse. Countess Jing¡¯an still had several treasures stowed away at her ce.

    The pair of red jade bangles that she had previously given to Chu Lian and Madam Zou was one of them. Thosecloisonn¨¦ vases were also another one of her hidden treasures.

    ¡°The vases have been changed!¡± Xiyan responded with shock.

    Chu Lian nodded. Actually, it wasn¡¯t just those vases that had been changed. Several other decorations in the room had also been reced. While the recements weren¡¯t considered too bad, but their quality was inferiorpared to the previous decorations.

    If she hadn¡¯t been drawing designs today and thinking about the patterns on the artworks she had seen during modern times, she wouldn¡¯t have thought about those vases.

    ¡°But, weren¡¯t those vases Madam¡¯s most treasured items?¡± Xiyan asked in confusion.

    Senior Servant Wang had once said that that pair of cloisonn¨¦ vases had been ced in the parlour for nearly thirty years!

    They had allegedly been ced in there on the second day of Count Jing¡¯an and Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s marriage. Countess Jing¡¯an treated them like precious treasures and often dusted them off herself.

    Since she cherished and loved them so much, why would she rece them now?

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t think of a reason at the moment. She ordered Xiyan, ¡°Find out what¡¯s happened in Mother¡¯s courtyard recently.¡±

    Xiyan acknowledged the order and left immediately.

    Chu Lian actually had a good guess in her heart, but she couldn¡¯t be certain. She shook her head and decided to wait for Xiyan¡¯s information. If her spection turned out to be true, then, as juniors, she and He Changdi couldn¡¯t stand by and ignore this matter.

    Recently, her mother-inw had been appearing much more haggard than before. Even Great Doctor Miao had specially visited her, asking her to urge Countess Jing¡¯an to pay more attention to her health. She shouldn¡¯t let his medical skills and the valuable medicines go to waste by rpsing back into illness.

 Chapter 577 - My Dear Daughter (2)

    <strong>Chapter 577: My Dear Daughter (2)</strong>

    Xiyan didn¡¯t return until the evening. She secretly reported the information that she learnt to Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian listened to her report and confirmed her suspicions. One of the cloisonn¨¦ vases had been pawned away. Although Countess Jing¡¯an had done it stealthily, it was impossible to do it without any traces.

    Chu Lian guessed that the money received from pawning the vase had probably been deposited into House Jing¡¯an¡¯s public ounts.

    As Chu Lian waited for He Changdi to return for dinner, she thought about how she should tell him about this issue. Unfortunately, Laiyue came to report that He Sang was going to have dinner with his colleagues from the Ministry of War tonight. Eldest Brother He Changqi and Second Brother He Changjue would also be present at the dinner, so it seemed like he would being back slightlyter tonight.

    Chu Lian sent Laiyue back with an acknowledgement. She promptly asked Senior Servant Gui to set up the meal so she could finish eating earlier and go to bed afterwards.

    At the same time that Chu Lian received the report, Matriarch He was also notified. The matriarch ordered the manservants of the outer court to take good care of her grandsons, who were returningte at night.

    After dinner, He Ying pulled her daughter into her bedroom and whispered into her ears.

    Pan Nianzhen¡¯s face instantly flushed. She nervously tightened her grasp on the handkerchief in her hand and asked timidly, ¡°Mother... Is... Is this really alright?¡±

    He Ying pped her daughter¡¯s back, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it? If we don¡¯t use this method, you¡¯ll never be able to stay in the Jing¡¯an Estate. Do you really want to marry those poor, powerless, and pathetic men? Do you want to serve under their strict mothers?¡±

    Pan Nianzhen hastily shook her head, ¡°No... I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Then do as I¡¯ve taught you. If it doesn¡¯t work out, I have my own way of making sure that no one finds out. If it¡¯s sessful, even your grandmother won¡¯t be able to stop you from marrying into House Jing¡¯an.¡±

    Pan Nianzhen summoned all her courage, bit her lips, and finally gave her mother a nod, ¡°Alright, Mother, I¡¯ll listen to everything you say.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s my good daughter. All those years of guidance weren¡¯t in vain.¡±

    The same night, around 11pm, the three brothers of the He family returned to the estate together.

    It was already toote at night, so He Eng didn¡¯t return to the Left Military Guards. He joined his two brothers in their carriage and returned to the estate.

    Once the three brothers entered the estate, the assistant steward and a group of manservants promptly greeted them.

    The three brothers weren¡¯t the only ones who had drunk a lot tonight. Their personal manservants had also been forced to drink in a separate room.

    Their personal manservants, Laiyue and Kangshou, had already been taken to a nearby room in the outer court to rest.

    The assistant steward didn¡¯t dare to be remiss in his care because of Matriarch He¡¯s earlier instructions.

    Amongst the three brothers, only He Changdi remained slightly more sober. If it weren¡¯t for him, they probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to return and would have stayed outside overnight.

    The restaurant they had dinner at was right across the street from Wangxian Chamber, the most famous brothel within the capital.

    He Changdi¡¯s personality was such that he didn¡¯t like drinking alcohol. He only had a moderate alcohol tolerance, so even if he controlled how much he drank, he still had a headache right now.

    The eldest brother, He Changqi, was the most drunk. Eng was still able to speak, but he was clearly in the middle of a drunk high based on how he talked!

    He Changdi massaged his temples with one hand. His brows furrowed as he gave orders to the steward in a low voice, ¡°Just take Eldest Brother and Second Brother over to the main study in the outer court to rest. It¡¯ste, so make sure you don¡¯t disturb Grandmother and Mother.¡±

    A burly manservant carried He Changqi on his back, straight to a room inside the study to rest.

    However, He Changjue started acting up in his drunken state. He refused to go into the room to rest. Moreover, he even held on to He Changdi, refusing to let him leave.

    ¡°Hey... Third Brother... don¡¯t leave! Let¡¯s drink some more. It¡¯s been so long since we¡¯ve had a good drink together!¡±

 Chapter 578 - Mishap (1)

    <strong>Chapter 578: Mishap (1)</strong>

    He Changdi let out a cold snort. He mercilessly rejected his brother, ¡°Second Brother, if you want to keep drinking, you can do it by yourself. I¡¯m tired, I¡¯m heading back to my ce to rest.¡±

    However, He Changjue was a stubborn one. He continued hanging onto He Changdi¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Is it just because Third Sister-in-Law might be waiting up for you? Don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s already thiste, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s already gone to bed!¡±

    He Changdi chuckled coldly, ¡°Someone who¡¯s still single won¡¯t understand.¡±

    He Sang¡¯s words stirred up the ho¡¯s nest. He Changjue still had enough consciousness left to recognise the insult. Furthermore, his path to love had never been smooth. His brother¡¯s mocking tipped him over the edge and he leaped up to attack He Changdi.

    Of course, He Changdi was no pushover. They started brawling noisily right there in the study.

    Perhaps due to their drunkenness, the brothers fought fiercely.

    The maidservant waiting outside was pale with fright. She hurriedly ran off to find the steward. The steward was already old, so there was no way he could pull apart his two masters. In the end, he ordered some servants to bring the family soldiers here to stop their fight.

    ¡°You little brat! Don¡¯t you dare show off with your wife in front of me in the future, or I¡¯ll knock all your teeth out!¡± He Eng was still scolding his little brother when they were pulled apart, the very picture of a drunk maniac.

    He Changdi had suffered a punch of the corner of his lips, which was starting to bruise. However, at least he had left Eng in much worse shape. He shifted his jaw and muttered ¡®idiot¡¯ under his breath. Just as he was about to return to the inner court to look for his wife, the steward stopped him.

    ¡°Ah, Second Young Master, Third Young Master, please, drink a bowl of sobering soup before you head back to rest.¡±

    There was a maidservant standing behind the assistant steward with a food container in hand.

    When the steward finished speaking, the maidservant hurried forward and set down the box on the table. She brought out two warm bowls of sobering soup and offered one each to He Changjue and He Changdi.

    After that brief bout, both brothers were a little thirsty. He Changjue took the bowl and downed it in one gulp. He even had another two cups of tea in addition.

    He Changdi took up the porcin bowl. When he put it to his mouth, he frowned. The smell of this sobering soup was strange.

    He didn¡¯t like drinking these types of medicinal soups, so he only had less than half the bowl.

    When he returned to the estate, he had already sent someone to Songtao Court to ask about his wife. The person he sent returned to say that Third Young Madam had already gone to bed.

    He Sang escorted his brother to the side room in the study and waited until the servants had helped him out of his clothes andid him in bed.

    The assistant steward drew closer with a smile, ¡°Third Young Master, would you like to rest here in the outer court, or return to the inner court tonight?¡±

    Since Chu Lian was already asleep, He Changdi told the steward to arrange a side room for him in the outer court as well.

    The assistant steward personally led He Sang to the side room on the left of the main study.

    After he entered the room, He Changdi came out again in a few minutes. He told the manservant guarding the door outside, ¡°Prepare the room next to Second Brother. I¡¯ll sleep over there.¡±

    The manservant quickly ran off to follow his orders.

    While He Eng was a good drinker, he became unreliable once he was high. He Sang was worried that something would happen to him in the night, so he decided to watch over his brother instead.

    By the time he finallyid down to rest, it was already an hourter.

    Ever since he had gotten married, He Changdi hadn¡¯t spent many nights in the main study in the outer court. He had also slept in this particr side room a few times before. However, for some reason, it felt ufortable this time.

    The nkets didn¡¯t feel as soft, the bedding wasn¡¯tfortable enough, his sides were empty, making him feel that the entire room was too empty and quiet.

 Chapter 579 - Mishap (2)

    <strong>Chapter 579: Mishap (2)</strong>

    He Changdi forced himself to sleep. When he turned to his side, he reached out for the warm body that was usually beside him. The emptiness that met his arm startled He Changdi awake.

    He stared at the bed curtains for a few seconds before realising that this wasn¡¯t his bedroom in Songtao Court and that Chu Lian wasn¡¯t by his side right now.

    An irritable heat was building up within him. He tossed and turned, but he couldn¡¯t sleep. His mind was full of Chu Lian.

    Finally, he ended up flipping the nkets aside and getting off the bed.

    The night was quiet. Even the manservant who was supposed to be on duty through the night was sound asleep in the side room.

    He Changdi walked over to the window and opened it. He somersaulted out easily and rushed straight for Songtao Court.

    The moment he entered Songtao Court through the window, he was stopped by a soft voice, ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡±

    Wenqing dashed over, only to see He Changdi sitting on the window sill, in the middle of breaking into his own room. The corner of her mouth twitched uncontrobly and she set down her raised sword. She greeted him with a bob, ¡°Third Young Master.¡±

    He Changdi dismissed her with a wave of his hand and finished entering the bedroom, closing the window on the way.

    Chu Lian was in the middle of some sweet dreams when something caught her and tightened around her.

    She turned around and faced He Changdi, trying to push the thing holding onto her away.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, it¡¯s me.¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s eyes were like ck holes in the darkness, as bottomless and imprable as a deepke.

    Unfortunately, Chu Lian was still sleeping, so she couldn¡¯t see that his eyes were hazy with desire.

    He Changdi traced the profile of Chu Lian¡¯s face with his fingers, but it only made the heat within him worse.

    He buried his head into the crook of her shoulder and called her name, ¡°Lian¡¯er.¡±

    Chu Lian usually slept like a log, and this night was no exception. When she was trapped in his tight embrace, all she did was struggle perfunctorily twice. The moment she found that her struggles were useless, she gave up and let He Changdi do as he wanted. Perhaps due to the familiar scent around her, she rxed more and even reached out to hug He Changdi¡¯s narrow waist.

    The fire burning in He Sang¡¯s heart was bing unbearable. He kissed the sensitive back of Chu Lian¡¯s ear, huffing out his breath over her soft, little earlobe. His pants were starting to be heavier.

    His hands roamed freely over Chu Lian¡¯s body until she finally awoke.

    When she first opened her eyes, a sleepy haze still covered them. It was when her top was suddenly taken away that she immediately came to her senses.

    He Sang could tell that she had woken up, so he covered her lips with his own and started plundering with his tongue.

    Chu Lian made some muffled sounds, intending to protest, but she soon realised that He Changdi was especially forceful tonight. He wouldn¡¯t let her retreat at all.

    She was soon teased to the point of wanting.

    When He Sang finally entered her, forcefully and mercilessly, Chu Lian felt like her waist was about to break. However, no matter how much she pleaded, it was no use.

    An hourter, the bedroom finally quietened down again.

    Wenqing had remained on duty in the side room at first, butter on, she had quietly slipped away...

    Chu Lian was extremely put out. Her throat was hoarse from her cries and she didn¡¯t even know what day it was.

    It wasn¡¯t until He Changdi carried her into the bathtub that she regained her senses.

    He Sang used a soft cloth to clean his wife¡¯s body. Chu Lian was sprawled against his chest without even the strength to move a single finger. She suddenly bit harshly on He Changdi¡¯s shoulder, leaving two neat rows of teeth marks on the muscles there.

    Sheined with her hoarse voice, ¡°He Changdi! You¡¯re actually a huge pervert, aren¡¯t you!¡±

    He Sang didn¡¯t mind whatever his wife called him. He chuckled lowly and whispered teasingly into her ear, ¡°Haven¡¯t I serviced you enough? I thought all your energy should have been used up by now?¡±

 Chapter 580 - Mishap (3)

    <strong>Chapter 580: Mishap (3)</strong>

    Chu Lian immediately shut up and buried her head into his chest after she heard that.

    He Changdi stroked her back soothingly. His palm slid down to her waist and massaged it gently.

    They soaked in the tub together for a calm moment until Chu Lian felt the aches in her body easing.

    She looked up at He Changdi with her cheek still on his chest, ¡°Where did you go to drink tonight? Why did youe back sote? Are Eldest Brother and Second Brother resting in the outer court?¡±

    He Changdi leaned against the tub with one arm around Chu Lian. His other arm was still massaging her slender willowy waist. He shut his eyes as he replied in his husky, maic voice, ¡°Mu¡¯ai Restaurant. Eldest Brother and Second Brother drank even more than I did. They were already resting when I left the outer court.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

    Mu¡¯ai Restaurant?

    Since He Sang had given her that storefront on Zhuque Avenue, she had specially gone to Zhou Wen for more details on the area. If she remembered correctly, Mu¡¯ai Restaurant was right opposite the most famous brothel in the capital...

    Chu Lian stared at He Changdi¡¯s handsome face while biting her lip.

    He Sang¡¯s eyes slid open a tiny bit. He peeked at Chu Lian before shutting them again in a suspiciously calm manner.

    ¡°If I did anything outside, would you have begged for mercy like that just now?¡± He Changdi drew closer and whispered the rest right into Chu Lian¡¯s sensitive ear, ¡°Your voice even turned hoarse from all your screaming...¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s face exploded into a furious blush.

    She stared with wide almond-shaped eyes. She hadn¡¯t thought that He Sang would be able to act so... so lewd!

    Hadn¡¯t he always been the restrained gentlemanly type?

    ¡°Why are your eyes opened so wide? Did I say something wrong?¡±

    He Sang was getting into it!

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to acknowledge his sudden lunatic fit. Her husband had never been normal anyway.

    After a short moment, Chu Lian felt that there was something wrong.

    She looked up and asked, ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t you return around 11pm? Why did youe over to Songtao Court sote?¡±

    ¡°I sent someone to check when I came back, and the servants said that you were already sleeping, so I was nning to rest in the main study with my brothers.¡±

    Thoughts flew around in Chu Lian¡¯s head. So her husband hadn¡¯t been able to fall asleep in the outer court and hade back secretly in the middle of the night?

    However, he had been brimming with desire when he had returned. The way he had acted, all forceful and ferocious, was very different from how he normally acted as well...

    Over the past few days, whenever they had battled it out in the bedroom, he would keep her feelings in mind even if he wanted more.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t replied for some time, so He Sang opened his eyes. He let out a simple, ¡°Hmm?¡± to prompt her.

    His wife seemed to be thinking of how to phrase her words. She eventually asked, ¡°Did you feel any difort when you came back?¡±

    He Sang frowned as he thought.

    Chu Lian continued speaking before he could reply, ¡°I slepttest night because there was something I wanted to discuss with you. I was looking at the ount books in my study and I only slept when it was past 11.¡±

    It all became clear to He Changdi after Chu Lian¡¯s exnation. Someone must have tried to trick himst night.

    His wife hadn¡¯t gone to sleep yet, but the senior servant he had sent to check on her had told him that his wife was already asleep. This must have been arranged in advance by someone. As for why they would do so, it was obvious that they wanted him to sleep in the outer court.

    Ever since he had returned from the northern border, he had added some of his soldiers to the guard at the Jing¡¯an Estate. Coupled with the existing family soldiers, the estate had be like a steel bucket. Even flies wouldn¡¯t be able to enter. Since strangers wouldn¡¯t be able to enter the estate, then it could only have been someone from the inside.

 Chapter 581 - Mishap (4)

    <strong>Chapter 581: Mishap (4)</strong>

    He Changdi¡¯s eyes narrowed. When he recalled that his two older brothers were still sleeping in the outer court, he lifted Chu Lian up from the bathtub and covered her snugly with hisrge sleep shirt. He carried her over to the bed and set her down.

    He Sang petted her smooth hair, ¡°Lian¡¯er, you should sleep first. I¡¯m going to take a look at the outer court.¡±

    He quickly changed into a fresh set of clothes. As he was about to leave, he found that Chu Lian had also changed into a normal dress. She tugged at his sleeve, ¡°I¡¯m going with you.¡±

    He Changdi hesitated for a moment before taking her hand. As they passed the changing screen, he swiped up a brocade cloak with a fox fur hood and put it on Chu Lian.

    The couple took some servants with them as they rushed over to the main study.

    Right as they left the inner court, the family soldiers who were on night duty came over to meet them.

    It was Huang Zhijian who was on duty tonight. He and the four young guards behind him bowed in greeting towards He Changdi and Chu Lian, ¡°Third Young Master, is anything the matter?¡±

    He Sang cast an indifferent nce over Huang Zhijian, ¡°We¡¯re going to the main study in the outer court.¡±

    Huang Zhijian didn¡¯t question him and quietly followed behind the two masters with the other guards.

    From the outside, the main study was shrouded in darkness. Only a single row of dimnterns lit up the corridors.

    Huang Zhijian could sense that something was wrong. There should have been at least a few manservants on guard outside the main study at this time of night, yet there were none...

    Even if there wasn¡¯t anyone using the main study, there would be two or three manservants on duty inside. They would rest in the side rooms of the study at night and keep watch over the valuable books and items within the study.

    There were two of their masters sleeping in the study right now, but there wasn¡¯t a single servant outside!

    He Changdi paused for a moment in the corridor outside the main study. He was about to push open the doors to enter, but he realised that the doors had been locked from the inside. He immediately kicked the doors open and took Chu Lian with him as they strode into the section on the left.

    There were two smaller rooms here, with entrances facing each other. He Changdi had been sleeping in the west one at first, while He Eng was sleeping in the one to the east. When they entered the east room and realised that there was no one inside, they checked the west room and found that Eng was sleeping soundly within. His clothes were still the same as before, so He Changdi rxed.

    Following that, He Changdi and Chu Lian headed over to the section on the right of the study.

    When he tried to open the door, he found that the room had been locked from the inside!

    He Changdi¡¯s first reaction was to kick in the doors again. A twitch developed in Chu Lian¡¯s eyes as she watched her husband¡¯s violent actions.

    However, it was when they walked up to the bedchamber and shoved the curtains open that they sucked in gasps of surprise!

    The bed was a chaotic mess. Various items of clothing were strewn all over and there was the distinctive smell of sex in the air.

    Although the room wasn¡¯t lit, one of the guards behind them lifted hisntern, casting light upon the situation inside.

    The two naked bodies lying on the bed... were He Dng and Pan Nianzhen!

    Everything had happened so abruptly that Pan Nianzhen only started to awaken after He Changdi kicked down the doors. Her head was aching so much it felt like it was being pierced by a thousand silver needles.

    When she opened her eyes to see He Changdi fully dressed beside the bed, with icy cold eyes directed towards her, her body immediately froze up. The expression on her face slowly copsed into despair.

    Chu Lian hated the way Pan Nianzhen was looking at He Changdi, so she stepped forward to block her husband from her gaze.

    The moment Pan Nianzhen caught sight of Chu Lian, she finally lost control of her emotions and let out a high-pitched wail.

    Following Pan Nianzhen¡¯s scream, the lights ofnterns red to life all over the previously dark Jing¡¯an Estate. It was going to be a sleepless night for House Jing¡¯an.

 Chapter 582 - The Matriarchâ€™s Idea (1)

    <strong>Chapter 582: The Matriarch¡¯s Idea (1)</strong>

    Chu Lian had never seen such a thick-skinned and shameless person in her life.

    Thentern lights were burning bright in Qingxi Hall, making as bright as day.

    Everyone in the family was gathered in the parlour of Qingxi Hall.

    The expressions on their faces were all grave and serious.

    Chu Lian sat next to He Changdi, her gaze focused on their eldest brother, He Changqi, who was seated on the main raised tform in the parlour.

    He Changqi still looked out of it. It was clear he hadn¡¯t recovered from the shock earlier. Although his figure was asrge and burly as before, he seemed more like a lone and lost bear right now. Theyer of stubble on his chin added to his fragile appearance.

    The grating sound of Eldest Madam He Ying¡¯s sobs was ringing in everyone¡¯s ears now.

    Ever since she had discovered what had happened to He Dng and Miss Pan, He Ying had been wailing herints in the parlour.

    She was acting like a crazy woman, unbefitting of a noble, causing everyone in the estate to look down on her even more.

    Matriarch He had been awakened in the middle of the night, so her expression wasn¡¯t looking too good. When she heard that something had happened to her granddaughter, she almost fainted right over.

    Following that, her ears had been filled with the incessant cries of He Ying, turning her Qingxi Hall into a noisy vegetable market.

    Even the servants couldn¡¯t bear to look.

    Countess Jing¡¯an was helped into the parlour by Senior Servant Wang. Her face was as pale as a sheet, rming Chu Lian, who hurriedly went up to support her other side.

    When Matriarch He saw that Countess Jing¡¯an had arrived, she finally had someone to vent all the fire in her belly on. She pped the table and roared furiously, ¡°Look at the son you¡¯ve birthed! That monster ruined his very own cousin!¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an almost copsed to the floor thanks to the matriarch¡¯s words.

    Luckily, there were two people supporting her on either side, or she might have fainted out of anger.

    The normally mild-mannered countess pointed at He Dng with a trembling finger. Her voice was hoarse with pain as she ordered, ¡°You unfilial son! Kneel down right now!¡±

    He Dng¡¯s eyes were still empty. Upon hearing his mother¡¯s order, he didn¡¯t give out any sound of protest. He simply knelt down in the center of the parlour. His originally straight back was bent over, causing a pang of heartache in those who cared for him.

    Chu Lian shot a look at Senior Servant Wang, and they worked in unison to help Countess Jing¡¯an over to a nearby chair.

    He Ying kneeled down on the ground and grabbed onto the matriarch¡¯s legs. She wailed, ¡°Mother! You have to do something for Miss Zhen! My poor, innocent daughter! I was still looking for a good marriage for her!¡±

    Pan Nianzhen had been taken back to Qingxi Hall by now. She was resting in one of the side rooms near the parlour, with Senior Servant Liu and a few maidservants taking care of her.

    She hadn¡¯t stopped crying ever since she had returned to Qingxi Hall, no matter how Senior Servant Liu and the maidservants tried tofort her. Her eyes were already swollen to the size of walnuts. It was clear that she was feeling regret over her actions.

    Doubts arose in Senior Servant Liu¡¯s heart upon seeing Pan Nianzhen¡¯s performance.

    She kept a watchful eye on the maidservants by Pan Nianzhen¡¯s side.

    Over in the parlour, He Ying¡¯s plea for help had only darkened the storm on Matriarch He¡¯s face. Although she still felt guilt over her treatment of her daughter, the current situation was like a p in her face. Thus, she finally spoke harshly towards her daughter.

    ¡°Even so, why didn¡¯t you take proper care of Miss Zhen! Why would she be in the outer court at such ate hour!¡±

    The matriarch still had her moments of clear wit. She could see that something was wrong with the situation.

    Even though this dynasty was more open-minded, there was an unspoken curfew at night for thedies. Once the skies turned dark and they finished their dinners, nobledies would stay in their own rooms. They wouldn¡¯t leave their own courtyards, let alone the estate.

    Last night, the three He brothers had returned at a veryte hour. Why had Pan Nianzhen appeared in the main study of the outer court at that time?

    The answer to this question would determine whether He Dng was a victim or a culprit.

 Chapter 583 - The Matriarchâ€™s Idea (2)

    <strong>Chapter 583: The Matriarch¡¯s Idea (2)</strong>

    He Ying had an instant of panic when she heard that question, but she quickly calmed down.

    As for why her daughter had appeared in the outer court, it was her doing of course! However, she had arranged for He Eng to be the one. She had no idea why it had suddenly turned into He Dng!

    However, since her mother was casting her suspicions on her now, she couldn¡¯t admit to that.

    In order to finish up her ns, she had no choice but to use He Dng now.

    He Changqi was the eldest grandson of House Jing¡¯an. He was going to inherit the countship in the future. If she was really able to marry Miss Zhen to him, it wouldn¡¯t be that bad of a choicepared to her original ns.

    He Ying¡¯s target shifted in the span of a few seconds of thinking.

    Anyway, things had already happened. She just had to push Miss Zhen onto He Dng no matter what.

    He Ying refused to speak. She only continued crying in sobs, annoying the matriarch even further.

    The problem at hand was tricky. The victim here was her granddaughter, who had only been living in the estate for a few months. However, in that short amount of time, that lovely flower had been plucked. Pan Nianzhen didn¡¯t have much status to begin with. Now that her body had been ruined, who could she marry?

    Even if they managed to get her married, she would only be a disgrace to House Jing¡¯an.

    Matriarch He bowed her head. She caught sight of her eldest grandson from the corner of her eyes.

    He didn¡¯t have any heirs and he had just divorced. Even though he was nearing thirty, his previous wife had only left him two daughters.

    Miss Zhen was Dng¡¯s cousin and he had interacted with her a few times before. Dng was meant to inherit the title of Count Jing¡¯an, so he couldn¡¯t stay single forever. He had to have an heir someday.

    Compared to bringing in an arrogant young noble miss from the outside, why not simply give Miss Zhen to him in marriage? Miss Zhen was still young, so surely she would be able to give him a heir?

    Eldest Madam¡¯s non-stop crying had made everyone fidgety.

    Chu Lian looked at He Changdi.

    He Sang took in the ring of spectators in the parlour with his cold eyes and understood that he was the only one who could do something now.

    His eldest brother was still lost and nk. He hadn¡¯t recovered from his shock at all. His second brother was still sound asleep. His mother was too soft and she wasn¡¯t good at sticking her head out in these kinds of matters.

    Chu Lian did have that capability, but she was the youngest here and it wouldn¡¯t be easy for her to stand out. He Changdi couldn¡¯t bear to have his wife stand out again to face the crowd anyway.

    ¡°Aunt, stop crying. I¡¯ll send someone to investigate the details of this matter. If it¡¯s Eldest Brother¡¯s fault, he¡¯ll definitely take responsibility as a man. However, if I find out that this was all part of some unsavoury plot, then don¡¯t me me for not giving face to rtives!¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s voice was as icy as the tundra. He Ying couldn¡¯t help but twitch.

    She shot a quick, fearful nce at He Changdi, guilt rising in her heart.

    Matriarch He¡¯s face had lost all colour. In this short amount of time, it seemed like her hair had turned more white and the wrinkles on her face had deepened.

    Since her youngest grandson had volunteered to take on the matter, she nodded in agreement. As much as she wanted to oversee the resolution of this, she didn¡¯t have the energy any longer.

    Matriarch He waved her hand weakly to dismiss them all. She spoke with some difficulty, her age clearly catching up, ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave this matter to Sang. The sun hasn¡¯t risen yet. Return to your beds and get some rest. There¡¯s no need toe here for morning greetings tomorrow.¡±

    After she was done speaking, Matriarch He hobbled towards her bedroom with the help of Muxiang and another handmaid.

    He Ying tried to follow behind her, but she was stopped by the maidservant guarding the door.

    Apology showed on the maidservant¡¯s face, ¡°Eldest Madam, the matriarch isn¡¯t feeling well. Please allow her to have some rest.¡±

    He Ying wanted to barge in regardless, but Senior Servant Liu arrived just in time to persuade her otherwise.

 Chapter 584 - Another Plot (1)

    <strong>Chapter 584: Another Plot (1)</strong>

    Within a side room in Qingxi Hall, Muxaing was seated next to a desk. A single candle was lit, its flickering me causing the shadows on Muxiang¡¯s face to ebb and flow.

    Someone knocked on the door at this time, to which Muxiang answered, ¡°Enter.¡±

    A maidservant pushed the door open and came into the room. She turned to lock the door before quickly moving to Muxiang.

    Muxiang was seated with her back to the light, dressed in a pretty azure dress embroidered with butterflies, very different from what most maidservants wore. She nced over at the maidservant, who startled and hurriedly lowered her head, standing to attention.

    ¡°How is it?¡±

    ¡°Replying to Miss Muxiang, this servant has already gone out to investigate. Everything happened as we predicted, except for one thing... When Second Young Master drank that sobering soup, there were no changes in him.¡±

    Muxiang let out a peal ofughter. ¡°How lucky for him.¡±

    After a slight pause, she asked, ¡°How did Pan Nianzhen enter Eldest Young Master¡¯s room?¡±

    The maidservant replied in detail, ¡°After she drank that ¡®medicine¡¯, she headed straight for Third Young Master¡¯s room. However, Third Young Master had already left, so she entered Second Young Master¡¯s room instead. When Third Young Master went to the inner court, Second Young Master took Third Young Master¡¯s room, leaving her with no choice but to go to Eldest Young Master¡¯s room instead.¡±

    He Dng had drunk too much that night. His days hadn¡¯t been going smoothly either. In his drunkenness, he had mistaken Pan Nianzhen for Madam Zou...

    In order to bolster her courage, Pan Nianzhen had also taken an aphrodisiac. By the time she reached He Changqi¡¯s bedside, her mind had already turned fuzzy, so she didn¡¯t even notice that the man she was with wasn¡¯t He Changdi.

    Through this series of mishaps, the two of them had slept together. Of course, Muxiang had her own part to y in causing this mess.

    Pan Nianzhen had not wanted to take the drug at first. However, her maidservant Pinglu had persuaded her otherwise and she had taken the aphrodisiac. Otherwise, if Pan Nianzhen had been clear-minded, none of this would have happened.

    A mocking curve appeared on Muxiang¡¯s lips.

    Even a country bumpkin like Pan Nianzhen wanted to have He Changdi?

    She had been practically asking for it.

    This was just a small lesson for her. If there were ever a next time, it would definitely be herst!

    When the maidservant realised that the air around Muxiang had changed, she trembled in fear and bowed her head even lower. She didn¡¯t dare to speak.

    ¡°Continue working hard for me. Remember, your mother and younger brother are in my hands. If you¡¯re not obedient, I¡¯ll immediately have my men send their heads straight to your doorstep.¡± Muxiang didn¡¯t have any particr expression on her face as she threatened the maidservant. The maidservant fell down to her knees in fright and kowtowed repeatedly.

    ¡°Miss Muxiang, please spare this servant¡¯s mother and brother. This servant will definitely work hard for you.¡±

    Muxiang snorted. ¡°Rest assured. As long as you¡¯re good for me, your mother and brother will have happy and carefree lives.¡±

    Once the shivering maidservant had left, Muxiang stayed seated at the desk for a long moment. The emotions in her imprable eyes changed as quickly as the candle¡¯s me flickered.

    It wasn¡¯t until the first tendrils of dawn crept over the horizon that she picked up the brush on the table and quickly wrote something on a piece of paper.

    She wrote out a full three pages before she stopped. Then, she blew on the papers to dry the ink, carefully folded them, and finally put them into an envelope, which she tucked into her clothes.

    Muxiang stood up and walked over to the window, the determination to win shing in her eyes.

    Since the heavens had given her a second chance, she wasn¡¯t going to squander it. This time, she wouldn¡¯t make the wrong choice.

    He Changdi was going to be her husband in this lifetime, just as he had in the previous one.

    As for that imposter in her body, she was definitely going to unmask her one day and have He Changdi see her for who she really was!

    Did that imposter really think that she had turned into House Ying¡¯s Sixth Miss Chu Lian just because she was wearing her face?

    Dream on!

    She was the only one who could be Chu Lian! The pearl hidden in the dust was her alone!

 Chapter 585 - Another Plot (2)

    <strong>Chapter 585: Another Plot (2)</strong>

    He Changdi sent Chu Lian back to Songtao Court before heading to the outer court. He gathered everyone in the main study in the outer court to question them personally.

    Actually, He Ying had left many traces behind, so it didn¡¯t take He Changdi much work to find out the truth.

    However, once he examined all the details again, he found that something was amiss.

    If they went by normal logic, He Ying would have surely targeted Second Brother. Why was it Eldest Brother who had gotten attacked in the end?

    It felt as if there was someone pulling the strings in the background, but he didn¡¯t have a shred of evidence nor any leads.

    There shouldn¡¯t be anyone else except for He Ying and her daughter who would do such a thing in the entire Jing¡¯an Estate.

    Finally, He Changdi discovered that there was something wrong with the sobering soup from that night.

    No wonder he had felt strange halfway into the night. He had only taken less than half of the soup, barely a few mouthfuls, yet his body had reacted.

    However, He Eng had woken up the next day like nothing had happened to him at all. He had even been brimming with vigour.

    After a few questions to draw the truth out of his brother, He Sang didn¡¯t know how to react.

    It turned out that He Changjue had puked out everything he had drunk shortly after returning to the room... That was how he had been able to fall into a dead slumber. When he woke up in the middle of the night, he had gone to look for He Sang and ended up sleeping in his room instead.

    He Eng¡¯s luck was crazily good.

    Chu Lian had the same thoughts when He Sang exined the events to her.

    When He Changjue woke up in the morning and found out what had happened over the night, he was extremely dissatisfied with He Ying and her daughter. He med the matriarch as well, for not reining in his aunt and cousin. He never liked staying in the estate in the first ce. Coupled with the mess the estate was in right now, he returned to the barracks that very afternoon.

    He Changdi changed into his official robes and attended court as usual in the morning. However, he didn¡¯t go to the Ministry of Warter on. He headed straight back to the estate.

    He managed to catch Chu Lian just in time to have lunch with her. When they were done with lunch, the couple settled down for an afternoon nap.

    After the uproar in the night, they hadn¡¯t slept at all when they returned to Songtao Court. They had stayed awake until now. After filling their bellies, it was finally time to take a good rest.

    It was now the end of February, and the weather was slowly warming up. These few days, the estate had doused the fires for the internal heating.

    The couple leaned against the headboard of their bed together. Since they had just had their midday meal, they had to rest for a bit before sleeping. Chu Lian turned to He Changdi to ask, ¡°Have you reported what you found to Grandmother?¡±

    He Changdi had his eyes shut as he leaned against the headboard. He let out a grunt of affirmation.

    Chu Lian drew closer. ¡°What did Grandmother say?¡±

    He Changdi opened his eyes and looked at his wife. His tone held a little bit of helplessness as he replied, ¡°Grandmother wants Eldest Brother to marry Pan Nianzhen and take her as his second wife.¡±

    What? Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°How could Grandmother think of that?¡± Hadn¡¯t the matriarch grown too muddleheaded?

    Although Eldest Brother and Madam Zou had already divorced, he was still the eldest son of House Jing¡¯an. He was meant to inherit the title one day. Even if he had to remarry, it shouldn¡¯t be this hurried.

    Even if he didn¡¯t marry another nobledy, Eldest Brother could at least choose a generous, kind-hearteddy of good standing.

    If not for Eldest Brother, they had to consider Miss An and Miss Lin as well. How could someone like Pan Nianzhen make a good stepmother for the two girls? If He Dng really married her, the first ones to suffer would be the children.

    He Changdi¡¯s brows were also locked together in a frown. Grandmother was too stubborn and biased at times.

    He Ying and Pan Nianzhen had made full use of Grandmother¡¯s weakness.

    ¡°What does Eldest Brother think?¡±

    He Dng had always been caring towards Chu Lian as an older brother. Furthermore, he had a big heart and was very considerate. He was a good brother. He Dng had suffered so much until he had finally gotten away from Madam Zou. She didn¡¯t want He Dng to get out of the frying pan only to fall back into the fire.

 Chapter 586 - Becoming the Countess is Good Too (1)

    <strong>Chapter 586: Bing the Countess is Good Too (1)</strong>

    He Changdi sighed and shook his head.

    Eldest Brother had a very honest personality, and he was very filial. It didn¡¯t matter whether this situation had been nned by Aunt and her daughter or not. What¡¯s done was done, there was no way around it.

    If Grandmother insisted on him marrying Pan Nianzhen, he probably wouldn¡¯t reject.

    Even if it was clear that no happiness woulde out of their marriage, he wouldn¡¯t reject it.

    It seemed like He Changqi had already given up and was only trying to please others. This course of action was extremely damaging to him.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you persuade Eldest Brother?¡± Chu Lian suggested.

    He Changdi shook his head again.

    As the three brothers had grown up together, He Changdi knew his eldest brother very well despite their age gap of ten years.

    As the eldest son of the family, He Changdi had been indoctrinated at a young age to be a pir for the family and to take care of his brothers. He had an upright and responsible personality. He had to assume filial duties on behalf of his brothers as the eldest. In the Great Wu Dynasty, filial piety was a core value of the country, so in normal situations, most children would never go against the wishes and decisions of their parents.

    Therefore, it was easy to imagine the pressure that Dng was under when faced with Matriarch He, who was his grandmother

    Although He Sang had some measure of power in the household, he was still one of the youngest in the family and he didn¡¯t hold any authority towards his brother. Even if he were to persuade him sincerely, He Dng simply wouldn¡¯t listen.

    The only person who could overturn the decisions of the matriarch and He Changqi would be his father, Count Jing¡¯an.

    Hearing He Sang¡¯s exnation, Chu Lian hastily interjected, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Father is returning soon? Let¡¯s write a letter to notify him about this matter!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s suggestion made sense to him. He Changdi quickly got up, walked to the writing desk, and begun writing a letter.

    Once the letter hd been sent out by Wen, the couple finally rxed their tense shoulders.

    As long as Count Jing¡¯an managed to return in time, the marriage between He Dng and Pan Nianzhen wouldn¡¯t happen.

    Chu Lian and He Changdi then chatted for a little more before having their afternoon nap together.

    Within a room in Qingxi Hall, Pan Nianzhen was lying on the bed. She had already cried to the point of passing out several times.

    When she had been ¡®caught with her pants down¡¯ by He Changdi and Chu Lian this morning, it had felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her mind had copsed instantly.

    Until now, she still refused to believe that the person she had mustered up her courage to give up her body to was actually the tall, bear-like He Changqi!

    The prince charming she had been dreaming about turned into a ck bear. Pan Nianzhen wanted to m her head into the wall and kill herself, but she managed to stop herself from doing that with what was left of her rationality.

    Although she hated the situation right now, she didn¡¯t have the courage to hang herself.

    Momentster, He Ying entered.

    Seeing her pale and haggard-looking daughter, she helplessly sighed. She walked up to her daughter and sat by the bedside.

    ¡°Miss Zhen, Mother arranged everything perfectly for you. How... how did you make a mistake?¡±

    He Ying may have been a selfish shrew, but she treated her only daughter well. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have groomed Pan Nianzhen into what she was.

    Pan Nianzhen didn¡¯t dare to tell her mother the truth now. How could she reveal that she hadn¡¯t intended to follow the n at all?

    Her target from the very beginning wasn¡¯t He Eng, it was He Sang.

    The servant who had told He Changdi that Chu Lian was sleeping had been bought by her.

    ¡°Mother, my mind was in a daze then. I don¡¯t know how I made the mistake.¡±

    At the mention of the incident, the floodgates were opened once again. Tears fell freely from Pan Nianzhen¡¯s eyes which were already swollen from all her crying. She threw herself into He Ying¡¯s embrace and wailed, ¡°Mother, what should I do? I can¡¯t live on anymore...¡±

    He Ying wanted to admonish her daughter for having foiled the n. She had arranged everything to perfection, yet her daughter had somehow made a mistake. However, looking at her daughter¡¯s state, she lost the will to reprimand her.

    She sighed and said, ¡°What else can we do? You have no choice but to marry Dng now!¡± There was decisiveness in her tone.

    Pan Nianzhen sobbed, she obviously didn¡¯t want this.

 Chapter 587 - Becoming the Countess is Good Too (2)

    <strong>Chapter 587: Bing the Countess is Good Too (2)</strong>

    He Ying knew her daughter well and she could read her daughter¡¯s thoughts like a book. Amongst the three young masters of the He Family, He Sang was undoubtedly the best in terms of appearance, while He Eng was second. Coming inst was the eldest, He Dng, who resembled Count Jing¡¯an the most and wasn¡¯t very appealing.

    However, He Sang had just marriedst year, while He Dng hadn¡¯t even been in their considerations originally. Well, but who could have seen his divorceing? He didn¡¯t even have a son yet, so thinking about it now, he was actually a great choice as well.

    When ady chooses her husband, she can¡¯t make a decision based on the prettiness of his looks alone, she had to consider his status as well.

    Pan Nianzhen looked back up with teary eyes, resisting her mother¡¯s decision timidly, ¡°B-but, I don¡¯t like Eldest Cousin...¡±

    He Ying truly hated how her daughter couldn¡¯t see the big picture. Right now, it didn¡¯t matter whether she liked him or not. She had already given her virginity to him, so she no longer had a choice.

    But she couldn¡¯t bring herself to break this to her daughter, so she tried to console her from a different angle.

    ¡°Your eldest cousin¡¯s looks may be average, but he¡¯s the heir of the estate. When your uncle retires, his countship will be passed down to him. By marrying your eldest cousin, you¡¯ll be Countess Jing¡¯an in the future. Your eldest cousin doesn¡¯t have a son yet, so if you bear a son for him, you¡¯ll produce the next heir to House Jing¡¯an¡¯s future heir. That will only make your grandmother love you even more.¡±

    He Ying¡¯s kind persuasion made a visible change to Pan Nianzhen¡¯s expression, but no one knew how she actually felt inside.

    An hourter, He Ying got up.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve said my piece. You should think for yourself whether my words make any sense to you.¡±

    Pan Nianzhen nodded dazedly, and He Ying bent over to stroke her daughter¡¯s hair. With a sigh, she left Pan Nianzhen¡¯s room.

    After He Ying left, Pan Nianzhen remained seated on the bed for a long time.

    Suddenly, she raised her head to look at the servant by her side, ¡°Pinglu, do you think I should just resign myself to my fate?¡±

    Pinglu lowered her head as she didn¡¯t dare look into Pan Nianzhen¡¯s eyes. Her eyes darted around the room for a few moments before she softly replied, ¡°This... this servant doesn¡¯t dare to make such a statement......¡±

    However, it didn¡¯t seem like Pan Nianzhen was looking for an answer from her at all. She gazed at the floor. At a volume that only she could hear, she muttered, ¡°I just can¡¯t ept this...¡±

    ......

    The moment Xiao Bojian left Sixth Prince¡¯s estate, he received a letter from One.

    Xiao Bojian first boarded the carriage with the letter in hand, while One followed him into the carriage shortly after.

    Once One had taken a seat, his master asked, ¡°Who is it from?¡±

    One shook his head, ¡°This subordinate doesn¡¯t know, this subordinate received it from a child on the streets. The child said that it¡¯s for you.¡±

    ¡°And the child?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already interrogated him. The child knows nothing. He was given a little money to pass on the letter.¡±

    A sinister cast fell over Xiao Bojian¡¯s face for a moment. He opened the letter, and quickly skimmed through its contents.

    When he was done digesting the contents of the letter, his eyes widened in disbelief, while the hand with which he was holding the letter trembled.

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s incredibly beautiful face suddenly turned flushed. It wasn¡¯t due to anger at all, but excitement.

    He gripped the letter tightly while trying his utmost to contain the rising excitement that was about to explode.

    However, he was still young. He didn¡¯t have the mature calm and shrewdness of his previous lifetime.

    When One saw that his master¡¯s face had tensed up and be a little contorted, seemingly trying to suppress his emotions and failing to, he became concerned and asked, ¡°Master, is something wrong?¡±

    One¡¯s question helped to pull Xiao Bojian back to reality. Xiao Bojian quickly readjusted the expression on his face and threw the letter into the brazier in the carriage.

    The fire shed once, and the letter was reduced to ashes.

 Chapter 588 - Fainting (1)

    <strong>Chapter 588: Fainting (1)</strong>

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I have some tasks for you. Send some men to do them quickly, and find some leads as soon as you can.¡± Xiao Bojian¡¯s voice contained a thread of excitement and impatience.

    Since his master hadn¡¯t replied him, One didn¡¯t press for an answer.

    After receiving Xiao Bojian¡¯s orders, he leaped out of the carriage to look for his subordinates.

    Sitting alone in the carriage, Xiao Bojian leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. A few secondster, he let out a burst ofughter.

    With this gift from the heavens, he finally stood a real chance to fulfill the revenge he had suffered so much for!

    He had suffered in silence for so many years, all because he wanted his foes to have a taste of the pain and humiliation his family had received all those years ago.

    When his thoughts veered off in that direction, killing intent shed in his eyes.

    How had the sender of that letter gotten a hold of all those secrets?

    This wasn¡¯t the first time. Back in Sucheng, he had received an anonymous letter just like this that had told him all sorts of useful secrets, but he hadn¡¯t been able to find the sender then, either.

    It was as if there was someone in the background who had knowledge of everything that was going to happen. That person was stealthily making ns to maximise their benefits from each event.

    That line of thought made Xiao Bojian shake his head.

    He had never believed in the supernatural, so how could he possibly consider such a conjecture?

    No matter who the person leaking secrets to him was, no matter how good they were at hiding their identity, he was going to find that person and make sure to shut his mouth forever.

    There was one fact he had learned very well. No living man could keep a secret better than a dead man could!

    Muxiang was in a heated room in Qingxi Hall directing some servants when she suddenly felt a chill go down her back. At its touch, she couldn¡¯t help but do a full-body shiver.

    Immediately after, she hunkered down into her shoulders, finding the chill a little strange. However, she didn¡¯t think any more of it.

    Muxiang had been given the chance to reincarnate with all the memories from her previous lifetime. Those memories had be her greatest advantage. Since she already knew everything that was going to happen, who could escape from her ws?

    This time, she would lead even the smart and cunning Xiao Bojian by the nose!

    It wasn¡¯t even evening when He Changdi returned early today.

    Chu Lian felt bored after staying in the study for most of the day, so she begged He Sang to teach her some martial arts.

    He Changdi was no match for his wife¡¯s soft pleading, so he had no choice but to bring her over to the training room.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t have any foundation in martial arts, but she had received lessons from Wenqing and Wen before, so her moves seemed to have some proper form.

    He Sang was astonished by what he saw. ¡°When did you learn martial arts secretly?¡±

    Chu Lian picked up a dry cloth hanging on a nearby screen and wiped away her sweat. ¡°What do you mean secretly? Why would I even need to learn martial arts in secret? I¡¯ve been doing it openly, alright?¡±

    He Changdi taught Chu Lian a simple set of defensive moves by moving her body with his hands. He had assumed that Chu Lian was just in a whimsical phase that would die out quickly, but they unexpectedly managed to train for over an hour.

    It was now spring. Despite wearing a loose, short-sleeved garment for exercising, this bout of training made Chu Lian¡¯s facepletely flushed. Even her back was soaked.

    He Sang took out Chu Lian¡¯s handkerchief to wipe away her sweat, then used hisrge palms to check her warm, flushed face.

    A slight furrow formed on his brows. ¡°It¡¯s fine to train a little for fun, but why are you trying so hard as if your life depends on it?¡±

    Chu Lian pulled him to a bench where they sat together and drank the warm water Wenqing had brought. She puffed up her cheeks and said, ¡°A skill only belongs to you when you learn it properly. Besides, I was just doing my best. I¡¯m not working that hard. You¡¯re overestimating me.¡±

    He Sang showed a slight smile as he reached over to push Chu Lian¡¯s wet fringe to the side. ¡°You have Wenqing and Wen, and if something happens, I¡¯ll be by your side. It¡¯s very tiring to learn martial arts.¡±

    The nobledies of the Great Wu Dynasty pursued petite physiques, with emphasis on appearing delicate. Somedies would even cut down on meals to maintain their figures, so practising martial arts was unheard of amongst them.

    These days, it was rare even for the daughters of the military families to learn martial arts.

    Despite all that, Chu Lian was going against the flow. It was a mystery how that little head of hers worked.

    The look in He Changdi¡¯s eyes darkened. He suddenly recalled that in his previous life, ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ hadn¡¯t shown any semnce of appreciation or adoration whenever she saw him heading to the training room. There had even been disdain in her eyes. To her, military officials were always lower than court officials, and she held martial arts in contempt.

    Chu Lian shook her head. ¡°Training in the martial arts is good for health and strength. At my age, I don¡¯t hope to be skilled at it, but I still want to learn some moves just in case. Besides, it¡¯s not like you can carry me around everywhere, right?¡±

    Amused by her words, He Sang openlyughed out loud like never before. Unable to resist temptation, he then stroked his wife¡¯s soft, smooth cheek.

    ¡°From here on out, I shall tie you to my waist, and take you wherever I go.¡±

    Chu Lian blinked at him, ¡°Do you mean that for real? You¡¯re not joking?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare lie to you!¡±

    Chu Lian noticed that this fellow was bing more and more of a smooth talker.

    He Sang hadn¡¯t sweated much, but Chu Lian was very tired, so he waited patiently for his wife to recover as she rested in the training room.

    He suddenly thought of something.

    ¡°There¡¯s something I need to tell you. House Ying intends to have your fifth sister marry Xiao Bojian.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Surprised, Chu Lian raised her head and looked towards He Changdi.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s already been decided in secret, but it hasn¡¯t been made public. If nothing unexpected happens, there will probably be news of it in a few days.¡±

    Xiao Bojian and Miss Su?

    Chu Lian¡¯s thoughts raced. She she recalled the kind warning Miss Su gave her a few days back at House Ying.

 Chapter 589 - Fainting (2)

    <strong>Chapter 589: Fainting (2)</strong>

    ¡°Do you think this is a scheme by Xiao Bojian, or something else?¡±

    He Changdi narrowed his eyes a little. ¡°Probably both. With Chu Yuan¡¯s reputation in the dregs, the onlydy of marriageable age in House Ying is your fifth sister.¡±

    There was a hidden meaning behind He Sang¡¯s words, but Chu Lian was able to understand what he meant.

    Neither Miss Yuan nor Miss Su had pure motives. Back then, Chu Lian had even been worried for Miss Su, afraid that her Fifth Sister would miss the best time of her youth due to various dys. She had thought of helping Miss Su with finding a husband after she moved out of House Jing¡¯an. However, if Miss Su had set her eyes on Xiao Bojian, then there was no need for her to do anything.

    Honestly, it wasn¡¯t as if Miss Su had betrayed her for her own interests, or had some devilish plot brewing.

    Miss Su had to think for herself. Although Chu Lian had be a chess piece in her game, when one thought of things from a different angle, Miss Su hadn¡¯t done any harm to Chu Lian at all. All Miss Su had done was to seize what she wanted with her own hands.

    Only Miss Su herself knew whether it was good for her or not.

    He Changdi patted Chu Lian¡¯s shoulder.

    Chu Lian knew that He Changdi meant to console her.

    He probably knew that the only person she had a good impression of in the entire House Ying was their Fifth Miss, Chu Su. That was why he informed her about this in advance.

    By the time the couple left the training room, it was already dinnertime. After dinner, Chu Lian informed He Changdi about the matter of Countess Jing¡¯an managing the household and the estatecking funds.

    She then waved at Xiyan to have her and two servants bring in a box with the cloisonn¨¦ vase.

    ¡°This is what Mother pawned away. I got one of the servants to buy it back in secret. You should return it to Motherter.¡±

    He Changdi abruptly took a step forward and hugged Chu Lian tightly. This sudden action made all of the servants in the room lower their heads in fright.

    He buried his face into Chu Lian¡¯s fair neck and ced a kiss there. Next, he went up to her ear and whispered, ¡°Lian¡¯er, I¡¯m so lucky to have you.¡±

    Chu Lian was first shocked by his actions, then astonished. When she heard his smooth, deep voice right by her ear, her heart melted as well.

    With a blush on her face, she grumbled, ¡°You¡¯ve only just realised how lucky you are?¡±

    It was at this time that the tactful Senior Servant Gui chased all of the servants in the room out.

    With only the two of them left in the room, He Changdi stooped over, his long arms hooked under her knees, and scooped her up. He then walked towards the bedroom with long strides.

    Chu Lian cried out in rm and put her arms around his neck in a panic. She red at him with her beautiful, almond-shaped eyes and eximed, ¡°What are you doing!¡±

    He Sang lowered his head and blew at the top of her reddened ear. With a deep, enthralling voice, he replied, ¡°Doing you...¡±

    Chu Lian: ...

    Since when had He Changdi be an expert at teasing?!

    Chu Lian was extremely vexed, but she couldn¡¯t help the fact that she was weaker than him. She couldn¡¯t fight him at all. Any attempts to protest were immediately smothered by his mouth, so all that was left was her feeble moans.

    For some time, the bedroom was filled with the sounds of love.

    By the time He Changdi was properly satiated, it was alreadyte in the evening. It didn¡¯t seem possible for him to return Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s vase that night.

    The next day, He Changdi personally brought the cloisonn¨¦ vase to his mother¡¯s courtyard before leaving to attend court.

    Chu Lian headed to Qingxi Hall for greetings alongside her mother-inw, Countess Jing¡¯an. Although Countess Jing¡¯an didn¡¯t put a voice to her thoughts, the appreciative, loving look in her eyes gave her away.

    Countess Jing¡¯an held Chu Lian¡¯s hand as they walked past the garden. It was now the beginning of March, so it was no longer chilly in the capital. Buds of green had begun to reveal themselves in the garden.

    The winter jasmine, which acted as a herald of spring, was now at the peak of its blooming.

    The pair of mother- and daughter-inw were walking past shrubs of winter jasmine at this time.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, Sang has already spoken to me, so I won¡¯t say anything else. You¡¯re a good child, so spend your days happily with Sang. If he bullies you, let me know and I¡¯ll punish him for you.¡±

    Chu Lian hugged Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s arm. ¡°Mother, would you really be willing to? You spent ten months being pregnant to give birth to him!¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an rolled her eyes at her. ¡°His skin is so thick and sturdy, why wouldn¡¯t I help you punish him? I gave birth to three sons, yet they all give me endless worries.¡±

    Perhaps her words had reminded herself of the state of He Dng and He Eng¡¯s marriages, so all traces of the happy expression on her face vanished.

    Chu Lian noticed her mother-inw¡¯s mood souring, so she quickly tried to console her. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t think about it too much, just hang in there a little longer. Father will return soon; he definitely won¡¯t allow the marriage between Eldest Brother and Miss Zhen.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an nodded, ¡°That¡¯s our only solution for now.¡±

    Unfortunately, when they arrived at Qingxi Hall, He Ying mentioned the matter to Matriarch He and Countess Jing¡¯an once again.

    The matriarch had been persuaded by her daughter to see it her way. With the additional guilt she felt towards her daughter and granddaughter, she was really considering betrothing Pan Nianzhen to He Dng as his second wife now.

    The exchanges between the matriarch and He Ying immediately brought Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s anger to its peak, and she fainted.

    Chu Lian was seated by Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s side at the time. She was shocked by this development and quickly called in servants to carry Countess Jing¡¯an to the side room. She ordered another servant to look for Great Doctor Miao.

    He Ying hadn¡¯t expected her sister-inw to be so fragile as to faint from anger in just two sentences.

    At the same time, this made her apprehensive.

    She tugged on Matriarch He¡¯s sleeve and looked anxiously at the matriarch. Matriarch He hadn¡¯t expected this to happen either, but there was no point in crying over spilt milk. She sent an indifferent re at her daughter in response.

 Chapter 590 - He Yingâ€™s Accusations (1)

    <strong>Chapter 590: He Ying¡¯s usations (1)</strong>

    Matriarch He was helped over to the adjoining room by Senior Servant Liu to check on the situation.

    He Ying was left alone in the parlour.

    Once the matriarch left, she rolled her eyes and sneered to herself. ¡°Hmph, how useless. She¡¯s just a weak and sickly person. It would have been better if she had died earlier rather than wasting so much money on her medicine.¡±

    Senior Servant Wang happened to enter the parlour just in time to overhear her words. The senior servant stared at Eldest Madam in disbelief. Her face was flushed with anger, but she couldn¡¯t confront He Ying due to her status as a servant.

    He Ying almost leaped in fright. She thought there wasn¡¯t anyone else inside the parlour, so she had spoken recklessly. She hadn¡¯t counted on Senior Servant Wang abruptly entering the room.

    Senior Servant Wang was one of Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s stewards. She was a handmaid who had served Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s since her maiden days and waster promoted to a senior servant. Thus, she was considered one of Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s most trusted servants.

    He Ying felt somewhat awkward that Senior Servant Wang had overheard her making those remarks.

    However, that feeling onlysted for a short moment. The expression on He Ying¡¯s face swiftly changed into one of arrogance and disdain. ¡°Filthy servant, what are you looking at! You¡¯d better watch out, or else I¡¯m going to have someone dig out your eyeballs!¡±

    Although Senior Servant Wang was livid, she couldn¡¯t respond in any way. She hastily lowered her head and bobbed towards He Ying, biting her lips all the while. Then, she quickly left and went to the side room to check on her master.

    A proud smile appeared on He Ying¡¯s face as she watched Senior Servant Wang scuttle out of the room. The old servant had been so scared that she had gone at the fastest pace she could manage.

    She took a sip of tea to moisten her throat, then got up and returned to her own room.

    Great Doctor Miao hastily arrived with his medicine box.

    His first action was to kick out all of the unnecessary people in the room.

    Matriarch He and Chu Lian waited in the outer room.

    Great Doctor Miao finally came out of the room thirty minutester.

    He pushed the curtains aside forcefully with a terrible expression on his face. He was so angry that his white beard was almost standing up.

    Chu Lian immediately went over to receive him. ¡°Great Doctor Miao, how¡¯s Mother?¡±

    Great Doctor Miao harrumphed furiously. He pointed at Chu Lian and started berating her. ¡°This old man has already warned you many times that the madam needs to take care and recuperate. She has to remain calm and she can¡¯t bear too much stress. Well, see what you¡¯ve done now! Congrattions!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Her eyes widened as she stared at Great Doctor Miao, unable to speak. Her mother-inw¡¯s illness couldn¡¯t possibly return just like that, right...?

    Wouldn¡¯t her and He Changdi¡¯s previous efforts all be wasted?

    He Sang would definitely be heartbroken.

    How did it turn out like this!

    Great Doctor Miao noticed the despair and sadness on Chu Lian¡¯s face. He pointed his finger at her and shook it. ¡°What¡¯s there to be sad about?! I haven¡¯t even said anything about the madam¡¯s condition!¡±

    Chu Lian promptly came back to her senses. ¡°Mother, she...¡±

    ¡°Youngdy, let me tell you this. If it weren¡¯t for my miraculous acupuncture skills, then Madam wouldn¡¯t have been saved this time. All of you should conduct yourselves properly. If this happens again, then even the great deities won¡¯t be able to save her!¡±

    Great Doctor Miao¡¯s words made Chu Lian¡¯s tears turn into a smile. So it turned out that Countess Jing¡¯an was fine!

    ¡°Many thanks, Great Doctor Miao. I¡¯ll make everything you want to eat for you from now on!¡± Chu Lian smiled until her eyes turned crescent-shaped.

    Great Doctor Miao gave Chu Lian a re. He had already vented most of his anger. Thus, he smacked his lips and made a request. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the mutton soup fromst time. I want the steamed buns, too.¡±

    Chu Lian agreed with a smile.

    Great Doctor Miao watched as Senior Servant Wang and several maidservants carried Countess Jing¡¯an back to her own courtyard. He then left after giving her a prescription and a course of medicine.

    When the matriarch found out that her daughter-inw was alright, she was secretly relieved. She had been really scared just now. Once she rxed, her body started showing her that she wasn¡¯t in the best of health herself.

    Senior Servant Liu looked at the matriarch in concern. ¡°Since Madam is fine, why don¡¯t we go back and rest, Matriarch?¡±

    Matriarch He gave Senior Servant Liu a nod.

    Senior Servant Liu and Muxiang helped Matriarch He back to her bedroom to rest.

    The matriarch had just shut her eyes when He Ying tried to barge in and made amotion at the door.

    This time, even Senior Servant Liu was unable to stop her.

    In the end, the matriarch didn¡¯t have any other choice but to let her enter.

    The matriarch had originally wanted to take a rest, but she could only lean against the headboard now.

    She looked haggard and pale. Her voice was also faint and weak as she said, ¡°Miss Ying, what exactly do you want?!¡±

    He Yingpletely disregarded her mother¡¯s physical condition. She moved closer to Matriarch He¡¯s side, grabbed her hand, and tearfully protested. ¡°Mother, you can¡¯t refuse Miss Zhen¡¯s marriage just because Sister-in-Law fainted. Miss Zhen gave her virginity to Dng; who else can she marry in the future?!¡±

    Matriarch He was really disappointed in her daughter, but children were all debts she owed in her past life. Moreover, she still felt a little guilty toward this daughter of hers, so she still had a pang of sympathy when she heard herint.

    ¡°Miss Ying, it¡¯s not that Mother doesn¡¯t want to help you, but look at what happened to your sister-inw. I can¡¯t mention this matter right now.¡± The matriarch began to cough as she spoke.

    He Ying patted the matriarch¡¯s back to help soothe her. ¡°Mother, are you alright? Please be alright. If something happens to you, then who will protect me and my daughter? Sob sob...¡±

    Even now, He Ying was only thinking for herself and her daughter. She didn¡¯t really care about the matriarch at all.

    Matriarch He could sense the true meaning behind her daughter¡¯s words. A chill swept through her heart at her daughter¡¯s callousness, but she couldn¡¯t bear to send her daughter away. After all, her daughter had developed this kind of personality because she hadn¡¯t been there to personally teach and nurture her when she was younger. She had turned out this way because of her.

 Chapter 591 - He Yingâ€™s Accusations (2)

    <strong>Chapter 591: He Ying¡¯s usations (2)</strong>

    ¡°Ay... Miss Ying, don¡¯t cry. My head hurts now.¡±

    He Ying hastily stopped her waterworks. She grabbed the matriarch¡¯s hand and began making malicious usations.

    ¡°Mother, don¡¯t believe in Sister-in-Law. She must have been pretending today. If she wasn¡¯t, then why would the doctor say she was fine? That Great Doctor Miao is clearly on the side of Sang¡¯s wife. She treats him well and serves him good food and drinks in the estate every day. So, he¡¯s already biased towards their side. Perhaps it was all just an act prepared by Sister-in-Law and Sang¡¯s wife just for us to watch. Oh, our poor Miss Zhen, her purity has been stolen away.¡±

    She began to sniffle and sob again as she spoke.

    The matriarch was getting swayed by her daughter. Her wrinkle-filled face was grim. It was clear that her mood had taken a turn for the worse because of He Ying¡¯s words.

    He Ying noticed that her mother was beginning to waver, so she continued, ¡°Mother, you know that Brother doesn¡¯t like me. Brother ising back soon. When Brother returns, he¡¯ll definitely oppose this marriage. If that happens, then Miss Zhen¡¯s whole life will be ruined! This must all be part of Sister-in-Law¡¯s n.¡±

    Although she felt that her daughter¡¯s words were rather twisted, there were also some truths in them.

    The matriarch had actually started to think more deeply on the matter.

    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m your only daughter and Miss Zhen is your only granddaughter from my side. When I was young, I didn¡¯t get to grow up beside you. Every day, what I hoped for the most was to see you and Father. At that time, when I stayed with Grandmother, I would always getughed at for not having parents. After Father passed away, Mother is the only one I have now.¡±

    He Ying¡¯s words triggered the deep sense of guilt within the matriarch¡¯s heart.

    The matriarch was wavering even more now.

    ¡°Mother, weren¡¯t you the one who requested the Empress Dowager to arrange a marriage for Sang at that time? Sang and his brothers are all junior members of the family. If you arrange a marriage for them, would they be able to refuse? Dng is almost thirty, but he still doesn¡¯t have a legitimate son. Do you want him to be theughingstock of the capital?¡±

    When a man got older but remained without a heir, he would certainly be criticised by outsiders.

    For people around the same age as He Dng, if they had gotten married at a young age, their children would already be over ten years old. If their first child was a girl, then she might even havee of age.

    ¡°Mother...¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, I understand. Stop nagging me. I¡¯ll send in a request to meet the Empress Dowager and enter the pce tomorrow.¡±

    He Ying was pleasantly surprised when she heard the promise. Her eyes lit up and she said, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re so kind to me and Miss Zhen. I haven¡¯t felt such warmth for many years.¡±

    This remark was undoubtedly meant as a dig at the matriarch¡¯s weakness again.

    The matriarch was exhausted, so she waved her hand to signal He Ying to leave.

    He Ying had already aplished her goal, so she didn¡¯t need to stay any longer. The corner of her lips curved up. ¡°Mother, you should have a good rest. I¡¯ll go prepare some nourishing soup for you.¡±

    After He Ying left, the matriarch sighed and summoned Senior Servant Liu. She ordered her to take her personal jade token and send it to the pce.

    Senior Servant Liu was in disbelief. The matriarch was actually going to enter the pce to ask for the Empress Dowager¡¯s help because of what Eldest Madam had said.

    She hesitated to speak as she clenched the jade token in her hand. However, she swallowed her words when she saw the matriarch¡¯s paleplexion.

    She bobbed towards the matriarch and left.

    Muxiang was standing beside them, so she had naturally heard the matriarch and He Ying¡¯s entire conversation.

    She smirked, not intending to interfere with this matter. It would be better if the main branch and second branch were ruined. Once she became He Changdi¡¯s wife again, it would be an easy matter to take control of House Jing¡¯an in that state.

    After she left Qingxi Hall, Senior Servant Liu grew even more worried the more she thought about it. Eldest Madam talked and behaved recklessly. If He Changqi really married Pan Nianzhen, wouldn¡¯t the entire House Jing¡¯an be ruined by them?

    She summoned a trustworthy maidservant and whispered into her ears. Then, she ordered her to quickly send her message to Songtao Court.

    When the maidservant arrived at Songtao Court, Chu Lian had just finished teaching Xiyan to cook mutton soup. Senior Servant Gui brought the messenger inside. Chu Lian carefully examined the maidservant from head to toe a couple of times, feeling that she looked slightly familiar.

    ¡°Who ordered you toe here? For what reason?¡±

    The maidservant promptly kneeled down and recounted everything Senior Servant Liu had told her to say.

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened as she listened to her. She hadn¡¯t thought that Eldest Madam would actually dare to involve the Empress Dowager in her ns.

    How ridiculous!

    Moreover, the matriarch had actually gone with her nonsense.

    Chu Lian dismissed the maidservant. She thought about it and felt that she couldn¡¯t just ignore this matter. Thus, she gathered her servants and went to Prince Wei¡¯s Estate.

    When they reached the main entrance of Prince Wei¡¯s Estate, Chu Lian had someone send in a message for her.

    A few momentster, Senior Servant Lan personally came to greet her.

    Senior Servant Lan happily led Chu Lian into the estate.

    ¡°For Honoured Lady toe at this time, is there an urgent matter?¡±

    Chu Lian told her truthfully, ¡°Momo, to tell you honestly, I really dide to seek Princess Wei¡¯s help.¡±

    Senior Servant Lan smiled. ¡°Honoured Lady is really lucky. Princess Wei just returned from Mount Lanxiang yesterday. She just happened to be free today and didn¡¯t go out.¡±

    There was a temple at Mount Lanxiang, said to be the ce where Empress Xiaoxian became a nun. The members of the imperial family would visit the temple once or twice every year to pray. It had already be a tradition.

    ¡°Is Royal Princess Duanjia here as well?¡±

    ¡°Royal Princess is still at Mount Lanxiang! The young prince is apanying her, so you won¡¯t have to worry about her, Honoured Lady.¡±

    Mount Lanxiang was famed for its beautiful scenery and it was close to the capital. It was currently early spring, when Mother Nature awakened from her long slumber. Thus, it was the best time for an outing.

    Royal Princess Duanjia had invited her to go together a few days ago. However, Chu Lian had rejected her offer because there were too many things happening in the estate.

 Chapter 592 - Nanjing Cuisine (1)

    <strong>Chapter 592: Nanjing Cuisine (1)</strong>

    As Chu Lian was speaking with Senior Servant Lan, they arrived at the circr arched door that lead to the inner court.

    Senior Servant Lan called for a sedan. She helped Chu Lian in before two strong senior servants carried it into the inner court.

    Princess Wei had already been notified and was waiting for her arrival.

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t taken to Princess Wei¡¯s courtyard. Instead, she was brought over to a pondside pavilion.

    Princess Wei was currently drawing inside.

    The warm sunshine shone on the surface of the pond water. A gentle breeze blew, causing the surface to glimmer as if a thousand silver snakes were dancing along the water ripples.

    Half of the octagonal pavilion was covered by curtains, leaving only a single entrance. This was to keep the sunlight out while also maintaining air cirction. The scenery of the lotus pond was still visible from within as well. While the lotus pond was mostly covered in withered old nts, there were a few fresh green buds emerging beyond the surface of the water. The small lotus leaves stood suspended above, perfectly straight.

    The sight of the calm, vibrant spring scenery lifted Chu Lian¡¯s mood slightly.

    She couldn¡¯t help but walk faster towards the octagonal pavilion. Princess Wei seemed to have seen hering, as she had already set down her paintbrush. She was in the middle of sipping some tea while seated at a stone table.

    When Chu Lian was brought into the pavilion by Senior Servant Lan, Princess Wei smiled and said, ¡°Jinyi,e and sit beside me.¡±

    The corner of Chu Lian¡¯s lips curved up, exposing the two faint dimples on her cheeks.

    She always felt very rxed whenever she was beside Princess Wei.

    She bobbed in greeting towards Princess Wei before taking a seat beside her.

    Princess Wei held Chu Lian¡¯s hand in hers as they chatted. Chu Lian immediately noticed the iplete painting on the easel beside them.

    ¡°Your drawing is amazing, Princess!¡±

    When Princess Wei was younger, she had been famed for her talents within the capital. She was proficient in the four womanly arts: the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Although she didn¡¯t paint as much now, her skills hadn¡¯t deteriorated at all.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that good. I didn¡¯t have anything to do today, so I was just painting to pass the time,¡± Princess Wei said with a smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s much better than my paintings,¡± Chu Lian genuinelyplimented.

    She only knew how to sketch with chalks and pencils, due to her profession as a designer back in modern times. However, she didn¡¯t know anything about traditional Chinese paintings.

    ¡°Good child, you have such a sweet mouth. Duanjia has showed me your jewellery designs before. They were so real, it looked as if the jewellery had been sewn onto the paper.¡±

    Chu Lian blushed. She had specially added color to her sketches so that the craftsmen could imagine the details more clearly...

    ¡°Why did you suddenly think of me today? It¡¯s rare for you to take the initiative toe visit me,¡± Princess Wei said, giving her a re.

    The smile on Chu Lian¡¯s face faded. ¡°Princess Wei, I came to seek your help this time.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Princess Wei lifted a brow and looked at Chu Lian, who was sitting beside her. The youngdy was staring at her with big, clear eyes. She looked exactly like an innocent, naive little fawn. Princess Wei couldn¡¯t resist pinching Chu Lian¡¯s smooth and rosy cheeks.

    ¡°I knew it. You wouldn¡¯te visit me unless you needed my help.¡±

    Chu Lian was embarrassed by her remark, but she told Princess Wei the whole story anyway.

    On the other side of the lotus pond, two middle-aged men were strolling leisurely near some decorative mountains.

    One of them was wearing a purple robe embroidered with the legendary animal, qilin. He possessed an elegant aura and tall stature. At this time, with a faint smile on his face, he was pointing out the scenery within the estate¡¯s inner court to another middle-aged man dressed in a dark blue robe.

    The man in the dark blue robe had a deep, piercingly cold gaze. His hands were sped behind his back as he walked along the cobblestone path. From time to time, one could hear his jubntughter. ¡°Ninth Brother, I haven¡¯t visited your estate in a long time.¡±

    Prince Wei, the man in purple, cheerfullyughed along. ¡°Elder Brother is busy with the country¡¯s affairs every day, unlike me. I¡¯m just leisurely passing my days. I¡¯ve renovated this garden twice already.¡±

    The emperor and Prince Wei were full-blooded brothers. The emperor had doted on Prince Wei since their youth. Later on, when all the princes had been fighting for the throne, Prince Wei had supported his elder brother. Thus, the rtionship between the two brothers became even closer.

    Prince Wei was undoubtedly the one the emperor trusted the most within the entire imperial court.

    The emperor was dressed in ordinary clothing. If one didn¡¯t notice his imposing aura, he would seem just like an idle rich man at first nce.

    The emperor rarely had the time toe out of the pce, so he didn¡¯t want to think about annoying political affairs on his time off. He gazed upon the huge lotus pond, and then even farther into the distance.

    He chuckled and said, ¡°Younger Sister-in-Law seems to be in a good mood, drawing in the pavilion at this time. Is the youngdy beside her Duanjia? That silly girl hasn¡¯t visited the pce in a long time. Her imperial grandmother has mentioned several times that she misses her.¡±

    Prince Wei looked towards the octagonal pavilion from afar and just happened to see the joyful smile on his wife¡¯s face. Chu Lian¡¯s back was facing them right now. From this angle, if Prince Wei hadn¡¯t known that Duanjia wasn¡¯t in the estate, then he might also have mistaken her for his daughter.

    ¡°Elder Brother, you¡¯re mistaken this time. That¡¯s not Duanjia. That silly girl, Duanjia, is likely still ying at Lanxiang Mountain and dying her return.¡±

    The emperor was somewhat shocked. ¡°Oh? Then, who is she? When did you add another youngdy to your estate? Is she a potential bride for Ah-Tai?¡±

    Prince Wei didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry. ¡°Elder Brother, please don¡¯t make random assumptions. That child is already married. She¡¯s Marquis Anyuan¡¯s wife, the Chu Family¡¯s Sixth Miss.¡±

    The memory of a pair of familiar eyes instantly shed through the emperor¡¯s mind. His brows creased slightly. ¡°Jinyi?¡±

    The smile on Prince Wei¡¯s face faded. He nodded and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Jinyi. Elder Brother, you know about the pain in my wife¡¯s heart. Moreover, Jinyi saved Duanjia before, so she¡¯s especially fond of that child.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no harm in it, as long as it canfort Sister-in-Law¡¯s heart. Jinyi is not a child whocks a sense of propriety.¡±

    After hearing his imperial elder brother¡¯s words, Prince Wei¡¯s expression became better. He was actually somewhat worried that his imperial elder brother would me them for this incident.

    Prince Wei chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s quite a coincidence. That child is really Duanjia¡¯s lucky star. She and Duanjia even resemble each other somewhat. Their heights are about the same too, so it¡¯s no wonder that my wife has those thoughts.¡±

    While Prince Wei was speaking, he didn¡¯t notice that the emperor had already fallen into a trance. His gaze went beyond the surface of the lotus pond and fell upon that slender back. He seemed to be seeing someone else through that figure.

 Chapter 593 - Nanjing Cuisine (2)

    <strong>Chapter 593: Nanjing Cuisine (2)</strong>

    ¡°Elder Brother, since Jinyi came over, let¡¯s have her prepare some dishes for you to try. That child is a talented cook. I don¡¯t know where she learned it, but I think she¡¯s a better cook than the imperial cooks of the pce.¡±

    The emperor collected his gaze and smiled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll stay to taste Jinyi¡¯s cooking today.¡±

    He had only seen Chu Lian once, before the new year. After that, he had been preupied with all the government affairs, so he had nearly forgotten about it.

    However, when he thought about it now, he realised that he still remembered it very clearly.

    Chu Lian had originallye to seek Princess Wei¡¯s help, but she was somehow turned into a cook...

    Chu Lian still didn¡¯t know that she was cooking for the emperor. She just thought that she was cooking to show filial piety to Prince and Princess Wei.

    She inquired about the foods that Prince and Princess Wei couldn¡¯t eat, then brought Senior Servant Lan, Wenqing, and Wen over to the estate¡¯s kitchen.

    The kitchen in Prince Wei¡¯s Estate had all the necessary ingredients.

    Chu Lian always carried some spices and seasonings with her, so she wasn¡¯t afraid that they wouldck anything.

    It was early spring now, so hot and spicy dishes were out of the question. It was also the time when wild herbs were the freshest and richest.

    There was a small garden close to the kitchen. Chu Lian walked around and saw an array of delicious fresh vegetables.

    She instructed a maidservant to gather the vegetables that she needed and bring them to the kitchen.

    Chu Lian personally picked out some fresh mugwort and wild chrysanthemums. She ordered Wenqing to prepare some freshwater shrimp and fish, and then she told Wen to make minced meat.

    She wanted to make light and healthy dishes. There were also many spring ingredients avable, so making Nanjing cuisine was definitely the best choice.

    Nanjing cuisine had a mild taste that was fresh and crisp. The dishes looked delicate and exquisite with an elegant touch. Therefore, it was the most well-suited cuisine for the early spring season.

    Chu Lian decided on several dishes that wouldn¡¯t take very long to cook.

    The five dishes werepleted in an hour.

    Each dish was ced in a porcin te of a different style, then decorated with fresh flowers. The bright colours drew in both the eye and the belly.

    Princess Wei had informed her beforehand that Prince Wei would be dining separately from them, so Chu Lian prepared two servings for each dish.

    Then, Chu Lian instructed some servants to bring along the dishes that she was going to eat with Princess Wei, while Wenqing brought the other set over to the outer court.

    Within the parlour of the outer court, Prince Wei and the emperor were already seated and drinking tea.

    An imperial guard outside reported that the dishes had arrived.

    With a wave of his hand, the emperor signaled and said, ¡°Set the table.¡±

    Senior Servant Lan entered the parlour first, followed by Wenqing and the maidservants carryingcquer boxes filled with dishes.

    Wenqing knew that Prince Wei was in the outer court. She had seen Prince Wei before when she had followed Chu Lian to Prince Wei¡¯s Estate. At first, she had thought that Prince Wei would be the only one present. Perhaps the eldest royal prince might also be in attendance, but it was unlikely there would be anyone else. However, she was greeted with the sight of an unfamiliar middle-aged man.

    When she lifted her head and took a peek at him, she was shocked by his imposing aura. She immediately bowed her head in a proper manner.

    Someone who could sit at the same table with Prince Wei as an equal and had a rather close rtionship with the prince definitely wasn¡¯t an ordinary man..

    After understanding this point, Wenqing became even more disciplined.

    Senior Servant Lan instructed the maidservants to bring out the dishes from within thecquer boxes and ce them on the table one at a time. After that, she said with a smile, ¡°Masters, please enjoy your meal. These were all personally made by Honoured Lady Jinyi!¡±

    Five porcin tes of different shapes and colours were ced on the table. Princess Wei had specially ordered her handmaid to find these porcin tes. They were all very valuable, but the food inside looked even better. Its allure couldn¡¯t be underestimated.

    It could even be said that these porcin tes had be apaniments for the food.

    The Chengping Emperor¡¯s eyes lit up. He pointed at the dishes that looked even more exquisite than artworks and questioned, ¡°Quick, tell me, what are all these?!¡±

    Although Prince Wei thought it was a pity that the roast duck he had eatenst time wasn¡¯t on the table, he was also very eager to taste the fragrant delicacies that were currently in front of him.

    Wenqing came forward and introduced each of the dishes, just as Chu Lian had taught her.

    ¡°Replying to Masters, these stir-fried vegetables are called Nanjing Grass, which is made from the most tender parts of the tips of Chinese mugwort. It was stir-fried with light seasonings and has a naturally fresh taste. The dish beside it is Phoenix-Tail Prawns. The freshest river prawns were selected for this dish. After peeling off the head, the prawn is covered in egg whites and other seasonings, then fried in fragrant duck oil...¡±

    Wenqing gave a simple introduction for all five dishes. As each dish was introduced, the emperor and Prince Wei would taste the dish.

    Upon tasting the first dish, the emperor¡¯s eyes were immediately set alight.

    The fresh mugwort was originally tender and fragrant, and its vour wasplemented by the simplest of seasonings, oil and salt. When cooked at the right temperature, it would highlight the natural taste of the mugwort. There were also bright red Chinese roses adorning the dish, and the visual impact caused by the contrasting red and green appealed to the senses, stimting the appetite.

    The freshwater prawns had pure white meat with bright red shells. They were arranged on the te in the shape of a phoenix tail. Green beans were ced beside them, creating a gorgeous mixture of vibrant colors. The prawns were fresh and tender and the batter was crispy and delicious in the mouth, without being greasy. The duck oil they were cooked in had imparted a special aroma to the prawns.

    These two dishes had already conquered the emperor, so it went without saying for the other dishes: steamed fish belly, crispy eel, and wild chrysanthemum soup.

 Chapter 594 - Scolding the Matriarch (1)

    <strong>Chapter 594: Scolding the Matriarch (1)</strong>

    This was when the Chengping Emperor finally understood why so many people had been so frustrated and dissatisfied when Guilin Restaurant had first shut its doors, and why they had written so many angry letters toin to House Jing¡¯an when the restaurant had reopened without any of its original vour.

    After eating such marvellous cuisine, he realised that what he had been eating for the past few decades couldn¡¯t even be called ¡®delicacies¡¯.

    The emperor was starting to be jealous of his younger brother.

    Wenqing had already been escorted out by Senior Servant Lan after she finished introducing the five dishes.

    Despite his usual control over his food portions, the emperor¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t able to restrain the raging appetite of his stomach and he ate three whole bowls of rice that day.

    This was more than he had eaten in a single meal in years.

    Therge portions of the five dishes disappeared into the imperial brothers¡¯ bellies in less than twenty minutes.

    Eunuch Wei, who was dressed up as a normal manservant, watched with wide eyes in shock.

    Although he wanted to remind the Emperor that eating so much wasn¡¯t good for his health, he himself was drooling from all the food...

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Jinyi¡¯s cooking to be so good.¡± The emperor rubbed his bloated tummy, satisfied beyond belief. He had never felt so fulfilled in years.

    It wasn¡¯t Prince Wei¡¯s first time tasting Chu Lian¡¯s cooking. He had had the same thoughts while enjoying the roast duck she had madest time.

    That reminded Prince Wei of something. He wriggled his brows as he said, ¡°Brother, you haven¡¯t tried the roast duck that Jinyi makes yet. Now that¡¯s the best duck I¡¯ve ever eaten. There isn¡¯t enough time today, or I would have asked her to make another roast duck for us.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Roast duck? How does itpare to the one that Father used to eat?¡±

    The two brothers had inherited their love of roast duck from the previous emperor. While he had still been alive, he would eat roast duck every few days. Later on, when his health had declined and the imperial physicians advised the emperor to avoid oily foods, he had still eaten roast duck on the sly...

    Prince Wei sent his brother a mysterious smile. ¡°Brother, allow me to keep you in suspense for this. You¡¯ll know whether it¡¯s good or not once Jinyi opens her restaurant. You can go there yourself in incognito to taste it then!¡±

    ¡°Oh? She¡¯s going to open another restaurant? What happened with the other one, Guilin Restaurant?¡±

    Since the emperor was asking, Prince Wei exined the incident to him simply.

    The emperor frowned. ¡°House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Matriarch wasn¡¯t right in this case.¡±

    Prince Wei smiled. Although they couldment on these kinds of incidents, they wouldn¡¯t really take any action due to their high status. If they were to interfere even in these small matters, then their citizens would likely think that the imperial family had too much time on their hands.

    The empty dishes on the table were cleared and fresh sencha was ced in front of the two imperial brothers.

    It was rare for them to have these carefree afternoon moments.

    The emperor suddenly asked, ¡°Why did Jinyi visit you today, Ninth Brother?¡±

    One of Prince Wei¡¯s attendants had already informed him of the reason Chu Lian hade to the estate.

    Thus, Prince Wei replied honestly to his brother¡¯s direct question.

    The Chengping Emperor frowned again. ¡°What? There¡¯s such a thing? What nonsense. The Jing¡¯an Estate is in a terrible mess now, I should have summoned Count Jing¡¯an back earlier.¡±

    Prince Wei shook his head. ¡°These are all matters for the inner courts. Brother, you don¡¯t have to worry too much about this. My wife will help Jinyi settle this when the timees.¡±

    The emperor chatted a while longer with his brother before Eunuch Wei politely reminded him that it was about time to return to the pce.

    When Prince Wei sent the emperor off at the side entrance, they happened to catch sight of Chu Lian and her maidservants leaving.

    The emperor froze for a moment, but he quickly recovered and turned to Prince Wei. ¡°I¡¯ll entrust the nning for the Thousand Blessings Festival to you then, Ninth Brother. Don¡¯t make it too ostentatious.¡±

    ¡°Rest assured, Brother. I¡¯ll keep that in mind. I won¡¯t spend too much or waste resources.¡±

    Having gotten Prince Wei¡¯s promise, the emperor finally left the estate with his entourage in tow.

    The Thousand Blessings Festival was on the 23rd of March. It was also the emperor¡¯s fiftieth birthday this year, one of the major milestones in life. Furthermore, this year happened to be Chengping 20, the twentieth year since the Chengping Emperor had taken the throne and began his wise rule.

    In the past years, the emperor had ordered the celebrations for the Thousand Blessings Festival to be kept simple. The ministers of the court approved of the emperor¡¯s frugal ways. He always kept the celebrations low-key unless it was a major milestone.

    While it was good enough to hold a simple event for other years, since it was his fiftieth birthday this year, they couldn¡¯t just pass it over without a proper celebration. Even the empress dowager, who normally didn¡¯t interfere in politics or the inner courts of the pce, had ordered that this year¡¯s celebrations had to be much bigger than in the past.

    Prince Wei didn¡¯t touch politics and was trusted by the emperor, so he was the best person to n the banquet this year. Thus, the emperor had given him onest reminder before leaving.

    After they left Prince Wei¡¯s Estate, the emperor boarded an unassuming green carriage under the protection of his bodyguards.

    Right as he entered the carriage, the emperor sent a meaningful look at the Yulin Army Commander, He Lin, who was dressed as a normal martial artist. He Lin looked around him before quickly following the emperor into the carriage.

    He Lin made a cupped fist salute as he kneeled on one knee before the emperor and said, ¡°Your Majesty, how may I be of service?¡±

    The emperor was leaning against the wall, his gaze directed far away.

    His tone was calm, without any particr emotions in it. However, He Lin had served the emperor for many years and he could sense that the emperor was giving off a dangerous air right now.

    ¡°Send some spies to investigate House Ying¡¯s Second Master. We want to know everything about him!¡±

    ¡°Yes, this subordinate will do as Your Majesty has ordered!¡±

    He Lin didn¡¯t dare to tarry a second longer. He turned and jumped off the carriage, leaping onto his steed. Urging his horse on, he quickly disappeared around the end of the small alley.

    Chu Lian heaved a sigh of relief after leaving Prince Wei¡¯s Estate and boarding her carriage. Before she had left, Princess Wei had promised to help her block the jade token that Matriarch He had sent to the pce.

    As long as the matriarch was held back from meeting the empress dowager before her father-inw, Count Jing¡¯an, returned, all would be fine.

 Chapter 595 - Scolding the Matriarch (2)

    <strong>Chapter 595: Scolding the Matriarch (2)</strong>

    It was evening by the time Chu Lian returned to the Jing¡¯an Estate, only to find a summons from the matriarch waiting.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t even have time to return to Songtao Court to change out of her clothes.

    Within the parlour of Qingxi Hall, the matriarch was resting her head in her hands while seated at the head of the room. Eldest Madam He Ying was ring fiercely at her. Chu Lian had just finished bobbing in greeting to the matriarch when He Ying shot out a question. ¡°Sang¡¯s wife! Where have you been?!¡±

    Chu Lian knew that she couldn¡¯t hide that she had gone to Prince Wei¡¯s Estate. There were so many servants in the estate; one of them had surely seen where she had gone.

    The matriarch didn¡¯t invite her to take a seat, so she remained standing upright in the middle of the parlour.

    Although her voice was soft, her tone was calm. ¡°Replying to Aunt, I went to visit Princess Wei today.¡±

    ¡°Why would you go to visit Prince Wei¡¯s Estate without any reason? Prince Wei¡¯s Estate hasn¡¯t sent you any invites as ofte! Sang¡¯s wife, are you trying to break up Miss Zhen and Dng¡¯s marriage?!¡± He Ying¡¯s face was twisted into a wretched expression and her face was flushed an ugly red. It was clear that she had lost all sense of rhyme or reason.

    Chu Lian frowned with her lips pressed together. She didn¡¯t want to answer He Ying.

    Had the matriarch summoned her so urgently just for this matter? How absurd!

    He Ying stood on the raised tform, her eyes fixed on Chu Lian¡¯s pretty, young face. She was already hopping mad, but Chu Lian was as steady as a pine. She was acting like she was watching some monkeys ying around, and the look in her eyes was bordering on contempt.

    The matriarch wasn¡¯t too happy either. However, while she could hold back her rage with her years of experience, He Ying wasn¡¯t able to keep her cool.

    Seeing that Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to reply her, He Ying stepped forward and raised her hand, intending to bring it down on Chu Lian¡¯s fair, tender cheek.

    Wenqing was shaken upon seeing what was about to happen, but unfortunately, she was standing at least two metres behind Chu Lian at the moment. She wouldn¡¯t be able to block the p for Chu Lian in time.

    He Ying was enraged, so her p carried all the force she could summon.

    She had thought that the tiny and frail Chu Lian would be pushed down to the floor with a bloody lip. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t expect Chu Lian to grab her wrist instead, blocking her blow.

    Despite how slender her wrist was, she actually had quite a bit of strength in her.

    ¡°I would advise you to save your energy, Aunt!¡± The look in Chu Lian¡¯s wide eyes had turned sharp. The fierce aura around her actually shocked He Ying into paralysis.

    ¡°Y... Y-You....¡±

    He Ying stuttered, but she wasn¡¯t able to continue speaking.

    She couldn¡¯t believe that the normally gentle, easygoing Sang¡¯s wife could actually be this strong.

    Chu Lian threw He Ying¡¯s wrist to one side, causing He Ying to stumble a few steps backwards.

    She bobbed towards the matriarch and said, ¡°Grandmother, it¡¯s gettingte. Granddaughter-in-Law won¡¯t impose on you any further. Please have a good rest.¡±

    After saying so, she turned to leave.

    However, Matriarch He mmed her cane several times in session, making dull thuds on the floor. Now angry, she roared, ¡°Stop right there!¡±

    The foot that Chu Lian had just lifted came back down again. She turned back around and looked up at the matriarch, whose face was turning as red as a pig¡¯s liver.

    Chu Lian cast a sideways nce at He Ying, who was showing off a gleeful glint in her eye.

    Chu Lian¡¯s voice was as calm as ever as she asked, ¡°Grandmother, is there something you need?¡±

    ¡°So you still remember that I¡¯m your grandmother? I thought that I was just a dying old woman in your eyes!¡±

    It was the first time that Matriarch He had spoken such harsh words to Chu Lian.

    The corners of Chu Lian¡¯s lips curved up and sheughed mockingly to herself. ¡°Granddaughter-in-Law doesn¡¯t dare to bear Grandmother¡¯s words!¡±

    ¡°Hmph! What wouldn¡¯t you dare to do? If you reallycked the guts, would you have gone to Prince Wei¡¯s Estate today? It must feel pretty good to have Princess Wei as your backer, huh?!¡±

    The remaining servants in the parlour all huddled down and tried their best to be invisible. This was the first time that the matriarch and Third Young Madam had shed with each other upfront.

    One of them was the eldest member of House Jing¡¯an, the other was the young madam with both authority and power. It was hard to say who had the upper hand between these two powerhouses.

    Muxiang stood in one corner, her head lowered to hide the smile on her lips.

    She was clearly satisfied with Chu Lian¡¯s current situation.

    If something happened to Matriarch He right now, regardless of whether Chu Lian was in the right, her reputation would be ruined.

    Once Chu Lian was deemed unvirtuous by others, coupled with how she was still childless, Muxiang had ways to make her leave He Changdi, even if Princess Wei tried to protect her!

    Chu Lian took in a deep breath of the cold spring air to calm her emotions. Following that, her limpid eyesnded on Matriarch He, resolution gathering in the clear depths of her gaze.

    She parted her pink lips and said, ¡°Grandmother, when are you going to wake up?!¡±

    None of the people present in the parlour had expected Chu Lian to say that, let alone Matriarch He. She forgot to breathe for a moment, struggling with the weight of her fury as she red at Chu Lian.

    Before anyone could react, Chu Lian continued, ¡°Grandmother, your bias has gotten out of hand! Aunt may be your daughter and Pan Nianzhen may be your granddaughter, but isn¡¯t Father your son, too? Isn¡¯t Mother your daughter-inw, and Eldest Brother your grandson? Can¡¯t you think more for their sake as well?

    ¡°House Jing¡¯an has only had single heirs for generations. For the sake of giving birth to your three grandsons, Mother spent all the energy in her body and fell ill. While bedridden for decades, she used her own dowry on her medicine to the point of running it dry, but she never touched a single copper coin from the estate¡¯s public funds!

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t she sessfully opened up the branches of House Jing¡¯an¡¯s family tree? A feat that hasn¡¯t been done in generations! And yet, how have you treated her? She only just recovered from her longtime illness, but you immediately handed over the messy public ounts for her to handle, forcing her topensate for the ounts with her own money! If Father were to find out that Mother wasnguishing under your unfair treatment while he was out defending the borders of this country, don¡¯t you think that he would be bitterly disappointed with you?!¡±

 Chapter 596 - Protective (1)

    <strong>Chapter 596: Protective (1)</strong>

    ¡°Eldest Brother might have some responsibility to shoulder in this, but why was Cousin Pan in the study of the outer court at such ate hour? If it had been Second Brother or my husband who was affected, would Grandmother also have married Miss Pan to them? With Aunt and Cousin Pan¡¯s personalities, are you absolutely sure that you want Miss Pan to be Eldest Brother¡¯s second wife? Are you trying to bring down House Jing¡¯an? This was what Grandfather risked his life to build up!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s words were like ferocious waves sweeping over Matriarch He. The old woman couldn¡¯t react in time; her eyes were wide and nk with shock.

    If these words hade from Countess Jing¡¯an or He Changdi, the matriarch wouldn¡¯t have been this shocked. However, it was Chu Lian, one of the most junior members of the family, who had said that to her. The impact was magnified by a few times.

    Matriarch He was instantly awakened from her muddle-headed mind.

    The parlour was so quiet that they could hear a pin drop.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t leave right after saying her piece. She stood ramrod-straight in the middle of the parlour. She had been keeping those words in for a very long time. Today, she had just vented them all out in one go, washing away the burdens weighing on her heart and lightening her mood once again.

    When He Ying saw that her mother¡¯s head was bowed, as if she were really considering Chu Lian¡¯s words seriously, she started to panic.

    She had no time to care for her pride or anything else. He Ying stepped forward with the intention to rebuke her. ¡°Madam Chu, stop trying to confuse us with your words! What right do you have to stand there and reprimand my mother? It was bad enough that you¡¯ve broken your vow of loyalty to your husband, but now you¡¯re actually trying to disrespect your elders?! Your behaviour is getting out of hand!¡±

    He Ying was furious. She spoke whatever came to her mind without any filters. Once she finished speaking, she did feel a slight twinge of regret at some of the inappropriate usations she had flung. However, the milk was already spilled. She couldn¡¯t take it back.

    ¡°I, disloyal to my husband? I¡¯m afraid that you must be referring to yourself instead, Aunt!¡± Chu Lian steeled her expression, managing to imitate half of He Sang¡¯s cold aura.

    While anyone might have been able to cast suspicions on Chu Lian, He Ying was actually the only one who didn¡¯t have any rights to do so. Her misdeeds during her youth were much more serious than Chu Lian¡¯s possible liaisons were.

    Who could have thought that the kind, easygoing Third Young Madam would have a moment like this? She refused to give even an inch to Eldest Madam¡¯s bullying. He Ying had been under the matriarch¡¯s protection ever since she hade to the Jing¡¯an Estate, so no one dared to retort to her. He Ying had never faced such a strong opponent before; she was about to go mad with fury.

    Thus, she got even more aggressive with her words.

    ¡°Madam Chu, don¡¯t think that I¡¯m ignorant! You were kidnapped before in the north! A young girl, taken away by a group of barbarians? Who knows how many barbarians have already defiled you? Who knows how many green hats Sang is wearing now?! And yet you still have the face to argue with me? Hmph! Haven¡¯t you been wondering why Mother doesn¡¯t like you anymore? Well, isn¡¯t it because you¡¯ve disgraced our family?!¡±

    He Ying¡¯s mouth really knew no barriers. She had just revealed some ugly truths and even dragged the matriarch down with her.

    Although Matriarch He had been suspecting Chu Lian¡¯s innocence, she had only been thinking of it to herself. How could she really bring it up to ask Chu Lian directly?

    Matriarch He was about to scold He Ying, when a tall figure quickly strode into the parlour.

    He Changdi shielded Chu Lian behind him. His icy eyes burned holes into He Ying, letting everyone know that he was about to flip out.

    Although He Sang usually kept a cool and aloof expression on his handsome face, he was extremely filial to his family. He always treated his family members with warmth and kindness, whether it was Matriarch He, Countess Jing¡¯an, or even this aunt he didn¡¯t really like.

    It would have been good enough if everyone in the estate minded their own business and tried to keep the peace on the surface. However, He Ying just had to step on He Sang¡¯s bottom line.

    He Changdi was extremely overprotective of his wife. Seeing how Chu Lian had been scolded as ¡®disloyal¡¯ in front of so many people, he could no longer hold back his temper. Even if his opponent was his aunt, He Ying!

    ¡°Aunt, I¡¯ll advise you not to bring shame upon yourself!¡±

    After saying so, he sheltered Chu Lian with one arm and quickly left Qingxi Hall.

    He Ying waspletely shaken by He Sang¡¯s warning. By the time she recovered her senses, her face was warped into an ugly expression. She turned, subconsciously wanting toin to the matriarch.

    She had never been shamed so badly before, especially in front of He Sang and Chu Lian, two younger members of the family.

    All the servants in the room kept as quiet as possible, trying not to draw any fire upon themselves.

    He Ying wailed a pitiful, ¡°Mother!¡± but this time, the matriarch didn¡¯t immediately answer as she normally would¡¯ve.

    Put out by the non-response, He Ying changed her tone and made herself sob pathetically. ¡°Mother, didn¡¯t you hear how Sang was ndering me just now? Sob sob... How can I continue staying here in the estate like this...¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± The matriarch mmed the side table, causing the teacups on it to tter as they shook.

    Now He Ying was finally scared into stopping her fake cries.

    The self-pity she had managed to squeeze outpletely faded away, leaving only shock in her eyes as she stared at her mother.

    ¡°You¡¯re dismissed. I¡¯m tired,¡± the matriarch said, holding a hand to her forehead as she shut her eyes and rubbed her temples.

    He Ying opened her mouth, wanting to speak, but under Senior Servant Liu¡¯s furious gaze, she abruptly turned around and stormed off.

    Now that her back was to the matriarch, He Ying¡¯s face twisted with disdain.

    He Ying had never forgotten the grudging hate she had when her parents had sent her off to Siyang. She didn¡¯t care at all whether her mother¡¯s health would be affected by these tumultuous events. After so many harsh years in Siyang, she had be even more selfish and self-centred. As long as she could squeeze out as much as she could from the matriarch, she wouldn¡¯t care what happened to her afterwards.

 Chapter 597 - Protective (2)

    <strong>Chapter 597: Protective (2)</strong>

    He Changdi¡¯s face waspletely ck as he pulled Chu Lian with him away from Qingxi Hall.

    Chu Lian struggled for a bit, but she couldn¡¯t get her wrist back from his grasp. ¡°Hubby, it won¡¯t be good for us to just leave like that.¡±

    Matriarch He¡¯s expression had been terrible. If she carried any grudges from today¡¯s quarrel, then their third branch would surely be deemed unfilial. Furthermore, there was also what He Ying had said just now about her loyalty...

    He Changdi suddenly came to aplete stop. Chu Lian bumped into his broad back as a result.

    He Sang was as hard as a rock, so Chu Lian¡¯s poor nose and chest had suffered the consequences of their collision.

    If they weren¡¯t outside right now, she would have clutched her chest in pain...

    When He Changdi heard a gasp of pain from her, his expression warped even more. He pressed his lips together and sighed inwardly, but his tone was soft and caring as he asked, ¡°Were you hurt?¡±

    Chu Lian bore with the pain and shook her head stiffly.

    Of course, He Changdi could see through her pretense thanks to her paleplexion. His silly wife always tried to soldier on without relying on him.

    He didn¡¯t say anything else. He let go of her wrist, bent down, and scooped her up into a bridal carry in one smooth movement. Following that, he strode quickly back to Songtao Court.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected any of that. When she turned back to peek at her maidservants, she realised that all of them had their heads hunkered down, pretending that they couldn¡¯t see the loving couple in front of them. A furious blush bloomed on her cheeks.

    She tried moving, but her little limbs were nothing to He Changdi¡¯s strong hold on her. He Sang simply nced down and watched her pitiful efforts.

    The hand he had on her back suddenly slipped downwards to give her pert butt a little pinch.

    She was wearing ayered dress, so her dress just managed to block He Changdi¡¯s arms. No one was able to see his actions, but Chu Lian stiffened up anyway, staring at He Sang in disbelief. Her eyes were usatory and full ofints.

    He Changdi¡¯s only reaction was to nce at her yet again. This time, Chu Lian didn¡¯t dare to continue struggling. She shrunk down and buried her head into He Changdi¡¯s chest, giving up on fighting her fate.

    Wenqing had a good guess as to what her mistress would want right now, so she dismissed the other maidservants on duty the moment they reached Songtao Court.

    On the way back to their bedroom, they didn¡¯t bump into that many servants. This let Chu Lian keep a little of her dignity before the servants.

    She heaved a sigh of relief.

    He Sang only let her down when they reached their bed.

    Chu Lian was carried over to the side of the bed and set down gently like a child.

    The maidservants on duty in the bedroom had already retreated, giving the couple some private space.

    He Changdi¡¯s expression was still stormy. His hands reached for the ties keeping Chu Lian¡¯s clothes together.

    Chu Lian suffered a fright and quickly sped the ribbon on her clothes tightly. She red at him with her almond-shaped eyes, extremely cautious as she said, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    He Sang blinked innocently and threw two cold words her way. ¡°Checking wounds.¡±

    Chu Lian was bbergasted. She turned her body to one side, trying to dodge his hands. Her face was as flushed as it could get as she said, ¡°I¡¯m not hurt; you don¡¯t have to check anything!¡±

    There must be something wrong with his head. She had only bumped into his back. While her chest had hurt a little at the time, it probably wasn¡¯t actually wounded.

    When He Sang saw that her neck was very red, he rxed his expression and stopped pressing the issue.

    However, he held onto her shoulder while his other hand wandered up from her slender waist. In no short time, his fingers were curled around the curve of her chest, stroking and squeezing her flesh gently.

    The weather was bing warmer now that spring hade, so Chu Lian had left her cotton-lined winter jackets behind for thinner spring blouses. She could feel the heat of his warm palm through the fewyers of fabric covering her chest. The feeling of the cloth rubbing against her skin was rather strange...

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t thought that He Changdi could keep a straight face while being so lewd in his actions...

    Her cheeks puffed up with anger and she gripped his palm with two hands, trying to push it off.

    ¡°Take it off!¡±

    He Changdi simply exined, ¡°If you won¡¯t let me check, then I¡¯ll just have to examine it this way.¡±

    It was too embarrassing. As he spoke, he continued moving his hand to illustrate his point...

    Chu Lian knew he was beingpletely shameless, but she couldn¡¯t find the words to refute him. She couldn¡¯t get away either. Her pitiful strength pitted against him was akin to a tiny white bunny struggling against a trap.

    ¡°You... what do you want!¡±

    They had just been in a fierce fight in Qingxi Hall, how did the air turn so lovey-dovey after they returned to Songtao Court?

    Even Chu Lian didn¡¯t know how things had changed so quickly...

    He Changdi blinked. His tone didn¡¯t change. If not for the actions of his hand, Chu Lian would have thought he had somehow be a saintly monk.

    ¡°Checking wounds.¡±

    If Chu Lian had the freedom to flip a table right now, all the tables in the bedroom would have been upended.

    They had gone one round around the bush ande right back to this topic! Damn it! He Sang was a lunatic through and through!

    Chu Lian gave up.

    She patted his palm forcefully. ¡°Stop that.¡±

    Finally, she gave him permission to ¡®check for wounds¡¯ in a tiny voice.

 Chapter 598 - Count Jingâ€™an (1)

    <strong>Chapter 598: Count Jing¡¯an (1)</strong>

    She really hoped He Changdi hadn¡¯t heard that... Unfortunately, He Sang¡¯s senses were too darned sharp.

    Chu Lian turned her body slightly and peeked up at him, blushing. She only managed to catch the defined line of his jaw before she quickly hunkered back down and shut her eyes.

    She gripped the purse hanging at her waist tightly with her hands. Her body started to tremble.

    He Sang pulled Chu Lian into his embrace easily. Her back was pressed right against his muscled chest and she could feel it moving as he breathed.

    He Changdi¡¯s gaze wandered downwards. From this angle, he could see the trembling of Chu Lian¡¯sshes. A smile curved on his lips. His slender fingers made quick work of the button near her cor and travelled further down. Wherever his hand trailed, buttons popped open in his wake. One, two, ...

    When all the buttons of Chu Lian¡¯s jacket were undone, the white undershirt she wore underneath was revealed.

    Chu Lian was paralysed by her shyness. Her eyes were shut tight as He Sang¡¯s fingers continued working. Her white undershirt was now open, leaving her daisy-coloured breast band exposed. Two soft lumps were barely visible under the thin, plum tree embroidered fabric.

    He Changdi¡¯s even breathing sped up as his pupils dted.

    He couldn¡¯t resist covering one of the lumps with his palm and squeezing a little.

    Chu Lian had her eyes shut, so she couldn¡¯t see anything, but her other senses had be clearer as a result. She could feel theyers of her clothing being peeled away. She could feel the hot puffs of breath washing over her. Her bashfulness overcame her.

    He Sang took an arduous gulp. His fingers pulled away thest barrier between them.

    The snowy peaks topped with enticing red plums came into his view. His wife¡¯s pale skin looked even more beautiful when contrasted against her clothes.

    However, the peak on the left was slightly reddened. Of course, it was the one he had identally bumped into...

    Chu Lian¡¯s skin was tender and fragile. It was easy to leave marks on it. She was clumsy and didn¡¯t take much care, so there was always a small jar of bruise balm in the room. The bruise balm had been made personally by Great Doctor Miao, so its effects went without saying.

    He Changdi suppressed the growing desire in him. He shut his eyes and took some bruise balm onto his palm before carefully applying it to the swollen part of Chu Lian¡¯s chest.

    Chu Lian could feel his movements, and her eyes fluttered open in surprise.

    Here she had been thinking bad things about him, when he was only being a gentleman.

    She pressed her lips together. However, when she looked down and watched what He Changdi was doing to her exposed chest, with her shirt open, the blush that had just faded returned in full force.

    Although He Changdi kept a serious expression on his face, his hands weren¡¯t as well-behaved. He didn¡¯t go overboard though. After applying the balm, he immediately started buttoning Chu Lian¡¯s clothes back up.

    Once her clothes had been straightened out, the flush on Chu Lian¡¯s cheeks finally retreated. She buried her face into He Sang¡¯s chest without a word.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have any questions for me?¡± He Changdi smiled and stroked her back.

    Chu Lian pushed him away and looked up to admire the nice line of He Changdi¡¯s jaw. ¡°Why did youe to Qingxi Hall so abruptly?¡±

    He Changdi had appeared right in the nick of time, just when she had been put on the spot by Eldest Madam. It was too much of a coincidence. Furthermore, He Changdi usually wouldn¡¯t return from the Ministry of War that early.

    ¡°You were being bullied so badly. How could I not return?¡±

    Chu Lian frowned. She didn¡¯t believe his joking tone.

    As expected, He Sang tenderly stroked her smooth cheek. Then, he sighed and said, ¡°I knew that Aunt wouldn¡¯t let you off after finding out that you went to Prince Wei¡¯s Estate, so I had someone watch her movements. The moment anything happened, they came to inform me.¡± That was how he had been able to arrive at the right moment.

    Chu Lian was touched. He had been even more considerate than she had expected.

    She had been pushed to the brink today, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have insulted He Ying right to her face in front of the matriarch. Now it all depended on the matriarch. If the matriarch¡¯s eyes opened and saw the situation for what it was, then she might be safe. If the matriarch remained muddleheaded, however, then all the me would fall upon her. Even if He Changdi stood by her then, it wouldn¡¯t be of any help. The Great Wu Dynasty was built on the foundations of filial piety, so thew wouldn¡¯t be on her side.

    Chu Lian told him what happened when she had gone to Prince Wei¡¯s Estate today.

    ¡°Princess Wei agreed to help us stop Grandmother¡¯s token from reaching the pce. Princess Wei won¡¯t let anything through, so we can rest easy on that front.¡±

    He Changdi saw that there was a mix of naivete and cunning in his bewitching wife¡¯s eyes, so he couldn¡¯t resist bending down to steal a kiss from her lips. He let out a low chuckle and said, ¡°I feel that Princess Wei treats you rather well.¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t find it strange. ¡°Princess Wei treats me well because I saved Royal Princess Duanjia that one time and we became friendster.¡±

    He Sang smoothed over his wife¡¯s soft locks, smiling all the while. What he left unsaid was that Princess Wei hadn¡¯t had any connection to ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ in their past life. Royal Princess Duanjia didn¡¯t even know her then. When they had met with Prince Wei and his wife one time, the couple had clearly shown disdain and contempt towards ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ due to the rumours around her.

    However, things werepletely different in this life.

    The one who was the most different was the wife in his arms.

 Chapter 599 - Count Jingâ€™an (2)

    <strong>Chapter 599: Count Jing¡¯an (2)</strong>

    The more they interacted, the more He Changdi would find the differences she had from their past life. Other than the face that he would never forget, there was nothing simr about the person in his arms to the ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ in his memories.

    She didn¡¯t have any of the poisonous treachery that ran in the past ¡®Chu Lian¡¯. She wasn¡¯t cowardly, and she was brimming with confidence and talent...

    A shadow passed over He Changdi¡¯s eyes. The current Chu Lian seemed to have been made for him... He closed his eyes and opened them again, his maic voice ringing in Chu Lian¡¯s ears as he called, ¡°Lian¡¯er?¡±

    Chu Lian looked up in response and blinked. ¡°Mm?¡±

    She didn¡¯t understand why He Changdi had suddenly called out to her.

    When he met with those clear eyes, the heart that had leaped into his throat finally sunk back down into his chest. Sometimes, he was still ovee with fear- as if the current Chu Lian would suddenly turn back into the wicked woman of the past.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know of the inner struggle that He Changdi was facing. She tilted her head to the side and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s with that grimace on your face?¡±

    He Sang suddenly hugged her tight, pressing her close to his skin. He buried his head into her neck and took deep breaths of Chu Lian¡¯s special scent. He said, ¡°Lian¡¯er, promise me this. Don¡¯t ever leave me... okay?¡±

    Chu Lian found it strange that He Changdi was suddenly spouting such tender words. She just took it as part of his unpredictable moods and returned the hug by wrapping her arms around his waist. As if she was cating a small child, she said, ¡°Alright, I promise.¡±

    As if Chu Lian would really remain by his side and never leave with that promise alone, He Changdi¡¯s heart rxed. He continued cuddling and kissing his wife.

    In a short moment, the kisses led to something else...

    ......

    After a day, Matriarch He¡¯s jade token was sent back from the pce.

    There wasn¡¯t any movement in Qingxi Hall this time.

    He Sang and Chu Lian thought that things had been settled for now. Who could have expected that He Dng would suddenly kneel down before Matriarch He and dere his intent to take Pan Nianzhen as his wife the very next day!

    Chu Lian and He Changdi were shocked beyond words by this news.

    Their first reaction was to order the servants not to let the news spread to Countess Jing¡¯an. If she were to find out about this, she would definitely fall even more ill. By then, her illness would turn incurable.

    He Sang and his wife hurried over to Qingxi Hall.

    When they reached the parlour, they could see He Dng kneeling in front of the matriarch, while He Ying and her daughter were seated to one side without any readable expressions.

    Pan Nianzhen¡¯splexion was ashen and her head was bowed. This was the first time Chu Lian had seen her since that incident.

    She had be thinner. Even the knuckles of her hands, which were gripping a handkerchief tightly in herp, had be more defined.

    Chu Lian frowned slightly. Pan Nianzhen looked like a poor little bunny who had been bullied, like a white lotus flower that had been beaten down by a storm.

    However, Chu Lian didn¡¯t believe in judging her by her cover.

    Ever since she had met this cousin, she knew that she wasn¡¯t as cowardly and frail as her appearance might suggest.

    Furthermore, He Dng had been sorry and guilty for the incident, but he had never thought of marrying Pan Nianzhen. How had his decision changed in just the span of a few days?

    Matriarch He had already given up on having He Dng marry Pan Nianzhen after Chu Lian¡¯s provoking words.

    He was the eldest son of the house after all, and he was meant to hold up the house on his shoulders. The old count had risked his life on the battlefield to earn this noble title and build up House Jing¡¯an. She couldn¡¯t let it all go to ruin in her hands.

    Even if her daughter continuedining, she would have had Pan Nianzhen be one of Dng¡¯s concubines at most.

    He Changdi and Chu Lian could hear the matriarch gravely demanding, ¡°Dng, what did you just say? Say it again!¡±

    Eldest Brother He Changqi had lost weight. His clothes hung loosely on his frame now and his chin was covered in stubble. His bloodshot eyes added to his frail appearance.

    If not for the same, familiar features on his face, Chu Lian wouldn¡¯t have dared to recognise him as her brother-inw.

    He Changqi¡¯s voice was hoarse, but his words travelled clearly into everyone¡¯s ears. ¡°Grandmother, I will marry Pan Nianzhen. I¡¯ll bear the consequences of my actions.¡±

    ¡°You!!¡± Matriarch He pointed at her eldest grandson, anger building in her without any outlet.

    He Changdi followed by saying, ¡°Grandmother, I¡¯ll send a petition to the Emperor to take away my position as Heir and give it to Second Brother instead. Once I marry Pan Nianzhen, I¡¯ll take her back to our ancestral home.¡±

    Chu Lian was astounded. She immediately understood that Eldest Brother wasn¡¯t trying to make apromise. He hadpletely given up on overturning the situation. He was trying to make it a loss on both sides to resolve the matter.

    This could protect House Jing¡¯an¡¯s reputation, as well as preserve the rtionship between Matriarch He and He Ying.

    He Changqi¡¯s words rmed He Ying and her daughter. There were the ones who were the most shocked and scared by He Dng¡¯s deration.

    If He Changqi really did so, their ns woulde to nothing!

    Pan Nianzhen would have to give up on He Changdi and follow He Changqi into bing a joke!

    Pan Nianzhen raised her head, her face full of astonishment as she looked at He Changqi. The veins on her hands stood out as her grip on her handkerchief tightened.

    She couldn¡¯t believe that all of her efforts woulde to waste.

    If she really had to marry He Changqi and leave the capital, then what difference was there between that and staying in Siyang!

    As everyone in the parlour was frozen with shock, a loud roar rang out from the entrance with the presence of one who oftenmanded their troops. ¡°You little brat! Do you dare to repeat what you just said to me?!¡±

 Chapter 600 - Brother (1)

    <strong>Chapter 600: Brother (1)</strong>

    When the man¡¯s rough bellow faded from the parlour, everyone turned their attention the entrance.

    Chu Lian turned in a slow, stunned manner, only to be met with the sight of a bearded middle-aged man. He was dressed in amander¡¯s silver armour with a sword at his waist. His figure was tall and buff, like a miniature mountain.

    He Ying was equally stunned. It took a long moment before she finally called out in a tiny voice, ¡°Brother...¡±

    The stern expression on the matriarch faded away, reced with unconcealed joy. She reached out to the side and Senior Servant Liu quickly supported her and helped her up.

    Before she had even walked up to the middle-aged man, the old matriarch¡¯s eyes had already turned red. She sounded on the verge of tears as she said, ¡°My son, you¡¯ve finally returned.¡±

    Chu Lian finally realised that this middle-aged man who had suddenly appeared was her very own father-inw.

    She had to say that Eldest Brother resembled Count Jing¡¯an the most...

    Whether it was his figure or features, it was He Changqi who looked the most like Count Jing¡¯an.

    A rare spark of respectful admiration shone in He Changdi¡¯s eyes when his gaze fell upon the count. The worry that Chu Lian had held for He Dng disappeared after she saw Count Jing¡¯an.

    The novel had mentioned Count Jing¡¯an before, and in that brief mention, Chu Lian knew that the count was a smart, level-headed person.

    He had passed this trait down to He Changdi.

    While Eldest Brother He Changqi was sensible when it came to external problems, he became irrationally stubborn in matters concerning the family or rtionships.

    Now that Count Jing¡¯an was back, with someone pressuring He Dng, perhaps only then would the Jing¡¯an Estate finally recover its peace.

    Chu Lian was still lost in her thoughts when her wrist was caught by He Sang, pulling her back to reality. She stared at her husband a little dazedly.

    He Changdi put on a helpless look before bending down to whisper into her ear, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you scared? There¡¯s no need to be afraid. Father is very friendly and easy to get along with.¡±

    When she heard his reassurance, she understood that He Changdi intended to bring her forward to greet the count for the first time.

    The entire parlour of people stood up, some with uncertainty, some with wild joy and some with disappointment.

    Count Jing¡¯an was weed to the raised tform at the head of the room. One of the servants was about to help He Changqi up from his kneeling, but the count immediately put a stop to it with a shout. ¡°Does he have the right to stand after doing such a terrible thing? Don¡¯t move! Let him kneel!¡±

    Once the count had spoken, no one dared to speak up for He Changqi any longer. Everyone looked at him with pity in their eyes.

    After Count Jing¡¯an set down the order, his gaze swept over the people gathered in the parlour beforending on He Changdi and his wife.

    His fearsome, tan mien immediately melted into a kind, caring look. He beckoned towards He Changdi and Chu Lian and said, ¡°This must be Sang¡¯s wife! Come over here, you two.¡±

    Chu Lian darted a quick nce at He Sang. Although she didn¡¯t show it on the surface, she was actually rather nervous inside. It was her first time meeting her father-inw, after all.

    He Changdi returned a reassuring look and led her up to Count Jing¡¯an.

    After a short pause, Chu Lian greeted the count together with He Changdi. ¡°Father.¡±

    Count Jing¡¯an, He Yanwen, took in the sight of his handsome son standing next to his beautiful, pleasant-looking wife. The couple seemed very loving in their interactions. His third son looked ready to defend his wife should anyone try to bully her, indicating that their rtionship was going well.

    The remaining bit of me he had towards his mother for pleading the Empress Dowager for an arranged marriage dissipated.

 Chapter 601 - Brother (2)

    <strong>Chapter 601: Brother (2)</strong>

    When he saw that Chu Lian was sneaking nces at him from time to time, her clear and innocent eyes full of curiosity and uncertainty, he burst out intoughter. He took out a green brocade purse from his waist and passed it to He Sang.

    ¡°Take this. Since Father wasn¡¯t around for Lian¡¯er¡¯s tea ceremony, this is a wee gift to make up for it.¡±

    Once Count Jing¡¯an set down the authoritative presence he had honed in the army, he was actually a very likeable person.

    No wonder even the cold He Changdi held affection towards his father.

    He Changdi naturally wouldn¡¯t stand on ceremony with his own father. He took the purse and passed it to Chu Lian without looking. Humour could be heard from his tone as he said, ¡°Lian¡¯er, open it and see what¡¯s inside. If Father¡¯s gift isn¡¯t good enough, I¡¯ll ask him for more.¡±

    Chu Lian looked askance at He Changdi before thanking Count Jing¡¯an. She was about to keep the purse without looking inside, but the count stopped her. Smiling, he said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to open it and see?¡±

    Since the gifter had said so, Chu Lian carefully opened up the purse and poured its contents onto her hand. When small, resplendent little gems fell onto her palm, Chu Lian could no longer hide the shock on her face.

    The... The purse actually contained more than ten gems the size of pigeon eggs...

    Amongst them were the extremely rare red and pink diamonds... If these appeared in the modern world, they would literally be worth entire cities...

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t expected her father-inw to have given her such valuable gifts on their first meeting.

    She froze up while holding up the purse, not knowing what to do. She turned to look at He Changdi for help.

    He Sang understood the look in her eyes. He smiled and rubbed her hand tofort her. ¡°Since Father has given them to you, just keep them. It¡¯s worth these few trifles to get you to call him Father.¡±

    Chu Lian wanted to roll her eyes. A few trifles... Could these fine red and pink diamonds really be called trifles? She shook her head helplessly in her mind and carefully poured the gems back into the purse. She made another deep bow in thanks to Count Jing¡¯an.

    ¡°You must be tired from your travels, Father. Daughter-in-Law has no special talents, but Daughter-in-Law will personally cook a few dishes for Father at tonight¡¯s reunion dinner.¡±

    Count Jing¡¯anughed openly once again. ¡°Then Father will look forward to trying Lian¡¯er¡¯s cooking tonight!¡±

    Once the customs were done, He Changdi held his wife¡¯s hand and retreated to the side.

    Count Jing¡¯an didn¡¯t address his eldest son, who was still kneeling on the ground, and made some small talk with Matriarch He instead. His gaze finallynded upon He Ying, who he hadn¡¯t seen in many years.

    His tone turned cold as he said, ¡°Miss Ying. It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯vest met, but you seem to be the same.¡±

    There was ridicule in his words that made it clear he wasn¡¯tplimenting her appearance. He was mocking her for being up to her old tricks. It was bad enough that she had created a scandal for herself back then, but now she was doing the same with her daughter.

    Back then, the only one that He Ying had feared wasn¡¯t the old count or her mother, but her very own brother, He Yanwen.

    He Ying was both afraid and jealous of her brother.

    She had hated her brother for being able to follow their parents onto the battlefields. He had been taught personally by their parents. Later on, when he had grown up and married, she had hated him for being able to inherit their father¡¯s title, for being able to bring honour to their family. She hated her brother for having three sons, while she only had a failure of a daughter by her side, without any heirs to take care of her in her old age.

    Before Count Jing¡¯an had returned, she had been able to swagger about the estate with the matriarch¡¯s protection. She had been able to bully the younger members of the family and even her sister-inw Countess Jing¡¯an. However, now that her brother was back, she was instantly beaten down into the dust without her brother even trying. She didn¡¯t even have the courage to move anymore.

    He Ying stood to one side with her daughter, her head low. She couldn¡¯t even look Count Jing¡¯an in the eyes, and instead, she let out a weak mumble, ¡°Brother.¡±

    It was Pan Nianzhen¡¯s first time seeing her mother so nervous, so she ended up getting affected as well. Her personality was a little cowardly in the first ce, so she didn¡¯t dare to lift her head up now. In a frail voice, she said, ¡°Uncle.¡±

 Chapter 602 - The Past is Dead (1)

    <strong>Chapter 602: The Past is Dead (1)</strong>

    Count Jing¡¯an harrumphed, clearly disinclined to bother with He Ying and her daughter.

    It wasn¡¯t just He Ying and Miss Pan who felt extremely awkward because of that, but Matriarch He as well.

    He Ying and Miss Pan had been under her care and protection after all.

    Once everyone in the parlour had finished greeting Count Jing¡¯an, it was finally He Dng¡¯s turn.

    He Changqi hadn¡¯t seen his father in years. He missed his father just as much as anyone else in the family, but he knew that it was his own fault that his father was coldly ignoring him now.

    Count Jing¡¯an finally cast his gaze upon his disappointing eldest son. Fury and frustration warred within him and he ordered in a deep voice, ¡°Follow me to the study.¡±

    He Changqi stood up and followed the count out of Qingxi Hall with his head bowed.

    Now that the count had returned, the entire estate was bursting with joy.

    The news quickly spread to Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s courtyard. The countess disregarded her ailing health and immediately tried to get out of bed to see the husband she hadn¡¯tid eyes upon for years.

    Luckily, He Changdi and Chu Lian arrived just in time to stop her, otherwise the countess might have made her condition worse.

    The entire family gathered in the parlour in the outer court to have a reunion dinner at night.

    Even He Eng returned to the estate early this day.

    The estate was bustling with noise and excitement, and it was even livelier that it was on New Year¡¯s Day. The dishes served for dinner were personally cooked by Chu Lian and her handmaids.

    There was fragrant stir-fried pork, spicy stir-fried beef, griddle shredded cabbage, poached fish slices, old duck soup... There were more than ten dishes in total and they were all things that Count Jing¡¯an had never eaten before.

    After the meal, he couldn¡¯t help butpliment his youngest daughter-inw¡¯s cooking.

    Since his belly was now full with an extremely satisfying reunion dinner, Count Jing¡¯an¡¯s mood had be much better aspared to in the day, when he was dealing with the mess that Dng had created.

    That night, Count Jing¡¯an led his two little granddaughters and his wife back to their courtyard.

    Within the main bedroom of Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s courtyard, the servants had already retreated, leaving the couple to themselves. Their two granddaughters had been taken to bed by their nursemaids.

    Count Jing¡¯an took his wife¡¯s hand and led her to sit by the desk. The couple was very close and they hadn¡¯t met in many years, so they were full of longing. Right now, the two of them had much to say to each other.

    The count was the most concerned about his wife¡¯s health.

    Although he had already received He Changdi¡¯s letter, stating that his wife¡¯s illness had been cured, he couldn¡¯t rest easy without seeing it for himself.

    Now that his previously bedridden and sickly wife was standing before him with healthy, ruddy cheeks, he was ted beyond belief.

    The burly middle-aged general¡¯s eyes reddened and he gripped his wife¡¯s hand, ¡°Peiwen, you¡¯re finally all better.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an, Liu Peiwen, smiled along with her husband, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m all better now. Those days when I was trapped in bed feel like a dream now...¡±

    ¡°Tell me how the person who healed you is like. Great Doctor Miao?¡±

    Count Jing¡¯an knew roughly how his wife had been cured, but he wasn¡¯t clear on the details involved.

    Countess Jing¡¯an knew that he would ask about it, so she exined the entire situation from start to end patiently.

    It took her a whole hour to finish exining it all. She smiled as she looked at her husband, ¡°It must be the heavens who couldn¡¯t bear seeing me lying in bed and helped to cure me earlier so I could wee you back to our home!¡±

    The count chuckled and nodded. Hemented, ¡°Sang¡¯s wife is really our He Family¡¯s lucky star. If not for her, Great Doctor Miao wouldn¡¯t have stayed in our estate so readily and helped to cure your illness. Although Mother is getting old and bing more muddle-headed, she must have been guided by a greater power when she went to plead for this marriage for Sang. I¡¯ll go thank Great Doctor Miao myself tomorrow.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an nodded in agreement, ¡°Yes, we should thank him personally.¡±

    Immediately after, she seemed to have thought of something as she let out a giggle, ¡°Husband, now that you mention it, Sang has been growing more and more ever since his wife married into our family. He¡¯s a marquis now! Could Sang¡¯s wife be a lucky star for her husband as well?¡±

    Count Jing¡¯an burst out intoughter and reminded his wife, ¡°Remember not to mention this out of our rooms, let¡¯s just keep it as a joke between us. This kind of talk can¡¯t be spread outside, or it might draw disaster upon us.¡±

    Now that the count had returned, Countess Jing¡¯an had found her pir of support once again. Her mind was now clearer than before. She hurriedly replied, ¡°I understand.¡±

    The two drank their tea together. When the count noticed that his wife was looking at him as if she had something she didn¡¯t quite dare to say, he had a good guess at what she was keeping in. He sighed softly, ¡°Dng is an honest and considerate child to the bone and he¡¯s loyal to the family. It¡¯s notpletely his fault that his marriage with Madam Zou turned out this way. The two of them have already divorced now, so don¡¯t think too much about it. We have to take each day as ites. As for He Ying¡¯s child, don¡¯t worry. As long as I¡¯m here, I¡¯ll never approve of their marriage. Even if Dng were to marry again, his second wife has to be a good and kindlydy. Otherwise, Little An and Little Lin will be the ones who¡¯ll suffer.¡±

    Madam Liu hadn¡¯t expected her husband to have made a clear decision on the matter. A burden was lifted from her heart.

    She leaned against her husband¡¯s side as the tightly wound nerves in her heart rxed.

 Chapter 603 - The Past is Dead (2)

    <strong>Chapter 603: The Past is Dead (2)</strong>

    It was the fifteenth of the month today. A full moon was hanging in the sky, shining brightly and casting its light upon the estate. When the pale moonlight filtered through the half-opened window, it lit up a small area before their lounge.

    The old couple lifted their heads up to behold the moon outside the window, a sense of fulfillment warming their hearts.

    As they enjoyed this warm moment together, they didn¡¯t know that there had been a very different oue in their past life. House Jing¡¯an hade to an end just two monthster from this day.

    Back then, Countess Jing¡¯an had been bedridden from her old illness. The estate had been ransacked by imperial troops searching for evidence, and the matriarch had fallen ill and be bedridden as well.

    The count had been arrested and publicly executed in the market, while the three He brothers had been sent off to exile in the north.

    That nightmarish ending was drifting further and further away from them now...

    He Changdi stood by the window, staring at the full moon hanging in the sky in a daze. The cool moonlight threw a bright silver cloak over He Sang, setting him aglow.

    He stood with his hands behind his back. The spring night breeze brushed over his skin, lifting up the two locks of hair by his face, making him look like a deity who had descended upon the earth.

    Chu Lian had woken up in the middle of her sleep from thirst. When she opened her eyes and found that her personal heat source had disappeared, she sat up dazedly. She pushed aside the gauze bedcurtains and looked towards the outside.

    There was only a single dimmp lit in the room, so Chu Lian spotted He Changdi immediately under the light of the moon.

    She found it strange that her husband was standing at the window in the middle of the night and in such thin clothes. It was spring, so the nights were still cold.

    She slipped her feet into her night slippers and took up He Changdi¡¯s cloak from one corner. She walked up to him and tiptoed to ce the cloak around his shoulders.

    ¡°It¡¯s sote, why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± Chu Lian¡¯s sleep-addled voice was slightly hoarse.

    The usual wit and rity in her almond-shaped eyes had given way to a misty sleepiness.

    He Sang felt something warm on his shoulders. That warmth seemed to seep from his chest directly into his heart, making his chilled heart beat faster.

    He suddenly reached out and tucked Chu Lian under his arms. He bent down slightly and asked gently, ¡°Why are you awake?¡±

    His dear wife slept like a log on most days. Even earthquakes wouldn¡¯t be able to wake her up.

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t totally awake yet, her eyes were fighting to stay open. Thus, she simply leaned on her husband and put her head against his chest. She mumbled, ¡°I was thirsty when I woke up. I saw that you weren¡¯t in bed so I came to look for you.¡±

    He Sang noticed that his wife¡¯s head was bobbing as she spoke, seemingly about to fall back asleep on the spot. The corner of his lips curled up helplessly. The dark mood he had been in waspletely swept away by his wife¡¯s adorable appearance.

    He kissed the top of her head.

    ¡°You¡¯re still sleepy?¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s consciousness was already slipping away. She wrapped her arms tighter around He Sang¡¯s narrow waist, ¡°Slee... py...¡±

    He Sang resisted the urge to chuckle, ¡°Didn¡¯t you get up for water?¡±

    Right after he finished speaking, he realised that Chu Lian had already nodded right off while bound tightly to his waist.

    This little troublemaker.

    He Changdi¡¯s heart was filled at once with both sweetness and helplessness.

    Having this little woman in his arms, he felt like he was raising a spoiled little daughter.

    He Changdi bent down and moved Chu Lian¡¯s grip around his waist up to his neck instead. His palms went under Chu Lian¡¯s pert bottom and he lifted her up like a child...

    Chu Lian was still leaning against his chest, unaware of her surroundings now.

    He Changdi spared one hand to pinch her flushed cheeks, before turning and walking over to the bed. He set her down on the bed and pulled the cover over her to keep her arm.

    Instead of blowing out themp and getting into bed himself, he walked over to the desk in the room. He set a small cup of cold water on the little y stove and waited for it to warm up.

    Once that was done, he took the warm teacup and brought it over to the bedside. He took a sip of water into his mouth and fed it to Chu Lian with a kiss.

    The sleeping woman subconsciously gulped down the warm water in her mouth and inadvertently licked her lips. That little action made He Changdi¡¯s pupils dte.

    He took in a deep breath and turned around, setting the teacup down on the bedside table. He sat for a long moment before he finally sidled back under the bed covers and by Chu Lian¡¯s side. Out of habit, he reached over to tuck Chu Lian into his embrace.

    With his wife¡¯s familiar fragrance around him, He Changdi¡¯s messy thoughts slowly calmed down.

    Although the fate of House Jing¡¯an had been rewritten in this life and he had been able to avoid many of the disasters that had befallen them in his past, even to the point of earning a noble title for himself, he couldn¡¯t help the inescapable worries popping up in his mind.

    He was worried that this was all just a dream. That when he awoke again, he would be faced with the cruel reality of his past life.

    It wasn¡¯t until he had Chu Lian in his arms, when he could feel her living, breathing body before him, that He Changi could be sure that all this was real.

    Once he had calmed down his chaotic emotions, sleepiness started taking over his mind.

 Chapter 604 - The Past is Dead (3)

    <strong>Chapter 604: The Past is Dead (3)</strong>

    Even at thiste hour of the night, within a room in Qingxi Hall, Muxiang remained wide awake.

    The door and the windows of the room were firmly shut, and there weren¡¯t any candles lit up in the room, making it pitch ck.

    Muxiang sat fully dressed on her bed in the darkness, like a sinister, silent spectre.

    She was still in a daze. She couldn¡¯t believe that Count Jing¡¯an had returned earlier than expected.

    This wasn¡¯t what happened in her past life!

    Ever since the count had returned, the situation she had been pushing the estate into was now ruined. It wasn¡¯t possible to use Matriarch He and He Ying to achieve her own motives now.

    She bit her lip and cursed Count Jing¡¯an inwardly.

    In this dark and seemingly boundless ce, her eyes were lit up with a fearsome and poisonous glow.

    She scratched at the brocade bedsheets under her, vowing to herself that she would get what she wanted, no matter how vicious she had to be.

    ......

    The next day, Count Jing¡¯an, He Changjue and He Changdi headed for the pce together.

    Since the count had just returned to the capital, he had to attend court in the morning before going over to the Ministry of War to hand over his matters, transfer his token of authority, and so on. There was plenty to do.

    He had managed to return to the estate in time yesterday because he had secretly sneaked in some free time.

    Once Count Jing¡¯an returned his token of authority, which gave himmand over the troops in the south, he would be bestowed a ck position in the capital and enjoy his retirement. This was the usual way that most of the defender generals retired, so it wasn¡¯t anything out of the ordinary.

    Qinzheng Hall within the pce.

    Court had been dismissed by now, Count Jing¡¯an had been summoned into Qinzheng Hall alone.

    Since Count Jing¡¯an had just returned from Mingzhou and he was an important general who had defended the borders for decades, it wasn¡¯t strange that the Chengping Emperor had summoned him for a private conversation.

    Dressed in a military official¡¯s court outfit, the burly andrge Count Jing¡¯an stood like a mountain before the doors of Qinzheng Hall. When Eunuch Wei came out to invite him in, the count followed behind the eunuch carefully.

    A glint shed through Count Jing¡¯an¡¯s eyes while his head was bowed. His determination could be seen on the set of his brows. He took in a deep breath and lifted his head, his gazending upon that imperial yellow figure.

    Although the Emperor was approaching fifty, he remained clean shaven. The men of the Great Wu didn¡¯t keep beards, so the Emperor had followed that rule.

    The beardless Emperor looked five to six years younger than his real age, making him look in his early forties.

    However, Count Jing¡¯an was different.

    Although he was younger than the Emperor by a year, his face had been weathered by hardship and there were a few strands of white in his hair, making him look much older.

    The wrinkles at the corners of his mouth were prominent. Adding on to that his beard, he looked a decade older than the Emperor.

    Upon hearing the footsteps of the approaching count, the Emperor looked up from the imperial reports and gazed upon Count Jing¡¯an.

    There was an unreadable look in the Emperor¡¯s eyes. It wasn¡¯t appreciation towards a loyal subject, nor admiration. It was far from trust and gratitude as well.

    In a nutshell, it was a strange look.

    ¡°He Yanwen. It¡¯s been years since west met. We hope you¡¯re doing fine,¡± The Chengping Emperor threw out these unexpected words with a straight face, causing his trusted attendant, Eunuch Wei, to tremble a little behind him.

    Count Jing¡¯an bowed his head and body slightly, giving the Emperor an appropriate salute, not an inch more or less.

    ¡°Defender General of the South, He Yanwen, greets Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty!¡±

    The Chengping Emperor¡¯s tone cooled down all of a sudden, ¡°Long live? He Yanwen, you had better drop all pretenses. If you truly wished for us to live a long life, then you wouldn¡¯t have done that in the past!¡±

    Count Jing¡¯an had a bitter smile in his heart. As expected, despite the many years that had passed, the Emperor hadn¡¯t forgotten that incident in the past.

    However, the past is dead. There was no way to return to that time again.

    Count Jing¡¯an sighed inwardly, ¡°This humble official will ept any punishment as Your Majesty wishes.¡±

    The Emperor flew into a rage upon seeing the count¡¯s unruffled appearance. The anger that he had been suppressing for years was instantly ignited, warping his mien beyond recognition.

    He shoved the extremely priceless jade Jingtai teapot off his desk, roaring furiously, ¡°He Yanwan! Don¡¯t you assume that we don¡¯t dare to sentence you to death! If she hadn¡¯t pled mercy for you back then, we would have split into a thousand pieces by now!¡±

    Count Jing¡¯an lowered his eyes, but his burly body remained standing strong like a majestic mountain. He was a staunch and unyielding obstacle in the Emperor¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°This humble official will ept any punishment as Your Majesty wishes.¡±

 Chapter 605 - Without a Cheat (1)

    <strong>Chapter 605: Without a Cheat (1)</strong>

    If the Emperor were younger, he might really have drawn the imperial sword by his side and executed Count Jing¡¯an with a single, mad blow.

    However, for the current fifty-year-old ruler, he had already experienced multitudes morepared to his younger days. Having sat on the golden throne for decades, he had been transformed into a true regent. Most trivial matters would hardly shake him now.

    Thus, at the mention of the incident he regretted the most during his youth, he was able to keep his emotions under control and retain his rationality.

    The Emperor¡¯s cold gaze pierced down from above. If looks could kill, then Count Jing¡¯an¡¯s body would likely have be riddled with holes like a sieve.

    Although the look in the Emperor¡¯s eyes was terrifying, Count Jing¡¯an knew he couldn¡¯t back down at this moment. He had already stayed resolute for so many years. There was no other choice but to keep that secret to his grave!

    ¡°Very well, He Yanwen! What a good dog you are! You¡¯re still their dog, even after all these years! Like a dog, you can¡¯t change your nature of eating shit!¡±

    Such crude words had fallen from the lips of the Emperor. It was easy to imagine how furious he was.

    Count Jing¡¯an bore with the Emperor¡¯s fury and knelt down silently. He bowed his head slightly and knelt with both knees on the mirror-like floor of Qinzheng Hall. Even in this pose of obeisance, his back remained ramrod straight as a sign of his silent rebellion.

    The Emperor could no longer sit still behind the imperial desk. He stood up and paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, his eyes blood-red from the force of his anger.

    He suddenly stopped and asked, ¡°He Yanwen. Are you still unwilling to speak even now?¡±

    Count Jing¡¯an made a cupped fist salute towards the Emperor with his eyes cast downwards, ¡°Your Majesty, this humble official has nothing to say.¡±

    ¡°Nothing to say?! He Yanwen! You were Ah-xun¡¯s senior brother! The two of you studied under the same teacher. She treated you like a real brother!¡±

    Count Jing¡¯an pressed his dry lips together, ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s precisely because I am Ah-xun¡¯s senior brother that I have to keep this secret.¡±

    ¡°Good, good... How very good of you! You¡¯re living up to your name, my loyal Defender General of the South! You¡¯re still loyal even till death!¡±

    Count Jing¡¯an sighed inwardly, ¡°Your Majesty, so many years have passed. Why continue troubling yourself over this matter? Ah-xun already passed away more than ten years ago. She only wished the best for you.¡±

    The impact of Count Jing¡¯an¡¯s words made the Emperor tremble. His wavering body threatened to copse, scaring Eunuch Wei into stepping forward and holding him up.

    The Emperor¡¯s lips pulled into a bitter smile. Even though he had already guessed years ago that Ye Xun was no longer in this world, when he received confirmation of his guess, his first reaction was still disbelief.

    He mumbled to himself, ¡°So she¡¯s really gone...¡±

    ¡°Then can you tell us where her grave is?¡± The sharp ice in the Emperor¡¯s gaze had retreated into disappointment and defeat. However, when he asked his question, a spark of hope lit up in his eyes as he looked at the kneeling Count Jing¡¯an.

    A pang of heartache rose in the count¡¯s heart. He thought briefly ofing clean and revealing the location to the Emperor, but he quickly recovered his cool and shook his head in silent determination.

    Now immersed in pain and suffering, the Emperor abruptly started coughing viciously. He swept everything off the imperial desk¡ª official reports, ink stone, papers, and brushes all crashed to the ground. Ink sttered all over the golden floors of the hall, making a huge mess that reflected the inner state of the Emperor¡¯s heart.

    The Emperor was bent over from the effort of coughing, bracing himself on his knees. Tears started rolling from his eyes, perhaps due to the coughs, or perhaps due to his heartache.

    Eunuch Wei was close to panicking. He quickly patted his master¡¯s back to help soothe him, all the while ring angrily at the kneeling Count Jing¡¯an.

    It took a long moment before the Emperor finally stopped coughing.

    With the help of Eunuch Wei, he took his seat behind his desk once again. Following that, he leveled a cool and indifferent gaze at the kneeling count and spat out an emotionlessmand, ¡°Scram!¡±

    Count Jing¡¯an slowly cast his eyes upwards to look at the man on the dragon throne before standing up and performing a precise salute to the Emperor, not an inch more, not an inch less. He then left Qinzheng Hall without a whisper to mark his passing.

    After an indeterminate amount of time had passed, the Emperor suddenly asked, ¡°Wei Chenghai. Do you think that I¡¯ve been too greedy?¡±

    He had thought that he would be able to forget easily. However, with the passing of time, his memories of Ah-xun had only be clearer and clearer. He wanted to know if she was doing well, what she looked like when she aged. He wanted to know... if she missed him. But now, there was nothing left.

    Ah-xun was gone. She had left him forever.

    Eunuch Wei had been serving the Emperor ever since he was a prince, so he knew clearly the events that the Emperor and Count Jing¡¯an had been talking about.

    Back then, they had each had their own difficulties. They had all done what they had to do.

    It wasn¡¯t the Emperor¡¯s fault alone, nor was Count Jing¡¯anpletely to me.

    However, with the Emperor¡¯s current mood, he couldn¡¯t speak his mind now and could only try tofort his master as best he could.

    ¡°Your Majesty, every living person has their own desires. It¡¯s natural that Your Majesty misses Miss Ye Xun, but as the ruler of the country, as important as Miss Yexun was, she is no longer your only priority.¡±

    The Emperor understood that Eunuch Wei was right, but he was still heartbroken.

    He was never going to see Ah-xun again...

    How could he not despair!

    ¡°But it¡¯s still difficult to bear the truth... I¡¯m losing control...¡±

    Eunuch Wei had no words for that. He simply stayed by the Emperor¡¯s side in a show of silent support.

    Who could have thought that the esteemed Emperor would also have painful moments like this?

 Chapter 606 - Without a Cheat (2)

    <strong>Chapter 606: Without a Cheat (2)</strong>

    In the following days, the Emperor¡¯splexion wasn¡¯t very good during morning court. After two more days, there was the announcement that court was postponed for the day.

    The imperial physicians determined that the Emperor had caught a cold and was having a fever.

    Luckily, the Emperor normally kept a tight hold over his rule and it was just a minor illness, otherwise bad news might have started brewing.

    Now that the Thousand Blessings Festival was close, all the courtiers were wracking their brains over birthday gifts for the Emperor.

    It was the Emperor¡¯s fiftieth birthday this year, so it was even more important not to make any mistakes.

    Right now, He Changdi was already back in Songtao Court and discussing with Chu Lian what they should present as a gift at the Festival.

    He held an important position in court now and wasn¡¯t just a minor young noble now. He had to prepare a proper gift for the Emperor.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t looked well this morning when they had woken up. Even though she had tried her best to hide her difort, He Changdi had been able to see through her defences.

    Since court had been cancelled for the day, he had returned earlier to check on his wife.

    When He Sang had returned to Songtao Court, Chu Lian had still been in the middle of an afternoon nap.

    Half of her face had been buried in the covers and the other half was flushed, giving him the urge to pinch her cheek.

    He Changdi dismissed all the maidservants on duty before tiptoeing over to the bed and sitting down near the headboard.

    He reached out and pulled away the nket covering Chu Lian¡¯s face.

    Chu Lian had originally been grasping on the edge of the nket with one hand. When He Changdi moved the nket, her hand was moved as well, startling her awake.

    The moment she opened her eyes, there was an instant of panic that had yet to fade away. It wasn¡¯t until her gazended upon He Changdi that she finally regained her consciousness.

    He Sang¡¯s brows formed into a frown.

    There was something wrong with Chu Lian today.

    His darling wife loved to sleep the most. She slept very heavily as well, to the point that she wouldn¡¯t wake up even if he teased her in her sleep. However, she had been startled awake so easily by a small movement today.

    He reached out to touch her forehead. Her temperature seemed normal, she didn¡¯t seem to be ill.

    He whispered gently, bending over so she could hear him, ¡°Do you want to continue sleeping? Would you like me to sleep with you?¡±

    It took Chu Lian some time to finally understand what He Changdi had said. Her lips twitched, her usually lively eyes rather dull and listless now.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll get up now,¡± Chu Lian sat up immediately.

    He Changdi checked the time and did some calctions in his mind. Chu Lian had only slept for half an hour.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you have a bad dream?¡±

    Chu Lian looked up at him, wanting to shake her head. However, she ended up nodding a little hesitantly.

    The cool expression on He Changdi¡¯s face had already melted like the first snows of spring. He sat closer to Chu Lian and pulled her into his arms, ¡°Aren¡¯t you normally so brave and bold? How did a silly bad dream scare you? Come talk to me, tell me what happened in your dream. I¡¯ll let you know if it¡¯s really scary.¡±

    Chu Lian went along willingly and leaned against his broad chest.

    Her gaze travelled far into the distance. She had dreamed of returning to the modern world just now. Everything that she had experienced in the Great Wu Dynasty had just been a dream, and her lunatic husband He Sang was no longer by her side...

    He Changdi waited patiently, but he didn¡¯t hear his wife speak.

    He looked down to see that her thick eyshes were trembling, and that her face was a little pale. He reached out to hold her hand and found that it was ice cold.

    ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡±

    Chu Lian suddenly pulled her hand out from He Changdi¡¯s hold and grabbed He Sang in a sudden hug.

    She buried her head into the front of He Changdi¡¯s shirt. After a short moment, his wife¡¯s stifled and soft voice rang out.

    ¡°He Changdi, please... don¡¯t ever leave me!¡±

    Chu Lian had never done something like that before. Her request was more like a deration of love, causing He Changdi¡¯s heart to warm.

    His eyes turned even more gentle and he stroked his wife¡¯s back with his hand.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll never leave you.¡±

    Chu Lian pushed He Changdi away, only to press a forceful kiss onto his lips.

    He Sang was only dazed for an instant, before he took over the kiss.

    There was a bubbling sense of happiness and excitement within him. He and Chu Lian had been married for so long, but he was always the one who initiated things. This was the first time that she was acting so passionate.

    Their clothes quickly fell to the floor as the sounds of lovemaking filled the room...

    This time, since Chu Lian had been the one to spark things off, He Sang was especially enthusiastic. They had three whole rounds before he finally let her off.

    When they were done, Chu Lian had already fallen asleep again out of exhaustion.

    He Changdi was only dressed in an azure sleep robe, his muscled chest bared to the air. His long, dark hair hung behind him with two locks resting on his shoulders. The casual and indolent look softened the icy aura around him, giving the handsome man more seductive charm.

    He Changdi stroked Chu Lian¡¯s flushed cheeks with his long fingers. His slightly callused fingers trailed down her long eyshes, her straight nose, her petal-like pink lips, beforending on her exquisite corbones.

    He couldn¡¯t resist bending over to steal another kiss from his wife¡¯s lips, before shifting aside her sweat-soaked fringe.

    Perhaps his touch had tickled Chu Lian somehow. She wrinkled her brows and shifted her face to one side, trying to escape the ticklish sensations he had invoked on her skin.

    The corners of He Changdi¡¯s lips lifted up and he chuckled softly.

    He carefully moved Chu Lian closer to him, before wrapping his arms around her petite body and shutting his dark eyes.

 Chapter 607 - Without a Cheat (3)

    <strong>Chapter 607: Without a Cheat (3)</strong>

    After an hour, He Changdi got up and headed to the study.

    He summoned Chu Lian¡¯s handmaids, Senior Servant Gui and Senior Servant Zhong for questioning.

    However, even Xiyan didn¡¯t know what Chu Lian was worrying about. She only knew that Chu Lian had been rather anxious these few days, but she had no clue what the root of it was.

    The moment He Changdi had stepped out of the bedroom, the seemingly asleep Chu Lian had opened her eyes.

    She blinked and looked up at the canopy above her dazedly. There was fear muddling her clear gaze. Yesterday had marked the end of the knowledge she had about the events in the Great Wu Dynasty...

    She had only read the book halfway, so she had no idea what was in store for her in theter half.

    This was the same as a sniper entering a foreignnd losing their map and knowledge. The situation affected her mood, making her lose all sense of safety and letting her fears and insecurities take over.

    Chu Lian sucked in a deep breath. The lost look in her eyes slowly changed into one of determination.

    She believed that she would be able to live just as well even without her cheat guiding her.

    After letting go of the worries that had been burdening her, Chu Lian¡¯s mood became more rxed.

    Thinking back over the past year, even though she had known about the events about to happen, He Changdi had always acted out of her expectations. Not everything had gone ording to the book¡¯s original n either and she hadn¡¯t been able to avoid the major events of the story.

    Thus, she had only been torturing herself for nothing with her thoughts and worries over the past few days.

    After her reflection, she realised that having foreknowledge of the future didn¡¯t make any difference anyway. It was good enough as long as she remained true to herself.

    Now that she had finally thought things through, she recalled how forward she had been with He Changdi. Her face instantly flushed.

    She called out for a servant, and Wenqing entered.

    ¡°Where¡¯s my husband?¡±

    Wenqing carefully looked over Third Young Madam and found that herplexion was a rosy pink and that her almond-shaped eyes were curved into crescents. The handmaid understood that her master¡¯s mood had improved vastly. Her worry for her master vanished. When Third Young Master had seen how unhappy Third Young Madam had been, he looked like he was going to punish all the servants of Songtao Court!

    ¡°Replying to Third Young Madam, Third Young Master is in the study. Would you like to go there?¡±

    Chu Lian thought for a moment and nodded.

    Wenqing helped her into a silver and red fiveyer full length gown and specially picked out some matching pearl essories for her hair, giving Chu Lian a clean and elegant appearance.

    He Changdi was in the middle of some deep thinking with his eyes shut. He rubbed the jade ring on his thumb subconsciously as he did so.

    When he heard the sound of the door being opened, his eyes slowly fluttered open.

    To his surprise, Chu Lian entered the room. The smile on her face was like the sun, casting away the gloominess hanging over him.

    He Changdi beckoned Chu Lian over, and she quickly walked up to him.

    ¡°Why did youe over by yourself?¡±

    There weren¡¯t any open documents in front of He Sang. The inkwell next to him was also dry, so it was clear that he wasn¡¯t in the middle of sorting out some official business.

    With a gentle tug of his arm, He Changdi pulled Chu Lian onto hisp.

    Chu Lian made a token struggle before giving in to his wishes.

    He Changdi was tall and long-limbed, whereas Chu Lian was much smaller in size. Sitting obediently in hisp, she looked like a cute little ¡®daughter¡¯ instead.

    He Sang wound a loose lock of her hair on his finger as he spoke to her in a low, maic voice, ¡°What should we prepare as a gift for the Thousand Blessings Festival?¡±

    Chu Lian had been focused on her own thoughts over the past two days, so she hadn¡¯t given much thought to it. Now He Changdi¡¯s question reminded her that the Emperor¡¯s birthday was approaching.

    It was the Emperor¡¯s fiftieth birthday this year, and even the Empress Dowager had ordered for a grand celebration to be held.

    The ranked nobledies would have to enter the pce for the banquet.

    It wasn¡¯t just He Changdi who had to prepare a gift, she had to prepare something in her capacity as Honoured Lady Jinyi as well.

    Chu Lian saw that he was frowning from contemtion, so she asked, ¡°Do you have something in mind already?¡±

    He Changdi put an arm around Chu Lian¡¯s slender waist, the corner of his mouth tilting upwards, ¡°How about the Snow Mountain Mists flower?¡±

    The Chengping Emperor ruled over the vastnds of the Great Wu. He didn¡¯t need money in the least, so their gifts had to be something more than just valuable.

    He and his wife weren¡¯t close to the Emperor at all and weren¡¯t certain of his likes and dislikes. Thus, they could only pick some interesting treasures as gifts.

    There was still a single flower left after using the rest of the Snow Mountain Mists flowers for Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s medicine. From what Great Doctor Miao had said, the Snow Mountain Mists flowers were more precious than hundred-year-old ginseng or lingzhi mushrooms. While they weren¡¯t so powerful as to be a cure-all, they were invaluable as the main ingredients to cure many deep-seated illnesses.

    This information had been passed down from Great Doctor Miao¡¯s teacher. Even the imperial physicians in the pce had no idea about the medicinal uses of the Snow Mountains Mists flower.

    Such a unique medicinal ingredient would be more than enough as a birthday gift for the Emperor.

    Chu Lian pondered it for a bit before nodding, ¡°Luckily we had one stalk left. This gift is much better than presenting some other treasure.¡±

    Thus, the couple decided on their gift for the Emperor¡¯s birthday feast.

    He Changdi saw that she was in higher spirits, so he teased her, ¡°Lian¡¯er, have you decided on what you¡¯re going to give the Emperor?¡±

    Chu Lian showed him a cunning smile, ¡°It¡¯s much simpler for me. I¡¯ll just cook a dish for him and bring it into the pce.¡±

    He Sang poked the tip of her nose in response. He suddenly turned serious and said, ¡°Once the Thousand Blessings Festival is over, we¡¯ll move out of this estate.¡±

    Chu Lian abruptly sat upright with her eyes wide in disbelief, ¡°Really? You¡¯ve already discussed it with Father?¡±

    He Changdi nodded.

 Chapter 608 - Without a Cheat (4)

    <strong>Chapter 608: Without a Cheat (4)</strong>

    Over these two days, he and his father had purged the entire estate.

    They had also gotten to the truth of why his eldest brother He Changqi had suddenly requested to marry Pan Nianzhen, as well as to relinquish his position as heir to He Changjue.

    It turned out that Eldest Madam He Ying and Pan Nianzhen had had a private discussion with He Changqi.

    They had told him that he was ruining their family¡¯s reputation with his actions, and that He Ying would spread the entire matter out to society and bring down the name of House Jing¡¯an if he didn¡¯t take Pan Nianzhen as his wife.

    Driven into a corner, He Changqi had made that decision in despair.

    He Changdi had already discussed with Count Jing¡¯an ande up with a solution. They were going to send He Ying and her daughter off to one of House Jing¡¯an¡¯s rural holdings and keep them there under guard.

    They were also going to rotate the servants in Qingxi Hall out so as to prevent any incidents from happening again.

    Now that Count Jing¡¯an was back, it was time to bring forward He Changjue¡¯s engagement.

    Since Eldest Brother He Changqi had just divorced, there wasn¡¯t a need to find a second wife for him so quickly.

    Once Second Brother took a wife, it wouldn¡¯t be good for him to stay on in the estate, since he had his own noble title. Why not leave the estate and make their own home earlier?

    Especially since his grandmother had something against Chu Lian now, it was better for them to leave the Jing¡¯an Estate.

    Actually, Matriarch He was still in the dark about his decision. However, He Changdi had no intention of telling his grandmother until they were ready to move out.

    Seeing that Sang had already made preparations so quickly, Chu Lian felt reassured. Her smile reached her eyes, turning them into crescents.

    ¡°Where are we going to live in the future?¡±

    Even though Chu Lian had lived in the Great Wu for close to a year, she was still a modern person deep down. She wanted to have her own home with her husband.

    He Sang had already looked at several courtyards outside in secret. He bent down and smiled, ¡°Shall we go take a look together soon?¡±

    Chu Lian happily agreed to it. They didn¡¯tck money right now, so it would be better to choose an estate that they liked.

    While the gloomy clouds over the He couple had cleared up, there was a storm brewing somewhere else.

    To the west of the capital, an average-looking carriage stopped outside the walls of an ordinary residence.

    The blinds of the entrance of the carriage were lifted, and a middle-aged man dressed in grey jumped out. There was a sword hanging at his waist. After exiting the carriage, he respectfully lifted the blinds once again and helped a young man out.

    The young man had exquisitely handsome looks. If not for the Adam¡¯s apple on his throat, he would have been beautifully androgynous.

    One followed behind Xiao Bojian and whispered into his ear, ¡°Master, this is the ce.¡±

    Xiao Bojian frowned. He straightened out his clothes before pushing the gates open and entering.

    This small rural residence was built in the mostmonyout: a main building and two rooms to the east and west. There was a persimmon tree growing in the middle of the yard, with a well beside it.

    Xiao Bojian took in the courtyard with one nce and noticed a single green-clothed maidservant guarding the west room¡¯s entrance.

    He paused in his footsteps, a glint of loathing shing across his eyes, although he quickly concealed it again.

    He strode forth to the west wing with One following behind him, his head bowed. After Xiao Bojian pushed the door open and entered the west room, One stood guard at the door together with the green-clothed maidservant.

    Not too longter, the sounds of lovemaking resounded from the room.

    The woman¡¯s voice was unfamiliar, but extremely flirty.

    One was trained in the martial arts, so his senses were heightened. His brows drew together at the soundsing from the room, while the maidservant next to him blushed.

    An hourter, peace returned to the west room.

    One heaved a sigh of relief.

    There was a strong tell-tale smell within the room.

    There wasn¡¯t much in the way of furniture in the room, just a single bed, a table and two chairs. However, the quality of the furnishings spoke of deliberate and careful cement.

    The voices of a man and woman in conversation could be heard from within the bedchamber.

    The man was Xiao Bojian, of course. His tone carried a hint of ice and gloominess, so it was easy to identify.

    The woman¡¯s voice was soft, sweet and flirtatious.

    From her voice, one could discern that she wasn¡¯t very young and was already past her twenties.

    She chuckled and used a single red fingernail to make a scratch on Xiao Bojian¡¯s pale chest.

    ¡°You were unexpectedly impressive, Mr Schr. This madam almost fainted just now...¡±

    Xiao Bojian was currently holding a curvy and mature woman in his embrace. Disgust shed across his eyes again. A corner of his lips lifted up and he blew a puff of warm air into the woman¡¯s ear. His palm slid down to the woman¡¯s full bosom and he gave it a hard squeeze.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good thing that I can satisfy you so well?¡±

    The womanughed at his words, her well-rounded body jiggling with the effort. She lifted a leg onto Xiao Bojian¡¯s body and wriggled about seductively.

    ¡°This madam does like your impressive self~¡±

    Xiao Bojian suddenly pushed the woman away.

    ¡°How about the matter I entrusted to you?¡±

    He was finally unable to conceal the iciness of his tone.

    If not for the woman¡¯s presence, he would have immediately jumped into the bathtub and scrubbed himself clean.

    The woman let out another wanton chuckle and clung to him once again. She sprawled over Xiao Bojian¡¯s naked back, her hand wandering down his smooth skin, lower and lower...

    ¡°Sir Xiao, don¡¯t you trust in this madam¡¯s work? How will you thank me this time?¡±

    Once the woman finished speaking, Xiao Bojian felt an important part of his body grasped by a smooth hand.

 Chapter 609 - Thousand Blessings Festival (1)

    <strong>Chapter 609: Thousand Blessings Festival (1)</strong>

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s body tensed before immediately rxing. He gave a seductive groan and turned towards the well-developed, mature woman, pressing her down into the bed.

    It was another flight of pleasure.

    Two hourster, Xiao Bojian was already fully clothed and standing by the well in the courtyard.

    The woman had already left through the back door, so the only ones left were Xiao Bojian and One.

    One stood behind Xiao Bojian, his gaze on Xiao Bojian¡¯s slim back.

    He opened his mouth, but stopped himself from saying anything. He wanted to say that it wasn¡¯t worth it for Xiao Bojian to do this, as their forces were now iparable to the past. To aplish their objective, they didn¡¯t have to use that woman.

    He could tell that his master didn¡¯t like that woman. In fact, he could see that he loathed and was disgusted by her.

    Xiao Bojian looked up at the skies. A momentter, he turned around to nce at One. There was a mocking smile on his face.

    ¡°I know what you want to say, but you need to know that this is the route with the least losses for us. He Changdi has already gathered up his forces; we don¡¯t have enough people to go head-to-head against them.¡±

    This was the type of person Xiao Bojian was. He had wild ambitions and he took extreme actions. In order to achieve his goals, he was willing to sell even himself out.

    With power and revengeid out in front of him, he had lost all sense of self-preservation.

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s eyes narrowed. Before the northern army¡¯s overwhelming victory against the Tuhun people, he had never thought that the person who would stand toe-to-toe with him would be House Jing¡¯an¡¯s He Changdi!

    It turned out that he had been severely underestimating this man all this time.

    On the twentieth of March, with his personal bodyguards and the family soldiers, Count Jing¡¯an personally escorted He Ying and her daughter to one of their rural estates in the outskirts of the capital and assigned the family soldiers to keep watch over them.

    Matriarch He had argued with Count Jing¡¯an over this matter, but since Count Jing¡¯an had already made up his mind, nothing the matriarch said had any effect.

    This matter had angered Matriarch He to the point that she became bedridden.

    But despite this, all Count Jing¡¯an did was instruct the servants in Qingxi Hall to take proper care of the matriarch.

    Due to He Changdi and Count Jing¡¯an¡¯s contributions to the public ounts, all expenditure in the estate was also now in order.

    As there were only a few family members living in the estate, it wasn¡¯t as tiresome to manage the Jing¡¯an Estate as it was for other noble estates. With the help of her close aides, Countess Jing¡¯an was able to cope with managing the household now.

    He Changdi had already discussed the matter of moving out to his own manor with his father. Count Jing¡¯an and He Changdi then wrote letters to the Chengping Emperor to request his permission.

    Countess Jing¡¯an may have agreed to this, but she still asked He Sang to pick a ce that wasn¡¯t too far from House Jing¡¯an.

    During their two days of free time, Chu Lian and He Changdi went to take a look at a few suitable estates. They were pretty much set on the one at Pingkang Lane. Now they were just waiting for the emperor¡¯s permission. The moment the emperor sent over the red letter of approval, the two could move out.

    In a room within Qingxi Hall, Muxiang had just learned the news of the third branch moving out. She first felt overwhelmed, then disbelief. In her enraged confusion, she knocked over the table beside her chaise.

    Tea and fruits were strewn over the ground, turning the room into aplete mess.

    The maidservant on watch outside the door was frightened by the sounds, so she ran in. ¡°Sister Muxiang, what happened?¡±

    The young maidservant was shocked still by Muxiang¡¯s terrifying expression. With that sinister look on her face, Muxiang shouted at the servant, ¡°Get out! Scram!¡±

    The servant was extremely frightened. When she returned to her senses, she ran away in a hurry with fear written all over her face. She even forgot to close the door on her way out.

    Senior Servant Liu had been instructing some servants as theyid out beddings and other items to dry in the sun. Seeing a flustered servant running towards her, she immediately criticised her.

    ¡°Watch yourself! You should know better than to run about like that!¡±

    The servant stopped in her tracks, then nervously bowed to Senior Servant Liu.

    Senior Servant Liu sized up the young servant, who looked to be around fourteen. If she recalled correctly, this servant usually stayed by Muxiang¡¯s side and worked for her. Muxiang often had this servant run errands for her.

    Why did she look so scared? She had run over here from Muxiang¡¯s room.

    Unable to keep her emotions under control, the servant sobbed and tears began to fall from her eyes.

    ¡°Momo, something seems to have happened to Sister Muxiang! Please take a look at her!¡±

    Senior Servant Liu was startled by this exmation, but she put on a serious expression and said, ¡°Alright, alright. And here I thought something serious had actually happened. You should go take a rest and wash your face; I¡¯ll go have a look. If you act rashly like this again, be prepared for the rod!¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± The servant withheld her tears and carefully left.

    Senior Servant Liu personally went over to Muxiang¡¯s room.

    The doors were open, so Senior Servant Liu was immediately able to see the disheveled state of the room when she walked up to it.

    Before she could even speak a word, she suddenly heard Muxiang¡¯s frigid warning. ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to get the hell out?! Scram!¡±

    Senior Servant Liu frowned and fiercely rebuked her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?! Am I not allowed to check on you?!¡±

    As she hadn¡¯t been expecting Senior Servant Liu at the door, the expression on Muxiang¡¯s face was priceless. She immediately became flustered, but she managed to calm down very quickly.

    Muxiang readjusted her facial expression before turning to walk towards Senior Servant Liu. She appeared apologetic and fearful as if she hadmitted some wrong and said, ¡°Momo, why are you here? I didn¡¯t know that it was you who came; I thought it was that careless girl!¡±

    Senior Servant Liu let Muxiang help her over to a chair before surveying the messy sofa and floor. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is the room in such a mess?¡±

    Muxiang pursed her lips in embarrassment.

    ¡°Momo, it¡¯s all my fault. I was lost in my thoughts while sitting on the chaise and I knocked over the teapot and fruit tter on the table by ident. The young maidservant keeping watch outside thought something had happened and rushed in. I was in a bad mood, so I gave her a little scolding. That girl only came to the estate a short while ago and is a little too sensitive, so she ran away just from that.¡±

 Chapter 610 - Thousand Blessings Festival (2)

    <strong>Chapter 610: Thousand Blessings Festival (2)</strong>

    Senior Servant Liu found her exnation to be rather reasonable, so she didn¡¯t linger on that topic.

    She looked at Muxiang and said, ¡°What¡¯s up with you these days? Why have you be so absent-minded? If you¡¯re like this, how can I trust you to take care of the matriarch properly?¡±

    Although Muxiang truly despised Senior Servant Liu inside, she didn¡¯t let that show at all.

    She held Senior Servant Liu¡¯s elbow in an intimate motion and said with a smile, ¡°Momo, I¡¯ll admit, I haven¡¯t been performing well for the past few days. From now on, I will definitely put my heart and soul into serving the matriarch.¡±

    Senior Servant Liu sighed and patted the back of Muxiang¡¯s palm. ¡°You¡¯re getting older now, having spent eight years serving by the matriarch¡¯s side. Two days ago, the matriarch even talked to me about you! Don¡¯t worry, the matriarch thinks of you like a granddaughter, so as long as she¡¯s around, you will be treated well.¡±

    Muxiang nodded bashfully and personally walked Senior Servant Liu to the door.

    As Senior Servant Liu¡¯s silhouette disappeared into the distance, Muxiang¡¯s face returned to that of gloominess and malevolence.

    She was stuck serving the matriarch in Qingxi Hall, so it was rare enough for her to meet He Sang. If he moved out, the likelihood of her seeing him again was close to zero! Just what should she do?!

    After departing from Muxiang¡¯s residence, Senior Servant Liu suddenly stopped by a crabapple tree.

    She turned her body slightly to ask the person beside her, ¡°How have you been feeling about Muxiang recently?¡±

    The two maidservants following behind Senior Servant Liu looked at each other, then answered honestly, ¡°Momo, with all due respect, Sister Muxiang¡¯s temper doesn¡¯t seem to be as good as in the past.¡±

    They were already being extremely tactful with their wording.

    Muxiang had served the matriarch for many years, and she was known for having a good temper and being conscientious. The matriarch liked her very much.

    In the past, she had helped Senior Servant Liu with managing the servants of Qingxi Hall, and she had never made any mistakes. Moreover, due to Muxiang¡¯s great personality and the fact that she never lost her temper, the new maidservants all enjoyed working under her.

    However, in the past two months, Muxiang¡¯s temper had suddenly be rather short and violent. The servants working under her had been scolded to tears on multiple asions. This was something that would have never happened in the past.

    Senior Servant Liu nodded, looking thoughtful.

    Momentster, she said, ¡°From now on, pay more attention to Muxiang. Try to figure out what has happened to her.¡±

    The servants acknowledged the order in unison.

    23rd March, the day of the Thousand Blessings Festival.

    As it was the Chengping Emperor¡¯s birthday, there was no morning court held today.

    All officials from the fourth rank and up, as well as any titled nobles, were required to attend the pce¡¯s banquet in the evening.

    Female guests would be received separately by the empress.

    As Matriarch He wasn¡¯t well, she didn¡¯t intend to attend the banquet.

    Other than the matriarch, all the other masters of House Jing¡¯an would be in attendance.

    When it was time, Count Jing¡¯an held Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s arm as they led their sons, He Changqi and He Changdi, and their daughter-inw, Chu Lian, onto the carriages that had been prepared.

    He Eng had been transferred to the imperial guards, so he had to stay in the pce today as part of the security detail. Thus, he hadn¡¯t returned to the estate.

    As it was a special day, everyone rode in carriages.

    When they reached Zhuque Gate, everyone would have to get off the carriage and enter the pce on foot. After passing Taixuan Gate, male and female guests would be separated.

    The banquet held for the officials and noblemen would be in Wanmin Hall, while their wives and other female guests would proceed to the imperial garden in the inner pce.

    House Jing¡¯an¡¯s entourage to the pce consisted of three carriages.

    The leading carriage was upied by Count Jing¡¯an and his wife, the middle carriage was upied by He Changqi. He Changdi and Chu Lian sat in thest carriage.

    Chu Lian and He Changdi were wearing brand new clothes today. He Changdi was dressed in a sapphire-blue robe with floral embroidery and silver ents. He also wore a matching cape and a marquis crown.

    He Changdi¡¯s eyes were shut as he rested in the carriage. The skies had already begun to darken outside, and only the gentle light of dusk made it into the carriage. Taking advantage of this light, Chu Lian raised her chin to stare at the side of He Changdi¡¯s face.

    As she watched him, she began tough.

    He Sang seemed to have heard her suppressedughter, so he raised the curtains and stared at her.

    Chu Lian wore a long, silver-lined red dress made out of brocade. The upper half of it was a form-fitting top, covered in a light purple vest with silver ents and half-length sleeves. The vest ended at her waist, which was just right to show off theplicated embroidery of the bottom half of the dress. There was a matching thin red-and-silver shawl draped at her elbows and hanging down the back of her dress. Two interesting-looking bracelets made out of red coral were on her wrists. Their vibrant red colour made for a stark contrast against the pale white of her arms and was very eye-catching.

    As she was already dressed so extravagantly, Chu Lian told Xiyan to style her hair into a simple bun. The only essory on her hair was a white jade hairpin with a ruby iy. There was also a ruby hanging in the middle of her forehead. Contrasted against her skin, the ruby helped her skin look all the more fair and beautiful.

    Today, Chu Lian¡¯s bangs had all beenbed away to show off every wless bit of her forehead. Her beautiful oval face helped to emphasise her bright and clear almond eyes.

    The moment He Changdi opened his eyes, he was greeted with the breathtaking beauty of his wife.

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes were currently in the shape of crescent moons, apanied by a wide smile on her face as she looked at him. He Changdi felt the impulse to hide this beautifully dressed woman away, so that no other man would receive such a feast for the eyes.

 Chapter 611 - Thousand Blessings Festival (3)

    <strong>Chapter 611: Thousand Blessings Festival (3)</strong>

    He Changdi had his hands on his knees as he rubbed the green jade ring on his thumb. Chu Lian was also wearing a smaller-sized ring like his on her left hand.

    When Chu Lian noticed He Changdi¡¯s gaze directed at her, her smile brightened even more.

    He Sang raised his brows a little. In a charming voice, he said, ¡°What are you smiling at?¡±

    Chu Lian tilted her head. He Sang had an originally frosty disposition, but his experience as part of the northern army had given him a trace of a military man¡¯s air. His face was iparably suave; he had well-defined features, a tall nose, and a pair of dark eyes which were incredibly captivating. He was like a frigid iceberg in the midst of a raging storm, and anyone who identally wandered into his reach would never be able to break away.

    Learning from him, Chu Lian raised her eyebrows as well and said, ¡°He Changdi, I don¡¯t notice it normally, but you¡¯re pretty handsome now.¡±

    He Changdi had refined facial features, and his skin was fairer than most men. His figure looked like it was sculpted by the gods. He had truly received the best traits of both Countess Jing¡¯an and Count Jing¡¯an. She hadn¡¯t felt much about it at all when she was reading the novel, but now that she could see him with her own eyes and he had be her husband, she was overwhelmed by the difference.

    Despite his thick skin, there was no way He Changdi could stay stoic against his wife¡¯s unbridled praise.

    Although he didn¡¯t show it on his face, his ears reddened a little.

    As they spent their days together, Chu Lian had already be more aware of the minute changes in his expression, so she snickered inwardly. Actually, He Changdi was still very innocent in some ways.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t speak a word and pursed his lips. From a bystander¡¯s point of view, it was like his face had be even grimer, perhaps bordering on enraged, but that wasn¡¯t actually what happened. He was just shy and embarrassed...

    Chu Lian was incredibly entertained. She wanted to tease him more.

    The two sat facing each other with half an arm¡¯s distance between them. He Sang could reach Chu Lian just by straightening his long legs.

    She leaned forward slightly and blinked her wide almond eyes at him. ¡°He Changdi! Your ears are red!¡±

    Once she said that, she moved back like a child who had just received a treat and began tough while covering her mouth.

    A twitch developed on He Changdi¡¯s forehead. Taking advantage of the fact that Chu Lian had her guard down, he reached forward and caught her, pulling her over to his side and making her sit beside him.

    Still in the middle ofughing, Chu Lian was startled by his sudden overbearing action.

    Before she had the chance to rx, her small mouth was sealed by a pair of ice-cold lips and her mouth was plundered.

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened. She subconsciously resisted by pushing away the strong man with both hands.

    Unfortunately, her feeble arms didn¡¯t have enough strength to make any difference.

    When He Changdi was satisfied with the taste of her sweet mouth, he let go of her. Her cheeks were like now as red as apples as she leaned against He Changdi¡¯s chest, panting heavily.

    With watery eyes, she red at him in protest.

    He Changdi leaned down so that his mouth was by her ear. With a deep voice, he whispered, ¡°You look really good right now, too.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened in mingled shock and bashfulness.

    How could he say that!

    She had been sincere while praising his appearance, yet he had onlyplimented her after their kiss?! Was he trying to say that she only looked good when she was out of breath?!

    She had just wanted to tease him a little and wasn¡¯t expecting to be assailed in return.

    Chu Lian brandished her ws and struggled in his embrace, but He Changdi seized hold of her with a grim face, fiercely admonishing, ¡°Stop moving!¡±

    Seeing his face actually turn grim made Chu Lian even more depressed.

    She was about to retort, but before she could, she came into contact with something hard under his robes, causing her to freeze up entirely.

    Chu Lian was now the very picture of an obedient puppy. She was rather speechless, all she had done was struggle a little, and He Sang had such a huge reaction... Was this a good or bad thing?

    He Changdi pulled her closer into his embrace. He restrained his emotions and suppressed the growing impulse in his body.

    He looked down at the woman in his arms, who he truly wished to settle right now, but this regrettably wasn¡¯t the right time.

    Some timeter, He Changdi suddenly whispered something into her ear, which made her eyes widen again as she looked at him in disbelief.

    He Changdi¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all and he acted as if he was earnestly discussing an important scientific question.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Senior Servant Zhong said that it will be easier to get pregnant by doing that.¡±

    Chu Lian was incredibly tempted to roll her eyes at him, there wasn¡¯t any corrtion between the posture they used and the chances of getting pregnant. Her period had just ended, so this was her safe period. The possibility of her getting pregnant now was miniscule...

    ¡°No way.¡± When Chu Lian spoke, her face started to turn red.

    Who knew what He Sang was thinking right now? He unyieldingly answered, ¡°How would you know if you don¡¯t give it a try?¡±

    The couple were in the midst of discussing physical limitations in the carriage, when the mounted Laiyue reminded them from outside, ¡°Third Young Master, Third Young Madam, we¡¯re about to arrive.¡±

    Sure enough, the carriage slowed down, then came to aplete stop.

    Laiyue spoke up again, ¡°Third Young Master, Third Young Madam, you¡¯ll have to get off the carriage here. The path onwards has been blocked by the carriages of other families.¡±

 Chapter 612 - Thousand Blessings Festival (4)

    <strong>Chapter 612: Thousand Blessings Festival (4)</strong>

    He Changdi tucked some stray locks of hair behind Chu Lian¡¯s ear, before sweeping aside the curtains of the carriage and looking outside.

    The path had indeed been blocked by the numerous carriages of other families. They were all crowding over at Zhuque Gate. It also just so happened that House Zheng¡¯s carriage was right next to theirs. When he turned, he noticed that Heir Zheng was about to disembark his carriage.

    Heir Zheng noticed the couple as well, and took the initiative to greet them, ¡°Marquis Anyuan, Honoured Lady Jinyi, it¡¯s been a while.¡±

    He Changdi nodded towards Heir Zheng with a chilly and unsociable countenance, while Chu Lian smiled at Heir Zheng and returned the greeting.

    Heir Zheng seemed to have something to say as his mouth opened, but before he could speak a word, He Changdi let the curtains of their carriage back down.

    Chu Lian: ...

    Heir Zheng: ...

    Chu Lian looked speechlessly at her lunatic husband.

    She softly said, ¡°What are you doing? Heir Zheng obviously wanted to speak, can¡¯t you put the curtain back down after the conversation is over?¡±

    He Changdi coldly turned his head to face Chu Lian and asked, ¡°What rank are you now?¡±

    Chu Lian was bbergasted. This fellow was changing topics too quickly, he hadn¡¯t even answered her question, yet he had already presented her with another.

    ¡°A second rank Marchioness.¡± Chu Lian subconsciously answered.

    Although she was still Honoured Lady Jinyi and it was a title bestowed by the Emperor, the honoureddy title was merely a fifth-ranked title. It was a far cry from a second-ranked marchioness. Thus, when in gatherings in the pce or daily social interactions, she would automatically assume the title with the highest rank.

    Therefore, Chu Lian was attending the banquet in the pce with her status as Marchioness Anyuan, and not Honoured Lady Jinyi.

    He Changdi¡¯s tone became increasingly displeased, ¡°What did he just call you? Honoured Lady Jinyi?¡±

    Chu Lian: ...

    She had finally learned why this lunatic He Sang was being so rude. It was because he didn¡¯t like how others addressed her...

    Heir Zheng hadn¡¯t done it on purpose, right? Maybe he had just called her Honoured Lady Jinyi out of habit.

    Chu Lian red at him.

    Their carriage was well and truly stuck here. They had no choice but to get off.

    He Changdi first leapt off the carriage, then supported Chu Lian as she got down by stepping on a stool.

    Hidden by the wide sleeves of his robes, He Sang held Chu Lian¡¯s little hand as they walked towards Count Jing¡¯an¡¯s carriage.

    One was tall and wide while the other was short and slender, so they looked strangely matching when they stood together.

    What He Sang and Chu Lian didn¡¯t know was that Xiao Bojian was nearby and looking in their direction with his hands behind his back. He had a sinister expression on as he looked at He Changdi with jealousy and hatred.

    When Chu Lian got off the carriage, her soft and tender lips looked a little swollen. When Xiao Bojian noticed this little detail, he almost crushed his own fingers in anger.

    He took a deep breath, before he turned away and walked towards Zhuque Gate.

    One nced at Chu Lian¡¯s direction, then quickly kept up with his master.

    Outside Zhuque Gate, Chu Lian bumped into Old Duchess Zheng and Lady Yang.

    The three families walked towards Taixuan Gate together, where the male guests separated from the female guests.

    Chu Lian supported Countess Jing¡¯an as they were led alongside Old Duchess Zheng and Lady Yang and the other female guests towards the imperial gardens within the inner pce.

    Chu Lian hade to the imperial gardens before, but this time, the imperial gardens looked nothing like before.

    A majority of the female guests were led by the maidservants to the halls beside the imperial gardens to rest.

    The moment Chu Lian arrived, she began looking for Princess Wei and Royal Princess Duanjia.

    As expected, she managed to find the two of them, surrounded by people.

    Chu Lian helped her mother-inw over to greet Princess Wei.

    A whileter, the banquet of the Thousand Blessings Festival began.

    While Chu Lian was a second-ranked marchioness, she wasn¡¯t given a seat at the front, and was instead sat by Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s side, which was somewhere in the middle.

    Princess Wei and Royal Princess Duanjia sat at the very front with other high-ranked nobledies.

    As they sat in a very conspicuous position, Chu Lian was able to see them just by raising her head a little.

    Royal Princess Duanjia was even specially seated beside the Empress Dowager.

    Halfway through the banquet, Chu Lian raised her head and noticed that there was a pce maid whispering something towards Royal Princess Duanjia. Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s expression immediately changed, and she then got up and stealthily left the banquet.

    Furthermore, Royal Princess Duanjia didn¡¯t even bring along any of her trusted handmaids with her.

    Chu Lian frowned. She felt that something was amiss.

    Princess Wei sat facing in a different direction from Royal Princess Duanjia, so if she didn¡¯t deliberately turn to look, she wouldn¡¯t have noticed what happened to her daughter at all.

    Chu Lian hesitated for a moment, before leaning over to her mother-inw¡¯s side to excuse herself quietly. She then stood up and quickly led Wenqing and Wen in the direction that Royal Princess Duanjia had left in.

    When they got out of the banquet hall, Chu Lian sternlymanded Wen, ¡°Go inform Princess Wei that Royal Princess Duanjia left the hall alone.¡±

    Next, she instructed Wenqing, ¡°Wenqing, follow me, and keep your guard up at all times.¡±

    After saying her piece, Chu Lian and Wen went their separate ways and disappeared off into the darkness in the imperial gardens.

 Chapter 613 - Phoenix Trap (1)

    <strong>Chapter 613: Phoenix Trap (1)</strong>

    There was antern lit a little ways down the alley from the imperial gardens.

    Royal Princess Duanjia looked anxious. She repeatedly urged the eunuch leading the way to move faster.

    The eunuch didn¡¯t dare to disobey her, so he walked faster.

    Her maid, Jinxiu, followed with a frown and tried to persuade her, ¡°Princess, it¡¯s better if we report this matter to Princess Wei. If you don¡¯t want to inform her of this, we could report to the Empress Dowager instead.¡±

    The inner pce was rife with treachery, simr to the politics going on in the imperial court. However, Empress Dowager doted on Royal Princess Duanjia very much, and Royal Princess Duanjia often visited to apany her. Despite this, she hadn¡¯t grown up in the pce, so she had never been exposed to the underhanded tactics that went on around here.

    Prince Wei and Princess Wei were as loving as the day they had married, and he had never taken any concubines. Her two brothers spoiled her as well, so she had never experienced the treachery and schemes that went on in most inner courts.

    While Royal Princess Duanjia was not as innocent as Jinxiu assumed, it was true that she wasn¡¯t well-versed in circumventing plots or subterfuge.

    Regarding Jinxiu¡¯s suggestion of informing her mother or the Empress Dowager about the matter, the princess had obviously thought of this as well, but she immediately ruled against it.

    This was purely because the person that had gotten hurt, ording to the informant, was none other than He Eng...

    If something happened to He Eng, she didn¡¯t want her mother or the Empress Dowager to know. If there happened to be any inconvenient situations, then she would surely lose Eng to some other woman conveniently nearby...

    Royal Princess Duanjia had already heard that He Eng was on duty as one of the royal guard today.

    The informant who hade to notify her was someone she had nted in the inner pce, so his words were likely true.

    Royal Princess Duanjia quickened her pace even more as she softly said, ¡°There¡¯s no need; I can handle a small matter like this myself. Besides, I¡¯m familiar with the area. Nothing bad will happen.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia could be overly stubborn sometimes. As the servant she trusted the most, Jinxiu understood this very well. Therefore, Jinxiu knew that there was no point in trying to stop her anymore. All she could do was sigh and stay close to her mistress. She prayed that the servant had been truthful about the report, and that they weren¡¯t being led by the nose into a trap.

    About fifteen minutester, the servant who held thentern led Duanjia to a remote pce hall that was some distance away from the imperial gardens.

    The hall¡¯s entrance seemed dested. There wasn¡¯t even a single eunuch or maid guarding the door. It was unknown whether they had been transferred elsewhere or were skiving because of the Thousand Blessings Festival.

    The informant pointed at the hall¡¯s entrance, lowered his head, and timidly said, ¡°Royal Princess, Sir He is inside...¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia looked at the doors with suspicion. Her gaze shifted to the servant before her.

    The servant trembled, lowering his head even more. ¡°This... this servant wouldn¡¯t dare lie to you, Royal Princess.¡±

    In the end, Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s worry had taken over her rationality, so she turned and walked towards the entrance.

    She raised her hands and pushed. The doors opened with a long creak.

    There was a single oilmp illuminating the hall, its warm light swaying gently. From where Royal Princess Duanjia stood, she could see that deeper within was a room with a bed inside, its curtains drawn to reveal a man lying on top.

    The man was dressed in a guard¡¯s attire, with a broad-looking back and a tall figure. On his waist was a familiar jade token with a blessing for sess engraved on it.

    Royal Princess Duanjia squinted. This figure looked too familiar! It had to be He Eng!

    While Royal Princess Duanjia was feeling overwhelmed to the point of disbelief, she suddenly heard a short groan behind her. Jinxiu couldn¡¯t evenplete the sound; she was quickly cut off, and before Royal Princess Duanjia could react, the doors of the hall mmed shut.

    Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s whole body trembled. She was too shocked to think. She quickly ran back to the door and banged on it with her fist, but no matter how much she screamed, there was no reply from outside.

    After recovering from her panic, Duanjia regained a little of her rationality.

    Many thoughts flitted through her mind as she tried to think of what to do, but she couldn¡¯te up with any good ideas, trapped as she was.

    She recalled the various methods that Chu Lian had used to save her at Defeng Teahouse. However, her eyes abruptly reddened at the reminder that she didn¡¯t have Chu Lian here with her.

    She rubbed away the tears that welled up. Thinking about what she had caught a glimpse of deeper within the hall, she took a deep breath and walked towards the inner room.

    The person lying on the bed was definitely He Eng; she was absolutely certain of it.

    Royal Princess Duanjia walked over to the bed. The man was facing away from her, so she tried to carefully turn him over.

    There was no reaction. Duanjia tried again.

    In the end, she was forced to use all her strength to turn the man over.

    Borrowing the dim light from the singlemp in the room, Royal Princess Duanjia managed to confirm that this was indeed House Jing¡¯an¡¯s Second Young Master, He Changjue, after a closer examination.

    He Changjue was currently unconscious. There were droplets of sweat on his forehead, and his lips were red. His incredibly manly, rugged face was also a little flushed.

    Even though they both liked each other and had seen each other in private a few times, they hadn¡¯t progressed very far. They only maintained a very cordial rtionship on the surface and had never taken the next step. They never did anything that was out of the ordinary between friends. A situation like this where they were in a room together with no one else had never happened before, and to add on to that, He Eng was unconscious...

    Royal Princess Duanjia tapped He Changjue on the cheek, but the sleeping He Eng didn¡¯t show any signs of waking up.

    Royal Princess Duanjia frowned. She got up and nced at the table. All of a sudden, an idea popped up in her head. She poured cold water into a teacup, carried it to the bed, and tossed the contents onto He Changjue¡¯s face.

    The bone-piercing chill of the water finally got a reaction out of He Eng.

    He slowly opened his eyes, but they took some time to focus due to the headache he had. His vision was aplete blur.

    He swung his head from side to side, then pressed on several acupoints on his body. He rubbed his temples one more time. A few momentster, He Changjue was finally able to see what was in front of him.

    Once his vision cleared up, he immediately caught sight of Royal Princess Duanjia who sat beside him.

    He Eng gaped. He stuttered a little as he asked, ¡°Pri.. Princess?¡±

 Chapter 614 - Phoenix Trap (2)

    <strong>Chapter 614: Phoenix Trap (2)</strong>

    Seeing that He Eng had finally woken up, Royal Princess Duanjia could finally set her worries to rest. However, on the outside, she haughtily raised her chin at him.

    She sneered and said, ¡°So you still recognise that it¡¯s me, huh? He Eng, if I wasn¡¯t here, you would have likely been sold off into very without even knowing!¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia red as she scolded He Eng. Even her hands were subconsciously ced on her waist, as if that could make her look more intimidating.

    As his vision cleared, He Changjue¡¯s mind also cleared up.

    Something in his field of view caught his attention. He squinted at it, then got up and poured all of the teapot¡¯s cold water onto that thing.

    A hissing sound resounded in the room, followed by a small amount of green smoke. The incense burner had been extinguished.

    Royal Princess Duanjia waspletely caught off guard by his sudden action and dropped the haughty attitude that she had been taking.

    Shocked and slightly frightened, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with this incense.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± With widened eyes, Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s attention shifted towards the octagonal incense pot.

    He Changjue pulled Royal Princess Duanjia to his side. ¡°Don¡¯t get too close to it; I don¡¯t know if it has any effect on women.¡±

    He Changjue¡¯s tug made Duanjia stumble. She nearly fell into his embrace, which made her blush.

    She clenched the hems of her sleeves tightly before asking, ¡°Were you unable to wake up because of that incense?¡±

    He Changjue nodded.

    This was a special type of incense. It usually caused no harm, and it was even good for the body.

    However, if a man were to drink a specially concocted wine beforehand, the scent would cause him to faint and stimte his lustful desires.

    He had heard people talking about it back in the Dragon Guard, but he had never actually seen it. He never expected that he would be on the receiving end of it today.

    He Changjue had been on duty today. He had been leading his men on patrol around the imperial gardens, but he had been lured by a figure in ck to this unused pce hall.

    By the time he entered the room and caught a whiff of the incense, it was already toote for him to do anything.

    Fortunately, Royal Princess Duanjia managed to wake him up by dousing cold water over his face. Otherwise, no matter how much she shouted, he would¡¯ve been useless.

    Even if he were woken up, he would have turned into an uncontroble, lustful fiend if he continued breathing in the incense.

    Since he had managed to extinguish it early he wasn¡¯t too affected. Right now, he just felt an ufortable heat inside, and little Eng was trying to show its presence, but this was still at a bearable level for him.

    As the room was dimly lit, it was most likely that Duanjia wouldn¡¯t notice the change in his body that was out of his control.

    He Eng helped Royal Princess Duanjia up. He thought about the situation, and realised that they had walked straight into a trap.

    Royal Princess Duanjia sat up straight, while He Eng stayed right beside her. She seemed to be able to smell He Changjue¡¯s distinctively manly scent all around her.

    He Changjue took off his cloak and covered Duanjia¡¯s shoulders with it before asking, ¡°Where are your servants?¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia couldn¡¯t possibly havee here just by herself. Even if someone had deliberately baited her toe, she couldn¡¯t possibly havee without a single servant.

    ¡°She¡¯s been taken down,¡± Royal Princess Duanjia said calmly, but He Changjue could tell that she was actually worried inside.

    He Eng recalled the maid who frequently helped to deliver letters between the two of them. He reached out with the intention to console Duanjia by stroking her head, but then at thest minute, he recalled the fact that there was no official rtionship between them and awkwardly retracted his hand.

    ¡°She should be fine. I was their target, so that girl¡¯s life shouldn¡¯t be at risk.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia nced at him and twisted her lips to one side.

    ¡°What should we do next?¡±

    He Changjue¡¯s pupils shrunk. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see. I want to see just who is trying to plot against me.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia was frightened by the abrupt change in his expression. The ferocious snarl on his face made her mind go nk. She had never known that He Eng could be so decisive and authoritative.

    A slight smile subconsciously formed on her lips. This man was bing more and more attractive to her.

    While He Changjue was lost in his thoughts, Royal Princess Duanjia unscrupulously inspected his body.

    The two of them had never been so close to each other before!

    She could touch therge palm he had ced on the bedside just by reaching out.

    His hand was huge. Just judging from what she could see, it seemed to be twice the size of hers. His fingers were long, and if he spread his palm out and she put her hand on it, he would probably be able to wrap over her entire hand.

    There were some fine hairs on the back of his hand. His skin wasn¡¯t very dark, but its colour looked very manly. At the very least, it waspletely different from hers, which was soft and tender.

    Despite being in a dangerous situation like this, Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s heart was overflowing with happiness, because she was slowly discovering the tiny differences between their bodies.

    Her line of sight shifted a little, and her eyes immediately widened. Her face grew red and she turned away. She couldn¡¯t continue letting her gaze roam over him anymore.

    Feeling that Duanjia¡¯s gaze had finally shifted away, He Eng was finally able to rx.

    Usually, he wouldn¡¯t mind her looking at all; it wasn¡¯t as if he would lose something if she stared. Besides, she was the person he liked.

    However, the current situation was different. He was in an awkward state due to the incense which had triggered something in his body which he couldn¡¯t control.

    He Changjue shifted a little to get morefortable, trying hide his ufortable bulge.

    Right as he was about to say something, he suddenly heard some soundsing from the outside.

    Chu Lian and Wenqing had arrived.

 Chapter 615 - Phoenix Trap (3)

    <strong>Chapter 615: Phoenix Trap (3)</strong>

    This story ispletely free to read on vrenovels~ Please support my trantions on the original source!

    Chu Lian frowned as she looked at her surroundings, darkness had enveloped the shining pce. This ce was so cold and deserted that there wasn¡¯t a single maid or eunuch watching the door.

    She softly asked Wenqing who was beside her, ¡°Are you sure this is the ce?¡±

    Wenqing nodded in confirmation, ¡°Third Young Madam, this is the ce, I saw the princess walk in this direction with my own eyes.¡±

    The senses of martial arts practitioners were sharper than most people. Even Wenqing¡¯s eyesight was better than Chu Lian¡¯s. In this dark nightcking of any light, Wenqing was able to see things more clearly than Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian gaze shifted to the shut doors in front of her, ¡°Did the princess go in there?¡±

    Wenqing shook her head, ¡°I did see the princess walking in this direction, but I don¡¯t know whether she entered the hall or not.¡±

    There was only a single alley going in this direction from the imperial gardens, so it had to be somewhere here.

    Chu Lian¡¯s brows creased together tightly. She was in the middle of deciding whether to take a look inside, when Wenqing made a suggestion, ¡°Third Young Madam, it¡¯s better if we wait. This is the imperial pce, Princess Wei will send people here soon.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded, she couldn¡¯t confirm whether Royal Princess Duanjia had been set up and whether she was in danger. What if it turned out to be a multiyered trap? She couldn¡¯t just jump right into it and get caught herself. The inner pce had never been a ce with rules or morals.

    Furthermore, she didn¡¯t know what would happen if she went in and what dangers she might face, so it was better to take the safer option.

    He Eng and Royal Princess Duanjia had been carefully observing the outside. When they realised that the person who hade was Chu Lian, Duanjia¡¯s eyes brightened. She was about to open the windows and call out to her, but before she had the chance to, He Changjue covered her mouth.

    ¡°Be quiet, there¡¯s someone elseing.¡±

    Sure enough, the moment He Eng whispered this to her, two men had walked out from the darkness.

    The man who stood in front was very young. He wore a ck brocade robe, and he had a tall and slender physique. It wasn¡¯t until he stepped into a lit area that Duanjia was able to identify him.

    He Eng fixed his gaze upon the beautiful man beyond the doors and made sure not to miss a single movement or expression on his face.

    Xiao Bojian leisurely walked out from the darkness, with One following behind like a shadow.

    Chu Lian looked up and noticed the man. When she realised who it was, she had the urge to curse at the heavens.

    This damned Xiao Bojian was way too clingy! He truly lived up to his role as the male lead in the original novel. Was he forcibly increasing his screen time?

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s ck robe was low-profile but luxurious. One just had to look at the patterns on it to tell that it had been made of an exceptional quality fabric. It was unfortunate that such a great cut of cloth had been wasted on him. A robe like this would definitely look a lot better on He Changdi instead.

    Chu Lian quickly cleared away these random thoughts in her head. She raised her chin a little, facing the maning towards her with a frown. Wenqing hadn¡¯t expected Xiao Bojian to appear at a time like this. She quickly took a step forward to protect Chu Lian, and took up a ready position to prepare herself. If Xiao Bojian made any moves, she would immediately attack him.

    Unfortunately, Xiao Bojianpletely ignored Wenqing¡¯s protective movements. A faint smile appeared on his lips and his peach blossom-shaped eyes stared at Chu Lian with ample tenderness and a fragment of resentment.

    In the next second, Chu Lian heard Xiao Bojian speak, but even before he spoke a word, she already had goosebumps all over.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, you¡¯re finally willing to see me.¡±

    As he said that, he looked even more lovingly at Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian: ...

    What the hell? Had this fellow gone mad since theirst meeting...?

    When had she ever been willing to see him, or even tried to see him?

    She had clearly been lured to this ce! If Royal Princess Duanjia hadn¡¯t left suddenly, she wouldn¡¯t have been worried about Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s safety, and she wouldn¡¯t havee to this remote part of the pce so hastily!

    Was there a hole in Xiao Bojian¡¯s head? Had he been born without a cranium?

    Chu Lian asked with guarded eyes, ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    Xiao Bojian smiled. His gaze became increasingly gentle. However, when such a meek expression appeared on his face, it made people feel uneasy instead.

    Xiao Bojian seemed like someone who always had a gloomy expression, so this sudden change only made others more wary.

    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you.¡±

    He spoke these words with a gentle smile, like a kidnapper using some chocte to entice a greedy child.

    Chu Lian had a look of disgust. Did he think that he could trick her like she was a three-year-old?

    ¡°Just what do you want? What happened to the princess? Why have you led me here?¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to beat around the bush with him. If she had the choice, she wouldn¡¯t want to spend even a second more around a person like Xiao Bojian.

    Perhaps noticing the disgust and hatred in Chu Lian¡¯s eyes, the gentle smile on Xiao Bojian¡¯s face instantly froze up, then cracked andpletely fell apart.

    In the next instant, it was as if he had changed faces. His face became gloomy as hell, and that perfect face now seemed to contain malevolence.

    His re locked onto Chu Lian.

    It seemed as if he wanted to see right Chu Lian and find out what she truly thought.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, do you truly not like me anymore?¡±

    As he said this, pain and regret showed on Xiao Bojian¡¯s face.

 Chapter 616 - Phoenix Trap (4)

    <strong>Chapter 616: Phoenix Trap (4)</strong>

    Chu Lian wanted to roll her eyes at him. She felt really wronged. From the very beginning, she had never felt anything for him, alright!?

    Without any mercy, Chu Lian replied, ¡°Sir Xiao, you need to know your ce. I am Marchioness Anyuan and there is no connection between us. Therefore, there¡¯s no need to even mention like or dislike.¡±

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s head tilted down a little. His face was shrouded in darkness, so Chu Lian was unable to see his current expression.

    A momentter, he raised his head again. The malevolent look on his face had disappeared. All that was left was his usual gloominess.

    He suddenly spoke, ¡°Lian¡¯er, do you want to know the truth about your mother, your birth mother?¡±

    The life of the deceased first wife of House Ying¡¯s Second Master was basically a mystery.

    The moment Second Madam had passed on, it was as if nobody in House Ying remembered what she looked like. If it hadn¡¯t been for the existence of the Sixth Miss, Chu Lian, everyone would have thought that Second Master hadn¡¯t married before.

    Later on, when Chu Lian had grown up and started to be more aware, there was no one around her who knew anything about her mother. Even Senior Servant Gui who was closest to her only knew a little bit from hearsay.

    Since young, Chu Lian had wanted to know more about matters regarding her mother, but nobody would tell her. On the other hand, her father, Chu Qizheng, would get angry at the mere mention of Chu Lian¡¯s mother. Second Master had remarried very quickly and his new wife treated Chu Lian harshly. Once the new Second Madam had birthed her own daughter, she would constantly make things difficult for Chu Lian. This only increased Chu Lian¡¯s desire to know about her mother she had never gotten to meet.

    She would often fantasise about how her mother would look like if she were alive, especially when she was being bullied by her stepmother or Miss Yuan.

    Later on, Xiao Bojian had entered House Ying and Chu Lian had be friends with him. When the two chatted, Xiao Bojian learned about Chu Lian¡¯s wishes to find out more about her mother.

    The scheming Xiao Bojian hadmitted this to memory, and today, he had finally found a use for it.

    If the person who stood in front of him were the real Chu Lian, there was no doubt that she would definitely have be agitated and asked Xiao Bojian about things like what her mother looked like or her personality, and more.

    Unfortunately, the Chu Lian right now was already apletely different person.

    The original Chu Lian¡¯s mother had passed away a long time ago, and she didn¡¯t care enough to find out about the looks of a dead person.

    Even if she knew, it wasn¡¯t like it would do her any good.

    As a simple glutton, the current Chu Lian was simply uninterested in finding out other people¡¯s secrets, and wasn¡¯t a particrly curious person.

    Just as Xiao Bojian thought that victory was within reach and he was excitedly waiting for Chu Lian to take the bait, Chu Lian calmly replied without so much as a ripple in her heart, ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±

    In her mind, Chu Lian thought that this was none of her business at all, she¡¯d rather go home earlier and hug He Sang to sleep...

    It was as if a bucket of icy water had been dumped over Xiao Bojian¡¯s head, dousing his excitement. His gloomy and slightly feminine face was filled with disbelief.

    He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What did you say?¡±

    Chu Lian pouted, ¡°My mother died so many years ago, I don¡¯t even remember what she looks like, and I¡¯m not interested in that anymore. Now, tell me where Royal Princess Duanjia is.¡±

    A contorted expression suddenly appeared on Xiao Bojian¡¯s face again. It was unknown whether he had be angry from her words, or if he was enraged by the fact that things hadn¡¯t progressed the way he expected. He spoke to Chu Lian with an angry tone, ¡°Chu Lian, this clearly wasn¡¯t what you said back then!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes shifted away a little. She wanted to stall for time.

    ¡°Everyone changes. Even if I wanted to know about it in the past, I am no longer interested now.¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Xiao Bojian was seething with rage.

    Chu Lian shot a signal at Wenqing with her eyes.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, you¡¯ve changed!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s mouth twitched. Xiao Bojian was too slow. It wasn¡¯t just her personality that had changed, she was practically a different person, alright?

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to try signalling your servant. With her level of martial arts, she isn¡¯t even a match for my guard.¡± Saying that, Xiao Bojian nced back at the shadow-like One.

    Two words came out of his mouth, ¡°Take her!¡±

    One moved like a sudden wind. Although Wenqing¡¯s martial arts weren¡¯t bad, there was still an insurmountable difference between her and One who was specially trained as an assassin.

    With only a few moves, One had knocked Wenqing unconscious. However, when One was about to grab hold of Chu Lian, he was blocked by a figure who suddenly leapt out of the darkness.

    One looked at the man who wielded a sword in front of him, and stared at the man with disbelief.

    He Changdi had suddenly appeared with his handsome but grim face and frosty eyes. His chilly gaze fell upon Xiao Bojian, and he spoke with his deep, tantalising voice, ¡°Xiao Wujing, just where are you trying to take my wife to?¡±

    Xiao Bojian gave He Changdi a death stare. He nearly fainted from the force of his fury. His hands which were at his sides turned into fists, and he clenched them so much force that the joints turned white.

 Chapter 617 - Phoenix Trap (5)

    <strong>Chapter 617: Phoenix Trap (5)</strong>

    Xiao Bojian couldn¡¯t figure out how He Changdi had appeared here so abruptly when he had prepared such a meticulous n. Moreover, he had impable timing!

    It was as if He Changdi had already anticipated all of this and had only been waiting for him to fall into his trap.

    Xiao Bojian gnashed his teeth. A sinister glint appeared in his eyes. He red at He Changdi with his icy gaze, as if he wanted to shred the man in front of him to pieces!

    However, He Sang wasn¡¯t a simple man. He waspletely indifferent to the murderous intentions within Xiao Bojian¡¯s gaze.

    The two of them waged a silent war with their eyes, nearly causing sparks to fly through the sheer force of their res.

    Soon, footsteps could be heard approaching from the distance.

    Chu Lian felt inwardly relieved. It seemed like the people that Princess Wei sent had arrived.

    Xiao Bojian had an extremely terrible expression on his face. One slowly retreated to Xiao Bojian¡¯s side and whispered something into his ears. After that, he shielded Xiao Bojian by keeping him behind himself.

    Xiao Bojian realised that his n for today had beenpletely ruined. He had already lost the best opportunity to strike.

    He turned away from the irritating He Changdi and met with Chu Lian¡¯s solemn face instead.

    Before he left, he said, ¡°Lian¡¯er, I¡¯m still true to my words. If youe and find me, I¡¯ll tell you the truth.¡±

    Leaving behind that parting message, Xiao Bojian left without any hesitation under the protection of One. They swiftly disappeared around the corner of the remote pce hall.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t chase after them. Although he was highly skilled in martial arts, if they really fought, he would barely be able to hold his own against One. As a specially trained assassin, One definitely had some hidden skills up his sleeves. If they really engaged in battle right now, he would probably be at a disadvantage.

    Furthermore, he still needed to protect Chu Lian, so he couldn¡¯t risk their own safety.

    Xiao Bojian seemed to have also predicted He Changdi¡¯s thoughts, so he immediately left under One¡¯s protection without any intention to fight.

    The sound of footsteps seems to be getting closer. She could also hear the sound of voices apanying them from time to time. Chu Lian nced at He Changdi, who was still standing beside her. Worried, she said, ¡°Hurry and leave. If someone finds you in the rear court, you¡¯ll be punished.¡±

    Men were prohibited from entering the inner pce without permission. Even princes had to move out of the pce and into their own estates when they came of age, let alone outsiders.

    He Changdi wasn¡¯t one of the imperial guards who were allowed to enter and leave the inner pce freely.

    However, instead of leaving, He Sang pulled his wife closer, then suddenly embraced her with his arms. Chu Lian could feel the gentle kiss he nted on her hair, near her ear.

    Even Chu Lian didn¡¯t know how anxious and tense He Changdi had been when he had been hiding in the shadows earlier.

    He was afraid that his beloved wife would personally agree to leave with Xiao Bojian.

    He didn¡¯t know when he started having these feelings, but Chu Lian had already upied the most important ce in his heart. If she ever left, his entire heart would bepletely emptied.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know that so many thoughts had already gone through the mind of the ¡®sensitive¡¯ and ¡®thoughtful¡¯ He Changdi. She exherted some strength and pushed at He Changdi¡¯s sturdy chest with her two little hands while saying, ¡°He Changdi, let go of me! The pce servants are almost here!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not letting go.¡± He Sang actually started to throw one of his fits now, of all times. Chu Lian was on the verge of dying of frustration thanks to him.

    She whispered angrily, ¡°What do you want?!¡±

    Damn it, she hadn¡¯t gained a husband at all. He was obviously an idiotic, over-aged son.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let go if you promise me something,¡± He Changdi requested cunningly.

    Chu Lian was about to go crazy as she stared at the intersection. She didn¡¯t have the time to care about his request, so she hastily agreed and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll agree to anything you want. I¡¯m begging you, please hurry up and leave!¡±

    As the group turned thest corner, He Changdi swiftly disappeared into the shadows at thest second, giving Chu Lian a heart attack.

    Chu Lian cursed him in her mind. If she had a weak heart, she would have already gone crazy from the fright.

    After calming her breathing, Chu Lian turned towards the direction of the new arrivals.

    Two pce maidservants invender dresses were in the lead, followed by four to five eunuchs. Wen and Senior Servant Lan walked beside them. Before the two of them had even reached her, they were already anxiously looking in her direction.

    When she noticed Wenqing lying limply on the ground, Wen widened her eyes in shock and quickly hastened her pace.

    Senior Servant Lan immediately held onto Chu Lian¡¯s hand when she arrived in front of her. ¡°Honoured Lady, are you alright? Were you injured?¡±

    Wen promptly kneeled down to examine Wenqing¡¯s injuries. Her heart finally rxed when she noticed that Wenqing had only been knocked unconscious.

    Chu Lian shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Momo, send for someone to take a look at my maidservant. She was the one who protected me just now. Otherwise, I would have been hurt.¡±

    The pce maidservant in the lead immediately asked Chu Lian about what had happened.

    After hearing Senior Servant Lan¡¯s exnation, Chu found out that pce maidservants who worevender dresses were special imperial guards inside the pce. They were trained to protect the consorts and imperial children in the rear court.

    Their martial arts skills were not inferior to that of the imperial guards who received elite training.

    It was also the same for the young eunuchs who followed behind them.

    Chu Lian knew that these people had been sent by Princess Wei, so she told Senior Servant Lan about everything that had happened, excluding He Changdi¡¯s appearance.

    Senior Servant Lan¡¯s brows drew together in a frown, and she quickly led the party into the pce hall.

    Chu Lian was still uncertain whether Royal Princess Duanjia was really inside, but they still had to enter the hall anyway to make certain their guesses. Senior Servant Lan served under Princess Wei, so she was the most suitable person to handle this matter.

 Chapter 618 - Phoenix Trap (6)

    <strong>Chapter 618: Phoenix Trap (6)</strong>

    Shortly afterwards, Senior Servant Lan found Royal Princess Duanjia unconscious within the room. They also found Jinxiu, who had been moved into a dark corner after being knocked unconscious.

    Senior Servant Lan had also brought along a maidservant who was knowledgeable in medicine. After examining Royal Princess Duanjia, she concluded that the princess had only fainted and that there weren¡¯t any other problems with her. Senior Servant Lan was finally relieved after hearing her confirmation.

    By this time, Royal Princess Duanjia and Jinxiu had both regained consciousness. Senior Servant Lan couldn¡¯t help berating Jinxiu, who had her head lowered as she stood in front of her. ¡°As a maidservant, what were you doing letting the royal princess run around like that?¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia hastily stopped Senior Servant Lan. ¡°Momo, it was my fault, so don¡¯t me Jinxiu anymore.¡±

    Senior Servant Lan was also familiar with Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s personality, so she could only sigh several times and say, ¡°It was fortunate that Honoured Lady saw you leaving and swiftly notified Princess Wei. If something happened to Royal Princess, then Princess Wei would be heartbroken.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard Senior Servant Lan mention Chu Lian. She quickly asked, ¡°Chu Liu is here too?¡±

    Senior Servant Lan helplessly nodded. ¡°Honoured Lady is in the outer room.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia wanted to jump off the bed just as Senior Servant Lan finished speaking, but Senior Servant Lan stopped her. ¡°Royal Princess, your body is still weak after we treated you with the antidote for that sedative. You can¡¯t get out of bed and walk right now.¡±

    ¡°Momo, tell Chu Liu toe in.¡±

    Senior Servant Lan didn¡¯t have any other choice, so she went out to inform Chu Lian of the summons.

    A momentter, Chu Lian entered the room.

    Royal Princess Duanjia was leaning on the chaise with a thin nket covering her legs. Her eyes glimmered when she saw Chu Lian entering. She hastily dismissed the pce maidservants in the room. By the time Chu Lian sat on the chaise, she and Royal Princess Duanjia were alone there.

    Before Chu Lian was able to speak, Royal Princess Duanjia was already pulling on her arm. ¡°Chu Liu,e with me.¡±

    Chu Lian responded with a confused ¡®Ah?¡¯. She didn¡¯t understand Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s intentions. What was she trying to do? Her body was still weak from the drug!

    After breathing in a sedative and then taking the antidote, a normal person would feel weak for some time. Even their legs would be unstable when walking.

    Where did Royal Princess Duanjia want to go at this time?

    ¡°Royal Princess, stop joking around!¡± Chu Lian gave her a re.

    ¡°Chu Liu, I¡¯m not kidding. Are youing with me or not?!¡± As Royal Princess Duanjia spoke, she ced her hands on her hips. She disregarded Chu Lian¡¯s objection and got up from the chaise.

    Chu Lian noticed that she was healthy and energetic. She didn¡¯t seem to be feeling weak at all. Shocked, she asked, ¡°Royal Princess, you¡¯repletely fine?¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia nodded and tugged Chu Lian towards the window.

    Chu Lian watched as she carefully opened the window and leaned outside.

    ¡°Royal Princess, what are you doing?!¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia pulled Chu Lian to one side, then shook her arm endearingly. ¡°My dearest Chu Liu, can you help me keep a lookout? I need to go out for a moment.¡±

    Chu Lian frowned as she stared at Royal Princess Duanjia.

    Her eyes were crystal-clear. Under the weight of her stare, Royal Princess Duanjia felt like she didn¡¯t have anywhere to hide. Thus, her face instantly burned up.

    ¡°Alright, alright, Chu Liu, I won¡¯t keep it from you. I want to go check on He Changjue. I¡¯lle back really quickly, so help me keep a lookout!¡±

    Chu Lian was immediately dumbfounded after hearing her words.

    What! Royal Princess Duanjia was going to look for He Eng?!

    They... When had their rtionship be so intimate?

    The gears in Chu Lian¡¯s mind swiftly turned. She said, ¡°Royal Princess, were you lured to this pce hall because of Second Brother?¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s face reddened as she nodded, not denying it.

    With Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s confirmation, Chu Lian understood that something had probably happened to He Eng. She immediately became anxious. ¡°Is Second Brother alright?¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia felt somewhat awkward when she thought about He Changjue. She hastily shook her head. ¡°Chu Liu, don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s fine. Just now, momo came over too quickly. I still have something to say to him, but I didn¡¯t have the time to tell him just now.¡±

    Chu Lian knew about Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s feelings towards He Changjue, but she hadn¡¯t expected their rtionship to have reached this stage so suddenly. If this was set during modern times, then it wouldn¡¯t really be considered a major issue. At most, they would just date as a couple, which was still a rather pure rtionship. However, it was entirely different in the Great Wu Dynasty. It was still a period of time when unrted men and women had to avoid having close rtionships. Thus, the rtionship between the two of them could already be considered rather scandalous...

    A royal princess and an imperial guard. The two would rarely have the chance to meet.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t have the heart to stop them from speaking to each other right now.

    Under Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s pleading, she could only nod in agreement and promise to help deal with Senior Servant Lan, who was waiting outside.

    When Royal Princess Duanjia jumped out of the window, Chu Lian again reminded her to act quickly.

    Royal Princess Duanjia replied with her guarantee.

    Once out of the room, Royal Princess Duanjia cautiously approached a small room in the adjoining pce hall.

    Earlier, she and He Eng had agreed that she would pretend to be unconscious, while he would hide in a small room nearby.

    Royal Princess Dunajia was in the middle of slowing down her pace as she got closer when she suddenly heard a man¡¯s muffled moan. She froze and took a moment to distinguish the voice, only to realise that it belonged to He Changjue.

    Her cheeks instantly flushed. In her heart, she wondered, ¡®What is that man doing inside!¡¯

    Royal Princess Duanjia hastened her steps and swiftly entered the room. When she pulled apart the blinds hanging over the entrance, she witnessed an unforgettable scene.

 Chapter 619 - Phoenix Trap (7)

    <strong>Chapter 619: Phoenix Trap (7)</strong>

    A tall man was leaning against a small chaise beside the bed. The silvery moonlight shone in through the half-opened window, which just happened to provide a clear view of He Changjue¡¯s current actions.

    His hand was stuffed deep inside the opening of his guard¡¯s attire. The lower part of his robes was moving up and down due to his movement. A thinyer of sweat covered his masculine face. His lips were slightly pursed and he was trying his best to suppress his heavy pants.

    As if he had heard something, he spun around to look in Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s direction.

    He Changjue¡¯s whole body instantly stiffened...

    In that instant, He Eng really wanted to find somewhere to bury himself. It was too damned shameful to be seen by the woman he liked while... while satisfying himself...

    He wanted to die from embarrassment...

    He Eng had a very unsightly expression on his face and he appeared to be extremely regretful.

    If someone were to give him a brick right now, he would definitely find a way to kill himself with it.

    Royal Princess Dunajia was also stupefied. She had originallye to find He Changjue because she had something to say to him. She never expected to witness such a scene.

    Although she was a single young woman, as someone born in the imperial family, there were certain things that she should naturally know of.

    She definitely knew what He Eng had been doing based on his earlier actions.

    ¡°You...¡± Royal Princess Duanjia nervously gulped and was only able to utter a single word. Her face was burning hot.

    He Eng shifted his body sideways in an attempt to block Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s line of sight. After that, he silently took out Miss Righty from his pants. If Miss Righty could speak, she would surely be crying pitifully.

    He had breathed in some special fragrance earlier, so his little brother was still very energetic right now and wasn¡¯t showing any signs of deting.

    He Eng: ...

    The gears in Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s mind turned swiftly. She knew that He Changjue usually acted in a very orderly manner and had a lot of self-control. He didn¡¯t seem like a particrly lustful person. Thus, there was only one reason behind this awkward situation.

    She restrained her nervousness the best she could, but for some unknown reason, there was a vague and strange sense of excitement emerging from within the depths of her heart.

    She boldly stepped forward and asked in a soft voice, ¡°Is this because of that fragrance?¡±

    He Changjue was in an extremely embarrassing state right now, so he didn¡¯t notice Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s movement. His ears turned red, the blush extending down to his neck. He let out a light ¡®mm¡¯ as confirmation.

    The embarrassed look on the old bachelor¡¯s face unexpectedly made Duanjia¡¯s heart ache for him.

    Royal Princess Duanjia had a sudden burst of sympathy when she stared at He Changjue¡¯s well-defined features...

    Before He Changjue coudl react, Royal Princess Duanjia had already sat down beside him...

    He Changjue had a tall and sturdy figure with long legs. The muscles on his limbs were also very well-developed and strong. He was a handsome man with broad shoulders and a slim waist. Royal Princess Duanjia was simr in stature with Chu Lian, petite and delicate. Sitting beside He Changjue right now, she appeared like a half-grown child.

    However, that was just what it looked like on the surface.

    When taking their current expressions into ount, there probably wouldn¡¯t be anyone who would continue to think that way.

    Royal Princess Duanjia continued to move closer to the brawny He Changjue. He Changjue was like a frightened bunny who was being forced to retreat into a corner and trying his best to huddle into a corner...

    The expression on He Eng¡¯s face was rather amusing. He was both bbergasted and embarrassed. He reached out to hold Royal Princess Duanjia still by her slender shoulders, but he quickly withdrew his right hand when he recalled what he had just done with it.

    He stopped Royal Princess Duanjia from getting closer to him with one hand. However, he didn¡¯t dare to exert any force because she was a delicate young woman. He could only tell her helplessly, ¡°Royal Princess, I¡¯m fine. You should hurry back, otherwise Princess Wei will be worried!¡±

    He Eng¡¯s entire face was flushed red. He was really fine. He just had to use his five-fingered maiden to help him vent a few times. After that, the effects of the fragrance would be gone.

    However, Royal Princess Duanjia didn¡¯t act as he expected.

    Royal Princess Duanjia lifted a brow, giving her feminine face a rare trace of resolution and determination.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not leaving. He Eng, I want to help you!¡±

    He Changjue: ...

    Damn, was she really not doing this on purpose?

    He Eng was caught in a dilemma, suffering both physically and mentally... He wanted to scare Royal Princess Duanjia away with a stern face, but he had never thought that she would react this way. It wasn¡¯t within his expectations at all!

    While he was still thinking about how to get rid of this extremely ¡®persistent¡¯ woman, his little brother had already been seized...

    He Changjue: ...

    The veins on his forehead throbbed. Damn it, this woman really wanted to kill him...

    Chu Lian was bing increasingly anxious while waiting. Forty-five minutes had already passed.

    She anxiously looked towards the window from time to time. Senior Servant Lan had already sent someone in to check on them once, but Chu Lian had ordered Wen to make an excuse to stall for time.

    If Royal Princess Duanjia didn¡¯t return soon, then even she wouldn¡¯t be able to hide it any longer.

    Just as Chu Lian was about to send Wen to go search for her, three special knocks suddenly sounded from the window.

    Chu Lian¡¯s anxious heart was finally able to settle down. She strode towards the window, opened it, and pulled Royal Princess Duanjia inside.

    Chu Lian immediately noticed Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s reddened face. ¡°Is it very cold outside? Your face is all red. You should get Jinxiu to bring a cloak over for youter.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia lowered her head and agreed. She slightly coughed to hide her awkwardness. She was too ashamed to directly tell Chu Lian the actual reason for her blushing.

 Chapter 620 - Phoenix Trap (8)

    <strong>Chapter 620: Phoenix Trap (8)</strong>

    As Chu Lian had expected, Senior Servant Lan sent someone in right after Royal Princess Duanjia came back.

    ¡°Royal Princess, Honoured Lady, let¡¯s go. If we leave the banquet for too long, the Empress and Empress Dowager will start asking after you.¡±

    Chu Lian and Royal Princess Duanjia returned to the banquet together.

    When Chu Lian finally sat back down in her seat, she could sense a hostile, icy gaze on herself.

    She lifted her head and was met with an infuriated re.

    Chu Lian was slightly stunned. She knew exactly who the owner of those eyes was.

    Imperial Princess Leyao...

    She hadn¡¯t visited the pce in a very long time, so she had almostpletely forgotten about this princess...

    Imperial Princess Leyao was Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s only child and was originally the emperor¡¯s youngest, most favoured daughter.

    However, the emperor had grounded Leyao ever since thest time Chu Lian had visited the pce. It waster rumoured that she had also been lectured by Eldest Princess Royal. Afterwards, there was another rumour that this princess was not as favored as before. However, it was hard to say whether the rumours were true or not.

    In short, it was true that Princess Leyao hadn¡¯t left the pce again after that day. It had been rather peaceful within the capital ever since she had been grounded.

    She was currently sitting beside Imperial Concubine Wei, drinking a cup of sweet wine while ring at her with resentment.

    Imperial Concubine Wei seemed to have noticed something amiss with her daughter¡¯s gaze, so she also looked towards Chu Lian.

    Imperial Concubine Wei made eye contact with Chu Lian. She suddenly gave Chu Lian a weird smile, leaving her baffled.

    What was going on today? First, it was Xiao Bojian and Royal Princess Duanjia. Now, even Imperial Concubine Wei was joining in on the fun. They didn¡¯t all have to show her that kind of secretive expression. She had enough to eat, warm clothes to wear, and He Sang to warm her bed. Therefore, she really wasn¡¯t interested in their secrets...

    Chu Lian felt that everyone she had met today was abnormal. They all had amon problem, which was that they were all crazy.

    Chu Lian replied with a faint smile, which almost caused Imperial Concubine Wei to choke on her frustration.

    If she could, Imperial Concubine Wei would have definitely rushed towards the foolish and cheerful Chu Lian to give her a sound p.

    She had just given that girl a mocking look, yet Chu Lian had sent back a happy smile in reply. There must be something wrong with her...

    Imperial Princess Leyao was still too young, so she didn¡¯t have her mother¡¯s ability to endure. She was aze with anger, and she wanted to get up to confront Chu Lian. However, she was promptly held down by Imperial Concubine Wei.

    The banquet held at the imperial gardens for the noble wives, imperial rtives, and the rtives of government officials came to an end under this strange atmosphere.

    The Empress Dowager had originally wanted to extend the banquet, but a pce maidservant had rushed in and whispered something into the Empress and Empress Dowager¡¯s ears. The expressions on the faces of the two women with the highest statuses in the kingdom had instantly changed.

    This scene had naturally fallen into everyone¡¯s eyes, but the people present were mostly noble wives with keen senses. Their first reaction was to remain silent.

    As a result, the Empress and Empress Dowager were no longer in the mood to continue ying host.

    The Empress Dowager announced the end of the banquet. Court attendants had been arranged to send these noble women out of the rear court.

    Chu Lian supported her mother-inw, Countess Jing¡¯an, as they left with Old Duchess Zheng and Lady Yang.

    As they were leaving, Chu Lian caught a glimpse of Consort Liang standing nearby with a pce maidservant supporting her. She suddenly fainted after hearing a pce maidservant¡¯s report, causing a wave ofmotion.

    Chu Lian felt a thump of unease when she recalled the Empress and Empress Dowager¡¯s expressions at the end of the banquet.

    Had something happened over at the Chengping Emperor¡¯s side in Wanmin Hall?

    Consort Liang was the birth mother of the second prince, who was also the current Crown Prince. Empress Shen didn¡¯t have any children, while the favoured Imperial Concubine Wei only had a daughter, Imperial Princess Leyao.

    There were also the third to sixth princes.

    The third prince had died when he was young. The fourth prince was Prince Jin, who had moved out of the pce. The fifth prince was naturally weak and cowardly, and his birth mother had died early.

    Thest one was Sixth Prince, who was only fifteen years old.

    For the Empress and Empress Dowager to be so concerned, it must have something to do with one of the princes.

    Since Consort Liang had fainted, had something happened to the crown prince?

    No, not necessarily. Prince Jin had also been raised by Consort Liang. Moreover, it was said that she treated him even better than her own son, the crown prince.

    So, was it Prince Jin who had encountered a mishap?

    He Changdi and Prince Jin were close friends. If something happened to Prince Jin, then He Changdi would also be implicated.

    When she thought of this possibility, Chu Lian¡¯s entire body felt ice-cold.

    Her hands, which were holding Countess Jing¡¯an, also instantly lost their warmth.

    Too many things had happened tonight, so Chu Lian¡¯s mind was on high alert and she couldn¡¯t help quickening her pace.

    Soon, Countess Jing¡¯an had also sensed her anxious feelings.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er? Lian¡¯er?¡± Countess Jing¡¯an had to call out to Chu Lian a few times before she came back to her senses.

    Chu Lian turned her head and gave her an apologetic look. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m so sorry. I was distracted by some thoughts.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an looked at her helplessly. ¡°Silly child. What are you thinking about?¡±

    As she spoke, Countess Jing¡¯an pulled out her arm and patted Chu Lian¡¯s hand tofort her. ¡°The pce is a dangerous ce. We¡¯ll be alright as long as we abide by the rules, so you don¡¯t have to think too much. Look, your father and Sang havee to pick us up.¡±

    When Chu Lian looked up, she saw their men standing together at the bottom of the white marble stairs nearby. Her father-inw was tall and burly, while He Changdi had the same tall stature with a cool temperament.

    He Changdi¡¯s bottomless gaze seemed to be filled with bright stars when she looked at him, giving her a deep sense of reassurance.

 Chapter 621 - Phoenix Trap (9)

    <strong>Chapter 621: Phoenix Trap (9)</strong>

    It was as if Chu Lian¡¯s initial worries had been dispelled the moment she saw He Changdi.

    After everyone from House Jing¡¯an got onto their carriages, Chu Lian sat beside He Changdi and finally had the chance to ask, ¡°What happened? Did something happen in Wanmin Hall?¡±

    He Changdi still had a stern expression on his handsome face, but a rare sense of tenderness emerged within his gaze when he looked at his wife.

    He reached out one slender finger to help Chu Lian tuck a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. After that, he gently caressed Chu Lian¡¯s soft earlobe, lingering for a moment.

    The area around Chu Lian¡¯s ears was really sensitive, so she slightly hunkered down into her shoulders. She realised that she couldn¡¯t avoid He Changdi¡¯s annoying hand, so she could only let him continue. Her delicate earlobe quickly turned red due to the rubbing.

    Her cheeks also instantly flushed red.

    ¡°The crown prince is in trouble,¡± He Changdi said, quiet and calm like he was discussing something as simple and ordinary as the day¡¯s weather.

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened after hearing his words, filling with shock.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Wasn¡¯t the Chengping Emperor satisfied with the current crown prince, Second Prince? She had read half of the original novel, which had mentioned that the crown prince¡¯s position was stable as the crown prince¡¯s birth mother, Consort Liang, wasn¡¯tpetitive nor scheming. Thus, not only was the emperor satisfied with her, but the empress dowager was as well.

    Furthermore, Consort Liang was also Fourth Prince¡¯s adoptive mother. Chu Lian had a good impression of Consort Liang and the crown prince. Why did the crown prince suddenly cause a problem?

    Even the Thousand Blessings Festival had ended early. Thus, it was evident that this was a major incident.

    Fourth Prince had a close rtionship with the crown prince. Would Fourth Prince get implicated in this matter?

    He Changdi seemed to have noticed the worry in his wife¡¯s gaze. He reached out and lightly pinched Chu Lian¡¯s pert nose. His voice was still veryposed when he spoke.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Fourth Prince won¡¯t be affected by this.¡±

    Chu Lian let out a faint sigh of relief. As long as Prince Jin wasn¡¯t involved in this, then He Changdi wouldn¡¯t get entangled by this matter, either. If that was the case, she could rest easy.

    She wasn¡¯t very familiar with Consort Liang or the crown prince, so this matter was none of her business.

    The young couple sat inside the carriage. After listening to He Changdi¡¯s detailed recount of the incident, Chu Lian finally found out what had happened at Wanmin Hall to cause the Emperor to fly into a rage.

    During the Thousand Blessings Festival, all the government officials in attendance were required to present a gift, and the princes were no exception.

    After the death of the eldest prince, the second prince had been appointed the title of Crown Prince for several years.

    Second Prince had average skills and abilities, so the court officials had thought that Second Prince wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain his position as the crown prince. However, the idiotic Second Prince had miraculously been able to secure his status as the crown prince for the past six years because of his rtions with Consort Liang and Fourth Prince.

    It actually wasn¡¯t all that surprising; Consort Liang could influence the Emperor with her ¡®posturing¡¯ within the pce, while the fourth prince, Prince Jin, acted as a scapegoat for the crown prince in court. Moreover, with the support of a group of court officials backing him, it was no wonder that he had been able to keep his position as the crown prince.

    However, Consort Liang hadn¡¯t been present at the male side of the banquet today. Fourth Prince had also decided to stay out of today¡¯s incident. Thus, it wasn¡¯t surprising that the crown prince had to take responsibility after causing trouble today at the banquet.

    The trouble had started when the crown prince had presented the emperor with a ¡®phoenix.¡¯ It was supposedly a mystic bird found in Lingnan, and a lot of money had been spent to transport it back.

    The bird¡¯s plumage was as beautiful as fire, and its tail resembled the magnificent spread of a peacock¡¯s. It had a golden crown and a mauve-coloured beak. There was an orange line traced around its eyes. It looked undeniably noble and gorgeous.

    Everyone had been stunned as they stared at this ¡®mystic bird¡¯ that had been brought into Wanmin Hall. They all admired the beauty of the ¡®mystic bird.¡¯ The Chengping Emperor had also been ted over the present. Although the crown prince had wasted a lot of money and manpower to bring this ¡®mystic bird¡¯ back to the capital, finding this ¡®phoenix¡¯ was an auspicious sign for the Great Wu Dynasty. It was even more of a good omen since it had been presented during the Thousand Blessings Festival.

    People were especially superstitious during the ancient times, so they truly believed in the auspiciousness of this ¡®mystic bird¡¯. Even the emperor was no exception.

    It was supposed to be a happy asion for the emperor and his ministers to witness this propitious mystic bird, but no one would have expected for an ident to ur right in front of everyone¡¯s eyes.

    A pce maidservant in charge of serving drinks identally knocked over the teapot she was carrying on her tray. Itnded right on the ¡®mystic bird,¡¯ and the floor was instantly covered in a pool of washed-off dye...

    The Chengping Emperor¡¯s expression immediately turned grim when he saw it. He ordered someone to examine the bird and found out that it wasn¡¯t any sort of ¡®mystic bird.¡¯ It was just a peacock whose feathers had been plucked and dyed.

    The crown prince hadmitted the grave crime of deceiving the emperor during the Thousand Blessings Festival. The emperor was infuriated, so he ordered for the crown prince to be taken away and locked up.

    As Second Prince was being taken away, he still had a face full of disbelief. In a moment of desperation, he had even called for the fourth prince, Prince Jin, who was sitting near the emperor. However, there wasn¡¯t even a single trace of emotion within Prince Jin¡¯s blue eyes this time.

    The crown prince had caused a scandal during the banquet, so there was no way for it to continue.

    The emperor had been so enraged that he left the banquet in anger. The Thousand Blessings Banquet within Wanmin Hall had ended on a sour note.

    Chu Lian had only witnessed whatever happened after that, which was that someone came over to the imperial gardens to report about the incident.

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the crown prince too reckless?¡±

    He had actually dared to disguise a peacock from Lingnan as a phoenix... Wasn¡¯t that absurd?

    He Changdi lowered his head to look at his wife and slightly shook his head. ¡°Although the crown prince¡¯s actions are absurd at times, this isn¡¯t something that he would do.¡±

    Chu Lian instantly understood He Sang¡¯s meaning. ¡°You¡¯re saying that someone else was behind this?¡±

    He Changdi hugged Chu Lian. His gaze deepened as he stared into the distance. After a long moment, he nodded.

    He suddenly asked Chu Lian, ¡°Can you guess who it was?¡±

 Chapter 622 - Phoenix Trap (10)

    <strong>Chapter 622: Phoenix Trap (10)</strong>

    Chu Lian¡¯s clear almond-shaped eyes darted from side to side as she thought. Although she usually didn¡¯t pay much attention to government affairs, she knew about the general situation within the imperial court. Moreover, she did read the original novel. After pondering for a moment, her eyes twinkled. She lifted one of her fair hands and gestured the number six in front of He Changdi¡¯s eyes.

    A trace of gratification shed through He Changdi¡¯s eyes.

    This incident was indeed rted to Sixth Prince.

    He knew that his wife didn¡¯t like the fighting within the court. She was also usually quitezy. He had originally thought that Chu Lian wouldn¡¯t know anything about these situations, so he was somewhat surprised that she had been able to make a correct guess.

    ¡°How did you guess it? I thought you disliked the fighting and scheming in politics?¡± At this moment, a glimmer of light shed within He Sang¡¯s eyes.

    Chu Lian rolled her eyes at He Changdi without mercy. ¡°Of course I want to ignore those bothersome politics and just live leisurely. I just want to eat, sleep, cook delicious food, and earn money all day. Thinking about these things wastes a lot of brain power. But, a couple should be united as one. Since you¡¯re involved in theseplex affairs, I need to have some basic understanding too. If I don¡¯t know anything at all, then I¡¯ll be a burden to you in the future. Even if I can¡¯t support you, I can¡¯t drag you down.¡±

    These days, Chu Lian hadn¡¯t just been hiding in the estate and idling around. She had not only been managing the stores and rural estates in her hands, but she had also instructed Senior Servant Zhong to bring over plenty of books from the outer court¡¯s main study. She also had Princess Wei to help her, so she had a general idea about the current political climate.

    They were going to move out of the estate soon. At that time, she would have to take charge of the entire household. Men were supposedly responsible for working outside, while women managed the household. He Sang would be busy with his official duties, so she would have to take care of the interpersonal rtionships within the estate and their rtionship with the other estates. If she was really ignorant about what was going on in court, then by then, she might really cause trouble for He Changdi.

    He Changdi waspletely stunned. His heart warmed. It seemed like Chu Lian had already done a lot for him without him knowing.

    Those painful experiences hidden in the depth of his memories had be something that he could slowly forget because of Chu Lian¡¯s care and consideration.

    He tightened his embrace and hugged Chu Lian closer. Her soft, petite body waspletely buried in his chest.

    Chu Lian just blinked her eyes because she was still somewhat confused about He Changdi¡¯s sudden action. However, she immediately understood when she heard him speak in a low, husky voice beside her ear.

    She heard him say, ¡°Lian¡¯er, thank you.¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter if she was that wicked woman from his previous life or not. The current Chu Lian belonged to himpletely. She was the only wife that he, He Changdi, deeply loved. She was the only warm light in his life.

    For some reason, Chu Lian suddenly felt emotional. Her arms went under his cloak and wrapped around his thin waist. She buried herself deeper into his chest, then in a muffled voice, she said, ¡°Fool.¡±

    He was really a fool. She had done those things to fulfill her obligation as his wife. He Changdi being so moved made her feel embarrassed. It also made her want to work even harder to treat him well.

    While the atmosphere within the carriage returning to the Jing¡¯an Estate was full of warmth, the atmosphere inside the imperial pce was brooding and stagnant.

    The emperor, who had ended the banquet early in anger, was currently inside Qinzheng Hall. He was seated behind the imperial table, still dressed in the ceremonial robe he had worn for the Thousand Blessings Banquet. Eunuch Wei was the only one beside him.

    Eunuch Wei looked at the emperor¡¯s grim expression and couldn¡¯t help trembling as he stood beside him.

    He was also uncertain about how long he had stood there behind the emperor, but he felt as if a year had already passed.

    At this time, Eunuch Sun had something to report outside the pce hall.

    Wei Chenghai nced at the emperor beside him. He carefully asked, ¡°Your Majesty, outside...¡±

    Before he could finish speaking, the emperor had already turned and given him a look. Wei Chenghai has served the emperor for many years, so he instantly understood what the emperor wanted.

    He respectfully bowed towards the Chengping Emperor before swiftly leaving on light steps. He returned shortly afterwards.

    Eunuch Wei moved closer to the Chengping Emperor and reported, ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s Consort Liang outside. She¡¯s kneeling outside the pce hall, requesting to see you.¡±

    The Chengping Emperor¡¯s expression turned cold. He didn¡¯t reply immediately, so Eunuch Wei waited on the side with his head bowed. He knew that the emperor was thinking right now.

    After a while, the emperor said a few words, and Eunuch Wei proceeded outside again.

    At the end of March, outside Qinzheng Hall, the shining floor tiles were still piercing cold. Consort Liang was wearing a simple dress and kneeling on the floor. When she heard footsteps approaching from Qinzheng Hall, she quickly raised her head and looked over with anticipation. However, it wasn¡¯t the person she wanted to see.

    Wei Chenghai walked up to Consort Liang¡¯s side. He looked down at the middle-aged woman, who was still graceful and beautiful.

    Consort Liang couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Eunuch Wei, His Majesty...¡±

    ¡°Please head back, Consort. His Majesty is busy with work. Thus, he isn¡¯t able to meet you right now. The weather is turning chilly, so please don¡¯t harm your body by staying outside.¡±

    After hearing Eunuch Wei¡¯s words, Consort Liang¡¯s entire body weakened, and she almost fell over on the ice-cold ground.

    ¡°His... His Majesty didn¡¯t say anything else?¡±

    Wei Chenghai didn¡¯t answer her, which was a clear and silent confirmation.

    In the end, Wei Chenghai sent for some servants to escort Consort Liang away.

    Wei Chenghai was currently representing the emperor¡¯s intent, so no one dared to disobey him.

    Wei Chenghai entered the pce hall to continue his duty.

    He stood beside the emperor cautiously and looked out into the darkened night. In a low voice, he asked, ¡°Your Majesty, what are your ns for tonight?¡±

    The Chengping Emperor raised his head and stared over at the empty pce hall. A momentter, he replied in a low voice, ¡°Imperial Concubine Wei.¡±

    Eunuch Wei hastily went out to make the arrangements.

 Chapter 623 - Phoenix Trap (11)

    <strong>Chapter 623: Phoenix Trap (11)</strong>

    Consort Liang was sent back to Chengxiang Hall. She hadn¡¯t slept yet when she was informed about the emperor going over to Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s hall.

    Consort Liang had always appeared virtuous and easygoing, but her expression now instantly turned spiteful. She summoned her trusted handmaid in a low voice.

    Consort Liang¡¯s voice took on an especially sombre tone.

    ¡°How did Fourth Prince act today?¡±

    Her handmaid didn¡¯t hide anything. ¡°Replying to Consort Liang, at that time, Fourth Prince didn¡¯t have any reaction at all.¡±

    ¡°He just watched as my son was dragged away?¡±

    Her handmaid didn¡¯t reply, which was a silent confirmation to her question.

    Consort Liang suddenly knocked over everything on the table beside her. The teacup and snacks all rolled down to the floor, making a loud ttering sound.

    Consort Liang began to rave like mad. ¡°That little bastard! How dare he?! How dare he do that to my son, Ah-Sheng?! Sister, why did you give birth to such an ungrateful bastard?!¡±

    None of the maidservants in Chengxiang Hall dared to speak because Consort Liang really seemed like a lunatic.

    Imperial Concubine Wei hadn¡¯t expected the emperor toe over sote at night. She quickly ordered her attendants to make preparations.

    The emperor had exploded in anger today at Wanmin Hall, and afterwards, he had severely punished the crown prince. Yet, he had still remembered her at this time. Thus, it was quite evident that she held a special ce in his heart.

    When the emperor came over, Imperial Concubine Wei served him very attentively.

    It was already veryte at night and the emperor was clearly exhausted, so they just washed up and prepared to sleep.

    While wearing a loose nightgown, Imperial Concubine Wei began to massage the emperor as they reclined on therge bed.

    The emperor would asionally open his eyes to look at the woman in front of him, but once he closed his eyes, another beautiful smiling face would appear in his mind.

    Imperial Concubine Wei was undeniably the person who resembled Ye Xun the most within the entire imperial harem.

    This was the reason the emperor woulde to spend the night at Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s ce whenever he felt troubled. It was also the real reason he favoured her the most.

    Imperial Concubine Wei was a skilled masseuse. She had specially taken lessons from the pce¡¯s most expert senior servants.

    The emperor was already getting old, so he wasn¡¯t very concerned about sex. His only intention was to have a proper night¡¯s sleep every time he came over to Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s hall. In order to please the emperor, Imperial Concubine Wei would often give him massages to help rx his muscles.

    Imperial Concubine Wei was deep in her thoughts while she was massaging him.

    The crown prince had lost favor now. She also understood that the emperor could no longer tolerate Second Prince. The second prince didn¡¯t show any sense of responsibility that he should¡¯ve had as the crown prince. The emperor couldn¡¯t really pass that esteemed position to a son like him.

    She only had a daughter, Princess Leyao, and she didn¡¯t have a son. Even if she wanted a son, the emperor¡¯s self-control had improved as he got older. There hadn¡¯t been any birth announcements from his concubines for many years.

    It was only for a short moment, but numerous thoughts had shed through Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s mind.

    She thought about what her sister, Wei Fengzi, had told her when she visited the pce.

    Her gaze instantly became determined. She should just sell a favour to the emperor during this critical moment, since there was no hope of a son for her anyways. There was also no true love within the inner pce.

    Imperial Concubine Wei wasn¡¯t aplete fool. After all these years, of course she had realised that she was only a substitute for someone else that the Emperor wanted in the past.

    The emperor was lying in bed wearing his imperial yellow robe as Imperial Concubine Wei massaged him. Her soft voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.

    ¡°Your Majesty, do you remember Older Sister Ye?¡±

    As soon as Imperial Concubine Wei asked that question, the emperor abruptly sat up and looked at her with a dangerous look in his eyes.

    Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s pale neck was instantly grasped by the emperor¡¯srge hand.

    The emperor was well-trained in both brains and brawn. Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s neck was already bruised with just one move.

    ¡°What did you just say?¡±

    Imperial Concubine Wei stared into the emperor¡¯s eyes. She knew without a doubt that if the emperor was dissatisfied with her next words, then she would be carried out as a corpse.

    A thinyer of cold sweat emerged on Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s back. Her eyshes quivered when she blinked. She took a moment to steady her emotions before answering in a shaky voice, ¡°Your¡­ Your Majesty, although Sister Ye has already passed away, she left a child for you¡­¡±

    The emperor suddenly narrowed his eyes.

    What! Ah-Xun was pregnant with his child that year!

    They actually had a child!

    His Ah-Xun had left a child for him!

    ¡°Tell me! If you dare to hide anything, you should know the result!¡±

    Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s entire body trembled. She didn¡¯t dare to hide anything as she said, ¡°Older Sister Ye¡¯s child is¡­ Honoured Lady Jinyi¡­¡±

    Jinyi?

    Chu Lian?

    House Ying¡¯s Sixth Miss?

    He Yanwen¡¯s third daughter-inw?!

    That child who had cooked for him that day at Prince Wei¡¯s Estate?

    The emperor was stunned to the core!

    Chu Lian¡¯s face immediately emerged in his mind. Even though the emperor had only seen Chu Lian a couple times, he could actually remember Chu Lian¡¯s face very clearly at this moment.

    He instantly connected all the cluttered clues in his mind.

    The emperor recalled the first time he had seen Chu Lian. At that time, he had felt that her face looked familiar. They didn¡¯t meet again for nearly half a year. When he saw her again at Prince Wei¡¯s Estate, he had mistaken Chu Lian for Duanjia.

    If she was telling the truth, then these facts could all be properly exined.

    Chu Lian¡¯s mother, Ye Xun, was a distant rtive of the Ye family. She could be considered loosely rted to Princess Wei as her cousin.

    If Chu Lian and Royal Princess Duanjia turned out to be cousins, then there was a reasonable exnation for their simrity in looks.

    After reaching this conclusion, the emperor unconsciously loosened his grasp.

    Once he released his hand, Imperial Concubine Wei started coughing violently while holding her neck. The emperor had almost strangled her to death¡­

 Chapter 624 - Phoenix Trap (12)

    <strong>Chapter 624: Phoenix Trap (12)</strong>

    After learning this huge secret, the emperor was no longer in the mood to spend the night at Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s ce.

    Eunuch Wei hastily came in after hearing his loud call.

    Then, with trembling hands, Eunuch Wei helped the emperor put on his clothes and they returned to Qinzheng Hall.

    He Lin was summoned to Qinzheng Hall in the middle of the night.

    ¡°Go investigate for us. We want to know everything regarding House Ying¡¯s original Second Madam and Sixth Miss.¡±

    He Lin swiftly left Qinzheng Hall in fear after receiving his secret order. He was scared that the emperor would kick him out if he didn¡¯t move faster.

    Eunuch Wei, who was waiting on the side, had also already guessed the truth. He was currently deep in his thoughts and very shocked. Honoured Lady Jinyi was actually the Emperor¡¯s daughter...

    Eunuch Wei was in a trance when he suddenly heard the emperor ask, ¡°Xiao Haizi, what do you think of Jinyi?¡±

    Wei Chenghai was so scared that he promptly focused all of his attention. At this time, he wouldn¡¯t dare say anything bad about Chu Lian.

    ¡°Honoured Lady Jinyi is intelligent, dignified, and quick-witted. She¡¯s also a very talented cook. This servant has never seen a nobledy as special as Honoured Lady Jinyi.¡±

    Eunuch Wei¡¯s reply had obviously pleased the emperor.

    The emperor rubbed his clean-shaven jaw and recalled the first time he met Chu Lian. That little girl hadn¡¯t seemed flustered at all even when she was in front of him.

    She was neither humble nor arrogant. She had been able to think of an unexpected n to save Duanjia during a dangerous situation. She had also opened a restaurant that was famed throughout the entire capital. There were also the snowboats and her business ideas.

    How had her little heade up with all those ideas? Why was she so clever and cute? She must have inherited it from him. Ah-Xun was also very smart, but she hadn¡¯t had such a creative imagination and practical ability.

    She must have gotten those from him.

    The emperor momentarily fell into a realm of fantasy. Ye Xun had passed away for many years, and he had always been living in pain. However, he had never expected that Ye Xun would leave a child for him.

    This child was the continuation of Ye Xun¡¯s life and the proof of their love.

    Jinyi was the same age as Duanjia, so she was sixteen this year. The emperor made some calctions in his mind. If he and Ye Xun had a child, then the child would be precisely sixteen years old.

    Even before receiving the results from He Lin¡¯s investigation, he was nearly certain that Chu Lian was indeed his child.

    When he thought about it now, it seemed that he liked everything about Chu Lian.

    However, the smile on the emperor¡¯s face froze an instantter...

    Eunuch Wei, who was standing beside him, was extremely frightened as he observed him. Too many things had happened tonight. Even someone like him, who had experienced numerous upheavals and changes, was a little overwhelmed with shock. When he noticed the change in his master¡¯s expression, his legs nearly went limp from the fright.

    Eunuch Wei summoned up his courage and asked, ¡°Your Majesty, are you alright?¡±

    The emperor had just remembered that Chu Lian had already married someone. Moreover, her husband was He Yanwen¡¯s son. So, he was immediately pent up with anger.

    It felt like he had just found a long-lost treasure after much difficulty, but the treasure was already engraved with someone else¡¯s name because it had been missing for too long...

    The emperor sneered. ¡°That brat got off easy!¡±

    Eunuch Wei¡¯s face twitched and immediately realised who the emperor was talking about.

    The person that the emperor was referring to was the current administrator of the Department of Appointments, Marquis Anyuan...

    Chu Lian and He Changdi returned to Songtao Court together. They didn¡¯t know about the major revtions the ruler of their kingdom was currently experiencing in his seat within the pce. They also didn¡¯t know that her body had another identity.

    He Changdi was relieved that Prince Jin had remained calm and decided not to intervene with the trouble caused by the crown prince today.

    In his previous life, tonight had been the significant turning point in his close friend¡¯s life. The situation had changed now, so He Changdi was in a very good mood.

    When the couple returned to Songtao Court, it was alreadyte at night.

    It was a hassle to travel back and forth to the pce to attend the banquet. Moreover, an incident had urred in the middle of the banquet, so they were both sweating right now.

    It was necessary for them to change and take a bath.

    Songtao Court was very big, so there was more than one bathroom. The bathroom in He Changdi¡¯s study was even more spacious.

    Chu Lian sat in front of the dressing table, while Xiyan helped her remove the hairpins in her hair. After that, she took off the outer robe that she was wearing and finally felt more at ease.

    When she finished, she noticed that He Changdi was still sitting beside the table. She curiously asked, ¡°Why are you still here? I thought you were tired. Why haven¡¯t you gone to take a bath?¡±

    He Changdi held a teacup and took a sip of warm water. He didn¡¯t immediately answer Chu Lian¡¯s question.

    Chu Lian thought he wanted her to bathe first, so she happily said, ¡°You should go ahead. I already told Xiyan to prepare the bath over at the bathroom in the study. All the necessities are already prepared over there, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    He Changdi remained silent even after she said that, so Chu Lian couldn¡¯t help turning around and looking towards He Changdi.

    When their eyes met, Chu Lian noticed that there was something wrong with He Changdi¡¯s gaze. She could see it contained both passion and stubbornness alike.

    However, that kind of look really didn¡¯t match with his icy face...

    Chu Lian¡¯s face instantly flushed because of the way he was looking at her. She stuttered, ¡°Why are you looking at me and not going to the bathroom?¡±

    He Changdi, who was a miser with his words, finally spoke now. His voice had an alluring maism. His chuckle seemed to carry a sense of teasing, which made her heart quiver as he said, ¡°What? Did you forget what you promised me earlier?¡±

 Chapter 625 - Spring Hunt (1)

    <strong>Chapter 625: Spring Hunt (1)</strong>

    It was out of Chu Lian¡¯s expectations that He Sang would say something like that at this time. She had already forgotten about the brazen words that He Changdi had said to her earlier in front of the remote pce hall.

    Under these circumstances, she seriously couldn¡¯t remember what she had promised He Changdi.

    Chu Lian innocently blinked. ¡°What?¡±

    He Sang¡¯s handsome face turned gloomy. He got up and swiftly walked to Chu Lian¡¯s side. Then, he trapped her between himself and the dressing table with his long arms.

    He Sang bent down. They were so close, they could practically feel each other¡¯s breaths.

    Chu Lian¡¯s cheeks unconsciously flushed as she looked into his deep eyes. She felt a mix of embarrassed and annoyed at him.

    She pulled back slightly, putting some distance between them.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Whenever Chu Lian retreated a little, He Changdi would move closer. In the end, Chu Lian¡¯s entire back was up against the dressing table. She was unable to distance herself from He Sang, and the atmosphere between them turned suggestive instead.

    The handmaids who were on duty inside the bedroom had already tactfully left the room.

    He Changdi stared at her. When he spoke, she could feel his warm, clear breath on her face. Chu Lian was blushing with shyness when she heard him ask, ¡°Do you remember now?¡±

    Chu Lian felt uneasy because it seemed as if he was able to see into the depths of her heart. She subconsciously looked away, not daring to make eye contact with his ink-ck eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    Chu Lian feigned ignorance. She really hadn¡¯t remembered the promise she made to He Changdi at the remote pce hall, but now...

    Anyone would be able to guess with a single nce the kind of thoughts her voracious husband was currently having. Thus, she was going with the oblivious route.

    She wasn¡¯t stupid. He Changdi was often insatiable when he wanted her. Chu Lian had been scared off intimacy with him after thest time.

    He Sang stared at her evasive gaze, then suddenly smiled with a strange curve to his lips. He lowered his voice and whispered, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t understand? Lian¡¯er, I¡¯ll give you one more chance.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s entire body trembled. The devilish expression that had suddenly appeared on He Changdi¡¯s face made her somewhat edgy, but she was already at the point of no return with her charade. She couldn¡¯t screw up at this critical moment.

    She bit her lips, blinked her watery eyes, and firmly said, ¡°I really don¡¯t know. He Changdi, you must have remembered it wrongly.¡±

    In the next second, her tender earlobe was immediately held within his warm, humid mouth. The sensation of it sent tingles through her whole body.

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened because of He Changdi¡¯s actions. Her hands reached out in an attempt to push him away and cover her sensitive ears.

    He Sang was able to pull Chu Lian¡¯s hand away from her eyes by exerting a little force with his slender fingers. He propped himself up with one hand on the dressing table, then used his other hand to capture her two slender wrists. He rained kisses on her tender earlobes and neck before continuing downwards.

    Chu Lian was heldpletely under his control. She didn¡¯t even have the leeway to struggle.

    All she could do was retort with her mouth, ¡°He Changdi, stop it! I want to take a bath!¡±

    ¡°Oh? There¡¯s no hurry. I¡¯ll help you recover your memory first.¡±

    Chu Lian was furious. ¡°How is this supposed to help recover my memory?!¡±

    Her nagging little mouth was soon attacked.

    He Sang lifted Chu Lian¡¯s delicate figure onto the dressing table. It took Chu Lian a few moments before she could even react.

    He leaned against her as hisrge hand wandered all over her body on a dangerous path. Chu Lian¡¯s entire body felt limp and weak. He bent down beside her ear and asked, ¡°Do you remember now?¡±

    Chu Lian seriously wanted to cry. At this point, she didn¡¯t dare to say that she didn¡¯t remember. She looked towards He Changdi with pleading eyes and nodded pitifully.

    He Changdi saw that the little woman in his arms had finally admitted defeat, so he immediately started the battle to satisfy Chu Lian...

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t think that he would really go for it, even after she surrendered. She seriously wanted to die right now.

    She resisted the urge to moan and firmly bit onto her red lips. She red at him with watery eyes andined with a shaky voice, ¡°I¡¯ve already admitted my fault...¡±

    He Changdi lowered his head and dropped kisses down her beautiful corbone with his thin lips. His voice was hoarse yet restrained as he said, ¡°Since you made a mistake, you should be punished!¡±

    ¡°You...¡±

    He Sang had already attacked her delicate lips before Chu Lian even got the chance to finish speaking.

    As a result, the young couple didn¡¯t get to the bathroom until an hourter. This also meant that the tub of hot water prepared in the study had bepletely unnecessary.

    He Changdi carried the worn-out Chu Lian directly to their bedroom, then straight into the bathroom inside it.

    Chu Lian leaned against He Sang¡¯s sturdy chest, sulking with a pout.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t mind at all; in fact, he felt refreshed. Since he was fully content, there was nothing wrong with yielding to his wife now.

    With one hand wrapped around Chu Lian¡¯s slender waist, his other resting on the edge of the bathtub, He Changdi closed his eyes andid back to rx.

    Chu Lian sulked by herself for a while, but she felt that it was pointless when He Changdi didn¡¯t even react to her pouting. She turned around slightly and used her index finger to jab at He Changdi¡¯s muscr chest. ¡°He Changdi, I¡¯ve already fulfilled your request. We don¡¯t owe each other anything now.¡±

    He Changdi opened his deep eyes and narrowed them dangerously. He looked at his wife who was lying within his embrace, her face flushed from the hot steam, and said, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    Chu Lian gave him a re. If she wasn¡¯t being held within He Changdi¡¯s embrace right now, she would have definitely ced her hands on her waist in an imposing manner.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already fulfilled the promise I made with you! You can¡¯t use that matter to threaten me again!¡±

    He Changdi nced at her and smirked. ¡°Who said that was my request? I¡¯ve already told you earlier, that was a punishment.¡±

    ¡°He Sang, don¡¯t push your luck!¡±

    He... He had done it twice just now! Even if the first time was considered a punishment, then the second time should have been enough to fulfill her promise!

    How could he be so shameless?!

    Chu Lian¡¯s chest was heaving due to anger. He Changdi¡¯s gaze narrowed at the sight of her moving chest, which was partially covered by the flower petals within the tub.

    In the end, the pitiful Honoured Lady Jinyi didn¡¯t get to sleep untilte at night in order to fulfill her promise.

 Chapter 626 - Spring Hunt (2)

    <strong>Chapter 626: Spring Hunt (2)</strong>

    The next day, Chu Lian was naturally unable to get up at her usual time. However, He Changdi got up early to attend morning court.

    The crown prince had been grounded. The emperor had even sent officials from the supreme court to investigate the incident regarding the fake phoenix.

    During morning court, He Changdi was simply standing amongst all the officials, but he had a strange feeling that there was a sharp gaze looking down on him from time to time.

    Only the Chengping Emperor would possess such an oppressive gaze.

    Although the Chengping Emperor had a good impression of He Changdi, he usually didn¡¯t pay all that much attention to him.

    A sense of caution immediately emerged within He Sang¡¯s heart.

    The emperor unexpectedly ordered He Changdi to stay after the court was adjourned.

    When He Sang came out of Qinzheng Hall, he was holding an official document within his hand. It was an official document that he and his father, Count Jing¡¯an, had presented to the emperor to request permission to leave House Jing¡¯an and establish his own noble estate.

    ording to the usual procedures, if things went smoothly, then it would have taken at least half a month to obtain the approval. However, all the procedures had somehow beenpleted within a few days.

    Moreover, the Chengping Emperor had personally handed the official document to him. It inevitably caused He Changdi to think deeper into this situation.

    Furthermore, the emperor had even rewarded him with a plot ofnd within the capital to use as the Anyuan Estate...

    Real estate was very expensive within the capital. Even for noble families who had lived in the capital for several generations, it would be difficult for them to purchase properties here. Originally, He Changdi and Chu Lian had already decided on the estate that they were going to move into. Although it wasn¡¯t considered a luxurious manor, the estate had four courtyards, which was enough for the young couple to live in. If they chose an estate that was too big, then it would feel rather empty.

    He Changdi took a look at the property that the emperor had bestowed upon them. It was a five-courtyard estate that was located in a good area of the capital. The mansion had originally been the residence of a prince during the era of the first emperor... Later on, the mansion had be vacant after that prince had left for his own assignednds out of the capital. Following the changing of generations, the prince had eventually passed away. However, the estate had remained vacant ever since.

    Many high-ranking officials and noblemen had had their eyes set on this estate for a long time, but the Chengping Emperor owned the property. Thus, no one had dared to take the initiative to obtain that mansion. However, it had so easily fallen into He Changdi¡¯s hands now...

    Even He Changdi was perplexed.

    He Changdi immediately reported this matter to Chu Lian when he returned to the estate. Chu Lian also thought that there was something weird about it.

    Although they didn¡¯t understand why the Emperor was suddenly being so considerate to He Changdi, they had obtained a good residence for themselves.

    It was a holiday the next day, so He Sang and Chu Lian headed over to to Kangping Lane to take a look at the estate.

    Since the emperor had personally approved the official documents and specially gifted them with a new estate, Chu Lian and He Changdipleted their move out of the Jing¡¯an Estate a monthter.

    Matriarch He found out only on the day they were moving. She almost fainted after finding out.

    Muxiang, who was standing behind Matriarch He, was also in disbelief that He Changdi was really moving out!

    In the past, she had been able to get a clear understanding of the situation within Songtao Court since she worked close by as the matriarch¡¯s handmaid. Now that He Changdi and Chu Lian were moving out of the estate, she wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to get close to He Changdi anymore!

    Muxiang waspletely stunned. Senior Servant Liu noticed her soulless expression, which made Senior Servant Liu even more cautious of her.

    Within the entire Jing¡¯an Estate, only Matriarch He and Muxiang were against He Changdi moving out.

    Countess Jing¡¯an had more of He Changdi¡¯s interests at heart.

    If He Changdi hadn¡¯t been bestowed the title of marquis, then he should have continued living in the Jing¡¯an Estate. However, her son had be a marquis now. Even if they were able to live together, the position of Count Jing¡¯an would be passed down to Dng in the future and her youngest son would still have to move outter.

    Dng would definitely get married again by then. It would be troublesome if there was an uneven distribution between the two branches.

    Moreover, the capable young couple of the third branch had the ability to survive on their own. It would also be morefortable for them.

    Count and Countess Jing¡¯an had also noticed that the matriarch was dissatisfied with Chu Lian.

    The matriarch had reflected on her behavior after Chu Lian had honestly reprimanded her at Qingxi Hall back then, but there was still a gap between the two.

    Once enmity sprung up between two people, it would be difficult to clear up misunderstandings and revert back to their previous rtionship.

    Chu Lian was also Marchioness Anyuan, so she would definitely have to take up the mantle ofdy-in-charge of her own household in the future. It was better to let the young couple gain some experience outside while they were still young. If they made any mistakes at this point, Countess Jing¡¯an still had the ability to help them out right now.

    Count Jing¡¯an had the same opinion as his wife. However, his perspective was not only limited to He Changdi. Once He Changjue finally settled down, he would also allow his second son to move out with his wife.

 Chapter 627 - Spring Hunt (3)

    <strong>Chapter 627: Spring Hunt (3)</strong>

    Chu Lian and He Changdi¡¯s new residence, the newly named Anyuan Estate, was close to Prince Wei¡¯s Estate. It was only about fifteen minutes via horse carriage. For walking, it would also take about fifteen minutes when taking a shortcut.

    Thus, Royal Princess Duanjia was excited about Chu Lian¡¯s move, and even Prince and Princess Wei were very happy about this.

    On the second day after Chu Lian moved into her new residence, she sent out invitations to her close friends to invite them for a housewarming.

    Invitations were sent out to Princess Wei, Royal Princess Duanjia, Lady Yang, Old Duchess Zheng, House Ying¡¯s Madam Rong, and more.

    The lively celebrationsted for most of the day.

    At this time, Manager Qin returned from the northern border with his men. The shopfront on Zhuque Avenue that He Changdi had given her was in the middle of renovations. It was expected to be ready for business in about half a month.

    At the end of April, the emperor suddenly announced his ns for a spring hunt at the outskirts of the city.

    The pce worked swiftly. The list of attendees for the spring hunt was confirmed in just three days.

    That evening, He Changdi left work earlier and returned home to tell Chu Lian about the spring hunt.

    The Anyuan Estate was located close to Prince Wei¡¯s Estate, so Chu Lian didn¡¯t really need He Changdi to inform her about the spring hunt. She had already heard the news from Princess Wei.

    Chu Lian knew how to ride a horse, but she didn¡¯t know anything about hunting, let along archery. It would be considered pretty good if her arrow could evennd on the target...

    However, during dinner, He Changdi told her that her name was on the list of attendees for the spring hunt...

    Chu Lian set down her chopsticks and eximed in shock. She curiously asked, ¡°Weren¡¯t the officials prohibited from bringing their wives and daughters to the spring hunt in past years?¡±

    There was nothing she could do there even she went. Was she simply going for a sightseeing trip while the others went hunting?

    When she thought of that scenario, Chu Lian was speechless to the point that she wanted to roll her eyes.

    Although He Changdi also felt it was strange, the invitees for the spring hunt had already been confirmed. Thus, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for him to reject the offer in front of the emperor by himself.

    He Changdi picked up some nched lettuce and ced it into her bowl.

    For some reason, Chu Lian really liked to eat vegetarian dishes recently. On the contrary, she didn¡¯t really want to eat meat dishes because the greasy taste made her feel sick.

    She watched as He Sang picked up the vibrant green lettuce for her, and then obediently ate it.

    He Changdi continued speaking in his pleasant voice, ¡°This time, all ranked nobledies of the imperial family are on the list. The emperor bestowed the title of Honoured Lady Jinyi upon you, so it¡¯s not that surprising for your name to be on the list.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded. After much deliberation, that seemed to be the only reasonable exnation.

    This seemed to be the case when she looked at the list. Royal Princess Duanjia, Feudal Princess Anmin, and Imperial Princess Leyao were all on the list of attendees for the spring hunt this time.

    While they were eating, Chu Lian suddenly thought of a matter, ¡°Why isn¡¯t there any news regarding my fifth sister¡¯s wedding?¡±

    He Changdi didn¡¯t expect her to mention that matter out of the blue.

    When the couple had talked about this before, He Changdi had even mentioned that Xiao Bojian and Miss Su were engaged. It was originally a matter that was already decided on. However, there seemed to be some unexpected changes in the situation because there hadn¡¯t been any news regarding their wedding up until now.

    He Sang shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to look into itter.¡±

    Chu Lian could only drop the topic for now.

    She was growing even more cautious of Xiao Bojian inside. She had the feeling that it had been too peaceful recently. It felt as if Xiao Bojian was holding back a big move. As time went by, Chu Lian was bing more and more unsettled.

    On the second day of May, the Chengping Emperor set off for the spring hunt with his entourage of officials in tow.

    All the attendees had to gather at the za in front of the pce¡¯s main entrance to greet the emperor. After that, they would set off together. Separate carriages had been arranged to transport the supplies that each household brought along. The carriages would follow behind the procession and arrive two to four hourster.

    The spring hunt was tost for three days and two nights. On the way back, they were even going to take a detour to a temporary imperial residence for a short stay. There was a hot spring in the imperial residence, so everyone who was attending this year¡¯s spring hunt would get a chance to experience the imperial family¡¯s hot spring.

    The Chengping Emperor was to stay overnight at the imperial residence with everyone, and then return to the pce on the next day.

    Thus, the entire trip was nned tost for four to five days.

    Chu Lian and He Changdi woke up early this morning.

    Since they were going to participate in the spring hunt, Princess Wei had specially ordered several sets of riding attire for Royal Princess Duanjia and Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian and Royal Princess Duanjia had three sets of clothing respectively. Chu Lian had already tried them on when they were sent to the Anyuan Estate.

    The first set was red and silver, the second one was light yellow, and thest set was cherry-blossom coloured.

    Although Chu Lian didn¡¯t have a tall stature, she had good proportions and a nice figure. The red riding attire that she was wearing today was even more figure-hugging than her usual attire.

    Her hairstyle was changed to a more simplified style for convenience as she would be riding a horse. She didn¡¯t wear any hairpins, but a thin silver-chained ruby headdress hung in front of her forehead.

    There were two small hair ornaments with pink pearl iys on both sides of her hair bun. Chu Lian didn¡¯t wear earrings, so two small ear-piercings can be seen on her fair earlobes.

    Wenqing and Wen were worried that Third Young Madam would be cold. Although it was already May, they found a brocade cloak of the same colour for her to wear.

    On her feet, she wore a pair of exquisite deerskin boots. The simple and practical female riding attireplemented her figure well. Chu Lian appeared more refreshing and gant today, especially when she looked up with an unrestrained smile on her small face. She was like a radiant sunflower that people were reluctant to look away from.

    He Sang was unexpectedly dazzled by his own wife.

 Chapter 628 - Spring Hunt (4)

    <strong>Chapter 628: Spring Hunt (4)</strong>

    The tall He Changdi was also wearing a set of riding attire today. A long bow and a quiver of arrows hung on the back of his horse, Leaping Clouds. He was standing beside his horse in his ck riding attire, which was embroidered withplex patterns. His entire body emitted a chilly and sharp aura, as if he was a handsome god of war about to step onto the battlefield.

    He Sang rarely dressed up like this on normal asions. Since he worked in the Ministry of War now, he usually wore court outfits. While in the estate, he would often wear a casual robe with a cloak. Even when he was practising martial arts, he would just wear a simple practice outfit. Thus, even Chu Lian had rarely seen him wear such formal attire.

    He Changdi was truly worthy of the nickname, ¡®He Sang the Fair¡¯. When he dressed up like this, he would definitely charm numerous hearts by just casually walking around Zhuque Avenue.

    Chu Lian walked up to He Changdi¡¯s side. She couldn¡¯t resist looking him over a couple more times before slightly pouting, ¡°If I knew you were going to look this good in riding attire, I wouldn¡¯t have let you change.¡±

    He Sang had never cared about his appearance, so he didn¡¯t understand the meaning behind Chu Lian¡¯s remark. He just responded with a curious ¡®hmm?¡¯.

    Chu Lian gave him a re, then announced in a domineering manner, ¡°I¡¯ll let it go this time, but I¡¯m the only one allowed to see you wearing these kinds of outfits in the future!¡±

    He Changdi immediately understood her meaning. The icy expression on his handsome face seemed to melt instantly. He reached out to caress Chu Lian¡¯s hair. He bent down slightly and spoke at a volume that only Chu Lian could hear, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll only wear it for you to see. I¡¯ll go change into another outfit. There¡¯s still enough time.¡±

    After he finished speaking, he straightened his back, seemingly really intending to return to their room to change.

    Chu Lian hastily grabbed on to his sleeve and said speechlessly, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re actually going back to change! You¡¯re not allowed to go. Everyone is going to be dressed in riding outfitster. If you don¡¯t wear this, then the others will start gossiping.¡±

    A corner of He Changdi¡¯s mouth lifted irresistibly. He reached out his hand to stroke the buttons on the front of Chu Lian¡¯s riding attire, then he moved closer to her like earlier, ¡°I share the same thoughts.¡±

    Chu Lian gaped a little in shock.

    He Sang was already helping Chu Lian up onto his horse, Leaping Clouds.

    After Chu Lian sat down, He Changdi immediately followed up by mounting his horse.

    Chu Lian could feel He Changdi¡¯s sturdy chest behind her. She sped the reins in a daze, turned around with a stiff face, and asked awkwardly, ¡°You... We¡¯re riding on the same horse? This doesn¡¯t seem appropriate...¡±

    They were going to be in front of a big crowd. Although they were a married couple, it didn¡¯t seem proper for them to be tantly riding together in such close proximity out on the public streets...

    Wouldn¡¯t they be drawing enmity by unting their rtionship like this?

    He Changdi sent a signal with his eyes to the servants behind them. After that, he reached around Chu Lian to grab the reins. Leaping Clouds promptly broke out into a trot after he shook the reins.

    Chu Lian was surprised by the sudden movement and quickly grabbed onto his arm to bnce herself.

    A momentter, Chu Lian heard He Changdi speaking beside her ear, ¡°With your level of horsemanship, are you trying to make uste?¡±

    It would take thirty minutes to travel to the pce from the Anyuan Estate.

    If Chu Lian really rode the horse by herself, it would probably take her at least forty-five minutes to arrive.

    While Chu Lian did know how to ride a horse, her skills were only average.

    There were many people on the streets of the capital, so something could easily go wrong if one didn¡¯t have enough control over their mount.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t have any choice, she could only silently ept He Changdi¡¯s decision.

    She puffed up her cheeks, ¡°Since we¡¯re already runningte, why did you want to go back to change your clothes earlier?¡±

    He Changdi chuckled. He gave out amand with his voice. At his signal, Leaping Clouds broke out into a gallop. Chu Lian was unprepared, so she jerked backwards and bumped against He Changdi¡¯s chest.

    ¡°I said that because I can make Leaping Clouds run even faster.¡±

    Chu Lian was frightened. Leaping Clouds had probably been locked up for too long. Now that he was finally free, he was sprinting all out. In the end, Chu Lian was only able to somewhat steady herself after He Changdi held onto her waist with his free arm.

    Chu Lian was shocked by the speed of Leaping Clouds, so she wasn¡¯t in the mood to debate with He Changdi about the previous topic of whether he should change his clothing.

    Since they were riding on He Changdi¡¯s horse, they arrived at the za in less than thirty minutes.

    There were already many people waiting when Chu Lian and He Changdi arrived. All of them were apanied by a servant holding a horse beside them.

    He Changdi and Chu Lian were the only ones to arrive together like this...

    When Leaping Clouds came to a stop and stomped his hooves, everyone¡¯s attention fell upon Chu Lian and He Changdi.

    There were various expressions in their eyes. Most of the men had envious gazes.

    Marquis Anyuan really knew how to have fun. He was still being all lovey-dovey with his wife while on the way to the spring hunt. Why hadn¡¯t they thought of doing the same? What a shame.

    Most of the women felt jealous.

    They turned furious res at their own inconsiderate husbands. The reproach and resentment within their gazes was intense.

    Look at how Marquis Anyuan pampers his wife, then take a look at yourself!

    There were a few fiery gazes among the crowd which were hard to ignore.

    Xiao Bojian was standing at the edges of the crowd. He watched as He Changdi and Chu Lian arrived together, riding closely on the same horse. After that, he saw He Changdi helping Chu Lian off the horse in a half-embrace. He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles had already turned white.

    The other resentful gaze belonged to Imperial Princess Leyao.

    She was the emperor¡¯s daughter, so she was naturally qualified to participate in the spring hunt this time. She had already turned eleven after the new year.

    Ever since she had gotten into a conflict with Chu Lian and gotten grounded by the emperor, she seemed to have lost favour with her father.

    The emperor stopped pampering her like before, and had instead ordered Imperial Concubine Wei to discipline her strictly.

 Chapter 629 - Stinky Tofu (1)

    <strong>Chapter 629: Stinky Tofu (1)</strong>

    Although Chu Lian felt her cheeks burning, she simply disregarded the fiery looks of envy and jealousy shot her way.

    For this year¡¯s spring hunt, all the military officials residing in the capital, regardless of rank, were in attendance.

    Included amongst these were Sima Hui, Captain Guo, Zhang Mai, Xiao Hongyu and the rest.

    He Changdi took Chu Lian out with him to greet their oldrades from the northern border army.

    Xiao Hongyu was a troublemaking little fellow, so he had already skipped over to wee Chu Lian before they had even reached the group.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Sister-inw!¡±

    Chu Lian smiled at him in reply. Sima Hui also walked over to meet them at this time.

    Sima Hui was dressed in a white riding outfit today. She had a tall figure and a handsome ir to her looks, unlike most of thedies in the capital, so she looked very eye-catching.

    Sima Hui nodded courteously to He Changdi. When her eyes fell upon Chu Lian, they lit up.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, this riding outfit suits you very well,¡± Sima Hui praised generously.

    Chu Lian¡¯s silver and red riding outfit was indeed veryplementary to her looks. The sleeves of the top were decorated with many butterfly bows, giving her a mischievous yet cute appearance.

    Chu Lian smiled until her eyes turned into crescents. She bobbed in front of Sima Hui, ¡°Thank you for yourpliment, Sister Hui.¡±

    Sima Hui bent her head down and whispered into Chu Lian¡¯s ear, ¡°Let¡¯s go togetherter.¡±

    Of course Chu Lian wasn¡¯t going to reject her offer. She had spent quite some time with Sima Hui in the north. They were close friends by now.

    Before Chu Lian could reply, she was pulled back one step by He Changdi. He Sang stared at Sima Hui with a frostier expression than usual, ¡°No, Lian¡¯er is going to be by my side.¡±

    Sima Hui looked up at He Changdi and a smile sprang to her lips, ¡°Marquis Anyuan, you¡¯ll have to apany His Majestyter.¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s expression grew even more thunderous at her words. She was right. As the administrator of the Department of Appointments, as well as the newly titled Marquis Anyuan, he would definitely have to spend most of his time by the emperor¡¯s side during the spring hunt. He didn¡¯t have the time to take care of Chu Lian in the meanwhile.

    Chu Lian tugged at He Changdi¡¯s sleeve with a smile, ¡°Rx. Nothing will happen to me if I¡¯m with Sister Hui.¡±

    The crease between He Changdi¡¯s brows could kill a fly by now. He sucked in a breath and held it. When he looked at his wife¡¯s sparkly eyes, he couldn¡¯t speak his true thoughts: that he was worried precisely because it was Sima Hui with her...

    In the end, he had no choice but to leave Chu Lian in Sima Hui¡¯s care. Since the emperor had arrived, he had to lead his men to wee His Majesty.

    Not too far away was the living area marked out for the princes and princesses.

    The crown prince was standing to the left of Prince Jin, while the fifteen-year-old Sixth Prince was to his right. The eleven-year-old Imperial Princess Leyao stood right behind the azure-eyed prince.

    Behind Princess Leyao was Feudal Princess Anmin.

    Right now, Imperial Princess Leyao was expressing her contempt, ¡°Hmph! A poor Honoured Lady and a tomboy who can¡¯t find someone to marry her! As they say, birds of a feather flock together! Cousin Anmin, we¡¯ll have to show them what we can doter on.¡±

    Feudal Princess Anmin¡¯s reply was so light that Prince Jin couldn¡¯t even hear what she said.

    He turned his head, catching sight of Sima Hui¡¯s tall figure from the corner of his eyes. His gaze rested there for a moment before he shifted it away.

    When the Chengping Emperor arrived, dressed in a dark navy riding habit, everyone respectfully bowed or bobbed in wee.

    Due to their status, Chu Lian and Sima Hui were positioned on the outer rings of the entourage.

    The emperor was surrounded by so many of his courtiers and nobles that Chu Lian could only see the top of his head from where she was standing.

    While the two of them had been lowering their waists in their bobs, Sima Hui had spoken in a strange tone, ¡°Lian¡¯er, why does it feel like His Majesty is looking our way?¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t believe her and rolled her eyes in amusement.

    ¡°There are so many people around, why would His Majesty look at us? However, I wasn¡¯t expecting to be invited this time. I¡¯m not really rted to the imperial family after all, and my title is the lowest-ranked Honoured Lady.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s words made Sima Hui frown. ¡°Lian¡¯er, make sure you don¡¯t leave my sideter.¡±

    This was indeed a little out of the ordinary. She didn¡¯t have any knowledge of the future events from now on. It would be best to be careful in everything she did.

    Once the officials from the Ministry of Rites finished the opening ceremony for the spring hunt, the emperor led all the members participating in the hunt off in a grand procession.

    Chu Lian and Sima Hui were riding near the middle of therge group, together with many other nobledies.

    Although Royal Princess Duanjia wanted to ride with the two of them, she had no choice but to ride up front with Princess Wei, Imperial Princess Leyao and the rest of the imperial family members due to her special identity.

    At the back of the group were the carriages holding their luggage and servants.

    The imperial hunting grounds were located at the outskirts of the capital, so it wasn¡¯t too far away. They would likely reach before 2pm.

    He Changdi, Xiao Bojian, Heir Zheng and various princes, nobles and the young sons of nobles were all following by the emperor¡¯s side.

    Their proximity to the emperor was normally arranged by seniority and rank, but for some reason, the emperor had specially picked He Changdi to be by his side today.

    Since the emperor had named him personally, He Sang had no choice but to ept. He controlled his mount and stayed at least half a horse¡¯s length behind the emperor. The emperor didn¡¯t speak at first, he simply remained silent with a cool and stony expression on his handsome face.

    ¡°He Sang!¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, this humble official is here.¡±

    The edges of the emperor¡¯s lips curved upwards, ¡°It¡¯s rare for us to have this chance to talk. Tell us of the sights and scenes of the northern border in Liangzhou.¡±

 Chapter 630 - Stinky Tofu (2)

    <strong>Chapter 630: Stinky Tofu (2)</strong>

    He Changdi didn¡¯t dare to tarry in front of the emperor. After his experience in his past life, He Sang understood how the emperor was as a ruler.

    He was clear with his rewards and punishments and ruled over the country with a fair hand. He could be deemed a wise ruler. He had a secret spy corps under his control which would seek out underground information for him and listened to his orders alone.

    The identities of the emperor¡¯s spies were a mystery and any information about the corps was hidden deeply. Even the crown prince had no clue about what the secret spy corps did.

    Sometimes, He Changdi suspected that the emperor knew about almost every secret in hisnds, but he simply kept quiet about his knowledge.

    His knowledge might pertain to the the major politics going on in the background with his courtiers, or be as minor as the battles between legitimate and illegitimate children in the rear courts of his nobles¡¯ estates.

    Thus, it was best to speak truthfully with as many details as possible in front of the emperor. If one tried to boast or exaggerate, they would likely die in mysterious ways one day.

    He Changdi picked out some incidents to speak of from his experience in the north. They were all little stories which didn¡¯t focus on any person in particr.

    He couldn¡¯t tell what the emperor was thinking from his expression.

    The emperor suddenly tugged on the reins of his mount. He held his soft riding whip aloft and set it down against the nk of his horse, which immediately responded by breaking into an all-out gallop.

    The guards and courtiers surrounding the emperor immediately urged their own steeds to follow.

    For some reason, the emperor seemed to be in the mood for a fast ride. His horse sped on faster and faster, until only his guards and the few courtiers with better horsemanship like He Changdi could keep up.

    The party had dwindled down to only ten in number.

    He Lin reminded the emperor with worry, ¡°Your Majesty, perhaps it would be better to wait here for now, the princes and princesses have yet to catch up.¡±

    There were only ten people here with the emperor right now. If any assassins were lying in wait, they likely wouldn¡¯t be able to escape with their lives intact.

    The Chengping Emperor¡¯s gaze was wandering over their surroundings, with no indication that he had heard He Lin¡¯s words.

    He finally pulled at the reins and slowed his horse down.

    The emperor cast a sideways nce at He Changdi, who had maintained the same distance from him all this time, with a new glint of satisfaction in his eye.

    The ones remaining here were all the emperor¡¯s trusted subordinates and guards. He wouldn¡¯t have to worry about anything he said now spreading elsewhere.

    As if realising the emperor¡¯s intentions, a chill sprang up in He Changdi¡¯s heart. Even after living an entire lifetime before, he couldn¡¯t help but be nervous at this time.

    The emperor had urged his steed into a gallop on purpose earlier. He had likely been counting on He Changdi being able to keep up, and had been intending to lure He Changdi into this situation.

    He Sang held on to his reins with one hand, his eyes cast downwards and his mind on full alert.

    Suddenly, the emperor spoke, ¡°When did you get married?¡±

    The strange question made He Changdi freeze up for an instant, but he quickly replied, ¡°The end of Augustst year.¡±

    ¡°We heard the Empress Dowager mention this before, in the sense that your marriage with Jinyi was personally decreed by her. It was something that your grandmother entered the pce to request.¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s eyes turned dark. Why had the emperor dug up news about his marriage?

    ¡°Yes, this humble official¡¯s marriage was indeed arranged for by Grandmother and the Empress Dowager.¡±

    ¡°Why ady from the Chu Family then? With your status, you had better choices.¡± While there wasn¡¯t any change in the Emperor¡¯s expression, his tone had be more stern, even carrying a trace of unhappiness.

    Although He Changdi could sense that the emperor was hiding his anger, he didn¡¯t understand the source of it. He couldn¡¯t say any falsehoods at this point either, he could only speak the truth.

    ¡°Your Majesty must have heard about our He Family¡¯s problems. We have too few family members. Grandmother pleaded for a Chu Family bride for this humble official after hearing of their reputation.¡±

    ¡°Their fertility?¡±

    He Changdi remained silent in agreement.

    The emperor harrumphed. That one sound was enough to make everyone present break out into cold sweat and wish that they could put some distance between them.

    Apanying the emperor was like ying with a tiger, as the saying went.

    The emperor¡¯s mood had suddenly changed for the worse after a few questions about Marquis Anyuan¡¯s family. They all had confused expressions. No one could understand why the emperor was suddenly so unhappy.

    Amongst all the emperor¡¯s followers, it was He Lin whose expression ranked as the weirdest.

    He Lin was the only person other than the emperor who knew the truth.

    Pity welled within He Lin and he nced over at the oblivious Marquis Anyuan, lighting a candle in prayer in his heart for the marquis.

    He had married a princess, yet he didn¡¯t know how to treasure her. He even said it right in front of the emperor that he had only wanted her as a tool for giving birth to the next generation. Only Marquis Anyuan had that kind of daring in the entire dynasty! Thumbs up! This He Lin admires you!

    After a long period of silence, the emperor spoke up once again.

    ¡°Since it was for the sake of carrying on the next generation, why were you dissatisfied with your bride after the wedding? Why didn¡¯t you consummate your marriage and leave the estate directly?¡±

    The emperor¡¯s previous questions had only been on the level of gossip, which could be heard from anyone around. However, the emperor had just revealed that he knew about all the details of their lives down to these secret facts...

    The secret spy corps was indeed a terrifying department.

    He Changdi was trying his best to hide the utter shock in his mind.

    The gears in his head turned furiously. However, when faced with such a hot potato of a question, he didn¡¯t know how to answer.

    What exactly was he supposed to say?

    Was he supposed to tell the emperor straight out that he had reincarnated into this life again? That he knew exactly what his newlywed wife ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ was like, that she was a wicked woman who had betrayed him? How he hated her to the core and how he couldn¡¯t possibly have consummated their marriage?

    If he really said the truth, no one would believe him and might even think him mad.

    Any exnation that touched on the supernatural would give him a straight path to ruin. He Changdi had no intention of speaking the absolute truth.

 Chapter 631 - Stinky Tofu (3)

    <strong>Chapter 631: Stinky Tofu (3)</strong>

    ¡°Your Majesty is wise. It was this humble official who didn¡¯t see clearly in the past.¡±

    The expression on the Chengping Emperor¡¯s face turned even more sour upon receiving such a vague answer from He Changdi.

    He cast a cold nce over the young man behind him, obvious disappointment in his gaze.

    ¡°Do you think that Jinyi isn¡¯t good enough for you?¡±

    rm spiked in He Changdi. He didn¡¯t understand why the emperor would have such thoughts.

    He Sang shook his head resolutely and said, ¡°This humble official has never thought so.¡±

    The emperor didn¡¯t continue his line of questioning, but he had alreadypleted his evaluation of He Changdi as a man of ability.

    From the day of He Changdi and Chu Lian¡¯s wedding, to He Changdi¡¯s time in the northern border army, to the great victory over the Tuhuns, the emperor had sent out his spies to dig out all the details of their lives these past few days.

    There was no way to hide anything from the fearsome spy corps if they were determined to dig out all details.

    The letters Chu Lian had sent to He Changdi, the hint to join under Captain Guo¡¯s banner, the beef jerky and snacks, as well as the grape wine that Chu Lian had passed on to He Changdi via courier...

    As well as the grape wine being the reason he had caught Great General Qian¡¯s eyes.

    Following that, the spy corps had also reported about how Chu Lian had opened Guilin Restaurant and how she had found Great Doctor Miao in order to treat Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s illness.

    In the most critical period, when there was no one avable in the Jing¡¯an Estate, how Chu Lian had volunteered to go to the northern border herself to help He Changdi find thest important ingredient needed for the medicine: the Snow Mountain Mists flower.

    All the way down to the design of the snowboats and their making...

    Listing down all of the incidents like this, Chu Lian had done many things behind the scenes for He Changdi. She had also somehow saved Royal Princess Duanjia and made friends with Prince Wei¡¯s Estate.

    Behind every part of He Changdi¡¯s sess was Chu Lian¡¯s shadow.

    Perhaps He Changdi had only seen her value after Chu Lian had done so much, and finally acknowledged her position as his legitimate wife and consummated their marriage upon returning to the capital.

    That was how the emperor thought in his mind.

    It was also precisely because of all this information that the spy corps discovered the emperor¡¯s impression of He Changdi¡¯s person was... extremely bad.

    In the emperor¡¯s heart, He Changdi wasn¡¯t fit to be the husband of his and Ye Xun¡¯s precious daughter.

    The gaze he directed into the distance grew icier.

    ¡°Did you think up the snowboats by yourself?¡± He Sang heard the emperor ask coldly.

    He frowned and replied without any hesitation, ¡°Replying to Your Majesty, this humble official did not. It was this humble official¡¯s wife who came up with the snowboat¡¯s blueprints and the actual snowboats.¡±

    Great General Qian had credited He Changdi as the creator of the snowboat in order to give him extra merits in his military report.

    Other than He Changdi, Chu Lian, and a few of her trusted subordinates, no one else knew that the snowboat had any rtion to Chu Lian.

    Later on, Chu Lian had told He Changdi to take the snowboats to the northern border camp.

    Chu Lian had wanted to keep a low profile, so she herself requested to keep the matter a secret.

    Thus, when Great General Qian reported the matter, all credit naturally fell onto He Changdi.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t care much about such minor details, and their rtionship had already changed after that, so she didn¡¯t mind it at all.

    Unfortunately, this minor matter waspletely different in the eyes of a doting and remorseful father.

    From the emperor¡¯s point of view, he thought that He Changdi had stolen Chu Lian¡¯s credit. He had even suspected that He Changdi had earned his title mostly through Chu Lian¡¯s own efforts.

    He had assumed that He Changdi wouldn¡¯t admit to the theft, but He Changdi had surprised him by admitting so readily that it had been Chu Lian who hade up with the snowboat.

    The emperor¡¯s feelings were now slightlyplicated.

    He didn¡¯t ask He Changdi anything else as they waited for the rest of the hunting party to catch up with them. Other than the sound of their horses¡¯ hoofbeats, silence surrounded them, making the atmosphere heavy.

    He Changdi was starting to realise that the emperor wasn¡¯t happy with him because of Chu Lian, but he couldn¡¯t guess at what the rtion between the two of them was.

    They had set off so happily in the morning, but now that they were close to the imperial hunting grounds, everyone could sense the emperor¡¯s gloomy mood, especially the emperor¡¯s attendants and bodyguards. They didn¡¯t dare to make a sound, even when they were retrieving items from their saddlebags.

    They finally arrived at the hunting grounds, where tents had been set up for the hunting party.

    Since they were to spend the night on the grounds itself, there were already tents erected all over the area. Of course, the emperor¡¯s tent was the most eye-catching and luxurious.

    The princes¡¯ tents were ced around the emperor¡¯s tent.

    Only Imperial Concubine Wei had been invited, out of the entire inner pce, so Imperial Concubine Wei and the princesses were situated behind the emperor¡¯s tent.

    The next ring of tents belonged to the more influential officials, nobles, and military officials.

    House Anyuan¡¯s tent wasn¡¯t too far away from the center, nor too close to the edges. It had a good position somewhere in the middle of the entire party. There was also a natural pool not too far away.

    The water in the pool was crystal-clear and pure. They could drink straight out of the pool.

    Sima Hui¡¯s tent was right next to Chu Lian¡¯s, just twenty or so metres away.

    Since it was already 12 in the afternoon, when the emperor entered the hunting grounds, he headed straight to his tent to rest. The imperial cooks had already prepared a luxurious meal for the emperor.

    The rest of the hunting party dispersed to their own tents for some rest.

    The emperor would only bring everyone out to huntter, closer to evening.

    There were still 4 hours until that time.

 Chapter 632 - Stinky Tofu (4)

    <strong>Chapter 632: Stinky Tofu (4)</strong>

    Chu Lian had only brought Wenqing and Wen this time.

    They were riding in the carriage with all of their clothes.

    By the time Chu Lian and He Changdi had arrived at the camp, they had only just arrived mere minutes earlier.

    One of their stewards steered the carriage and parked it next to their tent.

    Chu Lian ordered Wenqing and Wen about as they unpacked the things they had brought with them.

    The steward and two guards were helping to unload the luggage off the carriage. As they saw what their marchioness had packed, the old steward couldn¡¯t help the twitch that developed in the corner of his mouth.

    Just look at all this!

    A specially made metal wok, a strange metal rack with unknown purpose, all sorts of ingredients that a hunting ground wouldck, seasonings he had never heard of, jerky, fruits, desserts...

    Of the luggage they had brought in that one carriage, half of it was food... As for the other half, they were all things to cook food...

    Inparison, look at what the noble madam over there had brought: clothes, essories, incense, all sorts of furnishings...

    The old steward bowed his head in shame, resigned to his fate. He continued helping his noble madam move all sorts of food-rted items into the tent.

    However, the foodies staring at Chu Lian and He Changdi¡¯s tent didn¡¯t share the same thoughts.

    Before they had even started preparing the meal, there was already a table full of guests in Chu Lian¡¯s tent...

    Sima Hui and Royal Princess Duanjia were to be expected, since they were bothdies. However, what was with Great General Qian and Old Duke Zheng inviting themselves in? What were these two old beardies doing here?

    Captain Guo, Xiao Hongyu, and Zhang Mai didn¡¯t have any space to sit.

    However, they would rather stand than leave.

    Royal Princess Duanjia rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Chu Liu, tell your servants to cook a little less, just enough for our table to eat. Ignore those gluttons standing over there.¡±

    Xiao Hongyu hadn¡¯t eaten breakfast in the rush to leave this the morning. As a young man, he couldn¡¯t bear with the hunger and was starving by now. Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s words only made him feel even more stubborn.

    Unfortunately, due to the princess¡¯ status, he couldn¡¯t respond to her provocation.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry looking at the tent full of guests.

    For the nobles settling into the hunting grounds, they had brought their servants to cook their meals.

    The emperor¡¯s meals were taken care of by his attendants, but for the three soldiers, they had to take care of their own meals. It was only if the emperor specially ordered a feast to be held that they would be able to gather for dinner.

    Looking at the number of guests, the maidservants they had brought wouldn¡¯t be enough.

    The sight that first greeted He Changdi when he entered their tent was their table full of guests. His expression immediately turned overcast.

    However, he couldn¡¯t say anything with Old Duke Zheng and Great General Qian around, since their statuses were greater than his.

    Chu Lian looked at the ingredients that the steward had brought and wondered what to cook.

    Luckily, the steward had packed extra food just in case, otherwise there might not have been enough to feed this group of gluttons.

    Since there were so many people present, Chu Lian told Wenqing to grill somemb chops and prepare arge pot of sour beef stew.

    The sour beef stew contained a lot of mushrooms and vegetables. It was very appetising when paired with white rice.

    It was the best dish for arge party like this.

    Since they were in the wilderness, they could prepare simple dishes without being too fussy about the presentation.

    As Wenqing and Wen worked on themb chops and sour beef stew, Chu Lian continued looking through the ingredients they had brought.

    She lifted the cloth covering a small bamboo basket.

    When she saw what was inside the basket, Chu Lian¡¯s eyes lit up.

    Stinky tofu!

    This was what she had made a few days ago with the maidservants when she was bored.

    Since it couldn¡¯t be stored for long, the cook managing Songtao Court¡¯s kitchen had packed it in when the steward had told her to prepare ingredients for the trip.

    Chu Lian loved to eat fried stinky tofu the most back in the modern era, especially Changsha¡¯s special stinky tofu. The stinky tofu would be perfectly crisp once prepared properly. In order to make it Changsha style, she just had to spread ayer of bright red chilli paste on the outside. If you bit into it, it would be crispy and fragrant, with the perfect crunchiness on the outside and soft tofu on the inside.

    While it still stunk to high heaven, it was addictive once you got past the smell and took the first bite.

    Stinky tofu was a pretty marvelous food when you thought about it.

    Chu Lian stared at the pieces of stinky tofu in the little bamboo basket and frowned.

    If she didn¡¯t use them up today, it would likely spoil.

    Wasting food was criminal.

    The weather was slowly warming up again. Fresh foods would spoil faster now.

    Furthermore, she hadn¡¯t eaten stinky tofu in a long time and she had been craving for it for so long. She checked the time and realised that there was still enough time before the spring hunt to cook the stinky tofu.

    After a slight moment of hesitation, Chu Lian made her decision.

    She took up the little basket and moved over to the stove where Wenqing and Wen were preparing food.

    Wen was in the middle of seasoning themb chops.

    Seeing that her master hade over, Wen quickly set down the things in her hands and weed her, taking the little basket from her master¡¯s delicate hands.

    She even said, ¡°Third Young Madam, please rest and leave all the work to us servants.¡±

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t resist bursting out intoughter. ¡°You and Wen won¡¯t be able to do this.¡±

    Wen refused to admit defeat. She and her sister had been serving Third Young Madam for so long, and Third Young Madam had never been stingy with sharing her cooking techniques with her handmaids. How hard could making a few dishes for their guests be?

    Wen blinked and looked at the basket that she was now holding. ¡°Third Young Madam, what¡¯s in here?¡±

    Chu Lian noticed her curiosity. A mischievous glint passed through her eyes. ¡°If you want to know, why don¡¯t you open it up?¡±

 Chapter 633 - Stinky Tofu (5)

    <strong>Chapter 633: Stinky Tofu (5)</strong>

    Although the expression in Third Young Madam¡¯s eyes was a little strange, Wen didn¡¯t think too much of it.

    She paused for an instant before flipping open the cloth covering the basket.

    The refreshing spring wind blew past, helpfully spreading the sour smell from the contents of the basket.

    Wen immediately pinched her nose with her free hand and held the basket as far away from herself as she could. Aggrieved, her voice came out nasally as she asked Chu Lian, ¡°Third Young Madam, what¡¯s this! Why is it so stinky? Has it gone bad on the way here?¡±

    Chu Lian giggled and took the basket from Wen¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s not spoiled; it was like this from the start.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Wen didn¡¯t dare to stop pinching her nose. She stared at Chu Lian with wide, shocked eyes, unable to imagine how something so smelly could be food.

    ¡°Are you sure this is still edible? It¡¯s all ck and it smells terrible...¡± The smell alone was enough to drive anyone a thousand miles away in fear, let alone put it in their mouths.

    Chu Lian let out a mysterious smile. ¡°Don¡¯t judge things by their covers. Once you have a taste of this, you¡¯ll be hooked immediately!¡±

    Although Wen didn¡¯t reply, still in disdain over the stinky tofu in the basket, the tant curiosity in her eyes betrayed her.

    Wen watched as Third Young Madam earnestly washed her hands, as if she was really about to cook the stinky tofu. At the sight, Wen couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Third Young Madam, perhaps you should save this dish for another time? We¡¯ve already prepared enough food for the meal today.¡±

    Wouldn¡¯t Old Duke Zheng faint if they served such a foul-smelling dish to him?

    Considering that the stinky tofu¡¯s smell really wasn¡¯t for everyone, Chu Lian thought for a bit before saying, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll just cook enough for myself then. Don¡¯t serve it to the tent.¡±

    Wenqing and Wen hurriedly agreed.

    They had brought a specially made furnace with them. The furnace was fuelled by charcoal, and there was a custom-made steel wok on top of it.

    Chu Lian poured the oil she had prepared into the wok and heated it up. Now it was time to fry the stinky tofu.

    The stinky tofu had been chopped into blocks around the size of half her palm. She used a pair of chopsticks to ce them carefully into the pool of oil.

    When the ck tofu entered the golden oil, bubbles formed around the blocks. Soon, the tofu spread out and expanded. Once the outeryer was fried to a golden crisp, it was time to scoop it out.

    Since this was purely to satisfy her own cravings, Chu Lian only made a small dish of them, four pieces in total.

    She carefully ced the four ck and gold pieces of stinky tofu onto a clean, white porcin dish. Finally, she poured the sweet and spicy chilli paste she had prepared earlier over the tofu.

    Other than being a little stinky, the tofu actually looked rather delicious.

    The ck mixed with red was visually appealing, and there was a certain fried fragrance to it as well.

    Wen stared with her mouth slightly agape at Chu Lian¡¯s familiar actions.

    She had thought that Chu Lian had just been kidding. Who could have expected that Third Young Madam would really use that disgusting stinky tofu as a dish? Somehow, it even looked good after ting...

    For some reason, the strange smell billowing towards her gave her the urge to have a taste...

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t have any spare time to care about what Wen was thinking. She took up a clean pair of chopsticks and hurriedly picked up a piece of tofu. Then, she blew on it to cool it down before cing it into her mouth.

    The unique fragrance of stinky tofu spread across her taste buds. The moment she bit into it, thebination of the gentle taste of the tofu, the crispy exterior, the saltiness of the seasoning, the oil, as well as the spiciness of the chilli paste, brought a whole new kind of experience to her. That kind of taste could make anyone hooked by the first bite and leave them wanting for more.

    Chu Lian chewed happily with her cheeks slightly puffed like a hamster. The satisfaction of finally tasting her long-awaited craving made her eyes narrow with pleasure.

    Sometimes, it was clear whether someone enjoyed eating something just from their expressions alone.

    Chu Lian¡¯s expression right now showed exactly how much she was enjoying and savouring her food.

    Since she was already used to the modern world¡¯s standard of food, Chu Lian had always maintained a calm and normal expression while teaching the maidservants how to cook.

    Although the maidservants always eximed that the new dishes that Chu Lian had introduced to them were peerless, Chu Lian had never shown any particr reaction while tasting them.

    It made them feel as if Chu Lian had grown up eating such exquisite dishes all day.

    The handmaids serving Chu Lian always had a minor sense of defeat upon seeing their madam¡¯s calm.

    Thus, it was rare for them to see Third Young Madam¡¯s expression full of satisfaction and nostalgia while eating.

    Sometimes, the familiar taste of a certain dish could indeed evoke the joyful memories of the past.

    Stinky tofu was one such dish for Chu Lian.

    Once a single piece of stinky tofu had vanished down her gut, Chu Lian let out a small sigh of satisfaction.

    Wen couldn¡¯t help gulping down her drool while watching Chu Lian eat.

    She thought she must have been possessed. She hadn¡¯t even liked the smell of that ck tofu earlier, so why did she suddenly have the urge to taste it?

    ¡°Third... Third Young Madam, what does it taste like?¡±

    Chu Lian gestured towards the stove next to her with a curve of her lips. ¡°Won¡¯t you know if you taste it yourself?¡±

 Chapter 634 - How Stinky! (2)

    <strong>Chapter 634: How Stinky! (2)</strong>

    Wen looked at the stinky tofu before ncing back at Chu Lian. Finally, she shut her eyes, took up a pair of chopsticks, and shoved a piece of tofu into her mouth.

    Once it sat on her tongue, it wasn¡¯t as unbearable as she had thought it would be. When she bit into the piece of tofu, the juice inside burst out and mixed with the chilli paste to create a pool of deliciousness. It was even slightly sweet. The unique vourpletely rewrote her taste buds.

    Wen had only dared to nibble on it before, but her mouth suddenly started moving faster. Once she finished the first piece, her chopsticks reached out subconsciously to pick up another.

    Unfortunately, Chu Lian blocked her attack. ¡°There are only two pieces left, the rest is mine! Go work on the other dishes!¡±

    Wen looked back longingly at the two remaining pieces of stinky tofu. She smiled winningly at Chu Lian and said, ¡°Third Young Madam, isn¡¯t there still a whole basket of this? Why don¡¯t you let this servant fry more after we¡¯re done cooking for the guests?¡±

    That was when Chu Lian knew that her handmaid hadpletely fallen for the charm of stinky tofu. She didn¡¯t stop Wen and instructed her, ¡°Finish preparing the meal first. Later on, you¡¯re free to do whatever you like with the remaining time.¡±

    The order made Wen cheer up considerably.

    Old Duke Zheng had been standing at the entrance of the tent waiting impatiently for quite some time. In his old age, his temper had regressed to be more like a child¡¯s.

    When he saw that Chu Lian had actually started eating, his whiskers bristled and his eyes went wide. He started striding over with a grim expression.

    Just as Chu Lian was about to put the second piece of stinky tofu in her mouth, she was frightened by a sudden shout from behind.

    ¡°Jinyi! What are you secretly eating? Have you made something delicious again? Why aren¡¯t you taking it out to pay respects to your seniors?!¡±

    Old Duke Zheng¡¯s wrinkled face was set in an extremely strict expression. Those unfamiliar with him might really have thought that he was angry!

    If she hadn¡¯t had enough experience interacting with this old geezer, Chu Lian might also have thought the same.

    Since Old Duke Zheng hade, there was no helping it. Chu Lian couldn¡¯t just enjoy her delicacy alone any longer. She immediately took out a pair of clean chopsticks for the old duke.

    ¡°You¡¯vee just in time, Your Grace. I was about to get Wenqing to serve you a portion of this. Since you¡¯re already here, why don¡¯t you have a taste now?¡±

    Wen watched from the side as Old Duke Zheng fearlessly picked up a piece of stinky tofu and stuffed it into his mouth. At first, he chewed slowly, but then his eyes lit up in delight, and immediately thereafter, his chewing speed increased at a frightening rate. Wen was dumbstruck by the duke¡¯s reaction. Wouldn¡¯t Old Duke Zheng have at least questioned the smell?

    When he finished the piece of tofu, Old Duke Zheng quickly asked, ¡°What¡¯s this? Although the taste is somewhat weird, it¡¯s delicious!¡±

    ¡°Stinky tofu,¡± Chu Lian replied calmly.

    Old Duke Zheng¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Stinky tofu? So it¡¯s spoiled tofu?¡±

    It was Chu Lian¡¯s turn to be speechless. ¡°So you could smell it after all?¡±

    Old Duke Zheng rolled his eyes. ¡°Of course, my nose is working perfectly well.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you eat it without hesitation when it¡¯s so stinky?¡± Chu Lian needed some time to recover from her surprise. Those who hadn¡¯t eaten stinky tofu would normally want to run away when they first encountered the smell. It would be considered pretty good if they weren¡¯t scared off, let alone have the courage to take a bite of it.

    Old Duke Zheng had already taken thest piece and demolished it while they were talking.

    He chewed noisily, clearly unsatisfied.

    He cast a nce over at Chu Lian and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already watched you eat it. You¡¯re such a picky eater that you won¡¯t eat anything unless it¡¯s tasty, and you looked like you were enjoying it so much. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t hesitate at all.¡±

    Old Duke Zheng might even be able to take the more special dishes like durian or the fearsome Surstr?mming if he watched Chu Lian eat them, let alone a mild dish like this tofu...

    Chu Lian was speechless from Old Duke Zheng¡¯s exnation. She didn¡¯t know how to reply to that.

    ¡°This... what¡¯s it called... stinky tofu? Make a few more for me.¡± The old duke left behind these words before happily leaving the tent.

    Well, that settled it then. Since the duke had already personally ordered more of the stinky tofu, Chu Lian taught Wen how to cook more of it.

    When it was time for their midday meal, there were quite a few dishes ced on the wooden table inside the tent.

    Although they seemed a little more crude than usual, there was more than enough food and the taste went without saying.

    This was well-suited for Captain Guo, Zhang Mai, and Xiao Hongyu, who were used to rougher military fare.

    Chu Lian, Sima Hui, and Royal Princess Duanjia sat at another table with a screen separating them.

    There were a few extra portions of stinky tofu, which were very popr with all her guests, to Chu Lian¡¯s surprise.

    No wonder it was one of the most popr street snacks sold everywhere in the modern world.

    While eating, Captain Guo pped He Changdi on the shoulder and said, ¡°Zixiang, do you know what your face looks like right now?¡±

    He Sang cast a cold re at his boss and harrumphed.

    Before Captain Guo could continue, Xiao Hongyu had already burst out intoughter. He quickly cut in and said, ¡°Hahahaha! I know, I know! Brother He¡¯s expression is just as stinky as this tofu! Don¡¯t you guys think so too? Hahaha...¡±

    He Changdi: ...

    Zhang Mai picked up a piece of beef and red at Xiao Hongyu. ¡°Stupid brat, what are you saying?¡±

    Xiao Hongyu gave a silly grin and rubbed his head sheepishly.

    ¡°Just focus on your food!¡± He Changdi warned.

    That brat hade to his tent to get a free meal personally cooked by his wife, but he was still boldly speaking nonsense and trying to get a rise out of him! That brat must be tired of living!

 Chapter 635 - How Stinky! (3)

    <strong>Chapter 635: How Stinky! (3)</strong>

    Just as the tent was filled with sounds of merry-making and chatter, a guard posted outside the tent came in to report.

    He Changdi set down his chopsticks and asked with a cold expression, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    The guard was one of He Changdi¡¯s men, so he replied very respectfully, ¡°My lord, Great Steward Wei has arrived.¡±

    By Great Steward Wei, the guard was referring to the emperor¡¯s trusted attendant, Eunuch Wei Chenghai.

    Why had he chosen to visit during mealtime?

    Of course, everyone in the tent had heard He Changdi¡¯s conversation with the guard.

    They all set down their chopsticks as Eunuch Wei was ushered in by the guard.

    Eunuch Wei entered the tent with two younger eunuchs behind him, one of them even carrying a container for food.

    Eunuch Wei first greeted everyone with a bow, before smiling as he made small talk, ¡°Ah, what a coincidence, even Old Duke Zheng and Your Highness are here! I wonder what delicacy Honoured Lady Jinyi has made this time?¡±

    Since he had mentioned Chu Lian in his question, the task of answering him naturally fell upon her shoulders. ¡°No, no, it wasn¡¯t any sort of delicacy, Eunuch Wei. I only told my maidservants to make a few simple dishes.¡±

    The eunuch¡¯s smile became even warmer, ¡°You must be joking with me, Honoured Lady. I could smell that fragrance from all the way over there. It was quite particr.¡±

    Chu Lian almost choked on her saliva after hearing Eunuch Wei¡¯s words.

    She shot a nonchnt nce over at the entrance of the tent. Just as the eunuch had said, the emperor¡¯s luxurious tent could be seen not too far away. The easterly winds were blowing today as well, and they had been cooking upwind. No wonder they had been able to smell it from the emperor¡¯s tent.

    If not for Eunuch Wei still present at the scene, Chu Lian might have let out an expression of regret.

    He Changdi had been observing their interactions and he found Eunuch Wei¡¯s attitude towards his wife rather strange. Before Chu Lian could reply once more, he stepped forward to block his wife from view. He cut in with, ¡°May I ask what business Gonggong has here?¡±

    A tiny wrinkle developed on Wei Chenghai¡¯s brow. He wasn¡¯t very happy with the way He Changdi had interrupted his and Chu Lian¡¯s conversation. However, he was used to navigating treacherous social waters amongst the officials, so he wouldn¡¯t show this little bit of dissatisfaction on his face.

    His lips remained spread in a smile, ¡°Well, it¡¯s rare for such a chance to present itself. His Majesty would also like to try Honoured Lady¡¯s cooking. Thus, I¡¯vee over shamelessly.¡±

    Eunuch Wei sent a signal at the young eunuch behind him. The young eunuch quickly responded by offering up the food container in his hands, ¡°His Majesty said that we couldn¡¯t let Honoured Lady offer up her food without a gift in return, so this is a reward for Honoured Lady.¡±

    They couldn¡¯t refuse a gift, what more something bestowed by the biggest boss in the Great Wu: the emperor.

    Chu Lian received the box with both hands and made her gratitude known. When she turned around, she shot a reassuring look at her husband.

    Chu Lian worked swiftly. Since it was something to be served to the emperor, she had to cook it herself. All Wenqing and Wen could do was to help with some minor tasks at the side. Furthermore, they had to be very careful with something made for the emperor.

    Luckily, the dishes weren¡¯t veryplicated and she finished cooking in just forty-five minutes. She handed over the food to Eunuch Wei directly, and he quickly left for the emperor¡¯s tent.

    Once she was done cooking, the others in the tent had already had their fill. Since they still had some hunting to do in the afternoon, everyone quickly dispersed and returned to their own tents.

    When only Chu Lian and He Changdi were left in their tent, Chu Lian opened up the box that Eunuch Wei had sent over.

    Chu Lian gaped in surprise at the contents. The box waspletely filled with birds¡¯ nest!

    They weren¡¯t the normal grade of birds¡¯ nest either; these were top quality blood birds¡¯ nests, in the most perfect crescent shapes.

    Products of this quality were usually used as tributes in the Great Wu, and there were very few of them in number. These were sent over from the Xinluo Country every year and only the most esteemed and respected women in the pce could enjoy these.

    Even in the modern world, this kind of birds¡¯ nest was considered extremely rare and precious.

    Why would the emperor gift her such valuable items for no reason...

    Chu Lian stared at the huge pile of blood birds¡¯ nests with her eyebrows drawn together. She looked up at He Changdi, who seemed to be brooding over the gift as well, ¡°Hubby, what do you think His Majesty is thinking by sending such precious gifts...?¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s profound gaze flickered over to Chu Lian. All the events of today had also left him rather confused.

    He caressed Chu Lian¡¯s cheek gently and shook his head, ¡°I can¡¯t discern His Majesty¡¯s intentions for now. Let¡¯s just wait and watch.¡±

    Since she couldn¡¯t understand what was going on either, Chu Lian simply set aside her thoughts and ordered Wenqing to put away the top-quality birds¡¯ nest.

    ¡°Let¡¯s give some to Mother when we return.¡±

    While Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s illness had already been cured, she had struggled with it for so long that her body was sorelycking in vigour. The nutritious birds¡¯ nest was exactly what she needed to boost her health right now.

    Warmth suffused He Changdi¡¯s heart. He pulled Chu Lian over into hisp.

    ¡°No need, I just sent some medicinal ingredients over to Mother a few days ago,¡± He Changdi ced light kisses down her cheek as he exined in a low tone.

    Chu Lian took his hand and started ying with his fingers.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t have any use for this birds¡¯ nest! My body¡¯s perfectly healthy, I don¡¯t need to eat things like that.¡±

    Eating nutritious products like birds¡¯ nest when it wasn¡¯t needed could instead cause adverse effects to her body and affect her health.

    However, He Changdi didn¡¯t catch Chu Lian¡¯s meaning immediately, and his mind somehow turned on a crooked path instead.

    He bent down closer to her ear and let out a low chuckle, ¡°What, are you worried that you¡¯ll be overly ¡®nourished¡¯ again? Don¡¯t worry. With me around, we can work together to extinguish your fires anytime.¡±

    Chu Lian was in awe of how He Changdi¡¯s mind could twist anything into something perverted!

 Chapter 636 - How Stinky! (4)

    <strong>Chapter 636: How Stinky! (4)</strong>

    Wen looked at the stinky tofu before ncing back at Chu Lian. Finally, she shut her eyes, took up a pair of chopsticks, and shoved a piece of tofu into her mouth.

    Back in the emperor¡¯s luxurious tent, Eunuch Wei had returned from his journey and was nowying out dish after dish in front of the emperor.

    The emperor¡¯s eyes came alight and he pointed at the food in front of him, ¡°Were these all made by Lian¡¯er?¡±

    When there weren¡¯t any strangers around, the emperor had already started calling Chu Lian by a nickname instead, as if he could be closer to his daughter just by doing so.

    As the emperor¡¯s trusted confidante, Eunuch Wei knew exactly why the emperor was so delighted by a few dishes.

    He smiled and replied, ¡°Yes, these were all made personally by Honoured Lady Jinyi. She even instructed this old servant about this dish. This new dish is called stinky tofu, and it has a rather peculiar smell. She said to simply take it away if Your Majesty doesn¡¯t like it.¡±

    The emperor¡¯s nose twitched. The smell of the stinky tofu was indeed strange. Although it had already been fried and the smell wasn¡¯t as strong as it might have been, that peculiar odour was still much stronger than the rest of the fragrant dishes on the table.

    However, since it had been made sincerely by Chu Lian¡¯s own hands, the emperor wouldn¡¯t hesitate to eat it, even if it was a poison.

    ¡°No need, we will have a taste of every dish.¡±

    Since the emperor had already said so, Eunuch Wei naturally wouldn¡¯t try to stop him.

    Eunuch Wei called over the poison taster, who was also a eunuch. Once the taster had tried the dish, the emperor quickly picked up a piece of stinky tofu and put it into his mouth.

    Just like how it had conquered Old Duke Zheng, the emperor¡¯s taste buds werepletely taken over by the stinky tofu.

    Following that, he tried all the other dishes as well. Since Chu Lian had made them for the emperor alone, there wasn¡¯t much in each dish. There was exactly a single bowl¡¯s worth for each one, so even if he finished them all, he wouldn¡¯t be overly full.

    Just as the emperor was enjoying his meal in a great mood, Imperial Concubine Wei and Imperial Princess Leyao arrived.

    Even before she had entered the tent, the emperor and Eunuch Wei could already hear Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s voice from inside.

    The eleven-year-old Leyao was still a child. Her voice held a hint of a child¡¯s clear tones, but it wasn¡¯t very likable.

    ¡°What¡¯s that weird smell in Father¡¯s tent? Why is it so stinky? It smells terrible! What are you darn eunuchs doing? How could you let Father stay in such a smelly tent? Do you still want to keep your heads?!¡±

    Princess Leyao¡¯s voice had been clear at first, butter on, it turned nasally, indicating that she was pinching her nose closed.

    Eunuch Wei looked over at the emperor in rm. What he saw there made him hunker into his shoulders and take a step back in retreat.

    His master¡¯s face was looking extremely thunderous. This was clearly the calm before the storm!

    An instantter, Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s voice travelled over as well, ¡°What are you standing there in a daze for? Didn¡¯t you hear what the princess said? Hurry up and bring over some flower dew!¡±

    There was the sound of footsteps rushing away, clearly off to do Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s bidding.

    It was only now that the tent p was lifted up from outside as Imperial Concubine Wei and Imperial Princess Leyao entered the imperial tent.

    Once they entered the tent, the smell of the stinky tofu was even stronger.

    Princess Leyao was both sensitive to and disgusted by the smell of the stinky tofu. She was also used to being spoiled and pampered, which meant wearing incense-imbued clothes and carrying flower dew essence around with her. She had never before encountered such a strong odour before. Her line of sight fell upon the emperor¡¯s dining table and she noticed the disgusting, ck thing sitting in a white porcin dish.

    The moment she confirmed that the smell wasing from that dish, Imperial Princess Leyao immediately gagged and ended up puking her guts out...

    Everything happened so suddenly that Imperial Concubine Wei couldn¡¯t even stop her even if she tried.

    She could only watch as her daughter dirtied the spotlessly clean Persian rug on the floor of the imperial tent.

    The emperor had just been eating his middy meal. Now thanks to Imperial Princess Leyao, he no longer had any appetite to eat even the rarest of delicacies.

    Eunuch Wei was stunned speechless.

    He admitted that the stinky tofu did live up to its name, but the smell wasn¡¯t so bad to that extent, surely? Princess Leyao¡¯s action was quite exaggerated...

    How was His Majesty supposed to continue eating like this?

    He had just been praising the stinky tofu for being delicious...

    The emperor mmed his jade chopsticks onto the table and roared out, ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±

    Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s heart almost leaped out of her throat as she noticed the emperor¡¯s gloomy expression. She hurriedly instructed her attendants to take care of Princess Leyao as she tried to answer the emperor.

    ¡°Please calm down, Your Majesty. Yao¡¯er didn¡¯t do it on purpose! She is sensitive to smells and she¡¯s just a child, so her stomach is weaker. She couldn¡¯t help her reaction when she breathed in the terrible smell in the tent.¡±

    ¡°Take her away!¡± Two eunuchs went up to either side of Princess Leyao, prepared to send her out of the tent.

    Imperial Concubine Wei had no choice but toply. She carefully walked over to the emperor¡¯s side and said, ¡°Your Majesty, it was Yao¡¯er¡¯s fault. Please forgive her as she¡¯s still just a child.¡±

    She then cast a nce over the mealid out on the emperor¡¯s dining table. When she saw the ck stinky tofu, she let out aint, ¡°Furthermore, this dish is just too smelly! What are the imperial cooks doing? They should be punished!¡±

    The emperor had lost all of his earlier good mood and he didn¡¯t want to listen to Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s exnations.

    He waved her away impatiently, ¡°You¡¯re dismissed. We¡¯re tired and we want to rest.¡±

    Imperial Concubine Wei hadn¡¯t thought that the emperor would be this angry over the incident. Even if she didn¡¯t want to resign herself, she had no choice but to bob towards the emperor and leave the imperial tent.

    Once Imperial Concubine Wei left, she investigated the incident and found out why the emperor had been so unhappy.

 Chapter 637 - Falling Off Her Horse (1)

    <strong>Chapter 637: Falling Off Her Horse (1)</strong>

    So it was Chu Lian who had made that dish!

    She gritted her teeth and was instantly ovee with anger at Chu Lian.

    Concubine Wei lightly patted her daughter¡¯s back, then lovingly asked Princess Leyao, ¡°Are you feeling better?¡±

    Princess Leyao had puked until her face had turned deathly pale. She only managed to stop puking with great difficulty, and she picked up a cup of tea from a pce maid. She took a sip from it and felt a little bit better.

    ¡°Mother, does Father hate me now?¡±

    Once she had calmed down, Princess Leyao¡¯s eyes reddened. After a few more blinks, her tears began to fall.

    The emperor had very few daughters and Princess Leyao was the youngest of them all. Previously, she had been the most pampered princess, and the emperor had never spoke to her harshly. However, he had suddenly turned his temper on her, all because of a disgusting dish!

    How could the headstrong Princess Leyao ept this!?

    Imperial Concubine Wei saw how red her daughter¡¯s eyes were, and quickly rubbed her head to console her, ¡°Yao¡¯er, how could you think that? Your father has always loved you the most. He¡¯s just in a bad mood today, and you got caught up in it.¡±

    Princess Leyao sniffled, then buried her face in her mother¡¯s soft bosom.

    Imperial Concubine Wei gently caressed her daughter¡¯s smooth hair, but her mind was incredibly tense as well.

    It was apparent that she had underestimated the ce that the slut Ye Xun held in the emperor¡¯s heart. That girl was merely a lost cause that had crawled out of Ye Xun¡¯s belly, yet the emperor valued her so much.

    While Imperial Concubine Wei doted on her daughter, she couldn¡¯t spend all day with her as there was still the hunt in the afternoon.

    The emperor would lead his officials to the forest to hunt, so she needed to act as host for the female guests.

    A short whileter, Imperial Concubine Wei hastily left, but she bumped into Feudal Princess Anmin at the entrance of the tent.

    ¡°Anmin, take good care of Leyao. That child is in a bad mood today,¡± Imperial Concubine Wei assigned this task to her before leaving.

    Feudal Princess Anmin respectfullyplied.

    When Imperial Concubine Wei left, Anmin entered the tent to console Imperial Princess Leyao.

    In the tent, Princess Leyao suddenly cried out in rm, then her eyes widened with rage and disbelief, ¡°Cousin, what did you just say!? Chu Lian cooked all the food at Father¡¯s table just now?¡±

    Feudal Princess Anmin, who was two years older than Leyao, wore a grave expression as she nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    With that information in mind, Princess Leyao clenched her teeth. She wished she could put Chu Lian to death right now.

    Having been pampered by everyone in the pce, she was used to being arrogant and domineering. The two times where she had had to suffer the emperor¡¯s criticism had both been caused by Chu Lian. Adding on to that her hidden feelings for He Changdi, she truly hated Chu Lian now.

    Luckily, she didn¡¯t know of Chu Lian¡¯s true rtionship with the emperor, or she would probably go mad otherwise.

    ¡°Ahh! How can that Chu Lian be so vile!¡± Princess Leyao was angry and frustrated.

    Feudal Princess Anmin softly sneered and rolled her eyes, ¡°Cousin, why waste your time in hatred? Since you dislike her, just make life difficult for her. We¡¯redies of the imperial family, what¡¯s there to fear? Remember Chu Lian¡¯s identity. At best, she might be called Marchioness Anyuan, but at worst, she¡¯s just a child from a third-rate family.¡±

    Hearing Feudal Princess Anmin¡¯s words, Princess Leyao¡¯s eyes shone, ¡°Cousin, do you have an idea that can help me relieve my anger?¡±

    In the afternoon, everyone gathered in the za after resting.

    The za was covered in ttened grass and surrounded by a fence of banners. It was clear that the stewards in charge of the hunting grounds had made proper preparations.

    There was an open air stable, an exquisite viewing arena, an archery range, a beautifully maintained polo field, and various other facilities.

    The emperor walked at the very front, and personally called out the names of people who were to enter the forest to hunt with him.

    Most of them were military officials. He Changdi, Royal Prince Lu Tai, Heir Zheng, and others were named.

    Even Sima Hui, thedy who had never been given a chance to prove herself as an equal match with men, was named!

    Prince Jin, who had been standing behind the the emperor, suddenly nced in Sima Hui¡¯s direction. He may have looked at her in a low-key manner, but his gaze carried a subtle warmth and smile.

    Sima Hui had been raised like a son. When she heard her name, she stepped out and saluted with a smile. Her actions were natural and open, and there wasn¡¯t any hint of shyness or embarrassment in her gestures unlike mostdies.

    Her cool action immediately won the eyes and admiration of many young military officials.

    The the emperor announced the names very quickly since it was already mid-day, they still had to hurry back before it got dark.

    Thus, everyone mounted their horses, and they galloped away into the forest.

    Right as the emperor left, Princess Leyao disregarded the protests of her servants and guards and jumped onto a horse. She pulled on the reins, and followed them into the forest.

    Feudal Princess Anmin hid in a inconspicuous spot, watching with disdain shing across her eyes. Her lips suddenly widened into a smile.

    She turned towards an unfamiliar pce maid and said, ¡°Did you see that? Tell Sixth Brother that it¡¯s been done.¡±

    He Changdi, He Lin, Captain Guo and several others had been personally ordered by the emperor to stay by his side.

    Currently, practically everyone had already hunted down an animal or two. He Sang in particr was doing very well. He showed mastery in archery, and never missed. He had only shot five arrows, and every single one had hit a target.

    Due to this, the emperor seemed to look upon him with favour.

    In the forest, an agile doe was moving about. The emperor raised his bow and took aim. Right as he was about to shoot, he heard the voice of a guard beside him.

    ¡°Your Highness, something happened!¡¯

    The moment of distraction was enough for the doe to escape into the distance.

    The emperor angrily asked in a deep voice, ¡°What is it?¡±

    The guard trembled, but remained determined to make the report, ¡°Your Highness, Princess Leyao has followed us, she¡¯s right behind.¡±

    ¡°What!? This is preposterous!¡± The emperor¡¯s face instantly turned from tranquility to anger.

 Chapter 638 - Falling Off Her Horse (2)

    <strong>Chapter 638: Falling Off Her Horse (2)</strong>

    As Princess Leyao had been heavily favoured by the emperor during her childhood, the horse-loving emperor had often brought her to the ranch to rx. Therefore, Princess Leyao wasn¡¯t the typical sheltered princess. She had learned to ride at a very young age, and having been trained by the emperor, she was in fact pretty skilled, and was in a different league from a newbie like Chu Lian.

    However, even if she possessed exceptional riding ability, that wasn¡¯t enough to gloss over the fact that her body was still that of a child.

    When she rode horses, she had always been given a very tame and gentle mare, but she had gotten on a horse meant for hunting, an unruly stallion. Due to her frame, she couldn¡¯t control such a spirited adult stallion no matter how skillful she was, so it only made sense that the emperor would worry.

    The emperor¡¯s brows were immediately pressed against each other, ¡°Yuanzhou, take two men with you and find Leyao. Send her back to be confined to Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s side!¡±

    Yuanzhou was the name of the guard who reported this matter. After epting the order, he was about to turn around, but he suddenly heard Princess Leyao¡¯s young voice.

    ¡°Yaaaa!¡±

    The emperor lifted one hand to stop the guard who was about to leave. He waited on the spot with everyone for Princess Leyao¡¯s arrival, a thunderous expression on his face. Sure enough, Princess Leyao appeared momentster.

    The way she rode the hunting stallion over made everyone sweat buckets from worry.

    Princess Leyao had obviously noticed them as well. She smiled and waved at the emperor, ¡°Father!¡±

    The emperor now had a headache.

    Princess Leyao was still some distance away, but the emperor couldn¡¯t help reprimanding her, ¡°Preposterous! Who let youe? You¡¯re looking nothing like ady!¡±

    Princess Leyao seemed to have predicted such words from the emperor, so she raised her chin at Sima Hui¡¯s direction, ¡°Father, General Sima is ady as well, yet she¡¯s allowed to be here. You¡¯re being sexist!¡±

    The emperor hadn¡¯t expected Princess Leyao to refute him like this, and it made his rage swell up even more.

    Right as Princess Leyao¡¯s horse was about to reach the emperor¡¯s side, her horse suddenly reared up. It then started to il around randomly like it had gone mad...

    The emperor¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Protect the princess!¡±

    Amongst the people that were in the vicinity, the closest ones were He Changdi and Royal Prince Lu Tai.

    They couldn¡¯t see what had happened, but it was obvious that Princess Leyao had lost control of her horse.

    Due to this abrupt development, Princess Leyao herself started screaming in fright.

    She had only ever ridden gentle mares, so she had never encountered a situation where shepletely lost control of her horse. In the end, she showed that she was still a child when her face paled and she subconsciously screamed.

    Even He Changdi, a reincarnated person, didn¡¯t have the time to decide whether to save her or not.

    At a crucial time like this, there was simply no time for them to weigh their gains and losses.

    He Changdi and Lu Tai both urged their horses towards Princess Leyao.

    Everyone watched the dangerous scene nervously, and there was so much tension in the air that their hearts skipped a beat.

    The emperor¡¯s eyes remained wide, and he held his breath.

    Unfortunately, He Changdi, Lu Tai, and the other guards were still too slow...

    After all, they were too far away and distant waters couldn¡¯t put out a nearby fire.

    Before He Changdi and Lu Tai could get to her, Princess Leyao had already been flung off the horse.

    The stallion was strong and spirited, while Princess Leyao was merely an eleven-year-old child. Getting flung off a horse like that, even if she survived, she would probably be crippled...

    A high-pitched neigh came from the stallion right before it fell to the ground, stirring up a small cloud of dust.

    The horse had been ughtered by He Changdi with a single stroke. It had already gone mad. If he hadn¡¯t beheaded it, it might have ended up trampling on Princess Leyao who had fallen to the side.

    Everyone hastily rushed over.

    Lu Tai carefully held Princess Leyao up. He didn¡¯t make any sudden moves, for fear that it might worsen any injury that she had sustained.

    The emperor anxiously rushed to Lu Tai¡¯s side, ¡°Yao¡¯er!¡±

    Even if Princess Leyao¡¯s character had be more displeasing to him, she was still the daughter the emperor doted on the most. Right now, his daughter had gotten hurt before his eyes, so there was no way he could keep his cool.

    Hearing the emperor¡¯s shout, Princess Leyao seemed to have returned to her senses from her shock of getting thrown off the horse. She looked towards the emperor¡¯s direction, and began to cry loudly, ¡°Father, Father! I¡¯m scared! It hurts!¡±

    The emperor felt the pain of his heart being wrenched. The smart and wise ruler was at a loss for what to do when faced with the cries of his youngest daughter.

    He could onlye up with an awkward attempt at constion, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Yao¡¯er, I¡¯m here with you!¡±

    After saying that, he roared at the top of his lungs for the imperial physicians.

    The imperial physicians were always brought along for the spring hunt, as minor injuries weremonce during the hunts. However, the imperial physicians never followed them out on hunts in the forest, and they were currently still at the campsite.

 Chapter 639 - Falling Off Her Horse (3)

    <strong>Chapter 639: Falling Off Her Horse (3)</strong>

    He Lin noticed the emperor¡¯s grave expression, and quickly walked up to him, ¡°Your Majesty, the imperial physicians will take some time to arrive. However, this humble official has some knowledge of medicine, please allow this humble official to examine the princess!¡±

    The emperor nced at He Lin, which he took as permission. He Lin quickly went up to Princess Leyao¡¯s side and took her pulse.

    Princess Leyao stayed still, and He Lin quickly examined her as quickly as he could.

    A few momentster, He Lin turned around, with his brows tightly pressed together.

    ¡°What¡¯s the result!?¡± The emperor was very familiar with He Lin, who was themander of the Yulin Army. Seeing the expression on his face, he was very much aware that the situation was dire.

    Right as He Lin was about to speak, the emperor raised his hand to stop him, then took a few steps to the side, signalling to He Lin to speak softly.

    He Lin put his thoughts in order and his expression became even more sombre.

    ¡°Your Majesty, please forgive me for being blunt, but I¡¯m afraid Princess Leyao¡¯s left leg might be crippled... Even if we find a highly skilled doctor who can save the leg, Princess Leyao will have trouble walking in the future even in the best case...¡±

    The emperor sucked a cold breath through his teeth.

    What?

    His daughter¡¯s leg was crippled?

    He Lin was an incredibly conservative andpetent person and he always spoke appropriately. He would never say something that he wasn¡¯t sure of. Since he said that Princess Leyao¡¯s leg was truly crippled, the reality might even be worse than his statement.

    The emperor shut his eyes, and calmed down soon after.

    He walked back to Princess Leyao¡¯s side. At this point of time, he had already regained his rationality. Right now, he wasn¡¯t just a father. In front of everyone, he was a monarch who wouldn¡¯t tolerate any failure.

    ¡°Yuanzhou, bring some men with you to take the princess back. At the camp, get Physician Zhou to treat Yao¡¯er immediately.¡±

    The guard, Yuanzhou, immediatelyplied.

    Earlier, the emperor and He Lin had intentionally stepped away to speak in privacy, but He Changdi had still been able to hear their conversation with his sharp ears.

    He was rather surprised at the condition of Princess Leyao¡¯s leg... In his previous life, this hadn¡¯t happened at all. Even up till his death, all he knew was that Princess Leyao was living happily and well.

    Yuanzhou was about to pick up Princess Leyao from Royal Prince Lu Tai¡¯s arms when Imperial Princess Leyao unexpectedly cried out.

    With tears streaming down from her eyes and a heart-rending wail, she pointed at He Changdi and demanded, ¡°Father, I want Big Brother Changdi to take me back, wuwu...¡±

    The emperor was stunned. He stared over at He Changdi, who was still holding the longsword he had used to behead the horse in hand. The sword was still dripping blood, and he had an aura of ughter about him.

    Actually, Princess Leyao¡¯s demands were very sudden, and even more unreasonable.

    Although their rules weren¡¯t as conservative as to forbid seven-year-old boys and girls from sitting at the same table, that didn¡¯t mean that men and women could freely mix around in the Great Wu.

    He Changdi was a married man. While Princess Leyao was eleven, she was already in the process of bing ady. In the Great Wu Dynasty,dies could marry once they came of age. There were families who even started looking for suitors for their daughters when their daughter turned twelve. At this age, it was already necessary for Princess Leyao to keep her distance from men.

    Furthermore, Princess Leyao had hit puberty earlier than average. Perhaps due to the good environment she had been raised in, she looked more mature than other girls that were her age. Although she was only eleven, she didn¡¯t look much different from girls who were thirteen or fourteen.

    Once Princess Leyao spoke, many people in the surroundings covertly ced their eyes on He Changdi.

    There were some with thoughtful looks, some with jealousy, some with contempt, and some with malicious intent...

    He Changdi hadn¡¯t expected Princess Leyao to make such an excessive demand at this juncture.

    Speaking of his interactions with Princess Leyao, the only one worth mentioning was saving her once in order to grab the emperor¡¯s attention. After that, Princess Leyao had somehow gotten the opportunity to meet him several times. At that time, Princess Leyao was only ten, so He Changdi hadn¡¯t thought much of it at all.

    After that, he had gone to the northern border to fight for merit, and had finally returned after their great victory after the new year. Thest time he had met Princess Leyao was at a banquet in the pce, and they had only nodded to acknowledge each other¡¯s presence.

    Although He Changdi disapproved of Princess Leyao¡¯s demands in his heart, he didn¡¯t think too much of it. In his eyes, Princess Leyao was just a child who had yet to be a woman.

    He stood there, motionless, with his frosty countenance and calm disposition as usual.

    It was obvious that the emperor couldn¡¯t make out what was on his daughter¡¯s mind, but he recalled the fact that He Changdi had saved his daughterst year. Thinking about it, perhaps his daughter wanted He Changdi to send her back because she wanted to rely on her savior. He Changdi had saved her before, so he could give her a sense of security.

    He nced at He Sang, ¡°Marquis Anyuan, send the princess back.¡±

    Since the emperor had spoken, He Changdi had no choice but toply. He took Princess Leyao from Royal Prince Lu Tai¡¯s arms, then led Yuanzhou and the other guards as they returned to the campsite on their horses.

    The treatment for Princess Leyao¡¯s leg couldn¡¯t be dyed.

    The emperor watched motionlessly as He Changdi left with Princess Leyao for a long moment. No one could tell what was on his mind. Finally, he got back onto his horse, and led his many officials deep into the mountains.

    Since he had watched his daughter get hurt, he had no mood to continue the spring hunt.

    However, he had already brought so many officials and nobles out, so it wouldn¡¯t be right to just return like this. He had to keep his spirits up and at least make a round around the hunting grounds today.

 Chapter 640 - Falling Off Her Horse (4)

    <strong>Chapter 640: Falling Off Her Horse (4)</strong>

    Chu Lian and the otherdies were seated under a cool shelter, drinking tea and appreciating the scenery. At this moment, she was seated right beside Princess Wei and Royal Princess Duanjia.

    The one in the highest seat was Imperial Concubine Wei, which was to be expected, then there were the various wives of the princes and imperialdies.

    There seemed to be quite a number of people here, and the three viewing shelters were allpletely filled.

    Royal Princess Duanjia tossed a walnut that Jinxiu had already opened into her mouth, and rolled her eyes in the direction of Feudal Princess Anmin.

    Princess Wei noticed her action and red at her, ¡°Duanjia, don¡¯t be rude.¡±

    Chu Lian was seated by Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s side, so she turned to look towards Feudal Princess Duanjia after hearing Princess Wei¡¯sment.

    At this time, Feudal Princess Duanjia and the other princesses were deeply engrossed in conversation.

    Royal Princesses, Feudal Princesses, Honoured Ladies, and other titleddies who were rted to the imperial family didn¡¯t possess any territory in the Great Wu Dynasty. It wasn¡¯t like in the Tang Dynasty wheredies could be granted territory. It was possible for small amounts ofnd to be granted, but the disparity in treatment between men and women was like that of heaven and earth.

    Even the closest female members to the emperor didn¡¯t hold much power.

    Feudal Princess Anmin¡¯s mother, Princess Ande, was one such person.

    Princess Ande was the eighth daughter of the previous emperor. Her mother had been of lowly birth, and was a pce maid who had been taken by the previous emperor when he had gotten drunk once. After a difficult birth with Princess Ande, she had soon passed away.

    Rumours in the pce spread that Princess Ande was an unlucky star to her mother, so there was no concubine who was willing to foster her.

    She spent her younger years amongst the pce maids, and sometimes, she hadn¡¯t even gotten to eat her fill. Later on, when the current emperor had taken the throne, Princess Ande was finally bestowed a title.

    However, due to the time that she hadnguished in the pce, the peak of Princess Ande¡¯s life had already passed before she got married. She only managed to give birth to a daughter, Feudal Princess Anmin, when she was almost thirty. Since Princess Ande didn¡¯t hold enough power, her prince consort had taken in two more concubines, and they had each given birth to an illegitimate son.

    Due to the existence of the illegitimate sons, Feudal Princess Anmin didn¡¯t have a harmonious family.

    Chu Lian moved her gaze away, and softly asked Royal Princess Duanjia, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia snorted, ¡°I just don¡¯t like her face. Chu Liu, remember to stay away from people like her.¡±

    Chu Lian recalled the the events stated in the book. Feudal Princess Anmin had merely been mentioned in a couple of lines, and there weren¡¯t any more details regarding her.

    Before Royal Princess Duanjia could exin to Chu Lian why she didn¡¯t like Feudal Princess Anmin, they were disturbed by the loud noisesing from Feudal Princess Anmin¡¯s table.

    The noises were then followed up withughter from the youngdies.

    Everyone could hear a delicate and tender voice giggling, ¡°Imperial Concubine Wei, don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s really boring for us to just sit here? His Majesty and the others will only return from their huntter at night!¡±

    ¡°The one speaking is Royal Princess Nanzhang,¡± Royal Princess Duanjia whispered into Chu Lian¡¯s ear.

    Royal Princess Nanzhang was Prince Lewen¡¯s youngest daughter. Although she was of royal blood, her status was very average. Prince Lewen was the second son of the previous emperor¡¯s brother, Prince Zhao.

    In actuality, when it came to Royal Princess Nanzhang¡¯s generation, she was already considered a distant rtive.

    However, Royal Princess Nanzhang was a talented speaker. She would often appear at upper-ss gatherings, and she left a deep impression on many nobledies in the capital. Even Imperial Concubine Wei liked her glib tongue.

    Royal Princess Nanzhang had earned her royal title from the power of her speaking alone, so from that angle, she was truly talented.

    Royal Princess Nanzhang¡¯s identity was simr to that of a mere socialite, and she wasn¡¯t even worth mentioning in the eyes of those who held real power.

    Imperial Concubine Wei, who sat on the upper seat, gave off an elegant smile, ¡°You silly girl, it¡¯s only been a short while and you¡¯re already bored? Well then, do you have any bright ideas? Come and tell me about it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re truly wise, Your Grace! You¡¯ve managed to see through me so easily. Since you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll voice my bold suggestion,¡± As she spoke, Royal Princess Nanzhang swept her phoenix eyes around the shelter. She had a smile on her face, which made her seem amiable and approachable to others.

    ¡°Although we are of the fairer sex, it¡¯s not like we actuallyck any strength. We may not be as strong as General Sima, but I believe that practically everyone here can ride a horse! How about we y a game of polo?¡±

    In the Great Wu Dynasty, both football and polo were extremely popr.

    As horses were expensive, football became more popr to the masses than polo. Sometimes, young children could be seen ying football on the streets.

    Polo, on the other hand, was an activity solely for the rich and noble.

    Practically all nobledies knew how to y it.

    Women¡¯s polo was a little more gentle than men¡¯s polo, and the sticks and balls that they used were different. They also yed with fewer yers than men, and they yed using the most carefully selected tame mares.

    Generally, there was no danger involved at all.

    This game was also an activity wherebydies could showcase their physical talents.

    Imperial Concubine Wei seemed to be swayed by Royal Princess Nanzhang¡¯s words. She smiled and said, ¡°Nanzhang has made a good suggestion. Since we¡¯re already out, we might as well have some fun. Everybody came here in riding attire, so it would be a waste for usdies if we don¡¯t make use of this opportunity to y.¡±

 Chapter 641 - Another Fall (1)

    <strong>Chapter 641: Another Fall (1)</strong>

    With that one sentence from Imperial Concubine Wei, many others immediately voiced out their agreement.

    She was the only concubine from the pce that the emperor had brought this time, so it was only natural that manydies would want to curry favour with her.

    Even outside of the spring hunt, there would asionally be a polo match or two held in the pce. Besides, the spring hunt was such a good opportunity to y.

    Since Imperial Concubine Wei had spoken, there would also naturally be people who volunteered to organise things.

    Feudal Princess Anmin stood up and looked in Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s direction with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that Cousin Duanjia is skilled at polo, but I¡¯ve never had the opportunity to see it for myself. Since a chance has presented itself, how about we each lead a team?¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia was indeed a great polo yer. This was something that was well-known in the circles of the imperial family, and there was no need to hide it.

    Before Princess Wei and Royal Princess Duanjia could reject the idea, Imperial Concubine Wei followed up.

    ¡°I¡¯ve also heard about Duanjia¡¯s skill. Since a rare opportunity has presented itself, Duanjia should show these bumpkins what¡¯s what!¡±

    Imperial Concubine Wei had spoken. It was very difficult to reject her at this point unless Royal Princess Duanjia had a real, physical excuse.

    Chu Lian had read through half of the original story, so she was aware that Imperial Concubine Wei and Feudal Princess Anmin weren¡¯t easy to deal with. This was especially so for Imperial Concubine Wei. Since she had spent many years in the pce, she definitely possessed some wit, along with the power to wield it.

    While all this seemed like nothing out of the ordinary, there might be a trap hidden somewhere.

    With these kinds of people who plotted many steps ahead, if one wasn¡¯t smart enough, the best choice would be to keep a low profile.

    But Imperial Concubine Wei seemed to have her sights locked on to Royal Princess Duanjia today. Just what was she intending to do?

    Logically speaking, Prince Wei was the emperor¡¯s most favoured brother, and Prince Wei never involved himself in politics at all. If Imperial Concubine Wei had some brains, she would behave amicably to be in the good graces of the emperor. She wouldn¡¯t do something so stupid as to make things difficult for Royal Princess Duanjia, and she wouldn¡¯t dare to make Prince and Princess Wei her enemies.

    Chu Lian looked towards Royal Princess Duanjia and blinked. Her intentions were obvious, she was warning Duanjia to be careful.

    A slight smile surfaced on Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s lips. She looked quite like Chu Lian when she smiled, and when put side-by-side, the two did indeed look like sisters.

    When Princess Wei caught sight of the two, she nearly became entranced by them.

    Royal Princess Duanjia stood up. ¡°Since Imperial Concubine Wei has already said so, Duanjia has to step up.¡±

    ¡°Great, we¡¯ll have an exciting polo match to witness today then. Since it¡¯s going to be apetition, there has to be a prize. I shall use this bracelet of South Sea pearls as the prize for the victor,¡± Imperial Concubine Wei happily said.

    The older princesses all took out an essory or two to contribute to the prize pool, putting them on a silver dish held up by a pce attendant.

    Soon, the silver dish was filled with a myriad of colours from the many essories, giving off a dazzling shine under the sun.

    ¡°It seems like everyone¡¯s excited for the polo match, too. Look, even our miserly Princess Luo has offered up a phoenix hairpin. Duanjia, Anmin, the two of you have to put up a good match! Alright, the two of you, start picking out your teammates. As it¡¯s a battle between youngdies, let¡¯s keep it between the younger generation, so that us olderdies can rest our old bones,¡± Imperial Concubine Wei joked with a yful smile.

    Right after her words, someone immediately rebuked her and praised that she wasn¡¯t old at all¨C she was only in her thirties, and had many years to go!

    However, Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s seemingly harmless words had unexpectedly brought a huge restriction to the formation of their teams.

    They weren¡¯t allowed to choose olderdies for the polo match. In the Great Wu Dynasty, a girl was considered an adult woman once she hit twenty. Imperial Concubine Wei was only in her thirties, but she had described herself as old, so they were only allowed to choose among thedies under twenty.

    Looking around, the number ofdies under twenty who hade to the spring hunt was pitifully low.

    The emperor¡¯s generation had vied fiercely for the throne, and many members of the imperial family had died at that time. Until now, there still weren¡¯t many members in the imperial family.

    The blood rtions were getting thinner and thinner, and people like Feudal Princess Anmin weren¡¯t even considered core members of the imperial family.

    Now that there was an age restriction, the avable choices for teammates had dwindled even further.

    With that in mind, there were very few people who fit the requirements.

    On the other side, Feudal Princess Anmin moved quickly, and managed to form a team in seconds!

    Amongst them was the fifteen-year-old Royal Princess Nanzhang, Prince Hexi¡¯s twin daughters Dong¡¯er and Nan¡¯er, and Royal Princess Nanyin¡¯s youngest daughter, Honoured Lady Xincheng.

    This immediately made Royal Princess Duanjia frown.

    She looked through the whole shelter, but there were very few youngdies left.

    Chu Lian was stumped. She suddenly had a bad premonition. She looked towards Feudal Princess Anmin and saw a faintly pleased look on her face. Chu Lian didn¡¯t know why, but she had the feeling that the one that they were actually scheming against wasn¡¯t Royal Princess Duanjia, but her.

    The opponent¡¯s team waspletely made up of members of the royal family, and the lowest position among them was still an Honoured Lady.

    This move had blocked Royal Princess Duanjia from selecting anybody of lower statuses, such as maids.

    She had to selectdies with proper backgrounds, or it would be disrespecting her opponents.

    Dignity trumped over everything. If Royal Princess Duanjia failed to assemble her team, there would be no need to evenpete. Her side would have already lost, and would be ridiculed.

    Royal Princess Duanjia waspetitive in nature, and she couldn¡¯t stand failure.

    Once herpetitiveness took over, even Princess Wei wouldn¡¯t be able to control her.

 Chapter 642 - Another Fall (2)

    <strong>Chapter 642: Another Fall (2)</strong>

    Royal Princess Duanjia looked around, and in the end, she dragged three youngdies into this.

    One of them was Royal Prince Han¡¯s wife, Royal Princess Xu, who hade from a military family. She had already given birth to a daughter, and happened to be neen this year, barely making it past the requirements. Inparison, the other side¡¯s team waspletely made up of royalty that had yet to marry, and the oldest was merely fifteen.

    Next, Royal Princess Duanjia requested for Prince Luoyang¡¯s second daughter, Feudal Princess Minghui, and Prince Qing¡¯s granddaughter, Feudal Princess Xirou.

    With that, there were now four people on the team including Duanjia.

    However, there seemed to be no way for her to find her final team member.

    There were still severaldies of suitable ages standing near Feudal Princess Anmin¡¯s corner, but their statuses were too low, and they didn¡¯t even possess any titles.

    Right as Royal Princess Duanjia was starting to feel anxious, Royal Princess Nanzhangughed out loud. ¡°There¡¯s no difficulty in this at all; isn¡¯t Honoured Lady Jinyi a prime candidate? Duanjia, I see that you¡¯re pretty close to Jinyi, so why is it that you somehow forgot about her at this time? Could it be that the two of you have fallen out with each other?¡±

    Royal Princess Nanzhang truly had the gift of the gab. Now Chu Lian had no choice but to go. If she insisted on not participating, then there would probably be rumours of a falling out between her and Royal Princess Duanjia once the polo match ended.

    Royal Princess Duanjia was angered by Royal Princess Nanzhang¡¯s words. Her brows were tightly knit together, and she was about to argue with Nanzhang.

    Chu Lian quickly tugged on her sleeves, and subtly shook her head at her. She then turned towards Royal Princess Nanzhang and Feudal Princess Anmin with a smile and said, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll join in to fill the empty seat. However, I¡¯ve never yed polo, so please be gentle with me.¡±

    ¡°Our game is just for some entertainment; you¡¯ll be fine as long as you can ride a horse, Honoured Lady Jinyi. The oue doesn¡¯t matter at all.¡± Feudal Princess Anmin¡¯s smile was incredibly gentle.

    Royal Princess Duanjia hadn¡¯t thought that Chu Lian would really offer herself up and started getting a little antsy.

    ¡°Chu Liu, you fool! Can¡¯t you tell that they were just trying to make you jump into a trap?!¡±

    A furrow formed between Princess Wei¡¯s brows. She was a wise person, and could obviously tell that Feudal Princess Anmin and the others were doing this on purpose.

    However, just what were they trying to achieve?

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, I¡¯ll just be careful,¡± Chu Lian softly consoled Royal Princess Duanjia.

    Royal Princess Duanjia pursed her lips, determination and vigor shining in her eyes.

    She understood that the reason Chu Lian had agreed despite knowing it was a trap was all for her sake. As they were close sisters, Chu Lian didn¡¯t want others to be making wild assumptions about their rtionship and she didn¡¯t want Duanjia¡¯s honour to be sullied.

    Since her childhood, Duanjia had never had a sister figure in her life. Whenever she attended banquets with her mother, she would witness girls from other families getting bullied, but there was always an older sister who would stand up for their little sisters.

    Right now, Royal Princess Duanjia felt that Chu Lian was like her older sister.

    This actually gave her a mysterious warmth inside.

    Of course, Chu Lian didn¡¯t notice this. She just did what she felt was right. She didn¡¯t want to act as a coward just to survive.

    She didn¡¯t know that her nonchnt gesture had touched Royal Princess Duanjia and Princess Wei¡¯s hearts.

    Just like that, the lineup of both teams was already set.

    The two teams entered their respective tents to prepare. They had to remove all of the hairpins in their hair along with the other essories they were wearing, and they also had to choose a polo mallet and a horse suitable for them.

    During the preparations, Royal Princess Duanjia made use of every second to exin the rules of polo to Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian kept nodding as she listened. She had a great memory, and it wasn¡¯t like she knew nothing at all about polo. After all, polo was still yed in modern times; the rules here were simply a little different.

    She was now good enough at riding, but she wasn¡¯t expecting much from herself. She just had to make sure not to burden the team and keep herself safe, and everything else would be left to Royal Princess Duanjia.

    Both Feudal Princess Minghui and Royal Princess Xu were adept at ying polo, while Royal Princess Duanjia was an amazing yer. They had a good shot at winning.

    Although there was quite a lot of time for them to prepare, it still passed very quickly for Chu Lian, who was still trying her best tomit the details of the game to memory.

    Royal Princess Duanjia personally chose a horse and polo mallet for Chu Lian.

    Very soon, the two teams entered the polo field, while Imperial Concubine Wei led the otherdies to a viewing tform.

    All the members of Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s team had a scarlet-red cloth on their arms, while Feudal Princess Anmin¡¯s side had tied a blue cloth on theirs.

    The hunting grounds had its own referee. With a loud blow of the whistle, thepetition officially began.

    The polo ball was thrown up into the air. Royal Princess Duanjia twitched her reins, and her valiant white horse shot forward. When it arrived at the polo ball, it raised its hooves up high with a neigh. Royal Princess Duanjia lifted her hands up and stepped hard on the stirrups; this put her in a standing position with her butt floating above the saddle. Her arm was at a slight angle, and with a slight swing, she snatched the polo ball!

    With this swing, the polo ball flew in Royal Princess Xu¡¯s direction.

    The ball was already gone by the time Feudal Princess Anmin arrived. Since she had missed the chance to possess the ball, she was now at a disadvantage.

    Feudal Princess Anmin angrily bit her bottom lip and red at Royal Princess Duanjia.

    Royal Princess Duanjia sat back down on the saddle with her chin slightly raised, wearing a subtle smile as she nced at Feudal Princess Anmin with disdain.

    Chu Lian guarded the left side of the field, watching as Royal Princess Duanjia lead Feudal Princess Xirou in a charge towards the opponent¡¯s side of the field.

    Thedies raised their tender voices, constantly shouting out to each other, and thepetition was abnormally fierce.

 Chapter 643 - Another Fall (3)

    <strong>Chapter 643: Another Fall (3)</strong>

    It was at this time that Feudal Princess Minghui suddenly charged out from the left, her body bent backwards at what seemed like an impossible angle. She swung her polo mallet, and she stole the ball in a shocking move! The ball was sent flying in an arc, and in two seconds, the ball entered the opponent¡¯s with a ¡®pop¡¯.

    Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s red team had scored a point!

    Loud cheers immediately burst out from thedies on the viewing tform.

    Even Princess Wei had a wide smile on her face.

    Following closely after that, the red team scored another point, making Honoured Lady Xincheng look at Royal Princess Duanjia in a different light.

    The super amateur Chu Lian felt that she was actually going to be carried to victory.

    At this moment, at an angle hidden to the others, Feudal Princess Anmin signaled at Prince Hexi¡¯s twin daughters Dong¡¯er and Nan¡¯er with her eyes.

    Nan¡¯er nodded.

    This time, it was the blue team¡¯s turn to serve the ball.

    Royal Princess Nanzhangnded a heavy hit on the polo ball, sending it flying up in the air and towards the red team¡¯s side of the field.

    The midfielders, Nan¡¯er and Dong¡¯er, whipped their horses forward and wildly charged into the red team¡¯s territory.

    In the middle of their charge, Nan¡¯er and Dong¡¯er nced at each other.

    The heads of their horses turned, and they started galloping towards Chu Lian instead.

    Dong¡¯er swung her mallet, which caused the polo ball to roll in Chu Lian¡¯s direction.

    Nan¡¯er twitched the reins of her horse, causing it to speed up.

    At this point, Royal Princess Duanjia and the others were still on the other side of the field, and they didn¡¯t have any way of getting there before Nan¡¯er and Dong¡¯er.

    When Chu Lian noticed that Nan¡¯er and Dong¡¯er were charging towards her, her brows furrowed, as she instinctively felt a sense of danger approaching.

    If they wanted to hit her horse, then she just had to dodge.

    However, it was right at this moment that the small polo ball coincidentally hit the butt of Chu Lian¡¯s steed.

    The horse was startled badly, causing it to whinny and rear up. It started to run off without paying any heed to Chu Lian¡¯smands.

    Now that her opportunity to escape had been taken away, Nan¡¯er and Dong¡¯er rushed to Chu Lian¡¯s side.

    In a seemingly idental manner, they mmed into Chu Lian on both sides. They used their mallets to control the polo ball while Chu Lian was sandwiched between them and unable to move.

    When Dong¡¯er and Nan¡¯er were fighting to snatch the polo ball on the ground, their mallets ¡®inadvertently¡¯ hit Chu Lian¡¯s horse.

    After they galloped away, Chu Lian¡¯s horse suddenly flew into a rage, with every intention to fling its rider off.

    Chu Lian was still an amateur at horse riding and she hadn¡¯t learned enough riding techniques yet. She didn¡¯t know how to calm the horse down and control it.

    Princess Wei and the distant Royal Princess Duanjia felt their hearts stop. Princess Wei immediately ordered one of her servants who knew martial arts to rescue Chu Lian.

    However, it was still toote. They were too far away, and they were about to witness Chu Lian being flung off a crazed horse.

    In the end, Chu Lian was thrown off when she lost hold of the reins...

    She cried out in rm, but right at this moment, a majestic horse suddenly charged onto the field.

    The horse leapt over the wooden fence surrounding the field easily, and the rider of the horse actually jumped off the horse¡¯s back without any regard for his own safety.

    A tall and slender figure caught Chu Lian in mid-air, then embraced her tightly.

    Momentster, there was the muffled sound of bodies hitting the ground¡®. The world seemed to go out of focus for Chu Lian as she rolled uncontrobly for a few rounds beforeing to a stop.

    An unfamiliar chilly fragrance surrounded her, and the embrace she felt wasn¡¯t one that was familiar to her.

    Once she recovered from the shock, Chu Lian calmed her emotions, and slowly opened her eyes.

    What entered her eyes first was a ck robe, then fair skin, a prominent Adam¡¯s apple, and a clean and smooth-looking chin with slight traces of stubble.

    The shape of the chin was very delicate-looking, and not at all what she was familiar with.

    Chu Lian was immediately frozen from this. There was fear, shock, anxiety and other negative emotions in her heart.

    This man who had suddenly appeared wasn¡¯t her husband, He Changdi!

    Who was it!?

    In the next second, Chu Lian felt the hold on her waist tighten and a stranger¡¯s hand impudently caressing her waist.

    She then heard a familiar voice from above her head, ¡°My dear Lian¡¯er, are you alright?¡±

    That... That was Xiao Bojian¡¯s voice!

    Chu Lian sucked in her breath through her teeth. The shock of learning this made her push away the man embracing her with everything she had!

    However, the difference between a man and a woman¡¯s physical strength wasn¡¯t so easy to ovee. Xiao Bojian¡¯s arms were like steel mps locking her in ce, she couldn¡¯t move at all.

    When Chu Lian had been flung off her horse, the audience on the viewing tform was in an uproar. Many of them hadn¡¯t expected such an ident to happen in a simple game of women¡¯s polo.

    Even Imperial Concubine Wei showed some semnce of shock.

    Right now, it was already toote for anyone to save Honoured Lady Jinyi. It didn¡¯t matter how good their reflexes were.

    Just as everyone had determined that Honoured Lady Jinyi was destined to be a cripple, someone from outside the field charged in, and even leapt off his horse to save Honoured Lady Jinyi without any regard for his own safety.

    Someone on the viewing tform said with astonishment, ¡°Is... isn¡¯t that Schr Xiao?¡±

    With that reminder, everyone immediately recognised the person who had saved Chu Lian. That person was indeed Xiao Bojian.

    Xiao Bojian had been born with amazing features that were unforgettable to anyone he met. He was also the top schr of the imperial examinations, which meant that he had left an incredibly deep impression in the minds of others.

    Practically everybody in the capital knew of him.

    It wasn¡¯t strange at all for someone to recognise him at this asion.

 Chapter 644 - Another Fall (4)

    <strong>Chapter 644: Another Fall (4)</strong>

    Sir Xiao was a man overflowing with talent whose political prowess stood out even in court, gaining the admiration of many.

    Although he was of humble origins, his features were beautiful and he had a great reputation. He was now in his early twenties and hadn¡¯t yet married. For the sake of respecting his future wife, he didn¡¯t even have a single concubine or maid in his home.

    He was still a bachelor, but he was already considered a great candidate for a son-inw in the eyes of the noble madams in the capital.

    If the one who had been saved today was some unmarried Royal Princess or Feudal Princess, this could have turned into a fairy tale. All that would be needed was for Imperial Concubine Wei to betroth her to Xiao Bojian, and it would be absolutely perfect.

    Unfortunately, the one who was saved was Honoured Lady Jinyi, the wife of Marquis Anyuan, ady who was already married...

    Now the situation was turning awkward...

    Looking at them, Sir Xiao seemed to be hugging Honoured Lady Jinyi pretty tightly. The look in his eyes was filled with emotion too, it... it couldn¡¯t be that these two had feelings for each other before, right?

    Otherwise, why would Xiao Bojian have chosen to risk a serious injury for the sake of saving Honoured Lady Jinyi at a critical situation like this?

    Suddenly, everyone¡¯s thought processes turned a hundred and eighty degrees, with all sorts of guesses and gossip flooding their minds.

    Princess Wei was the first to return to her senses. She angrily watched how tightly Xiao Bojian held Chu Lian, but before she could speak, there was suddenly a loudmotioning from the rear of the polo field.

    Everyone¡¯s eyes were drawn towards the direction of themotion, and it was an incredible sight to behold...

    The emperor had returned.

    He was standing some distance away with his brows furrowed and his hands behind his back with a dignified expression on his face. He was an incredibly charismatic ruler, and nobody could guess at what was on his mind.

    He stood in front of the others, all standing in that corner in a strange silence. Those on the viewing tform didn¡¯t know how long he had been standing there, and how much he had seen.

    He Changdi was also there at one side. He had also seen what happened alongside the emperor, but they had happened to arrive right as Xiao Bojian was rolling on the ground with Chu Lian in his arms.

    His phoenix eyes narrowed with a deep re in Xiao Bojian and Chu Lian¡¯s direction. The air was heavy around him, and his dashing face couldn¡¯t get any darker. He even subconsciously held Royal Princess Leyao more forcefully.

    Princess Leyao groaned, then with a teary voice, she said, ¡°Brother Changdi, please be more gentle, you¡¯re hurting me.¡±

    It was this voice that seemed to break the mysterious silence.

    Princess Leyao¡¯s leg had already been treated. It was now firmly secured by wooden nks.

    Princess Wei¡¯s subordinate had finally reached Chu Lian¡¯s side. When the maid who had been tasked with saving Chu Lian saw how tightly Xiao Bojian was holding Chu Lian, her eyes narrowed. Acting as if she hadn¡¯t noticed anything out of the ordinary, she said, ¡°Honoured Lady, are you hurt anywhere? Please allow this servant to help you up.¡±

    Xiao Bojian finally released Chu Lian, and Chu Lian was supported to a standing position by the maid.

    Other than her pale face from the fright and several tears on her clothes, she hadn¡¯t gotten any serious injuries and was pretty much fine.

    The maid sighed in relief before finally helping Xiao Bojian up.

    However, the severity of Xiao Bojian¡¯s injuries outssed Chu Lian¡¯s by far.

    When they had been rolling on the ground, he had held Chu Lian so tightly and acted as her shield without care for himself. His right leg was sprained and there were heavy bruises on multiple parts of his body. There were likely internal injuries hiding under those bruises as well. He would need some time to recuperate from this.

    As the maid helped Xiao Bojian up, he stumbled due to his sprained ankle. Who knew if he had done it on purpose or not? He somehow fell in Chu Lian¡¯s direction.

    Although Chu Lian didn¡¯t like Xiao Bojian as a person and even felt disgust towards him, it was still a fact that he had saved her when she had been flung off her horse.

    Since he was going to fall, she couldn¡¯t push him away. Thus, she caught him.

    However, Xiao Bojian rested his entire body on Chu Lian¡¯s shoulder, and his arms directly wrapped around Chu Lian¡¯s waist.

    Chu Lian stiffened up. She was about to push him away in anger, but Xiao Bojian had already let go before that could happen. Chu Lian didn¡¯t speak a word of this, as his action had seemed unintentional.

    Chu Lian suspiciously sized Xiao Bojian up, and asked with an unfriendly tone, ¡°Are you badly hurt? Thank you for saving me back there.¡±

    Right as she was about to turn away from Xiao Bojian, she noticed the group of people who were in front of her and to the left.

    The most conspicuous person, standing at the front was obviously the emperor, with He Changdi right beside him.

    Chu Lian¡¯s pupils shrunk. She subconsciously opened her mouth with the intention of exining everything to him.

    However... when she looked at him properly, she noticed that there was someone in his arms...

    From the size of that person, along with the clothes and hairstyle, it was obviously ady...

    It was at this moment that the woman in He Changdi¡¯s arms turned her head. At an angle that He Changdi couldn¡¯t see, she gave Chu Lian a wicked smile.

    Chu Lian sucked in a deep breath. It was Imperial Princess Leyao!

    Any woman would know what Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s gaze embodied; it was a form of provocation, a deration of war!

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t help taking two steps back. Her figure seemed like a swaying willow on the verge of copse.

    Her line of sight shifted to He Changdi, whose deep and chilly eyes stared right back at her. He had a grim expression, like he was an insurmountable statue of ice.

    Chu Lian opened her mouth, wanting to exin, but it was then that He Changdi turned away, shifting his gaze elsewhere.

    Suddenly, Chu Lian felt as if someone had stabbed her in the heart. Her hands hidden under her sleeves formed into tight fists, her nails digging into her palm, forming deep marks, but she couldn¡¯t feel it at all.

    Chu Lian¡¯s mind fell into chaos.

    She had no idea when he hade, and didn¡¯t know how much he had seen.

    If he had arrived earlier, why hadn¡¯t hee to save her?

    Was he misunderstanding the rtionship between Xiao Bojian and her?

 Chapter 645 - She Must be Crazy to Have Fallen for Him (1)

    <strong>Chapter 645: She Must be Crazy to Have Fallen for Him (1)</strong>

    The emperor seemed to be deep in his thoughts. A momentter, he turned to look at He Changdi and said, ¡°Marquis Anyuan, bring Yao¡¯er to the imperial physician¡¯s tent first.¡±

    He Changdi couldn¡¯t reject an order from the emperor, but he still couldn¡¯t help but turn his gaze back to Chu Lian again. However, his wife had already lowered her head and was no longer looking at him. He Changdi felt as if something was crushing his heart and breaking it to pieces.

    He somehow managed to make a strained noise of affirmation. After giving a reply, he turned around with Imperial Princess Leyao in his arms and left with the imperial guards.

    With that taken care of, the emperor strode towards the direction of the polo field as he ordered He Lin to seek the imperial physician.

    At this time, Imperial Concubine Wei also arrived with everyone.

    Royal Princess Duanjia quickly rushed over, held Chu Lian¡¯s hand, and asked about her condition worriedly.

    Chu Lian¡¯splexion was as white as a piece of paper. She forced a smile and said, ¡°Royal Princess, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s only a minor injury.¡±

    Upon hearing such a reply, Royal Princess Duanjia sternly shook her head. ¡°No, we can¡¯t be certain until the imperial physicianes over to check. Chu Liu, you shouldn¡¯t move right now.¡±

    She personally helped Chu Lian up as she spoke. Then, she told Jinxiu to bring a cushioned stool over and carefully supported Chu Lian to sit down.

    The image of He Changdi¡¯s back as he carried Princess Leyao away without even giving a second look was still lingering in Chu Lian¡¯s mind. She felt perplexed and dazed as Royal Princess Duanjia helped her sit down. Her originally pale face had instantly turned even more haggard.

    The emperor and Imperial Concubine Wei came over at this time.

    Chu Lian wanted to stand up to greet the emperor and Imperial Concubine Wei, but the emperor immediately stopped her.

    A rare trace of concern emerged within the emperor¡¯s dignified voice as he said, ¡°Since you¡¯re injured, the usual courtesies can be excused. You should get some proper rest!¡±

    After observing the situation, Imperial Concubine Wei also treated Chu Lian in a friendly manner.

    ¡°His Majesty is right. You should take a rest. The imperial physician should arrive soon. It was such an unfortunate coincidence. I didn¡¯t think such an ident would happen, but we should thank Sir Xiao for his help this time.¡±

    Imperial Concubine Wei wanted to continue speaking, but the emperor suddenly gave her an icy look. She was stunned and immediately swallowed her next few words back down.

    She had almost forgotten that the Marchioness Anyuan in front of her was no longer just Honoured Lady Jinyi, who she could casually abuse as she liked. Now that she was the child the emperor had with that bitch, she could be considered a legitimate descendant of the imperial family.

    After receiving leniency, Chu Lian bowed her head towards the emperor, offering a greeting as much as she was able to.

    The emperor looked at Chu Lian in a seemingly nonchnt manner, but he noticed that Chu Lian was in a trance and appeared dispirited.

    He looked towards Xiao Bojian and Imperial Concubine Wei again, then slightly narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Xiao Bojian, you have aplished amendable deed for rescuing someone this time. We¡¯ll keep this in mind for the time being and grant you a reward when We return to the pce. If there¡¯s nothing wrong after the imperial physician¡¯s examination, then the both of you can go back to your tents for an early rest.¡±

    Both Chu Lian and Xiao Bojian replied in agreement.

    However, the expressions of the people beside them had all subtly changed.

    What was going on? Why was the emperor suddenly favouring Xiao Bojian right now?

    What great merit had he achieved? He had merely saved Honoured Lady Jinyi, who also happened to be Marchioness Anyuan. Moreover, he did it voluntarily. Why was he being rewarded for amendable deed? Although Honoured Lady Jinyi had been conferred a title, she wasn¡¯t really a descendant of the imperial family. The emperor didn¡¯t need to grant a reward since this matter had nothing to do with him...

    Everyone was confused about this situation.

    However, they looked at Xiao Bojian and Chu Lian with even moreplicated emotions in their eyes.

    Imperial Concubine Wei promptly dismissed the audience ofdies.

    The imperial physician came to take Chu Lian and Xiao Bojian¡¯s pulses respectively. As Chu Lian had insisted, she hadn¡¯t sustained any major injuries. She only had some minor scratches and bruises, and she had also suffered some fright. However, Xiao Bojian was heavily injured. He had not only sprained his ankle, but also sustained some internal injuries. It would probably take at least two to three months for him to recover.

    Wenqing and Wen helped Chu Lian to walk forward. She turned towards Xiao Bojian and bobbed in gratitude.

    Xiao Bojian noticed the cold and deste look within her eyes. A corner of his lips tugged downwards and he whispered, ¡°When did you be so distant from me, Lian¡¯er? Didn¡¯t I just risk my life to save you? That was what I promised you earlier.¡±

    Chu Lian frowned and gave him aplicated look. She didn¡¯t say anything else, then turned around and left.

    Xiao Bojian stared after Chu Lian¡¯s slender, delicate back until his line of vision was blocked by some tents. His formerly gentle and handsome face instantly turned gloomy and vicious.

    He clenched his fists and kicked the cushioned stool that Chu Lian had been sitting on earlier.

    Xiao Bojian couldn¡¯t control the rage within his heart. It was as if his entire body had been set alight with fire.

    ¡°Preposterous! She didn¡¯t believe me!¡±

    The imperial physician was shocked by his abrupt actions and lost the ability to respond for a moment.

    He couldn¡¯t believe that that handsome man, who had appeared so gentle in front of the emperor and Honoured Lady Jinyi earlier, had suddenly morphed into a devil from hell.

    He couldn¡¯t help but shudder when he saw the infuriated expression on Sir Xiao¡¯s face.

    Imperial physicians were just low-ranking officials working in a high-risk profession. They had already trained themselves to be sturdy and resistant to shock. Thus, he was only stunned for a few seconds when he saw this unexpected side of Xiao Bojian. After that, he continued to treat Xiao Bojian¡¯s injuries like a puppet.

    One nced at the imperial physician beside him, who was treating the wounds while half-kneeling. He whispered to Xiao Bojian, ¡°Sir, you¡¯re already injured. Anger won¡¯t help your wounds to heal.¡±

    It seemed like Xiao Bojian had just wanted to vent out the resentment within his heart. He closed his eyes and suppressed his anger after hearing One¡¯s advice.

 Chapter 646 - She Must be Crazy to Have Fallen for Him (2)

    <strong>Chapter 646: She Must be Crazy to Have Fallen for Him (2)</strong>

    As soon as the emperor began to make his way back to his tent, he gave He Lin an order. ¡°Find out what happened.¡±

    He Lin acted swiftly. After a moment, he had already reported the sequence of events in detail to the gloomy-looking Emperor beside him.

    ¡°Nanzhang? Prince Hexi¡¯s daughters? Anmin?¡± The emperor raised his voice as he said those names. He Lin couldn¡¯t help but tremble when hearing his tone.

    He Lin vaguely knew that those noble misses were going to suffer the consequences, but he didn¡¯t dare say anything more.

    A momentter, He Lin asked in a soft voice, ¡°Your Majesty, Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s injury...¡±

    ¡°Send someone to notify Imperial Concubine Wei. We¡¯re tired, so We¡¯re going back to my tent to rest.¡±

    ¡°Yes, this servant understands.¡± He Lin quickly left with two imperial guards.

    Eunuch Wei had alreadye to greet the emperor when he arrived at the tent with his imperial guards.

    The emperor nced at Eunuch Wei and knew that he had probably already heard the news. ¡°Don¡¯t ask. We¡¯ll talk after entering the tent. There¡¯s something We need you to handle.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. This old servant understands.¡±

    Princess Wei and Royal Princess Duanjia followed after Chu Lian when she returned to her tent.

    Princess Wei had even found a female physician with good medical skills to examine Chu Lian again. The female physician also inspected the wounds on her body that had been inconvenient for the male imperial physician to examine.

    The physician left a high-quality ointment and prescription. Wenqing helped Chu Lian apply the ointment, while Wen went to brew the medicine.

    Royal Princess Duanjia was sitting beside the bed. She held onto Chu Lian¡¯s hand, a tinge of fear still evident in her voice as she said, ¡°Chu Liu, you really scared me. If anything bad had happened to you this time, I would have died of guilt.¡±

    Chu Lian forced a smile. ¡°Royal Princess, you shouldn¡¯t say that. Who could have thought that such an ident would ur?¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t have a chance to ask you at the polo field, so tell me more about what happened at that time. Why did those two brats, Dong¡¯er and Nan¡¯er, attack you? If I remembered correctly, you¡¯ve never interacted with them before.¡±

    Chu Lian shook her head. She really didn¡¯t have any rtionship nor conflict with Prince Hexi¡¯s Estate.

    Furthermore, Prince Hexi¡¯s twin daughters had good reputations in public. They were known to be obedient, intelligent, and talented.

    She didn¡¯t understand why Prince Hexi¡¯s daughters would harm her at this time.

    ¡°Maybe it has something to do with Anmin? Anmin is very close with Leyao, so was it Leyao¡¯s idea?¡± Royal Princess Duanjia made a guess.

    Princess Wei tapped Royal Princess Duanjia on the shoulder. ¡°Although Leyao is ill-natured and spoiled, she isn¡¯t someone who knows how to scheme. This wasn¡¯t something that she would think of doing.¡±

    Princess Wei was right. To put it bluntly, Imperial Princess Leyao was a brainless idiot. This was a detailed n that had started with the mention of polo and evolved into an actual polo match among the nobledies. There was also the limit to the selection of yers for the match that had made them pick Chu Lian for the team. Lastly, they had targeted Chu Lian on the field. This was a n with many linked parts. If any one part within this n failed, then Chu Lian wouldn¡¯t be hurt.

    In conclusion, this wasn¡¯t something that Imperial Princess Leyao could devise with that brain of hers.

    Moreover, Imperial Princess Leyao hadn¡¯t been at the scene. Thus, it was even more impossible.

    It also couldn¡¯t be Imperial Concubine Wei. During the process of Chu Lian being injured and rescued, her eyes were full of surprise and shock. Princess Wei was right beside her at that time. It wasn¡¯t something that she could fake.

    ¡°Who could it be then! I¡¯ll definitely find that culprit to avenge Chu Liu.¡± Royal Princess Duanjia clenched her fist.

    Princess Wei sighed helplessly. She patted Royal Princess Duanjia, and then Chu Lian. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be rash. This doesn¡¯t seem like a simple matter. We should give this matter some more thought beforeing to a conclusion.¡± After saying that, she looked towards her daughter. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely find the truth and help you avenge Jinyi.¡±

    After hearing Princess Wei¡¯s words, Royal Princess Duanjia immediately drooped. Even her shoulders hung low.

    Royal Princess Duanjia was guilt-ridden because she felt responsible for Chu Lian getting injured this time.

    Princess Wei understood her daughter¡¯s feelings. ¡°Alright, Jinyi is probably tired after suffering such a fright. We should leave and let her get some proper rest.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia helped Princess Wei stand up. She felt reluctant to part with Chu Lian and said, ¡°Chu Liu, you should quickly lie down and sleep. I¡¯lle over to see you tomorrow.¡±

    Chu Lian agreed with a voice filled with fatigue.

    When Royal Princess Duanjia and Princess Wei arrived at the entrance of the tent, Duanjia abruptly stopped and asked with creased brows, ¡°Where¡¯s Marquis Anyuan?¡±

    The guard, who was standing at the entrance, just shook his head in reply.

    Royal Princess Duanjia immediately clenched her fists. ¡°That scumbag! Chu Liu is already injured and he¡¯s still noting back!¡±

    He Changdi couldn¡¯t possibly be apanying the emperor because the emperor had already returned to his tent! How could He Changdi still be wandering around outside?!

    Princess Wei¡¯s expression also turned slightly grim, but she wasn¡¯t as impulsive as Royal Princess Duanjia. However, she silently took note of this matter in her mind.

    Chu Lianid down with a soft andfortable pillow behind her. She was also covered with a warm nket. However, despite theforts around her, there was a terrible expression on her face.

    She couldn¡¯t help but recall the moment He Changdi had turned to leave with Imperial Princess Leyao in his arms.

    She rang the bell beside her bed and Wenqing immediately rushed in.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, do you feel ufortable anywhere? Please bear with it for a little longer. The medicine will be ready soon.¡±

    Chu Lian shook her head and looked towards Wenqing, who was standing beside the bed, and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s my husband?¡±

    Wenqing was shocked, but she promptly answered with her head bowed, ¡°Replying to Third Young Madam, Third Young Master hasn¡¯t returned yet. This servant also doesn¡¯t know where he is. Laiyue hasn¡¯te back either.¡±

    After receiving Wenqing¡¯s reply, Chu Lian feebly waved her hand. ¡°You¡¯re dismissed.¡±

    Wenqing looked worriedly at the back of the slender figure resting on the bed. She gave a light sigh and quietly went out.

 Chapter 647 - She Must be Crazy to Have Fallen for Him (3)

    <strong>Chapter 647: She Must be Crazy to Have Fallen for Him (3)</strong>

    After she exited the tent, Wenqing called over one of the Anyuan Estate¡¯s guards and told him to search for He Changdi.

    The guard didn¡¯t dare procrastinate and swiftly left.

    Chu Lian drank the medicine that the female physician had prescribed. The medicine contained medical herbs with a sedative effect, so Chu Lian promptly fell asleep.

    She didn¡¯t know how long she slept, but thenterns within the tent were already lit when she woke up.

    Wen probably heard the movement behind the screen, so she hastily came in.

    She walked over to the side of the bed and helped Chu Lian sit up, cing a soft pillow behind her to cushion her back.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?¡±

    Chu Lian looked around the tent. ¡°What time is it?¡±

    Wen handed a cup of warm water to her. ¡°Just past eleven.¡±

    Chu Lian took a sip of warm water. She was slightly surprised since she didn¡¯t expect to fall asleep until it was almost midnight.

    Wen didn¡¯t hear her reply regarding whether she wanted to eat something, so she decided to just go out and tell Wenqing to bring the food box in.

    ¡°Third Young Madam, we¡¯ve prepared some shredded chicken and mushroom porridge. We also have the side dishes that we brought over from the estate. Third Young Madam should eat some.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded. Although she didn¡¯t really have an appetite, she was indeed hungry.

    Wenqing and Wen were delighted by her willingness to eat.

    They found a small side table to serve as a tray to put on the bed, then took the porridge and side dishes out of the food box.

    Chu Lian ate half a bowl with much difficulty. After there was some food lining her stomach, she didn¡¯t feel like eating any more.

    She waved her hand towards Wen. ¡°Take them away. I¡¯m already full. There¡¯s still plenty of porridge left; you can eat some if you¡¯re hungry.¡±

    Wenqing looked at the bowl of porridge which was still half-full and was thinking of persuading Chu Lian to eat a little more. However, before she could say anything, her young madam had already retreated back into the nket, prepared to lie down again.

    Wen looked towards her older sister and shook her head. All they could do was clean up everything as ordered.

    They went out after confirming that Chu Lian had really fallen asleep again.

    The sisters¡¯ eyes were filled with worry.

    ¡°Sister, Third Young Madam must be truly angry this time. She didn¡¯t even ask about Third Young Master¡¯s whereabouts.¡±

    Normally, if He Changdi wasn¡¯t at home and she had finished eating, Chu Lian would instruct them to save some food for Third Young Master, or ask when He Changdi would return.

    However, Chu Lian hadn¡¯t said a word about He Changdi¡¯s situation just now. She also hadn¡¯t asked when he would being back. Moreover, she didn¡¯t even talk about whether He Changdi had eaten yet, as if He Changdi didn¡¯t exist anymore.

    ¡°Ah? Didn¡¯t you send someone to ask in the afternoon? How was it?¡±

    Wen pursed her lips. ¡°The guard said Third Young Master is in Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s tent... He was stopped outside and wasn¡¯t allowed to enter...¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Even Wenqing was angry now. Imperial Princess Leyao! Why was that little brat forcibly hogging their master?

    ¡°Sister, that Princess Leyao is already eleven this year... Could she possibly...¡±

    Wenqing didn¡¯t like to view others in a bad light. She frowned and warned, ¡°Wen, don¡¯t make rashments. If it spreads out, it would not only dishonour House Anyuan, but it might also bring disaster upon us.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sister. I was wrong.¡±

    Even though Wenqing said that, on the inside, she was even more worried than Wen.

    The children of the imperial family usually matured earlier. With all the fighting and scheming within the pce, they wouldn¡¯t be able to survive if they were too na?ve. What actually were Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s intentions? Did she really like their master?

    The medicine that Chu Lian had taken in the morning was very effective, so she had already had enough rest. Thus, sheid in bed, unable to sleep for now.

    She tossed and turned, but she couldn¡¯t fall asleep no matter how she tried.

    She finally managed to fall asleep after struggling for an hour.

    He Changdi came back after midnight.

    Wenqing and Wen, who were guarding the entrance of the tent, were abruptly awakened by the soft sound of the tent¡¯s curtain being pulled open.

    When they realised that it was a dewden He Changdi who came in, they finally set down the swords in their hands and stood to the side respectfully.

    He Sang¡¯s cloak was soaked and even his hair was somewhat wet.

    His entire body was covered with humidity, so there was also a bone-chilling quality within his voice when he spoke.

    ¡°Leave.¡±

    Wenqing and Wen couldn¡¯t help but tremble. Wen wanted to say something, but Wenqing pulled her sleeve and dragged her out.

    After leaving the tent, Wen still felt upset. ¡°Older Sister, what are you doing? I need to make things clear with Third Young Master. Third Young Madam is so pitiful. She suffered a fright in the afternoon and almost died. However, Third Young Master was still outside for the entire day. Let¡¯s disregard the fact that he didn¡¯t even bother asking about the situation, but he didn¡¯te back until now! Does he even have Third Young Madam in his heart? If I was Third Young Madam, I would definitelyin to his face!¡±

    Wenqing raised her hand and gave Wen a loud smack on her head.

    ¡°Stop speaking nonsense. What rights do you have to discuss the masters¡¯ matters? Don¡¯t forget about Third Young Master¡¯s temper and be careful of your little head. Third Young Master isn¡¯t as soft-hearted as Third Young Madam.¡±

    After being scolded by Wenqing, Wen unwillingly stopped talking and followed her older sister to rest in the smaller tent nearby.

    He Sang was frozen to the spot. He had acute senses and was standing inside the tent. Moreover, it was such a quiet night. Thus, he could hear the sound of Chu Lian¡¯s gentle breathing from behind the screen.

    He stood there, listened for a while, and confirmed that Chu Lian was asleep.

    Next, he took off his damp cloak and casually ced it on the back of the chair beside him.

    Following that, he quietly walked around the screen and arrived beside the bed.

 Chapter 648 - She Must Be Crazy to Have Fallen for Him (4)

    <strong>Chapter 648: She Must Be Crazy to Have Fallen for Him (4)</strong>

    A dim hexagonalntern had been lit. It was hung on ampstand near the head of the bed.

    Under the dim light, He Changdi could clearly see Chu Lian¡¯s sleeping face.

    She was wearing a light pink nightgown embroidered with beautiful flowers, curled up in a fetal position with both of her hands in front of her chest. Her soft hair covered the entire pillow, while two stray locks of hair framed her face.

    Her skin was porcin-white, which should have been a beautiful colour on her. However, she appeared wan instead beneath that certain angle of light.

    Her rosy lips were pursed slightly. There was ayer of moisture on her thick, curled eyshes, which were still glistening.

    He Changdi suddenly felt like someone had stuffed arge rock into his heart. It weighed down on him and made him feel terribly ufortable.

    He reached out with one hand, wanting to touch Chu Lian¡¯s delicate face, but her eyebrows twitched. Still in the throes of sleep, she shook her head twice and tears streamed down her face again.

    Based on this situation, Chu Lian was obviously having a nightmare.

    As if something stung the hand that He Sang extended, his hand twitched and drew back.

    When he recalled Xiao Bojian saving and embracing her this morning, veins on his forehead throbbed in anger. He couldn¡¯t control the jealousy and rage within his heart. He had seriously been fighting the urge to tear Xiao Bojian into pieces. After that, Chu Lian had smiled so sweetly and thanked Xiao Bojian, which was something even harder for him to endure.

    He knew that the incident wasn¡¯t Chu Lian¡¯s fault and that she had to express her gratitude to Xiao Bojian. However, he still couldn¡¯t suppress the rage within his heart.

    By the time he gradually calmed down, he became even more fearful. He was frightened by his own extreme possessiveness towards Chu Lian.

    He couldn¡¯t even stand seeing her standing with another man, or even engaging in normal interactions...

    She could only belong to him. No matter if she was smiling or crying, her face could only be directed at him alone!

    When he thought of this, He Changdi covered his face of fatigue with a hand and rubbed it vigorously.

    He Changdi stood beside Chu Lian¡¯s bed for a long time. However, when Chu Lian awoke again, he was already gone.

    After opening her eyes, Chu Lian looked around the tent instinctively. She still didn¡¯t see the person who she had been thinking about for the entire day.

    This time when Wen came in, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Has He Changdie back yet?¡±

    Wen shot a cautious look at Chu Lian and nodded. ¡°Replying to Third Young Madam, Third Young Master returned at midnight yesterday. He was called out early this morning. The emperor wants to go hunting today, so most of the officials were summoned to the hunt.¡±

    Chu Lian was usually a deep sleeper, but she hadn¡¯t slept very wellst night. If someone had slept beside her, she would have definitely sensed it. Moreover, when she woke up this morning, the bedding beside her was still very neat. Nothing had been moved, so it didn¡¯t seem like someone had slept there.

    Wen was attentive and noticed the look in Chu Lian¡¯s eyes. She summoned up her courage to exin, ¡°When this servant brought hot water over this morning, I saw... I saw Third Young Master sleeping on the chaise behind the screen...¡±

    Chu Lian narrowed her eyes. The light in her normally clear, bright eyes instantly dimmed. When Wen saw that, her heart felt like it was being crushed and it ached painfully.

    She regretted telling Third Young Madam about that matter.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t ask any more questions after that. She rested against the bedframe for a while with dull eyes.

    An hourter, she asked Wenqing to help her up for breakfast.

    The breakfast was on the table in the middle of the tent, so Wenqing helped Chu Lian walk over to the table.

    In the middle of the meal, Wenqing softly said, ¡°Third Young Madam, this servant has something to report.¡±

    Chu Lian regained her focus and cheered up.

    She lifted her head and looked at Wenqing. ¡°Tell me.¡±

    ¡°Third Young Madam, Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s leg was injured after she insisted on going hunting in the woods yesterday. The imperial physician said that even after she recuperates, her leg would probably be crippled.¡±

    Chu Lian was slightly shocked after listening to Wenqing¡¯s words. Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s leg was likely going to be crippled?

    She looked at Wenqing again, and saw that she had lowered her head and stopped talking.

    Chu Lian sighed helplessly as she understood the meaning behind Wenqing¡¯s words.

    She was probably helping He Changdi exin. An exnation for him returningte at night and the reason he wasn¡¯t concerned about her injury.

    However, it simply didn¡¯t make sense. Imperial Princess Leyao had only injured her leg. Even if she had injured her head, it still didn¡¯t have anything to do with He Changdi.

    Why would he returnte at night because of Imperial Princess Leyao?

    It couldn¡¯t possibly be from the emperor¡¯s imperial order, could it? That is, unless the emperor had nothing better to do and wanted to make things difficult for him¨Che, a married young man who already had a legitimate wife.

    It was true that Imperial Princess Leyao had feelings for him, but she was still young. Neither Imperial Concubine Wei nor the emperor would be so ¡®desperate¡¯ to choose a married man, who was nearly ten years older than Imperial Princess Leyao, for her.

    After Chu Lian finished eating, she set down her chopsticks and stood up. ¡°Alright, I understand. Wenqing, Wen,e with me for a walk.¡±

    Wenqing didn¡¯t think that Third Young Madam would react so calmly. She felt somewhat uneasy inside and didn¡¯t dare to speak up again.

    Chu Lian pulled aside the thick curtains of the tent that kept out the wind. Then, she looked towards the wide horizon of the clear blue sky.

 Chapter 649 - Caring Old Brother (1)

    <strong>Chapter 649: Caring Old Brother (1)</strong>

    The imperial hunting grounds were surrounded by beautiful scenery, with mountains, waters, and forests.

    Since Chu Lian was injured, the emperor allowed her to stay in her tent to rest. She didn¡¯t need to participate in any activities.

    Those who were injured were probably the idlest within the entire camp.

    Wenqing had informed her that, while she was still sleeping, some people hade to check on her situation, such as Old Duke Zheng, Sima Hui, and Captain Guo.

    Sima Hui had also left behind a maidservant, who was skilled in medicine. Chu Lian walked to thekeside nearby with Wenqing¡¯s support.

    There was something that she couldn¡¯t understand. Why was her husband, He Changdi, whom she needed the most, still missing? Even people like Sima Hui, Captain Guo, and Xiao Hongyu hade to express their concern when they found out about her ident.

    She took a deep breath of the refreshingly cool spring air to suppress the resentment in her heart.

    If the emperor hadn¡¯t made arrangements for the officials who came, then she really wanted to rush to He Changdi and ask about his current thoughts.

    She was seriously frustrated right now.

    Even if he was dissatisfied with her, they still had to meet each other to make things clear. What was he trying to do by avoiding her?!

    Chu Lian turned around and instructed Wen, ¡°Go inquire about Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s situation. Also, check if my husband is over at her side.¡±

    Just as Chu Lian finished speaking, she heard the sound of a woman¡¯s voice.

    Chu Lian turned around and looked towards the direction of that voice.

    She saw them at thekeside about fifty to sixty meters away. A man in a ck robe with an icy face and a sword strapped at his waist was walking beside a young girl sitting in a wooden wheelchair. There were five maidservant and court attendants behind the young girl.

    Who else could they be other than He Changdi and Imperial Princess Leyao?

    Chu Lian¡¯s clear eyes narrowed slightly. She stared at He Changdi and Imperial Princess Leyao, who were currently taking a stroll beside theke.

    Her mouth tilted upwards into a mocking smirk. The inner radiance on her beautiful face dimmed slightly.

    So it turned out that He Changdi had been avoiding her because he was apanying the injured Imperial Princess Leyao.

    Well, she really learned something from that.

    Wenqing and Wen, who were standing behind Chu Lian, also frowned when they saw the scene in front of them. They couldn¡¯t understand what Third Young Master was doing right now.

    When had he became so close with Imperial Princess Leyao?

    He Changdi had a cold expression on his face. With narrowed eyes and a bottomless gaze, it was hard to tell what he was thinking about. When looking carefully, he seemed to have two dark smudges under his eyes.

    He suddenly sensed a familiar gaze on him. The moment he raised his head to look, he met with Chu Lian¡¯s astounded gaze.

    He Changdi¡¯s eyebrows instantly furrowed and a sh of pain appeared within his eyes when he looked at Chu Lian.

    He leaned forward slightly, wanting to run over to her immediately, but he suddenly thought of something and stopped himself from moving.

    He took in a deep breath and suppressed the raging impulse within himself. Then, he turned his eyes away coldly.

    Out of the corner of Chu Lian¡¯s eyes, she could see Imperial Princess Leyao revealing a jeering and proud smile.

    Chu Lian controlled her emotions and forced out a faint smile. She bobbed a greeting toward Imperial Princess Leyao from afar, then resolutely turned around and left without looking back again.

    Wenqing and Wen, who were following behind Chu Lian, were also infuriated. They positioned themselves on either side of Chu Lian so theypletely blocked Chu Lian¡¯s figure, making sure that the people behind them couldn¡¯t see her at all.

    When Chu Lian returned to the tent, she went back into the bed to sulk. She had originally wanted to go out to get some fresh air, but she hadn¡¯t expected that it would make her feel even more frustrated instead.

    Damn it, He Changdi was seriously so toxic.

    Shortly afterwards, Wenqing reported the information that she had found regarding Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s situation.

    When she mentioned Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s injury, Chu Lian didn¡¯t feel any sympathy for her at all. There was even a faint sense of delight within her heart.

    Imperial Princess Leyao had been hostile towards her since the first time she entered the pce.

    Her hostility had be even more obvious nowadays.

    She still didn¡¯t understand He Changdi¡¯s intentions. Although Imperial Princess Leyao was still very young, her intentions were clear. Did He Sang really want to be the emperor¡¯s son-inw and marry a princess?!

    The Great Wu Dynasty wasn¡¯t the same as the previous dynasty. A princess¡¯s husband wouldn¡¯t be given any actual power. If he married the emperor¡¯s daughter, then he would just be an idle ything waiting for death!

    Chu Lian¡¯s mind was in a jumbled mess. The hunting ground was located in the outskirts of the capital, the weathergged slightly behind the capital. It was still pretty cold at night.

    She had ridden all the way here, then suffered a fright yesterday. Thus, she hadn¡¯t gotten a good night¡¯s restst night. Chu Lian had obviously be thinner.

    She looked pale and haggard now. It seemed like all the previous nourishing for her body had been for naught.

    Wen¡¯s heart seriously ached. She and her sister knew some martial arts, so they would usually be responsible for taking care of Chu Lian when she goes out. However, Xiyan was definitely the maidservant whom Third Young Madam trusted the most within the estate.

    The night before they had departed, Xiyan had specially told them to take good care of Third Young Madam¡¯s health. Senior Servant Zhong had also left some words for them in particr.

    After all, Third Young Madam¡¯s health had be better and the young couple had a loving rtionship. It was entirely possible that there was already a young heir in her belly.

    Well, look at what happened now. Not only Third Young Madam had not gained any weight, but she had even be thinner than before...

 Chapter 650 - Caring Old Brother (2)

    <strong>Chapter 650: Caring Old Brother (2)</strong>

    Chu Lian was so angry that she didn¡¯t even have an appetite. Over the past couple of days, she ate very lightly for all her meals.

    Wen asked worriedly, ¡°Third Young Madam, do you have anything that you want to eat for lunch? This servant will go prepare it for you.¡±

    Third Young Madam usually ced a lot of importance with regards to food, but she just waved her hand in disinterest now, ¡°Just prepare a few simple dishes. I ate very little this morning, so prepare for lunch earlier.¡±

    Wen didn¡¯t understand Chu Lian¡¯s meaning and thought that Third Young Madam¡¯s appetite had recovered. With a happy expression on her face, she took two maidservants with her to pick out the ingredients.

    Chu Lian really did have lunch a lot earlier this afternoon.

    She ate about two hours earlier than usual.

    However, she didn¡¯t eat as much as Wen had expected. Chu Lian only drank half a bowl of the fragrant old duck stew before saying she was full.

    After that, she went behind the screen to take an afternoon nap.

    When He Changdi returned at noon, Chu Lian had just gone to sleep an hour ago.

    When he entered the tent and noticed that it waspletely quiet, his expression became even more stern and cold.

    ¡°Your young madam hasn¡¯t eaten yet?¡±

    Wenqing replied with her head bowed, ¡°Replying to Third Young Master, Third Young Madam ate two hours ago. She¡¯s taking a nap right now.¡± Though Wenqing¡¯s words sounded respectful, theycked some emotion.

    He Changdi could sense the changes within the entire tent.

    He had been intending to mention having lunch with Chu Lian, but he decided to give up on the idea in the end.

    He waved his hand at Wenqing, ¡°You can go.¡±

    Wenqing left the tent without even looking back.

    Laiyue was waiting outside and went up to Wenqing when he saw here out.

    Laiyue¡¯s face was full of anxiety, ¡°My dear sister Wenqing, how¡¯s the situation inside?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Laiyue pulled Wenqing to the side and whispered, ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice that Third Young Madam is quarreling with Third Young Master?! What do you think happened? They were fine earlier, but everything suddenly changed.¡±

    Wenqing was already angry at He Changdi, so her anger was instantly ignited when the tactless Laiyue began making false assumptions. It seemed like the saying that servants will act the same as their masters was true. This Laiyue wasn¡¯t a good person either.

    ¡°Open your damned eyes and have a good look! Is it Third Young Madam¡¯s fault? Or Third Young Master¡¯s fault? If you don¡¯t know the answer, then you¡¯re also not allowed to eat, just like your Third Young Master!¡±

    Laiyue widened his eyes in shock and pulled on Wenqing¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Ahhh, my dear ancestor. Please, I¡¯m seriously begging you. Please give me a bowl of food. I¡¯ve been running around for the whole morning and I haven¡¯t even had a sip of water!¡±

    Wenqing sneered, ¡°What? The snacks over at Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s ce wasn¡¯t enough to fill your stomach? Stop pretending to be so pitiful in front of me.¡±

    Laiyue felt pity for himself inwardly, ¡°Sister Wenqing, please don¡¯t misunderstand me. I went out for an errand early this morning. I never went to Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s side.¡±

    Wenqing was stunned, ¡°You didn¡¯t go to Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s tent?¡±

    Laiyue shook his head and his face was scrunched up like an orange.

    ¡°So only Third Young Master went?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. That¡¯s not something I would dare ask Third Young Master about.¡±

    Wenqing gave him a fierce re, ¡°You¡¯re so useless!¡±

    ¡°Ay, No. Sister, I¡¯m really innocent. Please spare me some food.¡±

    Laiyue really did look quite pitiful.

    There were stains all over his green robe and stubble had grown on his chin. His hair was also in a mess. Just by looking at his appearance, he really looked like a random refugee.

    Wenqing harrumphed, ¡°Come with me. Third Young Madam has some leftovers from lunch. You got lucky!¡±

    Laiyue smiled, shing a mouth full of white teeth, ¡°Alright. It¡¯s fine as long as there¡¯s something to eat. I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    The hungry He Changdi, who wasn¡¯t even in the mood to eat, would never have thought that his personal manservant had already abandoned him.

    Each household was to take care of their own food and needs on the hunting grounds as the imperial family wouldn¡¯t care about their survival. Even if He Changdi was on duty every day, he still needed to have his meals in his own tent.

    Chu Lian had purposely eaten earlier to avoid having to sit at the same table as He Changdi.

    However, she didn¡¯t expect Wenqing and Wen to be even more harsh. They hadn¡¯t even prepared any food for He Changdi.

    Regardless, He Changdi didn¡¯t have any appetite right now. His head and heart were in aplete daze. He tiptoed around the screen to check on Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian wasying on her side with her back facing him. Her soft little body was curled up into a ball. He reached out, about to touch her, but he retracted his hand halfway through.

    He closed his eyes, then walked around the screen andid down on the chaise beside it for a while.

    Chu Lian opened her eyes once he left.

    Chu Lian stared at the ceiling and blinked furiously. She hadn¡¯t actually fallen asleep just now. After a long moment, she smiled at herself mockingly. It seemed like it would be impossible to get an exnation from He Changdi.

    Forget it. If he didn¡¯t want to speak, then so be it.

    Chu Lian angrily turned over, closed her eyes, and fell asleep for real.

    He Changdi wasn¡¯t in the tent anymore when she woke up.

    In the afternoon, the emperor took his men to the forest in the mountain to hunt. Royal Princess Duanjia sent someone to bring over some wild meat, including wild duck, pheasant, and a deer. There was supposed to be a bonfire banquet tonight, but Chu Lian used her ill health as an excuse to decline attendance.

    However, Chu Lian felt bad for not doing anything at all when facing the game that had been sent over.

    Wenqing brought a rocking chair over for her. She sat on the chair and directed the maidservants on how to roast the game.

    After they finished preparing the wild meats, Chu Lian didn¡¯t even take a bite. She ordered people to send them to Old Duke Zheng, Royal Princess Duanjia, Prince Jin, and the others.

 Chapter 651 - Caring Old Brother (3)

    <strong>Chapter 651</strong><strong>: Caring Old Brother (3)</strong>

    There were still two hours before tonight¡¯s bonfire banquet.

    He Changdi was sulking while sitting inside Prince Jin¡¯s tent. Although his handsome face was as cold as ever, but it was also very pale and haggard.

    Prince Jin lifted the tent p and saw his good friend was sitting beside the table in a daze.

    He nced at him calmly with his blue eyes, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why do you look so lifeless?¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s thin lips were tightly pursed and his eyes were lowered, as if he was a statue that couldn¡¯t speak.

    Prince Jin took off his cloak and handed it to the attendant beside him. After that, he walked towards He Changdi and carefully examined him from head to toe a couple of times.

    His clothes were disheveled. He appeared haggard and miserable. He had an unkempt beard and bloodshot eyes with dark shadows under them. Tsk... What in the world had happened to this guy?

    As soon as Prince Jin sat down, a maidservant brought over a warming soup.

    He hadn¡¯t even lifted his spoon when He Changdi gloomily said, ¡°Give me a bowl, too.¡±

    Prince Jin was stunned now. He held the spoon and looked at his close friend with furrowed brows, ¡°With the meals that Jinyi cooks, you still want the food prepared here?¡±

    When Guilin Restaurant had still been open, he would go to the restaurant to satisfy his cravings. Even a dignified prince had to visit a restaurant in order to satisfy his appetite. On the other hand, He Changdi was actually going around outside to eat other people¡¯s ¡®crudely made¡¯ food. What a joke.

    He Sang was indifferent to Prince Jin¡¯s teasing and said faintly, ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten anything for a whole day and night.¡±

    Prince Jin: ...

    ¡°Would Jinyi starve you?¡± That girl was a foodie. She was probably stuffing her face whenever she was free. There was no way she didn¡¯t prepare any food. Even if she didn¡¯t make it herself, she still had two maidservants, who had learned some of her skills, beside her!

    No matter what, He Changdi wouldn¡¯t be starved.

    He Sang didn¡¯t say anything and remained silent. When the maidservant brought another bowl of soup over, he held it up and finished it in one breath.

    He wasn¡¯t tasting the food at all and was just simply trying to fill his stomach.

    Prince Jin was somewhat dumbfounded and shook his head helplessly, ¡°I wanted you to taste it properly. Although the soup isn¡¯t as delicious as the foods that Jinyi makes, it¡¯s still considered a delicacy.¡±

    While Prince Jin was drinking his soup, his attendant came in to make a report.

    ¡°Reporting to Fourth Prince, Honoured Lady Jinyi sent over some wild game. Would you like to try some right now?¡±

    Prince Jin was stunned and raised his brows. Look at that. The moment he mentioned Chu Lian, she had sent over some food for him to eat.

    ¡°Bring them in.¡±

    The attendant hastily went out. A momentter, he came in with a food box. Then, he took out the two tes of meat from the food box and ced them on the table.

    A te of venison and a te of duck meat, which were already sliced up.

    They had just been roasted, so the roast meat inside the tes was still steaming with heat. The fragrance of the meat billowed up into their faces.

    Prince Jin picked up his chopsticks and pointed at the two tes in front of him, ¡°You¡¯ve been exposed. Can you still say you didn¡¯t eat anything? Jinyi wouldn¡¯t have sent all the roasted meats that she prepared over to me, right?¡±

    He Changdi had a bitter expression on his face because it was true. Chu Lian hadn¡¯t left any of her cooking for him to eat.

    Without hesitation, He Sang picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of roasted meat, and stuffed it into his mouth.

    It was crispy and tender, a taste that was unforgettable for a lifetime. It had definitely been roasted with Chu Lian¡¯s recipe.

    However, his mouth was filled with bitterness when eating such delicious delicacies.

    Prince Jin didn¡¯t think his good friend would suddenly start digging into his food.

    Heined, ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you being too rude? Jinyi sent these for me to eat. If you want to eat, then have Jinyi make some for you. You can eat as much as you want. Why are you taking my share?¡±

    Although Prince Jinined, he didn¡¯t stop his friend¡¯s action. He knew his friend was in a bad mood. He had only interrupted to distract his friend from his thoughts.

    The two tes of roast meats were soon cleared by these two grown men.

    Prince Jin leaned back against his chair slightly. His gaze fell upon his friend, who was still in a daze, ¡°Say it. What happened? Did you have an argument with Jinyi?¡±

    He Sang rubbed his stiff face and took a deep breath, ¡°Lian¡¯er is mad at me.¡±

    Prince Jin lifted his pair of unique eyes, ¡°Tell me about it.¡±

    He Sang and Prince Jin were sworn brothers who had grown up together. Since their previous lifetime, they had been best friends who could risk their lives for each other. Thus, there was nothing they couldn¡¯t talk about.

    After some deliberation, He Changdi told him the whole story.

    Prince Jin was slightly stunned after listening to him. His blue eyes flickered in disbelief, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t actually be interested in that brat Leyao, right?¡±

    He Changdi was dumbfounded by his friend¡¯s question. He had a grim expression on his face and his voice had a sense of anger, ¡°Lu Yi, what do you mean?!¡±

    Prince Jin sneered coldly, ¡°You embraced her and you¡¯ve been apanying her. Doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re interested in that brat?¡±

    He Changdi: ...

    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. Imperial Princess Leyao is only eleven years old. I¡¯m not a pervert!¡±

    ¡°Haha.¡±

    ¡°It was His Majesty¡¯s order. I can¡¯t reject an imperial order.¡±

    Prince Jin gave his idiotic friend a re and scoffed, ¡°Are you an idiot? Leyao is already eleven years old. Are there any imperial children who are actually na?ve? Don¡¯t tell me that Leyao is still young. In another year, she is going to be twelve. Even for noble families, marriage arrangements can begin when they¡¯re twelve. Leyao is resentful towards Jinyi. Haven¡¯t you ever considered Jinyi¡¯s feelings? In my opinion, you¡¯re probably worse than Xiao Bojian!¡±

    Prince Jin¡¯sstment was somewhat harsh, but when facing someone so oblivious, he had to knock him awake somehow.

 Chapter 652 - Caring Old Brother (4)

    <strong>Chapter 652: Caring Old Brother (4)</strong>

    When He Changdi finally understood Prince Jin¡¯s words, he instantly felt enlightened.

    His expression suddenly became grave, while he felt guilty and terrified inwardly.

    He clenched his fist and finally restrained his erupting emotions. He asked in a cold voice, ¡°Ah-yi, how¡¯s the investigation going?¡±

    A dangerous glint instantly emerged within Prince Jin¡¯s previously jeering and teasing gaze.

    ¡°Both Leyao¡¯s injury and Jinyi¡¯s fall from the horse were prearranged, but I haven¡¯t been able to track down the real mastermind. I can¡¯t be certain that the mastermind is Sixth Brother.¡±

    A dangerous and icy glint shed through He Changdi¡¯s deep gaze.

    Prince Jin tapped on the round table with one of his slender fingers, ¡°However, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand. I can understand them scheming against you, but why are they also harming Jinyi? Even if Xiao Bojian still has lingering feelings for Chu Lian, he didn¡¯t need to risk his life. Moreover, he did it in front of Father.¡±

    This was indeed a mystery. During this lifetime, Chu Lian didn¡¯t have any rtionship with Xiao Bojian at all. Furthermore, she had nothing to do with all the fighting and scheming for power. However, she had been unknowingly implicated into this struggle for power. Even He Changdi, who was a reincarnator, couldn¡¯t figure this out.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    He Sang shook his head, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯ll protect Lian¡¯er.¡±

    Prince Jin didn¡¯t continue speaking. They remained silent for a while before Prince Jin began telling him to leave.

    ¡°Alright, hurry up and leave. I have to rest. I can¡¯t sleep while looking at your ice block face.¡±

    He Changdi stood up and left with a frosty expression.

    There was still an hour before the bonfire banquet that the emperor is hosting. He wanted to go back to check on Chu Lian, but he still felt somewhat awkward about the situation.

    He Sang looked around, then turned and walked towards Captain Guo and Zhang Mai¡¯s tent.

    Captain Guo¡¯s wife waspletely unrted to the imperial family, so he hade to the spring hunt alone this time and stayed in the same tent as Zhang Mai.

    He walked up to the tent and looked at the familiar curtain. He remembered the time he had spent at the northern border with his brothers in the military.

    He Changdi¡¯s stiff expression slightly loosened up.

    The soldier at the entrance recognised He Changdi, so he immediately went in to report his arrival after giving him a salute. A momentter, the soldier lifted the curtain and he strode inside.

    Captain Guo and Zhang Mai were sitting around a small table, while drinking wine and eating roasted meat.

    They were spending their days quite leisurely.

    When Captain Guo saw that it was He Changdi, he quickly waved at him, ¡°Zixiang,e and sit down.¡±

    He Changdi strode towards the small table and sat on the floor together with them. A woolen carpet was spread out on the floor of the tent, so it wasn¡¯t cold.

    He pursed his lips as his gaze swept over the two familiar-looking tes of roasted meat on the small table.

    Captain Guo was a rough old man who didn¡¯t really observe other person¡¯s moods, so he bluntly said, ¡°Your wife had someone send them over. It¡¯s so damn delicious. You¡¯re such a lucky guy.¡±

    As he spoke, he ripped off a piece of roasted meat with his hand and threw it into his mouth, while also disying a blissful expression.

    Frustration piled upon He Changdi at the sight.

    He decided to just lower his head. If he didn¡¯t see it, then he wouldn¡¯t be bothered by it.

    Zhang Mai, who was beside them, was much more sensitive than Captain Guo. He carefully observed He Changdi and creased his brows, ¡°Zixiang, what¡¯s with your appearance?¡±

    He Changdi normally wasn¡¯t very concerned about his appearance, but he would at least maintain a clean and tidy appearance. Under decent circumstances, he wouldn¡¯t treat himself poorly.

    Most of all, he had Chu Lian to take care of him. After returning to the capital, he had been wearing fine clothes and eating delicious foods.

    He had a well-proportioned figure with broad shoulders and slender waist as well as a handsome face. Although he always kept a cold expression on his face, he possessed a charming air.

    As long as he dressed up a little, he would look the same as any noble gentlemen.

    Some of his peers were even imitating his style in secret.

    Taking for example, the green jade thumb ring that he wore on his hand. It was originally just something that military officials would wear to protect their finger when shooting. Ever since He Changdi had started to wear that thick jade thumb ring throughout the year, even the literary officials in the court had also started wearing jade thumb rings.

    Rather unlike his usual neat appearance, He Changdi looked quite ¡®rough¡¯ right now.

    He looked even worse than when he had been at the northern border.

    He Changdi had a cold expression on his face. After a while, he uttered a response, ¡°I have a subordinate whose wife is angry at him. Over these past few days, he has been absent-minded and doesn¡¯t know how to coax her.¡±

    After he said that, Captain Guo stopped eating and exchanged nces with Zhang Mai. They both looked at He Changdi as if they had seen a ghost.

    What the heck? Did this guy even know how to lie? His story sounded too fake. Wasn¡¯t the subordinate that he mentioned... himself...?

    Captain Guo and Zhang Mai couldn¡¯t help the twitching of their lips.

    So even the highly skilled Marquis Anyuan, who was firm and decisive on the battlefield and talented at training troops, faced such mundane problems.

    After a brief pause, Captain Guo and Zhang Mai started getting excited.

    It was so rare that He Changdi needed their help with something! They had to do their best as caring older brothers and help solve his problems.

    Captain Guo adjusted his expression, ¡°Oh? Did your subordinate mention about his wife¡¯s current situation?¡±

    He Changdi narrowed his eyes as he thought with a stiff expression, ¡°She¡¯s ignoring him, not cooking for him, and not speaking to him.¡±

    Captain Guo became even more enthusiastic as he listened, ¡°They¡¯re a young couple, so it¡¯s normal to have a few quarrels. And it¡¯s typical for women to be slightly unreasonable. She might already be regretting it, but she¡¯s too thin-skinned and embarrassed to say anything.¡±

    ¡°Right, a man should be thick-skinned. You need to take the initiative to apologise to her, then sway her with some sweet words.¡±

    He Changdi frowned. He clearly had doubts with Captain Guo and Zhang Mai¡¯s suggestions. In his heart, Chu Lian wasn¡¯t a woman who liked to make a fuss without reason.

    Captain Guo noticed that there was still some suspicion on his face, so he gritted his teeth and revealed his ultimate trick.

    ¡°Listen to this old brother. If that still doesn¡¯t solve the problem, then work it out in bed. If one time doesn¡¯t work, then do it twice! Anyways, this trick is especially effective with your sister-inw.¡±

 Chapter 653 - Hot Springs (1)

    <strong>Chapter 653: Hot Springs (1)</strong>

    He Changdi: ...

    Captain Guo roughly patted He Changdi¡¯s ramrod-straight back and tried to encourage him. ¡°That¡¯s just how marriage works. Look, I¡¯ve been together with my wife for so many years, and we¡¯ve even had this many kids, yet our rtionship is stronger than ever. Listen to me, it¡¯ll work.¡±

    These two old bastards were going overboard with their advice, so He Sang quickly stopped them.

    He said, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s gettingte, you should return to the area, brothers!¡±

    Before leaving, Captain Guo and Zhang Mai reminded He Changdi to pass on their advice to his so-called subordinate.

    He Changdi¡¯s mouth twitched; Captain Guo and Zhang Mai were clearly doing that on purpose. The story about his subordinate was just a pretense, and everything referred to He Changdi himself.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t attend the bonfire banquet. While those at the banquet were feasting, gambling, and partying, she had already gone to bed alone.

    Perhaps due to the many mishaps during this spring hunt, the original schedule had been considerably shortened.

    The emperor¡¯s decree had already been passed down that afternoon. They would head back to the capital the next morning instead of staying an extra day as previously nned.

    On the way back, they would only make a stop at the imperial residence in Shangjing for a night, and everyone who participated in the hunt this time would be rewarded with a trip to the hot springs.

    Perhaps due to the fact that they were leaving the next day, the bonfire banquet was more lively than usual, but this was no longer of any concern to Chu Lian.

    It was only at midnight that the emperor dismissed the banquet.

    He Changdi returned past midnight. He again went behind the screen to peek at Chu Lian before going to rest on the chaise outside.

    The next day, it took untilte morning for the spring hunt party to prepare to leave. The imperial residence in Shangjing was only a short journey away, so there was no hurry.

    As He Changdi was considered a military official, he had to guard the emperor alongside the Left Military Guards and the Yulin Army. Therefore, he had been called away by He Lin¡¯s messenger early in the morning.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t seen him since she woke up.

    Thest time she had spoken to him was when he had followed the emperor to the hunting grounds, so they hadn¡¯t spoken to each other for two whole days.

    Wenqing saw the dull expression on Third Young Madam¡¯s face and sighed inwardly. She asked, ¡°Third Young Madam, everything has been packed. Shall we set off?¡±

    Chu Lian scrubbed her cheeks and forced a smile. When she stood up, she had a dizzy spell, and felt as if the world was spinning.

    Wenqing was startled by this. She hastily caught hold of Chu Lian and asked, visibly anxious, ¡°Third Young Madam, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Woozy...¡± Chu Lian replied softly.

    Wenqing helped her back to her seat.

    Once she sat down, the dizziness subsided.

    Wenqing stroked her back soothingly. ¡°Third Young Madam, shall I call for the female imperial physician?¡±

    The imperial physician that Sima Hui had sent to check on Chu Lian¡¯s well-being had just been sent back this morning. If Wenqing and Wen had known that Chu Lian wasn¡¯t feeling well, they wouldn¡¯t have sent the physician back.

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t the type to stubbornly refuse treatment, so she waved her hand to tell Wenqing to get the physician.

    However, before Wenqing could leave the tent, there was news from the Yulin Army to set off.

    The Yulin Army¡¯s words were basically the same as an imperial edict; no one could disobey.

    Helpless, Wenqing turned back and informed Chu Lian of this.

    Chu Lian had no choice but to endure it for now. Luckily, the emperor had given permission for several injured members to travel back by carriage this time. This list included Chu Lian, Princess Leyao, and Xiao Bojian.

    Enduring the dizzy feeling, Chu Lian had Wenqing and Wen support her onto the carriage.

    Once Chu Lian had settled down, Wenqing wanted to look for the female physician, but was stopped by Chu Lian.

    ¡°The journey is pretty short. It can wait until we reach the imperial vi at Shangjing.¡± The imperial physicians who came on the hunt had to ride on horses. They also had to pack their tools and medicines, so they were much busier than them.

    Wen covered Chu Lian¡¯s knees with a soft nket, worry in her eyes as she asked, ¡°Third Young Madam, will you be able tost till then?¡±

    Chu Lian smiled. ¡°I¡¯m already feeling a lot better. There shouldn¡¯t be a problem unless I stand for too long. Perhaps this happened because I ate too little over thest two days. Do we have any snacks? Bring me some.¡±

    Wenqing quickly opened an exquisite, fragrant rosewood box and took out several intricately designed white porcin tes from it.

    ¡°This servant expected Third Young Madam to get hungry along the way, so this servant prepared your favourites, Third Young Madam.¡±

    The snacks disyed on the beautiful porcin tes were shredded beef jerky, special dried anchovies, candied kumquats, and preserved peaches.

    Wen poured a cup of warm honey water from a silver pot and served it to Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian received it and took a sip, then nced at the snacks ced on the table.

    In the end, she picked the slightly sour candied kumquats and preserved peaches.

    With the warm honey water filling her tummy and something delicious in her mouth, Chu Lian felt a lot better.

    Wen watched as Chu Lian ate the candied kumquats and preserved peaches and found it strange. The dried anchovies were usually Third Young Madam¡¯s favourite; she could eat an entire dish without getting sick of it. Why wasn¡¯t she touching them at all today?

    However, she didn¡¯t voice her thoughts.

    She just silently watched as Chu Lian finished eating and stowed away the remaining snacks.

    The carriages that the emperor had sent specially for the injured were incrediblyfortable. Although they weren¡¯t big, they were lined with thick, soft carpets.

    The wooden walls of the carriage had also been covered with a soft fabric. Along with the rxing incense inside, it was sofortable that people could fall asleep easily.

    Halfway through, He Changdi took great efforts to have someone swap shifts with him so that he could go over to the carriage. He wanted to speak with Chu Lian, but when he approached Wenqing and Wen, he learned that Chu Lian was asleep.

    Since his wife was asleep, he couldn¡¯t just rouse her for this.

    Chu Lian seemed to be taking naps very often over the past two days, which He Sang found strange. He wondered if she was really that tired, or if she was just avoiding him.

    With a thread of helplessness and disappointment, He Changdi continued riding his horse next to the carriage with a frosty expression, guarding Chu Lian¡¯s carriage for thirty minutes.

 Chapter 654 - Hot Springs (2)

    <strong>Chapter 654: Hot Springs (2)</strong>

    As expected, the imperial residence in Shangjing wasn¡¯t far at all. They had departed in the morning, and they arrived in the middle of the afternoon.

    The attendants of the imperial residence had already received notification some time ago. They were aware that the emperor would bring the rest of the imperial family and officials from the spring hunt over to rest, so they had already arranged rooms for everyone on the list.

    Their dwellings were distributed ording to their ranks.

    Marquis Anyuan was a second-ranked title, so the temporary courtyard they were assigned to would obviously be fitting of that title.

    The neighbouring courtyards were for Lord Yang and Marquis Dingyuan.

    Once Chu Lian had settled down, Wenqing immediately set off to get the imperial physician.

    Chu Lianid down on the bed, leaving only her left wrist free and uncovered. Physician Li gently grabbed her wrist and put two fingers on her pulse, spending quite some time to measure it.

    Physician Li thought for a bit, then took the pulse on Chu Lian¡¯s right wrist as well.

    Physician Li¡¯s brows drew together as she finally put down Chu Lian¡¯s wrist and sunk into deep thought.

    Wenqing became impatient from looking at the physician¡¯s expression. She asked, ¡°Physician Li, how is our young madam?¡±

    After much deliberation, Physician Li found the pulse too light to make a decisive diagnosis, so she gave a safer answer instead. ¡°Honoured Lady has been overly anxious over the past two days, and along with the shock she¡¯s received, she has ack of both qi and blood now. There isn¡¯t any sickness in her body; all she needs is more nutrition to recover.¡±

    Chu Lian felt silly now. So she was only feeling weak because of low blood sugar...

    Relief washed over Wenqing and Wen as they heard Physician Li¡¯s words.

    A sliver of a smile finally appeared on Wenqing¡¯s face. ¡°Sorry for troubling you, Physician Li.¡±

    Physician Li waved her hand in protest. ¡°This is part of my duty. Honoured Lady, since you¡¯vee to Shangjing, perhaps you could consider going for a soak in the imperial residence¡¯s hot springs?¡±

    Chu Lian nodded with a smile, then had Wenqing see Physician Li out.

    The fact that Chu Lian had sent for the imperial physician naturally couldn¡¯t be kept away from He Changdi. He Changdi once again strove to get some time away from his duties with the emperor, and rushed to the courtyard Chu Lian was at.

    Physician Li had already returned to the area where the other imperial physicians were resting.

    The physician who hade along for the spring hunt this time was the Imperial Physician Institute¡¯s Imperial Physician Sun.

    Imperial Physician Sun was in his fifties, and his family had alle from medical backgrounds. Currently, other than the director of the institute, he possessed the highest official position and status in the Imperial Physician Institute.

    He had great medical expertise and had ample experience. Although he wasn¡¯t a match for the legendary Great Doctor Miao, he was still a well-known physician.

    The field that Imperial Physician Sun specialised in wasn¡¯t pediatrics, nor external or internal injuries. It was gynecology.

    He possessed theuded title of the Godly Gynecologist.

    Physician Li was a female physician of great skill in the pce. She had also received pointers from Imperial Physician Sun.

    Once she met up with Imperial Physician Sun, she described Chu Lian¡¯s pulse in detail to him.

    ¡°Uncle Sun, Honoured Lady Jinyi seems to have a slippery pulse. Do you think Honoured Lady Jinyi is pregnant?¡± Physician Li couldn¡¯t confirm if this was the case, so she had chosen not to mention this to them earlier.

    Imperial Physician Sun stopped what he was doing and stroked his white beard.

    ¡°From what you described, there¡¯s a seventy percent chance that she¡¯s actually pregnant, but it could also be a symptom of her weakened body. You made the right choice with your diagnosis. As physicians of the Imperial Physician Institute, we shouldn¡¯t make rash ims without certainty. Even if Honoured Lady Jinyi is pregnant, this isn¡¯t a good time to diagnose her condition. Just wait a few days, and we¡¯ll be able to confirm it.¡±

    Physician Li nodded, she very much agreed with Imperial Physician Sun¡¯s view.

    It was better to speak cautiously when treating royalty. If she imed that Chu Lian was pregnant, everyone might be overjoyed, but if it turned out to be a mistake, the consequences would be terrible for her. It was always better to take the safe route for an imperial physician.

    Marquis Anyuan wasn¡¯t someone she could provoke, with his lofty position.

    Furthermore, Honoured Lady Jinyi was on good terms with a personage like Princess Wei.

    Thus, due to abination of many factors, Chu Lian¡¯s pregnancy was temporarily kept a secret.

    When He Changdi hurried over, Physician Li was already long gone.

    There were only a couple of unfamiliar servants outside the room, who were maids of the imperial residence.

    Wenqing and Wen were both inside the room.

    Laiyue stayed outside as He Changdi walked in. His sharp eyes swept around the room, but all he saw was Wenqing and Wen who were cleaning up.

    ¡°Where¡¯s your young madam?¡±

    He Changdi frowned and asked.

    Wenqing and Wen were feeling rather unhappy with He Changdi, but they didn¡¯t dare to show any disrespect to him.

    The two sisters bowed their heads and answered, ¡°Third Young Madam has gone to the back to soak in the hot springs.¡±

    HeChangdi paused, then took off his cloak and handed it to Wenqing. He walked two steps over to a table and sat down.

    His voice was akin to frosty winds in their ears as he asked, ¡°What happened? Why did you call for the female physician?¡±

    Wenqing reported every detail of the matter of Chu Lian feeling unwell to He Changdi.

    ¡°And what did Physician Li say?¡±

    ¡°Her diagnosis was that Third Young Madam has suffered from too much worry andcks qi and blood. Third Young Madam requires more nutrition to recover.¡±

    With his memories of his previous life, He Changdi had no faith in the physicians from the pce, be they imperial ordy. He was worried about Chu Lian¡¯s well-being, so he had already concluded that he would have Great Doctor Miao give her a check-up once they returned.

    ¡°When did Lian¡¯er go in?¡±

    Wenqing estimated the time. ¡°It has been a while, approximately thirty minutes.¡±

    He Changdi was worried that Chu Lian had lost consciousness from staying too long in the hot springs, so he took off his robe and entered the adjoining bathing hall where the hot springs were.

 Chapter 655 - What a Crappy Suggestion (1)

    <strong>Chapter 655: What a Crappy Suggestion (1)</strong>

    As expected of the imperial family¡¯s holiday vi, they were not only situated at the mouth of the hot springs itself, the baths in the vi were extremely luxurious.

    This vi had been built in the previous dynasty with massive amounts of manpower and resources. However, this luxurious pce hadn¡¯t beenpleted for long before the previous dynasty came to an end, leaving the next dynasty to reap this unexpected benefit.

    He CHangdi lifted up the heavy blinds covering the entrance to the bath of the inner hall.

    Since the hot spring water came from the ground, there was a special sulphurous smell specific to hot springs lingering in the air. That heavy smell was further mixed with incense and flower fragrances, making it hard to breathe.

    He Changdi kept his footsteps light and silent.

    As he passed under thest set of blinds at the entrance, the slender figure in the wide oval bathing pool came into view.

    Chu Lian¡¯s nerves had been strung tight these two days thanks to the fall and the situation afterwards. It was a rare chance for her to visit a hot spring, and its waters did not disappoint. The warmth of the hot spring water surrounded her weary body and allowed her to rxpletely.

    She sat at the side of the pool, where there was a specially carved curved tform to sit on. The water went up to her corbone, leaving her fair, smooth shoulders open to the air.

    Her long, silky hair had been pinned up by a simple wooden hairpin, leaving two locks of hair to frame her lovely face. Those two long locks made a wavy trail where they touched the water, giving a touch of ir to the scene.

    Afraid that she would slip deeper into the pool, Chu Lian was resting her slender arms on the white jade steps behind her, which were covered by a thick carpet. One hand was ced upon the railing of the jade steps, the end of which was carved into the shape of a phoenix¡¯s head.

    The steam billowing up from the pool made her sleepy. She leaned her head on her forearm and shut her eyes as sheid partly on the carpet.

    This was the beautiful scene that greeted He Changdi when he entered the bathing area.

    Chu Lian was currently sitting with her back towards him.

    Half of her fair back was revealed to the open air, while the other half remained hidden under the steamy waters. Her delicate shoulder des, so simr to butterfly wings and wet from the waters, reflected the dim glow of thenterns.

    A few stray locks of hair trailed down from her long, elegant neck.

    Two thin arms stretched out over the woolen carpetid on the white jade steps.

    Her snow-white skin looked like exquisite porcin against the dark crimson of the carpet.

    The Adam¡¯s apple on He Changdi¡¯s throat dipped as he gulped once.

    For some reason, Captain Guo and Zhang Mai¡¯s words rang through his head once more.

    His pupils dted, and his entire body tensed up as his breathing became heavier.

    Wenqing and Wen were guarding the door outside, so Chu Lian wasn¡¯t expecting any intruders. The warmth of the waters had already lulled her into sleepiness, so she didn¡¯t notice that He Changdi had entered the hall and was standing by the pool.

    He Sang clenched his hands tightly and took a deep breath. He shut his eyes as he tried to suppress the desire that had red up in his heart.

    He slowly walked over to Chu Lian as he battled fiercely with himself.

    Two sides of him warred against each other, but finally, the evil side won over the good one...

    With a deft movement of his fingers, he took off his belt and tossed it to one side. It was quickly followed by his outer robe, which flew off to another corner.

    He Sang was left only in his inner clothes in a short moment.

    He entered the water from the other side of the pool. Chu Lian was leaning on the edge of the hot spring pool with her eyes shut, so she waspletely unaware of his movements.

    While still in the middle of a daze from all the steam around her, Chu Lian suddenly felt a pair of strong arms hugging her from behind.

    Her slight body was pulled flush against a hard chest.

    One of He Changdi¡¯s arms reached around Chu Lian to grope the softness he loved the most, while the other slid down to the side of her waist and belly to stroke it gently.

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes had already widened in rm the moment she had been caught. The haze that had been hanging over her head dissipated at once, and she subconsciously thought of screaming and struggling.

    However, her head was turned to the side by the intruder and her tongue was immediately entwined with his before she could even draw up the wits to shout.

    All she could do was let out muffled protests.

    In the midst of her struggles, Chu Lian¡¯s almond-shaped eyes finally caught sight of the person who was attacking her.

    The sight of those familiar features made the tension in her thumping heart fade away. However, what came next wasn¡¯t happiness or excitement, but endless sadness and grievance.

    Since her mouth was still covered, all she could do wasin loudly in her own mind.

    How could He Changdi act this way!

    He had clearly been ignoring her for these few days and he hadn¡¯t even dared to meet her once. Yet he had now appeared without any warning and was bullying her! Did he know how scared she had been when a strange man¡¯s arms had been wrapped around her so suddenly?!

    Thebination of the lingering fear and those thoughts made the tears she had been holding back for so long spill out of her eyes. They rolled down her cheeks like strings of pearls.

 Chapter 656 - What a Crappy Suggestion (2)

    <strong>Chapter 656: What a Crappy Suggestion (2)</strong>

    After fighting a cold war for so long, all that was He Sang¡¯s head was the desire to soothe his longing for Chu Lian. He continued pressing her down with his kisses.

    He used his tongue to explore her mouth, teasing her and entwining with her soft tongue.

    Her hot breath on his face, her light pants, they only fanned the mes in his heart.

    Just as he was immersed in her warmth, he suddenly tasted something strangely bitter.

    The hands teasing and roving over Chu Lian¡¯s body sensed a different kind of tension.

    He finally opened his eyes, only to be met with Chu Lian¡¯s tear-streaked face.

    The excitement and desire in He Changdi¡¯s eyes slowly ebbed away. He hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to react this way.

    He quickly let go of the soft and boneless figure in his arms. His voice carried some huskiness and heartache as he asked, ¡°Lian¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Chu Lian was feeling especially wronged right now. Her almond-shaped eyes reflected both rage and grievance as she red right at him.

    He Changdi feltpletely helpless in the face of this.

    He tried to wipe away Chu Lian¡¯s tears with one hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, Lian¡¯er. Please don¡¯t cry?¡±

    The usually cool He Sang was terrible atforting women. As much as he tried, all he coulde up with was those two phrases.

    How could the fires raging in Chu Lian¡¯s heart be put out by those simple and thoughtless words?

    Disappointment radiated from her gaze and she pushed He Changdi away from her body.

    Of course, He Sang wasn¡¯t willing to let her go just yet.

    Chu Lian struggled even harder. In her extreme rage, shended a p on He Changdi¡¯s face.

    The crisp sound of that blow echoed in the wide halls of the bath.

    Chu Lian had put enough strength into her p that a bright red mark in the shape of her palm quickly surfaced on one half of He Changdi¡¯s handsome face.

    Taking advantage of He Changdi¡¯s momentary daze, Chu Lian slipped out of his arms.

    She quickly climbed out of the pool, snatched up her nightgown off the privacy screen and pulled it on, and ran out of the bathing area barefoot.

    Leaving behind a stunned He Changdi alone in the steaming hot spring pool.

    After a long moment, He Sang broke out of his statue-like pose to look after where Chu Lian had disappeared. He let out a long sigh and let his body crumple against the wall of the pool.

    He shut his eyes again. In his mind, the image of Chu Lian¡¯s angry, aggrieved, tearful and pitiful expression haunted him.

    Damn it! He really was a scoundrel!

    He deserved this p.

    He Changdi covered his eyes and thought carefully back to all that had happened the past few days.

    If He Sang refused to reflect even at this point, then he would really be brainless.

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s ns, Imperial Princess Leyao¡¯s little plot, Feudal Princess Anmin pushing things alone, as well as Sixth Prince, who was likely to be the mastermind behind this all...

    All these were easy enough to figure out, but it was only the emperor¡¯s abnormal attention and caring for Chu Lian that left him befuddled.

    The expression on He Sang¡¯s face turned even more grave. He had a feeling that there were some secrets he hadn¡¯t been able to find out in his previous life, and that those very secrets would somehow implicate him in some way in this life.

    The moment He Changdi had straightened out his thoughts, the haze over his mind cleared up.

    When he recalled his earlier actions, He Changdi scrubbed furiously at his face.

    Damn Captain Guo and Zhang Mai! Their advice wasn¡¯t helpful at all! He had to find a chance to take revenge on them!

    Chu Lian had already left in a fury, so He Changdi didn¡¯t have any more desire to soak in the hot springs. He left the pool and changed into a dry set of clothes before leaving the hall.

    He looked out into the hall, where Chu Lian was nowhere to be found.

    He Changdi: ...

    His icy gaze swept over to the maidservant standing guard nearby, who couldn¡¯t help but tremble under his watch, ¡°Re... Replying to Third Young Master, Third Young Madam took Wenqing and Wen over to Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s. Third Young Madam has informed this servant that she will be staying with Royal Princess Duanjia tonight. Third Young Master doesn¡¯t have to wait for her. She asked Third Young Master to sleep earlier.¡±

    Faced with He Changdi¡¯s dangerous gaze, the maidservant finished her report while stuttering.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t say anything in reply. The storm on his face simply turned even darker.

    He changed into another set of clothes and headed for Prince Wei¡¯s hall. However, he was stopped by Prince Wei¡¯s manservant at the entrance.

    The manservant smiled kindly, ¡°Marquis Anyuan, this servant apologises greatly for the inconvenience. Their Highnesses have already settled down for the night. If milord has any business at hand, please wait for the next morning!¡±

    There were other guards at the entrance and Prince Wei¡¯s status was special. He Changdi couldn¡¯t enter by force.

    He could only stay at the entrance.

    When the manservant saw that He Changdi still stood there silently with a cold expression, he tried to persuade him, ¡°Marquis Anyuan, please rest assured. Her Highness treats Honoured Lady Jinyi as her own daughter. How could Honoured Lady suffer any bit of mistreatment here with Her Highness? Honoured Lady will return to you without a single hair missing. It¡¯s gettingte, Marquis Anyuan should head back to rest!¡±

    He Changdi continued standing there with his hands behind his back in his ck robes, as if the manservant hadn¡¯t spoken at all.

    The manservant had no other way to deal with this stubborn marquis, ¡°Well, if that¡¯s what you want. This servant won¡¯t bother with you.¡±

    After saying so, the manservant waved at the guards. The crimson gates of the courtyard were quickly shut, leaving He Changdi outside.

    The remaining two guards outside didn¡¯t even nce at He Changdi and stood at their posts with ramrod-straight backs, looking like a pair of statues.

    After a moment, the gates didn¡¯t open again and the inside was as quiet as could be.

    Laiyue couldn¡¯t bear seeing the situation like this and tried to coax his master, ¡°Third Young Master, why don¡¯t we head back? Nothing will happen to Third Young Madam here. We still have a long journey to the capital tomorrow, and you still have to apany the emperor!¡±

    He Changdi turned his head slightly to look at Laiyue. Following that, he pressed his thin lips together and waved his hand at Laiyue, clearly ordering him to return to their hall first.

    Laiyue knew that he hadn¡¯t seeded at all. His Third Young Master was a stubborn one. There was no swaying him at this point.

    However, as He Changdi¡¯s manservant, he couldn¡¯t really just head back by himself. He couldn¡¯t sit back and rx while his master was suffering.

    Thus, he resigned himself to his fate and stood in front of Prince Wei¡¯s dwelling with He Changdi.

    They had only been standing there for an hour, when a sudden bolt of lightning and roll of thunder announced the start of a thunderstorm.

    Heavy rain started pouring in the darkness of the night.

 Chapter 657 - Playing Pitiful (1)

    <strong>Chapter 657: ying Pitiful (1)</strong>

    Within a side room in the courtyard, Chu Lian was about to lie in bed under Wenqing¡¯s careful attendance.

    She had been feeling tired throughout the day, and had even received a surprise ¡®assault¡¯ from He Changdi in the night. Her mind had been on edge the whole day. Now that she finally got to rx, the exhaustion piled up upon her.

    However, the moment sheid down, there was the sound of thunder, and then came the pattering sound of rain.

    Chu Lian stared nkly at the ceiling. She blinked her almond-shaped eyes several times, then pulled up the nket to cover her ears in an attempt to iste herself from the annoying sound of rainfall.

    Wenqing stood to one side, contemting whether to speak or not. She had already received news of Third Young Mastering over and waiting outside the gates.

    It was evident that Prince and Princess Wei had no intention of keeping He Changdi¡¯s actions from Chu Lian.

    The final say was left to Chu Lian. Even though Wenqing was concerned about the well-being of her master, as a mere servant, it wasn¡¯t her ce to say anything.

    Chu Lian reached out and made a gesture for Wenqing to go and said, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard today, go get some rest too.¡±

    Wenqing sighed inwardly. The quarrel between Third Young Madam and Third Young Master must be really bad this time. Even at this point in their rtionship, there were still obstacles between the two of them.

    ¡°This servant will retreat for now. This servant will have a rest on the chaise right outside, please call for this servant if you need anything, Third Young Madam.¡±

    Once Wenqing¡¯s footsteps faded away, Chu Lian pulled down the nket covering her face.

    As she looked at the peaceful turquoise-colored canopy, her mind was filled with chaotic thoughts.

    She forced her eyes shut, but the sounds of the pattering rain and cracking thunder pierced her ears, and felt like hammers mming down on her heart.

    Chu Lian tossed and turned but she just couldn¡¯t fall asleep. All that was on her mind were the words reported by a servant who hade by earlier.

    ¡°Honoured Lady, Marquis Anyuan hase over looking for you. The princess ordered the guards to stop him from entering and the guards have advised him to leave, but it doesn¡¯t seem like Marquis Anyuan intends to do so. He has been standing at the entrance for an hour. Do you have any orders?¡±

    It had never ured to Chu Lian that it would rain tonight, and that it would be such a heavy downpour.

    That lunatic He Sang wouldn¡¯t actually be so silly to stand in front of the gate all night, right?

    At the entrance, there were only small eaves hanging over the door to protect people from the rain.

    Wouldn¡¯t he already be soaked by now?

    It was already spring, and summer would soone, but it was still easy to fall ill by staying out in the rain like this.

    Even though they had Great Doctor Miao, the Great Wu Dynasty wasn¡¯t like the modern times. They didn¡¯t have any advanced medical equipment. Thus, even the smallest cold could end up taking a person¡¯s life.

    Chu Lian¡¯s thoughts went wild. The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became.

    The maidservant had said that Laiyue was there as well. That fellow wouldn¡¯t just stand there and watch his master get soaked, right?

    He Sang would have to stay by His Majesty¡¯s side as a guard the next morning as well...

    After tossing and turning restlessly in bed for another fifteen minutes, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t continue lying down anymore. She got up and listened to the pouring rain, praying that it would lighten up, but the heavens paid no heed to her wishes. The rain outside didn¡¯t get any softer at all, and was even getting louder instead.

    Chu Lian finally had enough, and shouted for Wenqing who was resting outside.

    Wenqing quickly entered. From her attire, it was obvious that she hadn¡¯t gone to rest at all.

    Chu Lian gripped the nket tightly with both hands, took a deep breath, then ordered, ¡°Wenqing, go to the entrance and check if he has left.¡±

    Wenqing¡¯s eyes brightened up. She quickly answered in the affirmative and bowed to Chu Lian, then immediately walked off toplete the task.

    Chu Lian watched as Wenqing left impatiently, and sighed. They had probably guessed that she would be too soft-hearted to ignore this situation.

    Oh well, what¡¯s done is done, She had never had the heart to watch He Changdi suffer anyway.

    At the entrance, the originally suave and charismatic He Sang was now so soaked that he looked like a drowned rat.

    The two locks of hair framing his face were now stuck to his face due to the rain, and drops of rain were streaking down his stubborn expression and dripping from his chin.

    He raised one hand to wipe away the rainwater on his face.

    He maintained a frosty expression in the pouring rain, but his back was straighter than ever.

    Even the two guards couldn¡¯t bear to watch him do this to himself.

    ¡°Marquis, pleasee over here for cover. The spring rain is chilly, and it will be easy to fall ill if Marquis stays there.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t move an inch. It was as if the two guards didn¡¯t even exist.

    The two guards were at a loss for what to do, so they secretly had someone report this to the higher-ups.

    Unexpectedly, the servant who went to pass the message returned and told them to leave Marquis Anyuan alone. As long as Honoured Lady Jinyi remained silent, this would be none of their concern even if he stood there overnight.

    The two guards looked at each other, and had no choice but to keep their mouths shut.

    Laiyue was standing there holding two umbres and was incredibly anxious as well. He waspletely soaked, and he had tried to persuade Third Young Master to take an umbre or go back for now, but He Changdi stayed unmoving like a stone statue.

    Like a fool, Laiyue held the umbres without opening them, and apanied his ¡®crazy¡¯ master in front of the entrance.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that these guards refused to let him enter as well, he would have already gone in to look for Third Young Madam with tears in his eyes.

    Right as Laiyue was falling into a daze, he caught sight of someone in his peripheral vision; it was a familiar figure to him.

    He abruptly raised his head, and his eyes met with Wenqing¡¯s searching gaze.

    His eyes immediately brightened up, and he waved at Wenqing from outside the courtyard like an idiot. His smile was so wide that it revealed all of his white teeth.

    Wenqing served Third Young Madam personally. Since she hade here at this time, it had to be by Third Young Madam¡¯s order.

    It seemed like Third Young Master hadn¡¯t gotten soaked for nothing. The rainbowes after the storm.

    This had truly been an arduous mission.

    Wenqing red at him, then shifted her gaze to He Changdi. She sized him up, then turned away and left quickly.

    Laiyue moved closer to He Changdi, and said with a silly smile on his face, ¡°Third Young Master, did you see who that was? It was Wenqing.¡±

    He Changdi sent a chilly gaze at him, and Laiyue immediately curbed his smile and shut his mouth.

 Chapter 658 - Playing Pitiful (2)

    <strong>Chapter 658: ying Pitiful (2)</strong>

    Wenqing narrated what she had seen in full detail to Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian sat by the bed, a little stunned. The dim yellow candle light shone on the side of her face, making her small face seem even paler.

    As Wenqing didn¡¯t hear any reply from Chu Lian, she had to probe again, ¡°Third Young Madam, what should we do?¡±

    Chu Lian sighed softly, ¡°Wenqing, take him to the opposite room, and have Wen get him a clean set of clothes. Okay, I¡¯m going to sleep now, don¡¯t disturb me unless it¡¯s for something important.¡±

    Wenqing felt a burst of joy inside. Although the majority of the me for the couple¡¯s fight fell upon Third Young Master this time and she wanted to get justice for Third Young Madam as well, the men were still the ones who held power in the Great Wu Dynasty.

    If the rtionship between husband and wife deteriorated, Chu Lian would always be on the losing side as the wife.

    Wenqing personally went out and conveyed Chu Lian¡¯s words to Third Young Master.

    This time, He Changdi managed to enter the courtyard smoothly, and changed into clean, dry clothes in the room beside Chu Lian¡¯s.

    He wanted to go take a look at Chu Lian, but Wen informed him that Third Young Madam had already gone to sleep.

    On the other side, the lights were still on in Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s room.

    A maidservant was standing beside her and softly reporting something to her.

    Once she heard all of it, Royal Princess Duanjia pouted, and gestured for the maid to leave.

    When she was the only one left inside the room, a tall and burly figure appeared from behind a screen.

    He Changjue walked over to the table and sat down, ¡°Third Brother and Third Sister-inw have always had a good rtionship, why are they suddenly fighting?¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia rolled her eyes without any care for her image, ¡°Honestly, your brother¡¯s heart is like a blob of corniness. Getting soaked in the rain? He obviously did that on purpose! That silly Chu Liu would probably let everything go after he coaxes her a little.¡±

    He Changjue awkwardly coughed, ¡°Sang isn¡¯t as bad as you think, he just really loves his wife.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit! Who even shows their love for their wife like this? And is he blind or something? He¡¯s been so close to that damned brat Leyao.¡±

    He Changjue stiffened up as he was unable to refute that.

    Royal Princess Duanjia suddenly turned her head and red at He Changjue, then pointed her finger right in his face, ¡°If you dare to treat me like this in the future, I¡¯ll immediately divorce you!¡±

    He Changjue¡¯s face immediately turned ck.

    The next day, everyone was preparing to return to the capital early in the morning.

    As He Changdi had to stay by the emperor¡¯s side as a guard, he had already gotten up before dawn.

    Before he left, he stood in front of Chu Lian¡¯s window for fifteen minutes, and finally left while suppressing his coughs.

    When Chu Lian got up, He Changdi was already long gone.

    She endured the urge to ask about He Changdi¡¯s condition.

    However, herplexion seemed to have greatly improved after a proper night¡¯s rest.

    Once everything was packed, they boarded the carriage. Only an hour through the journey back to the capital, someone knocked on the window of the carriage.

    Wen raised the curtain of the carriage. Seeing the person outside the carriage, she greeted, ¡°Good morning, General Sima. Have youe to look for our Third Young Madam?¡±

    Sima Hui was riding on a snow-white horse. Looking incredibly suave in her martial attire, she nodded towards Wen with a smile.

    A few momentster, Wenqing and Wen stepped off the carriage and got onto horses instead, leaving the space in the carriage for Chu Lian and Sima Hui.

    The moment Sima Hui entered the carriage, she looked around the spacious carriage and touched the decor in the carriage. A smile surfaced on her lips as she said, ¡°As expected of the imperial family¡¯s carriage. If I hadn¡¯t known beforehand, I would have thought that the person riding in this carriage was a prince or princess!¡±

    Chu Lian gave her a look of disdain, ¡°This is a carriage granted by the emperor himself, of course it would be high-quality.¡±

    Sima Huiughed, ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong! The one that Xiao Bojian is riding in isn¡¯t as good as this one!¡±

    ¡°Sister Hui, have youe here just to make fun of me?¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll stop joking with you.¡±

    Seeing Sima Hui¡¯s serious expression, Chu Lian set aside the smile on her face. With clear eyes and a slight frown, she asked, ¡°What is it?¡±

    Sima Hui sat right next to her, and coughed twice awkwardly, ¡°Lian¡¯er, just what happened between you and He Sang?¡±

    Chu Lian: ...

    Right now, Chu Lian truly wished that she could find a hole and bury her head inside it. Why was it that this insignificant matter between her and her husband was known to everyone around them?

    Aftering to her tent to for a free meal on the first day, Sima Hui had stayed by the emperor¡¯s side with the other military officials. The two hadn¡¯t even seen each other until now, yet Sima Hui had still caught wind of this.

    The corner of Chu Lian¡¯s mouth twitched. Only one possibility came to mind, ¡°Was it Fourth Prince who told you about it?¡±

    Prince Jin was the lunatic He Changdi¡¯s best friend. If he needed to confide in someone about this, Prince Jin would be his first choice.

 Chapter 659 - Let Me Lean on You (1)

    <strong>Chapter 659: Let Me Lean on You (1)</strong>

    Sima Hui smiled and didn¡¯t deny it.

    After spending some time together in the north, Sima Hui had gotten some understanding of Chu Lian¡¯s personality.

    She didn¡¯t continue pressing Chu Lian about her rtionship with her husband and turned the conversation elsewhere, ¡°Lian¡¯er, I wasn¡¯t trying to pry. I¡¯m just a messenger sent from Fourth Prince, here to inform you of some facts.¡±

    Chu Lian turned a confused look on Sima Hui.

    Facts?

    When Sima Hui noticed the dazed look on Chu Lian¡¯s cute little face, she knew instantly that her silly friend wasn¡¯t in the know.

    She sighed inwardly, cursing at He Changdi in her mind for keeping everything hidden from his wife. That man had suppressed all his bitterness and hatred in his heart. If not for this special situation and Prince Jin¡¯s inside knowledge, then this couple¡¯s rtionship might really have gone beyond the point of repair.

    ¡°The silver mine that He Changdi and Prince Jin have been hiding at the north is being investigated.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.

    Was she joking?! A silver mine?! The discovery of any silver mines had to be reported to the court immediately so that the Ministry of Revenue could make an official report of it to the emperor. The emperor himself would then order the cab to pick a few suitable officials to lead a team to develop the mine.

    Thew here was that no one could develop mines on their own, even the princes!

    He Changdi was way too bold! He actually developed a private mine of his own with Prince Jin!

    Thinking back to when they were in the north and how He Changdi¡¯s subordinates had kept disappearing, a chill sprung up in Chu Lian¡¯s heart. It was her fault for not reading the story to the end and not finding out if there was anything information rted to the silver mine.

    No wonder he had been so generous with his money that time. He had bought her essories and even that storefront... When she had asked, all he had said that the money was his and that he had gotten it through legitimate means that had to be kept secret.

    Well, now she knew exactly what it had to be kept secret. That money hade from the silver in his illegal mine!

    If the emperor really wanted to pursue the matter, he could definitely mete out a heavy punishment. Taking away his official position as well as his noble rank were all within expectations.

    ¡°Does His Majesty know?¡± A tremor had developed in Chu Lian¡¯s voice when she spoke.

    Sima Hui nodded gravely, ¡°His Majesty found out right before the spring hunt.¡±

    Chu Lian immediately realised how serious the matter was. Her own expression took a turn for the worse.

    ¡°And, Imperial Concubine Wei knows about this matter as well,¡± Sima Hui calmly added on a bombshell that gave Chu Lian the urge to fall to the ground...

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t hold back her gasp.

    ¡°But you don¡¯t have to worry too much. Prince Jin and Marquis Anyuan have already controlled any news leaking about this matter and there aren¡¯t many who know about it. His Majesty has also quietly given them permission to hand over the silver mine to the court through the proper channels instead.¡±

    Prince Jin was still the emperor¡¯s flesh and blood after all. Although this incident had turned the emperor¡¯s impression of him towards the negative, the benefits brought to the country by discovering a new silver mine were enough to grant him some merit for the achievement, enough for the emperor to overlook his mistake.

    Chu Lian suddenly thought back to the morning she had seen He Changdi apanying Imperial Princess Leyao.

    Sima Hui seemed to have guessed at her train of thought.

    ¡°Marquis Anyuan has been apanying Princess Leyao for the past two days, partly because of the emperor¡¯s order, as well as due to Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s threats. Imperial Princess Leyao got crippled because of her own reckless actions. Unfortunately, because Marquis Anyuan was nearby when it happened, Imperial Concubine Wei feels that it was Marquis Anyuan¡¯s fault for not saving her in time.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes opened wide, she really couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing.

    There were so many reasons behind his cold behaviour towards her the past few days?

    Why didn¡¯t He Changdi talk to her? When she wanted to open her heart to him, he had kept avoiding her.

    As if she were some scary beast.

    Sima Hui noticed that Chu Lian had lowered her head and closed her eyes. Her lips were pressed tightly together. The general knew that her friend had taken her words to heart.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m not going to say anything else. The rest is between you and your husband. If you have the time, go and have a good chat with him.¡±

    Sima Hui stroked Chu Lian¡¯s smooth hair before lifting the curtain entrance of the carriage and jumping straight out,nding on her mount smoothly. She wielded her horse whip gracefully, and her horse shot forward to join the rest of the military officials further in front.

    When the spring hunt party passed the gates of the capital, they each returned to their own estates.

    Only a few officials still had to follow behind the emperor and enter the pce for further orders. Chu Lian was intending to wait at Xuanwu Gate for He Changdi so that they could return home together. Unfortunately, Laiyue came out with a special message from He Changdi, telling her to head home first.

    Chu Lian thought it over for a moment before shooting a look at Laiyue, who was waiting respectfully at the side. Instead of instructing the driver or the guards to move, she started questioning He Changdi¡¯s manservant, ¡°Where did you gost night?¡±

    Laiyue looked up in shock over the question, but quickly lowered his head again to hide the sh of panic in his eyes. He tried his best to calm down and answered, ¡°Replying to Third Young Madam, this servant didn¡¯t go anywhere, this servant went to sleep the moment it got dark?¡±

    The usual soft and watery gaze in Chu Lian¡¯s eyes was gone, reced by a frigid re that could rival her husband¡¯s. When itnded on Laiyue¡¯s frame, he couldn¡¯t bear the pressure and started trembling uncontrobly.

    Laiyue¡¯s head shrunk even lower. Chu Lian didn¡¯t continue speaking and simply continued looking at him.

 Chapter 660 - Let Me Lean on You (2)

    <strong>Chapter 660: Let Me Lean on You (2)</strong>

    Finally, Laiyue broke under the weight of her gaze and spoke the truth, ¡°Third Young Madam, this servant deserves death for lying to you. However, Third Young Master already gave me an order... Last...st night, this servant and Third Young Master went into the forest to pick medicinal herbs. It wasn¡¯t until midnight that we finally found all the ingredients that Imperial Concubine Wei needed.¡±

    What!

    Chu Lian stared at Laiyue in shock, her almond-shaped eyes even wider than usual.

    Laiyue thought that Chu Lian didn¡¯t believe his words. He pleaded with a sincere and put-out tone, ¡°Third Young Madam, this servant is speaking the truth this time. If this servant lies, then this servant will never...¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, I heard you. I believe you,¡± Chu Lian cut off his vow and let down the curtain covering the carriage entrance. She settled back into her seat in the carriage.

    Imperial Concubine Wei!

    Chu Lian was all puffed up with anger. That woman actually dared to bully her man!

    That lunatic He Changdi... He was clearly just a fool! He was so stupid to actually agree to such a ridiculous demand too! Oooh, she was so angry!

    Although Laiyue could sense that Third Young Madam was angry, the carriage remained stationary outside of the pce gates.

    Did this mean that Third Young Madam was going to wait for Third Young Master to be done?

    Laiye perked up. While Third Young Master and Madam had been fighting, he had been the one who suffered the most.

    Even he thought himself pitiful.

    He Changdi stood with his back ramrod-straight as he strode quickly down the white jade steps of the pce.

    His face was ashen. His healthy pink lips were now white and peeling. He would also let out a low cough from time to time, it was clear that he had fallen sick.

    However, his icy aura and cold demeanour leant a hint of beauty even to his ill pallor.

    While walking along the path to Xuanwu Gate, he kept his gaze lowered. It wasn¡¯t until he reached the gates that he looked up.

    Only to see a familiar carriage stopped right outside the pce gates, with Laiyue and the estate¡¯s guards standing next to it.

    He Changdi¡¯s eyes lit up; two sparks of light shining steadfastly in the depths of the darkness.

    The heart he had encased in ice suddenly melted, as if wrapped in a cocoon of warmth, giving him the urge to sigh from thefort.

    Unknowingly, his steps underneath him quickened.

    Laiyue seemed to have spotted him from afar. Since Laiyue couldn¡¯t pass through the pce gates at this time, he stood where he was and waved at He Changdi.

    For He Changdi, it was as if the clouds had parted, letting the sun shine brightly in his heart once again. He didn¡¯t mind Laiyue¡¯s silly grin for once and walked over to his manservant in a rare good mood.

    Once he stepped out of the pce gates, Laiyue grinned at him and said, ¡°Third Young Master, you¡¯ve finallye out of the pce! Third Young Madam has been waiting for you for close to two hours!¡±

    The spark in He Changdi¡¯s eyes was still resplendent. His expression was as cool as ever, like an icy mountain, and his tone was calm as he instructed Laiyue, ¡°After I board the carriage, tell them to return to the estate.¡±

    Laiyueplied with a smile.

    He Changdi immediately turned and got onto the carriage after that order.

    There was only Chu Lian left in the carriage now. Wenqing and Wen seemed to have guessed that he would sit in the carriage with Chu Lian on the way back, so they had gone out and would be returning on horses instead.

    Chu Lian was lying on her side on the long bench of the carriage. The bench had been covered in a thick and fluffy fleece carpet. An exquisite coral fleece nket had been draped over her body. Even in her sleep, her brow was furrowed, showing how badly she slept.

    He Changdi made it to her side in two steps and sat down beside her. He reached out and hugged her tightly, pulling her to sit on hisp with her head resting on his broad shoulders.

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t been sleeping too deeply, so she was woken by his movements.

    For some reason, waking up in this position in his embrace and seeing his pale face closeup brought a pang of heartache. Tears gathered in Chu Lian¡¯s eyes and started falling.

    Chu Lian returned his embrace with arms around his neck as she wiped at her tears with one hand.

    She was a little frustrated with herself. What was going on with her mood? Why was she crying for no reason? She had never been a crybaby!

    He Changdi¡¯s heart had already been aching for his wife ever since the day he had seen her with tear tracks on her face. Now that she was crying right in front of him, his heart ached even more.

    He lifted her chin with one hand and bent down to kiss the teardrops off her face. He followed the flow of her tears up to the wet corners of her eyes.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, don¡¯t cry, it¡¯s all my fault.¡± He didn¡¯t know how tofort others. All he could do was to repeat those two lines.

    However, the emotion in his voice held a miraculous power that somehow helped to calm Chu Lian down.

    Under his gentle reassurance, her tears quickly stopped flowing.

    Chu Lian sniffled pitifully and tightened her hold around He Changdi¡¯s neck, pressing her face into his chest.

    He Changdi called out gently, ¡°Lian¡¯er?¡±

    ¡°He Changdi, let me lean on you for a while. I don¡¯t want to talk right now...¡± Chu Lian¡¯s voice was all muffled, while she was buried in his chest.

    Thus, He Sang pressed his lips together and kept his right arm around her waist, while he used his other hand to stroke her soothingly on her back. He looked as if he wereforting a child who was feeling wronged.

    The carriage started moving slowly.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t speak and simply kissed the top of Chu Lian¡¯s head from time to time, enjoying the familiar sensation of his wife in his arms and her enchanting scent.

    Chu Lian hid in the safety of his chest for a long while before finally lifting up her head and looking at He Changdi.

    She could tell that he hadn¡¯t been very well for the past two days. Stubble was growing on his chin and his lips were peeling. There were also dark eye circles under his eyes now.

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t resist the urge to kiss him, so she reached up a little and kissed his coarse chin. His stubble was all prickly under her soft lips, but it wasn¡¯t ufortable. It was just... special.

    He Changdi started for a bit from Chu Lian¡¯s sudden action, and his body froze up for two seconds. Slowly after that, life started returning to his eyes and he met her gaze steadily without blinking, as if he were scared that she would disappear if he blinked.

 Chapter 661 - Pregnant (1)

    <strong>Chapter 661: Pregnant (1)</strong>

    Chu Lian felt ufortable under his direct gaze. Her face flushed instantly and she turned her head away to avoid his eyes, but He Changdi caught hold of her chin and started raining kisses on her.

    He started at the corner of her lips, then sucked on her full bottom lip and nibbled on it. Just as he was about to push deeper into her mouth, He Changdi seemed to recall something and quickly let go of Chu Lian.

    Still immersed in the steamy bout of affection, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t make sense of what happened. Her originally bashful eyes fluttered open and she turned her confused and misty gaze upon He Changdi.

    He Changdi¡¯s heart softened and he stroked her smooth and reddened cheeks lovingly, ¡°I have a cold, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll pass it to you.¡±

    It was then that Chu Lian found out why he had suddenly moved away.

    She pressed her pink lips together. Using He Changdi¡¯s momentary distraction, she raised her body and attacked his thin and slightly pale lips.

    Her little lithe tongue reached into his mouth, twisting around in exploration. He Changdi stiffened up at the intrusion as the desire in his eyes thickened.

    The thirst he had tried to resist was back in full force thanks to Chu Lian¡¯s simple gesture.

    As he delved deeper into their kiss, He Changdi heard the woman in his arms speaking in a slightly muffled voice, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of a cold.¡±

    A corner of his lips hooked up in a smile as he turned the tables on his invader andpletely dominated her mouth in return.

    Their battle continued until Chu Lian was gasping for breath.

    He Changdi loosened his hold on her a little. Her sweet and fragrant breath was puffing out over his nose. He continuously ced tiny kisses at the corners of her mouth and cheek.

    Chu Lian took a breather as sheid bonelessly against He Changdi¡¯s shoulders. It took some time before the flush on her cheeks faded away.

    Neither of them broke the silence. Instead, they tookfort from leaning on each other.

    It wasn¡¯t long before Chu Lian dozed off, still leaning against He Changdi.

    By the time their carriage reached the Anyuan Estate, darkness was already falling outside.

    Seeing that Chu Lian was still sleeping soundly in his arms, He Changdi couldn¡¯t bear to wake her. He wrapped her up tightly in his cloak and carried her in to the estate.

    Even before they had reached the main courtyard they shared, Chu Lian had already woken up. However, thanks to He Changdi¡¯s bold actions, she was too shy to open her eyes and continued feigning sleep.

    The main courtyard of their new estate was still called Songtao Court.

    Once He Changdi entered their courtyard, he ordered the servants to call for Great Doctor Miao.

    While Chu Lian had been in the pink of health initially, she had suffered some damage on the trip to the north. It had taken a period of nourishment in order to get her health back to normal. This time, she had also suffered some fright at the hunting grounds. Although the imperial physicians had given her a clean bill of health, He Sang was still worried for her.

    Thus, he asked for Great Doctor Miao to look at Chu Lian the moment they were home.

    Since they had moved out of the Jing¡¯an Estate, Great Doctor Miao had followed them to the Anyuan Estate. Chu Lian had arranged for Great Doctor Miao to have his own courtyard and even a special medicine room. At his age, Great Doctor Miao didn¡¯t have much that he was interested in, aside from medicine and good food.

    With the small and simple family of House Anyuan and Chu Lian¡¯s cooking, the Anyuan Estate was the ideal living space for Great Doctor Miao.

    Thus, Great Doctor Miao was rather grateful to the couple. When He Changdi requested his presence, he came quickly.

    Chu Lian ¡®woke up¡¯ when she arrived back at Songtao Court. Since the ones serving in Songtao Court were all her close servants, she didn¡¯t have anything to be embarrassed about around them.

    She gave a slight cough to hide the awkwardness remaining on her face.

    ¡°When Uncle Miaoes overter, let him check your pulse.¡±

    The eternal ice on He Changdi¡¯s face seemed to have melted awaypletely. There was a slight smirk on his face and he simply nodded in reply to her request without any contest.

    Senior Servant Gui had already taken Jingyan and Wen with her to the kitchen to cook dinner.

    Great Doctor Miao was still strong and healthy despite his age, and he arrived at Songtao Court with his medicine box in no time. The moment he entered the parlour, he saw Chu Lian and He Changdi sitting at the head of the room.

    His first reaction was to give them a re and admonish them lightly, ¡°What did you do to yourselves? Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be a simple trip out? Look at what¡¯s happened to you both! Others might think that you¡¯ve gone to battle instead of just hunting!¡±

    The couple had been around Great Doctor Miao for some time now, so they treated him like a senior member of their family. When Great Doctor Miao reprimanded them like this, all they could do was smile sheepishly back.

    Great Doctor Miao set his medicine box on the table and sat down with an air of authority. He faced the couple and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s first?¡±

    Chu Lian turned to look at He Changdi, who took the hint and walked over to Great Doctor Miao¡¯s side.

    Great Doctor Miao took up his hand and remained silent as he read He Changdi¡¯s pulse. After a short while, he spoke up, ¡°It¡¯s nothing major, you caught a cold from the cold weather because your body wasn¡¯t in the best condition. You tired yourself out and put stress on your body by worrying too much. Just have a good night¡¯s rest and take some medicine and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    After saying that, Great Doctor Miao turned his attention to Chu Lian.

    ¡°Now, how about you? How did you get yourself into this state? I just got you back to good health and this is how you repay me?¡±

    Chu Lian lowered her head in shame from the doctor¡¯s scolding.

    He Changdi quickly tried to defend his wife, ¡°Uncle Miao, it¡¯s all my fault, don¡¯t scold Lian¡¯er.¡±

    Great Doctor Miao harrumphed.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going toe here?¡±

    He Changdi vacated his seat next to Great Doctor Miao, and Chu Lian stood up and sat in He Changdi¡¯s ce. She extended a fair wrist and ced it on the handkerchief on the table.

    Great Doctor Miao focused on reading her pulse. Suddenly, he frowned and pressed harder on Chu Lian¡¯s wrist. It took him much longer to read her pulse than he had for He Changdi. He continued checking her pulse for eight whole minutes and even checked both of her wrists.

    He Changdi noticed the grave expression on his face. His heart leaped in rm. He could barely wait for Great Doctor Miao to finish reading Chu Lian¡¯s pulse before he asked, ¡°Uncle Miao, did something happen to Lian¡¯er?¡±

    Chu Lian hadn¡¯t thought much of the long diagnosis. She hadn¡¯t had much appetite these two days and was a little giddy sometimes. To her, it seemed like the symptoms of low blood sugar. She had eaten more ording to what Physician Li had rmended and the symptoms had mostly disappeared.

    However, Great Doctor Miao was a genius in the medical field, so she started feeling uneasy from how serious he had turned.

 Chapter 662 - Pregnant (2)

    <strong>Chapter 662: Pregnant (2)</strong>

    Seeing how worriedly the young couple was looking at him, Great Doctor Miao¡¯s expression rxed. ¡°Did the imperial physician prescribe you any medicine, and did you eat it?¡±

    Chu Lian exined what had happened to her in the arena at the hunting grounds, ¡°Physician Zhou and Li checked on my health, but I didn¡¯t drink any medicine. I only had some normal nourishing soup.¡±

    Hearing that Chu Lian had fallen off her horse, Great Doctor Miao¡¯s eyes widened as far as they could go. However, after hearing that she hadn¡¯t taken any medicine, he heaved a sigh of relief.

    Those sly imperial physicians! The old foxes must have suspected that Chu Lian was pregnant, but they likely hadn¡¯t been able to diagnose it properly, so they must have avoided prescribing any medicine for their own safety.

    ¡°The two of you! Are seriously muddle-headed!¡± Great Doctor Miao pointed a shaking finger at the couple in his anger.

    He turned to look at the servants standing behind Chu Lian and He Changdi andmented, ¡°Ah... What a useless group of people...¡±

    Chu Lian was shocked by Great Doctor Miao¡¯s sudden change in mood. What was going on?

    Faced by all the dazed and confused faces around him, Great Doctor Miao just couldn¡¯t keep his temper up. He stopped beating around the bush and stated, ¡°Lian¡¯er is already one month pregnant! Thank your lucky stars! If you continue being so clumsy, you might have lost the child!¡±

    What?!

    The sudden announcement from Great Doctor Miao made everyone dumbfounded and lost for words.

    The most exaggerated reaction came from He Changdi.

    Hepletely lost his usual cool and stiff facade as a myriad of emotions blossomed into life on his face.

    Chu Lian was stiff with shock. She looked down dazedly at her t abdomen. So there was already a new life growing in there without her knowing! She subconsciously reached out to stroke her abdomen. Even if she couldn¡¯t feel any change, Chu Lian still thought that something was different.

    He Changdi turned to stare at Chu Lian. There were too many emotions in his eyes to name, but slowly, joy surfaced up and shone in his gaze.

    He pulled Chu Lian into his embrace without caring for their audience, hugging Chu Lian around her narrow waist and stroking Chu Lian¡¯s smooth hair tenderly.

    He mumbled, ¡°Lian¡¯er, we... we have a child!¡±

    In his past life, He Changdi had never consummated his marriage with ¡®Chu Lian¡¯. Later on, when House Jing¡¯an had fallen and he had been exiled, his very survival had been a problem out in the bitter north. With revenge on his mind, he hadn¡¯t had the time to consider rtionships with women.

    Thus, this child was his very first. Now that he was going to be a father for the first time, and the person who was going to bear the next generation for him was a woman he deeply loved, thest bits of ice locking his heart fully melted away.

    The servants, Senior Servant Zhong and Xiyan included amongst them, finally reacted to the news. Joy shone from all of their faces; Senior Servant Zhong¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t even be seen from how widely she was beaming.

    Great Doctor Miao harrumphed, ¡°Don¡¯t get too happy yet! Tell me, did you hear what I just said?¡±

    He Changdi and Chu Lian¡¯s hearts thumped in unison.

    There was extreme worry in He Changdi¡¯s expression, ¡°Uncle Miao, how is Lian¡¯er¡¯s body now?¡±

    Chu Lian looked up at Great Doctor Miao with uncertainty on her face. This was her first ever child as well. She wanted to protect her child with all her might. The little sprout was the product of the love between her and He Changdi, a living testament to the depth of their feelings and promise to each other.

    Great Doctor Miao was pretty helpless in the face of their worry. He could only try to empathise with them since they were going to be parents for the first time. He exined everything to them in detail patiently.

    ¡°From what I can tell, the foetus is in a stable condition. However, don¡¯t be so rash as you werest time! Lian¡¯er¡¯s body isn¡¯t in the best of health now. Before the pregnancy is stable, stay in the estate and be careful!¡±

    Great Doctor Miao¡¯s words were like an imperial decree, from the way everyone present was listening intently.

    Before Great Doctor Miao left, he specially called out to He Changdi.

    ¡°Zixiang,e with me. I have some instructions for you.¡±

    He Changdi didn¡¯t dare to tarry and quickly followed after Great Doctor Miao out of the room.

    Now it was only Chu Lian and her servants left in the parlour. When she looked up and around the circle of servants, all she could see was happiness and tion on their faces. The corners of her mouth couldn¡¯t help lifting in a smile.

    Senior Servant Zhong stood at the lead of the group of maidservants as they bobbed in respect towards Chu Lian in unison. The old servant¡¯s eyes were still upturned crescents as she said, ¡°Congrattions, Third Young Madam! Our estate is about to have a new heir!¡±

    The people in this era tended to favour males more, so Chu Lian didn¡¯t correct the senior servant¡¯s words. She simply smiled again and told them to stand.

    When Chu Lian stood up, wanting to return to her bedroom to change, Xiyan immediately rushed over to support her.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at her action. She red at Xiyan. Why did she feel that she had suddenly be someone who couldn¡¯t even walk properly in the eyes of her servants? The ¡®child¡¯ in her belly was likely only a fertilised egg at this point...

    ¡°Shoo, I can walk by myself. You¡¯re making a mountain out of a molehill.¡±

    Xiyan wasn¡¯t willing to budge and insisted on holding her, so Chu Lian let her be.

    Once they entered the bedroom, just as she was about to lie down on the chaise by the bed, Senior Servant Zhong ordered all the maidservants in the room to leave.

    Chu Lian found it strange. She gaped a little at Senior Servant Zhong¡¯s sudden actions, ¡°Momo, what is it? Do you have something to say to me in private?¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong had some knowledge of medicine and midwifery. While she had been away at the rural holdings of House Jing¡¯an, she had helped quite a few pregnant women deliver their children. She was a very capable person.

    He Changdi respected her, so Chu Lian also viewed her as half a senior family member.

    Senior Servant Zhong walked over to Chu Lian and sat down in front of her. She took Chu Lian¡¯s hand in her own and smiled, ¡°Third Young Madam, this old servant will ask someone to clear out the side room and move Third Young Master¡¯s daily necessities over.¡±

 Chapter 663 - Suspicion (1)

    <strong>Transmigrator Meets Reincarnator</strong>

    <strong>Chapter 663: Suspicion (1)</strong>

    Chu Lian seemed rather confused. She couldn¡¯t understand what Senior Servant Zhong meant by her words.

    She turned towards Senior Servant Zhong with a dazed expression. Since they were getting along well now, why did they have to sleep separately?

    Senior Servant Zhong coughed and tried to exin patiently, ¡°Third Young Madam, since you¡¯re pregnant now, you have to take care of your body. You and Third Young Master are both young, so it might be hard to... control yourselves at night. If your activities were to harm the child, then it wouldn¡¯t be good, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong had already phrased it as directly as she could. If Chu Lian couldn¡¯t understand it even now, then she would be an idiot.

    Chu Lian¡¯s face immediately flushed red. That... she had never thought of the problem of sleeping arrangements after getting pregnant.

    While Chu Lian wasn¡¯t very willing to sleep separately, she hade from the modern world and she didn¡¯t know what the customs were here. She didn¡¯t know what He Changdi¡¯s opinion was either.

    Thus, she decided not to blindly make a decision now.

    Chu Lian acted as if she was too shy to speak and refused to reply.

    Senior Servant Zhong got a little antsy upon seeing that she wasn¡¯t replying, ¡°Third Young Madam, please listen to this old servant. The first three months of pregnancy are crucial, and it¡¯s easy for idents to happen at this stage. Furthermore, all noble families follow this rule.¡±

    The old servant was about to try persuading her further, when a low and menacing man¡¯s voice sounded behind her, ¡°No need. Just bring in a chaise for me next to the bed.¡±

    Hearing that it was He Changdi behind her, Senior Servant Zhong turned around in stunned surprise. Chu Lian looked up, clearly pleasantly surprised to see him.

    The joy shining in Chu Lian¡¯s sparkling eyes couldn¡¯t be hidden at all, they shone like two bright stars.

    Facing her ted expression, He Changdi knew that his decision had earned his wife¡¯s favour.

    Senior Servant Zhong gaped a little before replying reluctantly, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be too hard on Third Young Master?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to say anymore. I¡¯ve already decided.¡± He Changdi¡¯s tone was resolute, leaving no room for anyone to change his mind.

    Senior Servant Zhong shut her mouth and sighed inwardly. She was also happy for Third Young Madam, Third Young Master seemed to care for Third Young Madam more than she thought.

    ¡°Understood, this old servant will make the arrangements now.¡±

    He Changdi waved his hand, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, you¡¯re dismissed.¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong bobbed in respect and was about to leave when He Changdi called out to her, ¡°Momo, keep the servants under control. Don¡¯t let the news of Lian¡¯er¡¯s pregnancy out for the time being.¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong seemed to hesitate, ¡°Then the old residence...¡±

    Ever since they had moved out from the Jing¡¯an Estate, for He Changdi and Chu Lian, the Jing¡¯an Estate had be the old residence.

    He Changdi paused before shaking his head slightly, ¡°Keep it a secret from the old residence too. We¡¯ll wait until Lian¡¯er hits two months and her pregnancy is stable, then I¡¯ll take Lian¡¯er personally to the old residence to announce the good news.¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong was thinking of persuading him otherwise, but when she thought back to Great Doctor Miao¡¯s diagnosis, she swallowed her words back down. Great Doctor Miao had said that they had almost lost the child in Chu Lian¡¯s belly. If anything happened, and they told the old residence too early, wouldn¡¯t it just turn out to be false hope? The senior family members in the old residence might even me Third Young Master and Madam for it.

    Waiting until the pregnancy was stable before announcing it would be the best course of action.

    Senior Servant nodded upon understanding the circumstances. She bobbed once again towards Chu Lian and He Changdi, before quietly retreating out of the room to manage the other maidservants.

    Once Senior Servant Zhong left, He Changdi strode over to Chu Lian¡¯s side.

    He reached out with his powerful arms and slid them under her knees and back. He lifted her from the chaise in a princess carry, then settled onto the chaise with her on top.

    He Changdi ced one hand on Chu Lian¡¯s shoulders, while the other was ced gently on her belly.

    His tone was filled with a soft warmth.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, we¡¯re going to have a child.¡±

    Chu Lian was equally happy. She had been waiting for this little bean¡¯s arrival for a few months!

    ¡°Hubby, would you like a boy or a girl?¡±

    Chu Lian raised her head to stare into He Changdi¡¯s soft gaze.

    He Changdi bent his body over slightly to ce a kiss on her smooth forehead, ¡°A daughter. It would be best if she looks like you, she¡¯ll definitely be very cute.¡±

    Chu Lian puffed up her cheeks and red at him, ¡°You¡¯re just saying that to make me happy, right? Eldest Brother only has Little An and Little Lin, and Second Brother hasn¡¯t gotten married yet. It¡¯s not just Grandmother, but even Father and Mother are probably waiting for me to give birth to a boy!¡±

    He Changdi stiffened up, he hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to respond this way.

    He thought back to what Great Doctor Miao had told him in private. The doctor had mentioned that pregnant women were more susceptible to changes in mood as well as emotions, and that he had to be more understanding and forgiving of his wife.

    His brows rxed and he stroked Chu Lian¡¯s silky hair with one hand.

    Actually, He Changdi had truly been speaking his mind. He did want a daughter for his first child.

    When he thought of having a mini Chu Lian running around, his heart immediately melted into a puddle of mush.

    ¡°Whether it¡¯s a boy or a girl, they¡¯ll be our child, I¡¯ll treat them the same.¡±

    If the future little bun were to find out what his father had said today, he would definitely burst into tears and question his father.

    A satisfied smile surfaced on Chu Lian¡¯s face after getting He Changdi¡¯s answer.

    She was a modern person at heart and she didn¡¯t favour any gender in particr. No matter which gender their child belonged to, she would still guide and protect them the same.

    Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t up to her whether she gave birth to a boy or a girl. If it didn¡¯t turn out to be a boy, then it was He Changdi¡¯s problem.

 Chapter 664 - Suspicion (2)

    <strong>Chapter 664: Suspicion (2)</strong>

    He Sang hugged his lovely wife in his embrace. His warm palm unconsciouslynded back on Chu Lian¡¯s abdomen. As if afraid that his touch would harm the fragile life growing within, he didn¡¯t dare to rest his palm fully on her abdomen and instead, simply stroked the sides softly.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t feel that anything was wrong with He Changdi¡¯s actions or the importance he was cing on their unborn child.

    It wasn¡¯t just him after all, even she treasured their child very much. That little unformed bean was going to be their legacy on this earth. There was nothing cuter than creating a new life, what more a life that they had created together.

    A thought came to Chu Lian suddenly, and she wriggled around in He Changdi¡¯s embrace, ¡°What were you discussing with Uncle Miao just now?¡±

    He Changdi looked down at her without any visible emotions in his expression, although it looked slightly stiff, ¡°Uncle Miao passed down some things to take note of during the pregnancy.¡±

    Chu Lian was a little touched by this gesture. Normally, most doctors or physicians wouldn¡¯t know much about taking care of a pregnant woman unless they specialised in gynecology. However, Great Doctor Miao was the exception, and he had even specially passed down that knowledge to He Changdi.

    ¡°Once my pregnancy is stable, let¡¯s prepare a gift for Uncle Miao?¡±

    He Changdi nodded seriously.

    What Chu Lian didn¡¯t know was that Uncle Miao had only called He Changdi out to warn him repeatedly not to sleep with Chu Lian in the first trimester of her pregnancy!

    He had also warned He Changdi to control himself. The rest of the information about pregnancy had only been told to him as an aside...

    The couple rested on the chaise together for a while.

    Chu Lian spoke up softly, ¡°He Changdi, why didn¡¯t you tell me about those things earlier?¡±

    He Changdi stiffened up. The arm he had ced under Chu Lian¡¯s neck moved to help her tuck in some stray strands of hair.

    ¡°You know about it all?¡± He Changdi¡¯s voice was reminiscent of the tolling of an ancient set of bells, able to make one immersed in its sound.

    Chu Lian spoke rather unhappily, ¡°It was Sister Hui who specially came to tell me about it.¡±

    That loose-mouthed woman...

    He Changdi remained silent without speaking.

    It was only Chu Lian used her elbow to jab his sturdy chest that He Sang reluctantly spoke up, ¡°Lian¡¯er, I didn¡¯t want you to worry for me. It was Prince Jin and I who miscalcted this time.¡±

    Chu Lian suddenly fought out of his embrace and sat up. She turned around to re at him with disbelief, ¡°You... The two of you really developed your own silver mine?¡±

    She seemed like a fluffed up kitten hissing angrily at an opponent, not at all threatening and very cute. He Sang couldn¡¯t resist pinching one of her soft and smooth cheeks.

    A corner of his mouth curled up, giving him a devilish ir that made Chu Lian¡¯s heart skip a bit.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know about everything already?¡±

    Chu Lian gulped audibly.

    She pped his chest, ¡°What the hell were you thinking?! How could you dare to do such a thing?! You¡¯re lucky His Majesty didn¡¯t me you for it!¡±

    He Changdi harrumphed inwardly. Even if they didn¡¯t do it, there would have been someone else who did!

    It was Xiao Bojian who had used that private silver mine to get to where he did in his previous lifetime!

    The silver mine was in the north, not too far from the mountain where Chu Lian had fallen. It was the Tuhun spies who first found it. Although he had known of this vaguely in his past, he hadn¡¯t had the details of its location, nor had he known that this had something to do with the Tuhuns.

    It wasn¡¯t until this lifetime that he had gone to investigate further and gotten all the details. That was when he had found out that the Tuhuns wanted to steal the silver mine for themselves!

    Xiao Bojian had likely been in cahoots with the Tuhuns even in his past life.

    It was also there was Tuhun interference that he and Prince Jin hadn¡¯t suffered any consequences on the surface even after this matter had been reported to the emperor. To the rest of the world, they had cleared out all the Tuhun spies and secured the silver mine for their empire.

    However, it was a different matter altogether in private. The emperor¡¯s opinion of them had likely sunk to the lowest! How could the emperor noty me on them?

    Just from the spring hunt alone, they could see that the emperor had purposely suppressed Prince Jin from shining too much and had intentionally shown favour to Sixth Prince instead.

    Sixth Prince was only fifteen this year, yet the emperor had actually given him permission to join in court.

    Those with discerning eyes could tell that the crown prince had been locked up and was only an empty shell. The ones who had the ability to fight for the throne were Fourth Prince and Sixth Prince.

    However, back when they had discovered the silver mine, the only ones with them had been their trusted subordinates. They had even ced a group of loyal assassins sworn to the death there. Going bymon sense, the existence of the silver mine should never have leaked out. How had this news somehow made it up to the emperor too?

    He had been investigating along with Fourth Prince¡¯s men these few days, but none of the subordinates seemed suspicious. He had known of the silver mine thanks to his previous memories, then...

    Could there be someone else who was the same as him?

    He Changdi¡¯s pupils dted as a dangerous light shone from them.

    Each suspicious incident seemed to be connected by an invisible line.

    Meeting Xiao Bojian in Suzhou, Chu Lian getting kidnapped, the messy things that had happened when they had returned to the Jing¡¯an Estate, Chu Lian almost getting trapped at Miss Yuan¡¯sing-of-age... There had been so many strange events that had never happened in his previous life. Adding on to that the secret of the silver mine leaking...

    Unless... there was really someone else who had experienced the same lifetime he had!!

    He Changdi suppressed his turbulent emotions and took in a deep breath, shoving all his terrifying guesses to the bottom of his heart.

    ¡°What¡¯s done is done, we can¡¯t cry over spilled milk.¡± He Sang¡¯s voice was cold and calm.

    Chu Lian sighed. That was true. Things had alreadye to this point. She didn¡¯t think that He Changdi and Prince Jin developing a mine on their own was that major of a crime.

    Even if they hadn¡¯t done it, someone else would have. If the silver mine hadnded in the hands of someone sinister, then the situation might be even more dangerous.

    This was a selfish world. While there weren¡¯t any obvious factions in the war for the throne, since He Changdi was close to Prince Jin, and if Prince Jin wanted to vie for the throne, He Sang had no choice but to be dragged into Prince Jin¡¯s faction.

 Chapter 665 - Bestowal of an Engagement (1)

    <strong>Chapter 665: Bestowal of an Engagement (1)</strong>

    It seemed like he had to be more careful in the future.

    Chu Lian hesitated before asking, ¡°So the essories and storefront you gifted me previously were all bought with the money from the silver mines?¡±

    A corner of He Changdi¡¯s lips lifted. He reached out to hold her more securely so that her body wouldn¡¯t lean over and touch the cold windowsill.

    Just by seeing that smile of his, Chu Lian knew that she had guessed correctly.

    She admonished him, ¡°You, you really just used it without any shame! If you look at it more strictly, youmitted graft!¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s deep gaze fell upon the flushed cheeks of the woman he loved in his arms. He sighed inwardly. Although his wife was smart and cunning, she was too inexperienced and merciful. If she really met someone with no holds barred when it came to scheming, she would definitely fall into their traps.

    ¡°Rest assured. The silver I spent was barely the tip of the icebergpared to the size of that silver mine. The government has its ownws, even if it was His Highness and I who discovered that silver mine, there are somews we can¡¯t circumvent selfishly. Lian¡¯er, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve only taken what I deserved.¡±

    Chu Lian was a little confused by He Changdi¡¯s answer, but she didn¡¯t continue questioning.

    She didn¡¯t understand the twists and turns of the politics in court, so she wouldn¡¯tment thoughtlessly. However, she now knew that her lunatic husband wasn¡¯t a stickler for the rules. Instead, he was even more cunning than a fox.

    Chu Lianid back down on He Changdi¡¯s firm chest. She twirled a single lock of his long, ck hair in one hand, continuously winding his hair around her finger.

    ¡°I know that Imperial Concubine Wei found out. So you really went to pick herbs for Imperial Princess Leyao that night?¡±

    Chu Lian red at him, thinking that her husband was just too honest. Why had he so obediently gone to do Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s bidding? Even if she had ckmail on him, couldn¡¯t he have been a little smarter about it?

    ¡°No,¡± He Changdi replied in a calm voice.

    Chu Lian: ¡°Ah?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t go out to pick herbs for Imperial Princess Leyao. In actual fact, the imperial physicians weren¡¯tcking for supplies. All she was trying to do was to make life difficult for me. I simply went out to the forest and knocked out the attendants that she had sent to follow me. All I did was wait in the mountains until midnight before turning to the camp.¡±

    He Changdi had only done all that for show. Although he wasn¡¯t afraid of Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s threats, he was still an official and someone that the emperor had personally administered. As much as Imperial Concubine Wei tried to throw her weight around, she couldn¡¯t interfere with the workings of the court, so she wouldn¡¯t be able to affect him much.

    However, it was different for Chu Lian. Even if Imperial Concubine Wei wouldn¡¯t touch him, she could use her identity to pressure Chu Lian. While they had been camped out at the hunting grounds, their tent hadn¡¯t been too far off from the emperor and Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s tents.

    It would have been all too easy for Imperial Concubine Wei to find some excuse to punish Chu Lian.

    However, there was something strange about it all. Over the two days in the hunting grounds, ever since Chu Lian had fallen off her horse and started recuperating in her tent, Imperial Concubine Wei seemed to have forgotten about her entirely. She hadn¡¯t even mentioned Chu Lian once. This was something that He Changdi had yet to figure out.

    He had followed along with Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s requests to prevent her from taking out her temper on Chu Lian.

    As for picking herbs on the mountain in the middle of the night, he really hadn¡¯t done it all.

    He didn¡¯t even recognise any of the herbs Imperial Concubine Wei had ordered him to collect. She had sent him out in the darkness of the night too. It would be even stranger if he had been able to find any herbs.

    After he had knocked out the attendant Imperial Concubine Wei had sent to follow him, he had simply rested against a tree. Laiyue had even helped to start a fire to keep them warm. He Changdi had waited there until midnight before returning to camp. He had also picked a few random weeds off the forest floor to hand over to Imperial Physician Zhou. Imperial Physician Zhou was smart and he would understand what to say to Imperial Concubine Wei.

    However, fighting a cold war with his wife was rather terrible. Even though He Changdi had only been sitting next to a tree with a cloak around him and a fire burning merrily before him, he hadn¡¯t been able to get rid of any of his fatigue.

    It was only when the cold of the night hadpletely chilled his body that he had rushed back, all tired out.

    Chu Lian nced at him, ¡°He Changdi, you have to remember this. In the future, even if we quarrel and hate each other, we still have to give each other a chance to exin things, okay?¡±

    She didn¡¯t want this situation to happen again, where he would avoid her when she wanted an exnation from him. Nor did she want to wait until he regretted things and wanted to exin, as it would be toote.

    Both of them were in the wrong for the conflict this time. Although they were clearly in love, if they really split up just because of such a small misunderstanding, it would be too regretful.

    ¡°Alright, Lian¡¯er, I promise you.¡±

    Chu Lian wrapped both her arms around his narrow waist and breathed in his fresh and sunny scent.

    He Changdi saw that her eyelids were already fighting to stay open the moment she leaned her head against his chest. He whispered gently by her ear, ¡°Do you want to take a nap?¡±

    Chu Lian made a light ¡®mm¡¯ in agreement and slipped away into sweet slumber.

    She had been on tenterhooks these few days. Now that their misunderstandings had been resolved, the tension had melted away, leaving her in a rxed state. Pregnant women were

    He Changdi looked down at the woman in his embrace. He carefully shifted his left arm so that she would move into a morefortable pose against his shoulder. He pulled over a nearby wool nket andid it over Chu Lian¡¯s slender little figure.

    Chu Lian seemed to have been startled by his action, even in the midst of sleep. A wrinkle developed between her brows as they drew together. He Changdi bent over and ced a light kiss on her forehead, like the touch of a feather, causing her brow to rx.

 Chapter 666 - Bestowal of an Engagement (2)

    <strong>Chapter 666: Bestowal of an Engagement (2)</strong>

    While the Anyuan Estate was wrapped up in warmth, deep within the pce, Qinzheng Hall was vastly empty and cold inparison.

    A few old members of the cab were gathered there. All of them had their heads bowed and none of them were speaking.

    The hall was currently enshrouded in a creepy silence.

    Seated behind the imperial desk, the emperor¡¯s face was flushed red from the force of his rage. He pushed over a stack of reports, letting the scrolls spill over to the ground, ¡°Well! What capable officials we have here! Fine! Even if you don¡¯t tell us today, we will find out eventually! Scram!¡±

    As the echoes of the emperor¡¯sst word faded in the cavernous hall, the esteemed cab members bowed deeply and quickly retreated out of the hall.

    The emperor¡¯s chest heaved as he panted for breath.

    It was only when there was no one else left in the hall that Eunuch Wei dared to speak up softly, ¡°Your Majesty, please don¡¯t be angry. If Your Majesty is still brooding over the events of that year, then Your Majesty¡¯s health is of the utmost importance. As long as Your Majesty remains healthy, those old foxes won¡¯t be able to have you in the palm of their hands.¡±

    Although Eunuch Wei¡¯s words toed the line between them as master and servant, they were rather effective on the emperor.

    As expected, the emperor¡¯s breathing slowly calmed down after a moment.

    ¡°Summon He Lin.¡±

    Eunuch Wei heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly rushed off to execute the order.

    In less than fifteen minutes, He Lin was already standing in front of the emperor in Qinzheng Hall.

    The emperor¡¯s eyes were half-lidded, his entire body d in a ruler¡¯s fearsome aura. It made him hard to read. Even He Lin felt a little scared of the emperor at this moment.

    ¡°How is the task we entrusted to you?¡±

    He Lin quickly pulled out a small scroll from his pouch and offered it up to the emperor with both hands.

    The emperor took it and immediately opened it to read.

    Although it was a small scroll, it had been made exquisitely.

    The words written within were only half the size of a rice grain. While the scroll wasn¡¯t very long, thanks to the small writing, it had a lot of content.

    If Chu Lian had been present, she would surely have cried out in rm.

    The scroll recorded every detail of what Chu Lian had done while growing up in the Ying Estate.

    From her favourite childhood snacks, to how she had been bullied terribly by her sisters in House Ying when she had grown older...

    The emperor had started out with an air of anticipation. However, when he started reading the contents, his brows had furrowed together tighter and tighter until he could no longer control himself and ended up crushing the scroll...

    He had never expected that his and Ah-xun¡¯s child would have grown up in such a manner!

    His daughter should have been born with a silver spoon. She should have been clothed in the finest fabrics, served by a crowd of servants, tutored by the best teachers, and following that, under his protection, she should have transformed into the most dazzling and eye-catching pearl.

    However, reality had beenpletely different...

    When Chu Lian had been young, going by what this scroll said, she likely wouldn¡¯t have had more than one or two little snacks, let alone the bare necessities...

    Eunuch Wei trembled upon catching sight of the emperor¡¯s expression.

    The emperor had survived the war against his siblings to im the throne. Even if he had a kind enough appearance, his inner heart was actually cold and ruthless, with countless schemes and plots brewing. Eunuch Wei had been serving him for so many decades that he could somewhat guess a little at the emperor¡¯s moods, even if his true thoughts were hidden.

    Every time the emperor showed an expression like that, it meant that misfortune was about to befall some poor soul...

    Eunuch Wei¡¯s prediction was rather urate.

    The emperor forcefully shut the scroll in his hands.

    He turned towards Eunuch Wei, who was standing in a stiff position behind him, ¡°Prepare the ink.¡±

    There was a nk imperial decree scrollid out on the desk. In a short moment, the nk scroll waspletely filled up. The emperor tossed the finished imperial decree over to Eunuch Wei casually.

    He left behind an order, ¡°Send someone to the Ying Estate to announce the decree.¡±

    Eunuch Wei¡¯s hands trembled. When he recalled the glimpses of the decree that he had seen, a chill went up his spine.

    After finishing all this, the emperor gave another order, ¡°He Lin, go over to Yang Yanfeng and have him think of a way to remove Chu Qizheng¡¯s position.¡±

    He Lin froze up for an instant, but he didn¡¯t dare to refute the order. He made a cupped fist salute and left to do as the emperor had ordered.

    Chu Qizheng had originally been given a low-ranked ck position in the court. Later on, he had somehow gotten connected with the Pan Estate and Lord Pan had personally rmended him for a promotion. From then, Chu Qizheng had be a proper sixth-ranked official.

    It was also due to this official position that Chu Qizheng had suddenly be one of the more promising men in the younger generation of House Ying. He had also stabilised the status of the second branch in the Ying Estate.

    Even Old Duchess Ying had stopped mentioning theck of heirs for the second branch due to this.

    The next day, an astonishing piece of news spread throughout the whole capital: the emperor had personally bestowed an engagement upon House Ying¡¯s Eighth Miss, Chu Yuan.

    The groom in question was Prince Yongkang¡¯s only son, Royal Prince Shou.

    Speaking of which, Prince Yongkang was actually the emperor¡¯s uncle, and the emperor had been the one who had conferred the title of Royal Prince Shou upon his son.

    Royal Prince Shou was already twenty three this year. At that age, it was just right for him to take his first wife.

    Furthermore, Royal Prince Shou was considered part of the imperial family.

    While it seemed to be a good pairing on the surface, those in the know were all waiting to watch the fireworks, and wereughing behind the backs of the second branch of House Ying.

    The reason was none other than this: Royal Prince Shou was a half-wit.

    He was a robust and prosperous person, who always had a foolish expression on his face.

    Prince Yongkang had married his older cousin, Royal Princess Longjia. Royal Prince Shou was the ¡®masterpiece¡¯ of this marriage between close rtions.

 Chapter 667 - Heartless (1)

    <strong>Chapter 667: Heartless (1)</strong>

    House Ying had notpletely fallen out of noble society up till now purely because of the strenuous efforts of Old Duke Ying.

    It was a sad story. Although House Ying wasrge in number, there weren¡¯t many who were actually capable.

    Even Chu Lian¡¯s ¡®father¡¯ Chu Qizheng was considered one of the better ones in the family, so the abilities of the rest went without saying.

    Meanwhile, Old Duchess Ying was full of wariness and vignce. She wasn¡¯t willing to use funds to prop up other branches of the family that had more potential. This made the rest of their n very unhappy with House Ying.

    This caused a vicious cycle within the family.

    Finally, when a rare promising young seed had popped up from amongst Old Duke Ying¡¯s disciples, they hadn¡¯t been able to catch hold of Xiao Bojian either. Now it was toote even if Old Duke Ying tried to force Xiao Bojian into the family himself.

    When the emperor¡¯s imperial decree reached the Ying Estate, none of the members of House Ying felt sad or shocked. Conversely, they were all extremely ted.

    A bestowed marriage!

    Furthermore, it was the emperor himself who had personally decreed it. The groom was even a royal prince, a true member of the imperial family. Although there seemed to be something wrong with his mind, it wouldn¡¯t affect his standing due to his birth.

    As long as Miss Yuan married him, she would be a third-ranked Royal Princess by marriage!

    That was an honour that most of the Chu familydies wouldn¡¯t even be able to beg for.

    Even Chu Lian¡¯s own marriage couldn¡¯tpare to that honour!

    Everyone in the Ying Estate was beaming with joy. Even the stewards started ordering the servants to decorate the estate and make it seem more festive and harmonious.

    Even Old Duchess Ying was chuckling. She praised Miss Yuan for being lucky in front of all the otherdies of the estate.

    The second branch was even looked upon more favourably due to this engagement.

    The only ones who had faces full of worry and despair were likely Second Madam and Eighth Miss Yuan now.

    Chu Yuan was sprawled across Second Madam¡¯sp. She had already cried until she was all out of breath. She sobbed, ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t want to marry that idiot! Mother, I¡¯m not going to marry him! Please, help me think of a way out! The one I like is Brother Xiao!¡±

    Second Madam¡¯s eyes were red and swollen. Miss Yuan was her only daughter, her very lifeline. The others in the estate had been blinded by riches and status. None of them were truly concerned for her daughter¡¯s plight.

    Other than his birthright, there was nothing about Royal Prince Shou that couldpare to even the mostmon man!

    How could she just watch as her daughter¡¯s life was ruined?

    She stroked her daughter¡¯s messy hair, ¡°Yuan¡¯er, don¡¯t panic. When your father returns, Mother will ask your father to intervene. Your father has an official position and he has many connections. Even that Lord Pan has some rtion to him. Mother will definitely get your father to think of a way so you won¡¯t have to marry that half-wit.¡±

    Right as mother and daughter were huddling together and crying, Chu Qizheng returned to the second branch¡¯s courtyard.

    His entire being seemed dull and lifeless. He had lost his high spirits and his eyes seemed soulless. Hidden in his sleeves, he was still gripping that official document that had caused his daze.

    His face seemed to have aged a decade since morning.

    The menial maidservant who was sweeping the courtyard came over to greet him with a smile. She even tried to get a bonus by congratting him, ¡°This servant congrattes Second Master, Second Madam and Eighth Miss on the good news!¡±

    Chu Qizheng¡¯s face immediately contorted into a monstrous expression, veins popping out on his forehead.

    ¡°Scram!¡±

    The maidservant stood frozen on the spot for a moment. When she finally processed what happened, her face paled and she scrambled away in fright.

    Chu Qizheng returned to his room, cloaked in anger.

    Another maidservant greeted him at the entrance, but Chu Qizheng didn¡¯t even say a word in return. He simply strode right into the room.

    Within the bedroom, Second Madam was stillforting Miss Yuan with a hug. When Second Madam saw that her husband had returned, she immediately patted her daughter on the back and stood up to wee her husband back. She started off with aint, ¡°Dear, you have to help Yuan¡¯er, otherwise her entire life will be ruined!¡±

    The rumours about the foolish Royal Prince Shou had already spread all over the capital.

    What kind of life could ady expect by marrying a fool? It wasn¡¯t even guaranteed that they might be able to have children!

    Second Madam had beenpletely shocked out of her wits by her daughter¡¯s sudden engagement. Adding on to that her own urgency, she hadn¡¯t noticed the stormy expression on Chu Qizheng¡¯s face when he entered.

    Chu Qizheng was already immersed in his own troubles. His wife¡¯sint only added on to the mountain of frustration in his heart and acted as the spark that lit up his rage.

    In a burst of temper, he shoved his wife aside forcefully.

    Although he hadn¡¯t learned martial arts, he was still a tall man and he had put enough force into his action. With a single move, he actually managed to push Second Madam off her feet and onto the floor.

    Second Madam hadn¡¯t expected such a violent reply from Chu Qizheng. Sheid sprawled over the carpet in the bedroom where she hadnded, eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at Chu Qizheng. She clearly hadn¡¯t recovered from the physical and mental blow.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with bing a Royal Princess? If not for the imperial decree, could Miss Yuan even hope to marry into a prince¡¯s family?¡± Chu Qizheng¡¯s voice was both cold and heartless.

    His words pierced like needles into the hearts of Second Madam and Chu Yuan.

    Both mother and daughter had their eyes wide in shock, especially Chu Yuan. At that moment, she even suspected whether the cold middle-aged man before was truly her father.

    Her father had always spoiled her and protected her. Whatever she wanted, her father would always do his best to get it for her. However, the man before her had suddenly told her to marry a fool!

    ¡°Father!¡± Miss Yuan let out a heart-rending wail.

 Chapter 668 - Heartless (2)

    <strong>Chapter 668: Heartless (2)</strong>

    ¡°Get out of here! Miss Yuan, go back to your room and prepare for your marriage. If you dare to plot anything else, I¡¯ll destroy you myself!¡±

    Chu Yuan copsed onto the chaise, her eyes bloodshot from her own rage, ¡°Father, I¡¯ll never marry that idiot! Even if I have to die!¡±

    ¡°Hmph! That¡¯s not up to you! Servants! Send your young miss back to her room! If anything happens to Eighth Miss, all of you had better prepare for death!¡± Chu Qizheng was especially ferocious today. Even Second Madam had been scared into trembling, let alone the servants at the side.

    Miss Yuan screamed and struggled, to no avail. Two strong menial servants stuffed a handkerchief in her mouth and tied up her limbs, and she was quickly carted away.

    It wasn¡¯t until Chu Yuan¡¯s muffled shouts could no longer be heard that Second Madam seemed to rouse herself, as if awakening from a dream. She was helped off the floor by a maidservant.

    She walked over to Chu Qizheng and stared up at him, ¡°Chu Qizheng! Yuan¡¯er is our only daughter! How could you treat her this way?! Is your official position more important than your own flesh and blood?¡±

    Chu Qizheng let out a mocking snort. He threw the letter in his hands onto Second Madam¡¯s face. ¡°Position? Is this the official position you¡¯re talking about?!¡±

    Second Madam didn¡¯t understand. She bore with the humiliation and picked up the letter from the ground. She opened it and read it, only to be hit by a bolt from the blue!

    It wasn¡¯t just a letter. It was an official document of dismissal.

    The second branch had lost everything today!

    Second Madam had already reached her limits today. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she slipped into a dead faint.

    Luckily, the maidservant next to her reacted fast enough to catch her, otherwise she would have hit her head on the floor.

    Thus, when Second Madam woke up again, she never said a word about rejecting her daughter¡¯s engagement.

    All that the impoverished second branch could count on was Chu Yuan¡¯s marriage now.

    Sometimes, when faced with a cruel reality, one just had to make some ¡®sacrifices¡¯.

    Right now, it had be time for Miss Yuan to make the sacrifice.

    Chu Qizheng still didn¡¯t understand why he had suddenly been fired out of the blue. The couple of the second branch sat on two sides of the chaise with gloomy faces.

    Chu Qizheng suddenly asked, ¡°How much is left of Madam Ye¡¯s money?¡±

    Second Madam was startled by his abrupt question. She waved her trusted handmaid over and told her to retrieve the ount books. After reading them over, she said, ¡°Excluding storefronts and farms, there¡¯s still five thousand taels in cash.¡±

    ¡°Give it all to me.¡±

    Second Madam gaped in surprise, ¡°All of it?¡±

    That was five thousand taels they were talking about! It wasn¡¯t a small sum.

    Chu Qizheng¡¯s heavy gaze swept over Second Madam.

    She quickly sprang up and went to retrieve an exquisite peach wood chest. She took out two silver keys from her purse and opened the chest, before pulling out a whole stack of banknotes from within and passing it to Chu Qizheng.

    Second Madam kept staring at the thick stack of notes with heartache.

    Chu Qizheng sneered, ¡°What are you looking at? These never belonged to you in the first ce.¡±

    Second Madam stiffened up from his words and shifted her gaze away, hands clenched into fists on herp.

    ¡°Stay here and make sure you keep a watch on Miss Yuan. If I don¡¯t seed on my mission, then Miss Yuan¡¯s only fate is to be a Royal Princess. Otherwise, we¡¯ll end just like my Fifth Brother.¡±

    House Ying had many legitimate children, and even more illegitimate ones.

    Although Chu Qizheng¡¯s fifth brother was a legitimate son, his personality had been more naive. He hadn¡¯t been much in favour with his parents, and he had married a wife with an unassuming background, so the other branches of the family had stabbed him in the back one day.

    When Second Madam heard her husband mention Fifth Brother, her hands shook and she agreed.

    Chu Qizheng gripped the stack of banknotes in his hand tightly and chuckled grimly in his heart.

    At least that Ye Xun was still of use even now.

    Actually, the reason the second branch had been able to live so well hadn¡¯t been due to Old Duchess Ying¡¯s care. Instead, it was all thanks to the riches that Ye Xun had left behind.

    Back then, Ye Xun had left this inheritance to someone she trusted, thinking to pass it down for Chu Lian.

    Unfortunately, Chu Qizheng had found out about the inheritance. He had schemed to pick off all of Ye Xun¡¯s trusted subordinates and taken the treasure for himself. If not for fear of someone in the shadows still looking over Chu Lian, he would likely have offed Chu Lian together with them as well.

    Chu Yuan was being watched over in her room. By now, her tears had already dried up, leaving behind only a deep hatred.

    The corners of her mouth curved up into a self-deprecating smile.

    Heh, didn¡¯t everyone in the estate want her to marry that royal prince and be a royal princess? Well, she wasn¡¯t going to let them have their way!

    If they didn¡¯t care whether she lived or not, then why should she care about their survival?

    Chu Lian quickly found out about the engagement that the emperor had bestowed upon Miss Yuan.

    This action made her even more befuddled.

    Was court getting boringtely? Was the emperor too free? Why did he have the time to think about bestowing a marriage upon ady of House Ying?

    While she couldn¡¯t say that there were more than tendies of marriageable age in House Ying, there had to be at least five or sixt of them.

    Even if the emperor felt like bestowing a marriage, he could have gone by seniority instead. There was still Miss Su looking for a partner before Miss Yuan!

    Furthermore, he had betrothed Miss Yuan to Royal Prince Shou...

    Chu Lian was close to Princess Wei, so she knew a little more about the imperial family. Royal Prince Shou had been born with cerebral palsy, so his thoughts were about the same level as a three-year-old child. Furthermore, he had a violent temper. Quite a few of the maidservants in his courtyard had already passed away...

    If Miss Yuan were really to marry him, her own safety couldn¡¯t be guaranteed.

    Was this really the emperor showing favour to House Ying, and not trying to send her half-sister to death?

    Well, since the emperor had bestowed this marriage, as her older sister, she had to send a gift of some sort to the Ying Estate.

 Chapter 669 - Dejufeng Restaurant (1)

    <strong>Chapter 669: Dejufeng Restaurant (1)</strong>

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t the only one who was stunned by the sudden decree from the emperor. He Changdi was incredibly surprised as well.

    At this moment, He Changdi was seated in Prince Jin¡¯s study.

    The two stared at each other in bewilderment. They just couldn¡¯t understand the emperor¡¯s intentions. Could it be that the emperor wanted to raise House Ying up again?

    That wouldn¡¯t be right, a mere bestowal didn¡¯t mean anything. Besides, House Ying didn¡¯t even have any children with talent. Earlier, there had even been a rumour that Chu Lian¡¯s father, House Ying¡¯s Second Master, had been dismissed from office.

    Prince Jin¡¯s azure eyes were filled with doubt. Could it be that his extremely wise father was just having fun causing drama?

    Perhaps he was simply toying with House Ying¡¯s second branch for amusement? Giving them a p and then handing out some candy? But these candies weren¡¯t even sweet...

    Even the reincarnated He Changdi couldn¡¯t figure out why the emperor had done this.

    After a period of silence, Prince Jin finally spoke, ¡°Ah-di, our earnings aren¡¯t enough to cover our expenses anymore.¡±

    They now had assistance from House Sima, but they still had to increase their forces, and they had topete with Sixth Prince in secret. There were too many avenues where funds were needed, so Prince Jin and He Changdi couldn¡¯t even manage to break even.

    Actually, it was easy for them to acquire funds publicly. With their statuses, there would definitely be rich people who would lend a helping hand.

    However, the situation right now was peculiar. Everything had to be done in secret, and for some matters, it was also better for fewer people to be in the know.

    He Changdi¡¯s cool face became increasingly grim.

    ¡°Ah-yi, I¡¯ll find a solution.¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s eyes deepened. Going by his original n, it should have been smooth sailing once they secured the silver mine, but there was unexpectedly a slip-up with acquiring the mine!

    ¡°I will send more people to investigate.¡± As he spoke, Prince Jin handed a letter over to He Changdi.

    ¡°The Heiyu Army sent this.¡±

    It was no big deal for him to read Prince Jin¡¯s letters, so He Changdi quickly opened the letter and read its contents. What he saw put a slight smile on his face, ¡°Xiao Wujing is truly unscrupulous! He even managed to put a person like Wei Fengzi under his control!¡±

    ¡°Ah-di, I think we should warn Father about this. I¡¯m afraid Xiao Bojian is plotting something.¡± Prince Jin was slightly worried.

    Wei Fengzi was Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s younger sister. They had been born from the same mother and she was Minister Kong¡¯s wife.

    This was something that had they had to think through carefully.

    He Changdi looked out of the window as the skies slowly darkened. It was gettingte.

    ¡°Ah-yi, it¡¯ste now, I have to go home.¡±

    With that said, He Changdi had already stood up and was walking towards the exit.

    Prince Jin scoffed, and sourly replied, ¡°Look at how smug you¡¯ve gotten since Jinyi got pregnant. You¡¯ve probably been staying by her side twenty-four hours a day, right? Even if you don¡¯t mind, Jinyi would be annoyed.¡±

    He Sang¡¯s normally frozen face had changed to something more gentle. There was a warm smile on his face. He hadn¡¯t hid the news of Chu Lian¡¯s pregnancy from his best friend.

    ¡°What? Are you jealous, Ah-yi? Just get General Sima to make a child for you then.¡±

    After getting teased right back by his friend, the aloof and proud Prince Jin actually blushed.

    Miss Yuan and Royal Prince Shou¡¯s wedding was to be held in two months.

    After the marriage had been bestowed by imperial decree, House Ying started talks with Prince Yongkang over the details of the marriage.

    After the initial buzz of gossip, it was as if the whole capital had gone into absolute silence. In the following month, everything went as smooth as silk. Chu Lian¡¯s restaurant on Zhuque Avenue had already opened.

    Chu Lian had thought of the new restaurant¡¯s name herself, ¡®Dejufeng¡¯. Just like the old Guilin Restaurant, this ce was separated into inner and outer courts. However, there was now an extra floor of private rooms added on the third floor of the building in the front.

    A small stage had been built to the side of the main hall on the ground floor. Dejufeng had a coboration with Pear Garden to have their actorse over to perform a show every day at noon and three o¡¯clock.

    As for what the actors would perform, the manager would either set the songs in advance, or allow guests who were having their meal there to pay for a song they wanted.

    This time, there wasn¡¯t as much fanfare to Dejufeng¡¯s opening as when Guilin Restaurant had opened.

    On the opening day, all they had done was to light up two strings of firecrackers and send gifts to the neighbouring shops, and that was it! They were open for business.

    When they opened in such a subdued manner, everyone around them was wondering how this mysterious Dejufeng Restaurant was going to end up. However, momentster, carriage after carriage stopped in front of Dejufeng¡¯s entrance, causing the eyes of those who had been secretly paying attention to open wide.

    Amongst the people who were watching was De¡¯an Restaurant¡¯s Manager Wang.

    Manager Wang stood in the private room on the second floor of his restaurant, with the old bookkeeper who had worked with him for many years by his side.

    Manager Wang had his hands sped behind his back as he squinted past the half-open window, ¡°Just who is backing Dejufeng? I¡¯ve long heard that Old Lin¡¯s store was bought over by a noble, but when I asked him, the old fogey refused to reveal their identity.¡±

    The bookkeeper¡¯s gazended on Dejufeng¡¯s entrance.

    The newly opened restaurant didn¡¯t look any different from before, it seemed like all that changed was its sign board and nothing else.

 Chapter 670 - Dejufeng Restaurant (2)

    <strong>Chapter 670: Dejufeng Restaurant (2)</strong>

    Thanks to the trend Guilin Restaurant had set on its opening day, any new shop with a noble backer and some money would at least put on a lion dance performance to liven things up.

    If they attracted the attention of the civilians around, the name of the shop would be spread around by word of mouth.

    However, Dejufeng was different. They hadn¡¯t even bothered sounding a gong or beating a drum for their opening. Instead, they were ridiculously low-profile.

    Manager Wang had experienced many ups and downs at his old age, so this put him deep in thought, ¡°Such an abnormality is a sign that something is amiss. Old Zhao, your eyesight is better than mine, can you make out which families those carriages are from?¡±

    Actually, Manager Wang had just been asking rather casually. Although his eyes were old and his vision was blurry, he was still able to make out the shape of the carriages. Those were just ordinary green carriages. There wouldn¡¯t be anyone of high status in those, so he was just asking offhand.

    The old bookkeeper was probably thinking that way as well, but when he saw a particr person being helped off the carriage, he was so shocked that he nearly fainted.

    He quickly gripped the table beside him with his other hand covering his chest. He had an expression of excitement, yet of dread.

    Manager Wang was startled by his sudden movement, and quickly helped him up. With creased brows, he asked, ¡°Old Zhao, what¡¯s going on with you? Weren¡¯t youpletely fine a moment ago? Why do you have such an ugly expression on your face?¡±

    The bookkeeper waved his hand. Bookkeeper Zhao was expert at his work, but he had another skill, which was a photographic memory.

    He was practically able to remember the faces of anybody that he had met once.

    Once, when he had been walking out of De¡¯an Restaurant¡¯s ounts room, he happened to overhear the emperor having a conversation within a private room. He had been so frightened by it that he ran off immediately. Later on, curiosity got the better of him as he peeked at the reigning emperor¡¯s face from afar. With that one nce, the face of the emperor remained in his memory up till now.

    De¡¯an Restaurant¡¯s dimsum was considered top-notch in the capital, so it wasn¡¯t strange for the emperor toe down to have a taste incognito.

    Once he caught his breath, he looked at Manager Wang while appearing choked-up but smiling. Momentster, he whispered into Manager Wang¡¯s ear, ¡°Manager, the one who just alighted the carriage was...¡±

    The old bookkeeper first pointed at the skies with his forefinger, then raised his thumb. He nervously gulped down his saliva.

    Manager Wang froze up in shock, then widened his eyes in uncertainty. He gripped the bookkeeper¡¯s shoulder and asked, ¡°Are you sure... that you didn¡¯t make a mistake?¡±

    The old bookkeeper shook his head with a bitter smile, ¡°Manager, you know my ability very well, when have I ever made a mistake in identifying someone?¡±

    Hearing the certainty in the old bookkeeper¡¯s voice, the two old men shrank back, and were even more in awe of Dejufeng now.

    That¡¯s right! On the opening day of Dejufeng, the emperor himself had secretlye to support them!

    As Chu Lian was still confined in the estate due to her pregnancy, she didn¡¯t learn of this on the day itself, but He Changdi did inform her of thister on.

    She didn¡¯t know how to react. The emperor had given her too much of an honour. The emperor had personally gone to support the restaurant that she secretly opened!

    Since the ultimate boss had already gone, the other officials of the court would also go down to the restaurant, even if it were just to tter the emperor. Therefore, there was no need to fear that there would be ack of customers.

    The emperor was practically a living signboard.

    Besides, Dejufeng¡¯s food could only be better and never worse than Guilin Restaurant before its closure. Anyone who had eaten at Guilin Restaurant before would definitely realise what was going on.

    There was simply no need to guess who the actual boss of Dejufeng was, as it was definitely Marchioness Anyuan.

    Chu Lian left Dejufeng in the care of Zhou Wen, who hade rmended by He Changdi, while the northern border¡¯s market was left to Manager Qin.

    The northern market had already expanded to over ten times its original size ording to Myeryen and his brother, who hade back from the northern border. Even Chu Lian found this hard to believe.

    Myeryen and Narisong were now incredibly fluent in Mandarin. If one heard their voice without seeing their faces, they definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to guess that they were ¡®barbarians¡¯.

    Myeryen and Narisong now worked under Manager Qin, and were responsible for supervising the northern market. Currently, Liangzhou was no longer just a ce for the Great Wu Dynasty and the barbarians to trade, it had be a ce that attracted merchants from the surrounding countries. This meant that there was now a new trade route between Su City and Liangzhou that came out of nowhere!

    Liangzhou City was no longer the deste city that Chu Lian had left four months ago.

    While it was still a simple and crude border city in appearance, the amount of traffic and business it was getting could bepared to Su City¡¯s.

    Originally, Urihan had wanted to stay by Chu Lian¡¯s side, but Chu Lian hadn¡¯t agreed.

    She knew that Urihan loved her sons very much, and that she wouldn¡¯t actually want to leave her sons at all. Therefore, she had Urihan stay with her sons, and had her take care of their everyday needs.

    In the beginning of June, summer arrived in the capital.

    Myeryen and his younger brother Narisong once again came to the capital from Liangzhou.

    They were numerous matters regarding the business that the two needed to report to Chu Lian.

    The scrawny and weak brothers that Chu Lian had met a long time ago now lookedpletely different.

    Especially Myeryen.

    The bone structure of the barbarians was different from the people of the Great Wu.

    Their features were more pronounced than the people of the Great Wu. They had higher nose bridges, deeper eye sockets and sharper angles over all. The colours of their eyes were also slightly different. If one looked closely, they would find that their eyes were light brown, unlike the amber and brown-coloured eyes that the citizens of the Great Wu Dynasty had.

    After eating well for a few months and learning martial arts training from He Changdi¡¯s personal guards, as well as getting a good education from Manager Qin, neen-year-old Myeryen had broken free from the constant torment of his illness, and had grown into a full-fledged, handsome and well-built young man.

 Chapter 671 - Enjoying the Breeze (1)

    <strong>Chapter 671: Enjoying the Breeze (1)</strong>

    He followed behind Manager Qin and entered from the side entrance of the estate. As they passed the first wall behind the entrance, then the outer court and finally, to the inner court, there were maidservants peeking at them the whole way.

    Once they entered the main courtyard within the inner court, Manager Qin took Myeryen straight to Chu Lian, who was sitting under some grape vines.

    Today, it was Xiyan and Wen who were on duty.

    The child in Chu Lian¡¯s child had just passed three months. Great Doctor Miao had dered that the pregnancy was stable now, making everyone around He Changdi and Chu Lian rx.

    It was now more than a month since Chu Lian had discovered her pregnancy.

    She had been trapped in the estate for this whole month. He Changdi was normally very busy, but he somehow managed to free up enough time and spent two or three days with her in the estate for every ten days.

    If it were only Senior Servants Gui and Zhong by her side, they might not have dared to interfere with her actions, but it was a different story when it came to He Changdi.

    Thinking back to the month or so that she had been cooped up inside the estate, a furrow developed between Chu Lian¡¯s brows. Unless it was absolutely necessary, He Changdi had actually forbidden her from leaving her room.

    However, she did care very much for the little bun growing in her belly too, so even without any servants by her side to remind her, she would take special care in moving around.

    Yesterday, Great Doctor Miao had personally dered that she could leave her room. So today, she hade out to enjoy some fresh air under the hanging grape vines.

    On this hot day, it was already painful enough that she couldn¡¯t drink anything cold, but she still had to ce a light nket over her tummy.

    Chu Lian shifted the thin nket aside in disdain, but the sharp-eyed Xiyan quickly pulled it back in ce.

    Chu Lian had no choice but to take up the lotus seed porridge at the side and sip some to alleviate the heat she was feeling.

    From far away, they could see Manager Qin bringing a few people over.

    When Chu Lian noticed the foreign-looking man behind Manager Qin, who was at least half a head taller than the poor manager, the corners of her mouth curled up.

    She had to say that Myeryen was rather handsome after he had grown up. He looked like one of those European models from the modern times now. After training with Manager Qin for a few months, he had lost the cowardly and weak demeanour he had when they had first met, and had be more confident.

    Now that his health had recovered, Myeryen was more self-assured. Furthermore, after helping Chu Lian manage the northern market, he had gotten better at speaking.

    He saw Chu Lian lying against the wooden chair first, and his expression lit up. Following that, he spotted Wen, who was sitting beside Chu Lian and working on some embroidery.

    This time, his brown eyes sparkled even more, as if he had just seen something precious to him.

    As the men walked closer to them, Chu Lian was observing them. Of course, she noticed Myeryen¡¯s expression and made a mental note of it. Her eyes slid sideways to cast a nonchnt gaze over Wen, who had her head bowed as she focused on her embroidery. A smirk danced on Chu Lian¡¯s lips.

    Manager Qin hade here with Myeryen to report on the progress of the northern market, as well as hand over the ount books for the season.

    Knowing that Chu Lian was pregnant now and that she couldn¡¯t overexert herself, Manager Qin only stayed for a while before leaving.

    Just as Manager Qin was leaving, they bumped into He Changdi, who was returning to the estate. He Changdi quickly noticed Myeryen standing behind Manager Qin.

    Myeryen came over to greet He Changdi rather enthusiastically, perhaps since they hadn¡¯t met for some time. He made a proper salute towards He Changdi, as befitting a citizen of the Great Wu.

    ¡°Brother He!¡±

    He Changdi was a little surprised. He hadn¡¯t managed to recognise that this tall and skinny foreign boy was Myeryen.

    The Myeryen of today was utterly different from the Myeryen of his past lifetime.

    In his past life, Myeryen had been so thin that he had been practically skin and bones. He had also been dreadfully ill. He had never seen Myeryen look so lively before.

    ¡°Myeryen?¡±

    Myeryen grinned and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

    ¡°Brother He, I didn¡¯t think that you would be able to recognise me. Even Ah-ma said that I¡¯ve changed too much.¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s gaze was slightly warmer than usual as he patted Myeryen¡¯s shoulder, ¡°How are Ah-ma and your brother?¡±

    Myeryen smiled, revealing a mouth full of white teeth, ¡°Ah-ma is doing very well! My brother and I are both working under Manager Qin and learning.¡±

    He Changdi nced in the direction the two of them hade from, ¡°Did you go to see Madam just now?¡±

    Manager Qin was the one who replied, ¡°Replying to my lord, I just handed over the ount books for the northern market to Madam, together with Myeryen.¡±

    When He Changdi had left the Jing¡¯an Estate, he had brought out all the servants from Songtao Court. Since Matriarch He was still around, their rank in their family was still the same, so the servants hadn¡¯t changed the way they addressed their masters in the Anyuan Estate. They still called the couple Third Young Madam and Third Young Master.

    However, now that there was a child in Chu Lian¡¯s belly, they couldn¡¯t continue the old way of addressing their masters, since their masters had upgraded by one generation. If Chu Lian gave birth to a boy, he would be the little Heir Anyuan, and He Changdi and Chu Lian would then have to be called Master and Madam.

    He Changdi turned to Myeryen and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and visit Ah-ma some other time.¡±

    He then let Manager Qin and Myeryen leave.

 Chapter 672 - Enjoying the Breeze (2)

    <strong>Chapter 672: Enjoying the Breeze (2)</strong>

    He Changdi entered the inner court, only to see that Chu Lian was still sitting under the grape voices and hadn¡¯t even moved a little. When he had left the estate at noon, Chu Lian had already been sitting there.

    It was indeed rather cool under the grape vines here. Since it was close to an alley, a breeze would pass by from time to time and the dense grape vines absorbed much of the harsh sunlight. It might even befier than a modern air-conditioned room.

    Xiyan and Wen had already asked a few times, but Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to move at all.

    Although it was summer now, it wasn¡¯t good for a pregnant woman to sit in the breeze for too long.

    However, the group of maidservants couldn¡¯t get Chu Lian to budge. She had already started flipping through the ount books that Manager Qin had just delivered.

    The moment He Changdi entered the courtyard, he was greeted with the sight of the maidservants standing helplessly next to Chu Lian, looking like they wanted to speak but not daring to at all.

    When Xiyan noticed He Changdi, her eyes lit up, as if she had just seen her saviour.

    Chu Lian was currently sitting with her back facing He Changdi, so she couldn¡¯t see him at all. He Changdi waved his hand at Xiyan and Wen to dismiss them.

    The two handmaids bobbed in respect before leading the other maidservants away.

    Chu Lian was still marvelling at the speedy development of the market and was immersed in the numbers on the pages with wide eyes. All of a sudden, she was pulled up from behind and into someone¡¯s embrace, giving her a fright.

    She only had time to make a short scream before her mouth was devoured by a familiar pair of lips.

    Her eyes went even wider, and she finally looked right into the dark eyes of her husband. Chu Lian was so angry that she beat on He Changdi¡¯s chest.

    He Changdi let her struggle, but he made sure to keep her stable in his embrace. He kept one hand over her waist to make sure she wouldn¡¯t kick her own belly.

    At the same time, he refused to give in and yed with her tongue mercilessly.

    It only took a few punches before Chu Lian gave up on moving him. His chest was all hard and it seemed like it didn¡¯t even affect him. In the end, all she was doing was making her hands sore.

    The flurry of movement and the battle between their tongues sapped her strength away, making her boneless.

    She could only let this lunatic husband of hers do as he liked.

    When He Changdi finally let go of her tongue, they were already back in their own room.

    Chu Lian¡¯s face was fully flushed. The parts of her neck exposed to the air were also pink. Pregnant women were more sensitive than most. Right now, her eyes were slightly watery, giving her a tender and beguiling aura, seducing the person beholding her beauty.

    He Changdi¡¯s pupils dted and he took a gulp. All the blood in his body rushed downwards...

    He sat Chu Lian down on the chaise, while he took a few steps back to put some distance between them. He tugged at his robes awkwardly.

    He reprimanded her in a cool voice, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to sit in the breeze for more than two hours from now on.¡±

    Chu Lian simply stared at him, tongue-tied. Was he going to nitpick even over this?

    He was going to be a busybody soon...

    There was the hint of a pout in her voice as she replied, ¡°It¡¯s hot in the room.¡±

    He Changdi looked around the room and retrieved a hand fan from the side. He opened it up and started fanning her.

    ¡°Is it still hot now?¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know how to reply to that. A twitch developed in the corner of her mouth, and she tried to push away He Changdi, who was starting to lean closer and closer to her.

    ¡°Why did youe back so early today?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t go to the ministry today. I was at Prince Jin¡¯s estate, so I came home earlier.¡±

    He Changdi couldn¡¯t resist hugging Chu Lian again. Her figure was already small in the first ce. Even though she was now more than three months pregnant, she hadn¡¯t gotten any bigger yet. Only the smooth glow of her skin and her extra sensitivity hinted that there was a new life growing inside her.

    His arm slid under her slender neck and he continued fanning her. The cool breeze washed over her flushed cheeks and neck, carrying the slight fragrance of her body to his nose, immediately tempting the desire he had suppressed for months.

    The thought of the silver mine that had been taken away by the emperor suddenly came to Chu Lian¡¯s mind. A wrinkle appeared between her brows and she turned to catch He Changdi¡¯s cor, looking up at him. She was about to tell him about the northern market when He Changdi bent down to catch her lips once again.

    He licked her cherry red lips before nibbling on her full lower lip. Finally, his agile tongue slid into her sweet, warm cavern and immediately overpowered her.

    Chu Lian gave in to the desire that his actions had stirred. Even if she tried to push him, it had no effect, so she could only wrap her arms around his waist and continuously stroke the area there.

    For such a tall and strong man, He Changdi¡¯s most sensitive area was actually his waist. However, even Chu Lian didn¡¯t know that...

    In the middle of ying with Chu Lian¡¯s tongue, He Sang suddenly frowned and let out a suppressed moan.

    Even if it was a man¡¯s voice, that moan was very seductive.

    Before Chu Lian could react, he threw away the fan in his hands and pulled Chu Lian onto hisp. His other hand caught both of Chu Lian¡¯s naughty hands and restrained them.

    Chu Lian quivered a little at the sudden movement, her half-lidded eyes immediately fluttering open. Being held down like this made her shy and timid. She turned her head away because she couldn¡¯t meet his eyes in this state.

    However, there was still a buff arm wrapped around her, so she couldn¡¯t get away totally.

    ¡°He Changdi, let go of me!¡± She panted coquettishly in protest.

    Right now, her entire body was in his arms. How could He Changdi bear to let go of his lovely wife at this point?

    A man who had been left high and dry for two months was to be feared, especially when it was the lunatic He Changdi.

    He tightened his embrace around Chu Lian and panted into her ear. The hot and heavy breaths puffing over her ears made them flush instantly.

    Chu Lian could hear his husky voice pleading, like a big puppy begging for help, ¡°Lian¡¯er... Help me, please?¡±

 Chapter 673 - Jingyan (1)

    <strong>Chapter 673: Jingyan (1)</strong>

    No way!

    That was what Chu Lian wanted to say, but He Changdi didn¡¯t even give her the time to reject his plea. He took her soft little hand and started moving it...

    After a long time, while waiting for him to finish, Chu Lian was starting to feel that the hand was no longer her own...

    Chu Lianid in his embrace, panting, her clothes in disarray. Her belt had already been taken off long ago, and the light yellow halter top that was her underwear had been thrown under the chaise by He Sang.

    Although Sang still wasn¡¯tpletely satisfied, for the sake of his wife¡¯s body, he hadn¡¯t gone any further than that.

    Of course, the sounds made by the couple had already been overheard by Senior Servant Zhong, was on duty outside the room.

    Just as He Sang was about to carry Chu Lian off to the bathroom, Senior Servant Zhong purposely coughed loudly from outside.

    Chu Lian made an embarrassed and awkward expression. The flush that had receded from her cheeks came back in full force. She secretly pinched He Changdi¡¯s arm, hard.

    He Changdi bent down to kiss her on her forehead, speaking in a low tone to reassure her, ¡°Go ahead and take a bath first. I¡¯ll go talk to momo.¡±

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t opposed to this suggestion. Senior Servant Zhong was He Changdi¡¯s servant after all. If he wanted to exin, he could do it by himself. She was too embarrassed to face the old servant.

    He Changdi gently lowered Chu Lian into the bathtub and called Xiyan over to serve her, before vanishing outside to talk to Senior Servant Zhong.

    When Senior Servant Zhong saw that He Changdi had walked out of the bedroom, she hesitated to speak.

    He Changdi coolly spoke up before she could gather her courage, ¡°Momo, you don¡¯t have to worry, I know the limits. Uncle Miao has already informed me of what not to do.¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong showed an awkward smile, ¡°It¡¯s alright as long as Master knows what to do. This old servant shall not overstep her bounds.¡±

    Once Senior Servant Zhong was done speaking, He Changdi immediately turned back to the bedroom.

    Jingyan had been standing behind Senior Servant Zhong, so she had heard the sounds from the bedroom just the same.

    She waited until He Changdi had turned his back to them before raising her head.

    As her gazended upon that straight back and slender figure, a mesmerised look appeared on her face.

    Although He Changdi had always kept an unfriendly and cold expression on his face, his looks were top-notch regardless. He wouldn¡¯t lose any of his outstanding aura even if he stood next to Xiao Bojian.

    Especially those dark, deep eyes of his which looked like they could pierce right into the heart of anyone and see through all their secrets.

    Jingyan continued daydreaming about how the icy facade on He Changdi¡¯s face might break during moments of passion. She got so excited that her entire body shivered in anticipation.

    She knew that He Changdi hadn¡¯t gone to bed with Chu Lian for close to two months. Just now, in the bedroom, he had likely only done a quick release. As a normal and healthy young man, how could that be enough to satisfy him?

    Marquis Anyuan treated the marchioness very well. However, how many men were there in this world who could keep their hands to themselves and not stray from their wives? Even if they somehow kept their hearts set on that one person, they still had to work off the excess desire in their bodies somehow.

    Men and women were different. Furthermore, most nobles had a whole harem of wives and concubines in their inner courts. Even when it came to the prince consorts, none of them truly stayed loyal to their princesses.

    Jingyan felt as if she had finally found a chance.

    She had been waiting for so long, but her time had finallye!

    When she thought back to how Mingyan had ended up, she felt that Mingyan had been too stupid!

    Once she had stabilised her position and status in the household, she would definitely find some time to burn some incense for Mingyan.

    Since Chu Lian¡¯s pregnancy had already passed three months, it was about time to announce the news to the old residence.

    She and He Changdi had a discussion and decided to make a trip to the old residence the next day.

    He Changdi apanied Chu Lian for dinner, but right after they were done, there was a messenger from Prince Jin.

    He Sang changed out of his home clothes and took Laiyue and the guards out with him. It was midnight by the time he returned to the estate.

    He Changdi was still worried about Chu Lian, so he immediately went to the bedroom to take a look at Chu Lian once he was back.

    Chu Lian had already fallen asleep. For the past few weeks, Chu Lian had be more and more sleepy. If not for Great Doctor Miao exining that this was normal behaviour for pregnant women, He Changdi would definitely have kidnapped all the physicians in the Imperial Physician Institute over.

    He Sang touched Chu Lian¡¯s flushed cheeks before reluctantly pulling apart from her.

    It was Jingyan¡¯s turn to take the night shift, so He Changdi called her and asked her about Chu Lian¡¯s condition.

    Jingyan followed behind He Changdi obediently and whispered her reply, ¡°Madam was going to wait for Master to return before sleeping, but she started nodding off while reading a book against the headboard. This servant suggested that Madam should sleep first.¡±

    He Changdi nced at Jingyan from the corner of his eyes before ordering, ¡°Take good care of your madam.¡±

    Jingyan watched as He Changdi strode off to the study in the outer court. She bit her lip in frustration. However, her eyes turned in thought for a moment and the corner of her lips curled up in a smirk.

    Xiyan and Jingyan shared a room, so the sound of Jingyan pouring water woke Xiyan up.

    She rubbed her eyes sleepily, still only half-awake. She asked in aining manner, ¡°What are you doing in the middle of the night? Why aren¡¯t you by Third Young Madam¡¯s side?¡±

    Jingyan jumped in fright and quickly hid the thin nightgown she had already prepared. Her voice was rather tense as she replied, ¡°Third Young Madam is asleep. I was all sweaty and I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I came back to wipe of the sweat first. I¡¯ll go right back once I¡¯m done, and I¡¯ll be done quick. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Xiyan didn¡¯t think too much of it. Jingyan was normally very quiet and kept her focus on her task. Although she didn¡¯t do her tasks very well, it wasn¡¯t too bad either. Her work was just average, but Chu Lian had never said anything about it. Xiyan turned around and continued sleeping, not thinking to bother with Jingyan.

 Chapter 674 - Jingyan (2)

    <strong>Chapter 674: Jingyan (2)</strong>

    Once Jingyan heard that Xiyan¡¯s breathing had evened out, indicating that she had fallen back asleep, she heaved a sigh of relief and quickly put on her nightgown. She even applied a fragrant perfume and patted some rouge on her cheeks. Jingyan checked her reflection by the wavering candle light and let out a satisfied smirk.

    It was all thanks to the essories and makeup that Chu Lian had generously bestowed upon the maidservants that she could dress up so beautifully.

    There was the saying that all women were beauties under themp light. Jingyan felt that her current looks could bepared even to Chu Lian¡¯s.

    She twirled a lock of her hair and swayed out of her room, turning around to shut the door silently.

    She went over to the bedroom first to have a peek. When she saw that the two maidservants under her were properly guarding the door, and that Chu Lian was still deep in slumber, she left some orders for the maidservants before heading over to the kitchen.

    Jingyan took out the aphrodisiac soup she had brewed earlier and poured it into an exquisite porcin bowl. She ced it carefully into a food box and made her way over to the study in the outer court.

    She had already overheard that He Changdi would be taking care of official business in the study tonight, and that there were only a few manservants on duty there.

    As long as He Changdi drank the soup she had brewed and she took the initiative, she trusted that things would fall into ce.

    The more she thought about it, the more excited Jingyan got. Her body started trembling in anticipation.

    However, what she didn¡¯t know was that the moment she left Songtao Court, Chu Lian was called awake by someone.

    Chu Lian rubbed her eyes and sat up, looking over to Wenqing, who was standing beside her.

    Although her voice was a little husky from sleep, her tone remained strangely calm, ¡°Has she gone?¡±

    Wenqing¡¯s expression was full of indignant anger. She nodded, ¡°Madam, this servant is going to tell Master immediately!¡±

    Chu Lian was more clear-headed after a while. She turned to Wenqing and shook her head, ¡°Follow her and watch what happens. Just report to me when everything is over.¡±

    Wenqing gasped, ¡°Madam, that won¡¯t be good, right?¡±

    Chu Lian let out a light chuckle, ¡°What? You don¡¯t have any confidence in your master?¡±

    Wenqing hurriedly shook her head. She felt that her master would definitely kick Jingyan right out the moment she reached the study.

    ¡°Then all is well, isn¡¯t it? Alright, I¡¯m still sleepy. You go ahead.¡±

    That said, Chu Lianid right back down, pulled the thin nket over her belly, and shut her almond-shaped eyes.

    Wenqing had no choice but to do as Chu Lian had ordered.

    When only Chu Lian was left in the bedroom, her eyes fluttered open. There was no trace of sleepiness in her eyes now, and they were bright and clear.

    Jingyan hadn¡¯t been a good character at all in the original novel. She had also died even earlier than Mingyan had. As for why Chu Lian had still kept her by her side, she had simply been giving her a chance to change for the better. After all, nothing had happened yet.

    However, she wasn¡¯t that naive. She had already taken some precautions against Jingyan.

    Wenqing had been watching her secretly. If she hadn¡¯t gone overboard today, Chu Lian was about to trust that she had turned over a new leaf.

    Unfortunately, she had still taken a step down the wrong path.

    Although she knew that He Changdi would definitely reject Jingyan, she still couldn¡¯t help the thread of uncertainty winding around her heart.

    She wasn¡¯t as calm and indifferent about this as she tried to appear to Wenqing.

    It was only because she cared about He Changdi that she worried that she might lose him. Chu Lian stared up at the canopy of the bed, biting her lip and waiting for more news.

    Since Jingyan was one of Chu Lian¡¯s four handmaids, she easily gained entrance to the courtyard where the main study was located.

    When she walked up to the final barrier, Jingyan struggled to hide the pleased smirk on her lips.

    Laiyue was standing at the entrance of the study. When he noticed Jingyan walking over with a box of food, he happily went up to wee her.

    ¡°Miss Jingyan, why have youe at this hour?¡±

    Jingyan smiled and bobbed towards Laiyue, ¡°It¡¯s my turn on duty over at Madam¡¯s. Madam ordered this servant to deliver this nourishing soup to Master for supper before she slept.¡±

    Laiyue found it strange. Chu Lian rarely sent supper over to He Changdi. Also, He Changdi usually spent most of his time with Chu Lian over the past month or so, so he would sleep early at night. It was very rare that he even had the chance to eat supper.

    However, Jingyan was one of Chu Lian¡¯s personal handmaids. Even if Laiyue was a little doubtful of the reason behind Jingyan¡¯s sudden visit, he still let her in.

    ¡°Then please try to be quiet when you enter, Miss Jingyan. Leave immediately once you set down the box. Master doesn¡¯t like to be disturbed while working.¡±

    Jingyan nodded obediently and took out a finely embroidered purse from her sleeve for Laiyue.

    Laiyue had been working for He Changdi for some time, and his looks weren¡¯t too bad. There were plenty of maidservants who tried to pass him gifts normally. As pretty and heavy as Jingyan¡¯s purse looked, he still rejected it politely.

    Truthfully speaking, Laiyue was too used to seeing riches to want to take such a small gift. It couldn¡¯t evenpare to a bowl of Yangzhou fried rice cooked by Xiyan...

    Jingyan awkwardly took back her purse and bobbed once again to Laiyue before carefully tiptoeing into the study.

    There were official documents and secret letters covering He Changdi¡¯s desk. He was currently sitting straight behind the desk, dressed in a ck robe depicting a fearsome mountain tiger. His ck hair was tied up in a jade crown, befitting his elegant features, and he was draped in a cool and outstanding aura.

    There was a slight furrow between his brows, and he was ying with the green jade ring on his left thumb, as if pondering something.

    He Changdi¡¯s every gesture showed off the elegance of a noble gentleman. Jingyan¡¯s eyes lit up with sparkles.

    She did her best to suppress the pounding waves of excitement about to burst out from her heart, and called out with her head bowed, ¡°Master.¡±

    When He Changdi¡¯s dark gaze alighted on Jingyan¡¯s figure, the furrow between his brows deepend.

    Jingyan held up the box of food in her hands nervously, but she tried her best to hide it and exin, ¡°Master, this servant is here on Madam¡¯s orders to deliver some supper. This is what Madam instructed this servant earlier.¡±

 Chapter 675 - Causing Her Own Demise (1)

    <strong>Chapter 675: Causing Her Own Demise (1)</strong>

    He Changdi looked her over once before ordering, ¡°Put it down and get out.¡±

    Jingyan was startled by the abruptmand. She hadn¡¯t thought that He Changdi would be so cold and indifferent towards her. His gaze hadn¡¯t even lingered even a second longer over her.

    Jingyan bit her lip and made a decision in her heart.

    She only had one chance! If she missed out on this one chance, then she would have to give up on her dream!

    She took a deep breath and put on the most seductive expression she could muster up. Ignoring He Changdi¡¯s order to set down the box and leave, she sashayed up to He Changdi and put the food box down at one corner of the table. Jingyan spoke in a soft voice, ¡°Master, Madam is worried for your health, so Madam specially told me to watch Master drink the soup down.¡±

    The cold aura that He Changdi had kept under control suddenly burst out in full force. He had been considering the fact that Jingyan had been serving as Chu Lian¡¯s maidservant ever since she had married him, so he had given her some leeway. However, since she wanted to invite her own death, he wasn¡¯t going to show her any mercy.

    Jingyan hadn¡¯t noticed the subtle changes in He Changdi. She was so nervous that her heart was about to leap out of her chest. She couldn¡¯t possibly have taken note of the expression on He Changdi¡¯s slightly bowed head.

    Her slender hand moved to her waist. With a gentle tug, her thin nightgown came undone, revealing her long, snow-white legs and her full bosom...

    Jingyan gathered her courage and leaned over the table, revealing her exposed chest to He Changdi¡¯s sight. Her voice wavered as she offered in a delicate and frail manner, ¡°Ma... Master, this servant will help you drink the soup...¡±

    The rage in He Changdi¡¯s chest reached its peak upon hearing Jingyan¡¯s shy words.

    He abruptly lifted his head. The frozen expression on his handsome face had finally changed, but it wasn¡¯t the change Jingyan had been hoping for.

    His handsome mien was slightly contorted into a malevolent expression and his deep eyes were like ancient ciers.

    Jingyan was scared stiff by that sinister look on He Changdi. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she lost all strength and copsed to the ground.

    By now, Jingyan had finally realised how stupid her decision had been. However, it was toote for regrets.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t have any ounce of pity for a woman like this. A corner of his lips tugged upwards into a smirk. That smirk wasn¡¯t sympathetic at all, making him seem even more terrifying and cruel.

    In the next second, the dishevelled and half-naked Jingyan was kicked right out of the study. She rolled andnded right by Laiyue¡¯s feet.

    Laiyue: ......

    Following that, He Changdi¡¯s angry roar burst out from the study, ¡°Once you¡¯ve taken care of her, go and punish yourself!¡±

    Laiyue¡¯s own expression turned overcast and he red fiercely at the unconscious Jingyan. He was extremely vexed inside. This damned woman had caused trouble for him!

    Even though he felt very indignant and he wanted to beat Jingyan up to take out his anger for a bit, Laiyue didn¡¯t dare to tarry on fulfilling He Changdi¡¯s order.

    He took out a ck bamboo whistle and blew on it. In a short moment, two guards appeared from the darkness. With just a simple hand gesture from Laiyue, the two ck-d guards took the unconscious Jingyan away.

    Laiyue hesitated for a moment before turning back and entering the study.

    He Changdi looked up and swept a cold gaze over the manservant, making Laiyue freeze up.

    Laiyue showed a pained expression as he exined, ¡°Master, it¡¯s not that this servant didn¡¯t have doubts, but Jingyan was one of Madam¡¯s handmaids...¡±

    ¡°You can shut up now. Take this box of food to Uncle Miao and have him check if there¡¯s anything else in the soup.¡±

    Laiyue didn¡¯t dare to continue exining for himself. He only agreed and took the box of food in hand.

    ¡°Has Wenqing left yet?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s already gone. When you kicked Jingyan out, Miss Wenqing left immediately.¡±

    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re dismissed!¡±

    Laiyue bowed as he walked backwards out of the study.

    After Wenqing exined everything that had happened, the tension in Chu Lian¡¯s heart faded away. She could finallyy back down and have a good night¡¯s rest.

    It wasn¡¯t until before daybreak that He Changdi finished his work and returned to Songtao Court.

    Uncle Miao had actuallye all the way over to the study just now because of that aphrodisiac soup, putting He Changdi in an awkward spot.

    Uncle Miao had even assumed that he had some hidden illness! The doctor had insisted on taking his pulse before finally leaving.

    Chu Lian felt someone hold her in her sleep. She struggled a little in her half-awake state, but she couldn¡¯t get free. In the end, she opened her eyes reluctantly, only to meet with He Changdi¡¯s dark and deep gaze.

    He Changdi chuckled and pinched her pert little nose, ¡°You silly goose. Are you satisfied now?¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s mind was still foggy, so she couldn¡¯t really process what he had said. She pouted and repeated the insult back at him, ¡°You¡¯re the silly goose!¡±

    He Changdi didn¡¯t retort. He simply looked at the cute and sleepy Chu Lian in his arms with a warm gaze. He couldn¡¯t resist kissing her fluttering eyelids.

    ¡°Did our little one disturb you these two days?¡±

    Ever since Great Doctor Miao had diagnosed that she was carrying, the pregnancy symptoms had immediately started up with a vengeance. Chu Lian puked out whatever she ate. Sometimes, she would be able to eat a bowl of food, only for it toe back upter. Her appetite hadn¡¯t been very good in the first ce. After the symptoms started, she ate even lesser.

    However, Senior Servant Zhong and Great Doctor Miao had told her that she had to eat even if she didn¡¯t feel any appetite if she wanted to keep the child. Thus, she hadn¡¯t been having a very good time so far.

    It wasn¡¯t until the three month mark had passed that the symptoms had slowly abated and her appetite had returned.

    Now Chu Lian could down two bowls of rice by herself at one go.

    Perhaps due to the scare fromst month, He Changdi couldn¡¯t seem to set his worries aside. He asked about her condition daily and whether the little one had made trouble for her.

    Chu Lian shook her head. After the first three months, the little bun seemed to have settled down. Other than a slight bump in her abdomen, she hardly felt pregnant by now, other than being just a little sleepier than usual.

 Chapter 676 - Causing Her Own Demise (2)

    <strong>Chapter 676: Causing Her Own Demise (2)</strong>

    He Changdi patted Chu Lian¡¯s back before pausing and asking, ¡°How do you want to handle Jingyan?¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s mind was wide awake by now. Now she thought back to what He Changdi had first said to her and she finally understood his meaning. She tugged at He Changdi¡¯s cor unhappily, ¡°You can handle it however you like. I don¡¯t want to see her again.¡±

    He Changdi mulled over it. He didn¡¯t want her to have to take care of such matter even while she was pregnant. Furthermore, she was carrying their child, so she shouldn¡¯t see anything bloody. He Changdi sunk deeper into thought.

    ¡°Shall I get another two maidservants for you?¡±

    Chu Lian shook her head, ¡°No need, let¡¯s wait until our child is born before we add any more servants to the household.¡±

    There were already plenty of servants around her. Two days ago, Princess Wei had even specially sent over a senior servant and some maidservants specialising in caring for pregnant noblewomen.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t push the issue and simply enjoyed holding her. He breathed in the faint fragrance emanating from her body and shut his eyes.

    Chu Lian yed with the cor on his chest and asked in a soft voice, ¡°Were you busy the whole night?¡±

    He Changdi made a tired groan in response.

    Chu Lian thought for a bit before moving back a little. Looking at the sky outside, the sun would likely rise in less than two hours.

    ¡°Come here, why don¡¯t you sleep for a while?¡±

    He Changdi had only been holding her at the edge of the bed. When he opened his eyes and saw that she had given up more than half of the bed for him, he smiled, ¡°It looks like you¡¯re really getting more and more daring. Aren¡¯t you afraid that the momos will nag you?¡±

    Chu Lian blushed before ring at him, ¡°Are you going to sleep or not?¡±

    He Changdi moved his body and took up all the space she had offered. He didn¡¯t even take off any of his clothes, simply holding her loosely in his embrace.

    Since finding out about Chu Lian¡¯s pregnancy, the two senior servants had forbidden the couple to sleep on the same bed. He Changdi normally slept next to the bed on a chaise. It was now a rare chance for him to sleep together with his wife.

    He hadn¡¯t hugged Chu Lian to sleep for so long. As he breathed in her naturally sweet scent, he quickly drifted off into dreand.

    Chu Lian shifted her position within his arms and lifted her chin to look at He Changdi¡¯s features, softened by sleep. She couldn¡¯t resist reaching out to stroke his skin.

    There were dark circles under his eyes, showing how he had worked the whole night.

    Although Chu Lian didn¡¯t really ask about what He Changdi was doing at court, from the first half of the novel that she had read, she could guess at some things.

    While things seemed calm in the capital for now, there was actually a storm brewing underneath. Ever since the crown prince had presented the fake phoenix to the emperor, there had been more and more of his ugly news revealed. Finally, the corruption case in Chaozhou had been exposed. While the crown prince was still holding on to his position, he had already been grounded in the east pce for close to two months.

    This grounding was basically equal to imprisonment. The officials on the crown prince¡¯s side had made their moves: some of them had switched sides, and some of them had resigned. There were barely any supporters of the crown prince left.

    It was practically a fact that the emperor had already taken away the title of crown prince from Second Prince, all that remained was the formalities.

    By now, the factions of Sixth Prince and Fourth Prince were already going against each other in secret.

    He Changdi had been working through the night likely due to a major incident in their faction.

    She didn¡¯t know much of politics in court and didn¡¯t have any subordinates who could be of use, so she couldn¡¯t help him directly. The only way she could contribute was likely through money.

    The first batch of tea that she had prepared in early spring had already been sent to Dejufeng. She would likely get the results from that tea soon.

    Deep in her thoughts, Chu Lian didn¡¯t notice the passing of time. In the blink of an eye, it was time for He Changdi to head out to court.

    Wenqing called out from outside to remind them of the time. Before Chu Lian could wake He Changdi, he had already opened his eyes.

    ¡°Are you still sleepy?¡± Chu Lian rubbed his slightly prickly chin and ced a kiss on it with a mischievous smile.

    The sight of her rosy cheeks riled up the desire in He Changdi¡¯s heart. He returned the kiss with force, but on her lips. Only when he had had his fill, did he stop and try to calm the fires burning in his body.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get up now, otherwise I won¡¯t make it in time for court. You can sleep a little longer. When I return, let¡¯s go to the old residence together.¡±

    Actually, Chu Lian wasn¡¯t that sleepy either. She had already slept more than enough in the day and earlier at night. Even if she had onlyid down with her eyes open for two hours, she still felt rather energetic.

    She got up and helped He Changdi to find his court robes. She then personally instructed Xiyan to prepare breakfast before apanying He Changdi for the meal. Chu Lian sent him off at the gates.

    Chu Lian looked over the servants following after He Changdi and noticed that Laiyue wasn¡¯t there. She found it strange and remarked on it, ¡°Where¡¯s Laiyue? Has he gone somewhere to skive off?¡±

    Wenqing chuckled awkwardly, ¡°He did something wrong yesterday and he¡¯s been punished by Master. He¡¯s currently lying in bed.¡±

    Chu Lian was surprised, ¡°He was beaten?¡±

    Wenqing nodded and held out two fingers, ¡°Twenty strikes of the rod.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s mouth twitched. She had a rough guess at why Laiyue had been punished. She nced at Wenqing and noticed the concerned expression on her face, so she ordered, ¡°Go and prepare some ointment and snacks. Visit him on my behalf. He¡¯s been a loyal servant of your master for so long after all, and it wasn¡¯t entirely his fault what happenedst night.¡±

 Chapter 677 - Matriarch Heâ€™s Good Intentions (1)

    <strong>Chapter 677: Matriarch He¡¯s Good Intentions (1)</strong>

    A spark of joy shed across Wenqing¡¯s eyes. She bobbed towards Chu Lian and left to look for some ointment.

    He Changdi had already sent a messenger out to the old residence with the good news this morning when he left the estate. When it was almost lunch time, Countess Jing¡¯an actually came over personally with a group of servants.

    Chu Lian hurriedly went out to wee her.

    Once she escorted her in all the way to Songtao Court, Countess Jing¡¯an looked her up and down with a beaming smile, ¡°I can¡¯t tell that you¡¯re pregnant at all, you haven¡¯t put on any weight!¡±

    Chu Lian led the countess over to a chair, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m eating two bowls of rice at each meal! I¡¯m already trying my best!¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an was in a good mood after seeing that her daughter-inw looked bright and healthy.

    ¡°Eat whatever you want. If you don¡¯t have it around, then send Sang out to get it. You can¡¯t let yourself suffer!¡±

    Chu Lian thought to herself, Sang might not even be able to find what she wanted to eat. The Great Wu didn¡¯t have any of the snacks from the modern world.

    ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you, Mother.¡±

    ¡°Really, why did the two of you wait until now to tell us the news? If I had known earlier, I would have moved over to take care of you. You¡¯re all alone here and we can¡¯t be too careless with your first pregnancy.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an was genuinely happy for her son and daughter-inw. She couldn¡¯t count on her eldest and second sons, so she was hoping that He Changdi and Chu Lian could have a child as soon as possible.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t hide the truth from her.

    ¡°Mother, we don¡¯t need you to work so hard to take care of us. We have some senior servants around. Also, my pregnancy wasn¡¯t stable before, so we didn¡¯t mention it to you.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an was managing the Jing¡¯an Estate now, so she couldn¡¯t just leave ande over here to stay. There was also the matriarch still back in the old residence, so she couldn¡¯t really do as she said to look after Chu Lian.

    The countess was startled upon hearing that the baby had almost been lost, ¡°Have you asked an imperial physician to check? How is it now?¡±

    Chu Lian smiled, ¡°There¡¯s no problems at all now. We have Uncle Miao here too, so we don¡¯t need any imperial physicians.¡±

    If she had really requested for an imperial physician over to check her health, then she wouldn¡¯t have been able to hide her pregnancy.

    Hearing so, Countess Jing¡¯an heaved a sigh of relief. She started talking to Chu Lian with sincerity and passion, ¡°You absolutely have to take good care of your health during this pregnancy. If there¡¯s an emergency, and unless there¡¯s no other choice, I would rather that you give up the child than to damage your body permanently. Don¡¯t follow down my path. The two of you are still young. If you nurse your body well, there will still be time to get pregnant again.¡±

    This was what Countess Jing¡¯an truly felt from the bottom of her heart. Back then, she had ignored her weak health to give birth to children, causing her to fall seriously ill and suffer for decades. Of course, Countess Jing¡¯an didn¡¯t me any of her three sons. They were all her flesh and blood, so there was no such thing as resentment or hate for them. She simply wanted to let her daughter-inw know how important it was for her body to be healthy.

    Chu Lian was touched by the countess. It hadn¡¯t been easy for her mother-inw to speak such words to her.

    ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m perfectly healthy now.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll rest assured about your health. Come, let me tell you some things you have to take note of during your pregnancy.¡±

    While Chu Lian had already heard simr pointers from the senior servants, she still patiently listened to all of what Countess Jing¡¯an had to say and made mental notes in her heart.

    Xiyan steeped the newly made batch of tea for Countess Jing¡¯an, while Chu Lian only had honey water.

    Countess Jing¡¯an sipped at the tea to wet her throat, before dismissing the maidservants around them and pulling Chu Lian closer to ask some intimate questions.

    A corner of Chu Lian¡¯s mouth twitched and she shook her head with a blush.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, there are some things that Mother just has to tell you. You can¡¯t spoil your man at this time. Don¡¯t be so muddle-headed as other women and find some bed servant for your husband while you¡¯re inconvenienced. Our house doesn¡¯t follow such customs anyway.¡±

    Chu Lian found it funny and spoke honestly, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m not that generous. I think you¡¯ve overestimated me. It¡¯s already been a tough month for me with this pregnancy, I¡¯m already doing pretty good not torturing my husband. I wouldn¡¯t be so silly as to give him to some other woman.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an stroked her head, satisfied with her answer, ¡°It¡¯s good as long as you understand. However, we can¡¯t be too harsh with our husbands at times too.¡±

    While Countess Jing¡¯an wasn¡¯t the brightest with managing the household, she did have a hand with managing her husband.

    Otherwise, how could a fearsome man like her father-inw be so enamoured with his one wife?

    ¡°Once I heard that you were pregnant, I prepared plenty of things for you. I came a little rushed today, so I¡¯ll send them back with you after youe over to visit the old residence.¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t reject the offer and simply smiled in agreement.

    The Jing¡¯an Estate.

    Once the third branch had moved out, the atmosphere here had cooled down significantly.

    Especially in the matriarch¡¯s Qingxi Hall.

    He Eng rarely returned to the estate, and Dng was out from early morning to night. Every day, only Countess Jing¡¯an woulde over to greet the matriarch with Little An and Little Lin in tow.

    Matriarch He wasn¡¯t very close to her two great-granddaughters. If not for Count Jing¡¯an rejecting the idea, she would have gone to the rural estate to live with He Ying and her daughter...

    The matriarch¡¯s vision and hearing were both getting worse, while there was more and more white spreading in her hair. Each day, she woke up with aches and pains in her old body. It was no wonder that Count Jing¡¯an wouldn¡¯t let his aging mother go off to the rural estate.

    When He Changdi and his wife moved out of the estate, the matriarch felt frustrated with her remaining anger.

    Having a great-grandson had always been Matriarch He¡¯s dearest wish.

    Now that they had suddenly received the news of Chu Lian¡¯s pregnancy, as much as the enmity between the matriarch and Chu Lian hadn¡¯t been resolved, the old woman still viewed Chu Lian in a better light.

 Chapter 678 - Matriarch Heâ€™s Good Intentions (2)

    <strong>Chapter 678: Matriarch He¡¯s Good Intentions (2)</strong>

    Chu Lian was only three months pregnant, so counting back the days, it had happened only after they had returned to the capital. It was definitely their He Family¡¯s child and not some wild bastard.

    Once she got the news, the matriarch went into the ancestral hall to offer up incense with the help of Senior Servant Liu.

    Although she was already a bag of old bones, she insisted on kneeling for two whole hours, begging for Chu Lian¡¯s first child to be a boy...

    Even Senior Servant Liu couldn¡¯t move her from her prayers.

    When she returned from the ancestral hall, Matriarch He started preparing things for her unborn great-grandson.

    Senior Servant Liu noticed that the old matriarch wouldn¡¯t sit still and tried to coax her, ¡°Matriarch, you don¡¯t have to be so rushed. There¡¯s still another six months to go! Furthermore, we don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll be a little girl or boy. If you prepare the wrong items, then it will go to waste.¡±

    The matriarch¡¯s expression turned fierce upon hearing such words from Senior Servant Liu, ¡°What nonsense are you speaking? Of course it¡¯s going to be a little boy. Senior Servant Zhou, follow my instructions and prepare all the items for boys!¡±

    Senior Servant Liu had no choice but to follow along with what Matriarch He wanted.

    While the servants were busying themselves, Muxiang stood still in shock like a statue.

    She ran back to her own room in a panic and locked the door.

    Once the door was shut, she could no longer hide the resentful and sinister expression on her face.

    From an obedient maidservant, she changed into a demon who had just crawled up from hell.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this! It wasn¡¯t supposed to be...!¡± She leaned bonelessly against the door, sliding down into a squat. She grabbed at her hair, her eyes staring wildly into space, as if she couldn¡¯t ept the news she had just heard.

    In her past life, she hadn¡¯t had any children since she hadn¡¯t consummated her marriage with He Changdi. After she had gotten together with Xiao Bojian, although the two of them had gone to bed together many times, she hadn¡¯t gotten pregnant.

    She had always thought that it was her body that wasn¡¯t fertile, and she had always held some regret.

    When she opened her eyes and realised that she had been reincarnated into one of Matriarch He¡¯s maidservants, she had first felt cold hard fear. Later on, that had been mixed with a thread of tement, as this body was perfectly healthy. In the future, when she got He Changdi back again, she could give birth to their children.

    Furthermore, theck of any good news from the current Chu Lian and He Changdi after they had been married for so long had proven her guess from her past life.

    However, how had this happened!? Wasn¡¯t her old body supposed to be infertile? How had that imposter gotten pregnant with He Changdi¡¯s child?

    How could it be!

    She was the only one in the world who could bear children for He Changdi!

    The more Muxiang thought about it, the angrier she was. Slowly, that anger was mixed with depression. She wanted to rush over to Chu Lian right now and tear her into pieces.

    Why!? How! That body was hers!

    She was the one who was supposed to marry He Changdi!

    How could that monstrous imposter use her body and take her husband and live so happily?!

    In her extreme rage, Muxiang destroyed everything she could move in her room.

    When she was done, sheid panting over the desk, her eyes bitterly cold as she looked at the bits and pieces of the broken things on the floor.

    She looked like a viper eyeing her prey and wanting it dead!

    That monster had stolen away her body... She wasn¡¯t going to let it go so easily!

    When He Changdi returned in the evening, Chu Lian had already ordered the servants to prepare everything.

    Countess Jing¡¯an and Chu Lian sat in the same carriage, while He Changdi rode his horse alongside them and the guards all the way back to the old residence.

    They had already made a promise with the rest of the family that they would meet at the Jing¡¯an Estate tonight. Even He Changjue had returned early.

    Once they got to the Jing¡¯an Estate, Chu Lian and He Changdi bowed in greeting to Matriarch He and Count Jing¡¯an, before taking their seats at therge round table in the center of the parlour.

    This intimate family banquet was bathed in a joyous and harmonious atmosphere. Even Matriarch He didn¡¯t make any sourments.

    When they were done, the family moved to the parlour of Qingxi Hall to have tea and chat.

    Now that Chu Lian was pregnant, Matriarch He¡¯s mood seemed to be much better.

    He Changdi hadn¡¯t returned to the old residence in some time as well, so Matriarch He pulled him alongside her to catch up.

    Seeing that He Changdi had be much thinner, the matriarch¡¯s heart ached for her youngest grandson.

    ¡°Look at you, why don¡¯t you know how to take care of yourself outside? You¡¯ve be so thin.¡±

    Chu Lian stiffened up a little, but she didn¡¯t say anything.

    While Matriarch He might not have meant anything by her words, it didn¡¯t sound like that to the others.

    It sounded like the matriarch was ming her granddaughter-inw for not taking good care of her husband and allowing him to get so thin from overworking.

    He Changdi¡¯s cool and handsome face didn¡¯t change at all. When he spoke, it was in his usual low tones.

    ¡°Grandmother, you must be mistaken. I haven¡¯t lost weight at all.¡±

    Since it was rare that He Changdi would return to visit them, the matriarch didn¡¯t contest his words.

    ¡°Alright, alright, you haven¡¯t gotten thinner at all.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an followed up to smooth out the awkwardness in the air, ¡°It looks like Sang has gotten even more muscr than before. Mother, you don¡¯t have to worry at all.¡±

    The family continued chatting happily. Count Jing¡¯an didn¡¯t say much, but his gaze was full of satisfaction and affection when looking at his youngest son and daughter-inw.

    Just as the family was enjoying the peaceful atmosphere, the matriarch suddenly spoke up, ¡°Sang, Sang¡¯s wife, since you¡¯ve already moved out, then so be it. I can¡¯t stop you anyway. In the past, it didn¡¯t matter much that it was only the two of you in your estate, but things are different now. Sang¡¯s wife is pregnant, we can¡¯t be careless with this. I¡¯m too old and I can¡¯t walk well now, so I can¡¯t move over to your estate. However, I can¡¯t rest easy with the two of you so far away. I thought over this for some time, and I¡¯ve decided to send Muxiang back with you. She can serve Sang¡¯s wife and report her condition to me. I¡¯ll feel more reassured this way.¡±

 Chapter 679 - Muxiang Enters the Estate (1)

    <strong>Chapter 679: Muxiang Enters the Estate (1)</strong>

    Everyone was stunned by the sudden decision from Matriarch He.

    Let Muxiang go to the Anyuan Estate to take care of Chu Lian?

    Muxiang was Matriarch He¡¯s most trusted handmaid.

    The announcement set everyone to thinking as they tried to discern how much sincerity was in Matriarch He¡¯s gesture.

    However, when they thought carefully about it, it seemed like there was no reason for Matriarch He to make things difficult for Chu Lian.

    After all, the matriarch had been waiting for this unborn child for very long. While she had some conflict with Chu Lian previously, the child was innocent. The matriarch might be muddle-headed at times, but not to the degree of harming a child.

    Muxiang was a family servant. Her parents had passed away when she was a child, leaving her behind, so she had started serving the matriarch at an early age. Even Senior Servant Liu had praised her work before. Anyone with eyes in the entire Jing¡¯an Estate could see her character for themselves. Even the harshest senior servant would likely rmend Muxiang for any work.

    Furthermore, her looks were very average and didn¡¯t stand out at all. Any one of Chu Lian¡¯s handmaids had her beat in the looks department. Matriarch He¡¯s intention to send Muxiang over to Chu Lian¡¯s ce was really likely only out of concern for her unborn great-grandson.

    Chu Lian had also thought of all these.

    It wouldn¡¯t be good to reject the matriarch in front of so many people too.

    If there was really something wrong with Muxiang, then she could have her servants keep an eye over her in the Anyuan Estate.

    Countess Jing¡¯an subtly winked at Chu Lian, indicating that Chu Lian should agree to the matriarch¡¯s request.

    Chu Lian turned her head slightly to gauge He Changdi¡¯s reaction. His eyes narrowed slightly in response.

    Since he hadn¡¯t spoken up to reject the offer, Chu Lian knew what she should do next.

    She stood up and bobbed towards the matriarch, ¡°Then Granddaughter-in-Law shall ept Grandmother¡¯s kind offer. Please don¡¯t worry, Grandmother. Granddaughter-in-Law will treat Muxiang like any other servant in the Anyuan Estate.¡±

    The matriarch nodded in satisfaction.

    By the time the couple were ready to leave, Muxiang had already packed her bags and was following behind Chu Lian.

    On the way back to the estate, Muxiang sat in the same carriage as Wen.

    Muxiang had a good reputation amongst the servants in the Jing¡¯an Estate, and she had grown up by Matriarch He¡¯s side. Everyone treated her as a highly-ranked servant.

    After Wen had been transferred to Chu Lian¡¯s side, she and her sister Wenqing had asionally interacted with Muxiang.

    Muxiang was well-mannered and treated everyone generously. She was also a warm and magnanimous person. Others might even think that she was a youngdy from one of the smaller noble houses.

    Wenqing and Wen both had good impressions of Muxiang.

    Since Muxiang was going to serve Chu Lian together with them from now on, on the way back to the estate, Muxiang and Wen started chatting happily.

    Wen had a good feeling about the new arrival Muxiang.

    When they returned to the Anyuan Estate, Chu Lian told Wen to let Muxiang settle in in her new room.

    The couple then entered their bedroom and settled down on their chaise.

    He Changdi dismissed all the servants.

    Chu Lian leaned against her husband¡¯s chest and yed with a lock of his hair as she asked, ¡°Hubby, you agreed to Muxianging to our estate too? What do you think of it?¡±

    He Changdi pulled her even closer and let her shift into a morefortable position in his arms. He leaned close to Chu Lian¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Letting the wolf in.¡±

    Hearing this, Chu Lian immediately sat up straight with eyes wide, ¡°Muxiang is...¡±

    He Changdi nodded.

    Although he couldn¡¯t be sure which faction she belonged to, there was definitely something suspicious about her!

    A dangerous spark lit up in He Changdi¡¯s eyes. He and Prince Jin had searched for very long, but they hadn¡¯t been able to find any leads at all.

    As for how Muxiang had gotten involved in all this, there were too many unanswered questions.

    Now that she had served herself up on a te, it was a good chance for them to find out!

    Chu Lian was equally surprised. She thought back to the events in the original story. There hadn¡¯t been any mention that Muxiang was plotting something...?

    Nevermind, she couldn¡¯t figure it out, so she stopped trying to puzzle it over. Anyway, she hadn¡¯t even read the second half of the novel. She couldn¡¯t guess at what the author had been thinking either.

    Chu Lian blinked before letting out a crafty smirk. She sprawled over He Changdi¡¯s chest and whispered in a mischievous tone, ¡°Then what should I do?¡±

    He Changdi patted her head, ¡°We don¡¯t have to do anything right now. She just came over, even if she has bad intentions, she wouldn¡¯t act so quickly. Just don¡¯t interact with her directly and I¡¯ll send someone to watch over her in secret.¡±

    Chu Lian nodded.

    She seemed to have suddenly recalled something. Chu Lian fought free of his embrace, wanting to jump off the chaise to grab something from her closet. However, when He Changdi saw that she was about to step onto the floor with just her socks, he hurriedly stopped her, ¡°Put on your shoes!¡±

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t afraid of him. She paused for a moment before setting her feet down on the floor. In the next moment, He Changdi had already pulled her back to the chaise. He held down her squirming feet and pulled her soft-soled home shoes on over them.

    Once he was done, he carefully set her two feet on the ground and patted her pert butt, ¡°Go on!¡±

    Chu Lian turned back to re at him speechlessly, ¡°He Changdi, you¡¯re bing too naggy!¡±

    He Sang snorted back at her.

 Chapter 680 - Muxiang Enters the Estate (2)

    <strong>Chapter 680: Muxiang Enters the Estate (2)</strong>

    Chu Lian quickly came back with a small, exquisite mahogany box.

    She sat down by He Changdi¡¯s side and pushed the box to him.

    ¡°There, that¡¯s for you.¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s voice was low and maic as he asked with a little smile, ¡°What is it?¡±

    Chu Lian passed him the tiny silver key that she kept on her at all times, ¡°Won¡¯t you know once you open it?¡±

    Expectation built up in He Changdi¡¯s heart unconsciously. He took the silver key and made quick work of the lock. With a ck, the box sprung open.

    There was a contract and a square personal seal.

    Although He Changdi didn¡¯t interfere with Chu Lian¡¯s businesses and he never investigated her properties, he still knew a little about what his wife did.

    His servants were still right by her side after all.

    ¡°A personal seal from Tonghui?¡±

    Tonghui Bank was a bank opened by one of the rich Shandong nobility. Although it wasn¡¯t as big as the government-controlled Longhui Bank, it was a private bank so there were all sorts of powers backing it. It was a mix of crooks and honest folk. Those who didn¡¯t want to reveal their identity would use Tonghui Bank.

    Tonghui Bank would issue a type of personal seal specially for important clients.

    As long as they brought the stamp to a branch of Tonghui Bank, they would immediately be able to draw cash.

    There were very few of these seals in cirction; less than a hundred ording to rumours.

    Tonghui Bank was older than the Great Wu Dynasty, so it could be imagined how valuable a personal seal from Tonghui Bank was.

    This was also a direct reflection of how profitable Chu Lian¡¯s northern market was.

    Chu Lian nodded without any change in expression, ¡°It¡¯s mine. I¡¯m giving it to you to use. Aren¡¯t youcking in funds?¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s gaze fell upon his beautiful wife. He sighed and stroked her smooth cheek, ¡°My silly Lian¡¯er, don¡¯t you know what this seal represents? And you¡¯re giving it to me just like that?¡±

    Chu Lian puffed up her cheeks and rolled her eyes, ¡°What else could it represent? It¡¯s just money... What can I do with all that money anyway? You¡¯ll put it to better use. Our Great Wu isrge butcking in material goods, so it¡¯s easy to earn money. Anyway, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s a limit to how much I can earn. I¡¯m not a dragon that needs to hoard gold either.¡±

    Chu Lian thought differently from most nobledies because she was a modern person at heart.

    Most noble madams would simply store and save up their money once they earned it and feel content looking at the mountain of gold at home.

    What they didn¡¯t know was that money had to be spent in order to generate wealth. The amount of money that Chu Lian had was just a number anyway, using it where needed and getting things done was more important.

    She had only opened up the market in the north on ark, for the citizens of Liangzhou and giving the poor barbarian people another source of ie. Based on some luck and some power, she had somehow made the business bigger than she had imagined.

    If the business grew too big, it might attract unwanted attention, so Chu Lian was actually satisfied with what it was now.

    As long as she had enough money to spend and her days were spent carefree, that was enough for her. Having a huge amount of silver wouldn¡¯t bring her any joy and would instead bring a lot of worries. Why not just throw it all to He Changdi and let him settle it for her?

    He Changdi¡¯s heart warmed because of her gesture. He had encountered so much unjustness in his past life. Even his own parents had never done anything so thoughtful for him before.

    At this moment, he felt that all the pain and suffering he had gone through in his past life had been for the sake of earning the love of this woman in his arms now.

    When Chu Lian noticed that his eyes had gone unfocused and that his lips were pressed together as he remained silent, she frowned and waved one fist in front of him. She acted tough as she mock threatened, ¡°What? You don¡¯t want it? Are you afraid I¡¯ll charge interest?¡±

    He Changdi focused his gaze on her lovely features. The stiffness in his expression faded and softened as if the spring breeze had pushed it away. He hugged Chu Lian tightly as his maic voice resounded by her ear.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, thank you.¡±

    Chu Lian rested her head against He Changdi¡¯s chest. There was a slight smile on her lips.

    The couple stayed ensconced in their little corner of warmth for an hour, unknowing of the growing impatience in Muxiang¡¯s heart as she waited in the parlour outside.

    After she had followed Wen over to her new room, she had been taken to the parlour next.

    The handmaids and senior servants who were usually close to Chu Lian were all here.

    Wen looked at her sister, who was right next to her, but Wenqing shook her head. Just as she was about to speak, Senior Servant Zhong called the two sisters over to the corridor outside.

    Before the two handmaids could speak, Senior Servant Zhong ordered, ¡°The two of you, take Muxiang with you on your work. She is to take the ce of Jingyan temporarily. When you have the time, tell her about Madam¡¯s usual habits and the rules of our estate. Do guide her along.¡±

    Wenqing and Wen were surprised.

    Wenqing thought it over before asking, ¡°Momo, is this Madam¡¯s order? Although Sister Muxiang is Matriarch He¡¯s handmaid and we won¡¯t mistreat her, isn¡¯t it a little inappropriate to let her take the position of personal handmaid so quickly?¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong had her own doubts in her heart, but this wasn¡¯t her decision to make.

    ¡°This order came from Master and Madam. Since our masters have already decided, we are to follow their orders. However, we cannot becent and forget to take caution against her. The masters had this meaning too when they ordered you to guide Muxiang.¡±

    Wenqing and Wen exchanged nces.

    They then replied in unison, ¡°Momo, don¡¯t worry. We understand.¡±

 Chapter 681 - Poisoned (1)

    <strong>Chapter 681: Poisoned (1)</strong>

    After another half month, it was finally time for He Changqi¡¯s concubine, Miaozhen, to give birth.

    Miaozhen went throughbour for a whole day and night before her child was finally born. However, it was just a girl.

    This made the matriarch very disappointed. After this illegitimate daughter of the main branch was born, the matriarch never even asked after them once.

    Since Miaozhen¡¯s pregnancy hadn¡¯t been smooth-sailing and she had almost lost her child once, she passed away due to losing too much blood right after the birth.

    The newborn girl was weak from birth and she lost her mother too early. He Changqi was a busy man, so it was Countess Jing¡¯an who had to step up to take care of the child.

    When Chu Lian heard the news, she gave out a sigh and subconsciously rubbed her own belly.

    A motherless child was most pitiful. Furthermore, that child was only a low-ranking illegitimate daughter. If Countess Jing¡¯an took her under her protection, all would be well. However, if her mother-inw didn¡¯t have the energy to take care of that child, then that child would never have a good life.

    Chu Lian called over Senior Servant Gui and told her to prepare some gifts for Countess Jing¡¯an, in order to celebrate the newly born life.

    Muxiang was on duty at the side. When she saw Chu Lian acting this way, she felt contempt.

    She was jealous to the point of madness within. She cursed the freak who had taken over her body to die an early death.

    However, she hid her disdain well. Even Chu Lian hadn¡¯t seen any inklings of anything suspicious to do with Muxiang after half a month.

    Wenqing brought in a pot of nourishing soup and ced the tray on the desk. She scooped some soup into a bowl and ced it in front of Chu Lian before asking, ¡°Madam, are we still going to Prince Wei¡¯s Estate in the afternoon?¡±

    Chu Lian nodded while enjoying her soup, ¡°Of course, tell the steward to prepare the carriages and the guards. I¡¯ll go right over after the meal.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia hade over to visit Chu Lian two days ago. She had mentioned that Princess Wei had been feeling giddy and faint recently and that the imperial physicians hadn¡¯t been able to tell what was wrong. Chu Lian had been startled by this news and she had promised Royal Princess Duanjia that she would bring Great Doctor Miao over to check on Princess Wei.

    When they were done with lunch, Chu Lian and Great Doctor Miao sat on separate carriages and headed to Prince Wei¡¯s Estate under the protection of a group of guards.

    Prince Wei¡¯s Estate wasn¡¯t too far from the Anyuan Estate. It only took about fifteen minutes by carriage.

    Since she had already made an appointment with Royal Princess Duanjia, when they reached the gates of the estate, there was a steward already waiting for them. He weed them in and let them ride in without disembarking from the carriages.

    Senior Servant Lan personally ushered Chu Lian and Great Doctor Miao into the inner court, where Princess Wei and Royal Princess Duanjia were already waiting.

    The moment Chu Lian entered, she could see how pale Princess Wei looked.

    She quickly stepped forward to make her bob, but Royal Princess Duanjia immediately pulled her up and rolled her eyes at Chu Lian, ¡°Chu Liu, why are you still acting so courteous with us? Come and sit!¡±

    A smile blossomed on Princess Wei¡¯s face at the sight of Chu Lian. She held Chu Lian¡¯s soft little hand and pulled her down to sit next to her.

    She looked her up and down for a long moment before frowning, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you put on any weight after getting pregnant?¡±

    Chu Lian hurriedly shook her head, ¡°Of course I have!¡±

    She leaned closer in and made a pained expression as she exined, ¡°My legs and arms have gotten much thicker. I¡¯m actually troubled over how fat I¡¯ve gotten. If my stomach gets any bigger, I¡¯ll feel like a ball!¡±

    Princess Wei poked her in the middle of her shiny forehead and red at her, ¡°You silly girl, what nonsense are you saying? I have a few recipes that are good for pregnant women, I¡¯ll have Senior Servant Lan write them down for youter.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to thank Your Highness!¡±

    Princess Wei couldn¡¯t resist pinching her pink cheeks.

    Following that, Chu Lian helped Princess Wei into a side room so that Great Doctor Miao could check her pulse.

    Hidden behind a screen, the emperor looked at Chu Lian with loving eyes. The Ye Xun of his memories had been around Chu Lian¡¯s age.

    However, Ye Xun had been slightly taller and more curvy than Chu Lian was now.

    Chu Lian had only resembled her mother partly before when she was thinner. Now that she had put on a little weight from the pregnancy, she looked more and more like Ye Xun.

    The emperor was stunned at first sight and he almost thought that Ye Xun hade back to life.

    Unknowingly, the emperor¡¯s eyes became wet with tears as the memories that he had almost forgotten were awakened by the sight.

    Thinking back to the wonderful times he had spent with Ye Xun and how the two had been forced apart, as well as how Ye Xun had been forced to marry someone else while bearing his child, his heart was set ame. His face turned purple and he actually fainted right over.

    Prince Wei, who had been apanying his brother, was shocked out of his wits. He managed to catch the emperor with quick reflexes. Otherwise, the emperor would likely have knocked his brains out on the ground.

    Prince Wei¡¯s expression turned and he called out quietly to his brother, ¡°Brother, Brother, please wake up!¡±

    Unfortunately, the unconscious emperor didn¡¯t react to his brother¡¯s voice.

    A shadow fell over Prince Wei¡¯s expression and he quickly ordered the secret guards to bring the emperor to a room at the side. He then passed his own personal token to another secret guard and ordered him to bring the imperial physicians over discreetly.

    On the other side, Great Doctor Miao had just finished taking Princess Wei¡¯s pulse and was exining his diagnosis to her.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry, Your Highness. These are just some symptoms of weakness. I¡¯ll prescribe some medicine for you to treat the weakness in your body. Your Highness should recoverpletely after a few months.¡±

    Chu Lian visibly rxed upon hearing the doctor¡¯s diagnosis.

    Meanwhile, there was a subtle hint of awkwardness on Princess Wei and Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s faces.

    Actually, they had already known that Princess Wei wasn¡¯t really ill, so they had exaggerated the symptoms a little so they had an excuse to invite her over to their estate.

    He Changdi had been very overprotective of her. If not for the pregnancy having passed three months, they might not even have been able to get her out of her estate!

    Thus, they had used the excuse of Princess Wei¡¯s poor health to invite the pregnant Chu Lian out, as well as to satisfy the request that the emperor had made.

    Princess Wei had already found out the true reason behind this request from Prince Wei, so she now had an extra degree of closeness and love towards Chu Lian. The princess treated Chu Lian as if she were really her daughter now.

 Chapter 682 - Poisoned (2)

    <strong>Chapter 682: Poisoned (2)</strong>

    ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯ll have to eat your medicine regrly! I¡¯ll tell Senior Servant Lan what to do.¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t know of the underlying reasons for her visit, she was genuinely concerned for Princess Wei¡¯s health.

    Great Doctor Miao stroked his long, white beard with a spark of understanding in his eyes.

    His decades of experience meant that he could see through certain things. Although he had realised what was going on the moment he read Princess Wei¡¯s pulse, the sharp Great Doctor Miao didn¡¯t expose their excuse and simply followed along with what Princess Wei wanted.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, don¡¯t worry. You still have to worry about your own health first, with that little one in your belly! Have the symptoms gotten better this month?¡±

    Chu Lian smiled and nodded, ¡°I can eat whatever I want now without any nausea!¡±

    Princess Wei returned the smile and stroked her head.

    While the atmosphere in the room was warm, Senior Servant Lan suddenly rushed into the room with a terrible expression.

    Princess Wei frowned at the sight, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?¡±

    Senior Servant Lan nced at Chu Lian, then Royal Princess Duanjia. In the end, she could only lean close to Princess Wei and whisper something into her ear.

    ¡°What?¡± The originally kind expression on Princess Wei¡¯s face fell away and absolute shock reced it in an instant. The fact that she hadn¡¯t been able to conceal the change spoke to the gravity of the news.

    It was very rare that Princess Wei would act this way. Even Royal Princess Duanjia had never seen her mother lose herposure like this before.

    Royal Princess Duanjia asked urgently, ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Chu Lian stood up along with Royal Princess Duanjia. She pressed her lips without speaking and looked seriously at Princess Wei.

    With a subtle nudge from Senior Servant Lan, Princess Wei suddenly came back to her senses.

    She abruptly looked towards Great Doctor Miao, who was sitting at one side.

    ¡°Doctor, I have a request that I hope you might ept.¡±

    Princess Wei spoke very humbly. She didn¡¯t even refer to her status while speaking.

    Great Doctor Miao was first startled for a moment, before he replied, ¡°If Your Highness has some request, please feel free to speak. If it is within my means to help, I won¡¯t stand by idly.¡±

    While Great Doctor Miao did have some arrogance that came with his age, he wasn¡¯t stupid.

    He knew of Princess Wei¡¯s status. Someone who could make her this worried, worried enough to humble herself, was likely someone of equally high status. Although he didn¡¯t care about fame, he knew that there were some people he couldn¡¯t afford to offend if he wanted to continue living peacefully. Princess Wei just so happened to be one of those.

    Furthermore, it would likely be in line with his strengths, so there shouldn¡¯t be much difficulty in her request.

    Princess Wei was an upright character and she wouldn¡¯t make unreasonable demands.

    Soon, the princess personally lead Great Doctor Miao to a room that was under heavy guard.

    Chu Lian was left under the care of Royal Princess Duanjia, and even Senior Servant Lan wasn¡¯t allowed to follow them.

    Within the heavily guarded room, Prince and Princess Wei stood by the bedside while two men stood not too far away.

    One of them was a clean-shaven man who looked to be in his fifties, while the other man was much younger.

    Great Doctor Miao only managed a nce at them before a chill ran down his spine. His gaze moved to the middle-aged man in steel grey robes lying on the bed.

    The doctor suppressed the turbulent emotions in his heart by shutting his eyes and letting his mind calm down.

    He was invited to sit by the bed by Prince Wei.

    He didn¡¯t ask any questions and simply started taking the pulse of the middle-aged man ording to Prince Wei¡¯s instructions.

    After fifteen minutes or so had passed, Great Doctor Miao was done with his diagnosis.

    He looked back at the middle-aged man on the bed before looking up at Prince Wei. While time has left its mark on the mysterious man¡¯s face, it was clear that Prince Wei and the man were closely rted.

    The two of them had very simr features.

    Great Doctor Miao was deliberating on what to say. His brow was already furrowed from tension.

    After mulling it over, he decided to tell the truth.

    ¡°Your Highness, would it be possible to speak elsewhere?¡±

    Prince Wei was slightly surprised. He hadn¡¯t thought that the doctor would make such a request.

    He looked over the other people present in the room with caution. After a few seconds of thought, he agreed to Great Doctor Miao¡¯s request.

    ¡°Doctor, please follow this prince this way.¡±

    The two of them entered a quieter room. Prince Wei set his personal bodyguards at the entrance, so no one would dare to approach.

    Great Doctor Miao took a deep breath before speaking resolutely, ¡°The patient has been poisoned.¡±

    Even Prince Wei couldn¡¯t maintain hisposure at this point. His eyes were wide with disbelief.

    ¡°What did you say?! He¡¯s been poisoned? How could that be possible?!¡±

    His brother was the ruler of thend under heaven, the regent of their kingdom. There were many talents gathered under his court. How could he possibly be poisoned?!

    Since Great Doctor Miao had decided to speak the truth, he had also considered Prince Wei¡¯s emotional outburst.

    He first waited for Prince Wei to calm down before exining everything to him.

    ¡°It¡¯s a slow-acting poison. This old doctor can¡¯t tell which poison it is until further examination. However, this old doctor can confirm that it isn¡¯t amon poison and that it hasn¡¯t spread throughout the patient¡¯s body yet. There is still a chance for treatment at this point. If treatment is dyed any longer, the patient will be beyond saving.¡±

    Prince Wei had already been through great turmoil in his life. During the fight for the throne, where they had battled against their brothers, he and the emperor had carved out a bloody road for themselves. As grave as it was, could any other matterpare to the perilous situation they had been in back then? He quickly calmed down.

    ¡°How confident are you that you will be able to treat the patient?¡±

    Great Doctor Miao was silent in thought for a moment before he lifted seven fingers, ¡°Seventy percent. With the right ingredients, it could be as high as eighty percent.¡±

 Chapter 683 - Businesses (1)

    <strong>Chapter 683: Businesses (1)</strong>

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Doctor. The ingredients aren¡¯t a problem. This prince will be able to gather whatever you need in the shortest possible time.¡±

    Great Doctor Miao tactfully avoided any other questioning and focused on writing the prescription.

    In the evening, the emperor finally woke from hisa.

    Great Doctor Miao had been watching over him all this time. He heaved a sigh of relief and wiped at the cold sweat on his forehead. Since his job was done, he kept the silver acupuncture needles he had been using and bowed to Prince Wei before following Eunuch Wei out of the room, taking his medicinal case along.

    Chu Lian had stayed in Prince Wei¡¯s estate until it turned dark, so He Changdi came looking for her.

    The couple had their dinner at the estate before returning to their own home.

    Since Chu Lian was pregnant, He Changdi apanied her in the carriage instead of riding his horse.

    Within the spacious carriage, He Sang wrapped his wife in his arms and set his chin on the top of her head. One arm was ced at her waist, while his other hand was linked with hers.

    His low, maic voice resounded from the top of Chu Lian¡¯s head, ¡°Lian¡¯er, how was Her Highness?¡±

    While she had been with Princess Wei, Chu Lian had been worried for the princess¡¯s health. However, now that they had left Prince Wei¡¯s estate, she could feel that something wasn¡¯t quite right.

    She had spent more time with Great Doctor Miao, so she understood his personality well. From what he had said earlier, there was likely nothing wrong with Princess Wei¡¯s health, and the princess herself knew that as well.

    Since Princess Wei was perfectly healthy, why had she specially invited her over?

    Also, who had Great Doctor Miao gone to see in the afternoon?

    Senior Servant Lan wasn¡¯t any normal servant. Someone who could make her that anxious was likely very high-ranking.

    Chu Lian prodded at He Changdi and pulled away slightly from his embrace. She looked up at him with her lovely eyes, which contained an intelligent glint.

    She clutched He Changdi¡¯s robe with one hand and shook her head before asking, ¡°Hubby, do you know who was ill at Prince Wei¡¯s estate today?¡±

    He Changdi had some men under hismand. Some of them were from Prince Jin, and some of them were the Jing¡¯an Estate¡¯s private soldiers, so he received news very quickly.

    He Sang frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t. The elder royal prince wasn¡¯t around and the younger royal prince has always been healthy. Only Princess Wei has ever had any issues with her health.¡±

    Since Princess Wei was fine, then who was it that Great Doctor Miao had seen...?

    Chu Lian exined everything that had happened at the estate this afternoon to He Changdi.

    While deep in thought, He Changdi moved his arms to shift his wife into a morefortable position. After some time, he spoke up, ¡°Lian¡¯er, do you think it¡¯s the person above Prince Wei?¡±

    As He Sang was speaking, there was a glint in his eyes.

    Chu Lian was startled by this guess. She pondered it over in her mind and realised that it made sense.

    ¡°Why would His Majesty be at Prince Wei¡¯s estate at this time? I heard Royal Princess mention that His Majesty doesn¡¯t go incognito often.¡±

    He Changdi bent down to kiss his wife¡¯s soft cheek before pressing her head into his chest.

    There were some things that he wasn¡¯t certain of, so he hadn¡¯t told them to Chu Lian yet.

    The emperor¡¯s recent actions, especially those directed at him, were likely rted to Chu Lian.

    ¡°It might be a coincidence. Lian¡¯er, don¡¯t exert yourself too much thinking about these matters. When Uncle Miao returns, I¡¯ll go have a chat with him.¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t like thinking about politics and figuring out what the emperor¡¯s intentions were. Furthermore, she had gottenzier after bing pregnant.

    She leaned backfortably against He Changdi¡¯s chest and shut her eyes, feeling a little fatigued.

    He Sang stroked her smooth hair, ¡°I¡¯ve already prepared something for Muxiang. Even if we¡¯ve already taken enough precautions, you have to be careful. Don¡¯t give her any chances to attack.¡±

    The day that Muxiang tried anything would be her veryst day on this earth!

    While He Changdi was a loving and caring husband in front of Chu Lian, he was a grim devil to everyone else.

    After experiencing the tragedy of his past life, and from the start of his current life, he could still be considered a good person.

    Now that he had gone through the army and returned to the capital only to join in the dirty politics going on in court, there was more blood staining his hands.

    The fighting in the emperor¡¯s court had always been a hundred times more cruel than any spat in the inner courts.

    Chu Lian nodded sleepily, ensconced in the warmth of He Changdi¡¯s arms.

    He Changdi could sense his wife¡¯s breathing slowing down, so he hugged her more tightly.

    Right now, it wasn¡¯t just his beloved wife he was holding his arms, but also their very first unborn child. The little body he was hugging right now represented his entire world.

    Unknowingly, the ice on He Changdi¡¯s face melted away, leaving only a tiny, warm smile on his lips.

    The next day, Great Doctor Miao was sent back to the Anyuan Estate.

    He Changdi personally went to visit Great Doctor Miao. After their chat, He Changdi had basically confirmed his suspicion that Great Doctor Miao¡¯s patient in Prince Wei¡¯s Estate had been the emperor himself.

    Great Doctor Miao had already decided to retire and spend the rest of his days in the Anyuan Estate. He had saved Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s life and he had already be like a senior family member to He Changdi and Chu Lian, so they were on the same boat. Great Doctor Miao was also a smart one. He wouldn¡¯t hide anything from He Changdi and Chu Lian.

    With that piece of news, He Changdi went straight to Prince Jin¡¯s Estate.

    Time passed in a sh. Another two months had gone in the blink of an eye.

    Although it was already August and autumn had arrived, the weather was still rather hot, especially for a pregnant woman with a growing belly.

    Chu Lian was now six months pregnant, so her belly had blown up. Right now, even if she wore the loosest dress she had, she wouldn¡¯t be able to hide the swell of her belly.

    Although she was now eating for two, other than the size of her abdomen, there weren¡¯t many physical changes. Her face didn¡¯t swell up at all.

    However, the pregnancy hormones had given her the natural glow that most pregnant women got. She became even more beautiful than before.

    Royal Princess Duanjia came to visit Chu Lian often, and wouldment enviously on how Chu Lian didn¡¯t look pregnant at all other than her belly.

    Most women would be plumper while pregnant, some might even grow spots on their faces. They might not even be able to clean up properly or dress up as before, so their looks would drop a grade or two during their pregnancies. However, in contrary to all that, Chu Lian¡¯s face had undergone a transformation: she had lost all the baby fat on her face and turned into a stunning and ravishing beauty.

 Chapter 684 - Businesses (2)

    <strong>Chapter 684: Businesses (2)</strong>

    In the afternoon, Chu Lian was sitting in a pavilion by a lotus pond in their garden. There were quite a few different confections ced on the table.

    There were glutinous rice cakes, yam and jujube cakes, four joys dumplings, and cloud cakes...

    There was also a cup of fragrant jasmine flower tea next to the confections.

    Chu Lian leaned against the railing of the pavilion and listened to Manager Qin and Zhou Wen¡¯s reports on the northern market, as well as Dejufeng Restaurant.

    All that Chu Lian did for her business was to check the ount books once a month. Everything else was left to the two managers to handle.

    ¡°Madam, the poption of Liangzhou has already increased a few times over thanks to the northern market. More than half of the simple courtyards we built at the perimeter of Liangzhou City have been rented out. There are still a few more courtyards that are more finely decorated. Should we rent those out as well?¡±

    The original Liangzhou City had been like a dead town. The citizens hadn¡¯t even outnumbered the soldiers stationed there. This had also caused the senior official¡¯s seat of Liangzhou to remain empty ever since thest one had been sacked.

    Chu Lian had built more than ten simple markets at the boundaries of Liangzhou at the start, attracting the barbarians and Tuhunmoners.

    They had used barter to trade goods at first. A jar of salted vegetables could be exchanged for some livestock, including cows, horses or goats. It didn¡¯t even matter if they transported the livestock as live animals or after processing them into meat and skins. They would reap incredible profits by shipping them to Su City.

    Later on, as the markets grew bigger and bigger, the barbarians and Tuhuns were no longer so stupid as to continue trading at that low price.

    While the price of material goods had increased, due to the restrictions of the geography in Liangzhou, there was still a huge difference in price from the other cities that they could profit from.

    Merchants pursued opportunities. Su City was close to Qianshan Lake, and was considered a major city. Thus, the merchants of Su City were soon drawn to Liangzhou to do business. The northern markets had also be more vibrant and bustling thanks to the addition of those merchants.

    After the first batch of merchants in Su City brought in their first profits, the reputation of the northern markets spread further and further.

    Soon, merchants from far away ces started travelling to Liangzhou.

    In this age where everything depended on word-of-mouth, the more the number of people, the more the city would flourish.

    Once these people entered Liangzhou City, they would add on to Liangzhou¡¯s dwindling poption. With the northern market having turned into a ¡®grand market¡¯ and drawing more people in, there were more and more people settling in Liangzhou City daily.

    When enough people had settled in the city, all sorts of businesses would soon spring up like bamboo shoots after the rain.

    The merchants who hade to Liangzhou City to do business would need a ce to stay. Thus, this is where the various houses and properties that Chu Lian had bought at low prices came into y.

    The newly built houses were rented out to the travelling merchants. Since Liangzhou City was now in the midst of a boom, the rental of those houses would only get more and more expensive. As long as they had the deeds and properties in hand, renting out or selling those courtyards would be pure profit.

    Even Manager Qin, with his experience, had never thought that the deste and liveless Liangzhou City could change so much in the short period of half a year. The old city was now bordering on the edge of overpoption, even.

    Chu Lian sipped a mouthful of the delicate jasmine tea. She pondered for a bit before speaking to Manager Qin, ¡°Don¡¯t rent those out yet. Wait a while longer. If you have some extra cash on hand, renovate those courtyards and make them even more luxurious.¡±

    Now that Liangzhou City had be a hub for foreign trade, all the merchants, regardless of their nationalities, would definitely have to find a ce to spend their hard-earned money. Chu Lian was thinking of building something like a five-star hotel.

    While Manager Qin didn¡¯t know what Chu Lian was considering, he had never questioned Chu Lian¡¯s decisions even if he didn¡¯t understand them. After serving Chu Lian for all this time, he already understood that their Madam had plenty of strange ideas to spare.

    Furthermore, her decisions always took them steps ahead of thepetition.

    Once Manager Qin was done with his reports, Zhou Wen stepped forth for his turn.

    He was now helping Chu Lian to manage Dejufeng Restaurant and her other businesses in the capital. This summer, they had added on a tea garden to the list.

    ¡°Reporting to Madam, regarding the Biluochun green tea that we started selling in Dejufeng this spring, our pure profits alone have surpassed ten thousand taels thus far. The reservations made for the next batch of tea for this autumn has also surpassed ten thousand taels. May I rmend raising the price a little?¡±

    Chu Lian shook her head, ¡°No, we won¡¯t raise the price. We have to be honest with our business. Since we¡¯ve already set the price earlier, we won¡¯t change it for the rest of this year. Tell them not to ept any more advance orders and tell them we¡¯re already sold out. If they would like to reserve more, they¡¯ll have to wait until next spring.¡±

    Actually, the tea mountain that Chu Lian had bought wasrge enough to fulfill more than just this amount of orders, but she didn¡¯t want to sell more.

    The rarer something is, the more its perceived value. This was thew of supply and demand.

    Furthermore, she hadn¡¯t finished developing her methods for drying tea leaves and she needed more time to research and try it out. She also had to look through the various types of new teas she had bought on the mountain and filter out what she needed. Thus, they had to limit the scope of their tea operations for now. Once everything was ready, it would be time to expand the market.

    <strong>TL Note:</strong> Food porn is back! Unfortunately, this will be thest food porn until the end, because we¡¯re in for the conclusion of the major plot!

    These all look really sweet and tasty~ I¡¯ve never tried any of these unfortunately, as they seem to be local specialties from China. The cloud cakes look really interesting though!

 Chapter 685 - Baby Moving (1)

    <strong>Chapter 685: Baby Moving (1)</strong>

    Zhou Wen took a mental note of Chu Lian¡¯s instructions, before shooting a challenge at Manager Qin with his eyes.

    Manager Qin snorted disdainfully.

    Chu Lian was watching, but she couldn¡¯t do anything about it.

    Although they were both her equally capable assistants, the two men were in the peak of their youth and they both had an area that they specialised in. While they were helping Chu Lian to manage different businesses, they were secretlyparing themselves to each other and working harder to outshine their rival.

    Manager Qin paused in thought before asking, ¡°Madam, should I continue depositing the profits from the northern market into the bank?¡±

    He had discovered recently that the money in the bank had all been withdrawn. Manager Qin had found it strange, but he hadn¡¯t asked about it out of tact.

    Chu Lian nodded. It wasn¡¯t just the northern market¡¯s profits. Once the tea mountain started normal production, its profits would also be deposited into the same bank ount.

    Since things hadn¡¯t settled down yet, they would only need more and more money as time passed.

    Once the two managers were done with their reports, they both left.

    Chu Lian had been bing less and less mobile these few days, so they didn¡¯t want to disturb their master¡¯s rest.

    Chu Lian took another light sip of jasmine tea. Although it was already early autumn, it was still hot outside. She couldn¡¯t drink green tea to curb the heat due to her little one, so she could only drink some flower tea to make do.

    She gazed out over the lotus pond and enjoyed the cool breeze blowing over. The ripples and vibrant greenery on the pond soothed the heat of her body a little.

    Today, she was wearing a light purple dress with long sleeves and a pink sash draped over her shoulders. The dress was decorated with Albizia flowers. All she had in the way of essories was a simple plum blossom jade hairpin to secure her bun. She hadn¡¯t even worn earrings.

    Her face was glowing from within and she had a healthy blush on her cheeks. She looked even better than before she had gotten pregnant.

    Senior Servants Zhong and Gui thought that Chu Lian¡¯s outfit was far too humble, so they had pulled out a box of forehead ornaments for Chu Lian to pick from.

    Chu Lian couldn¡¯t get the two senior servants to budge, so she picked out a beautiful golden lotus to paste on her forehead.

    As the sunlight streamed through the gaps in the tree canopy above, some rays would shine on Chu Lian¡¯s forehead, lighting up the golden lotus ornament. The reflected sunlight gave the illusion of a golden glow around her.

    Just as she was calcting the projected ie from the northern market and Dejufeng in her mind, there was a sudden movement from her belly, causing Chu Lian to freeze up.

    This was... her baby moving?

    He Changdi had just returned from his ministry and hade looking for Chu Lian, only to be met with the sight of Chu Lian all stiff with a weird expression on her face.

    His originally calm state turned into tension at once.

    He quickly strode over and reached Chu Lian¡¯s side in record time. He immediately wrapped his arm around her thin shoulders in support.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling ufortable anywhere?¡± He Changdi frowned heavily, afraid that something had gone wrong.

    After the four month mark had passed, Chu Lian¡¯s belly had swelled up like a balloon. It was growing by the day.

    At first, he had found it strange that Chu Lian¡¯s body had been as slender as before after three months. If she went out in a dress, no one would be able to tell that she was pregnant.

    He had even specially gone to seek out Great Doctor Miao to ask him, and had gottenughed at in return.

    However, in the blink of an eye, Chu Lian had suddenly increased in size...

    Sometimes, when he looked at her tiny figure and protruding belly, he couldn¡¯t help the urge to follow behind her to help her hold up her belly. He was eternally afraid that she would slip and fall...

    He Changdi had heard from Great Doctor Miao that it wasn¡¯t good for women to get pregnant at too young an age.

    Seeing how much she was suffering during this pregnancy, He Changdi was especially vexed with himself for not knowing all thismon knowledge before. Now he had caused Chu Lian to bear such suffering at a young age.

 Chapter 686 - Baby Moving (2)

    <strong>Chapter 686: Baby Moving (2)</strong>

    In the first three months, He Changdi had still obediently slept on the chaise beside the bed. However, now he refused to let her sleep alone in bed.

    Ignoring the protests of the two senior servants, He Changdi had removed the chaise by the bed and was now hugging her to sleep every night. He would even help her turn around at times. Sometimes, when it came to midnight, Chu Lian would suffer cramping in her legs. Since she slept in his arms, the moment she moved, he would wake immediately and help her with the cramps.

    As time passed and he became used to his ¡®work¡¯, Chu Lian was starting to feel that her husband had be even better than Xiyan at taking care of her.

    Chu Lian was still in the midst of a daze. She turned to look up at He Changdi with nk eyes.

    When He Changdi noticed that there wasn¡¯t any pain in her expression, he first heaved a sigh of relief before cing a kiss on her cheek. He lowered his voice and whispered gently into her ear, ¡°What happened?¡±

    Something moved within her bloated belly again. This time, Chu Lian waspletely sure of what was going on. She came back to her senses and burst into a wide smile. She replied He Changdi with an equally soft voice, ¡°Hubby, he¡¯s moving!¡±

    Ah?¡±

    The novice dad waspletely confused.

    The smile on Chu Lian¡¯s face widened into a grin until her eyes were sparkling.

    She pulled He Changdi¡¯s hand over and set it down on her belly.

    The little bun then helpfully gave another tiny kick.

    He Changdi was trained in martial arts, so his five senses were stronger than most. He could clearly feel a bump suddenly appearing on the smooth skin he was touching, before subsiding back down.

    He reacted just like Chu Lian had and froze up entirely.

    Cracks started appearing in his frozen expression as he processed what was going on. The weird look on his face made Chu Lian burst out into peals of bell-likeughter.

    She covered He Changdi¡¯s hand with her own and wrapped her other arm around his neck. She looked up at him, full of smiles, as she continued watching his expression change.

    This was the first time she had felt the baby move in her whole pregnancy. Being able to share in this moment with her loved one was a different sort of bliss.

    He Changdi gulped hard. His normally clear eyes were now clouded over in bewilderment. He asked stupidly, ¡°This is our child moving?¡±

    Chu Lian nodded with a smile, ¡°The little fellow is saying his to his dad!¡±

    As she was talking, He Changdi could feel another bump under his hands.

    This time, the baby kicked much harder than before. Perhaps he had sensed his dear dad on the other side, so he wasn¡¯t holding back in thest. The force of this kick made Chu Lian gasp a little.

    He Changdi¡¯s expression immediately turned into a frown upon seeing this. His face turned somewhat overcast as he asked, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±

    Chu Lian shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    He Changdi rubbed a circle around his wife¡¯s belly, ¡°Why is this rascal so disobedient?¡±

    The smile dropped from Chu Lian¡¯s face and she rolled her eyes at her husband, ¡°He¡¯s only a few months old, it¡¯s just a subconscious reaction from our little fellow.¡±

    He Changdi let out a cold chuckle, which sent a chill down Chu Lian¡¯s spine.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t know how to take care of you even while in your belly. Well, let¡¯s see how I¡¯ll take care of him when he¡¯s out!¡±

    A twitch developed in the corner of Chu Lian¡¯s mouth, ¡°Are there any dads like you? He hasn¡¯t even been born yet and you¡¯re already thinking of how to discipline him...¡±

    ¡°He should be d he¡¯s not out yet, or it won¡¯t just be a verbal threat.¡±

    Chu Lian had no words to reply to that...

    However, perhaps the little fellow had realised that he was being threatened by his dear old dad. Later on, whenever He Changdi was by Chu Lian¡¯s side, he refused to move at all.

    Standing far off behind the corner of a wall, Muxiang stared at the happy couple hugging in the pavilion with dead eyes. Her lip was already red from how hard she was biting it.

    There was a poisonous look in her eyes. She wanted Chu Lian to just fall right into the lotus pond.

    Her fists were already clenched so tight that her nails were digging into the flesh of her palm, while her expression was contorted into an ugly mask.

    She had been enduring for all this time, but it was finally time to take action. In this lifetime, anyone who stole away her ¡®husband¡¯ would die a gruesome death! Even if it was someone in her previous body!

 Chapter 687 - Praying (1)

    <strong>Chapter 687: Praying (1)</strong>

    There was a special custom in the capital. Pregnant women would have to visit the temple at least once to pray for an uneventful birth, as well as for their firstborn to be a boy.

    As a modern person, Chu Lian understood that the gender of her child wasn¡¯t something that could be changed just by praying to the Buddha. The moment her little bun came into existence, his or her gender had already been set. Doing anything else to try to change that would be fruitless.

    However, she knew that her knowledge wasn¡¯t shared by the others around her.

    Near the end of July, Countess Jing¡¯an came to visit her often and kept trying to persuade her to visit Da¡¯an Temple.

    Countess Jing¡¯an even hinted subtly that this was also part of Matriarch He¡¯s wishes.

    This was a time when the political situation in court was in turmoil. He Changdi would exin to her about the various movements in court when he returned home every day. She also knew clearly that the peace on the surface was hiding a major battle in the capital.

    The factions of Fourth Prince and Sixth Prince were locked in a long war now.

    Since He Changdi was Prince Jin¡¯s most trusted assistant, there were plenty of eyes on the Anyuan Estate right now.

    As a helpless woman carrying around an unborn heir, what she should do was to stay in the well-protected estate and sit quietly until her child was ready toe into the world.

    However, Countess Jing¡¯an had alreadye over to remind her a few times.

    Even Princess Wei had told her to go to the temple.

    Chu Lian rubbed her swollen belly and sighed helplessly.

    Sometimes, even though she knew that her action would be useless, she would have to do it regardless. Matriarch He, Countess Jing¡¯an and Princess Wei were all her seniors. They carried the hopes of the entire Jing¡¯an Estate, as well as Prince Wei¡¯s estate. She couldn¡¯t just reject their kindly reminders without a good reason.

    Chu Lian looked down at her belly. It wasn¡¯t very big right now. If she waited any longer, it would be even harder to travel when she was seven months pregnant, so why not make the trip a little earlier?

    Thus, Chu Lian discussed the matter with He Changdi.

    He Changdi wanted to reject the request at first. He was more worried for Chu Lian¡¯s safety. As for the little one inside her, he didn¡¯t care about their gender since the little one would be their child regardless.

    They were still young. Even if their first child was a daughter, they could just have another child if they wanted a son.

    However, when he turned to see Chu Lian facing him with her puppy eyes, he couldn¡¯t bear to turn her down.

    He recalled the bias that his grandmother had against his wife. If he didn¡¯t agree to this, Grandmother would likely me it on Chu Lian. If their first child wasn¡¯t a boy as Grandmother wanted, then the one who suffered would likely be his wife again.

    He Sang mulled over it for a long time before agreeing reluctantly.

    He stroked the smooth skin on his wife¡¯s tender cheek, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you on that day.¡±

    He Sang wouldn¡¯t be able to rest easy unless he went with her personally, even if they sent more guards.

    The temple that Chu Lian and her party intended to visit was Da¡¯an Temple, on the outskirts of the capital. It was situated halfway up Mount Lanxiang, and was known as the temple that Empress Xiaoxian had retired to as a nun. Thus, it was counted as one of the imperial family¡¯s temples.

    It was rumoured to be very effective in granting the wishes of its devotees. Da¡¯an Temple was open to the public as well, so there were plenty of people visiting the temple to pray each day.

    However, when they reached the foot of Mount Lanxiang, there was another road built specially for nobles. There was also another area of Da¡¯an Temple specially catered for the imperial family or nobility who wished to pray there, so they didn¡¯t have to squeeze in with themoners.

    This was also why He Changdi had agreed to his mother¡¯s suggestion of visiting Da¡¯an Temple.

    They decided on the tenth of August as the day for their temple visit.

    It was neither the first of the month, nor the fifteenth, the traditional days for prayer. The weather was still hot as well, so it wouldn¡¯t be too crowded at Da¡¯an Temple.

    He Changdi made sure to leave that day free.

    There weren¡¯t many people apanying Chu Lian to the temple. It was only Countess Jing¡¯an, He Changdi, her maidservants, as well as their guards.

 Chapter 688 - Praying (2)

    <strong>Chapter 688: Praying (2)</strong>

    Since they were afraid of any untoward incidents, once August had arrived, Chu Lian¡¯s close servants had started making preparations.

    On the morning of the tenth of August, Xiyan was suddenly ovee with a high fever.

    The ones chosen to apany Chu Lian on this trip were Wenqing and Xiyan. Wen had gone to the tea garden and it would take a few days for her to return to the estate.

    Since Xiyan wasn¡¯t feeling well in the morning, they could only find a recement for her.

    There were only Xiyan, Wenqing, Wen and Muxiang serving Chu Lian as her four personal handmaids.

    The only one most suitable to take Xiyan¡¯s ce was Muxiang.

    Ever since Chu Lian had gotten pregnant and Muxiang had been sent here to serve her by the matriarch, Muxiang had been behaving properly over the past few months. Furthermore, she worked swiftly, and got along well with the other maidservants.

    Even Wenqing, Wen and Xiyan had stopped guarding against her.

    Senior Servants Gui and Zhong were both troubled. The two senior servants were still reluctant to bring Muxiang along. Since they would be travelling out of the estate, they would have to take care of their madam the whole way. As amiable as Muxiang was, she had only been serving for a few months and she was still considered one of Matriarch He¡¯s servants. The two of them hadn¡¯t forgotten how Matriarch He had been biased against Chu Lian when they had moved out of the Jing¡¯an Estate!

    Compared to Muxiang, the two senior servants trusted the second-tier maidservant Baicha more.

    Just as Senior Servant Zhong was about to speak, Muxiang stepped up.

    She bobbed naturally to Chu Lian, a trace of worry showing in her expression, ¡°Since Xiyan isn¡¯t well, please let this servant serve Madam today.¡±

    When Chu Lian heard that the sick Xiyan had seemingly rxed upon hearing Muxiang ¡®bravely¡¯ volunteer as her recement, she bowed her head and pretended to think about it for a long moment. Finally, she said, ¡°Fine, you cane along today. Baicha, take care of Xiyan. Get Uncle Miao here to take a look at her. Why did she suddenly fall ill?¡±

    Baicha immediately replied in the affirmative and turned to stride towards Xiyan¡¯s room, where the ill maidservant was resting.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s gettingte. Hurry up and pack these up. When my husband is back from court, we¡¯ll move out.¡±

    Chu Lian was helped over to a wooden chair in the outer room by Wenqing. Senior Servant Zhong came out along with them.

    Chu Lian nced over at the senior servant. When she caught sight of the hesitant expression on Senior Servant Zhong, she asked, ¡°Momo, is there anything you wish to say?¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong was startled by the question, ¡°Madam, this servant is afraid it won¡¯t be too good to let Muxiang go with us.¡±

    Chu Lian had guessed that she would say that. She patted the elderly servant¡¯s hand to reassure her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Even if she has any bad intentions, she¡¯s just one person. With my husband nearby, what can she do?¡±

    Since her master had already said so, Senior Servant Zhong kept the rest of her worries to herself.

    She sighed inwardly. There were some things that Chu Lian still wasn¡¯t cautious enough about.

    Actually, she found it rather strange. Chu Lian was normally quite prudent and treasured her life very much. Why would she suddenly act so carelessly?

    She was carrying two lives now. Even if Muxiang was a weak maidservant, if she really wanted to do anything bad, she might be able to...

    Perhaps the pregnancy had affected her master¡¯s brain? Made her more foolish?

    That didn¡¯t seem right. Just two days ago, Zhou Wen and Manager Qin had been singing Madam¡¯s praises in her ear for her marvellous ideas for the northern market and Dejufeng.

    Senior Servant Zhong had no choice but to turn back inside and order Wenqing to watch Muxiang carefully.

    While Wenqing felt that there wasn¡¯t any need to, she still agreed.

    Once He Changdi returned from court, he changed into afortable set of robes and apanied Chu Lian out.

    Countess Jing¡¯an was already waiting in the outer court of the Anyuan Estate. When they neared the entrance of their estate, He Changdi personally helped Chu Lian into the carriage.

    Chu Lian and Wenqing were to share a carriage with Countess Jing¡¯an, while Muxiang and Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s handmaid, as well as a female doctor she had brought along, were to share another carriage. He Changdi would be mounted on his horse and lead the guards protecting both sides of the carriage.

    However, as they were travelling on the roads and before they had even reached the foot of Mount Lanxiang, a fast horse came chasing after them from behind.

 Chapter 689 - Who Are You? (1)

    <strong>Chapter 689: Who Are You? (1)</strong>

    Laiyue turned around and frowned upon seeing the mounted man. With a twitch of his reins, he went up to He Changdi¡¯s side and leaned over to whisper, ¡°Master, it¡¯s Brother Zhang.¡±

    Of course, He Changdi knew that Laiyue was referring to Zhang Mai.

    His expression changed and he instructed the guards to look after the convoy. He then urged his horse up to the carriage to tell them what he was nning to do before turning back and heading in Zhang Mai¡¯s direction to wee him.

    Chu Lian was in the middle of chatting with Countess Jing¡¯an when He Changdi passed his message to them.

    Countess Jing¡¯an frowned, ¡°Why is Sang so busy even at this time?¡±

    Chu Lian wasn¡¯t angry at all. Instead, she even smiled and reassured Countess Jing¡¯an. ¡°Mother, you might not know this, but there¡¯s been some turmoil in the capitaltely. Hubby has been very busy, so let him go and take a look. Since Brother Zhang hase personally, it must be something important.¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an sighed. She thought back to the past andmented, ¡°We¡¯re in the same boat then. When I was pregnant with Eng and Sang, your father was also very busy and was rarely by my side.¡±

    However, at least Sang¡¯s wife had a little more fortune than she had. Back then, when she had been pregnant, Count Jing¡¯an had already returned to Mingzhou to take his post. Nowadays, even though He Changdi was busy with his work, at least he was nearby and he could find time to spend with Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian¡¯s smile brightened up even more. Actually, she wasn¡¯t as calm and confident as she appeared on the surface.

    In a short moment, Laiyue spoke up from outside the carriage.

    ¡°Madam, Third Young Madam.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Third Young Madam, Third Young Master has been called away by Brother Zhang on urgent business. He told this servant to pass it on.¡±

    Of course, Countess Jing¡¯an could hear everything that Laiyue had said to Chu Lian.

    ¡°Sang¡¯s wife, since Sang has left, why don¡¯t we head back to the estate first and find another day to visit the temple?¡±

    Without He Changdi here, Countess Jing¡¯an couldn¡¯t rest easy with her heavily pregnant daughter-inw in tow. Furthermore, everyone held such great expectations for Chu Lian¡¯s unborn child. They had to take as many precautions as they could.

    Chu Lian shook her head and consoled her mother-inw, ¡°Mother, there¡¯s no need for that. We¡¯ve already picked out our guards early on and we even have two of our family soldiers following. It¡¯s only Hubby who isn¡¯t around, but we have so many people guarding us, it won¡¯t be that easy for something bad to happen. Furthermore, we really can¡¯t wait any longer. Look at the size of my belly. If we go back now, who knows when we¡¯ll be able to go out again?¡±

    Countess Jing¡¯an was swayed by Chu Lian after all.

    The party continued on their way to Da¡¯an Temple as per their original ns.

    After an hour, they finally arrived at the foot of Mount Lanxiang.

    It wasn¡¯t supposed to take that long, but since Chu Lian was pregnant, they had kept the carriages to a safe and slow speed. Thus, they had taken two times the normal duration to reach the temple.

    There was a special road for the nobility at the foot of Mount Lanxiang, and He Changdi had already arranged for his subordinates to guide them from there.

    Wenqing and Muxiang alighted from the carriage behind and went up to Chu Lian and Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s carriage.

    Once the curtains were lifted, Countess Jing¡¯an stepped off the carriage first. Following that, Muxiang managed to beat Wenqing to the punch and helped Chu Lian off the carriage.

    Wenqing could only stand at the side and watch.

    Laiyue led two guards over.

    ¡°Madam, Third Young Madam, the pnquins are ready.¡±

    While Mount Lanxiang wasn¡¯t a very tall mountain, it still wasn¡¯t as easy to walk on as the highway. Even on the special path for the nobles, it wasn¡¯t as t as a normal road.

    It wasn¡¯t possible to travel up the mountain on a horse or a carriage.

    They could only depend on manpower to climb the mountain. Thus, there were plenty of porters and pnquins for hire at the foot of the mountain.

    Chu Lian wouldn¡¯t be able to climb with her huge belly, so Wenqing and Muxiang helped her over to a pnquin.

    The pnquin was woven from rattan and made for two porters to carry at both ends. A rattan chair was set in the middle with a nice roof to keep the sun off the rider¡¯s head. Although it was rather crude, it was very light. Since it was lighter than most sedan chairs, it was perfect for climbing mountains.

    Once Chu Lian and Countess Jing¡¯an were each seated in a pnquin, Laiyue called for the party to start the climb.

    Muxiang followed alongside Chu Lian¡¯s pnquin. She turned to Wenqing and said, ¡°Wenqing, you should go and take care of Madam. I can take care of Third Young Madam alone.¡±

    The handmaid Countess Jing¡¯an had brought had sprained her ankle while getting off the carriage, so she had stayed at the foot of the mountain with the carriage. Right now, there was only an elderly senior servant taking care of Countess Jing¡¯an.

    Wenqing hesitated for a moment before nodding. She quickened her stride to catch up to Countess Jing¡¯an¡¯s pnquin.

    It was hot out. After the party had been climbing for fifteen minutes, everyone was covered in sweat. Since they were in a mountain forest, there were trees all around, blocking the breeze from reaching them. However, the trees on either side of the road had been cleared away, so there was no shelter from the relentless sunlight beating down.

    Chu Lian waved the fan in her hands and wiped at the sweat on her forehead with a handkerchief. She pulled out a white porcin bottle from her waist pouch and poured out a single brown pill and swallowed it.

    Muxiang had been observing her this whole time. When she noticed that Chu Lian had eaten a pill, her brows furrowed and she pretended to be concerned, ¡°Third Young Madam, Great Doctor Miao said that pregnant women can¡¯t take medicine carelessly.¡±

    Chu Lian turned to look at Muxiang, and suddenly let out a cunning smile.

    Under the sunlight, her smile was eye-piercingly bright to Muxiang¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Muxiang, thank you for your concern. This pill was made for me by Uncle Miao.¡±

    Muxiang¡¯s expression froze up a little. She suppressed the rage brewing within and managed to squeeze out a smile, ¡°Since it was personally made by Great Doctor Miao, this servant doesn¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    After that little incident, Chu Lian simply sat peacefully on the pnquin without speaking to Muxiang.

 Chapter 690 - Who Are You? (2)

    <strong>Chapter 690: Who Are You? (2)</strong>

    At the halfway mark up the mountain, Muxiang noticed a signal hidden in the bushes and made a discreet hand gesture.

    A group of masked men on horses abruptly charged out from either side of the silent mountain road. They immediately got into a skirmish with the guards of the Anyuan Estate.

    One of the strong masked men, wearing a short tunic with bunched up sleeves, charged straight towards Countess Jing¡¯an with his sword drawn.

    Wenqing had been about to rush to Chu Lian¡¯s side, but she had no choice but to draw her own sword and block the man¡¯s attack for the countess instead.

    The shing of swords resounded in the forest.

    Muxiang was shouting for the guards to protect Chu Lian, but Laiyue and their stronger guards were all blocked by the masked men.

    The pnquin that Chu Lian was seated in was stolen away by the two grey-d porters carrying her. Another man stuffed a rag in Muxiang¡¯s mouth and carried her away with them.

    The masked men seemed to lose all desire to fight once they hadpleted the kidnapping. One of their leaders made a hand signal, and the group of masked men dispersed just as quickly as they had arrived.

    In just a short fifteen minutes, there was only a group of injured guards and the shell-shocked Countess Jing¡¯an left at the halfway mark of the mountain.

    When Countess Jing¡¯an realised that Chu Lian had been kidnapped, she copsed to the ground in fright and roared angrily, ¡°Chase them down! No matter what, you have to bring Sang¡¯s wife back safely in one piece!¡±

    Her voice was trembling as she gave orders to Laiyue, ¡°Hurry, send some men to pass the news to Third Young Master, Master and Prince Wei¡¯s Estate! Quickly!¡±

    Their family soldier, Huang Zhijian, had already led a party of guards after the kidnappers. Laiyue quickly instructed some men to send the report. He didn¡¯t dare to lead the pursuit himself at the moment since Countess Jing¡¯an was still here. They had already lost one of their madams, they couldn¡¯t let anything happen to the other.

    So her two porters had been part of the setup.

    She looked around her surroundings constantly, but since this was the forested area of Mount Lanxiang, other than bushes and trees, there was nothing she could use asndmarks.

    She pressed her lips and identally brushed against the pouch at her waist, causing some tiny fragments to fall out.

    Under these pressing circumstances, no one noticed the light-coloured powder falling from Chu Lian¡¯s ouch.

    Chu Lian turned her gaze to Muxiang, who had been tied up and was being carried on someone¡¯s shoulder. The maidservant¡¯s head had been covered by a cloth bag, so she couldn¡¯t see the servant¡¯s expression at the moment.

    However, what seemed strange to Chu Lian was how Muxiang had reacted at first. She had struggled with all her might at the start, but after they had left the line of sight of Laiyue and the others, Muxiang had suddenly stopped moving as if she had fainted.

    The two porters carrying the pnquin were sprinting madly. Chu Lian didn¡¯t dare to do anything but hold on to the pnquin for dear life.

    Finally, once the kidnappers had lost the guards in pursuit and made a long detour around the forest to throw them off, they stopped by a thatched hut.

    Chu Lian and Muxiang were pushed into the single room of the hut.

    There was an old, scarred set of desk and chairs in the room. Other than a pile of hay in the corner, there was nothing else. This crude hut consisted of a single narrow door without any windows, making the entire room seem especially dim and damp.

    Chu Lian used the mud wall to help herself up and stood facing the pile of hay.

    The kidnappers had all retreated out of the room after tossing Chu Lian and Muxiang inside, and they were guarding the hut from twenty metres or so away.

    Chu Lian frowned. Her eyes quicklynded upon Muxiang, whose head was still covered.

    The supposedly unconscious Muxiang suddenly started moving. She untied the ropes restraining her hands in a few quick movements and pulled off the bag covering her head.

    In an instant, her friendly-looking face was revealed.

    However, her expression waspletely different from the usual kind and submissive Muxiang.

    What showed on her face was a sinister light. The corners of her mouth were twisted into a smirk, and there was a darkness in her eyes now. She seemed like apletely different person, without the slightest shadow of the previous Muxiang.

    The furrow between Chu Lian¡¯s brows deepened. Her red lips were slightly parted. It was clear that she was still recovering from her shock.

    She gulped subconsciously, ¡°Who... Who are you?¡±

    The gears in Chu Lian¡¯s head turned. This group of masked men had kidnapped her and left her alone with Muxiang in this thatched hut. Could all this have been set up by Muxiang?

    Otherwise, why had the kidnappers only taken away the two of them?

    Muxiang stood up and walked a few steps towards Chu Lian.

    There was no longer any remnants of the obedient maidservant in the Muxiang before her. She swayed confidently with every step, her chin raised high and arrogance radiating from her every pore.

    She smirked deeper as she stared down Chu Lian, who was standing up against the wall. She even bent down a little to get closer.

    Muxiang was originally tall and slender. At this moment, standing in front of the shorter and smaller Chu Lian, she was at least half a head taller. After reincarnating into this body, Muxiang experienced the sweet feeling of looking down on someone else for the first time.

    She let out an uncannyugh. Her tone carried hatred even as she spoke mockingly, ¡°Hah? Who am I? That¡¯s what I should be asking you instead, Marchioness Anyuan! Who are you? Don¡¯t you feel the slightest bit of shame having stolen this body? Aren¡¯t you even a little guilty after stealing someone else¡¯s husband and hiding the truth? You monster! I¡¯d like to see how long you¡¯re going to keep up this pretense!¡±

    Chu Lian: ...

    A chill ran up Chu Lian¡¯s spine as she stared up at Muxiang with wide eyes. Muxiang stared right back at her with an expression warped with anger.

 Chapter 691 - The Evil Female Lead (1)

    <strong>Chapter 691: The Evil Female Lead (1)</strong>

    The corner of Chu Lian¡¯s mouth twitched. She felt that she had beenpletely shafted by the heavens. It was bad enough that she had suddenly transmigrated into a novel that she had only read halfway into the body of the evil female lead, no less. She could ept not being able to return to the modern world, since she had no ties keeping her there anyway.

    Do the heavens really have to y with me like this?! I don¡¯t even have any cheats to use, how am I going to survive this?! I¡¯ve had enough!!

    At first, her husband had suddenly turned bad, then now there was this ¡®abnormal¡¯ maidservant. Don¡¯t tell her that Muxiang would turn out to be the reincarnated original female lead. She wanted to gift her just two words: ¡®ha ha¡¯.

    A twitch developed in Chu Lian¡¯s forehead. She looked at Muxiang, who seemed to be filled with hate and fury for her, with a strange expression.

    ¡°You¡¯re... the original Chu Lian?¡±

    Muxiang was staring closely at Chu Lian¡¯s face, not wanting to miss out on even the most minute change in her expression.

    She had been waiting patiently for so long, all just for this moment: to see the shock, rm, and fear on the face of the freak that had stolen her body, to revel as the freak fell to the ground on her knees to beg for mercy.

    A torrent of emotions was flooding her heart right now. She couldn¡¯t hold back the burgeoning excitement in her, which showed in her trembling body. Right now, looking down from above at this woman that He Changdi had protected like a delicate little flower in a greenhouse, there was a sense of satisfaction and tion she couldn¡¯t name.

    She was waiting. Waiting for Chu Lian to give up and beg her for mercy.

    After that, she would simplyugh right in her face and kill herst remaining hope. She would first make her lose her child, then torment her and make her suffer. In the end, she would make sure that this imposter died without a corpse to bury.

    This way, once the freak in her original body died without a trace, she would then take her rightful ce as the real Marchioness Anyuan.

    Muxiang was absolutely thrilled at the thought.

    However, as Muxiang continued waiting, what came wasn¡¯t the scene she had imagined.

    Chu Lian faced Muxiang¡¯s gaze straight on. One of them was looking downwards, while the other was looking upwards. The two of them blinked in unison, then again, like some silent y.

    Chu Lian was finding it strange why Muxiang was giving her an expectant look, as if she was waiting for something. She didn¡¯t understand. What did Muxiang want from her at this point...

    She had indeed taken Muxiang¡¯s original body, but it wasn¡¯t as if she had wanted it... She hadn¡¯t had any say in the matter.

    Furthermore, the original Chu Lian had been an evil woman with a poisonous heart. She hadn¡¯t even hesitated when killing. For the sake of her own benefit, who knows how many people had fallen beneath her ws?

    Even back in the Ying Estate, when the original female lead had been ignored by everyone and had lived a terrible life beneath even a handmaid, that didn¡¯t have anything to do with the current Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian had the confidence to say that she hadn¡¯t done anything bad ever since she hade to the Great Wu Dynasty. She had also respected her seniors and supported her husband. She didn¡¯t have any bit of remorse towards the original owner of this body. Strictly speaking, she was the most innocent victim here.

    Since that was so, she really had no idea what Muxiang was waiting for.

    The satisfied expression on Muxiang¡¯s face started to contort. Her eyes got wider and wider, as disbelief sunk into her over how the situation was changing!

    She had imagined many times over how the current Chu Lian would beg pathetically on her knees, pleading for her not to reveal this tremendous secret to He Changdi. However, she hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to be so calm. Was she really not the slightest bit afraid? Was she really that fearless?

    When she faced Chu Lian¡¯s moist eyes, Muxiang bit her lip hard, almost drawing blood. She pointed a trembling finger at the bewildered Chu Lian in agitation. Her voice was shaking from her anger, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the slightest bit guilty? That¡¯s my body you¡¯re in! I¡¯m the real Marchioness Anyuan! Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll tell the truth to He Changdi?! That you¡¯re not Chu Lian, and that you¡¯re just a freak? Aren¡¯t you scared that he¡¯ll shun you once he finds out?¡±

    Chu Lian was still stunned by the revtion, despite everything. So the soul inside Muxiang was the original ¡®Chu Lian¡¯.

    However, just like Muxiang had said, Chu Lian really didn¡¯t care if Muxiang were to reveal the truth to He Changdi. If He Changdi really chose to part ways with her based on that alone, then it was He Changdi who wasn¡¯t worth her trust and love. She would have nothing to say to him if he broke up with her over a reason like that.

    Also, what rubbish was she saying?

    Even if Muxiang was still in her original body, going by the way the original novel had developed, she wouldn¡¯t have be a marchioness regardless.

    A thought suddenly surfaced in Chu Lian¡¯s mind.

    Since ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ had be Muxiang, going by the novel¡¯s original plot, shouldn¡¯t she have gone to look for Xiao Bojian instead? Wasn¡¯t Xiao Bojian her true love? Why was she aiming for He Changdi now?

    Even if ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ were to say that she had chosen He Sang for his power now, it didn¡¯t make sense.

    He Changdi did hold high status and authority now and he was currently upying a good position in court. However, Xiao Bojian was doing equally well for himself. If they were topare the status of both men, Xiao Bojian would likely be able to stand equally with He Changdi now.

    The Jing¡¯an Estate wasn¡¯t a particrly old or rich noble house either, so there shouldn¡¯t be any attraction there.

    Since it was so, it was worth thinking further on why Muxiang had still ended up choosing He Changdi.

    Since she had already transmigrated into this book, nothing seemed impossible.

    If she were to make a few bold assumptions, could it be that Muxiang had regretted her choices in her past life¡ª that is, the events in the original novel¡ª and was now choosing He Changdi wholeheartedly in this life?

    Chu Lian hid the guesses in her heart. On the surface, she narrowed her eyes at Muxiang. ¡°Why do I have to be scared? Even if this body was originally yours, I don¡¯t owe you anything.¡±

 Chapter 692 - The Evil Female Lead (2)

    <strong>Chapter 692: The Evil Female Lead (2)</strong>

    Chu Lian¡¯s abnormal calm was like a thorn in Muxiang¡¯s side. She shoved at Chu Lian with all her strength, pushing her down to the ground and watched as Chu Lian sprawled pitifully over the floor, her two hands wrapped around her swollen body in protection. Only then did she feel like she had vented some of her frustration.

    Luckily, there was the pile of hay nearby, or Chu Lian would have been really worried about her child.

    She purposely chose tond in a haphazard pose to make herself seem more pathetic.

    Muxiang¡¯s tone was cynical as she replied, ¡°You don¡¯t owe me anything? You¡¯re really a freak! You have absolutely no shame to be able to say such words! You took my body! You stole my husband! Isn¡¯t that enough? You freak, you¡¯re the most shameless person I¡¯ve ever met! If not for you, Guilin Restaurant, Dejufeng Restaurant, the northern market and those noble titles... Wouldn¡¯t all those be mine? You¡¯ve taken so many of my things, yet you¡¯re telling me that you don¡¯t owe me anything? Did you think you could simply enjoy living well like this? Dream on! I¡¯m sending you down to hell today!¡±

    Muxiang had gone crazy with jealousy!

    Due to the events of her past life, as well as her current life as a lowly maidservant, how could she endure seeing how Chu Lian was living right now?

    She wasn¡¯t satisfied with the end she had gotten in her past life, of seeing the freak who had stolen her body living a thousand times better than she had. How could her heart possibly be content?

    The gap in their lives had quickly warped Muxiang¡¯s heart.

    Chu Lian really thought that the original female lead had something wrong with her mind. She bowed her head without meeting Muxiang¡¯s gaze, making it look as if she had given up and epted Muxiang¡¯s words.

    Muxiang looked down upon Chu Lian, sprawled on the ground with her swollen belly, not daring to even look at her.

    She sneered, ¡°What? Now you¡¯re finally feeling scared?¡±

    She suddenly squatted down and stroked Chu Lian¡¯s tender cheek. Her hand slid down Chu Lian¡¯s body,nded on her belly, and pressed down hard.

    Her voice was sinister as she continued, ¡°I was very surprised when you got pregnant with He Changdi¡¯s child!¡±

    Furthermore, this imposter had used her body to do that. The provocation in that action had driven her even more mad with envy.

    In the past life, she hadn¡¯t been able to get pregnant at all despite being by Xiao Bojian¡¯s side. It was only right before her death that she found out that Xiao Bojian had given her a secret medicine that made her infertile.

    She had assumed wrongly that Xiao Bojian had given her the medicine early on, while they had been in the Ying Estate, so she had thought that her old body was still infertile.

    Now she knew that Chu Lian¡¯s body was actuallypletely healthy, it was perfect, and she could use it to bear children for the man she loved. However, the soul inside wasn¡¯t her any more!

    How could she not be jealous?!

    Chu Lian could discern the change in her voice, that Muxiang hadpletely lost her rationality. Chu Lian kept both of her hands on the ground, prepared to protect her stomach at any time.

    As expected, Muxiang¡¯s next words confirmed Chu Lian¡¯s suspicions, ¡°What a pity. You¡¯ve already carried the child for so long, but this child is unfortunate. I wonder whether it¡¯s a boy or a girl in there? But we won¡¯t have to wonder for long. I¡¯ll take the child out and let you see for yourself. You can see whether you and He Changdi¡¯s child is handsome, whether he looks more like He Changdi or you.¡±

    This woman must have gone mad! She actually managed to spit out such cruel words. The calm on Chu Lian¡¯s face faded, reced with a deathly pale pallor.

    Noticing that Chu Lian¡¯s shoulders were trembling, Muxiang burst out into sinisterughter.

    ¡°Why? Are you finally scared?¡±

    Chu Lian bowed her head, counting inwardly. She had already found out whatever she wanted from Muxiang, so there was no longer any need to y around with her. She was waiting.

    Muxiang seemed to have lost interest in tormenting Chu Lian with her words. She turned around and took up a pouch on the table. The mad maidservant pulled a sharp dagger out of it and started walking towards Chu Lian step by step.

    When Chu Lian saw that she was holding a dagger, she carefully shifted backwards a little, her lips formed into a thin line.

    Muxiang had a crazy wide grin on her face. She squatted down and raised her arms, that sharp dagger pointed at Chu Lian¡¯s belly. In the next second, she made her move¡ª

    On the verge of life and death, a whoosh apanied the sight of a fast object shooting through the air.

    That sharp arrow was much faster than the dagger, and it shot right through Muxiang. The enormous force behind the arrow actually lifted up Muxiang¡¯s body and stuck her to the opposing mud wall like a pin!

    Muxiang let out an intense wail.

    A tall figure appeared at the entrance of the thatched hut. Chu Lian was still in a panicked state when she turned her head to look, only to see He Changdi standing there in a ck robe, carrying a giant bow. He was standing ramrod-straight at the door, an icy aura emanating from his frosty expression. His sinister gazended upon the pinned Muxiang.

    Following that, he hurried forward to Chu Lian¡¯s side. Tossing aside his bow without a care, he lifted Chu Lian up from the pile of hay and wrapped her in his embrace.

    Once Chu Lian was ensconced in her husband¡¯s arms and hisforting scent, she slowly came back to her senses. In a flurry of action, she hugged He Changdi¡¯s neck and buried her face into his chest. She let out a sniffle as sheined, ¡°He Changdi, I was so scared...¡±

    The murderous expression on He Sang¡¯s face faded away. He watched his lovely and fragile wife as he soothed her by patting her back. He reassured her with a soft, low tone, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Lian¡¯er, it¡¯s all over. I¡¯ll bring you out now.¡±

    After saying so, he walked out while carrying Chu Lian. Captain Guo, Zhang Mai and Xiao Hongyu all came up to surround them, asking worriedly, ¡°How is Sister-in-Law?¡±

    He Changdi faced everyone with his usual cool expression and shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ll leave the person inside to you. I¡¯ll send Lian¡¯er back first.¡±

    Captain Guo patted his shoulder and entered the thatched hut with the others.

    Chu Lian looked around them, only to see that her masked kidnappers were all lying on the ground, motionless.

    She raised her chin to look up at He Changdi¡¯s defined chin. She pressed her lips together and shoved her head even deeper into his chest, trying to surround herself with the scent that made her feel safe.

 Chapter 693 - Teaching His Wife A Lesson (1)

    <strong>Chapter 693: Teaching His Wife A Lesson (1)</strong>

    Of course, they ended up abandoning their ns to visit Da¡¯an Temple. He Changdi brought Chu Lian along with him down the mountain. At the foot of Mount Lanxiang was a carriage that He Sang had ordered to wait for them.

    He Changdi carried Chu Lian into the carriage, before he boarded the carriage himself and sat next to her.

    There was a basin of ice already ced within the carriage, as well as thick curtains at the window and door. The moment they entered, there was a soothing cool atmosphere to wee them.

    The carriage quickly started moving.

    He Changdi continued wrapping Chu Lian in his long arms. Afraid of disturbing her belly, he only touched her shoulders.

    Now that everything was over and he had Chu Lian to fill the space between his arms, the fretfulness and fear in He Changdi¡¯s heart dissipatedpletely.

    He rested his chin on the top of Chu Lian¡¯s head and took a deep breath, taking in Chu Lian¡¯s familiar scent. He shut his eyes to calm down the torrent of emotions within him.

    Chu Lian was trapped in his embrace, unable to move. She understood that she had really been on the verge of danger earlier. If He Changdi had beente by a few seconds, then the little fellow in her belly might have been lost to them.

    She parted her lips a few times, but she didn¡¯t know what to say.

    Chu Lian knew that He Changdi must have been waiting outside the hut for some time. Muxiang had said so much to her, and she didn¡¯t know how much he had heard.

    Did he already know that she wasn¡¯t the real Chu Lian? Did he know that Muxiang was a reincarnated person? What was he thinking right now?

    The ancients feared the supernatural. They would have a fearful sort of reverence towards anything they didn¡¯t understand. Would he really hurt her because of the truth? Would he also think that she was a freak?

    Although she had retorted to Muxiang so confidently just now, now that she was in front of He Changdi, Chu Lian wasn¡¯t as certain of herself any more.

    Sometimes, this was how things were between lovers. The deeper you loved, the more you would fear losing them and facing their disappointment.

    It was also precisely because she cared for him that she didn¡¯t know how to start this conversation.

    After a long moment, when He Changdi had finally regained a modicum of calm, he opened his dark eyes. He put a little distance between them by pushing Chu Lian further back a little, then helped her to switch into a morefortable position, leaning against his chest.

    He Changdi lowered his gaze to observe the slightly pale face of his wife.

    Her thick eyshes were trembling and her pink lips were tightly pressed together. It was clear as day that she was currently tense and fighting an inner struggle.

    He could see through her thoughts in one nce and found it funny.

    His eyesnded on her swollen belly. A wave of fear swept through him, and the soft expression on his face made way for an extremely gloomy expression.

    He lifted one hand, andnded a resounding smack on Chu Lian¡¯s pert and soft bottom. Before Chu Lian could react from her shock, he gave her another p on her butt.

    He Changdi made three ps in total before he finally stopped.

    Since it was summer, they wore thinner clothes. He Sang¡¯s ps had made crisp and clear sounds. It wasn¡¯t just the guards following them on either side of the carriage, who could hear the ps, but even Laiyue, who was in front driving the carriage.

    Laiyue froze up a little and sat up straighter. He put on a serious expression and pretended that he hadn¡¯t heard anything, as if nothing had happened at all.

    He also pretended not to see the questioning looks that the guards sent him.

    Laiyuembasted his own master for being too ¡®vicious and ruthless¡¯ in his mind. He could even bear toy his hands on a fragile youngdy like Third Young Madam. He definitely had to light a candle in sympathy for his unborn young master.

    Chu Lian had been trapped in her mental conflict when He Changdi had suddenly ¡®attacked¡¯ her.

    After the three ps, her entire body went stiff. He Changdi hadn¡¯t given her any mercy this time, her left buttock was on fire. She stared with wide, round eyes in disbelief at He Changdi.

    Astonishment andint shone through in her almond-shaped eyes.

    ¡°You deserved that! Do you know how much danger you would have been in if I hadn¡¯t made it in time?¡±

    The scolding that Chu Lian had wanted to unleash was immediately snuffed out by He Changdi.

    Chu Lian lowered her head and thought for a bit, but she still felt that these three ps were just too much. She spoke up grumpily, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree on the n previously? How could you possibly bete?¡±

    He Changdi sighed. When he saw that the corners of her eyes were red, and how tough it was for her to lug her heavy body around, his hardened heart melted back down once again.

    He reached out with one hand and rubbed at the spots that he had just smacked, helping her to soothe the pain.

    ¡°Better safe than sorry. Next time, even if we don¡¯t have any better ideas, you¡¯re not allowed to put yourself on the line. If anything happens to you, how am I going to continue living alone?¡± He Changdi softened his tone and spoke in a coaxing manner to Chu Lian.

    Seeing that her face was still flushed with anger, he bent down to ce a gentle kiss on her lips.

    They had long suspected that there was something wrong with Muxiang. He Changdi had used his men to investigate her. After a thorough investigation, he had actually discovered that Muxiang had even secretly sent messages to Xiao Bojian¡¯s spies before.

    Seeing how big Chu Lian was getting and since they were nearing the birth, they couldn¡¯t let someone like her continue staying beside them.

    He Changdi wanted to find an excuse to send Muxiang away from Chu Lian. However, Chu Lian hadn¡¯t agreed. She thought that it would only solve the immediate danger, but not get rid of the threat once and for all. The mastermind behind everything would also hide even deeper. Now that the battle between the factions of Fourth Prince and Sixth Prince was getting even more intense, they couldn¡¯t leave any threat roaming free.

    Thus, she had insisted on using this chance to lure the snake out of its hole.

    He Changdi hadn¡¯t been able to persuade her otherwise, so he could only let her execute her n.

    Both Chu Lian and He Changdi hadn¡¯t expected things to end up like this.

    Muxiang was actually the original inhabitant of Chu Lian¡¯s body...

    Due to her jealousy and hatred for Chu Lian, she had actually wanted to take Chu Lian¡¯s life!

    When He Changdi had been waiting outside the door, he had watched as Muxiang raised the dagger above Chu Lian. The man who had always been calm and collected on the battlefield had almost had a heart attack.

    Luckily, he was skilled with the bow, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have been able to protect his wife.

 Chapter 694 - Teaching His Wife A Lesson (2)

    <strong>Chapter 694: Teaching His Wife A Lesson (2)</strong>

    Chu Lian was rendered speechless by He Changdi¡¯s words.

    Thinking back to the close call she had in the thatched hut, a wave of residual fear washed over her. Even though she had eaten Great Doctor Miao¡¯s specially made medicine to stabilise the foetus, her belly wouldn¡¯t have been able to withstand that stab from Muxiang.

    She had indeed put herself in too much risk and danger this time.

    The unhappy and indignant feelings from earlier dissipated.

    She looked down at her swollen belly and rubbed the top of it to soothe both herself and her unborn child. Chu Lian apologised in her mind, ¡®Little fellow, Mother has let you suffer.¡¯

    He Changdi saw that his wife had understood what he had to say.

    He covered Chu Lian¡¯s small and soft hand with his own, and joined her in stroking her belly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this little one has been quite obedient so far. The little one won¡¯t me you.¡±

    Chu Lian shrunk into He Changdi¡¯s embrace and clutched hispels. After a long period of silence, she mumbled indistinctly, ¡°He Changdi, I... I won¡¯t do that again.¡±

    Hearing that promise from Chu Lian, the corners of He Changdi¡¯s mouth curled up. He tucked some stray locks of her hair behind her ear.

    After a moment, Chu Lian puffed up her cheeks and turned around to look up at him. She red at his handsome, yet expressionless face. ¡°Although I was in the wrong, how could you hit me so hard?!¡±

    He Changdi nced down at her flushed cheeks, ¡°Was it too hard?¡±

    Chu Lian nodded profusely.

    He Changdi replied in an absolutely nonchnt and calm manner, ¡°Then I¡¯ll let you return the hits when we get back.¡±

    Chu Lian: ...

    Her mouth twitched and she rolled her eyes furiously.

    She looked towards his robes and felt even more depressed. What was so nice to touch about a man¡¯s buttocks? It was all hard and tough muscle there. She didn¡¯t have any perverted inclinations...

    After her initial train of thought had been interrupted by He Changdi, Chu Lian temporarily forgot about her inner struggle.

    She had the feeling that He Changdi¡¯s attitude towards her hadn¡¯t changed at all even after this incident.

    She suddenly lost the urge to ask him about it.

    Learning in He Changdi¡¯s safe andfortable embrace, Chu Lian quickly dozed off.

    Pregnant women were prone to sleeping more anyway, and she had already suffered a fright earlier. Actually, she was already very sleepy.

    Once Chu Lian fell asleep, He Changdi knocked on the walls of the carriage and ordered Laiyue to drive the carriage a little slower.

    He looked down at the soundly sleeping wife in his arms. He couldn¡¯t seem to get enough of looking at her porcin-like face, no matter how much he had already seen.

    Thinking back to thepletely different personalities of the Chu Lian from his past life and this one, he suddenly felt d. d that he had still left some space in his heart to ept her after he had reincarnated, and even more d that he had won her over.

    It seemed like the heavens were still fair to him. The woman lying in his arms now was his true wife.

    She had never been that wicked woman ¡®Chu Lian¡¯ from his previous life.

    The intelligent and sharp-witted He Sang suddenly burst into a silly grin while watching his wife sleep.

    Upon returning to the Anyuan EState, they met with Prince Wei, Count Jing¡¯an and the rest, who were waiting for them in the parlour of the outer court.

    He Changdi first carried Chu Lian into a side room of the outer court and settled her in before hurriedly going out to meet their worried senior family members.

    Countess Jing¡¯an personally went to the side room to look at Chu Lian, as well as to watch Great Doctor Miao take her pulse. After the report of a clean bill of health, she could let her worries go and returned to the estate with Count Jing¡¯an.

    He Changdi had to endure a good round of scolding from Prince Wei, before he could finally send the prince off.

    Standing at the main entrance of the Anyuan Estate, He Changdi¡¯s back was ramrod-straight, calling to mind the image of a tall mountain. His hands were ced behind his back as he watched Prince Wei¡¯s carriage disappear into the distance. A spark of realisation and ruthlessness shed across his narrow eyes.

    All the secrets he hadn¡¯t been able to find out even till his death had now surfaced.

    So that wicked woman who had caused his downfall in his past life had actually had another identity. No wonder Prince Wei cared so much for Lian¡¯er.

    Unfortunately, in this lifetime, Chu Lian would only belong to him, she would only ever be his wife.

    As Prince Wei¡¯s carriage continued making its way off into the distance, He Changdi abruptly turned around and returned to his estate with a cold expression on his face.

    Following right behind him was Laiyue, who didn¡¯t understand how his master could change his expressions so quickly.

    He Changdi watched as Chu Lian drank a bowl of calming soup and fell right asleep. He sat by her bedside for a while before leaving the side room. Before he left, he ordered Wenqing and Wen to take good care of his wife. The moment he stepped out of the room, Laiyue came to report.

    ¡°Master, the prisoner has been sent over by Captain Guo. She is in the jail right now. Would you like to head over?¡±

    He Changdi nced at Laiyue once before quickly striding towards the jail.

    Laiyue had to break into a jog to keep up.

    In a remote corner of the Anyuan Estate, there was a small jail. It was located in the basement of one of the unused courtyards. Normally, He Changdi would conduct any unsavoury business here. Chu Lian didn¡¯t even know that there was such a dark and hidden ce in their estate.

    He Changdi quickly entered the jail.

    There were guards on duty both inside and outside the jail. Even a fly wouldn¡¯t be able to enter without alerting them.

    The person managing the jail was one of the He Family¡¯s private soldiers. When He Changdi and Laiyue entered, only Xiao Hongyu was inside.

    Xiao Hongyu heard the sound of their footsteps and turned to meet them, ¡°Brother He, the prisoner is in the cell within. Brother Guo and Brother Zhang had some business, so they left first.¡±

    He Changdi nodded, ¡°Hongyu, I¡¯ve troubled you today. You should head back earlier to rest.¡±

    Xiao Hongyu rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, ¡°Brother He, what are you saying? This is all within my duties.¡±

    After sending away Xiao Hongyu, He Changdi turned and walked towards the jail cell inside.

    The jail cell was dark and damp, and the air was filled with the smell of blood and mold mixed together. It wasn¡¯t a very pleasant ce to be.

 Chapter 695 - We Are The Same (1)

    <strong>Chapter 695: We Are The Same (1)</strong>

    One of the guards following behind He Changdi moved forward to open the iron cell door before stepping aside respectfully.

    The expressionless He Changdi strode into the jail cell, where only a singlentern was lighting the dark interior.

    His line of sightnded in the corner of that narrow and damp cell, where a human figure was cowering.

    That arrow He Changdi had shot hadn¡¯t taken Muxiang¡¯s life. It had only pierced through her right shoulder de and crippled one of her arms.

    He still had plenty of questions for her. How could he let her die such an easy death?!

    Perhaps the prisoner had heard the screeching of the cell doors as they opened. The trembling Muxiang lifted up her head, showing her wretched appearance.

    Her gaze went out of focus for a moment, but she could slowly make out the tall figure standing in front of the cell doors. That familiar face looked exactly the same as in her memories.

    However, his expression had changed.

    The high fever that had set in from the wound made her mind a little fuzzy. Muxiang thought that she was hallucinating, so she shook her head and turned to look again, only to realise that He Changdi hadn¡¯t disappeared.

    The sudden and pleasant surprise gave her the urge to jump up and run over to hug him.

    This man before her was her husband, the one who had always treated her warmly and kindly, and had always forgiven her actions. She regretted so much that she had betrayed him and chosen to be with that venomous man instead. Had he finallye back to look for her?

    However, even before she could attempt to hug him, a twinge of pain came from her right shoulder and arm, and a stream of memories ruthlessly doused her burgeoning hopes.

    The intense pain of the arrow piercing through her bones and flesh, as well as that hateful, cold look in his eyes as he had shot her.

    The hope in Muxiang¡¯s eyes shifted to fear and despair. She shrunk back into her body and paddled backwards, as if trying to hide in the corner of the cell.

    Muxiang¡¯s fearful reaction triggered a change in He Changdi¡¯s expression; he smiled.

    However, that smile didn¡¯t even reach his eyes. He strode a few steps closer towards Muxiang.

    Muxiang abruptly covered her head and shouted in rm, ¡°Don¡¯t... don¡¯te near me!¡±

    He Changdi sneered, ¡°Why would I listen to you? Your life is in my hands now.¡±

    Muxiang stared with wide eyes at the man before as her fear washed over her entire body. Overwhelmed by the feelings, she grew ever calmer instead.

    She continued watching He Changdi with frightened eyes. This person before had the same as he had in her past life, but she just couldn¡¯t put the image of their faces together.

    It wasn¡¯t until now that she wholeheartedly felt how foolish she had been since reincarnating into this life.

    After reincarnating once again, why had she continued chasing after a man? Wasn¡¯t her lesson from the past life enough warning?

    The only person she could count on was herself! Anyone who blocked her way should be ughtered!

    Muxiang became colder and calmer. The gears in her head turned swiftly. She seemed to have woken up from the haze obscuring her mind, and she finally saw a way through the darkness.

    The look in her eyes became sharper. As she faced the cold man before her, she quickly tried to think of a solution.

    She clutched her own clothes with her uninjured hand and pretended to beg for mercy, ¡°Master, this servant was threatened by someone else! Master, please, on ount for my long years of service for the matriarch, please spare this servant¡¯s life!¡±

    As long as she could escape from He Changdi¡¯s hands, she could leave the capital and leave a life of freedom, unfettered by anyone!

    Whatever Xiao Bojian and He Changdi owed her, she would take it back somehow in spades!

    He Changdi snorted contemptuously, ¡°Did you think I was blind?¡±

    Muxiang¡¯s pupils dted. She now knew that feigning weakness wasn¡¯t going to work with He Changdi.

    Yet again, she was filled with regrets. Why hadn¡¯t she realised earlier that he had already changed from the cheerful and optimistic He Changdi of her past life? That he had be someone dark and cunning instead?

    Muxiang lowered her head, wracking her mind to think of a way out. However, she didn¡¯t expect that He Changdi¡¯s next words would cause her to fall into despair.

    ¡°Give it up. You¡¯re destined to die to day here in this jail. I¡¯ll end you personally with these hands.¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s voice was abnormally calm, yet it carried a sense of cold with them, piercing into her bones and making her shake.

    Muxiang raised her head to look at him in disbelief. The rage and defiance she had managed to suppress came roaring back like an inferno.

    She wasn¡¯t willing to call it quits yet, and she tried and tried again to think of an idea. However, she soon came to realise that she really had no way to escape from here.

    Muxiang let go of herst hopes and turned into a trapped animal, desperate to harm He Changdi by any means possible since she was going to die.

    Suddenly, Muxiangughed neurotically.

    She bowed her head, her hair falling messily around her, making her look like a lunatic who had lost her mind.

    ¡°He Changdi, since you won¡¯t let me live, don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll let you continue living happily alone! Do you know who I am? Do you know who the person who shares your bed is?¡±

    He Changdi looked down coolly at Muxiang with his full height. That icy expression made it clear that he thought he was simply watching a joke.

    That disdainful gaze provoked Muxiang into exploding with fury. Her sharp screech echoed in that dark and damp jail cell, like a demon who had crawled up from the depths of hell.

    ¡°He Changdi! Let me tell you, I¡¯m the real Sixth Miss of House Ying! That woman you call your wife is just a freak! A monster!¡±

    If Muxiang hadn¡¯t personally experienced reincarnation, she wouldn¡¯t have believed in the supernatural or mystical.

    The Great Wu viewed supernatural beings like ghosts or the gods with a mix of reverence and fear. Once He Changdi confirmed that her words were true, then the rtionship between He Changdi and Chu Lian would be broken up at the very least. In the worse case scenario, the freak might even be dragged out to be burned to death.

 Chapter 696 - We Are The Same (2)

    <strong>Chapter 696: We Are The Same (2)</strong>

    Muxiang was waiting for He Changdi¡¯s calm expression to crack. However, after a long pause, nothing changed in that coolly handsome face, not even the slightest ripple.

    She spoke with some hesitation, ¡°You... you don¡¯t believe me?¡±

    Following that, she listed a few examples to prove that Chu Lian wasn¡¯t the original owner of her body.

    Just as her panicked fit was getting more and more intense, He Changdi abruptly barked inughter. ¡°If you say my wife is a freak, then what am I? And what would you be? Since you¡¯vee to this now, you probably didn¡¯t have a good end in your past life either!¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s revtion was like a bomb to Muxiang.

    She stared with widened eyes of disbelief at He Changdi.

    What did he say?

    He... was like her? He had reincarnated?

    What kind of joke was that? How could things have happened this way?

    Muxiang was about to copse from the weight of He Changdi¡¯s words.

    She had thought that she could start afresh from the beginning, but it seemed like it had only been wishful thinking.

    Everything she had done now lookedughable inparison.

    Numbness overtook her. The two people who had been a couple in their past lives now stood facing each other as sworn enemies in this jail cell.

    There wasn¡¯t any joy in He Changdi¡¯s heart. He simply wanted this annoying grudge toe to an end sooner, so he could return to Chu Lian¡¯s side and enjoy the warmth that belonged to im alone.

    After a long period of silence, Muxiang suddenly spoke up numbly, ¡°He Changdi, let me go. I¡¯ll tell you a secret.¡±

    He Changdi wanted tough. Even at this moment, she actually hadn¡¯t given up. It seemed like she really wouldn¡¯t repent until the very end.

    ¡°What secret? That you¡¯re Lu Luan¡¯s illegitimate daughter? I¡¯m sure that you must have passed this news on in secret to Xiao Bojian a long time ago!¡±

    Lu Luan was the emperor¡¯s true name.

    He Changdi had sensed that there was something off about the emperor¡¯s attitude towards him, and how Xiao Bojian had purposely tried to get closer to Chu Lian. It was only with that extra rtionship between Chu Lian and the emperor that it could all be exined.

    Muxiang¡¯s eyes were already as wide as they could go. She had never thought that He Changdi would already know of that secret.

    In her past life, she had only found that out right before her death. Furthermore, she had dug it out from the inheritance that her mother had left for her. By then, He Changdi had already passed away in her past life.

    Finally, the despair that had been building up overwhelmed Muxiang.

    After fifteen minutes, He Changdi stepped out of the jail cell. Laiyue was guarding the door. When the manservant saw that He Changdi¡¯s right hand was stained with blood, he could guess what had happened to the prisoner inside.

    He Changdi paused in his steps and instructed him, ¡°Take the corpse away and burn it yourself.¡±

    Laiyue took a group of guards into the jail cell. They were greeted by the sight of the prisoner lying in the corner of the dark cell, a dagger stabbed through her chest and a grudgeful expression on her face. However, she was no longer breathing.

    When He Changdi stepped out into the little courtyard outside the jail, he looked up to the dusk sky slowly giving way to the dark of night. Waves of emotions were causing ripples in the depths of his eyes.

    He stood with his hands behind his back. Now that he had personally gotten rid of his sworn enemy from his past life, there wasn¡¯t as much as satisfaction as he had expected in his heart. Conversely, it felt like his heart had be even more deste and bleak.

    He turned towards the direction of Songtao Court, and the desire rising in his heart was the straw that broke his calm facade. He hurriedly ran towards the home of his heart.

    When he returned to Songtao Court, the sinister air cloaked around him kept all the servants hushed in fear. They even made sure to breathe silently.

    He Changdi went to the bathroom first to take a bath and change out of his clothes, washing away the bloody aura around him. When he changed into casual home clothes, he returned to Chu Lian¡¯s side.

    Chu Lian was still in the midst of slumber when she felt that her body was encased in a familiar warmth.

    When He CHangdi lifted her head a little to slide his arm under her neck, her body actually turned subconsciously to amodate the movement, perhaps out of trained habit.

    That small movement immediately dispersed the gloominess in He Changdi¡¯s heart.

    He pulled his lovely wife closer and pressed his firm chest against Chu Lian¡¯s slender back, covering her entirely with his body, as if this was the only way he could only chase away the uneasy emptiness in his heart.

    He Changdi followed the curve of Chu Lian¡¯s shoulder down, his hand tracing down her smooth skin until he found her tiny little hand. He took her hand into his own and entwined their fingers. Finally, he stroked her belly gently.

    He Sang breathed in his wife¡¯sfortingly familiar scent, then bent to kiss the top of her head. He tucked the thin nkets properly around Chu Lian before finally falling asleep next to her.

    Thanks to the resolution of the grudge he had borne for most of his life, He Changdi¡¯s slumber on this night was particrly deep and rxed.

    When he opened his eyes again, Chu Lian had already woken up. She was still lying in his embrace as she peeked at his face.

    He Changdi¡¯s first reaction was a startled silence, before his expression softened. He reached out to stroke his wife¡¯s tender cheek and asked with his sleep-roughened voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    It was rare for hiszy little piggy to wake up even earlier than him.

    While He Changdi had been sleeping, Chu Lian had been watching him and going through many thoughts in her mind.

    All the strange little things that He Changdi had done ever since she hade to the Great Wu would make sense if he had already lived through everything once and reincarnated back to this moment.

    The corners of Chu Lian¡¯s mouth lifted and she showed a sweet and trusting smile to him.

    She actually knew that He Changdi must definitely have gone to see Muxiang during the time she was resting.

    With her lunatic husband¡¯s skill, there wasn¡¯t a way for Muxiang to keep anything a secret.

    Although she hadn¡¯t said it outright, he likely already knew all about the truth.

    She could also feel that their rtionship hadn¡¯t been threatened by this revtion, and that their appreciation and trust for each other had instead grown.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there something you want to ask me about?¡± Chu Lian reached out in a simr action and stroked the side of his face with her thumb.

    He Sang stiffened up slightly, before the smile on his face became a touch more genuine.

    He couldn¡¯t resist stealing a kiss from Chu Lian¡¯s pink lips. He returned the question to her, ¡°Isn¡¯t there something you want to ask me about too?¡±

    After he finished speaking, the two of themughed in unison. He Changdi pulled Chu Lian closer to him and hugged her tight, while Chu Lian wrapped her arms around his narrow waist.

 Chapter 697 - Hidden Tempest (1)

    <strong>Chapter 697: Hidden Tempest (1)</strong>

    As for what they had experienced before, and who they had been in the past, those didn¡¯t matter anymore. The most important thing was that they were now married to each other and they would be together from now on, and even blessed with the crystallisation of their love.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t care about what He Changdi had done to Muxiang. Ever since she had heard from him personally about the end he hade to in his past life, the end that she hadn¡¯t read about in the novel, she felt like she could empathise with him more. As much as He Changdi looked like a vicious and merciless person who solved things with force in other people¡¯s eyes, in her heart, he was the best husband she could ever have.

    After August had passed and the autumn winds were blowing, Second Prince was finally stripped of his title and thrown into the imperial jail. Consort Liang was also banished into the cold pce, where disgraced concubinesnguished for a short time till their deaths.

    Despite these misfortunes, Prince Jin never spoke a single word to help lift the me from Second Prince and Consort Liang.

    Before Consort Liang had hanged herself in the cold pce, she had met with Prince Jin onest time. Only then did she find out that Prince Jin already knew the truth behind how she had killed Consort Xian.

    Following closely after the news that the sessor to the throne had been deposed, rumours spread of the emperor being in ill health. The fight for the throne in court became even more intense. The battles that were being fought in secret had now shifted to the open.

    In court, it was Fourth Prince and Sixth Prince whose factions were thergest.

    Chu Lian¡¯s pregnancy had already progressed to its seventh month. She and He Changdi had already decided together that she would not leave the estate until the little fellow in her belly was born.

    For some reason, Sima Hui had already taken her troops with her back to Shandong at the end of August.

    Chu Lian¡¯s usual guests at the Anyuan Estate were Royal Princess Duanjia, Lady Yang, Old Duchess Zheng and other nobility in her circle.

    Finally, when it was mid September, it hade time for House Ying¡¯s Eighth Miss Chu Yuan to marry Royal Prince Shou.

    Their match had been made by the emperor himself, so they were preparing a grand celebration of it.

    Even though she had received House Ying¡¯s red invitation to the wedding, Chu Lian didn¡¯t attend. She only stayed at home and rested. When evening fell and it was about time for dinner, Royal Princess Duanjia came running over excitedly.

    Chu Lian watched in stunned amazement as Royal Princess Duanjia came up to her in ze, took up the cup of fruit tea she had just drunk from, and downed it in one gulp.

    ¡°Princess?¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia sat right down next to Chu Lian after drinking her tea. She hugged one of Chu Lian¡¯s arms with sparkling eyes as she said, ¡°Hahaha! Chu Liu, I bet you don¡¯t know what happened at the Ying Estate today!¡±

    The two of them were now as close as sisters. Royal Princess Duanjia knew what Chu Lian had been through in the past.

    Ever since she had almost fallen into a trap, courtesy of House Ying¡¯s second branch, Chu Lian had secretly broken ties with House Ying. Thus, she hadn¡¯t gone to attend the wedding today. Otherwise, as the older sister of the bride, she was supposed to be present and offer her congrattions.

    Chu Lian found her question funny, ¡°What else could happen? Chu Yuan got married!¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia didn¡¯t like House Ying¡¯s petty and small-minded conduct in the first ce. After bing good friends with Chu Lian, she felt even more disgusted by House Ying.

    Since she could tell that Chu Lian didn¡¯t know anything, as expected, she started gabbing away with an air of pride.

    ¡°Haha! I didn¡¯t think that Chu Yuan had it in her! I was at Prince Yongkang¡¯s estate to attend the wedding today, and there were a whole bunch of imperial rtives in the newlyweds¡¯ room. When Royal Prince Shou lifted the veil on the bride, everyone there was dumfounded!¡±

    Chu Lian found it strange.

    ¡°Ah? Dumbfounded?¡± What was there to be shocked about? Although Chu Yuan had an evil personality, her appearance didn¡¯t reflect her inner heart. Chu Qizheng had handsome looks, while Second Madam had been one of the prettier daughters from her humble family. Naturally, Chu Yuan took after them.

    It was then that Royal Princess Duanjia burst out into heartyughter.

    ¡°Take a guess?¡±

    The corner of Chu Lian¡¯s mouth twitched. She suddenly let out a cunning smile, ¡°I told Xiyan to make some osmanthus cakes yesterday. You probably haven¡¯t tried them before, right?¡±

    When Royal Princess Duanjia heard that there was something new to taste, her eyes lit up like stars, ¡°Where is it? Why haven¡¯t you told them to bring out some for me?¡±

    Chu Lian grinned at Royal Princess Duanjia without speaking.

    The princess immediately understood what she was trying to do.

    Royal Princess Duanjia puffed up her cheeks and red at Chu Lian. ¡°Chu Liu, haven¡¯t you been spending too much time with that husband of yours? How sneaky! Alright, alright, I give in! I¡¯ll tell you what happened! Now bring me that osmanthus cake!¡±

    With a wave of Chu Lian¡¯s hand, Xiyan quickly came forward with an exquisite porcin dish, which she then set on the round table near thedies.

    Royal Princess Duanjia brightened up and instantly grabbed a square osmanthus cake, stuffing it into her mouth with glee.

    She continued speaking as she chewed on the cake, making her words muffled.

    ¡°When Royal Prince Shou lifted the veil, the one under it wasn¡¯t Chu Yuan, but your Fifth Sister!¡±

    The sweet, yet not sticky taste of the osmanthus cake took away Royal Princess Duanjia¡¯s concentration. She casually revealed the twist outright.

    Chu Lian was a little surprised, ¡°You mean the one that Royal Prince Shou married was actually Miss Su?¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia nodded, ¡°Right now, the men from the Ying Estate and Prince Yongkang¡¯s Estate are all looking for Chu Yuan, but they haven¡¯t found her yet.¡±

    Then what¡¯s going to happen now?¡±

    Since the bride had been switched, and it had been an engagement bestowed by the emperor, this was no small matter. If the emperor decided to punish them, the entire Ying Estate would likely suffer.

    Royal Princess Duanjia harrumphed, ¡°Of course Imperial Uncle is going to punish them! However, there is something weird about all of this. When Uncle Yongkang was going to bring the matter up with the emperor, Cousin Shou stopped him. Judging from the way he was acting, it seems like he already knew your Fifth Sister long ago. Everyone¡¯s thinking there was something up with that!¡±

 Chapter 698 - Hidden Tempest (2)

    <strong>Chapter 698: Hidden Tempest (2)</strong>

    Chu Lian found it strange as well. The original novel hadn¡¯t mentioned much of Miss Su. Over the few times they had interacted, Chu Lian understood that Miss Su wasn¡¯t an innocent and naive youngdy. Perhaps this was what she had chosen for herself.

    As for how Miss Yuan had struck an agreement with her, Chu Lian didn¡¯t want to know. She had nothing to do with House Ying now anyway.

    It was better for her to keep a peaceful mind and wait for the birth of her child in her own estate.

    When Royal Princess Duanjia saw how calm Chu Lian was acting, she gaped a little. ¡°Chu Liu, aren¡¯t you curious at all about this?¡±

    Chu Lian poured a new cup of honey water for herself before answering, ¡°You know what my rtionship with House Ying is like. I don¡¯t want to pay attention to whether they¡¯re doing fine or not.¡±

    Royal Princess Duanjia set down the cake in her hands and shifted closer to Chu Lian, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯ve already drawn the lines between you and House Ying. That father of yours isn¡¯t someone good anyway.¡±

    Chu Lian thought to herself, she was a transmigrated soul. Her father wasn¡¯t in this world at all!

    Royal Princess Duanjia stayed until He Changdi returned, upon which she was chased away.

    It was getting harder for Chu Lian to move around, so she had Senior Servant Zhong send Royal Princess Duanjia away in ce of her.

    He Changdi walked up to Chu Lian. With a smooth and practised movement, he slid one arm under her back and another under her knees. He then lifted her up from the chaise and brought her into their bedroom.

    Chu Lian had a little blush on her face. She patted He Changdi¡¯s solid chest, ¡°I¡¯m a little heavy now...¡±

    He Sang looked down at his blushing wife. Although his face was still stuck in its stiff expression, the look in his eyes was as warm and gentle as could be. He bent down to kiss her soft lips before speaking in husky tones, ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Chu Lian was set down in a sitting position on the bed. He Changdi grabbed a thin nket from the side and covered her with it. He sat by the bed, an arm slung around Chu Lian¡¯s shoulders as he pulled her to lean on his chest.

    Chu Lian raised her chin slightly to look at him. She noticed the stubble on his chin and the dark circles under his eyes.

    She touched his slightly prickly chin and asked, ¡°Did you just get back?¡±

    He Changdi nodded, ¡°The situation at court is bing more worrying. I can¡¯t leave it alone for long. I took some time to visit Prince Yongkang¡¯s Estate in the afternoon. Since Royal Princess Duanjia came by, I suppose you already know all about what happened?

    Although Chu Lian no longer kept contact with House Ying, from an outsider¡¯s perspective, Chu Lian was one of House Ying¡¯sdies. He Changdi had gone to Prince Yongkang¡¯s Estate in ce of her to give their congrattions to the new couple, and to prevent any loose tongues from wagging.

    Chu Lian nodded, ¡°How is Fifth Sister?¡±

    He Changdi¡¯s brows were slightly furrowed, ¡°She¡¯s still in Prince Yongkang¡¯s Estate. The guests have already left, but Royal Prince Shou kept her back. I¡¯ve had my men investigate this matter. Chu Su and Royal Prince Shou have met before.¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯s eyes widened, she was clearly shocked by this news.

    He Changdi snorted, ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, your Fifth Sister isn¡¯t a simple person. This time, the entire Ying Estate is likely going to fall, thanks to these two sisters. However, I would be d to see that happen.¡±

    Miss Yuan had likely intended on taking revenge on House Ying, so she hade to some agreement with Miss Su in secret. One of the troublemakers had now disappeared by herself, while the other had been married to Royal Prince Shou as per her wishes, and was now safe in Prince Yongkang¡¯s Estate.

    Chu Lian was rather in ¡®awe¡¯ of these two sisters. However, it didn¡¯t matter to her whatever happened to them now.

    ¡°Are you tired? Do you want to nap for a bit?¡± Chu Lian asked He Changdi tenderly. He had been keepingte nights recently. At his busiest, he might not even return home for one or two days. He had slimmed down visibly. Whenever he made a rare trip home, he could only hug her to sleep before heading out again early the next morning.

    He Changdi rubbed his temples and stood up to take off his outer robes. He tossed his clothes to one side and slid under the nkets next to his wife.

    He carefully hugged Chu Lian, his other hand reaching to her chest and groping it. The eyes he had just shut flew open again, and warm puffs of breath blew over Chu Lian¡¯s sensitive ear as he said, ¡°It¡¯s a lot bigger.¡±

    Chu Lian: ...

    Wasn¡¯t it normal for her breasts to swell during pregnancy...

    ¡°Are you going to sleep or not?!¡±

    He Changdi kissed her earlobe, a smile evident in his slightly husky voice, ¡°I¡¯m sleeping.¡±

    Chu Lian moved his wandering hand down to her waist. He Changdi didn¡¯t resist and simply pressed even closer to the soft body in his arms, ¡°Lian¡¯er, please wait two more months. Once everything is settled, I¡¯ll spend more time with you, and our child.¡±

    ¡°Just go to sleep. I¡¯m doing just fine by myself without you.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t like the other noble madams, who were carefree without their men around. She had plenty on her te to do!

    He Changdi chuckled into her ear. Soon, his low chuckles faded into soft breathing.

    Since he had fallen asleep so quickly, he must have been very, very tired.

    Somewhere else, within a in residence, there was a couple locked in embrace with each other.

    The woman was sprawled in the man¡¯s arms. Before she could even catch her breath, the man was already questioning her impatiently.

    ¡°What about the information I asked you to get from Imperial Concubine Wei?¡± Xiao Bojian¡¯s voice was husky from their recent activities and release.

    The woman harrumphed in a charming manner and directed a pout with her full, red lips at Xiao Bojian, ¡°How heartless, Sir Xiao. You didn¡¯t even me rest for a bit. Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll change my mind and refuse to tell you anything?¡±

    Xiao Bojian suddenly let out a sinister smile. The gap between the darkness in his eyes and his ethereal features made the woman drunk on his beauty.

    ¡°Are you really not going to tell me, Madam?¡±

    The woman looked his body up and down with a seductive gaze, and caught hold of his face, ¡°I can¡¯t bear not to tell you, thanks to this face of yours.¡±

 Chapter 699 - Rural Estate (1)

    <strong>Chapter 699: Rural Estate (1)</strong>

    Although Xiao Bojian hated the touch of the woman before him, he hid it well.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    His tone rose in pitch near the end, making it slightly flirty.

    As expected, the woman ate up his act. She giggled girlishly before putting her hands on Xiao Bojian¡¯s naked upper body.

    ¡°Sir Xiao, I advise you to give up! Although the emperor doesn¡¯t like Marquis Anyuan much, it¡¯s not to the point where he would break apart Marquis Anyuan and Honoured Lady Jinyi. While Honoured Lady Jinyi¡¯s secret identity is rather grand, it¡¯s not something that can be revealed to the world. Even if the emperor wants to protect her, he wouldn¡¯t do it in the open. Since Honoured Lady Jinyi is already pregnant with Marquis Anyuan¡¯s child, the emperor has slowly abandoned his initial notions.¡±

    Actually, she didn¡¯t really understand the man under her.

    He was clearly a bright and strong youth, admired by many of thedies in the capital. Why did he have to set his heart on the already married Honoured Lady Jinyi? Even if Honoured Lady Jinyi had a somewhat special identity, surely he didn¡¯t have to go this far?

    Marquis Anyuan wasn¡¯t a simple man. Furthermore, his second brother, He Eng, was one of the emperor¡¯s imperial guards...

    A fierce tempest was broiling under the surface of Xiao Bojian¡¯s gaze, but he didn¡¯t reveal any of it.

    Hidden under the brocade nkets, his right hand curled up into a fist, making his knuckles shine white.

    He hadn¡¯t thought that the emperor would still be able to put up with He Changdi even after all he had done!

    This was what humans were like. They hungered for what they couldn¡¯t get. By now, Chu Lian had already be Xiao Bojian¡¯s obsession.

    From what he could see, Chu Lian¡¯s position in the emperor¡¯s heart was even greater than what he had estimated.

    Xiao Bojian shut his eyes to hide the possessive glint in his gaze.

    After a moment, when he had calmed his emotions, he spoke once again, ¡°Then about Imperial Concubine Wei?¡±

    The woman sent another amorous smile his way, ¡°Rest assured, Sister has already pulled it off without a hitch. In two more months, you and Sixth Prince can simply reel in the.¡±

    This time, satisfaction leaked out from Xiao Bojian¡¯s smile. His hand slid down to the woman¡¯s round bottom and groped it hard. Following that, he started moving viciously without any mercy.

    In the haze of movement, the woman¡¯s face became more indistinct, and finally morphed into that fresh and innocent face of the woman he longed for. Seeing that face in front of him, Xiao Bojian could no longer hold himself back.

    It wasn¡¯t until darkness fell over the capital that he finally exited the room.

    As for the woman left on the bed behind him, her body was covered in bruises and her eyes had gone dim. When the maidservant waiting outside saw that Xiao Bojian had left with his men, she entered the room, only to be met with the sight of her madam¡¯s abused body. She almost cried out in rm.

    The deste autumn winds heralded the arrival of October.

    At the start of October, news came from Shandong that the five noble houses of Shandong had beenpletely devoured by House Sima.

    Closely following after that came the news that Prince Yinshan had lent his army to the Sixth Prince¡¯s faction.

    In the middle of October, Xiao Bojian forced rich merchants to submit and support Sixth Prince financially.

    When it came to the start of November, the emperor suddenly fainted in court. Now his illness could no longer be hidden. Information leaked out from the Imperial Physician Institute, saying that the emperor didn¡¯t have many days left.

    There was a flurry of activity at court.

    The empress didn¡¯t have any sons and Second Prince had been imprisoned, so the battle between Fourth and Sixth Prince had be even fiercer.

    The emperor sent out a decree, dering Prince Wei as his temporary stand-in. Prince Wei would be the one to decide national matters, along with the cab.

    As the emperor¡¯s illness progressed, there was even more activity both in and out of court.

    By the end of November, the two princes¡¯ factions hade to the point where they were shing on the battlefield.

    Chu Lian¡¯s expected delivery date was in the first weeks of December. It wouldn¡¯t be long from now.

    The most dangerous ce to be in right now was the capital.

    The moment He Changdi had returned early this morning, he had ordered Chu Lian¡¯s servants to start packing.

    Chu Lian had been in the middle of sewing a tiny child¡¯s undergarment in her warm bedroom. Although she wasn¡¯t good with needlework, she had learned from Xiyan over the past few months. She could still make a little undergarment since it was rather simple.

    Hearing He Changdi¡¯s footsteps, she turned to look at him with a smile, ¡°Is something the matter? Why are you back so early today?¡±

    When He Changdi saw that she had set down the needlework in her hands and was about to stand up to greet him, he quickly strode over first and held her.

    It was already winter. While the room was kept warm, Chu Lian was still wrapped inyers. Other than her belly, her face hadn¡¯t changed much. Her entire being was wrapped up like a ball. Due to the enormous size of her belly, her cirction wasn¡¯t very good and her feet were swollen. Right now, it was painful for her to walk anywhere.

    As long as He Changdi was around, he would always help to massage her legs if he had nothing to do.

    ¡°Have you felt anything in your belly today?¡±

    Since it was close to her due date, He Changdi would ask that every day when he returned. Seeing howrge she had be, he was on edge and worried for her each day.

    Chu Lian smiled faintly and shook her head, ¡°No, the little fellow has been good.¡±

    The little bun in her belly had stopped tormenting her once they had hit the nine month mark.

    He Changdi helped her over to a chaise and lowered her down slowly. As he watched Chu Lian drink some nourishing soup, he spoke with a grave expression, ¡°Lian¡¯er, the situation outside is bing more and more unpredictable. I¡¯m sending you to a rural estate in the outskirts today.¡±

    Chu Lian was astonished, ¡°We can¡¯t stay within the city any longer?¡±

    He Changdi nodded. There was nothing to hide from his own wife, ¡°Xiao Wujing has highly skilled assassins by his side. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll try to do something to you.¡±

 Chapter 700 - Rural Estate (2)

    <strong>Chapter 700: Rural Estate (2)</strong>

    Chu Lian had nothing but disgust on her face the moment Xiao Bojian was mentioned.

    Ever since she hade to the Great Wu, she had immediately drawn the line with him. Who could have known that he would stick to her like gum? She couldn¡¯t even leave him behind no matter what she did. He was always lurking somewhere nearby at unexpected times.

    She looked down at herrge belly and thought for a bit before nodding.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go to the rural estate. However, you have to be careful even when you¡¯re alone in the capital.¡±

    That very day, He Changdi personally escorted Chu Lian out to a rural estate on the outskirts of the capital.

    Apanying her were Wenqing, Wen, Xiyan, the two senior servants, as well as Great Doctor Miao, a midwife, a female physician and so on.

    They used a in, unmarked carriage and travelled by some secret routes made by Prince Jin¡¯s subordinates, so no one was the wiser.

    Thus, Chu Lian settled in to the rural estate and waited for her child to arrive.

    This rural estate had been bestowed upon her when the emperor had given her the title of Honoured Lady Jinyi. She had never been here before, and she had just left it to the senior servants to manage on her behalf.

    It was only during this trip that she finally found out what the estate looked like.

    The estate was surrounded by lush, green mountains. It had been one of the imperial family¡¯s estates previously, so it had good scenery. This area was close to the tea garden that Chu Lian had bought.

    Despite the harsh winds of winter blowing, the tea garden was still a vibrant patch of green, giving an elegant touch to the area.

    The weather had been good these few days. Chu Lian had followed Great Doctor Miao¡¯s advice and would have Wenqing support her as she walked a slow round outside every day. Moving her body would be good for a smooth delivery.

    He Changdi couldn¡¯t visit every day. Even if he managed toe to the rural estate, it would bete in the night.

    Chu Lian had already gotten used to his absence.

    On the fourth of December, the cold and frigid weather had given way for an abnormally warm and sunny day. After breakfast, Wenqing and Wen apanied Chu Lian for a walk to the tea garden.

    Following beside them was Imperial Physician Li, the female physician who had treated Chu Lian at the spring hunt. He Changdi had requested for her from the Imperial Physician Institute for Chu Lian¡¯s delivery.

    Afraid that Chu Lian¡¯sbour would start at any moment, Physician Li had stuck close to her side these two days.

    As thedies apanied Chu Lian in a slow walk, Physician Li asked with a smile, ¡°Madam, do you feel anything different about your body today?¡±

    Chu Lian was wearing a light yellow brocade dress today. On the outside, she had a soft, white rabbit fur cloak. Her smooth hair had been pulled up into a simple bun with two locks framing her face, giving her youthful face a motherly appearance. Her hair was fixed in ce with a single white jade hairpin. If not for her swollen belly, she might have looked like a young, unmarrieddy instead.

    Chu Lian shook her head and rubbed her belly lovingly. ¡°No, I feel fine. I¡¯ll be troubling you in the the next few days, Physician Liu.¡±

    Physician Liu was keeping pace with Chu Lian, ¡°Not at all, Madam. This is part of my job.¡±

    As the warm sunshine beat down on them, it gave a golden glow to the entire tea garden. There wasn¡¯t any wind blowing today too. The warm sunlight on her body kept her warm, while the fresh air from the tea bushes brightened her mood.

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t feel tired at all even after walking for more than fifteen minutes. As she gazed out at the fields of green, the worries from the past few days seemed to have dissipated.

    She turned to Wenqing and ordered, ¡°Let¡¯s walk for another fifteen minutes.¡±

    Wenqing and Wen were happy to hear that. When the weather wasn¡¯t very good, Chu Lian wasn¡¯t willing to leave the estate at all with her cumbersome body. They would always have to coax her for a long time before she would get up and move around.

    Senior Servant Zhong had already told them that Madam¡¯s belly was too big for her first child and that she would have to exercise often before the birth, otherwise the delivery would be difficult.

    If Master was around, he would have been able to persuade Madam to go out in a few words, but they didn¡¯t have that ability.

    While Chu Lian was walking slowly at the borders of the tea garden, she didn¡¯t notice two girls dressed as vigers not too far away.

    When Chu Yuan passed by the littlene next to the tea garden, carrying a basket of vegetables, she abruptly stopped and stared with wide, disbelieving eyes at the noble madam being supported by a maidservant.

    The handmaid Xiaoqin found it strange that her miss had suddenly stopped in her tracks. She turned to ask, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Following Miss Yuan¡¯s gaze, Xiaoqin couldn¡¯t help but gasp at the sight, ¡°Sixth MIss!¡±

    Miss Yuan was brought back to her senses by the maidservant¡¯s exmation. She turned to re viciously at the maidservant, ¡°Quiet!¡±

    Xiaoqin hurriedly nodded her head in acknowledgement.

    While the woman in the tea garden was dressed simply, anyone with a discerning eye would be able to tell that her clothes were all made of top-quality materials even at this distance.

    Her dress was made from imperial brocade, while her mantle was made of Sichuan brocade. Even that jade hairpin on her head was made from the rare and glossy white jade.

    Back in their days in the Ying Estate, Sixth Miss Chu Lian had always been a pitiful sight. She hadn¡¯t even owned any presentable essories. However, now she was living a life of luxury, served by scores of servants. Marquis Anyuan treated her like a precious treasure. Even if she wanted to, Chu Yuan couldn¡¯t stop her immense jealousy from showing in her eyes.

    Even though they had been born to the same father, why was there such a huge difference in their fates?!

    She was also a legitimate miss of House Ying. How was it that Chu Lian had been able to marry such a good husband, while she had been bestowed to a half-wit! Even Xiao Bojian still carried lingering feelings for Chu Lian.

    Looking at the joy on Chu Lian¡¯s face as she enjoyed her walk in the tea garden, the venom in Chu Yuan¡¯s eyes was almost tangible.

    Xiao Bojian had been searching all over for new of Chu Lian in secret. Who could have thought that she had been sent out to this rural estate by He Changdi? The fact that she had managed to stumble upon Chu Lian must have been the will of the heavens!

    Xiaoqin was panic-stricken by the sight of Sixth Miss. She carefully reminded Chu Yuan, ¡°Miss, let¡¯s hurry and leave. If Sixth Miss finds out we¡¯re hiding here, it¡¯ll be bad for us.¡±

    Chu Yuan suddenly let out a grimugh. She pulled Xiaoqin along as she turned and ran away. In her heart, she was still thinking: ¡®Bad for us? Hmph, it¡¯s going to be bad for Chu Lian instead!¡¯

 Chapter 701 - Labour (1)

    <strong>Chapter 701: Labour (1)</strong>

    Chu Lian suddenly felt a chill down her spine, as if someone was watching her in secret. She frowned slightly and turned back to look, only to see that there were two viger girls carrying baskets and scurrying away from them on the littlene not too far away.

    When Wenqing noticed that the smile on her face had slipped, she asked in concern, ¡°Madam, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling any difort?¡±

    Chu Lian stared after the leaving backs of the viger girls for a moment longer before shaking her head, ¡°It¡¯s about time, let¡¯s head back.¡±

    That evening, as Chu Lian was standing up from the table after her dinner, there was a sharp spike of pain from her abdomen. The expression on her face put the servants in attendance on high alert.

    Senior Servant Zhong ordered Wenqing and Wen to help Chu Lian to the bed with a grave expression, while she herself went to the room next door to look for Great Doctor Miao, Physician Li, the midwife and the other servants.

    Great Doctor Miao checked Chu Lian¡¯s pulse before nodding at the two experienced senior servants.

    The time hade!

    Everyone had been waiting eagerly and preparing for this day, so they weren¡¯t very panicked. The birthing room had already been prepared in advance, so Senior Servant Zhong instructed Wenqing and Wen, ¡°Hurry, help Madam to the birthing room!¡±

    Chu Lian¡¯sbour pains had just started, so there was still time before the actual birth.

    While the pain came in waves, she was still able to walk somewhat with the help of the maidservants.

    Senior Servant Gui led two strong menial servants away to boil hot water in the kitchen.

    Senior Servant Zhong called over the guards that He Changdi had arranged to protect the estate, telling one of them to quickly send the news that the madam¡¯sbour had started to the marquis.

    Chu Lian had never experienced pain like this before. Throbbing waves of pain came from her belly. Her legs had turned to jelly, and she could barely stand up. If not for Great Doctor Miao and Physician Li encouraging her to walk before the delivery, she would rather have justid in bed.

    Despite only wearing a thinyer of home clothes in the warm birthing room, Chu Lian was sweating buckets. By the time night fell and Physician Li told her she could lie down on the bed, Chu Lian let out a long sigh of relief.

    After the maidservants force fed her a full meal, the real torture started.

    It wasn¡¯t convenient for Great Doctor Miao to stay in the birthing room at this time, so he could only sit in the room outside. Physician Li woulde out from time to time to report Chu Lian¡¯s situation to him.

    Senior Servants Gui and Zhong were both experienced old women. They stayed in the birthing room with the midwife to help.

    Now Chu Lian was experiencing for herself how noble mothers were. She felt as if her lower half was being split open, along with the most extreme pain she could imagine. She gritted her teeth hard, to the point that her teeth creaked. Her hair was in a mess and sticking to her sweaty face and cheeks, making her feel even more ufortable.

    ¡°AH!¡±

    Finally, with one particrly painful contraction, Chu Lian couldn¡¯t hold back her shout of pain.

    The maidservants waiting outside had their hearts in their throats as they listened.

    The midwife was also sweating profusely. The baby wasn¡¯t even ready yet, but this young madam seemed to have lost her strength already. This put the midwife in a tizzy state.

    ¡°Madam, Madam, you have to hang on! Bear with it! Your water has already broken, we have to get the baby out as soon as possible!¡±

    The midwife reminded her urgently.

    Chu Lian¡¯s mind was already going fuzzy. Hang on... She wanted to hang on, but she didn¡¯t have any strength left. She couldn¡¯t even keep her eyes open.

    All of her strength seemed to have been sapped out of her, she really couldn¡¯t keep going on...

    As she thought so, Chu Lian¡¯s head slumped to the side as she fell into a dead faint.

    The servants and midwife were all frightened out of their minds and there was a flurry ofmotion in the birthing room.

    Luckily, Physician Li managed to calm down her emotions and took out some silver needles. She pushed them into some of Chu Lian¡¯s acupoints, making Chu Lian wake back up.

    ¡°Hurry, the ginseng soup!¡±

    Wen hurriedly brought over the ginseng soup that they had prepared. Physician Li used a teapot with a long spout to make Chu Lian drink it down.

    After getting forced to drink that bowl of ginseng soup, Chu Lian recovered a bit of energy. Her vision was still fuzzy and her mind was also in a daze. After Physician Li called out to her a few times, she frowned as her unfocused eyes stared into thin air.

    Even Physician Li had never seen a situation like this before. She frantically shouted by Chu Lian¡¯s ear, ¡°Madam, Madam! Wake up, Madam! You have to endure! The baby isn¡¯t out yet!¡±

    Hearing themotion inside, even Great Doctor Miao could no longer sit still. He stood up to pace around the outer room.

    Suddenly, there was the sound of hoofbeats from outside. Before everyone had the time to be surprised, He Changdi had already swept into the outer room of the birthing area like the wind.

    Although he couldn¡¯t hear any cries from Chu Lian, the terrible expressions on everyone and the grave atmosphere made He Changdi tense up.

    His handsome face went cold, like an ancientke locked up with frost.

    He strode towards Great Doctor Miao, his tone full of impatience and worry, ¡°Uncle Miao, how is Lian¡¯er?¡±

    Great Doctor Miao hadn¡¯t gone into the birthing room, so he didn¡¯t know the details. He could only speak in general.

    ¡°The baby is too big, so the situation isn¡¯t looking good.¡±

    With Great Doctor Miao¡¯s medical skill, he could naturally save Chu Lian and the child in her belly, but he couldn¡¯t guarantee that there would be no side effects to Chu Lian¡¯s health. He was also rather worried at this point.

    The news hit He Changdi like a bolt from the blue.

    He had received the message while he was at Prince Jin¡¯s Estate, so he had rushed back without stopping. He hadn¡¯t expected to receive this news when he returned to the estate.

    Thinking of the possibilities of what could happen to Chu Lian, his heart twisted in pain as if someone had taken away a chunk of it.

    At this time, Chu Lian¡¯s pained scream rang out from the birthing room.

    He Changdi immediately returned to his senses. He turned, intending to barge right into the birthing room.

    Xiyan was guarding the door of the birthing room with a heart full of anxiety. When she saw that the marquis was about to rush in without a care, she quickly stopped him.

    ¡°Master, the senior servants said that men can¡¯t enter the birthing room!¡±

    There was no rationality left in He Changdi¡¯s mind at this point, all he knew was that Chu Lian had screamed out in pain.

    Xiyan didn¡¯t have any martial arts skill at all, so how could she possibly block He Changdi? She was pushed aside forcefully.

    By the time she climbed back up from the ground, He Changdi had already entered the birthing room...

 Chapter 702 - Labour (2)

    <strong>Chapter 702: Labour (2)</strong>

    Once He Changdi passed the privacy screen, he saw Chu Lian¡¯s wretched appearance as sheid in the bed.

    Right now, the midwife and Physician Li were encouraging her to push harder. She cried out once more, and lost all her strength again.

    When Physician Li saw that she was about to pass out again, her face paled along with Chu Lian¡¯s, ¡°Madam, Madam, wake up! We can see the baby¡¯s head now! You have to push a little harder!¡±

    Chu Lian swallowed the saliva that had gathered in her mouth. Her voice had gotten hoarse from her screaming, ¡°I don¡¯t have any more strength left... I can¡¯t do it...¡±

    He Changdi ignored the shocked looks sent his way from the senior servants. He came right over to the bed and pulled Chu Lian¡¯s hand away from clutching tightly at the nkets.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, Lian¡¯er, I¡¯m here now. Wake up!¡±

    Hearing the voice of the person she had been waiting for, Chu Lian¡¯s mind finally cleared a little. When she turned and looked at He Changdi, a sense of grievance fell upon her.

    ¡°He Changdi, I can¡¯t... I can¡¯t give birth to our child... I don¡¯t have any strength left...¡±

    That frail tone from his wife was like a hand squeezing hard on He Changdi¡¯s heart. All of his emotions wereid bare on his cool and handsome as he reached out to stroke Chu Lian¡¯s sweat-covered face, ¡°Lian¡¯er, don¡¯t give up! I¡¯ll stay by your side and watch as our child is born! Once hees out, I¡¯ll scold him for you, okay?¡±

    For some people, when they were suffering, their loved ones¡¯ reassurance might bring tears instead.

    Chu Lian was one of those. When she saw that He Changdi hade to her side, the mncholy stored in her heart all came flooding out at once. Tears streaked uncontrobly down her cheeks.

    ¡°He Changdi... But... It hurts, it hurts like I¡¯m about to di-¡±

    Before she could finish her words, He Changdi pressed two fingers to her lips, ¡°Lian¡¯er, don¡¯t say that. What did you promise mest time? You said that you would be with me forever, have you forgotten already?¡±

    Chu Lian pressed her lips together, enduring the immense pain her body was in to focus her gaze on the man before her.

    He Changdi didn¡¯t wait for her reply and put his arm in front of Chu Lian¡¯s lips, ¡°Lian¡¯er, be good for me. Listen to the midwife. If it hurts, just bite me.¡±

    As if He Changdi¡¯s sudden arrival had returned her courage, Chu Lian shut her eyes briefly and had a short break. Finally, sheplied with the midwife¡¯s instructions and pushed even harder. Even so, the birth was hard. Under the protection of Physician Li, Chu Lian still fainted once more. After that, they gave her the medicinal soup that Great Doctor Miao had already prepared.

    After going through a whole night of hellish torture, when the first tendrils of daylight showed over the horizon, the little baby in Chu Lian¡¯s belly safely arrived in the world.

    The moment she heard the baby¡¯s hearty cries, Chu Lian finally drifted off to sleep out of exhaustion.

    Senior Servants Gui and Zhong both rejoiced inwardly upon seeing the lower half of the newborn baby.

    It was a young master!

    The midwife quickly brought the newborn over to a basin nearby and washed him clean, before bundling him into arge red nket. When all was done, she handed over the little fellow to Senior Servant Gui to hold.

    Wenqing had already gone out to report the good news.

    Senior Servant Gui brought their young master over to He Changdi, who was still sitting by the bedside, and eximed happily, ¡°Master, it¡¯s a young heir! Congrattions, Master!¡±

    The midwife and maidservants in the room chimed in with their own congrattions.

    However, He Changdi was still watching the sound asleep Chu Lian with a dark expression. There were still strands of hair stuck to her sweaty face, so he lovingly helped her to tuck them back behind her ear.

    His response to Senior Servant¡¯s Gui was a cold one, ¡°Bring the child out to his nursemaid. Get Great Doctor Miao toe in and look after Lian¡¯er.¡±

    The midwife had helped plenty of noblewomen give birth. This was her very first time seeing a father who only cared for his wife and didn¡¯t even nce at their child.

    Furthermore, the child was a boy! If it had been any other man, they would have been ted beyond belief.

    Senior Servants Gui and Zhong muttered inwardly to themselves. Their young heir was so cute, but his father didn¡¯t even want to look at him! He didn¡¯t have any taste at all. However, they didn¡¯t¡¯ dare to disobey orders in front of He Changdi.

    The two senior servants could only carry the new heir out to find his nursemaid.

    He Changdi watched as Great Doctor Miao took Chu Lian¡¯s pulse. The moment the doctor put down Chu Lian¡¯s wrist, he hurriedly asked, ¡°Uncle Miao, how is Lian¡¯er¡¯s body?¡±

    Great Doctor Miao had seen how He Changdi only had eyes for Chu Lian and her health, he hadn¡¯t even nced at his own child after bing a father for the first time. Since he was satisfied with He Changdi¡¯s attitude, he didn¡¯t try to scare him.

    ¡°Rest assured, Marquis. She¡¯s only sleeping because she used up too much strength. There won¡¯t be any negative effects from this, especially if she eats a few rounds of my special medicine. However, since she¡¯s so young and her body suffered a bout of ill health previously, I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be able to feed the child normally.¡±

    Great Doctor Miao¡¯s meaning was clear. Chu Lian wasn¡¯t allowed to breastfeed her child. However, since they had hired two nursemaids, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the heir going hungry.

    He Changdi stood up to see Great Doctor Miao out of the room. When Great Doctor Miao got up, he caught sight of He Changdi¡¯s rolled up sleeve which exposed the bites covering his forearm. The bites were so deep that they were bleeding. It was clear that those had been made by Chu Lian during the birth.

 Chapter 703 - Little Stone (1)

    <strong>Chapter 703: Little Stone (1)</strong>

    Great Doctor Miao shook his head, ¡°Sit down, I¡¯ll get some ointment and help you bandage those marks.¡±

    After ascertaining that Chu Lian would be fine, He Changdi could finally rx. He wasn¡¯t too concerned about the bite marks on his arm either. When he saw that Great Doctor Miao had left, he sat back down by Chu Lian¡¯s side.

    Once the doctor had helped to bandage the wounds, He Changdi moved a chaise over to Chu Lian¡¯s bedside.

    He had rushed over here from Prince Jin¡¯s Estate. Furthermore, he hadn¡¯t been resting well for some time. After apanying Chu Lian for the delivery that had taken all night and being on tenterhooks, Chu Lian was now safe and sound. Thus, He Changdi¡¯s entire mind could finally rx. Fatigue overtook him.

    He Changdiid on the chaise without changing out of his clothes. He took Chu Lian¡¯s hand into his own and gripped that smooth and soft hand. As his mind reached a peaceful state, he drifted off into dreand.

    It was afternoon when Chu Lian woke up.

    The moment she blinked and moved a little, He Changdi woke up along with her.

    For a period after waking up, Chu Lian was still in a daze. A slight throb of pain from her body served to remind her of what had happened. When she looked down at her now deted belly, her almond-shaped eyes went wide, and she mumbled under her breath, ¡°My belly...¡±

    He Changdi quickly sat over at her side and held down her slender shoulders, ¡°Lian¡¯er, Uncle Miao said that you can¡¯t move too much after the birth.¡±

    Upon hearing her husband¡¯s low, maic voice, Chu Lian turned to look at him, ¡°Hubby, our child?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to see our child?¡± He Changdi truly rxed when he observed the clear look in her eyes and the healthy flush on her cheeks. His nimble fingers reached out and tucked some stray locks of hair behind her ear.

    Chu Lian nodded impatiently, her eyes alight. That was the child she had birthed, of course she wanted to see them!

    ¡°Is it a boy or a girl?¡±

    He Changdi was carried along by her excitement. His eyes softened as he looked at her. He turned his body slightly and held her head in his hands. A tender kiss was ced on her pink lips before he whispered into her ear, ¡°A boy.¡±

    Chu Lian didn¡¯t show any surprise. Her eyes turned into crescents. No matter the gender, she loved their child already.

    She was observing He Changdi¡¯s expression. When she noticed that he didn¡¯t seem to be happy at all when speaking of their child, Chu Lian immediately frowned.

    She asked hesitantly, ¡°You... you don¡¯t like our child?¡±

    Thinking back to He Changdi¡¯s past experiences, Chu Lian¡¯s heart was filled with uncertainty. Since he had already gone through one lifetime, he might really dislike children somehow...

    Chu Lian¡¯s thoughts were all disyed clearly on her face. He Changdi instantly realised that his wife was thinking too much again.

    He stroked the side of her face with his thumb, then moved his hand over to the center of her brows. He pressed down the furrow that had developed there, ¡°Not at all. He¡¯s the child you¡¯ve given me, how could I not like him? I¡¯m just a little angry that he made you suffer so much during his birth.¡±

    Chu Lian hurriedly shook her head. Although she had indeed suffered a lot during the delivery, and she had even wanted to die from the pain, the feeling of having a tiny new life by her side, one that she had made herself, turned all of herints into tender affection. Thinking of how the little fellow would soon grow up bit by bit, learning how to walk, to talk, and to call out to his parents, as well as how he would be a strong man, her heart was filled with endless anticipation.

    This little guy was their legacy for this earth, a wonderful existence.

    ¡°Bring him over here for me! I haven¡¯t even seen him yet!¡±

    He Changdi had no choice but to rise and head over to the outer room. He passed on the order to the senior servants outside, who then told the nursemaids to bring over the little heir.

    Their two nursemaids had been chosen beforehand. Both of them had been born in the Jing¡¯an Estate as family servants. They had clean family backgrounds and were in their twenties. While their looks were rather average, they worked hard and efficiently, and they had good personalities.

    Senior Servant Zhong smiled as she brought the newborn heir in and set him down next to Chu Lian on the bed.

    He Changdi helped Chu Lian to turn a little so she could see the tiny newborn swaddled up in a bright red nket.

    Chu Lian had been expecting to see a fair, plump and cute little baby. She hadn¡¯t thought that her child would look like a flushed little monkey.

    She seemed sullen as she reached out to touch the baby¡¯s tiny flushed cheek.

    ¡°Why is he so ugly...¡±

    It was He Changdi¡¯s first time looking at his son too. Just like Chu Lian, his brows drew together in a frown and his expression turned dark.

    Senior Servant Zhong and the nursemaids didn¡¯t know what to do with this new set of parents. The senior servant spoke first and quickly refuted, ¡°Nonsense! Madam, what are you saying? How is our young master ugly? He¡¯s very handsome! Look at that high nose bridge. He¡¯ll surely look like Master when he grows up. Mm! His lips resemble Madam¡¯s more, and his skin is fair and white, just like Madam¡¯s...¡±

    After a round of exnation from Senior Servant Zhong, Chu Lian finally realised that newborns all looked like that, as wrinkly as an old man. It would take a few days before his skin would start to turn more fair.

    However, Chu Lian just couldn¡¯t tell how their flushed newborn was like them. Senior Servant Zhong¡¯s eyes must have some special power...

    Looking at her tiny son¡¯s face, motherly affection bloomed within Chu Lian¡¯s heart. With Senior Servant Zhong¡¯s help and guidance, she carried the little baby in her arms.

    Once the little bundle was in her arms, the light weight of his body made Chu Lian feel that her heart was melting.

    The little fellow suddenly moved his fists a little and his tiny lips formed a pout. Chu Lian watched his actions with fascination.

    The nursemaid standing nearby smiled, ¡°Madam, Young Master must be hungry!¡±

    Hungry?

    Chu Lian hurriedly asked Senior Servant Zhong, ¡°Momo, can I feed him?¡±

    Senior Servant Zhong sighed, ¡°Madam, you don¡¯t have any milk right now. Why don¡¯t you let the nursemaids handle it first? If Madam and Master have some time, why not give Young Master a nickname?¡±

    Before the little guy was born, they didn¡¯t know if it would be a boy or a girl, so He Changdi and Chu Lian hadn¡¯t decided on a name. Furthermore, they still had their parents above them. It wouldn¡¯t up to them to decide their child¡¯s official name, but they could still give him a nickname.

    Chu Lian cheerfully agreed to the suggestion. After hugging her child for some time, He Changdi was worried that it would affect her rest, so he ordered Senior Servant Zhong to carry the child out.

 Chapter 704 - Little Stone (2)

    <strong>Chapter 704: Little Stone (2)</strong>

    Chu Lianid back down in bed and looked up at He Changdi, ¡°Hubby, what nickname should we give the little guy?¡±

    ¡°Whatever you like.¡± He Changdi tugged the nkets over her and poured some honey water for her. He fed it to her carefully.

    Chu Lian was in high spirits over the nickname. It was rare to get this chance, so she definitely wanted to give their son a fun and interesting nickname.

    Actually, she still hasn¡¯t rested enough. Once she finished her lunch and drank some nourishing soup, she drifted back to sleep.

    When He Changdi came out of the bedroom, he was met with the sight of Laiyue waiting anxiously outside.

    Laiyue whispered something into He Changdi¡¯s ear, immediately causing a change in his expression. He gathered Chu Lian¡¯s servants together and handed down some orders with a cool face. After that, he went into the room to look at Chu Lian once more before hurriedly leaving with his men.

    In the blink of an eye, Chu Lian had already been on bed rest for a week.

    It was now the middle of December. The weather in the capital was getting colder and colder. The winter winds were like des trying to pierce their way into the bodies of the people.

    After a good rest over these seven days, Chu Lian could now get out of bed and walk a little with someone else¡¯s support.

    She wasn¡¯t able to breastfeed Little Stone in the end, she just produced too little breast milk. Little Stone would only be able to have one or two mouthfuls before it ran out. Seeing that they couldn¡¯t continue this way, she gave up and left Little Stone to the nursemaids.

    Pebble was the little heir¡¯s nickname, chosen by Chu Lian.

    The little fellow was fierce and demanding when drinking milk. He wouldn¡¯t stop until he had his fill and his cries were especially loud. Since his temper was as rough and hard as a rock, Chu Lian had called him Little Stone as a joke. The maidservants had joined her in calling the baby Little Stone, so Chu Lian decided to give him that nickname in the end.

    During these seven days, Little Stone had finally grown out of that red, flushed skin that his parents hadmented on and he had be a cute, fair and chubby baby.

    It took about that much time of staring for Chu Lian to finally discern that he really did have some features where he resembled He Changdi, especially his nose and ears.

    When he smiled, he looked absolutely like his father.

    Senior Servant Zhong had the best understanding of this, as she had seen He Changdi when he was young. She would often joke that Little Stone was exactly the same as his father had been as a baby.

    However, the happy and harmonious atmosphere in the rural estate couldn¡¯t reach the hostile situation in the capital.

    Although it was close to the end of the year, there was no air of celebration to be found anywhere in the capital.

    The weather was deste and the citizens were tense.

    During the week that Chu Lian had been in confinement to recover from the birth, He Changdi hadn¡¯t returned at all. He had only sent two letters back in secret.

    From the contents of the letter and the tense atmosphere in the capital, Chu Lian could guess at how bad the situation was at court.

    Every day, whenever she yed with her son, she would be filled with worry for He Changdi.

    On the sixteenth of December, Yuan Zhong¡¯s army suddenly appeared outside the capital!

    On the seventeenth of December, the news that the emperor was gravely ill spread from the pce!

    This night, Chu Lian teased Little Stone for a while. After he fell asleep, she had the nursemaid carry him to a side room.

    Just as she hadid down, there were two muffled sounds from the courtyard outside.

    Chu Lian perked up her ears, but she couldn¡¯t hear anything after a long while. Thus, she ignored it. He Changdi had posted guards and their family¡¯s soldiers outside on watch, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.

    However, just as she was about to shut her eyes and sleep, Wenqing and Wen came running in a panic.

    Chu Lian sat up and frowned, using her expression to prompt them silently.

    Wen was panting for air, ¡°M-Madam! Assassins havee! The guards couldn¡¯t stop them!¡±

    What!

    Chu Lian¡¯s mind exploded with shock and rm. When she finally regained her senses, she hurried towards the side room immediately.

    ¡°Little Stone!¡±

    Wenqing and Wen followed right after her. However, when they wrenched open the door to the side room, they saw one of Little Stone¡¯s nursemaids being held tightly by a tall man in ck.

    The nursemaid was so frightened that she was crying outright. However, she was still dutifully holding on to Little Stone in her embrace. The baby was still sleeping soundly in his swaddle.

    Chu Lian instantly froze to the spot. Wen held on to her and kept her standing, while Wenqing stood in front of them with her sword drawn.

    She questioned coldly, ¡°Who are you! Let go of Young Master!¡±

    The man holding the nursemaid didn¡¯t even twitch.

    While Chu Lian¡¯s face was still deathly pale, in this time of danger, she became icily calm instead.

    She narrowed her eyes, a sharp and sombre glint clear in her gaze. While her voice was still soft, her tone was so cold it could make her enemies tremble.

    ¡°Xiao Bojian! Reveal yourself!¡±

    Wenqing was still shielding Chu Lian behind her. Chu Lian was only wearing a thin robe with a in cloak she had hurriedly pulled on. She looked both simple and elegant, giving off the air of a fragile flower, but her back was as straight as bamboo.

    An imposing expression was fixed on her pale face.

    There was the sound of a man¡¯s chuckling resounding from the door, with a hidden sense of delight.

    A man whose beauty outshone any woman slowly stepped out from the darkness into the dim circle of light cast by thenterns around them..

    Tall and slender, cloaked in a ck cape, the man¡¯s hair was pulled up high into a jade crown, leaving his smooth forehead bare.

    Xiao Bojian raised a single eyebrow and closed the distance between him and Chu Lian in a few strides, ¡°Lian¡¯er, I knew you would guess that it was me.¡±

 Chapter 705 - Exchange (1)

    <strong>Chapter 705: Exchange (1)</strong>

    Xiao Bojian narrowed his fox-like eyes. While he looked to be gratified on the surface, his smile didn¡¯t reach the corners of his eyes. Deep in his gaze was ake of frost.

    After Xiao Bojian made his appearance, the tension in Chu Lian¡¯s heart changed instantly to a dead calm.

    She stared closely at the man before her. Her soft voice had morphed into a hard and tough one, ¡°State your terms!¡±

    Xiao Bojian started a little, he hadn¡¯t thought that Chu Lian would get right to the point. He was slightly unhappy with how Chu Lian had caught him off guard. He was even more discontent with how Chu Lian had been tense and cautious ever since she had caught sight of him.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er, I haven¡¯t seen you in so long. Can¡¯t I juste over to meet you?¡±

    The beautiful man kept his voice soft and low. Others might even think that Xiao Bojian was currently whispering sweet nothings to his lover, when he was actually brandishing a de in threat.

    Chu Lian stared at him with her lips pressed together. Shepletely ignored his lie.

    Thest traces of a smile faded from Xiao Bojian¡¯s face, leaving behind a cold mien.

    ¡°I¡¯ve onlye to help Lian¡¯er out, I don¡¯t have any bad intentions.¡±

    Chu Lian snorted inwardly.

    Did Xiao Bojian think she was blind?

    Little Stone¡¯s life was in his hands right now. How could that be any good intention?

    ¡°Put down the child and the nursemaid. I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    Astonishment showed briefly in Xiao Bojian¡¯s eyes. He hadn¡¯t expected Chu Lian to agree without any word of protest.

    Chu Lian looked at him seriously, her resolution clear in her eyes.

    From meeting her gaze, Xiao Bojian understood that her decision was firm.

    Since time was of the essence, and Xiao Bojian didn¡¯t have the time to continue bantering with Chu Lian, he waved at the person next to him.

    The ck-cald man holding the nursemaid moved forward two steps.

    Chu Lian stepped out from behind Wenqing¡¯s back. Wen caught hold of her and said anxiously, ¡°Madam! You can¡¯t ignore your own safety and put yourself in danger! If you go, how are we going to face Master!¡±

    Chu Lian turned and smiled faintly at the two sisters. She gave them herst order, ¡°Take care of Little Stone.¡±

    Wenqing and Wen had been serving Chu Lian for so long that they understood her personality well. They knew that Chu Lian couldn¡¯t change her mind once she had decided it. Hearing this, they could only nod and allow Chu Lian to go.

    Furthermore, this was the only way they could save the young heir at this moment.

    Xiao Bojian had brought all of his assassins along with him today. The guards that He Changdi had left behind weren¡¯t their match at all. Even if they fought to the death, they likely wouldn¡¯t be able to turn the tables around.

    Chu Lian shot a look at Xiao Bojian to tell him to release the hostages.

    The ck-d man looked over at his master, before slowly releasing the nursemaid. Once the nursemaid was off his hands, he instantly turned to capture Chu Lian instead.

    The nursemaid carrying Little Stone was immediately pulled by Wenqing, and the maidservant stood in front of the pair to guard them.

    Wenqing and Wen watched Xiao Bojian warily.

    However, Xiao Bojian wasn¡¯t paying attention to them or the young heir any more. He simply turned to look at Chu Lian, whom the ck-d man had brought to this side.

    A smile appeared on his face as he said, ¡°Lian¡¯er, you¡¯re looking more and more charming by the day.¡±

    Chu Lian met his gaze coolly, ¡°You¡¯re not leaving? If you don¡¯t leave now, it¡¯ll be toote for you!¡±

    Faced with such words from Chu Lian, the originally warm expression on Xiao Bojian¡¯s face changed. He let out a cold order, ¡°Go!¡±

    Chu Lian was carried by two men in ck. They quickly left the rural estate and boarded a carriage that had been hidden some distance away. Soon, they disappeared into the darkness of the night.

    Once Chu Lian had left, Wenqing immediately sent a messenger to He Changdi before leading the rest of the guards out of the estate.

 Chapter 706 - Little Stone (2)

    <strong>Chapter 706: Little Stone (2)</strong>

    On the dark and quiet road, there was only the sound of the hoofbeats and the carriage wheels turning.

    The group of mounted men guarded a carriage as they headed at top speed towards the capital.

    Within the carriage, the atmosphere was filled with tension. Chu Lian sat in a corner of the carriage with her eyes shut and unmoving, as if all this had nothing to do with her.

    Xiao Bojian sat in front of her, his sharp and sinister gaze constantly watching her.

    It hadn¡¯t been long since she had given birth, so Chu Lian was supposed to be in confinement still. She was only wearing a in casual dress right now. For the sake of keeping warm, she had pulled on a light purple vest. Her ck hair was loosely tied up with half of it cascading down her back. The only essory she was wearing was a simple light purple headband with rabbit fur ents.

    Her body was still weak from the birth. After themotion just now, her face was as pale as a ghost.

    However, the pallor didn¡¯t reduce any of her beauty and made her seem like a poordy in need of protection instead.

    Her moist eyes now contained a glint of resolution, giving her a strangely attractive aura.

    For some reason, Xiao Bojian felt that the current Chu Lian was even more attractive to him now aspared to before she had married.

    His eyes were set aglow, like a starving wolf that had finally found some prey that he was satisfied with, and he wasn¡¯t willing to let it out of his sights.

    Deep in Xiao Bojian¡¯s perverse heart, he was still imagining how he could break the stubborn woman before him and how he could make her into a pleading and sobbing mess under him.

    He wanted to break her wings, so that he would be the only one she could rely on!

    She would be his exclusive ything!

    Thinking of that, his entire being started trembling with excitement.

    Even with her eyes closed, Chu Lian could feel the weight of his invasive gaze on her.

    She bore with the difort and tried her best to ignore the nausea rising within her.

    However, Xiao Bojian wasn¡¯t willing to let her off so easily.

    He chuckled lowly, ¡°Lian¡¯er, aren¡¯t you curious where we¡¯re going?¡±

    Chu Lian thought for a bit before opening her eyes, directing her clear gaze at Xiao Bojian, who was seated across from her. It took a moment before she could speak, ¡°I¡¯m already in your hands, is there a need to ask that?¡±

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s face sunk as he abruptly lost the desire to tease Chu Lian.

    Chu Lian watched as his face shifted through various emotions. Finally, he spoke up again, ¡°Lian¡¯er, was there ever a time when you truly liked me?¡±

    Chu Lian felt that Xiao Bojian was a joke. Even in this situation, he still had to ask her a question with an answer as clear as day.

    If she had been the original owner of this body, she might have tried toe with an answer that he would be happy with. Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t the original Chu Lian.

    Ever since the start, she had always tried to keep this fearsome man at a distance.

    Was he trying to joke with her right now?

    Even if she could possibly have had any good impression of him at the start, it would already have been dispelled by all the choices he had made in front of her.

    He hadn¡¯t realised that the person he cared about wasn¡¯t her, but himself!

    Chu Lian¡¯s expression grew even colder. She spoke some words that Xiao Bojian couldn¡¯t even refute before shutting her eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t you know the answer already? Why would you want me to say it once again? There¡¯s no meaning to repeating some words too much.¡±

    Before Chu Lian finished speaking, Xiao Bojian¡¯s beautiful features had already contorted.

    If not for the tension at court and the need for Chu Lian as a chess piece in their game, he would likely have lost his temper and taught Chu Lian a lesson.

    It was precisely because she knew her value to him that Chu Lian had stubbornly expressed her true views.

    She wasn¡¯t stupid. Right when Xiao Bojian had used Little Stone as leverage to capture her, she had already realised the importance of her identity to Xiao Bojian.

    Chu Lian¡¯s ruthless reply hadpletely cut short their conversation in the carriage.

    The carriage quickly entered the capital without any hindrance.

    It soon reached the one ce in the capital where all the power and authority of the dynasty was concentrated.

 Chapter 707 - The End (1)

    <strong>Transmigrator Meets Reincarnator</strong>

    <strong>Chapter 707: The End (1)</strong>

    The Imperial City had been sealed off sincest night. Currently, there was an oppressive tension within its walls, like dark clouds gathered over a mountain.

    The entire forbidden pce had been invaded and was now under the control of Yuan Zhong, who was part of the Sixth Prince¡¯s faction.

    The imperial guards and soldiers of the pce had already been captured, and Sixth Prince was now seated in Wanmin Hall, where the emperor was recovering from his illness.

    By the ailing emperor¡¯s deathbed sat Imperial Concubine Wei and Sixth Prince.

    Before Xiao Bojian had even brought Chu Lian to Wanmin hall, Imperial Concubine Wei was already ¡®earnestly¡¯ trying to persuade the emperor.

    ¡°Your Majesty, with the pce in this state, you no longer have any other choice!¡±

    With a wave of her hand, a young attendant brought in a tray and walked up to the emperor¡¯s bed. There was a golden imperial decree which was already open on the tray.

    The contents of the decree had already been written: the throne was to be passed down to Sixth Prince. The only thing left toplete the decree was the special jade seal in the emperor¡¯s hands.

    The bedridden emperor¡¯s face looked worn and haggard. His sharp eagle eyes had already lost their past luster.

    He stared dead-on at the woman before him wearing a false smile, boundless hatred carried within his gaze.

    In the past, one look from the emperor would have been enough to make Imperial Concubine Wei cower, but now Imperial Concubine Wei acted as if she hadn¡¯t noticed the fearsome look from the emperor. Her smile grew even brighter, as she was visibly delighted with the circumstances.

    She spoke charmingly, ¡°Your Majesty, if you don¡¯t have the strength to hold the seal, you could tell this concubine where the seal is. This concubine will help you to press it down.¡±

    As if he didn¡¯t want to continue looking at Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s false pretense, the emperor shut his eyes and turned his head away.

    The instant the emperor shut his eyes, Imperial Concubine Wei and Sixth Prince¡¯s expressions turned cloudy.

    Sixth Prince tossed his sleeves forcefully and strode out of the hall with an overcast expression. The subordinates waiting outside immediately knew that they hadn¡¯t aplished their mission just yet.

    In order to properly seed the throne and be recognised by the people as the new emperor, a sessor needed two things: an imperial edict and the imperial jade seal.

    The decree could be faked, but the seal could not.

    Sixth Prince had the pce in his control, but he couldn¡¯t kill the emperor just yet, because he hadn¡¯t managed to obtain the imperial jade seal!

    ¡°Is Xiao Wujing here yet?¡± Sixth Prince asked coldly.

    Although he was only fifteen years old, he had plenty of ambition to make up for his young age.

    One of his subordinates had just gotten the news and had been about to report to the prince when Sixth Prince hade asking himself.

    ¡°Replying to Your Highness, Sir Xiao has arrived at Taihe Hall, he should reach Wanmin Hall in no time.¡±

    The good news lifted Sixth Prince¡¯s sour mood, ¡°Has it been done?¡±

    ¡°Sir Xiao has reported that all is well. He mentioned that Your Highness should not worry.¡±

    Sixth Prince couldn¡¯t hold back theughter that bubbled within him. All his pent up frustration had faded away with that piece of news.

    ¡°I knew Wujing wouldn¡¯t disappoint me.¡±

    Sixth Prince personally walked to the front of Wanmin Hall to wait for Xiao Bojian.

    While leading a group of men over and swiftly walking towards Wanmin Hall, when Xiao Bojian caught sight of Sixth Prince standing impatiently before the hall, a corner of his lips tilted upwards, forming a sinister smile.

    Back inside Wanmin Hall, Imperial Concubine Wei let out a strange smile while watching over the emperor in his bed. She bent over to get closer to the emperor, and whispered into the emperor¡¯s ear, ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to hand over the jade seal now. We¡¯ve prepared a nice present for Your Majesty. By then, Your Majesty must remember to hand over the jade seal in exchange for the present! Otherwise, Sister Ye will never forgive Your Majesty...¡±

    While Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s was soft and cloying, her words were like a venomous snake spitting out venom.

    It served the effect she wanted on the emperor.

    He abruptly opened his eyes, showing off traces of his usual imposing aura as he red furiously at Imperial Concubine Wei. There was no longer the pall of sickness hanging over him. He had transformed into a brutal and regal lion who had just been provoked.

    ¡°What did you say?!¡±

    Despite her earlier swagger, Imperial Concubine Wei seemed to have been silenced by the sight before her. She didn¡¯t dare to speak another word.

    After some time, she regained her senses and looked closely at the emperor¡¯s overcast expression. It was then that she remembered that the man lying in the bed before her was no longer the most respected emperor of the dynasty, but a sick and dying man who was sumbing to a slow-acting poison.

    The spike of fear that the emperor had drawn out in her slowly subsided.

    She chuckled, ¡°This concubine would advise Your Majesty to save some strength. Otherwise, what will you do if you expire before you get to meet Sister Ye¡¯s flesh and blood?¡±

    It took a few beats before the emperor adjusted his mental state and faded back into the sick and dying monarch. He couldn¡¯t give the game away now after acting for so long. If he threw his temper around now, then all of their efforts would go to waste.

    As expected, not too longter, Chu Lian was pushed into the hall by Sixth Prince and Xiao Bojian.

    Upon seeing the bound Chu Lian, the emperor¡¯s expression almost ¡®cracked¡¯.

    Chu Lian had already heard about the other identity that her body had from He Changdi.

    Like He Changdi, she had never thought of using this identity to do anything. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t the same for others.

    Facing the current situation, she didn¡¯t show too much surprise. Even the gaze she directed towards the emperor wasn¡¯t too shocked.

    Sixth Prince was satisfied with his father¡¯s change in mood.

    He snatched Chu Lian over from Xiao Bojian¡¯s hands and held her against him. In his right hand, he drew a dagger and ced it against Chu Lian¡¯s slender neck.

    ¡°Father, if you don¡¯t want my dear sister to leave this earth at such a young age, I would advise you to hand over the imperial seal!¡±

    The emperor was trembling with the force of his anger. If she hadn¡¯t been tied down and threatened, Chu Lian would definitely have burst intoughter.

    The emperor hadn¡¯t been poisoned at all. Back then, Great Doctor Miao had already told them in private about the emperor¡¯s condition. The slow-acting poison in the emperor¡¯s body should have been treated by now.

 Chapter 708 - The End (2)

    <strong>Chapter 708: The End (2)</strong>

    Sixth Prince and Xiao Bojian stared fiercely at the emperor.

    The emperor¡¯s inner struggle seemed clear to the onlookers. He finally sighed and shut his eyes. With some difficulty, he opened his eyes yet again and gestured at Eunuch Wei, who had been standing by the side. His voice was hoarse as he ordered, ¡°Take it out...¡±

    Eunuch Wei was astonished. He opened his mouth, thinking of persuading the emperor otherwise, but under the steady and resolute gaze of his master, he backed down and sighed helplessly. The eunuch turned to a hidden area within the hall and activated a mechanism, before retrieving an exquisite golden box from within.

    Sixth Prince instantly flushed from excitement. Hepletely forgot about Chu Lian and let go of her. The prince made it in front of Eunuch Wei in just a few steps. He snatched the box from the eunuch and opened it up impatiently. When he finally saw what was inside, his entire body trembled from excitement.

    It was the jade seal, the real imperial seal!

    As part of the imperial bloodline, every prince had learned how to discern the authenticity of the jade seal.

    Sixth Prince was no exception.

    Just as Sixth Prince was overjoyed at the turn of events and was dreaming about how he was going to ascend the throne that had been fought over by millions of men, the box was suddenly lifted right up from his hands and he was bound by ropes.

    He was in utter disbelief at everything that had happened in an instant.

    His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

    When he found out that the one who had given the order to tie him down was the person he had trusted the most, extreme fury flooded his heart and he reacted like a mad dog.

    ¡°Xiao Bojian, what are you doing! Have you forgotten your ce?!¡±

    Sixth Prince had bellowed his little heart out. He shouted for his guards to save him, but no one moved.

    He lost his senses and started screaming wildly like a lunatic.

    The sudden turn of events had also managed to stun Chu Lian.

    However, she didn¡¯t stand there in a daze for long. She looked around her and quickly found a corner where she could hide in and shifted that way.

    Although the hall had been surrounded by Xiao Bojian¡¯s men and she knew she couldn¡¯t possibly escape at this moment, she could still lower the amount of danger she was in and keep herself safe for now.

    One presented the golden box that he had stolen to his master. Xiao Bojian let out a sneer and dug at his ear, as if hating the mour that Sixth Prince was making. He shot an eye at the ck-d man holding Sixth Prince.

    With a single chop of his hand, Sixth Prince fainted right over and copsed to the floor.

    When the emperor discovered that Chu Lian wasn¡¯t in any immediate danger, his heart rxed a little. However, he didn¡¯t show it in his expression and continued acting like he was on his deathbed.

    He red at Xiao Bojian as if he couldn¡¯t believe everything that had happened thus far.

    Xiao Bojian seemed to be pleased by the fearful and dismayed look the emperor had sent him. He smirked and walked towards the emperor.

    ¡°Your Majesty, was all of this beyond your wildest thoughts?¡±

    The emperor coughed as he questioned indignantly, ¡°Who are you! What are you aiming for!¡±

    Xiao Bojian let out a burst ofughter, ¡°Who am I? Of course Your Majesty wouldn¡¯t know me. But I¡¯m sure Your Majesty hasn¡¯t forgotten about Xiao Rong!¡±

    The emperor¡¯s expression shifted instantly. This time, he wasn¡¯t acting. He was genuinely shocked.

    Xiao Rong!

    What a familiar name from his memories!

    Xiao Rong had been his sworn brother. During the fight for the throne, he had also been his greatest ally. By the time he had ascended the throne, Xiao Rong had be his most trusted leader of the imperial guards. Unfortunately,ter on... That all-powerful man hadmitted a major crime and his entire n had been sentenced to death. The Xiao n then vanished into the annals of history.

    ¡°You... You¡¯re Xiao Rong¡¯s son!¡±

    Now that the truth had been revealed, the emperor realised that the beautiful man before him did have some resemnce to Xiao Rong.

    ¡°What a discerning eye you have, Your Majesty! You¡¯re truly worthy of all the effort I¡¯ve put in to avenge my father¡¯s murder!¡±

    The emperor abruptly burst into an intense fit of coughing.

    Chu Lian was simply acting as an observer to all this. She frowned slightly as she thought. She didn¡¯t know what had happened in theter half of the novel, so she had still been in the dark about Xiao Bojian¡¯s other identity. The great enmity between him and the emperor waspletely out of her expectations.

    ¡°Have you ever thought that there woulde such a day? Hahaha! Today, not only will you give up your life to be buried with my father and n... but your dearly beloved daughter will go down with you! Aren¡¯t you d?! Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t suffer for long. You¡¯ll meet my father soon.¡±

    Xiao Bojian was clearly overjoyed.

    He took a sword from One¡¯s hands and charged towards the emperor, de pointed straight at his heart.

    Chu Lian was startled by the sudden movement. However, from where she was standing, she couldn¡¯t possibly reach Xiao Bojian. Even if she had been a little closer, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to save the emperor

    Just as Xiao Bojian was about to execute his revenge, One seemed to have heard something and immediately reached out to stop Xiao Bojian with a grave expression, ¡°Master, there are some unwee intruders outside.¡±

    Just as One finished speaking, ck-d guards poured in from all directions into the hall. In the blink of an eye, Xiao Bojian, One and the renegades were all surrounded with no way to escape!

    Chu Lian had just taken a step backwards when she was immediately wrapped into a warm, solid and safe embrace.

    It wasn¡¯t until He Changdi had Chu Lian back in his arms that his heart finally settled down. Only the heavens knew how hard his heart had been thumping on his mad rush here.

    He grasped Chu Lian¡¯s cold hand with his own and took off his ck cloak to wrap it around Chu Lian¡¯s chilled body.

    ¡°Lian¡¯er,¡± He Changdi called out to her softly.

    Chu Lian returned the grip on his warm hand and whispered her reply, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Now that He Changdi was by her side, Chu Lian wasn¡¯t scared any longer.

    After ascertaining Chu Lian¡¯s safety, He Changdi handed his wife over to Laiyue¡¯s care. He walked up to the emperor¡¯s bedside with Prince Jin and they knelt down in unison to ask for forgiveness.

    ¡°This humble official (Your humble son) has arrivedte, and seeks Your Majesty¡¯s forgiveness.¡±

 Chapter 709 (END) - The End (3)

    <strong>Chapter 709: The End (3)</strong>

    Xiao Bojian took in the sight of the hall surrounded by Prince Jin and He Changdi¡¯s men. His mind couldn¡¯t wrap around the reversal of the situation.

    His hand trembled as he pointed at He Changdi and Prince Jin, ¡°You... you!¡±

    Before Xiao Bojian could process the shock in his mind, the ¡®sick and dying¡¯ emperor suddenly stood up from the bed.

    His eyes were bright and clear and he spoke with grave authority. He no longer looked like an ailing and powerless old man.

    Xiao Bojian¡¯s eyes wentically wide, ¡°Lu Luan! You¡¯re not... sick! You were acting!¡±

    Lu Luan was the emperor¡¯s real name. Ever since he had taken the throne, it had been many years since anyone had dared to call him by his name.

    Xiao Bojian really had some guts!

    One stood in front of Xiao Bojian with his de drawn, trying his best to protect him.

    The emperor pulled Prince Jin and He Changdi up, then sneered coldly. He roared out his order, ¡°Take down these traitorous rebels!¡±

    Immediately, the guards swarmed over One and Xiao Bojian.

    One¡¯s martial arts skill was superb. Even while protecting Xiao Bojian, the guards couldn¡¯t get close to him at all.

    He Changdi drew his sword and jumped into the fray. After fifteen minutes, One copsed to the floor, dead, while He Changdi had captured Xiao Bojian.

    Xiao Bojian no longer had any of the distinguished bearing of a top schr. His appearance was wretched and his hair was inplete disarray. He red furiously at the emperor and shouted, ¡°Lu Luan! You traitor! My father was wholeheartedly loyal to you, yet you destroyed my entire n just because you feared his power! You tyrant!¡±

    He Changdi had already returned to Chu Lian¡¯s side, and was now hugging her gently as they watched this drama unfold.

    The emperor walked over to Xiao Bojian, who was being pressed down to the ground by some guards. He looked down upon him contemptuously and let out a cold snort.

    ¡°Your father never told you the truth?¡±

    Xiao Rong had brought his own death upon himself.

    He had been sworn brothers with the emperor, but that didn¡¯t extend to sharing their wives. He had taken a liking to Ye Xun back then and had tried to pursue her. Later on, he had also tried to drive a wedge between the emperor and his father. If the emperor had not taken precautions in advance, he might havee to a gruesome end courtesy of Xiao Rong.

    After finding out the truth from the emperor, Xiao Bojian didn¡¯t look like he believed it, but it wasn¡¯t important now.

    The emperor first shot a look in Chu Lian¡¯s direction.

    When he met with Chu Lian¡¯s indifferent gaze, his heart fell in disappointment. Finally, he turned to Imperial Concubine Wei, who had hunkered down into a corner and was trying her best to turn invisible.

    Imperial Concubine Wei shuddered when the emperor¡¯s gaze fell upon her.

    She prostrated herself on the ground and knelt in front of the emperor, crying and pleading, ¡°Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please spare this concubine¡¯s life! This concubine was forced to do so by Sir Xiao and Sixth Prince!¡±

    The emperor sneered.

    Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s trembled even more, ¡°Your Majesty, even if you hate this concubine, please spare this concubine¡¯s life on behalf of Imperial Princess Leyao!¡±

    ¡°Take her away!¡±

    The emperor no longer had eyes for the woman grovelling pathetically before him. Some men stuffed Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s mouth and took her away as ordered.

    The men who had surrounded the Imperial City and kept it under guard slowly disappeared after an hour.

    The grand rebellion had turned out to be a joke.

    As much as the emperor wanted to keep her, Chu Lian still left the pce and returned to the Anyuan EState.

    She had given birth not too long ago. After all this uproar, her body was beyond exhausted.

    Little Stone was also sent back to the Anyuan Estate.

    Count and Countess Jing¡¯an, Matriarch He, Prince and Princess Wei, as well as Royal Princess Duanjia, all came as soon as possible to visit Chu Lian and meet the newborn Little Stone.

    As the first great-grandson of the He Family, the senior family members all treated Little Stone like a precious treasure.

    In the end, it was the emperor who gave Little Stone his official name: He Yan, blessing him with longevity as long as the cranes and the pines.

    Since Sixth Prince had tried to force the emperor to abdicate, he was gifted with hisst drink of a poisonous wine, while Imperial Concubine Wei was given a white sash to hang herself with.

    As a fellow conspirator, Xiao Bojian was given the crime of trying to overthrow the emperor, as well as coborating with outsiders to bring down their country. He was immediately executed at the meridian gate.

    House Ying and Imperial Concubine Wei¡¯s sister, Wei Fengzhi, suffered simr consequences. House Ying was stripped of their noble title and reduced tomoners, then exiled to the borders.

    Two dayster, in a rural vige, one of He Changdi¡¯s subordinates found the corpses of both Chu Yuan and her maidservant Xiaoqin. After some investigation, they found that it was Xiao Bojian¡¯s men who had done so.

    Little Stone had just turned one month old when he was immediately given the title of Heir Anyuan. Once he had passed a hundred days in age, Matriarch He¡¯s health started declining.

    Near the end of spring in the next year, the matriarch passed away.

    He Ying and her daughter were finally able to return to the capital. After the funeral proceedings were done, He Ying and her daughter were then sent back to Siyang by Countess Jing¡¯an.

    In May of this year, Prince Jin was given the title of crown prince. His wedding date was also set for August, and the soon-to-be crown princess was Sima Hui of Shandong.

    In June, the emperor bestowed an engagement between Royal Princess Duanjia and He Eng.

    Three months after the crown prince¡¯s grand wedding, the emperor abdicated from the throne. Right before he abdicated, he wanted to give Chu Lian the title of Royal Princess, but his gesture was rejected by Chu Lian. In Chu Lian¡¯s heart, she was simply the object of the emperor¡¯s lingering affections for Ye Xun, and she wasn¡¯t actually the emperor¡¯s real daughter within. She would feel guilty if she received too much glory and honour from that rtionship.

    In the two years after Prince Jin took the throne, He Changdi entered the cab at twenty five years of age and earned the achievement of being the youngest ever minister in the cab.

    That very same year, Chu Lian got pregnant again.

    Living her life within the capital, with the apaniment of her lover, good food and good friends, time passed peacefully and beautifully for Chu Lian...

    <strong>...</strong>

    <strong>THE END</strong>

    <strong>...</strong>

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!