《Legitimate Daughter: Encounter Devil Prince》


 C1

    Within the Prince An''s Palace, there was a wave of suona shaking the sky, and lanterns were being lit. It was a scene of celebration ¡­


    An Lingge was sitting in front of a copper mirror, wearing a fiery red dress as she pursed her lips. The two maidservants behind her helped her to dress up.


    Today, she was the most beautiful bride in the capital.


    In another half an hour, once the people from Prince Mu¡¯s Palace arrived, she would leave the An clan and become someone''s wife. From then on, she would become the Princess Mu and would no longer be the An clan''s young miss.


    Just then, the sound of footsteps came from beyond the curtain. An Lingge had just guessed if it was her concubine who came over, and was about to stand up to welcome her.


    "The two of you, go stand guard outside."


    So it was his sister An Lingyi!


    An Lingge turned around. Just as she was about to ask his sister how she came to be here, she didn''t expect to see An Lingyi wearing a phoenix coronet formal gown, with rosy lips and white teeth, like a bride''s attire.


    An Lingge could not help but be stunned. Why was Ling Yi also wearing a phoenix coronet and ceremonial gown? She had never heard of Little Sister Ling Yi getting married today?


    "Big sister, you haven''t eaten anything since you woke up this morning. Father told me to bring you a bowl of porridge mat, quickly drink it when it''s hot!"


    An Lingyi was still holding onto a bowl of bird''s nest porridge. Seeing An Lingge turn around, she paused for a moment before walking forward and placing the porridge in front of him.


    "Mm, thank you sister ¡­" An Lingge''s heart warmed. She did not think too much and indeed, she was a little hungry. She picked up the congee and started drinking.


    "Little sister Ling Yi, you''re ¡­?"


    "Elder sister is asking about my phoenix coronet dress?" An Lingyi laughed, walked around An Lingge, and then asked: "How is it, not bad right?"


    "Mm ¡­" Very beautiful! But... Why didn''t I hear that you were married today, sister? "Father and aunt never told me either ¡­" For some reason, after An Lingge drank two mouthfuls of the bird''s nest porridge, she felt that her head was a little heavy.


    "Since big sister thinks that she''s beautiful too, then do you think that if I wear this and marry Junhan, he would also be breathtaking?" An Lingge maintained her smile, but An Lingge was stunned.


    Junhan? Mu Junhan? Is there a second Mu Junhan in the capital?


    "Elder sister doesn''t need to think about it. Junhan is Young Master Mu. In another fifteen minutes, Junhan will probably be here. But, I believe elder sister won''t be able to see him!"


    An Lingyi''s expression turned cold, but at this time, An Lingge''s head became even heavier, not only that, her stomach started to hurt, and it felt as if something was blocking her throat, making him unable to breathe.


    "You ¡­ You poisoned me? " An Lingge looked at the bird''s nest porridge in her bowl and was suddenly enlightened. She looked at An Lingyi in disbelief! She really didn''t understand why the other party would do this to her.


    She did her best to choke down her throat as she tried to spit out the soup. However, it was to no avail. In the end, all she could spit out was a mouthful of shocking blood.


    "Elder sister, you don''t have to go through so much trouble. This is the Gut Cutting poison from the Southern Wilderness. It can seal one''s throat with blood, and it can take a person''s life in less than half an hour. There is no cure for this house."


    An Lingge''s body could no longer control her body. The pain in her stomach was unbearable, and she fell off the chair, spitting out another mouthful of blood.


    "Is... "What?"


    She didn''t understand why her younger sister, who was usually very close to her, would poison her at such a time.


    "Why? Hehe, An Lingyi sneered, and continued to speak: "You are the direct descendent of the Prince An''s Palace, if you don''t die, how can I marry Junhan in your place?"


    An Lingge''s eyes widened to the point of bursting. She never would have thought that it was actually because of this reason.


    When the emperor was betrothing Prince An''s Palace and Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, she had even thought of withdrawing herself and letting her younger sister marry him. But since the other party had a high position in the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, as long as the eldest daughter of the Prince An''s Palace had not been married off, it would definitely not be An Lingyi''s turn to marry a concubine and second young miss.


    Was it because of this that his little sister was going to poison him to death?


    "You ¡­" He wasn''t afraid that his father would know ¡­ "Is it true?" An Lingge''s vision had already darkened a little, but he still couldn''t understand why his normally kind little sister would try to harm him!


    "Now that you''re dead, someone from the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace is already halfway there. Do you think Father still has a choice?" An Lingyi sneered: "Now, if I don''t marry in your place, what do you think father would think about Prince Mu¡¯s Palace? Does the An clan still have a foothold in the capital? "


    "My good sister, you can go and reunite with your mother now! "Oh right, I forgot to tell you. Your mother is also the one who sent me and my mother on the road. I personally sent you to reunite with her because of how you missed her, that''s a kindness to you, right?"


    "You ¡­" An Lingge spat out another mouthful of blood. After learning of this shocking secret from An Lingyi, she felt like she was struck by lightning!


    Thanks to the care of Madam Li and An Lingyi, she had passed through the most difficult period. She had always been grateful, but never would she have thought that she would become the mother of a thief and become the partner of a wolf, and that Madam Li and An Lingyi were the real culprits behind her mother''s death!


    "An Lingyi! You will die a horrible death! " It was unknown whether it was because of the light or because An Lingge had roared and was about to pounce towards An Lingyi, but in the end, she fell to the ground and used up all of her strength.


    At this moment, a familiar voice sounded from outside the door.


    It''s Bi Zhu! Finally, An Lingge raised her eyelids and saw Bi Zhu coming in while carrying food. When she saw her lying on the ground, her expression changed greatly and with a cry, she was ambushed by two maids behind An Lingyi. There was a line of blood on her neck as she softly fell!


    "Both of you, throw their bodies into the lake in the rear garden! Then I''ll go to the accounting office and collect the money, and tell them that it was I who said that. "


    An Lingyi frowned, and then spoke to the two maidservants who were dressing up just now, and then she walked out of the room.


    An Lingge was completely speechless, blood was constantly flowing out of her mouth, she wanted to curse An Lingyi, but in the end she couldn''t say anything, so she closed her eyes and lost consciousness.


    The wind was warm and soft, and the half-open window was half empty. The copper beast beside it was burning with a refreshing fragrance.


    A servant girl half knelt in front of the bed, but couldn''t stop herself from crying. Woo woo ¡­ * "Please don''t let anything happen to you ¡­"


    The sound of her small crying gave An Lingge a headache. Unable to endure any longer, she said irritably: "Bi Zhu, why are you crying when you are feeling so well? "It''s all so noisy that I can''t sleep ¡­"


    But just as An Lingge was about to speak, she stopped in shock.


    What was going on? Xuan Windows, a work table, a zither by the side ¡­


    Didn''t she die from An Lingyi''s poison? Why was she in her room again?


    She looked down at herself in disbelief. Surprisingly, there was a pair of magpies embroidered on the silk robe, causing An Lingge to be shocked, Wasn''t this clothes her birthday, when she was seventeen, making it herself?!


    In a split-second, An Lingge seemed to have thought of something. She flew towards the bedside of the bed and picked up the bronze mirror on the square table, moving it closer to her.


    The woman''s lips were red and her teeth were white. The corners of her eyes were filled with an innocent and romantic aura. Her oval face was soft and gentle, and she looked beautiful and gentle.


    However, at this moment, her almond eyes flickered with a myriad of emotions.


    "Bi Zhu, why were you crying just now?"


    An Lingge asked coldly. If she guessed correctly, she should have "accidentally fallen into the water" yesterday, right?

 C2

    An Lingge clearly remembered that when she was seventeen, her majesty had pointed out marriage between Prince An''s Palace in the golden palace.


    With her extraordinary position in the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, she would definitely not take a daughter born from a concubine. In that case, the marriage betrothed by His Majesty also meant An Lingge and Mu Junhan.


    It was just that when she was talking about the matter of her marriage, when she accidentally fell into the water at the back garden, she felt that someone had pushed her. However, An Lingyi had said that it was her who accidentally fell into the water, so she had always thought that she remembered wrongly.


    Now that he thought about it, probably falling into the water had a lot to do with An Lingyi and Madam Li!


    An Lingyi! Madam Li!


    An Lingge clenched her teeth, thinking back to the secrets she learnt in her previous life before she died, she couldn''t wait to kill them now.


    However, that thought only flashed across her mind, the current An Lingyi still did not have that capability. In his previous life, Madam Li and An Lingyi had quietly exchanged all of their maids for their own, and the number of people they had secretly as their henchmen would definitely not be small, but she might not be able to win against them!


    An Lingge calmed down, she could not commit the mistakes of her previous life. Since the heavens had given her the chance to be reborn, then, she could not disappoint!


    As An Lingge was pondering, Bi Zhu suddenly said: "Miss, Second Aunt and Second Miss are here."


    A hint of a cold smile surfaced on the corner of An Lingge''s lips when she heard this.


    Without waiting for Bi Zhu to go out and call people, An Lingge''s room''s door was suddenly pushed open. A cold wind immediately blew into the room and An Lingge couldn''t help but to cough.


    "Aiyo, sister is so delicate. I can''t even stand this little bit of cold air." As An Lingyi said that, she sat down beside An Lingge''s bed. A pair of naturally lovely eyes filled with concern as she called out to An Lingge, but An Lingge saw a trace of viciousness and malice flash past her eyes.


    His father, An Yingcheng, had married a wife and concubine. Her main wife was An Lingge''s mother, and her side wife was An Lingyi''s mother, Madam Li! After An Lingge''s mother died, the Madam Li gradually became the person in charge of the house.


    If the young miss of the An clan was not here, if the Madam Li was taken care of, wouldn''t she, An Lingyi, rise in status and become the young miss of the An clan?


    The difference in status of a direct descendant was very different.


    In her previous life, An Lingyi and Madam Li took great care of An Lingge after her mother died, tricking her into trusting them and ultimately causing her to die. She never thought that the An Lingyi of this life would be so impatient, she was no longer as "friendly" to him as she was before! Instead, it was more pleasing to the eye.


    Suppressing the hatred in the bottom of his heart, he smilingly looked at An Lingyi and said, "Elder sister and mother dying early, is not as good as having an aunt taking care of you."


    An Lingge''s words were neither soft nor hard, hinting at An Lingyi''s identity as a concubine, and emphasizing even more on the cold side that the Madam Li treated her with.


    The room immediately quietened down. Madam Li and An Lingyi exchanged a glance and were a bit surprised that the current An Lingge seemed to be different than how she usually was.


    "I heard that you fell into the water yesterday and haven''t woken up today, so I brought my little sister here to see you."


    Are you here to see if I''m dead? An Lingge laughed coldly in her heart.


    As Madam Li said that, she lightly clapped her hands. Four to five maidservants immediately entered the room, each of them holding some bird''s nest, fish glue or other tonics.


    "These are all specially prepared by aunty for you, so you can raise them properly."


    Just as Madam Li was about to get up, she was stopped by An Lingge.


    "Did Aunt come just to settle these supplies?"


    Her beautiful eyes turned slightly, and an emotion that even Madam Li could not understand suddenly appeared in her limpid eyes.


    Madam Li felt that the current An Lingge was different from normal people, she even instinctively did not want to get entangled with An Lingge, so she said: "Of course not, I saw that you are awake, so I rushed to report to Master."


    Hearing that, An Lingge laughed, the Madam Li still had her reservations, afraid that she would abuse her, so she would always act like a good mother in front of others, thus she had to make use of this chance.


    An Lingge raised her head and looked towards the Madam Li, "If Aunt wishes to report to Father, she can also ask Father to find out the truth."


    "Truth? What truth?! "


    An Lingyi immediately jumped up: "If you aren''t careful and fell into the water, don''t tell me you want to frame someone else?!"


    An Lingge was not annoyed, she only shot a sidelong glance at An Lingyi. Her eyes were cold, causing An Lingyi to shiver uncontrollably, but she was still stubborn.


    An Lingge ignored her, and said coldly: "You, this little sister, is not the place for me to judge and judge!"


    She emphasized the two words'' little sister Shu '', causing An Lingyi to be stunned. He never thought that she would be so tit for tat!


    then looked at Madam Li and continued, "If it''s inconvenient for Aunt, then I will go and report this to Father myself. Someone who wants to secretly harm Ling Ge must have an explanation for this, no?"


    A trace of panic flashed across Madam Li''s brows. "This is a matter of great importance, you can''t lie about it."


    An Lingge said with certainty: "Aunt knows that my character has never been one to argue with others. If it weren''t for the fact that someone secretly bullied me too much, I wouldn''t even want to bother with this sort of rascal.


    She raised the corner of her mouth and stared at Madam Li, wanting to see what her reaction would be.


    "Did you see the person who pushed you?"


    An Lingyi was the first to be impatient, but before she could finish, she was cut off by Madam Li, and anxiously said: "Since you said that, then I must report this to Master, and order people to investigate thoroughly."


    Hearing her say that, An Lingyi became anxious, she still wanted to say something, but was pulled out of the room by Madam Li.


    still clearly remembered how Madam Li had investigated him back then.


    An Lingge''s lips curled up into a cold smile.


    Madam Li, An Lingyi, the good show will only start now. Don''t let me down, okay?


    Just as the two Madam Li s left, the servant, Bi Zhu, rushed over, with tears still hanging from her tender face.


    She looked at Bi Zhu, and thought about how this pitiful maid had died in An Lingyi''s hands in the end ¡­


    An Lingge''s heart was slightly in pain, she reached out to stroke Bi Zhu''s head: "Don''t worry, in the future, I won''t let you suffer grievances!"


    Bi Zhu did not understand what she meant, but still nodded her head.


    An Lingge continued, "From today onwards, I may be vicious, hurt others, or become someone else. Are you still willing to follow me? "


    Bi Zhu did not say anything. After pondering for a moment, she knelt down and kowtowed, her three heads kowtowing loudly: "Miss Bi Zhu has saved my life, I will not dare to forget your kindness! From today onwards, I will follow Miss Bi Zhu''s lead, and if you violate this oath, you will definitely die!"


    An Lingge smiled with satisfaction and gratification as she helped her up: "Then, first, help me do a favor ¡­"


    In the afternoon, as An Lingge had expected, the aunt of the Madam Li, Jin Zhu, invited him to the hall. She said that she had found the servant who pushed An Lingge into the water.


    An Lingge was already prepared for this. Wasn''t this result the result of Madam Li trying to lie to her father in her previous life?


    How boring.

 C3

    An Lingge mocked her in her heart, but on the surface, she obediently followed Aunt Jin Zhu to the hall.


    The An family was a wealthy family with an impressive front hall. The screen in the front of the hall was split in half, and each side was filled with horses embroidered with Su Yiming.


    An Lingge''s father, An Yingcheng, Madam Li, butler Wang Zhongji, as well as An Lingyi and a bunch of servants were sitting in front of the screen.


    Within the hall, a young man was kneeling on the ground. He was wearing the clothes of a servant. His entire body was injured, and even if he was kneeling on the ground, his entire body couldn''t help but tremble.


    An Lingge frowned slightly. She remembered that in her previous life, she should have been a middle-aged man.


    It seemed that after his rebirth, there would still be some mistakes.


    An Lingge immediately retracted the desire to look down on the Madam Li and An Lingyi, and obediently bowed to An Yingcheng: "Father, Aunt, Wan An."


    "Get up."


    An Yingcheng''s voice was solemn, without a hint of anger, he declared, "I heard that you''ve just woken up this morning, are you feeling better?"


    An Yingcheng seemed to be concerned, but before An Lingge could reply, he continued, "Your aunt regarded you highly, and specially investigated this matter, and found out who pushed you into the water."


    An Yingcheng had the position of Marquis, and was also the subject of the humerus in the imperial court, so he did not care much about An Lingge, who usually did not have any sense of existence, and although he was asking for an answer out of concern, he did not wait for an answer before continuing. It could be seen that An Lingge did not have a high position in his heart.


    Seeing that, An Lingyi immediately said smugly: "Elder sister, how do you want to deal with this person? "He actually dares to commit such a presumptuous offense!"


    "What can a vile servant like him do? He will be punished with the staff and sent out of the manor!" The Second Aunt also showed her demeanor of a manager.


    Seeing the two being so anxious, An Lingge became even calmer.


    She slowly walked up to the youth. Seeing the grief and indignation in his eyes, she understood.


    "Father."


    An Lingge knelt in front of the hall: "I forgive my daughter for her recklessness, but when my daughter fell into the water, I had never seen this person before."


    An Lingyi immediately jumped up: "What do you mean, elder sister? Could it be that my mother, Li Dai Tao, was too stiff to bother about you? "


    However, An Lingge said with a clear gaze: "Little sister, I definitely do not have that intention, but as the duke, father is the focus of attention. If I were to casually punish a servant, wouldn''t spreading the news affect father?"


    An Lingge paused for a while, and continued, "Moreover, Aunt is kind enough to investigate this matter for me. If we wrongly accuse someone, wouldn''t that sully Aunt''s reputation?"


    An Lingge bowed towards An Yingcheng and Madam Li as she said that: "I hope father and aunt will forgive our daughter''s hard work."


    An Yingcheng always loved names as if they were his own, now that An Lingge had said it, he felt that it was not something that could be casually dealt with, and looked towards the Second Aunt: "You said it''s him, what evidence do you have?"


    An Lingyi immediately said: "Father, this is something he personally admitted."


    After she finished speaking, she walked in front of that young man, and when she brushed shoulders with An Lingge, she coldly said: "An Lingge, I advise you not to cause too much trouble, if not don''t don''t don''t regret your bitter times."


    Hearing this, An Lingge was even more sure that the Second Aunt still had other tricks up her sleeve, but she wasn''t completely unprepared.


    An Lingge lifted her head and replied with a cold smile.


    To refuse a toast is to refuse a forfeit!


    An Lingyi felt hatred in her heart as she walked in front of the young man: "Say what you had said to my mother at noon today once more."


    The young man was pulled by her and said: "Old, master, I pushed the young lady into the lake. Yesterday I saw the young lady enjoying the scenery by herself so I pushed her into the water."


    An Yingcheng was furious when he heard it: "You''re just a servant, why did you push Little Ge into the water?!"


    An Lingyi laughed upon hearing this, her gaze swept across An Lingge''s back like a poisonous snake.


    An Lingge, you are courting death!


    "Father is asking you a question, hurry up and say it!"


    An Lingyi pushed and pushed the young man, he looked at An Lingge awkwardly and said: "I and my young mistress have always liked each other, we have exchanged letters for a long time. Yesterday, my young miss invited me to the flower garden to talk, who would have known that she would say that my status is low, I can''t continue with her. "I was angry for a moment, and that''s why I called Eldest Miss ¡­"


    Second Aunt and An Lingyi exchanged glances. Today, this An Lingge was still not dead?!


    "Enough!"


    An Yingcheng stood up in anger, he rushed to An Lingge''s front, raised his leg, and was about to kick An Lingge, but she suddenly raised her head.


    She had fair skin, a straight nose, and full, pink lips.


    A head of black hair draped over her neck, and a pair of bright eyes peeked out from her bangs. The corner of her eyes slightly raised, neutralizing the sharp glint in her eyes.


    Three points of coldness, three points of disdain, and three points of sharpness.


    Being stared at, An Yingcheng''s heart skipped a beat, and he actually forgot what he was supposed to do.


    Seeing that, An Lingge slightly knelt: Father, how can I trust your words? This matter is related to our daughter''s reputation. We hope that our father can give our daughter a chance to identify herself. "


    An Lingge''s voice was calm, without a hint of panic from the ugly things that had been exposed.


    An Yingcheng had seen a lot of things, and upon seeing it, he became suspicious, and said: "Speak."


    An Lingge turned around and looked at the young man: "You said that we were writing letters together, do you still remember what we wrote?"


    But he was slightly startled, and was immediately kicked by An Lingyi beside him. He could only lower his head and continue: "The young miss loves to write, if the two feelings last for a long time, it won''t be until dusk."


    An Lingge heard and smiled, then ordered someone to bring the four treasures over. She then wrote in front of everyone: "Flying Phoenix Wings without color, connected to each other by means of a spirit."


    He then handed it to the youth and asked, "Look at this."


    Seeing that, An Lingyi was about to say something, but with An Lingge''s cold gaze sweeping over her, she was scared to the point that she did not dare move.


    How did this An Lingge seem to have become such a different person?


    In the instant that An Lingyi was stunned, the young man had already nodded her head and said in a loud voice, "Exactly."


    Hearing this, Second Aunt closed her eyes in disappointment, while An Yingcheng had already kicked the young man down: "I told you to be so reckless, you dared to frame Master!"


    The young man was sent flying by the kick, just in time for someone to enter. He rolled on the ground beside the incoming person''s feet like beans rolling on the ground.


    He was none other than An Lingge''s personal servant, Bi Zhu.


    Seeing Bi Zhu nod at him, the smile in An Lingge''s eyes became even wider: "Father, you always knew that I have a weak character, I have never fought with anyone in the house, this time, I will be randomly accused, or I may have ulterior motives."


    Hearing that, Second Aunt anxiously said: "Little Ge, perhaps because of your weak personality, this fellow had thoughts about you, and thought that you wouldn''t do anything to him."


    An Lingge laughed when she heard it: "But he did a good job in the Palace. She framed me like this, what benefits will she get?"


    These words caused An Yingcheng to ponder over it deeply. No matter who it was, they would not do their job and just come over to frame their master, right?


    As he was thinking, he looked up to see Bi Zhu bringing two people in, and shouted angrily: "What are you trying to add to the chaos?"


    Hearing that, Bi Zhu immediately knelt down: Master, this servant went out to buy medicine for Young Miss, but met the mother and daughter pair who were using the official''s silver to get the medicine, this servant thought that there might be a thief in the mansion, and brought them back.


    An Yingcheng immediately felt his head spinning, he glared at Second Aunt fiercely, the reproach in his eyes undisguised.

 C4

    Thinking about it, it made sense, since the death of An Lingge''s mother, Second Aunt had become the manager of the house, all the silver and other matters were managed by her, and now not only did it cause the servants to frame her, it also caused the house to have thieves, which An Yingcheng could not blame the Second Aunt anymore.


    Second Aunt also felt that it was dangerous and stood up: "Don''t speak nonsense! "How, how is this possible!"


    The mother and daughter knelt down and said, "Master, we are not thieves. This is given to us by the noble family. They said that my son did a good job in the mansion and specially rewarded us."


    The mother seemed to have a very poor constitution, and after saying a few words, she couldn''t stop coughing.


    An Lingge did not wait for the mother and daughter to speak and asked: "Who is your son?"


    The mother shook, not daring to speak, but her gaze fell on the kneeling youth.


    An Yingcheng was instantly enraged: "Tell me, who gave you the money to frame Master?"


    The young man looked troubled, but Bi Zhu, who was beside him, had already said softly: "If I had not rushed over in time, the mother and son pair would have been different. If you had helped my Young Miss, my Young Miss would have been able to help you."


    The young man''s gaze turned towards An Lingge, thinking of her cold and warm eyes, he finally clenched his teeth and said: "Master, it''s Second Miss!"


    "You''re lying!"


    An Lingyi was also confused, the fact that things had progressed to this stage was not what she and her mother expected!


    She threw herself at An Yingcheng''s feet: "Father, it''s not me, it''s really not me. I''ve always respected my elder sister, how could it be like this?"


    However, the young man had already made up his mind and immediately said: "Second Miss, you came to find me this morning. You knew that my mother was in dire need of silver, so you gave me a silver ingot. "You also said that as long as I do as you say, I will live a good life in the future."


    "You, you''re lying, you slut. Are you still trying to frame me even after you scolded your sister?" An Lingyi was so anxious that she was about to cry.


    "This servant has proof!"


    As the young man spoke, he tore open the front of his shirt. His pale and thin body was covered in lashes and scars, making him look extremely dazzling.


    "At first, this servant didn''t want to do it, but Second Miss used a whip to beat this servant, coercing him into doing so. In the end, this servant had no choice but to obey."


    Bi Zhu kneeled down at the right time: "The Second Miss'' whip is specially made, we will find out after checking the wounds, I beg the old master to examine his wounds, and you can return my Young Miss'' innocence."


    As soon as Bi Zhu finished speaking, the entire hall became so quiet that even a pin dropping could be heard.


    All of the servants lowered their heads, afraid that they would meet with An Yingcheng''s misfortune.


    His breath quickened and he clenched his fists inside his sleeves. His gaze swept across the people kneeling in the hall before finally landing on Second Aunt, "Look at your good daughter!"


    Second Aunt hugged An Yingcheng''s legs while crying: "Old master, Yi Er must have been wrongly accused."


    "Unjustly accused? Then do we really need to examine it? " An Yingcheng scolded in a low tone.


    Hearing that, Second Aunt was startled, she could only pretend to wipe her tears away with a handkerchief, and shot An Lingyi a glance.


    Although An Lingyi was unwilling, she was even more afraid of losing An Yingcheng''s love. She hurriedly went to An Yingcheng''s side and said: "Father, it was daughter who was infatuated with you, and it was daughter''s fault, daughter will never dare to do it again."


    An Lingyi had been intimate with An Yingcheng since a young age, so their feelings were naturally different. Now that she had reflected on it while crying, An Yingcheng could not be cruel to her heart in the end, so he said, "I sentence you to close your doors and reflect for half a month!"


    Bi Tinghua snorted coldly as he flicked his sleeves and left, leaving behind only a group of women in the hall.


    Second Aunt immediately stood up and said: "Men, release this lowly slave''s staff from the manor."


    An Lingge, who had not made a move until now, slowly stood up and asked: "Aunt, may I ask what crime this servant has committed?"


    An Lingge''s not light nor heavy question forced Second Aunt to turn her head.


    Their four eyes met, and it seemed as though sparks were flying everywhere in the air. However, An Lingge did not avoid or retreat, and calmly looked at Second Aunt: "May I ask Aunt what reason is it that has caned him fifty years ago, and what grounds do you have to chase him out of the house?"


    Second Aunt squinted her eyes, feeling that An Lingge was different today.


    She secretly hated herself for underestimating An Lingge, to think that she would actually rebel against him, and said: "I am the Palace Chief''s Mother, I want to punish a person, do I have to report to you?"


    An Lingge smiled slightly: "Of course not, but if father were to ask about this ¡­"


    Second Aunt''s face instantly paled. "You''re threatening me?"


    "I don''t dare."


    An Lingge smiled slightly: "I am only thinking for Aunt''s sake. If Aunt did not want him to stay in the Palace, then I am afraid that everything that Second Sister had done to me today will be known by everyone in the capital tomorrow."


    An Lingge snickered in her heart, this was a real threat.


    After she finished speaking, her gaze slowly landed on An Lingyi''s face. "Little Sister is like a flower like jade, if you are harmed by this, you can''t marry into a high school..."


    "Mother!"


    An Lingyi immediately hugged Madam Li''s leg. Normally, she looked down on the weak and submissive An Lingge, but today, An Lingge had scared her to death. She was extremely afraid, and did not dare gamble.


    "Mother, she''s just a useless servant. Whatever she wants, she can do!"


    An Lingyi was flustered and exasperated, she was even more afraid that his mother would give up her future just to show off.


    Second Aunt was unwilling, but he was worried that An Lingge would spread the news that would affect his daughter, so he clenched his teeth and said: "Are you going to keep your promise?"


    An Lingge continued to carry a light smile on her face as she said, "Whether or not I can keep my promise, it all depends on whether or not Aunt is able to keep her promise."


    After she finished speaking, without waiting for Madam Li''s reply, she turned and walked out of the hall with big strides.


    Her long gown was fluttering in the wind, and the silver threads embedded in her dress were like joss sticks in the sky that were filled with starlight. Under the warm sunlight, her eyes were even brighter than the starlight: "Bi Zhu, take him and go back together."


    The Parasol House was An Lingge''s courtyard.


    In such a large Prince An''s Palace, Parasol House was the furthest from An Yingcheng, and also the most remote courtyard.


    In the courtyard, the wutong tree was flourishing, thus its name.


    At this time of winter, the wutong leaves fell, leaving behind only a thick, iron-gray tree trunk. Branches stabbed into the sky, and in the fences at the side of the tree grew an extremely well-developed honeysuckle.


    An Lingge received the tea that Bi Zhu passed over, and gently blew at the froth on the tea leaves, then asked in a leisurely manner: "Do you know that I have already offended Aunt and Second Sister today?"


    The young man kneeling in front of her immediately kowtowed and said, "Thank you for saving my life. I will definitely repay you for saving my life."


    An Lingge took a sip of her tea and said: "The next life is too empty, I can see that you still have some guts and sense of responsibility, are you willing to follow me?"


    Upon hearing this, the youth was startled before replying happily, "As long as Eldest Miss doesn''t mind."


    The corner of An Lingge''s mouth curled up slightly, "I do have some, but you don''t even know a single word."


    The young man''s face immediately flushed red. "I''ve been poor since I was young, so ¡­"


    As he was speaking, he suddenly saw a plain hand reach out in front of him, and then he heard An Lingge say, "It''s alright, in the future, I will teach you how to read and write, and also settle down your mother and sister."


    The youth''s eyes immediately turned red and he hurriedly lowered his head to hide his embarrassment, but his voice was choked with sobs in the end, "Thank you for young miss''s care."


    "What''s your name?"


    The young man raised his head and said: "Lu Yu."


    An Lingge laughed: "How light are feathers? As a man, you shouldn''t be so light. To cause the opponent to be like a frightened bird, archers would never miss their shot, and the only thing that remains behind was a field of Jingyu. "


    Lu Jingyu looked at An Lingge upon hearing this, and suddenly discovered that the eyes of the young miss, who had some warmth in her gaze, was looking at him with a deep and deep gaze, like a bottomless cold pond.


    His heart was startled, he felt that An Lingge''s plan was not simple, but he was still confident that he could get on his knees: "Lu Jingyu thanks big miss for his name, from today onwards, Lu Jingyu will follow big miss''s lead, if I break this oath, the sky will strike me down!"

 C5

    An Lingge smiled and waved Lu Jingyu away.


    The room quieted down once again. An Lingge reclined on the collapsed room.


    The door was pushed open by Bi Zhu. She brought in some tea and said: "Miss, that Jingyu is not bad.


    An Lingge replied lazily, and started to listen excitedly to An Lingyi talk about the argument between An Lingyi and her second concubine.


    Finally, Bi Zhu said: "Miss, today you are truly scheming, but with such a great opportunity, why don''t you take this opportunity."


    An Lingge looked at Bi Zhu and asked: "Do you think that today''s matter will cause them to be unable to turn over their bodies?"


    An Lingge would never underestimate the trust An Yingcheng had in this mother and daughter ever again.


    An Yingcheng loved names, but loved power even more. The younger sister of the Second Aunt was the current Emperor''s most trusted Imperial Noble Consort Li.


    An Lingge knew that if the Imperial Noble Consort Li did not fall, An Yingcheng would definitely be wary of him. As long as it was not a grave danger to his own status and reputation, he would only put on an act.


    "Isn''t it?" Bi Zhu was confused, in her opinion, for a young lady to bribe a servant to frame a young miss was already a crime that could not be forgiven.


    An Lingge smiled slightly: "There are some things that you will slowly understand in the future. Now, we cannot afford to be careless."


    Bi Zhu''s words reminded An Lingge, with An Lingyi''s arrogant and unreasonable character, she would definitely not be willing to suffer such a huge loss today.


    "Go, call Jingyu over."


    In the end, Lu Jingyu stood in front of An Lingge. He was tall and straight, with rolled up sleeves revealing his powerful arms, and the whip marks on his arms were still glaring.


    An Lingge said gently: "Are you familiar with everything in the courtyard?"


    The Lu Jingyu family is poor, and has been more mature since childhood than others of the same age. Furthermore, after today''s incident, her personality is even more calm, and after hearing it she nodded: "Sister Bi Zhu has already brought me along familiar, this servant will not disappoint Miss."


    An Lingge took out a porcelain bottle from her dowry and handed it over: "This is a top-grade external medicine.


    The night sky was covered by a cold moon hanging high in the sky, imprisoning the silent Prince An''s Palace within.


    Within the moonlight, a petite figure jumped like a mouse towards the Parasol House. She sneaked a peek into the courtyard, turned her head, and ordered: "All of your movements are more nimble."


    Although that person lowered his voice, his arrogant and domineering attitude did not change at all. "As long as you can make that slut suffer, I will give you ten silver taels!"


    There would always be brave men under great rewards. The three or four servants immediately became restless. Taking out the daggers they had prepared at their waists, they leapt into the Parasol House like nimble cats.


    An Lingyi proudly looked towards the courtyard. In the afternoon, her mother told her to stay in her room and wait for half a month before making any plans, but she refused to accept it!


    Such a weak bitch, why should she be grounded for her sake?


    When he thought about how An Lingge looked like in front of An Yingcheng, An Lingyi''s teeth started to itch.


    Who knew that before she could even finish speaking, a scream came out from the courtyard, following that, the room''s lights lit up, before An Lingyi could even react, Bi Zhu had already brushed by her side with the copper pot and shouted out: "Men, quick, men, catch the thief!"


    An Lingyi immediately reacted, her expression changed and she wanted to run, but her wrist suddenly felt pain, and she turned around to meet Lu Jingyu''s eyes that were filled with anger.


    "Where is little sister going?"


    An Lingge slowly walked out from behind Lu Jingyu, with a mocking smile on her face.


    She knew that An Lingyi wouldn''t stand for this, so she had Jingyu set up a trap in the courtyard long ago.


    An Lingyi''s face turned white, she knew that she had been tricked by An Lingge again, but being caught, there was nothing she could do, she could only endure and say, "I, I ¡­ "You lowly slave, how dare you be so rude to me?!"


    Since there were no An Yingcheng and no Madam Li here, An Lingge was too lazy to try and disguise himself.


    Her solemn eyes shone with intense hatred. "Impudent? An Lingyi, you, a young miss who was born in a concubine, has plotted against me time and time again.


    An Lingge''s tone of voice was normal, and obviously did not sound intimidating. However, An Lingyi felt a chill on her back, and just when she was at a loss as to what to do, many people had already rushed in front of her Parasol House.


    The torch illuminated half of the courtyard. An Yingcheng, who was at the front, had a pale look on his face: "What is this trouble about?!"


    An Lingge knelt down and saluted: "Reporting to father, there are a few people in the courtyard who are sneaky but do not know what to do. There are only two people in this Parasol House: and my daughter, so my daughter sent Bi Zhu to look for them."


    "Where is he?!"


    An Yingcheng repressed his anger. He had just been prepared to deal with the Second Aunt''s Yun Yu!


    Lu Jingyu immediately brought three servants who were tied up like fried dough twist to come over.


    When Second Aunt saw those three, her expression immediately changed. She glared fiercely at An Lingyi and said, "Master, it''s just a few small thieves. Tomorrow, I''ll have someone hand it over to the justice courts.


    As the Second Aunt spoke, her soft and long hand stroked An Yingcheng''s chest, and his slender nails intentionally or unintentionally rubbed against An Yingcheng''s chest. A charming expression appeared on his face, and he said in a deep voice: "Then it will be well handled."


    "Father!"


    An Lingge called out to An Yingcheng instead, "How precious are Prince An''s Palace, for these thieves to be able to charge in at night, your daughter is shocked just thinking about it. If tonight''s challenge was not to your daughter''s Parasol House, but father''s bedroom, then..."


    Hearing that, An Yingcheng''s face changed, he then remembered that they had heard about the bandit expedition, and became more vigilant: "Bring him over."


    Under An Lingge''s instructions, Lu Jingyu brought one of them to An Yingcheng and brought the torch over to the person in front of him.


    When An Yingcheng saw it, he was immediately enraged: "Zhang Cheng, you''re a glutton!"


    Zhang Cheng was already exhausted after being hit by Lu Jingyu, and now that he had been slapped a few times by An Yingcheng, he became even more confused, his thoughts became even more confused, and after hearing it, he said: "Master, this servant is unjustly accused!"


    "What injustice?"


    An Yingcheng said angrily: "Could it be that you want to tell me the truth?"


    When Zhang Cheng heard this, he did not say a word. He only had a sullen expression on his face.


    Seeing that, An Lingge said: "Zhang Cheng, isn''t that the manager of my sister''s courtyard?"


    Her words sounded like she was muttering to herself, but her voice wasn''t so loud that it reached An Yingcheng''s ears. He turned his head to look, and met An Lingyi''s panicked eyes, he immediately understood.


    "What happened if you didn''t stay in the courtyard and instead came here?!"


    This time, An Yingcheng did not hesitate to interrogate her, causing Second Aunt''s heart to turn cold. She wanted to speak up for her daughter, but when he opened his mouth, he did not speak.


    She was very clear of An Yingcheng''s character, if she were to open her mouth, it would only add fuel to the fire.


    Seeing that, An Lingge chuckled: "So it turns out to be only that much."


    An Lingyi turned around and asked: "What did you say again?!"


    An Lingge smiled slightly: "I thought you two were one, but... "Tsk tsk tsk tsk, a great calamity is coming. This lady won''t say a single word for you."

 C6

    An Lingyi looked at his mother, only to see her standing there silently, the hand in her sleeves slowly clenched into a fist.


    "Hurry up and f * ck off back to your courtyard. Shame on me by causing trouble!"


    An Lingyi bit her lower lip, and wordlessly brought the three people away.


    An Yingcheng looked at An Lingge again, and said with a heavy voice. "You should behave a bit more."


    As he spoke, his tone paused, and his gaze fell on Lu Jingyu: "Why is he here with you?"


    An Lingge bowed and said, "Aunt allowed my daughter to bring him back for punishment in the afternoon. His daughter saw that he was pitiful, and then thought that Little Ge and Bi Zhu were the only ones with such Parasol House, for many things that are not convenient to put forth, so she kept it by her side. "


    An Yingcheng raised his head to look at the somewhat desolate Parasol House, and said: "Since your aunt has also agreed, then you can keep it."


    "Daughter thanked father."


    An Lingge was elegant and graceful, with an indescribable charm, but she did not seem to be in the wrong.


    An Yingcheng stared fixedly at An Lingge for a while, then said: "If there''s anything else in this courtyard that''s lacking, tell your aunt."


    An Lingge laughed when she heard it, a pair of starry eyes seemed to gaze upon the entire galaxy, looking even more charming under the illumination of the torch.


    Her smile was like the blossoming of an epiphyllum flower, sweeping away her usual silent and dispirited appearance. Instead, it gave her some of the innocent and romantic feeling she should have at this age.


    The undetectable frown on An Yingcheng''s face relaxed, and he nodded his head in satisfaction: "Rest early."


    "As you command, daughter."


    Watching An Yingcheng and the rest leave, the smile on An Lingge''s face became cold, and turned into ridicule.


    An Yingcheng clearly knew that An Lingyi had come to find trouble with him tonight, and in the end, it was just to scold her. This test made An Lingge even more confident, as long as Imperial Noble Consort Li did not fall, Madam Li and An Lingyi would not be unable to turn their backs.


    However, she did not have much hope tonight. She only wanted An Yingcheng to take note of her miserable appearance, and even more so let An Yingcheng agree to let her stay by his side.


    Now that he had achieved his goal, he would be victorious!


    Next, she would destroy Madam Li and her daughter one step at a time, to avenge her dead mother!


    The following half a month, however, had completely stopped.


    An Lingyi had met with misfortune twice in a row, but she did not dare to be too presumptuous. She obediently acted so arrogantly in her courtyard, not daring to provoke An Lingge again.


    As for the Second Aunt, who was busy comforting An Lingyi, she naturally did not have much intentions for her.


    Furthermore, in the past two times that she had appeared in An Lingge''s hands, the Second Aunt had to consider carefully. If she were to continue acting so rashly, it would not be her style anymore.


    An Lingge had not been idling for the past half month. Usually, other than teaching Bi Zhu and Lu Jingyu how to read and write, he would also go with him to the streets and understand the affairs of the people.


    An Lingge remembered, at the age of seventeen, there was a plague in the capital city that almost caused a crisis, and she clearly remembered the cure for the plague.


    She was prepared for a rainy day, so she decided to stock up on some of the medicinal ingredients on the prescription in case she needed it.


    On this day, seeing that the weather was bright, An Lingge decided to bring Bi Zhu and Lu Jingyu out to the streets.


    Madam Li did not want to bother with her, so she directly told An Yingcheng, who knew that the Residence of An Yingcheng was in a good mood, and even ordered the butler to give An Lingge 100 silver for him to wear the New Year''s Robe.


    Bi Zhu held the 100 taels of silver and laughed so hard that even her eyebrows could not be seen, while she chattered about what she wanted to eat and what she wanted to buy.


    An Lingge was sitting in the car reading a book, but hearing that she just laughed and glanced at her.


    Bi Zhu was two years younger than An Lingge, and was also fourteen years of age with An Lingyi.


    An Lingge looked at the side of her face, which was still a little baby fat, and suddenly thought back to the day of her wedding, the Bi Zhu who was directly killed by her.


    The two faces slowly merged, yet again like a knife that was stabbed deeply into An Lingge''s heart.


    She frowned slightly, but suddenly felt cold. After putting the book away, she said, "Alright, alright, isn''t it just a new dish for guests like the clouds? I can hear the calluses in my ears. "


    Hearing that, Bi Zhu jumped up happily, she opened the curtain and said: "Jingyu, Jingyu, let''s stop here, young miss is bringing us to eat a new dish that is filled with guests!"


    As she said that, she jumped out of the car and reached out to grab An Lingge.


    When An Lingge got off the carriage, she saw a familiar figure, but when she turned her head, there was nothing.


    She was secretly suspicious, but maintained her composure as she said, "In a while, you should go and ask the shopkeeper if you saw Second Miss."


    Bi Zhu was shocked, and then she lowered her voice: "Second Miss also came here? "Then we won''t eat anymore."


    An Lingge patted the back of her hand: "It''s rare that father gave you silver. If you don''t eat it, you will be ungrateful."


    Bi Zhu smiled and sent An Lingge into the private room, then turned to the front desk to ask the shopkeeper.


    An Lingge poured a cup of water for herself. Just as she was about to get up and go check out the situation at the window, a person suddenly came out upside down from under the eaves.


    Before An Lingge could even cry out in alarm, that person had already covered her nose and mouth, and a fiery hot aura immediately gushed into An Lingge''s ears, causing her to flush red.


    "Shh, help me. Don''t make a sound."


    That person''s voice was clear and bright, reminiscent of a clear sky, a vast prairie, and the faint fragrance of his body made the air feel heavier and calmer.


    This scent, was the most familiar to An Lingge, and this voice, was something that she would never forget.


    The person who barged in, was actually Mu Junhan!


    In her previous life, even though she and Mu Junhan were betrothed to the Emperor, she had never seen them before. However, they were still her future husband''s family, and she had gotten to know him before.


    However, her tragic death in her previous life had something to do with him. An Lingge thought for a while, and then secretly made up her mind that in this life, it would be best to leave such a troublesome place like him, and think of a way to end this marriage as soon as possible.


    However, she didn''t have the heart to think about this now!


    It was unknown if it was because of a moment of desperation, but Mu Junhan covered his nose and mouth with one hand and wrapped his other hand around her waist. Even though she tried his best to act calm, he couldn''t help blushing at this moment!


    What followed was embarrassment and anger.


    "You are to become a disciple... "Ugh ¡­"


    "Shh ¡­"


    An Lingge took the opportunity to curse when Mu Junhan slightly loosened his grip, but she immediately covered An Lingge''s face and did not shout again.


    Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the door. Passing through the gap in the window, An Lingge realized that it was a group of black-clothed people holding onto weapons, as if they were no ordinary people.


    She did not say anything, it seemed like Mu Junhan was being chased by these people. Even if she was extremely embarrassed and angry, she still wouldn''t be able to not understand the situation.


    The group of men in black stayed there for a while, but did not discover anything. Then, one of the men asked, "How did they disappear?" "I clearly saw him coming this way. Could he have hidden in this room ¡­"


    When An Lingge heard the sound of footsteps walking over, her heart immediately tightened. After pondering for a bit, she immediately pulled Mu Junhan''s neck and buried his face in his shoulders.


    Mu Junhan was startled for a moment, then immediately understood her meaning. He kissed her fair neck, the skin under his lips were soft and tender, revealing a faint fragrance.


    An Lingge felt a wave of heat on her neck, and her face immediately flushed red from embarrassment.


    At this moment, the door was pushed open and the person who came in was stunned when he saw the two people with their necks intertwined.


    An Lingge shouted angrily: "Who let you in, get out!"


    When the person saw her extravagant clothes, he knew that she was a lady that could not be offended and hurriedly left through the door.


    "Is he inside?"


    That person let out a wretched laugh: "No, there''s a pair of wild mandarin ducks meeting inside! ¡­" We can''t afford to lose that information, let''s continue to chase! "


    The footsteps were as fast as the rain, and they went downstairs again.

 C7

    When the footsteps went far, An Lingge heaved a sigh of relief. When she came back to her senses, she realized that Mu Junhan was still buried in her neck, her lips still burning hot. She coughed dryly and gritted his teeth. "She''s already left. Why haven''t you let his go yet!"


    Her words were fierce, but Mu Junhan noticed the embarrassment and anger in her words, his thin lips curled up, and then regretfully let go of the smooth skin.


    "I was in a rush and offended you. Please forgive me."


    An Lingge coldly snorted. When the blush on his face receded, just as she was about to speak, he realized that his face was pale white and her body was weak.


    Only now did he realise that there was a shocking wound on Mu Junhan''s waist, the outer layer of his clothes had already been dyed red, as though his injury was not light.


    Seeing that An Lingge had discovered that she was injured, Mu Junhan instinctively became vigilant. However, all of this only happened for a moment, and then returned to normal.


    "This lady here is definitely not a retainer. I was really forced to do this today. I will leave now and not ruin your reputation in the slightest."


    After he finished, just as he was about to leave, he was stopped by An Lingge.


    "Young Master Mu ¡­" She had just shouted out two words, and suddenly realised that she had not seen Mu Junhan before, how could she know his name, and quickly changed her words!


    "Then... What? Young master can leave after a while, you''ve disappeared for no reason, those people might still be nearby, it''s not safe to leave now. " Although she did not want to have anything to do with Mu Junhan, she would not watch him fall into danger.


    A flash of coldness flashed past Mu Junhan''s eyes, but he covered it up well, nodded his head, and bowed towards An Lingge: "Thank you very much miss!"


    An Lingge knew that her slip of tongue had aroused the suspicions of the other party, and did not know how to reply. The two of them pondered, and then the entire room quieted down, and couldn''t help but feel awkward. She secretly spied on Mu Junhan, and Mu Junhan also quietly observed her, in the end, it was An Lingge who first opened her mouth to break the silence.


    "Young Master, your wounds are still bleeding. If you don''t mind, I''ll help you bandage them, right?"


    Mu Junhan looked at her with a profound gaze. Logically speaking, the more contact he had with others, the easier it would be to expose them. However, for some reason, he didn''t want to reject her.


    He looked at the wound on his waist, which was indeed bleeding profusely, and his face became even more pale. In the end, he agreed to let An Lingge bandage it for him.


    Because the injury was on his waist, Mu Junhan had no choice but to take off all of the clothes on his upper body. An Lingge silently hated herself for talking too much, and while holding back her embarrassment, she tore his own silk handkerchief into two and started to bandage it.


    The wound was caused by a blade and sword, and was as long as a finger. No one knew where Mu Junhan escaped from to here, but there were quite a few scabs of blood on his clothes, it was hard to imagine what kind of pain he had to endure while escaping.


    An Lingge cleaned up his wounds simply, and when she saw them, she was shocked. On the other hand, although Mu Junhan''s face did not look too good, she did not make a sound, as if the injuries on her body had nothing to do with him.


    This was completely different from what she remembered, that arrogant and despotic little prince. An Lingge frowned, she felt that something was amiss.


    It was probably the real Mu Junhan who was acting like this right now. That domineering young noble was just a facade of someone trying to confuse others.


    After simply treating his wounds, the room once again quietened down. An Lingge felt that her face was a little hot, and was unavoidably embarrassed. She had no choice but to find a topic to talk to the other party about.


    "I wonder where those black-clothed people came from?" Why are you chasing after the Young Master? "


    "They... It is my enemy, and I will not let this matter be leaked to the third person. If they were to know about this, it might be detrimental to my life. "


    "I would like to ask if you and I have met, how do you know me?"


    An Lingge''s heart thumped. She couldn''t possibly tell the other party that she was going to marry him in her previous life, right? After thinking for a moment, she said, "The young master doesn''t recognize the young girl, but the young girl does. The young master''s name is known throughout the capital, so you can grab a random person to ask about it. Nine out of ten must know the young master."


    "Oh? "Is that so ¡­" Mu Junhan''s eyes flashed with a cold light. Seeing that An Lingge was seriously bandaging her wound, she couldn''t help but calm down, and the corner of her mouth suddenly raised slightly. She reached out her free right hand, and suddenly caressed An Lingge''s lower jaw.


    "Miss, why don''t you tell me how I am renowned throughout the capital?"


    Caught off guard, An Lingge touched An Lingge and she could not help but be shocked. Raising her head, she saw that Mu Junhan''s face was filled with a light and playful smile, completely different from before.


    Initially, she was a little angry, but after thinking about it again, he realized that Mu Junhan must have intentionally pretended to look like that because he was worried that his identity would be exposed, causing his to feel that it was funny.


    "Hmph, let''s see how I''ll take care of you!"


    An Lingge laughed coldly in her heart. Mu Junhan actually dared to take advantage of him. Hehe!


    Just as she was thinking, her hand that was bandaging the wound suddenly tensed, seeing that Mu Junhan''s face had suddenly turned white, she could not help but let out a cold snort, but he managed to hold it in.


    "Young Master Mu is young and mature ¡­" Unswerving perseverance... It was really ¡­ The younger generation of the aristocratic young master in the capital... "A role model..."


    As An Lingge said this, she used more strength. Mu Junhan''s expression changed drastically as she endured the intense pain!


    However, An Lingge did not stop there. Just now, when she was shopping on the streets, she had collected a lot of good things! She took out a bottle, smiled at Mu Junhan, and said: "Young Noble, this is the medicine this little girl brought with her. Endure it a little ¡­"


    Mu Junhan instinctively retracted his hand, and just as he was about to refuse, An Lingge had already quickly removed the stopper. She poured half a bottle of powder on his wound, and then quickly bandaged it.


    "There might be some side effects. Bear with it, young master ¡­" The smile on An Lingge''s face became more obvious, but she still felt a chill in her heart.


    At this moment, he felt a faint itch from his wound. Gradually, the itch became stronger and stronger ¡­


    An Lingge naturally saw the drastic change in Mu Junhan''s expression, and kept the remaining half bottle of itching powder carefully. She sighed inwardly that the effect was not bad, and was in a very happy mood.


    Just at this moment, a commotion came from outside, and the group of black clothed men who had left earlier appeared once again. Mu Junhan''s gaze at An Lingge could not help but reveal a little more confusion.


    When there were no longer any movements outside, Mu Junhan finally got up to take his leave.


    "Young lady, today you have helped me greatly. May I ask for your name? If there is a chance, please let me know."


    "There''s no need, there''s no need. Young Master, please do as you please." An Lingge was already a little uncomfortable in front of him, she could not wait for him to leave.


    Mu Junhan did not speak further, he looked at An Lingge again, and after bowing, he jumped out of the window and left.


    An Lingge calmed down and for the time being, she shook off this small incident with Mu Junhan.


    Moreover, Bi Zhu still hasn''t returned. I wonder if that good sister of hers is also here as well.

 C8

    There were a total of four floors. The first floor was where the merchants ate and drank, the storytellers were all on the first floor, the second floor was where the rich chose to stay, and the third and fourth floors were where the officials and their families stayed.


    An Lingyi had been grounded for half a month, and the time limit was almost up.


    An Lingge quickly calmed her emotions and calmly sat by the window.


    People walked past him on the street, the bustling crowd had different expressions. An Lingge did not want to think that if she lived like a normal person, maybe she would also be blessed.


    Just as she was thinking about it, Bi Zhu pushed open the door and entered. With a look of admiration, she said: "Miss, that person was really guest like Yun Che, and coincidentally is right next door to us."


    Hearing that, An Lingge could not help but laugh.


    "And second brother told me one more thing."


    Bi Zhu said, then moved the mountain and river painting away, revealing a hole the size of her fingertip.


    An Lingge raised her eyebrows, the meaning of her inquiry was self-evident.


    Bi Zhu covered her mouth and laughed: "Second brother said that once, when General Mu was having a feast next door, the Prime Minister''s daughter insisted on letting him dig a hole."


    The hole was not big, but it was clear enough for him to see the room next door. An Lingyi was sitting at a seat near the window, drinking wine one cup at a time.


    The two of them had piled up a lot of good stuff around them, so it could be seen that they had not been out for long.


    "Alright, you drank it like that, is it to show me the truth?"


    Second Aunt pulled An Lingyi''s hand and said: "Isn''t it just being grounded for half a month, did it hurt your tendons or did I just break your bones?"


    An Lingyi furiously retorted, "Mother, are I your biological son or not? That night, when father was angry, you didn''t say a word for me? Are you still my mother? You clearly know that I like Mu Junhan, but you don''t even care about me ¡­ "


    The Second Aunt kept patting An Lingyi on her back, saying gently, "My daughter, don''t be anxious. This half moon has already thought of a good idea."


    Hearing that, An Lingyi stopped crying, and raised her head to look at Second Aunt.


    A trace of color flashed across her extremely well-maintained face. She gently caressed the top of An Lingyi''s head, and said gently: "Remember, Mother will always think of you ¡­"


    The more she spoke, the softer her voice became, until it was almost inaudible.


    Bi Zhu stomped her feet in panic and turned to ask An Lingge what she was going to do.


    An Lingge thought for a while, then shook her head and sat down. Since the waiter had ordered wine and food, Bi Zhu could only give up.


    After eating their fill, An Lingge brought the two of them to purchase quite a few medicinal ingredients, pulled out two new sets of clothes for Lu Jingyu and the others, and bought a new set of clothes for them before returning to their Prince An''s Palace.


    Along the way, the master and servant did not speak a word. An Lingge kept her head bowed all the way, with a seemingly expressionless face.


    Being harassed by Mu Junhan like this also made An Lingge recall that in her previous life, it seemed like only a few days had passed since the arrival of Prince Mu¡¯s Palace s.


    It was just that in her previous life, she was weak and had her Parasol House locked up by the Madam Li and could not see Mu Junhan at all.


    With this, An Lingge once again thought about Madam Li and her daughter''s actions today, and her heart suddenly cleared up.


    How could she not know what the Madam Li had in mind?


    After thinking about it, An Lingge stood up and took out two pieces of high-quality golden silk moonlight yarn from the cupboard, and said gently: "Bi Zhu, bring these two ingredients to Aunt in a while, say it ¡­"


    "Miss, they hurt you like that, why did you give them such precious materials?"


    Before Bi Zhu could finish her sentence, An Lingge took out a porcelain bottle from the drawer. The light green powder was scattered all over the materials in the bottle, and the moment the powder came in contact with the cloth, it would disappear without a trace.


    Bi Zhu laughed as she saw this, and happily carried the ingredients to Madam Li''s courtyard. Coincidentally, An Yingcheng was also in Madam Li''s room, and seeing An Lingge being so obedient, she gave her money to go out and buy them while thinking of her.


    Madam Li''s face turned ugly, but seeing that this material was actually the capital''s most expensive moonlight yarn, and it was even wrapped in gold, he left it behind.


    At the same time, within the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, Mu Junhan sat on a chair in the study, and looked at the information that his subordinate had gathered for him, causing Blue Valley to reveal an expression of suspicion from time to time. In the end, his gaze landed on the washed silk handkerchief on the table, and didn''t say anything for a long time.


    After a few days of recuperation, his injuries had already healed quite a bit, but that day''s experience at the place like the clouds still made it hard for him to forget. Thus, when he asked for An Lingge''s identity, he was unable to sit still.


    Putting aside that An Lingge was informed about the matter of her injuries at the guest Ruyun, he realized that the Emperor had bestowed him with marriage with the An family a few days ago. An Lingge was the young lady of the An family, and the person who saved him at the guest Ruyun was her future wife?


    "Interesting!" Mu Junhan threw the intelligence report to the side. This information told him how weak and powerless An Lingge was, that he did not have any status in the An clan. However, that day, from what he saw in the guesthouse, Mu Junhan felt that this woman was definitely not someone to be trifled with. She was purposely hiding it for over ten years?


    It would be interesting to have such deep thoughts!


    Thinking of what happened that day, he couldn''t help but feel a chill down his spine. Swallowing his saliva, he touched his old wound with lingering fear. That day would definitely be the most unforgettable day for him ¡­


    "Shu Mo, follow me to see father. The marriage between me and the young miss of the An clan should be set soon ¡­" Mu Junhan looked at the silk handkerchief on the table and made a decision in his heart.


    Three days later, Prince An''s Palace front yard main hall.


    Today, the best jade carvings had been placed on a screen, the most exquisite Jingdezhen gold and blue porcelain bowls had been used, and the most beautiful clothes had been arranged for the most ordinary maids.


    As for Second Aunt and An Lingyi, they were dressed in makeup, had bright jade curtains, and a mist of precious colors.


    Just after Yin hour, the butler hurriedly ran into the Duke Palace. "Master, you''re here, Prince Mu is here."


    As An Lingyi and Madam Li were speaking, An Yingcheng frowned and lowered her voice, "Why hasn''t Ling Ge arrived yet?"


    Second Aunt heard and then said: "Look at me, I''ve been so busy that I forgot about this matter. Little Ge said that she is not feeling well, so I''m afraid that she will not be able to make it here today."


    The Second Aunt''s words were spoken calmly, but An Yingcheng snorted coldly: "She''s got a lot to do!"


    As expected, An Lingyi did not pursue the matter any further, and could not help but give Second Aunt a big thumbs up. They did not tell An Lingge about what happened today, and even did not allow anyone to tell her about it.


    The mother and daughter exchanged glances.


    Mu Junhan followed behind Prince Mu and looked around the hall. He frowned: "Why is she not here?"


    After he finished speaking, he dismounted and was passionately invited by An Yingcheng''s group into the Prince An''s Palace. After he turned around, he pulled Shu Mo who was beside him and whispered something into his ear. Shu Mo nodded and in a flash, he disappeared from the group.


    In the Parasol House, An Lingge was reading a book leisurely. Bi Zhu, who was at the side, was sweeping the place clean, making loud noises from time to time.


    An Lingge could not help but put down the book: "Did you eat gunpowder today?"

 C9

    Hearing that, Bi Zhu immediately walked to An Lingge''s side and held onto the feather duster: "Miss, how can you be so magnanimous? Even though His Majesty was betrothed in gold, he had only stated his Prince An''s Palace and Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, and had not indicated them clearly. If that Young Master Mu were to take a fancy to the Second Miss, what would happen? "


    An Lingge did not expect the foolish Bi Zhu to think of this. She could not help but sit up and say, "Not bad, you''ve made progress."


    Bi Zhu became even more anxious after hearing that. "Young miss, you clearly know that Second Aunt and the rest are plotting this, how could you let them have their way?"


    An Lingge comforted Bi Zhu by patting her hand: "Bi Zhu, there are some things that cannot be fought over, and neither can be fought over. Moreover, if that Mu xiao wangye really likes his little sister, then how can a man with that kind of eyes be worthy of me?"


    Just as An Lingge finished speaking, a noise came from the top of the wall.


    Lu Jingyu, who was sweeping the courtyard, immediately went to protect An Lingge. The master and the two servants all raised their heads, looking at the pretty face.


    However, An Lingge could tell with a glance that this was Mu Junhan''s trusted aide, Shu Mo.


    Why did he come to the Parasol House?!


    Just as Shu Mo climbed over the wall and heard An Lingge say that Master was not worthy of her, his heart became angry and he could not help but say, "Miss An is young, but her tone is not small. Even a prince would not do. Tell me, are there any other men in the capital who are worthy of Miss An? "


    Shu Mo jumped down from the wall and was about to say something, but Shu Mo was afraid that he would attract other people so he quickly pointed at her mute acupoint.


    "Miss!"


    Just as Lu Jingyu rushed out, Shu Mo''s fingers moved slightly, the two stones had already struck his knees.


    Lu Jingyu fell to the ground, but refused to admit defeat and rushed towards Shu Mo and An Lingge.


    A hint of appreciation flashed past Shu Mo''s eyes, but he coldly replied: "If you come again, I won''t be courteous to her!"


    After Lu Jingyu and Bi Zhu heard this, they immediately did not dare to move.


    An Lingge could not help but give Bi Zhu a meaningful glance, but the little girl had never seen a big scene before, so she was already scared silly.


    At this time, Shu Mo asked out of doubt, "Why are you two still here today, with the Prince Mu and the Young Duke holding a banquet to welcome you all?"


    Bi Zhu was scared out of her wits, and obediently answered: "Second Aunt and Second Miss have always been intolerable to Miss, why would they let Miss go to such a big scene?"


    "Oh?"


    Shu Mo turned and looked at An Lingge again: "You, this young lady, are actually living under someone else''s roof. It''s difficult for you to do so."


    An Lingge rolled his eyes at him this time.


    "Then do you want your young miss to marry my master?"


    After Bi Zhu heard this, she looked troubled. She hesitated a bit and said: "Of course I want to, I heard that Master Mu is leading the troops to war at the border and established a brilliant military achievement, the young prince is his only son, the Marquis dotes on you, if you have the young duke to protect the young miss, the young miss will definitely not be bullied by the Second Aunt and the second young miss."


    After Shu Mo heard this, he laughed and continued to look at An Lingge: "I never thought that Miss An, this servant of yours has some experience."


    Just then, Shu Mo reached out to open her acupoints and said: "Shu Mo did not offend his on purpose, I hope that Miss An will fix it. In a while, someone will invite you to the front hall!"


    After he finished speaking, he swept out his Parasol House like a gust of wind. Bi Zhu supported An Lingge and said: "This person, is this person crazy?"


    An Lingge sighed in her heart, she got up and said: "Bi Zhu, please help me change."


    The front hall was bustling with noise and excitement, Mu Junhan sat beside Prince Mu, looking extremely handsome and handsome. An Lingyi''s beautiful eyes never left him, and it was only Madam Li who tugged on her clothes that stopped her.


    "I heard that you, your highness, stayed in the Mo Bei for three whole years to guard the borders. I especially asked the master of the Mo Bei to make you a dish of Mo Bei.


    As Madam Li spoke, An Lingyi stood up and took the plate from the servant girl and walked towards Prince Mu.


    Hearing that, Prince Mu looked up at An Lingyi''s young and tender face. His skin that could be broken by the wind and was covered by the moonlight that looked like flowing light made him seem more and more cute.


    Seeing Prince Mu nodding his head, the Second Aunt was extremely happy. He immediately gave An Lingyi a look, and quickly brought the dishes over to him.


    "Your Highness, please have a taste." An Lingyi''s voice was soft and gentle, her moderate shyness making her seem even more adorable.


    Prince Mu took a bite of the dish and immediately said: "Not bad, true, this is true!"


    After he finished speaking, he looked towards An Yingcheng, "There''s a way to teach girls in Prince An."


    Hearing that, An Yingcheng shook his head and laughed: "Yi Er is still far from being able to do it, in the future, I will need your guidance."


    Although these words were hidden, he secretly wanted Prince Mu to recognize this future daughter-in-law.


    Although Prince Mu was born a martial general, he had been rolling in the imperial court for many years, so he naturally had a part in his heart. He raised his head to look at An Lingyi, and his eyes burned like torches, burning An Lingyi''s entire body from his ears to her body.


    But she couldn''t shrink back. She had to replace An Lingge and become the future wangfei in Prince Mu¡¯s Palace!


    At this time, Shu Mo came over from the darkness and whispered a few words to Mu Junhan. He nodded, then stood up and lifted his wine cup, drinking it all in one gulp. A rare smile appeared on his cold face, and An Lingyi happened to see it.


    Seeing this, Madam Li was overjoyed. She felt that her plan to kill Li Xiuping was really brilliant.


    The scene immediately quietened down, and only the melodies on the stage were still chattering away. In the silence, a melodious voice suddenly rang out, carrying a bit of cynicism with it.


    "I heard that Prince An has two daughters, why did I only see one?"


    Hearing that, An Yingcheng''s face changed, the Second Aunt anxiously said: "That child''s body is not feeling well today."


    "Not feeling well, just today?"


    Mu Junhan''s face sank, "Prince An, are you looking down on our Prince Mu¡¯s Palace? No matter what, it is a big matter of marriage between my Mu Family and the An Family. No matter what, it is still necessary for me to come out and meet you, right? "


    After being questioned like that, An Yingcheng felt that he had nothing to say. After all, if his clan members were to come in the future, no matter how uncomfortable he would be, he should at least show off his skills.


    When An Lingge came to the front hall, Prince Mu and An Yingcheng were in the midst of a conversation. But as the main host, Mu Junhan was sitting in front of his table, looking straight ahead until An Lingge appeared at the entrance. Only then did he slightly turn his head to look at her.


    An Lingge paid respects to everyone, but An Yingcheng did not know of Madam Li and An Lingyi''s conspiracy, so he had to reprimand them in front of Prince Mu.


    An Lingge was not anxious at all and said gently: "Father, your daughter did not know that Prince Mu had arrived at the mansion today. Your daughter was only informed of this matter by the butler."


    An Yingcheng looked at Second Aunt when he heard him. His slightly pale face carried awkwardness. "Master ¡­"


    An Yingcheng glared fiercely at Second Aunt and laughed out loud: "My wife must have been too busy preparing for the prince to forget. Little Ge has never been in good health since she was young, and I''m afraid of making a ruckus, so I stayed a bit further away."


    "In that case, Miss Ling Ge is the direct descendant of the An family?"


    Just at this moment, Shu Mo, who was behind Mu Junhan, suddenly spoke. As he spoke, he also looked at An Lingyi in surprise, and the meaning behind his words clearly stated An Lingyi''s identity.

 C10

    Everyone''s face did not look too good. Prince Mu was just about to reprimand Shu Mo, but he was taken away by Mu Junhan first.


    "Impudent!" This is the Prince An''s house, it''s not your turn to speak! " Although his tone was cold, An Lingge knew that this must have been done on purpose.


    An Lingyi''s face was extremely ugly. She anxiously twisted her handkerchief, wishing that she could use her eyes to bore a hole in An Lingge''s body.


    "Go and bring over the gift I prepared, give it to Miss Lingyi as an apology!" After Shu Mo left, Mu Junhan bowed to An Yingcheng and said: "Junhan usually does not teach well, so I apologize to Prince An."


    "No worries ¡­"


    An Yingcheng calmly answered. In his opinion, the two daughters were his own, and no matter who it was, if Mu Junhan took a fancy to, he would suffer no loss at all.


    An Lingyi was originally secretly resentful in her heart, but after hearing that Mu Junhan wanted to give her a gift, her heart started to grow beautiful again. As expected, after a while, Shu Mo came in from the outside, holding a handful of extremely gorgeous flowers.


    When An Lingge saw this bouquet of flowers, her expression could not help but change greatly, all of this was witnessed by Mu Junhan, and the corners of her mouth rose uncontrollably.


    "Shu Mo, give it to Miss Ling Yi for me as an apology for your slip of the tongue."


    An Lingyi felt overwhelmed from the favor. She looked up at Mu Junhan, and heard him say, "This is a flower that can only grow in a foreign land. Its name is Lily, and it is most suitable for Miss."


    An Lingyi was immediately overjoyed, the loss and uneasiness from before was completely gone.


    But An Lingge felt as though she had fallen into a cave of ice, how did this person know?


    She had spread the frost on the moonlight screen. The frost had a cold nature, and was the best medicine to expel poison. If the frost touched the lily, it would definitely cause people to become allergic to it.


    The lightest is the skin itching out of the red rash, heavy is nausea and vomiting, headache and asthma.


    She was only thinking of punishing An Lingyi a little in case she had to do something bad to him, but she didn''t expect that her own plan would actually be seen through by Mu Junhan with a glance.


    What was he doing on the ground?


    Was it purposely causing An Lingyi to be allergic to him, and then exposing him?


    This was the first time An Lingge felt that Mu Junhan was extremely terrifying. The moment he appeared, something uncontrollable had already occurred in his plans and life.


    I''d like to see how you deal with your aunt.


    Mu Junhan laughed as he raised his head to drink the wine, the mischievous smile in his eyes growing wider.


    An Lingge was very perturbed, and as expected, after a short while, An Lingyi, who was originally sitting motionlessly, gradually started to twist her body, but since everyone was present, she did not dare move too much.


    What a joke, when those two things mixed together, the itchy on his skin was even worse than pain. Not even a moment later, An Lingyi''s forehead was already covered in sweat.


    At this moment, she couldn''t hold it in any longer. As the second young mistress of the An clan, she couldn''t possibly scratch her itch in front of everyone, right?


    However, just as An Lingyi was about to stand up and find an excuse to leave, Mu Junhan actually "coincidentally" looked at her, with a "appreciative" look in his eyes.


    An Lingyi was in a difficult situation, she was truly unwilling to leave this place, especially since Mu Junhan seemed to be giving her "face", how could she refuse?


    However, her hesitation had completely triggered the effects of the frost on her body.


    Following An Lingyi''s inharmonious moan, everyone followed her voice and looked over, only to see her neck starting to have a red rash appear.


    Following the changes in everyone''s eyes, she discovered that her body was not only itchy, but she also felt around and discovered that she had quite a few rashes. She was so frightened that her face paled and she started to yell without caring about her image.


    "Ah ¡­"


    The dining table was in a mess as the two servant girls behind An Lingyi hurried over to support her.


    An Lingyi was so frightened that she could no longer resist the itch on his body. She actually started to scratch it in public, and even cried for the two maids to help him scratch it.


    Everyone''s expression changed, and only Mu Junhan looked at him with a smile that was not a smile, and glanced at An Lingge from time to time, not knowing what to think.


    Madam Li could not bear to watch any longer, she hurriedly ordered the servant girl to send An Lingyi back, and the table regained its tranquility.


    However, at this time, everyone no longer had the appetite to eat, and after chatting for a bit, the Prince Mu spoke up.


    "Prince An, then let''s talk about proper business. I brought Han''er here today because of His Majesty''s engagement. I brought him here to meet with Eldest Miss today to discuss the marriage between the two families. I''ll bring the betrothal gift next time and settle the matter of the two young generations."


    He had always been talking about the marriage between the An clan and the Mu clan, but now, he had directly pointed out that it was with the young miss of the An clan, or in other words, the person with the surname An Lingge.


    Madam Li''s expression changed drastically. She wanted to say something several times but hesitated. In the end, she didn''t.


    An Yingcheng didn''t mind as the two of them were both daughters of the An family, so they naturally didn''t have any objections. After conversing with Prince Mu for a while, the Mu family left the Prince An''s Palace.


    After happily sending off the Prince Mu, An Yingcheng turned around to look at her, staring fiercely at her, and snorted coldly before returning to his room.


    An Lingge''s heart was restless. Unable to control Mu Junhan''s emotions, he also bid farewell to An Yingcheng and left.


    The Second Aunt followed behind An Yingcheng and helped him rest in a hurry and went to An Lingyi''s room.


    At this time, the red rash on An Lingyi''s body had already disappeared, but her face was covered in tears.


    "Mother!" "How was the result today?"


    An Lingyi left early, so she naturally did not know what had happened afterwards. After hearing what Madam Li had to say, An Lingyi cried, "The Young Master Mu has clearly taken a fancy to me, and even gifted me flowers. But that slut actually hooked up with you in such a way, making it hard for Prince Mu to promise Father either."


    "And that Shu Mo, I clearly saw An Lingge secretly communicating with him, and she might have been the one behind it!"


    After crying for a long time, An Lingyi pulled at Madam Li''s sleeves and said, "Mother, I don''t care. Furthermore, the matter of me having a red rash today must definitely have something to do with that little bitch. "


    I will definitely not let her off easy. If An Lingge does not get rid of her after one day, it will always be a thorn in my heart. "


    "I will ask the old master later to let An Lingyi marry into the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, so you can take her place in marrying into the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace. The Hereditary Prince of Prince Yi¡¯s Palace is a fool, and the Princess Yi was handed over by me as a handkerchief. If An Lingge marries there, she''ll be held in my hands and can be killed at any time. "


    Second Aunt''s eyes were sinister, she did not notice the shadow of a person passing by the window.


    But at this time, An Lingge collapsed onto the bed, as her heart played back the events of the day as if she was walking along on horseback. After that, she sat up and said, "It seems like, Aunt won''t be able to tolerate me."


    As if he had heard her words, Bi Zhu immediately came in from the courtyard. Not caring about the food in her hands, she rushed to An Lingge''s feet and said: "Miss, it''s bad, Second Aunt just told Master that he wants to marry you to the young master of the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace."


    An Lingge laughed coldly. As she expected, it was as she had expected, but she immediately took out two porcelain bottles and placed them on her face. After a moment, a red rash appeared on her face.


    Under Bi Zhu''s shocked gaze, An Lingge said. "Go and ask Father secretly, don''t let Second Aunt find out."

 C11

    An Lingge watched as Bi Zhu left. The look in his eyes was gloomy, the look in his eyes so dark that it seemed as though it could gush out.


    The Hereditary Prince was a fool that everyone knew, and the Princess Yi even gave him a handkerchief. If the Madam Li wanted to marry him into the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, it was obvious from a single glance that she would not sit still and wait for death.


    An Lingge''s deep and bright eyes carried a trace of seriousness. Madam Li had been operating the Prince An''s Palace for many years, and like a giant tree that had been deeply rooted in it, it could not be shaken.


    She touched the red rash on her face and instantly came up with an idea.


    After setting down the marriage between Prince An''s Palace, An Yingcheng seemed to be somewhat satisfied. He was drinking tea in the study room at the right time, when he saw Madam Li walk in tearfully.


    "Master."


    Madam Li timidly shouted, and before An Yingcheng could react, she was already in his embrace.


    Seeing Madam Li like that, An Yingcheng was not only not angry, but he also hugged onto his and casually asked: "What''s wrong?"


    "Isn''t it all because of Yi Er?" She raised her eyes to look at An Yingcheng, with a sincere expression. "You should also know that Young Master Mu''s identity and looks are outstanding, when Yi Er saw such a charming and brilliant man, she naturally felt admiration for him, but today, her Prince Mu¡¯s Palace has already been set up with First Miss, so what can she do about Yi Er!"


    An Yingcheng frowned when he heard this, and he didn''t quite agree with his sentiments, "Yi Er is happy with the little prince? How come I didn''t know about this? "


    Madam Li had an excuse beforehand, she was not in a hurry, "If everyone knows about the matters of my daughter''s family, wouldn''t I lose a lot of face?"


    An Yingcheng nodded, "Even so, the marriage with Prince Mu¡¯s Palace has already been decided. It''s too late to say anything now."


    It was so easy to run into the emperor bestowing a marriage, and with such a great power in Prince Mu¡¯s Palace. How could he allow even the slightest mistake?


    Madam Li had followed beside him for many years, so she naturally had some understanding of An Yingcheng''s thoughts.


    Hearing An Yingcheng''s words, she rolled his eyes, he had an idea.


    "The emperor had ordered for the marriage to be held only to allow Prince An''s Palace and Prince Mu¡¯s Palace to be linked, and he did not specify which young miss it is. Although her Prince Mu¡¯s Palace has fallen for An Lingge, in any case, she is still a coward and stupid, why not think of a way to let Yi Er marry into the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace instead of her?


    An Yingcheng''s expression wavered, but he still bit his lips and did not say a word.


    The Madam Li was not discouraged and continued to speak, "Besides, old master, you still do not know about it. The Prince Yi¡¯s Palace has sent over news that they intend to make a marriage alliance with our Duke''s Mansion."


    This was big news.


    An Yingcheng was shocked, he became doubtful: "Is that true?"


    "Of course it''s true." The Madam Li laughed, "Then the princess of Prince Yi¡¯s Palace sent someone over to investigate your intentions. If possible, send someone over to propose marriage."


    Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, that was Prince Yi¡¯s Palace that was as rich as a nation!


    But ¡­


    An Yingcheng''s relaxed eyebrows wrinkled again, "Then the young prince of Prince Yi¡¯s Palace is a fool. Would Ling Ge be willing to marry him?"


    "Since ancient times, marriage was the order of the parents and the matchmaker. Master has nodded and agreed to this marriage, how could Eldest Miss say no?"


    "Moreover, this is a good marriage that even a lantern would not be able to find. If Eldest Young Miss were to marry a quasi wangfei, and if the Eldest Young Miss were to marry a would-be wangfei, then it would be even more so for the esteemed wangfei in the future. Her status is noble and noble, and many people would like to marry her, Prince Yi¡¯s Palace would not even bother them."


    An Yingcheng''s face became gloomy. In recent years, the Emperor had been very cautious of them, especially the other princes. If he could climb up the huge tree called Prince Yi¡¯s Palace and form a ball, then he would have some confidence.


    "Whatever, we''ll do as you say. Yi Er will marry into the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace in place of Ling Ge. over at the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace. " He pondered for a moment, and in the end, made up her mind, "Ling Ge will be marrying into the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, Prince Mu will allow me to think of an excuse."


    "Master is wise!" Madam Li was secretly pleased with herself, but she did not show it on the surface. She only smiled as she leaned her head on An Yingcheng''s shoulder, and a flash of viciousness appeared in her eyes.


    An Lingge, do you think that you can cause a storm in the Prince An''s Palace just by putting me in your army?


    Watch as she marries this little slut to a fool, making this slut the joke of the world!


    On the other hand, Bi Zhu left the Parasol House, and rushed towards the study room and shouted: "Old master, old master, quickly go and see young miss!"


    An Yingcheng leaned on a chair as Madam Li massaged his shoulders.


    Hearing Bi Zhu''s panicked shouts, he opened her eyes in displeasure, her imposing face carrying a sense of anger.


    "Shouting without any rules, you have simply lost face for Prince An''s Palace!" He shouted angrily before asking impatiently, "What''s wrong with Ling Ge now?"


    What trouble!


    Bi Zhu looked at An Yingcheng''s cold and indifferent appearance and felt sorrow in her heart. The young miss was the biological daughter of the old master, but she actually treated the young miss with such an indifferent attitude!


    But she immediately regained her senses and wiped away her bright red eyes, "Old master, quickly go and take a look at the little miss. The little miss, she, she ¡­ I''m afraid it''s not good. "


    An Yingcheng frowned even more. What did he mean by not good, was he going to die?


    "Speak clearly, what happened to Ling Ge?"


    still had to ask this question no matter how displeased he was with her. After all, An Lingge was going to give away the marriage contract, so he couldn''t let something go wrong at this time.


    Bi Zhu hurriedly took out the prepared explanation as she led An Yingcheng towards the Parasol House.


    Madam Li followed beside An Yingcheng as if she was watching a show, but she had a fake smile on her face, "Ling Ge is actually sick, why didn''t you call someone to notify me, go and invite doctor over quickly."


    Bi Zhu did not care about her acting, she walked faster and faster, and in a short while she reached the Parasol House.


    "Master, the little miss is inside. Quickly go in and take a look at her."


    Bi Zhu''s worried expression made An Yingcheng''s doubts become even deeper.


    He pushed the door open and went around the screen to see An Lingge lying on the bed.


    "Father."


    Seeing An Yingcheng coming in, An Lingge who was lying on the bed immediately stood up and called out to him.


    An Yingcheng glanced at her tightly wrapped face and immediately said, "What''s with your face? Did you call me here just to see you dressed like this? "


    "Father, Ling Ge asked Bi Zhu to call you over, it''s just that she wants to meet you again before she dies."


    She unwrapped her face, revealing the horrible red rash.


    "What''s going on?"


    An Yingcheng was shocked, and unconsciously retreated a few steps, as if he was looking at a ferocious beast.


    Bi Zhu suddenly rushed forward, hugging her master, and started to cry, "Today, Second Young Miss suddenly had a rash during the banquet, when Eldest Young Miss came back, she also had a rash on her face, other than the smallpox, what else could it be?"


    She cried so hard that An Yingcheng jumped in fright, and could not help but take a few steps back silently.


    When Madam Li heard this, her hands and feet turned cold. When she thought of An Lingyi''s sudden and violent rash, she only thought that it was Yi Er who was allergic to something.


    But what if An Lingge also had these rashes? It must be smallpox!


    Doesn''t that mean that Yi Er also had smallpox?


    An Yingcheng also thought of these questions, his face darkened as he instructed the servants outside, "Quickly go and invite doctor over!"

 C12

    With An Yingcheng''s order, a servant immediately walked over. In less than half an incense''s time, he brought an elder in a grey shirt along with him.


    "Greetings, Prince."


    The old man bowed slowly. An Yingcheng immediately raised his hand, "Quickly show First Miss what''s wrong with her. Why are there so many rashes?"


    When the old man saw the terrifying red rash on An Lingge''s face, he was shocked and did not dare to be careless. He immediately took out a thread from the medicine box and used Bi Zhu to wrap around An Lingge''s wrist to start pondering.


    "The pulse of the young miss is weak and weak, as thin as a sheet. In addition, her face is flushed red and the red rash is everywhere. I''m afraid ¡­"


    The grey clothed elder stroked his beard and did not speak out the rest of his words, causing the hearts of An Yingcheng and Madam Li to rise.


    "What is it?" Madam Li could not wait any longer and immediately asked.


    The old man stared into the eyes of the two and felt that it was difficult to say what he was going to say.


    But as a doctor, he naturally couldn''t make the two of them anxious, so she immediately said, "These symptoms are similar to smallpox, but they''re also not the same. Perhaps this old one''s skills aren''t good enough, so why not enter the palace and get an imperial physician to diagnose me?"


    Smallpox!


    An Yingcheng''s breath tightened, he didn''t even have the heart to ask for an imperial physician to diagnose him.


    He dejectedly waved his hand and looked at An Lingge with a complex expression, his cold and detached look carrying a little disgust.


    "Father."


    An Lingge''s flushed face suddenly turned white, but she still bit her lips and looked at An Yingcheng with the eyes of a monk.


    "Ling Ge knows very well that her body is gravely ill and is unwilling to infect the rest of the family. Thus, she requested to leave the Duke''s Mansion. To be able to glance at Father before she left, Ling Ge already has no other requests."


    His small face that was the size of a palm was filled with sincerity, and his clear eyes made An Yingcheng feel weak in his heart.


    He had once been a father for the first time and truly liked this daughter of his. However, after marrying the Madam Li and having such a sweet and crafty little daughter like An Lingyi, he naturally forgot about this timid and dull daughter of his.


    Now that he was being watched by a gaze like An Lingge, An Yingcheng only felt a part of his heart being hit and hurt.


    He coughed unnaturally, not knowing whether he should comfort An Lingge to stay in the Palace or send her out of the Palace immediately.


    "It might not be smallpox yet, you ¡­"


    "You can stay in the Qing Yun Temple outside the city for a period of time, and take a good rest. Old Master and I will definitely find the best doctor to treat your illness."


    The Madam Li interrupted An Yingcheng and looked at him with displeasure in his eyes. She immediately explained with a smile, "This disease is contagious, and for the life of everyone in the Duke Palaces, it''s best for Eldest Miss to go out and recuperate."


    With just one sentence, she had firmly determined that An Lingge''s body was covered with smallpox, and in the name of being nice to everyone, she insisted on sending him out, but she did not know that she was following An Lingge''s intentions.


    An Lingge''s eyes instantly turned red, and tears welled up in her eyes, "If daughter can''t pass this test, please take good care of father."


    "You silly child, what you say is all nonsense." It was rare for An Yingcheng to soften his tone, but he still went along with Madam Li''s words, "When you reach the Qing Yun Temple, I will immediately go to the palace and invite an imperial physician to come for you."


    "Thank you, father." An Lingge nodded her head with tears in her eyes. She was extremely grateful, which made An Yingcheng feel both guilt and heartache.


    "Whatever it is that you lack here, feel free to tell others to tell the butler. I, the great miss Prince An''s Palace, do not allow myself to be wronged." With An Yingcheng''s words, Madam Li''s face immediately became ugly.


    But what made her even more pale was still behind her.


    Unknowingly, Bi Zhu had already brought over a small package, "Miss''s things are ready, you can set off at any time."


    The latter nodded and looked towards An Yingcheng, as if he was in a difficult situation.


    "If you have something to say, just say it." An Yingcheng''s fatherly love flared up, and he became more patient.


    Only then did An Lingge bite her lips, and her hesitant gaze landed on Madam Li.


    "Ling Ge''s smallpox was spread by Yi Er''s sister. Ling Ge''s situation is still so serious, I''m afraid that Yi Er''s situation isn''t any better. Whether or not father will send Little Sister Yi Er to the Qing Yun Temple, we sisters will have to look after each other. "


    And An Lingyi!


    Madam Li suddenly thought of this matter. She only wanted to send An Lingge, this bitch, away, but she never thought that it would affect her own Yi Er.


    So that''s how it is. To think that it was this idea.


    Madam Li clenched her teeth fiercely, the knife in her eyes staring at An Lingge''s body, the hypocritical smile on her face almost could not keep up.


    She took a deep breath and laughed, "What First Miss said is wrong, you have smallpox, this is the doctor''s diagnosis, but you can''t say that Yi Er gave you the smallpox right away. Yi Er is just allergic, with a rash on her body, she might not have smallpox. "


    The more Madam Li said, the more confident she became. She looked at An Lingge proudly, "The time that First Miss has spent in contact with Yi Er is not as long as me and Yi Er. If Yi Er had smallpox, wouldn''t I be the first one to catch the infection? But look, I''m fine now. "


    An Yingcheng looked suspiciously at Madam Li. Thinking that she really wasn''t acting strangely, he more or less believed her words.


    "If only I could let doctor see it for Little Sister Yi Er, if she doesn''t have smallpox, it would be good, but at the same time, I can treat Little Sister Yi Er. If she has smallpox, it would be good for Father to be prepared.


    An Lingge''s tone was light and gentle, yet she took back the words of the Madam Li, making him speechless for a moment, and actually didn''t know what to say.


    The confrontation between the two people did not make a sound, so An Yingcheng naturally was not aware of it.


    He frowned and thought for a moment, then nodded his head, and said to doctor at the side, "I hope that Elder Sun can give me a hard time to treat my daughter."


    The grey clothed elder nodded his head in agreement. Just as he was about to follow the servant towards An Lingyi''s courtyard, the sound of footsteps came from outside the courtyard.


    "An Lingge, is today''s matter something up to you?"


    An Lingyi angrily walked in, but just as sshe finished speaking, he was startled by the person in front of him.


    "Father, why are you here?"


    She lowered her head somewhat guiltily, not daring to meet her father''s gaze.


    An Yingcheng stared at his youngest daughter with a dark expression.


    "Is that how you speak to your first wife? To call him by his full name, to charge recklessly, to even learn the etiquette of a dog! "


    If he hadn''t seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that his cute and cute little daughter would have such an arrogant and despotic side to her.


    How could An Lingyi be scolded so harshly? Her eyes immediately turned red.


    An Yingcheng did not even look as he spoke to doctor, "Since Second Young Miss is here, let Elder Sun give her the diagnosis."

 C13

    "Diagnosis?"


    An Lingyi shot a glance at the old man in grey, he recalled the red lumps on his face and silently allowed Elder Sun to feel his pulse.


    Elder Sun put his hand on the silk, his white brows knitted tighter and tighter.


    An Yingcheng''s heart became heavier and heavier, he could not help but be anxious, "Elder Sun, how is Second Miss''s condition?"


    "Reporting to Your Highness, Second Miss'' pulse is almost the same as Eldest Miss''s, she should... It''s the same disease. "


    Madam Li felt light-headed, her vision turning black, and her ears ringing.


    Smallpox is a deadly disease! How could her Yi Er catch smallpox!


    "It must be the wrong diagnosis. Take a look, Yi Er won''t get smallpox!"


    Madam Li''s face turned white, she grabbed Elder Sun''s sleeve, her face full of disbelief.


    An Lingyi, who was at the side, was still a little confused, "What smallpox? Mother, what are you talking about?"


    An Lingge said softly, "Little sister Yi Er, don''t hide the fact that you have smallpox. I don''t blame you for infecting me with smallpox, but what if you continue to hide it and cause harm to everyone in the Duke Palace?"


    At this point, An Lingyi could not figure out the situation, and was pretending to hide her identity.


    Originally, An Yingcheng was still sad that his two daughters had smallpox. After hearing An Lingge''s words, his pity for his second daughter also disappeared.


    "Stop playing dumb. Ling Ge has already been implicated by you to the point of having smallpox. Do you still want to kill the entire Duke Palaces? Pack your things right now, and follow Ling Ge to the Qing Yun Temple to recuperate! "


    "What smallpox, what Qing Yun Temple, what did you all say?" An Lingyi was confused, but understood the last sentence, "Let me follow her to that bitter place called Qing Yun Temple, I don''t want to go!"


    As she said that, she reached out to shake An Yingcheng''s sleeves, but was dodged by the latter.


    An Lingyi pouted as she felt wronged. However, her cute look did not make An Yingcheng soften at all.


    "Look at your good daughter. At this time, she still doesn''t know how to think for the greater good. She is so selfish and selfish, without any trace of the bearing of a daughter of the King''s Mansion."


    An Yingcheng turned his head and looked at Madam Li, not caring about how upset she was, he said a few words to the servant coldly.


    "Go ask the butler to prepare a carriage. Take advantage of the fact that it''s still early today, and send the two misses to Qing Yun Temple."


    "I''m not going!" An Lingyi was raised delicately, how could she be willing to go to a temple or something like that, she shouted loudly.


    An Yingcheng turned around, his eyes ice-cold. "You only have an hour to pack up your bow, if you don''t want to go to the Qing Yun Temple, get the hell out of there right now."


    "Father." An Lingyi looked at his ice-cold eyes in shock. She still wanted to open her mouth to refute, but was fiercely glared at by the Madam Li, causing her to pout her lips in grievance and not say a word.


    An Yingcheng seemed to be infuriated, as he said those words and walked out of the Parasol House.


    "Father said that Little Sister Yi Er only had an hour''s time to pack up and pay respects. I''m afraid that it''s not a joke, wouldn''t Aunt help Little Sister?"


    Her smile was warm and gentle, and her words were extremely considerate, yet it caused Madam Li to feel a chill in her heart, and a chill ran down her spine.


    She thought that An Lingge had only bit her because she was forced into a corner. Who knew that this little bitch An Lingge was actually so sinister and despicable, willing to send her to the temple to pull her Yi Er along.


    This damned bitch!


    Madam Li clenched her fist so hard that her knuckles turned white, and only then did she squeeze out a word from between her teeth.


    "Naturally, I am helping Yi Er prepare for the ceremony, but since the young miss is by herself, going to the temple alone, if anything happens, I am afraid the old master will be powerless."


    How could she not take care of an orphan girl that had lost her mother?


    The Madam Li was angry, and her words carried a threat.


    However, An Lingge acted as if she didn''t understand at all, and only gently smiled, allowing Bi Zhu to send the two of them out.


    An hour passed in the blink of an eye, An Lingge had long since arrived at the entrance of the Palace.


    The coachman was feeling sleepy from waiting, when he saw An Lingyi walking over with grievances, followed by two maidservants, each carrying a large and round bundle.


    "Sister Yi Er, are you moving house now?"


    An Lingge smiled gently, but it made An Lingyi so angry that her face turned red.


    "An Lingge, don''t think that I don''t know, that so-called smallpox is fake. I don''t feel the slightest bit sick, how could I get smallpox? "But you ¡­"


    Her venomous eyes swept across An Lingge''s body as she ruthlessly said, "Even the heavens can''t tolerate your existence. If you want smallpox to take your life, tsk tsk, what a pity."


    "Yeah, I''m so pitiful. Since Little Sister Yi Er is so close to me, I wonder if she''s been infected by me."


    An Lingge smiled gently, with a hint of coldness and threat in her eyes. She was so shocked that An Lingyi hurriedly fell back two steps and almost fell to the ground.


    "You, you, you, stay away from me!"


    In fright, she suddenly reached out her hand to push An Lingge, and the latter took the chance to tilt and fall into Bi Zhu''s embrace.


    "Eldest Miss, are you alright?"


    Bi Zhu immediately helped her mistress up, anger was written all over her fair face, "No matter how much the Second Miss dislikes Eldest Miss, she shouldn''t be pushed around right? Eldest Miss had originally fallen into the water because of you, and her body isn''t fully recovered yet, what if something happens again?"


    "You, a mere servant girl, dare to point fingers at me?"


    An Lingyi''s face flushed red, she raised his palm and flung it towards Bi Zhu''s face.


    "Stop!"


    An Yingcheng walked over with a dark face and an unspeakable disappointment in his eyes as he looked at An Lingyi, "This humble one does not differentiate, and this disrespectful direct sister. An Lingyi, you have truly forgotten about teaching Prince An''s Palace."


    "Daddy, why are you here?"


    An Lingyi immediately softened her tone and quickly lowered her hand.


    Afraid that An Yingcheng would misunderstand, she quickly explained, "It was this slut that was trying to order me around, that''s why I wanted to teach her a lesson or two, and didn''t do anything to big sister."


    "He didn''t attack Ling Ge?" An Yingcheng sneered, "Then who viciously pushed her?"


    Damn it, why did my father see it?


    An Lingyi uneasily twisted her sleeves, and lowered her head without saying a word.


    Seeing her feeling wronged, An Yingcheng finally softened his tone. "Forget it, once we reach the Qing Yun Temple, you and Ling Ge will get along. I''ll enter the palace to get an imperial physician right now."


    "Father, don''t worry. Ling Ge will definitely take good care of Little Sister Yi Er."


    An Lingge spoke gently, revealing her straight daughter''s demeanor.


    This was a battlefield that she had chosen beforehand, she hoped that An Lingyi would not disappoint her.

 C14

    Bi Zhu sat by An Lingge''s side while carrying the small package. She lifted up the muslin cloth to look outside the carriage and asked softly, "Miss, why did we leave the Duke''s Palace?"


    She really couldn''t understand why the young miss would leave the Duke Palaces, but had to use a trick to run to the pure and bitter Qing Yun Temple.


    An Lingge was resting with his eyes closed. Upon hearing that, she opened his eyes, revealing a pair of eyes that were bright like the stars.


    She slightly pursed her lips, the meaning behind her smile unknown.


    "Bi Zhu, what do you think about my accidental fall into the water a few days ago?"


    An Lingge didn''t answer the question and it stunned her for a while, but she quickly replied, "Didn''t you already investigate this matter thoroughly? It was the second young miss who sent someone to push the young miss into the water and wanted to slander the young miss and ruin her innocence. "


    "That''s right, but why is An Lingyi framing me like that? In the eyes of outsiders, we are sisters by blood, and should be extremely close to each other. " An Lingge''s expression was indifferent, not at all sad or surprised by this matter.


    She had died in An Lingyi''s hands in her previous life and knew that not only did An Lingyi not have any feelings for her, he even wished that she could die for him. The love in her heart had long since disappeared without a trace.


    After Bi Zhu was questioned, she frowned and pondered, then said hesitantly: "This servant does not know why Second Young Miss did such a thing, maybe, it was because Second Young Miss was mischievous and had evil intentions."


    An Lingge''s gaze fell upon her body. Her gaze was clear and profound, as though she could directly see the bottom of the heart of a person.


    "Bi Zhu, you are a servant that my mother left me. You should at least be able to guess what Second Miss and Aunt are thinking." She reached out to grab Bi Zhu, her expression gentle yet firm, "Since they want me to die, how can I continue to be weak like before? Since they were already destined to be unable to coexist, they might as well fight to the death. However, are you sure you won''t regret following me through this bloody storm? "


    "Miss." Bi Zhu''s eyes were filled with tears, "Bi Zhu said that if Mistress had not persuaded her to buy Bi Zhu and bring him to the mansion, Bi Zhu would have died in the snow that year. Such a saving grace, even if it were Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild, Bi Zhu would definitely accompany Miss, and would not leave. "


    "Silly Bi Zhu," An Lingge looked at her innocent and innocent face, and sighed lightly, "Since that''s the case, then you should prepare yourself. The Qing Yun Temple is the true beginning of my fight with An Lingyi."


    As soon as she finished her sentence, the carriage began to whine, and the entire carriage began to shake violently with the high-pitched sound of the horses.


    "What''s going on?"


    Just as Bi Zhu stuck her head out to ask about the situation, she was thrown backwards by the impact and almost fell to the ground.


    An Lingge quickly grabbed onto her hand, but unexpectedly, the horse carriage just happened to pass by a rock. The bumpy horse carriage started to shake even more violently, throwing An Lingge out as well.


    "Miss!"


    Bi Zhu screamed out, her entire body was already thrown out of the carriage, and only her hands were tightly held by An Lingge. Only then did she barely manage to keep from falling, and her fate of being stepped on by horses.


    "Stop, stop the car."


    She looked at Bi Zhu''s pale face and thought back to the scene of Bi Zhu''s tragic death in front of her. She felt cold sweat seeping out of her palms.


    "Hold my hand tight." An Lingge pulled Bi Zhu with one hand and held onto the edge of the carriage with the other.


    "Ma is crazy! Ma is crazy!"


    The coachman''s face was pale, his hands shaking uncontrollably on the reins.


    He shouted with all his might, trying to stop the galloping horses, but all he could do was watch the horses rampage until they reached the city wall.


    Only then did An Lingge realize that the horse was strange. The horse seemed to have suffered from some sort of provocation, and rushed forward without a care, as though it could not see the hard city in front, and did not know how to dodge.


    This is bad!


    An Lingge''s heart turned cold, if they did not quickly stop the horse carriage, they would have crashed into the city walls together with the horse carriage. With their current speed, if they did not die, they would at least be severely injured.


    She quickly took a look at the two sides of the road. The bystanders had long since hidden themselves away because of the frenzied horses. The usually lively street seemed somewhat deserted.


    "Bi Zhu, jump down from the side later."


    Seeing that had rolled on the ground twice and stood up safely, she extended her hand to pull the hairpin on his head. Leaping forward, she jumped past the coachman and sat on the back of the horse.


    Before the coachman could scream, she stabbed the sharp hairpin in her hand fiercely into the horse''s neck. Fresh red blood gushed out and sprayed all over her face.


    The horse was in pain. It shook its body even more crazily, wanting to throw the person on its back off.


    An Lingge stuck close to the back of the horse and tightly wrapped her arm around its neck, bringing the hairpin in by a few inches.


    "Miss, it''s too dangerous. Come down quickly!"


    Bi Zhu''s face was pale white. She felt like she had fallen into an icehouse, even her own blood was cold.


    It was as if An Lingge couldn''t hear her call, as if she was talking to a horse. The dagger in her hand fiercely sank a little more, and only after it had completely sunk into its neck did the shaking of the horse slowly become weaker.


    Following a loud thud, the horse fell to the ground and remained motionless. An Lingge also fell to the ground because of its fall.


    Bi Zhu immediately ran over to her master''s side to check on her injuries.


    Seeing the red marks on the back of An Lingge''s hand, Bi Zhu''s tears instantly started to flow.


    "It''s all because Bi Zhu is useless that caused Miss to be injured." Her tears flowed down like water, as she took out some Golden Sore Medicine from her bag and smeared it on An Lingge''s wounds.


    An Lingge only felt a slight pain in her hands, but following the sprinkling of the Golden Sore Medicine, the pain also lessened by a lot.


    At this time, she didn''t have time to comfort Bi Zhu anymore. She quickly walked to the coachman''s side, and only after seeing the coachman clenching his teeth and crying for pain did she finally heave a sigh of relief.


    "Bi Zhu, go and get a doctor to treat his injuries." An Lingge instructed calmly, her gaze landing on the horses that had fallen to the ground.


    "But Miss, what about your injury?" Bi Zhu stood in place without moving, obviously unable to rest at all.


    An Lingge smiled, "It''s just a superficial wound, nothing serious, but he, on the other hand, should be injured to the bone. If she is not treated quickly, I''m afraid she will become disabled in the future."


    Bi Zhu still wanted to say something, but facing An Lingge''s unquestionable gaze, Bi Zhu eventually ran over to the nearby infirmary to invite a doctor.


    Only after she had walked far away did An Lingge''s gaze turn ice-cold.


    To make a move on her on the way here, Madam Li was really impatient.

 C15

    Knowing that the Madam Li wanted to take action against him, An Lingge became more vigilant, and even made the request to sit in the same carriage as An Lingyi.


    "On what basis? Your carriage broke down and you want to squeeze in with me? "


    An Lingyi looked up arrogantly, with a hint of schadenfreude, "An Lingge, you are really unlucky. After being sent to the temple by father, you actually met a horse that went crazy, ordinary people wouldn''t have that kind of luck."


    "Yeah, my luck is really bad." An Lingge laughed lightly, she was not moved at all, "I wonder who was so mischievous to actually have a few needles on the horse''s hooves, if not, why would the horses go crazy for such a good reason?"


    She looked at An Lingyi with a smile that was yet not a smile, "Little Sister Yi Er, if not, I would have sent someone to report this to father and have him investigate this matter thoroughly and see what kind of thing has fallen into his heart. He actually dares to mess with Prince An''s Palace''s carriage. I''m the one who was hurt today, and I don''t know who was hurt tomorrow. It could have been you, it could have been my aunt, it could have been my father. "Tell me, if Father were to find such a dangerous person like her, what should he do?"


    Aunt?


    Listening to An Lingge biting down on her words, An Lingyi seemed to have thought of something, the words that Madam Li had whispered to her seemed to confirm what was happening right now.


    Her expression kept changing, but she was afraid that An Lingge would expose this matter. In the end, she said with a dark face, "Wasn''t it just the carriage that had an accident? I think that you just don''t want to go to the Qing Yun Temple and return back to the Duke Palaces in a different way. "


    "Without a carriage, how could I even get to the Qing Yun Temple? We can only return to the estate and report to father. " An Lingge then turned and left.


    "Wait." An Lingyi pursed her lips, she was extremely unwilling, "Isn''t it just riding in the same carriage as me? I''ll be kind and take you along. "


    The corner of An Lingge''s mouth curled up slightly, and his beautiful face that was like a peach revealed a little more brilliance, causing the black color on An Lingyi''s face to become even heavier.


    The two of them could be considered to have broken off all relations, and on the way, they naturally did not have any kind of passionate conversation or the joy of being sisters. After silently arriving at the Qing Yun Temple, An Lingyi immediately took her own servant girl to the side rooms.


    "Damned bitch, you dare to threaten me!"


    An Lingyi casually threw a teacup down, her cute face was filled with hostility.


    "Please calm your anger, Miss." The maidservant at the side hurried over to comfort her, "Eldest Young Miss has always been an idiot. After falling into the water, it was as if she was a completely different person. She even made Madam suffer in her hands."


    She changed the cup into a new one and poured some tea for An Lingyi, while observing her master''s expression, "Today, when the horse went mad, this servant just so happened to see the young miss climb onto the horse, and kill it with the hairpin in her hand. That kind of bloodlust and viciousness, might not even be comparable to that of a man."


    "What are you trying to say?" An Lingyi was confused when she heard it, and impatiently glanced at the servant girl.


    "What this servant means is that the young miss has a cowardly character. Everyone knows that. If she were to suddenly do these abnormal things, there must be someone behind her." The servant girl laughed, and then revealed a hidden look at An Lingyi, "As long as we can find out who the mastermind is, and get rid of him, wouldn''t the young miss still be at your mercy?"


    An Lingyi''s gloomy face gradually eased, and in the end, even raised the corner of her mouth, revealing a malicious smile, "Tell me, how do you think I should find out who the mastermind is?"


    The servant girl leaned over An Lingyi and muttered to herself for a while, the latter''s eyes flashed with a malicious light, and finally ordered, "I will leave this matter to you, be more secretive. After everything is done, I will choose you as my concubine, and bring you to Prince Mu¡¯s Palace together with me."


    The maidservant was overjoyed, "I will definitely not disappoint you."


    She turned around and left the room, following the mountain path all the way down until her figure gradually disappeared.


    On the other side, Bi Zhu opened the bag she was carrying and took out the things inside. She then looked at An Lingge and said angrily, "Miss, the horses went crazy today, for no reason, and almost caused the Miss to lose her life. Shouldn''t you tell this matter to the Prince, and let the Duke seek justice for you?"


    An Lingge put down the book in her hand, her expression indifferent, "Did you forget? Why was I sent here to the Qing Yun Temple? "


    "Smallpox." When the two words came out of her mouth, Bi Zhu finally understood. "Could it be that in the eyes of the Duke, the Young Miss is destined to die soon, so she won''t investigate everything thoroughly for this matter?"


    "No, he will." An Lingge shook her head, "The carriage in the mansion has been tampered with, but it is related to Father''s own life. If he knew about this, he would have thoroughly investigated it."


    "Then what?"


    "However, this matter cannot be said by us," An Lingge taught Bi Zhu a little, "I am a person with smallpox, and I do not know how long I can live. For ordinary people, this kind of thing is a huge matter, but for me, it''s nothing more than a small matter.


    Bi Zhu nodded her head as if she understood something, but she was still unhappy, "That scoundrel obviously wanted the life of the young miss, is he going to let him go just like that?"


    Looking at her angry expression, An Lingge could not help but laugh, "Don''t forget about that coachman."


    The groom?


    Bi Zhu thought of the coachman who broke his leg. She heard from the doctor that she would need to recuperate for two to three months before she could finally walk around.


    She rolled her round eyes, and clapped her hands together in excitement. "That coachman will definitely report this matter to the Prince. The person who framed the Miss will definitely be severely punished by the Prince."


    The person who framed her?


    The image of Madam Li''s furious and twisted face appeared in An Lingge''s mind as a self-deprecating smile flashed across her lips.


    Even if his father found out who the mastermind was, he wouldn''t truly kill the Madam Li. As long as the Imperial Noble Consort Li didn''t fall, his father wouldn''t be able to truly punish the Madam Li.


    But that''s fine too, as long as she continued to play like this, little by little, it would consume the affection her father had for the Madam Li. One day, her father would unhesitantly give up on the latter.


    She put down the books in her hands and said to Bi Zhu, "Forget it, it''s getting late, keep these books."


    Bi Zhu replied. She tidied up An Lingge''s room and picked up a candle to go out and bring the dinner over, but suddenly let out a scream.


    "Little... Miss, Snake, Snake... There''s a snake! "


    Her face was pale as she stepped back into the room, her trembling lips revealing her fear.


    When An Lingge heard this, she looked outside, only to see that at the side room''s door, dozens of different colored snakes had crawled in. Under the light of the candlelight, they looked extremely terrifying and sinister.


    How could there be a snake here?


    With no time to think, An Lingge pulled Bi Zhu''s hand and ran towards the window.

 C16

    "Quick, jump out!"


    An Lingge opened the window and pushed Bi Zhu forward.


    "No, miss, you go first." Bi Zhu held his Young Miss''s hand tightly and protected her behind him.


    The hissing sound was getting closer and closer. A layer of fine sweat appeared on An Lingge''s forehead as she grabbed the candle in Bi Zhu''s hand and then pulled over the screen. She decisively threw the candle on the screen.


    With a ceng sound, the flames expanded with the wind and quickly burned through the entire screen. Even the nearest few snakes began to struggle within the flames before turning into charcoal.


    "Let''s go!"


    Just as An Lingge was about to grab Bi Zhu''s hand and jump out, a snake suddenly hung down from the roof beam and landed on Bi Zhu''s face.


    An Lingge looked at the snake and felt a bit of fear in her heart. However, she still endured her fear and reached out to grab the snake.


    Ah!


    She didn''t grab the snake''s seven inches. Instead, she was bitten by the snake. She couldn''t help but cry out in pain.


    "Stupid."


    A clear and bright male voice suddenly sounded out, and a slender and handsome figure landed beside An Lingge.


    He quickly stretched out his hand, accurately pinching the snake''s seven inches. He picked up the snake''s body and threw it away.


    Mu Junhan lowered his head to look at the two small snake-tooth marks on An Lingge''s snow-white wrist.


    The rest of the snakes seemed to be infuriated as they rushed forward, their fangs glowing with a dangerous light.


    Mu Junhan did not mind, the dagger in his hand slipped out, a few cold lights flashed, and there were snake corpses on the floor, and they were even casually thrown out by the man, conveniently extinguishing the flames on the screen.


    "Why are you here?"


    Seeing that those terrifying snakes had been wiped clean, An Lingge heaved a sigh of relief, looking vigilantly at the tall and handsome man in front of him.


    Her guarded eyes made Mu Junhan feel stifled, and the bottom of his heart inexplicably hurt.


    "This Qing Yun Temple tourists are so numerous, can''t I come here to admire the scenery?"


    Just as he said that, he saw the corner of An Lingge''s mouth turning green. It was obvious that the snake poison had already acted up.


    "What a fool."


    Mu Junhan cursed in a low voice, but suddenly pulled An Lingge''s hand, placed it on his lips, and sucked it without hesitation.


    His lips that carried a sense of coolness, stuck onto An Lingge''s smooth and warm wrist, causing An Lingge to feel as if electricity had passed through her body; her mind was completely blank.


    "You ¡­ What are you doing? "


    After a long while, An Lingge finally regained her senses, a faint blush appeared on her beautiful face, and her charming and bashful look startled Mu Junhan, causing the light in her eyes to unconsciously become gentler.


    "This Hereditary Prince is giving you drugs, otherwise, you would have to go to the Underworld to drink tea with the King of Hell."


    The words in his mouth were still sharp, but his movements were extremely careful, as if he was facing a peerless treasure.


    An Lingge looked at Mu Junhan who was seriously taking drugs for himself, and felt mixed emotions for a moment.


    Only when the blood that Mu Junhan spat out was no longer black did An Lingge retract her hand and thank him helplessly.


    "No need. Save me once, I''ll save you once. We''re even."


    Mu Junhan reverted back to the playful and disrespectful appearance of a slut, and looked at An Lingge with a playful look, "However, this Hereditary Prince never expected that there would actually be someone stupid enough to grab a snake with their bare hands in this world, and not even realizing that they had caught seven inches of the snake. They were bitten off guard and nearly lost their lives."


    "I''m not that stupid." An Lingge couldn''t help but retort, "I was going to grab its seven inches, but ¡­ It was just that it was able to dodge it. "


    This kind of embarrassing situation, yet Mu Junhan actually bumped into it. An Lingge wished for nothing more than for a crack to appear in front of him so that she could burrow inside.


    A smile appeared in Mu Junhan''s eyes, "Oh, so that''s how it is."


    He looked at the unconscious Bi Zhu and said to An Lingge, "Your maidservant seems to be too shocked, but you, as a young miss, sure are courageous."


    "Of course I have guts. Otherwise, how would I have dared to save the young prince?" An Lingge replied, and then said, "It''s already late, so I''m afraid it''s not appropriate for the young duke to be here, no?"


    Even if they were married couples in name, it wouldn''t be good for them to be caught red-handed at this time.


    Were they chasing him away?


    Mu Junhan raised his eyebrow, but the woman in front of him was unmoved, and only looked at him with a "why are you still here" gaze, causing him to feel somewhat irritated from the bottom of his heart.


    "You saved me out of good intentions, yet you are in such a hurry to chase this Hereditary Prince away. What a heartless woman."


    He held onto his chest with one hand, acting as if he was heartbroken, causing An Lingge to roll his eyes, "If I remember correctly, the two of us owe each other nothing, and these words were said by the young noble."


    So you can just leave.


    As An Lingge wrote these information in his eyes, a trace of helplessness flashed past his eyes. "Alright, this Hereditary Prince will leave now, but ¡­"


    "But what?"


    An Lingge turned her head, and a shadow swept over him.


    The man''s lips brushed past hers like a dragonfly touching the water, disturbing An Lingge''s entire heart.


    "Take care of yourself, my fianc¨¦e."


    With these words, he leapt out of the window and disappeared into the moonlight in the blink of an eye.


    An Lingge covered her hot face. She was ashamed and annoyed at the fact that she had not even said the phrase "as a lecher".


    That person ¡­ How could that person do such an outrageous thing!


    Her heart was thumping, but she couldn''t tell if it was anger or embarrassment. All she could think of was that gentle kiss.


    Even when she was in bed, An Lingge was not sleepy at all.


    The next morning, Bi Zhu slowly woke up and immediately looked for An Lingge''s figure.


    "Miss, it''s really good to see that you''re fine."


    She cried out in joy, and then noticed the black flame in An Lingge''s eyes, her face had a look of doubt, "Did the little miss chase away those snakes yesterday? "Did you not sleep all night? Your complexion doesn''t look too good. Do you want this servant to go and give you ¡­"


    "No need." An Lingge thought about what happened last night and could only wish that she could slap that lecher twice. But now, she had more important things to attend to.


    "Go and tell the director that a lot of snakes have suddenly appeared and ask him to help us check them out." She instructed Bi Zhu, her eyes filled with a dark and cold intent, "Also, get someone to help you clean up the corpses of the snakes."


    Bi Zhu''s face revealed a look of astonishment, but she nodded her head: I will do it right away.


    An Lingge looked at her leaving figure, then turned and walked towards An Lingyi''s room.


    "An Lingge, are you alright?"


    Seeing that An Lingge was safe and sound, the surprise and disappointment on her face could not be hidden.


    "What, should something have happened to me?" An Lingge raised her eyebrow, her bright black eyes made An Lingyi feel guilty.

 C17

    Perhaps it was because he was afraid that the things he had done would be exposed, but it was rare for An Lingyi to not have such an overbearing attitude, and anxiety that could not be hidden on his face.


    "Are you alright? What has it got to do with me?"


    She turned her head, no longer looking at An Lingge''s dark and bright eyes which made people''s hearts palpitate with fear, the words from her mouth still carrying the arrogance and domineering tone from before.


    An Lingge looked at her with a smile that was not a smile. She took out a snake that was split into two and threw it in front of An Lingyi, neither fast nor slow.


    "Since Little Sister Yi Er doesn''t want to come to a bitter and cold place like Qing Yun Temple, you must be used to living like a prince, so you can''t bear the pain of the fast punishment. I coincidentally bumped into some snakes last night, so I might as well give it to Little Sister Yi Er.


    Her gentle and smiling appearance made her look like a caring and caring sister. It was just that in An Lingyi''s eyes, her smile was no different from a demon''s that had just returned from hell.


    "You, you, you killed those snakes?"


    An Lingyi''s words were trembling, and she unconsciously thought of the servant girl''s words: The young miss took the hairpin and killed the horse, she was so ruthless, even to a man.


    Seeing the fear on An Lingyi''s face, An Lingge''s smile widened, "That''s right, I don''t know why, but suddenly there were so many snakes, so I might as well kill them all and use them to make my sister''s snake broth."


    "Who cares about the snake broth, quickly take it away!"


    An Lingyi''s gaze fell on the snake''s body. She felt her stomach churning, and she almost vomited.


    This woman had killed dozens of snakes. If such a vicious person were to lay his hands on her ¡­


    She stealthily moved a few steps back until her maid supported her. Only then did her panicked state of mind gradually calm down.


    An Lingge looked at her miserable state and did not expose her. Instead, she changed the topic.


    "Father sent some people to send news over. He had already invited Imperial Physician Zhang to the palace yesterday, so by now, he has already reached the Qing Yun Temple. Should Little Sister Yi Er go over to take a look?"


    An Lingyi''s face was filled with unwillingness, "It''s just a mere imperial physician, do you need me to welcome him?"


    "Isn''t Sister Yi Er worried about her disease?" "I don''t know when these red rashes will be good enough. Even if they aren''t smallpox and aren''t even a threat to Little Sister Yi Er''s life, they would damage little sister''s looks."


    It was detrimental to his appearance.


    An Lingyi lowered her head to look at the red spots on her hands, and called for the servant to apply some thick powder on them, covering the blemishes, "Forget it, I''ll go take a look, if the imperial physician really has some ability, if he can''t cure my illness, I''ll make sure he''ll be alright!"


    Arrogant, domineering, violent, and despotic. How had he died in this woman''s scheme in his previous life?


    An Lingge looked at the lady in front of him, and a faint suspicion surfaced in her heart.


    But very quickly, she suppressed this doubt and brought An Lingyi down the mountain.


    It was in the spring of March, when the tourists were all around, An Lingyi, who was following behind An Lingge with a gloomy face, was suddenly blocked.


    "Benefactor, please wait."


    "Yesterday night, many poisonous snakes suddenly appeared from the side room of the woman''s house. The host suspects that someone intentionally let the snakes harm people, and is currently investigating them one by one. I would like to invite the two benefactors and the little monk to go to the main hall, and the host will personally prove their innocence."


    "What do you mean?" An Lingyi shouted in anger, "Don''t tell me that even though I''m a dignified genius of the Prince An''s Palace, I want to follow you there for some ridiculous proof?"


    "Mrs. Mingzhu has already proven her innocence. Please do not make things difficult for this little one."


    Even the Mrs. Mingzhu came?


    An Lingyi was panicking in her heart. Just as she was about to think of an excuse to reject, she heard An Lingge say, "If even such an esteemed person as Mrs. Mingzhu follows the arrangements of the host, Little Sister Yi Er should not use her power to suppress others, in case they laugh at her."


    Who was the Mrs. Mingzhu, the current emperor''s aunt? Other than the empress dowager, she was the most noble woman in the Great Zhou Empire. Even she had listened to the arrangements made by the empress to prove her innocence.


    As he understood all these, An Lingyi bit her lips in hatred and changed her direction, heading towards the main hall.


    There were already many madams and young ladies standing in the great hall of the Qing Yun Temple. There were also various maids waiting on them, allowing them to see the host who was standing in front of the Buddha statue with a single glance.


    Seeing An Lingge and the others enter, he clasped his hands together and bowed to them, then spoke out, "Benefactor, may I trouble you to place your hands in the box there, whether it is innocent or not, we will know after one try."


    An Lingyi''s gaze followed the host''s gaze and saw Bi Zhu standing there with a square box in her arms, coincidentally having a lady stick her hand in.


    "If a person is innocent, his hand should be white when he takes it out; if a person does something bad, his hand will turn black. Host, is that right? " An Lingge said as she walked towards Bi Zhu''s side, and put her hands inside without hesitation.


    An Lingyi stood behind her and quietly smiled.


    So this was the method to prove her innocence. Heh, did she think that she had never heard this story before? Such a simple scheme couldn''t fool her.


    An Lingyi saw An Lingge take out his hand, and then without hesitation, she reached his hand in.


    When she took out her hands later, they would also be white. Let''s see what An Lingge has to say!


    A proud smile appeared in her eyes. She was about to take out her hand when she suddenly felt a sharp pain on her fingertip.


    "It hurts!"


    An Lingyi screamed out and suddenly retracted her hand. On her hand that was smeared with thick powder, two small teeth marks could be seen and a colorful snake was crawling up her arm.


    "It''s a snake! A snake!" An Lingyi swung her arms fiercely as if she had gone mad. The feeling of the cold snake wriggling on her wrist made her stare at him in fear, and she almost wanted to faint on the spot.


    The monk at the side reacted quickly and grabbed the snake by seven inches. An Lingyi finally managed to catch her breath.


    Her gaze fell on her hand that had been bitten by the snake. She felt her eyes grow dizzy, and her lips turned green at a speed that could be seen with the naked eye.


    "Miss, how are you?"


    An Lingyi''s maid ran over anxiously. Seeing her like this, her heart trembled, and was about to suck out the venom for her, but she was slapped on the face by An Lingyi.


    "It was all your good idea!"


    An Lingyi was so anxious that she forgot that she had scolded the servant in front of everyone, "For you to let the snake go and bite An Lingge, he is completely fine, but in the end I was the one who took a bite. Did you intend to hurt me?"


    The servant girl''s eyes turned red with grievance, and said softly, "This servant is loyal to the young miss, why would I do such a thing? "This snake is poisonous. This servant will clear the poison away for you first."


    She was about to step forward when she saw a richly dressed lady walking over. "This is an antidote pill. Feed it to your young miss, don''t do such a harming thing in the future."


    Mrs. Mingzhu''s tone was light, but a trace of disgust was hidden in her eyes, causing An Lingyi to suddenly react.


    Damn it, didn''t everyone hear what she just said?

 C18

    An Lingyi swept her gaze across the ladies and ladies around, her face instantly turning as pale as paper.


    The disgust and disdain in their eyes were extremely obvious, as though they were looking at some filthy thing. That gaze caused An Lingyi''s heart to turn cold.


    "I was talking nonsense just now. How could I let my maidservants bite my sister?" She tried her best to lie, and used a threatening gaze to look at An Lingge, "Big sister, we sisters have always been good friends, why don''t you explain to them, I definitely won''t hurt you!"


    The damned An Lingge had pulled her to this hall to prove her innocence, yet she made such a mistake. If she were to return to Prince An''s Palace, she would definitely tell her aunt to take care of this bitch.


    An Lingge flinched as if she was afraid, and said hesitantly: "It must be Little Sister Yi Er joking, please do not misunderstand, Little Sister Yi Er has always been kind and gentle, and would never do anything to harm Big Sister."


    In the eyes of others, her appearance already gave rise to a contest in their hearts.


    When the princess heard about Prince An''s Palace, she passed away early, leaving behind only her young children. However, the little Hereditary Prince of Prince An''s Palace was brought into the palace by the emperor to read for the prince, leaving behind the big miss of Prince An''s Palace who was all alone, who grew up in front of his concubine.


    In the past, he had even heard that the concubine was very generous and dignified, treating her as if she were his own daughter. Today, after seeing this young mistress'' behavior, he knew that these rumors were untrustworthy.


    Most of the people had concubines and daughters, so they naturally knew that water and fire were incompatible. Upon hearing this, they could only smile, but did not say much.


    Only the Mrs. Mingzhu looked at An Lingge pitifully, "Good child, you are so magnanimous and benevolent, paying with your good grudges. Aren''t you afraid that others will harm you?"


    To be forgiving and magnanimous, to repay a grievance with virtue?


    An Lingge laughed, the corners of her mouth expressing her ridicule.


    She was not such a person. All she knew was that one could return a tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye.


    She had already ordered Bi Zhu to buy a poisonous snake to knock him out and also scattered some poison powder on him to attract the attention of the poisonous snakes. As a result, all of them were safe and sound, only when stimulated by the poison powder would the poisonous snake wake up and bite An Lingyi violently.


    "Madam, don''t worry. Ling Ge believes that good will always be rewarded, and evil will always be rewarded. Even the person who had the evil thought and wanted to frame Ling Ge will definitely suffer."


    Look, An Lingyi dared to let go of the snake to bite her, and she even tricked An Lingyi into getting bitten, and even took the chance to expose her real identity, killing two birds with one stone.


    The Mrs. Mingzhu nodded and without another word, she led her nanny out.


    Seeing her leave, the other ladies and mistresses also left. In that instant, the entire hall became silent.


    "After Sister Yi Er was bitten by a snake, even if she consumed an antidote pill, she would have to see a doctor." An Lingge looked at An Lingyi with concern, her gaze turned towards the door of the hall. "Coincidentally, Imperial Physician Zhang came by, if Little Sister Yi Er didn''t look at her body, would it be alright?"


    An Lingyi had originally wanted to reject her offer, but after considering her own body, she looked towards the main hall''s entrance and said, "I''ll have to trouble Imperial Physician Zhang."


    Imperial Physician Zhang was in his forties, and he had a moustache on his face. He looked strict and old-fashioned.


    Upon hearing these words, he knew that these two were the daughters of the Prince An''s Palace.


    After checking An Lingyi''s pulse, Imperial Physician Zhang frowned, puzzled. "Prince An said that the two of you seem to have smallpox, but from what I see, there''s a huge difference between this and smallpox."


    He stared at An Lingyi''s face for a long time, and said: "It must be allergic, and coincidentally caught a cold, so I look like I have smallpox."


    An Lingyi heaved a sigh of relief, "I already said it''s definitely not smallpox, I''ll go back to the Duke''s Mansion right now."


    "Miss, please wait." Imperial Physician Zhang hastened to call out to her. "Although young miss hasn''t caught smallpox, the chill''s not over yet, and she''s also infected with the venom of a snake. This is precisely the time for her to lose her health, if she doesn''t stay in the temple for a moment, send a servant back to spread the news."


    His words were sincere and sincere. An Lingyi thought for a while, then decided to chase her out without letting her refute him. If she were to return just like that, wouldn''t her suffering have been for nothing?


    He might as well send someone to relay a message to his father, asking him to come personally and bring him back to the residence. He could still take this opportunity to cry and complain about his grievances, it was all because of An Lingge''s urging, and that''s why he suffered such an unexpected calamity.


    After thinking about it, An Lingyi was no longer in a hurry to return. "Let''s do it like this, Bai Yu, go find someone to pass this information to father, tell father to come and fetch me tomorrow."


    Bai Yu was the servant who had been slapped by An Lingyi. Upon hearing her master''s orders, she immediately agreed. A trace of anger flashed past her lowered eyes.


    "Imperial Physician Zhang, I''ve never contracted smallpox. I wonder how is elder sister''s condition?"


    An Lingyi gloated as she looked at An Lingge''s face which was covered by the light muslin.


    An Lingge, that slut, would definitely not be able to live for long after getting smallpox. In that case, without the help of the young miss, it would naturally be her second young miss who would marry the Hereditary Prince of Prince Mu¡¯s Palace.


    But Imperial Physician Zhang still shook his head. "Eldest Miss didn''t get smallpox. However, Eldest Miss should have been physically and mentally exhausted recently, making her pulse weak and weak."


    An Lingyi lowered her eyes in disappointment. She could not even maintain her politeness on the surface and turned to leave the hall without saying a word.


    Bi Zhu put down the box and took out a silver note from her bosom, smiling as she stuffed it into Imperial Physician Zhang''s hands. "I''ll have to trouble Imperial Physician Zhang with today''s matters."


    Not only had Miss made her prepare a poisonous snake to wait for An Lingyi to jump into the trap, she had also bribed someone to bribe Imperial Physician Zhang in order to keep Second Young Miss in the Qing Yun Temple.


    As for why Miss wanted to do this, Bi Zhu was not the least bit curious. Her life was given to her by Madam and Miss, she would do whatever Miss wanted her to do.


    The day passed quickly, and night gradually covered the land.


    An Lingyi sat in her own room with an angry expression.


    Not only had she been bitten by a snake during the day, but those madams and mistresses had also heard his words. His hard-earned reputation had been ruined just like that.


    It just so happened that bitch An Lingge was lucky enough that she didn''t get bitten to death by a snake or get infected by smallpox, as if someone was helping her.


    The expression in An Lingyi''s eyes became more and more dark. After thinking for a while, she finally thought of a good idea.


    "Bai Yu."


    She called out to him, and Bai Yu immediately walked in, "What orders do you have, Miss?"


    "Go find a few people, and ¡­" I don''t believe that that slut An Lingge will still be able to dodge it so lucky this time! "


    Her gloomy expression looked somewhat sinister under the candlelight. Bai Yu covered the mockery in her heart and respectfully answered yes before turning around and walking out of the room.

 C19

    In the night, the shadows of people slowly moved about, and Bai Yu quietly sneaked into An Lingge''s room.


    "Eldest Miss, this servant has something to report."


    She lowered her voice, but An Lingge could still hear her clearly, wasn''t that the voice of the servant beside An Lingyi?


    Bi Zhu looked at An Lingge and opened the door.


    With a squeak, Bai Yu dashed into the room.


    "Eldest Miss, Second Miss wanted to harm you!"


    She had originally thought that she would see An Lingge''s surprised and panicked expression, but who would have thought that her eyes would meet her?


    "Oh? How did you know that Little Sister Yi Er wanted to harm me? "


    An Lingge''s expression was relaxed, and was not the least bit panicked, as if she did not believe Bai Yu''s words at all.


    Bai Yu gritted her teeth, "It was Second Miss who personally instructed this servant. This servant can''t bear to see Eldest Miss be kept in the dark, so I came to inform you."


    "If I remember correctly, you are Sister Yi Er''s servant girl, right?" An Lingge''s voice was as light and gentle as usual, but it made Bai Yu feel chills down her spine. "The servant girl that carries the master, came to my place to express her loyalty?"


    "Your servant hasn''t." Bai Yu quickly kneeled down, looking sincere. "Eldest Miss, you probably didn''t know that when this servant entered the Prince An''s Palace, it was to avenge this servant''s little sister."


    An Lingge did not move. Listening to Bai Yu talking about her sister being killed by An Lingyi, she approached An Lingyi just for revenge ¡­


    After listening for a while, An Lingge finally spoke, "Then, why did you come to find me?"


    Bai Yu hesitated for a moment, thinking about how An Lingge had seen through her and how she no longer dared to hide it, "Last night, the ''Viper'' incident was a servant''s idea for the second young miss, but the first young miss is not only safe and sound, she even fought with a general, causing the second young miss to suffer a loss of words. This humble servant knows that Eldest Miss must be someone with a shrewd mind, so you can definitely help this humble servant take revenge. "


    "Did you set those poisonous snakes up last night?" Bi Zhu immediately shouted out, "You evil and venomous person, to actually do such a malicious thing to young miss, you should be beaten to death by a random stick to a maid who murdered my master."


    Bai Yu clenched her fist and begged, "This servant knows that it was this servant''s fault. If I didn''t gain Second Miss''s trust, this servant wouldn''t have framed First Miss."


    She knelt on the ground and kowtowed, "This servant knows her wrongs. Eldest Miss can punish this servant however she wants, I only hope that Eldest Miss can help this servant seek revenge. I will repay your kindness even if I become a slave."


    An Lingge''s eyes were deep, but her expression was still indifferent, "Speak, why did Second Miss ask you to do so?"


    Did he agree to avenge him?


    Bai Yu was overjoyed and quickly told her the whole story.


    Bi Zhu stood at the side, and the more she heard, the angrier she got.


    "Second Miss actually used such a despicable method, it''s really too vicious!"


    An Lingge raised her eyebrow, and sized Bai Yu up.


    "You are willing to do anything to avenge your sister?"


    Bai Yu nodded her head, "As long as you can avenge my sister, I am willing to risk my life!"


    An Lingge pursed her lips, summoned Bai Yu over, and whispered in her ear for a while. Seeing Bai Yu hesitating and nodding his head, he then picked up the candlestick at the side, and fiercely smashed it onto Bai Yu.


    "Eldest Miss ¡­"


    Bai Yu only had enough time to let out a short scream before she fell to the ground.


    Bi Zhu was also somewhat surprised, but she still listened to An Lingge''s instructions and dragged Bai Yu to a remote room.


    The green morning light gradually turned transparent, and from the secluded side room, a sharp scream suddenly rang out.


    "Big sister, why are you here with a man?"


    An Lingyi covered her mouth in "surprise" and exclaimed in shock. From the corner of her eyes, she saw that more and more people were walking over, and the expression on her face became even more sorrowful.


    "No matter how much you admire that man, you can''t do that sort of thing in this buddhist land."


    She turned and flung open the door of the room, her face full of grief at her failure.


    The messy clothes were scattered on the ground, and the intertwined bodies of men and women were shockingly reflected in everyone''s eyes.


    Many of the madams let out a scream and quickly covered their daughter''s eyes.


    Seeing this, An Lingyi became even more pleased, but she still feigned pain on his face, "As a dignified young miss of the Prince An''s Palace, how can you do such a thing? Where are you putting your Daddy''s dignity, and your Prince An''s Palace''s face?!"


    What, the shameless woman inside who made peace with others, is the big miss of Prince An''s Palace?


    Everyone was startled by these words. They did not care about being bashful as they looked directly into the room.


    The woman was clearly very young. Half of her snow-white skin was exposed, and only her face was covered by clothes that were scattered all over the place. Her face could not be seen.


    "What''s going on?"


    The Mrs. Mingzhu''s majestic voice came out, as she looked at the two people in the room unhappily, and instructed the nanny beside him, "Wake those two up."


    Seeing that the Mrs. Mingzhu had arrived, An Lingyi was even more excited.


    "Mrs. Mingzhu doesn''t know this, but my sister used to have a secret relationship with a man and often communicated through letters. It''s just that I didn''t expect her to be so bold as to do such a shameful thing with that man in this buddhist land."


    Heh, An Lingge, yesterday you caused my image to be ruined, today I will destroy your reputation, and everyone will beat you up!


    Just as she was thinking this proudly, she heard a familiar voice from behind her.


    "How come I don''t know when I had a secret relationship with a man and even communicated with him through a letter?"


    "I know that Little Sister Yi Er doesn''t like me, but as the eldest sister, I have always tolerated you. Even if you wanted to harm my life, I wouldn''t care about it, I would even defend you in front of the crowd. Why is Little Sister Yi Er unwilling to let me go and decided to throw dirty water on my body? "


    Mrs. Mingzhu looked at An Lingge who was walking over, his dignified expression slightly softened, "Since Miss An is here, then who is in the house?"


    nanny immediately got a bucket of water and poured it on the two men''s bodies. The two of them immediately woke up.


    "First Miss, I truly admire you. Don''t worry, today I will go to the Prince An''s Palace and propose a marriage for sure for Prince An to marry you to me."


    The man who had just woken up opened his mouth to scream, and he was filled with deep love for Bai Yu.


    Bai Yu was terrified, "Who are you, why are you here!"


    "Eldest Miss, if everyone discovers our relationship, do you think you have nothing to do with it? Have you forgotten about us, or our vows? " The man looked as if he had been betrayed by someone. His wretched face revealed a look of heartache.


    Bai Yu looked panicked, "I''m not some young miss, the young miss you''re looking for is over there."


    She pointed at An Lingge, who was standing at the side, and her expression froze.


    "Impossible, the person here is obviously the young miss of the Prince An''s Palace!"


    It should be the young miss?


    Mrs. Mingzhu thought for a while and understood the truth.

 C20

    An Lingge was at a loss, "Why should I be here?"


    That''s right, the big miss of Prince An''s Palace appearing here is the most shocking thing.


    Mrs. Mingzhu''s face became even uglier, and she shot her own nanny a look.


    nanny immediately took a step forward and slapped the man''s face, "Damned thief, quickly tell me the truth now, who sent you to bite the Prince An''s Palace great miss?"


    The man looked flustered after receiving the attack, but he continued to bite down on his own words, "Ladies and gentlemen, please clarify this. It''s Young Miss Prince An''s Palace that has arranged for this little one to meet with you. This little one is unable to suppress this little one''s talent ¡­"


    Bai Yu looked at Mrs. Mingzhu and hurriedly shouted, "Second Young Miss, please save this servant. This servant has followed your instructions and arranged for this person to enter. Now that something like this has happened, this lady will probably not be able to tolerate this servant anymore."


    She cried as she crawled in An Lingyi''s direction. However, her words were like a bomb that exploded in everyone''s ears.


    Mrs. Mingzhu''s gaze fell on An Lingyi''s body. Her suspicious and disdainful eyes caused An Lingyi''s entire body to tremble. The latter could not help but shout out angrily, "When did I let you do such a thing? "You damned servant girl, you actually dared to bite Master. Did you receive orders from someone else?"


    Her words were once again targeted at An Lingge, but when everyone thought about what she did yesterday, they did not believe her words.


    An Lingge seemed to be extremely disappointed, and said weakly: "It''s fine if you don''t feel sorry for Sister Yi Er''s servant girl, but you actually suspected that she was ordered by someone else. What woman would frame someone with her innocence? "


    Mrs. Mingzhu snorted, "Seems like it''s time for me to send someone to tell Prince An to teach his daughter not to harm herself every day and do such shameful things!"


    She turned and walked away, obviously in a bad mood.


    The other madams and mistresses had had enough of watching the scene, and were only waiting to have a chat with their close friends after they returned home.


    An Lingyi stood where she was with a pale face, she suddenly raised her eyes and stared at An Lingge with sinister eyes, "You damned bitch, how dare you frame me!"


    She suddenly pounced forward, her sharp nails striking towards An Lingge''s eyes.


    Bi Zhu reacted quickly and pulled his master to her side, causing him to fall hard onto the ground.


    An Lingge''s expression was indifferent, but her eyes were filled with ridicule, "Little Sister Yi Er, think carefully, how would Mrs. Mingzhu ever mention you to father?"


    She turned and instructed Bi Zhu, "Tie those two up and send them back to the Duke Palaces. If you dare to frame Master, you will have to pay the price."


    Seeing the two people being led by An Lingge, An Lingyi slowly crawled up from the ground, her face filled with sinister hatred.


    An Lingge, you made me look so bad, I will definitely not let you go!


    She wiped the dust off her face before returning to her own room. Madam Li, who had come to look at her daughter, rushed over.


    "Mother''s good daughter, what happened to you?"


    Madam Li looked at An Lingyi''s miserable appearance and immediately called for people to help her wash.


    The moment An Lingyi saw Madam Li, the grievances in her heart could no longer be repressed.


    "Mother, it''s all because of that bitch An Lingge that framed me!"


    Wiping her tears, she added the details of the events of the past two days.


    After Madam Li heard this, he flew into a rage, "What a little slut, on account of her being young and sparing her life, she actually insulted you like this."


    "Mom, you have to avenge me." An Lingyi felt wronged, she could not hide the hatred in her eyes.


    Madam Li nodded her head, "Don''t worry, ever since I knew that you didn''t catch smallpox, mother has already thought of how to deal with that slut."


    "Really? Mother, quickly tell me. "


    An Lingyi was extremely excited, listening to the Madam Li whispering in her ear, the evil smile on her face became bigger and bigger.


    It was a good idea to marry An Lingge to the foolish Hereditary Prince of Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, while she married into Prince Mu¡¯s Palace.


    The two people in the room were plotting, so they didn''t notice the shadow that flashed outside the window.


    Mu Junhan heard the two people in the room scheming about his marriage, and the expression on his face became colder and colder.


    He glanced at the room and then flew to the other room.


    Just as An Lingge was about to return to the Duke Palaces, a slender figure suddenly appeared in front of her. She raised her head and saw Mu Junhan''s handsome and playful face.


    "What are you doing here?"


    Recalling Mu Junhan''s sudden kiss, An Lingge''s expression turned cold.


    "This Hereditary Prince will tell you a piece of news." Mu Junhan smiled gently, like a myriad of peach blossoms, lighting up the entire room.


    What a monster.


    An Lingge secretly cursed, and shifted her gaze away from Mu Junhan''s face.


    "Oh, Young Marquis Mu, what news did you want to tell my daughter?"


    Her slightly ridiculing compliment was completely different from the calm and leisurely way she had been planning these past few days. A trace of a smile appeared in Mu Junhan''s eyes, and his voice was clear.


    "I heard that your esteemed palace''s aunt wants to marry you to that foolish Hereditary Prince of the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace. Is this considered big news?"


    After An Lingge heard this, she raised her eyebrows in surprise.


    She naturally knew about this matter, otherwise, she wouldn''t have deliberately come to the Qing Yun Temple. Firstly, it was to avoid the sharpness of the Madam Li, and secondly, it was to avoid this marriage.


    Madam Li and her daughter wanted to make a big deal out of her marriage, and she knew that An Lingyi had always wanted to marry Mu Junhan.


    Although she only wanted to get as far away from Mu Junhan as possible in her life, this did not mean that she was willing to be tricked by the Madam Li and marry a fool.


    But in front of Mu Junhan, An Lingge did not reveal any of her thoughts, she pretended not to care and asked, "I already know about this matter, why is Young Master Mu so concerned about my marriage?"


    Mu Junhan opened his mouth to explain, "You are my fiancee in name after all. This Hereditary Prince will naturally pay attention to your news. Although his Prince Yi¡¯s Palace was not as strong as her Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, she was still as rich as a nation. It was a pity that Duke Yi was extremely wealthy and she only had one foolish son under him. Your esteemed palace''s aunt has already persuaded the Prince An to marry you to the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, but your little sister will do so in your place. "


    An Lingge raised her eyes, "The marriage between you and I has already been set. Even if my father wants to go back on his word, it would have to depend on whether the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace agrees or not, right?"


    Her lips curled up into a smile, "It seems that Young Marquis Mu doesn''t want An Lingyi to marry into the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, which is why he came to tell me this news and told me to solve their scheme, right?"


    Mu Junhan did not deny it, but maintained his unrestrained and unrestrained attitude, "My Prince Mu¡¯s Palace does not want someone as vicious as your sister."


    Ruthless?


    An Lingge''s gaze was cool and refreshing, "Could it be that the young duke thinks that I''m a pure-hearted person?"


    She was not the timid and stupid An Lingge from her previous life.


    Her words carried a thick sense of self-mockery and a deep sense of sadness. Mu Junhan''s expression froze as a wave of pain came from his heart.


    Not knowing why, he suddenly pulled on An Lingge''s hand, "If this Hereditary Prince''s wife is you, then no matter what kind of person you are, this Hereditary Prince will be happy."

 C21

    Mu Junhan''s well-defined large palm wrapped around An Lingge''s weak and boneless hand. The moment their skin touched, An Lingge abruptly flung his hand away, and her expression was even colder than before.


    "Hereditary Prince Mu is indeed worthy of being a famous flower disciple in the capital. Her sweet words are really hard to guard against."


    Mu Junhan never thought that he would hear such words from An Lingge''s mouth. A look of astonishment flashed across his face, and he quickly recovered his usual amorous attitude, "Shouldn''t you be grateful that I have taken a fancy to you, little girl? However, Prince An''s Palace has no money and no rights. If not for the fact that Old Prince An had once saved the life of the emperor, how could the Prince An''s Palace have its current glory? "


    He was right, it was precisely because of the shallow nature of the Prince An''s Palace and its lack of power, that Prince An worked hard to scheme and wanted to strengthen the power of the Prince An''s Palace.


    An Lingge looked at Mu Junhan''s deep eyes, and with a distant smile, she said, "I can''t afford to take Hereditary Prince Mu''s liking. Please stay away from me, I will be forever grateful."


    In her previous life, she had only died because she was Mu Junhan''s fiancee; if An Lingyi knew that Mu Junhan said that he liked her, he would have no idea how this good sister of his would go crazy.


    Furthermore ¡­


    An Lingge laughed at herself. She had only met Mu Junhan a few times, and she said that he liked her.


    She had only come here for revenge, where would she have the heart to care about love between a man and a woman?


    Being heartlessly rejected like this, the smile on Mu Junhan''s face lightened up, and then, an even greater interest arose.


    Many of the girls in the capital were captivated by his face. Only An Lingge looked at him as if he was a plague and was unable to dodge it.


    However, this matter was not up to her to decide.


    Mu Junhan curled his lips, "You and I were bestowed a marriage by the Emperor, and it was agreed upon by my royal father and Prince An. Unless our engagement is annulled, I fear that your wish will not be fulfilled."


    He had a smile on his face, as if he was extremely happy to have such an engagement, and he tied the two of them together.


    An Lingge was annoyed, but she could not do anything about the marriage agreement.


    She reached out her hand and pushed Mu Junhan out of the door, closing it with a bang.


    "There''s no need for Hereditary Prince Mu to worry about the marriage agreement. As long as I''m not married into the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, there''s nothing between us. I hope you won''t forget about the defense of males and females."


    Mu Junhan rubbed his nose helplessly as he was locked outside the door.


    He was only trying to tease An Lingge, who knew that this little girl''s reaction would be so huge, directly locking him outside. This was not something a famous girl would do.


    However, this kind of An Lingge, made him even more interested. He looked forward to meeting her again.


    Perhaps, the heavens had heard the thoughts in Mu Junhan''s heart and allowed him to meet An Lingge the next day.


    It just so happened that Prince Yi''s fortieth birthday was coming up. Prince Yi¡¯s Palace had hosted a banquet, inviting all the high ranking officials in the capital. Naturally, these noble other princes s were present as well.


    Princess Yi was a woman in her mid-thirties. Her body was well-developed and her face was like a silver plate.


    She wore a golden fern robe with a silver vermilion embroidered with thin clouds and silk. She wore a silky gold armor with five phoenixes on it, and a silver phoenix hairpin. She welcomed the guests with a smile, and on her exposed wrists were a pair of bracelets wrapped in silver silk.


    An Lingge got down from the carriage, and Princess Yi''s gaze instantly fell over. That gaze carried an unknown meaning, and it caused An Lingge to secretly frown.


    "This must be the young lady of Prince An''s Palace. She really does look the same as your mother.


    Princess Yi walked over cordially and pulled An Lingge''s hand. Her passionate attitude attracted the attention of the surrounding people.


    An Lingge suppressed the disgust in her heart, and a gentle and courteous smile appeared on her face. "Wangfei, you flatter me.


    Ordinary appearance?


    An Lingyi snorted from behind her. No matter how much she disliked An Lingge, she had to admit that An Lingge had an extremely beautiful face, and this was one of the reasons why she didn''t like An Lingge.


    The Princess Yi did not think too much into it. She only thought that An Lingge was shy and called the An Mansion''s female servants over to the backyard, and invited many of the wives in as well. Only then could the banquet officially begin.


    The banquets between the ladies were just to prepare some tea and snacks, and then to discuss their daily life. Which girl had the best embroidery and which young lady had the best singing and dancing?


    An Lingge quietly sat at the side, listening to the lively discussions of the people around him, as though someone had deliberately ignored him.


    However, she didn''t mind. She just leisurely sipped her tea and looked at the surrounding flowers.


    On the other hand, Madam Li began to converse with her intimately. The two of them had been friends since their childhood, and since their conversation was so close at this time, it naturally did not attract anyone''s attention.


    Could it be that Madam Li was not prepared to make her move at this time?


    Just as An Lingge was thinking this, a servant of Prince Yi¡¯s Palace walked over.


    "Miss An, this servant will get you some tea."


    The servant girl held onto the water, but suddenly tripped over something, she screamed, and with a twist of her body, the water in the water was poured towards An Lingge.


    This scream interrupted the fervent discussion at the banquet, causing Princess Yi to immediately look over. A trace of anger appeared on her well-maintained face.


    "You servant, what are you doing?" Hurry up and apologize to Miss An. "


    "It''s all this servant''s fault. I hope Miss An can forgive this servant. This servant will not do it again."


    The servant continued crying as if she was afraid of An Lingge. She started kowtowing on the ground, and when she raised her head again, her face was covered in tears.


    Everyone''s gaze landed on. Looking at the servant, the corners of An Lingge''s lips curled up into an understanding smile.


    "It''s fine. It''s only the hem of my skirt that''s wet. I''ll go change my clothes again and disturb everyone''s interest. Ling Ge will apologize to everyone here."


    Her posture was warm and sincere, the anger on Princess Yi''s face finally disappeared. He extended his hand to summon a servant, "Someone, bring Miss An down to change."


    An Lingge followed the servant and left the banquet, but suddenly, she heard a man''s voice faint.


    She whispered a few words into Bi Zhu''s ear, and heard the servant girl leading the way say: "Aiya, I lost my earring, could this big sister help find it?"


    Bi Zhu received An Lingge''s instructions and nodded her head, "Where did she land?"


    The servant girl was not anxious, "He should have landed at the banquet, but this servant wants to send Miss An out to change clothes, so I can only trouble elder sister."


    Bi Zhu promised, and her figure gradually disappeared into the small alley.

 C22

    The maidservant who led the way smiled, and in the next moment she disappeared. She then bowed respectfully to An Lingge, "Miss An, please follow me."


    She brought An Lingge to the guest room, watched as she walked behind the screen, and then quietly left the house. Just as she was about to lock the door, she saw that An Lingge, who was supposed to be changing her clothes, had already arrived.


    An Lingge knocked out the servant who was leading the way and went back along the same path they came across Mu Junhan.


    "Why is Hereditary Prince Mu here?" She frowned, as if she could meet this person anywhere.


    Looking at An Lingge''s gloomy expression, a trace of laughter flashed across Mu Junhan''s narrow and long phoenix eyes.


    "This is the front yard where we entertain our men. Miss An should not ask herself why she did not come to the female banquet?" He recalled the words of the Madam Li and guessed that An Lingge must have been tricked by someone. She was very curious as to what she would do next.


    Sure enough, after An Lingge heard this, surprise flashed past her eyes.


    She only knew that the Princess Yi and the Madam Li were going to make a move against her, but she didn''t know that this was actually the front courtyard.


    With a thought, An Lingge understood Madam Li''s plan.


    She raised her head to look at Mu Junhan''s enchanter-like face, and the corner of her mouth suddenly raised into a strange smile, "Hereditary Prince Mu doesn''t want An Lingyi to marry you either, right?"


    His laughter made Mu Junhan feel that he had been tricked, but he could not suppress the curiosity in his heart. He followed her words and said, "That''s right, what are Miss An''s plans?"


    An Lingyi laughed even more craftily as she lowered her voice to speak of her plans.


    Mu Junhan flew towards An Lingge with his eyebrows raised high, the corners of his mouth held a trace of playfulness, as he indistinctly approached An Lingge, "I''ll follow your plan, but Miss An, do you owe me a favor if you ask for my help? "How are you going to repay me?"


    "If you help me get rid of my scheme, I will help you get rid of An Lingyi. We can win together for mutual benefit, how can this be counted as me owing Hereditary Prince Mu a favor?" An Lingge was not moved, but she took a step back, and stayed further away from Mu Junhan.


    Mu Junhan declined to comment. He only made a gesture, and Shu Mo appeared out of thin air.


    "Go and hand this thing over to Miss An Er, just say it ¡­"


    Madam Li and Princess Yi at the banquet were talking happily. Seeing that An Lingge was taken away by the servant girl, they exchanged a look of tacit understanding.


    "If this matter succeeds, Ru Xue, you will be our benefactor in Prince Yi¡¯s Palace."


    Princess Yi called out her name, her expression carrying a bit of lament.


    Madam Li laughed, "Who do you think you are my benefactor? You have also seen An Lingge''s appearance and bearing, every single one of you came from the mortal world, and wanted to marry into the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace. However, since her birth mother had passed away, no one had taught her any rules. If she had angered her, Prince Mu¡¯s Palace would not be good at all. It just so happened that you had someone ask me that I was discussing with old master about marrying An Lingge into the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace. With you taking care of her, I naturally feel at ease. "


    Princess Yi still did not know about An Lingge and Mu Junhan''s engagement, so she raised her eyebrows in shock, "An Lingge and Hereditary Prince Mu are engaged? Then what if she marries into our Palace, what about the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace? "


    "The Emperor has only ordered for Prince Mu¡¯s Palace and Prince An''s Palace to be wedded, he has not designated which Miss. If An Lingge makes cooked rice with your Hereditary Prince, naturally, she will marry in her place. "


    Madam Li didn''t conceal anything from him. She was relieved.


    She was originally worried that Madam Li agreeing to marry An Lingge into the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace with ease must have some sort of request, as she had already made preparations to wait for Madam Li''s big mouth.


    Who knew that the Madam Li was paving the way for their own daughter, then they would benefit each other, and wouldn''t owe each other anything.


    "Don''t worry, everything has been arranged properly. An Lingge will definitely become Little Ming''s man today."


    The two people who were immersed in joy did not realize that An Lingyi, who was originally seated at the banquet, had disappeared without them knowing when.


    Seeing that the time was almost right, Princess Yi suddenly slapped her forehead, as if she suddenly came to a realization, "It''s already been an incense''s time, why is Miss An still not back yet?"


    Madam Li immediately chimed in, her voice echoing, "Did something happen? Princess Yi, please help me find Little Ge. If something happens to her, how am I supposed to explain it to Master? "


    "Don''t worry Ru Xue, since Miss An is at the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, I definitely won''t call for any accidents to happen to her."


    "Miss An has still not returned yet. Ru Xue is worried, so I will bring some people to look for me. Please forgive me."


    Many of the lower status wives wanted to climb up the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, so they hurriedly replied, "Why don''t we follow the wangfei, and find the Miss An even faster."


    This was exactly what he wanted.


    Princess Yi and Madam Li looked at each other and thanked the passionate wives. A large group of people searched the backyard, but could not find anyone.


    Madam Li''s face suddenly turned white, and said: "Oh no, Little Ge couldn''t have gotten lost and went to the front yard, right?"


    The front yard was a place to entertain male guests, why would Miss An be there?


    While some of them were thinking about this, they heard from the Princess Yi, "Only the front yard has not been searched. I will lead the people there now."


    Madam Li immediately followed along. The other wives also followed along because it was not easy to leave halfway. They had no choice but to follow them into the courtyard.


    Princess Yi brought his men and inadvertently pushed open each guest room, and when they saw the handkerchief that was dropped outside the door, their eyes suddenly lit up.


    "That''s Little Ge''s handkerchief! Little Ge must be here!"


    Madam Li was the first to rush over, pushing open the door to the guest room.


    The light from the open door shone into the room, revealing the two bodies intertwined. Although they were both wearing clothes, many people still cried out in alarm.


    Princess Yi covered her mouth in shock, "Why is Miss An with Little Ming?"


    She pointed out the identities of those two, and a servant rushed forward to separate them.


    "Madam Li took a step forward, and tears instantly flowed down her face." Little Ge, how could you be so bold as to seduce Hereditary Prince and do such a shameless thing! How can I explain this to your dead mother, and how can I explain this to Master! "


    She looked very much like a stepmother who doted on her daughter, and only her eyes sparkled with a sinister light.


    Everyone knew that Hereditary Prince of the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace was a fool, and that a fool would naturally not take the initiative to get along with a woman.


    Everyone''s minds turned, their hearts filled with contempt for An Lingge, when suddenly they heard the ear-piercing scream from the girls in the house, "Ah! Who are you, Hereditary Prince Mu? Why isn''t Hereditary Prince Mu here? "


    An Lingyi raised her head in fear and looked outside, seeing that face clearly before everyone''s eyes.


    Yi Er, why is the person in the house Yi Er?


    Madam Li''s face instantly turned pale and her hand that was wiping away her tears trembled. Her vision turned black and she almost fainted.

 C23

    There were many people present who recognized the mother and daughter of the Madam Li. When they saw An Lingyi''s face, they were shocked and more or less, revealed a look of despise.


    An Lingyi pushed the unfamiliar man in front of him away, covering his ripped clothes before he noticed the situation in front of him.


    "Lowly servant, who told you to frame this lady?"


    Annoyed, An Lingyi raised her hand and slapped Yi Ming''s face ruthlessly.


    The person who had clearly invited her here was Hereditary Prince Mu. She came here filled with joy, but who would have thought that she would meet such an ugly person!


    Yi Ming, who was in pain, had a blank look on his face.


    "You hit me, why did you hit Little Ming, did you not like Little Ming anymore? Wuu, Little Ming likes you, and you like Little Ming too, okay?"


    He stretched out his fat hand and grabbed An Lingyi. He smirked foolishly at Princess Yi, "Mother, Mother, quickly look, Little Ming found someone she likes, Little Ming wants her to be my wife, the Hereditary Prince''s concubine for our Prince Yi¡¯s Palace."


    Perhaps it was because he was too excited, but a bit of saliva was left at the corner of Yi Ming''s mouth.


    "Who wants to be your wife, you shameless fool! You even dare to think of me after seeing how ugly you look. You really are a toad who only wants to eat a swan! "


    She was actually being carried by a fool, and this fool even said that he liked her and wanted to marry her as his wife. Just thinking about it, An Lingyi almost vomited the night meal.


    She could even imagine, in the future when she went out to attend banquets, other people would point at her and say, "Look, that''s the woman that a fool would take a fancy to."


    However, the more An Lingyi thought about it, the angrier she got, and she even forgot the word "Hereditary Prince Concubine" that Yi Ming spoke of.


    She still vividly remembered what happened yesterday at Qing Yun Temple. She only thought that the person in front of her was some lowly scoundrel who took someone''s money to frame her.


    Princess Yi''s expression suddenly darkened.


    Anyone who heard that their precious son who was like an eyeball was called ugly by a woman would definitely be angry.


    Moreover, this was a banquet held on Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, and in front of everyone''s eyes, An Lingyi humiliating Little Ming who had belittled her, simply did not put Prince Yi¡¯s Palace in her eyes!


    "An Lingyi, what do you mean by that?"


    The dignity that the princess had built up over the years made her look even sharper than before. "You have already given your body to my Little Ming, so who else do you want to marry if not our Prince Yi¡¯s Palace? Moreover, my Prince Yi¡¯s Palace is also a noble title passed down from generation to generation, although I do not dare to say that I possess great power, I am still one of the most powerful families in the capital. How is it that our Hereditary Prince s, in your mouth, have become lowly servants? "


    Her words were too harsh and sharp, causing An Lingyi to be stunned from her words, and she didn''t know how to refute her words.


    This foolish and ugly man in front of their eyes, was actually the Hereditary Prince of the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace!


    But didn''t Aunt say that she would let An Lingge marry into the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace?


    An Lingyi''s pleading eyes fell on Madam Li, who took a deep breath. "Princess Yi, please don''t be angry. There must be a misunderstanding."


    She desperately looked at Princess Yi with her eyes, "Since young, Yi Er has always been a sensible and obedient child.


    It was she and Princess Yi who had discussed why Yi Ming would appear here today. Why did Princess Yi start to criticize his daughter now?


    Receiving Madam Li''s signal, Princess Yi suddenly woke up.


    She was so angry by An Lingyi''s words that she almost forgot that she had planned it herself.


    It was just that an error had occurred in the middle of it all. An Lingge, whose chastity should have been ruined, had somehow become An Lingyi.


    After thinking carefully about this, the anger on Princess Yi''s face dissipated by a bit, "Ru Xue, I naturally know what kind of person you are.


    These words had given Madam Li face and also made An Lingyi not look so ugly.


    Only then did An Lingyi heave a sigh of relief, and the Princess Yi continued, "But why is An Lingyi here, shouldn''t you give us an explanation?"


    After a good banquet, when everyone was peacefully staying in the backyard, you ran into the front yard where the male guests were. No matter how you looked at it, there was something odd about it.


    Thinking about it this way, everyone looked at An Lingyi with even weirder gazes.


    Madam Li also stared at An Lingyi, afraid that she would say something that she shouldn''t.


    An Lingyi felt a chill run down her spine, yet she could not remain silent in this kind of situation. She could only brace herself and lie, "I ¡­ I didn''t know this was the front yard, I just saw... Seeing a particularly beautiful butterfly fly over here, we just followed along. "


    No matter how stupid she was, she knew she could never speak the truth.


    If not, in order to meet Hereditary Prince Mu privately, the Second Young Miss of the Prince An''s Palace would end up being targeted by the of the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace. Within a day, this matter would spread throughout the entire capital, and she would become the biggest joke!


    However, An Lingyi did not know that her clumsy excuse had caused the other wives and mistresses to secretly sneer at her.


    "Beautiful butterflies? With this enormous Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, where did this beautiful butterfly come from?


    "Who doesn''t know that Princess Yi hates butterflies the most, and all the gardens in the mansion are all made of greenery. For Second Miss An to be able to chase a butterfly to the front courtyard in the midst of her Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, is truly a strange matter."


    It was not a secret that Princess Yi hated butterflies.


    Back then, when Prince Yi was young, he was also a wealthy young man who roamed the flowers. Even when he had an official wife, he had a concubine and a beautiful girl.


    He once had a concubine who loved to flirt with the butterfly the most. He was addicted to the beauty of this concubine and almost wanted to pamper her to death.


    If it wasn''t for Princess Yi who used some tricks back then to make my wife die from an illness, this princess of Prince Yi¡¯s Palace might really have been someone else.


    And because of that, Princess Yi ordered that no flowers or butterflies were allowed to appear within the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace. If she saw any of them, all the servants and servants would be punished.


    Now that An Lingyi said such words, it was obvious that she was lying.


    Being exposed in public, An Lingyi''s heart was in a panic.


    She let out a soft laugh and made a guess, "It must be that Second Miss An''s admiration for Hereditary Prince that caused you to meet me here, this explanation is even more reliable than that butterfly."

 C24

    How could this be, how could he admire that ugly and stupid Prince Yi¡¯s Palace Hereditary Prince!


    An Lingyi was so anxious that she didn''t know what to do, and could only clench her teeth. "Who would like that fool, I ¡­ I only came to the front courtyard because I received a message from Hereditary Prince Mu, inviting me here for a chat. "


    "Oh, so you accepted Hereditary Prince Mu''s invitation."


    "Just now, I even heard the Madam Li say that you follow the rules. It turns out that you follow the rules, ignoring the defenses of men and women, and are able to meet a man casually. I have truly experienced it today."


    When the Madam Li saw that she was targeting An Lingyi, she couldn''t help but speak, "Yi Er knew that you shouldn''t casually meet an outsider male, which was why she used such an excuse like that. Who knew that you were actually going to find out the truth, and force Yi Er to hang herself on a rope?"


    Princess Yi also chimed in by the side, changing everyone''s gaze, "Since An Lingyi has already said it, she was invited by Hereditary Prince Mu, then where is Hereditary Prince Mu?"


    Just as she finished speaking, a burst of clear laughter came from not too far away, "Is Princess Yi looking for me?"


    Mu Junhan had a mischievous smile on his face, as he walked over step by step.


    He was tall and slender, with a handsome face. He wore an ink-colored brocade robe, clearly dressed in ordinary attire, but his body was exuding a sense of elegance.


    When everyone''s gaze fell on him, many of the girls'' faces immediately turned red.


    The young prince, who had long heard of the existence of Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, was incomparably handsome.


    An Lingyi''s cheeks were flushed red, her eyes fixated on Mu Junhan''s body.


    That greedy and drooling gaze caused Mu Junhan''s eyes to flash with a trace of disgust, but he still carried that elegant and refined smile on his face.


    In the end, Madam Li was worried for An Lingyi, so she was the first to recover and ask, "May I ask, is Hereditary Prince Mu going to meet with your daughter here?"


    She hoped to hear a definite answer. In that case, the probability of Yi Er marrying into the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace would be much higher.


    But how could Mu Junhan let her do as she pleased?


    "I, this Hereditary Prince, have always been a clean body, so how could I go out and ask for a girl to meet me for no reason? Madam, please do not sully this Hereditary Prince''s reputation. "


    These words had cut off all relations with An Lingyi.


    An Lingge, who was behind him, rolled her eyes silently.


    Heh, clean up? He didn''t know which bastard had forcefully kissed her and dared to shamelessly put gold on his face.


    Shameless!


    Seemingly knowing that An Lingge was criticizing her behind her back, Mu Junhan''s phoenix eyes turned as he gave a faint smile, "However, this Hereditary Prince actually saw her own fiancee today. This can''t be considered as excessive, right?"


    Hereditary Prince Mu now had a fiancee!


    These words were like a sudden clap of thunder, shattering the hearts of many young girls.


    "Today, the Japanese Hereditary Prince came out to sober up, and coincidentally met the Miss An alone. As if she sprained her ankle, she stopped to talk to her for a bit, and got someone to call her personal servant over."


    Bi Zhu immediately replied, "If not for Hereditary Prince Mu''s kindness, my family''s young miss would not have known what to do."


    An Lingyi looked at Mu Junhan''s gentle and smiling appearance, and only felt as if her heart was being roasted above a raging fire. That fire of jealousy was about to burn her mind to pieces, making her wish that she could tear An Lingge''s beautiful face apart!


    "An Lingge, you set me up!"


    An Lingyi screamed, staring at An Lingge with eyes as cold and sinister as a poisonous snake, "Hereditary Prince Mu clearly asked me to meet him, but you intentionally stopped him?"


    As if she had understood something, she sneered, "The reason why you intentionally sent Hereditary Prince out and stopped Hereditary Prince Mu halfway was to frame me and ruin my innocence. You are the one who set me up, you wicked woman! "


    Hereditary Prince Mu was hers, she was hers, what right did this bitch An Lingge have to fight with her!


    An Lingge''s eyes widened in shock, as if sshe was hurt by An Lingyi''s words. After a while, he said: "Little Sister Yi Er, why would you say such a thing? Because of my wet skirt during the banquet, I followed the servant girl from Prince Yi¡¯s Palace to change my clothes. Who knew that the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace would twist and turn, I was only slightly slower, so I didn''t see the servant girl. "


    She slowly explained the situation, "I was anxious to find the servant girl, and accidentally sprained my leg, but unfortunately, Bi Zhu was entrusted by the servant girl to look for the earring that the servant girl dropped. I had no choice but to stop halfway, and wait for Bi Zhu to return. It was unexpected that we met Hereditary Prince Mu, Little Sister Yi Er, why do you say that I framed you? "


    That''s right, everyone had clearly seen An Lingge wetting her skirt.


    Could it be that An Lingge was able to bribe a servant of the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace to frame An Lingyi?


    However, how could the Madam Li believe her words? Her eyebrows slanted upwards and a fierce look appeared on her face, "What Eldest Miss said is flawless, but who knows if you have truly sprained your leg or deliberately made up an excuse?"


    A trace of sorrow surfaced on An Lingge''s beautiful face. "Little Sister Yi Er is still young, it''s fine if you misunderstand me, but why doesn''t Aunt believe me? Could it be that in the eyes of Aunt and Little Sister Yi Er, I am only a person with a mouth full of lies? "


    She seemed to be extremely sad, and her black eyes were flashing with tears. "If Aunt doesn''t believe me, please ask a doctor to treat her."


    Princess Yi secretly curled her lips. In the end, she was worried that this was her own family''s banquet. Out of respect for face, she asked the servant girl to pass over the Female Doctor.


    The Female Doctor came extremely quickly, she lifted the corner of An Lingge''s skirt to check her injuries.


    Seeing the situation, Mu Junhan turned around, and his demeanor of avoiding suspicion again attracted the admiration of many women, even many of the wives praised him in their hearts. Although Mu Junhan looked at the carefree and unrestrained, deep down, he was a righteous man.


    Mu Junhan, who had been carried up high by the crowd, couldn''t help but think back to the scene just now. An Lingge lifted her face, which was bright and clean, and whispered into his ear. The woman''s warm breath was right next to his ear.


    After that, he agreed to An Lingge''s suggestion. He sent people to invite An Lingyi, yet he stayed with An Lingge and even personally taught him how to use strength to trip him up.


    This woman had been really ruthless to him.


    Mu Junhan thought like this. How many girls could injure him without batting an eyelid just to make the person who framed him suffer?


    An Lingge, who was currently being examined by the Female Doctor, didn''t know what Mu Junhan was thinking. She had a pale face and endured the waves of heart-wrenching pain as she looked down at the Female Doctor to treat herself.


    "This lady has sprained her leg, but it''s not very serious. I''ve already applied medicine for her, so you need to take care of your recovery. Soon, everything will be fine."


    Just as Female Doctor finished speaking, Madam Li''s sharp voice sounded out, "An Lingge really sprained her ankle?"

 C25

    There was doubt in Madam Li''s eyes, maybe she was hiding a little threat.


    The Female Doctor was at a loss as to what to do, but her expression changed.


    "I naturally trust Female Doctor of my Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, Ru Xue, why are you acting like this."


    To place her, a dignified Princess Yi, in her Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, where should she hide?


    Madam Li was warned by Princess Yi in an indifferent tone. The threatening look in her eyes dimmed and a fawning smile appeared on her face, "This concerns Yi Er''s innocence, so I have to get to the bottom of this, no?"


    "Even if it''s on account of you, Ru Xue, I still have to ask for an understanding regarding today''s matter. I definitely won''t deceive you."


    She turned her head to look at An Lingyi, "You said that Hereditary Prince Mu had invited you here for a chat, do you have any evidence?"


    Evidence?


    An Lingge''s eyes lit up, "Yes, Hereditary Prince Mu had someone to give me a note, it was because I read the contents of the note that I came here."


    With the evidence, everything was easy, Madam Li''s eyes finally had a smile, "Yi Er, quickly take out the evidence, prove your innocence!"


    An Lingyi also looked around but she could not find the slip of paper.


    As time passed, the joy on her face faded bit by bit, followed by endless fear and anxiety.


    Why did she disappear? She kept the note well, but she suddenly couldn''t find it!


    Princess Yi''s face turned serious, "Where is the note you mentioned?"


    "I can''t find it." An Lingyi''s lips trembled, she only felt that her hands and feet were cold.


    She couldn''t even find the only note that would prove her innocence, so no one would believe what she said.


    The lady who had ridiculed An Lingyi earlier laughed again, "This is the only evidence that''s missing, it''s really too much of a coincidence."


    An Lingge opened her mouth at the right moment, "Why does Little Sister Yi Er need to tell so many lies? No matter what, you are already hugging the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace Hereditary Prince. This is an indisputable fact, why don''t you let the Princess Yi and Aunt discuss the marriage properly, this ugly thing will become a good thing."


    Mu Junhan also laughed unrestrainedly, her phoenix eyes had starlight in them. "Miss An speaks well, at the same time, don''t let your love drag this Hereditary Prince down and sully this Hereditary Prince''s innocence."


    His words were rude and harsh, causing Madam Li''s already pale face to turn green from anger. The hand hanging by his side tightened as he spat out a sentence from his teeth, "Yi Er will never marry into the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace!"


    Princess Yi looked like she was being reminded, her lips curved upwards, "Ru Xue, what are you saying? Yi Er already has a physical relationship with Little Ming, if she doesn''t marry into our Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, who else can she marry?"


    With things having progressed to this point, it was impossible for her to have any more ideas about An Lingge, but An Lingyi was not bad. Although her looks and bearing were a bit worse than the An Family''s direct daughter, she had a mother who was in charge of the Prince An''s Palace.


    The Princess Yi''s plans were working out, but unexpectedly, the Madam Li''s expression changed, and she could not care less about her old friendship, "What skin relation, my Yi Er is pure and white, you can''t marry a good family? Why must you marry into Prince Yi¡¯s Palace! "


    The meaning of his words was that the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace would be excluded from the good families, causing Princess Yi''s expression to turn cold.


    She was already over thirty years old, but she only had a foolish Yi Ming below her knees.


    To the Princess Yi, Yi Ming was his lifeblood. Whoever said that her son was wrong would be going against her!


    Now, both mother and daughter of the Madam Li hated Yi Ming for his foolishness, so how could the Princess Yi not be angry?


    Her face no longer had a smile on it, and instead a hint of anger appeared on her well-maintained face, "Good, good, good, good. Li Ru Xue, today, I finally see clearly what you really are like. Your daughter doesn''t want to marry into Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, but I do want to see, for a woman who has lost her innocence, which good family can she marry into?! "


    Princess Yi pointed at An Lingyi''s innocence. Madam Li held back her anger in her heart.


    She laughed coldly, "Yi Er is kind and cute, it doesn''t take any effort to find any kind of good family. On the other hand, Princess Yi, you might as well think about how to marry your own son off to a suitable wife, Hereditary Prince Consort! "


    The two fought back and forth, mocking each other with their words. They didn''t seem like old friends at all, but rather, enemies from several lifetimes.


    The forced a smile on his face as he sent one guest after another away, and after returning back to his room, he smashed his favorite vase.


    "Good, Li Ru Xue, I thought you wanted to help Little Ming get married in vain. Heh, just you wait and see. Let''s see who dares to take the risk of offending my Prince Yi¡¯s Palace to marry that innocent daughter of yours. "


    On the way back to the residence, the Madam Li''s face was also as black as ink. Listening to An Lingyi''s crying, she was extremely annoyed, and she secretly scolded Princess Yi several times.


    Naturally, the two of them were not in a good mood, so they didn''t notice that a slender figure had appeared in the carriage behind them.


    Mu Junhan slipped into An Lingge''s carriage casually, looking at the road like he was familiar with it made An Lingge speechless.


    "What can I do for Hereditary Prince Mu?"


    She lowered her voice, her expression indifferent, as if she was used to Mu Junhan''s mysterious appearance.


    Mu Junhan''s thin lips lifted, "Today, the Japanese Hereditary Prince has helped you so much. How are you prepared to thank me?"


    "We already said it in advance, mutual benefit does not owe anyone anything, why is Hereditary Prince Mu acting like a benefactor again?"


    Although An Lingge said that, she didn''t have the slightest displeased intention.


    "Originally, when Miss An sought my help, she only said that she wanted this Hereditary Prince to help you lead An Lingyi there. You help this Hereditary Prince get rid of An Lingyi, but she didn''t say that you have any other motive."


    "Such as?" An Lingge remained as still as a mountain, she already had a guess in her heart.


    Mu Junhan said straightforwardly, "Miss An used this Hereditary Prince to allow these two former good friends of mine to lose all decorum and become enemies. Is that not your goal? "


    He had indeed guessed it.


    An Lingge did not deny it, and even smiled in a good mood. Because of this light smile, her already beautiful face became even more magnificent.


    "Hereditary Prince Mu is really intelligent, I can''t hide my little schemes from you."


    How many people in the world would have a little scheme like this that would ruin the innocent reputation of their little sister concubine and eliminate the connections that their concubine had had for so many years?


    Mu Junhan declined to comment, and the evil smile on his face widened.


    The woman he''d taken a fancy to was just that formidable.


    Sensing the thought in his mind, Mu Junhan was shocked.


    Could it be that she had already fallen for An Lingge?


    Just thinking about this made Mu Junhan''s heart beat faster.


    He did not dare stay any longer, and quickly took out a bottle of ointment from his bosom, and said to An Lingge: "Put this ointment on, your foot injuries will be healed tomorrow."

 C26

    After Mu Junhan finished speaking, he left the carriage in a flash. Bi Zhu lifted the carriage''s curtain and caught sight of a black shadow.


    She blinked, feeling that the figure looked somewhat similar to Hereditary Prince Mu, as if Hereditary Prince Mu was also wearing an ink-black robe today.


    Bi Zhu looked at An Lingge with suspicion. She didn''t know why, but she felt like there was some kind of secret between the Miss and Hereditary Prince Mu.


    Just as he was about to blow the wind at the Duke Yi Palace, urging him to trip up the Prince An, Yi Ming suddenly barged in with his people.


    When Yi Ming saw his mother, he let out a silly laugh, "Mother, Mother, where''s that beautiful little lady today? Little Ming wants to marry her to be his wife."


    When she mentioned An Lingyi, the Princess Yi was filled with anger. Facing her own beloved son, she said with an ugly expression, "What beautiful woman? You''re just that kind of trash. Marrying you would only bring trouble to our Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, you''re not allowed to marry!"


    Yi Ming did not understand how the situation could become complicated, but he understood Princess Yi''s last line, saying that marriage was not allowed.


    "Mother, why didn''t you allow Little Ming to marry that beautiful little lady? Little Ming likes her, and Little Ming wants her as her bride." His expression was a little stubborn, and she was determined to marry An Lingyi as a wife.


    Princess Yi''s forehead jumped, "I said that no matter what, no matter what, I will definitely not let that kind of unclear woman marry into the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace."


    Heh, and even said that they only came to the front courtyard after receiving Hereditary Prince Mu''s invitation.


    This kind of fearless little girl, whoever marries her would be in trouble!


    "No, Little Ming must definitely marry her. Little Ming has already touched her hands, she is now Little Ming''s woman. Mother, quickly help Little Ming, you must definitely make her Little Ming''s wife." Yi Ming''s foolish face actually revealed a little bit of infatuation, causing Princess Yi to be shocked, and her disgust towards An Lingyi to become even more intense.


    She made Yi Ming give up on her words, but Yi Ming acted as if he was bewitched, begging the Princess Yi relentlessly, until he finally fell to the ground and wailed, "Mother, if you don''t agree to Little Ming''s request, Little Ming won''t be able to stand up."


    This IQ that was similar to that of a five year old child gave Princess Yi a headache. In the end, she was still unable to refuse his request and agreed to it with a nod of her head.


    Due to his son''s persistence, Princess Yi''s efficiency was exceptionally high. The next day, he went to find a matchmaker to go to Prince An''s Palace.


    The matchmaker with thick makeup sat in the hall of Prince An''s Palace with her eyes rolling around.


    She warmly looked at Madam Li who had an unfriendly face, and praised him, "Hereditary Prince of Prince Yi¡¯s Palace is extremely handsome and talented, matching your beloved family. Coincidentally, the two of them are around the same age, so Madam, why don''t you consider this marriage?"


    Madam Li cast a sidelong glance at Princess Yi, holding deep hatred in her heart for yesterday''s argument. She coldly snorted, "The daughter of our Prince An''s Palace, does not dare to marry into a wolf''s nest like Prince Yi¡¯s Palace. Moreover, Hereditary Prince of Prince Yi¡¯s Palace is a fool, the entire capital knows about it. Could it be that I will let my daughter marry her and be laughed at by others? "


    "Not to mention that I don''t agree to this marriage, even if it was a prince, he wouldn''t agree to such a ridiculous thing!"


    The word "idiot" stabbed Princess Yi''s heart fiercely. Her smile, which she had already forced out, gradually disappeared with the appearance of these two words.


    "Madam Li, your shameless daughter deliberately lured my son, and he was caught red-handed in public. I don''t care that your face hasn''t been exposed, you actually dare to look down on my son''s idiocy." Princess Yi sarcastically replied, and his tone was no longer polite.


    She did not want this marriage anyways. Madam Li did not want this marriage at all, in case she get annoyed when she saw An Lingyi in the future.


    Although Madam Li only had the status of an aunt, she had control over the Prince An''s Palace for many years, so how could she be willing to suffer losses?


    Her eyes immediately became round, and her gaze became sharp, "Princess Yi doesn''t even make a draft when it comes to lies, just who would fancy that stupid Hereditary Prince of yours? Not to mention that my Yi Er would go and seduce him, even if he was a normal person, my Yi Er would definitely not look at his noble appearance. "


    "No seduction?" Princess Yi sneered, her expression carrying a bit of disdain, "Then tell me, how did An Lingyi manage to get to the front yard, and even get into an embrace with my son, that would make my son want to marry such an unclean woman!"


    "Don''t go too far!"


    When her beloved daughter was called an unclean woman by Princess Yi, Madam Li angrily threw the teacup in her hand.


    The crisp sound of porcelain breaking startled Princess Yi.


    She was shocked and the panic on her face froze. After a while, she laughed out loud in anger, "Good, good, good. Li Ru Xue, you actually dare to put on airs in front of me now, I have truly underestimated you. "


    "I thought you were the daughter of a mere fourth-grade official. If it wasn''t for me, you wouldn''t have been able to enter the circle of nobles in the capital. Who would have thought that you would have such great power and even started to criticize me?"


    Princess Yi was born into a prestigious clan or clan. Back then, she dragged the lowly Madam Li into the circle of noble girls, but didn''t expect him to be such an ingrate!


    Madam Li laughed complacently. "Princess Yi, in the past, your status was indeed high and unattainable, but now, aren''t you going to accompany me, an aunt, to discuss marriage? I''m telling you right now, Yi Er would never marry into the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, so what can you do about it? "


    Her face was proud and arrogant, Princess Yi was so angry that her hands were trembling, "Good, good, Madam Li, you are very proud now, there''s still time for you to regret, let''s go!"


    The matchmaker did not dare to stay at the side, as she followed behind Princess Yi and left the Prince An''s Palace.


    A foolish Hereditary Prince would actually want to marry her precious daughter.


    The Madam Li laughed contemptuously as she brought her servant back to her room.


    Unexpectedly, An Yingcheng returned in the evening, worn out from his journey, and immediately asked the Madam Li about this matter.


    "Master, why did you bring up this matter? The Hereditary Prince of the Princess Yi is a foolish person, it is impossible for Yi Er to marry into their family. "


    The Madam Li smiled gently, but her tone was filled with contempt.


    An Yingcheng pursed his lips, his expression grave. "Duke Yi entered the palace today and asked His Majesty to bestow the marriage decree!"


    "What?" Madam Li exclaimed, her eyes filled with astonishment, "It can''t be that you want the Emperor to order Yi Er to marry that fool, right?"


    An Yingcheng pursed his lips and did not say anything, but his expression had already tacitly acknowledged it.


    "is such a cute and obedient child, how can she marry that idiot Yi Ming? That will ruin her entire life!"


    Thinking about how An Lingyi would never marry her, the Madam Li felt her heart ache, "Master, go and beg the Emperor, Yi Er absolutely cannot marry Yi Ming."

 C27

    Madam Li thought that An Yingcheng''s expression was heavy because An Yingcheng wasn''t willing to allow An Lingyi to marry into the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace either. Unexpectedly, An Yingcheng muttered to himself for a while and said, "Letting Yi Er marry into the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace isn''t that serious."


    An Yingcheng used the same excuse that the Madam Li had previously, "You also said that the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace is as rich as a nation, if Yi Er marries into the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, he would definitely not suffer any grievances while eating."


    How can that be the same!


    Madam Li held her breath and almost vomited blood.


    Her Yi Er had been pampered since he was young, and was born to marry a dragon and phoenix like Mu Junhan. How could he marry a fool like Yi Ming?


    "Master, Yi Er is very happy ¡­"


    "Don''t say anymore, let Yi Er marry into Prince Yi¡¯s Palace and Little Ge will marry into Prince Mu¡¯s Palace. In this way, not only will we win over Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, we will also not offend the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, this will be the best of both worlds."


    This was a disaster, a disaster!


    The handkerchief in Madam Li''s hands was about to be torn apart by her. No matter how she tried to persuade him, An Yingcheng remained unmoved.


    He could only think of another way.


    Madam Li thought for a moment, then naturally she thought of Imperial Noble Consort Li.


    She and Imperial Noble Consort Li were sisters from the same mother, so she only sent someone to send a message to the palace. The Imperial Noble Consort Li sent someone to pick her up and bring her to the palace for a chat.


    "Elder sister hasn''t come to see me in a while."


    The Imperial Noble Consort Li was only twenty-five or sixteen. Her beautiful face was painted with exquisite makeup and her lips were slightly raised. She looked like a seventeen or eighteen year old girl. No wonder she could become the Emperor''s most beloved Imperial Noble Consort.


    Madam Li sat down on the chair and chattered a few words about home life before tears started to fall from her eyes, "I don''t know for sure, but I haven''t been doing well recently. I really can''t find a place to visit you."


    "What happened? Sister, tell me quickly. " Imperial Noble Consort Li asked with concern, as she held Madam Li''s hand.


    Madam Li wiped her tears and said helplessly, "Because it''s still not the wedding of Yi Er."


    She told him the whole thing about, and grinded her teeth in hatred, "It''s a pity that An Lingge that girl''s luck was good, and allowed her to hide from our plans this time, if not, Yi Er would not have to suffer so much humiliation."


    A light smile surfaced on Imperial Noble Consort Li''s charming face, "Elder sister, this is your mistake. I was played by a bereaved mother and daughter, An Lingge."


    She carefully analyzed the entire matter, pointed out An Lingge''s strangeness, and said: "This An Lingge is very scheming, big sis, you must not be tricked by her."


    It was only then that Madam Li realized the difference in An Lingge. Thinking that An Lingyi had been humiliated by her, the hatred in her heart could not help but roll.


    "It seems that elder sister has suffered greatly. How about I have someone bring her to the palace and let elder sister let out a breath of relief?" Imperial Noble Consort Li covered her lips and chuckled, but in her eyes, there was a trace of viciousness.


    To dare to make a move on the Madam Li, that was not giving her face. This kind of girl, she had to be taught a lesson.


    Inside the Parasol House, Lu Jingyu respectfully bowed his head and stood in front of An Lingge, "The white jade has already been secretly replaced and sent out of the residence. The matter regarding the Qing Yun Temple will not be leaked out."


    An Lingge was sitting upright under a hundred year old tree in the center of the courtyard.


    She held the white piece in her left hand, and the black piece in her right.


    Hearing Lu Jingyu''s words, An Lingge nodded her head, "Take care of the white jade, hide it carefully, and find a time to go to the government office and create a new identity for Bai Yu."


    Was he letting Bai Yu live on as another person?


    This thought flashed across Lu Jingyu''s mind, although he did not know what An Lingge was planning, he still agreed with a low voice.


    No matter what An Lingge wanted to do, from the moment she saved her family, she was her eternal master.


    Regarding An Lingge''s instructions, Lu Jingyu did not question it in the slightest.


    The moment Lu Jingyu released his Parasol House, the nanny immediately came to his side.


    "First Miss, Imperial Noble Consort Li invites you to enter the palace."


    The nanny looked up with her nose to the sky. Her attitude was arrogant and she did not even show the slightest bit of respect.


    An Lingge''s expression suddenly darkened, "Bi Zhu, slap him."


    Without saying a word, Bi Zhu rushed forward and slapped nanny twice.


    "You little hoof, you dare hit me?"


    Caught off guard, nanny felt embarrassed and angry after being slapped twice by a small maid. He pointed at Bi Zhu and scolded him.


    Bi Zhu shook her hands that were hurting, and said fearlessly, "To not greet the young miss when you see her, slapping you two times is considered light."


    Ever since An Lingge and Madam Li started opposing each other, the servants of the Prince An''s Palace had been disregarding An Lingge both publicly and secretly.


    Either the food was brought late, or the tea things were filled up.


    In the past, An Lingge did not mind, but the servants were getting more and more unscrupulous.


    However, this old servant was already so disrespectful to this extent. If she wasn''t angry, people would have thought that she was easy to handle and would have rushed forward to trample on.


    Seeing that An Lingge was finally going to punish this old servant, Bi Zhu was so excited that her face turned red.


    After being scolded like that by Bi Zhu, the nanny did not have a trace of guilt or fear on her face, "This old servant paid respects to Eldest Miss after entering the courtyard, Eldest Miss did not see, and was able to torment this old servant?


    Her aged face unexpectedly revealed a questioning look, "Eldest Miss, you don''t like this old servant, so you can''t insult this old servant like this! You might have seen it, but you pretended not to see it, and only found a reason to punish this old servant. "


    Pui, this blind old servant is lying!


    Bi Zhu''s eyes were wide opened, she had been standing beside the young miss the whole time, why did she not see the old servant greet her? On the contrary, she said that since the little miss was making things difficult for her, this old thief really didn''t care about status.


    An Lingge suddenly laughed, her black eyes revealing an ice-cold look, "Are you saying that I am deliberately making things difficult for you?"


    "This old servant doesn''t dare to say such words." The nanny snorted, but his expression was completely different.


    An Lingge was still smiling, but she made the old servant feel a chill from the bottom of his feet that made him shiver.


    "What did you say about the Imperial Noble Consort Li just now?"


    An Lingge suddenly changed the topic, the old servant was stunned, and quickly reacted: "Imperial Noble Consort Li has sent you to the palace."


    Heh, when she saw the look in Eldest Miss''s eyes, she thought that Eldest Miss was going to punish her. Who knew that Eldest Miss was just a soft persimmon who didn''t dare to do anything to her!


    nanny thought complacently as he lifted his nose.


    An Lingge turned to look at Bi Zhu, "Bi Zhu, what did she say just now?"


    Bi Zhu blinked, she understood what An Lingge meant, the corners of her mouth curled, revealing her two little tiger teeth, "Miss, this servant did not hear anything." She looked at nanny and asked, "nanny, what did you say just now?"


    The nanny''s expression was impatient, but she still said: "Imperial Noble Consort Li''s great young miss has entered the palace."

 C28

    An Lingge curled her lips and laughed, the coldness in her eyes seemed to be real. "It seems like I still can''t hear nanny''s words."


    Didn''t you say that I was intentionally playing with you? I''ll play with you and see what you can do.


    Being suppressed by An Lingge''s ice-cold gaze, the nanny finally understood that she was playing a joke on him!


    "Eldest Miss, you keep playing with this old servant. Is it because you are dissatisfied with Imperial Noble Consort Li and deliberately found an excuse to not pay your respects?"


    An Lingge scoffed, she then stood up from the chair, "nanny, I advise you to recognize your own identity, and come speak with me again."


    "You, a nanny, how dare you shout and question me in front of this young miss, who gave you the guts? Could it be that I don''t dare to do anything to you just because you passed the message to me on behalf of the Imperial Noble Consort Li?! Or do you think that no matter how disrespectful and disrespectful you are to your unfilial master, the Second Aunt will still support you? "


    Her expression was ice-cold. Her usually gentle and smiling lips were cold without any warmth. Her deep black and bright eyes seemed to be able to pierce through the deepest and darkest part of one''s heart.


    nanny could not help but take a step back, her arrogant attitude finally relaxed, "Please don''t be angry First Miss, this servant definitely did not mean that."


    "Oh, you mean, I wronged you?"


    An Lingge''s eyes turned slightly as the nanny immediately stopped talking. She put on a respectful face, but her eyes were still filled with disdain.


    An Lingge sneered in the bottom of her heart, then instructed Bi Zhu, "Bi Zhu, tell the people who went back to the Imperial Noble Consort Li that I''m not feeling well, and that I''ll pay them a visit another time."


    After she finished speaking, she walked back to her own room, leaving the nanny in shock.


    Eldest Miss would not go no matter what she said. If she couldn''t settle this matter, Imperial Noble Consort Li and Aunt would not forgive her!


    Seeing that An Lingge did not look like she was lying, the nanny panicked and quickly followed, "Please wait, Young Miss, please wait."


    An Lingge turned a deaf ear and continued to walk, the nanny behind her could only jogged up to catch up, her face revealed a respectful smile, "Just now this old servant is being insensible, provoking Eldest Miss''s displeasure, this old servant will apologize to you."


    With that, the nanny raised her hand and slapped her face a few times.


    "Look, Miss, over at Imperial Noble Consort Li''s side?"


    She did not care about her face that was slapped down, and looked at An Lingge fawningly.


    "I hope nanny remembers what happened today. If you still have that attitude next time, I won''t be as easy to talk to as I am today."


    The meaning in his words was that he would not pursue the matter today.


    "Thank you for your forgiveness, Eldest Miss." nanny hurriedly thanked him, and tried probing further, "The people from Imperial Noble Consort Li must have waited quite a while, First Miss ¡­"


    "Lead the way." An Lingge''s expression was indifferent.


    The nanny was overjoyed, and quickly brought An Lingge out of the palace.


    Only when An Lingge''s figure disappeared from the carriage did a trace of anger resurface on nanny''s face.


    A cowardly, orphan girl who had lost her mother could only show her master in front of servants like them.


    Once they arrived at the palace, the Imperial Noble Consort Li would definitely not let them off easy!


    An Lingge naturally knew that the reason she had come to the palace today, was to attend the Hongmen Banquet.


    But even if she knew that the Imperial Noble Consort Li had ill intentions, she still had to go. Only by finding out the background of the biggest backer behind the Madam Li would she be able to come up with a good plan to topple the Madam Li.


    An Lingge closed her eyes and rested on the carriage, and after a while, she arrived at the imperial palace. She alighted from the carriage, and was led to a palace by the Imperial Noble Consort Li.


    She had never been to the palace before in her previous life and was currently observing the surroundings.


    After going through many fake mountains, water pavilions, and pavilions, the palace maids finally brought An Lingge to an elegant and beautiful palace.


    "Miss An, this is the Imperial Noble Consort''s palace."


    The red dressed lady''s voice did not reveal any emotion, An Lingge indifferently acknowledged, and then went to the inner hall to report.


    "Imperial Noble Consort, we have arrived."


    Just as the palace maid finished speaking, a feminine voice came from inside, "Invite her in quickly."


    The voice was soft and sweet, making one imagine that the woman who said it must be a gentle and kind person.


    An Lingge smiled, then walked in with a sense of propriety.


    "It''s only been a few years since we last met. Little Ge has grown up to this extent, I almost couldn''t recognize him."


    Imperial Noble Consort Li looked at An Lingge cordially, as if she was looking at her beloved junior.


    Back then when Madam Li married into the Prince An''s Palace, Imperial Noble Consort Li was still a teenage girl, and she had followed Madam Li to the Prince An''s Palace once. At that time, An Lingge was still young, so she had no impression of her at all.


    But An Lingge laughed, and said extremely sincerely, "The Imperial Noble Consort Empress is as young as she was at that time, and aside from a few insignificant lines, there doesn''t seem to be any other changes."


    The two of them had a smile on their face and a gentle tone. They sounded like good friends that hadn''t seen each other in many years, but no one knew just how much edge was hidden underneath.


    Imperial Noble Consort Li hinted at a drastic change in An Lingge''s personality. An Lingge would make a fool of herself about Imperial Noble Consort Li''s age, and see who would know the truth.


    Madam Li who was at the side was the first to be unable to sit still, and asked, "Eldest Miss, the Imperial Noble Consort''s Empress summoned you to the palace. Why have you only come here now?


    "Didn''t Aunt know?" An Lingge retorted, and said innocently, "The nanny by Aunt''s side repeatedly stopped me from entering the palace. I thought it was Aunt''s intentions, but it turns out I was wrong about Aunt."


    With just one sentence, she pushed the blame onto nanny, who was standing beside her. She made the Madam Li choke back the words she had asked her, as though she was holding them tightly in her chest.


    The Imperial Noble Consort Li chuckled, "How could your aunt let a servant stop you from entering the palace? That servant must have acted on his own accord and missed the chance to meet with you."


    An Lingge nodded her head, "What the Imperial Noble Consort said makes sense. That slut must have wanted to separate the feelings between me and the Imperial Noble Consort, which was why she intentionally stopped me from leaving the palace."


    Her words were sincere, causing the Imperial Noble Consort Li sitting in the main seat to feel embarrassed.


    She had entered the palace at the age of eighteen, gone through countless of open and secret battles, and only then did she reach her current position. Her ability to spout lies was not comparable to a little girl like An Lingge.


    Imperial Noble Consort Li secretly sighed as the Madam Li beside her suddenly bumped into her in a neither light nor heavy manner.


    She then remembered her goal and smiled at An Lingge, "It is rare for you to enter the palace, you must go and take a look at the scenery at the Brightheart Lake."


    An Lingge revealed an interested expression at the right time, "The scenery recommended by the Imperial Noble Consort Empress must be extremely beautiful. If there''s a chance, I would definitely enjoy it."


    "Isn''t this an opportunity?" Imperial Noble Consort Li laughed tenderly, called the palace maid over, and turned to look at An Lingge, "Why not come with me to Brightheart Lake?"

 C29

    An Lingge looked at Imperial Noble Consort Li''s innocent and innocent face, and the expression in her eyes was blurred.


    The Imperial Noble Consort Li was different from the Madam Li. Her emotions were all hidden under that smiling face, and even her eyes did not reveal the slightest bit of her thoughts.


    Facing such a powerful woman, An Lingyi had no choice but to focus even more.


    She nodded in agreement to Imperial Noble Consort Li''s suggestion, and a palace maid then led the few of them towards Brightheart Lake respectfully.


    It was the beginning of spring. There were several small boats in the Brightheart Lake, and the water lilies that were planted had yet to bloom. With a single glance, one could tell that the surface of the lake was as clear as a mirror.


    A cool breeze blew past, causing An Lingge to squint her eyes.


    Imperial Noble Consort Li''s voice resounded in her ears, light and pleasant, "In this entire palace, what I love the most is this Brightheart Lake."


    She slowly walked to An Lingge''s side with an intimate smile on her beautiful face.


    "When I just entered the palace and was just a small palace maid, it was here that I met the Emperor."


    An Lingge listened to her silently as she quietly observed her surroundings from the corner of her eyes.


    A flash of ruthlessness could be seen in the eyes of the Madam Li, as her brows furrowed with the joy of winning the battle.


    An Lingge sensed that something was wrong and subconsciously dodged to the side.


    A slender figure fell over, splashing water everywhere in the calm Enlightening Mind Lake.


    "Sister!" The Madam Li screamed, her face was anxious, "Didn''t you see the young miss push the Imperial Noble Consort Li into the water? Hurry up and save them! "


    When the palace maids saw this, their faces paled but they did not dare to delay any longer. Regardless of whether they knew how to swim or not, they immediately jumped into the Enlightening Mind Lake.


    If anything were to happen to the Imperial Noble Consort Li today, according to the Emperor''s favor, she would definitely vent her anger on these palace maids, and all of the palace maids here would be buried with them!


    An Lingge''s reaction was extremely fast, when the palace maids jumped, he leapt up and followed suit.


    Fortunately, many of the palace maids present understood the situation and came up to save Imperial Noble Consort Li.


    Imperial Noble Consort Li choked on a few mouthfuls of water, her beautiful face lost all color, and became pale, looking extremely weak.


    "Quick, go get the imperial physician." Although the Madam Li looked to be panicking, she was actually not the least bit worried.


    She and Imperial Noble Consort Li were blood-related sisters, so she naturally knew that her sister was extremely good at swimming and that nothing would happen to her.


    Furthermore, this scene was something that they had planned, and it was all just to frame An Lingge.


    Thinking about this, Madam Li couldn''t help but look in An Lingge''s direction.


    "As for First Miss, the matter of you murdering Imperial Noble Consort Li, we''ll deal with you when Imperial Noble Consort Li wakes up!"


    The palace maids by her side were clever, in a blink of an eye, a red dressed palace maid stood up and respectfully said, "If anything happens to the Imperial Noble Consort, please wait here for a moment."


    Madam Li had said that An Lingge was planning to murder Imperial Noble Consort Li, so she naturally could not leave at this time.


    An Lingge''s dark and deep eyes flashed a hint of understanding. No wonder she had felt that there was something strange about Imperial Noble Consort Li ever since she had met him. It was rare for Madam Li to not make things difficult for her like she usually did.


    It turned out that the two of them had already planned this long ago, and were only waiting for him to jump into the circle.


    Thinking about all this, An Lingge''s heart calmed down, "If something happens in Imperial Noble Consort Li, I naturally have to stay, and only then will I be able to leave. But, Aunt pushed Imperial Noble Consort Li into the water one after another, is there any evidence? "


    "Where is the evidence needed?" Madam Li sneered, and spoke in a righteous manner, "If it wasn''t you who pushed Imperial Noble Consort Li down, could it be that she jumped down herself?"


    "Before the Imperial Noble Consort Empress fell into the water, this servant saw that the Miss An had somehow moved closer to her, and even reached out her hand to push her away."


    Hearing this, the other palace maids'' expressions changed.


    In a place like the palace where the Imperial Noble Consort was murdered, and in front of so many people''s eyes at that, the Miss An was truly bold.


    Unfortunately, Miss An''s luck was bad, and was seen by the others, so Miss An had to suffer a lot.


    An Lingge raised her eyebrows, she was not in a hurry, "Are you sure that you saw me pushing Imperial Noble Consort Li, and made him fall into the water?"


    After being questioned by her, the red dressed lady looked a little wronged, "What does Miss An mean by this, could it be that this servant will wrongly accuse you?"


    An Lingge smiled, her expression gentle and calm. "I''m just sure that after Imperial Noble Consort Li wakes up, she will prove my innocence.


    Imperial Noble Consort Li will prove your innocence?


    The red dressed palace maid looked at Madam Li''s expression and firmly said, "This servant has seen everything with my own eyes."


    "Alright, remember what you said." An Lingge nodded, and glanced at the unconscious Imperial Noble Consort Li.


    "Hurry up and send this Imperial Noble Consort Li back to her chambers." Seeing that An Lingge was silent, the Madam Li hurriedly ordered for the people to return the Imperial Noble Consort Li to his room.


    The imperial physician came very quickly. Considering how the Imperial Noble Consort Li was doted upon by the emperor, the imperial physician had to be very careful in diagnosis and treatment, lest there were any mistakes.


    He frowned, feeling the strong and steady pulse of the Imperial Noble Consort Li, as if he did not want to lose consciousness in the water.


    But there were too many unscrupulous things in the imperial harem. The imperial physician changed his mind and stroked his grizzled beard. He stood up and wrote down the prescription with a few strokes.


    "When the Imperial Noble Consort''s Empress fell into the water, her body would be in a weakened state. Follow this recipe to catch her medicine and take good care of her. After a few days, she will be fine."


    The Madam Li hurriedly nodded her head, "Fortunately, the Imperial Noble Consort''s mistress was saved in time. If she died because of Eldest Miss, how would I feel?"


    She instructed a palace maid at the side, "Go ask the empress to come over. The eldest miss is planning to murder a concubine in the imperial harem, so she must be severely punished!"


    When An Lingge heard that she had sent someone to ask for the empress, the corner of her mouth slightly hooked up.


    It was a pity that Madam Li and Imperial Noble Consort Li had schemed arduously, and Imperial Noble Consort Li had even jumped into the water, in an attempt to frame him with a trick, their plan of tormenting him would eventually fail.


    Just as An Lingge had expected, the Queen brought her people over the moment she heard about this.


    Her face was round and round like a silver plate, and her eyes carried a sense of majesty. "Miss An, Madam Li said that you pushed Imperial Noble Consort Li into the water."


    An Lingge shook her head, "Reporting to the Empress, this subject did not do such a thing."


    The Madam Li''s eyes were brimming with tears. "Esteemed Empress, please uphold justice for the Empress!"


    "The Queen of Imperial Noble Consort invited Eldest Miss into the palace for a chat, and even brought Eldest Miss to enjoy the scenery at Brightheart Lake. Who would have known that Eldest Miss had evil intentions and pushed the Queen of Imperial Noble Consort into the water.

 C30

    The Queen''s expression did not change when she heard Madam Li''s "sincere feelings".


    It was only until the Madam Li stopped that she said, "These are just your words. I can''t possibly find out who the culprits are in order. Do you have any evidence?"


    Madam Li immediately said: "Although this subject does not have any evidence, someone saw Eldest Young Miss pushing the Empress into the water."


    "Reporting to the Empress, this servant was following by her side at that time. I coincidentally saw that for some reason, the Miss An had suddenly moved closer to the Imperial Noble Consort and pushed her down."


    The empress nodded slightly. "Imperial Noble Consort Li still hasn''t woken up? We should always listen to her, the victim. "


    When the two words "victim" came out, Madam Li''s face revealed a hint of faint joy.


    Look, the empress had already said that the Imperial Noble Consort Li was the victim, so she definitely believed their words.


    Madam Li who was immersed in joy did not realise that the empress''s eyes flashed with ridicule.


    A moment later, Imperial Noble Consort Li finally woke up, "Sister." She looked at Madam Li, tears rolling down her beautiful face, adding an even more charming touch.


    "I almost lost you." The beauty cried sorrowfully, as if she had gone through a life or death crisis.


    Madam Li also cooperated with her acting. The two sisters talked for a long time, occasionally mentioning An Lingge, the "main culprit".


    Only after a while did Imperial Noble Consort Li raise her head and look at the Queen at the side, then hurriedly said, "I didn''t know that the Empress would come, to think that chenqie would neglect my elder sister, quickly show me your seat!"


    The empress didn''t look at her flawless acting, but only asked gently, "Your palace sent out female servants saying that you were pushed into the water by the Miss An. Is that true?"


    "It''s not her fault." Imperial Noble Consort Li lowered her eyes, "It was because Chenqie wasn''t standing well, that Miss An pushed her a little and she fell into the lake."


    While she was saying this, she didn''t blame An Lingge, but she knew that An Lingge had pushed her and caused her to fall into the water.


    The empress looked at Imperial Noble Consort Li with her dignified gaze and asked again, "In that case, did the Miss An really push the Imperial Noble Consort into the water?"


    Imperial Noble Consort Li nodded, "Chenqie felt someone push her. At that time, Miss An was standing beside Chenqie."


    Maybe she realized that she said the wrong thing, Imperial Noble Consort Li hurriedly changed her words, "But Miss An must have it unintentional, I hope that Big Sis does not blame her."


    "How can this be?" The Madam Li scolded her harshly as she turned to look at the Queen. "There are so many people standing at Brightheart Lake, why didn''t she push you down?"


    "As I see it, First Miss is deliberately plotting to kill you. To dare to harm Imperial Noble Consort in a place like the palace, young miss must hold a grudge against me, that''s why she decided to vent her anger on you! "


    The Madam Li spoke a few words and acted as if she was concerned about her sister before pleading with the empress. "Esteemed empress, logically speaking Eldest Miss is the direct daughter of Prince An''s Palace, as her concubine, I shouldn''t blame her."


    She paused, her expression furious. "But eldest young mistress actually wanted to kill this subject''s younger sister. Such malevolence and malicious intent! This subject really can''t endure it any longer. May esteemed empress take charge of this subject''s affairs!"


    One of them was singing "red face" and the other "black face", making An Lingge sound like a cruel and merciless person.


    The empress glanced at Madam Li, then said, "If the truth is as it is, Miss An will naturally be punished."


    Her dignified gaze looked at An Lingge, "Miss An, even Imperial Noble Consort Li said that you pushed her into the water, do you have anything to say?"


    An Lingge saw the profoundness in her eyes and replied in a neither humble nor haughty manner, "Reporting to the Empress, the one who pushed Imperial Noble Consort Li into the water was not this subject''s daughter, the culprit was someone else."


    "Oh, then Miss An, tell me, who is the culprit?" The Queen looked at An Lingge calmly, her tone still unchanged.


    An Lingge looked at Madam Li, "The culprit is Imperial Noble Consort Li''s older sister, Madam Li!"


    "First Miss, don''t you dare slander us!" Madam Li shouted, looking as if she had suffered a great grievance, "I am the blood sister of the Imperial Noble Consort''s Empress, how could I possibly cause her to fall into the water? Even if the young miss is anxious to get rid of her crimes, she can''t pin them on me. "


    "Aunt, don''t be in such a hurry to defend yourself." An Lingge looked at her with a smile that was not a smile, "At that time, only Imperial Noble Consort Li stood by the Brightheart Lake. You, the three of us, and the palace maids stood three steps away from her.


    The Madam Li nodded her head as if she did not understand, and An Lingge continued, "That is to say, only the two of us can cause the Imperial Noble Consort Li to fall into the water. Of course, the Imperial Noble Consort Li can also jump in by herself."


    "How could the Queen of Imperial Noble Consort jump down herself, just to frame you?" The Madam Li looked at An Lingge sarcastically, but she was actually feeling weak in her heart.


    An Lingge went along with her words, "According to Aunt''s words, it should be one of us, pushing Imperial Noble Consort Li into the water."


    The Queen looked at An Lingge and asked, "Could this be the evidence from the Miss An?"


    "This subject only said that since Aunt and I are suspicious, then Aunt said that this subject was the one who pushed Imperial Noble Consort Li into the water. This subject can naturally be said to be the one who pushed Imperial Noble Consort Li into the water." "As for that palace maid, she is standing three steps away from me. How can you clearly see that the one pushing Imperial Noble Consort Li into the water is me or my aunt?"


    "That makes sense, but the Miss An doesn''t have any evidence either, right?" The empress was unmoved. "If the Miss An can''t produce evidence to prove her innocence, I can''t let you off so easily."


    "This subject''s daughter has no proof." An Lingge''s expression did not change as he changed the topic, "But this subject can prove her innocence."


    An Lingge pointed at the Imperial Noble Consort Li, her voice clear and melodious, "Empress, please look. What Imperial Noble Consort Li is wearing today is a material made from Sky Worm Silk, which is extremely light and thin.


    The empress''s gaze fell on the fabric made of Sky Worm Silk, and a trace of hatred flashed in the depths of her eyes.


    She only had one silk brocade on the Mo Bei, but Imperial Noble Consort Li was able to make her own clothes.


    Although she thought this way, the empress did not reveal it on the surface. "What does Miss An want to say, why not say it directly."


    An Lingge laughed, "The purple colored dyeing technique was discovered half a year ago, so it''s not perfect. This purplish red dress is the last to be placed in a damp place, or it will cause a slight loss of color. It just so happened that Imperial Noble Consort Li stayed at the place with the water vapor spreading from the lake for half a quarter of an hour. His purple jacket had already lost its color, so the empress might as well take a look and see if the empress has purple on her hands. "


    Madam Li was shocked upon hearing this and subconsciously hid her hands behind her back.


    All in all, one miscalculation.

 C31

    The empress''s gaze landed on the hand that Madam Li had hidden slightly, and ordered the nanny beside her, "Nanny Zhang, go and look at the hands of the both of them."


    She was impartial and allowed the nanny to inspect two people.


    An Lingge calmly reached out her hand, allowing Nanny Zhang to examine her palm.


    Madam Li was a little flustered. She looked at Imperial Noble Consort Li for help, but only received a comforting gaze from him.


    Seeing that Nanny Zhang had finished inspecting An Lingge and was walking towards her, Madam Li could only clench her teeth and extend her hand.


    Nanny Zhang inspected it very carefully, her aged eyes revealing a sharp glint.


    Her gaze swept across the Madam Li''s hands inch by inch and suddenly stopped.


    Madam Li''s heart thumped loudly. Her gaze followed Nanny Zhang''s line of sight and landed on the tip of the tiger''s mouth that was faintly purple.


    "In reply to Empress, Miss An''s palm is clean and tidy. On the contrary, there is a small purple patch on the palm of Madam Li''s hand."


    It was really a very small purple dot. If An Lingge had not mentioned it, Madam Li would not have noticed it at all.


    The empress''s gaze turned sharp in an instant. "Madam Li, now that the evidence is conclusive, what else do you have to say?"


    Madam Li was so frightened by the awe-inspiring aura that she took a step back. Her lips trembled, but she did not say anything.


    The Imperial Noble Consort Li at the side hurriedly tried to explain, "Queen, please calm your anger. Elder sister has purple marks on her palm, it might have been from helping chenqie choose her clothes."


    At this time, she no longer cared about feigning weakness. Her words were smooth and smooth, "This small jacket was worn by big sister when she arrived here. It was probably due to her appearance."


    An Lingge laughed meaningfully, "The Imperial Noble Consort Li''s palace is warm and cozy, it''s not a place filled with water vapor."


    The meaning behind his words was that only at the Brightheart Lake would the purple colored clothes fall, and traces of it would appear on Madam Li''s hands.


    The empress was enraged. "Damn you, Madam Li, to think that you would try to protect her so hard, yet you want to plot against her and even want to use that to frame Miss An. It''s such a good plan to kill your own sister to frame your first wife! "


    The Queen glared at him furiously. Madam Li opened her mouth as she quickly thought of a plan to deal with the situation.


    "Please calm your anger, esteemed empress." She fell to her knees, her body trembling. "This subject''s wife accidentally pushed my sister into the water. She was terrified and pushed the blame onto Eldest Miss. She didn''t mean to frame Eldest Miss, so I beg for your forgiveness, esteemed empress!"


    No matter what, he couldn''t drag his sister in.


    Madam Li thought, her expression becoming more sincere.


    As a woman who wielded great power in the Prince An''s Palace, she knelt in front of the empress, forcing the empress to bypass her in the face of Prince An''s Palace.


    How could the empress not understand? She pursed her lips and smiled indifferently, "This is a matter between you and the Imperial Noble Consort Li sisters. Why don''t I hand you over to the Imperial Noble Consort Li to deal with and see if she lets you off?"


    When Madam Li heard this, he was overjoyed, but Imperial Noble Consort Li''s expression immediately became unsightly.


    It would be wrong to hand her sister over to him for punishment no matter what.


    If she punishes the Madam Li, the Madam Li will definitely go against her; if she doesn''t, what kind of prestige will she have in the palace?


    The Queen looked at Imperial Noble Consort Li''s ugly expression and pursed her lips in a good mood, "As for Miss An, you frightened me today, so I''ll give you this ruyi bracelet as a token of my goodwill."


    She took off the warm jade bracelet on her wrist and handed it over to An Lingge.


    An Lingge was about to reject, but the empress beat him to it, "You suffered such injustice in the harem, but I can only let you prove your innocence. This is my compensation, Miss An, please do not decline. "


    An Lingge could only accept it.


    When the empress saw how tactful she was, the satisfaction and admiration in her eyes deepened.


    "It''s getting late, Nanny Zhang. If Miss An is scared, send her out of the palace."


    Only after the Nanny Zhang agreed to it did An Lingge follow him out of the palace.


    "Crawl over, crawl over. As long as you crawl over, this prince won''t cause you any trouble."


    From afar, the tender voice of a boy could be heard. An Lingge suddenly frowned.


    "Nanny Zhang, what''s going on over there?"


    An Lingge stopped and looked at the palace on the other side.


    Nanny Zhang looked back, her posture respectful. "Reporting to Miss An, that place should be Imperial Consort Yi''s palace just now. It should be Ninth Prince playing around."


    Ninth Prince.


    An Lingge chewed these three words, didn''t Junge read along with him?


    That chubby white man always waved his small hands and called his sister. Ever since he was eight years old and the Emperor brought him into the palace, she had never seen him again.


    An Lingge stopped in her tracks, "Nanny Zhang, I still have something to take care of. You can go back to the Empress first."


    As she spoke, she walked towards the palace, and from afar, she saw two figures outside.


    An Lingge could not help but quicken her pace and saw a boy dressed in rich clothes. He did not seem to be more than seven or eight years old, but his raised little face was filled with arrogance.


    He pointed at his crotch, full of malice. "As long as you crawl through here, this prince will not make things difficult for you today."


    An Lingjun was only ten years old this year, but her face no longer showed innocence and immaturity.


    He clenched his fists and stubbornly raised his head, not saying a word.


    Seeing this, Ninth Prince was furious, "You lowly servant, you dare to disobey this prince!"


    He kicked An Lingjun, causing the latter to retreat a step, "I am not a lowly servant, I am a Hereditary Prince of Prince An''s Palace!"


    "Tch, my mother said that you are one of the protons of the Prince An''s Palace, if Royal Father is unhappy, I can kill you at any time."


    The Ninth Prince raised his leg again and said with indignation, "Damned lackey, you dare to yell at this prince."


    "Stop!"


    An Lingge ran over, and his black eyes glowered at Ninth Prince, "A dignified prince, is she actually raised in such a way? "Why don''t I go speak with the empress and deliver you to her for her tutelage?"


    Send him to the empress?


    The Ninth Prince trembled and suddenly felt a little guilty, but he still said, "Who are you to dare interfere in this prince''s matters?"


    "An Lingge."


    When she spoke out her name, An Lingjun''s eyes lit up.


    Big sister, big sister came to find me.


    An Lingjun''s eyes turned crystal clear, and she quickly wiped it off with the back of her hand.


    Ninth Prince immediately reacted, "You are this lowly slave''s elder sister?"


    Slave.


    The black color in An Lingge''s eyes became thicker, like a huge wave from the ocean, about to bury a person deep into the invisible sea.


    Ninth Prince was frightened by this gaze and stammered, "You ¡­" What are you doing? "


    "Slave?" An Lingge laughed in extreme anger. "Ninth Prince has a respected identity, to actually call a Hereditary Prince of Prince An''s Palace a lowly slave, I''m afraid even the Emperor would not dare to do so. I wonder what Ninth Prince is planning?"

 C32

    An Lingge''s words scared the haughty face of the Ninth Prince so much that they flashed into confusion.


    The children that had grown up in the Imperial Palace did not have any true idiots.


    Even though he was so young, he still knew the severity of An Lingge''s words.


    If Royal Father were to know that he had shamed in such a way, and had even secretly placed himself in a higher position than Royal Father, he would definitely loathe him.


    The princes and princesses who were hated by the Royal Father were not even close to a powerful palace maid in the palace.


    His expression immediately changed, and a hint of annoyance appeared on his raised face, "You woman, you really have a poisonous mind. You actually want to stir up the relationship between this prince and the Royal Father, as expected, this lowly slave''s elder sister is as annoying as him!"


    The coldness in An Lingge''s eyes seemed to be able to freeze ice, her beautiful face carried a sharp glint, making people not dare to look straight at her.


    "Ninth Prince is truly courageous." Her gaze landed on the side, "I just don''t know if Imperial Consort Yi thinks the same."


    When the Imperial Consort Yi hiding at the side saw that she had been discovered, the awkwardness on her face disappeared in an instant.


    "You must be the big miss of the Prince An''s Palace. As expected, your appearance is beautiful and your bearing is extraordinary."


    She magnanimously praised An Lingge, as if she could not sense the tension between them.


    An Lingge smiled perfunctorily, there was not a trace of happiness in her eyes, "The Imperial Consort Yi has already been here for a while, I wonder what you think about the matter of Ninth Prince addressing me as brother?"


    Imperial Consort Yi''s decent smile froze for a moment. She wanted to let this matter go, but who knew that An Lingge would still not let go.


    "Miss An is joking, Xiao Jiu is just a child, you have such a bright mouth, do you really take it to heart?" She was enraged in her heart, but there was still a smile on her face.


    "Ninth Prince should already be eight years old this year." An Lingge''s expression did not change. "Four years ago, when Ninth Prince was enlightening himself, the Emperor had already chosen his little brother as his reading partner. Now that four years have passed, is Ninth Prince still a child who doesn''t know anything? Then, Grand Preceptor Tutor and the others have gone overboard in their duties. "


    An Lingge said blandly, but this placed the Imperial Consort Yi in a dilemma.


    If she said that Grand Preceptor Tutor did not teach well, then she had offended those civil officials. But if she said that those enlightened teachers taught well and combined with what she said earlier about Little Jiu''s words, didn''t that mean that Little Jiu was extremely stupid and had no progress at all?


    Imperial Consort Yi''s smile was about to crack, she might as well put away her smile and put on a cold expression, "Miss An is here to cause trouble for me?"


    She changed from defending to attacking, her words were sharp, "Let''s not talk about how you appeared here, but when you arrived you accused Xiao Jiu, and at the same time, you interrogated me. Those who know, call you the big miss of Prince An''s Palace; those who don''t, think you''re a queen, the master of a palace. Then, let me ask you, does the Miss An consider herself to be Empress? "


    The Imperial Consort Yi was clever. An Lingge had said that the Ninth Prince was even more arrogant than the Emperor and she had accused An Lingge of having evil intentions compared to the Queen. An Lingge was about to retort, but Imperial Consort Yi didn''t even give her the chance.


    After the confrontation just now, Imperial Consort Yi already knew how strong An Lingge''s mouth was.


    Since that was the case, how could she give An Lingge the chance to explain herself?


    The Imperial Consort Yi shouted, "Men, the Miss An despises your majesty and bullies the prince, give her ten palms to expel her from the palace!"


    "You''re not allowed to bully my sister." An Lingjun looked at those nanny s who surrounded him aggressively, and stood in front of An Lingge without hesitation.


    He was skinny and a head shorter than An Lingge, but when he stood in front of her, he was like an unshakable city wall, blocking all of the damage for her.


    An Lingge''s eyes reddened. Seeing this, An Lingjun felt her heart ache.


    Her brother, who was brought into the palace at such a young age and was even humiliated like this by the Ninth Prince, was still doing his best to protect himself. He didn''t resent her cold treatment towards him in the slightest.


    Ninth Prince acted as if he had gotten the chance to take revenge and suddenly rushed over from the side, pushing An Lingjun down fiercely.


    "Lowly servant, my mother wants to punish him, but you dare to stop her?"


    "Junge!"


    An Lingge was shocked, she immediately went to support An Lingjun, and the palace maids already walked over with a sinister smile, "Miss An should worry about herself first!"


    The leader of the nanny was extremely fast, and with a "pa" sound, the bamboo in her hands fiercely smashed onto An Lingge''s face.


    The burning pain on his face was like a knife chopping down an axe. An Lingge could not help but let out a painful cry as she frowned, beads of sweat faintly appearing on her forehead.


    "Keep slapping me, you mustn''t miss a single one of my slaps!"


    The hypocritical smile on Imperial Consort Yi''s face became ice-cold ruthlessness. Seeing a red line appear on An Lingge''s face, she urged nanny to quickly execute the punishment.


    "The Imperial Consort Yi Empress is really impressive."


    Mu Junhan''s voice suddenly sounded. The Imperial Consort Yi was startled and immediately looked towards the origin of the voice.


    Mu Junhan, with his jade-like face and black hair, wearing only a moon-white long robe and wearing a pair of black embroidered Sea Flower Mascot Boots, was walking towards them.


    "Why is Hereditary Prince Mu here?"


    Imperial Consort Yi''s face carried a perfect smile, and at the same time, she secretly gave a meaningful look, telling nanny to cover An Lingge behind him.


    "The Emperor has summoned Junhan to the palace to discuss the matter of the court meeting.


    Mu Junhan''s lips curled up into a smile, and lightly smiled, like a sweet and elegant beauty of a tree, making the young palace maid by the side secretly look up, yet not dare to display an obvious expression.


    However, Imperial Consort Yi hurriedly waved her hand, "I naturally dare not ask about matters within the imperial court."


    Since ancient times, concubines and concubines had never been allowed to be involved in politics. If she heard Hereditary Prince Mu talk about court affairs and was accused by others, she would suffer greatly.


    Seeing her being this cautious, Mu Junhan raised his lips a little, "The Imperial Consort Yi Empress is too cautious."


    Imperial Consort Yi observed his expression and chuckled. "I''m a woman, and I don''t understand much about the matters of the imperial court, so I won''t waste your time."


    Mu Junhan declined to comment. His gaze fell on An Lingge''s body, and seemed to be somewhat curious, "What did that person do to offend the Imperial Consort Yi''s Empress?"


    "It''s nothing. It''s just a small matter." The Imperial Consort Yi silently prayed for Mu Junhan to leave and not hinder her from dealing with An Lingge again.


    Mu Junhan suddenly laughed, "It''s good that you''re fine. I was worried that she had angered the Imperial Consort Yi, so Junhan had to consider annulling the engagement with her."


    The marriage of Mu Junhan and An Lingge?


    Imperial Consort Yi vaguely recalled that a few days ago, the Emperor seemed to have ordered for their marriage. However, at that time, she did not take it to heart, but today, she was directly hit by Mu Junhan.

 C33

    Could it be that Mu Junhan was here to support An Lingge?


    Just as Imperial Consort Yi was thinking this, she heard from Mu Junhan, "Since there''s nothing wrong with the Empress, could you let Junhan take the Miss An away?"


    His attitude was very clear that he wanted to protect An Lingge. Imperial Consort Yi daring to make things difficult for An Lingge was because of the lack of Prince An''s Palace, if she added in the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace of a soldier, Imperial Consort Yi would have to carefully consider it.


    Sure enough, astonishment appeared on Imperial Consort Yi''s exquisite face, the expression in her eyes changed, but she still raised her smile in the end, "Since Hereditary Prince Mu said so, then of course I will give you face."


    She made things difficult for An Lingge not only because she was interrogating the Ninth Prince, but also because she was jealous that her Prince An''s Palace was being taken care of by the emperor because of his relationship with the Imperial Noble Consort Li.


    Even her mother clan was not given special treatment by the Emperor. The only reason why she was able to receive the emperor''s love and affection was because her Prince An''s Palace was related to the Emperor''s marriage.


    From the perspective of the Imperial Consort Yi, that fox who used to seduce people in the Imperial Noble Consort Li was just like this, deliberately showing off the love the Emperor had for her!


    But who would have thought that her son would secretly humiliate An Lingjun for so many years. Not only did he get hit by An Lingge today, he was even seen by Mu Junhan punishing An Lingge, so he even came to support them.


    In the previous battle of words between her and An Lingge, she did not even want to offend the civil officials in the imperial court, let alone someone as powerful as the Palace like Prince Mu¡¯s Palace.


    Seeing Imperial Consort Yi like that, Mu Junhan laughed, his charming face became even more beautiful, like a spirit that had transformed into a human, bewitching.


    "Junhan thanks the Imperial Consort Yi Empress."


    "Miss An, why not come out of the palace with this Hereditary Prince, this Hereditary Prince can also send you off."


    Even though Mu Junhan was smiling, his gaze landed on the red scar on An Lingge''s face.


    The Imperial Consort Yi actually dared to make things difficult for the woman he fancied. She must have been born with great courage and must have been raised like a prince in the past. She even forgot how she used to act humbly and cautiously in the palace.


    An Lingge looked at An Lingjun with concern in her eyes, "Junge, you must take good care of yourself in the palace."


    As she spoke of this, she couldn''t help but feel a bit sad.


    She could only watch helplessly as her brother was bullied by others in the palace. This feeling of helplessness was even stronger than when she was killed by An Lingyi in her previous life. But no matter what, she couldn''t disobey the emperor''s orders and bring An Lingjun out of the palace.


    An Lingjun was extremely sensible and nodded strongly, "Elder sister, go home quickly. Daddy must be worried about you. "Don''t worry, Jun''er is already an adult. She can take good care of herself."


    Her Junge is still so young ¡­


    An Lingge''s usually calm face had a hint of worry that could not be hidden on it, "Alright, big sister will follow Hereditary Prince Mu out of the palace now, if you don''t have a good time in the palace ¡­"


    She paused, not knowing what she was going to say.


    If Junge was not well in the palace, what could she do?


    If not for Imperial Noble Consort Li summoning her to the palace today, she would not have been able to enter the Imperial Palace, much less discover that the Junge had been humiliated.


    Without even knowing the news from the palace, how could he help Junge?


    Mu Junhan seemed to be able to discern that it was difficult for An Lingge to say anything. He continued, "If there is anything you need, feel free to look for me.


    Blessed are all the eunuchs in the palace, Mu Junhan has helped him greatly, if An Lingjun were to ask for his help, Blessed will definitely not refuse.


    Isn''t Hereditary Prince Mu trying to beat her up? If Fu Quan knew that she was allowing Ninth Prince to bully and humiliate An Lingjun, it would be equivalent to the Emperor finding out.


    How could the emperor like a vicious concubine?


    The smile on her face could not hold any longer, and she stealthily and stealthily shot a glance in An Lingjun''s direction.


    If An Lingjun dared to complain, she would definitely not forgive him!


    An Lingge was currently shocked at how considerate Mu Junhan was, and was unable to see the look in Imperial Consort Yi''s eyes for a moment.


    She nodded, her heart was in turmoil.


    To her, Mu Junhan was merely the root of the calamity that had occurred in her previous life.


    Who would have thought that he would go against the Imperial Consort Yi for her, and even took out all of his connections to help her.


    An Lingge''s heart was in a mess, as if she was moved but also felt a little sour. She was actually unable to tell what she was feeling right now.


    When they were outside the palace, An Lingge was about to sit in the carriage, when she grabbed her hand.


    The warmth of his palm reached An Lingge''s palms, causing his heartbeat to speed up as he looked around in panic.


    The imperial guards were guarding the palace with great vigilance, as if they could not see what was going on. The streets in front of the palace were sparsely populated, with only one or two people passing occasionally.


    She slightly calmed down, stared at Mu Junhan, and lowered her voice, as if she was mumbling to herself, "Lecher."


    At this time, Mu Junhan was not in the mood to tease An Lingge. His fingers, which were distinct from bones, landed on An Lingge''s face, causing her to instantly suck in a deep breath.


    This was the first time in her two lives that she had felt the pain of bamboo hitting her face. That burning sensation of being torn apart made her feel pain even when she touched it.


    "Why didn''t you dodge?"


    Mu Junhan took out a small bottle from nowhere, the dark green ointment carried a faint fragrance.


    He extended his hand and gouged out some ointment on his finger, slowly smearing it on An Lingge''s face.


    The cool ointment applied to the wound instantly covered the burning pain.


    The two of them were standing very close to each other. Mu Junhan lowered his head and carefully applied the medicine for An Lingge.


    An Lingge looked up at him only to see the man''s pursed lips, her tall and straight nose, and her pair of phoenix eyes that was even thicker and deeper than ink.


    She stood in her original position and allowed Mu Junhan to apply the medicine on her. The cold Qi that came from the man''s body seemed to smell even better than the medicine.


    Hearing Mu Junhan''s words, An Lingge reacted, she was asking about the palace, why did Imperial Consort Yi order people to beat him up, and not dodge.


    A look of distress flashed past An Lingge''s eyes, his voice was extremely weak, "That nanny was too fast, I couldn''t dodge it."


    Actually, her reaction was already very fast, but she couldn''t do anything as nanny had been in the palace for so many years, he was an experienced hand at torture, causing An Lingge to not be able to dodge in time.


    Mu Junhan frowned, "If I''m not there today, what would you do?"


    What if Mu Junhan did not appear today?


    An Lingge countered her emotions. She might have to suffer a slap on the face before she could seek justice for the empress.


    But by then, the empress would definitely not help her. At most, she would scold Imperial Consort Yi a few times, it wouldn''t hurt at all.


    After that, Imperial Consort Yi would definitely be more arrogant and harsh on him.

 C34

    Mu Junhan saw through what she was thinking and couldn''t help but say, "An Lingge, you''re this Hereditary Prince''s fiancee, so can''t you use the name Prince Mu¡¯s Palace to scare this Imperial Consort Yi off, and make him not dare to touch you?"


    "But in the end, Hereditary Prince and I still have to cancel our engagement."


    The moment An Lingge said this, Mu Junhan''s expression suddenly became ice-cold.


    "Who said that this Hereditary Prince and you are going to cancel the engagement in the end?"


    Mu Junhan lifted An Lingge''s chin and forced her to stare at him.


    An Lingge looked straight at him, "Hereditary Prince Mu also knows, that the reason the emperor gave the order to marry Prince An''s Palace was to probe the relationship between the two palaces. If you and I were to get married, I''m afraid the emperor might not even be able to eat or sleep well."


    The current other princes has a lot of power, the emperor only wants to weaken the other princes''s power, and so he can control the power. So, why would he sincerely allow Prince An''s Palace and Prince Mu¡¯s Palace to marry each other, and let the two prefectures grow stronger?


    Mu Junhan did not expect An Lingge to understand the court affairs so thoroughly, he raised his eyebrows in surprise, "So what? As long as the Emperor does not take back the imperial edict, you are my fiancee and will be the only Hereditary Prince Concubine in the future. "


    An Lingge shook her head, her emotions already stabilized.


    "How can Hereditary Prince Mu be sure that I will definitely marry into the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace? What if the Emperor changes her mind, or you meet the woman you like? "


    She had always planned to find a suitable place to drink Mu Junhan to break the engagement, so that An Lingyi wouldn''t be like a mad dog who wouldn''t let her go and find trouble with her every single day.


    "The woman I like is you."


    "It doesn''t matter if the emperor will change his mind, or if he will take back the imperial edict. I, Mu Junhan, only like you."


    The sudden confession caused An Lingge to be dumbstruck. Hereditary Prince Mu liked him.


    In his previous life, the two of them were only nominal unmarried couples, and basically did not socialize much. In this life, she had only met Mu Junhan a few times, how did Mu Junhan fall for him?


    "Hereditary Prince Mu better not play such a joke."


    An Lingge looked away in panic, not daring to look at Mu Junhan''s serious eyes.


    "Is this Hereditary Prince not joking? Are you not clear about this in your heart, An Lingge?"


    He took a step forward and forced An Lingge to move towards the corner. He lowered his head and looked at the petite and gorgeous person in front of him, "Or do you have someone else in your heart, that''s why you must break the engagement with me?"


    Mu Junhan said those words with a gloomy face. He felt a dull pain in his chest.


    If An Lingge likes others ¡­


    "How is this possible!" An Lingge flatly refused, "I want to break off the engagement with Hereditary Prince Mu only because I don''t want to marry from a scheming place to another scheming house."


    "Hereditary Prince Mu''s identity and appearance are all outstanding, and must be the heart of many girls'' husbands. An Lingge only wants a pair of people to live a plain and ordinary life for the rest of their lives. Hereditary Prince Mu doesn''t suit me. "


    Hearing her explanation, Mu Junhan''s mood suddenly became good.


    He curled his lips, reverting back to his flirtatious appearance, "How do you know that so many of our girls in Beijing want to give it to you?" Could it be that you have already liked this Hereditary Prince and are now jealous? "


    He frowned, and looked at An Lingge playfully.


    But unexpectedly, An Lingge raised her eyebrows, and said indifferently: "An Lingyi is a very good example."


    Damn it, I forgot about this person.


    Mu Junhan cursed inwardly. This was the first time he was getting angry at An Lingyi.


    That woman''s heart was filled with viciousness as she framed her own sister, wholeheartedly wanting to marry him.


    Initially, he did not place An Lingyi in his eyes, but looking at An Lingge''s serious expression, he felt that he should first strangle this rotten peach flower of An Lingyi''s.


    Seeing Mu Junhan''s sudden change in expression, An Lingge suddenly laughed.


    Other than the times when he was being chased and beaten down by others, he was in a sorry state, but other than that, Mu Junhan had always been a carefree and unrestrained person.


    "What are you laughing at?"


    Mu Junhan said with a dark face. Facing against An Lingge''s gorgeous face, she really couldn''t be angry.


    Who told him to love this woman?


    An Lingge''s laughter became louder and louder, and her eyes became like Yue Ya''s, "I never thought that Hereditary Prince Mu would actually be troubled because there are too many peach blossoms, this is a good thing that many people can''t even plead for."


    "Who cares about such a good thing? This Hereditary Prince only wants you."


    Mu Junhan''s words were even more straightforward than his confession a moment ago. His charming laugh suddenly stopped as the tip of his ears quietly turned red.


    She no longer dared to look at Mu Junhan''s serious eyes, she only felt that her heart was uncontrollable, and that the speed of its beating was so fast that it was as if it was going to jump out from her chest.


    "Hereditary Prince Mu, don''t say such words again." She righteously spoke up to cover her panic, "Although Prince An''s Palace and I have decided on our marriage, I am still a lady. If anyone else were to hear Hereditary Prince Mu''s words, they would inevitably ruin my reputation."


    In this era where men and women were on guard, it was not easy for unmarried couples to gossip.


    If Mu Junhan had not caught the panic and shyness in the depths of An Lingge''s eyes and those ears that were faintly suffused with red light, he really would have been fooled by her words.


    The corner of his mouth split into a dazzling smile, and he let out a low laugh.


    "What are you laughing for?"


    An Lingge rolled her eyes at him. In the end, she didn''t have the confidence to look at Mu Junhan''s face directly.


    Seeing her rare bashfulness, Mu Junhan felt that his gorgeous face had gained some of the innocence and innocence of a little girl, which made his feel even more captivating.


    "This Hereditary Prince laughs at you." Mu Junhan''s voice sounded, his tone carried happiness, "Why are you so cute? This Hereditary Prince seems to like you more now, what should I do? "


    He shamelessly approached An Lingge and pulled his hand, placing it on his chest. "Look at how much I like you."


    Feeling the strong and steady heartbeat beneath his hands, An Lingge''s ears turned red. Even his gorgeous face flushed red.


    "Rogue!"


    An Lingge snorted and retracted her hand.


    Mu Junhan did not stop him, and continued to smile like a scoundrel, "You are this Hereditary Prince''s fiancee anyway, isn''t it natural that I like you?"


    "An Lingge, listen carefully. Since this Hereditary Prince likes you, then I will only focus on you, and such a thing as having three wives and four concubines will never happen to me. If you want to live a life together, this Hereditary Prince will give you a life and a life together, and definitely not take in a concubine."


    So, don''t think about breaking off our engagement.


    An Lingge understood the deep meaning in Mu Junhan''s eyes. She only felt as if her heart had been pierced.

 C35

    An Lingge didn''t know how she managed to return to the Prince An''s Palace. Only after she sat in her room and was called several times by Bi Zhu, did she finally regain her senses.


    "Miss, what were you thinking about just now? This servant called you a few times, but you didn''t hear me."


    Bi Zhu curiously came over, seeing the book in An Lingge''s hands, she suddenly covered her mouth and laughed, "This servant was still curious about young miss''s book, and it hasn''t been finished for a long time.


    Her teasing eyes carried a bit of interest, and she timidly lowered her voice, "Miss, are you thinking about Hereditary Prince Mu?"


    "What nonsense is this?" An Lingge glared at her, but somehow felt guilty.


    Bi Zhu would not be scared by her like that, she continued laughing, and continued saying, "This servant saw Hereditary Prince Mu bringing the young miss back, the Imperial Noble Consort Li clearly found the young miss and entered the palace, why would the young miss come back with Hereditary Prince Mu?"


    An Lingge straightened her expression, "I just happened to meet him in the palace."


    She told Bi Zhu about what happened in the palace. When Bi Zhu heard that An Lingge had been framed by the Imperial Noble Consort Li and had even received a slap from the Imperial Consort Yi, fire almost spouted out of her eyes.


    "They are really bullying us!" Bi Zhu looked carefully at An Lingge''s face, "It is obvious that Imperial Noble Consort Li framed Miss for the sake of Second Aunt. She is making things difficult for Miss, at least she has a reason. As for the Imperial Consort Yi, not only did you allow the Ninth Prince to humiliate you, you even allowed the nanny beside you to hit you. Such an arrogant and despotic person, why didn''t the Emperor send her into the cold palace? "


    Bi Zhu was indignant, but her heart was also not at peace.


    Thinking about the humiliation An Lingjun had suffered in the palace, she wanted to bring him out of the palace, put him by her side, and protect him well.


    "Wanting to force an concubine that has a prince into a cold palace is not a simple matter."


    How many family interests were involved and how many forces were reshuffling was not something the emperor could decide on just because he was pampered or not.


    No matter how much the Emperor pampered the Imperial Noble Consort Li, he would still give the position of empress to the ladies of the mother race, in order to rope in the powers behind those women.


    Bi Zhu naturally did not understand these things, but she nodded in disappointment, "Alright, but the miss''s face ¡­"


    The medicine that Mu Junhan had given him was indeed very good, the sinister and terrifying red scar had already dimmed quite a bit. Although it was still very obvious, it didn''t look any more terrifying.


    An Lingge took out the ointment that Mu Junhan had given him, and instructed Bi Zhu, "Put this away, and apply it again tomorrow, it should be fine."


    Bi Zhu had seen An Lingge pour out the medicinal ingredients before, so when she saw the ointment, she thought that it was made by An Lingge herself.


    She nodded her head before clapping her hands together, "This servant almost forgot about proper business."


    Previously, she had paid attention to the matters between An Lingge and Mu Xuanyin, but later on, she became angry at the actions of Imperial Noble Consort Li and Mu Xuanyin and nearly forgot her reason for calling An Lingge.


    An Lingge turned her head, and heard Bi Zhu''s words, "The Prince has sent news over, that the Old Madame and those people from the second and third branch are coming to the capital, they have already travelled for a few days, and will arrive tomorrow."


    Grandmother, are they coming to the capital?


    An Lingge tried hard to recall her memories from her previous life. Back then, her grandmother had also brought people from the Second Branch and Third Branch to the capital. She could faintly hear the Madam Li mentioning that the men from the Second Branch and Third Branch wanted to take the Imperial Examinations.


    About this time.


    An Lingge lowered her eyes as she thought about it, and gave a bland grunt of acknowledgement.


    "Since Grandmother, Second Uncle, and Third Uncle are coming, I naturally have to prepare some gifts."


    She got Bi Zhu to take out some silver and told the gatekeeper that she should take it out before bringing Bi Zhu out of the palace.


    An Lingge first went to the most famous gold shop in the capital, where the shopkeeper saw that An Lingge was dressed extravagantly and had an extraordinary imposing manner, and immediately knew that she was a daughter of a famous sect.


    Hearing An Lingge''s request, the shopkeeper''s face raised up with a smile, and his face was about to blossom into a flower, "Look at this golden sculpture, the Hundred Phoenix Rings, it''s the favorite design of all the women in the capital."


    "Also, this goat fat white jade is the most suitable for the family''s elders to use as a gift."


    "Flying Butterfly in Flower Steps over there is the girl''s favorite ¡­"


    An Lingge quietly listened to the shopkeeper''s boasts and indicated for Bi Zhu to buy the jewelry.


    After calculating a gift for each of them, she went to the study room to buy some Four Treasures in the study room. Finally, she brought Bi Zhu and turned into a remote alley.


    Thump thump thump thump thump. An Lingge stood outside the door.


    Soon, footsteps could be heard from inside the door, followed by the intentionally thickened voice of a woman. "Who is it?"


    "It''s me."


    Just as An Lingge finished speaking, the tightly shut door creaked open.


    "Miss, please come in."


    Bai Yu carefully looked around, welcomed the two of them in, then quickly poured tea for An Lingge before respectfully standing at the side.


    An Lingge took out a piece of paper from her bosom. "Jingyu has given you a new identity, and from then on, you have nothing to do with the white jade from Prince An''s Palace.


    Bai Yu, no, the astonishment in Chu Yu''s eyes was not concealed, his gaze landed on the thin piece of paper, his lips moved for a good while, but he was unable to say anything.


    Originally, she plotted against An Lingyi in order to take revenge. Originally, she was going to be executed in secret, but Eldest Miss allowed her to be saved and not speak of it. Now, she was given an open and honorable identity, and not a servant with Prince An''s Palace that escaped.


    So benevolent...


    Chu Yu''s eyes gradually became teary, and with a bang, she knelt on the ground. Her tone was firm like never before, "Young miss has treated this servant with utmost kindness, this servant is willing to repay young miss with my life!"


    "I don''t need your life." An Lingge laughed and helped Chu Yu up, "But I need you to do something for me."


    She spoke of her plans in a low voice as Bi Zhu took out a few pieces of silver notes.


    "It''s not convenient for Bi Zhu and I to leave the house, just find a restaurant nearby and buy it. Whether or not you can earn money is not important, the most important thing is to pass on the message to me, the message from the officials in the capital, the message from the nobles, regardless of size, you have to pass it on to me in time."


    If she wanted to overthrow Madam Li, if she wanted to take revenge for herself, she needed to have sufficient strength.


    And having one''s own source of information was of utmost importance.


    Chu Yu bit her lips, preventing herself from crying out, "Rest assured Young Miss, this servant will not disappoint Young Miss."


    An Lingge nodded, then looked at Bi Zhu, who immediately took out a bottle of ointment.


    "This is an ointment that I have nothing to do in my free time. If you apply it on your face for ten days in a row, it will gradually change your appearance. You will only look sixty to seventy percent similar to before."


    An Lingge passed the ointment into Chu Yu''s hands, then clenched the porcelain bottle tightly. She only felt that the figure that was gradually leaving was as revering as a goddess.

 C36

    Early morning of the second day, An Lingge was called out by Bi Zhu.


    "The prince has sent news. The madame and the others have already arrived at the city gates. Miss, quickly pack up and go welcome them."


    She served An Lingge as she washed up and she used all kinds of hairpins to compare.


    "This Jade Butterfly hairpin is nice to look at, and this Silver-tasseled Step is also nice to look at. Miss, which one do you like more?"


    Bi Zhu asked An Lingge in a conflicted tone, one hand holding onto the other.


    An Lingge looked at her flying cloud bun in the copper mirror, and then pointed at the Jade Butterfly hairpin.


    "It''s better suited to my hair bun."


    Bi Zhu''s frown finally loosened and she applied makeup on An Lingge. Only then did she smile with satisfaction, "Young miss is so beautiful."


    An Lingge also looked at the girl in the mirror. Her skin was white, her eyes were bright and her teeth were white, and under her curved eyebrows was a pair of pitch black, deep eyes that could not be seen the bottom.


    She curled her lips and brought Bi Zhu to the front hall.


    "Yo, the young miss even knows to come."


    Madam Li''s gloomy voice sounded by her ear, her tone carrying unconcealable resentment.


    Originally, he planned to take care of her at the palace. Who knew that An Lingge would be fine, but she and her sister were troubled by the empress instead.


    When she thought about the difficult situation she was in at the palace, Madam Li couldn''t help but gnash her teeth in hatred. She wanted nothing more than to eat An Lingge''s flesh and drink her blood.


    "Since Grandmother wants to come to the Duke Palace, Ling Ge naturally needs to come forward to welcome her. I absolutely do not dare to neglect Grandmother."


    "Well said, why did you only arrive now?" An Lingyi swept her gaze on An Lingge''s face with jealousy.


    These few days, both publicly and covertly, people from the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace had mentioned for her to marry Yi Ming. She had thought of all sorts of ways to reject them, and her entire person had become a lot more haggard.


    But An Lingge still maintained her relaxed and carefree look, as her beautiful face made An Lingyi extremely jealous.


    She made it difficult for An Lingge to speak. An Yingcheng looked over in displeasure, to arrive at the front hall so late, was she not willing to come and fetch the old lady?


    As if she didn''t see An Yingcheng''s gaze, An Lingge only pursed her lips, and retaliated with light ease, "I prepared a present for Grandmother and the others, which was why I came a little late."


    Prepared gifts for Grandmother and the others?


    An Lingyi curled her lips, she did not believe in what An Lingge had said.


    An Lingge was definitely the same as her. They had just received the news that the Old Mistress and the rest were going to enter the capital yesterday. In this short period of less than half a day, where could they go to prepare the presents?


    When Grandmother and the others arrived, An Lingge couldn''t take out a gift. She wanted to see how she would make a fool of herself, so her father would definitely scold her.


    An Lingyi thought sinisterly, but heard the manager report in a hurry, "The old lady is here, the old lady is here."


    An Yingcheng immediately instructed the people in the front hall, "Quick, follow me to welcome the old lady."


    Madam Li and An Lingyi immediately went forward and stood beside An Yingcheng, one on the left and one on the right.


    An Lingge naturally knew what they were planning and she did not panic as she followed along.


    The group of people had just arrived at the entrance of the manor when a few horse carriages slowly came to a stop.


    The first to come down was the Second Branch''s manager,, as well as the second Branch''s direct daughter, An Ling Jing, the second Branch''s concubine, An Lingxue, and the enchanting Second Branch Aunt.


    The people of the third house sat in the carriage at the back. As the carriage stopped, the people inside also got off one after another.


    The old mistress was the last to appear. A pair of old hands appeared on the curtain of the carriage, and immediately, a servant girl came forward to help the old mistress down.


    "Your son greets his mother."


    "Little Ge greets Grandmother."


    Everyone hurriedly bowed, the old lady''s face was all smiles, "Good, good, Yingcheng, quickly bring your two younger brothers back home."


    The second and third master took the lead, and the rest of the people followed them back to the hall.


    "The news came in a hurry. I only had enough time to have my mother''s old yard cleaned up. I hope she doesn''t mind."


    The old lady smiled and shook her head, looking towards An Lingyi and An Lingge who was standing behind her.


    "In the blink of an eye, both Little Ge and Yi Er have grown up?"


    At that time, An Lingge and An Lingyi were just two or three years old at that time, and in the blink of an eye, they had already grown up to be big girls.


    The old lady waved at An Lingyi, "Little Ge, come over and let Grandmother look at you."


    The joyous expression on An Lingyi''s face instantly froze.


    She thought that the Old Mistress was very satisfied with her for frequently looking at her. Who knew that the Old Mistress would actually think of her as An Lingge!


    An Lingyi stood there, facing the madame''s gaze, she did not know whether she should go forward or not.


    While she was in the midst of hesitating, An Lingge had already walked out from behind her.


    "Little Ge hasn''t seen Grandmother for a long time, I''ve only heard my mother say that Grandmother''s personality is kind, and that she''s an extremely good person. Now that I look at it, my mother really isn''t lying to me."


    When the old lady left the capital, she was only two or three years old, so naturally, she didn''t have any impression of him. However, when Prince An''s Palace went there, An Lingge was already six or seven years old, so she naturally remembered some of the Princess An''s words.


    Seeing Madam Li and An Lingyi standing to An Yingcheng''s left and right side, she only felt sorry for An Lingge, "Aiyo, Grandmother''s good grandson and daughter, you''ve long lost the Empress growing up by the side of an undisciplined aunt. You don''t know how much pain you''ve suffered, it''s really heartbreaking."


    The moment he said those words ¡­


    Madam Li''s face immediately became ugly, and An Lingyi''s expression did not look any better.


    Wasn''t her grandmother implying that the Empress had mistreated An Lingge? How could she let the Aunt have her face in front of the Second and Third Branch?


    Fortunately, Madam Li was someone who had seen the wind and waves before, so she reacted almost immediately with a kind smile, "Isn''t that so? First Miss had lost her mother young, and I''ve loved her to the bones. Even if Eldest Miss did anything wrong, I''ve never criticized her harshly."


    Madam Li seemed to have mentioned it carelessly, "This morning, First Young Miss woke up a little late, I was just going to say a few words to her, what a solemn matter it is for the Old Madam to return home, how can I neglect this?"


    "Originally, it would have been fine for Eldest Miss to admit her wrongs, but Eldest Miss was very reasonable and insisted that you had brought gifts for the madame. That''s why you came late."


    She covered her mouth and laughed. "Fortunately, the madame has brought you here. With the madame''s guidance, there''s no need for me to worry."


    Madam Li''s words lightly said that An Lingge did not respect his elders, did not listen to their teachings, and had even secretly revealed her difficulties.


    After the old mistress heard this, most of her enthusiasm towards An Lingge disappeared.


    "Little Ge, is what Madam Li said true?"


    The old lady''s face turned serious, and An Lingge could vaguely see a displeased look in her eyes.

 C37

    An Lingge nodded her head, "Little Ge had indeed prepared a gift for Grandmother this morning, which was why she came a little late. But Aunt did not believe Little Ge''s words, so Little Ge had no choice. "


    An Lingge turned the tables on her with just a few words. With just a few words, she had described a pure and filial daughter who was not understood by an aunt.


    The old lady nodded, her expression becoming slightly better, and unintentionally mentioned another sentence, "Little Ge actually prepared a gift for Grandmother? Bring it out for Grandmother to see what it is. "


    She seemed to believe An Lingge''s words, but in reality, she still wanted to figure it out herself.


    If An Lingge could take out a gift, it would naturally be An Lingge telling the truth. Madam Li, this aunt who had given the first-rate daughter an eyedrop, was narrow-minded, purposely provoking the relationship between their ancestors and grandchildren.


    Similarly, if An Lingge could not take out the gift, it would be a lie. The Madam Li wanted to teach her, but she did not appreciate it and placed the Madam Li in a dilemma.


    In the end, whoever was loyal to the traitor, could be seen with An Lingge taking out her present or not.


    Madam Li had been immersed in the harem for so many years, how could she not understand the madame''s meaning? She looked at An Lingyi, and An Lingyi smirked, as if she was taking pleasure in her misfortune.


    An Lingge seemed to be unable to sense the old lady''s deeper meaning, she turned and looked at Bi Zhu, and instructed softly, "Bi Zhu, bring that thing over here."


    Bi Zhu agreed and walked over with a box.


    Looking at the situation, could it be that An Lingge had really prepared a gift for the old lady?


    Madam Li and An Lingyi looked at each other, staring straight at An Lingge.


    Bi Zhu then walked in front of the old lady respectfully and opened the box in her hands.


    "Madam, please have a look. This is the white jade image of Guan Yin that Miss brought me to pick out yesterday. I don''t know if you like it or not."


    Inside the box lay a piece of warm jade. Although it was not a top-grade jade, it could be seen that it was made from high-quality jade.


    The suspicion in the old mistress'' eyes dissipated, and the smile on her face grew even more affectionate. "You child, you don''t have much savings to begin with. Why don''t you prepare some gifts for Grandmother?"


    Although she said so, the smile in her eyes showed that the madame was in a good mood.


    An Lingge lowered her eyes, she was obedient and gentle, her voice clear and bright, "Little Ge was not able to be filial in front of Grandmother, and is already very uneasy. Now that Grandmother has finally returned to the capital, how can Little Ge not even prepare a present?"


    "Although this Kuan Yin Statue is not worth much money, it is Little Ge''s kind intentions. I hope Grandmother does not mind."


    "If you don''t mind, if you don''t mind, how could Grandmother hate him? This is a thought from Little Ge. "


    The Old Mistress laughed and told the nanny to keep the portrait.


    She glanced at the mother and daughter duo of Madam Li, then reached out to pat the back of An Lingge''s hand, "With a heart like this, grandmother is already very happy, how can you be like some people who obviously don''t care, and still malicious guess at the people who are loyal to their parents."


    Being accused by the old lady of being disloyal and unfilial, a look of reverence flashed across Madam Li''s eyes, but he still maintained a smile on his face. "The old lady said that if I wasn''t busy managing the Duke''s Mansion, I would definitely prepare a gift for her."


    "You make it sound like I''m greedy for your items." The madame snorted. With her status, she really did not think much of gifts.


    The atmosphere instantly froze. An Lingyi received Madam Li''s gaze and quickly stood out.


    "Grandmother, Yi Er also prepared a gift for you." She smiled obediently, her face full of flattery.


    The old mistress was rather cold. "Oh?" "Then take it and have a look."


    nanny who was standing behind An Lingyi immediately went forward, took out a bracelet made from red coral and held it in front of the old lady.


    If it wasn''t for Second Miss who, when she was dressing up this morning, despised this old red coral style and took down her bracelet, she would not have been able to take out a present at this time.


    nanny was rejoicing in her heart, but when she looked at the red coral for a moment, her expression immediately darkened, as if there was water flowing out of it.


    "Is this a gift from you?"


    Her tone was filled with anger, but An Lingyi did not notice it. She thought that the old lady wanted to praise him like she was praising An Lingge.


    Thinking about that, An Lingyi nodded her head, "This red coral was delivered from the Mo Bei, it is the best among all coral, it is the most suitable for the old lady, I had to look for it for a long time before finding one."


    When Princess An married Yingcheng, I gave her this bracelet, and now that it is something you have painstakingly searched for, it is truly funny. "


    "Forget about the mother and daughter pair how you two took over the Princess An''s possessions, just because you lied to Grandmother, I can''t let you go easily."


    "Grandmother." An Lingyi cried out, feeling wronged: "There must be some kind of misunderstanding, although there aren''t many red coral in the world, but there isn''t only one either. How could you misunderstand my granddaughter''s filial piety? "


    When Madam Li heard the old lady''s words, she felt a burst of fear, but hearing An Lingyi''s words again, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    That red coral was indeed something that she dug out from the storehouse. Without asking, she knew that it was something that belonged to the Princess An, but that bracelet was really too beautiful, so she took it out.


    Although An Lingyi did not know where this bracelet came from, she had a fast reaction speed. She would definitely not say anything else.


    Who knew that the madame would remain unmoved, her expression no longer kind. She gave a cold laugh, her aged eyes glinting with a cold light. "Your filial piety?"


    The madame pointed at the red coral, "Your filial piety is to give me the thing you stole?"


    "Don''t say that I wronged you. Look carefully and see if there was a crack on the coral. It was the crack caused by the bracelet on my wrist when Xiao''er fell down while accompanying me." After that, Xiao-er put it away in the warehouse and never brought it out again. "


    An Lingyi looked down at the Red Coral Bracelet and sure enough, she saw an unremarkable crack on one of the beads.


    The look of grievance on her face had yet to fade, and upon seeing this crack, she felt as if she had been slapped in the face.


    Could it be that this red coral really belonged to the Princess An, and Aunt gave it to him?


    An Lingyi''s eyes were filled with shock and suspicion, and she looked at Madam Li with a questioning gaze.


    Madam Li''s face turned white, she could not bear to see An Lingyi in such a difficult situation, so she clenched her teeth and stood out, "Calm down, Madam. Yi Er is indeed very filial, she asked me to send someone to look for some treasures. At that time, I only thought that she had a child''s vanity, so I casually took out this red coral from the storage room and lied to her that she found it with a lot of money."


    "Yi Er doesn''t know the answer to that. Old madam, please do not be angry."

 C38

    The old lady''s expression did not improve at all when she heard Madam Li''s words.


    She sneered coldly, "Alright you Madam Li, it''s fine that you don''t put me in your eyes, but why are you making up such a lie to fool me?"


    She said with a smile that was not really a smile, "Old madam, please don''t blame Madam Li. She is just an aunt, so her ways of doing things are naturally less appropriate than Princess An''s. As for Yi Er, who is following beside Madam Li, being affected by Mother, is also within expectations."


    Although her words seemed to be for An Lingyi''s sake, the truth was that she had pushed all the responsibility onto Madam Li.


    Madam Wang naturally had a small plan in mind.


    The Old Wang had a total of three sons and a daughter, but when the Old Wang Xian left, the throne would naturally fall to An Yingcheng, the eldest son.


    As the concubine of the second house, she was naturally discontented, but she had long since followed the old lady, Second Master An Yinghao and the others back to the ancestral residence.


    But now that she had returned to the capital, she would have to carefully consider how to wield power in such a vast palace.


    If the original Princess An had not died, the Madam Wang would naturally not have had such thoughts.


    But in the eyes of the Madam Wang, the Madam Li was just a small aunt. Even if the one she married was the Prince An, she would always be a head lower than the Madam Li.


    With these thoughts of fighting for power, Madam Wang pointed directly at the other party''s weak spot.


    He didn''t respect his elders and kept lying to them. He couldn''t even teach his own daughter well. The madame would never be at ease if someone like this came to the throne.


    Thinking this, Madam Wang quietly glanced at the old lady''s face.


    As expected, the old mistress'' eyes flashed with a deep sense of meaning, and she looked towards Madam Li with even more dissatisfaction.


    "Even his own daughter can''t be taught well. Truly, things are wrong between the top and bottom."


    These words caused Madam Li and An Lingyi''s faces to turn pale. An Lingge had been raised cutely since she was young, and facing An Lingge, the direct daughter of her clan, she had always maintained her arrogance and arrogance.


    He felt wronged and humiliated. His eyes reddened and large tears rolled down his cheeks.


    "Aiyo, the old lady just returned home, why is a child like you still crying?"


    Madam Wang stood up from his seat and walked to An Lingyi''s side in a friendly manner. He held his handkerchief and wanted to wipe her tears.


    "Scram!" Who needs you to be hypocritical? "


    An Lingyi slapped away Madam Wang with his hand and looked at her with eyes filled with anger.


    The aunt had already stopped the responsibility. If this woman hadn''t intervened, why would the grandmother have even blamed her?


    And to let that bitch An Lingge see her own joke!


    An Lingyi pinched his own hand tightly, until the bones in his hand turned white, and her Madam Wang continued to increase.


    "Truly shameless!" The old lady''s fingers trembled, "Madam Li, is this how you teach the second young miss? To go against an elder like that, you must know your manners! "


    An Yingcheng''s happy face also darkened.


    It was one thing for Madam Li and An Lingyi to not know how to empathize with their mother, but they actually gave their mother a hard time at this time.


    He thought about what the old lady and the Madam Wang had said to Yi Er, about how obedient, smart, and obedient Yi Er was.


    Thinking about it, An Yingcheng''s face became as gloomy as water, "Madam Li, you contradicted mother and displeased Mother, so you will be grounded for three days, get down."


    He did not even give the Madam Li a chance to speak and directly ordered them to withdraw. It was as if he did not want to see her and was extremely cold.


    Madam Li turned to look at An Yingcheng in shock. She had been troubled by the Old Mistress and her Madam Wang, it was fine that An Yingcheng did not say anything to help her defend her.


    She opened her mouth, wanting to defend herself. "Prince, I ¡­"


    "Forbidden when we go back."


    An Yingcheng''s face turned gloomy, the bored in his eyes caused Madam Li''s heart to turn cold.


    It was said that a man could live with his wife for a hundred days, but this was the kind of man she had been with for so many years.


    Her lips moved for a moment before she finally nodded with a pale face. "Yes, I know my wrongs. I''ll go back and forbid her from going anywhere. Please do not be angry with me."


    An Lingyi looked on helplessly as his mother retreated, her gaze locked on to her.


    Madam Li replied her with a gaze that made her feel at ease. An Lingyi bit her lips and kneeled down in front of the old lady, "Grandmother, I beg of you, please forgive me." The tear stains on her face had not dried yet, and her charming face looked sad. "The matter with the red coral is Yi Er''s fault, I beg Grandmother to forgive the aunt, and free her from confinement."


    An Lingyi, however, kneeled and walked two steps forward, "Today''s matter, tens of thousands of mistakes, are all Yi Er''s fault. If Grandmother wants to punish him, then punish Yi Er, Yi Er is willing to accept the punishment on behalf of Aunt."


    The old mistress'' unaccustomed expression of filial piety and courage eased the old mistress'' mood a little.


    Although An Lingyi had fooled her, she was not completely useless. At the very least, she was a loyal person who knew how to defend her aunt.


    "Forget it, today is the first day that I''ll return to my residence. It''s a good day for my family to reunite, so I''ll spare Madam Li this time."


    The madame waved her hand. "Stand up too. Don''t kneel on the floor."


    "Thank you grandma, thank you grandma." An Lingyi immediately stood up straight, her face was full of both crying and laughing, looking innocent and unscheming.


    This matter was cleared up just like that. Madam Li returned to her seat, and her eyes that had an unknown meaning wandered over Madam Wang.


    Madam Wang smiled at her, the curve of his lips making the latter have a bad premonition.


    Just as this thought appeared in her mind, Madam Wang spoke up, "Madam, although the matter today has already been settled, your daughter-in-law has one more thing to decide."


    "Madam Li said it just now, that Red Coral Bracelet was taken from the warehouse by her, but it is after all Princess An''s item, I''m afraid that it is not good for Madam Li to use it like this."


    Madam Wang used the word "misappropriation", but in the old lady''s ears, it was no different than occupation.


    The old lady frowned, her voice sounding displeased, "Madam Li, tell me, why did you take over the Princess An''s things?"


    The Madam Li was furious at the trouble in the Second House, but she could not help but smile at the old lady, "I did not know that it was from the Princess An, and only randomly found something to send Yi Er away, which is why this matter came to light."

 C39

    How could Madam Wang let the Madam Li pass this matter so easily? She smiled with the corner of her lips bent, as if she had inadvertently brought it up, "The Madam Li must have been too busy managing the Duke''s Mansion to care for these small matters."


    Managing the Duke''s Mansion is too busy?


    Madam Li glanced at the one who spoke, and in his heart, he instantly understood.


    She had said that today was only the first time she had met Madam Wang, so why was Madam Wang always targeting her?


    Madam Li didn''t have the time to use a blade to gouge out her Madam Wang, she immediately replied: "It''s not busy, I have long gotten used to it. I have managed the Duke Palaces for more than ten years."


    She was truly afraid that the madame would come back and take over her position as the steward. If that happened, she would forever be inferior to the other servants of the second and third houses; she wouldn''t even be able to raise her head in front of them.


    What would the servants of the dodgy powers in the mansion think of her? Why would he be willing to work for her?


    Madam Wang smiled warmly, "Madam Li, you are too modest. You manage such a large Duke Palace by yourself, how can you not be tired? "Now that Jiayi and I are back, I can help you a little."


    Her goal was obvious, just a little bit short of saying, I want the authority of the butler, Madam Li, quickly hand over the authority of the manager.


    His attitude made Madam Li''s heart clench, but he did not dare to directly refuse in front of the madame.


    She looked at Old Madem Xiang and said respectfully, "I will follow the Old Madam''s arrangements."


    Even though he said that, the Madam Li still unconsciously twisted the handkerchief in his hand, and his palms started to sweat.


    Fortunately, the Countess was not interested in these powers. "You''ve been managing the Mansion for so many years, and there haven''t been any major problems. I''ll let you handle it."


    Madam Li heaved a sigh of relief and opened her mouth, about to thank the old lady for her kindness, but then she heard the latter saying, "But for the warehouse, you don''t need to worry about it. Find some time tomorrow and give the key to second brother''s wife."


    "Old madam, don''t worry. Your daughter-in-law will definitely take good care of the storehouse and will definitely not misappropriate anything from it."


    Then, she smiled gently at Madam Li. "Now, Madam Li can relax a little, and I don''t need to worry about living in the Prince''s Mansion for free, I don''t need to be a useless idler anymore."


    Madam Li watched on helplessly as she divided the power in her hands. She hated her so much that her teeth itched and she even wanted to hear her say that Madam Wang was good for him. She was so depressed that she wanted to spit out a mouthful of blood.


    She laughed unsightly, and looked towards Madam Wang with an ice-cold gaze, "Then, thank you sister-in-law for helping me with my worries."


    Hearing this name, Madam Wang''s complacent expression froze.


    To be called sister-in-law by a concubine that he despised was a disgrace to Madam Wang.


    She smirked, "I''m afraid Madam Li has gone overboard. The only one who can call me sister-in-law is the deceased Princess An."


    Although the status of the Madam Li in the Palace was equivalent to that of the Princess An s, she still did not have that title, so naturally, she could not be called the Madam Wang Sister-in-law.


    "I was just thinking that you came to help me. I was too excited so I called you wrong. Don''t take it to heart."


    Madam Li also had a fake smile on her face, her eyes showing hints of provocation.


    To dare to divide the power from her hands, Madam Wang would quickly realize just how difficult this matter was.


    Even though she had been given the authority to manage the warehouse, she still held the upper hand. Furthermore, she had been working hard in the Duke Palace for so many years, so if Madam Wang wanted to compete with her, she would have to suffer.


    Madam Wang did not seem to see her provocative eyes, as he said in a neither light nor heavy tone, "Even if you are extremely excited, you cannot forget the proper etiquette. Otherwise, how would others view our Prince An''s Palace?"


    Madam Li, even though you are Yingcheng''s concubine, you are not his direct wife in the end. Calling her his sister-in-law is a form of humiliation to her. "


    Being called sister-in-law by big brother''s concubine was indeed a shameful thing.


    The madame had lived with Madam Wang and others for more than ten years, so naturally, she did not want to see the people around her to suffer such grievances.


    She beat Madam Li with her words, but the latter did not dare retort. She could only pinch her lips in grievance, "The old mistress has taught you a lesson, I will be more cautious in the future."


    They had originally planned to humiliate the Madam Wang for a bit, but who would have thought that the madame would actually step forward to support the Madam Wang?


    Madam Li was displeased, as she was even more displeased with the old lady''s arrival in the capital.


    It was just the first day since they came back, yet they already caused her to lose face and almost get punished, and the authority in her hands was even divided amongst the Madam Wang.


    And the origin of all these, was precisely An Lingge''s Guan Yin statue.


    Thinking about that, Madam Li was surprised, she looked towards An Lingge''s direction.


    She only saw An Lingge''s pure white face with a gentle and proper smile, looking at the old lady in admiration, as if she was a good and obedient granddaughter.


    Could it be that everything that happened today was planned by this girl?


    The speculation in Madam Li''s heart became more and more intense, and the look in her eyes at An Lingge became more and more passionate.


    An Lingge seemed to have noticed that blazing gaze. She turned her head slightly, and her deep black eyes met Madam Li''s eyes. Her rosy lips slowly curved upwards, bringing up a profound arc.


    This slut, it was all her doing!


    Madam Li understood the mockery in An Lingge''s eyes, a spark instantly ignited in her eyes.


    Before she could even make a move on An Lingge, this little b * stard had already set a trap for her.


    In the past, when the Madam Li suffered a loss at An Lingge''s hands, she only felt that she had been careless and luck had struck him.


    But when she looked at An Lingge''s unfathomably deep and weird eyes that were filled with brutality and ruthlessness, Madam Li felt a chill at the bottom of her heart.


    Absolutely, absolutely, do not underestimate An Lingge!


    Otherwise, she would lose her authority this time. Next time, she might even lose her life!


    Madam Li took a deep breath, and a perfect smile appeared on her face once again.


    Don''t think that An Lingge had a backer just because the madame returned to the manor. As long as the madame did not take back the authority of the butler, An Lingge would have control of the manor for one day.


    Thinking about it, Madam Li suppressed her hatred towards the Old Mistress and looked at her with concern.


    "The madame has been busy the whole way and must be hungry. I''ve let someone cook your favorite food, do you want to try and see if it suits your appetite?"


    Although she didn''t understand the Madame''s habits, there was someone in the estate who had served her and was somewhat familiar with her preferences.


    It just so happened to be the time for the meal, so the madame nodded her head and said, "Get someone to bring the dishes here."


    A tinge of reminiscence appeared on her face, and her expression immediately softened, "It''s been so many years since I''ve tasted the food in this mansion, I wonder if it''s still that tasty."

 C40

    After seeing the situation, she decided that she had to please the Old Mistress.


    After all, according to their status, the old mistress should be in charge of this manor.


    Although the old mistress did not have the heart to bother with these trivial matters right now, what if one day, the old mistress becomes dissatisfied with her and revokes her authority as a butler and lets Madam Wang take over her position? That would not be good.


    The chef did not disappoint Madam Li and the madame. The dishes he made had a taste similar to what the madame had liked.


    "You''ve troubled yourself."


    The old mistress put down her chopsticks. Although she looked indifferent, it was obvious that she was in a good mood.


    Madam Li immediately smiled, "Although I am only a concubine of Your Highness, being filial is my duty."


    An Lingge looked at her with a smile that was not a smile, and said gently, "If Aunt had told me earlier, I would have already prepared the dishes she likes for Grandmother. Grandmother wouldn''t have gotten angry earlier."


    "That''s right. Madam Li, you should have told me that you were able to make the old mistress fall in love with you with just that one sentence." Madam Wang added this sentence, and her gaze fell upon Madam Li''s body with unease.


    To use this to please the old mistress, Madam Li was too naive.


    Sure enough, facing An Lingge''s calculations, the flames of the Madam Wang added fuel to the fire, causing the back of the Madam Li''s teeth to clench tightly.


    She had no intention of pleasing the madame to begin with, so why did she make the madame''s favorite food?


    The chef''s skills were not bad, though. He had never changed his cooking for so many years. He knew that once the madame returned, he would prepare some of her favorite dishes.


    She was using this opportunity to bring all the credit to him, so the chef knew about it and didn''t dare to say anything else.


    But An Lingge did not care, this Madam Wang was also not a good thing!


    Madam Li thought for a while, even though she hated the two to death, she still smiled affectionately, "It''s only a few dishes, compared to the goat fat white jade that Little Ge took out, I really can''t open my mouth, and said that this was specially prepared for the Old Madam."


    That was reasonable. In front of the mutton fat white jade, which was worth hundreds of taels of silver, a few dishes were not enough.


    The old lady opened her mouth, and her old voice carried an unquestionable tone, "Forget it, as long as Madam Li has that kind of intention, don''t be too fussy about the others."


    She had already given Madam Li a show of power, letting him know that she was not a foolish woman who could be easily bullied and fooled. It was enough for him to know that she had to respect and please herself in the Prince''s Mansion.


    The old lady''s turbid eyes shone brightly. She had only helped An Lingge in order to balance the family''s relationship and prevent Madam Li from not knowing what to do if she stayed in a high position for too long.


    An Lingge smiled obediently, "Grandmother is right.


    Although Madam Wang was not happy to see Madam Li fawn on the old lady, they would not express their displeasure so they laughed and changed the topic.


    Back then, when the madame and the third concubine left the estate, An Yingcheng had only just reached the position of Duke. At that time, the Princess An was just born not long ago, and An Lingge was only a few years old young.


    After that, when the Madam Li entered the residence, the Old Mistress and her group had already arrived at the ancestral residence.


    Usually, when he returned to the ancestral home to offer sacrifices, An Yingcheng would often go alone and never bring along a woman.


    Strictly speaking, this was the first time the Madam Li and An Lingyi saw the Old Mistress and the others.


    After dinner, they chatted for a while before the old mistress introduced them.


    "Little Ge, you are too young, I''m afraid I have no impression of you." She was like the most affectionate grandmother in any family, introducing them to her granddaughter one by one.


    "This is your Second Aunt." The old lady pointed at the Madam Wang with her finger, and An Lingge immediately went forward and bowed to the Madam Wang.


    An Lingyi bit her lips at the side. After hesitating for a moment, she still followed along and bowed.


    Although the Old Granny only introduced An Lingge to the Madam Wang on the surface, if she did not go forward to pay her respects, it was hard to avoid people from saying that she was unworthy of her praise.


    The madame was already dissatisfied with her, so she should be more cautious.


    Seeing An Lingyi like that, the old lady''s expression became even more amicable, and had already introduced him to their cousins.


    "This is the big girl from the second branch. Meng''er, she is older than you. You have to call her elder cousin."


    An Lingmeng pursed her lips and smiled at the two of them.


    The others introduced themselves as well, and the old mistress said that she was a little tired.


    Madam Li immediately got the maidservant to bring the madame back to her room. She sat at the table and gulped down a cup of water.


    "Mother, that bitch An Lingge caused us to lose face in front of the other two houses, I really can''t take this lying down."


    Thinking about the gazes on him and the others in the hall, An Lingyi felt extremely humiliated.


    She grew up arrogantly in the Prince An''s Palace, and had always been the center of attention.


    However, the people from the second and third branch saw her kneeling on the ground and begging for mercy as if she was watching a show. Her gloating gaze seemed to want to pierce through An Lingyi''s entire person.


    It was even more depressing and embarrassing than when he was in the Qing Yun Temple back then.


    Although she had been humiliated twice in the past, that was because she had been framed. If those madams dared to criticize and discuss her, it would only be detrimental to her reputation.


    After what happened today, she knelt on the ground and begged the madame. It was as if her pride had been ruthlessly stepped on.


    How could An Lingyi let go of the main culprit, An Lingge, easily in this kind of humiliating matter?


    "Yi Er, you can''t take this lying down, how can I take this lying down?"


    An Lingge used this to kill people, dishonoring the mother and daughter pair''s face, and even allowed her to divide the power in her hands the moment she returned to the manor.


    Although she could not shake her resolve, from the perspective of the Madam Li, it was like a fierce slap on her face, and she was clearly telling everyone in the Duke Palace that the authority of the butler would not necessarily fall into someone else''s hands if the madame and the people from the second and third houses returned to the residence.


    If he did not grab hold of the Madam Wang as soon as possible and let the Madam Wang retreat after knowing of the difficulties, the servants in the entire Duke Palaces would probably have other intentions.


    If today''s Madam Wang was divided among the Madam Li, then maybe tomorrow, the power would be in their hands.


    She hated An Lingge to the point that her teeth itched, but she had to deal with Madam Wang first.


    The most important thing at the moment was to calm the hearts and minds.


    However, An Lingyi was dissatisfied. She shook Madam Li''s arm, "Mother, you have to take revenge for me. I don''t want to see that slut, An Lingge, be proud of herself in front of me ever again."


    "Why is it that even though An Lingge was born as the direct daughter and I am also the daughter of the Prince An''s Palace, I am always one head lower than her? On what basis do you think the emperor gave you a marriage decree for the benefit of that orphaned girl, An Lingge?! "


    Madam Li''s eyes revealed a trace of ruthlessness, she lightly patted An Lingyi''s back, "Yi Er, don''t worry.

 C41

    Only then did Madam Li manage to calm An Lingyi who was crying, and turned to call the head maid over.


    "I remember that your brother is following by your side. Is that right?"


    She held the cup in her hands, the steam rising, covering the viciousness in Madam Li''s eyes.


    The trusted maidservant quickly nodded, "Yes, this servant''s older brother is a servant by the prince''s side."


    Hearing this, Madam Li smiled in satisfaction, "That''s good, come over here ¡­"


    She possessed the servant girl''s body and whispered to her. The servant girl kept her head lowered respectfully, occasionally responding with a sound.


    Waiting for the Madam Li to finish giving orders, the servant girl smiled as she poured some new tea for the Madam Li.


    "Don''t worry Madam, even if those from the second and third branch manage to return to the manor, they won''t be able to shake your position."


    The servant girl finished pouring the tea and respectfully lowered her hands, "You should be the one in charge of the house, not thinking that this is the Prince An''s Palace. If Second Madam wants to take away the power from your hands, it is already a violation of the rules.


    She revealed a knowing expression towards Madam Li, who then took a sip of tea in satisfaction, appearing extremely relaxed. "Madam Wang, you still want to use the madame''s hand to humiliate and humiliate me, how can it be so easy!"


    "Quickly go and settle this matter, I will take advantage of you."


    Madam Li waved her hand and the servant immediately left.


    In the dusky room, only the candles shone with a warm yellow light, causing Madam Li to have a weird expression.


    When the servant walked out of Madam Li''s courtyard, she made her way to the front courtyard as if she was familiar with the route.


    She was Madam Li''s favoured servant, the gatekeeper naturally recognized her. She looked elsewhere, as if she didn''t see a living person walking towards him.


    The servant girl was extremely pleased and could not suppress the smile on her face.


    Look, Madam has already established herself in the mansion for a long time, and even the gatekeeper knows that for the sake of the mistress, she should be able to make things convenient for such a small maid.


    Second Madam had only just returned to the Duke Palace and he already wanted to fight for the authority of the butler from his wife. He was too naive.


    The maidservant knocked on a servant''s room in the darkness, and soon, a figure walked out.


    "Little sister, why are you here?"


    The man was about to let the maid into his room when the maid shook her head and said, "Big brother, listen to me. The madam told me to come and find you ¡­. As long as this matter is done, the Madam will let you follow by the side of the Prince and work for him. "


    He wanted him to follow the prince and do things by his side, and not just an insignificant pageboy?


    The man was ecstatic. He asked uncertainly, "Did Madame really say that?"


    "Of course. We are siblings, how could I possibly lie to you?"


    Indeed, his sister would never lie to him.


    The man''s surging emotions fluctuated like waves. He confidently patted his chest and said, "Leave this matter to me. You can rest assured."


    The maidservant warned him again, "Be careful and don''t let anyone catch you red-handed."


    "I have always been safe, so you can rest assured." The man''s tone was light, as if he could already see his glorious future.


    The servant did not speak further, she looked around, seeing that there was no one around, she tidied up her robes and returned to the courtyard in Madam Li to report.


    Unlike the Madam Li and An Lingyi who were resentful and resentful, An Lingge was currently in a good mood, as she read a book with relish.


    "Miss, you sure are amazing today."


    Bi Zhu smiled as she lit up a lamp, lighting up the candle wick even more, making it easier for the Young Miss to read.


    The corner of An Lingge''s mouth curved slightly. Thinking back to how Madam Li and An Lingyi had both been humiliated in broad daylight, she only felt a sense of relief in her heart.


    "It''s not that I''m strong, it''s that Second Aunt is strong."


    Her black eyes, which were as deep as the sea, sparkled brightly. The curve of her lips showed that she was in a good mood.


    "If it wasn''t for Second Aunt forcing Madam Li closer and closer, Madam Li wouldn''t have suffered such humiliation, and a portion of the power in her hands would have been taken away by Second Aunt. To Madam Li, this is equivalent to biting off a piece of meat from her body. "


    Bi Zhu laughed happily. "In the past, both Aunt and Second Miss would always let those servants bully Miss Su in the open and in the dark. Today, Second Madam can be considered to have vented his anger on Young Miss."


    "I''m afraid it''s not that simple."


    An Lingge shook her head, the smile on her face slowly faded as well.


    "You and I both know what kind of person the Madam Li is. For the sake of An Lingyi''s future, she did not hesitate to push me into a pit of fire.


    The joy in Bi Zhu''s eyes had also disappeared, her round face had a look of worry, "Then will Aunt make a move to deal with the Young Miss?"


    "Madam Li has always wanted to ruin my reputation, ruin my innocence, and make me wish that I was dead!" An Lingge''s usually gentle voice contained a rich suppressed hatred within it, her eyes slightly reddened, and her hands that were holding onto the book turned white.


    Madam Li was ambitious. In heherrevious life, she had caused the death of his mother, and she even put up an amiable front in front of her, telling her to respect him as an elder, and An Lingyi as his beloved sister.


    But in the end, as Madam Li watched her die, An Lingyi even poisoned her with her own hands.


    If not for the fact that An Lingyi was too complacent in her previous life and told him the truth about his mother''s death, she would have been kept in the dark even to his death!


    And Bi Zhu, she was so loyal, she died in front of him, killed by the servant girl beside An Lingyi!


    An Lingge thought about everything that had happened in her previous life and felt that she had been blinded. How could she be tricked by this pair of fake and malicious mother and daughter?


    Bi Zhu saw that her expression was strange, and immediately advised her, "Miss, do not be angry, if you anger your body, young master will definitely feel sorry for you."


    She observed An Lingge''s expression as she deliberated over her own words, "Moreover, the madame returned to the Duke''s Mansion, so no matter how much Aunt wanted to take action against Miss, she must have restrained herself."


    "You''re right." An Lingge lost control of herself for a moment, and in the blink of an eye, she had regained her composure. She was somewhat happy with Bi Zhu''s progress in this area, and her tone became gentler, "Madam Li will definitely wish for nothing more than for me to die, but the first person she wants to deal with, won''t be me."


    Bi Zhu only thought about it for a short while, then understood, "Does Miss mean that Aunt will take care of Second Madam first?"


    An Lingge nodded her head, and placed the scroll aside, "Although today''s matter is caused by me, the Second Aunt is the one who has truly benefited from it. If Aunt does not quickly take back her authority and bring it back to me, when Second Aunt becomes familiar with the affairs of the manor, it will be difficult to handle. "


    As An Lingge had expected, early the next morning, the Prince An''s Palace was in an uproar.

 C42

    The sound of messy footsteps came from outside the house, mixed with the whispers of the maids and servants, causing Prince An''s Palace to awaken from its slumber.


    Madam Wang had just returned to the manor yesterday, and he had already snatched over power from the Madam Li.


    After she was washed and washed by the maid, she wore a luxurious dress embroidered with gold thread and walked out.


    "What are you doing, making such a racket?"


    Madam Wang''s tone was not strict, but it carried the tone of a questioning question. She had just returned to the manor, and it was time to establish her might.


    When the servants heard this, they looked at each other, stammering for a long time without being able to say a word.


    "Are they deaf or mute?" Madam Wang thought that these servants did not put him in their eyes, and casually pointed to a servant in front of them, "Tell me, what were you arguing about so early in the morning?"


    The maid who was called out by the Madam Wang trembled subconsciously, but carefully went forward, "To return to the Second Madam, there was some problem with the warehouse, Aunt Li sent some people ¡­"


    "Yesterday, the Old Mistress had already handed over the warehouse to me to manage. Why is the Madam Li here?"


    He touched the key in his sleeve and straightened his back, looking very aggressive. "Come, follow me to see what the Madam Li is doing!"


    If she caught the Madam Li in a relationship and was unwilling to let her take charge of the treasury, she would go to the madame''s place and cry. She might even be able to fish for a few extra things to do.


    The more he walked, the faster his speed became. He was afraid that if he was too late, he would not be able to catch a clue from Madam Li.


    The remaining servants looked at each other, trembled as they followed behind Madam Wang, towards the warehouse.


    "The Second Madam is here?"


    Madam Li heard the wave of aggressive footsteps from far away. She turned around and greeted Madam Wang kindly.


    She unhappily looked at Madam Li in front of her, and took out a key from her sleeve at a leisurely pace, and looked at Madam Li with a smile that did not reach her eyes, "Old madam gave me control of the treasury, what are you doing here, Madam Li?"


    The Madam Li sent someone to deliver the key yesterday afternoon.


    At that time, she had felt that Madam Li was a little foolish, but after all, she was someone who knew how to judge the situation.


    But looking at it now, it was nothing more than mediocre.


    Madam Li didn''t seem to see the ridicule in the eyes of the crowd, she was still smiling, "Early this morning, someone came to report to me that something had happened in the warehouse, so I came to take a look. Since Second Madam is here, let Second Madam handle this matter. "


    Her words were watertight, but it made the ugly expression on her face even more gloomy.


    If something were to happen in the warehouse, the first thing the servants would do would not be to find her, the person in charge of the warehouse, but rather Madam Li. Didn''t that mean that the servants trusted the Madam Li more and didn''t care about her, the Second Madam who had just returned to the clan?


    Madam Li was slapping her own face!


    If not for the fact that she was in front of so many people, she would have really slapped Madam Li hard on the face.


    She took a deep breath and walked around Madam Li, until she reached in front of a servant.


    "Tell me clearly what happened in the warehouse!"


    The servant saw that Madam Wang''s expression wasn''t good and didn''t dare to be careless, and hurriedly told him everything from the beginning to the end.


    In fact, the matter was quite simple. It was just that the warehouse had been robbed yesterday and a few precious items had been lost.


    Madam Wang''s face darkened as he listened to the servant finish his sentence, then he asked in a deep voice, "What did you throw, did you register it?"


    "Yes, yes. This little one has already checked. The ones that were lost were the Good Fortune Clouds, a Blue Edge treasure sword, and three pairs of gold threaded bracelets."


    These things were not ordinary things in an ordinary person''s home, but in the Prince An''s Palace, they were only things that were covered in dust.


    However, since that thing had disappeared, the Madam Wang must naturally be investigated thoroughly. Otherwise, how could he prove his strength, and fight for power from the hands of the Madam Li?


    She seemed to have thought of something, her gaze swept across Madam Li''s face, "I wonder if Madam Li found any clues?"


    Madam Li laughed, "I only just arrived here, and Second Madam already came here, what clues can I find? Furthermore, the old lady told me to give the key to the warehouse to you, so the matter of the warehouse should naturally be left to the Second Madam, so I didn''t dare to interfere. "


    At this point, he could only say that he did not dare to interfere because he was afraid that he would be punished by the madame if he did not find out.


    Madam Wang sneered in his heart, the coldness in his eyes seemed to be about to spill out, "You''re right, the madame trusts me, so she let me take care of the warehouse.


    "Then I hope that Second Madam can investigate thoroughly as soon as possible, so that the old lady can be at ease."


    With that, the Madam Li turned and left with her maidservants.


    The Madam Wang behind him had completely turned dark, and the handkerchief in his hand had been twisted into a ball.


    "Second Madam, look ¡­"


    The servant braced himself and stepped forward, pointing at the storage room.


    Madam Wang recovered his senses, gritted his teeth, "Investigate, investigate thoroughly for this wife and find out how those things disappeared without a trace."


    Although his Prince An''s Palace wasn''t as heavy as a soldier''s, the guards in the manor were all well-trained.


    To steal a few things from the Prince An''s Palace without making a sound was not an easy thing to do.


    The servant responded with a bitter face.


    Ever since he found out that something had been lost in the warehouse, he had brought his men to search carefully. If they could find any clues, they would have found it long ago.


    Madam Wang returned to his own courtyard with a heart full of annoyance. He poured himself a few cups of tea, but his heart was still as stifled as ever.


    Today was the first day she was in charge of the warehouse, and it just so happened to be stolen. No one would be in a good mood today.


    Just as he was feeling annoyed, a servant reported that An Lingge was here.


    Madam Wang withdrew the fretful look on his face, and smiled as he walked out of the room.


    "Why is Little Ge here?"


    An Lingge walked in from the outside with a fitting smile on her face. "Little Ge just went to greet Grandmother, she just happened to pass by Second Aunt''s place, so she came over to take a look."


    "What''s so good about Second Aunt?" "I might as well go and play with your sisters. You youngsters are the most compatible."


    "Actually, Little Ge came to gift Second Aunt a gift." An Lingge said, as she immediately took out a small box.


    "This item should have been given to Second Aunt and her sisters yesterday, but afterwards ¡­" An Lingge paused for a moment, then passed this matter over, "So Little Ge could only come today to give this thing to Second Aunt."


    "Look at you, you don''t even have any money on you, and you''re still giving me this and that, aren''t you afraid of losing all of it?"

 C43

    An Lingge revealed a shy and introverted smile, "This present is not some precious treasure, it''s just a greeting for Third Aunt and the few sisters in Second Aunt, how can you let me be poor?"


    The word ''precious'' pierced the heart of the Madam Wang, causing her smiling face to freeze for a moment. Even the hand that was pulling An Lingge tightened abruptly.


    "What happened to Second Aunt?" An Lingge looked at Madam Wang with concern, "Your face doesn''t look too good, could it be that you didn''t sleep well last night?"


    No, she slept too well last night.


    If not for the fact that he was too happy last night, he would have forgotten to send people to guard the warehouse when he got the key, so the warehouse would not be stolen.


    Her expression changed as she pulled An Lingge''s hand and sat down.


    "Auntie won''t hide it from you either." "Yesterday, the old lady handed over the storehouse to me to take care of. This morning, the storehouse lost a few things."


    "The madame doesn''t know about this yet. If she did, I wouldn''t even know where to put my face."


    These words of Madam Wang were sincere and not the least bit exaggerated.


    She hoped that the servants would quickly find clues, capture the thief, and retrieve the stolen items. Only then, would she have the confidence to face the madame.


    An Lingge''s eyes flashed with surprise, and she gasped, "The Palace had never lost anything in all these years, could it be that he made a mistake?"


    Madam Wang also felt that this matter was a somewhat strange coincidence. Back then, when the Old Prince was still alive, the manor had never been stolen either.


    It just so happened that it was time for her to take care of the warehouse ¡­


    It was time for her to take care of the warehouse!


    A flash of light flashed in the eyes of the Madam Wang, and in that split-second, a guess formed.


    Maybe the thief who stole the treasury from the Madam Li was one of them.


    She did so to embarrass herself in front of the madame and had no choice but to return the power in her hands.


    If Madam Li had rushed to the warehouse long ago, not only to slap her face, but also to destroy the evidence?


    "Little Ge, Aunt is asking you." Madam Wang pulled An Lingge, as they became extremely intimate, "Do you only have one key to this warehouse?"


    An Lingge shook her head, "For all these years, the various matters of the palace have been handled by aunty. Little Ge is not really clear on that."


    In other words, after being in the Madam Li for so many years, it was an easy task to send someone to attack him in the warehouse.


    Madam Wang smirked, feeling that he was about to grab hold of Madam Li''s weakness.


    Whether it was intentional or not, she had gotten all sorts of information from An Lingge, such as which one was the most favored maid in the Madam Li, which one was the Madam Li''s match wife, which ones had families in the Duke''s Mansion, etc.


    On the other hand, An Lingge was obedient, she would just say it out loud whenever Madam Wang was asked, and she would just shake her head if she didn''t know the answer.


    After asking for a long time, the Madam Wang finally found some useful things from those scattered questions.


    After waiting for An Lingge to gather some more information, Madam Wang finally got people to send him off, and he turned to instruct his trusted aides.


    Go, investigate the Hongtao beside Madam Li. She has a brother who works at the side of the prince, if these two people were to look into it together, I don''t believe that these two didn''t do anything at all.


    An Lingge had already said that Madam Li would usually rely on that Hongtao the most, so she would give Hongtao about eighty to ninety percent of the things that she had ordered to do.


    Furthermore, Hongtao also had a brother who was a servant by the prince''s side. This way, if Madam Li wanted to do something, it would be even more convenient.


    Madam Wang lowered his eyes, and blew at the Cloud Mist Mountain tea in front of him.


    The servant girl that she had sent out was very clever, she could not find any useful information in the courtyard of Madam Li, she might as well not waste time there and directly went to the front courtyard.


    "This is the front yard. There is no door plate, so the ladies are not allowed to go in or out."


    The old woman''s eyes were half open, her drooping flesh hanging loosely on her face, and she looked somehow fierce.


    The servant girl laughed and put something heavy in the woman''s hands, "Grandma, please help me. When Sister Hongtao came here yesterday, she accidentally dropped her ear here and told me to help her find it."


    The old woman weighed the copper coin in her hand, and a smile appeared on her old face, "So you are here to help Miss Hongtao with some matters. You need to hurry up, you cannot be discovered by others."


    The servant girl ducked into the front yard and searched for a while before swaggering past the old woman with half a pair of silver butterfly earrings.


    After leaving the woman''s sight, the servant girl went straight back to the Yuan Zi Wen in the Madam Wang.


    "She told Madam Wang what she had done, and when she saw Madam Wang, she let out a cold laugh," As expected, this matter was caused by her.


    "Someone, go to the front courtyard and capture Hongtao''s brother, that servant called Hong Ying?"


    With the command given by Madam Wang, five or six servants immediately walked out of the courtyard with their imposing manner.


    "It''s him! He''s the one who stole the treasure from the warehouse!"


    Hong Ying had not slept last night, and was currently taking a nap. Suddenly, she heard a loud shout, and her room was filled with a bunch of people.


    "Who are you people?"


    In the end, he still felt guilty about doing such a bad thing, so he quickly got up from the bed and pointed at the crowd.


    Those people ignored him, rushed in recklessly and turned Hong Ying''s house into a mess.


    "Stop! This is the Prince An''s Palace, you bold thieves would dare to commit murder inside the Prince An''s Palace. If Your Highness finds out, I will definitely send you to see an official! "


    Hearing him say that, one of the people who was looking for items stopped, and started laughing at Hong Ying, "Yo, you actually know that you want to see the officials who stole things?"


    Seeing that the man had stopped, Hong Ying thought that they were prepared to be intimidated by him, and immediately became courageous, "All of you leave this place immediately, I will show mercy and let you all go."


    "Hey, that''s the funniest thing we''ve heard this year."


    The other person held a ruyi in hand and waved it in front of Hong Ying, "We have received the orders from the Second Madam, bring the stolen goods and thief Hong Ying over to her."


    He waved his hand, and the others swarmed over. Hong Ying turned around and was about to run, but she was caught by five or six servants and pressed down on the ground.


    When Madam Wang saw the few things that he had lost appear by Hong Ying''s side, the corners of his lips curled upwards.


    She put down the teacup in her hand and scattered on the chair. Her graceful appearance carried a sense of majesty.


    "Hong Ying, who ordered you to steal the treasures in the manor?"


    "Your servant is innocent!" Hong Ying was tied up, but she did not admit her mistake, "Last night, this servant drank a bit, slept soundly, and these people barged into this servant''s room, rummaged through the boxes, and then took out those things, if I had to say that this servant stole them, then this servant did not know anything."


    It was foolish to argue at a time like this.


    Madam Wang''s expression was cold, "Bring the witness here!"

 C44

    Witness?


    Hong Ying was puzzled for a moment, then saw two nanny s walking over, followed by an old woman.


    That old woman still didn''t know what had happened, but when she saw Madam Wang''s expression, she immediately gave a respectful bow.


    "I wonder what orders Second Madam has brought this old servant here for?"


    Madam Wang shot a glance at her own nanny, who immediately said, "Yesterday, there were a few things lost in the warehouse. You were guarding the gatehouse, did you find anything amiss?"


    "This old servant has been guarding the door the whole time and didn''t find anything inappropriate." When she was asked that question, she immediately thought of Peach Blossom, but why would she drag the Madam Li into it?


    She rejected him without hesitation, causing a hint of coldness to surface in Madam Wang''s eyes.


    "Old Mrs. Zhang, please think about it carefully."


    Her fingertips lightly tapped on the table, making a ''pa da da'' sound as if it was knocking on Old Mrs. Zhang''s heart.


    "If you speak the truth, I won''t hold it against you for your dereliction of duty. However, if you don''t repent and change your mind, don''t blame me for disregarding our relationship."


    Old Zhang wanted to deny it, but suddenly, she saw Hong Ying tied up into a ball in the corner of her eyes.


    Her heart skipped a beat, and she dared not hide it anymore, saying honestly, "Reporting to the Second Madam, yesterday, the Peach Blossom Lady who was with the Aunt went to the front yard to look for her brother Hong Ying. Since she had also been to the front yard before, this old servant didn''t think too much about it. But what mistake did Hong Ying commit? "


    With just a few words, Old Mrs. Zhang had completely plucked herself out.


    She was old, so she didn''t need to say or do anything to help out in the palace. As long as she didn''t cause any trouble, she could earn some money from her position. It was enough for her family to eat and drink.


    It was obvious that the Second Madam was here to interrogate his, so how could she shield Hong Ying and implicate himself?


    After Madam Wang heard what Old Mrs. Zhang said, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, and his hand that was gently grabbing onto the table also stopped.


    "Do you have anything else to say?"


    Her dignified eyes swept across Hong Ying as she instructed the servant girl beside her, "Go and bring Hongtao over to Madam Li. I want to see who gave the two dog slaves the guts to steal the property of the Duke Palaces!"


    The maidservant by his side complied and walked out respectfully.


    When the servant returned, Hongtao was not the only one following behind him, there were even Madam Li.


    "What''s wrong with Second Madam? Why are you so angry?"


    Madam Li laughed, and her gaze landed on Hong Ying''s body, "What mistake did this servant make, for Second Madam to have him tied up in such a manner?"


    "Madam Li, don''t pretend to be unaware." "Yesterday, your servant, Hongtao, disregarded the rules and sneaked into the front courtyard. Coincidentally, last night, you lost something in the warehouse.


    "Of course I know about this." "Yes." Madam Li nodded, "Hongtao went to the front courtyard following my orders, but this has nothing to do with the treasury''s missing property."


    A complacent look flashed across Madam Wang''s eyes, but on the surface, it looked like it was filled with pain.


    "Good, Madam Li. I thought that since you''ve wielded the Prince An''s Palace many years ago, at least you should have gained benefits from the Prince An''s Palace first. But I never thought that in order to frame me, you would actually ask someone to steal the properties of the Prince An''s Palace!"


    "What does Second Madam mean? Why can''t I understand it?" Madam Li blinked his eyes, looking innocent and confused.


    "At this point, you still want to pretend to be ignorant?" "This morning, the person I sent out was in Hong Ying''s house. He found the loot there and I''ll get someone to invite the old lady over to see how she''s going to deal with you."


    "I didn''t do these things!" Madam Li''s face was stern, his expression gloomy, "Second Madam, don''t think that just because the madame gave you control over the warehouse that you can slander me."


    However, Madam Wang noticed the panic that flashed past Madam Li''s face. She smirked, and spoke in a threatening tone, "Let the old lady decide what really happened."


    She had her men bring Hong Ying and that old woman to the old lady''s courtyard.


    As if afraid that she would be exposed, Madam Li followed behind her quickly.


    The group of people quickly arrived at Qingfeng Garden.


    The old mistress was exhausted from the journey and slept soundly yesterday.


    When they arrived at Qingfeng Courtyard, the old mistress had just had her breakfast.


    "What are you doing so early in the morning?"


    The madame leaned back in her chair and looked at them, frowning slightly.


    He was the first to step forward, and before he could even speak, his face was already filled with worry. "Madam, you don''t know this, but yesterday you gave the warehouse to your daughter-in-law to take care of.


    At first, I thought it was just a coincidence, but when I sent my men down to check, I realised that the person who stole all the treasures in the warehouse, was the older brother Hong Ying who was just beside Madam Li, the servant girl!


    A hint of displeasure appeared on the old lady''s face as she stared at Madam Li with her sharp eyes, "Is what she said true?"


    "This humble one is wrongly accused." Just as Madam Li opened her mouth, tears flowed down her face, "Madam, I know that I have not served you for many years, you do not understand my character. However, despite being in the Prince An''s Palace for so many years and having to work at home, I can''t say that I''ve never encountered any mishaps, but I''ve never caused any sort of disaster either. How could I dare to let a servant steal something from the warehouse?


    "It was because you resented me for taking the power to manage the warehouse from your hands that you thought of a way to make me lose face." Madam Wang was also looking at Old Madem Xiang, his round jade face appeared to be extremely wronged, "Obviously it was you who took over the warehouse, the old lady was worried, so she let me take care of the warehouse. Who knew that you would hold a grudge and think of such a way to frame me."


    "Second Madam is really talking empty-handed, inverting right and wrong." Madam Li wiped the tears from her eyes with the handkerchief, "You must know that you have to rely on evidence to say this, otherwise, how would I have the face to continue to stay in this mansion?"


    Madam Wang raised his chin at the servant beside him, "If you want evidence, I''ll give you evidence."


    The maid was clever enough to immediately place the loot she had found in front of the madame.


    Madam Wang pointed to the items, her eyes opened wide, "These are stolen goods that were found in Hong Ying''s house, Madam Li, do you have anything else to say?"


    "Impossible!" Madam Li screamed in disbelief as she rushed forward and grabbed a golden hairpin to examine it.


    Unexpectedly, she wasn''t able to hold it in place. The golden hairpin dropped to the ground with a ''pa!'' sound. It was broken into two pieces.


    The old mistress sat on a chair and looked at the object that had been broken into two. She narrowed her eyes and asked, "What is that?"


    He saw that the part where the golden hairpin broke off began to emit a black glow. It was obviously not the color of gold.

 C45

    Madam Wang looked at the golden hairpin, his face suddenly changing!


    The broken golden hairpin on the ground had obviously been coated with a layer of golden powder and disguised as a golden hairpin. As time passed, rust appeared on the inside of the hairpin and it couldn''t help but fall out.


    At this time, Madam Li picked up the falling "golden hairpin", held it in front of his eyes and looked at it carefully. The tears on her face didn''t drop, as his eyes stared straight at the Madam Wang.


    "Second Madam repeatedly said that I ordered my subordinates to steal the treasury, is that really the evidence I brought out?"


    Madam Wang was originally an act of grief and resentment, but when they saw the evidence, their faces turned ugly.


    Her hands, which were hanging by her side, were trembling slightly. She could not believe that the thing she spent so much effort to find out was actually this kind of thing!


    This was all designed by the Madam Li!


    She looked up and saw the smile on the corner of Madam Li''s lips. As if she was mocking her stupidity, she easily jumped into the trap dug out for her by the Madam Li.


    Madam Li was indeed pleased with herself at this time. Ever since she planned to deal with Madam Wang yesterday, she had not planned to let this Second Branch Madam leave safely.


    If Madam Li could not find out what Hong Ying had on him, it would mean that her Madam Wang did not have the ability.


    No matter how biased the old lady was towards her Madam Wang, she would definitely be reprimanded. In this way, it would not be easy to erect a presence within the Palace.


    If Madam Li were to find out about Hong Ying''s body, it would be even better.


    She had long ago made Hong Ying prepare fake evidence, all for the sake of framing Madam Wang.


    Now that everything was settled, it was the perfect time to take revenge on Madam Wang.


    Madam Li''s eyes were red and there were traces of tears on her face.


    "Mistress, please make a decision. Second Madam did not manage the warehouse properly, and allowed the warehouse to be raided. As long as we investigate carefully, we will definitely be able to recover the lost items."


    She held the evidence in her hand and shook it before the old lady, "But Second Madam is not in a hurry to recover the lost things. Instead, he made people make these things to frame me.


    With just a few words from Madam Li, she placed the blame on Madam Wang.


    It was because Madam Wang was afraid of being scolded by the madame that they made up false evidence against her.


    It might even be possible for the warehouse to be stolen, and it might even be a scene played out by Madam Wang itself!


    Her words revealed a meaning like this, making Madam Wang''s face tremble in anger. She gritted her teeth until they creaked, but she was unable to say a single word for a long while.


    The old mistress'' eyes shone with a shocking light. It did not look like the muddleheaded look a person of her age should have.


    She didn''t understand the Madam Li, but because she had followed Madam Wang to live in the ancestral residence for so many years, how could she not understand the personality of Madam Wang?


    If Madam Wang could do such a framing and framing thing, it wouldn''t make those concubines of the second branch as arrogant.


    Up until now, the old mistress had seen everything clearly. This matter was either planned by the Madam Li or the Madam Li knew about it and continued.


    Regardless of which it was, the Madam Li was not innocent.


    However, what was shown to the public was that Madam Li was wronged and wronged, she could not help but not punish Madam Li, and even wanted to comfort her.


    The old mistress'' voice was deep and heavy, "Enough, what happened today was the second wife''s wrong. Madam Li has suffered a injustice."


    She glanced at his ugly face and deliberately trained his mind, half teaching him, and half knocking him on the head, "Second brother''s wife, you have to change your personality as well. Don''t look at anything and just think that you''re in control of everything, and don''t know that you''re a chess piece on someone else''s chessboard.


    Madam Wang pursed her lips. Although she was unwilling to be set up by the Madam Li, she knew that the Old Mistress was doing it for her own good.


    This plan was so ingenious, how could she not have a good memory?


    "En!" The old mistress acknowledged Madam Li''s feelings, "Today''s matter is that you have wrongly accused Madam Li, so it is up to you to apologize to her.


    Madam Wang nodded, gritting his teeth while showing a smile towards Madam Li, "I was wrong about you, I will apologize to you here."


    The Madam Li waved her hands magnanimously, but there was still grievance in her eyes, "It''s good as long as you can prove my innocence.


    The old mistress was a little unhappy. Although this Madam Li was good, but her character was too petty.


    Fortunately, the Madam Li had not been able to take action for so many years. Otherwise, wouldn''t she have made others laugh at her for her lack of Prince An''s Palace?


    She somewhat tiredly waved her hand, "Alright, now that this matter has been clarified, the two of you can leave. Do whatever you need to do and don''t let the mansion become a mess."


    The two of them quickly complied and returned to their own courtyard.


    Everything that had happened at Qingfeng Garden quickly reached An Lingge''s ears.


    Bi Zhu vividly narrated the battle between the two. In the end, she sighed in regret.


    "If only Second Madam could find those truly stolen goods, then Aunt will definitely suffer a great loss."


    An Lingge shook her head, as her eyes darkened, "Once Aunt has dug a pit and is waiting for Second Aunt to jump into it, she will naturally not let Second Aunt easily find those things that have been lost."


    She pretended to inadvertently leak the news of Peach Blossom, who knew that it was actually happening right in the middle of Madam Li''s calculations.


    Looks like, the arrival of the Madam Wang caused the Madam Li to be on guard, and he wouldn''t be underestimated anymore.


    As expected, Madam Li''s all-out attack was hard to guard against.


    Just as An Lingge was thinking about this, a servant came in to report, Miss An Lingxue from the third house was here.


    "Big sister won''t blame Little Xue for coming uninvited, right?"


    An Lingxue was only thirteen years old this year, and although she was the same age as An Lingyi, she was older by a few months. She was ranked second amongst the young mistresses in the Palace, yet An Lingyi had actually become the third young miss.


    Her smooth and clean face was somewhat round, and carried a bit of childishness that An Lingyi did not have.


    She was giggling at this time as she looked at An Lingge, revealing two small canines at the corner of her mouth.


    An Lingge looked up at her, his face carrying a joyous smile. "I''m very happy that you came to find me."


    She stood up and pulled An Lingxue''s hand, bringing her to sit by her side.


    An Lingxue subconsciously retracted his hand, and quickly recovered.


    She sat beside An Lingge, sweat slowly emerging on her palms as she thought about what she was going to do next.


    "I really like the gift that elder sister sent me today."


    She curled her lips, but there was also a smile in her eyes as she unconsciously tugged at the corner of her clothes with her hands.


    An Lingge caught a glimpse of her twisting hands, and smiled as if she didn''t see it. "I thought that that hairpin was very beautiful, and was perfect for you, and was originally afraid that you wouldn''t like it. Now I can relax."

 C46

    "Elder sister is giving me a present. I also need to give you something. I need to be polite to you."


    As she spoke, she took out an exquisite bag and handed it over to An Lingge, "This is the bag I made back at the Ancestral Mansion. I don''t know if big sister likes it or not."


    "I naturally like the money purse that Little Xue made personally."


    An Lingge kept his bag and flipped it over to have a look. Suddenly, she smelt a strange fragrance.


    An Lingge accepted the bag as if nothing had happened, and casually praised An Lingxue''s Lil ''Red.


    "The embroidery on it is so exquisite, it shows just how profound Little Xue''s skill is."


    An Lingxue was so nervous that her heart was thumping hard. Seeing An Lingge not hesitating in the slightest as she kept the bag, she quietly heaved a sigh of relief.


    She smiled shyly at An Lingge, her childish face had a look of hesitation, "It''s just something to kill time during my free time, it''s already good enough that Big Sis doesn''t mind it, it''s not worth praising."


    An Lingge curled her lips and brought up another topic.


    By the time the two of them had finished chatting, it was already morning.


    An Lingge took out his bag and casually threw it on the table.


    Bi Zhu leaned her head over, and was shocked: "I never thought that Second Young Miss'' woman red was actually so good."


    There was a red carp embroidered on the bag, and it was currently playing with the light pink lotus water. The red lines and the green lines intertwined together, forming a beautiful picture scroll.


    This embroidery was really not ordinary. Although An Lingxue''s technique could not compare to that of the embroidery ladies in the palace, she was definitely one of the top ladies of this age.


    An Lingge pursed his lips, her eyes that were deep as the ocean seemingly did not have a single ripple in them.


    "That bag isn''t a good thing."


    After she said this, Bi Zhu was still a little confused and confused. She asked with suspicion, "Could there be something wrong with the purse?"


    An Lingge nodded her head, her voice was still calm and indifferent, "There is musk in there, mixed with the fragrance of the flowers, although it''s not obvious, but I can still smell it."


    If it was anyone else, perhaps they would not be able to discover the secret of the purse, but how could An Lingge, who was an expert in pharmacology, not even be able to smell the musk?


    Bi Zhu immediately felt like her hands were scalded, and threw the bag far away.


    An Lingge did not know why, but upon seeing Bi Zhu like that, she could not help but burst out laughing.


    "Miss, please make fun of me."


    Bi Zhu also felt that her reaction just now was too huge, and couldn''t help but blush from the shame and anger.


    "I''m not making fun of you."


    An Lingge stopped laughing and sat upright, with a look of sincerity and not lying.


    Bi Zhu suspiciously looked at An Lingge for a while, before she quickly focused on the bag.


    "Miss, why is there musk in the pouch that the Second Miss sent over?"


    Even as a maid, she knew that musk was not good for women.


    If the Miss were to wear the bag, in the long run, it would be possible for her to have infertility.


    However, this was the first time they had met, so why would the Second Miss want to harm her?


    An Lingge''s gaze was indifferent, not one bit sad.


    "In this world, there is a reason for others to treat you well and to treat you badly. There is also naturally a reason for it.


    Bi Zhu was very clear of this question, "Two ¡­ Third Miss wanted to marry into the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace in place of Young Miss, that''s why she framed Young Miss. "


    "The second young miss is older than An Lingyi by a few months.


    Bi Zhu''s mouth was agape, and she was unable to recover her senses.


    Second Miss had just returned home yesterday, could it be that she already had her eyes on Hereditary Prince Mu?


    "But Second Miss has never seen Hereditary Prince Mu before!"


    Bi Zhu did not understand, the second young miss had never even seen Hereditary Prince Mu before, why would she have such thoughts?


    "You are still too naive."


    An Lingge lightly knocked on Bi Zhu''s head, "Although Second Miss has never seen Hereditary Prince Mu before, she must have heard of Hereditary Prince Mu''s declaration, so she must know about the marriage between Hereditary Prince Mu and me."


    In his previous life, An Lingyi and An Lingxue got along well at first sight, but somehow, they suddenly started fighting.


    At that time, An Lingge still could not understand, but looking at these things now, it was easy to guess what was going on in their minds.


    Sometimes, the reason why one wanted to marry a person was not necessarily because of that person''s appearance or talent, but more importantly, it was because of that person''s status and identity.


    It was just like the annual elections for the beautiful ladies. So many people had never seen the emperor face to face, but they still charged into the imperial palace in the face of such a bustling scene.


    An Lingge''s gaze fell upon the pouch that had been thrown out, a trace of cold intent flashing through her black eyes, "Back then, An Lingyi wanted to destroy my innocence, so that she could betroth me to the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace. Now, the Second Miss has the same idea as her, but she used another method. "


    Bi Zhu was still somewhat at a loss, An Lingge slowly said, "Think about it, if I didn''t find some trick to it, and wore that bag every day, by the time we reach Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, my body would probably be more or less ruined as well."


    "Prince Mu¡¯s Palace is a huge business, they will definitely need a child to inherit them. If I am unable to give birth to a child, then that would be the chance for Second Miss."


    An Lingxue''s calculations were extremely good, when An Lingge marries for two years, she will not be able to give birth to a child, and at that time, would have to divorce her and marry a Hereditary Prince Consort.


    And at that time, An Lingyi, a concubine, was naturally not qualified to marry into Prince Mu¡¯s Palace. Amongst the remaining concubines, only An Lingxue was suitable for her age.


    As long as no one discovered the musk, An Lingxue could easily marry into Prince Mu¡¯s Palace after waiting for two years.


    Unfortunately, An Lingxue never knew that she was an expert in pharmacology. When she received the pouch, she had already detected the musk inside, so her plan was destined to go down the drain.


    Bi Zhu bit her lips in anger, she was extremely angry, "I thought the Second Miss was a good person, she is actually the same as the Third Miss, coveting your marriage."


    The two of them weren''t the only ones coveting her marriage.


    Mu Junhan was a woman from a rich family in the capital, but only An Lingyi and An Lingxue would do anything to him for the sake of the marriage.


    "It''s useless for Second Miss to covet it." An Lingge soothed the angry Bi Zhu, "Go and take back that black bag. If Second Miss finds out that I lost the black bag, she might have to think of another way to deal with me."


    She knocked on the table with a profound look in her eyes that no one could understand. "Why don''t I let Second Miss think that her scheme has succeeded so that she can save me some trouble?"


    Bi Zhu understood what An Lingge meant, and picked up the bag. After opening it up, he added new spices.


    Afraid that the musk wouldn''t dissipate, Bi Zhu intentionally left the bag on the air to dry for the whole night before tying it to An Lingge''s waist.


    When they were eating the next day, An Lingxue smiled amiably at An Lingge, her gaze inadvertently falling on the money bag on her waist.

 C47

    An Lingge acted as if she did not notice An Lingxue''s gaze, and continued to eat her meal quietly.


    When the madame stopped eating, so did everyone else.


    Seeing that the old mistress was brought back to the courtyard, Madam Li revealed a complacent and provocative smile towards the Madam Wang, then brought his own servant girl to take care of the matters in the residence.


    An Lingge walked out as usual, when she suddenly heard Madam Wang calling from behind him.


    "Is Little Ge free today? There are a few things Aunt would like to ask you. "


    An Lingge turned her head, pursed her lips into a smile, her docile and gentle appearance was extremely harmless, "If there is anything that Second Aunt knows, Little Ge will definitely tell me everything."


    "It''s not convenient to talk here. Come, come with aunty."


    Madam Wang brought An Lingge to his own courtyard, and carefully pushed away the servants by his side. Their gazes all landed on Bi Zhu who was behind An Lingge.


    Bi Zhu retreated, leaving only two people in the room.


    Madam Wang pulled An Lingge to sit beside him, "Yesterday, I sought you out to ask you about the warehouse, do you still remember?"


    "Of course I remember." "In all of these years, there hasn''t been a single case of theft from the Prince An''s Palace. However, the moment yesterday''s aunt took over the warehouse, the warehouse was immediately robbed, as if someone was causing trouble for Aunt."


    Wasn''t someone causing trouble for her?


    Madam Wang snorted in her heart, feeling even more disgusted with Madam Li.


    She smiled on the surface, but her real thoughts could not be seen, "Aunt also felt that this was too much of a coincidence, so I asked you about the movements of Madam Li''s maidservants yesterday."


    "Originally, I had already gotten evidence that Hong Ying stole the property of the mansion, but who would have known that it was actually done by the Madam Li, waiting for me to jump in."


    An Lingge revealed a surprised expression, "Why does Aunt want to frame Aunt?"


    "She was afraid that I would take power from her." Madam Wang did not treat An Lingge as an ignorant junior to be fooled, she urgently needed an alliance to bring down Madam Li.


    "You also know that the Madam Li used the treasury''s contents to take them for herself. The Old Madam, for the sake of the Duke Palaces, naturally cannot let her take care of the treasury any longer, so this matter fell upon me."


    Madam Wang had described the matter of him intentionally seizing power as something like him accepting orders in the face of danger, to the point where he was unable to see through all of the sinister intentions.


    Although An Lingge knew what she was thinking, she did not point it out, and still listened to the narration of the Madam Wang.


    But who would have thought that Madam Li would be so treacherous. She sent people to steal the property of the manor on the first day just to frame me, and when I was sending people to search for thieves, she made a fake loot out. She cried in front of the old lady to accuse herself of being wronged, which actually made me into an evil person.


    An Lingge cried out in alarm, she could not believe her ears, "So the matter of the warehouse theft was caused by Aunt?"


    Madam Wang sighed, and looked at him as if she was cherishing his own daughter, "Foolish child, do you think that Madam Li is a good person? She should have learnt how to handle the affairs of the concubines at this time. However, that Madam Li has a firm grasp on the back of her house, and doesn''t allow you to interfere in it at all. If you marry into the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace and yet don''t do anything, wouldn''t others look down on you and bully you? "


    An Lingge blinked, and then acted as if she suddenly understood, "But Aunt said it''s for my own good."


    "For your own good, really for your own good, would you take your mother''s jewellery? and even gave it to the madame, it''s not that it''s scalding! "


    Madam Wang snorted out from his nose. He didn''t conceal his disgust and contempt for the Madam Li in front of An Lingge.


    "She wants to cripple you so that she can make way for her precious daughter."


    Madam Wang meaningfully patted An Lingge''s hand, as if she was a benevolent senior teaching her, "Little Ge, you should know that although Madam Li is an aunt, she can still be considered as your half stepmother. How sincere can this stepmother be to you? Aunt is different. Aunt only has her son, and seeing you is like seeing her own daughter. Aunt is truly treating you sincerely. "


    An Lingge did not mind if she was not sincere. In her previous life, the battle between Madam Li and Madam Wang was extremely fierce. At that time, she was forced by An Lingyi and her mother to wholeheartedly help them, causing her Madam Wang to be defeated in the fight for power.


    Now was the perfect time to borrow the power of Madam Wang to suppress the Madam Li.


    Since Madam Wang wanted to obtain information from her, wouldn''t she want to borrow the power network of Madam Wang?


    An Lingge nodded as if she understood something, "Little Ge knows, Aunt really dotes on me, otherwise she wouldn''t have told me this."


    Her tone was too sincere and sincere, causing Madam Wang to unconsciously curve the corner of his mouth.


    This is right, the Madam Li has taken over your mother''s things, and has even wanted to cripple you. Such a scheming person should be removed as soon as possible, if you know what worries Madam Li, you should tell Aunt as soon as possible.


    Her Madam Wang was half deceived, and she was not aware that she was following An Lingge''s thoughts.


    Just as she said that, An Lingge bit her lips, looking like she wanted to say something but hesitated, as though she was hesitating.


    Madam Wang was staring intently at An Lingge''s expression, and immediately he knew that An Lingge had something he wanted to say.


    "If you have something to say, just say it. Auntie won''t harm you."


    After a round of sky-high battles, An Lingge finally opened her mouth and said, "A few days ago, when Grandmother and Aunt were still not back yet, something did happen."


    She told him about the matter at the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace. The more she listened, the brighter her eyes shone.


    Didn''t the Madam Li obstruct her so that she wouldn''t be able to establish her dignity?


    If she used a trick to marry An Lingyi to the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, she wouldn''t just ruthlessly tear off a piece of meat from Madam Li''s heart.


    At that time, the Madam Li would be in a hurry, how would she have the mind to compete with herself for power.


    Madam Wang pulled An Lingge and asked about An Lingyi''s matters, but when they heard that An Lingyi had let the poisonous snakes bite An Lingge, they immediately asked him out of concern, and even gave him many medicinal ingredients to nourish her body, allowing him to be sent back home.


    When An Lingge walked away, a sinister smile appeared on Madam Wang''s face. His nails that had been dyed with the red Insect Pellet closed into his palms, as if he was holding something in his hands.


    She invited the maidservants in and told them her plans in detail. "Send a message to the Princess Yi and tell them ¡­"


    Recently, Princess Yi had been feeling depressed because of Yi Ming, she just could not understand why her precious son would fall for that dissolute woman, but that Madam Li did not know what was good for her, even when she went to propose marriage, she still dared to reject!


    Seeing that Yi Ming was crying in front of him and insisted on marrying An Lingyi, the Princess Yi got someone to bring Yi Ming back depressingly, and immediately sent someone to report it. The Second Madam sent someone to deliver the news.


    "Send him away!"


    When the Princess Yi heard the three words'' Prince An''s Palace '', she became annoyed. The servant turned around and left, but the Princess Yi changed her mind, "Forget it, bring the person in. I want to see what message the Second Madam is going to pass to me."

 C48

    The servants of the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace very quickly brought the person who sent the message in.


    As soon as the man entered the house, he bowed to Princess Yi.


    Only then did she raise her head and laugh. "My wife sent me to pass a message to my wife. Would she be interested to hear it?"


    Princess Yi sat on the chair, and upon hearing his words, she raised her eyes indifferently.


    She was wearing a light pink silk dress with lotus patterns on it. She was wearing a red embroidered skirt. When she raised her eyes, they were filled with a sense of majesty.


    "Go ahead."


    The servant looked left and right. "This matter is a bit more secretive. I hope that Princess Hua-Yang will withdraw."


    Princess Yi looked at the servant in front of him with her almond-shaped eyes. After a moment, she waved her hand and dismissed the servants serving on her left and right.


    "Can you tell me now?"


    Princess Yi drank a mouthful of tea lazily, but her sharp eyes never relaxed.


    "Reporting to wangfei, my wife knows about the matter of Young Master and Third Miss and specifically called me over to say hello to wangfei."


    His words were very coincidental, and he spoke very quickly and clearly, quickly making out the meaning behind Madam Wang.


    "Look, if the wangfei wants to marry your son and Third Miss, why don''t you do as the wangfei says. When that time comes, my wife will speak up for the wangfei in front of the madame and ensure that all your wishes are fulfilled."


    Do I follow Madam Wang''s instructions?


    Princess Yi stroked the gold-plated armour on her pinky, her phoenix eyes were filled with confusion.


    If he could make Little Ming''s wish come true, then this would indeed be a good idea.


    "Alright, go back and tell your madam that you''ll be waiting for my good news in three days."


    The servant returned to the Prince An''s Palace with a face full of smiles, reporting the news to the Madam Wang.


    In less than three days, rumors spread all over the capital, and within a single night, everyone seemed to have found out that An Lingyi had set up the, releasing the poisonous snakes and murdered their sister.


    Even the teahouses and restaurants in the capital were filled with such news.


    An Lingge sat by the window of a private room on the second floor as she listened to the story of the storyteller.


    "On that day, it was a dark and windy night, and cold winds were blowing. The concubine from Prince An''s Palace was holding a sack as he sneakily sneaked into the side room of the direct daughter ¡­"


    Bi Zhu stood by her side, happily curling her lips, "Third Young Miss did such a malicious thing, but because of Aunt''s protection, she didn''t suffer any punishment.


    An Lingge curled her lips as well. The Madam Li was obviously on guard against her, so when she was planning to deal with the Madam Wang, he included herself in it.


    This kind of scheming Madam Li was not easy to deal with, but the rash, arrogant and playful An Lingyi was much easier to deal with.


    As long as he targeted An Lingyi with the Madam Wang, the Madam Li would not sit still and do nothing.


    As expected, the Madam Li sitting upright in the Duke Palace heard the rumors outside and with a bang, she shattered the cup in her hand.


    "How did these damn rumors get out!"


    The delicate expression on her oval face disappeared without a trace, and her fierce gaze seemed to devour people.


    The servant trembled in fear as he reported the news. "When I was sweeping the courtyard, those maidservants heard those maidservants say that someone was in the teahouse. It seems like most of the things Third Miss did were known in the capital."


    "Why didn''t you report to me earlier!"


    The Madam Li servant panicked and slapped the servant girl in the face.


    The maid was in pain. Her delicate face swelled up, but she did not dare to cover her face.


    Madam Li was angered, but her face was still as sullen as before, "Go and call Third Young Miss over."


    The servant girl bowed and left as if she had been pardoned.


    When An Lingyi was brought over by the servant, she was still a little confused. Seeing Madam Li''s unsightly expression, she immediately rushed over softly.


    "Mother, what''s wrong?" Why does your face look so ugly? "


    Even if she was angry that An Lingyi had not finished everything, when the Madam Li saw her caring appearance, he could not help but scold her.


    "Yi Er, tell Mother honestly. When we were at the Qing Yun Temple, did you let out Viper to frame An Lingge?"


    "Nope." An Lingyi denied her words, but Madam Li knew her so well, how could she not know that she had lied?


    "The Madam Li poked An Lingyi on the head in disappointment." You hate An Lingyi, so you want to marry Hereditary Prince Mu in her place. But how can you plot against An Lingge alone? "


    "Now that you''ve set her up, you''ve actually lost face. Half the capital''s people say that you''re vicious and cruel. To think that you would harm your sister at such a young age!"


    An Lingyi turned pale with fright, her charming face paled, "Mother, what do you mean by this? What do you mean that half of the people in the capital know that I framed that bitch An Lingge?"


    In the end, Madam Li did not have the heart to make An Lingyi panic. She patted the back of An Lingyi''s hand, "It must be that little bitch An Lingge who spread this news.


    She got An Lingyi to explain this matter to her from beginning to end, and a bright light flashed through her sharp eyes from time to time.


    "Remember Yi Er, when you attack An Lingge in the future, you must be quick and accurate. One strike will kill her, and An Lingge will not have the chance to bite you back. If that doesn''t work, then clean up the matter. You absolutely cannot leave anyone with any clues. "


    Madam Li was carefully teaching An Lingyi, and preparing to teach her more about the ways of the inner chamber, when suddenly a servant came to report, and Princess Yi came.


    "Why is she here again?"


    An Lingyi frowned when she thought of the times where she and Yi Ming had cuddled and intertwined together, as she didn''t want to see anyone related to Prince Yi¡¯s Palace at all.


    Furthermore, that idiot Yi Ming wanted to marry me. He really is a toad who wants to eat the meat of a swan.


    Madam Li gave her a meaningful glance, "Come, let''s go take a look. What is Princess Yi planning to do this time?"


    The servant led the two of them, but they did not arrive at the front hall. Instead, they went to the old mistress'' courtyard.


    Madam Li looked at the Old Mistress'' courtyard and a bad premonition arose in her heart.


    However, she had already walked all the way here, and was naturally unable to turn back. She immediately brought An Lingyi and walked into the Old Madam''s courtyard.


    Her journey was unimpeded, and when she saw that the old lady''s house was not only filled with Princess Yi, but also had An Lingge and Madam Wang, the premonition in Madam Li''s heart became more and more intense.


    The old lady was initially amused by the Madam Wang, but when she saw the two of them, the smile on her face dimmed.


    The Princess Yi actually welcomed the two of them. A smile flashed across her phoenix eyes as she spoke to the Old Madam, "Old Madam, I came today to ask for the Old Madam''s hand in marriage."


    She told him about Yi Ming and An Lingyi''s physical relationship, acting like she was responsible.

 C49

    "Although my Little Ming is not that smart, he was still a responsible person when she was young. Now that and your Palace''s Third Miss are intimate, our Prince Yi¡¯s Palace will definitely marry her. What does old madam think about this marriage?"


    Previously, the old mistress was thousands of miles away, so she naturally would not have any objections to An Lingyi''s marriage.


    But now that the old lady had returned, wouldn''t the marriage of An Lingyi be the old lady''s final decision?


    After receiving guidance from the Madam Wang, Princess Yi had long understood the crux of the matter.


    When the old mistress heard this, her old eyes flashed with surprise.


    "What''s going on?"


    Her voice was heavy as she looked at Madam Li with a displeased gaze.


    Madam Li hated Princess Yi for her shamelessness. Facing the questions of the old lady, she raised her smiling face and maintained her respectful expression, "The old lady doesn''t know, it was just a misunderstanding."


    "What misunderstanding? An Lingyi is hugging my Little Ming, but many people have seen it with their own eyes, so how could there be a misunderstanding?"


    The Princess Yi said anxiously, "Currently, my Little Ming is like a person who has been mesmerized, begging me to propose marriage on his behalf. Old madam, please help my son become true to her heart."


    At this moment, she had fully assumed a respectful yet not humble stance. She looked at the madame with a burning gaze, and the light in her eyes was so bright that no one dared to look at her directly.


    The old lady''s eyes drooped, her eyebrows raised slightly, "Yi Er already has a physical relationship with the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace Hereditary Prince?"


    "Yes," Princess Yi hurriedly replied, "Since the children have reached this stage, naturally, they want to get married. The reason why I came here today, is to ask the madame for her opinion."


    Seeing the Old Mistress being moved by Princess Yi, Madam Li could no longer sit still.


    She did not care about her status and quickly said before the madame could speak, "Madam, you must never agree to this marriage!"


    Princess Yi glared at Madam Li fiercely, but Madam Li acted as if she did not see it. She did not care about her old relationship at all, and continued to talk nonsense with Yi Ming in front of the old lady.


    "The madame just returned to the capital and didn''t know that even though the Hereditary Prince of the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace has a noble identity, he was still a fool ever since he was young. How could she marry Yi Er to such a fool!"


    Alright you Madam Li, I''ve come to you multiple times to propose marriage, if you still don''t agree, then don''t blame me.


    Princess Yi did not get angry, instead she laughed, the cold light in her eyes made Madam Li cry out that things were not good.


    "Madam Li, I sincerely came to ask for marriage, but you refused to let go of the fact that my son is foolish. Then let''s properly talk about what kind of character your daughter has."


    "As matters stand, more than half of the people in the capital knew that An Lingyi had set up a trap for her when she was in Qing Yun Temple, and released the poisonous snake into An Lingge''s house. If it were anyone else, who would still dare to take someone with such vicious thoughts? "


    "Only my son, who is a fool and ignorant person, would insist on marrying An Lingyi. Now, I want to ask the madame, if An Lingyi doesn''t marry my son, who else can he marry? "


    Her words were even more vicious than what the Madam Li had said, she directly pointed out An Lingyi''s vicious thoughts, and even caused him to lose his good reputation in the capital.


    Unfortunately, the was foolish and did not understand what was right or wrong, hence he fell for An Lingyi.


    If the old lady did not marry An Lingyi to Yi Ming, then An Lingyi''s marriage would be hard to resolve.


    With a smug look in his eyes, Madam Wang quietly exchanged glances with Princess Yi and then quietly sized up the old lady''s expression.


    Hearing Princess Yi''s words, the old lady''s old face was filled with anger, her eyes were full of sharp light, causing Madam Li to almost fall down.


    Her face trembled for a moment, and barely maintained her composure: "Madam Li, Princess Yi said that An Lingyi framed Little Ge, is there such a thing?"


    Madam Li wanted to deny it, but seeing Madam Wang and An Lingge standing at the side, she was unable to refute anything.


    She unwillingly nodded her head, "That''s only Yi Er playing with Little Ge, it''s not really about to frame Little Ge."


    Afraid that the old lady would not believe him, Madam Li''s gaze fell on An Lingge''s body, "If she does not believe you, you can ask Little Ge. She is not injured at all."


    An Lingge shrank back in fear. In the eyes of the old lady, even though An Lingge was bullied, she did not dare to say it out loud.


    "Little Ge, don''t be afraid, just tell us the truth. With Grandmother backing you up, no one else can touch you."


    An Lingge hesitated as she looked at the old lady, and asked timidly, "Will Grandmother help Little Ge?"


    Her pitiful appearance caused the old lady''s heart to ache. The dignified direct disciple of Prince An''s Palace was actually such a timid and timid person? Wasn''t it Madam Li who was too arrogant?!


    The madame lowered her voice and promised solemnly, "As long as you speak the truth, Grandmother will make the decision for you."


    An Lingge pursed her lips, as if she had made up his mind, and walked to the old lady''s side.


    She slowly rolled up her sleeves, and the two teeth marks on her wrist caught the old mistress'' eye.


    "This was bitten by the poisonous snake that night, fortunately it was discovered early, and Bi Zhu went to the temple''s master and asked for the antidote, so it was fine."


    The old mistress'' gaze was cloudy but sharp as she looked at the wound that had not disappeared. Her face turned darker and darker.


    She coldly looked at Madam Li, her eyes filled with disgust, "Is this what you meant by playing around? If Little Ge was not so lucky, I would not even be able to meet her! "


    "Madam Li, you can''t teach your daughter how to make An Lingyi do such a malicious thing, and this has even caused her to make a fool out of her Prince An''s Palace in the capital.


    "As for An Lingyi, my Prince An''s Palace cannot accommodate such a venomous woman, so it''s best for her to marry out soon. It''s rare that the Princess Yi didn''t dislike it, so let An Lingyi marry into the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace. "


    The old lady was obviously flustered and exasperated, her words did not even give the Madam Li a chance to refute as she quickly settled the matter of An Lingyi''s marriage.


    Hearing that, Madam Wang gave a provocative smile towards Madam Li.


    If you dare to mess with me, I will marry your daughter to a fool and let you live in pain day and night.


    Madam Li only felt that her chest was short of breath and her vision was turning black. A bloody stench came from her throat, as if she was about to spit out a mouthful of blood.


    However, in the end, she only bit her lips. With a look of indignation on her pale and green face, she spat out a sentence from the bottom of her teeth, "What the madame has said is that I will make the decision based on the madame''s authority."


    Seeing the always haughty Madam Li being humiliated, Princess Yi was extremely happy in her heart.


    Last time when she came to propose marriage, Madam Li had fiercely humiliated her. But this time, didn''t Madam Li have to obediently agree to this marriage?


    Once An Lingyi married into the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, she would have to work hard to grind An Lingyi, so that the water type woman wouldn''t be as bad as the Madam Li!

 C50

    No matter how unwilling Madam Li was, she could only avoid the limelight when facing the old lady''s power.


    When Madam Li returned to her own courtyard, the handkerchief in her hand had already been ravaged into a ball.


    "Damned bitch!"


    She leaned over the table and swept all the things on it to the floor.


    The maidservants behind her knew that she was in a bad mood, and did not dare to breathe too loudly. They all lowered their heads, lowering their senses, in case the Madam Li came to vent their anger on them.


    He was still as good as ever in front of the Madam Li, so he was not afraid of the Madam Li getting angry. With a few steps, he arrived beside the Madam Li and asked, "What''s wrong with the Madam, please do not ruin your own body."


    "Those people just can''t see me well."


    The Madam Li''s chest was heaving up and down violently, her eyes revealed a vicious light, "That bitch Madam Wang actually dared to ally with Princess Yi?! She was scheming against Yi Er''s marriage, and there were one or two of them, who were all unsettled and kind."


    "It''s actually because of the Third Miss'' marriage?" Peach Blossom gave a look to the maid at the side, who immediately handed over a new tea set.


    Hearing that the Madam Li had explained the situation, Peach Blossom laughed, "You need me to explain, it''s not a big deal."


    She moved closer to Madam Li''s side and talked for a while before Madam Li''s gloomy face finally cleared up.


    "Alright, I want to see just how ugly Madam Wang''s face will be when they know that their scheme has failed."


    Madam Li pursed her lips, a cold expression that did not match her face appearing on her delicate face. "I will leave this matter for you to handle, other than ¡­"


    Peach Blossom replied as she left. Not long later, she touched upon An Lingge''s courtyard.


    "Eldest Miss, Madam has asked me to send you some things."


    Her voice came from far away, where Bi Zhu glanced at and received a signal, then immediately invited Peach Blossom in.


    An Lingge put down the medical book in her hands, and her pair of deep black eyes seemed to be able to see through the deepest and darkest corner of a person''s heart. Even if An Lingge had a gentle smile on her face, Peach Blossom did not dare to look down on her, much less treat An Lingge as the young miss of the past.


    "What did Aunt call you over to bring me?"


    She sat up straight, slim and straight, and her warm voice echoed in the room.


    These two days, she gave the madame and the rest a greeting. It was obviously a gesture of goodwill, but because of the marriage, An Lingxue gave her a money bag filled with musk.


    The Madam Li was even more baffled. She had always wanted to see her own torture so the two of them were on the verge of openly tearing each other up.


    Peach Blossom had been in the palace for so many years, but to be able to become a servant girl of the Madam Li, her skin was naturally pretty thick.


    Facing An Lingge''s gaze, she could still take out something from her clothes without changing her expression.


    She held up the thin piece of paper in her hand for An Lingge to see, "These are the few shops under the princess'' name. Ever since the princess passed away, Madam has been taking care of them. Madam said that since the young miss has already arranged for marriage, these things will be handed over to the young miss to take care of. When we reach Prince Mu¡¯s Palace in the future, we can also take care of the matters regarding the concubines. "


    An Lingge''s gaze fell upon the few pieces of paper. The thin pieces of paper were folded together and were slightly yellow.


    Is this my mother''s shop?


    An Lingge was both excited and suspicious. In her previous life, she didn''t even know that her mother had left these things behind.


    Everyone knew that Princess An''s fate was good. It was just an accident that he saved Prince An''s life, and from then on, he flew up onto a branch and became a phoenix, and from a commoner''s daughter, he became a high and mighty Princess An.


    As a result, in everyone''s eyes, Princess An was just a poor guy who did not have much money.


    However, when he looked at the land deed for the house, An Lingge''s heart was thrown into turmoil and he was unable to calm down for a long time.


    Not to mention the other land deeds, just the top one of the deeds was enough to shock anyone.


    The Embroidery Pavilion was the most famous silk shop in the capital. From the royalty to the commoners, as long as they had money, they would definitely buy cloth for the Embroidery Pavilion.


    It could be said that as long as one had Embroidery Pavilion in their hands, it was equivalent to holding a treasury.


    Such a huge fortune, would the Madam Li really hand it over to him?


    An Lingge lowered his eyes, concealing the deep and heavy waves beneath them.


    "Aunt really said that?"


    She blinked, as if startled by the immense wealth in front of her.


    Peach Blossom quickly nodded. "Indeed, ever since the madame returned home that day, she has been thinking of finding a chance to return these items to the young mistress, so as to avoid those people with ill intentions saying that her wife has taken over the wangfei''s things."


    As she spoke to here, Peach Blossom arrogantly raised her head.


    Although the background of her wife was not that high, she was still the son of an official. As for the Princess An, her background was unknown, at most she had a few smelly coins, a lowly merchant that stank of copper.


    An Lingge took her expression in her eyes, her billowing lips curled up, "Since it''s Aunt''s wish, Bi Zhu, you should keep it away."


    Bi Zhu took the land deeds from Peach Blossom''s hands, looked at them seriously a few times, and then placed them back into her sleeves.


    The mission was completed, so Peach Blossom spoke a few words and quickly went to report to Madam Li.


    "Miss, what do you think this aunt means?"


    Bi Zhu took out those land deeds and placed them on the table in front of An Lingge, "This servant has never seen the world, but I have heard of the name of this Embroidery Pavilion before.


    "Naturally, she is uneasy and kind." An Lingge looked through the land deeds, then let Bi Zhu take a box and put it away.


    "Today, Princess Yi came to propose marriage to Grandmother. We are discussing about An Lingyi''s marriage, and with Second Aunt by our side assisting us, the marriage between An Lingyi and has been finalized."


    "According to Aunt''s temper, she should be in a terrible spot because of An Lingyi''s marriage right now, but she actually left An Lingyi''s marriage alone. She actually had the time to present me with some land deed, she obviously has a conspiracy."


    Bi Zhu nodded her head in deep thought, her eyes opened wide, her round little face was full of seriousness, "That''s right, Aunt must be the weasel''s way of paying respects to Chicken. She has no good intentions, how about we return these things to her?"


    "No need." An Lingge shook her head, her deep eyes flickered with a glint of light, "Since these things were left behind by mother, I naturally have to keep them well. As for what sort of scheme Aunt has, we''ll just have to deal with it as we can, so there''s no need to worry. "


    Bi Zhu was relieved, she was about to rush the kitchen with the food, but suddenly a knife fell on her neck. Bi Zhu did not even have time to cry out in alarm, her body went soft, and she fell down.

 C51

    "What are you doing?"


    An Lingge immediately extended her hand to support Bi Zhu, placing him down on a chair. Only then did she raise her eyes and look at the figure before her. A trace of anger appeared on her usually gentle and indifferent face.


    Her black eyes were filled with anger, and her angry look was even more intelligent than usual.


    A pair of black crystal-like eyes sparkled on the girl''s white face, causing her cheeks to turn even whiter and her rosy lips to appear even more alluring.


    Normally, An Lingge would already be so gorgeous that people would not be able to look at her, but at this time, An Lingge was even more gorgeous.


    Mu Junhan''s tall and slender figure enveloped An Lingge within, the corners of his mouth contained a carefree smile, as he slowly walked closer to the girl in front of him.


    "This Hereditary Prince has come to see my fiancee."


    He did not take himself to be an outsider at all. He lifted a corner of his robe and sat down on a chair.


    An Lingge was angered by his shameless appearance and laughed, and spoke in a mocking tone, "I never thought that Hereditary Prince would actually be this kind of person who steals chickens and dogs, sneaking into a woman''s room in broad daylight, do you think you''re a rapist?"


    Mu Junhan remained unmoved and didn''t get angry at all. Instead, he smiled mischievously, looking at An Lingge with his long and narrow phoenix eyes.


    "This Hereditary Prince is different from that rapist," Mu Junhan said in all seriousness, "That rapist would pick every flower he sees. This Hereditary Prince only wants a delicate flower like you."


    Half of her words were spoken in love, causing An Lingge to be embarrassed and angered, "Then Hereditary Prince is mistaken, I am not a delicate flower, but instead a man-eating flower, and can eat people. Hereditary Prince should stay away from me."


    "It doesn''t matter if you are a delicate flower or a man-eating flower, as long as this Hereditary Prince has set her eyes on you, she would not care about such things. Why do you always want to push me out?"


    Mu Junhan was truly confused as to why An Lingge acted as if she wanted to sever all relations with him. She was clearly his legal and legitimate fiancee, yet she treated him with even more coldness than the people around her.


    When he mentioned this, An Lingge became extremely angry.


    This person still had the nerve to say that Madam Li and An Lingyi had killed him just because she was engaged to An Lingyi in her previous life.


    In this life, she was wary of An Lingyi, she was extremely careful, and finally, she broke her trick step by step. Suddenly, An Lingxue appeared and faked to give her a bonus, wanting to hurt her infertility.


    An Lingge snorted, "The Hereditary Prince''s Zhi Lan Jade Tree is an elegant and elegant tree, it is the dream of many women in the capital to return to their homeland. An Lingge does not dare to form any connections with Hereditary Prince Mu, I am only afraid that the eyes of the noble ladies in the capital will be enough."


    "You are the legitimate fianc¨¦e of this Hereditary Prince, the one who was bestowed the marriage by the Emperor. Do they have any objections?"


    Mu Junhan lifted his lips, his phoenix eyes flowed with limitless elegance, like a deep spring that lured people into depravity.


    An Lingge snorted, she did not want to bother with him, no matter what she said, this man would always find an excuse to refute.


    When Mu Junhan saw An Lingge leave on his own, looking like she was an interesting cat who had gone crazy. Her red lips unconsciously curled up into a happy curve.


    "This Hereditary Prince has business with you."


    He no longer teased An Lingge, but sat up straight with a solemn expression.


    This serious expression appeared on the man''s usually unrestrained and extraordinary handsome face. The cynicism on his body was immediately washed away like a sharp sword that had its scabbard removed, revealing his own terrifying light.


    Seeing his serious expression, An Lingge was curious.


    Mu Junhan did not hold back at all. His thin lips moved, and his low and mellow voice sounded in An Lingge''s ears, "The imperial palace''s Spring Festival will be held in three days. If you want to change An Lingjun''s position in the palace, you might be able to start from here."


    Spring feast?


    An Lingge knew this, but at this time, the Madam Li would always make her fall ill, and would never let her enter the palace to attend banquets at this time of day.


    He knew what the Madam Li was scheming, it was just to make herself "ill" and absent, so that she could lead An Lingyi to a better relationship with the other wives and mistresses.


    Thinking about his strange sickness, An Lingge''s eyes turned cold.


    Fortunately, she had coincidentally learned medicine, if not she would not know how Madam Li would attack her this time. No matter what, she would never let Madam Li succeed.


    An Lingge raised her eyes, looked at Mu Junhan''s serious expression, and asked: "Did Hereditary Prince Mu come to find me just for this?"


    She refused to believe that Mu Junhan had climbed over the wall to look through the window just because of that one sentence.


    Sure enough, when she finished speaking, a smile appeared in Mu Junhan''s eyes.


    "Of course not." Mu Junhan suddenly approached An Lingge, and the man''s blazing aura subconsciously caused An Lingge to retreat backwards. Mu Junhan went over to grab hold of her hand, and held her warm and fragrant soft jade so close that it was almost in front of his eyes.


    Waiting until Mu Junhan left, An Lingge then pinched the middle of Bi Zhu''s body.


    Bi Zhu slowly woke up, and only felt a wave of pain from her neck.


    She rubbed her neck and clearly saw the situation she was in, her face at a loss. "Miss, why is this servant asleep here?"


    Bi Zhu asked while jumping up from her chair.


    The memories in his mind started to come back, causing Bi Zhu''s face to change, "Miss, did a thief come over just now?"


    She remembered that someone had given her a knife before she fainted.


    An Lingge secretly opened her eyes as she looked at Bi Zhu''s concerned and naive face.


    "No, your body was just weak and you fainted for a moment. In the future, take care of your rest. I''m still waiting for you to take care of me."


    Was there really no one who had come here before?


    Bi Zhu looked around at An Lingge with suspicion. But why did she feel that today''s Miss was abnormal?


    An Lingge remained as unmoving as a mountain, "There are no outsiders who have come here today, you can rest assured."


    She gestured at Bi Zhu, "Coincidentally, Aunt has sent all those deeds over. Let''s take advantage of the fact that it''s still early in the morning, and go take a look at those stores. As for the villages outside the city, they''re too far away, so there''s no need to bother about them for now."


    This was indeed a serious matter.


    At this time, Bi Zhu was no longer concerned about the possibility of outsiders coming. After arranging the land deeds and asking for the name plate of the house from, the two of them changed into simple clothes, sat on the horse carriage and headed towards Chang An Street.


    Changan Street was bustling with shops on both sides of it, and there were all sorts of stalls along the streets. The hawkers were shouting at the top of their voices, the girls were discussing and playing in front of their jewelry, the children were running with their windmills, the acrobats were people wielding huge axes and sabers.


    All sorts of voices transmitted into An Lingge''s ears, causing him to smile as if she had just received an infection.


    Suddenly, there was a scream, and the carriage came to a sudden halt.

 C52

    Last time he rode on the carriage, he encountered a horse which had gone berserk. The shadow caused Bi Zhu''s face to immediately change, he picked the curtain and went out to check, "What happened?"


    Before she could ask, a person was already lying in front of the carriage, yelling out.


    "It hit, it hit!"


    As he shouted, he moved closer to the carriage. The way he dragged his leg was miserable, as if he was seriously injured after being hit by the carriage.


    Even though Bi Zhu stayed in the palace all year round, she knew that she had met Master porcelain.


    To put it bluntly, they were clashing porcelain.


    She jumped down from the carriage, her almond-shaped eyes staring at the man with a desire to curse him out loud, "You didn''t even find a good place when you hit porcelain. People are coming and going on Chang''an Street, my family''s carriage is moving too slowly, how could I run into you, not to mention injure you."


    The person who was shouting was clearly a rogue ruffian. He was very skinny and had a pair of round eyes.


    Seeing Bi Zhu alighting from the horse carriage, the man stared intently at Bi Zhu, her vulgar look made Bi Zhu feel nauseous.


    "What are you looking at? Hurry up and go back and forth!"


    She glared at the man and turned to return to the carriage.


    That person retracted his gaze, hugged one of his legs and began to howl, "Everyone, quickly come and see! I don''t know which family''s young miss is so arrogant and despotic, but if I were to run into someone, I don''t know where to go from here. This is the young miss of the Guan Family, we can''t afford to offend her!"


    As soon as the topic was brought up, the interest of the people on the street was piqued


    Looking at the man who was pretending to howl as if he was in extreme pain, yet the owner of the carriage didn''t appear. This attitude had aroused the enmity and hatred of everyone.


    "To still be so arrogant after bumping into such a person, it''s truly like the winds of the world are not what they used to be!"


    A middle-aged man with the appearance of a scholar pointed at the carriage with a heartbroken expression.


    He had studied hard for ten years and had so many talents, yet in the end, he was still just a mere Elementary Scholar. However, these children of officials were born with money in their mouths.


    As soon as he spoke, the surrounding crowd immediately gathered up their courage and clamored.


    "It''s just that we ran into someone. It''s not like it''s a big deal to apologize and pay a few liang for the medical fees."


    "Look at this beautiful carriage, it can''t be that you''re not willing to give them a few taels of silver, right?"


    Bi Zhu had originally taught the pengci man a lesson in an aggressive manner, but unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, he was attacked by a large number of people, and every one of them spoke with righteousness, as if they were speaking on behalf of the heavens.


    She wanted to refute, wanted to prove that the person who had touched them was lying to them, but the crowd did not give her a chance to speak. One sentence of reprimand after another, they smashed over, causing Bi Zhu''s eyes to turn red, and her tears almost fell.


    Hearing that the situation was bad, An Lingge immediately got off the carriage.


    She wore a black hood that covered most of her face. Only her eyes seemed to be able to see through all the darkness in the world. The brightness was so bright that no one dared to look directly at her.


    When the crowd saw her appear, they all went silent for a moment.


    The girl was clearly tightly wrapped up, but everyone could see the unconcealable elegance from her body.


    If one were to ask why he felt such a feeling, it could be because there was a unique aura surrounding that person. Adding to that, the two pairs of eyes on the list, the mere appearance of that person caused many people to be absent-minded.


    His gaze secretly landed on An Lingge''s body. Just as he was thinking that this woman''s figure was not bad, with a chest and buttocks, he felt a chill on her body, and a wave of cold air rose from the bottom of his feet.


    He trembled and quickly retracted his gaze.


    "Are you the mistress of this girl?"


    The man raised his head, looked up with his nose in the air, and stopped crying while hugging his leg. "Your carriage hurt me. I might not be able to walk in the future. Just wait and see how you''ll compensate me."


    An Lingge did not get angry, but laughed and asked, "Did my carriage hit you?"


    "My legs are almost broken by the carriage, and your maidservants are telling me to go back and forth. It''s fine if you lose money, but if not, we''ll meet again at the official level!"


    The pengci people looked at the crowd and felt confident.


    They, the delicate young ladies of the Shangguan family, were the most easily deceived and paid the most attention to their reputation. Now that everyone was looking at him, as long as he slightly threatened them and used the name of the government, they would obediently give him money.


    Unexpectedly, An Lingge shifted her body to the side, and pulled Bi Zhu to the side, the clear and melodious female voice carried a sense of coldness.


    "Charge over. If he hurts, we''ll pay him. If he kills us, it''s none of his business."


    She smiled gently, but the words she said did not sound like the ruthlessness a young girl at her age could imagine.


    The man who touched the porcelain suddenly raised his head and met An Lingge''s eyes. Only then did he realize that it was like an ice pond, cold to the point that it did not contain a trace of warmth.


    The coachman hesitated for a moment. This was something that could be seen by the crowd. If he were to directly crash into them like this, he would be scolded. A single spit from him would be enough to drown them.


    "Miss, this isn''t good, is it?"


    When he mustered the courage to say these words, he saw that An Ling had a faint smile on her face, and the words coming out of her mouth were unstoppable, "Smash!"


    The coachman swallowed his saliva, steeled his heart, and raised the horsewhip high. "Giddy up!"


    The horse let out a long hiss, raised its front hooves, and was about to rush forward.


    The pengci man had never seen such a scene before. Seeing that his horse''s hooves were about to land on his body, his skinny face scrunched up into a frown and he immediately rolled to the side.


    After rolling a few times, that person avoided the horse''s hooves and stood up while clutching his chest.


    "Didn''t he say that his leg was injured? How come nothing happened to him?"


    Those with sharp eyes noticed that the man''s legs were still standing, and he no longer looked like he was on the verge of breaking down and retreating.


    The rest of the people came back to their senses one after another. They knew that they had been deceived.


    Knowing that someone had seen through him, that person did not dare to stay any longer. He found an alley with fewer people and disappeared into it.


    An Lingge returned to the carriage, and did not notice a man beside him. She smiled in the direction of the carriage and muttered a few words, which disappeared into the crowd along with the wind.


    Bi Zhu carried the small box in her hands and followed An Lingge to the Embroidery Pavilion.


    Embroidery Pavilion''s shopkeeper was a middle-aged man around the age of forty fifty or so. Upon seeing An Lingge come in, he immediately went over to welcome him respectfully.


    "Young mistress."


    He spoke softly as An Lingge raised his eyebrows.


    In her memories, she had never seen this person before. Even if her mother was the owner of Embroidery Pavilion, she couldn''t afford to be the shopkeeper''s master, let alone someone like herself who only held the room deed.


    The shopkeeper laughed, and looked at An Lingge with a pleased and complicated gaze: "Master passed away early, I didn''t have the time to tell you about this matter ¡­"


    He handed over a piece of yellowish paper to An Lingge. An Lingge looked at it with lowered eyes, astonishment flashing past his eyes.

 C53

    When An Lingge returned from Chang An Street, her mind was still in a state of turmoil. Seeing her like this, Bi Zhu did not seem to be sad, but she had been staring at the book in her hand in a daze.


    She brought the hot tea in her hand over to An Lingge, "It''s getting late, Miss should have a cup of tea to rest."


    An Lingge was still thinking about the Embroidery Pavilion, and could only let out a light sigh upon hearing this.


    Somehow, she felt that her mother''s identity was not that simple. Otherwise, how could a commoner''s daughter possess a treasury like Embroidery Pavilion?


    Adding on the other shops, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that they were raking in money every day.


    But after all these years, even though Prince An''s Palace were not considered poor, they were definitely not rich either.


    It was clear that even though his mother''s shops were in his hands, the profits did not flow into his Prince An''s Palace. It was no wonder that his Madam Li was willing to return such a gold mountain to him.


    Just as An Lingge was thinking about this, the servant girl beside Second Madam suddenly walked in.


    "Eldest Miss, in three days it will be the Imperial Palace''s Spring Festival. Madam is thinking that it would be better to make some new clothes for the young masters and mistresses, and have the embroidery ladies of the Heaven''s Clothing Workshop come over. They are currently waiting in the living room, so I would like to invite all of you to come over to take a look."


    Her eyes and nose were small, and her face could not be considered pretty. She did not have the qualifications to be a servant beside Madam Wang.


    However, the Madam Wang was different from the other wives. Because the master of the second house liked to roam about among the flowers, he did not let go of even the beautiful maids by his side.


    In An Lingge''s previous life, shshehad heard of it from the servants before, but when she saw the appearance of this servant, he remembered the rumors.


    However, what surprised her was that Madam Wang had already invited the embroidery mother of Heaven''s Clothing Workshop. This movement was really fast, and she was even blatantly provoking the Madam Li.


    An Lingge lowered his eyes, the expression in his eyes made it difficult for people to see.


    She brought Bi Zhu to the living room. The old lady''s Madam Wang and the third wife''s Madam Zheng, along with a variety of young ladies, had all arrived one after another. The huge living room was immediately bustling with noise and excitement.


    The embroidery mother that Heaven''s Clothing Workshop had sent was a thirty year old or so woman. She was round and had a smile on her face.


    She greeted the madame and then the ladies before she began to measure their bodies.


    This matter was actually quite simple. After all, the embroidery ladies of Heaven''s Clothing Workshop were all experienced individuals, but after a while, they would measure everyone''s height and figure, and record their measurements in a book.


    Then, unexpectedly, because the clothes for the Spring Festival were rearranged, the madame ordered the ladies to choose the color they liked.


    The embroidery lady took out a few pieces of cloth about the size of a square handkerchief and spread them out on the table.


    This is a piece of floral satin, this is the kind that the madams love the most, here is Soft Smoke Luo, Cloud Jin, Rain Flower Blossom and Ling Jin, they are just suitable for young and lovely ladies. As for this jade cloth, gold cloth, flower silk, it is more precious, if the madams like it, it will be able to set off their temperament.


    She introduced the clothes she had brought, and the variety of them dazzled her eyes.


    Perhaps it was because she was going to the banquet, but the madame was in a good mood. She looked at the makeup and satin that the embroidery lady had introduced and picked out Yin Hong''s looks.


    He touched it with his hand, looking very satisfied.


    "See what you like, go ahead and pick. Don''t tell me I''m holding you back."


    After she spoke, the rest of the people all chose their own clothes.


    An Lingge was not too concerned about these things. As long as it was not the clothes that were paired together with the big green and big red, the other things were not much different.


    She walked to the front of the table, just as she was about to pick up the Cherry Blossom Leaves that were carved in red, An Lingyi suddenly stretched out her hand and grabbed the cloth before she could.


    "I want this one." She threw An Lingge a provocative look, and giggled while holding onto Madam Li''s arm. "Big sister is dignified and generous, she definitely won''t snatch away my beloved item, right?"


    As for whether this beloved item was a piece of cloth or something else, An Lingyi could tell by its expression.


    The old mistress'' gaze landed on the two of them, a faint hint of displeasure in her tone.


    An Lingyi spoke as if An Lingge wanted to snatch her things and not take that thing away from Bell Song.


    An Lingge would definitely not take such a simple provocation to heart.


    "It''s just a piece of cloth. Little Sister Yi Er is so nervous, if word of this were to spread out, people would think that all the young ladies of my Prince An''s Palace are those kind of shallow eyed people."


    She saw An Lingyi''s change in expression, and said, "However, being the first daughter is what I should do. If Little Sister Yi Er likes it, then I will take it."


    As long as you don''t feel hot.


    In front of the embroidery mother, An Lingge pointed out her identity as a concubine, causing An Lingyi to feel extremely embarrassed.


    Originally as a concubine, she didn''t have the qualifications to attend the Imperial Palace''s Spring Festival Gala.


    But unfortunately, the Princess An had passed away early, and her Prince An''s Palace had been taken care of by the Madam Li, so she was equivalent to half a Princess An.


    Thus, of all the ladies in the room, she was the only one.


    Seeing that An Lingge had revealed her identity, some of the people immediately covered their mouths and secretly laughed, as if they were mocking An Lingyi for overestimating herself. As a concubine, they had to go and play in the circle of those direct girls.


    Xiu Niang also did not expect that Prince An''s Palace would allow a concubine to attend the imperial palace''s Spring Festival.


    However, this was not a matter that a mere embroidery lady like her should manage. She only glanced at An Lingyi weirdly, before shifting her gaze away at random.


    An Lingyi hated people who claimed that she was born from a concubine, but when she was in front of the old lady, she did not dare act rashly. She could only endure the strange looks from the crowd as she clenched her hands into fists beside her.


    Damn you, An Lingge, you actually shamed me in front of everyone, and when you reach the Imperial Palace, watch how I''ll take care of you!


    How could Madam Li not know what her own daughter was thinking? She immediately stood out and shifted everyone''s gaze, "I can see that this cloth is very bright, it just so happens that Little Ge''s skin is white.


    She pointed to a tender green cigarette, and Anheg looked over.


    It was indeed a fine material, and there was a pair of swallows embroidered on it. Just looking at it made one feel that it was alive and fresh.


    However, there was a trace of ridicule in An Lingge''s eyes.


    In her previous life, her mother had died early and she did not have any elders to teach her.


    But at that time, the Madam Li was afraid that she would steal An Lingyi''s radiance and intentionally made her look so gloomy.

 C54

    An Lingge thought back to the time she was always dressed in gold and silver, with a red hairpin riding on her head, yet it seemed extremely cheap.


    She had even heard the maidservants whispering when they were sweeping the area that the Eldest Young Miss was clearly a daughter of a rich and powerful family, but her conduct was that of an upstart. She did not have the temperament that a noble woman should have.


    At that time, she only thought that she was too timid and inferior, but she did not know that all of this was done by the Madam Li.


    Now that she had experienced a new life, it would be too childish for Madam Li to still try to hide her brilliance.


    An Lingge''s eyes flashed, "Thank you Aunt for your kind intentions, but Aunt is still old, and has a different opinion from us, so Little Ge will choose for herself."


    She secretly pointed at the Madam Li Elder as Madam Wang laughed out from the side. After being fiercely gouged in by the old lady, she finally pursed her lips to hold back her laughter.


    An Lingge''s eyes swept across the cloths, and pointed to one of the goosebumps.


    "I think this piece of material looks pretty good. How about this one?"


    That goose-yellow cloud brocade was indeed beautiful, but many people did not dare to use that cloth to make clothes.


    The reason for that was naturally because of the yellow-colored light. If the girl who was not white enough were to wear it, her skin would only turn black.


    But in this life, An Lingge was not being manipulated by the Madam Li, his face was not covered with the thick powder, and she looked like she was facing the sky.


    If the goose yellow clothes were to be worn by An Lingge, it would not make him black out, but instead highlight her whiteness.


    An Lingxue stood at the side, her large almond eyes flashed with an unknown light, and suddenly said: "This yellow is too provocative, how about Big Sis change her color, I can see that the Jade River Cube color is pretty nice."


    She pointed at the cloth at the side, it could not be considered in terms of color, nor did it look old, and although it was suitable for An Lingge''s age, it was not as good as the goose yellow, allowing him to display her beauty.


    If An Lingxue did not give him that bag with the musk scent, An Lingge would have thought that it was because of An Lingxue''s insight, which was why she suggested that he should take the Jade River Cube.


    However, the connection between the two matters was not that simple.


    An Lingge''s expression did not change, but her eyebrows slightly knitted, as though she was considering which cloth was the best.


    An Lingyi immediately opened her mouth, "That''s right, the Jade River Red Cloud material is pretty good, why not let elder sister have it?"


    How could she not tell that An Lingge was the most beautiful out of them all, her beautiful face already overshadowing everyone else. If they were to wear this goose yellow robe again, wouldn''t it cause all of them to be buried in the dirt?


    At that time, they would no longer have the chance to shine at the banquet held in the palace.


    An Lingge''s gaze fell on An Lingxue''s body, causing An Lingxue to look away guiltily, but she continued to advise her, "Since even Little Sister Yi Er has spoken like that, it seems like the materials for Jade River Aurora are really nice to look at."


    She did not dare to openly persuade An Lingge, and could only praise him like this, hoping that she would change his mind.


    However, An Lingge laughed, "I never thought that Little Sister Little Xue would like this material so much." She looked at An Lingxue with eyes full of concern, "I already have a dish that I like, but Little Sister Little Xue has yet to pick one. It''s rare that you find this material nice, so how can I snatch it away from you? I shall just give this piece of material to little sister Little Xue. "


    She didn''t like this material at all!


    An Lingxue almost couldn''t hold back the smile on her face when she heard this.


    The material of the Jade River Aurora was just one that she randomly pointed at. Where was it that she really liked?


    However, when everyone saw An Lingxue''s praise for that thing, they all thought that An Lingxue really liked it.


    The Madam Zheng of the third house looked at the material, then looked at her daughter.


    "The material looks pretty good. Little Xue, if you like it, take it."


    An Lingxue was so stifled that she almost vomited blood, but she worried about her image, and could only pretend that she liked it, with a happy smile on her face, "Since Big sister doesn''t want this material, then I will take it, Big sister cannot go back on her words."


    She was two years younger than An Lingge in the first place. Her face was small, with some baby fat on it, making her look a little cute and tender.


    Now that she said such words, others only felt that she was adorable and naive, but they couldn''t think of anywhere else to go.


    was a little disappointed that he did not manage to scheme for An Lingge to wear those exaggerated clothes.


    However, she still had a trick up her sleeve, so she wasn''t in a hurry.


    Only after seeing everyone picking out the fabric did the embroidery lady leave the palace.


    The Countess sat for a while and was a little tired. She let the nanny beside her send her back to her own courtyard while the rest of the people went back to their own.


    "Sister, wait."


    An Lingxue jogged behind An Lingge and stopped her in her tracks.


    Bi Zhu did not have a good impression of the person who framed her own Young Miss.


    An Lingge turned her head and saw that An Lingxue''s face was slightly flushed from running away. "What''s the matter, Little Sister Little Xue?"


    An Lingxue gasped for breath, and was a little embarrassed: "I was living with my grandmother at the Ancestral Mansion before, so I''m not familiar with the capital, can elder sister not tell me anything interesting about the capital?"


    She acted as if she trusted An Lingge a lot, but she held the handkerchief tightly in her hands, "It doesn''t matter if Big Sister is in a difficult situation. Little Xue, Little Xue can just find someone else to ask."


    With such an innocent, lovely and intimate sister, if she didn''t have such bad intentions, An Lingge would definitely like her a lot.


    Unfortunately, this was all a facade.


    An Lingge curled her lips, her black and bright eyes lit up, "What''s there to be embarrassed about, but come with me to the courtyard, let''s sit down and I''ll explain everything to you."


    She brought An Lingxue back to her own courtyard. Bi Zhu hid the disgust she had for An Lingxue and respectfully served tea to the two of them.


    An Lingxue chattered a lot of questions, and An Lingge talked about everything she knew.


    "I heard that my sister''s fiance, oh, it''s that Hereditary Prince Mu. She looks so beautiful, and she''s a good son-in-law in many girls'' dreams. Elder sister, is it like this?"


    With one hand holding her head up, she looked up at An Lingge. Her large almond-shaped eyes blinked, looking extremely like an innocent girl.


    An Lingge''s expression froze for a moment, but quickly recovered her composure, "Hereditary Prince Mu and I don''t have much to do with each other, so I don''t know much about him."


    "That''s elder sister''s fianc¨¦, how could I not know?" An Lingxue asked in reply, as if she realized she was being a bit anxious, she stuck out her tongue innocently, "What I mean is, elder sister wants to marry Hereditary Prince Mu, she has to know something about him, right?"

 C55

    An Lingxue asked for information about Mu Junhan without batting an eyelid, but how could An Lingge let her do as she pleased?


    She talked a lot of nonsense, but did not say a word of news that An Lingxue wanted to hear.


    The smile on An Lingxue''s face became more and more unnatural. She could not even keep up with her cute and innocent disguise. She directly stood up from the chair and bid farewell to An Lingge.


    An Lingge seemed to be a little unwilling to see sher leave, he held An Lingxue''s hand and urged her on, "It''s rare for people to come here, and it''s only after you''ve come here twice that it''s become a little more lively. I still feel like I haven''t said a few words to you, is Little Sister Little Xue going yet? "


    An Lingxue laughed, and acted very intimate, "I also want to stay with big sister for a while longer, but it''s already time for dinner, if I don''t go back now, I''m afraid my mother will hold my ear and scold me."


    Since she said it like that, An Lingge naturally could not keep her in, and let Bi Zhu send her out.


    After Bi Zhu respectfully sent the person out of the Parasol House, she turned around and returned back into the house.


    "Miss, you''re really bad." She said this, but her eyes were full of smiles, "You clearly knew that Second Miss came to inquire about the news, and you even intentionally rambled about it, to the point that Second Miss couldn''t sit here anymore. Your servant, ah, Second Miss will never come here again."


    An Lingge pursed her lips, coveting Mu Junhan was nothing much, but he had also sent her a lotus bag filled with musk for Mu Junhan, that was unforgivable.


    Now, An Lingxue still thought that she was smart, and wanted to gather some information from her, but in the end, she gained nothing. According to An Lingxue''s personality, she probably wouldn''t be here for a long time.


    It was just as An Lingge and the others had thought. Until the Spring Festival, An Lingxue had never once tried using her Parasol House again.


    However, someone else had arrived within the Parasol House.


    An Lingge lifted her eyes to look at the slightly aged nanny in front of him, as he listened to her narration of her feelings for him.


    "Miss doesn''t know. In the month that I''ve been gone, there isn''t a day where I haven''t thought about Miss. I''m afraid that if you don''t eat well and wear well, you''ll never be able to relax. "In the end, I just asked Aunt to let this old servant return to serve Miss."


    The person in front of her was her milk nanny, her surname was Zhao, and she had already left the Prince An''s Palace more than a month ago.


    In her previous life, Nanny Zhao claimed that her little grandson was severely ill, and there was no news of him after she left the Duke Palaces. An Lingge only thought that she had returned home, that it was a long journey, and did not pay any more attention to this matter.


    But now that the Nanny Zhao had returned to her Prince An''s Palace, An Lingge started to feel suspicious.


    However, she didn''t show it on her face. At first glance, she just looked like she was seriously listening.


    Nanny Zhao wiped her tears once more, "Now that this old servant has returned to the young miss''s side, I can look after the young miss myself. Only then can I be considered relieved."


    An Lingge looked at Nanny Zhao emotionally, her expression surging with emotion, "nanny left so decisively one month ago, I thought you would never come back, and it''s been so long since I felt sad."


    "At that time, my little grandson was very sick, I naturally had to rush back to take care of him. Now that he has recovered, I miss you more and more, so I decided to go back to the palace with my thick skin. Miss won''t welcome this old servant, right?"


    "I am naturally happy that nanny is back." She turned her head and instructed Bi Zhu who was at the side, "However, nanny has always been a tiresome person, so I think it is best to rest for a while. There is no need to wait on me here."


    Bi Zhu understood tacitly, this was to settle down the Nanny Zhao and at the same time drive the Nanny Zhao away from the young miss'' house, so as to not let the Nanny Zhao and the young miss have any further contact.


    The Nanny Zhao didn''t think that he would be here, and thought that An Lingge was as respectful to him as she was in the past.


    On the second day, Nanny Zhao put on airs.


    She was the nanny with the highest status and was in charge of all matters within the Parasol House.


    "Miss doesn''t like decorations like this. Take them away, put them into the golden censer with the gold-plated screws and come in."


    "These flowers and grasses, what kind of rubbish are they? They look messy, not tidy at all. When others see them, they would think that the Parasol House is desolate."


    She looked all the way, and pointed at the maids and waited for Nanny Zhao to walk into An Lingge''s room sweating profusely. She could not help but to take a deep breath.


    Nanny Zhao wiped the sweat on her forehead with the handkerchief and spoke sincerely and earnestly to An Lingge, "Miss, this old servant has not been here for more than a month, those servants have really neglected you."


    An Lingge knew in her heart, but her expression did not change at all, "What, but when did those young maids do things that were not to nanny''s liking?"


    The Nanny Zhao sighed, as if she was truly thinking for An Lingge, "Those maids, to actually accept all of these gold and silverware, and exchange them for copper and flowers, isn''t this bullying little miss, you are still young and inexperienced?"


    "Bring out all those gold and silver weapons and others will know how pampered the young miss is. Even if the wangfei leaves early, no one will dare to bully the young miss."


    An Lingge saw that Nanny Zhao was putting on an act, and a cold intent quickly flashed past her eyes.


    In his previous life, Nanny Zhao had always whispered in her ears that her birth mother had died early, afraid that someone would humiliate her, so she taught her to wear gold and wear silver. She said that this was to prove that she was doted on, to establish her dignity.


    But at that time, how could he have known that the Nanny Zhao had an ulterior motive?


    She was a dignified direct descendant of Prince An''s Palace, yet her way of doing things was like the daughter of a nouveau riche. On this point, Nanny Zhao had "contributed greatly".


    An Lingge''s ice-cold gaze made Nanny Zhao''s body turn cold, and she subconsciously met An Lingge''s eyes.


    When he looked again, he saw that the young girl in front of him was frowning and deep in thought. She looked like a daughter in law, and there was no trace of her sharp gaze.


    Nanny Zhao only thought that she was seeing things, but she heard An Lingge say gently, "But since Grandmother is bringing Second Aunt''s Third Aunt home now, Little Ge already has family, so she doesn''t need that gold and silver to support her."


    "My lady, how can this be the same!" Nanny Zhao clapped her hands, she was extremely anxious, "The madame is your grandmother, but she does not only have you as a granddaughter. Even if she dotes on you, how can she be partial to you? There''s even less of a need to talk about the third wife of the Second Madam. They each have their own sons and daughters, how would they care about young miss? "


    The Nanny Zhao had a serious expression, as if she was the only one in the world who truly cared for An Lingge.


    In her second life, An Lingge was not that easy to fool.

 C56

    An Lingge raised her head, her bright eyes stared straight at Nanny Zhao, with a glimmer in her eyes, "Nanny Zhao is wrong to say that."


    She stretched out her hand to adjust the corner of her clothes. It was clearly a casual look, but somehow, it carried an indescribable force. Nanny Zhao unconsciously held her breath, as if she was afraid of scaring her.


    "There is only one concubine in my father''s courtyard, and she has always treated me like her own daughter. Little Sister Yi Er has always been close to me, so it makes no difference even if we are sisters; Second Aunt only has one son who is born directly into her family, but in front of me is a daughter born from a concubine. Speaking of which, Second Aunt likes me more; Everyone in this big family treats me so well. Do I really need the gold and silver to back me up? They are what I rely on the most. "


    As An Lingge said this, she proudly raised her chin, looking very much like an ignorant girl who was suddenly pampered.


    Nanny Zhao scoffed in her heart, laughing at An Lingge''s stupidity.


    Although what she had said before had ulterior motives, those words were her real thoughts. None of the masters in this mansion doted on An Lingge wholeheartedly.


    Seeing that An Lingge did not listen to her advice, the Nanny Zhao could only sigh, "Whatever, since young miss likes it, let''s just follow her own heart. This old servant is old after all, it''s normal for young miss to hate this old servant."


    Nanny Zhao''s words were very coincidental, making it sound like An Lingge hated her and did not follow what she said. It made the other servants feel cold listening to it.


    If the old nanny who had followed beside the young miss for more than ten years could be said to be disgusted by it, then what would the young miss do to the young maids?


    Seeing that the Nanny Zhao was trying to incite the attention of her subordinates, the coldness in An Lingge''s eyes grew even stronger.


    Bi Zhu stepped forward with a solemn look on her round face.


    "Nanny Zhao, I respect you as an old man by the young miss''s side, so even though you are using your age in Parasol House, you have never contradicted me in the slightest. But now, I have no choice but to speak up for the young miss."


    "You are the nanny that was chosen by the princess after she entered the palace. Since the young miss was born, you should have brought the young miss along with you. Logically speaking, you should have treated the young miss to the bone, treating her like your own granddaughter."


    "If I say it inappropriately, then this old servant originally treated the little miss as his own granddaughter, so I can''t stand the thought of the little miss getting a bit wronged." The Nanny Zhao interrupted Bi Zhu and began to put on a show of bitter love. She wiped away the tears that did not exist at the corner of her eyes, "If it wasn''t for the fact that my little grandson was seriously ill, this old servant would never have left Miss."


    Bi Zhu scoffed, "nanny really has guts, Miss is the master and you are the servant.


    "If I remember correctly, nanny must have signed the indenture contract, right? In other words, unless Master were to return the indenture contract to nanny, who is not allowed to leave the Prince An''s Palace, how can she return home to see your sick little grandson, and not see him for more than a month? "


    She took two steps forward and walked in front of Nanny Zhao, but her still young and tender face still carried a sharp aura, "Miss is benevolent, upon hearing that nanny''s grandson is critically ill, she called for a servant to take out nanny''s indenture contract and release him back home. She even took out a hundred silver coins from her own savings to help nanny retire. Miss is such a benevolent person, the Nanny Zhao is not grateful, but after we return home, she directly pointed at Miss'' mischievousness. Her words and words are all because Miss despised you for being old and useless, what are your intentions? "


    An Lingge lowered her eyes. She seemed a little sad, and her slim body looked even thinner at this moment.


    "Bi Zhu, stop talking," She tugged at the corner of Bi Zhu''s clothes, and her voice sounded somewhat downcast, "nanny left me for the sake of my grandson, this is human nature, I understand that it was not easy for nanny, even if nanny were to point and criticize me, she would still be my milk nanny!"


    The two words "Milk nanny" seemed to contain countless heartache, the eavesdropping servants all felt that An Lingge must be extremely sad.


    Everyone knew that the young miss had lost her mother, and Prince An was busy with political affairs, so it could be said that he had neglected the existence of the young miss. Only the Nanny Zhao was always by his side, treating her like half a family.


    But even so, Nanny Zhao still chose her own grandson between her own grandson and Eldest Miss, this was human nature, and after Nanny Zhao returned to her residence, she immediately ordered her servants around, not just towards the servants, she even treated Eldest Miss half-heartedly, and even followed Eldest Miss''s hobbies!


    This was a typical slave bully!


    Bi Zhu glanced at An Lingge, worried that An Lingge would be by her side, and did not continue to blame the Nanny Zhao.


    When they heard Bi Zhu criticizing them, they felt that Bi Zhu, who usually looked bashful and timid, was also really powerful, and did not dare to look down on Bi Zhu anymore.


    Seeing Nanny Zhao''s pale face, An Lingge spoke with a soft voice, "I know that nanny is doing this for my own good, but my aunt addressed Second Aunt as sister-in-law, so I was reprimanded by my grandmother. nanny, for your actions and actions in passing me in the Parasol House, you spoke about me. If people knew, even the nanny would not be able to escape. Bi Zhu is doing this for your own good, I hope nanny will not take it to heart. "


    "How dare this old servant take it to heart?"


    Nanny Zhao''s face was green and white and green. She didn''t dare to say it, but her face still carried some dissatisfaction.


    An Lingge did not care if the Nanny Zhao was convinced or not. The reason she allowed Bi Zhu to face the Nanny Zhao today was to establish her might.


    In her previous life, she was too timid. Bi Zhu followed beside him and tried many times to establish her dignity, managing those servants but she was reprimanded by the Nanny Zhao. The Parasol House was almost controlled by the Nanny Zhao herself.


    As for the Nanny Zhao, she probably pledged her allegiance to the Madam Li after her mother passed away.


    Thinking up to here, An Lingge gradually clenched her fists, but her face still maintained a gentle smile.


    One day, she would take revenge for her mother!


    An Lingge''s gaze swept across the Nanny Zhao, her tone neither soft nor hard, "Since Nanny Zhao is old, it should be a time to live through the years, why don''t you put aside those chores and stay in the Parasol House for your old age. Little Ge will definitely not mistreat you."


    If the Nanny Zhao still wanted to do things for the Madam Li, then he would have to find an opportunity to remove her from the Parasol House.

 C57

    Was he trying to seize the power in his hands?


    Nanny Zhao is a wise man, she had muddled her way through life, how could she not understand the meaning behind An Lingge''s words?


    She looked up in surprise and saw An Lingge''s gentle and shallow smile.


    Nanny Zhao didn''t know if An Lingge was thinking for her sake, or if she was suspicious of him.


    She wanted to refute him, but seeing Bi Zhu holding onto her arm and staring at her coldly, she turned the topic.


    "Eldest Miss dotes on this old servant. This old servant is truly grateful."


    Seeing Nanny Zhao retreating unwillingly, Bi Zhu''s round face revealed a bright smile. She spat towards the direction Nanny Zhao left in, "Old servant, you also want to climb onto Miss''s head and act mighty!"


    An Lingge laughed. Bi Zhu had never liked Nanny Zhao, but now that she had caused him to lose face, he was afraid that she would be happier than him.


    A few days of time passed in the blink of an eye. In the blink of an eye, it was time for the Spring Festival.


    The day before the Spring Festival, the embroidery mother of the Heaven''s Clothing Workshop had already brought the clothes over. Bi Zhu was staring at the golden butterfly pattern and brocade spring gown, unable to recover from her daze.


    An Lingge was already a beauty to begin with. With her timid personality and lowered head, more than half of her face had been covered by that old haughty appearance. Naturally, no one paid attention to her appearance.


    Ever since she fell into the water and woke up, An Lingge had always been faceless. She had always been wearing plain clothes, which made her face look even more gorgeous.


    Initially, Bi Zhu thought she was used to the Miss''s appearance, but looking at An Lingge wearing the exquisite spring shirt now, she still felt surprised.


    She looked at the person in the bronze mirror. Her skin was white and full of snow, her lips were like white. Her eyes under her curved eyebrows were black and bright, even more beautiful than the black crystal from the Western Regions.


    An Lingge''s slender and thin white neck was as beautiful as a water lotus in a pond during the middle of summer.


    She wore a bun, and a green phoenix hairpin with burning blue dots sat diagonally on her head. A string of transparent crystal beads hung from her forehead, and her charming eyes were filled with boundless elegance.


    "Young miss is so pretty," Bi Zhu praised her sincerely, then put away the cosmetics she had prepared. "Before, I had only heard about beauties of nature from others, but did not know what kind of beauty was, only after seeing young miss did I know that these words, ah, are meant for young miss."


    An Lingge looked at herself in the mirror. Without the cowardly temperament and old age Chen Qiu''s disguise, he finally showed the vitality a girl should have.


    She smiled and glanced at Bi Zhu, "I can''t tell, but Bi Zhu still knows how to use such flowery words."


    In the past, Bi Zhu was shy. After more than a month of turmoil, she finally became much more cheerful.


    Bi Zhu giggled as she walked towards the door.


    As the Old Mistress and the rest had just returned to their residence, the second and third rooms urgently needed to establish their own network in the capital. The people of Madam Wang, Madam Zheng and An Lingyi were all dressed extravagantly, and the Madam Li and An Lingyi were no exception.


    An Lingge guessed that An Lingxue wouldn''t be wearing the clothes made from Heaven''s Clothing Workshop, so he only glanced at her briefly before retracting her gaze.


    However, when An Lingyi saw An Lingxue, a trace of displeasure quickly flashed across her face.


    "Why is Sister Little Xue dressed in such clean clothes?"


    An Lingyi looked at An Lingxue''s face that was somewhat similar to her, and jealousy filled her eyes.


    She had always known that An Lingge was prettier than she was, but An Lingge was stupid, being fooled by the Nanny Zhao with just a few casual words, she was like a parvenu who wore gold and wore silver, adding that cowardly temperament, she was completely inconspicuous in the crowd.


    But now, An Lingge seemed to have opened her eyes. She was no longer dressed in colorful clothes, but instead revealed her originally gorgeous face.


    Even An Lingxue, who came from the Ancestral House, did not lose out to her in terms of appearance, and even had a hint of a delicate and pitiful appearance.


    Moreover, An Lingyi and An Lingxue were both cute and adorable people, but when An Lingyi acted arrogantly and placed An Lingxue together with her, it was naturally An Lingxue who was more likeable.


    How could An Lingyi, who had always been the center of attention, endure this? One or two of them came to steal her limelight, how could she still show off her skills in the palace and attract Hereditary Prince Mu''s attention?


    After An Lingxue heard this, she clenched the handkerchief in her hand tightly as if she was hesitating. With a timid expression on her face, she asked, "Can I not wear this?"


    "Yesterday, the clothes sent over by the Heaven''s Clothing Workshop were accidentally stained by the servant girl. That''s why I found this piece of clothes. If I can''t wear it like this, I''ll go back and change it back now."


    "No need, it''s quite nice to wear it like this."


    The old lady''s voice transmitted over, she looked at An Lingyi with a faint unhappiness.


    Even though she had left the capital for more than ten years, she had fought in the harem for most of her life when she was young. How could she not know that An Lingyi was just jealous of An Lingxue, and that''s why she evaluated him?


    To the madame, even if they were granddaughters, An Lingxue was the direct descendant and An Lingyi was the concubine, their values were different.


    Moreover, An Lingxue grew up in front of her. Other than the blood relation between them, the old mistress and An Lingxue had also had a ten-odd years of family ties. From this point of view, An Lingyi''s position in the old lady''s heart was far inferior to her.


    Since the two of them had a conflict, the old lady immediately took over An Lingxue''s side.


    "Today is the Imperial Palace''s Spring Festival, it''s a joyous day. Sister Little Xue is dressed so plainly, that makes people think that she''s just guarding, that it''s not good."


    Mourning?


    The madame''s face trembled. As an old man, she did not like hearing about people dying and dying. She felt like she was about to step into a coffin.


    Her gaze fell on An Lingxue''s body, and she started to frown.


    Although she said that she wanted to dress herself in filial piety, An Lingxue''s clothes were too clean. From afar, she really looked like a mourner.


    Unlucky!


    "Little Xue''s clothes are too pure, but it''s too late to go back and change now." She turned her head to look at nanny, "Get someone to take out a few beautiful pieces of jewelry from Second Young Miss''s makeup box.


    nanny very quickly took out a few pieces of jewelry and put them on An Lingxue.


    The madame nodded her head in satisfaction and got onto the carriage with the help of the nanny.

 C58

    The Madam Li and An Lingyi sat in the same carriage, while the Madam Zheng and An Lingxue sat together. There was no direct daughter under the knees of Madam Wang.


    It was the second time since An Lingge was reborn that she entered the Imperial Palace. She sat on top of a horse carriage, and the various pastries that were a few steps shorter were reflected in her eyes.


    Madam Wang raised a piece of red bean cake and placed it into his mouth. After eating it, he used a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, and revealed a satisfied expression.


    "The Red Bean Cake in Beijing and the Red Bean Cake in Jiangnan taste different, but different."


    It was only then that An Lingge found out that Madam Wang''s mother was originally from Jiangnan. When she thought about this, her heart moved and she indifferently asked, "Is Second Aunt originally from Jiangnan?"


    "That''s right, the Wang family is a wealthy family in Jiangnan. If there is a chance one day, aunty will bring you there to play."


    Madam Wang nodded, his expression carrying a little bit of pride.


    Her family could indeed be considered wealthy, but no one in her family was a government official. For the sake of long-term development, she married all her daughters to people who were officials. Whether it was as a concubine or as a bridegroom, they were still connected to people in the government.


    Amongst the many sisters in the family, only she was of good birth and was the only direct daughter of the Wang Family. Thus, she had the right to choose during the marriage and became An Yinghao''s legal wife.


    Although An Yinghao was just an idle person, he had a big brother who was a prince.


    Other than An Yinghao who was passionate, her marriage could be considered to be complete.


    Jiangnan.


    An Lingge chewed on this word again and again in his heart, and felt his heart start to beat faster.


    She remembered that in her previous life, Jiang Nan suddenly had a plague. That plague was coming at her aggressively and no one would be able to defend against it. In just a few days, more than ten thousand people died in Jiang Nan.


    Because of this, His Majesty was currently in a rage and sent wave after wave of imperial physicians to treat the plague. In the end, all of them returned in low spirits.


    It was only when a reclusive genius doctor appeared and prescribed a cure for the plague that the plague was finally under control and gradually subsided.


    If he thought about it carefully, it seemed to be only this year.


    An Lingge''s mind raced, but she did not reveal it on the surface. She smiled at the Madam Wang, and appeared somewhat intimate, "Then, I''ll have to thank Second Aunt."


    Madam Wang waved his hand and took out the words from the side for Plum to eat.


    For some reason, she seemed to be able to eat a lot these few days, as if she couldn''t fill her stomach no matter what.


    When An Lingge thought about the Jiangnan Plague, she did not notice anything strange about the Madam Wang.


    For a moment, only the faint sound of Madam Wang chewing could be heard within the carriage.


    An Lingge then closed her eyes, and leaned against the soft cushion as she dozed off.


    After about an hour, the carriage finally arrived at the entrance of the imperial palace.


    Because it was the Imperial Palace''s Spring Festival, all the nobles and nobles brought their wives and daughters to the banquet. However, the women were together, and the men were separate.


    Once An Lingge got off the carriage, she noticed a burning gaze from the side.


    She followed his gaze and saw that Mu Junhan was surrounded by a few young masters. Her pretty eyes were looking over and she gave An Lingge a lazy and loose smile.


    Mu Junhan''s body was originally slightly taller than others, and he was truly too good-looking. Just by standing there quietly, he had already attracted the attention of many noble ladies.


    At this moment, when they saw him smile, a few of the ladies blushed and quickly looked away, not daring to look anymore.


    "That young master is really good-looking."


    An Lingxue moved to An Lingge''s side at an unknown time and lightly knocked on An Lingge''s arm. She lowered her voice and asked: "Elder sister, do you know who he is?"


    A hint of red surfaced on her cute face. With such a bashful look, An Lingge could tell what she was thinking just by looking at her.


    Her heart suddenly felt heavy, and she was unable to explain the feeling in her heart, "That person is Hereditary Prince Mu."


    "So that''s my fianc¨¦." An Lingxue exclaimed in a low voice, a trace of jealousy flashed past her eyes, but her expression did not change at all, "She truly looks like a genius, big sister will definitely be very happy to marry Hereditary Prince Mu."


    "Thank you for your blessings." An Lingge pursed her lips and her gaze landed on An Lingxue''s face. Sure enough, she saw An Lingxue''s expression freeze for a moment before returning to normal very quickly.


    There were many ladies and gentlemen gathered in front of the palace, waiting for the imperial guards to check their identities. Their whispers did not attract anyone''s attention.


    After the people from the Prince An''s Palace passed through the west gate''s inspection, they followed the palace maid and walked forward.


    An Lingge did not even glance at her, she walked straight and upright, with a etiquette that made even the palace maids look askance at him.


    Miss An clearly grew up on Prince An''s Palace, and had lost his biological mother long ago. This rule was even better than those serious princesses; it was truly strange.


    In comparison, An Lingxue''s wandering gaze was somewhat eye-catching. The palace maid sized her up with an unmoved expression, and knew that this was the Second Miss who had just returned from the Prince An''s Palace Ancestral Mansion.


    Although the palace maid thought this way, her steps were not the least bit chaotic. She led everyone to their destination before respectfully retreating.


    An Lingge''s eyes were filled with the glaring gold and silver jewelry of noble women, the tip of her nose was filled with a strong fragrance, any one of them could easily see a person dressed in exquisite clothing, with exquisite makeup on their face.


    The group of noble ladies only appeared in such an orderly manner during the royal palace''s banquet. They were all doing their best to create a good reputation for themselves.


    An Lingge scanned her surroundings, but she did not find Imperial Consort Yi, much less An Lingjun who was beside him.


    She drooped her eyes in disappointment, only to see a light purple long dress slip past her eyes. An Lingge raised her head, and her gaze met with that man''s.


    Imperial Consort Yi just so happened to see An Lingge, her footsteps paused for a moment, and when she thought about the conflict she had with An Lingge in the palace, her exquisite makeup darkened.


    She snorted coldly, as if she didn''t see An Lingge walk past her and sat on her seat.


    An Lingge did not care about why the Imperial Consort Yi did not like him, since she did not like the Imperial Consort Yi anyway.


    Her gaze anxiously searched the crowd, and sure enough, she found An Lingjun, who was beside Ninth Prince.


    He seemed to have lost some weight, but he still looked energetic. It was likely that the Ninth Prince only dared to deduct his food, but didn''t dare to openly humiliate him.


    An Lingge''s eyes were slightly hot and moist, when she thought about how her own mother''s brother had to suffer in the Imperial Palace, and how she had to rescue An Lingjun from the clutches of the Imperial Palace, she felt even more anxious.


    As she was thinking, one of the eunuchs drew back his voice and shouted, "Esteemed Empress has arrived!"

 C59

    Following the eunuch''s loud chant, all the madams and misses present turned their gazes towards the same direction. Imperial Consort Yi also stopped in her tracks, and her gaze landed on the elegant Queen who was walking over.


    The empress was surrounded by a group of palace maids and eunuchs. They were dressed in gorgeous phoenix robes and wore jade pincers with a pearl crown on their heads. There was no expression on their dignified faces, only a slight curve on their lips.


    She slowly walked over and leisurely sat on her seat. Her gaze swept over the somewhat reserved Madam and then gently smiled. "Today is a Spring Festival. It''s just a celebration, so there''s no need to be reserved."


    The ladies replied in unison. Then, they began to chat with their friends again. However, the chatter and laughter they had been chatting with each other was much quieter than before.


    The Imperial Consort Yi sat at the bottom of the empress. She gave a humble bow to the empress, and with a smile that was full of flattery, she started a conversation with the empress.


    An Lingge watched the entire scene. In her heart, she was filled with disdain towards the high and mighty Imperial Consort Yi, but she did not reveal it on the surface.


    The Madam Li pulled An Lingyi to sit at the side. Although there was also a smile on her face, her eyes wandered around the crowd, appearing somewhat absent-minded. It was likely that she was looking for the figure of the Imperial Noble Consort Li.


    The madame was much calmer. She had participated in many of the Imperial Palace''s Spring Feasts. She had only chatted with her good friends for many years after returning to the capital. Naturally, they would talk about the future of their children.


    "Ever since the old prince passed away, you brought the people from the second and third branch to the ancestral residence." Ever since the old prince passed away, you brought the people from the second and third branch to the ancestral residence.


    A woman around the same age as the Old Mistress laughed as she spoke, her eyes looking at Old Madem Xiang with nostalgia and joy.


    When meeting old friends, the madame was naturally happy, her expression was also excited, but there was a hint of pride on her aged face, "Isn''t that so? My eldest son has inherited the throne, but there is still Old Second and Old Third who have nothing to do, so they can only rush them back to the ancestral home and take care of business. If it wasn''t for my grandson taking the Spring Examinations, he would have had to come to the capital, and we wouldn''t even know when we would meet."


    The old woman understood the many twists and turns within this large clan.


    Their eldest son had inherited the throne, while their second and third sons didn''t even have official positions. Naturally, they felt uncomfortable in their hearts.


    In order to prevent her brothers and sisters from getting into trouble, the old mistress would bring the second and third branch to the ancestral residence. She had not stepped into the capital for more than ten years.


    The one who was talking to the madame was the State Duke Palace''s Madam. The two of them had known each other for dozens of years, it could be said to be the same thing.


    The old mistress only had this close friend, so she spoke with more sincerity.


    "I heard that your grandson got the first place in the country test?"


    "It''s just a small place''s ranking. It''s not worth mentioning." The madame waved her hand. "But your boy actually became the emperor''s imperial bodyguard at such a young age. He''s really incredible. Truly incredible."


    The two of them flattered each other, and Madame State Duke''s gaze suddenly landed on An Lingge and the rest.


    "I heard that some time ago, the Emperor bestowed marriage to Prince An''s Palace and the Emperor. I wonder which lady it was?"


    The old lady pointed in An Lingge''s direction, her eyes carrying a look of gratification: "It''s that little girl, our house''s young miss."


    She thought back to the day when she had just returned to her house, the day when the Madam Li took control of her house, and unintentionally or unintentionally looked down on her. The grandson''s daughter that she had not seen for over ten years had prepared a present for her.


    The State Duke''s wife saw the look in the old lady''s eyes and was curious, "Looking at you, are you satisfied with this grandson''s daughter?"


    She had known the madame for many years, so how could she not know that the madame was picky? Most people wanted to please the madame, but it was not that simple. They wondered what was so special about the young lady.


    "She is my grandson, what is there to be unsatisfied about?" She looked at State Duke and said, "She is a very filial person, but her mother died young. She does not have a reliable person to teach her, but she was not taken care of by her aunt.


    The State Duke''s wife raised his eyebrows. He clearly did not expect the madame to give An Lingge such a high evaluation.


    Glimmers danced in her eyes as she looked at a young girl who was coincidentally laughing not far away. An unfathomable emotion flashed in her eyes.


    The two of them chatted happily while the Imperial Consort Yi and Empress talked happily. At least on the surface, they seemed to be having fun.


    An Lingge would occasionally look at the male customers, but the Ninth Prince did not notice. On the other hand, An Lingjun suddenly raised her head, and looked over.


    Upon seeing An Lingge, a flash of pleasant surprise appeared on An Lingjun''s stubborn face.


    An Lingge also laughed, and while no one was looking, she mouthed some words to An Lingjun ¡ª ¡ª Big sister will definitely save you from death.


    As soon as the words left her mouth, she heard the eunuch sing another long song.


    "The emperor has arrived!"


    The group of officials and women saluted one after another. The Emperor laughed and waved his hand. "Rise. There aren''t many rules in today''s Spring Festival."


    An Lingge raised her head, and quietly sized up this person who held the power to kill and to live above all these people.


    He was in his fifties, his temples were slightly white, and his square face was filled with dignity. Even when he was chuckling, his eyes still carried a sharp glint.


    He sat in the seat of honor, his sharp eyes sweeping across the few other princes s, and slowly forming a fist by his side.


    This was an ambitious overlord, and an extremely suspicious one at that.


    An Lingge thought of the rumors she had heard in her previous life and came to a conclusion.


    On the other hand, the Imperial Noble Consort Li had been missing for a long time, and even when the emperor had arrived, she was nowhere to be seen at the banquet.


    Madam Li looked up at the seat of honor and saw that the emperor''s empress was seated at the head and right hand side was the Imperial Consort Yi, but there was no one at the emperor''s left hand side.


    Could there have been an accident?


    Just as Madam Li was thinking this, she heard a delicate female voice.


    "Chenqie has come late because of something. I hope the empress can forgive me."


    Imperial Noble Consort Li landed beside the emperor like a cool breeze, smiling from the corner of hhereyes. Although she was saying words of apology, his face was full of indifference, obviously not caring if she was late or not.


    The empress''s face immediately darkened. Although the Spring Festival Gala had no rules, the palace always emphasized on who was on stage. The higher the status, the later it was,.

 C60

    Now that the Imperial Noble Consort Li had only appeared after the Empress had arrived, it was unknown what her intentions were!


    "Why did the Imperial Noble Consort Li come so late?"


    The empress lowered her eyes and asked lightly, making it impossible for anyone to see the rage in her heart.


    The Imperial Noble Consort Li pursed her lips and moved closer to the emperor. "This matter is rather embarrassing to speak of. The empress is in the palace all day, so she should have heard of it."


    She shyly glanced at the Emperor. The affection in her eyes could not be removed.


    The empress''s face became even uglier. The fact that Imperial Noble Consort Li came even later than her in front of so many people was already a provocation to her, but he didn''t regret it in the slightest, even hinting that she was too "favored" by the emperor, which was why he came late.


    This was a clear provocation!


    The empress''s dignified face didn''t have the slightest trace of a smile as she raised her long eyebrows. I don''t know what Imperial Noble Consort Li is talking about, but Imperial Noble Consort Li, please tell me, why are you so late? "


    She wanted to see if Imperial Noble Consort Li''s skin was thick enough to be able to see her being overly spoiled in public!


    Imperial Noble Consort Li originally came late on purpose to make things difficult for the empress.


    However, she hadn''t expected that on days like these, the empress would not only remain silent, but even question her instead question her out of politeness. How was she supposed to respond?


    The complacent expression on her face stiffened for a moment before her pleading gaze landed on the emperor.


    Seeing that the two women beside him were at odds, the emperor stretched out his hand and placed it on the back of the empress''s hand.


    "Today is a joyous day, the empress shouldn''t be so stingy."


    When he said that, the empress was so angry that her fingers were trembling.


    It was because of the Emperor''s favor that a woman from a small clan like Imperial Noble Consort Li dared to challenge her and challenge her to a fight.


    In front of all the important women in the court, the Imperial Noble Consort Li had humiliated him, but the emperor had told him not to be so fussy. This was too biased, looking down on the empress in front of him, her eyes were filled with only the enchanting Imperial Noble Consort Li!


    The empress felt wronged. Even if she was so angry that she wanted to cry, she still had to maintain her dignity as an empress.


    She pursed her lips, her face full of gentleness and magnanimity. "Your majesty is right, a day like today is indeed not something that should be taken lightly from Imperial Noble Consort Li."


    Seeing the empress give in, the Imperial Noble Consort Li smiled, thanked the empress for her indulgence, and started flirting with the emperor.


    Imperial Consort Yi, who was sitting opposite to Imperial Noble Consort Li, felt displeasure in her heart when she saw how many people leaving and leaving the place.


    In terms of status, she was countless times more noble than the Imperial Noble Consort Li. Although she could not be considered a peerless beauty in terms of beauty, she was still nothing compared to the Imperial Noble Consort Li. In terms of talent, she was well versed in all aspects of zither, chess, painting, and painting.


    However, it was precisely this person who could not compare to her in every aspect that was favored by the Emperor.


    She had clearly entered the palace even before the Imperial Noble Consort Li, but in the end, she had become a higher figure in the palace, and had given birth to a prince even before she had entered.


    They were both concubines, how could Imperial Consort Yi be willing to accept that?


    She gave a vague smile. "Only the empress is magnanimous and won''t care about Imperial Noble Consort Li''s fault. If it was another person, perhaps she would have been punished."


    Imperial Consort Yi''s words made the empress''s expression turn a little better. Although she had to let go of Imperial Noble Consort Li, with him around, she finally had a way out.


    The empress''s expression softened. "Forget about it, it''s rare for everyone to gather here. If my actions with the Imperial Noble Consort Li cause everyone to lose interest, then it wouldn''t be good."


    The emperor nodded approvingly. "The empress is right. It''s a auspicious day, we should be happy."


    He waved his hand, and immediately a dancer stepped forward, dancing softly to the sound of the silken bamboo.


    As soon as the dancers appeared, the banquet officially began.


    The palace maids who had been waiting for this moment for a long time were all carrying plates of pastries and wine, shuttling back and forth between the seats.


    Prince An''s Palace sat together, while watching the performance of the dancers, they spoke softly, and appeared to be in harmony with each other.


    An Lingge kept looking in An Lingjun''s direction, and this strange scene caught her attention.


    "Elder sister, what are you looking at? Could it be that that young master over there is so good-looking that it could take away your elder sister''s heart?"


    She had an innocent look on her face, like a silly young girl casually teasing him.


    It was normal for girls to have this sort of conversation, and even more so for sisters to have such close conversations.


    But An Lingge was already engaged to someone, if there was any relationship between her and another man, the people of the capital would not despise her to death.


    An Lingge retracted her gaze, looking somewhat disappointed: "Why does Little Sister Little Xue think of me that way? I have already made an engagement with Hereditary Prince Mu, so I will definitely not get involved with anyone else. Could it be that in the eyes of little sister Little Xue, I am just that shameless? "


    The old lady also felt that what An Lingxue said was inappropriate, but hearing An Lingge''s reprimand, she frowned.


    An Lingxue''s eyes instantly reddened, her lips were about to shed tears, "I was just joking with big sister, big sister is too serious, if elder sister doesn''t like listening to this, I won''t say it anymore."


    An Lingge''s expression softened, as if he was feeling sorry for her, "I am not going to criticize you. Little Sister Little Xue is young and straightforward, I have always known this. However, this place is not the Prince An''s Palace, so there are too many people here. If Little Sister Little Xue''s words were to spread, then it would be fine to damage my reputation, but if other people belittled the Prince An''s Palace because of this matter, you and I will not be able to bear the responsibility. "


    Her every word emphasized Prince An''s Palace, and the demeanor of the eldest daughter was fully displayed. The old lady slightly nodded, agreeing with her words.


    However, An Lingyi scoffed, and said, aimed at An Lingge, "Sister, what you said is wrong, Sister Little Xue only saw you frequently looking at the court officials, that''s why she thought you were eyeing the young master, if you did not do these things, how could Sister Little Xue say anything about you?"


    She pouted her lips, and tried her best to protect An Lingxue: "She did wrong, and I won''t allow anyone else to say anything. Little Sister Little Xue had only said one sentence, and Big Sister was blaming her, as if Sister Little Xue had done something huge wrong."


    "Little Sister Yi Er, big sister was only thinking about Prince An''s Palace, I wasn''t considerate enough, so big sister was right to teach you a lesson."


    She blinked hard, making the tears in her eyes flow back into their sockets. No matter how she looked at it, she felt wronged while trying her best to hold back her tears.


    She patted An Lingxue''s hands, "Alright, Grandmother knows that you''ve been wronged, so don''t cry, let others see you, I''ll definitely laugh at you, a person this big yet still crying."

 C61

    An Lingyi spoke up from the side, "Can''t you just let Big Sis apologize to Big Sis Little Xue? It seems that Big Sis has always been magnanimous and wouldn''t mind these small matters."


    An Lingge looked at An Lingyi''s malicious eyes. As long as she apologized today, the rumors would spread throughout the entire capital tomorrow.


    She raised her gaze, her black eyes were filled with profoundness.


    "Sister Yi Er''s words are funny." She looked at An Lingyi, as if she was a kind older sister teaching her younger sister, "I was right about this, why should I apologize to Little Sister Little Xue?"


    "Firstly, the reason why I look at the court officials frequently is not because I want to watch a young master''s good looks, but rather, to take this opportunity to see a Junge. Secondly, Little Sister Yi Er said that I was generous, and apologizing is nothing much, but this matter concerns my innocence and the reputation of the Prince An''s Palace, so how can I be magnanimous, acknowledge this crime, and apologize to Little Sister Little Xue?"


    Her tone of voice was light and slow, but the words that came out of her mouth caused An Lingyi''s expression to change.


    No matter how An Lingyi thought about it, she never would have thought that even though she thought that she had caught hold of An Lingge''s weakness, it turned out to be nothing.


    An Lingxue''s lips also trembled, he kept his expression that of not wanting to cry, and revealed a surprised look, "Junge, is he big sister''s younger brother?"


    When she was at the ancestral residence, she had heard her parents say that Hereditary Prince s from the Prince An''s Palace were brought over by the emperor to the palace to read for princes.


    At that time, his father had mocked his eldest uncle. As King An''s direct son, whether or not he could grow up was a question. He would be sent to the imperial palace as a proton.


    She had gone to the Ancestral Mansion at an early age, but she had still sent a reply regarding the news from the capital. At that time, when the Emperor told young An Lingjun to enter the palace as a reading partner, the old lady was also sad for a while.


    It was not because he cared about An Lingjun, but because his Prince An''s Palace had been suspected and grieved by the emperor.


    Now that An Lingge mentioned An Lingjun, the old lady remembered that she still had such a grandson. She came to a sudden realization and did not know what to say.


    "However, An Lingge nodded with a sorrowful expression." Junge has been attending the palace as a reading partner since I was eight years old. It''s been four years since then, and I''ve only seen him twice. "


    She was really sad, and when she thought of how her younger brother had been humiliated in the palace, she felt a stabbing pain in her heart.


    "Grandmother doesn''t know how bad Junge is at the palace."


    She looked at Madam Li, and that gaze made Madam Li''s heart jump. Her intuition told him that An Lingge''s words were not good for him.


    Sure enough, An Lingge''s voice was heavy, and her tone was filled with grief. "When Junge was sent to the Imperial Palace, Aunt even comforted me, saying that with Imperial Noble Consort Li taking care of him in the palace, Junge will definitely live a good life."


    "But Grandmother doesn''t know that when the Upper Imperial Noble Consort Li recruited me into the palace, I actually stumbled upon the Junge being bullied. The Ninth Prince actually called the Junge a lowly servant! He, a stately Hereditary Prince of the Prince An''s Palace, has been humiliated like this by the Ninth Prince, do you know how much he has suffered in the palace? "


    An Lingge''s voice was choked with sobs, her eyes were slightly red, but she quickly lowered her head, not allowing others to see the sorrow in her eyes.


    The madame''s expression had already completely sunk. She never would have thought that the Hereditary Prince of their Prince An''s Palace would actually be humiliated in the Imperial Palace!


    As for the Madam Li, although she had clearly promised to let the Imperial Noble Consort Li take care of him, in the end, she remained indifferent to the humiliation.


    If Imperial Noble Consort Li truly wanted to help, with her position in the imperial harem, how could it be difficult for her!


    What a good Madam Li. If she wasn''t respected as the old mistress, she wouldn''t have any kind feelings for her son!


    This kind of woman actually managed to control the Prince An''s Palace, boss is truly muddle-headed!


    The Old Granny coldly swept her eyes across Madam Li, already considering in her heart which direct daughter should marry over, be the legal wife of An Yingcheng, so as to kill off the arrogance of the Madam Li, and let her know that this Prince An''s Palace was not something a concubine could dictate.


    Madam Li only felt that An Lingge was sinister and fierce, with just a few words, she managed to incite the flames of war on him, and even made the Old Mistress hate her so much.


    She opened her mouth and hurriedly tried to defend herself, "It''s not that her sister isn''t willing to help, it''s just that she ¡­" People talk lightly, but do not dare to interfere too much. "


    The heck, why would he dare to interfere?


    The old mistress snorted in her heart. Everyone had seen that the Imperial Noble Consort Li was putting on airs even more than the empress, and was even using the emperor''s favor to publicly provoke the empress.


    She didn''t say a word, and only gouged out Madam Li with her blade. Madam Li was so angry that her heart became heavy.


    If the madame accused her, she could still speak up for herself.


    However, the madame did not say anything. It was obvious that she loathed her. It was equivalent to giving her a death sentence in her heart.


    She was feeling depressed, but the old lady did not care about her feelings, and grabbed onto An Lingge''s hand, "Where''s Junge, let grandma look at him too."


    Even if she had never met this grandson, the madame still cared about him.


    The only Hereditary Prince in the Prince An''s Palace, if she let others bully him, it would be smacking the face of the Prince An''s Palace, how could the Old Granny endure this?


    An Lingge naturally understood the Old Madam''s thoughts, and she pointed in a direction, "The one who is wearing the cyan robe over there is Junge."


    The old lady''s gaze followed An Lingge''s hand and landed on a thin and weak youth. Her young face was filled with stubbornness as she looked in his direction.


    Her Junge!


    The old lady''s tears instantly gushed out. That face that was fifty percent similar to An Yingcheng''s caused her heart to ache for him.


    Her Junge was sent to the palace at such a young age, but she also suffered completely.


    It was fine if the emperor wanted them, the Prince An''s Palace Hereditary Prince, to enter the palace to accompany him in reading, but in reality, it was fine if they were protons; since Prince An''s Palace had always been their duty anyway, there was nothing in it that they shouldn''t have.


    As long as An Lingjun was safe in the palace, the Old Mistress would recognize the Emperor''s suspicion and guard.


    But now, seeing An Lingjun''s appearance, she seemed to be much thinner than her peers. It was clear that she was not doing well at all.


    An Lingge immediately took out his handkerchief and passed it to the old lady, "Grandmother, Junge is smiling at you, you cannot cry."


    The Old Mistress wiped her eyes and looked over, and saw An Lingjun smiling at her.


    She was both gratified and saddened at the same time, as she tried to figure out how she could get the Emperor to release An Lingjun from the palace.


    An Lingge also smiled in An Lingjun''s direction. It wasn''t a faint smile like that one, but more like a flower blooming in a flash, extremely gorgeous.


    Her smile was really pretty, and several people couldn''t help but look at her face, some of them even revealing their infatuation for her.


    Mu Junhan''s face darkened, his thin lips hooked up into a dangerous smile.

 C62

    Coincidentally, those dancers had finished dancing, and the sound of the silk bamboo had also stopped. The entire place had instantly quieted down, and An Lingyi only saw that beautiful face that was as gorgeous as a crabapple.


    When she saw the infatuated gazes of the others, the jealousy in her heart grew like vines as she screamed in her heart, I will definitely make this An Lingge who robbed her of her limelight make a fool of himself!


    The Imperial Palace''s Spring Festival was, in fact, a tacit agreement for everyone to watch the banquet. The wives of children of appropriate age would pay attention to the banquet and see if there were any young ladies to find a good marriage for their children.


    Although this matter wasn''t stated explicitly, everyone was well aware of it.


    An Lingyi naturally knew of this matter, and it was because of this that she hated An Lingge so much.


    She pursed her lips, a trace of determination flashing past her eyes. Almost at the same moment the dance skills left her mouth, she walked up to the crowd.


    "These dancers are really great. This subject''s daughter also has a dance that she wants to offer to the Emperor. As a result, I wish the Great Zhou Kingdom good fortune to the people and peace, and peace throughout the world."


    She quietly stood where she was, straightening her back. It seemed that she really did have a bit of momentum.


    The Imperial Noble Consort Li at the highest seat leaned towards the emperor and whispered to him for a while. She should be introducing An Lingyi''s identity to the emperor.


    After a short moment, the Emperor nodded with a smile. "It''s rare for you to have such thoughts. I agree."


    An Lingyi had already prepared for today''s banquet for nearly a month, and the Madam Li had even gone to great lengths to invite a famous family from Jiangnan to teach An Lingyi.


    Those musicians had long planned for this, upon seeing An Lingyi go up, they immediately started to play the music they had prepared beforehand.


    An Lingyi danced slowly to the music as she spread her arms. Her beautiful clothes blossomed layer upon layer as she spun, like a butterfly among a flower bush, just looking at her made people happy.


    The sounds of the music gradually became urgent, and An Lingyi''s footsteps became faster as well. The floating flowers made a large cluster of flowers in Lian Cheng, and the noble red was gorgeous and purple, yet she could not even differentiate between clothes or real flowers.


    She had a pair of nimble and graceful wrists, and as her skirt fluttered, her head was raised, revealing a pair of intelligent eyes.


    Following the change in the music, An Lingyi would occasionally raise her hand, lower her eyebrows, and occasionally leap up lightly. Like a light cloud, she would move slowly, like lightning.


    After the song ended, An Lingyi took a deep breath, adjusted the expression on her face, and revealed her most beautiful smile, and bowed towards the emperor who was seated down, "This subject has made a fool of myself, my dancing skills are crude, I hope Your Majesty does not blame me."


    "Haha, I didn''t expect that Miss An''s dancing skills would be so excellent at such a young age. It''s truly priceless."


    The emperor laughed heartily as he felt extremely happy in his heart. "This Emperor will see that your dancing skills are not inferior to Zhener''s."


    The Jin`er he spoke of was naturally the Imperial Noble Consort Li.


    "Yi Er learned dancing when she was young, her dancing skills are naturally much better than Chenqie''s. Your majesty is comparing Yi Er to chenqie, chenqie doesn''t listen."


    If she were to act coquettishly with the Emperor without anyone else, the Imperial Noble Consort Li would become even more complacent as she watched the Empress''s expression darken.


    So what if it was the empress? Without the emperor''s favor, wouldn''t the empress still have to swallow her anger in front of her?


    A few days ago the empress had let her suffer a loss, but today she could ruthlessly trample the empress''s face on the ground!


    How could the Empress not understand the provocation in the Imperial Noble Consort Li''s eyes? But now that it was the Imperial Palace''s Spring Festival, if she reprimanded the Imperial Noble Consort Li, it would be unavoidable for the Emperor to be unhappy. Thinking of this, the Empress could only suppress the anger in her heart.


    But she would not let Imperial Noble Consort Li feel proud so easily.


    The empress also nodded her head, "Miss An''s dancing skills are indeed not bad. Although she is only a daughter of Prince An''s Palace, I can see that she has put in a lot of effort. Not only is she stronger than the Imperial Noble Consort Li, she is also much better than those dancers."


    With just a single sentence, she had mentioned An Lingyi''s identity as a concubine, causing those dancers to pay attention to An Lingyi. The ladies who were trying to get close to him immediately gave up on that idea.


    She was just a concubine, even if her dancing skills were outstanding, in terms of status, she would not be the main wife of a rich family, so why bother wasting time on An Lingyi?


    Moreover, these ladies were not stupid, hearing the empress compare An Lingyi with those dancers with lowly status, she could tell that the empress was not happy with An Lingyi.


    Even if An Lingyi was Imperial Noble Consort Li''s niece, very few people would want to cling onto this relationship.


    Only a fool would try to rope in a Imperial Noble Consort Li and offend the empress.


    An Lingyi was naturally able to tell that the Empress was secretly praising her. Her eyes flashed with a trace of malice, and she tightly clenched the hands by her side before releasing them. She bit her lips, suppressed the resentment in her heart, and gently and gently bowed towards the Emperor to withdraw.


    With An Lingyi''s starting point, the rest of the young misses naturally couldn''t sit still anymore.


    It didn''t matter if they were looking for a husband for themselves, as long as they made a name for themselves at the Spring Festival, it would be good for the family.


    The young miss of the Shang clan stood out and spoke some auspicious words, which caused the empress to praise her repeatedly. Only then did she begin to display her talents.


    She grew up in a family of poems and books. She had been familiar with books since she was young and had even written them well.


    She stood silently on the stage, a man''s height drawing paper placed in front of her.


    She picked up the calligraphy brush next to her and dipped it into the ink. Then, she began to write. As the brush rotated, the brush moved as fast as a dragon or a snake.


    An Lingge''s interest was piqued, she looked at the words written by Shang Shu Manor''s young miss, Zhang Wanyi.


    Her calligraphy was not as elegant as that of an ordinary lady. On the contrary, her calligraphy was even more sharp than the calligraphy of a man.


    After the brush and ink had scattered, a few words with majestic auras appeared on the snow-white drawing paper ¡ª Embroidery Mountain and River.


    "This is the daughter of Minister Zhang. She is truly a tiger father without a dog son, a tiger father without a dog son. Her beauty is unrestrained, just like an iron painting. Her charm is like a silver hook. She is probably the strongest woman in the capital."


    He said three good words in a row, showing the appreciation he had for Zhang Wanyi in his heart.


    Zhang Wanyi, on the other hand, was very calm. After receiving such praise from the emperor, she did not have a single trace of arrogance on her face. She bowed to the emperor in a neither humble nor arrogant manner, and left just like An Lingyi.


    The young misses'' performance made the Spring Festival Gala bustle with noise and excitement. One by one, they displayed their talents on the stage.


    An Lingxue shyly and shyly went up on stage, but she did not immediately start playing the song she prepared, instead, she looked at An Lingge and laughed, a malicious intent flashing past her eyes, "Big sister said that she would play together with me, she would not go back on her words now, right?"

 C63

    An Lingge, who was sitting on her own seat, raised her eyebrows and met An Lingxue''s eyes. Her lips curved in a mocking arc.


    Her mother had died early, and the nanny beside her had secretly changed sides. Only a hypocritical aunt had the backing, so what kind of skills could she possibly have?


    Presumably An Lingxue also thought of this, so she dug a hole for herself to jump into.


    If he were to say that he had never promised An Lingxue that he would play together with her, in the eyes of others, he would just stand back and watch, not even daring to show off his talent. If he acted on stage, with his stupidity, he would probably become the laughingstock of the entire capital.


    No wonder An Lingxue was running towards her courtyard a few days ago. It turned out that she had already dug a hole for him at that time, but didn''t notice at all.


    At that time, An Lingxue got close to him not only to give him that lotus bag with the musk on it, but also to let her believe her words.


    As soon as the two met, they acted like sisters. Everyone in the mansion knew that the eldest miss and the second miss shared a similar interest. It was nothing more than a piece of music, so it was a common occurrence.


    Even the Old Mistress would not think that An Lingxue made these words out of thin air and purposely wanted An Lingge to make a fool of herself.


    To be able to come up with such a profound plan at such a young age, An Lingxue''s scheming was truly frightening.


    But no matter what, could she be more terrifying than a reincarnated ghost like her?


    An Lingge stood up while facing An Lingxue''s gaze, and An Lingyi who was at the side also had a malicious smile on her lips.


    She had grown up together with An Lingge, so she naturally knew how her aunt had taught An Lingge. An Lingge had never learned anything from him, and now that she was forced onto the stage, she naturally had to make a fool of herself in front of the crowd.


    No matter how pleased An Lingyi was with herself, or how much she shouted at An Lingge to make a fool of herself, she could only stand up and walk to the stage calmly.


    "I will naturally not forget what I promised Little Sister Little Xue."


    She sat down next to An Lingxue with a zither and a beautiful lute in front of her.


    An Lingxue hugged her pipa and smiled shyly at An Lingge. Her beautiful face was filled with innocence, who would have thought that she had such malicious thoughts?


    She chose a rather difficult famous song, "The Rainbow Skirt Dance". Not to mention those who had never learned any musical instruments, even those who had practiced the zither''s lute for three to five years might not be able to play this song well.


    However, even though An Lingxue had grown up in the ancestral home, the madame had never neglected her teachings. She had even used all of her food and clothing according to the highest standards of a direct descendant in the capital.


    This "Rainbow Skirt Dance" had not been played at the Spring Festival Gala for many years, and the reason was none other than that it was too difficult. The number of people who had learned this song was few, and the number of people who could play it was even fewer.


    Now that An Lingxue had chosen this tune, the Queen who was seated at the top seat also raised her eyebrows in surprise.


    An Lingxue felt everyone''s gaze and saw An Lingge sit down beside her. Her pure white fingertip lightly strummed the zither, and a sweet and clear sound flowed out from under her hands.


    As soon as the expert made a move, he immediately knew if it was true or not.


    All of the young masters and mistresses present had some talent, so they were naturally able to hear the deep basics of An Lingxue''s skills.


    Her fingertips danced between the strings of the zither, playing one note after another, slowly and gently, making people feel as if a spring breeze was blowing. The music suddenly changed, becoming hurried and intense, as if it was a battle between tens of thousands of soldiers.


    An Lingge also extended her hand out, her pure white fingers became even more slender, and landed on the zither strings. Her ten fingers flew, and the speed was so fast that one could not even see her movements, only the sound of an impassioned zither strike beside her ear, like the stomps of a horse, the cry of a crow.


    Her movements were too fast, but the expression on her face was very relaxed. It was obvious that she was very skilled in the art of playing out the most intense and expensive part of the song so easily and easily.


    At the side, An Lingxue''s expression changed slightly. She originally wanted An Lingge to be humiliated in front of everyone, but who would have thought that An Lingge had such high attainment, if she did not use all her strength, she would become the one to make a fool of herself.


    An Lingxue''s mind was in a mess, when she tried to pull the strings of the zither again, her strength was already insufficient.


    Sweat began to appear on her forehead. Her fingers moved frantically on the strings of the zither, but she was wrong several times in a row.


    However, An Lingge just stood to the side and coordinated. The perfect playing of the zither caused An Lingxue to have all sorts of mistakes.


    With a clanging sound, An Lingxue''s fingertip started bleeding. She stared blankly at the broken strings in her hands, and even her lips had lost all color, becoming completely pale.


    She was too petite and cute. Her pale face made her look even more pitiful.


    In the end, the empress couldn''t bear to make things difficult for her, so she opened her mouth to rescue her.


    An Lingge gracefully said thank you to the empress and brought An Lingxue back to her seat with concern in her eyes. "Little Sister Little Xue is too careless, it''s just a Spring Festival performance, you just need to casually play a tune, how can you hurt yourself? How sad will Grandmother and Third Aunt be? "


    Her words were full of concern, An Lingxue was so angry that her lips were trembling, but she still forced out an ugly smile, "It was Little Xue''s carelessness that caused big sister to make a fool of herself."


    As soon as she said it, her eyes reddened and tears welled in her eyes. She looked stubborn and pitiful.


    An Lingge picked up the handkerchief in her hand and lightly wiped her face, "Why would I blame you for this? It''s just that you''ve hurt yourself for a banquet, it''s not worth it at all. In the future, you can''t do such a foolish thing. "


    She would never do something so stupid again!


    An Lingxue clenched her fists so hard that the bones of her hands turned white, and her fingertips pierced deep into her palms.


    It was her mistake this time. She did not expect that An Lingge''s accomplishments in the guzheng would be so high, causing her to be injured in such a panic. This would benefit An Lingge''s good reputation!


    Seeing An Lingxue getting injured, An Lingyi was naturally happy in her heart. However, when she caught sight of Mu Junhan''s gaze, which was filled with deep feelings for her, a layer of sullenness instantly covered her charming face.


    Madam Li patted her hands in consolation, she secretly glanced at a palace maid, who nodded, lifted her wine pot and walked towards An Lingge.

 C64

    The palace maids were shuttling back and forth between the banquets, serving fruits and snacks to the court ladies and pouring them some tea and wine. It was too easy to arrange such a lively scene by himself.


    Madam Li watched as the palace maid poured wine for An Lingge and then put on new fruits before respectfully retreating. She did not reveal anything throughout the entire process.


    She pretended to glance at An Lingge casually just in time to see the latter picking up her wine cup and sipping a mouthful of fruit wine.


    An Lingyi didn''t know what her mother''s plan was, but seeing the appearance of Madam Li, he knew that An Lingge would be tricked today.


    She was in a good mood, so she watched the various ladies on the stage as she paid attention to An Lingge''s movements.


    After about half an incense worth of time, An Lingge''s face gradually flushed red, and her eyes became a little blurry.


    She reached for the candied fruit in front of her, but the candied fruit rolled off her hand and fell on her clothes, leaving a small stain.


    An Lingge frowned, the palace maid who had poured wine for her immediately walked up, and leaned beside An Lingge to listen to her orders, before bringing An Lingge and leaving the seats.


    An Lingge was half drunk, half awake, when she was brought around the Imperial Palace by the palace maid. Finally, she saw a palace.


    "Miss An, that''s the empress''s quarters. There are many people guarding the main hall. Don''t go to the main hall, follow me from the side hall."


    She lowered her voice, avoided the guards and nanny s, and brought An Lingge into a room in the side hall.


    An Lingge vaguely nodded her head. It seemed like she was unable to stand steadily and her body fell onto the palace maid''s body.


    The strength of the palace maid was not weak at all. She half-carried the servant girl to the soft couch behind the screen.


    After doing all this, she looked at An Lingge''s closed eyes and worriedly reminded him, "Miss An, please rest here for a while. This servant will bring the Sobbing Wine Soup later."


    An Lingge seemed to have already fallen asleep, her eyes tightly shut, not responding to the palace maid''s words.


    Only then did the palace maid turn around and leave, closing the door behind her.


    Just as she walked out of the room, An Lingge who was lying on the bed immediately opened her eyes, she looked around and realised that although the room was luxurious, it was not the graceful style that the Empress had, and was also different from the ingenuity of the Imperial Noble Consort Li, it was most likely some concubine''s sleeping quarters in the palace.


    An Lingge took her time as she walked around the room, she took the identity plate that she got from the palace maid and put it away. Then, she heard some hurried footsteps coming from outside the door.


    She immediately hid behind the screen, vaguely hearing the conversation between the man and the woman.


    "Why haven''t you come to find him in such a long time? Have you changed your mind and disliked him?"


    However, the man embraced her and said, "You''re wrong about this. The palace is heavily guarded, and royal brother didn''t summon me to the palace. How can I go in and out of the harem so often? "Taking advantage of this Spring Festival, I found an empty space to come and find you. Isn''t that enough to love you?"


    His palm insincerely stretched out in front of the woman, causing her to slightly gasp for breath. However, like a pool of water, she half leaned against the man''s body, causing the two of them to instantly entangle with each other.


    An Lingge''s face turned red when she heard it, but the contents of the words were enough to scare people.


    In the Spring Festival, only Imperial Concubine Fu had yet to pass away due to illness. Now, from the looks of it, Prince Ding and Imperial Concubine Fu had already been intimate for a long time, and had met each other more than once. Now, they had even taken advantage of the Spring Festival to have an affair here!


    Seeing that the two people outside the window were getting more and more intense, and were walking towards the soft couch, An Lingge held her breath, and quietly moved forward, lowering her body and hiding under the bed.


    Just as she hid it, King Ding Wang had already rolled onto the ground while hugging Princess Su Fei Su. From time to time, soft moans came from above her head, making An Lingge feel extremely awkward.


    When the palace maid approached him with the Exquisite Wine Urn, she knew that the Madam Li was scheming against her, so she pretended to be drunk to see what the Madam Li was up to.


    She had thought that the Madam Li wanted to do something to her innocence after having them drugged her. But now, it seemed that the Madam Li had already known about the relationship between Princess Dingdong and Imperial Concubine Su, and wanted her to find out about this matter so that Prince Dingdong and Imperial Concubine Shuang could kill her.


    This method of using a borrowed knife to kill someone was truly beautiful.


    If it weren''t for the fact that he had seen the Exquisite Wine Gorge in his previous life and knew of the secret of the wine jug, he really would have fallen into the trap of the Madam Li.


    Her thoughts raced, but she accidentally kicked the foot of the bed. The sound she made startled the two on the bed.


    He immediately got up and was about to get off the bed to check it out when a clamor suddenly came from outside the door.


    "I haven''t come here for a long time. I wonder how is Soo Fei''s health right now."


    The emperor''s voice sounded outside the door. The steady and forceful footsteps had already reached the door.


    He hastily tidied up his clothes and jumped out of the window.


    Imperial Concubine Su reacted quickly as well. She quickly put on her clothes and headed for the door.


    An Lingge took this opportunity to crawl out from under the bed. The badge under her sleeve fell under the bed and she disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    She had just stepped out of the house when a figure appeared in front of her. It grabbed her by the waist and jumped onto the roof. In the time it took for her to jump up and down, she had already left the palace.


    Mu Junhan brought An Lingge to a safe place, and then put the person down from her embrace.


    His usually unruly and unfriendly face was now filled with seriousness, without a trace of the familiar expression from before.


    "Do you know what you''re doing?"


    His phoenix eyes stared straight at An Lingge, his pursed lips were straight, obviously trying to suppress his anger.


    During the banquet, he noticed that An Lingge''s face was flushed red, and thought that she had drank some wine, hence he did not take it to heart.


    Who knew that she had only chatted with someone else for a short moment, before disappearing in the blink of an eye, without a trace of An Lingge.


    Mu Junhan felt that something was wrong and hurriedly looked for her. He only found her location after he had used up all the connections he had with the Imperial Palace.


    Only the heavens knew that when he saw An Lingge appearing in Imperial Concubine Fu''s palace and bumped into King Ding, his heart almost jumped out of his chest. He was afraid that if he caught her, she would be executed for any of the crimes.


    Fortunately he knew how to talk, he had learnt the Voice of the Emperor and scared King Ding Wang away, he had also lured Imperial Concubine Fu away so he could smoothly escape with An Lingyi.


    Now that she saw An Lingge''s clear eyes, she naturally knew that she wasn''t drunk at all and had purposely followed others here.


    Did this woman care about her safety even though she risked her life?


    An Lingge raised her eyes, meeting Mu Junhan''s hidden anger.


    The emotion in his eyes was deep and strong, it was a seriousness she had never seen before. The deep pupils only reflected the figure of one person, causing An Lingge''s heartbeat to suddenly become disordered, and he was suddenly at a loss of what to do.

 C65

    An Lingge subconsciously took two steps back, and moved a little further away from Mu Junhan.


    Unexpectedly, Mu Junhan acted as if he wanted to oppose the person in front of him. He took a step back and took a step forward, and in the end, forced the person to a corner without any place to retreat to.


    Until An Lingge''s slender figure was stuck close to the wall, only then did she suddenly bend down, stretched out her long arm, and encircled her in front of him.


    His head was lowered, his fine black hair hanging down by a bit, the smile on his handsome face had disappeared, the look in his eyes was clearly reflected in An Lingge''s eyes.


    "An Lingge, do you know what you''re doing?"


    he asked again, putting a hand on her chin and forcing her to look up.


    "Have you ever thought that after being in the Imperial Noble Consort Li Palace for so many years, if I wanted to kill you without making a sound, it would just be a matter of using my fingers, and you would still dare to risk your life? If I had not arrived here in time, you might have become a vengeful spirit in the hands of Lord Dingdong. You would have died without a sound and without a trace, you don''t even know what happened! "


    An Lingge looked at his slightly angry face, bit her lips, and an apologetic look surfaced in her eyes, "I know that I was too careless today, if next time ¡­"


    "You want a next time?" The corners of his eyes held a hint of coldness, "Such a dangerous thing, you actually want to do it again, An Lingge, do you really not care about your own safety?"


    Did he not care about his own safety?


    An Lingge laughed at herself as she thought about it. She was just an evil spirit that had just returned from her rebirth, the purpose of her rebirth was to seek revenge.


    But Mu Junhan did not understand, he did not understand how much hatred he harbored towards An Lingyi, hence she questioned her in such a manner.


    "Hereditary Prince Mu saved me, I am very grateful, but Hereditary Prince Mu should not interfere too much in my matters."


    In the end, the two of them were still married couples, and there was a possibility that the marriage contract would be annulled someday. If she were to get used to Mu Junhan''s care, getting used to his help, when the two of them split up, what would happen to her?


    An Lingge was afraid that she would become reliant on this man, but Mu Junhan thought that she was annoyed by him for pointing fingers.


    His deep phoenix eyes flashed with a hint of injury, and the corner of his lips curved up in a self-deprecating smile, "Fine, I was the one who meddled with this matter, got you sick of it. From today onwards, this Hereditary Prince will definitely not interfere in your matters."


    His eyes were filled with coldness, the curve of his lips was even colder, without waiting for An Lingge to speak, he turned and left with large strides.


    His leaving figure looked hurried yet lonely. An Lingge felt her heart aching and astringent, as though even the tip of her nose was sore. Her eyes were a little moist and hot, as if she was about to cry.


    She raised her hand and felt the tears flowing from the corners of her eyes.


    Did it really feel that bad?


    An Lingge stared at Mu Junhan''s back in a daze, sshe could not figure out the disordered emotions in her heart. After a while, he took out a handkerchief and wiped the corner of her eyes, and as if nothing had happened, she walked towards the feast.


    When Madam Li saw An Lingge returning, her smiling face instantly stiffened, and the surprise in her eyes couldn''t be concealed.


    She had clearly already drugged An Lingge''s wine, so she should be at Imperial Concubine Su''s quarters right now. She should have broken through the relationship between Imperial Concubine Su and Prince Ding''s and been silenced by them, so how could she have come back safely? Could it be that the palace maid didn''t lead them to Imperial Concubine Fu''s chambers at all?


    Seeing An Lingge sitting next to him, a pair of eyes flashed, and she said with a smile. "Where did Little Ge go just now, I couldn''t find any of your people anywhere, so I thought you were being naughty again and went to some places with no one to play."


    She slightly raised her voice, and from the corner of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of Ding Zang looking over, and advised An Lingge with concern, "It''s not that the aunt is talking about you, it''s not our Prince An''s Palace in this palace, First Miss is not someone you can barge into."


    When King Ding heard the commotion, his gaze landed on An Lingge''s body in suspicion.


    Only when he returned to the banquet did he realize that the Emperor hadn''t gone to Shufei''s palace at all. Someone had purposely put on an act to lure him away.


    His secret relationship with Imperial Concubine Su had been discovered, but he didn''t know who had broken their secret.


    Hearing the Madam Li''s words, it seemed like the big miss of Prince An''s Palace was also not at the banquet just now.


    Isn''t this too much of a coincidence?


    Thinking about this, the look King gave An Lingge was a little unfathomable, as if it carried a trace of maliciousness.


    It was as if An Lingge didn''t notice that strange gaze and only looked towards the Madam Li, her beautiful face calm. "I''m not someone who likes to play around like Sister Yi Er, why would I run around? But because of the sweet taste of the fruit wine, I drank a little more. After that, I let the palace maids take me out to get some fresh air.


    The Madam Li smirked, she was not willing to let An Lingge go easily, "Oh, since the palace maids are the ones who brought you out, where is that palace maid?"


    "She said that she was going to deliver some things to Imperial Noble Consort Li''s palace, so I came back by myself first. What, is Aunt looking for that maid?"


    With that, An Lingge stuffed the plum blossom into her mouth. Her beautiful eyes slightly curved upwards and her relaxed appearance made it impossible to see the danger she had just experienced.


    Only then did King Ding slowly withdraw his gaze, and continued drinking and chatting with the court officials.


    Seeing that he could not let King Ding Wang become suspicious of An Lingge, the Madam Li could only silently curse himself for wasting his effort to allow An Lingge to escape so easily.


    She waved her hand, her smile flawless. "How could that be? Aunt was just worried that you would encounter some mishaps in the Imperial Palace. Since you''re fine now, it''s natural that you''re the best."


    The old lady sat beside them, listening to their conversation, her entire mind was on An Lingxue.


    Amongst all the misses in Prince An''s Palace, the person she loved the most was An Lingxue, the one who had grown up in front of her. It was not only because An Lingxue was a direct descendant, but also because her granddaughter was obedient and sensible.


    Now that An Lingxue was embarrassed, and even injured, the old lady felt pained. She did not have the heart to stay, she just wanted the banquet to end soon, and to find a doctor to take a look at Little Xue''s injuries.


    An Lingxue, on the other hand, was the one who had suffered an injury. She looked over with her almond eyes that carried an unknown light, and spoke with a gentle tone, but her expression was a little sad, "I am extremely happy with my life. "Big sister is happy, drinking a few more cups of fruit wine is also a normal thing."


    An Lingge''s skills were shocking, but An Lingxue had become a joke.


    Looking at An Lingxue''s sad expression, the old lady frowned.

 C66

    Furthermore, An Lingge had shocked everyone at the Spring Festival that day, causing many of the ladies in the capital to become more interested in Prince An''s Palace.


    From time to time, there would be an official wife passing an invitation to An Lingge to be her guest, but they were all politely rejected by the person in question.


    Because the Madam Li was in charge of the backyard, An Lingge did not interact with any of the Shangguan Family madams at all. As a result, Bi Zhu rejected all of the posts one by one.


    However, the old mistress had a different thought in her heart when she saw this.


    In the past few days, An Lingxue was always depressed, like a happy little bird that suddenly lost its vitality, it''s been chattering non-stop in the past few days, suddenly quietening down, making the old lady uncomfortable.


    The madame could not hear her well-behaved granddaughter''s soft and sweet words, and knew that she was depressed because the Spring Festival Gala had turned ugly.


    Coincidentally, many of the madams had sent their posts over, so he might as well invite them to a gathering at the mansion. It could be considered an official meeting with everyone after the second and third branch returned to the capital.


    Thinking about that, she immediately revealed this idea to Madam Li.


    "Does the madame want to invite the ladies of those important officials?"


    Madam Li sat under the old lady with a respectful and docile expression.


    Although Madam Wang had taken over the warehouse from her, but regarding matters of size and size, the Madam Li had to handle them personally.


    And because of this, the Old Mistress did not discuss with Madam Wang and instead asked someone to call Madam Li over.


    She nodded, a smile appearing on her elderly face. "I have left the capital for more than ten years. Now that I have brought Old Second and Old Third back, it is time for me to officially meet with those people in the capital."


    This was to let those from the second and third branch step into the social circle of the capital.


    The Madam Li understood in her heart, although she felt that the Old Mistress'' ambition was too great, she would not openly reject him.


    She pursed her lips, her delicate oval face full of subservience. "Old madam, please be at ease. I will handle this matter well."


    The old lady acknowledged, and gave the instructions for Madam Li to take note of, and then pretended to be tired. Madam Li immediately left, returning to her own courtyard and instructing her servants to handle the matter.


    An Lingxue was the first to receive the news, she was called over by the in the Old Madam''s courtyard, her usually innocent and charming face still looked gloomy.


    "Little Xue, come to Grandmother''s place." The madame pointed to the seat beside her and watched her sit down before extending her hand to nod her head. "Girl, are you still depressed over the Spring Festival?"


    An Lingxue pursed her lips and lowered her eyes, "Little Xue was not unhappy because of the Spring Festival Gala, why would Grandmother ask that?"


    "You grew up by Grandmother''s side. How could Grandmother not know what you were thinking?" "You have been intelligent and cute since you were young, and are one of the most talented girls among your generation. However, when you first arrived in the capital, you made a mistake at the Spring Festival. You feel bad, grandmother knows about it."


    "Grandmother," An Lingxue''s voice was choked with sobs. She used the back of her hand to wipe her eyes, but did not raise her head, "I have trained hard in the zither arts for so many years. I only hope to earn some light for our Prince An''s Palace.


    As she spoke, she could not continue on. Her shoulders trembled, and she was obviously crying.


    "Don''t worry, Grandmother knows that you''re feeling terrible, so she has already asked someone to prepare a feast for the young ladies and tell them that it''s the second and third brothers'' first time back to the capital to introduce you to the people of the capital."


    An Lingxue looked up in surprise, but before the tears could fall, her eyes turned red again, "Since Grandmother has put in so much effort, Little Xue will definitely live up to Grandmother''s expectations."


    "Grandmother knows that you are a good child. Alright, go and prepare. We, Little Xue are so intelligent, we cannot be misunderstood by others just because of a single mistake."


    An Lingxue nodded her head heavily, she talked with the old lady for a long time, then left the old lady''s courtyard


    On the other side, An Lingyi naturally had also heard of the news, and this matter was actually handled by the Madam Li. After An Lingyi investigated the situation, a cold smile rose from the corner of her mouth, "I knew Grandmother would be biased, and seeing that An Lingxue has made a fool of herself, I hurriedly tried to find a way to correct her name."


    An Lingmeng was standing in front of her, but after hearing An Lingxue''s words, she immediately flattered, "So what if old madam loves Second Young Miss dearly? The most respected person in this mansion is still you, Third Young Miss."


    She shifted her gaze away from the table made of yellow pear wood and turned to the bronze beast furnace beside her. Even the incense was made of expensive jade, so luxurious and luxurious that which young miss in the mansion could compare to it?


    An Lingmeng''s eyes were filled with envy and greed, she couldn''t wait for these things to all become hers.


    She secretly calculated in her heart. If she could get An Lingyi to be happy, then giving her that little bit of information would definitely be more precious than anything she had.


    Unexpectedly, An Lingyi''s face became even uglier, and with a bang, she smashed the cup on the table, startling An Lingmeng.


    "Am I the most respected person in this mansion?" She retorted with a sneer, "Where did you put An Lingge, and where did you put him?"


    Although her aunt held control of the backyard, in terms of status, she was just a useless woman. Not only was she inferior in front of An Lingge, even An Lingxue, the direct descendant of the third house dared to provoke her!


    An Lingmeng had originally wanted to flatter him, but who knew that it would cause his opponent''s heart to hurt.


    Although she did not have a daughter under her wing, she did not like the daughter of her concubine. Because of this, An Lingmeng decided to walk more closely with An Lingyi after returning to the capital for a few days, in order to make her life a little easier.


    Fortunately, An Lingmeng''s reaction was extremely fast. "Although Big Sis is a direct descendant of Prince An''s Palace, she has lost her mother since she was young. Since the Duke Palace is controlled by Third Sis'' mother, so Third Sis''s position is naturally the highest. As for second sister, although she is also a direct descendant, but a direct descendant of the third house, she is far from being as noble as you, your eldest uncle''s daughter. "


    An Lingyi was happy from her flattery, her expression had finally eased up a little, "At least you know how to speak, so you can clearly see the way things are in this house. If it wasn''t for my mother busily working for this house, where would your peaceful days be?"


    This was a promise to make life easier for him.


    An Lingmeng was overjoyed, and immediately said a few more words of praise.


    While talking, the topic shifted once again to An Lingge.


    "Grandmother wanted my mother to hold a banquet, so she naturally invited all the young misses of the mansion to attend. An Lingge was no exception." An Lingyi''s eyes flashed with an unknown light, her lips curled up into a malicious smile, "Since we have such a good relationship, you definitely wouldn''t reject helping me with something, right?"

 C67

    An Lingyi went over to An Lingmeng''s side and muttered to herself for a while. Hearing that, the latter''s expression changed and revealed an expression of difficulty, "Doing this kind of thing might not be good, right?"


    "What''s wrong with that? You''re just giving me a small sigh of relief. If you''re not even willing to do such a small thing, then forget it." An Lingyi snorted, obviously displeased.


    To offend the young miss in order to curry favor with An Lingyi, was it worth it?


    An Lingmeng was at a loss for a moment before finally nodding her head, "Alright, since Third Sister has asked for this, I will definitely take care of it beautifully."


    She promised An Lingyi, and the latter laughed, then took off a gold bracelet from her wrist, "I know your days at Second Aunt''s side won''t be good, so I''ll give this to you."


    An Lingmeng''s gaze fell on the bracelet, heavy and filled with joy.


    Under An Lingyi''s persuasion, she accepted the bracelet and returned to her own courtyard with a smile on her face.


    Although he had only invited the wives and daughters of those powerful and influential officials at Prince An''s Palace banquets, it was extremely grand.


    An Lingmeng arrived at the Parasol House early in the morning with a smile on her face, "The guests have pretty much arrived. Aunt Li has asked me to call Big Sis over."


    She was not as cute and naive as An Lingyi and An Lingxue. Her face appeared a little dull, but looking carefully, her facial features were very pleasant to look at. She had a smile plastered on her face, causing people to have a good impression of her.


    Bi Zhu had just finished putting on makeup for An Lingge, and seeing that An Lingmeng had come so early, her eyes flashed with a tinge of surprise.


    An Lingge looked back at her. When she first met her, she was still a little shy, but after a while, the bashfulness on her body had completely disappeared. Her smile was also somewhat candid, as if she was living a good life here.


    An Lingge smiled at her, her deep eyes revealing no emotions, "It''s such a coincidence that Fourth Sister came, I was just about to go over."


    "What a coincidence." An Lingmeng giggled as she held onto his sister''s wrist. She did not look shy at all, and said, "Big sister, hurry up. It''s not good to let others become anxious because of you."


    An Lingge followed her out, but when she was walking past the flower garden, she met someone she did not expect.


    He was dressed in a narrow robe with a green and tea-embroidered crane, it was covered with an ink-colored Teng Wenwen brocade sleeves. As he was talking to the teenager in front of him, he suddenly looked in An Lingge''s direction.


    The corner of his mouth slightly curled up, as if he was born with a bit of a smile. His eyes were as cold as water, without a single ripple.


    Such a cold and detached expression made An Lingge''s heart ache, as if a needle had pierced into it.


    She endured the weird feeling at the bottom of her heart, pretended not to see Mu Junhan, and continued to walk forward with an indifferent expression.


    "Shouldn''t this Hereditary Prince''s fiancee greet me?"


    Mu Junhan''s voice came out from behind him, and just happened to enter An Lingge''s ears.


    An Lingge stopped and gently asked, "What business do you have with me?"


    "This Hereditary Prince has nothing to do, so why can''t I come?" Mu Junhan raised his eyebrows, looking a little mischievous, revealing the complete image of Young Noble Feng, but his phoenix eyes were still as cold as ice.


    An Lingge didn''t know what kind of plan this man had in mind, so she could only follow what he said, "No, Hereditary Prince Mu is welcome to come."


    Mu Junhan smiled with satisfaction and lowered his voice to talk to the teenager beside him, watching An Lingge disappear from his sight.


    "That''s third brother''s fiancee."


    The young man raised his head and looked towards An Lingge''s direction, "Look at her temperament, she is definitely a great beauty! Third Brother, you were actually so cold earlier, it must have hurt this little beauty''s heart. "


    Mu Junhan''s gaze was dangerous as he stared at the young man, causing his hairs to stand on end. "Third brother?"


    "Don''t think about her." Mu Junhan lightly warned him, but his expression was extremely serious.


    The teenager was surprised, as if he had found something new. He looked at Mu Junhan for a while with surprise, "Third brother, are you serious? You and I are both well aware of the meaning behind the Emperor''s decree to grant this marriage.


    "No matter what the emperor is thinking, my Prince Mu¡¯s Palace has already received the decree to bestow the marriage, and Royal Father has already agreed on a marriage agreement with Prince An''s Palace, so he absolutely will not go back on his words."


    "Tsk tsk tsk, how could you deceive me by saying something so righteous and awe-inspiring?" The youth shook his head with an experienced expression, "Third Brother, with your personality, if you didn''t like it, you would have thought of a way to annul the marriage long ago."


    Look, a bystander knows that he likes An Lingge.


    Mu Junhan laughed at himself. So what if he liked An Lingge? That woman probably wanted him to get as far away from her as possible.


    He fell silent and did not refute the youth''s words. Instead, a lonely expression appeared on his face.


    On the other hand, An Lingge followed An Lingmeng to the pavilion, and as expected, the old mistress'' Madam Li and the others had already arrived.


    Madam Li was talking to an official''s wife, and upon seeing the two of them walking over, he smiled warmly.


    "This must be the daughter left behind by the Princess An. She does indeed look like an imperial concubine when she was young, just by looking at her."


    "Not only is his appearance good, his bearing is also first class." The other lady took up the conversation and looked them up and down in satisfaction.


    As if she hadn''t heard their praises, An Lingge only performed a junior''s salute towards them before quietly sitting down at the side.


    "Miss An''s performance at the Spring Festival Gala was really unforgettable. I wonder who Miss An''s master is?"


    the lady who had spoken before asked, and the others pricked up their ears.


    An Lingge shook her head, "I just read some stuff from a book, and casually flicked it. I don''t have a master."


    Just by looking at the book, he could play out a world-shocking song like the "Breaking Red Dance" with just a simple flick?


    Everyone clearly did not believe An Lingge''s words, so An Lingge explained, "Aunt is always busy with matters of the mansion, how would she have the time to find some kind of master for me?"


    On one hand, she said that the Madam Li was a concubine, but had grasped the power of Prince An''s Palace. According to the laws of the Great Zhou, she had already come into contact with the truth, and furthermore, the Madam Li did not have the time to look for a master for her. However, An Lingyi''s dance had obviously been taught by a master teacher, which was why she was able to shine at the Spring Festival.


    With the two things combined, everyone could see what the Madam Li was thinking: To cripple the first daughter of the Princess An. She wanted his daughter to marry into a rich and powerful family.


    Thinking about it this way, everyone looked at Madam Li with other meanings in their eyes.

 C68

    The Dazhou Kingdom paid attention to their sons and daughters. Their daughters were their masters, while their daughters were their concubines. Similarly, the status of a wife and concubines were vastly different. No matter how pampered the concubines were, they would always be inferior in front of their wives.


    However, Princess An passed away very early, Prince An did not marry anyone to return home, and Madam Li, this aunt, replaced her first wife to be in charge of all the affairs of the backyard, naturally including the teachings for An Lingge, this direct daughter.


    In the past, they had only heard that the great miss of Prince An''s Palace was timid and stupid, and couldn''t even show his face. He had even mocked and ridiculed her in her heart, but today, they could see that it was completely different.


    Not to mention that An Lingge had shone brilliantly at the Spring Festival, just to see her again, she was gentle, polite and dignified. Although she did not talk much, her entire body was releasing a strong Spirit Qi, how did she look weak and stupid?


    The madams present were all intelligent people, and they only needed to think for a moment to know what was going on.


    "I''ve only heard that the youngest daughter of the Prince An is extremely intelligent and nimble, but I don''t know that his eldest daughter is the most outstanding. Without the guidance of a master, he could play such a melody by himself just by fumbling around."


    "That''s right, my son still told me. Miss An is the most special person he has ever met, if fate wills it, I hope that we can get to know each other more."


    There were a lot of meanings in his words, the Mrs. Shang Shu covered her lips and chuckled, sizing up An Lingge with a gaze that also had some other meaning.


    Madam Li was sitting at the side with a helpless smile on her face.


    She knew that these wives looked down on her identity as a concubine, but to say that An Lingyi was not as good as An Lingge in front of so many people, was really too embarrassing.


    Moreover, the reason for the banquet today, was obviously to announce the return of the Old Mistress and the rest, but when An Lingge came, everyone''s gaze fell on her, completely forgetting about them.


    An Lingxue''s heart was even more unwell. She was clearly a direct descendant, but because she was born in the third house and her father did not inherit the throne, her status was much lower than An Lingge''s.


    Now that she had returned to the capital, the gazes of these wives had never landed on her. How could the usually arrogant An Lingxue endure this?


    Hearing Madam Shang Shu''s words, An Lingxue''s eyes flashed, her cute and innocent face revealed a hint of a smile, "Big sister''s popularity is so good, not only is Hereditary Prince Mu and her engaged, even other people want to be big sister''s friend. This won''t do, if big sister gets snatched away by someone else, no one can play with Little Xue anymore."


    "When she mentioned Mu Junhan, it was as if Madam Li was reminded, she smiled at the ladies," Second Miss is wrong, the relationship between First Miss and Hereditary Prince Mu is extremely close, that''s because Hereditary Prince Mu is the Eldest Miss''s future husband, the relationship between the two of them is already close, if there is any conflict between the two of them, it won''t be a good thing.


    A flash of surprise appeared on the Lady Shang''s face, and the warmth in her eyes gradually faded.


    Since An Lingge had already been betrothed to another, she naturally could not speak of her son''s thoughts anymore.


    "So Miss An is already engaged." She nodded slightly with a look of realization on her face.


    "Madam, please don''t tease me." An Lingge lowered her head, her voice tinged with a rare shyness, "In terms of intelligence and dexterity, Little Sister Little Xue is a truly exquisite person."


    She pulled An Lingxue''s hand and introduced her to the crowd, "It''s just that Little Sister Little Xue has been staying in the ancestral residence the entire time. Everyone here has never heard of her name, if you all knew of Little Sister Little Xue earlier, you would have definitely liked her the same as I do."


    An Lingge''s expression was sincere, no trace of falsehood could be seen on her face.


    Seeing that she was the one who took the initiative to introduce An Lingxue to everyone, the old lady''s eyes finally had a look of satisfaction.


    An Lingxue was overwhelmed by the favour, and quickly waved her hands, "Big sister, don''t make fun of me, how can I be considered as intelligent and nimble."


    She was a little helpless, and when she turned her head to look at An Lingge, she just so happened to expose half of her beautiful face.


    Seeing An Lingxue''s pretty appearance, the Lady Shang Shu''s thoughts became lively again.


    "Oh, the second miss is such a cute person sitting next to me, but I didn''t see it." She pretended to be annoyed, patting her forehead, and eagerly held her opponent''s hand. "I feel very happy when I see you, as if you are the same age as my daughter."


    You want to know how old she is now?


    An Lingxue''s eyes flashed a trace of disdain, but her expression was still innocent and innocent. "I''m two years younger than Big Sis, right now I''m exactly thirteen years old."


    Thirteen years old, an age to be sure.


    Madam Shang nodded her head, and the smile on her face intensified.


    Being ignored at the side, An Lingyi bit her lips in dissatisfaction.


    She gave An Lingmeng a glance, and the latter hesitated for a moment. In the end, she still voiced out, "Big sister and second sister have the best relationship, it makes me a little jealous."


    An Lingmeng''s sense of presence in the manor had always been low, as if she was an invisible person. Now that she had suddenly opened her mouth to speak, even the Old Mistress looked over in surprise.


    When An Lingge heard her intimate and coquettish words, the expression in the depths of her eyes did not change, but a gentle smile surfaced on her face, "Although Fourth Sister and Second Sister have grown up in the Ancestral House, you are both my sisters. I am the same towards you, why is Fourth Sister still not satisfied?"


    "Big Sis is lying." An Lingmeng pouted, and said in a tasty manner, "We''ve been back in the manor for so long, big sister only played with second sister and she never came to look for me and third sister."


    When everyone heard her words, they felt that An Lingge was actually interacting with the direct daughter An Lingxue, and did not pay any attention to her and An Lingyi at all.


    In other words, An Lingge was completely different from the gentleness and generosity she saw on the surface.


    An Lingyi sat beside An Lingmeng, and when it was appropriate, she lowered her eyes, as if she was very disappointed, but she continued to berate An Lingmeng, "Fourth Sister, don''t spout nonsense. Big Sister has always been good to me, and has never ignored us."


    She had suffered a few losses at An Lingge''s hands, but now she knew that she had to restrain her arrogance in front of everyone, and show that she was weaker than others, in order to gain the upper hand with her words.


    Madam Li patted her hands with a pained heart, her eyes also showing some displeasure, "Yeah, this is a private matter between you two sisters, if Fourth Miss takes it out, wouldn''t all the other ladies laugh?"


    Although he said that, Madam Li''s words confirmed An Lingmeng''s words.


    Madam Shang Shu''s eyes landed on An Lingge''s body, her gaze becoming mysterious.


    Glimmers danced in An Lingge''s eyes as her hand tightly gripped the pouch at her waist.

 C69

    "Fourth sister, I don''t know. The reason I''m so close to Second Sister is because I want to learn from him."


    An Lingge took off the bag on her waist, causing the exquisite embroidery on it to fall in front of everyone''s eyes.


    "Look at this embroidery. It''s made from a dozen different kinds of silk, both light and dark. It''s made from the flat-stitched Su embroidery technique, and it''s extremely exquisite. When I see it, I''m very happy." She paused, then smiled gently at An Lingmeng. "Who would have thought that such a technique would be created by the Second Sister? The three of them will definitely have me as their master. Second Sister is so nimble, I naturally have to get along more with the Second Sister. It would also be beneficial for me to learn a bit more. "


    With just a few words, she had solved the difficult situation she had been in. At the same time, she secretly belittled An Lingyi and herself.


    Look, she was so modest and studious, yet she only interacted with An Lingxue and only learned from him, and never interacted with him at all. Wasn''t it because they didn''t have any merits, and simply didn''t have anything worth learning from?


    Mistress Censor nodded his head, "First Miss is very intelligent, Second Miss is very quick-witted, to have two young ladies at Prince An''s Palace, it is truly a great fortune, Old Mistress must be a person with good fortune."


    The old mistress'' eyes were full of smiles, but she looked humble on the surface. "No, not at all. It''s just two children playing around. Don''t make a fuss over a flower."


    The Madam Li gritted her teeth in hatred. The young miss was intelligent, the second young miss was nimble, where could she put Yi Er?


    Her Yi Er had always been the focus of everyone, and now that there was An Lingge to steal her limelight, it was not enough. Just who was this An Lingxue from the Third Branch that dared to fight with Yi Er!


    "In my opinion, these are all good kids. However, they aren''t familiar with each other yet. After a few more days, we will know each other''s nature."


    Madam Li laughed and spoke, asking the old lady at her side, "Children at this age are the most impatient. How about we let them go out to improve their relationship, can we talk here?"


    The old lady thought for a moment, "That''s good too. Little Ge, bring your little sisters to the garden and don''t disrespect them."


    An Lingge stood up and bowed, then led the few people to leave.


    Just as they were passing the long corridor, a foot suddenly stretched out from under her long skirt and accidentally stepped on the corner of her skirt.


    An Lingge''s footsteps paused, and the person directly crashed into her body.


    "What happened to Fourth Sister?" It''s better to walk carefully. " She turned to look at An Lingmeng, her eyes filled with concern.


    An Lingmeng''s face flushed red, the corners of her mouth twitched, and she was speechless.


    Seeing An Lingyi''s slightly threatening gaze, she could only nod her head in panic, "What big sister said is right, I was distracted just now."


    "Why can''t you even walk properly? Hasn''t Second Aunt taught you well?" "Oh, I forgot. Your Aunt is just an unfavoured concubine in Second Uncle''s room. Second Aunt is not your birth mother, I wish that there wasn''t a person like you who wouldn''t teach you manners and etiquette."


    An Lingmeng''s eyes reddened, her face was filled with shame and anger, "Why are you saying things like that third sister, your birth mother is only a concubine, why are you criticizing and ridiculing me like that?"


    "Bitch, can you compete with me?" An Lingyi was furious, she raised his hand high up and was about to throw it at An Lingmeng.


    An Ling Meng hurriedly dodged as if she had inadvertently grabbed An Ling Ge''s sleeve, and then caused some chaos as she forcefully pushed him down.


    The long corridor was suspended in the air, and beneath it was the clear water of the lake. A few carp could be seen swimming about, and if they fell down like this, they would suffer greatly, even if they died from drowning.


    An Lingge hurriedly grabbed Zhu Zhu by the side, and the corner of her eye twitched at An Ling''s complacent gaze. She instantly understood why the two of them were acting so strangely.


    The reason why they had fought and argued was to take advantage of the chaos to push themselves down into the lake. In the end, it could be said to be an accident.


    No matter how much the Countess scolded them, she would not severely punish them, even on account of the presence of her most beloved An Lingxue.


    She twisted her waist and dodged An Lingmeng''s hand. One of her feet extended to the side and coincidentally kicked An Lingyi''s leg.


    An Lingyi was in pain, she subconsciously bent down to rub her legs, but a shadow suddenly appeared in front of him. An Lingmeng pounced towards him with fear in her eyes.


    "Scram!"


    An Lingyi screamed as she reached out to push An Lingmeng away, but it was already too late. She could only allow herself to be carried by An Lingmeng and be smashed underwater.


    "Third Sister, Fourth Sister!"


    An Lingge and An Lingxue shouted out at the same time. The latter''s face was pale white, as if they had been scared stiff by the scene in front of them.


    The two people in the water were still struggling, their cries for help growing weaker and weaker.


    An Lingge suddenly shouted, her expression anxious, "Someone come, someone come quickly, Third Sister and Fourth Sister fell into the water!"


    A few of the maidservants who were by the side knew how to drink water, upon seeing this, they immediately jumped down.


    If anything happened to the third lady and the fourth lady, the madame would definitely not spare them.


    Upon hearing these words, a few of the servants who had rushed over also jumped into the water, swimming towards the two who had fallen into the water.


    The madame and the rest heard the shouting and hurried over.


    Seeing the unconscious An Lingyi on the ground, Madam Li instantly took a step back. With a flustered expression, she shouted, "What are you still standing there for?


    Her eyes were filled with ferocity, her gaze was fierce, as though she was going to eat someone, causing the servants to jump in shock, she immediately ran over to doctor.


    Fortunately, the two of them only choked on a few mouthfuls of water. Plus, they also felt the cold from falling into the water.


    Mistress Censor heaved a sigh of relief. "It''s good that you''re fine. It''s good that you''re fine."


    The old mistress looked at them apologetically. "Today''s celebration has caused everyone to be alarmed."


    "No, no. The madame is truly frightened."


    Madam Shang glanced at the two of them lying on the ground. Disgusted flashed across her eyes, but she continued to smile at the madame. "The madame''s business is more important, so we won''t disturb her."


    The madame ordered her to be sent back as her expression darkened.


    "What''s going on?"


    Within Qingfeng Courtyard, the old mistress sat on a red chair. Her face was dark, but her eyes were still sharp as she looked at the people around her.


    An Lingyi and An Lingmeng had already woken up, but they did not lie down on the bed to rest. Instead, like An Lingge, they were called over to Qingfeng Academy to be questioned.


    Hearing that, An Lingyi immediately began to cry, her normally delicate and barbaric face had a look of grievance, but she pointed at An Lingge: "Grandmother, it''s Big Sis that that wants to harm me!"

 C70

    The old lady''s expression did not change, her face was still as black as ink, "Tell me, how did Little Ge frame you?"


    An Lingyi complained with tears in her eyes, "Grandmother had big sister bring us out, so I just followed behind her obediently. But then big sister suddenly kicked me, causing me to be unable to stand properly, and so I fell into the water."


    She directly concealed the fact that she had quarreled with An Lingmeng, and only said that she had been kicked by An Lingge before she fell into the water.


    However, the madame was not so easily fooled. She looked at the wet man beside her. "How did the dream fall into the water?"


    An Lingmeng was about to speak, but the old lady then called out An Lingxue''s name, "Little Xue, tell me what exactly happened."


    An Lingxue who was sitting quietly at the side had her head lowered, and told everyone that she knew, "Reporting to my grandmother,''s fourth sister had suddenly gotten into an argument for no reason. Third Sister originally wanted to hit fourth sister, but fourth sister threw herself towards Third Sister, and the two of them fell into the lake together.


    This was something that the old lady would know if she were to ask, so An Lingxue did not need to hide it.


    The old lady nodded, then looked at An Lingge, "Third sister said that you kicked her, is that true?"


    An Lingge raised her head and looked at the old lady apologetically, "At that time, when Fourth Sister Third Sister was arguing, I wanted to advise them against it, but Fourth Sister suddenly pounced at me, I immediately dodged and in my panic, I probably kicked Third Sister, I will apologize to Third Sister here."


    So this matter was caused by An Lingyi and An Lingmeng in the first place, and the two of them were the ones who met with trouble in the end?


    The old mistress glared at the two of them angrily, her tone hostile. "The two of you have ruined the banquet!"


    She had originally asked about which families were suitable for marriage and invited the other wives over, so that they could have An Lingxue appear before them. If any of the families were to have any intention of marrying him, then it would allow Little Xue to find a good family.


    Watching the feast?


    The few of them were shocked at the same time, and only An Lingge had a look of understanding in her eyes.


    Previously, the madame said that she wanted to introduce the people from the second and third branch to the young ladies of the capital. However, only the young ladies who were the same age as them were here to attend the banquet, so it was quite strange.


    And in front of all the ladies, the old lady had not mentioned An Lingmeng at all, but had intentionally or unintentionally drawn everyone''s attention to An Lingxue. When she was praising An Lingxue''s daughter, the smile on her face became even more obvious.


    At that time, she had thought that this was the old lady''s most beloved An Lingxue, and was very happy to see An Lingxue being praised by others.


    Looking at it now, it turned out that they were all fodder for each other. An Lingxue was the main character of this feast.


    A trace of jealousy and hatred flashed past An Lingyi''s eyes, but she looked extremely wronged: "It''s Yi Er''s fault, if it''s bad, we''ll have to watch the feast."


    When the old mistress saw how pitiful she looked, her expression eased a little. She thought that she had fallen to the water and suffered from the cold, but she could not bring herself to reprimand her.


    "Forget it, the two of you fell into the water. Go back and take good care of yourselves. Don''t ever start another trouble again."


    An Lingmeng fearfully agreed as she followed An Lingyi out.


    "Idiot!" If you can''t even do such a simple task, what''s the use of me! "


    As soon as she arrived at a place with no one around, An Lingyi''s expression turned fierce and she ruthlessly slapped An Lingmeng in the face.


    An Lingmeng covered his face, tears flowing down his face, but still apologized with a bent waist, "It is all because big sister is too cunning, that she escaped, next time she will definitely not be so lucky."


    If An Lingge were to just drown in the water like this, it would be best if she did not die. Even if he did not die, she would have to suffer a lot.


    Who would have thought that this person would be so sensitive? He managed to avoid their scheme and even sent both of them into the water. He lost face in front of so many people and was even beaten up by the madame!


    An Lingyi gritted her teeth, "It''s because you, this idiot, don''t know how to change things, otherwise..."


    She remembered the moment she was pushed down by An Lingmeng and fell into the water, the moment the water rushed over from the sky and poured into her mouth and nose. That kind of suffocating feeling, she didn''t want to try it again in her entire life.


    Thinking about that, An Lingyi''s eyes turned sinister, she glanced at the people beside him coldly, "Grandmother is currently angry, go back and stay in the courtyard. If there is anything, I will ask the servant to look for you."


    An Lingmeng respectfully nodded as she watched An Lingyi leave. Only then did her expression become sinister, and her eyes filled with hatred.


    If it wasn''t for her own future prospects, she wouldn''t have stooped down and acted humbly in front of An Lingyi.


    It was obvious that the two of them were Shu girls, and even cousins, but An Lingyi, because she was the daughter of the Prince An, was ordering her around.


    She clenched her fists tightly and took a deep breath. Only after taking a long time did she manage to calm the resentment in her heart. Her expression was the same as usual as she returned to her own courtyard.


    An Lingge walked out from the corner and watched the two leaving while smiling.


    The breeze brought with it a familiar scent of pine and wood. Although it was subtle, she could still detect it.


    "Is Hereditary Prince Mu satisfied with this show?"


    As she finished speaking, Mu Junhan''s slender figure walked out from behind the flowers.


    He walked over like a flower that had been parted from a willow branch. His handsome face returned to its unruly and evil smile, as if he was a playful and disrespectful young master.


    "How did Miss An find me here?"


    Mu Junhan''s mouth formed a smile, his eyes was filled with amour, as though the unhappiness between the two of them had never existed.


    An Lingge was unable to determine his thoughts, and didn''t know if he was still angry, but she could only follow his words, "Hereditary Prince Mu has the fragrance of pine and wood on her body, I just happened to smell it."


    Pine wood fragrance?


    Mu Junhan''s phoenix eyes flitted, and the smile on his lips widened.


    Since she could even remember the scent of pine and wood on his body, then wouldn''t she have some of his place in her heart?


    The moment this thought popped out, it became uncontrollable. The thought of leaving An Lingge alone for a few days instantly disappeared without a trace.


    With a thought, he leaned in front of An Lingge.


    "Miss An even remembers the smell of this Hereditary Prince''s body. This Hereditary Prince is truly flattered." Mu Junhan raised his eyebrows, his phoenix eyes deep and distant, "Could it be that Miss An has long fallen for this Hereditary Prince, which is why you pay so much attention to me?"


    "What nonsense are you talking about!" An Lingge took a few steps back, but her cheeks secretly flushed red.


    For some reason, when Mu Junhan suddenly approached her, with his figure reflected in his deep eyes, it made her think of something.


    Do you like it when you see a gentleman?

 C71

    An Lingge''s heart started to beat faster, causing her to turn her head in panic and avoid Mu Junhan''s eyes.


    With her shy appearance, Mu Junhan confirmed the guess in his heart. He let out a low and deep laugh, and took out a whistle that he prepared beforehand, handing it over to her, "Hey, this Hereditary Prince''s token of love with you, you must keep it well."


    Mu Junhan did not give his the chance to reject, he lowered his voice and whispered into her ear, "This whistle can summon my Dark Guard, you will need it."


    The whistle carried his faint warmth and placed it on An Lingge''s palm. The warmth seemed to travel from his palm to the bottom of his heart.


    The corner of An Lingge''s mouth twitched, the expression in her eyes changed, as if she had to struggle for a while before she finally decided to keep the whistle.


    "Thank you, Hereditary Prince, for your good will."


    Mu Junhan curled his lips and was about to say something, when footsteps came from not too far away.


    He cast a sidelong glance at the figure, and taking into account An Lingge''s reputation, he turned around and disappeared.


    After being scolded by the Old Mistress, An Lingyi naturally had to go to Madam Li and cry.


    She had already fallen into the water, and being frightened by grievances made Madam Li''s heart ache, and when he heard that today''s banquet was entirely set up by the madame for An Lingxue to find a good home, Madam Li''s heart was not feeling good at all.


    She ordered a servant to call An Lingxue into her own courtyard, but maintained a gentle and amiable expression on her face, "According to Yi Er, the old lady has specially arranged today''s banquet for Second Young Miss?"


    An Lingxue looked up, innocent and naive, "Grandma said so, it should be so."


    "Oh, what a coincidence." Madam Li laughed, her eyebrows were filled with joy, "I was thinking about Second Young Miss''s wedding for the past few days, who knew that I would think the same thing as the Old Mistress."


    She put down the teacup in her hand and said earnestly, "Originally, the marriage of the Second Miss should be decided by the Third Master and your mother. But now that you have returned to the capital from the ancestral home, you are part of our family. I have no choice but to say a few words about the Second Miss."


    An Lingxue nodded respectfully, but no other expression could be seen on her face, "Aunt, please speak."


    Seeing that she was not shy in the slightest when it came to her marriage, the Madam Li looked at her with disdain, "The Second Miss is the direct daughter of the Third Branch, and also the great-nephew daughter of the Prince. If we were to talk about marriage, the other party must not be a poor person."


    Madam Li paused for a moment, frowning, sorrow in her eyes, "But the Third Master is just a virgin, if Second Miss wants to marry into the high officials'' family, I am afraid it will be difficult. I thought about it and wondered if I should find a rich family in the capital. If the second young miss were to marry into a rich family, she could be considered to be extravagant and wouldn''t have to worry about food and clothing. second young miss, what do you think? "


    "The words of the matchmaker for the marriage that has existed since the ancient times, the matter of Little Xue''s marriage, naturally has to be decided by Father and Mother. With Aunt saying this to Little Xue, I can''t make a decision either." An Lingxue replied obediently, making it hard for others to find any mistakes in her answer.


    The light in Madam Li''s eyes changed, the smile on her face remained kind and amiable, "I''m just telling you this way, to let you think it over in your heart. Naturally, I won''t let you decide right away."


    She called the maidservant over and ordered a new packet of tea, "This is the Cloudy Mist Tea that I just got in the spring. I heard that your mother loves the Way of Tea the most, so you brought it back for her to taste."


    This was the kindest and most generous of aunts.


    An Lingxue lowered her eyes, a dim light flashing across her eyes.


    If not for Madam Li''s words and words, she would be very happy.


    Heh, you want me to marry her, a dignified direct daughter, the granddaughter of the Old Duke, to a merchant?


    Even that bastard girl, An Lingyi, would never marry a merchant.


    An Lingxue''s eyes flashed with a dark light. After returning to his own courtyard, she immediately sent her trusted servant to the Old Mistress'' courtyard.


    "Madame, please go and save the young lady!" An Lingxue''s servant, Mingyue Mingyue, hurriedly rushed into Qing Feng Yuan, and rushed into the old mistress'' room without caring about the etiquette.


    The madame''s face immediately darkened, "They are rampaging about without any rules!"


    "Old madam, please do not bother with formalities. Please go save the young mistress." Tears streamed down her face, and the impatient look on her face made the madame frown.


    "What happened to Little Xue, quickly tell me." The old mistress was about to sit in her chair when Mingyue suddenly knelt on the floor and pleaded, "It''s too late, young miss couldn''t bear it and wanted to hang herself. The old mistress should go see the young mistress first, this servant will explain this to you later."


    If An Lingxue hanged herself?


    The old lady was shocked, she did not have much time to think, and immediately brought her people to An Lingxue''s courtyard.


    She sent someone to open the door, and saw An Lingxue standing on a chair, with a piece of white silk hanging from the beam in front of him.


    "Little Xue, what are you doing?" The old mistress shouted and hurriedly instructed the people beside her, "Hurry up and save Second Miss!"


    However, An Lingxue looked at the old lady with tears in her eyes, her expression sad, "Grandmother, I am sorry, but Little Xue can only repay you in her next life for your kindness."


    She stepped out of her chair, her neck wrapped in the white silk, and her slim body swayed from side to side.


    "Save him, quickly save him!"


    The old mistress'' shrieks changed, her lips quivered in fear and her mind went blank.


    Fortunately, the nanny that she brought with her was quick-witted and had strength. She stood up and carried An Lingxue off the chair, then extended her hand to check the Second Young Miss'' breath and turned around to look at her husband, "Second Young Miss is still alive."


    Only then did the old lady heave a sigh of relief, her expression full of lingering fear, "Quickly call the doctor for Little Xue, nothing can happen to her."


    The doctor quickly came over and prescribed medicine for An Lingxue. Only then did the latter slowly wake up.


    "You silly child, why did you suddenly want to commit suicide? If you had left, how sad would Grandmother be?" The madame hugged her beloved granddaughter as tears streamed down her face.


    In the blink of an eye, An Lingxue''s tears fell from her eyes, "Grandmother ¡­"


    Her voice was choked and slightly hoarse, from the wound in her throat when she hung herself.


    The old mistress wiped her tears and made a face at Mingyue. "Tell me, what happened that made Second Young Miss unable to bear it and end up doing such a foolish thing?"


    Mingyue kneeled on the floor with a thump, her face full of indignation. "The madame doesn''t know that the young mistress was called by her concubine after she returned from your courtyard." "Aunt said that she wanted to betroth Miss to a merchant in the capital, so Miss couldn''t bear it and impulsively decided to give birth to her."

 C72

    Listening to the maidservant recount the details of the incident, the madame''s face became increasingly gloomy.


    "What a great Madam Li!" She hit the table with her fist. It hurt her hands, but she didn''t notice.


    "It''s just a small concubine''s room, yet she dares to point fingers at the marriage of a direct descendant. Do you even know what you are?" The old mistress scoffed, her expression serious.


    An Lingxue only just regained her composure and was still feeling a little weak, so she advised the old lady, "Grandmother, don''t blame the young lady, the young lady is doing this for my own good."


    Her eyes were filled with tears, looking delicate and touching, "My father is just a virgin, marrying into a rich merchant''s family has already become Little Xue''s greatest fortune."


    Even though she said that, her face was covered in tears.


    The madame naturally knew her personality. She was always smart and proud, so how could she fall for a merchant that stank of bronze?


    These words must have been said by the Madam Li to Little Xue, which was why she was so sad that she almost left.


    "Those are the words that the Madam Li had lied to you. Little Xue, you must not take it to heart." The old lady patted her hands, and patiently consoled her, "Little Xue is intelligent and nimble, and is even my granddaughter. Rest assured, Grandmother will personally select your marriage. "


    "Grandmother loves Little Xue the most." The corner of An Lingxue''s mouth drew back into a smile, and intimately held onto the Old Mistress''s arm, "If it wasn''t for my grandmother, Little Xue really wouldn''t know what to do."


    She lowered her head slightly, the cold light in her eyes chilling.


    Madam Li dared to beat her up, who knew if she was prepared to be angered by her grandmother.


    Just as An Lingxue had thought, after the Old Mistress had left, she did not return to the Qing Feng Courtyard, but instead went to the courtyard in Madam Li.


    "Why is the madame here?" Madam Li looked up and saw the person. He could only feel his eyelids twitching and a sense of foreboding rose from the bottom of his heart.


    There was a respectful and demure smile on her face as she tried to guess at the madame''s thoughts.


    The old mistress ignored the warm smile on her face and looked around her room. "Why didn''t you see Third Young Madam?"


    "Yi Er fell into the water today, and it is time for her to lose her health. She should be recuperating in her own courtyard."


    The old lady nodded her head lightly, "Speaking of which, the reason the third girl fell into the water was because of her bad temper. She had a dispute with the fourth girl and even wanted to make a move on the fourth girl. That''s why they both fell into the water."


    When Madam Li heard the old lady''s words, she felt that something was amiss, the smile on her face dimmed a little, "Yi Er has always been sensible and sensible, maybe there was some misunderstanding."


    "Just take it as a misunderstanding." The old lady was not in the mood to talk too much on this issue, and instead brought up the matter of An Lingyi''s marriage, "I heard that you called the second young lady over today, is it to discuss the marriage with her?"


    The Madam Li nodded her head, the goose egg''s face was filled with sincerity, "Today''s feast was prepared for Second Miss, and there are many high ranking officials'' wives amongst them. But I thought about it, with Second Miss'' status, I am afraid that this shop is the most suitable for her."


    She carefully explained her thoughts to the madame, until her mouth was dry and she did not dare to show a trace of dissatisfaction.


    The Old Mistress listened quietly, the look in her eyes towards Madam Li had a deep meaning.


    "The identity of the second girl, what identity does the second girl have?" The old mistress cast a sidelong glance at her, her tone hostile.


    Madam Li''s smile was dry as she explained, "Although Second Young Miss is also a young miss of Prince An''s Palace, Third Young Master is just a virgin. To put it bluntly, Second Young Miss is a young miss from a wealthy family.


    Because of An Yinghao''s business, An Lingxue could be considered to be half a merchant''s daughter.


    Although her motive for thinking like this was not pure, she could not find anything wrong with it on the surface.


    But how could the madame be fooled by her with just a few words?


    She pressed down the corner of her mouth as her gaze turned sharp, "What you said sounds good. If this really is a good marriage, then why haven''t I seen you prepare for your own daughter?"


    An Lingxue was only a few months older than him, so the Madam Li being so concerned about her daughter''s marriage was already extremely abnormal in itself.


    "Yi Er is still young, so it''s a little too early to consider her marriage. We''ll have to wait until the marriage of her two elder sisters is decided before we can meet Yi Er again."


    What Madam Li said was reasonable and reasonable. At this time, not only did she pay attention to the affairs of the family, she also cared about the order of the young, and had to wait until both of An Lingyi''s sisters had decided on their marriage. Only then could Madam Li would she begin preparing for An Lingyi''s marriage.


    "En!" The madame seemed to agree with her, "If the second girl is engaged to that merchant, you should not reject the matter regarding Prince Yi¡¯s Palace."


    She implied a threat, causing Madam Li''s expression to immediately become ugly.


    This meant that if the Madam Li dared to use methods to get An Lingxue to marry a merchant, the Old Mistress could make An Lingyi marry into Prince Yi¡¯s Palace in the blink of an eye and become the official wife of a fool.


    "Old madam, please don''t joke around. How could Yi Er marry that fool from Prince Yi¡¯s Palace? That would force her to die!" "Even some ordinary family with a bit of backbone wouldn''t marry their daughter to the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace. If the old lady married Yi Er to the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, it would make the world laugh at Yi Er, and the world would laugh at our Prince An''s Palace!"


    "At this time, you actually know the face of Prince An''s Palace. Why didn''t you think of it when you wanted to marry the second girl to a merchant?" The old mistress was not moved, and made up her mind to reprimand Madam Li.


    "Although the second girl is not the eldest brother''s daughter, she is also the direct descendant of my Prince An''s Palace. You wholeheartedly wanted to marry the Second Girl off to a merchant, but you didn''t consider the Second Girl''s feelings.


    The madame''s words caused Madam Li to be alarmed, and then she understood.


    She knew why the old lady had come to scold him out of anger, it turned out that An Lingxue had filed a complaint.


    Madam Li''s eyeballs rolled around, and immediately started crying, "Is Second Young Miss alright? How did she know how to find shortsightedness? "This girl is also a fool. She didn''t even say anything in front of me to refute her words. Who would have thought that she would have such thoughts after returning!"


    Madam Li gritted her teeth in her heart as she spoke.


    She thought that An Lingxue was someone easy to fool, but who would have known that she would be so obedient in front of her?


    He really did not expect that the Second Miss would also have such deep thoughts.

 C73

    As the Old Mistress berated Madam Li, An Lingge received the news early on.


    Bi Zhu stood beside his young miss and watched her fiddle with the herbs. From time to time, she would pass her a porcelain bottle and help her mash some of the herbs.


    The master and servant duo busied themselves for a while, with beads of sweat appearing on their foreheads.


    "Miss, why do you think Second Miss wants to hang herself?"


    Bi Zhu wiped the sweat off her forehead and asked curiously.


    As An Lingge''s position in the palace stabilized, there were quite a few people who came to fawn on them. As soon as An Lingxue had hanged herself, someone ran over to tell them the news.


    Bi Zhu could not understand, the Madam Li had only spoken a few words with the Second Miss, how could the Second Miss die just like that? The Second Miss clearly did not seem like such a weak person.


    An Lingge smiled at her, her eyes filled with a deep black color, "Second Sister naturally does not seek death, she had sent her own servant to look for Grandmother, and only kicked off her chair when Grandmother ordered people to enter, this was exactly the right time."


    "Miss, are you saying that all of this was planned by Second Miss?" Bi Zhu felt a chill at the bottom of her heart. If a person could use his life to frame someone else, then this person would be so ruthless to him.


    An Lingge put down the porcelain bottle in her hand, "Don''t forget, although Second Sister looks innocent and harmless, when she first entered the manor, she gave me a money bag that carried the scent of musk."


    At that time, how could An Lingxue be one of those people who would commit suicide just because of a few words from others?


    "Moreover, she hanged herself in front of Grandmother, so Grandmother will definitely have someone save her. This way, she won''t be in any danger and Grandmother will feel heartbroken. When Grandmother thought about how Madam Li had almost forced her grandson to death, she would definitely go to Madam Li and ask for her forgiveness. This was the purpose of Second Sister. "


    Didn''t the Madam Li look down on the Third Master and the White Body? An Lingxue let Madam Li see, even if she was not the current Prince An''s daughter, she was not someone that a concubine like Madam Li could warn.


    Madam Li had built up her prestige in the palace for many years, but after being schemed against by An Lingxue, he was ruthlessly slapped in the face by the old lady, and all her face thrown away.


    With this, everyone knew that the Old Mistress had protected An Lingxue, who would dare to ignore her?


    Listening to An Lingge''s instructions, Bi Zhu couldn''t help but pat her chest in fear, "Luckily young miss was smart, and I noticed earlier that Second Young Miss'' mind wasn''t pure, thus I didn''t fall into her trap."


    An Lingge did not comment, but just as she was about to speak, she saw Nanny Zhang walking in from outside the door.


    "Oh my lady, what are you doing?" She pointed to the herbs on the ground and cried out exaggeratedly. She then put her hands on her waist and pointed at Bi Zhu, "Bi Zhu, you stay by Miss''s side and take care of Miss like this.


    Bi Zhu and Nanny Zhang had never been on good terms, and when Nanny Zhang talked about her, she never took it to heart. She only turned her head to the side, and was so angry that Nanny Zhang gasped for breath.


    "What happened to nanny?" Seeing that the Nanny Zhang was about to lose her temper at Bi Zhu, An Lingge immediately asked.


    Being asked this, Nanny Zhang could not care less about losing her temper.


    She wore a smile on her face and said respectfully, "This old servant heard that the Second Miss had made a mistake today. Fortunately, the Old Madam found out earlier and saved her. Now, she is awake." I think that since Miss and Second Miss have always been close, should we go and see Second Miss? "


    An Lingge acted as though she was surprised, and asked again and again, "Second Sister actually found a short view of him, when did this happen? , quickly come with me to take a look at Second Sister. "


    Her blank and panicked expression caused Nanny Zhang to feel a chill in her heart. She secretly rejoiced that she had pledged herself to Aunt Li, otherwise, if she followed such a stupid master, she would have been killed by Madam Li''s mother and daughter sooner or later.


    But on the surface, Nanny Zhang only had a face full of concern, "Second Miss has already been saved by the madame, and there are no serious problems now, but this old servant is afraid that Second Miss might think too much, and if she doesn''t ¡­" Then, I remembered that the relationship between the young miss and the second young miss was the best, so I came to ask the young miss''s opinion. "


    An Lingge let out a long sigh of relief and relaxed, "If Second Sister is fine, then I am relieved."


    She looked at Nanny Zhang, her eyes filled with trust and dependence, "Why don''t you and I go together to Second Sister''s courtyard. You have looked after me for so many years, you should know how to console me."


    Nanny Zhang quickly waved her hand, looking terrified, "Miss, this old servant has been through a lot of trouble, I have lived for so many years and have only brought Miss before, if it wasn''t for Miss being clever and sensible, I''m afraid I wouldn''t have been able to take care of Miss."


    The meaning of her words was that she didn''t understand An Lingxue, so how could she comfort him?


    "Then, I''ll have Bi Zhu accompany me?" An Lingge frowned, she was a little conflicted.


    Nanny Zhang immediately nodded her head, "Bi Zhu has always been by Young Miss''s side, I believe she has some contact with Second Miss, it would be good if she followed Young Miss to visit Second Miss."


    She had always been urging An Lingge to go visit An Lingxue, and had no idea what kind of plan she was secretly playing at.


    An Lingge became alert, and a look of hesitation surfaced on her face, "But Bi Zhu has never taken care of anyone before. I''m afraid that she might not be able to take care of Second Sister."


    "Don''t think so much, Miss," Nanny Zhang shook his head and said seriously, "As long as you go and see Second Miss, Second Miss will definitely be very happy. The second young miss knows that the young miss is so concerned about her, so she will definitely not be short-sighted. "


    An Lingge pondered for a long time, as though she was convinced by Nanny Zhang, she nodded her head hesitantly, "Since it''s like this, I will bring Bi Zhu to see Second Sister."


    When Nanny Zhang heard the two words Bi Zhu, her eyes shone brightly.


    She tried her best to suppress the excitement in her heart, and smiled sincerely at An Lingge. "Among all the misses in the household, only the two of you are the direct daughter, and it''s rare to find someone who is compatible with you.


    "I think so too." An Lingge nodded her head, and instructed Bi Zhu to prepare the presents, and then stored all the made medicine into a porcelain bottle, "Leave this courtyard to nanny to manage for a while, Bi Zhu and I will be back very soon."


    "Miss, don''t worry. This old servant will take care of this matter well. The servants absolutely do not dare to be lazy." Nanny Zhang watched as the two of them left, and the smile on her face instantly disappeared. She turned and entered An Lingge''s room, and sneakily went about her business, not knowing what she was doing.

 C74

    Nanny Zhang fumbled around in An Lingge''s room for a while before she suddenly turned her head towards the door. Seeing that no one was around, she took out something from her bosom and stuffed it under An Lingge''s pillow.


    After doing all this, she looked around to make sure there was no one around before she composed herself and walked out of the house as if nothing had happened.


    The maidservant who was hiding outside the window quietly stood up and ran off to an unknown place.


    On the other side, An Lingge arrived at An Lingxue''s courtyard. Upon entering the house, she saw An Lingxue lying on the bed, her face pale and seemingly very weak.


    In front of her stood a serving maid. In her hand was a medicine bowl; it seemed like she had just fed her medicine.


    "Why is big sister here?" An Lingxue glanced at the person coming over, coughed twice, and struggled to sit up.


    An Lingge immediately went forward to support her, and a servant put a soft pillow behind An Lingxue, "What''s going on with Second Sister? It has only been a few hours since we last met, why are you still unhappy?


    Her face was full of concern and worry, and her eyes were filled with the pain that her elder sister felt for her younger sister.


    "It''s Little Xue''s fault that big sister is worried." An Lingxue laughed weakly, her lips had a white hue, her already pretty face now looked even more pitiful.


    The servant at the side appeared to be very distressed, she immediately put down the medicine bowl and brought An Lingxue hot water.


    "Miss, don''t talk anymore, let''s drink some water and moisten our throats first." She took a spoonful of water and fed it to An Lingxue, one spoonful at a time.


    An Lingxue raised her head along the servant girl''s hand, and the bruises on her neck fell into An Lingge''s eyes.


    She was shocked as astonishment surfaced in her eyes, "Why is Second Sister''s neck like this, is it actually this severe?"


    When An Lingxue hanged herself, she truly calculated the time, and made a real torture to the old lady in front of her. There wasn''t the slightest hint of him faking it, and there was a deep scar on her neck.


    The maid at the side pursed her lips and said with some resentment, "If it wasn''t for Aunt, why would my family''s young miss suffer like this?"


    "Yueer, don''t say anymore!" An Lingxue bellowed, but did not have any strength, and began to cough while covering her mouth.


    The servant girl called Yueer immediately gave An Lingxue a drink of water, seeing that she was no longer coughing, she said to her young miss, "The young miss does not know, that today''s banquet is supposed to be a feast for our young miss, but Third Miss and Fourth Miss met with mishaps and fell into the water, the feast was naturally ruined as well. This old man is extremely angry, and my words are inevitably a little harsh."


    She wiped her eyes with the handkerchief and spoke on behalf of An Lingxue, "But I never thought that Third Young Miss would bear this grudge in her heart. Not only did she tell the concubine about this, the concubine even called our Young Miss over and secretly insulted her, saying that she wanted to marry our Young Miss to a merchant!"


    Even if she was not the daughter of the current Prince An, she was still the granddaughter of the Old Duke. How could she marry into such a lowly shop?


    An Lingge immediately understood Mingyue''s meaning as she looked at An Lingxue with a pitiful gaze, "Aunt is really going too far. Second Sister can be at ease; I definitely won''t ask Aunt to casually interfere in your marriage."


    "Thank you elder sister for your kind intentions," An Lingxue had only just said a few words before she started coughing again. Brightmoon immediately calmed her down, "Grandmother has already decided for Little Xue and scolded aunt.


    "You''re also a fool. Third Aunt may not care about matters, but Grandmother loves you the most. How could Auntie possibly interfere in your marriage?" You actually found fault just because of a few words from Aunt, you should learn your lesson. "


    An Lingge turned to look at Bi Zhu, who immediately stepped forward and brought out the thing inside the box.


    "This is the gelatin that was sent over from Jiangnan this spring. Along with the ginseng that I have in my possession, I will give it to Second Sister to nourish your body. You should get well soon, let''s play together again."


    Mingyue quickly took it and respectfully put it away.


    An Lingxue was overwhelmed by the favor, and once again held An Lingge''s hand and cried, moved to tears.


    After walking out of An Lingxue''s courtyard, An Lingge heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Second Sister is indeed a ruthless person."


    The corners of her mouth curved into a smile that was just the right thing to say, making it hard to tell what she was really thinking.


    Bi Zhu followed behind her, obviously a little afraid, "There''s such a deep scar on Second Young Miss''s neck. If it wasn''t for the old lady coming in time, Second Young Miss might really have died like this."


    "That''s why I said Second Sister is a ruthless person. In this world, there are a lot of people who would go on to hang themselves when they cry, but only Second Sister can make people not feel the slightest bit annoyed. She only felt that she had suffered a great grievance."


    "Is it because the second miss was ruthless towards herself? Can''t you see that you are suffering?" Bi Zhu tested the waters as she asked with a slightly thinner and round face.


    She had followed An Lingge around for so many years, and only in the past few months had she experienced so much. Her mind quickly matured, and when she heard An Lingge''s words, she could easily guess what she meant.


    Seeing her like this, An Lingge was pleased but also disappointed and disappointed.


    Since he had reincarnated into this life, he was bound to have a showdown with Madam Li and her daughter. However, it had implicated Bi Zhu who was feeling anxious and fearful by her side, and his life was sometimes even at stake.


    Fortunately, Bi Zhu had grown up very quickly.


    Just as An Lingge was thinking about this, she saw a servant quickly running over.


    "Eldest Miss, something has happened in the courtyard. Quickly go back and take a look."


    The servant looked familiar, but An Lingge could not recognize who the servant was.


    Bi Zhu quickly introduced the place to her, "This is Xiao Lian who is in charge of cleaning our courtyard."


    No wonder he looked so familiar.


    An Lingge understood in her heart, and she could only allow the servant to explain.


    As she listened to the maid''s narration, the coldness in her eyes became deeper and deeper.


    "Come, let''s return to Parasol House. I want to see what Nanny Zhang has prepared to wait for me."


    Bi Zhu also felt that something was wrong and immediately followed An Lingge into the Parasol House.


    Just as they stepped into the Parasol House, they saw more than a dozen people already standing in the courtyard. They were dressed as palace guards, and it was likely that they clashed with the gatekeeper, as they were about to rush into the courtyard.


    "What are you doing here?"


    An Lingge suddenly said, walking from behind them, her beautiful face sunk, "Could it be that my Parasol House is a place where you can casually barge into?"

 C75

    The guards stopped barging in and turned around to bow respectfully towards An Lingge.


    An Lingge''s expression was unhappy, her gaze sweeping across them, "Come over and tell me, why did you guys barge into my Parasol House? If you don''t give me a suitable reason, I''ll have father beat you guys up twenty times!"


    "Please calm your anger, Eldest Miss." His square face was now filled with difficulty, "We have also received orders from our aunt, so we came here to search for Parasol House, and did not intend to offend you."


    "I see that all of you have the guts to even barge into the house of the young miss, and you still say that you didn''t intend to offend the young miss?" Bi Zhu''s eyes were wide open, her berating manner was extremely imposing, "Young miss has a soft and easy to talk with, don''t think that she is someone easy to bully, she can''t even see her identity clearly, and wants to crawl to the young miss''s side to act mighty."


    Her words were merciless. The guard''s face was slightly red as he felt extremely embarrassed.


    "But, but Aunt ordered us to come here to search for Parasol House, we had no choice but to come!" He bent over, sincere.


    Although the Madam Wang had taken away the authority of the treasury from the Madam Li, the rest of the Prince An''s Palace were still under the control of the Madam Li. The guards responsible for the safety of the Prince An''s Palace were naturally also under the control of the Madam Li.


    An Lingge slightly raised her brows, his eyes revolving with light as her gaze landed on the guard. "Was it aunt who ordered you all to come and search my courtyard?"


    "That''s right, Eldest Miss. If it weren''t for Aunt''s orders, how would we dare offend Eldest Miss? It''s just that we had Aunt''s orders, so we had no choice but to obey. I hope Eldest Miss doesn''t make things difficult for this lowly person."


    "Naturally, I will not make things difficult for you." An Lingge curled her lips, but did not move, "But you guys should always tell me, did Aunt send people to search everyone''s courtyard, or did she just send people to my courtyard?"


    The guards looked at each other, not knowing what to say.


    Bi Zhu sat with her hands on her hips, staring coldly at the crowd. "What, you can''t even answer this question, could it be that you made up a random reason to fool around with me?" "There are quite a few treasures in Miss''s room. If I ask you to take a few items with you ¡­


    "I don''t dare, I don''t dare." The guard denied it again and again, he considered his words, and then secretly raised his eyes to look at An Lingge''s expression, "Reporting to Young Miss, Aunt should have only sent us to search your courtyard, there shouldn''t be anything wrong with the others ¡­. "Unusual."


    If there was nothing out of the ordinary, then it meant that no one had been sent out to search the courtyard?


    An Lingge''s face carried a faint smile, and her pair of deep black eyes shone, causing the guard to feel weak from the bottom of her heart.


    "There''s nothing out of the ordinary with the others, but Aunt has sent someone alone to search my courtyard. What does that mean?"


    She had a cold expression on her face, and a sharp aura surrounded her body. The guard was shocked, and Nuo lowered her head, not daring to look at her again.


    "I''m not too clear about Aunt''s intentions, but I''m just following orders. I hope First Miss can cooperate." The guard lowered his head, but had always insisted on entering An Lingge''s courtyard to search.


    Bi Zhu sneered, and looked at the group of guards with fierce eyes, "For the First Miss to cooperate with you, what right do you have to get the First Miss to cooperate? Your status is honorable. If a guard like you wanted to break into the young miss'' courtyard and search, and if you want the young miss to cooperate with you, who gave you the guts to do so? "


    In the past few days, she had established her might within the Parasol House, so scolding people was also much sharper. With just a few sentences, it made the guard feel embarrassed, and he was rendered speechless.


    "Whatever, I won''t make things difficult for the two of you." "Since this is an order from my aunt, call my aunt over and give me a reason to search my courtyard. If it''s alright, I''ll let you in."


    They were just a few small guards, how could they dare to question Aunt Li?


    A few of the guards looked bitter, but just as they were about to plead with An Lingge, the voice of the Madam Li came from behind them.


    "What is Eldest Miss doing in the yard? Don''t tell me they bumped into Eldest Miss?" There was a touch of concern on her delicate face. When she turned to the guards, there was a touch of coldness in her eyes. "I told you to search the house of the eldest miss. Why are you standing in the way of her eyes? Hurry up and finish what you have to do!"


    When the guards saw that she had arrived, they immediately let out a breath of relief, turned around, and prepared to charge in.


    "Wait!"


    An Lingge shouted and stopped them, but her gaze was fixated on Madam Li, "Auntie told them to search my courtyard, is there any suitable reason?"


    "Aunt naturally has a reason for doing so." Madam Li''s face was full of smiles, but her eyes were extremely cold. "The guards came to report today, saying that they saw a thief running into the mansion, but they did not know what they took, so they chased that thief all the way here."


    "Since it was your courtyard, they didn''t dare to barge into it recklessly, so they reported this matter to me. "Since I haven''t found the perpetrator of the previous robbery, I thought that maybe the thieves from last time were in the same group as this one. Considering the safety of Eldest Miss, I had someone break into her yard to search for her."


    Every word that the Madam Li said was for the sake of her Prince An''s Palace, so when it came to An Lingge, he couldn''t see the slightest bit of selfishness.


    An Lingge stared at her for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "Since Aunt said so, then I can''t stop them, Bi Zhu, let them go in and search."


    Bi Zhu replied, and gave way to the guards.


    Madam Li smirked, a sinister smile in her eyes.


    When they searched for that thing, An Lingge would definitely suffer. Maybe he could just cancel her marriage with Hereditary Prince.


    She waited for a while before the guards came out. "To reply to my concubine, there''s nothing out of the ordinary in Eldest Miss''s courtyard."


    "Impossible!" Madam Li retorted, realizing that her reaction was too intense, she relaxed her expression, "Didn''t you guys report that the thieves have entered the young miss'' courtyard? How could there be nothing abnormal? Quickly go in and search again, you absolutely cannot let that thief hide in the dark and hurt the young miss. "


    An Lingge looked at Madam Li who was pretending to command her guards and even sent her nanny who was beside him, "Carefully search around, don''t let any trace of him off. If that thief gets away, I''ll make sure to question all of you."

 C76

    The guards had no choice but to search once more.


    nanny entered the courtyard. She first found the figure of Nanny Zhang, then silently gestured to her from the corner of her mouth before walking towards An Lingge''s house.


    She did not leave with a quick glance like those guards. Instead, she rummaged through the things in the room bit by bit, not even letting go of the bed.


    The nanny touched the bed, suddenly touching a bulge, her eyes flashed a dark light, she lifted the pillow, and sure enough, she found something underneath.


    "We didn''t find any thieves in Eldest Miss''s courtyard, but we did find this one." nanny held a cloth doll, and stood in front of Madam Li with a solemn and respectful expression.


    Madam Li was confused, "I told you to go in and search the thieves, what are you doing with this cloth doll? This belongs to Eldest Miss, hurry up and put it back. "


    "Absolutely not." The nanny''s face turned serious as she said to the Madam Li, "Madam has never seen this kind of doll, I don''t know what''s going on, but this cloth doll definitely can''t be put back down!"


    Her expression was too solemn, and her words carried a sense of mystery. The guards had already secretly moved their ears over to listen.


    nanny turned the cloth doll upside down, revealing the terrifying long needles on its surface.


    "This is a voodoo Gu doll!" Madam Li screamed, she then used a handkerchief to cover her mouth, looking left and right, she scolded An Lingge with a stern face, "Young miss, why do you need to hide a lich in your own house?"


    "This is not mine." An Lingge''s expression was light, not one bit panicked because of this child''s appearance.


    Madam Li sneered in her heart, but her expression was still solemn, "First Miss, please do not joke, this child was found in your house, if it is not yours, how can it be mine? You clearly know that the late emperor ordered for no such voodoo Gu to appear. How could you prepare a voodoo Gu doll in your own room? "


    The previous emperor''s favorite concubine had died because of the magic of the voodoo insect. It was said that when she died, she was extremely terrifying. The previous emperor was furious and ordered the Great Zhou Empire to never allow the magic of the voodoo Gu to appear again.


    Now that this Lich Gu appeared in An Lingge''s courtyard and was discovered in front of so many people, it was hard for her to escape this calamity.


    Madam Li was extremely pleased in her heart, she did not have the time to carefully look at the word ''birthday'' on the child, and only showed a look of heartache, "Young miss, you are still young and inexperienced, but you can''t be so reckless! This matter is of great importance, I must leave it to the old lady. "


    An Lingge raised her head, her expression cold and stubborn, "I already said, this is not mine, why does Aunt insist on framing me?"


    "Eldest Miss, once you''ve done something wrong, you should correct it, not blindly decline." The Madam Li looked at her with a face full of regret. "Don''t worry, this aunt will definitely not report this matter to the authorities. Don''t worry, Eldest Miss will not lose her life because of this."


    An Lingge opened her mouth, wanting to defend herself, but was completely unable to say a word.


    Seeing her like this, Madam Li felt even more carefree in her heart.


    "Eldest Miss, please follow me to the madame''s courtyard so that I won''t wrongly accuse you." Her words were soft, but her attitude was firm.


    An Lingge''s face turned pale white, as though she was afraid. However, she still followed Madam Li to the Old Mistress'' courtyard.


    The old lady had only rested for a short while and after resting for about fifteen minutes, she was woken up by Madam Li. She then frowned in displeasure, "What business do you have now?"


    Because of the incident where the Madam Li had beaten An Lingxue, the Old Mistress'' disgust towards her had risen to a new level. At this moment, when she saw the Madam Li, her heart was filled with impatience and she felt that she was just a person who was affected.


    Madam Li knew that the Old Mistress was not happy with her, but she didn''t care about it at this time. She brought the cloth doll in her hand to her face and straightened her expression, "Old Mistress, please look at what this is?"


    The old mistress scrutinized the child and her expression changed. "Where did you get this thing from? Quickly throw it away!"


    She was old, and had experienced the late emperor''s time. Naturally, she knew how many people were killed when the art of the voodoo Gu was prevalent, and how much the late emperor hated the art of the voodoo Gu.


    Madam Li brought the voodoo Gu doll in front of her, causing the old lady to feel fear and trepidation.


    "Madame, I''ve come to find you to discuss this matter." The Madam Li lowered her voice, "This child was found in young miss''s house. I didn''t dare reveal it to the world, so I hurriedly came over to find you to make a decision."


    She told the old lady about the guards discovering the thief and how they chased him to the Parasol House. Then, she told the old lady about the matter of the nanny discovering the voodoo Gu Master.


    "I saw the words'' birthday ''on it. It seems like it belongs to the madame. That''s why I called for Eldest Miss to explain it to you personally."


    The madame''s face darkened even more. It was one thing for a voodoo doll to be found in the mansion, but the word ''birthdate'' on it was hers. Wasn''t there someone trying to harm her in this way?


    She reached out and took the Lich Gu from Madam Li''s hands, a pair of aged eyes carrying a sharp light, passed through An Lingge''s body.


    "Eldest girl, tell me what happened?"


    The madame pointed at the voodoo doll in her hands. Her expression was not very pretty, but it did not directly incriminate her.


    An Lingge''s bright eyes looked at the Lich Gu doll, "Grandmother, even Little Ge doesn''t know what''s going on. It''s impossible for such a thing to appear in my house. But today, my aunt let someone barge into my courtyard. I don''t know where she found this voodoo doll, but she insisted that Little Ge hid it inside her own house. Please enlighten me, grandmother. "


    The old mistress frowned upon hearing her words. The reason the Madam Li had sent people to barge into An Lingge''s courtyard was already forced, and now that they found the lich Gu, it was truly too much of a coincidence.


    Madam Li saw the old lady frown and immediately said, "The young miss said that this child is not hers, could it be that I can hide this child inside? nanny Wang said that this was found under Eldest Miss''s pillow. If someone else placed this inside, could Eldest Miss have not discovered it? "


    She asked every single word, wanting to throw An Lingge into an unfilial and unfilial situation, yet An Lingge remained fearless. Looking at the malicious eyes of the Madam Li, he said in a clear voice, "My courtyard is not clean, and it''s not like I don''t know anything. If I send someone to stuff something into my courtyard while I''m out today, it''s not impossible."


    An Lingge looked at Old Madem Xiang again, her face had a look of doubt, "I went to visit Second Sister today, and not even an hour later, when I returned, I met Aunt sending people to break into my courtyard. Isn''t that too much of a coincidence?"

 C77

    The madame sat on a mahogany chair with a dark face. Finding a voodoo doll in the house was always a bad thing.


    However, what An Lingge said made sense. The whole thing seemed to be too coincidental, as if someone had dug a hole for An Lingge to jump into.


    Madam Li wiped his eyes with the handkerchief and his eyes turned red, her face was filled with grief, "The words of the young miss are too harsh, you yourself know what I have done to you in the past. Now that you''re acting in rebellion, it''s fine that you don''t want to listen to my teachings. Why do you need to say such words to harass the aunt''s heart? "


    She let out a long sigh, feeling both sad and helpless. "I don''t know when you took a grudge against the madame. No matter how dissatisfied you are, you can''t come up with such a sinister thing to frame the madame!"


    Madam Li secretly drugged the madame. Obviously, it was something that didn''t exist, but from her mouth, it really became An Lingge''s dissatisfaction with the madame, so she used a voodoo doll to frame the madame.


    An Lingge''s gaze swept across her face, her eyes were pitch black, and the corner of her lips curled up into a mocking arc.


    "Aunt said that I was the one who made this voodoo insect doll to frame Grandmother, but when I looked at the doll just now, why is there the word ''my birth'' written on it?"


    The words on the lich doll were An Lingge''s birth date?


    Madam Li was startled, but seeing that the old lady had already flipped the doll over, her eyes narrowed and stared at the doll for a long time before raising her mouth, revealing a cold smile.


    "Good, what a good voodoo doll! Madam Li, come here and take a look, whose birth date is on this child! "


    Her hands trembled from the anger and she threw the child onto Madam Li''s body.


    Madam Li did not care that the child was covered in dust when he landed on the ground, and immediately picked the child up and carefully examined the words on it. The complacency in his eyes immediately disappeared, and when he thought of something, he shot an Eye Blade towards An Lingge.


    Those eyes were sharp and vicious, as if they wanted to pierce through her and gouge out her bones.


    "Impossible, this is impossible!" It must be the young miss! "


    "Aunt''s words are interesting. This doll was sent by Aunt to find it in my house, I said I''ve never seen this thing, Aunt insisted that I made it to frame grandmother, and now that this doll has written the words'' I am born '', Aunt said it was'' I made it '', so would I write the word'' I am born ''on it to curse myself?"


    The old mistress'' face darkened, and her gaze towards Madam Li turned cold.


    "Hmph, if you don''t properly manage your Prince An''s Palace, you might be thinking about these unsavory things all day. Today, you just beat up the second little girl, causing her to be caught off guard and almost lose her life; and now, you even think of such a shady method to frame the eldest little girl. What, all the daughters of this mansion are in your way, do you want to get rid of them?"


    Her face twitched violently. It was obvious that she was infuriated.


    Madam Li knelt to the ground and shouted at the old mistress, "Madam, how dare I do such a thing? I called Second Miss over to talk earlier because I was truly thinking for her sake. I hope that Second Miss can marry a rich and powerful family. "Who would have thought that Second Miss would think that I was humiliating her, and wanted to hang myself after finding that white silk. I also feel very pained in my heart."


    "As for the voodoo Gu, I was the one who accidentally found it when the servants were searching for the thieves. How could I purposely frame Miss?"


    She spoke very clearly, and her voice was filled with tears. It seemed like she really was innocent.


    But the old mistress had always hated the Madam Li because of An Lingxue, and now that she was so angry, why would she soften her heart because of a few tears from the Madam Li?


    She coldly snorted, and pointed towards Madam Li. "On the account that you have been managing the Palace for so many years, without merit or hard work, I will not speak of this matter to others. But if you do these things, I will also not let you off so easily. So I shall let you kneel in front of the ancestral hall for a day and reflect on your mistakes! "


    "I thank the madame for her kindness." Madam Li fell to the ground, tears streaming down her face.


    The damnable An Lingge, actually told her to suffer such a huge loss in front of the madame. If she had the chance, she would definitely make it so that An Lingge would never be able to rise again!


    An Lingge heaved a sigh of relief, and revealed a relieved smile, "Luckily there was a grandmother who proved Little Ge''s innocence, if not, I''m afraid Little Ge wouldn''t have been able to explain it clearly."


    Hearing her words, the Madam Li gritted her teeth, her eyes glaring at An Lingge, wishing that she could swallow her whole!


    The Old Mistress closed her eyes and waved her hands towards An Lingge tiredly. "Finish off that thing and quickly go back to your courtyard. Don''t forget to invite someone to do something for you so that you won''t be affected by it."


    An Lingge acknowledged respectfully, bowed to the old lady, and then slowly left.


    Once she returned to her Parasol House, Bi Zhu immediately came forward to welcome him.


    "Miss, are you alright?"


    She circled around An Lingge and looked around. Seeing that she was safe and sound, she finally calmed down.


    An Lingge brought her into the house, took a sip from the tea, and said slowly, "Fortunately I knew that the Nanny Zhang had ulterior motives, and had sent someone to watch her from the start. Otherwise, I really wouldn''t have been able to dodge Aunt''s move today."


    Mentioning the Nanny Zhang, Bi Zhu was filled with anger, "I had thought that the Nanny Zhang was just taking advantage of her seniority and was relying on her status as the young miss''s wet nurse to make a name for herself in this courtyard. Who knew that the old thief would have already pledged allegiance to the Aunt Li! This servant who betrayed his master almost caused you trouble. "


    "Don''t worry, now that Aunt has been punished by Grandmother, she will definitely think that Nanny Zhang did not do well and leaked the news, causing her scheme to fail. Now, even without us doing anything, the Nanny Zhang would not be able to get any benefits from Aunt. "


    "Could it be that we will just let Nanny Zhang go?"


    Bi Zhu was still unhappy, she had grown up with her young mistress, and could not bear to see her suffer even a little, furthermore, being betrayed by her own wet nurse was such a big thing, how sad must her young mistress be?


    "Of course not." An Lingge stood up, "Looking at the time, Aunt should be at the ancestral hall by now. Since she dotes on me so much, I should go and take a look at her."

 C78

    Bi Zhu immediately took her clothes and walked over, "It''s windy outside, so I''m cold. Miss, please be careful."


    The night in the beginning of spring was still a little cold. She donned the moon-white brocade gown of orchid, picked up the lamp, and followed her young miss to the ancestral hall.


    Even the patrolling guards very rarely passed by. It was at this time that the night descended, and the flickering wind lamps cast a shadow on the long corridor as they blew past the ears with the sound of the wind, as if demons and monsters were passing by.


    Bi Zhu held her clothes tightly, her face a little pale, she moved closer to An Lingge and lowered her voice, "Miss, why don''t we go back? The old mistress has punished the Aunt Li to kneel here for the entire day, we can also come back tomorrow."


    An Lingge saw her cowardly look, and was amused for a moment.


    She had accepted Bi Zhu into this life for more than ten years, yet she did not know that Bi Zhu was someone who was afraid of being secretive.


    But what was more terrifying in this world than a reborn ghost like him?


    An Lingge shook Bi Zhu''s hand, holding both the wind lamp and wind lamp, "Since she''s here, let''s go and see the aunt, and let her know, she has not doted on me, the young miss, for so many years, in vain."


    An Lingge remembered all of her teachings very clearly in the Madam Li.


    The Madam Li had taught her not to learn anything, taught her to go against her elders, taught her to be extremely stupid. She had handed over all the bad things to her, and in the end, she and An Lingyi had teamed up and killed herself and Bi Zhu.


    Seeing that she could not persuade her young miss, Bi Zhu could only move closer to An Lingge, trying her best to keep her voice from trembling, "Okay ¡­ Alright, since we''re here, let''s go look at the Aunt Li. "


    An Lingge held onto the lamp, and walked towards the ancestral hall step by step.


    The dim candlelight shone in the ancestral hall, and a figure knelt on the prayer mat.


    Madam Li turned her head when she heard the voice, and upon seeing that it was An Lingge, she laughed coldly: "What are you doing here? Come and laugh at me? "


    "After all these years of being looked after by my aunt, now that my aunt has made a mistake and has been punished by my grandmother to kneel at the ancestral hall, I naturally have to come to see my aunt."


    An Lingge smiled slightly, she was extremely sincere and only her eyes were deep, making others unable to see what she was thinking.


    "To see me?" The Madam Li said, and ridiculed, "You caused me to be punished by the Old Mistress, and now you have the face to say that you want to come and see me? What a hypocrite! "


    "Aunt''s words are wrong." An Lingge shook her head, and looked at Madam Li with a pitiful gaze, "If it wasn''t for Aunt asking Nanny Zhang to put the Lich Gu under my pillow, how could you have been punished by Grandmother? At the end of the day, Aunt was merely reaping what she sowed. How could I possibly harm you? "


    "Slut!" "If not for the fact that I was soft-hearted at the moment, a lowly bastard like you would not have lived until now and would have long ago accompanied your mother to the underworld."


    "It was precisely because of this that I had to thank Aunt even more. If Aunt did not spare my life, I would not have been able to seek revenge on you." An Lingge smirked, her beautiful face was dark and unclear under the candlelight, and actually had a hint of sinister beauty, "Back then, my mother''s death was closely related to my aunt, if my father knew about this, what would happen to you, Aunt?"


    How did An Lingge know about this?


    Back then, very few people knew about this matter. Other than her trusted aides, those who knew about it had already been killed by her, so it was impossible for news to leak out.


    Madam Li was shocked, but she did not reveal the truth.


    "Heh, you little bitch, don''t even think of trying to trick me." Madam Li snorted from her nose and shot a cold glance at An Lingge, "What does your mother''s death have to do with me? Everyone knows that she died from an illness that cannot be cured, so you better not pin your blame on me."


    "Auntie naturally understands that it has nothing to do with her." An Lingge was still calm, the curve of her lips did not change at all, but her eyes contained ridicule, "It''s just that this aunt wants Nanny Zhang to work for you, isn''t that a little too naive?"


    She turned her back to the Madam Li, and her faint voice reverberated in the ancestral hall, "When my mother married into the Prince An''s Palace, Nanny Zhang followed by my mother''s side, and later became my wet nurse. These ten odd years of master and servant relationship, it''s not all gone without a trace. Do you really think that if you spend some silver, you will cause Nanny Zhang to be loyal to you? "


    Her words caused Madam Li''s heart to turn cold, as a guess slowly surfaced in his mind.


    As if it was to verify Madam Li''s guess, An Lingge said with a proud voice, "For my safety, Nanny Zhang advised me to act dumb in front of Aunt and let the servants in the mansion humiliate and mock me. It''s finally time to stop pretending."


    When there''s no need to pretend, wouldn''t that be after the engagement with Hereditary Prince Mu?


    Madam Li thought very quickly, and immediately understood the reason, "Alright, I was wondering why you suddenly seemed to have become a different person. Not only did you not let me control you stupidly, but you also made Yi Er and I suffer a loss several times, because you thought you had Prince Mu¡¯s Palace supporting you and did not put me in your eyes. That''s why you revealed your true face."


    She stared at An Lingge, a flash of realization appeared in her eyes, and she quickly recovered her evil intent.


    "If you think you can knock me down just like that, you''re wrong."


    Madam Li stood up from the praying mat, a vicious look on her delicate face.


    As long as Imperial Noble Consort Li was unceasingly pampered by the palace, the Duke wouldn''t stop detesting her. Being by An Yingcheng''s side for so many years, Madam Li had long clearly seen this fact.


    An Lingge smiled at the Madam Li, "What did Aunt say? I''ve never thought of taking you down."


    She was not thinking of taking down Madam Li, but rather, taking down Imperial Noble Consort Li, killing Madam Li and An Lingge, so that her mother could take revenge for her!


    Madam Li''s eyes were cold as she sat back on the praying mat, her mouth filled with harsh words, "Since you came here today to find me to say these words, then go back. There''s no need to be complacent in front of me, sooner or later I''ll make you unable to laugh."


    Her face was already torn left and right, and there were no outsiders present. Madam Li was too lazy to even disguise herself, so she directly opened her mouth to threaten An Lingge.


    However, An Lingge only laughed blandly, her gaze colliding with Madam Li''s gaze, creating a silent cloud of smoke.


    She brought Bi Zhu out of the Ancestral Hall and returned to her own courtyard. Bi Zhu then held her stomach and laughed.


    "Miss, this move of yours is really amazing!" She leaned on the table and gave An Lingge a thumbs up.

 C79

    "You intentionally told the Aunt Li that it was Nanny Zhang helping you in the dark, and even said that everything you''ve done was under my guidance. If I don''t hate you to the core, when she comes out of the ancestral hall, I won''t feel good."


    Her idea was to sow discord.


    Since Nanny Zhang wanted to be loyal to Madam Li, then let her personally try out her methods of punishing her. She only hoped that when the time comes, Nanny Zhang would not regret it.


    Madam Li knelt in the ancestral hall for a whole day and was soon released.


    However, the matter of her being ordered to kneel in the Ancestral Hall by the madame had spread across the entire Prince An''s Palace.


    When Madam Wang heard the news, she was the happiest. Madam Li had just come out of the Ancestral Hall, so she brought her servant to Madam Li''s courtyard and said some words in front of Madam Li that spoke of her heartache, but actually rejoiced at her misfortune.


    Madam Li had a stiff smile on her face as she finally sent Madam Wang out of his own courtyard. In the blink of an eye, her expression changed and she smashed the porcelain tea set on the table with a gloomy face.


    "You actually dare to come and make fun of me!" She tossed all the other things on the table clean as well, and panted heavily due to exhaustion. Then she sat down on a chair and glared fiercely at the direction that Madam Wang had left in.


    "Please calm your anger, Madam." "No matter how pleased Second Madam is, the Prince An''s Palace is still in your hands. She only has the advantage in the mouth, but in the end, you still have to follow Madam''s instructions. Please don''t be angry and hurt your own body."


    Madam Li had also calmed down. She and Madam Wang had always been at odds with each other, as if the two were natural enemies. Furthermore, the moment Madam Wang had just returned to the palace, she had already lost the power to manage the treasury. This was a power seized from her hands, how could the Madam Li with the strongest Prince An''s Palace not hate Madam Wang?


    But now, there was something more important than Madam Wang.


    The Madam Li''s gaze darkened. She called the servant over and whispered something into her ear before waving her hand at the servant, "Go on, I want to tell the servant from Nanny Zhang. No matter how cunning and loyal she is, she won''t be able to stand up to me."


    The servant Hongtao replied and left Madam Li''s courtyard. She then sneaked into the front yard and found her brother Hong Ying.


    She looked around, then lowered her voice, and chatted by Hong Ying''s side for a while. Finally, when she returned from the front yard, she was holding a bag in her arms.


    Hongtao did not directly return to the Madam Li''s courtyard. Instead, she first arrived at the Parasol House and found the Nanny Zhang.


    "Why is Miss Hongtao here?" Nanny Zhang opened the door, upon seeing the person, she smiled obsequiously, and quickly led the person into her own room.


    Hongtao had a smile on her face, but it was impossible to see how angry she was, "Madam, on account of the fact that you have been working for her for so many years, have me come over to reward you with something."


    Her package was placed on the table, and Nanny Zhang''s gaze immediately became greedy. He stared closely at the package, unwilling to shift his gaze away.


    Hongtao scoffed disdainfully in her heart, but she was still smiling. "This is something that Madam has meticulously prepared, why don''t you open it and take a look?"


    Nanny Zhang immediately stepped forward and carefully opened the bag. Inside was a piece of jewelry made from gold and silver. The workmanship was exquisite, and she could tell that it was definitely worth a lot of silver.


    "This was all given to me by my aunt?" Nanny Zhang could not help but swallow her saliva, her voice trembling.


    Hongtao slightly curled her lips, "These are naturally all for you, but..."


    But what?


    Just as Nanny Zhang was thinking this, she heard Hongtao shouting loudly, "Nanny Zhang, how did you get the treasures that were lost in the warehouse?"


    Her voice was shrill and high-pitched, instantly drawing the guards over.


    Nanny Zhang lived in a servant''s room, there were no gatekeepers, the guards heard the sound, and immediately barged in.


    When he saw the item in the bag in front of Nanny Zhang, the guard laughed out loud. "So it was a tricky slave like you who stole the property of the, you''ve taught us to catch you."


    "What family''s treasure? This is something this aunt specifically bestowed upon me!" Nanny Zhang stretched her neck, not the least bit afraid in front of the guards.


    That guard was also not someone who could be fooled easily. He sized up Nanny Zhang and sneered, "You are the head miss''s servant. Furthermore, the treasure in your bag is precisely the treasure that was lost in the King''s Manor a while ago. With the stolen goods here, why haven''t you quickly confessed?! "


    Three to five of them rushed forward and pressed on Nanny Zhang''s shoulders and tied her hands behind her back.


    "I didn''t." Seeing that she was about to be tied up to send off the official, the Nanny Zhang panicked. She twisted her body and turned to look at Hongtao, asking for help, "Miss Hongtao, this was brought over by your Aunt.


    Hongtao met her gaze, but her face revealed surprise, "What is Nanny Zhang saying, I''m only here to tell you that the Madam set a fire for Eldest Miss and told you to remember to send someone to get it, but I didn''t send anything over to you." She pointed to the package, her expression even more cold, "As for why the things stolen in this house are here in Nanny Zhang, you should know it better than anyone else."


    She kept the relationship quiet and dry. She had already thought of a reason long ago, so she couldn''t find any fault with it.


    Nanny Zhang looked at her cold expression and suddenly felt a chill all over her body.


    She had also stayed in the Duke Palaces for most of her life. At this point, how could she not understand that the matters today were entirely done by the Madam Li and it was all because of her?


    But she was trembling in fear while working for the Madam Li, why did she want to harm her?


    "Where''s Aunt? I want to see her!" Nanny Zhang shrieked as she struggled in the hands of the guards. However, she was old, and had always lived a life of luxury, so how could she possibly be a match for the strong guards? She struggled for a good while, but ended up in the hands of the guards.


    "You don''t need to see Aunt. Aunt said it, if you dare to scheme and betray her, you have to bear the consequences. Nanny Zhang, why don''t you think about what you did wrong, but I''m afraid you haven''t even had the chance to change your mind, you should go down to the ground and repent again!"


    "What design, what betrayal, I don''t even know!" Nanny Zhang cried, her tears and snot mixing together. Her hands that were tied behind her wanted to grab onto Hongtao''s sleeves, "Miss Hongtao, I beg you to tell my aunt, I am completely loyal to her."


    Hongtao pushed her away and looked at Nanny Zhang falling to the ground, "Leave these words to me underground, take him away!"

 C80

    Hongtao stared coldly at Nanny Zhang, but her words were actually directed towards the servants, "Even though Aunt is kind, she will definitely not let those greedy people who stole the property of the manor off the hook. Today, Nanny Zhang is an example, in the future, all of you will stay by Eldest Miss''s side to serve you, and be more careful."


    She seemed to advise the servants to serve An Lingge properly, but in reality, she was trying to kill the chickens for the monkeys to see.


    The Nanny Zhang had been in the palace for so many years, and was even the young miss''s milk nanny. Then what about these common servants? Should she go to her aunt''s side early and ask for peace?


    The servants'' minds buzzed, and they all had different expressions on their faces.


    Hongtao looked at them with satisfaction, then brought the guards and brought them out of the Parasol House.


    Bi Zhu was in the house, watching Hongtao take the people away, but she didn''t stop her. Instead, she happily poured tea for her young miss, "An old servant like Nanny Zhang, who only eats food and drinks from the inside, should get rid of her and see how she will continue to use her seniority here to inform her aunt."


    An Lingge tapped her forehead, "Oh you, I''m afraid you''ve long hoped that Nanny Zhang would be chased out of the Parasol House."


    "In front of Aunt, I said that I was taught by Nanny Zhang to keep my head down and pretend to be a good girl, but Aunt couldn''t touch me right now, so she would definitely make a move on Nanny Zhang. But Nanny Zhang was also not someone who would easily accept her fate. She had worked for Aunt for so many years, she must have known many of Aunt''s secrets. Bi Zhu, let''s go to Grandmother''s place and plead for Nanny Zhang. "


    Hearing her words, Bi Zhu suddenly understood.


    All these years, Madam Li had bribed the Nanny Zhang to do some work for her, and more or less, she would reveal some information.


    The two of them walked towards Qingfeng Courtyard in a hurry.


    Bi Zhu followed behind An Lingge, and as they walked, she shouted out, "Young miss, walk slowly, the Nanny Zhang won''t be sent to the officials by the concubine that quickly, she will definitely ask the madame for her opinion."


    An Lingge didn''t even turn her head around, "Nanny Zhang raised me single-handedly. Even though I''m a servant, in my heart, I''m like family. I must go and beg Grandmother so that Grandmother can spare Nanny Zhang. "


    The Madam Li was able to make an example out of everyone in their courtyard, acting as if she held the power of life and death, why couldn''t they act as if they were magnanimous servants running errands for their servants?


    It was unknown which side the human heart would lean towards.


    In Qingfeng Courtyard, the old mistress had just lain down when she was called up by a maidservant.


    "Madame, concubine has sent word that the thief who stole the property from the warehouse has been apprehended. I would like to ask what are you going to do with it."


    It''s just a little thief, Madam Li can deal with it however she wants, why must she come to disturb my peace?


    After several incidents yesterday, the old mistress was disturbed after taking a nap. The old mistress was extremely impatient, but she still had her maidservants wait on her as she arrived at the front hall.


    She sat on the chair and looked at Nanny Zhang, who was being escorted by a few guards.


    "Is this the thief you caught?"


    Madam Li bent forward with a gentle smile on her face, "Responding to the madame, today my servant went to find Nanny Zhang to say a few words. Who knew that she would come across with all the stolen goods and was preparing to sneak out of the house."


    Hongtao followed beside her and immediately agreed, "Reporting to the Old Madam, it was this servant who found out about the thief who stole the treasures in the residence. He called for the guards and caught her red-handed."


    "Since that''s the case, send her to the government. Deal with her as she should. There is no need to ask me." "Madam Li, you''re in charge of the Prince An''s Palace. Naturally, you know what to report to me, and what to decide for yourself. If you have to even report such a small matter to me, then what is the point in having you control Prince An''s Palace? "


    "The old mistress'' teachings are correct." Madam Li was punished to kneel for a whole day, she then understood the position of the old lady, and became more obedient, "It''s just that this old servant''s identity is not normal, she is the young miss''s milk nanny, I''m afraid to quickly take care of her, the young miss is probably unhappy with that."


    The old mistress raised her eyebrows, a little surprised. "Oh, so it''s the milk nanny by the big girl''s side."


    Her sharp eyes swept across Nanny Zhang''s body, "She seems to be a nimble person, how could she do such a thing?"


    "Yeah, if it wasn''t for Hongtao coincidentally seeing her holding these stolen goods, I wouldn''t believe that the Nanny Zhang was a person with dirty hands and feet." Madam Li smiled warmly, "It''s just that, did she receive an order in the end ¡­"


    "Nonsense!" "The big lass has a kind heart, she doesn''t have that many thoughts, why did she order the milk nanny by her side to steal the property in the house?"


    Madam Li kept her mouth shut, but she was secretly laughing in her heart.


    No matter what, she had planted a seed of doubt in the madame''s heart. If she wanted to side with An Lingge in the future, she would have to think about it carefully.


    The two of them talked and was about to send Nanny Zhang to the officials when An Lingge suddenly walked in.


    "Little Ge greets Grandmother."


    She bowed deeply to Old Madem Xiang, then looked at him. She spoke with some difficulty, "Grandmother, Little Ge begs of you to let Nanny Zhang go."


    When the old mistress heard her words, her expression darkened. "Eldest girl, do you know what you''re saying?"


    "Little Ge knows." An Lingge nodded her head, "Today, when Aunt''s servant had someone capture Nanny Zhang, Little Ge was still in the house."


    "But Grandmother, Nanny Zhang is definitely not that kind of person to steal treasures. Although she is my milk nanny, she is the son of our Prince An''s Palace, and has been serving in the palace since a young age. Her every word and action are well-trained in the palace, how could she possibly do such a thing? She must have been wronged. Grandmother, please let her have her innocence. "


    Nanny Zhang is actually a child of the family?


    The old mistress fell silent for a moment, as though she had remembered something.


    Back then, Princess An was just a commoner who by a fluke married into the Duke''s Palace, but she did not even have a servant by her side. This Nanny Zhang was even chosen from the maids and given to her.


    Since he was the son of the family, he should ask about this matter.


    The old mistress shot a glance at the maidservant by her side, "Release Nanny Zhang and let her explain what happened."


    That won''t do!


    Madam Li was surprised, and immediately wanted to stop him, but the guard had already released Nanny Zhang, and even took out the rag that covered her mouth.


    "I beg the madame to avenge my servant!"

 C81

    Nanny Zhang was free now, and immediately kneeled onto the ground with tears flowing down her face, "This old servant has some relationship with Miss Hongtao, and today she came to see me with a parcel. This old servant did not take it seriously, but who knew that Miss Hongtao actually gave the package to me, and then called for the guards, saying that this old servant was stealing the property in the manor, and tied up this old servant without even giving me the chance to explain myself!"


    As if afraid that she would not have the chance to explain herself, the old lady''s face darkened when she heard Nanny Zhang''s words, fast and clear.


    Madam Li angrily glared at Nanny Zhang from the side, her beautiful face warped a little, "You crafty slave, a few days ago your grandson was too sick, I gave you an exception to give you a long vacation, and now that you have returned to the house, you actually scampered around and bit my servant like that? I never thought that you would actually be a person who repays kindness with hatred! "


    She pointed at Nanny Zhang and cursed, but she could not say anything else.


    Nanny Zhang looked as if someone had strangled her throat, her face instantly became deathly pale, and she became mute, unable to say a word.


    How could she forget that her family was in the hands of the Madam Li?


    If he had bitten Madam Li out, his grandson might be killed by the Madam Li.


    An Lingge opened her mouth at the right time to criticize the Madam Li, "The Nanny Zhang is just a wet behind the ears nanny, Aunt you framed her like this, and even threatened her family''s grandson, what are your intentions?"


    "Eldest Miss''s words really make one''s heart turn cold." "I am in charge of the Prince An''s Palace, and I have to take charge of all the large and small matters in this house. Now that I have found the thief who stole the property from the warehouse, of course I have to punish her. First Miss, you don''t need to blindly protect the servants by your side."


    "Moreover, First Miss doesn''t know that a servant of the Nanny Zhang, a child born in a family, was once only betrothed to a steward of the accounts. Now, there is actually a three-way house, and even more so a hundred acres of fertile land. If it were not for the fact that her hands and feet were dirty and she had stolen all the treasures in the manor, how would she have possessed these things? "


    The Countess was shocked upon hearing this. The capital was not easy to get, even ordinary people might not be able to afford a courtyard. How could the Nanny Zhang, a servant, buy such a large sum of money?


    An Lingge did not dare believe it as she looked at Nanny Zhang, her eyes filled with disappointment and sorrow, "Nanny Zhang, did you really steal something from the house, and go and purchase some property?"


    She frowned as her expression turned ugly, "If you lack anything, then I have never treated you unfairly in my courtyard. Why do you have to do this kind of thing and bring disaster upon yourself?"


    The old lady heard her meaning and understood that this had nothing to do with her. An Lingge was also kept in the dark.


    "You don''t need to say anymore, big girl. It is because I don''t know anyone well that I put such a greedy guy by your mother''s side, allowing her to grow her appetite and dare to be so selfish."


    Although Madam Li still wanted to pull An Lingge down to the bottom, she knew that this girl was slippery, and could not catch hold of her weakness at all. She could only follow the old lady''s words, "The old lady is right, this kind of tricky slave is not worthy of Eldest Miss pleading for her.


    An Lingge looked at Nanny Zhang with a bit of sadness, unwilling to part with her, but finally forced herself to turn her head. "Since Nanny Zhang made a mistake, I shouldn''t interfere no matter how Grandmother and Aunt punish me.


    She slowly left Qingfeng Courtyard, her back carrying a few traces of loneliness.


    The Old Mistress sighed in her heart, but still ordered the Madam Li to send her to the officials.


    On the side, the moment An Lingge returned to her room, a servant reported that Mu Junhan had arrived at the Duke Palaces.


    "Why did Hereditary Prince Mu come?"


    Before An Lingge could speak, Bi Zhu asked first.


    The servant girl that came to pass the message was the one who had been monitoring Nanny Zhang that day and also had the heart to change the child. She was a quick-witted person, and had asked about the matter very early on.


    "I heard that this time the Hereditary Prince is here for Na Cai, she has already reached the front hall, and the Prince has already gone to see the Hereditary Prince, does young miss want to take a look?"


    After all, he was the young miss''s future husband. It would be good to see him a few more times and improve their relationship.


    With that thought in mind, An Lingge stood up and prepared to leave.


    The front hall was filled with betrothal gifts, each box packed to the brim, reflecting the red silk cloth. At a glance, one could tell that he was overjoyed.


    Na Cai''s Hongyan''s feet were tied up by a red cloth and placed on top of a box. That Hongyan flapped her wings twice, and after being glanced at by Mu Junhan, she obediently stayed where she was.


    An Lingge''s figure appeared in her pupils, her beautiful red at first glance.


    Because of the Na Cai, he was dressed in bright red silk robes with five lollipops on the outside. It was originally extremely difficult to keep up, but it didn''t look awkward on him. It only added to his seductive appearance.


    When the red color was worn on his body, it made Mu Junhan''s snow-white skin and black hair look extraordinary. The slight curve of his lips seemed to be able to suck away a person''s soul.


    She was standing outside the hall, and was coincidentally seen by Mu Junhan.


    An Yingcheng was talking to Mu Junhan right now, and when she saw him turn his head, he subconsciously followed his gaze.


    A moment later, he laughed out loud, "Why is Hereditary Prince so engrossed in this, it turns out... Hehe, you two have already met, and will be husband and wife in the future, why not take this opportunity to let my daughter bring Hereditary Prince to the flower garden for a walk, what does Hereditary Prince think? "


    "Then, thank you Prince An for your good intentions." Mu Junhan smiled sincerely, he cupped his hands towards An Yingcheng and walked towards him.


    He stood in front of An Lingge, so handsome that it would cause one''s face to redden and thump hard, yet a slender figure was reflected in his phoenix eyes, and his expression was full of seriousness, "I wonder if this Miss An is willing to bring me to the garden to enjoy the scenery?"


    "Naturally." An Lingge was dignified, polite and distant. It was as if the two of them had never interacted before.


    Mu Junhan followed beside her, maintaining a certain distance from An Lingge, and observed the fake mountain and flowing water pavilion filled with Prince An''s Palace.


    Once he reached the garden, he crept closer, and his deep and mellow voice sounded out by An Lingge''s side, "I have already laid down my betrothal gift, the marriage date is set for next June."


    An Lingge glanced back at him, met his eyes, and smiled, "So what does Hereditary Prince Mu want to say?"


    "Miss An should understand what this Hereditary Prince means." He drew closer to An Lingge, and her expression actually carried a bit of grievance and dissatisfaction, "Your Majesty''s imperial edict obviously wanted to grant you a marriage with me, but it ended up setting the date for the wedding a year later.

 C82

    I love you.


    These words fell into the bottom of An Lingge''s heart, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, or like a gentle breeze blowing against a willow tree, causing it to throb faintly.


    She opened her palm, and a whistle appeared in Mu Junhan''s eyes.


    "I don''t know if the emperor tormented the Hereditary Prince, but I was planning to return the whistle to you, and then suddenly change my mind."


    An Lingge raised his eyes and looked at Mu Junhan, his eyes looking extremely clever and mischievous.


    Mu Junhan was stunned for a moment at first, then the smile on his lips widened until it revealed eight neatly white teeth, shining with a dazzling light under his eyes.


    He pulled Bi Zhu away, lowered his head to look at An Lingge, held her shoulders with both hands, and slowly pressed his lips against hers.


    After a moment, he stood up, his dark eyes filled with nostalgia.


    As intelligent and nimble as he was, he naturally had already noticed that An Lingge was determined to break the engagement with him.


    But An Lingge saying such words meant that she liked him too, so she changed his mind. She didn''t plan to cancel the engagement with her and instead wanted the marriage to be smooth sailing.


    was naturally overjoyed that the person she liked also liked her, and couldn''t help but kiss her on the lips.


    The woman''s soft lips carried a sweet smell that made Mu Junhan want to eat her marrow and savor her taste. He really wanted to marry the person in front of him right now into his house and have her become his.


    His gaze swept across An Lingge''s lips as he smiled at the corner of his eyes, "Since you''ve changed your mind, then you can take this whistle with ease. Leave the rest to me."


    Regardless of what kind of thoughts the emperor had, whether he was testing the two palaces or giving them a marriage contract, he only cared about strengthening his own power so that the emperor would not dare to rashly touch him. Only then would he be able to protect An Lingge.


    With a light smack, An Lingyi broke the flower stalk in her hand.


    The jealousy in her heart grew like wild grasses, as if someone had set fire to her heart. The wild grasses immediately spread the flames, causing An Lingyi''s eyes to turn red.


    Why, why? An Lingge, that slut, was born into the Prince An''s Palace, and everything came down to a head. It was so easy for the Princess An to die, but An Lingge was instigated into doing nothing, while I, who was proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy and painting, was bestowed a marriage by the Emperor, yet the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace still chose An Lingge!


    What was even more hateful was that this shameless bitch, An Lingge, had already promised to meet him before their marriage, and had even blatantly seduced him, causing him to look at her with such deep emotions.


    That kind of gaze could only be hers, and Hereditary Prince Mu could only be hers!


    An Lingyi clenched her teeth hard, the flower in her hand was squashed into pieces by her, then dropped to the ground and stomped twice, as though the flower was An Lingge, to vent the jealousy and hatred in her heart.


    "What is Third Miss doing? It was one thing for the third young miss to pick such a beautiful flower, but why did she have to ravage her like this? Could it be that the unpleasantness of the flower has obstructed your eyesight? "


    When he saw An Lingyi tearing and stepping on a flower, he couldn''t help but exclaim as he walked over.


    She did not truly pity this flower, but it was because An Lingyi was the daughter of the Madam Li that she had come to cause trouble.


    An Lingyi retracted her gaze from the flower, looked at Madam Wang, her expression a little cold, "Second Aunt is not going to manage the warehouse, instead, I have the intention to stroll around the garden. If anything happens to the warehouse, Second Aunt will not be able to get away."


    At this moment, she already knew that the thief who stole from the treasury had been captured by the Madam Li. When she heard what An Lingyi had said, she only thought that she was ridiculing herself for being useless, that she couldn''t even catch a small thief.


    She chuckled twice, "Before, something happened in the warehouse, but because I just returned there and was not familiar with the things here, that thief took advantage of this opportunity to steal property. Currently, the warehouse is very calm, and nothing happened."


    "On the other hand, Aunt Li, ah, the Third Miss doesn''t care about Aunt Li either. She is your mother after all, and after the Aunt Li received her punishment, the Third Miss actually had never once looked at her. I wonder if the Aunt Li is having fun as well."


    This aunt was punished?


    An Lingyi was shocked. She had caught a cold in the water yesterday, and after waking up, she had drunk some medicine and slept soundly for an entire day. She actually did not know about this.


    "How could an aunt be punished? She''s been in charge of the palace for so many years and has never made a mistake. Who would dare to punish an aunt?" An Lingyi glared at Madam Wang and arrogantly raised his chin, "Don''t think that you can lie to me like that."


    "Aiya, Third Young Miss, will Second Aunt use this matter to deceive you?" Now that she has to use this matter to provoke An Lingyi, she is full of interest, "I don''t know, but a few Aunt Li s called the Second Young Miss to her courtyard yesterday, and I don''t know what they said. The Second Young Miss went back to her own courtyard and found a piece of white silk to hang herself on, and almost ended up like this."


    The young miss of the house, Jin Zunyu, was so precious that if something happened, others would be terrified for a long time, let alone An Lingxue, who was deeply loved by the old lady. Because the old lady almost killed herself when Madam Li said that, the old lady was naturally angry, and punished the Madam Li instead.


    An Lingyi naturally understood this logic, she still did not dare believe it, but her face was already half believing and half doubting, "Aunt really received punishment?"


    "Of course." Madam Wang nodded his head, and continued, "However, Third Miss does not need to worry too much. Li Mo Niang was merely punished by this old man to kneel in the Ancestral Hall, and she came out early today. Compared to Second Miss losing half her life, this punishment is truly very light."


    An Lingyi naturally understood this logic, she still did not dare believe it, but her face was already half believing and half doubting, "Aunt really received punishment?"


    "Of course." Madam Wang nodded his head, and continued, "But Third Miss does not need to worry too much. Aunt Li was merely punished by the Old Madam to kneel at the ancestral hall, and had to come out early this morning.


    What kind of punishment was this? If An Lingxue wanted to court death, could she blame it on his concubine? It was obviously because the madame was biased and wanted to punish the concubine!


    The more An Lingyi thought about it, the angrier she got. Her eyes were filled with anger, "Where''s Aunt? I''m going to see her. "


    Madam Wang stood in front of her, neither hurried nor slow, "Third young miss, why are you in such a hurry? Aunt Li brought the thief who stole from the mansion to the old mistress early in the morning, she should be fine."


    How could An Lingyi listen to her words? She was used to being so pampered in the palace, and with the Madam Li and An Yingcheng''s help, she could do whatever she wanted. Now that her Madam Wang was in front of her, she angrily pushed the main house open, "Get out of the way!"


    But unexpectedly, her Madam Wang was pushed down to the ground, and blood started to seep out from the bottom of her body.

 C83

    Madam Wang only felt a pain in his stomach, as though something warm was flowing out from under his body.


    Subconsciously, she reached out to touch it and actually touched the blood on her hand.


    "Blood, blood!" An Lingyi had already screamed out, and retreated a step while trembling.


    She never would have thought that just because she casually pushed him, his Madam Wang would bleed.


    Seeing that there was more and more blood being poured out, and that Madam Wang was starting to turn pale, An Lingyi finally realized that something was amiss and anxiously asked the maid to bring a doctor over.


    "Second Madam is pregnant now."


    doctor cupped her hands towards the old lady, her expression respectful and serious, "However, Second Madam suffered an external shock, causing the fetus in her abdomen to be unstable, thus showing signs of having a low birth rate. Fortunately, it''s not serious this time, so I gave him some medicine to calm his fetus, so Second Madam has to pay more attention in the future."


    "Bodhisattva bless me!" The Countess pressed a hand to her chest and heaved a sigh of relief. She gave the maidservant a meaningful glance and the maidservant immediately followed doctor out.


    An Lingyi stood at the side at a loss of what to do, she did not dare look at the Old Mistress'' eyes, and even took two steps back and hid behind Madam Li.


    Seeing that, the Old Mistress was even more disappointed, her sharp eyes looked past the Madam Li and landed on An Lingyi''s body.


    "Evil creature!"


    She shouted angrily, and the cane in her hand struck the ground, producing a clear sound, "Start to push your seniors, is this your upbringing as a Young Miss of the Prince An''s Palace? In my three generations of Prince An''s Palace, there has never been a person like you, who disrespected and disrespected your elders and defied them! "


    An Lingyi opened her mouth to retort, but after seeing the madame''s angry gaze, she finally felt guilty and lowered her head, not daring to speak.


    "Fortunately, Second Brother''s family suffered from shock this time and no accidents occurred. Otherwise, you can scram to the Manor and retire. Our Prince An''s Palace will not be able to support such a proud and arrogant person like you!"


    The old lady''s chest was moving up and down. An Lingxue immediately walked to the old lady''s side and helped her calm down.


    "Grandmother, don''t be angry and hurt your body. It''s not worth it." "Second Aunt was just shocked this time, but no accidents happened, which is already extremely lucky. Grandma scolded Third Sister a few times, to let her have a long memory, if she got angry and injured her body, Little Xue would definitely feel pain in her heart."


    An Lingxue had always been close to the old lady, when the old lady heard her words, the anger on her face faded a little, but her eyes still contained some anger, "With Little Xue begging for mercy for you, I will forgive you this time. If you continue acting unreasonable next time ¡­"


    "Old madam, don''t worry. Yi Er already knows that she made a mistake and will definitely not make any other mistakes." The Madam Li pulled at the corner of An Lingyi''s clothes, pulling her out from behind him, and looked at her.


    "Grandmother, I was in the wrong this time, causing Second Aunt to fall and almost lose her child. If you want to beat or punish him, Yi Er will not complain."


    She was used to being arrogant and domineering. At this moment, she lowered her head in front of the madame, looking a little regretful.


    The old lady looked at the Madam Wang lying on the bed, her tone no longer containing the previous anger. Instead, she brought up the idea of gently putting it down, "Second sister, I''ll get the third girl to apologize to you. What do you think?"


    Madam Wang was still lying on the bed, his lips were still somewhat pale.


    If An Lingyi did not push her, she would not know that she was pregnant, but An Lingyi had almost caused her to lose her baby!


    Madam Wang''s hands clenched tightly, even towards the old lady, he was unable to show any kind of expression, but it was rare for him to not be straightforward like before. Instead, he used a handkerchief to wipe away his tears, "Third Young Miss almost harmed the child in my stomach, how can the old lady let her off so easily? If something were to happen to the child in my stomach, how can I face the old master?


    Since the ancestors had already brought it out, this matter could not be resolved so easily.


    Even though the Old Madam felt that her Madam Wang was impetuous and did not know how to retreat, but she knew that her Madam Wang had suffered a grievance today, and because she was pregnant with a child, she could not complain about her Madam Wang at all. Thus, she could only follow her orders and began to punish An Lingyi, "Forget it, I should just let the third girl suffer, so that she can remember better in the future."


    She looked at An Lingyi with no expression on her face, "Third sister will go to the ancestral hall and be punished to kneel for three days. Besides clean water, you will not be allowed to eat anything, and no one will be allowed to send food to her.


    An Lingyi suddenly raised her head, it was fine for him to kneel for three days, but she was still not allowed to eat, the old lady was too ruthless.


    Dissatisfaction appeared in her eyes, she almost wanted to stand up and argue with the old lady, but Madam Li pinched her arm tightly, she could only nod her head with tears, "Yi Er understands."


    Only then did the old lady sit beside Madam Wang, and pat her hands, "Third sister already knows her fault, rest in peace and take care of your body, you must never have another accident."


    The manor had not experienced such a joyous occasion in many years, and the old mistress was very happy that her Madam Wang was able to conceive.


    Madam Wang nodded his head, his lips curling into a smile. "Old Madam, don''t worry. My daughter-in-law will take good care of herself, and not let those villains harm the child in my stomach."


    As for who the villain she was referring to was, everyone present was well aware.


    An Lingyi''s gaze swept across Madam Wang''s stomach, dark and gloomy, and looked a little scary.


    But Madam Wang didn''t notice, she only felt that An Lingyi had taken her punishment and retracted her arrogant arrogance. She heaved a sigh of relief in her heart, as if the pain from losing so much blood just now had stopped.


    Only then did the Old Granny get up to leave. The two of them had really had a lot of things to deal with, first, the banquet had messed up, and then, the third and fourth girls fell into the water. Then, the Madam Li beat the second girl to death, causing the second girl to be unable to think properly and almost commit suicide.


    Thinking about it carefully, these few things seemed to be related to the Madam Li and her daughter.


    While the old mistress was walking, she was also lost in her thoughts. Her brows slightly knitted, and her disgust towards the Madam Li and her daughter increased a little.


    No matter what, it was time to invite a Taoist to the mansion for some bad luck.


    She secretly made a decision, and her back figure disappeared from everyone''s sight.


    "Today''s matter was only caused by my carelessness. I admit my wrongs, Second Aunt actually wanted our grandmother to punish me, but I don''t know if I should do this to the child in my womb."

 C84

    Although Madam Wang was impetuous, he wasn''t the kind of person who would simply ignore everything when provoked by others.


    Now that An Lingyi had stuck her tongue at her, she merely smiled at him complacently, "Third Miss, please don''t say such words to provoke me. If I were to lose my temper, I''m afraid that I would have to find Third Miss to punish me."


    "Yi Er was just kind enough to advise Second Madam, and make the Second Madam take note of the child in his belly. How can he use words to provoke you? As expected of a person with a body, thinking too much is easy."


    The Madam Li''s tone was soft and gentle, yet she stopped from speaking any further. It was originally An Lingyi provoking her with her words, but when she spoke of it, An Lingyi actually misunderstood her out of good intentions.


    Madam Wang didn''t want to talk much with Madam Li, she only smiled meaningfully at her, "No matter what, Third Young Miss needs to pay attention to her own words and actions. Right now, the Old Madam is punishing Third Young Miss for kneeling for only three days in the ancestral hall, if Third Young Miss makes another mistake, I don''t know what to do next time."


    Madam Li also pursed her lips, their gazes clashing in the air as they quietly clashed. "Second Madam, don''t worry, there will never be a day like this."


    After she finished speaking, she brought An Lingyi and left, purposely giving him thick clothes before watching him be brought into the Ancestral Hall.


    An Lingge kept quiet and did not make a sound until the rest left. Only then did she take out a jade green medicinal bottle from her sleeve.


    "Second Aunt having a body, this is a joyous occasion for the family. I should have told the kitchen to pay attention to Second Aunt''s food, but unfortunately, I can only bring some medicine to nourish Third Aunt''s body, I can''t do anything else."


    She passed the medicine bottle to the servant beside Madam Wang, her gaze warm and kind, "This medicine is what I usually use to nourish my body, Second Aunt might as well give it a try."


    "Little Ge is still the most considerate." "I will remember your kindness towards the Second Aunt. In this entire palace, only you know how to be considerate and considerate."


    She had two sons by her side, and her family was of great influence. She sat as the mistress of the second house very steadily.


    If it weren''t for the second master''s fancy heart, the days of the Madam Wang could be said to be perfect.


    But no matter how great his power and position was, there was still no one who cared about him. Now that he was pregnant, his Madam Wang was a little sentimental, and thinking about this matter, he couldn''t help but feel some regret.


    An Lingge laughed out loud, a pair of black bright eyes curved into Yue Ya, "Third Aunt must be joking, what is most considerate of you, isn''t it in your stomach?"


    "doctor said just now, Aunt is already almost two months pregnant, but there has never been that kind of vomiting before. This is because little brother is afraid that you will suffer."


    Her words were clever, Madam Wang also laughed, she pulled An Lingge and spoke for a good while, then got the servant to send him back.


    As An Lingge passed by the side courtyard, a servant girl suddenly crashed into him, the things in her hands instantly falling to the ground.


    When she saw who it was, her face changed drastically and she quickly kneeled on the ground, "First Miss, please forgive me. This servant was in a hurry, and did not see Eldest Miss here. It was this servant''s fault that I ran into you."


    An Lingge''s gaze fell on the coal that was scattered on the ground, her expression still indifferent: "Which courtyard''s servant are you from?"


    "This servant, this servant is, this servant is the servant girl beside Aunt Wei." When the servant girl spoke those words, she quickly lowered her head.


    Aunt Wei?


    An Lingge chewed on this name in her heart, feeling that it was a little familiar.


    Bi Zhu remembered, and went close to An Lingge''s side, speaking in a low voice, "Miss, Aunt Wei was originally a maid by the princess''s side. When the princess was pregnant with her, she gave birth to a child, and when the princess was pregnant with her, they gave birth to her. After that, the Aunt Li entered the palace, and the Aunt Wei stayed in the side courtyard all year round, not coming out even after the festivals."


    So that''s how it was.


    An Lingge nodded, and warned the servant, "Since you are a servant from Aunt Wei, then you should be more careful in the future, don''t be so reckless."


    This time, the servant girl bumped into her, she did not care about the matters, but if the servant girl bumped into An Lingyi, she would be in deep trouble.


    The maidservant hurriedly nodded, "Yes yes, this servant will remember. Thank you for forgiving me, Eldest Miss."


    She put away the scattered coal and was about to return when a gentle voice rang out, "Spring Apricot, why are you still here? Yu''er has already waited for a long time."


    When she saw An Lingge, the gentle smile on her face froze. "Eldest Miss, are you Eldest Miss?"


    She spent most of her time in her own yard. Even if she came out for a walk every now and then, she would only wander around the perimeter of the yard. Other than the few people in her yard, she barely saw anyone else.


    Now that he suddenly saw An Lingge, the Aunt Wei was startled for a moment. Very quickly, he saw who the person was from the familiar face.


    An Lingge looked towards the direction of the voice, to see the delicate and pretty face of Aunt Wei.


    In her previous life, Aunt Wei practically never walked out of her own courtyard, and the feeling of existence in the Duke Palaces was extremely low.


    If not for the fact that he coincidentally met her today, An Lingge would never have thought of her.


    However, she bumped into Aunt Wei and nodded, then turned and greeted him, "Aunt Wei hasn''t come out of her own courtyard in a long time, right?"


    Her words caused the Aunt Wei to instantly turn red in the eyes. He looked at An Lingge with both excitement and enthusiasm, "Yes, I don''t really like to walk around. It''s also been a few years since I''ve seen Eldest Miss."


    Actually, it wasn''t that she had a quiet personality, it was just that when Madam Li entered the residence and took control of the Prince An''s Palace, Aunt Wei was unable to raise her head due to the pressure from the Madam Li.


    She had also requested to see the big miss, but before her servant had even entered the Parasol House, she had already been forced back by the people from Madam Li, or she could simply say that the big miss was busy, and did not want her to see the big miss.


    She took out a handkerchief and wiped the corner of her eyes, but her face was full of joy, "In the blink of an eye, young miss has grown so much. She looks so similar to young mistress."


    The lady she was referring to was naturally the Princess An. An Lingge looked at her somewhat worn out handkerchief and her brows slightly knitted.


    "Aunt Wei has always been living in her own courtyard, and never saw me for a few years. Naturally, she feels that I''ve grown up very quickly," she pursed her lips, as her expression became gentler, "It''s just that your days here in this side courtyard didn''t seem too good."


    Aunt Wei reflexively moved her hand behind him, the smile on her face was tinged with embarrassment, "I was living a good life in the side courtyard, thank you Miss for your concern."

 C85

    After An Lingge heard what the Aunt Wei said, her gaze landed on the scattered coal.


    It was already February, but the capital was located in the northern part of the Dazhou Kingdom. The air was still chilly, and charcoal was burning in the various courtyards of the Prince An''s Palace.


    Because it was the Duke''s Mansion, the coal used was naturally good quality silver charcoal, but the maid Chun Xing was only carrying some poor quality charcoal, and even the Aunt Wei''s handkerchief was worn out. This situation was obviously being harshly treated, how could she live a good life like this?


    An Lingge was about to say something when she saw the Aunt Wei hurriedly bring her servant, Chun Xing, to salute her, "I still have some matters to attend to, so I''ll be returning to my own courtyard. I can''t entertain Eldest Miss, I hope Eldest Miss won''t take it to heart."


    It was as if she was very afraid to see him, but when she saw his expression just now, she was clearly very happy, but she didn''t know why.


    An Lingge''s heart was filled with suspicions, but she still waved her hand as she watched Aunt Wei go further and further away.


    Returning to her own courtyard, An Lingge asked Bi Zhu to look into the situation of the Aunt Wei in the recent years.


    Bi Zhu''s movements were quick, she returned two hours later and told her the information she had gathered.


    Aunt Wei moved to the side courtyard three months after Madam Li entered the residence. She had always lived in seclusion and didn''t interact with outsiders.


    Prince An would occasionally go to her courtyard on a whim, and spend the night there every two months. Seven years ago, Aunt Wei was pregnant, and safely gave birth to a boy.


    Even though he had given birth to a child, the Aunt Wei did not make a scene. She continued to live her life in the side courtyard as if this person did not exist in her home.


    As An Lingge listened to the message that Bi Zhu had sent over, she lightly tapped the table with her hand, producing a slow and rhythmic knocking sound.


    "It sounds like Aunt Wei is a soft and gentle person."


    Bi Zhu immediately nodded her head at the side, her expression still carrying some sympathy. "That''s right, this servant heard that in these past few years, Aunt Li has been changing the way she treats the children born from Aunt Wei and Aunt Wei, it''s just that Aunt Wei has a soft temper and never makes noise."


    An Lingge had already carefully thought about these things just now. She absentmindedly remembered that when her mother had just passed away and Madam Li had just entered the palace, it was Aunt Wei who had always been taking care of her.


    But after that, the Madam Li relied on the fact that the Imperial Noble Consort Li s were favored by the palace to suppress the Aunt Wei s, forcing them to the side yard.


    At that time, she was too young to notice the struggle between the two of them. She only knew that after that, Madam Li always had a kind mother in front of him and even said a lot of bad things about the Aunt Wei in her ears without leaving a trace, lecturing him not to meet this person who had been taking care of him.


    These distant memories that were buried deep within her memories surfaced together with the appearance of the Aunt Wei in her mind.


    She thought about how Aunt Wei had done her best to serve her mother in the past and how she was still doted on by her father as an aunt. However, she was deceived by the Madam Li and ignored him, allowing him to bully her and make her unable to live a peaceful life in the side courtyard.


    An Lingge''s finger that was holding onto the table suddenly stopped, her gaze fell on the teacup on the table, and her eyes lit up.


    "There are too many troubles at home today, so Grandmother will definitely be extremely worried. Bi Zhu, come, bring Grandmother some of the scented tea that I dried a few days ago and send them over."


    Although Bi Zhu did not know what her young miss wanted to do, she would never refute her master''s words. After hearing what was said, she hurriedly packed up a bag of scented tea and followed An Lingge to the Old Mistress'' courtyard.


    "Why is the big girl here?" The madame sat on a chair, her eyes half-closed. Behind her, a maidservant was giving her a punch on the back.


    An Lingge bowed at the old lady, her smile gentle and gentle, "The past few days, there have been many accidents in the house. I thought Grandmother must be very tired, so I prepared some scented tea for you."


    The old mistress opened her eyes, looking a little tired but still smiling. "You ladies love to mess around with these tricks the most. Isn''t scented tea also tea? Do you think it''s worth it for you to bring it over?"


    "Grandmother, don''t underestimate this scented tea." Anling


    "My granddaughter has only recently learned this." An Lingge sat over with a smile, holding Old Song''s hand and pouting her lips, she smiled at the old lady, "This different kind of flower tea has different effects, for example, when the rose and the white chrysanthemum are paired, the tea that is brewed can help relieve the fatigue; the jasmine flower and the Bodhi seed flower can help calm one''s emotions and calm down, so Grandmother, drinking a cup before bed can help you relax your body and mind, making it easier for you to sleep peacefully."


    Only then did the old mistress raise her eyebrows, a smile appearing on her plump face. "How come I didn''t know that a girl like you could pull off such tricks?"


    An Lingge took the Old Granny''s hand, "I was thinking that since Grandmother is old, her body will not be as sturdy as before, so I wanted to learn something to help you take care of your body. Coincidentally, we met the Aunt Wei that day. She served by my mother''s side in the past and the scented tea she brewed was especially good. Thus, I learned a little from her. "


    An Lingge''s eyes shined with a black light as she leaned on the Old Mistress'' side, like a caring granddaughter.


    She then urged the maidservant by her side to make a pot of tea and personally poured it for the madame, "Grandmother, quickly try it. How is your grandson''s daughter''s culinary skills compared to Aunt Wei''s?"


    The old mistress teased her with a smile. The lid of the tea was removed and she took a sip of the scented tea.


    The sweet scent of Jasmine instantly spread across his lips, bringing with it a sweet taste of divinity, causing one''s entire body and mind to relax.


    "Good tea." The old mistress praised him as she took another sip of the tea. "I didn''t expect your tea to be so good at such a young age."


    An Lingge lowered her head and laughed, "It''s all because of how the Aunt Wei taught me. My tea ceremony isn''t even half as good as mine."


    The Old Mistress knew about Aunt Wei, but she hadn''t seen him for many years, so she reacted for a long time, "Are you talking about the Aunt Wei that stayed in the side courtyard all year round?"


    "Grandmother''s memory is really good, that Aunt Wei." An Lingge flattered the Old Mistress, and continued to smile, "Aunt Wei is a low-profile person, she was neither fighting nor fighting with others in the manor. If not for the fact that I met her once, I would have forgotten that there is such a person in our household."


    She pouted her lips in dissatisfaction. Her black eyes were clear and limpid, and her beautiful face did not look scheming at all, "This won''t do, Grandmother. You''ve already been in the manor for so long, how could Aunt Wei hide from you? How about you give the Aunt Wei an order for her to come make tea for you everyday? "


    An Lingge did not mention how the Aunt Wei was being treated, but was actually being treated for the sake of the Old Mistress.


    The old mistress paused for a moment as expected, obviously listening to what she said.

 C86

    Back then, when Princess An married into the palace, the old prince was still alive, and she did not lead the second and third branch family members back to the ancestral home.


    The old lady had a deep impression of her eldest son''s legal wife, and knew that Aunt Wei was originally a servant that served Princess An. However, she was carried away by Princess An and became his concubine.


    Hearing An Lingge mention it, Aunt Wei was actually proficient in the Way of Tea, the old lady was immediately interested.


    Everyone in the ancestral residence loved tea. After living there for more than ten years, the madame had developed a penchant for drinking tea. When she heard that someone was skilled in the art of tea, her mind began to work.


    "Has Aunt Wei had any free time recently?"


    She took a sip of her tea and felt her heart fill with the fragrance as the corners of her mouth widened.


    An Lingge''s face was full of smiles, her eyebrows curved upwards: "Aunt Wei is so relaxed, doing nothing in my courtyard all day, I am the most lazy person in the entire mansion. Grandmother, since you''ve returned to the manor, you should naturally urge her to not be so lazy. "


    The madame couldn''t help but laugh when she saw her little daughter acting like a spoiled child. She reached out and tapped her forehead gently, "You, if you want Aunt Wei to come to my side, just say so. You''re being so roundabout, trying to fool around with me, grandmother."


    "Grandmother, you are wrongly accusing me." An Lingge pretended to be angry, and poured another cup of tea for the old lady, then she explained in a serious tone, "Aunt Wei is not related to me in any way, why should I make plans for her? I said so much, it was just to let Grandmother drink the best scented tea possible, Little Ge heard the servants say that Grandmother has loved to drink tea especially, that''s why she remembered to ask Aunt Wei to wait on you. If you are unwilling, then pretend Little Ge didn''t mention this matter. "


    "Aiyo, our most sensible Little Ge is actually angry." The madame was clearly in a good mood, but she smiled and teased her, "Grandmother was just joking with you, why do you take it seriously? As for the Aunt Wei you mentioned, Grandmother has already thought about it. If her tea ceremony is really that good, I will make her come over every day for two hours.


    Although the Old Mistress did not know about the situation in Aunt Wei, from her granddaughter''s words, she knew what kind of life she was leading.


    To put it nicely, it was because his personality was so secluded that no one would fight him in the world. To put it bluntly, he would be beaten up to the point that he wouldn''t be able to fight back, and would only be able to live in the small courtyard.


    Since An Lingge had mentioned the Aunt Wei and wanted to help her, the Old Mistress did not mind going with her plan. After all, she did not like the Madam Li.


    The maidservants at the side quickly received the madame''s order, and before long, they arrived at the courtyard of the Aunt Wei, passing down her orders.


    "The madame wants me to wait in her room for two hours a day?"


    Aunt Wei looked at the servant girl in disbelief. She felt embarrassed and took out a few coins from her bosom and handed it over to the servant girl. "Do you know why the madame gave such an order?"


    The maidservant looked at the copper coin with disdain. She did not accept the copper coin. Instead, she pushed it back.


    "Aunt Wei''s house is too simple, it doesn''t even have a decent piece of furniture. The broken cup should have long been changed, if anyone else saw it now, they would think that our Duke Mansion has fallen to the state of using worn-out teacups."


    She had been brought up by a maidservant, so naturally, she didn''t have any dowry. Madame Li had secretly taken away the monthly allowance that should have belonged to her, leaving her short of income. It had taken her a very long time to save only a few copper coins.


    She laughed dryly and made an excuse for herself. "I don''t love those extravagant things. The cup was only knocked a little, so it doesn''t matter. There''s no other furniture in the room. It''s good."


    Thinking about something, she retracted her smile and looked at Aunt Wei seriously, her face looking more like she was trying to curry favor with him, "Aunt Wei is really stupid, the old lady wants you to come to her side to serve her, that is the great fortune, as long as you serve her well, even if you are dressed in fine clothing and food, you will definitely be part of her. Do you really want to stay in this side courtyard for the rest of your life? "


    She paused for a moment, her gaze swept across Aunt Wei''s conflicted expression, and continued to persuade him, "The chance is right in front of you, even if you don''t think for yourself, you still have to consider Young Master Yu''s future, this is the kindness that the First Miss Old Madem Xiang has requested, don''t let the First Miss down."


    This was actually the intention of the eldest young miss?


    Aunt Wei was shocked. She only felt that there was a mix of different feelings, and she couldn''t tell what she was feeling.


    She hesitated for a moment before making up her mind, "I will pack my things and go to Old Madem Xiang to greet them."


    The servant girl then smiled, "It''s good that Aunt Wei can understand. In the future, I might have to rely on you to show my face in front of the old mistress."


    Her words were meant as a form of flattery, the Aunt Wei clenched the handkerchief in her hands tightly and did not say a word.


    There weren''t many things in Aunt Wei, so Spring Apricot carefully checked over and over again with the bow, and a small parcel was already filled up all of her things.


    Inside the green bag were only a few pieces of old clothes along with two or three types of old-fashioned jewelry. The aunt of the Prince''s Mansion actually only had this little bit of wealth, so messing around with it was truly tragic.


    Spring Apricot''s eyes were already starting to tear up. He blinked his eyes and swallowed his tears back.


    With great difficulty, Aunt had a chance to gain power in front of the Old Mistress. Even if she could not please the Old Mistress, there would still be the Old Mistress to take care of her and not have to suffer the harsh humiliation of the Madam Li.


    Although he didn''t know why An Lingge was helping him, he calmly accepted this matter.


    The maidservant brought Aunt Wei to Qing Feng Yuan and blessed the Countess. She said respectfully, "Madam, this servant has already brought Aunt Wei here."


    The old lady was drinking tea with An Lingge, after hearing what he said, she put down her teacup and looked towards Aunt Wei.


    The person in front of him didn''t have a stunning appearance, only a face that was filled with the gentleness of a little girl from Jiangnan. It was somewhat clean and pleasant to look at.


    The old mistress'' gaze moved from her face and landed on Aunt Wei''s clothes, and her expression immediately turned dark.


    "What happened to your clothes?"

 C87

    Aunt Wei noticed the madame''s displeasure and quickly kneeled on the ground. "Please don''t be angry, madame. It''s not that I don''t respect you, but I must wear these half-worn clothes to come out. It was really ¡­ The clothes for the new spring are not ready yet. For the time being, I only have these half-worn clothes. "


    The clothes for the new spring had not been made, so it was unlikely that he would wear these old clothes!


    The old mistress'' face darkened, her eyes filled with malice. "I''ve seen your clothes for three or four years already. Could it be that you haven''t worn any new clothes these past three or four years?"


    To reply the madame, I have also sent a maid to ask her about the clothes. It''s just that the nanny beside her has always been pushing things aside, saying that there are too many things in the palace. The Aunt Li is extremely busy, so she told me to go back to my own courtyard and wait for news, then there would be no more information. The more Aunt Wei spoke, the more wronged she got. The pain in his heart from being suppressed by the Madam Li all these years surged to the top of his heart.


    The maidservant who brought her back immediately went to the Countess'' side and lowered her voice for a long time. It was likely that she had told her everything she had seen in the Aunt Wei Courtyard.


    When she heard that Aunt Wei had bribed the servant girl with a few copper coins, the Old Mistress was angry and amused at the same time.


    She hadn''t been in the palace for so many years, but the Madam Li actually dared to be so harsh on the palace''s aunt. Did he really think that just because his elder sister was the palace''s Imperial Noble Consort, she would be able to cover the sky with one hand?


    "Go and call Madam Li over. I want to see how busy she is. How did she become this house if she couldn''t even make Aunt''s clothes for three or four years."


    The servants immediately obeyed the madame''s orders and brought Madam Li over.


    The Madam Li had been operating in the Duke Palaces for so many years, so naturally they had many spies.


    Before she had even reached Qingfeng Courtyard, she had already known the whole story. She had even brought along the nanny beside her who was in contact with the Aunt Wei.


    As soon as she entered the room, she saw the madame''s gloomy face. Her gaze was like a knife, stabbing at her face until it hurt.


    "Madam Li, Aunt Wei said that her clothes haven''t been completed in three or four years, is this true?"


    "There''s actually such a thing?" Aunt Li was flabbergasted as she used a handkerchief to cover her lips, looking as if she did not know anything. "This humble one has never heard of such a thing, could it be that the old lady has misunderstood this humble one?"


    The old lady smirked and pointed to the clothes on Aunt Wei''s body, "Look at what Aunt Wei is wearing today. A set of old clothes is already the best she can take out. In the past few years, where have all the clothes that the estate had made for her been? "


    Madam Li refused to admit that she knew about this, "Old madam, I have always been taking care of the Duke''s Mansion and doing things according to the rules. Every season''s worth of clothes in Aunt Wei has been prepared by someone, it''s impossible that there wouldn''t be any left for the servants to send over."


    "Then tell me, she''s just an aunt, the teacups in the room are all broken, why can''t she change them?" Then tell me, she''s just an aunt, the teacups in the room are all broken, why can''t she change them? The Old Mistress would not be fooled by her just like that. If she caught this matter, she would have to discipline the Madam Li.


    The Madam Li appeared to be in a difficult situation, her beautiful face revealed a look of worry, "Madam, you don''t know whose house is lacking, and they all need to send their own people to report it to the steward. Aunt Wei herself did not report it, so how could I specially send someone to her house to see what was missing? "


    His words were smooth and smooth. The madame was angered by her and laughed. "So you don''t know anything then?"


    "I don''t know much about the Aunt Wei, please forgive me." Madam Li smiled slightly, the corners of her eyes were full of pride.


    She had gotten rid of Aunt Wei''s food and clothes all these years, and had thought that this person would be hiding in that small side courtyard, living a life without being noticed. Who would have thought that she would be in front of the old mistress?


    But so what? No matter how much Aunt Wei complained, she could still push it off cleanly. No matter what, Aunt Wei could not climb onto her body.


    Just as Madam Li was gleefully thinking this, she heard the old lady speak in a low voice, "The eldest is handing over the Duke''s Mansion to you to take care of, that is to trust your ability and your character. But now it seems that boss has made a mistake."


    "Aunt Wei doesn''t even have a decent piece of clothing or jewelry, yet you said that you didn''t know about it. That it was all done by the servants, and that you didn''t know how to solve the problem, only knowing how to shirk responsibility. Is this how you take care of this huge palace?"


    When Madam Li saw that the old lady doubted his ability, and recalled how he had been given the authority to manage the warehouse by Madam Wang, he felt that the other party did not come with good intentions. He became cautious, and pointed at nanny beside him.


    That''s why I brought my own grandson over here. She has been helping me handle the matters of concubines all year round, so the old mistress might as well ask her what exactly happened. "Feng Siniang said with a smile.


    The old mistress'' gaze landed on the nanny behind her. The nanny was about fifty years old and was dressed in green, with a silver hairpin on her head. She stood perfectly straight behind the Madam Li and had a grandeur that was even more impressive than the Aunt Wei as a master.


    There was coldness in her eyes, "nanny Sun, Aunt Li said that she will leave this matter to you. Tell me the whole story."


    The old mistress paused for a moment, and then lifted the corners of her lips, "If you can''t give me a reason ¡­"


    To reply the madame, "the nanny saluted towards the madame and had already thought of a solution," The clothes and furniture in the various courtyards are all given a certain amount. The old servant is also urging the steward to prepare everything for the masters as soon as possible.


    She glanced in the direction of the Aunt Wei and cried out for herself, "The distribution of items in each courtyard requires a matchup. If there is no match, then the steward is naturally not allowed to give anything. The cards in the courtyard of Aunt Wei disappeared without a trace three years ago. Even if the manager knew that she was the concubine of the family, without a match, he would not be able to hand over her clothes and accessories.


    Her words were very reasonable, making it impossible to find anything wrong with them.


    The Old Mistress looked at Aunt Wei, her eyes filled with questions, "That pair of cards you used, has it been lost for three years already?"

 C88

    If it was only a loss of the cards, Aunt Wei could have someone else create another one. It was not to the point that they wouldn''t have lost the cards, and their clothes and accessories, for the past three years.


    "The madame doesn''t know, that without this pair of cards, Aunt Wei originally did not even have a few days of burning charcoal, and this old servant was thinking of Young Master Yu being too young to endure the cold so he paid for it with some silver."


    She kept mentioning An Lingyu, "If I let young master Yu suffer from cold at such a young age, this old servant wouldn''t be able to bear the burden."


    Aunt Wei tightly clenched her hands by her side. She knew in her heart that nanny Sun was using An Lingyu to threaten her, wanting her to recognize all of the mistakes.


    She was used to being cowardly. In the past, as long as someone else was a little bit more forceful, she would swallow all the grievances in her heart and silently receive bullying.


    However, the opportunity he had today was something that the eldest young miss had fought for for him. He could not let the eldest young miss waste her efforts.


    She fought in her heart for a while and finally made up her mind. Her expression became resolute.


    She looked straight at nanny Sun, without the slightest hint of fear or hesitation, "I never thought that nanny Sun''s words, which could distort black and white, would actually be said so smoothly."


    "I''ve always had my cards on me. Aside from handing them over to Spring Apricot, I''ve never gotten rid of them, much less lost them. In the past few years, I''ve even sent maidservants to retrieve my cards, but I''ve never been able to get my hands on anything I should have."


    Aunt Wei took out something from her bosom. It was precisely her own battle, and she described everything that had happened in the past few years, one after another.


    First, the spring clothes were pushed and pushed, then the summer ice was only a little bit cold, and the amount of coal in the winter was not enough. "First, the spring clothes were pushed and pushed, and then the summer ice was only a little bit cold, and the winter coal was not enough.


    As Aunt Wei spoke, her tears fell, not because she was acting in front of everyone, but because she was truly sad.


    After so many years of being suppressed and treated harshly by the Madam Li, and having someone finally able to make decisions for him, Aunt Wei was both sad and happy.


    nanny Sun''s face instantly turned pale. She never would have thought that the usually timid Aunt Wei would dare to reveal her lies. She had obviously already threatened An Lingyu with her threats, could it be that Aunt Wei isn''t afraid of something happening to her son?


    The Countess could clearly see nanny Sun''s flustered expression. Whoever said the truth, who said the lies, would naturally be able to tell with a single glance.


    "nanny Sun is truly loyal." The calmness before the storm is often even more frightening, "To be able to make up such a lie in front of me, do you think that the Aunt Wei is weak and can be bullied? Do you think that it will follow your orders and smooth things out for you, or do you think that I am old and can be fooled with just a few words?"


    "This old servant dares not." nanny Sun hurriedly knelt on the ground, not even lifting her head, "It''s just that this old servant did hear from the servant girl in Aunt Wei''s courtyard that Aunt Wei''s match card was lost. I believe that this old servant found it recently."


    At this point, she didn''t forget to explain her lie, but the madame just laughed coldly in her heart, "How could you make such a coincidence? Aunt Wei has to get a copy of the rules, as well as a piece of silver from the moon, and it just went missing when she had the use of it. Now that pair of cards appeared out of nowhere again?"


    How could such a lie fool the madame?


    Madam Li secretly scolded nanny Sun for being too careless, for daring to lie about being exposed in front of the Old Granny. It was simply an extremely stupid lie!


    She was so angry that her chest felt stuffy, and her blood was surging up. However, she still let out a heavy cough, and glared fiercely at nanny Sun.


    nanny Sun received her signal and her brain immediately turned around. "Old madam is right, this servant also thinks that this matter is too much of a coincidence, as if someone intentionally set up my Aunt."


    These words implied that Aunt Wei did not want to take out the cards on purpose, and that it was time to put on a show in front of the Old Mistress.


    Seeing that the old lady was about to get angry, nanny Sun''s words suddenly changed the topic, "Of course, this is just this old servant''s guess, it''s not really true. However, there is indeed no record of Aunt Wei sending people to take them away in the residence''s account book. Presumably, the servant girl beside Aunt Wei was lazy and only received them once every three to five times. "


    Madam Li also agreed by the side, her expression was sincere without a trace of falsehood, "That''s right, what nanny Sun said is true, there are no records of Aunt Wei sending people to take part in the auction. Those clothes and accessories cannot be distributed, they can only be given Aunt Wei a fixed amount of silver."


    The items in the residence required a match before one could take them away. It was convenient for them to record the accounts at the account office. As for the silver taels, they were fixed. The direct daughter was 10 taels per month, the concubine was 5 taels per month, and the concubine was 3 taels per month. As long as there was a fixed amount of silver per month, he could send a servant girl to retrieve it.


    Their words resonated with each other, in the end, it was enough to round up nanny Sun''s lie.


    How could the Aunt Wei just watch as they framed Spring Apricot? This was the first time she became unyielding in front of the Madam Li. "Aunt Li is still more cautious with her words, Spring Apricot has been by my side for the past ten years. I know very well in my heart what kind of character she has. Anyone can be lazy or cunning, but that person is definitely not Spring Apricot! "


    "Aunt Wei''s words are laughable. We''re trying to find the culprit that caused you to become so destitute and destitute, yet you''re thinking of her as your servant and want to cover her up. Could it be that the madame here is standing up for you so that you can cover up your servant girl and have a show of master-servant love?"


    The corner of Madam Li''s mouth curled up slightly, and a sharp glint appeared on her beautiful face.


    As long as Spring Apricot was found guilty, not only would she be able to smoothly escape from the matters of harsh treatment towards Aunt Wei, she would also be able to eliminate one of Aunt Wei''s trusted aides.


    An Lingge spoke up for the Aunt Wei on the side, "What Aunt Li said is wrong, if you have seen that maid Spring Apricot burning some coal, and her face was covered in smoke, you would definitely not be able to say such false words."


    How could a lazy maid who did not even bother taking master''s clothes and accessories do her best to burn those inferior charcoal, causing her face to turn black?


    The old mistress'' expression changed slightly, a chill growing on her face.

 C89

    Madam Li keenly noticed the change in the Old Mistress'' expression and had already guessed what she was thinking.


    She quickly used the handkerchief to wipe her eyes and wiped away the tears that didn''t exist. With a wronged expression, she said, "I know First Miss doesn''t like me recently, but there''s no need to purposely say those words to wrongly accuse me." Who doesn''t know that Aunt Wei is always in her side yard and doesn''t like to meet people? How does Eldest Miss know that Spring Apricot is a loyal maid and the nanny Sun by my side is that kind of evil slave? "


    nanny Sun also repeatedly cried out her grievances.


    The old mistress'' head hurt from her argument as she slapped the table. "Enough. You all have your own opinions. Everyone says that they are innocent and kind. I can''t trust you all like this."


    She paused for a moment, her gaze swept across Aunt Wei''s body and landed on her body, "However, Aunt Wei has always been living in dire straits, and you have clearly known about it, but you did not settle this matter. In fact, even after I had returned to my residence for over a month, you have not brought up this matter, and this is your negligence. Thus, I will punish you with three months of silver, and within three days, you will compensate Aunt Wei for all of these years."


    "The old mistress'' lesson is, I will do as you say." Madam Li was upset, but she still maintained a respectful expression on her face.


    She looked in the direction of the Aunt Wei with an expressionless face, her eyes filled with a dark and cold viciousness.


    It would have been fine if Aunt Wei had stayed in the side yard and acted like a transparent person, but she could see that she knew what was good for her and had allowed Aunt Wei to live peacefully. Yet, this woman actually wanted to borrow the Old Mistress''s powers to rise up and fight with him.


    Madam Li lowered her head, the corners of her mouth stretched straight.


    "Grandmother is truly wise. In the future, Aunt Wei will definitely do her best to serve you by your side."


    Although the Aunt Wei was timid, she was not a foolish person. Upon hearing the First Miss''s words, she hurriedly thanked the Old Mistress.


    The Countess waved her hand and lowered her eyes tiredly. She then said to the Aunt Wei, "Let the maidservants bring you to your original residence. You don''t need to wait on me today. From tomorrow onwards, you will be here to serve me for four hours every day. You don''t have to do anything else other than make me some tea. "


    Aunt Wei thanked her with fear and trepidation. Her eyes reddened a little, but she suppressed the excitement in her heart, preventing herself from losing her composure in front of the madame.


    Although she was an unfavoured aunt, she could not find anything wrong with her etiquette when she followed beside Princess An.


    The madame saw that she was in a good mood and even though she was a bit softer, she still had some bearing. She nodded and let the maidservant take her out.


    An Lingge and the others naturally left the Old Madem Xiang as well, and walked out of Qingfeng Courtyard together.


    Madam Li brought nanny Sun and headed towards her own courtyard, but suddenly stopped in her tracks. She turned and looked at An Lingge with her sharp eyes: "Young miss''s chess move was really good."


    There was still a smile on An Lingge''s lips, her black and bright eyes met Madam Li''s sharp eyes, and her voice was soft and gentle, "What is Aunt talking about, Little Ge does not understand."


    "You slut, what are you pretending to be stupid for!" He could not pretend to be kind and amiable at all. Pointing at An Lingge, he said, "I''ve underestimated you, you slut, and you actually came to look for trouble with me, I''m not looking for trouble with you, but you''ve been looking forward to getting me into trouble, and even urged the old lady to do it."


    As if she hadn''t scolded him enough, she paused for a moment, trying to think of some vicious words to say. "Lowly people are lowly people, your mother is a slut who came from nowhere, you are that slut''s little bastard!" "Don''t think that I can''t do anything to you just because you''re the big miss. You pissed me off today, but in the future, I won''t even let you have the chance to regret and beg for forgiveness!"


    An Lingge had a beautiful smile on her face at first, but when she heard the Madam Li insult her mother, her expression immediately darkened.


    She coldly stared at Aunt Li, causing the latter to take a step back in fear.


    "No matter where my mother comes from, you, Aunt, always have to lower your head in front of her." My mother is my father''s, and is naturally married to my mother. You are just a concubine who was carried in by a side door while little Jiao was carried in. Even if my mother dies, you still have to kowtow in front of my mother''s memorial tablet and call her Princess An! "


    Madam Li was so angry that her lips were trembling, and she couldn''t hold back the anger in her heart anymore, as she slapped An Lingge on the face.


    The clear and loud slapping sound startled everyone awake, Madam Li somewhat panicked as she retracted her hand, her gaze sweeping across An Lingge''s swollen face.


    After being slapped by Madam Li, An Lingge did not cover her face.


    Her face was usually gorgeous, with a radiance that could scorch people. At this moment, there were tears in the corners of her eyes, which made her face soften and look as if she had been wronged.


    "What are you doing?"


    An Yingcheng originally wanted to go to Madam Li''s courtyard and listen to the commotion here, but when he walked over in large strides, he saw An Lingge''s red and swollen face with a single glance.


    He frowned deeply, his eyes filled with displeasure. This displeasure was actually directed at Madam Li.


    "Madam Li was about to explain, but An Lingge was a step faster than her," Father, Aunt scolded my mother as low and cheap, I couldn''t stand it, so I replied her with a few words.


    An Yingcheng''s face became even uglier, and the bright red palm print appeared in front of him, confirming what An Lingge had said.


    Madam Li hurriedly moved in front of An Yingcheng, her expression instantly turned gentle, but she was still unable to hide her awkwardness, "My prince, don''t be angry, this is all my fault. I wanted to teach Little Ge, but who would have thought that Little Ge would actually contradict me. Even though I am only a concubine, I am still her senior in the end. If others were to find out that Little Ge did not listen to the teachings of the elders and even went against them, they would think that the young ladies of my Prince An''s Palace were all raised in such a way.


    She wanted to let this matter slide, how could An Lingge do as she wished?


    An Lingge lowered her head, the dazzling palm print was aimed straight at An Yingcheng. Her voice was somewhat low, "When Aunt called my mother a slut that I don''t know where, and even called me a bastard, that''s why I refuted Aunt."


    When she looked up, her eyes were filled with tears, but she did not let them fall.

 C90

    Her pair of eyes looked at An Yingcheng sorrowfully, her beautiful face was filled with sorrow, "Could it be that in my father''s eyes, my mother and I are such existences?"


    An Yingcheng''s already serious face turned even darker, his stern eyes landing on Madam Li''s body, causing the latter to feel anxious.


    She opened her mouth, and even wanted to explain herself, but An Yingcheng was not in the mood to listen to her rubbish.


    He sneered coldly with disappointment in his eyes, "I had thought that you were a kind and magnanimous person, so I let you take care of the Prince''s Mansion. Who knew that you would make so many mistakes?"


    "But you actually didn''t even spare Little Xue, and almost caused her death! Our relationship for decades with Third Brother was almost ruined because of you, stupid woman! And now, you are bullying Little Ge here, why, are you trying to cause trouble because your life in the palace is too comfortable? "


    "Prince, that''s not true. Why would I do such a thing?"


    Madam Li''s expression was anxious as she reached out to grab An Yingcheng''s sleeve, but he threw it away.


    "I heard that mother brought Aunt Wei back to her original courtyard, so I won''t be going to your place today."


    With that, he turned and walked back into the courtyard of Aunt Wei. The Madam Li behind him was stunned at first, but then she turned and glared at An Lingge. She did not care about arguing with An Lingge, and immediately followed suit.


    When the cyan light of morning shone onto the Parasol House, Bi Zhu carried the copper basin into the house with a bright and beautiful smile on her face.


    "Miss, I heard that a few princes stayed at Aunt Wei''s place yesterday. The servants said that Aunt Wei was about to regain her favor."


    An Lingge sat in front of the dressing mirror and allowed Bi Zhu to comb her hair. The corner of her mouth slightly raised, but her eyes did not reveal any fluctuations, "Aunt Wei is still far from being favored."


    Aunt Wei had been in the side yard for so many years, but now she had just gotten the chance to show her face in front of the madame. As for whether Aunt Wei could please the madame, whether she could stand firmly in the palace or not, would depend on whether she was sharp or not.


    Bi Zhu was a little puzzled, "Yesterday, the Aunt Wei just came out of the side courtyard, and the Prince went to the Aunt Wei''s courtyard.


    An Lingge shook her head, "But Aunt Wei has been in the side courtyard for so many years, yet Father has never gone there a few times. Furthermore, Aunt Wei has been suffering from the harsh treatment of the Aunt Li for the past few years, but Father did not realize it at all. In terms of being pampered, Aunt Li is father''s most beloved woman. "


    "I thought that when Aunt Wei came out from the side courtyard, she would finally be able to suppress the arrogance of the Aunt Li. It turns out she was celebrating too early."


    She had never liked that hypocritical Aunt Li. Yesterday, when she saw his young miss return with a palm print on her face, she knew that it was Madam Li who did it, and she really wanted to rush in front of her and slap her a few times. She wanted to help his young miss vent her anger, and it was An Lingge who stopped her.


    For this matter, Bi Zhu broke many flowers in the courtyard.


    An Lingge thought about Bi Zhu''s angry look and thought it was funny. Just as she wanted to tease him, she suddenly picked the door curtain and walked in.


    "Miss." Ming Xin bowed to An Lingge with a serious expression: "I have something important to do at Chu Yu''s place. I have already sent you the news."


    Originally, he wanted to give her some work to do in the courtyard. When he saw that she was smart and did things well, he observed her for a while and gradually treated her as his trusted aide.


    She was the one who had been secretly monitoring the Nanny Zhang and secretly transferring the Lich Gu that the Nanny Zhang had hidden.


    As An Lingge''s trusted aide, she was well aware of Chu Yu''s existence but did not know of Chu Yu''s original identity.


    An Lingge took the slip of paper from Brightheart''s hand and opened it for her to see. The line of words caused her expression to change, and the depths of her eyes deepened.


    Miss, did something happen to Chu Yu? Bi Zhu knew about Chu Yu''s identity and was a little worried, afraid that the fact that they changed her identity with Chu Yu would be discovered.


    "It''s nothing, it''s just that there''s a problem with what I asked Chu Yu to do." An Lingge passed the slip of paper to Ming Xin, who immediately threw it into the fire.


    This way, even if someone discovered the clues, they would not be able to find any evidence or evidence.


    An Lingge sighed slightly, and instructed Mingxin, "Put on some clothes, and we''ll head out of the house."


    If the Great Miss of Prince An''s Palace wanted to leave the Palace, he would not simply change into men''s clothes, unless the guards of the Duke Palace were blind.


    She lowered her voice, "Don''t worry, Miss. I''ve already bribed the mother who was in charge of purchasing from the kitchen. In a while, we''ll follow behind her and leave the house smoothly without arousing anyone''s suspicions."


    An Lingge then looked at her with satisfaction and instructed Bi Zhu, "I will go and have a look at the situation over at Chu Yu''s side. Bi Zhu, you stay guard in the courtyard, and if anyone comes to look for me, just say that I caught a cold yesterday, and that I won''t be able to see anyone."


    Yesterday, the Madam Li gave An Lingge a slap on the face. This was not a secretive matter, all the people in the manor who wanted to know the news had already found out.


    If anyone wanted to look for An Lingge, Bi Zhu would use the matter from yesterday as an excuse. Others would only think that An Lingge had suffered and did not want to see anyone, and would not think much of it.


    Bi Zhu solemnly nodded her head, "Miss, please be at ease, there are servants guarding this courtyard, they will not make any mistakes."


    Although she didn''t have those twisted intestines, and couldn''t compare to someone who did things meticulously and wholeheartedly, her loyalty to An Lingge was incomparable.


    Only after hearing Bi Zhu''s words did An Lingge relax.


    She and Brightheart changed into the servant''s clothes and sneaked into the kitchen, avoiding everyone''s gaze.


    Mommy Zhou saw them and quickly called them over, "The two of you, move these things over there, right, there''s still ¡­"


    She ordered the two of them to do some chores as if they were decent. Seeing that the rest of the people in the kitchen had left, she wiped the sweat off her forehead and bowed towards An Lingge.


    An Lingge immediately supported her, "Zhou mother doesn''t need to be so courteous, although there''s no one here, we are also afraid of being seen by others. Moreover, whether or not we can successfully leave the house will still depend on mother''s ability."


    When Mama Zhou heard this, she smiled in embarrassment, "Eldest Miss is right, this old servant will take you out now."

 C91

    An Lingge followed Mother Zhou and slipped out of the Duke Palace, and then took the initiative to find Chu Yu.


    Chu Yu had already followed her instructions and set up a teahouse on Chang An Street. Although it was not a prosperous business, she still managed to return the rent.


    She was dressed as a man, with thick eyebrows and a mustache that made her look like a man.


    Seeing An Lingge coming in, Chu Yu immediately walked over, holding onto a teapot, she poured some tea into An Lingge''s cup.


    "Young Miss, the matter of you making me store the medicinal materials seemed to have been discovered by someone."


    She lowered her voice, and when she saw that someone was looking at her, she immediately raised her voice, "Hey, two guests are going to the second floor''s private room. Please follow me."


    This behavior was completely similar to how the owner of a teahouse did proper business to entertain customers, and would not arouse anyone''s suspicions at all.


    An Lingge also lowered his voice, purposely thickening it saying, "Bring me the best tea in your shop."


    Chu Yu nodded and changed the tea leaves. Then, she brought An Lingge and Ming Xin to the box upstairs.


    "For the past month or so, I have been sending people to secretly purchase the medicinal herbs that Miss has ordered me to stock up on. Originally, this matter was going smoothly, but a few days ago, no matter how many people I sent to buy those medicinal herbs, the medicine shop always said that there were no more medicinal herbs."


    She looked solemn, "If it was just like that, then that''s fine. But that day I clearly saw an old woman go to the medicine shop, take out the prescription, and take out the medicine. It just so happened to be the same Yellow Sunflower as what Miss said, but I sent someone to buy it, and the medicine shop said it wasn''t, there must be something fishy about it."


    Her letter only mentioned the matters, it did not specify the details. Now that they knew the details, An Lingge and Ming Xin''s expression became serious.


    "So you''re saying that for the past few days, the medicine store only prescribed medicine for those who go directly to buy medicinal herbs. They don''t sell at all?"


    He quickly understood what was going on and understood the crux of the matter in an instant.


    An Lingge was naturally aware of this point. Her eyes were heavy, as though her bright black eyes absorbed all the light, but there was not a single bit of light that seeped out.


    "Are all the shops in the city like this?" An Lingge asked.


    Chu Yu nodded her head, "Yes, when one of the shops said that there were no more medicinal herbs, I sent people to buy medicine at another shop, but it was as if they had agreed upon it beforehand, and at the same time, there were no more medicinal herbs, but those who had the prescription could still purchase medicine."


    This was a little strange.


    An Lingge''s finger tapped on the table as she used his other hand to move the teacup in his hand. A glint flashed in her eyes, "Since that''s the case, Chu Yu, you can go back and continue working on your own matters.


    Although Chu Yu was not at ease with An Lingge''s safety, she knew that it was inconvenient for him to stay in this room for too long.


    She nodded with a worried look on her face, "Your servant understands. Miss must also pay attention to her own safety, don''t let anything happen to her."


    Then she turned and walked out, with a warm smile on her face, and called out to the customers who came and went from the teahouse.


    An Lingge drank a cup of tea and opened the window to look at the scenery. She reckoned that it was about time, so she brought Ming Xin down the stairs and walked towards the closest Return of Spring Hall.


    The Return of Spring Hall was a famous medicine store in the capital. Not only were their medicine ingredients famous, but their doctor was also famous.


    There was a rumor circulating in the capital that apart from the imperial physicians of the imperial palace, the physicians in charge of the Return of Spring Hall were the most skilled.


    As they leisurely walked back to the Spring Hall, the pedestrians at the side suddenly became crowded and flustered.


    "Out of the way, get out of the way!" The young master of State Duke Palace is injured, you lowly commoners, quickly get out of the way! "


    The guards who were dressed in majestic clothing shouted loudly. They swung their horsewhips fiercely with one hand, making the horses'' hooves move faster and faster. They did not care if they would step on the pedestrians on both sides of the road.


    An Lingge frowned, a look of disgust flashing past her eyes.


    Mingxin hurriedly pulled her back a step to avoid the flying hooves, but she still ate a face full of dust.


    The guard, however, ignored the cursing people around him, and continued waving his horsewhip arrogantly as he ran ahead of them.


    There were passersby who couldn''t dodge in time and were knocked to the ground. They couldn''t care less about the pain in their bodies and immediately rolled to the side to avoid the horse''s hooves.


    Only a five or six-year-old child was pushed to the ground. The candied fruits in his hands also fell off as he rolled on the ground, covered in a few layers of dust.


    The child was crying as he went to pick up the candied fruits, completely unaware of the impending danger.


    Seeing that the horse''s hooves were about to land on the boy''s body, the guard continued to swing the horsewhip, as if he couldn''t see the child in front of him.


    The onlookers screamed, but they did not dare to charge forward. They only closed their eyes tightly, unwilling to see the bloody scene.


    "The young master of the State Duke Palace is too arrogant."


    Ming Xin muttered softly, someone had already scolded him, "Is that how the young master of State Duke Manor is supposed to ride his horse and commit murder on Chang An Street?"


    Lu Zhan rushed over, and in the blink of an eye, he had rescued the child from under the hooves of the horses.


    He stood steadily on the horse''s head. He was dressed in majestic black clothes, and his spirited face was filled with the spirit of a young man. He intentionally stepped on the horse so that it shook its head and swayed its tail, almost bringing the carriage to a wall.


    The guards were shocked, they immediately controlled their horses and glared at Lu Zhan, "Who are you? How dare you stop the young master of our State Duke Palace to see a doctor, be careful of our master taking your life!"


    "He can act so arrogantly in the street of Chang An just by suppressing the State Duke Manor. Could it be that he doesn''t place the emperor''s orders in his eyes?" An Lingge walked forward, her beautiful face had an ice-cold expression, pointing at the person who had fallen to the side and gotten back on her feet, yet still appearing to be in a sorry state, "No one is allowed to gallop around the city on horseback. For all of you to behave in such a way, you are not putting the orders of the emperor in your eyes, and are even more so disrespectful to the emperor!"


    "Pei, who do you think you are? How dare you interfere with this father''s business!" The guard was enraged, he shouted and jumped down the horse carriage, reaching out to grab An Lingge by the collar.


    Suddenly, a pair of hands sprang forth from the side, and the guard''s hands were twisted behind his back, letting out a crisp sound of joints.


    "I am the son of the General Da and am in charge of the peace and stability of the city. I am in charge of a team of imperial guards, how can I be qualified to meddle in your affairs?"


    The corners of his eyes were sharp, he was dressed in righteous young man''s black robes and had black hair. It was unknown how many people had been dazzled by his handsome face.


    An Lingge was surprised, but she did not show it on the surface.

 C92

    General Da Lu Tianya was a well-known figure in the Great Zhou Empire. Ever since the Grand Ancestor started his army and started his army from the back of his horse, those brave and warlike soldiers were all conferred with the Grand Ancestor as the heirs of the other princes. Only a few of them still held military power.


    After two dynasties, the emperor had always suspected the other princes, afraid that they would rebel, so the other princes held less military power, and the military power slowly fell into the hands of the middle ranked generals.


    As a General Da, Lu Tianya had tens of thousands of troops under his command. He guarded the Mo Bei throughout the year and had battled with the northern barbarians dozens of times.


    His son, Lu Zhan, had even inherited his courage and entered the battlefield at the age of thirteen.


    An Lingge quietly raised her eyes, pretending to casually look at him, and indeed saw that Lu Zhan was righteous and free, just by standing there, she was filled with heroic spirit, and now she even stood out for the sake of the commoners, no wonder she had the name of Young General Lu.


    Her pair of black bright eyes swept across Lu Zhan''s body. Lu Zhan suddenly turned his head, and saw a handsome man wearing green clothes looking back at her in a hurry.


    Lu Zhan did not take it to heart, but continued to look at the carriage. He raised his voice, and the words that came out went straight into his heart, "The young master of the State Duke Palace is really sick, is he about to die soon, so he can''t come out to meet people?"


    The faces of the guards of State Duke Mansion grew completely red, their hands tightly pressed on the scabbards of their swords, but they didn''t dare to draw their swords for a long time.


    No matter how angry and humiliated they were, without their master''s orders, they would not dare to directly clash with Lu Zhan, the son of the General Da.


    Moreover, Lu Zhan held a group of imperial guards in the capital. If he wanted to report this to the Emperor, even if he wanted to suppress the State Duke Palace, it would not be so easy to report this matter to the Emperor.


    The curtain on the carriage moved, and a man dressed in brocade clothes walked out. The man was pink and oily, and dressed in gaudy clothes. It was hard to tell that he was seriously ill just from looking at the carriage from the outside.


    He alighted the horse carriage with the help of the guards, and cupped his hands and bowed towards Lu Zhan, "Young Master Lu, since we are destined to meet, why don''t we go to the restaurant in front of us and have a drink?"


    The Young Master of State Duke Manor, Zhou Ming, intentionally tried to get close to Lu Zhan. With a warm smile on his face, he squeezed himself into a flower.


    Lu Zhan snorted, a look of disdain appeared on his bright face, "Drinking is a good idea, but to drink with a person like you, I''m afraid I cannot drink anymore."


    "How dare you!" The guard shouted loudly, "Our young master is the son of the State Duke Palace, his status is so noble, how can a vulgar martial artist like you belittle him?"


    Lu Zhan raised his thick black brows slightly, his sharp eyes landing on the guard, his red lips curled up into a mocking arc, "So what if it is the young master of the State Duke Palace? I am an official fifth grade blade guard, may I ask your young master, what is your rank?"


    Zhou Ming''s face turned ugly, and his smile gradually faded.


    If not for the fact that Lu Zhan''s father held such a heavy weapon in his hands that the Emperor trusted him deeply, he would have ordered his men to chop off Lu Zhan''s head long ago when Lu Zhan stopped his horse carriage!


    But he never thought that after getting out of the carriage to express his goodwill to Lu Zhan, Lu Zhan would still dare to belittle him, this was truly going too far!


    Zhou Ming clenched his fist, and in the end, it turned into an embarrassed smile, "Young Master Lu must be joking, I only got this luxury because I inherited the shadow of my father''s generation. How could I be like Young Master Lu?"


    His status was honorable, but he was dressed in white. Facing Lu Zhan''s questioning, he did not have any confidence.


    Lu Zhan laughed, and looked Zhou Ming up and down, "Not bad, at least you can see the truth. Let me ask you, how are you going to deal with this matter by allowing the guards to run around in the street and injuring a bunch of pedestrians and ruining several stalls? "


    This was telling him to apologize in front of everyone!


    Zhou Ming was so angry that his teeth were itching, but he was afraid that Lu Zhan would really report it to the Emperor, so he could only suppress the unwillingness in his heart, "This matter was only handled carelessly by me, and they were worried about my illness, so they got anxious. I will apologize to everyone here. As for those who are injured, the Subduing State Duke Residence will give them silver to treat them. Those stalls that were overturned will also receive compensation from the Subduing State Duke Residence. "


    His words were very noble and made the surrounding people grateful. One by one, they thanked him for his magnanimity.


    An Lingge sighed, then turned around and returned to the Spring Hall with Ming Xin.


    Lu Zhan caught sight of her figure with his sharp eyes. A glint of interest flashed past his eyes, but he only pouted his lips and didn''t chase after her. Instead, he gradually disappeared into the crowd.


    There weren''t many people in the Return of Spring Hall. Most of them had taken out their prescription to buy medicine, and there were a few who didn''t have their formula, just to buy some simple medicine.


    An Lingge''s Brilliance had changed into the clothes of a Young Noble and a young servant. He lined up with a few people and quietly sized up the situation in the shop.


    Those who had the prescription were all led to the medicine cabinet in the hall. Some of the workers were sent to deliver the medicine; those who had not taken the prescription were led to another place. After the doctor checked their pulse, they then went to the medicine cabinet to get the medicine.


    The light in An Lingge''s eyes flickered, and she lowered her voice to only whisper into Ming Xin''s ears for a while.


    Brightheart was already standing in front of An Lingge. When she reached Brightheart, she directly walked towards the doctor and spoke in a hoarse voice, "Doctor, I want three and a half gold, five gold and the Blue Technique, and two gold, Bai Wei."


    The doctor looked up at her and only shook his head. "There are no more of these herbs in the shop. You can go and have a look elsewhere."


    Mingxin''s face was filled with disappointment. His little face was also creased into a frown. "I''ve already gone to quite a few pharmacies and none of them exist. Where can I go now?"


    "I don''t know about this, please take a look at another medicine store." After saying this, the doctor made a gesture, asking him to leave the room and begin the treatment for the next person.


    An Lingge held onto a prescription in her hand, and was led to the medicine cabinet.


    She gave the prescription in her hands to the shop assistant, who quickly wrapped the medicine bag. An Lingge thanked her and took the medicine bag and walked out of the Return of Spring Hall.


    Ming Xin was waiting for her at the entrance of an alleyway. When she saw An Lingge coming out, she quickly followed her.


    That medicinal formula was personally written by An Lingge, and just happened to have several medicinal ingredients for the Half-Xia Blue Art and Bai Wei on it.


    An Lingge slightly nodded, indicating that she should talk after entering the Palace.


    Ming Xin knew what her young miss meant when she saw it, so she shut her mouth and followed behind An Lingge, walking towards the Prince An''s Palace.


    Zhou''s mother had already finished her purchase and was at the corner of the side room, talking to the old woman guarding the door.


    Seeing the two of them coming over, he secretly let out a breath of relief. He told that woman about his business and brought the two of them back to the mansion.

 C93

    Bi Zhu was guarding Parasol House, when she heard the commotion, he immediately walked out.


    When she saw the two of them, she sent all the servants in the courtyard out, protecting them as they went back into the house.


    "Miss, how did it go?"


    she asked with a worried look on her face.


    Only then did An Lingge change her clothes, with a somewhat serious and suspicious look on her face, "Those medicine stores are indeed not selling those medicinal herbs alone, however, as long as you have the prescription in your hands, you can still get the medicine."


    She explained to Bi Zhu in place of An Lingge, "Today, I will separate from Miss. I did not take any prescription, and went straight to buy medicine, and the people from the Return of Spring Hall said that there were no medicinal herbs. However, Miss'' prescription just happened to have a few medicinal herbs that I needed, while the waiter of the Return of Spring Hall had already wrapped them up for Miss."


    It was clear that they did not want anyone to hoard these medicinal herbs, but how did those shops know that they were hoarding them?


    Just as An Lingge was thinking about this, she heard a laugh that was as clear as silver bells coming out from the courtyard.


    "What''s big sister doing all day? Why didn''t she come to see Little Xue?"


    An Lingxue walked in from outside with a harmless smile on her charming face.


    The moment she entered the door, her gaze fell on An Lingge''s waist. Seeing that she did not give him the bag, An Lingxue''s expression darkened and quickly returned to normal.


    An Lingge acted as if he did not see her gaze, and only smiled at her, telling Bi Zhu to quickly pour some tea before pulling An Lingxue to sit beside him.


    "How could I be busy? I''m just taking a walk around here to pass the time."


    An Lingxue did not believe it, but her bright eyes seemed to hold a boundless bitterness, "Big sister was walking around, why didn''t you go and see me? I nearly couldn''t see big sister after what happened to me, but big sister isn''t worried about Little Xue''s safety at all. "


    She was talking about the matter of the Madam Li calling her to beat him up in the courtyard, and how she would hang herself when he returned.


    An Lingge sneered in his heart, this matter was An Lingxue''s scheme to begin with. She had to take advantage of the Old Madam''s power to deal with the Madam Li, and make the servants of the Duke Palace realize her position in the Old Madam''s heart, so those servants did not dare to underestimate her.


    However, in front of An Lingxue, An Lingge had her eyes drooped down, her beautiful face seemed to be somewhat sad, "It''s not that I don''t want to visit Third Sister, but after you met with trouble, I carefully thought about it, there were so many sisters in our family, why did Aunt Li only call Third Sister over, and use your marriage to threaten Third Sister?"


    "Speaking of which, when you all just returned home, Aunt Li wanted to beat you all up, but why did Fourth Sister stay out of it?" An Lingge took a sip of tea and looked at An Lingxue with a pair of shiny black eyes, with an apologetic look in them.


    "So I am thinking, could it be that the Aunt Li does not like me, and the Third Sister is close to me, so I do not like the Third Sister either, so I wanted to beat you up so that you would stay away from me and isolate me?"


    She pouted her lips and acted like a spoiled child, "But Big Sis can''t alienate Little Xue because of this. What you''re doing, Little Xue is very sad."


    An Lingge curled her lips, and comforted her with a gentle look, "I am not alienating little sister Little Xue, but I do not dare to interact with you too much because of little sister''s safety. If Aunt Li were to lay her hands on you again, how would I be able to face Third Aunt? I''m sorry, too. "


    An Lingxue curled her lips, looking innocent and innocent. "With Grandmother acting on my behalf, I''m not afraid that Aunt Li would play any tricks to frame me."


    It was as if she had inadvertently mentioned the old lady''s name in front of An Lingge, recounting their past in the ancestral home. The old lady loved her and taught her etiquette, yet there was not the slightest change in An Lingge''s expression.


    Originally, he wanted to make An Lingge jealous with all these things, but the person in front of him did not budge.


    "Ya, big sister, where''s the purse that I gave you a few days ago? Why didn''t you bring it with you?"


    She cried out in surprise, as if she had just discovered it.


    An Lingge lowered her head, and indeed she saw that her waist was clean and unadorned.


    Bi Zhu immediately spoke up, "Third Miss, our young miss''s clothes were sent to be washed yesterday. Miss had already carried the bag with her for quite some time, so she took it off and hung it there to dry."


    An Lingxue nodded her head, and was a little surprised, "Could it be that big sister only had that one purse? Her body was empty, no wonder I felt that there was something strange about her."


    How could an ordinary girl only have one purse? It must have been three to five of them in exchange for a belt.


    An Lingge''s expression did not change, but a trace of shyness appeared on her face. "My embroidery wasn''t good, so the bets I make are always crooked, so I might as well not bring them anymore. If the workmanship of Third Sister was not so coincidental, I would not have brought the money bag with me when it was made exquisite. "


    He couldn''t not bring the extra money with him.


    "Since that''s the case, then when I go back, I will have someone deliver a few straws to Big Sis. Big Sis is not allowed to refuse."


    Using the money that she added, in less than two years, An Lingge''s body would definitely have some problems, and would basically be unable to bear the consequences of the pregnancy and give birth to a child. At that time, Hereditary Prince Mu would be her!


    Glimmers danced in her eyes. She was only paying attention to her own thoughts, but she didn''t notice the gazes of the people in front of her, which carried a sense of understanding and ridicule.


    My third sister has already given me a purse. This is a gift that not even my second and fourth sisters have received. I am already very happy in my heart, how can I let you go to so much trouble to send me off?" You are using your third sister as a servant. If your grandmother knew about this, she would have forced me to kneel at the ancestral hall.


    Since An Lingxue was flaunting how the Old Mistress loved her, then the Old Mistress must also be very reluctant to have her embroidery give away so many money bags.


    An Lingxue blinked her eyes and laughed innocently, "How could that be? We are sisters, Little Xue and big sister are very close. Furthermore, Little Xue wants to gift Big Sister a lotus seed bag, that is all thanks to Little Xue, if Grandmother knew, why would she blame Big Sister?


    Seeing that An Lingxue had decided to give the purse to him, An Lingge''s dark eyes became even more unreadable. She smiled gently, "Then, I''ll have to thank Third Sister for your good will."

 C94

    "Miss, isn''t Third Miss going too far?!" The lady had no enmity with her, and it wasn''t enough for her to frame the lady once. Why did she have to repeat the same trick again? At such a young age, your thoughts are just too vicious! "


    Just as An Lingxue left the Parasol House, Bi Zhu could no longer hold back the expression on her face, and started complaining to An Lingge.


    Brightheart came late, so she still didn''t know that An Lingxue had hidden some musk in her bag to frame An Lingge. However, after hearing Bi Zhu''s complaints, she had already more or less understood what was going on.


    "What are you afraid of? She did it again and again, and I was prepared for it. However, I didn''t spend too much effort on exchanging the medicinal ingredients in the bag for ordinary spices. The Aunt Li had sent someone to guard against it. "


    If she had not become suspicious of Nanny Zhang and decided to keep an eye on him, she would have suffered a huge loss in regards to the Lich Gu technique.


    This was because she had the memories of her past life, so she had to be on guard against the Nanny Zhang, but she herself could not remember everything that had happened in her past life. The more time passed, the smaller her advantage would be, and she would have to be even more careful when facing the Madam Li.


    Bi Zhu and Ming Xin also nodded their heads, to say that the thing Miss should guard against the most in the residence, should be this mother and daughter pair.


    "An Lingge asked Bi Zhu to remove the tea set," Yesterday, a few Aunt Wei s returned to the main courtyard, I haven''t went to see her yet.


    She was curious as to what attitude Aunt Wei would have towards her when she returned to the main courtyard.


    With a ''yes'' from his heart, the gift box was quickly prepared.


    An Lingge then brought the two of them to Aunt Wei''s courtyard, passing by a small lake in the garden, she saw two nanny s following beside a kid, surrounding the kid and playing.


    She withdrew her gaze and prepared to walk forward, but her intuition caused her to knit her brows and look at the child once more.


    He just saw the little boy blindfolded, reaching out his hands to grab the two nanny s, but he couldn''t even grab a corner of their clothes.


    "Young Master Yu, we''re here."


    One of the nanny walked a few steps towards the lake and shouted at An Lingyu.


    An Lingyu laughed and heard the voice as he walked over.


    A proud look flashed past the nanny''s eyes as she exchanged glances with the other nanny. Then, intentionally or not, the two of them guided An Lingyu step by step towards the lakeside.


    "I''ll catch you soon." An Lingyu''s voice was still a little childish, his small hands fumbling in front of her, just as he was about to touch the corner of nanny''s clothes, nanny suddenly flashed and walked towards the side.


    An Lingyu was completely unaware of his own situation, as he stepped forward.


    The cold water didn''t reach his feet, An Lingyu subconsciously wanted to retract his foot, but nanny behind him suddenly had a fierce look on his face, and pushed him towards the lake!


    "Help!" Although An Lingyu was unclear about what had happened, the water in the surrounding area gushed towards his mouth and nose, allowing him to immediately cry for help.


    Bi Zhu and Ming Xin also saw the scene, and after glancing at their young miss and receiving her signal, they immediately ran over.


    When the two nanny s saw that someone had come over, their faces immediately became pale, but they still pretended to be calm, as if they had only accidentally let An Lingyu fall into the water. They looked as if they were loyal servants, "Young Master Yu, Young Master Yu, how did you fall into the water?"


    They then turned to look at An Lingge with an anxious expression, spitting out a string of words, refusing to enter the water to save him, "Eldest Miss, this old servant follows the orders of the Aunt Wei, and played with Young Master Yu, but Young Master Yu accidentally fell into the lake, I beseech Eldest Miss to help me save Young Master Yu!"


    The two of them knelt on the ground in unison. Their faces were full of worry, begging for mercy, but no trace of their actions could be seen on them.


    If it wasn''t for him witnessing the entire process, An Lingge really might have been tricked by the two nanny s.


    However, now was not the time to blame them. Saving people was their top priority.


    "Miss, this servant knows how to drink water. Please allow this servant to save Young Master Yu."


    No matter what reason the young miss helped the Aunt Wei reveal her face in front of the madame, and helped her come out of the side courtyard, An Lingyu''s life must not be lost!


    An Lingge looked at the small figure flopping in the water, and then disappeared without a trace, her heart was in a panic. She couldn''t care less about the two slaves and could only tell them to hurry and save him, "Quick, go save him!"


    Bi Zhu then went to the courtyard of the Aunt Wei and called out to the Aunt Wei. There were also many maids and women around, causing the lakeside to become extremely crowded.


    Fortunately, the water in his heart was not bad, and the lake was not too big. An Lingyu was rescued very quickly.


    However, the child had already lost consciousness. She then pressed her heart against his chest a few times, causing him to spit out the water in his mouth. Only then did she slightly loosen her breath.


    "Brother Yu!" From afar, Aunt Wei saw An Lingyu''s pale face lying on the ground, his voice trembling, and he immediately ran over.


    Ming Xin stood up and saluted to the Aunt Wei: "Young Master Yu is fine, but he took a few sips of water and will wake up soon."


    Aunt Wei looked at An Lingyu''s breathing, and then calmed down, and raised his head to look at An Lingge, who was by his side. He knew that Ming Xin was his servant, and his eyes immediately reddened: "Many thanks to First Miss for saving Brother Yu, for your great kindness, Brother Yu will definitely remember it forever."


    "Aunt, don''t thank me so quickly." An Lingge raised his hand to stop her kneeling, she turned and looked at the two nanny, "Let me first ask these two servants, who sent them to frame Brother Yu''er."


    "This old servant is innocent." The expressions of the two nanny s changed, but they still kneeled down and cried for injustice, crying as they tried to grab onto An Lingge''s clothes, "Young Master Yu, you''ve accidentally fallen into the water, the servants are also very guilty, but Eldest Miss can''t throw all the sh * t pots onto the servants!"


    An Lingge did not want to waste any more time talking to them, she only instructed them, "Tell Aunt Wei what you saw just now."


    Not only were their thoughts extremely nimble, their words were also very glib. With just a few words, she had explained how these two nanny s induced An Lingyu to fall into the water, and even pushed him to the back.


    Aunt Wei''s face first became pale, then became completely red from anger.


    "Tell me, why did you two want to frame my Brother Yu!"


    She had always been a coward, and her words were gentle, but now that she was glaring at the two, her imposing manner caused the two nanny s to be shocked.


    The two nanny s had already felt that something was amiss when they heard the story clearly. They never would have thought that An Lingge had actually sent people to save them, and even saw them commit murder!

 C95

    The Young Master who harmed Prince An''s Palace was a huge crime!


    Being scolded harshly by the Aunt Wei, the two nanny s instantly panicked.


    Their lips were trembling, and their skinny faces were trembling violently. Their eyes wandered around, yet they bit down so hard that they wouldn''t admit their crimes.


    One of the nanny s kowtowed towards Aunt Wei, her forehead smashed onto the ground, to the point of bleeding non-stop, "Please be clear-headed, Aunt! The two of us are bringing Young Master Yu to play, this is your order, how could someone order us to kill Young Master Yu! "


    The other nanny cried until her nose was wet, afraid that she wasn''t pitiful enough, and cried loudly, "We did our best to help Aunt, and in the end, you even said that we deliberately murdered Young Master Yu, what kind of sin is this!"


    With that, she stopped the nanny who was kowtowing, her expression filled with despair and grief, "Aunt just came out from the side courtyard, she''s anxious to establish her dignity in front of the servants, but she can''t use us two innocent people as a target, kill chickens for the monkeys to see!"


    These words were said very ruthlessly. As she said that she was wronged, she also hinted that this matter was all planned by the Aunt Wei. She used her son''s life to set up a trap, in order to establish her dignity in the Prince''s Mansion.


    When outsiders see this, the Aunt Wei must be a cruel and merciless person if she dares to use her own life to frame others!


    The meaning of nanny''s words made Aunt Wei so angry that her eyes turned black. She pointed at nanny and was unable to say anything for a long time.


    "Slave!"


    Aunt Wei''s lips trembled, but she only said those two words in the end.


    An Lingge looked at nanny turning black and white, and her face couldn''t help but turn cold. She took a step forward and placed herself in front of Aunt Wei, blocking her way, "You said that the two of you bringing Brother Yu to play, was Aunt Wei''s order. Then let me ask you two, has Aunt Wei ever asked you two to bring Brother Yu to such a dangerous place as the lakeside? "


    The nanny opened her mouth to retort, but was instantly shocked when she saw An Lingge''s dark and fierce eyes. She stood there in a daze, not knowing what to say.


    An Lingge''s lips curled into a mocking smile, as she looked down at the two people kneeling in front of him from above, "Furthermore, Aunt Wei didn''t specifically tell you not to come to a dangerous place like the lake, why did you push Yu''er away when she was about to fall into the water?"


    "Old servant ¡­" At that time, this old servant only wanted to catch Young Master Yu when he was near the water''s edge, but this old servant''s body was too heavy and he couldn''t catch Young Master Yu, so this old servant didn''t push Young Master into the water! "


    The nanny who was originally kowtowing came back to reality, and immediately thought of a way to help him get rid of her sin.


    Another nanny also quickly agreed, "The two of us were sent by the madame to serve the concubine and Young Master Yu, why would we deliberately frame our master? Eldest Miss, you two are too far away, it''s normal for you to misjudge us. However, a single word from you can take our lives, please be careful with it, Eldest Miss. "


    If this matter were to spread out, her reputation would definitely go bad.


    Ming Xin could not bear to watch any longer and squatted down to take off the clothes on An Lingyu''s back, "Aunt, please look, there is also a palm print on Young Master Yu''s back. Although it is not very obvious, it can still be seen that he fell into the water because he was pushed by someone, and this palm print is naturally the old servant''s!"


    Aunt Wei looked carefully, and sure enough, she found a palm print on An Lingyu''s back.


    Because the nanny had used quite a bit of strength to push An Lingyu deep down, a shallow palm print was left on his back.


    "The evidence is conclusive. What else do you two have to say for yourselves?" Aunt Wei''s eyes were filled with anger, as her gentle eyes also stared at the nanny with anger.


    The two nanny s looked at each other and saw a trace of fear in each other''s eyes.


    They were speechless for a while, and could not find any other reason to explain themselves. They could only beg Aunt Wei with pale faces, "Aunt Wei, please spare our lives, this old servant was ¡­"


    "Oh, it''s so lively here?"


    The Aunt Li happened to pass by. Looking at the two nanny s kneeling on the ground, she scolded them as idiots who did not do anything well. A trace of coldness flashed in her eyes, but there was a fake and fervent smile on her face, making it difficult to guess what she was thinking.


    Her pair of beautiful eyes raised, the corner of her mouth raised in a perfect curve, her gaze sweeping across Aunt Wei''s body. "Ever since I entered the palace, little sister, you''ve been waiting in the side courtyard and unable to come out. I can''t chat or drink tea with you, I feel very regretful in my heart. Who would have thought that after so many years, you, for the sake of serving the old lady, would actually come out from the side courtyard?


    If Aunt Wei didn''t want to live a good life in that side courtyard, she would definitely run in front of her and scold her. She wanted to kill this eyesore day and night, as if she was killing that bitch Princess An!


    Madam Li''s eyes flashed with a sinister light, causing her heart to turn cold. She subconsciously took a step back.


    However, An Lingge smiled at Aunt Li, her black eyes becoming darker, "Aunt Li, you came at the right time, I don''t know who instigated these two servants, but they actually framed their master, and almost caused Brother Yu''er to drown in water. Aunt Wei and I interrogated them, and they even bit themselves until they are dead, not willing to admit it. Now that the Aunt Li is also here, we can definitely find the mastermind and let the Duke Palaces calm down. "


    In the entire Prince An''s Palace, other than the storehouse, everything else was managed by the Madam Li. Currently, a servant had murdered his master, so naturally, there should be a Madam Li in charge of this matter.


    Joy appeared on the two nanny s'' faces, and the fear in their eyes gradually faded. As long as Aunt Li was able to handle this matter, they would definitely be safe and sound!


    Aunt Wei saw the expressions of the two nanny s, how could she not understand that these two nanny s were actually here to harm Brother Yu!


    Her gentle eyes fearlessly met the Madam Li''s sharp gaze. "Eldest Miss is right, these two tricky slaves dared to frame Master, so they should be beaten to death and thrown out of the house, what do you think, Sis?"


    Although Aunt Wei was brought up as an aunt by Madam Li before, she was two years older than her. With Imperial Noble Consort Li supporting him from behind, her position in the palace was also higher than hers, so she became the older sister, while Aunt Wei became the younger sister.


    Being urged on by the two people, Madam Li''s gaze fell on the two people on the ground. Her mouth revealed a trace of a smile that had unknown meaning, "Since little sister has found out the truth, then these two tricky slaves will naturally be punished."


    "Auntie, have mercy! Aunt, have mercy!" The two nanny s started kowtowing on the ground. One of them widened his eyes and was about to grab onto Aunt Li''s skirt, "Aunt, this servant did it all for ¡­"

 C96

    "I don''t care what kind of people you people are trying to do. You all dare to harm my master, that''s a capital offense!" I advise you to plead guilty honestly, lest you implicate your family. "


    Aunt Li secretly threatened, and after looking at the pale nanny, he ordered someone to drag the two nanny down and deal with them.


    Brother Yu''s matter was left unsettled following the death of the two nanny s. When Bi Zhu heard of what had happened, her small face creased into a frown like a bun.


    "Those two evil slaves were obviously ordered by the Aunt Li, why didn''t Miss take the opportunity to expose her?"


    An Lingge was writing down the prescription with her head down, but when she heard the questions of the people around him, she only replied indifferently, "Aunt Li threatened the families of the two nanny s, and made them be executed swiftly and decisively.


    Moreover, as long as the Imperial Noble Consort Li did not fall, it was impossible for him to truly lose her power.


    Bi Zhu did not understand these twists and turns, and only felt that she had missed a good opportunity to take down Madam Li.


    She kept the prescription that An Lingge had written earlier, and the medicinal ingredients that she needed were all secretly hidden on top of the prescription. There were three of the five types, and adding them together with the other medicinal ingredients, it would not attract too much attention.


    "That''s right, Miss, aside from the matter of the medicinal herbs, I have another matter that I don''t know whether or not I should mention."


    After hesitating for a moment, he decided to tell her what he knew.


    An Lingge just so happened to have finished writing the prescription, so she put down the pen in her hand, and looked towards Brightheart with a bright gaze, "Speak, what news did Chu Yu send over?"


    "The death of the wangfei all those years ago seemed to have something to do with Prince Mu¡¯s Palace."


    After she finished speaking, An Lingge''s expression darkened. Compared to his usual gentle and light smile, he looked like a different person.


    An Lingge''s heart trembled, her hands clenched nervously, but she still asked, "What does my mother''s death have to do with Prince Mu¡¯s Palace?"


    Prince An''s Palace and Prince Mu¡¯s Palace were both hereditary thrones conferred by the Grand Ancestor after he struck the river and mountains. They had not interacted much for hundreds of years, so how could the death of his mother be related to those people?


    Brightheart shook her head, "There isn''t much information on Chu Yu''s side. It seems like a nanny who had found out about the wangfei''s death went to work at Prince Mu¡¯s Palace level. She thought it was strange and sent the news over."


    The nanny by the princess''s side definitely had a high position amongst the servants, only second to the aunts in charge of the palace. Even after the princess had passed away, the nanny by her side would still be able to live a good life in the palace.


    Moreover, the wangfei had left behind a pair of children. That there was definitely something weird about the nanny not staying with the little mistress and instead going to the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace.


    Of course, An Lingge was clear about what was going on as she ordered her mind to bring the situation of the nanny up here. After a while, she closed her eyes, revealing a rare sign of exhaustion, "Go deliver a letter with the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, tell Hereditary Prince Mu that I will be meeting him at the Drunken Wind Pavilion outside the city."


    Brightheart immediately sent a servant to deliver the letter. That servant accepted the silver and sent the letter over to the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace with a smile.


    The Drunken Wind Pavilion was located ten miles away from the city. Although it was still early spring, it was already covered with greenery. When the breeze blew, it brought with it a slight cool moisture.


    An Lingge sat in the pavilion, and the tall figure in front of him slowly approached.


    Mu Junghan was dressed in a robe of dark, raven green and veined western flowers. He wore a silk crane coat with a buddhist head, and walked leisurely down the mountain with his hands behind his back, as if he were a noble young master who had come to enjoy himself.


    He had jade-like phoenix eyes, and the corner of his lips seemed to have a smile to it. He glanced over slightly, and his eyes contained a myriad of emotions, like a myriad of peaches blooming in front of his eyes.


    Just a casual look like that was enough to make one lose their mind, furthermore, he was currently focused on looking at An Lingge. The only thing he did was to look at her reflection in his eyes, how could he not be mesmerized?


    An Lingge subconsciously held the blue and white porcelain cup in her hand tightly, she watched as the man sat in front of him and poured tea for him before she spoke, "Has Hereditary Prince Mu heard of Fang Yan?"


    Mu Junhan looked up, and the girl''s shiny black eyes appeared in his eyes.


    The corner of his mouth curved into a faint smile, "So Little Ge came to find me for someone else."


    Little Ge''s face reddened slightly, and her black eyes shot him a glance, "Hereditary Prince Mu, just ask, have you seen this person before?"


    Her attitude was much colder than last time, and Mu Junhan stopped his joking attitude, and asked solemnly: "What, this person is related to my Prince Mu¡¯s Palace?"


    He was indeed worthy of being the most dissolute Young Master in the capital. Just hearing An Lingge''s words, he had already guessed a few points of truth.


    An Lingge nodded her head, her eyebrows still knitted together, "This person is my mother''s nanny, but after my mother passed away, she left the residence and went to the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace to look for a job. I suspect that she knows the truth about my mother''s death."


    This is the first time An Lingge has brought up the matter of the Princess An in front of someone else, and it was only then that Mu Junhan found out that the Princess An was actually killed by someone. He nodded slightly, and took a sip of the hot tea in his cup, "Most of the servants in my Prince Mu¡¯s Palace are children of the family, and even the maids and servants that I bought are all pure in origin. The person you speak of, should not be in our residence."


    "Impossible!" An Lingge was a little agitated. Her usually calm expression also changed, her beautiful face was slightly flushed from nervousness, a pair of black bright eyes stared straight at Mu Junhan, unwilling to let go of any of the expression on his face. "Fang Yan went to the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace after she left, there''s no mistake about this."


    This was the message Chu Yu had given her. Without absolute confidence, she would not act rashly.


    Seeing her excited expression, Mu Junhan relaxed his tone, "Since you don''t believe me, then I will bring you to the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace to have a look. You should at least believe what you have seen with your own eyes, right?"


    An Lingge hesitated for a moment before nodding.


    She naturally could not go to the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace directly, but found a clothing store and changed into male attire. She dressed as a servant and followed Mu Junhan into the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace.


    "Uncle Zhong, go and get the list of the servants."


    He called for the steward of the estate, turned around, and sat on a round stool made of small purple sandalwood, not the least bit abnormal.


    The manager looked at the person behind Mu Junhan, his expression did not change as he respectfully left, and not long after, he returned with a thick roster.


    "Hereditary Prince, here is the list of the servants."


    Mu Junhan took the register, waved his hand for the manager to withdraw, and then passed the register to An Lingge.

 C97

    Holding the heavy namelist in his hand, An Lingge''s fingertip was a little pale, but he did not hesitate to open it.


    She skimmed through ten lines at a glance, her gaze sweeping across the names one by one, yet she was still unable to find Fang Yan''s name.


    Mu Junhan waited for her to read through the namelist before asking, "Is there anyone you want to look for?"


    An Lingge was about to shake her head, but her gaze stopped.


    There was a group of inconspicuous black spots on the neat namelist, and the black spot was right in between the two words, Fang Qing. The word in the middle was actually covered by the black spot, and it was hard to tell what it was originally written in.


    "This Hereditary Prince does have some impression of this person called Fang Qing." Mu Junhan followed her gaze and looked over, immediately seeing Fang Qing''s name.


    He rubbed his chin and recalled, "She was originally a gracious old woman in my mother''s courtyard. She coincidentally saved my mother by chance, so she received a favor and stayed in my mother''s courtyard as the steward of the clan."


    This name sounded like it belonged to a man. If not for that small, inconspicuous black dot, An Lingge wouldn''t have noticed it.


    Now that Mu Junhan mentioned Fang Qing, An Lingge was even more certain that the Fang Yan who left the Prince An''s Palace was this Fang Qing!


    "Where is she, can Hereditary Prince Mu find her?"


    An Lingge couldn''t wait to see the nanny, who had once served her mother before. She had a strong feeling that she would find evidence of her mother''s death on Fang Yan''s body!


    Mu Junhan looked at her anxious expression, his big palm was resting on An Lingge''s slender and soft hands, "Don''t worry, there will be a day when I find out the truth."


    He wrapped An Lingge''s hand around his own palm, and when he felt An Lingge''s body tremble slightly, he let out a long sigh from the bottom of his heart.


    This woman who looked calm and ruthless was able to take revenge on her just because she was hurt. In fact, her heart was very soft. She would be nervous and afraid, and also agitated and uneasy.


    An Lingge was shocked by the sudden warmth in her hands, shshehad wanted to retract her hand, but when she saw the pupils of Mu Junhan, he felt a sharp pain on her nose, the panic in her heart gradually disappeared.


    In her previous life, she was killed by the Madam Li and her daughter, so when she returned, she was always in a battle in the open and in the dark. In such a big palace, if her father didn''t love her and had her die early, then there would be a hypocritical aunt eyeing her and a proud and unruly little sister who framed her.


    She was indifferent, gentle, and courteous at every turn. It was just a layer of camouflage. In order to avenge her mother and herself, she had no choice but to put on that thick layer of armor.


    That sort of ice-cold loneliness, as if covered by the night sky in the midst of a biting cold wind, disappeared within Mu Junhan''s warm palm at this moment.


    Seeing that she had calmed down, Mu Junhan''s lips curled up slightly, and ordered the manager to go find Fang Qing.


    "Hereditary Prince, what orders do you have for this servant?"


    The moment Fang Qing stepped in, he respectfully bowed his head. This etiquette and etiquette seemed to have been taught to him by a wealthy family.


    Mu Junhan had already let go of An Linge''s hand and returned to his unruly, playful, and lazy attitude. He slanted his head and supported himself on the table at the side, "How long have you been serving the wangfei?"


    Fang Qing paused for a moment, as if he was counting the years before he said, "If I were to return to Hereditary Prince, this old servant has been by Princess Hua-Yang''s side for six years."


    "Then when did you enter?" Mu Junhan grabbed a peanut and threw it into his mouth. It was as if he was just casually asking and did not put the answer in his heart.


    Fang Qing couldn''t figure out what he was thinking, but he still answered honestly, "This old servant entered the mansion during the Spring of the thirteenth year, and has been doing things to clean up the mess ever since."


    "That is to say, you have already been in the Palace for seven years?"


    Mu Junhan''s phoenix eyes swept over them. He clearly didn''t have any expression, but he was actually so scared that Fang Qing was sweating all over.


    She forced herself to calm down, not revealing the slightest hint of emotion on her face. "It''s been seven years since I''ve returned to Hereditary Prince."


    Mu Junhan nodded, as if he had inadvertently brought it up. "Speaking of which, coincidentally, that wangfei from Prince An''s Palace also happened to have passed away seven years ago."


    Fang Qing was shocked, he did not know if Mu Junhan was just casually bringing it up, or if he was just testing her.


    She stood still, silent, afraid that she might slip up.


    Mu Junhan just laughed, that laughter caused Fang Qing''s back to go cold, and he did not dare to look at Mu Junhan''s expression, "Fang Yan, up to now, why are you still not speaking the truth?"


    Hereditary Prince knows her original name, Fang Yan!


    Fang Qing suddenly raised his head. Her eyes, which usually held a smile in them, were now completely cold. There was not a single trace of a smile in her eyes.


    Her body trembled slightly, but she still tried her best to pretend to be calm, "Hereditary Prince, what are you talking about?


    "The nanny at Princess An''s side, after the Princess An Immortal left, came to the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace to be a spreader. Such a strange and abnormal thing, Fang Qing, are you still not going to tell me the truth?"


    Mu Junhan''s eyes shined, and an indescribable pressure was emitted from his body. The aura of a person in a high position was so oppressive that it caused Fang Qing''s heart to tremble, and he could not help but take two steps back.


    "Hereditary Prince, this old servant ¡­ "That''s right, this old servant is Fang Yan." She clenched her teeth, as if giving her all, "Back then when the Princess An Immortal went there, this old servant felt that the Prince An would definitely marry a reigner, and at that time, this old servant, who was left behind as the previous Princess An, would probably be in the way of the new Princess An, so this old servant found a chance to leave the palace.


    An Lingge sneered and walked out from behind Mu Junhan, "nanny Fang, you thought so thoroughly, how come you and Nanny Zhang didn''t leave the manor together? Weren''t you two the best two ever? "


    She walked out of the shadows, and a gorgeous face slowly appeared in front of Fang Qing''s face.


    The face that looked fifty to sixty percent similar to Princess An''s made nanny Fang unconsciously exclaim in surprise, "Eldest Miss!"


    She then smiled awkwardly, "Eldest Miss, at that time, I left you and Young Master, the two young siblings, and it was all because of this old servant''s immorality. But Eldest Miss found the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace today, she wouldn''t have specially come to find trouble with this old servant, would she?"


    Fang Qing didn''t mention a single word about Princess An''s death, saying that she did not do the right thing by leaving the manor after the Princess An Immortal left. Her words were fake and true, almost deceiving her.


    An Lingge''s bright black eyes swept across Fang Qing''s body, and a wave of chilliness followed along his spine, "I''m not really concerned about how nanny Fang reached the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace. I''m just here to ask you, how did my mother die all those years ago?"

 C98

    How exactly did Princess An die in the past?


    When Fang Qing heard this, the fear in his heart instantly spread.


    During these seven years, she had guarded this secret for seven years and changed her name to enter Prince Mu¡¯s Palace.


    She let out a laugh, but her expression was a little strange. "Princess An naturally died of sickness back then.


    An Lingge''s gaze turned cold, and the eyes she used to look at Fang Qing did not contain a single emotion, "If my mother died of a serious illness, why did Madam Li bribe you and my mother to frame her before entering the manor? She had long planned to enter Prince An''s Palace before my mother passed away. You and Nanny Zhang are her henchmen for violence! "


    When he said those words, Fang Qing was truly shocked, and did not even dare to raise his head to look at An Lingge.


    Back then when she and Nanny Zhang drugged Princess An, Young Miss was also just a child and didn''t know anything. Because she didn''t dare to cause too much suspicion, she only gave the drug to Princess An, but Eldest Miss and Eldest Young Master were safe and sound. Who knew that Eldest Miss would be so intelligent, and not only did she find out that it was she and Nanny Zhang who poisoned Princess An, she even knew that Madam Li had bribed them before they even entered the manor.


    Fang Qing''s mind was in a mess, he was thinking about how he could defend himself when An Lingge spoke out, "Fang Qing, if you speak the truth, I will not hold grudges against you, if not, I will hand you over to the officials and let them interrogate you. You should know better than I do how many torture methods they have against me. "


    The smile on Fang Qing''s face became even weirder, to the point where it could not be seen whether he was happy or sad, "Young miss, even if you found out about me, and knew that I was the one who poisoned Princess An, what can you do? Now that the Princess An is dead, and the one in charge of the Prince An''s Palace is the Madam Li, can you still go to the Madam Li and expose her? "


    She seemed to have admitted that she was the mastermind, but An Lingge felt that something was strange. How Fang Qing was able to contact the Madam Li, and why he was bribed by the Madam Li, these things were all suspicious points.


    Thinking about that, Fang Qing stopped smiling, his face was filled with determination as he crashed into a pillar at the side.


    Mu Junhan immediately extended his hand to stop her, but who would have known that Fang Qing had some skill, that he was prepared to die, and that he would act so suddenly, that Mu Junhan was actually unable to stop her, and could only watch as Fang Qing crashed into the scarlet pillar.


    With a huge bang, An Lingge looked at Fang Qing''s slowly falling body, and his mind exploded.


    Mu Junhan lowered his body and extended his hand out to touch the tip of Fang Qing''s nose. After a moment, he retracted his hand, and with a solemn expression, he said: "He is already dead."


    Fang Qing was dead, and the clue that he found with so much difficulty was broken just like that.


    An Lingge pursed her lips, the expression on her face could not be considered to be filled with disappointment.


    Since Fang Qing was not willing to say, then he will continue to investigate. One day, she will find out the truth and obtain the evidence, and make Madam Li and her daughter repent in front of their mother''s spirit tablet!


    Mu Junhan stood up, his eyes landed on Fang Qing''s body, his expression suddenly changed, he squatted down, extended his hand out and took out something from Fang Qing''s waist.


    It was extremely delicate and exquisite, yet it looked nothing impressive from afar. If it wasn''t for Fang Qing smashing against the pillar forcefully, this object wouldn''t have been revealed from her waist.


    "What is this?" An Lingge also saw that thing, and walked to Mu Junhan''s side, his eyebrows slightly knitted.


    Mu Junhan lifted his lips, his phoenix eyes deep, "It should be some kind of keepsake, something unique to a power or organization."


    He threw that thing into An Lingge''s hands, "Do you still remember the day when we first met? The person who chased after me that day also had something like that on his waist. "


    In other words, the ones who poisoned the Princess An and sent assassins to kill Mu Junhan were the same group of people.


    An Lingge''s eyes darkened. If they were people sent by the same force, why would they deal with Prince An''s Palace? However, her mother had been poisoned seven years ago, and Fang Qing had also left the Prince An''s Palace to come to the side of the Princess Mu seven years ago. He had even concealed himself by the side of the Princess Mu.


    Princess Mu!


    An Lingge''s heart skipped a beat, she saw that Mu Junhan had also raised her head, the usual smiling phoenix eyes had turned cold, "I''ll bring you to see mufei."


    He had probably guessed that Fang Qing''s motives at the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace wasn''t pure and that the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace was tightly guarded. How could it be such a coincidence that Fang Qing had saved the Princess Mu and obtained an opportunity to serve beside him? Maybe this was all part of Fang Qing''s plan.


    An Lingge also nodded and silently followed Mu Junhan into the courtyard of the Princess Mu.


    The Princess Mu had a calm and cheerful personality, the courtyard was always quiet, but now that he stepped into the quiet, normal, courtyard, Mu Junhan felt the bottom of his heart becoming more and more flustered.


    He suppressed the bad feeling in his heart and pushed open the door to Princess Mu''s room. However, he did not see the figure of Princess Mu.


    "Mufei."


    Mu Junhan called out, and immediately walked over to the bed.


    A beautiful lady was lying on the bed with a red blanket over her body. Her hands were folded in front of her, and her eyes were tightly shut. Her lips even curled up slightly, as if she was just sleeping.


    An Lingge quickly walked forward and pulled Princess Mu''s hand. Her index finger and middle finger had already landed on Princess Mu''s wrist.


    The pulse seemed to fluctuate between strong and weak. An Lingge then pinched the middle of the people of Princess Mu, but she still did not wake up.


    "Princess Mu was poisoned." An Lingge''s expression was grave, and she felt somewhat guilty and guilty, "The poison in her body has already accumulated for many years, but the one thing that makes her unconscious is today."


    Could it be that when Fang Qing was called over, he felt that something was wrong and immediately tried to kill the Princess Mu?


    If she did not come out of the blue to alert the enemy, Princess Mu would not have been poisoned and lost consciousness.


    "Since Fang Qing had snuck into the side of my mufei seven years ago, naturally, he had the intention of murdering my mufei. Whether or not you came, she would definitely do something to my mufei no matter what, and this isn''t your fault."


    "But Princess Mu did it because of me ¡­"


    Before An Lingge could finish speaking, she was interrupted by Mu Junhan, "The most important thing right now is to find a doctor to treat my mother''s wife, and see what kind of poison she''s been infected with and how she''s treated."


    He only thought that An Lingge knew some superficial medical skills after seeing how An Lingge was able to check the pulse of the Princess Mu.


    "Who knew that An Lingge''s expression would still remain grave," Princess Mu was poisoned by a poison called ''Beauty Yu''. The person who was poisoned by this poison will be unconscious for seven days, yet his face still carried a smile as if he had entered a sweet dream.

 C99

    After Mu Junhan heard what An Lingge said, the corners of his lips drew closer and closer.


    If he wasn''t able to obtain the antidote within seven days, he would die from poison. That is to say, he only had seven days at the most to look for the antidote.


    "Do you know how to make the antidote for Lady Yu?"


    It was obviously impossible for him to go to the person behind Fang Qing to ask for the antidote. After all, no one would be able to find out who it was within seven days, so he could only look for the medicinal ingredients himself and concoct the antidote for mufei to consume.


    An Lingge nodded her head, "I''ve read about this poison in the ancient books. Its antidote isn''t that hard to make, it''s just that the medicinal ingredients are a bit difficult to find."


    She paused for a moment and then spoke out the recipe she had memorized in her head, "It''s easy to find the other herbs, it''s just that there''s a Hundred Year Ice Toad that''s hard to find, but this herb is the most crucial."


    The ice toad only existed on the summit of the snow-capped mountain, where few people had ever seen it, let alone catching it in the midst of the snow.


    Furthermore, those hundred-year-old ice toads were definitely present in the world. It was too late to even reach the snow-capped mountain from the capital in just seven days. How could they be able to find and capture one of those ice toads?


    After An Lingge finished speaking, she felt extremely depressed in her heart.


    After her rebirth, she had only thought of avenging her mother, but she had never thought that she would implicate an innocent person and put her life in danger.


    Mu Junhan''s eyes lit up, his phoenix eyes burst out with endless brilliance, and his tone became a lot lighter, "The Duke''s Mansion just happens to have an ice toad, but it has been frozen for a long time, I wonder if it can still be used as medicine."


    His mother''s consort''s health had never been good, so his father had people prepare all sorts of strange medicines all year round. The ice toad was one of them.


    An Lingge was also ecstatic, her face showing obvious happiness, the melancholy at the corner of her eyes swept away, "As long as it is an ice toad, it will be able to remove the poison from Princess Mu''s body."


    She wrote down the prescription and passed it to Mu Junhan, "Hereditary Prince Mu can ask someone to come and see if this recipe can save Princess Mu from waking up."


    Mu Junhan took the prescription, glanced at it roughly, and stored it away. At the same time, he instructed his trusted aides, "Go and find Imperial Physician Ding, tell him that mufei is unconscious, and ask him to come and treat mufei."


    He passed the prescription to his trusted aide. "If mufei''s poison is from Beauty Yu, let Imperial Physician Ding see if this prescription can be used."


    The reason why Mu Junhan told him this in front of An Lingge was not because he did not trust An Lingge, but because he did not doubt An Lingge''s words at all. The reason why he came to find Imperial Physician Ding was so that he could take out everything that An Lingge had said, so that no one else could find out about An Lingge''s medical skills.


    When the Princess Mu woke up, the people of the world would only think that Imperial Concubine Ding had been saved by Imperial Physician Ding.


    An Lingge was quick thinking, and naturally knew what Mu Junhan meant.


    When she looked into Mu Junhan''s eyes, she felt her heart starting to race again.


    She suppressed the throbbing in her heart and bid farewell to Mu Junhan before returning to the clothing store where she had changed clothes previously.


    An Lingge took his clothes from Ming Xin and changed them into them. Then, with a normal expression, she began to stroll around the streets.


    Even though she said that she was just strolling around, An Lingge merely brought her heart to buy a few fine pastries, and then brought them back to the mansion.


    The gatekeeper was naturally one of the Madam Li''s men. Whenever An Lingge came back from the palace, there would be someone to report to her.


    Upon hearing that An Lingge had only brought a servant girl out for half a day, the Madam Li wanted to use this matter to reprimand An Lingge and cause trouble for him.


    After all, although the manor did not restrict the misses from going out, they knew that they would not do anything excessive. An Lingge only brought one servant out, who knew what he was going to do.


    The Madam Li waved to the person who came to report the news, telling her to withdraw. Only then did she raise a cold smile, and walked towards An Lingge''s courtyard.


    An Lingge had just reached her own house when Madam Li followed closely behind him. The difference between their actions was less than half an incense worth of time.


    "Why did the Aunt Li come to my courtyard recently? Could it be that the two nanny s who plotted to kill Brother Yu''s son have already been dealt with?"


    Once she opened her mouth, she deliberately stepped on Madam Li''s painful leg, but there was a caring smile on her face.


    Those two nanny s'' statuses were neither low nor high, but they were people that Madam Li had spent great effort to bury by Aunt Zheng''s side. Not only were they pulled out just like that by An Lingge, she had also personally ordered people to beat those two nanny s to death.


    Madam Li was filled with hatred in her heart, but suddenly, An Lingge brought up this matter. The fake smile on her face almost made her unable to hold it in.


    "I had those two slums who murdered my master be dealt with early on, but as for Eldest Miss, I heard from the person at the gatekeeper that you left the mansion for a long time today. I wonder what you went to do? Even though you and Hereditary Prince Mu are already engaged, you should still take note of your words and actions. Don''t get too close with an outsider so as to not cause gossip. "


    As Madam Li spoke, she did not wait for An Lingge''s reply as she had secretly added An Lingge''s reputation of being unfaithful to a woman.


    If others had heard this, they would think that An Lingge was born with a loose personality. She already had a fiance, but she still had to befuddle with some other man.


    The smile on An Lingge''s face did not waver, but her eyes were filled with ice, "Aunt Li''s words are truly funny. If I knew, I would have just said that Aunt Li didn''t know what was going on. If I didn''t know, I would have thought that Aunt Li was deliberately saying those words to push me down. "


    She scolded Aunt Li for being stupid, and at the same time she said that she was a schemer, causing the corners of Aunt Li''s eyes to twitch. She took a deep breath for a while, and finally calmed the anger at the bottom of her heart.


    "I said I wasn''t paying attention and made Eldest Miss unhappy." She was smiling, but in her heart she wanted nothing more than to skin An Lingge alive, "But since Your Highness has handed the whole house over to me, I can ask where First Miss is going, should I? "Why don''t you just tell me, what have you been doing since you left the residence?"


    He couldn''t give a just and honorable reason, so he wanted to see how she would deal with this little slut!


    "Aunt called Second Sister over to say something a few days ago, and when Second Sister went back, he found Bai Ling to hang himself. Aunt did not take this matter to heart, but Little Ge still did not mind it."


    She indicated to the Madam Li that she did not care about the life and death of the young miss and did not give her a chance to fight back, so she continued, "Since the Second Sister suffered such grievances, I do not know how to comfort her. Thus, I decided to go out to buy some snacks with a clear heart, and prepared to send it over to the Second Sister."

 C100

    An Lingge''s eyes were curved, causing the gorgeous face''s expression to become much more gentle and spirited.


    She raised her eyes to look at Aunt Li, and her tone was gentle and gentle, "However, since Aunt Li has come, then send these to Second Sister, treat it as your apology to Second Sister, and don''t let Second Sister be hurt because of what happened that day."


    Such gentleness and empathy made Madam Li snort coldly in her heart, and her gaze fell on the pastries.


    "It''s just a few ordinary pastries, is it worth it to be Eldest Miss for half a day?"


    The Madam Li didn''t care whether An Lingge bought the pastries for her or gave them to An Lingxue. She only wanted to catch An Lingge and make a fool of him for the majority of the day, so that she can''t find any excuses.


    An Lingge, on the other hand, seemed to have already talked about how the Madam Li would make trouble, and pointed to the wrapped up fine osmanthus cake, "Aunt Li might not know, but although this osmanthus cake is only an ordinary cake, but it comes from the Hundred Aroma Restaurant, so buying this kind of cake would take at least two hours."


    Spring osmanthus flowers are rare, and this Hundred Fragrance Pavilion osmanthus cake is made with the osmanthus flowers dried last year.


    Although the taste was not as good as the fresh osmanthus flowers, it was still a novelty to be able to eat the osmanthus cake in spring. The ladies loved to eat it, so it naturally did not affect the business of Hundred Flowers Hall.


    Therefore, the Hundred Fragrance Court''s Gui Hua Cake was bought by a long queue every day. If they didn''t go there early, it would be normal for them to wait one or two hours.


    Aunt Li''s gaze fell on the small words written outside the package, and retracted her gaze from the three words'' Hundred Incense House ''.


    "Eldest Miss is really considerate. For a younger cousin like Second Miss, to be able to wait so long in order to buy a packet of osmanthus cake for Second Miss is really touching."


    She sarcastically said a few words, but An Lingge pretended not to hear it, and continued to smile, "Aunt Li, don''t praise me, if not, when I go to Grandmother''s place, I will be praised to the skies by Grandmother."


    Mingxin brought out another item at the right time, lowering her head and frowning. "Miss has prepared the things for the madame. You can go to Qingfeng Courtyard now."


    She was holding onto a embroidered box, but Madam Li could not see what was in it. Just looking at An Lingge''s deliberately mystifying appearance made her feel annoyed.


    He immediately left the house and put on such a kind and generous front, as if she was the only one in the house who knew how to take care of her grandmother and care for her little sister. This made Yi Er, who was acting this way, speechless.


    The Madam Li''s expression darkened even more, she was unable to sit down at An Lingge''s place anymore. She immediately went back to her own courtyard and called for An Lingyi, urging her to curry favor with the old mistress, and to rope in his second wife''s sisters.


    The chance to win An Lingyi''s heart came quickly.


    A few days after An Lingge left the Duke Palaces that day, An Yingcheng called everyone from the Duke Palaces over.


    "The Emperor has already ordered for people to build Jingdu Academy. He has ordered for all the children of officials of the middle and higher ranks to study there."


    He was sitting in a chair, his normally dignified face a little solemn.


    "Where do both men and women study?" Madam Wang was the first to ask, and it was precisely because her son was going to take the examination that she followed the old lady back to Prince An''s Palace. Now that the emperor had given this order, Madam Wang was the one she was most worried about.


    Her eldest son, An Linghao, was fifteen years old and had already passed the Elementary Scholar examination. Originally, he had invited a teacher from the private school to teach him, but if he were to suddenly change places and start studying, something could happen to him.


    Second Old Master An Yinghao coughed awkwardly, only then did Madam Wang react. The emperor''s orders were directed at officials above the middle tier of the imperial court, An Yinghao had only asked them for permission this year, and found a casual job with a sixth tier book, naturally not including it.


    Which is to say, among the people who wanted to go to Jingdu Academy, there should have been Prince An''s direct descendant An Lingjun, his direct daughter An Lingge, as well as Madam Li''s An Lingyi, An Lingyuan, and the Wei clan''s An Lingyu.


    The emperor had ordered for the children of officials of the middle grade and above to enter the Jingdu Academy. Didn''t that mean that Hereditary Prince Mu would also be there to study?


    Why was An Lingge''s life so good, she had the advantage right from the moment she was born, and was merely stronger than him by being reincarnated, suppressing him at every turn. Now that she could go to Jingdu Academy, he could not!


    Her young and harmless face was slightly twisted, but she still unwillingly asked, "Uncle, could it be that only the sons and daughters of officials above the third rank are allowed to go? Little Xue likes her big sister and wants to learn together with her. "


    Her words made people''s hearts soften. The madame looked at her with a pained look, but she seemed to have thought of something and did not speak.


    An Yingcheng''s gaze swept across everyone before speaking, "The Emperor has ordered for the children of officials of the middle tier and above to go to the Jingdu Academy to learn, if anyone else wishes to come, they can pass the Jingdu Academy entrance test."


    Initially, he wanted to advise An Lingxue and the others not to try anything strange and hurriedly entered the Jingdu Academy. However, when he saw the happy faces of the old lady and An Yingkang, he could only swallow the words that were in his mouth.


    An Lingge seemed to be calmly sitting on her seat, but in reality, her hands were tightly clenched together, and sweat was forming on her palms.


    If the emperor gave such an order, wouldn''t it mean that the Junge would also come to the Jingdu Academy? Wouldn''t she be able to see the Junge everyday then?


    Perhaps the Emperor will even allow the Junge to leave the palace and return to the palace!


    Her hands were trembling from excitement. Aunt Wei, who was sitting beside her, let out a long sigh when she saw her lose control of herself.


    In the end, the young miss was still young and hadn''t gone through so many hardships, so she couldn''t see the arsenic beneath the honey.


    She hugged An Lingyu who was in her embrace, her expression changed a few times but she still asked in the end, "I wonder if Second Young Master will come to the Academy later on?"


    Although he was the eldest son of An Yingcheng, the An Ling Hao that was born from Madam Wang was even bigger than him. Originally, their Prince An''s Palace only consisted of a single family, so An Lingjun was naturally the eldest young master.


    The words of the Aunt Wei silenced the room for a moment. An Yingcheng glanced at her with a face devoid of emotion, and said, "Jun''er is going to read it for the prince. If the prince didn''t come, then naturally Jun''er wouldn''t have gone as well."


    This matter depended on the emperor''s wishes, but who in this world could grasp the thoughts of the quasi Emperor? Anyone who could see through the emperor''s thoughts would have long been a ghost on the road to the Yellow Springs.


    An Lingge slowly loosened her grip, and the corner of her mouth pulled out a bitter smile.


    As expected, it was still too early to be happy. How could Junge come out of the palace so easily?

 C101

    BOOM! With a muffled thunder sound, Bi Zhu raised her head and looked at the sky as bean-sized raindrops fell down instantly, landing with a thud on the ground.


    Ming Xin hurriedly closed the window, but the wind still blew in and blew away the Xuan paper on top of An Lingge''s table.


    "This weather is really changing at will." Bi Zhu muttered in a low voice. Carrying a robe, he walked over and put it on An Lingge.


    With one hand, An Lingge pressed down on the scattered Xuan paper, and with the other, he placed the brush on top of the brush holder.


    "Tomorrow is the time for Jingdu Academy to recruit students." She looked at what she had written and her usually calm eyes were filled with worry.


    The Emperor suddenly ordered for the children of the middle and higher rank officials to go to the Jingdu Academy. Before this, no one knew anything about it, and no one even knew when the Jingdu Academy was built.


    Moreover, if all those noble sons and daughters of officials and officials came to the Jingdu Academy, how would those people of the Crown Prince go about doing it?


    This was related to the future civil and military generals of the Great Zhou Empire. Was the Emperor not afraid of the discontent in the hearts of the court officials, causing instability in the court and chaos in the Great Zhou?


    An Lingge was not the only one who thought this. In the entire capital, everyone, ranging from the royal family of a first rank official to the commoners, were trying to figure out the Emperor''s intentions.


    An Lingxue was extremely happy, she did not care what the emperor''s intentions were, but to her, the emperor ordering all the children of middle and higher ranked officials to enter Jingdu Academy to study, was just giving her a chance to befriend the descendants of influential families, to develop her relationship with them.


    When she was growing up at the ancestral residence, the biggest official she had met was only a sixth rank Prefect. It was very easy for the old lady to bring them back to the capital because An Linghao was going to participate in the Spring Festival.


    But over ten years had passed, and An Lingxue had already lost the chance to get acquainted with the noble ladies of the capital. Even after the old lady held a banquet for her, not many people were willing to take the initiative to befriend her.


    Now it was different. All the noble ladies in the capital were studying together, and there were many opportunities to travel together. With her beauty and talent, it would only be a matter of time before she could expand her network.


    An Lingxue was ecstatic, and on the second day she went to Jingdu Academy, he even dressed up meticulously.


    Even though it had just rained yesterday, and there was still some coldness in the air, An Lingxue still wore very thin clothes, her jade colored leaves and cloud patterns were all over her clothes, making her look somewhat cold. However, she did not notice it, and instead giggled as she held onto An Lingge''s arm.


    "Why is big sister here so late? Little Xue has already been waiting for big sister for so long."


    Her appearance was originally on the soft and harmless side. Now that she was thin and dressed, her almond eyes shined brilliantly, her eyebrows curved. Her standard appearance of a weak and beautiful woman caused others to feel pity for her.


    If An Lingxue had not harbored the intention of stealing her husband, An Lingge might have really cherished her outer appearance.


    Unfortunately, she would not be as stupid as she was in her previous life, being blinded by her appearance.


    An Lingge also laughed, but his smile was light, and could not be considered friendly or distant, it made people feel like she was surrounded by a cold aura, her lips was obviously smiling gently and politely, but it was just that no one could get close to her.


    Her appearance was gorgeous and she attracted the attention of many just by standing there quietly. Her cold demeanor added a dignity that one could not look at from afar.


    An Lingxue felt that more than half of the gazes that landed on him had been diverted by An Lingge, and could only silently curse that she did not have a beautiful face like An Lingge, but could only act like she was close to An Lingge, and enter Jingdu Academy with her.


    It was still early when they arrived, but someone had already led them to a wide, bright room where three or five girls in gorgeous clothes were seated.


    "This is where the girls study. There will be a female teacher coming over later to lecture the ladies."


    The guide was a woman in her twenties. She had a clean, white face and a warm smile.


    An Lingge and An Lingxue nodded at her before walking into the house.


    The few ladies looked familiar, all of them had performed at the Imperial Palace''s Spring Festival, especially the one sitting in the middle, Zhang Wanyi. Her powerful calligraphy skills had left a deep impression on An Lingge.


    She nodded at them as a form of greeting, then quietly sat to the side and began to flip through the books on the table.


    An Lingxue was no longer quiet, she flipped through a few pages of books, then started talking to the lady beside her. From her jewelry to her clothes, the two of them laughed out loud, looking like they were happily chatting with each other.


    "Heh, second sister is actually an extrovert. You''ve been in the mansion for more than a month, but I don''t know anything about it."


    An Lingyi snorted, and sat down beside An Lingxue with a bad face.


    Her mother, the Madam Li, had been punished because of An Lingxue.


    However, An Lingxue smiled innocently, and said with an embarrassed look, "Third Sister is joking, I am just a little bit close to big sister, so if Third Sister is unhappy, I will change it in the future."


    Her words made An Lingyi a proud and arrogant little sister, while she herself was a thoughtful and considerate cousin. In an instant, she established a generous and gentle image in front of all the noble ladies.


    The one who was talking to An Lingxue was the honored tutor''s granddaughter, Jiang Ning. She scanned An Lingyi from head to toe, the corner of her mouth pressing down as she looked at mockingly, but she only spoke to An Lingxue, "This is the daughter of your uncle. She is indeed different from us, the direct daughters."


    "What did you say?" An Lingxue hated people who talked about her identity as a concubine the most. Now that she was mentioned by Jiang Ning, she was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on as she glared fiercely at Jiang Ning. "Say what you just said again!"


    Jiang Ning snorted contemptuously, not even looking at her directly. "I said you''re a woman who can''t stand up straight. What, am I wrong?"


    She always looked down upon those concubines, and was even more unaccustomed to seeing An Lingyi''s arrogant and despotic attitude.


    Because of her scornful attitude, An Lingyi was even more enraged. Her charming face flushed red as she reached out her hand and pushed Jiang Ning to the ground.


    "Third Sister, what are you doing?" An Lingxue exclaimed in time, she lowered her head to cover the smile at the corner of her mouth, and immediately went to help Jiang Ning up, anxiously inspecting Jiang Ning. Seeing that she was not hurt from the fall, she spoke up with guilt and remorse, "This is the academy, a refined and solemn place, how can Third Sister push Miss Jiang here?"

 C102

    After she finished speaking, she turned to look at An Lingge, "Big sister, you saw what happened just now. Third Sister is so rude, you can''t let her off so easily!"


    Was he trying to pull her down with him?


    An Lingge raised her brows slightly, her rosy lips curving into an enchanting curve as her gaze landed on An Lingxue with a smile yet not a smile. A pair of shiny black eyes carried wisdom that could see through all schemes, causing An Lingxue to subconsciously avoid her gaze.


    "Third Sister is straightforward and reckless. As the eldest sister of the family, I represent her in apologizing to Miss Jiang. I hope Miss Jiang will not take this matter to heart."


    "Apologize to Jiang Ning first," An Lingge said as her gaze landed on An Lingyi, and berated her harshly, "Today is the first day that Jingdu Academy is recruiting for students. If Third Sister is still living in this life, I''ll go back and report to father and grandmother, and have the two of them come and discipline you."


    If this were to happen to his father and his grandmother, he would be punished.


    An Lingyi pursed her lips in anger. She felt that since An Lingxue and An Lingge were working together to bully him, she had to let her aunt think of a way to teach them a lesson!


    "Big sister taught you a lesson. Third sister was only impulsive and pushed Miss Jiang because she had a straight character and was said to be unpleasant to listen to. Now third sister has already admitted her wrongs, so let this matter pass." An Lingmeng looked at An Lingyi''s expression, and immediately went out to smooth things over for her, and did not forget to mention An Lingxue, "Second sister and Miss Jiang had a good chat, I hope that Miss Jiang will give face to second sister and not make any fuss about it. "After all, it''s only the first day of school. It won''t be good if we blow it up and let the teachers know about it."


    She had always liked to keep her head down, and her cowardly, introverted nature made it hard for people to notice her. However, when she spoke up for An Lingyi, she seemed to think that she was being completely generous.


    An Lingxue who was mentioned could not stay out of this, and could only pull out a smile, "This is all my fault. If I did not argue with Third Sister, Miss Jiang would not be in my hands."


    She took the blame on herself, and looked down in a pathetic way.


    Jiang Ning then waved her hand. Although there was still some anger on her face, she still consoled her, "Isn''t it she who first provoked us? How did it become your fault?" Ling Xue, you will definitely suffer if you are so kind as to endure it. "


    An Lingxue only shook her head slightly, as if she did not care about what she did, and even more so did not care about being bullied.


    Such a kind and magnanimous girl instantly won the goodwill from many in the academy.


    Although An Lingyi was furious, she did not dare cause trouble in the academy. Seeing that more and more people were gathering, she suppressed her anger and sat in her seat, waiting for the teacher to arrive.


    "Teacher is here."


    It was unknown who shouted, but everyone turned to look outside.


    A woman dressed as a woman walked step by step towards them. She was wearing a long silky robe with rich patterns on it and was embroidered with a hundred purple flowers. She was dressed in a cinnabar colored peony golden jade.


    Her life was round and smooth, her face was like a silver plate, and her lips were covered in cream. She seemed like an exquisite person.


    A pair of phoenix-like eyes swept over the crowd. The majesty in those eyes frightened everyone. All of them hurriedly retracted their curious gazes.


    "My husband''s surname is Deng. You can call me Teacher Deng." Standing in front of the crowd, the aura around her wasn''t any less than that of these noble ladies.


    In the end, all the girls were reserved. In front of Teacher Deng, they obediently followed his orders.


    Only then did Teacher Deng nod his head in satisfaction. He flipped open the book in his hand and began lecturing.


    She was talking about the ring, and everyone present had more or less learned it. They didn''t have much interest in the contents, so they didn''t listen seriously.


    An Lingge looked like she was seriously listening to Teacher Deng''s lesson, but her eyes kept drifting towards the window.


    Unexpectedly, a small figure appeared from outside the window and gave a big smile.


    An Lingge''s pupils suddenly enlarged as the corner of her mouth bloomed into a brilliant smile.


    "The reason why Big Sister is smiling so happily is probably because she likes Teacher Deng''s lessons."


    An Lingyi suddenly said, causing everyone''s gaze to fall on An Lingge''s body.


    Teacher Deng frowned and displeasure could be seen in his eyes.


    The ring that she was talking about was extremely boring and dry. An Lingge being able to laugh must be because she was distracted, and did not know what private matters she was doing down there.


    "An Lingge, tell me, what are the four lines for females?"


    Teacher Deng mentioned An Lingge, and An Lingge stood up respectfully, "Reporting to Teacher Deng, the four lines are: virtue, words, looks, and meritorious services."


    Seeing An Lingge answering her, Teacher Deng nodded for her to sit. She did not intend to make things difficult for An Lingge, she just wanted to use this opportunity to remind her to listen to the class.


    The time for the lesson quickly passed. An Lingge waited for the teacher to leave and then immediately jogged out as well.


    She had always been calm and steady, it was rare for her to be so anxious. An Lingyi stared at the direction where she left with a sinister look in her eyes.


    "Junge!"


    An Lingge looked at the youth in front of him, her eyes filled with happiness, her black eyes even had a few crystal clear tears.


    "Why did the Emperor let you leave the palace? Did the Ninth Prince come as well?"


    Back then, An Lingjun had entered the Imperial Palace as the reading partner of the Ninth Prince. Now that he was able to leave the Imperial Palace, it meant that the Ninth Prince had reached the Jingdu Academy as well.


    Sure enough, An Lingjun nodded her head and said something that made An Lingge even happier, "Those princes also came to the Jingdu Academy and the emperor even ordered me to stop following beside the Ninth Prince to read."


    That was good news!


    An Lingge''s heart was in turmoil, but just as she was about to speak, An Lingyi walked over from behind him.


    "Isn''t this Junge? Why did he appear here, and not stay in the palace to be Ninth Prince''s reading partner anymore? " She emphasized the word ''reading companion'', as if he could gain some advantage in front of An Lingjun this way.


    An Lingjun glanced at her, then looked at An Lingge, "Elder sister, who is this ugly woman, why are you still talking to me?"


    His thin face was at a loss, and his expression was sincere. It was impossible to tell that he was faking it, and An Lingyi''s fingertips trembled from anger.


    With how sharp her brother''s words were, An Lingge could not help but laugh out loud. No matter if it was because An Lingjun really forgot how she looked or if she said those words on purpose to anger An Lingyi, she would seriously introduce him to An Lingjun.


    "This is Yi Er, the one who came from the Aunt Li. She''s younger than you by a few months, and before you entered the palace, you lived together with her for a few years.


    An Lingjun exclaimed, then suddenly said: "No wonder she looks so ugly, so she''s the child of Aunt Li."


    He might as well not say it!

 C103

    An Lingyi was even more furious, if not for the people around talking nonsense, she would have scolded him a long time ago.


    She glanced at the people coming and going, talking and playing, her gaze landed on one person and suddenly raised her voice, "Junge, how can you say that Ninth Prince is ugly? No matter what, you have been reading by the Ninth Prince''s side for so many years, the two of you should have a good relationship with each other. I didn''t expect that behind your back, you would actually say this about the Ninth Prince. "


    An Lingyi''s face was full of indignation, as though An Lingjun was a despicable, shameless, petty person, which made her despise him.


    When Ninth Prince heard this, he looked over. He was already not standing too far away, and could only faintly hear a few ugly words. He originally did not think much of it, but after hearing An Lingyi''s words, he only felt a wave of fury in his heart.


    "Lowly servant, you dare to say this prince is ugly?" Ninth Prince angrily walked over, and unknowingly brought along his own name for An Lingjun when he was in the palace.


    Such an insult caused the joy on An Lingjun''s face to disappear, she tightly clenched her hands by her side, and anger rose up on her thin face.


    An Lingge''s gaze turned cold, that icy gaze caused Ninth Prince to panic at the bottom of his heart, and he subconsciously took a step back.


    "The last time I was at the palace, I had already told Ninth Prince that he was a Hereditary Prince of the Prince An''s Palace. Even if he was ordered by the emperor to act as a reading partner for the disciples of the imperial family, he was still not Ninth Prince''s servant. You call us lowly servants, what position do you put our Prince An''s Palace in? "


    The Ninth Prince took a step back. An Lingge then stepped forward and shielded An Lingjun behind him, "If Ninth Prince wants to use his status of a prince to wantonly insult his family''s younger brother, I''ll have to beg father to give the emperor a gift. I''ll ask him if he''s some lowly servant or not in the heart of the emperor."


    "The Ninth Emperor''s brother is young, and his words are a bit out of proportion. Why would the Miss An care so much?" Seventh Prince Zhao Lanyu walked over with a smile, but his gaze towards An Lingge was not friendly.


    As the son of the Imperial Noble Consort Li and An Lingyi''s cousin, he naturally spoke towards An Lingyi.


    "If Miss An really had Prince An pass him a paper roll, that would truly be a joke." In the cold weather, Zhao Lanyu held a fan and waved it around casually, looking at the fan in his hand, causing An Lingge''s stomach to roll.


    An Lingjun was about to speak, but was beaten back by someone.


    It was unknown when Mu Junhan had appeared here, but his tall and slender figure had attracted quite a few gazes.


    There was a carefree smile on his unruly face, his phoenix eyes seemed to carry boundless love, and he only looked at Zhao Lanyu with a hint of coldness. "Could it be that the best course of action is for the Prince An''s Palace Hereditary Prince to swallow their anger?"


    "Of course, it''s just a small matter. Even if it were in front of Royal Father, Royal Father would not even care about it."


    Mu Junhan nodded his head, then suddenly waved his hand at Zhao Lanyu, causing Liu Ye who was at the tip of his fingers to be pushed by his Spirit Qi, to fly towards Zhao Lanyu''s face along an invisible flow of Qi.


    Zhao Lanyu hurriedly dodged, but a patch of Liu Ye still passed by his face, bringing up a thin line of blood.


    "Mu Junhan, what do you mean?"


    Zhao Lanyu no longer had the mood to shake the fan that was pretending to be romantic. He kept his fan, and stared at Mu Junhan as if he wanted to eat him alive.


    Mu Junhan laughed, his handsome face causing several girls to secretly blush.


    "This Hereditary Prince was careless and slipped, it was my mistake to injure Seventh Prince, but it was just a small matter, why do you have to get angry, Seventh Prince?"


    "You''ve already injured this prince, and this is just a small matter?" Zhao Lanyu pointed at his own face. His originally handsome face now looked somewhat sinister.


    Mu Junhan shrugged his shoulders indifferently, the corners of his mouth still had that lazy smile, as if he did not care about Zhao Lanyu at all. "If Seventh Prince is not satisfied with this Hereditary Prince''s apology, then go and tell it to the Emperor. In any case, the Imperial Noble Consort Li has been doted upon by the emperor to a great extent. It would be extremely easy for the Seventh Prince to complain about it. "


    He paused for a moment, his gaze falling upon Zhao Lanyu, "But according to Seventh Prince''s words, this is just a small matter. Even if the Seventh Prince comes before the emperor, the emperor might not necessarily care."


    This was using his own words to stop him!


    Zhao Lanyu''s heart was stifled, even the thin line of blood on his face started to hurt.


    "Heh, Mu Junhan, you are arrogant enough, in the future, don''t regret it!"


    Although he was not the crown prince, but according to the extent to which his mufei was favored, the Royal Father would still pass down the throne to him.


    At that time, he would have the power to make Mu Junhan regret his actions today. He would make Mu Junhan kneel in front of him and beg for forgiveness!


    Mu Junhan did not take his words to heart at all, and after exchanging a few casual words with him, Zhao Lanyu was so angry that he turned around and left.


    "Elder sister, who is that person?"


    An Lingjun lowered her voice and whispered into An Lingge''s ear.


    This was the second time he had seen Mu Junhan. The last time he was at the palace, the Imperial Consort Yi Empress had made things difficult for him and his sister, so this person had come out to help them.


    An Lingge coughed and stuttered as she explained, "He is the Hereditary Prince of the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, and the Emperor has decreed that he will be married to both the Prince An''s Palace and the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, so ¡­"


    An Lingjun nodded, her eyes filled with worship.


    His future brother-in-law was truly amazing. Last time, when he made Imperial Consort Yi retreat, he caused Seventh Prince to suffer a setback again.


    "Future brother-in-law." A dimple appeared on An Lingjun''s face from the smile, her starry eyes blinked, forgetting about the Ninth Prince who had humiliated him.


    An Lingge suddenly pinched him, with warning in his eyes.


    Fang Qing had not been able to figure out the reason behind''s death, and the culprit behind the death of''s mother was not found out, but this brat was actually heartless.


    An Lingjun was in pain, she grimaced, but her face was still smiling, "Future brother-in-law, you came to find my sister because you have something to say right? I won''t disturb the two of you anymore."


    This was the academy, and many students were here. Even if the two of them were to speak alone, they wouldn''t be accused of being indecent.


    An Lingjun retreated a few steps, and seeing that An Lingyi was still standing at her original position, she immediately pulled An Lingyi to her side.


    "Don''t think about anything you shouldn''t."


    He lowered his head, and the brilliant smile on his face was no longer there. Instead, it had turned into a menacing expression.

 C104

    Hearing An Lingjun''s words, An Lingyi''s mouth formed a mocking smile.


    "Are you threatening me?" She also lowered her voice, the words in her mouth were full of malice, "A person who''s been ordered around by Ninth Prince dares to threaten me? Be careful, I might let my aunt beg the emperor and let you return to Ninth Prince''s side to serve me, and see if you still dare to threaten me like this."


    The Imperial Noble Consort Li was doted upon by the Emperor. If An Lingyi did this, An Lingjun really might be recalled back into the palace by the Emperor. At that time, she could make up some excuse and say that the Ninth Prince couldn''t bear to part with An Lingjun, and leave him in the palace.


    "The Emperor will not let him return to the Imperial Palace." Mu Junhan and An Lingge also mentioned this matter, their expressions were somewhat assured, "Currently, all the children of the middle and high ranked officials are studying in Jingdu Academy, and even the people from the Crown Prince''s Palace are no exception, they are all gathered here. The Emperor wants to gather the children of the ministers of the aristocratic families in one place so that your little brother is not an exception. "


    With his hands behind his back, he stood there silently, enjoying the beautiful scenery.


    An Lingge followed his gaze and looked over, only to see the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace''s Hereditary Prince Yi Ming playing not far away, laughing happily towards a seven or eight year old child.


    Even Yi Ming, that idiot Hereditary Prince, had come. The emperor obviously didn''t want them to come here to learn, he probably had other intentions.


    No matter what the emperor''s intentions were, as long as she did not call An Lingjun back to the palace, it was good news for her.


    Mu Junhan looked at the scattered people, and suddenly started to walk towards the back of the mountain.


    An Lingge immediately knew that Mu Junhan had some private matters to discuss, and casually followed.


    At the back of the mountain was a bamboo forest, quiet and serene. It was a good place to talk.


    "I wonder if Princess Hua-Yang''s poison has been resolved?" With no one else present, An Lingge dared to ask about the poison in Princess Mu.


    If she did not alert the enemy that day, she would not have harmed Fang Qing by suddenly increasing the quantity of the medicine, causing Princess Mu to be unconscious.


    Mu Junhan''s expression was actually very relaxed, "Fortunately, I discovered it early that day, so even though mufei was poisoned, it wasn''t too much of a problem. As for that Fang Qing, I found something on her body."


    "Have you found any clues regarding Fang Qing?" When An Lingge brought up this matter, she felt as if her eyes were shrouded by a thick layer of mist, covering the truth of this matter and making it impossible for him to see through it.


    Mu Junhan took something out from his chest pocket. An Lingge took a glance at it, but she did not recognize it.


    As if he knew that An Lingge didn''t recognize such a thing, he introduced it to her. "When Emperor Xian was still alive, he had two sets of Dark Guard. One was responsible for protecting the Emperor''s safety in the imperial palace, while the other was responsible for gathering information for the Emperor and burying them everywhere. And Fang Qing, or in other words Fang Yan, is one of the late emperor''s Dark Guard. "


    Emperor Xian had passed away more than twenty years ago, and the Dark Guard in his hands had naturally fallen into the hands of the current Emperor.


    In other words, Fang Qing had followed the emperor''s orders to lurk in the Prince An''s Palace, poisoned the Princess An, and then changed his identity to the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace. He wanted to use the same method to poison the Princess Mu, but his true identity was discovered by An Lingge, so in order to hide the truth, he had no choice but to commit suicide.


    But that wasn''t right.


    An Lingge frowned slightly. The reason she suspected her mother''s death was because she heard An Lingyi''s words before she died in her previous life. An Lingyi had personally said that her mother was killed by the Madam Li.


    "Fang Qing wouldn''t have been sent by the Emperor." An Lingge said with certainty. If she was really like the Emperor, why would she do something to her own mother? Why would she do something to the Princess Mu?


    Even if the power of the other princes was growing stronger and stronger, the Emperor suspected that these nobles shouldn''t have made a move on the two consorts, shouldn''t they have made a move on the Prince An and the Prince An faster and more direct?


    Mu Junhan also nodded. "I wasn''t sure whether or not this was actually the work of the emperor, but after looking at the Jingdu Academy, I''m finally certain that this matter definitely has nothing to do with the emperor."


    "Why?" Although An Lingge''s intuition had nothing to do with the Emperor, she still wanted to hear Mu Junhan''s opinion.


    "Have you heard of raising Gu?" Mu Junhan did not answer and instead asked. Her beautiful phoenix eyes were pitch black, making it hard for people to see through his eyes.


    Raising the Gu was a secret technique on Miao Jiang''s side. Due to the mysterious danger, it often appeared in the story of the storyteller.


    An Lingge nodded her head, "They said that they will need to keep all the poisons in the same jar for a period of time. After those poisons fight with each other, in the end, only the most powerful poison will remain, and they will become a Gu King, and they can be refined into a poisonous worm."


    "That''s right, put all the poisonous creatures in the same jar and wait for them to kill each other." Mu Junhan smiled with a deeper meaning, "Isn''t Jingdu Academy like this?"


    The Emperor, disregarding the opinions of the masses, was unyielding and allowed everyone to come to the Jingdu Academy. However, he gathered the children of all the nobles here.


    Which one of them didn''t have a noble and respected position and live like a prince? If they were to suddenly go to school together with others and cause any trouble, it would be a common occurrence.


    At that time, if the Jingdu Academy could not be dealt with, the conflicts between the students would have to be reported to the emperor.


    The Emperor would either punish each of them, or he would punish the wrongdoer harshly.


    No matter if it was a punishment or a demotion, or even taking back some of the military power, it was still beneficial to the emperor.


    This was the emperor''s intention to have them come to the Jingdu Academy. If not, wouldn''t it be a joke to have that foolish Hereditary Prince of the Prince Yi¡¯s Palace come to school?


    An Lingge was shocked. She thought she was already very careful and was used to reading things over and over again, but she still couldn''t see through the emperor''s intentions. She only understood after Mu Junhan gave her a few pointers.


    "Since the Emperor had long since secretly prepared Jingdu Academy to restrain these nobles, he naturally wouldn''t secretly send people to poison them."


    She suddenly understood, and the doubt in her heart was explained.


    "Furthermore, the Crown Prince, Fourth Prince, Seventh Prince and the others have all come to the Jingdu Academy, leaving the Crown Prince''s tutor behind. They have come to attend the lessons with the rest, just to take advantage of the time when the Emperor is still in power to rope in their own forces."


    Although the Emperor had already appointed a crown prince, the ruthlessness of the crown prince had already aroused the displeasure of many. In addition, the Seventh Prince s of the Fourth Prince had also grown up, so it was hard to avoid some people with ambitions.


    An Lingge thought for a while. Since Fang Qing was willing to drug his mother and Princess Mu, then he must be someone related to the princes. Why not find out who the person is?

 C105

    What Mu Junhan and An Lingge said at the back of the mountain, others had no way of knowing. An Lingxue only bumped into the two of them walking out of the back mountain.


    She looked at the tall man who slowly walked down the mountain. He was dressed in white and had ink-black hair, and his face was as beautiful as if he was walking down from heaven. The sunlight shone on him, making it hard for people to look away.


    He really was a man that was unique in the world.


    An Lingxue sighed from the bottom of her heart. When her gaze landed on An Lingge, the infatuated expression on her face changed into one of unconcealable jealousy and hatred.


    She watched as the two of them got closer and closer. Suddenly, she pulled Jiang Ning along and walked ahead with quick steps.


    Passing by An Lingge, An Lingxue suddenly felt her feet go soft, and she fell down onto Mu Junhan''s body.


    Mu Junhan''s hands were quick, he immediately extended to help her, but he immediately let go of his hand, and distanced himself from An Lingxue.


    An Lingxue laughed shyly, "Just now, my legs suddenly went soft.


    I almost fell down, thank you Hereditary Prince Mu for your help. "


    Seeing such a coquettish and gentle manner, An Lingge frowned.


    The dignified smile on his face faded slightly.


    "Since the legs and feet of Second Sister are not good, then we will just obediently stay in the academy


    Stay inside and don''t run around. If something goes wrong,


    I have no way to explain it to Third Aunt. "


    What do you mean your legs aren''t good? She said that she was too old for him to walk ¡­


    The same path!


    An Lingxue''s delicate and beautiful face was almost warped by anger.


    Yet he could only put on an even more harmless smile. In reality, he was already ¡­


    "Thank you, big sister, for your concern, but it''s me."


    ''Weak body, good health and nothing will happen to me. Small ailment! ''


    "It''s nothing more than that, don''t worry about it."


    These words were said as if she had been severely treated after she returned to the Prince An''s Palace ¡­


    It was the same. It would be fine if he kept it alive, but now ¡­ something had happened ¡­


    Clearly, he was not doing well.


    An Lingxue unconsciously lowered her head, revealing half of her face to Mu Jun.


    In front of his cold eyes.


    ''This is what she looks like when she looks in the mirror! ''


    From the angle of view, although it was not as beautiful as An Lingge, it was still obvious!


    Being so pitiful, she did not believe that Hereditary Prince Mu would see her like this


    Weak and helpless, he would not be tempted.


    Who knew that Mu Junhan would not only help her at the beginning, but he would also help her later on ¡­


    He didn''t even look at her.


    An Lingxue was extremely anxious, seeing the river that had come with her


    She could only force a smile at An Lingge.


    She smiled and said, "Big sister, I heard that the flowers in the front yard are really blooming!"


    It just so happens that Miss Jiang and I are going to take a look at this academy


    Flower, do you want to come with us? "


    An Lingge didn''t want to see any flowers with her, even though.


    However, it was not easy to refuse her and refuse her sister''s invitation ¡­


    Please, but to stay with your fiance is to be bullied by others


    sick.


    It would be fine if An Lingxue didn''t mention it, but An Lingge and Mu Junhan ¡­


    It was understandable for him to stay longer than necessary, yet An Lingxue mentioned it.


    An Lingge could only agree.


    "Just nice, I haven''t seen any flowers from the Jingdu Academy before.


    "Let''s go and have a look. It should be better than the one in our house."


    "Look."


    An Lingxue was overjoyed, even the corners of her eyes had a hint of pride.


    She pulled An Lingge away and said, "Those flowers are especially good.


    Look, Big Sis will definitely like it when she sees it. "


    An Lingge laughed but did not speak a word, only carrying a pair of black bright eyes.


    Famous emotions, unhurried, followed both of them ¡­


    Behind him.


    The flowers of the Jingdu Academy were indeed well cultivated, and were luxuriously colored ¡­


    Fen Xiang should be the work of a gardener in the palace.


    An Lingge was looking at a white jade peony beside him.


    Suddenly making a move, she pressed down on An Lingge''s back and pulled him towards her.


    Pushing the peony up, there are many sharp little things on it


    Stab!


    An Lingge only knew that An Lingxue coveted for Mu Junhan''s help, but she never expected it.


    She had only met Mu Junhan once, yet she still dared to directly rush at him ¡­


    He attacked by himself, but caught off guard, and followed An Lingxue''s attack force.


    He was only a few steps away from the sharp spike.


    A malicious smile blossomed on An Lingxue''s face, as pure and pure as a white lotus ¡­


    His face contorted.


    Hmph, so what if you are the eldest daughter of Prince An''s Palace? You will be disgraced.


    How are you going to marry Hereditary Prince Mu!


    Without that gorgeous face, she was the most suitable to marry Mu Shi.


    She was the one who was going to be the princess!


    An Lingxue was extremely pleased with herself, but a burst of pulling force came from her hands.


    Bringing her along, he smashed downwards. It turned out that An Lingge had flipped over at that moment.


    Falling to the side, she pulled An Lingxue''s hand and refused to let go.


    An Lingxue was unable to dodge in time and smashed into the ground.


    The sharp spikes.


    Ah!" "My face!


    An Lingxue let out an ear-piercing shriek, followed by a sharp screech.


    There was blood dripping out of his face.


    "What happened?" A low, hoarse voice came from the side ¡­


    raised his head to look, only to see Mu Junhan cultivation.


    The long figure was walking towards them.


    An Lingxue covered her face with one hand and didn''t forget to carefully examine the situation ¡­


    Person.


    He looked even more handsome than he had at that fleeting glance.


    Her black hair was tied up on top of her head. Only a long green jade hairpin was fixed there, giving her a valiant and valiant appearance.


    He thought of the young man from the border.


    However, his handsome eyebrows flew into his hair while his pair of starry eyes were deep and unfathomable. His nose ¡­


    Her lips were dyed red, her skin was like the snow covering a mountain ¡­


    Her fair, exquisite, devilish face looked like the face of someone in the capital, wanton and unrestrained ¡­


    The wealthy young master.


    Although he was only wearing a white robe, his bearing was incomparably imposing.


    "Young master is unparalleled in his jade-like appearance."


    While An Lingxue had been sizing up Mu Junhan, Mu Junhan had already done so.


    He walked up to them.


    An Lingxue immediately stopped her screaming, and used her hand to block the damage done to him ¡­


    Half of her face, soft and delicate, stood up with a sad expression on her face ¡­


    "Big sister, I''ve always respected you and wanted to get close to you, which is why I made this appointment ¡­"


    "We came together to admire the flowers, but why did you suddenly make trouble and push me away?"


    To try to ruin my face in these flowers! "


    She revealed a pair of watery eyes that were filled with sadness and a finger ¡­


    The next moment, tears would fall from his eyes.


    Anyone who saw the beauty''s appearance would feel a bit of heartache.


    Unfortunately, Mu Junhan was someone who did not follow common sense.


    He took a step back, and avoided An Lingxue''s body that was close to him.


    Bro, let An Lingxue pounce on empty air.


    He looked towards An Lingge and frowned as he questioned Jiang Ning, "It''s like this ¡­


    "Is that so?"


    How could Jiang Ning know what had happened?


    The two around her suddenly fell over as they were admiring the flower ¡­


    Not only did it give her a fright, An Lingxue was even injured ¡­


    His face.


    She looked at An Lingxue and spoke with a bit of guilt, "But ¡­


    Could it be that Miss An accidentally pushed Little Xue?


    I saw both of them fall down. "


    Although they did not know what the truth was, she and An Lingxue ¡­


    To be more familiar with it, naturally, he had to speak to familiar people.

 C106

    An Lingge''s eyes swept across them, making Jiang Ning even more guilty. "As the granddaughter of the noble tutor, Miss Jiang must pay attention to evidence. You said that I was the one who pushed the Second Sister aside, did anyone beside me see it?"


    She curled her lips, her calm and composed attitude made An Lingxue, who was in front of her, even more flustered and stingy.


    "Otherwise, if, just based on Miss Jiang''s guesses, you want to trap me in a place that you cannot bear to do so, isn''t that a bit too excessive?"


    An Lingxue''s tears finally fell and her beautiful eyes were filled with grievance, "Big sister can just push me away, why must you hold Miss Jiang back? It''s just that she felt sorry for me and couldn''t bear to watch, so she said a few words for me.


    "Miss Jiang should be feeling heartache for Second Sister." An Lingge nodded her head according to An Lingxue''s words, but suddenly changed the topic, her beautiful eyebrows carrying a cold intent, "Second Sister''s legs are not good, just now she almost fell, and just now she was even more unsteady, and brought me to the ground together, it is truly a pity for her to have this problem at such a young age."


    Was it actually because of An Lingxue''s leg?


    Jiang Ning was a bit surprised. A moment later, a look of realization appeared on her face.


    No wonder why the two of them suddenly fell when they were admiring the flower just now. It turned out that it was because of An Lingxue''s leg, and even An Lingge who was beside her, had been pushed down.


    After she understood all of this, Jiang Ning was a little embarrassed, and subconsciously moved a little further away from An Lingxue.


    If An Lingxue got sick and pushed herself down, maybe she would be the one injured by the thorns.


    "It''s my misunderstanding of Miss An. I hope Miss An doesn''t mind." When this familiar conversation came out of Jiang Ning''s mouth, An Lingge only smiled, and did not continue interacting with her.


    An Lingxue grinded her teeth in anger, but she still pretended to be gentle on the surface. Even scolding could only be done in her heart, causing her to feel even more stifled.


    She had gotten used to the smooth sailing of the road. Although she had grown up in a small place like the ancestral residence and appeared gentle and gentle on the outside, in reality, she was actually quite proud and arrogant.


    Now that she was embarrassed in front of Mu Junhan and her face was injured, how could she take this lying down? Naturally, he had to go and cry with the madame.


    Qing Feng Courtyard, the old lady looked at An Lingxue''s face, her eyes filled with pity, "Grandmother''s good granddaughter, on her first day in school, how did she become like this?"


    She looked around and only felt that An Lingxue had been wronged. She immediately ordered the nanny beside her to bring over some good ointment, afraid that An Lingxue''s face would be scarred.


    An Lingxue cried for a while, and then sobbed as she received the ointment. The corners of her mouth curled into an ugly smile, and she said, "Thank you, Grandmother. In this entire residence, other than mother, you are the only one who truly dotes on Little Xue."


    When the old lady heard it, she knew that something was wrong, her face immediately darkened, "Little Xue, tell me, where did you get this injury?"


    "It''s none of big sister''s business." An Lingxue immediately replied before lowering her head as if she had said something wrong, "Grandmother, this is all Little Xue''s fault. You don''t have to pursue this matter anymore."


    How could he not pursue the matter!


    The old mistress looked at the marks left by the thorns on her face, her rage rising. "I thought she was a good person, but she was just reacting peacefully at home, bullying her sisters just because she''s staying here."


    She nudged her cane and raised her voice, instructing the servants beside her, "Go and call the eldest young miss over. I would like to ask her how she loves and protects her sisters!"


    The servants knew that the old mistress was furious, so they did not dare delay any further and immediately went to find An Lingge.


    "Greetings, Grandmother." An Lingge bowed to the old lady, but the old lady snorted, her face was unfriendly, "Get up, normally you look like a well-behaved girl, who knows what she is thinking?"


    An Lingge lowered her head, as if she could not understand the old lady''s ridicule.


    The old lady then snorted, "Tell me, what happened to the wound on Little Xue''s face?"


    She thought that An Lingge had the best relationship with her, but who would have known that on the very first day of Jingdu Academy, An Lingxue would suffer an injury and it was even related to An Lingge!


    An Lingge lowered her head, making it hard to see what kind of expression she was wearing.


    She repeated what she said to Jiang Ning in the academy, but the madame slapped the armrest of her chair, "Nonsense!" I have lived with Little Xue for more than ten years and I have never seen her unable to move.


    "If Third Sister does not have any leg ailments, then why are you so unsteady when you see Hereditary Prince Mu? Why do you need Hereditary Prince Mu''s help to stand up?" "In the past, I did not know that Little Sister Little Xue would actually have such a hidden disease, but since it has been sent out, Grandmother might as well invite a doctor to take a look, so that Third Sister would not have any problems in the future."


    The Countess'' face alternated between white and green. She couldn''t understand what An Lingge meant, but she was saying that An Lingxue didn''t know shame and wanted to seduce her future brother-in-law.


    She never knew that An Lingxue would have this kind of thoughts, and immediately looked towards An Lingxue, but An Lingxue lowered her head in guilt, confirming that what An Lingge said was true.


    "Girl, you ¡­" The old lady pointed at An Lingxue and cursed at him. How could she take revenge on her granddaughter who was in her hands ever since she was young?


    An Lingxue obediently lowered her head and quickly admitted her fault, "Grandmother, Little Xue was wrong.


    She didn''t say that she had long taken a fancy to Mu Junhan''s status and position; for a moment, being bewitched by Mu Junhan''s handsomeness had caused the old lady to become livid.


    "You should know that Little Ge is one of the many girls in the capital who has feelings for him. She is still young and inexperienced, you can''t cause Little Xue to be injured just because of this. If there is a scar on her face, what will happen in the future? "


    This was the first time An Lingge had felt the old lady''s bias so clearly. She had clearly placed An Lingxue''s intentions in front of the old lady, but the old lady could ignore it and used An Lingxue''s age as an excuse to ask about her crimes.


    She could not help but feel a chill in her heart, she had originally thought that even though the Old Madame favored An Lingxue, she was still someone who understood what was going on, but now, it seemed that she had misjudged him.


    An Lingge raised her gaze and looked straight at the old lady, "How does Grandmother know that Second Sister didn''t intentionally frame me, and instead smashed his own foot with a stone?"

 C107

    An Lingge''s words made the old lady silent for a moment, and then she moaned.


    "Little Xue has grown up beside me since childhood. I know very well in my heart what kind of character she has. For someone as innocent and kind as Little Xue, she would never do such a harmful thing, and the matter at Jingdu Academy was merely an accident. Little Xue had already admitted her wrongs, so you better not hold her tightly. "


    So what the old lady meant by that was that An Lingge was malicious and could not tolerate other people''s little mistakes?


    But, why did An Lingxue want to ruin her face, and say that she had a last resort, and she had apologized, why did she have to accept that she had to forgive her?


    An Lingge never knew that when the Old Mistress was biased, it was actually with the logic of a bandit.


    She pursed her lips into a mocking smile.


    "Second Sister grew up by Grandmother''s side, so I naturally can''t compare to her. But I believe that no matter how biased Grandmother is, she can''t just casually clear up Second Sister and not care about the facts, right?"


    "How dare you!"


    The old lady was enraged, she picked up the teacup by her side and threw it at An Lingge.


    She used all her strength, and the teacup flew straight towards An Lingge''s forehead. An Lingge did not even try to dodge, and just stood there forcibly, a red mark appearing on her forehead from the porcelain cup. Blood dripped down from her forehead and onto the old lady''s heart, shocking her.


    "Why aren''t you dodging?" The anger on her face had completely disappeared, and was instead replaced with panic, as she hurriedly summoned the servants in, "Quickly ask the doctor for Little Ge''s treatment, you must not let her hurt your face."


    Because of this hint of blood, An Lingge''s gorgeous face grew even more devilish. Her bright black eyes were deep, and she only used them to look at the old lady.


    "Grandmother knows, if it wasn''t for my luck today, when I was at the Jingdu Academy, Little Ge would have been like this. However, not only did Grandmother not pity Little Ge''s misfortune, she even stood by Second Sister''s side and berated me, as if everyone in the world was cold-blooded and cruel. Only Second Sister seemed to have a kind heart.


    She seemed to be unable to see the three to five servants walking in, and said to the old lady, "But in this world, not all mistakes can be made in exchange for forgiveness. For example, when Grandmother hurt Little Ge because of her anger, anyone would know that you did not do it on purpose, but if you did, you are injured.


    "Why are you saying so much? The most important thing is to fix my own face! " The Old Mistress anxiously stood up from her chair and pointed at the maidservants, "Bring the young miss to the treatment now, if Little Ge has any scars on his face, I will punish you all for your crimes!"


    The servants looked at An Lingge whose face was drenched in blood, and did not dare to speak anymore. They immediately walked to her side and bowed their heads respectfully, "Young miss, please bandage your wounds for now."


    An Lingge stood in place without moving, a stubborn expression on her gorgeous face.


    She could only let out a long sigh, "I know that Little Xue has let you down today, but you can''t use your face to joke around. Little Ge is obedient and go see a doctor. We''ll talk about the Jingdu Academy later. "


    It''s always an excuse for being perfunctory.


    The glint in An Lingge''s eyes did not change, but her gentle and gentle voice was very firm, "Grandmother, Little Ge only wants this Second Sister to make a guarantee that this Second Sister will sincerely apologize, and not push all of her unscrupulous thoughts to the left."


    She bit her lips, seemingly hesitating, her gaze moved away from the old lady''s body and landed on An Lingxue''s body, "Second Sister, today I will ask you, you coveted Hereditary Prince Mu and intentionally framed me, but in the end you threw a stone at your own foot, do you really know that you did wrong?"


    Seeing that she was actually saying such a thing in front of a bunch of servants, An Lingxue''s weak and pale face became even paler. She opened her mouth wide, looking extremely pitiful, "Big sister, don''t say anymore, Little Xue is already this injured, don''t tell me big sister isn''t willing to let Little Xue go?"


    Her beautiful eyes were filled with grievance, "Could it be that big sister must let Little Xue die in front of you, so that she''s willing to forgive Little Xue?"


    These words were said as if An Lingge was a cold-blooded and vicious person who forced her cousin down the road of death for a small matter.


    An Lingge saw that she was still refusing the responsibility, and was not surprised at all. She raised her lips, and with a look of ridicule, she said, "Second Sister has suffered greatly, and even said that I forced you to your death, let others see, and still think that I bullied you."


    "But you jumped into Hereditary Prince Mu''s embrace right in front of me, and even dragged me to admire the flowers, wanting to push me onto those sharp thorns. How can I forgive you so easily with such a sinister intention?"


    There was actually such a thing?


    The few servants'' hearts jumped, and subconsciously raised their heads to look at An Lingxue''s face, only to see a flash of embarrassment on her face, as she avoided everyone''s gaze.


    This guilty look made the maidservants even more confident. Not only did the Second Miss covet the Eldest Young Miss''s husband, she even wanted to ruin Eldest Young Miss''s face. Who could forgive such a malicious person!?


    But now, looking at the aggrieved Second Miss, it seemed as if asking her to sincerely apologize was a very difficult thing to do.


    An Lingxue did not think that An Lingge would actually reveal this matter in front of all the servants, the surprised and disdainful gazes made her entire body ache, as though someone was holding a needle, and jabbing it into her body.


    Her pale face started to turn red, it was unknown if it was because of shame or anger, but her eyes were filled with tears, "Big sister''s words must be really mean, Hereditary Prince Mu is a dragon among men, I just looked at him twice, and Big sister said that I have been lusting after him, I have been by Grandmother''s side since I was young, and have been deeply taught by Grandmother, I still know about this kind of courtesy and shame."


    The Countess didn''t think that An Lingxue would actually use her as a shield at this time. However, she had always doted on An Lingxue, and couldn''t bear to speak the truth in front of everyone, so she remained silent.


    An Lingge glanced at the old lady''s expression, then smiled: "Since Second Sister said that you know about honor and honor, and considering grandmother''s face, I will let this go, if there is a next time, I will definitely go to father and seek justice, even grandmother will not stop me."

 C108

    Her words were already disrespectful to the madame, but the madame felt guilty. Thinking that she had been wronged, she agreed and asked the maidservant to bring her to the hospital.


    An Lingge did not expect the old lady to punish An Lingxue so viciously, she was pressing him down at all times just so that An Lingxue could use the old lady''s body to block the arrow, and let the old lady see, her granddaughter who was in so much pain was not only a vicious person, she would even use her body to block the arrow at the most crucial moments.


    An Lingxue was not as kind, lively and harmless as she looked on the surface, but was instead a ruthless and heartless person. This time, the old lady did not care, because the next time such a thing happens, the old lady would inevitably have some grudge in her heart, and would not stand by An Lingxue''s side and support him for no reason.


    Very soon, what happened at Qing Feng Courtyard was heard by the Madam Li. Most of the servants in the house were her people, so it was easy for him to know the news of the madame.


    When he heard An Lingge and An Lingxue arguing, the Madam Li could no longer stand watching the accounts in his hands.


    Her delicate face revealed a happy smile, her eyes flashed with a malicious light, "An Lingge, that little bitch, actually started a fight with An Lingxue in front of the old mistress? Didn''t the two of them always get along with each other? To think that there would be conflicts between them as well. "


    "I heard that it''s because Second Miss coveted Hereditary Prince Mu, so Eldest Miss was very angry upon learning of it. The two of them fought with each other in front of the old lady, and in the end, Eldest Miss did not continue the investigation out of respect for the old lady." The servant girl quickly explained everything she heard to the Madam Li in detail, not daring to miss even a single detail.


    The smile on Madam Li''s face dimmed. If what An Lingge said was true, she had to plan things out for Yi Er.


    Originally, he thought that An Lingge, this bitch, was an obstacle for Yi Er to marry into the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace.


    An Lingxue was not very old, but she had hidden her true intentions very deeply. If not for her wanting to frame An Lingge, no one would have thought that she would have such a thought.


    However, compared to An Lingxue, An Lingge was the biggest obstacle. As for An Lingxue, he just needed to be vigilant.


    Madam Li''s eyes turned dark, and only after a moment did she raise her lips, "The young miss has injured her face, this is a huge matter, go call Yi Er, we will go and visit her together."


    He couldn''t let such a good opportunity to sow discord slip away for nothing.


    With a face full of unwillingness, An Lingyi was pulled towards the Parasol House, "Mother, what is there to look at that An Lingge for?


    She was secretly bullied by An Lingxue at school, and was just worried that she would not have the chance to find trouble with An Lingxue, so she gave her the chance and closed the door. However, the aunt did not allow her to look for An Lingxue, and insisted that she go and visit An Lingge.


    Madam Li had long heard her complaints, so she naturally knew what her daughter was thinking.


    She tapped An Lingyi''s forehead as she smiled lovingly, "Silly girl, can''t you tell which''s more important?"


    "Moreover, An Lingxue also covets Hereditary Prince Mu and similarly wants to marry into the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace. If we get rid of An Lingge, Mother will entrust the relationship with the Imperial Noble Consort''s Empress and allow you to marry into the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace.


    Thinking about it this way, it seemed to be true.


    The unwillingness on An Lingyi''s face was replaced with full anticipation, and then, after a while, she became depressed, "But Mother, that bitch An Lingge is too crafty. I had thought that she was already under my mother''s control, that she was just a coward and a loser who couldn''t draw any kind of zither, chess, calligraphy, or calligraphy. But who would have thought that she would have already been faking it, and with the Nanny Zhang guiding her from behind, tricking us for so many years, to actually reveal her true face after being engaged to Hereditary Prince Mu. "


    Mentioning this matter, Madam Li was extremely furious.


    She thought that she had bribed the Nanny Zhang and deliberately instigated An Lingge to be a person without any skills or skills, but she never would have thought that An Lingge and the Nanny Zhang would actually plot against her. Using her hand, they began to hide their abilities, and now they had become people that she could not easily move.


    Madam Li''s eyes flashed with a dark light, her lips formed a cold smile, "So what if she hides her strength in front of me? It''s just like that b * tch from the Wei clan who came out from a side courtyard and stayed by the Old Madam''s side to serve her, not daring to act arrogantly in front of me. "


    "An Lingge merely relied on her own ability to marry into the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, so she had the confidence to fight against us. But she doesn''t think that the marriage date is set to be one year from now.


    An Lingyi looked at the vicious expression on Madam Li''s face and couldn''t help but laugh, "Mother, you''re so smart, you must help your daughter properly teach An Lingge a lesson!"


    She held Madam Li''s arm and acted like a spoiled child. Madam Li smiled and the two of them chatted and laughed all the way to Parasol House.


    "Miss, Aunt Li and Third Miss have come to see you." Ming Xin opened the curtain and reported to An Lingge.


    Bi Zhu had just finished applying medicine on An Lingge, so she looked at the two people who walked in vigilantly after hearing her words.


    "Eldest Miss, why does your forehead look so serious?" "I heard that young miss bumped into the old lady and was smashed on the forehead by the old lady''s teacup. She immediately brought Yi Er over."


    Although An Lingyi was not willing to play along with An Lingge, she still spoke up in front of the Madam Li''s eyes.


    "How could it be Big Sis who charged at the madame? It was clearly Second Sis who made a mistake. Big Sis wanted justice, but Grandmother was biased and insisted on protecting Second Sis, causing her big Sis to lose face." If big sister had a scar on her face because of this, it would be a pity for her. Maybe the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace wouldn''t be willing to marry someone with a broken face, so big sister would be ruined forever! "


    "So that''s what happened?" The Madam Li acted as if she had understood something, and the gaze she looked at An Lingge with became even more pitiful, "My pitiful young miss, now you finally understand, who in this house can truly love you right? "I''ve managed the palace for many years and have never made Eldest Miss suffer grievances, but how long has it been since the old lady returned to the manor that Eldest Miss has had her face smashed by the old lady. Does Eldest Miss understand who is near who?"


    They had clearly torn off their faces, but Madam Li still acted so intimate and friendly, trying to sow discord between her and the Old Mistress. There must be a conspiracy behind this.


    An Lingge''s expression was light, and it was hard to tell whether she was happy or angry, "Thank you for your concern, Aunt. Little Ge understands."


    Seeing An Lingge''s calm and composed appearance, An Lingyi secretly clenched her teeth.

 C109

    She and her aunt were here to stir up the relationship between the Old Mistress and An Lingge. If An Lingge did not hate the Old Mistress, how would they proceed with their plan?


    In the end, Madam Li was a bit older than her. After staying in the backyard for 30 years, her patience was much better than her daughter.


    She pulled An Lingge and said words of pity and pity her, and she almost cried while hugging An Lingge. After a while, she took out a handkerchief and wiped the tears that did not exist at the corner of her eyes, "Your birth mother passed away young, and you took care of the Duke''s Palace when I was in charge of it. For all these years, Aunt has doted on you as her own daughter. It''s a pity that Nanny Zhang is an evil slave who instigated our relationship. If not, how could Eldest Miss fall to such a state? "


    I thought my grandmother was my own grandmother, so she must be closer than my aunt. But what happened today made me understand, even if my grandmother was closer, if she didn''t love me, then she wouldn''t be as nice to me as my aunt, who is not related by blood.


    When the Madam Li heard her words, she quietly gave An Lingyi a meaningful glance, and the latter walked up to him in time and held An Lingge''s hand with a sincere expression, "Think about it, before Grandmother and Second Uncle came to the Duke''s Mansion, only Father, Aunt, me, and the four of us were there. At that time, we would have been living such a happy life!"


    She took the incident of her childhood into consideration. She seemed to be extremely nostalgic. After a long sigh, she sadly said, "It''s a pity that Grandmother and the others came back later on. We won''t have that kind of happy time again."


    An Lingge quietly listened to their persuasion.


    Before the madame returned to the residence, life in the residence had indeed been peaceful and happy, but that happiness was all relative to An Lingyi. At that time, she was secretly scolded by the servants, but because of her timid personality, she didn''t dare to say it out in front of the Madam Li.


    If she had not experienced a new life, she would not have been able to understand. Those servants, under the orders of the Madam Li, dared to lay their hands on a proper master like her.


    Just as she was thinking this, a trace of ridicule appeared at the corner of her mouth.


    Madam Li saw her expression with her sharp eyes and immediately pulled on An Lingyi''s sleeves, signalling her to stop talking.


    She was very clear about the life that An Lingge led when she was young, and now that Yi Er had brought it up, she was afraid that it would hurt her feelings.


    An Lingyi immediately regained her senses, her charming face revealing a look of regret.


    When she was young, she had even teased An Lingge for fun. When An Lingge was angry and sad, she had then went up to say that she was just playing around with her and told her not to be angry at herself.


    "No matter what, let the past pass. With an aunt by our eldest miss''s side, we will definitely not let eldest miss suffer as much as she did today." Madam Li did not mention anymore old things and only expressed her concern for An Lingge.


    She took out a green porcelain bottle and handed it over to the woman, "This is the cosmetic ointment that my little sister ordered someone to bring over from the palace. It is extremely precious and I have always been reluctant to use it. "Now that the eldest young miss has been hit on the face, it''s time to take good care of it, so the aunt gave it to you."


    "How can this be?"


    An Lingge was about to return the ointment, but the Madam Li didn''t accept it. She only smiled gently, "I''ve already stayed in the Duke Palace for so many years, am I still afraid that the Duke would despise me? Young miss, you''re not married yet. Your looks are very important. What if Hereditary Prince Mu... In the end, there shouldn''t be any problem with this girl''s appearance. As long as Eldest Miss remembers these words, this lady won''t harm you. "


    An Lingyi pouted at the side, revealing a tasteless look, "Aunt really treats big sister very well, I''ve asked you for this ointment for a long time, and she was even unwilling to give it to me, now she''s actually willing to give it to big sister."


    "Little girl, what are you talking about?" Madam Li stared at her as if she was angry at An Lingyi''s blabbering. The latter curled her lips and did not say anything.


    An Lingge held the porcelain bottle in her hand, her face full of emotions, yet she still pushed the bottle out. "This ointment is so precious, I''m afraid only the Imperial Noble Consort Li and Empress can get some of it, how can I take something this precious?"


    "No matter how precious this ointment is, how can it be more important than your face?" Madam Li pushed the ointment back and earnestly said, "Since the ointment is gone, then so be it, if the Eldest Miss''s face was scarred, then it could never be cured."


    She described the situation seriously, afraid that An Lingge would not receive the medicine.


    An Lingge scoffed from the bottom of his heart before hesitating and accepting it. "Since it''s because of Aunt''s good intentions, then Little Ge will accept it."


    "That''s right." Madam Li heaved a sigh of relief and exchanged glances with her daughter. Their eyes were filled with pride and excitement.


    An Lingyi suppressed the joy on her face and feigned calmness, "Big sister''s face is injured. She should be well, but you and I are going to study at the academy tomorrow, so Yi Er will not disturb us."


    An Lingge nodded, she watched them leave the house, then lowered her head and studied the bottle in his hand.


    "Aunt Li and Second Miss are really abnormal today." Bi Zhu walked over, and looked at the porcelain bottle, her expression still a little surprised, "Did the two of them get possessed by ghosts, to actually uncharacteristically get close to the little miss? A few days ago, I really wanted the little miss to disappear right in front of them."


    Mingxin was amused by her words. Two faint dimples appeared on Xiao Family''s jade-like face. "How are they trying to get close to Miss? They obviously said so much to give her the ointment, and were afraid that Miss would be wary of them."


    "I knew they didn''t have good intentions." Bi Zhu snorted, and immediately advised his Young Miss, "There must be a problem with the ointment, Young Miss you must not use it, if it disfigures your face, then that would be real trouble."


    An Lingge unscrewed the porcelain bottle, and after smelling the scent from the tip of her nose, she closed the bottle again, "There''s no problem with the ointment."


    "If there''s no problem, how is it possible?" Bi Zhu knew that his young miss had medical skills, but she could not help but ask: "Could it be that these two people are really doing this for my young miss''s benefit?"


    If one were to say that the Madam Li would sincerely say that it was for An Lingge''s own good, it would be more accurate to say that the sow would come out from the tree.


    An Lingge curled her lips, the ink deep in her eyes. "There''s no problem with the ointment, the problem is with Aunt Li''s hand. When Aunt Li held onto me just now, I already felt that something was wrong. Her palm had been smeared with something, and it was much smoother than ordinary people''s hands. "


    She turned her palm over and saw that it was already green.

 C110

    "How could this be?" Bi Zhu covered her lips as she cried out in alarm and a hint of surprise surfaced on her calm face.


    "When this medicine touches the skin, it will enter the body. The Aunt Li placed the medicine on her hand and then deliberately got close to me. An Lingge''s black eyes flashed with a hint of coldness, "She knows that I must be on guard against her, so she deliberately took the ointment to attract my attention.


    "But if that is the case, wouldn''t Aunt Li be poisoned as well?" Bi Zhu did not understand, this person actually hated the young miss to such a degree, she would rather be poisoned than kill the young miss?


    Of course the Aunt Li wouldn''t be stupid enough to poison him with poison.


    An Lingge''s gaze fell upon the porcelain bottle, and a meaningful smile appeared on her face, "Aunt Li had first smeared the medicinal paste on his hands, and then she had smeared the poison on them. As long as you wash your hands when you return home, naturally nothing will happen to you."


    Fortunately, her previous life had been by a fluke. She had taken Yao Lao as her master and learned how to cure poisons, or else she would really fall for Madam Li''s schemes.


    "Aunt Li is certain that I won''t use the medicine that she sent over, so she directly gave me the antidote. Presumably, she was waiting for me to leave behind a scar and then come over to mock me."


    While carefully smearing the medicine on her, Ming Xin observed the ointment and said: "This thing doesn''t seem to be extraordinary. Is it actually an antidote?"


    The matter regarding the medical knowledge was extremely complicated, it was impossible to explain it clearly in a short period of time, so An Lingge just smiled and did not speak, and did not ask anymore.


    The next day, Bi Zhu still needed to go to the Jingdu Academy. Bi Zhu saw a shallow scar on An Lingge''s forehead and could not help but frown, "The old mistress is too ruthless.


    Even though she was a servant girl, she cared deeply for her own face. The madame''s actions towards her own granddaughter were so cruel that it chilled one''s heart.


    An Lingge sat in front of the copper mirror, looking at Bi Zhu who was helping him with her makeup, her expression did not change, "Grandmother only came back to the ancestral home to live for the sake of her father''s safety, not to mention how she only hurt me because of her anger, even if she got beaten up dozens of times for no reason, I cannot say that she is wrong."


    When the old king passed away, although An Yingcheng was the eldest son, the people in the second and third branch rooms were all given to him by the old mistress, so how could he not have thoughts about the throne?


    He had requested for the empress dowager to send him an imperial decree establishing An Yingcheng as the new King An. He was also afraid that his two youngest sons would not be willing to accept this and would bring their families to the ancestral home to prevent them from causing any more trouble in the capital.


    Such kindness, An Yingcheng naturally remembered it in his heart. As the direct descendant of An Yingcheng, how could An Lingge complain to the old lady?


    Bi Zhu had already known that the Old Mistress had contributed a lot to the Duke''s Mansion, but now that she thought about it, she was still very angry. "Since the Old Mistress favors the Second Young Miss, doesn''t that mean that she will have to act mighty in front of the Young Miss in the future?"


    She remembered that the moment the Second Miss entered the mansion, she immediately gave the young lady a pouch with a musky scent.


    He was such an unscrupulous person, yet he had the old mistress backing him up and was still bullying his young mistress.


    "Who can guess the madame''s thoughts?" An Lingge said blandly, but suddenly remembered something, and made Bi Zhu stop, "Go and bring the crystal pearl forehead pendant that you bought from the Western Regions over."


    Bi Zhu immediately walked over to the jewelry box and put the pendant between her eyebrows into An Lingge''s hair. The pendant was hanging down right in front of her forehead, blocking the light wound.


    Because he and An Lingxue had quarreled yesterday, An Lingge did not see An Lingxue at the entrance of the residence today. It was likely that she had already sat in a carriage and gone to the academy.


    She didn''t think much of it. The two of them weren''t on the same side anyway, and for the sake of camouflage, they had been on the same side for quite some time.


    Now that An Lingxue didn''t hide that kind of thought, and no longer hypocritically pulled her up to pretend to be a deep sister, she was happy to be at ease.


    An Lingge got off the carriage and walked into the academy. Before she even sat down, she saw someone pointing at her and mumbling something.


    She frowned, but didn''t say anything as she sat down on her seat.


    When the woman pointing at her saw her enter, she did not restrain herself. Instead, she spoke even louder.


    "I wonder why the Emperor set up such a Jingdu Academy, causing me to sit with those people who don''t know what''s going on. It''s really annoying."


    An Lingxue was seated beside the lady, upon hearing her words, she immediately pulled on her sleeves, "Qin Qin, don''t talk anymore, everyone is studying here, it''s fate."


    Who wants to have that kind of fate with her?" Xu Xin snorted, her already unkind face became even more grim as she sneered, "She was actually the direct descendant of Prince An. To think that she would treat her little cousin like this, without even the slightest bit of grace." If she was not a reincarnated person with a higher status than you, how could she have humiliated you like this?


    An Lingge looked over after hearing what she said and saw that she was a unfamiliar woman. She had never met her before, and only yesterday, when Teacher Deng introduced her did she know that this person''s surname was Xu.


    However, An Lingxue and her relationship seemed to be really close. Even though she was saying some words of dissuasion, her expression was completely different.


    Her eyes darted around, the smile on her lips cold without any warmth. "Miss Xu, if I remember correctly, you and I don''t have any relationship. Why are you so against me?"


    Xu Xin looked at An Lingge as if she was looking at some unforgivable person. Her lips twitched, and when An Lingge''s beautiful face entered her eyes, it caused a look of jealousy to flash past her eyes, but on her face, there was a look of righteousness, "Your skin is too thick, I thought you did that kind of thing yesterday, you definitely wouldn''t dare come to the academy today. So it turns out some people don''t know shame, and won''t think of it."


    The words "An Lingge on the left" was unclear, "An Lingge on the right" was extremely shameless, causing the people around her to be extremely angry, and their eyes were filled with coldness.


    "This early in the morning, Miss Xu already said that I do not know the reason why I feel ashamed. I wonder what I have done to make Miss Xu look at me like this?" She stood up from her seat and walked step by step towards Xu Xin.


    An Lingge was taller than the average girl, and standing in front of Xu Xin made her feel even more pressured.


    Everyone''s gaze turned subtle, as if they were all waiting to watch a good show.


    Xu Qin also didn''t think that An Lingge would actually go against her.

 C111

    She was just jealous of An Lingge''s looks, and because An Lingxue had said something in front of her that An Lingge had bullied and bullied, she wanted to stab him a few times, to make her reputation in the capital worse.


    Now that An Lingge had questioned her, she was unable to speak. She could only use her gaze to ask An Lingxue for help.


    An Lingxue stood up weakly, her eyes flashed as though she was afraid of someone, "Big sister, Qin Qin has a straightforward mind and mouth, if she says something that makes you unhappy, don''t take it to heart, she definitely didn''t do it on purpose."


    "An Lingge, you seduced Hereditary Prince Mu, and you''re jealous of her looks, so you intentionally caused Little Xue to hurt her face, have you forgotten about all these?"


    So An Lingxue had actually told what happened yesterday to Xu Xin.


    A trace of understanding flashed past An Lingge''s eyes, but there was a hint of ridicule at the corner of her mouth.


    It was a pity that Xu Xin had heard the ''truth'' that An Lingxue had exaggerated before. No wonder she dared to boldly and boldly question him.


    An Lingge curled her lips, but her beautiful face carried an indifferent expression, "Is it because of this that Miss Xu questioned me? You are also the son of an official, you should know that if you listen to something at the same time, you will listen secretly. How can you give me a punishment for listening to Second Sister''s words? "


    "Yesterday, Miss Jiang was also there. Why don''t you let Miss Jiang explain to me how Second Sister''s legs were weak, how she threw herself into Hereditary Prince Mu''s embrace, and how she pulled me down to the ground, only to be pierced in the face by the thorns."


    Yesterday, An Lingxue had pulled her along to talk. In her heart, she also felt that this person was pure and kind, and was someone who she could befriend. Thus, when she spoke yesterday, she leaned towards An Lingxue.


    But when she returned home from school, her mother scolded her, saying that An Lingxue had obviously used her as a spear to deal with An Lingyi and then went on to deal with An Lingge.


    Thus, she avoided the An clan members early in the morning, but unexpectedly, An Lingxue dragged Xu Qin to deal with An Lingge.


    After hesitating for a moment, she finally revealed the truth, "Yesterday''s matter was indeed what Miss An said. The one who seduced Hereditary Prince Mu is the second young miss of the Prince An''s Palace and not the eldest young miss."


    "Miss Jiang, how can you say that about me?" Tears welled up in An Lingxue''s eyes, as though she was betrayed by others, and she cried, "Big sister, how did you bully me yesterday, didn''t you see that, how could you..."


    Tears streamed down her face before she could finish speaking, as if she had been bullied. This caused Jiang Ning to feel extremely embarrassed. She had originally said the truth, but instead had become her own fault.


    His way of feigning misery was truly unchanging.


    An Lingge scoffed from the bottom of her heart as her dark gaze fell upon An Lingxue, "Second Sister, it is normal for you to have someone you admire, but if you do something disrespectful and disgrace my Prince An''s Palace, I will naturally stop you. It''s fine if you''re in the academy now, but I just take it as you being young and immature. Grandmother also said that you''re not allowed to bring this up again, if you don''t listen to her advice, you''ll only be asking for trouble in the end. "


    An Lingxue''s eyes were filled with tears. She was about to speak when she saw a man in a green robe walk in.


    He was very thin, had straight eyebrows and a scholarly air. When her gaze swept over them, An Lingxue was startled, and forgot what she wanted to say.


    "This is the academy''s solemn area, noisy and disgraceful."


    Gu Yuan''s expression was warm and the words that came out were also plain and without ripples, but so everyone instantly quieted down, as if they didn''t dare disturb such a handsome person.


    An Lingge sat in the middle of the crowd and looked at Gu Yuan with a complicated gaze.


    Don''t look at how Gu Yuan was only a scholar now. A few years later, he became the most popular scholar in the capital in a short period of time because of a piece of art, and because of it, he was secretly recruited as Zhao Lanyu''s advisor and became Zhao Lanyu''s guest for many literati.


    It could be said that Gu Yuan was a capable arm of Zhao Lanyu a few years later. If it wasn''t for Gu Yuan advising the Seventh Prince and establishing a reputation for him among the people in the imperial court, Zhao Lanyu wanting to overthrow the crown prince and ascend to the throne would be tantamount to wishful thinking.


    But after Zhao Lanyu gained power in his previous life, even the Madam Li and her daughter became powerful and rampant within the Prince An''s Palace, causing him to die on the day of the wedding, allowing An Lingyi to replace him and marry into the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace.


    If Gu Yuan had not helped Zhao Lanyu this time, would Zhao Lanyu still be able to hold the upper hand in the battle for the imperial power?


    Should he think of a way to rope Gu Yuan in, or should he just directly kill him?


    An Lingge''s eyes flashed. This was the first time since she was reborn that she had the urge to kill someone.


    Gu Yuan seemed to have noticed something and his clear and suave gaze descended on An Lingge. The latter had already withdrawn his gaze and slightly lowered his head, causing him to be unable to see his mood.


    He only felt that the gaze just now was extremely strange, but he did not think too much about it.


    Gu Yuan was not talking about the Four Books and Five Classics, nor about the virtue of a woman''s ring, nor about the Six Arts of a gentleman. Instead, he was talking about the history of politics and politics.


    "Tang Cheng offended Xu Fei while the King of Chu, Shi Renjian, let that little general go. It was Tang Cheng who risked his life to save Zhuang Wang ¡­"


    This was the most boring event in the history of the imperial court, so how could the ladies have the heart to listen to this? Although they didn''t dare to do anything out of the blue, quite a few of them were already dozing off.


    Although Gu Yuan was talking about history, there was still a certain amount of logic behind it even now. Furthermore, the other princes was gradually gaining in power, the Emperor only wanted to get rid of all these powers, and not learn more about the matters of the imperial court. How would he be able to stay neutral in the struggle for power in the future?


    When Zhang Wanyi saw that An Lingge was listening intently, she could not help but look at him in surprise.


    She was the person who had shocked everyone at the imperial palace''s Spring Festival Gala with her calligraphy and was praised repeatedly by the Emperor.


    However, Zhang Wanyi believed herself to be a calm person, and couldn''t help but feel sleepy as she listened to this boring history. This big miss of Prince An''s Palace was a bit strange, as if she could understand it.


    Zhang Wan Yi''s eyes were blazing with fire, An Lingge could not help but turn her head, the beautiful side of her face was cut into the most beautiful pictures by the light ray, the questions in her eyes fell into Zhang Wan Yi''s eyes.


    Coincidentally, Gu Yuan had finished his lesson, so he slowly packed his things and walked out. Zhang Wanyi then walked close to An Lingge.


    "What kind of messy class is this? Why are you listening so carefully?" Ever since she was a child, she had received a good home tutor. She was familiar with four books and five scriptures, and had even slightly studied the Six Arts of the Gentlemen. However, she had never expected that the Emperor would order such a class to be held.

 C112

    An Lingge had never interacted with Zhang Wanyi before, she only knew that this lady had a cold personality and did not like to interact with others.


    However, she quickly regained her senses and smiled. Although she was not very friendly, she did not lose her manners, "It''s not that I was serious, it''s just that I found this story very interesting, so I casually listened for a while."


    Hearing her words, Zhang Wanyi could only suppress the curiosity in her heart.


    She had always been raised as a standard daughter of a noble family, and had been pampered and raised by her family ever since she was young. How could she know what An Lingge was thinking?


    He took the initiative to speak with An Lingge, "Just now, before you arrived, Teacher Deng told someone to come over and say that the Academy''s assessment will be held tomorrow, and that all the students will be recruited tomorrow."


    Only now did An Lingge hear the news, and knew that she was purposely reminding him, so that she would be prepared so that she would not make any mistakes in her panic tomorrow.


    She thanked Zhang Wanyi seriously, and the two of them walked towards the door as they talked.


    The Shang Shu Manor''s carriage was already waiting there, so An Lingge bade farewell to Zhang Wan Yi, and without waiting for An Lingxue and the others, she sat on the carriage and returned to her house.


    An Lingyi followed far behind An Lingge. Seeing the crystal tassel on her forehead, she knew that it was used to cover her wounds.


    However, this wound wasn''t too bad for a while. As time passed, the scar would only grow bigger and deeper until it completely destroyed her face!


    Thinking about it this way, she was in a surprisingly good mood. She looked towards An Lingxue''s direction, and then brought An Lingmeng along to get on the carriage.


    The open rivalry and covert strife between the ladies of the mansion was like a fish hidden deep in the ocean. Although they couldn''t see it, it was clearly there.


    An Lingjun did not know where she got the information from, but the moment she entered the academy, she arrived at Parasol House.


    "Elder sister, I heard that grandmother hurt you yesterday?"


    He had just returned from the Imperial Palace yesterday, so he lived in the original courtyard. Because he was busy tidying up the courtyard, he only found out about this matter today.


    The moment he heard that An Lingge was injured, An Lingjun hurried over. His gaze fell on the scar on his sister''s forehead, and a vicious aura surfaced in his eyes.


    "It''s just that Grandmother accidentally hurt me in anger. It''s nothing big." An Lingge did not take the wound to heart. Instead, she looked at An Lingjun from head to toe, her eyes filled with joy and joy, "To be able to return from the palace is a joyous occasion, you should pay respects to her grandmother and father first."


    He had followed Ninth Prince to the Jingdu Academy yesterday, and upon returning, he immediately returned to his original residence. He basically did not visit the old mistress and Prince An at all.


    A trace of annoyance flashed across An Lingjun''s thin face, "Father isn''t even worried about my life, why would I go to him? As for Grandmother, that''s even stranger. I''m afraid Grandmother doesn''t even know what I look like. "


    He had been sent to the palace at such a young age. He had been so helpless and frightened that he had once begged his father not to send him to the palace.


    However, when An Yingcheng heard the words of the Madam Li, he sent him to the Imperial Palace without hesitation.


    Why would he pay a visit to such a cold-blooded and heartless father?


    An Lingge felt her heart ache when she heard this, the Junge now hated her father and hated her grandmother, it was because she had suffered in the Imperial Palace, and felt like she had been abandoned by her closest family.


    She reached out to touch the top of An Lingjun''s head, and gently advised him, "No matter what, Father and Grandmother are still our elders, you should pay your respects when you return, this is a form of etiquette that cannot be lost. Moreover, there is also the Madam Li in this mansion that is eyeing you covetously. She would love for you to be so rude and disrespectful, so that she can say that you are wrong in front of her father. Could it be that you have the heart to let your Madam Li scheme you? "


    Of course not.


    An Lingjun''s expression turned cold. He had stayed in the Imperial Palace for so many years, and her mind had long been more mature than her peers, so she naturally understood that Imperial Consort Yi secretly ordered Ninth Prince to humiliate him to curry favor with him. Wasn''t this last part of the plan entirely her?


    "But your injuries ¡­" What if there was a scar?


    An Lingjun did not speak the latter half of her sentence, her clean eyes filled with malice. She wished that she could take a teacup and throw it at An Lingxue and the Old Granny''s heads, to let them have a taste of this too.


    An Lingge removed the hole in the middle of her forehead and smiled to him, "Madam Li has already sent the ointment over, it is something only the Imperial Palace has. The effects are very good, it will not leave behind any scars."


    "The Madam Li must have a conspiracy!" An Lingjun jumped up and down, as if hhertail was stepped on by someone, she huffed and puffed, his eyes were wide open, "Big sister, how can you use her things? Quickly throw that ointment away, I have an even better ointment for you. "


    He took out a small brocade box from his bosom. It was wrapped in silk and sealed with wax, making it look quite mysterious.


    "Where did you get this?" Seeing the embroidered box, An Lingge''s face changed.


    In her previous life, she had been sent to the palace by the empress dowager and had seen this brocade box in her palace. Because it was wrapped very beautifully, it left a very deep impression on her.


    Later on, she heard from the palace that this was an ointment that the late emperor had found the world''s most powerful alchemist and had spent three months to make. Because the medicinal ingredients used were so rare, even the empress dowager only produced three of them.


    Not to mention being able to live or die, but he definitely had to be able to keep his appearance young.


    Regardless of whether the ointment in the embroidered box was that magical, just from this legend, one could tell how rare it was.


    But how could such a rare medicinal paste fall into the hands of the Junge?


    Seeing her expression wasn''t good, An Lingjun''s heart jumped. He was afraid that something might happen, so he told her the truth, "This was given to me by someone else, they said it was some superior medicine, they told me to give it to big sister."


    Although Junge was not that cautious, but he was not the type of person who would casually take things from others, why would he give things from others to himself?


    An Lingge frowned even more, "Who gave you this?"


    Hearing her words, An Lingjun became silent instead, her head lowered as she stammered, not willing to speak.


    "If you don''t want to say it, then leave my place. Don''t come see me again in the future." An Lingge could only keep a straight face and pretended to be serious.


    This time, An Lingjun panicked. Her clear eyes were a little helpless, "This was given to me by my future brother-in-law.


    In reality, he really admired Mu Junhan. Upon hearing that Mu Junhan wanted him to give his sister something, he agreed without any hesitation.

 C113

    In the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, Fourth Prince Zhao Jinghao smirked and winked at Mu Junhan, "Junhan, I didn''t think you would be so attentive towards that big miss of Prince An''s Palace. You even specially sent me to the emperor''s grandmother''s place to get some extremely good ointment.


    The hand Mu Junhan used to hold Hei Zi paused for a moment, then returned to normal after a moment. He casually placed a piece on the board and said, "She is my fiancee in the first place.


    You have such a weird personality. In the past, you would have wanted to avoid those girls that pounced on you, but now you would be able to please those girls. This is not a normal thing.


    Zhao Jinghao cursed in his heart. On the surface, he still had the appearance of a gentle young master of a noble family, "This means that Royal Father''s marriage will help you."


    He paused for a moment, then retracted his playful expression. There was a serious look on his face, "Now that the other princes''s power is increasing, and the Royal Father has pointed out the marriage between Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, I''m afraid they will have to test your two families. Be careful, don''t be caught red-handed."


    Mu Junhan lifted his lips and laughed, the color in his phoenix eyes seemed to contain millions of stars, his peerlessly beautiful face would make people feel ashamed.


    "The Emperor wholeheartedly wanted to weaken the other princes''s power. Not only did he openly and secretly suppress the other princes, he also supported Lu Tianya as the military horse General Da. His goal was to control the military power in his own hands and prevent the other princes from rebelling someday, and he had the ability to respond as well."


    "Only you dare to say such words." Zhao Jinghao sighed. Within the court, who didn''t understand the Royal Father''s thoughts? However, the other princes had existed since the time of the Ancestor, and had grown along with the development of the royal family.


    If it really was the time for the royal family and the other princes to face each other, then the whole world would be in chaos.


    It was a pity that he was only an inconsequential prince. At the very most, he would be conferred the title of a idle prince by the Royal Father and be allowed to retire to his own territory to his grave. He simply could not interfere in the affairs of the court.


    Mu Junhan glanced at him, his face carried a smile that was not a smile, "I only dare to say a few words, Fourth Prince should have some other thoughts in his heart."


    To a prince, what else could it be?


    After seeing that there was no one around, he was finally able to relax, "This prince is mediocre and useless, I am only waiting for Royal Father to bestow me with a free prince one day, allowing me to spend my life in the mountains and rivers. I do not dare to have any other thoughts."


    The two of them had grown up together, Mu Junhan naturally understood whether Zhao Jinghao had that kind of mindset or not.


    Seeing that Zhao Jinghao didn''t admit it, he didn''t take it to heart, "This place is surrounded by my people, no one else will hear it."


    Mu Junhan said this with confidence. Zhao Jinghao''s white piece fell and fought with Hei Zi, "I heard that Princess Mu was unconscious a few days ago. What happened?"


    "When I thought about how my mother''s concubine was almost killed by someone, Mu Junhan''s expression turned cold." Women in the western courtyard are restless.


    The woman in the west yard was the concubine of the Prince Mu. When the Prince Mu was drunk, she climbed onto the Prince''s bed and gave birth to a bastard.


    Initially, Prince Mu wanted her to let the child go, but the woman was very scheming, and using Princess Mu''s soft-heartedness, she took the opportunity to run over to Princess Mu''s side, begging her to give birth to the child. In the Palace, she was considered as half a master.


    Zhao Jinghao more or less heard about this matter, but when he heard this, he couldn''t help but become somewhat angry, "Back then, it was because of the kindness of the wangfei that she was able to give birth to her child. It''s one thing if she doesn''t know gratitude, but she actually dares to poison and kill the wangfei. What do you do with that woman? "


    "There is no conclusive evidence in this matter, so I did not say anything. I only warned my mother to be careful." That day, Mu Junhan had someone investigate Fang Qing and found out that it was through that woman from the western courtyard that Fang Qing had managed to enter Prince Mu¡¯s Palace.


    Princess Mu was too kind and too soft-hearted, thus she was bullied by a maid who crawled out of the bed.


    He did not know how the Princess Mu could give birth to such a eccentric and ruthless person like Mu Junhan with his kind personality.


    Zhao Jinghao nodded his head and his gaze fell on the chess board. He saw that the white man had been killed to the point that he was utterly defeated.


    "Your chess skills are still so good." He sighed, seeing that the sky was getting dark, he bid farewell to Mu Junhan, "Tomorrow is the Jingdu Academy examination. If I were to meet you at chess, you would have to be lenient."


    Mu Junhan laughed but did not say a word as he sent Zhao Jinghao off with his Prince Mu¡¯s Palace.


    The Jingdu Academy Assessment was simple, but hard.


    For the juniors from influential families, they had all learned the Six Arts of the assessment from private schools. Even if they failed, they would still pass.


    However, for those commoner disciples, it was already difficult for them to read the Four Books and Five Classics. How could they have the spare money to learn such flashy things?


    The teachers of the academy did not care whether these students had studied in the past or not. They only followed the instructions and went through the examinations one by one.


    "Raising the country''s sons into the Dao is one of the six ways of teaching: one day for the five gifts, two days for the six pleasures, three days for the five shots, four days for the five strikes, five days for the six books, six days for nine days." "However, as the saying goes, there is an expert in the art of martial arts. The Emperor ordered the establishment of Jingdu Academy in order to cultivate more and more resources for our Great Zhou. Now that you have gained some understanding of the academy, you need to carry out this assessment so that you can learn more."


    The students who were seated, who cared about these official words of theirs, were all nervous and excited because of the upcoming assessment.


    An Lingyi was seated right beside An Lingge, and upon hearing about Huang Yi, her eyes flashed with a light, which was quickly hidden by her lowered eyes.


    Seeing An Lingge mounted the horse, she gave a look to the people at the side, and the corners of her mouth raised into a pleased smile.


    The horses that the girls used for the test were naturally inferior to the horses that the men used, most of them were colts that were not yet of age, so they were slightly docile. However, the moment An Lingge got on the horses, they started to whimper in pain and galloped forward.


    The horse''s speed was too fast, much faster than what the others expected. In the blink of an eye, it had reached the mountain behind the academy. Behind it was a cliff!


    Mu Junhan''s face changed slightly as he pulled over a bunch of red horses. As he galloped, he nocked an arrow to his bow, and the black arrow pierced steadily into the right eye of the horse in front of him.


    The horse whinnied in pain again, and An Lingge took the chance to turn the horse around, but the horse charged towards the group of people.

 C114

    Just then, Mu Junhan caught up, and with another arrow, it pierced the horse''s neck, causing blood to spurt out, the horse whinnied twice and then fell to the ground.


    He flew to An Lingge''s back and hugged her to his chest, then steadily landed on the ground.


    "Big Sister, are you alright?"


    Seeing that she was fine, An Lingxue''s eyes flashed with a hint of disappointment, but her face still had that expression of concern and anxiety. She immediately ran to An Lingge''s side, and looked her up and down, as if she was worried about her sister.


    The light in Mu Junhan''s eyes became cold, and he pulled An Lingge a step back. Obviously, he did not want the two of them to come into contact.


    An Lingxue''s expression froze, she stretched out her hand and stopped in mid air, a look of grievance on her face: "I just wanted to see if big sister was injured, why is Hereditary Prince Mu on guard against me?"


    An Lingyi was also very angry. Ever since she knew that the Jingdu Academy was going to undergo the test of Six Arts of Gentlemen, she had thought of a way to bribe the people who raised horses and scattered some medicine on the way to the cliff at the back of the mountain.


    Originally, he planned to wait until An Lingge went up on stage, then quietly apply medicine on the horse''s body, and the horse would follow the smell and run towards the back of the mountain, causing An Lingge to fall down the cliff and die a miserable death.


    Unfortunately, Hereditary Prince Mu''s reaction was too fast, and she had actually saved An Lingge so easily, allowing her scheme to go to waste.


    An Lingyi secretly clenched her teeth, feeling that An Lingge, who was in her embrace, was very eyesore.


    She also laughed and moved closer to An Lingge''s side. "It''s really great that big sister is fine, but Hereditary Prince Mu can let go now, to prevent others from talking too much."


    Although the situation was urgent, which was why Mu Junhan was holding An Lingge, but now that she was fine, if Mu Junhan were to hold her, it would be unreasonable.


    An Lingge then walked out of his embrace, her gaze landing on the two of them, a pair of pitch black eyes filled with cold intent, "Today''s matter is all thanks to Hereditary Prince Mu, if not for him, I would have already become a soul at the bottom of the cliff."


    She paused for a moment, then said to the teacher, "Whether it''s for me or just an accident, the accident with the Jingdu Academy examination should be able to uncover the truth behind the sudden berserk of this horse, so everyone can be at ease."


    Facing such a gaze, the smile on An Lingyi''s face could not be held back, but An Lingxue was not affected at all, since what happened was not her doing, she was not afraid at all.


    The teacher was scared to the point that he broke out in a cold sweat. He had only followed the emperor''s instructions to investigate the background of the children of influential families. Who would have thought such a thing would happen?


    Fortunately, the young miss of the Prince An''s Palace was safe and sound. If she was really brought down the cliff by the horse, then the Jingdu Academy would not be able to continue on and the emperor would have to punish him for his crimes!


    Thinking about this, he immediately responded loudly, "Don''t worry Miss An. This is related to the safety of every student. Jingdu Academy will definitely investigate everything thoroughly."


    Because of this matter, the Jingdu Academy Assessment had temporarily stopped, and the students had returned home even earlier than usual.


    The moment he stepped out of the Jingdu Academy, An Lingxue no longer had that worried look on his face, and went into the carriage alone, leaving An Lingge behind.


    An Lingge did not care about her fake and ever-changing attitude, as she sat in the carriage with her eyes closed, secretly thinking about the culprit behind this matter.


    If one were to say that this matter was aimed at the entire Jingdu Academy''s student population, it was just that her luck was bad and she had bumped into it, so it would definitely be impossible.


    Everyone knew that the one behind the Jingdu Academy was the Emperor. He was the most respected and dignified person in the Great Zhou Dynasty.


    Thinking about it this way, there was only one possibility. It was the work of his own private enemy.


    No matter what, the people with whom she had enmity with were only the Madam Li and her daughter, as well as An Lingxue.


    However, although An Lingxue was used to feigning weakness to have sympathy, and also relied on the old lady''s love, she had a certain position in the Palace. It had been a while since she had returned to the capital, and she didn''t have the ability to find outsiders to frame her.


    She returned to the residence and headed straight for the old mistress'' courtyard.


    "Why is the big girl back so early today?"


    The old lady had felt somewhat guilty because of the matter that had hurt her that day, and now that she was facing An Lingge, her tone had softened quite a bit.


    An Lingge''s attitude became even more respectful, but it was a little less intimate, "Reporting to Grandmother, if the horses in question had problems, and if there were any problems with it, it would have cost me my life.


    "There''s actually such a thing?" The old lady was greatly shocked. This was a school opened by the emperor, and it had only been a few days, yet it had almost caused someone''s death. It was too frightening.


    It would not be good if the emperor blamed them.


    The old mistress'' expression changed a few times, but she could not show it on the surface. "But who was it that met with mishap? Are there any injuries?"


    "My granddaughter''s luck was bad, when she met the horse, it went crazy, and she was almost thrown off the cliff. Luckily, Hereditary Prince Mu saved her, and she was safe and sound." "It''s precisely because something like this happened that my granddaughter thought of asking Grandmother if she could take two days off from school to allow my granddaughter to go out for a walk."


    The old mistress'' eyelids twitched. The young mistress of her residence was in trouble? If the Emperor were to blame the Prince An''s Palace for this ¡­


    She could not bother about An Lingge''s request and immediately asked for the details. After hearing everything, her face turned dark and she ordered the nanny beside her, "Go and call the few young misses over."


    "My sisters were also frightened today. Why did Grandmother call them here?" An Lingge lowered her eyes, the usually calm and composed person seemed to be slightly afraid, "How about Grandmother allow me to take a leave of absence from the academy, and when things are clear, my granddaughter can go to the academy later."


    She looked so frightened that she didn''t dare to go to class, which angered the madame even more. It was one thing for the young ladies to have some of their own thoughts, but who wouldn''t have some tricks up their sleeves at their age? However, this matter was about to lead to his death. He absolutely could not let it slide like this!


    "Little Ge, don''t worry. Grandmother will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly. The madame comforted her and urged her to fetch the ladies.


    The one who protected An Lingxue was obviously the madame, and now that she had to avenge herself, it was the madame.


    The corner of An Lingge''s mouth raised, she already knew where the Old Mistress'' bottom line was.


    Not long after An Lingyi and the rest arrived at their own courtyard, they called for the people the Old Mistress had sent over.


    She sneaked a peek at the madame''s expression and was shocked by the scene before her.

 C115

    The madame had always enjoyed liveliness. It was a rare occasion for so many people to come to Qingfeng Courtyard, but it actually felt rather crowded all of a sudden.


    An Lingxue was the least afraid, she was the madame''s most beloved granddaughter. The madame had even injured An Lingge for her sake, which made her secretly pleased, thinking that if she wasn''t the third wife''s granddaughter, her position must definitely be above An Lingge''s.


    An Lingmeng was at a loss and did not know what had happened. She could only stand quietly at the side with her head down, acting like an invisible person.


    Amongst the few of them, only An Lingyi was feeling anxious. Her hand was holding the handkerchief, but she still pretended to be calm.


    "You all should know what happened in the academy today." The old mistress squinted, but her aged eyes were still sharp.


    An Lingxue immediately nodded her head, a look of worry appeared on her innocent face, "We were originally well enough to participate in the exam, but Big Sis'' horse went crazy somehow, and almost brought Big Sis down the cliff at the back of the mountain. Little Xue was so scared that she broke out in cold sweat at that time. Fortunately, Hereditary Prince Mu was present, and managed to save Big Sis in time.


    She looked as if she was worried about An Lingge, and was completely unable to see the jealousy and hatred she had for him.


    Although An Lingyi was guilty, she was not stupid. Following An Lingxue''s instructions, she was also relieved for a while before saying, "That horse was previously charging towards us, luckily nothing big happened."


    The old lady knew that An Lingmeng was a timid person, and could not do such a thing to harm someone''s life. She looked past her and landed her gaze on An Lingyi and An Lingxue.


    If it was two days ago, the Old Granny would not have doubted An Lingxue, but after knowing that An Lingxue had that intention too, and even wanted to ruin her looks, the Old Madam couldn''t help but feel a little displeased.


    Even though she had protected An Lingxue that day, there was still a gap in her heart.


    She had always thought that her pure and kind granddaughter had set her eyes on her future brother-in-law, not mentioning that she wanted to frame her older cousin and seduce him. If not for An Lingxue growing up in front of her all these years, the old lady would have made her kneel in front of her ancestral hall to copy Buddhist scriptures.


    But who would have thought that right after this matter ended, the eldest girl would be almost killed by someone. The mansion''s young ladies had such malicious intentions, but the madame couldn''t bear it any longer, so she called them over.


    The sharp look in her eyes landed on An Lingxue''s body, causing the latter to be worried.


    "Since it''s like this, then do you think that this was a coincidence? Or did someone deliberately frame the big girl?"


    With the madame''s words, An Lingyi tightened her grip on the handkerchief in her hand.


    Seeing that An Lingxue did not speak, she could only bite the bullet and said, "Big sister suffered a shock in the academy, she should be like that due to bad luck, why would someone purposely set her up?"


    "Yeah, who would have a grudge with their big sister to actually do such a malicious thing to take their lives?"


    An Lingxue had already understood that if this matter wasn''t caused by her, then it must be An Lingyi who was also at the Jingdu Academy and also hated An Lingge for her status as her direct daughter.


    Although there was nothing wrong with An Lingge''s life today, it would still be good if she could use this opportunity to trample An Lingyi beneath her feet.


    Thinking about this, An Lingxue pretended to agree with An Lingyi''s words, but in reality, she pointed out that it was done by a person who had enmity with An Lingge. The person who had enmity with him was naturally An Lingyi.


    The old mistress thought for a moment and then understood. She nodded and said seriously, "If the big girl''s luck is bad, then why is it that out of so many people in the academy, no one else is hurt but the big girl almost lost her life? Someone must be targeting her! "


    Her face darkened, anger was already visible in her eyes, "But the one who has a grudge with the big girl, it must be one of you. "If you admit it now, I will punish you lightly for taking the initiative to confess. If you don''t admit it, I will send people to investigate everything and punish you. When that time comes, don''t blame me for not showing mercy!"


    "Grandmother, how can you say that?" An Lingxue laughed, and was about to grab onto the old lady''s arm, but who knew that the old lady would actually lean to the side and ask An Lingxue to grab onto empty air, her attitude clearly showed that she was angry with her.


    An Lingxue''s heart was in a panic, the old lady had never treated her coldly before, could it be that she hated him because of that matter?


    The smile on her face faded in an instant, replaced by a sad and pitiful look. "Grandmother, are you still angry about that? Little Xue already knows that she was wrong, and will never do it again, I will apologize to big sister right now, Grandmother, please don''t be angry, alright? Little Xue likes Grandmother the most. If Grandmother was angry because of me, Little Xue would feel bad. "


    The old lady ignored her with a stern face, she then gritted her teeth and bowed towards An Lingge, "Big sister, that matter was Little Xue''s fault, Little Xue is apologizing to you."


    The madame was finally soft-hearted. "Let''s not talk about that for now. I only want to know who did it today."


    An Lingyi''s heart trembled, she thought about how she should shut up the person who had given the medicine, and heard An Lingxue say, "Grandmother, after you said that, Little Xue actually remembered that she saw Third Sister behind us yesterday, and seemed to be instructing her own servant."


    "Stop talking nonsense!" An Lingyi glared at her fiercely, but she was still shocked. She had ordered her servant to settle this matter, could it be that she was truly seen by this man?


    Glimmers danced in the old mistress'' eyes as her expression darkened. "Go and get the maidservant beside Third Young Miss. I would like to ask what is going on."


    "Grandmother." An Lingyi panicked, and quickly interrupted the old lady, "Yi Er did indeed instruct the servant yesterday to bribe the school''s people. But that was to get someone to prepare a fast horse for her granddaughter, and at the same time to give laxatives to other women''s horses. The reason why my granddaughter is doing this, is because she wants to perform a little better at the academy''s assessment. She doesn''t have the intention to frame big sister! "


    This matter of her bribing the people in the academy would be discovered sooner or later. It would be better for her to admit it this morning and find a good excuse to successfully pull herself out of this matter.


    An Lingxue secretly pursed her lips, she was just trying to trick An Lingyi, this foolish woman, to say it out, she was truly a fool.


    However, it was obviously impossible for her to avoid getting too serious.


    An Lingge listened to their words in silence until this moment, "In order to make myself perform better, Third Sister can put other people''s lives at stake. If you want to kill them, does that mean everyone in the academy must die?"

 C116

    Seeing An Lingyi admitting that the horses in the academy were done by her, the Old Granny laughed coldly for a moment, "I didn''t know that you, Third Young Madam, actually had the ability to bribe someone to frame a direct sister on the horse, and even found such an excuse afterwards, I almost believed your words!"


    An Lingyi repeatedly defended herself and said how much she had wronged her. It was only an accident that nearly caused An Lingge to lose her life.


    "Third Sister''s accident is really scary."


    An Lingxue acted as if she was worried that she had also been framed by An Lingyi, "It''s just like what Big Sister said. You almost caused Big Sister to lose her life just to be able to show off your skills, but when Grandmother asked, you actually planned to hide it from her. If it was not because of grandmother''s dignity that forced you to speak the truth, wouldn''t Big Sis have suffered this injustice for nothing? "


    At this time, she spoke up for An Lingge with all her heart, as if she really did not care about the argument between the two.


    But who would have known, that An Lingxue merely wanted to take the opportunity to add insult to injury, to be able to step on An Lingyi''s foot?


    An Lingge also had a solemn look on her beautiful face, but there was no expression of grievance on it, only a hint of worry, "Third Sister acted recklessly, and her Jingdu Academy nearly caused her to lose her life. She was forced to stop the test, and today, this matter is not related to me alone, but to our entire Prince An''s Palace. If the Emperor were to know that the person behind all of this is actually the Third Sister, the entire Duke Palaces will probably be punished. "


    Wasn''t that the case too?


    The old lady was enraged, if it was not because of the emperor, she would not have called Little Xue over, and only wanted to beat them up, so that no matter what they did, they would not meet with any mishaps.


    "This matter is not as serious as Big Sister''s words." An Lingyi secretly hated An Lingxue for adding insult to injury, but she was even more angry at An Lingge for not letting go.


    However, the concubine had told her to be obedient and act like a good granddaughter in front of the madame. Although she could not please the madame or offend her, she did not dare to get angry lest she was punished.


    "It''s not that serious?" The old mistress retorted with a smile, infuriated. No matter how one looked at it, her expression was one of displeasure.


    "This Jingdu Academy was specifically set up by the Emperor, and has gathered all of the famous families in the capital. From the officials in the imperial court to the noble king''s house, which one of them isn''t a famous family? But now you bribe someone to tamper with the horse, causing the academy''s examination to be cancelled. Won''t the teacher report it to the emperor, and won''t the emperor send someone to investigate? When we find out about it, it will definitely implicate our entire Prince An''s Palace! "


    Amongst the few misses in the house, only Little Ge had actually seen through this matter. An Lingyi was only a concubine, and was not a person to be trifled with. Furthermore, Little Xue had grown up in a remote place like the Ancestral Mansion, so she did not know the might and terror of imperial power.


    After all of these things, the first daughter of the Prince An''s Palace was different from the other young misses.


    The old mistress sighed in her heart, feeling both gratified and sorrowful.


    As for An Lingmeng, the old lady had never put him in her mind because she was as transparent as a human being.


    "Grandmother, granddaughter does have a way to make our Prince''s Mansion come out of this matter." An Lingge said.


    The madame''s gaze fell upon him. "If you have any ideas, just say them." Although the madame said so, she didn''t have much hope in her heart.


    As long as it was An Lingyi who did this, then the Prince An''s Palace would definitely be affected. The only difference was whether or not the punishment he received from the Emperor was severe or not.


    An Lingge looked towards An Lingyi''s direction before smiling, "Although we have already figured out that this was caused by the people sent by the Third Sister, up until now, only we know the truth. The others still do not know, but we can use this opportunity to push this matter to someone else."


    "Pushing this matter onto someone else''s shoulders, big sister''s way of speaking is way too nimble." "Forget about whether or not we can successfully push this matter to someone else, even if Big Sis has a way to make those innocent people take the blame, haven''t you thought about what would happen to those innocent people?"


    This kind appearance, as though she was the only one in the world who would think for others, made An Lingge sneer in her heart, but on the surface, he did not reveal it, and only displayed a surprised expression.


    "Why would Second Sister think of bringing this matter to someone who has nothing to do with us? I am only thinking, since Third Sister has passed this matter to the servant girl beside her, then it can''t be considered as her being the one in charge. As long as that servant girl is convicted, Third Sister will be able to get out of this matter, and the Emperor will naturally not punish us just for being a servant."


    "No way!" An Lingyi immediately shouted out when she heard that she was going to punish her with a servant girl.


    It wasn''t that she felt sorry for her maid, but ever since Bai Yu''s betrayal and her aunt''s order to execute her maid, there was only one servant left. If she were to condemn Bai Yu, she wouldn''t have a single confidant by her side.


    The old lady then relaxed her face a little, because her words were serious once again. Her angry gaze landed on An Lingyi, "When you did such a thing to frame Little Ge, not only did Little Ge not care about it, he even thought of ways to get rid of the crime for the sake of the big picture. Yet, you are actually unwilling to do so.


    She stood up, raised her cane and was about to hit An Lingyi.


    Seeing that she was so angry, An Lingyi subconsciously hid himself.


    "Fine, fine, fine. You still dare to dodge?" The old lady said three good things in succession, but her expression was so dark that water could drip from it. She immediately instructed the servants at the side, "Go call the maidservants by the side of the third young miss over, whip them for fifty years, then send them to the officials. Tell them that Prince An''s Palace has dealt with this kind of tricky slave who murdered their master."


    Fifty lashes, that''s a lot of punishment.


    Although An Lingyi wanted to refute her, when she saw the old lady''s walking stick, she did not dare to say anything.


    ''Forget it, it''s just a maid, so I was beaten to death. I''ll just get an aunt to find me another one.


    "Grandmother, since this maidservant wants to frame me, why don''t you let me go watch the punishment?" An Lingge said warmly, a pair of deep black eyes, could not help but cause others to be able to see the emotions behind it.


    She was a victim in this matter, and for the sake of Prince An''s Palace, she let An Lingyi go. With such a small request, the madame naturally wouldn''t disagree, and immediately agreed.

 C117

    Without even looking at her, the old lady ordered coldly, "Bring the people to the courtyard, and then call for the few rough people from the nanny to properly execute their punishments. If they dare to go waterproofing, I will have them be punished along with the maid!"


    The servant girl was still confused about the situation. When she heard that she was going to be punished, she immediately cried out, "Madam, what mistake has this servant made? Do you want to punish this servant?"


    She struggled to escape from the imprisonment of the servants and ran to the madame.


    One of the nanny was determined, she fiercely kicked her on the back, knocking the servant to the ground, then rushed forward to restrain her.


    "What did you do wrong? Do you need me to explain it to you?" The madame glanced at her.


    An Lingxue immediately spoke out, "You harbored evil intentions, causing Big Sis to almost lose her life, shouldn''t Grandmother punish you?"


    The servant girl''s expression instantly turned pale, her eyes turned to An Lingyi, "Miss, I followed your instructions, quickly tell the old lady, I do not have any intentions of harming the young miss!"


    An Lingyi avoided her gaze and said somewhat guiltily, "When did I let you plot against big sister? Your tricky slave''s mouth is full of lies, yet you actually dared to climb onto my body and bite me. "


    She turned her head and looked at Old Madem Xiang, "Grandmother, please make the decision to punish this evil slave."


    In any case, the madame had already decided to let this maidservant take the blame. Even if others knew the truth, they could not reveal it. Why not be ruthless and make herself completely innocent?


    The maidservant''s eyes widened in disbelief, "Miss, it was clearly you who ordered this servant to ¡­"


    "Tell me what?" An Lingyi raised her eyebrows, she already had some confidence in herself now, "On the account that you have served me for so many years and my grandmother questioned me, she did not confess you, and instead took the blame herself. But since what you have done involved the entire Duke Palace, I cannot keep it a secret for you."


    She only thought about it for a moment before she summarized the words she had said before. It was as if she had admitted her crimes only because this servant girl was hiding it from her and could not bear to have her servant be punished.


    Whether others believed it or not, there was already a reason for it, and she could take it all out of it.


    Looking at An Lingyi turning the truth into white, the servant girl''s face became even paler, she knew that her young miss was sacrificing herself, and immediately explained everything to her.


    The old lady''s face darkened as she heard the story of how An Lingyi had ordered her to bribe someone and buy medicine from someone. She shouted loudly, "Are you still not going to take away this tricky slave who murdered my master and wait for her to climb up to bite my family''s young miss?"


    She made it clear that regardless of what the maid said, this matter could only be considered as her crime.


    An Lingyi breathed a sigh of relief in her heart, then secretly mocked An Lingge''s stupidity. She actually came here to help him think of a way to escape for the sake of the so-called big picture.


    Even if he did not punish her now, he would find a reason to punish her in the near future. Now that he had found a servant girl to take the blame, it was just that he was afraid that it would affect his Prince An''s Palace.


    An Lingge was naturally clear that if she was directly convicted of An Lingyi''s crimes, in order to deal with the emperor, the old lady would probably think of a way to get rid of her, or send people to clean up the academy''s remains. With this, even if the old lady found out that An Lingyi was the culprit, in order to not involve Prince An''s Palace, she could not touch An Lingyi.


    But when the matter was pushed to the maid beside An Lingyi, the Countess would naturally not hesitate, and would find an excuse to deal with An Lingyi, as killing two birds with one stone.


    Although she looked like she was helping An Lingyi get out of the scam, in reality, she had dug a hole for him. She was just waiting for the old lady to find an excuse one day, and she would have to suffer a lot.


    An Lingge''s lips curved upwards, following the order of the law, he walked out.


    "Madame, your servant is innocent!" The servant girl was pushed to the bench and continued to struggle. The old lady, along with An Lingxue and the rest, stood at the side and heard what was said and frowned, "Block her mouth."


    The rags had naturally been prepared long ago. A woman picked up the rags and stuffed them into the servant girl''s mouth.


    The madame then nodded her head, "Fifty lashes, not one bit less." Not just Little Ge, the rest of you, take a good look at Little Xue who wants to see her executed.


    She brought the few young misses out to watch the torture. It was not to teach them how to manage their servants, but to use this servant girl to beat them up. This was so that one or two of them wouldn''t become restless and cause trouble every now and then.


    An Lingxue seemed to be unable to bear it, a look of sympathy appeared on her delicate face, "It''s just a servant ¡­"


    Her voice was low, as if she wanted to plead on behalf of the servant girl.


    The old mistress'' expression did not change, and her tone was much less than usual. "It''s precisely because she''s a servant that I can''t let her off." This person, when he was born, he decided on a lot of things. "


    It was precisely because she was not born well and was only a small maid, that she was used to taking the blame. If it wasn''t for the fact that An Lingyi was the Young Miss of a house, she should be the one to be whipped.


    However, An Lingxue thought that the madame was knocking her on the door, telling her not to think about marriage that did not belong to her due to Prince Mu¡¯s Palace.


    Her expression froze for a moment before quickly regaining her composure. "Grandmother is right. Birth does determine many things."


    But even if being born determined many things, there were still many things that could be changed through hard work. For example, the most respected Queen in the palace, from a noble family of a noble king, with a prominent position and finally not getting favored by the Emperor, was climbed onto the head by the daughter of a small official of the Imperial Noble Consort Li.


    An Lingxue''s expression changed, seeing that the execution was starting, she lowered her head.


    It wasn''t that she was putting on an act this time, it was that she had never seen such an execution before. After all, the execution was a bloody mess, causing people to be afraid.


    Naturally, An Lingyi did not dare to look, as she heard the whips in the air crackling, as if the whips had landed on him. She hurriedly lowered her head to look at her feet, trying her best to ignore the crackling sounds.


    After a while, the madame was a little tired and had someone bring her back to her room. However, she ordered the ladies to finish watching the punishment.


    An Lingge agreed, her gaze landing on the servant girl, seeing the whip leave a red wound, her face actually had an unspeakable indifference.

 C118

    An Lingxue finally could not hold it in anymore, and asked with a tone of accusation, "It''s fine if Big Sis pulled the innocent out to face the consequences, but now that I''ve personally watched her being punished, won''t Big Sis feel guilty and self-blame?"


    An Lingge''s eyes turned, and met her bright black eyes with a pair of clear and watery almond-shaped eyes, causing An Lingxue to feel that she was able to see through all of the dark thoughts in the bottom of her heart, and she subconsciously shifted her gaze.


    "Second Sister actually thought that the maid was innocent. Why didn''t she plead for her grandmother in front of her, instead, she started to blame me?"


    "Let me ask you, did the servant girl buy the medicine for the horse, and did the school girl buy the medicine for the school people? When she did these things, she already knew what would happen, but she still did it to harm me." A maid who had the intention to murder her master was actually an innocent person in the eyes of the Second Sister. "


    An Lingge''s words were said in a neither fast nor slow manner, yet each word was written very neatly and clearly, causing the words that An Lingxue was prepared to say to be stuck in her throat.


    How could she possibly care about whether this servant was innocent or not? She only wanted to use this matter to let the servants see that An Lingge was a cold-blooded and heartless person, whether it was right or wrong.


    Today, An Lingge had wronged the servants by An Lingyi''s side, who knew who she would wrongly accuse tomorrow.


    If the servants had this plan in mind, they would naturally not be easily bribed by An Lingge. At that time, if she wanted to take back these servants, there would be less resistance.


    But who would have thought that this woman was actually so cunning? Not only did her words prove her innocence, she even seemed to be a black and white fool.


    An Lingxue''s face revealed an aggrieved look, as if she was wronged, "Big sister, why are you so serious? I only feel that she, a mere servant, is not the main culprit, yet she is receiving such a heavy punishment."


    "The masterminds and accomplices are all murderers, Second Sister, do you understand?" An Lingge''s tone was indifferent, with a hint of instruction, "Just like an avalanche, clearly just a snowstorm was able to cause the death of thousands of people on the snowy mountain, isn''t this the responsibility of those snowflakes? Second Sister, you are still young, but don''t say that it was just a small snowflake that shouldn''t have received such ignorant words. "


    The fierce sound of the whip breaking through the air still echoed in An Lingxue''s ears, but she felt as if the whip had landed on her face, causing her face to burn painfully.


    She understood that there wasn''t a single snowflake that was innocent during the avalanche, she just didn''t expect that An Lingge would actually use this matter to teach her a lesson. She was clearly mocking her for being stupid.


    As she was embarrassed, she saw that the old woman had stopped. One of them said with some embarrassment, "Eldest Miss, this maid is already dead."


    "How many whips are there?" An Lingge forgot it as the servant girl had a blood-red back, her clothes were tattered.


    The old woman burst out a number, "In reply to Miss, you have already used thirty-seven whips."


    An Lingge nodded her head, with a hint of authority, "Since it is not enough, we can continue to attack. Grandmother has said fifty whips, not one can be missing.


    How could that coarse old woman dare to slack off? She immediately brandished her whip and hit the body of that maidservant.


    An Lingyi only quietly raised her head to take a glance, and saw a mess of flesh and blood, she immediately felt her stomach churning, and she couldn''t help but vomit.


    Immediately, a servant came to help her, while An Lingmeng acted as if she was not feeling well, and retreated.


    Only An Lingge stood where she was, watching the servants getting hit by the whips, her beautiful face still had an indifferent expression.


    Some of the servants who secretly glanced at An Lingge''s expression were shocked, they felt that their young miss had a ruthless heart.


    Even an ordinary man would not be able to stand such a bloody scene. The eldest young miss was in her room, and seeing such a scene, her expression and temperament was clearly extraordinary. If he provoked her, perhaps he would suffer a terrible fate.


    The servants'' hearts raced, and did not dare to underestimate An Lingge anymore. After respectfully reporting to her, they followed the madame''s instructions and sent the maidservants to the government.


    On the other side, An Lingyi was sent back to her own courtyard, still puking with a pale face.


    When the Madam Li heard the news, she did not care about the account book anymore and rushed back.


    "Yi Er, what''s wrong with you?" Madam Li looked at his daughter in pain, took the sour plum and put it into her mouth.


    When she heard her servant say that An Lingyi was vomiting non-stop in the house, she immediately rushed over.


    After An Lingyi ate the sour plum, she had only just recovered a little and immediately threw up again.


    Madam Li immediately called for the doctor, only to see An Lingyi''s pale face as she waved, "Mother, I''m fine."


    She still felt a bit uncomfortable, but she still told him about what happened at Qingfeng Courtyard.


    "Why are you so muddle-headed!" Madam Li sighed upon hearing this. She wanted to reprimand his daughter, but when he saw her pale face, he couldn''t bring herself to do so.


    Her expression softened, but there was still a hint of disappointment and disappointment on her face. "The person behind the Jingdu Academy is the emperor, and yet you recklessly took An Lingge''s life. Wouldn''t that make the emperor unhappy? Fortunately, the maidservants by your side took the blame. Otherwise, the entire Duke Palaces would have been in for a disaster! "


    Could it really be that serious?


    Initially, An Lingyi only thought that the Old Mistress and An Lingge had said all that in order to punish her, but after hearing Madam Li''s words, she couldn''t help but break out in cold sweat.


    "But mother, the servant girl beside me has already been beaten to death by grandmother''s orders. I should be fine, right?" She nervously asked the Madam Li, afraid that she would be punished again.


    The Madam Li''s gaze turned dark, but on the surface, she still heaved a sigh of relief. "Since the old mistress has put all the blame on that servant of yours, she will have to take you out completely. This matter concerns the entire Duke''s Palace, and the old lady is very clear of it, so she will naturally not cause any trouble for you."


    An Lingyi just heaved a sigh of relief, after ensuring that she had nothing to do, she heard a servant reporting to him, and was invited by the old lady to go.


    The madame had always enjoyed peace and quiet, so it was probably not a good thing to invite others over.


    Besides, she had just come out of the courtyard and the madame had already ordered someone to call her over, probably to punish her.


    An Lingyi panicked and looked at Madam Li somewhat helplessly. Her voice was filled with fear and trepidation, "Mother, what should we do?


    She left Qingfeng Courtyard and returned to her own courtyard due to vomiting. Could it be that she was going to go back and face the madame''s challenge?

 C119

    The Madam Li was much calmer than An Lingyi, her expression did not change, "Don''t be afraid, the madame has already pushed the blame to the maid, she will definitely not cause you any trouble. She might just want to reprimand you. Just listen carefully when the time comes and let the old mistress know that you have repented in good faith. "


    No matter how he thought about it, this was the most likely scenario.


    An Lingyi nodded and followed her mother to the Old Mistress'' courtyard.


    No one knew where Madam Wang heard the news, but they actually ordered a few maids to follow them, and planned to join in on the fun at Qing Feng courtyard.


    Not like the past where she loved to join in the fun, even An Lingge and An Lingxue''s argument and falling out did not disturb her. Now that this matter involved An Lingyi, she had instead thought of something, and quickly rushed over to watch the fun.


    Who would have known that not only did the madame call An Lingyi over, she even called for all of the masters of the household over. An Yingcheng, who was busy handling official matters, was no exception, and the people from the second and third houses did not fall behind either.


    Madam Wang knew that An Lingyi had stirred up a great disaster this time, and was in no hurry to head back to Qingfeng Courtyard, so he leisurely followed Second Old Master An Yinghao.


    An Lingge had yet to return to her own courtyard, but she already saw that An Lingjun, An Linghao and the others were all being called over.


    "I called you here today for the sake of the big girl." The old mistress had been helped off by the maidservant for a short while to take a breather. At this moment, her spirits were slightly restored.


    Her eyes that were as sharp as an eagle''s sized up the descendants sitting in front of her, her face full of seriousness, "Today is the day of Jingdu Academy Assessment in Japan, but the third girl told the maidservants to immediately make a move on the eldest girl, causing her to almost lose her life and causing the academy to be forced to stop their examinations. This matter will definitely be reported to the emperor."


    An Yingcheng immediately frowned, he looked straight at An Lingyi, the dignified Fang Zheng''s face was filled with displeasure, "Yi Er, you really did this?"


    Because of their relationship with the Madam Li, An Yingcheng had always doted on An Lingyi, and felt that his second daughter was a good and considerate daughter.


    Even if he knew that An Lingyi was capricious, from his point of view, it was just the temper of some of his little girls, so it was not a big deal.


    Hearing the old lady''s words, An Yingcheng finally understood the seriousness of the situation.


    "Father, I, I just wanted to perform well in the assessment and bring honor to our Duke Palaces, that''s why I got someone to put down laxatives on other horses. Who knew that horse would go crazy, I didn''t mean to harm Big Sis."


    As she spoke, tears fell from her eyes, as if she was very sad and remorseful, "My daughter has already apologized to big sister, and she has already realized her wrongs. She will definitely not act so recklessly in the future."


    "Third Young Miss''s words are really light and nimble. You just wanted to show off a little and almost harmed Eldest Miss, but did you know, if the Emperor blames the Emperor for this matter, the one who will be implicated will be our entire Prince An''s Palace?"


    Madam Li was not on good terms with her, so when she saw that she was mocking and ridiculing her daughter, he could not help but retort, "Yi Er has already said, this was an accident on her part. The old mistress even ordered someone to beat the servant girl beside her to death, do you still want to hold on to Yi Er?"


    "Enough!" The old mistress hollered, her eyes filled with anger. "I didn''t ask you all to come here to listen to your blaming." "I''ve already given the order that no matter who asks, this matter can only be done by the servants of the third lady. The emperor won''t blame our manor."


    The old lady held a lot of authority in the Prince An''s Palace. Once she opened her mouth, no one would dare refute her. In such a large room, only the old lady''s teachings could be heard.


    "I want to use this matter to tell you that both our Prince An''s Palace and your body are prosperous, and each of us are injured. Don''t think that if something goes wrong with the other, you can stay out of this matter. I will not pursue the past anymore. In the future, if I find out who is willing to put the interests of the Prince''s Mansion aside for their own selfish ends, I will absolutely not let him off lightly! "


    "Mother, don''t worry. Your son will be strict with you in the future and will never allow this to happen again."


    As the Patriarch, An Yingcheng immediately showed his attitude.


    The old lady then nodded her head, "Little Ge''s room is soon to be filled with spring, and she cannot be distracted by these miscellaneous matters. Second brother, although you have a body again, don''t forget Brother Hao, your own son, please take care of him yourself."


    "Old madam, please be at ease. Your grandson''s condition is quite good. Thank you for your concern." An Linghao was tall and jade-like. He was already quite tall for a fifteen year old youth.


    He reeked of books and was not a bit like his parents. He was neither addicted to beauties like Second Elder An Yinghao, nor was he petty and fussy like Madam Wang. Instead, he was a rare good son.


    When the madame saw him, her expression softened.


    If the person she doted on the most out of her granddaughters was An Lingxue, then among these few grandsons, the one she valued the most was An Linghao.


    The Old Mistress had lightly hit An Yinghao a few times, telling him not to be addicted to her beauty, and that he should also walk around the officials area more often.


    An Yinghao agreed. Everyone knew what he would do.


    Finally, it was time to beat up the third house. The old lady''s gaze fell on Madam Zheng, and was unable to say anything.


    Madam Zheng was a low-key person, ever since she entered the Palace, nothing bad had happened. Even if the Old Granny wanted to beat her up, she didn''t know where to start.


    "If there''s any injury on Little Xue''s face, please take good care of it. Don''t let anything happen to him." The old lady''s expression became much calmer, and was no longer as concerned about An Lingxue as she was in the past. She only spoke a few words before moving on to Aunt Wei.


    An Lingxue knew that the Old Mistress was still angry at her. She was anxious, but she could not think of a way. She could only wait until the Old Mistress calmed down and then act coquettishly in front of her. The Old Mistress would definitely forgive her.


    "That''s enough. Remember what I said today. We will all be prosperous and suffer losses at the same time. Don''t treat it as nothing. I have nothing else to do here.


    An Lingyi secretly heaved a sigh of relief and quickly followed Madam Li out.


    An Lingge, who was the victim of the entire incident, acted as if she had been forgotten by the madame.


    An Lingjun was furious, she did not return to her own courtyard, and instead caught up to her own parents and sisters in a few steps.

 C120

    "Elder sister, you were almost killed by An Lingyi, your grandmother let her go so easily, it''s really too much. I''ll go and teach her a lesson now."


    An Lingjun''s thin face was filled with anger. Why was An Lingyi able to scheme and frame her sister, but in the end only took the servant girl by her side as punishment, and not received the slightest bit of blame?


    An Lingge shook her head, and advised him, "No need, it was my idea to push out the servant girl beside her. Moreover, you have only just returned to your residence. At this time, if you go and find trouble with An Lingyi, your grandmother and father''s impression of you won''t be good. "


    "Who needs their good impression?" An Lingjun casually curled hherlips. Ever since she was sent to the palace to read to the Ninth Prince, his father and grandmother had never visited him. He knew that he had already been abandoned by them.


    If not for the Emperor''s sudden decision to open the Jingdu Academy, it was still unknown whether or not he would be able to leave the Imperial Palace.


    An Lingge''s expression slightly changed, and looked at An Lingjun with a solemn gaze, "Junge, you should know that you are a Hereditary Prince of the Prince An''s Palace, so your every word and action represents the face of the Prince An''s Palace. If you treat your father with such contempt and are seen by others, it would be hard to avoid those vile people who want to use this as an excuse to attack you."


    What did it matter?


    An Lingjun wanted to retort, but when she saw An Lingge''s expression, the words in her mouth did not come out.


    He answered with a muffled voice, afraid that his sister would be angry. "I know, I won''t be like this in the future. Don''t be angry, sister."


    Why would An Lingge be angry at him? She was just worried that the Junge had been in the Imperial Palace for so many years, and their relationship with the rest of the people in the palace was not very close.


    But no matter what she said, Junge would never truly remember this kind of thing.


    She sighed inwardly. With a sad and helpless expression on her usually calm face, she said, "Go back to your own courtyard. Grandmother just gave me permission to take a few days leave at the academy. I''m taking this opportunity to go out for a walk."


    An Lingjun still had something sshe wanted to say, but seeing that An Lingge did not want to say anymore, he pursed her lips and bid her farewell.


    On the other side, Madam Li and An Lingyi returned back to their courtyard together. The latter heaved a sigh of relief, and with a pleased expression on her face, she said, "Grandmother doesn''t want to pursue this matter, it''s really great news."


    She looked at Madam Li and affectionately pulled her arm, a little puzzled. "Mother, why do you look unhappy?"


    Madam Li was deep in thought, but her daughter called her back to reality. She shook her head and laughed, "Mother is not unhappy, Mother is thinking about something."


    An Lingyi replied with an "oh". She didn''t ask what the Madam Li was thinking, as if she would naturally tell her what her mother had said.


    Sure enough, Madam Li dismissed the servant at her side, her delicate face carrying a hint of sternness, "I thought about it, that bitch An Lingge is not easy to deal with. After plotting against her several times, not only was she able to escape, she even managed to put on an act herself."


    was also very agitated in his heart. This An Lingge was like a monster; no matter how he framed, he would not die.


    "Mom, are you saying that you have a way to deal with her?" An Lingyi knew what her mother was thinking when she heard him. The corner of her mouth raised, and her expression was filled with anticipation and excitement.


    Madam Li slightly nodded her head, her eyes full of malicious cold intent, "What Princess An left behind, is not only that little bitch An Lingge, but also An Lingjun."


    Previously, An Lingjun was sent to the palace as a Hereditary Prince to be her reading partner, but everyone knew that was only on the surface. In reality, it was because the Emperor was worried about his Prince An''s Palace that An Lingjun entered the palace as a protector.


    Since ancient times, a person who acted as a protector would never have a good ending, not to mention that when An Lingjun was at the Imperial Palace, she was secretly instructed by the Imperial Noble Consort Li.


    That was why the Madam Li didn''t put An Lingjun in her eyes. Sooner or later, this Hereditary Prince would definitely be killed by someone in the palace.


    Who knew that the emperor would suddenly use such a trick, releasing An Lingjun, and then return to the Prince An''s Palace to become his Hereditary Prince.


    Her brother Yuan was only eight years old this year, but he had already grown up to be sensible. Previously, when An Lingjun was sent to the Imperial Palace, Aunt Wei brought An Lingyu to the side courtyard.


    But now that the Aunt Wei had received the old lady''s attention, and moved from the side courtyard to the main courtyard, An Lingyu had risen in status along with her, far older brother''s position had already been shaken, and now with An Lingjun holding him back, he was just a concubine who could not be bothered.


    Her expression changed slightly as she continued to speak to An Lingyi, "An Lingge is very cunning, but I heard from the people in the palace that An Lingjun is a reckless and impulsive person, as long as she is slightly agitated, he will fall for it, and we will start with him and give these two sisters a ruthless beating."


    "Good idea." An Lingyi''s eyes lit up, she could not wait to ask for more details.


    The Madam Li lowered her voice, and the two talked for a while before An Lingyi laughed out, "Mother, your method is so good, An Lingjun will definitely fall for it, at that time, we will even drag An Lingge into the water."


    Madam Li smiled without saying a word. She had stayed in this mansion for so many years, so she naturally could see the hatred An Lingjun had towards her.


    The more An Lingjun was angry, the easier it was for him to make a move.


    An Lingge never thought that her worries would become reality. Aunt Li was indeed going to take action.


    She was sitting at the table and reading Chu Yu''s letter.


    Lu Jingyu had also gone to somewhere outside the capital to collect as many medicinal herbs as possible, but she did not have much money in her hands, so even if he had taken some from the Embroidery Pavilion that day, it was still far from enough.


    It hadn''t even been a month, and the money was almost all gone.


    If this went on, he would not be able to hoard any more medicinal herbs. If the plague broke out, he would only be left with nothing but a cup of water and a plate of firewood.


    Just as she was thinking of a way, Bi Zhu pulled open the curtain and walked in, "Miss, the people from the kitchen have been lazy lately, a bowl of silver ear soup needs to be prepared with the help of your servant. It is not like the people from the warehouse."


    The kitchen was controlled by the Madam Li, but the warehouse was handed over to the Madam Wang. One had enmity with her, while the other wanted to rope her in.


    Moreover, An Lingyi failed to frame him, and had instead threw in a servant girl beside him, and was even criticized by the old mistress in front of so many people. Although the Madam Li did not dare to do it openly, secretly instructing the servants to make things difficult for him, was not a difficult matter.


    But when it came to the warehouse, An Lingge''s eyes lit up.

 C121

    Although her mother was just a commoner, she had heard from the older servants that her mother was a business genius who sat on half a mountain of gold at such a young age.


    Otherwise, if the father of a noble king were to marry a commoner, the old prince and the madame would never agree to the marriage.


    That year, his mother''s dowry was extremely generous, causing everyone to be shocked and envious of her.


    Perhaps it was time for him to take back the dowry.


    Madam Wang had watched a good show during the day, and seeing the mother and daughter of the Madam Li being reprimanded by the old mistress, she felt extremely happy in her heart.


    Who said that Aunt Li was only a concubine, yet was in charge of the Palace for so many years. As the legal and proper wife of the Second Elder, she still had to live under the suppression of an aunt.


    It just so happened that Aunt Li was sly. Other than the incident on their way back to the residence on the first day, there was nothing wrong with her during these many days. Even if she wanted to catch hold of her weakness, she had no way of doing so.


    However, although Aunt Li was sly, her daughter was arrogant and brainless. She couldn''t even harm a person, and had instead brought her own servant girl in.


    With that thought in mind, Madam Wang took a sip of the tea in his cup with a joyful expression on his face.


    But her good mood disappeared without a trace with An Lingge''s arrival.


    "Why has the First Miss come to my place today?" When Madam Wang saw An Lingge, he immediately became jubilant and got someone to bring the young miss tea, and his face was filled with a warm smile.


    "Auntie used to call for you, but you were always busy and couldn''t get by. Is it rare for you to have free time now?"


    An Lingge had a gentle smile on her face, and looked slightly embarrassed, "A while ago, Second Aunt had just returned to the manor, and she must be extremely busy. Why did Little Ge come and disturb me? After that, Aunt was pregnant and I entered the academy. I couldn''t pull away, so I hope Aunt won''t take offense to it. "


    "Those words of yours are foreign to me." Madam Wang pretended to be angry and glared at her, "If you can come to aunty''s place, I''ll be very happy, so why would I blame you?"


    But An Lingge was truly a rare guest, she didn''t know why she was here, so she asked.


    An Lingge lowered her eyes, her face carrying a hint of shyness, "Come to think of it, I''m ashamed. Little Ge and Prince Mu¡¯s Palace have already decided on a marriage, but after so long, I still haven''t prepared my dowry yet."


    "My mother left a long time ago, my father was busy with political affairs, and my grandmother was old, so she did not care about these things. Out of all the family members in the entire household, only Second Aunt could help me. So, I shamelessly came to Second Aunt to ask. "


    So the dowry was coming.


    The amiable look on Madam Wang''s face dimmed for a moment. Isn''t he going to take away more than half of the treasures in the warehouse?


    "Eldest Miss, it''s not that Second Aunt doesn''t want to help you, but you know it''s less than a month since I''ve returned to my residence. I''m not familiar with these things yet, and I''m also pregnant, so I can''t lift my spirits no matter what I do. "How about this, after some time, when Aunt feels better, she''ll go discuss it with the madame, your dowry will definitely be sufficient."


    In any case, she would not be able to recover from her pregnancy in a short period of time, could An Lingge force her to prepare those dowry days?


    During this period of time, she had to quickly fish up all the oil she could get, lest she did not have this opportunity in the future.


    Madam Wang thought about pushing this matter over, but An Lingge was not so easily fooled. She nodded her head in accordance to Madam Wang, and her words made the Madam Wang feel as if it was stuck in her throat, "Aunt is right, you are pregnant now, and it is time to raise you, Little Ge coming over to disturb Aunt''s quietness, you really shouldn''t have done so."


    "What should I do? Aunt is truly happy that you came here today." Madam Wang''s face regained his amiable smile, and his expression showed no signs of falsehood, "Aunt said before, I don''t have a daughter, so I treat you as if you''re half a daughter. If you treat me like this, Aunt will be hurt."


    "However, I can''t prepare the dowry right now. And since Aunt''s body is heavy, I can only wait until it is ready before I prepare it for you. Eldest Miss shouldn''t be in a hurry, right?"


    How could a daughter be more important than her own son? If she could dig out a little more from An Lingge''s dowry, she would be able to prepare more for her son, and would be able to take advantage of him even if she were to say that they were related.


    Since the Madam Wang had already expressed this opinion, An Lingge naturally could not pursue her anymore and ask about the dowry, or else it would be ungrateful and she would not be able to understand the Aunt''s difficulties.


    What''s more, what did it matter for a girl who didn''t leave the pavilion to mention her dowry all day long?


    An Lingge touched a soft nail on her head, but the smile on her face did not change at all, it was still gentle, "It''s because Little Ge was worried too much and made it difficult for Aunt."


    Madam Wang slightly perked his lips, how could it not be easy to get rid of a little girl?


    However, An Lingge changed the topic of the conversation, "This dowry is a complicated matter anyway. If Aunt is the one to prepare it, then it would be hard for you to take care of it. It just so happened that Grandmother allowed me to take a few days leave from the academy. I took this opportunity to go and discuss it with Grandmother, then find a few trustworthy nanny s to handle this matter. "


    "That won''t do!" Madam Wang immediately retorted, seeing the other party looking at her with doubt, her bright black eyes filled with confusion, she then laughed, "You also said that the old lady does not care about this when she is old, if you take this matter to the old lady, won''t it disturb her peace?"


    An Lingge blinked her eyes, as if she was seriously considering Madam Wang''s words. A moment later, she finally spoke, "Aunt is right, Grandmother is already old, she definitely doesn''t like to be disturbed by these chores."


    "But there''s still Third Aunt. Although Third Aunt is low-key, she''s very orderly when it comes to handling things. Grandmother often praises Third Aunt, so why don''t I ask her for help?"


    Her expression carried a bit of joy, as if she had thought of a good idea, and caused the smile on the corner of her Madam Wang s lips to stiffen.


    Madam Wang made it so that her smile looked more genuine, and said, "Sister-in-law''s business is indeed safe, but you had a fight with Second Miss a few days ago, are you not afraid that Sister-in-law would reject you? Even if she agrees to do this, I''m afraid she wouldn''t truly think for your sake. "


    It was not a secret that An Lingge and An Lingxue had quarreled. Madam Wang had her own trusted aides in the Palace, so she would naturally receive this news.


    She used this excuse to persuade An Lingge, and indeed, the latter frowned, feeling very worried, "Otherwise, I will go find Aunt Wei. She was originally a servant by my mother''s side, she would be extremely respectful to me, and besides, she should know about the dowry."


    How could he have forgotten this person!

 C122

    When something happened to the Jingdu Academy, especially if it was related to An Lingge''s life, Mu Junhan immediately ordered his men to investigate the matter.


    Not even two hours later, the shadow guard returned to report.


    "Master, this subordinate has investigated thoroughly, and this matter is caused by the third miss of Prince An''s Palace. She sent people to bribe the people of Jingdu Academy, and wanted to kill Miss An."


    Mu Junhan was sitting right next to the window of the restaurant.


    His thin lips formed a dangerous smile, "If this Hereditary Prince remembers correctly, then that Third Miss of Prince An''s Palace has already framed Little Ge many times."


    A concubine''s concubine, relying on her birth mother to gain power, repeatedly framed her first daughter. She was quite bold.


    "However, although the people from Prince An''s Palace know who the real culprit is, they''ve followed the madame''s orders and pushed this matter to a maid. The third miss actually didn''t receive any punishment."


    "They naturally have to clean up this matter. Otherwise, when the emperor blames them for it, the most unfortunate thing would be the entire Prince An''s Palace." The expression on Mu Junhan''s face could not even be described as ridiculing or mocking, "It''s just a pity that girl, after getting scared, still had to suffer such grievances."


    The shadow guard naturally knew who the girl Mu Junhan was talking about was.


    He lowered his head, but there was a strange expression on his face, "Master, it was Miss An''s idea to let a servant girl take the blame."


    Therefore, Miss An would not feel wronged.


    This was the shadow guard''s underlying meaning, but he didn''t dare to say it out loud.


    Mu Junhan was startled for a moment, but quickly let out a low laugh, "This Hereditary Prince actually forgot, that girl is a smart person who does not lose out."


    It was because she knew that the madame would definitely hide this matter for her Prince An''s Palace, that was why she intentionally asked the servant to take the blame. Since she was looking at the bigger picture, she had severed An Lingyi''s arm.


    Although on the surface, it looked like An Lingyi did not lose anything, but losing a servant girl was a huge blow to Third Young Miss.


    The shadow guard thought for a moment and understood the reason.


    It was no wonder that Master would be moved by the Miss An. A woman as smart and intelligent as her master might not be able to find another person like him.


    Mu Junhan laughed for a while, knowing that An Lingge had her own plans, she decided to temporarily put this matter aside, "Have you finished investigating the matter regarding the medicine store?"


    Earlier, he had sensed that there were people secretly hoarding medicinal herbs in the large medicine stores in the capital. As a result, he had secretly ordered those medicine stores to not sell any medicinal herbs that went directly to purchase large quantities of medicinal herbs.


    The shadow guard thought for a moment, then said, "This subordinate has been looking inside that medicine store for the past few days, and very few people have bought those herbs directly." This subordinate looked around that medicine store for a few days, and very few people have directly bought those herbs, but this subordinate discovered that many of the herbs that you listed were bought by others.


    That was to say, although no one directly went to buy the herbs, they had thought of other ways and were still hoarding the herbs.


    A flash of surprise passed through Mu Junhan''s eyes. He didn''t know who could actually take away these medicinal herbs from right under his nose. Unfortunately, the capital city was so big, he couldn''t order his medicine shop to not sell these medicines.


    He pondered for a moment before instructing the shadow guard, "You can continue to investigate this matter. You can''t leave any traces behind."


    The shadow guard accepted his orders and left. However, what Mu Junhan did not expect was that before he could even find out who was hoarding the medicinal ingredients, An Lingyi had actually found out about this matter by accident.


    "That bitch An Lingge, her life is really tough." An Lingyi''s tone was sinister, she ordered the servant by her side to bury her head tightly, not daring to make a sound.


    Originally, she was only doing some insignificant things in An Lingyi''s courtyard. It was because of the matter of the maid''s conviction that she was ordered to serve An Lingyi as a first-rate maid.


    However, this servant had been in An Lingyi''s courtyard for two to three years, and knew what kind of arrogant personality her master had. After finding out that she was promoted to a first-tier maid, she was not surprised, but panicked, afraid that she would make a mistake and be sold out by An Lingyi.


    Her cautious appearance, when placed in front of An Lingyi''s eyes, made her even more furious, "Why are you standing so far away, are you afraid that I''ll eat you?"


    "This servant dares not." The servant immediately took two steps forward, and just as she arrived beside An Lingyi, the latter fiercely swung her hand, and slapped her on the face.


    "What a fool. He''s not as clever as Jane." An Lingyi thought of Little Jun and looked down on the maidservants in front of him.


    She originally had two maids by her side, but Bai Yu, this maid, had betrayed her and was killed by her mother during Qing Yun Temple. She only had a loyal daughter, but due to her own sin, she could not be saved.


    This newly promoted servant girl did not know how to advise her against anything. Instead, she was afraid and afraid when she fought An Lingge together with her. It was truly an unpleasant sight to behold.


    Her face darkened and the servant girl immediately knelt down, "Please don''t be angry, Miss. Your servant has a stupid temper. If Miss doesn''t like it, please send your servant to be the servant girl."


    She wished that An Lingyi could send her away from him so that she could become his servant. At the very least, it would be better than being his servant, since his life was not in danger.


    When Zhen''er was tormented and sent flying back with blood all over her body, she was extremely frightened. However, the nanny that brought her back was extremely cold as she looked at the servants with disdain.


    "As a servant of the third young mistress, Jane actually dared to frame her master. The old mistress ordered her servants to whip her fifty times. Even though her life was not good, I still have to give her back. "All of you maidservants, remember this. If you hold any more thoughts, my son''s fate will be the same as yours."


    Although she was a second class maid, she knew that Jane had taken the blame for the third young miss.


    In the past, she had seen how mighty Jen was, but in the end, not even a single piece of her body had fallen. She didn''t want to end up like this as well.


    An Lingyi''s gaze fell upon the servant girl, his tone gloomy: "What, are you afraid of implicating you by staying by my side?"


    "This servant dares not." "It''s just that this servant is stupid and afraid of dragging Miss down. Originally, when Big Sister Zhen''er served Miss''s room, this servant was very envious and always felt that Big Sister Zhen Er''s luck in her previous life allowed her to serve Miss."

 C123

    She spoke with sincerity, "But this servant knows that this servant''s mind is stupid and his hands are unfortunate. If I were to follow by Miss''s side, I''m afraid that it would be of no use."


    "I''m not afraid of you, it''s useless." An Lingyi retracted her gaze coldly, "I''m not in a good mood right now, why don''t you accompany me for a walk around."


    The servant girl didn''t dare to refuse and quickly followed her out.


    The night shrouded the earth, and the crescent moon hung high in the sky. A few stars flickered, and the Prince An''s Palace was completely tranquil.


    An Lingyi brought her servant to stroll around the palace, and in the end, somehow shifted to Parasol House.


    "Miss, it''s eldest Miss''s courtyard."


    The servant lowered her voice, but An Lingyi just glared at her, "Of course I know this is An Lingge''s courtyard, could it be that I can''t come here anymore?"


    Of course not, but the eldest young miss was probably already asleep by this time. If the young miss wanted to find trouble with the eldest young miss, she would have to wait until tomorrow morning.


    The servant groaned in her heart, only to see An Lingge''s courtyard still had a light on, and a figure walking out from it.


    An Lingyi immediately took a step back and hid herself in the darkness with her servant girl, "It''s so late, and An Lingge is still awake, the person who came out of her room was probably her servant."


    She lowered her voice and muttered to herself. Seeing that she was walking towards the gatehouse, the doubt in her heart became deeper. She silently spoke to the servant girl for a while before quietly following behind her.


    Brightheart picked a light and walked in front, looking around. This cautious look made An Lingyi feel like there was something fishy, and she followed behind her closely from a distance.


    They quickly arrived at the gatehouse. An Lingyi hid behind a rock garden and peeked her head out.


    Mingxin spoke a few words familiarly with the gatekeeper. Then, he took out a silver coin from his sleeve and handed it to the gatekeeper. The latter smiled and quietly opened the door a crack.


    There was indeed a problem!


    Just as An Lingyi was about to rush out and order her men to capture Ming Xin, she did not leave the house. Instead, a tall and skinny figure came in from outside.


    Her footsteps paused, and the servants behind her did not dare to move, either. Following An Lingyi''s gaze, they saw the man who came in carrying a large sack, following behind Ming Xin, heading in the direction of the Parasol House.


    "So it''s my secret lover." An Lingyi scoffed. She looked down on him, but didn''t immediately capture him, instead, she secretly followed behind Ming Xin and the man. It wasn''t until she saw the man enter the Parasol House that she smiled.


    "An Lingge, it was your own servant that did such a shameful thing, don''t blame me for framing you."


    She quietly instructed her servant to pretend that she was not paying attention to anything, and to lure the guards over. At that time, she would say that An Lingge did not want to be left alone, and if she got involved with another man, Prince Mu¡¯s Palace would definitely hate this kind of woman, An Lingge, and break the engagement with her.


    However, Ming Xin did not head towards An Lingge''s house, but instead brought the man to the servants'' rooms.


    An Lingyi secretly clenched her teeth. At this time, even if she brought the guards over, she could not pour the dirty water on An Lingge.


    She stomped her feet in anger and accidentally caught a glimpse of the package in the corner of her eyes. She then ordered the maidservant to secretly check what was inside the package.


    She was afraid, but she did not dare disobey her master''s orders. She could only brace herself and sneak out of the room, poking a hole in the window paper to look at what was going on inside.


    With that thought in mind, she untied the package and looked at the herbs that filled the room. She did not dare to stay any longer and immediately returned to An Lingyi''s side.


    "Did you see what was inside?" An Lingyi looked at the movement inside her heart, and asked her servant.


    The maidservant nodded, her expression somewhat flustered, "In reply to the missy, this servant can clearly see that the package is filled with medicinal herbs."


    Medicinal material?


    An Lingyi frowned, she did not know why that man brought so many medicinal ingredients.


    She was disappointed and gave up the idea of wandering around. Instead, she brought her maidservant to her own courtyard.


    "Yi Er, I sent someone to the Imperial Palace yesterday and sent a letter to your aunt. I originally wanted her to help me find out how much the emperor knows about the events at the Jingdu Academy, but didn''t expect your aunt to say that the emperor had been extremely busy lately, and didn''t go to her place for a long time, so she couldn''t get any news either."


    "How did this happen?" An Lingyi was not worried about herself, she had already pushed the servant out to face the consequences. Who would still not let go?


    However, her outer sect ancestor was originally just a small government official and didn''t have any powerful backing. Being able to enjoy the glory of Prince An''s Palace was only due to the favor of the Imperial Noble Consort Li s within the palace.


    If the Imperial Noble Consort Li was treated coldly by the emperor, then An Lingge would definitely press down on her head and would never be able to turn things around.


    "Your aunt said that the Qingyue Kingdom has disturbed the borders in the recent days, and is ready to go to war. The emperor is currently troubled about this matter, so how could he have the mood to stay in the imperial harem?"


    An Lingyi was not born in a family of generals, so she naturally did not know anything about this information.


    "Then what about cousin? Cousin should at least get some information from the emperor, right?"


    The Madam Li sighed, "How could it be that easy. The last time you married Prince Yi¡¯s Palace, it was settled by the Seventh Prince himself. It was precisely because of this matter that the conflict between Seventh Prince and Prince Yi¡¯s Palace was not too good, so the Emperor is blaming him."


    An Lingyi had never known that the emperor would actually scold the Seventh Prince because of his Prince Yi¡¯s Palace.


    "If cousin caught a spy from the Qingyue Kingdom at this time, would the Emperor look at him in a different light?" An Lingyi suddenly thought of two things, the worry on her face faded as she revealed a sinister smile.


    Seeing her like this, Madam Li knew that she had an idea in her mind, "This matter is not a joke, don''t tell me you have information on that spy?"


    Existences between countries had always existed. It was just that very few people could see through them and capture them.


    "Mother, yesterday I saw An Lingge''s servant bringing a man into the residence after entering the night. That man even brought a large package filled with medicinal ingredients."


    Madam Li only needed a moment to understand what An Lingyi meant, "You mean that man is strange?"

 C124

    "How could that man be strange?" An Lingyi laughed, "That thing is in An Lingge''s courtyard, she is the direct descendant of Prince An''s Palace, yet she is hoarding medicinal herbs for the enemy, we cannot let her go so easily!"


    No matter if the medicinal ingredients were openly prepared or if An Lingge ordered people to stock them up, as long as they were in the courtyard, the owner of the courtyard would not be able to escape suspicion.


    As long as she blamed this on An Lingge and asked the Emperor to punish her for betraying the nation, no matter what, she wouldn''t be able to escape in one piece, even if she was the direct daughter of the Prince An''s Palace.


    This time, she didn''t believe that An Lingge''s life was still so huge, that even the Emperor wouldn''t be able to kill her!


    An Lingyi thought as the smile on her face grew wider.


    Madam Li also smiled. The mother and daughter pair''s smiles were surprisingly similar, only that it looked a little more sinister and malicious.


    "I will have someone send a message to Seventh Prince right now and have him deal with this matter. A great calamity is about to befall An Lingge."


    Not only that, they could also use this matter to go up another level to let the Seventh Prince leave a stable impression in front of the Emperor.


    Although the current Emperor is still in his prime, the princes are gradually growing up. It is time to openly and secretly try to rope in their forces. If the Seventh Prince obtains the attention of the Emperor, then they will have even more confidence in fighting for the throne.


    The Seventh Prince was currently in his own residence. When he was young, the emperor had bestowed upon him a mansion, which was his prince''s mansion.


    A servant suddenly spread the news to him that the Madam Li had arrived, he did not want to see, the last time An Lingyi resolved the marriage matter, he had been attacked by Prince Yi in the imperial court, causing the Royal Father to be unhappy, and now that the Madam Li sent someone to deliver the news, it might not be a good thing.


    "Tell the person who sent the message to go back, that this prince is busy with official business, and will visit them at Prince An''s Palace when I get the chance."


    He waved his hand and was about to suppress the servant, but the servant did not move, and continued to stand at his original spot with his head lowered, "Master, the messenger that came to deliver the news said that Aunt Li knows where the spies of the Qingyue Kingdom are. She said that you definitely need this news, which is why she sent someone to send it over."


    Detail of Qingyue Kingdom?


    Zhao Lanyu''s eyes flashed, and he suddenly changed his mind, "Let him in."


    The servant immediately went to bring the messenger in, then tactfully retreated.


    Zhao Lanyu sized up the person in front of him, his deep eyes unable to discern his emotions, "You said that Aunt Li knows about the information regarding the Qingyue Kingdom''s spies, is that true?"


    "Of course it''s true. How could I dare to deceive you?"


    "Our aunt said that the Eldest Miss ordered people to stock up all the medicinal ingredients in the mansion and she even secretly hid them away. If it wasn''t for Third Miss accidentally discovering them, no one would know that Eldest Miss actually dared to do something like selling the kingdom to the enemy."


    Zhao Lanyu thought that the person would tell him something, but when he heard An Lingge, he immediately frowned.


    Although he said it was because of the matter of the Qingyue Kingdom, in the end, wasn''t he still going to use him to deal with An Lingge?


    She was a woman after all. She had a shallow mind, and after thinking about it, she could only think of the land in the backyard. Her heart was filled with the thought of private matters.


    "Alright, I understand. You can leave now."


    Seeing that he did not seem to care at all, the man became anxious, "Seventh Prince, you better believe me. This matter was personally witnessed by the Third Miss, this lowly one would definitely not dare to lie to you."


    Only then did Zhao Lanyu turn back to look at him, and with a taunting smile, "Since Aunt Li is willing to deal with An Lingge, I''ll let her think of a way herself. I, a prince, am not someone she can use as a spear to deal with others."


    Last time, the reason why they were able to settle the marriage settlement was because of their relatives. Otherwise, who would care about their life and death?


    The messenger couldn''t help but laugh awkwardly when he heard him talk about the Aunt Li.


    But being able to be sent out by the Aunt Li, she was naturally not someone that the Seventh Prince could deal with in a few words.


    "Seventh Prince, don''t be angry, our aunt said that last time, it was all because of your help, which caused you to be scolded by the Emperor. It was her fault, and she felt very guilty, too, so she took the chance this time to send you a message, and even had me bring you something."


    He took out a small box the size of his palm from his bosom with a mysterious smile on his face.


    Zhao Lanyu was curious, he took the embroidered box from his hands and slowly opened it.


    A gentle yet bright light immediately emitted out from the embroidered box, Zhao Lanyu''s gaze was fixated on the object, and could not open his eyes for a long time.


    "This is a little kindness from our aunt. There must be a Night Pearl of the East Sea in this world. I hope that Seventh Prince can feel better."


    The embroidered box was filled with Night Pearls as big as an adult man''s fist. Even in broad daylight, one could still see the radiance of the Night Pearls. It could be seen that they were of the highest quality.


    Zhao Lanyu''s expression softened, "This prince has never seen such a good Night Pearl even after staying in the palace for so many years. Aunt Li has troubled you."


    "This is all thanks to this concubine." That person spoke as he bent his waist and laughed, his face scrunched up into a scowl. "You''ve helped aunty so much, it can be said that you''ve saved Third Young Miss''s life. So what if Aunt gives you a Night Pearl?"


    Zhao Lanyu slightly raised his brows, "So the reason why Aunt Li leaked news of An Lingge to me, and wanted me to show off my skills in front of Royal Father, can it be considered as compensation?"


    "That''s right, Seventh Prince is really intelligent." He paused for a moment, his small eyes brimming with happiness. "Our aunt felt that Seventh Prince was scolded by the Emperor for implicating her, so it was rare for her to find a chance to help Seventh Prince.


    Zhao Lanyu didn''t really care whether the Aunt Li thought this way or not.


    He stared at the man, and lightly lifted his lips, "Aunt Li said that An Lingge had accumulated a lot of medicinal ingredients, is it accurate?"


    "Why would Aunt lie to you?" This can''t go wrong. "


    That person confidently patted his chest, "Aunt even sent someone to look in the Eldest Miss''s courtyard. One of the servants'' rooms is filled with medicine cabinets, and there are indeed a lot of herbs piled up inside. The servants'' room is half full."


    Zhao Lanyu''s eyes flashed. If it was really like this, then An Lingge''s actions were very suspicious.


    She was a direct descendant of Prince An''s Palace, and wasn''t sick. For her to suddenly stock up on medicinal herbs, she must have some unspeakable plans.


    "Let''s go, bring this prince to the Prince An''s Palace. If An Lingge dares to collude with the enemy and betray the nation, this prince will immediately report her crime to the Royal Father, and definitely will not let her off."


    He lifted up the hem of his clothes and walked out with large strides. His eyes were filled with excitement.

 C125

    An Lingge would never have thought that the matter of him hoarding medicinal ingredients would actually be discovered by An Lingyi.


    When Seventh Prince brought his men aggressively to the Prince An''s Palace, An Lingyi and the rest had already gone to the study hall. was the only one left in the study room handling government affairs.


    "Seventh Prince is here to welcome you. This old subject has missed you, have missed you!"


    When the Prince An heard that the servant had come to report, he immediately put down what he was doing and rushed to greet the Seventh Prince.


    He had a polite smile on his face, but Seventh Prince did not appreciate it. His face was full of indifference, "Prince An, this prince has not come here today to talk about old times with you."


    He had never been so cold before, and the smile on An Yingcheng''s face slowly faded as he probingly asked, "Then why did Seventh Prince come here?"


    "This prince has received news that someone in your house is hoarding goods for the sake of Qingyue Kingdom. This is a great crime of betraying your country. Prince An, you should be aware of this, right?"


    An Yingcheng''s forehead was dripping with cold sweat as he dryly laughed, "Seventh Prince, was something wrong? My Prince An''s Palace has always been loyal and devoted to the Emperor, so how could there be someone who would betray the nation?"


    "Do you not believe this prince''s words?" Zhao Lanyu raised his eyebrows, and suddenly suppressed the corner of his mouth, his expression sharp, "You actually dare to doubt this prince, are you trying to shield that spy!"


    "This old official dares not."


    When An Yingcheng saw that the Seventh Prince did not listen to his advice, he knew that he was determined to investigate this matter and could not help but take a step back, "This old official only felt that the news about the Seventh Prince was strange, and did not question your intentions."


    "That''s good." Zhao Lanyu''s expression eased up a bit, and then he said in a softer tone, "Prince An, no matter what, you are still this prince''s relative, how can I intentionally harm you? "Don''t worry. This prince has already sent people to verify this news. I definitely am not here to cause you any trouble."


    Since you did not come on purpose to cause trouble, An Yingcheng was relieved, "Seventh Prince is too courteous, you are an open and upright person, why would you come to frame this old one? I was also slightly shocked for a moment before I said those words. Since Seventh Prince already has definite information, this old subject will naturally cooperate with the investigation. "


    "Haha, this prince thanks the Prince An for his righteousness."


    Zhao Lanyu laughed and his expression finally became clear, "I ask Prince An to give the order to have the people of the house search the young miss'' courtyard."


    Search Little Ge''s courtyard?


    An Yingcheng was shocked, "Are there thieves hiding in Little Ge''s courtyard?"


    "No."


    As Zhao Lanyu''s words fell, An Yingcheng calmed down a little. Before he could even breathe, he heard Zhao Lanyu say, "I''m afraid Prince An doesn''t know that your eldest daughter is hoarding medicinal ingredients in the manor and wants to secretly send them to Qingyue Kingdom. Fortunately, someone found out and informed this prince in time."


    "Little Ge would never do such a thing!" An Yingcheng''s eyes were wide opened, his face was filled with disbelief.


    Zhao Lanyu''s expression turned even colder, his eyes shining with a threatening light. "Prince An just said that he believed this prince''s words, why did you change your excuse so quickly? Could it be that because the spy was the daughter of the Prince An, the Prince could not harden his heart to destroy righteousness? "


    He said that An Lingge was a spy who colluded with the enemies and betrayed the nation, as if she had really seen An Lingge deliver the medicinal ingredients into the hands of the people from the Qingyue Kingdom.


    An Yingcheng frowned, the expression on his square and imposing face was unstable.


    But in the end, he had muddled his way through the imperial court for so many years, so his reaction was naturally very fast. "Little Ge has always been sensible and sensible. Furthermore, she is just a girl from a pavilion, how can she come into contact with people from the Qingyue Kingdom? "


    "There are too many suspicious points in this matter. I''m afraid someone had deceived the Seventh Prince and wanted to sow discord between us, which was why he created such a rumor."


    He did not say that Seventh Prince was wrong, nor did he admit that An Lingge was guilty. He only said that someone had deceived him, and had already hinted Seventh Prince not to pursue this matter.


    However, the Seventh Prince had already received the Eastsea Night Pearl, how could he feel at ease if he did not make this matter beautiful?


    "Prince An, you don''t believe the words of this prince, and neither do you. Why don''t you have someone search the courtyard of the eldest miss for a bit, and we will know the truth."


    He looked at An Yingcheng with a smile, confident that An Yingcheng would agree to his suggestion.


    Sure enough, An Yingcheng was silent for a moment, as if he was deep in thought, then said: "This old official will send people to search my daughter''s courtyard right now, I hope Seventh Prince can restore her innocence."


    Innocent or not, you''ll know when you check.


    Zhao Lanyu declined to comment, but the corners of his mouth slightly raised, his eyes carrying a trace of pride.


    After the time it took for an incense to burn, An Yingcheng sent some people over.


    "What''s the situation?"


    The first one to ask was not Zhao Lanyu, who was even more anxious than him.


    That servant was somewhat hesitant. Facing their gazes, he could only bite the bullet and stutter, "Reporting to Your Highness, I have indeed found a large amount of medicinal herbs in Eldest Miss''s courtyard."


    How could this be?


    The smile on his face carried a bit of arrogance, "How about it, this is the person that you sent to search the young miss'' courtyard in Prince An. This prince hasn''t done anything, now you should at least believe in this prince''s words, right?"


    An Yingcheng shut his eyes tightly, he only felt that Seventh Prince gave him a loud and clear slap, causing his old face to turn dry.


    "Go and call the young miss over. I want to ask her what happened!"


    He was so angry that his chest heaved up and down, and his expression turned ugly.


    The servants knew that he was in a bad mood and did not dare to breathe too loudly, so they hurriedly left.


    An Lingge was in the middle of teaching Brightheart and Jade Pearl some simple ways of settling debts. Who would have thought that an attendant would suddenly come in and tell her that he was here on An Chengying''s orders. He didn''t care, but soon enough he heard a servant say that Prince An had asked her to come with him.


    The servant looked at her with a peculiar gaze. An Lingge frowned, a look of doubt flashing past his eyes, but it was quickly blocked out by the long eyelashes, causing others to not be able to see the look in her eyes.


    Soon enough, they arrived at the front hall. Seeing Seventh Prince, An Lingge had a bad premonition.


    An Yingcheng had already questioned him, "Little Ge, why are you hoarding medicinal ingredients in your own courtyard?"


    The matter of hoarding medicinal herbs had been discovered!


    An Lingge was surprised, but she did not reveal it on her face, and instantly thought of an excuse, "My daughter thought that the medicinal ingredients were rather mystical, so she asked the servant to buy more. Initially, she wanted to learn more or less about medicine, but who knew that my daughter was so foolish that she still had not learnt much."

 C126

    "Miss An''s words are really funny!" Zhao Lanyu scoffed, his gaze filled with disdain, "You are the dignified direct descendant of Prince An''s Palace, how could you want to learn medicine, aren''t you dreaming?"


    An Lingge looked back, her gaze landing on his body. Only then did she calmly and unhurriedly greet him, "This subject greets Seventh Prince, what do you mean by that, Seventh Prince?"


    "This prince''s intention is very simple. As the direct daughter of the Prince An''s Palace, you actually accumulated so many medicinal ingredients during the battle between the Qingyue Kingdom and the Great Zhou. It''s clear that you have ill intentions."


    When Zhao Lanyu opened his mouth to accuse her of abnormal conduct, he knew that he must be harboring evil intentions.


    However, An Lingge just laughed casually, her face carrying a hint of ridicule, "Seventh Prince''s words are really funny, these medicinal herbs can be bought by ordinary people, as the direct daughter of the Prince An''s Palace, can''t I buy them? According to Seventh Prince''s intentions, ordinary people should eat three meals a day. Seventh Prince cannot eat, otherwise, it would be perverted and harbouring evil intentions. "


    "How dare you!" Zhao Lanyu roared in anger, and showed his dignity as a prince, "Do you know what kind of crime it is to slander a prince?"


    "This subject does not know." An Lingge was neither humble nor arrogant, she did not seem to be frightened by him, "This subject only took the Seventh Prince''s logic to reverse the situation, how could she slander the prince? Do you also think that your words just now slandered this humble servant''s daughter? "


    "Heh, no matter how sharp your words are, it won''t change the fact that you''re hoarding medicinal herbs!" Zhao Lanyu''s smile was not on the outside, but his eyes were full of respect.


    An Lingge still smiled gently, her expression open, without a trace of panic. "The reason why this subject is hoarding the medicinal herbs is to learn pharmacology, could it be that I have violated the laws of the country?"


    "Do you think you can fool this prince with such a ridiculous excuse?" Zhao Lanyu was not moved, and found the flaw in An Lingge''s words, "Even if you want to learn medicine, you can ask a doctor to teach you, why do you need to stock up on medicinal ingredients? This prince sees that you are plotting against me, wanting to send the medicinal ingredients to the Qingyue Kingdom, wanting to betray my country! "


    "Seventh Prince''s words are really serious." The ridicule from the corner of An Lingge''s mouth became even stronger, "It was just a few casual words, yet you want to pin the crime of colluding with the enemy and betraying the nation on me.


    "Little Ge, don''t speak nonsense!" When An Yingcheng heard him mention the Emperor, there was no reverence in his words, but instead some ridicule, and immediately spoke up to stop her.


    If the emperor were to hear this, he would really blame them!


    He was terrified in his heart, but An Lingge smiled at him as if she was comforting him, "Father, don''t worry. It''s a pity that the emperor painstakingly taught the Seventh Prince all this, but he actually didn''t let the Seventh Prince learn even the slightest bit of his righteousness and wisdom, and instead developed such a despotic personality. "


    "So what if this prince is arrogant and despotic? If you don''t clearly explain the motive for hoarding these medicinal ingredients, then this prince can suspect that you are colluding with Qingyue Kingdom, and more importantly, will be able to punish you for treason! "


    Zhao Lanyu was impatient to have a verbal confrontation with An Lingge, so he directly stated his attitude.


    He was here to deal with An Lingge, unless An Lingge had a clear conscience and could speak the truth.


    If someone could not refute such a rogue, it was all because of his identity.


    An Lingge was disdainful from the bottom of her heart. Her pair of black eyes was filled with anger, which made people even more afraid, "As the old saying goes, catch the thief and take the dirty one out. If Seventh Prince wants to convict me, then I need to give him evidence.


    "The large amount of medicinal herbs found is the best evidence!" Zhao Lanyu held on to the medicine tightly, insisting on giving her the title of traitorous enemy.


    How could An Lingge allow him to slander her? The two of them were in a deadlock for a moment.


    Zhao Lanyu was a little impatient, he did not expect this person to be so talkative, no matter how he said it, the other party would be able to refute him.


    However, An Lingge was the direct descendant of Prince An''s Palace and was not an ordinary civilian. If he wanted to capture her, she would have to see An Yingcheng''s intentions.


    "Prince An, tell me, is it this king who has reasons for this, or is your house''s eldest miss doing the right thing?" Zhao Lanyu tossed the question to An Yingcheng, and a cold smile surfaced in his heart.


    If An Yingcheng said that he took responsibility for this matter, he could follow An Yingcheng''s orders and capture An Lingge. With the word ''filial piety'', this world is larger than the heavens, so no matter how sharp An Lingge''s words were, he would not dare refute her father.


    If An Yingcheng said that what he did was wrong, he would cover up and question An Yingcheng. With An Yingcheng''s timid and cautious nature, he would definitely not allow such a thing to happen, and at that time, he would definitely send someone to hand An Lingge over.


    An Yingcheng was in a dilemma, and for a moment, he didn''t know how to reply to that.


    His expression was solemn as he considered his words, "Seventh Prince, this old official thinks that my daughter''s hoarding of medicinal ingredients was just a spur of the moment, but that she was framed by others, which led you to think that she was hoarding the materials for Qingyue Kingdom."


    "Oh, so you''re saying that Prince An believes in your daughter and not this prince?" Zhao Lanyu pressed on tighter and closer, making it impossible for him to vent the anger in his heart.


    The Seventh Prince clearly had no proof, but because An Lingge''s courtyard had a large amount of medicinal ingredients, he was going to pin An Lingge as an enemy and sell the country. It was truly too absurd and laughable.


    What was wrong with him standing beside An Lingge at this time? It made him feel like he was shielding a criminal.


    "Seventh Prince, Little Ge is this old subject''s daughter, what conduct does she have? This old subject naturally knows a little, that''s why this old subject believes that Little Ge would never betray the nation."


    "Furthermore, just like what we said just now, Little Ge is a woman in a woman''s womb, how can she be related to someone from the Qingyue Kingdom? If she were to contact someone with Qingyue Kingdom at all, how can she talk about scheming against her enemies to sell out their country? "


    Zhao Lanyu remained unmoved, "Since Prince An said so, you still won''t believe this prince''s words. Since that''s the case, there''s nothing left to say. When this prince returns and reports to Royal Father, let Royal Father decide this matter, Prince An, think carefully about how you should face Royal Father''s questioning. "


    Then he turned and walked away, looking really angry and ready to go and tell the Emperor about it.


    "Seventh Prince, please wait."


    The Emperor was suspicious of his nature, but was afraid that the other princes would be powerful. If the Seventh Prince were to report this matter to the Emperor, then the Emperor might not be the kind of person who would convict people without any evidence, but if the Emperor suspects Prince An''s Palace because of this, it would not be a good thing.

 C127

    He thought about it in a dilemma for a moment. When this expression fell in front of Zhao Lanyu''s eyes, the complacency in his eyes became even stronger.


    "How is it, Prince An has already thought it through, do you want to hand An Lingge over or wait for Royal Father''s decision?"


    The atmosphere in the hall became tense for a moment. Zhao Lanyu pressed on step by step, but An Lingge did not give in at all.


    "Aiya, Seventh Prince is here. Why didn''t you send someone to notify me?"


    Madam Li walked in from outside with a smile. When she saw Zhao Lanyu, a surprised look surfaced on her face, as if she didn''t know that this person would come to her residence.


    However, the three people in the room did not say a word, only Zhao Lanyu gave a nonchalant "En" as a response.


    Madam Li carefully moved closer to An Yingcheng and said softly, "Old master, what happened? He looked at the person with a worried expression. "Why don''t you just say it, I''ll help you think of a way."


    Zhao Lanyu snorted on the side, "I''m afraid Aunt Li cannot help Prince An with this matter."


    "Is it serious?" "Aunt Li''s face was filled with bewilderment and panic, before pulling on An Yingcheng''s sleeves," If the matter is serious, you should even tell me, your highness, to help me think of a solution. Although I am not the prince''s official wife, I have still accompanied him for so many years. Naturally, I want to live and die with him. "


    After such a sorrowful and emotional speech, An Yingcheng was emotionally moved, and the awkwardness on his face also lessened by a bit.


    "After so many years, you still understand This King the best."


    "Seventh Prince received the news that Little Ge had stocked up a large amount of medicinal herbs in the courtyard in order to collude with the enemy and betray the country. Thus, she came to the manor to punish Little Ge."


    "Eldest Miss actually did such a thing!" Madam Li looked at An Lingge in shock and disappointment. "The Prince has always taught you to be loyal and patriarch ever since you were young. But now that you have done such a thing, have you ever thought about how miserable the Prince will feel?"


    It was obviously a fake matter, but when it came to Aunt Li''s mouth, it actually made sense. Even An Lingge herself nearly believed it.


    An Lingge smiled, a pair of clear and cold eyes looking straight at Aunt Li, "Father did his best to prove my innocence, but Aunt Li started to criticize me for a crime that did not exist. You said that you were thinking for your father, but now it seems that you and your father do not share the same heart. "


    "Eldest Miss, I''m not accusing you unjustly." "Seventh Prince took out the prepared explanation," Seventh Prince has a respected identity, there''s no need to frame you, so he came to our house, he must have solid evidence, that''s why he came to question us.


    "I just didn''t know that Eldest Miss had failed to live up to your teachings and still didn''t know to repent, so you wanted to use the affection between father and daughter to soften your heart. You''re pulling the entire Duke''s Mansion down with you!"


    An Yingcheng''s expression changed, and he looked at An Lingge with a few thoughts in his eyes.


    If the Seventh Prince insisted on blaming An Lingge, then he would be going against the Seventh Prince while protecting his daughter. It would be hard to protect the Seventh Prince from being angered and bringing this matter to the Emperor, which would implicate the entire Prince An''s Palace.


    An Lingge laughed coldly in her heart. An Lingyi had framed him, and in the name of Prince An''s Palace, he had escaped the punishment of the old lady. Now, the Aunt Li was rather obedient, and used the safety of his Prince An''s Palace to advise his father about the pros and cons.


    "I do things with a clear conscience, so I''m not afraid of Seventh Prince investigating. Could it be that Seventh Prince can turn black into white and make innocent people become guilty?"


    An Lingge''s expression was calm, and the gaze she looked at An Yingcheng with was filled with sincerity, "Father, your daughter has never thought that she would be such a traitor, and had never thought that she would do such a thing. Now that the Seventh Prince suddenly came over, and accused your daughter of hoarding medicinal ingredients, your daughter feels that there is something fishy about it."


    Without rush, she explained her analysis, "Firstly, the matter of buying the herbs was handed over by my daughter to the servant girl beside me. How did Seventh Prince know that there were so many herbs stored in my courtyard, could it be that Seventh Prince had been monitoring the Prince An''s Palace all this time? Secondly, I have already explained the reason for hoarding medicinal ingredients, but Seventh Prince just doesn''t believe it. He even used some absurd and laughable reason to denounce me, yet he refused to face the truth. "


    "Forget about that, the Seventh Prince can''t find fault with me, he actually dragged my father into this, and wants him to personally admit that I am guilty so that they can arrest me."


    An Lingge''s expression suddenly became stern, his eyes seemed to be able to see the darkest corner of the heart, "If one were to say that his actions are abnormal, then Seventh Prince is the most abnormal person. Could it be that a thief like that said something at Seventh Prince''s side, and that they wanted to take care of my Prince An''s Palace, so they took me by surprise? "


    Aunt Li could use Prince An''s Palace as a raft, and An Lingge could also use this as a protective talisman.


    "Nonsense!" Zhao Lanyu roared, as his gaze unintentionally fell on Aunt Li''s body, with the intent that both of them were well aware of the situation.


    Aunt Li immediately opened her mouth, "Eldest Miss, you are truly wrongly accusing Seventh Prince, our Prince An''s Palace and Seventh Prince are relatives, do you still want to frame us for no reason?"


    "I''m not sure about that." An Lingge''s gaze turned slightly, "Father has been in the imperial court for so many years, it is hard to avoid one or two people who do not agree with him. If that person harbors hatred towards father, and has gone to the Seventh Prince, who knows who the Seventh Prince will lean towards?"


    An Yingcheng was shocked, cold sweat forming on his back.


    Little Ge had only bought a little more medicinal ingredients, so the Seventh Prince found out about this matter through others. Then, who was this other person? Could it be one of his political enemies?


    If he took a step back today, and allowed the Seventh Prince to accuse Little Ge of betraying the nation, wouldn''t that mean that his entire Prince An''s Palace was involved?!


    He understood all of this and no longer hesitated when facing Seventh Prince, "Seventh Prince, traitors against a country is a grave crime against the nine clans. I hope you can give me direct evidence, if not, Prince An''s Palace cannot accept this crime."


    Only now did An Lingge calm down a little. As long as his father realized that he was being held responsible for this crime along with his Prince An''s Palace, he would definitely not let Seventh Prince accuse him wrongly.


    How could Zhao Lanyu have thought that Aunt Li was fanning the flames at the side, and not only did he not get An Yingcheng to hand An Lingge over, he even made him decide to protect An Lingge.


    He silently glared at Aunt Li, and a cold smile formed on his face. "Since Prince An has said this, then this prince naturally cannot hold it in. But Prince An needs to properly interrogate the young miss of the manor, in case she was kept in the dark and supported up by others. "


    With these words, Zhao Lanyu didn''t stay any longer and led his people out of the Prince An''s Palace.

 C128

    As Zhao Lanyu left in frustration, An Yingcheng heaved a sigh of relief but at the same time,, was a little worried.


    He looked at his docile and docile daughter, his brows still tightly knitted. Although he did not say any accusatory words, he brought along a questioning tone, "Now that Seventh Prince has left, tell me honestly, why are you hoarding so many medicinal ingredients?"


    An Lingge''s face revealed some panic, she lowered her head and avoided Su Yun''s gaze. Her guilty look made Aunt Li even more suspicious, she wanted An Lingge to tell him the truth.


    She smiled at An Yingcheng, with a caring and gentle expression, "Young miss, don''t be afraid, just tell me the reason why. Although Seventh Prince suspects that you are the enemy of the country, the Duke still believes in you."


    An Lingge still kept her head down, not saying a word.


    Recently, she had always been calm and collected, but now, this kind of flustered and guilty conscience was quite rare.


    Seeing that she had not said a word, the corner of Aunt Li''s mouth hooked up into a malicious smile, but on the surface he revealed a surprised look, "The First Miss is not willing to say, could it really be as Seventh Prince has said, that you are hoarding medicinal ingredients for the Qingyue Kingdom, with the intention of selling the country to the enemy?"


    His highness had refuted the Seventh Prince just now for Eldest Miss. If she found evidence, thinking that Eldest Miss had stored the herbs under your orders, wouldn''t that mean that it would implicate the entire Duke Palace? "


    An Yingcheng heard her words and his face became even more gloomy.


    With his hands behind his back, his dignified eyes were filled with anger.


    Aunt Li had been secretly observing his expression, and immediately put on a gentle and intimate look, "But Your Highness, you don''t have to worry too much, Seventh Prince just left not long ago, we still have a chance to fix this. As long as we leave the young miss to the Seventh Prince to handle, our Duke Palaces will have nothing to do with this matter. "


    She didn''t even need to think about what choice the Duke would make after placing the entire amount of Prince An''s Palace in it and sacrificing An Lingge herself.


    "Little Ge, if you don''t tell me your motive for hoarding the medicinal herbs, I will have to hand you over to Seventh Prince and have him investigate this matter."


    "Father, please wait." "Earlier, Third Sister framed me, and for the sake of the entire Duke Palaces, I voluntarily offered to make the maids beside Third Sister pay the price. Now that I have been wronged by Seventh Prince, Aunt Li actually instigated Father to hand me over, is this what you meant by saying that you treat me like your own self?"


    Aunt Li never thought that An Lingge would not even think of proving her innocence at this time, much less think of secretly pointing fingers at her hypocrisy.


    Her expression froze for a moment, seeing that An Yingcheng was looking at her with suspicion, she immediately reverted back to being someone who used his heart to do things, "Young miss, this matter involves the entire Duke Palaces, even if I wanted to help you, I wouldn''t be able to stop the Seventh Prince from investigating. It would be better for you to admit your guilt early on, and perhaps take it lightly. "


    An Lingge''s eyes were lowered, and her long eyelashes fluttered like crow feathers, covering the expression in the depths of her eyes.


    "I knew it, Aunt Li doesn''t believe me in her heart."


    "My mother passed away a long time ago. Aunt Li, you said that when you saw me, you immediately felt happy, that you and I were fated to meet. In the future, you will definitely treat me like your own. But in the end, Aunt Li still treats me as an outsider, and would rather believe Seventh Prince''s slander than believe in my character. "


    Aunt Li frowned, thinking that An Lingge was trying to divert her attention.


    She finally managed to persuade the Duke to hand An Lingge over to the Seventh Prince.


    Thinking about that, Aunt Li''s face revealed a look of distress, "How could I not believe you? But Young miss, why are you not willing to speak the truth?


    She sighed, and acted like a loving mother in front of An Yingcheng, "For the sake of the entire Prince An''s Palace, I can only advise Your Highness to send you to Seventh Prince."


    An Lingge lowered her head, looking at the bottom of her feet, her clear and melodious voice was somewhat sorrowful, "The reason why I''m hoarding the medicinal herbs, is to learn medicine in the first place. Previously, I met Aunt Wei by accident, and knew that Aunt Wei had the ability to make tea, and was able to help Grandma recuperate. That''s why I wanted to learn some medicine before Grandmother''s birthday and make Grandmother a medicinal meal when I had nothing better to do. But I never thought that Seventh Prince would actually incriminate me as a traitor. Aunt Li, you instigated father to hand me over, aren''t you going to prove my innocence? If you do this, you will truly implicate the entire Duke Palaces! "


    An Yingcheng was shocked, a surprised expression flashed across Fang Zheng''s face, he never thought that An Lingge hoarding all the medicinal ingredients, was for this.


    "Why didn''t you say so earlier, child?"


    As he said this, there was no longer any trace of anger on his face. Instead, there was a trace of shyness.


    For the sake of his safety on the throne, his mother abandoned the flourishing life in the capital and resolutely brought her second and third brother back to the ancestral residence. However, she had never thought of repaying her mother, as Little Ge had done more things to the madame than she had done.


    An Yingcheng felt extremely ashamed, and no longer had the intention to pursue An Lingge.


    "So that''s why you did so much for your mother, but I thought ¡­ And Seventh Prince slandered you just now, it was hard for you to be wronged. "


    An Lingge''s words were spoken with a nasal tone, like a child who had been wronged but was suddenly understood, the happiness and excitement was uncontrollable, "Little Ge doesn''t feel wronged, with a father that has always trusted in Little Ge, Little Ge is very satisfied."


    Her eyes were full of admiration, and his bright black eyes made An Yingcheng not dare to look straight at his.


    He avoided An Lingge''s gaze, coughed lightly, and acted as if nothing had happened, "Since everything has been clarified, then father will order someone to send a letter to Seventh Prince, so that he doesn''t wrongly accuse you."


    Seeing that An Lingge was able to get An Yingcheng''s trust so easily, the smile on Aunt Li''s face became even more unbearable, "Since the young miss is so filial, when Seventh Prince was questioning you, why didn''t you say anything?"


    "I''ve already told you the truth. The reason why I''m hoarding medicinal herbs is to study pharmacology. As for preparing to make medicinal food for Grandmother, I don''t want to make this public. I don''t want others to think that I did this on purpose to please Grandmother."


    Aunt Li wanted to say more, but An Yingcheng glared at her, his gaze filled with determination, "Shut up, don''t tell me you really wish for Little Ge to become the enemy and sell the country, that we, the Prince An''s Palace, will be affected as well?"

 C129

    After being scolded by An Yingcheng, the Aunt Li dared not speak anymore. She could only swallow her words and dryly smiled as she explained to An Yingcheng, "Prince, do not be angry. I am only doing this for the sake of our entire Duke Palace.


    An Yingcheng coldly snorted. Remembering the Seventh Prince''s attitude of pressing on him step by step, he felt extremely furious in his heart.


    "I thought you had a good relationship with Imperial Noble Consort Li, so it turned out that Seventh Prince didn''t have even the slightest bit of concern for you, this aunt of her. If you want to blame Little Ge, then you want to frame our entire Prince An''s Palace, he didn''t even consider your safety."


    How could the Seventh Prince not care about her aunt''s safety?


    Aunt Li laughed in her heart, not at all sad because of An Yingcheng''s words.


    This matter was something that she had sent people to ask the Seventh Prince to do. Naturally, she had already thought of a way to escape.


    She had originally planned to wait for the Seventh Prince to convict An Lingge and capture him in prison before letting the Seventh Prince secretly poison him, and then make it seem as if An Lingge committed suicide out of guilt.


    At that time, the rest of their Prince An''s Palace should also be under the Emperor''s orders, and no one would suspect her.


    It was a pity that An Lingge, this little bitch, was really too cunning. Even if she worked together with Seventh Prince, it wouldn''t be enough to stop her clean mouth.


    But, Seventh Prince received such a precious gift from her, he would definitely not let things go like this.


    With this thought in mind, she unconsciously tightened her grip on the handkerchief in her hands, as if she was holding onto An Lingge''s throat.


    An Yingcheng saw that she did not say anything, and felt that his words might hurt Aunt Li, since he had been with him for more than 10 years, and since Aunt Li did not do anything excessive, he did not blame her anymore, so he flung his sleeves and left the hall.


    But this matter was not over. On the morning of the second day, Zhao Lanyu reported this matter to the emperor.


    The emperor on the dragon throne was dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe. Although he was already middle-aged, he still appeared to be in high spirits.


    Hearing Zhao Lanyu''s words, the emperor''s face still did not reveal any expression of happiness or anger, only a pair of seemingly gentle but actually sharp eyes looked towards An Yingcheng.


    "King An, Xiao Qi said that the reason your house''s young miss has been hoarding medicinal ingredients is to stock up resources for Qingyue Kingdom. She said that she wants to sit down and traitorous the nation. What do you have to say?"


    All the civil and military officials fell silent as the Manchu court stood, their heads bowed, pretending that they did not exist.


    When the Seventh Prince s and Prince An s clashed, it was not a small matter. When immortals fought, it was best for commoners like them not to get involved, lest they get dragged into this mess.


    An Yingcheng also did not expect that after the Seventh Prince failed in his punishment yesterday, he actually mentioned this matter to the Emperor during the morning assembly.


    However, he had already asked for the reason clearly. At this time, the old man was not in a hurry, only his square face was flushed red from anger, "Reporting to the Emperor, because of this matter, Seventh Prince came to this old man''s residence yesterday. This old man does not believe that my daughter would betray the nation, but Seventh Prince insisted on it, so this old man had no choice but to let him confront this little girl."


    An Yingcheng recounted what happened yesterday in detail, and only then did he look at Seventh Prince with indignation, "I never thought that my daughter''s filial piety, in the eyes of the Seventh Prince, would actually be considered a great crime to collude with another''s country! If it was according to the Seventh Prince''s logic, would there still be any pure filial piety in this world? "


    The current Emperor used filial piety to rule the world, and filial piety was even an important factor in the selection of officials. An Lingge was so filial, but was splashed with dirty water by the Seventh Prince.


    Sure enough, the Emperor who was sitting on the throne had his eyebrows slightly raised. The smile on his face had some meaning. "Oh?" So it turns out that the eldest daughter of her beloved one is actually such a filial person, but Xiao Qi was too rash and impulsive, so I misunderstood her. "


    "Royal Father, don''t listen to my nonsense!"


    "Yesterday, this son and Miss An confronted each other. She didn''t say that the reason why she hoarded the medicinal ingredients was to make medicinal food for the old mistress of Prince An''s Palace. No matter what this son asked, she only said that it was to learn pharmacology, which was different from what Prince An said."


    The Emperor''s expression did not change much, but he rested one hand on his chin and leaned sideways on the Dragon Throne, as if he was ready for a dispute between the two of them.


    "Prince An, how do you explain what Xiao Qi said?"


    An Yingcheng''s face revealed shame, and he lowered his head, "This old one was in the wrong in this matter, I did not explain clearly beforehand. That''s why after Seventh Prince left, he questioned his daughter. Originally, she did not say why, but after I told his that I wanted to hand her over to the Seventh Prince for punishment, he was forced to tell me the truth. "


    "My daughter has always kept a low profile and does not like to brag about it. Thus, she has concealed this matter of pure filial piety from others. I never thought that she would be so slandered."


    An Yingcheng had always been a peacemaker in the imperial court, so regardless of whether or not people in the imperial court liked him, he was always the neutral one.


    The emperor seemed to be able to understand his feelings and smiled in relief. "Alright, now that the matter has been made clear, I''ll have Xiao Qi pay a visit to King An''s estate and apologize. What does King An think?"


    "This subject is terrified."


    An Yingcheng lowered his head, how could he let Seventh Prince apologize to him? This was giving him some face, and with Seventh Prince''s vengeful personality, he would definitely resent him.


    He still hoped that the Imperial Noble Consort Li would speak up for him at the side of the Emperor, how could she form enmity with the Seventh Prince?


    Not only could he not become enemies, he had to defend the Seventh Prince.


    He considered his words and sighed on the surface, "This matter, Seventh Prince was deceived by someone, and was deceived by that vile villain. That''s why they came to this old official''s residence to find fault. In the end, it''s because the Seventh Prince was concerned about the continent and worried about the Great Zhou that he was able to do such a thing.


    "According to what you said, love is not a sin, and Xiao Qi was not at fault. It was me making up rumors, and that''s why Xiao Qi misunderstood your love?"


    The emperor chuckled, but did not ask An Yingcheng anything. His gaze landed on the Prince Mu at the side, "Mu Wang, that big miss of Prince An''s Palace will be a member of your Prince Mu¡¯s Palace in the future. What do you think of this matter?"


    He had a smile on his face, but it was a smile that did not reach his eyes. No one could figure out exactly what he was planning to do.


    Perhaps he had guessed it, but he didn''t dare to say it out loud.


    When the Prince Mu was asked by the Emperor, he immediately stood up.


    "Reporting to Your Majesty, this old subject agrees with Prince An''s view on this matter. It should be a misunderstanding."


    If he said the Seventh Prince was wrong, then he had offended the Seventh Prince; if he said the Prince An was wrong, then he had offended the Prince An.


    In the end, the best way was to mix with the mud.

 C130

    When the Seventh Prince said that An Lingge was traitorous, the Emperor naturally did not believe it.


    Putting aside the fact that An Lingge was a woman within a woman, how could she come into contact with the spies of the Qingyue Kingdom, just based on her identity and status, there was no reason for her to betray the nation.


    However, in the midst of the battle between the Qingyue Kingdom and the Great Zhou, An Lingge was actually hoarding medicinal herbs. Adding to the heavy soldiers in her hands, these two Duke Palaces had even personally issued an imperial decree bestowing marriage, if An Lingge was doing something for the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace ¡­


    "What King Mu said is reasonable, but in the end, it was because of Xiao Qi''s recklessness that this matter was fooled. Furthermore, he almost wronged Miss An, so I will punish Xiao Qi with a month''s salary, so that he won''t always listen to the slanderous words of the villains and wrongly accuse the good."


    "Your son ¡­"


    Seventh Prince still wanted to defend himself, but the Emperor merely glanced over with a dangerous glint in his eyes, causing Seventh Prince to be unable to say anything else he was already prepared for.


    "Your son will definitely remember today''s lesson well, and won''t let this Royal Father worry about this son."


    Since he was able to fight on equal footing with the crown prince, he was naturally a smart person as well. He wouldn''t go against the emperor.


    Only then did the emperor smile in satisfaction, his face full of warmth. "A misunderstanding needs to be solved."


    The ministers in the audience agreed. Some of them even started to praise the Emperor for his brilliance.


    An Yingcheng secretly heaved a sigh of relief, while Prince Mu frowned.


    Logically speaking, this matter should have been between the Prince An and himself, but the Emperor suddenly asked him, could it be that he suspected that the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace was related to this matter?


    He was shocked, and felt more and more that this speculation was the Emperor''s true intention.


    Having been an official in the imperial court for many years, the Prince Mu was naturally aware of the Emperor''s suspicious personality.


    Some of them were even the political enemies of the Prince Mu, and when they looked at the Prince Mu, their eyes were filled with other emotions.


    Imperial Consort Yi''s father stood among the crowd of officials, a complacent smile surfacing on her white and chubby face.


    A few days ago, his daughter was bullied by Hereditary Prince Mu at the palace, and he was just worrying about how strong her Prince Mu¡¯s Palace was, so he couldn''t take revenge for his daughter.


    Taking advantage of the emperor''s suspicion of Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, he had sent someone to spread rumors, making the emperor more and more cautious against Prince Mu¡¯s Palace. At that time, he would gather some evidence of Prince Mu''s intention to rebel, which was to prevent the emperor from ordering the execution of Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, and also allow the emperor to hand over the military power to the emperor.


    The Prince Mu¡¯s Palace without power was like a tiger with its teeth pulled out, who would be afraid of it?


    The matters of the palace were temporarily not spread to the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, but Mu Junhan already knew about the matter of Seventh Prince going to the Prince An''s Palace to question An Lingge.


    When Shu Mo stood in front of Mu Junhan, he would vividly describe what was happening within the Prince An''s Palace.


    "If I had to tell you, Miss An is truly a strange person. If an ordinary girl were to be questioned by Seventh Prince, she would probably be so scared that she would say everything. No matter how much Seventh Prince threatened and threatened her, she was unwilling to speak of the truth.


    Mu Junhan thought about An Lingge''s calm and indifferent appearance, but in reality, her heart was ruthless and fierce. A trace of a smile flashed past her eyes.


    That girl wasn''t being stubborn. She was scheming against that troublesome concubine of hers.


    Hearing Shu Mo''s words, Mu Junhan could guess what An Lingge was thinking. It was to use this matter to expose the intentions of the Aunt Li, and tear apart her fake mask.


    Moreover, that Madam Li was only able to have her status in the Prince An''s Palace because the Imperial Noble Consort Li was her sister. An Lingge had already made An Yingcheng understand that even if the Imperial Noble Consort Li was the sister of the same mother as her, the Seventh Prince would not treat the Prince An''s Palace kindly on the basis of relatives.


    She had to plant this kind of impression on An Yingcheng''s heart bit by bit, so that An Yingcheng wouldn''t have to worry about the Imperial Noble Consort Li and favor both his mother and daughter.


    Normally, he hated this kind of girl who was deeply scheming. He didn''t know why, but after knowing that An Lingge had schemed against Aunt Li, he felt that this girl was extremely clever and adorable.


    Mu Junhan shook his head, suppressing the emotion in his heart, "did find out about the things that haven''t been found out yet."


    His people had been investigating who was secretly hoarding the medicinal ingredients, but there was no result even after a long period of investigation.


    If not for Seventh Prince coming over to interrogate him, he would have already come back to report the news. Until now, he did not know that the person behind the scenes was actually his own fiancee.


    Shu Mo knew that Mu Junhan was unhappy, he scolded Dark Guard for not being able to handle the situation, and immediately knelt in front of Mu Junhan to plead for mercy, "Calm down Hereditary Prince, it''s really because the way Miss An does things is too secretive, it''s impossible for our people to go and check all the patients in the capital one by one, that''s why we couldn''t find out."


    "As for that Seventh Prince, the reason he got the information was because what the Aunt Li sent people to tell him was not what he found out himself."


    They had spies in the Prince An''s Palace, when the people of Aunt Li went to the Seventh Prince Palace, they received the news, but they did not expect at the time, that the Aunt Li was actually plotting against An Lingge for this matter.


    Mu Junhan''s lips raised into a smile, that smile made Shu Mo shudder.


    It''s over, Hereditary Prince must be angry to laugh so coldly!


    "The information that the Aunt Li can obtain, is actually something that none of them know. When the time comes, we can withdraw those people and have them go to the Discipline Hall to receive their punishment. "


    If Hereditary Prince said this, then there was no room for discussion.


    Shu Mo disappointedly nodded, "Yes, this servant will give the orders in a while."


    "No, first follow me to the Prince An''s Palace."


    Why would he go to Prince An''s Palace?


    Their shadow guards had failed because of An Lingge''s scolding, and their shadows had been punished because of An Lingge. Hereditary Prince was actually complaining about that woman, it truly was a beauty that brought disaster upon people like them who were by Hereditary Prince''s side!


    Shu Mo had a bitter face, as if he had just eaten Huang Lian. However, he only furrowed his brows, and didn''t dare to retort. In his heart, however, he started to hate An Lingge.


    Mu Junhan naturally did not come to find An Lingge to talk about love, it was just because he felt that there was some hidden secret behind An Lingge''s hoarding of medicinal ingredients, and wanted to ask An Lingge about it.


    That girl had put in so much effort in thinking of ways to store the medicinal ingredients. How could it be just to make medicinal food for the madame?

 C131

    Mu Junhan brought Shu Mo out of the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace and did not sit in a carriage. Instead, he changed into a set of profound colored clothes and prepared to walk towards the Prince An''s Palace in order to not attract attention.


    People were coming and going on Chang''an Street, and the hawkers were shouting and peddling.


    Although it was not yet summer, the capital was already warm. Many people had already changed into light spring clothes, and children who had been trapped in their rooms for several months were running around the streets excitedly playing around.


    The old man who sold wine laughed as he filled the flagon in front of him with wine; a thin scholar in a long green robe set up a stall on the street, writing letters to others; a neatly dressed woman was bargaining with the peddler, and the bustling capital finally regained its former vigor.


    Mu Junhan only took a glance before retracting his gaze.


    The emperor was worried about the fall of the imperial power, so he was always on guard against the other princes and support the new aristocracy.


    The Duke and the nobles of the imperial court were opposing each other on political matters. The Crown Prince and Seventh Prince were forming alliances and fighting openly, but unfortunately, they had a tacit understanding and wanted to put on a peaceful front on the surface to fool these commoners.


    The corner of his mouth still contained a thin smile, but there was a profound look in his phoenix eyes that carried a bit of ridicule.


    Shu Mo followed behind him, avoiding people who were walking towards him one after another.


    "Young master, young master, wait for your servant."


    He changed his address, intentionally hiding Mu Junhan''s identity as he ran to catch up.


    Mu Junhan slightly slowed down, and a man with hurried steps in front of him hurriedly lowered his head. He turned a corner with his feet and walked into a small alley to the side.


    This sneaky action caused a trace of doubt to flash past Mu Junhan''s eyes, but he did not take it to heart.


    Once he reached the Prince An''s Palace, Shu Mo waved the plate on his chest in front of the guards and then put it away.


    The guard wanted to bow, but Shu Mo immediately raised his hand to stop him, "Our Hereditary Prince has come to the manor this time, and does not wish to let anyone else know.


    The guard quickly led Mu Junhan to the front hall and respectfully bowed, "Hereditary Prince Mu, please wait for a moment, I will go and report to First Miss."


    Mu Junhan acknowledged him, then the guard turned around and walked out, to report to the Parasol House.


    Inside the Parasol House, Ming Xin was kneeling in front of An Lingge, guilt and self-blame written all over her face.


    "Miss, it''s all this servant''s fault. I don''t know where the problem occurred, but someone found out that Miss was hoarding medicinal ingredients, and almost caused Miss to be convicted of betraying an enemy. It''s all my fault!"


    She lowered her head. Her eyes were filled with tears.


    Miss had saved her nightmarish life, carefully taught her many things, trusted her, and yet, she couldn''t even do the things that Miss had instructed her to do, and had almost killed Miss. If anything happened to An Lingge, even if she had to die ten thousand times, she would not forgive herself.


    An Lingge waved his hands at her, showing no signs of berating her.


    "It''s obvious that someone else was trying to frame me. It was just a coincidence that I managed to seize this opportunity."


    Her black eyes flashed with light, as she guessed the whole story, "Besides Aunt Li, there will never be anyone else who can get the Seventh Prince to deal with me."


    "How did Aunt Li know about this?"


    Bi Zhu''s round face revealed a look of doubt. In the entire Parasol House, only the three of them knew about the matter of hoarding medicinal ingredients. After the young miss wrote down the medicinal formulas, she was responsible for passing the message to Chu Yu and the others, as well as arranging the medicinal ingredients that she had bought.


    This was done deliberately behind people''s backs, and due to her clear-minded personality, she shouldn''t have been discovered.


    An Lingge couldn''t figure it out either.


    Originally, there were many spies in her courtyard with Aunt Li s, but ever since she was reborn, she had secretly sent spies who had infiltrated her courtyard to the outer courtyard.


    Moreover, she had hidden the matter of hoarding medicinal ingredients in the shadows. She had specifically instructed them to bring the medicinal ingredients into the Palace when it was night time to meet with Chu Yu and the others.


    Could it be that the people from Aunt Li accidentally saw it?


    After thinking about it, this seemed to be the only possibility.


    "Perhaps she was accidentally seen by someone from the Aunt Li. She wanted to get rid of me so she told the Seventh Prince about this matter. She wanted him to capture her for the crime of colluding against an enemy and betraying the nation."


    If he were to be captured, the Aunt Li would want to do something and he would have no strength to resist.


    Ming Xin was still kneeling on the ground, unwilling to get up. "Miss, this is all your servant''s fault, you don''t have to excuse your servant."


    An Lingge''s face darkened, she revealed an angry look, "I said that you''re not to blame for this matter, but you''re not to be blamed for it. When you''re kneeling on the ground, are you going to disobey my orders? Do you still have a master like me in your eyes? "


    "This servant dares not." Mingxin quickly shook his head. After a moment of hesitation, he stood up from the ground.


    Bi Zhu winked at the side, and her eyes almost cramped up. She tried her best to look at her, but she had lowered her head and did not catch her gaze at all.


    Then he stood up, and only then did Ming Xin notice Bi Zhu''s expression, "Bi Zhu, what happened to you, did sand get into your eyes? Do you want me to help you blow it? "


    "No need." A trace of helplessness flashed across Bi Zhu''s face, as she didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    She tried to wink at him so that he wouldn''t blame her for it.


    The Miss seemed to be a cold and unapproachable person, but in reality, her heart was very soft. As long as she was clear and did not betray her, the Miss would not blame her.


    An Lingge naturally knew what Bi Zhu was doing beside him, but his two servants were closer, at least it was better than them scheming against him.


    She glanced at Brightheart, who still had the indifferent and gentle expression on her gorgeous face, "Now that the hoarding of medicinal herbs has been discovered, Brightheart, take someone to deal with them."


    She thought for a moment, then remembered a good place.


    Back then, when Aunt Li had passed over all the shops under her mother''s name to him, she had even gone to the Embroidery Pavilion to take a look.


    If someone were to send the medicinal herbs there, there shouldn''t be a problem.


    "I''ll write a letter right now. Bi Zhu, get someone to hand it over to the owner of the Embroidery Pavilion. If no accidents happen, all of these medicinal ingredients can be placed with Embroidery Pavilion."


    Bi Zhu did not know the relationship between An Lingge and the Embroidery Pavilion, but hearing that, she still nodded her head, and after An Lingge finished writing the letter, she immediately found someone to send the letter to her.

 C132

    Just as An Lingge finished writing her letter, the guard that came to report the news arrived at Parasol House.


    "First Miss, Hereditary Prince Mu had the little one call you over, he is already in the hall."


    If it was anyone else who came to the Prince An''s Palace, it would not be so easy to enter.


    However, with Mu Junhan''s esteemed identity and An Lingge''s future husband, these guards would naturally not dare to underestimate him.


    Hearing this, An Lingge raised her eyebrows in surprise, but did not delay, and immediately put down the wolf pen in her hand.


    "Let''s go, don''t make Hereditary Prince Mu wait any longer."


    Bi Zhu was sent out by her to deliver the message, and Ming Xin followed behind her.


    An Lingge stepped into the lobby. Mu Junhan was sitting on a mahogany chair, dressed in a dark black robe, holding a magpie in her hand. She was drawing gold and white porcelain with a single glance.


    She leisurely walked over, blessed herself, and bowed towards Mu Junhan.


    Mu Junhan raised his brows slightly, and the smile on his face grew more sincere.


    Behind him, Shu Mo on the other hand rolled his eyes at An Lingge, looking extremely impatient.


    Ming Xin saw his expression in his eyes, a layer of anger had already surfaced on his face. The follower beside Hereditary Prince Mu was too rude, she actually rolled his eyes at the young miss, she did not respect the young miss at all!


    She glared at Shu Mo fiercely, using her eyes to warn him to stop looking down on her.


    Shu Mo watched her angry expression with interest, and really put on a respectful look.


    "Long time no see, little girl An."


    Mu Junhan was the first to break the silence. His phoenix eyes slightly bent, as though he was smiling.


    An Lingge also laughed, but was not as enthusiastic as him.


    The matter of Seventh Prince coming to the manor to interrogate her had more or less affected her mood.


    She was so abnormal, Mu Junhan immediately sensed it, "What kind of trouble did you encounter?"


    He knew in his heart that perhaps An Lingge was depressed due to the Seventh Prince''s matter, but she did not directly say it. There were some things that required her to explain first.


    Because Mu Junhan had saved An Lingge many times, An Lingge did not hide anything from him, "Yesterday, Seventh Prince suddenly brought people to our house and told my father that I was hoarding medicinal ingredients, with the intention of betraying the country, and that he wanted to frame me as a criminal."


    "I, Hereditary Prince, have also heard of this matter."


    Mu Junhan''s words did not hide the fact that he had spies in the Prince An''s Palace. Since An Lingge did not hide the truth from him, it was because he trusted him.


    An Lingge pursed her lips, obviously understanding Mu Junhan''s intentions.


    "However, little girl An, you are clever and clever, you have caused the Seventh Prince to return defeated, what is there to worry about?"


    Mu Junhan looked at An Lingge with his phoenix eyes, "A few days ago, my subordinates discovered that someone was secretly hoarding medicinal ingredients in the capital, so I sent people to investigate, but those people were too cautious and secretive, so I didn''t get any news on them."


    "However, thinking back to Seventh Prince''s actions yesterday, this Hereditary Prince has a guess, was those people who were hoarding the medicinal ingredients sent out by you, little girl An?"


    Although he spoke with a questioning tone, looking at his expression, it was obvious that he was certain that it was An Lingge who did it.


    An Lingge was shocked, she never thought that it was not only the people of Aunt Li who discovered him hoarding medicinal ingredients in her residence, even Mu Junhan and Lu Jingyu''s movements were also discovered by Mu Junhan.


    "I wanted to buy some medicinal herbs to study my pharmacology. In the future, it would be convenient to make some medicinal food for Grandmother, but I didn''t expect that Hereditary Prince Mu and Seventh Prince would actually be alarmed."


    "Girl An, you''re not telling the truth."


    Zhao Lanyu did not believe such an argument, and Mu Junhan naturally did not believe it either.


    An Lingge revealed a perfect smile, yet had a carefree expression that seemed to believe it or not, "It''s because of this that I''m hoarding medicinal ingredients. Hereditary Prince Mu, it''s fine if you don''t believe me."


    She did not want to lie to Mu Junhan, but she had no way to explain it. Could it be that she wanted to tell him that she was a reincarnated person, that she knew that there would be a plague in the Zhou Dynasty, and so she stored the herbs in advance to prevent the plague from wreaking havoc, causing thousands of people to die?


    If she were to tell Mu Junhan that, she would think of her as a madman, and would not believe her words.


    A glimmer flashed across Mu Junhan''s eyes, and his beautiful thin lips rose, "If this is really the reason, then why didn''t you let the Prince An''s Palace show itself when your hoarding of medicinal ingredients was hindered?"


    An Lingge''s eyes flashed a look of astonishment, and then she came to a realization, "So those shops were under your command."


    The smile on Mu Junhan''s face widened, "My people have been investigating this the entire time. If you want to use that excuse of deceiving Seventh Prince, you have to trick this Hereditary Prince into doing so."


    An Lingge turned her head and said a few words to Ming Xin, who then quickly walked out.


    It was time to talk to him alone.


    Mu Junhan glanced over the crowd and unwillingly followed Ming Xin to the exit.


    "There are only two of us here now. Can you tell us the real reason now, Miss An?"


    An Lingge then lowered her voice and explained the reason.


    However, she did not say that she had returned from her rebirth. She only said that she expected that there would be a plague in the Zhou Dynasty, so she had made her preparations beforehand.


    Mu Junhan could not hold back his laughter. At first, only the corner of his mouth was raised, but later on, even his almond-shaped eyes became curved, and he instantly bloomed like a spring flower.


    "Little girl An, your excuse is even more absurd than that one just now. It can''t be that you want to tease this Hereditary Prince, right? Or could it be that little girl An, you don''t want to be the big miss of Prince An''s Palace, and you want to be a Divine Stick? "


    He suddenly leaned towards An Lingge, his head lowered, his warm breath spat on An Lingge''s face, causing her to feel a slight itch.


    An Lingge hid herself a little, waited for the distance between them to increase, and then said: "Plague will definitely happen, if Hereditary Prince Mu believes me, then it''s best for us to stock up on medicinal ingredients together. If you don''t believe me, then just pretend I didn''t say so."


    Her expression was indifferent, and the words she said were obviously absurd and laughable. However, Mu Junhan didn''t know why but he couldn''t bring himself to think about it.


    "You are this Hereditary Prince''s fiancee. This Hereditary Prince naturally needs to believe in you." Mu Junhan suddenly became serious, "However, the matter of you hoarding the medicinal ingredients has already been discovered by the Seventh Prince, if you want to take action in the future, I''m afraid it won''t be a simple matter."


    This was exactly what An Lingge was worried about, and that was why she wrote a letter to the Embroidery Pavilion''s shopkeeper, hoping that the Embroidery Pavilion could help her stock up more medicinal ingredients.

 C133

    An Lingge nodded, "I have already thought of a way to deal with this. At the latest, there will be news tomorrow."


    Mu Junhan frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "Since this Hereditary Prince wants to stock up on medicinal ingredients, why don''t I help you out, to prevent others from finding you, and use this matter to incriminate you."


    As he said till here, a cold glint flashed past Mu Junhan''s eyes.


    Although An Lingge was still a member of the Prince An''s Palace, the emperor had already decreed that they should be married, and that she could be considered half a member of the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace. If Zhao Lanyu wanted to frame An Lingge, he had to be the antithesis of the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace.


    Zhao Lanyu did this simply because he understood that the emperor was afraid of Prince Mu¡¯s Palace. He wanted to use this matter to show off his thoughts to the emperor.


    A person without talent like him could only use such laughable methods.


    For Mu Junhan to believe his words and agree to hoard medicinal ingredients with him was already out of An Lingge''s expectations, and now that he mentioned the possibility of helping him hoard the medicinal ingredients, An Lingge was even more shocked.


    "There''s no basis for this matter after all. It''s just that I have a hunch that Hereditary Prince Mu is going to do this?"


    An Lingge suspected that those words were not just from her mouth.


    "You''ve been hoarding medicinal materials for so many days; naturally, you can''t use this matter to deceive me. I''ll hoard the medicinal materials with you and help you conveniently, it''s not a big deal."


    The expression in the depths of An Lingge''s eyes was extremely complex, and it was hard to tell what that feeling was. All she could do was deeply kowtow to Mu Junhan and say, "An Lingge thanks Hereditary Prince Mu."


    The two of them discussed specific matters for a while longer before Mu Junhan brought Shu Mo out of the Prince An''s Palace.


    He had just walked to the corner in front of the Prince An''s Palace when he saw a figure flash past.


    The sneaky look on his face reminded him of the figure he''d seen when he''d first arrived.


    Mu Junhan''s expression did not change, but a pondering look flashed past his eyes, as he knew that he was being followed, and was not in a hurry.


    His voice was not loud, just a moment ago it was loud enough for the person following him to hear. "Miss An is so unreasonable, this Hereditary Prince will definitely enter the palace to report to the emperor and have his orders retracted. Even if I don''t marry, I won''t marry to Miss An! "


    Shu Mo thought that he and An Lingge had gotten into an argument, and immediately became very happy, nodding and agreeing with Mu Junhan, "Hereditary Prince you are right, a woman like Miss An, how can she be compared to your charm?"


    That girl was too good at causing trouble for the Hereditary Prince, and it just so happened that the Hereditary Prince did not realize it, now that Mu Junhan had this "realization", Shu Mo really wanted to clap and cheer.


    If Hereditary Prince could find a gentle and generous Hereditary Prince Consort, that would be even better.


    Shu Mo thought in delight, not noticing that the corner of Mu Junhan''s mouth hooked into a dangerous smile.


    As Mu Junhan said this, he caught a glimpse of a flash of light in the corner of his eyes.


    After returning to the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, he ordered Shu Mo to prepare a high-quality horse quickly so he could ride towards the Imperial Palace.


    The emperor was sitting upright in his royal study with a tall imperial report placed in front of him.


    He did not look at the memorials, his gaze falling upon Mu Junhan. "You want to annul the marriage between you and the Prince An''s Palace?"


    Mu Junhan lowered his head and stood in front of the table, there was still a bit of anger on his face that had yet to be suppressed, "Reporting to the emperor, this subject and the Miss An are at odds, and we don''t have any common topics to discuss. If we become married in the future, we will only hate each other, that''s why I''m here to request the emperor to take back the imperial edict."


    His words were polite, but the emperor had long received news that he and An Lingge had quarreled greatly, hence he decided to break the engagement.


    The Emperor only put on a surprised expression and advised, "This is only because you aren''t familiar with that Miss An, that''s why you misunderstood. When you two get married in the future, you will know that the two of you are the most suitable people. "


    "In terms of status and position, in the entire Zhou Dynasty, only a few daughters of dukes are worthy of her. In terms of appearance, the Miss An''s beauty is even on par with yours; as for her character and character, I shall explain it in detail. "It took me a great deal of effort to find such a good woman. You begged me to take back the imperial edict, didn''t you just step on my heart and wantonly ruin it?"


    Mu Junhan immediately put on a look of being deeply touched, his face full of emotions. "Your majesty, you''ve put in so much effort for this subject, this subject really has no way to repay you."


    "If Zhen doesn''t care about you, then the empress dowager will be muttering in Zhen''s ears every day."


    The Emperor laughed and joked with Mu Junhan.


    The current empress dowager and the already deceased Old Wangfei of the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace were sisters, so Mu Junhan was considered half a mother of the empress dowager. This was one of the reasons why Mu Junhan was able to enter and leave the palace so easily.


    Mu Junhan kept his head down, his expression filled with determination. "I''ve troubled you, empress dowager, but this subject absolutely cannot accept this marriage. I hope you can take back the imperial edict."


    The emperor was still laughing loudly just now, but now his expression sank as he put on the dignity of an emperor, glaring angrily at the people below. "Don''t tell me you think that my imperial decree is a joke between children?" You say that it can be retracted just like that? "


    "If I retract the imperial edict today, I would be pointed at and cursed by the censors the next day. Perhaps we would even have to assert that the entire land of the Great Zhou would end up in the hands of a fickle emperor like me who went back on his word."


    "Please calm your anger, your Imperial Majesty."


    "This subject knows that it would be difficult for the emperor to take back the imperial edict, so this subject is willing to accept the punishment from the emperor. I only hope that the emperor can nullify this marriage."


    "What if I allow you to go from the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace to the palace and ask for punishment?"


    The emperor''s expression eased up a bit, as if he was testing Mu Junhan.


    "I will do as you say. There will be no complaints." Mu Junhan''s expression was serious, with a bit of joy and excitement on his face.


    It looks like Mu Junhan and that Miss An really did not get along well.


    This thought flashed through the Emperor''s mind. The corners of his mouth curled up imperceptibly, and was quickly suppressed by him.


    The reason he had given the order to marry her was to test if there were any ulterior motives with regards to Prince Mu¡¯s Palace.


    However, the people he sent out didn''t notice anything amiss, which made him feel gratified and worried at the same time.


    He was gratified that the two Duke Palaces seemed to be in peace, and did not have any ill intentions. However, at the same time, he was also afraid that if these two princes were to do something behind his back, he would be completely in the dark.


    Now that Mu Junhan had taken the initiative to cancel the engagement, it was actually a good opportunity.

 C134

    The emperor''s expression was unclear as he repeated the question, "Do you really hate that Miss An so much that you would rather be punished than to break the engagement with her?"


    A trace of impatience flashed across Mu Junhan''s face, but he quickly covered it up, as if he was already disgusted when An Lingge was mentioned.


    "In reply to your majesty, this subject has tried to get along well with the Miss An, but the few times we met, it was always on bad terms. Maybe this subject has no fate with the Miss An."


    Young men are always so naive and impulsive.


    The emperor thought as he looked down at Mu Junhan in front of him.


    He was handsome and carefree, with a graceful bearing. His eyebrows were sharp, his eyes were deep, his nose was pointed, and his red lips were flowing with the wind. There was not a single part of his body that was not refined.


    This kind of young man should have lived his life of talking and laughing about the Huns in the Mo Bei, instead of being raised in a remote place like the capital, where he could walk and watch the flowers on a horse.


    It was a pity that Mu Wang had already grasped tens of thousands of troops and horses. If he, the emperor, still allowed Mu Junhan to guard the border, it would be equivalent to personally handing over the military power of the Great Zhou Empire to the Mu Clan. He could only watch helplessly as these other princes''s power surpassed his, and each one of them wielded more authority than the emperor.


    However, there was a way to solve this problem.


    In just a short period of time, many thoughts had already passed through the Emperor''s mind.


    He suddenly laughed and restored his kind and loving look, "Seems like Junhan has made up his mind, we cannot advise you anymore."


    Mu Junhan lowered his head and did not say a word.


    The emperor let out a long sigh. "Since you were young, you''ve been pampered by the empress dowager. Zhen can be considered to have watched you grow up. Now that you don''t like this marriage, Zhen naturally doesn''t want to make things difficult for you." However, as the Son of Heaven, it''s hard for us to keep our promises. We''ve already given you an imperial edict, and if you want to take it back, you can only bear the responsibility of asking for punishment. "


    "If Your Majesty has any ideas, just say them. This subject will definitely do it."


    Mu Junhan raised his head, his handsome face showing signs of being happy and excited.


    His appearance made the Emperor''s last bit of doubt disappear. He was truly relieved.


    "If you want to cancel your marriage with Miss An, you naturally need a suitable reason. "I''ve just thought about it. There''s only one thing that suits you best." The Emperor walked out from behind the table with his footsteps, and the bright yellow corner of his robes reflected in Mu Junhan''s eyes.


    He stretched out his hand to help Mu Junhan up, and continued, "Duke Mu controls a hundred thousand soldiers and horses, but right now you are slowly growing, and even though you are about to reach the year of the Weak Crown, you have yet to enter the battlefield. In the future, how can you take on the role of a father and go to the battlefield to kill the enemy?"


    Mu Junhan''s heart thumped, but he still went along with the emperor''s words, "The emperor wants this subject to go to the Mo Bei to lead troops for battle?"


    "That''s right." "However, I will not hand over the army to you. I will appoint you as a deputy general and temper your character so that you can get used to the war as soon as possible. Only then will I be able to be at ease and hand over the Mo Bei to you in the future."


    His words were full of reliance on Mu Junhan, but he secretly decided that once Mu Junhan was sent to the Mo Bei, then all of the power that Mu Wang had within the Mo Bei would be handed over to him.


    A young man who had never gone to the battlefield before arriving at the Weak Crown had to take charge of a hundred thousand men, but he was still a deputy general. No one would be convinced, right?


    When the time came, he would promote a general among his men and send a military supervisor to incite some discontent towards the soldiers. At the same time, he would do something to calm them down, and within two years, a hundred thousand soldiers would become loyal to the imperial power.


    The Emperor''s schemes were really far-reaching, but he never would have thought that Mu Junhan was not some ordinary youth. His talent and abilities caused the warriors of the Mo Bei to sincerely believe him, and he even brought out the reputation of a Jade-faced War God.


    However, this was just a matter of later on, so there was no point in mentioning it for now.


    Mu Junhan naturally sensed the emperor''s thoughts, but his face only revealed a grave expression, "However, the Mo Bei is in the hands of my royal father, if the emperor orders this subject to use the Mo Bei ¡­"


    "Mu Wang is already old and has been living in the capital for the past few years. As a Hereditary Prince of the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, you should have inherited the family''s legacy, don''t tell me you''re not willing?"


    The expression on the face of the Emperor turned grim, and he had a stern expression on his face.


    Mu Junhan shook his head, "It''s not that this subject is unwilling, but this subject is worried. If this subject fails to live up to the emperor''s expectations, and my Mo Bei falls short, this subject will have to bear the consequences if I end up dying!"


    He then patted Mu Junhan''s shoulder, "Relax, I am only asking you to be a deputy general. At that time, I will assign an old general and a military supervisor to give you advice. You don''t have to worry about this."


    So it was like that.


    A look of understanding flashed past Mu Junhan''s eyes.


    If it was said that he was only guessing earlier, he would have confirmed the Emperor''s thoughts by now.


    He just wanted to send him to the Mo Bei and bring back his father''s men. After he entered the army, he would find that old general to take care of him and before long, the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses in the Mo Bei would fall into the hands of the emperor.


    However, this was a chance for the Emperor and a rare opportunity for Mu Junhan.


    He nodded, looking eager to give it a try. "This subject thanks Your Majesty!"


    Only then did the emperor wave his hand, "Don''t be in such a hurry to thank us. Sending you to the Mo Bei is just an excuse for you to withdraw from the marriage. We will order you to go to the Mo Bei to guard and at the same time send someone to inform An Wang. In order to not delay Miss An, her marriage with you will be annulled. "


    This was the excuse the emperor had thought of. When An Lingge was young and ready to be married off to a woman, she couldn''t possibly always wait for someone to stand guard at the border, right?


    If Mu Junhan didn''t return to the capital within three to five years, wouldn''t he have to wait until he becomes an old lady?


    At that time, even if the marriage were to be annulled, Prince An would have no complaints.


    Could it be that King An dared to say that the marriage of her daughter was more important than the entire Mo Bei, and more important than the stability of the citizens of the Great Zhou?


    "Although Zhen wants to help you, if the empress dowager finds out about this, she might come and make a ruckus."


    The Emperor had his hands behind his back and was frowning helplessly.


    Mu Junhan laughed but did not mind, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this subject will tell the empress dowager. She loves this subject so much, she definitely does not wish to see this subject marry a woman that she does not like."


    That might not be true.


    The emperor''s thoughts turned. Back then, if the empress dowager hadn''t intervened, he wouldn''t have given the order to get married on Prince Mu¡¯s Palace so quickly.


    But now, the Empress Dowager was left to Mu Junhan to deal with, he didn''t need to have a headache.


    Thinking this, the emperor''s face displayed a hint of a smile. "Enough, you don''t often come to the palace. Since you''ve come, you should go see the empress dowager so that she won''t whisper in Zhen''s ear every day."


    Mu Junhan responded as he slowly left the room.

 C135

    The palace was quiet. The Buddhist fragrance wafted up and around, causing people to feel at ease as they watched from afar.


    Just as Mu Junhan arrived at the entrance of the Tzu Ning Palace, a small eunuch immediately laughed and welcomed him in. Someone else ran over to report to the empress dowager.


    "Junhan is here. It''s been a long time since I''ve seen you."


    The Empress Dowager was in her sixties, almost seventy years old. In this Great Zhou Dynasty, she could be considered to have lived a long life.


    When she saw Mu Junhan, a happy smile surfaced on her face. Even though her hair was white now, one could still see the elegance in her eyes when she was young.


    From afar, that pair of phoenix eyes actually somewhat similar to Mu Junhan''s.


    Mu Junhan''s gaze also turned gentle as he walked to the empress dowager''s side with a smile, and held onto her arm.


    "Grandaunt, please wait a bit."


    He helped the Empress into the room and sat down on the chair.


    The palace maid had already offered a cup of tea to Mu Junhan. She inadvertently raised her eyes and caught sight of Mu Junhan''s unruly face, causing a layer of red to quietly float on top of her face. She immediately lowered her head, hiding her thoughts and quietly retreated.


    "Child, if this one didn''t send you to the palace, you wouldn''t have thought of this one at all. Today, this one was out of the ordinary and took the initiative to come here."


    The empress dowager''s mouth was filled with complaints, but her eyes were filled with laughter. It could be seen that she liked Mu Junhan.


    "The empress dowager wishes to see Junhan again. Although I don''t have a market to enter the palace, I''ve always been thinking about you."


    "You don''t have a straight tongue." Her Majesty glared at him, but she wasn''t really angry.


    She took a sip of the tea, put down the teacup, and said bitterly, "You are no longer young, and it''s time for you to get married and start a family. A few days ago, the Emperor already gave you an imperial decree to marry. You should learn how to restrain your temper and not be so sloppy like this. "


    The empress dowager truly loved Mu Junhan. Perhaps it was because Mu Junhan was half her mother''s family, or perhaps it was because Mu Junhan was somewhat similar to her little sister, but no matter what, she was truly thinking for Mu Junhan''s sake.


    Mu Junhan cupped his hands and pleaded, "Grandmother, please spare me. If I don''t go out at such a good age, what would be the point of it?"


    "You ¡­"


    The empress dowager was so angry that her breath caught in her throat. She wanted to curse at Mu Junhan, but was unable to do so no matter what.


    "Aunt, don''t worry. I was just joking with you." Mu Junhan straightened his expression, his face carrying a hint of happiness. "Just now, the emperor has already promised me that he''ll let me come to the Mo Bei to be a vice general in a few days, and guard the borders with the warriors of the Mo Bei."


    "Is that true?"


    The empress dowager''s expression changed. Her gentle and leisurely expression was replaced with a trace of shock as her eyes rolled with inexplicable emotions.


    Mu Junhan nodded his head, "This is something that I''ve gone through great difficulty to ask the Emperor for. Of course it''s true."


    "You can''t do this." The empress dowager''s voice sank as she spoke with absolute determination.


    The emperor crawled out from her stomach. She watched as the emperor grew up day by day. She watched as he defeated his fellow brothers. She watched as he ascended to the position of Jiu Wu Zun. How could she not know what the emperor was thinking?


    Initially, she thought that she was begging the emperor to bestow the marriage to Mu Junhan, and the emperor would temporarily not care about the power of the two Duke Palaces, so he didn''t dare to rashly touch her Prince Mu¡¯s Palace. But she never would have thought that the emperor would actually want Mu Junhan to go onto the battlefield!


    All year round, he would have to fight against the ferocious Northern Dwellers. Junhan had never been to the battlefield, wouldn''t the Emperor give such an order, as he would definitely send Junhan to her death?


    "Aunt, Junhan knows that you have always been thinking for my sake, but the Emperor suspects that the other princes has already existed for more than a day or two. If we were to be tied together with Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, the Emperor not only wouldn''t be afraid of us, he would also become even more impatient, and want to get rid of us day and night. It would be better to follow the emperor''s instructions, and have him send me far, far away from the Mo Bei so that he can relax his guard against the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace. "


    "What nonsense are you talking about!"


    The empress dowager gave a shout, but unconsciously lowered her voice.


    She was still a little nervous. She looked around to see that there was no one around before she heaved a sigh of relief.


    Even if she was in the Palace of Tzu Ning, it was inevitable that someone else would place a stake in her.


    If anyone else heard Mu Junhan''s words, it would definitely be a disaster.


    But Mu Junhan''s expression did not change, "Other than the two uncles in front of the door, there is no one else in the house.


    The two eunuchs at her side were the empress dowager''s trusted aides, and even the emperor could not coax them out of his mouth.


    But that wasn''t what the empress dowager was thinking at the moment. If she wanted to determine the number of people outside the house, she would need an extremely deep internal force to do so.


    After she understood all of this, her heart was unexpectedly somewhat complicated.


    She had always known that Mu Junhan was extremely intelligent, but she had never thought that he would actually have such a powerful martial arts.


    By saying these words, Mu Junhan was hinting to the empress dowager that he had sufficient ability to protect himself while at the Mo Bei, so the empress dowager wouldn''t have to worry.


    For a moment, the empress dowager didn''t know whether to rejoice or to be shocked. After a while, she let out a long sigh. But if we go to the Mo Bei, what about the young miss? "


    "Junhan came to find aunt precisely to talk about this matter."


    Her Majesty had a bad feeling when she saw him like this.


    The premonition had just started to rise when Mu Junhan said, "Two days ago, Seventh Prince brought some people to the Prince An''s Palace and found a large amount of medicinal ingredients in the courtyard of Miss An. They wanted to use this as evidence to incriminate the Miss An for betraying their country."


    "Ridiculous!" Her Majesty slapped the table, her face full of anger.


    Just because An Lingge had a large amount of medicinal ingredients in her courtyard, Zhao Lanyu wanted to charge them with being traitors to the enemy. According to this explanation, half of the people in the Great Zhou Dynasty were traitors who colluded against their enemies!


    "That''s right. Seventh Prince has acted so absurdly, yet he still dared to raise this matter in the imperial court. This is because he clearly understood the Emperor''s intentions. If he wanted to use this opportunity to attack his Prince An''s Palace, he might even drag it into the water as well."


    On the way to the Palace of Tzu Ning, the people he had planted in the palace had told him of this matter, and now they were using it to persuade the Empress Dowager.


    The corners of the empress dowager''s eyes twitched. Could the emperor no longer tolerate Prince Mu¡¯s Palace?


    Her heart felt a tinge of desolation. Anyone who saw it would understand that Mu Wang did not have any thoughts of conspiring against her.

 C136

    However, the Emperor had already put up his guard against him just because he was in control of a heavy soldier. If the Emperor really allowed the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace to be removed, then that would be a disaster for the Great Zhou!


    "What happened after that? Did something happen to the big miss of Prince An''s Palace?"


    The empress dowager asked anxiously, she felt that the emperor had attacked them from the Miss An''s side because he wanted to deal with the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace.


    If something were to happen to the Miss An, how could she feel at ease?


    The corner of Mu Junhan''s mouth hooked into a smile, "Aunt, don''t worry, this Miss An is extremely intelligent, furthermore, he was unable to stand up straight in this matter. Her words caused Seventh Prince to be defeated, and only then did Seventh Prince mention this matter in the imperial court, in hopes of using the emperor''s power to punish her, but in the end, my father and Duke An blocked his."


    "This Dowager is asking you a question. If you arrived at the Mo Bei, what would happen to the Miss An? You didn''t tell This Dowager.


    "Aunt, with Junhan''s intelligence, he must have guessed what I mean."


    Mu Junhan''s expression turned serious, "Miss An was implicated because of me this time, but this time, she was lucky enough to escape, but who can guarantee that she will be so lucky the next time around? I thought about it, why not just cancel this marriage, so that Seventh Prince wouldn''t take action against a lady in order to curry favor with the emperor? "


    He was restricted everywhere in the capital, and there were still a few people secretly trying to assassinate him. It would be better to pretend to cancel the marriage and let the emperor relax his guard.


    In this way, the Prince An''s Palace would not be pushed out to be at the heart of the struggle, allowing people to keep a low profile and hibernate. After that, he would slowly develop his own strength until even the Emperor was unable to move his Prince Mu¡¯s Palace.


    This was also something that An Lingge decided upon after discussing it with him. However, if this matter were to be exposed to the outside world, he would have to come up with other excuses, so even if it was in front of the empress dowager, he would not completely reveal the truth.


    The empress dowager was unhappy in her heart. An Lingge was someone she had chosen again and again, the person who she had chosen the most out of all the noble ladies in the capital. If just because of the Emperor''s suspicions, she could make Junhan miss out with this marriage, wouldn''t that be too much of a pity?


    "If you want to go to the Mo Bei, This Dowager won''t stop you, but that Miss An''s looks and morals are extremely good ¡­"


    "Aunt, no matter how beautiful and outstanding Miss An is, she will never be able to dodge open fire or sneak attack. If she is killed by someone, can Aunt feel at ease?"


    Of course not.


    The Empress Dowager could not pass the test of her heart, and her brow was filled with melancholy.


    Could it be that because of the emperor, Junhan will not marry anyone? Or perhaps according to the emperor''s intentions, for Junhan to marry a commoner who had no power, no influence, or no background, allow the entire capital to laugh at him, and then watch as his Prince Mu¡¯s Palace weakened bit by bit?


    "Outsiders only know that you enjoy limitless glory, but who would have thought that you would be in a dilemma." As the Empress Dowager thought of this, her heart ached even more.


    Compared to her own granddaughter, she liked Mu Junhan more. He was clever and did not fight for it, but this kind of person who should be free and easy to deal with, was bound by a few rules and regulations, even if she wanted to do something she had to think about it, she did not want to implicate the entire Duke Palace.


    Although the empress dowager was his aunt, he had spent a lot of effort for him just like his own grandmother. Unfortunately, the capital was not stable right now, the emperor and other princes were at loggerheads, and the crown prince and Seventh Prince had formed a gang, there were things that he had to hide from the empress dowager.


    "Aunt, don''t worry. When Junhan finds the girl he likes, he will definitely bring her to you."


    He softly comforted the Empress Dowager, who smiled and nodded. She covered the tears in her eyes. As for the Miss An, if you are afraid of implicating her, then let the marriage be annulled. But the Emperor ¡­ "


    "When the Emperor decided to send me to the Mo Bei, he had already said that he would cancel this marriage. When we left the palace later, I would send someone to explain this to the Prince An and tell him not to mind."


    This matter was something that Mu Junhan and Mu Junhan had discussed beforehand, so there was naturally no problem with An Lingge.


    As long as he received the imperial edict, Prince An would naturally not oppose it.


    The empress dowager then nodded her head, and ordered the palace to send over a few fresh melon fruits along with a few exquisite pastries. After seeing that Mu Junhan had eaten them, she got someone to send him out.


    The emperor''s orders were passed down very quickly, as if he was worried that Mu Junhan would go back on his word. Before he even walked out of the palace, he had already written two orders, one to send out the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace and one to send out the Prince An''s Palace.


    In front of the Prince An''s Palace gate, An Yingcheng knelt on the ground with his men, listening to the eunuch in front of him recite the contents of the imperial edict.


    After the eunuch finished speaking, An Yingcheng was still in a daze.


    Why did the marriage of Prince Mu¡¯s Palace and itself be cancelled all of a sudden?


    He had originally thought that he had a relationship with Prince Mu¡¯s Palace and was secretly happy for a long time.


    "Prince An, accept the decree."


    The imperial eunuch was chubby with a pleasant smile on his face, but there was a hint of contempt in his eyes.


    An Yingcheng stood up from the ground and took the imperial edict from the eunuch. The butler by his side immediately stepped forward and stuffed a few large silver notes into the eunuch''s hands.


    "This eunuch, may I ask why the emperor suddenly issued such an imperial decree?" Back then, the emperor personally bestowed the marriage on this marriage, and now ¡­ "


    An Yingcheng didn''t say the rest of his words out loud. He didn''t dare say that the Emperor had gone back on his words in front of everyone.


    But how could the eunuch not understand what he was saying. He touched the silver bills in his hand, and the smile on his face became more sincere. "Prince An, how could my family''s servants know what the emperor is thinking?" However, our family actually saw Hereditary Prince Mu going to the imperial study to find the Emperor, after that, the Emperor ordered us to come and pass down the order. "


    In other words, the fact that the Emperor changed his mind was related to Mu Junhan.


    After An Yingcheng heard this, his gaze landed on An Lingge who was beside her, wanting to find something from her body.


    But on An Lingge''s face, there was only shock and disappointment, with a hint of shame and indignation, she could not see anything else.


    Looks like Little Ge was also unaware of this matter.


    An Yingcheng sighed in the bottom of his heart, but his face did not reveal it.


    The eunuch then smiled, "Since there is nothing else in Prince An, we shall return to the palace to pass down the decree."


    "Go send off the eunuch." An Yingcheng instructed the steward by his side before bringing everyone from the Duke Palace back to the mansion.


    The moment he entered the Duke Palace, An Yingcheng''s expression immediately darkened.


    However, Aunt Li kept looking in An Lingge''s direction, unable to suppress the smile on her face.

 C137

    The news of An Lingge being annulled the engagement with the Duke Palaces was like a drop of gunpowder that blew up the tranquility on the surface of the Duke Palaces without a trace.


    An Lingyi was the first to be unable to hold back from saying these words, as she gloated with an undisguised expression.


    "Aiya, I didn''t expect that big sister would have her marriage annulled under the emperor''s decree. It''s really shocking."


    She glanced at An Lingge''s face and continued, "But big sister, you don''t have to be sad. Although this woman who has been annulled is no longer suitable for others, given our Prince An''s Palace, finding a wealthy family for you to marry into, won''t be a problem."


    The so-called wealthy families referred to merchants.


    It was clear to the industry and commerce class that when An Lingyi said she wanted to marry the direct daughter of the An family to a merchant, it was blatantly humiliating her.


    The old mistress pursed her lips, her face a dark green.


    She thought that her Prince An''s Palace was also a well-known family in the capital back then, and many people rushed to curry favor with her. Unfortunately, after the fall of the Duke Palaces, the families that came to curry favor with her had all disappeared, and even the Emperor was now using their Prince An''s Palace to make fun of her!


    First, they had been bestowed an imperial marriage order, and now, they had unreasonably changed their decree. Did they think that their Prince An''s Palace were some kind of lowly family that could be casually toyed with like a cat or dog?


    Hearing An Lingyi''s words, the old lady''s face became even uglier.


    She glared at this talkative girl, her aged face fierce. "Shut up. The emperor cancelled this marriage, and the relationship isn''t limited to just the big girl. None of you will be able to get away with it."


    An Yingcheng immediately took two steps forward, and stood respectfully by the old lady''s side. "Mother, calm down, there must be a reason behind the Emperor changing his decree, I''ll send someone to investigate."


    The eunuch who gave the order just now had already said that the Emperor had seen Hereditary Prince Mu before he gave this edict, so there was a high chance that this matter had something to do with Hereditary Prince Mu.


    The old mistress understood this logic. She had been by the old prince''s side for decades and had some understanding of the matters of the imperial court.


    Hearing An Yingcheng''s words, she suppressed her anger and asked An Lingge, "Now that the marriage has been cancelled, what do you think, big girl?"


    Although it was said that the Emperor had changed his mind and was at a disadvantage for the entire Prince An''s Palace, the one who suffered the most in this matter was still An Lingge.


    An Lingge lowered her head and respectfully replied to the old lady''s question, "Reporting to Grandmother, the reason why Little Ge and Hereditary Prince Mu were engaged at that time was because the emperor ordered it to be annulled. Now that the emperor has ordered it to be annulled, Little Ge will take it that it has never happened before."


    Because she had lowered her head, the Countess could not see much from her face. Only by hearing that her voice was somewhat stuffy, could she tell that she was not in a good mood.


    The originally joyous and joyous marriage ended up in vain. Who would be in a good mood?


    The old mistress sighed in her heart. "Eldest girl, don''t worry. There are many men in this world. Grandmother will properly show you a son. I won''t let you suffer any grievances."


    She was making a promise to An Lingge, and her attitude instantly changed the gloating An Lingyi had just done.


    It was one thing for An Lingge to be a direct descendant of the Prince An''s Palace and occupy a good status, and even the Emperor bestowing marriage on her.


    Now that the emperor had changed his mind, not only did An Lingge not enter the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, she became an unlucky girl who had her marriage annulled.


    But the madame actually had to personally choose her husband? How could An Lingge have such a good life!


    An Lingyi''s expression was furious, but Aunt Li bumped into her and secretly gave her a secret look, then laughed sincerely.


    The young miss has been wronged for no reason, and it has to do with her reputation and character. If this matter were to be spread, not only the young miss, our entire Prince An''s Palace would also become the laughingstock of the people in the capital. However, the young miss'' marriage annulment is a hindrance to her reputation, so if she wants to find a good family, she must properly consider it. "


    The little act between the two of them caught An Lingxue''s eyes, her lips raised slightly, but she seemed to be extremely indignant for An Lingge, "But just like that, the Emperor changed the imperial edict, but he did not explain anything. Sooner or later, outsiders will know that Big Sis was ordered by the Emperor to annul the marriage, who knows what they will think, Big Sis wants to find a good home, but it will be as difficult as ascending to the heavens."


    Who said it didn''t make sense?


    The worry on the old lady''s face deepened. Although the person she doted on the most was An Lingxue, who had grown up by her side, as the direct descendent of Prince An''s Palace, An Lingge had the most personality and intelligence out of all of her granddaughters.


    But now that the emperor had suddenly changed the order, An Lingge would inevitably be looked down by others, the marriage was not easy to find.


    If they were to look for those small families, not to mention whether An Lingge was willing or not, just the matter of her low marriage was enough to cause everyone in Prince An''s Palace to lose face.


    An Lingge suddenly laughed, with a look of calmness, "Grandmother, no need to worry about me, Little Ge has always believed that fate has always been predestined by the heavens, it is yours, and sooner or later it will be yours.


    Right now, she looked like she did not care about it at all, but her expression just now was obviously sad. The old lady knew that An Lingge was saying this to comfort her.


    The madame''s heart ached even more as she patted her hand. "Tomorrow, I''ll go to the palace and ask the empress dowager what the emperor means by doing this."


    Even though she couldn''t directly interrogate the emperor, she had some friendship with the empress dowager back when they were in the palace. It wouldn''t be a big deal if she asked the empress dowager about it.


    An Lingyi suppressed the jealousy in her heart with much difficulty. Seeing that the old lady was so generous to An Lingge, a bit of injustice surfaced in the depths of her eyes.


    But before the old lady could go to the palace and ask for the reason, the second decree had already reached the Prince An''s Palace.


    An Yingcheng immediately brought everyone to welcome them, his heart a little uneasy.


    The eunuch who passed down the decree laughed, and upon seeing An Yingcheng coming out he immediately congratulated him, "Great news, great news."


    An Yingcheng was confused, but seeing that the eunuch was like this, he calmed down, "May I ask Great Elder, what orders has the Emperor given this time?"


    "The Emperor decreed that Miss An would be conferred the title of Princess Changqing."


    The eunuch laughed, and only after saying this did he begin to read out the imperial edict.


    This time, An Yingcheng did not need to send anyone to Prince Mu¡¯s Palace to investigate the reason, and the old mistress did not need to beat around the bush to ask the empress dowager for information.

 C138

    Because of the chaos in the Mo Bei, the Emperor decided to send Mu Junhan to guard the borders, worried that he would miss An Lingge''s age, and so he canceled the marriage.


    The excitement in An Lingxue''s eyes congealed, and her disbelieving gaze landed on the Eunuch who was passing down the orders.


    The two orders given by the Emperor in succession caused everyone in Prince An''s Palace to understand what it felt like to be in heaven and hell for an instant.


    An Lingxue felt that just as she climbed up the clouds, the happiness and excitement in her heart had not lasted for long before she was ruthlessly smashed to the ground again by the imperial edict in an instant.


    "Eunuch, are you speaking the truth?"


    She was even more agitated than An Lingge who had been bestowed the title, and immediately asked.


    The eunuch glanced at her and saw that she was not standing by An Yingcheng''s side, but was following behind An Yingkang. He knew her identity, and her tone became colder, "This is the emperor''s decree, of course it''s true.


    Giving an imperial decree was a huge crime, but slandering eunuchs meant that he had to be punished.


    An Lingxue''s eyes flashed a look of awkwardness, but his face revealed a dry smile, "How could that be? I just felt that this news was too shocking, and did not dare believe it for a moment."


    She just couldn''t believe that one moment An Lingge was a terrible woman who had her marriage annulled by the emperor, and the next moment, she was bestowed the title of princess. Not only was she not harmed by this, her status was even more noble!


    An Lingyi, who was standing beside Aunt Li, had almost crushed her teeth in one bite. With her identity as a direct daughter, An Lingge had already suppressed her every single time, and now that she had been bestowed the title of a County Lord, would she still have a chance of trampling on her?


    The unwillingness and jealousy in her heart clamored ferociously, and her eyes had a tinge of red in them.


    At this moment, the madame had already forgotten to observe their expressions. When she heard the news, the worry in her heart disappeared. While she heaved a sigh of relief, she also felt a little proud.


    Although the other princes s of the Great Zhou Dynasty were hereditary, only the daughter of a princess could have a princess the position of princess. For example, their Prince An''s Palace had Hereditary Prince An Lingjun, but not the princess.


    Right now, in order to compensate An Lingge, the Emperor has bestowed upon him the title of princess. This is also a matter for the first time in the Great Zhou Dynasty.


    As she thought this, a smile appeared on her face, "Don''t mind her words uncle-in-law. She''s young and inexperienced, so it''s hard for her to not be straightforward. This is our little gift, please go and have a cup of tea with us."


    The butler immediately brought a few silver notes and stuffed them into the eunuch''s arms.


    The eunuch''s face finally turned clear after sending the message, "The madame will be the one to show mercy to our servants."


    His expression turned extremely fast, as if the person who had interrogated An Lingxue with a dark expression earlier wasn''t him at all.


    An Lingxue was secretly resentful in her heart, but she had no choice but to raise her head with a smile. After seeing the eunuch congratulate An Yingcheng a few more times, she finally brought her people back to the palace.


    "Big Sister sure is lucky."


    An Lingyi said sinisterly, her sour tone making An Yingcheng frown.


    Madam Li felt An Yingcheng''s gaze and immediately tried to smooth things over for him, "This is all because of your big sister''s kindness, which is why the emperor gave birth to such feelings for her. He bestowed her the title of a princess, and as your little sister, you should learn from the young miss."


    An Lingyi curled her lips, but knew that her words had already angered An Yingcheng, so she lowered her head and did not say anymore.


    After the Old Mistress called An Lingge to talk to her alone, An Lingyi followed her to the courtyard of the Aunt Li.


    The two of them were the only two in Aunt Li''s room, the maidservants had already been sent out.


    "Mother, I really can''t stand that bitch An Lingge appearing in front of me for even a day."


    An Lingyi frowned, when she mentioned An Lingge, her eyes flashed with a vicious light.


    Every time she saw An Lingge, she would remember that she was only a concubine. Even if her aunt held the entire Prince An''s Palace in her hands, she would still be a head lower than An Lingge.


    Usually, the ladies would gather and talk about her, but they would only talk about An Lingge, the young miss who had just been born. They would never mention about her, a concubine.


    Moreover, the emperor''s decree to grant marriage to both the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace and the Prince An''s Palace had also fallen onto An Lingge''s body. Now that the emperor had allowed this marriage to be annulled, before she was happy, she already heard the news that An Lingge had been conferred the title of princess. How could she not be jealous?


    Aunt Li took a sip of tea slowly, in no hurry.


    She smiled at An Lingyi in a comforting manner, "Yi Er, have you ever thought about why An Lingge is so lucky?"


    Because she was a virgin.


    When An Lingyi thought of this, she actually felt some resentment towards the Aunt Li. If her mother wasn''t an aunt who couldn''t justify herself and was despised by others, but was instead her father''s legal wife, then she would be born as her direct daughter. How could she be suppressed by An Lingge?


    However, she would naturally not say these words out loud. Instead, she thought for a moment and said, "It''s because that bitch An Lingge is too crafty, we plotted against her time and time again, but she still managed to escape."


    Otherwise, An Lingge would have already been bitten to death by the poisonous snakes, or lost her innocence.


    "You''re not entirely right." The Aunt Li shook her head, her expression grave. "These few days, I''ve carefully thought about it, and only then did I realize that half of the people in this mansion have actually been won over by An Lingge."


    So be it. What''s the big deal?


    An Lingyi did not care at all, since she was the one being pursued, she would not do anything to win him over.


    She was his daughter after all, and the Aunt Li knew what she was thinking just from seeing her expression. She couldn''t help but feel worried as she looked at her daughter.


    She had stayed in this mansion for more than ten years and had protected Yi Er too well, to the point that her personality was arrogant and wild.


    If she did not teach Yi Er earlier, she was afraid that Yi Er would still be at a disadvantage.


    "Yi Er, think carefully. When the emperor gave his first decree, did the old lady say that she wanted to personally choose a marriage for An Lingyi? She also said that she wanted to go to the palace and ask the empress dowager for an explanation."


    An Lingge nodded. At that time, when the old lady said this, she was annoyed, and felt that the old lady favored the third wife An Lingxue, and also favored An Lingge. She just did not love her.


    Thinking of this, her expression became gloomy, "That''s right, the old mistress has already favored that bitch An Lingge for more than a day or two, but I didn''t think that she would ask the empress dowager for an explanation for An Lingge."

 C139

    "This is where An Lingge''s brilliance lies." The Aunt Li pursed her lips as the expression in her eyes became unclear, "Back then, when the old mistress went back to her residence, she had prepared a gift first. This left a good impression on the old mistress'' heart. Afterwards, she had followed the Old Mistress everywhere and even found the Aunt Wei, a tea expert, for her. The Old Mistress was not a stone, plant, or tree, and as time passed, she would naturally favor her. But without the old lady''s support, it would be much easier for An Lingge to take care of him. "


    An Lingyi finally understood what his mother meant, "Mother, are you saying that we can start from the old lady and get rid of An Lingge?"


    Seeing that An Lingyi had finally enlightened, Aunt Li''s expression was filled with gratification.


    "Now that An Lingge has been conferred the title of County Lord, if we want to get rid of her, it won''t be a simple matter." She paused for a moment, and then smiled, "But we can take one step at a time, and make An Lingge be hated by the old lady, and become useless in the palace. That would be the perfect time for us to get rid of her."


    But the madame likes her, so for the sake of the Duke Palace''s face, father will not watch helplessly as An Lingge gets bullied, and the second house''s unrestrained Madam Wang, in order to oppose you, has to help An Lingge in every possible way, plus the Aunt Wei that just came out of the side courtyard, if they help An Lingge, wouldn''t it be too difficult for us to get rid of her?


    An Lingyi was extremely agitated, thinking that her mother had already thought of a way to get rid of An Lingge.


    However, Aunt Li was neither impatient nor impatient, she said sincerely, "It''s about time you change your impulsive personality, or else you will suffer a big loss sooner or later. As for the method to deal with An Lingge, Aunt had already thought of it long ago. "


    An Lingyi''s eyes lit up, her face had a look of happiness, "What method is this, mother, tell me quickly."


    Aunt Li lowered her voice and whispered in An Lingyi''s ears.


    Madam Wang who was sitting in his own room suddenly felt a chill on his back, and he fiercely sneezed.


    "Has Madam caught a cold?" When the maidservant saw this, she hurriedly asked in concern, "How about I bring a cloak for Madam right now?"


    "No need."


    Madam Wang waved his hand. Although she had a bad premonition in her heart, she thought that it was because her mind was somewhat sensitive after getting pregnant, so she didn''t think too much about it.


    When the maidservant saw that she didn''t seem to be in high spirits, she changed the topic. "Today, the emperor consecutively sent out two Imperial decrees. Madam, do you still not know that you are staying in the house?"


    When the Emperor sent his men to deliver the decree, all of the Palace Masters had gone out to receive it. Only the Madam Wang just so happened to be not in the Palace at that time, so they didn''t know about this matter.


    Her eyebrows shot up as her face revealed a somewhat astonished expression. The emperor consecutively sent out two imperial edicts to this manor. This was a rare event.


    "What is the purpose of the emperor''s decree?"


    The maid explained the information she had heard, and just as she finished speaking about the content of the first decree, her Madam Wang cried out. The Emperor actually ordered the marriage of Prince An''s Palace and Prince Mu¡¯s Palace to be annulled? "


    Isn''t this breaking a promise? If the Emperor did this, no one would be afraid of being poked in the spine and scolded him for being an idiot.


    "Madam, don''t be agitated." The servant girl was afraid that her Madam Wang was too agitated and immediately spoke out the contents of the second decree.


    It was only then that Madam Wang lifted the teacup in front of him, as if drinking saliva would be able to calm his heart.


    She put down the cup and wiped the corner of her mouth with the handkerchief. "Although First Miss was annulled, she was still conferred the title of princess by the Emperor. In the end, it''s a joyous event. We should congratulate her."


    The maidservant hesitated and tried to persuade her, "Madam, you are currently pregnant, so it would be best if you don''t move."


    "What are you afraid of? It''s not like I''ve never had children before." The Madam Wang did not mind, and did not take the servant girl''s words to heart.


    She didn''t really want to go over and congratulate An Lingge, she just thought that Aunt Li would definitely be in a tough spot right now. It was a rare opportunity for her not to make fun of him by making fun of him, and she had wasted such a good opportunity.


    Seeing that she was unable to move, the servant could only obey her orders and followed behind Madam Wang, leaving with her.


    Madam Wang had originally planned to go to Aunt Li''s courtyard to provoke Aunt Li after arriving at the Parasol House, but unexpectedly, she saw Aunt Li in An Lingge''s courtyard.


    "Oh, the Second Madam is here."


    Seeing Madam Wang come in, Aunt Li smiled hypocritically and greeted her.


    She thought that Aunt Li would definitely drop the cup on the ground right now, but Aunt Li looked as if nothing had happened.


    She said indifferently, "Why is Aunt Li here?"


    "Although Eldest Miss was conferred the title of princess by the Emperor, her marriage was in the end annulled. Although I am only an aunt, I still have a responsibility to consider the matter of Eldest Miss''s marriage. However, I was afraid that I would do something bad in the interest of others, so I came here to ask Eldest Miss about her preferences. "


    If she said it in such a nice way, it would be because she wanted to stomp on An Lingge for not letting go of the marriage annulment.


    Madam Wang snorted in his heart, "Eldest Miss is the princess under the title of Emperor. I''m afraid it''s not Aunt Li''s place to meddle in her marriage. If you have nothing else to do, you might as well teach Third Miss and diligently find a good marriage for her. This way, Third Miss won''t spend all her time on proper business. "


    Her words were extremely rude, causing Aunt Li''s expression to immediately change, "Second Madam, what do you mean by that?"


    "What do I mean? Aunt Li, don''t you understand?" Madam Wang asked, his face full of ridicule.


    With An Lingyi''s impulsive and proud personality, who would cause trouble everywhere, she actually grew up in the Duke Palaces safe and sound.


    The last time she framed An Lingge, she had to marry out sooner or later. It would be fine if she married into a family with a simple population, but if she married into one with a complicated relationship, without a Aunt Li backing her up, she would be eaten up sooner or later.


    Anger surfaced on Aunt Li''s face as she pointed towards the Madam Wang. "Yi Er is indeed a bit spoiled, but she is a bit kind-hearted. Second Madam, you''re going too far by saying this."


    Seeing that the two of them were about to argue in An Lingge''s room, An Lingge naturally could not just sit by the side and watch. She took two steps forward to Madam Wang''s side and gently said, "Second Aunt, you''re pregnant, so don''t be angry."


    When he turned his head to look at the Aunt Li, An Lingge''s expression had calmed down, "The Aunt Li controls the entire Duke Palaces, so it''s understandable for me to neglect the teaching of the Third Sister. However, not long after that incident with Jingdu Academy last time, the Aunt Li didn''t take it to heart at all, right?"


    "This matter was done by that servant, and Yi Er was also implicated by her." Aunt Li''s skin was very thick. Since the old mistress had pushed the blame onto the servant girl, she took her daughter away without any hesitation.


    Madam Wang was angered by her shameless appearance, and just as she was about to say something, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She lowered her head, and saw that blood was seeping out from her legs.

 C140

    "Why is the Second Madam bleeding?"


    Aunt Li screamed and immediately called for a servant, "Quick, quickly go find doctor and show her to Second Madam. She is pregnant with a child, you can''t make the slightest mistake."


    The servant girl behind her was extremely quick-witted, she immediately turned and left An Lingge''s courtyard, her mouth could not help but shout out, "Second Madam is not good, quickly go and call doctor over."


    The servant girl''s voice sounded from outside the Parasol House, and the words she said and the words she said sounded like her Madam Wang was about to miscarry, causing her anger to surge, causing her blood to flow even faster.


    The Aunt Li''s gaze fell on the bloodstain and a strange light flashed in her eyes. The corner of her lips curled up and she quickly suppressed it again, with a look of anxiousness on her face, "Eldest Miss, everything is fine, why is Second Madam bleeding? Could it be that there is something bad happening here?"


    An Lingge didn''t bother to argue with her, she only turned her head and instructed Ming Xin, "Go to the medicine house and get some horse gull grass. Boil it with hot water."


    It was the first time Ming Xin had seen such a scene, and she couldn''t help but feel flustered. The calmness of the eldest young miss allowed her to calm down, and it was unknown when the fear in her heart had disappeared.


    She nodded and headed for the door.


    The Aunt Li stood in front of her and raised her chin at An Lingge: "Young miss, what do you mean by that? Do you want the servant girl to destroy the evidence?"


    "When Aunt Li speaks, she needs to give evidence." An Lingge''s gaze swept over it lightly, and those black bright and deep eyes made Aunt Li subconsciously avoid her eyes.


    No matter how many times she looked, she felt that An Lingge''s eyes were terrifyingly bright, to the point that no one dared to look him in the eye.


    Seeing her at a loss for words, An Lingge turned to Bi Zhu and said, "Go get three Su Ye''s, two Lian Xin''s and half Chuan Qiong''s, fried them into medicine and bring some candied fruits over."


    Could it be that An Lingge understood pharmacology?


    This thought flashed through Aunt Li''s mind. She was worried that An Lingge would really be able to cure her Madam Wang, so she held onto the door firmly and did not let and Brightheart out.


    "If Aunt Li still doesn''t give way, don''t blame my maids for being impolite."


    An Lingge''s expression was ice-cold, and her words carried a bit of coldness.


    "I''m just afraid that Eldest Miss will send people to destroy the evidence. If Eldest Miss doesn''t explain it clearly, don''t even think about getting out of here with these two maidservants!"


    "Brightheart, Bi Zhu." An Lingge called out gently. The two of them no longer hesitated, they rushed forward and crashed into the Aunt Li, ignoring the fact that she fell on the ground and cried out for pain, they rushed to the place where the herbs were stored without looking back.


    Aunt Li looked on helplessly as the two of them ran away, her delicate face turning green and white in anger.


    She angrily stood up from the ground, "Eldest Miss, is this how you teach your subordinates? If it were in my courtyard, this kind of servant would have already been sold to such a lowly place. "


    "But this is my courtyard." An Lingge poked her in a neither soft nor hard manner before squatting down and extending her hand to check the condition of the disease on Madam Wang''s wrist.


    The pulse of the Madam Wang was very chaotic, the pulse was sometimes fast and sometimes slow, and sometimes strong and sometimes weak.


    An Lingge''s face became gloomy, "Second Aunt, you ate something that you shouldn''t have."


    She turned around and took out a bag of golden needles from a nearby shelf, and quickly and accurately pierced it into the acupuncture points on Madam Wang.


    When Aunt Li saw this calm appearance, she was even more certain of her guess.


    An Lingge, that slut, really knows medicine!


    A trace of shock flashed through her heart, followed by a hint of ruthlessness.


    No, this won''t do. This is a trap that she had set up, if An Lingge cured her Madam Wang, how would she instigate this relationship between the two of them?


    First Miss, what are you doing? With Second Madam''s current state, you cannot move around carelessly.


    She took two steps forward and rammed An Lingge to the side. At the same time, she knocked the golden needles in her hands to the side, causing her Madam Wang that was slightly better to let out a painful cry.


    "Look, Second Madam''s face is already so pale. Eldest Miss, you still want to torment her, you really ¡­"


    Aunt Li acted as if she was heartbroken, but An Lingge didn''t have the mood to accompany her in the act. Seeing that more and more blood was flowing under her body, it was as if her face was covered in a layer of ice.


    "Scram!"


    She had never berated him so harshly before. Aunt Li''s heart jumped and he subconsciously took a step back.


    An Lingge walked to Madam Wang''s side and pulled out the golden needles that had been knocked out, then found the correct acupuncture points once again.


    "Second Aunt, how are you feeling right now?" An Lingge poured a cup of tea and brought it to Madam Wang''s mouth.


    Madam Wang had just lost a lot of blood, and his face was extremely pale. She took a large gulp of water, and only then did she feel that the dizziness in front of her eyes had lightened a little.


    After she finished speaking, she seemed to recall something and her face turned even paler. "My child! And the doctor, why is the doctor not here yet? "


    An Lingge held her trembling hands, and comforted her in a soft voice, "Don''t worry Second Aunt, this time, you ate something you shouldn''t have, and got pregnant. However, I had already used a golden needle to stop the bleeding, and as long as you drink a few sets of blood recovery medicine and recuperate your body, you should be alright."


    "Really?" Even though An Lingge had already helped her stop the bleeding, her Madam Wang was still not at ease. After all, she had never known that An Lingge knew medicine, so compared to this little girl who had yet to leave the pavilion, she believed in doctors from her clan more.


    An Lingge nodded her head, "Of course it''s true, and doctor will be coming over in a while. If Second Aunt is worried, let doctor diagnose him once more."


    This method was not bad, and the Madam Wang was slightly relieved as they waited for the doctor.


    But even after waiting to the left and right until Brightheart and Bi Zhu''s medicine were all prepared, the doctor still did not come.


    "Aunt Li, where are the servants that you sent to get doctor? It can''t be that the Duke Palaces are too big, right?


    An Lingge''s sarcastic remarks made Aunt Li''s face turn ugly. She opened her mouth but did not know what to say.


    That maid was only there for show. She would definitely not bring doctor here without half an hour of time.


    Right now, when An Lingge was making a move, she could only force a smile and come up with a dry excuse, "It might be because doctor went to another courtyard and my servant went a bit further away, which is why I took up too much time."


    She had previously blocked Ming Xin and Bi Zhu, and now that the servants she sent out had yet to bring the doctor over, her heart was filled with suspicion.

 C141

    "Bi Zhu, go and see where the doctor is. Tell him to come over quickly." The corner of An Lingge''s mouth raised, with a profound look in her eyes.


    Although Aunt Li was afraid that Bi Zhu would not be able to see the maid that she sent, she didn''t dare to stop her at this time either. She could only pretend to agree, "My servant always likes to be lazy, go and urge her, don''t delay Second Madam."


    "If such a lazy and incompetent maid was in my courtyard, she would have already been sold out. I don''t want her to be so annoying in front of me." Madam Wang rested for a while, and had already recovered some of his strength. At this time, he took out Aunt Li''s words to mock her, causing the latter''s smile to almost collapse on her face.


    Normally, I''ve always ignored her lazy behavior due to the fact that she''s been with me for a few years. However, I never thought that she would dare to run over and take time off at such an important moment. When she returns, I''ll definitely punish her so that she won''t have a memory of her time. Aunt Li tried her best to make the smile on his face seem natural, and at the same time, she found a way out for her.


    If Bi Zhu went to doctor and did not see her servant, she could say that her servant was lazy, but the two of them could not say that she was in the wrong.


    As for the matter of her having her Madam Wang drugged, this matter was extremely secretive and no matter how they investigated, they would not be able to uncover it.


    Madam Wang snorted but did not say anything. Just now, she had lost so much blood, but Aunt Li still blocked the door and did not let anyone prepare medicine for her.


    When she did not speak, the room grew quiet.


    This time, doctor came quickly, and quickly followed Bi Zhu in.


    "Why did the Second Madam lose so much blood?"


    Even though Bi Zhu had explained everything to the doctor, she was still shocked when she saw the fresh blood.


    His brows tightly knitted together, he quickly walked to the side of Madam Wang. "Last time, Second Madam suffered from an injury that alarmed his womb, and this time, he lost so much blood, the child in his stomach is probably ¡­"


    Madam Wang''s heart instantly tightened as she anxiously asked, "Doctor, how is it? Can the child in my stomach still be preserved?"


    With a dark expression, doctor put her hand on Madam Wang''s wrist. A moment later, his tightly knitted eyebrows slightly loosened, and a trace of doubt surfaced on her face.


    "Strange, strange."


    He stroked his beard, puzzled.


    She had a straightforward personality in the first place, and now that it was related to the child in her womb, she couldn''t help but ask, "Tell me, can the child in my womb be preserved?"


    "Logically speaking, the Second Madam already had fetal energy, and now that he has lost so much blood, the fetus in his stomach should not have been preserved. However, the Second Madam''s pulse is stable and there are no signs of a low birth. It''s just that your body is a little weak and needs to be well nourished so we absolutely do not dare to make any mistakes. "


    After doctor finished speaking, Madam Wang let out a long sigh.


    She remembered that An Lingge had pierced those golden needles onto her body and knew that it was him who had saved her.


    "Eldest Miss, it''s all thanks to you this time, otherwise, I''m afraid this time, Second Aunt would ¡­" She held An Lingge''s hand, although her face was still pale, but her expression had calmed down, and was no longer as anxious as before.


    An Lingge smiled at her, but did not take credit for it, "It is you, Second Aunt, who are so generous with your possessions that you are able to avoid danger every single time."


    Aunt Li stood at the side and faked a blessing from Buddha, then said, "Eldest Miss, Second Madam came all the way here, but almost got a small fortune. Could it be that when you were hoarding the medicinal ingredients, you put the things that you shouldn''t have put in the house, which caused Second Madam to be angry with you?"


    She mentioned the matter of An Lingge hoarding the medicinal ingredients, and gave this matter a seemingly reasonable reason.


    However, An Lingge looked at her with a smile that was not a smile, "Aunt Li probably doesn''t know, although I ordered people to stock up some medicinal herbs, but I didn''t buy any of those that are harmful to people."


    She paused for a moment, and her expression became serious, "But Aunt Li is right. Second Aunt came here just in time, and we nearly lost the child in our stomachs. We have to investigate this matter thoroughly."


    The Madam Wang was originally tricked by the Aunt Li, and thought that it was actually An Lingge''s stored up of medicinal ingredients that were bad for him.


    But then she thought, if there was such a medicine, would An Lingge have placed it in her room to harm herself?


    Although Aunt Li''s excuse seemed reasonable, it was in reality, unable to be questioned.


    She looked at Aunt Li with a face full of anger, "Aunt Li, let''s not talk about why I got pregnant first. Why did the young miss send someone to fry some medicine for me? Why did you stop them?


    "What is Second Madam saying?" Aunt Li''s eyes flashed as she covered her heart, "I have no enmity with Second Madam, why would I do such a malicious thing to harm you?"


    "It was an emergency and you were in the young lady''s room. I was not afraid that the young lady would use medicine to harm you, so I prevented the maids from destroying the evidence."


    She rounded on her words and changed her expression to one of grievance, "After all, you and I were the first to argue. If you were to blame me for having activated my womb, wouldn''t I be wrongly accused?"


    An Lingge laughed out loud, "So Aunt Li, in order to prevent you from being falsely accused, you placed the blame on me, suspecting that I drugged Second Aunt?"


    She bit out the word "wrongly accused" heavily, as she simply did not believe that the Aunt Li was innocent at all.


    "Aunt Li wanted to say something, but An Lingge didn''t give her the chance to," I''ve always thought that you, Aunt Li, take care of the Duke''s Mansion. But now that you have no proof, you poured the dirty water on me. You are slandering the emperor''s own princess! According to the laws of the Great Zhou, you should be hit twenty times with a rod! "


    She put on the airs of a princess, making Aunt Li grit her teeth in anger.


    However, since things had already come to this point, there was no time for her to change her mind.


    Aunt Li clenched her teeth, then used the handkerchief to wipe the corners of his eyes. She wiped them until they were red, then put her hands down, with a mournful look on her face, "Since young miss has already assumed the identity of a princess, then I must make this matter clear."


    "Second Madam came to your courtyard and fought with me for a while before bleeding profusely. Afterwards, you calmly ordered a servant girl to fry medicine and gave her a golden needle to stop the bleeding. All of this is too much of a coincidence, isn''t it?"


    "I didn''t say that Eldest Miss wanted to frame Second Madam. I just felt that today''s matter was like Eldest Miss had deliberately planned to sell a favor to Second Madam."


    Aunt Li''s face was filled with panic, as if she was frightened by her own guess.


    At a place where no one could see, a trace of malevolence flashed past her eyes.


    As long as she could sow discord between the two, her plans for today would not be in vain.

 C142

    Although Madam Wang knew that the Aunt Li was uneasy and had good intentions, when she heard the Aunt Li''s words, she couldn''t help but have a few thoughts in her heart.


    With regards to her child, Madam Wang had no choice but to be careful.


    She looked at An Lingge. Although there was no questioning look on her face, she asked An Lingge for an explanation, "Just now, Eldest Miss did not hurry and asked the servant girl to boil some medicine for me. She seems to be more proficient than an ordinary doctor, I wonder when did Eldest Miss learn such a powerful medical technique?"


    Bi Zhu''s face flashed with anger, her young miss had saved Second Madam out of kindness, but this man had actually turned to question her, this was simply too kind to repay a kindness with enmity!


    Even her usually calm heart flashed a trace of dissatisfaction in her eyes.


    However, as if An Lingge had already expected this attitude from the Madam Wang, the expression on his face grew slightly colder, and it did not contain any surprise and fury.


    "Second Aunt doesn''t know. A few days ago, I gathered some medicinal herbs just for the sake of studying pharmacology. And because of that, Seventh Prince even brought some people to the Duke Palaces, wanting to condemn me as a traitor. "


    Saying that, her gaze landed on Aunt Li''s body, her lips carrying a trace of ridicule, "To be able to slander someone with your white teeth, you really resemble Aunt Li somewhat."


    "So this is how Eldest Miss learned her medical skills." The doubt in Madam Wang towards An Lingge faded and they became a little embarrassed.


    Although she was impulsive and straightforward, she had never done such a thing in her decades of life. She couldn''t help but feel her face grow dry.


    Aunt Li went to look for the loophole in An Lingge''s words, "First Miss''s medical skills could be learned from books, it would also be reasonable to say that you were hoarding medicinal herbs. But where did you learn the art of acupuncture?"


    An Lingge had good medical skills, it was her talent and intelligence, she only needed to read to know more than half of the knowledge, and also bought a large amount of medicinal ingredients to study, which was why she was able to be so proficient in it. Then, the acupuncture on her Madam Wang just now was not something that could be learnt just by reading books, without a certain amount of practice, it was impossible for her to hit the nail quickly and accurately.


    Aunt Li was secretly pleased in her heart. Even if she knew medicine, she wouldn''t be able to escape the suspicion of the Madam Wang.


    The doubt that her Madam Wang had just been dispelled rose again, but this time, she did not directly ask An Lingge about it. Instead, she drank a few words from the Aunt Li: "Young Miss has always been intelligent and versatile.


    An Lingge looked at Madam Wang and laughed, then spoke out first, "Second Aunt doesn''t need to listen to my words to suspect me. I met an expert not long ago with my [Golden Needle Technique].


    "Eldest Miss pushed the matter onto that so-called expert. Doesn''t that mean there''s no way to investigate?"


    Aunt Li didn''t even bother with her giggling, she kept asking An Lingge questions. She was determined to make An Lingge speechless, make her suffer the disgust of the Madam Wang, make her carry the notoriety of being the murderer of an elder!


    There was doubt in her eyes as she spoke sentence after sentence which smashed into the heart of the Madam Wang, "Just now, First Miss said that I wronged you for no reason. Now that your medical skills are so strange, you aren''t able to come up with a proper reason. I think that the First Miss did indeed plan to use today''s matter to sell a favor to the Madam Wang, and get exposed. She said that I slandered you, and that you wanted to use her name to punish me for my crimes! "


    "I didn''t expect that Aunt Li would actually spout such nonsense." An Lingge sneered, and gave Bi Zhu a look. The latter immediately turned around and went into the room, and took out an item.


    That thing was as tall as a person, and it was tightly covered by the silk cloth ¡­


    "Let me show this to Aunt Li."


    With An Lingge''s words, Bi Zhu tore off the layer of silk that was covered by the cloth, and what was inside was revealed.


    "This is?"


    The Madam Wang cried out in alarm, and the change in expression in his eyes was unclear.


    Ming Xin smiled, but there was not much respect in her eyes. "Reporting to the Second Madam, this is a fake body that our Young Miss ordered people to make. If she has nothing to do, she would use acupuncture on this fake body, which is why she is familiar with the acupuncture points of the human body."


    This way, it would make sense for An Lingge to use the golden needles to stop the bleeding.


    "Impossible. How can a fake human allow you to practice your medical skills?" Aunt Li''s sharp voice made her face twist slightly.


    An Lingge was in no mood to waste words with her, so Ming Xin stood in front of her, "Aunt Li, just now our young miss said that she was taught by an expert and trained diligently to learn the art of acupuncture. If you don''t believe me, then please ask the old lady to come over and let her see who exactly is in charge of this matter! "


    If he had involved the madame as well, then this matter would really be blown out of proportion.


    Aunt Li had originally wanted to make the matter of having a low production of Madam Wang as big as possible so that more people would know that An Lingge''s thoughts were vicious and that he harmed the children of Madam Wang.


    But now, her Madam Wang was not a small matter, and An Lingge had even gradually cleared her suspicion of him. Now that she made this matter bigger, it wasn''t good for her at all.


    Her expression froze for a moment before she put on a magnanimous face, "Forget it, since Eldest Miss has proven her innocence, I''ll send someone to investigate this matter later. Old madam always likes peace and quiet, so there''s no need to disturb her."


    He looked at his young miss and asked her with his eyes what he should do next.


    An Lingge raised his eyebrows, and poured some of the dirty water on her. How could there be such a perfect match in the world?


    "Grandmother really does enjoy peace and quiet. Aunt Li doesn''t want to disturb me, so I won''t disturb you." An Lingge paused, and saw Aunt Li''s relieved expression, "However, this matter involves Second Aunt, and it is not something that you can explain with a single sentence. I will immediately send someone to inform Father and Second Uncle to investigate this matter clearly. I will absolutely not let Second Aunt suffer through this for nothing. "


    Bi Zhu looked at An Lingge teasing Aunt Li, and a smile flashed past her eyes.


    "Miss, rest assured. If something like this happens in our courtyard, this servant will go and report it to the prince and the second master right now. They will definitely investigate everything thoroughly."


    She quickly responded to An Lingge''s words, and indeed, she saw that Aunt Li''s expression had changed.


    The Aunt Li''s noodle shop shook severely. Originally, she wanted to speak out and stop An Lingge, but she saw the doubtful gaze of the Madam Wang falling on her body from the corner of his eyes.


    "Yes, yes, I was confused. Second Madam almost lost his child, I must find out more about this matter."


    In any case, this matter was done in secret, so no matter how hard they tried, they were unable to find out anything about it.


    If she were to stop An Lingge at this time, it would instead arouse suspicion in the Madam Wang.


    She and Madam Wang had never been on par in the first place. If Madam Wang were to catch her and not let her go, opposing her at every turn in the future would truly be falling into An Lingge''s trap.

 C143

    Because of the two orders, the Prince An''s Palace became restless. On the other side, the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace was also in a similar situation.


    Prince Mu had already sent off the eunuch who gave the decree, and when he turned around and returned to the residence, his thick eyebrows tightly knitted together.


    "What does the emperor''s imperial edict mean?"


    He shouted at his son, his eyes wide and terrifying at first glance.


    However, Mu Junhan did not take his vicious appearance to heart. Instead, the corner of his mouth hooked up into a playful and disrespectful smile.


    "The Emperor wanted to take back the military power in your hands, so he found a reason to send me to gather troops."


    Who didn''t understand the emperor''s thoughts, but did he care about the military power?


    The Prince Mu''s tiger''s eyes widened even more as he angrily looked at his unruly son. "The Emperor wants to reclaim the military power, but he has a way. Why did he let you go to the Mo Bei to be a vice general?"


    That Mo Bei is rioted by bandits all year round, so it''s not a good place.


    When Prince Mu thought about this, the frown between his eyebrows became even tighter.


    He had been married to an imperial concubine for so many years, yet he only had this one son. No matter how much Mu Junhan refused to be taught, no matter how much he stomped his feet in anger, he was still his only son. If something were to happen to him, his Prince Mu¡¯s Palace would be considered to have been severed!


    Mu Junhan raised his eyebrows slightly, a carefree expression hung on his face. "Who knows why the emperor wants to send me to the Mo Bei. Who dares to guess the emperor''s intentions?"


    "Stop putting on an act for me!" Prince Mu was so angry that his beard was blown, anger rising in his large eyes, "You stayed in the palace for so long, did you not do anything?"


    Although he did not have the intention to rebel, the current situation was extremely grim. For the sake of the safety of the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, he had no choice but to place his own men in the palace.


    As soon as Mu Junhan went into the palace to look for the emperor, his men returned to spread the news.


    The Prince Mu was very worried. He thought that Mu Junhan had only gone to the palace to see the empress dowager, but the emperor''s decree had made him understand that the brat must have said something in front of the emperor to have caused the emperor to give out such a decree.


    "I can''t change the emperor''s mind." Mu Junhan''s expression did not change. "Your majesty has already suspected our Duke Palace for a long time, but you haven''t found the opportunity to make a move against us. "It would be better to just give the emperor a chance and let him take back the military power. Only then will he feel at ease, Royal Father, you don''t need to be so worried that the emperor will find a reason to take over the estate."


    "Brat, what nonsense are you spouting?" Prince Mu''s thoughts were exposed, and he became angry from embarrassment. He fiercely glared at his son and said, "The current emperor is a benevolent king, he wouldn''t do something like framing an official."


    As for whether the emperor could actually do that, the Prince Mu didn''t know. But in front of Mu Junhan, he had to maintain the image of the Emperor.


    Mu Junhan nodded his head, but he did not believe the words of the Prince Mu at all, "Royal Father, you are right. The current emperor is a benevolent ruler, so he sent me to the Mo Bei as a deputy general.


    Previously, the one who suspected the Emperor of being meticulous was the Prince Mu, but the one speaking up for the Emperor now was still him.


    Prince Mu choked, wanting to swallow his own words back into his mouth. This brat was clever, arguing with him, if not careful, he would forgive him.


    "No matter what happens, you must not enter this Mo Bei!"


    In the Prince Mu''s heart, a person like Mu Junhan who had grown up in the capital could not bear such a cold and bitter place like Mo Bei.


    Mu Junhan looked up, his eyes carrying a rare serious expression. "Going to the Mo Bei was something I brought up to the emperor. Royal father, it''s useless no matter how much you object."


    This brat was finally telling the truth!


    The Prince Mu was so angry that he laughed out loud, pointing at his son. "You are begging the emperor to let you lead the troops into the Mo Bei? What qualifications do you, who have never fought in a battlefield or experienced a war, have to take on a soldier? "


    His words were extremely rude, "Back then, the first time I went to the battlefield, I was by your grandfather''s side. I studied for three whole months before daring to lead troops by myself. "Since you were a child, you''ve been surrounded by the Emperor in the capital. Although you have some skills, that skill of yours can block thousands of soldiers and horses, but you can still block open and dark arrows?"


    The sternness in Prince Mu''s words was because he was worried for his son''s safety.


    Mu Junhan''s face became serious and his eyes became pitch-black and his thoughts could not be seen clearly. She said in a heavy tone, "Royal father, you saw clearly what kind of attitude your majesty has towards our Duke Palace. The Prince An''s Palace is just our future marriage, so the Seventh Prince attacked them, but luckily he did not have any evidence on this matter, and left this matter at that. But if we do not let the emperor take back the military power, he will definitely make a move against the Duke''s Mansion. At that time, if we aren''t prepared in the slightest, won''t we be at the mercy of the Emperor? "


    "Then I''ll go to court tomorrow and find an excuse to hand over the military authority to the emperor. He should be relieved now, right?" Prince Mu had long since figured out what the emperor was thinking, but he had taken the military power from the Old Marquis''s hands. It would be more painful for him to hand it over obediently than cutting off his flesh.


    However, compared to his son''s life, the military power was nothing.


    "With Royal Father''s understanding of the Emperor, if you hand over the military power, would the Emperor let down his guard?"


    Mu Junhan asked indifferently, completely extinguishing all the good fortune in his father''s heart.


    The reason they were facing the current situation was because of the Emperor''s suspicion.


    If he were to hand over the military power, the Emperor would believe that he had no ill intentions.


    Seeing the Prince Mu sink into silence, only then did Mu Junhan speak, "Your Majesty is suspicious of his nature. Royal father, if you were to hand over the military power, he would also suspect that you might still have your own troops and horses in the shadows. Now that things are like this, the Emperor thinks that he is scheming against us, but he has no idea that I am scheming against him as well. "


    His eyes were bright, and the smile at the corner of his mouth was meaningful.


    Prince Mu''s eyes lit up, with some hope in his eyes, "You have a way?"


    "Naturally, as long as I go to the Mo Bei, the Emperor will be at ease."


    This brat had brought the matter back to normal!


    Prince Mu puffed his beard and glared, "Whatever you say, you just want to go to the Mo Bei!"


    "It''s not that I want to go to the Mo Bei, it''s that the emperor wants me to go to the Mo Bei." Mu Junhan placed his hands behind his back and looked in the direction of the palace, "The emperor wanted to take back the military power from royal father, but he was afraid that doing so too much would cause the court to be displeased, so he sent me to the Mo Bei as a deputy general and sent another General Da to take charge of the military power. This way, he will be able to smoothly regain his military power, and will not arouse anyone''s disapproval. "


    "But Father, think about it. The Emperor''s plan was to let the people he sent to outdo me. But what if he wasn''t the one the Emperor sent to be loyal to?"


    The corner of Mu Junhan''s lips curled up slightly, his pitch-black phoenix eyes were filled with confidence.

 C144

    The Prince Mu sank into deep thought. If the people the Emperor sent to the Mo Bei were not loyal to the Emperor, but to someone else, it would be hard to say who would hold the military power in the end.


    He looked at Mu Junhan''s assured expression and had a guess in his heart, but he couldn''t calm down in the slightest. "But we don''t know who the Emperor will send to guard the Mo Bei."


    Although there weren''t many generals in the court, there were at least twenty of them, big and small. Could it be that the little brat knew who the Emperor was going to send to be the General Da?


    "In this court, the only person who can be as famous as you, royal father, is Lu Tianya. However, Lu Tianya has always guarded the border between the Great Zhou and the Western Paradise, and is unable to part with him. The Emperor can only take a step back and search for those outstanding martial generals who do not have any background. After thinking carefully, there is only one person who meets these requirements. "


    Mu Junhan''s eyes flashed, that year, that person was just a wandering hero who was being chased by his enemies, he easily helped him, and seeing that he had some tricks up his sleeves, he changed him into a new identity and arranged for him to stay in the army camp.


    After a few years, he had indeed become a militant with a small reputation in the Zhou Dynasty.


    "You mean, Wang Yi?"


    However, his brute force was enough to crush a boulder with his bare hands. This was because he had killed a young leader of the enemy in the battle against Western Lion. Only then did he receive much attention in the process of promotion, so he walked step by step towards the throne room.


    Could this person be Han-Er''s subordinate?


    Just as Prince Mu was thinking about this, he saw Mu Junhan nod his head and said, "Back then, I had helped him and he said that he had nowhere to go, so I arranged for him to go to the army."


    There were some things that did not need to be said too clearly, the Prince Mu already understood the sequence of events.


    If this person was Han''er''s person, then he wouldn''t have to worry about the emperor secretly attacking people.


    Prince Mu was relieved, "Since that''s the case, then go to the Mo Bei ¡­"


    "Han-er, you want to go to Mo Bei?"


    A gentle and pleasant female voice sounded. Accompanied by a burst of Pearl Curtain sounds, the slender figure of Princess Mu appeared in front of the two of them.


    She was holding a plain gold soup bowl, the steam rising from it, covering her face in a hazy dream.


    Princess Mu''s eyes were filled with gentleness and worry. She walked over slowly and placed the bowl on the table, then looked at Mu Junhan with her watery eyes, "Everything is fine, why are you going to the Mo Bei?"


    "This is the emperor''s decree." Mu Junhan secretly exchanged glances with Prince Mu, and the two of them tacitly concealed the conversation they had with each other.


    Prince Mu held her hand as if she was holding a most precious treasure, and her tiger-like eyes softened, "Your body isn''t well, quickly come and sit."


    Just as Princess Mu wanted to say something, she suddenly coughed lightly twice. Prince Mu immediately stood up and helped her sit in a chair.


    "Mufei, you''re not in a good condition, and the wind is strong right now. Just ask the servants to send the soup over, don''t tire yourself out." Mu Junhan''s eyes flashed with a trace of nervousness, but when facing Princess Mu, he could not help but lower his tone.


    "I''m fine." Princess Mu smiled and shook her head, the curve of her lips was extremely gentle.


    "Your royal father and royal father came back from the Mo Bei a few years ago, and would only occasionally go there to guard it for a few months. Why did the emperor even send you over?"


    The father and son duo kept their doubts about the Emperor''s Prince Mu¡¯s Palace a tight secret, afraid that she would worry too much after knowing about this matter and affect their bodies. Thus, they only thought that the Emperor''s actions were a little strange and didn''t think too much about it.


    "Mother, as a Hereditary Prince of the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, I will also have to take over a hundred thousand troops and horses of the Mo Bei from royal father in the future, in order to guard the Mo Bei of the Great Zhou. Now that the Emperor has sent me here, it''s just to let me get familiar with the place in advance, and also prepare me for the future. This is a normal matter, so you don''t have to worry about it. "


    "Oh, so that''s how it is." The doubt in Princess Mu''s heart disappeared, but a layer of worry still floated on her forehead, "Han''er, you have to go to the bitter and cold place called Mo Bei, you might encounter trouble from the north, and you need to go through a few more battles. It''s too dangerous."


    "Mufei, this is something I have to experience." Mu Junhan softened his tone, but Princess Mu still could not be at ease.


    There was a trace of helplessness in her watery eyes as she let out a long breath. "Forget it, we can''t disobey the emperor''s decree." Mother will go to the temple tomorrow and ask for a peace charm for you. "


    Princess Mu was not the only one who wanted to obtain the safety talisman.


    Madam Wang was half lying on the bed, and because of the blood loss, his face was still a little pale.


    The maid beside her hurriedly placed a pillow covered in a thick layer of green and gold silk, and softly suggested, "Madam, why don''t we go and get a peace talisman tomorrow?"


    The Madam Wang had already been activated twice already, so the servant was very afraid.


    Today, she was not by his side when his wife was in trouble. When she saw that his wife had been brought back, her dress was covered in blood. She was so frightened that her face turned pale and she almost fainted.


    It was a good thing that Madam took advantage of him and it was just a false alarm. Nothing had happened to the child in her womb, otherwise ¡­


    "When we were at the ancestral residence, our days were not considered rich, but we could be considered rich and safe. However, ever since you arrived at the capital, you have been riled up twice. This servant thought to herself, could it be that you and Madam have offended them, so this sort of thing happened? "


    Madam Wang had originally closed his eyes to rest. After hearing her words, he opened his eyes, and his voice was a little superficial. However, his expression carried a bit of fierceness, "Are you saying that everything that happened today was all an accident?"


    If he pushed the matter of her being infuriated onto the other party, wouldn''t that mean that he had taken out the culprit behind it?


    The maid didn''t dare to say anything unexpected.


    She paused, weighing the pros and cons, then lowered her head. "Whether it''s a natural disaster or a human disaster, it''s always good for you to ask for a peace talisman."


    Madam Wang once again closed his eyes, but his heart was thinking about the servant girl''s words.


    The last time she was angry, it was because An Lingyi had pushed her to the ground. This time, she stood perfectly still in An Lingge''s room and almost lost the child in her stomach.


    The first time was man-made, but the second time was still man-made?


    She was a bit uncertain, but she still nodded her head and agreed to the servant girl''s suggestion.


    "Go down and prepare. Tomorrow, we will go to the temple to get a peace talisman."


    On one side, Madam Wang was preparing to go to the temple to ask for the safety amulet, but a maid in her courtyard had already sneaked into the courtyard of Aunt Li.


    "Go tell Aunt that Second Madam is going to the temple tomorrow."

 C145

    The maidservant approached the old gatekeeper and lowered her voice, passing on the news she had received.


    The old woman nodded, and the servant returned to the Madam Wang courtyard.


    However, the moment she stepped into the courtyard, she was immediately surrounded by a group of maids and wives.


    "Alright, I was just wondering why I was in so many mishaps. It seems like you, the maid, had other intentions and sold me out to be someone else''s dog!"


    Her body, which had become fat from her pregnancy, also appeared in the eyes of the servant girl.


    "Wh, madam, why are you here?"


    The maidservant stammered and was shocked. She could not help but blurt out the words that came out of her mouth.


    However, she immediately regretted doing such a guilty action. She quickly made up for it, "Madam, you''ve injured your body today. It''s time to take a good rest. Why aren''t you staying in the room?"


    However, Madam Wang ignored her concerned words, and she sneered: "You''re already caught, yet you still pretend nothing happened. You sure are bold."


    If not for his courage, how would he dare to send news to the Aunt Li?


    As she thought of this, her heart rose and fell in anger.


    The servant girl pretended to be at a loss and asked, "Madam, what do you mean by that? This servant doesn''t understand. "


    "You don''t understand?" Madam Wang''s voice was a little sharp, instructing the servant girl beside him, "Qing Er, tell her what you just saw."


    "Just now when I went to fry medicine for my wife, I saw you sneaking out of the courtyard. You put down your work and didn''t do it, but instead went to Aunt Li''s courtyard.


    Qing Er glared fiercely at the servant. If it wasn''t for her, the Madam wouldn''t have been tricked by the Aunt Li.


    It was precisely because he noticed the hands Aunt Li had placed by his side that Madam Wang realized how abnormal the events of today were.


    First, Aunt Li purposely provoked her until she was angry, causing her to bleed profusely. Afterwards, Aunt Li also prevented Bi Zhu from concocting the medicine for her, and when the blood stopped flowing and the child in her stomach was saved, Aunt Li could not help but slander An Lingge, saying that this was all done by the young miss herself.


    But her visit to An Lingge today was completely due to a whim, so it was impossible for An Lingge to know of it beforehand.


    On the other hand, the Aunt Li had arranged a group of people in her courtyard to keep track of her movements and movements. She was the person who was most likely to make a move on her.


    Thinking about it carefully, if something were to happen to her in An Lingge''s courtyard, and the child in her stomach could no longer be kept, then she would lose her child painfully, and An Lingge would also be unable to escape the suspicion that she was suffering from a miscarriage.


    Madam Wang''s face became darker and darker, while the servant girl still tried to defend herself, "Madam, I just remembered that I didn''t take anything and went to find someone to get it back, so how would I dare to do something that would betray you?"


    She was pretty and delicate, and there were tears in her eyes, making her look even more pitiful.


    This was what the Second Elder An Yinghao liked the most!


    "Qing''er, go sell this maid to the lowest brothel in the capital!"


    "Madam, you can''t do this!" That servant girl screamed. She did not expect that the Madam Wang would not follow through with her tricks, and would sell her out without giving her a clear explanation.


    "You know I''m a lady?" Madam Wang stared coldly at the servant girl, "I am an upright and proper master, and you are only a third-rate servant girl. I don''t like you to do things. If I sell you out, who would have any objections? "


    A lord wanting to sell a servant was a matter that was perfectly justified. No matter how dissatisfied the maid was, no matter how resentful she was, it would not change this fact.


    But she couldn''t be sold to that lowly brothel by Madam Wang just like that!


    The maid hardened her heart and knelt on the ground with a thump.


    "Madam, your servant is already pregnant with the lord''s child. If you want to punish your servant, please report it to the lord. When the lord gives the order, your servant will do as he pleases!"


    She clutched her stomach with a mournful expression on her face. "Pity my unborn child. I might not even have time to look at his father before I ¡­ I''m going to ¡­"


    She knew An Yinghao was a lustful man, so all of the servants by her side had picked out people with average appearances, but she never expected that he would actually do this kind of thing to a maid who was third class!


    This was an extraordinary shame and humiliation!


    Madam Wang only felt that someone ruthlessly gave her a resounding slap in front of the entire courtyard full of servant girls.


    Her face turned blue and her lips quivered. After a long while, she finally spat out a sentence, "What a good seductress you are for seducing master!"


    She didn''t care about the weakness of her body as she took two steps forward and viciously slapped the servant girl.


    Qing''er quickly followed beside her and supported her, afraid that something might happen to her.


    "Go and call the old master over. I would like to see how he will deal with this maidservant!"


    This maidservant''s thoughts were also vicious. After seducing the old master and getting pregnant with the old master''s child, she actually dared to sell her out. She wanted to use the Aunt Li''s hands to get rid of the child in her stomach.


    After all, there was still a piece of meat in his stomach!


    When the old master came over, she must let An Yinghao personally see this maid being fed the falling soup!


    The fierce light in the Madam Wang seemed to be able to directly swallow the servant girl down, and the anger in her body made all the surrounding servant girls lower their heads, not daring to make a sound.


    Qing''er knew that her own wife was not feeling well, so she quickly signaled another maidservant for her to call the old master over.


    Only now did An Yinghao eat the flower wine with the others, sleeping soundly in his own room.


    "Master, Madam is calling for you."


    An Yinghao frowned, with some unhappiness in his voice, "What happened to her?"


    "Madam, you must have been provoked today. Later on, you found out that it was the servant girl in the courtyard who had done it. She was preparing to deal with that servant girl."


    An Yinghao snorted from his nose, "Others who are pregnant wouldn''t suffer as much as she does, but he''s just a servant, so she''s done with it. "Go back and tell her not to bother me if there''s nothing else."


    This attitude was extremely cold. The maid''s heart chilled, but she couldn''t help but speak, "But that maid claimed to be pregnant with your child, and shouted for you to be the judge. Madam was helpless to allow me to call you out."


    With his child?


    An Yinghao thought about it, a few days ago he had indeed been hooked up with a servant girl in the Madam Wang courtyard. Originally, he had wanted to take her in his room, but when he was busy, he forgot about it, never would he expect that the servant girl would be pregnant with his child.


    An Yinghao immediately stood up, "Bring me there!"


    He definitely could not let that shrew, Madam Wang, make him lose his child.

 C146

    An Yinghao was afraid that the Madam Wang would harm the child in the servant''s stomach, but he never would have thought that since the Madam Wang was also pregnant, and he had used his fetus energy twice in a row, to the point that he was stimulated by the servant, that nothing would happen.


    He hurriedly rushed to Madam Wang''s courtyard and walked through the circular door. He then saw that Madam Wang''s complexion was dark and was surrounded by the maids'' wives, and a slender servant girl was kneeling on the ground.


    "What are all of you doing!?"


    An Yinghao put on the airs of a lord, and bellowed.


    When Madam Wang saw that he had come, he raised his eyebrows in ridicule, and the smile on his lips carried some ridicule, "Old master has finally arrived, I am currently dealing with a lowly slave who betrayed master, but she said that she was pregnant with old master''s child, so I had no choice but to send someone to invite old master over."


    Seeing that the Madam Wang had revealed their relationship in front of so many people, An Yinghao could not help but feel embarrassed.


    Embarrassment flashed across his face. Perhaps it was because he was afraid, but the anger in his voice faded a little. "No matter what the reason is, you can''t let this maid kneel on the ground. "If she kneels for too long, the child in her stomach ¡­"


    "The child in her womb? Heh, have you ever thought about the child in my womb? " Madam Wang''s expression became agitated, and his tone carried a sense of desolation.


    "It''s only been a short while since we''ve returned to the capital, and you''ve already hooked up with this maid. If it''s just that, then it''s fine, but this servant girl actually revealed my information to the Aunt Li, causing me to nearly lose my child due to that slut, why don''t you think about it?"


    "I haven''t even dealt with this maid yet and you''ve already come running over with your eyes closed. You''ve truly caused her heart to ache so much for you."


    An Yinghao was most afraid of her sharp mouth that dared to say anything, so she did not leave him any face at all.


    His expression was embarrassed as he looked at the maidservant on the ground. When he saw that the maidservant''s eyes were filled with tears and looked pitifully at him, a feeling of pity arose in his heart.


    "You said that the servant girl betrayed you. Is there any evidence?" If not, I can''t let you let her off so easily. " He extended his hand and pulled the servant girl up from the ground, lowering his head and instructing the maid to pay attention to his child. His Madam Wang caused his eyes to turn black, and even his ears to ring.


    However, the servant girl leaned weakly into An Yinghao''s embrace, two streams of tears finally flowed down her delicate and pretty face. She bit her lips, as if she was extremely afraid.


    "Old master, you''ve finally come. This servant only went to Aunt Li''s courtyard to retrieve a few things, and Madame said that this servant had colluded with Aunt Li to sell me to the lowest grade kiln. "Normally, this servant will accept her fate, but now that this servant is your servant, if I were to serve another man, wouldn''t that be shaming you?"


    She was crying miserably, but she kept hinting to An Yinghao that she had already given her body to him. If An Yinghao could only watch helplessly as she was sold to a brothel by Madam Wang, the one who would lose face would be the Second Elder himself.


    This time, when An Yinghao thought about it, he was even more unwilling to let Madam Wang sell this servant girl.


    "Don''t worry, you''re already one of my people. I definitely won''t let you go to that place."


    He solemnly promised the servant before turning to look at Madam Wang, "You already know that this maid is mine, if you sell her to the brothel, won''t that make me a joke? This is absolutely out of the question! "


    If others were to know that An Yinghao''s woman had been sold to a brothel, not only would they lose face him, but their entire Prince An''s Palace as well.


    Madam Wang thought it through, and felt that this servant was too cunning.


    "Master said that he won''t sell, so he won''t sell." Madam Wang stared coldly at the servant, his expression a little cold. "But she said that she was going to the Aunt Li to retrieve something, that''s nonsense. She is a maid in my courtyard, she has nothing to do with Aunt Li at all. If not for going to the Aunt Li to report the news, why would he avoid people in secret? "


    "Madam, this servant really did retrieve the items. I absolutely didn''t betray you!" The servant girl hurriedly tried to defend herself. As she spoke, she looked like she was about to cry again.


    Qing''er couldn''t bear to watch any longer, so she pulled out a plain looking maid.


    "Come and tell the old master, what did you see today?"


    The ordinary-looking maid clenched her hands nervously. Seeing the person in An Yinghao''s embrace, her expression suddenly became determined, "Master, this servant comes from the same room as Yu''er. A few days ago, she suddenly brought back a lot of makeup and jewelry, they seem to be expensive."


    "At that time, this servant was already suspicious. Yu''er and this servant are both third-rate maidservants. Until today, when she put down the things in her hands and sneaked out, I had to follow her to take a look. When I saw that she had arrived at Aunt Li''s place, I did not know what she said, but I earned a sum of money and returned. "


    The servant in An Yinghao''s embrace kicked the maid who was living in the same room as her fiercely. Seeing An Yinghao''s gaze on her, she immediately suppressed her expression, and revealed a look of pity.


    "Is that true?" An Yinghao''s face revealed a suspicious look, but he asked the servant in his embrace.


    The servant girl called Yu''er wanted to find a reason to argue, but she heard the Madam Wang sneer, "Whether or not she has such a thing, we''ll know after seeing if she has any silver on her. Someone, search her from head to toe! "


    The servants were all stunned, looking at the person in An Yinghao''s embrace, they were not sure if they should make a move.


    "I told you to search that servant girl, are you all deaf?"


    Madam Wang roared angrily, and the servant who stayed in the same room as Yu''er was the first to walk towards Yu''er, smiling coldly: "Yu''er, you have done wrong madam''s heart, you might as well just admit it."


    While Yu''er was dodging, the servants had already rushed over and pulled her out from An Yinghao''s embrace, grabbing her from side to side.


    "Stop, all of you stop!"


    She panicked and stretched out her hands to push people around, but how could she resist so many hands and feet? In a moment, her hair was a mess and her clothes were crooked.


    "Master, this is the evidence."


    A maid in the same room as Yu''er found a piece of Silver Grape and placed it in front of An Yinghao.


    "You actually did that!" Seeing the silver, An Yinghao was shocked.


    The gaze he used to look at Yu''er was no longer tender and compassionate, instead, it was as if he was looking at a dirty thing.


    "Master, please believe me, I have been wronged!" Yu''er did not give up, grabbing onto An Yinghao''s sleeves and begging him to save her.


    However, An Yinghao shook her hand off, with a look of disgust: "You are my wife''s servant, I do not care what my wife will do to you."


    Yu''er''s heart chilled. She really couldn''t imagine how someone who was just smiling warmly at him could be so cold all of a sudden.

 C147

    Madam Wang looked at the maid''s dejected expression, and curled the corner of his mouth, "Master, don''t worry, I won''t sell her to the brothel."


    She paused, then said, "But she almost killed my child, there has to be a lesson. Let someone drink her concubine and throw it into the woodshed. "


    "No, madam, please spare this servant. This servant will not dare to do so again!" Yu''er pleaded for mercy as she turned her head to look at An Yinghao. Her face was filled with grief, "Old master, this is your child!"


    "Master''s child? You can''t even be considered a concubine, and what you gave birth to was only a servant. How can you be considered the Lord''s child? " Madam Wang waved his hand, and instructed the maidservants by his side, "Go get the concubine medicine, I want to see you drink it with my own eyes."


    Yu''er looked to be in a panic, but she was suppressed by a few of her wives and could not break free at all.


    Very quickly, someone came over with an abortion medicine. Madam Wang took the medicine and walked towards Yu''er step by step.


    "I''ll let you know today what happens when you seduce master." She lifted her lips and gave him a meaningful glance. Immediately, someone ruthlessly opened Yu''er''s mouth, making it easier for Madam Wang to drink into her mouth.


    "No," Yu''er shook her head with all her might as she struggled. However, the concocting pill continued to fall into her mouth.


    Her snot and tears mixed together on her face, no longer having the delicate and pretty appearance from before.


    An Yinghao only glanced at it once before flinging his sleeves and leaving, leaving Yu''er clutching his stomach as he screamed in pain.


    "Throw her into the woodshed. No one is allowed to give her food for three days."


    Madam was trying to kill this servant girl.


    The maids'' wives'' hearts trembled as they hurriedly dragged the maidservant into the woodshed.


    "Yu''er, don''t blame me for this. People go higher, water go lower. This is something you taught me."


    The moment before the woodshed''s door closed, Bai Zhen said a few words to the Yu''er before turning around and leaving the house.


    When the Yu''er hooked up with the old master, she already felt that she was more noble than him and was bullying him at every turn.


    The corner of her mouth curled up, and she happily reported back to Madam Wang.


    Yu''er''s body was covered in blood, and her body carried a fishy stench.


    She lay powerlessly on the ground, her eyes hidden by tears, filled with endless hatred.


    Madam Wang and Bai Ju had caused her to fall into such a state. If she could survive this ordeal, she would definitely make them pay with their blood!


    The Aunt Li quickly found out that Yu''er was imprisoned in the woodshed due to abortion. She leisurely took a sip of tea from her cup and said to Peach Blossom, "Go and secretly bring some food to see her. Don''t let others see her."


    Peach Blossom answered yes, but Aunt Li then changed her mind, "No, it''s better if I go myself."


    She told Peach Red to prepare some food, and only when it was deep into the night did she avoid the patrolling guards and sneak into the woodshed.


    "Second Madam is really cruel, you still have Second Elder''s child in your stomach, she had someone abort your fetus and sent it to this cold wood house."


    Aunt Li''s voice sounded in the woodshed, startling the already sleepless Yu''er awake.


    "Aunt, why are you here?"


    When Yu''er saw the person in front of him, her face revealed a look of ecstasy, and her eyes revealed a look of hope, "Aunt, please save this servant, this servant will definitely do everything I can for you."


    "Why would I want you to be my slave?" Aunt Li smiled kindly, "If you hadn''t informed me, I wouldn''t have ended up like this. Don''t worry, I will definitely save you."


    She paused, seeing that there were tears in Yu''er''s eyes, she said, "But I can only get someone to send you food and drinks, whether you can make it past it or not will depend on yourself."


    Yu''er''s expression froze, a bit disappointed and doubtful, "Aunt, you aren''t saving this servant to get out?"


    The Aunt Li only asked people to send her food and drinks, not even looking at a doctor.


    "Second Madam already knows that you have informed me. If I let someone save you at this time, she would definitely not let you off. It would be better if you stay in the woodshed for a few days, so that Second Madam thinks that you have received a lesson, so she will naturally not hold you back. "


    Yu''er did not take Aunt Li''s words seriously. She was already a dying person, how could she care about future matters.


    However, Aunt Li was the only one who could save her, so she could only beg, "Aunt, just treat it as you trying to save this servant. If you don''t save this servant, this servant will definitely not be able to hold on until tomorrow."


    Naturally, the Aunt Li would not just watch helplessly as Yu''er died. She had her own reasons for being able to personally come to see the Yu''er.


    "It''s not impossible for me to save you."


    When Aunt Li spoke, her expression immediately became excited, "This servant thanks Aunt for her great kindness!"


    "You''re also pitiful. Originally, Second Madam had a child today, but in the end, you lost it and almost lost your life. If it were not for the big miss interfering, you might have even replaced the Second Madam as the owner of this courtyard. "


    Although the Aunt Li looked like she felt pity for the Yu''er, she was actually guiding this servant, causing her to feel hatred towards An Lingge.


    Just as expected, after Yu''er heard An Lingge''s name, she immediately asked, "What does this have to do with Eldest Miss?"


    Aunt Li let out a long sigh, and explained to her exactly how An Lingge had saved her Madam Wang and ordered her people to investigate.


    When he finished speaking, Aunt Li sighed, looking somewhat guilty. "It''s also because I didn''t expect Eldest Miss to have medical skills, and to let Second Madam be safe this time, is actually hurting you."


    The goal was to use Aunt Li''s hands to get rid of the child in Madam Wang''s stomach. If she could make Madam Wang lose its life due to a small birth, she could take this opportunity to tell An Yinghao that she was pregnant and might even be able to directly become a new Second Madam.


    But now, all of this had been destroyed in the hands of An Lingge.


    It was because An Lingge was nosy that caused her to end up like this!


    When Aunt Li saw Yu''er, her eyes flashed. She knew that she hated An Lingge too, so she curled her lips slightly.


    "It''s a pity that First Miss has been conferred the title of Prefecture Lord by the Emperor. Even I am unable to touch her." Aunt Li''s face revealed helplessness, "Otherwise, I could help you take revenge."


    In front of Yu''er, she did not conceal her malice towards An Lingge at all, which did not surprise him in the slightest.


    "Aunt, don''t worry. In half a month''s time, it will be the date of the princess'' funeral, and the eldest young miss will definitely go and sweep up the wangfei''s grave. The tomb will be located on a remote mountain in the outskirts of the capital.

 C148

    In the blink of an eye, Yu''er had already thought of a way. An Lingge had ruined her plan, caused her to lose all her children, and now she was going to make An Lingge pay with her life!


    A trace of a smile flashed past Aunt Li''s eyes, but she looked to be worrying, "But young miss is not that easy to scheme against, I''m afraid that she will be on guard against me before I can even get close to her, this is impossible."


    Yu''er has the guts to sell off her Madam Wang, so she''s naturally a bit smart.


    Hearing Aunt Li''s words, she immediately understood the meaning behind them.


    "Aunt, don''t worry. If this servant manages to get out alive, I will definitely help Madam resolve this huge problem in her heart."


    When Aunt Li heard her words, she sneered in her heart. No matter how loyal she was, she just wanted her to find a doctor.


    However, this person had the desire ¡­ She would only be able to make use of this person if she needed something.


    Aunt Li immediately made a promise, "Don''t worry, tomorrow I will have someone take a look for you. At the same time, I will prescribe some body nourishing medicine and it will be fine to keep you safe for less than ten days."


    The Yu''er thanked the Aunt Li sincerely. Only after they had left did she have time to put all the food she brought into her mouth.


    The night seemed to pass by in an instant. A green colored morning mist enveloped the entire Prince An''s Palace, and in the blink of an eye, the sun shone brightly.


    Because An Lingge''s marriage had been annulled, An Lingyi and the rest did not have the mood to deal with her, they only wanted to take advantage of the time that Mu Junhan was not in to go to the Mo Bei to attract his attention.


    In the academy, they fought openly and secretly. Comparing their looks to their talents, they really wanted to turn into peacocks and show off everywhere, so that Mu Junhan could know how beautiful they were.


    On the contrary, An Lingge calmed down, but the medicinal herbs that were in her hands did not stop.


    The weather was getting hotter and hotter, and it was beginning to feel like early summer.


    In his previous life, the plague had broken out in the middle of summer. Many citizens were caught off guard when the plague struck them, and they could not survive for more than three days before they became a corpse.


    Because of the scorching heat, more and more people were infected by the corpse. At the moment, the capital had sunk into a state of fear. Everyone, from the Ninth and Ninth Paragons to the beggars, were enveloped in the fear of the plague.


    The emperor had even thought of moving to the capital, but had decided to let this matter go only when he was stopped by a group of old officials.


    In the end, there were people who proposed to burn the corpses and someone else developed a cure for the plague, which was how they managed to control it.


    An Lingge withdrew her train of thoughts and casually threw the fish food into the lake. The red carp immediately rushed over and fought over the food.


    Ever since the matter of her hoarding medicinal ingredients was found out by the Seventh Prince, she had Bai Yu and Lu Jingyu contact Mu Junhan''s people directly, and sent the medicinal ingredients to the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace.


    But Mu Junhan was about to leave the capital city soon, what would happen to the herbs when that happened?


    Just as she was thinking that, she heard the sound of footsteps coming from behind her. She turned around and saw Mu Junhan''s smiling face.


    He wore plain brocade robes, and his phoenix eyes reflected the cold luster of the lake. He stood there silently, a breathtakingly beautiful scenery.


    This lake was located at the southeastern corner of the Jingdu Academy. On the left was a garden, and on the right was the back mountain. Usually, very few people would come here.


    An Lingge was surprised to see that the man had walked over, but she quickly recovered.


    "What are you thinking?"


    Mu Junhan had a smile on his face as he stood by An Lingge''s side. A light breeze blew over from the lake, bringing about waves of cool air.


    He only needed a single glance to know that this girl had something on her mind.


    An Lingge also didn''t hide it from him, and said straightforwardly, "I''m thinking, if you reach the Mo Bei, what should I do with the medicinal ingredients that you have stored up?"


    It should have been a bit awkward for the two of them to get engaged and then get annulled, but it clearly wasn''t suitable for the both of them.


    Mu Junhan held his hand to his chest, pretending to be injured, not the least bit embarrassed, "This Hereditary Prince is even going to the Mo Bei, so you''re not worried about my safety, but you''re actually thinking about those medicinal ingredients, aren''t you too cold?"


    Glimmers danced in his phoenix-like eyes. The smile on his lips was enough to make countless girls blush.


    An Lingge rolled her eyes at him. Others might think that Mu Junhan was just a playful and idle gongzi, but she knew how powerful he was.


    Moreover, this matter was discussed between the two of them, so Mu Junhan bringing his men should not be too dangerous.


    At this time, the most dangerous situation was actually the city that was about to erupt with the plague.


    "Hereditary Prince Mu has even schemed against the Emperor. Would she not consider her own safety?"


    Mu Junhan had initially proposed to annul the marriage between his and the Prince An''s Palace, so as to prevent the Emperor from making a move against the Prince An''s Palace, she had strongly opposed this.


    But he had already made his plans, including how the two of them would act, and how he would complain to the emperor.


    If not for the fact that doing so could really resolve the crisis between the two Duke Palaces, she would not have agreed to this matter at all.


    He kept teasing her, and when she became interested in him, he wanted to go to Mo Bei and leave her all alone in the capital.


    As An Lingge thought about it, she subconsciously felt a bit depressed.


    Mu Junhan knew that she didn''t want him to go to the Mo Bei. When she heard him say that she wanted to stab him, he didn''t take it to heart, and there was still a carefree smile on his handsome face. "This Hereditary Prince doesn''t dare scheme against Your Majesty.


    That''s true, but it''s just that he caught the emperor''s thoughts and made use of them.


    But even if he had planned everything beforehand, could he guarantee that he would not be injured even if there were no blades and swords on the battlefield?


    He was the one who planned all this. In the end, he made her worry so she would feel heartache. She wasn''t worried at all!


    An Lingge snorted, and turned her head to the side. The carp that were fighting for food had already left, swimming under the water in groups of two or three.


    Seeing that she did not say a word, Mu Junhan took the fish food from her hands.


    He was in a good mood as he looked at the carp in the lake. He turned and looked at An Lingge with gentleness, "Does Little girl An really intend to ignore me?"


    "If you really don''t care about me, then I shall set off for Mo Bei right now."


    Mu Junhan threw down his words and turned to leave.


    An Lingge grabbed his sleeve and stuffed something into his arms.


    "What is this?" Mu Junhan lowered his head to look at the thing in his embrace.


    An Lingge said in a low voice, "Heart Protecting Mirror."


    It was the Heart Protecting Mirror that she had found, and had sent someone to the best blacksmith to make it. It was as thin as a cicada''s wing, but it was indestructible.


    She could also be a lot more at ease if Mu Junhan brought such a thing with him at Mo Bei.


    Such a stubborn and soft-hearted little girl.


    Mu Junhan laughed and hugged his tightly.

 C149

    Mu Junhan and An Lingge were embracing by the lake, and their intimate relationship made An Lingxue, who was hiding at the side and peeking at the lake from the sidelines, red in the eyes.


    She was a little stuffy today, so she casually strolled around. Who would have thought that she would actually see Hereditary Prince Mu''s figure?


    Before she could finish tidying up her makeup, she saw Hereditary Prince Mu walking towards her.


    This woman truly did not know shame. The emperor had clearly already ordered her marriage with Hereditary Prince Mu to be annulled, yet she dared to meet Hereditary Prince Mu in the academy in private, even giving her a hug without any of the usual etiquette.


    This hypocritical woman!


    An Lingxue was both jealous and unfair, she couldn''t help but reach out and break a thin and long willow branch in front of him.


    Mu Junhan detected this subtle sound and immediately looked over. A pair of phoenix eyes flashed with a sharp light, causing An Lingxue to immediately move sideways in fright, hiding herself behind the tree trunk.


    However, what she didn''t know was that the wind had long since caught sight of her clothes.


    Just as Mu Junhan was about to walk in her direction, he pulled him back and shook his head.


    "It''s the Second Sister."


    Their second and third branch of Prince An''s Palace had already returned to the capital for a period of time, so Mu Junhan naturally knew that the Second Sister An Lingge was currently speaking of wasn''t the original An Lingyi, but was actually the An Lingxue of the third house.


    He nodded his head slightly and put away the heartguard mirror. Then, he took out something from his bosom.


    It was a black whistle, just like the one he had given to An Lingge.


    "While I''m not in the capital, if anything happens to you, you can blow this whistle and Dark Guard will come to help you."


    An Lingge''s expression changed, "You went to such a dangerous place like Mo Bei, shouldn''t you bring all of your Dark Guard with you?"


    The more you fought on the battlefield, the more your swords would be blind.


    The most fundamental mission of Dark Guard was to protect Master''s safety. If Mu Junhan left his Dark Guard in the capital, then wouldn''t it be too dangerous for him to be alone in the Mo Bei?


    An Lingge pursed her lips, disapproval written all over her face.


    Mu Junhan looked down at her, the gorgeous young lady was only fifteen years old, and his face had a peerless beauty, which could be seen from his expression. At this time, she was frowning, his eyes filled with worry, lightening the beauty by a bit, and adding a bit of the normal air of a person.


    The corner of his mouth curled up into a smile. He still had an extraordinary elegance that would make people blush and beat their hearts, "Naturally, I will bring some Dark Guard with me. However, I will also leave a portion of it in the capital."


    Seeing that An Lingge still wanted to advise him, he continued, "The Mo Bei is not comparable to the capital, it is extremely sparsely populated, other than the soldiers, there are almost no other people there. If the entire Dark Guard were to follow me to the Mo Bei, it would be extremely easy for it to attract the attention of the emperor, and might even disrupt my plans. "


    Although he said that, his safety was also very important.


    An Lingge''s pair of deep black bright eyes had a rare look of worry in them, she opened her mouth, "Then how many Dark Guard did you bring with you to the Mo Bei?"


    "Two." Mu Junhan took out two fingers and was shocked at the number.


    Why did he only bring two Dark Guard s to the Mo Bei, and leave the rest of them in the capital?


    An Lingge became even more worried, "You left almost all of your Dark Guard in the capital?"


    "News from the capital must not be cut off, so there must be Dark Guard left in the capital, so that the movements of the emperor within the imperial city can be transmitted to the Mo Bei." There must be news from the imperial city, so there must be Dark Guard left in the imperial city, so that there must be someone to protect you. Mu Junhan explained the reasons one by one, but he actually had no way to refute them.


    "I do not need Dark Guard, take those Dark Guard with you." She raised her eyes to look at Mu Junhan, and her bright black eyes clearly reflected the tall and slender figure of a man.


    Mu Junhan''s heart became softer, and the gentleness in his phoenix eyes grew thicker. "That aunt of yours and his few younger sisters aren''t easy to deal with, I can only be at ease with the Dark Guard by your side."


    "Think about it, if your Dark Guard isn''t by your side, then I would have been thinking about whether or not you ate well and slept soundly, whether or not you were bullied by those aunts and sisters, whether or not some young master is coveting my future wife ¡­"


    The more he said, the more ridiculous he became. An Lingge gouged him with a knife and caused him to shut his mouth.


    However, she could also tell that Mu Junhan would not change his mind so easily, so she decided not to try to persuade him anymore.


    Returning back to the academy, An Lingge saw An Lingxue giving him a meaningful smile.


    She raised her eyebrows as if nothing had happened and returned to her seat.


    Before the teacher arrived, An Lingxue said to An Lingge, "Big sister, I was by the lake just now and I seemed to have seen you talking to a man."


    Although the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty were more open-minded, they still paid attention to the difference between males and females. They also strictly set different seats for males and females at the age of seven.


    Now that An Lingxue had said these words, it meant that An Lingge was secretly meeting up with a man behind everyone''s backs.


    An Lingge knew that she was deliberately concealing Mu Junhan''s identity so that everyone would know that she was someone who was in cahoots with others.


    If the news that the emperor ordered her to break the engagement with another man were to spread out, it was likely that everyone in the capital would be able to drown her with a single spit.


    The girls in the academy were all around the same age, the most lively, and also the most gossipy. Now that they heard An Lingxue''s extremely leading words, almost all of them became interested as they perked up their ears to listen to their conversation.


    An Lingyi noticed that everyone looked at him with disdainful eyes, and couldn''t help but to smile maliciously at the side.


    Back then, when she failed to scheme for An Lingge, she had instead made herself look coquettish, getting despised and ridiculed by others. Now, it was time for An Lingge to have a taste of this.


    Just as she was snickering, An Lingge suddenly spoke up, "Yeah, I just spoke a few words with Junge. He''s still young after all, and I can''t rest easy for him."


    Since An Lingxue wanted to hide Mu Junhan''s identity, then An Lingge would do as she said, ignoring Mu Junhan and speaking of him as An Lingjun.


    She was lying without blinking, but everyone looked like they believed it, causing An Lingxue to feel as if she had eaten a fly. She only felt like she couldn''t spit it out at all and couldn''t swallow it.


    After a long while, An Lingxue finally squeezed out an ugly smile, "But looking at that man''s figure, she doesn''t seem to be Junge."


    She purposely wanted everyone to misunderstand that An Lingge was up to something, so she intentionally guided the crowd towards the other men, without mentioning who it was.


    How could An Lingge not understand her thoughts? However, An Lingge could easily figure out a solution to this trick.


    She curled her lips, smiled gently and generously, "Then who does Third Sister think it was?"

 C150

    An Lingge tossed the question back to him. Her beautiful face was open, and there was no sign of guilt.


    Could it be that the person who met Miss An by the lake was really her little brother, An Lingjun?


    An Lingxue secretly clenched her teeth. She purposely said it in an ambiguous manner just to make these people think differently. Now that An Lingge told her who that person was, she would be in a dilemma.


    If she said that the person in question was Hereditary Prince Mu, then the people in the academy would feel that the two of them had once been engaged, so even if they spoke a few words alone, it was nothing much, not to mention that Mu Junhan had received the emperor''s order to go to Mo Bei soon, so out of friendship, the Miss An said that he needed to take care of himself, and wished him peace.


    If she pointed out a man''s name, it would be immediately exposed.


    An Lingge was too cunning! Taking An Lingjun out left her speechless.


    However, An Lingge should not think that he could escape her scheme so easily!


    Seeing that everyone''s gaze was on him, An Lingxue laughed awkwardly, "I just returned to the capital not too long ago, how would I know which man''s appearance is different from the others? Elder sister''s words will make things difficult for me. If you let me say it, I won''t be able to say it. "


    These words were very subtle, An Lingxue couldn''t say who the man was, but the words she spoke confirmed the existence of this man, and this man was someone she was extremely unfamiliar with, so she couldn''t recognize him.


    An Lingge''s bright black eyes looked over, and it seemed as if her eyes were filled with a cold intent, "Why does Third Sister''s words always sound so weird? You didn''t recognize Junge''s figure because Junge returned to the manor a little later than when you returned. "Don''t say these ambiguous words in the future. Pingbai tainted my reputation and even ruined the relationship between us sisters."


    What kind of sisterhood did they have between them?


    When An Lingxue saw that she had called him An Lingjun, and even said that she had slandered her reputation, if she continued, it would mean that she did not understand the situation, and had purposely splashed dirty water on her cousin''s body.


    She could only try to smile, but her eyes were filled with malice, "Big sister is right, Little Xue did not see it clearly, and will not speak of it again in the future."


    But even though she said that, her face still had a wronged look, and her tears rolled in her eyes, making her weak face seem more pitiful. Those who didn''t know it would think that she was threatened by An Lingge, which was why she said those words.


    An Lingge looked at her coldly, as she did not take her cute and gentle appearance to heart.


    The teacher just happened to walk in at this moment, and the academy immediately quieted down.


    Time flew and soon, the day of Princess An''s death arrived.


    An Lingjun was already prepared early in the morning and was waiting for them at the horse carriage.


    These days, he seemed to have grown taller by quite a bit. He was a twelve to thirteen year old youth, and was already much taller than An Lingge.


    An Lingge quickly walked over, and Bi Zhu and Ming Xin hurriedly followed behind him.


    She had just spoken a few words to An Lingjun, when she saw that An Lingyi was dressed in a crimson long dress and had a red pendant over her ears.


    An Lingjun''s expression immediately became cold. Today was the day of her mother''s death, why was An Lingyi, the concubine, dressed so happily?


    "Big Sis came so early." It was a rare occasion that An Lingyi had put on a smiling face towards An Lingge. She was in an extremely good mood as she pointed at her clothes, "This is the new clothes that the clothing shop sent over yesterday. I think it''s pretty good.


    It''s fine if he wore red, but he even purposely provoked my sister!


    An Lingjun clenched her fists, and anger surfaced on her skinny face.


    An Lingge patted his shoulder, her expression did not contain the slightest trace of anger, "Third Sister''s clothes are really beautiful, with such eye-catching colors, it is the most suitable for Third Sister."


    Her expression was indifferent and her voice was calm. She didn''t care about the other party''s provocation at all.


    Not only did An Lingyi fail to provoke her, she was ridiculed by her and showed off, the smile on her face twisted instantly.


    At this time, Aunt Li and An Yingcheng walked over. An Lingyi then swallowed his anger and lowered his head, pretending to be obedient. They followed Aunt Li into the carriage.


    The mother and daughter in the carriage exchanged a tacit understanding look. The curve of their lips was somewhat similar, and the malice in their eyes was even more so.


    An Lingyi''s mood was extremely good, she had intentionally wore a set of red clothes today, not just to provoke An Lingge, but also for other uses.


    The carriage slowly made its way to the mountain peak, but it suddenly stopped.


    "What''s going on?"


    An Yingcheng frowned as he looked outside. He saw a woman lying on the road in front of him, beside her stood a man and a woman, both of them were children. Their cries could be heard through the wind.


    "Big brother, is mother unable to wake up? Huanhuan misses mother so much. Mother, please play with Huanhuan."


    The tender female voice carried a thick sobbing tone. The young girl, who was only as tall as an adult''s knee, rubbed her red eyes as she looked at the unconscious woman. She was crying fitfully.


    Beside her stood a boy who was about the same size as her. His thin face also carried a sense of worry, but his pair of black eyes were more steady than a girl''s.


    "Huanhuan, don''t worry. Mom is just sleeping. She''ll be fine after she sleeps for a while. If we wait any longer, mother will wake up. "


    "Brother is lying!"


    Jiang Qinghuan cried even louder, her red eyes like that of a rabbit''s, "Mother definitely won''t fall asleep on the mountain path. If Mother hasn''t woken up by then, she won''t wake up!" I don''t want my mother to die! "Wuwuwu ¡­"


    Hearing her words, Jiang Qing Le couldn''t help but clench her fists as her eyes turned red.


    "Mother will definitely wake up." Jiang Qing Le muttered in a low voice as her tears couldn''t help but fall onto Shen Jiaojiao''s face.


    He didn''t know which family''s woman took the child up the mountain and fainted on the spot. Judging from the appearance of the two children by the side, this woman must have been unconscious for quite some time.


    An Yingcheng retracted his gaze, and was about to get the guards to chase those few people away, but right at this moment, An Lingge saw those few people.


    There were some doubts in her eyes, but she only felt that those people were a little familiar. That stubborn and sensible appearance of that boy made her find a person in her memories.


    Right, it was them!


    An Lingge''s eyes lit up and she immediately got off the carriage.


    "Little Ge, what are you doing?" An Yingcheng immediately called out to her, unwilling to let his daughter have any contact with these lowly commoners.

 C151

    An Lingge turned her head to look at An Yingcheng, and with a gentle smile on her face, he said, "Father, daughter had learned a bit of medical skills a few days ago.


    "Today is your mother''s anniversary. Don''t meddle in other people''s business."


    An Yingcheng still did not agree. His daughter was a princess personally bestowed by the Emperor, she was the only person with such honor in the Great Zhou Dynasty. How could she treat a lowly commoner like him? They would lose their identity if word of this were to spread.


    However, An Lingge shook her head at him, "It''s precisely because today is the day of mother''s death that daughter has to go and take a look. If I can save a life, mother''s spirit in heaven will definitely be very happy."


    She had already pulled Princess An out, so An Yingcheng had nothing to say.


    In any case, in An Yingcheng''s heart, he simply did not believe that An Lingge''s medical skills were that good.


    From his point of view, she was just a child that had learned a little bit. She was too naive to think that she would be able to save him.


    At this time, she had already walked to the front of the woman and the two children. The familiar face of the woman made the depths of her eyes flash with excitement, she immediately squatted down and stretched out her hand to check her pulse.


    When the two children saw that someone was coming over, the person who came over was such a good-looking girl that they immediately forgot to even cry.


    When he saw An Lingge taking his mother''s pulse, his eyes lit up with hope. "Are you a doctor?"


    An Lingge nodded, and smiled at him: "Yes, I am a doctor, your mother is sick, I want to take a look at her."


    "Then can you cure mother?" Jiang Huanhuan''s voice still carried a hint of a sobbing tone, and she even sniffed when she said this.


    "Yes." An Lingge nodded, as she already had a rough understanding of Shen Jiaojiao''s illness.


    She turned her body over and pressed a hand on the back of her neck, then ordered Bi Zhu to take out the golden needles, allowing Ming Xin to support Shen Jiaojiao up. She arranged herself in a seated position, and took out the golden needles to insert onto Shen Jiaojiao''s back and chest, and took them all out after a while.


    "Mother, you''re finally awake!" Jiang Huanhuan cried out in joy, and quickly thanked An Lingge.


    An Lingge looked at the three people in front of him, and a smile surfaced in her eyes.


    In her previous life, she was deceived by the Aunt Li and An Lingyi, and although on the surface, she acted as if she treated her extremely well, she was secretly instructing the Nanny Zhang behind her back to take away her silver, allowing the kitchen to press down her food without giving anything to her. Even the coal used in winter was the kind of inferior coal that the servants would use.


    It was a pity that she was timid back then and didn''t dare to say it even when she was bullied. She could only wholeheartedly believe that the Aunt Li was completely unaware of these things.


    Afterwards, when she was in the clear sky, she went to visit her mother''s grave and coincidentally saw Shen Jiaojiao.


    At that time, Shen Jiaojiao was wearing luxurious clothes, but she was actually wearing half-worn clothes. In front of An Lingyi who was meticulously dressed up, she looked like a timid maid.


    Who would have thought that the dignified Prince An''s Palace''s eldest daughter, who was dressed even worse than the Shu girl at the side?


    Shen Jiaojiao had instructed her at that time, saying that the mother and daughter of Aunt Li had ill intentions and wanted her to pay attention to one point.


    Unfortunately, she was blinded by her thoughts and mistook the jackal for a good person, so she did not know Shen Jiaojiao''s good intentions.


    If she had listened to Shen Jiaojiao''s words at that time, perhaps she wouldn''t have been killed by An Lingyi and wouldn''t have watched him die together with her.


    "Did you save me?" Shen Jiaojiao stood up, and bowed to An Lingge.


    An Lingge avoided her bow immediately. In her previous life, Shen Jiaojiao had guided her on many things, so she did not dare to receive this bow.


    However, when she had met Shen Jiaojiao in her previous life, Shen Jiaojiao was clearly the daughter of the Mrs. Mingzhu.


    "I wonder why this lady fainted on this mountain path?"


    Shen Jiaojiao then explained the entire matter, "We are going to sweep the tomb of our deceased husband and are just about to go back. Unfortunately, my health has never been well, so this time when I fainted, it caused these two children to be frightened."


    An Lingge''s heart flashed a trace of astonishment, so it turned out that Shen Jiaojiao''s husband had already died, no wonder she had never heard of this person.


    She nodded and said to Shen Jiaojiao, "This time you are unconscious because of the heat. In the future, when you are walking on the mountain, you will need to find a cool place to rest for a while."


    It was just summer now, the weather was hot and stuffy, but Shen Jiaojiao never thought that she would actually suffer from heatstroke.


    She then asked An Lingge''s name, "Shen Jiaojiao, my wife, thanks Miss An for saving my life. If there is a chance in the future, I will definitely repay you for your kindness."


    She was the one who had repaid the debt of gratitude.


    In her previous life, Shen Jiaojiao had guided her and saved her life. Maybe this was the cycle of karma.


    She looked at the two children by her side and asked tentatively, "May I ask ¡­"


    "What happened to Mrs. Mingzhu?" Shen Jiaojiao had lived in the capital for a period of time and had heard of the Mrs. Mingzhu''s reputation before.


    An Lingge thought about it. When she was in her previous life, Mrs. Mingzhu seemed to have told the outside world that her daughter had lived in the outside world for many years.


    Now that she heard Shen Jiaojiao''s name, An Lingge knew that Mrs. Mingzhu had yet to bring him back to her residence.


    She laughed and covered the thoughts at the bottom of her heart, "Oh, you look quite similar to Mrs. Mingzhu. I thought you were one of Mrs. Mingzhu''s younger generation, but I was mistaken."


    She could only say this. If she were to make it too clear, she would not be able to explain herself.


    She only hoped that Shen Jiaojiao could understand what she meant.


    The two of them talked for a bit more, but An Yingcheng had already started to urge them. An Lingge then spoke a few words to An Yingcheng, and in the end, told someone to give An Yingcheng a carriage and send the three of them down the mountain.


    Lu Zhan happened to pass by and saw all of this happen.


    "I never thought that this big miss of Prince An''s Palace would actually have such good medical skills."


    His follower exclaimed in a low voice. However, Lu Zhan''s gaze was still on An Lingge, and only after she got on the carriage and went far away did he retract his gaze, and let out a low laugh.


    "Miss An''s heart should be better."


    had also clearly seen how Prince An had opposed her actions to save the woman just now.


    But An Lingge did not mind at all that the one who fainted was only an insignificant commoner, furthermore, when the young master of the State Duke''s residence, Zhou Ming, was on the verge of injuring someone on the streets, Miss An seemed to have stood forward and criticized Zhou Ming for being wrong. Even if she was wearing men''s clothes at that time, Lu Zhan would have recognized her at a glance.


    This kind appearance was different from all the other girls in the capital.

 C152

    An Yingcheng did not care about them, waiting for An Lingge and the others to burn the incense in front of Princess An, then he led the group down the mountain.


    Prince An''s Palace''s carriage rumbled on the winding mountain road, and a group of people suddenly jumped out from it. They were passing through a dense forest.


    They were burly men, each armed with a knife and a stick, and stood viciously in front of the carriages.


    "Brothers, we''ve finally caught a fat sheep today."


    The leader had one hand on his waist and the other was pointing a blade at the carriage in front of him. His eyes were filled with greed.


    The guards of Prince An''s Palace immediately stared at the group of people vigilantly, quietly gripping the swords in their hands, if there was any movement from these bandits, they would immediately rush forward to fight them.


    "Look at this carriage, I can tell that the people up there are definitely rich. We''re rich this time!"


    Another bandit also jumped out and sized up the carriage from top to bottom. He rubbed his chin and revealed an excited smile.


    An Yingcheng immediately knew that they had met a bandit. He brought his guards and walked down from their horses, looking at the bandit with a dignified look in his eyes.


    The guard was clever, he immediately scolded the bandit, "Bold, do you know that you are intercepting Prince An''s carriage?"


    "Prince An, which duke is Prince An? I have never heard of it. Brothers, have you heard of this before? "


    The leader of the bandits laughed and turned to ask the people beside him.


    "Never heard of it, never heard of it."


    The bandits laughed heartily, not concealing their contempt and contempt for Prince An''s Palace.


    After the bandit leader finished laughing, he made a gesture to have the people behind him quiet down.


    "I don''t care who you are, today you''ve met us brothers, so you have to obediently hand over your money. I can spare your lives, but if you go against me, hehe, then don''t blame me for not showing mercy."


    He had a thick beard on his face, and when he glared at her, he did look a little scary.


    An Yingcheng''s face sank. He was a dignified Duke, when had he ever received the threat of a lowly person like the bandit?


    Anger rose from the bottom of his heart as he ordered without hesitation, "How can we allow the bandits to be so impudent at the feet of the Emperor? Exterminate these bandits for the sake of the people!"


    "Yes sir!"


    "Yes!" The guards acknowledged in unison as they drew their swords from the scabbards'' scabbards. Ling Ling''s cold gaze shone upon the bandits'' sneering faces.


    "Brothers, attack!"


    The bandit laughed sinisterly, as though he could not see the sharp sword in front of him. He only used the blade, spear and staff in his hands to stab at the guard, and in a short while, he was in front of An Yingcheng.


    An Yingcheng''s expression slightly changed, the guards beside him immediately held him back, "This Mountain Thief is not simple, Your Highness, please leave!"


    The other people in the carriage also heard the commotion. Aunt Li and An Lingyi looked at each other, and smiled complacently.


    An Lingyi received her mother''s signal and immediately got off the carriage to walk over to An Yingcheng''s side.


    "What are you doing here?" An Yingcheng shouted angrily. Although the guards they brought were well-equipped, they were too few in number. They were not even worth looking at in front of the dozens of bandits.


    Right now, she was being besieged by bandits. Wasn''t she creating more trouble by coming down now?


    An Lingyi''s eyes were filled with worry, "I heard some movement and was worried that you were in danger, so I came down to check."


    As soon as she asked this question, she heard the bandits laugh vulgarly, accompanied by some unsightly obscenities, "Yo, these little girls have white skin and tender flesh, why don''t we catch them and make you our boss''s wife?"


    "Right, right, right. Capture him back to be our boss''s wife."


    The bandits roared and rushed towards An Lingyi''s direction.


    An Lingyi''s face revealed a little fear, but he endured his fear and stood in front of An Yingcheng, "Father, quickly leave, these bandits are not good people."


    Her petite body stood in front of An Yingcheng, as if wanting to defend him from the attacks of the bandits.


    An Yingcheng didn''t even have time to be moved when he heard a bandit shout, and a large blade flashing with a cold light slashed across his eyes.


    He was so scared that he took a step back, but the bandit was already pouncing towards him with a grin. An Yingcheng kicked towards the bandit, only to see that the bandit actually patted the dust in front of him without feeling pain or itchiness, and the corners of his mouth curled into a bloodthirsty smile, "I didn''t expect that Prince An''s martial arts would be so bad, this kick wasn''t even enough to tickle me."


    After suffering such mockery, his face flushed red with anger, but he was unable to refute these words.


    He had always walked the path of a scholar, so how could he compare to these bandits?


    "You guys are too bold!" Aunt Li hurriedly got off the carriage and walked to An Yingcheng''s side. She glared angrily at the bandits and said, "If you stop right now, our Prince will pretend that nothing happened today, but if you guys don''t stop now, don''t blame us for asking the Lord Guardian over to disrupt your nest!"


    "Lord Guard? It''s really scary. "


    The leader of the bandits patted his chest, as if he was frightened. His current state made the bandit behind him laugh even more presumptuously, and one of them just raised his rod, waving it towards An Yingcheng, "Since it''s like this, then us brothers will be even more unable to let you go. We brothers will also need money."


    "You''re right, kill all those men. As for women, bring them back to our brothers for them to enjoy!"


    The bandit chieftain gave the order, and the bandits became even more excited as they roared and rushed towards the carriage.


    "Don''t come near me!" An Lingyi stood firmly in front of An Yingcheng. Her face was pale white, and the corners of her mouth were trembling, but she continued to speak to the people behind her, "Father, quickly leave. You are the hope of our entire Duke Palace.


    An Yingcheng''s eyes reddened. He never thought that when he was threatened by a bandit, it would actually be An Lingyi, his most proud and arrogant daughter, who stood in front of him, blocking those dangers for him.


    But at a time like this, how could he abandon his concubine and his children?


    An Yingcheng pursed his lips, a determined look on his face, "No, this king will not leave you behind. Rest assured, this is the official road, and soldiers will be coming soon. As long as we can hold on, nothing will happen to us. "


    As King An, he naturally had some understanding of the situation of the capital''s garrison.


    A look of panic flashed in the eyes of the Aunt Li at the side, and she hurriedly gave the bandit leader a look.


    The bandit leader received the signal, and with a leap, he jumped onto the carriage.

 C153

    An Lingge stood on the other carriage, and upon seeing that, she retrieved an arrow from her back and shot it at the bandit leader.


    Her smooth movements as she nocked her bow and shot an arrow seemed to have been in contact countless times, catching the bandit leader off guard. The long sword in his hand fell to the ground, and fresh red blood oozed out of his right arm.


    "So there''s someone else hiding here."


    The bandit chief was injured by An Lingge''s shots. He was stunned for a moment before raising his head to look at the girl standing on the carriage.


    "What a naughty girl. She sure knows how to seduce people!"


    His words were sinister, and looking at An Lingge''s plain clothes, he knew that she was the target of Aunt Li.


    Aunt Li got his servant girl to give them quite a bit of money. She wanted the brothers to find a chance to take care of that light dressed girl today, not to mention that the little girl dared to hurt him, so she had to die!


    "You dare to hurt our boss?!? You''re dead for sure!" The dozen or so bandits surrounding An Yingcheng instantly rushed towards An Lingge. Aunt Li had a look of worry on her face, but there was a faint smile in her eyes.


    When they were in the mansion, the old lady had helped her support the family, and An Lingge had relied on her identity as the eldest daughter to win over the people, making it impossible for her to find a chance to take action.


    Now that she met a bandit on the way up to sweep the tomb, if she died at the hands of the bandit, it could only be because her luck was bad.


    At that time, the mansion would once again be his own world. Who would have thought that An Lingge''s death would have something to do with her?


    Excited light flashed in An Lingyi''s eyes as both of her hands tightly clenched, wishing that she would become one of the bandits and personally kill An Lingge.


    But An Lingge actually shot out two arrows in a row, hitting the bandit who was at the very front and slamming him into the ground.


    The bandits knew that her archery skills were not bad and did not dare to be careless anymore. They circled the carriage for more than ten steps without moving.


    "What are you afraid of? There are so many of you, yet you''re afraid of a little woman like her?"


    The bandit leader shouted angrily, "Whoever dares to step back, I, your father, will be the first to kill him!"


    When he gave such an order, the bandit naturally did not dare to retreat, and could only bite the bullet and charge towards An Lingge''s direction.


    "Be careful, sister!" An Lingjun had just gotten off the carriage. Seeing that An Lingge was surrounded by the bandits, he immediately kicked away the bandit closest to him, snatched a sword from his hands, and swung it at another bandit.


    The bandit retreated, gritted his teeth, and used the blade in his hand to slash at An Lingjun. An Lingjun was only paying attention to her sister''s situation, she did not even notice that the bandit was waving his blade at him.


    An Lingge suddenly opened her eyes wide, the bow in her hand flew towards the bandit''s blade, but her speed could not keep up.


    Time seemed to stop at that moment, she watched helplessly as the big blade slashed at An Lingjun''s body, the sound coming from her mouth was a little hoarse.


    Lu Zhan landed in front of An Lingjun, bent down and dodged the blade that was swung, his arm hitting the bandit''s wrist, and he heard the sound of a blade hitting the ground.


    The bandit screamed as his right hand formed a strange arc in the air. It was obvious that he had been broken by Lu Zhan.


    Lu Zhan didn''t even look at it, and brought An Lingjun''s collar to its side.


    "A mere bandit dares to cause trouble in the capital?"


    His thick eyebrows slightly raised, and his handsome face carried a bit of sharpness.


    "Who are you? How dare you interfere with your grandpa''s business?" When the bandit leader saw that Yue Yang had crippled his own brother with a single move, he couldn''t help but get angry and glared at Lu Zhan viciously.


    Lu Zhan laughed and did not take the words of the bandit to heart at all. "Today my mood is good, I''ll let you guys understand ghosts."


    As he spoke, he landed among the Mountain Thieves, sweeping his long legs in a circle, and five or six of them were lying on the ground, hugging their legs and moaning.


    "I am Lu Zhan, you all remember clearly."


    With that said, Lu Zhan used his feet to pick up the sword on the ground, and caught it easily.


    A stream of sword Qi flashed past, and the moans of the five or six people on the ground stopped immediately. All that was left was a thin red line on their neck, showing that they had died under the sword Qi.


    The bandit leader was completely shocked. When Aunt Li invited them to do some work, he did not say that such a powerful person would appear!


    They hadn''t killed An Lingge yet, but they had already lost several of their brothers!


    This deal is not going to work.


    He was so anxious that he did not have time to kill anymore. He quickly ordered his men, "Retreat!"


    The bandits were so scared that they no longer dared to move. When they heard his words, they desperately retreated. Soon after, they ran into the forest, and no one could be seen.


    Lu Zhan did not plan to pursue them either. His goal was to protect these people, and not to kill them all.


    "Thank you, Young Master, for saving my life."


    Only then did An Lingge have the time to bow and thank him. An Lingjun had learned things before, and on her face was a look of gratitude and respect: "You are truly amazing, fighting all those bandits by yourself to the point of fleeing!"


    "I just have some martial arts." As Lu Zhan finished speaking, he saw An Yingcheng walking over with Aunt Li and An Lingyi.


    An Yingcheng cupped his hands towards Lu Zhan, "Thanks to Young General Lu''s help, we were saved today. When this king returns to my house, I will definitely bring back a great gift to thank Young General Lu. "


    When he saw Lu Zhan, he recognized that he was the son of Lu General Da Lu Tianya, and he was also one of the famous officers in the capital. The people in the imperial court often called him Young General Lu, so An Yingcheng called him that.


    Lu Zhan was a junior of An Yingcheng''s generation, so naturally, she did not dare to accept his greeting as he hurriedly turned his body to the side to avoid him.


    He had a gentle smile on his face as he said, "Prince An is too serious, but I just happened to pass by and saw the bandits fall into chaos. That''s why I took action, it can''t be considered as saving someone."


    An Yingcheng wanted to praise Lu Zhan a little more, but suddenly he remembered the evaluation of Lu Zhan in the court. It was said that he had strong martial arts, and loved to fight against injustice, but he hated the hypocritical etiquette in the court, and swallowed down his words.


    At this time, Lu Zhan finally started to carefully size up An Lingge. Her gorgeous face had a pair of black eyes that were brighter than the stars in the sky, as if it could make everything in the world pale in comparison.


    "Miss An''s archery is not bad." He casually praised once as An Yingcheng''s mind began to move.


    Now that the emperor had ordered to cancel the marriage between Prince An''s Palace, and if the Young General Lu was interested in Little Ge, it might be possible to arrange a marriage between them.


    In any case, the Young General Lu had a very majestic appearance and great martial arts skills. Even though he was born a martial general, the road General Da was armed with heavy soldiers, so even if Little Ge married into their family, he would not suffer any grievances.


    An Lingge still did not know that An Yingcheng had thought so much just because of a single sentence from Lu Zhan.

 C154

    She gave a polite yet distant smile to the man in front of her. "I''ve practiced this a few times when I was free. Young Master Lu, please excuse me."


    After she had reincarnated, she had not only collected some medicinal ingredients. In order to prevent herself from being harmed by An Lingyi the way she had in her previous life, she had also practiced her archery everyday and hid three to five poisons inside her sleeves to protect herself.


    It was just that she did not expect her archery to be used so quickly.


    As she thought about An Lingyi''s actions just now, a glint flashed past her eyes.


    An Lingyi had been doted upon by and the Aunt Li ever since she was young. In the Duke Palaces, she had always been an existence blessed by the stars, and in the past, she didn''t suffer at all, nor did she feel angry at all. Now, facing the ferocious bandits, she actually dared to stand in front of An Yingcheng, protecting her father from danger?


    Even if the sow were to climb the tree, An Lingge would never believe that An Lingyi would have such a great sacrifice.


    Moreover, those bandits were really too strange. Ordinary bandits would only rob wealthy families that had no power, and even the fourth or fifth level officials did not dare to move against them. Today, they had already revealed their identity, but those bandits did not seem to care about them at all, as if they were not afraid of offending the government.


    The most suspicious thing was that when An Lingyi rushed out, those bandits only attacked An Yingcheng, but did not harm An Lingyi at all.


    Logically speaking, the woman was weaker than the man, and should be the first target of the bandits, but those bandits only said a few words before gathering together to face An Yingcheng.


    Only when she got out of the carriage did the bandit leader really kill her, as if their goal was to kill her.


    An Lingge lowered her eyes and covered her thoughts.


    An Lingyi had already walked to the front of Lu Zhan, her head lowered, her heart beating erratically.


    Just now, Lu Zhan was like a god that had descended. His valiant and formidable appearance had caused her to be unable to calm down for a long time.


    She never thought that there would actually be a man who was as handsome as Hereditary Prince Mu, who was so powerful and elegant.


    Furthermore, according to his father''s meaning, he was even the son of General Da Lu, and his status was not low either.


    If he couldn''t marry Hereditary Prince Mu, marrying this kind of man wasn''t bad either.


    As An Lingyi thought this, her expression couldn''t help but become somewhat bashful, but she began to belittle An Lingge, "Big sister''s archery is so, if I had come out earlier to protect father, then father wouldn''t have had to be frightened. "It''s a pity that I don''t know anything and can only stand in front of father to buy time for father."


    As she showed Lu Zhan that she would not hesitate to sacrifice his own good qualities for his father, he also added some ointment to An Lingge''s eyes.


    Look, even though An Lingge had such a powerful archery skill, she did not care about her father''s life. This kind of woman was simply too cold-blooded and heartless.


    After being reminded by her, only then did An Yingcheng recall the situation from before, and her complexion slightly changed.


    "No way, Miss An is using herself to attract the attention of the bandits, so that you can escape."


    Lu Zhan laughed and shook his head, telling his what he had just seen, "Just now, when the bandits attacked Prince An, Miss An immediately came out of the carriage and shot an arrow at the bandit leader. This time, she had angered the bandit himself and almost died."


    The mountain road spiraled upwards, and from above, one could see the scene on the road below.


    When the bandits jumped out, he happened to see this scene on the mountain and rushed over just in time.


    An Yingcheng thought about it, it was indeed because An Lingge''s arrow had injured the bandit chief and lured a large number of bandits over, that he was able to last until Lu Zhan''s arrival.


    "Little Ge has always been intelligent and nimble. Even when facing so many bandits, she was never timid."


    There was also a proud expression on his face, as if An Lingge being so powerful had given his Prince An''s Palace quite a bit of face.


    When the Aunt Li saw that the bandit did not kill An Lingge, his face darkened.


    Now that he saw that An Lingge was actually praised by the Duke, and that he had completely messed up her meticulously planned plan, causing An Lingyi to not be able to put on a righteous front in front of An Yingcheng, he clenched his teeth even tighter, and wished that he could chew on An Lingge''s meat.


    However, in front of Lu Zhan, she still pretended to be a kind aunt, "That''s right, if it wasn''t for eldest miss and Young Master Lu, we wouldn''t be able to survive today. Yi Er has daintily raised her since he was young, so when she stood in front of the Duke, he really gave me a fright. "


    At this moment, Aunt Li pretended to praise An Lingge and did not forget to remind An Yingcheng that An Lingyi had used her life in exchange for''s safety.


    How could An Yingcheng not be moved? He momentarily forgot how malicious An Lingyi was, and only felt that he had always misunderstood this daughter of his.


    His Yi Er was obviously still that cute and cute little cotton-padded jacket. The matters from a few days ago were only because she had the temperament of a child.


    But who didn''t do the wrong thing when they were young? In front of the great calamity, Yi Er had still placed his father at the most important position. This proved that her nature was not bad, and that she only had a little personality.


    "Yi Er also surprised this king. I didn''t expect that when she grew up, she would know to protect father."


    Lu Zhan could not wait to hear how the whole family would sigh. If not for An Lingge here, he would have left right after saving them.


    Seeing that An Yingcheng seemed to want to drag him for a while longer, Lu Zhan could only pull out a smile and casually praised, "Prince An''s teaching skills are impressive, even the young miss and the Hereditary Prince s of Prince An''s Palace are brave and determined, they are worthy of respect."


    An Yingcheng laughed, and as if he had met his best friend, he pulled Lu Zhan and invited him to the same carriage.


    Lu Zhan hesitated for a moment. Seeing An Yingcheng''s gaze drift towards the mountain forest from time to time, he knew that An Yingcheng was worried that those bandits would come back.


    He was also afraid that those bandits would not give up and agreed to An Yingcheng''s invitation.


    An Yingcheng was ecstatic, and immediately ordered for the best horse carriage for Lu Zhan.


    Lu Zhan initially did not want him to be serious, but it was impossible to change him, so he accepted the arrangement.


    An Lingyi quietly raised his eyes to size him up, and only felt that he had a deep look in his eyes, as though she could make people lose their minds just by looking at him.


    A faint blush slowly appeared on her cheeks, and the hand hidden in her sleeve slowly clenched.


    Hereditary Prince Mu would be going to the Mo Bei soon, and thus, she didn''t know when she would be able to return to the capital. It would be better for her to use this opportunity to make a move against Lu Zhan, so that she could suppress An Lingge even if she became the wife of a general.


    How could An Lingyi, who harbored such thoughts, possibly think that Lu Zhan accompanied them down the mountain to return to their residence purely because he was worried for An Lingge''s safety? There was no trace of her in his heart.

 C155

    Lu Zhan accompanied An Yingcheng and the others all the way down the mountain before he bade them farewell.


    Even if he wanted to be more familiar with An Lingge, he shouldn''t use this method.


    An Yingcheng urged him to stay for a while. Seeing that Lu Zhan remained unmoved, he could only thank him once more before sending him off.


    When he returned to the palace, he immediately sent someone to prepare a gift. He specially found a treasure sword from the storage room and personally brought a person to the General Da Palace to express his gratitude.


    An Lingge and the others, who had received Lu Zhan''s saving grace, naturally went along as well. Only Aunt Li, because of her status as a woman, stayed in the Duke Palace because it was inconvenient for her to go to the General''s Estate.


    Inside the General''s Estate, Lu Tianya and An Yingcheng were seated facing each other. An Lingge and the others were seated below them, and Lu Zhan happened to be sitting opposite to An Lingge.


    "Young General Lu is truly a young man, he saved the lives of everyone in our Duke Palaces."


    An Yingcheng politely chatted with Lu Tianya as he continuously praised Lu Zhan.


    Lu Tianya is a barbarian. He could only laugh out loud and feign modesty once more, "Prince An is too kind. If you keep on praising him, I''m afraid that kid will explode."


    "It''s normal for youngsters to be high-spirited." An Yingcheng also laughed, his gaze inadvertently falling on Lu Zhan, the more he looked, the more satisfied he became.


    He chatted with Lu Tianya for a bit more about family matters before probing, "I wonder which family''s girl Young General Lu has an engagement with, such a talented person like you?"


    Lu Zhan was originally drinking his tea quietly, but when he heard An Yingcheng''s words, he subconsciously looked up at An Lingge with a hint of panic in his eyes.


    He didn''t have an engagement with anyone at all, so An Lingge better not misunderstand him.


    An Lingge lowered her head and did not see his expression. On the contrary, it was An Lingyi, and even though she was sitting next to An Lingge, she had been secretly looking up to see Lu Zhan.


    She thought Lu Zhan was looking at her, but when she thought about how Lu Zhan''s seat was directly facing An Lingge, An Lingyi''s heart sank.


    Could it be that if she liked someone, An Lingge was going to seduce someone, and she was going to go against her?


    This b * tch who had a lecherous personality!


    The hand under her sleeve fiercely clenched, her long fingernails digging into her palm, unexpectedly not feeling any pain at all. She only wished that she could skin An Lingge alive, so that she wouldn''t steal the person she liked.


    Fortunately, Lu Zhan and An Lingge were not familiar with each other, and had only been deceived by An Lingge''s face. As long as she kept appearing in front of Lu Zhan and hinting at the road station a few more times, Lu Zhan would definitely understand his intentions. He might even forget about An Lingge.


    With this thought, the resentment in An Lingyi''s heart slightly receded, and her distorted face returned to normal.


    Lu Tianya glanced at Lu Zhan, some pride and pride in his eyes, but his tone was very modest. "I am indebted to the prince for his love. However, Zhan''er is a martial artist and kills his enemies, so he doesn''t have the time to talk about love. Ordinary women don''t want to marry a martial arts man who doesn''t know how to fight or kill, so this marriage hasn''t come to an end yet."


    No matter what he said, whether he praised or belittled Lu Zhan, An Yingcheng had only heard that Lu Zhan had no marriage contract.


    He looked at Lu Tianya in astonishment, his words filled with disbelief. "How many women wish to marry a young genius like Young General Lu? General Lu, you''re too modest."


    Lu Tianya shook his head with a smile, but there was a trace of helplessness on his face. "He only knows how to practice martial arts and kill his enemies. He doesn''t even listen to me and his mother''s repeated attempts to persuade him to find a good girl to live a peaceful life. My heart ¡­"


    The smile on An Yingcheng''s face grew even wider, and he also understood the hidden meaning behind Lu Tianya''s words, "With such a talent like Young General Lu, he naturally has the ambition of ruling over the entire Qi Family. However, he wasn''t young anymore, and there should be someone who cared about others. If General Lu is willing, I can get someone to help General Lu keep an eye on this good daughter of his in the capital. "


    "Then, I''ll have to thank Your Highness."


    Lu Tianya thanked An Yingcheng, but a trace of hesitation flashed through his heart.


    He was originally a commoner. Back then, he had been promoted from the army at a young age, and because of his courage and battle prowess, he had been promoted to the position of deputy general step by step.


    After that, he was recognized by the Emperor and was bestowed the title General Da.


    Although he was just a martial general and didn''t have the twisted hearts of the civil officials, Lu Tianya knew what the Emperor was thinking about these other princes s.


    If he had a marriage relationship with Prince An''s Palace, the emperor might even suspect himself, so he definitely could not let Lu Zhan and Prince An''s Palace''s daughters be implicated.


    However, in front of An Yingcheng, Lu Tianya had still given him sufficient face, and had not revealed his thoughts in the slightest.


    An Yingcheng thanked Lu Zhan with gifts and obtained the information he wanted. Then, he took An Lingge and the others and left, returning to Prince An''s Palace.


    "All of you, go back to your own courtyards."


    An Yingcheng was in a good mood as he allowed the few of them to return to their own courtyards, yet he stood in his original position without moving.


    "Little Ge, what else do you want?", An Yingcheng asked as he saw that An Lingge had not left.


    An Lingge nodded at him, "Father, our daughter thinks that the bandits we met today were too arrogant, even daring to try and rob the king, and that they almost killed us. It can be seen how brutal and tyrannical they are, why not father tell the guards, and let them destroy the bandits, for the sake of the people."


    "I''ve already sent people to do this."


    An Yingcheng thought about how those bandits had mocked him while looking down on him, a dark glint flashed in his eyes.


    When the guards catch those bandits, he will definitely go to the prison and take a good look at them!


    An Lingge''s face revealed a look of astonishment, "Father actually sent someone to inform the Lord Guard already?"


    "I originally wanted to tell Father that the Mountain Bandits were extremely arrogant, and that someone was supporting them from behind. I wanted Father to be more careful."


    An Yingcheng originally did not take her words to heart, but after some careful thought, it seemed that there was indeed such a possibility.


    If the Mountain Bandits had not been ordered by someone, they would definitely not have attacked a prince like him, and would not have been afraid when the guards reported his identity.


    The person who commanded the bandits was not inferior to him in status.


    An Yingcheng''s eyes darkened. After thinking about it, only the few people who were in the same boat as him had the most possibility.


    If he could catch the person behind this bandit and hand him over to the Emperor, then the Emperor''s suspicion of him might disappear.


    Not only could he seek revenge, he could also show his loyalty in front of the emperor. This was killing two birds with one stone.


    She thought like this, and there was a look of certainty in her eyes, "Little Ge, don''t worry, I will get people to inform the guards of the things you have said, and let them be on guard. They will definitely catch that arrogant bandit in one fell swoop."

 C156

    An Lingge laughed, a hint of deep thought flashed past her black eyes.


    If the Mountain Bandits were ordered by the Aunt Li, they would definitely hand them over after they fell into her trap. If that wasn''t the case, then getting rid of the bandits would be for the sake of the common people.


    An Lingge advised An Yingcheng to pay attention to those bandits, but An Lingyi smashed a white porcelain cup in front of the Aunt Li.


    "Mother, you don''t even know how outrageous that slut An Lingge is. It''s one thing for her to seduce Hereditary Prince Mu and take away the marriage that originally belonged to me, but Hereditary Prince Mu will be going to the Mo Bei soon anyway. Since the emperor has already ordered to cancel the marriage, I''ll just treat it as if nothing happened."


    She glared fiercely at the empty ground in front of her, as if An Lingge was right in front of her, ruthlessly gouged out with her Eye Knife.


    Aunt Li gave a look to the servant girl beside her, and Peach Blossom left. In a moment, she was holding onto a new set of tea set.


    "Today I saw that little general Lu. He was brave and handsome, but he was also seduced by that bitch An Lingge, I can''t see me at all."


    After the Aunt Li had Hongtao pour her a cup of tea, she said unhurriedly, "Why are you in such a hurry? We were originally going to get rid of An Lingge today, and if we can''t even get this settled, why are you angry?"


    She finally understood that An Lingge was a lucky man, it would not be as simple as bribing bandits to kill him if she wanted to get rid of An Lingge.


    "Mother!" An Lingyi cried out, "It''s not easy for your daughter to fall in love with someone, and now that I''m about to be lured away by that fox spirit of An Lingge''s, how can I not be anxious?"


    "Today is your first time seeing that Young General Lu as well. How did you know that he was about to be lured away by An Lingge?"


    The Aunt Li did not take An Lingyi''s words to heart, but An Lingyi became anxious and quickly told him about how Lu Zhan had secretly sized An Lingge up.


    "What do I think it is?" Aunt Li laughed, and looked at An Lingyi with a helpless look, "Young General Lu merely glanced at An Lingge, little girl, you think too much."


    "But father was trying to test General Lu and asked Young General Lu if there was an engagement between them. At that time, Lu Zhan glanced at An Lingge as if he was afraid that she would misunderstand."


    He was sure that he hadn''t seen wrongly. At that time, Lu Zhan nervously looked at An Lingge, but seeing that An Lingge wasn''t looking at him, he withdrew his gaze, a little disappointed.


    If this was not considered to be interesting to An Lingge, then what was considered to be like Lu Zhan liking An Lingge?


    "You are too narrow-minded." The Aunt Li sighed, "No wonder An Lingge kept suppressing you."


    "Mother, what do you mean by that?" An Lingyi jumped up as if her tail was stepped on by someone, with a hint of anger on her face, "Even you think that I can''t compare to that bitch An Lingge, right?"


    She had always been a treasure in the hands of the Aunt Li, and now that the Aunt Li had said this, she couldn''t take it anymore.


    Aunt Li patted her hands and comforted her, "Mother, how can Yi Er be worse than An Ling? But that An Lingge is too cunning and cautious, and you are also too impulsive and irritable, which is why you were tricked by her so many times. "


    "Think about it, originally, we had the chance to kill An Lingge today, but she escaped in the end. Why is that?"


    An Lingyi frowned, "Isn''t it because Young General Lu appeared in time that I saved her?"


    If not, when those bandits kill An Lingge, she would pretend to fight for her father and confront the bandits for a while.


    After that, when the bandits escaped, she would bring down a heroic and righteous reputation. Even her father would change his opinion of her and forget all that she had done to frame An Lingge.


    By then, An Lingge would already be dead, and she would have recovered her father''s pampered self once again.


    That woman An Lingxue, was only a lowly three-room girl in front of her.


    It just so happened that the timing of Young General Lu''s appearance was wrong, and he coincidentally saved An Lingge''s life, which was why An Lingge continued being so arrogant.


    Maybe the Young General Lu was confused by An Lingge''s face at that time.


    Aunt Li shook her head, her eyes carrying a look of disappointment, "No, before Young General Lu came, those bandits had already rushed over to kill An Lingge, but at that time, she took out her bow and arrows and shot a few more bandits, which made them afraid. During the stalemate, she made An Lingge wait for Young General Lu."


    If An Lingge did not know any archery skills, or if her archery skills were not that powerful, those bandits would not have been scared by her, not in a stalemate with her, and not to mention, giving her a chance to live.


    An Lingxue also came to an understanding, her face had a look of doubt, "When did An Lingge learn such an exquisite archery skill?"


    Although the academy also inspected the Six Arts of the Gentlemen, these mounted archery items were too difficult for females. The teachers also relaxed their requirements. Who would seriously practice their archery as long as they passed the examination?


    Aunt Li looked gloomy, "This is what I told you, An Lingge is too cautious and cunning."


    A dark light flashed in her eyes, and she explained the matter that she was suspicious of. "Back then, I had sent people to drugged Madam Wang, and wanted to frame An Lingge, but An Lingge actually had medical skills, not only did she not fall for the trap, she even sold me a favor. Now that I have bribed the bandits, I want to kill An Lingge, so I know that An Lingge''s archery is superb. Unknowingly, An Lingge had already learned too many things, just in case we attack her. "


    When the Princess An passed away, An Lingge was only a few years old, so she did not know anything.


    In order to create a kind and generous image of her, Aunt Li kept her, but she treated her harshly, both openly and covertly. She even incited people to secretly guide her in a direction where she did not learn anything and wished that she could become a retarded cripple.


    Therefore, An Lingge had definitely not learnt these things before. Now that she knew these things, she must have secretly practiced for a long time with the goal of protecting herself and preventing them from doing anything to her.


    An Lingyi bit her lips. Back then, she had sent someone to drug An Lingge immediately, causing her to almost fall off her horse. After that, in the academy, she was almost brought down the cliff again. Maybe it was because of this that An Lingge became cautious, which was why she wanted to learn medical skills and archery.


    From then until now, it had only been a little more than a month. Could it be that An Lingge was really that smart to be able to learn these two things in such a short period of time?

 C157

    Even if she was really so smart and powerful, she would still die if she stole someone she liked!


    Although she couldn''t touch An Lingge at the moment, it didn''t mean that she couldn''t touch her for the rest of her life.


    One day, when she found a chance, she would definitely cut open An Lingge''s face that had been reincarnated by the fox spirit. In the end, she would throw her body to the wild mountains to feed the wolves.


    She wanted to make An Lingge die with grievance, and she also wanted to make An Lingge die with her corpse intact!


    An Lingyi didn''t wait for the opportunity to kill An Lingge, but had made her think of another way.


    "Mother, since we can''t get rid of An Lingge right now, we might as well get rid of her reputation first."


    Didn''t An Lingge know medicine and archery? Could she defend herself from open fire or hidden fire? Could she defend herself from malicious remarks?


    Once they had made her reputation worse, no matter how strong An Lingge was, she would only be able to live her whole life with this reputation and would never be able to lift her head up again.


    Seeing that she had thought of a solution, Aunt Li''s eyes lit up as he said happily, "Yi Er, what solution have you thought of? Tell me quickly."


    "Mother, think about it. An Lingge will get into trouble wherever she goes, isn''t she a villain? Let''s start from this point and let her carry the notoriety of being a bane. There will definitely be many people who will distance themselves from her, and there might even be people who will add insult to injury. This is the chance for us to make a move. "


    She still remembered what the Aunt Li had told her not long ago, that An Lingge had won over half the family members over. But if they knew that An Lingge was a villain, they would definitely suffer whoever got close to him.


    An Lingyi curled her lips. As long as An Lingge carried such a reputation on her back, she would be the bane of others all her life.


    Even if they were the ones who did all those things behind the scenes, outsiders would not know of this fact. As long as they spread the news, those people would definitely believe this explanation.


    The corner of Aunt Li''s mouth also curled up. The mother and daughter pair''s smiles were always somewhat sinister and similar.


    "It just so happens that An Lingge lost her mother when she was young. We can also arrange a name for her."


    No decent family would be willing to marry a kemmer.


    At that time, how was An Lingge going to fight with her for the would-be husband, and how was he going to rely on his identity as the legitimate eldest miss to pressure Yi Er and make him look good?


    An Lingyi was extremely excited, "Mother, send someone to spread the news now, and before long, An Lingge will have a bad reputation behind her back, maybe father will even send her out, so as to not implicate the people of our Duke Palace."


    If she could send An Lingge to some remote place, perhaps she could use this opportunity to quietly make him die there. No one would know that it was her who did it.


    Aunt Li looked at her. Although Yi Er had such thoughts, her methods were still too childish.


    Although spreading the news was simple, many people did not believe it. After all, it was just news they had heard, so how many people would take it seriously?


    No matter how many people outside believed this news, they couldn''t compare to the old mistress of the Prince''s Mansion believing it to be more useful.


    As the saying goes, it is better to see than to hear. If the old lady knew, An Lingge was an unlucky star, would she still get close to An Lingge and side with him?


    This person, the older he was, the more superstitious he became. He had no doubt about these theories of ghosts and gods.


    Therefore, to establish An Lingge''s reputation as the bane of the world, she had to start from the old lady.


    Aunt Li carefully taught An Lingyi the pros and cons of this matter. Although An Lingyi was not in the mood to listen to her reasoning, because this matter was related to An Lingge, she still patiently listened to her son.


    "Think about it. If I had sent someone out to spread the news, the madame might not have believed it. However, if she had seen it with her own eyes, she would not have believed it."


    Hearing that, An Lingyi knew that she had an idea, and the smile on her face became even more malicious, "What do you want to do, mother, quickly tell me."


    Aunt Li laughed, lowered her voice, and talked to her for a long time.


    Peach Blossom had already left long ago. Aunt Li called her in at this time and gave her a few detailed instructions.


    Early morning of the next day, Aunt Li brought An Lingyi to Qingfeng Garden.


    The Old Mistress had just finished her breakfast, and the Aunt Wei was making her tea.


    The scent of rose tea filled the room.


    When Aunt Li smelled the scent, she subconsciously frowned. She was extremely disdainful of Aunt Wei using this method to act cute in front of the Old Granny, but at the same time, she was also a little jealous.


    Back then, she had been careless and did not realize the old mistress'' importance. She had been a little disrespectful towards the old mistress. When she realized it later, it was already too late. The old lady did not like her, and even Yi Er was always ignored by the old lady.


    The Aunt Wei, on the other hand, was just a servant girl. Her looks could only be considered pretty, and her background and appearance were incomparable to her, and she could not even be compared to her in everything she does. However, with her skills in making tea, she managed to please the old mistress.


    However, the Aunt Li quickly covered this matter up and smiled decently as she walked towards the old lady happily.


    "Greetings to the madame."


    She was smiling, but the madame''s expression was cold. "Why are you here today?"


    It had already been more than a month since the madame returned to the manor, and she had not asked anyone to come over to pay her respects. The Aunt Li did not please her, and she was not exactly considered attentive to her.


    Aunt Li choked when she saw the old lady''s cold attitude, and the smile on her face also became colder.


    However, she remembered her purpose, so she pretended not to mind at all and said to her husband, "Just now, I passed by and saw a crane alight here. It must be an auspicious sign. I''m here to congratulate the old mistress."


    A look of surprise appeared in the old mistress'' eyes. Why didn''t she know that the crane was in the courtyard?


    But looking at the Aunt Li, this thing didn''t seem like she was making it up.


    The Countess nodded and made the Aunt Wei stop too. "There''s actually such a thing?"


    "Yes, yes. I saw it with my own eyes. The crane is in the old lady''s courtyard. Why don''t you follow me out and take a look?"


    Aunt Li smiled solicitously, there was not a single flaw on her face.


    The old lady was skeptical as she followed Aunt Li out of the house.


    She raised her head and looked around her. Sure enough, she saw a completely snow-white immortal crane flying from the other side of the courtyard.


    "Quickly, quickly catch up!"


    This is a crane, this is an auspicious sign, we can''t let it escape!


    The Old Mistress was extremely excited, the corners of Aunt Li''s mouth hooked up into a pleased smile, and he immediately ordered his men to catch the red-crowned crane.

 C158

    It was rare for the madame to give out such an order. The servants and guards immediately ran towards the direction the madame pointed, as if they had received some sort of order, afraid that the crane would fly away and make the madame unhappy.


    "Madam, please slow down. Don''t fall to the ground."


    Aunt Li pretended to be concerned and shouted, before she leisurely caught up with the old lady.


    As she passed by Aunt Wei, she secretly glanced at him with a hidden sense of pride in her eyes.


    So what if the Aunt Wei was good at making tea? With just a few words, she had coaxed the old lady out, and the old lady did not care about the existence of the Aunt Wei at all.


    After she ruined An Lingge''s reputation and stepped An Lingge into the mud, it wouldn''t be too late to take care of Aunt Wei.


    A cold light flashed through Aunt Li''s eyes, but she still maintained a smiling expression, making it impossible for others to see what she was thinking.


    Although the old lady was old, her health was not bad. She walked ahead quickly, and Aunt Li had no choice but to jog to catch up.


    "If this crane were to land in Old Madam''s courtyard, it would definitely be an auspicious omen, and there would be no escape. Old Madam, there''s no need to worry."


    Panting slightly, she wiped the sweat from her forehead with the handkerchief.


    The madame glanced at her daintily, her aged eyes carrying a sharp glint. "Immortal cranes cannot be slow. If you don''t want to follow, you can just wait here."


    The smile on Aunt Li''s face stiffened, the good show that she had arranged was just ahead. If she did not go, how would the good show begin?


    "My body is not as good as the old mistress'', so I''m a little tired." However, it''s rare to see an immortal crane. No matter how tired I am, I would like to follow you and take a look.


    The Aunt Li brought up the matter regarding the crane first, otherwise, the Old Mistress would not have seen the crane.


    She thought about it for a while, and tacitly allowed Aunt Li to follow her, then continued to rush towards the direction of the crane.


    After another hundred steps, there were finally some maidservants gathered in front.


    "How is it? Did you catch that Immortal Crane?" The Countess hurried forward, but the maidservants kept their heads down, not daring to make a sound.


    Aunt Li''s face darkened, showing the attitude of the manager''s wife, "Didn''t you hear what the madame asked you? If one or two of them didn''t say anything, could it be that they were both deaf and mute? "If that''s really the case, then I''ll sell you all out today. Our Prince''s Mansion will not raise idle people like you."


    She scolded him harshly before an older woman forced herself to step forward. "To reply Aunt, that crane, that crane, it ¡­"


    When the old mistress saw this, her eyelids twitched violently and a bad premonition arose in her heart.


    "Tell me, what happened to that crane?" Her expression was dark, and her aged face was still dignified and extraordinary.


    The old woman complained incessantly with an expression that was even uglier than crying, "When this servant brought the people here, I saw the crane land on the ground motionless. When we walked over, we discovered that the crane was dead!"


    The crane was an auspicious sign, and dying in a mansion was no different from a bad omen.


    The old mistress pursed her lips, her face so dark that water seemed to drip from it.


    Seeing that she was not speaking, the Aunt Li became anxious, and acted like he was angry, pointing a finger at the wife, he opened his mouth, "Nonsense, that crane was fine just now, why did it suddenly die, you guys must have accidentally injured it!"


    The woman quickly kneeled down, her face scrunched up into a scowl. "Your servant''s wish is that when we came over, the crane was already dead, and there was no injury on its body. Please be clear, madam."


    Aunt Li looked at Old Madem Xiang, as if he was seeking the Old Mistress'' opinion.


    The old mistress held the buddhist beads tightly, subconsciously turning the beads even faster.


    "Bring me over to take a look."


    This was to go and see what was going on.


    The old woman let out a sigh of relief and stood up. She dusted her clothes clean and brought the old lady to the crane.


    The so-called crane lay motionless on the ground, allowing the madame to size it up. Its pair of bird eyes were tightly shut, but there was no trace of blood on its body.


    A fine red-crowned crane, an auspicious omen, yet it had died inside the Prince An''s Palace for no reason at all. That was not an auspicious omen, but an ominous omen!


    The old mistress'' face was as pale as water, and the buddhist beads in her hands spun even faster.


    Aunt Li looked at the buddhist beads in her hands. She knew that the old lady was troubled and a smile flashed in her eyes.


    "Ya, how did this Immortal Crane become like this?"


    Surprised, she covered her mouth with the handkerchief. With a look of pity on her face, she said, "A rare auspicious sign actually died like this. What a pity."


    Right now, it was not just a matter of whether it was a pity or not.


    The madame''s sharp eyes swept across the crowd. "When you chased after the cranes, did you see anyone?"


    This crane''s body was so sleek that it should be able to create a healthy body. It couldn''t possibly die here for no reason at all.


    The servants did not dare to say anything for a moment. Seeing that the old mistress did not look good, Aunt Li was overjoyed.


    The angrier the old lady became, the more furious she would become, and the more she would hate An Lingge.


    "Speak!"


    The maidservants did not speak, but the madame gave an angry shout that frightened the servants. Finally, one of the guards opened his mouth and said, "Just now, this servant saw the eldest young miss walk over."


    Little Ge?


    The old mistress frowned, the look in her eyes unreadable.


    However, Aunt Li scolded the guard with a cold face, "Eldest Miss is the most filial and kind one, how could she possibly harm this crane and bring misfortune to the family?"


    The guard only said that he saw An Lingge passing by, but Aunt Li said that An Lingge had killed the Immortal Crane.


    She seemed to be saying good words for An Lingge, but in reality, she had directly decided to punish An Lingge, saying that An Lingge was the one who killed the Immortal Crane, and An Lingge was not lucky.


    How could the guards dare to retort? He could only lower his head and allow the Aunt Li to berate him.


    The old lady then opened her mouth, "Forget it, since I haven''t seen Little Ge today, why don''t I go over to Little Ge''s place to take a look."


    She liked to be quiet, saving the juniors the greetings, and she had never come into anyone else''s yard of her own accord.


    Now that he made this request, he was afraid that he might really become suspicious of An Lingge.


    Aunt Li''s lips raised a little, but she quickly suppressed it. With a respectful and obedient look, she followed the old lady to An Lingge''s courtyard.


    The servant girls did not dare to disobey, and the group of people majestically headed towards the Parasol House.


    The old mistress was the first to approach the Parasol House, and did not see An Lingge''s figure.


    "Where did Eldest Miss go?"


    Her expression was indifferent, and was unable to discern anything. The servant girl from the Parasol House replied, "Reporting to the madame, eldest miss was called over early this morning by the third miss. She still hasn''t come back yet."

 C159

    Why did the matter involve An Lingyi again?


    The old mistress pursed her lips, displeasure flashing across her aged eyes.


    Aunt Wei also came over, and upon hearing that, she laughed, "Old madam, I think that there''s something fishy about this Immortal Crane. Why don''t we return to your courtyard first and send some people to investigate this matter."


    A few years ago, she was suppressed by the Aunt Li to the point where she had no choice but to hide in a side courtyard to survive. However, under the eyes of the Aunt Li, she raised her own child safely.


    After thinking about everything that had happened today, he had a rough idea.


    First, the Aunt Li said that she saw the red-crowned crane at Qingfeng Courtyard, luring the old mistress over to take a look. The old mistress was overjoyed, and what she saw was the red-crowned crane corpse.


    Then, the servants and guards reported that they had seen An Lingge pass by, but when they asked inside the Parasol House, An Lingge was actually called out by An Lingyi.


    brought An Lingge out. The mother and daughter pair must have some tricks up their sleeves.


    The old mistress felt that she was being reckless today.


    It was only a red-crowned crane, even if it had died in her courtyard, she should not have brought her people to Little Ge''s place as if she wanted to interrogate him for her crimes.


    Why would the Aunt Li watch as the Old Mistress left?


    She threw a fierce look at Aunt Wei and smiled at the Old Mistress.


    "Madam, we''ve already arrived at Eldest Miss''s courtyard. Why don''t we have someone bring Eldest Miss back? It would be better if you could ask for an answer than if someone had wronged her."


    Aunt Li was truly worthy of being a person who grasped great authority in the back courtyard of Prince An''s Palace. She clearly wished for nothing more than to give An Lingge a reputation of a Heaven Destroyer, yet the words that came out of her mouth were all for An Lingge''s own good, causing him to be unable to find any flaws.


    Aunt Wei was anxious, but she did not dare show it. She only secretly grabbed onto the handkerchief in her hands and prayed that An Lingge was not tricked by the mother and daughter pair.


    The old lady then nodded her head, and instructed the nanny beside her, "Go and call the young miss here."


    She paused for a moment and thought about what the maid had said before saying, "If Third Miss is also here, then call Third Miss as well."


    Since he had to get to the bottom of this, naturally, he had to ask An Lingyi about this as well.


    The maidservant acknowledged the order and quickly walked out.


    At this time, An Lingge was walking back, and met the servant. After hearing her general story, she then followed her.


    "Big Sister''s maidservant is really clever."


    An Lingyi was already prepared. Seeing that An Lingge''s servant had actually explained everything clearly and said that the Aunt Li did not come with good intentions, she could not help but say this in a weird tone.


    But no matter how clever An Lingge''s servant was, or how she warned An Lingge to be on guard, An Lingge would still obediently give birth to the Heavenly Calamity Lonely Star today.


    An Lingge''s bright black eyes swept over them indifferently, and her expression was a little cold. "Third Sister probably doesn''t know, but this servant followed Master."


    The reason why her servant was smart was because she was smart too; why An Lingyi''s maid was stupid was naturally because of An Lingyi.


    On the surface, her words did not sound like a problem, but she was ridiculing An Lingyi for being so stupid.


    An Lingyi''s hypocritical smile froze on her face, and her heart was filled with endless hatred.


    If not to lure An Lingge over, she would not have accompanied An Lingge in acting!


    However, when he thought that An Lingge would be left out in the mud in a short while after being left out of disgust by the others in the manor with an ominous mark, An Lingyi forcefully suppressed the anger in her heart, and maintained her fake smile.


    "What Big Sister said is right. These maids are all children from our Duke Mansion. It is only natural for me to learn a lot of things from my father to be more quick-witted."


    Didn''t An Lingge say that this servant would follow master? The most legitimate master in the entire Prince An''s Palace was her father, not an orphan girl like her, whose birth mother had passed away long ago.


    She wanted to mock herself for being stupid, but it wouldn''t be that easy.


    An Lingge never planned to argue with her, and the reason she had mocked An Lingyi just now was also because he could not watch her acting so intimate and wanted to drag her out.


    Seeing that An Lingyi had won, An Lingge nodded indifferently, then followed the servant into the Parasol House.


    Just as she reached the Parasol House''s door, she heard a long sigh, "An unknown person!"


    The speaker was a Daoist in a brand-new Daoist attire. His face was clean and full of compassion, and he looked at An Lingge as if she were a pitiful person.


    His voice was not soft, and his words brought forth the madame who was in the courtyard.


    The Aunt Li followed behind the madame.


    The old mistress was surprised to see a man she did not recognize, and then she became angry, "Who are you? Why did it appear here? "


    This is An Lingge''s courtyard, why is this Taoist here?


    Moreover, she felt that this Daoist Priest was very unfamiliar. Could it be that some thief was pretending?


    The old mistress'' expression was stern, and the servants on the side had already made their preparations. They were waiting for the old mistress to give the order to capture the Daoist priest.


    However, the Daoist Priest didn''t panic at all when he heard the madame''s words. He still had a pitiful expression on his face. "This must be the madame from your estate."


    He bowed towards the madame and said, "I travel everywhere. A few days ago, I stopped at the capital and heard that there were many calamities occurring today. That was why I was invited to come and take a look."


    Aunt Li then told her about encountering a bandit, saying that she was the one who sent people to invite that Taoist. Firstly, she was to cast spells on the mansion to bring misfortune upon it, and secondly, she was to take a look at the mansion''s feng shui, to see if there was anything wrong with it.


    This explanation was reasonable, and the madame was relieved.


    However, she still had some doubts, "Earlier, you said that Eldest Miss was an ominous person. What exactly did you mean by that?"


    "Literally." The Daoist priest looked a little sad but also a little serious, "The First Miss'' fate is unknown, she is the lone star of the apocalypse, your kin and your husband. How pitiful."


    Her expression was sharp, and her pair of old eyes carried a sense of dignity, "Do you know what you are saying? Slandering our young miss Prince An''s Palace, you must be guilty of quite a heinous crime."


    "This is just the truth. If the old mistress believes it, then I shall pass the method of breaking the formation to her. If she doesn''t, then I shall leave now."


    Just as he was about to leave, the Aunt Li stopped him.


    Why aren''t you angry, Taoist Priest? We, the Old Madam, have never heard of your reputation, so it is normal to suspect you momentarily. Why don''t I introduce you to the Old Madem Xiang?

 C160

    Only then did Aunt Li tell the old lady about the Taoist''s origins, how powerful that Taoist was, how many families had seen the Feng Shui with their lives, and how many civilians had been saved by him.


    The old mistress'' expression softened, but there was a tinge of respect in her expression.


    "So it''s Elder Wang. This old man is truly disrespectful. I hope that you do not blame me."


    That Taoist had originally been entrusted by the Aunt Li, so how could he just turn around and leave like that?


    The madame had given him face, so he went down the steps with a good-natured expression on his face. "No need for that. The madame''s willingness to believe in my words is the greatest respect she can give to me."


    Aunt Wei''s face had already changed, as she shot a meaningful glance at An Lingge.


    The worry on her face entered An Lingge''s eyes, causing a surge of warmth to surge out of An Lingge''s heart, and the smile on her face became even gentler.


    Seeing that An Lingge was still smiling so casually even at this point, Aunt Wei became even more anxious, afraid that she would not know the seriousness of it.


    If An Lingge was given the reputation of being the bane of others, then she would never be able to get rid of him. Not only would the people in the Duke Palaces distance her, even the people in the future would despise her and despise her husband.


    The appearance was kind and the heart was kind. He seemed indifferent towards everything, but in reality, he was a proud person. If he was to be despised by others when the time came for him to get engaged, he was afraid that with his arrogant temperament, the eldest young miss would want to smash her head against the wall and die.


    But no matter how anxious Aunt Wei was, other than giving An Lingge a meaningful glance, she could only watch as the Daoist nun coaxed him in a few sentences.


    "If my calculations are correct, the young miss should have been born during the month of Nanyue."


    The Daoist Priest looked at An Lingge arrogantly, his fingers quickly moving a few times as he spat out a few words.


    The old lady was shocked, she did not expect that this Taoist would actually be able to calculate An Lingge''s birthdate, and immediately believed in him by a few more degrees.


    "Just now, Fellow Daoist said that Little Ge is the life of the Heaven Destroyer, Solitary Star, is there any way to break it?"


    She thought of the Princess An who passed away early. At that time, her body wasn''t bad and there weren''t any disasters or diseases that usually happened. However, Princess An suddenly went away like this, catching people off guard.


    The old lady could not help but be afraid, if it was really An Lingge who killed the Princess An, wouldn''t he be able to do the same to them?


    "Of course there is a way to break it."


    The Daoist nodded his head and said seriously, "As long as we send the eldest miss of your house to the nunnery and let her eat and chant. After two or three years, her killing intent will be completely eliminated. She will naturally be safe and sound."


    Send Little Ge to a nunnery?


    Little Ge was a princess personally bestowed by the Emperor. How could she send her to a nunnery?


    Not to mention that she wasn''t willing to, the emperor definitely wasn''t.


    If the emperor knew about this, the princess under his title would be sent to the nunnery soon after. The emperor would definitely think that it was because the emperors of the Prince An''s Palace were dissatisfied with him, that they would do such a thing.


    Now was the time when the Prince An''s Palace was being suspected by the emperor. How could she do such a thing?


    "No, Little Ge has a special identity, we absolutely cannot go to a nunnery."


    The old lady immediately rejected the Daoist Priest''s suggestion, and looked at An Lingge with a complicated gaze.


    Back then, when she had just returned to the Palace, this granddaughter of hers was very obedient and sensible, thinking about her every single moment. This made her feel somewhat touched, and she also felt a bit of love for An Lingge in her heart.


    But if An Lingge threatened the entire Prince An''s Palace, the old lady would not protect her.


    However, now that An Lingge had become the princess, she wanted to sacrifice An Lingge alone for the sake of the entire Prince An''s Palace.


    "The Daoist priest has a profound cultivation base. Is there any other way?"


    Aunt Li saw that the Old Mistress was hesitating and hurriedly asked.


    The Daoist Priest wrinkled his brow, and in the blink of an eye, his look of pity returned. It was as if he had thought of a good idea.


    "There are other ways."


    With these words, the old mistress'' eyes lit up. "What is it? Please speak frankly."


    "This method is very simple. Since First Miss'' fate is that of a Heaven Destroyer, in order to prevent her from killing others, we should isolate her. The manor must have a manor, so we might as well send Eldest Miss there. This way, Eldest Miss''s fate will not be affected."


    The meaning of the Daoist Priest was to send An Lingge to the Manor, until she died of old age there.


    "Madam, please do not."


    Aunt Wei could not help but panic, "We do not know if what this Taoist said is true or not. If we send the eldest young miss to the manor, where she will have no relatives or friends, wouldn''t we force her to die?"


    Aunt Li sneered, "Just now you heard what Taoist said. Since he could calculate the eldest miss'' birthday, he could naturally calculate her fate as well.


    "Besides, the Taoist just said that he could take the eldest miss to a nunnery and bring her back after two or three years. It wouldn''t be a big deal. Could it be that in your eyes, the lives of several hundred people from the Prince An''s Palace cannot compare to the two to three years of Eldest Miss? "


    "I didn''t mean it that way. I just felt that the young miss had met with a calamity and did not do anything, just because of a single sentence from a Taoist, she had to take the life of a Heaven Demon Lord and be given away by all of you. My wish is too pitiful."


    "It seems that this lady doesn''t believe me." The Daoist Priest shook his head and pretended to sigh before saying, "You are destined to have a son. However, your original identity was low, and after becoming a master, you have already used up all of your luck. If we don''t take care of that son of ours, he might not even be able to live past adulthood. "


    Aunt Wei''s face instantly became deathly pale. She wanted to say something, but found that he was unable to say anything at all.


    An Lingge saw that the Taoist was putting on an act, but secretly exchanged glances with Aunt Li and quickly pretended that nothing had happened. She already knew that this was someone Aunt Li had sent.


    There was a faint smile on her lips, not a hint of anger or sadness from the Daoist Priest. "So Taoist Priest is so amazing. I wonder if you can help me calculate what Aunt Li''s birth date is?"


    The Daoist Priest had initially been calm and collected. He had already told the Aunt Li about the various and minor matters of the King''s Manor, and there was nothing that he could not calculate.


    But when An Lingge asked this question, he was actually a little flustered.


    The word Aunt Li''s birthday wasn''t part of the messages she gave!

 C161

    Aunt Li also never thought that An Lingge would actually ask such a question.


    In order to make this Daoist Priest seem more powerful and more trustworthy, she told him about everyone else in the estate, but she had forgotten herself!


    The Daoist Priest panicked and could not help but look at Aunt Li guiltily.


    The Aunt Li''s gaze carried warning and she quickly averted her eyes in order to prevent the madame from noticing her movements.


    However, even though she didn''t seem to be flustered, she was still a bit worried.


    She had heard that this Daoist priest was used to making up lies, so she invited him to act. If he failed in this matter and even implicated her, then he would absolutely not have a good ending.


    Seeing her look away, the Daoist Priest knew that she would never open her mouth to help him out.


    However, he had done this kind of fooling many times, and it wasn''t as if the unexpected situation had never happened before. Therefore, he only pretended to ponder for a moment, before saying, "I can see that this madam''s aura is extraordinary and is the result of the Wangfwang Family''s order. As for her birth date, I can''t calculate it at all."


    "Just now, Fellow Daoist was still able to calculate the life of Eldest Miss, and even more so stated that Eldest Miss was the life of a Heaven Destroyer, Solitary Star. Why can''t you calculate it on Aunt Li? "Could it be that you don''t know any fortune-telling skills at all, and are only using this as a pretext to bluff and cheat!"


    Aunt Wei heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. As long as she did not believe what the Taoist said, then the words'' Heaven destroys all stars'' and ''fate'' were absurd. The Old Mistress would not have any ill feelings towards Eldest Miss.


    "Madam, don''t worry." The Daoist Priest shook his head. On the surface, he still put on a mysterious expression, "This Penniless Priest was unable to calculate her fate. This is because her fate is extremely valuable. How can an ordinary person calculate the meaning of her life?"


    "As for the young miss of the mansion, her fate is that of a calamitous star. Her fate is not good, and anyone with cultivation would be able to see her birthdate and calculate the major events of her life."


    The Daoist Priest''s palm was covered in sweat, but there was no trace of panic on his face.


    He pretended to be calm as he rounded the lie. He didn''t forget once again to say that the Old Madem Xiang meant that An Lingge''s fate was bad, making the old lady feel like there was a gap between her and the young miss.


    The old mistress was suspicious of him as well, and she probed, "Since the Taoist boasts of his good skills, may I also take a look at my fate?"


    Aunt Li looked at the Daoist Priest and the latter nodded in agreement.


    He pretended to be thinking deeply for a while before he suddenly frowned. This made the madame''s heart skip a beat, fearing that he would say something unlucky.


    "This old man was born to be rich, and my husband and wife were filial to their children. I should have been obedient my whole life, but in my later years ¡­"


    "How is your old age?" The old mistress was extremely nervous as she subconsciously held the buddhist beads tightly in her hands.


    The Daoist Priest wanted to say something, but he hesitated. It was as if what he was about to say was very hard to say.


    Aunt Li urged her on the side, "If you have something to say, please be straightforward. The old lady has a kind personality, she definitely won''t blame you."


    "This Penniless Priest will say it directly. The madame should have been safe all her life, but in her later years, waves have occurred. I''m afraid that she might be affected by the younger generation and end up dying miserably."


    "Nonsense!"


    She raised her long, shapely eyebrows and pointed at the Daoist Priest, "I respect your extraordinary cultivation base, that''s why I invited you to come to the mansion and see Feng Shui, but you actually dared to curse the madame like this!"


    When the Daoist Priest heard her reproach himself, a trace of helplessness appeared on his face. "Madame allowed me to say these words, and now Madame says that I have purposely cursed you. If you don''t believe me, then why did you invite me over?"


    Aunt Li was speechless, and looked at Old Madem Xiang in embarrassment.


    The Countess heard the Daoist Priest''s words and thought that ever since she returned to the Prince''s Mansion, it had indeed not been peaceful. If something were to happen in just a few days, it would definitely not be as peaceful and peaceful as when she had been at the Ancestral Mansion.


    Could it really be like what the Daoist Priest said, that in her later years, she would be implicated by the younger generation and would end up in a miserable state?


    The madame''s heart skipped a few beats and she comforted herself. She was a noble and filial child, so unless the emperor had copied her Prince An''s Palace, she would not end up in such a miserable state.


    After comforting herself for a bit, she hurriedly said, "Dao leader, please wait."


    The Daoist Priest''s footsteps paused for a moment, but he did not turn around and continued to walk out.


    When Aunt Li saw that the old lady wanted to keep him, he immediately instructed the servants, "Quickly leave the old man behind. Whether the old lady is safe or not, it all depends on the old lady!"


    Aunt Wei originally wanted to stop her, but when she saw the old lady''s tacit approval, she sighed inwardly and looked towards An Lingge with a comforting gaze.


    The corner of An Lingge''s mouth raised, her rosy lips curving into a perfect curve.


    There was a relaxed and indifferent expression on her face. It was as if she was not the person who had just been judged unlucky by the Daoist priest.


    Such a beautiful woman, yet her birth mother died young, and she had to live under the hand of a hypocritical aunt.


    Aunt Wei''s face showed that she could not bear to do so, but she did not see the light that fluctuated in An Lingge''s eyes.


    Aunt Li also quickly walked over with an apologetic face, "I was just saying too much just now, I hope Taoist does not take it to heart. I was just too worried about the madame.


    The Daoist Priest humphed in an indifferent manner and Aunt Li shot a look at Peach Blossom. Peach Blossom took out a silver note from her sleeve and respectfully placed it in front of him.


    "This is a little gift from our Lady. If you don''t mind, Daoist Priest, please accept it."


    The Daoist Priest glanced at the banknotes. A hundred taels of silver caused a hint of greed to flash past his eyes. He almost couldn''t maintain his appearance as a master on purpose.


    100 silver, ah! In the past, he had never obtained so many silver from those rich families.


    To think that this little concubine, in order to frame his first wife, would actually be able to give him so much silver. This business deal was even more profitable than several of his normal businesses!


    The Daoist Priest silently gulped and pretended to be calm as he took the banknote from Peach Blossom''s hand. However, his eyes were like a hungry wolf that had seen a sheep. It glowed with a faint green light, as if it had fallen into the eyes of money.


    He stuffed the banknotes into his pocket and coughed once before continuing, "Since Madam wishes to sincerely apologize, then I''ll stay and take a look at the Feng Shui of this house."


    "Feng Shui is fine." Aunt Li smiled and waved her hand, "The most important is the old mistress."


    She paused for a moment, trying her best to show her concern for the madame. "Just now, Taoist gave the madame her fate. I don''t know what to do in order to keep her from being implicated by the younger generation?"

 C162

    "This method ¡­ This Penniless Priest has already explained it to you just now." The Daoist Priest stroked his beard and pretended to be profound, "The young miss of your house is the life of the Heaven. The madame''s age and body are weak, so it is easy to be affected by her. "If we don''t separate the eldest young mistress from the madame, the madame will sooner or later ¡­"


    After the old mistress heard this, her gaze landed on An Lingge.


    If Little Ge really went against her, and even made her die a horrible death, then, even if Little Ge was a princess personally conferred by the Emperor, she would have to send him out of the Palace sooner.


    However, Little Ge had never made any mistakes, if she gave away the Daoist with just a few words, the child would probably grumble.


    The old lady thought for a moment, but her expression did not change at all. She looked at An Lingge with a kind gaze, "Little Ge, do you think that Taoist''s words are trustworthy?"


    When she asked this question, a dark light flashed past Aunt Li''s eyes, carrying a smile on her face, as though she was planning to succeed.


    If An Lingge believed what the Daoist Priest said, she would admit that she was a Heaven Slaughter God, and if anyone knew about their own situation, they would take the initiative to find an excuse to move out their Prince An''s Palace, so as to not implicate everyone in the mansion.


    On the contrary, if An Lingge scolded the Taoist for speaking nonsense, the Old Mistress would think that she was selfish and did not care about the safety of the crowd.


    No matter what An Lingge said, she was destined to be hated by the Old Mistress.


    Aunt Li''s face was covered with a faint sense of pride, and she looked at An Lingge with a vicious gaze.


    Once An Lingge was hated by the Old Mistress, without the Old Mistress as her backer, it would be much easier to mess with her.


    An Lingge actually swept a glance at her, as if she could understand the scheme in the Aunt Li''s heart, and her deep black eyes caused the Aunt Li to feel a burst of fear.


    She thought for a moment, then said, "The Taoist''s words are trustworthy, and it is not up to my granddaughter to decide."


    The old lady was a little surprised at her reply. A look of astonishment flashed past her old and sharp eyes, "Oh, what does Little Ge mean by this?"


    "Granddaughter is thinking that although Daoist Priest has given me fate, we still don''t know whether or not his cultivation experience will be enough to convince anyone."


    An Lingge''s bright black eyes flowed with light as her cherry red lips curved in a cute curve. That look made Aunt Li feel that something was wrong and she hurriedly said, "Didn''t First Miss already witness this Taoist''s abilities? How could you still doubt this Taoist''s abilities?"


    The old mistress thought that she was looking for an excuse. Her expression changed slightly, but soon returned to normal.


    "How can I make you believe in my ability?"


    Her words already signified her trust towards that Taoist. Aunt Li then secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    As long as the old lady believed what the Daoist said, it didn''t matter whether An Lingge believed or not.


    An Lingge seemed to be unable to detect the displeasure in her words. Her gaze fell on Aunt Li, and her lips still carried a smile.


    "Since this Taoist is invited by the Aunt Li to visit our house to see Feng Shui, then may I ask Taoist Priest to see how this fake mountain is constructed. Is it beneficial for Feng Shui or harmful?"


    Whether he had the ability or not, he would know after a try.


    The corner of her mouth curled up obediently, she looked like a gentle and harmless girl. However, Aunt Li would have never thought that she would actually ask such a tricky question.


    If An Lingge did not let go of her fate, she would have thousands of excuses that would make others speechless.


    But when An Lingge mentioned Feng Shui, she could not do anything, and could only hope that the Daoist Priest would learn something when swindling before, and casually say a few words to fool this incident.


    She was an amateur at feng shui anyway, the old lady and An Lingge were no exception.


    As long as that Taoist was clever enough, he was not afraid of this scheme.


    The Daoist Priest was stunned, he was caught off guard by An Lingge''s actions, which did not follow common sense.


    However, very quickly, he put on a mysterious smile of an enlightened expert. "Since First Miss doubts this humble Taoist''s ability, then this humble Taoist will casually speak of the Prince''s Mansion''s feng shui so as to prevent you all from not believing my words."


    The Daoist Priest was brimming with confidence. He had done some law chores in other people''s houses in the past, but now, he was only casually saying a few mysterious words. It wasn''t a difficult matter at all.


    "As the saying goes, there are five stars in the sky and five elements in the earth. Heaven''s Divide, Star Constellation, Earth Peak Mountains and Rivers. Qi was flowing on the ground, and it looked beautiful in the sky. Because of physical examination of qi, to establish the human body. "It is about the importance of feng shui. A good Feng shui can make a family rise, descendants prosper and the clan flourish. On the contrary, if the Feng shui is wrong, it could cause one''s own life and even bring disaster to friends and relatives."


    Seeing that, the Aunt Li was relieved, and then looked at An Lingge with contempt.


    No matter how cunning and crafty An Lingge was, she would not be able to solve today''s situation.


    However, An Lingge did not look at her, but instead nodded at the Spirit Dao cultivator, her beautiful face showing an expression of agreement: "Dao leader is right, this is the principle of Blessed Land to nurture blessings. "However, I am asking about the Feng Shui of our mansion, is Taoist-sir speaking a little incorrectly?"


    This girl was actually so hard to deal with!


    The Daoist Priest''s eyelids jumped. He stopped his actions of stroking his beard and almost pulled out a few strands of his beard out of his face out of anger.


    However, Aunt Li gave him a look just in time. He thought of the one hundred taels of silver in his bosom, but in the end, he still braced himself and finally plundered a few words that he knew.


    "There are many people in your mansion, this is the truth. The door of your mansion is small, this is the truth. The wall of the mansion is complete and this is the truth. The southeastern stream of the Residence and Water Ditch is the truth." "Speaking from feng shui, your mansion was built extremely well, and belongs to the Blessed Land."


    Since this house was a blessed place, it must be a good place to raise a person. She didn''t need to worry about being tricked by An Lingge and ending up with a miserable ending.


    An Lingge frowned, her black bright eyes carried a trace of doubt, "Why do I feel like what you said was wrong. Look at the rise and fall of this house, like a fierce dragon coiling around, waiting to wake up and fly up to the dragon one day, but this fake mountain is located on the back of a dragon, and is pressing down the dragon''s body, causing the dragon to be trapped here and not be able to soar into the sky, isn''t that trapping the dragon''s ambitions too low, how could it be considered a Blessed Land? "


    Feng Shui was particular about many things, and the terrain was one of them.


    For example, those dragon veins all had excellent terrain, and the imperial mausoleum was built in a good location, because doing so would allow the late emperors to protect their descendants.


    The old lady looked towards the direction that An Lingge pointed at, and indeed, the ground was as high and mighty as a dragon plate, it was just that the fake mountain in front of her coincidentally smashed into the dragon''s back, destroying such a good terrain.


    When the Daoist Priest heard An Lingge''s words, he became flustered and beads of sweat uncontrollably emerged from his forehead.

 C163

    Feng Shui was very mysterious. Even after studying it for more than ten years, he still could not figure it out. He could only rely on the things he memorized to fool those laymen.


    However, An Lingge was able to see through the situation here with a glance and was even able to deduce the advantages and disadvantages of this place with a glance.


    He wanted to deceive An Lingge, that was simply a pipe dream!


    An Lingge saw that the Daoist Priest''s head was covered in cold sweat, his gaze drifting about, and he knew that the Daoist Priest was feeling weak from the bottom of his heart, and did not dare to argue with him.


    Actually, she didn''t know how to hold the wind and water. The reason why she knew that there was a problem with the fake mountain was due to the blessings of her previous life.


    In his previous life, An Yinghao brought the Feng Shui Master that he knew into the mansion. That Feng Shui Master only took a glance and pointed out that the fake mountain had ruined a great place, and advised An Yingcheng to destroy the fake mountain.


    Although An Yingcheng suspected Feng Shui Master, he was still a friend of An Yingkang, the Third Master. For An Yingkang''s sake, An Yingcheng ordered his men to follow Feng Shui Master''s words and destroy this fake mountain.


    After that, good things happened in Prince An''s Palace, no matter if it was An Lingyi getting praises from the young mistress of Beijing or An Yingcheng getting a position of power in the imperial court, all sorts of good things happened.


    An Yingcheng had praised Master Feng Shui''s profound skills more than once in front of everyone.


    It was also because of this that she acted like an expert today, scaring the Daoist Priest so much that he did not dare to say anything.


    The Aunt Li gritted her teeth. It was one thing for An Lingge to be skilled in archery, but how could she be proficient in Feng Shui?


    If that Taoist didn''t explain himself, then his plan for today would have been annulled!


    A trace of anxiety flashed through her eyes as her expression turned cold. Taking advantage of the old mistress'' inattentiveness, she gestured in the direction of the Daoist priest.


    The Daoist Priest guessed her meaning, seeing An Lingge''s smile becoming weaker, the sweat on his face became bigger and bigger.


    "What Eldest Miss said is right, this fake mountain is not reasonable and it affects the luck of the entire Mansion." He followed what An Lingge said, and then suddenly changed the topic, "However, the Duke Palaces are a paradise, although under the influence of this fake mountain, it''s not as good as before, but it''s still a good place, much better than normal places."


    No matter what, as long as they could prove that what he said was not wrong, An Lingge would not be able to do anything to him.


    The Daoist priest had just rounded the circle of his lies when the old lady started to have doubts in her heart. She did not completely believe his words this time.


    "Since Dao leader thinks that Little Ge is right, I wonder if the elder can tell me, how can I let the situation return to how it was before?"


    He was someone who relied on deceiving and swindling people. If he really had that kind of ability, why would he take other people''s money to act?


    The Daoist Priest inwardly complained, his expression somewhat stiff.


    He forced a mysterious smile and said solemnly, "Old madam, please be at ease. This fake mountain is in the way of the land. As long as you order people to move it away, we can make it as good as the previous one."


    "Can I just directly move the fake mountain away?"


    An Lingge asked again. The Daoist Priest''s heart jumped again, afraid that she would ask another strange question and reveal his identity.


    In the face of An Lingge''s questions, the Daoist could only pretend to not understand.


    He walked in front of the fake mountain, and after looking up and down a few times, he thought for a while, then stroked his beard, "This humble Taoist looked at the sculpture of the mountain, and the water flowed towards the south. The scenery should have been very good, but unfortunately, it was placed in a bad position which affected the luck of the entire palace. As long as you move this fake mountain away, the luck of the Prince''s Mansion will be restored. "


    "Are you sure?" An Lingge''s black eyes curved up like a cunning fox staring at her prey, the depths of her eyes hiding a vicious, bloodthirsty look.


    This gaze caused the Daoist Priest to feel weak in his heart, and he only felt a chill travel all the way to his feet, causing him to unconsciously move a few steps away from An Lingge.


    "Of course. This humble Taoist has cultivated for so many years, it''s just a small Feng Shui. I can''t be wrong about it."


    An Lingge also laughed, it was obviously a beautiful and intoxicating smile, but her face had a killing intent, causing people''s hearts to turn cold.


    "But although this fake mountain is pressing down on the back of a dragon, at the same time, it is also a tiger''s eye."


    She pointed towards the old mistress'' residence and saw that a tiger had emerged from the ground where the flying dragons were initially laid, starting from the fake mountain and heading in the direction of Qingfeng Garden.


    Aunt Li followed her gaze and saw that the Fierce Tiger''s claws had landed on a few courtyards. Only the fake mountain was in the center and was exactly where the Tiger''s Eye was.


    Her heart skipped a beat. Just now, An Lingge said that the fake mountain was pressed down on Dragon Back, so the Spirit Cultivator she invited just now just randomly responded and said that the fake mountain was not a good position and needed to be moved away immediately.


    But now, An Lingge said that the fake mountain was also in the position of Tiger Eye, didn''t that mean that the fake mountain was in a good position that couldn''t be easily removed?


    At this moment, she finally understood this damned girl''s purpose.


    An Lingge was not in a hurry to defend herself. She did not say much, but she wanted to make the Daoist Priest look bad with a single sentence, and expose his true colors.


    She wanted to prove that the Daoist priest was a swindler, and then the reputation of that Heaven Destroyer, Lonely Star, naturally could not be considered real.


    What a cunning little bitch!


    Aunt Li clenched the handkerchief in her hands tightly as a light flashed in her eyes.


    However, it would not be so easy for An Lingge to expose the Daoist Priest with these words.


    She smiled as if she was looking at an ignorant child, "What Eldest Miss said is funny. Whether it''s'' Dragon ''or'' Tiger ''is more important, even a three-year-old child knows. Why don''t you want Eldest Miss''s words to help our Mansion become more prosperous?"


    No wonder he was a Heaven Destroyer, a lone star.


    She lowered her voice, acted like she was talking to herself, and whispered the last few words into the old lady''s ears, either intentionally or unintentionally reminding her that An Lingge was an ominous person.


    The madame''s expression was grave as she glanced at the fake mountain. She felt that it was an eyesore no matter how she looked at it. This fake mountain was really annoying. It was better to remove it as soon as possible.


    "Little Ge, since Taoist Priest has cultivated for so many years, we should naturally do as he says.


    She saw An Lingge''s actions as child''s nonsense. She would rather believe a fake Taoist who swindled people out of the wilderness than her own granddaughter.


    An Lingge''s heart was slightly sad, but the situation before her did not allow her to be sad, "Grandmother, my granddaughter knew that the fake mountain was pressing down on the dragon''s back, but she had never mentioned it to you. It is because the fake mountain is located in the tiger''s eye, if the fake mountain was moved away, it would cause the dragons and the tigers to clash, and it would definitely be extremely fierce. If this Daoist Priest does not even know this, then he is most likely here to lie! "

 C164

    An Lingge''s words were like a clap of thunder, the explosion made the Daoist Priest''s ears buzz, and his face became even paler.


    Aunt Li''s face also changed. Seeing the old lady''s gloomy face, she became even more flustered, and anxiety flashed past her eyes.


    He didn''t have time to look at the Daoist Priest and the Aunt Li immediately opened his mouth, "The young miss doesn''t like me, I have always known that. But, you can''t suspect the Taoist that I invited just because you hate me."


    She attributed all of An Lingge''s actions, onto An Lingge''s displeasure towards her, and hinted to the old lady that this was all her guess, and did not take it as true.


    "I''ve lived for so many years, but this is the first time I''ve seen such a Taoist who doesn''t know how to look at wind and water. Madam Li, should you give me an explanation?"


    Her face was filled with rage, her angry look made Aunt Li''s heart tremble.


    Knowing that she was being deceived by the Aunt Li, the Old Mistress only felt that she was being played around like a monkey.


    She had never been in such a difficult situation before in her life!


    Her eyes burned with anger, that kind of gaze caused Aunt Li to feel cold from the bottom of her heart, she knew that the Old Mistress no longer trusted her.


    The handkerchief in her hand was instantly distorted and contorted, showing the uneasiness in Aunt Li''s heart.


    "Madam, I''ve only invited you here to see Feng Shui. As for the depth of his cultivation, I''ve been living in the back room for a long time. I don''t know much about it!"


    Aunt Li shouted her grievances, but An Lingge smirked, her face was warm and gentle, "Grandmother, since you have already figured out that this Taoist is a swindler, let''s just forget about this matter. Don''t let today''s matter affect your mood."


    However, Aunt Wei''s face was filled with anger. She, who had always been weak, spoke up in front of the old lady, "Eldest Miss, you don''t understand. This Taoist obviously doesn''t know anything, but Aunt Li invited him in. Moreover, this Taoist immediately said that the First Miss'' life is that of a Heaven Destroyer, and she clearly had ill intentions. As for who would benefit from this, I don''t even need to say anything. Young miss, your heart is kind, but you can''t allow others to bully you like this! "


    As for who the person who was bullying An Lingge was, everyone present knew clearly in their hearts.


    The Old Granny''s gaze moved away from Aunt Li and locked onto the Daoist with a dignified gaze, "Insolent thief, you actually tricked our Prince An''s Palace. "Men, tie him up and send him to the government!"


    The maidservants by the side were all confused by the Feng Shui. Hearing the madame''s instructions, they hurriedly acknowledged and walked towards the Daoist Priest.


    "Mercy, madame!"


    When the Daoist Priest saw that his trick had been exposed, the unfathomable expression on his face instantly disappeared without a trace.


    The guards with sabers on their waists walked towards him step by step without the respect of an expert. Each one of them had a ferocious look in their eyes. He hurriedly knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the madame.


    "I was blinded in my heart by the lard and accepted the money that I shouldn''t have, which is why I am slandering your family''s eldest miss. I was ordered by someone else, please spare me!"


    Before the Old Mistress could send someone to interrogate him, he had already explained everything in a few sentences. Aunt Li was so angry that his face alternated between green and white, and his lips trembled.


    She had said something when she sent for him to enter the residence. Even if it didn''t work out, he definitely couldn''t tell her about it.


    At that time, this fake Taoist had agreed and patted his chest, saying that he had been cheating for so many years and had never failed and would never tell the people that instructed him. So that was how he lied to him!


    However, the old lady''s face was even uglier than Aunt Li''s. Even though she had already made a guess, hearing the fake Daoist say it out, she was still furious.


    In front of so many people at Qing Feng Garden, she had believed the words of the Aunt Li foolishly, yet she was tricked by a fake Daoist who did not have a single bit of knowledge.


    When she thought about this, she felt her vision turn black. She couldn''t wait for the right time to go back ¡­ She definitely wouldn''t believe that crane or that lone star''s lie!


    Aunt Wei immediately walked to the old lady''s side and gently supported her back with his hands to comfort her.


    "Please calm your anger, madame. Eldest young mistress is right. You can''t lose your body because of this matter." "This is the fault of that vile little person. If you were angry and sick, wouldn''t you use the mistakes of others to make yourself suffer?"


    Her words and words were for the old lady''s sake, but she clearly pointed out that this was Aunt Li''s scheme, and that Aunt Li did all of this to frame An Lingge.


    An Lingge looked at Aunt Wei with some surprise. She had always felt that this person was safe and sound under Aunt Li''s hands.


    However, she didn''t expect that the normally submissive person would actually dare to drug her in front of the old mistress in front of the Aunt Li. Could it be that she had decided to go against the Aunt Li and not hide her strength anymore?


    Aunt Wei noticed her gaze and smiled at her. The deep meaning in her eyes was something only An Lingge could see.


    Originally, she was oppressed by the Aunt Li and had no choice but to retreat to the side courtyard to live. It was the eldest young mistress who had spoken good words for the madame, allowing her to serve the madame. She no longer had to worry about her and her child''s lives, allowing her to live an upright and upright life in the palace.


    Now that she knew that the Aunt Li had framed the First Miss, with conclusive evidence, she obviously wanted to make use of this opportunity to make the Aunt Li lose her trust in front of the Old Mistress forever. It would be best if the Old Mistress could punish the Aunt Li and destroy her prestige, allowing the Eldest Miss to have the upper hand in the battle with the Aunt Li.


    Aunt Wei retracted her gaze, and only the curve of her lips showed that she was extremely happy.


    She had always felt that she was a smart person. When she was growing up in the house, she had always been the target of jealousy for her sisters; when she married the old prince, she had also cleaned up the concubines of the old prince; when the old prince passed away, she had helped her eldest son inherit the throne.


    Her life had gone smoothly, but she had never been tricked like this!


    The old mistress'' gaze was icy as she continued, "One of you told me not to mind this matter while the other told me not to be angry so as to not ruin my body, but there were those who were restless, afraid that I would be able to live a peaceful life and create some trouble!"


    "I think that this fake Daoist was right in saying that my life went smoothly and smoothly. When I reach the end of my life, I will instead be implicated by the younger generation."

 C165

    "However, this junior is not Little Ge. Yingcheng married you, that''s why he''s making such a big fuss about it! "


    These words stung Aunt Li''s heart, causing him to turn pale, and her body to sway uncontrollably.


    Her lips trembled, and she opened her mouth wanting to explain herself, but the old madam did not give her the chance to explain, "The Madam Li is deliberately slandering Little Ge. However, you can''t just let it go like this. "


    "Come, slap my mouth. I want to let Madam Li have a good memory. If she makes trouble again, I won''t let her off so easily!"


    With the order from the old mistress, the servants surrounded Aunt Li. They did not care about the fake cultivators on the ground.


    Aunt Li had limitless glory every day, even if sshe was at a disadvantage in front of An Lingge, he was still a person who wielded great authority in the Duke Palace, and was very dignified in front of these servants.


    However, no matter how imposing she might be, she could only obediently accept the madame''s order to punish her.


    A burly woman walked to the front of Aunt Li and grinned, but there was a hint of coldness in her smile.


    The smile on her face did not disappear as she raised her hand high up and slapped Aunt Li hard in the face.


    Aunt Li was struck so hard that her head tilted to the side, she staggered and almost fell to the ground.


    "I''m sorry, Aunt Li. Since the old mistress has given her orders, we can only follow her orders. If you are disrespectful, I hope you do not take it to heart."


    Aunt Li covered her face, her eyes completely red. It was unknown whether it was due to anger or humiliation.


    But this An Lingge, who was always blocking Yi Er''s path, was constantly reminding her that she was only a lowly concubine. She was only trying to get rid of a little slut, yet she was being thwarted at every turn.


    The last time the madame had punished her, it had been to make her kneel in the ancestral hall, so as to leave her some face in front of the servants.


    But now, she didn''t care about any feelings at all. She didn''t care about how much effort she had put into helping the Prince''s Mansion over the years, she just wanted people to slap her in front of so many people.


    After today, how much dignity would she have in front of the servants?


    Aunt Li''s face twisted in hatred, her eyes filled with malevolent intent.


    This old fogey, who had been helping that little bitch An Lingge all this while, was still slapping her face, making her lose face. She would definitely make this old fogey regret!


    Aunt Li''s chest rose and fell rapidly, but her eyes were filled with tears.


    "Today''s matter was my fault. The madame taught me a lesson and I will remember it in my heart. I will never do it again."


    She lowered her head, and the handkerchief wiped at the corner of her eyes, revealing half of her red and swollen face.


    The old mistress closed her eyes, unwilling to see this wicked woman.


    Seeing this, Aunt Li cried even more pitifully, "I already know my wrongs! Old madam, please forgive me!" If you do not forgive me, I will kneel at the entrance of your courtyard and wait for you to be willing to forgive me. "


    After she finished speaking, she kneeled down with a ''putong'' sound. It seemed as if she really was someone who couldn''t get up from her knees.


    "Madam Li, you have received Yingcheng''s trust. With your identity as a concubine, you have control of the Prince An''s Palace. I originally did not have any objections regarding this matter. However, you actually can''t tolerate Little Ge even though you pretend to be magnanimous on the surface. You thought of ways and means to frame her, so I can''t tolerate you in this way. "


    She glanced at Aunt Li with disdain and contempt in her eyes. "If you are willing to kneel, then kneel here. Look at her, if anyone sees Aunt Li kneeling here, you better tell them why he is kneeling here. "


    "Old madam rest assured, this servant will definitely take good care of Aunt Li." A smile appeared on the chubby face of nanny Jiao as she nodded towards the old mistress.


    Aunt Li originally wanted to retreat and advance, to force the Old Mistress to let bygones be bygones.


    If she were to kneel in front of the old mistress'' courtyard, others would think that the old mistress was a mischievous person and would try to make things difficult for a junior. Even if the old mistress had to give her face, she would make this a trifle less serious.


    However, she did not expect the madame to be truly infuriated. She had already made up her mind to punish her. Despite her schemes, the madame was not afraid.


    On one hand, it was to prevent her from being lazy. When Aunt Li said that she would kneel down, she would let others watch and see if she was not as stubborn as she claimed to be. On the other hand, if anyone saw her kneeling in front of her courtyard, with the help of nanny Jiao to explain the whole situation clearly, she was afraid that people would misunderstand.


    An Lingge couldn''t help but want to say "good" for the Old Mistress. Against a person as hypocritical and malicious as the Aunt Li, she should not be able to say a word.


    The madame nodded, looking a little tired.


    "nanny Jiao, you stay here and watch over the Madam Li. The others can go back."


    Originally, he had only left the courtyard because of the crane. However, after a long period of commotion, it turned out to be a joke.


    She was not young to begin with, and today she had experienced joy, disappointment, and anger in succession. She had truly expended too much effort.


    Aunt Wei had been by her side for a while. Looking at the old lady''s expression, it was obvious that she was in a very bad mood.


    She followed the madame back to Qingfeng Garden and brewed some tea before bringing it to the madame.


    "Madam, you''ve been tired all day. Why don''t you try some of the scented tea that I''ve just developed? The combination of these peony water lotuses will be able to eliminate fatigue the most. "


    With a smile, the madame''s expression softened, though there was a hint of worry on her face. "If I hadn''t brought Old Second and Old Third back to the ancestral residence, the mansion wouldn''t have been like this."


    If she had stayed in the Duke Palaces back then, after the death of Princess An, she would have immediately found a room for An Yingcheng.


    The Aunt Li had made the whole house very smelly, but she had a younger sister who stayed in the palace and couldn''t be punished too much.


    The old mistress felt aggrieved just thinking about it. If it wasn''t for Imperial Noble Consort Li, she would have driven the Aunt Li out of the manor and spent the rest of her life in the manor.

 C166

    Aunt Wei quietly sized up the old lady''s expression. Seeing that her gaze was a little illusionary, she had a better understanding of the old lady''s thoughts, and said, "Everyone knows that the old lady returned to the ancestral home for the sake of her Prince An''s Palace. Why are you blaming yourself? If you hadn''t returned to your ancestral home, who knows what your manor would be like right now. "


    When she was serving beside Princess An, she had heard quite a few things about the old lady. At this moment, she naturally knew how to comfort the person before her.


    The Old Mistress carried the teacup as usual and her gaze landed on Aunt Wei''s fair and gentle hands. She had an idea.


    Since the Aunt Li could control Prince An''s Palace, then wouldn''t that mean that the Aunt Wei was even more experienced than her and could also manage the Duke Palaces?


    The madame''s gaze fell on the blue and white porcelain teacup. The steam rising from it turned the expression in the depths of her eyes into a blurry light.


    "I heard that when the Princess An was still alive, you helped her take care of the Duke Palace?"


    Aunt Wei was shocked, she did not know what the Countess meant by her question.


    However, she still answered truthfully, "To reply the madame, at that time, the affairs of the household were handled by the wangfei. I''m a servant girl by her side, so I did some things."


    In other words, she also had control over the Prince''s Mansion, but she didn''t know which part of the palace she was in before.


    The old lady acknowledged, "What are you doing with Princess An?"


    The Aunt Wei lowered her head, looking a little embarrassed. "At that time, we would do whatever the wangfei asked us to do, but we could not say what the specific details were."


    If it could not be considered a specific matter, then it had to do with everything in the mansion.


    The old lady was even more satisfied as a smile appeared on her face. "I want you, Aunt Li and Second Brother to take care of the Duke''s Mansion together with me. Are you willing?"


    "I''m stupid, I''m afraid I can''t take on such a heavy responsibility." Aunt Wei immediately shook her head.


    However, the madame only glanced at her, and her words were half persuasion and half order, "Aunt Li is causing so much trouble that the Duke Palace is not at peace with themselves. I am not at ease to hand over the Duke''s Mansion to her. The second brother had a body now, so he couldn''t be bothered. No matter how you think about it, you are the most suitable person to take care of the Duke Palaces, so as to not make it difficult for Aunt Li to live a life and cause all sorts of ruckus. "


    The Old Mistress had already put it this far, if Aunt Wei still refused, it would mean that he did not know what was good for him.


    She nodded with some difficulty, but then the old lady smiled with relief, "From tomorrow onwards, you will take care of the Duke''s Mansion with Aunt Li and Second Brother."


    "Yes, I will not disappoint the madame." The Aunt Wei bowed to the Old Mistress before slowly leaving.


    Even when she walked out of Qingfeng Garden, she still could not believe that the old mistress had so easily handed over the power of the clan to her.


    Although the Duke Palaces still had the Aunt Li s and Madam Wang to take care of, the madame did not trust the Aunt Li s. The Madam Wang was also pregnant, and in the end, a large half of the Duke Palaces affairs fell upon her.


    As she was thinking, she walked past the gate of Qingfeng Garden and saw two figures not far away. They were the Aunt Li and the nanny Jiao.


    Aunt Li was kneeling on the ground, basked in the sunlight, her face was slightly flushed. On the other hand, under the shade of a tree, nanny Jiao was happily drinking water.


    Aunt Wei quickly walked in front of her and bent down. "Aunt Li is still kneeling here, please be careful on such a hot day."


    She had a kind and beautiful face, and now that she looked at Aunt Li with a smile, it only made people feel concerned.


    But Aunt Li clearly remembered how she helped An Lingge just now, and how she added insult to injury when she was down.


    "I made a mistake and knelt here. Sooner or later, I will stand up again, unlike the Aunt Wei, where only by trying to please others like a pug can I barely keep my life. What a pity."


    The Aunt Li mocked her because she had to curry favor with the Old Mistress.


    Aunt Wei was not angry. She was born to a servant and did not have any family background, if she did not please the old mistress, how could she have the chance to show off in front of Aunt Li today?


    In the past, it had always been her looking and acting on Aunt Li''s face, afraid that she would make a fool of herself and make this person unhappy.


    But now, while she was standing here perfectly fine, the Aunt Li could only kneel.


    Aunt Wei only felt that all the humiliation from all these years had been swept away, and her body and mind relaxed.


    There was a smile in her eyes, but her words caused Aunt Li to feel a chill in the summer.


    "Speaking of which, I do remember that Aunt Li worked hard for the Duke Palaces for so many years. It''s not easy for the madame to appreciate your kindness, so she specifically asked me to help you and the Second Madam take care of the Duke Palace. "


    "Impossible!" The Aunt Li screamed, and the sharp ear-piercing sound lured the nanny over.


    She glared fiercely at the Aunt Wei, "I have been managing the Prince''s Mansion the entire time, how could the madame let you interfere in the affairs of the Prince''s Mansion?"


    Aunt Wei''s smile was softer and more harmless, but there was a sense of satisfaction in her eyes.


    "If Aunt Li doesn''t believe me, you can go ask the madame yourself. I still have to go back and rest. "The madame said just now that she sincerely admitted her wrongs when she saw you. She allowed you to kneel until the time for dinner, and let the matter of today pass."


    Aunt Li was so angry that her lips were trembling. She clenched her hands tightly, and her carefully trimmed long nails dug into her flesh, staining her eyes with a hint of scarlet.


    She could have feigned unconsciousness and been sent back to the courtyard, but the madame''s words forced her to kneel for a few hours. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have been sincere and wouldn''t have repented.


    She had already been slapped on the face by the madame, and had been kneeling here for a long time. If the madame still wanted Aunt Wei to take over the position of clan head from her hands, it would be too cruel.


    This was to first slap her face, to let her sweep the floor with her dignity, then seize her power to turn her into a toothless tiger!


    nanny Jiao stretched under the tree and slowly walked over.


    "Don''t worry Aunt Wei. Since the Old Madam has given such an order, this servant will definitely watch over Aunt Li properly. When it''s time for dinner, I''ll get someone to send Aunt Li back."


    The Aunt Wei left, leaving the Aunt Li unwillingly kneeling on the ground. Her gaze that was filled with kindness was fixated on the direction the man left in, no one knew what she was thinking about.


    Only when it was time for dinner did Aunt Li return to her own courtyard.


    She called for Peach Blossom and whispered a few words into her ear before her body fell limply to the ground.


    "Aunt, what happened to you? You were perfectly fine, how did you faint?"


    Peach Red shouted in panic, while instructing the maid, "Quickly invite the prince over."

 C167

    An Yingcheng went to court, and then went to the Guardian Office to tell them about encountering a bandit yesterday.


    In the Great Zhou Dynasty, encountering bandits and robbers in the capital was a very big matter.


    "Don''t worry, Your Highness. The capital city is under the watch of the Emperor. Those bandits from the mountains are extremely daring and want to rob the Prince. I will definitely capture those thieves and bring them back to the capital city in peace."


    "Thank you, Master Zhang."


    An Yingcheng remained polite, but secretly urged, "For such arrogant and vicious bandits to exist in the capital, the common people must have suffered a lot. I hope that Master Zhang can catch them as soon as possible, so that I can be at ease, the common people can be at ease."


    "Yes, yes, yes. This official will settle the matter of the bandits as soon as possible." The guard replied to An Yingcheng, then An Yingcheng left the guard mansion after speaking a few words of courtesy.


    Just as he returned to his residence, before the chair under his butt could even warm up, the servant girl beside Aunt Li ran over in a hurry. Your Highness, quickly go look at the Aunt Li, Aunt has fainted. "


    "What''s going on?"


    An Yingcheng frowned, his face showing displeasure.


    He was already busy with chores these few days, and yesterday he met a bandit again. He was busy sending people to catch the bandit, and did not even have time to drink a cup of tea. Yet, Aunt Li fainted at this time?


    The person who came over to deliver the news was merely a maid in the courtyard of the Aunt Li. She did not have the qualifications to be by his side, so how would he know what happened today?


    Seeing An Yingcheng''s ugly face, the servant was so scared that he did not dare breathe, and recounted what she had seen.


    "Today, when Aunt has just returned to the courtyard, she fainted before she even entered the house. Your servant doesn''t know what happened, but elder sister Peach Blossom sent her servant to call Master over. From her expression, Aunt''s condition seems to be very serious."


    The maidservant spoke quickly and hurriedly, leaving her alone in the dust.


    She saw Aunt Li call Peach Blossom over with her own eyes. She only fainted after speaking a few words to Peach Blossom.


    Anyway, Peach Blossom had sent her here, it had nothing to do with her whether An Yingcheng went or not.


    An Yingcheng''s face was sullen, his gaze gloomy.


    He recalled that An Lingyi had spent a lot of effort teaching his daughter yesterday, protecting him in front of the Mountain Bandits, and agreed, "Bring this king there to have a look."


    The servant immediately nodded and brought An Yingcheng over.


    When he walked into the courtyard of Aunt Li, he saw that there was someone lying on the bed.


    "What happened to Aunt Li?"


    An Yingcheng smelled the medicine''s scent and frowned.


    Aunt Li had been in the palace for more than ten years. Although she had a beautiful and delicate face, her body had always been in good condition, with very little fever and chills throughout the year. Why would she suddenly faint at this time?


    Hearing this, Peach Red''s eyes turned red, but she bit her lips and lowered her head, looking as if she had suffered a grievance. "Aunt only fainted because she was hit by the hot air."


    The heat stroke again.


    An Yingcheng thought of the woman who had fainted on the mountain road and naturally did not believe Peach Blossom''s words.


    The woman had to walk on the mountain road under the sun to be hit by the heat. The Aunt Li was staying at his mansion, attended by a bunch of maids and wives. How could she have suffered from the heat?


    "Tell me what happened!" His thick eyebrows raised, and his imposing gaze stared straight at Hongtao.


    Hongtao seemed to be shocked by him as tears rolled down from her red eyes.


    She kneeled to the ground and wiped away the tears on her face. "Aunt felt that the house was always in trouble these days, so she invited a Daoist to come visit and meet with the madame."


    "Who knew that when that Taoist saw Eldest Miss, he would say that Eldest Miss was fated by the heavens to kill the stars. He even cursed the old lady that she would end up in a miserable state in her later years."


    Peach red sobs, large tears unceasingly fall.


    "The young miss and the old lady were naturally furious. It just so happened that the young miss had learnt some feng shui techniques from somewhere and after asking for a few words, she found out that the Taoist was just a bluff and trickster, the old lady suspected the aunt and thought that the Taoist had been bribed by the aunt, so she specifically invited her to come to the mansion to frame the young lady."


    "My poor aunt was kind-hearted, but was implicated by this unreliable Daoist Priest. Not only was he slapped by the madame, he even knelt in front of the madame''s courtyard for a few hours before being sent back. However, after being tormented like this, Aunt did not even manage to enter the room before she fainted. "


    Seeing that she was crying so bitterly, An Yingcheng waved her to stand up, "Is it really so?"


    The Daoist Priest had targeted An Lingge the moment he entered the palace, and was a scammer as well. If An Yingcheng was present, he would have suspected that the Aunt Li was behind this.


    Peach Blossom cried even more sorrowfully. "Even the prince doesn''t believe our concubine?" She felt that she had invited a swindler to enter the mansion, and felt guilty. She knelt in front of the old lady''s courtyard for several hours, but did not expect that even the Prince would not trust her. "


    Her crying made An Yingcheng very annoyed, but he was a noble Duke, it was naturally not good for him to fuss about it with a servant.


    A trace of impatience appeared on his face. "This King does not mean that I don''t believe her. It''s just that this matter is too strange, so This King has to ask clearly."


    Only then did Peach Blush wipe away the tears on her face with the back of her hand. "Aunt knows that Prince believes in her, so even though you''ve suffered so much, you must still be happy."


    It was obvious that the Aunt Li''s trick had been exposed, which was why she received the old mistress'' punishment. But when it reached Peach Blossom''s mouth, the Aunt Li suffered the injustice, and the Aunt Li suffered the injustice.


    "Aunt has always been busy taking care of the Duke''s Mansion''s affairs, how could it have anything to do with a Daoist? Furthermore, today, this matter caused Aunt to be punished. Not to mention that even the authority of the sect has to be handed over to the Aunt Wei, so how would the servants see Aunt as? "


    While she was complaining about the grievances of the Aunt Li, she also dragged the Aunt Wei into the water. She intentionally ordered for the Old Mistress to help the Aunt Wei take care of the Duke Palace, saying that the Old Mistress wanted the Aunt Li to hand over the authority of a butler to the Aunt Wei. Let An Yingcheng know that only the Aunt Wei would benefit from today''s events.


    People would always think that the person who obtained the benefits was the mastermind behind this conspiracy, and Peach Blossom saying that, was purposefully leading An Yingcheng to suspect Aunt Wei.


    Although she did not say it openly, her words already made An Yingcheng suspicious.


    After this incident, why did the Aunt Li lose face after taking such a beating, and even let the authority of a butler fall into the hands of the Aunt Wei?


    Furthermore, according to Peach Blossom''s explanation, the Daoist Priest quickly told him about the matter regarding Aunt Li, as if he was deliberately trying to frame him.

 C168

    It was only then that An Yingcheng thought of this possibility, and saw the already unconscious Aunt Li move, and slowly sat up on the bed.


    "Why is the prince here?"


    She put on a surprised expression. Although the palm print on her face had dimmed a little, it was still obvious.


    Peach Blossom immediately walked to her side and helped her up from the bed. "Aunt, today you knelt in the sun for several hours before returning to the courtyard and fainting. This servant has the gall to have someone invite the prince over."


    "You truly have guts to actually dare to seek justice for me?" The Aunt Li raised her eyebrows, looking somewhat stern, "The Prince is busy with work, why are you bothering him with such a small matter?"


    "Auntie has suffered so much, how can this be considered a small matter?" Peach Blossom stubbornly looked at her. "Aunt is kind and compassionate. Even though I''ve been wronged, I''ve been by your side for so many years. I really can''t bear to see you being bullied." Even if you want to punish this servant, this servant must tell the prince about this matter! "


    The two of them acted together, causing Aunt Li to appear gentle and considerate. She was the only one who was loyal to the master, and the only one who was scheming deeply was Aunt Wei.


    "How dare you!" Aunt Li shouted and then coughed a few times. She was unable to say anything for a moment and could only point at Peach Blossom with a face full of anger.


    An Yingcheng stepped forward and held her hand with a gentle expression, "What this servant said is right, she is afraid that you will be wronged, why must you criticize her so harshly?"


    As he spoke, he noticed that Aunt Li''s face was abnormally red, her lips were slightly white, and her face was no longer as lustrous and delicate, but instead looked even more charming and lovely.


    The Aunt Li took the opportunity to lean into his embrace, calling out to him in a sorrowful and gentle manner, causing tears to flow down her face in an instant.


    "Your highness, being able to come visit me, I am truly happy in my heart, and this is Aunt Wei ¡­" As if she had realized her mistake, she immediately stopped talking. However, An Yingcheng''s face darkened.


    "You are too kind, that''s why you are being bullied like this." An Yingcheng hugged the person in his embrace tightly, one hand touching the half of Aunt Li''s face which had fingerprints on it, a look of love in his eyes, "Mother was just angry for a moment, that''s why she was deceived and made you suffer."


    "How could I dare to say that I didn''t feel wronged when I heard of the madame''s decision. She is an elder, so even if she did something wrong, it can only be my fault."


    Aunt Li''s voice was soft, but intentionally or unintentionally, she had hinted at An Yingcheng. The old lady was in the wrong, but she was still a junior and could not refute the old lady''s words.


    Her eyes were filled with emotions, and she looked very sensible, causing An Yingcheng''s heart to palpitate.


    Who could not like such a considerate and gentle person?


    An Yingcheng lightly patted her back, "You are so sensible, Mother has misunderstood you, which is why he doesn''t like you. Rest assured, This King will find a time tomorrow to clarify with Mother and tell her not to be prejudiced against you. "


    "How can I force the madame to like me?" "I am just a concubine, yet I am managing the affairs of the Duke''s Mansion. The old lady was dissatisfied with me a long time ago, which is why she asked the Second Madam to manage the warehouse once they returned to the mansion. Now she has found an excuse to let the Aunt Wei take over the power of the Prince''s Mansion from my hands.


    "Actually, it''s the same whoever takes care of the Duke''s Mansion. It''s just that Second Madam is always at the ancestral residence and is not familiar with the affairs of the capital. Furthermore, Aunt Wei has just come out from the side courtyard, so I''m afraid that he might not even be able to settle the accounts properly.


    She didn''t mention her grievances at all, and wouldn''t be willing to explain how her power had been taken away in front of An Yingcheng. She only said that because of her Prince An''s Palace, she was afraid that the Aunt Wei wouldn''t manage the Duke Palaces properly, so she was worried.


    An Yingcheng''s heart ached even more. He thought about how she had been busy with all sorts of things over the years for his Prince An''s Palace, but ended up with no good words from his. Instead, he had been scolded and punished by the old lady.


    did not expect that the servant by the side of Aunt Li would not have obtained her orders, how could she dare to go and invite him over?


    He, who had been tricked by Aunt Li in a few sentences, was completely unable to sense anything wrong with this matter. On the other hand, An Lingge, who had received the news, had her mouth curled into a mocking smile.


    "Aunt Li is really fast."


    Just as An Yingcheng returned to his residence, Peach Blossom ran over. Wasn''t it because the Aunt Li was afraid that the things she did today were told to her by the Aunt Wei, causing her to be despised and ignored by the Duke?


    At this time, she pretended to be unconscious and let the servant bring An Yingcheng over. She wanted to strike first to gain the upper hand and say something about her being innocent and her being the victim in front of An Yingcheng.


    Bi Zhu made up her mind. Only after seeing the candle flame brighten up a little did she turn around to look at An Lingge, "No matter how fast Aunt Li moves, the things she did today are all in reality. Could she possibly push this matter away?"


    Her words caused An Lingge''s heart to skip a beat, as she understood Aunt Li''s intention in doing so.


    Aunt Li not only wanted to cry and complain to An Yingcheng, to gain his sympathy and pity. She also wanted to use this opportunity to take herself out from today''s matters.


    The Aunt Wei and her were opposites, the Aunt Li and herself were incompatible. She could only grab hold of An Yingcheng and make the Prince believe her, only then would she have the chance to turn the situation around.


    If not, Aunt Li suffered the loathing of everyone in the entire palace, and the old lady allowed the Aunt Wei to divide the power in her hands, then no matter how much An Yingcheng hated the cold treatment, within half a year, the''s usual dignity would disappear without a trace, and he would not be able to find a single trace of it in the mansion.


    Perhaps, at that time, the outcome would be even more miserable than the Aunt Wei who had no choice but to retire to the side courtyard.


    An Lingge rubbed the space between her brows and put down the books she was currently reading. Ming Xin, who was by the side, immediately walked over and started massaging her back.


    "Miss, your status is honorable. Why would you need to learn such complicated medical techniques? You have been reading books every day. Seeing how late it is, this servant can see that you have already begun to turn black. "


    An Lingge laughed faintly. In her previous life, she was taught by the Aunt Li to be a hedonistic, hedonistic, and hedonistic person. Only by chance did she get some pointers from an expert, and gain some understanding of medicine. Fortunately, her talent in this aspect was not bad. With her photographic memory, learning medicine was much easier.


    Furthermore, she knew that the capital would soon erupt with a plague, and she didn''t have enough medicinal herbs in her possession. She could only look through the medical books and see if she could find any alternatives to the medicinal herbs.

 C169

    Seeing her like that, Bi Zhu showed an unhappy expression.


    "Miss, why are you so tired for no reason? "Why don''t you find a chance tomorrow to go out and visit, and not stay in the house all the time?"


    She had followed An Lingge for a few years, and their conversation became more intimate. The two said that they were master and servant, and that she was more like a sister.


    The news of the madame asking the Aunt Wei to take care of the Duke''s Mansion quickly spread among the servants.


    Before dawn, the servants in the courtyard of the Aunt Li gathered in groups of three or five, and were murmuring to each other.


    An Yingcheng faintly heard some words, he was prepared to return to his own courtyard when he suddenly stopped. With his hands behind his back, a pair of sharp eyes that could not be defied stared at the servant who was whispering.


    "What were you talking about just now?"


    His voice was deep and his face was gloomy. Just a glance was enough to scare people.


    The maidservant who was being stared at by him was so frightened that she trembled and shrank back behind her companion. She lowered her head and replied, "Reporting to Your Highness, this servant ¡­" "Your servant just told Xing''er that the peony plant in the concubine''s courtyard has opened, so I was wondering when I could water that peony."


    An Yingcheng''s expression became even darker, as though water was dripping from his face.


    Do you think This King is a fool?" You just said that Grand Concubine Wei wanted to take over the estate, so you wondered if you should rely on relationships to get someone to send you to her courtyard. This king never thought that Aunt Wei would be so powerful that you would forget all about your master and betray your old master to join your new master so quickly.


    Initially, there were often people moving staff in the Prince''s Mansion, and not all the maids and servants stayed in the same courtyard. Whichever courtyard was lacking in manpower would be transferred from the other courtyards. Only those trusted aides who were close to their masters would be left behind by their masters.


    However, it had always been the masters who had decided to leave the servants behind. Since when had it been the turn of a small maid to fawn on some master?


    If they were allowed to go on like this, they wouldn''t want the rules in the palace anymore!


    An Yingcheng never thought that the servants in his courtyard would have the same thoughts even when the Aunt Li was just punished. If the Aunt Li was suppressed by the Aunt Wei, then she was afraid that the servants would climb over her head.


    The servant girl suddenly raised her head, her face a little panicky. She did not seem to have expected that the whispered discussion between her and her companion would end up in An Yingcheng''s ears.


    Her face turned white, and her body trembled even more, "Your highness, please forgive me, but I feel that Aunt Li only has a few people serving them, and that Aunt Wei does not have enough people, so I thought of serving them."


    "What a great servant girl!" An Yingcheng ridiculed, and was about to speak out to deal with the servant, when he saw Tao Hong supporting Aunt Li out.


    Aunt Li''s face showed weakness, but she put on a gentle and shallow smile, "It''s only a young maid who said a few words that shouldn''t be said, why is Your Highness so angry?"


    She walked over and gently patted An Yingcheng, in order to let him have his peace.


    Seeing that An Yingcheng''s expression had calmed down, she turned to look at the servant, "Now that I am hated by the madame and the Aunt Wei is coming to take over the palace, even if you are not willing to serve me, it is normal. After I change my mind, I will inform the Aunt Wei and send you to her place. And Peach Blossom, you''ve been by my side for so many years, I can''t just watch you suffer together with me. Tomorrow, you''ll go to Aunt Wei''s place to look for another job, don''t stay by my side. "


    "Aunt!" Peach Blossom kneeled down, her face filled with grief. "This concubine is very considerate and caring towards this servant, but now you''re standing alone and helpless. If this servant leaves at this time, wouldn''t that be betraying the will and making it worse for you?"


    Aunt Li seemed to be moved by her, her tears flowed down her beautiful face, "I am willing to let you stay by my side, but ¡­"


    Her voice was choked with emotions, he did not say anything else, only the two of them looked like they were leaving each other forever, making An Yingcheng feel even more annoyed and dissatisfied with Aunt Wei.


    When they thought about how lively it was in Aunt Li, the servants did not dare to mess around with the rules. If the news that someone else was going to take over the Duke''s Mansion spread, then they would have no rules. If the Aunt Wei stayed in the side yard and did not come out, then there would be no mess like this!


    "Don''t worry, tomorrow I will tell Mother about this matter. You have been in charge of the Duke Palaces for so many years, how can you allow the Aunt Wei to rule by herself?


    The corner of his mouth was stretched taut, and the veins on his forehead were pulsing. This angry look made Aunt Li smile secretly.


    The Aunt Li lowered her head, but in that instant, the grievance on her face was seen by An Yingcheng, "If you want Your Highness to start a dispute with the Old Mistress for my sake, wouldn''t I be a sinner? If only the prince had not known about this, he would have provoked the madame''s displeasure. "


    Every word she said was for the old mistress'' sake, but the meaning behind her words was that the old mistress was too unreasonable and relied on her status as an elder to bully her.


    "Mother is a reasonable person, she must have been instigated by the Aunt Wei, I will definitely help you and not let you suffer any grievances." An Yingcheng said in a low voice.


    He looked at Aunt Li''s pale face and instructed her gently, "You''re not fully recovered yet. Quickly go back and rest. Leave this matter to this king."


    Only then did Aunt Li nod her head, and had Peach Red send An Yingcheng out. The moment she turned around, the corner of her mouth rose into a complacent smile.


    She said that she had done something wrong and had only invited people that she should not have invited into the estate. The old lady used this matter to punish her, allowing her to seize this opportunity to make a complaint in front of the prince, crying and complaining about her grievances and pity.


    His Highness was a filial person and would definitely not contradict the madame. However, Aunt Wei was just a lowly maid who came from a slut family. If Your Highness wanted to beat her or punish her, she could only bear it.


    An Yingcheng''s figure disappeared from the courtyard, and only then did Aunt Li speak to the servant girl, "You did well today''s matter, come serve me in my house tomorrow."


    This meant that he was going to promote her to a second class maidservant!


    The servant girl who was previously saying that she needed to go to Aunt Wei''s courtyard to wait on her had a look of ecstasy on her face, "Doing things for the aunt is my duty."


    She looked respectful, and felt even more respect for Aunt Li.


    If not for Aunt Li coming up with this idea, how could Prince be willing to stand up for her Aunt?

 C170

    The next day was the day when the officials of the Great Zhou Empire decided to rest, so An Yingcheng stayed behind in the mansion.


    Prince An''s Palace''s big family had finally gathered, and the dining table was bustling with noise and excitement.


    The old lady smiled as she looked at An Ling Hao, "It has been some time since we last met, and soon it will be time for the board to be released. How do you feel, Brother Hao?"


    Even though he was not An Yingcheng''s child, he was the madame''s first grandson. Not only was he handsome, his studies were also outstanding amongst his peers.


    An Ling Hao immediately put down the chopsticks in his hand, and revealed a warm smile on the corner of his mouth, "I''m ashamed, but I''m afraid I can''t place in the top three."


    Although his words sounded modest, it was actually a message from the Old Madem Xiang. Even if he wasn''t in the top three, he was still one of the top few.


    Hearing this, Madam Wang laughed so hard that his teeth could no longer be seen, his face was full of pride, "Brother Hao, you''ve worked hard these past few days."


    As she spoke, she took a piece of fish into her son''s bowl. Seeing that An Ling Hao had become a bit thinner, a look of heartache surfaced in her eyes, "If you can''t fight for the top three, then forget it. Your body is more important.


    Although An Yinghao, who was at the side, didn''t say anything, his face still carried a bit of arrogance.


    He loved women''s leisure and leisure, but his son was a promising scholar. In a short period of time, Hao''er would be a High Scholar, and even a fifteen-year-old High Scholar would be hard to find in the Great Zhou Dynasty.


    Currently, An Yingcheng was a Prince An with an esteemed status. Second Branch An Linghao also had outstanding knowledge, and was also someone who would embark on the official road in the future. He only had three branch sons and not a single daughter from An Yingkang.


    Thinking of this, An Lingxue''s eyes became dark.


    Now that the madame was still alive, the people of the third house could still have connections with the first and second houses, and also benefit from their glory. However, the madame was already old. Even if her body was healthy and healthy, she might not live for more than a few years. At that time, how could the three families live in the capital without any power or influence?


    She must give the third branch some authority while the old mistress was still alive!


    An Lingxue''s eyes flashed, and an innocent smile appeared on her face, "Brother Hao is truly amazing, I really want to become the Great Zhou Dynasty''s youngest Scholar. In my opinion, only Big Sister, the princess personally conferred by the Emperor, can be compared with Big Brother Hao in this entire Great Zhou Dynasty. "


    As the old lady was praising An Linghao, she suddenly started to flatter An Lingge, causing a trace of displeasure to flash past her eyes.


    However, she was still the madame''s most beloved granddaughter. The madame could only signal her with her eyes and say nothing.


    The smile on Madam Wang''s face froze for a moment, but after thinking about how An Lingge saved the child in her womb, she swallowed down her dissatisfaction with Eldest Miss.


    Only the Aunt Li continued with a smile, "Second Miss is right. Eldest Young Master is very young, and Eldest Young Miss is very shrewd.


    Seeing that An Yinghao''s face was starting to darken, An Lingge immediately said, "Second Sister''s words are embarrassing me. Everyone knows how I got my position as a princess.


    With one glance, she could see through the small thoughts of sowing discord between them. She spoke in a neither light nor heavy tone and held An Linghao high, not offending the people from the second branch in the slightest.


    As expected, Madam Wang and An Yinghao''s expression became a lot better. Not only that, Madam Wang also took the opportunity to praise An Lingge''s exceptional medical skills as well as his filial piety. A series of praises, as if saying it out of her mouth, made An Lingxue''s face twist slightly.


    "Alright." The old lady spoke softly and Madam Wang stilled in her mouth, listening to her command, "Little Ge Hao''er is the pride of our Duke Palace, you don''t need to praise him. I have something important to announce today. "


    It''s here!


    Aunt Wei''s heart had been lifted high up, and in this moment, it was as if time had stopped. She seemed to be able to hear her own heart beating loudly, again and again beside her ear.


    Everyone in the room had their eyes on the old mistress, only Aunt Li had his head lowered, looking sorrowful and wronged.


    When her gaze landed on Aunt Li, there was a bit of disgust in her gaze, but it quickly returned to normal. She said warmly, "The matters of the Duke Palaces were originally left to the Aunt Li to manage, but she was unable to handle them all by herself, so I sent my second brother''s family to manage the warehouse. But now that Second Brother is pregnant with a child, I just want Aunt Wei to help them take care of the Duke''s Mansion. What do you think? "


    Let the Aunt Wei take care of the Duke Palaces?


    An Lingxue was shocked. Initially, when they were not in the capital, it was fine that the Palace was handed over to the Aunt Li to take care of it, but after they returned to the capital, her grandmother only asked the Second Aunt to take care of the treasury.


    It was one thing if there was only one person in charge of the storehouse at that time, but now Grandmother was willing to let an aunt manage the palace rather than letting her mother interfere in the affairs of the household. Was she going to exclude all three of them?


    Anxiety could not help but appear on her face, yet she still acted innocent and obedient when facing the madame. "Grandmother, is the house lacking in manpower?" Why don''t you let my mother try? When I was at the Ancestral House, it was managed by my mother and my father, and there was no mistake at all. The two of them have been cooperating for so many years, so it must have been better than my father''s. "


    Before Aunt Li could say anything, An Lingxue jumped out first.


    The unhappiness in the Countess'' eyes grew stronger. The reason she made this decision was to slap Aunt Li''s face, but Little Xue didn''t understand the ins and outs of it, so she hurriedly said these words. She didn''t have this kind of impulsive personality in the past.


    Seeing the old lady''s expression, Madam Zheng immediately pulled at her daughter, her face carrying a gentle smile, "Little Xue is a child, her words are too naive, please do not take it to heart."


    The old lady''s expression relaxed slightly, and then looked towards Aunt Li, "Madam Wang, Aunt Li, do you two have any objections?"


    Madam Wang shook her head. She was pregnant, and thus, was in need of rest. Even if another Aunt Wei were to help her, it would not affect the power in her hands.


    Aunt Li lowered her head, and did not say anything else. Her voice carried some grievance, "I ¡­ "Listen to the madame."


    "Your son does not agree with this." Just as Aunt Li finished speaking, An Yingcheng stood up with a serious expression.

 C171

    "Mother, Aunt Li has taken care of the Duke Palaces for so many years, yet she has never committed any grave mistakes. If she lets someone else interfere for no reason, where would Aunt Li put her face?"


    An Yingcheng had just finished speaking, the old lady''s face immediately became gloomy.


    The atmosphere in the hall also froze at that moment, and only Aunt Li and An Lingyi were smiling from the bottom of their hearts.


    The old mistress'' gaze was burning but there was a look of disbelief on her face.


    She raised her three sons by herself and understood their temperament very well.


    The eldest was the most filial of them all, to stand up against him for the sake of an aunt?


    She was surprised and disappointed, mixed with an almost imperceptible amount of anger.


    "Boss, what did you say?"


    The moment An Yingcheng said that, when he saw the Old Mistress'' expression, he immediately regretted it.


    His mother had worked so hard to raise him, to protect him from the machinations of the women in the palace, and to help him sit on the throne.


    But when he thought back to how Aunt Li suffered yesterday, how he was clearly about to be bullied by a servant, yet he still advised him not to go against his mother, and to listen to his mother.


    How could he bear to see such a woman being bullied on her head by Aunt Wei?


    "Mother, your son believes that Aunt Wei has been in the side courtyard for so many years, and is not familiar with the situation in the Duke Palaces. If you were to rashly let her take control of the Duke Palaces, it would definitely be a mistake, and it would be better for you to let the Aunt Li take charge of these chores.


    The Old Mistress had wanted to use this matter to teach Aunt Li a lesson, but she did not expect that the person involved, An Zun, who was the most filial son, would actually jump out to speak up for him.


    The old mistress'' chest was heaving up and down as her face alternated between green and white. It was obvious that she was infuriated.


    Upon seeing this, Madam Wang immediately spoke out, "Old madam, do not be angry, what Big Brother said makes sense. If you anger yourself to death, then I will be proud."


    As for who the villain she was referring to was, An Lingge was well aware.


    Not long ago, the Aunt Li designed this Madam Wang so that it could produce a small fortune in the Parasol House. Then, he wanted to blame it on her.


    After that, Madam Wang would occasionally cause trouble for the Aunt Li. Although it would not be able to move her foundation, it would still cause her trouble, and Madam Wang would not tire her out.


    An Lingge looked towards Aunt Li and saw the latter''s expression as expected.


    She thought for a moment and was even more certain of her guess.


    Yesterday, Aunt Li had purposely pretended to faint and lured his father over. Most probably, he had cried for help and pretended to be wronged.


    Furthermore, his father''s words earlier were filled with dissatisfaction towards the Aunt Wei. It must have been something Aunt Li had said that caused his father to be so disgusted with the Aunt Wei.


    An Lingge''s eyes were deep and serene, yet her beautiful face had a hint of a smile, "That''s right grandmother, father is trying to reason with you, don''t be angry, let''s discuss this matter properly."


    She paused for a moment, then shot Aunt Li a meaningful glance, "Furthermore, Aunt Li fainted yesterday after returning from your courtyard, it is normal for father to feel sorry for her."


    The old mistress loved peace and quiet, so she had no idea that something like this had happened yesterday.


    Hearing An Lingge''s words, her expression became even sharper.


    No wonder my boss dared to come out and contradict me today. It turns out that it was the Aunt Li that was behind this!


    Aunt Wei''s face revealed a look of understanding, but at the same time, her heart was a little sad.


    She looked at An Yingcheng''s still elegant face. At that time, she was by his side and was captivated by his handsome demeanor. When the princess was pregnant with the Hereditary Prince, she recommended herself to the prince and became her concubine.


    But when the princess passed away, the Aunt Li forcefully entered the Duke Palace. He held the entire Duke Palace in one hand and even openly and secretly suppressed her, causing her to have no choice but to avoid him. In the end, she used a scheme to get into the Duke''s bed after the Aunt Li gave birth to An Ling far away.


    But from then on, Aunt Li treated them as thorn in her eye, and wished that she could escape from them as soon as possible. Only then did she remember to leave the side courtyard, and even the First Miss and Hereditary Prince did not dare to pay attention to them, lest they attract the attention of Aunt Li.


    It could be said that the Aunt Li''s methods were extremely brilliant, but it was not completely so. It was only because the Prince was biased towards her that he believed her words. He turned a deaf ear to her excuses, and did not see her sincerity at all.


    In all these years, the man she loved had never once looked at her directly.


    Aunt Wei was depressed in her heart, her expression somewhat sorrowful. She looked at An Yingcheng, her eyes actually carrying an unprecedented determination.


    "Yesterday, the Aunt Li invited the Taoist into the house, and the moment that Taoist opened his mouth, he directly slandered First Miss as a calamity. If it wasn''t for First Miss being extremely intelligent and knowledgeable, exposing that Taoist''s true appearance, a young lady who hasn''t left the pavilion yet would have had to carry such a mark on her body. That''s why she punished the Aunt Li. Prince, since you are supporting the Aunt Li at this time, why not ask her what she did yesterday? "


    When she said this, everyone in the hall looked at her in surprise.


    Aunt Wei was the most timid and cautious, otherwise, he would not have voluntarily ran over to the side yard to hide for so many years.


    If it wasn''t for the young miss who couldn''t stand it and recommended her to the madame in front of her, Aunt Wei would have brought An Lingyu to stay in the side courtyard until he died of old age.


    Such a timid person, actually dared to choke on An Yingcheng?


    An Yingcheng''s expression became even more complicated. He had previously brought Aunt Wei up as his concubine, but because Princess An was pregnant at that time, coincidentally she became his woman. That was why he gave her this position.


    After that, the Aunt Wei used a scheme to impregnate his child, causing him to feel extremely disgusted with this person. She felt that the Aunt Wei was the kind of evil woman who would use any means possible to achieve her goal.


    So he quickly accepted Aunt Li into his mansion, and let Aunt Li take charge of all of his household''s affairs.


    When he heard that Aunt Wei had volunteered to go to the side courtyard, he was still thinking that this was a trick of the Aunt Wei. However, after a while, he had really forgotten about this person.


    However, he remembered that the Aunt Wei had always been obedient to him.


    He couldn''t tell what he was feeling at the moment, so he just stood there in a daze.

 C172

    Seeing An Yingcheng standing there in shock, Aunt Li was panicking in her heart.


    However, when she recalled the words she had prepared beforehand, her beautiful face showed a bit of grievance.


    "I was in the wrong yesterday, I shouldn''t have let a Daoist who doesn''t know the ins and outs enter the mansion, and almost ruined Eldest Miss''s reputation. However, everything is made clear in the end. I will obediently accept the madame''s slap, and I even spent 4 to 5 hours in front of her courtyard. Aunt Wei, are you still not satisfied? "


    She refused to admit that she bribed that Taoist, and put on a look of Aunt Wei trying to bully her.


    Aunt Wei was so angry that she laughed coldly, "If you had only invited a scammer into the palace, why would the old mistress be so angry?"


    "The Old Madam has always been kind and compassionate. She would turn a blind eye to small mistakes and let them pass if they could. But Aunt Li, what you have done is too much! "You spent money to invite that swindler Taoist into the house, saying that the young mistress had the fate of a heavenly calamity, and then cursed the old lady''s desolation in her later years. How could the old lady not care about such malicious intentions?"


    When An Yingcheng heard about this from the Aunt Li yesterday, he only heard that she had invited a Spirit Dao cultivator to the palace to take a look at Feng Shui, but who knew that the Spirit Dao cultivator was a swindler who was deceived by An Lingge, and was revealed in the end?


    At that time, An Yingcheng felt that the Old Mistress had gone overboard. It was wrong for Aunt Li to not know her place, but it wasn''t right for her to slap her face in front of her servants, making her lose all her dignity.


    But from what Aunt Wei said, that Taoist was originally bought by the Aunt Li?


    He had some doubts in his heart, and the gaze he used to look at Aunt Li carried some other meaning.


    However, Aunt Li had been by his side for so many years, yet Aunt Wei had just come out of the side yard. The two of them did not get together, so the position in his heart was different after all.


    "What is it?"


    His brows were twisted together as his two concubines argued in front of the madame. No matter how one looked at it, it looked like his harem was in disarray.


    His watery eyes locked onto An Yingcheng''s face, "I already told the prince yesterday that I didn''t bribe that Taoist, I only invited him to the palace to take a look at Feng Shui. Who would have thought that the Eldest Miss would expose his real face, and that he would actually bite onto my body?"


    An Lingyi was not present yesterday, but she and Aunt Li had discussed this matter. Even when An Lingge appeared at the old lady''s courtyard, she was the one who led the people there.


    However, facing An Yingcheng''s questioning, she naturally had to speak up for his mother.


    "Father, don''t you know what kind of person Aunt is? She has worked for the Duke''s Palace for so many years, yet she has never complained about a single word of suffering or tiredness. She has treated her servants with kindness and benevolence, so how could she bribe a Daoist Priest to slander her big sister''s reputation? "


    An Lingyi started a lie with a straight face, as if what she said was the truth, as if Aunt Li''s schemes towards An Lingge never existed.


    Seeing that she had such thick skin, An Lingge couldn''t help but laugh. That laughter contained a little ridicule that made An Lingyi angry and she glared fiercely back at her.


    "Third Sister, I know that you are doing this for the good of Aunt Li, so I am afraid that you will be wronged. After all, it''s impossible for one of us to bribe the Taoist and let him come first to slander me, then wait for me to expose him before we go and bite Aunt Li, right? "


    Unless An Lingge and the Daoist Priest colluded and set up such a trap to harm Aunt Li, no one could.


    An Lingyi rolled her eyes, "What if Big Sis and you have colluded with the Daoist Priest? Otherwise, where did you learn the Wind and Water Technique? How could you expose that Daoist Priest''s true appearance! "


    This was the only suspicious aspect of this matter that An Lingge was tightly grabbing onto, wanting to push this matter onto her shoulders.


    The smile on An Lingge''s face became even gentler, but the ridicule in her eyes made An Lingyi feel that in his eyes, she was just a clown.


    "Third Sister, you were raised by your father and aunt since you were young. Naturally, it was them who told you to learn anything. But I''m different, I don''t have my parents to teach me, so I just randomly learned some things from a book. I feel that it''s interesting so I might as well learn more.


    Her pair of black, bright eyes were bottomless, and the curve of her lips seemed gentle yet carried an indescribable chill.


    "If that''s the case, then I know medical skills, and I was the one who nearly caused a loss in Second Aunt. When I met bandits two days ago, I also bribed them. I would rather let the Junge lose his life, so the Third Sister would have to protect my father well?"


    Hearing her mention him, Madam Wang began to laugh out loud, "Little Ge saved Second Aunt''s life, why would she harm me on purpose?"


    At this time, she was speaking up for An Lingge because she was hinting to him that the matter of the Heavenly Demon Lonely Star was something that the Aunt Li did in the first place.


    Seeing one or two of them criticizing the Aunt Li, An Yingcheng only felt a faint pain in his forehead.


    From the bottom of his heart, he believed that the Aunt Li was a person who had slept beside her for many years. However, facing the accusations from so many people, he did not know how to defend her.


    The Aunt Li suddenly bit her lips, and looked at An Yingcheng with sorrow in her eyes: "My prince, the Old madam said that I did wrong, and I did wrong. You can trust me, I am already very satisfied, so you don''t have to do so much for me anymore."


    His words were similar to yesterday''s, causing An Yingcheng to recall his promise to the Aunt Li.


    His wavering heart steeled, as he looked at Old Madem Xiang, "Mother, even if Aunt Li was wrong in doing this, you have already punished her. As for the authority over the family, just leave it to her. If she makes a mistake again next time, your son will not hesitate to tell you how to deal with her. "


    The old lady was so angry that she couldn''t speak, but the Duke Palace is An Yingcheng''s Duke Palace, he is the legitimate Duke. She can''t stop whoever An Yingcheng wants to be in charge.


    "Forget it, this is your royal palace. As an old woman, I shouldn''t interfere!"


    After she finished speaking, she stood up and left. An Yingcheng knew that he had made her unhappy, so he quickly went over to say some good words.


    The rest of the people also immediately advised the old lady not to be angry, only the Aunt Li was at the back, and exchanged a pleased look with An Lingyi.


    So what if the madame hated her? The surname of the Prince''s Mansion was An. As long as she possessed the Prince''s heart, the Prince would always be her support. No matter how honorable the madame was, she could not take away the power in her hands.


    She would definitely not take another blow after taking a loss once.

 C173

    No matter how unwilling the madame was, the right to control the Duke''s Mansion lay in the hands of the Aunt Li.


    Bi Zhu sighed in disappointment. "I thought that I could kill the Aunt Li this time, but who knew that the Prince would stand on her side. Even the Old Mistress couldn''t do anything about it."


    Originally, the young miss was deceived by the Aunt Li and did not know that this person had ill intentions towards her. The servants were under the orders of the Aunt Li to bully the young miss, so the young miss did not take it to heart.


    She thought that she could take back the authority of the Aunt Li in charge of the Prince''s Mansion this time, and let the mother and daughter have a taste of Miss''s suffering at that time.


    "Aunt Li has been in the Prince''s Mansion for so many years, that means the Prince has some feelings for her. It''s impossible for him to take her down in one fell swoop."


    An Lingge''s hand that was writing suddenly paused, the snow-white Xuan paper''s ink-black words almost fainted because of this pause, causing the words that were already written to become blurry.


    "Ya, such a good word was destroyed just like that!"


    Bi Zhu cried out in alarm, and immediately wanted to take the xuan paper, but An Lingge held her hand.


    "No need."


    She shook her head at Bi Zhu, and lowered her eyes to look at the words that were smeared all over.


    "Although Father stood by Aunt Li''s side today, this matter will always leave a doubt in his heart. It''s just like this handwriting. No matter how hard Aunt Li tries, he won''t be able to erase it."


    Bi Zhu''s eyes lit up. That was to say that the Prince was also disappointed in the Aunt Li, but would only support her because of her relationship for so many years. If she were to do something wrong again one day, the Prince might be completely disappointed, and the Aunt Li would no longer have someone to rely on.


    She took out a set of clean clothes from An Lingge''s wardrobe, and said: "Miss, the gatekeepers have already finished making preparations, we can change out of the room in a while."


    On one hand, Miss wanted to go out and relax. On the other hand, she wanted to take this opportunity to see how Chu Yu was doing regarding the collection of medicinal ingredients.


    An Lingge nodded and instructed Bi Zhu as usual, "If anyone comes, tell them that I went to the streets to buy jewelry."


    Bi Zhu pouted, "Miss, every time you take this servant out, when are you going out?"


    Brightheart glanced at her with a teasing smile on his face. "I don''t think you want to go out with Miss, but to eat and drink on the street? Don''t worry, I''ll bring you your favorite candied fruits and sweet biscuit. "


    With her thoughts exposed, Bi Zhu was not embarrassed. She giggled, "Then I''ll leave it to you."


    An Lingge shook her head, after taking care of the matter at hand, she then brought Ming Xin out of the house.


    The two of them were dressed like men, so naturally they wouldn''t ride the King''s Manor. Thus, they walked to Chang An Street and randomly chose a jewelry store to enter.


    "What do you two want to see?" We have the best gold, silver, and jade ornaments here. They are all made from the most original and superior materials in the capital.


    The shopkeeper said, and only looked at An Lingge.


    This was obviously a young master from a rich family bringing a servant out for a stroll. As long as he could please the young master, he would naturally sell his things.


    An Lingge laughed and turned to face the pieces of jewelry, casually choosing two or three pieces that looked pretty good. Ming Xin followed beside her, just as she was about to take out the silver to settle the bill, a man rushed over and threw the silver in her hands onto the ground.


    "Sorry, sorry."


    The man was over twenty years old. He was tall and strong, but he was exceptionally thin. He wore a long gray robe and his accent was strange. He did not sound like he was from Beijing.


    An Lingge subconsciously looked at him, and the man immediately lowered his head, revealing a look of guilt, "I didn''t see you here just now, I bumped into you."


    Ming Xin waved his hand. "It''s fine."


    She picked up the silver that fell to the ground and saw that the man''s shoes were stained with something dark red. If she hadn''t squatted down to pick it up, she wouldn''t have noticed at all.


    However, she did not take this matter to heart. She waited for the man to leave and then continued to talk to An Lingge, "Miss, are we going to go and find Chu Yu now?"


    In order to prevent others from finding Chu Yu, An Lingge had not had any contact with him for a long time, so she should be going directly to find Chu Yu to discuss this matter.


    An Lingge nodded, then walked forward, only to be suddenly smashed by something in the restaurant beside her, which coincidentally landed beside her feet.


    Her gaze fell upon the small item. Picking it up, she placed it in her hands. As she looked up, she saw a devilishly handsome face.


    Mu Junhan gave her a gentle smile, and extended his hand out to point at the room, allowing An Lingge to understand what he meant.


    She brought along her heart and soul and walked up the stairs, allowing the waiter to directly lead them to the room Mu Junhan was in.


    "Hereditary Prince Mu is in a good mood?"


    An Lingge''s gaze fell upon the exquisite dishes on the table, the bright color and attractive fragrance of the dishes made people''s appetite rise.


    Mu Junhan smiled and did not answer, instead, he invited An Lingge to sit in front of him, "Girl, you still haven''t eaten, why not eat with this Hereditary Prince?"


    Isn''t it just the Hereditary Prince of the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace? Why did she annul the engagement between him and the young miss, causing the young miss to be mocked by An Lingyi? At this moment, he acted as if nothing had happened and invited the young miss to a meal. It was obvious that he had evil intentions!


    Her gaze was too obvious, it was hard for Mu Junhan not to notice it even if he wanted to.


    He raised his eyes and his black phoenix eyes seemed to carry the aura of thunder. Just one glance was enough to cause one''s mind to freeze in place, as though one''s entire body had been frozen by a thousand years of ice and was unable to move.


    "She is my servant girl."


    The meaning of his words was that she was a trustworthy person, so Mu Junhan did not need to scare her.


    Only then did Mu Junhan retract his gaze, as his face revealed a slight smile. He smiled unrestrainedly, and helped An Lingge eat the food in her bowl.


    How could a man do such a thing when he wasn''t married yet!


    Ming Xin opened her eyes wide, feeling that Mu Junhan was taking advantage of An Lingge, but she stopped her young miss from speaking a word, and she just stared at An Lingge as he ate the dish.


    Her young lady!


    Ming Xin only felt that her vision had turned black, yet An Lingge seemed to have done a very ordinary thing, there wasn''t the slightest bit of change in her expression, she turned his head and instructed her, "Hereditary Prince Mu and I have some matters to discuss, you can leave first."

 C174

    Let An Lingge and Mu Junhan stay in the same room alone?


    She felt that it was dangerous even if she wanted to. This was the first time she violated the orders of her young mistress, so she stood still. "But, young miss, he ¡­"


    "It''s fine, you can leave." An Lingge did not have time to explain to her what had happened between the two of them, she could only let her down with a stern face.


    Seeing that she seemed to be angry, Ming Xin pursed her lips and unwillingly withdrew.


    Mu Junhan leisurely ate a mouthful of food, and after a while, he said, "Your servant girl seems to hate me."


    An Lingge rolled her eyes at him, "After all, you went before the emperor to annul your engagement with me. It would be strange if she didn''t hate you."


    But this was something the two of them had discussed!


    Mu Junhan''s face revealed a look of being wronged, on the face of the evil being, he looked a little pitiful.


    An Lingge burst out laughing as her eyes curved into a pair of Yue Ya, "If others were to know that the dignified Hereditary Prince is acting so cute like a child, I''m afraid they would be so shocked that their jaws would not even be able to pick it up."


    Mu Junhan kept the wronged expression on his face and started to talk about proper matters, "You said that there will be a plague in the capital, how confident are you?"


    Back then, An Lingge had said that there would be a plague in the capital at the height of summer. However, it was already the beginning of summer. He had sent people to patrol the capital and did not find any signs of plague.


    "Ten." An Lingge put down the chopsticks in her hand, her expression solemn, "Although I cannot explain the reason, in less than three months, there will definitely be a plague in the capital."


    If it was anyone else who heard An Lingge''s words, they would only think that her mind was muddled, or that she was speaking nonsense, or that she had evil intentions.


    But Mu Junhan knew that An Lingge would never do something that he was not confident of, nor would he act in such a manner.


    He nodded, a thoughtful look in his eyes.


    "The Emperor has already ordered me to set off for the Mo Bei in three days." "If you need help at that time, ask your Dark Guard to send a message to me. They know how to contact me."


    She thought that Mu Junhan would at least stay in the capital for half a month, why would he need to go through the Mo Bei so soon?


    The Emperor was too impatient.


    "Then be careful."


    Thousands of words, at this moment, converged into one sentence. An Lingge''s eyes were filled with worry, which warmed the bottom of her heart.


    He was about to speak when he caught a glimpse of a few figures flying past the teahouse across the way.


    When did all these people appear in the capital?


    Suspicion flashed past his heart, he hurriedly spoke a few words to An Lingge, then jumped out of the window with his slender figure, chasing after the few figures.


    The few people in front had pretty good martial skills, but their movements were a bit sneaky. They seemed to have avoided the crowd and didn''t walk on the streets. They just chose the eaves of the houses and those remote alleys to pass through.


    They crossed most of Chang''an Street before they entered a village and found their way to a well in the village.


    Mu Junhan followed behind them without a change in expression, his feet lightly tapped on the roof of the building, not letting out a single sound.


    He lay prostrate on the eaves of the house, lowering his body. His dark phoenix eyes were fixed on the group of people in front of him.


    They carefully looked around to make sure there was no one around, then they quickly took out a bag of things and opened it quickly, pouring all the contents into the well. After doing all these things, they stealthily turned around and headed in another direction.


    The doubt in Mu Junhan''s eyes grew deeper. As he looked around, he just happened to see one of the men turn his head, and the deep three-dimensional features of his face did not seem to belong to someone from the Great Zhou Empire.


    There were actually people who resembled Qingyue Kingdom in his appearance.


    Mu Junhan''s pupils constricted and the corner of his mouth curled up subconsciously. He followed them quietly to the next village and only after seeing them do the same thing over and over again, did he quietly return to the restaurant.


    "How is it?"


    An Lingge poured him a cup of tea and passed it to him.


    Mu Junhan took a shallow sip, the playful expression fading into a serious one.


    "Those people seem to be from Qingyue Kingdom." He told An Lingge everything that he saw, "I saw them sneaking into the village near the capital to pour a bag of stuff into the well. After doing all of this, they ran to the next village and did the same thing."


    That was to say, these people had a plan and they were going to drug the water well in the village near the capital!


    An Lingge and Mu Junhan looked at each other and saw the heaviness in each other''s eyes.


    Right now, the Great Zhou was at war with the Qingyue Kingdom, so if these people were truly from Qingyue Kingdom, then there must be a conspiracy behind these actions.


    "Can we be sure of their identities?" An Lingge asked. If those people did not belong to Qingyue Kingdom, the matter would not be as serious as she had imagined.


    Mu Junhan frowned slightly, "I can see the appearance of one of them. His facial features are profound and are different from the people in the Zhou Dynasty. After that I followed them to another village, and heard them speaking faintly, and the accent was not from anywhere in the Zhou Dynasty. "


    Although Mu Junhan grew up in the capital, he still gathered business students from all over the capital. Even if he did not say that he knew every accent like the back of his hand, he could roughly guess what happened.


    However, the accents of those people were not from any part of the Great Zhou, so they could only come from other countries.


    An Lingge thought of the person with the weird accent that she met in the jewelry store and tried to imitate that person, casually saying a few words.


    "That''s the accent!"


    Mu Junhan''s face was filled with certainty, and then he became worried: "Little girl An, you also met these people?"


    "I saw one like that in the jewelry store." An Lingge received confirmation, and the expression on his face became even more grave, "At that time, the person''s expression was in a hurry, as if she was avoiding something, and directly crashed into Ming Xin''s body. I heard his accent and looked at him, but he immediately covered his face. However, Brightheart said that there was something dark red on the man''s shoes that looked like blood. "


    He secretly drugged the water well, and his shoes were stained with a dark red substance that seemed to be blood stains. He was acting in a hurry, and when these things were linked together, he could not help but think about conspiracy.


    Mu Junhan thought for a moment: "The security in the capital is always tight, these people are not from the Zhou Empire, but they snuck in, and must have some plan, I will send people to investigate this matter later."


    An Lingge nodded, and after discussing the matter of hoarding medicinal ingredients with him, she took the initiative to look for Chu Yu.

 C175

    Chu Yu had not seen An Lingge for a long time, so when he saw her come over, she immediately brought her to a private room.


    "Eldest Miss, we have already accumulated almost a hundred pounds of medicinal ingredients. Do you want to continue?"


    When ordinary people went to the medicine store to buy medicinal herbs, they would usually spend a few coins to buy them. A hundred Jin worth of medicinal herbs was truly impressive.


    However, An Lingge''s expression did not change, "These medicinal ingredients are not enough, continue to purchase and bring this token to the outskirts of the capital, the Clear Moon Villa."


    The command medallion was given to her by Mu Junhan, Qingyue Villa was Mu Junhan''s private property, and it did not belong to Prince Mu¡¯s Palace.


    They had long since received instructions from their master. As long as they saw this command medallion, they would obey it no matter what it was.


    Chu Yu accepted the order badge, without asking where she got it from, she reported everything that had happened to An Lingge carefully, then sent the two off.


    When the two of them left the residence, they didn''t know that the Prince An''s Palace was bustling with noise and excitement.


    The Old Mistress called Aunt Wei to her courtyard as usual and drank the tea that Aunt Wei had brewed, but the taste was not in her mouth.


    She put down the cup in her hand with a depressed look on her face.


    "Is the madame in a bad mood?" Seeing that, the Aunt Wei spoke out, "You always liked this tea."


    The old mistress heaved a long sigh. "It''s usually the case. Now, even a person''s personality can change. It''s perfectly normal for one''s taste to change."


    There was some hidden meaning in her words, which was that An Yingcheng was going against her today.


    Aunt Wei was also a nimble person, so he naturally knew what she meant.


    She challenged An Yingcheng in front of her, but did not say anything bad about in front of the old lady, as if she did not understand the old lady''s words, and maintained her docile smile: "Since the old lady does not like this tea, I will change it into new tea for you tomorrow, I guarantee that you will like it."


    "Forget it." "Cheng''er was bewitched by that seductress and listened to her, but he didn''t believe me or you. It wasn''t just me who was angry, you must be feeling terrible in your heart as well."


    Her words stabbed straight into Aunt Wei''s heart, the latter could no longer hang on to her smile, and some grievance and sadness surfaced on her face.


    "Prince has always disliked me. I know this in my heart."


    She made a wry smile, her eyes reddening uncontrollably.


    She had liked the prince for so many years, but she couldn''t even get a single glance at him. She could also be considered his woman, and she even gave birth to a child for him.


    During these few days, the Countess had understood what she was thinking. She knew how much effort An Yingcheng had put in, and naturally knew how uncomfortable she was feeling.


    She patted Aunt Wei''s hands as she said earnestly, "If Cheng''er knows about your good fortune, I won''t worry about it."


    Aunt Wei lowered her head and did not speak, the old lady then gave a look to the servant girl beside her, "Go and get the jade bangle in my room."


    The maidservant moved quickly and brought the item over, bringing it to the madame with both hands.


    However, the old lady did not accept it. She smiled towards Aunt Wei, "This is what I passed down to Princess An back then. After she passed away, I kept it. "I''ve kept this thing in my hands for so many years, but I haven''t been able to find the right person. Today, I''ll give it to you."


    The thing that was passed down to the Princess An back then!


    The old mistress'' words were calm and clear, but Aunt Wei''s heart was shocked.


    Didn''t she mean that this was a bracelet that only the Royal Concubine could own?


    Now, what did it mean for the old mistress to pass it on to him?


    Her gaze fell onto the jasper bracelet, carrying a hint of bewilderment.


    "Madame, I dare not accept such a valuable item."


    The madame smiled amiably at her. "It''s just a bracelet. Why can''t you accept it?"


    Seeing that, she brought the bracelet to Aunt Wei, "Aunt Wei, this is the old lady''s regard for you, you must accept it."


    Aunt Wei took a deep breath, then extended her hand to take the jade bracelet.


    The old mistress smiled in satisfaction and waved at her. "I''m tired. I want to sleep for a while. Go back to your own courtyard."


    Aunt Wei saluted respectfully, turned and left.


    She had just returned to her own courtyard and was preparing to tell Spring Apricot to put away the jade bracelet when a servant suddenly came over to report that Aunt Li was here, causing her expression to immediately change.


    "Wait," she called out to Spring Apricot, a struggle flashed in her eyes, before she finally spoke, "Put that bracelet on for me."


    Chun Xing took the bracelet and placed it on Aunt Wei''s hand. She couldn''t help but praise, "Aunt sure looks good wearing this bracelet."


    Aunt Wei laughed. She did not wear this bracelet just to look good.


    While the two of them were conversing, Aunt Li walked in.


    "Aunt Wei is so elegant here, it''s like clouds and mud compared to that rundown place in the side yard."


    No matter how he looked at the people in the house, the look in his eyes didn''t seem to be friendly at all.


    Aunt Wei revealed a hypocritical smile, her eyes cold. "I wonder why Aunt Li is here?"


    This person never liked her, even after she had walked out of the side courtyard for such a long time, Aunt Li still treated her as if she didn''t exist. Today was the first time he stepped into her courtyard.


    The meaning behind her words was obvious, but it was as if Aunt Li did not understand. She looked around the room, and then sized Aunt Wei up, "It''s been so long since we last met, Aunt Wei has changed a lot. It''s amazing that you dare to criticize me in front of your highness. "


    "There will be many more things that will surprise Aunt Li in the future, don''t you want to come run over to me every two or three days?" Aunt Wei''s words were laced with thorns as she changed her attitude and declared war on the opposing party.


    Invisible smoke permeated the air between the two of them, causing Aunt Li''s expression to darken. She looked at the person in front of him with a condescending gaze, "Do you know why Your Highness is standing on my side? I am the daughter of an official, and you are only a lowly servant girl. Your Highness doesn''t need to consider the choice between us. "


    "No matter how much you fawn on the madame, how reasonable, your status as a servant girl will always be lower than mine. In front of me, who do you think you are?"


    Aunt Wei''s face turned pale white for a moment, then she laughed, raising his hand, inadvertently revealing the jade bracelet on it, "That''s right, Aunt Li is the daughter of an official, I can''t compare to you."


    When Aunt Li saw that bracelet, her expression changed.

 C176

    Although Aunt Li only entered the manor after the death of Princess An, she had already stayed in the manor for more than ten years, so she naturally knew what the jade bracelet represented.


    When she had first entered the palace, her heart had been set on being righted, but at that time, the Old Granny had already gone to the ancestral residence. She had also sent someone to take back the bracelet, which represented the identity of the Princess An.


    Although she could not see anything on the surface, but this matter still represented the old lady''s attitude. She did not agree to let the Aunt Li be righted.


    An Yingcheng was a filial person, so he naturally would not go against his mother''s wishes.


    At that time, the Aunt Li was so angry that she gritted her teeth and acted coldly towards her man for a few days.


    But other than her, there was only one other Aunt Wei in the Duke Palace. Moreover, An Yingcheng had only spoiled her and even given her the authority to rule the Palace, so Aunt Li was considered half a wangfei and she had forgotten about this matter.


    Now that he saw the jade bracelet on Aunt Wei''s wrist, Aunt Li immediately thought of this matter.


    Back then, she had tried to please the madame and asked her about her preferences. She had sent people all the way to the ancestral residence to present her with precious gifts, but the madame remained unmoved and did not mention anything about helping her recuperate.


    How long has it been since Aunt Wei came out of the side courtyard? The madame passed such an important thing to her, this is clearly meant to go against her, to make the Aunt Wei look bad for her!


    The hatred the Aunt Li had for the Old Mistress was like a flood rushing down from a tall mountain, sweeping away all of her thoughts and causing great waves to surge in her heart.


    "This bracelet doesn''t look bad."


    With great difficulty, she managed to calm the resentment in her heart. With a few looks in her eyes, her face returned to that haughty smile, "However, no matter how beautiful this bracelet is, some people will never be able to change their lowly birth."


    The Aunt Wei chuckled and fearlessly met the other party''s disdainful gaze, "Aunt Li is right, but for some people, no matter how extraordinary their identity is, they wouldn''t be able to get such a pretty bracelet. "This is called having two different things in the world. One can''t let all the good things be taken by one person."


    Even if Aunt Li was the daughter of an official, and the madame did not like her, she could not just stand here and cover the entire sky.


    The smile on Aunt Li''s face carried a bit of coldness. Her lips curled up in contempt, and the corner of her eyes slanted downwards, "What you said makes a lot of sense. It''s your fortune that the old lady is so good to you. But the old lady''s birthday is coming up, I wonder what kind of wedding present Aunt Wei has prepared? "


    She looked at Aunt Wei with contempt in her heart.


    Aunt Wei had only come out of the side courtyard not long ago, she probably could not even save up to a hundred taels of silver. If it was the Old Madam''s birthday, it would be a joke if Aunt Wei gave him some unpresentable gifts.


    "Aunt Li does not need to worry about this." Aunt Wei had been worrying about this these past few days, but facing this person, she naturally could not be at a disadvantage.


    The Aunt Li smiled but did not speak. After stabbing the Aunt Wei for a while, she was satisfied and brought her servant back to the courtyard.


    "Mother, Grandmother''s birthday is coming up. Do you think Young General Lu will come back then?"


    Seeing that the Aunt Li had returned, An Lingyi immediately went to welcome him.


    There was a shyness on her face, but it was mostly anticipation.


    When Aunt Li saw this young girl in love, helplessness surfaced on her face.


    "You''re not young anymore, why do you keep saying these words to yourself? If others were to hear about it, wouldn''t that ruin your reputation? "


    The Great Zhou Dynasty was open to the masses, but it was always rather harsh on women.


    An Lingyi did not bother to conceal her admiration for a man. To put it nicely, it was because the girl found it hard to suppress her admiration for another man.


    Being said so indifferently by the Aunt Li, An Lingyi did not take her words to heart. She giggled and intimately held onto his arm, shaking it slightly, "Isn''t it because I''m in front of mother, what does my daughter think? Could it be that I have to hide it from you?"


    She raised her head with a smile on her face, looking like an innocent young girl.


    In the end, she was the daughter of the person whom he cared about, so how could Aunt Li blame her?


    She reached out and tapped An Lingyi''s forehead, her eyes filled with love.


    An Lingyi did not dodge, but waited for his mother to take back her hand, and then asked again, "Mother, just say it, did you send an invitation to the General Da Palace?"


    "Naturally, he sent the post over." Aunt Li replied with a smile.


    Forget about the high status of the General Da, being a minister that the emperor values, there was a need to rope their Prince An''s Palace in. Simply speaking, Lu Zhan had saved them a few days ago, so they had to send an invitation to the General Da as well.


    When An Lingyi received the answer she wanted, his eyes lit up, and a smile appeared at the corner of his eyes, "That''s great, mother, quickly help me think, what clothes will I wear then?"


    "It doesn''t matter what you wear then." Aunt Li spoke sincerely and sincerely, her almond eyes filled with deep contemplation. "This is the first time since the madame returned to the capital that her birthday has been celebrated, so Your Highness will definitely pay attention to it. You just have to take this chance to show your filial piety and spread your reputation of filial piety. This will be more useful than any other kind of clothes. "


    Now that An Lingyi was thirteen or fourteen years old, if it was an ordinary family, it would also be the time for them to discuss marriage.


    If he could make use of the Old Mistress'' birthday to spread An Lingyi''s reputation of being filial, it would be beneficial to her in the future when she could negotiate with him.


    An Lingyi naturally understood her mother''s painstaking efforts. However, she was at the age where she loved to be beautiful, so how could she not pay attention to her clothes and clothes?


    She playfully pulled on her hand with a coquettish expression and dragged her voice, "Mother, filial piety is not something that can be claimed just by reputation. Can you help me think of a way to make it more stunning when the time comes? It would be easier that way."


    She could not force her daughter, so she could only nod her head and say, "Alright, alright, in two days I will bring you to make a new set of clothes. But for other things, you have to listen to me."


    An Lingyi hurriedly nodded, and obediently listened to Aunt Li''s instructions.


    Her eyes flashed, and after a moment she became somewhat surprised, her expression carrying some hesitation, "Mother, An Lingge has such a cautious personality, will this matter be successful?"


    It was not that she did not have confidence in herself, it was just that An Lingge was too cunning and treacherous. She even suspected that An Lingge had been possessed by a demon, if not, how could she have suddenly become so powerful?


    Just as she finished speaking of her guess, Aunt Li glared at her.


    "What nonsense is this!" Aunt Li interrupted An Lingyi''s absurd guess.

 C177

    "I watched as An Lingge grew up, so I am very clear about what she is like in my heart. It''s all the fault of that old granny Yu from the Nanny Zhang who was extremely loyal to me on the surface. Turns out that she was still loyal to that slut An Lingge in order to let her grow up safely. "


    When An Lingyi thought of Nanny Zhang, the delicate expression on her face froze for a moment, and a layer of malice surfaced in her eyes.


    Back then, if it wasn''t for the fact that the Nanny Zhang took advantage of them and pretended to seek refuge with her mother, persuading her to let An Lingge live, they would not have gone through so much effort to get rid of An Lingge today.


    "That damnable servant dared to deceive mother. Even if she were to die ten thousand times, it wouldn''t be enough to vent the hatred in my heart."


    If not for the Nanny Zhang, An Lingge would have been plotted against by her mother when she was young, resulting in him dying of illness.


    Aunt Li patted her hands, "Nanny Zhang is just a servant, no matter how you make a demon, in front of me, you can only be obedient. If she can betray me, I can easily take her life. But An Lingge is different. She is the daughter of the Princess An, and her status has already surpassed yours, and now that she has been conferred the title of princess by the Emperor, we need to think of other ways to deal with her. "


    An Lingyi''s eyes were filled with hatred. If she wasn''t her direct daughter, then she should be the one who was betrothed to Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, and the one who was betrothed to Hereditary Prince Mu, and the one the Emperor bestowed the title as the County Lord, was also her!


    Princess was an existence that many people could only look up to. If she had that identity, how could An Lingge use his identity as the direct descendant to put on airs in front of her?


    However, as long as we do away with An Lingge and get rid of this eyesore, she would be the most respected lady in the Prince An''s Palace. What need was there to be afraid of An Lingxue?


    An Lingyi''s eyes flashed, the corners of her mouth hooked into a sinister smile, she then moved her head over and secretly discussed with Aunt Li.


    After a long while, An Lingyi''s face held a hint of predetermined happiness, and her eyes curved in a smile, "Didn''t Grandmother like An Lingge? This time, let Grandmother personally punish that b * tch, and let''s see how she can still act so arrogantly! "


    The malicious calculation flashing in her eyes made An Lingge, who was still far away in her Parasol House, sneeze.


    Bi Zhu immediately closed the window, muttering to herself that the summer wind was strong, telling her young miss to be careful.


    "How am I so delicate?" Seeing Bi Zhu treating him like a child that didn''t know how to take care of herself, An Lingge couldn''t help but laugh.


    Hearing that, Bi Zhu''s face became serious, her eyes that were like black grapes stared wide, her rosy lips opened and closed, "That is not necessarily true, as the people who have suffered the most from the cold in the summer are the people, maybe it is because they are sick due to the wind blowing towards the window."


    She was not good with words normally, but when she spoke to make An Lingge pay attention to her body, it was as if she had changed. Her mouth was extremely sharp, and she could not stop even for the time it took to make a cup of tea.


    Ming Xin snickered on the side, but An Lingge noticed and immediately looked towards her with a pleading gaze for help.


    Usually, she always had a gentle, light smile on her face, but only at this moment did she truly look like a fifteen-year-old girl. She did not need to wear a mask to face off against those demons that did not have good intentions.


    A trace of heartache appeared in her eyes, mixed with unspeakable joy. The instant she raised her eyes, however, she concealed all of her emotions.


    "Aiya, Bi Zhu, why are you being so long-winded like an old granny. Young Miss''s own medical skills are pretty good, naturally she would pay attention to her body."


    Just as she finished speaking, Bi Zhu''s brows furrowed even more, "There is a saying that doctors do not know how to cure themselves ¡­"


    Seeing that Bi Zhu was about to start another long lecture, An Lingge and Brightheart could only exchange a look, and silently listen to Bi Zhu''s small talk.


    "Miss, Heaven''s Clothing Workshop has sent over this season''s clothes."


    A burst of sounds from the pearl curtain interrupted Bi Zhu''s recitation.


    The servant opened the curtain and walked in, respectfully standing in front of An Lingge with her head lowered, holding onto a red wooden tray with a few sets of clothes neatly stacked on top.


    Bi Zhu saw that an outsider had entered, and immediately stopped what he was saying, and looked towards the servant.


    "It''s Lan Xin, just give me the clothes."


    As she spoke, she reached out to take the tray from Lan Xin''s hands, but the latter quickly shook her head, "I''ll do it myself, I don''t dare to trouble Big Sister Bi Zhu."


    The matters in An Lingge''s courtyard were usually handled by Bi Zhu and Ming Xin. As the maids by An Lingge''s side, they held some dignity within their Parasol House. With regards to the matters that had been ordered out, the second and third year maids would never reject them.


    Now that the second servant Lan Xin had barged into An Lingge''s room without permission and refused to let Bi Zhu take the clothes, she immediately became cautious.


    She looked at him from head to toe, but did not see anything out of the ordinary, she only looked at An Lingge with an unspoken understanding.


    An Lingge had a light smile on her face, it could not be said that she was kind or cold, "Put your clothes there, you can leave now."


    Since she had spoken, Lan Xin naturally did not dare to disobey.


    Lan Xin slowly placed the tray on the table, then lowered her head, her eyes rolling around as she said, "This servant will take his leave."


    She thought that no one could see her movements, but she didn''t know that An Lingge had long since seen everything she was doing.


    "I didn''t expect Lan Xin to be so restless as well." She sighed in her heart with a complicated expression on her face.


    Young miss was cautious, so she gave the order. Other than Bi Zhu and her, the rest of the servant girls needed permission to enter young miss''s house.


    Even though Lan Xin appeared respectful on the surface, she had disobeyed the Young Miss'' order.


    She already knew that the young miss''s courtyard wasn''t filled with honest and pure people. There were no lack of spies from the Aunt Li, and there were also those who would betray their master for the sake of money. She just didn''t know which type Lan Xin belonged to.


    An Lingge did not take this matter to heart, there were only a few people who wanted to frame her, and behind Lan Xin, were either the mother and daughter of Aunt Li, or An Lingxue.


    She glanced at the tray that was placed on the table, and Bi Zhu immediately took the clothes over. An Lingge casually picked up the set of clothes at the top, and the patterns formed by the golden threads flashed like flowing water under the sunlight.


    "Miss, these clothes are really pretty."


    Bi Zhu couldn''t help but exclaim in admiration, the workmanship of Heaven''s Clothing Workshop was truly amazing.


    An Lingge''s gaze landed on a certain place on the clothes, a look of doubt flashed past her eyes, and then, her long white fingers extended out to touch it.


    "But what''s wrong with these clothes?" Mingxin noticed her strangeness and immediately asked.

 C178

    The clothes were made of pomegranate red pearls and peacock plumes. The color was smooth and very pleasing to the eye. Many young ladies of the government liked to use the beautiful cloud brocade to make clothes, not to mention the bright color of pomegranate red. It was even more welcomed.


    But when An Lingge touched it, she felt a light prickling sensation.


    She turned it over and saw that the material inside was still smooth and bright.


    However, the rough feeling under her hands was not fake. What was inside the shirt was not the materials used for the brocade, but instead, it was used for inferior cloth. She purposely made it look like a brocade.


    Seeing An Lingge''s actions, Bi Zhu also touched it, this touch made her eyes condense and her round face reveal ridicule.


    "So it turns out that Lan Xin personally delivered the clothes because she did something to the clothes and felt guilty about it?"


    The Heaven''s Clothing Workshop had been opened in the capital for many years, but nothing good had ever happened. After the clothes were delivered, they were only given to Lan Xin, and only Lan Xin could do something about it.


    An Lingge shook her head. Although it looked like it was made with Heaven''s Clothing Workshop, after careful examination, she realized that these clothes were not as exquisite as those made with Heaven''s Clothing Workshop.


    "Bring the clothes over, I''ll try them."


    Her black eyes were so deep that one couldn''t see the bottom of them, causing people to be unable to see what she was thinking.


    Bi Zhu''s face was filled with unwillingness. There was obviously something wrong with her clothes, so why did Miss still need to wear it?


    Ming Xin looked at her and indicated for her to follow An Lingge''s instructions. Then, the two of them started to change An Lingge''s clothes.


    "These clothes are a bit short."


    Brightheart frowned and looked at her sleeve which was half of her wrist. Anger flashed in her eyes.


    Her young miss had a quiet personality and treated her servants with gentleness and kindness. She would never curse at them or make things difficult for them. Why was it that there were always these things that helped others frame her in the courtyard?


    Don''t even mention that it was just a piece of cloth. If no one was doing anything to it, how could it have ended up like this? Heaven''s Clothing Workshop had made the clothes for the Young Miss many times already, and they definitely would not make such mistakes in terms of size or stature, so these clothes definitely did not come from Heaven''s Clothing Workshop!


    Even someone with such a carefree attitude like Bi Zhu had noticed the strangeness, "Miss, this is not a piece of clothes from the Heaven''s Clothing Workshop, do you want this servant to call Lan Xin here for questioning?"


    An Lingge''s eyes darkened, but no emotion could be seen from her face.


    She only nodded her head and agreed to Bi Zhu''s suggestion.


    Only then did Bi Zhu go out and call Lan Xin in, and afterwards, she stood by An Lingge''s side with her head lowered.


    An Lingge sat on the wooden chair with her legs encased in clouds. Her beautiful face was covered with some light and shadows, and the light golden light shining on her made her look even more dignified. "Speak, what happened to these clothes?"


    Lan Xin immediately knelt down upon hearing this, as if she was terrified of being discovered, "Miss, please forgive me, but this servant''s mother is sick, and needs a large amount of silver, but this servant cannot take out the clothes that the Heaven''s Clothing Workshop sent over, so that I can sell them at a low price, and if I take these clothes over, I can earn some silver from them, so that I can buy medicine for my mother."


    Her expression was flustered as tears welled up in her eyes, "This servant has done something wrong. Please be magnanimous, Miss. Please forgive this servant this time!"


    "You know you''ve done wrong, how dare you ask the little miss to spare you?" Bi Zhu glared, her childish face showing her anger, "Every single piece of clothing is fixed, you take the young miss''s clothes and sell them, don''t tell me you want the young miss to wear these inferior fabrics?"


    Not to mention if the young miss would be laughed at if she wore inferior clothes, but if the maid sold the young miss''s clothes on her own accord and let others know, everyone would say that the young miss'' treatment was not strict, and that even the servant girl in her courtyard could not handle it.


    Just as An Lingge was about to speak, a slim figure slowly walked in.


    The person who came was An Lingyi. She had put on her delicate makeup today, and her oval shaped pink face, apricot-shaped eyes that were similar to Aunt Li''s had a divine light flowing around them. She had pink cheeks and red lips, and although she was petite in stature, she could still be considered charming among those of the same age.


    She was wearing a moon-white, scaly, watery immortal dress with rich patterns embroidered on it. The material was a rare cloud brocade, and in front of her, there was a jade collar with pearls inlaid on it. These tiny pearls were extraordinary. The outer coat was covered by a golden pipa, and was tied with a dark orange tassel ribbon. Her innocent and childish face was mixed with the girl''s flirtatiousness, making her look like she was welcoming the spring breeze. She was extremely charming.


    Her black hair was combed into a bun for the spring season, and on the hairpin was a gold-threaded eight treasures pearl hairpin. On the hairpin was a gold-threaded eight treasures pearl hairpin, and on it were countless emeralds.


    "Big Sister, what''s happening here? Why is this maid still kneeling on the ground?" Without waiting for An Lingge to reply, she continued, "I heard that big sister is the most magnanimous, and never puts on airs when treating servants. So it turns out that she doesn''t even believe what she hears."


    Her words were full of praise for An Lingge, but she couldn''t believe what she heard, and she secretly stepped on An Lingge''s leg.


    If An Lingge still wanted to punish Lan Xin, An Lingge was cold-blooded and emotionless.


    Seeing the surprise on Lan Xin''s face, An Lingge knew that An Lingyi had specially come to help Lan Xin.


    Yet the servant in his courtyard was wholeheartedly supporting An Lingyi. It was truly ironic.


    "Third Sister''s personality is still so impulsive, she didn''t even know what the situation is like before she came to a conclusion. Now, I still have Aunt Li to take care of some matters for you.


    "Who did you say is gone!" As if someone stepped on An Lingyi''s painful leg, her charming and beautiful face instantly twisted, forcibly destroying the carefully prepared makeup.


    An Lingge looked at her in shock, her face filled with shock, "Third Sister isn''t young anymore, I''ll have to find someone to marry in a year or two. At that time, Aunt Li can''t possibly be by your side, can she?


    An Lingge had clearly been cursing her Aunt to die early, how could this be what she meant!


    An Lingyi''s eyes were filled with hatred, but An Lingge''s words could originally be understood in such a way, if she were to forcefully provoke him, she would not be able to stop herself.


    "Big Sis has the time to worry about me, so why don''t you think about what kind of wedding present your grandma will give on her birthday?"


    She shook her sleeves with a trace of arrogance on her face. "I''ve already prepared a congratulatory gift. I wonder what big sister will prepare?"


    An Lingge''s gaze inadvertently drifted across Lan Xin''s body. Seeing Lan Xin clench her fists and looking nervous, she had a faint guess in her heart.

 C179

    Ever since An Lingge had been reborn, and having clearly seen the true faces of the Aunt Li and An Lingyi, and made their schemes fail time and time again, An Lingyi no longer hid anything in front of An Lingge, clearly displaying her disgust towards him.


    Now that she had uncharacteristically come to An Lingge''s courtyard, and was even so concerned about An Lingge''s wedding gift, there was unavoidably something fishy going on.


    The corner of An Lingge''s mouth curled up slightly, and she seemed to have a smile on her face, but her pair of eyes that were as deep as a dark well filled with coldness, without the slightest hint of warmth.


    "Grandmother wants to celebrate her birthday. It''s a big event in the family, so I ordered someone to prepare a wedding present early, but no matter how I thought about it, I couldn''t find anything suitable. Does Third Sister have any good intentions?"


    An Lingyi''s exquisite face revealed a hint of surprise, she seemed to be exceptionally surprised as she softly exclaimed, "Grandmother''s birthday is coming up, big sister hasn''t even finished preparing her wedding present?"


    The corner of her mouth curled up as a trace of disdain flashed across her large almond eyes. "I''ve seen how big sister treated grandmother with so much care, but I can''t believe she doesn''t even care about such a big matter. I''ve misjudged big sister."


    "You''ve always been wrong about a lot of things." An Lingyi''s sarcasm was neither soft nor strong, but his words caused the light smile on An Lingyi''s face to freeze, and her expression became even uglier than if she had eaten a housefly.


    A trace of anger surfaced in her eyes as she spoke with a hint of reproach, "Big sister, your words are too much. I''m only discussing the matter, why do you have to talk to me like that?"


    An Lingge raised her eyebrows slightly, a trace of doubt flashed past her eyes. "Third Sister is young, you have seen very few things, so you can''t see things as clearly as others can, is there something wrong with what I said?"


    This damned An Lingge!


    The trap in An Lingyi''s words were once again avoided by her, and secretly said that she had never seen the world, and that she could only say these words because she was the direct descendant?


    She fiercely shook hands and suppressed the anger in her heart. She tried her best to show a look of understanding on her face, "So I misunderstood Big Sis. But is Big Sis''s wedding present for Grandmother really not ready?"


    "It''s already being prepared, but I''m just not satisfied with a lot of things." An Lingge would not listen to her words, there were only a few days until the old lady''s birthday. If she were to nod her head and say yes, it was likely that news of her not preparing the old lady''s wedding gift would spread across the entire Duke''s Mansion.


    At that time, forget about how the madame would think of her, just with so many servants in the palace, each one of them would scold her for being unfilial, which would be enough to make her feel uncomfortable.


    She was so cautious that even the tiniest trap she could speak of could not affect her. An Lingyi could not help but feel anxious.


    Her personality was already arrogant, how could it compare to An Lingge''s calm personality?


    Only then did An Lingyi remember her purpose for coming here. She glanced at Lan Xin who was on the ground, and pretended to inadvertently mention, "I wonder what mistake this servant girl has committed, big sister made her kneel on the ground for so long?"


    An Lingge followed her gaze, and acted as if she had seen something, "Oh, this servant took the clothes that Heaven''s Clothing Workshop had sent over and sold them, then brought a few inferior quality clothes to replace the pillar with the pillar, I found her, and was reprimanding her a few times. Originally, I wanted to punish her with three months of silver and send her out. When Third Sister came, I had actually forgotten about her. "


    So after Lan Xin kneeled on the ground for so long, did she blame herself?


    An Lingyi''s pure white face flushed red from anger. She wanted to say something to reprimand An Lingge, but she could not find a reason no matter what.


    She took a deep breath, trying her best to make the expression on her face seem friendly and natural. "This maidservant has committed a great sin. Big Sister just forgave her like that. Aren''t you afraid that the servants in the courtyard are learning from her?"


    "She did make a mistake, but that was only for her mother''s sake. In the end, it is still within reason, so I punished her for three months. "Although it''s not really a severe punishment, it won''t make others feel that I''m kind and soft-hearted, and will not even punish the maidservants in my own courtyard for committing mistakes."


    An Lingge beamed, and from the surface, it was impossible to tell that she was thinking about it, as if she was really thinking this way.


    Just as Lan Xin was about to kowtow and thank her, she heard An Lingge continue, "However, I will also send people to investigate this matter. If her mother is really sick, I will not pursue this matter.


    She did not finish what she wanted to say, but just that sentence caused Lan Xin to shudder, and immediately expressed her loyalty, "Eldest Miss, your servant''s mother is really sick, and I still can''t get up from my bed."


    "Since she''s so sick, I''ll let you rest for a few days. Go back and take good care of her, and when your mother recovers, we''ll return to my courtyard to wait upon her." An Lingge looked at Lan Xin with her clear and deep eyes. That clear and penetrating gaze seemed to be able to penetrate the heart and see the deepest and darkest corner of a person''s heart.


    Lan Xin was startled, she subconsciously lowered her head to avoid An Lingge''s gaze, and only then did her beating heart calm down a little, "Eldest Miss only punished me with three months of silver, this is already equivalent to giving me a favour. How can I let Miss specially travel to give me a few days'' rest time?"


    An Lingyi also opened her mouth, but she did not have the intention to plead for Lan Xin, "I originally thought that this servant did not do well, and did not satisfy big sister, which was why I caused her to kneel on the ground, and she actually secretly sold big sister''s clothes! This maid has done such a grave mistake and should have been punished severely long ago. Why does Big Sis need to think for her? "


    The two of them were singing along with each other, which made An Lingge a little suspicious.


    Lan Xin had obviously been bribed, and she was also ordered to change her clothes into these inferior clothes.


    But why did An Lingyi do that?


    Originally, she was not willing to let Lan Xin go and punish her, and had even scolded her for being strict with her servants. But when she said that Lan Xin would return and rest for a few days, why did An Lingyi''s attitude change so abruptly?


    A ball of doubt lingered in An Lingge''s heart, but she did not reveal it when facing An Lingyi. Her rosy red lips curled up, and a profound look appeared on her face, "According to Third Sister''s words, what should we do with this servant girl?"


    She didn''t know what An Lingyi''s goal was, so she gave this opportunity to An Lingyi.


    An Lingyi naturally did not know what she was thinking in her heart. Hearing An Lingge''s question, An Lingyi''s eyes flashed with a dark light, and in the blink of an eye, she disappeared.

 C180

    Lan Xin''s matter was only an interlude, and did not cause the slightest bit of disturbance within the Duke Palace.


    That day, after An Lingge had punished her, he had forgotten about her, as if she couldn''t remember at all that there was a second rate servant girl in her courtyard.


    However, Lan Xin seemed to be unwilling to be forgotten by her just like that. She stayed in her own room for two days, and then tried every means possible to find an opportunity to be polite in front of An Lingge.


    "Miss, that Lan Xin looked anxious and kind. I wonder what she is planning to do by ingratiating herself to your room?"


    She then poured some water over the flowers in An Lingge''s house before putting down the kettle. Then, she carefully arranged the flowers on the window ledge and saw Lan Xin peek out of the house.


    Bi Zhu snorted, her round little face was filled with disrespect, "Then it''s a person that doesn''t care about face! She did not know where the clothes that the Heaven''s Clothing Workshop had made went, but she found these broken things for the Young Miss. "Young Miss is magnanimous and won''t argue with me. I will climb up the stairs and be solicitous in front of you every day. Isn''t it just to make young miss soften her heart and not even allow three months'' worth of silver to go by?"


    Seeing their worried looks, a smile appeared in An Lingge''s eyes, "Relax, I know very well that Lan Xin was bribed by An Lingyi, but I don''t know what An Lingyi is planning, that''s why I kept Lan Xin in the courtyard. I could always guess one or two of An Lingyi''s thoughts from her body."


    Since Lan Xin had bribed her, she would definitely do as An Lingyi had instructed.


    As long as she understood Lan Xin''s goal, An Lingyi would be unable to scheme against her.


    She glanced at the two of them, her black eyes as bright and profound as a serene pair of foreheads filled with deep thought, "Brightheart, your mind is meticulous, you just have to pay attention to Lan Xin''s movements. If there''s anything abnormal with her, or you send a message to An Lingyi''s courtyard, you can report it to me as soon as possible."


    Brightheart solemnly nodded her head, Bi Zhu who was at the side could not wait any longer, "Miss, then what does this servant want to do?"


    "Lan Xin probably didn''t move because she was worried that she wouldn''t be trusted and that we would be able to detect her movements. "Just pretend that you are on good terms with her. Just let her know that you trust her, and it will be fine."


    After An Lingge finished speaking, she picked up the teacups of the three gentlemen with silky white joints and lowered her head slightly. The rising steam from the teacups spread across her face, adding a touch of gentleness and elegance to it. Only her bright black eyes still shone with a sharp light.


    In the next few days, Bi Zhu pretended to believe in Lan Xin and would occasionally leave the less important things on her hands to Lan Xin to handle. It was as if she could not see all of these things, but she secretly watched Lan Xin.


    In less than five days, Lan Xin had already run over to An Lingyi''s courtyard.


    Brightheart followed from a distance. After seeing Lan Xin enter An Lingyi''s courtyard, she exchanged a few words with the old gatekeeper before disappearing outside the courtyard door in the blink of an eye.


    She did not immediately return to the Parasol House, but chose to hide somewhere, and after waiting for an incense worth of time, Lan Xin finally came out from An Lingyi''s courtyard.


    Lan Xin''s face was clearly filled with joy, and as sshe walked, he was smiling even as the corners of her mouth curled into a smile.


    However, it was not a good thing for her master to have a servant girl colluding with an outsider.


    Mingxin''s face turned serious, and he subconsciously tightened the corner of his lips.


    She watched as Lan Xin walked faster and faster, and couldn''t help but speed up her pace. But who would have thought that after walking past a corner, she would actually disappear.


    She looked around in a flurry. Suddenly, she smelled a strange fragrance and realized that something was wrong. She quickly turned around and walked back, but her legs gave way and she fell to the ground.


    After a while, a person walked out from the shadows at the corner. He was slender and had a smile on his face, it was Lan Xin.


    Only, the smile on Lan Xin''s face was somewhat sinister and ruthless. Under the sunlight, it made people feel gloomy.


    She looked at the sincerity on the floor, and ridicule could be seen in her eyes. She and Third Young Miss had purposely said those words to lure the maidservants out from An Lingge''s side, in order to make things easier for An Lingge.


    Lan Xin crouched down and waved to a direction, and a hunchbacked woman slowly walked out.


    She was very old. Her face was wrinkled and her eyes were cloudy. It was as if she couldn''t see the person in front of her clearly. Even her walking pace was much slower than an ordinary person''s.


    "It''s a pretty girl."


    When the old woman spoke, her voice was strangely hoarse, like a bellows with a hole cut in it, which made it sound somewhat eerie to the ears of others.


    Lan Xin did not dare to underestimate this old granny. She stood respectfully by her side, and lowered her head to ask for her opinion, "Old granny Gu, should I replace her to serve Eldest Miss?"


    Grandma Gu didn''t say anything. Instead, she slowly took out something from her bosom. That thing was as thin as a feather, and it had the shape of a human face.


    She placed the thing on Lan Xin''s face and rubbed it hard. Not knowing how she did it, but when she picked it up again, her face unexpectedly turned into one of clarity!


    Even though Lan Xin had already known about Grandma Gu''s abilities, she was still shocked to see it with her own eyes.


    She had also heard about the story of the human skin mask from the storyteller. But when such a thing happened in front of her eyes, Lan Xin could not help but let out a low cry that attracted a cold gaze from Grandma Gu.


    When Lan Xin saw Old Lady Gu''s eyes, she immediately shuddered.


    The pair of old eyes were extremely cloudy, and most of them were white. The eyeballs were only a small black dot in the air, making them look quite frightening.


    "Granny Gu''s methods are really amazing, no wonder she was able to get this aunt''s attention."


    Her brain worked quickly as she praised Grandma Gu.


    Grandma Gu slowly withdrew her gaze and gave the thing in her hands to Lan Xin.


    "The things that auntie has instructed you to do, you must not screw them up."


    Lan Xin immediately nodded her head, looking attentive and sincere. "Granny Gu, please be at ease, this servant will definitely not disappoint Aunt."


    "However, this person should be dealt with." She lowered her head to look at the unconscious Lan Xin, and her gaze swept past the nearby lake.


    Granny Gu nodded slightly, and Lan Xin immediately made her move, dragging Brightheart to the lakeside. With a push of her hand, she pushed Brightheart into the lake.


    Only after doing all this did she put on the human skin mask. She blinked a few times and revealed an expression that was a bit clear, as if there was no difference between the two.


    "Go, and don''t forget your aunt''s instructions."


    Old Granny Gu bent her back as she watched Lan Xin walk towards the Parasol House with old and aged eyes.

 C181

    "Miss, this servant was incompetent, that Lan Xin entered Third Young Miss''s courtyard and never came out. I wonder if he was detained because he angered Third Young Miss."


    At this time, Lan Xin had already become clear-headed, imitating the way she usually was, to the point where she couldn''t tell anything from the tone of her voice.


    Fortunately, she had learnt some eloquence before she entered the palace. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have been chosen by the Aunt Li and would have had her do such a thing.


    An Lingge''s face immediately darkened, "Third Sister did not say anything, and only detained a servant from my courtyard.


    Lan Xin made a hesitant face, "How about we go to Third Miss'' courtyard and ask her about it?"


    When Lan Xin went to An Lingyi''s courtyard and did not return, she was obviously detained.


    Just as An Lingge was about to bring people to An Lingyi''s courtyard to ask for forgiveness, the old gatekeeper woman reported in front of the door, "Eldest Miss, the people in the Eldest Miss''s courtyard have arrived."


    Lan Xin laughed, with ridicule in her eyes: "Miss was just about to go and interrogate them, they came."


    These words sounded very clear to him.


    The reason why she came here everyday was so she could understand the habits of the two servants by An Lingge''s side, including what kind of jobs they usually did at An Lingge''s side, what hobbies they had, and how they usually talked, and so on. After she understood all of these things, she decided to go out to play.


    It was a pity that the heart that he thought was smart had now become the soul of the wrongdoer at the bottom of the lake.


    On one hand, the ridicule in Lan Xin''s eyes was to imitate the sincerity, and on the other hand, it was true contempt for the sincerity.


    The color in An Lingge''s eyes changed, and in the end, someone still invited An Lingyi in from the courtyard.


    "This servant greets Eldest Miss."


    The person who came was a level one servant by An Lingyi''s side. A month ago, she was promoted from a level two servant to fill up the gap in the white jade.


    She then bowed respectfully towards An Lingge, then said, "A few days ago, our young miss saw a servant girl charging at you from the young miss''s courtyard, and today, we see her sneaking into our young miss''s courtyard, and no one knows what she is doing. It was a pity that the maidservant''s face was covered so it was impossible to see her appearance clearly. The young miss thought that she was some reckless thief who had ordered people to kill her. It was only after the incident that they found out that it was a servant girl from Eldest Young Miss''s courtyard. They even ordered this servant to come over and apologize to Eldest Young Miss. "


    An Lingge raised her eyebrows slightly when she heard this, it was said that the servant would follow the master, the servant girl was not as easy to fool as An Lingyi, and her few words were not simple at all.


    On one hand, she said that the servant had already been killed by them, and on the other hand, she said that she blamed the servant for acting in a suspicious manner, which led to the arrival of death.


    If he were to speak more seriously, the servant girl must have been sent by An Lingge to An Lingyi''s courtyard, who knew what she would do.


    But the young miss knew what was going on, knew that she had killed the servant in An Lingge''s courtyard, and did something that went beyond her control, so she immediately sent people over to apologize.


    With just a few short sentences, he secretly criticized An Lingge''s wrongness and displayed that An Lingyi knew her place. Only now did such a quick-witted person become a first-rate servant by An Lingyi''s side.


    Her attitude was extremely clear, even if they beat the servants in An Lingge''s courtyard to death, and although they looked serious and sincere on the surface, An Lingge could not help but take this matter seriously.


    It was just a level two servant, there were not many people in the house. If it was because of Lan Xin and the other servant, An Lingge and An Lingyi would start arguing, and the old lady would have to say that An Lingge did not understand anything.


    An Lingge laughed coldly, her eyes carrying a tinge of seriousness, "Then do I need to thank Third Sister for helping me deal with my subordinates?"


    "I don''t dare, our young mistress has always been a law-abiding person. This time, it was a misunderstanding, which is why she did such a thing. This servant has come here to apologize to you, even though Third Young Miss had already indicated for me to do so." The servant smiled, but An Lingge remained unmoved no matter how cold her eyes were.


    An Lingge''s face changed, after a while, she said, "Forget it, that servant is not an honest person, since Third Sister has dealt with her, then arrange for people to bury her."


    As expected, Eldest Miss had never placed him in her eyes.


    Lan Xin secretly clenched her hands, her eyes flashing with an angry light.


    Initially, she had always been working for Eldest Miss, but Eldest Miss had never seen her.


    Fortunately, Aunt Li found her and entrusted her with a heavy responsibility. Otherwise, how long would it take her to rise above the masses and become a first-rate maidservant? To marry a steward in the future and become a rich steward?


    She thought like this, but the words that came out were completely different, "Miss, that Lan Xin did wrong, you let her go so easily, and now you even want people to bury her. You''re too soft-hearted, you will be bullied by other maids."


    Her words and tone sounded very clear. An Lingge did not suspect anything, "The servant is dead, let''s just forget about the past."


    An Lingge sighed, she looked at the new maid, "Go back and tell Third Sister, tell him to send people to bury the servant properly, this matter is over."


    The maidservant respectfully complied, then turned around and walked out.


    She, who had turned her back on him, did not realize that a sly look had appeared in An Lingge''s eyes.


    Bi Zhu snorted after she left, "Third Young Miss, that servant''s words are truly amazing, I don''t even know where to begin with, she even spoke badly and spoke so much that I don''t even know where to start."


    Then the one praising would be An Lingyi, the one praising would be An Lingge.


    An Lingge rubbed her glabella a little tiredly, and Bi Zhu immediately added a blue peony palace cushion behind her chair, then poured hot tea for her. Only then did she look at her, "You are usually so active in thought, why can''t even talk about the maids by Third Young Miss''s side today, it can''t be that you got lost, right?"


    She was only teasing him in the beginning, and didn''t have any intention to blame him for that. However, that sentence about losing the bet caused Lan Xin to jump in fright as panic flashed across her eyes.


    "What are you talking about? The maidservants by the third miss'' side are very talkative, I can''t possibly stay here and argue with her. Otherwise, where would the face of the young miss go?"


    Lan Xin forced herself to calm down, and her calm voice carried a slight trembling.


    An Lingge waved her hands, telling the two of them to retreat, "Forget it, it''s just a maid with a backer. Third Sister will just kill her at the cost of your lives, so you should at least guard against her. It''s getting late, you can all go down. "


    Bi Zhu retreated after hearing what she said, while Lan Xin followed behind her immediately.


    But not long after, another slender figure entered the Parasol House.

 C182

    An Lingge looked at the person who suddenly appeared in front of him, and a gentle smile appeared in his eyes.


    "Miss, your servant has returned."


    Ming Xin stood in front of An Lingge, she was only wearing her white inner clothes, the clothes she was wearing had long been stripped off by Lan Xin when she pushed her into the water.


    But even so, An Lingge could still tell that she was the one who was truly clear.


    An Lingge slightly nodded her head. Seeing that there were droplets of water on her hair and clothes, she turned around and took her clothes to put on Brightheart''s clothes.


    "Did you fall into the water?"


    She frowned slightly. Even if she had predicted that An Lingyi would have a conspiracy, she did not expect An Lingyi to actually think of a method to make Li Dai Tao die in the water without making a sound. She instead allowed Lan Xin to act like she knew something and stay in the Parasol House.


    If it wasn''t for the fact that he had prepared himself beforehand, he wouldn''t have been in such good shape this time.


    Ming Xin laughed, and did not care about it, "Luckily Miss knew that Lan Xin''s servant girl was restless, and had let me prepare in advance. That Lan Xin drugged me, then came out with a human skin mask, and together with a woman, she threw me into the lake. "


    She recounted what happened, her expression carrying a bit of pride, "But they forgot one thing, Miss''s medical skills are superb, as your personal servant girl, how could I not have a few antidotes on me? Ever since Lan Xin drugged me, I had been holding my breath and pretending to pour down the antidote that I had hidden away. I lied about them being unconscious, I know everything that they said and did. "


    It was rare for him to be so proud and act like a child. An Lingge could not help but pursed her lips, as a faint smile appeared on her face, "I''m afraid they would have never thought that you came from the Jiang Zuo, Jian Nan, Qing He County, where everyone knows how to swim, so you would be safe and sound even if you spent half a cup of tea in the water."


    This was why An Lingge gave this matter to Ming Xin. Originally, she had made this decision out of instinct, but who knew that it would be a coincidence and she would actually bump into them, wanting to destroy their corpses and erase the evidence, allowing Ming Xin to retrieve her life.


    "Miss, then what about Bi Zhu, she doesn''t know about this, what if she was tricked by Lan Xin ¡­"


    When he thought of this matter, worry appeared in his eyes.


    An Lingge smiled at her, reassuring her, "Although Bi Zhu has an open-minded personality, she knows how to build relationships with people the most. She knows very well what kind of personality you have. Lan Xin has only learned you for a few days, and you have already revealed yourself to me a moment ago. Bi Zhu should have noticed it as well, so she is not very close to Lan Xin. And only Lan Xin thought that what she did was flawless, that she had tricked all of us. "


    Thinking that Lan Xin''s proud look had long been seen through by the little miss, her eyes revealed a hint of a smile.


    They never thought that Aunt Li would actually have an expert that acted as a human skin mask at his side, and that Lan Xin had the ability to speak, and imitate other people''s voices. But at the same time, they also never thought that the Aunt Li would have such an excellent water body, and wasn''t dead at all, but was instead alive and well.


    Asking Lan Xin to pretend to be her was just playing the trick and luring the snake out of its hole.


    However, in order to let Lan Xin believe that her disguise had not been seen through, Ming Xin couldn''t appear in the Parasol House yet. An Lingge reached out her hands for Brightheart to lean close to her ears, and whispered a few words into her ear. Brightheart nodded with a serious expression.


    When she came over, she avoided people, and when she left, she deliberately avoided the servants in the Parasol House. Because she was responsible for the distribution of the responsibilities of the servants in the Parasol House, she was very familiar with these things, and did not let anyone see her.


    Day after day passed, and, who was disguised as the old lady''s birthday, could no longer hold himself back. He casually mentioned this to An Lingge and said, "Miss, tomorrow is the old lady''s birthday, do you want to check on the gifts you prepared?"


    She did not know what An Lingge had prepared, so her words were unclear. If one was not careful to listen, one would not be able to discern her thoughts.


    But An Lingge already knew her true identity, so he naturally wouldn''t be tricked by her.


    "No, if we were to accidentally ruin the wedding gift, we won''t have time to look for another one." An Lingge closed the book in his hand, and Bi Zhu immediately brought her some tea.


    As she said that, Lan Xin''s face revealed a hint of anxiousness, "This servant thinks it''s better to check. If anything happens to the wedding gift, Miss will have time to fix it."


    After observing for the past few days, An Lingge saw that Lan Xin was being honest and only brought up the matter of the congratulatory gift abnormally today.


    She thought about it for a while and knew that Lan Xin, or rather, the Aunt Li and An Lingyi, had come for this wedding occasion.


    Tomorrow was the madame''s birthday celebration, but Lan Xin did not have the time to come across it. No wonder she was in such a rush today.


    An Lingge looked at Bi Zhu, and only the master and his servant knew the meaning behind his gaze.


    "You''re too careful, Miss. The wedding gift was prepared for such a long time and was specially prepared for it. How could there be any problems?" Bi Zhu already knew that her heart had been replaced from An Lingge, and during the past few days, she had not leaked any news, so when she received An Lingge''s orders, she immediately cooperated and said it.


    Both of them were unwilling to take out the wedding gift. Lan Xin did not know where the wedding gift was, and did not know what it was, so she was not able to make a move on it. She rolled her eyes, and looked as if she was considering An Lingge, "This servant is worried too, if Miss is afraid to take out the wedding gift and shake it, why not let this servant see if it''s still in good condition?"


    Aunt Li only wanted her to lurk by An Lingge''s side, and ask about An Lingge''s prepared congratulatory gift. When the time came, she would pass the information on to Aunt Li, and she would not need to care about the rest of the matters.


    The reason why An Lingge said that was only to make Lan Xin anxious. After all, she had pledged herself to Aunt Li and An Lingyi, and they were traitors to her. She couldn''t do anything to Lan Xin for the time being, but that didn''t mean that she couldn''t do anything to Lan Xin.


    Now that Lan Xin had mentioned it, it was obvious that she was anxious. Only by letting her come in contact with the congratulatory gift, the Aunt Li would be willing to take action, and only then, would she be able to catch a hold of Aunt Li.


    An Lingge acted as if she was deep in thought, she took in all of Lan Xin''s nervous expression, and waited for her to worry for a good while, then said: "Then let Bi Zhu go with you, but do not take it out."


    Lan Xin didn''t even know the location of the wedding present. The reason she had Bi Zhu go with her was so that she could understand the situation and spread the news to Aunt Li.

 C183

    Bi Zhu accepted An Lingge''s orders and went to the location where the wedding ceremony would be stored with him.


    She was also a quick-witted person. Knowing that An Lingge was trying to lure a snake out of its cave, she pretended to open a green colored cyan jade box, revealing a crystal clear Buddha statue.


    The Buddha statue was only the size of a palm and it was made from the finest of Lantian''s warm jade. Just by looking at it, one would be able to feel a gentle warmth.


    Lan Xin''s face revealed a look of surprise, she was just about to take another look, but Bi Zhu had already closed the box, "This wedding gift is fine, I was just too careful."


    Lan Xin could only smile and imitate the "understanding" look, "I was being careful so that I wouldn''t make a mistake. This is the first time that the Old Mistress has celebrated her birthday after returning to the Residence.


    That is what you say, but isn''t it you who hope that Miss will make a mistake?


    Bi Zhu''s heart flashed with disdain, but she did not show it on the outside. She brought him back with her, and the words that came out of her mouth did not stop, "Tomorrow is the old madam''s birthday, but Miss''s clothes are not ready yet."


    She angrily pulled at the flowers on the side of the road, and crushed them in her hands, her face had a look of resentment, "It''s all because of that shameless b * tch Lan Xin who secretly took Miss''s clothes and sold them for silver, causing Miss to have no choice but to send someone else to get them. As for those who were rushing over from Heaven''s Clothing Workshop, they would have to wait until the end of the day before they were delivered."


    Lan Xin was initially smiling the same way as Ming Xin, but after hearing this, his smile froze.


    In order to prevent Bi Zhu from becoming suspicious, she faked it and echoed her words, "That''s right, Lan Xin is too much. Fortunately, Miss is kind and kind, so I let her go so easily."


    "Heh, if our young miss doesn''t take care of her, there will be plenty of people to deal with her. "Her hands and feet were dirty, yet she went to wander around the Third Miss'' yard. Serves her right to be beaten to death by Third Miss'' order!"


    Bi Zhu fiercely snorted, her fierce expression made Lan Xin unable to help but dodge to the side.


    I''m not dead yet!


    As she shouted this in her heart, her smile became stiffer and stiffer, almost unable to maintain it.


    But thinking about the promise Aunt Li had given her, Lan Xin forced herself to calm down.


    As long as she was done with this matter, he would transfer her to the Third Miss'' yard to serve her and make her a first-class maid. When she reached her age, he would find a steward in the mansion to marry her.


    Such a good job wasn''t something that everyone could get their hands on.


    The corner of Lan Xin''s mouth quirked into a dry smile as she randomly responded.


    Seeing that Lan Xin had been almost beaten up by him, Bi Zhu heaved a sigh of relief and avoided this topic.


    The two of them had just walked to An Lingge''s house when they met the embroidery lady from Heaven''s Clothing Workshop.


    "Miss Bi Zhu, the princess'' clothes are ready."


    The news of An Lingge being bestowed the title of County Master by the Emperor had already spread a long time ago. Although no one specially discussed this matter, the people from Heaven''s Clothing Workshop had specially made clothes for the rich and high families, so they naturally heard of this news.


    She didn''t address An Lingge as Eldest Miss, but called her Princess instead. She was flattering her.


    The angry look on Bi Zhu''s face had disappeared long ago, but when she was facing the embroidery lady, her round face had a pleasant smile, "It''s the Madam Sun, I thought that the clothes would need some time to finish, but who would have thought that it was even done a few hours earlier than what I expected."


    "Your family''s old mistress wants the birthday, of course the eldest young miss''s clothes have to be rushed out. If there''s anything that''s inappropriate, you can still change it, lest things get messy." As Madam Sun spoke, she walked to Bi Zhu''s side and passed the clothes in his hands to her, "I hope that Miss Bi Zhu can give them to the princess for a try."


    "Madam Sun''s cooking skills have always been trusted." Even though Bi Zhu said that, she still took the clothes and turned around to enter the house.


    Lan Xin stayed outside and imitated what she had done before ordering someone to invite Madam Sun to a side hall for tea.


    This time, there were no problems with his clothes, An Lingge tried on his clothes, then got Bi Zhu to send him out of the house.


    Lan Xin then took the chance to sneak into An Lingyi''s courtyard and told her the news.


    An Lingyi''s eyes flashed, her charming face revealed a hint of malice, "She actually prepared another Buddha statue?"


    In the past, when the Old Mistress had entered the residence, An Lingge had given her what she wanted and gave her the White Jade Guan Yin Statue. Now that the Old Mistress wanted to pass her birthday, An Lingge even prepared a picture of her.


    "Is it because you asked for the wrong information? An Lingge is not that stupid."


    Thinking about how many times she and her concubine had tried to plot against An Lingge, that cunning bitch definitely wouldn''t do such a stupid thing.


    She didn''t even stay for a month, so she didn''t know that An Lingge had once given a picture to the old lady. Hearing An Lingyi''s words, she hesitantly said, "Last time, the young miss gave the old lady a white jade image. This time, she prepared warm Lan Tian jade, probably because the old lady likes the Buddha statue, so she came looking for another type of jade to please the old lady.


    This argument made some sense, so An Lingyi put aside the doubt in her heart and waved his hand for her to return to the Parasol House.


    When night came and covered the earth, the figures of people could be seen swaying along with the dim moonlight. However, none of them woke up from their Parasol House.


    In the blink of an eye, it was already the second day. On the Old Mistress'' birthday, An Lingge woke up very early as she helped her to dress up.


    Bi Zhu had always been clever. She stood behind An Lingge, her ten fingers flicking back and forth between her thick, jet-black hair. Before Lan Xin could even clearly see her movements, an exquisite chignon made from immortal energy had already formed.


    "There are many madams and mistresses here today, and Miss, you will definitely amaze them with your presence."


    As Bi Zhu said that, she took out a beautiful golden hairpin from her wooden dressing case and placed it into An Lingge''s hair. Then, she used water fat to slowly apply it onto An Lingge''s mouth, causing her already tender lips to become a bit fuller.


    An Lingge was naturally beautiful, so her makeup wasn''t suitable for her to be complicated. Other than a golden foot that was tied up in a bun, there was no other decoration on her body.


    Even so, her beautiful face was so dazzling that it was hard to look at.


    She had a face like a goose, a mouth like a cherry, a brow like an ink painting, and a face like an ethereal fairy who had just walked out of a painting. Only her bright black eyes were enough to make one know that she was a rare beauty.


    An Lingge slightly curled her lips, and the person in the mirror also revealed a smile, "Let''s go, don''t make Grandmother wait."

 C184

    Even Lan Xin had to admit that An Lingge''s face was extremely beautiful. Normally, when she was looking up at the sky, her face would already be gorgeous and overbearing, but now that she was wearing makeup on, people would feel ashamed and ashamed when they saw her face.


    If he had such good looks, would he have worked so hard to be a servant girl? He had already thought of a way to climb onto some old master and become a favoured person like the Aunt Li.


    Jealousy filled her heart, but she maintained her smile on the surface. "Miss'' looks, if others saw her, they would think that she had descended from the heavens."


    Bi Zhu gently flicked a glance over and knew that her words were not from her heart. She did not expose her and only urged An Lingge to head towards the front hall.


    "I know that the old mistress wants to pass her birthday. The National Duke Palace, the Shang Shu Manor, the General Da Palace and the other mansions all sent their men over. Young miss should move quickly so as to not neglect them."


    An Lingge acknowledged her as he walked towards the door.


    At this point of time, when the sun had just risen, faint golden rays of light scattered down. The gentle but not dazzling rays of light enveloped An Lingge''s body, as though giving her a layer of golden gauze, looking from afar, it looked extremely sacred.


    She passed through the circular entrance, bypassed the fake mountain water pavilion, and passed through the garden with its lush foliage and flowers before finally arriving at the front yard.


    "Little Ge is here."


    The old lady was dressed in a pineapple colored butterfly dress with eight flowers. She wore a gold-plated flower bag and an olive green hairpin. She was smiling as she sat on a purple sandalwood chair carved from a Blue Luan Peony.


    An Lingge walked over and bowed respectfully to Ying Ying, then smiled sincerely, "Little Ge wishes Grandmother luck like the East Sea, life longer than Nanshan.


    The corners of the old mistress'' eyes curled up in a smile. Her gaze landed on her beautiful face, and a few hints of gratification could be seen in her eyes.


    Just look at her first-rate Prince An''s Palace daughter,he was dignified and generous, even had such a beautiful appearance. In a place like the capital, she was still one of the top beauties.


    It was a pity that the Princess An went too early, and did not see Little Ge''s happy appearance.


    The old mistress felt a little regretful. If the Princess An was still here, how would she have the chance to cause a ruckus in the palace, causing people to be restless all day?


    The fact that her boss was still protecting her further fueled her arrogance.


    Just as she was thinking about this, she heard footsteps approaching her. An Lingjun was wearing a dark purple cloud pattern and flowery silk clothes.


    The young man wore such a bright and beautiful color, it made people feel as if a vigorous life force was bursting forth from his body.


    "Grandson greets Grandmother. I wish Grandmother good luck and a better life than Peng Jian."


    Peng Jian was famous for his longevity. When An Lingjun said this, the regret that had appeared in the old lady''s heart disappeared, as she laughed heartily.


    "Good child, come and sit."


    She pointed to a seat to her side as An Lingjun sat down, only to say some pleasing words.


    Seeing that An Lingjun had a good relationship with the Old Mistress, An Lingge relaxed.


    Initially, she was worried that Junge would be sent to the palace when he was young, and resented his father.


    But now it would seem that she was overthinking things.


    An Lingge''s eyes were filled with laughter, and just as she was about to speak with the old lady, Aunt Li''s charming voice came from afar, "Today is the old lady''s birthday, I wish the old lady a smooth life and wealth and peace."


    When she looked at Old Madem Xiang, she slightly raised her chin, as if telling him that she had been doted on, and that even the Old Madam couldn''t do anything about it.


    However, no matter how one looked at it, it didn''t seem like the bearing of a boss lady.


    An Lingge sneered in her heart, the old mistress had always been carefree and unrestrained in her life, but there had never been anyone who had displayed such a proud and victorious attitude in front of her. What Aunt Li did was a provocation to the old mistress, and it completely offended the old mistress, leaving her with no chance of redemption.


    Did Aunt Li think that her father would always protect her every time he protected her?


    She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes obscuring her thoughts.


    It was her birthday, after all. The madame acknowledged it flatly and allowed her to sit on a chair to the side.


    Aunt Li did not mind how the Old Mistress treated her coldly, in any case, An Lingge was going to be in for it soon, when the Old Mistress despised An Lingge and helped her make the decision without her support, she could use the Old Mistress'' hands to deal with An Lingge.


    As for whether the madame liked her or not, she did not take it to heart.


    But Aunt Li didn''t care about the Old Mistress'' feelings, Madam Wang and the others were different.


    They were all dressed up with dignity. No matter what kind of thoughts they had, on the surface, they looked kind and amiable.


    An Lingxue followed behind Madam Zheng and embroidered the light white Pear Blossom Spring Flower dress. She drew out her slender figure and bowed to Old Madem Xiang slowly like a weak willow swaying in the wind.


    Behind her, An Lingmeng still had her head down, as if she didn''t exist at all.


    An Lingyi arrived a little late, but dressed up very diligently.


    She was wearing a bright red dress with the embroidered jade-green cloud pattern, the embroidered peacock patterns on it, and a lavender sash around her waist. She was wearing a moon-white satin gown with embroidered bead shoes, but her gorgeous clothes couldn''t take away the bright and charming glow on her face. Her large almond-shaped eyes looked like they could speak, and when she looked over, people would only think that this girl was simple and charming, and wouldn''t notice the unpleasantness and gloom in her heart.


    "Third Sister is late."


    An Lingge''s red lips moved slightly, as though she was just teasing him, but the old lady still looked at An Lingyi with displeasure.


    The Aunt Li was showing off her might to her, but An Lingyi was deliberately being late, so the reason was out of respect for her!


    The old lady''s eyes held a look that could not be ignored, but An Lingge walked up to her affectionately, as if she was going to hold onto An Lingyi''s hand.


    With such a beautiful appearance and her natural disposition, just walking over slowly caused An Lingyi''s carefully dressed up makeup to instantly lose its color and become a bit more vulgar.


    A trace of jealousy flashed past An Lingyi''s eyes. She avoided her extended hand as though she was not paying attention, and slowly walked in front of the old lady, saying some auspicious words.


    The old lady''s face was indifferent, this not too hot and cold look made An Lingyi feel extremely embarrassed and angry, she really wanted to turn around and leave.


    She had been raised in a pampered manner ever since she was a child, and only in front of the madame could she be so shameless.


    But when she thought about what kind of occasion was it today and her and Aunt Li''s plans, she forced out a smile as if nothing had happened. She sat down on her seat so that An Lingge wouldn''t be alerted and ruin their plans.


    But what An Lingyi did not know was that her abnormal appearance made others suspicious.

 C185

    It was now the early summer, and the warm sunlight was shining on them, causing them to feel a sense of gentleness. The Prince An''s Palace was cleanly cleaned up both inside and outside, and the servants in the manor were all busy, their faces full of smiles as they waited for the guests in the other residences to come knocking on their doors.


    As a longevity star and the oldest senior of the family, she naturally wouldn''t personally go to greet him.


    Seeing that it was about time, she ordered Madam Wang and the others to go to the entrance to receive them, so as to not neglect those guests.


    Madam Wang was pregnant, and her stomach was already big from five months of age. She slowly helped herself stand up, and respectfully answered with a ''yes''. She was very happy that she was able to show her face in front of everyone.


    In comparison to the smile on Madam Wang''s face, Madam Zheng was much calmer and more low-key. She stood up at a steady pace with a calm face.


    The face of Aunt Li who was sitting on the chair sunk, her eyes filled with coldness.


    It was one thing for the old lady to split the power in her hands just by going back. Since she had received such an important guest and sent them here, she would hand it over to the two of them, Madam Wang and Madam Zheng, to take care of it. Wasn''t it because she didn''t care about her aunt''s identity, and thought that a concubine wouldn''t be able to make her stand on ceremony?


    By doing so, the madame had made it clear to everyone that she was nothing in the eyes of the madame. She had not the slightest respect for the madame!


    Her expression was dark, and since it was the madame''s birthday, she could only force a smile. However, that smile was awkward no matter how one looked at it.


    "Grandmother, all these years, the concubines managed the mansion, and she was the one who was in charge of those concubines. Compared to Second Aunt and Third Aunt, concubines are more familiar with them, so why don''t we let the concubines greet the guests as well?"


    An Lingyi glanced at Aunt Li''s expression, her cute and innocent face revealed a smile, and suggested with a warm voice.


    Seeing her like this, the old lady''s face eased up a bit, but she did not agree with this suggestion, "It''s enough for the two of them to go and entertain the guests, so there''s no need to let Aunt Li go."


    Although the old mistress had not changed her mind, these words still gave Aunt Li an excuse to speak. She squeezed out a smile at the old mistress and said, "What the old mistress said makes sense, the Second Madam and the Third Madam have already went to greet guests. If I were to go, I might even cause more trouble."


    The matter of receiving the guest was settled like this. The Countess gave a faint grunt and continued to treat the Aunt Li neither coldly or warmly, but she was not embarrassed at all.


    Not long after, many ladies came to the hall, and as for the male guests, they were at the east courtyard receiving An Yingcheng and the others.


    The old mistress sat on the high seat with a smile, and watched as Madam Zheng and arranged for all the servants to arrange for the ladies to take their seats. The servants were dressed in bright new clothes, and were holding tea and pastries as they walked between the many ladies.


    Many of the young mistresses who came to attend the madame''s birthday ceremony knew about the Aunt Li. After all, before the madame and the rest of them returned to the Duke''s Mansion, these young mistress'' interactions with Prince An''s Palace all came through the Aunt Li.


    Seeing that she was seated a few seats away from the madame, the madams immediately understood the position of the Aunt Li in the madame''s heart. It was likely that they did not like the madame, or else they would not be ignored.


    However, the wives who were present on the birthday were all proper housekeepers, and had to be married off after going through six different channels and six different channels. They were all different from Aunt Li, the concubine who came from a different family.


    Originally, they could do nothing about it. Although the Prince An''s Palace was weak, with their status as Prince An s, they had no choice but to become friends. Even if their Prince An''s Palace had only one Aunt Li that did not deserve any face, they had to endure the disdain in their hearts and deal with him with a smile.


    Now the situation was different. Prince An''s mother had returned from the ancestral home, and he was a first-class noble person in the Duke''s Mansion. If they wanted to interact with the Duke''s Mansion, they could just start from the old lady''s point of view.


    Thinking of this, a few of the madams'' eyes flashed, and looked at An Lingjun, who was sitting on the second seat on the old lady''s left.


    "The madame has been gone for many years. I never would have thought that she would still look the same as before. I''m so envious of her."


    The Minister''s wife, dressed in gorgeous clothes, had a jubilant smile on her face as she spoke some flattering words.


    She was praising the madame for her good looks. Even though she knew it was just a formality, the madame was still smiling. She said something else, "She''s old, how can her looks be the same?"


    "The madame is healthy, even her children and grandchildren are promising." "The Hereditary Prince entered the palace to accompany the Ninth Prince at such a young age. She is now already a scholar with a small reputation in the Jingdu Academy, and her eldest young mistress is also highly regarded by the Emperor. She has been conferred the title of a princess and has such an outstanding junior.


    "A child playing around doesn''t count as a scholar or not." The Old Mistress waved her hands, she was extremely humble, but her gaze towards An Lingjun was filled with pride.


    As for An Lingge, the madame knew very well how he had gotten the position of princess, so she skipped this matter to avoid embarrassment.


    An Ling Hao was rarely seen, and the main sons of the hall had been praised over and over. It just so happened that An Lingyi and An Lingmeng, both of whom were born in need of women, were specifically forgotten by others, and not a single word about them was said.


    Aunt Li was unhappy, previously, these madams and mistresses did not have such a cold attitude when dealing with her, but now that the madame had returned to the, their attitude changed too quickly!


    However, she had been in the back yard for so many years, so she naturally knew that she could not reveal her true emotions in front of so many people.


    She had a hypocritical smile on her face, and from time to time she should speak to the ladies.


    Until An Lingyi could no longer hold herself back, and innocently turned her head to ask, "Eldest sister was the most filial person in the past, I wonder what kind of congratulatory gift Eldest sister prepared for Grandmother?"


    She suddenly opened her mouth, interrupting the lively conversation in the hall. Since those words were about the madame, no one could blame her for her wrongness.


    An Lingge''s gaze turned, taking in the faint excitement and malice in the other party''s eyes.


    She pursed her lips, her eyes filled with an unfathomable emotion.

 C186

    Although the Great Zhou Empire did not have any specific rules or regulations, it was still a popular place for high-ranking officials and nobles like the capital city to receive gifts.


    Every time the family''s elders celebrated their birthday, they would always do the same thing.


    This wasn''t a gift from the guests, but a gift prepared by the younger generation. They used this gift to show that their children were filial, that their families were harmonious, and that they had deep financial resources. They prepared gifts that were worth thousands of gold, and even used this opportunity to show off their deep financial resources in front of everyone.


    The madame had not been in the capital for many years, but she had not forgotten this rule.


    Hearing An Lingyi talk about this, she knew that she was rushing him.


    She looked at the crowd''s expression with a smile on her face and readily agreed.


    "Alright, Little Ge, take out the things you prepared and let Grandmother have a look."


    An Lingge nodded, her bright and beautiful face was only filled with a gentle and peaceful look, there was nothing unusual about her.


    She stretched out her hand to beckon him, and Bi Zhu, who was standing behind her, quickly came over and bent down to listen to her young miss''s instructions.


    The Aunt Li and her daughter changed their gazes and saw the same excitement and anticipation in each other''s eyes.


    When Bi Zhu slowly walked out of the hall, she suddenly brought out a small tray of golden crabapple blossoms. Aunt Li and An Lingyi''s expressions immediately changed.


    According to the news from Lan Xin, An Lingge had prepared a statue of the Buddha with the warm jade forehead of Lan Tian for the madame. It was placed in a box, but the jade bead held up the plate.


    What went wrong?


    Aunt Li had a bad premonition, her heart was in a mess, but under these circumstances, he could not do anything, she could only watch Bi Zhu take off the red silk cloth on her plate.


    "Oh? "What is this?"


    There was a lady in the crowd who asked this question. An Lingge then smiled shyly, "This is a hundred years old map I drew. I hope Grandmother can live a long life safely."


    Bi Zhu took that thing down, and everyone could see that it was a painting. When she opened up the scroll, a pitch black Danqing slowly opened up for everyone to see.


    An Lingge''s mind was extremely clever, she used those small words to make the largest longevity character. The word "longevity" spread from the mountain and river in the painting as if it had turned from a landscape painting to a calligraphy character, or even a life word that had transformed into a mountain and river. There were even flowers, birds, plants, and plants on it, which made people feel that it was extremely astonishing.


    "This painting is wonderful!"


    No one knew who exclaimed, but the ladies started to praise An Lingge one after another.


    The old lady''s eyes were filled with laughter, but her mouth was still filled with humble words, "If you keep praising her, Little Ge this girl will probably show off how she is praised by you all in front of an old granny like me."


    Even though she said so, the madame did not sound displeased. Instead, it was because they were close that she was made fun of.


    It seemed that the young lady had already won the madame''s favor.


    This thought flashed across the minds of the various madams, but they didn''t show it on the surface.


    However, the sunbathing ceremony had already begun, so naturally, it had to proceed in order.


    An Lingge was the oldest person in the Duke Palace, and behind her was An Linghao.


    However, he was currently in the East District, so the madame gestured for the servants to bring out his gift.


    Finally, it was An Lingyi''s turn. An Lingge slightly raised her chin, and revealed a contemptuous smile towards An Lingge.


    Even if An Lingge did not give the Buddha statue to the old lady, her congratulatory gift was still not comparable to the gift that she had meticulously prepared.


    An Lingyi was filled with confidence, and ordered the servant beside her to bring the things that she had prepared.


    The maidservant''s movements were also fast. In a short while, she returned with a box in her arms.


    The things she had prepared were not in here!


    When An Lingyi saw the unfamiliar box, her eyelids twitched and an ominous premonition arose. She couldn''t help but have a bad guess and anxiously looked towards Aunt Li for help.


    The Aunt Li only sent Gu nanny to help An Lingyi design the An Lingge, she did not know what kind of congratulatory gift her daughter had prepared for the old lady, and after receiving her daughter''s instructions, she did not understand what she meant, and did not dare make any small movements in front of so many people.


    "Open the box and take a look." The madame''s expression was one of happiness, and one could tell that she was in a good mood.


    Before the two of them could come up with a countermeasure, the madame had already spoken. The maidservant immediately opened the box in her hands, revealing a Buddha statue inside.


    Indeed!


    An Lingyi''s face immediately became pale. From the moment An Lingge took out the congratulatory gift that was the Buddha statue, she should have noticed it, but she had thought that this person had changed it back then.


    This must be An Lingge''s doing!


    An Lingyi glared at An Lingge fiercely, her eyes were fierce, if her gaze could turn into a blade, An Lingge would have died thousands of times over.


    However, no matter how resentful he was, An Lingyi couldn''t just do nothing and allow An Lingge to scheme against her.


    She did her best to restore the charming and innocent smile on her face. With a clear and melodious voice, she said, "Grandmother, why did this maid bring this box up? The congratulatory gift that my granddaughter prepared isn''t inside."


    The old mistress'' amiable expression froze for a moment before returning to normal. However, there was an unavoidable coldness in her eyes. "Oh, the maidservant by your side took the wrong gift? You''ll have to punish her when you get back. "


    She said that she wanted to punish the servant, but the old mistress was already dissatisfied with An Lingyi.


    She should have prepared the wedding gift long ago. She only said that it was the wrong one when she brought it out in front of everyone, didn''t she take it seriously?


    Even if the old lady already knew that An Lingyi did not mean anything to her, for her to make such a mistake was embarrassing the old lady.


    The good thing was that Aunt Li realized that something was wrong and immediately smiled to smooth things over, "Yi Er is really mischievous, she even wanted to play tricks to tease us. When we return, I will properly manage her character."


    With just a few words, Aunt Li had caused an accident to her daughter. She said that she had specially planned it for the madame and that it was due to her childishness, she wanted to take this opportunity to get some fun.


    Regardless of whether the crowd believed her words, the madame''s face was no longer as unsightly as it had been before.


    An Lingyi heaved a sigh of relief, just as she was about to let the servant girl leave, she saw that the servant had unknowingly taken the Buddha statue into her hands.


    Just as they were talking, the Buddha statue''s eyes that were filled with smiles, started bleeding.


    "Heavens, what is going on!"


    Madam Wang cried out in alarm, and his body fell backwards. Fortunately, the servant girl beside her had been quick enough to support her, otherwise, if she were to fall down like this, the child in her stomach would not be able to be preserved.

 C187

    However, the old mistress was no longer in the mood to pay attention to the Madam Wang. Looking at the Buddha statue, her face sank.


    "What''s going on?"


    The old mistress'' face was limpid as fury was rising in her eyes.


    But in the end, she was still a concubine. They were not considered people of the Prince An''s Palace, so it was normal for them to not have the same thoughts as her.


    But as for An Lingyi, although she was a bastard, she was also her granddaughter.


    Yet, such a granddaughter had actually prepared a Buddha statue that was dripping with blood and tears on her birthday celebration. Taking out such an ominous thing, just what kind of plan did An Lingyi have in mind!?


    All of the young madams and mistresses present also heard the exclamation of Madam Wang, and their gazes all fell upon the Buddha Statue.


    When he saw that the Buddha statue was bleeding tears, he was extremely shocked and confused. His gaze towards An Lingyi also carried some other meaning.


    An Lingyi''s face became even more pale, and only dryly explained, "Grandmother, this is not mine, I also don''t know why it would be like this."


    Previously, when she said that the wedding gift wasn''t hers, the madame''s expression didn''t change, but she didn''t say anything.


    However, Aunt Li jumped out at that time to speak up for her and said that she was a child. She purposely provoked the Old Mistress'' curiosity, so she wanted to keep her mouth shut.


    But now, who would believe what An Lingyi had said?


    Aunt Li was frustrated. She never would have thought that words that helped her daughter to escape would cause An Lingyi to fall into such a dilemma. She wouldn''t be able to say it even if she wanted to.


    An Lingge saw the expression on both of their faces, and a smile appeared in her eyes that were deep and black.


    However, on her face, there was a surprised look, as if she couldn''t believe it. "Third Sister, even if you don''t like your grandmother, you shouldn''t have found something like this to make your grandmother unhappy."


    As if by accident, An Lingge revealed her displeasure towards the Old Mistress in front of everyone, causing them to have a bad impression of her.


    The Great Zhou Empire paid attention to filial piety, with the word filial piety being too great, An Lingyi, as the granddaughter of the old lady, was extremely dissatisfied with her seniors, and obviously did not respect the old lady, let alone being filial to her.


    As for her intimate manner towards the madame, it was probably just a show for them to see.


    These madams were all intelligent people, after hearing An Lingge''s words, they had already changed their minds a total of eighteen times.


    Hearing that, An Lingyi suddenly glared at An Lingge, "Don''t speak nonsense! "I have always respected Grandmother, why would I intentionally look for this item to add to my bad luck?"


    That''s right, the madame''s birthday had been marked by something like this. It was truly rather unlucky.


    Wang had already come back to her senses. Perhaps it was because she was pregnant, but the previous two times she had almost given birth to a small child. Right now, she could not bear any fear.


    After hearing what An Lingyi said, a sarcastic smile surfaced on her face, "Third Miss is saying that your wedding gift has been stolen by someone, that''s why it appeared?"


    The wedding gifts were all prepared by themselves. Who would care what others prepared?


    Moreover, other than the storage room, the rest of the things in the Duke Palaces were managed by the Aunt Li. Who could sneak into An Lingyi''s courtyard and not be noticed?


    Even if others had such thoughts, they would not be able to do such a thing.


    An Lingxue''s eyes turned around, her delicate face revealing a hint of concern, "Third Sister, just apologize to Grandmother for the wrong actions. Grandmother has always been a magnanimous woman, she will definitely not take things to heart."


    Her words convicted An Lingyi of a crime, and then flattered the madame, but she kept her words to a whisper. She looked like she had raised An Lingyi well, which was completely different from An Lingyi''s appearance that had lost control of herself.


    Only then did the ladies present look up to her. They felt that although the third branch young miss had a lower status and could not compare to the Prince An''s daughter, it was still rare for her to have such an extraordinary demeanor.


    The reason why she said those words at this time was to take advantage of An Lingyi.


    She had used this trick before at Jingdu Academy, but at that time, An Lingge had stepped forward to stir things up and allowed her to scheme against him for no reason.


    Now it was clear to An Lingge that she was going to deal with An Lingyi. As long as he loved her and stepped on her feet two more times, she could discredit An Lingyi and the manor would lose a person who was competing with her.


    Once she completely stepped on him, it would be much easier to deal with An Lingge.


    An Lingxue''s eyes shone brightly, she looked like a good sister who was thinking for her little sister, who could guess what she was planning?


    She pointed at An Lingge with a hand, and with an angry expression, she said, "I already said that this wedding gift was not prepared by me, yet you two want to settle the matter with me, could it be that you''ve colluded with me?"


    After she finished speaking, her expression changed, her large eyes were filled with tears, her charming face immediately became weak, as though she was even weaker than An Lingxue.


    "What I haven''t done is I haven''t done it. Grandmother, if you don''t believe me, you can send someone to investigate and find out. My granddaughter does things with integrity and is not afraid of finding out anything fishy. However, there are some people who should not be flustered. "


    In any case, this Buddha statue was prepared by An Lingge himself. As long as the old lady checks, she will definitely find out about it.


    An Lingyi''s almond-shaped eyes flashed, but her face had a righteous and inviolable expression.


    Her words were aimed straight at An Lingge and An Lingxue, almost saying that it was the both of them framing her.


    The old lady''s face became even more unsightly, it was already unknown if a Buddha statue with tears and blood appeared on her birthday celebration. But if An Lingyi made such a ruckus, wouldn''t it mean that others would know of the disagreement between the two sisters? They were making a joke for the outsiders to see, and had even lost face for Prince An''s Palace!


    Seeing her unfriendly expression, Aunt Li knew that her daughter had said the wrong thing, but now that An Lingyi was facing such a predicament, she could only find out clearly what happened. It was for her the best.


    Thinking this way, the Aunt Li said eagerly, "Old madam, do not be angry, Yi Er did not speak straightforwardly, it is not because she suspects Eldest Miss and Second Miss, but because there is some misunderstanding. Maybe one of the servant girls made a mistake and got the matter wrong, that''s why it happened, why not investigate it clearly and let you be at ease."


    No matter how dissatisfied Aunt Li was with the Old Mistress, she had said those beautiful words for the Old Mistress'' sake.


    The old mistress thought for a moment before nodding. "Fine. I''ll have someone investigate this and see what''s going on."


    An Lingyi and Aunt Li looked at each other, waiting for the old lady to investigate and find out how this slut escaped!

 C188

    The old lady''s actions were quick, she said that she wanted to investigate this matter thoroughly, so she immediately sent the nanny beside her and a few clever servants to investigate.


    Seeing that the atmosphere in the hall was still stagnant and was not as lively as before, Aunt Li immediately smiled and tried to smooth things over, bringing the topic to the side.


    The madame had already sent people to investigate the matter of the Buddha statue''s tears of blood. She was the one who had raised the spirits of the crowd, proving her social skills in front of the madame.


    With Aunt Li doing her best to smooth things over and lift the atmosphere, the ladies in the hall all gave him face. After saying a few words of praise and blessings, the old mistress'' expression finally became clear.


    As for whether she was truly happy or not, no one cared whether the other madams and mistresses had any other thoughts.


    After an hour, the tea in the hall had been changed a few times, and half of the various fruits and pastries had been eaten as well. The person who had been sent to investigate had finally returned.


    The nanny was the Old Mistress'' trusted aide. When he was young, he was by her side, a person who understood the situation.


    She quickly walked to the old mistress'' side and bowed to report the results of her investigation to the mistress in a low voice.


    "This old servant will bring the maidservants ¡­ "That person said ¡­"


    Aunt Li pretended to be listening intently, but she could only faintly hear one sentence.


    She still wanted to listen to a few more words, but the nanny''s voice was too low and the hall was too noisy, making it difficult for her to hear anything.


    Aunt Li sighed in disappointment. When she raised her head, he met An Lingge''s bright and deep eyes.


    An Lingge sat upright on a chair, her expression did not contain even the slightest of panic or helplessness, but instead carried a sense of certainty, as if she could ensure that this matter did not involve her.


    He didn''t know why, but her expression gave Aunt Li a bad premonition. It was as if she had missed something.


    Just as she was thinking of this, she saw the madame''s expression darken. There was obvious rage in her eyes, and her expression was even uglier than before.


    "Before my wife died, there were already people impatiently cursing me."


    The old mistress'' words were filled with anger, and the hall immediately quietened down. Even if a needle were to land on the floor, it would still be heard clearly.


    Seemingly sensing her words that made everyone uncomfortable, the Countess glanced at the Ladies and Ladies present, forcing out a smile. "Kuan Yin''s tears appeared on my birthday, which is indeed an ominous matter. Now, the whole story has been investigated, and it turns out that someone intentionally bought that thing to add to my trouble. This kind of family matter is inconvenient for me to let everyone know the details, please forgive me. "


    He was tactfully sending off his guests, so how could the ladies not understand the meaning behind his words?


    Just as they were about to say their goodbyes, Aunt Li opened his mouth to stop them.


    "Has the madame sent someone to investigate?" Yi Er has always been a pure and filial person, you cannot have Xue Guan Yin as a gift. Now that you have sent people to investigate the whole situation, you might as well say it in front of the big guy and let Yi Er have her innocence. "


    Her face was full of concern for her daughter, and her demands were not excessive. If the madame was sensible and kind, she would agree to her request.


    Not only the Aunt Li was thinking this, even the other madams and mistresses were thinking the same thing.


    Although they had been taught to meddle in other people''s business, when the hype was brought to them, who wouldn''t want to take a look and have a chat with them over the rest of the day?


    "Aunt Li is right, I wonder who dares to make such a scene on your birthday. Since you have an idea, you must be punished severely."


    "That''s right, that''s right. Whoever did this was sinister in his heart, and the madame shouldn''t hide it for her. Could it be that she''s going to leave that person some face?"


    The madams kept talking, causing the madame to hesitate.


    She looked at the Madam Wang with an aged look, and asked, "What do you guys think?"


    After all, this was a family matter and the madame could handle it however she wanted.


    However, so many ladies and ladies had seen it. If they did not deal with it in front of them, it was likely that some bad rumors would spread out.


    She turned to her husband, and said, "My daughter-in-law thinks that this matter cannot be left unanswered. She might as well reveal the mastermind behind this in front of everyone, otherwise, not to mention you, the madame, even my daughter-in-law would not be willing."


    She had just been frightened and almost fell to the ground, so it was reasonable for her to say such words.


    The Countess nodded and instructed the nanny beside her, "Bring her along. I want to ask her why she did this."


    nanny agreed and quickly walked out.


    Not long after, she brought up a person with a head covered. Looking at his clothes, it was a servant girl from the mansion.


    Aunt Li was elated, but she revealed a surprised expression. She pointed to the servant girl''s clothes and asked curiously: Why is this person wearing the servant girl''s clothes in the young miss''s courtyard?


    The clothes of the servants in the different courtyards within the Prince An''s Palace were different. Although she could not tell what they were, but since Aunt Li had governed the Duke Palaces for so many years, she was very familiar with which courtyard''s maidservants'' clothes.


    Seeing the green palace sash around the servant''s waist, she knew that the one tied up was someone from An Lingge''s courtyard.


    Now that the Aunt Li had said that, they directly targeted the young miss, wishing that they could tell everyone that the bleeding Guan Yin was actually An Lingge''s doing.


    An Lingyi had long discussed with her, upon hearing Aunt Li say that, she immediately replied, "Could it be that Big Sis has sent someone to do something to my wedding gift?"


    Although the Guan Yin Statue should have been given out by An Lingge, and had somehow landed in her hands, as long as the person caught was in An Lingge''s courtyard, she wouldn''t be able to explain herself.


    Thinking about it this way, An Lingyi''s eyes carried some malice, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. If one did not look carefully, one would not be able to see her current happiness.


    "The young miss of your estate wouldn''t do such a thing, right?"


    Zhang Wan Yi''s face held a trace of suspicion, and she looked at An Lingyi with a scrutinizing gaze.


    Originally, this matter had nothing to do with her, but An Lingge had just revealed her skills in Jingdu Academy a few days ago, causing her to have the heart to befriend him, hence she decided to speak up for him.


    The old lady looked at her weirdly, as if she was surprised that this young miss of the Shang Shu Manor would actually come forward for An Lingge.


    However, she did not directly come to a conclusion, but gave the order for nanny to remove the item on the servant''s head.

 C189

    As the servant''s face was exposed to the crowd, fear flashed past Aunt Li''s eyes. Even An Lingyi was no longer calm and composed.


    "Aunt Li, shouldn''t you give me an explanation?"


    The old lady shouted angrily as her old eyes flashed with anger, causing Aunt Li''s heart to rise.


    The person who revealed his face was no one else but the Qing Er who was promoted to a level 1 servant not long ago.


    Two days ago, she was still at An Lingge''s courtyard, saying that Lan Xin had already "been beaten to death" and begged An Lingge not to bother about this matter. Now that she had been sent by the madame to kneel here, her hair was all messed up and his face was pale. She no longer had that mighty and proud look on his face.


    An Lingge looked at the person on the ground, her eyes turning cold.


    On the other side, the Aunt Li only panicked for a moment, but quickly calmed down.


    did not participate in this matter, the old lady must have made a mistake by capturing Qing Er.


    After thinking for a moment, Aunt Li''s expression became sad, as though she had been wronged, "Old madam, this is a new servant that was promoted by Yi Er''s side, and is usually the most obedient. Why did you get people to capture her?"


    She had said that the maidservant was obedient, implying that the madame had captured the wrong person.


    The Countess snorted coldly. "nanny Wu, tell me what you found out."


    nanny Wu was the one who was sent to investigate this matter. After hearing these words, she walked up two steps and stood in front of everyone. When she faced Aunt Li, she had a respectful expression on her face, but her back was ramrod straight.


    Although she wore an unremarkable grey robe, she was neither humble nor haughty in front of all the madams and mistresses. It was no wonder that she could become the old mistress'' confidante.


    "In reply to the madame, this old servant thought that Guanyin''s jade was of extraordinary quality, so he brought a few servants to find the shop that sold her jade. He then asked the shopkeeper."


    "The shopkeeper said he had an impression of this matter. At that time, it was night time and a well-dressed servant went to buy that Guan Yin as a birthday present for the master of the house. He also said that the servant girl had a mole on her forehead, which was pretty nice to look at."


    Guan Yin, the birthday, these two things connected and it was clear that nanny Wu was not asking the wrong person.


    Moreover, the shopkeeper had said that the maidservant who bought Guan Yin was dressed well. She had a beautiful appearance and a mole on her forehead. It would be much easier to find someone like that.


    Aunt Li''s face changed, but she still defended her daughter, "nanny Wu also said, it was dark at that time, how can you be sure that the shopkeeper did not see wrongly?"


    nanny Wu continued, "This old servant was afraid that I had recognized the wrong person, so I brought the shopkeeper over to the mansion. I let him personally see the servant girl and make sure he didn''t recognize the wrong person before arresting her."


    "With just the shopkeeper''s words, he has already decided Yi Er''s crime?" Aunt Li''s eyes were filled with grief, as if she had suffered an enormous grievance.


    An Lingge suddenly chuckled, there was a taunt in her voice, "Third Sister intentionally made Grandmother''s birthday, and blocked her way up. Aunt Li did not know how to properly teach her, yet you still think you can get me out of this predicament?"


    Her black eyes flashed with starlight. Her face was clearly incomparably gorgeous, but the look in her eyes made Aunt Li feel a chill in the slightly dry weather.


    "A few days ago, Third Sister came to my courtyard and secretly asked me what kind of wedding gift I had prepared for Grandmother. I thought that Third Sister did not have any ideas, so I said that Grandmother liked ceremonies. Everyone saw just now that the Third Sister gifted Yu Guanyin to Grandmother, and now that there is evidence from the shopkeeper that she was bought by a servant next to the Third Sister, what kind of misunderstanding could there be in this matter? "


    When did she ever tell him that this old man likes the Lilit Buddha?!


    An Lingyi''s eyes were wide opened as she looked at An Lingge who was lying, but her words were extremely serious, causing her to be unable to refute him even if she wanted to.


    But in the eyes of others, An Lingyi''s current appearance was due to her being shocked after being exposed by the old lady, so she could not help but believe her words even more.


    Aunt Wei''s gaze turned, her eyes were filled with schadenfreude, but she still acted as if she was considering the situation, "I thought Third Young Miss wanted to give the Old Madam a pleasant surprise, but who knew that there was a problem with Yu Guanyin, which resulted in such a mishap. "The madame was so angry that she thought someone was purposefully cursing her. It would be better if Third Young Miss apologized. As long as the misunderstanding was clear."


    From the looks of it, Aunt Wei''s suggestion was the best, to push this matter onto the quality of Yu Guanyin, the fault lay with the shopkeeper. It had nothing to do with An Lingyi, and nothing to do with Aunt Li.


    An Lingyi wavered a little. What happened today was originally something that she and Aunt Li had discussed beforehand, so as to cause problems with An Lingge''s wedding gift and make the old lady loathe the young miss who had been protecting him all this time.


    But the wedding gift An Lingge offered was not the one that had been tampered with by Yu Guanyin. For some reason, that Yu Guanyin, for some reason, actually became her wedding gift!


    The Old Granny had sent people to investigate, and they even found out about Qing Er who was by her side. This matter was extremely bizarre, and no one could understand it no matter how they thought about it.


    But one thing was certain to An Lingyi, it must have been An Lingge''s doing!


    Otherwise, why would An Lingge escape from such a matter when she was questioned by the old lady?


    She bit her lips and was about to push this matter onto the shopkeeper''s hands when she suddenly remembered what they had done. She immediately came up with a countermeasure.


    "Grandmother, even if this Yu Guanyin was sent by granddaughter to buy it, it is only a jade carving. How could she shed tears of blood? Have you sent people to investigate the situation? "


    Old madam looked at nanny Wu, who then said, "Just now, this old servant had already checked. Someone had dug up the bottom of Yu Guanyin''s body and stuffed a red candle inside. The red candle has already been burning for some time, and the tears from the candle have already flowed out from Guan Yin''s eyes. "


    These words very nicely explained the reason for Guan Yin''s tears of blood, letting everyone know that it was a man-made move and not the Wang Mansion''s bad luck.


    An Lingyi was extremely wronged, her almond eyes were also a little pitiful, "Grandmother, you heard it too. If my granddaughter wanted to give you a congratulatory gift, why would you do anything to her? This is not the wedding gift that my granddaughter prepared. Someone was obviously up to some tricks on Yu Guanyin to frame my granddaughter! "


    "Could it be that this Yu Guanyin was not bought back by the Third Sister''s maidservants?"

 C190

    An Lingge turned her head to look at Qing Er, her shiny black eyes flashed with an unknown light, and her expression was a little assured. "Tell me, has Aunt Li ever bought this jade Guanyin before?"


    After Qing Er was questioned, she immediately kowtowed, "Old madam, please atone for your sins, this servant only received Third Young Miss''s orders and went to buy this jade Guan Yin. I didn''t know that this jade image would be tampered with!"


    Her words made An Lingyi and Aunt Li''s face change at the same time. She was clearly bought by An Lingge, but did Qing Er say that she was bribed, and betrayed them?


    "You slut, you actually dared to frame me!"


    An Lingyi''s anger rose from her heart, and her haughty personality could no longer be concealed. With an angry curse, she stretched out her hand to strike at Qing Er''s body.


    "Stop!" The old lady bellowed, and looked at An Lingyi with an ice-cold gaze, "Qing Er has already told the truth, and you still want to quibble? Do you think that if you don''t admit your wrongs, I won''t be able to do anything to you?"


    Her face was as dark as water, and the anger in her eyes seemed about to materialize.


    An Lingyi''s movements froze as she turned around and begged her, "Grandmother, granddaughter begs you to investigate this matter clearly. Granddaughter has never asked Qing Er to buy this Jade Guan Yin before, why would she do anything to her?"


    As An Lingyi said this, his tears fell and she knelt on the ground. She looked pitiful and wronged, but the old mistress did not believe her.


    "Guan Yin was bought by the maidservant beside you. You were the one who gave the wedding gift. You said that you didn''t know about it at all. Are you trying to fool us all?"


    From the time that Yu Guanyin bought it to her delivery, she had only passed it through the hands of the people around An Lingyi. The servants naturally did not have that kind of courage, the only ones who dared to mess with them was An Lingyi.


    After searching again and again, he still managed to find Yi Er''s body!


    Aunt Li''s face revealed some anxiety, she could not help but kneel down, "Old madam, don''t you know what kind of person Yi Er is? It''s absolutely impossible for her to do such a malicious thing. I hope you can let her have her innocence! "


    Innocence? What need was there to be innocent?


    Aunt Wei immediately stood up to support her.


    "Aunt Li, since Third Miss has done something wrong, then let Third Miss Old Madem Xiang apologize. She is just a child that doesn''t understand anything, don''t tell me you don''t know reason?"


    The words of the Aunt Wei did not contain any intention to denounce An Lingyi. She only said that the Aunt Li did not know how to teach the child, which was why this happened.


    In any case, An Lingyi was extremely impulsive, as long as she could defeat the Aunt Li, wouldn''t that idiot be dealt with in just a few moves?


    When Aunt Li saw her like this, the latter''s eyes turned red and her eyes filled with malevolent intent.


    "Yi Er did not do anything wrong, why is Aunt Wei doing this to her?"


    Why? It was naturally for the grievances that she and Brother Yu had endured for so many years!


    Aunt Wei''s eyes flashed, with a tinge of joy in her eyes.


    It was so easy for Brother Yu to have a chance to grow healthy. She absolutely could not watch the Aunt Li run rampant in the house, forcing the mother and son to have no place to stay.


    Only by weakening the power of the Aunt Li and destroying her prestige would her Brother Yu would have a day to get out of this predicament.


    But Aunt Wei would naturally not say what she thought.


    She revealed a surprised look on her face, as if she did not expect the Aunt Li to still bite the bullet and not admit her mistake, "Aunt Li, everyone here is well aware of what happened. If Third Miss is able to admit her wrongs, the Old Mistress would not let this matter go. Now that the third young mistress refused to admit her mistakes, wouldn''t that make the old mistress feel embarrassed? "This is the old mistress'' birthday. To make the old lady happy, the third lady should also recognize her mistake so as to not ruin everyone''s mood."


    Aunt Wei said that An Lingyi was at fault, every single word made An Lingyi admit her wrong, although her demeanor was gentle, but the words were like knives stabbing into An Lingyi''s body, causing her entire body to feel pain.


    However, the madame''s next words made her understand what pain really was.


    "An Lingyi has no respect for her elders and still does not know how to repent. Today, I have asked for the family rules to teach her how to conduct herself properly, and what is called being loyal, filial, and virtuous!"


    nanny Wu immediately sent someone to fetch the whip. It was used by the old king when he was fighting in the mountains with the late emperor.


    "Madame, please do not!"


    Aunt Li''s face was deathly pale, and even her lips were trembling.


    She really did not expect the old lady to be so determined to deal with An Lingyi. Was she not afraid that the Imperial Noble Consort Li would know about this?


    "loves this niece dearly, if she were to ask about Yi Er the next time we enter the palace ¡­" The old lady seemed like she was going to make nanny Wu take action in the next moment, causing the Aunt Li to become even more determined. His words carried a hint of threat, "Imperial Noble Consort Li dotes on Yi Er, and if she were to ask about Yi Er the next time we enter the palace ¡­"


    "If Imperial Noble Consort Li asks, then you can tell her. If she has any objections, then tell her to report my crimes to the empress dowager."


    She didn''t have a deep relationship with the madame, but the old prince had followed the late emperor and fought under the heavens, making great contributions to the kingdom. The empress dowager had to give her some face no matter what.


    Moreover, she was punishing her own granddaughter. No matter how favoured the Imperial Noble Consort Li was, how could she control her to punish his granddaughter?


    Seeing that she had brought him out of the Imperial Noble Consort Li, the Old Mistress did not budge an inch. The Aunt Li knew that there was no turning back, and begged the Old Mistress with a pale face, "It''s because I didn''t discipline her properly that such a thing happened. If you were to punish her, just do it to me, is still young, so she cannot take the punishment."


    Aunt Li started to sob, her almond eyes were sparkling. She was so motherly that many of the wives couldn''t bear to look at her.


    What An Lingge wanted was precisely this kind of effect. She took a step forward, stood by the old lady''s side, and advised, "What Aunt Li said makes sense. Third Sister is still young, if she were to be subjected to this family rule, then something might happen to him. Since Aunt Li is willing to bear the pain on her behalf, Grandmother will forgive her kind motherly heart. "


    If they wanted to spare An Lingyi, the Aunt Li would have to be punished.


    The Old Mistress pursed her lips and said after a while, "Then let Aunt Li take the three girls'' place."


    nanny Wu accepted the order and got someone to bring Aunt Li to the courtyard. She didn''t intentionally avoid the ladies, and only made a hand gesture, then saw the guard''s whip fall harshly, followed by a sharp and ear-piercing scream.


    "It hurts just listening to it." The Aunt Wei sighed, and looked at An Lingyi as if advising him, "For the sake of the Third Young Miss'' suffering, Third Young Miss should not act rashly in the future."


    An Lingyi glared at Aunt Wei fiercely, the look in her eyes looked as though she could eat a person alive.

 C191

    The Aunt Li''s screams continued in the courtyard, as if she could not hear them. There was a hint of guilt on her face as she said to the ladies, "My butler was not strict, and caused such a thing to happen in the house, disturbing the good mood of everyone here, it''s really ¡­"


    "Don''t say that, madame." Mistress Censor quickly interrupted her, a smile on her face, "Today is your birthday, who would have thought that something like this would happen?" No matter how wise and wise you are, you will never be on guard against the people around you. "


    These words trampled on the old mistress, An Lingyi and the Aunt Li.


    Her sister was a concubine in the palace. When they went to the palace together, she was doted upon by the emperor when they first entered the palace, and although An Lingge didn''t know how she made the arrangement and pissed off the emperor, the emperor actually liked the Imperial Noble Consort Li. When the concubine tried to poison and kill the Imperial Noble Consort Li, she was discovered and thrown into a well, and from then on she died.


    The Mistress Censor probably hated the Imperial Noble Consort Li very much. Now that she had the chance to trample on her sister, how could she let go of this chance?


    With Mistress Censor''s support, the old lady''s face became much better. The Aunt Wei also echoed her sentiments, with all of the young mistresses having the intention to warm up the situation, finally bringing this matter to light.


    After the madame had exchanged a few more words and put on a tired look, the ladies took their leave.


    nanny Wu arranged for the maidservants to send them off one by one before returning to the main hall. They bowed in front of the Old Mistress and said, "Aunt Li has already passed out. Do you want to send someone to escort her back?"


    Only then did An Lingge listen carefully. She really couldn''t hear Aunt Li''s screams anymore, it must be because she couldn''t bear the pain and fainted.


    The Old Mistress answered indifferently, "Let them take Aunt Li back to her courtyard."


    Only then did the servants by the side of Aunt Li dare to lift the fainted master up. When they saw the bloodied body of the Aunt Li, they couldn''t help but be shocked.


    It was a pity that Aunt Li had always thought that the Old Mistress did not have any tricks up her sleeve. Furthermore, with the Prince''s support, no matter how angry he was, he would not do anything to her.


    The last time she cried in front of An Yingcheng was too pitiful. For her, An Yingcheng had to go against the old mistress, causing her to feel helpless. She could only temporarily give the authority of a butler to Aunt Li.


    But today was the old mistress'' birthday party, and An Lingyi had given her such a gift. If it was anyone else, she would not be forgiven, and the old mistress would have dealt with An Lingyi, the Aunt Li, and An Yingcheng would not plead on her behalf, and add to the old mistress'' troubles.


    An Lingge and Aunt Wei slowly walked out of the hall. The moment their eyes met, the corner of their mouths curled into a meaningful smile.


    Once she returned to the Parasol House, the joy on Bi Zhu''s face could no longer be hidden. She was beaming with joy, and couldn''t wait to tell others how happy she was today.


    "Miss, you don''t know this, but when Aunt Li received the family''s punishment today, she brought along a piece of flesh with him as a whip, it was truly tragic."


    Bi Zhu had secretly watched the Aunt Li being punished, but she did not feel afraid of the bloody scene.


    Ming Xin lightly pushed her, signalling her not to say such words in front of An Lingge.


    "No worries," An Lingge waved her hand, she did not mind Bi Zhu mentioning this matter in front of him.


    She had also personally stabbed Mad Horse to death, and had confronted the bandits before. Now, it was only the Aunt Li that was under the jurisdiction of their family, this kind of situation couldn''t scare her at all.


    Only then did Mingxin remember something, "Miss, why did that Yu Guanyin come into Third Miss'' hands?"


    At that time, she was the one who bought Yu Guanyin, why did the old lady send someone to investigate and actually find Qing Er? He just couldn''t understand it.


    Bi Zhu covered her mouth and laughed, she then turned around and retrieved something from the box beside and placed it in front of Ming Xin, "What do you think is this?"


    That thing was about the size of a palm. It was entirely jade and had a lustrous luster. It looked like it was carved into the image of Guan Yin. If it wasn''t the image, then what else could it be?


    There were actually two identical images of Guan Yin!


    Ming Xin was shocked for a moment, but at the same time, she was confused. Even if there were two identical Guanyin Images, the Third Miss had never asked anyone to buy them, so why would the shop owner recognize the Qing Er by the Third Miss''s side?


    "At that time, the Third Miss sent Lan Xin to scout for young miss'' gift, and the young miss immediately felt that there was something amiss. While she asked you to pretend that you were killed by Lan Xin, she told you to get out of the cave and contact the Aunt Wei."


    The last time Aunt Wei fought the Aunt Li, she had also suffered a loss. She had so easily gotten the old lady''s favor, and with the chance to be the Sect Leader, with just a few cries in front of An Yingcheng, her beautiful dreams were shattered.


    When An Lingge brought Bi Zhu to the Aunt Wei to explain this matter, the Aunt Wei agreed repeatedly to join hands with An Lingge, and even said that Qing Er was actually hers.


    "Qing Er is actually from the Aunt Li?" She was even curious why Qing Er dragged Aunt Li and An Lingyi into the water. Turns out that she was sent to An Lingyi''s side by the Aunt Wei in the first place.


    An Lingge slightly nodded her head, "That''s right, it''s precisely because Qing Er is someone from the Aunt Wei that I changed my plans and got Qing Er to buy another Kuan Yin statue. After the Aunt Li sent someone to mess with the Kuan Yin statue, they told Qing Er to bring the statue back, so that he could receive An Lingyi''s congratulatory gift."


    Speaking of which, An Lingyi was the one who reminded her about the transfer.


    If An Lingyi did not want to use Lan Xin as a replacement for the sincerity beside her, she would not have thought to swap out An Lingyi''s congratulatory gift for her. If An Lingyi and Aunt Li did not send anyone to do anything to the image, the old lady would not have gotten angry.


    "Later on, I will have Qing Er personally identify An Lingyi. If that''s the case, then with the evidence present, how can An Lingyi refute, and the old lady herself will not believe her."


    Fortunately, the Aunt Wei had left a way out for herself in her early years, so she placed several people into An Lingyi''s courtyard. Although it was just Qing Er, one person would be able to change a lot of things in a critical moment.


    "Then what about Qing Er?" Bi Zhu suddenly remembered that Qing Er had clearly betrayed the Aunt Li when she pointed out An Lingyi''s identity. With her personality, he would probably not let her off easily.


    An Lingge sipped on her tea, her expression unchanging, "Aunt Wei has already requested Granny to take care of this matter, so Qing Er will naturally leave it to her.


    At that time, whether Qing Er would be chased out of the palace or have him escape with her life on the line, it would be up to the Aunt Wei to decide.


    Since she was working for Aunt Wei, he naturally would not ignore her.

 C192

    Different from the excitement of the master and servant within the Parasol House, the courtyard of the Aunt Li was quiet and soundless, like a abandoned courtyard that had no one around.


    No one would have thought that Aunt Li, who was usually so glorious, would suffer a family punishment today. Furthermore, she was slapped in the face by the old mistress mercilessly in front of so many guests.


    Aunt Li had fainted, but when she woke up, she would be furious, the ones who were suffering were the maids.


    The servant girl who was touching the water basin had a bitter expression as she unwillingly walked into Aunt Li''s room. She lowered her head with a respectful look, and gently placed the copper basin down.


    "Third Miss, it''s time to wash Aunt Li''s wounds."


    doctor had already come to see him a moment ago, and said that her injuries were not serious, the whip did not hurt her bones. However, this kind of skin injury still needed to be well healed. The most important thing was to clean it up frequently, so as to not cause inflammation.


    An Lingyi sat in front of Aunt Li''s bed. Looking at her pale white face, even in her coma, her beautiful brows tightly knitted together. It could be seen that she was feeling extremely uncomfortable.


    If it wasn''t for her, she wouldn''t have suffered like this!


    An Lingge dared to plot against her, causing her to be sentenced to a coma. She would definitely take revenge!


    The light in An Lingyi''s eyes flickered as she thought of Qing Er.


    "Where''s Qing Er? Bring her over to me!"


    The servant girl holding the copper basin lowered her head again, "Reporting to the third miss, Qing Er has already been handed over to Aunt Wei."


    "He gave it to Aunt Wei?" An Lingyi asked in a sharp voice, "It was clearly a servant in my courtyard, what right do I have to leave it to the Aunt Wei? "She''s just an aunt, where did she get the qualifications to control my servant girl?!"


    When An Lingyi said this, she seemed to have forgotten that Aunt Li was only a small concubine, and couldn''t be considered a proper wife.


    The servant girl trembled with fear, but still replied, "I heard that the old mistress handed the matter over to the Aunt Wei, so Qing Er was taken care of as a witness by the Aunt Wei."


    "What a witness!" An Lingyi''s face changed, she suddenly flipped over the water basin in the servant''s hand, and it fell onto the ground, producing a clear sound.


    The water in the basin spilled all over the floor. The maid''s body was covered in water stains and was even hit by the copper basin, but she didn''t dare to say that she had been wronged. She could only kneel down, "This servant spoke falsely, please forgive me."


    An Lingyi erupted with anger, as though she was tired, she then waved her hand to allow the servant girl to stand up.


    "Forget it, go get a fresh basin of water."


    At this point of time, An Lingyi had a clear understanding of the importance of Aunt Li''s injuries.


    The maidservant acted as if she had been granted amnesty and immediately stood up. Picking up the bronze pot, she lifted her skirt and ran out.


    Not long after, she brought another basin of water in, and An Lingyi let her take a handkerchief to wipe the Aunt Li''s wounds.


    When the servant girl took off Aunt Li''s clothes, she heard a sound that made people''s scalps go numb. It was as if the clothes were connected to the body, and it was extremely painful to forcibly tear it apart.


    "Don''t you know how to lighten your limbs?" Seeing that, An Lingyi flew into a rage again, because of the servant girl applying the medicine on Aunt Li, she did not do anything this time.


    The servant girl felt extremely wronged. When doctor came over to treat Aunt Li just now, she only checked her pulse and opened the medicine before leaving.


    As a servant, she had never learned medicine, so she had already done her best by carefully applying medicine on the Aunt Li.


    With her arrogant and violent personality, it was no wonder that the maidservants by her side had betrayed her.


    Although she thought this way, the maidservant''s movements were a lot slower than her lackeys.


    Seeing that Aunt Li''s body was no longer leaking blood, An Lingyi''s expression became gentler, but watched the servant girl move slowly, and felt extremely frustrated.


    "Forget it, it''s clumsy. I wonder why Aunt picked you to wait on me in the courtyard." An Lingyi stood up impatiently, she snatched the handkerchief from the servant''s hands and pretended to clean the Aunt Li''s wounds. "You can leave, let me personally clean up the place."


    When the maidservant said such words, she couldn''t wait. However, she couldn''t show any happiness on her face, and even tried to make things difficult for him. "Third Young Miss, you''ve never done such a thing. What if you hurt my aunt ¡­"


    "If I tell you to go down, then go down!" An Lingyi berated, she no longer had the patience.


    The maidservant seemed to be frightened. Upon hearing these words, she hurriedly nodded her head and staggered out of the room.


    Only then did An Lingyi stretch her hand out to take off Aunt Li''s clothes. The impact on her back was too great, it almost made her vomit just by looking at it.


    Her face instantly turned pale and her stomach churned, as if the person who had received the family''s punishment was not Aunt Li but her.


    An Lingyi wanted to get up and leave immediately, but when she thought about how Aunt Li suffered such a heavy punishment for her, she suppressed the fear in her heart and sprinkled the medicinal powder on Aunt Li''s back with a trembling hand.


    "Hiss."


    Aunt Li who was already unconscious gasped. She actually woke up from the pain.


    "Mother, how are you?"


    An Lingyi immediately rushed over, and looked at Aunt Li eagerly.


    Aunt Li slowly opened her eyes. She was still unclear about the situation, but when she thought about how the old mistress had ordered her to be whipped, a look of resentment surfaced on her face.


    She looked at An Lingyi, and said weakly, "Yi Er, why are you here?"


    "Mother, you''re injured because of me, of course I''ll stay here and take care of you." An Lingyi gritted her teeth as she said this, and hatefully said, "I had originally wanted to kill that servant of Qing Er''s, but Grandmother had already given her to the Aunt Wei to handle. If she were to fall into my hands, I will definitely let her know the consequences of betraying her master! "


    Aunt Li coughed twice, and An Lingyi immediately gave her some water, looking nervous: "Mother, are you alright?"


    "I''m fine." Aunt Li forced a smile and pulled at the wound on her back. The pain caused her face to contort and she immediately cried out.


    "It''s all An Lingge''s fault!" An Lingyi''s expression was fierce and malicious, "If she were to honestly be tricked by us, Aunt, how could you be punished?"


    She had never thought that if An Lingxue had let them scheme against her, An Lingge would be the one being punished by the old mistress.


    Could it be that since the Aunt Li was noble, An Lingge was lowly?


    When they schemed against An Lingge together, they should have thought of the consequences.


    But in the eyes of the mother and daughter of the Aunt Li, An Lingge was in the wrong in this matter. It was An Lingge''s craftiness that caused them to be rejected by the old lady, and caused the Aunt Li to suffer under her family''s punishment.


    "An Lingge can''t stay."


    Aunt Li lied down on the bed weakly, adding on her pale face, her expression was somewhat cunning, and for some reason, sinister.


    The old lady''s birthday was turned into a mess by Guan Yin, but the old lady from Qingfeng Courtyard was no longer as angry as she was when she was in the main hall.

 C193

    The madame sat leisurely on the purple chair carved with Blue Luan Peony. Her eyes were half closed and her expression was serene. The maidservant beside her was carefully massaging her back.


    "Go call Aunt Wei over."


    The old lady who seemed to be sleeping suddenly spoke, nanny Wu understood her meaning, and left after nodding.


    nanny Wu was not young, but her legs and feet were nimble. She walked into the courtyard of the Aunt Wei and smiled as she invited people over.


    "Aunt Wei, our old lady misses you. Please come over."


    The smile on her face was sincere and fervent. Aunt Wei knew that the Old Mistress was in a good mood.


    After thinking for a moment, the Aunt Wei put on the jade bracelet that the old mistress had bestowed to her, and then followed behind Wu nanny.


    "I pay my respects to the madame." When they arrived at Qingfeng Courtyard, she gave a gentle bow.


    The Old Mistress opened her eyes and saw her expression, she was even more satisfied with Aunt Wei.


    "Aunt Wei, you should know about what happened on the birthday. What do you think?"


    This question came as a surprise to Aunt Wei, but she quickly reacted with a respectful and humble smile, "Old madam''s words really lifted me up. I''m just an aunt, how can I tell you what to do about Third Young Miss?"


    "If I tell you to say it, then say it directly." The old mistress knew that she was rejecting his offer. Her old eyes were sharp, as if she could see through his little thoughts.


    Aunt Wei no longer tried to feign ignorance, and looked a little troubled. "I think this matter is fishy."


    The madame raised her eyebrows but said nothing. She just signaled with her eyes for her to continue.


    "When Third Miss took out her birthday present, she shouted out that it wasn''t something she prepared. Aunt Li also said that the Third Miss specially designed this event to give you a pleasant surprise. But when Guan Yin cried and was dragged into the Third Miss'' embrace, the maidservant beside her brought out the Third Miss, it didn''t seem to make sense. "


    Most of the servants and nanny s around the masters were loyal, and even those that were promoted did not betray them.


    This was exactly what the Old Mistress was suspecting. Her gaze swept across Aunt Wei with a profound look, "Is that all you have to say?"


    "No." The Aunt Wei knelt down, "Old madam, this matter was my doing."


    She admitted it cleanly, which surprised the madame. "Oh, tell me what''s going on."


    Aunt Wei did not tell her about An Lingge, she only said that she sensed that there was something wrong with her actions, as if she was planning to frame An Lingge.


    For the sake of Princess An''s kindness back then, she naturally had to protect Eldest Miss.


    Coincidentally, that Qing Er was one of her people, so she found out about Aunt Li''s Mother and Mother''s scheme.


    "This is my fault. I am willing to accept the punishment from the madame."


    Aunt Wei openly admitted that even if she was to kneel on the ground, her expression was still as clear as day.


    The old mistress laughed, not at all berating her. "Get up. How could I not know what you''ve done?"


    Although she had just returned to the prince''s mansion, she had previously been in charge of the mansion for dozens of years. The elders of this mansion all knew who their true master was, so they naturally knew who to serve.


    When Aunt Wei just sent Qing Er, she received the news.


    "You know all about the madame?" Aunt Wei''s eyes were filled with surprise, "Then you even dealt with Aunt Li ¡­"


    "I''m going to deal with her." "She is just a small concubine and doesn''t know how to behave. It''s fine if she holds the authority of the estate, but she doesn''t even put me in her eyes. Last time she plotted against Little Ge, and dared to cry in front of Boss, but this time I''ll let her see whether Boss will avenge her or not. "


    An Yingcheng was a filial son, he had only talked back to the old lady for the sake of the Aunt Li not long ago, and he definitely did not feel good about it.


    Moreover, today was the birthday of the madame, yet An Lingyi made a bloody and teary image of Guan Yin to curse the madame. No matter how much he felt for Aunt Li and An Lingyi, he wouldn''t stand up for them.


    The corners of Aunt Wei''s mouth curled up, and then she quickly suppressed it. On the surface, she revealed a look of extreme fear, "This matter was caused by me, the Aunt Li.


    "I was going to punish you." When the Old Mistress said this, it gave Aunt Wei a fright. When he understood what was going on, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    The madame had intended to punish her, meaning that she had changed her mind and turn a blind eye to the matter.


    What Eldest Miss said was right. The madame was not as ignorant as she appeared to be. She was shrewd in her heart.


    Fortunately, the eldest miss had told him not to hide it from the madame. Otherwise, he would have lost the madame''s trust. Perhaps, he would live a worse life than before.


    At the same time, she was shocked at An Lingge''s wisdom.


    An Lingge seemed to have already known that the Old Granny would notice this, and that she would think this way, to the point where he even explained how she would do things. With this kind of intelligence, she didn''t look like a fifteen-year-old girl, even the old ladies who had been in the house for more than ten years might not have this kind of scheme.


    However, the more powerful An Lingge was, the unluckier Aunt Li would be.


    A thought flashed in Aunt Wei''s mind, she then revealed a puzzled look, "Since I made such a mistake, aren''t you going to pursue the matter, madame?"


    The Old Mistress'' gaze fell upon the jade-green bangle and she smiled, "The reason I''m giving this bangle to you is because I hope that you can take on the role of Princess An."


    "I dare not!" Before the old mistress could finish her words, Aunt Wei had already knelt down, her face was filled with fear, "I am just a servant who was born to be the prince''s concubine, and am also highly regarded by the old mistress. I have already been blessed by you for a thousand years, how can I dare to shoulder the responsibilities of the Princess An?"


    However, the madame reached out her hand to help her up, "Princess An can teach this restless aunt a lesson, it''s to let the backyard be peaceful and quiet, to let the household be at peace. But a struggle between concubines is no use. It would only mess up the backyard and allow others to see a joke. "


    Her words had a profound meaning. As long as Aunt Wei could become the Princess An, she would not care about what happened today. Otherwise, the Aunt Wei would also be punished.


    The Aunt Wei looked hesitant. After a moment, she said with a wry smile, "But this one''s born in a lowly place and not someone that the Duke would like. How could I become a wangfei?"


    The old lady knew that the Aunt Wei was shaken, and smiled kindly, "Good child, you do not have to worry about this matter."


    It would not be difficult at all for Aunt Wei to become an imperial concubine.

 C194

    An Yingcheng only found out that Aunt Li had been ordered to punish her after her birthday. Hearing the news, his drunk eyes immediately turned bright, and the alcohol in his body seemed to have disappeared in a moment.


    "What''s going on?"


    His face became gloomy, and as he asked, he walked towards the courtyard of Aunt Li with big steps.


    The servant who came to report the news did not dare to hide it and told the madame what had happened on her birthday in detail.


    The more An Yingcheng listened, the darker his face became.


    He reached out his hand to have the servant retreat, then he walked into the courtyard of Aunt Li himself.


    "Daddy is here!"


    An Lingyi had just seen the servant feed the medicine to the Aunt Li, but when she saw An Yingcheng enter, a look of joy crossed her face.


    Her cute and adorable appearance, when reflected in An Yingcheng''s eyes, made An Yingcheng''s heart ache even more for the mother and daughter pair.


    "How is your aunt?" He looked at the pale face on the bed and frowned.


    An Lingyi was about to speak, but Aunt Li shot her a glance, and said weakly: "My prince, I am innocent!"


    "Yi Er prepared a congratulatory gift for the old lady, but someone did something to it. The old lady thought that Yi Er was unhappy with her and purposely looked for her for bad luck, but how did Yi Er do such a thing?" She reached out her hand to grab An Yingcheng''s sleeve, and her eyes were filled with deep emotion, "Your Highness, you must investigate this matter clearly, you can''t let Yi Er have such a malicious reputation on her back!"


    An Yingcheng lightly patted her shoulder, but did not blindly believe her words, "I already heard about this matter, since Yi Er did something wrong, I shall let her apologize to mother.


    Aunt Li stopped crying, her pale face still had crystal teardrops on it. She raised her head, with an expression of disbelief, "My prince, could it be that even you think that it was Yi Er who did this?"


    An Yingcheng had believed Aunt Li''s words the last time, causing the old man to feel extremely depressed.


    Now that Aunt Li had said such words, An Yingcheng only thought that it was a good excuse.


    Just as the Countess had said, the Aunt Li controlled more than half of the Duke Palaces. How could anyone else take over the wedding gift from An Lingyi? The only person who could do such a thing was An Lingyi herself.


    An Lingyi''s face immediately changed, she did not understand, why did her father, who loved and doted on her in the past, not believe her?


    "Daddy!" She cried out, her charming face no longer as bright as before, and stared straight at An Yingcheng, "This matter has been set up by someone, I had no intention of giving that Yu Guanyin to Grandmother!"


    "How did that Yu Guanyin come before the madame?" An Yingcheng did not move, and instead asked a question in an indifferent tone, causing An Lingyi to be speechless.


    "It must be that Qing Er. She is a servant whom Yi Er has just promoted, and has been ordered by who to frame Yi Er."


    There were only a few people in the Palace who were not on good terms with Aunt Li An Lingyi.


    Although Aunt Li did not say it out loud, she had already pointed her spear at An Lingge and Aunt Wei.


    However, the method of the backyard had gone smoothly the first time, but it didn''t mean that it would work the second time.


    Qing Er had always been a servant in An Lingyi''s courtyard. It was An Lingyi''s decision to drag her up, so how could an outsider hold a blade and place it on An Lingyi''s neck, forcing her to bring Qing Er to her side to serve him?


    With that thought, An Yingcheng''s expression turned cold, the pain in his eyes towards the Aunt Li disappeared, "If you''re injured, you should take care of yourself, don''t think about all this nonsense."


    The mother and daughter pair had been wronged, humiliated in front of everyone, and ordered by the madame to follow family rules. Now, they were only going to capture the person behind the scenes. How could it be considered a mess!


    Aunt Li wanted to say something, but An Yingcheng pried her hand away, stood up, and walked out without looking back.


    "Your highness, your highness!"


    She quickly shouted twice, but An Yingcheng did not even stop as if he could not hear her.


    "Daddy, you''ve gone too far." "Father doted on me the most in the past, but he didn''t believe me today. It was all that bitch An Lingge''s fault, otherwise, why would Father treat me like this, how would he ignore you, Aunt?"


    The Aunt Li''s gaze kept changing. She was half-lying on the bed, and her back was covered in flames. The pain twisted her face, but it was not as painful as the pain in her heart.


    "Alright, I thought that bitch An Lingge was just playing a trick on us, to make us lose face in front of the old lady. The Aunt Li was so angry that she started laughing, but no matter how she looked at her smile, it was just a sinister and terrifying smile, "Other people might take it step by step, but An Lingge is truly impressive.


    She had originally thought that she already valued An Lingge''s intelligence enough, but today''s matter was like a warning bell, allowing her to know that this person was not someone she could underestimate. Although An Lingge was only fifteen years old, her wisdom neared the level of a demon. When facing An Lingge, he couldn''t afford to be negligent in the slightest.


    An Lingyi gritted her teeth as her charming face revealed a dark fierceness similar to that of the Aunt Li, "Aunt, are we really going to suffer this loss? An Lingge framed us like this, I am not willing to let this go! "


    This matter naturally could not be so simple.


    Aunt Li held onto the brocade blanket tightly, a cold smile plastered on her face, "Isn''t she, An Lingge, resourceful? I didn''t even let her have the chance to scheme."


    After being whipped a dozen times, and under the suspicion of the Duke, she was forced to return all her new and old grudges to An Lingge one by one!


    An Lingge, who had been fiercely cursed by the Aunt Li, was currently seated within the Parasol House, with a map of public opinion in front of him.


    She reached out her hand and drew a few curved lines. There was a bit of solemnity on her face, as if she was calculating something.


    Bi Zhu brought some tea over, and just as she was about to bring it to her, she reached out her hand and whispered in her ear, "Miss, you''re looking to see where Hereditary Prince Mu is, don''t disturb her."


    Ever since he saw her young miss and Hereditary Prince Mu eating together, he knew that the relationship between Mu Junhan and Mu Junhan was not as simple as it seemed.

 C195

    An Lingge looked at the public image on the table, and silently calculated the route in her heart.


    Her slender white fingers streaked across the mountains and rivers from the capital, stopping only when they touched a spot.


    According to the speed of the march, Mu Junhan should already be at the Chuzhou. He will truly be there in ten days to half a month.


    The weather was getting hotter by the day, and he wondered when the plague from his past life would break out.


    She subconsciously sighed, Bi Zhu thought that she was thinking about Mu Junhan, and immediately brought the hot tea in her hand over, "Miss, you have already looked at the public images for a while, why not drink a cup of tea and rest for a while?"


    Bi Zhu passed the teacup to An Lingge, and said: "And that Lan Xin, she has already been captured by our people. Miss, how do you want to deal with her?"


    An Lingge took a light sip of the tea in her cup, then remembered that Lan Xin was still being guarded by their people.


    In the past few days, she had been doing too many things. On one hand, she was planning to join forces with the Aunt Wei and make them suffer, but on the other hand, she was also paying attention to the plague. She was also planning Mu Junhan''s trip and had forgotten about Lan Xin.


    If Bi Zhu had not mentioned this, she would not be able to recall the matter regarding.


    "Where is Lan Xin now?" An Lingge put down the cup.


    Upon seeing this, Ming Xin immediately opened her mouth: "Shut her up in the woodshed in our courtyard. Miss, are you going to see her now?"


    "After I knocked Lan Xin out that day, I got someone to lock her up here. Other than the old granny who came to deliver food these few days, no one else has come."


    She had always been cautious when she did things, so no one noticed that she had locked Lan Xin up here.


    When An Lingge arrived in front of the woodshed, the old woman was originally napping, but when she heard the commotion, she immediately stood up. Seeing that the person in front of her was the young miss, she immediately bowed to her in fear and trepidation.


    "Where is the servant girl that was locked up a few days ago?" She only lowered her head and respectfully said, "Then the servant will just stay inside. If Eldest Young Miss wants to go in, this old servant will open the door right now."


    Bi Zhu laughed and squeezed over, "There''s no need to trouble Mrs. Zhang, just give me the key, when our young miss leaves, I will give it to you."


    Old Zhang stood there in a daze without moving, Bi Zhu then secretly stuffed some things into her hands, "For the silver, let old lady Zhang go eat some wine."


    Treat her to wine? This could not be tolerated!


    Old Mrs. Zhang was shocked, as if her hand was burned, and was about to push the bunch of copper coins out.


    "It would be hard work for Mrs. Zhang to guard this woodshed. Bi Zhu will treat you to wine and you can take it." An Lingge''s expression was warm, not because she was angry at Zhang Er for napping, but because she wanted the servant girl beside her to treat Grandma Zhang to wine.


    Old Mrs. Zhang squeezed out a bright smile on her wrinkled face. "It''s said that Eldest Miss is benevolent and generous. This old servant has witnessed it."


    She laughed as she stuffed the money into her pocket and then took out a bunch of keys. "If Miss is leaving in a while, I would like to ask Miss Bi Zhu to come over and bring the keys back."


    Bi Zhu giggled as she accepted the order. Old Mrs. Zhang then slowly left.


    Ming Xin took the key from Bi Zhu''s hands and opened the door.


    Even though it was early summer, the woodshed was still cold and damp, giving off a musty, dank smell.


    Lan Xin was lying on the ground, but when she heard the voice and turned her head, she could not help but let out an ear-piercing scream. Her body rubbed on the ground, and she retreated, "Ghost, there''s a ghost!"


    She was so frightened that her face turned pale and her eyes were tightly shut. She didn''t dare to clearly see what had happened.


    An Lingge quickly walked to her side and deliberately lowered his voice. In the damp woodshed, it sounded ethereal and ethereal.


    "You''ve harmed me ¡­ "I want your life back ¡­"


    "No, it''s not me, it''s not me, it''s the Aunt Li. She was the one who instructed me to do this. Lan Xin''s screams became even more terrified, and her voice trembled with unconcealable fear.


    Bi Zhu could not hold back and laughed, the smile on her round face was as bright as the sun, "Miss, don''t scare her, you''re so scared that you have to think of a way to deal with her."


    Her words caused Lan Xin to open his eyes, and she immediately saw An Lingge''s slender and tall figure.


    So what he saw was an illusion.


    Lan Xin heaved a sigh of relief, only then did she realize that her back was already drenched in cold sweat.


    "Eldest Miss?"


    She cried out and stretched out her hand, wanting to hug An Lingge''s leg, but the latter only managed to lightly and coincidentally turn her body around, causing Lan Xin to not be able to pounce on her.


    "Eldest Miss, please save this servant!" Lan Xin crawled on the ground for two steps, then arrived in front of An Lingge, "I don''t know who sent this servant here, but this servant couldn''t think of any way to get out."


    Ming Xin bypassed Bi Zhu and stood in front of Lan Xin, "Of course I''m the one who sent you here."


    "You''re not dead?" Lan Xin jumped back unconsciously. Only after looking at the shadow on the ground did she realize that Ming Xin was not dead.


    But how could that be possible? Back then, she and Gu nanny watched as she sank to the bottom of the lake!


    Brightheart smiled meaningfully at her. "If I die, won''t that mean Aunt Li and Third Young Miss will succeed in their scheme?"


    Fortunately, An Lingyi had planned to let Lan Xin pretend to be open with his information, so An Lingge had decided to play it by ear and let Ming Xin appear in front of An Lingyi as her own. Relying on her open face, Lan Xin''s courtyard did not attract anyone''s suspicion, and she had even successfully contacted Qing Er to design this play.


    "You all know about it?" Lan Xin''s lips trembled, her expression was terrified, she suddenly thought of something and threw herself at An Lingge, "Miss, this servant was forced by Aunt Li to do something for her, please spare this servant''s life!"


    "You know you''ve done wrong, how dare you let me spare you?" An Lingge remained unmoved, her gentle and smiling face carried a sharp, ice-cold glint, "Moreover, you almost killed Brightheart. Even if it was to clear your mind, I wouldn''t let you off."


    Lan Xin still wanted to beg for mercy, but An Lingge waved at him. Bi Zhu understood and took out a small bottle the size of a finger.


    Poison!


    Lan Xin''s pupils shrank as this thought flashed through her mind. Her body involuntarily trembled, yet she still retreated a few steps back.


    Bi Zhu did not give her the chance to escape, seeing that Lan Xin was about to escape, she grabbed onto Lan Xin''s hand. Just as she was about to pour the medicine into Lan Xin''s mouth, she saw Lan Xin''s body suddenly twitch, and after a moment, her face turned green, and she stopped moving.

 C196

    An Lingge''s expression changed slightly as she walked to Lan Xin''s side and tore open her collar. Only then did she see that below her neck, there were already dense and dense red spots.


    Such symptoms were exactly the same as the plague from his previous life!


    Miss, what''s wrong with Lan Xin?


    Bi Zhu let go of her hands in shock, and her body fell to the ground.


    She clearly hadn''t fed the pill in her hands yet, so why did she suddenly die?


    An Lingge did not speak, and instead went forward and pulled Lan Xin''s sleeves, and as expected, smelled a rotten stench.


    Her brows tightly knitted, and her expression was filled with an unprecedented seriousness, "If I''m not mistaken, Lan Xin is infected with a plague."


    Plague?


    Ming Xin and Bi Zhu both cried out at the same time, with expressions of shock and even some fear, "Everything is fine, how did Lan Xin get infected by the plague?"


    Their Duke Palaces had always been heavily guarded, and the servants had also cleanly cleaned the entire Duke Palaces. Furthermore, Lan Xin had not come in contact with any outsiders for the past few days, so how could she have gotten infected by the pestilence?


    Ming Xin pulled on An Lingge''s arm with worry in her eyes: "Miss, since Lan Xin might be infected with the plague, you should stay away from her."


    Plague was the easiest to infect. If Lan Xin really died from it and the young miss came into contact with her, she would inevitably be infected as well.


    Hearing this, An Lingge took a few steps back, but did not turn around and leave. Instead, she instructed Brightheart and Bi Zhu to bring the Tong Oil Fire Stone over.


    "Burn this place." An Lingge''s voice was light, no fluctuations could be heard.


    However, this was after all, a firewood house of the prince''s mansion. How could it be burned so easily?


    Even if the eldest miss gave the order, she was afraid that she would be reprimanded by the prince.


    Bi Zhu bit her lips and said worriedly, "Miss, if we burn down the woodshed, I am afraid that..."


    "I will explain this to father. Just do as I say and don''t let anyone come to the woodshed. You must burn the woodshed clean. Otherwise, the plague will spread to the whole mansion."


    The situation was actually so serious!


    Both Brightheart and Bi Zhu were shocked in their hearts. They did not speak anymore and immediately followed An Lingge''s instructions.


    The two of them were, after all, the senior servants by An Lingge''s side.


    An Lingge then turned and walked into An Yingcheng''s courtyard.


    "Little Ge has something to see me about?"


    The matriarch''s birthday had just ended and there was the matter of Yu Guan Yin. Little Ge came at this time, but she did not know if it was because of this matter.


    A thought flashed through An Yingcheng''s eyes, but he didn''t show it on the outside.


    The guard stood in the study room and bowed his head in response, "Yes, the eldest miss said it was an urgent matter, so she asked your servant to come in and inform you."


    Only then did An Yingcheng put down the brush in his hand, "Let her in."


    "Father." The moment An Lingge entered the study room, she knelt down and saluted.


    She stood up after the greeting was done, carrying a magnanimous and calm temperament with her as she walked.


    "The guard said that you have urgent business with me because of Aunt Li and Yi Er?" An Yingcheng casually asked, but actually made An Lingge shook his head, "Grandmother has already taken care of some small matters. How would Little Ge dare trouble father with this matter."


    This daughter of his had never been close with him. Previously, it was because of An Lingge''s cowardly nature, he didn''t like her at all when he saw her.


    After these few years passed, An Lingge had become quite intelligent and generous. An Yingcheng realized that she had owed An Lingge all these years and it was her intention to make it up with her, but in the end, the affection between father and daughter couldn''t be as deep as the relationship between him and An Lingyi''s father and daughter.


    Because of this relationship, An Lingge rarely came to find him, but now, if not because of Aunt Li and An Lingyi, then what was the reason?


    Without waiting for An Yingcheng to ask, An Lingge explained the situation to him, "Earlier, a servant girl who made a mistake in my daughter''s courtyard was sent to the firewood house. Today, when I led my men to release her, I saw that the servant girl''s body twitched a few times before she actually died. The scariest thing was that the maid''s neck was covered in red pimples, which were accompanied by pieces of dead skin, and her body also had a rotten stench. "


    She paused for a moment, seeing that An Yingcheng''s expression was also gloomy, she continued, "Your daughter has learned some medical knowledge, and felt that this plague is extremely similar to the one written in the books, so she asked the servant girl beside her to burn the woodshed. I came here to remind father to have everyone in the house be careful."


    The corner of An Yingcheng''s mouth stretched straight as his sharp eyes fell on An Lingge''s body. Looking around, he asked, "Little Ge, is what you said true?"


    "Of course it''s true." An Lingge nodded her head, with her deep black eyes filled with anxiousness and urgency, "Once the plague appears, it will spread easily. If I don''t make preparations soon, I''m afraid that when the plague breaks out, tens of thousands of lives would be lost in the capital."


    If it was a plague, things would be even worse.


    But An Yingcheng would not believe such a ridiculous thing just because of a few words. It was as if someone ran in front of him and told him that the sky was about to collapse, and made him run away.


    At this time, the one speaking to him was his daughter, so An Yingcheng decided to listen to what he had to say.


    This King doesn''t think this is necessarily a plague." An Yingcheng put his hands behind his back, looking calm and composed, "How long has it been since you started learning medicine? How can you tell that the maid died from the plague? Moreover, a place like the woodshed is already cold and damp. It is normal for the servant girl to have problems with her skin after staying there for a few days.


    No, she had seen the plague with her own eyes, and she knew exactly what it was like when it broke out.


    An Lingge really wanted to tell An Yingcheng the truth so that he could prepare in advance so that tens of thousands of people in the capital would not die.


    But she couldn''t. Who would believe such a horrible thing as reviving from the dead?


    An Lingge released the grip on her hand that was by her side. She took a deep breath and said, "Father, the servant girl''s corpse is still in the firewood house. Why don''t doctor take a look?"


    Since An Yingcheng did not believe in her medical skills, then he would find someone that he trusted, and he must be on guard against them. Only by doing this would he be able to persuade An Yingcheng to speak up in front of the emperor, so as to prevent the citizens of the capital from having a hard time.


    An Yingcheng was still hesitating, but An Lingge couldn''t wait. She was afraid that she would be late.


    "Father, it won''t take much effort anyway. You can send doctor over to take a look."


    It made An Yingcheng let out a sigh in his heart, and thinking that he owed this daughter of his for being neglected, he finally agreed, "Alright, I''ll let doctor go take a look."

 C197

    An Yingcheng agreed to his daughter''s request and immediately ordered the guards to call doctor over.


    The white bearded doctor followed behind the guards and panted. Before she could stand still at her original spot, An Lingge had already opened her mouth, "A servant girl in my courtyard suddenly died, her symptoms looked like she had a plague. Please follow me to take a look."


    The word pestilence caused doctor''s expression to freeze, and her heavy breathing also stopped.


    "What did you say, Miss? Plague?"


    There was surprise and suspicion on his face, his thin eyes were full of seriousness, "The plague only happens once in a hundred years. Even if the plague breaks out, it won''t start from here."


    When the Great Zhou Dynasty was first founded, it had caused a plague. The rich and powerful Jiangnan was struck by the plague overnight. From the village to the city, it was filled with rotting corpses.


    That plague had caused the late emperor, who had just ascended to the throne, to be questioned by the people. He believed that the late emperor had acted unjustly and had killed too heavily, so the people of the land had sent down a punishment as a warning.


    Seeing how the plague was spreading and how tens of thousands of citizens were being tortured to death by it, the memorials fell onto the late emperor''s study like snowflakes falling from the sky. The late emperor was furious and killed several officials who were going to deal with the plague, but in the end, he was still unable to withstand the pressure. Under the persuasion of the ministers, he wrote a crime edict and then ordered people of Imperial Hospital to go to Jiangnan to treat the plague.


    It had only been twenty or thirty years, how could there be another plague?


    An Lingge knew that the doctor did not believe her words, just like how An Yingcheng did not believe her. However, she had her memories of her previous life, so she knew that the plague would definitely break out in the capital.


    "I know that it is a little ridiculous to say that, but the matter of the plague is extremely important, so doctor will follow me to take a look. If that servant girl only died from an ordinary illness, take it that I did not say anything today, but if that servant girl was really affected by the plague, then we should have made preparations in advance."


    The doctor looked at An Yingcheng with an inquiring gaze, and received a permission from An Yingcheng, "Since Little Ge said so, you should follow her over to take a look."


    After waiting for doctor to come to a conclusion, Little Ge would know that she was being overly cautious. This was not bad, or perhaps it was not good, but he needed to use this chance to teach Little Ge.


    With this thought, An Yingcheng seemed to already know the conclusion of the doctor.


    doctor agreed and followed An Lingge out.


    Fortunately, the woodshed was not too far away from An Yingcheng''s study. doctor took a deep breath and walked forward as if she was resigned to her fate.


    The woodshed was just a little remote and needed to take several small paths, but it didn''t take long.


    An Lingge saw Bi Zhu standing in front of the woodshed''s door. She held a bucket of tung oil and threw it towards the woodshed''s door with all her might.


    There was still time!


    An Lingge immediately ran over with her skirt raised, her expression somewhat anxious.


    "Miss, you''re back."


    Bi Zhu put down the tung oil in her hands, and quickly walked over, "What does Your Highness say, do you want to order the burning of the woodshed?"


    "Father did not say, he did not believe that Lan Xin was infected by the plague." An Lingge shook her head, she then turned and looked at doctor behind him, "But I had father invite doctor over, and had him look over Lan Xin''s symptoms. If Lan Xin was really infected with the plague, I will report it to father."


    While she was speaking, the doctor finally caught up.


    He stretched out his hand to wipe the sweat on his forehead and asked anxiously, "Young Miss, where is the maidservant?"


    Bi Zhu pointed towards the tightly shut woodshed.


    The doctor pushed the door open without a word, and a cold and rotten smell immediately filled him to the point of coughing.


    An Lingge brought Bi Zhu and followed behind doctor, watching as doctor crouched down and examined Lan Xin''s body from head to toe.


    In a short moment, the doctor frowned, "Young miss, other than a sudden death, does this servant have any other symptoms?"


    At this time, Ming Xin walked in, "We have already checked earlier, there are many red pimples below Lan Xin''s neck, and there are also many large chunks of broken skin."


    Seeing that she had returned, An Lingge knew that she had already dispersed the servants and guards around so that no one could barge in.


    Hearing her words, doctor''s expression suddenly became serious.


    He stroked his grizzled beard and frowned. "That shouldn''t be the case."


    As if she had some unanswered questions, doctor crouched down again. This time he pulled up a corner of Lan Xin''s collar, and the red viciously jumped into her eyes.


    "It''s the plague!"


    doctor exclaimed in a low voice. She subconsciously took a step back, and fell onto the ground.


    A look of truth flashed past An Lingge''s eyes, and her expression was as serious as the doctor''s. "A plague has appeared in my residence, this matter cannot be underestimated. I''ll go report it to father now, I hope that doctor can accompany me."


    After the doctor panicked, she realized that she had lost her composure. His old face flushed, and upon hearing An Lingge''s words, she immediately stood up, patted off the dust on her body and said seriously, "It''s all thanks to First Miss for being sharp, otherwise, when the plague spread, the entire Duke Palace would have been in deep trouble."


    It was not only the Palace. In his previous life, everyone in the capital was terrified by the plague. How many people had died in this plague?


    An Lingge did not reply, she only brought doctor out, and the clear voice floated around the woodshed, "Find someone to burn this place down, do not burn anything else."


    He needed to find guards to prevent himself from getting into trouble.


    After she understood what An Lingge meant, she agreed and left with Bi Zhu.


    An Yingcheng was sitting in the study room, waiting for doctor to come over to report on the results, when he saw An Lingge walking in with a serious expression.


    When this expression fell in front of An Yingcheng''s eyes, it caused him to be shocked in his heart.


    doctor quickly walked in front of An Yingcheng and explained the results, "From the condition of the servant, she might have contracted the plague."


    He had already been a doctor in the Prince''s Mansion for dozens of years. Although his medical skills were not as good as that of the imperial physicians in the palace, he was still much stronger than ordinary doctors.


    Now that doctor had said such words, no matter how unwilling An Yingcheng was to believe it, she had no choice but to take this matter seriously.


    With his hands behind his back, Fang Zheng''s face was serious.


    "Then what should we do with the maidservants?"


    "Daughter has told the people around us to burn the woodshed to prevent it from spreading to other people." An Lingge lowered her eyes, and spoke with an unhurried and unhurried pace.


    Her punishment was very appropriate, so An Yingcheng acknowledged, with an unexplainable expression in his eyes.

 C198

    The plague had to be hidden.


    An Yingcheng made a decision in an instant.


    When the late emperor was on the throne, the plague broke out in a violent and violent manner. In just a few days, tens of thousands of citizens died. In order to prevent the plague from spreading, the late emperor ordered the people who had caught the plague to be locked up together and set them on fire. It took them over half a month to control the plague.


    Although those who were burned to death were commoners, who could guarantee that the emperor knew that some maidservants in the manor were infected with the plague and wouldn''t order them to burn everyone in the manor?


    As the Emperor was wary of other princes like him, An Yingcheng still had a good idea of how suspicious they were.


    He made a decision in his heart, and his expression relaxed slightly as he looked at An Lingge with warm appreciation, "You did well in this matter, the woodshed will be rebuilt after some time. Just pretend like nothing happened today."


    "Father, this matter should be told to the Emperor."


    An Lingge caught the dark look in An Yingcheng''s eyes and made some guesses as to what he was thinking.


    However, the plague had affected tens of thousands of citizens in the capital. They could not just ignore those people''s lives just because of the King''s Mansion.


    doctor stood at her original position, feeling that she didn''t even know where to put her hands or feet.


    Should he seize the time to study the cure for the plague after he returned, or should he find a reason to leave the manor?


    An Yingcheng did not care what the doctor was thinking about, he frowned between his brows and waved his hand for the doctor to retreat. His dignified eyes stared at An Lingge, "Little Ge, this matter concerns the entire Duke Palace, it is not as simple as you think."


    The Emperor suspects that these other princes have already been here for a long time. If the Emperor were to find out that someone from their Duke Palace was infected with a plague, he would probably be very willing to use this as an excuse to make the Prince An''s Palace disappear from this world.


    At that time, the Emperor could also say that it was for the sake of the country and the people that they would be eliminated. Not only would they not be scolded by the officials, they would even gain the reputation of a king.


    "This matter is not only related to our King''s Manor." An Lingge did not avoid or avoid it, his black and deep eyes shone with astonishing light, as she looked straight into An Yingcheng''s eyes, "The plague always erupts very quickly, and if we do not quickly inform the emperor of this matter, in a few days, a large area of the capital will probably erupt with plague, causing thousands of citizens to die from the plague."


    When she thought of the tragic state of her previous life, a trace of pity flashed in her eyes.


    The heavens had given her a chance to be reborn. She wondered if she could change the fate of these civilians.


    "You''re still young, there are some things you don''t understand. Just remember, that maid died suddenly, there''s nothing special about it." An Yingcheng did not move, although he still had a stern expression, but the words that he said made An Lingge want to bury the matter in his heart, "Little Ge, your father knows that you are kind and kind, but if the emperor were to know about this, I am afraid it will bring about a disaster to our Duke Palace."


    The worry in his heart wasn''t unreasonable, but An Lingge''s thinking was completely different from his.


    "Father, even if you didn''t say anything, I still know that the current emperor fears the other princes and is wholeheartedly trying to weaken their power. Are you worried that the emperor will kill all of our Duke Palaces if he finds out about this?"


    Surprise surfaced on An Yingcheng''s face. She had never mentioned this in the palace, so how did An Lingge know about it?


    A look of deep thought flashed past his eyes, as An Lingge continued to speak, "But Father, think about it, if I were to hide this matter today, and wait for a plague to break out in the capital in two days, with tens of millions of citizens dead, the Emperor will definitely send his men to investigate the source of the plague. At that time, how are you going to face the Emperor''s questioning?"


    "It would be better to inform the emperor of this matter before the plague breaks out, so that the citizens of the capital are prepared for it. You have saved them and performed a meritorious deed in front of the emperor. The emperor will not do anything to you."


    There seemed to be a little bit of truth in his words.


    The sharpness in An Yingcheng''s eyes faded, and a look of hesitation appeared on his face.


    If this matter was kept secret, the Emperor might find out about it; but if this matter was reported to the Emperor, and then sent people to spread the news that he had found the plague, he would be considered a meritorious general in the eyes of the people, and due to his reputation, the Emperor would not use his Prince An''s Palace.


    But what if the emperor insisted on using this opportunity to pull out the thorn in the Prince''s Mansion''s side? Wasn''t it a waste of effort for him to scheme so much?


    An Yingcheng put his hands behind his back, and for a moment, he didn''t know what to do.


    Seeing his hesitation, An Lingge knew that An Yingcheng had listened to her words.


    She took advantage of the heat to strike the iron and enumerated the various benefits. "You told this to the Emperor, and that is to hand over your life to the Emperor. This is an act of loyalty to the Emperor. "Although the Emperor has a suspicious personality, you''ve already done it to this point. No matter what, the Emperor will be moved by father. Perhaps from now on, he will trust father and not let you be a idle prince anymore."


    Idle Prince.


    An Yingcheng clenched his hands behind his back, feeling a bit sad.


    Yes, when the old prince followed the late emperor to the world, he held tens of thousands of soldiers in his hands and rushed across the battlefield to become a mighty warrior. However, when he inherited the throne, he was suspected by the emperor, so he could only follow the path of a civil servant and become a safe and peaceful idle prince. Although his status was noble, his authority in the imperial court was not even comparable to that of a prince tutor.


    What a tragedy this was!


    What man does not wish to hold a great army in his hands, to be loyal to the monarchy, to be reprimanded in the imperial court?


    However, he was suspected by the Emperor and was unable to display his talents. If he were muddle-headed to middle age, would he still continue to be like this?


    "Alright, I''ll listen to you."


    An Yingcheng made up his mind, and no longer hesitated, he looked at An Lingge with some doubt in his eyes, "But Little Ge, how do you know about all this?"


    He did not care much about his daughter, even the teacher was invited by the Aunt Li, he did not know what An Lingge learned, where he learned it from, or how he learned it.


    The last time he had met a bandit, An Lingge''s skillful archery had shocked him quite a bit. But archery was still a skill of the Six Arts, so it wasn''t strange for An Lingge to be more outstanding.


    But how did An Lingge know that the Emperor was paranoid, had doubts towards other princes like them, and wanted to weaken their power?


    An ordinary lady in a pavilion would not know about this, furthermore, he had never mentioned this before in the Palace, so how did Little Ge know about this!

 C199

    An Lingge laughed. Her bright and dazzling face was blossoming like a myriad of spring flowers and plums in an instant, causing a vague figure to appear in front of An Yingcheng. That person was also standing in the midst of the flowers, smiling at him.


    An Yingcheng came back to reality as he sighed in his heart, Little Ge really looked like her mother.


    "Father, this was all told to me by Hereditary Prince Mu." The corner of An Lingge''s mouth curved, a smile could be seen in the depths of her eyes, and she returned to being a dignified yet energetic young lady, "Hereditary Prince Mu once walked around the Imperial Palace, probably because she had some understanding of the emperor''s personality."


    Mu Junhan was the emperor''s nephew, and was also favored by the empress dowager. It was very normal for him to know about these matters.


    An Yingcheng was just about to nod his head, but he sensed that something was wrong, "Why would Hereditary Prince Mu tell you about this?"


    Who would tell a girl about the imperial court?


    Moreover, Mu Junhan and An Lingge were only engaged to an unmarried couple, and in the end, the marriage was annulled. So why would Mu Junhan say all these to her?


    "used Mu Junhan as a shield and said," That time when our daughter and Hereditary Prince Mu had an argument, Hereditary Prince Mu anxiously said that the Emperor was suspicious of the other princes and our daughter''s future would not be good. I saw that he was serious, so I wrote it down. "


    In the eyes of those who were unaware, the reason why she and Mu Junhan''s marriage was cancelled was because the two of them were incompatible.


    But now that she said that, An Yingcheng did not doubt her.


    The Prince Mu¡¯s Palace is related to the Emperor by marriage, and since he has grasped several hundred thousand soldiers, the Emperor will not act against them for a short period of time.


    But their Prince An''s Palace were different. After all these years of decline, if the Emperor found an excuse to uproot them, it wouldn''t take him much effort. He would have to gain the Emperor''s trust.


    The corner of An Yingcheng''s mouth stretched straight as he nodded gravely, "I will report this to the Emperor as soon as possible. You can go back first."


    He wasn''t worried that An Lingge would be infected by the plague. After all, An Lingge had saved Madam Wang and the child in her womb, so the medical technique was sufficient enough for her to protect herself.


    An Lingge walked out meekly, and only after walking out of the courtyard did she heave a long sigh of relief.


    As long as An Yingcheng was willing to report this matter to the Emperor, it would be fine. This way, the citizens would be on guard, and with them having to watch out for food and water, there probably wouldn''t be a large area of deaths.


    An Yingcheng then changed into his official''s uniform and ordered the people to prepare the carriage before he rushed back to the palace in a hurry.


    He was in a hurry, and the servants did not dare to dawdle. The coachman brandished his whip, and within half an hour, the carriage had stopped in front of the Imperial Palace.


    "Prince An."


    The guards recognized An Yingcheng and the leader bowed to him.


    An Yingcheng waved his hand, "General Zhao does not need to be so courteous, I have urgent matters to discuss with the Emperor today.


    He was about to walk into the palace when General Zhao stopped him with a troubled expression. "Prince An, this is not the time for the court to be in session. You don''t have the orders of the emperor, so this official cannot allow you in."


    An Yingcheng suddenly realized, he was so anxious that he had almost forgotten about the palace ban. He then took out an order badge and waved it in front of General Zhao, "Can I go in now?"


    "Prince An, please." When General Zhao saw the words on the order badge, his expression immediately became respectful. He moved to the side and opened up a path for An Yingcheng.


    Since he gave way, the other imperial guards naturally would not stop him. An Yingcheng then walked into the palace with big strides.


    "Aiyo, it''s Prince An." Before An Yingcheng could approach the Qian Qing Hall, he met the eunuch beside the emperor, Fu Quan.


    With a beaming smile on his fat face and a horsetail whisk in hand, only his eyes carried a little shrewdness. "May I ask what Prince An wants to enter the palace for?"


    An Yingcheng also smiled, and did not dare to offend the people around the emperor, "This king has an important matter to discuss with the emperor, I hope that eunuch can help me inform him."


    "We will be going right now. Prince An, please wait here for a moment." Fu Quan acknowledged the order and turned around to walk towards the palace.


    An Yingcheng originally wanted to follow along, but then he thought of his blessings and decided to stay in place.


    Fortunately, the emperor was free now, so he quickly had someone bring An Yingcheng to the Qian Qing Hall.


    "What important matters do you have with your beloved one to meet with me? He even took out the command medallion that the Old Marquis left behind. " The emperor laughed and teased, as if he was extremely close to An Yingcheng.


    An Yingcheng''s mouth formed a bitter smile. If he did not take out the plate the Old Marquis left for him, he would not be able to even enter the palace today.


    This way, he would naturally not say it in front of the emperor. An Yingcheng then answered vaguely, "Your majesty, this humble subject noticed that someone in the capital is infected with the plague, thus I rushed over immediately."


    Plague?


    The emperor''s smiling face suddenly sunk. He stared at An Yingcheng, and his voice did not sound emotional at all. "My beloved, this is not a joke."


    "How dare this humble subject joke about this matter?" An Yingcheng''s eyes were filled with anxiety, "A servant girl beside my daughter suddenly died without reason, the doctors at home had already gone to see, they said that she had contracted a plague, and would then ¡­"


    The gaze of the emperor became sharper, without that easy-going look from before. He exuded the aura of the Ninth Five Supremes, which made people not dare to look him in the eye, "Just a servant girl died, and you ran over here in a hurry to tell us that there was a plague in the capital. King An, when did you learn to make a fuss about nothing?"


    However, he had already decided to use this matter as a weight to show his loyalty to the Emperor, and now, he braced himself and spoke out.


    "It is not that this humble servant was overdoing it, but that the plague broke out too quickly. This humble servant is afraid that I would be unable to report in time and cause a disaster." You have to understand that the thousand mile dam was destroyed by an ant''s nest, and only one maid is infected with the plague. If you do not take precautions, the plague will quickly erupt, and at that time, the consequences will be unimaginable! "


    "According to what you said, should we send people to capture everyone in Prince An''s Palace so that they do not harm the citizens of the capital?" The Emperor sneered, without a hint of the kind attitude he had earlier. "If that''s the case, I will pass down an order right now so that you won''t be worried that the plague will spread and harm the people."


    The Emperor roared angrily, and his voice carried a thick sense of rage. As he stood up, he seemed as if he was about to issue a decree.


    An Yingcheng ran over to him and said that there would be a plague in the capital. Didn''t that mean that he was heartless and ungrateful, and that he would bring about disaster?


    Prince An''s life was indeed too peaceful!

 C200

    Accompanying a monarch was like accompanying a tiger.


    An Yingcheng looked at the angered face of the emperor and thought.


    He was a little flustered in his heart, but in the next moment, he understood that the emperor was not really going to destroy his Prince An''s Palace.


    "Please calm your anger, Your Majesty!" An Yingcheng took two steps forward, his expression unchanging. "This subject entered the palace rashly for the sake of the Emperor''s mountains and rivers, the citizens of the Emperor. May Your Majesty listen to this subject, and be on your guard!"


    His solemn and solemn expression made the emperor even more infuriated. King An''s words sounded as if the enemy forces had struck the capital, or as if someone had rebelled. He even mentioned his lands and rivers, making them even more stable!


    The emperor sat back down on his seat with a gloomy face and stared straight at An Yingcheng with his sharp eyes, "King An, you came here to tell me that the capital is about to fall into a plague based on the death of a young maid, if I believe you, wouldn''t it be making the people of the world laugh at my impotence?"


    An Yingcheng laughed bitterly, there was no proof in this matter, if the servant did not die in his residence, Little Ge and the doctor would have already diagnosed that the servant died from the plague, he would not dare believe it!


    But since he had decided to tell the Emperor about it, he would not back down.


    "Your majesty, this subject has already asked the doctor in the house to look and confirm that the maid died from the plague. If the Emperor does not trust this humble subject, this humble subject is willing to vouch for him with his life. A plague will soon befall the capital. If this does not succeed, this subject is willing to commit suicide within the clan. "


    An Yingcheng bent his body down, and this sentence caused the emperor to be extremely shocked.


    In the Emperor''s heart, An Yingcheng had always been a person who had no opinions, and he had never interfered with matters of the imperial court. Although he had some ambitions, his ability was far too mediocre, and looking at it now, it seemed like Prince An had some character, and actually dared to use his life to guarantee it.


    With this thought, the anger in the Emperor''s heart subsided a little. His eyes were still sharp and deep. "Alright. Since you dare to guarantee it with your life, I''ll believe you this once."


    An Yingcheng secretly heaved a sigh of relief, pretending to accidentally raise his hand and wiped the sweat off his forehead.


    On the other side, An Lingge ordered her men to burn down the woodshed. After taking care of Lan Xin''s matters, before she even returned to her own courtyard, she met An Lingyi.


    "What is Big Sis doing? Could it be that since this fire is fun, Big Sis is going to use it to burn the mansion and play around? "


    An Lingyi wore a white, plain white dress with indigo plum blossom and bamboo leaves embroidered on the outside. She wore a long dress with gold thread and water shadow, it was obvious that she was dressed daintily, but her pretty face carried a hint of ridicule.


    It was all''s fault, leading to the aunt being punished by the madame, getting whipped, and now even laying on the bed. Yet, An Lingge actually ordered the person beside him to burn a woodshed, and was purposely causing trouble for the aunt taking advantage of the aunt''s serious injuries and not being able to take care of matters!


    Her hostility towards An Lingge was so obvious that even An Lingmeng, who was behind her, could feel it. She immediately lowered his head as if she didn''t know anything.


    An Lingyi suddenly spoke out, "Fourth sister, tell me, did big sister not have a good reputation? She wronged me on Grandmother''s birthday, and now that she has ordered someone to burn the woodshed, if no one is in charge of it, who knows when big sister will tear down our Duke''s Mansion."


    Being called out by An Lingyi, An Lingmeng could no longer pretend to be deaf and mute, and could only let out a dry laugh, "What big sister has done is indeed excessive, but she has always been generous.


    Initially, she did not want to offend anyone, as the first few words resonated with An Lingyi, and the latter two words gave An Lingge a way out.


    But An Lingyi''s face did not look any better, to the point of anger.


    An Lingmeng was only a small concubine in the second house who had no power or influence in this house. She had looked up to her and had her stay by her side a few times, but she didn''t try to curry favor with him, and actually wanted to be on good terms with him?


    She was just a lowly daughter, yet she still wanted to please both sides. She didn''t want to offend anyone. In her dreams!


    An Lingyi snorted, her eyes causing An Lingmeng''s heart to turn cold, "Then can big sister tell me what made her do this?"


    In the entire capital, no one would dare burn their own woodshed. If it wasn''t for the fact that the aunt was currently lying on the bed, she would have used this matter to suppress An Lingge''s arrogance.


    An Lingge''s eyes lightly shifted over. She clearly had a gorgeous face, but when matched with her cold and indifferent expression, it made people feel a chill in their heart, making people not dare to look directly into her black eyes.


    "Third Sister, I have already reported this matter to Father. If you have any objections, you might as well go and speak with Father directly."


    An Lingge pursed her lips, there was a hint of disdain on her lips, as if An Lingyi, a concubine, was not fit to ask her that question.


    But what An Lingyi hated the most was this expression!


    An Lingge was only born with the good fortune to become the new daughter of her father, but she was also her daughter, so why was An Lingge even nobler than her? Why should she lower herself in front of An Lingge?


    She would definitely remove An Lingge, get rid of this stumbling block, and become father''s only daughter!


    An Lingyi fiercely clenched her teeth, her eyes revealed a sinister ruthlessness, but her expression was innocent and charming, "So it was father who ordered big sister to burn down the woodshed, I have never seen father give such an absurd order." She paused, her large almond eyes beaming with light. "But father''s order, why is it given to Big Sis to do it? Did all the servants by his side run off to be lazy?"


    These words seemed to be for An Lingge''s sake, but in reality, it was comparing An Lingge to a servant, implying that An Lingge was willing to lower herself to do things that a servant would do.


    As if she didn''t understand the mockery in An Lingyi''s words, she smiled at An Lingyi, her bright and beautiful face becoming even more dazzling, "The things that should have been left to Aunt Li to do. After all, she has been in charge of the Duke Palace for so many years. But she''s just been whipped and she''s lying in bed and she can''t move. It''s when she''s weak, and I can''t let her take care of the chores with her wounds, so I have to find someone to do it for me. "


    Didn''t An Lingyi say that doing all these would be no different from being a servant? But Aunt Li had done this countless times, and An Lingyi mocked her until she was no different from a servant. Aunt Li was like a servant, as long as it was An Lingyi who was born as a "servant", he would lower himself to her.


    Furthermore, she had done all of this for the benefit of the Aunt Li, and only after letting him recuperate, did she accept this. However, An Lingyi actually mocked her, showing that she did not know what was good for him.

 C201

    The most important thing was that the Aunt Li was injured today and the matter landed on An Lingge. Who knew if the authority in the Aunt Li''s hands would also disappear tomorrow?


    The light in An Lingge''s eyes turned slightly, and landed on An Lingmeng''s thoughtful face. The corner of her mouth curled into a meaningful smile.


    Being mocked by An Lingge in such a neither soft nor hard manner, An Lingyi was so angry that her face turned red. If it wasn''t for taking into account her Aunt Li''s words, she would have rushed up and taught An Lingge a ruthless lesson.


    However, her aunt had warned her over and over again that An Lingge was crafty, that she was not An Lingge''s match, and told her to temporarily avoid getting caught by An Lingge.


    An Lingyi''s almond-shaped eyes stared fiercely, filled with anger. At first glance, it was very scary. However, when compared to An Lingge''s calmness when she did not panic, she instantly appeared like a childish child, not even worth mentioning.


    "Big sister is also thinking for the Aunt Li. Third sister, don''t be angry." An Lingmeng suddenly spoke out, breaking the strange silence between the two.


    Her words were already biased towards An Lingge, but An Lingyi was even more furious, she turned around and pushed An Lingmeng away, "What does this have to do with you?"


    An Lingyi''s actions were sudden, as if all the anger she had towards An Lingge had spilled onto her body. An Lingmeng was caught off guard and smashed to the ground, she could not recover from the shock, and still had an expression of shock and sadness on her face.


    After making such a move, An Lingyi was in a panic. She had acted on impulse and did not think about pushing An Lingmeng down.


    "Hurry and help Fourth Miss up." An Lingge instructed Bi Zhu to understand the situation, and the two of them immediately ran over to An Lingmeng''s side and carefully helped him up while tidying her clothes.


    An Lingmeng''s eyes were brimming with tears, her white teeth bit on her lips, and only after standing up did her mouth tremble as she thanked An Lingge, "Thank you, big sister."


    She looked as if she had been greatly wronged, and it must have been hard for her, a woman who had no sense of existence in the house, to fawn on An-Ling in order to be better off, to be bullied by her, to be beaten or scolded like a servant by her.


    An Lingge sighed in her heart, and nodded at her before looking at An Lingyi with a more serious expression, "Third Sister''s personality is still so impulsive and impulsive, now that you have pushed down your fourth sister, us sisters don''t fuss over it too much, if you push down someone else, you will inevitably lose your arrogant and despotic reputation."


    As if she was worried for An Lingyi''s future, she said, "If not for me begging my grandmother to find a nanny to teach them a lesson and properly teach them the proper etiquette, in case you make a mistake in the future and bring about disaster."


    A hypocritical bitch!


    An Lingyi was so angry that her eyes turned red, and the hand hanging by her side involuntarily tightened.


    The words sounded so nice, wasn''t An Lingge just saying that she did not know manners and was arrogant? It was disgusting to act as if you were doing it for your own good.


    She felt that An Lingge''s actions were hypocritical and disgusting, but An Lingyi had never thought that the Aunt Li would treat An Lingge in such a manner. On one hand, it was said that it was good for An Lingge, but it treated him as its own daughter.


    At that time, she didn''t feel that what Aunt Li was doing was wrong, she only watched as An Lingge was kept in the dark by the mother and daughter, like a fool being coaxed by them. She was extremely pleased, how could she have expected that An Lingge would treat her like this one day?


    "Big Sis, thank you for your trouble." An Lingyi scoffed, secretly sarcastic, "But big sister is so free, I should learn more female embroidery, so as to not be unable to find a good person in the future. Aunt will have to worry about that for you."


    She was making fun of An Lingge for being annulled in his marriage, but An Lingge did not care about it at all, she only smiled faintly, "Grandmother and father will naturally be in charge of my marriage."


    Aunt Li''s concubine isn''t enough to interfere with her marriage!


    Originally, she wanted to stab An Lingge, but in the end, she had ended up quite angering herself.


    An Lingyi knew that she would not have a good ending in front of An Lingge, so she did not beat around the bush any longer and turned to leave with An Lingmeng.


    An Lingmeng bowed to An Lingge in a slightly hesitant manner before following An Lingyi. The two figures slowly disappeared into the distance.


    After the two of them left, An Lingge''s face showed signs of fatigue.


    She returned to her own courtyard, but did not rest, and instead allowed Brightheart to bring over the public information map. After carefully calculating for a while, she finally got Bi Zhu to take out a pen and paper, and wrote something on it.


    Bi Zhu and Ming Xin knew that she was busy making Aunt Li and An Lingyi''s schemes fail, and had to make them suffer even more. Her plan of changing pillars was to send people to watch every step of the way, in exchange for Aunt Li getting whipped, but An Lingge had to put in a lot of effort.


    Moreover, Lan Xin''s sudden death would cause the plague to spread. Young miss must be very worried.


    The two of them looked at each other, both seeing the pain in the other''s heart.


    But the two of them who were maidservants, other than giving An Lingge tea and water, as well as running errands, they could not help in such matters. They could only stand behind An Lingge silently, not daring to disturb her.


    After a while, An Lingge put down the brush in her hand. On the snow-white xuan paper, there were already a few lines of elegant and beautiful writing landed on top of it.


    An Lingge rubbed the space between her brows and raised her spirit, "The two of you go to the kitchen and get a medicinal stove, take five pills with this recipe."


    The prescription was developed by a Godly Doctor after the outbreak of the plague in his previous life. Thanks to this formula, those who had contracted the plague in his previous life had a chance of survival. At that time, she had already become somewhat interested in medicine, so she sent people to inquire about the medicinal formula and secretly jotted it down.


    Since the plague happened too early, it was time for her to take out the prescription.


    Bi Zhu and Xin Xin Xin agreed and turned to leave.


    An Lingge then took out a black whistle from her robes and studied it for a moment. Then, she placed the whistle on another piece of paper and started to write on it again.


    This time, she spent too much time on it. She seemed to be at a loss as to how to write it. She wrote on a piece of paper for an incense stick of time before finally finishing it.


    An Lingge took out an envelope and folded the written letter carefully before placing it inside. Then, she blew the whistle.


    The clear whistling sound was extremely piercing, and before long, a figure landed in front of An Lingge.


    "Princess." The man obviously recognized An Lingge, and the way he cupped his fists and bowed to An Lingge showed that he was a person from the martial arts world.


    A flash of astonishment crossed An Lingge''s mind, but she did not show it on the surface. She only pushed the letter in her hand forward, "Give this letter to Hereditary Prince Mu."

 C202

    The letter in his hand was plain and unremarkable. There was only a thin piece of paper in the brown envelope.


    The moment the figure received the letter, such a thought flashed across his mind.


    The Hereditary Prince had sent him to protect An Lingge, but even after so many days had passed, An Lingge still hadn''t blown her whistle.


    He thought that An Lingge had forgotten about the Dark Guard. It was only when he heard the whistle that he realized that An Lingge had not forgotten about the Dark Guard.


    Now that An Lingge needed to deliver a letter to the Hereditary Prince, it was time for his Dark Guard to come in handy.


    "You should know where Hereditary Prince Mu is now, right?" An Lingge''s melodious voice came out, allowing her thoughts to run far away from the Dark Guard.


    "Your subordinate has been in contact with the person beside master the entire time." Dark Guard did not hide anything and honestly replied.


    This meant that he could now deliver the letter to Mu Junhan.


    An Lingge relaxed, and the corner of her mouth curved into a faint smile, "After you send this letter over, return to Hereditary Prince Mu''s side. I don''t need that many people here."


    She already had her loyal heart and Bi Zhu by her side.


    Dark Guard did not accept, they only said respectfully, "This subordinate will deliver this letter to master as soon as possible. Please rest assured, princess."


    As a Dark Guard, he would always do whatever Master told him to do.


    Mu Junhan had instructed him to protect An Lingge, so his mission was to protect An Lingge. Unless Mu Junhan told him to go back, he would stay in the darkness to protect An Lingge.


    An Lingge suddenly understood, if she could so easily listen to someone else''s orders, then she was afraid that her Dark Guard could not be considered as qualified.


    She nodded and said goodbye. Then, the figure in front of her disappeared.


    Right at this time, the bead curtain made a sound, and Brightheart and Bi Zhu walked in with a small cauldron in their hands.


    "Miss, will you place this cauldron in our courtyard?" Bi Zhu blinked. If this cauldron was in their courtyard, who knows what Aunt Li would do.


    An Lingge acknowledged her presence. Just as she was about to order the two girls to fry the medicine, she remembered that the recipe was a little complicated. She spun the words in her mouth and swallowed them.


    "This recipe is for controlling the plague." Lan Xin had the plague, and all of them had come in contact with Lan Xin just now, so they were easily infected, thus the medicine was indispensable.


    A flash of astonishment appeared on Brightheart''s face, she didn''t know how An Lingge found out about the anti-plague medicine, but she had never doubted An Lingge''s words, she only whispered, "Then this servant will go and fry the medicine now."


    "Wait." An Lingge called out to her, "This prescription is a little complicated, the two of you, take a look at what I''ve done."


    She walked out of the room with Bi Zhu and Ming Xin hurriedly following behind her with the small furnace in their hands.


    Fortunately, when the medicinal herbs were first discovered, Aunt Li and Seventh Prince did not send people to collect them. After that, An Lingge sent someone to move the medicinal herbs out, but he still had some left in his Parasol House.


    An Lingge brought the two maids to the storage area where the medicinal herbs were stored. She had to explain in detail about each medicinal herb she took out to them before she could explain to them what they should take note of when concocting the medicinal herbs.


    Two hours had passed after the medicinal herbs were fried.


    "Send this to father. Tell him it''s to prevent and cure the plague and he must drink it." An Lingge poured the fried medicine into a bowl and closed the lid.


    When An Yingcheng went into the palace to report the news to the emperor, he estimated that he should be back soon.


    Bi Zhu nodded her head, and carefully brought the medicine to An Yingcheng''s courtyard.


    Ming Xin stayed where she was and started to fry the medicine under An Lingge''s guidance.


    Her mind was meticulous and astute. At the same time, she raised the fire in both pill furnaces, frying the two pills in an impressive manner.


    An Lingge saw that Brightheart had already cut four sets of medicine. Other than the three of them, she also sent someone to deliver a bowl of medicine to the doctor, just in case.


    After settling all of these matters, just as An Lingge was about to take a nap, a wife suddenly ran over in a hurry.


    "Eldest Miss, happy occasion, happy occasion!"


    In the blink of an eye, she had already appeared in front of An Lingge. Although she was still panting, she had a bright smile on her face.


    She grinned widely, her smile so wide that even her teeth could not be seen, "Mrs. Mingzhu has sent someone to deliver an invitation to our house, to invite Eldest Miss to be a guest at our house."


    Mrs. Mingzhu?


    An Lingge suddenly remembered that back then, when she had just been reincarnated, she had temporarily entered the Qing Yun Temple in order to avoid the schemes set up by the Aunt Li. After that, when An Lingyi framed him, it was the Mrs. Mingzhu who stood up for him and fiercely reprimanded An Lingyi.


    But the Mrs. Mingzhu was always quiet and did not like to interact with people. Other than burning incense and ceremonial Buddha, she did not go out even once, why would she suddenly invite him to her residence?


    "What happened in Mrs. Mingzhu''s residence?" An Lingge''s eyes flickered as she thought of one possibility.


    "The young miss is intelligent, the Mrs. Mingzhu has found her long-lost daughter, and has sent a thread to many families, wanting to introduce her daughter to everyone." The Prince An''s Palace had been weakened over the years. If he could get on good terms with the Mrs. Mingzhu, it would be a good thing.


    This was indeed the case.


    An Lingge thought about the mother and son duo that she had met on the mountain path. Back then, she had hinted at Shen Jiaojiao because of the kindness Shen Jiaojiao had shown him in her previous life. Now that Shen Jiaojiao had indeed been found by the Mrs. Mingzhu, the reunion between mother and daughter, could be considered as her repaying Shen Jiaojiao.


    A smile appeared on her face, and her eyes softened a little. "Give me the invitation."


    Upon hearing that, the wife passed over an exquisite and golden invitation note. On it was written in small characters, with the invitation letter written on it. Although it was only a few words, the happiness of the Mrs. Mingzhu could be seen from it.


    When she recognized Shen Jiaojiao, the reason why she was able to immediately send her lover to the mansion was to let everyone know who Shen Jiaojiao was.


    An Lingge''s gaze swept across them, her eyes stopped for a moment at the date, and her lips curved into a gentle and sincere smile, "Three days later, I will bring my little sisters to the Mrs. Mingzhu''s residence.


    Mrs. Mingzhu''s invitation wasn''t given to An Lingge alone, but was given to all of the women in the Prince An''s Palace.


    However, this invitation was in her hands and not Aunt Li''s. It could be seen that Mrs. Mingzhu still remembered the time at Qing Yun Temple, and did not have any good feelings towards Aunt Li''s mother and daughter.


    It was just that Mrs. Mingzhu didn''t go out for a long time and didn''t know that the Old Mistress had already returned.


    An Lingge put away the invitation, and her eyes shone brightly.

 C203

    Three days passed in the blink of an eye.


    There were countless of guests coming and going in front of the Mrs. Mingzhu''s gate.


    Prince An''s Palace''s carriage stopped in front of the door, with An Yingcheng first, followed by Aunt Li, Aunt Wei, An Lingge and the others, and finally the old lady.


    As for those people from the second and third branch families, even though they were blood related to the old king, in the end, their status was not high, and they could not enter the Mrs. Mingzhu Palace.


    Because of Mrs. Mingzhu''s invitation, everyone from Prince An''s Palace were all dressed up.


    An Yingcheng wore a dark blue embroidered robe with a round, embroidered satin collar, and red-faced, white-soled, cloud-patterned boots. He wore a warm smile on his usually dignified face, and was welcomed by the guards at the door.


    Aunt Li followed closely behind him. After three days of recuperation, even though the wounds on her body still hurt a little, it did not affect her eating or walking.


    Originally, An Lingge wanted the Aunt Li to stay in the palace to prevent trouble from her running out again. But the Aunt Li in front of An Yingcheng was crying and wailing endlessly, as though she had suffered some huge grievance. An Lingge could only let her go, since it was not her own body that was being tormented.


    In An Lingge''s opinion, whether the Aunt Li, who had only received a few dozen lashes, was lying on her bed properly and was tormenting her own body, the Aunt Li did not think so at all.


    When she heard that Mrs. Mingzhu was going to treat everyone to a feast, she immediately got up from the bed. Without even asking the maidservants to help her, she went to pick out her clothes and accessories by herself, as if the injuries on her body were healed in an instant.


    Aunt Li was dressed in a bright brocade coat of peach-red silk, a rose-red silk dress, and a scarlet gold ruby comb.


    An Lingge only took a few glances before retracting her gaze. She was secretly discussing in her heart, Aunt Li was already over thirty years old, she did not know why she was so fond of these beet red and peach red, could it be because they looked young?


    In contrast, Aunt Wei was different from her. She had kept a low profile when she was in the palace earlier, and now that she was going out for her first time, her attire was not very conspicuous either. She wore a blue moon butterfly sleeveless jacket, and her lower body was dressed in a dark blue satin dress made from dark flowers.


    An Lingge retracted her gaze and leisurely followed behind the few of them.


    The servants of the Mrs. Mingzhu Palace were very quick-witted, welcoming the many guests, but they did not show any signs of panic or helplessness.


    An Lingge and the rest were led to the place where the Mrs. Mingzhu was, as for An Yingcheng, he was naturally staying with the male guests.


    "Greetings Mrs. Mingzhu."


    The Old Granny stood at the very front of the group, and nodded towards Mrs. Mingzhu, while the others bowed towards Mrs. Mingzhu.


    Mrs. Mingzhu and Shen Jiaojiao were talking about something, and upon hearing what was said, she immediately looked over. "No need for formalities."


    When she looked over, she realized that the madame was also there and smiled. "Since when did the madame return to the capital? I haven''t been out of the house in the past few days and have no idea."


    "Didn''t this old one come to visit you, Mrs. Mingzhu?" There was a smile on the corners of the madame''s mouth. Although they weren''t familiar with each other, they had met several times in the past.


    Shen Jiaojiao''s gaze landed on An Lingge who was behind the old lady. Her eyes were filled with surprise and joy, "Benefactor!"


    She took a step forward and was about to hold An Lingge''s hand, as if she remembered something, she suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at Mrs. Mingzhu behind her.


    Mrs. Mingzhu shifted her gaze from the old lady, landing on An Lingge.


    She had some memories of this woman. Back then, An Lingge''s calm and composed appearance in the Qing Yun Temple had left a deep impression on her, not to mention that An Lingge was so gorgeous, it would be hard for anyone who saw her to forget her face.


    "So it was Miss An who saved my daughter." "Ever since I found my daughter, I have been sending people to search for the savior of the three of them. It''s just that I did not manage to find out anything about it, and now that Miss An has arrived at your place, I would like to solemnly thank you."


    She said that and was about to kneel down, how dare An Lingge accept her bow?


    This was the emperor''s own aunt!


    An Lingge turned to the side, and supported the Mrs. Mingzhu from the side, "Madam, please quickly get up. What happened that day was only a small matter, and did not deserve to be a saving grace.


    Shen Jiaojiao and Mrs. Mingzhu were naturally very clear on whether or not it was saving their lives.


    Seeing An Lingge being so modest, the Mrs. Mingzhu did not say anymore and only spoke seriously, "This matter is a favor to Miss An. In the future, if Miss An has any difficulties, as long as it does not go against ethics and morals, I will do my best to help you."


    That day, when she met Shen Jiaojiao and her sons, she thought that they were just a few poor, lowly commoners that scoffed at An Lingge''s actions of helping them. Who knew that in the blink of an eye, Shen Jiaojiao had become the daughter of the Mrs. Mingzhu, the niece of the Emperor, and her status was even higher than hers. Just like that, An Lingge received the grace of saving her life, receiving the gratitude of the Mrs. Mingzhu.


    Why did An Lingge have to deal with all of the good things!


    Now, Mrs. Mingzhu would definitely be extremely grateful to An Lingge. If she were to help An Lingge deal with her Aunt and herself, wouldn''t that be bad?


    An Lingyi''s eyes flashed, a trace of malicious intent quickly flashed across her beautiful face.


    An Lingge and the Mrs. Mingzhu were chatting and laughing merrily at the feast, as if they could not sense the jealousy and hatred in An Lingyi''s heart.


    There was a faint smile on her lips and her expression was calm. In this scorching summer day, she was like a clear spring water, making people feel tranquil upon seeing her.


    The Mrs. Mingzhu arranged for the maidservants to bring them to their seats, and then continued to chat with the other madams and mistresses.


    "I didn''t expect big sister to casually save a random person, and that person is a relative of the royal family. This luck is really good."


    As An Lingyi sat on her seat, she couldn''t wait to say the sour words out loud.


    From the moment he knew that Shen Jiaojiao was Mrs. Mingzhu''s daughter, An Lingyi had incomparably resented that the person who had saved Shen Jiaojiao at that time was An Lingge and not her. Otherwise, she would have been the one to receive Mrs. Mingzhu''s gratitude and promise.


    An Lingge''s eyes flashed with a trace of a disdainful smile, but her expression was still dignified and good. "If Third Sister is envious, why don''t you go save someone else and see if you have the ability to do so?"

 C204

    If he wanted to take on porcelain work, he would need diamond in order to do so.


    Even if the person who saved was placed right in front of An Lingyi, if An Lingyi doesn''t know any medical skills, how would she save the person?


    Although An Lingge did not say it explicitly, what she meant was that An Lingyi did not have the capability, if she did not give it up yet wanted to get back at her, it would be equivalent to daydreaming.


    An Lingyi was so angry that her face turned red, she felt that the reason why she kept losing face was because of An Lingge.


    "I just said it casually, why would Big Sis say I envy you?" The corner of An Lingyi''s mouth curled, "The person you saved that day was the daughter of the Mrs. Mingzhu, and I helped father block those bandits."


    An Lingge saved the person who had nothing to do with her, becoming her guest in the Mrs. Mingzhu. She saved her father, which was a righteous cause, what need was there to be envious of An Lingge?


    Furthermore, she was holding Shen Jiaojiao and An Yingcheng together, as if An Lingge had saved him from a thief.


    There were even some people who did not know the truth that thought, could it be that An Lingge saved Shen Jiaojiao and her mother from the hands of a bandit? So why didn''t she care about her own father?


    Maybe An Lingge found out from somewhere that Shen Jiaojiao was the daughter of the Mrs. Mingzhu, and in order to curry favor with the Mrs. Mingzhu, he didn''t even care about her own father, and instead went to save someone who she had nothing to do with.


    There were already a few ladies sitting in the vicinity. Hearing this, they looked over with a peculiar expression in their eyes.


    It was as if An Lingge didn''t see those peculiar gazes. The smile on her face was still warm, but her bright and deep black eyes held a hint of coldness.


    "In the righteousness of the Third Sister, for the sake of my father''s safety, I am truly fond of him." An Lingge''s eyes flashed, the words that came out of her mouth suddenly turned in a different direction, "But those bandits came out of nowhere, I wonder if Lord Guard caught them, and if they found out who the mastermind is."


    "Who ordered this?" An Lingyi''s voice was somewhat sharp, after she realized that she had lost her composure, she gently coughed, "Bandits are always so cruel. If not for the fact that Young General Lu had rushed over in time to save us, we would have already ¡­ Could it be that that bandit still had someone to order him around? Who would dare to kill the current Prince? "


    An Lingge looked at her with astonishment, as if she was a little surprised by An Lingyi''s excitement.


    "Why are Third Sister so agitated? That bandit has nothing to do with you, only they have someone backing them and it was father who instructed them. If you don''t believe him, go ahead and ask."


    That''s right, there was someone controlling the bandits from behind the scenes, so An Lingyi''s reaction was way too big.


    Someone among the ladies present had such a thought. They felt that An Lingyi''s reaction was abnormal, but they didn''t think too deeply into it.


    However, An Lingyi did not dare to continue speaking. What if An Lingge grabbed onto the matter of the Mountain Bandits and pulled her and her concubine out in the end?


    "I naturally believe Father''s words." After she said this, seeing Mrs. Mingzhu walk over, she took the opportunity to stop the topic.


    Shen Jiaojiao followed beside Mrs. Mingzhu. When the two of them walked over together, they could see that there was some similarity between their brows.


    An Lingge did not see the two children, she guessed that they were taken by the servant nanny s to play around the house.


    Although Shen Jiao was born and raised in a village, her bearing was not inferior to those officials'' daughters in the capital. She was dressed in a pomegranate red gold silk brocade coat with a silver silk Wanfu Su-Sai cut in the color of honey, and had a Glazed Eight Treasures escort on her head. She was dressed simply and elegantly, but no one would think that she was a nuisance.


    The Glazed Eight Treasures on her head were especially precious, and there was only one of it in the entire capital. It was enough to see how much Mrs. Mingzhu doted on her.


    She followed behind Mrs. Mingzhu, quietly listening to the Mrs. Mingzhu introducing her to the crowd. However, when no one was watching, she secretly winked at An Lingge.


    An Lingge was startled for a moment, and then laughed.


    In her previous life, she didn''t have much interaction with Shen Jiaojiao and only knew that she was intelligent and transparent. Now, looking at her, Shen Jiaojiao was still a little cute and naughty, like a girl who had been spoiled until she was young.


    Seeing An Lingge''s smile, An Lingyi''s heart felt even worse.


    Coincidentally, in order to liven up the atmosphere, the Mrs. Mingzhu had ordered the servants to prepare the play method, which was the beginning of the play. An Lingyi thought for a while, and then she already had an idea.


    The so called "Flowing River" meant that everyone was sitting by the side of a canal, with cups placed in the upper reaches of the river. The wine cup would flow downstream, and whoever stood in front of the wine cup would drink the wine.


    However, all of them were women, so the way they played was naturally different from that of men.


    Mrs. Mingzhu ordered some people to go get a basket of beautiful flowers and sat down beside a stream that had been attracted here. The servant stood upstream and took out the flower petals one by one, allowing the flower petals to flow downstream.


    The flower petal first stopped in front of Jiang Ning. Mrs. Mingzhu looked at her with a smile and said, "Since this flower has stopped in front of Miss Jiang, I ask that Miss Jiang compose a poem on the topic of flowers."


    Jiang Ning''s face turned slightly red when she was stared at by everyone. However, she quickly calmed herself down and thought for a moment before thinking of a poem. "Flowers bloom all over the sky, and no one will pity when the red one dissolves."


    Although the poem was sad, it was the most suitable place for the petals to fall down. Mrs. Mingzhu praised Jiang Ning with a smile, and then the servant girl continued to throw a flower from the upper reaches.


    This time, the flower stopped in front of Shen Jiaojiao, and the corner of Shen Jiaojiao''s lips curved upwards. With a dense self-confidence between her brows, a clear and gentle voice came out from her mouth, "Fragrant Lotus Jade Water works on cool summer days."


    "What kind of poem is this?"


    An Lingyi muttered softly. In any case, this Shen Jiaojiao was after that bitch An Lingge anyways. If she added a little more obstruction to Shen Jiaojiao, An Lingge would definitely not feel good either.


    However, although her voice was soft, it was very quiet by the stream. The ladies all heard her ''talking to herself''.


    Mrs. Mingzhu''s expression suddenly became cold, and just as she was about to speak, An Lingge laughed out first.


    Her bell-like laughter was like a refreshing gust of wind blowing past everyone''s ears. They couldn''t help but look towards An Lingge''s direction.


    An Lingge''s gorgeous face carried a smile, and her bright black eyes were also filled with mirth. Everyone was curious as to what she was laughing about, when they heard An Lingge speaking, "Princess is so talented, this poem is truly exquisite."


    Shen Jiaojiao was the daughter of the Mrs. Mingzhu, and according to her status, she was a princess of the Great Zhou Dynasty.


    However, everyone''s attention was not on the title, but on the poem.

 C205

    "Fragrant Lotus Jade Water moves the wind, the water moves the wind and the summer is long." The cool wind of the long summer moves the water, the cool wind moves the fragrance of the water lily. I have only heard of palindrome poem''s name, but only after seeing the princess do I know how exquisite it is. "


    An Lingge opened the poem, and everyone realized that Shen Jiaojiao had written a palindrome poem, no wonder they could not understand it at all.


    But isn''t it too much of a slap to Shen Jiao''s face that An Lingyi, who always prided herself on being a talented girl and always called herself a talented girl, can''t recognize even a palindrome poem?


    An Lingge unraveled the palindrome poem and saw that Shen Jiaojiao''s smile was even brighter than before. She praised him generously.


    "The Miss An is the truly intelligent person. I only happened to read this poem from a book, but the Miss An was able to see through its profoundness with a single glance. It can be seen from this how accomplished she is with poetry."


    Shen Jiaojiao did not mention anything about An Lingyi, she only praised him, but this was even more unbearable than teasing An Lingyi, it was as if someone had slapped her face again and again, causing her to blush.


    Mrs. Mingzhu''s expression slightly relaxed, but due to the host''s status, she still took the initiative to come out to help An Lingyi, pretending to be angry as she glared at Shen Jiaojiao, "This is making your own poem, Jiao Jiao, you can''t take someone else''s poem."


    Shen Jiaojiao giggled but did not say a word.


    Mrs. Mingzhu was just about to let the maidservants continue, when she heard a long voice, "The imperial edict has arrived."


    Everyone was shocked when they heard that, and immediately stood up to tidy up their dresses and accessories. Only then did they follow behind Mrs. Mingzhu to receive the imperial edict.


    The content of the imperial edict was simple, it was to congratulate the Mrs. Mingzhu for finding his long-lost daughter, bestowing the title of Princess Anping, bestowing her with countless of household services.


    Shen Jiaojiao received the decree, only to see a few figures appearing from the corner of her eyes.


    "So this is Jiao Jiao." The emperor walked over with large strides. A few princes followed behind him.


    He stood in front of Shen Jiaojiao, looked him up and down, and laughed, "You are indeed somewhat similar to Aunt."


    Although Mrs. Mingzhu was the emperor''s aunt, she was born a few years younger than the emperor. When the emperor was facing this aunt, he wasn''t as reserved as when he was younger.


    However, the fact that the Emperor was not reserved did not mean that everyone present was.


    After all, who would dare to play around in front of the Son of Heaven?


    It was a good thing that the emperor had only said a few words before leaving, "Junhan that brat had sneaked back from the Mo Bei, we have to find him and ask him about it, we will not stay for long."


    Everyone heaved a sigh of relief and hurried to send the emperor off. Only An Lingge had a trace of doubt in her heart, according to Mu Junhan''s plan, they should be at Mo Bei by now, why would he suddenly return to the capital? Could it be that something big happened over at Mo Bei?


    She was a bit worried, and her eyebrows unconsciously covered with a layer of light cloud. However, she was gorgeous, and even her worried face only made people feel pleased.


    Zhao Lanyu''s eyes fell on An Lingge. The woman in front of him wore an apricot-colored satin cloth with red and white flowers embroidered on the neck and a long jacket, and a pair of green and lake-colored plum blossoms. She wore a gorgeous face with plain and plain clothes.


    Why didn''t I realize before that An Lingge is so good-looking?


    Zhao Lanyu''s gaze was fixed, his eyes revealing a look of desire.


    Since An Lingge was already a woman who had her marriage annulled, she might as well bring her into the palace to become a Lateral Consort. Prince An would definitely not refuse.


    When he got tired of it, he would leave it to his subordinates, and his aunt and cousin would agree with him.


    As Zhao Lanyu thought about this, his gaze towards An Lingge grew more presumptuous.


    An Lingge sensed something and turned to look at him. When she saw Zhao Lanyu''s gaze, she frowned even more.


    However, this was the Mrs. Mingzhu Palace, and she quickly relaxed her brows, as if nothing had happened.


    Zhao Lanyu secretly stared at An Lingge all the way until the end of Mrs. Mingzhu''s feast before he quickly followed behind An Lingge.


    "Miss An, please wait."


    Zhao Lanyu called out, but An Lingge turned a deaf ear to it, and continued to walk forward.


    Anxious, he reached out to grab An Lingge''s hand.


    Zhao Jinghao appeared out of nowhere and stood in front of Zhao Lanyu, "Seventh Brother, what are you doing? It''s broad and bright, don''t tell me you have to molest Miss An?"


    Seeing that he was about to catch An Lingge, Zhao Jinghao suddenly jumped out and kicked him. Zhao Lanyu''s face darkened, towards this fourth brother who only knew how to be kind, he did not have a shred of respect, "Fourth brother, why aren''t you staying in the mansion and reading your book, why are you here?"


    "How can a book be more important than Princess Anping?"


    The corners of Zhao Jinghao''s eyes twitched. When he thought about how such a young girl as Shen Jiaojiao was actually his senior, he felt a weird feeling in his heart.


    However, no matter how strange it was, he still had to use Shen Jiaojiao as a shield.


    After all, you can''t possibly tell Zhao Lanyu that he asked me to take good care of his future wife before he left, so I deliberately came to stop you, right?


    If he said that, even if he wasn''t beaten to death by Zhao Lanyu, he would at least be beaten to a pulp by him.


    Furthermore, Royal Father had already said it before, Mu Junhan had already returned to the capital. According to Mu Junhan''s temperamental personality, if this Seventh Brother of his were to touch An Lingge, he would definitely not be able to take responsibility, he was thinking for Zhao Lanyu!


    Mu Junhan, who was regarded as temperamental by Zhao Jinghao, had just passed through the city gate. He dismounted from his horse, and with a crisp and clean movement, he revealed a sense of elegance. His handsome lips slightly lifted up, and his unruly appearance caused many women on the street to turn around and peek at him.


    "Brat, why did you come back?"


    The emperor was standing in front of Mu Junhan. He was wearing casual clothes, which didn''t attract too much attention.


    Mu Junhan''s face turned bitter, as though he had become thinner after suffering from so much pain, "Why didn''t you say it earlier, the place at Mo Bei was so bitter!"


    He let out a long sigh. Instead of his usual rebellious look, he started complaining to the Emperor about the cold Mo Bei, the lack of wine in the Mo Bei, and the lack of singers and singers ¡­


    In any case, the Mo Bei was not good, he could not endure the bitter cold aura of the Mo Bei, so he simply ran back.


    With that, Mu Junhan looked at the emperor''s eyes. "How about, you marry the Miss An to me, I would rather marry that woman than go to the Mo Bei!"


    The Emperor grunted coldly. "Do you think that my imperial edict is to be used by children as they please? Do you think that you can change it however you want?"


    "But I don''t like places like Mo Bei at all. You can send someone to guard it however you like." Mu Junhan''s phoenix eyes carried an unknown expression as it flashed by.

 C206

    Mu Junhan was acting like Liu Ah Dou who couldn''t be helped up, the emperor immediately scrunched his face, his gaze was sharp, and he scolded him in a low voice: "We sent you to the Mo Bei to gather troops, and we gave you the mountains and rivers of the Great Zhou to protect. But you delivered three emergency reports to us along the way, all complaining of your hard journey!"


    He fiercely shook his sleeves, looking extremely furious, and his face had a bit of resentment for his failure to live up to his expectations. "What did you promise me at the beginning?"


    "If the Great Zhou has a wise ruler like you, and a famous general like General Lu, then it will definitely be peaceful and peaceful." Mu Junhan flattered the emperor while smiling, his entire body was filled with the silkpants spirit of the mischievous son of a noble family.


    The emperor seemed to have been angered to the point that he only pursed his lips, anger still burning in his eyes. "If I wasn''t worried that you''d lose your life and make the empress dowager sad, Zhen wouldn''t have let you back at all!"


    "I knew the empress dowager would love me." Mu Junhan nodded obediently, his mouth sweet. "I''ve been away from the capital for so long, the empress dowager must have missed me. I''m preparing to go see her now."


    Mu Junhan changed the topic and didn''t mention that they were leading troops into battle at the Mo Bei. The emperor was so angered that he started laughing, "We would like to see how you explain this to the empress dowager!"


    Back then, when Mu Junhan wanted to go to the Mo Bei, the empress dowager had pulled him down to the ground with tears in his eyes.


    It had only been a few months, and Mu Junhan had only just arrived at the Mo Bei, yet he already begged to come back. Even if the empress dowager''s heart ached for him, he definitely wouldn''t be willing to watch him mess around.


    "Alright, since you''re back, why don''t you go see King Mu first? We still have matters to handle. We can talk about how we''ll punish you when you meet with the empress dowager."


    With his hands behind his back, the emperor turned around and walked in the direction of the palace. At the corner of the palace, a carriage appeared, carrying the emperor away.


    Mu Junhan watched the emperor walk into the distance before the happy smile on his face faded slightly.


    He did not immediately return to the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace. Instead, he first found an inconspicuous place to sit down, and the pretense of being neither new nor old was blown away by the wind, causing his face to be partially hidden in the shadows.


    The owner''s actions were skillful. The clear wine collided against the bottom of the bowl, producing a melodious sound.


    "I heard that Mrs. Mingzhu found her long-lost daughter?" Mu Junhan picked up the bowl and asked casually.


    The shop owner had an earnest smile on his face, but he lowered his voice and said, "Yes, I heard that it was only found half a month ago. Today, we have invited everyone to announce this matter."


    Mu Junhan gave a light grunt, and his gaze landed on the noisy street outside the wine shop, his black phoenix eyes carrying a little fierceness.


    He originally thought that the Emperor only wanted to have the authority of their Prince Mu¡¯s Palace taken away. He had intended to follow the Emperor''s intentions on the surface and secretly nurture his own forces. His men, however, discovered that the Emperor had arranged for others to be mixed up in the army and deliberately provoke the North.


    If not for the fact that he was cautious with his Dark Guard, he would not have discovered what that person had done.


    That person had received orders from the Emperor to instigate a war, but whatever thoughts the Emperor had, they simply wanted him to die on the battlefield, with no Prince Mu¡¯s Palace left behind.


    It seemed that his request to the Emperor to go to the Mo Bei to lead the troops into battle had stimulated the Emperor. It was because of this that the Emperor was afraid that another courageous and warlike person would appear in the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, which was why he gave such an order to the spies.


    As it happened, he received An Lingge''s letter and knew that there was a plague in the capital city ahead of time, so he immediately thought of a way. Pretending that he couldn''t endure the cold, he sent someone to send an urgent report back to the capital with an urgent request.


    He purposefully displayed an unbearably mischievous attitude. If he couldn''t take the hardships of the battle, then it wouldn''t be a great undertaking for him. The Emperor should feel at ease now, right?


    Mu Junhan drank another mouthful of the wine in the bowl, then spoke a few words to the shopkeeper before standing up and walking towards Prince Mu¡¯s Palace.


    Inside the Prince An''s Palace, An Yingcheng looked at An Lingge with a complicated gaze.


    "Father, if you have something to say, just say it."


    An Lingge noted his expression, curled her lips, and said considerately.


    She was dignified and beautiful, her respectful drooping eyes extremely similar to Princess An back then. However, Princess An couldn''t be compared to her nimble mind.


    An Yingcheng sighed in the bottom of his heart, and could not help but ask, "Little Ge, the plague you spoke of, was it a mistake?"


    Three days had passed since he entered the palace to deliver his message to the emperor, but the capital remained calm and peaceful, with no signs of a plague breaking out.


    If he did not send the doctor to diagnose him that day, he would have thought that An Lingge was making a joke out of it.


    Even if he trusted An Lingge in his heart, the Emperor would not.


    As the days passed, the Emperor''s gaze became colder and colder.


    If the plague was nothing, then his life would be in danger.


    An Yingcheng''s worried gaze fell on An Lingge''s eyes, causing her expression to become serious, "Logically speaking, the plague is spreading very quickly, and the situation right now is a little strange."


    Her clear voice was filled with certainty, "But an outbreak of plague is only a matter of time. Father, do not worry. As long as we are prepared, the citizens of the capital will not suffer too many casualties."


    He wasn''t worried about the people in the capital, he was worried about his own life!


    An Yingcheng could not say this, he could only nod his head with a gloomy face.


    However, the eunuch''s expression was cold, and upon seeing this expression, An Yingcheng''s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly walked over.


    "Eunuch, please come in. Does the emperor have any orders?"


    The eunuch replied indifferently, he then put on airs and cast a sidelong glance at An Yingcheng, "The Emperor has asked my family to send you over to the palace. Why don''t you come with me now?"


    Although An Yingcheng was just a carefree prince who didn''t have much power, his status was honestly honorable. He had never been looked down upon so much by a eunuch before.


    But it was precisely because of this that he understood the Emperor''s attitude.


    I''m afraid that the plague has yet to erupt. The Emperor thinks that he is teasing the Emperor and is angered.


    Otherwise, the eunuch wouldn''t dare to display such an attitude.


    An Lingge stood at the side and when she saw her father''s unsightly expression, she had already made a guess.


    "Father, I''m afraid the reason the emperor called you over is because of the plague." A dark light shone in her eyes, but her expression was gentle yet firm. "Your daughter brought up this matter first. How about you bring your daughter into the palace with you? Your daughter will explain everything to the Emperor."


    This would be for the best. The plague was discovered by An Lingge and only she could explain it clearly.


    But would the emperor listen to her?


    An Yingcheng''s face turned bitter, and his mouth revealed a bitter smile, "There''s no need, I know everything you want to say."


    He straightened his clothes and turned to look at the eunuch. "This king is ready. After you, eunuch."

 C207

    The news of An Yingcheng being brought into the palace quickly spread throughout the Palace.


    The Aunt Li heard the whole story from somewhere, she brought An Lingyi to An Lingge''s courtyard and taunted him, "Big Miss is really amazing, saving Mrs. Mingzhu''s daughter yet getting angered by the Duke. Being so considerate to outsiders, you are really too selfless."


    There was a mocking expression on her face as she said the word ''selfless'' with extreme contempt.


    An Lingyi''s almond-shaped eyes contained a little malice, as she echoed the words of the Aunt Li, "What kind of rumors are you talking about? Did Big Sis think that the plague broke out just like that? This time, it''s best for Daddy to return safely from the palace. Otherwise, I''ll go and find Aunt to plead with the Emperor. I must tell the Emperor that Big Sis is the culprit, Daddy is innocent. "


    She was actually a little worried for An Yingcheng. If An Yingcheng annoyed the emperor, then it would be a problem whether or not their Prince An''s Palace could stay in the capital properly.


    "Shut up!"


    The old lady was supported over by the Aunt Wei as she walked over. She was still wearing the same clothes she had worn at the banquet, a deep purple colored embroidery with pink flowers scattered on the edge. She was wearing a green gold ponytail as she stared at An Lingyi with her old and sharp eyes, "The eldest is called into the palace by the emperor, he still hasn''t said what it was about, but the two of you are criticizing Little Ge."


    It was obvious that she wanted to support An Lingge in this matter. "The two of you still don''t know the outcome, yet you two look as if the sky is going to fall on you, truly like you couldn''t stand up for me. Just a little thing that happened and you were so scared that you flustered your limbs."


    He ruthlessly poked Aunt Li and An Ling Yi with his words. An Ling Yi opened her mouth to retort, but Aunt Li held her hand and secretly pulled back, making An Ling Yi swallow back her words.


    "The madame''s lesson is right, and I''ve also lost my sense of propriety because I was worried about the prince." Aunt Li smiled gently, with a gentle and submissive look, how could she see the mighty and majestic manner she used to have in her previous life.


    If not for the peculiar glint that flashed in her eyes, An Lingge would have thought that Aunt Li had changed her personality and learnt to be filial to the Old Madam.


    Because of Aunt Li''s obedience, the old lady''s strict expression eased a bit. "Enough, rather than thinking about all these nonsense here, why don''t you do what you can on your own, in case boss gets busy after returning."


    Aunt Li and An Lingyi could only nod their heads as they left reluctantly.


    Only then did the old lady sit down on a chair, "Little Ge, what exactly happened to the plague they were talking about?"


    An Lingge then explained to the doctor how she found out that the maid''s death was strange and how she asked her to diagnose him. Finally, she sipped her tea and said, "I thought that the plague broke out quickly and recommended that father should inform the Emperor about this matter so that the citizens could be on guard. Maybe there would not be a situation like what happened at the time of the late emperor."


    "You did well. If there is a plague, you should do the same." The old mistress'' expression was one of approval, but in the blink of an eye, she became extremely worried. "But Boss has already spoken to the emperor, yet the plague has yet to break out. I''m afraid the emperor will think that Boss is toying with him, so he''s angry."


    She did not wish for a plague to break out, nor did she wish for the capital to be annihilated. It was just that if An Yingcheng did not do it, it would be hard for him to be at peace this time.


    "Judging from the expression of that eunuch today, the Emperor must have been dissatisfied with his father. He called him into the palace just to punish him." "If I could just enter the palace, I would be able to explain a bit to the emperor. But now, I can only stay in the palace and wait for news, hoping that father would be safe and sound."


    The old mistress spun the buddhist beads in her hand and was about to say a few words of Bodhisattva blessings when she suddenly heard the woman outside the door shout, "The prince is back!"


    An Lingge''s eyes flashed with surprise, and immediately followed Aunt Wei to help the old lady out.


    An Yingcheng, who had just returned to his residence, looked somewhat exhausted. There wasn''t the slightest trace of his usual imposing aura, and he looked as if he had instantly aged ten years.


    An Lingge felt that something was wrong, she watched as An Yingcheng dismissed the servants with a wave of his hand, causing Aunt Li to immediately walk over, "Master, the Emperor summoned you into the palace this time, didn''t he make it difficult for you?"


    She smiled solicitously, her delicate face full of concern.


    An Yingcheng let out a long sigh, and spoke without hiding anything, "The Emperor has ordered for me to be removed from my post. If no plague breaks out within half a month, he will imprison me for bullying the monarch."


    "How could this be?" An Lingyi cried out in alarm, "This is all big sister''s fault! If it wasn''t for her, father wouldn''t have been implicated like this!"


    She fumed, as if it was all for An Yingcheng''s sake, as if she did not have any selfish motives, "Daddy, you should have told the truth to the emperor, why did you take on this crime?"


    An Yingcheng stared at her, but his expression was not strict, "In the past, I have never cared about the conflicts between the two of you sisters, but now that this matter is related to the entire Prince An''s Palace, as members of the Prince An''s Palace, you will both suffer losses whether you live or die. If something goes wrong with Little Ge, will you be able to take care of it?"


    The old lady nodded. "The boss is right. Now is the time to work together to overcome these difficulties. Don''t have any more thoughts."


    An Lingyi curled her lips and glared fiercely at An Lingge.


    However, An Lingge didn''t have the heart to bother with her at this time. She was trying hard to recall what happened in her previous life and when the plague broke out.


    No matter how good her memory was, she couldn''t remember the exact date. She could only remember that it was midsummer when the plague broke out, and at that time, An Lingyi''s house was still filled with ice cubes. The summer was also very cool, making her envious for a while.


    Counting the time, there was still at least twenty to thirty days until the outbreak of the plague in his previous life, so why was Lan Xin infected by the plague?


    An Lingge couldn''t understand why this was happening. Could it be that her rebirth had allowed the plague to break out earlier?


    If this was the case, then perhaps his Prince An''s Palace would be safe and sound this time.


    She calculated in her heart. After returning to her own house, she immediately wrote a letter to Chu Yu, asking him to pile up all the medicinal ingredients she had accumulated and also teaching him the method to concoct the medicine.


    However, even after half a month had passed, nothing had changed in the capital.


    The eunuch who passed down the decree stood in front of the Prince An''s Palace door, and pointed his chin at the group of people. "King An has spread rumors and deceived the Emperor. We are here to place him in prison."

 C208

    Behind him was a group of imperial guards. After hearing his order, they rushed forward and escorted An Yingcheng back to the Sky Prison without a word.


    "Wait!"


    An Lingge stood up from the ground, her beautiful face had a tinge of arrogance on it, "The plague was something I proposed to father, if the emperor wants to punish me, he should do so."


    She bowed to the eunuch who had delivered the edict. "I will have to trouble this eunuch to help me pass on a message to the emperor that the plague was all caused by me. I beg the emperor to release my father."


    "This... I''m afraid we won''t be able to help you. " The eunuch didn''t even take the silver bills that Bi Zhu handed over, and looked troubled. "We''re just a servant, how can we change the emperor''s mind?"


    Aunt Li rolled her eyes and walked in front of the eunuch, "This matter was caused by Eldest Miss. If Eunuch is not willing to help by sending a message, we can ask Imperial Noble Consort Li to help, I wonder if Eunuch ¡­"


    When she brought out the Imperial Noble Consort Li, the eunuch that gave the decree felt somewhat hesitant.


    Although the Prince An had angered the Emperor, the Imperial Noble Consort Li was still heavily favored. With this relationship, as long as the Imperial Noble Consort Li was willing to plead on behalf of the Prince An, the Prince An might just receive a small lesson and be fine in the end.


    Rather than that, it would be better for him to take this opportunity to sell it to the Prince An''s Palace.


    The eunuch who received the decree chuckled, "Since that''s the case, may I invite Miss An to follow us to the palace?"


    An Lingge nodded her head, facing this situation, she did not panic at all, just her calm and collected demeanor made people exclaim in shock.


    The eunuch who gave the order waved his hand, and the imperial guards escorted An Yingcheng towards the Sky Prison.


    This was the third time An Lingge had entered the palace since she was reborn. She followed behind the eunuch with her eyes closed, as if she was strolling in her own territory.


    "Miss An, please wait."


    After arriving at the Palace, the eunuch first went to the Inner Palace and explained this matter to the Emperor. Then, he slowly walked out and bowed towards An Lingge.


    An Lingge nodded, although she was panicking in her heart, her expression did not change at all.


    The emperor held a book in his hand. When he saw someone enter, he didn''t even glance at the pages of the book as he said in a low voice, "You were the one who told Prince An about the plague and urged him to come here and speak?"


    "Reporting to the Emperor, this matter has indeed arisen because of this subject''s daughter." An Lingge admitted it straightforwardly.


    The emperor threw the book in his hand and slammed it down on the table in front of him.


    He suddenly stood up from his chair, and the imperial study was filled with an imposing aura, "Women from the harem are not allowed to take part in politics. As the direct descendant of Prince An, you are interfering in court matters without permission, what are you going to do about it?"


    "Your majesty, this subject does not wish to interfere in the matters of the court, it is just that the plague is fierce, and it concerns the lives of millions of citizens. This subject cannot bear to watch the citizens die from the plague, which is why I have acted so arrogantly and have advised father to speak to you."


    "You talk quite well." The emperor''s face sank. "Then tell me, why hasn''t the plague broke out yet? To lie to us like this, you father and daughter must be really bold! "


    He slapped the table, anger flashing through his eyes. "Since this matter was caused by you, then you can accompany Prince An and stay in the prison for a few days!"


    An Lingge raised her head, her shiny black eyes were filled with determination. "Your Majesty, this subject is willing to go to jail. But father has nothing to do with this matter, I hope that you can let him go."


    If An Yingcheng stayed in the prison, his Prince An''s Palace would definitely lose its leader and all sorts of internal strife. Outside, there were still many people eyeing him covetously, and in less than a month, his Prince An''s Palace would decline.


    The emperor merely waved his hand and summoned the guards in. "An Lingge interferes with the government and scares them with her words, pinning them both into the Sky Prison together with King An."


    The guards extended their hands and made a gesture, "Miss An, please."


    An Lingge pursed her lips. She knew that the emperor had hardened his heart to make a move against Prince An''s Palace, so she didn''t retaliate and was brought down the stairs by the guard.


    The prison in the capital was cold and humid. From time to time, there would be the sound of insects, snakes, mice and ants.


    An Lingge was locked up in a separate cell. After the jailer left, she took out a bag of medicinal powder from her sleeves and poured it around him.


    She sat down on a thin pile of hay, listening to the steady, powerful footsteps that gradually approached.


    An Lingge''s shiny black eyes shone as she stared unblinkingly at the corner of the corridor.


    The Profound Colored Robe appeared in An Lingge''s line of sight, followed by a tall and slender figure and finally Mu Junhan''s extremely calm face.


    "Why are you here?" An Lingge immediately stood up, her heart carrying some pleasant surprise that even she herself could not detect.


    At the time when he was at his most helpless, Mu Junhan appeared here. It was as if a gentle light had suddenly appeared in the dark night, guiding her out of the darkness.


    Mu Junhan opened the prison door and carried An Lingge in his arms. Only when he felt the smooth breathing of the girl in his arms did he finally relax a little.


    He looked her up and down, seeing that she was fine, he said with a straight face, "How dare you go in front of the emperor and admit that you did it?" "If Long Yan is so angry that she wants to kill you, what will you do?"


    Her eyes were filled with worry, but An Lingge curved her lips and withdrew herself from his embrace. "Your Majesty isn''t really angry.


    Just then, when the jailer brought her here, An Lingge suddenly thought of what the emperor had said. He had said that she would keep An Yingcheng in prison for a few days, but that was not to imprison him for a few years or even execute him immediately.


    An Lingge told Mu Junhan the truth of the Emperor, and his eyes curved into a smile. "The Emperor has put me and Father in prison, but that''s just a show, what I''m really worried about is the plague."


    It had been almost 20 days since Lan Xin died from the plague. There should be people that had been infected with the plague elsewhere in the capital, so why was it that the plague did not break out? This was too strange.


    Anger appeared in Mu Junhan''s eyes as flickering sparks appeared in his phoenix eyes. She held An Lingge''s shoulder and did his best to suppress her anger, "No matter how big the matter with the plague is, how could it be more important than your own life? You didn''t know what the emperor was thinking and recklessly went to court to plead for mercy. Have you ever thought about the consequences of doing so? "


    The smile on An Lingge''s face slowly faded, and the corner of her mouth twitched, "I know you''re doing this for my own good, but the plague is very important to me."


    She pursed her lips, and a sorrowful look that Mu Junhan could not understand appeared in her deep and black eyes.

 C209

    The woman before him was gentle and quiet, but his bright black eyes were shrouded in an undisputable sorrow. When Mu Junhan looked in, he actually felt as if his heart was pierced, and his heart ached a lot.


    "Let''s not even talk about whether the plague will break out. Even if there was a plague in the capital some day, the emperor would still be able to deal with it. There are still civil and military officials who are busy. Why did you do this?"


    The corner of Mu Junhan''s mouth stretched straight as the hand that was holding onto An Lingge''s shoulder gradually tightened.


    An Lingge was in pain, she frowned and the man immediately calmed down.


    "This matter concerns my life and death." An Lingge lowered her gaze, and her long eyelashes drooped, covering the expression in the depths of her eyes.


    Mu Junhan could hear the seriousness in her tone, "I have no way of explaining it to you, but the plague will definitely strike, so I have to do my best to save the most people."


    She was already dead, and the only reason she got such a chance at rebirth was because of the mercy of the heavens. If she could save those who were infected with the plague in this life, wouldn''t that prove that a person''s fate could be changed, and that a person''s life could also be changed?


    She was absolutely, definitely not willing to die at the hands of An Lingyi and her daughter once again!


    The black colored waves beneath An Lingge''s eyes churned violently, as if they were endless abyss that wanted to swallow everything. Only, when she lowered her head, Mu Junhan did not see the strong hatred in the depths of her eyes.


    "I thought you were a smart person." Mu Junhan smirked, self-mockery could be seen in his eyes. "But you put yourself in danger for something that has no basis in it, and you don''t think about getting out of the prison, but you''re still worried about the plague."


    The moment he heard that An Lingge had been imprisoned by the emperor, and that even the empress dowager had no time to visit him, he immediately rushed here, afraid that An Lingge would suffer some sort of grievance. In the end, however, she wasn''t worried for her safety at all!


    This woman was so stupid!


    Mu Junhan was angry, and his expression also became cold. She took two steps back, and Mu Junhan''s hand which was on her shoulder grabbed empty air.


    "Hereditary Prince Mu should have long known that I am such a person. However, the marriage between us has long since been annulled, and it is not too late for Hereditary Prince Mu to only know about it now. "


    It was as if sharp thorns had risen all over her body, and her tone carried a sense of estrangement.


    Mu Junhan laughed out in anger, "Yes, our marriage contract has already been dissolved, we are now just two unrelated people. This Hereditary Prince was obsessed with him, so she came over to see you, and did everything she could to rescue you out!"


    That time, they had obviously wanted to dispel the marriage agreement in order to dispel the Emperor''s suspicions. Now, An Lingge was actually using this matter to distance herself from the Emperor.


    Mu Junhan only felt a dull pain in his heart, his beautiful phoenix eyes dyed with a scarlet color.


    An Lingge remained unmoved, her beautiful face seemed to be covered in a layer of ice, "There''s no need to trouble Hereditary Prince Mu with my matters, but since Hereditary Prince Mu broke her promise and came back from the Mo Bei, I believe that the emperor will not let you off easily, so think of a strategy."


    She turned her head not looking at Mu Junhan, but the latter let out a cry and suddenly pressed down on her shoulders. His other hand grabbed onto her pure white chin, and fiercely pressed down on her red lips.


    As if he had gone mad, he bit and sucked on his red lips without knowing what to do. His long tongue pierced through An Lingge''s pearly white teeth, but was fiercely bitten by her, and between his tightly pressed lips, a faint smell of blood pervaded out.


    Only then did Mu Junhan let go of his hand, and wiped the blood from the corner of his lips with his bony hand. With hidden pain in his phoenix eyes, he said, "I will save you."


    As he finished speaking, he turned around to leave. However, his usually elegant and graceful figure now appeared a bit more lonely.


    An Lingge watched as his figure disappeared around the corner, and a bitter smile appeared on her face.


    Being able to be reborn once was already the pity of the heavens. She should live a good life, break Aunt Li''s plans, find out the truth behind her mother''s death and protect her brother. How could she indulge in the love between a man and woman?


    How could a reincarnated ghost like her be able to obtain such feelings?


    The corner of An Lingge''s mouth curled up in bitterness. At the same time, a ferocious plague spread out in the dark at night.


    The thick, ink-like night sky was like a vicious beast, devouring the lives of its victims one after another. However, those sleeping soundly were unable to detect it at all.


    The night seemed to have passed in an instant. When the green morning mist enveloped the land, Mu Junhan was already standing on the imperial court.


    He wore a court uniform, and his long and straight figure was outlined by his wide sleeves. He was like a crane amongst a flock of chickens, allowing the Emperor, who was seated on the Dragon Throne, to see it with a single glance.


    "Mu Junhan." The emperor''s face was stern as he shouted this.


    Mu Junhan immediately stood up, "This subject is here."


    "Since you destroyed your marriage with the Miss An, we invited you to go to the Mo Bei to conduct a war with them. But now, you abandoned the Mo Bei soldiers and ran back to the capital alone.


    The Emperor sat on the Dragon Throne, his eyes sweeping over everyone with the majesty of the Son of Heaven. All the officials standing on either side of him lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.


    Mu Junhan put on a solemn expression, and said seriously, "Reporting to your majesty, this subject heard that Prince An and Miss An were imprisoned due to disrespect towards the Emperor. Even if this subject did not break off the engagement with Miss An, this marriage would definitely be annulled."


    That means he did nothing wrong?


    The emperor was so angry that his eyes were wide open. "Words to argue!"


    Mu Junhan laughed and said unrestrainedly, "This subject is only speaking the truth, this matter truly cannot be blamed on this subject."


    "Even so, I can''t let you off so easily." The emperor snorted. "Then I''ll punish you with a three month salary, and then I''ll punish you with ¡­"


    "Your majesty, the three months salary of a punitive official is already enough!" Mu Junhan interrupted the Emperor''s words with a bitter face, "Without a salary, where would I get that silver to eat wine?"


    In his heart, he only knew how to enjoy and enjoy, acting like a playboy. The officials beside him all sighed in their hearts, this Hereditary Prince Mu was extremely noble and handsome, and was also extremely intelligent and astute, just that her personality was too muddled, and they did not know why the girls in the capital would so much like him.


    The corners of the emperor''s mouth twitched, and even the beard on his lips trembled. "King Mu, look at that son of yours!"


    "This subject is guilty." Prince Mu walked out from the crowd of officials and stood beside Mu Junhan, bowing and cupping his hands towards the emperor, "My son is mischievous, it was this subject who did not teach him well. I hope the emperor can give him a chance to atone for his deeds."

 C210

    "Your Majesty, your subject is willing to investigate the plague." Mu Junhan suddenly spoke up, "I heard that Prince An claimed that there would be a plague in the capital, so why don''t you hand Prince An over to this subject to handle? This subject will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly."


    He did not want to investigate it clearly, but wanted to take the opportunity to humiliate the Miss An, right?


    A dark light flashed through the Emperor''s eyes, but he put on an expression of agreement on the surface. "Fine, I''ll let you handle this matter. If you can''t investigate it clearly, then I''ll punish you with several crimes!" Upon receiving the emperor''s orders, Mu Junhan lowered his head, a sharp glint of light flashing past her black phoenix eyes.


    He went down the stairs and rushed into the dungeon, where he was brought to the prison where An Yingcheng was.


    , who had heard the commotion, sat down in front of him with a surprised expression on his face. "Why is Hereditary Prince Mu here?"


    Didn''t the Emperor already send him to the Mo Bei to gather troops? Why would he suddenly appear in the prison? And seeing Mu Junhan''s carefree look, it didn''t seem like he had committed a crime and was imprisoned here by the emperor.


    An Yingcheng was wondering in his heart, when he saw that the person who came was waving his hand to dismiss the prison guard, "You may go, leave Prince An to me."


    The jailer had already given the order long ago, and upon hearing Mu Junhan''s orders, he immediately left.


    "How has Prince An been these days?" Mu Junhan smiled, but the words coming out of his mouth were not polite at all. "The Emperor sent this Hereditary Prince to investigate the plague you spoke of, and I hope this Prince An can cooperate."


    A flash of understanding appeared in An Yingcheng''s eyes, and a bitter smile appeared on his face, "A servant girl in my residence was infected with a plague, I was afraid of the plague breaking out, so I reported the matter to the emperor, how could I know..."


    "Prince An isn''t telling the truth, right?" "How did this Miss An find out that the maid was infected with the plague? How did she persuade this Prince An to speak to Your Majesty about it? This is something the emperor already knows, so this Prince An doesn''t need to hide."


    He paused for a moment before continuing, "Prince An came in early, so he probably doesn''t know that Miss An is also in jail."


    "Little Ge was also imprisoned by the emperor?" An Yingcheng was excited, he had already shouldered the responsibility of the crime, why would he still be implicated with An Lingge?


    Mu Junhan''s expression was indifferent, as if he was talking about someone completely unrelated to him, "After you were taken away, the Miss An begged the eunuch who gave the decree to bring her into the palace. Originally, he wanted to plead for your life and she took all the blame himself, but who knew that the emperor would be so angry right now, not only did he not release you, he even captured her."


    At that time, An Lingge had pleaded for mercy on his behalf, but he did not take it to heart. She did not think that Little Ge would actually plead for the emperor for his sake, and even went to jail because of this.


    As long as the Emperor did not kill him, he would just suffer a little when being locked in there. But Little Ge was different, she, who had yet to leave the pavilion, was actually locked in there, so even if he could get out in the future, his reputation would be ruined.


    Besides, the prison was cold and damp, filled with insects and ants. How could a girl like her be able to withstand this?


    Mu Junhan saw the expression of the person in front of him, and said, "The emperor is angry because of this, if Prince An tells this Hereditary Prince the whole story, this Hereditary Prince will plead with the emperor, and this matter will have a chance to change."


    Since An Lingge was not willing to tell him the reason, then he would start from An Yingcheng and find the reason why.


    An Yingcheng nodded his head, and the intermittent sounds of their conversation sounded out in the prison.


    Mu Junhan got the information he wanted, and ordered people to take good care of An Yingcheng, and then he walked out of the prison.


    Just as he was about to send people to investigate about Lan Xin, Shu Mo walked over with a serious face.


    "Mistress, I found something."


    Shu Mo''s brows were in a serious state, Mu Junhan looked at him and indicated for him to speak.


    "Our men found a large number of dead villagers in a village ten miles away from the capital. The skin on their bodies was completely scratched, making them look quite scary."


    Mu Junhan''s pupils contracted as a dark light flashed through his phoenix eyes.


    "Where are they? Bring me to them!"


    Shu Mo acknowledged and immediately brought his horse over, and before long, the master and servant were outside the city.


    The villages near the capital were always quiet and peaceful, but what Mu Junhan saw now was completely different.


    Dozens of elderly and children were lying on the ground, painfully grabbing onto their own bodies. Their families anxiously held the water in their hands and helped them wipe the pus off their bodies, but they could not get rid of it no matter what.


    At the side, there was a barefoot doctor who was sweating profusely, but she couldn''t do anything about it. She just sat on the ground dejectedly, her face ashen.


    "Bao`er, your father will take you to the capital. There are many doctors there. They will definitely be able to cure you." The middle-aged man with the vicissitudes of life hugged the child in his arms tightly, his voice filled with grief and despair.


    The child was no more than five or six years old. His face was bright red and his neck was covered in dense red pimples. Perhaps it was too itchy, but he kept grabbing at his neck.


    "Bao`er!" The middle-aged man let out a scream and quickly put the child in his arms down, but the child was already dead.


    Mu Junhan frowned, this situation, why does it look like the plague that An Lingge spoke of?


    His gaze fell to the side, where many lifeless people were lying motionless. "Those people lost their lives overnight?"


    "Yes, this subordinate asked them earlier. They didn''t feel unwell in the first place, it''s just that these symptoms appeared this morning. In less than ten hours, they had already stopped breathing."


    Shu Mo handled matters safely. Before he reported the news to Mu Junhan, he had already confirmed it three times.


    Mu Junhan confirmed the guess in his heart, and did not continue forward, and directly jumped onto his horse. "Let''s go, this matter must be reported to the Emperor."


    As soon as he raised the whip, the horse gave a long whine and galloped forward.


    Naturally, the imperial palace''s imperial guards did not stop Mu Junhan. He dismounted from his horse in front of the imperial palace and rushed straight towards Qian Qing Gong without stopping for even a second.


    The emperor looked at Mu Junhan and raised his eyebrows, "You said that there''s a plague in the village outside the capital?"


    "Yes, your subject has seen it with his own eyes. Those villagers died suddenly in less than twenty hours, and their bodies were covered with pus from being scratched. They have been infected with the plague." If Your Majesty does not believe me, you can send the imperial physician to investigate. "


    Mu Junhan''s face became anxious, "This subject originally wanted to go and interrogate Prince An, but now it seems that the plague is real. Prince An did not lie to you."

 C211

    The emperor put down the imperial report, and the vermilion pen was placed aside. He was just about to send an imperial physician over to check it out when Fu Quan hurried in and leaned over the emperor''s side and said something.


    "Ridiculous!"


    "The Chuzhou Dao Palace had already given the sign of an outbreak of plague half a month ago, but the government official was concealing this matter from us. It wasn''t until hundreds of people died today that this matter was exposed?"


    "What are those officials doing? Can''t the Prefect hide this matter from them?"


    Mu Junhan deduced from the emperor''s words that there was a plague at the Chuzhou closest to the capital. The prefect was neglecting his duty, and following the outbreak of the plague, this matter was revealed.


    This matter was related to the lives of millions of citizens, but the officials below were deceiving them. This was why the Emperor was so angry.


    He wasn''t in a hurry to have the imperial physicians check if the plague was real, so he immediately ordered, "Choose ten people from the Imperial Hospital to go to Chuzhou, we must control the plague."


    Fu Quan replied respectfully and left respectfully.


    Mu Junhan stood at his original position, "Your majesty, the plague has not only erupted within the Chuzhou alone, but also in the village. I''m afraid the situation is serious."


    Mu Junhan normally seemed to be carefree and carefree, but at such a critical moment, he was actually able to remain calm. If this kind of person was a disciple of his Imperial Family, and not the child of Mu Wang, how great would it be?


    Unfortunately ¡­


    The emperor''s thoughts changed and he quickly returned to normal.


    "Zhen will also send the imperial physician there to control the plague. You don''t need to worry about this matter." He waved his hand and said with an unquestionable tone, "Tomorrow morning at the imperial court, I will discuss this matter with the officials. You can go back first."


    Mu Junhan could only return to the Prince Mu¡¯s Palace, but secretly he ordered some people to protect An Lingge.


    The news of the plague breaking out in the Great Zhou Dynasty spread through every corner of the capital along with the night wind. The next morning, an old official stood up and said, "Your majesty, the Chuzhou plague breaking out is not to be underestimated. Please send the imperial physician to deal with it."


    The Emperor sat on the Dragon Throne, his face even uglier than it had been a few days before.


    Before the plague broke out, he had felt that An Yingcheng was raging over deceiving him. Now that the plague had really broken out, he had hoped that it was just a joke, and that the Zhou Dynasty was still peaceful and calm.


    "We have already sent an imperial physician yesterday. In less than three days, we will reach the Chuzhou." The emperor''s eyes were a little green. He must have been unable to sleep well after hearing about the outbreak of the plague.


    The minister made some old suggestions, but made no mention of the two who were still in prison.


    It was clearly the two of them who brought up this matter to the emperor, asking him to prevent a plague from erupting. Because of the concealment of the Chuzhou, An Yingcheng was misunderstood by the emperor and imprisoned.


    But now that the plague had really broken out, these two people seemed to have been forgotten.


    Mu Junhan looked at the old official coldly and spoke a bunch of useless words, then stood up and said in a clear voice, "Your majesty, this subject thinks that the Prince An has sent a message to you to request for people to be ordered to prevent the plague.


    The emperor frowned. It wasn''t that Mu Junhan was always at loggerheads with the Miss An, the reason he was speaking up for An Yingcheng right now was also to speak up for him.


    But just a few days ago, he had ordered for An Yingcheng and An Lingge to be locked in jail. If he were to release the father and daughter pair now, where would his face be?


    "King An made a mistake and ended up in jail. He told us that there would be a plague in the capital, but look, the plague appeared in the Chuzhou, not the capital. He wanted to mislead me so that I could focus all my energy on the capital and ignore the dangers of the Chuzhou! How could I let him out? "


    "But the plague that the Prince An was talking about has really broken out." Mu Junhan''s phoenix eyes were filled with determination, "I beg that Your Majesty spare Prince An."


    "There''s no need to bring this up again." "The most important thing now is to control the plague and prevent the people from being infected again. Don''t ever bring up the matter of King An again."


    Mu Junhan pursed his lips, about to speak again when he heard Prince Mu coughed lightly, "Your Majesty is right. The plague is approaching in full fury, so we should control it with all our might. There''s no harm in letting go of such insignificant matters."


    The emperor''s face immediately darkened, and asked the officials if there was any way to cure the plague, a group of officials and martial generals quarreled over the medicine, disregarding their status, until their faces and saliva flew everywhere, and An Yingcheng and An Lingge''s matter was put on hold.


    However, the Emperor and the officials could ignore An Yingcheng, but they could not ignore the number of people dying day by day.


    It was another morning. The emperor''s face was gloomy, the dark green in his eyes even more so than they had been a few days ago.


    "I told you all to think of a way to control the plague, and all of you only knew how to shirk from it. Over one thousand and three hundred citizens have already died from Chuzhou, and nearly seven hundred people in the villages surrounding the capital have also died from the plague.


    He let out an angry roar, and his temples throbbed violently.


    "Please calm your anger, your Imperial Majesty."


    "The plague is a natural disaster, and is just as difficult to control as a snowstorm. We were unprepared for it, which is why the plague spread so far, causing it to become so serious. However, the imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital have already reached the Chuzhou, and there will be a way out soon."


    "How long will it be? How long will it be?" "Do you know that right now, every day, there are hundreds of citizens dying. If we extend the time by one more day, then there will be hundreds more citizens dying in my Great Zhou Empire. If this continues, we will send you all to Chuzhou first!"


    Right now, the Chuzhou was filled with sorrow and thousands upon thousands of people infected with the plague. If ordinary people were to go there, they would most likely die.


    The old official was shocked as he tremblingly kneeled down. "Your Majesty, please rest assured that this matter will be resolved as soon as possible, so as not to worry Your Majesty about this matter."


    Mu Junhan took the opportunity to speak up, "Your Majesty, Prince An was the first to bring up the matter of the plague. Maybe he has some good idea."


    The moment he said this, the entire palace hall went silent for a moment.


    Everyone knew that the plague was like a slap on the face of the emperor, everyone deliberately avoided An Yingcheng, but he still mentioned it at this time, wasn''t he clearly trying to give the emperor face?


    Did he think that if the empress dowager doted on him, the emperor would indulge him without any limits?

 C212

    The entire imperial court was as quiet as a chicken, many people were gloating, while the Prince Mu''s eyes were filled with anxiety and worry, they bellowed: "Left Prince An, right Prince An, have you lost your mind to An Lingge?"


    The fact that Mu Junhan and An Lingge were at odds was not a secret in the capital. Although it was not to the point that everyone knew about it, those with the mind to know more or less knew about it.


    No wonder Mu Junhan was so abnormal, and repeatedly mentioned the An father and daughter in front of the emperor, so it turned out that he actually wanted to give them the task of curing the plague. This plague was extremely dangerous, and if it was unable to be cured, and provoked the emperor''s anger, then it would truly be a heinous crime, and might even be executed by the emperor.


    The emperor''s thoughts went through a few circles, and the darkness on his face disappeared in an instant. He sighed, and spoke: "Why is King Mu angry? Junhan is doing this for the sake of the people of the Great Zhou Empire, this is a good thing. I think that''s a good idea, so I might as well let King An control the plague. If he knew that the plague was going to break out, he should have his own ways to deal with it. "


    There was a warm smile on his face, and there was no trace of anger on his face.


    The monarch''s thoughts were like his face. In an instant, it changed a million times, and no one could predict it accurately.


    If An Yingcheng was unable to come up with a way, the emperor would have an excuse to openly eliminate the Prince An''s Palace.


    But now, it seemed that the Emperor had only decided to release the two of them because of Mu Junhan''s suggestion.


    "I will soon issue an order to have An Wang released. However, the plague is an important matter, and only An Wang alone cannot do such a thing."


    The emperor rested his chin on one hand as his sharp gaze swept across the crowd. "My dear ones, who would be willing to deal with the plague with King An?"


    The old officials kept their heads low without uttering a word. The generals were at a loss. There were even some newly promoted officials who were looking at their own feet. Regardless of their attitude, they all maintained the same attitude ¡ª silence.


    The imperial court fell into a strange silence again. When the emperor who was sitting on the throne saw the situation, he sneered. "The officials are called the citizens. When it really comes to the citizens, do all of you become mute?"


    After being scolded by the Emperor, all the officials lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound. Only the old official who had been standing up trembled as he walked out, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this old subject believes that Hereditary Prince Mu has very deep ties with the Prince An, and that the Hereditary Prince is very intelligent and astute. If Hereditary Prince Mu were to assist the Prince An, we would definitely be able to resolve the plague smoothly.


    Since Mu Junhan was the one who suggested this, then let him do it himself.


    The experienced officials were well aware that the plague had always been difficult to deal with. No one could get away with it, and they even had to be punished and cursed at by the emperor.


    It would be better to blame this matter on Mu Junhan. Given the emperor''s personality, even if he was afraid of other princes, he would definitely be willing to see Mu Junhan fall flat on his face.


    There was no lack of people who shared the same thoughts as this old official. It was only at this point that they finally opened their mouths, "What Ma said makes sense, this old official also agrees with Ma''s view."


    "I second that."


    "I second that."


    A large group of people stood out from the imperial court with angry expressions. Their expressions were completely different from the silence from before.


    The emperor half closed his eyes and looked towards the direction of Mu Junhan. His eyes were sharp, causing people to not dare to pry into his eyes, "Junhan, what do you think?"


    "This subject does not like Miss An." Mu Junhan''s words paused for a moment, his black phoenix eyes swept across each of the officials one by one, and then he said, "But for the sake of the common people, this subject will do as the Emperor commands."


    When his words came out, even the thick-skinned old officials who were impervious to swords, spears, water, and fire couldn''t help but blush.


    Even a playboy like Mu Junhan could stand up in times of danger, but they were still worried about their own interests. It was really shameful for them to push each other.


    This brat really knew how to speak.


    The emperor saw the expressions of those ministers in his eyes, and a hint of a smile was hidden in his sharp eyes.


    It was no wonder that the empress dowager liked him so much. This Mu Junhan brat was sharp and intelligent, he did not have any ambitions.


    If he was born in the royal family ¡­


    The emperor had the same thought again. He quickly hid his thoughts and said with a serious look on his face, "Alright, I will leave this matter to you. We have to control the plague and not let the people of the Great Zhou fall victim to it."


    "Your subject obeys the decree."


    Mu Junhan''s expression was solemn, because of the serious look, his handsome face added a bit of charm.


    After exiting the imperial court, Mu Junhan took the orders of the emperor and went straight to the dungeon.


    When the guards in the prison saw the imperial edict, they respectfully invited them in.


    "Prince An, this Hereditary Prince is here again."


    Mu Junhan''s voice was clear and echoed in the empty and dark cell.


    The corner of An Yingcheng''s mouth pulled back into a smile. He did not know if it was happiness or bitterness, "Hereditary Prince Mu, how is the plague outside?"


    In the past few days while he was in prison, he had heard from the prison warden that a plague had struck Chuzhou and the surroundings of the capital. He had asked the prison warden for information, but the prison warden refused to speak of it.


    Now that he saw Mu Junhan, An Yingcheng immediately asked.


    Mu Junhan took out an imperial edict from his back, causing An Yingcheng''s pupils to constrict as he immediately knelt down.


    "This is the emperor''s decree for you to deal with the plague. Prince An, please take a look for yourself!"


    Mu Junhan pulled his hand and stuffed the imperial edict into his hand.


    An Yingcheng''s expression was excited, he hurriedly opened the imperial edict in his hand.


    The emperor''s meaning was very simple and straightforward. He first comforted An Yingcheng a bit, saying that he did not send anyone to investigate, and simply and carelessly set down the crime of An Yingcheng. Only after that did he realize that he had made a mistake, and then said that the plague had struck with great urgency did he give the order to release An Yingcheng and An Lingge, and give him the heavy responsibility of treating the plague.


    "Prince An, the Emperor has ordered me to help you with the treatment of the plague. I hope that Prince An can go back to your residence to clean up. Tomorrow, follow me to the Chuzhou."


    "Alright." An Yingcheng nodded his head heavily, excitement and gratitude could be seen in his eyes, "Many thanks to Hereditary Prince Mu for helping this king go through so much trouble. If I am able to successfully control the plague and get rid of this crisis, I would owe Hereditary Prince Mu a favor."


    Although he had been a idle prince for so many years, he was not confused at all.


    If not for Mu Junhan''s help, the emperor would never have let him out of prison.


    At the moment, An Yingcheng could no longer care about why Mu Junhan was helping him. He kept the imperial edict and immediately walked towards the cell that held An Lingge.

 C213

    Mu Junhan followed beside him, and looked at An Lingge who had become much thinner. Although her expression did not change, there was already a trace of heartache in her eyes.


    The father and daughter duo finally returned to the palace safely.


    Of course, Aunt Li and An Lingyi were not happy about An Lingge''s return.


    Since An Yingcheng was also in front of them, the mother and daughter pair revealed looks of wild joy as they spoke a set of auspicious words.


    On the other hand, An Yingcheng was very cold to the two of them.


    Ever since he knew that Aunt Li and An Lingyi saying that this was all An Lingge''s fault in front of the Eunuch who gave the order, he felt that these two people did not have the slightest consciousness belonging to the Duke Palaces.


    In the face of danger, they did not know that they had to unite together to survive. Instead, they pushed An Lingge out.


    Aunt Li had accompanied An Yingcheng for more than ten years, so how could he not feel the dissatisfaction in the heart of the person beside him?


    Her smile was gentle and generous, but her heart was already bleeding.


    After watching An Lingge enter the dungeon, she thought that she would stay in the gloomy prison for the rest of his life. However, the heavens were so angry, they actually let her leave in one piece!


    If she had known that An Lingge''s life was so good, she would have spoken up for An Lingge no matter what and protected him a little.


    Aunt Li was bitter, but An Lingyi''s gaze was glued to Mu Junhan''s body.


    When she saw An Lingge being brought back by Mu Junhan, fire almost ignited in her eyes. But Mu Junhan treating An Lingge coldly, as though he was a stranger that was distant and distant.


    This attitude made An Lingyi secretly rejoice, feeling that after Hereditary Prince Mu recognized the true nature of this woman, she finally had the chance to get close to the one whom she liked!


    "This time around, father and big sister are safe and sound. It''s all thanks to the efforts of Hereditary Prince Mu in front of the Emperor that she thanked him."


    Mu Junhan took a step back, and said with a bland expression, "This Hereditary Prince only thinks that the millions of civilians need my Prince An, there is no need to thank me."


    He looked at An Lingyi''s gentle expression, and a trace of disgust flashed past his eyes, "This Hereditary Prince still has things to do, so I won''t disturb Prince An''s family reunion anymore."


    An Yingcheng personally saw him out of the residence, then said a few words to make everyone feel at ease, that he did not suffer and that he did not want them to continue doing what they should do, that he was attended by a servant to bathe and change.


    An Lingyi who had returned to her courtyard grabbed the peony that was just right opened up by her side. She crushed it in her hands and the flower petals were stepped on by her embroidered shoes, but she was still unable to dispel her hatred.


    When Aunt Li saw her current state, a trace of helplessness flashed past her eyes. "Yi Er, what''s wrong with you now?"


    "Mother, that bitch An Lingge is too much of an eyesore!" An Lingyi pouted, her little daughter acting like a spoiled child, "Your daughter doesn''t want to see her in the Palace, help your daughter think of a way."


    So it was because of this.


    Aunt Li laughed and took out a letter from her bosom.


    "Look at what this is?"


    An Lingyi took the letter, and clearly saw the contents on it, her expression changed by several degrees.


    "Originally, I did not plan to tell you about this, but since An Lingge returned unharmed, we can agree to Seventh Prince''s request." Aunt Li''s eyes flashed with a vicious light as she whispered sinister plans into her daughter''s ears.


    An Lingge was extremely unwilling to let An Lingyi pull her along to view the lake. She had just come out of prison, so she needed to calm down a little.


    However, the relationship between An Lingyi and her could be said to be like fire and water. This person was completely abnormal.


    An Lingge was curious about her goal so she stepped onto this pleasure boat.


    "Elder sister, look at the lanterns over there. They''re so beautiful!"


    Just as she stood at the edge of the cruise liner, she heard An Lingyi''s soft cheers.


    An Lingge turned her head to look, only to suddenly have two hands reach out from his back, pushing her out of the painting boat and into the lake!


    This scene looked familiar. In a split-second, An Lingge remembered something.


    Back then, she had been deceived by An Lingyi and her daughter, and even thought that Seventh Prince was a good person.


    However, later on, Zhao Lanyu had an unfathomable thought about her and even more so wanted to use himself to force An Yingcheng to stand in his camp and help him fight for the throne.


    An Lingyi knew about this, so she faked it and brought to the cruise ship to enjoy the scenery, but secretly attacked him, causing him to fall into the water.


    On the other hand, she colluded with Zhao Lanyu and allowed Zhao Lanyu to "save" her.


    An Lingge instantly figured out her situation. She glanced over and indeed, she saw a tall figure jumped down from the small boat not far away, swimming towards her.


    No, I can''t let Zhao Lanyu save me. Otherwise, even if I don''t help Zhao Lanyu to fight for the throne, in the eyes of others, the Duke Palaces will no longer be related to the Seventh Prince in any way.


    With this thought in mind, she immediately swam backwards. Her slender figure was like a nimble fish, disappearing without a trace. Her speed was so fast that people would click their tongues.


    Zhao Lanyu, who was about to save her, "..."


    The Miss An was so good at swimming, she didn''t need him to save her! But An Lingyi had even promised him that she would definitely succeed in this matter!


    He couldn''t help but cast a blaming glance at An Lingyi. That gaze carried a bit of ice-cold intent, causing the latter to instantly stiffen in place.


    Damnit, this was not the plan. When did An Lingge learn to swim?


    She clenched her fists and bit her lips, not knowing what to do, when she saw that Mu Junhan actually appeared out of nowhere and also jumped into the water with her.


    "Hereditary Prince Mu, save me!"


    An Lingge swam to Mu Junhan''s side, and then let out a "delicate" cry.


    Looking at her obvious playful expression, Mu Junhan''s mouth twitched, but he still quickly swam over to her side and brought her to the shore.


    An Lingge stayed in Mu Junhan''s embrace, feeling his gentle embrace, and looked up and observed him.


    Looking at it from this angle, all that could be seen was his graceful line of jaw, and his faintly protruding adam''s apple. What attracted An Lingge''s attention the most was still his alluring collarbone.


    He was originally wearing a white robe, but because he was wet, the white robe stuck onto his body. The collar of the robe was slightly open, making it easier for the young woman to peep at him.


    Water droplets rolled down her smooth face and fell onto her collarbone, adding to her beauty.


    Just as An Lingge was thinking that, she saw Mu Junhan suddenly lower his head, and a demonic face appeared in her eyes.


    He was extremely white, and when he lowered his head to look at An Lingge, his almond-shaped eyes drooped, as long eyelashes covered his jade-white face and cast a faint shadow over his eyes.

 C214

    However, her thin lips were red like blood. A slight curve on her lips was enough to enchant people''s hearts.


    "Does this Hereditary Prince look good?"


    His lips slightly parted as he spat out those words beside An Lingge''s ear. His low and hoarse voice seemed to carry some sort of unknown meaning.


    An Lingge was captivated by her beautiful appearance and subconsciously nodded her head.


    In the next moment, Mu Junhan suddenly raised his hand, and easily threw her into the center of the lake.


    "Plop!"


    With a sound of falling into the water that was even louder than before, An Lingge was not on guard. She fiercely choked on a few mouthfuls of water, and finally crawled out of the water in a sorry state.


    What was going on?


    An Lingge was furious, she was just about to vent his anger on the person in front of him, but when she saw the gloomy expression on the person''s face, she knew that she was being noticed, and immediately retracted his anger. She put on a obedient expression, and tried to swim towards Mu Junhan.


    At this time, Zhao Lanyu came ashore, "Miss An..." He spoke to An Lingge with a worried and anxious expression.


    An Lingge rolled her eyes fiercely in her heart. Don''t think that she didn''t see when he shot An Lingyi a look just now, wanting to lie to him.


    What happened today was merely a trap set up by Zhao Lanyu and his together. The goal was to make himself fall in love with Zhao Lanyu, this trash of a man.


    In her previous life, she was the one who was fooled by An Lingyi and her daughter into circling around.


    But if she had been tricked once, how could she have fallen into the same trap?


    An Lingge did not even look at Zhao Lanyu, but looked at the grown up Mu Junhan with eyes full of love, acting as if she was extremely embarrassed, "I have no way to repay Hereditary Prince Mu for saving me, I can only repay him with my own body."


    Mu Junhan''s eyes swept across her indifferently, seeing the smile that she had to resist with great difficulty. In her heart, she felt that she was different from her usual calm and collected self, with an additional little girl''s flirtatiousness. However, her expression did not change, "If Miss An does not look at this Hereditary Prince with such a passionate gaze, this Hereditary Prince might believe your words."


    What nonsense are you spouting!


    "Hereditary Prince Mu has been doted on by the Prince Mu and the empress dowager since she was young, so she has naturally seen all kinds of treasures. No matter how many antiques and paintings our Prince An''s Palace brings out, even the sharp swords of a BMW probably wouldn''t enter the eyes of the Hereditary Prince, that''s why I ¡­"


    As she spoke, she began to sob and sob, her eyes had a look of weakness, as though she was being wronged: "Since Hereditary Prince Mu hates it, then An Lingge will take her leave."


    After saying that, An Lingge''s tears flowed down, revealing her extremely cute and beautiful face, even her crying appearance was so beautiful that it would break one''s heart.


    Zhao Lanyu couldn''t help but become dazed, unwilling to see the person in front of him cry.


    But at this time, An Lingyi had already arrived at the shore from the painting boat. Seeing Zhao Lanyu''s pitying eyes, he couldn''t help but feel jealous.


    Although Zhao Lanyu was clearly her cousin, Zhao Lanyu treated this little bitch with tenderness and treated his like a servant. Wasn''t it all because of An Lingge''s face of a fox spirit?


    Sooner or later, she would destroy that face and see how she could seduce her cousin, and how she could seduce Hereditary Prince Mu and Young General Lu!


    Mu Junhan once again fell into his embrace as he rolled back his long sleeves.


    "This Hereditary Prince sends Miss An back to her residence."


    His voice was still cold, but An Lingge, who was in his embrace, had her lips secretly raised, her eyebrows crafty.


    She knew that Mu Junhan would not let his walk back so wet.


    After throwing the two people behind him far away, the cold look of disgust on Mu Junhan''s face disappeared in an instant.


    He hugged An Lingge as if he was holding a rare treasure, and walked step by step with great slowness and strength.


    An Lingge''s clear voice came out from his embrace, "Regarding the plague, thank you."


    That day when Mu Junhan left in frustration, she had thought that they would have a falling out.


    But unexpectedly, even though Mu Junhan said that he would ignore her, he was willing to take the risk of angering the emperor, and plead for mercy on behalf of their Prince An''s Palace again and again.


    Although the Emperor temporarily had no intention of killing them, staying in the prison was still uncomfortable.


    If not for Mu Junhan, they would have never known when they would have been released.


    Mu Junhan did not reply, as if he did not hear her words.


    An Lingge''s body was covered by his wide sleeves and her face was buried in the man''s embrace, her expression completely hidden.


    "I know that I have acted rashly this time, and I will definitely not do it again."


    she said again, a little perturbed.


    That day, she had steeled her heart and cut off the relationship between her and Mu Junhan, thinking that she wouldn''t feel sorry for him like this.


    But when she saw Mu Junhan again, she realized just how much she missed him, and how much she was afraid she would never have the chance to see him again.


    But when he followed An Yingcheng, he looked at himself weirdly yet coldly.


    An Lingge wanted to find an opportunity to apologize and explain to him. Because of the relationship between An Yingcheng and the others, she was unable to say these words out loud.


    Now that he had finally said those words, Mu Junhan remained silent.


    An Lingge''s heart was even more unsettled. Ever since she was reborn, she had never been this anxious, afraid that she would miss out on someone important.


    She raised her head from Mu Junhan''s embrace and met his deep eyes.


    "Afraid?"


    He asked randomly, but An Lingge knew what he meant.


    Are you afraid of being locked up in a cell?


    An Lingge pursed her lips, her bright black eyes sparkling. "Afraid?


    It was as if she had made up her mind. A layer of red quietly appeared on her beautiful face.


    "I''m not afraid of being locked up in jail, nor of the insects, but I''m afraid of the plague. I''m afraid that I''ll never see you again."


    An Lingge had never said such cordial words before, and even her snow-white earlobes were burnt red from the words that came out of her mouth.


    But perhaps it was because the person in front of him was someone he liked, An Lingge still said those words.


    When she was in prison, she had thought to herself that if she ever saw Mu Junhan again, she would definitely say her feelings out loud so that she wouldn''t feel regret and regret it for the rest of her life.


    Mu Junhan''s profound eyes lit up, as if they were filled with millions of stars.


    The corner of his lips couldn''t help but curve upwards, but there were words of blame coming out of his mouth, "So you were purposely pushed into the water by An Lingyi, just to find a chance to say these words to me?"


    She was accidentally pushed down by An Lingyi!


    An Lingge''s bright black eyes stared at him, "Wasn''t Hereditary Prince Mu also waiting there on purpose for a hero to come and save the beauty?"


    Mu Junhan gave a low laugh as he bent down to kiss the woman''s lips.


    "It''s so good that you''ve returned safely."

 C215

    The emperor released the An father and daughter, and only gave An Yingcheng a day''s time to rest. On the second day, he arranged for a servant and an imperial physician to order An Yingcheng and his wife to bring these people to the Chuzhou to treat the plague.


    An Lingge stood in front of her father, her deep black eyes filled with seriousness.


    "Father, I know some medical skills. Let me go with you."


    The old lady who was sending An Yingcheng off glared at her, and while he said some words of reprimand, his expression showed that it was hard to hide his worry, "The Chuzhou plague runs rampant, and if you accidentally get infected by it, that would be fatal.


    The Aunt Wei was also very worried, "It''s going to be dangerous, it''s better for Eldest Miss to stay in the residence."


    "Second Aunt knows about my medical skills. Although I can''t guarantee that I won''t get infected by the plague, I can take better care of myself compared to Father."


    She looked at An Yingcheng and spoke with a clear voice, her words were like jade falling to the ground, with a sense of certainty, "Furthermore, that Lan Xin is my servant, I have interacted with her before, but I am not infected by the plague. It can be seen that the medicinal formula I learned is useful."


    An Yingcheng originally did not take his daughter''s words to heart, but after hearing the word medicinal formula, the space between his eyebrows congealed, and he said solemnly: "Little Ge, what is the medicinal formula you are talking about? Could it be a plague healer? "


    If it was really a cure for the plague, he wouldn''t have to worry about it.


    An Lingge''s expression was a little uncertain, and she hesitated, "Your daughter also doesn''t know if the medicinal formula can cure the plague, but that day, daughter was in contact with Lan Xin, and was worried that she would be infected by the plague, so she used the ancient book''s medicinal formula to fry the plague, and even got someone to send a bowl of it to father."


    As she said this, An Yingcheng remembered.


    That day, An Lingge sent someone over to say that Lan Xin was possibly infected by the plague.


    At that time, he wasn''t sure if the servant girl had died from the plague, so he hadn''t been prepared for it.


    Now that the plague had broken out, he knew that what his daughter said was true, so he suddenly felt fear.


    If he had been infected by the plague, he wouldn''t have been able to stand here.


    He was initially glad that he was lucky and did not get the plague, but after hearing An Lingge''s words, he realized that it was all because of that bowl of medicine!


    "Little Ge, do you remember what the prescription is?"


    An Yingcheng was excited, he felt that they were safe and sound, and most likely it was because of the medicine An Lingge got them to fry.


    Aunt Li stood at the side and immediately stood out. She had a smile on her face, but her heart was filled with contempt, "Master, the eldest young miss has always been staying in the pavilion, she has learnt some medical knowledge from the trees, but she has never encountered a plague. How could she know the cure for the plague?"


    "That''s right, father. If you use the medicine given by elder sister and something goes wrong, what will happen?"


    An Lingyi acted as if she was thinking of An Yingcheng and tried her best to dissuade him.


    On one hand, the two of them were afraid that An Lingge would really take out an effective medicine to treat the plague. If that was the case, An Yingcheng would definitely think highly of An Lingge.


    On the other hand, if the medicine that An Lingge took out was ineffective, then when the emperor blames them, it might involve them. They wouldn''t be willing to be the scapegoat for An Lingge''s crimes.


    After An Lingge heard this, the corner of her mouth raised slightly, and a smile blossomed like a beautiful rose blossoming on her cheeks, but there was a trace of coldness in the eyes, as she looked at the mother and daughter, as though she was looking at a lifeless object, "If Second Sister and I have a good idea, we could just say it to Father, to ease the worries of the Duke Palaces."


    What method did the two of them have to cure the plague?


    The smile on Aunt Li''s face stiffened, she laughed until it was dry, "Young miss must be joking, as a woman, how can I understand such things?"


    "Since Aunt Li doesn''t understand, then don''t point fingers at this matter. Otherwise, if you are unable to help, you might even cause trouble for Father." An Lingge smiled gently. On the surface, she looked kind and friendly, but her words were not polite at all.


    Didn''t this mean that she was useless and would only help the other party in the end?


    Aunt Li''s smile cracked and she could no longer maintain her smile. She looked at An Yingcheng lovingly, her eyes filled with deep love, "Old master, I was only thinking for your sake, you just came out from prison. If you were punished by the emperor because of the prescription, I would be so worried that I would not be able to eat!"


    She said one word after another, silently hinting at An Yingcheng that he had suffered a calamity this time, and that he had been implicated by An Lingge in the first place.


    If An Yingcheng did not listen to his advice and insisted on using the prescription that An Lingge took out, in the end, it was extremely possible that he would anger the Emperor again.


    This time, the plague broke out, and with Mu Junhan pleading for them in front of the emperor, they could be released, but what about the next time, would they live again?


    Aunt Li originally wanted to advise An Yingcheng not to use those random drugs, but her words made An Yingcheng remember something. Back then, An Lingge had predicted that there would be a plague in the Great Zhou Empire.


    With the prescription in An Lingge''s hands, perhaps it could cure the plague, why not give it a try?


    In any case, the Emperor ordered him to treat the plague. He found a prescription and passed it on to those who were infected with the plague, or lived in the Chuzhou. It was extremely likely that they would be infected with the plague.


    If he could really control the epidemic situation, then he would have done so for nothing. If the prescription was useless, then he would think of another way.


    In just a split-second, An Yingcheng already understood what was going on.


    He coughed, and did not look at Aunt Li, but instead spoke to An Lingge with a gentle expression, "Little Ge, most likely the medicinal formula in your hand is effective. However, this duke does not understand the situation with regards to the Chuzhou. It would be better for you to follow me to the Chuzhou to take a look at the situation and test whether the medicinal formula is effective. "


    What An Lingge wanted was this kind of result. A sincere smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, and her beautiful face lit up the crowd''s eyes, as if millions of rays of light were scattered all over her body. Everything in the world had become a scenery behind her.


    "Yes, daughter will ask someone to pack up their things. Father, please wait for a moment."


    When she found out that An Yingcheng had been ordered by the emperor to treat the plague, she decided to follow them to the Chuzhou. Bi Zhu and Brightheart were quick-witted and had already prepared to pay their respects.


    After an hour, Bi Zhu and Ming Xin had already brought a small and exquisite bag with them as they walked over. An Yingcheng instructed the servants to prepare another carriage, and then set off for the Chuzhou.

 C216

    The plan this time was another failure!


    An Yingcheng and his carriage flew into the distance, the Aunt Li and An Lingyi behind them looked at each other, a similar look of disappointment flashed past their eyes at the same time.


    "Seventh Prince has sent a letter." The Aunt Li waved her hands and dismissed the servants in her room, looking exhausted.


    An Lingyi''s heart was perturbed, her usual arrogant expression was also somewhat unsettled, "Cousin, what did you say?"


    She had already discussed this with Zhao Lanyu yesterday. Taking advantage of the opportunity to swim in the lake, she pushed An Lingge into the lake and had him go save the person. As long as the two of them had a physical relationship, An Lingge would be considered as Zhao Lanyu''s man.


    When Seventh Prince proposes to An Yingcheng so that he can enter his residence to become a Lateral Consort, An Lingge''s fate would be in their hands. This person''s future life would be entirely decided by them.


    But who would have thought that An Lingge knew how to swim, and the water was not bad, causing their plan to fail once again, and not only did it work, it also made Zhao Lanyu unhappy.


    "The Seventh Prince wants us to think of a way to take An Lingge out of the Palace so that he can approach us if he has the chance. He will handle the rest of the matters."


    He did not know what Zhao Lanyu was thinking, but he suddenly took a fancy to An Lingge, they obviously knew of him before, but they did not see what Seventh Prince was thinking of An Lingge.


    The Aunt Li was very agitated in her heart, just because she saw Zhao Lanyu''s identity as a prince, she could not put on the airs of a senior.


    An Lingyi curled her lips, "But that bitch An Lingge has already gone to the Chuzhou with father, so how can we take her out of the palace?"


    This matter was not easy to handle. Since An Lingge was not even in the capital, how could she approach her?


    The Aunt Li subconsciously held the handkerchief in her hands tightly. In a short moment, her eyes lit up, "Isn''t An Lingge already out of the Palace on her way to the Chuzhou? We will pass on this information to Seventh Prince, and the rest will depend on what Seventh Prince does. "


    Although the Chuzhou was not far from the capital, it was still a distance away. If the Seventh Prince had a way to play tricks on him on this road, then it would be for the best.


    A hint of joy flashed past An Lingyi''s eyes, she clapped her hands together, "Good idea, Mother, send someone to tell cousin now, tell him not to miss this chance."


    An Lingge who had been schemed against, was currently sitting on the carriage heading to Chuzhou, Bi Zhu pulled open the carriage curtain, her round face carrying a look of excitement.


    Since she was young, she had never left the capital. At this moment, she could not help but feel a sense of novelty.


    An Lingge looked at her with a smile on her lips, and slowly withdrew her gaze.


    "Miss, we can arrive at the Chuzhou tomorrow."


    Bi Zhu''s voice was filled with excitement, "Miss, do you think that Chuzhou are as prosperous as Beijing?"


    Ming Xin pulled her back, as if she couldn''t bear it any longer: "Look outside again, be careful not to fall out."


    "How could I fall out?" Bi Zhu giggled, as though because she left the capital, her mood became much better.


    An Lingge laughed and interrupted their conversation, getting down to business, "How is Chu Yu?"


    Her going to the Chuzhou this time, was naturally not as simple as just offering up a prescription.


    "Yesterday, when Miss asked me to clean up, I had already had Lu Jingyu send a message to Chu Yu, asking her to find someone to deliver all the stored medicinal ingredients to the Chuzhou, leaving only a small portion of them in the capital. I think when we arrive, Chu Yu will send people over too. "


    In order to treat the plague, aside from an effective prescription, the ingredients were also essential.


    An Lingge nodded and relaxed a little. She then asked: "Have you already sent Lu Jingyu to take care of the villages around the capital?"


    "Don''t worry Miss, I have already taught the prescription that Miss wrote down for Lu Jingyu, and even taught him how to make the medicine." Bi Zhu''s voice paused for a while before she said, "I don''t know where the Shu Mo beside Hereditary Prince Mu heard this news, but she insisted on accompanying Lu Jingyu to those villages to help with the treatment."


    Although Mu Junhan and An Lingge''s interactions were hidden from outsiders, Bi Zhu and Brightheart, as An Lingge''s personal maidservants, could naturally sense something was off. Facing the people beside Mu Junhan, they weren''t as cautious in the bottom of their hearts.


    "The situation in the village is no better than Chuzhou. Lu Jingyu alone can''t handle it, and if there''s someone from Prince Mu¡¯s Palace helping, it would also solve our lack of manpower."


    An Lingge''s long eyelashes drooped, and a trace of faint worry condensed between her brows.


    Although she was able to stand firmly in the Prince''s Palace, her power was still too small. The only people she could use were Bi Zhu and the others, they could deal with the Aunt Li and An Lingyi''s schemes, if she wanted to do something else, she would feel weak.


    Furthermore, until now, she had only found out one nanny and that nanny still committed suicide. Although the blame was placed on the Aunt Li, she still could not bring out any strong evidence and could not bring it down in one fell swoop.


    Bi Zhu did not know of the worries in his young miss''s heart, but she was still smiling and teasing him, "Yeah, the people that Hereditary Prince Mu sent were really timely, and helped his young miss solve her worries. Young miss''s future Young Master, if you are so considerate, this servant will be relieved."


    "What are you talking about?"


    An Lingge glared at her, but her cheeks had started to turn red.


    Bi Zhu winked at Ming Xin, "I just hope that the future Young Master will be as considerate as Hereditary Prince Mu, Ming Xin, don''t you think so?"


    She also responded with a smile, which attracted An Lingge to give her false reprimand.


    The three of them chatted and laughed in the carriage, and they soon arrived at the relay station.


    An Yingcheng spoke a few words with the messenger at the inn, and the messenger immediately prepared a room respectfully.


    "Let''s stay at the relay station for the night. We can reach the Chuzhou tomorrow." An Yingcheng told the servants to prepare hot water, and the imperial physicians that followed after him all complied.


    Mu Junhan was sitting at a nearby table when he heard An Lingge''s words. His lips curled up into a smile, and the affection in his eyes couldn''t be removed. He turned his gaze away when he saw An Yingcheng looking at him and said, "Why don''t you sit down and have a drink after travelling for the entire day?


    "This king has yet to solemnly thank you for your kindness, Hereditary Prince Mu. This king will make you drink a cup of wine, Hereditary Prince Mu."


    Just as he was about to pour the wine, he heard a loud bang as an old bench flew into the room.


    "Are you the officials sent by the court to treat the plague?"


    Following the loud noise, a group of aggressive civilians walked in. The leader of the group had a knife scar on his face, and he looked very ferocious.


    An Yingcheng put down the cup in his hand, his expression calm, "You are?"

 C217

    "We are the citizens of Chuzhou."


    The man in the lead raised his head, and looked at An Yingcheng and the others with eyes full of contempt and disdain, "I advise you to be more sensible, and not stop us from going to the capital."


    Mu Junhan and An Lingge looked at each other, both seeing the doubt in the other''s eyes.


    "What do you mean?" An Yingcheng''s brows scrunched together, his gaze was like a sword, aimed straight at the leading man.


    The knife-scarred man sneered, "What are you pretending for? You officials are as black-hearted as that Prefect. In order to prevent the plague from spreading, you people who haven''t been infected with the plague surround us here and make us wait for our deaths in despair!"


    "That''s right. Today, we''re here to tell you all that you officials should be taught a lesson!"


    Once he said that, the citizens looked as if they were encouraged, all of their expressions were filled with anger, without waiting for An Yingcheng to say anything more, they squeezed and rushed forward.


    They held shovels in their hands and roared as they swung them. Their expressions were sinister and the weapons would land on An Yingcheng''s body in the next moment.


    An Yingcheng''s expression changed, and he immediately dodged to the side.


    However, he was already surrounded by these civilians. No matter how he dodged, there would be people waving their weapons on the side, ready to teach him a lesson.


    An Lingge, who was sitting opposite of him, had already leaped up, her slender body moving across the long table, and sent the blade in the scarred man''s hand flying with a kick.


    "The person in front of you is an official of the imperial government, a prince of the imperial court. Do you know what kind of crime he is charged with?"


    He kicked the knife-scarred man, sending him flying a few steps back. His fierce expression intimidated the group of citizens, scaring them into standing in place, making them forget about their next move.


    The knife-scarred man coughed twice, and got up from the ground. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and with a fierce expression, he said, "So what if you are a prince? We are going to the capital to sue the emperor and let him see the face of the officials he has sent! "


    "Since when have we ignored your lives?"


    An Lingge walked over from behind them. Her beautiful appearance was similar to a deity coming out from a painting, causing the knife-scarred man to subconsciously ease her expression, afraid that she would scare the person in front of him.


    The two parties froze, and then, An Yingcheng finally got the chance to speak, "This king had received orders from the emperor to treat the plague, and before I could even reach the Chuzhou, you guys had already put on such a hat! If you have any grievances or grudges, you can tell this king that when this king returns to the capital, he will also pass them on word for word to the emperor. However, you are threatening This King and want to make a move against him. This is a great crime and This King will have you arrested right now! "


    "Wait." An Lingge advised An Yingcheng, "Father, your daughter thinks that they should have met with some kind of disaster, that''s why they dared to make a move on you and Hereditary Prince Mu. Why don''t we make a decision after we get a clear understanding of the situation?"


    Mu Junhan also nodded his head, although his expression was displeased, he no longer had the sharp and fierce feeling from before, "From your words, the Emperor sent an official to imprison you in his Chuzhou, so you are not allowed to leave?"


    The two of them clearly had no ill intentions. The commoners looked at each other in dismay, temporarily releasing their enmity.


    "Not only that, he even ordered the soldiers to look at us as if we were prisoners. The city gate is also guarded by soldiers, and no one is allowed to leave, they say that it is to prevent the spread of the plague, but who doesn''t know, he has no way of treating the plague, so he wants us all to wait for death in Chuzhou, so our Chuzhou can become a dead city! "


    There was actually such a thing?


    An Yingcheng was extremely surprised. He knew that the previous emperor had sent many officials to deal with the plague when the previous emperor was still alive. After two months, there was really no other way for him to order the village to be burned.


    Less than a month had passed since the outbreak of the plague, yet the officials in charge of controlling the plague had surrounded these people within their Chuzhou and told them to stay together with those who had been infected by the plague.


    However ¡­


    "If what you''ve said is true, then how did you all come about?"


    There was a look of awkwardness on the knife-scarred man''s face, he hesitated to speak, but the person behind him could not help it, "To the west of the moat is a yard that has been deserted for many years. There is a dog hole in there, that''s where we came from."


    Fortunately, the new officials were not familiar with Chuzhou and did not know of the dog hole. Otherwise, they would not have been able to get out.


    "Everyone, don''t worry. My father and Hereditary Prince Mu will investigate this matter thoroughly." An Lingge''s voice was clear, with a soothing tone, "This time, we came under the orders of the emperor to treat the plague, but our previous officials were different. We brought the prescription along."


    She looked around at the crowd with a look of confidence on her face. The smile on her face was also unavoidably convincing.


    "Half a month ago, the maidservant in my yard was infected by a plague. Father and I took the medicine on the prescription, but nothing happened."


    At this time, it was important to calm the hearts of the people. An Yingcheng''s expression did not change at all, "That''s right, this medicinal formula was personally tested by this king. If you take this medicine, you will definitely not be infected by the plague."


    "It''s fake. I''ve never heard of any medicine that can cure a plague."


    "That''s right, it sounds so magical. If there really is such a medicine, why didn''t you take it out earlier?"


    Seeing that the commoners had become restless again, Mu Junhan''s eyes shone as he let out a low cough.


    The commoners only felt a chill sweep past their bodies, and only then did they stop complaining about the doubts in their mouths.


    "Prince An is right." Mu Junhan''s lips slightly opened, and his voice was as clear as the sound of a spring hitting a rock.


    "The Prince An and Miss An had already sensed that there was a plague half a month ago, and they informed the Emperor about this matter. However, there was no plague in the capital, and the plague in the Chuzhou was suppressed by the government officials, so the Emperor thought that they were trying to bully the emperor and ordered them to lock up in jail. Yesterday, hearing that they had a prescription that could treat the plague, he released them and ordered the Prince An to go to the Chuzhou to treat the plague."


    So this was what had happened?


    The commoners were all astonished. They looked at each other, not knowing what to say.


    "Prince An did it for the sake of the commoners!" One of the commoners sighed, his legs bent as he kneeled down. "Prince An is so righteous, but we misunderstood your highness, we almost injured you guys, it''s our fault!"


    He knelt down, and as if infected, everyone else also kneeled down, including the scar-faced man.


    An Yingcheng had never seen such a scene before, he said repeatedly, "Quickly get up, quickly get up, you are also doing this for the common people of Chuzhou."