《Dream Breaks One Day》


 C1

    In April, the spring wind blew through the numerous pavilions in the capital, lifting up the hair on the foreheads of countless young girls. It was mixed with the smell of spices and rouge as it passed through the crowd, slowly blowing the copper bell hanging in front of the teahouse. A skinny old man wearing a green robe was standing on the stage of the teahouse.


    Zhuang Li stood behind the dense crowd, frowning, and looked at the old man who was in a daze. Occasionally, a few scattered words would drift into his ears ¡­


    The envoy from the Western Regions slapped the table and shouted, "I have long heard of your Prince Bi. You have indeed earned a well-deserved reputation after meeting me today ¡­"


    Cheers came from below the stage. Zhuang Li felt dizzy, and she did not understand who the old man was referring to. She also did not know when she came to the teahouse.


    When she felt someone touching her head, she turned around and saw a young woman who was much taller than her. In her haziness, she couldn''t see her appearance, and felt that she was a little familiar and pretty.


    "Little porcelain, come home with your mother, okay?"


    Zhuang Li was still confused. She did not know the young maiden in front of her, so what mother? She used her hand to wipe her eyes.


    ''Pa! ''The old man who was telling the story patted the wood in his hand ¡­


    The sound was very crisp and almost shocked the young woman to the point of shedding a few fresh apricot flowers. Was that an apricot flower? Zhuang Li opened her eyes in a daze, wondering why she had such a strange dream. Her head was still spinning, and when she finished focusing, what entered her sight was actually an apricot flower, but it was not on the young lady''s head. It was carved on the wood instead.


    Turning her stiff head, she looked around and saw that she was lying on a wooden bed. The wood above her head was actually a beam that supported the bed frame.


    With great difficulty, she propped herself up. Her chest was so stuffy that she started coughing violently.


    When the people outside heard the commotion, a little girl rushed into the room in a flustered manner.


    "Miss, Miss, you''re awake!"


    Hurriedly pushing aside the person who came to help her up, Zhuang Li raised her head and took a fierce look at the room she was in: the wooden screen, the blue and white porcelain tea set, the exquisite lacquer ¡­


    "Where is this!"


    Looking at the little girl in front of him, he saw that she was wearing a green water striped dress and had a bun wrapped around her head.


    She was shocked by Zhuang Li''s actions until she didn''t know what to do and stuttered.


    "Miss, this is your home, Prime Minister Zhao Manor!"


    Zhuang Li gasped for breath. Prime Minister Zhao Palace? What kind of joke was this?!


    Zhuang Li looked at the little girl as if she was crazy, then she pushed her away and rushed out of the house while barefoot.


    There were a few peach trees outside the door, and there was also a small pond at the top. Inside the pond, there were fake mountains, bonsai, fish and insects that were full of life. She was slightly familiar with the design, feng shui, and ancient crafts that she had studied in university. She clearly felt that these things were very particular, whether it was in terms of craftsmanship or arrangement.


    A few ladies who were dressed similar to the little girl in the house were carrying teacups and walking over. Seeing Zhuang Li suddenly rush over halfway, the teacups broke into pieces and Zhuang Li fell onto the ground in a daze.


    At this moment, an older woman walked over in a fluster. She helped her up and patted the dust off her body. After doing all this, the woman pulled her indoors without a word, murmuring nonstop.


    "Oh my dear little aunt, how did you get out of bed? What would happen if you fell again!"


    Zhuang Li suddenly felt some despair. Her face was ashen as she tightly held onto the aunt''s arm.


    "Aunt, let me ask you, here ¡­" "Where is it?"


    "Miss, what''s wrong with you? This is your home, the Prime Minister''s mansion. How come you don''t even recognize your own home?"


    "It''s really not a shop?"


    The woman became even more worried.


    "What kind of shop?" "This is the Prime Minister''s manor, young miss ¡­" After saying that, Zhuang Li was carried by the woman towards the bed. Zhuang Li laid on the bed and looked at her body in shock.


    This is definitely wrong... She should have known!


    She was carried back to the bed by this grandma. This grandma seemed slightly fat and short, but her previous height of 1.67 meters and weight was at least 45 kilograms. How could she be carried in so easily? This was completely wrong!


    "Give me the mirror!" Zhuang Li screamed.


    The little girl had yet to recover from her shock and was scared witless by that shout. She helplessly looked at the aunt, feeling extremely scared.


    "Mirror, mirror?"


    "If I tell you to take it, then take it. What are you blabbering about!?" The aunt scolded him snappily. She was worried about Zhuang Li''s abnormal behavior today.


    Zhuang Li had long lost her patience.


    "Hurry up, I just want to see if my looks are broken or not!"


    Hearing Zhuang Li''s words, the old lady was immediately amused, she was still worried a moment ago, but now that she knew about the face-breaking matter, it seemed like her brain was not damaged at all.


    A beautiful little copper mirror was handed over to Zhuang Li in a panic. Zhuang Li raised the mirror, feeling suffocated to death in an instant.


    Who in the world was that ten-odd year old girl in the mirror?!


    Two days later, Zhuang Li finally had a better understanding of the whole situation through interrogating her girl, Qing You.


    His current body''s name was Zhao Ci, and he was Prime Minister Zhao''s concubine''s youngest daughter, who had just turned ten this year. He was so domineering and spoiled that not many people in the household liked her. She had a peerlessly beautiful mother, who was an ordinary girl that the Prime Minister Zhao had redeemed from the brothel boat. After giving birth to her, she lived in Prime Minister Zhao''s residence.


    However, Zhao Ci was not so lucky to have inherited her mother''s good genes, and could not even be considered average in looks. Her personality was also not good enough to please the Prime Minister''s father. However, Zhao Ci was her mother''s flesh and blood. Life used to be so carefree, but it was a pity that her favoured mother died of a cold in March of this year, leaving behind her daughter, who was neither intelligent nor beautiful enough.


    This time, the third consort''s Fourth House had already hated the mother and daughter pair to the bones. They probably seized this opportunity to beat Zhao Ci to death. After turning it around, Zhao Ci finally remembered how she almost drowned to death.


    "Young Miss is blessed with great fortune. She has been in a coma for three days. Finally, she has woken up." The servant girl, Zhuang Li, said as she was brewing medicine in front of the house.


    Zhuang Li laid on the stone platform beside the pond with her legs crossed, disapproving in her heart. Hmph, that Miss Zhao is not as lucky as you say. After making a trip to the hall of the underworld and failing to return, didn''t she let me take the chance to take advantage of her?


    She pondered that perhaps the dream she woke up in this world wasn''t a dream, but rather the original owner of this body, Zhao Ci. It was the end of this dream that she had also replaced Zhao Ci''s body.


    She gradually recalled her own experiences. She was called Zhuang Li, and she originally lived in the twenty-first century, at the age of twenty-three. Shortly after graduating from college, she studied interior design and worked in a design company. Actually, it was just a free labor force, not getting a single cent of the salary to do the most complicated things.


    That day, the customer was not satisfied with her new model blueprint. She was scolded half to death by the Director. After modifying the blueprints in her office, she discovered that it was already the wee hours of the morning. She walked out of the building and crossed the street, flying up as she was hit by the retrograde van. She lay on the cold road and felt the pain. She didn''t know how many bones in her body were broken, but she could feel her blood continuously flowing out. Gradually, she started to feel cold, and once she became cold, she no longer felt pain. Then, she gradually began to feel warmth again.


    When he opened his eyes again, it was in the body of Prime Minister Zhao''s daughter, Zhao Ci.


    She had a small lotus pond outside the courtyard, and the girls in the mansion especially liked to chat nearby. She had heard quite a bit of gossip from the maidservants over the past few days. The Zhao Ci she possessed was a foolish ninny who could not read a basket of words. Previously, the Prime Minister had mentioned that he would invite a teacher for her, but her mother, who was so confident that she could topple nations, had actually rejected him. My daughter doesn''t need to read, she said. When she grew up, she must have married her master because she was so beautiful.


    And so her reading was gone by her own mother.


    Zhuang Li looked at her reflection in the water, her sharp mouth and monkey cheeks, her small eyes and nose...


    She didn''t know where the fuck that confidence came from, but this embryo wouldn''t be able to save her even after ten tries.


    This mother and daughter pair had truly gained her knowledge. They were so stupid that they gave birth to little idiots.


    Furthermore, this time and space also confused Zhuang Li. Phoenix Dynasty?


    What the f * ck was this?


    Zhuang Li was a scholar, so she was confident in her knowledge of history. How could she have heard of Phoenix Dynasty? However, as she passed by the fourth house that was right next to her residence, she could hear the moral scriptures coming from inside. "What is the difference between beauty and evil?"


    That is to say, there is a father in this world? Could it be a parallel world?


    Zhuang Li sighed, thinking back to her own past, not knowing if she had completely died in that world. She was a single-parent family, after she died, what would she do when he raised her mother by himself?


    Zhuang Li thought, her eyes filled with tears.


    However, before the tears could fall, a harsh voice came from behind him.


    "Who do I think it is? So it''s my little sister, Luo''er. Why did she come here to play after coming out of the pond two days ago?" Cloud Rising West

 C2

    But the words that came out were so unfriendly. This should be what Qing You said, namely the daughters of third consort and the Fourth Room, Zhao Qin and Zhao Min. The last time Zhao Ci fell into the water, he was with them.


    " The porcelain can''t even remember what the sisters are saying. "


    " How about sister help you remember again? "


    " "Big sister, Jing''er is afraid ~ ~"


    " You pushed your sister into the water? "


    " This is a bastard that was born from a slut. If anything happens to my Min Er, I''ll never let you go! Master, you have to avenge our Min Er! "


    " How am I a lowly bastard? My father is the grand prime minister of Phoenix Dynasty, and I was born of my father, not a slut! "


    " Old master, it''s hard to say if Min''er is lying on her bed right now, but it''s hard to say if she''s dead or alive! Min''er is well-informed and respectful, but this is a marriage set by the Duan minister''s family. A good life hasn''t even started, and she''s already gone.


    Zhuang Li sneered, this crazy woman spoke as if she was really her dead daughter, and even reminded Prime Minister Zhao to take account of Duan minister''s relationship.


    "When she was alive, her mother always said that marrying hhisfather was the happiest thing that happened to her in her life. Back then, among all the people who proposed to marry her, she had taken a glance at hhisfather and said that hhisfather was like a tree to the wind. She was afraid that she would miss him and never find him again.


    " It''s enough! " The Prime Minister Zhao placed the teacup on the table. He was so frightened that he trembled and stopped crying. Zhuang Li was also shocked.


    " "Hua Hong!" He called for the big room beside him.


    " Ask the best doctor in the capital to look at Zhao Min''s body. Old Third, you should take care of him. I''m tired, I need to rest. "


    " Go back to your mother''s room and keep her under house arrest for half a month. "


    " "Stupid girl, consider yourself lucky. Don''t keep on talking about your mother in the future. One day, I will chase you out of the house."


    " Third Mother, it''s not that I have to tell my mother about this, it''s that my mother herself comes to find me every day. "I only dreamt of her last night, she said that whoever bullies my daughter, I will let her have a taste of the cold."


    Speaking of Qing You, she was one year younger than Zhao Ci, and was not taller than him, but she was not sloppy when it came to serving people. Hearing her say that her mother was also the servant of a wealthy family, she had been helping her mother since she was six. She was very capable. It was a pity that her mother had died of illness. The rich family felt that she was unlucky and chased her out.


    She wandered around a few places before finally entering the Zhao Mansion as a servant. There were a total of four wives and concubines, and none of them were willing to take her in, so she was bullied by her to serve this proud and silly girl, Zhao Ci.


    " Do you think I''m fierce? " Zhuang Li asked Qing You.


    " Young Mistress is very nice, they spread the word outside! "


    After eating steamed buns for two days, Zhuang Li gnawed on the chicken drumstick sent over from Lady Sun as hot tears welled up in her eyes.

 C3

    Half a month of confinement had finally passed.


    " Let''s go shopping! "


    The two of them strolled around, extremely excited, especially Zhuang Li, who wanted to take a look at everything and touch everything. She didn''t know when she separated from Qing You, but she was too lazy to look for him, either. She just sat around a stall and listened to the half-immortal''s nonsense.


    " "The lady smells like medicine, but she looks healthy but her complexion is haggard. Naturally, someone in the family is sick ¡­"


    " Little miss, can you allow this one to take a look at your palm? "


    Zhuang Li was exasperated, she quickly rejected her offer.


    " I don''t have any money! "


    " Today, we were able to meet the little sister because of fate. We won''t accept a single coin. "


    " What''s your name, little sister? "


    " Zhao Ci. "


    Immortal Guo continued, "Has Miss encountered any problems recently that nearly cost her life?"


    They had all died once, so of course, it would be difficult for them. They could only nod and the spectators applauded again.


    The deity looked at Zhuang Li meaningfully.


    " "Lady, don''t worry. There is a noble in your life. If you survive a great disaster, you will definitely have good fortune."


    " Thank you, sir. "


    Seeing Zhuang Li getting up, the surrounding people slowly dispersed.


    Just as Zhuang Li was about to leave, Guo Half Immortal suddenly lowered his head, and said with a voice that only Zhuang Li could hear: "Miss, your name is not Zhao Ci, right? The life in Zhao Ci''s palm is not that long. "


    Zhuang Li was startled by these words. She quickly pulled at the half-immortal who was putting away the stall.


    " What do you know! "


    " I just want to remind lady that if you weren''t Zhao Ci, that fated person of yours might not be a good thing for you. "


    " Who cares about a fated person, what else do you know!? Can I go back? " She felt as if she had met with her own connection to that world, dragging him along like a lifesaver.


    It seemed as if Half Immortal Guo didn''t want to pay any more attention to her, so he stood up and prepared to leave.


    " Since you know that Zhao Ci is dead, aren''t you afraid that I''ll come and cause you trouble? "


    Then, Guo Half Immortal was overjoyed.


    " "Miss, since I dared to say that, I know that you are definitely not a bad person. Besides, I don''t know much." He raised up his signboard in front of Zhuang Li.


    " Did you see that? Half Immortal, I''m a Half Immortal. If I knew everything, would I still be a Half Immortal? "


    Zhuang Li''s face was really sad, but Guo Half Immortal saw it clearly. Sighing, she comforted her, "Little lady, we are fated to meet again. That noble person of yours is also destined to meet you again." With that, she picked up her burden and walked away.


    " "Damn it, what fate? Why do you have to let me see you through time and space? I just want to go home!" It was only then that Qing You found Zhuang Li, who was squatting on the ground.


    " "Miss, Miss, you scared me to death. I''ve been looking for you for a long time."


    " Miss, Miss, why are you crying? Don''t scare me, do you feel uncomfortable somewhere? "


    Zhuang Li forced out a smile, extended her hand and caressed her head, softly saying, "It''s okay, I''m just missing my mother."


    " "I miss my mother too."


    "Are you hungry?"


    Qing You was startled by the question, and also realized that after walking around for half a day, her stomach was still making gurgling sounds. She nodded.


    "Miss, let''s go back now."


    Zhuang Li hesitated again, "Go back and nibble on steamed buns?"


    Qing You also revealed a slightly troubled expression. The main house deliberately took away Zhao Ci''s food and necessities, the few rooms, other than having dinner together with Prime Minister Zhao in the main hall, they would eat lunch together with the maidservants in their own rooms.''s food box was usually filled with the steamed buns left over from breakfast, it was so delicious for her. The Lady Sun would occasionally send food over, and quietly pack some delicious food into Zhuang Li''s lunchbox, but in the past few days, Lady Sun had been busy and was back home, so Zhuang Li could guess what was in the box even with his eyes closed.


    "I don''t want to eat any more steamed buns."


    "But we don''t have the money, miss." Qing You reminded.


    Zhuang Li sighed, the big house had never planned to give her pocket money before, but a little girl like Qing You could not do too many things, the boss only cared about food and not monthly money, furthermore she had no power or influence with Zhao Ci, she did not even have a red packet for the servant during festivals.


    Zhao Ci''s mother did leave behind a piece of jewelry, which Zhuang Li initially wanted to pawn, but after thinking about it for a bit, even if it was a treasure in the current dynasty, it could only be traded for a price, but if it was brought back to the modern world one day, it would be a rare treasure. In that case, it was better to keep it.


    Zhuang Li dragged Qing You as they wandered around the streets, her heart wondering if there was the concept of child labour here. When she was young, her mother had a birthday, so she always wanted to give her mother some birthday presents. However, since she didn''t have money, she would go downstairs to the square with the matriarch every day to distribute discounted flyers. It would be ten yuan a day for half a month, but what could she do here?


    The two of them slowly walked until there was a noisy crowd in front of them. They lined up and gathered at the entrance of a small building. This building had a very unique and exquisite eaves.


    Brightmoon Restaurant


    She asked the big uncle of the noodle shop near Brightmoon Restaurant about it


    "Uncle, the restaurant is so beautiful. Why aren''t so many people lining up at the entrance?"


    When the old man heard this, he was amused. "You little child, you must have come from a foreign land."


    Zhuang Li hurriedly pulled Qing You along and nodded like a chick pecking rice grains. Yes, yes, of course I''m a foreigner. Compared to your era, I''m going to be an alien soon.


    The old man started to chat happily.


    " Little girl, you don''t know. "


    "This Brightmoon Restaurant is rather famous in the capital city. Those who have heard it talk about the dishes and wine there are simply the best in the world, and anything that can eat the Brightmoon Restaurant is not something that can be settled with money."


    " "Then what do you want?" Qing You asked.


    " You little kid, you don''t understand, the Brightmoon Restaurant is not an ordinary restaurant, although there are many rich and famous restaurants in the capital, none of them can compare to it, the most amazing thing is its owner, the Young Master Baishi. "

 C4

    "Young Master Baishi?" Zhuang Li pondered in her heart, "He''s just a nouveau riche who likes to listen to stories. The stories are well told, and he''s treating people to food?"


    " Why are you wearing a mask? "


    " Some people said that he was ugly, had a pure personality, and when he opened this Brightmoon Restaurant, he only needed to listen to stories to make friends, while others said that he was handsome. It is because he is too beautiful that he always wore a mask like the Lan Ling King did, no matter if he is ugly or beautiful, he is still an incredible person! "


    " "A lot of his customers are people that others can''t even plead for."


    " Is there anyone else who can''t get a meal? " Zhuang Li was even more suspicious.


    " For example, the Liu Yiyi at the Cloud Gaze Workshop, the number one on the Beijing Flowers Street. Although she was just a singer, it was even harder than ascending to heaven to meet her. No matter how much you paid for it, it would depend on her mood and not see the guests. But she just has to give the Young Master Baishi some face and call on him whenever she wants. "


    " Also, the hero of the martial world, Pei Qian Hua, he has been roaming the world for years without a trace of wealth and poverty, and also the Floating Cloud Mage who hid himself in the forest. In the past ten years, his name had appeared three times in the rivers and lakes, but twice he talked about seeing him entering the Brightmoon Restaurant to eat ¡­ "


    Zhuang Li and Qing You walked for an entire morning, tired and hungry. She sniffed, and smelled the fragrance that floated from the Brightmoon Restaurant, making her unable to take a step back. After that, she pulled Qing You and walked towards the Brightmoon Restaurant with large strides.


    She was standing at the end of the line. She was too short to see the main door, so she could only see the windows on the second floor. Qing You was a little afraid, she said that since Young Miss should go now, we should go back. Zhuang Li did not allow it. She wanted to meet this who was a little different from the others, but the most important reason was this kind of place that did not need money to eat.


    Another person held a few fishes in his hands. "Young Master Baishi, these are fishes that have fallen from the sky! I swear! Will you listen to this story? "


    And then there were even more shouts coming from the crowd ¡­


    " Miss Hong Feng, can you tell me what story this Young Master Baishi wishes to hear today? "


    " Miss Hong Feng, bring me in, I have been waiting for two days! "


    " Miss Hong Feng... "


    The crowd suddenly parted to allow her to pass, and a few servant like people drove her out of a path. She just happened to be standing in the middle of the road, and the woman called Hong Feng walked towards her step by step.


    Zhuang Li sighed in her heart, with one look, she could tell that she was a woman who had seen a lot!


    Hong Feng walked straight in front of her.


    " Young lady, the young master asks you to go up the Brightmoon Restaurant to tell him a story. "


    She pulled Qing You and followed behind Hong Feng into the Brightmoon Restaurant, where Qing You was left behind in the hall to wait. Zhuang Li followed her through the lobby and up the stairs. They walked along the corridor until they came to a wooden door with an empty space filled with calabash vine and laurel. The wooden door was painted a wine-red, and the corners of each osmanthus flower were polished extremely meticulously. If it was a modern day auction, it would probably be worth at least a million yuan.


    " This is Miss Liu Yiyi. " It was unknown when Hong Feng had returned to her side.


    " If you still want to hear Yi Yi play the zither, you need to calm down. "


    The sound was far and close, and it was perfectly audible. If you followed and listened to it and there was nothing left, if you calmed your mind and calmed down, the zither music would come closer and closer, one by one, jumping into Zhuang Li''s ears. This kind of enigmatic and wonderful feeling ¡­ It was wonderful.


    It seems that Young Master Baishi is a person who understands how to enjoy himself.


    "Why did you come to Brightmoon Restaurant?"


    His voice was very soft, as if he was someone who wanted to cultivate to the Immortal Realm.


    Zhuang Li was rather frank.


    " Come eat, my stomach is hungry, the old uncle at the door said that as long as my story goes well, the Young Master Baishi will treat me to dinner. "


    The person behind the bead curtain giggled.


    " Isn''t it? " Zhuang Li asked.


    "What he said was not wrong. Young Master Baishi stood up and his figure was imprinted on the screen. He was thin and handsome. Zhuang Li thought to herself, although she didn''t know what this guy looked like, even if he looked ugly, he would definitely be an assassin with a back view.


    What kind of story have you prepared for me?


    " Didn''t you prepare a story? "


    " Some do! "


    Her mind was filled with stories she had heard, but she didn''t know what to say to the Young Master Baishi of this era.


    She thought of the fairy tale her mother had told her so many times when she was a child. The most profound one she remembered ¡­


    Then, she raised her head and spoke to the Young Master Baishi behind the screen ¡­


    " The story I''m telling is called Little Red Riding Hood. "


    Zhuang Li almost burst out laughing. She finally realised that this Young Master Baishi of space and time couldn''t understand what Little Red Riding Hood was. She had to explain that it was a distant country, where people had always liked to wear red hats when they were young.


    Young Master Baishi raised his hand and clapped three times.


    "This story is indeed strange."


    "What''s your name, little girl?"


    Zhuang Li paused: "My name is Zhao Ci."


    The man behind the beaded curtain let out a low laugh.


    " Little girl, I''ll call you Little Porcelain. Your story is very good, so naturally, I want to treat you to a meal. Right now, you can tell Hong Feng anything you want to eat. "


    Zhuang Li paused, "Then can I come again tomorrow? I still have a lot of good stories. " What she needed was not just a meal, but a long meal ticket.


    "You truly are a greedy girl. However, you are quite quick-witted. If I like you, you can come at any time."


    Zhuang Li''s stomach was already growling from hunger. When she went downstairs, Hong Feng had already laid out the tableware in the hall. The ivory chopsticks were like white jade bowls, and the dishes on the table were so beautiful that one couldn''t even call their name. Qing You didn''t dare to eat the chopsticks even though she was holding them.


    Zhuang Li stood at the side and snickered. Suddenly, Zhuang Li felt that she wasn''t as cold as she appeared on the outside. She asked, "Big Sister Hong Feng, come and eat together with me."


    Hong Feng shook his head and greeted them as well before leaving the room. Then, he heard the person who had served the dishes say that Lady Hong Feng was going to accompany Young Master Baishi to eat.

 C5

    Zhuang Li thought about it and said, "Then she must have seen Young Master Baishi''s face before."


    " Didn''t you already see his appearance? "


    " When Young Master goes out, he will also wear a mask. "


    Zhuang Li had eaten the most luxurious meal she had ever had since she came to this world. She let out a long breath, feeling extremely comfortable.


    After bidding farewell to Hong Feng, she pulled Qing You back to the Zhao Mansion. Firstly, because she had eaten so many delicious things, and most importantly, Zhuang Li had shared a story about her original world with the people of this world, but that person did not feel it was unacceptable.


    When they returned to the Zhao Mansion, it was already sunset. Zhuang Li and Qing You sneaked into the room, and their lunch was still on the table. As expected, it was the leftover morning meal. She placed the empty box on the table and waited for the maid to come and take it. Then, she sat by the willow tree in the yard and closed her eyes for a while.


    Seated on the right side of Prime Minister Zhao was Zhao Qin and her mother, the second house. Zhao Qin''s appearance could still be considered normal, she was the pearl in Prime Minister Zhao''s hands. After the year was over, she would be sent to the palace at the age of sixteen. I heard that the current Emperor of the Phoenix Dynasty is already over fifty years old, and is the same age as the Old Prime Minister Zhao.


    Since there was no such high-tech stuff as a TV phone light, they were probably ready to go to bed as soon as it got dark. Thus, Zhuang Li had developed a good habit of going to bed early and getting up early.


    " The kitchen staff said that something had happened to Lady Sun''s family, so they all took half a month''s leave. "


    Zhuang Li jumped down from the bed.


    "Tell me, what happened?"


    Qing You was a little sad: "I heard that Lady Sun''s husband was a gambler before, she owed a lot of money and ran away. Now that the debt has been repaid, she has to sell Lady Sun''s daughter."


    " How dare you! " Qing You was shocked.


    But what to do?


    Zhuang Li rummaged through the boxes and took out Zhao Ci''s mother''s jewelry. After hearing that Zhao Ci''s mother had passed away, she sent someone to the house to collect all the valuable gold and silver jewelry, but later on, she felt that it was really unlucky to have obtained the things of the dead man, and hated this brothel boat girl who had fallen in love with him so much. She then had her subordinates pour all the jewelry into the furnace in the backyard to melt it to vent her hatred.


    Qing You watched as Zhuang Li took out the jewelry and asked.


    "Miss, are you selling the hairpin Madam left behind?" These are the only things that the Lady has left behind! You always cherish it! "


    Zhuang Li turned and looked at her seriously.


    "Qing You, saving someone is even more important. I don''t want to see Lady Sun''s daughter being sold to a flower market."


    She sighed


    "If only I knew a few rich friends!"


    At this point, she suddenly thought of something.


    "Aiya, Qing You, I know a rich person, don''t I? And it''s the kind that''s extremely rich! "


    Qing You was still looking at her, unsure of what she should do.


    " I''m not here just to tell stories. "


    The Young Master Baishi inside was excited. "Oh?"


    "I want to ask you a favor."


    "Tell me!"


    " I need silver. I want to borrow it from you. I''ll pawn the goods here, and then I''ll help you with your work, and slowly return it to you. "


    Bai Shi smiled and said, "Xiao Zhu, how much do you want silver? Let Hong Feng take it for you."


    Zhuang Li said, "I have to return it! "I would not have gotten money for nothing. Otherwise, my heart would not have been at ease."


    Bai Shi became even more curious and said, "Then tell me, you little girl. What can you do?"


    Zhuang Li said to Hong Feng who was outside the door: "Sister Hong Feng, please bring me some bamboo charcoal and some Xuan paper."


    Zhuang Li was born into the arts, so she was an expert in drawing heads. She asked Hong Feng to sit properly on a chair and started to draw for Hong Feng.


    After the time it took for an incense to burn, she handed over the finished drawing to Hong Feng. It was clear that even a woman like Hong Feng who had seen some scenes with the Young Master Baishi couldn''t hide the astonishment in his eyes.


    "I''ve never seen a painting that can use bamboo charcoal to such an extent. Let alone seeing it, I''ve never even heard of it!"


    " Does the young master think that this painting is valuable? "


    " It''s priceless! "


    Zhuang Li was overjoyed, there''s something to buy here! She hurried to continue.


    "I am willing to draw for Brightmoon Restaurant and hang them in the tower until I pay Young Master''s silver."


    " "It''s fine if you say so!"


    "I hope that you won''t tell anyone about my drawing, including my little girl Qing You, because this is a secret between me and Brightmoon Restaurant."


    This made her feel safe.


    A sense of security like a confidant.


    She passed Hong Feng her mother''s remnants to him for him to present to the Young Master Baishi. It was a small hairpin with a few red jade carvings of peach blossoms, which were the only traces left behind by Zhao Ci''s mother, Lady Du Yueyao. She did not leave behind any portraits, but she had heard many praises of her godlike looks. Zhuang Li took a deep breath and accepted the silver Hong Feng gave her.


    She first went home to find Qing You, then went to give him the silver. Seeing so much silver in her arms, Qing You was so shocked that she couldn''t speak.

 C6

    This was the first time Zhuang Li had met the Lady Sun family. She did not expect the Lady Sun family to be so poor, and the lively Lady Sun family in the past was extremely exhausted. The Lady Sun''s daughter was only eight years old and was younger than Qing You. Lady Sun was stupefied when she saw the bulging silver that Zhuang Li had grabbed from her bosom.


    "Miss, where did you get so much money?"


    Zhao Ci smiled sweetly, "Just accept them and deal with those debt collectors."


    "I''m a lady after all, don''t worry about me."


    In the end, the Lady Sun even made her daughter, Chun Jing, kowtow to Zhuang Li and say that she was the benefactor who saved Zhuang Li''s life.


    Zhuang Li had no choice. Although she felt that getting someone older to kowtow to him seemed to be a waste of her lifespan, she also felt that Zhao Ci was after all, a unruly and unreasonable young miss.


    Although it was simple, it was very fragrant. It was already very late when he returned to the Zhao Mansion.


    However, she was very happy, and felt that she had done a good thing in this space and time with Zhuang Li''s identity.


    She slept soundly for a while.


    Most of the time, she looked at all kinds of people who came to tell stories to the Young Master Baishi through the fence on the second floor.


    Once, Zhuang Li secretly drank half a cup before falling into a deep slumber from morning until dusk.


    Hong Feng laughed without saying a word.


    "You were my first friend, too, Porcelain." He laughed softly, and suddenly took out a golden lotus flower bud from his sleeve to give to Zhuang Li. When Zhuang Li held it in her hand, she realized that this was an extremely lifelike artifact, and was about to bloom soon. In the next second, the golden flower bud bloomed with a "Pula la" in Zhuang Li''s hands. She held the lotus in her hands, shocked speechless.


    Young Master Baishi extended his hand out from behind the pearl curtain. His white clothes were embroidered with layers and layers of red peonies, the hand paused for a moment in the air, and then he used his finger and tapped on Zhuang Li''s forehead, as though he wanted a piece of cinnabar.


    Zhuang Li was stunned on the spot, and blurted out the question she had not intended to ask.


    "Baishi, why are you always behind the bead curtain? Why are you wearing a mask? "


    After saying that, Zhuang Li regretted it immediately. In the entire capital, no one had ever dared to ask about the secrets of the Brightmoon Restaurant and Young Master Baishi. Moreover, her relationship with Bai Shi could only be considered as meeting by chance. It was just like those sneering words that would cause her to die if she knew too much. She didn''t plan on having such strong curiosity.


    She was waiting for Baishi to fly into a rage, or to say that you still wanted to live well, so you shouldn''t know too much.


    As for Bai Shi, he retracted his hand. The bead curtain slightly swayed from the impact, and a gust of spring wind blew in from outside the window, blowing the fragrance of the rose into Zhuang Li''s nose.


    "Do you want to know? Little porcelain? "


    She hurriedly laughed. "I didn''t think too much about it."


    "You have drawn enough at Brightmoon Restaurant. Tomorrow, when you come over to draw the last one, I can give you back that peach blossom hairpin, okay?"


    " The last one? "Draw what?"


    " "Give me a picture." As if he had once again seen through her thoughts, Bai Shi spoke unhurriedly.


    " Little porcelain, my appearance has never been a secret, it''s just that the world thinks it''s a secret. I can guarantee that you aren''t the first person to see me, and that everyone who has seen me is still alive and well. "


    So I put on my mask and pretend I''m someone else, you understand?


    Zhuang Li nodded her head as if she understood something. She relaxed and touched the spot on her forehead where the white stone had pointed. There was nothing there.


    "Since Little White has reached adulthood, let''s draw a crescent moon between our eyebrows."


    " Why do you want to draw a Mystic Moon? "


    " Because I think that Xuan Yue is pretty. "


    " And then ¡­ "


    " I''ll sit on the boat and wait for you. "


    " Do you drink? "


    " "Mm, by then, you should be able to drink a few cups with me."


    In these past two months, he had been entering and exiting the Brightmoon Restaurant everyday, so he was naturally extremely familiar with the surrounding shops. While chewing on the food that Hong Feng gave her, part of it was for her to make snacks on the way, while the other part was for Qing You who was at home.


    " Boss Liu, business is booming ¡­ "


    " Mother Zheng, your new silk clothes look really good. "


    " I can earn more than 500 copper coins a month! "


    " They all say that she''s even uglier than me! "


    " "Aiya, what a pity, you''re a good beauty!"


    " That''s right, this Zhao Mansion really eats people and doesn''t spit their bones! Not even a single piece of news has come out. "


    " You haven''t heard of it either? "


    " He didn''t know which room the Zhao Mansion was in, how could it be so grand! If the funeral was a good one, we would definitely know. "


    " This Zhao Family is really vicious! "


    " "Right, right, vicious!"


    " "Make way, make way ¡­"

 C7

    He slightly opened his eyes and fell to the ground. The carriage had already stopped by the side.


    He reckoned that the horse carriage had brushed past Zhuang Li at the end, and he himself fell down from fright. Although he was beaten up, he didn''t lose an arm or a leg. It was a good thing that he was fed so well by the Brightmoon Restaurant, so his body was still a little stronger.


    " "Little sister, little sister, what happened to you?"


    " No, I clearly pulled the reins. If the horse hadn''t touched you, it wouldn''t have been hit so hard. "


    " "Little sister, I didn''t bump into you, right? How about this, I''ll take you to see a doctor."


    " I don''t want a doctor, I want father! "


    " If I''m really raw, I can sell myself to mother for treatment. Now that you look like this, you''re crippled, and even your mother can only die from illness! "


    " "This little brother dares to argue after bumping into someone. This girl is in so much pain, she might have internal injuries."


    " "Impossible, I know what I''m doing!"


    " What number do you have? Just a coachman, bullying a little girl? "


    " "But I ¡­" He seems to be unable to say it out loud, so he insisted on it


    " Anyway, I know what I am doing! "


    " Later on, all the children were raised by your parents, so hurry up and compensate the young lady for not treating her injuries. "


    " Yun Duan, give her the money. "


    He was indeed a young man, with a jade-like face and a heroic, youthful air. He raised his pretty eyebrows and his clear eyes stopped on Zhuang Li''s face for less than a second before he turned to the coachman and said, "Second Brother is waiting for us. Don''t always mess with us.


    " If there''s anything else that makes you uncomfortable, just go to the official residence of the minister of the Military Department and retrieve the silver. "This brother of mine is too reckless. If the lady is not satisfied, I will have him come to apologize some other day."


    He lowered the curtain. The coachman drove away.


    After the excitement was over, the crowd gradually dispersed, and Zhuang Li came back to reality from her shock.


    Gold, gold!


    She pulled out a chicken leg from her bosom and handed it to him. The little beggar took it and wolfed it down gratefully. Zhuang Li laughed happily as she thought, since his sister had earned a lot of gold today, she would definitely do him a good deed.


    " Miss, why did you come back so late? "


    " There was some good news on the way. "


    " God, why are you covered in dust! Did you fall? "Where did you fall?"


    " "It''s fine, it''s fine. I already said it''s a good thing." Zhuang Li was only concerned about the gold ingot in her arms, she was so happy that she couldn''t close her mouth. If she could always meet this rich young master, even if she fell down every day, she would definitely throw caution to the wind.


    " Miss, you''ve lost your head! How can a fall be a good thing! "


    " Oh right, did you say that there was something? "


    " The Old Master said that today''s guests were coming to the residence and that everyone was going to participate in the banquet. He especially asked the girls of First Madame to go to every house and inform them that they need to dress properly! "


    " What kind of VIP? "


    " Miss, you have to dress up well and go see a guest as well! "


    After tidying up, he walked towards the main building. As soon as he entered, he was stunned. This was truly a welcome for an extraordinary VIP. Everything had already been tidied up and tidied up. Night lanterns had been hung under the eaves early in the morning. The food utensils were also replaced with a new set of green and green bowls that were produced from the official kiln.


    Sixth Prince! Zhuang Li processed the news mentally. Having transmigrated for so long, she had a general understanding of the power and influence of Phoenix Dynasty.


    He said that the emperor of the Great Phoenix Empire had twelve sons, and the one he liked the most was the current crown prince, Second Prince Wang Bi, also known as Prince Bi. The other people who could make the change were Sixth Prince Wang Su and the Ninth Prince Wang Yi. The Prince Bi Lord was said to be spoiled since he was young, so it was natural for him to be in the Crown Prince''s shoes, so he did not put in too much effort.

 C8

    Zhuang Li secretly glanced at Prime Minister Zhao, who was standing in the front of the group bowing respectfully. She could not figure out what game he was playing. It was at this moment that the gatekeeper rushed to the front of the main hall.


    " Come, come! The esteemed guest has arrived! "


    What the heck ¡­ Wasn''t that the two people she bumped into in the afternoon!?


    The Sixth Prince didn''t notice her as she listened to the movements on the main table. The bodyguard dressed in horse robes also stood at the door and did not eat with them, she lowered her head and chewed on the rice ball in front of her as if she was chewing on wax. Occasionally, she would raise her head to see Old Prime Minister Zhao''s fawning face, where Zhao Qin stared at the Sixth Prince with sparks of love in her eyes.


    The current Western Regions were not peaceful. After harassing the border cities with Phoenix Dynasty for a long time, when the Sixth Prince wanted to clean up the Western Regions, he swore to follow the Sixth Prince until his death.


    Only after a long time did Zhuang Li understand the deep meaning behind that meal from many years ago. The Prime Minister Zhao was originally a corrupt and corrupt Ninth Elder. Because the Emperor had made up his mind to investigate strictly about corruption, the Ninth Prince, upon sensing that the situation was not good, decided to find a scapegoat of sufficient weight to report to the Emperor. This matter had fallen on the Prime Minister Zhao, to bear the guilt of corrupting the treasury and selling off the soldiers'' grains for the Old Ninth Party.


    The Prime Minister Zhao had been a government official for many years, so naturally he was as smart as a ghost. He had already decided to protect his own life, and at this critical moment, he decided to seek protection for the Six Emperor Party. In order to quickly stabilize himself within the Six Emperor Party, he forced himself to sell his daughter to the Sixth Prince.


    " "Little girl, you should lift your head to take a look. Why do I feel that you look a little familiar?"


    Prime Minister Zhao hurriedly introduced her. "This is my little girl, Zhao Ci. She doesn''t understand the rules, why aren''t she raising her head!"


    ?" Zhuang Li clenched her fist and admitted her misfortune.


    " "It seems like you really are not suited to stay in the capital. Tomorrow morning, I will send you back to your home in Gansu Province."


    " "Father ¡­" Before Zhuang Li could say anything, Old Prime Minister Zhao got up and left. The big house behind him snorted in schadenfreude, and didn''t look at Zhuang Li again.


    Zhuang Li had a headache due to her nagging. She sat on the wooden bed, and her feet couldn''t even reach the ground as she dangled in midair, swaying unsteadily. That old master had never made her feel like a loving father, his high position and authority, his hypocrisy and greed had probably long corroded his high school''s top scholar''s ambition and mentality. How could she expect him to think about a dead woman and pity a child that was of no use to him?


    "We have to hurry on our way today. Get up quickly. What time is it!"


    " I am not in a hurry to be reborn, after all, I am the young miss of Zhao Mansion here, and even if I go to Gansu Province, I would be this young miss of Zhao Mansion, and the old lady who half of her body is in a coffin, so who was the one who trained her to be so ignorant? "


    " Miss, please don''t be angry. I was worried that Miss might have overslept and missed her trip. "After all, you all have to travel a long way today. If you are delayed, you won''t be able to get to the relay station at night. I also don''t want Miss''s golden body to sleep in the wilderness."

 C9

    She told Qing You to get up and carry the luggage. Actually, it was nothing much, just a few sets of clothes. She also kept the gold ingot in her undergarment pocket. It was a long way to go and she had heard that there were too many places where one could spend their money.


    Zhuang Li took out a steamed bun from her bag and gave it to Zhuang Li, then she asked Uncle Zheng to stop the horse carriage and see if there were any places nearby where she could get some water.


    Zhuang Li had not been able to sleep well this whole time, and was too lazy to get off the carriage due to her low spirits. Instead, she opened the curtain and leaned against the carriage, gnawing on a bun as she started to chat with the driver.


    So the coachman''s surname was Zheng, which was why Zhuang Li had called him Uncle Zheng. He was from the same hometown as Grandpa Zhao, and was originally an Elementary Scholar, but when he went to the capital with Zhao Cuming (the present Prime Minister Zhao) to take the examination, Zhao Chongming had won the prize. Uncle Zheng''s name fell off the list for three consecutive years, and his parents passed away one after the other. After being filial for three years, he returned to the capital, where he was no longer in the mood to study hard. He went to Prime Minister Zhao, hoping to scheme a job on Zhao Mansion out of respect for his fellow villagers. With this feeding of horses, it took twenty years. Lord Zhao had married five beauties and gave birth to seven or eight weird-looking children, while Uncle Zheng was still single. His only hobby was drinking wine.


    " Miss, someone is following us! "


    A thin and weak little boy stood in the middle of the road, not even half a mile away from them.


    " What kind of stalker is this, you silly girl! " She was suddenly relieved by the tension in her nerves.


    " Just a passing beggar. " The Uncle Zheng laughed as he carried Qing You onto the carriage and continued their journey.


    " "No, he really did follow us on purpose!" Qing You crawled to the back of the carriage, lifted the curtain, and showed it to Zhuang Li. As expected, the horse carriage jolted and the thin and short beggar followed them again.


    Qing Yu ignored him and huffed, "I''ll give it to you, but you don''t need it. Forget it, we don''t have enough rations!"


    After saying that, he pulled Zhuang Li and was about to leave. Zhuang Li was stunned for a moment, but seeing that the little beggar''s legs were full of blisters, he couldn''t help but feel pain in her heart. After all, she was still such a small child. It was unknown where he had seen Zhuang Li from, and she had followed him all the way till now.


    " You want to come with us, don''t you? "


    " I don''t have anything good to eat, and if you follow me, you might even starve. "


    " "Well, you can take him back to the carriage. First, find him some clean clothes to change into."


    The little beggar looked timidly at the cyan grapefruit, and it let out a sigh of disgust.


    " Do you have a name? " Zhuang Li asked the little boy.


    " Was your family in the capital before? "


    " How did you become a beggar? "


    " Li Liangxiao "


    " My name is Li Liangxiao. "

 C10

    Zhuang Li gave one to the Uncle Zheng who was driving the carriage and one to each of Li Liangxiao and the other half. In the end, Qing You had a fever and lost her appetite, so she could only take a few gulps of water.


    " Elder sister, don''t be afraid, there''s still me! " Li Liangxiao was actually quite considerate, as he revealed his own thin and small arm. For example, he had a small protrusion, and according to him, it was muscle. Zhuang Li didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    " "Elder sister, don''t worry, I can feed you and support you!"


    " You are still young, there are many things to do other than begging for food. You have to learn martial arts and become an emperor! Do you understand? I''ll find you a husband to study in Gansu and stop asking for food! "


    "How ¡­"


    Then, a hairy head came close to her ear and whispered something ¡­


    " "Elder sister, it''s me."


    Zhuang Li hurriedly turned around and carried Qing You in her arms. The child had drank some medicine tonight, so his breathing had only calmed down a little, but his body was still burning hot and weak. He leaned on Zhuang Li''s body, only to see Li Liangxiao being as agile as a small animal and flipping over to the window to take a look at the situation outside.


    It was probably because that bandit neglected this corner that Zhuang Li and the others were able to avoid danger. When Li Liangxiao came back, he pulled Zhuang Li and pointed to a half-open window at the back of the house. It was from this window that Li Liangxiao heard the noise earlier, and it was precisely to inform Zhuang Li.


    What about the Uncle Zheng?


    " "No, don''t kill my horse!" There was a roar of adult male laughter, mixed with the cries of women.


    "I don''t have any money, I''m here on the escape route. Sir, Sir, please let me go!"


    "Bastard, you still have some looks. Fatty, go and put him in your car!"


    And then presumably the woman was pulled into the car, listening to her husband''s helpless cries, and then the hammering, and then the woman''s sorrowful cries, and then the whooshing.


    Zhuang Li packed her bags and carried Qing You onto her back in a panic. However, she was already exhausted, so after a short while, she fell to the ground.


    " Why is there another room locked up on the second floor and the corner on the second floor? "


    The sounds of approaching bandits could be heard from outside the door.


    " Big brother, it''s still hot, but he ran away! " Then there was the sound of a table being kicked over.


    The bandit quickly noticed the window at the back of the house, and walked over to pull open the curtains. The first thing he saw was Li Liangxiao squatting on the ground.


    " You''re the only one living in this room? "


    " I can''t sleep well with outsiders, I sleep alone! "


    " "Dressed like this, the children of the poor families have quite a bit of attention?"


    Those hands had just been held by Li Liangxiao, and that child''s body was as warm as a little sun, he said.


    "Don''t worry, sister."


    " Elder sister, do not be afraid. "


    " "Miss ¡­"


    " "The fever has finally subsided."


    As time passed, the county magistrate no longer cared. Naturally, no one else reported the case.


    Zhuang Li heard the words with tears in her eyes, increased her efforts to take care of Qing You, and asked for her directions, this place was not suitable for him to stay for long, if Uncle Zheng and Li Liangxiao escaped, they would definitely go to Gan Su''s home to wait for her. Once Qing You was cured, he would immediately set off. She had to find some hope for himself to continue walking.


    "Miss, you should drink some porridge!" Qing You placed the porridge on Zhuang Li''s hand.


    "Hm!" Zhuang Li replied as she picked it up and took a sip. Qing You had recovered pretty well, it seemed that she would be able to continue her journey tomorrow morning.


    The sounds of horse hooves came from the small courtyard at the inn. Zhuang Li''s heart tensed up after going through what happened that day and hurriedly looked out from the window. A group of vicious men rushed in and the small courtyard owner was already kneeling in front of the courtyard while crying.


    "Grandfather, please let me go!" My little yard was just robbed a few days ago by bandits! You can''t even take out a copper coin right now, you just can''t help but be filial to your grandfather! "


    Zhuang Li had been hit in the head by someone, and didn''t they just leave the wolf''s den and back into the tiger''s mouth?!


    The leader of the guards did not care what the shop owner said, he kicked him into the air, then called his subordinates into the house. Zhuang Li was startled at first, but after that, she calmed down and held tightly onto Qing You''s trembling hand. When she raised her head, she saw the small window Li Liangxiao had hidden them away all that day.


    "Quick, let''s go!" She pushed Qing You out of the window and said frantically: "Quickly climb up, hide inside and don''t make a sound!"

 C11

    As for how she and Qing You had been dragged to the back of the courtyard before they were loaded back into the car, Zhuang Li could not remember it at all.


    Then, Zhuang Li and Qing You, who were originally around the same age as them, were carried out of the small town by the carriage and headed towards an unknown fate.


    "Since this place is poor, bandits and bandits will start robbing people when they discover that they can''t get any more money."


    "My home is at the foot of the mountain, and I''m so poor that I can''t even open the pot. If they kidnap me here, my mother can save my share of rations to her brother and sister, and that would be good too." A girl in the carriage said.


    "I don''t know where he was sold to. It''s fine even if he''s a servant or a laborer. If he were to be sold to a gallows, I might as well die right now."


    "What''s so good about dying? Where can we live differently?" As the little sister consoled him, she made contact with Zhuang Li.


    "What did you do to them?"


    "They were robbed along the way." Zhuang Li had heard her blabber for a long time, and felt that her state of mind was truly good, but after being infected by her, she did not feel so sad.


    "Think of something. Since you''re out in the wild, you might as well eat your fill at home."


    The girl knocked on Qing You''s sad head and asked: "Your sister?"


    "En" Zhuang Li nodded her head repeatedly.


    "My name is Pear Blossom. The year I was born, the flowers bloomed well. How about you?"


    Zhuang Li was shocked in her heart, and blurted out: "My name is Zhuang Li."


    It had already been a long time since she mentioned the name Zhao Ci, and she finally understood in her heart. Since I''ve come this far, it naturally doesn''t matter whether I, Zhao Ci, am Zhao Ci or not.


    "I think of my father, I don''t want to leave Dark Cloud Town!" Another girl in the carriage started to sob.


    "We''ve already passed Dark Cloud Town." Riko answered her mercilessly. Seeing that she was crying even harder, he got annoyed and touched Zhuang Li ¡­


    "Li''er, go and persuade her."


    Zhuang Li also had a headache. The other children in the carriage started to cry, causing a chain reaction. They started to sob, but at this time, a voice from a corner said in a soft voice.


    "If you want to cry or make a ruckus, then hurry up. You''re about to come out of seclusion."


    It was a young man''s voice. Looking towards the source of the voice, there was a young man sitting in the corner. His hair was messy, and his clothes were tattered.


    "It''s about to come out!" Isn''t that the same as going abroad? Zhuang Li was shocked again.


    The girls and kids inside the car were awakened by his words, and they started to wail and yell.


    The coachman stopped the carriage and lashed the carriage with two whips, causing the people inside to immediately stop crying. Then, the big man poked his head into the carriage.


    "If you cry again, I''ll throw you guys to the Gobi Desert. You''ll be taken away by a wolf tonight."


    When the man left, the carriage continued to move forward and Pear Blossom shouted to the teenager inside ¡­


    "Where are you from?" It''s not exactly the same as them, but it doesn''t seem like he''s a fugitive? "


    Only then did the youth slowly turn his head around ¡­


    Although his hair was in a mess, he was still very proud. His face was covered in mud, and he looked very handsome and noble.


    Instantly, even Zhuang Li''s head was bleeding.


    It turned out to be an old friend!


    That youth was none other than the Sixth Prince who had visited the Zhao Mansion.


    " "Phoenix Dynasty person," Wang Su coldly threw out a sentence, leaving Pear Blossom at a loss as to what to say. Soon she was talking to the other girls around her.


    Since it was like this, he suddenly felt that there was nothing left to ask, but he did not allow it. Although he did not know the reason, how could the aloof and pure Sixth Prince appear here?


    Although Sixth Prince was the culprit that caused him to fall to this day, and had cursed at him eighteen thousand times in his heart ever since he left the capital, he did not hate him to the bones when he saw that he was here, dressed in shabby clothes. He silently cursed at him in his heart.


    "Further ahead is the Moon Cross. It''s a crescent-shaped mountain range with a small river below. Once you cross the river, you will reach the sword gate and the West Cold will be right outside." The sound of Wang Su''s voice was not loud, just loud enough for Zhuang Li to hear amidst the noise made by the carriage.


    Zhuang Li did not know what to say, she did not know anything about mountains and rivers, furthermore, it was in this time and space, just by saying Oh, she did not know what Sixth Prince meant.


    The carriage was wrapped up by thick felt cloth by the bandits, and Wang Su gave way to the corner where he sat. There was a crack in the carriage door there, he indicated for Zhuang Li to look outside, and sure enough, there was a crescent-shaped mountain peak behind the carriage, which was especially eye-catching on the desolate desert.


    "I''ll keep that in mind." After that, she returned to her original position, closed her eyes and rested, no longer paying any attention to Zhuang Li.


    Zhuang Li was naturally unable to guess what kind of medicine the Sixth Prince''s Gourd was trying to sell, and it had already fallen to such a state. He still looked cold like ice, but she was obedient to the bandits.


    When Qing You saw that Zhuang Li was in the corner, she naturally squeezed over. On the night when Wang Su came to the Prime Minister Zhao Palace to visit, she had helped out so she had not seen this Sixth Prince, and right now, she only thought that he was like the other people who were kidnapped by bandits, but she also felt that this youth had an extraordinary air about him. It was also not good for Zhuang Li to say anything either, so she could only treat it as being slightly good-looking in front of Qing You. She was probably just a teenager who had been sold by bandits as a father rabbit.


    From leaving the capital all the way, it had already been almost a month. The desert was desolate, and the people were different, Qing You had changed from her previous disdain towards Li Liangxiao, and now, he was constantly talking about him. When Zhuang Li heard this, she could not help but feel sad, and could only pray that he and Uncle Zheng would be able to escape danger, and not think of her.


    They were all dressed in the attire of Phoenix Dynasty people and dressed in the appearance of merchants. In their group, other than their cars and their goods, there were about ten or so carts of goods that they had stolen, all of which she had obtained. She also deeply felt the pain and suffering of being tortured by bandits and robbers for many years within this Phoenix Dynasty city that was close to the border. Thinking to this point, she seemed to vaguely remember that on the day Wang Su was a guest at Zhao Mansion, she seemed to require the help of the Old Prime Minister Zhao to clean the borders. She suddenly opened her eyes and stared at Wang Su.


    Was his appearance here related to what the Prime Minister Zhao had said?


    "Time to eat." The horse carriage stopped, and the leader of the bandits outside shouted.


    There was no water source and the grass couldn''t even grow. The bandits were naturally not worried about them escaping and were probably starved to death before exiting the desert. Relieved, he boldly opened the carriage door and let them out for air. Otherwise, they would probably die from suffocation before they reached West Cold.


    What was given to them was a small piece of dough that looked like dried meat for each person. Zhuang Li was a little unable to control herself and took a drink from the water bag that Wang Su took from the hands of the bandits, handing it over to her. She hesitated, not expecting him to be so kind,


    Then, Wang Su said, "Do you really dislike my saliva?"


    She quickly took a big gulp and passed it to Qing You and Pear Blossom.


    After a while, the pear blossom came over and said, "Li''er, I heard that the Han people were muttering that we would have to spend the night here. By this time tomorrow, we will be in Fragrant Storey City."


    "Spice City?"


    "Aiya, it''s the capital of West Cold. We would probably all be sold there."


    Zhuang Li looked at her and suddenly felt a little lonely.


    "Li''er, if fate wills it, how about we become sworn sisters? We can look after each other once we reach the West Cold."


    "Sure."


    That Pear Blossom pulled Zhuang Li along with the water bag and bow deeply towards the sunset, as if she was talking to no one else ¡­


    I, Luo Lihua, have become sisters with Li''er today. When we arrive at West Cold tomorrow, no matter if it''s being a slave or a brothel, we''ll look after each other!


    Her vow be break by the fat headman of the village


    "All of you, squat down, rest where you are, and look for a beating!"


    That Pear Blossom also obediently squatted down. She secretly rolled her eyes and turned to look at Zhuang Li, happily laughing out loud.


    Although she could not compare to Liu Yiyi, she was still one of the beauties that Zhuang Li had seen before.


    Zhuang Li thought that with the appearance of Zhao Qinghua, she would probably be like Qing You and would go to a richer family to serve as a servant. Besides, she had never treated herself as a lady and even though Qing You took care of her as a maidservant, she had always taken care of Qing You as her sister. The unknown future was different from the people in the car.


    She had lived for a full twenty-four years in this modern world, and with the help of her single-parent family, she had long learned how to take care of her mother and worry about various matters in the family. When she entered Zhao Ci''s body, she initially hid herself as a little kid, but after experiencing so many twists and turns, she had long ago displayed maturity and steadiness that surpassed her age, and hid her fear and uneasiness.


    She and Pear Blossom sat on the desert, watching the sunset. On the contrary, they imitated her free and easy way out, while Wang Su, who was not far away from them, still had a look of arrogance on his face. Zhuang Li peeked at him. She was shocked by his glance.


    The temperature difference between night and day on the desert was just too great. When it was night, the wind blew again, causing Zhuang Li to involuntarily tighten the clothes on her body. The bandits were too lazy to even guard them, so where could this desolate desert escape to?


    Luo Lihua was already asleep inside the carriage, while Wang Su was still sitting beside the bonfire. Zhuang Li knew that he was unwilling to enter the carriage, since there were too many girls, and for the past few days of sleep, he had been outside almost all the time. It was only because he was tired and tired during the day that he decided to stay inside the carriage.

 C12

    "Take a sip." He handed over a water bag to Zhuang Li, who thought it was water and gulped it down.


    "Cough, cough ¡­" How could it be wine? "


    "I didn''t say it wasn''t wine!"


    Zhuang Li was so angry that sshe became speechless, the water bag was filled with the worst quality strong alcohol, with one mouthful, he could burn her entire stomach, but in a moment she felt that she was not as cold anymore, at least she did not have to keep shaking.


    She was coughing so much that tears were flowing out of her eyes. She could vaguely see a hint of a gloating smile on Wang Su''s beautiful face.


    She felt that her body had become a lot warmer as the cold air of the desert was indeed hard to resist. She reached out to the wine bag in Wang Su''s hand and took a sip, causing the strong alcohol to burn down her throat as it slowly ignited her entire body. She exhaled, and wanted to drink another mouthful, but Wang Su snatched the wine bag away and raised her to a height that was beyond her reach.


    "You won''t be able to hold on tomorrow if you drink too much." Unfortunately, with Zhao Ci''s small and weak body, she was unable to snatch Wang Su away.


    She sighed to herself, thinking about how my fate is being controlled all day by a bunch of half-grown kids, even though I''m an adult in my twenties. She looked at Wang Su again. The latter''s face was pale from the cold but he was unwilling to curl up into a ball. Looking at it closely, he no longer had his usual arrogance. His facial features were indeed breathtakingly beautiful. It was unknown if it was because he looked more like his father or his mother.


    Thinking of this, Zhuang Li hurriedly stopped himself. She thought to herself that even if she wanted to spit two times, she didn''t know why she started to think about this.


    "Go back to the carriage." Wang Su hated her so much that he trembled. In an instant, he felt like he was afraid that Yue Yang would see through his own thoughts. Just as he was about to get up, he wondered why he always had to listen to this lousy kid''s orders. Right now, he wasn''t in the capital.


    "None of your business." She harrumphed and did not have the slightest intention of leaving. However, it was too late for him to say anything. He could only stay where he was and not pay attention to her. After adding the last pieces of wood to the fire, he closed his eyes and started to think.


    Not long after, Zhuang Li felt her shoulder sink, and turned to see that Wang Su had fallen asleep while leaning on her body.


    The desert was desolate and endless. Occasionally, one could hear the sound of firewood being dried and fried. If it wasn''t too cold, it could still be considered as a beautiful camping trip.


    What''s more, there was still a beautiful young man to look at.


    She raised her eyebrows and sized up Wang Su who was leaning on her body. The latter seemed to have found a warm host and leaned half of his body on her.


    I wonder what the Prime Minister Zhao in the capital would think if they saw this scene ¡­


    And why did Wang Su travel so long and unhesitantly alongside the bandits and robbers, heading towards the West Cold? She suddenly thought of the banquet that had caused his to stay there. Old Prime Minister Zhao grumbled that although the Great Phoenix and West Cold were rampant and caused endless resentment, there was nothing he could do about it.


    Wang Su said that since the Prime Minister Zhao only wanted to play, he had his own ways.


    Had the fact that he came here alone with his guards have something to do with the discussions he had with the Prime Minister Zhao?


    The evaluation of this prince was not bad in the eyes of the commoners. Even though he did not get the favor of the emperor, he was still willing to consider the commoners. Perhaps what he did more was to build his career in front of the emperor.


    His fists clenched tightly as if she was afraid of something. Zhuang Li sighed, and resigned himself to her fate, continuing to be her human pillow.


    He frowned, as if he were underestimating something. Zhuang Li listened carefully and realised that he was calling her mufei in her dreams.


    Mufei, he suddenly stretched out his hand as if grabbing something in midair.


    Although this child was the noble son of the Emperor, he was still able to endure the bitter wind of this place. With just a sentence, he had fallen from the prosperity of the capital to the desolation of the desert. He had his reasons, and they had nothing to do with him. Yet he was here, in front of him.


    Evil race


    Zhuang Li had unexpectedly grabbed hold of his outstretched hand, and the moment his hand touched hers, it was firmly gripped in his hand.


    "Mufei ¡­"


    Zhuang Li grew increasingly sleepy, and leaned on the pile of goods. In the last second before she fell asleep, she remembered that she had responded to Wang Su in her dreams by grabbing his hand.


    "I''m fine ¡­" She said this in a low voice, as if she was responding to Wang Su''s wild words.


    Luo Lihua yawned and crawled up to look at Zhuang Li, who was muttering to herself in the carriage, blinking her eyes, then crawled to their side and asked sleepily.


    "It should be soon. I''ve been tormenting myself for so many days."


    How could Zhuang Li know? She looked at Wang Su anxiously.


    "I''ll be there tonight." The latter wore a poker face and spat out these three words with a golden expression.


    "How do you know that so well? You''ve been here? " Luo Lihua looked at Wang Su with an inquiring expression.


    Wang Su lifted the curtain of the horse carriage to let Luo Lihua see outside.


    They were followed by the bandit''s cart. The sacks of rations were now empty, and each of them was carrying only half a piece of cake that the bandit had given them earlier in the morning, which was bigger than usual. The meaning of this was obvious: this was breakfast and lunch, the last stop on the journey.


    "Young lad, you''re quite smart ¡­" Luo Lihua tsk-tsked as she praised her. She then looked at Zhuang Li, who had been walking very close to Wang Su recently, and pulled her over while gossiping in a low voice.


    "Li''er, I see that although this child''s face palsy speech is few and far between, but his face and brain is still sufficient. He''s barely worthy of you, so seize this opportunity ¡­"


    "Pear Blossom, stop bullshitting." Zhuang Li interrupted her.


    As long as you nod your head, this matter is settled. I''m older than you, this child''s mother will help you, don''t think that I didn''t see him sleeping in your embrace last night.


    "You''re crazy!" She pulled at the Pear Blossom, who was laughing so hard that its gums were almost popping out, struggling to get towards Wang Su. The two of them dragged each other and finally woke Qing You who was still sleeping. Qing You opened her eyes and looked at the flustered and exasperated Zhuang Li and the grinning Luo Lihua.


    While Luo Lihua was still talking to herself ¡­


    "Silly girl, this elder sister did it for your own good ¡­"


    Zhuang Li thought in her heart as cold as rain: ''Pear Blossom, you damned girl, you want to kill me, right? Wang Su is not someone that we can use to joke around with, a prince of the Great Phoenix Empire ¡­ It was all thanks to a single sentence from him that he was able to make it to this desolate desert, not to mention his appearance. If he regained his prince status, then he would probably have no place to die ¡­


    Not only did she not catch one, Luo Lihua had already gotten the chance to crawl to Wang Su''s side using both his hands and legs, and had begun to talk to him together.


    Zhuang Li thought for a bit, and roughly understood that they had gotten into a great disaster again. Even though it was in the desolate desert, the deterrence this Sixth Prince had towards her was more than enough to kill her.


    "Miss, why are you blushing?" Qing You saw that Zhuang Li''s expression did not seem right, so she asked cautiously.


    "Scared!" She replied when she saw that Wang Su had finished talking to Luo Lihua and was waving to her.


    That means he should hurry up and get in front of the young master?


    Zhuang Li moved closer, waiting to hear the prince''s words. However, he grabbed his arm and dragged him to the window. In a whisper that could only be heard by the two of them:


    "Remember, this is Fallen Horse Gorge."


    The desolate scene of the desert was no longer in front of them. A deep ravine had appeared in the middle of the desert. Their carriage was following a small path along the edge of this ravine.


    "Merely, it appears to be very frightening. In fact, this road is extremely safe and secretive. No wonder the soldiers and horses from the Western Regions suddenly appeared out of nowhere and used this natural tunnel."


    Zhuang Li was drenched in cold sweat from head to toe, feeling that the carriage would accidentally jump off the cliff, so how could she care about what Wang Su said? The cliff was like a wound made in the middle of a desert, the carriage was hidden in the crevice of the wound, surrounded by the light from the pebbles.


    After watching for a long time, it did not seem that scary anymore, because the path behind the stone pillar was polished until it was smooth and neat. The horse carriage travelled along it much more steadily than on the desert, and only after a long time did Zhuang Li''s heart gradually calm down.


    "Remember, this is the last stop." Wang Su closed the curtain but did not recover from the shock. Instead, he responded with a "En" in a daze and finally understood what Wang Su meant. After passing through the Falling Horse Gorge, they would enter the cities of the Western Regions.


    After walking along the winding gorge for half a day, they finally made it out of the Falling Horse Gorge, the majority of them were plants, and the most of them were Hu Yang, as well as a bunch of thorns. At first, they only appeared as a scattered mass on both sides of the road, but after a while, there were more and more thorns growing on both sides of the hill, connecting together into an area, and then there were more trees moving forward, causing the surrounding area to ring with bell chimes. Zhuang Li and Luo Lihua looked out from the carriage, and gasped in shock.


    Around them appeared a camel caravan, not just a single team of horses, but also a number of bearded men of all shapes and sizes, all wrapped in headscarves, beards, and colorful robes. Every camel in the caravan had golden bells on their bodies, jingling as they walked.


    The people in the car immediately lifted the curtain and looked outside, and they were all shocked. This was the first time they had seen so many people since their long journey.


    Zhuang Li turned around to look at Wang Su, but he was still sitting perfectly straight in the car, ignoring the surprised shouts of the children, as if shshehad seen nothing strange. She looked at Zhuang Li, as if he was a country bumpkin who had never seen the world.


    Zhuang Li could not afford to offend him, so she ignored him and pulled Qing You who was struggling to leave a gap in the crowd.

 C13

    In the middle of the camel train, there was a woman wearing a veil. Her appearance could not be seen clearly, and the fiery red colored clothes outlined her exquisite curves, she should also be a teenage girl. Although the woman was covered entirely in colorful clothes and a veil, she stuck out her chest and raised her head, making Zhuang Li guess what kind of arrogant and young face was under the veil.


    "What are you looking at?" When Zhuang Li turned around, she was surprised to see Wang Su looking out from the gaps between the sackcloth on the window. She was originally ridiculing Wang Su in her heart because she was curious as well, but she saw a profound smile flash past Wang Su''s face. He pulled off the sackcloth and the light shone into the dim carriage. Everyone could see the words carved on the wall in front of them.


    Aroma Swallowing City.


    In the Brightmoon Restaurant, Aroma Swallowing City was not a foreign name. It was a rather prosperous capital in the Western Regions, with an extremely developed perfume making industry, it was also a business, and at the trading center, there were merchants who gifted the Young Master Baishi a small box of flavorings. Hong Feng ordered a box of them to be placed in the great hall, and the fragrance they gave to Young Master Duan made it so that she forgot the story he was about to tell. This was an important legend in the capital that the Young Master Baishi doted on Liu Yiyi. After all, it was a rare treasure in the Western Regions even for a noble king of the Great Phoenix Dynasty.


    Other than the spices, there was also the local trade. Even though there were endless disturbances at the border between the Great Phoenix and the Western Region, the Western Region also offered offerings to the Great Phoenix every year. Half of the Western Region''s merchants that were doing business in the Great Phoenix came from this trade. They had rich business experience which allowed them to earn the gold from the noble families in the Great Phoenix Dynasty. In a year or so, they would be able to buy a house and slaves in the capital of the Phoenix Dynasty.


    Yes, slaves and Aroma Swallowing City are also the largest places to trade slaves in the Western Regions.


    Zhuang Li was shocked, the people in the carriage probably knew where she was heading to, it was something even lower than being a servant in a wealthy family, it was a slave.


    The bandits chased them out of the carriage and into the tent, after entering the tent, they gave them water and a small amount of food, while the rest of the guards went out to unload the goods they had looted. When Zhuang Li finished eating, she looked around, only to see a young man who looked like a servant picking up two buckets of water and entering the house, saying whatever he wanted to say, but seeing that they did not understand, he gestured with his hands and feet, indicating that the water was for them to wash their faces.


    People who wanted to buy and sell naturally had to wash their face first to decide the price. Zhuang Li sighed, with her current appearance, if she did not wash her face, she might still be able to fetch a higher price.


    Qing You obediently pulled on her sleeves. There was nothing she could do, she rolled up his sleeves and started to wash his face like the others.


    He looked around and saw that Luo Lihua was sitting up beside Qing You. Her face was originally pretty, but after washing the dust off of her body, it gave off a bewitching charm. Although she was still young, there was a unique charm and elegance to her, and not just Wang Su, even Zhuang Li was staring at her in a daze.


    "I know what you want to do, don''t worry." Luo Lihua raised her eyebrows, looked at Wang Su, and suddenly said.


    Qing You didn''t know what Luo Lihua meant and even asked, but Luo Lihua suddenly became as secretive as a bottle, she said to Qing You with a beautiful smile.


    "Little Qing You, you don''t understand, what''s this? Your Big Sister Pear Blossom knows what all the men in the world are thinking." The more she pretended to be mysterious, the more Zhuang Li felt it was strange. Just as she wanted to ask, more servants came in and tied up his hands, one by one, like grasshoppers.


    When they were full and warm, they began to fear that they would run away.


    Wang Su went close to Zhuang Li''s ear and whispered, "When I tell you to run in a bit, you just run as fast as you can. No matter what happens, don''t look back and just keep running into the city."


    "What!" Before Zhuang Li could completely understand what he meant, she heard Li Hua turning towards the guard and fawning on him.


    Seeing that Luo Lihua was not able to move her legs after a while, she took the initiative to walk to Luo Lihua''s side, and lowered her head, not knowing what she was saying.


    The unforeseen event happened in a flash. Wang Su, who did not have the time to be tied up, used a rope that the guard had forgotten about and quietly approached him. While the guard was not paying attention, he used a rope to wrap around the guard''s neck.


    The guard did not even have the chance to shout, when Luo Lihua also went forward and helped to bind the guard. Although they were all teenagers, their strength was not weak, and Wang Su seemed to have some skill left in him. After a while, the guard fell to the ground and stopped moving.


    At this time, the entire group of bandits was at their most relaxed, they were busy exchanging for the stolen property, the guards left behind were busy negotiating with the people at the slave market, there were very few who guarded them, and seeing that the guard was no longer in a good position, Wang Su crawled up and shouted:


    "Run."


    Suddenly, the crowd swarmed outside. Even if there were two guards outside, they were caught off guard. They wanted to give chase, but they didn''t know which one. They could only follow the crowd and catch one each.


    Zhuang Li pulled Qing You, and just as sshe was about to go out, he saw Luo Lihua still standing in place.


    "Run?"


    But Luo Lihua didn''t move, she grabbed Zhuang Li''s shoulders and sent him to the door.


    "Ever since I was kidnapped by them, I''ve never thought about running. Where can I go?"


    "You want to stay and be a slave?"


    "Don''t worry, I, Luo Lihua, am too proud and arrogant, how can I be willing to do this. Li''er, I don''t know when we''ll meet again. Take care."


    Zhuang Li wanted to say something, but Wang Su, who was at the side, had already pulled her out of the felt tent. The people outside had already scattered, this was the outskirts of the city, there were not many people around, as long as they ran into the well, it would be better to stay on the streets than be slaves.


    Zhuang Li had seen the Hu Family''s slaves back in the capital, doing the heaviest work, letting them buy and sell their slaves. Even if they died, they would not have to report their status as slaves, they wouldn''t even have to consider themselves as slaves, they could only be the owner''s possessions.


    "She''ll be better off than you." Wang Su said from the side, as if he was comforting Zhuang Li.


    They ran along the edge of the city, through the streets and alleys until they had no more strength to run.


    Wang Su could see that his foundation of martial arts was not weak, and did not even breathe, but Zhuang Li was already holding onto the boulder, gasping for breath, and was about to die.


    When she finished breathing, she looked up to see that Wang Su had already taken out a jade pendant from his clothes and placed it in Zhuang Li''s hands.


    "Do you still remember the place that I told you to remember, from the Moon Ferry Pass, to the Sword Gate Pass, to the Tong Oil Beach, and finally to the Landing Horse Gorge? This is a shortcut between the Great Phoenix and the West Cold that I heard from the criminals in the West Cold past, but I was unable to find out how many people were sent to find the entrance to this secret passage. This time, we finally understand. As long as we follow this path back to the Great Phoenix, we will be the fastest and the safest. "


    Zhuang Li was startled, she roughly understood the reason why Wang Su was willing to follow the West Cold bandits here.


    "I have bigger matters to attend to, so I cannot take you with me. If you wish to return to the Great Phoenix, you can sell this jade and use it as a gift."


    Zhuang Li was momentarily at a loss for words. After hearing so many words from Wang Su, who valued words like gold, in one breath, the amount of things he said on the entire journey to the West Cold added together didn''t even add up to the amount she said today. She had also realized that this Sixth Prince, was most likely the future Prince Su, who possessed extraordinary courage and determination to interfere in the West Cold area.


    It was probably because he had been wearing it for a long time. The skin on the dragon''s head had been infected by his body heat for a long time now, and there were no traces of flaws on it. With just a single glance, she could tell that these were all priceless dragons that had been pawned for so long that it was enough for her to buy a decent house at the border with Da Feng.


    She just wanted to live a peaceful life.


    That kind of life was just around the corner for her, but she suddenly felt that she did not really want it anymore. Compared to returning to the Great Phoenix Empire, having Wang Su by her side was actually quite good.


    She suddenly felt extremely reluctant.


    "Then take care." Her voice was extremely soft, and Wang Su didn''t know if he heard her, but he lowered his head. He frowned. Wang Su seemed to be shocked by her actions, he extended his hand and touched the top of her head, as though it was the greatest comfort this child could give to a person.


    Then he disappeared down the street.


    The journey would be fraught with danger and danger. He wondered if Sixth Prince Su would have the chance to return to the Great Phoenix Capital.


    Zhuang Li turned around and was shocked once again.


    Qing You!


    Qing You had always been running behind Zhuang Li, so she had always thought that Qing You was still behind her. But at this moment, she discovered that there was no one behind her!


    Zhuang Li quickly searched the surroundings, the streets were filled with Hu people dressed in all sorts of colorful clothes, there was no Qing You left.


    She followed the path she had just taken to find the place. Her dressing was out of place and was extremely eye-catching, so much so that it was reasonable to say that if Qing You wandered onto the streets, she would easily be able to recognize her.


    Did he get caught and taken back?


    Thinking of this, Zhuang Li''s heart could not help but feel cold.


    She could only hide the jade pendant that Wang Su had given her tightly, and carefully search for the location of the tent using the vague memory of the road. She looked left and right along the way, afraid that Qing You would squat at at some unremarkable corner.


    It was already sunset, and she was even more anxious. She could vaguely feel that she had walked near the tent from before, but there was still not a single trace of Qing You. Furthermore, it seemed that many people were rushing in the same direction as her.


    When they turned a street into the suburbs, they could already see the circular grounds. The stone steps were filled with people, and a woman dressed in sackcloth was being pulled by a barbarian. The people below raised their hands as they spoke.


    Zhuang Li understood, this round stage was the slave''s auction house.

 C14

    Most of the people walking past her were West Cold practitioners who had come to participate in the auction. Zhuang Li noticed that she wasn''t many, and guessed that she was probably some kind of slave, which made him heave a sigh of relief.


    When she sneaked near the tent and peeked inside, sure enough, Qing You drooped her head and followed the two little girls who had been captured and brought back, to bind them on the ground, but she did not see her walk over to Luo Lihua. Probably already bought.


    Qing You seemed to have fallen asleep, with only her head lowered. The two burly guards who were seated around him were chatting on the side, full of energy. It was unrealistic for them to want to go in and release the both of them.


    Just as Zhuang Li was at a loss for words, Zhuang Li felt someone holding onto the clothes at the back of her neck, and lifted it up. Before she could even turn her head to see who it was, she felt a blow to her head. Her entire body felt dizzy, and she was carried into the tent and thrown to the ground.


    When she woke up, the first thing she felt was the water, which was wet and splashed on her body. She tried so hard to open her eyes, but more water entered them; she wanted to use her hands to wipe her eyes, but her first two hands were firmly tied behind her back, and her feet were also tightly bound, unable to move at all.


    Then she felt as if she were being lifted up and slung over her shoulder like a sack, which made her stomach ache. She wanted to speak, but her throat didn''t have the strength to do so, so she finally opened her eyes.


    She was carried on the back by a burly man and was in an extremely sorry state, splashing water seemed to be trying to make her wake up from her coma in order to start the auction. Originally, she had not had the opportunity to take care of her hair for many days, and as she walked over, the dust and dirt on her hair fluttered all the way. It was extremely disgusting sneaking into her mouth, but now, she didn''t even have the strength to spit it out.


    He could faintly feel the burly man entering the arena and could hear the deafening screams from the surroundings. The big man lifted her, and she felt as if she were an insignificant prey being held by the arms and legs, held above her head like a fish on the verge of death.


    The fire around her eyes, which she had just opened, blinded her eyes.


    Qing You, where''s Qing You? After her eyes had gotten used to the light, she looked around her and saw that Qing You was right behind her. Like her, Qing You was also lifted up by a big sized man.


    He rolled his throat as he tried to accumulate some strength.


    "Qing You, Qing You, what''s wrong?"


    Her weak voice was drowned out by the surrounding screams. The auction had already begun, the first batch of slaves had already been brought out by the big men and the bidders had already started.


    The first auction would be split into many levels, and not only would the slaves become slaves from wealthy families, there would also be a portion of the slaves from the West Cold s. Perhaps it would be the children whose families were so poor that they could not even open the pots, the beautiful slaves would all be sold to the owners'' houses as concubines, the young miss of the brothels, and the servants of the imperial palace.


    Zhuang Li was probably already aware of her own fate, as the sounds of bidding made him almost turn deaf.


    People were always being bought, she struggled, praying in her heart.


    "I know that perhaps the sins of my past life had caused me to fall into my current state, and I don''t know who I should beg for protection. Please, even if I am to be sold, please let me and Qing You be together, and don''t let us separate."


    The surrounding was still as lively as before. She struggled to finally fall from the big man''s hand and rolled onto the ground. She didn''t know where she was in pain, but her whole body was in pain and she was about to fall apart.


    The burly man also didn''t realize that this unobedient slave who was drugged still had strength to struggle. He lifted his leg and kicked right at Zhuang Li''s abdomen, immediately feeling half of her body splitting apart from the pain.


    She could only reflexively kneel on the ground with her stomach in her hands. The man didn''t feel satisfied, so he bent down and picked her up from the back of her neck. Her clothes were tied around her neck, making her unable to breathe.


    He closed his eyes in despair.


    After waiting for a long time, the palm that he wanted to slap didn''t come down. The surrounding voices also suddenly stopped. She opened her eyes and saw that the big man''s other hand that was about to hit her was tightly entangled by a whip, unable to come down. Looking at the whip, the owner was a West Cold youth with deep facial features.


    Zhuang Li was put down by the big sized man and leaned on the stone steps. Without any strength left in him, the youth threw a golden leaf onto the ground.


    Is this to buy me? Am I worth so much money?


    Then, when she saw a girl in red come out from behind the teenager, Zhuang Li immediately recognized her. Wasn''t this the girl in red who had appeared beside the camel in their carriage just as they were entering Aroma Swallowing City?


    Zhuang Li only learned a bit or two about West Cold from listening to the bandit chief''s conversation these few days. She simply did not know what they were talking about and only faintly felt that the youth''s gaze was clear, causing her to think of Li Liangxiao, who was as warm as a little deer.


    "Please, please ¡­" The corners of her mouth curled up, wondering if anyone would notice her.


    Soon, the young lady in red reached her side and put her ear to her mouth.


    "Save my sister, my sister ¡­" Qing You... "


    She struggled to turn her head, and looked towards Qing You''s direction. It was unknown if the red clothed girl heard what he said, or if she understood what he said, but she did not have much strength left. After saying these words, she fainted again.


    " nanny Jingshui didn''t believe it at all when she said that you had woken up.


    " My name is Ge Ya, what''s your name? "


    " My name is Zhuang Li, my sister Qing You? "


    " "Don''t worry, all of you were only given a small amount of incense and will be fine after a day of sleep. She''s still young and has poor resistance and she''s even fainted in the side palace. Just put your heart in your stomach, I''ve already ordered someone to take care of her."


    " A side palace? "Where is this place?"


    When I reported this to royal father, I only said that it was for the trade of maids and servants, but I didn''t say anything about it. Furthermore, I even mentioned to the people who were kidnapped from the black market, and seized the opportunity to report to royal father.


    Ge Ya was a rare playmate, she had never seen her mother before. She only knew that she was a phoenix and was different from her father. Her Tranquil Water nanny was also a phoenix.


    The King doted on her, gave her a palace, and bestowed her countless gold pieces, but it couldn''t make up for her lack of the loneliness of her peers. The few princesses stayed far away from her, and amongst the princes, only the Second Prince Xi Cuo was on good terms with her. Her personality was like a wild horse on the prairie, unrestrained and unrestrained. She followed Xi Cuo, who was willing to care about her, and messed around with her everyday, but now that she had Zhuang Li, she was even happier.


    "Li, what exactly is the Great Phoenix like? Is it like nanny Jingshui said?" She and Zhuang Li were of the same age and quickly became good sisters.


    Zhuang Li then began to tell her about the Great Phoenix that she knew, how there were as many streets as Xingyun and the mysterious Brightmoon Restaurant in the eyes of the masses.


    "Great Phoenix is indeed a good place."

 C15

    Zhuang Li and Qing You stayed at the Xiao Imperial Palace just like that. Ge Ya was extremely pure and hospitable by nature, and after understanding Zhuang Li''s situation, she begged her to stay at her place. Zhuang Li didn''t know whether or not she should return to the Great Phoenix Sect. At the very least, it would be unrealistic to go through such a long journey in her exhausted mind and body, so she agreed to it temporarily.


    As time passed, he became naturally more familiar with the Xiao Imperial Palace. Although the Xiao Imperial Palace was merely Princess Ge Ya''s private hall, which took up a hundred acres of land, it was extremely exquisite and beautiful, with three exits: east, west, and south. The palace dug up soil and mountains, and attracted living water as the lake, and Ge Ya''s private hall was located in the middle of the pavilion.


    "father wants to bring my brothers to choose their horses, and you still want to hide it from me? This is impossible!" While she was arguing, she dragged Zhuang Li, who was still half asleep, out of bed.


    She rubbed her eyes, wondering what kind of play Ge Ya, this grandaunt, was playing. Seeing her so excited that the universe was about to erupt, she could only hurriedly accompany the little overlord to get up, put on her clothes and head out.


    Whether it was in the modern world or in ancient times, Zhuang Li had no experience riding horses. She could only sit behind Ge Ya''s horse, and by the time Qing You had caught up with him in the horse shed, Ge Ya could not wait and swung her whip as she rushed towards the competition grounds.


    Zhuang Li''s experience riding on a horse was limited to the time when she was still in university. After graduating from university, she traveled to Yunnan with her classmates and took a photo while riding the horse to attract tourists. Furthermore, she had changed her body, so she could only hug the Ge Ya in front of her tightly, afraid that she would fall down.


    After exiting the city gates, they hurried outside to the outskirts of the city, and from afar, they saw the tent set up on the stable ground. There were many people gathered outside, and the tent was filled with the Golden Eagle Lizard Runes of the West Cold Army.


    did not have any hostility towards West Cold. It was understandable that West Cold had ambitions for the great phoenix, as it was a vassal state of the great phoenix that gave out countless treasures to the great phoenix every year. In the end, he was still unwilling. Honestly speaking, West Cold had become a rich and prosperous nation with well-developed trade this year. Other than the number of West Cold, which was far greater than that of the Great Phoenix, there were even more people joining the ranks of the West Cold. After all, West Cold was located at the shallow bank of the Gobi Desert, and the land was not as fertile as the Great Phoenix''s.


    That was ten years ago, when the nation of West Cold had met with a great drought and the citizens were unable to make ends meet, the old king could do nothing about it. Although his West Cold was still paying tribute to the people every year, he was not willing to manage the Western Regions'' disturbance at the borders of the Great Phoenix and was also diligent in training his troops. Therefore, Wang Su telling the emperor to pay attention to the issue of West Cold was not without reason.


    The people of Great Phoenix Nation had been living in peace for a long time, and had almost forgotten about the potential dangers. In addition, the Nine Emperor Party, which was led by the Ninth Prince in recent years, was rampant with corruption, but its grievances could not be heard by the Son of Heaven. For example, the Old Prime Minister Zhao had always put on airs in front of the Old Emperor. If the West Cold were to switch to Great Phoenix, the Great Phoenix would be forced to retreat, with nothing impossible to say.


    Ge Ya stopped her horse near the king''s tent and a guard immediately went forward to question him. Seeing that it was the king''s most beloved Princess Ge Ya, who had kneeled down respectfully, Ge Ya was too lazy to listen to their advice. She tossed the rein to them for them to take care of, and quickly pulled Zhuang Li into the tent.


    It was the first time Zhuang Li had met the King of West Cold, but despite being over a hundred years old, he still possessed a strong and elegant physique. Sitting on the throne, he showed no arrogance, and after seeing her beloved daughter, she started to smile, adding to her fatherly kindness, and caused Zhuang Li to begin to understand why that Miss Beijing lady called Rong Xiao was willing to follow him to travel across the mountains and rivers to be his woman.


    "father, that fierce horse is mine."


    Although Ge Ya had already become somewhat beautiful, she was still a boy. The Little Fierce Horse that she was referring to was a Da Wen Ma that General Que had obtained a few days ago, and Zhuang Li only found out afterwards that it was the legendary Ferghana Horse. After it had sprinted at extreme speed, the parts of its shoulders gradually bulged, leaving behind sweat that looked like blood.


    King of West Cold actually wanted to make his daughter into someone as gentle and lovely as her mother, but s blood of a warrior race was too much. All kinds of strange things were fought over by boys'' toys, and he really couldn''t do anything about this child.


    "That horse is too dangerous for you to use."


    "father, you don''t like Ge Ya anymore? The Western Regions is filled with horses, what if that horse chooses me? I don''t care, I want to try. "


    "Alright, alright, it''s yours. I''ll let you join in the fun, but don''t mess around. That horse is too strong."


    Ge Ya was naturally filled with joy as she skipped out of the tent, not forgetting to tell Zhuang Li, "Li''er, wait a moment, I''ll bring the horse over immediately."


    Ge Ya ran out like a gust of wind, leaving her with the King of West Cold that she had just met. She could only stand there respectfully with a thousand mud horses running through her heart.


    Should I pay my respects? A friend''s father should call you uncle. Kneeling before the king?


    "You are Ge Ya''s friend?"


    The King spoke out first, and Zhuang Li hurriedly bowed, imitating the look of a servant as she knelt down on one knee.


    "Reporting to Your Majesty, I am Ge Ya''s friend."


    When the King heard this, he actually let out a long sigh. "Good, good. That child hasn''t had a friend for a long time."


    Hearing that, Zhuang Li was stunned, Ge Ya was simple and active, and was good with people, how could she not have friends?


    The king went on, "Son, are you from the Great Phoenix?"


    Zhuang Li nodded.


    The king smiled amiably again. "Good boy, get up."


    Before he could finish his words, he saw a soldier hurriedly run into the royal tent, bringing the wind with him into the tent. He vaguely heard the chaos outside, and he hurriedly knelt on the ground to report.


    "Your Majesty, Ge Ya, Princess Ge Ya ¡­"


    The king immediately stood up. "Tell me, what is it?"


    "Princess Ge Ya rode on the untamed, fierce horse, and got hit by the horse that destroyed the fence. They went deeper into the plains."


    "What!" The king immediately opened the king''s tent and walked out, with Zhuang Li quickly following behind him.


    Who knew that when Princess Ge Ya came over, she would cause a ruckus and call the horse her own. The First Prince was the future king, so he did not want Ge Ya to lose face and let his men test the horses. At the same time, he was lecturing Ge Ya, saying that she was just relying on the father''s love and willfulness. How could Ge Ya have heard of such words? Being said by the Eldest Prince that he relied on the father''s love, jumped into the paddock, then chased the soldier who was just about to test the steed away and climbed onto his horse. The Fierce Horse Colt was not tamed even after fighting with Ge Ya a few times, and once it went crazy, it broke through the fences and rushed into the depths of the grasslands.


    The general had already sent the rest to look for the princess, but there was no news of them yet.


    Zhuang Li was panicking in her heart, what kind of danger was that horse going through, to the point where the kings of the battlefield had to worry about the safety of the princess with gloomy faces.


    Before this, even the king had no idea what to do, but at this moment, a horse arrived from afar, and upon walking in, he saw that it was Second Prince, who had the best relationship with Ge Ya, and behind him was actually Qing You. It was most likely Second Prince who rushed over to the Xiao Imperial Palace to find out that Ge Ya had left, so he brought Qing You over.


    "Quick, quickly go find Ge Ya."


    The Second Prince originally could not understand Zhuang Li''s standard West Cold language, but looking at sher anxious look and her understanding of Ge Ya, he instantly guessed what was going on. He released Qing You and turned his horse to head towards the depths of the prairie.


    Until the evening, when several groups of people who had been sent to look for Ge Ya had returned, but there was still no news. His Majesty was already enraged, and set up camp and lit a torch in the sieging area, but was still unable to dispel the fear of the night. Zhuang Li knew, that the temperature of the night at the Grassland Mountain would be very low, and Ge Ya, who did not have any tools to light the fire, and who did not have any rations, was tired and hungry.


    Although she had met many people who were good to her, she had always been looking on helplessly as they were placed in a dangerous situation. She unceasingly thought back to when Ge Ya had extended his hand out to her at the slave market, and at this time, she heard another commotion in front of her. Zhuang Li quickly ran towards the sound of the voice.


    "Ma, the horse is back!" Some soldiers shouted as they ran towards the king''s tent. Zhuang Li hurriedly ran forward and squeezed through the crowd. The Ferghana Horse was anxiously digging the ground under her feet, looking left and right.


    The surrounding people were still afraid of it, and it seemed to be exhausted. However, it was still in a frenzy and didn''t want to let anyone touch its reins.


    "The king has ordered us to continue searching for the princess, to deploy some men in the barracks, and to kill these Ferghana Horses."


    Zhuang Li walked out from the crowd, but discovered that she had nowhere to go. This wild horse did not know where it had left Ge Ya, and since the beasts did not know how to speak, there was no use torturing them, let alone a beast with an explosive temper.


    Zhuang Li sat outside the tent, seeing that the entrance of the tent was brightly lit, she took out a blanket and placed it on her. After escaping from the slave trade center, her body had not recovered at all, and after half an hour, she fell asleep on Zhuang Li''s body.


    Zhuang Li put her on her back and slept inside the tent, then came out wrapped in a blanket. She had begged the general''s guard to wake her up no matter how late it was, but right now, she was anxious and did not have the slightest trace of sleepiness in her heart.

 C16

    Zhuang Li was still wandering around the campsite. She couldn''t fall asleep and hoped to get news of him soon. However, she was afraid that she would hear some bad news. Ge Ya treated her honestly, and the two''s feelings towards each other deepened. She really didn''t want anything to happen to Ge Ya.


    This was the prairie. In addition to the cold weather at night, there were also many animals that caused people to be afraid, such as the prairie wolves. That was a ferocious beast that even the herdsmen who had lived in this land for a long time would have to avoid.


    The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became. He actually walked into the stable and locked the Ferghana Horse that had caused trouble at the side.


    This was the first time Zhuang Li saw it so clearly. That wild horse was pretty, with four strong and four limbs, its bones were well-proportioned and beautiful, and it was much superior to other horses. It was also the culprit behind the incident with Ge Ya this time. As Zhuang Li looked at it, she didn''t know if it was because she had gotten herself into a head-killing situation or something else, but when she moved its hooves uneasily, a small pit had already appeared beneath her feet. When Zhuang Li walked in, it wasn''t necessarily afraid. Zhuang Li took another step towards it. After looking at Zhuang Li for a few seconds, it suddenly got off its horse!


    This wild horse had already been tamed by Ge Ya!


    Then why did it abandon Ge Ya and ran back alone?


    There was only one reason that could explain it, for some reason, Ge Ya could not ride a horse, so the little BMW came back to report!


    Thinking about it, Zhuang Li broke out in a cold sweat. Then, how was Ge Ya right now? Did she encounter some danger?


    Eldest Prince and Third Prince seemed to already be extremely dissatisfied with Ge Ya, and could not possibly beg them for help. The only one who felt that it was possible was that Xi Cuo and the rest were still waiting on the grassland with the general, searching for Ge Ya. Ge Ya had yet to return.


    What should he do? How could he convince others of this news?


    The horse was still obediently kneeling on the ground waiting for her to get on the horse. As soon as Zhuang Li got on its back, it immediately whinnied happily and galloped off into the depths of the grassland.


    This was the first time Zhuang Li rode a horse herself, and although she was so scared that her hands were covered in sweat, despite feeling scared to death, she tightly grabbed onto the reins. This wild horse was not familiar with carrying people, and had just been tamed, so it was not as comfortable to sit as those docile big horses.


    "Horses, horses, run faster! Let''s go save Ge Ya!"


    It was already late autumn on the prairie, and the cold air was frightening. This little pony was as fast as lightning, and even Zhuang Li could feel the wind that was blowing against her face like sharp blades. She didn''t care that much and only wanted to quickly find Ge Ya so that she would feel at ease.


    How long had it been on the horse, or two hours? Maybe it was even longer before Zhuang Li''s horse stopped. Even though the stars were bright above her head, they could only see the vast grassland.


    Zhuang Li was completely numb to the cold. She jumped off the horse and sat on the ground, gasping for breath.


    "Ge Ya!" She shouted loudly, but what answered her was still the emptiness of the plains, the chirping of insects.


    Did he go wrong? Without thinking, she turned around and pulled the reins of the small BMW. She stretched out her hand, but it was empty. When she turned around, her back was empty.


    Where''s the horse!?


    This place was a reed that was very deep, and was much taller than her. Zhuang Li took a shallow step, as if she had walked into a huge maze.


    Finally, the cry of a horse came from ahead. Zhuang Li called out, hoping that the horse would recognize her voice, and come to find her. At the same time, she carefully moved away the plants, and walked towards the depths of the grass.


    Suddenly, nothing came from her feet. Fortunately, Zhuang Li was walking at a slow pace, so she grabbed onto the reeds and did not fall down. She exclaimed and quickly retreated.


    "Little Li?"


    Zhuang Li was stunned, almost crying from excitement.


    "It''s me, Ge Ya, where are you?


    She carefully took out a fire piston from her bosom and ignited it, allowing her to clearly see that Ge Ya was trapped in the tunnel in front of her.


    The tunnel was deep, and Ge Ya was not heavily injured, but she was unable to climb out. The two of them had experienced so many encounters that they couldn''t help cheering and sniffling. Only then did they remember that both of them weren''t strong enough and weren''t tall enough. How were they going to escape this danger?


    Zhuang Li pulled out some dry reeds, started a fire at the side of the hole, and then called for the small BMW that was wandering around the hole, the blanket that Qing You had covered for her was tied up on top of the saddle, she took it off and gave it to Ge Ya who was in the hole.


    Although Ge Ya was so cold that she couldn''t even speak clearly, she could only laugh, which caused Zhuang Li to no longer be nervous. She began to gradually relax.


    " Li, how is my horse? "


    "You are still concerned about horses now, because the military power of your West Cold has all been mobilized."


    "Then wouldn''t Big Bro''s horse this year be uncomfortable? He wants to show off in front of the father, I am not as good as him! "


    Originally, Zhuang Li wanted to lead the horse and get scolded by the Eldest Prince, but she was unwilling to let go of the horse and ride on the small horse. However, the horse''s temper was too strong, it actually broke through the fence and charged into the grassland. Ge Ya had no other choice but to use all she could to control the little pony. She did not expect that after spending so much effort, the pony was probably too tired, after taming it, it was docilely at Ge Ya''s mercy. Ge Ya was also happy, and for a moment, she was extremely pleased. She went deeper and deeper into the plains, and saw that many wild rabbits were bitter about not having brought their bows and arrows with them, and could only dismount and chase after them, falling into the pit.


    "Fortunately, you came. I was really unwilling to eat raw food, so I was hungry until now." As she spoke, she grabbed a skinned wild rabbit from the side of her body and tossed it over to Zhuang Li.


    Zhuang Li didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. This Ge Ya was really generous.


    "I feel like I can still endure for two more days. If no one comes looking for me within those two days, then I can only eat raw food ¡­"


    There was nothing Zhuang Li could do about it. She hurriedly cleared a small clearing at the edge of the tunnel with the small blade she brought with him, then found some dry grass to start a bonfire nearby. Using reeds, she skewered and roasted the hare on top of the bonfire, making two more fires nearby to avoid attracting the attention of the wolves.


    "Don''t worry, this is the season when the fat sheep are out of the circle, and the wolves are too busy trying to harm the herdsmen."


    Zhuang Li stopped putting away his sharp blade and kept it outside, acting careful. Although she knew that if the real wolf came, her small body would be useless.


    She found a lot of vines growing on the ground not far away, tied them up one by one, and could barely be considered strong enough to tie one end of the vine to the horse''s reins. The other end was thrown into the pit, and Ge Ya would tie the other end to herself. The moment Ge Ya climbed into the tunnel, the two of them looked at each other and suddenly burst into laughter.


    The hare was almost done roasting, although the meat was not much, it was still enough for the two of them to eat until they were full. Moreover, the hare meat on the prairie was very delicious.


    "My Second Brother is especially powerful, the roast lamb is simply the best. When we go back, I will definitely let him roast it for you."


    Zhuang Li thought about the handsome youth who held a whip in his hand. It seemed that Ge Ya was extremely dependant on him.


    Although he is good at military affairs, he is also greedy for meat and beautiful women. Although Aroma Swallowing City''s slave market gives him a lot of illegal profits each year, royal father wants him to inherit the throne, so of the entire army of West Cold, forty percent is in his hands now. I do not like him, but he is older than me by sixteen years.


    The young pony was nibbling on the grass at the side, and had even come over to lick Ge Ya''s arm.


    "What about your Second Brother?" Zhuang Li asked.


    "My Second Brother is different. Although I am not as open-minded as you, big brother, who is able to fight, loves me like a son and has doted on me since I was young. So, the father handed over a lot of issues regarding the affairs of the people to the Second Brother to handle. "


    Ge Ya tilted his head and thought about it. "Furthermore, Big Brother looks very dignified, and his heart is ruthless. Although father doesn''t say it, but I can feel that father wishes to hand over his West Cold to a cold-blooded prince, whether it be to the surrounding countries or to Da Feng. Maybe I don''t want to be convinced anymore. " After she finished speaking, she glanced at Zhuang Li.


    There had been too many disputes between the two nations in the history of the border, some of which were even impossible to explain for hundreds of years. Although she did not know what the relationship between the West Cold of this world and the Great Phoenix would become, she could not escape the conflict and the flames of war no matter what, and in these past few days, whether it was Wang Su or the West Cold of the entire continent, she had realized that the outbreak of this dispute was already far, far away.


    They ate until they couldn''t eat anymore. They made a nest in the reeds and wrapped themselves in the same blanket. The fire didn''t start to burn well, but they also breathed heat into their surroundings. It was beginning to feel warm.


    "father really likes me. No matter how big of a mistake I make, I haven''t been punished seriously. Give me the Xiao Imperial Palace, and remember my mother. I was brought up by the nanny of Tranquil Water. She said that if it wasn''t for me, she would have long gone to heaven with my mother. The palace maids are a little afraid of me, perhaps because of my mischievousness, but even though royal father does not punish me, he can still mercilessly punish them. "


    Zhuang Li looked at the moon above her head, it was especially bright and big in the vast prairie.


    "I don''t have a father, but I was brought up by my mother. She had raised me very hard, but she had never complained. I also know that she had worked very hard and learned to look at the faces of the people around her."


    "Is your mother in the Great Phoenix now?"


    Zhuang Li sighed. She had experienced a lot along the way, so when she thought about it, she couldn''t help but feel a little sad.


    "You are my best friend. Don''t leave me. If you miss your mother, I will send someone to bring her over from the Great Phoenix, okay?"


    Zhuang Li laughed and turned to face Ge Ya.


    "Don''t worry, I''m not going back yet, because I''ve lost her. I don''t know where she is right now, and I won''t leave the West Cold until I find some news about her." She gradually closed her eyes and rode so far on her horse. Now she was overcome with fatigue.


    "If you need my help, I, Ge Ya, will do everything I can to help." She pulled on Zhuang Li''s hand, even though the latter was already asleep.


    "Li, sometimes I feel like you''re my sister." After she finished speaking, she closed her eyes.

 C17

    The next day, Zhuang Li and the generals were found by the search. The old king''s worry and lingering fear made him plan to punish Ge Ya well, but she was unable to do anything about Ge Ya''s flabbergasted look. In the end, she could not even bear to scold her and could only settle the matter. This allowed her and Qing You to become noble guests of King Xiao''s Palace, and also rewarded her with quite a bit of gold leaf and honor.


    Zhuang Li was very interested in honors. After all, she had saved her friend. But she was delighted to see the chest of gold foil and jewelry.


    Since she decided to stay in the West Cold for a long period of time, she pulled Qing You along to the streets and alleys. Although the Xiao Imperial Palace already had everything she needed, she was still in a good mood and wanted to spend some money. After all, she wasn''t short on money right now.


    was extremely unhappy, but he had no choice. He knew that there was nothing he could do about it. Before the veil which was prepared for her and Qing You had arrived, Ge Ya was sent to the palace by the king in the afternoon. She then pulled Qing You out to choose a veil in the market outside the palace.


    The bazaar in the Banner Platinum City was not inferior to the liveliness in the capital. Compared to the capital, it had quite a few strange and weird things, such as snake fights and monkey games ¡­ and Qing You were completely dazzled by what they saw. Even before they managed to purchase the veil, they had already bought a huge pile of strange objects.


    "Miss, are we really not going back to the Great Feng?" Qing You asked.


    "Qing You, do you want to go back?" Zhuang Li asked.


    "No, compared to Zhao Mansion, this place is more like home."


    "That''s right." Zhuang Li laughed, this girl''s description was actually accurate.


    "But Miss, the Great Phoenix is home."


    Zhuang Li stopped and pulled Qing You''s eye, who was looking at her, said seriously: "I know, the Great Phoenix has our mother, Lady Sun, Li Liangxiao, Uncle Zheng ¡­ You can''t bear to part with it, can you? "


    Qing You nodded obediently.


    "I can''t bear to part with them either." She paused, then went on


    "But we still don''t have the ability to find them. With our current strength, we really can''t protect the people we like. However, one day, I will definitely not let the people I like be harmed. Do you understand?" Zhuang Li could only explain it this way to the young Qing You. She was different from him, before she teleported into Zhao Ci''s body, she had already lived for more than twenty years. Lady Sun, Li Liangxiao, Wang Su... The effect on her was deeper, harder to forget, and she knew her own weight better.


    Just like how she treated her own mother, unwilling to see her work hard to do even more things for her. No matter how hard she worked, she would grit her teeth and work hard not to make a sound.


    And as Zhao Ci, there was nothing she could do.


    At the very least, she could now safely protect Qing You. But all these, Qing You did not understand.


    Qing You nodded as if she understood something, and said in a low voice: "I understand, I like West Cold as well, and I also like Princess Ge Ya and Second Prince."


    Zhuang Li frowned, "Didn''t Ge Ya often tease you? You like her? When did you learn to say something against your will? " Then she thought, "No, that''s not right."


    "Your Highness, Second Prince? How many times have you met him? Just say you like him? Did he give you silver? Why is it not mine? "


    When she turned around to see Qing You lowering her head, she was actually embarrassed to the point that her face was flushed red.


    She remembered that when she went to the horse farm, it was Second Prince who brought Qing You to the surrounded ground. She immediately slapped her forehead.


    It was too early to start a relationship like this ¡­


    However, Qing You had already started a conversation and pulled Zhuang Li towards a veiled shop.


    "It''s red, too beautiful. My little body isn''t as beautiful as Ge Ya''s Linglong." Zhuang Li put down the red cloth that the shopkeeper recommended her and shook his head.


    That shop owner was a man with a mustache. She did not give up and even recommended, "Ever since Princess Ge Ya used her red veil to appear in front of the masses, her red veil was sold. This is a new batch of goods, her fabric and achievements are all better than the previous ones."


    Zhuang Li sorrowfully sighed as she looked at her frail body and the airport in front of her chest.


    She picked up another piece of green, and the shop owner began to jabber on and on. "This piece of green is also a popular style this year, with tin-foil flowers on top. Young people like it ¡­"


    Zhuang Li felt a headache listening to him, and hurriedly nodded in agreement, "Okay okay, then I want that goose yellow piece."


    The shop owner was startled at first, and then without any further words, he wrapped it up and handed it over to Zhuang Li.


    "Qing You, give me the money," she said as she walked out of the shop. Was he mumbling about whether or not he should return to the King Xiao''s Palace? After being out for so long, Ge Ya should be back by now. "


    The last time they had met was when they were still at the paddock, so she had hurriedly rushed over to tell him the news of what had happened to Ge Ya.


    Second Prince was also one of the princes that the King held in high regard. Thinking of this, Zhuang Li almost kneeled down and kowtowed to him.


    "Little Li?" He also recognized Zhuang Li and quickly jumped off her horse.


    After their short encounter, she had never really noticed this prince before. Although he had a good relationship with Ge Ya, because he was busy with government affairs, he had not been to the King Xiao''s Palace s as a guest.


    "Your Highness, I also want to thank you and the princess for saving my life ¡­" Just as Zhuang Li knelt down, he was helped up by Xi Cuo.


    "I''m the same as Ge Ya, so I''m not that young. From now on, don''t bow to me anymore." He paused and then went on


    "I have also just returned from seeing His Majesty the King, how about I follow you all to the Ge Ya Palace? I also want to see if my unruly little sister has caused any trouble recently."


    Zhuang Li naturally agreed. After paying the bill, she walked out of the shop and coincidentally bumped into a scene like this. She instantly lowered her head. Zhuang Li pulled her over. The two of them walked together. Beside them was a handsome young man who was much taller than them. He was leading the horse as they walked back together.


    Xi Cuo liked him and Ge Ya, these two siblings who weren''t even his father and mother. They treated others sincerely and were kind to others, and at this time, she thought of the other Wang Su she knew who also had the identity of a prince.


    The child''s venomous tongue wasn''t even a little bit, and his temperament was cold and indifferent. He leaned on her weak body, dreamt of his own mother-in-law, but he was strong enough to go to the West Cold without any guards on his body, and he could not forgive others who didn''t want to save her in times of crisis.


    The piece of White Moon Jade Dragon Jade that he had given her was put away. Was he still in the West Cold right now, or had he already returned to the Great Phoenix?


    Zhuang Li raised her head and looked at the smiling Xi Cuo.


    Although they were both princes, they were completely different people!


    "Second Brother!" The moment Ge Ya saw Xi Cuo, she had already pounced towards him, and started to cling onto Xi Cuo''s body, not letting him down. Xi Cuo looked at Zhuang Li, as if he was begging for help, but he was actually shaken up by the latter while rejoicing in his misfortune.


    Xi Cuo and Ge Ya made a ruckus for a while before he returned. It was said that he had to rush back to Fringe City that night.


    Ge Ya started to complain.


    "Father is always on your side, big brother. This is really displeasing. Even the Master of the Border City has complained that Big Brother has extended his hands too far in the business world, so everything must be done with a single leg that makes it difficult for all parties to do so.


    "He is probably the future king, and the entire West Cold is his. Your royal father did not suppress his greed, probably hoping that when he obtains the entire country, he can extend his lustful hand a little longer and extend his West Cold for the best."


    Zhuang Li stretched out her hand to rub Ge Ya''s small face that had wrinkled.


    "That Third Brother is even more hateful. No matter what Big Brother does, he will definitely agree to it. I wonder how much trouble he''s involved with Big Brother''s matter!"


    Zhuang Li only smiled. After all, which country''s royal family didn''t have such a problem? They had the right to order their subordinates to control countless amounts of money. Compared to ordinary people, they had more things to do, and they also had a greater desire, money, or power than ordinary people. There was always one thing they had to pursue, or both of them had to be controlled by this desire in order to have a war. It is in such a division and fusion that the emergence and development of human civilization, destruction and rebirth. It''s all thanks to the constant movement towards a higher and better tomorrow.


    Moreover, this desire would never fade away. If he obtained the throne, then the country with greater desire would have more wealth. When this desire was filled up, he would probably start to pursue immortality like the First Emperor Qin.


    Then what kind of person was Xi Cuo? His desire did not seem to be as strong as that of the Eldest Prince, but he was more interested in the country. He was straightforward and open-minded, but he was not a person who loved to fight. This kind of person made Zhuang Li admire him.


    "My Second Brother is very good." Ge Ya left this sentence out of anger.


    Zhuang Li coaxed this child who had suddenly developed a worsening of his youth. "Good, good, good, your majesty Second Prince."


    She then looked at Qing You, who was in a infatuated state, and couldn''t help but sigh.


    At this time, Ge Ya suddenly and extremely mysteriously whispered into Zhuang Li''s ear again, "Little Li, what do you think about my Second Brother? "Alright, I''ll betroth him to you then."


    Zhuang Li was shocked, she slapped her forehead and said to herself, "What are you thinking!" She couldn''t help but feel resentment in her heart. Why were these children nowadays so early in age?


    Then, he said to Zhuang Li in a low voice: "My Second Brother, my royal father has betrothed me to the princess of the Da Wan Kingdom, and from now on, I have to go to the Da Wen to help manage the Da Wan Kingdom, but I cannot bear to part with my Second Brother. You are a member of my palace, so my Second Brother will naturally come live in my palace since he has promised you."


    She was amused by her own genius idea and happily replied, "My Second Brother is mine, I''ll be at ease if I hand it over to you!"

 C18

    She turned around and began to disinfect her tools. Zhuang Li bit her lips and hissed, got up, and walked to the side of the curtain to look at the Miss Bian Luo tattooing for Ge Ya.


    "Another gift? "I can''t even pile up my storehouse ~ Lil ''Li, just stack it up and go to your room."


    Zhuang Li scanned her surroundings with her eyes, and saw that various inscriptions were stuck on the box. Greeting to the Sixth Prince of Da Wan Country, gifting it to the Hun King, and the Emperor of Mongolia sending it over to his subjects ¡­


    She shook her head. "No, my room can''t be stacked."


    Ge Ya thoughtfully nodded her head: "Then let''s go tattoo."


    I wonder where Ge Ya learned her character from ¡­


    Zhuang Li had already wanted to give it a try and agreed immediately, then went on to look for Qing You. When Qing You heard about tattoos, she was absolutely terrified. She refused to go even if she was dead meat, and in the end, she and Ge Ya held hands and walked towards the worrisome shop of the best tattoo salon in Fanbo City.


    Speaking of the Moon Sisters, they were both charming twins. Their elder sister was called Wangroga and their younger sister was called Grandma Wangluo. The two of them ran the tattoo salon the wall. Zhuang Li was stunned, Ge Ya had already chosen the tattoo.


    mandala flower


    The two of them placed a Black Mandara Flower tattoo on their wrist, it was as beautiful and delicate as a bracelet, Zhuang Li raised her hand and looked left and right.


    Very good, very satisfied.


    ''s tattoo had already been completed, and was no different from Zhuang Li''s tattoo. The two of them looked at each other and laughed dumbly.


    Just like Zhuang Li and Ge Ya''s tattoos, the two sisters Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign and Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign had unknowingly appeared behind their backs.


    "Your Highness, are you satisfied with our service?" they asked in unison.


    "Satisfied?"


    "Then give me the money ~"


    In these past seven years, Zhuang Li had gradually grown out of that small and thin child into a slender and tall girl. The most miraculous thing was that there was almost no trace of Zhao Ci on her body, that her eyes had widened, that her forehead had grown full, and that even her cheeks, where she used to be as sharp as a monkey''s, had grown out a little more, and to be frank, she was still a little beautiful. Like Ge Ya, she had fallen in love with the purple veil, and had let the palace''s clothing shop make a few.


    was so happy that he asked Zhuang Li to give him a name. Zhuang Li thought for a while, then, that little horse brought her to the depths of the grassland in the middle of the night, just like a deity that had descended from the sky, so she started to call it Little White Dragon. Little White Dragon ¡­ Although it was black.


    That horse was also picky, it still had an extremely violent personality. Other than Ge Ya and Zhuang Li, no one else was allowed to touch it, it was just like a proud and pampered little white dragon.


    As the two rode their horses back toward the King Xiao''s Palace, Zhuang Li listened to Ge Ya recount the interesting story that happened in the King''s Palace today.


    With so many people proposing marriage, Ge Ya would just let things be if she didn''t understand. She also didn''t know where to start from, since there were piles of proposing marriage paper on the table, he despised them because their country was too far away, she despised them because their country was too small, the one on the left said that they were too old, and the one on the left felt that they were too young. In truth, he was just unwilling to marry Ge Ya out.


    Ge Ya was also happy to be free, every day she would look at the people who came to her house to propose marriage as if she was watching a joke. When meeting someone she wanted to tease, she even made Zhuang Li put on a mask and pretended that she was going to meet them. The two of them were like treasures that made Xiao Imperial Palace full of joy and laughter.


    And in these few months, other than the matter of proposing, there was another important matter that was about to happen on West Cold.


    That was the tribute.


    The King of West Cold controlled the vast lands of the Western Regions. Although the land was vast and sparsely populated, there were more than one hundred and eighty large cities. There were also countless nearby small nations seeking West Cold for protection. Every year, their West Cold would be like the tribute of the Great Phoenix, but in the past few years, their nation''s strength had become even more powerful, and there were more countries like the tribute of West Cold. Furthermore, every year, the city lord of one hundred and eighty cities in West Cold would pay tribute to the capital of West Cold, the royal family of Fanbo City. The envoys from the various cities would also come to pay their respects, and stay behind to attend the King of West Cold''s birthday banquet not long after.


    The tribute team plus the King''s Birthday was the busiest holiday in the entire year in West Cold Country. Although they had been preparing for it several months earlier, they were still short on time.


    As an adult princess, Ge Ya started to help share in the details of the celebration, arranging banquets, purchasing flowers and the like, all for her to handle, but she was a princess herself, she could not calm down. This kind of meticulous and meticulous matter was too difficult for her, after an hour of work, she had no idea where she could go to play.


    Fortunately, Zhuang Li had such a meticulous and good helper. Not only did she have an easy way to deal with the decorations, she also knew how to take care of them. Although the royal family didn''t need her to save money, she couldn''t get rid of this habit.


    "I think no matter what, father will give you a City Lord''s reward this time. How come your arrangements for the banquet are so much less than before?" After returning to the Xiao Imperial Palace, Ge Ya flipped through Zhuang Li''s abacus.


    "Isn''t that because you''re stupid?" Zhuang Li''s words had hit the nail on the head. She wrote down the final prices for the flowers and spices and handed them over to Ge Ya.


    "When you see the king tomorrow, report this to the treasury and instruct people to arrange it. It''s very close to the state banquet, and the tribute procession is already on the way. There are still a lot of things to do.


    Ge Ya was like a primary school student who had already finished her homework after receiving her schoolmate.


    Zhuang Li called Qing You over, and immediately received the box that the princess of West Cold was given, then went to prepare some fresh flowers. After a few days, she would busy herself with the matters of the palace, so she probably did not have this kind of leisure.


    Actually, she already had someone she liked in her heart. The son of a small city lord who came to Fanbo City with a tribute team two years ago, with such an inconspicuous identity, didn''t even have the qualifications to propose to Ge Ya. Zhuang Li had asked Ge Ya once, and had guessed that there was a person who had stolen away Ge Ya''s first love.


    However, although the Western Regions lived far more carefree and carefree than the Great Phoenix, and their marriage policy was more open-minded, they still had to listen to the arrangements made by the King. The King had also asked Ge Ya whether she liked this prince, but both the sweat man and the phoenix were all rejected playfully by Ge Ya. The king also sighed with a pampering sigh and said, "It''s all right, my child. Choose slowly." But Zhuang Li knew clearly that no matter how much she chose, the king would never agree to Ge Ya marrying a city lord of her own country to her youngest son. The King would not be willing to marry Ge Ya this year, and she would also not be willing to marry Ge Ya next year. But there would still come a day when Ge Ya would still be married off.


    In the Western Regions, a girl who hadn''t even married at the age of twenty was already an old maid.


    At the moment, Ge Ya could not care so much. She only knew that the envoys from the various cities were coming, and the people she loved were coming as well. Every day, she would be like a little bird in a cage, chirping non-stop. Zhuang Li naturally knew what she was happy about. The two of them occasionally glanced at each other with a smile, and they were well aware of each other''s situation.


    So every day, Ge Ya would take care of her dreams, and Zhuang Li would secretly help her take care of the other matters that Ge Ya was responsible for during the national banquet. Fortunately, Qing You had been very obedient and was able to help her out a lot, but she was still considerate towards her, even though she liked to play sometimes. But which teenage girl didn''t like to play?


    Zhuang Li was not worried about Qing You''s dowry right now, if Qing You was interested in a man marrying, she would definitely let him marry her.


    Right now, there was still one more person in the Fanbo City, and Ge Ya''s heart was even busier than that, busier than Zhuang Li''s worries.


    It was Xi Cuo.


    Xi Cuo was already twenty this year, and was already a tall and strong, handsome and suave prince, as if he walked out of a fairy tale. He is honest in character and reliable in his work. At the age of sixteen, he was sent by the king to visit the cities and countries. Although every time the Eldest Prince fought on the battlefield, leading the way, Xi Cuo''s mission was not as easy as his. Now that the national banquet was about to begin, he was in charge of the security of the Fanbo City and received the envoys. It had also been half a month since he had come to the Xiao Imperial Palace. This allowed Zhuang Li to heave a sigh of relief.


    Because Xi Cuo liked Zhuang Li.


    Although Zhuang Li had already lived for twenty years in the modern world, she was still an old man. Although she had never truly been in love before, her mental age was more mature than anyone else, the more mature she was, the more scruples she had. When she came to this era, in the end, she did not know where she should go from here.

 C19

    Could it be that Zhuang Li had never thought of the possibility of finding a way to live her life within the West Cold just like that? Honestly speaking, she was very willing, after all these years, West Cold had long become her second home. She brought Qing You here to the warm and passionate land under the sun. Sweet fruits, soft and oily rice, the roast sheep in winter, the smell of the grass, the cries of the little white dragon ¡­


    Sometimes, even if you don''t do anything, you just lie in the courtyard of King Xiao''s Palace. Watching the sun shining from one end of the sky to the other, they all felt incredibly happy.


    And Ge Ya, Xi Cuo. She had long since become an inseparable family member.


    Their passionate, kind, and free, as if they had nothing to fear, were also indispensable like sunlight that could shine into the depths of Zhuang Li''s heart.


    Do you love him? Will you stay in the West Cold forever? She kept asking herself, and then gave Xi Cuo a bright and beautiful smile.


    She hid her face behind the veil and kept on apologizing. At night, under the light of the candle flame, her face was familiar yet foreign to Zhao Ci. It made her look even more beautiful.


    Was this face still Zhao Ci? she asked herself, but no one gave her the answer.


    When the envoy entered the city, he put in the flowers from the Western Region that he had ordered.


    All the curtains in the court were replaced with gold. The tablecloth had been replaced with a fire-red pomegranate line.


    All the dishes were polished with blue glaze, and the wine and dining plates were made of silver.


    Wine was prepared for at least sixty years, and there was a lost aroma in the corner of the palace banquet, and glazed curtains.


    Zhuang Li was so busy that she wanted to have another four hands to command the workers to move the flowers and plants. The servants were cleaning the plants and were running in and out of the palace all over the place, feeling that their legs were going to break. Qing You was in charge of cleaning the place thoroughly. She also brought a bunch of maids with him from sunrise to sunset. Ge Ya, on the other hand, was busy controlling the situation at the palace with the guards. Every now and then, they would hear the sound of their beaks of battle qi shouting that they were going to complain to the Second Brother.


    Although Xi Cuo went in and out of the palace every day, he was in a hurry and didn''t have time to meet with Zhuang Li. Zhuang Li was even happier than that.


    The preparation for the banquet proceeded in an orderly manner. At the end of the month, the first batch of emissaries from West Cold arrived: Da Wan Country.


    On the day the envoy entered the city, many citizens had gathered on the streets to watch the show. Their attire and attire were different from that of the citizens of the West Cold, so Xi Cuo led them to the west river palace. The envoys who came to pay their respects arrived one after another, and all stayed at the west river palace.


    Qing You entered happily. Seeing her expression, Zhuang Li guessed that she had been watching the envoy enter the city since she had nothing to do. He didn''t care about her. This little girl had grown a lot taller. At the beginning of the month, he had to make her a new set of clothes.


    The West Cold and Great Wisdom Kingdom had always been on good terms, so they had prepared thick and heavy gifts. Carrying a total of eight large boxes, they all followed the envoys and placed them in the West River palace. When it was evening, Zhuang Li arrived at the four city lords of West Cold city one after another. After listening to the people below reporting the number of people, Zhuang Li helped her draw the hook on her paper.


    The day that and entered the palace, the king had always liked Zhuang Li too. He felt that she was diligent and reliable, and being together with Ge Ya also saved Ge Ya from making too much trouble. When it came to the national affairs ceremonies, she would always have some ingenious little thoughts, which was to always bring her and Ge Ya to the palace together.


    The Great Yu State entered the great hall, took out a scripture, and began to deliver gifts. A half meter tall emerald stone, a screen inlaid with coral beads ¡­ Zhuang Li was dazzled by the various treasures displayed, it was not the first time that the envoy of the Da Wan Kingdom had come to the West Cold to pay tribute, so they were naturally familiar with each other. After he was done, he sat down and began to chat with the king, talking about the snow lotus which the Da Wan Empire had contributed to the West Cold. That snow lotus was harvested from deep within the snow mountains in the Western Regions. It was around the size of a bowl and placed in a glass filled with ice cubes. It''s not easy to get. The messenger said.


    "Speaking of obtaining this Mountain Snow Lotus, it was all thanks to the help of the West Cold Eldest Prince. At that time, our men were trapped inside the snow mountain, and we had to look for someone to save them. It was only because we met with the Eldest Prince''s people that we were able to escape.


    Initially, he did not think so. However, he suddenly remembered that the Eldest Prince was not sent over to Mongolia. Why would it appear in a completely opposite direction?


    Zhuang Li frowned, this could either be that the Eldest Prince did not go to Mongolia, or that someone pretended to be the Eldest Prince to save Big Wen''s troops. Why did he have to pretend? There was no reason, it was more likely that the Eldest Prince did not go to Mongolia against the king''s wishes.


    Zhuang Li sneaked a peek at the king''s face, and sure enough, the old king''s expression was not as relaxed as before.


    Zhuang Li quietly asked Ge Ya: "When will your brother return to West Cold?"


    Ge Ya had obviously realized the problem as well. "In the middle of next month, a few days before the grand feast."


    Zhuang Li secretly thought, it seemed that this Eldest Prince would definitely stir up some storm this time.


    But did he have to? He could fight well, and the throne was already his. This is what the King meant by bright and dark.


    In the beginning of the month, more tribute arrived one after another. The citizens of the city had already seen enough and felt that there was no meaning, Qing You was still happy to run outside, she knew that she was not going to see the tribute team, she was obviously going to see the Second Prince Xi Cuo, she was also not going to care about her, the king''s birthday feast had truly started because of her and Ge Ya. They stole free time and brought the little white dragon out to the suburbs to fight wild rabbits.


    Ge Ya then clamored to send two of them to her Second Brother. started to say that she was really too tired and wanted to go back and rest. On the other side, Ge Ya refused to forgive and forget, as Ge Ya had never expected for him to have such patience and passion when it came to making a match between him and Zhuang Li. This gave Zhuang Li an incomparable headache, and she could only agree with difficulty.


    When they arrived at Xi Cuo''s palace, they found out that Xi Cuo had gone out of the city to patrol, and was not at home, so the two of them had no choice but to take action. Zhuang Li secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    In the middle of the year, the envoys of the various countries had all arrived one after another, and the Third Prince had rushed back from the pass. However, the First Prince had refused to return until the day before the celebration.


    The ceremony for West Cold was not as complicated as the grand phoenix, but it was still grand and heavy. Zhuang Li and Ge Ya sat in their seats wearing their veils. Ge Ya had prepared a gift for the King, but it was not the time yet. The officer beside started to introduce the guests to Ge Ya.


    "The one dressed in green over at the banquet table is the eldest daughter of the city''s mayor, Bo Li. He is already old and has been bedridden for many years, so he really can''t take all the trouble on the boat. He had no son, only two daughters, the eldest of whom was capable, and the Lord of Battle had asked the king to pass on the throne to his eldest daughter. The king has.


    This was not the first time he accompanied father to the banquet, the fat woman beside him with a golden collar was his mother.


    Furthermore, the young girl to the left is the Princess Qing Liu of the Da Wan Kingdom. She was once engaged to Xi Cuo, the Second Prince, and the Da Wan Kingdom brought her here to pay their respects to the Second Prince. "


    Ge Ya spat out a few words ruthlessly. "She has other intentions."


    After Zhuang Li heard the officer''s description, he also looked towards that direction. The Princess Qing Liu did not wear a veil, she was indeed gentle and charming, with the demeanor of a princess. Zhuang Li gasped in admiration. In the future, this kind of woman would become Ge Ya''s sister-in-law, and it looked like Ge Ya would finally be able to give up on him.


    Seeing that both Zhuang Li and Ge Ya had different attitudes towards Princess Qing Liu, the official then continued to introduce them.


    "According to rumors, Princess Qingliu is not only beautiful, she can also sing and dance. Hu Qin is also a peerless beauty, I''ve heard that she has been under the tutelage of the Great Wings Nation''s master teachers since she was young. This time, we have to play a song on the border just like His Majesty the King. "


    The more Ge Ya heard, the more depressed he became. She hurriedly pushed away the officer to stop him from talking anymore, while pouring herself a mouthful of wine. She grabbed a handful of pomegranate and chewed it, while mumbling indistinctly: "What dance are you offering?" This princess will not allow it.


    The officer had to go on to introduce


    "Sitting at the very front on the right, taller than everyone else, is the 4th Prince of Mongolia. Legend has it that he is even stronger than an ox and can tear apart a patch with his bare hands. Ordinary people wouldn''t be able to defeat him even if there were ten of them. He could even kill a horse with his bare hands. Impressive.


    This time, the Prince of Mongolia was so infuriated that he didn''t really know how to talk. This time, when he went out, he specifically asked the Prince to bring the fatty Zhi Gan along, even though the fat Zhi Gan was small and weak, his brain was very useful. They had met the Prince of Mongolia and the envoy next door several times in the West River Palace, but they were met by this fat kid.


    Ge Ya interrupted him, pointed at a young man outside the hall and asked, "Who is that person?"


    Zhuang Li immediately understood, wasn''t that handsome youth the person that Ge Ya liked? Ge Ya had seen him several times at the royal banquet, but he never knew of his name.


    "Princess, the people outside the hall are all city lords, or close relatives of their sons. There''s no need for you to know them."


    Hearing that, Ge Ya became angry, and asked: "Who is that?"


    When the officer heard this, he quickly flipped through the book and respectfully reported the name


    "Princess, that person is the youngest son of the City Lord of Lianyun, Fushu."


    Ge Ya''s mouth hooked up into a smile, and she turned to Zhuang Li and whispered: "So his name is Fu Su."


    Zhuang Li sighed, and muttered to herself about this young lady who was infatuated with him. I don''t know what the future holds.

 C20

    When the birthday feast began, Ge Ya was the first to present her gift, and the four servants carried him up to a large wardrobe. Seeing this, the surrounding people were stunned. They were all confused. Even the old king, who was sitting on the throne, was confused.


    The girl walked out and changed her clothes from head to toe. The people around her exclaimed in admiration, this was too amazing, the moment they entered the cabinet, they didn''t even have enough time to take off their clothes, how could they change their clothes. Then, the girl went back into the cabinet, and after a second, she came out and changed her clothes again. At this point, many of the guests couldn''t sit still any longer. They all stood up, wanting to clearly see what had happened.


    The young girl had neat makeup and was wearing a smile without any flaws, which made people clap and cheer for her.


    After finishing the dance, Ge Ya went up to the girl and pulled her over to thank her. Even the old king couldn''t help but ask what was going on.


    Ge Ya smiled mysteriously and opened the door with the girl.


    It turned out that there was another girl in the cabinet who looked exactly the same as the girl from before. She was dressed differently. It was precisely the two sisters, Moon and Nanny.


    The two twins had exquisite appearances and had the same makeup. It was impossible to tell the difference at all, which made everyone click their tongues in surprise.


    The king was overjoyed, he never thought that there would be such an outstanding pair of sisters within the Fanbo City.


    When he sat down, he saw that the Prince of Mongolia was indeed a lot taller than the people around him. He didn''t expect that when he stood up, he was twice as tall as the people around him, and his muscular body was as intimidating as an iron bucket giant. However, his small and terrifying head was still looking around for his translator. He looked kind of cute.


    Zhuang Li was ecstatic in her heart, her mind was simple and her limbs were well-developed, this description was simply tailor-made for him.


    He bowed to the king. His think tank, Fat Sa Gan started to introduce that this was the prince performing his unique skills for the King of West Cold.


    The big fool listened to Fat Sassafras and picked up a common knife. He held both ends of the knife with both hands and exerted force with one hand. The blade split in two.


    The guests cheered, and then he turned to look at the stone block at the foot of the steps. He ordered someone to carry the stone block into the hall.


    The stone block wasn''t big, but it was solid. The four soldiers then managed to lift it and move it to the main hall. After the soldier retreated, the big man squatted down and took two deep breaths, then he wrapped an arm around the stone block and stood up to lift it up. The surrounding people were all amazed. He held the stone block and walked around it, as if he was sure that someone had witnessed his innate divine strength before he put it down. When the block fell on the ground, it produced a dull sound, as if a crack had instantly appeared on the floor. The crowd was even more enthusiastic and began to praise him.


    At this time, a report suddenly came in, the Eldest Prince had returned to the city and was about to arrive at the palace.


    It had been a long time since he had seen his son. Although he had some doubts regarding why the king would appear in the Great Wei Country, he was still very happy in his heart. They had been waiting for him to come and meet them, and even when the palace feast was about to end, the Eldest Prince still did not appear.


    Ge Ya drank a little too much during the feast, while looking at her lover who was standing outside the hall, she revealed an infatuated smile. The birthday feast was also coming to an end, and after that, there were some fireworks going on, so she called Qing You over. She wanted to send Ge Ya back to King Xiao''s Palace first, so as to avoid any problems happening to her.


    The king and his guests also gradually moved out of the hall, waiting for the fireworks to begin.


    She and Qing You supported Ge Ya up in the middle, passing through the guests, and while no one was paying attention, they secretly prepared their horses and slipped back into the King Xiao''s Palace. Just as she reached the door, he saw a green flame rise into the air. Zhuang Li was curious. Could it be that the fireworks party had already begun?


    Suddenly, he saw the sky filled with rockets flying towards the palace. Many of them landed on the servants'' bodies and ignited into a ball of fire. Those who were struck by the rockets struggled a few times before turning into a ball of fire and rolling on the ground.


    Zhuang Li pulled Qing You and Ge Ya back together, and hid behind a stone pillar. In the blink of an eye, the entire outside of the hall had turned into a mess.


    What happened?


    Following that, a wave of mocking voices could be heard as dozens of assassins with sabers charged out from the shadows towards the main hall. The first one to react was Xi Cuo, he rushed out of the main hall and went to the banquet in his official uniform, without even carrying his blade, he actually took the blade from the assassin''s hand and hacked the assassin to death.


    "Protect the king!"


    Xi Cuo bellowed, the palace guards that he controlled all rushed out, the king was escorted back into the palace, he staggered, and was in complete chaos.


    Those palace guards weren''t useless. Within an hour, all of the assassins that had rushed out had been subdued. Once they saw that there was no hope for them, they would all stop on their own, not leaving a single one alive.


    Just as everyone was still in a daze, someone had rushed out of the hall covered in blood. The one who came down from the horse was Third Prince. With a grave expression and fear, he pushed aside the servant who had come to support him and rushed up the hall. Everyone was shocked.


    "father, father. "Big brother, we forced you to palace."


    No one believed what he said, and the old king collapsed into a chair. Ge Ya was so scared that she instantly woke up from her stupor.


    The relationship between the Third Prince and the Eldest Prince had always been good. The credibility of what he said was indeed very high.


    "What the hell is going on!?" the king asked, catching his breath.


    The Third Prince was covered in blood, no one knew where the wound was, but Zhuang Li sent Qing You to look for a doctor, and saw that he was unable to hold on for a few more breaths.


    He was quickly placed on a chair, and when the doctor arrived, he quickly cut his clothes to reveal the scars all over his body.


    Third Prince stuttered as he spoke, "father, Big Brother wants to seize the throne. I was discovered by Yun Feng cavalry who left Mongolia half a month ago to go to the Great Wing and West Cold realms but he locked me up. It was only on account of the fact that brotherly friendship didn''t kill me that I managed to escape from him after a few tries. Right now, he was at the entrance of the city, leading his ten thousand Cloud Peak Cavalry, wanting to force the father to give up his position. The assassin just now was his first chess piece. "


    The old king trembled in anger. Xi Cuo hurriedly knelt down and said that he would bring the two thousand guards of the palace to protect everyone inside the city.


    Zhuang Li sighed to herself, how could two thousand soldiers who were used to staying in the city be a match for the Eldest Prince''s Yun Feng Cavalry that lived in poverty on the borders for ten thousand years?


    Right at this time, the Third Prince spoke again.


    "Don''t worry father, there are a lot of people who aren''t willing to follow Big Brother in his rebellion. They are deputy generals who have followed me in the past, and if I find a suitable opportunity to notify them, they will definitely cooperate with Second Brother and help Big Brother Yun Feng."


    Seeing Xi Cuo help the bandaged Third Prince out, Zhuang Li faintly felt that this matter wasn''t that simple. She pulled Xi Cuo to one side, wanting him to be on guard, not knowing if he understood what she meant.


    Everyone was waiting in the main hall. All night long, the outside of the city was lit up by flames. The border of the city was a mess, and it was only at dawn that the ruckus gradually quietened down.


    Xi Cuo knelt in the hall and reported, "Third brother''s faction, Big Brother Yun Feng, mounted on Cloud Peak, and the soldiers in the city, worked together to annihilate the rebel army. Eldest Prince died in the midst of arrows."


    Everyone let out a sigh of relief, and some even cheered. Ge Ya calmed down a little, but felt sad. After all, she was her big brother. Even though she hated him, she never would have thought that he would do such a thing.


    The king looked as if he had aged ten years in one night. One could not see any joy on his face, but his expression was solemn as he announced the great rewards to the defending army and Third Prince.


    Zhuang Li and Ge Ya proceeded toward the King Xiao''s Palace. Xi Cuo was going to escort them back, but when Zhuang Li saw that his entire body was covered in blood and mud, her mental state was still in a crumbling state on the battlefield, so she wanted him to return and rest. In the end, she still let him take care of her.


    Zhuang Li thought carefully, the Eldest Prince coming to force someone into his palace was really strange, the throne was his, he did not need to rush to force the King to abdicate, he went to the Da Wan Kingdom to transfer troops, and coincidentally met with an envoy from the Da Wan Empire, how could he be in the mood to help an envoy escape danger?


    Even if he was kind-hearted and wanted to save others, he could call himself someone else. Did he have to say that he was Eldest Prince''s Yun Feng Cavalry?


    Finally, there was one last thing that everyone in the Eldest Prince knew, Eldest Prince was a prodigy who led troops in battles. Even the King was proud of him more than once, how could he not know that his rebel army had many hidden dangers?


    Since he had already captured the Third Prince, with his style of doing things, how could he give the Third Prince a chance to escape? This was a taboo meeting for soldiers. In Zhuang Li''s opinion, it was more likely that he would directly kill the Third Prince.


    In the end, he actually died outside the city. It could be said that he died with no proof.


    Xi Cuo took care of the Acropolis City and the entire imperial palace took care of their own safety.


    What is it...

 C21

    " Whose is it for? " Zhuang Li asked as she ate the melon seeds.


    " To Miss Zhuang Li, from Princess Ge Ya''s residence, Lou Lan Pavilion''s Young Master. "


    ?" The restaurant was in the city and had only recently been built, but it was already famous. It was said that the West Flowery Pear was staying there, and it was said that the Pear was a dancing prostitute that had been famous for the past two years. With their enchanting looks and alluring looks, they had recently begun to visit the West Flowery, and whenever they went there, there would be many young masters who came to visit them, so it was reasonable that they would end up under the tutelage of a merchant like Lou Lan.


    " Young miss, please enjoy, our master has instructed us to send her. "


    " Li''er, the older you are, the more cautious you become. I''ve especially picked out a dish from your hometown, why aren''t you eating it? Have you already forgotten that you weren''t originally a member of West Cold? "


    She intentionally winked at Zhuang Li. Zhuang Li was stunned for a moment, and then, her soul was almost taken away by those passionate eyes of Gu Panpan.


    " "Li''er, why are you still so silly? Haven''t you made any progress at all?"


    Luo Lihua.


    " Pear Blossom? " Zhuang Li was surprised to the point that she couldn''t say a word. Only then did Qing You manage to react and call out to Big Sister Rivulet from time to time, as if she couldn''t believe it.


    " Pear blossom? Not the Young Master Loulan? "


    " This tower was indeed opened by the Young Master Loulan and he was the one who asked you out, but the real person you want to meet is me. "


    " Ah? Then why did you come over in the name of the Young Master Loulan? "


    " "You don''t understand. Let me explain it to you slowly."


    " A spy? " Zhuang Li almost lost control of his voice when she blurted it out, but she was still covered by Luo Lihua''s mouth.


    " It was just that the Young Master Loulan had too many unique insights in politics. Rather than adapting to the situation, he would prefer to take a step in this muddy water to show off his own presence.


    There were not many people, but they looked like they were fully equipped and ready to go. When Young Master Loulan asked around, the other party actually mentioned that it was Eldest Prince''s Yun Feng Cavalry, Young Master Loulan was no ordinary person, he was extremely sensitive to the movements of various countries, and immediately he felt that something was amiss. Everyone in the West Cold knew, Eldest Prince was holding a heavy army and guarding the border, how could Yun Feng Cavalry appear here?


    " The envoy of the Great Wings Nation said that he had met Yun Feng riding half a month ago on the way to West Cold. Could it be that this Yun Feng riding is wandering on this official road that leads to West Cold? " Zhuang Li asked, and Luo Lihua also sighed.


    " Lil, you sensed something was wrong. Young Master Loulan asked all around, for the past half year, there had been a lot of merchants who had seen Yun Feng riding on the public road. Although it was strange, he couldn''t think of any reason why it would happen. Although the Eldest Prince was greedy for money and sex, his brain was not good enough, but he was an extremely vicious man. Naturally, he had connections with the Young Master Loulan.


    The Fallen Flower man rolled his eyes, as if he was cursing the dead Eldest Prince. and then went on to say


    " Now that I have become a disciple of the Young Master Loulan, and am already as beautiful as a flower, it suits his taste ¡­ Naturally, he would be dragged into this as well ¡­


    " In this Fanbo City, and in the midst of imperial power, have you ever heard of anyone seeing the King before this incident? " Luo Lihua activated [Fey] mode, her bewitching eyes hooked up, and her lips pressed against Zhuang Li''s ear. However, she clearly added another three words. "Alive."


    " No, even Xi Cuo had not personally witnessed the Eldest Prince''s defense, and as the person responsible for the crime was the Eldest Prince''s personal guard, he said that the Eldest Prince was anxious to get the throne, so he made a plan in private. On the surface, it seems reasonable, since almost everyone knows that the Eldest Prince is naturally impatient.


    They talked about their past for the past few years, Luo Lihua strumming the strings during the banquet, which was very pleasant to listen to, but it was the melody of the Great Phoenix.

 C22

    " "Her figure is graceful, her voice is pleasant to listen to. Lan Xiang and the wine are inferior to the birch pear ¡­"


    As Luo Lihua stayed in the Fanbo City longer, her reputation also grew. Even the little maid beside the King knew how to hum a few songs about Luo Lihua that had been passed down in the city for the past few days.


    The King had once asked who this birch pear was, but before Zhuang Li could answer, she was interrupted by the Third Prince.


    " Hua Li is Young Master Loulan''s ace card, and at the end, he looks like a fairy. Now that he lives in Fanbo City, those who have seen her before all said that she is just like the legendary Ninth Heaven''s Profound Maiden by Western Princess'' side. "


    The more Third Prince spoke, the more mysterious he became, causing Zhuang Li to feel strange. Why was Third Prince praising Luo Lihua so much?


    , wrapped in a thick blanket, sat together with Ge Ya in the courtyard as they watched the drifting snow. Qing You raised a fire at the side of the courtyard and warmed the wine on it. The smell was sweet. It was the last jar of the year, and the aroma of wine permeated through the pot. Before they even had a chance to drink, both of them were already warm and drunk.


    "It''s time to call Second Brother over." Ge Ya tightly pulled up the blanket on her body. She was still wearing her pajamas and when she woke up, she would sit in the courtyard together with Zhuang Li with her under the blanket.


    "This jar of wine is not enough for Xi Cuo to drink." Zhuang Li was still yawning. If not for Ge Ya''s loud yells saying that it was snowing, she would have been still sleeping by now.


    She had also discussed the matters regarding the Eldest Prince with Ge Ya before. Although Ge Ya didn''t like the overly arrogant Big Brother, she still couldn''t help but feel sad. Now that the Eldest Prince had passed away, and the troops at the Inner Mongolia border were under the command of the generals, the King was naturally worried.


    "So ¡­"


    "So Brother Xi Cuo had to be sent to Inner Mongolia to continue doing the unfinished business of Eldest Prince?" Zhuang Li leaned in front of the wine pot that was still warm and took a deep breath.


    "Smart." Ge Ya reached out her hand from under the blanket and patted Zhuang Li''s shoulder to show her approval.


    Then, she helplessly pouted her lips: "But, I don''t want Second Brother to leave."


    Zhuang Li turned around and saw her pitiful little face. "I don''t want to come either."


    Instantly, Ge Ya''s eyes seemed to be filled with stars: "Right, you don''t want to leave Second Brother right? You just like the Second Brother, don''t you? "Although you may not have realized it yet, deep down, you really like him ¡­"


    Zhuang Li raised her hands as if she was waving at her. Ge Ya quickly stood up, threw down the blanket and ran. However, before she could even run two steps, her head bumped into the maid who was walking towards him. She then fell to the ground with a cry.


    Zhuang Li hurried over and helped Ge Ya up. The maid who bumped into Ge Ya was still kneeling on the ground, not daring to get up. Although Ge Ya was usually naive and good to all the servants in the palace, she was naturally afraid of the little girl who had offended the Royal Family.


    "It''s okay, it''s okay, don''t be scared." She covered her forehead as she got up, consoling the terrified maid.


    Yet, the maid still remained kneeling on the ground, not moving at all ¡­


    "Princess, there is someone outside the Xiao Imperial Palace seeking an audience."


    "Who?" Gift giver? "


    "She said her name is Luo Lihua."


    Zhuang Li was startled, and quickly let the maid bring Luo Lihua in.


    "Why did you come in the snow?" Zhuang Li introduced her to Ge Ya while patting the snow off her body.


    Ge Ya had long heard Zhuang Li mention this before, and the people inside the city, including the Third Prince, were all talking about Luo Lihua.


    Luo Lihua was probably used to it, so she did not feel uncomfortable at all. However, she heard Ge Ya praising her, "It''s true, it''s even more beautiful than Sister Moon."


    "Naturally, she can''t compare to your highness." Luo Lihua smiled naturally as she was wrapped in a black robe that covered her entire body. The servant girl helped her remove the robe that was drenched in snow, so that it wouldn''t be too warm in the room and the snow would melt causing the robe to become wet.


    She was wearing a mink jacket with no cotton yarn and a tall waist, but now she looked very heroic. She then took a sip of the warm wine, and suddenly seemed to come to life. His face, which had turned pale from the cold, also started to turn red.


    "I came here personally. Aside from wanting to take advantage of the free time in the snow to see my old friend, I also have something that I need to pass on to the Young Master Loulan and want to discuss with the Princess."


    "What is it?"


    "I reckon the princess knows about the business dealings between the Young Master Loulan and myself. Now that the Eldest Prince has died, I am worried about how to handle the business dealings between the Young Master Loulan and myself, until someone from the Young Master Loulan sent me a letter yesterday. The business deal between the Eldest Prince and the Eldest Prince is taken over by the Third Prince."


    After she hugged the warm hand furnace in her arms, she felt that it had warmed up quite a bit. When she raised her head, she saw the expressions of Ge Ya and Zhuang Li, which seemed to be filled with disbelief but was also within her expectations.


    If it was to be inherited according to age, then today, with the death of the Eldest Prince, the one who seemed to have obtained the throne was Xi Cuo. However, the current situation of the West Cold was such that it seemed as if the Third Prince benefited a little more, and although Xi Cuo would be sent to Inner Mongolia, the Third Prince would be able to stay within the Fanbo City because of this matter, and took over the business of the Eldest Prince.


    Luo Lihua continued, "Young Master Loulan was initially unwilling to do business with Eldest Prince, and now, is naturally unwilling to do business with Third Prince as well. Moreover, there are many strange things about it, Young Master Loulan feels that there is something strange, so he must first take himself away, and have me come over here to listen to your Highness. "


    This being said, the meaning of the Young Master Loulan was clear, he did not want to continue doing business with the Third Prince, but in this matter, although he was a merchant, although he was from a wealthy clan, he could not control the imperial clan. At this time, it would be better for him to enter into a relationship with Princess Ge Ya, and be on Xi Cuo''s side.


    After all, it was very possible that Xi Cuo would become a West Cold King now.


    The last time he saw Luo Lihua, Zhuang Li had told her about the news. It was because Eldest Prince was pressuring the palace so that it was strange, but at that time, he was too anxious to think about it, and now, it seemed to be even more suspicious. If the news about the Young Master Loulan was true, then for half a year, there would be people who had passed by the borders of the Great Qin Nation and realised the existence of the Yun Feng cavalry, but the matter of coercing the palace had happened after the envoys of the Great Qin Empire informed the King of West Cold that they had met Yun Feng.


    "He''s waiting." Zhuang Li suddenly blurted out, that thought was extremely terrifying.


    "What if the army envoys met was not Yun Feng cavalry? It was just that someone had intentionally arranged for a group of people to linger around the borders of the Great Qin Nation in order to wait for an opportunity to transmit this erroneous news to the West Cold Palace. For the King to think that the Eldest Prince had deployed the Cloud Peak Cavalry with the intention of rebelling? "


    "It''s third brother." Ge Ya closed her eyes. Even though she could not believe it, at least all the proverbs and benefits were being used on the Third Prince.


    If that was really the case, then Xi Cuo''s position as the next ruler would probably not be obtained so easily.


    "Tell Young Master Loulan on my behalf, that our Second Brother will naturally consider this matter further. and I have lived in the Fanbo City for a long time, so it would be better for Young Master Loulan to have more experience outside. I hope that Young Master Loulan and Miss Rivulet Flower can raise a few more matters in the future."


    Whether it was Ge Ya''s political opinions or her kinship, they were all leaning towards the frank and honest. All the signs of this matter pointed to the battle for the throne of the West Cold royal family, Ge Ya was not a child, she had to always choose someone at this point of time, and she had chosen Xi Cuo, who was representing her in the alliance with the Young Master Loulan. Support Xi Cuo.


    When Xi Cuo left in December, Ge Ya went to the palace to pay respects to the king, begging him to send him off, so that the people at the border of Inner Mongolia could not do anything about it. Zhuang Li knew, Xi Cuo had the talent to lead troops in battle, but was not a person who liked to fight. If there was really a conspiracy of His Highness inside the Eldest Prince, then the wealth he could obtain would definitely not be as simple as the resources in every corner of the Eldest Prince.


    Riding on the little white dragon, Zhuang Li was completely immersed into her own consciousness. Suddenly, she raised her head and realized that Xi Cuo was staring at him.


    "Too much thinking!" He reached out and patted Zhuang Li''s head, causing her to close her eyes. In the end, his hand gently fell on her head and she helped her adjust her hair that was messed up by the wind.


    "This is just a formality, I will definitely return once spring starts. You and Ge Ya don''t have to think too much into it, I will take note. As for the Old Third ¡­" He paused for a moment before continuing, "That day when Big Brother forced me to go to the palace, when Old Third and I went out to defend the rebel army, we could already sense that something was amiss. He seemed to be doing his best to avoid me. In the recent days, I have naturally been taking care of his news, so you should keep your heart in your stomach. In the beginning of spring, I will naturally return to the Fanbo City. "


    "Oh." Zhuang Li was at a loss as to what to do.


    Xi Cuo was obviously unsatisfied with her reaction. He extended his hand to hold Zhuang Li''s hand, and helplessly sighed.


    "Your hand is so cold, hurry up and go back, and get Qing You to hurry up and give you a warm hug. The sky is getting colder and colder, so don''t run out anymore."


    "Right." Zhuang Li nodded, she couldn''t think of anything to say, and it was awkward for the two of them to just stand there.


    wore armor and carried the general''s crown, and many women of West Cold wished to see him again. However, in Zhuang Li''s eyes, it seemed that he was just Ge Ya''s big brother, and she was like a sister to Ge Ya, so she was naturally her big brother as well.


    "Elder brother, take care." She still spat out a few words, and when she saw the other party''s sudden smiling face, she could not help but feel somewhat sad.


    "Go back quickly, tell Ge Ya, if she misses me, write me a letter and tell me to keep that eagle and send it over."


    "Don''t worry." The little white dragon was extremely intelligent, it turned around and walked back without Zhuang Li needing to turn around. Zhuang Li only had time to wave her hand.


    Xi Cuo retracted his smile, the corners of his mouth slightly moved, even the subordinates beside him could not hear what he said clearly.


    Only he himself knew


    If you could only think of me, how good would that be ¡­

 C23

    When I first met her, she was still a girl. At Aroma Swallowing City''s slave market, she was my big brother''s playground. Although I don''t like her, I really couldn''t do anything to him. Originally, he didn''t want to go. There was a saying among the phoenixes: "The blind will not see".


    But Ge Ya kept on making a ruckus to join in on the fun. This half-sister had never seen her mother before in her life. She was brought up by an old lady and lived in the fallen King Xiao''s Palace. She was so lonely that she didn''t have many friends. She and I had always been very close, and at least I had the open and unreasonable children in front of me. Maybe it was because I spoiled her so much that I couldn''t do anything to her, so I promised to go and visit her before coming back.


    The slave trade has always been a very normal thing in the West Cold, so there''s nothing strange about it. I also have a lot of them in the palace, but I always thought that it was unintentional on their part as well as their servants. What was even more hateful was that most of them had come from the common people, and some of them had even come from the Great Phoenix captivity. If they wanted to resist, they would be drugged and dragged out for business.


    I knew that my brother had always been ruthless, but I didn''t know that he would actually be able to get involved in such a terrible business.


    Those who looked pretty or had a strong body were naturally ranked at the front, and the price was even more expensive, until at the end of the sale, most of the children were scrawny and weak, this is the first time I saw Zhuang Li. She was very small, and her body was lifted above her head by the big man. She was splashed with water in her coma, and her wet hair was stuck to her face. She couldn''t see her face, so when she called out a price halfway, she moved a little, as if she was trying to struggle free from the faint state she was in after using medicine.


    The corner of her mouth twitched as if she was saying something. Ge Ya also noticed her and started to bid.


    Suddenly, she opened her eyes and struggled to free herself from the hands of the burly man who was holding her and fell to the ground. I couldn''t tell what happened from that fall, so I quickly headed in the direction she fell, but that burly man had already kicked her and then grabbed her neck and lifted her up.


    There were too many people, so I was trapped in a pile of people. I could only rely on my lightness skills to fly over the heads of those people and finally wrapped the whip around the big man''s arm the moment he raised his hand to land on her.


    I heaved a sigh of relief, followed by Ge Ya who also squeezed over.


    Later on, I found out that her name was Zhuang Li.


    She was brought to the King Xiao''s Palace by Ge Ya. I think this arrangement is also good, as there are many men in my palace, so it''s not convenient at all. In the end, there are still some pretty good maids by Ge Ya''s side ¡­


    In the beginning, she could not be considered to be cheerful. Compared to Ge Ya who was around her age, she seemed to be very old. She didn''t seem like a teenage kid. Finally, after a long time, she let out a breath of relief and started to make trouble for Ge Ya. She followed Ge Ya and called me Big Brother Xi Cuo. Honestly speaking, she wasn''t that beautiful, but from start to finish, I felt that those eyes were exceptionally clear, as if they were the early spring sunshine.


    She learns West Cold very quickly and her figure is very fast as well, but I became very strange as I kept thinking about her. It was as if she came from another world and I had to do my best to protect her from harm in this world, at least in the land of West Cold. And the other world I''m talking about doesn''t seem to be the Great Phoenix.


    I knew she came from the Great Phoenix, and yet she was different from all the Great Phoenix people I knew. She was sometimes strong and brave as a warrior on the prairie, and sometimes she was like a lady of a great family as the Great Phoenix called her.


    My father taught me more and more things, and my elder brother doted on my elder brother a lot. Although my elder brother''s ability to lead soldiers to war was far stronger than mine, my father had begun to let me learn more about politics, allowing me to be in charge of the interactions between West Cold and other surrounding countries.


    I travelled to various cities and traveled to distant countries to visit them, bringing their wishes and gifts to the father. They also paid their respects to the loyal subjects and their gifts in return. After a long time, some people began to propose marriage to the father, hoping to betroth their country''s cities and daughters to me.


    My first reaction was actually to think of Zhuang Li, afraid that she would know. Why should I be afraid of her knowing? It suddenly dawned on me at that time


    I like her. And I care if she likes me.


    Of course, the result was that she didn''t like it ¡­


    So, no matter how many people mentioned my marriage to father, he would always ask about it. I''ll hoodwink them all. In my subconscious, my wangfei should be the little Zhuang Li in the King Xiao''s Palace.


    The Jingshui nanny said that when the Great Phoenix marries, she would cover the bride''s head with a red cloth and sit properly there, waiting for her beloved to pick up the red cloth with her weighing rod.


    I have thought countless of it. If Zhuang Li marries someone, the man who used a scale to pick up the red cloth on her head will definitely be me.


    But she''s too young, she doesn''t know what it means to like. She''s still a child, and only knows how old she is to mess around with Ge Ya, how could she possibly expect her to like me?


    I, Xi Cuo, have always been a patient person. Although I am not able to become the Sovereign King, I can still let her live a happy life. I feel like I have a lifetime to spend with her.


    And over the years, she had grown even more beautiful from a little girl.


    The first person who knows about this secret is naturally Ge Ya. My sister is a ghost, so it''s naturally not easy to hide it from her. I had vaguely sensed that she already had someone I liked. I had already grown up as a child, so even father couldn''t control me.


    It was just that Zhuang Li, even Ge Ya had someone that she liked. What about you?


    She was still light, and she even avoided me a little. Perhaps it was because as she grew older she felt more and more awkward with me, but at the same time it also meant that she didn''t like me.


    At the annual banquet of West Cold, father''s birthday and the time for the envoys of the various nations to come and pay their respects had arrived. At this time, they prepared a grand national banquet, which was a little drunk, and seeing her smiling and chatting merrily, with charming and graceful words, she grew up, becoming even more capable, she always had many thoughts, and was busy taking care of Ge Ya, and also Qing You. Although she was her servant, she treated her as if she was her own little sister.


    In my heart, it seems that she hasn''t grown up at all. She is still the same as back then, a child who needs my protection. The weak ones have an incomparably strong heart, and I definitely won''t let her suffer even a little bit.


    The huge matter of forcing the palace was truly strange. After all, it was obvious that no one was fighting him for the throne, so I couldn''t figure it out, and at the moment I was furious. When I followed Old Third out to guard the capital, my mind was filled with thoughts of Zhuang Li at the palace. If she is safe, why can''t I use my flesh and blood to block my brother''s cold arrow outside the palace?


    Suddenly she took my hand and tried to say something, but she couldn''t seem to speak. What was different from usual was the anxiety on my face. Although it didn''t mean that I liked it, it had already moved me to the extreme.


    I was extremely surprised at my brother''s death. Even though I wasn''t close with him, I was, after all, still a blood brother. Even though he hadn''t been close with me since I was young, he was strict and even a little harsh. But in the end, it was my brother who did it. She didn''t want to see him end up like this.


    The weirdest thing was that although the Yun Feng Cavalry were valiant and tenacious, I was unable to stop them for a few times. The weirdest thing was that I did not manage to find my big brother among the rebel soldiers.


    Yet, he received news from the Old Third that he had been shot to death by an arrow.


    Afterwards I sent someone to examine my brother''s body. It was exactly as Old Third had said. Big Brother did indeed die when I was fighting with Yun Feng.


    father was very sad about this. He seemed to have aged more than ten years in a single night. He closed his eyes and sat on the throne, which made me feel lonely. I knew that he had many things in his life that he wanted his brother to do. This may be something Third Brother and I will never be able to do.


    And now his desolation began to make me feel his heartache.


    He took my hand and looked at me for a long, long time. Although someone said that he wanted to hand over the West Cold to me, he didn''t say anything.


    I never thought of being king one day. "I don''t have much ambition to become a king. I only think that with my persistence and dedicated support, I might be able to make life better for the people of Xiliang.


    Happy New Year, Happy New Year...


    In the first snowfall of this year, West Cold delivered a message to me.


    Fighting for power is not my business, father has always liked me and doted on Big Brother. He likes me because I''m steady and calm, and pampered big brother because of the special characteristics he possesses. It just so happens that this is father''s request to the Sovereign King and the future of West Cold.


    The Old Third had his servants bring me two horses. They are a rare good horse of the Da Yue family, and are known to have good legs. He probably already guessed that the father was going to send me to the border.


    Old Third had always been attached to Big Brother since young. He was the clearest about everything regarding Big Brother. Even though he was always subservient to Big Brother, his thoughts were not as simple as one or two. I had never believed that he would not know whether my brother had made a decision or not. Not only did he know this, he must have been the most important of them all. Before he had revealed himself, I could do nothing but be wary of him.


    Ge Ya has gone to the palace, and Zhuang Li has instead come to send me off. It doesn''t matter if she is''s replacement or not, since she has come, I can look at her properly. This year''s winter is especially cold, and what she said to me is still the same as usual, far from half of what she said to Ge Ya. It really wasn''t that hard for me to get to the border.


    The only difficult matter was probably the fact that he would not be able to see Zhuang Li for a very long time.

 C24

    As the winter wore on, the weather grew colder and colder. Other than occasionally entering the palace, Zhuang Li would never go out. She would nestle within the King Xiao''s Palace or head over to Luo Lihua''s place to rest. The two of them chatted merrily as Pear Blossom talked about the strange things that Young Master Loulan had seen overseas. Their days passed by quickly.


    In the past, he had followed the Eldest Prince outside for a long time, so he naturally did not have the time to manage the forces in the capital. Now that Xi Cuo had gone out, he actually had the time to stay in the capital city for a long time, so naturally he did not miss the slightest opportunity.


    Zhuang Li did not enter the palace very often, she could only mutter angrily every time she returned. Since she was already on Xi Cuo''s side, she naturally placed herself in the fight for the throne. Her age was young, and was naturally much more stable than before, but what made Ge Ya even more anxious was probably the person who didn''t come to propose marriage due to the winter cold. She brought a gift, gave it to the king, and even delivered it to the king of the palace. Furthermore, the king was continuously fanning the flames at the side, and he couldn''t wait to get Ge Ya to marry out from the eyes of the king.


    "I''ve had enough of Third Brother, to actually ask father to consider marrying me to the border. I know that he didn''t like me from the very start, but I didn''t expect him to dislike me so much." Ge Ya rolled her eyes.


    "What did the king say?" Zhuang Li handed over the furnace in her hand to Ge Ya.


    "father is also in a difficult position. "This is actually better. If we can drag it out for one day, then it will be one day."


    Ge Ya''s words were irrelevant, as if she was discussing other people''s matters, but Zhuang Li was clear that the City Lord''s younger son that Ge Ya liked was weak, she would not be able to be on the old King''s list of son-in-law candidates no matter what.


    The people on that list were probably either rich or noble, but they couldn''t write about someone who didn''t even qualify for the throne room.


    Ge Ya did not mention it, but Zhuang Li naturally did not mention it either. A royal palace noble''s marriage was never something he wanted, it was related to the situation in the country and the prestige of the royalty. Even if the Western Regions did not have as many cultures as the laws and regulations of the Great Phoenix, the basic benefits still had to be dealt with. Regarding all of these, Ge Ya naturally understood it even better than Zhuang Li.


    "The day after tomorrow. The father s of the day after tomorrow want to invite the Great Yue State, who has come to propose marriage, to come with me.


    There had always been a lot of people who had come to give gifts, but it was the first time that the King had set up a feast. Could it be that he had thoughts of marrying Ge Ya out?


    "West Cold and the Da Yue family have always had a good relationship. It''s also reasonable for father to host a banquet and entertain him. Don''t worry."


    "You''ve already cultivated to the point where you can see through my thoughts?" Zhuang Li raised an eyebrow.


    "That''s only natural. In any case, you''ll be coming with me. Third Bro even invited a VIP this time."


    "Esteemed guest?"


    "Luo Lihua. Third brother''s boasts were mysterious, and didn''t say anything. He always thought that Young Master Loulan and Luo Lihua had already become his disciples, and would naturally be of use to him. But as soon as I left the palace, I received a note from a little maid. It''s written by Pear Blossom. "


    Zhuang Li took it and looked at it. It was Luo Lihua''s notebook, and she had already informed her that she was also going to attend the king''s feast and dance to cheer herself up. Furthermore, it seemed that the Third Prince had other plans, and said that he would go to the Duyue Restaurant to discuss it with her.


    "It seems that later today, after Pear Blossom has sent away that Third Prince''s Highness, we will have to pay a visit to Duyue Restaurant."


    Although the Da Yue family had always been on good terms with West Cold, the standard of the king''s invitation this time wasn''t low either. sat down and saw that it was the prince of Da Yue who was proposing marriage. He could be considered quite handsome, his every move and gesture was filled with a noble aura, he was the Eldest Prince of Da Yue and was going to become the King of Da Yue in the future. Naturally, he had a haughty and noble aura, when his gaze landed on Ge Ya, it was as joyful as expected.


    After drinking for three rounds, Ge Ya ordered people to bring up a big box.


    "This is the Yellow Sheep that the Second Brother obtained at the border. It was sent back swiftly on horseback overnight. It is offered to the distinguished guests of the father and the Da Yue family."


    Although the palace was not lacking in delicacies, the Yellow Goat reared in the city naturally did not have the deliciousness and flavor of the meat that was fought on the borders. When the chest was opened, the Yellow Goat inside was extremely fresh, and even the Second Prince''s sword had not been unsheathed, so the king was naturally overjoyed and ordered his men to roast it.


    Zhuang Li saw that the Third Prince beside him had turned pale, and stood up to greet him.


    "Now that the alcohol is almost finished, may I ask where is the special gift that His Highness Third Prince said he would bring to the guests?"


    Only then did Third Prince burst into laughter, and quickly had his servants invite the people waiting outside in.


    Zhuang Li was naturally aware of it. The present that the Third Prince had brought was naturally Luo Lihua. The inside of the palace was warm, but Luo Lihua was wearing a gorgeous muslin dress, and her figure was graceful. In an instant, she looked like a fairy in a mural that had existed for a long time, attracting the gazes of everyone present. Even the old king raised his eyes to look at this beautiful woman who came from the great phoenix.


    Luo Lihua''s name had not only spread throughout the entire Fanbo City, her beauty had also spread to the Da Yue Empire. In the many years that followed, people in the West Cold had always compared her to a fairy from the nine heavens. This was the first time in the history of dancing skills.


    Returning to the King Xiao''s Palace was already the sun setting in the west. Zhuang Li and Ge Ya took off their thick and heavy robes. The two of them met Luo Lihua the night before yesterday. Luo Lihua had told him about the purpose of Third Prince''s visit in detail, he did not know where she got the second prince''s treasured blade token, and wanted Luo Lihua to pass it to her majesty. She said that it was something the Young Master Loulan had given to the princess as a gift after several rounds of travel.


    As everyone knew, the relationship between the West Cold and the royal family of Hui Wei Empire had yet to be restored due to the dispute over the territory. Third Prince wanted to express his loyalty to them by exposing that the Second Prince had colluded with the royal family of Hui Wei Country.


    The relationship between the two countries was very subtle. If the King received such a message, although the Second Prince was secretly implicated with the royal family of the Uighur Kingdom, although it would not be a capital offense, but it would be enough to cause him to lose the position of Emperor in the hearts of the King.


    Isn''t it just a matter of time before the Third Prince becomes the emperor? Ge Ya''s offering of the sheep had already made it clear that the Second Prince was still obediently staying at the border.


    Even if it was possible that Huang Yang was not personally beaten by Second Prince himself but was instead a puppet left behind on the border, if Third Prince wanted to frame the Second Prince, they would have to argue with Ge Ya. If he failed and had to suffer the King''s investigation, it would be a huge loss.


    As such, before Luo Lihua even reached the Palace, he received news from the Third Prince, so she had to cancel this operation to trap Xi Cuo.


    And this incident clearly proved Third Prince''s ambition and scheming. He wants the throne, and he doesn''t do anything.


    Then the matter of the Eldest Prince would definitely have something to do with him as well.


    When Zhuang Li and Ge Ya found out about the scheming of the Third Prince, they had already guessed what had really happened that day. She first created the false image of Yun Feng''s cavalry being mobilized by the Eldest Prince, and when the news spread to the palace, he arranged for people to force the palace, acting out a big show for everyone to see, making the Eldest Prince covet for the throne. In order to not give the Eldest Prince the chance to defend himself, he naturally had to get rid of him before Xi Cuo met the Eldest Prince.


    The war was chaotic, and this matter was flawless.


    Now that he revealed it, not only did it reveal the Third Prince''s determination to seize the throne, it also exposed the fact that Pear Blossom had revealed it to Ge Ya, and decided to part ways with him.


    The road ahead is long, and I''m afraid it will be even harder. He had already made up his mind. In the battle for the throne, the victor would be the king, and the loser would be the bandit. It seemed that there was no other choice for him to be born in the royal clan.


    Second Prince had reared an eagle with snow-white wings, and was extremely familiar with the regions within the West Cold. Right now, he was Xi Cuo''s messenger, flying back and forth between the Fanbo City and borders every few days. Zhuang Li took off the bamboo tube from its feet and it obediently stood on Zhuang Li''s shoulder. Since there was no way to chase it away, Zhuang Li could only personally go to the kitchen and take out a piece of mutton to feed it before passing the letter to Ge Ya.


    "Second Brother caught a few Cloud Peak Knights at the border who wanted to escape to the Great Phoenix. There is an assistant general who is Big Brother, and this is a very serious matter. He is going to personally escort them back to West Cold."


    "Yun Feng, ride!" Zhuang Li was secretly shocked. That day, Eldest Prince forced his way into the palace, and after failing, more than half of the Cloud Peak Knights were injured. The remaining people expressed that they knew nothing at all, and only listened to the orders from above, not knowing the details.


    If he knew the exact details of Forced Palace, then even if Third Prince had a glib tongue, he would still be tied down. With Xi Cuo safe and sound, she and Ge Ya would no longer have to defend against Old Third''s cold arrows for him.


    This news was transmitted to. Ever since she had leaked the news to Ge Ya, Third Prince had naturally realized that she had spies, and lost trust in him and Luo Lihua. He would definitely be met with retribution in the future. At this time, Luo Lihua also received news from the Young Master Loulan and left the Fanbo City. Hiding amongst the common folk, it was important to first save his life from the shock path of the Third Prince.


    Everyone was waiting to see the sunset flower play the zither. After waiting for an hour, they heard the news that Miss Hua Li was too ill to perform for everyone.


    Someone asked around, "What''s wrong with the girl? My house has all kinds of precious medicinal herbs. As long as young lady is willing, I will immediately send a doctor here. "


    "Was it too cold?" "I brought the girl fine furs, snow bear skins hunted deep in the mountains."


    Even though sshe was downstairs, he was still troubled by the invaders. Zhuang Li praised Luo Li Hua''s charm as she closed the window facing the street. Luo Lihua sat on the collapsed window as she knocked on the melon seeds leisurely.


    She looked at Zhuang Li who was covered in grass and trees and laughed, "Don''t be too nervous, I won''t be assassinated in this city right."


    "It''s good that you''re careful. The Third Prince you''ve offended is very scheming."


    "Alright, Li, that won''t happen." She nonchalantly patted on the seat beside her and asked Zhuang Li to sit.


    "When have I, Luo Lihua, been afraid of him? Even if it''s the Eldest Prince, he was still tricked by me, wasn''t he? This time, the reason why I was in such a rush to leave the Fanbo City was indeed because Young Master Loulan was worried about my situation, but don''t worry, Young Master Loulan''s treachery is something that a few Third Prince combined couldn''t even compare to. "


    "Then is Young Master Loulan really that powerful?" Zhuang Li asked.

 C25

    "Don''t worry, she''s very cunning." Luo Lihua pulled Zhuang Li''s hand and continued.


    "On the other hand, you, I have heard Princess Ge Ya talk about Xi Cuo before. "What exactly are you planning in your heart?"


    Zhuang Li was startled, she did not expect Luo Lihua to mention this. She didn''t know what to say.


    He then said perfunctorily, "Listen to what that damned girl is saying. Of course, there''s nothing wrong with it."


    However, Luo Lihua didn''t care and continued speaking on her own.


    During my time in the Fanbo City, there have been too many people who have talked about this Prince Xi Cuo. I think he''s not bad, and said that he''s handsome, confident, capable of writing martial arts, and most importantly, he''s got a good temper. She smiled as if she were joking. Zhuang Li couldn''t help but be surprised in her heart.


    "Li''er, your heart is soft-hearted. It''s a good idea to find such a person to entrust this matter to. I am also at ease. You have always thought too much into things, so you can''t live as freely as me. I think I know you, but I don''t know what you''re up to. How big could it be? Your sister and I had a dozen different men. "You can''t live in peace."


    Zhuang Li choked on her words and muttered in her heart ¡­ It was unknown how this woman''s thoughts came about in this closed society. Could it be that she had also transmigrated here? Or was it just simply just an outsider among them?


    She had neglected it for a long time, but now that Luo Lihua had brought it up, she suddenly realized ¡­


    If she could not go back to modern times, would she have to stay here alone until her death?


    Because of the cold weather, the streets had become empty. She was wrapped in a fur coat, her hands exposed while holding onto the reins of her horse until it turned red from the cold. The little white dragon was very clever. It walked along the street towards its home, not needing her to direct it.


    Ever since she came to this world, although she had put in a lot of effort and emotions, she had always felt as if she were a spectator. She felt that she had to go back no matter what.


    Those in the novels said that after sleeping they would go back, that they would go back after dying once, and that they would go back after being stabbed.


    But every morning when she woke up, she would be lying on the wide and soft King Xiao''s Palace bed. Even in his dreams, he rarely dreamed about modern things ¡­


    She had never thought about it. What if she couldn''t go back?


    In these seven years, she hadn''t found any trace of being able to go back. What if she never did?


    She frowned at the thought, and felt a surge of despair from the bottom of her heart. Over the years, she had often thought of her mother, whom she had never really considered, and when she did, she found herself unable to bear the loneliness.


    Although she wanted to return home, the reality was that she was still in the West Cold, and now, it seemed that it was time for her to face the reality.


    She had always been preoccupied with her own matters. When she looked up, she realized that there was no one on the street. The sky was covered in falling snow, and the silence was somewhat outrageous.


    The little white dragon came to a halt as well, its hooves digging the ground, but it did not move forward. She grabbed onto the rein and urged it on, but the little white dragon still had no intention of moving forward.


    This horse had always been clever, and could easily be found on the way home with his eyes closed. Right now, there was only one reason for this situation. Zhuang Li silently recited this in her heart.


    Crap ¡­


    It could only stop obediently because there was a danger in the road in front of it that Zhuang Li could not see. At this moment, the surroundings were extremely quiet, causing people to feel uncomfortable. The bright moonlight shone down, shining her lonely figure on the ground. He clenched the reins, but couldn''t figure out how to get out of this predicament.


    "Whoosh whoosh!" An arrow pierced the street and came directly at her. It was so fast that she could only hear the light sound of the arrow cutting through the air. At this time, a short blade flew out horizontally and accurately split the arrow into two. Before she could even react, she was already dragged to the ground, followed by a sword coming straight at her. When she saw that sword, she was so scared that her heart turned cold, and as she closed her eyes, she heard that sword not hitting her body, but instead putting on another sword with a light clang.


    When he opened his eyes, he saw another person who had appeared out of nowhere and was fighting with the assassin from before. In her panic, she quickly crawled back a few steps. The assassin''s skills were not bad either, he actually threw a few more darts at her, and was blocked by the person who blocked the sword for her. That person''s skills were also extraordinary, and after a few rounds of fighting, the assassin didn''t get a single bit of advantage, so he could only give up, and quickly escaped into the darkness. The swordsman who had saved Zhuang Li rushed back a few steps and pulled Zhuang Li who was still on the ground back up.


    "Li, are you alright?"


    From his voice, one could tell that it was Xi Cuo.


    Although Zhuang Li was more shocked than frightened just now, she was still a little afraid, and her heartbeat could not calm down. Xi Cuo only cared about going up and down to see if she was injured.


    "Ge Ya! If I was really ambushed, Ge Ya would definitely be in danger too! "Hurry up and go back!"


    "Don''t be in such a hurry, I''ve already asked my guards to set up a net at King Xiao''s Palace." He had already grabbed Zhuang Li''s hand.


    Zhuang Li screamed in pain. Her voice was not loud, but Xi Cuo could still see it clearly. He pulled her hand away from the wound. The palm was only the wound where she had fallen from the horse''s reins. Blood was flowing out from the wound, but it was not serious. But the pain made her wrinkle her face. It was in her elbows, and in her bones.


    Xi Cuo naturally realized that things were not that simple. He reached out his hand to feel along Zhuang Li''s wrist, his expression slightly changing.


    "Get on the horse." He carried Zhuang Li in his arms and sat in front of the saddle. In that moment, Zhuang Li felt an inexplicable sense of embarrassment. She didn''t know why.


    Just like that, they returned to the King Xiao''s Palace, and the attendant hurriedly welcomed them in.


    "Send the doctor over. "Go and bring the captain of the guards back."


    He still did not put Zhuang Li down, and instead walked towards the Inner Palace while carrying her. Zhuang Li whispered that her foot was fine. It was as if he didn''t hear her.


    "Second Brother, why are you back? Little Li? "You all?" Then, they heard Ge Ya running boldly out, shouting as she ran.


    "Doctor, where''s the doctor?"


    Qing You had not slept in the first place so Zhuang Li did not allow her to follow him to the Duyue Restaurant. Now that she saw Zhuang Li being carried back by her, her eyes started to turn red and tears were about to roll down.


    "Don''t... Don''t be in such a hurry to cry... "At most, I just got a broken bone ¡­"


    As expected, it was just a bone fracture caused when he fell off the horse, but the doctor was heavily bandaged by Xi Cuo''s arm which was staring at him fiercely.


    Zhuang Li was originally drenched in cold sweat from the pain. Seeing that the doctor was so nervous that he was afraid of Xi Cuo and Ge Ya behind him, he could only grit his teeth and comfort the doctor weakly.


    "Thank you, I''m much better now ¡­"


    She was half lying on the bed, with two pillows stuffed behind her by Qing You. His arms were wrapped so tightly that he felt like a stupid bear.


    The head guard had already reached the door and reported that the assassin had also been caught within the hall. His hidden weapons were highly toxic, and he had no intention of killing the princess in one go.


    "Someone from the Third Prince?" Zhuang Li didn''t need to ask, she was almost certain of it.


    "Big brother Yun Feng was captured. When he received this news, he naturally became anxious."


    "Then what about the person who was captured by Yun Feng? Is it safe? "


    "Xi Cuo reached out to touch Zhuang Li''s head. Don''t worry, no one was captured, I was just luring Old Third to jump over a wall in desperation."


    "What!" Ge Ya jumped high in the air


    "It''s all for nothing."


    But Zhuang Li understood. Using this method, the Old Third exposed its weak point


    "It''s much better for us to force him to reveal an opening than to secretly defend him from the cold arrows. Moreover, he has already noticed the disloyalty of the Young Master Loulan and Pear Blossom. In the future, he will no longer have eyes and eyes for us. " She explained to Ge Ya, who was feeling anxious.


    "After I released the news, he started to head towards the Fanbo City. He tried to kill many times on the way, but I caught one alive, although I already knew it was Third Prince, I still couldn''t say anything. But luckily, the person who pierced through the King Xiao''s Palace has admitted defeat."


    "But why do you want to deceive even me and Little Li!?" Ge Ya continued to interrogate him.


    Xi Cuo looked at her and comforted her, "Because are there people from the Old Third in your Princess Palace? Otherwise, how would the news spread to the ears of the Old Third? "


    "What!" This news made Ge Ya and Zhuang Li jump up in shock.


    The person that Third Prince set up in the King Xiao''s Palace was brought in by a guard, and was a little girl who was fetching water. Zhuang Li would occasionally see her, and she was so scared that she knelt on the ground, trembling as she begged for forgiveness.


    "My assistant general has already interrogated her, and written down the reason for her actions. In the morning tomorrow, Ge Ya, you will submit it to father."


    "The killer sent by the Old Third was captured by me and is now outside the city. "Come with me to the king in the morning." He seemed to hesitate.


    In a battle between brothers, if it was a normal family, they would definitely not be fighting to the death like this.


    And Zhuang Li knew that the reason why Xi Cuo was going to compete this time around was because he wanted to avoid harming the people he cared about, even more for the Third Prince.


    "Have a good rest and let Qing You warm up the room a little more. Don''t come to the palace to join in the fun of it tomorrow." Before leaving, he did not forget to remind Zhuang Li.


    Zhuang Li nodded without a word. The area of the fracture had become numb from the bandaging, but after Xi Cuo and Ge Ya left, she did not feel sleepy at all. It was probably the wee hours of the morning by now.


    To make it convenient for Qing You to take care of her, she slept at her feet tonight. She held her wrapped arm up awkwardly and crawled to Qing You''s side. In these few years, Qing You had grown up a lot.


    "Qing You, do you want to return to the Great Phoenix?"


    "Yes, but Great Phoenix doesn''t have a home, but this place does." She spoke very softly, and was drowsy to the point of falling asleep.


    "Go to sleep."


    She then moved her other arm and covered Qing You with a blanket.


    If there is a home here, then we will live here from now on. She muttered to herself, as if she had put down a lot of things in an instant.


    Early in the morning, the news spread out through the Fanbo City, and Second Prince brought the criminal back to the West Cold. Countless citizens crowded on both sides of the street, and Xi Cuo rode on his warhorse into the city like a war god. Behind him, the prisoner in the cage was not locked up the so-called Yun Feng leader, but rather the assassin sent by His Highness the Third Prince to attack Xi Cuo. In order to prevent him from committing suicide, his hands and feet were tied, and even his mouth was stuffed with gauze for fear that he would bite his tongue to commit suicide.


    How could the commoners know about this? They were too busy watching the commotion. He ran off and told others. Praise Xi Cuo''s bravery.

 C26

    Zhuang Li woke up and stretched. Only then did she realize that his arm was completely tied up by the doctors, making him unable to move it. Just as she was wondering if Ge Ya had woken up, she remembered what happened last night.


    "Qing You, wake up." She patted the sleeping Qing You beside her with her free arm. The latter curled up and slept soundly under the soft feather blanket, looking like a lazy cat in hibernation.


    "What''s wrong?" Qing You crawled up in a daze.


    "Give me some clothes, have Ge Ya and the rest entered the palace yet?"


    Ge Ya left a long time ago. After eating a few bites, Zhuang Li found it tasteless and couldn''t stop worrying, so she left the house while yelling. The nanny had no choice but to wrap her in a fur coat and robe, then she instructed Qing You to take care of Zhuang Li''s injured hand.


    The two wandered around the street for a few times, and the hawkers on the street were still excitedly discussing the scene of Prince Xi Cuo entering the city early in the morning, talking about the criminals he brought along, which was rumored to be related to the Eldest Prince Forcing Palace a few months ago.


    Zhuang Li pricked up her ears, wanting to hear what they had to say clearly ¡­


    "Who is that Second Prince? He is handsome and carefree, he said that he wronged his big brother and wants to get even with the King!"


    "I heard that the Eldest Prince was instigated by someone from the Phoenix Dynasty, wouldn''t that mean that there''s going to be another war between the and the?"


    "West Cold is strong now, and they might not lose in a fight. Rest assured. "


    The more she heard, the more mystical the rumors became. Zhuang Li felt that she was really unsettled about what people said, and decided to pay a visit to the palace.


    With Ge Ya''s order badge on her body, she could freely enter the palace. Thus, she pulled Qing You to go to the palace. Even if she didn''t enter, she would at least know about Xi Cuo and her at the very first moment.


    Naturally, the guards at the entrance all recognized her. She did not let them report to her, instead entering the palace. Standing outside the door, she could already clearly hear the conversation from inside. The sharp voice belonged to none other than His Highness the Third Prince. His speech was steady and organized, as if he had already predicted this would happen.


    "Where in the Second Brother can you find such a person? He said that he was an assassin sent by me, but I couldn''t bear such a crime. I still looked to father to be in charge ¡­ Besides, what good would it do me? I am ranked in the Old Third, and I know that my literary and martial skills are far inferior to Second Brother''s. When Second Brother left the Fanbo City, I took over all the small matters outside the city. Previously, I spent most of my time outside with Big Brother, not knowing a thing about the things inside the city.


    Then Xi Cuo''s voice was heard.


    "On the way back to the Fanbo City from the border, I actually encountered three assaults in the short span of two days. Even though I will not say anything, I still have enough time to waste. Facing him in a confrontation will naturally happen sooner or later. "


    "What evidence does Second Brother have if he says he''s my man? Would you rather believe a criminal than believe a brother like me? Besides, if I drag it on too long, if I have enough time to ponder my situation, even if I say something unfavorable to me, I won''t be able to clarify it. And how much of that confession is credible? "


    He paused for a moment before continuing, "I''ve followed my big brother for many years in the outer army. Although my big brother had done foolish things, and I''ve always respected him, even after so many years in the army, I still feel willing.


    Although our West Cold has become more and more powerful with each passing day, it is not as if we have no internal troubles and no external troubles. Although the surrounding small nations are temporarily submissive and obedient, the Great Phoenix in the east is already ready to move.


    Zhuang Li couldn''t help but clench her fist. Third Prince had always been a submissive person under the Eldest Prince, she never thought that he would be so eloquent today. It seemed that he had been prepared in his heart. Just as he was hesitating whether he should go in and help them out, he heard Ge Ya''s voice again.


    "father, the King Xiao''s Palace was attacked last night. The assassin I arrested has already confessed." She handed over her confession.


    "If Third Brother feels that there is anything that is not detailed enough, feel free to ask."


    "father, the relationship between Ge Ya and Second Brother has always been good since young. At this time, don''t you think it''s suspicious that they are all targeting your son? Little Sister Ge Ya has always been simple and childish, she doesn''t know that people are scary, and she is easily provoked by villains and scoundrels. There must be a lot of misunderstandings in this matter, although I am not as talented as Big Brother and Second Brother, but I understand that I am from a noble clan, so naturally I will be strict with myself. To Ge Ya''s sister, although she was not deeply in love with him, she had been walking around everyday. She loved and doted on her from the bottom of her heart, so how could she be harmed? Now that Little Sister Ge Ya has said those words, it makes me sad. "


    "Is the girl with the King Xiao''s Palace fetching water someone from third brother''s residence? If Third Brother was sitting at the table, why did he need to go to his little sister''s house to help her get some water? I don''t know if Third Brother is worried that my sister''s body is thin and in love with me. You want to send someone to protect me? Unfortunately, I don''t see any martial arts on her. "


    Third Prince looked coldly at Ge Ya, and suddenly discovered that this person who normally ignored girls was actually so intelligent. If she had known earlier, she would have taken advantage of this situation and killed her, saving her from attacking him today. It was useless to think too much. He could only put on a more pious expression and speak


    "Today''s matter is indeed my responsibility. I don''t know where I got off scot-free and offended Second Brother and Little Sister Ge Ya. But I cannot accept any of the crimes that you all have said. Forgive me for not being able to admit my wrongs, but I do not wish to wrangle over other matters either.


    Third Prince acted as if he was truly wronged. On the contrary, Ge Ya had helped Xi Cuo with too many obvious thoughts, making him seem overbearing and aggressive. Zhuang Li broke out in cold sweat.


    What to do?


    If he were to also go out and speak up for Xi Cuo at this time, the King would probably feel that it was Xi Cuo who couldn''t watch anymore as the Third Prince tried to kill him. This matter would most likely be left unsettled. Furthermore, without a direct statement, the king would definitely not blame the Eldest Prince.


    Xi Cuo had originally planned to let the King investigate this assassination attempt and implicate the Eldest Prince. Now that the Third Prince was admitting defeat no matter what, the evidence in their hands seemed to have no proof.


    Zhuang Li was anxious, but there was nothing she could do. When she turned his head, he saw that Xi Cuo''s vice general who was standing outside the hall had the carvings on his shoulder. The condor naturally recognized Zhuang Li and landed on his shoulder with a flick of its wings.


    If he were to let Third Prince go this time, he would probably never have the chance to fight against him again. The king was indecisive, and both sides had to fight with their backs against each other. She scribbled a note, stuck it in the bamboo tube on the leg of the letter, and let it out.


    The old king in the hall was agitated. He had just experienced the pain of losing his son two months ago, and now his two remaining sons were actually fighting for the position of the Lord. He had inherited the throne at a young age, and had sat on that high vantage point for so many years. He had experienced so much chaos in the war, and he had his own ideas and sense of propriety in court battles. Now that he was half a leg into the coffin, it really made him feel bad to have to watch the monkeys he gave birth to hurt each other so much.


    "Enough." He held his forehead, probably more thinking about how to deal with the matter. Both sides were his sons, and it wasn''t that he didn''t doubt the fault of the Old Third, but he had already lost one of them, so he didn''t want to suffer this kind of pain again.


    And his two sons naturally did not plan to let this old father go. Success or failure, the world, would all be bet on today.


    Ge Ya saw that it was difficult for the king, but she still pressed on Third Prince step by step. She had lost her mother when she was born. Even if the king doted on her, he was still the king after all. He had many sons and daughters. He had paid too much for his country, so Ge Ya was lonely after all. She and Xi Cuo were like siblings as they lived in the imperial city. Furthermore, as Xi Cuo was an upright and kind person, he would follow him to the end even if it was only in consideration of his feelings.


    Zhuang Li didn''t have much confidence in winning, and based on the many worries she had, he could only wait and watch outside the palace gate. She asked Luo Lihua to identify the relationship between the Third Prince s and asked him to send a letter to the Duyue Restaurant s. ShShehad discussed this matter with Luo Lihua before. It was just because she felt that it was too inappropriate, and Luo Lihua was about to leave the Fanbo City. He gave up on this idea. The only thing they could do now was to bet their last bets.


    On the surface, Luo Lihua and Xi Cuo did not interact much with each other. On the contrary, their relationship seemed to be even closer. She had a high chance of winning.


    Zhuang Li kept walking back and forth with an arm tied to her chest as she stood at the entrance of the palace. If Luo Lihua did not have the chance and reached the palace before the king made his decision, it would be hard for him to find the Third Prince again in the future.


    Until the cheers from Qing You ¡­


    "Big Sister Pear Blossom!" Just as she shouted out, Zhuang Li pulled her down, reminding her in a small voice that she did not recognize him.


    Within the palace, it was filled with the king''s men, if word were to spread that she was on good terms with Luo Lihua, then Luo Lihua might not hold much weight in this case.


    The two of them smiled at each other. In the blink of an eye, he was still clear about the current situation. He then steadily rushed to the inner hall.


    "Your Majesty. Dance skill Luo Lihua asked to see you outside the hall. "


    Zhuang Li seemed to be able to see the Third Prince''s pale face when she heard the news of Luo Lihua''s arrival. He probably realized that she wouldn''t be able to make it through this time.


    "Luo Lihua pays her respects to the King."


    "Luo Lihua? What business do you have now? "

 C27

    "Your Majesty, Pear Blossom is here on behalf of someone else to bring a letter for Your Majesty." Riko carefully took out a letter from her chest and held it up to her head with both hands. The king''s personal guard then took the letter and handed it to the king.


    Zhuang Li could only wait outside the hall and listen for any movements.


    No one knew what was written inside. They only saw that when the old King opened one of the letters, he suddenly became absent-minded, as if he was about to cry. However, in the end, he managed to stabilize himself and his hands were trembling. His expression was even more excited and shocked than the night when he was forced to go to Eldest Prince. He seemed to have suffered a great deal and barely managed to stabilize himself on the throne after clenching his teeth.


    After a long while, he held onto the armrest and slowly stood up. He said something, which probably meant: You''ve all dispersed, what should I do ¡­


    It was as if the many years of fatigue that had accumulated since he had ascended to the throne had suddenly piled onto him, causing him to be unable to straighten his back.


    Zhuang Li was waiting outside the hall. She saw the old king slowly walking out, his pace was extremely slow, as though he had aged ten years. His bodyguard went to support him, but was pushed away.


    No one was punished, no one was rewarded. What Luo Lihua handed over must be the most crucial piece of evidence in this matter, but the letter was eventually burnt by the King, and no one knew the information inside.


    Perhaps the king was too old and soft-hearted to blame any of his sons. He had fought in the battlefield as a young man. He had seen the cold and warm nature of the world and had enjoyed the prosperity of peace and harmony in the world. At this age, when something like this happens, I suddenly want to be a father from the king. A father who knows how to give in to fate and defend his children.


    There were no more messages in the outside world, even the people of the court did not know what kind of result the confrontation between His Highness and the Third Prince had. Furthermore, the people of the Fanbo City did not know that the two princes of their country had once had a fight to the death.


    Perhaps it was at the king''s behest, or perhaps it was a tacit agreement, but all in all, the news of this matter had been completely cleared up the day the old king left the hall. It was as if nothing had ever happened ¡­


    The Second Prince returned to the border to reorganize his soldiers. The Third Prince was still in charge of the peace within and outside the imperial city. Princess Ge Ya continued to live her life freely. Look at the snow and hunt. Go to court with the old king...


    A few days later, Luo Lihua sat in her most luxurious carriage, which was covered in gold and gems as she swaggered out of the Fanbo City to follow her Young Master Loulan.


    However, that day, everyone in the hall clearly understood that the situation in the Peace Court had irreversibly changed. No matter how much the Third Prince tried to defend himself, he would never be able to obtain the position of the King.


    When Zhuang Li sent Luo Lihua out of the Fanbo City, she asked her what kind of secret was hidden in that letter that could make the old king feel as if her entire being had collapsed.


    Luo Lihua smiled with her charming eyes, and placed her hand on Zhuang Li''s shoulder: "Guess ~"


    Zhuang Li was furious, this woman, was not serious, but she had a sharp mouth. Furthermore, with her personality, even if she did not plan to tell Zhuang Li, she still planned to take advantage of him a little ¡­


    "I guess I can use it to ask you? I have already thought of many possibilities. If the letter from Young Master Loulan does not have that much weight, then it can only mean that there is something else in the letter. "


    Luo Lihua''s smile became even more brilliant. Her fingers moved along Zhuang Li''s neck as she tried to feel around, acting innocent as if she was watching a play. "That''s right, what else is in the envelope?"


    "Could it be that the Third Prince has something in his hands? But I also thought about it, Young Master Loulan only has business dealings with Eldest Prince and Third Prince, these are all small matters to the King. Even the illegal black market is not enough for the king to have such a huge reaction? "


    "That Third Prince is as cunning as a ghost. He hid his own tail well, so naturally, he wouldn''t let us catch him." Luo Lihua honestly came to a conclusion.


    "Then what else could it be?"


    Luo Lihua stared at Zhuang Li, and once again gave her a charming smile. This made Zhuang Li even more anxious in her heart.


    "Stop laughing, there are so many officials and nobles in West Cold spending so many gold leaves to buy your smile. If you want to laugh, why don''t you save it and find them to exchange for some money for my flowers."


    Her breathing was like orchids, lightly exhaling on her earlobe, making Zhuang Li involuntarily shiver. Immediately after, she felt goosebumps rising all over her skin from the itch caused by her breath.


    "He didn''t leave anything for us to catch, but... The Eldest Prince had left behind many things. Just when the boss was being controlled by the Old Third in the army, he had entrusted a trusted aide to send a letter to the Young Master Loulan asking for help.


    The letter said that he was trapped by the Old Third, and upon sensing the Old Third''s sinister intentions, he was afraid that he would not be able to take it. Each word was filled with grief and indignation. "I can''t help but feel sad when I see it ~"


    "What!?" Why didn''t he send a letter to the palace? "


    "Eldest Prince is not stupid, he knows clearly how many people there are in the palace, many of them were even arranged by him. He thought that the Young Master Loulan was safe. "It''s a pity that my young master doesn''t feel that he''s safe and naturally isn''t willing to help him ~"


    Zhuang Li was unable to accept such powerful information, which meant that Young Master Loulan had long known that something was going to happen to Eldest Prince, but because he had been unhappy with Eldest Prince for so many years, he did not save his. Now, she sent a letter to the king requesting help, allowing him to understand everything that happened that day clearly.


    "Then wouldn''t Young Master Loulan not report it? Aren''t you afraid that the king will blame you? "


    Luo Li Hua slapped Zhuang Li on the head, "You''re just worrying too much, Young Master Loulan''s stomach has at least a hundred times more flowers than you. There are thousands of kinds of lies about being able to pick yourself clean. What a far-sighted man he was. Eight hundred years ago, you saw that Xi Cuo had the talent of the King, and decided to secretly help him. "


    "Xi Cuo has nothing to do with me, he''s not my family''s ¡­"


    Luo Lihua sighed: "Why are you going around in circles with me ¡­ Li''er, you are clearly very smart, but you always worry too much. I always say that you are stupid, but the truth is that I hope that you, a fool, have a good fortune. However, looking at your current appearance, I feel quite at ease ¡­


    If you ever get tired of the palace, come find me. Sis can raise you into a fat man without a lack of food and clothes. If you want to marry someone, then marry Xi Cuo! In the future, Lou Lan and I will be able to come back to you and seek you out for some business with your man ¡­ "


    Only when she wanted to wave her hand did she remember that her arm was still tied up. The doctor had come to change medicine before, and due to the majesty and warning of Second Prince''s Highness Xi Cuo, he still tied her up and dropped her onto his chest. Anyone who saw her would think that she was heavily injured. Thus, she could only raise her other, intact and nimble hand and wave it clumsily. It was unknown whether or not Pear Blossom had seen it.


    The king was heartbroken. Even the palace banquet at the end of the year was just a matter of grass. Although he looked calm on the surface, he had really changed a lot in the dark. Xi Cuo had been summoned to meet him after he returned from the border, and he even had a beautiful dinner together with him.


    "It''s the new year, Suijian. It''s time to go back."


    If he did not mention the Third Prince, then the rest of the people did not mention it either. However, he was clear in his heart. Third Prince''s body would never be able to turn over again.


    The weather at West Cold was so cold that it was bone-chilling. The letters that the carvings brought from the border would always remind her to wear more. If you feel too cold, don''t even come out.


    As Zhuang Li read this letter, she continued to battle with Qing You in the outskirts of the city. How could she have heard half of what Xi Cuo had said? She lay in bed for half a month until she fell into a snowy nest with a frostbitten leg. She and Ge Ya were both careful not to let even the slightest bit of information out, as they were afraid that Xi Cuo would know what to do with the two of them.


    When Zhuang Li laid on the bed obediently, she started to let her imagination run wild again ¡­


    The feeling of being cared for was not bad.


    She had met someone she liked over the past twenty years, but others didn''t like her. He didn''t dare to confess to the other party for several years straight. He didn''t even dare to enter into a relationship with him. Adding on the fact that she had been in this world for seven years, she was already an old man who had lived for thirty years. When he thought here, he touched his own face with some lingering fear.


    Fortunately, his face was filled with puberty collagen. Zhao Ci''s face, which had dried up like a bitter gourd for the rest of his childhood and girlhood, now looked even more plentiful and wonderful.


    Then maybe we should have a love affair.


    She remembered what Luo Lihua had said.


    "If you want to marry someone, naturally marrying Xi Cuo would be extremely good."


    The white eagle landed on the window frame of the King Xiao''s Palace again, after taking out the letter, Qing You handed it over to Zhuang Li and started playing with it. She fluttered back and forth like she was trying to catch a chicken. This made Zhuang Li laugh.


    But when Zhuang Li saw the letter, she could not laugh anymore.


    The border army had already stabilized. In the beginning of spring, Xi Cuo would return to the Profound Sky Continent to wait for the King''s order to travel to different countries to build a relationship with them.


    And he wanted to bring Zhuang Li along when she travels across countries.


    To go or not to go? It seemed like he had no other choice ¡­ Did the crown prince still have to defy his request?


    Ge Ya wanted to go, but he could not. She still needed people in the capital to take care of the king''s emotions. She stared at Zhuang Li with jealousy and envy.


    "Then I''ll go ¡­" "It''s not like your brother will eat me up anyways. Haha ¡­"


    Ge Ya rolled his eyes at her, and laughed lewdly with malicious intent.


    It would be a wonder if my brother didn''t eat you up...

 C28

    It was spring, and although the weather was still cold, Zhuang Li was still packing her luggage, extremely busy. To her, this kind of journey was more like a tour. She suddenly had an idea. The world was so big, so she wanted to take a look. Since she had been in this world for such a long time, she might as well live a free and easy life as Luo Lihua had said. She instructed Qing You to organize the things she wanted to take with him and she rejoiced over this trip. it was not as awkward or repulsive as before when it came to interacting with Xi Cuo.


    On the day they set off, Ge Ya had always been sending them out of the Fanbo City, while resenting her inability to be together with them. She actually really wanted to stay together with Zhuang Li all day and go crazy with him, but she also laughed evilly in her heart, hoping that this time, she would give Zhuang Li and Xi Cuo a chance to go out alone and be her sister-in-law when they return.


    Zhuang Li was unwilling to just sit in the horse carriage, she chose a gentle red horse, and rode side by side with Xi Cuo.


    This scene reminded her of the time when she first came to West Cold many years ago, when she was inside the bandit''s carriage. She peeked out the window of the dilapidated carriage and saw a man covered in red. The clothed Ge Ya, was young and arrogant. Traveling with your brother, I have nothing to worry about. That state of mind seemed so simple and precious now.


    Riding a horse day and night, it was impossible for Zhuang Li to do so. After walking for four to six hours, she already felt tired, so she got off the horse and went to the horse carriage to lie down. The skin and flesh were thin, but the fragrance was rich. After chewing a few times, she realised that Xi Cuo had been travelling for the entire morning, and then she leaned out of the carriage to hand him one.


    Qing You learnt two songs from Luo Lihua. When she was in high spirits, she started to sing.


    They slowly followed the flow of the West Cold, and even though it was still winter on the two sides, the coldest days had already passed. In another half a month, they would be able to see the sprouting seedlings.


    Set up camp by the river at night and cook with water. Zhuang Li and the rest went back to work. She lit a candle in the felt hut and listened to the north wind outside. Wrapped in a warm velvet blanket, she shared a jug of wine with Qing You.


    Xi Cuo had his men bring even more complete things for Zhuang Li than if they were inside the palace. Whenever he slept during the night, he would set up a thick blanket tent outside the city, which was as warm as if he was at home. She also naturally knew that Xi Cuo was being considerate, so he just comfortably lived inside.


    In the morning, he asked Qing You to get some water from the river to wash up. She tied her hair behind her head in a ponytail. Along the riverbank, she could see a few families. There was barely any smoke coming from the chimneys. There were only a few scattered little villages.


    "In half a day, we''ll arrive at Ying Hua City." Xi Cuo reminded her from behind. In the past half month, he had been completely abandoned, and he was in a great mood. Zhuang Li did not ride on the carriage, but rode together with Xi Cuo, preparing to enter the city on his horse.


    He saw the tall city walls in the distance. The city gates were open, and a few small traders who had left the city came and went. Xi Cuo handed over the command medallion and documents to the general guarding the gate, and the city gates completely opened.


    This was the first time Zhuang Li had travelled with the imperial family''s team, although she felt that this trip wasn''t much different from a wealthy merchant trip, but once she arrived at the first border of Yinghua City, the news of His Royal Highness''s arrival reached the city, the hard city gates opened wide. The merchants and pedestrians on both sides of the road stopped one after another to salute their carriages. I pay my respects to His Royal Highness. The majesty of the royal family was fully displayed in this act of worship. She finally understood that the power of a wealthy merchant and an imperial family were indeed from two completely different worlds ¡­


    Zhuang Li suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of excitement and superiority. She unconsciously straightened her body, and it was as if she was suspecting that after being exposed to Xi Cuo''s light, a crown had already sprouted on her head in front of the gazes and prostrations of so many citizens.


    As the crown prince, Xi Cuo would naturally be treated with the highest etiquette no matter where he went. The mayor personally came to the city gate to welcome him with the holy wine in his hands.


    Different from the Fanbo City, the Reflecting Flower City was smaller, but the construction was especially exquisite. Over a hundred years of stone bridges and exquisite statues, they worshipped the Shakyamuni, and there were countless stone caves in the buddhist pagodas outside the city. They grew all sorts of plants that could be used for medicine. Almost every household had their own Xiaoyao''s workshop. Most of the houses were made of stone. Some of the rocks had been polished into bricks, and some of the houses were covered with thick leather felt. White smoke was rising from the houses, making them look especially cute and warm.


    The mansion they were staying in was actually a three storey stone house. The felt hanging on the house felt especially soft. On the first storey was where the mayor''s office handled the chores in the city. Both storeys had his family members living here.


    Xi Cuo was busy with understanding the population movements of the city in recent years, as well as its grain harvests, in case he needed to formulate a new tax policy and inspect the West Cold soldiers around the city. Giving rewards to the generals guarding the border, Zhuang Li dragged Qing You around the entire city. Because it was the border, there were very few people who came here from the Fanbo City, they couldn''t help but think that Zhuang Li''s clothing was too dazzling.


    She took Qing You on a stroll around the city, and when she was tired, she went to find a house at the side of the city to have a meal. The people here were all very simple and honest, the male owner had gone to the mountains to hunt, while the female owner had cooked two snow chestnuts for Zhuang Li using her family''s Xiaoyao stove. It was something that could only grow in the snow. Like snow-white lotus roots, it was buried deep in the thickest part of the snow. Dig them up and melt them in the soup as soon as they are heated. The fragrance is rich, and it also has the function of nourishing and nourishing. People who go to work in the fields like to bring a pot. Zhuang Li had also drank this Snow chestnut soup from the Fanbo City, but it was naturally not as fresh as the one here.


    The man brought home two small pheasants the other day. It was at the back of the house, and the owner''s two-year-old daughter was squatting by the fence in her thick coat, playing with them, her round little face flushed by the wind.


    That pheasant was also extremely good-looking. The fiery red and blue colored feathers on its tail intertwined with a circle of white stripes on its wings, making it look extremely beautiful. The chubby little girl still managed to fall when she was walking, but she had already boldly squeezed through the gap in the fence to chase the pheasant. Very cute.


    Such a peaceful and beautiful life was fascinating to Zhuang Li. She seemed to be even happier than she was in the capital.


    As the mistress was doing household chores, she was pulling up some household chores with Zhuang Li.


    "This is the border city after all. If a war were to break out, this place would definitely be the first to suffer. After all, I grew up here, so I naturally know how many wars have occurred here."


    "He should be able to relax, the West Cold Army is not someone to be trifled with."


    "That''s right, in the last ten years, West Cold has gradually stabilized and we have finally found a few days of peace. I lost my family members in the war and had no one to rely on, so I originally wanted to leave this Ying Hua City forever. Now that I have a husband and children, I feel that my home and roots are both here. So it''s never going to leave here. "


    When Zhuang Li heard this, wails came from outside the house. Only when she and her mistress ran out did they see that it was the little fat chick who had chased enough pheasants to try to get out through the gap in the fence. She didn''t expect that she would be so unlucky as to find a gap in the fence. As a result, she was stuck in the middle of the fence and was unable to move. The pheasant moved beside her as if it was watching a show. Zhuang Li told Qing You to quickly carry the child out while laughing merrily with the mistress.


    After dinner, Zhuang Li asked about the nearby places that were worth sightseeing. The Mistress said that there was a Purple Sky Mountain outside the city, there was a temple and a stone room built by a backer inside, and the inside was filled with statues. However, the sky was too overcast. If the sun appeared, she could take a stroll.


    When they left the house, Zhuang Li told Qing You to leave them a piece of golden leaf, it was at least their family''s half a year''s harvest. On the way back to the City Lord''s house, Zhuang Li was still thinking about that little family and the little fat girl.


    "This kind of life is naturally excellent." When she was distracted, she actually began talking to herself.


    "Miss, what did you say was excellent?" Qing You placed a cushion under her legs and even placed a woolen blanket around her legs. Her frostbitten leg had already healed, it''s just that Qing You still remembered what the nanny of Tranquil Water told him. Don''t let her catch cold. I don''t want to get sick when I get old.


    "The family you''re talking about, don''t you think it''s good to live like this?"


    "Miss, how do you do? But His Highness Xi Cuo cannot live like this with you! "


    "What!" Zhuang Li did not expect the little girl, Qing You, to follow him and not learn from him.


    At first, she was too lazy to explain, but now, it seemed that it was useless to explain.


    It was as if he had agreed. From the King Xiao''s Palace to Xi Cuo''s army, even to Yinghua City, it was natural for all the citizens who were worshipping her to think that she was Xi Cuo''s consort. No wonder they thought this way. She was not a princess of the West Cold, and was not a member of the imperial family either. Carrying such an awkward and unclear title from the Princess Ge Ya Palace of the West Cold royal family, explaining things was extremely strenuous, and it was extremely strenuous for Xi Cuo to bring her here.


    But when he agreed to this matter, shouldn''t he have thought of it?


    Even the City Master of Yinghua City had initially arranged for Xi Cuo to stay in the same room as him.


    The mayor kept apologizing before turning around to instruct the servants ¡­


    "Hurry and arrange for the future wangfei''s room to be next to His Highness Xi Cuo ~"

 C29

    She still had to stay in Yinghua City for another two days before she could head to the next city. Zhuang Li had already finished strolling around the city and was preparing to bring a lot of strange things back to Ge Ya.


    The whistle that could control snow dogs, the beast horns that could attract prey, all these were scattered everywhere. Even Zhuang Li herself did not manage to figure out what they were used for, and there were even some painted wooden carvings. Although the workmanship was crude, it still made people feel that it was interesting. They all picked up a wooden chest and packed it in. They didn''t know that after swimming through the sixteen cities, they probably wouldn''t be able to hold this chest anymore.


    Xi Cuo flipped through the records of recent years in the city and checked the harvests made in the fields. Zhuang Li then pondered on how she could find a chance to go to the Purple Sky Mountain outside the city to experience it. Just as she was thinking about it, he saw Qing You hurriedly enter the gate.


    "Miss, the Mayor''s family wants to go to the military camp outside the city. Should we travel together?"


    Zhuang Li slowly got up from the bed.


    "We have to go! I''ll change my clothes. Hurry up and tell him to wait. "


    He wore a thick bearskin and a bun on his head, making him look somewhat cute. On his back was a sledgehammer, and he was holding onto a horse of the Western Regions, whose bloodline and appearance were not very good. The horse was a little thin, and Zhuang Li suspected that the horse might be crushed by this big man.


    Although Zhuang Li''s bay horse wasn''t as precious as a Ferghana Horse like the little white dragon, it was still specially groomed for the West Cold and court. In terms of color and stamina, it was definitely on the upper echelons.


    Zhuang Li got on the horse and pulled Qing You behind him to sit on the horse. The red horse was probably provoked by the hybrid horse with a weak spirit, it raised its head and puffed up its chest, as if it had received a great mission. It stood extremely upright, not even willing to look at the hybrid horse that was leading the horse, as if it wanted to show off the royal family''s prestige to the fullest.


    The big man also jumped onto the horse. The thin and small horse seemed to be in low spirits, but after the big man mounted the horse, it suddenly became energetic as if it had been injected with chicken blood.


    Zhuang Li was startled, the big sized man turned her head and cupped his fists towards her.


    "Princess, I''m really worried about Ma Lie. Princess, please take the trouble to follow behind me."


    His broad hand patted the side of the horse, and the horse seemed to understand something, and suddenly, like a bolt of lightning or a clap of thunder, it dashed out with its gaudy hooves. Zhuang Li was startled, it seemed that not only could one not judge a man by his appearance, even a horse should not look like one.


    He quickly instructed Qing You to hug her tightly from behind and also pulled on the reins to keep up with the guard''s movements.


    The horse was splashing in front of him. It ran like a wild horse, and sometimes it moved like a whirlwind, sometimes fast and sometimes slow. However, the bay horse that Zhuang Li rode was actually unable to catch up to it, and it had played itself to the end once in awhile. She even turned around with a grin on her face, her horse mouth breathing out hot air as she looked at Zhuang Li and the bay horse in a mocking manner.


    Zhuang Li finally understood that the horse could have run even faster. It must have been running back and forth in a crazed manner, showing off its strength to the horse. The guard just sat there in a daze, not caring about it at all. It was as if he had long since gotten used to its childish actions.


    In the Fanbo City, he and his companions grew up to be respected by the Royal Family, and were teased and teased by this bastard horse. Naturally, he was extremely angry, rushed and rushed, but did not manage to catch up with it at all, Zhuang Li thought that if this horse turned into an adult, it would most likely be a beautiful girl from the Princess Palace, and would definitely be stomped on by that foolish boy in the mountains.


    After running for over an hour before reaching the outskirts, the garrison''s living quarters could be seen from afar. Zhuang Li''s bay horse was so tired that it was about to spit white foam, but the guard''s mongrel horse was teasing the bay horse back and forth as if it was fine.


    Zhuang Li hurriedly patted the horse''s head as if she was comforting it.


    The horse stopped in front of the barracks. The guard dismounted from his horse and said with an embarrassed smile ¡­


    "This horse is just like this. If I don''t bring him out, he''ll be at a loss of what to do with me. He''ll be as listless as a dying man. Once I bring him out for a stroll, he''ll be as happy as a child." "Esteemed wangfei, please forgive me!"


    touched him with a funny expression. then blinked his eyes, as if he had a mind of his own. He also meekly rubbed against the red horse, as if he was a young teenager. The red horse was still angry, as if the horse had just offended her royal dignity. His ego was thwarted, so he naturally didn''t want to be friends with that sloppy-looking horse.


    A soldier came to receive him. He then called for someone to take the two horses away and settle them down.


    Zhuang Li originally wanted to go to the Purple Sky Mountain right away, but when the soldier heard the reason for her visit, he said ¡­


    "Princess, why don''t you use some simple food in the army before you go. The sky is cloudy now, and I think it will be better in the afternoon. That day, the Purple Mountain Temple was very close to the army camp. In the afternoon, a group of people were arranged to protect Princess Hua-Yang. "


    Zhuang Li was already too lazy to correct them, so she agreed and entered the tent as well. The meal consisted of rice wine and a meat bag, which was stewed until it was soft and fragrant. With the addition of some snow chestnut soup, she unexpectedly found the food to be unexpectedly delicious. Although the weather was gloomy, the soldier still had to train.


    Zhuang Li carried the hot rice wine and half of the meat bag out to the outside alone, watching the soldiers swinging their blades and lances beneath the snow-capped mountain.


    He actually felt that he had become open-minded.


    When he had seen enough, he began to circle around the barracks again. Unexpectedly, as he walked further and further away, there were still some animal footprints in the snow.


    Zhuang Li squatted on the ground, studying whether it was a rabbit or a fox. I wonder if I''ll find another rabbit hole if I follow that trail?


    If it was in the modern era, it would be impossible to find such a clean and pure land.


    She walked and stopped, and when she saw a hole, she could not help but reach into it to dig. Her face was covered in snow, but she was still smiling.


    It was only when she realized that she had already deviated from the main road that she thought it was time to go back, only to find out that in this world of ice and snow, there was no way she could find her way back.


    If it was a few years ago, Zhuang Li might have still panicked. But now, she had calmed down and began to recall the symbols that she could remember along the way ¡­


    A withered tree? Snow Mountain? Rabbit hole?


    She walked and stopped, panting with fatigue.


    Until he crashed into a firm embrace in the middle of his exhaustion.


    She looked up and gave him a smile ¡­


    "Xi Cuo?"


    Before she could even come to his senses and realize the situation, Xi Cuo had hugged her and almost crushed her inside her body.


    "Xi Cuo? "What''s wrong?"


    As if he couldn''t hear her, he still held onto her tightly, as if he would disappear the moment Zhuang Li was released.


    "If you want to come out and play, why don''t you bring a group of guards? After leaving the city and coming to the army camp, did you ever think that I would be worried? "


    Zhuang Li was startled, and was unable to react to the rebuke.


    "I have guards with me, or... "At least that guard brought me here ¡­"


    "You ran so far, you didn''t even bring Qing You, what if you meet a bear? What about wolves? What do we do if we get lost? "


    Zhuang Li quickly pursed her lips, afraid that he would realize that she had gotten lost.


    Xi Cuo was finally able to calm down. While adjusting Zhuang Li''s dirty little face, she checked if she touched it. Zhuang Li naturally did not dare to argue with him, in case she angered His Highness.


    It was only after Zhuang Li had been tossing and turning in the snow for a long time that she realized her clothes had been mostly drenched by the snow. He carried her like a child and put her on the saddle, then took off her outer fur coat and tightly wrapped it around Zhuang Li.


    Zhuang Li originally wanted to joke around with him, but she suddenly realized that Xi Cuo''s gloomy face had lost the good mood she had in the past.


    "I was afraid something might have happened to you and I rushed over to the barracks, but I couldn''t find you. In this wilderness, the danger is much higher than what you can imagine. You can dislike me, but if you get hurt, my heart will still ache for you. "


    It was as if Zhuang Li had been bewitched. She had barely looked at Xi Cuo''s face before, and the handsome young man who had saved her from the big sized man seven years ago was now the ruler of the entire West Cold nation. He had become mature and steady, but his appearance was still as clear and beautiful as before. He also wrapped Zhuang Li''s neck tightly, and when he raised his head to look at Zhuang Li, the pretty and open-minded prince actually had a trace of sadness on his face.


    Zhuang Li felt as if his heart had been filled with lead and it became uncomfortable.


    She reached out her hand from Xi Cuo''s thick outer coat and grabbed the hand that Xi Cuo was still helping her to straighten her boots ¡­


    "I was wrong, Your Highness."


    Xi Cuo acted as if he did not hear her and ignored her. He took off her fur boots, cleaned up the snow inside and put it on her again. He was still frowning.


    "From today onwards, I will definitely listen to your orders and follow your lead?"


    Xi Cuo did not pay attention to her, and did not stop his hands from tidying up.


    "If you get angry, I won''t feel well either."


    Xi Cuo finally raised his head. After so many years, Zhuang Li had almost never looked at him properly, but now that the dignity and appearance of the crown prince had completely disappeared, her expression showed that it was her first time seeing that handsome youth''s care and love for her.


    "Then be good, I''m here." He mounted the horse and grabbed the reins, hugging Zhuang Li comfortably in front of her chest.


    Both of them suddenly felt more at ease. Zhuang Li became warm and relaxed. She naturally knew what Xi Cuo was thinking about her. She had transmigrated here from the modern world, and if one were to count, she had already lived for more than thirty years ¡­ Although he had already put down the thought of returning, and learned to be carefree, there was still an even more important question.


    Could she still be as moved as Zhao Ci was at her age?


    She thought that if Zhao Ci was still in this body, she probably would have been moved long ago.


    But he wasn''t like this seventeen or eighteen year old youth.


    However, the feelings she had for the Xi Cuo siblings all these years was real. Ge Ya was sad, she was sad too, if Xi Cuo fell into a political situation that was difficult to resolve, she too would worry about him.


    But when she saw Xi Cuo''s expression just now, what kind of feelings did she have towards him?

 C30

    The place Zhuang Li came from was mostly places where animals lived in the depths of the snow, so it was not convenient for horses to travel on. Xi Cuo then got off the horse and led it forward, using his free hand to support Zhuang Li, to prevent her to fall down from the horse, and after walking for a while, the sky turned clear, and the long-lost sunlight lazily fell onto the snow.


    "A long time ago." Zhuang Li immediately shouted out, "By the time we reach the next city, you will probably already have melted into snow."


    As the owner of the West Cold, Xi Cuo was walking in front like a coachman. Hearing these words, he seemed to recall something.


    "Melting Snow must be colder. Qing You must make you two more small carbon stoves."


    Zhuang Li curled her lips. She suddenly realized that regardless of whether it was about love, this moment between her and Xi Cuo was extremely good.


    It was also extremely good ¡­


    There were few people in the camp when the two men and the horse returned, and the soldiers were wrestling in the snow outside the camp. The snow was thick and it was difficult to walk around in it. Wrestling in it also consumed a lot of physical strength. Zhuang Li dismounted and headed towards the crowd. She noticed that there were many people surrounding them in the snow and the sounds of fighting could be heard everywhere. She surrounded those people and watched the show. Xi Cuo followed her and stood at the side of the stage. His storage robe was still wrapped around Zhuang Li, and he anxiously went to look for Zhuang Li the moment he entered the camp, so many soldiers did not know he was here, and had never seen him before.


    When they saw a strange young man squeezed into the circle, they thought he was just an ordinary soldier, so they invited him to a wrestling match. Xi Cuo was not shy. He happily agreed.


    Seeing that there was such a liveliness, Zhuang Li immediately went to the front to watch. The one who fell against Xi Cuo was a fat soldier who had already fought several rounds previously, bare-chested in the snow, huffing and puffing hot air. He was like a majestic wild beast at the head of high morale. When she saw someone bring it up to him, she was almost excited.


    Xi Cuo also took off his shirt, revealing his strong and sturdy chest, causing Zhuang Li to actually have evil thoughts in an instant, the muscles on his body were well-proportioned yet had many wounds. Zhuang Li was not sure about the sword wound, but he could feel that it hurt.


    Even though he was the crown prince, he was not someone who was raised to be a prince. The experience of being tempered in the flames of war far surpassed the children of ordinary people, and it was normal for them to be crawling around while fighting. His body was much sturdier than ordinary soldiers. However, compared to the fat soldier''s huge belly, he still seemed to be at a disadvantage.


    The two of them stood on both sides of the circle. The referee shouted for them to start, and the fat soldier pounced towards him. He was heavy, and had a powerful momentum; if they were hit by him, no one would be able to hold him off and they would be sent flying out of the circle at the first possible moment. Xi Cuo had not gotten up yet, but the fatty was still pressing down on him, causing him to be unable to move properly in the snow. As he did not have enough time to get up, he could only roll around in a circle and throw the fatty that was pouncing towards him.


    Being able to throw that fat guy was definitely not ordinary, the people around him suddenly shouted, and it took Xi Cuo a lot of effort. He stood up, panting heavily, with a lot of snow plastered on his face, no wonder that fat guy was a victorious general, he was actually able to stand still after being thrown out, and immediately readied his defensive posture to prevent Xi Cuo from chasing after him.


    After fighting back and forth a few times, neither side was able to gain any advantage. They were extremely tired. More and more people began to gather in the surrounding area. Almost everyone in the military camp had gathered here to watch the commotion. The cheers and applause grew louder and louder. The fat man was considered a victorious general in the camp, but he was actually unable to determine the victor from the battle with Xi Cuo for such a long time. Naturally, he was a little angry, and did not lose his composure, and instead saved up his strength to find the right opportunity to charge towards Xi Cuo again. Xi Cuo was also a little tired and did not dodge this time, and was held by the fat man by the waist.


    To be able to lift Xi Cuo''s hand, the fatty was truly a genius.


    Both of her fists were like iron hammers as they smashed onto Xi Cuo''s waist. With Xi Cuo''s fall, the ice on the ground was splattered all over, causing Zhuang Li to scream in shock, her body reacted instinctively as she ran into the encirclement, and after the fatty struck Xi Cuo with her fist, he took the opportunity to slash at Xi Cuo again. The wind was extremely sharp, although she had already seen Zhuang Li, who had charged into the encirclement, she did not have the time to stop, Zhuang Li had also closed her eyes in fright.


    Then, she felt a hand wrap around her waist. She opened her eyes to see that the fat man''s palm had not touched her, and the Xi Cuo behind her had unknowingly stood up and pulled her back with one hand, turning her body to place her at a safe place. Then, she let go of her grip on the fat man who was charging at her.


    Even if West Cold people wrestled, it would be considered a loss even if they were out of the circle.


    The crowd instantly erupted into cheers of praise and cheers. They were all asking for the name of the unfamiliar soldier who had defeated Fatty Chang Sheng.


    When the leader of the troop saw Xi Cuo gasping for breath in the snow, he was so shocked that he immediately kneeled on the ground.


    "Your Majesty ¡­"


    Only then did the surrounding people come to their senses as they quickly kneeled down and kowtowed. When the fatty heard this news, he was even more frightened, and immediately kneeled down. When Xi Cuo said the words to stand up, encouraging everyone to work hard and train, the crowd immediately cheered.


    After Xi Cuo finished comforting and turned his head to look for Zhuang Li, the latter was initially excited along with the soldiers, but when she looked up, he saw that Xi Cuo''s face was gloomy, he was pulled up by him and under the cheers from behind, he walked into the tent.


    He received several firm punches from the fatty on his waist, but he was not without pain. Zhuang Li reckoned that if those punches were to land on his body, he would have been chopped into two halves.


    Qing You was shocked when she saw Zhuang Li coming in together with Xi Cuo, who was bare-chested and had a green face, so Zhuang Li told her to go to the soldier and get some ointment to help relieve the blood flow of the body.


    She originally thought that Xi Cuo''s ashen face was hurt by the fatty, but just as she wanted to go out of the tent and see if Qing You had returned, Xi Cuo had pulled her over and she sat down obediently beside the crater.


    "What do you think you are? Can you even hold on to your life after being hit by that fatty? "


    Zhuang Li was startled, so it turned out that her highness was angry at this kind of thing. She was also feeling wronged as she said those words ¡­


    "I wanted to help you too."


    He thought that Xi Cuo was going to smack her forehead with his palm, but in the end, he actually lightly landed on top of her head.


    "If you can stay in the same place as you, you will be of the greatest help to me!"


    Looking at his body that was riddled with scars from years of wars, Zhuang Li realized that perhaps Xi Cuo and her had always lived in two different worlds. Life in the army was not what she understood. The price and life that the victor and the loser had paid was not as easy as she had imagined ¡­


    Seeing Zhuang Li''s cautious look, he smiled again, and in an instant, the warmth bloomed like a flower.


    "No, Your Highness." He actually teased Zhuang Li.


    After eating, Xi Cuo would be free to accompany Zhuang Li to the Purple Sky Mountain. Along the way, the scenery was beautiful and charming. Qing You was also in high spirits, chattering non-stop along the way.


    The Fanbo City was flat, and was connected to the prairie and the desert. The scenery here was naturally very different from where he was currently standing, with the mountain ranges rising and falling, the mountain ranges and mountains covered with snow, Zhuang Li thought that if Ge Ya knew that she could see this scene, she would probably be so furious that she would jump to her feet.


    Although the weather was freezing, the mountain was still full of vitality. There were very few people here, but there were many animals. Because the hunters in Ying Hua City viewed Zi Tian Mountain as their divine mountain, they had never hunted in the city, so the animals were not afraid of humans. Walking and walking, two little snow monkeys came out from the tree hole. She looked really cute.


    A snowy monkey seemed to know that most of the people who came here were going to the temple in the mountains, skipping in front of them to create a path.


    The stone steps were rather clean, and it seemed like someone was also cleaning them. As they walked, they could already see that in the distance, there was a stone temple built between the cliffs. Zhuang Li almost did not dare believe what she had just seen, as if it was something out of a myth.


    They were already halfway up the mountain. The cloud seemed to be under their feet, and they gradually got closer to the divine hall. The gigantic stone pillar also became clearer in their line of sight. There seemed to be complicated patterns on it.


    It was only when he really walked under the stone pillar did he see the pillar standing erect between the cliffs and the cave. On top of the pillar, all the initial patterns were actually the small caves carved into the stone pillars. Although they were extremely shallow, there was still a small Buddha statue sitting inside.


    The monks in the hall were already standing at the mouth of the cliff to welcome them. They had heard that they were all in the hall reciting scriptures to pray for the entire West Cold.


    Zhuang Li followed him forward. The light in this stone cave was dim. The deeper they went, the less light there was. Occasionally, there would be a glimmer of light coming out from the cracks in the stone above their heads. It was like a divine sword that had fallen into the heart of the mortal world.


    After walking for a short while, they had already arrived at the other exit of the palace. In an instant, rays of light assaulted their faces. The mountain was already very high, and the clouds were all under their feet, so the light above was always excellent.

 C31

    A wing was built along the edge of the cliff, with monks and visitors in the hall. Following the corridor like room outside, Zhuang Li finally arrived at the heart of the Reflecting Flower Man''s Divine Field. On the walls of the cave, there were many large and small stone caves. In each stone cave, there were many murals and buddhist statues. Every mural was exquisite and exquisite.


    Zhuang Li had learned Fine Arts and even learned how to make her own Buddha Card before. She didn''t want to miss such wonderful material, but it was a pity that she didn''t have enough time or else she would have to take down all the murals in the cave.


    The monk in the hall started to introduce them to Zhuang Li one by one.


    "I don''t know who created these Buddha statues, but they have been discovered for over a hundred years. This shrine was built after the Buddha statues were discovered, and the mountain forest is a secret. Since the time the Buddha statues were found, the village name has built this mountain road."


    Going down the stone stairs was an empty field. After hearing that it was the place where one would see flowers, Zhuang Li excitedly ran up the stone steps.


    The fall of the mountains spread like a waterfall all the way to his feet. It was a pity that it had not fully bloomed yet.


    Qing You had already started to run crazily along the viewing platform. Zhuang Li laughed happily as she sat on the side. Before long, Qing You had already picked a large handful of snow lotuses and brought them back to him. Holding them in her arms, Zhuang Li noticed that the snow lotuses were sparkling and translucent, but she couldn''t see them in full bloom.


    "If only two more days had passed, it would have surely opened. But we''re all gone. " Qing You pouted and felt that it was a pity. In the blink of an eye, she had run away again.


    That Xi Cuo looked at her and found it funny. Reaching out with his hand, he pulled out an unopened snow lotus from Zhuang Li''s embrace.


    "Little Li, have you ever heard of a secret West Cold technique?"


    "Secret West Cold Technique?"


    "Not many people know about this, but it''s as if it''s a legend that only known about West Cold. When I, as a teenager, was traveling across the various cities in the West Cold, I met a person who taught me.


    He said I could teach him if I wanted to, but at the time I didn''t know what I could do


    Now I understand. "


    He held that sprouting snow lotus in his hand, and when he opened his palm to Zhuang Li, the snow lotus was actually slowly blooming. Zhuang Li was dumbstruck.


    She had seen this a total of two times in her life. The first time was when she had seen a purple lotus that was handed to her by Young Master Baishi many years ago at the Brightmoon Restaurant. At that time, the Young Master Baishi also said that it was a Western Arcane Art.


    Xi Cuo could only smile as he placed the blossoming lotus flower into Zhuang Li''s hands.


    That lotus flower was so white that it was almost transparent.


    Zhuang Li suddenly burst out laughing, and when she raised her head to look at Xi Cuo, she was actually stunned for a moment ¡­


    "Little Li, are you willing to marry me?"


    Zhuang Li only felt a buzzing in her head for a moment. She did not expect Xi Cuo to suddenly say such a thing.


    "What if I don''t want to?" Zhuang Li said.


    Xi Cuo seemed to have long anticipated this answer. Looking at Zhuang Li, he forced out a smile.


    "When I was just appointed as the ruler of the father, I also thought about telling you that I want to marry you. Although I felt that you didn''t want to marry me, I still wanted to see you everyday. I have to ask. Only then can I be satisfied. Even if you don''t want to, I still can''t let it go. "


    Having experienced too much in the last year, Zhuang Li''s state of mind had also changed greatly early on. Regardless of whether it was Pear Blossom or Ge Ya, they both had the mentality that she felt like she just wanted to walk in this world for a little while. Including the helplessness and exhaustion that she had accumulated in her heart, they piled up one layer after another. If she were to put them down, then she would properly be a person in this world, and a person in West Cold. In the end, there was nothing bad about it. It was also a reality.


    With a gentle breeze, the petals of the snow lotus extended, sparkling and translucent. Qing You had already made another mad dash back, and the first thing she saw was the blossoming snow lotus in Zhuang Li''s hands.


    "How did it open?" I couldn''t find it anywhere! "


    She looked around and saw that the monk was still meditating with his eyes closed. He then took the flower and placed it under the monk''s nose. He was swinging his coat from side to side


    "Old gramps, didn''t you say that the flower can''t bloom? Look ¡­"


    The monk also opened his eyes and took a glance at Zhuang Li. However, Zhuang Li did not turn her head to see the Monk''s expression.


    "If a flower blooms, then a flower will understand a person''s heart. With love, there will be a flower."


    The wonderful scene of the forest was like a strong wind, so he went up the stairs again and the buddhist statues that passed by also paid their respects to him. The old monk seemed to understand something and introduced them with a smile.


    Qing You naturally did not have the patience to listen carefully. She ran away without a trace after two breaths, and even said things like "I worship you" as if you were an adult.


    Regardless of whether she had intentions or not, Zhuang Li finally made it in time to stop Xi Cuo before he entered the dark mountain path again.


    Even though Xi Cuo was startled, he still looked at her seriously.


    "When I''m twenty, you''ll marry me." Although the words were spoken suddenly, Zhuang Li had been pondering over it for a long time. Xi Cuo was a very good person. Zhuang Li watched as he grew from a good youth to a good youth, and in the future, she would also become a good husband and father ¡­


    If her life was destined for her to become a person with clear West Cold in the future, she naturally ought to cherish it well. He also cherished himself.


    After Xi Cuo became the Crown Prince, all the people who had fawned over the Eldest Prince before had now become Xi Cuo''s disciples. The princess ladies were naturally restless as well, if it was in this era, why would women have to share a husband with other women? Should she also bear such a fate? In that instant, she didn''t want to think about anything. She was willing to be at ease and give her heart to the person before her.


    The Xi Cuo in front of him instantly blanked out, as if he couldn''t react to the words Zhuang Li said. By the time he reacted, he seemed to not believe the truth before him.


    Zhuang Li was suddenly amused by his stupidity and started to laugh. After Qing You went in a circle, she did not understand the situation of the two of them. She immediately asked Zhuang Li what she was happy about.


    Zhuang Li looked at her blankly and said, "Secret!"


    Qing You was naturally unwilling to accept this, so she pestered her to make a ruckus, "Tell me, tell me, young miss!"


    Zhuang Li naturally ignored her, and walked down the mountain path with a smile. After walking a few steps, Xi Cuo had already caught up. In the darkness, she grabbed her hand and pulled her forward with large strides ¡­


    Xi Cuo''s subordinates all noticed that their Prince''s mood was not normal these days. He was happy talking and doing things, and was even ready to praise his subordinates, causing them to be apprehensive. Sometimes, they were even afraid that they should accept this reward or not.


    Xi Cuo had always governed the army strictly, so any soldier who offended him would be punished severely. However, recently, his temperament had greatly changed, and he had only lightly punished the person who made the mistake. This made his subordinates wonder what had happened to His Royal Highness, and if he was ill?


    However, they all knew that these changes seemed to have occurred after the day the Prince and Princess came down from the Violet Sky Mountain ¡­ Without any warning, doubts arose again. What kind of mana did this Violet Sky Mountain possess to cause such a change in the Prince?


    Could it be that the monk in the temple had embellished His Highness the Prince? Or was it possessed by some demon from the mountain?


    He then realized that there seemed to be a change in the relationship between His Highness the Prince and his wife, although he couldn''t say where the change came from. His Highness took care of the wangfei as usual, and the wangfei was gentle as usual, but there was a change, as if a tacit understanding had been established between them.


    Zhuang Li rode on her jujube red horse and walked in the middle of the procession, she had already left Yinghua City for half a month, and during this time, she had also visited a few small towns along the way, but the next step was to walk to the furthest west of West Cold, where there were many border cities. Xi Cuo had already sent a message back to the Fanbo City to report that he would arrive at the border before long.


    Zhuang Li rode on his horse for a short while before she got off the carriage to stay with Qing You. This horse had followed Zhuang Li for a while, but there had never been such a situation before. Zhuang Li reckoned that she must have been sick, so she got Qing You to notify the veterinarians in the team to come over for dinner.


    She passed the red horse''s reins to Xi Cuo and climbed onto the carriage. Although the carriage was exhausted from the journey, the inside of the horse carriage was still swept up by Qing You until it was soft.


    Along the way, they were already at Gobi Desert. Recently, the natural disaster had been severe, and the harvest of food was difficult. Zhuang Li looked out of the window, the desert was desolate, there were countless West Cold, and he could still find the state of mind she had in the past when she came to West Cold.


    In all these years, she had never heard the slightest bit of news about Wang Su, as if he had never been here before.


    When Xi Cuo had just participated in political affairs, she had also asked if he had heard of the beautiful son of the Great Phoenix Emperor. Xi Cuo only said that he had never heard the father speak of it before.


    She had promised Xi Cuo, so naturally she had her own considerations and feelings. Other than the fact that she seemed to have no other choice, she carefully guarded him.


    Seeing that Xi Cuo''s mood had improved so greatly recently,hee was naturally happy in his heart as well. When he started to chat with Xi Cuo, she surprisingly no longer had the awkwardness of the past. In the end, everyone had their own feelings for Xi Cuo, and she even encouraged her to take that step forward.


    The weather was so gloomy that even the sunset could not be seen, but when everyone stopped to bury the pots to make food, Zhuang Li felt cold and stayed inside the horse carriage to simmer. She only lifted the curtain to look at the smoke outside, and just as she put the curtain down, she heard people shouting outside.


    "Reporting to wangfei,"


    Zhuang Li lifted the curtain again, and saw a small old man kneeling on the ground. She furrowed her brows, and recalled that this was the team''s vet.


    "Your Highness, you''re pregnant!"


    "Tell me clearly, what is pregnant?"


    "Ma, your date red horse."

 C32

    Zhuang Li was shocked, but then she felt happy. She immediately told the vet to take care of him, and she felt like a child. It was hard to say which horse in the army they were carrying.


    However, the vet just chuckled and said, "Hehehe ¡­"


    "Your highness, your horse is pregnant, but it has nothing to do with the army."


    Zhuang Li was suspicious, but the doctor continued to explain.


    "The horses in the army are all carefully groomed by the Royal stables, and their morals and mannerisms are strictly cultivated. Furthermore, in order for the horses to be able to serve the Royal Family, they were all fanned out while they were in the stables. This is probably the same logic as the eunuchs in the Great Phoenix Dynasty. "Therefore, it''s absolutely impossible for a princess'' horse to be pregnant in the army."


    The horses were always jumping up and down right under Zhuang Li''s nose, and they were always cooped up in the horse shed with the other horses in the army when they were resting.


    Zhuang Li thought of the crazy young stallion that the big fellow had sat on when she left for the Violet Sky Mountain in Yinghua City. Without scalp numbness... Most likely, it would be that little wild horse ¡­ "She reached out her hand to support her head, wondering what kind of weirdo this horse could give birth to ¡­


    As the saying goes. Three cats, four pigs, five lambs, six lambs, one horse, one horse, one horse... Two months longer than a human pregnancy. Although it was said that it could still ride as soon as it was born, Zhuang Li didn''t want it to. She just wanted it to be taken care of and slowly followed the team to the back, saying that when she returned to Fanbo City, he wouldn''t let it leave the house.


    Qing You was ecstatic, she said that she would not jump, and would only stay in the city to eat and fat every day, maybe she would cause a difficult labor.


    However, Zhuang Li did not care, the king was anxious to get news of the western border, they were travelling day and night, and had only rested for a few hours every day. Just as they were about to reach their destination in a day, Xi Cuo''s letters came back from the Fanbo City.


    Xi Cuo took off the bamboo tube that contained the letter from the leg of the sculpture, and then carefully took out the rolled up paper from the tube. After reading it, he suddenly frowned, and called the convoy to stop where they were and rest.


    Zhuang Li naturally found it strange, she came out of the carriage and took the note from Xi Cuo''s hand. On it were a few simple words:


    Reply immediately!


    "What does that mean? We have already left for more than a month. Right now, we are about to reach the border, yet you want us to return immediately? "


    Zhuang Li did not understand its meaning. Going back now, was naturally to not see the calamity at the border and the situation within the army, and the city behind was West Cold''s most important border defense line. If she went back now, all the work she had done before would naturally be for naught.


    "This letter is indeed the father''s notebook. My carving is also not something that others can easily confuse." Xi Cuo said.


    "Did something happen?" Zhuang Li asked.


    Although it was inevitable to make such a conjecture in such a situation, what else could happen in the palace? Eldest Prince passed away. The authority of the Third Prince''s troops had been lost. Naturally, the city guards with a few hundred men couldn''t cause any trouble. Ge Ya was also taking care of the king in the palace, taking care of all big and small affairs. She had even more authority than the concubines in the harem, so what else could happen to the entire palace that was managed by her?


    Xi Cuo frowned, he only thought for a moment, then stood up and reorganized the group, and started his return journey.


    "If it wasn''t for the matters within the West Cold, there''s only one possibility." He bit his teeth and spat out a few words


    "There must be a problem between Mongolia in the north and the Great Phoenix in the east." He told Qing You and Qing You to sit in the carriage, and that they should return to the Fanbo City within ten days at the fastest speed possible.


    The speed of the travel was obviously faster than before. The carriage was shaking severely, and Zhuang Li also felt uneasy in her heart. It was as if there was a fog in front of her, so no matter how hard she looked, she couldn''t see clearly. Just like that, she dozed off in the carriage. When she woke up, it was already the beginning of the moon. Her body was covered with a thick blanket, and she was still hurrying on her journey.


    Seeing that she had woken up, Qing You took out a water bag and gave it to her, saying that there were some pills to recuperate one''s spirit inside. From the time they received the letter, the convoy had only rested once, burying the pots and cooking the rice. Princess Xi Cuo had entered the horse carriage to visit Zhuang Li once, and seeing that she was sleeping soundly, he immediately ordered Qing You to cover her with the blanket, preventing the cold air from entering the horse carriage.


    The night and day was only about four to six hours. The soldiers were exhausted, but they did not dare to slack off. Zhuang Li was afraid that something big was going on, she opened the curtain and suddenly a gust of cold wind blew in at night, causing her to shiver. When she looked out the window, she could only see the guards holding torches, the silence was such that only the sounds of horse hooves could be heard, and there seemed to be some kind of trouble brewing under the quiet land.


    At this time, they had already reached the Aroma Swallowing City, and this was the closest thing to the borders of the Great Phoenix. Back then, when Zhuang Li had been sold from the Great Phoenix City to the West Cold, this was also the same way as the road into the West Cold, and they had travelled for an unknown number of days and nights without realizing it, so the entire group was already exhausted. I had to stop and rest for a day.


    Zhuang Li was also exhausted from staying in the carriage, so she brought Qing You down to take a walk around the city.


    Xi Cuo planned to rest at Aroma Swallowing City for the night, and continue his journey tomorrow morning. He estimated that he would reach the Fanbo City in two days.


    Ever since she received the news of him returning to the city, she had been feeling uneasy, always feeling that something was going to happen. She just hoped that if she could think of more, she could relax the string she had been straining on.


    Xi Cuo was busy going to the master of Aroma Swallowing City Palace to understand the recent situation outside the walls, which was beneficial for his judgement and judgement on the current situation.


    This was Zhuang Li''s second time entering the Aroma Swallowing City, but back then, she was more afraid of the unknown so she didn''t have the chance to look at this city carefully.


    "Miss, that year at Aroma Swallowing City''s slave market, I ran too slowly, and was caught the moment I left my tent."


    "Pear Blossom said that back then, she was the first to be sold to this Aroma Swallowing City''s flower pavilion to learn the zither and train dancing skills. If she''s here, she can show us around. I wanted to turn around, but I didn''t know where to go. "


    Most of the houses in Aroma Swallowing City had pagoda-like towers, while most of the women on the streets wore veils, causing the streets to be bustling with activity.


    Many people headed towards the same direction. Zhuang Li reached out to grab an old man.


    "Where are you all in a hurry to go?"


    "The slave trading ground, ah. I heard that another batch of Great Phoenix products have arrived. Let''s go watch the show!"


    Zhuang Li took a deep breath, "How many people are going to the Great Phoenix Capture?"


    The old man looked at Zhuang Li as if he was looking at an outsider, as though saying, "Why don''t you even know this?"


    "Naturally more. In recent years, there have been more and more of them. Previously, Eldest Prince was opposed to supporting them in secret, but later on, all of the people of Mingli City supported it. Although the Second Prince was the ruler and had said that they needed to control it, how could they change the system after so many years? Furthermore, when they capture someone and bring them back, there will be people buying immediately. This business will naturally become more and more popular. "


    It was as if''s mind had exploded. If the citizens of the borders of the Great Phoenix were already burning with passion a few years ago, then how could these criminals with West Cold be so easy to obtain? What was the current situation around the borders of the Great Phoenix?


    Then what about Wang Su? Didn''t he already discover the secret passage to the West Cold of the Great Phoenix? Wasn''t it to reorganize the border so that the people could live and work in peace? Did he not get the chance to return to the Great Phoenix?


    Zhuang Li suddenly felt a chill on her back, and involuntarily pulled Qing You''s hand close to her. She did not understand what kind of undercurrents were behind the peaceful exterior of Da Feng and her West Cold.


    In the last ten years, its national power had recovered, and it had become a strong and powerful force. Even the small nearby countries would present gifts to it every year, but on the surface, it was still being suppressed by the Great Phoenix, paying tribute to the Great Phoenix.


    The royal family of the Great Phoenix was content with the fun. Although the central city was flourishing, the towns on the border were in an unspeakable state.


    Zhuang Li had naturally seen the people''s cold feelings from the capital all the way to the border seven years ago. This time, the King told Xi Cuo to return. If it was because of the border, then it was because Da Feng made a move ¡­


    She no longer had any thoughts of strolling around and returned to the City Lord''s Mansion. Lying on the bed was indeed more comfortable than lying in a bumpy carriage all day long.


    Qing You came back and brought back a lot of food, such as oily rice and mutton that was roasted until it was fragrant. It was almost forgotten that it was winter.


    "If Xi Cuo is done, tell me and I''ll go see him." She finished giving instructions to Qing You and ate a few mouthfuls of rice. Finally, she became tired from the long journey and fell asleep on her bed.


    It was already dusk when she woke up. Zhuang Li thought about whether or not Xi Cuo was still in discussion with the City Lord, so she pushed open the door and entered.


    "Miss, Your Highness Xi Cuo has just returned."


    There was a small courtyard separating Zhuang Li''s room and her room. There was a small pond in the middle of the room, which had already turned to ice, and there was a incense stand in the corridor, but no one knew what kind of incense was lit inside. The cigarette was light white, and it smelled warm and sweet.


    "Why are you here? You still have to hurry on your journey due to the cold weather tomorrow, you better hurry and rest. If there''s anything, send Qing You over to tell me. " As Xi Cuo pulled her into the house, he quickly had the servants start a fire in the furnace. As expected of a city that devoured incense, the fragrance Xi Cuo used was also very different from Zhuang Li''s. It was the fragrance of a plant, light and persistent.


    "Xi Cuo, I just suddenly thought that the king making you rush back to the Fanbo City this time, is it related to Great Phoenix?"

 C33

    Xi Cuo looked at her blankly for a moment. He had not expected her to say such a thing, and to think that it would be the same as his own judgement.


    "You guessed right. I just came back from the City Lord''s Mansion, and in the recent few months, there seems to be a trend of strengthening the army at the borders of the Great Phoenix City. I don''t know if he wants to implicate the army at Fringe City before sending out the troops to battle West Cold, but in addition, the convoy that went to pay tribute to Phoenix Dynasty has returned this year, and also brought back news that the Phoenix Dynasty will send an envoy to visit us, so I think that in a few more days, their team will also arrive. "


    "The king naturally felt danger because of this. If it was before, he definitely wouldn''t have been afraid, but right now, West Cold has just stabilized, so he probably won''t be able to withstand the waves." Zhuang Li said.


    "If Big Brother is still in father, then you should be at ease. Not only did the stupid thing Old Third kill Big Brother, it also implicated several generals under Big Brother who can fight. Although our West Cold is not weak, we lack talent right now, and even if I have the eighteen great martial arts, I can''t defend the entire defensive line of West Cold."


    Seeing Zhuang Li''s worried expression, he immediately comforted him and asked.


    After all, the envoy of the Great Phoenix has not arrived, and I do not know what kind of plan he has. Let''s start tomorrow, and try our best to reach the Fanbo City by the night of the day after tomorrow. I will immediately find the father to understand the situation, so you can rest easy.


    When Ge Ya heard the servant''s report, she insisted on dressing herself. She brought along the nanny in water and brought out the palace lamp. Seeing that, Zhuang Li finally felt a sense of warmth in her heart, so he pulled her back and sat beside the stove in her bedroom.


    Ge Ya instructed the servant to prepare a pot of hot milk tea and brought it over to Zhuang Li to talk.


    "The minister who brought back the tribute reported that Da Feng wanted to send an envoy over to the father. I am afraid, since Da Feng has not done this for many years, and previously, when envoys went over to the Da Feng Palace every year, they mostly brought back news regarding the insatiable people in the Phoenix Dynasty palace. It seems like there has been a change this time, they even said that they would send someone over, making the entire palace nervous.


    She whispered into Zhuang Li''s ear, "father has been stuck in grief ever since big brother passed away. He placed too much hope on big brother, before big brother passed away, he even had thoughts of letting big brother attack Da Feng. Maybe it''s because of my excessive grief that I''m so nervous right now. "


    The nanny brought in some milk tea and placed it in an iron pot, then filled a ceramic pot with charcoal and placed it on the ground. The milk tea continued to boil and bubble on top of the pot, and the entire room was filled with the fragrance of milk tea.


    "Ge Ya, the worries of your father is not without reason, after all, after the death of Eldest Prince, a group of generals that could go to war have died, and although the defense line of the West Cold is now strong, it is not sufficient. Xi Cuo is currently in a difficult position, if the two nations fight now, his West Cold would be at a disadvantage."


    "No wonder the father is worried. I''m still worried about his body."


    After Zhuang Li finished changing, she suddenly couldn''t fall asleep. The two in Ge Ya''s room surrounded the candles and spoke each word, including all the interesting things they had seen along the way. Unknowingly, even the sky had turned bright, and the two of them slept soundly under their blankets, hoping for some good news from the palace after they woke up.


    Even though the morning West Cold released the sun''s air, it was still cold. However, everything could still sense that something was mixed and stirring in the air, causing the lakes that had experienced the freezing winter to start flowing. The willow trees in the King Xiao''s Palace also began to germinate, as though it was already early spring in the blink of an eye.


    The palace seemed to have regained its tranquility, but Xi Cuo had become even busier. After a month, not a single person could be seen, and the only thing Xi Cuo could hear from the guards was that he was in the barracks outside the city.


    "I wonder what the Second Brother and the father are talking about." Ge Ya complained at the entrance of the pavilion. The water in the lake had already melted, and fish would swim up to feed after throwing a handful of flour and cooked corn flakes into the lake.


    "Even the king wouldn''t say?" Zhuang Li threw another handful of fish food into the lake.


    "Without saying a word, his tone was terrifyingly tight. However, I heard from the palace maid who was on duty that night that the envoy that came back seemed to have said that the envoy of the Great Phoenix would come with many requests. "


    "They want the city? Or an increase in tribute? "


    "No one knows, but since Second Brother is back, father is relieved. Although Second Brother is so busy that you can''t see anyone, I guess you must be busy discussing some countermeasures with him."


    Because it was pregnant, Zhuang Li did not let it return to the horse farm. Instead, it stayed at the Princess Mansion, and when it was free, it and Ge Ya would take it out for a walk on the white dragon. Their days were quite comfortable, and when they sent a letter to Pear Blossom saying that they were staying at the beach of the Great Yue State, they would probably have to come back to find out.


    "Have you found all those tricky places? "It''s too godly!" Zhuang Li patted the head of the sculpture, she never thought that the beast would have such dignity, as though she thought that Zhuang Li had humiliated it, and flew away.


    Although Zhuang Li and Ge Ya passed by his residence, they did not go in. In any case, they might not be able to see him after they went in, as he was already very busy.


    Even though Xi Cuo had brought Zhuang Li back to the Fanbo City in a hurry, the envoy of the Great Phoenix had not arrived yet. It had already been more than two months and there was no obvious spring in the West Cold. After a few days of slightly warming up, the day had already turned into summer.


    The long season of the warblers, everywhere also became colorful. The pedestrians on the street began to wear summer clothes of all colors.


    Ge Ya and Zhuang Li had already started to make new veils and lighter clothes, fixing the colors and styles, and were waiting for the palace to complete them so they could send them over.


    It was unknown if it was Heaven''s will that wanted to help West Cold, but from the time the news had spread till now, half a year had already passed and the emissary of the Great Phoenix had yet to arrive. Instead, it had given West Cold a very good chance to catch his breath.


    According to Ge Ya, Xi Cuo''s new army had already reached the scale of a great army and also promoted many young generals. However, everyone still lacked tacit understanding and experience. had displayed the courage and talent that a king would only have when he was in command of a army. Now that he realized that Xi Cuo was completely capable of protecting his West Cold, he naturally relaxed.


    She was still nimble as ever, but when she was pregnant, her temper didn''t seem to be as docile as before. Occasionally, she would have a temper of a little girl, or if she was addicted to playing, she wouldn''t listen to Zhuang Li''s commands.


    "Perhaps the emissary of the Great Phoenix will not come?" Ge Ya fantasized with a face full of hope.


    Pear Blossom said that he had been on the road for a long time, but he did not take the direct road to West Cold. Instead, he took a long detour around the borders of the Great Phoenix Sect, went to the Inner Mongolia Country for another half a month, and then went to the Great Yue State for a few days of tea.


    "This is too insulting!" We are all waiting for him. " Ge Ya huffed and puffed, but when she saw her, she quickly consoled her.


    "Don''t be angry, what should come will eventually come. This way, it will also give Xi Cuo more time to rebuild the defense of his West Cold."


    "That''s true. If the two countries were to truly engage in battle, West Cold would not be as simple as the defensive lines of an army." She finally flew up and continued to tell Zhuang Li while gasping for air.


    "I heard my brother say before that the advantage of West Cold lies in the secret pathway. There are a few small paths that can quickly replenish the forces in front of the West Cold, and of course, the people of the Great Phoenix do not know."


    Zhuang Li was shocked, and then she thought back to ten years ago, when she secretly checked on Wang Su. She still had some understanding of who Wang Su was, and there were rumors in the capital that he was a person who would meticulously make decisions, and once something was decided, he would not rest.


    If he had safely returned to Da Feng many years ago, it would be impossible to keep the secret of the secret passage. Zhuang Li had inquired about the merchants and envoys of Da Feng before, but in the end, not a single person had heard of the handsome and handsome Prince Su of Da Feng. Even Zhuang Li had thought that if his luck was bad, he might not be able to return.


    She had also thought about whether she should inform Xi Cuo or Ge Ya of this news, and let them be prepared. Perhaps, the secret passage had already been discovered by the people of the Great Phoenix.


    Even though he still could not be sure whether Da Feng knew about it or not, he could still send people to investigate if there was any news about Prince Su. He also had a plan to avoid if Da Feng knew about the secret passage or things would get out of hand.


    After thinking for a long time, Zhuang Li did not say anything. Was it because Zhao Ci was from Great Phoenix? Zhuang Li just wanted to stay in the body of the owner''s hometown?


    A few kites flew up into the sky one after another. Ge Ya couldn''t care less and got two strings each from Qing You and Zhuang Li.


    That kite was made by Zhuang Li and Ge Ya, and on it was a picture of a goldfish swimming freely in the sky.


    From afar, they could see a small black dot moving towards them. It was only when Zhuang Li walked in that they could see that it was a guard riding a horse, and at first they thought it was a soldier during training. After all, this place was very close to Xi Cuo''s camp, and it was only until the guard got closer and closer that Zhuang Li could see clearly that it was a person from the palace.


    "Your Highness, the guards of the Great Phoenix have already passed the borders of the West Cold. I think that they will reach the Fanbo City in a few days.

 C34

    When the emissaries of the Great Phoenix entered the West Cold, they naturally accepted the warm welcome from the citizens. Zhuang Li stood in the crowd and watched as the man slowly walked into the Fanbo City. He was no more than thirty years old, with a skinny stature and a face that had experienced a lot of hardships. There were only two or three people behind him, and both of them were dressed in the attire of someone who had traveled a long distance.


    Just like the emissaries from other countries, they arranged for him to be placed in the palace. After a short rest, he would go to the palace to see the king the next day.


    Zhuang Li watched him as he walked further and further away. She wondered what kind of news this man would bring to his West Cold, or what kind of disaster it would be.


    Naturally, the envoys of the Great Phoenix had come to prepare a royal banquet. The next day, Zhuang Li was also called into the palace, in charge of helping Ge Ya arrange for the feast. She was already familiar with Ge Ya regarding these matters, and the air inside the room was already a little stuffy. Princes, princesses and officials were all standing on both sides of the hall, waiting for the envoy called Ling Que to come.


    He walked up the stairs of the main hall step by step. Although he didn''t have a strong and robust body, he still gave off an extraordinary air.


    "This subject, Ling Que, is an official disciple of Great Phoenix Tribe, and is here to pay respects to the foreign minister. On the orders of my Great Phoenix Sect''s Heavenly Son, I have arrived in West Cold Country to pay a visit and negotiate with them. After he finished speaking, he merely made a bow, not going down on his knees to pay his respects. He didn''t seem to be that respectful.


    Zhuang Li stood behind the pile of people. She felt that Da Feng had actually sent a Foreign Minister from the Military Department to visit this place, so how could the Military Department be in charge of matters regarding the diplomatic service? She could not understand what the Great Phoenix Emperor was doing, but Ling Que did not seem to be a martial cultivator. Her body was thin, but she had the aura of a scholar, and did not lose the dignity of a martial artist. In the end, they couldn''t be looked down upon. Perhaps there was something out of the ordinary about this.


    The old king did not care whether he bowed or not. He just said lightly, "Minister for War?" If it was the Military, then your martial arts must be extraordinary, right? Do you have the interest to fight against the martial artists from my West Cold Country? Let us experience it for ourselves. "


    It was clear that the king was displeased and wanted to kill him. If they really compared the strength, he was afraid that they would send out the bravest warriors in the West Cold.


    "The king is smiling. Although I, Ling Que, am part of the military, I am still a scholar in my bones. I am afraid that I do not have the means to exchange pointers with warriors of the West Cold."


    "Even scholars can serve in the military? "What is the current situation of the Great Phoenix?" The king smiled amiably, but his words were full of acuteness.


    That''s why I was sent here today. Although I am not a martial artist, I know that the nation of the West Cold is strong and powerful, and I am filled with reverence, but to visit all the nations, it is sufficient with the help of a person like me. If I were to send a martial artist, it would be useless.


    There was no use in teasing all the martial artists in West Cold. He was trying to block them off by not revealing his face, but in the end, he had pissed off the king.


    The Third Prince was already fuming with rage, as he spoke presumptuously, he picked up the silver wine cup on the table and threw it over, but Xi Cuo was already too late to stop it.


    Then, the cup flew towards the envoy with great strength. No one could clearly see how it obediently landed in the envoy''s hands.


    He fiddled with the silver wineglass, as if admiring the patterns on it.


    "Third Prince is joking." He played around for a while and raised his head. Zhuang Li could almost see the killing intent that appeared on his face for an instant.


    Then, he threw the wine cup back to him. Third Prince obviously thought that he was going to hit him, so he hurriedly stood up and retreated to the side, but the wine cup unexpectedly flew straight to the table, and in the end stopped steadily on the table in front of Third Prince.


    "Such strong inner strength!" Zhuang Li could not help but exclaim in her heart. She had heard from the heroes of the that the stronger one''s internal energy was, the more they could control the direction of the weapon. To be able to do this, she must be an expert in the martial arts world.


    That envoy by the name of Ling Que indeed looked to be extraordinary.


    The Third Prince originally wanted to kill off his visitors in front of the King, to restore some of his image, but this time, he had completely lost face. He could only grit his teeth and stop speaking.


    However, Ling Que spoke again:


    "Even though this official is a small External Minister of the Military Department, I have always heard of people from West Cold who are straightforward and open, and like to get right to the point. Although I am not very good at dancing with swords and spears, if Third Prince insists on following this wish, I will definitely accompany you to the end. If Third Prince still feels that it is not enough, then let''s do it on the battlefield.


    The old king was so angry that he was trembling, while Xi Cuo who was beside him was secretly clenching his fists too. But the origin of the envoy was strange, and their internal energy was strong, so they could not act blindly without thinking.


    Was war really inevitable?


    Xi Cuo could only stand out and console her, "This envoy has misunderstood. Third Prince naturally does not have that intention. As you say, it''s just a joke, don''t take it seriously. Please sit down and enjoy one or two delicacies. After that, they would slowly discuss about the orders of the Great Phoenix Heavenly Son.


    This time, the steps were timely, so everyone sat down. Zhuang Li could not be considered a member of the imperial family, nor could she be considered an official of the palace, so he could not sit in the front row. Instead, she could only sit behind Ge Ya.


    Ling Que was also unrestrained, he naturally sat on the bed, and placed a few cups of wine on the table, only serving during the banquet. Without waiting for the servants to come serve him, he poured himself a cup, toasted the king, and drank it all in one gulp.


    "This cup is for our Son of Heaven and for the West Cold King." He drank it heartily without the slightest wariness.


    The king also drank a cup before asking, "Envoy, may I ask, what orders do you have from the King of West Cold?"


    "Of course there is a decree. In recent years, the trade between West Cold and the Great Phoenix can be said to be on the rise, but the border is in chaos, causing one to have a headache. This matter naturally belongs to both countries. Now that the Great Feng Tian Zi has decided to settle the border with West Cold, he naturally has to take this matter seriously. "


    "I have heard a little about it. The interactions between the merchants of the two countries in the border city of Great Phoenix and West Cold are quite lively. May I ask, does Great Feng Tian Zi have any brilliant ideas?"


    Ling Que smiled, the corners of his mouth raised, the way he said it was enough to make people jump up and down.


    "Is the words of the West Cold King not a joke? West Cold Nation and Great Phoenix were not only traveling together, there were also bandits that went straight to the Great Phoenix. His Majesty has two plans. The first is to send Great Phoenix generals to the borders of West Cold to help them manage this matter. "


    What he said was naturally impossible. Wouldn''t that mean that he was sending the city away with cupped hands? And then ¡­


    "The second plan is for the border of West Cold to retreat a hundred miles away, and for the Great Phoenix to send troops to defend."


    This second plan was probably the true intention of the Great Feng Tian Zi. knew that although the borders of the West Cold were a desert and a desert, and were not worth much, those secret passages were all in there. It was a treasure that the West Cold soldiers were proud of for catching them off guard. How could she give it to Feng?


    King of West Cold was already trembling from anger. At this time, Ling Que continued, "King of West Cold can slowly consider, but it seems like there is no other choice. If you do not want to meet face to face in battle, please abide by this contract and befriend the Great Phoenix Emperor.


    He looked around him before her gaze finally landed on Ge Ya. Zhuang Li couldn''t help but feel a chill in her heart, as she had a premonition that something bad was about to happen.


    "I have long admired the beautiful appearance of the princess of the West Cold, and now that I have met her, her reputation is well-deserved. If I am able to get along with the phoenix, my phoenix will definitely treat the princess like a treasure. This is also what the Great Phoenix Emperor requested. "


    "Don''t even think about it!" Ge Ya stood up and rushed towards Ling Que. Although Ling Que looked weak and frail, his inner force was extremely strong, causing Ge Ya to suffer a loss. Zhuang Li dragged the princess behind him, and said hurriedly.


    "Princess, please calm your anger!"


    The surrounding people were also burning with rage, almost wanting to tear Ling Que into ten thousand pieces. But that Ling Que acted as if he did not see it, and simply poured himself another cup of wine.


    The silver goblet swayed, as if everything was within his expectations.


    Ge Ya was finally pulled down by Zhuang Li, she angrily smashed the wine jugs in front of him onto the ground, and angrily left the seats.


    Zhuang Li quickly followed her out of the palace.


    This was not being united, this was letting the Princess of West Cold take the Great Phoenix as a proton. Everyone knew that the King of West Cold doted on Ge Ya, so she was the perfect protector.


    Along the way, the palace maids saw that they were frightened into kneeling on the ground from afar, and did not understand what had happened that had caused the princess to become so angry.


    Zhuang Li naturally knew that this attack on Ge Ya was too big, and with Da Feng pressing on him step by step, even the King of West Cold was a little afraid, it was likely that this matter would become something like Da Feng''s wish, and would not be reversed.


    Furthermore, the Great Phoenix Emperor was already around fifty years old when Zhuang Li left the Great Phoenix, and she was also nearing sixty now. Zhuang Li was not a person who fancied the honor of the imperial family, and furthermore, there were people she admired from the bottom of her heart. Even if she had to commit suicide, she wouldn''t be willing to marry into the Great Phoenix.


    He did not know who Ling Que was, either by sending troops to guard West Cold or by retreating to a hundred miles at the border, or perhaps even by sending the daughter that the West Cold King doted on the most to be his protector. No matter which one, this would violate the great taboo of the West Cold King. He actually had the courage to say it so easily in front of the West Cold royal family. It could be seen that he had extraordinary courage and insight.


    Ge Ya boarded the little white dragon and ignored Zhuang Li''s shouts behind him. With a whip strike, she quickly flew out of the city.

 C35

    When Zhuang Li returned to the King Xiao''s Palace, she realized that Ge Ya had not returned. When she met with such a situation, she could only calm down.


    Back then, the West Cold that Wang Su wanted to fix had not moved for a long time, and it was probably because of this that the curtains were opened. Then, would Wang Su be involved in this matter? Zhuang Li did not know, and currently, she did not know what was going on in the Great Phoenix, he was afraid that a war between the two nations was unavoidable.


    When Ge Ya came back, it was already sunset. The nanny had been waiting at the door all this time, and when she heard what Zhuang Li had to say about what had happened at the palace, tears streamed down her cheeks. Although she came to West Cold with the Miss to begin with, and had the attitude of someone from her hometown, she felt uncomfortable because the child she brought with her had no longer any love to marry into the phoenix as her protector. When she saw her return, she immediately went up to greet her and had the servants take him away.


    "Little Li, if it was for the sake of the million citizens of West Cold, I naturally wouldn''t be so willful. But even if I were to go to the Great Phoenix Sect, how could the Great Phoenix let go of the West Cold?" She did not cry. In the end, she was still a strong woman who had grown up in the Western Regions.


    Zhuang Li could only console her, "Now that things have come to this, there''s naturally a way to resolve it. Xi Cuo has been training his soldiers diligently for the past half year, so he naturally has his confidence and reasons.


    "If the great phoenix can peacefully coexist with the West Cold, as the daughter of the West Cold, it would be understandable for me to go to the marriage alliance."


    "If you are going, I will definitely go with you. However, we haven''t reached that step yet, have we?"


    That Ling Que had lived in the West Cold for almost half a month, he did not force the King of West Cold to reply. He only listed out the requirements of the Great Phoenix in a carefree and carefree manner, then settled down in peace. He lived in a palace under the banner of understanding the people''s situation in the West Cold.


    Xi Cuo had sent many people to monitor him, no matter where he went, and he did not seem to mind at all, doing anything without any hesitation.


    Although the King was extremely unhappy and did not want him to leave the Fanbo City alive, there was nothing he could do. Killing him would only allow the war between the two countries to break out more quickly, so he might as well buy more time for Xi Cuo to prepare his troops.


    Ling Que was able to walk out of the Fanbo City casually. He still walked the same path as the West Cold and the borders of the Great Phoenix.


    From this, it seemed that Da Feng was not clear about the West Cold''s secret pathway. Once he left, Ge Ya shouted that she was going hunting on the grassland as if she had forgotten about this. Regardless of whether she was sad or not, she was after all, the daughter of West Cold, so she had her own demeanor and responsibilities.


    They beat up three rabbits, pulled a fire out of a clearing at the edge of the playground, peeled and rinsed the rabbits, and strung them over the fire. The two of them lay on the grass, sipping at each other with a wineskin. Perhaps this was a rare moment of leisure in his heart.


    After the envoy left, Xi Cuo seemed to have become even busier as he dashed between the Fanbo City and the borders. Or he could go back and have a private conversation with the old king and then go out again. So busy that Zhuang Li never saw him again.


    She did not know what kind of fate the West Cold would bring about this time, nor did her fate change. If the West Cold did not agree with Da Feng''s request, the two nations would naturally have to fight for it, and once the war began, Xi Cuo''s generals would be brought up by him not long ago. Even though they were young and young, they did not have much actual combat experience, so their odds of winning against Da Feng was not high.


    The entire nation seemed to have sensed the atmosphere of a war that was about to break out, and the strings of West Cold tightened.


    There was also news coming from the border that the army of the Great Phoenix was constantly strengthening, as if it was preparing for a great battle. And when the two countries contacted each other again, it was already the eleventh. Both sides were well-armed and well-prepared. A piece of paper was handed to King of West Cold. Asked if he was willing to agree to the agreement previously communicated by the messenger.


    In a fit of rage, the king tore the letter into two pieces.


    At the beginning of December, the Great Phoenix Army began to advance towards the West Cold.


    Moreover, there was a desert and desert separating the West Cold and the Great Phoenix Army. If the Great Phoenix Army were to send their troops deeper into the desert, the supply of food and water would be extremely difficult, and the attacks would be limited to a small fight at the border. The casualties on both sides were not great, and none of them had the advantage.


    Other than the cities at the borders, every string in West Cold City had already been broken to the point where they were dead. even though it was still safe in the Fanbo City. The citizens of the Fanbo City had originally only been peacefully living their own little days. Unexpectedly, the increasing number of victims in the city made the citizens of the Fanbo City realize that the war ahead was getting more and more intense.


    There were already many refugees fleeing from the West Cold''s borders into the cities on the mainland. Every morning, when the city gates opened, there would be countless dirty refugees carrying bags flooding into the city.


    What was even more worrisome was that the old king was ill ¡­


    He was only sixty years old, and his body had always been strong and healthy. However, over the past two years, first, it had been the First Prince''s accident, then the incident with the Third Prince, and after experiencing the pain of the white-haired man giving away the black-haired man and then facing the truth of his brothers murdering each other, his heart had been broken, and his body gradually collapsed. And then he faced the Great Phoenix attack. He also wanted to use his own body to defend this West Cold, but he couldn''t muster up enough strength.


    Now, Zhuang Li walked to his side while carrying the tranquil soup to calm his mind, only then did he react.


    Ge Ya took the soup and fed it to him. He did not open her mouth, as if she was thinking of something.


    "Ge Ya, I dreamed of your mother yesterday."


    "father, you should drink the medicine first."


    "Your mufei is still the same as before when I met her in the Great Phoenix. She''s really exactly the same. She cried and begged me not to marry you to the Great Phoenix. "


    Ge Ya''s hands, which were holding the medicine, slightly trembled. Soon, she calmed down and said ¡­


    "If West Cold needs it, I should naturally go. I believe it''s fine to look at the place where my mother lived when she was young. "


    The old king extended his trembling hand out and grabbed Ge Ya''s hand. When that hand was young, it had experienced a lot of wars, and had cut through countless enemies with its blood. But now, it didn''t even have the strength to pull the bow and arrow.


    He was wrapped in a velvet quilt, his hair white. Occasionally, there would be faint panting sounds. Ge Ya called for the doctor, only saying that the king might be overly worried and have a fever, so it was not really a serious illness.


    Half a month later, Xi Cuo returned.


    The weather was getting colder and colder, and the two nations on the borders were also in a stalemate. Xi Cuo had brought back a lot of news, but all of these phenomena indicated that the battle that was waiting for West Cold was definitely going to be a fierce one.


    The old king''s health had improved a lot in recent days, and she had also left her bed, walking around as well. She summoned all the officials here, and one day, Ge Ya found his golden armour to wipe it clean and placed it in the palace courtyard. He stood by the side and watched for a long time.


    On that winter''s day, the sunlight was surprisingly warm, shining a golden light on the armor.


    He was not supported by Ge Ya, he even let go of his walking stick.


    "This armor was worn by me ten years ago. I wore it to pacify the rebellion at the Inner Mongolia border, in exchange for ten years of peace."


    He walked up to the suit of armor, reached out his hand to stroke it, and decided to once again enter the battlefield.


    As soon as the news got out, it was met with opposition from the court officials. It was a matter of great importance, as long as his body could endure the bumpy journey, it was already a good thing. Moreover, he wanted to command the war, so everyone strongly advised him not to go.


    That old king was stubborn and stubborn. He said that he could feel that his body had been declining for the past two years. If he wanted to die, then he must die on the battlefield.


    Ge Ya kept on crying, and in the end, she finally stopped crying. If she was the daughter of West Cold, then the king was the father of the entire West Cold.


    Everyone began to understand, to lose, and in the end even Xi Cuo agreed.


    That day, there seemed to be a ray of light in the Sun Temple, a ray of light that pierced through the history of the ruler of West Cold, or maybe every king knew how precious West Cold was. Every citizen would find the sweat and blood of their ancestors in this ray of light.


    When Zhuang Li left the palace, he unexpectedly bumped into Xi Cuo who was waiting there. In the past year, they had not interacted with each other properly, he was so busy training the soldiers that it was hard for him to even see him once.


    And this time last year, she and Xi Cuo were still in Yinghua City. He even went to the Violet Sky Mountain to look at the lotus flowers.


    The preparations from both countries were almost done. The next battle would definitely be a fierce one. Xi Cuo stood at the entrance of the hall. He was dressed in battle armor and there were a few small scars on his face. His expression when he looked at Zhuang Li was still warm and determined.


    Zhuang Li also revealed a smile, it was as if the people of this world were peacefully living and working.


    "Xi Cuo, protect the king and come back safely." When Zhuang Li said these words in a begging tone, the fate of the Fate Royal Family, which was going to take on the most dangerous part of their West Cold, was bound to undergo a tremendous change. She just hoped that she could survive, or perhaps, there would be a chance to see him again.


    "As long as you are happy every day, I will be fine. It never occurred to me to involve you in endless war and destruction. Letting you lead such a life is a nightmare for me. With the current situation, if I survive, I will fight to the death and come back to your side. If I die in battle, you don''t need to retrieve my corpse, take Ge Ya and find a good place to live in peace.


    He spoke in a way that made Zhuang Li feel even more uneasy. Judging from the situation outside, it was not too good either. He suddenly didn''t know what to say.


    She watched Xi Cuo turn around and leave with a resolute back. She never thought that it would be a long time before she would speak to Xi Cuo again after this conversation.

 C36

    It had been half a month since Xi Cuo and the King left Fanbo City, and the situation of the battle continued to be transmitted from the front, making the situation of the West Cold even more dire. Every day, there would be a large number of refugees entering the Fanbo City, so Zhuang Li activated his King Xiao''s Palace to allow the refugees to stay in and provide them with food.


    In an instant, the hall was filled with people sleeping in the corridors. Zhuang Li felt sad when she saw that the youths had all gone to war, leaving behind only the elderly, women, and children who were waiting for their food.


    Qing You counted the refugees and the news in front of him throughout the day as she helped Grandma Jingshui cook porridge for everyone in the kitchen. Zhuang Li arranged for doctors to treat the injured. She was extremely busy. She looked up at the dark winter sky. She slowly circled around the sky as if she was looking for the owner of the letter.


    Not long after, it saw Zhuang Li descend gracefully and gracefully, and stably stopped on Zhuang Li''s arm.


    Zhuang Li originally thought that this letter was news about the battle ahead, but when it landed on Zhuang Li''s shoulder, she realized that this letter was different.


    It was Luo Lihua''s Condor...


    Zhuang Li quickly took out the letter from the bamboo tube beneath her feet. Then, he happily called for Ge Ya.


    "Pear Blossom and Young Master Loulan have already returned to the West Cold. It''s just that the situation is too chaotic for them to enter the Fanbo City right now. "Settle down in the nearby Holy Xiao City. When the time is right, immediately come and reunite with us."


    "Even though the situation is so dilapidated, with Luo Li words and Young Master Loulan, a merchant dancing prostitute, we can''t help too much with West Cold. In the end, however, having a friend can still give us ideas." Ge Ya was also overjoyed. There were too few things that could make her happy recently. The hundreds of refugees residing in King Xiao''s Palace were already in a mess, there was no longer the dignity of the palace.


    The only thing he was afraid of was that the capital city was already in such a state. Presumably, the border territories had already turned into a mess.


    With the consolation of Luo Lihua coming back, Zhuang Li''s heart felt so warm that it was as if she had the feelings of a family member. After all, the Young Master Loulan had many spies in the area, so he would definitely bring them some news.


    Although they heard the cries of the refugees in the city, the West Cold army had been forced to retreat step by step, and now they were retreating towards the Aroma Swallowing City. If he failed to defend the Aroma Swallowing City, there would definitely be more refugees ¡­


    It was said that one of the frontlines of the Great Phoenix had a General Li who was an expert in producing Elite Armaments. The army that he led was extremely aggressive, and many of the West Cold soldiers were at a disadvantage because of him.


    Zhuang Li could not bear to listen any longer. She did not know how long Xi Cuo and the old king were able to hold on, or whether they would be able to survive.


    At night, Zhuang Li did not sleep soundly, she only hugged the blanket on the bed and leaned it on the chair to rest her head. Qing You was also extremely tired, hence she curled up into a ball in the corner of the bed.


    After sleeping for an unknown amount of time, Zhuang Li suddenly heard an anxious knock on the door accompanied by crying. She quickly got up, put on a jacket and hurried to open the door. Ge Ya threw herself onto her body.


    "Second Brother is in trouble. father died in battle too ¡­ "


    "What did you say?" Xi Cuo? "King?"


    Behind Ge Ya was a guard whose body was drenched in blood. Zhuang Li''s hands were also covered in blood, and immediately felt that the situation was not good.


    Ge Ya did not bother to explain anymore as she pulled Zhuang Li towards her pavilion.


    "Great Phoenix knows of the secret passageway in the Aroma Swallowing City. His Highness Xi Cuo has been robbed right on the spot. The King has died in battle, and we had to risk our lives to send the severely injured Prince back to his Fanbo City in the middle of the night ¡­ The prince is seriously hurt... At this point ¡­ "It''s unknown whether he''s dead or alive ¡­"


    Zhuang Li had never thought that seeing Xi Cuo in such a situation, he was lying on the bed, his armor stained with blood, without feeling anything, just like a corpse.


    The doctor was bandaging him. The white gauze was continuously dyed red, almost covering him in layers. The basin beside him that was washing his hands was also filled with blood. Who knew how much of it had been left.


    Adding in the news that the old king had died in battle, Ge Ya almost cried until she fainted.


    "In that case, the Aroma Swallowing City have already been occupied?"


    The guard lowered his head, unwilling to speak further.


    "When His Highness Xi Cuo regained consciousness, he told us to definitely rush back into the Fanbo City to send you and Princess Ge Ya out of the Fanbo City. The Great Phoenix Army was about to arrive. "If you do not leave now, it will be too late!"


    "I am the daughter of West Cold, the father has collapsed, my brother has collapsed, and I am the princess of West Cold, how can I leave!"


    "Your Highness, this matter is to protect the royal blood, and is also Your Highness Xi Cuo''s wish. I hope that you do not act rashly!"


    The guard reached out to grab the eunuch and said, "Princess has offended many of you. Princess Xi Cuo knew that you would definitely not listen, but he also didn''t want you to fall into the hands of Da Feng. That would also be an insult to our West Cold."


    However, the person he was facing was a princess after all, so he didn''t dare to seriously grab her and let her dodge.


    Ge Ya turned and picked up a pair of scissors, pointing it at her neck, she said with an incomparably vicissitudes of life and grief ¡­


    "No one will be able to take me away. Nothing will happen to my West Cold, and Big Brother will be fine as well."


    Zhuang Li quickly stood up and looked at Zhuang Li as she carefully comforted her ¡­


    "There''s no problem, we won''t leave, Xi Cuo won''t leave either. Don''t do anything stupid, you still have too many things to do right now."


    That Ge Ya instantly softened up, the scissors fell to the ground and rolled to the side. Zhuang Li pulled her, "Go and guard outside, I have something to tell Xi Cuo.


    She naturally had mixed feelings in her heart. She sat on the bedside and looked at the unconscious Xi Cuo in the bandage. This man in front of her, used to be such a brilliant prince. She even thought of marrying him ¡­


    If the West Cold had already been broken through, then it would probably only take two days for them to rush to the Fanbo City place. Since the Fanbo City had no power, they naturally had no chance of winning at all, and it wouldn''t even take half a day before it was broken.


    What Da Feng wanted was Ge Ya and the compromise he had with his West Cold. What should she do now?


    It was the first time she took the initiative to hold Xi Cuo''s hand. Those hands were badly mutilated, but today, it was warm and reliable.


    "What should I do, Xi Cuo?"


    Since she came to this world, Xi Cuo and his sister had practically become her support once he reached the West Cold. Now that they were in trouble, there was nothing he could do.


    She closed her eyes, thinking how great it would be if none of this happened ¡­


    The morning sun had already risen. She pushed open the door and made her final decision. The first thing she saw was the guard waiting outside ¡­


    "Where''s Ge Ya?"


    "The princess went to Nanny Jingshui''s room."


    "Follow me," She quickly pushed open the door to nanny''s room. Ge Ya still sat there, stunned as if she had been possessed, with a small bottle of medicine in front of her. nanny was standing behind her, looking the same as Ge Ya, unfazed by death. Zhuang Li immediately understood and pushed Ge Ya away.


    "What are you doing? I said that Xi Cuo will be fine. You still have Xi Cuo, and the entire West Cold!"


    Ge Ya also struggled as if she had gone mad, "I am the daughter of West Cold, so I naturally want to live and die with West Cold. If even West Cold is gone, what''s the point of me going to Da Feng?"


    Zhuang Li flipped the small bottle over and the water in it spilled all over the floor. In an instant, bubbles started to form on the ground.


    "If you are the Ge Ya that I know, then don''t give up now, have you forgotten? You still have me.


    She stood up and pulled Ge Ya up, the nanny followed behind.


    She walked all the way to the room where Xi Cuo was lying in, and backed Ge Ya up.


    "As long as he is fine, you must live well."


    "Big brother, big brother is already like this!"


    "You should call him Your Majesty now ¡­"


    Ge Ya was dazed for a moment, and then she understood. It was as if she had seen hope again ¡­


    "Take Xi Cuo and go to the Holy Xiao City to look for Pear Blossom. She will arrange for all of you.


    Only now did Ge Ya regain her senses. Her words were clear, carrying the majesty of a princess as she spoke with authority and authority ¡­


    "From today onwards, Xi Cuo will be the king of the nation of West Cold. The remaining warriors of the nation of West Cold will definitely follow him with their lives!"


    The remaining soldiers and the maids in the room heard his words clearly, and they all knelt down to pay their respects to the new king.


    "Time waits for no one, you guys hurry up and leave." Zhuang Li urged, and let the guards carry Xi Cuo who was still unconscious and bandaged.


    "Little Li, what about you? You won''t come with us? "


    "I have my own arrangements. Don''t worry, I will definitely calm the Phoenix Dynasty down for now."


    Ge Ya was suspicious, as if she did not believe it, and still wanted to say something. However, Zhuang Li interrupted him: "Let''s go right now. Holy Xiao City is going to look for Luo Lihua. Take care of yourself on the way, I''ll come over to meet you after I finish my work."


    Ge Ya had already sensed that something was amiss, and naturally, she was unwilling to comply. Zhuang Li shot a glance at the guard behind him, and at such a critical juncture, the guard naturally couldn''t care less whether or not he offended his princess.


    "Li ¡­" She spoke softly and fell backwards into the arms of the imperial bodyguard.


    Zhuang Li turned and asked Qing You.


    "Do you want to go with them?"


    "Of course I want to go with the young lady." As Qing You spoke, his eyes were filled with tears ¡­


    "What if I die for sure?"


    "I also have to serve Miss."


    " Qing You, from today onwards, you will have to call me your highness the princess. "

 C37

    If there was anything new in this day and night, it would be probably because Qing You hurriedly ran over the next morning to say that the bay horse had given birth to a pony.


    Zhuang Li hurried over to the stable and saw a small, thin and weak girl trying to stagger her way up from the pile of rice.


    Indeed, it was as colorful as the run-away horse from Ying Hua City, and there was a tuft of white fur on its forehead. He did not inherit any of the fine lineage of the bay horse. He always seemed to find it funny.


    "If we want to leave this Fanbo City, then bring it with us." Qing You pleaded and pulled at Zhuang Li''s sleeves.


    "Why did you bring it?"


    "I think it''s beautiful!" Qing You rolled into the stable and touched the little bastard''s head as if he was a treasure. The horse was not afraid of her, using its head to rub against Qing You''s palm.


    "This is a mess. If it was left behind, it definitely would not be able to survive. Once its Fanbo City has been broken through, it would be eaten by wolves if it was exiled to the grasslands." Qing You looked at Zhuang Li. She was still a child.


    "Alright, alright, alright. I''ll listen to you. You can give her a name."


    Qing You immediately smiled brightly, as if she had obtained some treasure.


    "Call it Little Flower, look at its fur. It looks like a feather duster!"


    She happily went to carry the small horse. The horse had already stood up and was drinking the milk of the horse.


    Not only did the Great Phoenix Army grasp the secret passage from the Great Phoenix to the Aroma Swallowing City, they had also grasped the other secret passages from the other cities. Previously, they had only pretended that they didn''t know anything and fought with the West Cold Army. The West Cold army retreated step by step. They had already left for the great market, and now they could only watch as the Great Phoenix army invaded again and again.


    Three days after Ge Ya left, the Great Phoenix Army arrived at the Fanbo City Sect. Just as Zhuang Li finished arranging her luggage, she got Qing You to carve a letter for the Great Phoenix Army that was outside the city gates.


    Princess Ge Ya agreed to the marriage alliance. If the Great Phoenix Army promised to not hurt the citizens of the city, Ge Ya was willing to open the door to welcome them.


    "But Miss, we can''t hide it any longer. Although Princess Ge Ya has the blood of the Great Phoenix, her appearance still has some of the characteristics of West Cold. As long as they can see your face under the veil, they will naturally understand that you are fake.


    "There''s one more person who can help us." Zhuang Li glanced at Qing You, who was puzzled.


    "Third Prince ¡­"


    The continuous retreat of the West Cold Army caused that once overweeningly arrogant prince to be on the verge of collapse. When Zhuang Li rushed to his residence, he was in the midst of losing her temper. His princess was standing in a corner trembling in fear, the ground full of coral jade artifacts that had been smashed by him.


    The weather was very cold and he was only wearing a thin inner layer. His hair was not tied up and was disheveled as it draped over the sides. The moment he turned around, he saw a manor wearing red clothes and a veil, he naturally thought it was Ge Ya.


    "What are you doing here now?"


    "I''m here to see how you''re doing." "No matter what, you are still my blood brother." Zhuang Li smiled under her veil.


    The Third Prince glared at her fiercely, as if she wanted to kill him with her gaze. After going through the ordeal of almost obtaining the throne, he could only watch as the throne fell into Xi Cuo''s hands. Now that his West Cold had been defeated and desolate to such an extent, he was very soon about to become a prisoner of the Great Phoenix, so naturally, he couldn''t go against anyone else.


    "So what did you get? Can''t you be like me now? He would soon become a stray dog! Do you think that Xi Cuo can come and save you? "I''m afraid he can''t even protect himself. My informants told me that he was seriously injured."


    Zhuang Li looked at the man in front of him coldly: "Big Brother, have your spies told you about the death of father?"


    Third Prince obviously didn''t know about this news, but his eyes suddenly lost all of its light. Zhuang Li couldn''t tell if it was because the King had passed away or because the King had passed away, but the throne wasn''t his.


    He tremblingly walked a few steps, as if he wanted to convince Zhuang Li to tell him that this news was not true.


    But now that the West Cold had reached such a stage, he naturally understood that Ge Ya would no longer deceive him, and it would no longer have any meaning.


    Just as Zhuang Li was still thinking about how to persuade him to help her, Third Prince was already kneeling on the ground, and let out a sorrowful cry.


    In that instant, Zhuang Li also seemed to have realized that he was a prince of West Cold, and that the blood flowing in his body was the same as Ge Ya''s.


    "Big brother, big brother, if you''re still a prince of West Cold, help West Cold out. This can also be considered to be comforting father''s spirit in heaven."


    "The father is gone, and the West Cold is also dead." He walked towards the door like a desolate old man. He staggered and fell to the ground once more. Even though his wangfei was afraid, she immediately came over to help him up.


    "But you are still here. As long as I agree to marry Da Feng, then we can stabilize Da Feng and stop her attacks. Now that Da Feng is at the gates of the city, you only need to open the city gates and send me out."


    He did not speak, and did not seem to have heard Zhuang Li''s words. Zhuang Li walked up to him in a few steps, and blocked his path. Third Prince''s eyes were empty, as though his mind was already wandering around.


    She reached out and grabbed his shoulder, trying to summon his spirit back.


    "With the current state of the West Cold, it actually did not die. As a prince, if you are unable to protect the safety of this West Cold, you still have to protect this side of the citizens from the flames of war! "


    His gaze slowly returned to Zhuang Li and said.


    "You can go by yourself, but you still want to drag me into it?"


    "Because ¡­" Zhuang Li took a step forward and lifted her veil for him to see.


    It was only then that Third Prince saw under the veil that it was not his own sister Ge Ya. He was stunned for a moment, but then he understood the intention of Zhuang Li''s action. Shock, shame, various expressions mixed together, but in the end they all calmed down.


    "Third Prince, you only need to guarantee that they won''t take off my veil before I reach the Great Phoenix."


    " This subject, Ling Que, greets Princess. Together with General Li, we have come to escort the princess to the Great Phoenix. "


    " My sister married the Great Phoenix Emperor, so naturally, this veil should be lifted by you, the Great Phoenix Emperor.


    " Then, how are you going to prove that the lady in the carriage is Princess Ge Ya? " The one who spoke was General Li, and his voice was incredibly young, as if he was still a youth.


    " "Third brother." Zhuang Li stretched out her hand and intentionally revealed the tattoo on her wrist that was identical to Ge Ya for everyone to see.


    " This subject naturally did not dare to be surprised by the princess'' beauty. General Li was reckless. Ling Que apologized to the princess on his behalf.


    The pony couldn''t go too far, so Qing You carried it into the carriage most of the time. Zhuang Li did not say a word, but she and the little pony had become good friends.


    Qing You did not know of Zhuang Li''s plan, she only thought that it was her plan to wait until Da Feng came.


    " Qing You, I''m thirsty, go and find me some water. "


    Even with the help of Pear Blossom and the Young Master Loulan, as well as the persuasion and visits, and the borrowing of friends, Ge Ya still needed to buy more time for her West Cold to preserve her lifeline.


    And the only way, was for a fake Princess of West Cold like her to be unable to reach the Great Phoenix. Furthermore, they even destroyed the corpses to make them believe that the one who had died was the real Princess Ge Ya.


    Zhuang Li closed her eyes as tears continuously flowed down her face, landing on Ge Ya''s red robe. Too many feelings lurked in her heart.


    Xi Cuo, Ge Ya. Qing You...


    Maybe I really am going back this time ¡­


    Zhuang Li threw the candle into the box.


    The explosion that she imagined did not happen, only lasted for a second, and after two seconds, Zhuang Li opened her eyes, and the candle had already been extinguished ¡­

 C38

    All of a sudden, there were torches that lit up around him, giving him a scare, and even the curtains of the carriage was opened, and the light that was released for that moment was so bright that Zhuang Li was unable to open her eyes.


    "Legend has it that Princess Ge Ya is the sun of Fanbo City, the treasure of a king. As Ling Que said that, he stuck his head into the carriage and used the fire tripod to walk around.


    "Princess likes special things so I was prepared for it. I just didn''t expect her to bring a whole box of explosives as a dowry ¡­" "Huh?" His "ah" sounded both meaningful and teasing. His empty hand was just about to touch Zhuang Li''s veil.


    "Don''t touch me!" Zhuang Li bellowed, and could not help but retreat and touch the wall of the carriage. Qing You had already returned, seeing the scene, the water bag fell to the ground and sprinkled.


    "Princess, princess!" She ran up the carriage and blocked Ling Que outside. One look at the explosives and she understood that Zhuang Li told her to go get water in order to protect her life.


    Ling Que also calmly raised his hand back, "This humble one shall advise the princess, that the explosives are a dangerous object after all, and the princess is not young anymore so she should be sensible and stop playing around with them. If anything happens to them, I will not go back and report." He looked at Zhuang Li meaningfully again, and took out a bunch of lead wires from her arms. It was the lead thread that Zhuang Li had placed in the box previously. Ling Que had unknowingly pulled it out, no wonder why it did not explode. Ling Que was already prepared!


    Since the princess has agreed to the request of the great Feng for marriage, please take care of yourself and do not harm her body. Since this subject had promised Xi Liang that he would protect the princess'' safety, he naturally had to do everything in his power to ensure that the princess would be safely brought back to the Great Phoenix. Princess, please treat this matter seriously, please don''t ¡­ "It hurt our relationship ¡­


    His words were more like a warning to Zhuang Li not to act recklessly. Zhuang Li was furious, but she had nothing to say.


    Since Ling Que had said enough, he naturally closed the curtain and went out. Zhuang Li went soft and fell down from her seat.


    She closed his eyes. It seemed that Ling Que was very capable, and it would be difficult for his to find a way to cure him. If he returned to the Great Phoenix. Not only would he die, he would also implicate Ge Ya and Xi Cuo at that time.


    Ever since that day, the number of people who guarded Zhuang Li seemed to have lessened, and only Ling Que and General Li stayed around Zhuang Li''s carriage all day, as if warning him not to make unnecessary struggles.


    had naturally seen that before, when he came to deliver the message using the West Cold as an envoy, she had thought that was very bold, and now, Zhuang Li only hated him to the point that his teeth were itching. It was only because Ge Ya wanted to settle the score with him that day, why did she stop Ge Ya. Killing him as soon as possible would save him the need to torture him today.


    Not only was he always ridiculing Zhuang Li for being too naive, she also made Zhuang Li give up on the thought of suicide. She was just like an old granny who caused Zhuang Li to feel annoyed. She had even asked boring questions for a long time.


    For example, do you all wear veils when you sleep? or perhaps there were so many women with West Cold, had only husbands ever seen their appearances? There was even a strange question about which brothel''s girls were the most beautiful in West Cold?


    Zhuang Li rolled his eyes countless times under her veil.


    He had been chattering non-stop to Zhuang Li at the side of the horse carriage, it was more annoying than gossiping women. Zhuang Li did not know how she felt that he only brought a few porters with him to the West Cold with him. She was just a f * cking lecherous lunatic. Would he know that it was dangerous? He came to West Cold as if she was playing.


    But Zhuang Li was still very afraid of him. Ling Que was too smart, so smart that he did not even have a chance to commit suicide.


    The other General Li was different. He was a young man, and was also kind. There was a fundamental difference between him and Ling Que who was in his thirties.


    Zhuang Li only roughly heard that he was someone close to the emperor, and was very trusted by the emperor to be her guard. It was the young general appointed by the Emperor. She had also accomplished great things by coming to West Cold, so he would definitely receive an extremely heavy reward.


    Compared to Ling Que, he was much more pure and kind, spoke very little, and would occasionally let the soldiers silently bring him two quilts. His subordinates were extremely convinced of his abilities. They heard that even though he was young, he was already an expert in martial arts.


    Ling Que would make fun of him when he was empty, so he was not angry.


    All of these naturally had nothing to do with Zhuang Li. From the moment she left the Fanbo City, she no longer had any intentions of surviving. She had been taken care of by Xi Cuo and Ge Ya for an entire eight years, so she should naturally take care of them as well. Zhuang Li sat in the carriage, the scenes in front of her were like the passing lanterns and the theater in her life, playing out bits and pieces.


    From the moment she crossed over to this era.


    She thought that maybe she didn''t love Xi Cuo from the beginning and didn''t love him in the end either. However, there were too many reasons that prevented her from making such a choice.


    She gave Third Prince a letter, telling him to bring it to Xi Cuo. The fate written above is over. Don''t look for her. Don''t ask about her. Think of her as dead.


    When she saw the look in Third Prince''s eyes, she knew that no matter how long it would take, this letter would definitely be delivered into Xi Cuo''s hands.


    And now the problem with life was. She never seemed to have a chance to kill herself again.


    Then he could only follow them back to the capital? Where did she come from?


    Back then, when she left the capital, she still remembered clearly what kind of state of mind she had. Zhao Mansion was not her home to her, and furthermore, she was not going back to the capital as the pure Zhao Ci. She was going into the palace.


    The moment after her veil was her death.


    They were on their way. At the end of the desert was Guan Shan. They entered the territory of the Great Phoenix.


    If she had to be executed, what could she do to not implicate Qing You?


    She opened the curtain, and saw that Little Flower had already spread her legs and was running around the horse, just like her father. She was jumping up and down, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, completely unaware of how much stamina she had saved.


    Zhuang Li watched raptly, she did not expect that General Li was also looking at Little Flower.


    "Princess, I don''t know where you got this colt, but its strength is extremely astonishing."


    "Zhuang Li smiled. Then she will give it to General Li. "There shouldn''t be a place for me to raise a horse in the palace. It would be a pity if I were to become a small wild horse."


    General Li was startled, he did not expect that he would simply ask the princess for a horse. He continued, "There is naturally a place in the Imperial Palace for the princess to raise horses. If you have just gone to find it strange or inconvenient, I can naturally help you raise horses. When the princess feels that it''s appropriate, I''ll send it over to her."


    "Alright, as you wish." Zhuang Li closed the curtains and sat back down, in the carriage.


    She had been sleeping worse lately, often all night long. He was finally tired during the day, but he was also in the middle of a bumpy journey, so he really couldn''t sleep peacefully.


    Seeing that she was in pain, Qing You massaged the acupuncture points on her palm at night.


    Zhuang Li still had many things she did not understand. This situation looked like the secret West Cold was something Da Feng knew about from the very beginning. Wang Su? If there was Wang Su''s intention to reorganize the West Cold this time, then why didn''t he lead the troops? He had always been a competitive person.


    Of the soldiers that came down from the West Cold Battlefield, they had never heard the words "Prince Su" before.


    She opened her eyes, but she still could not fall asleep. Her mind was filled with questions and worries. The person who was about to die was still thinking too much. How laughable ¡­


    She shook her head, mocking herself.


    Although the borders were still barren and barren, it could be seen that the security here was at least better than before. The horse carriage passed by a town. Although the people on the street were dressed simply, they were all clean and felt that the hearts of the people were at peace.


    The Great Phoenix had already become like this. No one knew whose credit it was.


    She had changed a lot in the past few years, but the more she changed, the more refined she became. She looked in the mirror, but could not find any trace of Zhao Ci. It felt like she was a completely different person. If they were to walk on the streets, would Prime Minister Zhao be able to recognize him?


    The only explanation was what she had said to Zhao Ci''s mother: My daughter, once she grows up, will definitely be as beautiful as me ¡­


    A group of people headed east, passing many towns along the way. It had already become vastly different from the atmosphere of that West Cold.


    After travelling for half a month and not a single day, she finally arrived at the foot of the capital.


    After parting for eight years, who knew what sort of scene it would be in the capital.


    When the commoners saw the General Li, they started to make a commotion. It seemed that the General Li was already a well-known household name in the capital.


    The fact that the Princess of West Cold had come to the Great Phoenix to be their protector was naturally something that everyone knew. There were cheers along the way, but none of them had any good intentions. The General Li did not care about them, and went closer to the carriage.


    "Princess, please don''t bother with them. The Emperor will definitely treat you well."


    "Why would I bother with them? General Li is overthinking it ¡­"


    She was already a person on the verge of death. The moment she saw the emperor, she was a death sentence that would cause Da Feng to continue chasing after Ge Ya, but she believed that Ge Ya and the rest would have already found a way to deal with her.


    Moreover, it might also implicate General Li and Ling Que, saying that they were doing poorly, etc.


    But now, he had no choice but to brace himself and face such an end.


    The palace door opened, and the General Li led the way in. The twelve palace doors were opened layer after layer, but to Zhuang Li, this was the sound of death.


    Watching himself walk towards death without being able to stop it was not a pleasant feeling.


    The morning assembly was already over, so the Princess of West Cold could not be left outside the palace. She could only bring them into the palace and have them report back at the same time.


    The emperor was at the Heart Nurturing Palace, and when Qing You came out of Zhuang Li''s residence, in that instant, she almost fell down. She stood outside the Heart Nurturing Palace and waited. At this time, only young eunuch was passing by in a hurry, and General Li entered with Ling Que for a long time. It was so long that Zhuang Li almost thought that the emperor would not meet her again today.


    At this moment, the shrill and high-pitched voice of a eunuch came from inside the room.


    "Announce Princess of West Cold to the palace!"


    Following that, another young eunuch came out to support her and bring her inside. Zhuang Li walked slowly, step by step. She looked around, only to find that they were all glittering in gold.


    She knelt before the Emperor and waited for the hand to pull his veil away. The emperor seemed to be slightly impatient as he took off her veil. He glanced at her and looked at Ling Que and General Li with a strange expression.


    In that moment, the two men also saw the appearance of Zhuang Li under the veil, and they knelt down on the ground with a normal sound.


    Zhuang Li also raised her eyes to the emperor in the moment of his death, and looked like she had been petrified.


    She should have thought of this long ago, but she didn''t believe it because she felt it was impossible ¡­


    She had asked about the title of Prince Su in the Great Phoenix and had received a negative answer. She had also wondered why Prince Su didn''t go forth to battle, but it seemed like Da Feng was extremely familiar with the secret profound pathways ¡­


    There was only one reason for all of this.


    That reason was now right in front of him ¡­


    Emperor Feng ¡­ It was not the Prince Bi that was previously blessed and favored by the heavens ¡­ Rather, it was Wang Su ¡­


    II. Dreamscape Courtyard

 C39

    Zhuang Li was still sweating when she thought about what happened that day. She was brought to see the Emperor in a Heart Nurturing Palace by a young eunuch, and actually discovered that the Emperor was indeed Wang Su, who had accompanied her to the West Cold eight years ago. It was only a glance, but it was as if it had been etched into her mind''s eye, and his appearance had awoken from its memories, living right before her eyes. Wang Su looked at the two old men who had sent the princess back to the Great Phoenix with suspicion and shock due to Zhuang Li''s expression.


    When the two of them saw Zhuang Li''s face, they instantly knelt down normally.


    Ling Que shouted: "It''s this subject''s mistake, this is not Princess of West Cold! "Your majesty, please punish me!"


    The General Li also kowtowed, not daring to raise his head and said, "Your Majesty, please let this girl go. I''m willing to use all of my military merits to exchange for her life ¡­"


    could not understand this sudden change, and he was also stunned.


    Zhuang Li originally thought that Wang Su would also recognize her, but when she raised her head, she still saw the indifferent expression in Wang Su''s eyes. Knowing that his appearance had changed too much, Wang Su naturally did not recognize him.


    In the end, she was led around the palace by a eunuch for a long time, layer after layer. She knew that they were probably going to the harem, but after walking for nearly two hours, it was probably the most remote place in the harem. If there was a concubine that lived here, it was likely that the emperor would never come here again for the rest of his life ¡­


    The sun had already completely set, and only the palace lights that still hung above her head were as far as if they were floating in the night sky. She was not able to accompany Qing You when she was summoned into the palace, and when she left, she was stopped by a eunuch.


    At this moment, she was the only one following the old eunuch on the road. Her heart was in turmoil and she was worrying about too many things. The deeper he went, the calmer his heart became. When he reached the end of the courtyard, even the palace lights were gone.


    She couldn''t clearly see what was happening, and could only vaguely follow the eunuch. They entered a small courtyard and opened a door to let her in.


    "Emperor''s words." Let Princess of West Cold stay here first. "


    Zhuang Li quickly asked: "Eunuch, where is the young maid that I brought with me?"


    The old eunuch''s tone was extremely haughty as he said, "How would I know? You''ll stay here for now." He turned and left without leaving a single palace lamp for Zhuang Li. After taking two steps, he turned around and said, "Those people who live here, don''t even think about anything else. "Think less, maybe you can live a little longer." He left as if he didn''t want to stay a second longer. Only Zhuang Li was left alone in the courtyard surrounded by darkness.


    Her eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, and the moonlight was bright before she entered the low door. Everything in front of her was as black as churning paste. It took her a long time to find the bed with only some straw on it.


    There was a small table beside it. Half a candle had been found on the table, but there was no sign of a fire. He could only give up as he lay on the bed, fully clothed, looking at the moonlight that seeped through the hole in the window.


    The weather was still as cold as ever, but there was nothing she could do. She shivered as she curled up tighter, but she still continued to tremble. He had not slept the entire night. She was almost frozen stiff. There were still too many questions inside her mind, but she couldn''t understand them. She kept shivering, and even wondered if the emperor just wanted to freeze her to death like this.


    The morning sky had finally brightened up. Zhuang Li got up and walked out of the house, the climate of the Great Phoenix was initially much better than her West Cold, although it was still extremely cold, she looked around. She felt that the place she was living in was an extremely dilapidated courtyard, it seemed like the residence of a servant.


    There was only a simple bed and a small table in the room. There were piles of soil in front of the door. It seemed like there were plants in the past, but most of them were already dead and covered with weeds. Even the roof of the shingle was overgrown with weeds. She was hungry to the point where her stomach rumbled, but there was no one to give her food. Even the mirror didn''t know how messy it was right now. She could only continue to wear her veil.


    Outside the courtyard was a series of walls, which was also where she had come from yesterday. There was a wooden door there, and the eunuch had brought her here from this very wooden door. With a push, she discovered that it was locked!


    It looked like she wasn''t in prison, but she was still a prisoner after all ¡­


    She was sitting by the wooden door. The palace wall above her head was so high that she could only see the four corners of the sky. If one were in the West Cold, there would be hawks flying, and one would be able to see very far into the distance, all the way until they saw the rolling clouds in the horizon.


    After sitting until noon, she finally heard some footsteps from far away, and gently shattered them as she walked in her direction. Naturally, Zhuang Li once again tensed up, not knowing what was going on this time.


    Then, someone unlocked the door and carefully complained that it was too far away. If it was even slightly further away, it would be out of the palace.


    Zhuang Li felt that it was funny, but she still waited at the door respectfully. She thought to herself, why would the Emperor come to a place like this? Even if there was something she had to announce in front of her, she would first recall her to the palace before announcing it to her.


    When the door opened, it was the same old eunuch from yesterday, leading a few people. Then Qing You rushed out, wailing and crying as she threw herself into her embrace.


    The old eunuch stood there, barely glancing at her, but since she was wearing a veil, no one could see her face.


    "The emperor has ordered that the Peach Blossom Academy be rewarded to the Princess of West Cold, there''s no need to pay respects to the empress every day."


    Zhuang Li directly knelt on the ground and did not move for a long time. The eunuch rolled his eyes and reminded her: "Thank you!"


    Zhuang Li then suddenly realized something, "I thank the Emperor for his grace!"


    Her two large chests were carried in by a few eunuchs, and another chest was carried in. It was probably for food and clothing. A nanny brought out a box of rice and placed it on the ground.


    They were too lazy to even enter the courtyard, so they placed these items all over the place at the entrance. It seemed like he didn''t want to come either.


    "You should just live in peace. This Plum Blossom Courtyard is rather dilapidated and quiet. Let''s see what you think." The old eunuch finally gave her a glance, and then he picked up his whisk with both hands. He led the group of people away in a grandiose manner.


    This time, he actually locked the door.


    "Qing You, Qing You." Zhuang Li hurriedly carried the child, who had originally been crying a mess, into her arms. Ever since she had woken up from the Zhao Mansion, and spent time with this child everyday, even if they had to part even after parting for a bit, he had never let her face this situation alone.


    Qing You also immediately felt wronged and rushed over, hugging onto Zhuang Li and not letting go.


    She had to put in a lot of effort to move the chest and things back to the courtyard. Qing You didn''t feel sad at all when she saw the dilapidated courtyard. She followed Zhuang Li like a child and felt that it was already not bad that the two of them were still alive.


    "After you left, the emperor and General Li Ling Que chatted for a long time inside the hall. I don''t know what to say, and only after a long time did he summon me in.


    "What did you say?"


    "I only said that Miss and I were servants who grew up in the Princess''s residence and that we had no parents and that Miss and the Princess could get along quite well. We were like sisters, so naturally we had to help the Princess. They didn''t ask about anything else, they just made me kneel at the entrance of the hall for the whole night.


    General Li seems to be helping the young miss speak up, I wonder what you are planning. "


    Zhuang Li did not understand either, could it be that General Li had already fallen in love with her at first sight? Or was it because he couldn''t bear to spend time with her along the way? Could it be a long-lived relationship?


    She couldn''t understand, but according to this, Wang Su''s attitude towards her, this fake, was extremely blurry. He had not given her the treatment of a real princess, nor had he exposed that she was not a princess. Could it be that he wanted to imprison her to see the reaction of the West Cold first?


    Even though she arrived at the palace in the evening yesterday, news of this meeting should have already spread throughout the city. Did the emperor lock her up to prevent her from wandering around or to prevent others from inquiring about her?


    If it had been a crime, she would have been sentenced to death a long time ago. The Emperor acknowledged her as a princess, but only with a quiet acquiescence. He didn''t know what he was planning to do.


    The famous West Cold clansmen were carefree and open-minded. Even with their personality, they had caused such a ruckus because of the throne, let alone the people from the Central Plains who had lost their way because of so many playthings. Zhuang Li naturally could not understand. Presumably, the reason Wang Su was able to push away the Prince Bi Lord, who was the pride of the past, to ascend to the throne was because he had experienced a bloody storm and was not simple. He naturally had his own reasons for making such arrangements.


    She and Qing You started to pack up the few boxes. Ge Ya''s boxes were arranged by Zhuang Li just now, and were just Ge Ya''s dowry, gold ornaments and jade artifacts. Now that they were opened, they were not touched, but since she was living here, there was no need to wear them, and there was no need to set them up. Zhuang Li closed the box and pushed it under the bed.


    The chest the eunuch brought over contained daily necessities: copper mirrors, Phoenix Dynasty clothing, water basins, etc. The workmanship was not excellent, so it was likely to be a gift to the palace maids.


    There was a well in the corner of the yard, and after cleaning the leaves on it, the water quality was still clear. They filled the well with water and wiped the whole house clean.


    The box was filled to the brim with one day''s worth of food. It was so simple that it could be considered a dish. Even though it was already cold and they had been starving for a long time, they still ate with relish.


    Qing You suddenly asked about Zhuang Li after eating her fill.


    "Miss, then the emperor is the Wang Su we met on the way to the West Cold, right?"


    When these words came out, Zhuang Li wasn''t prepared at all. She originally thought that Qing You was young at the time and wouldn''t remember, but she never expected that she actually knew it clearly in her heart.


    "Yes, but we can''t say." Zhuang Li looked at her seriously, and as if she understood her meaning, she obediently nodded.


    It was a secret that Wang Su would go to the West Cold in such a sorry state, so he would naturally not admit it. If Wang Su recognized her, then he would naturally know that she was actually the little daughter of the Prime Minister Zhao.


    The piece of jade that Wang Su had given her was at the bottom of the box beneath the bed. Who knew what sort of twists and turns they had gone through, or how many people''s blood they had been stained with.


    In the end, it was as though she didn''t know him ¡­

 C40

    Although the Plum Garden was called a Plum Garden, it did not have a single Plum Blossom. Zhuang Li and Qing You cleaned up the soil pile in the center of the courtyard, which were all weeds and thorns, and burned the weeds and grasses after throwing them at the entrance of the courtyard to dry. After that, they cleaned up the soil and stacked it against the walls.


    After finishing all these tasks, it was already the beginning of spring ¡­


    Every day, when the nanny who delivered the food unlocked the door, Qing You would run out of the courtyard and wait at the far door when she heard the sound. The nanny was dressed in palace clothes, and a withered wooden claw extended out from the layers of sleeves.


    It seemed that the Princess of West Cold had already become the unlucky thing in this deep courtyard. Zhuang Li laughed and said, "This way is good too, I won''t be dragged into the battle of the palace, and I won''t be left in peace. I just don''t know how long I''ll be able to live in this life. "


    The number of dishes was not small. It was a one-day gift at a time. Spring was still very cold. young eunuch sent some charcoal over, and the room finally started to exude some heat.


    She only stayed with Qing You the whole day, and when she talked about Zhao Mansion, most of the time was naturally regarding Brightmoon Restaurant. She didn''t know how Ge Ya and Xi Cuo were doing, but she couldn''t get a single bit of information on them.


    The life of the people was also very different from that of the people. If the Great Phoenix were to take over, then naturally, it would be asking for trouble, and even if the West Cold could not beat the Great Feng, it would naturally be a small rebellion that could not be stopped.


    The main reason for the West Cold attack was probably because the rise of West Cold had been too fast in recent years, and the surrounding small nations had been constantly moving closer to it, with him as the king. If he continued to develop like this, then Da Feng might not be able to control the West Cold any longer.


    Moreover, in the last ten years, ever since West Cold had risen up, they had constantly harassed the borders of the Great Phoenix. The sale of human beings and stealing and burning of human beings were endless, and they were like a flea that caused the Great Phoenix to feel uncomfortable.


    Wang Su did not truly want to marry the Princess of West Cold, it was just that if he wanted to make West Cold submit to him for a long time, he would naturally need a proton, and could be at peace. Now that his West Cold had been broken, the purpose of the Great Phoenix was more so to hope that the West Cold would listen obediently and the people of the city and cities would protect them.


    Therefore, Zhuang Li naturally judged that as long as Ge Ya and Xi Cuo were able to escape this calamity, they would definitely be safe.


    "But what about us? Will we be imprisoned by the Emperor for the rest of our lives? " Qing You asked worriedly.


    "Then I don''t know either." She and Qing You sat at the entrance of the courtyard bathing in the sun while Qing You used a wooden comb to comb her long hair.


    She had never thought about it until she became old and mysterious like this.


    Spring had come, and the time for the sun to set was still very early. It seemed like he couldn''t wait to get off work and return home.


    What did Qing You mean by go off duty?


    Zhuang Li was in a difficult situation, she did not know how to explain it to her, so she said: "It''s probably just like how the emperor goes to court every day, the old nanny delivers food to us every day ¡­"


    "He''s just someone who has woken up and has to do something!" Qing You laughed out loud. They had lived like this for too long, to the point where Zhuang Li would sometimes start talking about modern words.


    She was previously very cautious, she was afraid that Qing You would realise that she was not the young miss that she was originally supposed to serve. Joking with Qing You.


    If she was idle, she would always feel panic, both from her own heart and from this small courtyard. On the surface, she said that nothing was wrong, nothing was wrong, she was not in a hurry. In fact, he had always felt a sense of panic. He had to be careful not to show it.


    She began to think about many things, planning many things. After getting rid of the weeds in the mud pile in the middle of the yard, she built a flower bed to surround the mud. She climbed up to the roof to remove the weeds, even though she almost fell down, she was still very happy. When the sun was good, he would take all the straw on the bed out and warm it under the sun before spreading it back.


    The young eunuch who delivered the charcoal stove came a few more times, bringing some random daily necessities. Therefore, Zhuang Li brought Qing You and replaced the worn-out Xuan paper on the window with a new one, sewing a new bed sheet. She dragged the items out from the house and cleaned them one by one by the well.


    After finishing all this, the smell of sunlight suddenly gushed into the shabby little house, making it seem even cleaner and more tidy.


    It was dusk again. Zhuang Li was just about to go back when the young eunuch came back.


    He had an especially clean face, her skin was somewhat dark, and her height was not tall. He directly appeared at the entrance of the courtyard but Zhuang Li did not even hear the sound of him opening the door and locking it.


    Zhuang Li and Qing You stayed together all day, and a stranger appeared in this meeting. For a moment, he didn''t know what to say.


    The young eunuch''s chest was bulging, and when she saw that Zhuang Li did not say a word, she immediately walked in front of her.


    "Here," he said. Her voice was very young, and she had already pulled out quite a few daily necessities, such as rouge and the like. Qing You eagerly ran over to pick up the clothes and put them on, staring at him as she continuously took out various things from her bosom.


    rouge, balm, bracelet, candied fruits, roasted chicken, and many other unexpected things that Zhuang Li took out from his arms.


    In the end, when even Zhuang Li thought that it was gone, young eunuch actually still reached out his hands to touch his chest, his face was filled with confusion and it looked like he was about to cry.


    "He''s clearly here ¡­" He mumbled to himself. Suddenly, he took out a snow-white sword from his chest with a smile on his face ¡­


    Little rabbit!


    Zhuang Li and Qing You''s eyeballs almost fell out of their sockets as they reached out their hands to grab the rabbit.


    "Elder sister, what else do you need? You can write it down. No one will know if I bring it out to you."


    He looked eagerly at Zhuang Li, who clearly had the outline of a youth.


    In the beginning, he only used it for the daily necessities that he was missing, candles, paper and so on. He did not talk much, only placing the things down and leaving, but later on, the gifts he delivered became even weirder. Although they were still required daily, they were not like those of the palace items. And a live rabbit! What the hell was this!?


    And he spoke for the first time!


    His voice, though young, was not the shrill voice of a eunuch. If you looked carefully, you would be different from eunuchs. Straight Up...


    If I''m not wrong ¡­ This little fellow isn''t a eunuch at all, right ¡­


    "Little guy, what''s your name?" Zhuang Li asked as she jumped in the yard with the rabbit in her arms.


    He raised his head and glanced at Zhuang Li, and after a long while, he replied, "Little White."


    "What ¡­" What the hell was that name?


    "Whose child are you?" Zhuang Li continued to ask.


    He passed the pen and paper to Zhuang Li and urged her to write.


    "Fourth house on the left of the city gate!" What he said sounded completely reasonable and confident. It was probably an incomparably accurate expression in his heart, and his face was filled with sincerity ¡­


    Zhuang Li was speechless. She finally understood that it would be hopeless to communicate with this child, so she could only take the pen and paper and write:


    Thanks to you taking care of her, Ge Ya was not at all grateful. If it is convenient, please tell me your benefactor''s name.


    After he finished writing, he handed the paper back to the youth. The youth took the paper but did not directly put it away. Instead, he opened it on the spot and looked at it ¡­


    The short line of words, however, took him a very long time to read. It seemed that he had read through all the knowledge in his brain and even guessed it before he understood the meaning of the note written by Zhuang Li.


    When he finished reading it, he pouted discontentedly and raised the paper slip up to Zhuang Li''s nose once more ¡­


    "What else do you need?"


    Zhuang Li finally understood that his mission was to write something that she needed to do. Why is this little guy so funny ¡­


    She had no choice but to take the pen and write seriously on the paper: Seeds needed, seeds of flowers, seeds of vegetables.


    When he finished writing the note and handed it to the child, the child put it away happily. He turned around and skipped out of the courtyard.


    Zhuang Li followed him out to see where the child came from. She immediately saw that the entrance to the palace was locked ¡­


    Then, just like in a wuxia film, the child leaped up and flew up to the ten meter high palace wall. After a few ups and downs, he disappeared from the palace wall!


    When he turned around and returned to the courtyard, Qing You ran over to Zhuang Li with the little rabbit in her arms. She held the little rabbit in front of Zhuang Li''s eyes and smiled so hard that her eyes became slits.


    "Miss, I want to name it Little White!"


    "The child who sent the rabbit just now is also called Lil ''White. With his EQ, it''s probably impossible to tell whether you''re calling him or calling him'' Little Bunny ''."


    "Then let''s call it Little Flower!" I haven''t seen Little Flower in a long time! I wonder if I''ll be able to see it again in the future! "


    "Up to you." Zhuang Li sighed.


    She did not know who had sent the child, but it must have been outside the palace.


    But how could she know someone from outside the palace? When she returned to the Great Phoenix Palace, she found that the scenery outside the palace was either red or green. She didn''t even know if it was green. Not to mention anyone else.


    Did someone from the palace ask someone from outside to bring her in?


    However, she could count the number of people in the palace on one hand. She had no friendship at all, so if she could get to know them ¡­ I wonder if that old nanny who brought her food everyday, who kept complaining that it was too far and her feet were aching can be counted as ¡­ Even though she had an unhappy look on her face and didn''t want to stay a second longer ¡­


    Zhuang Li couldn''t figure it out no matter how she tried to guess. However, on the second day, the youth called Little White came again ¡­

 C41

    The youth called Xiao Bai carried a large branch on his shoulder and placed it on the ground beside the door. He then took out a huge bundle from his bosom and handed it over to Zhuang Li, who opened it. But there was no note.


    "Mine!" Mine! " Qing You happily received the vegetable with the little rabbit in her arms. The little rabbit was already so hungry that it naturally pounced on Qing You, nibbling on the vegetables as it hid in Qing You''s embrace.


    "I was still worrying about what I should feed Little Flower!"


    "Little Flower?" The youth called Xiao Bai stared at the little white rabbit in Qing You''s embrace.


    "Yeah, I''m going to call it Little Flower."


    "It can''t be called Little Flower!" The teenager said this with a serious expression.


    "Why?"


    "Little Flower is a horse, not a rabbit!"


    Originally, Zhuang Li was too lazy to care about the conversation between this youth with low EQ and Qing You who had met with small animals with low IQ.


    "Little Flower is a horse?"


    "That''s right, Little Flower is Master''s horse!"


    When she said that she wanted to give the bay horse and wildebeest horse to General Li that day, she was already aware that it was too much of a disaster for her after she entered the palace, so she didn''t have the ability to continue taking care of Xiao Hua. But since she had been imprisoned in this courtyard the moment she entered the palace, then General Li naturally understood what Zhuang Li had been thinking at that time. It was likely that General Li had brought back all the horses already.


    Thinking about that, she seriously asked about Lil ''White.


    "Is your master General Li?"


    The teenager nodded, feeling rather proud of himself.


    "You are from General Li''s residence? Why did the General Li want to help us? Did he fall for my Miss? You can go back and tell her that my young miss has not taken a fancy to him! "


    Qing You''s words were extremely overbearing. However, the youth didn''t understand.


    Although Zhuang Li felt it was strange that the General Li had brought her from the West Cold to the capital, and the two of them did not have much to talk about on the way, and could not be considered friends, he still came forward to protect her when he discovered that she had committed the crime of deceiving the monarch. Although he had fallen to his current state, it was still a miracle that he had not been beheaded.


    But why did the General Li want to speak up for her?


    The two of them did not converse much, but it could only be considered friendly. Along the way, Zhuang Li had covered her face with a veil, and she had only seen her once when her face was being lifted by the emperor''s Heart Nurturing Palace. She barely had a chance to see him clearly.


    Could it be that General Li was only compassionate and compassionate towards a destitute young lady?


    He was too idle ¡­ But General Li had actually spent a lot of time and effort on her.


    "Does your general have anything to say to me?" Zhuang Li asked, could it be that the general had other reasons to treat him in such a manner?


    The boy seemed to be stumped by this question. He rubbed his head as he tried to recall. Suddenly, he thought of something as if he had found a treasure.


    "What else does the general want?"


    Zhuang Li sighed, it seemed like Little White could not understand what was going on.


    Ever since and Qing You had sent all kinds of seeds over, Zhuang Li grew them in the small courtyard. The vegetables were planted next to the well in the east, and the flowers were grown on the stone platform in the west. Zhuang Li took a closer look and realized that the branch that the little white teenager had resisted over turned out to be a plum tree. It must have been the General Li''s thoughts. Zhuang Li placed it in the center of the flower bed. After the cold current passed, the weather finally began to warm up. The plum tree had already begun to sprout.


    The Plum Court was written on the signboard at the entrance of the courtyard. When Zhuang Li first arrived, she was still muttering to herself that there were no plum blossoms, so this meeting was well-deserved.


    It should be in the most remote corner of the harem, the Cold Palace. It was so small that it could only be considered a small courtyard, but how could a servant''s house be a small kitchen with a pond and a corner of the yard?


    The word Plum Garden was written very elegantly, it should be a woman''s diary, who would have lived here before? Deep Palace old nanny?


    The first sprout on this side of the vegetable patch was radish. At first, Zhuang Li did not know him. After all, she had never lived in the countryside before, and it was only when the radish grew up that she realized how the radish leaf looked like.


    He didn''t talk too much, but every time he brought some rare items out of the palace, and most of them were just food. Recently, he also brought some bamboo sticks with him, as requested by Zhuang Li, she wanted to make a fence around her small garden, so that the radishes wouldn''t be eaten up by Little Flower.


    In April, the Plum Tree had already grown a lot of teeth, and the first batch of cabbages had already been harvested. An old eunuch brought a nanny to this small Plum Court. It seemed that he clearly knew what kind of background this Plum Court used to have.


    "Princess of West Cold Ge Ya accepts the decree!" His voice was thin and long.


    Zhuang Li knelt on the ground, her heart wondering about the situation outside. Why did they have to call her Princess Ge Ya? Didn''t the emperor already know that she was an imposter?


    Could it be that the emperor also planned to keep it a secret?


    "From today onwards, Princess Ge Ya is a Imperial Noble Lady of the imperial harem, she will live in the Plum Court and be no longer confined. If you have any questions, you can ask the nanny in charge of the Chang An Palace, do you understand?"


    Zhuang Li thanked the old eunuch and left. Basically, the things that the nanny left behind were all to show that Zhuang Li did not have any relationship with the palace. For example, as a Imperial Noble Lady, she did not need to go to the Chang An Palace to kneel for the empress everyday. She also didn''t need to wait for the emperor to come visit her every day. The emperor definitely wouldn''t come to this remote Plum Garden, and even if there was something, he would proclaim her presence before him.


    "Pay attention if you are summoned into the hall. If you are not summoned, you can only stay here and wait with your Plum Garden." The old nanny''s words made Zhuang Li want to go to sleep, such rules almost had no effect on her life, it was just that the title of Imperial Noble Lady only had a effect on her.


    Finally, Zhuang Li asked carefully: "nanny, how many people from the imperial harem do you think know about me?"


    "The Imperial Noble Lady Ya''s harem is naturally aware of this, it''s been known to me as a storm a few days ago. Since the Emperor has obtained the Princess of West Cold, naturally, he is not ordinary, but it seems like it''s only a rumor. "


    Zhuang Li naturally knew that she was teasing him, but she was actually relieved upon hearing this.


    Based on the current situation, the Emperor did not reveal her identity as the Princess of West Cold. Although he did not know the reason, being able to live on was still a good thing.


    Although she was sealed within the Imperial Noble Lady, she did not need to pay her respects. It was obvious that the emperor didn''t think much of her, so he naturally let her go.


    When the nanny walked out of the small side door, she actually didn''t lock it again. Even though she did not plan to leave the Plum Garden, she had a heart attack ever since she came to live here. She seemed to have an indescribable fear in her heart that she would be imprisoned in this small courtyard until her death.


    Or perhaps even to death, no one knew.


    The long loneliness and panic left her at a loss. But now it was clear. She had simply moved to another place, living in peace and quiet. Through the long hours of the palace.


    The second day after Imperial Noble Lady was announced, Qing You came back to say that the person who was delivering the food had changed. This time, it was a young palace maid who seemed to have two girls behind her.


    Zhuang Li was naturally aware that these were not new servants sent to deliver food to her. They were probably young palace maids sent by the imperial harem to investigate whether this newly established Imperial Noble Lady was a threat to their empress''s concubine. She told Qing You to bring the veil over since she didn''t want to cause any trouble.


    General Li was the Emperor''s vanguard, and had heard many West Cold soldiers mention it before. If he had the mind to care about Zhuang Li now, then it would be because the battle of West Cold had stabilized, and the Emperor did not need him to go out again. Since he had already taken down the West Cold, and allowed the emperor to do as he pleased, then the question of whether or not the princess was going to marry someone else was naturally not very important. Luo Lihua and the Young Master Loulan would naturally think of a way to hide Ge Ya well. Presumably, the emperor felt that it would be better to avoid all of the trouble and expend a lot of effort to look for Princess Ge Ya.


    Or could it be that the Emperor had already found out that she and Ge Ya were like brothers and sisters, and was also involved with Xi Cuo, and felt that she was also a good candidate to be a proton?


    It didn''t matter what kind of situation they were in, it was better to face the life in front of them.


    As the saying goes, living an extra day is one day. In the end, there were still many memories in the capital.


    "I wonder how Lady Sun is after so many years?" Qing You said while hugging the little rabbit. Even though it was in the capital, it was impossible to see it.


    Although she wasn''t confined any longer, once she walked out of the palace gates, it was unknown how many people stared at her. Not to mention the palace.


    The flowers sent by the General Li actually had orchids and hydrangea flowers among them. They were raised lush and verdant by Zhuang Li and his wife, Summer was flourishing in June. Purple flowers bloomed from the gate of the courtyard all the way to the window. In the past few months, the Emperor didn''t mention her again. She moved a chair over and sat on the edge of the flower bed. The plum tree was already flourishing.


    Even though the palace door had been opened, she was still a forgotten corner, and had nothing to do with the palace. Only, that Little White still frequently came in during the dusk, carrying some small things with him, as he was also the only person who walked around with Zhuang Li. Although he didn''t say anything, he was still very good with Qing You, who was older than him, so he started to put on the airs of a big sister. It was a rare pleasure in this little garden to have two people fooling around.


    Zhuang Li had already gotten used to him, and was too lazy to even raise her eyes when she heard footsteps. alimentary canal


    "Xiao Bai, Qing You is in the house."


    "I''m not some noob. It''s just that when I passed by, I disturbed the young lady. "

 C42

    Zhuang Li was shocked, and immediately realized that the person who spoke was not Little White, nor was it Qing You. He opened his eyes just in time for the glare of the midday sun.


    When her eyes adjusted to the light, she looked at the person in front of her carefully.


    The man in front of her was wearing embroidered clothes embroidered with dark-green flowers, with a dark green golden border. He wore an exquisite jade with a dark golden security knot at his waist. His clothes and appearance were already quite distinguished, and what was most shocking was his face, which looked as though it had been carved from jade, was extremely exquisite and handsome. His phoenix eyes were currently looking at Zhuang Li with some probing look, and her pupils were slightly dazzling golden.


    Zhuang Li felt a sudden clarity in his eyes, a gaze as cold as spring water. She blinked her eyes, and the man before her was still standing in front of her. If there was still a few arrogant youths on Wang Su''s face, then this man would have already revealed a calmness and beauty similar to that in a painting. The corner of his mouth slightly curled up into a beautiful curve. The beauty of this scene could even be compared to the hydrangea flowers in the surroundings. It also suddenly made Zhuang Li feel a trace of inexplicable pain in her heart.


    "I have always been lonely here. I never thought that someone would come here. May I ask who you are ¡­" Prince Bi? "


    Ten years ago, rumor had it that the Prince Bi Lord''s appearance was a little special, it was practically a shock, although Zhuang Li never thought that Wang Su would replace the Lord, who was the most favored by him back then, and become the emperor. Although Zhuang Li never thought that Wang Su would replace the Prince Bi Lord, who was the most favored by him back then, he believed that the former crippled crown prince was still in the capital, and of course, the jade on his waist was as exquisite as the one Wang Su gave him back then.


    "You''ve met me?" The beauty withdrew her smile and looked at Zhuang Li doubtfully.


    "On the other hand, I have not. I have only guessed it. All day in this courtyard, I have not seen many people. Merely, my luck was good and I managed to guess correctly."


    Prince Bi also felt that his reaction was funny, he looked at Zhuang Li, as if he knew her. "I actually think that you are? You are from the Emperor? "When did you live here?"


    "How could Prince Bi recognize me?" Zhuang Li''s heart skipped a beat. The emperor had placed him here and he had tacitly agreed to be Princess Ge Ya. He didn''t want her to see too many people either, so he naturally didn''t want to be exposed. Presumably, the Prince Bi did not understand either. Say it as you please


    "I am just a little girl from the imperial harem who was sent to live here ¡­"


    Just as Qing You was talking, shesheeard a voice from inside the house. She thought that it was Lil ''White, and jumped out with the rabbit in her arms, but when she saw Prince Bi, he was so shocked that she dropped the rabbit to the ground.


    Zhuang Li thought it was funny, so she reminded her, "Qing You, quickly bring me a cup of tea."


    Qing You realized that she had lost control of herself and hurried back into the house.


    "What''s your name? Did he offend the emperor? Why do you live here? " Wang Bi asked.


    The emperor had arranged for Zhuang Li to stay here, that was for sure, and the Prince Bi would definitely know about it as well. But it was impossible for him to imagine that it was because Zhuang Li''s identity was that of Princess Ge Ya, who did not have a single hint of her West Cold bloodline on her body.


    Qing You had already brought out a stool for Wang Bi to sit on, then he went to pour a pot of tea. Zhuang Li then poured a cup for Wang Bi and sat back on the chair.


    "My name is Zhuang Li."


    "Zhuang Li? "Are there any officials with the surname Zhuang who can marry their daughters to the royal family?"


    "I don''t have any background, so I''m just a Imperial Noble Lady. It''s true that I came here because I made some mistakes, but I didn''t see two people the whole time, so my leisure time was uncomfortable ¡­"


    Prince Bi stared at Zhuang Li''s face, as though he wanted to find out another thing, but in the end, he gave up. He laughed.


    "This place is quite remote indeed. The things that I did in the palace were done by an idle person. He only had a few more opportunities to wander around, and even came here when he was young. I didn''t expect that there would actually be someone living here right now."


    Zhuang Li naturally found it strange, "The prince came here when he was young? Do you know who lived here before? "


    Prince Bi was startled, as though Zhuang Li asked something strange, she looked at Zhuang Li curiously to confirm that she did not know, he thought for a moment and seemed to sigh.


    "The current emperor''s birth mother loves peace and quiet. She loves living here and is a very gentle person. When I was young, she came here to play, and even scooped up some sugar from a jar to boil some water ¡­"


    This answer surprised Zhuang Li. On the desert wall, Wang Su had fallen asleep while leaning on her shoulder, and called her mufei.


    Although Wang Su and the Ninth Prince Wang Yi had both heard of the Emperor''s extreme love for the Prince Bi when they were very young in the capital, they were already princes at that time.


    Prince Bi seemed to have sunk into shock while looking at Zhuang Li, then he fell into deep thought. He felt that it was rather funny and continued speaking.


    "Because I have her here, I always felt that coming here was a very happy thing ¡­ I don''t want to come back here when it''s free. "


    Zhuang Li pulled herself back from her thoughts. This Prince Bi actually cherishes the Emperor''s mother so much, is it for me to hear? Her expression was extremely serious.


    If not for the fact that he had long heard of the Prince Bi''s appearance and had already experienced a lot in this space and time, he would have thought that Yun Che was definitely not an ordinary being. At this moment, he was sitting right next to his. The flowers within the courtyard all paled in comparison.


    "You can go see her now if you miss her?"


    When Zhuang Li said this, she saw the other party staring at her in surprise before calming down instantly.


    "You really are a little girl who just entered the palace. The emperor''s birth mother has been dead for many years. Don''t let anyone with ulterior motives hear your words."


    Zhuang Li was naturally drenched in cold sweat, and was about to get up and kneel on the ground. If these words were to spread out, her little life would be saved.


    "Don''t be afraid, there aren''t many people who know she lived here. I''ve been walking all the way here, and I haven''t seen any flies. Who do you think would hear that? "


    He reached out her hands and grabbed Zhuang Li''s head, helping her to pick away the flower petals that had landed on her head. In an instant, Zhuang Li felt that this scene was familiar.


    "If I miss her, I might be able to come visit you in the future ¡­"


    Ever since she found out that Plum Garden used to live with the Emperor''s birth mother, Zhuang Li became even more suspicious. This Prince Bi was so attached to the Emperor''s birth mother, so when did the Emperor''s birth mother die? Could it be that when she first saw Wang Su at the Lord Zhao''s residence, his mother had already died?


    This answer was extremely believable. After all, Wang Su''s personality was suspicious and arbitrary, like a little devil.


    And after knowing that this courtyard was once occupied by the Imperial Consort Mei, the emperor''s mother, she seemed to have gained a special flavor to it. Although they had never met that Imperial Consort Mei before, from her mouth, they felt that she was a warm and gentle woman.


    Did he know that her son had ascended the throne? How did she die when she was young? Sick?


    Zhuang Li naturally couldn''t understand, she only knew that this secret made her heart feel a wave of warmth. A mother who once lived here had the same view of the sky as herself, sitting on the same bamboo chair.


    In the end, the depression in his heart seemed to have been diluted by water.


    As for that Prince Bi, even though it was his first time seeing him and he was naturally on guard, he still felt that he was a somewhat amiable person. If he hadn''t had such a cold and aloof status like the prince, and if he hadn''t also participated in the ruling, someone with such a character would have been able to become his good friend.


    Xiao Bai also came over at dusk. When he was fighting with Qing You, the Little White youth whose brain was a bit off from Qing You''s, became a crazy kid. The two men ran from the house to the outside and around the well. Struggling for a string of small stones.


    That Qing You was playing with the wind, moving closer to Zhuang Li to present the treasure.


    "Qing You, Little White is letting you win."


    "I didn''t ask him to let me off!"


    Zhuang Li was too lazy to bother with these two childish kids anymore. This time, Xiao Bai came back with some rice dumplings, a handful of fireworks and two scented sacs. Zhuang Li immediately smelt a very thick smell of wormwood. Only then did she realize that it was already noon.


    In her eight years in West Cold, she had not passed the afternoon, and had nearly forgotten about this matter. I don''t know if it''s a dragon boat race. Zhuang Li told Qing You that if she wanted to join in the fun, she could also follow the eunuch who brought the food over to take a look.


    Of course, it wouldn''t be convenient for him to go. The Emperor wanted her to be a transparent person so that everyone would gradually forget about Princess Ge Ya. Anyone with a brain would know that her face had nothing to do with Princess of West Cold.


    The sun set and Lil ''White disappeared from the pavilion.


    Zhuang Li returned to her room and sat in front of the copper mirror. She stayed in the Plum Garden all day, so she naturally did not need to dress up or draw her eyebrows with ink powder. Sometimes, she could not even be bothered to roll up her hair.


    She looked at herself in the mirror, her face becoming more and more delicate, the slightest movement was filled with emotion. She didn''t need to put on makeup to get the attention of many people, and for the past few years she had rarely looked at herself in a mirror. There was no trace of that silly little girl from back then. That kind of delicate and pretty face was very special. If she had been born in a brothel, then maybe she would have far surpassed the flourishing Liu Yiyi back then.


    She thought of Zhao Ci''s fianc¨¦ mother, the fifth wife of the Lord Zhao, who was also a renowned courtesan in the capital. In the past, the people in the streets praised her so much that she looked like a goddess.


    "He''s probably becoming more and more similar to her ¡­" Zhuang Li extinguished the candle and laid back on the bed.

 C43

    When Prince Bi returned to the prince''s mansion, he was still thinking about the Plum Court. He was just going to stroll around the palace due to a sudden interest. As he stood at the doorway, he hesitated for a moment. He felt that it was time to go back. He didn''t expect to see a bustling summer scenery through the gate fence.


    In his memories, the courtyard had long since been abandoned, and a few plum trees had also been cut down after the accident in Imperial Consort Mei. And now, as he stood outside the door, what else could it be if the branches that had grown over the wall were not plum trees?


    He pushed open the fence and walked into the courtyard. What greeted his eyes was a row of blooming hydrangea flowers, which were purple in color and bloomed along the fence. For a moment, he thought he had walked into the wrong place, but then he saw some broken pieces of the greyish tiles lying on the ground.


    "Xiao Bai, Qing You is in the house."


    The woman lying on the bamboo chair beside the ball of silk said with her eyes closed. Although she didn''t know what she was talking about, she must have recognized the wrong person. She was lazy like a kitten, and did not look like Mei Niang at all.


    The woman was so blinded by the sunlight that she couldn''t even open her eyes. She frowned as she looked at me, "May I ask if you are Prince Bi?"


    In an instant, she felt as if she had returned to a few years ago, when she first stepped into the Plum Garden at the age of six. The plain-clothed woman was currently fetching water.


    "Prince Bi, are you tired of leaving? Why don''t you come and take a seat? "


    "How do you know I''m the crown prince?"


    "Everyone in the capital knows that our Great Phoenix Prince Bi is outrageously beautiful. Although I don''t often enter the main palace, I naturally know as well." She was praising me for being beautiful, but he didn''t seem to be flattering me at all. However, Wang Bi felt very comfortable, so he followed her gaze to the chair under the plum tree and sat down. She entered the house and brought out a plate of biscuits, placed it beside me, then turned around and started to busy himself again.


    The plate was just a rough ceramic plate, and the biscuits were also made by themselves. Everything seemed extremely rough. Wang Bi usually used a jade grindstone on the plate, and an exquisite little dessert made in the palace kitchen. On it were inscriptions of peach blossoms watering with Hundred Flowers Sugar, and it was placed in a beautiful shape before it was presented to him.


    Wang Bi did not plan to eat it in the first place. The woman seemed to recall something and suddenly stood up to pick up the porcelain jar hanging on the windowsill.


    With a wooden spoon, she scooped out a scoop of dark gold bee candy from the middle and poured it over the plate of cookies. That sweet smell suddenly entered Wang Bi''s nose. The woman smiled warmly and said.


    "Crown Prince, take your time and eat. These coarse foods are all made by me, so they are naturally inferior to the delicacies of the palace. You should take your time to eat and rest." Being able to make it here is already quite a distance away from the Yulan palace. "


    Wang Bi was fighting with the young eunuch in the beginning, but he never thought that he would come all the way here. Hearing the woman''s words, he naturally felt tired, and his stomach began to growl. The smell of the honey mixed with the biscuit kept coming into his nose. Although his mother had repeatedly instructed him not to eat any food outside the Yulan palace, he didn''t care about this meeting at all.


    However, he still remembered the majesty of the imperial family. He picked up a piece and took a small bite, trying to chew it with a dignified manner. The smell of the biscuit suddenly entered his internal organs.


    What was deeper than a person''s memories were probably their sense of taste and sense of smell. Wang Bi still remembered that kind of smell, after he had tasted all the delicacies in the world, he was unable to find the taste of that little biscuit.


    When he looked at the courtyard that was neatly tidied up, the clean water platform, and the lush plum trees, he suddenly remembered the smell.


    The younger Wang Bi ate a few pieces, and the more he ate, the more delicious the food became. The woman did not stay idle either, watering the plants by the well. Although the seedlings were somewhat thin, they were still perfectly straight.


    Wang Bi didn''t recognise any of them and just curiously looked at them. The woman was weeding them.


    His nose was filled with the smell of peach trees, biscuit, honey, soil, and soft fragrance. It was very different from the smell of the incense in the Yulan palace.


    Therefore, he would not like incense in the future. He would send out the incense given to him by the Western Regions. His personal maid would light up a stick of incense and he would stare blankly at the smoke as he imagined the smell of the sunlight.


    "What''s your name?" Wang Bi asked.


    The woman raised her head, and only then did Wang Bi realize that she was very young, not as mature as her clothes. Although she had never dressed up before, she was still a bit handsome.


    "Just call me Mei Niang. If the crown prince had been away from empress for too long, would she have been worried? "


    It was only then that Wang Bi remembered that he had been out for too long. Although he did not want to leave, he also did not want to anger his mother. He stood up and prepared to leave, but when he looked at the small palace door at the entrance, he couldn''t remember what he looked like when he had first arrived.


    "I''ll send you off." Mei Niang put down the kettle, went to the well and washed her hands. Then, she took Wang Bi and walked towards the Yulan palace.


    Her hands were as warm as honey cookies, rough with farm work. But it made Wang Bi feel very safe.


    Just like that, the two of them walked to the entrance of the Yulan palace. Then, Mei Niang crouched down and said to Wang Bi, "I can only send you here.


    However, Wang Bi couldn''t bear to let go of her hand for the moment.


    "How dare you!" Where did this slut get the audacity to harm the crown prince! "


    The two of them were stunned. When they raised their heads, they saw the empress and her personal servant riding in on a carriage and coincidentally stopped at the entrance of the palace. Wang Bi was pulled back to his mother''s side.


    "Someone drag her down for battle!" Don''t ask why... As long as it concerned her, she was always ruthless.


    The moment empress said this, the first one to be scared was actually Wang Bi. He pulled on mufei''s sleeves and wanted to argue, but no one paid attention to him.


    Mei Niang was naturally also shocked, but the eunuch behind her did not even give Mei Niang a chance to speak as he tied her hands behind her back.


    "The emperor has arrived!"


    Everyone immediately kneeled on the ground


    "Reporting to your majesty, I wonder which palace''s woman almost kidnapped the crown prince. Your majesty wants to seek justice for the crown prince. If anything happens to Bi''er, I''m afraid that Da Feng will suffer in the future!"


    "father, Mei Niang is only sending me back." Wang Bi had already stood up, he ran to his father''s side and tiptoed to pull the emperor''s sleeves.


    "Your majesty, the crown prince is still young and doesn''t understand. If we didn''t coincidentally meet him, who knows what danger we might have to face."


    "Muhou!" Wang Bi still wanted to call his mother, but the Queen gave him a stern look.


    The emperor lowered his head and rubbed Wang Bi''s head. Wang Bi raised his head and looked at him, his expression seemingly anxious. He looked at his precious son, and a hint of softness appeared on his face.


    "It''s not a big deal. It''s just a palace maid, don''t panic, empress." He said, the eunuchs all around could only lower their heads, so as to not look at empress''s ugly expression. The palace maids by the empress''s side naturally didn''t dare to say a word or two.


    The emperor stared at Mei Niang who was still kneeling on the ground. The latter did not even dare to raise her head.


    "Which palace are you from?"


    "Reporting to the Emperor, my name is Mei Niang and I am the personal maid of the leisurely passing Imperial Noble Consort. After the leisurely passing of Imperial Noble Consort''s death, I did not even reach the age to leave the palace, so I stayed behind in the little Plum Court at the side of the palace to accompany her."


    "So relaxed." The Emperor seemed to have thought of something. The carefree Imperial Noble Consort who passed away due to the illness two years ago was only one rank lower than the Empress, and she was also blessed. It was just that she suddenly contracted an evil disease for no reason and died in less than half a month.


    Thinking about it here, the emperor seemed to have a sudden impression of that little palace maid called Mei Niang.


    "You unlucky fiend, you are now starting to provoke the Emperor''s misfortune, how can you be so detestable! "Where is he, hurry up and drag him out."


    The empress didn''t seem to want the Emperor to think of some carefree Imperial Noble Consort, so she beckoned for the people on the left and right to quickly bring Mei Niang down.


    "Wait!" As the old Emperor spoke slowly, the eunuchs on both sides that were preparing to drag them immediately knelt on the ground, not daring to move.


    "Look up?" His voice was calm, but it was still dignified.


    After Mei Niang rested on the ground for a long time, she finally raised her head. Later on, she thought that if the Emperor did not see Mei Niang''s face, would the result be completely different?


    Mei Niang did not give birth to Wang Su, nor did her mother fear Mei Niang. Although Mei Niang had never been able to move her body out of his Plum Court, she could only stand there and watch him silently, willing to stay there.


    The Great Wang Su of the Prince Bi was exactly six years old. That child was born because he was Mei Niang''s child, and he felt that he was different from the masses.


    For many years, the only thing that kept popping up in his mind was Mei Niang''s warmth and Wang Su''s intelligence.


    There was even more, irreparable blood and mother''s hatred.


    But today, looking at Zhuang Li who was in the courtyard, it felt as if it had never happened before. It was as if he had known her for a long time.


    The woman sat under the flowers with her eyes closed, frowning slightly. That face was already pretty, and it had even far surpassed the current Imperial Noble Consort and Empress Hanqin. She opened her eyes as if they were filled with stars. But her emotions were fleeting, no longer overflowing.


    Where had I seen her?


    Who was she? Why was the emperor forbidden there?


    Everyone in the remote areas of the Plum Garden knew that it was almost sealed off. Even eunuchs and palace maids rarely passed by that area, and it was not a restricted area, but was even quieter than a restricted area.


    And for what purpose was she going to stay there?


    Wang Bi couldn''t understand.


    However, there was one feeling that was even more profound than the smell of honey and earth that he remembered. It quietly took root in his heart. Was it due to that woman''s laziness and ease, as well as her somewhat guarded expression?


    When Prince Bi walked into the Duke''s Palace, he threw all of these to the back of his mind.

 C44

    In the blink of an eye, it was winter again. The Plum Tree in the courtyard was about to blossom, and during the year that the emperor had sent her over to the Plum Court, he had never summoned Zhuang Li again.


    Other than the Dragon Boat Festival, mid-autumn, Zhuang Li had received the notice from the Department of Rites that everyone was going to attend the main palace banquet, she had almost never entered the main palace during the other times. She spent her time in the four corners of the Plum Court, and even if she went to the main palace to attend the banquet, she would only return after eating a few more expensive dishes. She did not have the opportunity to stay either.


    Usually, only Whitey would visit Plum Garden. There was only one time when Prince Bi came over to chat, Zhuang Li reckoned that he went the wrong way.


    In November, the first snow fell this year, followed by continuous snowy weather. Very quickly, the roof of Plum Garden was covered up. The temperature dropped day by day, and most of the time Zhuang Li and Qing You stayed in the house, warming themselves by a small stove. That Little Flower had eaten carrots and cabbage from Zhuang Li for almost a year, and they had become a big flower now. It was like a white-colored warm hand furnace.


    When the snow finally stopped, Zhuang Li walked out of the house. Outside, she was already wrapped in silver, the branches of the plum tree had already bloomed, and even though the weather was extremely cold, Zhuang Li was still standing in the courtyard, looking at those bright little flowers, as if she was unafraid of the heavens and the earth blooming in the snow.


    She tightened her cotton clothing, almost unable to resist the cold.


    It''s really too cold...


    The winter of the Great Phoenix was not as cold as the winter season of West Cold, but it was a bit more moist, and instead made people feel as if the cold air drilled into their bones. The walls of the room were somewhat damaged, but they were also very thin. Even if the stove was simmering all night, it would still be too cold to sleep.


    That was why Zhuang Li woke up very early. When she woke up, she went to the courtyard to bring out a pot of water and put it on the fire.


    Qing You slept soundly while hugging the big flowers beside Zhuang Li, Zhuang Li was also not willing to wake her up. It was already close to the New Year, and the Plum Court was not the least bit festive, and Zhuang Li would occasionally stand at the door and look outside, and could vaguely see from afar that the palace pavilion had already set up big red lanterns, and eunuchs were leaning on ladders, and were patting the snow on the roof. Other than that, the atmosphere of the New Year was completely isolated from Zhuang Li. This place was filled with day and night, spring, summer, autumn, and winter, forever living her own life. She would be deceived by the palace, or perhaps there would be flashes of swords and flashes of light outside the palace, or perhaps it was a battle of flesh and blood. It has nothing to do with it.


    Until that day when the two old nanny s arrived outside the Plum Court at noon.


    At the start, Zhuang Li had still been thinking about why the eunuch who brought food today would come so early, but when she saw that the ones waiting outside the door were two unfamiliar old nanny s, he hurriedly bowed.


    "Imperial Noble Lady Ya, obey."


    Zhuang Li quickly kneeled down respectfully, and after seeing her kneel, the old nanny began to pass down orders.


    "empress has ordered that the imperial harem, from the concubines to the Imperial Noble Lady, are all going to participate in this year''s annual feast. You are not allowed to leave the banquet while holding an illness.


    "Yes." Zhuang Li respectfully promised as before.


    "It really isn''t easy to find here. If it wasn''t for the fact that there''s a Imperial Noble Lady Ya on the list taken out by the Department of Rites, I think we wouldn''t even know there''s someone residing in this Plum Court."


    "I''ll have to trouble the two nanny s."


    "Let''s not talk about other things, because we didn''t find your name on the list of women in the Gong Gong Palace. Only now do you report that this year''s winter attire won''t be able to be rushed out of the Clothing Department before New Year''s Eve. You can just wear the same as before. You still have to be with everyone on New Year''s Eve. "


    "Yes, chenqie will obey the Empress''s wishes."


    As the two nanny s walked further and further away, Zhuang Li could still hear their whispers.


    "If not for the fact that her name was still on the list that was sent over by the Ministry of Rites, empress would have thought that Princess of West Cold had died a long time ago!"


    "Isn''t it? Back then, the entire city was in turmoil, but the Emperor only sealed one Imperial Noble Lady and she was already thrown to one side. She was never lucky by the Emperor."


    "She should just kill the spirit of West Cold like that. Look at how obedient she is now, she can''t even tell that she was once a princess."


    "Who cares about the Princess of West Cold. Once we''re here, we have to listen to the empress."


    Zhuang Li sighed and stood up, she had not seen the empress even once. She had stayed in the courtyard for so long that she thought she did not see the inner palace.


    When he woke up on New Year''s Eve, he saw that all the Plum Blossom had bloomed. There was only one tree full of them, and it was a crimson heavy Plum Blossom.


    Qing You fed the big flower cabbage and leaves then swept the snow all over the ground, clearing out a path. Zhuang Li tidied herself up properly and wore a thin cotton garment with a veil. After noon, he would head to the palace.


    He couldn''t wear the thick layer of West Cold marten, and it was too eye-catching. Since he couldn''t make out the winter clothes in the palace, he could only wear the thinner cotton clothes.


    Qing You was even more familiar with the palace than Zhuang Li was, she took out a stove and followed behind her, all the while, they were decorated with lanterns and gold silk, the palace maids and eunuchs who were preparing for the banquet hurried past, Zhuang Li stayed in the palace for a year but she was not familiar with it, it was rare for him to see such a scene, it was rather strange.


    Honestly speaking, this past year was not that easy for Zhuang Li. Living in the Plum Court that was almost forgotten, her mood was not as calm as it seemed on the surface. She did not know about the battle situation, did not know about what was happening around them, and felt no sense of security.


    If they came out to investigate, they would be afraid of bringing disaster upon themselves, and if others were to find out that the Princess of West Cold was a fake, what kind of disaster would they bring to the West Cold?


    Perhaps it was because the emperor was sure of her that he placed her within the Plum Garden without worry, and predicted that she wouldn''t dare to act rashly.


    The tranquility of the Plum Court gave rise to Zhuang Li''s unfazed look. She walked past the people in a hurry, not bothering to care about what they were busy with, and only followed the instructions to return to her small courtyard after eating dinner. Although she did not know when such a day would come to an end, she did not know what it would be like.


    It was the empress''s order to do so several times but Zhuang Li had never seen the empress before. She only roughly knew that there was an empress and a Imperial Noble Consort, who were the head of the harem. It was probably the meaning of having the most honor.


    In the Heart Nurturing Palace, Zhuang Li was only in the position of Imperial Noble Lady, so she could not enter the hall. She could only take a seat outside the hall, she was actually happy to sit with the palace maids, so she got some free time.


    She didn''t know how many harem concubines the Emperor currently had, but she did understand that the majority of the people sitting with her were Imperial Noble Lady and palace maids. Although they could be considered the emperor''s women on the surface, most of the Imperial Noble Lady s were destined to never see the emperor again in their entire lives. Therefore, such a feast was naturally a rare opportunity for them. Each of them did their best to dress themselves properly and perhaps even prepared various programs. If the emperor really wanted to watch them, they naturally wouldn''t miss the opportunity to show off a song in front of the emperor.


    Zhuang Li was afraid that people would ask him about it, hence she tried her best to look normal. Lowering her head, she started to listen to the gossips of the surrounding women.


    "I heard that the old nanny said that our emperor is very different from the previous emperor, that the previous emperor created more than ten concubines, even more concubines and Imperial Noble Lady as well as the current emperor only has two concubines, and the Imperial Noble Lady only has a few of us a dozen or so. Most of them are sealed by the Ministry of Rites and the empress, from the looks of it, I wonder if I will have the fortune to serve the emperor in my lifetime."


    "This is a good thing. There aren''t many women like this emperor, and it''s always our turn. Right now, the emperor doesn''t have any sons, and this is the biggest thing in the imperial harem. In less than a year, even the Ministry of Rites will pressure the harem." At that time, are you still afraid that you won''t have a chance? "


    Zhuang Li was shocked, but she did not say anything. This meant that the Emperor did not even have a son, how could he? Did he not have a concubine before he became the Emperor?


    Zhuang Li didn''t understand much about Wang Su becoming the emperor, so it was likely that he had long planned things out and planned things out step by step based on his personality. He didn''t know what sort of twists and turns had happened.


    When did he become the emperor? And what kind of wind and rain had he experienced? Was his queen his concubine when he was a prince? She did not know any of this. She only knew that when she entered Ge Ya''s Xiao Imperial Palace that year, Wang Su had also returned to the Great Phoenix City through the secret profound pathway that he wanted.


    The sky had darkened very early in the winter, and it was not even lunchtime yet. The sky was already completely dark, and the eunuch had already lit the candles in the lantern.


    "minister Liu has arrived ¡­ General Li to... Prince Bi to... " After the eunuch finished reading, Zhuang Li raised her head and saw the Prince Bi walk past the entrance of the hall. He seemed to have glanced in his direction, and in the blink of an eye, entered the main hall.


    The surrounding palace maids had already begun to whisper amongst themselves.


    "This is the Prince Bi."


    "I wonder if I can take a look inside."


    "I heard that it''s a man that looks like an immortal."


    "I have the honor of meeting her once."


    "How is it? And compared to our emperor? "


    "They are blood brothers, of course they look like one."


    "Have you heard? The former crown prince is now the Prince Bi."


    The other maid immediately covered her mouth. "Don''t say it, do you want to die?"


    Zhuang Li was overjoyed to hear what they had said, she naturally did not understand anything about the matters of the palace. However, she had met that Prince Bi before. He seemed to be a person with many stories. He didn''t understand.


    As he was listening, the banquet had already begun.

 C45

    Naturally, there were many delicacies and fine nectar at the banquet. Zhuang Li ate some as she watched Qing You feast among the palace maids that were even further away from her in the distance. The palace maid beside her had drank quite a bit and was already slightly drunk, she pulled Zhuang Li and asked her about her family.


    Zhuang Li naturally could not be bothered, and directly said that she did not have any background, and was only a small palace maid that the emperor had coincidentally seen, so she chose her as the Imperial Noble Lady.


    Just by casually entering the palace, you actually managed to become a Imperial Noble Lady, but if you don''t have a powerful family, it''s impossible for you to climb any further. "You should know how much effort it took to get to where you are today, as well as the few emperors with the title of Consort in that hall."


    Zhuang Li said indifferently, and the woman continued.


    "What kind of family is the empress? She''s the meritorious minister of the three generations of the Great Phoenix, and his grandfather is the founding prime minister, so his words are naturally of great importance. Although we can''t compare ourselves to her, we still squeezed our brains out to become her emperor''s Imperial Noble Lady. If I am able to give the Emperor a child in this lifetime, then it would naturally be on the basis of my mother. "Then we can relax at home."


    Seeing Zhuang Li not saying a word, she continued, "How come I''ve never seen you before? Aren''t the residences of the Imperial Noble Lady s all at the Qingyang Palace? "


    Zhuang Li didn''t know how to answer for a moment. Qingyang Palace? She had never heard of it. Just as she was about to go to Qing You''s place, a eunuch walked out from the main hall and stood in front of Zhuang Li ¡­


    "The empress thinks that keeping the date is monotonous, so she passed down the song for the Princess of West Cold to dance in the hall."


    Zhuang Li had stayed in the West Cold for an entire eight years, so she had more or less learned some things from Ge Ya. But now, she was completely unprepared.


    Although he was astonished, he couldn''t help but follow the eunuch into the main hall.


    Qing You was naturally anxious when she saw that Zhuang Li had followed the eunuch away. She waved her hand, telling her to rest assured and followed behind the eunuch with his head lowered.


    This was the second time she had entered the Heart Nurturing Palace in a year, and the arrangements here had already become completely new. Overlapping palace lamps hung above her head; The pillars around him were painted red, and the edges were traced with golden lines. The two sides of the hall were lined with tables, and all of them were filled with royal relatives and important ministers. When Zhuang Li walked into the great hall, she had even forgotten about the previous appearance of the Heart Nurturing Palace.


    It was also at this time that she first saw the Great Phoenix Queen, the woman with the golden crown of a phoenix. Her appearance was proud and aloof, and she had a pair of beautiful eyes. However, the position was too high, so naturally, the state of mind was different as well. At this moment, he raised his head and coincidentally met Zhuang Li''s gaze. Unexpectedly, he was shocked for a moment, as it seemed that announcing that she was dancing in the hall was the Empress''s idea only.


    The emperor did not make a move either. He only glanced at Zhuang Li and did not look at her again.


    "You grew up in the West Cold, so you must have been thinking about your hometown even when you came to the Great Phoenix. I was also too used to being busy with various matters in the harem, so I almost forgot about little sister Ge Ya and didn''t manage to come to the palace to chat about family matters. I''m sure little sister won''t mind. "


    "empress is busy with official business, and the Empress is responsible for most of the affairs of the imperial harem. I can''t really remember how my younger sister could be blamed on the empress, so I hope that the empress can understand that Ge Ya has always been free and easy with her West Cold since childhood and has tried her best to abide by the laws of the Great Phoenix.


    Zhuang Li didn''t know what kind of medicine the empress was trying to sell, and somehow thought of him. She was so nervous that her hands were sweating, but she could only welcome her now.


    "I have always heard that West Cold women can sing and dance, and that even the Emperor is tired of this year''s feast. Thus, I decided to announce Ge Ya''s sister''s arrival and dance with her, in order to give face to your majesty."


    Zhuang Li looked at Wang Su, who was sitting next to the Empress. He also sat there silently with no expression on his face.


    The hall was warm, and after taking a few breaths, his body started to become light and nimble. The Prince Bi sat opposite to him, frowning, but looked at her with interest, and even blinked his eyes a few times. Zhuang Li understood, even though she was wearing a veil, the Prince Bi still recognized her.


    Would the Prince Bi reveal her story again? She couldn''t care less now, and her mind was full of thoughts on how to get past this. How many times had he ran around and drank and danced with Ge Ya and Pear Blossom together in his mind?


    The sound of the zither had already rang out. It was actually made by the West Cold, which had been spread the most across the entire continent, and the extraordinary rhythms of the West Cold, along with the mixing of the Great Phoenix music, the lingering spring rain in the south, and the loneliness of Qin Huai at night. This song was composed by Luo Lihua and the Young Master Loulan. It had been many years since she had seen Luo Lihua in an instant...


    Although that dance of Zhuang Li''s could not compare to Luo Lihua''s and Ge Ya''s, she was constantly warning herself in her heart: I am Ge Ya.


    She just had to dance and, like the wind of West Cold, carried the flying snow into the hall of the Great Phoenix. At the end of the dance, tears almost fell. It was as if those eight years of life had been stolen, and all of his heart and soul had been soothed by this year''s Plum Court.


    Zhuang Li only found out a long time later that the empress wanting her to dance that day, was indeed doing it on purpose. She had been curious about this Princess of West Cold since a long time ago. It was rumored that this Princess of West Cold was as beautiful as a fairy and had an extremely eccentric personality. Although the emperor had never favored her once, he had intentionally placed her in the Plum Garden.


    What kind of place was the Plum Court? In the secluded courtyard farthest from the main palace, one would almost lose their way if one did not pay attention. After all, the woman who lived in that place had been abandoned by the Emperor.


    It was not that she didn''t understand, but the reason why Da Feng strongly desired Princess Ge Ya was so that Da Feng could have another proton that could control West Cold. But in the end, since she was crowned as the emperor''s woman after entering the palace, she would have to submit to her and live in the same Qingyang Palace as the other Imperial Noble Lady s. Why would they stay so far away from the Plum Court?


    Originally, the Queen did not suspect her and viewed her as a threat. It was only when the Imperial Noble Consort told her that the people she sent to look at the Imperial Noble Lady Ya had all been stopped, did the Queen feel that there was a secret behind it. Even the Emperor had warned her not to try to go to the Plum Court.


    If she did not see the Imperial Noble Lady Ya, how could she be at ease? If the darkness didn''t work, then come to the point.


    And the reason for the new year was exactly what she wanted to give him.


    Three years had passed since the emperor ascended the throne. A year and a half after the inauguration, she thought that marrying the Wang Su she liked a long time ago and becoming the Phoenix Dynasty Queen would already be enough of her life to be perfect. However, in this past year, she rarely visited the palace, and every time she interacted with the emperor, she felt like there was a layer of difference between them. The Emperor was a man as cold as an iceberg. She had known him since she was a child, and it was laughable that she had thought she could melt him. Her family was extremely influential. Since she was young, she had learned to observe the expressions of others. After coming and going a few times, she felt that the Emperor had never been in the mood to spend his money on her, so when she was extremely angry, she would often vent her anger on others.


    If she could not obtain it, then naturally no one else could as well. After her anger burned a circle around the harem, she seemed to have sensed that there was something wrong with the Princess of West Cold. If he didn''t take her out for a look, he wouldn''t be satisfied even if he lived every day.


    Naturally, she did not dare disobey the emperor''s orders at all. She only felt that she had to find a reason to meet Princess Ge Ya first.


    After Zhuang Li finished dancing, she knelt down and kowtowed, then the Queen began to bestow him with rewards, saying that she had bestowed him with pearls or some gold leaf. She only bowed her head continuously in gratitude, unable to hear clearly what she had bestowed him. The Queen''s voice was heard again.


    "Imperial Noble Lady Ya has already been married into the palace for a year, yet she still wore a veil, offending the majesty of the imperial family. Today''s feast, at the main hall, everyone is a family, so naturally we have to take off our veils."


    "empress, Ge Ya is a woman from another clan. The Emperor also promised Ge Ya that he would live according to the customs of West Cold. "


    She hadn''t expected that the empress would actually ask her to take off her veil. There were so many people on the main hall, so naturally, there would be more chances to be suspicious in the future. I will first move the Emperor out to block the Emperor.]


    "Since you have already married into the Great Phoenix, you naturally belong to the Great Phoenix. As a matter of fact, one must take into account the etiquette of the Great Phoenix. Besides, the Emperor has already graciously allowed you to live according to the customs of West Cold. He had only taken off his veil to kowtow, could it be that there was something else that was difficult for Imperial Noble Lady to say? Do you think that you can do such a difficult thing? "


    The one who spoke was the other wife of the emperor by his side, her table was also next to the emperor, it looked like she was. Her words made sense, even the Empress would give her a Like in her heart, and Zhuang Li didn''t dare to raise her head, hesitating on what to do. This time, Wang Su spoke out.


    "Imperial Noble Lady Ya, go wait in the study room."


    He only said this sentence indifferently, but his tone was unquestionable. After that, he continued to drink his wine. And these words were like a savior, allowing Zhuang Li to come back to life.


    The emperor''s protection had undoubtedly tarnished the Empress''s face, and no one dared to go against him. Zhuang Li even respectfully kowtowed, stood up, and walked out of the hall.


    As soon as she stepped out of the main hall, she saw a slightly familiar figure. It was as if he had experienced the baptism of wind and frost, and had matured completely. The body without the golden armor was as tall and straight as ever.


    "General Li?" Before she could say anything, the man pulled her back. His palm was full of calluses formed from the sharpening of swords and sabers. But somehow, it was extremely warm, as if he was a small sun. He pulled Zhuang Li''s hand, and turned around to walk into the midst of the palace maids and eunuchs who were entering and exiting the palace.


    Zhuang Li was a little taken aback. He leaned over and whispered into Zhuang Li''s ear.


    "Elder sister, I will bring you to the study room."

 C46

    Zhuang Li naturally did not think that the General Li would actually be younger than her, and call her elder sister the moment she opened her mouth. So natural.


    She followed him through the buildings, the colorful palace lights hanging over her head, and for a moment she felt as if she were in a dream.


    How great would a real dream be? He slept right under the colourful veranda and woke up with nothing to show for it.


    The General Li had a tall stature. As she followed behind him, she could only see his broad back. Zhuang Li also had a lot of questions he wanted to ask her.


    They walked all the way out of the main palace and into the side hall of the Heart Nurturing Palace. Even though there were still a lot less people walking in brightly lit lanterns, there were still a lot less people. The imperial palace''s most heavily guarded forbidden area was the place where the imperial edict was read.


    The General Li finally slowed down his footsteps and walked to a quiet place ¡­


    "Elder sister, how are you doing?"


    Zhuang Li was very suspicious, the attitude the General Li had towards her was even more bizarre now. Ever since she saw Zhuang Li in the Heart Nurturing Palace a year ago, he had continuously expressed goodwill to her. Now, she had become even more friendly, as if she was really his big sister.


    "I''m not your sister, so of course you''re not my brother." She was confused by General Li''s actions, she only wanted to stay away from this weird person. As she spoke, she started to pull out her hand that was still in General Li''s hand.


    The young man beside him seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then she pulled Zhuang Li''s hand even tighter, and her footsteps sped up, almost dragging Zhuang Li along.


    They walked all the way to the Imperial Study, and naturally, the guards at the various levels of the door recognized General Li. General Li brought Zhuang Li in and closed the door. Only then did he turn around and take off Zhuang Li''s veil, staring at Zhuang Li.


    "Big sister, look at me!" He called out again. With both hands on Zhuang Li''s shoulders, she couldn''t help but look straight into her own eyes.


    This was the first time Zhuang Li had seen this young general clearly. His facial features were handsome, and even though she had suffered many hardships outside the pass throughout the years, she was still unable to conceal her young face. This was a young man who was not even twenty years old. This suddenly made Zhuang Li feel that he should be some kind of small animal. A fawn or rabbit...


    The young general remained silent and let Zhuang Li stare at him without blinking. When Zhuang Li saw that the young man had remained silent for a long time, Zhuang Li actually stared at him until a layer of moisture appeared in her eyes.


    I''m going to cry!?


    Zhuang Li naturally did not understand why his reaction was so obvious, as she was nearly frightened by him, and did not know what to say for the moment.


    "Big sister said that she has learnt a lot about literature and martial arts, and is proficient with the imperial family." He said those words through gritted teeth, as if he had used up all his courage to bite his lips to prevent tears from falling.


    In just an instant, Zhuang Li''s head was emptied, and she almost fell to the ground. She leaned on the door, as though everything had been explained clearly by these words.


    Ever since she had arrived at this time, she had only said these words to one person. At that time, she was still Zhao Ci of Zhao Mansion.


    The little beggar followed behind the horse carriage.


    His eyes were exceptionally bright, as docile as a fawn''s, but they also exuded a stubborn energy. Shining like the light of the stars in the dark night.


    When he encountered the criminals in the inn, he let go of Zhuang Li''s hand and appeared alone in front of them.


    Elder sister, don''t be afraid ¡­


    Every time Zhuang Li thought about that innocent boy''s face, her heart would start to ache ¡­


    "Li Liangxiao... Li Liangxiao... "It has really been a long time ¡­" She reached out his hand to touch the child''s face, and though weathered, he could still find traces of his youth.


    Why didn''t I recognize you earlier?


    The moment her hand touched his face, tears began to fall from her eyes.


    All these years, she still thought about this child, wondering if he was dressed warmly and fed well. She couldn''t help but to dream about him being sold to the shipyard as a laborer, or bought into the railed yard and tortured by those perverted old men. It scared her to the point that she broke out in a cold sweat.


    Sometimes, he would pretend that he was already dead. After all, those bandits were all extremely vicious people.


    From the time they had parted until now, she had thought that perhaps she had left enough time in this era for her to see him again, or perhaps she would never see him again.


    But now that he was standing in front of her, she felt as if she was in a dream again. That skinny little Li Liangxiao was already much taller than her, and her body had also become stronger. It was actually a young general.


    No matter what, it was great that the little boy was still alive and healthy ¡­


    If the heavens had ever teased Zhuang Li and caused her to experience many twists and turns, then this child in front of her was undoubtedly the best payback.


    "Elder sister." He cried out once again, and continued to look fixedly at Zhuang Li.


    "Big sister, it''s good that you''re back. I don''t even know where to find you." He mumbled like a child. He rubbed his reddened eyes.


    When the bandits who kidnapped me and Uncle Zheng met the imperial guards, they dispersed. Uncle Zheng and I escaped and followed them, and I begged them to help me find you. They said it was none of their business, so I found a job in the imperial guards kitchen, gave them chopping wood, and came to Sixth Master Su. Right now, the emperor had just returned from the Western Regions to pick out some guards from the imperial guards. "I listened to my sister and wanted the goods and the emperor''s family. At that time, I decided to follow the emperor no matter what ¡­


    After I became Sixth Master Su''s guard, I started to look for my sister. I wanted to turn Gansu upside down, but I didn''t find anything. The villagers said that there were bandits and rampant, and your sister might have been robbed to her own West Cold ¡­


    But I still can''t go to West Cold ¡­


    Thus, I began to properly assist Sixth Master Su in taking the experts in the martial arts world as my master. Every day, I would study well and learn martial arts. Help Sixth Master Su become the Emperor ¡­


    My skills are even better than Sixth Master Su''s guard, Yun Duan! I''ve been trying to help him


    Only the Sixth Master of the Su Family would order an attack on the West Cold when he becomes the emperor ¡­


    After breaking the West Cold, I''ll go find big sister ¡­


    Zhuang Li wanted to reach out and touch his head the same way she used to, but because she was taller, she couldn''t reach him.


    Li Liangxiao held her hand which was about to fall. His hands were warm, and his smile was warm, like a small sun.


    It turned out that after so many years, there was still a feeling of nostalgia, a feeling of never giving up. That feeling of happiness and guilt combined together.


    "That Little White is from your house?"


    I was always unable to persuade him. Later on, I found a way to have him walk the streets and pick up those children that no one taught him, raise them in the house, and have the Uncle Zheng teach them how to drive a horse carriage. When they are older, I will teach them how to practice martial arts. Little White is the one with the best movement technique out of them all, so no one will notice him coming and going in and out of the palace. I told him to send you some things, and he went back to West Cold not long after I sent you back.


    Zhuang Li burst out laughing. So she had always been under the care of these entanglement, when she suddenly felt that she and Qing You, and Little White, were originally one family ¡­


    He had been staying in the palace with his family the whole time ¡­


    "I beg the Emperor to bestow you upon me, I will definitely enter the capital with the victory of West Cold and Inner Mongolia. The Emperor has promised, and now that the West Cold has been pacified, we will have to attack Inner Mongolia, but once the Princess of West Cold is over, I will find a reason to let you out of the palace. It''s just that the real Princess of West Cold is already hidden right now, so you''ll have to wait a while longer, Big Sis.


    Big sister, that year I swore that I would protect you wherever big sister was. Now, are you willing to follow me wherever Li Liangxiao is?


    Zhuang Li was almost angered to the point of tears falling down again.


    Just as he was about to speak, he was startled by the person who pushed open the door. When the two saw who it was, they immediately kneeled on the ground.


    "Your majesty."


    Looks like the year of protection had already passed, so Zhuang Li didn''t even notice the bell outside. Wang Su came to the study room with only a eunuch, gave a meaningful glance, and that eunuch obediently stood at the door, and closed the door.


    Zhuang Li''s mind quickly thought, if even Li Liangxiao could recognize him, then what about the emperor? Would he have known who she was?


    Would he know that he was Zhao Ci?


    Wang Su sat on the Throne, he was different from Prince Bi, Prince Bi was beautiful to the point of being like a crescent moon and a shy flower, a celestial maiden was born, Wang Su was delicate and pretty, and also revealed a cold and stern aura, today he was also 23 years old, compared to the young man from back then, he was even more thick and meticulous.


    He looked at Zhuang Li''s face and swept her eyes across it. It seemed like he did not know that Zhuang Li was Zhao Ci. Even if Li Liangxiao had mentioned it before, he probably only knew that she was Li Liangxiao''s big sister.


    The expression in his eyes as he looked at Zhuang Li was exceptionally unfamiliar. Zhuang Li confirmed in her heart, he did not recognize him ¡­


    He didn''t know where that indescribable sense of loss came from.


    He needed Li Liangxiao''s help to control the military and stabilize the situation. Naturally, she would agree to his request.


    But the matter that the empress had stirred up today, was probably not something that could be easily resolved.


    Sure enough ¡­


    "Good Xiao, I know you miss your sister, but now is not the time. Go back first, after the fifteenth imperial court, I will announce from the imperial court that you will be transferred back to the capital. You can come and see her at any time from now on.


    "Yes." Li Liangxiao still turned his head to look at Zhuang Li, and made a face at the door.

 C47

    After Li Liangxiao left, Wang Su did not speak anymore. She sat down on the table and started to read his paper, and Zhuang Li did not know what to say either. She looked around and saw that there was still another chair beside Wang Su.


    After all, she was currently in the Imperial Study ¡­


    of course, it was not as comfortable as being in a small Plum Court. He also didn''t know how worried Qing You was outside.


    Yet Wang Su acted as if she was air and continued to flip through his paper, causing him to suddenly feel uneasy.


    "Your Majesty, I ¡­" When are we going back? " She finally got the chance for Wang Su to drink his tea and asked carefully.


    At this time, Wang Su turned his head to look at her. It was as if the iciness in his eyes had just realized that she was here, causing him to feel a little pained in his heart. She suddenly stood up and realized that this person was the current Emperor of the Great Phoenix. He was no longer the Sixth Prince who gave his the jade pendant back then.


    "Are you afraid?" Wang Su looked at her before placing the teacup on the table.


    Zhuang Li, however, did not dare to speak anymore. She felt as if Wang Su had seen through her, and his entire body froze in an instant.


    "If you still want to go back, then you shouldn''t have entered the Heart Nurturing Palace today."


    After Zhuang Li heard this, he naturally realized that something wasn''t right. Perhaps it was because of today''s incident, that she could originally have quietly stayed within her Plum Court, waiting to leave the palace. But now, she had become a thorn in the side of the empress ¡­


    "Your Majesty ¡­" Zhuang Li was startled, if he could not go back, then he would have to stay. Li Liangxiao and Uncle Zheng being alive and well was already the greatest boost in her courage due to this piece of news. At least God was fair.


    Zhuang Li quickly brought the tea leaves over and personally brought them to Wang Su to exchange the tea leaves she had drunk earlier. young eunuch was so scared that he immediately knelt down. He looked at the emperor with lingering fear. But Wang Su did not do anything. He did not get angry either. He only swept a glance at Zhuang Li from the corner of his eyes, and it seemed as if a cold smile appeared on his face. But he did not speak.


    Zhuang Li took off the tea and handed it over to the young eunuch. Seeing that the emperor was not angry, he calmed himself down from his nervousness just now. He took the tea and left.


    "If you want to be my maid, then go wait outside." He did not even look up as he said this.


    "Yes." She replied obediently and followed the young eunuch out.


    She could not understand Wang Su at all. The cold and noble Sixth Prince at the time, the stubborn animal like Wang Su at the road of West Cold. Wang Su who gave her the jade pendant. Wang Su, who had placed her within the Plum Court and had not asked her for an entire year, was the one who protected her in front of the empress ¡­ and there were also people in the Imperial Study who were cold, and even a little tired. But it was very strange. Although he was a bit scared, she didn''t hate him any more ¡­


    Standing outside the Imperial Study, next to the head lamp and the eunuch serving tea, Zhuang Li shivered from the cold wind.


    There was an old eunuch standing on the stairs. He often appeared next to the emperor, but this eunuch always stood there with an unfeeling expression on his face. She glanced at Zhuang Li but did not say anything. On the other hand, young eunuch who was serving tea had a somewhat human-like expression on his face and might still be able to communicate with him.


    "Does the emperor usually have such a temper?" The eunuch originally didn''t want to talk with Zhuang Li, but after standing together with him for a long time, she started to tremble as if he sympathized with her.


    "For the emperor to be served by a woman, this is the first." The eunuch gradually got closer to Zhuang Li.


    "Why?"


    "Did you just enter the palace? You don''t even know this. "


    "I guess I just entered the palace. I hope that you can tell me more. "


    "Because of the empress ¡­"


    Zhuang Li listened intently, afraid that the wind would blow some of the young eunuch''s words away. When the Great Eunuch, who was standing on top of the stairs, came down, he knocked on young eunuch''s head and was immediately scared to the point of almost kneeling down.


    "Little Duozi, how do I usually teach you? You even dare to chew on the emperor''s tongue? Don''t you think your life is too long? "


    Little Duozi naturally did not dare to say anything else, and his father-in-law also did not dare speak with Zhuang Li. Every hour, he would enter the Imperial Study to help the emperor change the tea. When Zhuang Li wanted to go, he did not stop him, but only stood to the side to guard. Until dawn arrived.


    Zhuang Li had long since started to doze off. She lived in the Plum Court and normally had nothing interesting to do.


    And now, this Imperial Study which was brightly lit, still made her somewhat unable to endure it. At some point, he had fallen asleep while leaning against the stone pillar.


    By the time she woke up, the sky was already starting to turn white. He leaned against the stone steps with his arms crossed. He had long since lost consciousness from the cold. She quickly looked around. There was no longer any sign of the old eunuch from young eunuch, but a few guards were still standing on the spot. However, his face was livid and he ignored her.


    She trembled as she stood up. Just as she prepared to go into Imperial Study to take a look, she met the emperor''s personal old eunuch.


    "Aiyo, you sure are ambitious. You can sleep with that. "


    Zhuang Li even smiled at him embarrassedly: "I''m too tired."


    "Cut the crap, hurry up and come with me."


    The old eunuch brought Li Zhuang to a small room in the Imperial Study''s backyard.


    "You can stay here for now. The Emperor gave you to me, and told me to serve him tea with you first."


    He pushed open the small door, and an old gust of air blew into his face. It was obvious that no one had lived in that room for a long time.


    "This is the room where the palace maid used to live. It''s just that since the day the Emperor ascended the throne, he hasn''t lived here with the palace maid. Next to the teahouse. "Since the new year has yet to begin, you should quickly familiarize yourself with the situation. If there''s anyone who doesn''t understand, just ask me."


    Just as he was about to leave, he seemed to recall something. That little palace maid of yours should temporarily stay in the side room. In the afternoon, nanny will bring her over.


    Zhuang Li naturally did not dare say much, and quickly went into the room to clean up the place. She laid on the bed with the blanket wrapped around her, and it was extremely cold for her that night.


    In the afternoon, Qing You walked over with a bow from the nanny. Seeing that Zhuang Li originally wanted to jump into her arms like a little bird, but seeing the nanny''s expression from the side, she immediately and obediently came to greet Zhuang Li.


    Only until Zhuang Li pulled her back into the house did she return to normal.


    "Miss, you don''t know, something big almost happened."


    "What''s wrong?"


    I couldn''t find you yesterday. At first I was anxious, but then a young eunuch came over and told me to go back quickly. You have offended the empress this time. The rumors in the palace were all spread that the emperor had stepped in to protect you. "


    Zhuang Li had understood it long ago. The Queen had insisted on taking off her veil to see if the Princess of West Cold was a fake or not. If the emperor protected her, then the empress would definitely vent her anger on Zhuang Li, and probably think that Zhuang Li was a little fox spirit.


    "After being scolded by the nanny for half a day and saying that I had no rules, I was so scared that I didn''t even dare speak carelessly anymore. However, after listening to her mutter to herself for half a day, I said that the Princess of West Cold was practically forgotten by others.


    "I asked the nanny if she was that powerful? When the Emperor ascended the throne, he originally only had one concubine, who was the current Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin. According to logic, even though she was born in a noble family and could smoothly become a Empress, the birth of the Zhaojia was even more precious than the birth of the Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin. But Miss, you aren''t the real Princess of West Cold after all, so how can the Emperor let you go? "


    "That''s right, I''m not the real Ge Ya, so don''t worry about me, Qing You. Besides, we''re currently living in Imperial Study, so other than the emperor and that old eunuch Eunuch Li being able to order us around, there''s no need to worry about anything else."


    After what happened yesterday, at least she had answered one question: Why would the General Li take care of her in every possible way? Because he was a family member, Li Liangxiao had already recognized Zhuang Li at that time.


    Now that the Emperor wanted to establish his own army, Li Liangxiao was a talented person who led his troops in war. The Emperor needed him, so he naturally wouldn''t take Zhuang Li''s life.


    But she had to arrange an identity for Zhuang Li not to be killed.


    At that time, the whereabouts of both the Princess of West Cold and Xi Cuo were unknown, and the minds of the entire West Cold were in panic, so they might as well make a mistake, and they tacitly agreed that the Princess of West Cold was Zhuang Li.


    Although it was too easy to arouse suspicion by looking at Zhuang Li, almost isolating her from the Plum Court which was the furthest from the main palace, and even bestowing her the title of a Imperial Noble Lady.


    But why is the Emperor still unwilling to reveal that Zhuang Li is not Princess Ge Ya?


    Zhuang Li, on the other hand, could not understand. It was only when she heard Qing You mumbling that she wondered if Xi Cuo had fully recovered from his injuries. Zhuang Li suddenly realized.


    Although his West Cold had already been pacified, and he was sincere about it, he still had not found the bloodline of the West Cold royal family. Since Wang Su was so intelligent, it was natural for him to think that Zhuang Li and Ge Ya had some sort of relationship and tie up. If one were to mention that Princess Ge Ya was still in the Great Phoenix Sect, one of them was controlling the soldiers'' hearts which had yet to be gathered in the West Cold. Secondly, they had also restricted the movements of Xi Cuo and Ge Ya, as if reminding them of their own existence.


    If Wang Su did not expose Zhuang Li''s plan in the palace, perhaps he would tell the queen her plan in private. The hatred the empress of the palace had towards him was nothing more than gossip.


    Thinking up to here, Zhuang Li heaved a sigh of relief. Perhaps what she needed to do now was to serve the emperor who had such a deep thought. When the chance presented itself, she might really be able to leave the palace.

 C48

    Zhuang Li had told Qing You that the General Li was indeed Li Liangxiao, causing the little girl to be startled at first, but after hearing it, she naturally went crazy with joy. In the end, she even started crying ¡­


    She had drifted with Zhuang Li for many years, and had met with many good things as well as many troubles. Regardless of whether or not she had to believe that the heavens had eyes or not, she still believed in them.


    Zhuang Li was also happy to see her like this. The child called Li Liangxiao was their family, and now there was a family like that waiting for them outside the city.


    At least he felt a little less guilt and regret, a little more worry, and finally, he was desperately happy.


    Starting from New Year''s Eve, there was no morning assembly from the first fifteen, nor was there a paper presented. According to logic, the Emperor would not come to this Imperial Study, but the Emperor actually did. The old eunuch seemed to have long anticipated this and bowed as he followed behind the emperor. He seemed to be used to this kind of arrangement.


    Qing You did not have the right to casually enter the teahouse, so she could only wait at the door, while Zhuang Li stayed there with the old eunuch and learned how to cook and drink tea for the emperor. No matter how many tea leaves she used, or how much water she used, it would all be up to him. Well water, spring water and snow water must be distinguished. Talking about the softness and hardness of water also affects the purity of tea... As she did so, she noted down the Emperor''s habits. The old eunuch brewed a pot of tea and gave Zhuang Li a meaningful glance, then Zhuang Li brought the Eleventh Zhuang Li over to the Emperor.


    After two days of experience, Zhuang Li was still a little afraid of the emperor. She knew in her heart that this person was no longer the Wang Su from back then, and had not recognized her in the slightest.


    Perhaps, he had already forgotten that the little girl called Zhao Ci back then had once frightened him when she was sitting on his carriage, and even lied about his existence with a gold ingot ¡­


    The white moon jade dragon that Wang Su had gifted her, the purple lotus flower that Young Master Baishi had gifted her, and Ge Ya''s jewellery. These were all originally her ties;


    In the Plum Court, she was like an old man, leaning on the rattan chair, relying on her memories to live her days, but now she was busy. There were too many things in her head, but she was afraid of making a mistake.


    She thought that when Li Liangxiao took her out of the palace, they would have a real home. He and Qing You could once again wander the streets and look at the bustling capital city. All that mess would have nothing to do with him.


    Don''t worry too much.


    Although he knew it wouldn''t be an easy task, it was still a good idea to have something to look forward to ¡­


    He also didn''t know if Hong Feng, with her Brightmoon Restaurant, had forgotten him.


    She suddenly felt hope and fantasy towards the matters outside the palace. Was Young Master Baishi still around? Is Liu Yiyi still there? If they still remembered him, what would they look like after so many years had passed?


    "Imperial Noble Lady Ya, can''t you be more careful!" The old man in the study immediately scolded as soon as they left. Zhuang Li was also a little helpless. Thinking about how it was so hard to serve an extra piece of tea, even if it was just a small piece less, that Wang Su could drink. Didn''t she sit with him in a dirty carriage all the way to West Cold when she was young? Why wasn''t he so particular back then ¡­ He was still drinking poor quality liquor!


    Zhuang Li thought about how shocked the old eunuch would be if she could see Wang Su like that year. She thought that his chin would probably fall to the ground.


    Although it was already past the start of the year and no one was going to attend the assembly, there was still a large backlog of papers. Wang Su was a hardworking person, of course he would not let the papers pile up until the start of the assembly to look.


    Is this guy not sleeping?


    After a long period of time, when it was almost midnight, the new clothes that the Clothing Department made for Zhuang Li arrived. Qing You put away the clothes and let Zhuang Li try it on. She wore a small red cotton jacket over her chiffon cotton clothes. Her hair and shoes had also been replaced. Her foundation was very thick and she almost fell down when she walked. It was good that she got used to it. It seemed that as someone close to the Emperor, he naturally didn''t dare to slight him.


    When they made tea that night, Wang Su actually raised his head and looked at her. Zhuang Li thought that he had done something wrong, and was naturally shocked. However, he had only taken a glance at it and was busy with his own matters.


    Meanwhile, Zhuang Li had already started to doze after she had finished dividing the tea leaves. The pot of boiling water simmered on the stove, letting out gurgling sounds of steam. She leaned against a row of tall tea cabinets, her nose filled with steam. She would sleep warmly for an hour before getting up to change the emperor''s tea.


    Although the weather was still very cold outside, even though the day was freezing, the weather felt especially clean. Pushing open the door, he saw many young eunuch s sweeping the snow, there were too many people in the palace, it was as if there were no snow at all. After putting on his clothes, he walked out. However, a few minutes later, he saw a person walking out from the Imperial Study.


    "Good filial piety!" she cried, grinning from ear to ear.


    The teenager was dressed in thin clothes. He was wearing nothing but a thin cotton jacket and a dark blue flowery shirt. He had a leather belt tied around his waist with broken jade inlaid on it. He stood up straight and was in high spirits. Seeing Zhuang Li, he almost flew over like a child, but in reality, he had flown down the steps of the Imperial Study Inner Palace as well, and pulled Zhuang Li along, wanting to lift her up like a child.


    "When can you be a bit more stable?"


    Zhuang Li laughed and nagged him, then went to wake Qing You up. The three of them naturally felt touched when they saw each other, it was as if there was a house waiting for her.


    "Big Sister is at West Cold, and during the holidays, she would always place two bowls of rice at the side. She said that it''s for you and the Uncle Zheng ¡­" Qing You said. She naturally did not think that the petite Li Liangxiao of the past, who was even shorter than her, would be able to grow up to be like this.


    Li Liangxiao stared at Zhuang Li with eyes filled with water droplets, and was stopped by Zhuang Li.


    "What are you doing in the palace today?"


    Now that the West Cold has stabilized, the Emperor has sent me back to take over the defense of the capital. Even if I have to do something to Inner Mongolia, I''m afraid half a year will be enough. I will enter the palace to discuss with the Emperor about this.


    "The West Cold has already stabilized?"


    "That''s right, but I still don''t know where the real Princess Ge Ya is hiding. Elder sister, you returned to the Great Phoenix for the Princess of West Cold, is it because you owe her a favor?"


    "Ge Ya is a good person." It was only because of the criminals from the West Cold that she had drifted to the West Cold, and it was also because of Ge Ya and Xi Cuo that she had almost become a member of the West Cold, and even nearly became an imperial concubine of the West Cold herself. Now, she had actually returned to the Great Phoenix, and was still the Imperial Noble Lady of the Great Phoenix Emperor in name ¡­


    "The Emperor is in the study now?" Zhuang Li asked.


    "That''s right, he just discussed the matter of returning to guard with me, so we are currently inside. "He rarely rests throughout the year. He''s busier than anyone else ¡­"


    He had been busy all night and had gone to the temple to enjoy the incense in the morning. Unexpectedly, he had come back to the study in the afternoon.


    It seems that it isn''t easy to be the emperor as well.


    Although this Imperial Study was not as comfortable as Little Plum Court, it was still a forbidden area of the Emperor. There were very few concubines that would come here, so even if they had something to do, they could only wait outside. He went in and out of the palace to serve a master. Although the slaves who were able to serve under Imperial Study were all very careful and did not even talk much, there were still a lot of people who entered, and by the time it was almost the beginning of the sixteenth dynasty, many of the ministers had already begun to enter the palace to discuss the post-pilgrimage work.


    In the midst of entering and exiting the Imperial Study, some were deeply frowning, some were smiling happily, and Zhuang Li had an additional love to do. It was to look over these people who were idle at the Imperial Study entrance, and a few words would occasionally float into her ears. Compared to when she was in the Plum Court, she had learned quite a bit about the Phoenix Dynasty. The borders of the West Cold and the Da Feng Empire had already gradually become more stable, and the number of grievances between the masses had decreased as well. Wang Su had also tentatively fulfilled his requirements, and in the next half a year, the Ministry of Revenue would be pushing internal affairs, dividing the land among the commoners.


    This was related to the interests of many madams and officials, so it was not to be underestimated.


    The Emperor had only ascended the throne for two or three years, so he didn''t have complete control over the imperial government. The powers within the imperial court were still fighting against each other, but exchanging them all for each other was a difficult task.


    From what Zhuang Li knew, the Emperor was mainly in charge of the Military Department, the Department of Revenue and the Imperial Court were not as harmonious as they appeared to be, it was not easy for him to initiate a war of West Cold.


    There was still one more person to talk about here. Although Zhuang Li was very surprised to see him, it was within his expectations.


    Prime Minister Zhao


    Zhuang Li had actually thought of a treacherous subject like him. Although the calamity was not great, and she had finally chosen the right master to be with the right person, it did not change her greedy nature, and sshe herself had lived in luxury for many years, so he would not die too early.


    If he was still in the imperial palace, the Emperor would naturally not bother to care about him, and as for Zhuang Li, what was surprising was that this old man had his own network of people, and knew how to be careful and not offend the Emperor. Furthermore, he even had an additional identity.


    The Emperor''s father-in-law...


    That day, he did not come to Imperial Study alone, but had accompanied her own daughter. Zhuang Li still remembered his daughter, Zhao Ci, and both of them.


    Zhuang Li still remembered back then when the Zhao Mansion had invited the Sixth Master of the Sixth Prince. At that time, Zhao Qin had probably already been moved by Wang Su, and with the Old Prime Minister Zhao scheming for his precious daughter, it would not be an easy feat for her to become the wife of a prince. It was just that she had not expected Wang Su to become the emperor.


    And what was even more unexpected to Zhuang Li, was that Zhao Qin was not just an ordinary concubine either.


    She was Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin, whose position was only second to the Empress ¡­

 C49

    Zhuang Li only stood at the corner of the corner of the tower and saw an old man coming from afar. Accompanying him was a woman who wore a golden cotton dress, which was cut extremely exquisite, and wore a mink cape on the outside.


    She supported the old man by her side, who looked to be around sixty years old. He was dressed in official clothes and was very respectful, but with Hanqin''s help, he looked healthy and healthy. Zhuang Li naturally guessed that the person was Hanqin''s father.


    When he walked closer to Zhuang Li, Zhuang Li saw that although it had been many years, he could still recognize the appearance of that man with a single glance. His wrinkles had deepened a little, and he did not have that cold and indifferent expression when he looked at Zhuang Li back then.


    That person was Zhao Ci''s biological father! Old Prime Minister Zhao! And that Hanqin Imperial Noble Consort, although he had a dignified and graceful appearance, his face was even more exquisite and beautiful. Wasn''t he the Zhao Qin who was born with four levels of Zhao Mansion?!


    Back then, when the Prime Minister Zhao was flattering Wang Su, he wasn''t drunk enough to realize his intention to marry Zhao Qin to the Sixth Prince. It was just that he didn''t think that the Sixth Prince would really become the Emperor, and Zhao Qin would naturally ascend to Imperial Noble Consort ¡­


    Zhuang Li quickly retreated back into the corner. She didn''t know why her heart would suddenly churn with emotions.


    Zhao Chen and her had almost no feelings for each other. Those two weren''t blood related to her, but when she saw them, her heart was filled with feelings of unwillingness and desolation.


    Could it be because of Zhao Ci''s body?


    After so many years, Zhuang Li had almost forgotten that she was still Zhao Ci. This body of hers was now completely in her grasp and she had long believed that Zhao Ci was already dead.


    Was she still alive? Perhaps it was only because of the blood in his body, after all, his blood was his true kin.


    Zhuang Li asked young eunuch to go in and serve tea while he stayed in the backyard. The emperor had already told the empress about her situation, which was also why the empress didn''t look for her again, and knew that she was a fake Princess of West Cold. As for why the emperor kept her, it was naturally because she was still useful to the emperor.


    She was not the Princess of West Cold, this was already an open secret. At least the empress would no longer be jealous and cause trouble for her.


    But no one knew that she was Zhao Ci.


    For the past few years, whenever Zhuang Li looked at the copper mirror, her eyes could not hide the beauty of it, and it had nothing to do with Zhao Qin and Old Prime Minister Zhao. Zhuang Li could only guess that this body looked more and more like Du Yueyao''s.


    Zhuang Li did not know much about her story, and the majority of her story was told while she was listening to Qing You and the neighbors.


    Du Yueyao was born in an extremely poor family and was sold to brothels before she was ten years old. She didn''t expect that she would become more beautiful as she grew older. She was as pretty as a goddess and she really wanted to see diamonds shining brightly in the sand. No matter if it was the sunlight or the darkness, it could no longer cover her. She successfully became the prostitute from the Water Girl, and before she had even reached adulthood, she had already favored the capital.


    Then, she hurriedly married to the Prime Minister Zhao and gave birth to an ugly girl ¡­


    This was probably the end of the story. The only thing she was concerned about was probably her silly daughter called Zhao Ci ¡­


    Although Zhuang Li did not have any feelings for her, the blood in her body had undoubtedly reconstructed her back then.


    Since she was currently staying at the Imperial Study, resting during the day and serving the emperor tea at night, she naturally did not frequently wear a veil. young eunuch who were used to wearing Imperial Study had naturally seen her appearance before, and Zhuang Li was able to see the unexpected beauty in their eyes.


    Even though their mouths were tightly shut, it was still possible for the news to spread out. The Emperor summoned a beautiful young lady to serve him tea? Aren''t you looking for trouble at the empress''s place? Even if he didn''t make things difficult for her regarding the Princess of West Cold, he would still find trouble for her because of this face in the end.


    Zhuang Li could only keep a low profile as much as possible. Prime Minister Zhao only stayed in Imperial Study for a short while before he came out.


    Although his official position was large, he was still quite old. Moreover, it wasn''t the style of the emperor to like it, and although he had followed the emperor over the years, with his exquisite features protecting his official position and wealth, his power had been taken over by the emperor. He had become a person of wealth and idleness.


    With his current status, he would probably need to rely on''s help to maintain it.


    However, no matter what, he had still become a relative of the royal family. His life could be considered to have gone smoothly ¡­


    Looking at the way Hanqin treated his daughter, it seemed that he had indeed spoilt her.


    However, as a woman of the imperial palace, if she didn''t have a son of the emperor, she could only rely on her family''s power to survive. At most, they could just use each other.


    It wasn''t that there weren''t such customs in this place. When she first came here, she was tossed into the West Cold before reaching the Spring Festival Gala, but West Cold didn''t have these rules, and the first year of going back to the Great Phoenix didn''t have such conditions in the Plum Court.


    Zhuang Li almost cried when she ate it, the last time she ate it was probably in the modern world. Her mother had made it for him.


    Naturally, there was a banquet during Yuanxiao''s night, but this time, Zhuang Li was not called out by the empress. After Zhuang Li ate the dinner sent over from the kitchen, he sent Qing You and Whitey over to Heart Nurturing Palace to watch the show. Whitey was naturally not able to fly over to see her since the Imperial Study was in the center of the palace. Now, it could only be brought over by Li Liangxiao, who was on patrol, into the palace as Li Liangxiao''s little servant.


    Zhuang Li saw that she and Yue Shuang were just like little babies, so she sent them out to play. She herself, however, was too lazy to move, and too unwilling to be seen by and the Prime Minister Zhao. She merely sat on the doorstep of the Imperial Study, and heard the zither music and song coming from within the Heart Nurturing Palace, floating like a Buddhist chant.


    The young eunuch who was cleaning at the Imperial Study asked her, "Imperial Noble Lady Ya, why don''t you go watch a show at the Heart Nurturing Palace?"


    Zhuang Li replied, "I want to protect the emperor''s tea."


    "Imperial Noble Lady Ya, today''s Yuan Xiao Qing in the palace will definitely be tormented until the middle of the night. Once it''s done, the emperor will definitely go to the empress to rest, and then the court will begin tomorrow. Even if the emperor wants to visit the Imperial Study, that will be done tomorrow night. You can go watch the show without worry, and then sleep in the sun for three hours tomorrow without any problems. "


    "Hey, you damned child. Eunuch Li didn''t teach you, right? It doesn''t matter whether the Emperor is here or not, the Imperial Study is still the emperor''s. You have to wait here for the emperor, even if I have to give the emperor his tea so he can drink it warm, do you understand? "


    Recently, she had gotten to know this bunch of eunuchs served by Imperial Study very well, and even had the intention of becoming their big sister. She took a glance at the young eunuch who had been randomly taught a lesson, and obediently lowered his head, waiting.


    Zhuang Li coldly snorted in her heart. Mother came from the twenty-first century. Lion Dance? Juggling? Singing and dancing? I''ve never seen anything on TV... How could this be rare ¡­


    The Imperial Study s were also hung with layers and layers of colored palace lamps, crowded above his head. The candles were not bright enough, but they were just enough to clearly illuminate that handsome and light roof. It was unknown what kind of craftsmanship was used to design it, it was like a swallow''s beautiful wings that were about to fly away in the night sky.


    Zhuang Li was fascinated by the sound of the drumbeats coming from the Heart Nurturing Palace. It was as if they were urging the swallow to quickly fly. Spring was about to arrive. She closed her eyes and knew that Li Liangxiao was currently outside the palace wall not far from her, inspecting the palace security.


    Her little brother had grown up. The corners of her lips curled up into a smile. She felt that if she could stop at this moment, she would already be a beauty. In the early hours of the morning, after the banquet had ended, only the sound of Peng Peng''s cannon could be heard. Zhuang Li opened her eyes and a sky of fireworks could be seen.


    Qing You was freer than Zhuang Li by a lot. She wandered around and told her before that there were many cannons and fireworks outside the Heart Nurturing Palace, which were used for Yuan Xiao to set them up.


    A sky full of fireworks exploded above Zhuang Li''s head. In a flash, another one caught up immediately, illuminating the dark night as bright as day.


    Zhuang Li closed her eyes once again. That sound sounded like it was the 21st century, she could hear the sounds of cannons in her ears and the smell of smoke and gunpowder on the tip of her nose.


    It had been a long time since she had thought of her family, her mother. Coming here was like a long dream, she didn''t know when she would wake up.


    She was asleep, as if in a dream. There was Ge Ya, there was Xi Cuo. There were also flowers with West Cold that bloomed everywhere in the mountains.


    Then there was the war.


    She thought she heard someone call, "The emperor has arrived." He only felt like it was a dream, and he was still talking about it in his dreams. Where did the West Cold come from, your majesty? There was only one king! A king!


    She seemed to be picked up by someone. Her arms were very strong, and it was warm in her arms. She couldn''t help but burrow into his embrace once more.


    She was still thinking about it ¡­


    The king is dead, too, in the battle with the Great Phoenix. But there was still Xi Cuo''s.


    That''s right. Xi Cuo was the current king.


    "Right!" Xi Cuo... "


    Without feeling it, she started talking in her sleep. Then, the arm she was hugging stiffened, followed by a burst of pain, as though her head was knocked against something. Zhuang Li opened her eyes and fell on the study room. Real gold and silver!


    Being hit so hard that she was confused, she immediately patted her head and got up, the first thing she saw was Wang Su sitting in front of the desk.


    But just now, someone had actually carried him in? Could it be that he was the one who carried him in?!


    This conjecture caused her to feel as if a thunderbolt had struck her head ¡­ But the moment he turned around, he saw the trembling young eunuch at the entrance kneeling down ¡­


    Thinking about it, it was probably because the young eunuch had brought him here realistically. Looks like I was overthinking it, but why would the Emperor know of this place? Wasn''t he coming tomorrow?


    Could it be that it was already the second day? He had actually slept for a day and a night!


    The cold wind blowing in from the outside was mixed with the smell of gunpowder from the cannon fodder ¡­


    Zhuang Li sighed, looks like she overthought things ¡­ Hehe ¡­ It seemed like the emperor had just had a stroke and wanted to come here to take a sip of tea while Imperial Study sat inside ¡­


    A headlight, a guide. When he walked to the door, an even bigger problem appeared. Imperial Noble Lady Ya was crouching in front of the door of the study, completely asleep.


    No one dared to breathe! That Eunuch Li was the one with the most authority other than the Emperor, so he took Buddha dust and was going to beat up the Imperial Noble Lady Ya on the ground. But it was blocked by the Emperor.


    "Why is she here?"


    That young eunuch trembled as he replied, "Imperial Noble Lady Ya said that she will serve the Emperor''s tea and let him drink it hot at all times."


    "Oh?" The emperor almost gave a cold laugh as he looked towards the tea room. It was pitch black there and the fire had long been extinguished ¡­


    "This tea is quite hot." He said it in a teasing way, more like he was talking to himself.


    Instantly, everyone was waiting for the Emperor to explode in rage.


    Eunuch Li followed the Emperor for the longest period of time, so he naturally understood the Emperor''s thoughts the best. He was watched by everyone and wanted to see what methods he had to protect the life of the Imperial Noble Lady Ya.


    He didn''t expect that the Eunuch Li would change from his previous serious look to a smile on his face.


    Afterwards, no one dared to breathe too loudly. After looking at the Emperor hesitating at the door for a moment, he actually crouched down and carried the Imperial Noble Lady Ya into his arms before entering the study!


    The lamplighter immediately opened the door and led the way, opening the door to allow the emperor to enter.


    Thinking about it, although Imperial Noble Lady Ya only served tea to the Emperor through her Imperial Study, she was still the Emperor''s Imperial Noble Lady. Just like the empress, she was also a woman of the Emperor, but her position was not high. Furthermore, anyone who had seen the Imperial Noble Lady Ya would know that the Imperial Noble Lady Ya was definitely not ordinary, and would definitely be countless times more powerful than the Queen Imperial Noble Consort ¡­


    But just as everyone heaved a sigh of relief, that Imperial Noble Lady Ya spoke a few words as if she was in a dream. No one could hear him clearly, but the Eunuch Li could hear him clearly from beside the Emperor. Her face immediately turned pale.


    The emperor was also startled. With that, he turned around and walked in the direction of the reclining chair. Without showing any mercy, he threw Imperial Noble Lady Ya onto the reclining chair and became dizzy ¡­


    And at that time, what did Imperial Noble Lady Ya say in her dreams? The Eunuch Li obediently covered his mouth. The Emperor also suddenly pulled the temperature to the point where Yan Dong could feel spring was about to come out ¡­


    Therefore, it was likely that no one would ever find out about this secret ¡­

 C50

    As expected, more things happened after the assembly began. While the emperor was still in the imperial court everyday, he would go to the study room and check out the records in the cabinet and officials before being sent to the Imperial Study one after another. The emperor immediately arranged for them to come to the Imperial Study to look at the paper, and not long after, two or three ministers would also come to the Imperial Study to debate on the matter. Please make a decision, the emperor. Something like that.


    Zhuang Li stayed in the teahouse all day to help the Emperor and the other masters change their tea to make tea.


    When the ministers finally started shouting, and prepared to return to their families to find their wives, Zhuang Li was still unable to rest. She still had to wait inside the Imperial Study to serve the emperor.


    The emperor would review the paper money almost every day until late at night, and on the second day, he would wake up before five o''clock in the morning to go to court. Every time Zhuang Li fell asleep in the tea room, it was still the Eunuch Li who came in to help her change the tea leaves. The sky outside was already so dark that only the distant palace lamps could be seen. The emperor was indeed still in his Imperial Study, frowning as he examined the stacks of papers handed over by the local officials one by one.


    From time to time, he would use cinnabar to write a few comments before putting them to the side.


    Every time Zhuang Li changed the tea leaves, she would always think that this person was too energetic, and would occasionally urge him to rest as well. However, ever since the Spring Festival, the emperor didn''t pay any attention to her, and didn''t even raise his head to look at her. Although Zhuang Li had repeatedly thought about it, she truly did not understand when she had offended the emperor.


    In the past, the Emperor wouldn''t pay attention to her, but more or less, he would glare at her. But now, he was completely treating her as though she was transparent. He couldn''t even be bothered to lift his eyelids...


    She had also consulted the Eunuch Li before, and the latter was normally amiable and amiable towards Zhuang Li, but upon encountering this matter, she suddenly became silent and did not speak.


    Zhuang Li could only put this matter down to the fact that it was difficult for the emperor to guess ¡­ It was better to be a man with his tail between his legs than to offend this master of his one day, causing him to lose his head ¡­


    This teahouse was also extremely particular when it came to talking about teahouses. There were about 180 different kinds of tea stored in the tea cabinet. Some of them Zhuang Li could not even get a clear name for, since the emperor usually only drank five or six of them. Even to the point of being dazzling, the requirements for water were very high. Well water, snow water, mountain spring water, and rootless water were all commonly used.


    It was said that the Dragon King lived at the bottom of the well, and that the Dragon King lived at the bottom of the well. Whenever the weather changed, there would even be water spraying from the bottom of the well, and golden dragonfishes would roam in the water. The name of the village there was always saying that the golden dragon fish was the servant of the Dragon King who guarded the gates. Every day before dawn, soldiers were sent to fetch water from the water vans before storing it in the palace.


    As for the snow water ¡­ In the winter, after the snow had fallen, the branches of the pine trees would be covered with snow. When the pine trees were covered with snow, the snow would fall, fall, and then accumulate again, so the snow would fall again, all the way until three times, when the accumulated snow was collected in clay pots, sealed in wax, and transported back to the royal palace to be stored in an icehouse for the purpose of brewing tea ¡­


    Rootless water is the rain from the sky, this is easy to deal with.


    The most troublesome thing was the dew, every morning hundreds of lotus flower girls rode on small boats and brought small terrines to the lotus leaves in the lotus pond to gather dew, but Zhuang Li did not use dew often, it was mostly for the harem women.


    The tea leaves were naturally of the highest quality that could be offered every quarter, and every few months, they would be exchanged with another batch of the best quality tea leaves. Other than giving the Emperor a full day of tea, Zhuang Li would also have to brew a few cups of tea for all the masters that came to the Emperor''s Imperial Study to argue with him.


    Zhuang Li watched them argue everyday, their faces and necks turning red, but they never really started fighting. Sometimes Zhuang Li even suspected that they were just here to get some tea ¡­


    Until one day, the person who came to Imperial Study was someone she knew.


    Prince Bi


    There were a lot of people that day, and those ministers were clamoring inside the Imperial Study. Even the young eunuch s guarding the gates were complaining.


    "If they didn''t make enough trouble in the study room, they would still have to come to the Imperial Study to make trouble. They are truly old." These words were heard by the Eunuch Li guarding the door.


    Zhuang Li always thought that the Eunuch Li was just an ancient bug. His hearing was simply abnormally good. He could even hear a sound as soft as a mosquito!


    The worst thing was that he could read lips ¡­ The young eunuch did not care if he went out to make a sound, as long as his mouth moved, he would be able to receive the signal to automatically decode the password in his mind and translate it into the correct information. Then, a cloud of dust fell onto the young eunuch''s head, as if it was about to be beheaded ¡­


    Zhuang Li had always thought that Yue Yang was simply a model that the Emperor would create for himself for the sake of the eunuchs by his side.


    You know everything, you don''t say anything...


    The Emperor wasn''t angry. While the ministers were quarreling, he had listened attentively to them one by one, and then discussed things anew one by one. This was a rare occasion for him to have a good temper. Zhuang Li made tea nonstop. She almost had no time to send tea away, she just stayed in the tea house and had one of the young eunuch bring tea back and forth. When there was a person standing in front of her, she originally thought that the young eunuch had returned and said that ¡­


    "Little Qing, don''t be anxious. We''ll have to wait for a while ¡­"


    The voice that answered her was clearly different from that of a eunuch. Naturally, she had heard that voice before, just like that person''s appearance, as if it had been carved out of gold and jade in her mother''s womb. It was extremely nice to listen to.


    If all beauties were destined to be born in one''s mother''s womb, then it could only be said that that person''s mother was too proficient in giving birth ¡­


    "The last time it was Little White, but this time, it became Little Qing Zi?"


    Zhuang Li looked up and saw Prince Bi right in front of him. He was so shocked that he almost knocked over her teacup.


    "Forgive me, Prince. I accidentally offended you ¡­"


    "You weren''t so afraid of me last time ¡­"


    Last time, Zhuang Li was still lying under the flower rack of the hydrangea flower. With one eye open, she saw the peerlessly beautiful man in front of him clearly, and said indifferently: "You are Prince Bi?


    If she could reverse the flow of time, Zhuang Li would really want to return to that time and slap herself twice.


    At that time, there was no one coming to the Plum Court, it was as if the power and struggles in the palace had nothing to do with her, who could control her?


    Now that he was in the palace, he could naturally feel the power within it. A prince ¡­ A prince who can tear himself apart in minutes... The Emperor''s own older brother naturally should have held him up with both hands.


    "At that time, you were still young and ignorant. Prince, you don''t need to care about it."


    "Then now you know?" Prince Bi found it funny and sat down on a chair.


    "Yes, yes!" Zhuang Li nodded her head like a chick pecking rice.


    Prince Bi was thoroughly amused by her and once again touched the top of her head. It seemed easy for him to get her to touch the top of her head.


    "You''re not a child." The Prince Bi said.


    "I... I am the Emperor''s Imperial Noble Lady ¡­ " Zhuang Li said in a low voice, afraid.


    "A little Imperial Noble Lady who pretended to be Princess Ge Ya for a year and is currently boiling tea leaves in Imperial Study Tea House?"


    "I ¡­" Zhuang Li choked, she did not know what to say.


    That Prince Bi just chuckled and said, "Alright, I won''t tease you anymore. I will go look for you in the Plum Court, but that place has already been sealed. Once he asked about the whereabouts of Princess Ge Ya, he found out that she had been transferred to the Imperial Study to serve tea!


    Although he did not sound amused, his tone was heavy when he said the three words, Princess Ge Ya. He spoke the words word by word, afraid that no one would hear him clearly. Then, she looked at Zhuang Li who had gone crazy yet had no way of dealing with him.


    "Even the plum blossoms in the Plum Court have all fallen, why don''t you go take a look?"


    "What?" Although Zhuang Li felt reluctant to leave, she had no choice. That plum tree and hydrangea had accompanied her for a whole year. She was reluctant to part with him like a friend.


    "Don''t worry, I''ve saved it all for you." Before Zhuang Li could understand what he meant, Prince Bi took out a branch from his chest and handed it over to Zhuang Li.


    "The Imperial Study Courtyard is so big, you can find a random place to insert it."


    Zhuang Li took it and held the branch in her hand. She originally thought that it was just a joke, but she really didn''t think that it would be because of the Plum Court.


    "Thank you, Prince Bi." She passed a cup of tea to Prince Bi.


    "Is this considered a thank-you gift?" he asked, raising his handsome eyebrows.


    "Prince Bi also has something to discuss with the Emperor?"


    "I was just strolling around casually. Since there are so many things that the Emperor has to do, I naturally won''t disturb him." Just treat it as coming to see a little girl like you. " He took the tea that Zhuang Li gave him and cleaned it.


    "The snow water isn''t from the pine branch, but from the spruce tree. If the emperor drinks it, then remember to find trouble with the cuisine department. If you can''t drink it, then don''t worry about him."


    After he finished speaking, he got up and walked out, as if he did not want to stay any longer, leaving Zhuang Li standing there, dumbstruck. To be able to drink that, this Prince Bi is too abnormal ¡­


    No matter whether it was the Prince Bi or Wang Su, there were still many things that Zhuang Li could not understand. Zhuang Li did not understand why the relationship between the two would become like this. Wasn''t the former crown prince the Prince Bi? Why was Wang Su the emperor in the end?


    These two were half-brothers. From what she knew, there was no longer any imperial concubines in the harem. Even Wang Su''s mother and Prince Bi''s mother were not present.


    They were probably already dead.


    However, judging from the age of women in this era when they gave birth to children, as well as the age of the Emperor and Prince Bi, their mothers should not be very old. Not even fifty years old? Isn''t this the age to be happy?


    Eight years ago, before she had left the capital, she had heard about the matter of the tripod.

 C51

    The story of the Three-legged Emperor was not something that happened during the Spring and Autumn War, but rather, of the many sons of the Great Phoenix Dynasty''s emperor, only three were the most outstanding. They had the strength to fight against each other. This was indeed the case at that time.


    The first was the crown prince, the Prince Bi at that time, and the current Prince Bi. He was a prince that the Emperor doted upon. It was said that he was extremely beautiful, and his personality was naturally carefree. He could be said to be the most outstanding prince amongst all the princes. Furthermore, her mother was born into an extremely prestigious family, and was the emperor''s rightful queen. Zhuang Li guessed that it was because of her beauty that he gave birth to a son like the Prince Bi. With his own characteristics and his mother''s care, the Prince Bi naturally went with the flow. He stood out from the other princes.


    The second was the ninth prince, Wang Yi. Legend has it that his mother, a child of an official family, knew how to deceive people in the government since she was young, and that business and government were not separated. The emperor met her when he was on a tour of the south and thought that she was smart and lively, so he brought her back to the palace. The Ninth Prince grew up to be the leader of a group of corrupt officials. He had a lot of money. But no one cared about him either. Anything that could make money, he was willing to step in. including the food for the disaster, and the pay of the soldiers in front...


    His followers were just as cunning and mercenary as he was. For example, Prime Minister Zhao ¡­


    The third was Sixth Prince Wang Su ¡­


    There were not many rumors about him, especially about his family. Hardly any rumors had been heard. It''s just that the Sixth Prince had been muddling along in the army camp all year round, and there were a group of soldiers following behind him. After he gradually grew up, he raised a group of his own generals.


    Amongst the three of them, the one the Emperor loved the most was naturally Crown Prince Wang Bi. Who doesn''t like beautiful and free people. The sixth brother was too cold, the ninth brother was too slippery, and the crown prince was different, just right, plus his mother. The throne was already in his arms.


    Eight years ago, when Zhuang Li had just passed through here, the Lord Zhao had invited the Sixth Prince to a banquet. At that time, the Emperor had already lost patience with the Ninth Prince, Wang Yi, and had begun to investigate his background. This investigation didn''t matter. The more he checked, the angrier he got. The ninth prince was also very calm at the moment. His subordinates were like a pitch-black tree, with all sorts of branches growing extremely powerful.


    And he was the center of gravity of the trunk. Like a spider in a net, he was the most important and most secretive.


    The Emperor wants to investigate? Good. I''ll break my meridians wherever I find it. In order to protect the heart of the tree, he had cut off all of his limbs. In any case, he didn''t care ¡­


    However, he did not seem to think that the mercenary villains who followed him did not care about him and could become daggers for others to attack him with. For example, the old Prime Minister Zhao ¡­


    Thus, the Prime Minister Zhao became the branch that he needed to cut off, probably using all sorts of methods to force the Prime Minister Zhao to take the blame on his behalf. That crime was huge, so Old Zhao naturally couldn''t bear it. However, he wasn''t afraid as he had already come up with a countermeasure ¡­


    How smart was Prime Minister Zhao? Perhaps he had long since realized that this great tree of the ninth prince was about to run out of oil. And so, boldly surrendered to Sixth Prince Wang Su. At that time, Wang Su really needed a tactful helper, and thus, he accepted the Prime Minister Zhao''s offer.


    Old Zhao also married his daughter, Zhao Qin, to the Sixth Prince as he wished. Prepared to be Princess Suo in the future...


    Thus, the destruction of the Nine Emperor Party was a foregone conclusion. After all, he had committed too many sins and no matter how powerful he was, he wouldn''t be able to obtain the throne. This was normal.


    But why did Wang Bi become the crippled crown prince, and Wang Su become the throne?


    That year, when he collided with''s carriage, he had such a cold and prideful look. In the Zhao Mansion, he had no choice but to make things difficult for the Lord Zhao. Since he was willing to hide in a dirty wagon while pretending to be down and out for the Great Feng, he was also willing to accept Li Liangxiao, a poor child with no powerful background, to nurture them into his loyal followers.


    He established his position in the army of the Great Phoenix ¡­


    Such a person, if one were to say that he wanted to become the Emperor, would surely be someone who had long since planned and planned for this to happen.


    But Wang Bi? Never fought back?


    Wasn''t his mother the empress and extremely powerful? At the very least, Wang Bi would take advantage of all the provocation and words of praise that were in front of the Emperor.


    As for Wang Su''s mother, he was just a simple and sincere woman who lived in the Plum Garden, as Prince Bi had said.


    This was the point that no matter how hard Wang Su tried, he couldn''t compare to the Prince Bi.


    Zhuang Li thought until her head hurt. She wondered what kind of person Wang Su''s mother, who lived in the Plum Court like him, was.


    And what kind of people would the former emperor let live in the Plum Court? What happened to her in the end? Had he ever moved out? The child of Wang Su that she was carrying in her Plum Court? Was it also born there?


    None of these things were known to Zhuang Li. She simply couldn''t be bothered to think about it anymore. Although she didn''t know how she offended the emperor, she still didn''t want her own head to do everything.


    Compared to Wang Su, Wang Bi seemed to be more at ease. One day, it seemed that his heart was not at all concerned about the national affairs, and did not take the initiative to befriend the court officials. It was as if he was not worried about Wang Su becoming the emperor at all.


    But when he looked at his Plum Garden, he felt a rare loneliness. Had he been in contact with Nessus''s mother before?


    Then Wang Su''s mother must also be a good mother that would cause people to feel close to his and ask after his ¡­


    Li Liangxiao currently had a lot of time to enter the palace, but he didn''t have time to rest. He would patrol the various palaces and the safety outside the city every day, but he might just pass by the Imperial Study and come out while carrying Zhuang Li''s tea. The reunion of family only took place in silence. A single smile represented everything.


    The child''s smile was still warm, as if the last remnants of winter''s snow had been completely melted away in an instant.


    If he were to enter the palace, he would definitely bring Xiao Bai over. Little White brought Big Flower, Qing You''s rabbit. Since Imperial Study didn''t allow him to raise rabbits, he gave the rabbit to Little White first.


    That big flower must be living a comfortable life in the general''s manor. He ate until he was fat.


    Then Qing You ran away with Little White and disappeared without a trace.


    What the hell is Lucky Three Treasures?


    On the other hand, Zhuang Li could not rest, and neither could the emperor. It was also Wang Su that allowed her to understand what it meant to have so many opportunities to take care of things everyday ¡­


    It didn''t matter whether it was day or night. It would be strange if the emperor could live as long as he wanted. These words startled her. Weren''t they cursing His Majesty ¡­?


    Recently, Eunuch Zhang had evolved to the point where she didn''t even need to look at her lips to know what was on her mind. Zhuang Li carefully looked around, and indeed, she saw Elder Zhang doing a head-slaying action towards her.


    Although she was currently in Imperial Study, and was extremely busy every day, and had many encounters, Zhuang Li still felt that this kind of lifestyle was not bad, and it was even better than living in Plum Court.


    Although he was at ease in the Plum Court, he seemed to be stifling something in his heart, and wanted to say it out loud. She would watch the Plum Blossom and the small courtyard every day. She brought Qing You along as if he had gone mad and swept all the corners of the walls until they were completely spotless.


    Now that she had something to do, the depression in her heart wouldn''t cause her to be unable to breathe. She was young, with good hands and feet, bright eyes, and keen ears. If he put her there. It was as if she didn''t want to watch, nor did she want to hear. In the end, she wasn''t willing to accept it ¡­


    Although on the surface, he acted like he was wearing clothes that showed no fear and did not care about other''s feelings at all.


    But now, he had more things to do. Although Imperial Study was not considered a large territory, she still spent a lot of time in the teahouse making tea. But there were too many other things to do.


    Everyday, she would watch as the palace maid used a stool to change the candles that were almost burnt out in the palace lamps under the eaves, and watch as the emperor drove from the main hall to the Imperial Study. She hurriedly went to get a cup of tea to wait for him. If Elder Zhang was serving the Emperor at the Heart Nurturing Palace, she could freely gossip with Qing You and the group of Imperial Study s.


    Unless Eunuch Li succeeded in evolving once again, and had a long-distance telepathic connection with them, they would already know that Zhuang Li and the others were talking bad about the Emperor from their Heart Nurturing Palace ¡­


    And Li Liangxiao, when he thought of his little brother, his heart warmed ¡­


    And if all of this was not enough, there was still the Prince Bi.


    Prince Bi had come to Imperial Study more and more often, and everyday, he would follow the court officials from the main hall to the Imperial Study. Just like Zhuang Li, he hid in the tea room and listened to the commotion. Chat with Zhuang Li for a bit.


    Very quickly, he got to know Zhuang Li better. Zhuang Li always felt that the aura around him made her feel that he was very familiar to her. It was only later on that she understood that the King Bi''s free and easy liquor and fragrant carp was not an object in the water.


    He did not seem to have come from the palace. He looked more like a person from the martial arts world. Zhuang Li had seen that kind of characteristics on the Young Master Loulan, Pear Blossom, Ge Ya and the others.


    In that case, the diligent Wang Su seemed to be more suitable to become emperor than the Prince Bi ¡­


    After coming and going, Zhuang Li and Wang Bi were actually as close as friends.


    At the same time, the Emperor''s attitude towards her became more and more vile, almost to the point that he wanted to freeze her into an ice cube. Sometimes, Zhuang Li would not even dare to go in to make tea, and would allow the young eunuch to take over. As for her, she hid in the teahouse, puzzled. It was already spring, and she heard that the peach blossoms were about to bloom. Why was it still so cold?


    Speaking of spring, the Clothing Department had already sent Zhuang Li a new spring garment, which was much thinner than the cotton one. It was a light pink color. The cuffs were embroidered with the flower. I heard it''s a new design for a tea lady.


    Zhuang Li had naturally seen it before, the clothes of the talented girls were all new red cheongsam. It seems that in this palace, from the empress to the Clothing Department, she was already treated as an ordinary female official to serve tea. She is no longer the talented daughter of the Emperor. This made her extremely happy.

 C52

    Zhuang Li was still fantasizing, how could the emperor one day make her a female official when he was happy, and not a Imperial Noble Lady?


    Da Feng married very early. A woman married at the age of 17 or 18, so when a palace maid left the palace, she could already be considered a young, unmarried woman.


    Usually, only married ministers and eunuchs appeared in the palace. The ministers naturally did not care for the maids, so the maids'' thoughts were all on writing down the words'' Red Leaf Lovesick ''. Of course, there was also a vote that those women in the springtime liked a lot, and that was the guards.


    The palace maids were naturally forbidden from falling in love within the palace. This matter was handled by the empress, and the empress was strict. It was said that all the palace maids who had been caught privately meeting with the imperial guards were executed by the empress.


    Even if they had a relationship with one of the guards, they would still be very careful as they would completely rely on their eyes to communicate and make love. As the saying goes, they would need to get a pair of adulterers, and such a secretive relationship would naturally sprout in their hearts and grow at a crazy rate, hiding it until the day it left the palace. Two people get married for love at once...


    Thus, many things that happened when the palace maids and guards fell in love happened. Thinking about those guards, even though they had been in the army for many years, they were surrounded by men. It wasn''t easy for them to meet a female pig like a fairy.


    Zhuang Li had been worried about Li Liangxiao before, but this foolish and sweet like brother of his must not marry him to a fiendish younger brother and wife. As a result, she sealed Li Liangxiao''s face when she saw the old ladies staring at the Patrol Officer like they were fresh meat. Zhuang Li hated that she couldn''t take a tea house with a cloth bag and cover his face with it ¡­


    In any case, due to the circumstances, the age at which the palace maid released the palace was twenty-two. If she was just a palace maid, then the day of her departure would be just around the corner ¡­


    However, Zhuang Li quickly dispelled that thought. The reason she was trapped in the capital by the emperor was not only because of Li Liangxiao, but also because of her West Cold ¡­


    It was said that the West Cold royal family had yet to settle down, and the person who took over the West Cold was the Third Prince who sent Zhuang Li away the other day. Even though he never thought of this method, under the supervision of the Great Phoenix people, he inherited the position of the King, when both Xi Cuo and his whereabouts were unknown.


    Controlling a Third Prince was naturally easy. While the Great Phoenix was afraid of Xi Cuo. Although Xi Cuo lost to Da Feng, first, because he was too young, and secondly, because of the Great Phoenix''s surprise attack, it made Xi Cuo think that it was a secret passage that was being guarded by a great phoenix, turning it into a sending off soldiers.


    The Da Feng Empire had naturally heard of the changes that had occurred in the past few years of the West Cold. From the Eldest Prince to force the palace, they had practically exterminated the strongest soldiers in the West Cold Army, and Xi Cuo had actually used more than a year to establish his own army. Although he was not strong enough, but it was enough for everyone to look at him in a new light.


    Therefore, the emperor still needed to control Zhuang Li by her side. With Zhuang Li''s relationship with him, it would be a hindrance to Xi Cuo''s development, and even if it was useless, holding a chess piece in her hands would not be a problem. In any case, Zhuang Li''s appetite would not destroy the imperial palace.


    Thinking about that, Zhuang Li ruthlessly dug out rice grains all over the place.


    It can''t be that he wants to keep me as his pet ¡­


    "What are you angry about?"


    Zhuang Li raised her head and actually saw King Bi''s handsome face.


    "King Bi? Aren''t we not going to court today? What are you doing in this Imperial Study? "


    It would take at least three days for the Emperor to bring a group of civil and military officials to the Xiang Shan Grand Temple to pray for the peace of this year''s great phoenix.


    "Isn''t this to find something for you to do while you have nothing else to do?" He was still smiling, as if he had planned it all along.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Take you out of the palace?" Smiling, he waved the gold medal out of the palace.


    Zhuang Li was immediately captivated by her suggestion. In her words, she had already suffocated in the palace until mushrooms grew on her whole body, the emperor had left, Li Liangxiao had also gone to protect her safety, and Xiao Bai actually took Qing You away secretly. This was simply their early love for each other.


    I don''t know if I should be in charge...


    With Prince Bi''s suggestion, Zhuang Li was immediately excited to the point that her eyes were full of little stars. The little flame in her heart was ignited in an instant ¡­


    "How do I get out? Do you want to disguise as your servant? " She looked up at her male god with a face full of excitement.


    "The Prince Bi apparently enjoyed this kind of worshipful gaze. His sharp and beautiful chin was gently lifted, and he pointed towards the outside of the courtyard. On the other side of the courtyard was an exquisite sedan chair.


    It was as if he were saying: I''m someone with a car. Do I need you to walk?


    Towards this kind of rich person, Zhuang Li naturally had to hug her legs. Right now, she was walking into the sedan at a lightning speed. Prince Bi also opened the curtain and entered with a smile.


    "Get up ¡­" With the eunuch''s voice, the sedan was lifted. Zhuang Li was extremely happy at the moment, and was as free as a bird from a cage.


    "Imperial Noble Lady Ya, it''s really not suitable for you to stay in the palace ¡­"


    Zhuang Li naturally knew that all the shops on the streets were waiting for him if she wanted to go out since a long time ago.


    Now, he even looked at King Bi, who was standing in front of him, with a face full of worship.


    The last time she had heard such a sound was when she had entered the palace a year ago. She had thought about it and had not known that this day would come even after she had wished for death.


    After exiting the Inner Palace, she left the Outer Palace, and gradually walked out of the Palace City, arriving at the main street. At first, Zhuang Li didn''t dare look outside, but she had already started to hear the bustling sounds of the crowd.


    She pulled open the curtain and was about to come down, but Prince Bi stopped at a tailor shop.


    "I''ll buy you a set of clothes first. Don''t tell me you want to wear this palace clothes to stroll around the streets?"


    They went into the shop and bought a set of silk dress that glittered with golden light. Zhuang Li was already extremely fond of her, even though Wang Bi kept saying that she looked more like a rich person.


    "A great custom is a great elegance. What do you know ¡­"


    Since she was out of the palace, she naturally had to go have a feast first. As a result, the two previous lords naturally went to have a feast and then began to stroll around the streets.


    Along the way, Zhuang Li was dazzled again. They kept walking and stopping, and naturally it was Zhuang Li who wanted to find out what was special about it. The Prince Bi was happy to accompany her.


    Thus, he strolled from the jade shop to the flower shop, from the medicine store to the street where he did juggling ¡­


    She even told Prince Bi that she met a fortune-teller when she was young, who said that she was born to meet a noble.


    However, she naturally did not tell Prince Bi where she had met this person. She did not even tell him that her name was Zhuang Li, so he had always called her Xiao Ya.


    Zhuang Li felt that the current capital was even more prosperous than when she left eight years ago. She could no longer find any other street she had ever walked through.


    Eight years ago, when she first went shopping with Qing You in the capital, she had met Brightmoon Restaurant. Later on, she had asked Li Liangxiao about the existence of a restaurant called Brightmoon Restaurant in the capital.


    Li Liangxiao replied that he no longer had any Brightmoon Restaurant since five years ago, when he followed Prince Su back to the capital.


    At that time, both the King Bi s and the Prince Bi s were living in the Eastern Palace, so they naturally did not know about the matter of Brightmoon Restaurant.


    Zhuang Li did not ask him, but if she did, wouldn''t King Bi have to ask back why she was in the capital eight years ago? If he had to reveal that she was Zhao Ci, it would naturally be troublesome as well. She did not want to bring it up again.


    As a result, Young Master Baishi and Lady Hong Xiu naturally disappeared from her life just like that ¡­


    They strolled all the way until the sun had set in the west. King Bi said that the Drunken Flower Inn in the capital was currently the most beautiful, so he pulled Zhuang Li to where to go.


    The restaurant was built right beside the river, and half of the building had a red lantern hanging on each floor. Four hundred-year-old pear trees had grown through the building, and it was early spring, so every branch of the restaurant was filled to the brim. Under the illumination of the red lanterns, the place turned from pure white to pink.


    Prince Bi was naturally a regular customer, as soon as they entered the restaurant, there was a bartender accompanying them. They walked up the corridors along the rivers all the way to the open-air platform.


    On the platform, there was only a round table and two chairs. It seemed that they were already prepared. The platform was surrounded by the branches of the pear tree, and the snow-white pear blossoms were naturally reflected by the lanterns until they were red and white.


    Zhuang Li was not particular about it, after all, shshehad strolled around the entire afternoon, and the moment she entered, he immediately sat down and started talking to the lady boss about how he wanted to drink good wine and eat good food.


    "Your Highness, what do you want to eat today?" The Lady Boss then asked the Prince Bi first, looking like she was treating him like a precious pearl in her hand. His face was all smiles, and his saliva almost dripped onto Prince Bi''s face.


    "She''s in charge today." The Prince Bi pointed at Zhuang Li, only then did the Lady Boss notice him.


    Initially, she did not want to care about this girl at all. However, when she saw that this young lady actually had a face that was too beautiful, she thought to herself that if it wasn''t for her blurred vision, she would think that this young lady was even prettier than the current ace in the capital, Yue Yang of the Rose Market, or the renowned courtesan, Liu Yiyi, that was rumored to be even more beautiful than she was a few years ago.


    She endured her curiosity to ask Zhuang Li what she wanted to eat, but the woman didn''t seem to look like a rich family''s young miss.

 C53

    Without hesitation, the Lady Boss served some cold dishes. Soon enough, the wine was served, followed by a steaming roast chicken. Zhuang Li had no time to care about that. She grabbed a chicken leg and threw it into her mouth. While Wang Su was still yelling at her to slow down, she had already swallowed the chicken leg and poured himself another cup of wine.


    The Prince Bi did not stop her from drinking, and he could roughly tell that she had been suppressing his emotions for too long. If she was not allowed to drink, she would probably be suffocated to death, so he filled his own cup.


    After drinking for three rounds, Zhuang Li seemed a little drunk. Those pear blossoms became four flowers, and with a blink of an eye, there were a hundred flowers ¡­


    "If you want to drink with me, you must be like Ge Ya, and accompany me until my death!" She poured herself another cup of wine and then leaned out to pour for Prince Bi.


    That Prince Bi''s capacity for alcohol was naturally better than Zhuang Li''s. It seemed that the hand that was originally going to stop Zhuang Li had stopped, and he had also raised his cup of wine to drink it.


    The two of them continued to drink. The dishes on the table had long since been messed up. They simply picked up the wine jugs and the wine jugs, then leaned against the edge of the platform, lying on the huge Pear Blossom Tree. The river wind blew in through the cracks, causing the minds of the two to return to their bodies once more.


    "Xiao Ya, I have to go to Inner Mongolia tomorrow. The Emperor arranged it, I wonder what the outcome will be? That''s why I suddenly want to be with you before I go, like this, to drink and talk. "


    Zhuang Li turned around, the Prince Bi''s beautiful face started to turn red, it was obvious that he was also a little drunk.


    "What are you doing there?"


    "To work for the emperor, of course, that doesn''t necessarily mean ¡­" He seemed to want to say something, but in the end, he didn''t.


    "Then I''ll wait for you to come back before I drink?"


    "Sure."


    "Fine, I''ll steal me when you''re back!"


    Zhuang Li was already completely drunk, naturally she did not care what she could say, nor what she could not say, so she opened her mouth and replied him.


    "Your Highness, I''ve always wanted to ask you ¡­ You and the Imperial Consort Mei ¡­ What kind of relationship does the emperor have with his mother? Do you like her? "


    Indeed, she always remembered the time when the Prince Bi mentioned the emperor''s biological mother. That expression was something she couldn''t understand, as if it was mixed with too many emotions. Zhuang Li had always been thinking random things in her mind. Could it be that the Duke Wang Bi had liked her before? Her own little brother''s mother?


    She''s a college student from the 21st century... Men and men can get married. What can''t happen?


    The Prince Bi really could not catch his breath from laughing. He really wanted to give Zhuang Li a slap on the face, he really did not understand what kind of messy objects this damned girl''s mind stored up all day.


    "Just say it boldly. Even if you say that you like the emperor, I will accept it now ¡­" "The people there like men and women like men ¡­"


    "People from your place? West Cold person? "


    "I''m not from West Cold, I just almost became a member of West Cold." Zhuang Li didn''t even know what she was talking about ¡­


    "Do you like her?" she asked again.


    Prince Bi gave himself a gulp of wine, then turned back to look at Zhuang Li and said.


    "You want to hear it?"


    "I''ve wanted to hear it since a long time ago ¡­" After Zhuang Li finished speaking, she closed her eyes dizzily, because if she opened them, the Pear Blossom Tree above her head would spin ¡­


    "Wang Su''s mother is called Mei Niang, but I don''t know her real name. I feel extremely guilty towards her ¡­"


    Zhuang Li was a little puzzled, but the Prince Bi also did not speak anymore.


    She opened her eyes. Even though her eyes were blurry, she also saw that although Wang Bi''s eyes were closed, there were endless tears flowing out of his eyes.


    She did not even think before she went to hug him.


    "I also feel sorry for many people, but I don''t feel as bad as you. Perhaps many things were decided by the heavens long ago, and have nothing to do with us ¡­"


    Wang Bi''s tears became a smile in Zhuang Li''s arms, and he said, "If you leave the palace, are you willing to leave with me? This is how I feed you everyday. "


    Zhuang Li was also amused by him, and laughed: "You want to bribe me just because you want to eat and drink, I am not that cheap!"


    "Then what if I accompany you to eat and drink?" He actually put his face close to Zhuang Li''s.


    Zhuang Li cupped his face in her palm and slapped him once ¡­


    "So beautiful!" And then he continued ¡­


    "Of course not, because I can''t leave the palace, because how can I leave the palace? I still have to wait on the emperor. Although the emperor is cold, when he''s asleep, he''s the one who calls his eldest mother ¡­ Like a child. "


    Wang Bi was startled when he heard the two words, "But Xiao Ya, I seem to really like you ¡­" If you like the Emperor, what should I do? "


    "I don''t like your majesty ¡­" Her voice was getting softer and softer, but even she was repeatedly asking herself in her heart ¡­


    "Do I like that iceberg like person? Isn''t he cold enough to freeze me to death? Didn''t I stay there because I couldn''t leave at all? "


    So the two of them depend on each other like two children


    "The emperor won''t return tomorrow, and he won''t return the day after tomorrow. He''ll only return ten thousand times in the future ¡­" They chanted like a tongue twister.


    Indeed, one day, when Zhuang Li woke up from her tea house, the water in the furnace was already dry. The bell outside had already chimed four times, and the emperor was about to go to the morning assembly. With that thought, Zhuang Li slowly stood up and absentmindedly went to the study room to see if she needed to change the tea again.


    When she reached the study, the candle was still burning, and the Emperor had indeed fallen asleep on the table.


    Zhuang Li looked all around, and up on top of it was a marten blanket, hence she brought it over for the emperor to lay down, but in that instant he pulled on her arm and said something in a low voice.


    The voice he spoke was very light, so light that it could barely be heard ¡­


    Zhuang Li then lowered her head, and placed her ear close to the emperor''s lips. Only then did she hear that the person he was calling out to was her mother ¡­


    mother


    Zhuang Li''s heart ached. At this moment, she realized that this person was still the Wang Su he met on the desert. He stubbornly sat by the campfire and fell asleep, calling for her mother.


    He hadn''t changed at all. He had changed ¡­


    Zhuang Li did not know what happened afterwards, but when she woke up the next morning, she still had a splitting headache. Lying on an extremely soft bed, she immediately realized that this was not Imperial Study''s own palace maid bed.


    When he opened his eyes, he found that he was in an extremely clean room. The furniture was all good quality. From the looks of it, he was extremely wealthy. She stood up and realized that her head was still dizzy from the alcohol. Pushing open the courtyard door, she saw a plum tree that was sprouting after the winter.


    Why does he look so familiar? Then take a closer look ¡­ Isn''t this the one that I grew in the Plum Court?


    Had he been dug up by the roots to come here?


    You can figure out with your toes who did it... She stopped a little girl who was passing by ¡­


    "This is the Prince Bi Palace, right?"


    "That''s right, my princess consort."


    Zhuang Li still thought that she was smart to actually be able to guess that this was Prince Bi Palace, but when the girl turned around and left, she suddenly thought of something even more important.


    "Come back here! What prince''s consort? When did I get married to an imperial concubine? "


    The little girl was naturally shocked and quickly turned around to kneel on the ground.


    "Go back to the prince''s concubine ¡­"


    "You''re still talking about the prince''s wife!"


    "I was wrong, don''t be angry ¡­" was what King Bi told us when he carried you back yesterday ¡­ "


    Zhuang Li felt like her head was about to split open. Yesterday... Prince Bi... Hugging? What had happened?


    The little girl was even more shocked by Zhuang Li ¡­


    "Where''s the Prince Bi? "Come out!"


    "Xiao Ya, you''re already getting angry this early in the morning. What''s wrong with letting me get away with it?"


    Zhuang Li turned around and saw Prince Bi standing there. He was already dressed properly and dressed meticulously.


    He was dressed in plain white, with dark golden roses embroidered on his sleeves and an extremely expensive jade ornament around his waist. His hair was also meticulously combed and he wore an emerald hairpin. His delicate and handsome nose looked as if it had been sculpted over his lips, but at this moment, it was so uncomfortable that it had turned into a line. As soon as he spoke, he used one hand to support his forehead.


    "Ouch, it hurts, it hurts ¡­" "The Lady Boss won''t sell me bad fake wine, right?"


    When the maidservant saw the situation, she immediately ran over, wanting to help him but not daring to approach him.


    "Your highness, it''s still very cold inside your robe. You should wear that cloak again." A very young woman walked out of the house Wang Bi just came out from.


    That Wang Su actually ignored her, as he walked to Zhuang Li''s side, "I''ll arrange a sedan chair for you, when you come out, do you want to go and wash up as well?" After he finished speaking, he even mischievously blinked his eyes, yet his hands still continued to support his forehead.


    Zhuang Li originally wanted to be angry, but suddenly felt that she couldn''t. She could only feel both angry and amused.


    Although that woman dressed steadily, her expression was that of a child''s innocent. Zhuang Li felt her heart ache a little when she saw this, and she smiled at Zhuang Li and bowed to him.


    Zhuang Li felt extremely awkward, and also smiled. She did not expect that the wangfei would actually come over, and smiled at Zhuang Li. "Thank you."


    Zhuang Li was naturally curious, and stared at her blankly, not knowing where to begin with these words.


    The woman naturally saw through Zhuang Li''s doubt as well. The Prince is not usually like this, he rarely talks, and he is not joking. "It''s someone else ¡­"


    Zhuang Li was speechless for a moment. When she first saw Wang Bi, she also thought that he was completely another person ¡­


    The princess continued, "He dug this plum tree out and I knew you. If you are willing to marry him, I am willing to give you the principal wife position. "


    As she spoke, she actually broke into a grin. Her facial features were also extremely straight; it was obvious that she was a lady from a noble family.


    "If he doesn''t laugh every day, there''s no point in me being his first wife." She reached out and grabbed Zhuang Li''s hand, as if wanting to express her sincerity.


    "I''ll take you to wash up. I think you''re tired too ¡­"

 C54

    On the evening of the second day that Zhuang Li returned to the palace, the emperor had also returned. Qing You then recounted what she had seen and heard from Little White, and after talking for a long time until her mouth and tongue became dry, she started to ask Zhuang Li what he had done these past few days.


    Every day he served tea as usual, and the emperor was still as cold as ever, but he didn''t seem to feel as cold as he used to. Perhaps it was really spring, and the trees in the courtyard had already blossomed, or maybe he had just gone to Xiangshan to bask in the sun for two days, but there was still some warmth left in him ¡­ He would occasionally raise his head to glance at Zhuang Li, and she would laugh idiotically, as if something had changed in her heart.


    The Emperor looked at Zhuang Chi and giggled, and then he lowered his head, the only time he saw Zhuang Li''s smile, he couldn''t help but laugh ¡­ She then forced herself to become serious, as if Zhuang Li''s mental illness was an infectious disease ¡­


    She spent most of the night in the tea room with the emperor. Sometimes, even if the emperor wasn''t here, she would still stay in the tea room as usual. She warmed a bowl of fragrant tea and watched the steam rise slowly.


    I don''t know why Zhuang Li always had a faint uneasiness, but at the same time, I couldn''t explain exactly what I was unsettled about. I seem to have almost forgotten everything she said to the King Bi that night, but I do remember that I did ask the King Bi what kind of relationship they had with Wang Su''s mother. She remembered that Wang Bi said he was feeling guilty. Even though he was very young at that time, he did something that made him feel guilty for the rest of his life.


    If it were not for her willfulness, Mei Niang would not have remained, and would instead have led a happy life.


    What does this mean ¡­?


    What kind of person was that mother who the emperor would softly call in his dreams? What kind of stories happened...


    As for the details, Zhuang Li could not remember. She knew she must have drunk her fill, and she forgot what she had said ¡­


    But what did the prince''s words mean? If the Prince Bi was not in front of her, what would happen?


    However, she was increasingly unafraid of the King Bi, and for some reason, it was as if they had known each other for many years.


    The longer he stayed at Imperial Study, the clearer the situation the situation became. The current situation was not a stable world, when the Emperor took over the world, the powers in the imperial court would be a mix of different kinds of people, and after two years of rest, the Emperor had already firmly grasped the military, civil affairs, and ceremonial departments. However, there were still other powers in the Ministry of Revenue, led by the Lord Yin Tai, that did not all buy the accounts of the Emperor, and it was common for them to argue from the imperial court all the way to the Imperial Study.


    Now, even though the emperor''s strength had single-handedly suppressed the public''s criticism of his West Cold, the interior of the Great Phoenix once again began to clamor. Other than West Cold, the longest border of the Great Phoenix was Mongolia. However, the Emperor hoped to establish a relationship with Mongolia and was not willing to fight.


    As for Zhuang Li, she finally found out about the Empress''s family after the Master of Rites, Sima Yao, came over and nagged about the matter of offering sacrifices to her ancestors for a few months. She was the daughter of General Dai-Zhao, and held the military power of two hundred thousand phoenixes. She was also the founder of the country. Afterwards, she heard from the young eunuch that she was the late emperor''s testamentary edict, which was that no matter who became the emperor, Jia Zhao Huai was the legitimate empress. Coincidentally, that Yu Wei and is also very fond of the emperor. However, from the start until now, the Emperor had never had the chance to rest with the palace again ¡­


    Zhuang Li asked the young eunuch where the emperor often went to rest and the young eunuch replied.


    "Of course it''s the Imperial Study ¡­"


    In April, the empress held a Hundred Blossom Banquet when the city was in full bloom. The banquet was dedicated to the ladies of the harem and to the young women of the important ministers. It was the biggest event of the year.


    The location of the Hundred Flowers Banquet was Huhe Palace in empress. For the servants of the Hundred Flowers Banquet Palace, they had already started preparing a month in advance, and all the strange flowers and herbs that were transported to the capital from all over the country were all sent to Huhe Palace. The food in the Hundred Blossom Meet was also a snack made from different kinds of petals. The wine was also fresh fruit wine mixed with this year''s nectar.


    There were colored silk cloths hanging everywhere outside the palace. This caused quite a few butterflies to dance during this period of time.


    The important thing about this banquet is that. The gathering of the powerhouses in the harem will be decided by the empress, and the families of the ministers and ministers will be roped in to ensure their own influence in the capital. During that time, the emperor would also show up.


    Zhuang Li naturally could not go. Even if the Empress did not fuss over the matter of serving the Emperor anymore, she could not let Zhao Qin see her appearance. She knew that her face like Du Yue''er''s would definitely cause another commotion, and she would definitely not be able to hide the matter of her being Zhao Ci''s forever ¡­ Even if she didn''t want to get into a relationship with the Prime Minister Zhao right now, she didn''t want to get involved in a dispute over the harem either.


    Just like that, he guarded the emperor''s tea quietly. It was already an excellent life to be able to sneak out of the palace with the Prince Bi to have a drink or two when he was free ¡­ If Zhao Qin found out that it was Zhao Ci who had revealed this matter, wouldn''t it be the same as the crime of deceiving the monarch ¡­ She already knew what kind of decision the Emperor would make with his temper ¡­


    On the day of the Hundred Blossom Banquet, Zhuang Li only stood in the rear courtyard of the Imperial Study and looked at all of the ladies who were attending the banquet.


    They were all extremely beautiful women. If any family''s daughter was chosen by the emperor, it would naturally be the luck of that family. Thus, all the ministers who had a daughter who was over the age of sixteen sent her to the palace through this opportunity.


    The children were all pretty and delicate. In April, the weather had already started to get warm, and the lotus leaves began to germinate. Spring flowers bloomed everywhere, and they all wore thicker clothing, looking as light as butterflies compared to the winter clothing. There were also calm and composed madams who naturally came to choose husbands and sons for their daughters. After all, the empress''s influence was not to be underestimated, and her father''s power within the court was not something that could be stopped. At a banquet like this, it would be good to know more about the general''s movements.


    Besides, the empress was a shrewd person. She''d taken many officials in as her disciples, and naturally did so for the emperor''s sake.


    Frankly speaking, she really loved the Emperor ¡­


    Just as Zhuang Li was about to leave and get annoyed from watching, she suddenly saw a person in white clothes. That person was a bit calm but surprisingly young, and her appearance looked almost the same as eight years ago. Zhuang Li remembered that the girl wore a green muslin dress as she smiled sweetly at him. That smile was naturally intoxicating.


    Liu Yiyi


    The renowned courtesan Liu Yiyi in the capital eight years ago ¡­


    But she wouldn''t believe it. Perhaps she had seen wrongly. Although this white-clothed woman was beautiful, she was simple and low-key. And the Liu Yiyi in her memories was a beauty who knew how to use this kind of beauty ¡­ However, she had almost disappeared from the capital. It was hard to tell whether she had married into the imperial court. After all, it was not a long term plan to be the number one person on the street. How many years could a woman''s youth last? If there was the right opportunity, she would naturally be willing to marry him, just like Zhao Ci''s mother back then.


    But in the end, she still did not know. When Yan Yanran returned to the teahouse, she saw that Li Liangxiao was also heading towards the Imperial Study.


    Zhuang Li asked Li Liangxiao. These past few years, I almost didn''t recognize myself, how could you recognize me? And it was the first time.


    Li Liangxiao chuckled and said, "Because big sister hasn''t changed one bit."


    Zhuang Li''s head was filled with black lines. I''ve changed so much... Unresigned, she asked again, "Have I not become more beautiful?"


    Li Liangxiao was also puzzled, and said to Zhuang Li: "Big sister has always been very beautiful ¡­ ¡­" Zhuang Li did not know how to deal with him, but how could he tell that Zhao Ci was beautiful when she was that skinny and undernourished?


    Hence, Zhuang Li started to worry even more for Li Liangxiao. For this kind of child who simply had no taste, she had to watch him closely, so that he wouldn''t be harmed by those ugly palace maids.


    This time, when Li Liangxiao came out from the Imperial Study, he looked to be laughing merrily.


    "Elder sister."


    Zhuang Li sighed. She had no choice but to come across this foolish little brother of hers, so she pulled him over and said, "You aren''t in love, right?"


    Li Liangxiao looked at her, completely at a loss.


    Only now did Zhuang Li realize that Li Liangxiao did not understand the word "love", and explained.


    "Have you taken a fancy to any girl?"


    This time, he finally understood. The child happily nodded his head ¡­


    Zhuang Li''s heart couldn''t help but thump, he thought that this foolish child had ultimately been harmed by the young women who were thinking of marriage in the palace ¡­


    "Which palace? How old? Is her temper good? "


    Li Liangxiao shook his head.


    Zhuang Li''s heart became cold again... Could she still be from outside the palace?


    "Which lady is it?" Isn''t it beautiful? "


    Li Liangxiao still shook his head.


    Zhuang Li''s heart suddenly dropped to the bottom of the abyss ¡­


    "Your brother''s dead child ¡­" Come... Tell Big Sister... Are you interested in brothels? "


    Without waiting for Zhuang Li to finish speaking, Li Liangxiao asked, "Can''t I marry big sister?"


    At first, Zhuang Li still did not react, but when she reacted, she smacked Li Liangxiao on the head with her palm.


    "Elder sister, you''re so concerned about me ¡­" We are family, the kind of family that is related by blood, do you understand? "


    Only then did Zhuang Li remember that although she really thought of Li Liangxiao as his younger brother ¡­ But they''re not... Moreover, it seemed impossible to talk about blood ties with people of this era ¡­


    "But I just want to marry big sister."


    Zhuang Li had gone berserk, this foolish child was already done ¡­


    He had always wanted to find his sister. If the Great Phoenix did not have him, then it would look for her in the West Cold. If it did not have West Cold, then he would still look for her in Mongolia.


    He didn''t know where he had come from or where he was going, but the moment he met Zhuang Li, he suddenly realized that he had to follow his sister.


    Thus, his sister was the most at ease when she married him.

 C55

    That day, when Zhuang Li happened to place the tea on the emperor''s desk, she heard the report from the Eunuch Li outside. She did not listen carefully, the emperor had already barged in before he had even announced the order.


    Zhuang Li raised her head, and just happened to meet the woman''s eyes. She was so shocked that the teacup almost fell to the ground.


    "Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin." She reacted and immediately bowed. However, the other person did not return the greeting. The woman''s expression was as though she had seen a ghost ¡­


    Until the emperor asked about something, only then did Hanqin come back to her senses. The moment Zhuang Li walked out of the Imperial Study, he already knew that something was going to happen.


    What if she did not remember what Zhao Ci''s mother looked like? Zhuang Li didn''t know whether or not she should just rely on luck, but there was no other way. She could only wait and gamble.


    The emperor didn''t come to Imperial Study today, so the moment night fell, a young eunuch came to check the room.


    "Imperial Noble Lady Ya, Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin invites you over." She did not wake Qing You up. She took the veil that she did not bring with her for a long time and followed the eunuch towards Qingyang Palace.


    The young eunuch was standing in front, holding a lamp. The lamp was covered with a piece of paper, revealing a faint apricot color. The name of the palace was written on each lamp, and the word "Huai" was written on the lamp of the empress. There was only one word written on the Palace lamp in Imperial Study, "Imperial". If it was the Palace lamp in the Lady Hanqin''s palace lamp, it should have been written with the word "Zither", but there was nothing written on the palace lamp.


    Was it because I didn''t want others to know that I was called out to be called to by Hanqin?


    After all, Imperial Noble Consort would only let him come there at night when it was afternoon, and that was only for a few reasons. Maybe he remembered that Zhao Ci''s mother had doubted him, or maybe she was just jealous of him and didn''t want him to come to the emperor''s side ¡­


    Along the way, they met a few batches of palace maids on duty. They passed by the Peace Palace, passed by the Heaven and Earth Palace, passed by the Miluo Courtyard, and finally stopped at Qingyang Palace.


    Zhuang Li also thought in her heart that this Hanqin was smart enough. After going through such a torture, no one knew where she had gone to.


    This was the first time Zhuang Li had come to the Qingyang Palace, and those flowers that hadn''t withered after the Hundred Blossom Banquet were all distributed amongst the different palaces. The moment Zhuang Li entered the palace, she smelled the fragrance of flowers, as well as the sweet smell of nectar.


    When she entered the palace, more and more lanterns appeared. From afar, she could see that the area of the Qingyang Palace Palace was only second to the empress. It was also large and spacious.


    The empress''s teahouse was naturally different from Imperial Study''s, it was a place for the Empress to rest, with a large lotus leaf window. Although it was night time, one could see the fake mountains and small bamboo forests outside, and under the window were clumps of summer orchids, giving off a dense fragrance. The flower''s fragrance was too strong, causing Zhuang Li to feel dizzy.


    On the bed, there was an exquisite carved coffee table, and on it there was a set of teacups with a crescent moon pattern. The tea had already been brewed, and was a rose that Zhuang Li had almost never used before.


    "Imperial Noble Lady Ya, haven''t we met before? You are already a phoenix a long time ago, why do you need to wear a veil?"


    Zhuang Li could only laugh as she took off her veil. That face did not have the slightest bit of makeup on, but in an instant, Imperial Noble Consort felt like his entire luxurious palace lost its color in front of her.


    When she went to Imperial Study in the afternoon, she saw the woman who served the tea as soon as she entered the room. She was very young, and even though she was wearing a few pieces of palace clothes that didn''t seem to fit well, she could still feel her slender and frail body. She had always known that the Emperor had placed the fake in the midst of his Imperial Study, so she didn''t pay too much attention to it.


    She was just a female official serving tea, so what? empress didn''t care why she cared about all this. It was just that Imperial Noble Lady suddenly raised her head and looked at her. When Hanqin saw her face, her heart couldn''t help but thump.


    His skin was fair and skin white, and his eyes were shiny like the stars. His eyebrows were like Liu Dai''s, and his lips were like the beginning of a cherry blossom.


    And the deeper reason was because had seen this person before, was actually his father''s fifth wife, Lady Du Yueyao.


    When Da Yue Yao married into the Zhao Mansion, Zhao Qin was only ten years old, and was a carefree little girl, so the ceremony to escort the bride was especially simple. It was partly because Da Fu Jin wouldn''t allow it, but she also came to hear her mother say that it was because Du Yueyao was just a prostitute.


    Zhao Qin is no stranger to brothels. Isn''t she just living in a slut''s place?" However, she didn''t have much of an impression of the brothel girl. Zhao Qin had been his father''s favorite since she was young. It was said that she was very handsome and would be able to marry a good family in the future. Her mother even said that his father would find a good place for her to go. She would play the zither at home, study painting, and read poetry ¡­ As a result, Zhao Qin didn''t have many opportunities to go out. Even if she did, she would be sitting in a sedan.


    Therefore, Zhao Qin had never heard of Du Yueyao''s great fame in the capital. It was not only her who did not know about it, nor did she know how many concubines Zhao Mansion he had obtained.


    She watched as the woman walked in through the front door. The only way she could enter was through the side door, and the clothes she was wearing weren''t even a wedding dress. It was just ordinary red silk. She entered the door and was led directly into the courtyard by the matchmaker. There was no banquet to welcome the guests, nor was there any temple to worship.


    His mother had said that with her status alone, she wouldn''t be able to accompany him. His father himself also didn''t have the face to do so.


    When they saw Du Yueyao being brought in, as long as father did not go up to court, she would circle around her almost the entire day. In less than half a month, she had changed into clothes, accessories, servants, and a courtyard, taking away almost everything about her that was best in Zhao Mansion.


    Towards such a change, the aunt and the few concubines could not bear to stay any longer and had no choice but to come out to meet this prostitute.


    That day was also a good spring day, so the other rooms were all blocked at the entrance of Du Yueyao''s courtyard. Big Fortune opened the door and went in, picking up Du Yueyao from the bed and giving her a big slap on the face.


    However, Du Yueyao lazily stood up and reached for the copper mirror to look at her face that had just been smacked. It was as if nothing had happened.


    "You fox spirit, you still have the nerve to live in Zhao Mansion? Today, I will throw you out! "


    Du Yueyao tidied up her hair properly and finally turned around to look at her Zhao Mansion wives that were burning with anger.


    "Get rid of me? Do you have the ability to do that? "


    She said that the flowers were neither fast nor slow and still looked as lazy as before. What surprised the other ladies was her face; it was truly beautiful. How could her appearance be that beautiful? How could a frown or smile be so perfect ¡­ She maintained her smile as she looked at the woman in front of her. She was so surprised that her jaw almost dropped to the ground.


    "How are you going to deal with me? "Whatever you do to me, Master will do to you. I''m a woman of the wind, and I''m not as understanding as you guys ¡­"


    Great Fortune Jin naturally did not believe her lies, and told his servants to pack up her things in order to kick her out. Du Yueyao was not angry, and did not want anything else. She left the Zhao Mansion just like that, and she really didn''t come back.


    But what was even worse was that after Du Yueyao left, the Prime Minister Zhao did not come home anymore. Only after Da Fu Jin sent people to investigate, did they find out that the Prime Minister Zhao had bought a house for Du Yueyao alone in the city.


    After a few months, Da Fu Jin finally could not take it anymore, and brought her people to beg Prime Minister Zhao to come back. But this time, Du Yueyao began to put on airs, coming back, fine, beg me, and bring her other wives along to beg ¡­


    After many twists and turns, Du Yueyao was finally able to get back onto the Zhao Mansion.


    In the second year, Du Yueyao gave birth to an ugly daughter who was Zhao Ci. However, in terms of Zhao Mansion, they were actually more blessed. To the other female members of the Zhao Mansion, Du Yueyao was simply a nightmare. Her beautiful appearance and her birth status that almost no one else could compare to made the rooms miserable.


    Honestly speaking, Zhao Qin did not hate Du Yueyao at all. Du Yueyao was not a bad person, and was good to the servants. Many people liked to work in her yard, but she just wanted to make life difficult for the other concubines.


    The new bracelet must be brought out to show off. The new clothes also had to be worn out and shook twice. The other concubines were so angry that their teeth itched. When she got tired of playing, she stayed in the courtyard. She began to lead a life of obvious wealth.


    She doted on her ugly daughter, Zhao Ci. Zhao Ci never learned to read since she was young, never played the zither, never wrote poems. What Du Yueyao said, my daughter, doesn''t need to live so tirelessly, as long as she''s happy, she can do anything. Everything will be good in the future. That confidence that came from nowhere made many people feel that it was mysterious. That Zhao Ci, who was dark and petite, had still become Du Yueyao''s treasure, a treasure in her hands. She wandered around everyday, practically bringing all the good stuff in front of her.


    The Prime Minister Zhao had always loved Du Yue''er a lot and spent the majority of his time accompanying Du Yueyao. The other rooms were filled with hatred. Zhao Qin''s mother, the third wife, hated Du Yueyao to the extreme and had always wanted to find trouble with him. That Du Yueyao was not afraid either, because after coming and going, Zhao Qin''s mother had suffered greatly, so Du Yueyao''s image of Du Yueyao was deeply engraved in Zhao Qin''s heart.


    That woman was the devil ¡­


    And now, that woman was serving tea to the emperor!?


    Zhao Qin did not believe that there was such a thing as a strange power or god. Did his mother want to make him suffer so much that she now wanted to possess a spirit and steal the emperor''s body from her?


    How is this possible!?


    However, she had no choice but to fear that face ¡­


    If that face was willing, then there was nothing else that he could not obtain. It was incomparably beautiful, yet a devil was hidden underneath ¡­


    She would never be able to resist ¡­

 C56

    That Hanqin Imperial Noble Consort almost couldn''t hide the astonishment in her eyes, but she could still barely suppress the astonishment in her heart, and she calmed down, sitting opposite of Zhuang Li.


    "May I ask why Imperial Noble Consort has summoned Ge Ya here today?" Zhuang Li asked as she placed the veil back to the side.


    That Zhao Qin had become a bit more feminine than when she met her eight years ago. She had already been married to Wang Su for seven years, and had been a princess for four years for three years, becoming a Imperial Noble Consort. She was already twenty-seven years old. Although her appearance was still the same, and had an even more alluring charm to it, she had never given birth to a single woman for Wang Su. Naturally, there was worry and worry in his heart.


    Thus, she decided to keep her position higher than the empress. She naturally felt that even though the emperor''s government wasn''t that busy, she still felt that there was more hope for the future. Since the current situation was unstable, it was normal for the emperor to not be able to take care of her. However, after seeing Zhuang Li''s appearance and seeing such a woman who stayed by the emperor''s side everyday, she suddenly felt unsure of herself.


    She suppressed all the worries in her heart and said, "It''s nothing much. I just want to see you. After all, the palace is filled with all sorts of sisters. Naturally, we should walk around together with our younger sister."


    Zhuang Li was sweating profusely. What? You are obviously trying to find out my secret... She could only give Zhao Qin a reserved smile.


    "I''ve been at the palace for a long time. Have you gotten used to living there?" Hanqin said as she poured some tea for Zhuang Li.


    Zhuang Li hurriedly caught it. It was a rose with a lemon added inside, the tea had an elegant tinge of red to it. Ge Ya liked the tea very much in the Western Regions.


    "I wasn''t used to it in the beginning, but now I''m used to it. Every day, I have to do a lot of things. It''s always the work of the teahouse. "I''ve already gotten used to it."


    "Then does the emperor treat you well?" Zhao Qin turned and stared at her after she finished her sentence.


    Zhuang Li''s mind spun a little. Since Zhao Qin had invited her over, she was naturally already prepared.


    "His Majesty treated me well, of course. He even sent me helpers." If I get busy, young eunuch will help me deliver the tea. "


    "I have also heard about your matters from empress, but I''m not clear about it. It seems like you aren''t Princess of West Cold?"


    Zhuang Li put down the teacup, thinking that the moment she entered the door, you would have already been thinking about asking me this question, just that she had already thought of an excuse long ago.


    "I am the princess'' cousin, the mother of Princess of West Cold is a phoenix. I am the cousin of Miss Rong Xiao, but I have grown up in West Cold and live with my cousin in the Xiao Imperial Palace. She had never thought deeply about whether she was human or not. Just like me, Princess Ge Ya also has the blood of the Great Phoenix on her body, but I don''t feel that she''s someone from the West Cold, and that she''s just my blood sister. " She had to blur the difference between her and Princess of West Cold, and express the fact that her West Cold and Great Phoenix blood had long ago fused together.


    "Oh? You grew up in the West Cold? "


    "That''s right, I reached the West Cold before I was even one year old, so I don''t have a lot of memories about the Great Phoenix."


    Imperial Noble Consort seemed to be deep in thought. "Then how old are you, little sister?"


    Zhuang Li was startled, and then said: "Twenty." Zhuang Li naturally knew that Zhao Qin was talking about timing and time of Zhao Ci''s birth, so she intentionally reported two years of age to him. Since there were no records of him within the palace, she was unable to find anything ¡­


    "You''re Rong Xiao''s mother?"


    "That''s right. I was only one year old when Aunt Rong Xiao took me to West Cold. I heard that she had always liked me since I was young, and felt that I was very clever and obedient so it took too much courage to go to West Cold by myself. Originally, he only wanted to take me to live in the past for two years. When she returned home with her child, he would bring me back with him. However, the next year, his wife Ge Ya died in childbirth ¡­


    After Aunt died, my connection with Ge Ya and the Great Phoenix ended. In the end, I even forgot what my mother looked like. "


    Since Imperial Noble Consort wanted to investigate, then Zhuang Li would make it up a story that she had no proof for her death. give her a reason that Zhuang Li herself could not remember clearly, and make it impossible to determine his origin and birth. It was to make her feel so real again.


    That Imperial Noble Consort''s eyes seemed to be filled with tears, "If that''s the case, then it is really a blessing for my sister to be able to return to the Great Phoenix City in this way. Since West Cold is chaotic, it''s naturally better for you to stay in the Great Phoenix than to stay in the West Cold. "Perhaps one day, I will be able to meet her own relatives," she said as she poured another cup of tea for Zhuang Li. She also had the palace maids below deliver fresh fruit snacks.


    "If little sister wants to find the relatives of the Great Phoenix, I can help, but does little sister still remember the time when our family was in the city of Great Phoenix?"


    Then, Zhuang Li also suddenly became sad: "It''s just that I''m not filial, I had thought about it over the years at the West Cold, but when I went there I was too young, so I really couldn''t remember. Many of the things were told to me by Madam Rong only when she was pregnant with Ge Ya, who said that she would give birth to Ge Ya, then take me back to Great Phoenix. "It''s a pity we couldn''t wait ¡­"


    Zhuang Li said as she twisted her legs under the table to make herself look like she was grieving.


    "Little sister, don''t be sad. Eat this year''s Hundred Blossom Banquet first. "When we meet again in the Japanese Arena, fate will bring us together again."


    Zhuang Li ate one piece, and it was indeed delicious. She reached out for the second piece and praised her cooking, saying that her cooking skills were excellent, if she had been at West Cold, she would not have been able to eat these good things ¡­


    When Hanqin heard her words, she seemed to finally be relieved. The two of them drank tea and ate small snacks, talking about interesting things about their home. She really was like a sister or friend.


    Zhuang Li chatted all the way until deep into the night before she finally stood up and said his goodbyes. Then, Imperial Noble Consort called for young eunuch to come over again to send Zhuang Li out of the palace. Zhuang Li stood up and said her goodbyes, then she sat on the bed and continued to drink her tea. By the time the young eunuch entered, Zhuang Li had already followed him outside.


    "Zhao Ci." That shout was neither soft nor heavy, but it was clearly heard by her ears.


    She followed the young eunuch out without hesitation.


    The young eunuch brought Zhuang Li to return to the Imperial Study in a winding manner. He saluted and left. After he left, Zhuang Li finally heaved a sigh of relief. The last cry of Hanqin''s, Imperial Noble Consort''s, was obviously testing her. If she had the slightest bit of hesitation, she would have suspected that she was Zhao Ci.


    Thinking about it, it made sense. If Zhuang Li was really like Zhao Ci''s mother now, and if it wasn''t because of the strange powers and chaos, then she was only related to her by blood. She had asked about Zhuang Li''s family, hoping to find out about this relationship.


    It could be seen that she did not believe what Zhuang Li had said, and had even suspected that Zhuang Li was the Zhao Ci of all those years ago. It was fortunate that Zhuang Li didn''t have a deep impression of the name Zhao Ci and that she had always known that she was Zhuang Li and not Zhao Ci.


    And now that Hanqin had begun to have doubts about her, her future days wouldn''t be easy, so she had to be even more careful.


    Zhuang Li also felt that it was strange, thinking that although Zhao Qin had already been married to the Emperor for many years, she had never given birth to a child or a woman. To a concubine like her, it was only natural that her position was not stable enough, and the Emperor still stayed in the Imperial Study all night long. It was natural for Zhao Qin to feel danger. But the empress wasn''t able to get pregnant, so she didn''t know what the emperor was thinking. The Ministry of Rites would probably put pressure on the harem after a while.


    When she returned to her room, Qing You was actually still awake. When she saw that Zhuang Li had not come back yet, she was worried that something bad might happen. In the afternoon, she went to join in on the Hundred Blossom Banquet and only came back very late. She naturally knew that Hanqin was the Zhao Qin of all those years ago, and was even more afraid than Zhuang Li.


    "Young miss, what if she discovers that you are the Zhao Ci of back then? Will you go so far as to accuse the Emperor of bullying the monarch? "


    Zhuang Li sighed, she did not know what Zhao Qin would do next. Today, she realised that Zhao Qin was not some brainless harem girl, instead, she was a little smart. She would definitely cause trouble for her in the future.


    It didn''t matter if she was Zhao Ci or not, she still couldn''t tolerate such a woman staying by the emperor''s side.


    Zhuang Li did not understand how terrible her relationship with the few concubines had been in order for them to take revenge on Zhao Ci after her death. After all, he was still a child and had not reached adulthood. How could he kill her ¡­


    However, he was too lazy to think too much about it. After all, he could only take one step at a time.


    She stopped thinking about all this and comforted Qing You, who was about to get a good night''s sleep.


    "Oh, miss, you don''t know who I saw today."


    "Isn''t it just the empress of the palace, the nobleman of the palace?"


    "But it''s not only that. Do you know who the wife of the Lord Yin Tai is?" Seeing that Zhuang Li was unable to guess, she excitedly unraveled the secret in front of him.


    "Liu Yiyi, the Liu Yiyi that was famous in the capital!"


    Zhuang Li was shocked. It was really her, and it looks like she was not mistaken today. The white-clothed woman was indeed Liu Yiyi.


    However, Qing You was not done yet, so she just carried on talking.


    "She is quite pretty, even though she can''t compare to you, Miss. I don''t know why, but she actually married into the Lord Yin Tai, but the Lord Yin Tai is someone who can become her father! "


    "It''s not impossible. Look at Prime Minister Zhao, isn''t each wife getting younger than the last?" Zhuang Li joked.


    "That''s true, but Your Highness Xi Cuo doesn''t, he only loves you."


    Zhuang Li suddenly thought of something after hearing this. It had been too long since she mentioned Xi Cuo. It was as if she was about to forget about him, and she had even promised him that she would be his wangfei ¡­


    But now, it was unknown whether he was dead or alive ¡­


    She believed in the Twilight Flower and the Young Master Loulan''s abilities. If they could heal him and also hide him safely, then what was he doing now?


    Zhuang Li understood that she did not like Xi Cuo. She did not clearly understand those feelings before, but now that she had left the West Cold, that awareness was even more distinct. She did not like Xi Cuo at all. But there was no love. That sort of relationship was limited to only friends and siblings. Although they could entrust their lives to it, they could not entrust it for life either.


    Why did she stay in this small tea room all day long? She kept asking herself. She didn''t feel tired or tired, so she was willing to make tea. The Emperor ignored her, and she wasn''t angry. Even though he was the exalted Emperor, at this moment, she felt that he was very, very close to her.


    She would have kept watch over the teahouse and live with him like this, putting on a coat for him while he slept in front of the table. Grab his hand when he calls for his mufei.


    He wished he could calm his frown.


    Zhuang Li wasn''t clear about her feelings, but she had suddenly become unwilling to leave.


    When Xi Cuo said that he wanted to marry her, when Li Liangxiao said that he wanted to marry her, even the Prince Bi started to make fun of her.


    But it was not as happy as the emperor calling for her to get more tea ¡­

 C57

    In July, he heard the news that Prince Bi had finally returned to Da Feng, but he did not come to the imperial court. He heard that Prince Bi had suffered a cold in Mongolia, and originally, he was suspected to have returned in June. Fortunately, he had managed to control his illness and had returned home. If he couldn''t recuperate carefully, he would be able to return to court by the end of the month.


    Perhaps it was because they had already entered the scorching summer, and it seemed as if the emperor''s huge ice block had been melted by the scorching sun. Many ice cubes were sent over from the ice cellar in the palace to be stored in the Imperial Study, causing the temperature of the Imperial Study to increase by a lot, but the tea house was still scorching hot. With the tea being boiled in the small stove, Zhuang Li''s hair was drenched in sweat. If she were to enter and send the tea in this way, she would probably be thought to have offended the heavens and had no choice but to send the young eunuch, who was serving in the study, to send the tea.


    The continuous temperature did not stop for a long time, and at night, it was so stifling that Zhuang Li was almost unable to breathe. She rested in the tea room with her head held up, thinking that the emperor was right next door to him, reading in the study.


    Not long after entering dreamland, the young eunuch came in and woke Zhuang Li up.


    "Imperial Noble Lady Ya, Imperial Noble Lady Ya, wake up ¡­"


    Originally, the stuffy and stuffy atmosphere was unbearable for Zhuang Li, but since she had already slept soundly, she woke up after a light call.


    "What''s wrong? "Does the emperor want more tea now?"


    The young eunuch said, "That''s not true, the Emperor will pass on the message to you."


    Zhuang Li had doubts, but she still stood up. She had been guarding by the fire the entire time and was sweating profusely, but now that she had stepped into the Imperial Study, the cool and leisurely air of Imperial Study was in front of her. It was only then that she remembered if the Eunuch Li would scold her and say that she had offended Sacred Yan. But it was too late ¡­


    Eunuch Li turned around and saw Zhuang Li, she actually wasn''t angry and only smiled at her before she left.


    "Your majesty." Zhuang Li wiped her face randomly with her sleeve and then stood there respectfully.


    "Help me tidy up the paper." He looked up and glanced at Zhuang Li before commanding him, and then said as he glanced at the pile of papers in the corner of the study room.


    Although Zhuang Li was suspicious in her heart, weren''t these the matters of the young eunuch? Could it be that some young eunuch had done a bad job and caused the Emperor to be unhappy, so he told her to do it? But didn''t they still have Eunuch Li? She still obediently went over to organize it, collecting and picking it up.


    However, the temperature of the Imperial Study was much more than that of the teahouse. Zhuang Li felt that if she had a thermometer, she would probably be able to drop by 10 degrees. On the other hand, it was extremely comfortable. When she properly tidied up and told the emperor, the emperor was too lazy to pay any attention to her, and didn''t even raise his head.


    The emperor was so busy that she had no time to pay attention to her, yet she did not dare to withdraw. She was afraid that if there was anything else, she could look around and see that all the eunuchs had already gone outside the door. If the emperor had any orders, he did not know whether or not they would hear it.


    Thinking about it here, Zhuang Li could only continue staying within the Imperial Study.


    She had already been sitting quietly at the back of the chair, which was supposed to be prepared for the ministers who would usually come to discuss business. It had already been continuously hot for many days, and the papers that the Prince Bi had brought back these past few days seemed to have caused quite a stir in the imperial court. The emperor had been staying in the tea house almost all day long, and she had also been staying in the tea house all night long.


    Before she fell asleep, she was still thinking about all these papers. The Emperor still needed to rewrite them one by one after he finished reading them. She was afraid that she would have to busy herself until daybreak again ¡­


    She opened her eyes slightly and saw the emperor in the dim light of the study room.


    She looked at that person and gave him a warm smile.


    "Go to sleep." The emperor said softly.


    She had never seen the Emperor so gentle. It was as if a light breeze had slipped into the study and lifted the lantern over her head.


    She wanted to be closer to him, closer, so close that she could see the smile on his face.


    But he got up and walked away.


    It''s already five o''clock, time to prepare for the morning assembly ¡­


    When Zhuang Li woke up, her Imperial Study had already been replaced with new ice. Outside, the sun was already scorching hot and she crawled up, shocked to the point that she was covered in cold sweat ¡­ She fell asleep just like that! In front of the Emperor! And had such a strange dream!


    She didn''t know if the emperor was too busy to pay attention to her, or if he didn''t want to pay attention to her at all, but she was actually able to sleep like this until now!


    She quickly went to her room to clean up and change out of her rumpled clothes from the night''s sleep.


    The moment she used her Imperial Study, the sun almost made her want to curse.


    Qing You had already woken up, and when she saw Zhuang Li he asked, "Miss, where did you go last night? I thought you fell asleep in the teahouse and went to get you in the morning, but you weren''t there? "


    Zhuang Li sighed, how could she explain that she had actually fallen asleep right under the emperor''s nose?


    The weather was extremely hot, and the cicadas were hoarsely chirping all day and all night. There were a few especially tall elms in Imperial Study''s courtyard, so naturally, it became the cicada''s favorite place to stay. It was extremely noisy. The Eunuch Li was anxious to hear it, afraid that the Emperor would be angry. Then he ordered his men to go up a ladder and beat away all the cicadas.


    Zhuang Li held her head and squatted under the tree to watch.


    "Imperial Noble Lady Ya?" A young eunuch called out to her from behind.


    Zhuang Li was too lazy to turn her head. At this time, the emperor was still resting, so it was naturally impossible for the emperor to call her that. As long as it wasn''t that master, it didn''t matter who called him.


    "Talk ~"


    The young eunuch respectfully walked in front of her and took out a box from his bosom. Naturally, he accepted the box. This small box was square and exquisite. When she opened it, she found a red jade bracelet inside.


    " Where did it come from? To whom? " She asked the young eunuch.


    " Prince Bi said it was for Imperial Noble Lady Ya. "


    The emperor only came to the Imperial Study at night, and I heard that it was bustling with noise and excitement today. The river in the Central Plains had long collapsed and the people were in great pain, but there was no other way. Other officials were unwilling to have the dam rebuilt by Cai, the Ministry of Works, rebuilt.


    "Xiuxiu, you have been repairing for years. After repairing for the second half of the year, the dam collapsed. Are you going to build this dam for the rest of your life?" When will it stop?! "


    That minister Cai did not show weakness either. "This natural disaster is not something that I can solve. If I were to be destroyed, I will naturally have to make up for it." "What else can we do?"


    The two teams were quarreling with each other, neither of them willing to give in. On the one hand, you can fix it, but isn''t there a better way? How could he not spend so much every year, making the people pay for it?


    The other team has this ability. It''s not like this is the collapse of the Central Plains River. It''s been like this for hundreds of years, and it''s almost become a tradition. Can you make the heavens not thunder and rain? The Dragon King was still in a bad mood ¡­


    The collapse of the dike this year was especially severe, so it was not a small expense to rebuild it.


    Zhuang Li was once again called to her Imperial Study to organize the papers. This time, not only did she have to organize the papers, she also had to sort out the contents of the papers simply. Most of them were debating about the Ministry.


    Zhuang Li flipped open a book, and on it there was even a map of the river that had been destroyed year round.


    Zhuang Li, on the other hand, had a rough understanding of the diagram. She suddenly felt that she had seen this diagram somewhere before ¡­


    History Classbooks... It was very similar to the Minjiang River section...


    Wasn''t there Li Bing in this era? Didn''t he build a fish mouth?


    Zhuang Li carefully called out, "Your Majesty ¡­"


    "I''ve taken a look at today''s paper. It seems like everyone is arguing over the recent announcement of the expansion of the river ¡­"


    "And then?"


    "I have heard of a method before. Although I do not know if it can be used, those capable individuals might be able to make this method a reality. At the very least, they can be considered as helping the common people with some good deeds ¡­"


    The emperor''s expression clearly didn''t expect Zhuang Li to say such words, but he still looked at her, hoping that she would continue.


    Zhuang Li carefully carried the paper in front of the emperor and placed it on the table ¡­


    "Look, there are plains downstream of the river. I''ve heard that it is inconvenient to irrigate with water, so I think this method might be able to relieve the pressure on the river." Seeing that Wang Su was still serious and did not seem to be angry, she continued.


    "Look at the mountain range extending upstream of the river. This way, the river will bend too far. If you use Burning Stone, the mountain will be split in half from the middle. This way, you can divide it into two rivers, one river outside the river and one river inside the river inside the river." The current of the river flows into the man-made canal, and the water of the river flows downstream.


    The reason for the collapse of the riverbank was because there was always too much sand accumulated in the channel. If it was divided into two channels, the riverbed would be much smaller, and even more sediment would be left at the bottom of the river. This way, the clean water would flow into the canal, and the water that the canal could not receive would return to the river outside ¡­


    "Every year, as long as someone is sent to dredge up the excess silt in the river, they can guarantee that the outer river won''t be filled with sand, that the lower reaches won''t collapse, and that the plains around the canals will be easily used for water ¡­"


    She was too preoccupied with her own happiness. After she finished speaking, she noticed that the Emperor hadn''t spoken a single word. Her heart turned cold ¡­ He slowly raised his head, yet the emperor was staring at him ¡­


    He looked at her seriously, unable to hide the amazement in his heart ¡­


    Zhuang Li laughed dryly twice to cover the guilt in her heart ¡­


    "Your Majesty, I ¡­" I was just casually saying ¡­ Don''t take it too seriously... "If you think that I have misspoken, just take it as a joke ¡­"


    Although her Imperial Study was cool, Zhuang Li was sweating profusely.


    Yet the Emperor just smiled ¡­


    That smile was extremely happy, Zhuang Li had never seen him smile like this before.


    He stood up, leaned over and scratched Zhuang Li''s nose. Zhuang Li had never been so close to him before.

 C58

    When Yan Luoxue was born, it was the biggest snowfall in the past ten years of the Great Phoenix Empire. When her father, Lord Yu Shi Yan, looked out of the window at the snowy scenery, and recited the thought of Liu Jing Chun''s loneliness, Luoxue Flower ¡­


    Then this child shall be called Yan Luoxue. Perhaps it was because of the name Luoxue, but Yan Luoxue had really liked the snow since she was young. When a couple of years old could walk, he would start to roll around in the snow, crawling around and getting covered in snow.


    That winter, the capital was exceptionally cold. As soon as the doors of the Yan Residence opened, they saw an elderly man standing at the entrance, recounting a story. That person was wearing a green shirt with patches on it. He looked exceptionally tired. Madam Yan happened to walk to the door while carrying Yan Luoxue.


    "Madam, the sky is freezing cold. Please do me a favor and give me something to eat."


    Madam Yan believed in the Buddha and had always been soft-hearted. She quickly invited the old mister in. Go to the kitchen and eat something.


    After the old man had eaten his fill, he stood up and left. When he arrived at the door, he met Madam Yan again and bowed to express his gratitude. Madam Yan nodded, but her gaze did not leave her child.


    The old man then said, "Madam, I have been in the martial arts world for many years. I have learnt some things. "It seems like you know a bit about fortune-telling. Can you let me see that girl in your arms?"


    Madam Yan had hesitated for a moment, but seeing that the old mister did not have any ill intentions, she nodded her head and agreed, handing over the Yan Luoxue, who was not even two years old, to him.


    Yan Luoxue went into the old mister''s embrace, still chuckling happily. With a beaming smile, she reached out her hand to grab the old mister''s beard.


    " Madam, this child will definitely enter a more glorious family in the future. "


    On the other hand, Madam Yan didn''t care. The maidens from the Censor''s house weren''t that bad either. She didn''t care about any famous sects. She only wanted her daughter to be happy and happy for the rest of her life.


    But the old gentleman went on to say


    "This little girl, she won''t hate me. In her entire life, she will only love me. She won''t hate me."


    It was good not to hate him. Wasn''t a life without hate supposed to be a happy one ¡­


    Yan Luoxue was able to stand steadily. When she started to run around randomly, she had already started a snowy battle with the servant girl.


    Madam Yan picked her up and patted the snow on her body. Unexpectedly, she turned around and went back into the snow. Thus, he was so angry that he grabbed her and pulled her back. Then, he slapped her on her butt a few times ¡­


    It was unknown if it was because her mother felt sorry for her and didn''t hit her too lightly, or if she was being too playful, but she actually turned around to face Madam Yan and laughed, laughing until her eyes curved like crescent moons.


    Yan Luoxue remembered later on that she seemed to like snow since she was young. She was not afraid of the cold, she had never felt cold before.


    She was the apple of Censor Yan''s eye, almost to the point of being afraid of melting in her mouth and falling in her hands. However, Yan Luoxue did not have the slightest bit of temper as a young miss of a famous clan, she always liked to laugh out loud. When his father was tired, she stepped on her short legs and started hammering the back of his hammer, clenching and waving her small fists. She was afraid that she didn''t have enough strength.


    If her mother got angry with his father, she would run over and wipe his mother''s face with his forehead.


    There was no one in the Yan Residence who did not love her dearly and did not pamper her.


    Lady Yan later married two wives. Although she still loved and doted on her, she cared even less about her mother. Yan Luoxue continued to watch her mother lose weight day by day. She asked her mother why, but her mother only smiled helplessly and said that her mother was old.


    But mother is also Luoxue''s mother, father''s First Madame.


    This time, no matter how Yan Luoxue comforted her, she was still unhappy while hugging her mother. Yan Luoxue sat at the head of the bed watching his mother, tears streaming down her face. She went to find his father, but his father was in his concubine room all day.


    That winter, Yan Luoxue did not go out to fight in the snow because her mother was sick.


    However, no matter how obedient she was and how hard she tried to protect her mother, her mother was still getting more and more sick. The doctor kept shaking his head as he left.


    Yan Luoxue held his mother''s hand and hadn''t let go of her hand for an entire day and night. She had begged the Empress, the Jade Emperor, Tathagata Buddha, and Elder of the Land.


    One morning in winter, Yan Luoxue woke up to her mother''s cold hands. The maidservant opened the window and saw that it was snowing heavily outside.


    Her tears kept flowing, scalding hot, as if they were going to melt the snow. She knocked on her father''s door


    "Father, mother died ¡­"


    She wasn''t wearing any shoes and her body was covered in tears. Yan Da''s heart suddenly hurt a little, but in the next instant, she only replied perfunctorily, "Alright, alright, don''t cry anymore."


    Yan Luoxue used to like winter very much, when it would snow, she could fight in the snow, but after her mother passed away, she would close the window in the winter and make the stove in the room warm, fantasizing that her mother would still be in her room. Don''t be frozen.


    When he was fifteen years old, Emperor Yu''s Grand Yan, who was a follower of the Nine Emperor Party, was found guilty of embezzlement and accounting. He was sentenced to prison and sent to a family of nine.


    As a result, Yan Luoxue was imprisoned. As a result, once the young miss went into jail, she would lose everything. She didn''t know anything and couldn''t hear anything. She just watched the people in the prison cell all day long. Some of them were taken out and dragged back in a bloody mess. Some of them never returned ¡­


    She sit on the straw In the corner and mutter


    "Mother ¡­ mother?" Are you there? Are you cold? Don''t be afraid, Luoxue will be accompanying you ¡­ "


    However, now that there was a person in the prison, those usually fiendish prison guards suddenly turned into docile kittens.


    They bent their waists so low that they could not be any lower as they respectfully called out ¡­


    "Prince Bi ¡­"


    The man walk past her prison door and take a look


    Yan Luoxue had never seen such a good-looking person. Beautiful, even more beautiful than the deities my mother spoke of.


    She stared at him, as if searching his face for an answer.


    That person also looked at Yan Luoxue as if she was an injured little animal. He told the guard to open the cell door and spread out his hands in front of him, saying, "You ¡­"


    She suddenly felt as if she were his injured puppy, suddenly seeing its owner after suffering and suffering. I''m going to be taken home by the gods...


    Her body was shockingly dirty, and her hair was also dirty and tangled together. However, he suddenly hugged her in his arms. His body was ice-cold, but it was soft and comfortable.


    All the jailers were so scared that they kneeled on the ground and shouted


    "Prince Bi! This was a criminal, the daughter of the previous head of the Imperial Court, an invasion by the imperial government! If the justice courts were to know about this, their heads would have surely dropped! "


    "The justice courts?" The warm embrace''s owner hesitated for a moment, then took out Yan Luoxue from his embrace as if she was grabbing a kitten, and swung him in front of the prison wardens ¡­


    "Is this the criminal?" You got your fucking eyes on top of your head? Aren''t you thinking too highly of her? It wasn''t as if those old men from the justice courts had become muddle-headed after a year or two. Even the imperial physicians couldn''t do anything to them. You still want to help Zhou to do harm? If you ask, just tell me that the Crown Prince carried a kitten while he was on patrol in the prison. Do you understand? "


    The guards knelt on the ground and nodded their heads. They were as obedient as kittens.


    Yan Luoxue then settled into the Eastern Palace. Her mother had died a long time ago, his father did not bother with her anymore after he got a concubine. She only vaguely knew that her new master''s authority seemed to be very great, so great that it was easy to fish her out of the dark prison. She also knew that her new master''s home was also very big, with many doors and many servants and maids serving him.


    She ran around the Eastern Palace all day and whenever she saw her new master, she would smile as if she had seen her mother. Her new master''s hands were ice-cold, so she quickly covered them.


    The new owner''s smile was extremely beautiful, to the point of looking as if even the gods were laughing.


    She called him along with them, Prince Bi, worshiping him and serving him.


    He had locked himself in his room, and did not eat nor drink nor sleep. Three days had passed, and when she knocked on the door and saw Prince Bi curled up in a corner, she was terrified. She quickly rushed over and hugged him tightly. The Prince Bi, on the other hand, recited the words ¡­


    "I''m sorry. "I was the one who harmed her ¡­" His body was ice-cold without a single trace of life, as he continuously muttered to himself, and his lips were dry and cracked. It was only after a long time did he realize that he was being carried by Yan Luoxue.


    "Luoxue... "Cat ¡­" He looked at her slowly, that ignorant, worried little face, just like when he had seen her in prison a year ago.


    Like a kitten


    full of piety and warmth


    When he saw that face, he could suddenly think of many grievances, many people''s grievances, but he did not say a word. He was just holding on ¡­


    His tears poured down her face.


    Yan Luoxue immediately panicked. Her heart was in pain, like the year her mother left, she didn''t know anything, and she couldn''t help in any way. That kind of feeling almost made her collapse.


    "Luoxue, I don''t know. In the end, I was the one who killed her. But I can''t protect everyone. Maybe one day ¡­ I can''t even protect you... Are you leaving me? "


    Yan Luoxue seemed to have understood something as she shook her head with all her might and hugged him. As long as he was well, then the world would be good, not that he wanted to protect her. It was that she wanted to protect him. If he could be good, she would trade anything for him. She would exchange her beautiful, smiling, curved eyes, her long, black hair, for everything ¡­


    It didn''t matter at all...


    It was said that she was a woman who had planted many plum blossoms. She was already dead, and after she died, the Prince Bi had even plucked and burned all the plum blossoms in the Eastern Palace. It was as if everything about that woman had been uprooted from her heart.


    But even the plum tree was uprooted...


    I''m sorry, but it goes deeper ¡­

 C59

    Later, the Prince Bi asked her ¡­


    "Luoxue, do you want to become my princess consort?"


    Yan Luoxue nodded, no matter what the Prince Bi said, she would definitely nod her head. As long as she stayed by his side, to warm his hands, and to help him wash his various embroidered and flowery robes, she would gently tie up his hair in a proper manner.


    She was willing to do anything...


    Prince Bi looked at her and suddenly laughed, "Luoxue, you don''t even understand ¡­"


    It was a joke, but she kept it in her heart.


    He was often outside the palace, out of the palace, into the palace, and his words became less and less. Sometimes he would be in a daze for an entire day. Later on, he became a crippled crown prince, moved out of the palace, and had his own courtyard. Everything seemed to have changed, but it also seemed to have remained the same. One day, a woman came to his door. She was very beautiful, but still could not compare to King Bi.


    The woman seemed to have said a lot. She was very excited, and also shed a lot of tears, causing King Bi to only stare at her coldly from the start. After a long while, he got up and left, but the woman suddenly stood up and kissed his lips.


    Yan Luoxue seemed to be frightened, and the Prince Bi continued to look at her coldly.


    When the woman walked out of the courtyard, she had already dried all her tears. It was as if her heart had suddenly become firm.


    Yan Luoxue ran forward and grabbed the woman''s hand.


    "Don''t be angry with him. He''ll be fine tomorrow and will come looking for you."


    The woman looked at Yan Luoxue and suddenly smiled. Although her smile was very sad, she reached out a beautiful hand and tapped her forehead.


    "You silly girl, if I could be as foolish as you, how nice would it be ¡­" "But I''m not you, and you''re not me. I love him no less than you do. I can''t be with him, but I can still do a lot of things for her ¡­"


    She left without looking back, and never returned. However, Yan Luoxue had met her once again, and she had already become the wife of Lord Yin Tai, who was thirty years older than her.


    Liu Yiyi...


    He spent two years to get rid of the other wives of Lord Yin Tai and sat on the main wife''s seat, one by one. To have such an achievement in a prostitute, I heard that only Du Yueyao from many years ago could be mentioned in the same breath as her. However, her heart was much tougher than Du Yueyao''s. She was able to sweep away all of her wives one by one ¡­ No matter how much they cry or hang themselves...


    Yan Luoxue sent Liu Yiyi back to her room in King Bi. He drank a lot more than usual.


    Yan Luoxue had never tasted alcohol before, she only felt that it was a bad thing, because the Prince drank too much and would vomit ¡­


    "Luoxue, you don''t need to worry about me anymore ¡­"


    "How can I leave you? Didn''t you ask me if I wanted to be your consort? Of course the wangfei has to take care of the prince. "


    He seemed amused. A low laugh.


    "Didn''t you say that I don''t understand? "But now, I understand ¡­" Yan Luoxue didn''t even know what she was doing. She moved closer and like Liu Yiyi, kissed King Bi''s lips.


    That mouth was extremely beautiful and soft, but it was ice-cold. The taste of alcohol filled her mouth, and Yan Luoxue suddenly felt her head go numb, as though she was drunk ¡­


    Prince Bi pushed her away and shouted at her. You''re still a little kid, what do you know? What do you know? Don''t leave me when you have nothing...


    Yan Luoxue still pressed forward and kissed that lips. She was much taller than him on the chair, so she buried his head on her shoulders, causing his ice-cold face to feel her warm body.


    Just like a warm little kitty ¡­


    The King Bi seemed to have reached a compromise as she gently hugged the warm and small body in front of him. After a long while without any movement, Yan Luoxue lowered her head and saw that the little boy had actually fallen asleep on her neck ¡­


    Nothing happened that day, but when she walked out of the courtyard again, everyone began to call her Princess Princess Princess.


    She knew that she wouldn''t be able to become Liu Yiyi, and that King Bi could go out and enjoy life, but he would never touch her again. He had given her everything, the best thing in all the prince''s mansion. The greatest right, but don''t touch her...


    He even gradually ignored her.


    Until one day, he had actually dug up a plum tree and planted it in his mansion, personally watering and watering it every day.


    She saw light in his eyes as if he were alive again...


    Then one day he got drunk and brought back a woman, and he brought that woman back with him, saying that this was her consort ¡­ The moment Yan Luoxue saw the woman, she immediately knew that she was related to the Plum Tree and that she was also experiencing a headache due to being drunk.


    She stood in the yard and asked, "..." This is the prince''s mansion? "


    "Boom!" Who the hell said I''m a prince''s consort? Stand forward for this old lady! "


    "So what if you want me to talk fast? You want to quibble over all of this? " His Royal Highness was also supporting his head with his hands, feeling a headache coming on. Yan Luoxue stood in place, momentarily unsure of which one she should go comfort first ¡­


    She looked at the prince. He seemed to have changed back to the way he looked when they met many years ago ¡­


    The way he looked at that woman was the same as the way he looked at her when he looked at him, after being redeemed by God.


    His Royal Highness wanted to go to Inner Mongolia and send this woman home. He then went to wash up.


    Yan Luoxue walked forward and held onto the woman''s hand.


    "Thank you."


    "Thank me for what?"


    "Make the prince return to his original appearance."


    "What did he look like?"


    "That''s it ~"


    "Esteemed wangfei ¡­"


    "If only you were his wangfei ¡­"


    "What did you say!"


    "Really, you are his consort! How about I give you the position of the princess? "


    It''s fine as long as you''re a wangfei. No matter who it is, it''s fine to be his wangfei. It''s fine to let him have a happy time just like this. Please, please ¡­


    She looked at Zhuang Li. That woman was even more beautiful than Liu Yiyi, but she was different. Liu Yiyi seemed to be able to see through her.


    Returning from Mongolia, King Bi was severely ill, and had a fever for an entire day and night. Yan Luoxue guarded by her side for a moment.


    Only when he finally regained his senses did he take out a jade bracelet from his bosom. It was the color of pink and had fine red jade patterns on it.


    "Help me call her. It''s for her."


    Yan Luoxue sent the young eunuch to find her. Only now did she know that she was the emperor''s servant girl ¡­


    The emperor served the tea girl?


    Yan Luoxue knew that it was not easy to get someone out of the palace, let alone into the prince''s mansion.


    At the Hundred Flowers Banquet, she saw Liu Yiyi passing by. Although she was no longer as well-dressed as before, she looked even more composed, and seeing that she was still a fool, she came forward and teased her. She even had the look of someone who had seen through her with just a glance.


    "What''s bothering you?"


    Towards Liu Yiyi, she seemed to have a kind of unreserved good impression. She could not see through Liu Yiyi, but she could feel that Liu Yiyi was extremely fond of the Duke.


    Used to like it


    Like it now


    Still like it in the future...


    After hearing her story, Liu Yiyi began to laugh out loud.


    "Is there such a thing?" King Bi also has such a day?... She pulled Yan Luoxue''s hand. If you are really at your wit''s end, then ask the Emperor to give that girl to the prince. If the Emperor doesn''t allow it, then just say that the little girl has already privately passed the test with the Prince.


    Yan Luoxue suddenly felt that Liu Yiyi was unable to see through him again, as though some sort of thought had flashed past her mind. But she couldn''t understand it ¡­


    "Remember, you have to do this when you don''t have any other options, don''t say that I told you."


    Yan Luoxue thought that such a day might come ¡­

 C60

    Time was so slow that Zhuang Li felt that she could almost see the growth of all living things. The chirping of cicadas, the rain of summer rain, they all landed in the pot of flowers where a pomegranate that had been meticulously cut by a eunuch had already bloomed and bore a few small fruits. Zhuang Li liked pomegranates, there were more pomegranates in the Western Regions, which had more thin skin and juices. Ge Ya cut them open with a small knife, and the pomegranate seeds became as clear as crystals.


    Firstly, the climate here was not suitable for pomegranate cultivation, and even if there was, it would not grow too well. It was not big enough, and the juice was not sweet enough. The pomegranates in the palace were shipped back from a thousand miles away. Even if they were to be ridden quickly, they would still be ruined by the rough and rough roads, the remaining of them being able to be delivered to the palace would naturally make them look expensive. Even a eunuch like Eunuch Li would be able to eat them, let alone a teahouse like Zhuang Li.


    Moreover, before he came here, he lived in the Plum Court, so it was already good if he could eat something, but how could he think of pomegranate? Xiao Bai often brought some fruits here, which were also common in the market. It was possible to purchase some fruits, so this meeting watched as the small pomegranate fruit grew day by day in the courtyard outside the Imperial Study.


    After a long day, when dusk was falling, she would hear the sound of Heart Nurturing Palace from afar. As the emperor was walking towards them, she also started to get busy, changing the water from the teapot into a new mountain spring, heating up a small stove, preparing the tea leaves, and arranging the flower plates in advance. When the emperor was sitting in front of his desk, there was a cup of tea with a suitable temperature for him. As she waited in the tea room, she watched as the small iron stove began to rumble with smoke. In the quiet night, her voice became especially friendly, the Imperial Study outside had always been replaced with ice, and the ice had always been replaced with cool ice. The ice had always been added with cool oil, and there was a slight refreshing scent in the air as she carried the tea out, looking at the emperor in front of the desk. He felt extremely satisfied with the other party''s actions.


    It was as if her entire life was intact. If one day the emperor didn''t show up, she wouldn''t have to wait in the tea room for him. Instead, she felt as if something was missing in her heart, as if there was nothing there.


    Even being a maid who served tea felt great satisfaction. No matter what, she had lived in a modern life, had received such education, and had studied in a university for four whole years before coming out as a talent from the new society. He had been studying hard for more than ten years, and now he was willing to be a servant.


    When it came to reading, most of the people reading Phoenix Dynasty were men. He had read many poems and books, and in order to one day be able to achieve a good reputation, he had glorified his ancestors. Phoenix Dynasty did not specify a rule that women were not allowed to read books. The reason why there were so few women studying was because reading books really did cost quite a bit of silver, so poor families naturally did not think of it. After all, women did not have that much youth to spend on studying. A woman with Phoenix Dynasty could marry at the age of seventeen or eighteen. If she married someone, she would begin to spread the branches and leaves of her family, serving her husband and raising his children, and would naturally be unable to continue reading. If she did not marry anyone, she would be able to study all the way until she turned thirty, without taking her title, and facing the risk of becoming an old woman who could not marry herself at all.


    For example, the Prime Minister Zhao had specially invited the old teachers of the private school back then to teach them how to read the moral scriptures. However, the young ladies, even if they were to read their poems to the fullest, would only realize that it was useless, and that the reality and helplessness of life would never be completely revealed to them when they were mature enough to understand that it was impossible for them to live a life like a beautiful poem. Furthermore, the words that were in their stomachs would probably have the effect of filling the women with grief when they were young.


    Although Zhuang Li could be considered to have had ten years of hard work experience, thinking that she should be the elite of this society when they returned to this era where no science existed, it was only later that she realized that her studies were incompatible with the culture of Phoenix Dynasty. If she were to use the Phoenix Dynasty''s examination system, she would have to start from the very beginning. So for her, although she felt that she was a talent in the new society, she wouldn''t be able to play any role here. In terms of West Cold, Ge Ya and Xi Cuo were naturally free people.


    If she was happy, she would drink and sing. If she was unhappy, she would wave her small whip around, wanting to go out and fight with someone. Life is for freedom and happiness, so Zhuang Li naturally lived exceptionally well with her, and had never once thought about whether or not she had any culture in this world.


    It was only now, after staying in the Imperial Study all the time, did he deeply realize that he actually knew nothing about many things. His knowledge and insight could not compare to that of the eunuch''s Eunuch Li.


    She was just a small palace maid, and being able to read was already quite good ¡­ Furthermore, since Zhuang Li mentioned to the emperor about cutting a river to cure the water, the emperor had a whole new level of respect for him.


    Zhuang Li thought that the Emperor felt that her strange talent was similar to that of a country bumpkin who walked on the wrong path with his sword.


    But at that moment, he felt exceptionally happy because he was of use and because the emperor was willing to listen to him. Suddenly, their relationship became extremely delicate. Zhuang Li thought that only he could feel this kind of indescribable feelings.


    Since when had he started to spend a lot of time waiting in the teahouse? In the midst of the fragrant tea, he thought about that person''s appearance; That person''s happiness and worry, seemed to have grown a line that led to nothing. It also affected Zhuang Li''s thoughts and emotions ¡­


    Because staying here, the Spring Flower''s Summer Cicada seemed to have more meaning. At the very least, it was worth it for her to continue like this.


    The red jade bracelet that the Prince Bi had sent over was extremely rare. When the young eunuch had sent it over, Zhuang Li had always felt that it was possible to negotiate with the Prince Bi. He seemed to have accepted Zhuang Li''s many secrets that came from the modern era, the so-called "good teacher" and "good friend".


    That man seemed to be different from all the other people in the capital. Sometimes, he seemed to be an egret flying in the vast sky, unable to defeat both the palace and the capital. His wings were pure white and he had never stained a speck of dust. At other times, he was like a prison, locking himself up. No one could get close. No one could understand his hardships and sorrows. He could only curl up in a corner, tightly hugging his own pain as he walked towards his demise.


    Zhuang Li looked at the jade bracelet that was completely red, it was filled with veins that looked like jade marrow, and it was actually pretty and rare, but after all, this item was too valuable, even if she was a good friend of the Prince Bi, she couldn''t accept it. At that time, she had accepted it, since she didn''t want to make it difficult for the young eunuch, but she thought that if there was a chance, she would have to return it back, and it would be too hateful for a small palace girl like herself to wear such a precious item. If he did not put it on, it would be another amassing of heavenly objects.


    However, Prince Bi had not appeared in the palace ever since he returned from Mongolia and was said to be very sick. He didn''t know what was going on. Although many people knew about it, few went to visit him. After all, he was the former crown prince. Even though he looked impressive on the surface, there were too many pros and cons involved. If he got too close and worried about whether or not someone was using this opportunity to blow the wind in front of the Emperor, saying that he was plotting against another master, this would be a big deal.


    Thinking back to the court officials who crowded the Prince Bi, they all went to Wang Su''s side. Although it was to protect themselves, it was the sadness of a few people leaving.


    The relationship between Zhuang Li and him could also be considered as a friend, so it was natural for him to take a look. Furthermore, Zhuang Li wasn''t someone from the political scene, so she wouldn''t be crowned as a relative just because she went to see the Prince Bi. Although she had the name of a Imperial Noble Lady, in reality, she was only a young palace maid who was enjoying tea, but even if Zhuang Li wanted to see him, he did not have the chance to leave the palace. The Eunuch Li, who had the most authority amongst the servants she knew, had the chance to leave the palace, because he would arrange for the young eunuch to purchase something that was not in the palace, or to do something for the emperor.


    Zhuang Li could only trust Qing You.


    Although there was still Li Liangxiao ¡­ However, Li Liangxiao was a confidant of the Emperor. If he was crowned with the title of a jade-related child, he would probably be directly bestowed death by the Emperor ¡­


    Thinking about that, Zhuang Li could only shake her head. Coincidentally, she saw a young eunuch standing at the Imperial Study entrance.


    Isn''t that the young eunuch who delivered the bracelet to him for the Prince Bi a few days ago?


    Zhuang Li was shocked, and hurriedly called for him.


    "Are you really from the palace?" Zhuang Li asked.


    "Otherwise?" He innocently raised his head. His small face was white and clean, and revealed a sense of excitement.


    "What''s your name? Which hall? "


    "My name is Xiao Wanzi, and I hold a small lantern with my Dew Palace."


    He actually had a proud expression on his face as he said this ¡­


    Dew Palace? These words were extremely unfamiliar to Zhuang Li, she had never heard of a place called Dew Palace in the palace, so she continued to ask.


    "Which empress is living in this Dew Palace?"


    The little guy tilted his head back and actually started laughing. He was still very young, and could even be said to be too young. When he laughed, his voice was as small as a child''s cackle, making people feel that he was somewhat adorable.


    "Dew Palace is a place to remember the empress dowager. The empress dowager had already passed away for many years, and the former emperor had a good relationship with her mother. Where did this'' Empress'' come from? When the Empress Dowager was alive, she was very lively. She said that the morning dew was a blessing bestowed from heaven, so she called it Dew Palace. You still have the nerve to say that you''re a servant in the palace, and don''t even know this much.


    He spoke with extreme pride. He looked like a jubilant kid who wanted to push him to the ground and give him a good spanking ¡­


    Zhuang Li was speechless. She slapped him on the head with her palm. So it turned out that Dew Palace, which sounded like a pure heart with few desires, was actually the grandmother of the emperor who lived with him before.


    "Is this just a place to commemorate Her Majesty''s Ramadan? What''s there to be proud of? Why would the Emperor cut my head off for such a small matter? "I still don''t have that much skill, but you think too highly of me ¡­"


    "That''s not certain, but with your brain ¡­" It was still hanging in the air. Who knew how much trouble it would cause? "Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk ¡­" His face was filled with disdain, and he was in a state of endless discussion.


    Zhuang Li really couldn''t stand this brat who had such a blabbermouth. He pinched his ears harder and harder, all the way until he begged for mercy.


    Meet the wind to make to please people...


    "That''s more like it ¡­" Zhuang Li clapped her hands and finally let him go.


    "Why would someone from your Dew Palace come to this place?"


    "You don''t understand ¡­" I, Xiao Wanzi, am a famous person... "


    Seeing that the child had started to act pretentiously again, Zhuang Li immediately reached out and twisted that ear of his. The child quickly begged, "Alright, alright, sister, you can''t change ears!"


    "You want to change ears?"


    The fellow hurriedly covered both his ears with his hands.


    "It''s best not to pinch ¡­"


    "Cut the crap, why did you come to the Imperial Study?"

 C61

    "Because the day of the empress dowager''s death is about to arrive, the Rites Division arranged for people to go to the imperial mausoleum and give the old empress dowager incense of her favorite Buddhist scriptures. They asked if they would like to arrange for people from the Dew Palace to go with them, so I followed old nanny over to give a message to the emperor, naturally willing to go."


    "The old empress dowager is the former emperor''s birth mother? "The emperor''s own grandmother."


    The young eunuch lowered her voice, his eyes filled with an incomparably quick-witted light. "It''s true that the emperor''s grandmother, but she isn''t former emperor''s biological mother, but ah ¡­" He suppressed his voice even lower and whispered into Zhuang Li''s ear.


    "Is the empress dowager''s favorite grandson, Prince Bi ¡­" She was smiling, her eyes curved into crescent moons. Zhuang Li looked at the little fellow, and realized that she really couldn''t underestimate this fellow. She knew more than most of the old nanny s, and many things happened before he was even born. As expected of someone connected to the prince''s mansion, Zhuang Li immediately changed into a more amiable look.


    "Little pills ¡­"


    "My name is Xiao Wanzi, and I''m not some small fry! "You better get your tongue straight..."


    "It''s all the same ¡­"


    "My name is from the King Bi, it''s very important, don''t speak carelessly!"


    "From the Prince Bi?"


    "Of course!" As the kid spoke, his face was filled with pride. Zhuang Li thought that since no one would live in the palace, it would not be surprising if someone from the prince''s residence was planted within the palace. After all, which palace did not have a maid or eunuch that was sent by the ministers of the imperial court? It was not difficult.


    But if a young eunuch came here by chance, he would just be a little kid. Furthermore, he would be at the palace, and if not for the Dew Palace, which people would almost forget after the ceremony, then he would not be able to get the latest news from the palace, and would not be able to walk left and right according to Prince Bi''s wishes. Placing a young eunuch in a place like this, although clever, he was still a child in the end. This matter made people feel that it was somewhat strange, and the Prince Bi even gave him a name, it seemed to be very important.


    The daughter of one of the ministers had once again entered the palace to be a maid, and the son of one of the factions above the imperial court had become a palace guard. It was like a huge net filled with the network of connections between each city, prefecture, and county, as well as the relationship between the imperial government and the imperial harem.


    Compared to the simple love and hate of the West Cold royal family, this was much more complicated.


    Although Zhuang Li was also a gossiper, it was likely that the young maids in the palace would definitely chat amongst themselves when they returned to their rooms after serving their masters. However, since she was serving the Emperor in the Imperial Study, he naturally did not have the chance to interact with the gossip in the harem. Eunuch Li was very strict with her discipline and her mouth was very tight, so the eunuchs whom she served in the Imperial Study were all carefully selected by him.


    No matter what one saw and heard in Imperial Study, they would be like a deaf mute who would not give any evaluation. They were extremely stiff and only knew how to work.


    Eunuch Li being so diligent was naturally one of the reasons why the emperor liked him ¡­


    Zhuang Li did not understand so she was too lazy to think about it. Seeing that the emperor was about to go to the morning assembly and that the nanny had replied to the emperor before going back to the Dew Palace, this little brat had to go with him as well. The next time they met, he didn''t know when it would be, so she didn''t care who he was or what kind of relative she was. She said, "You have some sort of relationship with Prince Bi''s residence, right?"


    It seemed to speak of the little guy''s point of pride, about how much of a relationship he had with the Prince Bi in the palace, and it was not a good thing. He didn''t even know if the child was stupid or not, and proudly corrected Zhuang Li.


    "I am related to the King Bi!"


    At that time, Zhuang Li was too lazy to think about how the relationship between the King Bi Palace and the King Bi Palace was related, so she quickly pulled him.


    "You can send a message to King Bi''s residence?"


    "I can go to King Bi''s residence!" He put his head up high in pride


    Originally, Zhuang Li had thought that he might be able to send a message of condolences to the King Bi s. But now, it seemed that he could directly enter the King Bi Palace. Although this child looked to be too young to be reliable and she didn''t know what to say, Zhuang Li suddenly felt that he could believe it.


    "Then help me bring good things to King Bi so that he can rest and recover soon."


    "That''s it?"


    "What else do you want?"


    "You won''t let me bring anything?" The little fellow looked at Zhuang Li with disdain.


    "What can I take away... The King Bi is a big family, what can they lack? "


    "You''re so grown-up and you don''t understand etiquette? King Bi even brought you a bracelet, that''s a rare object. I heard that it was a red jade underneath the dead Phoenix, after thousands of years of good fortune, it became like this today, the entire Great Phoenix, it''s only this one.


    Zhuang Li did not believe that there was a phoenix, but hearing him say it in such a mysterious manner, she was even more sure that the bracelet was expensive and not simple. She didn''t have the fortune to bring it with him, so she had to return it no matter what.


    When it came to etiquette, there was nothing decent to be had by his side. Although the Emperor often bestowed some fragmented items to the young eunuch beside him, he had never given himself anything. Furthermore, he had also seen the identity of the Prince Bi s, as well as their treasures. Just the things that he had seen before probably didn''t even enter the eyes of the servants of the prince''s residence, let alone the ones that had entered his eyes ¡­


    "Is Prince Bi very sick?"


    "I don''t know either." It was as if someone had cut off the spiritual energy in the little guy''s body. When he mentioned this matter, a layer of water vapor seemed to have covered his eyes. It seemed like the relationship between this child and the Prince Bi was not just average.


    "He became sick in the prairie, and his health was even worse after being tossed around by the Mongolian doctors. "I heard that she''s still burning even after she got back, and hasn''t gotten up even after half a month."


    "Did the doctor see it?"


    "He went. He said he didn''t know what was wrong with him."


    Zhuang Li''s mind wandered, the fever did not subside. This seemed to be the manifestation of inflammation, as she lived her nomadic life in Mongolia. Could it be that she had been infected by some sort of plague from drinking an unclean water source? That was not good.


    After thinking for a while, she finally made up her mind. She dragged the young eunuch to the teahouse behind Imperial Study. There were always so many cabinets of tea leaves that didn''t move an inch throughout the year. Previously, when Zhuang Li was familiar with the teahouse, she had gone through all of them, and some of them were poison teas. She thought that since it was the emperor''s tea anyway, she should at least make use of it as a gift.


    She set up a small stool and looked at the labels on Xiaoyao''s drawers. From time to time, she would reach out a hand to pull them open and take a look. He seemed to remember that his mother had said when he was young that some tea leaves had the ability to detoxify poisons.


    Using his modern experience, he managed to grab a few of them. Think about it and put a few of them back... Finally, he placed the remaining handful of tea leaves into a small cloth bag.


    "This is the greeting gift to Prince Bi. Take it ¡­"


    When the young eunuch received it, he looked at Zhuang Li with suspicion, while Zhuang Li tried her best to act as if she knew what she was doing.


    They were all teas that could detoxify the poison and clear the lung. It might be helpful. After all, a cup of tea was not enough to kill a person.


    Although young eunuch still had a face full of disgust, he immediately took the small cloth bag and put it in his bosom. After tidying up his clothes, he did not look like he had anything in his clothes, and the mature man patted his chest.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll take care of this matter!" "I will pass on your feelings to the prince ¡­"


    After he finished speaking, he turned around and skipped out.


    "What love!" This is a concern between friends! "


    Zhuang Li immediately reacted and crawled out from under the table in the teahouse. Zhuang Li also reacted and squatted down to grab him, but she forgot that the two of them had different heights after all. The moment she squatted, she slammed onto the corner of the table with a ''pa'', causing both of her eyes to see stars in pain.


    When she tried again, her eyes were still filled with tears from the pain. She blinked and saw that young eunuch had already reached the entrance of the teahouse.


    "Do you need me to tell Prince Bi that you are crying because of this?" He blinked like a little demon.


    "Come back for me!" Ouch ¡­ "Don''t spread the word ¡­"


    "I still want to say that your sobbing has caused you to stutter?" His eyes rolled back and forth, and he seemed to come to a sudden realization.


    "All day long, you have missed your master''s illness and have no way to leave the palace. It was not easy for you to meet such an outstanding and elegant Xiao Wanzi. Don''t worry, I understand your intentions. Your highness will also understand your intentions. " He jumped out of the teahouse in front of Zhuang Li, leaving Zhuang Li''s hand stretched out in midair ¡­ Full of regret...


    He didn''t know how such a crappy child could be raised in this era ¡­ Thinking about it, there were actually quite a few prodigies in this era ¡­ For example, the Little White that Li Liangxiao raised ¡­


    But compared to this little devil. Lil ''White seemed to be more cute and harmless ¡­


    Zhuang Li had finally crawled out from under the table, hesitating. In any case, the child was still waiting for the emperor to come over from the Imperial Study, so she went over to grab him and beat him up, telling him not to speak nonsense. The emperor is already from the imperial court, and is currently heading towards the Imperial Study.


    Zhuang Li could only swallow her anger and quickly return to the teahouse to prepare some tea ¡­


    It was an extremely early morning, the sun outside was still scorching the ground, but the pomegranate seemed to be even more spirited. Zhuang Li could almost smell the sour smell of it cutting open its small fruit. It was extremely refreshing. Occasionally, a little worry would arise that she would be eaten by the early sparrows before she could grow up.

 C62

    When Zhuang Li carried the tea into the Imperial Study, the old nanny took Xiao Wanzi and gave a reply to the Emperor. Taking advantage that no one was looking, Zhuang Li glared at Xiao Wanzi fiercely.


    That meant, "You just wait for me, you brat! Carefully take care of your own skin!"


    Xiao Wanzi did not show any sign of weakness, seeing that the emperor had made an extremely ugly face towards Zhuang Li.


    It was as if he was saying, "Grandpa, I''m not afraid!"


    This fellow was so angry that Zhuang Li couldn''t do it.


    The old nanny said that she was willing to head to the imperial mausoleum to burn incense to the empress dowager, and that she would bring Xiao Wanzi with him. The Emperor naturally agreed as well. After that, she would speak some polite words to ask the old nanny if she was living well in the Dew Palace.


    She was the empress dowager''s favorite person. Even though the empress dowager had left, the palace was still extremely dignified. She was usually a solemn old woman, and quite a few new palace maids were afraid of her ¡­


    It seemed like his identity was something special ¡­


    The old empress dowager was Mongolian and did things valiantly but without holding back. This woman was the old lady''s family. Although she didn''t look good when she was young, it was certain that she was extremely fierce ¡­


    Zhuang Li looked carefully at the old nanny and realized that her hair was already pale. She must have been a servant by the side of the empress dowager when she was still alive, a woman who could do many things using the power of the old lady. However, she was now so old, if not for the fact that Xiao Wanzi stood by her side and extended a hand to support her, Zhuang Li would even be afraid that she could not stand steadily.


    Although she had silver hair, it was tied up obediently in a bun at the back of her head. A black wooden comb was stuck in her hair, and it was carefully painted with colorful flowers. Because there were too many wrinkles on her face, Zhuang Li could not even make out her expression.


    Originally, she wanted to kneel down, but the emperor took care of her age, so he sent Xiao Wanzi to the corner of the study room to bring a chair for her to sit on and rest.


    Xiao Wanzi nimbly sat on a few chairs, looking left and right, until he finally chose a chair with a cloth sewn on it. After he carried it over, he reached out his hands to support old nanny, but old nanny refused to sit down no matter what. In this stalemate, the Emperor also put down the brush in his hands and raised his head, staring at the stubborn old nanny.


    "What else is hard to say?"


    The old nanny suddenly knelt down at this moment. Zhuang Li was originally about to turn around and head to the teahouse when she heard old nanny kneeling on the ground. She quietly took a glance at the situation from the corner of her eyes, and saw old nanny kneeling on the ground, looking somewhat resolute.


    "Your majesty, this old servant has served the empress dowager for sixty years, and I''m no longer of any use anymore. When the empress dowager was still alive, she said that the Dew Palace was a place to bring dew and water to the palace and return to the Buddha, a place to gather blessings for the palace. If there comes a day when she leaves, she isn''t reassured at all.


    The old servant served her for most of her life. When she left, he originally wanted to leave with her, but when he thought of her instructions, his heart was unable to bear it. It has already been ten years since the Empress Dowager left, and during these ten years, I focused on cultivating Buddha, taking care of Dew Palace. By now, I am already half a person who has sunk into the ground. It is very difficult to take care of me. This time, on the day of the Empress Dowager''s death, this old servant went to the Royal Tomb, intending to never return. Stay there with the Empress Dowager. It must be because she had been alone for all these years. All sorts of things could be done with the Dew Palace from today onwards, I hope the emperor can leave it to Xiao Wanzi to handle. I watched this child grow up, and I taught him with care. Even though they are still young, they are the ones who make me feel the most at ease. "


    Zhuang Li saw the old woman kneeling on the ground, but her body was already trembling slightly. She wore simple embroidered and white clothes, although she was old and sparse, she was meticulously taken care of, and seemed like she was extremely favored by the empress dowager back then. Although the empress dowager had long since passed away, there must be a lot of people serving her from behind.


    Although this request was sudden, it was very reasonable. The emperor would naturally agree to it, but he didn''t know why she would be so cautious or even act like she was on the guillotine. There was definitely more to come.


    However, Zhuang Li could not stay there and watch the show awkwardly. It seemed like nanny had prepared a bellyful of words to say about the speed and temper of her speech ¡­ She had to say it for a long time ¡­ If she stayed there, then when old nanny left, she would start to criticize her again ¡­ Thinking up to this point, she could only continue to walk out of the house ¡­


    "Whatever nanny says, this subordinate shall do as he says. If there are any other inadequacies, you can tell the empress."


    The emperor raised his head and spoke concisely. "These are all matters of the imperial harem, you are of high status, I will follow your lead. In addition, I do not have the time to be with you, if you have a stomach full of words to say, then go speak to the empress."


    Zhuang Li was also curious, these matters shouldn''t be dealt with by the Emperor.


    "But this old servant has one more thing to request of the emperor. This old servant can''t decide on this matter, nor can the empress."


    She was talking about begging the Emperor, not informing him or asking him to do so. It was as if the weight of this matter wasn''t easy to determine. Even though Zhuang Li walked extremely slowly, she had already reached the door. She then left the Imperial Study and made a silent gesture towards the young eunuch at the door, standing at the door and listening to what was going on inside.


    "This old servant will not be able to return from this trip to the Emperor''s Tomb. The only thing I still have remaining is my unfulfilled wish ¡­" that I hope to see reunited with mother and son from the Prince Bi. "


    Although no one had spoken before, that feeling was too obvious. It was as if the entire atmosphere had changed all of a sudden, falling from the scorching summer to the icy cave. It was unknown just what had happened. The head light eunuch, who was standing beside Zhuang Li, revealed a terrified expression, and used her hand to cover her mouth.


    "Is there something wrong with that?" Zhuang Li asked him in a low voice. However, the eunuch hurriedly reached out her other hand and covered Zhuang Li''s mouth, afraid that some words would spread inside. As Zhuang Li was being pulled by him, she did not know what was going on inside the study room. There was no response for a long time. After struggling to struggle free from the eunuch, Zhuang Li finally found a crack on the door and looked inside.


    The emperor was still sitting upright on the throne, his head lowered as he looked at his documents without batting an eyelid. As if he did not hear what the old nanny said just now, the Eunuch Li beside him looked at Xiao Wanzi and told him to bring the old nanny away. Xiao Wanzi understood, but no matter how he tried, the old nanny seemed to be determined and did not move.


    Even though Xiao Wanzi was young, he was still young. Even though that old nanny was like a dying candle in the wind, he was determined to die.


    "Please grant me your grace, Your Majesty."


    Every word landed on the soft carpet of Imperial Study, yet it was filled with extreme caution.


    It was as if he couldn''t wait to place his life on that one word to increase its weight ¡­


    Eunuch Li was shocked, he immediately kneeled on the ground and asked the Emperor to quell his anger. One of the young eunuch s beside Eunuch Li also knelt down, trembling in fear.


    Xiao Wanzi was unable to pull the old nanny away, and he also kneeled down. However, the young man was cautious as he spoke ¡­


    "Please calm your anger, your majesty. old nanny is old and has a strange temper, but she''s a good person. Don''t blame her!"


    Zhuang Li watched in a daze, and did not understand the reason why. The Emperor finally put down the scroll and raised his eyelids to look at old nanny who was kneeling down.


    "With regards to the Prince Bi, even Great Grandma wouldn''t be able to worry about it, so what about you?" He turned his head to look at the Eunuch Li, then once again lowered his head to look at the case on his desk ¡­


    "Arrange for people to send old nanny back."


    The Eunuch Li hurriedly agreed and ran out of the Imperial Study in a rush, looking at the several eunuchs waiting at the entrance and giving orders.


    "All of you, send nanny back, hurry! "Be careful on the road, don''t let anything happen to you."


    The few eunuchs hurriedly followed him into the Imperial Study, and dragged the old nanny who was still kneeling towards the door.


    Xiao Wanzi followed behind with his head bowed, he did not dare raise it. Just a moment ago, he was making a face at Zhuang Li within the Imperial Study. He was a bold servant, but all of a sudden, he was frightened to such an extent ¡­


    However, that old nanny still refused to give up. Along the way out, she still yelled, "Your majesty, your majesty, listen to this old servant''s advice ¡­"


    Zhuang Li watched as they carried the old nanny out from the Imperial Study, walked past him, and descended the stairs, heading towards the Dew Palace in the distance. Xiao Wanzi followed closely behind that group of people. Even though he was short, he seemed to understand the reasoning behind them.


    Regarding the matters of the harem, Zhuang Li was naturally not the least bit clear, and no one was allowed to inquire about it. Firstly, there were many eunuchs in the Imperial Study, and only two were palace maids: Qing You and her. However, this matter was strange, as though after the old nanny said this, everyone seemed to have understood something and were unwilling to say.


    Does everyone know the story of this matter?


    When did this happen in a palace? From the looks of it, this was something that happened before he entered the palace ¡­


    Then, he looked at old nanny''s age ¡­ It seemed that it was a very, very long time ago when he had entered the palace ¡­


    But it must have happened after the Emperor ascended the throne.


    It was only when Zhuang Li returned to the teahouse and met Qing You, when the two of them heard the idle chatter of the surrounding eunuchs and their reactions to each other, and gathered together did they roughly understand what was going on.


    That woman married into the imperial family from the prairie. She could ride, shoot, and was extremely agile, and could be said to be one of the most powerful and powerful females. She was originally a free bird that flew all the time on the prairie.


    This woman, with her straightforward and special temperament, had won the emperor''s love at that time. Not only had she become a queen, but there was almost no one with a higher position beneath her. She was extremely dignified. In the harem, naturally, it was the absolute authority.


    She had only given birth to one daughter for the emperor, and that was Princess Wan Run. However, she was not even two years old when she died from the plague ¡­ Just at this time, a concubine of the emperor was born into the former emperor and was brought up by her. She called her mother and naturally became the emperor''s concubine as well. Even the Queen of former emperor was a member of her family. Thus, at that time, the Empress''s son had naturally become the crown prince and was extremely doted upon by her.


    At that time, the crown prince was the Prince Bi ¡­


    The old lady''s love for Prince Bi and his son was something the entire capital knew, and it was natural for his to think that the Prince Bi would become the future emperor. However, after the old lady passed away, the struggles in the harem became even more intense, and it was unknown what happened in the end to make the Prince Bi crippled. At that time, the Queen was also dealt with after Wang Su ascended the throne, and logically speaking, even if Wang Su ascended the throne, the Queen should still be in the position of empress dowager.


    Wang Su''s mother died too early, so even if it was a mother, he would still have to increase her title. But Wang Su didn''t do that either.


    According to Zhuang Li''s knowledge, the position of the Great Phoenix Empress Dowager was now empty.


    And I haven''t heard a single word about her either ¡­ Could it be that he could be sent to become a commoner?


    She had a son even when she was sent as a commoner? Where is the other Prince Bi that is so big? But I didn''t see such an old lady in the Prince Bi''s residence?


    Zhuang Li had always thought that the previous Emperor had already passed away because of her mother. But now, hearing the meaning behind the old nanny''s words, the person who should be the empress dowager should still be alive, and not be able to gather with the Prince Bi''s mother and son.


    Exiled?


    How is that possible? She is the empress dowager, and the emperor doesn''t have such authority ¡­ Besides, what grudges could they possibly have against an elder ¡­ After all, he had already obtained the throne, wasn''t he ¡­


    Although that Prince Bi was the previous crippled crown prince, Zhuang Li always had a feeling that he was not someone to be easily bullied.


    And his mother, to be able to become the late emperor''s queen, she must also be a powerful figure!


    Regarding this matter, no eunuch was willing to chat with Zhuang Li in detail. Furthermore, everyone seemed to not understand the situation. It was as if this matter was taboo to the emperor and was one of the things that couldn''t be mentioned in the palace.


    "Not only is it unspeakable, but a majority of people actually do not know the whole story. After the former emperor left, the number of eunuchs and palace maids in the imperial court was gradually changed by the Emperor. I estimate that only a small number of people from the old nanny are aware of what happened." Qing You spoke softly about it. She was more at ease than Zhuang Li on normal days, and was even more familiar with the female servants in the surrounding palaces. On a few occasions when she was close to them, she realized that they were all young ladies who had only been in the palace for a year or two.


    However, all those who had come to serve in the palace understood that this was the emperor''s taboo.


    Zhuang Li recalled the resolute expression on old nanny''s face, as if she was risking her life to say these words. She was fearless even when she was being punished by the Emperor, and that look on her face made Zhuang Li feel a little curious.


    Of course, what was even more important was that this matter actually involved the Prince Bi ¡­ Furthermore, all this while, Zhuang Li had never felt that the Prince Bi was a bad person. She never felt that Wang Su was a bad person, nor that the Prince Bi was a bad person.


    If their identities were that of a commoner, perhaps they would be happier. When they grew up, they would get married and have a good family. When the new year came, they would hold hands with their grandma and go back to their parents'' home to congratulate them.


    But they would never be able to do it.


    However, this was probably the price he paid when he was born in the Monarch''s House ¡­

 C63

    During the exchange of tea, Zhuang Li intentionally looked at the Emperor''s face. Just now, when she told him to send the old nanny out, he wore a look of contempt and impatience, as though she could not see any more emotions. Although Zhuang Li was also calm and relaxed, she was still able to tell that something was off.


    After all, she had served him for too long. His habits and emotions were reflected in her eyes. How could she hide them?


    One of them raised his eyebrows and the other pursed his lips, they were all seen by Zhuang Li.


    Zhuang Li changed the cold tea leaves. She had not drunk that cup of tea at all, and when she turned around, she saw Eunuch Li standing beside him with her brows knitted tightly. They looked at each other and understood each other.


    Other than those old nanny s, Eunuch Li was definitely one of those who knew the truth. However, Zhuang Li was able to think that Eunuch Li would not even say half a word.


    Just from the spirit of the Eunuch Li ¡­ He might not even be willing to say it even if it was on his neck ¡­


    Although the Emperor was flipping through the paper in front of him, he was slightly frowning. Presumably, there were also some ripples of emotion within his heart. After Zhuang Li finished changing her tea, she walked to the door. The Eunuch Li suddenly called out to him.


    "Imperial Noble Lady Ya, after you finish your work, come to the study room and tidy up your books."


    "Yes." Zhuang Li replied. Although there were many reports and scrolls, when she thought about it, she had already tidied them up by the eunuchs in the study when she sent them over to Imperial Study, and it was not too chaotic. After a few tries, Zhuang Li had already understood the rules, and there was no need to organize the majority of them.


    However, this was good too, the hot and stuffy tea room made it hard for people to breathe. In the study room, there were a few pots of ice cubes, and they had to be replaced every night. Although they could not compare to Zhuang Li who had experienced air conditioning, it was already considered cool and refreshing.


    After changing the tea once more, he instructed Qing You to look at the stove when he was free, he then stood up and went to arrange his Imperial Study.


    Today, no one came to the study room. Other than the old nanny in the Dew Palace who came to cause trouble, the rest of the time was also quiet. Zhuang Li was happy to be at peace, and did not have to give them any time to constantly change their cups of tea.


    The sun had already set. The sun had roasted them for a whole day, making them feel dizzy and dizzy. It seemed as if the ground was about to be roasted by the sun. There was a rare breeze, but it carried a hint of heat along with a hint of the sap of the plants that had been baked dry by the sun. This did not make Zhuang Li feel impatient, but instead, calmed down all of a sudden. It didn''t take much time to organize the books, and she didn''t even need to change her tea. She propped her head up and looked at the person sitting in the study.


    That person''s face was as fair as jade. When they first met, he was still a handsome youth with profound eyes and an extraordinary temperament. Zhuang Li had always known that he was an ambitious and shrewd person, otherwise he would not have gone to the West Cold alone. He had spent so much effort just so one day, that she could sit on this dragon throne?


    Zhuang Li naturally knew of its desire for power. Since ancient times, there had not been anyone who had been able to resist its temptation.


    Zhuang Li couldn''t see through her, but she felt that she had actually understood Wang Su. When Wang Su was young, he did not have any wariness or scheming when facing such a small Zhuang Li, and did not have any armor or scruples before.


    Even though she knew that the Wang Su she was facing right now was different from the person she met back then, she believed that there was still some sort of connection between them.


    That was why she waited on him at the Imperial Study without being arrogant or impatient.


    Although she was not as beautiful as Prince Bi, she still carried a rare handsomeness and tenacity. Even though she was cold like ice, sometimes she still acted like a child.


    When she mentioned the West Cold, Zhuang Li had thought about many of his endings, and got caught? Or back to the Great Phoenix? She had never thought that there would be such an opportunity to get so close to this person.


    He had also memorized every single one of his expressions and frowns in his heart. Let her feel cherished...


    Wang Su raised his head and coincidentally met Zhuang Li''s gaze. Although Zhuang Li felt awkward, she did not have the time to lower his head. Her heart skipped a beat. If Eunuch Li knew about this, she would probably blame me for offending Sacred Yan.


    She hurriedly stood up. It was about time to change the tea for the emperor ¡­ No matter what, it was more important to find an excuse to escape the Imperial Study first ¡­


    Not knowing why, but because she was looking straight into Wang Su''s eyes, she felt her heart racing. She almost picked up the wrong tea leaves, and while she was washing the tea leaves, she was almost burnt to ashes by the iron stove. Finally, after much difficulty, he finished preparing the tea. Suddenly, he became timid and didn''t dare to bring the tea into the Imperial Study ¡­


    When sshe finally walked into the Imperial Study, it seemed that the atmosphere was no different from before. Only then did Zhuang Li heave a sigh of relief. However, when she brought the teacup over to the emperor''s side, her heart unexpectedly began to tense up again.


    She put down the tea tray, put away the cold tea, and then placed the new tea on the table.


    "What are you afraid of?"


    The Emperor''s sudden words caused Zhuang Li''s heart to tremble. Her hand trembled, and a fresh cup of tea spilled out. Although it was not very hot in her shock, Zhuang Li still felt a sharp pain in her palm. She quickly clenched her hands into fists and hid them.


    "The Emperor is punishing you!"


    She lowered her head, not daring to raise it. After a long moment of silence, she slowly raised her head. Wang Su stood right in front of her, looking at her from a short distance away, as if he was looking at her with a somewhat probing gaze. Zhuang Li''s heart became even more nervous. If it wasn''t for him not being able to move a single step, he really wanted to turn towards that crevice.


    "I don''t want to punish you." As he spoke, he seemed to move closer to Zhuang Li, making Zhuang Li able to see him more clearly.


    "Why should I punish you?"


    From the day Zhuang Li entered the Imperial Study, when did he punish her? She really didn''t know what this woman was thinking ¡­


    "I, then I''ll go get some tea." It was as if she had been undone from her spell. She hurriedly turned around to busy herself, but did not expect to be held back by the people behind her.


    "Forget it."


    Wang Su said softly and pulled Zhuang Li''s arm. However, this action made Zhuang Li feel as if she had been cast with an incantation.


    "Am I that scared? Or are you too easily frightened? Do you think I can eat people? I will eat you? "


    He himself knew that the reason why the people in the imperial court were afraid of him and afraid of him was not because they were afraid that he would kill them. It was because they were afraid that he would have the power to kill them ¡­ But he had never killed an innocent ¡­


    Zhuang Li muttered in her heart, You''re the emperor, I''m even afraid of Eunuch Li ¡­ What about you? And she also felt that there was another reason ¡­


    He seemed to let out a small sigh, "If you''re afraid, then forget it. I don''t blame you. Sometimes, even I am afraid."


    This allowed Zhuang Li to calm down as she turned around and looked at the emperor. Although she was still a little afraid in her heart, she still mustered her courage and blurted out these words for no reason ¡­


    "Actually, I''m not too afraid ¡­"


    "Oh?" The Emperor looked at her with a funny expression, as if he was waiting to see her make a fool of herself. Zhuang Li flipped through the pages in her mind, looking for something to talk about.


    "The Emperor is young and only uses West Cold in the face of danger. He''s brave, why would he be afraid?"


    "Oh? How do you know? "


    Hearing that, Zhuang Li almost wanted to pull her head off. [What kind of pot is this?] Why was it that after staying in the palace for so long, she was still living longer and longer ¡­ In a hurry, she tried to defend herself


    "I heard it from the palace ¡­"


    "Does anyone in the Imperial Study know about what happened seven or eight years ago?"


    Zhuang Li''s mind buzzed again. Since the day that the Emperor of the Eunuch had ascended the throne, he had given this eunuch of the Imperial Study a blow, how would he know ¡­


    "There are more in the other palaces, some old nanny s always know about it ¡­ "Wherever the emperor''s wise deeds have been spread ¡­"


    Zhuang Li stiffly made up a lie she couldn''t believe as she looked at Wang Su with a guilty conscience ¡­


    "A person like the Emperor is praised as fearless even in West Cold ¡­"


    As she spoke, she laughed, wondering if the emperor would believe her words ¡­


    "West Cold?" Wang Su seemed to have sunk into deep thought.


    "Do you know of the secret passageway in the West Cold?"


    "Of course!" To be able to change the topic was naturally an extremely good thing for Zhuang Li. hasten to chime


    "The beginning of the Moon Passage''s secret passageway in the West Cold may have been deserted and desolate, but if one''s heart is calm, it would be a unique sight to behold!"


    "You walked past it as well?"


    Zhuang Li could only mutter in her heart, of course I''ve passed by ¡­ And with you... And then she opened her mouth and said ¡­


    "On the way back, follow General Li and Master Ling Que. The desert was lonely. Lord Ling Que was still dancing by the bonfire. That scenery is exceptionally beautiful now that I think about it. "


    The journey back to the Great Phoenix was filled with anxiety, and he was wholeheartedly seeking death. He did not know that the person guarding outside the car was his little brother, Li Liangxiao, who he pitied so much. In the capital, the person waiting was the Wang Su that he could not forget.


    These fortuitous encounters, if they couldn''t be called good fortune, then they could only be called fate.


    She had laughed happily in West Cold, despaired in the desert, perturbed outside the Heart Nurturing Palace, and felt bored in the Plum Court, but there would actually come a day when outside the Imperial Study, there was a scorching summer evening, but in the study, there was a burst of coolness from the melting of ice cubes. The hospital had opened a few herbs used to relieve the heat, soaked in water, and used it to scrub the floors of the Imperial Study.


    She looked at Wang Su, just like the youth she met back then. He didn''t talk much, and every word he said would be like a venomous tongue, cold and noble. It was as if one could freeze a person into ice in the hottest of summers. But beneath his face was a youth that was filled with desire and warmth. It was so cold in the desolate desert that it was hard to say. However, he was so proud that he didn''t even want to curl up his body. He was so strong that people worried about whether he would break into pieces. However, due to his fatigue, he tried to find an arm to hold on to. Then, he called for his mother ¡­


    "I wonder what the Emperor thought of when he walked through the West Cold''s secret passageway?" Zhuang Li asked. Although she had never applied any makeup on before, her face was still as beautiful as a flower in spring. Compared to the West Cold girl''s boldness, she had an additional gentleness unique to the people of the Central Plains. Compared to the silence of the woman from the Central Plains, she had the additional openness of a person from the West Cold. Compared to the girls in the imperial harem, she was a little more spirited and more charming than the girls in the imperial harem, so much so that the girls in the imperial harem were more flirtatious ¡­


    In that moment, Wang Su thought that perhaps he had already known this woman for a long time. Otherwise, how could she be able to enter his eyes so easily? He knew his preferences and seemed to be able to understand his loneliness and pride in the past. Not one minute was too much, not one minute was too little ¡­

 C64

    "The West Cold''s secret passage runs through the desert and valley. Although the environment is rather dangerous along the way and there isn''t a single blade of grass growing, it has never caused us to feel any fear. Just as you said, if the beautiful scenery of the desert is not in that kind of place, how could we possibly see it?"


    When he said these words, it made Zhuang Li think back to ten years ago, about her and Wang Su''s experience in the West Cold''s secret passageway. Now that he thought about it, he forgot how cold and torturous it used to be. Most of all, he remembered the faint warmth of the bonfire and the splendor of the setting sun.


    Although the jade pendant was not a love object, she had pawned it for a long time and finally managed to return to her hometown. Why would she be afraid of an emperor like that?


    That jade pendant was still safely placed under the cabinet in her room. It seemed to be a secret existence. If there was anyone else who could prove that there was such a thing happening, other than Zhuang Li and Wang Su, there would only be that piece of jade ¡­


    The two of them shared the same period of experience and story. Wang Su didn''t know, but Zhuang Li couldn''t say, and they just stared at each other like that. Zhuang Li seemed to have found quite a few expressions in those eyes back then.


    In that instant, she actually thought of the small, green pomegranate in the courtyard outside Imperial Study.


    "Then how could it be a land without grass? Perhaps that is the most fertile pure land in my heart." Zhuang Li laughed. that small piece of land, she went with Wang Su and came back with Li Liangxiao. At the time they came back together, she couldn''t even remember the sadness and sorrow she felt, she couldn''t even remember how conflicted she had been in his heart before. The uncertainty about her future that had been tormented him, and the end of tomorrow.


    "The West Cold is a desert, but the people of West Cold are as passionate as flames. The Emperor must have met with many interesting things when he entered and left the West Cold, right?"


    "I don''t remember anything funny."


    Zhuang Li did not know what to say, and continued.


    "Did you ever meet any friends that you could make?"


    Friends?" Wang Su seemed to be stunned for a moment, "If we talk about friends. I remember a little girl who met me on the way to the west cold. I used to think she was a nasty little girl who didn''t know how to behave, but then I changed my mind. She wasn''t as spoiled as those young ladies of the government, and I had a whole new level of respect for her, and sometimes I even thought she was kind of cute.


    These words caused Zhuang Li to be shocked, she was clearly talking about herself, she tried her best to hide the waves in her heart. In his heart, Wang Su actually treated her as a friend!


    "Is there such a person? "And then?"


    "We only met by chance, and then we separated."


    It was as if something had shattered in her heart. She realized that in Wang Su''s heart, she had only taken one glance at it, and nothing more.


    Although she didn''t know what she had hoped for, she felt a little disappointed. She shouldn''t have expected more from the start.


    Seeing her lowered his head and not say a word, Wang Su suddenly felt that it was strange and asked her what was wrong.


    "I merely feel that the story is not perfect. However, it is sufficient for us to meet in peace."


    Wang Su seemed to be stunned. "I also thought like that, after returning to the Great Phoenix Empire, I sent someone to his home to inquire about it. She still hasn''t come back yet. Initially, I had thought that they had returned to the West Cold, or perhaps they had gone to their homeland, but the people I sent out did not manage to find any news of them. "


    "Oh?"


    Zhuang Li''s heart felt like it had just been knocked down. Your Majesty, the Emperor actually sent someone to look for her!


    "It seems that the people in her family have never worried about her. I always thought that she was a crazy little rogue with no heart and lungs, and she just disappeared like that. I don''t think it''s a pity, but I understand how weak people are.


    Maybe she died long ago, or maybe she lives in some corner. "


    How he sometimes wished he were still alive. That was the only woman, she had seen him as a prince on a high pedestal, she had also seen his depressed and miserable appearance, yet she was able to be as calm as water and drink with him in the same month. That was why he had always hoped so much for that little child to be able to survive. Being able to accompany him.


    "If the emperor sees her again, can he still recognize her?"


    "No."


    Zhuang Li was suspicious, wasn''t it easy to remember Zhao Ci''s small ugly appearance? Although she didn''t understand why she would look like this now ¡­


    "At that time, I have never looked at her carefully. I only remember that she was probably an ugly girl. Maybe even uglier now. But in his heart, he felt as if he wanted to tell her a lot of things. He was like a shadow that had followed by his side for so many years.


    I never met anyone like that again.


    "I rarely think of her, but when you talk about friends, I think she''s one of them."


    Zhuang Li didn''t know what to say. In her eyes, Wang Su was someone who thought carefully and had goals and ambitions. His friends, but very few. In the end, the throne was lonely.


    "Your Majesty, if you have her in your heart, then she has your ¡­ Wherever she is now...


    "If my first mother was still alive, she would have liked you very much." Wang Su suddenly said. He looked at Zhuang Li.


    Wang Su unintentionally revealed a smile. Even though it was unclear, when Zhuang Li saw it, he could not help but feel that the smile was much warmer than when he melted and it would last for many years, so when he thought about it later on, the corners of his mouth would unconsciously rise. Wang Su''s eyes could not help but smile.


    "Your majesty''s concubine, I heard from old nanny that she''s the Imperial Consort Mei that lives in the Plum Court?" Zhuang Li asked, she was not sure if the emperor would tell her more about the Imperial Consort Mei, but her curiosity towards this woman had always been increasing. What kind of woman could make the Prince Bi unable to forget about her, and what kind of reason had caused their current situation. She really wanted to know, and felt that all of this was related to that Imperial Consort Mei.


    "Imperial Consort Mei? My first wife has never been a concubine for a day. However, her mother did not feel wronged at all. "


    Only then did Zhuang Li realize that she had used a cloth to wipe away the water droplets on the paper. Yet the emperor had already closed the paper with one hand. She stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to say next.


    "In order to protect Princess of West Cold, when you went from West Cold to Da Feng''s land, did you think that this was a dead end?"


    Zhuang Li did not expect Wang Su to ask her about this, so she was actually a little surprised in her heart


    But Palace Master West Cold and I have a deep bond. Back then, my future prospects were also uncertain when I was kidnapped from the Great Phoenix to the West Cold, but because I was young and didn''t think too much about it, I thought that when I set foot on the road back to the Great Phoenix, I also had a dream like when I was young. I didn''t think too much about it. But even if it''s a capital offense, I''ll still come. "


    It was the first time she looked at Wang Su with such a calm heart. It was as if she had confessed too many things about herself, as if she was not afraid of provoking anger nor was she nervous about her own situation.


    The emperor in front of her, was the Wang Su who was going with her to the West Cold. He was a very, very important person to her, so why would she be afraid of him?


    "You should be honest with me, why are you so confident that you can save her life if you give it your all? With the West Cold in my grasp, finding a Princess of West Cold would be very difficult right? "


    "Didn''t the emperor not do his best to find them as well?"


    "Are you that sure?"


    "If the Princess of West Cold finds it, will I still be here to serve the Emperor tea?"


    An extremely subtle expression seemed to flash across Wang Su''s face. For a moment, Zhuang Li was almost certain that Wang Su knew where Ge Ya and Xi Cuo were hiding.


    She felt nervous for a moment, but then she thought that if the emperor knew where the Princess of West Cold was, the first thing he would do would be to control Xi Cuo to summon the world. For the few people with West Cold who were still unwilling to accept, Xi Cuo was their last hope. If one were to control Xi Cuo in order to control the West Cold, then it would naturally save a lot of trouble for the Great Phoenix''s rule over the West Cold.


    But today, the rule of the West Cold was still under the name of the West Cold Third Prince, there were no rumors about Xi Cuo at all.


    But if the emperor did not know where Xi Cuo was, then what was the reason behind that strange expression of his?


    If the emperor really does know the whereabouts of the Princess of West Cold, why is it that he isn''t willing to openly admit it? should have been announced on the imperial court ¡­ But no, if it wasn''t mentioned today, it was likely that Zhuang Li would never know ¡­


    But what will the Emperor do next?

 C65

    Unknowingly, it was already July, but Prince Bi still did not come to the imperial court, and he did not have the chance to look for Xiao Wanzi in Dew Palace. Hearing that Xiao Wanzi was going to accompany old nanny to guard the spirit, she would probably have to go for half a month. Furthermore, he had to take this opportunity to deliver a message to the prince''s mansion. Xiao Wanzi was very clever, if there was anything he needed, he would definitely find an opportunity to notify Zhuang Li.


    It was unknown why, but Zhuang Li actually felt extremely confident in that half-grown child.


    In the end, she was still concerned about the Prince Bi. They had chatted and drank together, and although they did not meet each other often, there were times when it seemed like they had known each other for a long time. When she said those modern words, Prince Bi did not think that she was a strange person ¡­


    A friend like that would naturally give his heart to her. Otherwise, why would he not be like those people who would panic and grab her every time there was a little disturbance in the imperial court? Or, he would just cut off all contact with her and never come into contact with her again. He didn''t know what kind of illness he had in Mongolia, but even after so long, he still hadn''t gotten any better.


    Speaking of which, it was also strange that the relationship between Zhuang Li and the Emperor had also become more subtle. She didn''t know if it was because she had changed or because the Emperor had changed. She was already too familiar with tea and pastries, and there were no more mistakes. After everything was settled, even if she stayed in the tea house and guarded that small lantern, she would still be extremely happy.


    The emperor''s transformation seemed to be even greater, as he spoke more. Not only Zhuang Li, even the young eunuch who was on night watch had noticed this. His entire person became even warmer. If it was in the past, when Zhuang Li and Qing You were fighting in the backyard of the Imperial Study, Eunuch Li would definitely come out and teach them a good lesson, but today, Eunuch Li''s joyful eyes swept over them, and did not look at them anymore. Zhuang Li had even once seen that there were too many court officials in the Imperial Study, and after serving tea, she went to the courtyard to play shuttlecock with Qing You. It was unknown when she walked away, but when she looked up, she saw that Eunuch Li had accompanied Huang Shan out to play with his Imperial Study.


    When it came to the Eunuch Li, Zhuang Li felt that he was the most capable person in the entire Great Phoenix Empire. It was a piece of cake to guess that the little servant that was down there was actually more important that he could guess what the emperor was thinking.


    Everyone knew how difficult it was to guess the Emperor''s thoughts. He didn''t say much, and his expression wasn''t rich enough. It was not difficult to guess his displeasure, because he, Icy Cold Ice, liked to keep a straight face. Even if they saw him on a daily basis, they would still feel scared. However, guessing him happy was an extremely hard thing to do. Many people thought that his happy appearance was similar to his unhappy appearance ¡­ It was extremely difficult to grasp ¡­


    Although Zhuang Li was able to discern the emperor''s feelings, if the emperor came back from the palace, he would have to come back from other places ¡­ At that time, it would be hard to guess ¡­ After all, she couldn''t find out what had happened to the Emperor that day ¡­


    Now, he realised that the Eunuch Li was the emperor''s barometer of rain. When the Emperor appeared, the Eunuch Li would either be by her side or waiting outside. No matter what happened, if the Eunuch Li looked kind and amiable, Zhuang Li knew that it was nothing big, and the Emperor was in a good mood. If there came a day when the Eunuch Li had a stern face and was frowning, that would mean that the Emperor had met with some troublesome matter. At this time, even the court officials knew that it would be best if they did not find the Emperor at this time to hand over some damnable paper.


    Although the Eunuch Li had always set the rules of the palace extremely strict, making them look impartial and impartial, if any young eunuch did something that they shouldn''t have done, they would certainly be severely punished! He seemed to be a rather ruthless person. However, after getting along with him for a long time, he discovered that he was extremely kind and amiable. Although they were heartless, it was very rare for the eunuchs under their jurisdiction to commit a crime worthy of death. Even if they were sent to serve in other palaces one day, they were still children of elves, at least not stupid enough to violate their master''s taboo ¡­


    When those young eunuch s found it hard to guess what was going on, they would say:


    "If you want to serve your master with all your heart, then naturally, you will be able to see through his intentions. If you don''t have the heart, then it is no wonder that you are always scolded by your master. "How can you not see clearly when you treat people with sincerity ¡­"


    There were a few days when Zhuang Li and Qing You were leisurely talking about the Eunuch Li with Imperial Study. Although the young eunuch was often lectured by the Eunuch Li, when they talk about him, they were not afraid of him.


    "Although Eunuch has been very strict with us, he has been very kind to us in secret. He said that life in the palace is not as bright as it looks on the surface. "As servants, the most important thing is for us to sincerely work for our master."


    "Master has worked hard too? Your Majesty, I admit that I have rarely seen him idle in the past few days, and it is common for him to stay in the study until dawn. "Every day, they spend a lot of time to look around and then get sent away. I don''t think they''ve ever worked hard before ¡­"


    On the contrary, Zhuang Li felt that what the Eunuch Li said made sense. As a servant, only those who served their master with all their heart would be able to survive, and those who paid attention to their master would have their own value. Moreover, when Eunuch Li said that his master worked hard, he was afraid that sometimes, it was not only referring to the hardships, but also the hardships in his heart. No matter what era one was in, the struggles between concubines were a troublesome farce that could not be ignored.


    So no matter how bright and beautiful he looked on the surface, it might not be true. If he could understand his master, then that servant could be said to be a good servant ¡­


    The intelligence of the Eunuch Li was probably not as simple as it seemed.


    "I only feel that Eunuch Li is like he has eight eyes, no matter what I do, I won''t be able to escape his eyes. Even my inner complaints are often seen through by him. "


    "Shh!" The young eunuch lowered his voice and said.


    "I am only secretly telling you all, Eunuch Li is not an ordinary person."


    young eunuch''s eyes were originally very small, and now that he looked so much smaller, it did not look like he was being funny.


    "Eunuch Li is the most beloved eunuch by former emperor''s side, and he was also the one who accompanied former emperor through his final days.


    "What!" This news surprised Zhuang Li. Although she should have known this a long time ago, after all, Eunuch Li was already so old.


    As soon as the Emperor ascended the throne, he changed almost all of the servants in the palace that were by the side of the Emperor. Naturally, the closest eunuch next to the new Emperor should also be someone he knew and trusted.


    "Eunuch Li served the late emperor and had always been the person he trusted the most. After his death, he had already returned to his hometown, but who knew that the first thing the emperor did after he ascended the throne was to bring him back."


    "Did the emperor go looking for him? How could he be willing? " Zhuang Li asked.


    "Although the Eunuch Li''s rewards for serving the late emperor could make a rich family in the capital, if it were any other eunuchs in other palaces, they would still find someone to raise a child in their hometown and help him become a foster son. If he is able to leave the palace in the future, then he would let the child retire. His hometown was also the same old house from many years ago. I heard that they are almost falling down. "


    "Eunuch Li did not buy a house for me?"


    "There''s really none. I heard that the Eunuch Li''s family is extremely simple."


    Zhuang Li frowned, she did not expect that an old eunuch who had already returned to his hometown would come to the palace again for the sake of the emperor, who knew what kind of words the emperor had said to persuade him out of it.


    Furthermore, why would the Emperor want the Eunuch Li to serve him? Although the Eunuch Li was indeed a very capable servant, if he were to choose a new disciple from the new young eunuch, it would not be difficult for him. After all, from the thousand servants, he had always been able to find someone that the Emperor wanted ¡­


    But he had to admit that sometimes, those young eunuch s in the palace were indeed unable to compare to Eunuch Li. Eunuch Li had been in the Great Phoenix Dynasty Hall for many years, and had seen the complicated and delicate relationship between the situation and the court officials. He knew very well which prince former emperor liked the most, and he was probably the person with the most knowledge in his heart. He had also always kept the conflicts between the harem in his heart in mind.


    With the death of the former emperor, the mistresses behind him were all still alive. Furthermore, the matriarchs of the matriarchs all had their own powers within the imperial court. When Wang Su ascended the throne, the complex stall in front of him had his own difficulties too. If he could have a servant like Eunuch Li by his side, he could save himself a lot of trouble in times of crisis.


    I wonder if Eunuch Li knew from the very beginning that there would be a day when Great Phoenix World would be the Emperor''s?


    Qing You still felt that it was unbelievable, so she patted her forehead.


    "In short, you just have to listen to what the Eunuch Li says. If you follow him while doing things in the palace, you will definitely not be punished."


    "I am not afraid, I usually follow the young eunuch to clean the Imperial Study, to serve the young miss, what can happen?"


    Zhuang Li was overjoyed.


    It was soon to be the middle of July, and although Zhuang Li did not believe it, she always knew that the ghost that died on the fifteenth of the seventh month would return. Therefore, she had to send river lamp to the ghosts and gods.


    However, it was in the Great Phoenix Sect today. As early as the beginning of July, Zhuang Li had already heard Qing You talking about the many little girls in the palace. The people who passed away in their families were all making their own river lamp s. In the imperial harem, the Imperial Noble Lady s were also making river lamp s.


    Although river lamp s were known to send blessings to the ghosts and deities, those river lamp s in the palace were becoming more and more flowery. Over time, it had not only been for the sake of blessings, it had also become a competition between the various palace maids.


    Which palace''s river lamp was the most complicated, and which palace''s river lamp had the most beautiful colors? Which palace''s river lamp burned the longest, and which palace''s river lamp was able to be seen by the Emperor?


    After a long time, he had forgotten about giving away ghosts and deities, but it had become an activity in the palace.


    However, Zhuang Li thought that none of the river lamp in the palace could be personally made by the Empress herself, it was all done by the servants.


    If any of the river lamp in the palace received the emperor''s praise, then that little girl would naturally be heavily rewarded by the Empress when she returned ¡­


    Thus, the secret switch from the climbing river lamp to the empress''s secret fighting activity ¡­


    If the emperor had seen the river lamp that he made himself, not only would he be rewarded by his master, but he would also be promoted to a head maid by his master. From being a servant girl, he would become the servant girl who entered the room to serve his master.


    Not only would he be rewarded, even his monthly allowance would be increased by a lot ¡­

 C66

    Qing You was more free than Zhuang Li, and was even more at ease. Usually, after helping the palace eunuchs clean the courtyard and look after Zhuang Li, she was still busy, so she didn''t need to attend to him, so she went to visit the nearby palace and naturally became the first person to learn the information from him. With regards to the other palace maids being busy making river lamp s, she had already started to imitate the actions of the other palace maids since the beginning of the month.


    Using a piece of bright yellow paper to paste the whole thing together, adding up several layers, and then going through design, cutting it into pieces and fixing it inside with a thin bamboo stick, dyed with the color and made it into a river lamp. It sounded simple, but doing it was especially troublesome. Zhuang Li watched the whole time as Qing You stuck to the river lamp but it never had a shape. She wondered if it could make it in time to release the river lamp.


    Qing You, on the other hand, had always been full of confidence.


    "Miss, just go. I''ll go with you. We''ll go watch the show tonight. Nothing will happen."


    She naturally knew that Zhuang Li was afraid of encountering Imperial Noble Consort again, but she was also afraid that Zhuang Li, who only lived in the Imperial Study all day, would hold her breath and cause some problems.


    Zhuang Li, on the other hand, only wanted to quietly be an otaku, and retorted, "During the year we stayed in the Plum Court, we didn''t hold anything back, did we?"


    "Miss, just treat it as accompanying me!" Since she was acting like a spoiled child, Zhuang Li naturally had no choice but to agree. She said that if the emperor didn''t come to the Imperial Study that day, she would go with Qing You to watch the show.


    Qing You was naturally happy, she had long heard of her name. Every year, the Heavenly Emperor would routinely release river lamp s for relatives such as the empress dowager and the late emperor. He definitely wouldn''t come to the Imperial Study.


    And on that day, there was actually someone who had already been waiting at the Imperial Study entrance. That person was Li Liangxiao, and beside him stood Whitey with a serious face. That child was scurrying away from him. Compared to the time he first saw him a year ago, he already grew a head taller, taller than Qing You by half a head. He was already a somewhat beautiful youth. Qing You was a few years older than Little White, so he was normally a little naughty so naturally he would bully Little White. At this meeting, he was naturally very happy to see Little White here, and furthermore, when he saw that Li Liangxiao was present and had someone to accompany him, he was even more happy.


    "I''m here to pick up my sister as well." Li Liangxiao smiled kindheartedly. He was already so old, yet he was still like a child.


    Zhuang Li was helpless. Seeing this big child, she also felt happy in her heart, so she quickly changed her clothes and went out. Although she was wearing an extremely low-key old outfit. However, the rate of return was extremely high. It was all thanks to Li Liangxiao, who had an extremely tall and big figure with an exquisite appearance. Wherever he went, palace maids shyly lowered their heads. or gave Zhuang Li a jealous look.


    Although the four of them went out of the door together, Qing You and Whitey soon disappeared in front of them. Li Liangxiao even talked about Whitey''s excellent lightness skills, and gave him the job of a little guard in the palace in two years.


    It was brought in from outside the city while digging a canal, and was also used as a water source by the palace''s few shopkeepers. Since Zhuang Li entered the palace, she had always stayed at the Plum Court and its waters, and had not been there. After following Li Liangxiao through each and every palace, she felt like he was in a dream. She knew that the palace was very big, but she had never thought about how big it was.


    On the way, Li Liangxiao chatted with Zhuang Li about family matters.


    "Let''s go to the lower part of the Minsi River, the German Gate, where there are fewer people, and where the Emperor and many of the palace''s lamplighters are upstream."


    He said that as he handed over a small bundle to Zhuang Li, it was wrapped very lightly. When he held it in his hand, he already felt that the items inside must have been extremely fragile. Opening it, he found that it was a river lamp. It was done without any fancy tricks, but it was done in great detail.


    "Where did it come from? Did you buy it from outside? " He was still thinking that although it was done pretty well, it was just that he was a little lacking in colour ¡­ If it was sold outside on the street, it would be because the worker was not diligent but the color was gaudy. This was the only way to attract the attention of the buyer.


    Li Liangxiao gave Zhuang Li a smile.


    "Huh?" This surprised Zhuang Li. Uncle Zheng actually knew how to make river lamp, and with the skills of an old coachman, this was already considered not bad.


    "Uncle Zheng has specially made it for you. He said that every year, when the moon is full and the year is about to end, you will definitely think of your mother. Light her a lamp and talk. In the previous year, he would also become a river lamp and leave one for you. He said it was for you, for your mother. "


    This truly surprised Zhuang Li. Zhao Ci''s mother, the one with the smallest Zhao Mansion, probably even the Lord Zhao wouldn''t necessarily remember him marrying such a wife.


    Zhuang Li was moved for a moment and his heart was filled with complex emotions. There was this Zhao Ci, and there was also herself. She still suppressed it with all her might, so that Li Liangxiao wouldn''t find out. She cleared her throat and told Li Liangxiao.


    "Please thank Uncle Zheng for me ¡­"


    She took the river lamp and held it in her hands, afraid that it would be broken. He instantly felt that the item in his hand was incomparably precious, and it had an extremely important meaning and feeling.


    There were very few people from the De Clan, and usually there were not many people who came here. The servants were all serving the masters in the palace, and wherever the masters were, the servants would come from, and there was nothing that had to be done, unless the masters were taking a stroll, they would slowly pass by, but there was only one male master in the palace, and he did not have the mood to come here. The female masters did have two, but the empress and Hanqin were very pampered and expensive all day, so she was naturally not in the mood to come here.


    Zhuang Li looked around. There were a few pavilions and a bridge. It could be said that they were afraid that this place would be too lonely, so they built it. Other than cleaning and cleaning, there were no other two people. A few old nanny s had already finished preparing by the shore and were starting to release the river lamp.


    Li Liangxiao said that these were all the old nanny s of the palace. For some reason, when they reached the age to leave the palace, they did not leave it, and now that they were old, they could no longer adapt to life outside the palace. They lived in the most remote corner of the palace, and it was likely that they no longer had any relatives outside. It was either a memorial to his deceased master or to his long-dead family and friends.


    The older they were, the fewer friends they would have. It wasn''t that they were already hostile, but more likely that some of them had already passed away.


    Zhuang Li took a closer look at them, those old nanny s had once followed their master in enjoying the scenery as well. Now that they were old, they could already see through the desolation of the bustling past, their clothes were plain, their hair was white, and they were meticulously combed as usual. The river lamp s that they put down were just a simple layer of lotus flower, without any unnecessary modifications, and even their color had never been dyed.


    The little river lamp spun far away the moment they entered the water, drifting further and further away until they couldn''t see anymore. They didn''t even stop, and didn''t even look at the distant river lamp anymore. They left without saying anything else.


    Zhuang Li thought of the old nanny in her Dew Palace. She reckoned that she would be like these old nanny, guarding the palaces that changed every day, the Empress Dowager who passed away a long time ago.


    It was unknown what sort of state of mind it was.


    Zhuang Li and Li Liangxiao walked along the stairs until they left the place and arrived at the water''s edge. Although there was a lantern on the bridge and the light was weak, when reflected on the water, it only left a dark yellow light spot on the dark surface of the water, trembling with the waves of the water. Although it was a canal and the speed of the water flow was not fast, it still brought about a slight breeze, causing people to feel rather cool.


    Li Liangxiao took out a fire piston and a length of candle from his bosom. After igniting it and handing it to Zhuang Li, Zhuang Li carefully placed the river lamp into the water. Looking at the small river lamp, it floated away like the light of a firefly.


    Even if it were given to Zhao Ci''s mother, she did not know if she would be able to rest in peace if her daughter, Zhao Ci, was used temporarily by her, the person who had transmigrated over. God knows where Zhao Ci''s soul is, if it has already found a mother who loves him, right?


    If both of them were not here, then this river lamp could be considered as a gift to the person who once lived in this modern world.


    Because she was now ¡­


    Want to stay...


    These days, she was becoming more and more aware of the person she was living in. The man was so noble that she could only pronounce his name in her heart.


    Wang Su...


    She didn''t know what would happen in the future, and she didn''t know how long it would last. She just wanted to stand quietly in the tea room for him.


    For this, she suddenly didn''t want to return to the modern era.


    I wonder how my own mother is...


    When she closed her eyes, tears were still running down her cheeks.


    "Elder sister." Li Liangxiao thought that she was thinking of the deceased Madam Du Yueyao. Seeing Zhuang Li crying, her heart also started to feel uncomfortable. He reached out and grabbed Zhuang Li''s hand. The cold palm under the river felt incomparably safe in that warm palm.


    However, his own fate never seemed to be in his own hands. She knew too well, that she, Zhuang Li, had always been someone who submitted ¡­


    What if, one day, fate suddenly brought her back to modern times?


    "If there comes a day when elder sister wants to leave, don''t be sad. From now on, you can marry a wife or any number of wives. How about you let elder sister hug your nephew and niece?"


    Li Liangxiao was stunned for a moment, but no matter how low his EQ he had, he had long realized that Zhuang Li had never had feelings for him, for a man and a woman. The child was a little disappointed, but he quickly recovered his pretty smile and his bright eyes.


    "If Big Sister doesn''t want Li Liangxiao to be there, I will be. Then we will still be the same as before, wherever Big Sister is, Li Liangxiao will be there. Li Liangxiao''s home will forever be elder sister''s. "


    That young beggar who had wandered onto the street was extremely thin and weak. He could not eat all day and was driven away by the protection of the restaurant. He did not know why he was still alive and why his parents brought him to this world.


    He knew that Zhuang Li had pulled him into the creaky old carriage and gave him a bath, even changing into clean clothes.


    He suddenly felt the true meaning of those who had families. In this world, there was such a thing. You would do anything for it and beg along the streets. Or gritting his teeth when he was in trouble. Wipe away the tears that had fallen.


    You think of that kind of person, in the battlefield where blood and flesh flew everywhere, you think of having to survive.


    He wanted to find her in the city with the vast West Cold.


    Wherever she was, her home was ¡­


    He wanted to find the man and give him a home. He took her in his arms as she had held his hand.


    The rain and wind outside were all blocked by his arms. That was why he kept asking himself to become stronger ¡­


    It wasn''t until later that he realized that apart from his family, there was also love.


    Later on, he realized that if he could see her smile, he would be even happier.


    If her elder sister didn''t like her, then she would wait. With a home by her side, it was the best gift she could hold in her hand.

 C67

    The night was already very dark, and the river breeze was somewhat cold. Zhuang Li originally wanted to return, but she was coaxed to the bridge by Li Liangxiao.


    "Just wait a little longer. It''ll probably be done soon!" Li Liangxiao''s eyes flashed with happiness. Zhuang Li was helpless, this damned child was not willing to say anything, and actually started to learn to keep an eye on things.


    "The liveliness outside the palace is also quite intense, although in the early days of the Ghost Festival, it was indeed a very unlucky day, with river lamp s all around, and everyone was burning paper money in the courtyard for their ancestors. However, it was probably because of the influence of the palace. Although they had been burning paper and going there for a while, there were still more types of river lamp. Beautiful and bright. The river was also filled with rivers. Furthermore, what was different from the palace was the liveliness. The ruckus, the shouting, these things cannot be heard in the palace. "


    "The Uncle Zheng also went to release the river lamp?"


    Yeah, with a bunch of kids, but they mostly play." Uncle Zheng is their child king, when I first took in the two little guys, I said I wanted to buy two servants back. "Uncle Zheng won''t let me go, he says he''s just a coachman and can''t stand being served by others, so there''s only a male servant at home and a mama who buys rice noodles and oil. Everything else is done by Uncle Zheng.


    Zhuang Li felt a warm feeling in her heart. If not for him, Uncle Zheng would not have been beaten into sending him back to her homeland. Fortunately, she had Li Liangxiao, so he could peacefully pass her last years.


    Does this count as Li Liangxiao redeeming her fault?


    In fact, she had the same plan at the time. After returning to Gansu, she would use her little mind to get some money to fix some houses. She would be a family member living with.


    Just as she was thinking, Li Liangxiao pulled Zhuang Li''s arm and let her look at the river surface.


    Upstream, a stream of light followed the river. At first, Zhuang Li did not understand. However, when the flow of light got closer, Zhuang Li could see that it was an upstream river lamp floating down.


    He had heard Qing You talk about it a few days ago. The Emperor would place nine river lamp outside the Rippling Zither Pavilion in the upper reaches of the Min River every year to commemorate the previous Emperor. This has become routine since the Emperor ascended the throne. Although it wasn''t a big deal, the Ministry of Rites would have already prepared everything for the Emperor. Only after the Emperor''s river lamp had been put down and left would the Empress lead the harem women, the palace maids and eunuchs release the river lamp.


    The light seemed to have slowed down as it flowed past the water surface under Zhuang Li''s feet.


    All sorts of river lamp were huddled together. Some were already soaked, but they were still carried downstream by the river. Under the night sky, those exquisite halls were silently guarding the river lamp''s slow flow, as if they were especially intelligent. It was unknown if they could even see whether or not there were ghosts living on the river lamp.


    Zhuang Li looked upstream and now, she saw that the meandering river was filled with candlelight. She spent her time in the Imperial Study, and only now did she truly feel just how big this palace was, and how many people it had.


    If Li Liangxiao was already on duty in the palace when he was not fighting outside, he had also been on duty on the same day as when he released the river lamp in the past, and only after patrolling the lower reaches of the Min River did he discover such a beautiful scenery.


    Furthermore, only the German Sect was the easiest to see the lamps here. If they were to go further downstream, many of them would have already been extinguished.


    "When my sister leaves the palace, my family can also go to the river to put out the lights."


    Hearing this, Zhuang Li remembered that there was something that had been pressing on her mind, the gaze of the Emperor when she talked about the whereabouts of the Princess of West Cold seemed to be hiding something.


    "Did you manage to locate the Princess of West Cold?" Zhuang Li asked. She urgently needed to know a definite answer, otherwise her heart would never be able to let it go.


    Li Liangxiao did not expect Zhuang Li to suddenly ask about this, so he was stunned for a moment.


    "That''s right, we have already confirmed it. We are waiting for the emperor''s order. If this time''s Princess of West Cold can safely enter the capital, then big sister can leave the palace."


    "What!" Zhuang Li almost lost her balance for a moment, before she was supported by Li Liangxiao. Although she had already felt some sort of abnormality from the emperor earlier, to truly confirm that this news was indeed not a small blow to her.


    Furthermore, her entire West Cold was currently within the grasp of the Great Phoenix. It would only be a matter of time before she found the hiding Ge Ya and Xi Cuo. But she didn''t expect that the day would come so quickly ¡­


    The emperor naturally hoped to quickly control Xi Cuo and force him to succeed the throne, but he was always under the control of the great phoenix. To the entire West Cold, Xi Cuo was naturally the last hope of saving a life, and if he were to ascend to the throne, the remaining forces of West Cold that were against the Third Prince would have to settle down.


    At that time, he would naturally want to bring Ge Ya into the palace. After all, if Xi Cuo took the throne, then he would need an even more threatening proton.


    However, Zhuang Li hoped that Xi Cuo and his sister could hide it for a little longer, until Xi Cuo already possessed the ability to protect Ge Ya. Although he was still unable to match up to Da Feng in terms of strength, he already had the least amount of strength to protect himself ¡­


    When Li Liangxiao saw Zhuang Li''s agitated state, he hurriedly consoled him, "Sister, don''t worry, the emperor had never thought of exterminating West Cold, nor did he think of sending his own men to manage it. After all, with such a large desert separating them, it''s a normal thing for rebellion to occur, and even if there''s a secret passage that leads to it, it would take some time. If Da Feng has been stationed at the West Cold for a long time, it wouldn''t be worth it to stop Da Feng''s forces.


    "It''s fine. Let''s go back." After a long while, Zhuang Li finally said these words. It was as if she was saying them for Li Liangxiao to hear, or for herself ¡­ She took a last look in the direction upstream, where most of the river lamp had already flowed downstream. Right now, there were only a few left on the shore, which were probably tied up by the branches, the candles would burn out and they would quickly sink into the river.


    She was about to leave this palace? At that moment, his heart was filled with reluctance ¡­


    When she was gone, who would serve tea to the Emperor?


    After thinking about it, he found himself smiling again. Central Pine, such a bustling palace, there were countless maids waiting to serve the Emperor tea. They were like stones thrown into water and soon sank to the bottom, the surface of the water was as calm as ever ¡­


    Zhuang Li was awoken by the loud noise. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Qing You''s face in front of her, and she immediately sobered up from fright.


    "Miss, Miss, quickly get up."


    Zhuang Li sat up in a hurry, and searched all over for her jacket, only to find the jacket in Qing You''s hands. She quickly climbed onto the bed and draped the jacket over Zhuang Li''s body.


    "What''s wrong? Did I oversleep? What time is it? Your Majesty wants to bring Imperial Study over? " She kept asking, and also thought that when Li Liangxiao sent her back, it was still very early, so even though she was worried about a lot of things, she wasn''t able to stay up late, so the possibility of her oversleeping wasn''t high.


    "It''s still early." Qing You placed the breakfast that she brought from the kitchen on the table beside her bed, and then went to get her shoes for Zhuang Li.


    Hearing these words, Zhuang Li''s mental state loosened, and her clothes instantly became lazy.


    "Miss, something happened last night!"


    "What?" What happened?! " The relaxed mood immediately tensed up again.


    "Qingyang Palace caused a commotion last night!"


    "What do I think it is? Where the hell is there a ghost in this world ¡­"


    Zhuang Li relaxed her mind once again, and without bothering to put on her shoes, she sat on the edge of the bed, stretched her hands out and pulled the table closer to him, then picked up the box and started eating breakfast.


    Breakfast was lotus seed porridge with a few exquisite pastries, and the kitchen took great care of this tea servant, who was serving at Imperial Study. Although they were all simple dishes, they were already trying their best to be exquisite and beautiful. Zhuang Li naturally enjoyed it a lot as well.


    Qing You didn''t give up and walked forward again.


    "Miss! It''s true! When I asked him what happened, he stammered and stammered about how the spring water was sent to Qingyang Palace and that place was haunted. The maids and eunuchs inside rushed out screaming and knocked over the water bucket, and after working hard for half a day, they finally reorganized and sent the spring water over, which was also less than half of the original amount.


    Zhuang Li was too lazy to bother with her. She had received a high education, how could she believe in so many weird things? How could there be a ghost in this world? Only the heart of a person might still have a ghost.


    After she finished her beautiful breakfast, Qing You was still nagging from the corner, as if she was extremely afraid. Zhuang Li then teased her casually, if you are afraid, go outside and bask in the sun.


    He didn''t expect that the moment he said that, Qing You, who was trembling in the corner just a moment ago, would jump out. This silly girl, she still didn''t know how the situation had happened. She was already scared just by hearing the word ghost. She was probably most afraid of ghosts since she did not have a detailed description of the things that passed by in her mind.


    It was still early after dinner, so Zhuang Li was prepared to lie on the bed for a while. Then, she opened the door and came in again, grabbing onto Zhuang Li''s arm and shouting that she was afraid, and wanted Zhuang Li to accompany her out.


    When they reached the courtyard in the center of the Imperial Study, it was the sun shining brightly in the sky. After a while, they started to sweat profusely, so Zhuang Li dragged Qing You to the pavilion to rest. It was only then that they realized that there were already quite a few eunuchs on duty within the Imperial Study gathered within the pavilion. After walking in, they realized that what they were discussing was precisely the incident with the ghosts within the Qingyang Palace last night.


    A eunuch who brought water in the morning had just walked to the Qingyang Palace entrance to see a old nanny who was spitting blood rushing out to her death. The other one said that when the old nanny went back with the river lamp, she could hear someone crying. It was only after searching for a long time did she realize that the crying came from underneath her bed ¡­


    He could tell that there were many versions of this story, and the more it seemed, the more mysterious it became. He said that he heard it from the person who delivered the water, and he said he heard it from the person who delivered the food. They all said that Qingyang Palace were haunted, but they were all different.


    The only thing that could be confirmed was that something had indeed gone wrong with the Qingyang Palace last night, and that the palace maids had already been assigned to wait outside the Heart Nurturing Palace. When the emperor arrived at the imperial court, they would immediately go inside to report to him.


    Zhuang Li had originally been curious as to whether Imperial Concubine Hanqin had caused such a ruckus by asking the Emperor to rest in the Qingyang Palace and console him. Even if she were to report it to the emperor, she wouldn''t be afraid of the empress blaming him? Didn''t things in the imperial harem have to go through the empress''s approval?


    Just as she was in a dilemma, the Nanny Lv who was in charge of delivering lunch came over, followed by two girls who were carrying several boxes of food. Usually, the moment she entered Imperial Study, the servants would quickly surround the boxes of food she brought over.


    But today, it was different. The young eunuch s quickly went over and surrounded the Nanny Lv.

 C68

    If there were people who didn''t know better, they would have thought that the Nanny Lv was some kind of family master, and would actually be escorted by so many young eunuch s. Even Zhuang Li, who was serving the Emperor, didn''t have such a grand demeanor.


    But the reason the young eunuch s were holding onto the Nanny Lv at this time was unknown. The Nanny Lv was a well-behaved old man compared to them in the palace, so naturally, the old man''s words held more weight than the old man. Moreover, since she had sent them all the way here during lunch, naturally she had gone through Qingyang Palace. She could more or less hear some news, and it could be considered the most trustworthy thing that she had ever said.


    The palace was different from the outside. Watching people outside the palace were people arguing with each other on the street. The woman from that house had pulled out her husband from the Drunken Flower Tower, so there was no point in taking out a family that sold vegetables. Once the commotion broke out, the street was immediately surrounded by a crowd.


    However, the palace was different. The entire palace was surrounded by a single family. Naturally, it was the palace itself. All the excitement naturally surrounded the family as well. Although it seemed like there was a difference in the situation, that family was not to be trifled with after all. If he was angered, the show would not end and he would probably lose his life ¡­


    However, this sort of matter was caused by servants. Moreover, the people of this era also had a certain amount of fear and worship towards ghosts and gods, so they were naturally very concerned.


    young eunuch, who was waiting in the pavilion, also had sharp eyes. He hurriedly gave her the best seat and pretended to wipe the originally clean stone block with his sleeve. The other pretended to serve a cup of tea and brought a cup of tea in front of Nanny Lv. Although there was no tea, Nanny Lv was amused by the naughty children and laughed.


    "Aunt, tell us about the matters of Qingyang Palace." Someone saw the happiness in the Nanny Lv''s heart and quickly made a petition for everyone.


    "Yeah, yeah!" Aunt, why don''t you just tell me! " Immediately, there were others who agreed and surrounded her while clamoring loudly, as if trying to prevent Nanny Lv from leaving.


    They were all the little fellows that normally served their masters, and every one of them were extremely quick-witted. Immediately after, someone began massaging Nanny Lv''s shoulders and legs, as if wanting to worship her.


    The old aunt was so blinded by these children that she could only sigh and tell them stories.


    "It''s not as mysterious as you make it sound!" Nanny Lv was amused by their strange statements.


    "But someone saw with their own eyes the head maid of the Imperial Noble Consort, Hanqin, waiting outside the Heart Nurturing Palace. After that, they will go report to the emperor about the ghosts."


    "I heard that there are people waiting in the empress dowager''s palace. If even the empress came forward to plead with the emperor, things might not be so simple."


    "All of you are right." Nanny Lv said, still smiling merrily, seeing everyone''s puzzled expression, she continued to laugh.


    "Right now, there are people waiting outside the Heart Nurturing Palace in the empress and the Imperial Noble Consort Palace of Hanqin. It is true that they are waiting for the emperor, but the reason is indeed not as amazing as you guys say it is."


    "What''s that?" The crowd couldn''t stand her teasing any longer and all became anxious.


    "Only, Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin was sick and she could not sleep well. She invited a lot of imperial physicians, but they were all useless, so in the end, even the empress was alarmed.


    The look did not matter, but the people from the Astrology Tower said that it was because there was indeed an evil Qi wreaking havoc in the air above Imperial Noble Consort''s Qingyang Palace. If the evil Qi was not removed, the harem would not be able to rest peacefully.


    That''s why the empress knows about this. That''s why they sent someone to report to the Emperor about inviting the Celestial Master of the Celestial Palace to do things in the palace. "


    "Astrological platform? Didn''t the Emperor not believe in astrology the most? "


    "That''s right, the former emperor built the Astrology Platform. When the former emperor left, the Emperor was going to push it away, but at that time, the old empress dowager was still here, so she trusted these techniques greatly. That''s why she came out to stop the Emperor from saying that the Astrology Platform could not be broken apart. The emperor was filial and filial. He could only do as the empress dowager wished, but he set a rule that only when there was no way to resolve the situation would he go to the astrological platform. Ever since the emperor ascended to the throne, there had been no unresolvable situation. Although the Celestial Tower occupied its position in the imperial court, it had long since been abandoned by the emperor. It''s just that it''s missing a reason. I never thought that it would still dare to come out and speak. "


    "This time, I reckon the emperor wants to find a reason to completely remove him, right?"


    "That''s right, that''s right, I heard that the late emperor liked to consult an astrologer when he was still in the imperial court, but our emperor doesn''t want to go through that. It''s said that when he ascended the throne, that astrologer didn''t know how high the heavens were and how deep the earth was, so he reported to the imperial court that a great calamity was about to befall upon the phoenix. His Majesty scolded him and he''s full of nonsense. "


    "I also remember that there was such a thing. The moment the Emperor heard that it was another person from the astrological platform speaking, he would probably beat them to the palace."


    "That may not be so ¡­" The Nanny Lv said. It caused a lot of people to be confused


    "This time, it''s the empress who personally provoked the people from the Celestial Tower. I heard that even though the emperor doesn''t believe it, the empress believes it ¡­"


    "But doesn''t the empress always follow the Emperor?"


    "That''s right, didn''t the Emperor also hand over the affairs of the harem to the empress?"


    "The Empress'' family is well-off and has her own influence in the imperial court. Besides, this is a small matter of the harem, it''s also appropriate for the empress to take care of the emperor."


    "But would it anger the Emperor because of such a thing? After all, the Emperor extremely hates people from the Astrology Platform. "


    "Since the emperor dealt with so many things in one day, it''s possible that he wouldn''t be bothered to pay attention to it ¡­" What if the emperor listened to empress''s persuasion and trusted the astrologer? "


    Zhuang Li pulled Qing You and the others as they exited the crowd. They first went to grab their own lunchboxes, sat in the shadows under a tree, and then opened them with Qing You to eat.


    "See ¡­" "There shouldn''t be any ghosts, right ¡­" Her mouth was filled with food as she mumbled to herself about Qing You.


    Qing You was also as relieved as if she was not as scared as before, but she still looked at Zhuang Li with some worry, and asked hesitantly: "Then tell me, why do you think Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin has been unable to sleep well? What if it''s really her palace with some kind of evil aura? "


    "Why are you so unworthy!" Zhuang Li smacked Qing You''s forehead with her chopsticks


    "Can you sleep?"


    "Sleeping." Qing You stared at her blankly.


    "Did you sleep well?"


    "Sleep ¡­" "Sleep well ¡­"


    "Then who cares about her ¡­" "Can insomnia infect you?"


    After being nagged at for a while, Qing You lowered her head and did not speak. After a long while, when Zhuang Li was almost full, he asked in a low voice.


    "Miss, I''m afraid that there might really be evil ¡­" Seeing Zhuang Li''s unkind expression, she obediently lowered her head. mumbling to herself


    "Alright, alright. I understand. There isn''t such a terrifying thing in this world ¡­"


    The Nanny Lv guessed correctly, the Emperor went to court on time, and probably told the Queen to do as she pleased at the door, and the matter was settled like that. However, after this matter was settled, the Celestial Tower would truly be crippled.


    Yesterday, the Emperor did not come to the Imperial Study, but Zhuang Li was still waiting in the teahouse until very late in the night. She did not know when she would leave, and only thought of leaving in order to be able to get closer to the Emperor. She was still in her dreams when she heard a knock on the door. She initially thought it was Qing You, but just as she was about to say wait, the people outside had already broken in.


    "Who are you?" Zhuang Li quickly sat up. In front of him were two old nanny s, one could tell that they were difficult to deal with characters, they were already quite old, but they did not have a single trace of gentleness in them. She reckoned that they had already refined them in the battle at the palace and asked Imperial Noble Lady Ya to quickly go to that Wai He Palace.


    Zhuang Li''s heart went cold. Huhe Palace was the palace of the empress, but what reason did the empress have to touch the person beside the Emperor? She did not dare to be negligent and hastily put on her jacket and followed the old nanny out. At the door, there were actually two strangely dressed men waiting, they looked like Taoists, but after thinking carefully, this palace was forbidden by the Emperor from using the Lich Gu technique. Where were the Taoists?


    She was shocked.


    Astrology Platform...


    He didn''t expect that the incident with the ghost a few days ago could actually drag him into it ¡­ There was no reason for it, she kept a very low profile in Imperial Study and almost never went out.


    And at this moment, she remembered what happened at Qingyang Palace ¡­ and also the face of Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin, who was not happy with him ¡­


    This is going to be troublesome ¡­


    Qing You was woken up by the noise outside and when she pushed open the door, she saw that a few people had dragged Zhuang Li out of the Imperial Study.


    Speaking of which, she was not even the least bit familiar with this palace. Following behind the old nanny, there were not only two cultivators wearing strange clothes, there was also a young woman with a command medallion.


    They were most likely the personal guards of empress.


    Kneeling in the main hall of Huai He Palace, Zhuang Li didn''t know what she was facing. It seemed that she wasn''t the only one that was taken away early in the morning, she was the first one that was brought away. Several more palace maids and young eunuch s were brought in and all knelt beside her. She lowered her head, not daring to speak. As soon as the timid one entered the Huhe Palace, she knew that the empress was in trouble, and couldn''t stop crying no matter how hard she tried.


    Although Zhuang Li had already stayed in the palace for nearly two years, she had never seen such a scene, and was unclear about the personality and methods of the empress. She didn''t know how to deal with this kind of situation in the palace.


    The little palace maid was so scared that she began to cry. Although she had only been in the palace for a year, she had long since heard that it wasn''t easy to find trouble with the empress.


    At this moment, the Taoist astrologer was still standing in front, holding the compass. He seemed to be calculating something, his expression grave.


    Liar!


    As the number of people being escorted into the palace increased, even though Zhuang Li didn''t dare to turn around to look, she estimated that there were already several tens of people in the corner of her eye.


    It was as if there was a very long list written on the list of people to be escorted over. [You clearly have the paper, but yet you want to use bamboo tactics. Why is this fellow playing tricks on me?]


    The female officer with the appearance of a martial artist was checking the names on the list. He read the names one by one, all the way to Zhuang Li.


    "Ge Ya?"


    Zhuang Li did not dare raise his head, and respectfully nodded his head, replying, hoping that the matter would quickly end.


    Standing at the door and waiting, the number of people in the room gradually increased. Zhuang Li did not know, that the female officials who acted like a martial arts person, were actually very clear on what was going on in the Mistress Palace. The female officials who looked like martial artists were the famous people by the empress''s side. I heard that she was a fierce person who had killed a palace maid with one palm. Now that she had set her sights on him, would he still be able to leave Huhe Palace alive?


    Roughly an hour later, a eunuch sent a message from outside the palace hall.


    "empress has arrived ¡­"


    It was as if the court ladies had received a death notice. They could not hold it in any longer and began to weep ¡­

 C69

    It was not likely that she, a female official, would be caught in this place by accident. After all, the Imperial Noble Consort had already noticed her a while ago, so if this matter was truly related to the Imperial Noble Consort, then the odds were against her coming to Peace Palace. She had always been cautious, but she was still unable to avoid Zhao Qin''s hatred towards her. Although Zhuang Li wasn''t clear about the source of the hatred, she knew nothing about it. Just because he envied her being left behind by the Emperor? Afraid that she would fight with him for her favor? Or maybe there was something else that she didn''t know yet ¡­


    The wufu like woman had already presented the bamboo plan in her hand to the empress, respectfully waiting for empress''s decision.


    "empress, these are all people that this subject had detected might be contaminated with dirty people in the Purple Profound Palace. This subject will immediately examine them one by one and report the results to the empress."


    The Queen lazily received Zhu Ce and glanced at the astrologer as she spoke.


    "Sure." Look it up, and be careful. Don''t let one of them escape. " That seemed to be a warning, but it also seemed to be a warning. Zhuang Li was not able to hear the other meaning behind it. However, she was certain that the astrologer would meet a bad end ¡­


    The astrologer nodded in agreement. He began to walk through the crowd with the compass, occasionally circling around a person.


    Zhuang Li naturally felt that it was laughable, but she still did not dare say anything. She lowered her head even more, and almost curled up into a ball, as she did not know what would happen if she was chosen by that astrologer. If there was a reason for this, then she would definitely be chosen.


    At this time, the empress had already opened the door in her hands. Looking at the name on it, Zhuang Li knelt on the ground and couldn''t see her face. That Zhu Ge Yang was very long, nearly reaching the ground. A palace maid quickly came up to help empress carry the other Zhu Zhi.


    "Moonlight?" empress recited the name on the bamboo policy.


    There was no response for a long time, but the martial servant girl shouted, "Who is Yue Xia?" Mother empress asked! "


    "Servant, servant is here, empress, please spare our lives ¡­" A weak voice sounded from behind him.


    "empress, ever since I entered the palace, I have always been a servant of the Qingyang Palace and have never slacked off. I don''t have a fiend, nor any evil aura. Please spare my life! Esteemed wangfei ¡­


    No one said anything. The palace maid called Yue Xia began to wail and complain. It seemed that she was wronged. Those who had been captured early in the morning would not have expected such a calamity to befall them.


    "It''s not up to me to decide whether or not you''re that jinx." The empress finally spoke, her voice revealing a sense of nobility that no one could compare to.


    She paused, then said, "Your life is not up to me to decide."


    The palace maid called Yue Xia continued to cry. The other palace maids and eunuchs also understood that their fate was now in the hands of the person holding the compass as they paced back and forth. They could not help but feel a chill in their hearts.


    "Two?" She flipped through Bamboo Policy and asked for another name.


    "Little, I''m here ¡­" It was a young eunuch, probably too young to have encountered such a scene before. Even the stupidest of people had already understood that they had to give a big question if they could leave this courtyard safely. You start stuttering because you''re scared...


    "You are a servant of my Huihe Palace?"


    "Yes, yes ¡­" The little one has never made a mistake cleaning the Lady''s porch at Huhe Palace. "The official in charge can prove it, esteemed ¡­"


    However, she didn''t even raise her head to look at the young eunuch. The maid beside her moved a chair over where the empress was standing for her to sit on.


    "How can I, Wei He Palace, have a cowardly person like you? It seems that the old nanny in charge of us has not been paying attention to us recently? " Hearing this, an old granny who was standing at the side simply knelt down towards the empress. It was most likely the old nanny that the Emperor had just mentioned to be in charge of recruiting people in.


    "empress, this young eunuch must be scared. She was very quick-witted when I let him enter the palace ¡­"


    "Scared? Was it me or you? How am I scary? "


    old nanny suddenly felt especially afraid, and she trembled, not daring to stand up.


    "This eunuch can''t stay here any longer, so you should go out and get him for another ten zhang." She no longer spoke, but the old woman continued to beg for her life, and she no longer paid any attention to him.


    The Queen sat down on a chair behind him. The moment she sat down, she seemed to have seen a name on that Zhu Ge and paused for a moment ¡­


    "Ge ¡­" "Ya ¡­"


    Zhuang Li''s heart went cold... What Should Come... She really couldn''t stop it ¡­


    "Your servant is here ¡­"


    She didn''t know what to say. She was in the Imperial Study and her identity was fake.


    "You said that you are a Princess of West Cold in the end? Or was it the Imperial Noble Lady Ya? Or was it a servant of the Imperial Study? Or perhaps it is you who has brought this barrier into the palace? "


    When she said this, it was in a slow and leisurely manner, as if she was indifferent, yet also carrying a bit of a smile, as if she was ridiculing her.


    "This servant is only a servant serving in the palace. I presume that the Empress knows that the Emperor gave this servant the task of serving tea, allowing this servant to live in the palace. This servant is already very satisfied." Zhuang Li lowered his head to the floor. It was extremely respectful. This empress was a master that was hard to come by. She did her best to lower her head in grievance, as long as she could find a way out of here alive.


    "Oh? I have long sensed the barrier within the palace, but I was normally too busy, so I coincidentally encountered the illness that struck Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin, reminding me that this barrier had no choice but to be treated ¡­ "


    She spoke of it as though it was as simple as floating clouds and light winds, but she had actually given her life to such a scammer as the mysterious astrologer. Just as people kneeling in front of him were as insignificant as grass.


    "I don''t know about the other people, but I have no choice but to believe you if you say you have a bad temper. You dare to commit a crime against your lord, yet you are actually able to kneel here with great skill. If you let me see, how can I not feel cold ¡­"


    "The Empress is clear, although I have indeed committed the crime of deceiving the Sovereign, the Emperor was merciful enough to assign me to the Imperial Study as a servant to do some menial work to make up for my mistakes. This servant will naturally remember this well, and work hard."


    "Are you working at Imperial Study?"


    "In reply to the Empress'' words, yes."


    "You are truly extraordinary. This Imperial Study has never had a woman''s servant since the time the Emperor ascended the throne. Your Majesty is resting at the Imperial Study everyday. Tell me, what demonic technique did you use? "


    Zhuang Li didn''t know what to say for a moment. empress would be jealous and make a fuss about this matter, but she had never thought of it.


    "Empress, please make it clear that the reason the Emperor is staying in the Imperial Study is because he is overburdened with national affairs! A servant doing odd jobs in the Imperial Study was merely for a living. "It''s not like he''s domineering at all!"


    "Oh? Do you think I would believe you? Imperial Noble Lady Ya? " she teased. Zhuang Li could feel the Queen''s eyes staring straight at him.


    "Lift your head up and let me see what your Fiend Star looks like."


    Zhuang Li''s heart went cold. Did she still have to face this day in the end? She was extremely cautious, keeping a low profile. But now, what could he do to help her escape this calamity?


    Although she had already gotten used to Du Yueyao''s appearance, in the eyes of outsiders, it seemed as if she was somehow related to the spirit demon woman. If she were to leave Huai He Palace alive, it would probably be a miracle ¡­


    "Lift your head up. You even dare to disobey me?"


    Zhuang Li could only listen to her words and raise his head. After kneeling for too long and lowering his head for too long, the pain in her neck was actually too much for him to control. Suddenly, the martial arts man in front of him grabbed his head and pulled it up.


    The sudden external force caused Zhuang Li''s blood to gush out, causing her vision to go dark for a moment, and she was unable to see anything clearly. Following that, Zhuang Li felt her hair being grabbed, causing her scalp to hurt, and tears actually flowed down from the pain.


    The martial arts man also used all of his strength to nearly pull Zhuang Li''s entire head off his body.


    The bamboo policy in empress''s hands fell to the ground. In pain, Zhuang Li felt that time had slowed down, and the instant that bamboo policy fell, he heard a crisp sound, as if it was shattered like her own fate.


    Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the string between the bamboo sticks had been broken and scattered all over the ground.


    She gasped in pain.


    This was the first time the empress had seen this legendary Imperial Noble Lady''s appearance clearly. She clearly had a face that belonged to a phoenix, wore simple cotton clothes, and had sent it within the palace, but for some reason, she didn''t change it to a new one, which made it a little old. When she was still lowering her head, she could probably only see her pitch-black hair being combed back in an extremely simple bun, until she could clearly see her face.


    She had never applied makeup before, but instead had such a refined and charming bone. She had always thought that the many girls in the imperial harem were already gathered together at this time, and if there was anyone that could enter her eyes, it would probably be the''s wife, Liu Yiyi. But a lowly girl who was born in a brothel, no matter what, could not match up with this luxurious and proud palace, so she naturally wouldn''t have any jealous emotions.


    However, the appearance of the in front of him, who was rumored to be impersonating a Princess of West Cold, suddenly stung her heart.


    The imperial palace was filled with nobles, and they were as beautiful as the clouds. What is it?


    She was jealous of her appearance and regretted her carelessness. In addition, the reason for all her resentment, the Emperor''s impending doom, and the reason for her to rest at the Imperial Study every night seemed to be right before her eyes. At that moment, she couldn''t help but use a golden weapon to cut her face.


    All of the servants around were startled when they saw Zhuang Li. When Zhuang Li''s scalp was numb from the pain, she used her peripheral vision to look at the people around her. Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly in his heart.


    She finally understood how beautiful Du Yueyao had been back then, and how truthful the words of those neighbors were. Du Yueyao''s glory back then was like a piece of golden jade in the sea of humans, like a poison.


    She was confident that her daughter had the appearance of a beauty like Luo Huan, an appearance that would make the surrounding people jealous. She must have also gone from being an ugly girl to being someone who had suffered humiliation and grievance in the past before she managed to reach the capital.


    Therefore, her own daughter, Zhao Ci, was unruly and willful, she was not intelligent enough, and could not recognize a basket full of big words. It would help her achieve her shortcomings and regrets.


    Maybe no one could understand her, she had never taken a fancy to anyone, marrying the Prime Minister Zhao would only make her tired from wandering in the mortal world, otherwise how could she not find her true feelings?


    The pretentious astrologer circled in front of every servant kneeling on the ground a few times. At this time, he was already walking in front of Zhuang Li and looking at his face, his shocked expression clearly showed his lechery.


    To have such beauty in the palace, it was indeed a blessing to be the emperor ¡­


    In one hand he held the square compass and in the other he held a copper bell, which was made of several thin layers of copper. In the middle of the bell was a hole, and when it was shaken there was almost no sound. When listening carefully, one could hear the faint sound of a weird body, like the sound of iron scraping against stone walls, and one could not help but feel goosebumps all over one''s body.


    He continuously shook that copper bell around Zhuang Li, and Zhuang Li felt her body gradually becoming numb, as if her will had truly been taken away. She suddenly felt that she couldn''t support her weight anymore, and her entire body was sucked empty by that disgusting voice. He had no choice but to rest his hands on the ground to support himself ¡­

 C70

    When Zhuang Li went to college, she liked to read novels, they were all extremely sinister and scary movies. She liked to read about the monsters and demons, even though she didn''t believe it, but she felt that it was especially fun.


    There was a novel about the art of the voodoo Gu, saying that the spellcaster would release a type of cigarette, that was the bark of a thousand-year-old ancient tree, wrapped in the powder of a poisonous insect, and bury it in the ground for ten years before it was finally formed. It would light up one piece and let the spellcaster continuously inhale the smoke, and the spellcaster''s soul would separate from the body and stay outside the human world, only maintaining a weak connection with the main body. As you wish...


    If the soul wandered outside for a long time and could never return, then the human body would be useless. Some of the drug users also used this medicine to take the lives of others.


    At that time, although he felt that these books were fabricated in a way that was a little out of the ordinary, he felt that it was still fun. He even fantasized that if he could control the teacher to give him less homework, he could do more part-time jobs on weekends and lighten the burden on his mother.


    Every time that astrologer shook the copper bell, Zhuang Li would hear the sound of it scraping against iron. In the beginning, she felt that it was very soft, she could barely hear anything.


    However, the more time passed, the more astrologers would wander around her. She felt that the noise was getting louder and louder, almost surrounding her in layers. No matter what, she couldn''t avoid it. Her body became increasingly numb, almost lacking strength. As he could not hold on for much longer, his entire body collapsed to the ground, hands on the ground, yet he found it hard to breathe.


    What''s wrong with me...


    She opened her mouth and realized that her mouth was beginning to numb as well. Although she subconsciously opened her mouth, she could not feel her mouth opening and closing ¡­


    Could it be ¡­ Could it be that in this world, there really is a magic that can control souls?


    Would I be manipulated like this?


    What would I say?


    She tightly clenched her teeth, not allowing herself to open her mouth. Although she really couldn''t feel that she had done it, she still gave her body a death command at the last second when her consciousness cleared.


    In the end, he could feel his own thoughts silently begging.


    Zhao Ci... Help Me...


    Zhuang Li opened her eyes. It was as if her entire person was floating in the air, her head was heavy and her feet were light. She could not feel that under her own control, her body was gradually smelling a hint of the fragrance of food ¡­


    Boiled meat!?


    He had originally thought that he was dreaming, but the familiar smell of the meat was getting stronger and stronger ¡­


    She suddenly opened her eyes. In front of her was a lunchbox filled with returning meat. Why was that lunchbox so familiar ¡­ Iron... And there''s a pink hellokitty on it...


    Isn''t this the f * cking lunchbox I used in college!


    In that instant, he felt as if his brain was about to explode from being struck by lightning ¡­


    He suddenly propped himself up and used too much strength for a moment. It was as if he didn''t expect his body to actually listen to her command and fiercely crashed onto the table behind him too quickly ¡­


    "Ouch!" She was in so much pain that she sucked in a breath of cold air. An extremely deep pain came from her back that had been hit ¡­


    "If you weren''t more careful, how many times have you been hit? Can you count them yourself? "I stayed up late last night. Have you finished your homework?"


    Zhuang Li did not say anything. She was so surprised that her chin almost fell to the ground.


    Isn''t this my good roommate, Duan Weilan? She also took her lunchbox and sat down beside him.


    She stood up abruptly. where I am... Isn''t this the classroom of a university!?


    Her mouth opened as if she would never be able to close it again ¡­


    "Paragraph... Segments... "Azure ¡­" The sudden intrusion made her stutter ¡­


    "Did you have a brain damage after you stayed up all night? Yes, that''s right... "The ship didn''t start yet, you''re still on Earth ¡­"


    Zhuang Li turned her head to look at Duan Weilan. It was midsummer, and she was wearing a famous clan style floral dress, with an outlandish hairpin pinned to her head. She still remembered saying Duan Weilan''s taste, but Duan Weilan had explained that it was art ¡­


    "Azure..." Azure, I... "I ¡­"


    However, Duan Weilan used brute force and pulled Zhuang Li to sit down, "Enough! Are you alright? Do you have to eat cold food when your big sister cooks hot food for you! "


    "Oh." Zhuang Li sat down and dragged the lunchbox in front of her. It had been a long time since she last ate the meat, and the only thing she did after smelling this was to gather extra saliva in her mouth. The moment she opened her mouth, she almost drooled.


    At that moment, tears were about to flow out of his eyes ¡­


    "Don''t embarrass yourself!" Duan Weilan slapped her forehead.


    "In the future, since sister will have money, can I raise you to eat a pot of meat everyday?"


    "Yes." Zhuang Li looked at her, and her eyes were filled with pain.


    Zhuang Li and Duan Weilan were both single parent families. When they were in university, the two of them were working nonstop on part-time jobs and taking advantage of the tuition fees to make up for their living expenses. In her memories, when everyone was complaining about the difficulty of the canteen''s food, she felt that the canteen''s meat, on the other hand, was drooling just thinking about it.


    "Are there any classes in the afternoon?" She didn''t know what was going on, nor did she know why she was here. She carefully probed with her question. Who would have thought that his opponent would instantly transform into the violent tyrannosaurus rex.


    What''s wrong with you!?" "Last week you even vacated the leave, and now you''re playing dumb with me?


    "What part-time job?"


    "Zhuang Li!"


    She hurriedly coaxed her good friend who was about to turn into a Tyrannosaurus Rex once again.


    "Don''t, don''t, don''t be in a rush, I was just ¡­" For a moment ¡­ I don''t really remember. "


    "What happened to you the day I left you?"


    "I... I just had a dream... "


    Zhuang Li suffered another heavy beating from Duan Weilan ¡­


    She was still thinking about this when she was on the bus heading to a part-time job. How did she end up in school? Hadn''t he already graduated and started his internship in a design company?


    Even if the midnight car accident had not killed him, traveling back through time and space would have happened in a hospital or on the streets ¡­


    She took out her cellphone. It was from the two years before she graduated ¡­ He was still in the middle of working tirelessly with Duan Weilan to earn his tuition ¡­


    He looked around and found that it was the second-tier city where the school was located. It was familiar yet unfamiliar. Skyscrapers rose from the ground, and he felt a little absent-minded.


    The location of the part-time job was at the entrance of a small grocery store, a promotional event that sold mineral water. The owner of the small grocery store had props and clothes, so they put the part-time clothes on top of their coats and put up a sun umbrella with Duan Weilan. They placed the table and products neatly, and arranged the flyers to be distributed to the passersby.


    Under the blazing sun, Zhuang Li seemed to have caught heat, and stopped to squat and breathe.


    "Li Li? Li Li, what happened to you? "


    Zhuang Li raised her head to look at Duan Weilan, fine beads of perspiration continuously oozing out from her forehead, and her face was also pale white.


    "Go rest, I''m here." Duan Weilan changed from the state of a violent king dragon to its incomparably gentle appearance.


    Zhuang Li asked the owner of the small grocery store where the toilet was. The owner was sitting in front of an old electric fan, blowing continuously. Seeing that Zhuang Li''s expression wasn''t good, he immediately stood up and asked her if she wanted to rest.


    "It''s fine. Can I borrow the washroom?"


    "I don''t have any in my shop, but we''ll be going to the next hotel. There''s a common one on the first floor," she said as she brought a bottle of water for Zhuang Li to freeze her forehead.


    Zhuang Li waved her hand and dragged her to the toilet. The owner even chased after her to tell her to be careful.


    Zhuang Li came out of the bathroom and turned on the water faucet. Her body was powerless and her head was dizzy. Even though she was out of breath, the sound of the water seemed to have brought her a little consciousness back to reality.


    But it was of no use. After a few seconds of lucidity, that powerlessness once again swept through his mind ¡­


    Both of her hands were supporting the counter''s surface, which was made of quartz, which was especially cold. There was also a cold breeze blowing inside the hotel, but her head was actually getting more and more dizzy. She had a strange urge to press her head under the tap, and the splashing water rushed onto her head.


    What happened to me? What am I doing?...


    She looked up, the water staining her clothes, but she didn''t have the strength to care ¡­


    The instant she raised her head and opened her eyes, her brain seemed to explode all of a sudden ¡­


    There was a mirror on the wall of the washbasin. She stared at it.


    His hair in the mirror was in a mess, many of his hair had been wet, and drops of water dripped down his hair ¡­


    Suddenly, as if someone had grabbed her by the throat, she stretched out her trembling hand to brush away the hair on her face ¡­


    The face in the mirror had become pale, as if she had suffered from a serious illness. What made Zhuang Li even more shocked was that it didn''t stop. That face...


    It''s Zhao Ci...


    Her tears poured down like a dam breaking. She didn''t know what had happened to her ¡­


    His body slowly slid down until he fell into an embrace ¡­ It was Duan Weilan! Duan Weilan rushed into the toilet and hugged her. She did not have any more strength left, and his entire body was leaning on Zhuang Duan Weilan.


    Seeing Zhuang Li''s situation, Duan Weilan was in a hurry to cry. She held Zhuang Li tightly and did not make a move. Instead, she shouted to the few girls who were coming out from the toilet.


    "Help, help ¡­"


    " Don''t be afraid, it''s okay, it''s okay, I''ll take you to the hospital... I''ll take you to the hospital right now ¡­ "


    " "Azure, who am I?"


    " You are Zhuang Li! "


    " "I''m not, I don''t know who I am ¡­"


    Duan Weilan was also crying at this time. She was sitting on the back seat with Zhuang Li and Duan Weilan was hugging her head. She kept on comforting him that nothing was wrong, while Zhuang Li''s consciousness was becoming more and more unfocused ¡­

 C71

    If the human soul could break away from the body, then what could it see?


    Was she still the same person?


    Zhuang Li felt that her eyes were covered by a piece of cloth. She was in the hospital? Duan Weilan was by her side? Is Mom here? It shouldn''t be, Duan Weilan should know that she didn''t want her mother to worry about him ¡­


    There was the sound of a whistle.


    "Child, why aren''t you looking at the road!?" "From now on, you have to go to your own painting class. Mom can''t send you off anymore!"


    Zhuang Li touched his eyes. It was actually a toy.


    Had a toy covered his eyes? She took it off and found herself standing in the middle of the street, one hand holding it, the other held by a warm hand.


    She raised her head to look at the owner of the palm ¡­


    Mom...


    She immediately started to sob loudly in the middle of the street, turning around and hugging her mother''s leg.


    His mother was very tall, and he wasn''t even at her waist yet. She didn''t care about this, she just wanted to hug the person in front of her, as if she was afraid that she would disappear the moment she let go ¡­


    "You damn child, aren''t you just going to class by yourself? What''s there to cry about? Let go! This is the middle of the road!"


    "Mom!" She continued to lean on her without a care, crying her heart out. She buried her head into her body, her nose filled with her mother''s warmth and the fragrance of the kitchen food.


    "Mom ¡­"


    Her mother who was by her side was still very young, so she raised Zhuang Li up by herself. The unit didn''t pay well and began to lay off workers. She was one of the first to be cut.


    But our child still needs to eat, and still needs to go to school ¡­


    Her family wasn''t well, and she had no parents to rely on. The children had to be raised on their own, so she started two jobs, one to help people sell things in the grocery store and the other to help them buy food in the school cafeteria.


    Every day at five o''clock he would get up, go to the wholesale market to buy various vegetables, deliver them to the school cafeteria, and rush to the day shop to work.


    If she had free time at night, she would bring Zhuang Li to set up a small stall on the road to buy some toys for children.


    Although it was tiring, but in the end, she still had to support her child. With some extra money, she reported a painting class to her child, which Zhuang Li liked very much.


    This time, the memories were even deeper in Zhuang Li''s mind. She remembered the incident when she was young, when she went to the painting classes to paint, she herself had to watch the kids from other families sign up for a special class every day. She was very envious, so her mother saved her living and reported one to her.


    At that time, Zhuang Li was only six years old.


    She carried her mother''s schoolbag as she happily prepared to go to class. Her mother specifically asked her boss for an hour of leave to send her to her first class. Although the class was held very close to home, his mother was still worried. Moreover, his mother was always busy, it was difficult for her to find time to eat. It was rare for the two of them to have the leisure to bask together in the afternoon sun on the street.


    In the mid-nineties, before the streets were paved with asphalt, before they were covered with a layer of dust, before there were elevator apartments, before there were more bungalows and five or six floors of buildings, she vaguely remembered the road to class, walking along the main road until she turned right at a kiosk. It was an even older building, which, she''d heard, had been the manor house of the former owner, but had been turned into a small school after the landlord had been killed.


    The teacher who had taught her calligraphy had rented a classroom there on the Double Day break and taken in a dozen students. His surname was Bai, and his handwriting was exceptionally good.


    Zhuang Li followed him and learned the script, as well as the small charms. Later on, she began to study Chinese painting. She was quite talented in painting, and later became an art student. Although as an art student she was mainly tested for drawing sketches, sketches and colors, in the end, her heart was inspired by that Mr. Bai.


    Mr. White was a retired old teacher in his sixties. He was born during the war, and he had the manner he had at that time. He sat on a very high platform, slits his eyes, and crossed his legs. The students were all obediently writing their own posts. Every few minutes he would walk down from the platform to see how the students were doing. He walked slowly, hands behind his back, a long ruler in one hand.


    Zhuang Li had been beaten up by him quite a few times ¡­


    Her mother led her all the way down to the bottom of the school. She could vaguely hear the sounds of children playing upstairs. Zhuang Li raised her head to look at his mother. It had been a long time since she had seen her mother, and although her mother was still very young at that time, she was still very tired due to her hard work. There were a few wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and a strand of silver hair at her temples.


    She was wearing an old dress, but it was clean.


    "Go up yourself. In the future, we will all go to school by ourselves. "


    Hearing these words, Zhuang Li''s mouth congealed, and was about to cry again ¡­ Two seconds later, she actually began to cry.


    She felt dizzy, unable to remember what had happened to her. She was afraid that the person in front of her would disappear. She didn''t know how long she would have to wait for the next time they met.


    She had a vague feeling that a lot of things must have happened to her, but if she thought about it and couldn''t remember it clearly, she seemed to remember the things that happened before her eyes more clearly.


    She held her mother''s hand and cried for a few more minutes. Finally, she was scolded by her mother, saying that the child just couldn''t grow up. She then carried her notebook and brush and headed upstairs to school.


    The tiny child still had two streams of tears on his face as he looked back at his mother. Finally, he appeared at the entrance of the classroom. This immediately caused the other children to laugh.


    She didn''t realize that her face was covered with makeup. It seemed that she really only had an IQ of 5 or 6 years old. What Duan Weilan, what part-time jobs, they had all been thrown out the window.


    She found her seat and, without a word, took out her pen and began to write.


    Her mother had ordered the book for her from an old newspaper. She was writing seriously, but the words she wrote were crooked.


    "Extend your hand ¡­" He spread open his hand, preparing to catch Zhuang Li''s hand. In his other hand, he held onto the ruler, and slapped it with her hand. Hearing that sound, Zhuang Li felt pain in her hand ¡­


    She felt her scalp go numb as she handed her hand over. Mr. White knocked on her hand with his ruler, causing her to hiss in pain. But she didn''t cry ¡­


    "Writing is like being a human being, upright and upright. Look at those words you''ve written, they look like they''re malnourished... "


    "Pa ¡­" "Pa ¡­" Another two ruler positions. Zhuang Li felt that her hand was already swollen ¡­


    Since he had to use his right hand to write, Mr. White would hit all the students with his left hand. No matter how many times he hit, it would always hit the same spot on his hand.


    But Zhuang Li did not cry, nor did she complain. Her eyes were so devout.


    His mother had said that he had to listen to his teacher. He was very obedient. If he had done something wrong, he would naturally be beaten. He deserved it.


    After one class, Mr. White said he was very happy to give everyone a free lesson. What the heck? Once Mr. White''s words came out, the children ran frantically towards the classroom entrance. Mr. White followed, setting up a wicker chair in the courtyard below. Next to him was an old teacup and a hot water bottle.


    Zhuang Li originally wanted to follow him out, but after thinking about it again, Mr. Bai criticized her handwriting for not being proper. If she were to go out with those children and play, wouldn''t she still be unable to write properly at the start of the next lesson? Her mother spent a lot of time trying to save money by sending him here.


    After thinking for a while, she didn''t stand up to play with the children, but spread out her brush and paper to continue writing.


    After an unknown amount of time, she began to feel sleepy. The summer sun was not dazzling, but especially gentle. She was extremely tired, and even had the urge to sleep. She put down her pen and leaned against the desk. He slowly closed his eyes.


    She wanted to cherish many things, wanted to catch them. But those things were like balloons that flew up, gradually moving away from her. He couldn''t get it, nor could he let it go.


    She remembered her mother telling her to work hard, wherever she was. When they had no place to live, when they had no money to eat, their mother would always say that the world was so big, and I had hands and feet, so how could I not be able to keep you alive? You are healthy and well too. How can you not live?


    So no matter where he was, no matter where he was, he would grit his teeth and live a good life.


    She had already forgotten those words for a long time. For some reason, these words suddenly appeared in her mind. She had many things on her mind, many things, but she couldn''t figure them out.


    She couldn''t remember what had happened to her, but why was she so tired?


    She did not know how long she slept. When she opened her eyes, the sunlight outside was exceptionally bright. It was a kind of cool and transparent light. From downstairs, the sounds of students playing could be heard.


    After her eyes adapted to the warm light, she could clearly see a little boy sitting by the window, seriously writing.


    Did he not go downstairs to play like himself?


    The boy''s silhouette was extremely delicate, as if it had fused with the light outside the window.


    For a moment, Zhuang Li felt that it seemed that only the two of them were left in this world. She quietly watched the boy as she wrote. Although she didn''t know what he wrote, she could vaguely feel that he was especially diligent in writing.


    As she watched him write, she thought of the time when Mr. White had taught them. It was that kind of seriousness.


    Time seemed to stop at this moment. The mottled shadows of the trees that were projected into the house from outside the window were like a painting scroll. Time was lazy. Cherish the present...


    She just stared blankly at the little boy until he seemed to be tired of writing. He stopped writing, turned around, and in that moment, Zhuang Li''s heart felt as if it hurt.


    That little boy ¡­ It''s Wang Su...

 C72

    When the astrologer was circling around her, she was already in a bad condition, on the verge of collapsing on her knees. After all, she was not the servant girl that served the mistress in the palace, but a little girl serving tea, what kind of heavy work could her Imperial Study have? If they met the emperor not going to the Imperial Study, then there would be nothing to do throughout the entire day, so there was no need to stand or kneel.


    The palace maids beside the empress were still wondering if Imperial Noble Lady Ya''s body was too weak. She could not even hold on after kneeling down for the whole morning. As for the Queen, she stared straight at Zhuang Li and the astrologer who was circling around her. It was probably because Empress Hui She had already determined that Zhuang Li was some kind of demon or ghost that she came to the imperial palace to harm the imperial harem.


    The only people in the imperial palace were herself and. The other people were all the Imperial Noble Lady s who had to enter the palace on an annual basis, so it was natural that every woman in the imperial palace could enter the palace under her scrutiny.


    This legendary Princess of West Cold belonged to the marriage alliance between two nations, so she couldn''t stop it, but she could make things difficult for him. And she was sent into the Plum Court on the very first day she arrived. What kind of place was the Plum Garden? Even though Hui Wei and the Empress had been in the palace for many years, they had never heard of it.


    When she went to find the old nanny who brought food to the palace to ask about this matter, she found out that the Plum Court was actually such a remote place within the palace, and it would even take her nearly an hour to walk from her palace to the Plum Court. At that distance, forget about the emperor returning to visit the Plum Court, even eunuchs and maids would not go there ¡­ Naturally, she could not be bothered with that Princess of West Cold anymore.


    And later on, during the palace banquet, although she intentionally made it difficult for the Princess of West Cold for her to come up and dance, and also deliberately caused her to take off her veil, she was stopped by the emperor. She had doubts in her heart, but the emperor used his identity as the Princess of West Cold to be related to national affairs, so a single sentence from him made it impossible for her to continue being in a stalemate.


    Later on, the Princess of West Cold was actually arranged by the Emperor to be on the side of the Imperial Study. After all, he had stayed on the edge of the Imperial Palace for nearly a year, so what would happen to the Imperial Noble Lady that the Emperor had abandoned to that place? What can go wrong? Besides, she was only a maid who served tea.


    The days in the palace had always been boring and uninteresting. Although it was unpleasing for the emperor to ignore her, after all, the emperor had not paid any attention to Hanqin, right? None of the Imperial Noble Lady s in the palace had been able to enter him. This was the only thing that made her feel at peace.


    Hanqin had been sickly since May. As a queen, she probably only gave some things to Yue Yang out of respect.


    If it were any other day, Hanqin''s sickness would have healed in less than ten days. She came over to pay her respects, and said a few words of concern to the Empress. Hanqin was just haggard and did not speak much. She had heard from the old nanny beside her that Hanqin had not had a good sleep for nearly two months. Occasionally, he would even talk nonsense, saying that there was something bad in the palace.


    When people heard about this, they felt scared, there were many people in the imperial harem, so it was not easy to manage them, but when it came to the matters of the palace, naturally they felt wronged. In the Central Palace, there were many eunuchs and maids who died due to grievances, and from the looks of Hanqin''s sickly appearance, it seemed that something bad had really happened. And everyone knows that His Majesty hates the existence of the voodoo Gu.


    But isn''t there an astrologer in the palace? A dead horse could be treated as a living horse. It was not a bad thing for someone to have a look.


    He didn''t expect that the astrologer would bring the Imperial Noble Lady Ya back after wandering around the palace ¡­


    If not for this, she would have almost forgotten that such a person existed. Now that she had seen him for herself, she could be considered a little curious.


    The moment the Empress and Hui Ran saw Zhuang Li, they knew that no matter what, they would not allow this person to take even half a step out of Huhe Palace. She stared unwaveringly at the woman who had suddenly collapsed to the ground, her heart filling with hatred.


    How could she let such a person stay by the emperor''s side for so long?


    This was her mistake, and also her miscalculation ¡­


    But luckily, she found out now. It wasn''t too late to make up for it now as long as she could make up for it.


    When the astrologer circled her three times, the woman suddenly fell to the ground. The old nanny went over to touch the artery on her neck and reported to the empress.


    "Empress, he did not die. It''s probably because his body is too weak."


    The empress stared fixedly at the astrologer and asked, "Does she have a problem?"


    The astrologer was an old man in his fifties. His beard was long and untrimmed. He took a thread and tied it neatly together.


    In Zhuang Li''s eyes, they were just pretending to be mysterious, but in the eyes of those mistresses, they had become authority.


    He frowned as if he was thinking about something. Finally, he shook his head.


    "To the empress, no problem."


    "No problem?!"


    "This old subject doesn''t dare to speak carelessly. This woman really has nothing to do with the barrier in the palace ¡­" The source of the Evil Qi is related to that young eunuch in the Mourning Palace. "


    The moment these words left his mouth, a young eunuch kneeling in the corner suddenly began to kowtow continuously, his entire body trembling from fear.


    "Empress, spare my life! This servant had only been in the palace for two months, how could there be such an evil aura? The empress was enlightened! Slave ¡­ How could this servant harm Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin!? This servant has never seen Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin before ¡­ "


    The pretty girl on the seat was exceptionally cold. "Two months?" Coincidentally, Hanqin was sick for two months. It''s a good time for you to enter the palace. "


    The young eunuch collapsed onto the ground.


    "Empress, empress ¡­ "Your servant has never done anything to disappoint esteemed wangfei ¡­"


    "Drag him out and kill him." The empress snorted coldly, not even bothering to raise her head. She took the teacup offered to her by the palace maid beside her, took a sip, and handed it back.


    Then he asked the astrologer, "Where are the others?"


    "In reply to the Empress, everyone else is fine."


    The woman took a deep breath, she was still too lazy to lift her head and said, "Alright, you can go now."


    With that said, a palace maid stood out as if sending off guests. Naturally, the astrologer respectfully kowtowed to the empress twice before accepting the golden cake that the palace maid handed to him.


    After receiving such a heavy reward from the empress, in addition to the rewards from the previous, he had to immediately ride her horse back to his hometown, buy a big house, and marry several wives!


    He secretly felt the weight of the golden cake. It felt heavy ¡­ A woman indeed profited before her ¡­


    However, this kind of business can only be done once ¡­ If there was even the slightest bit of nostalgia. [I am afraid I don''t have the luck to spend this money ¡­]


    He had already stayed in the palace long enough. When he was young, the constitutional emperor had trusted the astrologer, so no matter what he did, he had to first calculate everything. His master was the one who served the former emperor.


    However, when the Emperor ascended the throne, his own master stood up and muttered something about not fighting West Cold ¡­ Because former emperor likes to hear such words... But in the blink of an eye, his master was dragged out to be cut down by the emperor ¡­


    The Starlord Manor began to decline ¡­


    The Emperor not only wanted to deduct his pay, he also wanted to cripple the Star-Seizing Manor long ago. If he wasn''t too lucky, the emperor would have completely forgotten about him ¡­


    Now that he was pointing at the imperial harem again, it would be strange if the emperor didn''t chop off his head to vent his anger ¡­ Of course we have to take the money and run...


    "If everyone else has nothing to do, they should just leave." After saying this, the empress stood up as well, and immediately a palace maid began to tidy up the wrinkles on her clothes.


    She walked out step by step, bringing with her the noble aura and loneliness of a queen. Only when she arrived at the door did the old nanny near it ask her this question.


    "Empress, what should we do with the Imperial Noble Lady Ya lying on the ground? Right now, her aura is very weak. If we don''t announce the Imperial Physician, it''ll be hard to say whether she''ll survive or not. "


    The corner of Wai''s and Empress''s lips curved up into a cold smile. She turned around and glanced at the old nanny ¡­


    "What do you think we should do?" After speaking, she left. She gradually disappeared into the distance. This was the most powerful woman in the Great Phoenix. She was incomparably noble and she rose up like a lotus flower with every step she took.


    Naturally, old nanny understood after serving her for so many years. She called over the two palace maids beside him and instructed them, "Watch her until you can confirm that there''s no more Imperial Noble Lady s in the palace who will call Ge Ya."


    That day, the light was especially bright, and was so bright that even though the sun had risen thousands of miles into the sky, the emperor still hadn''t come down in the afternoon. Qing You was anxious as she walked around the courtyard of the Imperial Study. She did not have the order badge, so she could not go to the Heart Nurturing Palace. If she could find the Eunuch Li, she definitely would have a way to save Zhuang Li.


    "Aunt Qing You? Then where did the Imperial Noble Lady Ya go? " Qing You raised her head and saw a small head popping out from the entrance of the Imperial Study.


    Isn''t this the Xiao Wanzi from the Dew Palace that day?


    "No, don''t bother me."


    "I, Little Dan, naturally have good eyesight. Tell me, what are you worrying about?"


    "Move aside, don''t block my way." Regardless of whether or not she could go to the Heart Nurturing Palace to see the Eunuch Li, she had to give it a try right now.


    "If you tell me, I will naturally help you. Who am I, Xiao Wanzi, and how many connections do I have in the palace? If there is anything you need help with, just leave it to me. " He even patted his shriveled chest. If he were to look at her normally, he would definitely find her cute.


    "How can you help? With just you? "


    Qing You was extremely impatient, but that little kid still continued to pester Qing You.


    "It''s fine if you don''t tell me, but where did the Imperial Noble Lady Ya go? I was looking for her. "


    "Imperial Noble Lady Ya was brought to Huhe Palace by some strange person. Are you satisfied? Get out of my way, I need someone to save her. "


    "What!?" When Xiao Wanzi heard this news, his reaction was even greater than Qing You''s, giving him a big fright.


    Qing You could not be bothered to care about him, and quickly disappeared from the entrance of the Imperial Study.


    Zhuang Li didn''t know how long she had slept for, but this time, it was not very well. It was as though she had lived a lifetime of pain and suffering.


    She kept thinking of her mother. She remembered that her mother sent her to school, sent her to the school gate, and then left. She could only remember how her mother looked when she was young.


    She remembered that when she was at school, she saw a little boy. Although she did not recognize the child, she wanted to call him Wang Su.


    Extremely serious...


    Occasionally, she would run in the wilderness, surrounded by weeds taller than her, unceasingly extending out of her body. Pushing aside the surrounding reeds, the sharp leaves scratched her body until it was covered with cuts and bruises ¡­


    But no matter how painful it was, she didn''t dare to stop ¡­


    She realized that she was looking for someone. Her mother, Wang Su, Duan Weilan, Qing You, Li Liangxiao, Mr. Bai ¡­


    She was afraid that if she stopped, she would never hear from them again.


    Therefore, she had to keep on running. If she fell, she would get up. If her leg was broken, she would also have to crawl forward ¡­


    In her memory, although her mother looked tired due to her fatigue, she still looked young and warm. She constantly taught herself that she had to listen to her teacher and work hard in her life ¡­


    However, he had already worked very hard. He really didn''t have any extra strength left ¡­


    "Little Li, don''t be afraid. Mom has her own hands, so she can naturally support you. Of course, my children who are healthy and healthy can live on. "


    "You''re still very young right now. When you grow up, you''ll know how easy it is for you to live on your own ¡­"


    "Mr. Bai, if Mr. Bai hit you, then it''s your fault. If it''s your turn, then he won''t hit you again." So you listen to the old gentleman. "


    She kept walking forward, but she didn''t even know where she was heading. The one guiding her was actually the bell sound.


    She thought of the worn-out copper bell in the astrologer''s hand. It didn''t seem possible at all, but that voice suddenly swelled in her mind ¡­


    You can''t get rid of him...


    So that astrologer wasn''t joking ¡­ He really did have a certain type of magic that made Zhuang Li feel extreme fear whenever she thought of him ¡­


    Then, was he the monster in the eyes of others?


    If he wasn''t, then why did that bell sound have such a frightening effect on him?


    Life is better than death ¡­


    Then if he was not a monster, then what was he?


    I... In the end ¡­ Yes... Who...


    A sigh came from the wind. He didn''t know if he was answering her question.


    Some of the reeds were dried and broken branches. When she stepped on them, a hole appeared in them. Fresh blood flowed from the bottom of her feet, and all that she walked through was blood ¡­

 C73

    Zhuang Li didn''t know how far she walked, but it seemed as if someone was hinting that she wanted to tell her that it was because of that bell.


    That was why she had been following the sound of the bell in the wilderness, looking for her exit. Although she did not know what kind of world existed outside if she went out, she yearned to see her mother, yearn to meet her friends, yearn to meet Wang Su. When she thought of those people, she felt full of courage.


    cutting thorns


    The blooming of the flower in March and the snow in December, she wanted to find that person, even if they were badly mutilated.


    That bell sound was also very strange. It seemed to always be in front, yet she never saw it. Even if she stopped for a second after falling down, that bell ring seemed to have moved further away from her.


    Therefore, she could only keep moving forward, not daring to stop for even a second.


    Would I go to the end of the world?


    After thinking about it, he felt like laughing again. The earth was clearly round, where did the end come from? But am I on Earth now?


    It was as if a voice in your heart was always talking to her. No matter where you are, you can''t stop, and once you stop, you''ll never be able to go back. Below the wilderness was the Infernal Realm ¡­


    But he was too tired. He really wanted to fall down and rest ¡­


    Mom, what should I do if I can''t live on my own?


    She thought of Wang Su''s face. There was no expression, no love, and no boredom. He only looked at her indifferently, with an ice-cold expression.


    Anyway, I should have told him I liked him, right... Even though he knew in his heart that man would probably walk away indifferently when he heard what he said.


    However, I really want to warm him so that one day, his face will have a trace of a smile, as if he has been melted. That''s why I stayed by his side for so long.


    She grew more and more tired, and a few times she could not walk, and her breath came in short gasps, as if something were stuck in her throat, or as if an invisible rope were strangling her throat. She coughed and reached for her neck, and when she realized that there really was a rope around her throat, she managed to hold on to the rope, trying to catch her breath, but it only grew tighter and tighter. After that, her hands were also tied behind her back, but she couldn''t even see who was behind her ¡­


    Until she crashed to the ground ¡­


    Am I dead, or am I not? Or had he already died?


    The world finally quieted down as the bell sound disappeared. She was still lying in the wilderness, and the vulture circling above her head was here to eat my meat?


    Her vision grew darker and darker, as if the entire wilderness was quickly melting into the darkness.


    She had been gritting her teeth the entire time, persistently preserving the breath in her body as she groped about in the wasteland. At this moment, everything quieted down, as if there was a voice speaking again.


    Now that it''s over, you can give up...


    Finally, she loosened her teeth. She had been biting for too long and was bleeding. Now that she relaxed, blood flowed down the corner of her mouth. She wanted to leave the world with one last smile, but all she could do was put on a crying face.


    Zhuang Li opened her eyes again.


    She began to feel the warm summer air, the faint scent of flowers, and how pleasant it was. Then, she saw Wang Su''s face. Was it because he felt wronged? Or did he remember what he had said in his dreams?


    She had walked too far before she met him. She had experienced too many things, had heard too much from her mother.


    However, she didn''t know if she did it or not ¡­


    Now, she suddenly became fearless and instantly burst into tears ¡­


    "Mommy ¡­" "Mom ¡­"


    She had so much love in her heart for so many years, yet she met such a person that she wanted to get close to. She didn''t dare to say that she loved him, but she already felt that it wasn''t easy.


    She thought that the person would give a cold snort and walk away, but the person held her in his arms, causing her to cry even harder ¡­


    Duan Weilan had been through too many love affairs that had no end. She hoped to meet someone and then get married and have children ¡­ A mother''s dream. Therefore, she really liked sharing those parenting scriptures with Zhuang Li.


    Zhuang Li remembered that there was a child that was just crying and he didn''t want to hug her. Once she felt that someone was comforting her, she would cry even harder. Over time, she would understand that if she smiled, there would be people hugging her. If they only knew how to cry, no one would care about her.


    In short, the truth was that when children heard crying, they should never go comfort her, otherwise ¡­ The more he cried, the more furious he became ¡­


    And Zhuang Li right now belonged to the latter ¡­


    However, she continued to cry, ignoring everything else, as if that person was her mother''s embrace.


    If not for that dream, would she have never been able to see her mother again in her entire life?


    Wang Su protected her just like this, and kept patting her back, as if he had given her a new kind of conviction.


    She had been crying so much that she had used almost all her strength to cry. She was still in that arms, and her eyelids were starting to twitch, and occasionally she could hear her mumbling about her mother''s words until she was completely silent.


    She fell asleep just like that.


    And this time, the dream seemed especially sweet. The warm embrace behind her had an especially relaxing scent, making her feel especially familiar and at ease. It was as if this was the first time she had let go of all of her defenses and fears to get close to a hug like the one she believed in.


    After a long time, the person in his arms no longer made any sounds of crying. Wang Su looked down and saw that she had actually fallen asleep just like that. The look of her made him feel especially familiar. But he really couldn''t say it. He still didn''t understand why he did this. It was as if from the moment he met this woman, something had changed because of her.


    The Eunuch Li had served his father for his entire life and had served him for several years. He had an accurate understanding of the time the king spent in court, but he had never encountered such a situation. As the eunuch of the palace, he actually did not wait at the Heart Nurturing Palace gate.


    However, he couldn''t be bothered to care about all that. He brought the young eunuch s, guards and others along with him as he headed towards the Imperial Study. Speaking of today, there seemed to be something in the palace that made him feel different, but he couldn''t put his finger on it. It seemed to be a vague sense of crisis ¡­


    The palace had so many people, it was impossible for them to always stay in the palace and not come out. Thus, it was normal to see eunuchs and maids coming and going, but today, there was not a single other person on the palace''s plaza ¡­


    This scene reminded him of the villagers who were hiding from wild beasts ¡­


    Something must have happened...


    He called the young eunuch over to ask if anything had happened today. After thinking for a long time, the young eunuch finally said that something had happened, but it was not a big deal.


    "empress asked the astrologer of the Celestial Tower to find out the location of the fiend in the palace. Early in the morning, while the Emperor was still in the palace, he went to each palace to arrest him. The palace maids and eunuchs of all sizes went to each palace to capture more than forty people from the front and back for questioning.


    Wang Su immediately frowned, he never thought that the empress would deal with it this way. Although it was true that she had given authority to the empress to handle this matter, thinking that the matters of the gods and ghosts were simply nonsense to begin with, and the empress had merely caused a ruckus.


    But he did not expect that killing a few young eunuch s on duty caused him to feel displeasure. If this was in the past, he probably would not even frown at all. Isn''t it just the death of a few young eunuch s? There were many servants in the palace, so it was normal for some things to happen ¡­ How many heads and blood did he step on to this day? He worshipped the soldiers on the battlefield who bravely defended the enemy, but he took the lives of the people in the imperial harem to be nothing. In fact, he was indifferent to it in the first place.


    But when did the past come to an abrupt end?


    In his mind, for the first time, he remembered the sweetness of spring flowers and autumn. He gradually removed the hard outer shell that he had been defending himself from. He suddenly thought that if he lived like this, it would be an extremely good life.


    He glanced in the direction of Huhe Palace with a hint of anger. He didn''t even want to touch that dignified woman who lived there.


    Before they even reached the Imperial Study, they saw the Eunuch Li rushing over. He whispered something in the emperor''s ear.


    Imperial Noble Lady Ya suddenly had a disease, and was currently in Imperial Study.


    That sentence made him almost unable to control his trembling. He quickly followed the Eunuch Li towards the Imperial Study. When he saw Imperial Study waiting respectfully, an imperial physician had already come out.


    "How is it?" he asked.


    "To reply your majesty, Imperial Noble Lady Ya''s body is only weak. He choked on some water, probably because he was frightened.


    "Water choking?" He looked at Eunuch Li.


    "Return... Returning to the emperor, I heard that Imperial Noble Lady Ya was summoned to Huhe Palace in the morning ¡­ "


    He strode into the chamber. This was the first time he entered the chamber of a servant in the palace. The woman was lying on the bed, completely unconscious.


    The Eunuch Li was naturally very sensible. After blocking Qing You and the other young eunuch who were concerned about her outside the room and sending the imperial physician back, the only people left in the room were the emperor and the woman lying on the bed.


    The water on her body was still very new and wet, as if it had been fished out of the water. Her face was pale, but it seemed as if she already had some consciousness. An uneasy babble.


    Until her eyes suddenly opened and looked at the emperor in front of her. However, two words came out of his mouth.


    "Mom ¡­"


    The last time he had hugged her, she had actually yelled out Xi Cuo''s name. This caused him to instantly be enraged and directly throw her onto the collapsed chair. But this time around, even though he did not understand who his mother was, he was still very clear about it. It was a title given to a family member...


    He held her in his arms and she began to cry out


    "I''m fine ¡­"


    He wanted to comfort her, but he felt that he could not comfort her. He wanted to give her something, but he didn''t know what to give her.


    It wasn''t until that woman fell asleep again and he felt her aura, that he finally managed to calm down. Only then did he put her down, exit the courtyard door, and call over Qing You so that she could go in and change out of Zhuang Li''s wet clothes.

 C74

    When Zhuang Li woke up again, it was already sunset. This time, she slept exceptionally well, as if she had dreamt of something, but she could not remember it at all. She got up. She was wearing clean clothes and was in a trance. There were still some broken pieces in her head.


    There was her own small lunchbox on the table. As usual, she pulled the table closer to her, yawning as she opened the lunchbox.


    Rice and chicken soup... What menu is it?


    However, Zhuang Li was already extremely hungry, and all the food had been swept away. After changing her clothes, she walked out of the door. Seeing that she was actually a little scared, the young eunuch at the door called her over.


    "What time is it now?" How much longer until morning? "


    "Ya ¡­" Imperial Noble Lady Ya... The emperor has already descended from the heavens, and is currently in the midst of his Imperial Study ¡­ "


    "What!"


    Zhuang Li felt like she was struck by lightning again. The emperor is already in court! I overslept? How could there be such a thing ¡­ She didn''t know what kind of negligence this was, and what kind of punishment sshe would receive ¡­ Thinking about the cold expression of the emperor and the fierce gaze of the Eunuch Li, he couldn''t help but feel goosebumps all over her body.


    "Why didn''t you wake me up!" Zhuang Li roared at the eunuch.


    "Qing You, when big sister Qing You left the room, she told us not to disturb your sleep ¡­"


    "What are you doing... This Qing You... " She complained and ran to the teahouse like the wind. The young eunuch was still holding onto the broom, standing there dumbly, as if she had been immobilized, weakly saying the things she could not finish.


    "It was His Majesty who told Big Sister Qing You not to wake you up ¡­"


    The water in the teapot was actually still cold, so Zhuang Li quickly poured it outside the house. Changing it to the fresh spring water from the mountain, she increased the intensity of the fire in the small carbon furnace and added some new carbon before putting the water onto the pot.


    After the water had boiled, Yuan Zhou boiled the tea cup that he had washed the night before, adding fresh water and boiling it. Only then, did he go to the tea leaves to mix with each other.


    When she finished preparing everything, the temperature of the cup of tea was just right. He was already sweating profusely from all the work, and even tidied up his makeup to prevent the Eunuch Li''s unhappy expression from staring at him. Then, he carried the tea tray and entered the Imperial Study.


    "Your ¡­ Your Majesty, please have some tea ¡­" She felt a lingering fear as she spoke. After all, what hour had passed and the tea had yet to come. If the emperor was so displeased that he told her to scram, she could accept it ¡­


    There was already a cup of tea on the table. Most likely, it was brewed by the Eunuch Li. In his heart, he guessed that since the emperor had no desire to drink tea today, he was in no mood to pay attention to him. Did that mean that he had already narrowly escaped this calamity?


    Zhuang Li placed her own tea down, and kept her cold one. At this time, the Emperor actually raised his head and looked at him.


    She was frightened to the point that she almost spilled her tea. Her heart skipped a beat ¡­ It seems that I still can''t escape ¡­


    He hastily placed the tea tray on the table and quickly knelt down. "Your Majesty, please forgive us ¡­" "It''s my fault that this servant didn''t serve you well ¡­" What else was there to say? That he had accidentally overslept? Isn''t this way too exaggerated ¡­ He could sleep until dusk?


    The servants of the palace were already up. They wanted their master to prepare hot water, incense, change clothes, and food ¡­ Don''t even mention sleeping until the sun came out, it was like a chicken that was about to wake up before it crowed ¡­ If he were to sleep like this any day, he would probably be found guilty and be unable to escape from death ¡­ Thinking of this, he couldn''t help but feel a chill in his heart ¡­


    "If you are not feeling well, go and rest for two days. The matter of the teahouse will temporarily be handed over to the Eunuch Li. "


    What! Why should I go rest? Zhuang Li almost couldn''t believe what the emperor had said ¡­ You must not only understand your master''s intentions, you must also know what he is thinking, and that is that you are a good servant to your master.


    At that time, Zhuang Li was still ridiculing him in her heart: Interconnected by heart? It''s not like I''m in a relationship, how can I communicate with him?


    Later on, he gradually understood the meaning of Eunuch Li''s words, it was probably similar to the modern era. The relationship between a superior and a subordinate in the company, you have to understand the meaning behind his words.


    If Zhuang Li were to understand this from her experiences in the company ¡­ If her superior told him to rest and leave the work to the people below, it would be a naked exercise of power. It would mean using a few words of fake concern to take away her rights. That was brilliant! The next step was naturally to do nothing in the company and kick yourself out of the company ¡­


    So that''s what the Emperor meant! What to do!


    If he were to leave the palace, he did not know what job he should find to support him and Qing You. If he were to enter a large clan, he would naturally be busy from morning to night. Or was it that the emperor was already bored of him in front of the emperor and was preparing to send him to another palace? What other palace did she know? I don''t want to go to the Qingyang Palace ¡­ Haunted. What about Huhe Palace?


    Thinking about the empress from Huhe Palace, Zhuang Li felt a throbbing pain in her head. The words "can''t go." came out of her mouth out of reflex. "I can''t go ¡­"


    "What did you say?" "Get up and speak, don''t kneel ¡­"


    Zhuang Li did not realize that she had actually unknowingly said what she wanted to say. She was so shocked by herself that she hurriedly kowtowed.


    "Your Majesty, this servant should not have overslept today. I promise that there won''t be a next time ¡­" Please be merciful your majesty, don''t drive me and Qing You away, see... "On account of the fact that this servant has always served the emperor wholeheartedly." After she finished speaking, she seemed to feel that doing this wasn''t appropriate. What kind of resolve did she have to show the Emperor that she was willing to become a Imperial Study person, even if she died, she would at least become a Imperial Study ghost? If he was to be sent to serve a certain concubine in another palace, it would be better for him to leave the palace. When he went to a wealthy family to be a servant, if he made a mistake, he would at most be beaten up. However, if he did something wrong in the palace, he would lose his head ¡­ Thinking up to here, he suddenly thought of something ¡­ That''s right, there''s still Li Liangxiao, Li Liangxiao is waiting for me at home!


    However, in the future, filial piety was bound to marry into a family with several wives ¡­ It wasn''t appropriate for him to remain in such an awkward position as an elder sister ¡­


    "You get up first." The Emperor called to her.


    "If Your Majesty does not agree, this servant will not get up! The sun and moon of Heaven and Earth can be seen for the decisiveness of this heart! " She did not know which novel she had read such a sentence in. It seemed that she would use it every time she swore. At the same time, he was blaming Qing You. If he had been called out early, how could there be such a thing?


    Zhuang Li did not get up, but the emperor did. This caused her to be shocked in her heart, and she wondered if the emperor was going to decree this? In his heart, she was muttering something about success or failure in one move.


    After a long time without any movement, Zhuang Li closed his eyes and thought that she could chant a spell. However, the moment she opened his eyes, she was shocked and almost fell flat on the ground.


    His face was very, very close to hers, very close to hers.


    He reached over and touched her head. It was very light, and he frowned as he did so.


    "It seems that I am still not awake enough. Just rest well. If you want to eat anything, just tell Eunuch Li to follow that little girl of yours. "


    He turned his head and looked at Eunuch Li who was waiting at the entrance of the hall. Eunuch Li called him in, and asked him to send Zhuang Li back to his room to rest.


    Zhuang Li gasped. When she was led out of the study by the Eunuch Li, a thought flashed through her mind:


    It''s over ¡­ The emperor''s head is broken...


    When she reached the foot of the stairs outside the door, she realized that her head also hurt a little. Although it wasn''t serious, she couldn''t remember when he hit her head too hard. Even though Eunuch Li would not say it out loud, he could tell that it was heaven''s will from Eunuch Li''s expression. But when she looked at the Eunuch Li inquiringly, he saw that the latter had a kind and smiling face.


    What was going on? I clearly violated the great taboo of being a servant, and only woke up when the sun was setting in the west. It''s already weird that the Emperor didn''t blame me, but even the Eunuch Li didn''t punish me?


    Eunuch Li''s brain also broke today?


    Just as he went down the stairs, he saw Qing You running over in a hurry


    "Miss, Miss, I just left for a little while, and then you disappeared. Where did you go? " She looked at Zhuang Li who was at a loss, as if she did not understand the current situation. When she saw the Eunuch Li behind him, she suddenly realized something. She immediately asked with a mournful face:


    "Eunuch, Imperial Noble Lady Ya ¡­ "You haven''t stirred up any trouble have you ¡­?"


    The Eunuch Li changed to an expressionless face, which was the face that usually taught the young eunuch a lesson.


    "He broke through ¡­"


    "Ah!?" Qing You looked depressed, and the Eunuch Li continued.


    "I almost did it!"


    "Oh, that''s good ¡­" It was only then that Qing You relaxed, and looked at the still confused Zhuang Li with a beaming smile. He hurriedly thanked Eunuch Li, firmly grabbed onto one of Zhuang Li''s hands, and guided her to the next room.


    It was at sundown that Zhuang Li sat at the head of the bed, waited upon by Qing You. She had combed her own messy hair, cut it off, and took out a wooden comb, combing it over and over again.


    Qing You did not close the door. Countless sunset hues fell in from both the door and the window, with one of them directly landing on the bedside.


    Zhuang Li frowned. Her hair was already very long, almost reaching her waist. Qing You took care of those hair, and then took out a pair of scissors to cut off those messy, forked, and neatly trimmed hair. After finishing her cut, she began combing her hair, as if she wanted to comb through her wrinkled eyebrows.


    Did I just run to the Imperial Study with my hair in a mess like this? I clearly remember taking care of it? She was also wearing the wrong clothes, it turned out to be her pajamas ¡­ When the emperor saw his appearance, not only did he not blame him, he also did not chase him out? Eunuch Li did not blame him? Today was truly strange ¡­

 C75

    The cicadas outside of the window were still chirping non-stop. Through the door of the room, one could see that the pomegranate in the yard was beginning to look somewhat full, the green skin facing the sun had already shown signs of reddening, as if it was being shyly exposed to the sun.


    "Miss, what do you remember now?"


    Zhuang Li didn''t understand what was going on for a while, but she started to think hard about what had happened today. What had happened in this period of time?


    "You were taken to Huhe Palace by the astrologer. Do you still remember?"


    Mentioning the astrologer, Zhuang Li suddenly thought of a copper bell. That copper bell looked very thin, and there were even some holes on it that seemed like some kind of strange symbol.


    "Miss, can you remember who you saw today?"


    She looked at Qing You, and said slowly, "I''ve seen Duan Weilan, and ¡­ and my mother.


    At this time, Qing You''s frown was even more serious than Zhuang Li''s.


    Zhuang Li also noticed that something was amiss, why would she see Duan Weilan? And mother? They were clearly not people from this world.


    "Qing You, tell me what happened today."


    Later, when Zhuang Li talked about the situation on that day, she was brought by the astrologer to empress''s Wei He Palace. Qing You was extremely anxious, so she kept watch outside of Huai He Palace. She only knew that this matter was probably related to the matter of Qingyang Palace and ghosts, but she did not know the exact situation. When she saw the people from Empress Huai and the palace at the palace entrance, she quickly grabbed a few other palace maids and young eunuch s and entered.


    She waited outside for four hours before seeing the young eunuch that was dragged out. She quickly went forward to stop one of them to ask about the situation inside and the eunuch was extremely scared. She only said that a few of the evil people had been killed, and the others had already been released. Qing You was extremely frightened, and immediately asked if she saw any Imperial Noble Lady Ya inside. Unfortunately, Zhuang Li usually did not go out, and no one in the palace knew her as if she were a transparent object.


    Qing You waited until the person who was not caught came out, only then did she realize that something was wrong, and prepared to go to Heart Nurturing Palace to look for Eunuch Li, who was still in the forward position, so that he could think of a way to help her, but before he could even go out, he met young eunuch, Xiao Wanzi.


    Qing You lowered her voice and told Zhuang Li, "That Xiao Wanzi is actually someone from the Prince Bi, and his illness has only just improved a little. He brought the prince consort to the palace to burn incense on the empress dowager''s memorial tablet, and he still hasn''t returned when he heard of this matter. He actually agreed to let Qing You take his order badge to the Heart Nurturing Palace to find the Eunuch Li and let him think of a way to go to Huhe Palace.


    Until Qing You brought Eunuch Li along on his way here, when he met Prince Bi bringing Zhuang Li to the Imperial Study.


    Zhuang Li seemed to have been fished out of the water, while choking on it, she was still unconscious. However, no one knew what exactly happened to her at Huhe Palace ¡­


    "So I went back to my room and slept until dusk?"


    Qing You sighed, it seemed that the young miss'' brain had truly turned into water this time.


    "You don''t know anything about it?"


    "Of course I don''t know ¡­" "When I woke up, it was already dusk. I went straight to the teahouse out of fright. You already know what happened next."


    "When you returned to your room, the emperor just so happened to be here early in the morning. The emperor even came in to see you, but you didn''t even recognize this?"


    "Wh ¡­" "What!?" The Emperor has been to my room? Came to see me?


    "That''s right, you''re still crying for a long time. We''re all waiting outside the door, and we don''t know what''s going on inside. The young eunuch s outside the door are still guessing whether you''re crying and complaining to the emperor about the empress ¡­"


    Zhuang Li took a deep breath. She had indeed made a big mistake, and she didn''t even remember ¡­


    Zhuang Li slowly recalled her encounter at Huai He Palace. That noble and beautiful Queen, with authority like that of a god, had appeared in front of him, wanting him to raise her head.


    By the way, the empress didn''t like him, but all of this had been anticipated long ago.


    The old man, the astrologer, took the broken bell and walked around him. Right, the moment he heard the sound of the bell, he seemed to have followed it. Where did he go?


    She clearly remembered seeing her mother, seeing her good friend Duan Weilan, and those feelings were so real. Not only could she see them, and carefully touch a strand of their hair, and smell the scent of their clothes, she could also touch them, hold their hands, or even lean on their bodies. That feeling was so real, how could it not have happened? Furthermore, in the end, she even saw Wang Su ¡­


    She suddenly realized that it might just be a dream. Why would Wang Su be there? He is the emperor of the Great Phoenix Dynasty, how can he write in a classroom with me in the modern world?


    But if that was a dream, wasn''t that dream too beautiful?


    And when you think about it, it feels so real ¡­


    Just like that, Zhuang Li and Qing You sat down on the bed, looking at the sun in the west. As they slowly descended and cleaned up the multicolored light that scattered on the window just now, the small pomegranate also swayed a few times in the light breeze, seemingly raising its own waist. The more time passed, the clearer Zhuang Li''s thoughts became.


    She remembered what the empress had asked her, and she remembered that when the astrologer had circled around her, she had collapsed. She had thought she was a real monster, that the bell would take her soul away and leave her body in this world.


    But if he left, where should he go?


    She remembered that her mother had told her a lot of things, told her to study hard, worked hard and so on. When she closed her eyes and leaned against Qing You''s body as she thought back carefully, only then did she realize that her mother had really said that to her.


    She had lived here for too long, so long that she had sometimes forgotten her original world.


    She slept too much the entire day, and at night, she became even more clear-headed. Zhuang Li stared at the wall above him for a long time before finally falling asleep in a daze.


    The next day, Qing You woke up to find that shshewas still asleep. Originally, Qing You had her own small room, but because she was too worried about Zhuang Li, he insisted on sleeping with her.


    When Zhuang Li opened the door, he discovered that there was someone outside. When she saw her coming out, he immediately went over.


    The child looked her up and down like an object, as if checking to make sure his precious china was undamaged, and then sighed, as if chagrined, until he was sure she was all right.


    "If elder sister hadn''t stayed in the palace, these things wouldn''t have happened."


    Zhuang Li found it funny, this silly child, although what she said made sense, she comforted him while thinking that this was actually not a big deal, she had just returned from Huai He Palace and did not lack a single hair on her head. What did it have to do with this, compared to the servants who were killed by him yesterday, if she continued to complain, then she would really be blessed.


    When she went to Huhe Palace, she had always suspected that she had been captured for such a ridiculous reason. On the other hand, Hanqin suspected that there was some relationship between him and Zhao Ci, and whether or not this matter was related to Hanqin deliberately going against him.


    However, ever since she entered that Wei He Palace, she had never seen Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin present, and had indeed heard that she was sick in bed, and did not even seem to have the energy to get out of her bed.


    From the very beginning, empress had only been dealing with this matter, but the surprise on her face when she saw him proved that she did not intend to target him.


    Then, Qing You would also have to ask the astrologer who left the palace in Huai City about this. That old man insisted that the person who was deemed to have the Evil Qi was not Zhuang Li.


    If the Imperial Noble Consort wanted to get rid of him, she would be the one leading the way, and if she bribed the astrologer, and identified that the Evil Qi in the palace was brought by him, the empress would directly drag him out to the grave, wouldn''t that make things much easier?


    Although she did not have a definite reason or evidence, Zhuang Li had a faint feeling that this matter was related to Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin, even though she still could not understand it at the moment.


    This matter was not as simple as it appeared on the surface. Because when Qing You heard that a few of the servants identified by the astrologer had been killed, news spread out from his Qingyang Palace.


    This news was naturally a huge leap for the astrologer''s position in the harem ¡­ It was said that he could see through demons and monsters, and also predict good fortune ¡­


    But Zhuang Li was suspicious, then was there really ghosts in this world?


    She had initially thought that those who had never come into contact with science would see the thunder in the sky and would think that it was Thunder who was angry, afraid that disaster would befall her, and that was a very normal and natural phenomenon.


    She thought they were stupid, but there was nothing she could do about that.


    However, in that extremely realistic dream, when she and Duan Weilan went to work together, she could actually see that her face was Zhao Ci''s in the mirror.


    For the first time, she realized who she was.


    If she was certain that there were no past lives, no souls, and no ghosts, then why would she appear here?


    Where was her world of science and reality?


    Could it be that this was just a dream?


    Was she Zhuang Li again, or was she Zhao Ci? And just which world should he belong to?


    Why did she have such a reaction to the astrologer''s bell? Was it also because her soul had truly been stripped away from her body that she continued to walk on that wasteland, causing her to have such a real and chaotic dream?

 C76

    The Qingyang Palace was brightly lit. The owner of the Qingyang Palace,, was currently sitting in front of the tea table and sighing.


    In the middle of summer, every day when he looked up, he would be able to see a lush and verdant mountain. If the weather grew cold, he could also see the snow-capped mountain, which was a rare sight in the palace which was densely packed with buildings in the palace.


    But Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin was not in the mood to admire the scenery outside the window all day. She stared at Little Flower, who was swirling in the teacup, and was extremely unhappy. It seemed like there was something troubling him, so he had to be even more careful. He didn''t want to accidentally lose his life.


    Hanqin didn''t say much, she wasn''t an overbearing person. Normally, she wasn''t that bad to her servants either, but when she was still Prince Su, she was still a minor girl. Fortunately, her father also had the same plan. For a very long time, she had thought that she was very lucky. When she married into Prince Su''s mansion, she finally understood one thing, that Wang Su did not love her.


    Other than the title of a prince''s consort, she couldn''t seem to be given much, but fortunately, she wasn''t upset. Her life was still very long, and she was also very young. For her father''s most beloved and beautiful daughter in the Zhao Mansion, there was nothing that she couldn''t do, nor could she get her hands on.


    Her father''s love for her far surpassed Zhao Min''s, so there was no need to even mention Zhao Ci''s. Therefore, whenever she was mentioned, her sense of superiority was very strong ¡­


    She had always known that her mother''s nightmare was that woman called Du Yueyao. At that time, she was still too young, and could not completely understand, but even though she was jealous of her father''s gaze and love, and could feel a bit of the grievance her mother had endured from it, she was still young and ignorant, and did not understand many of the reasons. Her mother had told her at that time, that if you want to live better, you had to be as hard as iron.


    So later on, Du Yueyao died of embarrassment, and her master, who had no protection, was bullied by Zhao Min and her like a drowning dog. She had thought at the time that she could always get what she wanted.


    The biggest blow was that after she married Prince Su, the Emperor passed away, the Prince Bi was crippled, and Wang Su became the Emperor.


    Speaking of which, this was something she hadn''t thought of, but his father had. Wang Su''s spirit and shrewdness was enough for him to make it to this point in time step by step, even though the process was extremely arduous. But that had nothing to do with her. After all, when Wang Su ascended the throne, she would be the Queen.


    The sort of treasure that would suddenly fall into one''s hands was flashing with golden light. She knew that her life as the wife of the prince would be more than luxurious. She never thought that there would be a day when she would have such a high profile position waiting for her.


    After the Emperor ascended the throne, she waited in the palace day after day, but what she received was not news to bestow upon her the title of Queen. Instead, the Empress turned out to be a woman by the name of Jia Zhao Huaihe.


    That woman was older than him and had also come before him, so why would it be her turn first?


    Until she finally saw the woman, she was even more surprised by her momentary loss of color than by the news that had disappointed her. That woman was so graceful and noble, and her family was so illustrious. She could not be compared to the three acres of land in the Prime Minister''s Estate ¡­


    She accepted it just like that, but she was still unwilling to accept it. The Emperor ignored them, and they fought openly and secretly. On the surface, they even seemed to be working hand in hand to properly manage the harem.


    If she had no children, then wouldn''t the empress be the same? She could no longer wait on her using her Imperial Study, so the empress was still unable to enter the Imperial Study. The Emperor''s ambitions and ambitions far exceeded her imagination, and the relationship between his imperial court and the imperial harem was also far more complicated than she had imagined.


    It''s good enough that she''s adapted to it. No matter what, she''s the only Imperial Noble Consort in the Emperor''s body, and she''s the woman who has accompanied the Emperor the most.


    But what was that Princess Ge Ya who suddenly jumped in? She was jealous of her face, and resented that she was actually able to stay within the Imperial Study. She had actually stayed by the emperor''s side for more than half a year.


    Moreover, what was even more terrifying was her face, which was far younger than his own. That face was almost the same mask that Du Yueyao had carved for her back then ¡­


    For the first time, she understood why her mother said that Du Yueyao was her nightmare.


    Because he couldn''t compare to ¡­


    Because of that face, he could easily lose more of himself.


    In the end, she was afraid.


    That woman was like Du Yueyao''s soul. She was jealous of her, resentful and even fearful of her.


    Not only could she serve the Imperial Study, the emperor had actually protected her from every angle. The empress had asked her to take off her mask at the palace feast, she was fine with it, but the emperor had actually helped her from the left and right.


    Afterwards, he had used matters of the nation as an excuse to prevent the Empress from interfering with him.


    He didn''t know what she did to make the emperor think so much of her.


    She passed her Imperial Noble Consort''s medallion to her personal little palace maid ¡­


    Back then, even though I still do not remember anything, I have heard of Du Yueyao''s reputation in the end. I heard that there were a lot of people who painted her as a portrait, and she should already be in the people by now. If you can''t find it, go to my mother''s Prime Minister Zhao''s house and pass this letter to my mother. She will naturally help you. "


    Hanqin remembered that his father was one of the people who chased after Du Yueyao. Although Du Yueyao had died and her things had all been burnt, it seemed like there was still something underneath his father''s box. If that Ge Ya was related to Du Yueyao, she would definitely recognize those things.


    If this Imperial Noble Lady Ya did not die, she would be stuck in her heart like a poisonous thorn.


    Ever since that night when Empress Hanqin had met that little palace maid who was on duty at Imperial Study, the eunuchs and palace maids that were serving at Qingyang Palace had all sensed the changes in their Empress. She seemed to have something on her mind, and furthermore, she was somewhat anxious and had a slightly worse temper.


    Moreover, the young palace maid who had always understood her and enjoyed her was actually leaving the palace at this time. Furthermore, she hadn''t returned for several days.


    Hanqin poured away the brewed flower tea, making her feel impatient.


    But since Ge Ya was in the same position as Imperial Study, there was nothing that she could do about it. If it was a young palace maid from another place, she only need to find someone to throw her into the Min Si River at night. Even though there weren''t many masters in the palace, there were still a lot of servants. Who would be able to find out that there was one less person?


    However, Ge Ya was in charge of the place that was important to the Emperor, which was a place that even she himself could not easily enter. Furthermore, before entering, he had to inform the Emperor.


    Ge Ya also served tea in front of the emperor everyday. I heard that she''s the first woman to serve at Imperial Study since the emperor ascended the throne. If she ever disappears, the emperor probably won''t be able to let her go ¡­


    But what could he do to take her away from the Imperial Study?


    "When the previous Emperor was still alive, the master of the Celestial Tower was very favoured. The palace can be used to enter and leave anywhere." By chance, Hanqin had heard of the old nanny s in the palace speaking, so she sent some people up to investigate.


    I heard that the Celestial Arena is still there. There''s only one astrologer left, but they''re no longer in court because the Emperor hates them.


    It didn''t matter if he was disgusted or not, the rules were set by the former emperor, as long as he could enter and leave the palaces, that would be enough.


    In less than two days, the only remaining astrologer followed the young eunuch''s lead and arrived at the Qingyang Palace in the middle of the night.


    He was wearing a black cloak and even her head was covered by the cloak. Originally, Hanqin had thought that she was some kind of person, mysterious and powerful.


    He had a drooping beard and a dejected look.


    "So you don''t have much ability?"


    The old man took a long sip of his tea and looked greedy.


    "Esteemed wangfei, the matter of occupying the stars is just like that of the martial arts cultivators. If you don''t believe me, then it doesn''t matter. There is no right or wrong. After all, we are not living immortals ¡­"


    "Then it must be a fake ¡­"


    "Empress, but regardless of whether you believe it or not, your image really does display many, many problems."


    "But the emperor doesn''t believe it, and the late emperor is no longer around. Who knows, one day the emperor might want to kick you out of the palace. How are you going to live?"


    Hanqin did not speak further, she had her servants give the astrologer a whole box of gold.


    "You don''t need to identify her. If you keep on targeting her, it will instead arouse the Emperor''s suspicions. You only need to bring her before empress, stop for a while in front of her, and let the empress take notice of her. Then you can go out of the palace at night with the gold in your arms. "Compared to your meager salary and your precarious position in the court, you should think about it yourself."


    The astrologer kowtowed repeatedly, "This old student is willing to listen to the Empress."


    It was not easy to arrange for the astrologer to come to the imperial palace to investigate. The Emperor loathed the people in the astrological platform, if it wasn''t for the request of the Empress joining hands with him, the Emperor wouldn''t care.


    As a result, the Imperial Noble Consort became ill, and everyone in the Qingyang Palace knew that the Empress did not think about eating or drinking all day, and she seemed to be extremely ill. But the imperial physician had visited it many times, but had never been able to find out the reason.


    In the end, everyone in the Qingyang Palace knew that Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin had been possessed ¡­ And gradually spread the news ¡­


    In the end, this matter had still alarmed the empress. For a whole two months, they had finally waited a day for the servants of the empress palace to head to the Heart Nurturing Palace to request for the emperor to let the astrologer come back to the empress dowager ¡­

 C77

    Hanqin was not stupid. Even though her relationship with the Empress was not usually good, the Queen had become her best weapon and shield at this time, as she could not tolerate Ge Ya, and the Queen could not accommodate him either. What she needed to do was to send Ge Ya to the Queen.


    Having interacted with the empress for so many years, she was still able to properly sit in the Imperial Noble Consort''s position. One reason was because she had her own plans and plans, she could defend herself whenever the situation arose. She more or less knew a bit about the methods used by the empress, and more importantly, she relied on the emperor not pampering her, as there was no way to arouse the jealousy in the empress.


    However, the woman who served him in the study room did not have such a good life.


    If the emperor asked, then Ge Ya''s accident would also be related to the empress. If the emperor was displeased and wanted to make things difficult for the empress, that would be for the best. She wished that she could be the only one left in the imperial harem ¡­


    Everyone was well aware that the empress was unwilling, but she was the master of a harem, so all the harem concubines and Imperial Noble Lady s were under her control. For matters of face, this was something that she had to do, regardless of whether she was willing or not.


    It was also good for him to have a reputation of being a mother to the world and being kind to others. Just like how she would bring a old nanny to tidy up her clothes wherever she went, these were the so-called majesty of the imperial family.


    Early in the morning, the astrologer had already entered the palace, and the emperor had already headed to the morning assembly at his appointed time. No one could save that woman, she only needed to stay in the palace for a few hours, and within a few hours, the news of the execution would spread. Amongst them was the girl, Ge Ya, who was serving tea with Imperial Study.


    Her mental state could truly be cured.


    It wasn''t that she hadn''t thought about it. What if that person was her half-sister? When she first saw the woman, her mind was filled with thoughts of the smallest woman in the Zhao Mansion back then. She had thought about whether that person was the strange and chaotic god, and that person was Du Yueyao, but at that time of Du Yueyao''s funeral, although she was extremely low-key, but Madame Zhao knew about it, and the First Madame had personally confirmed it, that if she still had a breath of air around Du Yueyao, she should have been strangled to death by the First Madame. Furthermore, there were many rumors regarding this strange and chaotic period of time, but she had never truly met any person who could be related to Du Yueyao. Her father had even disliked her at one point of time, even disliked her as a result, and allowed other children to bully her after Du Yueyao''s death.


    Even if the matter turned into a huge mess, her father wouldn''t step out and seek justice for her.


    During this period of time, she was like an abandoned little wild dog, without a servant girl to accompany her, she did not have the old lady to take care of her. Although she was the young lady of Zhao Mansion in name, not even the servants were willing to get close to her.


    Who would be so foolish as to get close to a puppy that was not loved by its owner?


    Hanqin had already understood some of the reasoning from just a short time ago. Du Yueyao was doted upon by the Prime Minister Zhao, the servants then started to please them, fawning on them, and listen to her unruly and willful woman, Zhao Ci, call for help. Du Yueyao was dead, and in a moment she was gone, there was no one waiting on him in Du Yueyao''s courtyard anymore.


    Zhao Qin didn''t really say much, but she liked to coldly look at those things in her heart, and it was also how she figured out her own methods and ways to deal with things.


    However, how could that little girl, who looked like a dried jujube, grow up to be like this? Even if she had changed at the age of eighteen, this was too big of a change ¡­


    But what if? Before Du Yueyao married into the Zhao Mansion, she lived alone in a brothel. When she heard that her parents had passed away early, she didn''t have any siblings, so if that woman called Ge Ya was really related to Du Yueyao, she could only be the Zhao Ci of that year.


    Then if she was the Zhao Ci from back then, the little daughter born in Prime Minister Zhao, his sister? Did he still want to see her die?


    Relying on the love of her mother, that little Zhao Ci was a natural disaster to her. Not only did the people with Zhao Mansion dislike her, they even hated her. Divide his hatred of her mother on her.


    Besides, the child was even more spoiled than he was. After that, Du Yueyou passed away. She no longer had any protection, so there would no longer be anyone that bullied her. That unreasonable mother of hers would never come looking for trouble again. Thus, from then on, she and Zhao Min began to bully her openly, intentionally pushing her aside so that they could cut off her new clothes. No matter what she and Zhao Min had done, everyone pretended not to see it. Thus, they became increasingly bold.


    The most excessive time, she and Zhao Min had pushed her into a lotus pond. Even though she knew that Zhao Ci was young, and that there was a high possibility that she would die as a result, she still did not have the slightest bit of hesitation or emotion.


    As for the seemingly weak child who her mother had pampered and raised up as a child, he had suddenly become as lucky as a wild weed by the side of the road. She lay in bed for three whole days, unconscious for three whole days, her father unaware. First Madame did not plan to ask for a doctor for her. It was said that some shabby things had been prepared for her funeral. There was only a maid smaller than her in her room. It was as if she would die for sure.


    She didn''t expect that she would come back to life three days later. Furthermore, it seemed that she was much more difficult to deal with than before.


    Zhao Min wanted to push him into the pond again, but she herself fell in.


    But even though it was obvious that Zhao Min had ulterior motives, and yet she suffered, her father still did not blame Zhao Min. Instead, she restricted Zhao Ci in a very strict manner.


    She sometimes thought that if Zhao Ci''s mother wasn''t Du Yueyao, perhaps she would have pitied her?


    However, there were no ifs in this world. She was born Du Yueyao''s daughter, and moreover, she was so hateful. No wonder she hated her so much.


    He had never treated it as his sister, so naturally, he had no scruples or regrets.


    The news that came back from Huai and the palace was that all the palace maids and eunuchs had been released, but they did not see Imperial Noble Lady Ya. Hanqin laughed coldly and instructed the palace maid to get the spring water.


    If she was still staying in that palace, it would naturally attract the empress''s attention. No matter what, she wouldn''t be able to escape death. What she lacked right now was only a way to die.


    No matter what, he could rest assured. The pot of peach blossom tea she steeped also seemed to have become extremely fragrant and sweet.


    Hanqin had thought about it countless times. Then, no matter if Imperial Noble Lady Ya disappeared or was killed, or if the Queen used some other method, as long as she did not leave that Huai He Palace, Hanqin would take it. Then she would be considered to have succeeded. Currently, the one who was jealous of her was the empress. If she wanted to leave that Huhe Palace with just a few words, it wouldn''t be that easy ¡­


    Her good dream also seemed to come to an end at that time. old nanny, who had been guarding the gate of Huhe Palace, came back to tell her that someone had actually taken Imperial Noble Lady Ya out of Huhe Palace just after noon.


    "Who''s so daring?"


    The old nanny whispered a few words into her ear. The people from the Prince Bi ¡­


    The pot that was steamed was knocked over by Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin. She seemed to be really sick this time ¡­


    At this time, the outside world continued with the scenes she had planned for, and news began to spread that she had already recovered ¡­


    She held the rest of the empty teacup in her hands, using a lot of strength. Her joints were starting to turn white from using too much strength. A dark red dot on his ten fingers. However, she didn''t seem to care. It was as if she wanted to crush the cup with her bare hands.


    It was midnight two months later when Hanqin sent the palace maids back from the palace. She had already fallen asleep, but the old nanny had come to report.


    "Empress, Xiao Yue''er has returned."


    "Let her in."


    She put on a pair of clothes with a tired expression. However, she couldn''t wait to see the young palace maid that brought back the news.


    "Empress, there are indeed a lot of rumors regarding Du Yueyao amongst the people, causing her to become extremely entranced. Indeed, it was said that in order to spread her reputation even further, the brothel which had previously operated her had hired quite a few famous painters to paint her portraits. The portraits were hung in some places in the capital that were filled with people.


    But after Du Yueyao married someone, she did not appear in the brothel anymore. There were many noble young masters in the capital who were regretful that they were able to buy those portraits.


    After all, she died ten years after leaving the brothel, and now that eight or nine years have passed since her death, the world has changed. Those rich families, even if they had it, would not be willing to take it out. He was afraid that his own backyard would be on fire, and he was afraid that he would lose face and status.


    "Although I want to use force, I don''t dare to openly say my identity in the palace."


    After Hanqin heard this, she sighed and said, "You''re smart."


    "Any gains? What did my mother say? "


    "Madam, after listening to what I said, half a month has passed. I''ve managed to find a way to get this for me."


    She passed a slender embroidered box to Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin.


    "Madam has thought of a way to get this done. I heard that it was taken well by the Prime Minister Zhao ¡­"


    Hanqin''s mother was not her legal wife, and she gave birth to a daughter, but that First Madame gave birth to two sons! Naturally, she had absolute authority. After all, people of that era still liked their sons, and wanted to pass on their generations. Originally, Zhao Qin''s mother was always being suppressed by the First Madame.


    It was a pity that the two sons of the First Madame were not even half of the Prime Minister Zhao. Now that Zhao Qin had become the palace''s empress, Zhao Qin''s mother could be considered a mother to her son. He knew more about the secrets of the Prime Minister Zhao than anyone else, and trying to steal the paintings that the Prime Minister Zhao had hidden would only require time and space, so it was not difficult.


    Hanqin frowned as she opened the embroidered box. Inside was a painting, which had been wrapped in extremely meticulous detail. Hanqin took her out and placed her on the table. Then, she opened the silk cloth that was wrapped around her. With a push of her hand, the flower roll slowly unfurled in front of her.


    The beauty of the painting was truly stunning. She wore a spruce robe and held an ivory fan in her hand. Her face was as delicate as a three-month apricot flower. Her clothes were simple and elegant, but the hem of her skirt was filled with peach blossoms. There was also a red plum blossom hairpin stuck into that fine bun. She was elegantly sitting on a rattan chair and her arrogant appearance deeply stung Hanqin''s eyes.


    That man''s appearance was exactly like Ge Ya ¡­


    However, she suddenly calmed herself down. After hearing from the old nanny that Ge Ya had lived a difficult life in Huhe Palace, she heard that she had been carried out, so the empress must have had her eyes on her as well. Hui Wei and the Queen were not easy opponents either. Even if Ge Ya was really cocky, she wouldn''t have any good days ahead of him ¡­


    She then asked the maidservant to take out the silver taels ¡­


    "Go to Gansu, my father''s hometown, and find out if Zhao Ci is here. Remember to get the evidence."


    The girl accepted her orders and left. Only then did seem to be relieved, and asked the old nanny to help her get dressed and rest.

 C78

    This summer felt exceptionally long for Zhuang Li. Too many things had happened since she moved away from the Plum Court, and these things seemed to have an even heavier weight within her heart.


    She started to wonder if she was really Zhuang Li, or Zhao Ci. She had always thought that she was just Zhuang Li, but Zhao Ci''s body had brought her so many troubles. Later on, she finally understood that she might be Zhuang Li, but she was also Zhao Ci. Because it was true that she was Zhuang Li, but she was still going to live with him.


    Her dreamlike experiences at the Palace and in the Palace reminded her more of her modern life. The care of a friend, the encouragement of a close relative, and the weight of one''s soul after falling in love.


    However, she didn''t seem to understand how to love him.


    In modern times, she was a good child of her mother. Even in her rebellious youth, there was no question of early love. Later, when she went to college, she couldn''t bear to have her mother bear the burden of her tuition all by herself, even though she was out of her mother''s control. Thus, she and her good friend Duan Weilan started a life of half-work half-study. She had been busy all year round with her studies and part-time jobs. How could she have the time to date?


    Later on, he worked for a design company. His daily schedule was very fast, and his resting time was deducted by his boss. His salary was also extremely cheap.


    She met a guy who came to the company a few days before her. He was about the same age as her, so they could be considered to have a common topic. One day when she got home from work, the boy suddenly called him.


    He said that she was standing at the window just now and watched as Zhuang Li went downstairs and crossed the road to take the bus. He wanted to take her home from now on.


    It was the first time that Zhuang Li seriously considered that kind of question, love and being loved. She was moved by how simple it was to be cared for ¡­


    But before we even started talking about love, she had a car accident...


    He didn''t even get a hold of her hand ¡­


    Until now, he couldn''t even remember that man''s name, much less his appearance ¡­


    She muttered to herself as she shook her head at the bubbling furnace which was burning in her Imperial Study.


    "I can survive even like this, and I can even transcend over ¡­ "It''s really hard for people not to break it ¡­"


    Qing You was worried about Zhuang Li''s body, worried that she had not recovered yet, and asked the Eunuch Li to let her come to Imperial Study''s teahouse to accompany Zhuang Li. Eunuch Li actually agreed so readily ¡­


    So at this moment, Zhuang Li was staring blankly at the metal stove that was boiling water, while Qing You was picking some tea leaves on the side.


    "Miss, what did you say?"


    Zhuang Li was summoned back to her senses by her voice and quickly recovered to look at Qing You and asked.


    "What did I say?"


    "You seem to be muttering about what''s good in the world? Not bad in the mortal world? Is the sky not good enough? "


    Zhuang Li was amused by her and explained, "It''s not that the human world is not bad, it''s just that people can''t tear themselves apart ¡­ "It means that life has become so difficult, don''t expose it..."


    Qing You still did not understand, and stopped causing chaos for her little brain, continuing to think about her own matters happily.


    However, Qing You was even more worried about her constantly staring at her, afraid that her head was watered and had not fully recovered.


    That day, Zhuang Li was brought back completely drenched, as if she was submerged in water. That was the obvious reason. Someone wanted her dead ¡­


    However, she did not seem to care about this young lady. Her attitude seemed to suggest that she had survived anyway.


    When the emperor asked about the empress dowager''s situation, the empress told him that it was the astrologer who said that Princess Ge Ya was a fiend and that they mustn''t leave her be. Naturally, they had to ask the astrologer about this matter, but even after searching the entire capital, they couldn''t find the astrologer''s location.


    This was the only way to proceed.


    However, even Qing You could tell that the one who was in the worst of the situation was the Emperor ¡­


    But now, Zhuang Li was even more alive. Perhaps it was because she had experienced the drama of escaping from death and valued her life more, or perhaps it was because she was proud that she had experienced so many hardships, or perhaps it was because she had been in a dream.


    She realized that she might not have to be as cautious as a frightened rat, and that her loved ones, the friends who cared about her, might have stayed by her side all this time and never left.


    And there was also Wang Su. He did not seem to regard himself as a normal servant girl.


    This point was just like a seed of hope planted in Zhuang Li''s heart, causing her to be unable to help the corner of her mouth to curl up when she thought of this.


    Once she thought it through, she would not feel so tired anymore. From time to time, she would come up with some modern words for Qing You to hear. However, Qing You only thought that it was because of the fright that suffered in Huai He Palace that she had not fully recovered.


    The weather at the end of July was unbearably hot and sultry to its peak. She and Qing You sat on the threshold of the teahouse in the afternoon, waving their little folding fans around to chase away the mosquitoes.


    During the emperor''s morning assembly, Zhuang Li rushed into her house to change the tea. Recently, not only was the air hot and humid, she had also changed some of the tea leaves. The sound of their argument reached her ears. It seemed that this year''s flood season was about to arrive, and she needed to do a good job of preventing the flood in the counties and towns on both sides of the river. It is also the preparation for new water conservancy projects after flood season.


    Every year during the flood season, the dikes on both sides of the river would be washed away. The people would not be able to live comfortably, but there was no way for them to be more direct.


    Although he would occasionally rest for a few days, in the end, he was always getting better and better. When Zhuang Li came out of Huai He Palace, she heard that Xiao Wanzi had to ask for his help even though he had told him about it. Naturally, Zhuang Li wanted to thank him face to face, but unfortunately, she had not found the opportunity yet.


    She sent Qing You back to the room to rest first when it was night and she was still waiting in the teahouse. The teahouse was only a small distance away from the emperor''s study, and the light of the emperor''s books could be seen coming in through the door.


    The Imperial Study s were all the books that the emperor wanted to use recently. Although the various trees of the Great Phoenix were all in the library, the number of books the emperor wanted to use for the Imperial Study s was so much that it filled his stomach with sweat ¡­


    The bookshelves were built from the floor all the way to the ceiling. If young eunuch wanted to take the books on top of it, he would need to get young eunuch to use a ladder to get it.


    Keep the study dry, and occasionally light some incense.


    This kind of thing was done specially by a young eunuch. Looking at the weather and changing the mood, if the Emperor stayed up late at night, he would have a more refreshing fragrance.


    Zhuang Li suddenly felt a gust of wind coming from outside her door after she finished her tea. The wind was not as strong as it used to be. No matter how hot and sultry it was, it was still unbearably hot and humid this summer. And that gust of wind was especially cold, almost causing Zhuang Li to shiver. She leaned over to the window and suddenly realized that the room was actually very hot and stuffy. The outside style was so big that it made her clench her arms tightly.


    The high temperature of summer had persisted for many days, and today was especially sultry. At night, they could see the swallow circling in the air, low and low. It seemed that the sky was going to change.


    Just as she closed the door, thunder suddenly flashed across the sky, followed by a torrential downpour ¡­


    It was already dark. The lantern hanging from the ceiling of the study room was swaying due to the wind. Waves of cold wind gushed into the room. Mixed with the cold water vapor, it made her shiver continuously.


    She stood at the entrance of the tea room and study and quietly looked inside the room. The emperor was still sitting in front of his desk, still writing something down with incomparable seriousness. He couldn''t seem to sense the bad weather over the rooftops.


    Rumble ¡­


    With another rolling thunder, Zhuang Li could not help but tremble in shock.


    She was not afraid of a thunderstorm. When she was young, she had initially lived in a bungalow with her mother, but since there was no heating facilities, it became extremely cold in winter. Thus, her mother took her to study ¡­


    Among the thousands of buildings in Ande, all the cold scholars of the world were rejoicing ¡­


    As she read, her mother told her the meaning of the sentence. She told her to remember it well, that the person who wrote the word was also on such a cold, stormy night.


    His suffering was known to everyone who read his words...


    Many years later, whether it was windy, rainy or hot, she would think of her mother''s face, which made her indestructible.


    "Come in if you''re afraid." The Emperor suddenly said ¡­


    Zhuang Li realized that she had been watching from the door for a long time. Probably the emperor thought that she was afraid of lightning rain, but she still happily ran over and stood beside the emperor.


    However, if he was able to stand so close to the Emperor, he wouldn''t be afraid even if the world were to collapse ¡­


    Zhuang Li felt that her idea was too ridiculous. Could a woman who was secretly in love also have a lower IQ?


    This time, it really gave Zhuang Li a big fright. She hurriedly squatted down, but did not expect that she would crash into the corner of the table, causing her to groan in pain. Before she could stand up, Eunuch Li pushed open the door and entered.


    "What''s going on?" Wang Su asked, so naturally Zhuang Li did not dare to stand up, and continued to squat on the ground. Hearing Eunuch Li''s reply


    "Reporting to the Emperor, it''s fine. It''s just that the wind outside was too strong, so I broke a lantern outside." In the morning, this old servant will order someone to replace it with a new one. "


    "The wind outside is strong, let the guards and the lanterns in."


    The Eunuch Li smiled kindly, "Thank you, your majesty."


    Not too long after, the eunuchs and guards who had been waiting outside all entered the room, then went into the room next door.


    Zhuang Li was still squatting on the ground, slightly embarrassed. She originally wanted to be fearless, but she was scared to such an extent by a broken lantern.


    "Come here."


    "Huh?" Zhuang Li stood up, at a loss of what to do. The Emperor suddenly pulled her over and leaned against the Dragon Throne as he sat down.


    The dragon throne was huge, it could fit three people without a problem. Usually, Zhuang Li would retort in her heart that this was not a dragon throne, it was more like a bed.


    The emperor suddenly pulled this chair over and sat it down, then awkwardly felt that it was too small ¡­ Fortunately, it was night, and the lights were not bright enough for the Emperor to see her suddenly flushed cheeks.


    The Emperor did not plan on letting her go just like that. Seeing that she seemed to have been set up by an incantation and had sensed that something was amiss, he heartlessly took the candle and brought it closer to Zhuang Li. Naturally, he could see her bright red face.


    Suddenly, Wang Su was overjoyed to the point of laughing out loud.


    "Huang ¡­" Your Majesty ¡­ "Lower your voice ¡­"


    Zhuang Li was afraid to lure the eunuchs over, but she didn''t dare to cover her mouth with her hands.


    In the end, Wang Su finally stopped laughing, as if he had found some joy and was completely minding his own business.


    "Don''t worry. With Eunuch Li here, no one will dare to come out and ask."


    At that time, Zhuang Li did not understand the meaning behind those words. She quickly retreated to the furthest corner of the chair from the emperor and carefully leaned on the table as she looked at Wang Su.


    It was as if the dream he had had at the Palace of Huihe had come true.


    The bamboo platform was bright and dim, the flames flickered, Wang Su''s face also flickered between light and darkness. It was as if he was in a dream, but also as if he was in reality ¡­


    Zhuang Li blinked her eyes. What if she could preserve this moment forever?


    She had to travel through time and space, and she had to travel through thousands of rivers and thousands of mountains to find the Eternity?


    Thunder continued to thunder on top of the roof as the rain continued to fall heavily. The paper windows were not soundproof, and his ears were filled with the sound of the rain hitting the tiles. This was a sight rarely seen in the city.


    She remembered that when she was young, she lived in a tile house with her mother. Suddenly, a heavy rain fell in the middle of the night, hitting the tiles above her head without stop. The feeling of the two of them relying on each other to survive.


    Zhuang Li looked at Wang Su''s profile in such a manner, as if he had forgotten about this space and space and his identity.


    She couldn''t hear the thunder or the rain hitting the building.


    Later on, she felt that at this time, only Wang Su and her were left in this world, and it was like a dream ¡­

 C79

    The downpour continued for three days and this was the biggest downpour that Zhuang Li had encountered since she came to this world. For three whole days, her ears were filled with the sound of the rain hitting the tiles.


    That morning, when Zhuang Li woke up, he discovered that she was the only one left in her Imperial Study. She leaned back on the throne and slept soundly, wearing a warm blanket. Although she couldn''t remember what dream she had, he felt exceptionally satisfied the moment she woke up. She quickly got up, tidied up the blanket, and draped it over the chair. Then she opened the door and went out.


    As soon as he opened the door, a cold wind blew in, causing Zhuang Li to shiver. The rain did not stop. There were only two or three eunuchs by the door, carrying bamboo ladders. They exchanged the two lanterns that had been blown away by the wind the night before.


    Zhuang Li called for one of them.


    "When did the Emperor leave?"


    "Reporting to the Imperial Noble Lady Ya, the emperor has left before six. It''s just that the Eunuch Li has instructed us not to enter the Imperial Study."


    Zhuang Li laughed and sent him away.


    The rain fell from the eaves like a broken bead, dripping onto the limestone tiles. The water droplets pierced through the stones, causing the air in the capital to change overnight. Suddenly, it became so cool that it made one feel cold. Zhuang Li hugged her arms tightly and quickly headed to her own room.


    Just as he walked under the roof, he saw Qing You holding an oil-paper umbrella to pick her up, raising the umbrella above her head and then putting on a piece of clothes that was thicker than before.


    "Miss, Xiao Wanzi sent a message over saying that the Prince Bi is waiting for you at the lotus pond ¡­"


    Although it was still windy and raining, there was no thunder in the end. When she was young, she asked her mother why she didn''t thunder, and her mother coaxed her to say that it was because Thunder had used up all his strength ¡­


    She returned to the room. Qing You had already boiled some hot water and prepared to change her clothes. After taking a bath, she felt that her body had finally warmed up a little.


    There was indeed a lotus pond in the palace, and it was not a small pond used to decorate the front and back of the palace. The earth that had been dug up had been piled up into a mountain. Water had been introduced into the rest of the pit, from the upstream, and a channel had been dug to divert the excess water downstream, thus ensuring that the water in the lake foil was live water.


    Qing You heard the old eunuch talk about that lake. It was said that after the Emperor built that lake, he had never decided what to call it, until one day, when he was swimming, he saw white clouds reflected on the surface of the lake. Those lotus flowers seemed to grow in the sky as if they were red carp swimming in the water, chasing those clouds.


    The lake water was not deep, just enough to grow lotus flowers. This was something the constitutional emperor had planned before he dug it up, so the Cloud Lake was filled with lotus flowers, white, red, and so on ¡­


    Even the outdoor floor of the palace had been scrubbed by the eunuchs with water and linen cloth. It had rained all night long, and a lot of leaves had fallen. They could only wait until the rain stopped before sending people to clean it up. Zhuang Li was not very familiar with the route, she continued to follow behind Qing You. On both sides of the path were landscape flowers and gardens, the clean shoes and pants were splashed with a lot of mud.


    Suddenly, in the torrential rain, almost no flowers could survive. The ball of silk, the rose, the orchid, and the jasmine, as they walked, their feet were filled with all kinds of petals that had been knocked off by the rain.


    As Zhuang Li walked, although the scenery on both sides seemed to be slightly awkward, the decorations were especially exquisite and meticulous. I heard that the majority of it was done by the former emperor s, and since the Emperor ascended the throne, he had not built any palaces or pavilions. Zhuang Li could not help but sigh, this former emperor was truly a rich person who knew how to enjoy.


    In comparison, Wang Su was just too realistic. Perhaps, due to the influence of his mother''s Imperial Consort Mei, an ordinary person wouldn''t be able to safely give birth to him while living in the Plum Court.


    To be honest, just by seeing how long Wang Su could stay in the imperial court, and how long he would have to listen to the arguments of the various ministers who were full of energy, and then return to the Imperial Study, he would even have to approve the papers for the night. It would be fun if there was a celebratory palace banquet. However, the royal family had to go through all sorts of ceremonies together with the Ministry of Rites. They were all tired out because of those Scholars who were rich in Chinese literature. Where would he have the time to go to the garden of the palace?


    Sometimes, Zhuang Li even felt that the walls of the palace was to imprison all the people of the palace. With so much effort and understanding, all the people that lived here looked glorious, but were even more tiring than those living outside the palace.


    When he reached the lake, he found that it was filled with lotus flowers. Although the torrential rain had affected the blooming period, the lotus leaf seemed to be more spirited than ever. There were a few small boat boats by the lake, and one of the boat carried a piece of jade. Qing You sent Zhuang Li to the boat as she entered the other boat.


    Zhuang Li stepped onto the boat with the umbrella. The boat was too small and the body of the boat was shaking.


    Prince Bi...


    Compared to last time, he seemed to have lost a bit of weight, and his face was even paler. However, he looked even more delicate and beautiful than a woman.


    When Zhuang Li entered the boat, a small carbon stove had already been built inside.


    But yesterday, Zhuang Li and Qing You were still so hot that they wished they could soak in the well water for an entire day, spitting out their tongues like dogs to dissipate the heat. Never in their wildest dreams did they expect that within a single day, she would already be shivering inside a boat with a stove in her.


    The rain was so heavy that even though he was wearing an umbrella, he was still covered in water. His shoes had already been completely drenched.


    "Take off your shoes and roast them." Prince Bi ordered.


    Zhuang Li''s shoes were completely filled with water, and it felt as if her entire foot was soaked in water. She immediately took off her shoes, and just as she was about to put her shoes on the side of the stove, she was held by the Prince Bi by the waist, as if he was holding''s whole body with one hand, and placing him on a blanket in the middle of the boat boat.


    She had never thought that Prince Bi''s somewhat skinny and beautiful arms would actually be so powerful. Although she felt a little embarrassed, she turned around and saw that Prince Bi did not seem to be aware of this as she pulled out her shoes and placed them beside the fire. He also turned around and sat on the blanket with Zhuang Li.


    A teapot was already warming up on the stove. Prince Bi took out a cup and poured a cup for Zhuang Li.


    Initially, Zhuang Li thought it was tea, but upon receiving it, she realized that it was milk. Furthermore, it was different from the milk provided by the palace, as there seemed to be an especially thick and fragrant smell that spread throughout the room, which was especially warm and fragrant.


    "This is dried milk Mongolia brought back. I wonder if you like it, I''ve prepared a bag for you." Behind him was a small square bundle wrapped in oilcloth.


    "Inner Mongolia is so far away, don''t you find it troublesome to carry these things that can''t get wet or get wet?"


    "It''s alright, my family has many servants."


    Zhuang Li really wanted to get close to him and teach him a lesson, "Can''t you keep a low profile? A tree breaks when it is straight, do you understand? "


    "There are a lot of people who want to impeach me. I said that if they find me too troublesome, they can change them. But the Prince of Mongolia likes me." "If it were someone else, I''m afraid he would be unhappy ¡­"


    Zhuang Li was actually at a loss for words ¡­


    Although it was a sudden drop in temperature and heavy rain, and they were indeed wearing the two layers of the autumn jacket, it was still in the middle of summer, so they shouldn''t wear too much. However, Prince Bi had already donned the small mattress for the early winter, and the blanket on the boat was not a carpet nor was it a blanket ¡­


    Although he looked free and at ease, he still looked tired after his illness. It was hard to tell whether he was feeling well or not ¡­


    "If you are sick, stay at home and rest for a few more days. It''s fine if you want to come out, but at least find a time when the weather is better ¡­ It''s raining heavily. Do you want to go back and get sick or something? "


    At first, she thought that Prince Bi would only take a few days to recover from his illness, but she didn''t think that he would actually be sick for one or two months. She thought that Prince Bi might be pretending to be sick to be sick to be out of court, since the Emperor was greedy for money every day, so if he were to stay outside the palace, then it was natural that he would wake up earlier, and with Wang Bi''s occasionally showing that he loved freedom, he would be able to do such a thing.


    It wasn''t until she met the eunuch, Xiao Wanzi, from Dew Palace that Zhuang Li was able to confirm that Prince Bi was truly sick, and that her sickness was not light either ¡­


    And when he thought carefully about it again, Prince Bi did indeed have a frail body ¡­


    And worried for a while.


    "You''re worried about me?" Wang Bi suddenly approached her with a probing look.


    In that instant, Zhuang Li suddenly thought back to the time when the Emperor brought the candlestick to her face.


    These two brothers ¡­ In normal days, their personalities seemed to be greatly different, and it was impossible to tell that they were born from the same father. But sometimes, it would seem that such a child''s character was clearly a nest of brats ¡­ They even felt that their facial features were somewhat similar.


    Zhuang Li shook her head in denial. She wasn''t the least bit embarrassed by Wang Bi coming in closer. It was as if she had already thought of him as her friend ¡­


    "You treat me too badly." The man sat back on the mattress in disappointment.


    "If you are cold, you should be closer to the fire. Go out and let the servants prepare a hand stove for you. "It''s best if you don''t go out in this storm." When she looked at Wang Su who had just sat back down, it was as if she smiled a little. Coupled with his sickly pale face, it was hard to not worry about him. Just now, when he hugged Zhuang Li, even though he was extremely strong, Zhuang Li felt that his fingers were ice-cold, as if it was winter.


    Wang Bi was now approaching the small stove like a hamster. He complained:


    "How can I meet you if I don''t come out at this time?"


    This excuse made Zhuang Li feel speechless:


    "I''m not the emperor, and I''m not a noble either. I''ve taken off my clothes to make things difficult for the people, but you''re forever a Prince Bi. Even the emperor can see you if he wants to, let alone me?"


    Wang Bi scoffed, "Do you not know how the Emperor views his Imperial Study? Normally, even I wouldn''t be able to get in, so if we were going to get in, it would naturally have to be with the emperor using his Imperial Study to get in. But I don''t have any paper for him... It would already be a headache to deal with the impeachment of my debt ¡­ "


    "Is there any treasure hidden in the Imperial Study? You have to watch it so closely? " All of a sudden, all that Zhuang Li could think of were the different types of secret chambers ¡­


    After all, while she was on duty in the Imperial Study, she merely stayed within that small teahouse. Even if she entered the Imperial Study, it was limited to only standing at a certain place, sitting in a certain corner, and she had never had a chance to carefully gather things in the Imperial Study.


    There must be a secret of the royal family in it...


    The secret of the royal family naturally had to do with the glittering finances. Even if he didn''t get it, he would be very satisfied if he could have met those things before ¡­


    Wang Bi found her silly look to be funny and agreed with her ¡­


    "Yes, there is." He nodded affirmatively.


    "There really is one!? What is it? The royal family''s treasure map? Jewelry gold and jade? Could it be that the entrance to the treasury is hidden in the Emperor''s Imperial Study? Is it underground? " Was he really sitting on a golden mountain guarding the small teahouse all day long?


    "Your majesty, you''re the one who''s watching us closely ¡­" He raised his beautiful eyebrows and rolled his eyes at Zhuang Li as he gave her an answer.

 C80

    Zhuang Li naturally thought that the Prince Bi was making fun of her. Ever since the Prince Bi sneakily brought her out of the palace, although the two of them had not met after getting drunk at the Pear Blossom House, they had both tacitly agreed that the other party was a friend and thus, naturally started a joke. Even though it indirectly proved that Zhuang Li was cheap ¡­ The woman who was bought by a meal of wine and meat.


    She picked up the cup and took a sip of milk. The milk also had a bit of the taste of alcohol and tea mixed within, so she didn''t know if she should call it milk tea wine or not ¡­


    "There is indeed wine in this milk, but the amount is very little. I can only taste a little bit of the wine, but the doctor said that my current appearance is already kind enough to let me drink this."


    "Did that doctor advise you to stay in the room and recuperate for two months before coming out ¡­"


    Wang Bi grumbled, "Haven''t I already been locked up for two months? "I''m so bored."


    "But that doesn''t mean you have to pick the weather."


    "I deliberately chose this storm. I''m waiting for you on the surface of the lake in the torrential rain, but you''re too embarrassed to come. You can''t bear to see me dragging my sickly body along on the lake''s surface." Didn''t you say that in your world, this is called the scheming of a girl? "


    Zhuang Li could only roll hshe eyes at him in annoyance, as if she had said quite a few things. My world is not like yours. But that was already the last time she was drunk ¡­ That time, he had completely drunk that broken piece. The next day, she only faintly remembered the time she went to the Pear Blossom House to drink. She had forgotten all about the bullsh * t.


    What kind of person is Prince Bi ¡­ His lousy little tolerance for alcohol was raised by Ge Ya while he was still in the midst of West Cold, but he still couldn''t drink Ge Ya''s, even though it was already pretty good ¡­ But how could he compare to the Prince Bi that Bi''er was used to drinking nectar from young?


    Who knew how many more embarrassing incidents Wang Bi wrote down after he had gotten drunk ¡­


    However, if they continued drinking with Da Feng without any worries, they would be able to relax and speak nonsense. Such a friend would only have Prince Bi as her only friend.


    He seemed to completely be able to accept every single weird word that Zhuang Li had said. Sometimes, Wang Bi was a leisurely beauty who was deeply worried and sad. Sometimes, he could even turn into a unrestrained man on the prairie ¡­


    He was an extremely knowledgeable and knowledgeable person. Even though she was a noble of the imperial palace, Zhuang Li could tell from her occasional conversations that he was familiar with the customs of the remote borders of the world.


    If he was happy, he would definitely talk like a crafty fairy. He would drink a huge amount of wine, so how could he possibly win against him? Listening to him blabbering and talking casually, coupled with the good wine in his stomach, how could he still remember whether he was a modern man or a phoenix ¡­ Or perhaps it was someone from the West Cold ¡­


    to talk about a lot of modern things... Chasing a girl? Three chapters?


    She could only sigh helplessly. In any case, she didn''t have any other choice but to allow him to tease her.


    "Then why did Prince Rainstorm ask me out?"


    Initially, she was worried about Wang Bi''s sickness and really wanted to visit him, but she hadn''t found the chance yet. Even if there was a chance, he couldn''t just come out in such a heavy rain. But in the end, other than the reasons that he gave her, what else did Prince Bi want to ask her out for?


    "Are you alright? I just wanted to invite you out to see you. "


    "¡­"


    "If anything must happen to you, just take it as a date to have a relationship with you ¡­"


    His words were filled with righteousness and seriousness, making Zhuang Li speechless once again.


    The lake outside was warm from the small carbon stove, despite the torrential rain. The window opened, and it was surrounded by lotus leaves that were much taller than the boat. It seemed that the rain had made them more energetic.


    The moment the window opened, the sound of rain hitting the water outside, the sound of it hitting the top of the boat, and the sound of it landing on the lotus leaves, all of this rang out without stop.


    Prince Bi leaned against the stove, his face still flushed red, he closed his eyes, as though he was drunk.


    Zhuang Li leaned on the window, smelling the scent of the rain outside. When she was young, she had stubbornly told her mother that the rain had a smell.


    She had told many people that she did not believe her, but she could not understand. There was clearly a lot of smell, so she could only smell it when it rained.


    Later on, he realized that the smell of rain was the smell of the roof tiles, the smell of the earth, the smell of the grass breaking through the earth and splashing onto the floor to wet his shoes.


    They melted in the rain, left in her nose through the air, and deepened her knowledge of the world.


    That was how she grew up, from a little child who didn''t know anything, to gradually being taught by her mother to become what she was like later on.


    She was wearing white cloth shoes, which were now drying by the small stove. The petals of various colors that had been stained on them along the way were also roasted and pasted on the shoes. They were red and blue in color, and were even prettier than rainbows.


    Occasionally, the fallen petals would drift in, mixing with the aroma of milk, wine, and the fragrance of the lotus leaves to make it even more fragrant.


    "This lake was built by my royal father after the last great defeat of the West Cold. At that time, he wanted to build a lake, and he also used the soil dug out from the lake to build a mountain opposite of us.


    After the lake was built, the lake was empty and the water was not clean. He said that he would plant lotus flowers here and his mother asked him how many lotus flowers he would plant. The lotus flowers here had also been harvested from the lotus flowers in Pan Yang Lake. He did not expect them to grow so well now.


    When the lotus flowers were gone, the lotus seeds fell back into the soil and grew back the next year. One year, two decades have passed. "


    Zhuang Li looked at the lotus flower in the middle of the lake. It was already higher than a person when it reached out from the water surface, but there was still a long way under the water surface.


    At that time, I was still very young, but I remember that when the father was harvesting lotus roots, he personally went down to the lake with the old farmer that was invited by the palace to go down to the lake to pick the lotus roots, and he even happily gifted the lotus roots to the minister.


    Zhuang Li never thought that the previous king would have such a close relative side, probably also like this, where Wang Su inherited it, so he was willing to turn into a beggar, and look for a shortcut to defeat the West Cold with a depressed face.


    "The first time I ate the lotus roots in the lake, it was made for me by the emperor''s mother. She had just given birth to Wang Su, and seeing me standing outside the door, she pitifully looked like a hungry puppy, so she gave me a bowl."


    Prince Bi suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Zhuang Li, "If I have a lotus root to dig out now, when the lotus root is ripe, I will go down and dig it up for you. I''m in charge of digging and you''re in charge of cooking. The men''s cropping and knitting is so fair. "


    "Save it!" Zhuang Li looked at his sickly appearance. She still wanted to go down to the lake to dig up lotus roots. She was sick for three months and didn''t know if rolling around in the lake would take his life or not ¡­


    Just like every time he met Prince Bi, that noble young master would always be dressed extravagantly, as if there was not a speck of dust on his clothes. Even though it was raining heavily outside, he could still clean his clothes, shoes and socks as if they were new.


    "If I''m sick, don''t you prescribe medicine?"


    Zhuang Li was unable to react in time ¡­ Opening medicine? What medicine? I''m not a doctor...


    Only then did she remember that he was talking about the tea that Xiao Wanzi had pestered her to the point that she was unable to prepare for him at Imperial Study ¡­


    "After drinking your medicine, how could I dare be unkind ¡­"


    Zhuang Li was speechless. She had initially thought that the Prince Bi was just joking, but a long, long time later, she found out from Prince Bi''s Concubine that her tea leaves had really been consumed like medicine by the Prince Bi.


    That medicinal primer could cure the illness in his heart ¡­


    "Can you not mention that ¡­" was afraid that Wang Bi would be cold, so he got up and closed the window.


    "Don''t close ¡­"


    She suspiciously looked at Prince Bi.


    "I''ve been locked up in the mansion for too long. Let me blow on it to get some fresh air." He spoke in an incomparably pitiful manner, as if he had suffered a great loss in the prince''s mansion and been bullied for how long ¡­


    However, as a gust of wind blew across the boat, the Prince Bi seemed to turn even paler. Zhuang Li immediately reached out to close the window.


    "When I say close the door, you have to close it. I''m afraid that you''ll die here. Tomorrow, rumors will spread throughout the palace ¡­"


    "What is gossip?" Tai Chi Eight Trigrams? "


    "The gossip I''m talking about is just a rumor ¡­"


    "It seems like you don''t believe the Taiji eight trigrams?" "Although I don''t believe in that astrologer, Taiji did ¡­"


    Just like that, the two of them chatted like chicken to duck. The rain outside had not stopped, and it was actually still falling harder and harder.


    Zhuang Li remembered that she had read a book about lotus flowers in the pond. The woman talked about how pitiful the lotus flowers in the pond were, and then she went and held an umbrella over the lotus flowers. She didn''t mind being drenched by the rain.


    That kind of gentle and innocent woman already felt that she was that kind of person when she saw the prince''s consort. Looking back at Wang Bi Palace, he was probably the number one beautiful family in Great Phoenix Dynasty, the two of them really matched each other perfectly.


    Although there was no wine this time and it was still raining heavily outside, the two of them were still in high spirits. Wang Bi opened the window and extended his hand out to catch the rainwater outside.


    This ailment of the Prince Bi''s probably wouldn''t be any better ¡­

 C81

    It rained for four days. On the fifth day, the weather cleared up. When Zhuang Li walked out of the room, the young eunuch, whose Imperial Study had been in wait, had already started to clean up the water in the courtyard. Zhuang Li went to take a look at the pomegranate. After a few days of rain, the branches and leaves had all been beaten up, but the small pomegranate still managed to hold on. It hung on the branches with water dripping off its body.


    All the flowers and plants had temporarily recovered from the torrential rain, letting out weak gasps.


    Zhuang Li frowned as she looked around, and finally heard the faint chirping of a cicada from the elm tree above him. There was originally a bird nest on the tree, and after being struck by the torrential rain on the first day, it was picked up by the young eunuch to be reared inside the house.


    The temperature was still extremely cold due to the torrential rain. Zhuang Li had the urge to raise the small carbon stove in the room that was only used during winter.


    Since the day it rained, Imperial Study had removed the ice cubes. Instead of using the furnace, however, he changed the thin blanket covering the ground into a woolen blanket.


    It was still in the middle of summer, so the temperature was only temporary. The weather would probably slow down soon.


    As expected, in just two or three days, the temperature was able to rise rapidly.


    In early August, the temperature reached its highest peak ever.


    And as the temperature grew so high, so did the disaster ¡­


    Every July and August, when the amount of rain on the Great Phoenix was at its highest, it would naturally become the flood season for the major rivers in the territory of the Great Phoenix. Although preparations would be made every year from the beginning of July, manpower was still not enough to contend with the heavens.


    Just after the flood season, every town''s disaster covered the Emperor''s desk like flying snow. If a county along the river didn''t hand over the paper, that didn''t mean that it didn''t suffer the disaster. It was probably because the heavy flood had washed away the major roads, and now the paper that reported the disaster was stuck on the road ¡­


    It was said that this year''s disaster was much more serious than any previous year.


    One county town was almost completely flooded, with a quarter of the population dead and injured.


    It was a disaster area this year. The imperial government had already sent out a large amount of troops to pay for their food, but emergency reports were still being sent to the imperial court. How to solve the disaster, and how to distribute the money and food, became the subject of the scholars'' incessant debates...


    There were so many and many people gathered at the Imperial Study, even Zhuang Li and Qing You were extremely busy serving tea together.


    After all, the imperial court was arguing about the disaster from the very start, making a huge ruckus while the emperor was sitting in the Imperial Study all day, looking at the papers one by one.


    Once again, Zhuang Li had been transferred to the Eunuch Li. She was only responsible for organizing the papers. She had to go through the papers before she could sort them out one by one.


    Among them, the one who suffered the most was Huian County''s Qing Qiao County. Those two counties were located downstream in the lowlands, so this time, the floods suddenly flooded the two counties.


    Some ministers said that they needed to mobilize their troops to provide disaster relief. Others argued that a city had been flooded to such an extent that most of the buildings had been destroyed. It would be better to abandon the city and move the rest of the victims to another location to build a new city.


    If they were to abandon the city, should they build a new city or should they let the residents scatter to the nearby towns that were less affected by the disaster?


    The cost of building a new city was not small. If they were allocated to a nearby town, it would involve the redistribution of land and the like.


    In short, it was extremely noisy. Seeing that they were about to pass the Mid-Autumn Festival, and that the disaster was so severe this year, the citizens who were guarding the Imperial Palace Banquet would have to pass the Mid-Autumn Festival as well. The entire country was still in chaos, so it was best not to let such a thing happen.


    Zhuang Li arranged the papers that had not been answered and sighed. She turned her head to look at Wang Su who was sitting on the dragon throne.


    "Your majesty, do you think we should move them or leave them where they are?"


    "What do you think?" He did not even raise his head as he organized the things in his hands.


    "The words of the ministers of the court all sound to be reasonable. With the Lord Yin Tai leading the party, Master Xiu''s party hopes to not move. However, whether or not it was possible to move was something that no one truly understood. "The escape route from the disaster area has already been destroyed by the water, so we''ll have to wait for some time to get the news. Aren''t the officials from the court standing on two sides just waiting to watch the show ¡­"


    "Oh? I think you know very well. " The emperor stopped writing and looked at Zhuang Li as if she was researching.


    Zhuang Li hurriedly lowered her head ¡­


    "Your Majesty ¡­" I was just guessing... Conjecture... Just take it as if I''m talking in my sleep. "


    Would the Emperor blame himself for trespassing? This damned mouth of mine... No wonder Eunuch Li is always blaming me ¡­ There is no right to comment on being a slave...


    The Emperor did not let Zhuang Li go, he put down his brush and stood up, he even walked down the Dragon Stage.


    "Although you''re not completely right, you''re not wrong either. The two groups of people fighting against each other turned red in the face. Naturally, their interests were implicated as well. The Lord Yin Tai wanted to move away, because he was in charge of the move. Although the money and food were not necessarily his thoughts, he could give them to the people below to buy what he wanted. As for Master Xiu, he understood even more clearly that he was in charge of the several prefectures near Qing Qiao County. If he dispersed the people from Qing Qiao County into the nearby counties, it would naturally cause pressure on the nearby counties. He doesn''t want to get into that trouble. "


    "That''s why they are fighting while waiting?"


    The Emperor did not respond to Zhuang Li''s words.


    "They can afford to wait, but the victims can''t. After entering the West Cold, the Great Phoenix was already exhausted, and could not let the soldiers have a peaceful time in their hometown. You just wait for me in Imperial Study and don''t go anywhere else until I return. " After Wang Su finished speaking, he pushed open the door and left.


    Zhuang Li didn''t know what Wang Su wanted him to do, but he obediently stayed in the Imperial Study.


    Roughly half an hour later, Eunuch Li pushed open the door and entered. "Imperial Noble Lady Ya, the Emperor asked this old servant to come over and take you out."


    "Go out? "Where to?"


    "You don''t need to ask. If you delay it, things will get complicated. Hurry up."


    Until Zhuang Li sat on an extremely unremarkable palanquin that was stopped at the side of the palace gate ¡­ Wang Su wore plain white ordinary clothes. Zhuang Li instantly understood ¡­


    He was leaving the palace! Or should I leave the palace with the Emperor!


    That palanquin didn''t look like it was in the palace, but rather that the emperor had left it in the palace so it would be convenient for him to sneak out of the city gates. The Eunuch Li only sent her to the palanquin, and after exchanging a few words of tacit understanding with the Emperor, he walked along the wall and left.


    A few eunuchs lifted up the palanquin, and young eunuch followed beside it. If he were to send the Emperor out of the palace, it would definitely arouse suspicion. When he arrived at the city gate, the young eunuch took out his order badge and showed it to the guard. After saying a few words, the palace door opened to let them out.


    After a brief moment of excitement, she suddenly thought of another question ¡­ What about the morning assembly?


    Although the Mid-Autumn Festival was coming in a few days and because of the recent flood, there were still a lot of ministers who came over every day to help with the Imperial Study! Thinking up to this point, Zhuang Li weakly asked Wang Su who was beside him.


    "Your Majesty, what about the Imperial Study? Today, Lord Yin Tai said that he would come early tomorrow morning! "


    "Eunuch Li knows how to trick them."


    "Then, your majesty, where are we preparing to go?"


    "Can''t you guess?"


    Zhuang Li carefully guessed.


    "Qing Qiao County?"


    It was not even the fifth fragment of the night yet, and the city gate had not even opened when the palanquin stopped in front of a large house. The curtain of the carriage was opened, and Wang Su walked in familiarly.


    Since the emperor had gone in, Zhuang Li could only follow behind him in the clouds. The young eunuch beside him was suspicious, and explained, "This is the residence of the Imperial Tutor. After she returns to his homeland, he will leave this residence to the Young Master Wang. There''s food and clothing all inside, you guys should rest inside for a while, when the city gates open, I''ll send you guys out. "


    Although the Emperor may not be able to come once a year.


    When the servants heard that the honored guests had arrived, they hurriedly got up to boil water and cook. These servants were hired by the tutor before he left the capital, so they were told to wait in the mansion.


    The eunuchs who approached them were personally taught by the Eunuch Li and had a tight mouth. The servants still thought that their master was the Imperial Tutor, but they had already secretly switched to the current emperor.


    Zhuang Li rested for about four hours before she was called out to eat.


    The food was simple but delicious, probably because he was hungry. Perhaps it was because the palace''s food had been eaten for too long, but to suddenly eat such a common food made her feel that it was extremely fragrant and sweet. Raising his head, Wang Su sat across from him and ate his food with gusto.


    From now on, Zhuang Li was going to call him Young Master Wang.


    The gongzi walked past the entrance of the mansion, knocking on the bronze gong and shouting "Open the gate!". Zhuang Li had already eaten his fill and drank his fill, and changed into the clothes that the palace was supposed to be wearing. The clothes were prepared for her by the daughter of the cooking woman. Although they were coarse, they were carefully embroidered with a few small, fragmented flowers. What she did was extremely diligent. Wang Su also changed into a grey robe. It was even simpler than the cedar that was as white as the moon.


    It did give off the aura of a young master from the Jade Tree, Ling Feng.


    Zhuang Li secretly looked at him while blushing, thinking, if he was an ordinary family''s young master, how great would that be, then I could get closer, a little closer ¡­

 C82

    The sky had already begun to turn white. There were people selling breakfast on the street, restaurants, and shops, and they were also opening their doors.


    This house did not belong to the center of the city nor did it belong to the outskirts of the city, but it was also bustling enough. Zhuang Li felt that this was the capital city, and it was even more dazzling and dazzling than when she was here a few years ago. This bustling city was just like a pearl in the middle of the night in the land of the Great Phoenix, it had a mystical power and a solemn palace. The people who live here live in peace and enjoy their ordinary lives at the feet of the Son of Heaven.


    They changed into a carriage. Although it wasn''t old, it was still an extremely low profile carriage. Zhuang Li had stayed in the West Cold for a few years, so she naturally had her own eyes and abilities. This kind of horse looked simple, and there were many flowers that were not good enough, but the most important thing was to have the ability to walk thousands of miles in a day. If it was placed in the market, that horse would also be something that was hard to find. The coachman was a young man. Although his clothes were simple, he gave off an extraordinary bearing. From the looks of it, he was also one of the palace guards. Zhuang Li suddenly thought of the Uncle Zheng, and he wondered if he was currently eating breakfast with Li Liangxiao.


    When the carriage driver saw the emperor come over, he even reached out to help him up. Only now did he notice that there was actually another woman following behind the emperor. When Zhuang Li walked closer to him, she looked at Zhuang Li seriously. Her expression was rather unsightly, and she turned her head to the side, as if she was extremely unhappy.


    "Come up." Zhuang Li raised her head and stretched out a hand towards her.


    The coachman rolled his eyes at the beautiful coachman.


    "Yun Duan, head towards the Qing Qiao County." Wang Su instructed the coachman, and pulled Zhuang Li back into the carriage.


    Yun Duan! It was only then that Zhuang Li seemed to remember something. She sat in the carriage and thought for a long time before realizing that this was the name of the young guard that Wang Su brought along when she first met him on the streets of the capital many years ago.


    I almost bumped into him on the street arguing with him ¡­


    Zhuang Li thought about it and still wanted to open the carriage curtain to see his appearance.


    Zhuang Li opened the curtains, and the entire capital gradually woke up from the sound of sleeping. There was a constant stream of traffic outside, it was as if it was flourishing and flourishing. Because of this, the carriage moved especially slowly.


    Zhuang Li thought about how many years ago, it was also Yun Duan who drove the horse carriage and flew along the road with Wang Su.


    She didn''t even know where she got the courage to roll around like this all those years ago.


    Perhaps it was because he had just arrived in this world, and the newborn calf was not afraid of the tiger. Now, there were too many scruples and ties, and he had already understood and assimilated the rules of this society. He seemed to be afraid of something.


    This was what a person should be like, and the person beside him did not know that he was the crazy girl that he had despised all those years ago.


    Yun Duan stopped in front of a breakfast shop. Seemingly familiar with the place, he went to that stall to buy some steamed buns and rations before returning them to the carriage.


    Although the Great Phoenix was in flood season, many cities were now submerged in water. Every day, there would be a few people reporting the flood. They rode fine horses, and were worn out by the wind and dust.


    After traversing over tens of thousands of rivers and mountains, they finally hurried across the limestone tiles on Beijing Avenue. They were seeking a path to survive from the imperial government.


    Before the eyes of the citizens, the world seemed to be eternally prosperous with no disasters and no one came back to plunder. They continued to lead a wonderful life, unaware that the Emperor''s desk had been piled with urgent, headache-inducing warnings.


    "This is the first time you''ve left the palace since entering?"


    Zhuang Li''s heart went cold, and only then did he realize that Eunuch Li would have to send his Imperial Study young eunuch out of the palace every month to gather some things to buy. The people who sent him out would always be different, but it was just that it was never his turn. The emperor was asking about this, he didn''t know that Prince Bi had even secretly brought him out of the palace.


    Zhuang Li nodded and replied.


    The capital is located in the upper reaches of the river, and has never experienced any natural disasters. Thus, it is the same here every year, and it has become even more prosperous, and its population has constantly increased every year. However, the Great Phoenix is not just flourishing, those towns with severe natural disasters every year, or perhaps the cities at the border where the small nations constantly harass the harvesting cities.


    He seemed to be speaking to Zhuang Li, but also seemed to be speaking to himself. No matter what, at that moment, Zhuang Li seemed to be able to understand Wang Su''s actions. She truly hoped that one day, he would be able to bring the Great Phoenix to such a state. If he wasn''t able to do so, his son would be able to inherit his throne, and his son would still have a grandson. His, Wang Su''s, bloodline was closely linked to the Great Phoenix.


    On the way out of the city gates, the guard checked the command tablet that Yun Duan had given him, then opened the curtain to look at Wang Su and Zhuang Li who were sitting in the carriage, and let them in.


    The moment the guard opened the door, Zhuang Li leaned on Wang Su''s body affectionately, looking like a newlywed couple.


    When Zhuang Li understood that sshe was going to bring her to the disaster area, he already understood what she was going to do. She was going to serve the emperor on a horse carriage to cover his identity.


    However, on the way, Yun Duan opened the curtain and handed them some food and water. It was obvious that he was born in the army, and although they knew Wang Su''s identity, they did not serve him. It was likely that the two of them had cooperated like this for many years, and had a tacit understanding. All the way until dusk, Zhuang Li had already dozed off a few times on the carriage. After waking up a few times, she had already leaned against Wang Su''s body, but Wang Su did not sleep or push her away.


    A hint of sweetness rose from Little Jiu Jiu Jiu''s heart ¡­ Even though he knew that he was just putting on an act.


    The lodging in the evening was a very small inn. After stopping the carriage, Yun Duan went to find a shop to book a room. When Zhuang Li walked into the store, he just happened to hear Yun Duan talking with the owner.


    "Boss, do you still have three rooms?"


    The three rooms were naturally for each person.


    Although he didn''t have to walk, he still felt exhausted from the bumpy journey. After going to his room to put down his clothes and bag, he went down to the hall to eat, the majority of the silver bills were on Yun Duan. That fellow gave a large amount of silver to Zhuang Li. His cultivation was much better than mine, so naturally, he placed the most of the silver here in front of me as his safest ¡­


    He was secretly rolling his eyes at Zhuang Li again, which obviously meant that he was displeased with Zhuang Li for being such a burden. However, Zhuang Li had also deteriorated at such a young age. She rolled his eyes and said, "I''m a person brought here by the emperor, what are you going to do with me? If you have the ability, get the emperor to throw me out ¡­"


    After eating some simple food downstairs, there were a lot more dishes here. It seemed that this place was not affected by the disaster, Zhuang Li intentionally grabbed the bowl and went to the shop owner to chat about some common dishes. The point was to ask about the affected areas.


    "Boss, what''s delicious around here?" Have business been doing well recently? I can see that you have quite a lot of rooms here. It seems that business isn''t good ¡­ Have you ever heard of the disaster along the river? Have you seen a group of people fleeing? " Since she had already followed the emperor out, then this self-proclaimed commissary for the investigation of the people''s livelihood would naturally be responsible for it ¡­ The owner had a middle-aged man''s impression of Zhuang Li, and although Zhuang Li had not washed up and was currently in a disheveled state after running for an entire day, the owner was still especially enthusiastic the moment he laid eyes on him.


    "Has the girl ever been married? Who are those two people? What do you do for a living? Where do you live? Later on, she said, "Do you have any dishes that taste good? I''ll give them to you to eat. Are you afraid of the dark tonight ¡­"


    Zhuang Li could only laugh awkwardly. Did the boss fancy her?


    However, the owner still refused to budge on her words. "Little girl, those two companions of yours don''t seem to be good people." Don''t go the wrong way. If you have any difficulties, why don''t you stay in my shop? "If you keep moving forward, you''ll end up in the disaster area. Those who lack clothes and food will freeze you to death, wouldn''t that be a pity ¡­"


    Zhuang Li was speechless. If she was allowed to, she almost wanted to cover the owner''s mouth that was in trouble ¡­


    The two people with me don''t look like good people... You mean to say that the Great Phoenix Emperor is a trafficker ¡­ Isn''t this courting death ¡­?


    "You want us to tear down your shop? Or take your own bones. " As the ice-cold voice rang out, Zhuang Li was so shocked that she nearly knelt down and shouted for His Majesty to calm his anger ¡­


    If Eunuch Li were here, he would probably scold himself to death when he saw this scene ¡­


    When the guard, Yun Duan, heard Wang Su''s unhappy words, he immediately jumped out and grabbed the sword at his waist and placed it on the man''s neck.


    The owner of the inn had initially thought that nothing was wrong even after being threatened by Wang Su. He only looked like a weak scholar. Being able to say a few words was his only ability ¡­ However, he didn''t expect the little brother beside him to pull out his blade with just one sentence ¡­ He was so scared that he almost fell flat on the ground. Trembling, she begged for mercy, "Hero, Hero, spare me ¡­" Then, he looked at Zhuang Li as if he was begging for help ¡­


    It took a lot of effort for Zhuang Li to restrain herself from kneeling down as she shouted for the emperor to calm down. Long live the emperor, listen to me, your majesty ¡­ The Eunuch Li did not teach him how to deal with such a situation ¡­ She wasn''t in the palace, she was outside. She was here to cover for the emperor. She couldn''t kneel, and she couldn''t lose her life ¡­ I never expected that the emperor would be so easily angered ¡­ After a few seconds, she recovered, trying to figure out how to deal with the current situation. After thinking of a foolproof plan, she ran over to look at Wang Su. It seemed to take her 120% of courage to make a certain decision, and then, he suddenly threw himself at Wang Su.


    "Husband ¡­" It''s all my fault... "Don''t be angry ¡­"


    She could clearly feel her heart beating faster because she was too afraid ¡­ The body that he pounced on should also be surprised by his own insanity. His entire body stiffened for a moment ¡­

 C83

    Zhuang Li felt that Wang Su was shocked by her actions, and then, he tactfully slid down.


    Instantly, the surrounding atmosphere became somewhat strange ¡­ And it was also awkward ¡­


    Wang Su was also embarrassed by the scene, he still maintained a straight face, flung his chopsticks, and directly went to the guest room. Naturally, Yun Duan also put down his sword, and quickly followed behind his master.


    Zhuang Li was naturally a little flustered by this sudden scene, and looked around. Although there weren''t many people eating here, there was one who was staring at her right now.


    She suddenly felt that she was as beautiful as a disaster ¡­ He didn''t know if he should be thankful that Zhao Ci gave him such a face ¡­


    Should I be a little bit smug...


    However, the scene before him ¡­ I think it''s better to hurry back to my room and hide...


    She wondered if she should go to Wang Su''s room first. The purpose of the Emperor bringing her out was naturally to serve him ¡­ Serving the Emperor in his loose clothes? Washing? How many people would be surrounding the Emperor when he was in the palace?


    Should he go to his room? That year, when the emperor was still the young prince of Su, there was no one who served the West Cold which the guards did not have to go to alone ¡­


    While she was hesitating, she had already walked up to Wang Su''s door. Yun Duan was standing at the door like a guardian angel with a sword in his hand...


    "Young Master Wang has instructed you to do what you need to do ¡­ "Don''t bother him ¡­"


    "¡­"


    Zhuang Li sighed, and just as she was about to turn and leave, Yun Duan suddenly opened his mouth and gave her another sentence.


    "Don''t think about taking advantage of the Young Master Wang, and take good care of it ¡­"


    Ah!" In an instant, Zhuang Li was like a bolt of lightning, and she immediately turned her head back. However, Yun Duan looked at her indifferently, not avoiding her gaze at all ¡­ The look was filled with words: What are you looking at? What I said was the truth ¡­


    To be angry at someone who has eyes is tantamount to having no life ¡­ Zhuang Li went berserk...


    Go back to your room and look around... He finally found the bronze mirror that the inn had prepared for the guests.


    Am I ugly? Am I not good-looking? My face was passed down by Du Yueyao! Do you even know who Du Yueyao is! A beauty that had never been seen before or since! Didn''t you see how many people were trying to curry favor with me ¡­ I was just buried within the Imperial Study ¡­ You want me to stay in the brothel and try...


    Then, Zhuang Li realized that she was infuriated by that stupid fool ¡­ If you want to prove why you want to look good, you have to go to a brothel... He really was so foolish that she wanted to cry but had no tears ¡­


    She picked up the bronze mirror and looked at her face. At that moment, she felt relieved ¡­ It was his face in the mirror, and although he was worn out from the journey, he was still as beautiful as a painting.


    Although she was so low-key that she rarely looked at herself in the mirror... But occasionally, even he would be captivated by this face ¡­


    That Yun Duan was basically so f * cking wooden that he was a rock!


    But it seems that the Emperor didn''t feel that he was beautiful at all? Every time the Emperor looked at him with his cold and indifferent eyes ¡­ Isn''t he going to fight with Yun Duan ¡­


    And Li Liangxiao too... He always said that big sister looked exactly the same as she did back then ¡­ That was why he was able to recognize her at a glance ¡­


    Could it be that he had always been hallucinating? Something that had never happened before? All this time, he had always been concealing his feelings and taking himself seriously?


    Although Zhuang Li was tired, she still slept soundly. When Wang Su and Yun Duan woke up the next day, they were already sitting in the hall.


    After a hasty breakfast, they set off on their way. The shop owner didn''t dare to breathe too loudly in front of them after yesterday''s incident. One of them was a person who became annoyed after a slight argument, and the other one was someone who wanted to pull out his sword and threaten him ¡­ After all, he ran a small business and had to rely on this small shop to provide nursing care for his mother and give birth to a wife and son ¡­ I dare not put my life on the line...


    Naturally, he was so shocked that he did not even dare to look at Zhuang Li ¡­


    It wasn''t just the owner ¡­ The servants in the shop, the customers who bumped into this matter yesterday, no longer dared to look at Zhuang Li ¡­ This made Zhuang Li feel extremely frustrated instead ¡­


    Although Yun Duan was an aesthetic wood, he was an all-round contestant in other aspects. He drove a horse carriage to serve his master.


    It could be said that a trip home was a must...


    Yun Duan quickly drove the horse carriage, and they rarely stopped on the way. By the evening of the second day, they had already arrived at Shunyang County.


    Compared to the cities they had passed along their way, Suntree County was considered to be a rather large county city. It was still quite far from the main river and was located upstream. The water used by the residents was a small river that had been melted by the snow on the mountains nearby. Originally, he did not plan to stay here for too long, but Wang Su saw a few people with tattered clothes standing at the city gate.


    The horse carriage stopped, and the three got off the carriage, and asked about a young man sitting at the city gate. Although he was very young, he had a face full of weariness, and his clothes were full of holes.


    "Little brother, are you people from Mu Yang County? Why are we here instead of going in? " Zhuang Li asked.


    The beggar-like person clearly hadn''t expected that this person, although not rich, but clean and looking, would actually talk to him. For a moment, the person didn''t know what to do, but he didn''t have the energy to think about the origins of this beautiful woman in front of him.


    "I am from Yanzhu City. "I''m just here to escape for a meal."


    Zhuang Li hurriedly took out the steamed bun that Yun Duan had bought that morning from a cloth bag on him. That Yun Duan only knew how to buy steamed bun ¡­ Every time he arrived at a small town and could replenish his rations, he would go to a shop and buy over ten steamed buns ¡­ Along the way, when it was time to eat, he would give the steamed buns and water bags to Wang Su and himself. He was also eating one with relish... Zhuang Li originally wanted to scold him, but when she turned her head to look at him, she saw that Wang Su seemed to be at ease while eating as if she was already used to it. Zhuang Li could only grit her teeth and start chewing on the bun.


    That little brother hurriedly took the steamed bun. After taking a bite, he put the steamed bun into his pocket and continuously thanked him. He became more spirited as he spoke.


    "This year, Yanzhu City experienced a much more severe flood than in previous years. The embankment that was built for two years was destroyed in the first flood. The city remained, and the casualties were not great. However, the grain growing along the river was drowned by the river water. Although some of the families still had some provisions to keep them afloat for a while, it wouldn''t last for more than a few days. My family has too many people, and I don''t have any extra money to buy the expensive food that the rich guy released. He had been hoping that after harvesting the food, his family would be able to survive. "I can exchange some money for the old mother''s medical treatment, but in a disaster like this, I won''t hide it from you. Although I do have a home, staying at home is still death. How about I come out and save some food for my old mother to live for two more days ¡­"


    Huabu City? Zhuang Li searched through her mind, but didn''t find anything about this city.


    "Don''t you have the money to request for relief from that imperial court?" It was unknown when Wang Su had already appeared behind Zhuang Li.


    When the beggar saw such a handsome young master come to ask him this question, although he couldn''t see any wealth in his clothes, but his temperament seemed to be different from anyone he had ever seen. He also secretly realized that this person was not ordinary.


    However, this damn flood has actually ruined the entire manor. The city has not been damaged at all, and the county magistrate has said that the cities that were undamaged are not affected at all, so he still has to report this to the imperial government and say that he has rendered meritorious for resisting the disaster ¡­ Later on, they heard that the dog county magistrate had only reported that the dam he had built had protected the city. After the dam was destroyed, the imperial government would distribute silver taels to him to rebuild. "But regardless of whether we poor people live or die ¡­"


    Zhuang Li was frightened by his words. It seemed that no matter what era it was, lying to others or getting rich was a problem.


    She looked at Wang Su with some lingering fear, as if a green meridian had jumped out of his forehead. It had only disappeared for an instant, causing Zhuang Li to suspect that she was just seeing things ¡­


    "We are going to rest in the middle of Sunlight County. Come with us to a tavern to rest up. Our master is kind, so I''ll give you some silver taels to save." After Zhuang Li finished speaking, she took out a few pieces of crushed silver from her bosom.


    That person immediately kowtowed on the ground in gratitude.


    Zhuang Li saw that he was also extremely hungry, but that steamed bun seemed to be reluctant to eat it. She only nibbled at it, saying that she would bring you to the city to eat first.


    That person suddenly kneeled on the ground, unwilling to get up.


    "My benefactor, my family still has Old and Young who are also outside the city, as well as many of our fellow villagers who escaped with us. I am the most nimble amongst them, so I have to stay and take care of them."


    "Someone else?" Wang Su''s expression seemed to be a little heavy.


    That person stood up. Zhuang Li estimated that he was young, after all, he was still a poor person. Of course he looked older. Plus this disaster, not only did the suffering involve his family, but also his heart was anxious, making him look even older. He was only in his early thirties.


    Zhuang Li and the other two followed behind the man, with Yun Duan at the back leading the horse carriage, walking towards the place where they lived, as indicated by the man. After walking for ten miles, he pointed at a building in the distance that looked like a broken temple ¡­


    "There it is."


    It stood halfway up the mountain, and the way up the mountain was filled with rebirth thorns. The carriage was no longer getting on, so Yun Duan found an empty space on the side of the road to stop the carriage, and the horses tied to the trees were eating grass, he placed all the important bags on him, and protected Wang Su on his way up the mountain.


    The refugees were at the forefront of the pack, occasionally helping them move away many thorns. His palm was full of calluses and he couldn''t feel any pain. On the other hand, although Zhuang Li followed behind him, she was still pierced and scarred by the thorns. Wang Su was behind her again, and she spent most of her days in luxury. Presumably, she had also been stabbed thoroughly, but she still didn''t say a word.

 C84

    It was afternoon, and the sun was baking the moisture in the ground, but when it shone on a person, it would naturally cause them a burning pain. Zhuang Li was also sunburned to the point that her head was spinning, and she relied on her inertia to follow the person in distress.


    At last, they arrived at the entrance of the dilapidated temple, which was not considered small, although it was still quite dilapidated and spacious. The disaster victim said that he and the villagers had searched for this place many times before finding it. When they had just arrived at the entrance, several children around the age of ten jumped out to surround him.


    He pointed to one of them. "This is my child. The other three escaped together. All that''s left in this temple are children, women and the elderly. My mother is also here, she is already seventy years old and is sick, although she does not have the money to see a doctor, but we all understand that if she were to experience any more turbulence, she might not be able to live for more than a few days. "


    He took out the steamed bun that he had taken a bite off and gave half of it to the other three children while the other half was given to his own children. Let him feed his grandmother first.


    "Shunyang County didn''t accept you?" Wang Su asked.


    As soon as they walked in, they immediately asked about the stinky smell. Zhuang Li wanted to puke, so she turned to look at Wang Su''s face.


    "How could there be such a good thing? It''s already been over ten days since we escaped here. Sunlight County''s gate doesn''t allow us to enter ¡­" The county says that there are empty houses for emergency use, but also that those houses are only for our own people in Sunny County, so we have no business about it.


    We begged at the city gate for a few days, but we were not even allowed to ask for food. After all, there wasn''t even a place to block the sun and rain before we moved here. "I can only settle down. People like me who still have strength will go to the city gate to guard it every day, hoping that the merchants that pass by will be able to enjoy a meal."


    The room Zhuang Li was brought into was the temporary home of the refugees. In a small house, there were actually seven to eight people, all women and elderly. The whole room was filled with a strange smell.


    He said that there were still four or five people like him who had the strength to struggle outside and were still begging for food. There were not many people around, so they would have to walk a long way to get to the city gate or the village.


    There were two old men next door. Their bodies couldn''t support themselves anymore, so the two of them could live comfortably.


    Yun Duan took out all of the remaining steamed buns in his bag and distributed it to them, feeling a wave of gratitude.


    This place was halfway up the mountain, and there was no water source. The old man who could not walk took a broken earthenware jar and filled it up with water from a small puddle at the foot of the mountain.


    Wang Su gave some instructions to Yun Duan, telling him to stay here for the time being and wait for the other refugees to return, then they could bring the old man down the mountain and ride a carriage back to the city. Wang Su and Zhuang Li would go down the mountain first and return to Mu Yang County.


    Although Yun Duan was extremely unhappy, and making him and his master separate seemed to be even more unbearable than separating him and his wife, he couldn''t disobey and could only agree. He glanced at Zhuang Li with displeasure and malice.


    "Take good care of young master, or else ¡­"


    Zhuang Li rolled his eyes numerous times in her heart. This aesthetic idiot ¡­ She''s also a fanatic for her master ¡­


    "Then will those officials let Yun Duan bring them into the city?" Zhuang Li was asking about Wang Su, but Yun Duan answered him first.


    "I naturally have my own methods, there''s no need for you to worry ¡­"


    Zhuang Li and Wang Su then walked out of the temple door and headed down the mountain. Wang Su''s expression became heavy, as if he had fallen into deep thought. Zhuang Li did not dare to ask anymore, and the two of them descended from the thorny road, heading straight in the direction they came from.


    Although it was far from being as bustling as the capital city, it was still a scene of great prosperity and prosperity. However, that was based on the fact that the people who had been affected by the disaster had not come to their aid, so it was impossible for them to be the only ones that they had encountered. From what the victims had said, there were over a thousand people who had escaped from the Yan Jin County where they were staying.


    They were farmers who only knew how to farm their land, so they didn''t have much money left over. All the money they saved up was to hire people to build their houses, so when they encountered such a disaster, they naturally weren''t prepared for emergency situations. Although the houses in the city were still in good condition, there was not much money left to buy food. There was no way for them to live.


    As a merchant, naturally everything was based on benefits. If something like this happened in the past, the imperial government would send out two taels of silver to buy their food for the relief, and similarly, they would intentionally raise the price to send out this sum of money. There were also many cases of collusion with the government.


    There would also be orders for relief for the nearby prefectures that had not met with disaster. They would force their money out under the orders of the imperial government, so they were unwilling to lend a helping hand to the victims before the imperial government''s order arrived.


    This led to a situation where disaster relief was mainly for completing missions. The imperial government, however, did not know how much money and grain was needed. Without a specific measure, it appeared to be passive.


    After entering the city, he did not rush to find an inn to stay, but rather found a relay station. Inside, there were always prepared messengers and horses to deliver letters to the rich, and the horses that they raised were actually comparable to those of the government.


    Wang Su wrote a letter and paid for it to be sent to the Imperial Tutor''s house in the capital city quickly. The people there would naturally deliver the letter to the Eunuch Li through various channels.


    After doing all that, they found an inn. When Zhuang Li went to find a room, it was already dusk, and not long later, Yun Duan came looking for him.


    After eating a light meal, Wang Su seemed to have no appetite, he wiggled his chopsticks a few times, without saying goodbye, he returned to his room to rest.


    Along the way, perhaps it was because he was tired from the journey, or perhaps it was because he saw his own country''s citizens suffering and the prefectures were not good, Wang Su spoke less, and at most he gave a few simple instructions.


    Yun Duan was also an existence that was like a sullen calabash. Sometimes, Zhuang Li felt that the two of them were practically the best booths for a master and his servant ¡­


    You talk, I listen, you order, I carry out... There were no more superfluous words ¡­


    Zhuang Li could also understand that Wang Su''s bad mood must have had something to do with the disaster this time. Yan Shu was a city that had not even been reported to the authorities, and those county officials, in order to gain fame and the title bestowed by the imperial government, or in order to improve themselves, to hide the disaster and ignore the lives of the people;


    He had been sitting at the top of the hall all day, and the most taboo thing was that he had worried a lot but still hadn''t gotten the right news ¡­


    The banquet wasn''t just one, it was just the tip of the iceberg in the disaster ¡­


    And the county town of Shuyang County, where the victims of the disaster were denied access to the city, was certainly not a small one. The territory of the Great Phoenix was vast, and so many powerful ministers had quarreled loudly over this matter with their imperial court, some even arguing until their faces were red. Every single one of them said that they were in the interests of their country and the lives of the victims, but how much money would be given to the victims in the end?


    The various factions in the imperial court were quarreling endlessly for their own benefit. The Emperor''s throne was also surrounded by mines, and the various powers in the imperial court seemed to be temporarily on the surface, but the Emperor''s own men had not truly become strong yet. Although they were already unstoppable, it would be difficult to achieve absolute power without three to five years of peace.


    Their identities were just passengers passing by the county city to rest and head off to visit their families. They had no power or influence in their hands. As the saying goes, a county magistrate might as well be managed on the spot. Yun Duan arranged for the victims to be settled, and then gave them some silver, that was all. After that, the only thing left to do was to send the news back to the imperial court and pass on the orders of the emperor through the Eunuch Li.


    And they had more important places to go.


    Qingqiao...


    Shunyang County was still a few days away from reaching Qing Qiao County, so they did not dare to stop. On the morning of the second day, Yun Duan bought a pile of steamed buns as usual and drove the carriage on the road.


    They were already waiting at the gate before the city gate even opened. The first batch that left the city gate did not dare to stop for a moment, as they had already arrived at the disaster area earlier than expected.


    After passing Shuyang County, they proceeded along the river bank. This way, they would be able to arrive at the waterlogged county city as soon as possible. However, the downside of this road is that there are almost all traces of water intrusion. Naturally, there were also places that had been damaged, but the bumpy progress of the road was much slower.


    It was said that the road had been built during the time the constitutional emperor was alive. At first, it had been built along the river course to allow the city to reach those places faster and closer, strengthening the connection between the county buildings on both sides of the river and the capital city.


    It had finally been repaired with great difficulty, and every year a river had washed over some areas. Originally, these problems were not too big, and each county had their own section of the road, so after the flood season passed, they could continue to use some simple repairs. However, this year''s flood season had arrived especially early and fierce, and they had yet to completely fix the damaged areas, so they did not know what was happening to the entire road.

 C85

    After walking along the river for half a day, Zhuang Li felt as if all her internal organs had changed places. Even though she was still sweating profusely on the carriage, it was only until noon that she finally stopped to eat under the shade of a tree.


    The water here was already turbid and could not be directly drunk. Furthermore, the water that was brought out had already been completely drunk, so Yun Duan went to a relatively distant mountain and found a spring that was still considered clear. He filled a water bag to the brim and brought it back. A fire was built, and a pot was set to boil before it was given to the Emperor.


    The weather was getting hotter, and the bumps on the carriage made people not have much of an appetite. Zhuang Li and Wang Su did not eat much, but they both had a lot of things on their minds, and Yun Duan just seemed to be the same.


    This time around, the road became more difficult to walk and it was full of potholes. They had lost count of how many puddles they had made on the road, and it was only after the moon had reached the top of the trees that they finally saw a small village in front of them with a shabby lantern hanging at the entrance.


    The river wind continued to blow, and after being blown past a few gusts of cold wind, Zhuang Li could already feel the waves of the chilly wind invading her body, waiting for the horse carriage to steady itself, before following Yun Duan out of the carriage in a sorry state.


    Yun Duan found a family that had an owner only a few days ago who had suffered from the flood. Although the water had already retreated, the house was not too damaged. The family was composed of two old people. The old man had been a fisherman all his life and the old lady had a leg disease. Now he could only sit on the bed.


    The old man lit up a little oil lamp. The light was dim, and because Yun Duan had been sitting and driving the horse outside the carriage, he was naturally splashed all over his face by the mud and water on the ground. Then, he used his sleeves to wipe his face.


    Zhuang Li couldn''t help but want to laugh.


    Yun Duan gave the rest of the steamed buns in their bags to them for them to cook and eat together. The old granny''s legs were inconvenient, the old granny was old, Zhuang Li received them, and also received some wild vegetables from the old granny, sitting on the table and starting to clean them.


    When Yun Duan saw that there were still some time before the meal, he quickly asked the old man where there was water.


    "There is a well at the entrance of the village. A few days ago, there was a hole in the well, and it was flooded by a lot of mud, but now it is clear, this well is magical, every year, no matter how big the flood is, it will clear up after a few days after the flood. This river is connected to several fishing villages, and they also have wells, so it is more convenient to get water from the village." "It''s good to have water as soon as possible after the flood, but they can use the wells they''ve dug, but they won''t be able to dry them if they encounter a flood. It''s different in our village when the river becomes clear, because a day after the flood, the water in the well can already be drunk ¡­"


    What seemed to be a miracle to this old man seemed simple to Zhuang Li. The well at the entrance of the village was for drawing water from this water system, so whether the river water was turbid or not did not affect it. The other villages that the water source came from had the same origin as the river, so naturally it also turbid along with the river water.


    When Yun Duan heard this, he immediately grabbed two buckets of water and went to the village entrance to fetch some water. Not long after, he filled two buckets full of water, one for Zhuang Li and the other for the horse outside to brush.


    "The flood came earlier than in the past, and a few villagers who were fishing in the river were moved away and moved to the higher mountains to deal with it temporarily. It''s a pity that the two of us are old and have no children, and the old woman''s legs are not convenient for us to carry. She doesn''t want to trouble others to carry us up, not to mention the mountain is cold and wet.


    The old granny''s meaning was the same as ours. If she were to die, it would be best if she died at home.


    "So we stayed, and when the flood came, I took the old woman to the tallest loft in the village, but I didn''t expect to survive."


    The arrival of the flood was too sudden, to be able to hold onto his life while thanking the heavens, he didn''t even manage to preserve the salt and oil, thus Zhuang Li could only add some water to the wok and cook it.


    That type of food that didn''t even have salt and oil made Zhuang Li sick. She felt like she was a horse outside, the steamed bun was actually much more delicious, and she steamed it inside a pot to steam it. After Zhuang Li ate one, she thought that there wasn''t much left, after all, and the remaining tomorrow would allow the old man and woman to deal with him for one more round, so she stopped eating and drank a few mouthfuls of the slightly bitter wild vegetable soup. She was already full. Then Wang Su and Yun Duan did not eat much. It was unknown if they were thinking the same thing as Zhuang Li.


    When the flood came, they had already soaked the quilt and other things in the water. The old uncle and the old lady stayed in the village and after the flood came, they pulled up the quilts from the water. They were all mud, and this time, the quilts were piled at the door. Fortunately, there were still a lot of dry clothes on the pavilion. The uncle moved them down and placed them on the aunt, allowing them to pass the night by the river.


    After all, Zhuang Li and the others were young, they could still barely endure it. It was still a little cold to unload all the clothes in the carriage and put them on.


    The flood had come and gone quickly but the uncle''s two rooms had not fallen down yet. Zhuang Li and his aunt slept together while her uncle, Wang Su and Yun Duan slept in the other room. Although the straw on the bed had been left in the sun by the uncle during the day, it was still a little wet. The aunt lay on the bed and couldn''t move. After all, she wasn''t as old as she used to be.


    Zhuang Li then took off the clothes on his body and covered the aunt''s body, but there did not seem to be any use in having a cup of water and a cart of firewood. At night, when Zhuang Li was extremely cold, she curled up on the corner of the bed and trembled. She could vaguely see a little fire outside the window. She then got off the bed and walked out.


    It was Wang Su.


    He built a small fire at the edge of the yard, and when the flood came, the firewood was soaked. It was not easy to light it up, so he could only light a small fire first before slowly drying the wet firewood. Although it was just a very small and weak fire right now, it felt as warm as hope when she saw it. She quickly moved a chair over and sat down beside it, imitating Wang Su''s actions of roasting firewood.


    Those tree branches released a slight heat from the fire, and when the white steam rose, their bodies finally felt a little warm.


    Zhuang Li looked at Wang Su who still had a serious expression and asked.


    "Your Majesty, what do you intend to do with such a small fishing village? They couldn''t go up or down where they were. They relied on self-sufficiency every day. Does the county really remember them? "


    "I can only send another trusted messenger. He specifically urged them to do so. This was just where the flood had started. There were still dozens of counties at the back, and they were all along the river. "Regardless of whether or not I can take care of him, I must ¡­"


    In this era, if there was a flood, many people would die. The green bricks used for construction were not strong, and they could not afford to soak in the flood. To them, a single flood was equivalent to encountering a tsunami. It was impossible to find their corpses. Basically, it was as if his family had been destroyed and he had lost all of his family members ¡­


    Without good water conservancy and rational planning and utilization of the river''s resources, compared to the modern era, the people here simply didn''t have the ability to fight against nature ¡­


    Above his head was still a crescent moon. When he reached the fifteenth year, the moon would be at its most round. But this mid-autumn period, how could those people who had lost their families in the flood spend it?


    When she opened her eyes, the sun had already risen and the bonfire had just extinguished. There was still smoke rising from it and Wang Su''s clothes were draped over his body, but she suddenly felt a little warmth in her heart. When Zhuang Li entered the room, only the old lady was still lying on the bed.


    "You guys came too late yesterday, so we can''t let you go, our village doesn''t have any dried food, and you guys still need to hurry, in the morning, the Young Master Wang will already have to go. We can''t let you guys eat the vegetables that aren''t as hungry, so the old man took Brother Yun and went to the river to fish."


    "The river... Isn''t the water in the river still murky? "


    "Miss, don''t worry. This old man has been fishing for a lifetime, and he knows every rock in the river well. Although this river is different all year round, the fish are still here, but in different places. She laughed out loud.


    Zhuang Li hurried over to help her, and then carried her to a rattan chair by the door. She was very light, so light that it made Zhuang Li feel sad, and her clothes were not too clean either. Last night, she heard her mention that her child had suddenly disappeared when he was young, and she didn''t know if he had fallen into the river or not. They searched for a long time, but to no avail. The two of them had been supporting each other until today.


    After Zhuang Li heard this, she felt as if something had moved her heart. If a person died, he would not be able to keep them back, but if he disappeared for no reason, it would make people sad.


    You don''t even know if he is or isn''t. That kind of torture could almost make a person collapse.


    Perhaps his mother was suffering in this state as well. Where had his daughter gone to? Or dead?


    She went to the room that was flooded and messy by the flood and found a wooden bucket and a washboard and a club. After that, she went to the well at the entrance of the village to get some water, she first filled up the water vat in the room, then filled the wooden bucket in the courtyard with water. Only then did she hang a pile of wet quilts on the fence to wait for the sun to rise, before being soaked in the water.

 C86

    Although Zhuang Li had never been considered to be master, she had never done any heavy work. She felt like she could not hold on much longer after just scooping a few drops of water, so she did not try to be brave anymore.


    The old lady who was sitting next to Zhuang Li suddenly asked.


    "Miss, which of those two lads is your husband?"


    Zhuang Li was shocked by her question and quickly waved her hand.


    "Auntie, don''t spout nonsense. None of them are my husband."


    "If I''m not talking about now, then what about in the future?"


    "It won''t be in the future ¡­"


    The aunt still did not give up and said with a look of disbelief:


    "Then what if I let you choose one?"


    Zhuang Li was speechless, but the aunt did not seem to be satisfied.


    "Aunty, I''ve lived for so many years. Although I''ve never gone out in this little fishing village, I still know how to look at people at such a young age."


    It''s not like the three of you are going to visit a relative''s family, is it? "


    The Zhuang family could only laugh dryly as they listened to her continue.


    "You are different from us people here. You are also different from those people in the small counties. However, I am not sure where you came from." Even though her clothes were simple, they definitely came from a good place that I, an old woman, had never seen before.


    And you are not only different from me, you are also different from them both. Although I can''t say for sure, but I know in my heart. "


    Zhuang Li turned to look at the old lady. She had her eyes closed and was lying on the reclining chair. His face was covered with wind and frost, but this time, it was especially serene.


    "If you want to choose a husband, you have to choose which other silly kid you''re looking for, but don''t choose that cold young master."


    Zhuang Li could only laugh awkwardly. Did he mean for him to choose Yun Duan instead of Wang Su?


    "Makes sense. Look at that old man and I. We''ve lost our sons and experienced many hardships, but we''ve still survived to this day. If we don''t make a ruckus one day, we''ll feel uncomfortable."


    In the past, after losing my son, I had to live with him in this manner. Almost all day long, I felt remorse and remorse over the hardships of my life and the injustice of my life ¡­


    However, he managed to come back to life. As he grew older, he saw through it. Not everyone can live as well as they want, or most of them can, and that''s how I talked to the old man. He came over too. If we don''t, maybe we won''t make it down.


    Look at that silly kid. Although he''s always afraid of you, but he''s very realistic. I think he''s a person with very high martial arts skills. "But that young master, even though he''s a good person, he won''t talk to you ¡­"


    Zhuang Li was speechless. After thinking for a bit, she even picked up on her words ¡­


    "He must have something on his mind as well ¡­"


    "Look, look at him ¡­" "It seems like you like him!"


    Zhuang Li''s aphasia


    There was a lot of mud on the quilt, and she hit it with her hammer.


    As the sun slowly rose, the villagers began to descend one by one to avoid the flood. Seeing the village in a state of chaos, without any tears, they started to cry. Some of them even started to cry, as if the aunt was used to seeing such a cold world and could no longer shed tears.


    A surviving little boy ran over and called her grandma. She touched his head. Although she couldn''t see his emotions, her gaze was as if she was looking at her own child.


    "Good boy, where''s your mother?"


    "My mom has gone home, but my dad isn''t back yet."


    "Oh, wait until your old grandpa comes back to see if he has caught any fish. If he has one, then send one to your mother. As for your father ¡­"


    She seemed to be thinking about what to say, so she began by saying ¡­


    "As for your father, he will always come back ¡­"


    "But he hasn''t come back in four days! I can still remember... Mother cries every day, so when he comes back, I''ll have to help mother take care of him. "


    The aunt didn''t say anything for a while, but then she couldn''t help but pat the child on the head and say:


    "Alright ¡­"


    Zhuang Li did not speak, she only hung the washed condom on a bamboo pole. At this time, the child also noticed that a stranger had appeared in the aunt''s courtyard.


    "Who are you?"


    Zhuang Li laughed. This child''s father had most likely already been buried in the flood. Four days ago, it was exactly at the time of the first flood of this place.


    "She is my daughter-in-law."


    Zhuang Li turned her head to look at the old granny.


    Coincidentally, Wang Su had already returned with his horse, looking like he wanted to give her a smile. Meanwhile, that old granny was still blabbering on and on ¡­


    "If my son is still here, no matter what, I will give you to him ¡­"


    Zhuang Li''s head was filled with black lines. When he turned around, he suddenly saw that Wang Su seemed to have gone black to tie up the horses after hearing these words, and didn''t pay any more attention to her.


    When the old man and Yun Duan returned from the river, carrying two buckets with a lot of fish, the old granny ordered the old man to quickly pack one for the kid.


    Just as the sun rose, they raised the first smoke of the village...


    The various families were still cleaning up the mud in their homes, pulling out many useful items from the mud. There were also many items that were left behind after Hong Feng left the village and were picked up by people on the riverbank. The old uncle of that fish who could not finish his food carried it in a wooden bucket and carried it from house to house to give it to those who had not eaten yet. After all, everything happened so suddenly, the food was either washed away by the flood or soaked in water. If they could have a sip of the warm fish soup, it would be the best thing that they could enjoy right now ¡­


    "It''s extremely hard to get to the bridge you''re going to. Last time, when Hong Feng came, before she could drown us, Old Man went to the city to sell fish and heard that a lot of the downstream roads were destroyed. I heard that the first time the flood came, there was already a bridge that broke ¡­"


    As Zhuang Li listened, she could already picture the tragic scenes of the disaster that happened in her mind.


    By the time Yun Duan had finished packing the items, the horse carriage also went through a simple rest.


    The ground was filled with objects that had been washed out by the flood. Since there was no way for a horse to run, Yun Duan could only get off the horse carriage and lead the horse away. As soon as he left the village, he heard someone crying, and thought to himself, this was the place where the old uncle had said that, according to the direction of the flood, there should be many objects that had been brought out by the flood and stayed on the riverbank here.


    At that time, there were several villagers who said that they were going to the riverbank to look for their things, but why were they crying?


    Zhuang Li lifted the curtain and saw that there were a lot of people gathered on the riverbank. There was also someone lying on the ground beside him, who had died in the flood.


    Zhuang Li finally understood that the corpse could not be washed away, and was stuck on the riverbank after walking around for a while. She ran into the villagers who previously mentioned that they wanted to look for something on the riverbank, and was about to look for something useful, but who would have thought that they actually found their own family''s corpse?


    The crying sound came endlessly, it went through the carriage and reached his ears. The crying woman was already broken down, and Zhuang Li, hearing it, also felt uncomfortable.


    Who was the one who died?


    Her husband? Father? Or was it a child?


    A few days ago, she was still smiling happily as she circled around him, worrying about him. When she turned around, she was already a dead body lying on the ice-cold riverbank, unable to move at all.


    The disaster had suddenly come and left without a single word left behind ¡­ Who could have thought that he would end up like this?


    Zhuang Li suddenly realized that if those people had only gone missing, it would be better to let their families see her corpse and leave them with hope and hope.


    He thought that maybe he wasn''t dead yet, he was just taken somewhere else by the flood to live in a strange place, and gradually he would have his own family and friends. Marry a wife and children and let them grow their branches and scatter their leaves. In the future, when he grew old, there would also be children guarding him, enjoying the happiness of being with the heavens.


    Would he feel even more comforted if he thought that he was leading such a life in the distance?


    But no matter what, even though the fishing village was very small, it gave people a chance at survival. When the flood came, everyone ran for their lives, surviving between the cold night wind of the mountain and the sharp edges of the pebbles. Repairing the devastated homes, rebranding the fences, rummaging through the mud for usable furniture.


    Thanks to the miraculous well water, they washed their scarred homes and their own bodies with clear spring water, dried the quilts filled with tears and floods, and left them in the sun to evaporate. Smoke rose from the damp stove.


    At least, no matter what happened, that village still survived ¡­


    Then what about the Qing Qiao County from afar?


    Zhuang Li didn''t dare think about it. She had thought that war was merciless, and thought that the people who were displaced in the war were miserable, but she was still deeply aware of the ruthlessness of the mountain torrents. The hope that Nature gave to the human race could be destroyed at any time ¡­


    The road ahead was even harder to travel. There were more potholes on the ground than before, and Yun Duan had to be extremely careful with every step he took, even though he was riding on a horse carriage, his speed was not too far off from his previous pace.


    Soon they come across something more troublesome than a puddle


    Mudflow...


    Zhuang Li who was in the capital did not feel any kind of fear, but after arriving here, she had witnessed the mud flow caused by the heavy rain. On the mountain peak, a large amount of sand and mud, as well as boulders and trees, rolled down from the top ¡­ Wherever it passed, trees were buried, roads were cut off, unstoppable and unstoppable ¡­


    They had to get out of the carriage and take a detour. Sometimes, it''s hard to find a way out, so you have to take the risk and step over those stone surfaces...

 C87

    After leaving the fishing village, they walked for two whole days. during the mudslide, flood bridge roads, etc... One could imagine the difficulty involved. Many times they had to change their original route because the road was so badly damaged.


    This place was already the hinterland of the Great Phoenix. Looking around, one could see countless hills and mountains. It was unending, and many times it was intimidating.


    The horse carriage had been stuck in a quagmire many times in a row, and once almost fell off the broken bridge. It was only because Yun Duan was actually a man with God Power, that he was able to save the horse and men all thanks to him, and who knew how many dangers awaited them in front of them. They decisively gave up the horse carriage, and led the two horses away.


    Even Zhuang Li himself didn''t know how much mud she had gnawed on in the past two days. At this time, no matter how precious his identity was, it could not stop the natural magic. Wang Su could not do anything about this muddy ground. He was a martial arts practitioner, in the end, he was still better than Zhuang Li who walked slowly. With Yun Duan''s protection from both the left and right, he still managed to maintain his dignity. There were also many times where he had actually acted and saved Zhuang Li from the brink of death.


    Such lightning-fast methods almost made Zhuang Li think that the back of his head had eyes too ¡­


    Sometimes they would climb over the quagmire, and sometimes they would also have to cross the waterfall. The turbulent force of the water was extremely intense, and the pressure was also extremely great, if not for Wang Su holding his back tightly, she would probably have been knocked over the rocks on the ground by the waterfall and rolled to the bottom of the unfathomable cliff ¡­ His ears were filled with the sound of water, which was greatly different due to the large amount of water flowing.


    Usually, the water was gurgling and flowing. The sound of the water was almost inaudible. If one were to talk about streams, one would imagine streams flowing down through the cracks in the mountains, dripping down, like the tinkling sounds a beauty would hear when playing the zither. Closing one''s eyes was a type of enjoyment. When it came to mountains and rivers, it was naturally the usual docile and beautiful waterfall. It was like a beauty hiding in the shade of a mountain. The scenery was marvelous as it fell down, flowing towards rivers and lakes.


    But now, what they were facing was the waterfall that had been spoiled by the torrential rain. It was powerful and lawless. Before he could get close, he heard a rumbling sound like that of thunder, and other than that sound, he could no longer hear anything else ¡­


    Water vapour filled his nostrils and it felt as if he was in water. The waterfall came crashing down from above, as if it was going to cut him into pieces ¡­


    Once they entered the waterfall, their hearing, sense of smell, sight, eyes, nostrils, and ears were all filled with surging water. It was as if they had stepped into hell with despair.


    If Zhuang Li was alone, she probably would not be able to walk such a steep road even if she died. But Wang Su walked in front of Zhuang Li and held tightly onto her hand.


    The only thing they didn''t take away from the waterfall was their sense of touch ¡­


    Although it was still hit by the powerful water current, you had to use a lot of force to be able to feel another person at your side.


    There were many times when Zhuang Li was so afraid that she almost knelt down, but all of them were because of the power that pulled her up once again.


    At that time, the only word that Zhuang Li could only think of ¡­


    People I Love... Right in front of me...


    This was probably the only chance she had to grab hold of his hand so tightly ¡­


    It was unknown, but as it was buried deep in the abyss of despair, it surfaced, reminding itself how clear it was ¡­


    I love him


    What was more embarrassing was the horses. They didn''t want to give up their horses, and after giving up their carriages, they still had a lot of parcels that they could use and would have to rely on horses to transport them. Fortunately, Yun Duan was here, so he was once again able to see his strength. He tied one horse to the entrance of the waterfall and led the other through.


    Although Yun Duan looked to be proficient and powerful, he didn''t expect that he was actually born with this kind of godly strength. He was actually able to control that beast and bring it out safely from the waterfall.


    Later, Zhuang Li found out that Yun Duan was a guard with superior skills in martial arts. He left the palace guards and the legendary martial arts experts in the streets behind ¡­


    It was also because of these reasons that the Eunuch Li was able to let the emperor be at ease with his suspicion of this Ten Thousand Mountains of Water ¡­


    When Yun Duan finally managed to get the two horses to ride past the waterfall, Zhuang Li was completely exhausted. If it wasn''t for the fact that her eyes were quite tight, her eyeballs would have probably fallen out of their sockets ¡­


    Travelling all the way, they also met some people who were living in the mountains. They lived in the mountains and were isolated from the outside world for a long time, some for training martial arts manuals, and some for avoiding worldly worries.


    Along the way, the word that came to Zhuang Li''s mind was:


    The martial arts world ¡­


    Compared to the freedom he had in West Cold and the strictness he had in Great Phoenix Palace, it seemed to be another world altogether ¡­


    As they walked, asking about information about Qing Qiao County, most people shook their heads. It seemed as though aside from a guard who had passed by their door many days ago to deliver them the calamity that had struck the Qing Qiao County, there was no more news regarding this at all.


    They said that the man was dressed in rags, even worse than a beggar. There were bloodstains on his body, as if he was only half alive.


    This news and analogy made his heart tremble in fear, but at the same time, it also made him feel pain.


    More Worries...


    Until one day, they finally met a calamity victim who claimed to be from the Qing Qiao County. He had fled up the hill, a boy of eighteen or nineteen.


    "You guys want to go to Qing Qiao County?" He was especially suspicious when he heard about the origins of Zhuang Li and the rest.


    "Do you know how to get to the Green Bridge from here?" Can you bring us there? "


    "What''s there to go for? I won''t go." "You''d better not go as well ¡­"


    "Why?"


    "Because of that Qing Qiao County. "It''s gone ¡­"


    Because of what the youth had said, Zhuang Li had actually complained in her heart that this child was truly in a rebellious phase. How could the county city be gone?


    Even if they were submerged by the flood and faded away, they could still fight for a new life like the people in the fishing village. Clean up the house and clean up the furniture. If it''s too dilapidated, then we''ll have to wait for the imperial government''s disaster relief money to build a new house ¡­


    How could it be said that there was nothing left in the entire county?


    Until Wang Su allowed the child to lead them to the place where the Qing Qiao County used to be.


    Because up until now, the Qing Qiao County had ¡­ Still caught in the flood...


    The place where Qing Qiao County used to be was a low-lying area. Rivers flowed through the heart of the city and the land on both sides of the river was fertile. It could be said to be a wealthy county city. Although there had been some water disasters in the past, those were only minor ones compared to this one. This time, not only was there a flood, there was also a mudslide, directly flooding half of the town. Most people didn''t even have the chance to escape ¡­


    What was even worse was that the mud flow had directly blocked the river... The flood had completely flooded the remaining half of the city. Therefore, it would not be excessive to say that this disaster was a calamity.


    The number of people who managed to escape was not many. Most of them lived on high mountains to begin with. Of the people in the city, aside from those who happened to be visiting friends or surviving working on the mountain, none of the people in the city escaped ¡­


    The three of them stood on top of the mountain and observed the scene below. The once prosperous town had already become a pond. If it was a new customer, they would never have guessed that there was a city under the pond.


    There were only about a hundred or so survivors of Qing Qiao County and even county magistrate had probably died in the hands of a fish. Most of them were buried together with their entire family, so they didn''t spend too much time on top of the mountain by the lake, crying like their loved ones.


    There was always a plague after a big flood, not to mention the Green Bridge which had buried so many people, but now there was a pond filled with dead people, it was filled to the brim with dead people, there were no officials nor was there anyone out to speak, not to mention that everyone had heard of the plague coming, and the remaining people would all be dead, so it was extremely terrifying to think about it, so anyone who could still think of survival had already struggled to escape from this town.


    The person who had ran far away, the one who had reported the disaster to the imperial government, couldn''t even stand still. He wanted to send the report, but before he could even make it halfway, he fell to the ground unconscious.


    The memorial that was handed over was sent over by someone who had seen him on the way and sent it to the imperial court because he didn''t feel good. Other than the person who was on the verge of death and was still unconscious, no one in the other counties knew about the current situation of Qing Qiao County, although they had heard that there were also officials and masters who had sent people over to take a look at the Qing Qiao County. It was a pity that the various transportation conditions at that time weren''t good.


    Furthermore, the other counties were unable to protect themselves and did not have the mood to care about the matters of the Qing Qiao County. This matter was put on hold because of various circumstances, thus, the Imperial Court was unable to obtain accurate information ¡­


    Along the way, they asked about the whereabouts of the surviving Cyan Bridge people. Aside from a small portion that went off to distant places to seek help from relatives and friends, the majority of them chose to go to a similarly stricken county city near Qing Qiao County.


    Now that her Qing Qiao County had become like this, although she still had to manage the city, Zhuang Li understood the gist of it. To deal with Qingyang County, one had to burst a hole in the surface of the lake that was surrounded by mud and rocks, and release the water that was surrounding the county, revealing the city underneath, and clean the river to ensure the smooth flow of the river. If she continued to do this, then the river would change its course, and there would be even more cities that would suffer a disaster ¡­


    The question of whether or not to relocate or rebuild the imperial court didn''t seem to be a problem at all. First, send troops to clear the river, ensuring the safety of the downstream was the priority ¡­


    Lijiang County...

 C88

    From what this old commoner had said, the dozen or so counties near Qing Qiao County were all heavily affected by the flood this time. In other places, although it was not as tragic as Qing Qiao County, it was still not easy.


    This time, they really had no way to continue on the path of the river. It was said that the path down the river had already become completely unrecognizable ¡­ There were countless rocks hanging from the cliff. The possibility of putting his life on the line was simply too great. Furthermore, they might not even be able to arrive in ten days even if they traveled for two days ¡­


    Although the inland road was a bit far, fortunately they still had horses, so it did not even take a day to reach the Lijiang County.


    Looking at the town from afar, one could smell the heavy smell of damp. From afar, the entire city could still be considered intact. It was only when they got closer that they could see that the mud on the ground had yet to be cleaned up.


    I heard that the flood was the fiercest day, but it drowned half of the city. However, most of the citizens of Lijiang County had grown tobacco, leaves, and other types of food mainly to purchase from the nearby towns. But this time, almost all the nearby counties had been affected, and they could no longer supply their own towns with food. Even if they wanted to buy food, they would not be able to do so ¡­


    He had originally wanted to walk along the road and pluck some wild fruits or something like that. However, he did not expect that all the places along the way would be plundered by the floodwaters, and would probably be searched by the hungry victims of disasters who were like combs that searched through everything that they could eat. How could they find anything to eat?


    Zhuang Li sighed, she was already starving.


    He placed all his hopes on the city in front of him.


    When they arrived at the county town, they found out that the difficulties there were not any better than the roads and bridges that had been destroyed.


    The ground was covered in mud, and a few thin and weak soldiers were standing near the city gate. Most of the time, they were just below the city walls, and had nothing to do with those beggars.


    Yun Duan got off his horse first and took out the order from his chest pocket.


    Yun Duan''s official order was actually an imperial messenger system, which made the guards excited. They guessed that Zhuang Li and the rest were the most respectable people who had entered the city since the start of the flood.


    On the way to the city, they saw the listless victims of the disaster sitting on the ground. All of them were extremely hungry. They were lying beside puddles on the street, and they were already emaciated ¡­


    Zhuang Li looked at the men on the ground who were about to collapse from exhaustion, thinking that she could easily subdue them. That feeling was something they couldn''t move anymore ¡­


    Many people watched them ride past on their horses and extended their hands towards them.


    "Elder Shangguan, Eldest Miss, give me some food ¡­"


    "Please do. "Just give me something to eat ¡­"


    Zhuang Li and the others didn''t even have food, they had already been stripped clean. She looked at Wang Su, who had a previous expression on his face, although he looked a little tired.


    In the empty space in front of them, there was a huge ancient gingko. The three of them could finally rest for a while under the gingko.


    Beneath the tree were a few other victims squatting there as well. Zhuang Li approached one of them and exchanged a few words with him.


    He only found out after asking that he wasn''t even a local ¡­


    "I fled here from the neighboring town. My house is too close to the river. The moment the flood came, it was washed away ¡­" He had really washed himself clean and left nothing behind ¡­


    Fortunately, there was only one little girl at home. That little girl wasn''t home that day, so I went out early in the morning to take care of her at her aunt''s place on the mountain. This was good, at least he survived ¡­


    Even though her uncle''s house is still here, there is no food left. Since they can''t live on, I naturally feel too embarrassed to leave my child behind, so I brought her out. Her house, let alone food, didn''t even leave behind a brick for me ¡­


    I can only bring her with me and beg along the way. At least, it''s more important for her to live on first. "


    After hearing him finish his words, the person beside him weakly chuckled twice ¡­


    "You are also wrong, although this Lijiang County is the biggest in the nearby cities. He could be considered to be quite wealthy. But look at how it is now? Do you think you can survive here again? "


    "What about the Prefect of Lijiang County?" Yun Duan asked.


    "Have so many victims been reported to the imperial government? "If the flood had reported to the imperial government from the very beginning, the food and foodstuffs that the imperial government had sent to provide assistance would probably already be on the way ¡­"


    The disaster victim unintentionally laughed twice.


    "How could he be that fast?" After the flood, the roads around the county were all broken, and the road you guys took was rearranged by the county. It took you two full days to restore such a broken transport.


    Master county magistrate? I heard that he went out to borrow grain ¡­ But where can I borrow it? "


    Zhuang Li could only sigh. Standing up, she could not help but feel a little dizzy ¡­


    "It''s a good thing that the house didn''t collapse too much. At least at night, how many people would have a place to shelter themselves from the rain? "But during the day, everyone is willing to lie outside ¡­"


    "Everyone knows that lying in a room is just waiting to die ¡­ There were also some counties that had already had an outbreak. More people fled...


    Who knows when Lijiang County will erupt again? "


    "After all, so many people have died ¡­ "At first, the county magistrate said a few more things, but then he disappeared. I think it was because there were too many of them ¡­"


    "Where are the dead people now?"


    "Outside the city, there is a mountain of people. There are many who don''t know their place, and half of the people in the city are still crying. Those were people who could not find their loved ones.


    "But how are we going to dig around in that pile of dead people?"


    As the man spoke, he began to cry.


    "My wife died on the day the flood came. Luckily, I found her and got stuck in the house, burying her ¡­"


    Zhuang Li could not bear to listen any longer, so she stood up.


    "To the Prefect."


    Wang Su only said a short sentence, asked for directions, and then left. Zhuang Li followed with a small jog, and the three of them no longer spoke, each of them thinking about their own matters.


    In less than a quarter of an hour, they were standing in front of the prefecture lord''s magistrate court.


    Yun Duan could be considered as the messenger of the army, hence Zhuang Li and Wang Su followed him in the name of the messenger. The Palace Token said that Yun Duan, the messenger, had been ordered to come down to understand the situation.


    And the person who hurriedly came out to greet them was none other than the Prefecture Lord himself ¡­


    Although the streets were muddy from the sun high up in the sky, the yamen runners still hurried over. The county governor looked to be around forty years old and was a little chubby, causing Zhuang Li to feel especially disgusted when she saw him in this county where the streets were filled with scrawny people who couldn''t even stand a single blow.


    "Lord Messenger, you are the first person the imperial government sent here after the disaster in our county. But what arrangements and preparations are there? "


    "Didn''t you go to borrow food?" Why are you sitting at the top of the mansion again? " Yun Duan asked, his tone full of anger.


    The fat Zhixian was surnamed Zhang, but he didn''t have much to say. He never bullied people even though he didn''t seem to like doing things. The residents all called him Fatty Zhang in private.


    The county seemed to have been suddenly asked of its difficulties. He led Zhuang Li and the other two to the main hall, where they were waiting for guests. He had his wife quickly bring up cups of tea, and also instructed them to prepare lunch. That face turned into that of a requesting person ¡­


    "He went to borrow some money ¡­" But how could he possibly borrow it ¡­ Where is the grain to borrow in the nearby county? Even after breaking his leg, he really didn''t manage to gather even half a bag of rice. But those were the victims of the entire city. How am I supposed to tell them? "They were told that they could not borrow the grain and that they had to wait for death at home?"


    "Being unable to borrow money between counties is not an accident, but what about the Imperial Court? "Has this been reported to the imperial government?"


    That fat county official chuckled and said, "Of course I''m reporting it. This is a small county that I''m reporting to the Prefecture Lord. However, every time I go to blow it, he says to wait."


    When are we going to wait? Even he himself didn''t know ¡­


    This Lijiang County and the surrounding few small towns were all famous for growing tobacco, and food, they would always be bought from other places, so naturally, they would encounter some kind of disaster, so the county built their own granary, but since the day the floods broke out, countless people outside rushed into the city.


    I can''t not let them enter the city, they are all raised by my parents ¡­ At most, we''ll all starve together...


    Honorable Messenger, to tell you the truth, this granary for my Lijiang County has long since been emptied ¡­


    "I was forced to go out to borrow food. If it weren''t for all of you, I, this damn fatty, would really not have dared to go out at all ¡­"


    When the food was served, Zhuang Li was extremely hungry. The dishes were just a few wild herbs, but luckily there were still some oil and salt ¡­ That meal was a porridge, it was already so thin that it could not be more sparse. But it was better than being hungry. She drank three big bowls in one go.


    Wang Su and Yun Duan followed the man who had opened the gates to his study, and together, they discussed about temporary measures to deal with disasters.


    Yun Duan was the official messenger master, and Wang Su was the attendant of the official messenger master, so he naturally followed along.


    After all, Zhuang Li''s identity as a servant was not suitable, so she stayed outside to wander around to pass the time.


    This Prefect''s residence wasn''t too big, and the items weren''t luxurious either. However, there were fake mountains and ponds ¡­


    Zhuang Li squatted by the side of a small pond. The water in the pond was considered clean and there were a lot of aquatic plants in it. It seemed that the pond was specially used to raise fish. But after Zhuang Li searched for a long time, she couldn''t find a single fish.


    She sat down beside the pond and leaned against a fake mountain. The scorching sun had made her absent-minded.


    He didn''t know what better way to deal with the disaster this time around. Besides, there were so many dead bodies outside the city. If he didn''t deal with it soon and the plague broke out, it would be just around the corner ¡­


    However, how could the situation in this county have the conditions to be handled properly? Lack of food and medicine. The people of the Great Phoenix didn''t want to burn the corpse. They felt that if they did that, they wouldn''t be able to ascend to the heavens.


    But bury it? Are there so many coffins? Moreover, corpses were carriers that produced bacteria the most easily. Moreover, it was a large area, and under the shine of such a scorching sun, it was even more tragic.


    Wang Su had mentioned before that the corpse must be burned, it just needed a reasonable explanation to appease the people ¡­

 C89

    Zhuang Li originally wanted to get a good night''s sleep, but when she thought about it, the street that was separated from him was just that muddy and the street that had so many hungry victims lying on it. Not far away from the city, there were still so many bodies that were killed by the flood ¡­


    Just thinking about it made his scalp tingle, making him feel uncomfortable and a little scared. In short, he just couldn''t fall asleep ¡­


    In fact, he was physically and mentally exhausted.


    Those cliffs and cliffs gave off a feeling of dread, as if one would never imagine that one would still be able to walk down them. Now, once she stopped, there was not a single spot on her body that did not feel pain, almost causing her to collapse. She could have gotten a good night''s sleep, do some rest, but she could not fall asleep.


    There were too many things on his mind. She had always been a fussy person, and her heart was soft, so she could never stop thinking about things. Now that he was faced with such a disastrous result, how could he let her go? However, he was powerless to do anything about it.


    The nobles within the walls of the palace had never thought that the place far away from them would become like this. These people were unable to eat well, were unable to wear warm clothes, were forced to starve, and were even displaced ¡­ The old men among them, the ignorant children, the frail women... How can we survive?


    And how many of those adults who were arguing at court actually understood what had happened?


    Even the leftover food that they poured into the gutter at home was more than enough to feed dozens of victims ¡­


    Although most of them were true, in the end, they were still hidden from the public. As for false reports, the county''s papers were handed over to the state government, and the state''s papers were handed over to them with the book token. The book token was handed over to the public study, where it was then passed to Imperial Study ¡­


    How many days had it been delayed?


    No one knows...


    And was the prefecture deducting the memorial for its own benefit? False report of the disaster... In the capital, the territory that was supposed to be under his jurisdiction was still a rich and beautiful piece of land. In just a few years, he had accumulated enough connections to allow him to advance ¡­ Leave this mess to the next officer.


    This kind of thing was inevitable in the Great Phoenix.


    Perhaps these worms were lucky enough to be able to cultivate to the Exquisite Realm. In the end, they entered the capital and entered the imperial government ¡­ To collude with the government in which faction and sect they came under, this was truly a troublesome matter ¡­


    However, the Emperor couldn''t see it. No one could see it ¡­


    Along the way, the emperor would send letters back to the palace, which would then be delivered to that ordinary residence in the capital, the Supreme Fu Mansion. It was passed to the eunuchs in the palace, and finally to Eunuch Li.


    The Eunuch Li would naturally pronounce the decree on behalf of the Emperor. In the name of the law, she began to distribute the money. However, for the food gathered in the capital to be transported here, it would naturally be slower than Zhuang Li and the others ¡­


    He had to be more careful on the way. If these things were to get mildewed from the damp, then it would be useless ¡­


    Yun Duan had always driven fast horses and lashes, his skills and techniques extremely good.


    Sometimes, Zhuang Li even felt that the horse was running so fast, it seemed like it was going to fly away.


    Could it be that Yun Duan was not the only one who knew Qing Gong ¡­ His horse can also use qinggong?


    Along the way, Zhuang Li was also clear in his heart. Even though she was tired, Wang Su and Yun Duan actually did a lot of things, and could be considered to be taking care of her.


    Although Yun Duan didn''t like Zhuang Li on the surface, he was probably used to the emperor taking him alone when he went out in the past. Now, he actually brought Zhuang Li along as well, which made him feel like the spoiled love she received was shared by a woman who appeared out of nowhere and seemed to be of no use at all ¡­


    Why ¡­


    His martial arts had improved greatly and he had followed Wang Su for more than ten years. The two of them had not only gotten along with master and servant, but they had also come across such a dangerous path, allowing Zhuang Li to discover the trust and tacit understanding between them. In front of the emperor, Yun Duan was like a child. He would do whatever the emperor said ¡­


    Even if the Emperor wanted him to die, he wouldn''t hesitate to do so. He wouldn''t even bat an eye ¡­


    And in front of Zhuang Li... All his loathing for Zhuang Li had made him look even more like a child ¡­


    Zhuang Li sighed, feeling hungry again. Looking at the time, it wasn''t even noon yet, but the lunch that had just been eaten had already been completely digested?


    I don''t blame my stomach for thinking about it... Such clear porridge... No matter how much he ate, he couldn''t eat his fill ¡­


    When they thought about the last meal, they realized that it was the fish that their uncle had caught in the river in the morning and cooked for them in the fishing village that was also eroded by the flood ¡­


    His mouth became sensitive and full of saliva...


    But if he himself was hungry, then wouldn''t Wang Su be even hungrier?


    A woman couldn''t even feed a bowl of porridge, let alone a man? She felt her heart ache again ¡­


    Although Zhuang Li had never lived a peaceful life after she had transmigrated, she had experienced quite a few things. She had been intercepted by bandits, froze on the grassland, and was imprisoned in the palace ¡­ But she had never experienced such hunger.


    Even on the way to West Cold, the criminals had already given them quite a bit of rations. Although it was unpalatable and couldn''t be eaten, thinking about it now, it seemed like the stale dry biscuit also didn''t have a sweet taste ¡­


    Just as he was thinking, he felt something smash into his head, and it even felt somewhat painful. It was fine to touch it.


    "Pa!" This time, it was in his own hands ¡­


    Ouch ¡­


    she cried, tilting her head back.


    On that fake mountain, there was a little boy lying on it ¡­ The skinny guy with the pointy face was throwing rocks at Zhuang Li. He was instantly infuriated ¡­


    "What are you doing!"


    The boy made a face and stuck out his tongue. they had never placed Zhuang Li in their eyes at all ¡­


    Zhuang Li was too lazy to bother with him, she just stood up and made a grabbing motion to grab him. That rotten brat immediately ran away like a wisp of smoke. She was originally feeling hungry and depressed, and really wanted to go on a rampage.


    However, she didn''t have much energy after all. After thinking about it, she decided to save some energy and sat back down. However, just as she sat down, another rock came crashing down. It was even bigger than the previous two combined ¡­ If Zhuang Li had not just lied down and tilted her body, that stone would have smashed onto her head. It would be weird if she didn''t get a head full of blood!


    This was something intolerable ¡­ ~ Who knows how mischievous she is, Zhuang Li stood up and quietly went around the fake mountain. She realized that the lousy kid was currently climbing up the mountain with a bigger rock.


    Are you trying to smash me to death!?


    "Get down here!"


    Zhuang Li shouted, causing the child to tremble in fear. The stone fell from the sky ¡­ He landed with me... He rolled straight into the pond. Splash! Splash ¡­ -


    Zhuang Li was also immediately shocked...


    The pond was not very deep, but the child, who was young and not very tall, began to struggle in it. He was immediately choked into a few more mouthfuls of water, flopping about on the surface of the water with all his might ¡­


    Zhuang Li did not have time to think, and immediately jumped down with him.


    As she shouted for help, she rushed to the child''s side, grabbed his clothes and dragged him up. But no matter how much she pulled, he couldn''t pull it away. It was only now that Zhuang Li realized that she had already discovered that there were so many aquatic plants underwater ¡­


    This rotten child was probably tied up by the aquatic plants!


    She didn''t care. She crouched down and groped for the child''s leg, trying to untie the grass.


    However, he didn''t know if it was because the child was extremely frightened while underwater, but the moment Zhuang Li came into contact with him, he suddenly struggled in an even more frenzied manner.


    Zhuang Li was holding her breath in the water, shocked by his actions. She thought to herself that she would have to beat his butt to vent her anger later.


    But right at this moment, the child kicked fiercely at Zhuang Li''s chest.


    Suddenly, he felt a burst of pain, as if his bones had been shattered. The breath that was held in his lungs came out and his entire body was in pain, rendering him unable to move ¡­


    She was hungry to begin with, but after this torment, she had already lost all her strength. At this moment, she didn''t even have the strength to hug her chest ¡­


    The last thing Zhuang Li saw was the water surface above her head and the mottled sun on the water surface ¡­ Only then did she see a person approaching her. She thought it was an illusion, but in a blink of an eye, that person had already gotten closer and closer. Reaching out, she lifted her up and dragged her out of the water...


    Wang Su...


    Zhuang Li was lying on the floor by the pool, his chest was in so much pain that she was unable to move it. She tried to curl up, but there was another concentrated pain. Wang Su guarded her side, but he didn''t know that she had been kicked hard. It was as if it was extremely heavy, and he only thought that she had been shocked ¡­


    Zhuang Li and the rest finally recovered. Suddenly, they felt that they were in a terrible situation ¡­


    A child''s cry suddenly appeared beside her at an inopportune moment ¡­


    Then, a woman who looked like a wife ran over. Zhuang Li could tell at a glance that she was that county''s daughter-in-law just by looking at her appearance ¡­


    She carried the child in her arms and took out a handkerchief to wipe the water off his face while she spoke ¡­


    "Bao''er, what''s wrong with Bao''er? "What''s going on?"


    Zhuang Li was just about to say something lifelessly: Your child should be properly disciplined and disciplined now ¡­


    He didn''t expect that the rotten child would open his mouth first.


    "Mother, she pushed me ¡­"


    Zhuang Li''s mind buzzed for a moment ¡­ If it was her usual self, she would have had the spirit to take a piece of wood and smash this little monkey''s butt to pieces.


    "He obviously harmed me first ¡­" When Zhuang Li said this, she felt as if his chest was already numb from the pain. She even felt depressed when she spoke. If it was too heavy, his chest would be extremely painful ¡­


    Wang Su also clearly felt that something was wrong with Zhuang Li, as even her voice had changed and her face had turned white. She did not seem like she was scared by the flood as the water on her forehead had just been wiped dry by Wang Su.


    "How could my child harm you? How old are you? How old is my child? Do you have a conscience? " The woman complained, but the child seemed to be trying even harder to signal her to start crying.

 C90

    However, Wang Su completely ignored the rotten child and the woman who was arguing about going to find Master. He forcefully picked Zhuang Li up, and bumped into the Zhang Ye who was about to rush over after hearing the noise.


    The fatty seemed to be frightened by this scene and did not understand what was happening.


    "Young Master Wang? I just brought Master Yun Duan to the Regional Palace, you guys, what''s going on? "


    "Is there a doctor? "Get me a doctor right away." He was still hugging Zhuang Li.


    The noisy woman from before had spoken first, jumping in front of the Prefect.


    "Master, stop shouting! What lord messenger or Young Master Wang ¡­ They were all liars! Old master, do you think they can really save Lijiang County? Stop dreaming! Someone, quickly lock these two up! "


    "Young Master Wang? I saw the messenger token! It was true. Young Master Wang, what''s going on? "


    "The order badge is real! People couldn''t be fake! Couldn''t he just steal it? Can''t you just go and snatch it! "


    Zhuang Li immediately felt blood rushing to her head, but now that she met such an unreasonable person, he couldn''t be unreasonable. She endured the pain and took a deep breath, suppressing the evil fire in her heart. Thinking about it, it seemed that this Prefect could still be considered to be a reasonable person. She could only gamble on him.


    "Sir Zhang, it was indeed a misunderstanding when your son and I fell into the water. "Think carefully, what reason do I have to harm your son?"


    ''That woman really doesn''t plan to let that Prefect speak ¡­ ''


    "Reason, there are a lot of things in this world that have no reason. How do I know what reason you have in your hands and what does it have to do with me?


    Do I need a reason to harm you? Does that make sense? In just a single moment, his entire Qing Qiao County was gone. You asked Shan Hong for a reason to go?


    My family''s child is a bit simple-minded, but he is very obedient. Normally, he loves to play with the little girl of the house, but now that there''s a natural disaster, our family can''t raise that many servants, so we sent him away. My family probably likes you, and wants to play with you.


    Old master, you sent that fellow away? How many letters have you sent to the imperial government? "So there''s still a way to go, huh!?"


    Zhuang Li''s face twitched because of the pain. This time, she was able to tell the problem, no matter how she tried to roll around, she just had to cling onto Zhuang Li''s fault, the child acted as if he was acting, and continued to cry. He clearly did not lose anything, he rolled around in the water without losing a single strand of hair, but this time she was crying like she was as if she was alive.


    Wang Su was already pissed off by the woman. He put Zhuang Li down, held him in her arms with one hand and pushed her away with the other.


    Here. Find. Greater. Fu. pr. "Come!


    The big boss was actually trembling a little because of Wang Su''s living expression:


    "Young Master Wang, seeing how serious the situation the water is outside, how could there be a doctor? The doctors were taken away by the flood ¡­ "


    His words were extremely bizarre, as if he had also expected it. Seeing Wang Su''s surprised appearance, he suddenly became confident.


    "Young Master Wang, my wife will not let you guys and my master go on the case, why don''t you go to jail for a while, if that Yun Duan really can get food, then we can discuss it later?"


    Wang Su''s face changed, as he grabbed onto County Magistrate Zhang''s throat, and used a force to drag him out of the ground.


    The lady suddenly exclaimed, "Murder, quick, someone come!" Instantly, Zhuang Li and Zhuang Li were surrounded by dozens of officials.


    That man was no longer frightened, nor was he afraid. He was even brimming with confidence. Although he was lifted off the ground by the throat, his hands still tightly gripped Wang Su''s hand that was holding his throat. Tao


    "Young, Young Master. Right now, the person with the highest level of martial arts among you are already 50 miles away from here. I know that your martial arts are also good, and I might not be able to trap you, but are you confident that you can defeat the dozens of people in my residence? Under such circumstances? "


    After he finished speaking, he glanced at Zhuang Li. He could understand his intention no matter what, and it carried a sense that he was certain of Wang Su''s decision.


    Zhuang Li''s heart chilled, but she didn''t even think as she reached out her hand to push Wang Su away. It was said that her martial arts were not bad either. Otherwise, how could she have come out of the West Cold unscathed and unharmed? She was just about to push Wang Su away and let him leave quickly.


    He didn''t expect that Wang Su''s arm around her waist would tighten, and his other hand slowly let go of the county magistrate.


    "Okay, then we will wait. We will stay in your residence and let you drive me away, but we will need to find a doctor to treat my woman. Or wait for me? Five? Horse? Division? "A corpse."


    When he said those words, every word was extremely clear, like he was threatening, yet also expressing goodwill. He held Zhuang Li tightly in his embrace, not allowing those people to take the opportunity to make any more mistakes.


    After Zhang Jie Yu was put down, he started to cough violently. His wife quickly patted his back and pushed him away as if she was trying to maintain her dignity.


    He told his officers, "These two, serve her in the prison. If you can get a doctor, bring one to her in the street."


    Zhuang Li was once again carried by Wang Su, and in that moment, she felt a sweet feeling in her chest. She opened her eyes. Other than the bright sun, she could only see Wang Su''s handsome chin.


    The corners of his mouth curled up... At this critical moment, I still remember Hua Chi ¡­


    The dungeon of Lijiang County could be said to be dark and humid. When the flood came, it clearly flowed into the dungeon, but the water outside was gone, while the dungeon was still soaked in it. Without any drainage measures, the prisoners didn''t live comfortably. Wasn''t that what they were hoping for?


    Zhuang Li and Wang Su were separated into two cells, luckily the two cells were next to each other with only a row of fences separating them.


    The stench of the prison was overwhelming, soaking in the water. The bed inside was only a few pieces of wood, and luckily she didn''t have to directly sleep in the water. Zhuang Li couldn''t stand up, her chest was in a tearing pain, and all she could do was fall on the wood, breathing slowly. Wang Su stood by her side and spoke, even reaching out to touch her face, but gradually, she could no longer feel anything. He seemed to have lost consciousness.


    In the darkness she felt so light she could almost float. She raised her hand and realized that she was weightless, but she could see nothing.


    She rubbed her eyes. However, he still couldn''t see anything.


    "Do you know how important it is to see and remember?"


    She heard a voice in her ear, a woman''s voice, but the woman didn''t seem to be around.


    In front of her, it was still extremely dark. She extended her hand and frantically searched her surroundings, but there was nothing. He didn''t even touch the ground under his feet.


    How can there be no ground? Zhuang Li couldn''t wrap her head around it for a moment, and then, did she realize that she was only dreaming?


    But why did his chest still hurt like that?


    In his dreams ¡­ Shouldn''t he feel no pain?


    As she thought of this, she reached out to touch her injured chest, causing her to hiss in pain.


    "Do you feel pain?" The voice rang out once more. Each word reached Zhuang Li''s ears. It was neither big nor small, and she couldn''t make out its direction or distance.


    She felt someone press against her forehead, and in a second, the pain in her body had lessened by half. The forehead left.


    "It''s not enough ¡­"


    The voice spoke silently, but Zhuang Li did not know what she was talking about.


    Zhuang Li stretched out her hand and felt around in the air. If someone had touched her forehead just now, then that person would definitely be near her.


    However, he still gained nothing.


    "Where are you?" Zhuang Li asked.


    She was very surprised that she had asked this question, as if she knew who that person was, but who was that person? She didn''t remember.


    It was a strange feeling, as if there were a treasure box in her heart, precious and beautiful, and she knew she had such a treasure, but she did not have the key to open the lock on the box, so she did not know what was inside.


    That voice didn''t seem to take her seriously as it continued to talk leisurely ¡­


    "I want you to remember something that you must remember no matter when it comes to it. No matter where you are, you must remember this matter."


    Zhuang Li nodded as if she was controlled by an invisible thread.


    However, the voice still refused to let him go.


    "I''ll make you swear!"


    "I swear ¡­"


    Then suddenly, her eyes became exceptionally bright, as if the curtains of the stage had been lifted.


    She wanted to shield her eyes from the light, but it seemed to be of no use. The light in front of her was just as dazzling as before.


    The first thing he saw was a window. The frame of the window was made out of mahogany. It seemed to be rather old, and had been used for many years.


    Outside the window was a wutong tree leaf, its entire branch swaying horizontally. It swayed slightly in the wind.


    Zhuang Li seemed to have realized where she was and she seemed to be exceptionally familiar with this scene.


    As expected, it was a small classroom. She was lying on the seat with her head tilted. The boy opposite her was writing with great seriousness, but she didn''t know what he was writing.


    Zhuang Li


    For some reason, two words flashed through her mind.


    What the little boy wrote was Zhuang Li.


    The light in front of her faded away once more and the pain in her chest slowly returned to her body. Zhuang Li opened her eyes dizzily and the first thing she saw was the moonlight above her head.


    It was still the new moon, but the moonlight was exceptionally bright, and unexpectedly cold. It penetrated through a very small window on the top of the dungeon and shot into Zhuang Li''s eyes, as if it was so cold that it hurt her.


    Her body began to regain its senses. She felt the wet straw under her, the cold wall behind her, and then her sense of smell. A damp stench surrounded her.


    Then hearing


    "Zhuang Li, Zhuang Li..."

 C91

    Wang Su was right in front of her, there was a cage separating the two of them. She was shocked, Wang Su had never called her by name before.


    The people inside the palace had always been Imperial Noble Lady Ya''s people calling her, so they didn''t know that she wasn''t the legendary Imperial Noble Lady Ya. The empress and Hanqin obviously knew that she wasn''t Ge Ya but they didn''t care who she was. As for Hanqin, he only remembered that she was Zhao Ci.


    But Zhuang Li knew, she was not Zhao Ci ¡­


    Zhuang Li turned her head and saw Wang Su''s face, and he was right beside the prison cell.


    To be able to look at the Great Phoenix Emperor in such a manner while he was in prison, it must be a wonder of the world ¡­


    "Wang, Su."


    He knew that she was not Ge Ya and that her original name was Zhuang Li, but he didn''t know that she had another name Zhao Ci. He didn''t know that she was one of the people who had gone to the West Cold desert with her.


    Zhuang Li forced a smile at Wang Su.


    "It''s already so late, why didn''t you wake me up after I had slept for so long, Young Master Wang?"


    He was not the Emperor in this prison, he was just Young Master Wang who followed her to visit relatives. She suddenly felt a little impudent. What if she couldn''t live past tomorrow?


    Wang Su squatted down closer to Zhuang Li.


    This woman, she had been unconscious ever since she entered the prison. He kept calling out to her, holding her hand, and only now did she wake up. Although he had experienced many things, it was his first time in this prison. He had never thought of such a day, nor did he think that the woman in front of him would make his heart ache.


    He wanted her to survive, and he cared more and more about her ¡­


    The Prefect himself could not be considered a good person, as he was used to defrauding the common people. Originally, he had been living off the cream all year round, but his Lijiang County was great, except for one thing. There were bandits on the mountain. Occupy the mountain and become king.


    Originally, the bandits only bullied the commoners. Even though they did not want to harm a government official like him, they were still a little afraid of the people who used military weapons from the imperial government.


    But who knew if it was because of the panther''s guts or what, on the night of the first half of the month, that living bandit suddenly barged into his mansion, the bandit in the lead, called Zhao Tianhu, extended his tiger-like, strong and terrifying claws, and twisted him up, placing him upright on his swept up teacher''s chair. That aura immediately scared him to the point that he stuttered.


    "You ¡­ "How dare you!"


    Zhao Tianhu was not afraid at all, he even patted his shoulder happily. When the tiger claw landed on County Magistrate Zhang, it was as if he wanted to tear him apart, and slapped him down obediently.


    "I had nothing to fear in the first place."


    "Then... Then what exactly do you want to do!? " He''s a bit sulky, but there''s nothing he can do. "


    Zhao Tianhu suddenly felt that this County Magistrate Zhang was rather interesting, as if he was a kitten compared to this tiger. It was even a fat cat that couldn''t run ¡­


    "I came down the mountain to find you. Actually, there''s nothing much, I just wanted to borrow some money from you, brother. You also know that there''s only so much stuff on the mountain. I have to come down to buy it, ah ¡­ buying it naturally requires money."


    "Then why are you looking for me!? You don''t know... Don''t you know that I am a court official! " He clenched his fists, as if he was going to fly into a rage. However, it was impossible for him to jump up with his current size ¡­


    On the contrary, Zhao Tianhu felt that the current Prime Minister Zhang was becoming more amusing, teasing him ¡­


    "As you know, the news on the mountain is not very well-informed. I have never heard of the meaning of the term imperial court official. I just went down the mountain and randomly found a farmer to ask which family in Rivers City is the wealthiest right now. In the end, the farmer said it was naturally the county magistrate''s house. So I came looking for you. "


    When the County Magistrate Zhang heard this, he cursed in his heart. Tomorrow, he would capture a few peasants and kill them in the city. Three days and three nights! Not half a month! Let''s see who dares to chew on my tongue!


    He could only watch as Zhao Tianhu''s men crawled in and out of his residence, took out the gold box from under the bed, found his gold ring from the secret compartment in the study, and took out all kinds of jade artifacts from under his wife''s pillow. Headgear, silver notes, they were all filled to the brim with four big boxes, as he carried them out of the mansion in a heavy manner.


    In the end, Zhao Tianhu suddenly wandered back, and stared at the County Magistrate Zhang. County Magistrate Zhang was secretly delighted, thinking that this fellow was a prodigal son who wanted to return something back to him.


    "Bro, this chair under your butt is pretty good. How about this, lend it to me for a few days. When you want to sit down one day, send someone up the mountain to pick it up ¡­"


    "Zhao Tianhu, don''t go too far!"


    "Don''t be angry, don''t be angry ¡­" "If your body is angered to the point of breaking down, then what are you going to do to the common people to scrape Lijiang County?"


    Zhao Tianhu comforted him, but the truth was that he was pouring oil on the fire as he patted the County Magistrate Zhang''s chest. At the same time, he twisted him up and placed him to the side, allowing his subordinates to remove the chair.


    After going through so much, the County Magistrate Zhang was so poor. However, what was even more infuriating was still coming ¡­ Just a few days later, a large amount of water have come out


    The next flood had actually been big enough to directly rush into his mansion, and take away the food once it was gone.


    In an instant, he had become as poor as a refugee lying on the street. The only difference was that he now had an extra flower plume that could neither be eaten nor exchanged for money.


    He had been trying to comfort himself with the fact that he was out of things. He was just collecting and scraping. The money was gone, so he was quietly increasing the taxes. But he had miscalculated. This Lijiang County was originally a normal life for the people, but ever since he took office, other than being greedy, he was also greedy. In addition to this flood, it was simply a disaster ¡­


    Even if he wanted to take it, the people couldn''t afford it. He really only had one life left ¡­ What did he do with his life?


    If he did not get any benefits from it, he could look for the people up there. The County Magistrate Zhang did not give up. After the flood, he led the people to fix the damaged road and set off on their journey. He told his superiors about his own hardships, and invited them to come take a look at the Lijiang County ¡­


    If people from other areas were let into the city, the street would look as miserable as it could ¡­


    However, while waiting, there were no officials from the prefecture ¡­ If they didn''t come? Then why would he be rewarded with the silver sent down by the imperial government?


    He had already planned how the money would come. According to what the county''s people reported, it was naturally the people from their own county plus outsiders. When the prefectural government sent down the silver and chased out of the county, he would put some of it in his own pocket.


    Then there was the silver that the people in his county deserved. With half of it on everyone''s heads, he could become rich again ¡­


    However, he did not know if it was because he was not used to walking around with the officials in the upper echelons, but it had been half a month. Not to mention that the victims were starving, even the rice vat in his house was almost empty. The disaster victims also came to them every day, saying that you usually took a lot of money from them, and that you took it out for everyone to use when there was a disaster, but what about now? What about the money?


    Zhang Zhixian could only hide at home for a few days and let his wife lie that he had gone to another county to borrow food for everyone ¡­


    Just as he was about to fall into despair, Zhuang Li''s group arrived.


    However, Yun Duan had said that he could have the imperial government send over the rations first, and then he sent the statistics of the victims to the Regional Palace. The Prefecture? Would the Regional Palace give it to him?


    His wife was always at home, causing a ruckus. He only had this kind of wife and wanted to marry her again, but his wife was too fierce. If he were to marry her again, he feared that he would be skinned alive ¡­


    But now that he had run out of money, his wife began to argue everyday about taking his son back to his parents'' home ¡­ He had only one son, and he had inherited all the skills he and his wife had thought best ¡­ You''ll get into trouble again and you''ll go back on your word...


    The people in that county all said that dragons gave birth to dragons, and phoenixes gave birth to phoenixes. Mice gave birth to sons that could bore holes, but they all said that behind the scenes. That county magistrate was even worse than a mouse ¡­


    Furthermore, if his wife left, he would no longer have the money to marry again. Even a dignified county magistrate wife and son would not be able to stay ¡­ Where should he put his face?


    Therefore, he came up with an even bigger idea ¡­ Go to Zhao Tianhu and take back your silver ¡­


    He had held this thought in his heart for a whole half a month, yet he still didn''t have the courage and strength to do so ¡­


    Until he met Zhuang Li and the other two who came knocking on her door, at that moment, he was so happy that he slapped his forehead! The heavens never forsake one!


    He had a subordinate who knew some martial arts. It was said that he was a famous teacher in the martial arts world. However, because of his bad mental skills, he was called out by his master ¡­ That person couldn''t be considered an expert, nor could he be considered a martial artist ¡­ "However, I can still be considered a military man ¡­


    Ever since he was bullied by Zhao Tianhu that day, Zhang Chang Ren finally understood that he could not rely on these disloyal and fearless followers who came with him. What he needed was a martial arts expert to contend against Zhao Tianhu. However, how could he recruit a martial arts expert with the little amount of silver he had left ¡­


    Only the military general who was kicked out was not too bad. That day, when Yun Duan entered the door, the martial uncle quietly told Master Zhang. This person''s kung fu is incredible. He couldn''t see through it at all! That Wang Su was also not someone to be trifled with, so naturally the only one that was easy to bully was Zhuang Li ¡­


    This was a completely new plan. It was related to whether or not he could smoothly take back the silver from Zhao Tianhu and keep his wife and son. He thought about it for a while and then told the servant in his house.

 C92

    What County Magistrate Zhang wanted was the money that he had accumulated for most of his life. If he wanted to obtain that money, he had two plans, one was to use a greater benefit to exchange with Zhao Tianhu. The other was to use a force stronger than Zhao Tianhu''s to steal it.


    But he didn''t have the qualifications to carry out either of these plans... However, the moment the Lord Messenger Yun Duan entered his residence, he suddenly realized that he had met both of these requirements ¡­


    He first told Yun Duan about the disaster in the city. How pitiful they were, how long they had been hungry, and how much money they needed. He had chatted with the Prefecture Overseer when he went to the Prefecture Overseer''s Prefecture Overseer''s Prefecture Overseer. Now, he had been asked to use the Prefecture Overseer to jabber on.


    After that, he would discuss the next step with the messenger and also inform him about the dark situation in the prefecture, saying that he had visited the prefecture many times but had no results ¡­


    After all the discussions about the calamities that he did not care about, he sent the messenger to the prefecture city to ask for silver and grain. He heard that a small portion of the food sent by the government had already arrived at the prefecture city and that he did not have much face, so if the messenger were to appear, he would definitely be able to save the people in the city.


    But amongst them, he discovered many things that made him feel weird, that the Young Master Wang did not seem to be an ordinary person, and that even Yun Duan, Yun Chin, was extremely obedient to him. When Yun Qin was about to leave, he seemed to have realized what was extremely unwilling. In the end, it was the Young Master Wang who told him to go.


    As long as he goes, as long as we separate the people with the best martial arts, I will be able to kill them one by one. First was to control the Young Master Wang.


    If it was before, it would be impossible for him to take things and exchange them for his own silver, but it was different now. In the past, Zhao Tianhu would always come to the bottom of the mountain to snatch all the food, but now it was different. Where would he go to snatch all the food? But wouldn''t it be fine when the imperial food was served?


    Yun Duan would definitely not be willing to do that, so he only needed to use the Young Master Wang that Yun Che valued so much as a bargaining chip, and he could even directly hand the Young Master Wang over to Zhao Tianhu. He wanted Yun Qin to send someone to bite Zhao Tianhu. It would be fine as long as he could bring back the items from his own house.


    Thinking of this, he could not help but feel extremely proud of his intelligence. As for that little girl. County Magistrate Zhang thought about Zhuang Li''s face and felt that it was extremely beautiful. Even though he had lived to this age, he had never seen such a beautiful woman before. Although exhausted and thin, she was definitely a beauty. If he could get her, then what was there to be unsatisfied about?


    When he thought of this, he felt that the private school teacher''s teachings were very reasonable. Life was about first suffering and then being sweet. After half a month, he first encountered bandits and then encountered water difficulties. He didn''t expect that these three people would be like a gift from the heavens.


    And the thing that was lacking in beauty was that this little 99-90 in his heart was seen by his wife. County Magistrate Zhang''s daughter-in-law had never been someone who was easy to deal with. After marrying the County Magistrate Zhang for so many years, how could he not know what he had been thinking?


    At a critical moment, he still had to rely on her good son. That Zhang Bao intentionally lured Zhuang Li into the water and pretended to be drowning, causing Zhuang Li to think that he had water grasses wrapped around his feet. This was the perfect time to knock her out and trap her with water grasses so that she wouldn''t be able to float up and disappear from this world. It was a perfect match.


    It was just that she did not expect that the Young Master Wang would arrive in time to rescue her ¡­


    However, it seemed like he wouldn''t be able to survive. As long as she could break the perverted heart of the County Magistrate Zhang, she would be at ease.


    The subordinate of the County Magistrate Zhang did find a doctor on the street, he was a rather famous doctor on the street, the flood wiped out his entire family''s store of medicine, and he felt very uncomfortable looking at the victims on the ground. He never thought that the county magistrate would send someone to invite him, saying that someone in the family was sick, and wanted him to take a look.


    How much does he hate county magistrate? To collect taxes and disregard human life, what can''t be done? He couldn''t afford to offend someone who asked him to treat his family''s patients. But now, he actually had an extremely good opportunity to refuse him.


    "I don''t have tools or medicinal herbs, how can I help you?" He thought to himself, It''s best if you die from sickness, you old thing.


    But the official refused to leave, saying, "county magistrate only wants you to go take a look, it doesn''t matter if you have the tools or not, we don''t care if you have the herbs, you have to go anyway!"


    With that, he tied the doctor up. He dragged her all the way to county magistrate''s residence and directly put her in jail ¡­


    At first, the doctor thought that there was something wrong with the county magistrate again and wanted to lock him up. He had done this kind of thing before, so he could find an excuse to lock the person up first and then ask his family for money. But afterwards, the citizens of Lijiang County were really too poor. Let alone locking them up, even if they had to be executed in the county, they wouldn''t be able to take out any money ¡­ Only then did the county magistrate give up on this kind of trick.


    When the old doctor saw Zhuang Li lying in the cell, he immediately realized that the woman was injured. If he went in for a bit, the woman would not be able to understand his injuries. His mind was not clear enough. The man in the cell next to her seemed to be her husband, but at the same time didn''t seem to be. He asked her about her illness with concern.


    The old doctor was very kind. All the poor people on this street had received his kindness before. He knew in his heart that this dog county magistrate wasn''t a good person. Those who could be locked up by him were most likely good people ¡­ Moreover, from the looks of the prison environment, it wasn''t a place where a person could stay ¡­ Being so dirty, even if he wasn''t sick, he would still fall sick!


    The doctor had a good impression of Zhuang Li, and told him the truth, "My injuries are not light, if I do not get treatment, I am afraid there is nothing left to live for. "I also want to save her, but the treatment she needs isn''t something that can be cured just by lying here ¡­"


    "Doctor, please save her. When I get out, no matter how much money I have, I will give it to you!"


    The old doctor was also in a difficult position as he said:


    "It''s not a matter of money. My medicine store has already been flooded by water, I can go up the mountain to dig some herbs, but there''s one that can cure internal injuries. Even if I scour the entire Lijiang County City, I still won''t be able to find it."


    "What kind of medicine is this?" Wang Su asked.


    "Rhinoceros horn." That old doctor sighed after he finished speaking. Originally, he had a piece in his medicine store, but this flood had directly washed away those boxes of medicinal herbs. I don''t know where they went with the river...


    While the doctor was in a dilemma, Wang Su took out a small object from his waist that was hanging on a jade pendant. Originally, when they entered the cell, the county magistrate ordered them to collect all their valuables. However, at that time, he didn''t notice such a small item. It looked black and worthless, so he didn''t pay any attention to it. However, the old doctor opened his eyes in surprise when he saw the dim light shining through the small window above his head.


    "Young master! This! This is a White Rhino''s horn! "


    "Can I take the medicine?"


    The doctor was already exceptionally surprised. She came back to her senses and answered repeatedly.


    "Yes, yes. The effects of the medicine are naturally much better than the black rhinoceros horn!" It was a pity that this was something that could not be traded at all on the market. Even ten years ago, there were those who claimed that there was no such thing as a white rhinoceros'' horn in this world anymore. "


    "It''s enough to be able to save her life. Doctor, I''ll have to trouble you then. When I get out of here, I''ll definitely reward you handsomely!"


    The old doctor raised his head and looked at this humble young master with his humble words. He had already faintly realised that this young master was not an ordinary man.


    He put away the rhinoceros'' horn and rushed out of the prison. Then, he brought his disciple to a nearby mountain to dig up herbs.


    In the evening, a bowl of boiled soup had been warmed with a pot and sent to the prison.


    When Zhuang Li woke up, she saw that Wang Su was still guarding beside him. Although they were separated by a cage, it made her feel that at that moment in time, there was nothing between the two of them at all, and there was no deceit or lie due to the disparity in status. Wang Su was Wang Su, and she liked him, but she was not afraid of him.


    "Drink the medicine."


    He passed his hand through the cage and supported Zhuang Li up, leaning on the fence, and he was right beside him.


    The medicine was extremely bitter and filled with a strange taste. Zhuang Li had just drunk a mouthful when she spat it out, and violently coughed. A heart-wrenching pain followed as she hurriedly patted her back.


    In the end, he spat out a mouthful of blood, and the suffocating feeling in his chest immediately disappeared.


    When Zhuang Li finished coughing, Wang Su brought the pill to her mouth once again.


    "Finish it, don''t leave a single drop."


    She still instinctively listened to Wang Su, picked up the medicine, and gulped it down. In an instant, she felt the world spinning around her. Seeing her appearance, Wang Su actually laughed lightly.


    Other than medicine, there was also a cotton blanket that was sent by the old doctor. She said that Zhuang Li would have a chance to recover after coughing out the blood that was stuck in her chest.


    Wang Bi covered Zhuang Li''s body with the cotton blanket, thinking about it again, he still couldn''t be at ease. Her body had been tucking everything he could think of.


    Even though Zhuang Li felt extremely uncomfortable drinking the medicine, she suddenly felt her body becoming lighter. In the end, it was still better than having her chest feeling a tight pain, as she tossed and turned in the dungeon with the coldness. In addition to that, when she fell into the water earlier, her clothes were not dry.


    Wang Su asked her if she was still cold after tucking her in.


    She buried her head in her knees. It was a very warm feeling.


    "Not cold." She shook her head. It would be great if the Emperor remained like this until now.


    As Zhuang Li was thinking, she felt Wang Su''s hand reaching over from the fence, grabbing onto her ice-cold toes.


    The warmth of his body was continuously transferred into Zhuang Li''s body through that hand.


    It was as if he was protecting a child. It was a treasure that could only be found after traversing countless mountains and rivers ¡­

 C93

    Wang Su was right beside him. He would not leave, he would not leave, he would stay at the corner closest to Zhuang Li. As long as Zhuang Li was willing, he would be able to touch him.


    He did not know if it was because he was young and he had previously learned martial arts from a master, but his body was warm and the temperature had been continuously transferred into Zhuang Li''s body through that hand. It was as if there was an aura wandering around Zhuang Li''s body.


    The warmth slowly seeped through her entire body.


    By the latter half of the night, Zhuang Li was already feeling warm. She turned her head towards Wang Su''s side, sleeping especially soundly.


    It was only later, very long ago, that Zhuang Li heard a palace young eunuch mention this when he was cleaning up the Emperor''s clothes.


    "Where is the Emperor''s rhinoceros horn?"


    "Rhinoceros horn?"


    "That''s right, it''s the protective talisman left by the emperor''s birth mother ¡­"


    On the morning of the second day, Zhuang Li woke up. It seemed that her entire body had become much clearer. She was much more spirited now as well. The doctor sent another round of medicine over. Zhuang Li, who was still being stared at by Wang Su, drank not a single drop. After drinking it, he touched her forehead to confirm that she was alright. However, Zhuang Li noticed that Wang Su''s face had become a lot paler.


    But before he could think about it, the door opened again. This time, it was a big burly man who came in. Behind him was that county magistrate ¡­


    "That''s it?" The man took out a thick hand and shook the chains on the door. He unhappily glanced at Wang Su who was inside.


    "This is someone who can exchange for food, Zhao Tianhu, you must keep your word."


    "Of course I mean what I say. And what about that little girl you were talking about? "


    At most, he could just play around with her a little. If she died, she would die. Although a wife is the best in someone else''s family, a child is still her own, right?


    Sometimes, he even felt that he was too good at being a government official. He was truly a person who could yield and do whatever he wanted. Say that he had a grudge with Zhao Tianhu.


    That was a major event that could not be ignored. He had stolen the money from the County Magistrate Zhang. It was worse than taking his life.


    But in the blink of an eye, he had excitedly gone to find Zhao Tianhu. He wanted money, Zhao Tianhu wanted food, and he even made a beautiful woman for Zhao Tianhu for nothing. Why was it that Zhao Tianhu would agree to such a simple transaction? Otherwise, where would he go to gather food to feed his bandits?


    But when he saw Zhuang Li, he instantly felt regret. This guy was truly a peerless beauty. If he let her go this time, she was afraid that she would never be able to get her hands on him again.


    The so called beautiful jade was hard to find, he had already subtly treated Zhuang Li as her own, and felt it was a pity that he gave it away.


    And at this time, Zhuang Li actually stood up, she seemed to be alive! If he had known earlier, she would have come to this prison earlier to take a look. If she had known earlier, she would have hidden Zhuang Li to enjoy it herself! How could she let that Zhao Tianhu get away with it!


    But she had already said it, and she had already shown Zhao Tianhu, such a beauty, only a fool would let his go!


    If he did not give it to her now, Zhao Tianhu did not know whether or not he would flatten the Prefecture City. He knew that Zhao Tianhu was just like the crazy woman he had raised, extremely dangerous!


    In the end, he was still afraid of him.


    Ever since Zhuang Li had seen Zhao Tianhu, she had a bad premonition about him. This was because her actions and rough attitude made Zhao Tianhu feel that they were too familiar ¡­


    Bandits from West Cold ¡­


    Her heart turned cold. Isn''t this just a damn bandit!


    And the moment Zhao Tianhu saw Zhuang Li, his eyes suddenly became fixed! He was forty years old this year and had been a bandit for nearly thirty years. However, he had never seen such a beautiful woman before. He suddenly felt mesmerized and could not believe his eyes.


    Then, he smiled as he approached the prison. Zhuang Li''s heart went cold, this fellow was truly the head of bandits!


    "Get out of my way!" It was completely useless for Wang Su to call out to him in the cell next door. He impatiently wanted Zhao Tianhu to open the prison door.


    At this time, the County Magistrate Zhang started to put on airs. Even though he regretted it when sshe saw Zhuang Li, when he saw the look in Zhao Tianhu''s eyes, he felt that there was a way out. His treasure was most likely going to come back!


    "I''m giving this to you, beauty. You must have some sincerity right?"


    Zhao Tianhu was almost about to crouch on the door of his cell as he replied with a mouthful of words without even looking at the County Magistrate Zhang:


    "Sincerity! Sincerity!"


    You give me back my possessions, I will give you both of them, and you can even take the two of them to find Yun Duan and exchange them for the food that Yun Duan has left behind.


    "It''s good, it''s good!"


    "Then get someone to bring my things back first, and I''ll give you the key here. How about it?"


    After Zhao Tianhu heard this, he finally turned to look at county magistrate Zhao.


    "Why should I return it to you first? Just a beauty like that? " He seemed to be playing dumb. He acted as if he didn''t want to buy it.


    The Grand Commandant was forced to a state of exasperation by these words and reminded him.


    "There''s also food. You can trade this man for food." "They are in the same group!"


    "If you say it''s a gang, then it''s a gang? How can you be sure? "How can I trust you?"


    County Magistrate Zhang was so angry by him that he wanted to vomit blood. He finally understood that this bastard did not want to buy it! His hand held the key tightly. The thing was in his hand, but Zhao Tianhu had not gotten it yet. He couldn''t be considered to have lost.


    At this time, Zhao Tianhu slowly turned his head towards the trembling County Magistrate Zhang.


    "I won''t go too far. Let''s go as far as we can. Once you leave the county, ask around. Who would dare to say that he trusts your words?" When did you ever keep your word? "


    "I can promise you, right? Do you want to write a contract!? "


    "Promise?" Great Master Zhang, you think too highly of me. I did not think highly of you. How much is it worth? To be honest, I don''t think you believe it yourself. "


    Zhao Tianhu turned his body completely towards County Magistrate Zhang, causing him to tremble in fear.


    "The people of Lijiang County know that there are two songs about children, I have forgotten how to sing it." The people of Lijiang County know that there are two songs about children, I have forgotten how to sing it. There were bandits on the mountain and county magistrate at the foot of the mountain. But actually, I think I''ll have to call you big brother when it comes to squeezing people. How much did you promise the people and how much did you charge? What did he do? You say you are a good county, I''m afraid those corpses you piled on the east side of the city will get up and spit on you.


    Compared to you, what am I? I''m just snatching some of their stuff. If I snatch it, I''ll just have to earn more. It''s not like you, you stole it because that''s your life.


    What right do I have to be compared with you in this nursery rhyme? "


    The County Magistrate Zhang was furious. It was a good thing but now, with this bandit helping his, he did not know what to make of it.


    The key was not big, it was small, it was gold, he sneered at Zhao Tianhu.


    "Fine, do you believe that I will swallow this key into my stomach right now? I''ll make it so that you''ll never be able to open this door!"


    Zhao Tianhu seemed to have heard some sort of joke as he laughed heartily.


    "How old are you? You want to play with me? Do you even need a key to open this lock? This is a wooden prison, not an iron prison! Can I tear down your house? "If you really want to swallow it, then swallow it right now. I will wait right here, until my stomach is ripped open for you ¡­"


    He spoke in a relaxed manner, but every word was uttered viciously. Zhuang Li knew that the bandit did as she said. Such a scum, what could he possibly do?


    "So Old Zhao, you''d better not worry about it." If you give me the key right now, I would have been a little afraid of you in the past. You have too many soldiers, you have too many people. But look at the year, the fated criminal is too old. Tell me yourself, how many of your men were washed away by the flood? Sometimes I''d like to fight you now. "Because I have more people. Fighting with you makes me feel good."


    After he finished speaking, he was amused by himself and laughed out loud.


    Seeing that the County Magistrate Zhang did not come up, the people from the dungeon became worried. They rushed down as they spoke, including the military men he had hired outside and the officials from his residence. All of them were armed. They surrounded the county magistrate.


    The County Magistrate Zhang was so excited by this battle that he confidently and steadily took the key and put it in his pocket.


    "If you still want to do business properly, I will admit it, but you have to return my things. Zhao Tianhu, you have to think carefully. No matter how many brothers you have, we only have so many people surrounding and attacking you. If there''s a mistake, you probably won''t be able to leave this dungeon alive to meet your brother. "

 C94

    Zhao Tianhu was also a master who could back down, and seeing that there were so many people, he naturally suffered a loss, and immediately changed his face.


    "No matter what, as long as you admit it, this matter will be settled. I will take the person away first, and your brother will follow me up the mountain to get your things?"


    Hearing this, the County Magistrate Zhang was naturally extremely happy, the matter had finally started to develop in the direction he hoped. Just as he was about to hand over the key, Wang Su spoke up.


    He had come into contact with only one or two bandits in the West Cold, so he naturally understood what bandits they could do. If Zhao Tianhu had a malicious heart towards Zhuang Li, even a blind person would be able to smell it, although he really wanted to rush over and tear him to shreds, he had calmed down, and the current situation was that Zhuang Li needed to be safe.


    He said coldly, "county magistrate Zhao, I think you''re just being silly. If you''re a businessman, then you should leave behind a trump card and hand it over. If Zhao Tianhu takes us both away but doesn''t return, what will you do? When Yun Duan comes back, even if he wanted to exchange for food, it would be with Zhao Tianhu. At that time, what do you think will happen to you?


    You have so many people with you right now. He, Zhao Tianhu, should not even think about escaping unscathed either, moreover ¡­ "


    Wang Su paused for a moment, he was looking for an excuse to let county magistrate Zhao have enough courage to fight against Zhao Tianhu.


    His gaze swept across the area. Beside the County Magistrate Zhang, there was a person who was different from the rest. Although it was not even considered dregs compared to Yun Duan. alimentary canal


    "Besides, the martial arts teacher beside you seems to be pretty skilled. He should be ranked in the martial arts world. With such a powerful being by your side, why would you be afraid of a small bandit? "


    When the County Magistrate Zhang heard this, he immediately answered ¡­


    "Sure, take this man away. As for the woman, you can take her away after you bring everything back to me." If you really want to do business, you have to do what I say. "


    Zhao Tianhu also hated Wang Su to the core. He still came to spoil''s good fortune, and if he really could use him to exchange for food, then he would break all his tendons after he obtained food. He threw it down the cliff and fed it to the dogs.


    He had been a bandit for so many years, yet he had never suffered before. On the mountain, he had fought the heavens, the earth trembled, and the wolves trembled. Although County Magistrate Zhang had a lot of people with him, to be honest, he did not think much of them. It was just that he did not want to spend too much effort. But now, this brat had instigated the cowardly county magistrate to come and fight to the bitter end with him. It seemed that they would not meet face to face in this battle, but in the end, he must bring the person away.


    He coldly looked at the county magistrate, saying, "Fine, fine, fine. You said everything that counts, but when the county magistrate finally relaxed, he knocked down one of the officials beside him with a punch. Immediately, the group of people behind the county magistrate all surrounded him, and the scene instantly turned chaotic.


    The county magistrate''s chest and back also hurt, but what made him angry was that the group of people continued to hit each other, grabbing and hitting someone. He felt like he was hit by his own people, that martial arts person who was usually so overbearing, looking like he was unrivalled in the world. But now, he was caught by Zhao Tianhu and thrown out with a palm. The martial lord also had an iron hammer, what kind of legendary treasure was that, invincible in the world, but he never expected that Zhao Tianhu would snatch it away before he could even get into a fighting stance. With a casual toss, the iron hammer flew out, almost smashing into Zhang Tai Ling.


    The iron hammer flew out, directly slashing through Zhang Tai Ling''s chest, and smashed straight towards the cell that held Wang Su, causing a crack to appear. One of the wooden heads of the head was broken by the iron hammer''s explosive force, and although it wasn''t big enough for a human to crawl out, half of the body could still be seen. With a dull thud, he saw blood trickling down from the place where his face had been hit.


    Although Zhang Taiwen was screaming and groaning in pain, who could care so much about the chaos?


    Wang Su was too lazy to care about what he said. He used his strength a few more times to knock Yun Che against the metal chain until he became obedient and did not move anymore. quickly reached into his chest and felt for the key that he just took.


    After opening the door to his cell a few times, he quickly went out to unlock the door to Zhuang Li''s room.


    Zhuang Li was also extremely frightened by the chaos in front of her. When Wang Su opened the door to the prison, she immediately rushed out together with Wang Su. The pain in his chest hadn''t completely recovered, and even though he was running, there was still a faint pain. Zhuang Li, who was strenuously breathing by his side, naturally sensed this situation and immediately slowed down her footsteps.


    Although the County Magistrate Zhang was in so much pain from Wang Su''s crash that it had to flee, if Zhuang Li and the criminal were to run, not only would he not get the money or food, he might also be killed by Zhao Tianhu in retaliation. This brat actually woke up and took a step forward, hugging Zhuang Li''s leg as she started shouting.


    "The offender is about to escape! The criminal was about to run away! Someone come quickly! "


    Zhao Tianhu had also reacted, with just a glance, he discovered that there was no one left in the prison, and immediately got angry to death. After snatching a knife, he grabbed a person and started to randomly slash at him. He was so mad that no one dared to get close to him anymore.


    Wang Su couldn''t move his feet, when he turned his head, he discovered that Zhuang Li was being held tightly by the order. In that moment, he also grabbed a rock and threw it towards the order, he truly had the desire to kill. After a few seconds, it caused his head to bleed profusely and he stopped moving.


    When he saw Zhao Tianhu''s bloodshot eyes, he immediately realized that he had also underestimated this bandit. Not only did he have the brute strength of a country bumpkin, he even had tricks up his sleeves!


    By the time Wang Su took Zhuang Li''s leg out from his hands, Zhao Tianhu had already pounced on him and fiercely pushed him out.


    "Quickly run and find a place to hide. I will come find you!"


    With that, she flew towards Zhao Tianhu. Zhuang Li was violently thrown out of the dungeon by Wang Su. Although she was extremely reluctant, it seemed useless for him to stay there and become Wang Su''s burden.


    It looked like the main people were fighting in the dungeon. Zhuang Li did not dare to run too far, as she did not know how to help Wang Su, and if she wanted to find someone from the Priestess, she would at least be able to suppress Zhao Tianhu. However, the courtyard was empty. From the looks of it, the county magistrate''s mansion had long since become an empty shell.


    But at this time, Zhuang Li saw a bunch of people barging in, so she quickly hid behind the stone lion.


    The first person she saw was a woman in the middle of a group of men. Her clothes were also exceptionally conspicuous. With a glance, she recognized that this was the county magistrate, that crazy woman.


    Could it be that these were the county magistrate''s men? His crazy wife brought him reinforcements?


    But in the blink of an eye, Zhuang Li felt that something was amiss. These people dressed strangely, they were all different from the people in the city.


    He was suddenly enlightened.


    Zhao Tianhu was not a scheming person. He came all the way to meet the Liu Ye on his own, and had his women kidnapped.


    He was confident that he could take care of the county magistrate and his bunch of cowardly officials, but he did indeed have the qualifications to do so ¡­


    The woman seemed to have been forced by them to point in some direction, and the group of people filed into the dungeon.


    Crap! Wang Su!


    Zhuang Li had always believed in Wang Su, and she seemed to have heard from Li Liangxiao that the Emperor''s martial arts were not low. However, in the past few days, the boat had been exhausted, and had been tormented too much by him. She had only realized now that Wang Su was trying to pass her his Qi?


    She leaned her back against the stone lion and suddenly felt her limbs turn cold.


    Wang Su told her to run and hide somewhere. Why would he come back to find her? Could he really escape?


    He might be the monarch who had experienced the most suffering in the history of the Great Phoenix, but when had he ever encountered such an explosive pursuit?


    Just as he was thinking about what to do, the commotion in the dungeon got louder and louder. A few bandits who had just entered were already injured. They were still carrying the county magistrate''s crazy wife and one of them had caught his crazy son. The child gave him a big slap the moment he started squeaking. His face had swelled up from the slaps.


    Although Zhuang Li indeed felt that he was very detestable, she didn''t have the slightest hint of gloating at someone''s misfortune. Her entire body and mind felt pain from being held by one person.


    This person was Wang Su.


    The county magistrate had crawled out of the dungeon on his own. His head and body were covered in blood. He must have been beaten up again when he was down there. At the beginning, that crazy woman didn''t even realize that the bloody figure was the county magistrate. Only now did she recognize it and immediately fainted with a shriek of fear.


    But Wang Su?


    It was only when he saw Wang Su being dragged out by two people. There were bloodstains on his body, but he was not sure where his injuries were located. But it was clear that he could no longer stand.


    His whole heart ached.


    "You do have a few tricks up your sleeve, but now that you''ve encountered me, it can only be considered your bad luck." Zhao Tianhu then threw a fist out, and when it landed on Wang Su''s abdomen, he was immediately sent flying.


    But when he became afraid, he looked coldly at Zhao Tianhu.


    "I don''t know if you can exchange for food or not. If you can''t, then my mountain of bandits will be raising trash like you for nothing." "If you want to live better and not get beaten up, then kneel down and beg for mercy."


    "In your dreams." Wang Su spoke very quietly, and from the looks of it, he was also severely injured.


    He was once again knocked down, but he still struggled to get up.


    As for Zhao Tianhu, he seemed to be addicted to it, and once again, kicked towards Wang Su.

 C95

    "Stop!"


    Zhuang Li walked out from behind the stone lion. Under the broad daylight, her chest still hurt a little, but if she didn''t come out, her heart would hurt even more ¡­


    When Zhao Tianhu turned around and saw that his beauty had returned, he was immediately overjoyed. It was not only him, the bandits who had spent their entire lives on the mountain and were used to seeing the wild village women were all staring straight at Zhuang Li.


    So a woman can actually look like this.


    This was truly a chance for them to see the real world ¡­


    Countless questions began to flash through his mind. Who was this woman? Where did it come from? Would he have the good luck to spend the night with her?


    When Wang Su saw Zhuang Li, he was immediately stunned. He had been tired from working so hard in the past few days and had not even eaten a full meal after entering the calamity zone, so naturally he could not win against Zhao Tianhu in terms of physical strength, and yesterday, he had placed too much of his inner strength on Zhuang Li. Now, he was worried about Zhuang Li, and did not know if she had escaped or not, or if she had hidden well, but Zhao Tianhu had only made twenty moves with her.


    When they came out of the dungeon just now, they looked around. They didn''t see anyone from the County Magistrate Zhang, nor did they see Zhuang Li being caught, and their hearts were still a little at ease. But now, Zhuang Li had actually walked out by herself, exposing herself in front of the bandits. But now, Zhuang Li could not hear anything at all ¡­


    Whether this woman was stupid, stupid or not, why did she come out, did she not know what would happen if Zhao Tianhu took her out? What exactly was hidden in her heart ¡­


    Thinking of this, he could not help but feel anxious, as though he was about to spit out a mouthful of blood.


    Zhao Tianhu was overjoyed. As he walked towards Zhuang Li, he told the small fries below what he said.


    "This will be your sister-in-law from now on!"


    Those small fry people were originally standing there, full of saliva dripping down, but upon hearing Zhao Tianhu''s words, they hurriedly wiped it off and shouted for their sister-in-law. Strange sounds could be heard again and again.


    That look was extremely disgusting ¡­


    Zhuang Li suddenly shouted.


    "Stop."


    How could Zhao Tianhu hear her say that he wanted food, as well as beauties, and that both of them would be taken into his pocket? However, Zhuang Li would not let him do as he pleased. His right hand was always behind her, and right now, he was holding up a sharp little stone that he just picked up.


    She clenched the stone so tightly that blood flowed from the gash on her palm and down her fingers ¡­


    She hold the rock up to her face


    "Didn''t you want that face? I can go back with you, or I can listen to you. But you have to let him go. "


    She stared at Wang Su. She wanted to bet on whether or not she could save him.


    "Beauty, you can release anyone you want, but he can''t. He''s my food."


    This was within Zhuang Li''s expectations. Currently, water was prevalent, and food was extremely important, she could even imagine it if she closed her eyes, but she did not think that Zhao Tianhu would release Wang Su for a mere girl.


    Zhuang Li steadied her trembling voice, and spoke with great calmness.


    "It''s fine if you don''t want to, but at least you have to treat him well. You have to send him back the moment the supplies are delivered and don''t touch him again."


    Zhao Tianhu had never met such trouble before, but he found it interesting.


    "What if I can''t do it?"


    He walked in Zhuang Li''s direction step by step, but even though Zhuang Li retreated, she could not retreat that Zhao Tianhu. She drank a few times, but Zhao Tianhu acted as if he did not hear her.


    He continued to close in step by step.


    "What if I don''t stop? So what if your appearance is ruined? "Although there is no woman as beautiful as you on the mountain, if she were to lose her looks, you would still be a woman, after all." Zhao Tianhu said, as though he was sure that Zhuang Li did not dare make a move, and did not care whether Zhuang Li was a beautiful woman or a village woman.


    He spoke very calmly. If he didn''t believe her, he wouldn''t be able to take care of a woman.


    Zhuang Li''s heart went cold. If she wanted to win the bet, it wouldn''t be that easy ¡­


    "Then I want you to get nothing ¡­" She moved the stone that was placed on her face to her neck ¡­


    "I don''t believe it!" Zhao Tianhu wouldn''t have thought that the woman would actually take his life as a joke.


    Zhuang Li closed her eyes tightly, took a step back, and hardened her heart. She slashed at her own neck.


    Just for a promise.


    Zhuang Li had always thought that it wouldn''t hurt too much, because she had an extremely nervous expression on her face.


    That pain had almost surpassed her limit. That pain was abnormal. It was as if she was going to fall to the ground from the pain. Furthermore, her hands were trembling nonstop. It made it impossible for her to hold the pebble.


    It was even more painful than when the West Cold bandit hit her, and it was even more painful than when the big person''s crazy son hit him.


    It was only then that she realized it wasn''t her pain, and Zhao Ci was also the one who asked her to stop.


    Instantly, her eyes were filled with tears, and they flowed out without any warning. Even Wang Su had become blurry in her tears.


    Naturally, Wang Su did not expect this either. He struggled as he shouted at Zhuang Li.


    "You''re crazy! Stop right there! " He was immediately punched by the bandits beside him.


    He suddenly realized that this woman was different from any he had ever known. Although he had known that this woman was different before, he felt that his heart was even more painful than the wounds on his body for her to be able to do such a thing with the determination to die ¡­


    "Do you agree?" Zhuang Li looked at Wang Su, staring deadly at him.


    He was the emperor of the Great Phoenix, and he owned thousands and thousands of rivers and mountains. He obtained the throne and pride, he obtained land, and he obtained many, many things. He could not allow himself to be humiliated by such a scum in a place like this.


    What she wanted to protect was his dignity, and more.


    Why couldn''t she do it for that person she loved? And fearless...


    It was just that the overwhelming pain almost made her faint. He muttered to himself.


    Zhao Ci, I''m sorry, Zhao Ci, help me ¡­


    You didn''t meet him like me, didn''t like him like me, but I like him, please, help me.


    She suddenly felt flustered, not knowing how much longer she could hold on. How long more could he fight with Zhao Tianhu?


    At that time, Zhao Tianhu would soften his grip. He did not expect that such a beautiful woman would do such a decisive thing. He had been a bandit for his entire life, so naturally he wanted to do whatever it took to buy and sell. He wanted money, and he didn''t want to lose everything; he wanted to be a bandit for his entire life.


    Why did he have to make a fuss about nothing...


    When Zhuang Li once again lifted up the small stone, Zhao Tianhu suddenly let his guard down.


    "I promise you."


    Zhuang Li laughed, she was still extremely beautiful. That kind of feeling was probably similar to when Old Prime Minister Zhao met Du Yueyao back then, he always felt that the woman was not someone from the lake, and even felt that she wasn''t from the mortal world. If he didn''t quickly repair a beautiful and exquisite house to lock her up, she would fly into the sky ¡­


    As if Zhuang Li had heaved a sigh of relief, she let out a sigh of relief, and perfectly smiled to the extreme. Those people were all stunned when they saw this, and the person that Zhuang Li thought of in her mind, was actually Luo Lihua.


    Don''t know where you are?


    How was your life?


    When drinking, you tell me if I want to meet someone I love so much.


    I found it now...


    Zhuang Li still held the small stone tightly in her hand, as if she was holding her own fate. She didn''t dare to relax even for a second, even though she herself was extremely desperate to collapse. But she had no other choice, so she obediently placed the stone down and walked into Zhao Tianhu''s embrace.


    It was only at this moment that someone broke in again.


    It was the shocked Yun Duan.


    Although he was weak, Wang Su was still awake. Zhuang Li sat beside him. However, the two of them did not say a word.


    The state order said that because the County Magistrate Zhang had always been displeased by him, when he received the Grand Commandant''s report, he had reflexively thought that it was fake.


    Originally, the majority of the rations he had consumed this time was for Qing Qiao County, but now that he knew about the condition of the Qing Qiao County, he and the Prefect had hurriedly sent the most of the ingredients over to the Lijiang County.


    Wang Su listened to the Prefecture Duke''s words with an indifferent expression. Occasionally, he would glance at Zhuang Li and feel that his gaze would be able to freeze to death.


    Yun Duan brought back food, medicine and a doctor. The doctor first treated Wang Su and Zhuang Li.


    Zhuang Li''s wound wasn''t serious, and the chest that she had injured previously was already bleeding, so it didn''t matter much to him if she continued to recuperate. On the other hand, Wang Su was more serious. After all, he was the one who was beaten to death without dying.


    That day, the first thing Yun Duan saw when he rushed into the residence was the injured Wang Su, and he directly flew over to kick the person beside Wang Su. When he saw the person who was in charge of the residence, before Zhao Tianhu could even react, he was already kicked by Yun Che, and was ultimately beaten to death.


    And it was also that time, that Zhuang Li saw what it meant to be the number one under the heavens.


    After Wang Su struggled free, he immediately pulled Zhuang Li from the center of the fight to his side. At that time, Zhuang Li was already in a daze, he quickly looked at her neck, and simply did not cut into her arteries. Leaving the mess in the courtyard to Yun Duan to handle, she carried Zhuang Li out of the courtyard to look for a doctor.

 C96

    Along the way, the three of them remained silent. Yun Duan was angry at them, why couldn''t he come back earlier? Why did Wang Su sustain such heavy injuries after coming out with him? It was the first time that Zhuang Li realized that a person with extremely high level of martial arts actually had the mind of a child. Yun Duan was that child, and had done all sorts of things to punish himself, and didn''t even talk to Wang Su. In the end, Wang Su even dragged a body full of wounds to coax him.


    But Wang Su didn''t want to coax Zhuang Li. In the prison, the two of them were still sleeping with each other even though they were separated by a fence. Wang Su was angry at Zhuang Li...


    Just a moment ago, she thought that the person he loved also liked his extremely, and he secretly rejoiced in his heart. However, Wang Su did not speak to her anymore, and even ignored her completely, as he was not willing to even look at her.


    As expected of the Emperor, who was hard to serve ¡­ Although they were on the internal path on the way back, it was still a bit bumpy. Originally, all of this was nothing for Wang Su, but now there were two people with injuries on their bodies ¡­


    Before they left the Lijiang County city, there was an old doctor who came to see her, asked her about her current situation, and took her pulse. She seemed to be the doctor who helped Zhuang Li treat her illness while they were still in the prison, and Wang Su was extremely courteous to that old doctor, and even got Yun Duan to give him a lot of things. That old doctor sighed emotionally after inspecting Zhuang Li''s body for a while, it was truly worthy of the medicine that was made by the white rhinoceros horn, he never expected that the effect would be so good.


    Zhuang Li could not understand. During those two days in the prison, she had been in a daze, sometimes unconscious, but she was not clear about the situation. In the end, when she was about to leave, she took out a brocade box with a small pill inside. He said it was made with the remaining rhinoceros'' horn. It could save one''s life in times of crisis.


    The entire return trip became like a food chain, Wang Su coaxed the stubborn Yun Duan, and Zhuang Li coaxed the difficult Wang Su ¡­ Unknowingly, she had become the woman at the bottom of the food chain.


    However, there were still too many things to be done. For example, the river blueprints that they had found and drawn along the way. The riverside was still shrouded in sorrow and disaster, but the food and money that had been distributed in the capital were still on the way. In the end, it was enough to allow the victims to survive, so as long as they were alive, everything could start anew.


    Just like the phoenix rebirth, a good thing and a bad thing is a snake biting its own tail, it is a reincarnation ¡­


    Along the way, they collected samples of the river, and passed through many cities to visit the masters to listen to their opinions on hydrology. They also met a lot of people along the way. The only thing that Zhuang Li could remember clearly was the Immortal Crane Bracelet.


    There were too many things that needed to be dealt with once they returned to the capital, and the three of them were too tired from the journey, there were still two days left until their agreement with the Eunuch Li to return to the capital. During this time, they had passed by Luo Yang, so Wang Su suggested that they should go and see your master.


    It was only later that Zhuang Li found out that what Wang Su said was precisely where Crane Temple began to remember things.


    His Crane Temple was located on a mountain some distance away from the city, and it was surrounded by clouds and mountains all year round, as if the entire mountain was about to fly up.


    At the end of the stone tablet was Crane Temple. There was an ancient stone arch, and beneath the arch stood two copper cranes. Although their shapes were simple, they were a bit unique.


    Zhuang Li had no parents, and grew up in the White Cloud Temple. His master was called Xian He Master, and was not her master who had taught him martial arts, but rather a Daoist Priest who had become carefree since he was young. He had picked up Yun Duan from somewhere. Yun Duan had taught him martial arts since he was young, not because he wanted to learn from him, but because he wanted to be friends with him. Send Yun Duan to various places and come back after learning it. Then, he would arrange for the next martial arts training for him ¡­


    Just like this, Yun Duan''s childhood truly wasn''t lonely. Learning a martial arts on this mountain, then going to the next mountain. Even though he himself did not know any martial arts, he was able to see through all of Yun Duan''s flaws ¡­


    When Yun Duan was practicing his martial arts in his Crane Temple, he sat on the stone block with his eyes closed. But he immediately opened his eyes when Yun Duan made the slightest mistake.


    So, Yun Duan knew a lot of different kinds of martial arts, and after he mastered all of these martial arts, he managed to recruit the leaders of the families and had his own unique fighting style.


    When Master Xian He felt that Yun Duan had learnt more than enough, he did the last thing for him.


    This master was Wang Su ¡­


    At that time, Wang Su was still just a young man. A young man with low maternal status, who was not doted upon by the father. He continued to do his own things in obscurity. Perhaps he couldn''t even bestow the title of prince, and among all the princes, he couldn''t be considered as an outstanding figure. Thus, he only spoke a few words.


    However, Daoist Priest Xian He suddenly said towards Wang Su.


    "That''s the guy!"


    Yun Duan had asked why it was him? That Xian He''s reason was also extremely sufficient, and he said ¡­


    "Because the two of you are the most compatible ¡­"


    This ridiculous reason made Yun Duan that foolish child feel as if he was a treasure. He had also been troubled before, but Wang Su probably needed some other people to help him. He had worked too hard, perhaps he needed someone who knew how to talk to others and help him deal with those random things on his imperial court.


    But Master Xian He spoke again ¡­


    "I didn''t ask you to do anything big for him ¡­" It''s enough for you to help him drive the carriage and kill the enemy. Do what you know how to do, do you need to do something big just by helping others? "


    From then on, Yun Duan began to drive Wang Su''s carriage ¡­


    Yun Duan followed his master since young, and was almost especially attached to his, as if he was following his own father.


    He had always been worried about what would happen if his master grew up. Was he the one who came to live with his master? His master had come down the mountain to live with him. This could be considered as his master''s pension ¡­


    But when he returned to the mountain again, he discovered that Master Xian He was already beginning to teach the next child ¡­ I heard that it was picked up when I went down the mountain to buy a bamboo basket ¡­


    He also gave a very solid reason for wanting to adopt this child


    "I''m lonely ¡­"


    However, this child was no longer learning martial arts everywhere like Yun Duan had back then ¡­ Instead, he chose to follow Xian He to learn how to pick herbs ¡­ Taste all the medicine in the mountains...


    Yun Duan had once asked Master.


    "Why don''t you teach your Junior Martial Brother martial arts?"


    Master Xian He sat on the stone block and meditated with his eyes closed.


    "Because he''s not suitable ¡­"


    In this world, everyone has their own things to do. You are the best at martial arts, and your junior brother is the best at gathering herbs ¡­ And what I''m saying is that it''s really good for educating people...


    Everyone was more suited to do things differently, so as long as he did that thing well in his life, it would be enough ¡­


    Xian He was not the only master living in the Crane Temple, there were eight of them, and each of them had different leaders ¡­ There was a master who liked to argue with others. Every morning, when he woke up, he would start searching for his opponent ¡­ From the eldest senior brother to the youngest junior brother, everyone has to say something, and he is not very forceful, just hanging in front of you, constantly saying that he is happy if you answer him, and he will not be unhappy if you don''t answer him, but he won''t be able to leave ¡­


    Until you speak to him, even if you say, "Good!" He would immediately shut up and happily leave to pester the next person.


    There is an emperor''s master who likes to play chess, play Go, play chess... There were all kinds of chess pieces, and they were all under him, left and right, under his mouth and eyes ¡­ The ears and under the nose... All in all, there were all sorts of things to do. If he got happy, he would just somersault a few times on the stone cliff. If he wasn''t happy, then he would sullenly start thinking of new ways to torment himself ¡­


    There was also Master Xiuyuan and Master Wen Qu ¡­


    At first, Zhuang Li thought that the Crane Temple was named because of the few copper cranes at the entrance.


    After entering, he realized that the Crane Temple was practically embedded on the mountain peak, and beneath his feet were floating clouds. Countless cranes were resting in groups around him. As for the person at the foot of the mountain, because he raised his head, he could only see the clouds and not the crane ¡­ So when Zhuang Li asked the peasant woman at the foot of the mountain before, "Do you have a lot of cranes?


    That peasant woman actually said, "In my entire life, I''ve never seen a crane ¡­"


    Then the Crane Temple would become a hidden island in the busy city. and its own secrets and actions...


    As soon as he entered, he saw an old man meditating on a broken rock that had been picked out from the cliff.


    And before he opened his eyes, he suddenly said, "Yun Duan, you''re back? And two friends? Ye Zichen took them all back with him. From the sound of it, this man''s injuries weren''t light, and this woman was full of intentions. "Hurry up and bring him back so your junior brother can apply medicine and practice ¡­"


    Zhuang Li felt that it was strange ¡­ This old man had his eyes closed the entire time, and had not opened them since. Where did he find out that the people present were Yun Duan and a man and a woman? How could she know that Wang Su was injured and that she was thinking about it?


    If he were to randomly guess, his luck was simply too good ¡­


    Only then did Yun Duan explain that this was Master Xin Ming. He trained to listen to what he had learnt, he liked to listen to the sounds while sitting on the stone, because she said stones make the least sound ¡­ If it was a tree, or even if it was mud, it would be too noisy ¡­


    Although he was standing on a rock, he could hear all sorts of sounds coming from all around him. It was an argument going on at the foot of the mountain. When he was more proficient, he would be able to hear the voices in his heart.


    He could even hear the current situation in the world ¡­

 C97

    " This little girl thinks this old man is a swindler? "


    " What are you thinking! Master Xin Yue is not a lunatic who swindles others! " Yun Duan started to argue with Zhuang Li. He naturally believed in that master''s words. If that master had already said so, then Zhuang Li must have already thought so ¡­


    "I''m sorry, old deity. I have offended many of you. I only offended you because I don''t believe that there are ghosts or monsters in this world. I just don''t know if there are people who can read people''s minds."


    "What''s so miraculous about that ¡­" That Yun Duan who thought that Zhuang Li was a petty person that had never seen the world, secretly made Zhuang Li want to punch him.


    "Hello, old mister." Regardless of what the two thought, Wang Su could only respectfully bow to the old man.


    Zhuang Li was still thinking that it was strange for Wang Su to be like this, wasn''t he always against the idea of ghosts and gods? She even had the astrologer drive out of the palace.


    At this time, he was actually showing respect to this old Taoist. That elder may have seemed like a righteous immortal, but in the end, he was still related to things like freaks and gods ¡­


    "Little girl, I don''t agree with the words of the Gods and Ghosts either. I don''t have the ability to truly communicate with your thoughts, it''s only because I can guess your thoughts. "In that case, I can consider it as having a connection with you ¡­"


    On the other hand, Zhuang Li was still puzzled. The theory of ghosts and gods, was it true, or not ¡­ When Yun Duan saw her procrastinating, he felt that it was too troublesome, so he spoke each word concisely and clearly.


    "Because Master''s heart is calmer than mine. You have to be a bit more steady. That''s why you can do things that many martial arts experts can''t do. He is able to pry into people''s hearts, not because he is able to enter into your heart, but because his heart is too calm, but through his own judgement, he is able to see things from your point of view. "


    "As long as you are calm?" This strange speech made Zhuang Li very curious.


    Yun Duan then immediately pulled Zhuang Li to the edge of the cliff where the old man was sitting


    "This is where Master Xin Ming cultivates. It would be good if you could sit here for an hour."


    Zhuang Li was also curious, wasn''t it just a stone platform? So what? Even staying in there for an entire day was possible, let alone an hour ¡­


    When he looked closely, he was so scared that he broke out in cold sweat! The old mister sat on a stone platform that extended towards the cliff face. Beneath the stone platform was a 100,000 foot high cliff. The stone platform wasn''t too big, and it was just enough for the old mister to cultivate while sitting on it. If one was not careful enough, falling down a cliff would result in one being smashed into pieces ¡­ If it was an ordinary person, they would feel faint just by looking at it. Not to mention sitting on it for an entire day, they would feel dizzy just by sitting on it for a quarter of an hour.


    Yun Duan felt it was funny seeing Zhuang Li being scared, so Zhuang Li rolled his eyes at him.


    And at this time, Wang Su asked the old man respectfully.


    "Old master, it is said that you can hear the voices of the world and know what''s on my mind. However, you can give me a few pointers ¡­"


    Before Wang Su could finish, he was interrupted by the old man.


    "Don''t you already have the answer to the question you want to ask me? Why are you still putting on an act to ask me? I''m not as magical as those outsiders are, saying that I can hear the affairs of the world, but my heart is so calm that I can rationally weigh right and wrong. Being right or wrong isn''t important, and it doesn''t prove anything. It doesn''t help you much ¡­


    There was no use in being right or wrong. What was useful was the human heart ¡­


    Wang Su was startled, but immediately recovered to his previous pious look, and even bowed respectfully. He then continued to walk up the mountain.


    When he looked down the mountain again, he could no longer see the road he came from. Floating clouds were like white snow as they slowly floated under his feet. Zhuang Li remembered and asked Yun Duan:


    "What''s your junior''s name?"


    Yun Duan firmly held onto his head, as if he was thinking, and only then did he answer.


    "A year ago, my master wrote to me and mentioned it. It seems to be called Ya Duan. His master made him learn to taste the herbs of Shennong and treat his patients. Right now, my medical skills have advanced. "


    Zhuang Li couldn''t help but burst out laughing... Yun Duan? Cliff? If he accepted more disciples in the future, could he still break his legs?


    As he was thinking, he had already arrived at the entrance of the temple.


    The hall was not big, but there were quite a few pavilions and pavilions. The stars were twinkling, and in the narrow range of the mountains, almost even the smallest of flat land had been used. Although it was a simple and unadorned building, it was small and small in size, but it was also delicate and pretty, with sharp eaves, just like a swallow''s tail feather that was about to fly into the sky.


    As he entered the Crane Temple, the number of people he met increased. Yun Duan brought the two of them as they walked forward, and as they walked into the monastery, he greeted the surrounding people. In recent years, there had been a lot of people requesting autographs in the monastery, and the incense of Crane Temple were extremely strong, so the masters also took in a few young disciples, becoming more and more lively. Along the way, Zhuang Li saw quite a few young Daoists wearing Small Green Cloth Robe and had tied their hair on their heads with a green cloth. He carried a water basin and a broom to clean the entire Crane Temple.


    Yun Duan said that cleaning was also a form of cultivation for them ¡­ Zhuang Li continued to roll her eyes in her mind. He guessed that those masters were too lazy to clean up ¡­


    There were many towering ancient trees in the courtyard, and six or seven huge trees were needed to encircle this place. However, the old branches were full of vitality and bloomed with red flowers, falling down in a steady stream. It was a scorching hot summer day at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain also had a pleasant spring climate. Under the main hall, there was a stone platform that was made of limestone, and two old men were meditating by the side of the stone platform with their eyes closed. Yun Duan anxiously pulled Wang Su along as he tiptoed away quietly.


    "Quickly, that''s Master Lu Ye. If he finds out, he''ll probably be recited at night ¡­"


    Zhuang Li did not understand, but seeing Yun Duan''s fearful and hostile look, she naturally believed that Master Lu Ye was not someone who could be easily dealt with, and quickly turned and left.


    The three of them entered the main hall, then paid their respects to their two masters. One was Master Kuan You, the other was Master Lin. The three of them bowed respectfully. One of them was fat, while the other was tall and thin. Zhuang Li couldn''t help but find it funny. These masters seemed to be characters in a cartoon, each with their own unique craftsmanship, yet unwilling to touch the world. She just silently hid herself in the mountains and lived her own life, peacefully enjoying herself ¡­


    "Hurry up and go see your master. Teach your junior brother a lesson in the Sealing Cloud Pavilion." The chubby Master at ease had a smile on his face the entire time. Zhuang Li couldn''t help but think of the word "lenient" and "fat".


    Thus, after exiting the hall, he continued along a small path towards the mountain and walked for a while. From afar, he saw an exceptionally exquisite small pavilion, built close to the cliff''s edge.


    "Cloud Sealing Pavilion''s significance is that it''s basically a cloud line. No matter how much the sea of clouds rises and falls, it won''t exceed Cloud Sealing Pavilion. Even when the sea of clouds is at its highest, it''s only on the same level as Cloud Sealing Pavilion. It''s as if this small pavilion has suppressed them on this level line."


    Zhuang Li looked at the small pavilion at a far higher point in the sky, and thought about the scene of that moment. Rising and falling amid the smoky fires that separated them from the world.


    Until they arrived at that small pavilion, Zhuang Li and Wang Su bowed under Yun Duan''s lead to Master Xian He who was sitting upright in the pavilion.


    Xian He''s master was not very old, and looked to be just fifty years old. His hair was jet-black, and he wore exactly the same as the masters he had met before, a simple set of grey clothes, although he was a little thinner, the outline of his face was clear, and he was not as kind and gentle as Master Xin Ming, nor as good-natured as Master Kuan You.


    "Master, your disciple is back." Yun Duan was almost excited, he had probably only seen his once in a few years, and couldn''t help but choke on his tears.


    On the other hand, Master Xian He was indeed indifferent, as if a married woman couldn''t be bothered to return, as a sentence slowly floated out ¡­


    "Oh."


    Zhuang Li was a little curious about the area of shadow in her heart. There was a small waterfall beside the Cloud Sealing Pavilion. Although the mountain was tall, there were quite a few waterfalls, which were also the water sources used on the mountain, and there were many miraculous spirit herbs hidden in the waterfalls. When Yun Duan asked about the Junior Brother, Master Xian He said in an extremely relaxed manner: "We are gathering herbs in the waterfalls."


    In the beginning, Zhuang Li did not realize the meaning of these words. It was only when she saw Yun Duan''s gaze that she understood what was happening within the waterfall in the middle of the mountain ¡­


    He was actually picking herbs in the rapidly flowing waterfall and cliff?


    [Is this guy trying to die?]


    Zhuang Li had seen Yun Duan''s skill, so she naturally believed that his junior brother had the ability to do the same. However, after looking closely at the waterfall, she couldn''t help but feel fear and trepidation. The waterfall''s current volume wasn''t large, and wasn''t as quick as the one they had encountered in the Qing Qiao County.


    But underneath the waterfall was a cliff. At the bottom of the cliff was a deep pool. The pool was not big, and the surroundings were filled with hard rocks. If one fell down, they would definitely be smashed to pieces. A figure shuttled back and forth between the waterfalls, tied to the top of a pine tree by a thick rope tied around his waist.


    When the figure that was shuttling through the waterfall finally climbed up the hemp rope, her body was already soaked through. He knew that she would have to get wet if she entered the waterfall to pick herbs. Her clothes were hanging on the trees by the side of the road. She was bare-chested and was only wearing her underpants. As soon as she came up, before Zhuang Li could see clearly, she was pushed to the side by Wang Su, who was covering his eyes with a veil. He waited for the guy to change into a clean set of clothes before she was allowed to turn around.


    Different from Yun Duan''s dullness, Cliff however was simple and cute, filled with passion. When he saw Yun Duan, he had already pounced on him.


    "Senior apprentice-brother!" Compared to Master Xian He''s unfathomability, he was even more excited. It hung on Yun Duan''s body and refused to come down. Only after looking carefully at it, did Zhuang Li realize that the cliff face was still filled with the appearance of a fifteen to sixteen year old youth, delicate and pretty. If it wasn''t for the fact that he was walking back and forth in the waterfall bare-chested and agilely like a monkey just now, Zhuang Li would have thought that he was a young second son who was still reading ¡­


    That Ya Ya Ya was clever and cleverly, respectfully and respectfully he also bowed to Zhuang Li and Wang Su, then said with a frown.


    "Young master, are you hurt? Although it was not fatal, it was not light at all. I just picked a few Dragon Pearl Grass, and I can make some medicine for Young Master to consume at night. "


    "How do you know that Young Master Wang has injuries?" Zhuang Li could not help but ask, the Crane Temple was also strange, almost everyone knew Wang Su''s identity, and they also noticed that he was injured.


    The young man looked at Zhuang Li, and his eyes suddenly lit up.


    "What a beautiful elder sister ¡­"

 C98

    Towards such straightforward praise, Zhuang Li naturally enjoyed it a lot. She couldn''t help but want to give him a piece of candy because of the sweet taste of the young man''s mouth.


    "Sister asked me how I knew that Young Master was injured, I could smell it. Although it had been a few days, there was still a faint scent of blood on his body. Watching the young master''s face, I can see that there is something wrong with his blood and Qi, but at least it should be fine. "


    Zhuang Li was secretly ridiculing the little brat in her heart. Furthermore, the diagnosis was so accurate that it was truly astonishing. She didn''t know what kind of appearance she would have after being taught for a few more years. She was probably going to become a master teacher of her generation ¡­


    "Senior Brother is lying. The last time we left, he said that he would come visit me after a period of time. I didn''t expect that I would have to wait for him for two years ¡­" I have already learned all my medical skills. If you had come a year or so later, I would have been sent by Master to the Valley of Immortal Medicine to learn medical skills. At that time, it would have been even more difficult to meet senior once again. "


    It could be seen that he and Yun Duan were very close. After all, there were only a few people in this mountain, so the child was naturally very happy.


    On the way, he heard Yun Duan talk about how although Master Xian He had lived a carefree life, he was extremely strict with his disciples and had almost no time to rest. He did not finish one lesson before continuing to study until he finished learning all the knowledge in Crane Temple, and then was sent to another place to continue his studies.


    Once it was time to be sent out, it might be years before he returned.


    However, the places he sent them to were all his friends in the martial arts world. In just a year or so, Master Xian He had stayed on the mountain until his bones ached. But how long it would take would depend on Master Xian He''s mood.


    After learning the martial arts in Xian He''s view, Yun Duan was sent to a place even further away to learn sword techniques at the Cyan Peak Sword Sect, where he was forgotten by Master Xian He and stayed there for a whole three years before he was able to receive it. After he came back, he understood that the reason his master mentioned it was because Master Xian He and the leader of the Cyan Peak Sword Sect had never been on good terms... Later, Yun Duan was sent to Mei Shan Sect to study. Compared to his usual indifferent attitude towards his disciples, he was simply like a different person. It was only after he had finished learning and returned, did he listen to Master Lu Ye talk about how Master Xian He had come to visit him so diligently because he had a relationship with the Mei Shan Sect Leader when he was young, and because there were many different reasons why lovers did not end up together. Moreover, Master Xian He fell to the ground because he missed her very much, and it was unknown whether or not the diligent fall to the ground had the effect of rekindling his old feelings ¡­


    Unfortunately, Ya Duan''s learning progress was too fast. In less than half a year, he had already learnt the martial arts of Mei Shan Sect. Seeing that there was nothing left to teach him, the female teacher finally chased him out of the sect ¡­


    Thus, Master Xian He complained to him for a long time ¡­


    The mountain was filled with cultivators, so naturally, they only ate light vegetables from the green porridge. However, the three people who had been lacking food and meat along the way were already very satisfied. Zhuang Li didn''t care about all that, and quickly downed three big bowls of food before she managed to slow down her eating speed. When she looked up and saw that Wang Su, who was sitting in front of him, was still eating slowly, she wondered if that fellow wasn''t hungry.


    Then, he recalled that this fellow was, after all, Da Feng''s son of heaven. He had probably been bound by the restrictions of the palace since he was young. Eat without speaking, sleep without speaking. How could he compare to a boor like himself...


    Compared to the question of whether he was hungry or not, whether he was in pain or not... Perhaps the Tian Family''s prestige was more important ¡­


    When she finally patted her stomach after gulping down another bowl of soup, the corner of her mouth hooked up into a satisfied smile. Wang Su''s expression on the other side was clearly saying: You''re really living a rough life ¡­


    Yun Duan also rarely stayed away from Wang Su. After all, there were many experts in the Crane Temple, so there was no need to worry about Wang Su''s safety. Since he rarely came back, he was also eyed by Master Lu Ye when it was time to eat, and there was no end to it. He had been captured by his seniors and juniors to reminisce about the past.


    The buildings of the Crane Temple were scattered all over the Immortal Crane Peak, speckled with specks of light that were connected by paths and paths. It was said that there was some kind of formation. If a stranger was not guided, it was very easy to get lost or be trapped on this mountain.


    Zhuang Li walked out of the hall. In front of him was a row of water vats around the height of half a person with many water lotuses growing inside, the climate on the mountain was much later than on the ground. It was obviously midsummer, but the weather was still as cold as early spring. Originally, Yun Duan had sent a little Daoist to guide them, but Zhuang Li felt uneasy. She wanted to walk around the mountain alone for a few rounds.


    Zhuang Li sat on the stairs as the sun was already setting in the west. The surrounding scenery was as if she was in a fairyland as it bathed in the radiance of the sunset. The petals of the lotus flower, the dew on the grass leaves. The wings of the Immortal Crane were covered with a layer of dazzling golden light.


    Suddenly, he felt that this was a treasure that was even more valuable than a palace painted with gems and golden paint.


    It would be a very romantic choice to make this place his final resting place... In the morning, he woke up to the cry of a crane, green tea and light rice, guarding a lotus for the rest of his life. Perhaps he would also become different.


    A small stone fell down right on Zhuang Li''s head.


    "Aiya!" She quickly covered her head and looked around. She saw Wang Su sitting on the roof of the hall above her, bewitched by the beautiful scenery. He had half a hand holding his head in satisfaction, his other hand playing with the small stone in his hand.


    "The sleeping quarters are in the wrong direction ~" Ye Zichen glanced at the woman, who was standing beside him, with an unconcerned expression.


    Zhuang Li rushed into the palace, found a ladder leading to the roof and clattered on it and ran up. There was a triangular window on both sides of the attic. Just as she reached the window, she saw Wang Su sitting on a narrow platform on the roof with a leisurely expression.


    The topography of this palace hall was extremely high, and Zhuang Li''s eyes were filled with the afterglow of the setting sun, which seemed to be just inches away from him. She was so shocked by the beautiful scenery in front of her that even the corners of her mouth unconsciously curled up.


    "Idiot ¡­"


    It was only until he faintly heard Wang Su''s voice that he came back to reality.


    She turned her head to look at Wang Su. She originally wanted to use a tooth for a tooth in return for cursing at him, but then she suddenly realized that the person in front of her was the Emperor ¡­ And the right to take his head off... Furthermore, that right was something that could be granted at any time...


    Ye Zichen let out a breath in relief, then felt lucky that he didn''t manage to say anything ¡­ He respectfully coaxed the old man in front of him ¡­


    "Your majesty isn''t resting?"


    Wang Su glanced over. That gaze seemed to have already guessed what Zhuang Li was thinking. The feeling of having her superior say bad things about him was really hard to bear ¡­ "In a hurry, she started to laugh with a guilty conscience.


    "Your majesty, do you need this servant to accompany you back to your room to rest?"


    Wang Su watched as this woman rushed up to him enthusiastically, obviously wanting to settle the score with him. But now that she said such tactful words to fawn on him, afraid that he would anger her, he could not help but find her interesting. She was different from all the other women she had known before, more alive, more able to stir up her own nerves, as if she couldn''t help but tease her.


    He sometimes felt that this woman seemed to be fearless, and was the bravest one he had ever met. Sometimes, he even felt that she was more timid than the young eunuch that served him with Imperial Study.


    He couldn''t see through this woman, but he liked her a lot. If he saw her, he would always be angry because of her. If he couldn''t see, then he would suddenly feel empty inside ¡­ Always concerned... He had never felt this kind of feeling since he was young ¡­


    Wang Su had experienced quite a bit of things along the way, so when it came to hardships, Wang Su didn''t think that it was anything special. He had experienced worse and more dangerous situations than these. From the moment he decided to fight for the throne, he had always been cautious. What kind of storms have I never seen before? But he could still deal with it with ease.


    But now? What about this time?


    Wang Su could not explain it clearly, and sighed. The woman in front of him was extremely beautiful, but there seemed to be something even more impressive than her beauty that made him feel that she was right.


    When he saw her injured and undecided life and death lying there, he was afraid that he would lose her, so he clearly felt the changes in his body compared to before.


    No matter what, he was unwilling to bear the pain of losing her.


    Different from the palace, different from any other person, but this stupid woman seemed to have no sense of foresight. She was serious at the moment, but she was also crazy at the moment, and it was hard to tell what she was thinking.


    However, he had lost to her in the end ¡­


    He took her hand and sat beside her. He just wanted to sit there quietly.


    The setting sun emitted a dazzling brilliance before quickly disappearing under the clouds, and the land was quickly covered in a layer of dim shadow. Wang Su picked up a wine bag from the side and Zhuang Li instantly recognized it.


    "This is ¡­" This is the wineskin of that Master at ease! "


    Wang Su did not say anything, which was considered to be tacit agreement.


    "You stole Master Kuan You''s wineskin!" Just as she said that, Zhuang Li realized that she was just f * cking courting death. She actually had the guts to say that the Emperor stole the wineskin of a Taoist monk from the mountains!? Just how impatient was she to live ¡­ No matter how many heads she had, it wouldn''t be enough to cut him down.


    The Taoists on the mountain all had extremely sharp ears, although no one pointed it out, they all knew Wang Su''s identity. The rivers and mountains are all the emperor''s ¡­ Who would bother with him about a broken wineskin ¡­


    Zhuang Li was trembling in fear, but she noticed that Wang Su did not look angry at all. She obediently sat down beside Wang Su, and for a moment, she didn''t know what to say.


    Along the way, the two of them naturally became closer, but after Wang Su left the Qing Qiao County, he became angry with himself again. Accompanying a lord like a tiger, he had no choice but to carefully serve this great sir.


    Looking at his toes in the last rays of the setting sun, he could not help but feel embarrassed.


    She was wearing an extremely simple flowered garment that she had bought in a nearby county. Both the dyeing and the workmanship were extremely rough. Even a random Bala from the city''s cloth shop could beat it by a thousand times. He had been in the countryside for such a long time, so how could a natural disaster like this raise a person? Even without a mirror to look at, he could feel the shaving and roughness on his face ¡­ And with this cheap earth-cloth outfit...


    He was just like a village girl, without a shred of face to speak of ¡­


    He sighed inwardly to himself that he would one day become unconfident in Zhao Ci''s capabilities. With her current appearance, she would be able to get rid of the jealousy of the empress and the Imperial Noble Consort had towards him.


    But now, he seemed to faintly wish that he could sit beside Wang Su in an extremely dignified and dignified manner ¡­ He thought for a while and regained his senses. He couldn''t help but want to knock himself out with a brick.


    What am I thinking...


    It was true that she liked Wang Su, but she had always been extremely careful and prudent. She had only wished that she could protect such a small part of her heart to accompany him by his side. She was willing, but Wang Su might not even be willing ¡­ As he thought of this, he once again felt a sense of sorrow shrouding his head.


    Wang Su did not look at her, how could he care about the thoughts of the little girl beside him, he just opened his Wine Sack and gulped it down.


    Night gradually descended and the mountain returned to its calm state. The old Daoist knocked on the bell and announced the arrival of night. Everything in the mountain seemed to understand the sound of the bell. The birds that were lingering in the sky gradually returned to their nests. In twos and threes, they disappeared into the distant horizon.


    The clouds gradually dispersed, and the lotus flower in full bloom had already closed its petals, ready to sleep peacefully.


    The crowing of chickens and the barking of dogs gradually calmed down. In the end, even the sound of the cranes flapping their wings could no longer be heard.


    It was as if the entire Crane Temple had closed its eyes in satisfaction after a peaceful day.

 C99

    However, Zhuang Li quickly realized that the silence of the night was relative, and extremely short.


    After a while, this moment of silence was replaced by another sound. As night fell, another group of creatures woke up.


    The wind rustled across the treetops, the crickets chirped from the soil, the frogs frothed under the waterfall in the back mountains, and the bamboo shoots that broke through the earth became exceptionally clear in the tranquil night. There were also young Daoists practicing martial arts at night, sitting and meditating in the courtyard. There were also people who practiced Qing Gong in groups of twos and threes. Under the moonlight, one could see them running between the mountains like jumping spirits. It seemed that there was no pressure from the darkness and they were as free as day.


    Wang Su drank a mouthful of wine and handed the wineskin to Zhuang Li. In an instant, it made Zhuang Li think of the desert from a few years ago, where they just sat there, drinking wine and warming themselves on top of the desert with no plants growing at all. And today, they were only two people no longer the little girls who had been abandoned by the Zhao Family or the ungrateful princes. Instead, it was to serve tea to the lady official and to the current emperor...


    He had experienced too much and couldn''t tell if his life was real or not ¡­


    From the moment he came to this world, when did he ever let himself feel real?


    Becoming Zhao Ci, going to the West Cold, adoration from Xi Cuo, friendship from Ge Ya ¡­ Then, she would return to the palace and be extremely careful in everything she did.


    She had lived in that lonely little Plum Court before, and she thought that she would be alone for the rest of her life. She tried with all her might to suppress the irritation in her heart that seemed to be trapped in a teacup.


    She had experienced the thunderstorm in the palace in the evening. It was like he was in an illusion.


    Prince Bi was gentle in the face of the Empress''s jealousy.


    And now, on this Immortal Crane Mountain, which was almost isolated from the world, there was a bright moon and a light breeze. It was as if he could no longer feel any trace of what had really happened to him.


    The only person he could truly remember was the person sitting next to him.


    It was the Emperor. It was someone he liked.


    They had sat together many, many times.


    On that shabby carriage belonging to the West Cold Mountain bandits, on the cold night of the Gobi Desert, or perhaps it was the four eyes of the Heart Nurturing Palace that met each other''s gaze. And there was also the evening sky in the Imperial Study where thunder and rain fell together.


    What were those?


    Has the Emperor really noticed her?


    Zhuang Li didn''t have an answer in her heart ¡­


    Along the way, although she would occasionally fear his dignity, the two of them were even more intimate. Occasionally, Zhuang Li would even forget that he was the Great Phoenix King, which was high above everyone else.


    they were just ordinary people''s Young Master Wang s ¡­


    And then he denied himself. He kept reminding himself... Careful, careful of your head...


    Zhuang Li received the wineskin and also gulped down a large mouthful. It was brewed by him in this Immortal Crane Mountain. There was the aroma of alcohol and the fragrance of wild fruits, and Zhuang Li originally only took a big gulp, but she did not expect that the aroma of the wine, as if it had a mind of its own, would seep into her internal organs ¡­ In that instant, she felt a little intoxicated.


    It was different from the strong wine in the Western Regions, and was also different from the jade wine in the capital. Master Kangyou''s wine had an ethereal tang to it, and what he drank seemed to be the brewing spiritual energy in the mountains, but it made people feel not intoxicated, instead, intoxicated ¡­


    The full moon shone brightly, causing the surrounding mountains to shine even brighter. Borrowing the moonlight, she could see that Wang Su''s face was also slightly tipsy, and was just inches away from her.


    Zhuang Li did not know what to say, and took another sip from the wineskin.


    He wasn''t that high and mighty? Although it was sometimes frighteningly cold, he would struggle with all his might for the sake of his little life. There was also the warmth of the prison cell, which he could vaguely remember.


    Did it really happen?


    Did he have a great weight in the heart of the man in front of him? That''s why he risked his life for this?


    Then why did he become so cold afterwards?


    It seemed like he was just being paranoid in the end ¡­ The Emperor was just a kind and compassionate person ¡­


    Not just him, even an ordinary servant would do such a thing?


    She drank a few mouthfuls in succession, wishing she could ask Qing Tian her questions.


    "Although this mountain''s specially made fruit brew doesn''t taste as good as those sold in the market, it still has enough power. Master Kuan You only drinks one pot a day. Are you sure you can drink that much?"


    Zhuang Li rolled her eyes at Wang Su.


    "I am a barbarian from the West Cold, how could I lose to such a small pot of fruit brew?"


    She felt that she must be drunk already, why would she tell Wang Su that she was a barbarian with West Cold?


    "That''s right, I also forgot that you''re not just simply serving tea to the palace maids ¡­"


    Wang Su mumbled to himself, then grabbed his wine bag and drank his wine again ¡­ After a few rounds of interaction, the two of them were leaning against each other dizzily. The wineskin was empty. It hung on the windowsill and swayed leisurely in the night wind.


    Zhuang Li only felt that it was floating, it seemed like the aftereffects of the fruit wine had already come. She seemed to only feel that she was extremely relaxed and wasn''t afraid of accidentally rolling down the eaves ¡­


    "Does the emperor hate me?"


    Zhuang Li asked. If she was clear enough, she would definitely not ask this question, why would the people in the palace be annoyed? They would only have their master and servants.


    What''s more, the emperor hated him, or perhaps he liked him. It''s all my fault...


    However, the weight of this answer in her heart seemed to be exceptionally important.


    "Why do I hate you?"


    Zhuang Li was speechless. It only lasted a split-second.


    "Because I have committed the crime of deceiving the monarch. I am not Ge Ya. If not for Li Liangxiao, I would naturally have been beheaded by the emperor. "Perhaps I am not even considered a good servant, and have even angered the Emperor quite a few times."


    "I am the Emperor. If I should kill him, I should naturally kill him. Do you really think I will be soft-hearted because of a general? "


    That''s right, he was the Emperor. He didn''t need to assess anyone''s face. But he really didn''t kill her?


    Zhuang Li suddenly felt a little joy, that indescribable happiness magnified infinitely in his heart under the effects of alcohol. She felt dizzy, as if there were flowers blooming in his heart.


    The Emperor doesn''t hate me? That''s right, if he was that annoying, then why did he keep him by his side? Adding fuel to the fire?


    She revealed an almost silly smile and turned her head to look at Wang Su.


    There was a saying that if you didn''t say it now, you might never get the chance to say it again.


    I like you...


    Zhuang Li''s lips moved slightly, her voice was so quiet that even she could barely hear her.


    Zhuang Li hadn''t had time to speak when she suddenly leaned over so close that she could see the light in Wang Su''s eyes.


    In her daze, she seemed to feel the softness of her lips, and her entire person seemed to have been charmed. She wanted to get a better look at Wang Su, but after that, she felt her shoulders sink as Wang Su fell asleep against her body.


    He likes me too...


    It seemed to be the answer to so many questions that he had to answer.


    It gave an extremely precise explanation.


    Zhuang Li was no longer able to react, her head was leaning on the window frame, her mind was buzzing. All sorts of cheers and cheers sounded out at once.


    She could also do a lot of things for him. This sort of liking would probably surpass her imagination.


    She also fell asleep in a daze. The two of them snuggled together and sank into the boundless moonlight.


    Zhuang Li slept extremely well. When she woke up, she rubbed her eyes and saw the snow-white piece of xuan paper on top of the side room. She got up, still a little dazed.


    The faint sound of the bell rang in his ears, waking him from his heavy dream.


    It had been a long time since she had such a good night''s sleep. For a moment, she could not react to where she was. Only then did he remember that he was currently on the Immortal Crane Mountain. He guessed that Master Kuan You was probably ringing the bell.


    Ye Zichen fumbled with his hair to get it back on, then suddenly realized that he seemed to have forgotten something ¡­


    I was drinking with the Emperor on the roof of the palace!


    Could it be a dream!?


    The Emperor even kissed him!


    This scene was more like a dream ¡­


    He was even daydreaming about the emperor liking him?


    Am I delusional?


    But how did he come to this room!?


    She seemed to vaguely remember that a certain little Daoist introduced the formation on the mountain and knew that it was not simple. If she were to go wrong, who knew what would happen?


    Could it be that he had unintentionally hallucinated after walking into the wrong room?


    But after that? Someone found him, knocked him out, and he was carried back to his room? And had such a strange dream? How could this be possible ¡­ He still had a trace of a special taste of alcohol left in his mouth ¡­


    Could it be that all the illusions he had imagined were real?


    This thought caused her to break out in a cold sweat. She did not know the situation in front of her and was trying hard to remember something ¡­


    Then, she finally managed to piece together some of the things that happened after she drank ¡­


    She was indeed drinking with Wang Su on the rooftop. She still remembered how the Emperor stole the alcohol from the fat master ¡­


    But after that?


    Why did he have the illusion that Wang Su had actually kissed him before? Had he taken the wrong medicine?


    However, she did remember that Wang Su had said that he didn''t hate his ¡­


    Did he just confessedly confess?


    The Emperor accepted it out of shame?


    How is this possible!?


    He was clearly the kind of person who would say: Yun Duan, drag this woman out and bury her ¡­ Furthermore, he didn''t even bother to waste a glance at her ¡­


    These words were more like his own tune. However, she clearly remembered that she had asked Wang Su this kind of suicidal question ¡­


    How lonely could he be? Such shamelessness ¡­ But she also understood that she really liked Wang Su. With such an unintelligent brain, it''s definitely possible for him to ask such a stupid question after drinking wine...


    Zhuang Li took a deep breath, telling herself to calm down ¡­ She held her head and stood up, then pushed open the door to the room.


    In a split-second, a ray of sunlight shone in. It was exceptionally bright as it reflected on the floor of the room. It carried the fragrance of fresh morning flowers and the smell of dew as it was brought in front of her one at a time.


    It''s a good medicine to wake up the wine ¡­


    This time, he was truly clear-headed ¡­ It seems like I did ask quite a few stupid questions last night ¡­ I hope the Emperor doesn''t remember... This beautiful head of his, in the end, he still wished to hang on his neck for a long time ¡­


    Zhuang Li walked out of the room with a mournful face.


    Breakfast was still porridge. The kitchen man seemed to have added a mountain of berries to the porridge. There was a hint of bitterness mixed with a hint of sweetness. After eating it, he felt that he was the same as the Daoist of the mountain ¡­


    Wang Su and Yun Duan were not inside the hall. Zhuang Li asked a few young Daoists about it, and heard that the medicine was ready, so no one dared to disturb the Young Master Wang after he went to bed last night. Thus, when the Young Master Wang woke up this morning, he went to the cliff to apply the medicine.


    The lotuses in the vats at the entrance of the hall were already in full bloom, and there were many colors. The petals were extremely thin, and there were even dewdrops on the leaves that he had received all night long rolling about.


    The lotus petals were like a plate that was being nurtured by the heavens and the earth. They were dark green in color. It brought the spirit energy of the world to the light. The small water droplets rolling on the plate were the secret treasures of the world.


    After dinner, the young Daoists began to clean up the fallen leaves for the entire night. The crashing sounds were extremely rhythmic. Clouds began to gather, and from afar, one could see them floating beneath his feet. Like the ocean.

 C100

    This was the first time Wang Su''s gaze towards his did not make it difficult for her to guess. It was a kind of affirmation, but also a kind of encouragement. It was a kind of warm tacit consent. Just like the dazzling sunlight that had just risen, it unquestionably shone into the depths of his heart.


    It was as if everything had become bright and simple.


    What kind of feeling was it to like? No matter what it was, as long as it was beneficial for him, he would do it with all his heart.


    What about love?


    The person you like suddenly responds to you one day, and the person you desire to be with also longs to be with you, to stick to you. You suddenly have ten thousand reasons to be happy. No matter how small a thing you do, even if you just look at it stupidly, it makes you feel especially lucky.


    At that moment, Zhuang Li felt that she was actually this lucky.


    Although it was just for an instant, Wang Su turned his head to look at the flowers on the tree. It floated down. Zhuang Li, however, was already extremely satisfied. He didn''t know what to say.


    She also raised her head to look at the trees that were constantly sprinkled with petals by the wind, which were gently spinning and landing on the ground. Wang Su''s hair was in a bun, and his white robes matched well with the mountain''s spirit energy.


    "I don''t know what to do with you, but even water has been prepared for you ¡­" It was unknown when Yun Duan came out of nowhere to complain in Zhuang Li''s ears.


    If it was a normal day, Zhuang Li would have made the decision to bicker with him. At this moment, her face was flushed red, and she ran into the hall without caring about Yun Duan who was jumping around in his place in a bad mood. He wanted to hide immediately, but there seemed to be no place in the hall that she could hide from, and he seemed to hear the footsteps of Wang Su and Yun Duan getting closer and closer, almost to the front of the hall. In desperation, she dove under the dining hall table. Unexpectedly being hugged by a pair of hands, the joints of his hands were obviously extremely powerful, warmly protecting her forehead, which was almost knocked into the corner of the table.


    Zhuang Li did not collide with them, yet the pair of hands fiercely slammed into the corner of the table. The person who was knocked down was naturally in pain, as he hissed, and then, helplessly, he sighed.


    "You just confessed to me, why are you looking for death ¡­"


    That voice was neither hurried nor slow, and every word was clearly heard by Zhuang Li. It carried a sense of ridicule, and immediately made him feel even more embarrassed, as if she had just knocked herself to death.


    Zhuang Li had originally already eaten it, but now that she was restricted by Wang Su to stay with him in the dining hall, she seemed to be extremely happy to see Zhuang Li''s blushing appearance.


    Yun Duan did not understand the whole situation. Although he was a martial arts expert, he did not have any EQ, so he was not aware of the changes between the two of them. Occasionally, he would ridicule Zhuang Li a little, and it was rare for Zhuang Li to not reply.


    [Do I have to worry about my image all of a sudden?]


    You even want to act like a lady?


    The emperor would probably feel that he was overdoing it ¡­


    At the very most, he would give himself a description of the pig... But Wang Su did not hate him. Otherwise, how could he have survived until now? Could it be that after hiding for so many years, 70 hearts liked this kind of tone? The Empress was dignified and dignified. The Imperial Noble Consort was too ladylike, did he already feel sick of eating women with this kind of appetite?


    The weather on the mountain was much slower than it was at the foot of the mountain. At this time of year, however, the spring flowers were blooming just right. Wang Su discussed matters with Master Xin Ming about the Great Phoenix''s calamity. He also invited several masters over, hoping that they would come up with some ideas.


    Although they were all talking at once, it was different from the debate between the ministers. This discussion did not have any drag of interest or restraints of power, and instead appeared to be even more of a struggle for the sake of the common people than the one in the middle of the imperial court.


    Perhaps this was the real reason why Wang Su wanted to come to this mountain. Furthermore, all the masters on the mountain had their own theories, which were extremely useful for those who could control the rivers. All of these made Wang Su listen very carefully, and he even took down the brush Yi Yi wrote it down ¡­


    Zhuang Li was lying on a stone table not far away from them. She turned her head and stared at Wang Su''s side face and the hand holding the brush. She was stupefied by what she saw, but she didn''t feel like she had seen it before. How did she get the chance to do that? They were probably dreaming about something ¡­


    "With water growing year by year, there is still a trend to become more and more intense. Every year, the imperial government provides food and money and it is also extremely bitter. It is naturally good if we can think of a good plan." He also told Yun Duan to take out the blueprint of the area where the water was serious and spread it on the stone table. He also explained a lot of ways to deal with the water, which naturally included the method Zhuang Li mentioned to carve out new rivers and set up the method to deal with the water inside and outside the river.


    He didn''t expect that this method would gain the approval of his teachers as soon as he came out.


    "Young Master Wang, this method is indeed brilliant. Although it hasn''t gone beyond the past, it still makes the older students feel that it''s extremely feasible ¡­ This old Taoist roamed the four seas, but I have never heard of such an expert living here. Could you tell me what kind of expert did this? "


    Wang Su looked at Zhuang Li, causing everyone to look at her.


    Zhuang Li''s head buzzed as she started laughing. When she regained her senses, she realized that everyone was staring at her and she was drooling while staring at Wang Su ¡­


    It was truly a bolt from the blue. How could Yun Duan have seen her useless appearance? It was as if he was about to let her see the King of Hell at any moment, scaring Zhuang Li so much that her body trembled ¡­


    But Wang Su only smiled and then came over and rubbed Zhuang Li''s head. That vague words suddenly made her head float up in the clouds.


    It took a lot of courage to do that


    "This little girl was too young and had fallen into West Cold, she was taught by a hermit on the way here. That hermit may have a strange talent, but he doesn''t want others to know about him. I have only heard him describe this method carelessly. I am afraid I will have to trouble the Masters to perfect the details within for Young Master. "


    Then came some sighing voices.


    "There is such a genius in this world ¡­"


    Many sighs made Zhuang Li blush a little ¡­ She didn''t know if there was someone called Li Bing in this world. If he hadn''t realized what she wanted to do, she would have already learned that her thoughts were being used ¡­ She didn''t know if she would hate him to death ¡­


    Fortunately, there was no mention of copyright infringement in this world ¡­ I can only silently let him down ¡­


    However, everyone only hoped that this matter would truly solve the problem of water disasters. They hoped that they could save the people from the abyss of suffering and didn''t care about the merits. If Li Bing really did exist in this world, he would definitely have the same thoughts as himself ¡­


    The next morning, Yun Duan packed his books and prepared to return to the capital. Although he had only stayed at the Immortal Crane Mountain for two days, he still felt a little reluctant to leave.


    These two days, the weather on the mountain had nurtured Zhuang Li a little. When it came to going down the mountain, it was as if she was sent from the Immortal World into the mortal world.


    But no matter what, she was still a mortal after all. How could she be willing to ascend to the Immortal Realm from then on with so many emotions and desires hidden in her heart?


    And what was more important in her heart, was that on this mountain, she and Wang Su seemed to have walked a lot closer. He was not the emperor, he was just Zhuang Li. As he talked about returning to the palace, he wondered if he would become ice-cold again.


    A woman who was immersed in love did not even have enough IQ, what Zhuang Li wanted to do more was to stay on this mountain with Wang Su. Just thinking about it made her feel so happy ¡­ It didn''t matter if she was an immortal or a mortal ¡­


    If Wang Su knew her thoughts, he would probably think that she should invite the imperial physician to take a look ¡­


    The master and little Daoist from the Crane Temple sent them all the way to the entrance of the monastery, but Master Xian He still ignored them with a cold expression. If he were to be sent by his master to a remote mountain area to learn medicine, Yun Duan would definitely remember to visit him.


    "Okay, okay, I''ll come see you." Yun Duan''s reply seemed to be somewhat casual, but it contained a kind of unwillingness to part from him...


    "Senior, if Master throws me into the valley to feed the wolves, you must come and save me ¡­"


    The Masters could not help laughing out loud. They all knew that although Master Xian He had some feelings for his disciple, he always acted as if he didn''t care on the surface. In the end, he was still somewhat afraid of his master.


    Yun Duan did not know what his junior brother was thinking either. Could it be that his master had already become more terrifying than when he was teaching him in the past? However, when he thought about it carefully, it seemed that he also had the same thought back then. To be afraid of his teacher and being afraid of him abandoning him in the wilderness ¡­


    Therefore, she consoled him affectionately, "That won''t happen. Just listen to Master''s words. Master did it for your own good ¡­"


    These words were said with utmost sincerity. He felt like a parent.


    "We don''t have to throw them into the valley. What if we throw them into the sea to feed the big fishes? I heard that the big fish in the eastern sea are even bigger than the Treasure Pagoda Palace. They have eight hundred teeth in their mouth, and they only need a single bite to make a person into a sieve. The stone in the stomach of that big fish is a material that can be used to make medicine. Maybe two days later, your master will ask you to bring it over ¡­ " Master Luye could not stop himself from scaring the child.


    "That''s right, and that sperm whale''s dung. It''s a good material to make Long Yanxiang." The spices should be related to the ingredients as well. Perhaps your master will ask you to bring them as well ¡­ Guess how? Waiting for the big fish to come out after eating? "That''s right, you have to dive down a thousand meters, catch it in the darkness, and then cut open its stomach ¡­"


    Zhuang Li couldn''t help but give a thumbs up in her heart as she laughed dryly. She had thought of diving for 1,000 feet... Master Gentle Worry... Give your imagination a hundred Likes... Only Cliff immediately took it seriously, she was even more sorrowful and looked pitifully at Yun Duan.


    Yun Duan had never been good at children, but he doted on this Junior Brother. Seeing that he was so scared that he almost cried, he hurriedly comforted him.


    "Master wouldn''t ¡­"


    On the other hand, Master Xian He''s heart was not chaotic enough, so he coldly uttered those words from the gaps between his teeth ¡­


    "That may not be so ¡­"


    The young boy''s glass heart completely shattered...


    In truth, the two brothers had only been together for a few days. Although Cliff was a cheerful and passionate child, Yun Duan was a prim and honest person, he never thought that Cliff had such deep feelings for this senior brother that they had never seen each other before, and wanted to send him off with a tearful look.


    Wang Su seemed to have seen what Zhuang Li was thinking.


    At that time, he did not know who his parents were. As for his master and Yun Duan, they were his only family, and his older brother who was like a father, the trust between the affection of the people in this Cultivation Holy Land was like the affection of a normal person. He was incomparably reliable. Although they are not very common, they are extremely deep. "


    "Being able to have such feelings is a fortunate thing for Yun Duan."


    "Do you remember any brothers or sisters when you were a kid?" Wang Su said.


    Zhuang Li exclaimed as her heart raced. Is it yes or no? If it was Zhuang Li''s identity, then she would naturally have other siblings since she was born in a country where only children were born. But in terms of Zhao Ci''s identity, there were too many siblings.


    But Zhao Ci''s matter was still a secret ¡­ How could she say it out ¡­


    "I don''t remember. I can''t even remember my parents." Maybe it was because he was too young. Why would the Emperor ask this? "


    "If you want to meet your parents, I will help you fulfill your wish no matter the cost. If they have already passed away, let''s see if there are any other relatives or siblings ¡­ If you want to meet me, I will definitely help you find it! "


    Zhuang Li exclaimed in her heart ¡­ Other... When I realize that I am actually Zhao Ci ¡­ Her brain was probably full of mysteries again. Ye Zichen waved her hand and said that she didn''t have any feelings for her, so it didn''t matter if she met her or not ¡­ However, when she turned around to look at Wang Su, she discovered that Wang Su was looking at her.


    It made sense. People who couldn''t even remember their parents or siblings would be extremely lonely in this world.


    She didn''t remember his own father, and her mother also didn''t say anything to her about him. Presumably, she was afraid that Zhuang Li was afraid, and knew that she was a pitiful child without a father, so when Zhuang Li grew up, she had quite the ability to bear it. However, she didn''t ask her mother, and at that time, she was already no longer afraid of being hurt, but was afraid that her own mother would be sad. The mother and daughter pair seemed to have a tacit understanding on this matter. If you don''t ask, I won''t bring it up. They would protect each other and live on while leaning against each other ¡­


    She missed her family and friends a lot, but now, Zhuang Li was not lonely at all. Although she was alone, there were many hidden emotions in her heart. Seeing Wang Su''s expression, he couldn''t help but feel somewhat guilty.


    She did not want to lie to the person in front of her in the slightest, but there was nothing she could do. She had not yet encountered such an opportunity to make Wang Su completely trust her. Laughing hurriedly


    "But this servant does not feel lonely, if only there are still relatives in this world, I just need them to live happily, Li Liangxiao is my good little brother, and Qing You is also my good sister."


    Hearing Li Liangxiao''s name, Wang Su showed an unusual expression, as if he was obviously unhappy, and wanted to give Zhuang Li to be his wife. Although he had promised to release Zhuang Li from the palace, he did not want Zhuang Li to be his wife. He had always felt that Zhuang Li was strange to him. Although he looked extremely cold on the surface.


    Now that he knew what he liked, he was naturally a little jealous. He teased:


    "Sister and brother? What he doesn''t like about you is the relationship between brother and sister. Don''t think too much about it. " After he finished speaking, he actually threw Zhuang Li behind him with big strides.


    Zhuang Li naturally did not notice the sudden appearance of the Emperor. She was still a little confused and terrified by the sudden appearance of Long Nu and hurriedly followed him. "


    "Does the Emperor ever have brothers and sisters who were close to him? There are many sons of the constitutional Emperor, and there must be others who like the Emperor. "

 C101

    Zhuang Li regretted her decision after she said those words. She regretted the fact that she was born amongst her siblings in the palace, and that she was born with noble bloodline and power that was close to her fingertips. As brothers, she was more afraid of fighting and jealousy.


    "There''s one." Wang Su thought for a while and said.


    "Ah?" "Who is it?"


    "But not anymore." He was silent for a few seconds before returning. His voice was very soft, as if he had inadvertently said it out loud. However, this answer carried an incomparably heavy sense of kinship and disappointment.


    Zhuang Li did not even think about it, who was that person? Emperor''s brothers?


    There was an answer that appeared in Zhuang Li''s heart, an answer that practically popped out of her heart in an instant ¡­ Prince Bi.


    Even she didn''t know why she felt that it was the Prince Bi, but it seemed to be an impossible answer. The Prince Bi was once the Prince Bi, and he was initially the legitimate emperor, but in the end, it was Wang Su who became the emperor.


    Even the toes of his feet could guess what kind of bloody battles he had gone through that year. These two should be irreconcilable enemies.


    And why would the old nanny s of the Dew Palace ask the Emperor for mercy so that they could meet the mother and son of the Prince Bi? Was the separation of mother and son caused by the Emperor? The Prince Bi should hate the Emperor to the core. But Prince Bi''s attitude didn''t seem to hold any grudge against the Emperor ¡­ It even seemed to like Wang Su''s mother quite a bit ¡­


    What are these and what are these... All the family matters related to power and influence were indeed very complicated. They were not things that he could understand thoroughly. Zhuang Li glanced at Wang Su, and Wang Su seemed to have sunk into deep thought. She didn''t know if it was because she was nostalgic for her younger brother, who had once been so close to him.


    Zhuang Li did not dare to ask any further. She led the way ahead and walked extremely quickly, as if she did not notice in the slightest the change in emotions of the two people behind him. Zhuang Li did a bold move that she wouldn''t even dare to think of doing two days ago.


    She looked left and right to see that no one was around, then stepped forward and held Wang Su''s hand. Wang Su was also startled, apart from his mother, he had never held his hand so casually in his life. But then he laughed.


    He could also feel the warm feeling coming from the palm of the manor.


    Zhuang Li also laughed dumbly together. The two of them were dumbstruck, as if they understood each other''s intentions.


    Yun Duan who was in front of them suddenly stopped, and respectfully bowed towards the side of the road. It turned out that Master Xin Ming was still sitting on the same stone on the cliff as when they arrived.


    The two of them immediately released their hands and bowed. Master Xin Ming opened his eyes and smiled as he said goodbye to the three people in front of him.


    Zhuang Li thought that he definitely knew what she was thinking right now ¡­ The young girl''s heart couldn''t be revealed ¡­


    You can only know that you can''t speak...


    Down the hill, through the mists of the mountains and the green of the forest, and along the path by the river into the town. He found an inn to eat, so that Yun Duan could go and get some horses to prepare some food. Previously, in order to go up the mountain, the horses and carriages were left unattended at a small relay station in the town. He took good care of the horses and raised them well. This time, he would not stay and go to the capital in one go ¡­


    "Young master, why don''t you come into our shop and have a taste of the new dishes? I guarantee that the goods will be worth more than they are worth! " On the street, a waiter was shouting for more business. They trekked all the way out of the disaster area. Although they had eaten a full meal, they were still steamed buns and white porridge. The town was far away from the disaster area. At this moment, a burst of fragrance drifted out from the store. Zhuang Li immediately stopped moving.


    Wang Su looked at Zhuang Li and smiled. Then, he walked into the small shop as per her wish.


    Although he was wearing the extremely simple and crude cotton plain clothes, Wang Su was still intrinsically different from country bumpkins. The waiter who welcomed them into the shop could not help but take a few more glances at Wang Su. Behind him, Zhuang Li who had his head lowered in an honest manner subconsciously raised his head, and was seen by the waiter. A surprised expression appeared on the waiter''s face.


    He had never seen anyone so good-looking before in his life ¡­ He couldn''t help but stutter ¡­


    "This, this guest ¡­" "Your wife is really beautiful ¡­"


    Wang Su stared at that dumbstruck waiter for a long while before that waiter finally reacted ¡­.


    "The two of you, order dishes, order dishes ¡­"


    There weren''t many people living in this small town, but it was extremely peaceful. Those who sold goods and went shopping were extremely relaxed. It seemed to be their attitude towards life.


    Zhuang Li lazily laid on the railing of the second floor of the store. The capital was too bustling and noisy, and the Immortal Crane Mountain was filled with too much immortal energy. Compared to the other two, he looked even more like a human.


    The corners of his mouth unconsciously raised as he fantasized about living here with Wang Su.


    "Silly ¡­" Yun Duan, who just arrived, rolled his eyes at Zhuang Li, and sighed that this idiot looked like he was drooling.


    A clean small carriage and two strong horses were parked properly downstairs. Yun Duan took out a small bamboo tube from his chest and handed it over to Wang Su.


    "Eunuch Li sent someone to bring us some news. Because we haven''t arrived yet, we have already stayed in the relay station for an entire day."


    Wang Su took it, and took out a tightly wrapped note from the small bamboo tube. He opened it and immediately frowned.


    Since the day before yesterday when Wang Su received the letter from Eunuch Li, he had been bringing them on a journey at full speed, day and night. Moreover, he had a cold and stinky face, but he didn''t say anything. Yun Duan had also been tight-lipped about this matter, and did not know what exactly had happened. He wanted to ask a few times but ended up having to shut his mouth. He only wanted to take care of Wang Su''s food and clothes. He only vaguely knew that in the half a month since Wang Su had left the capital, something bad might have happened in the capital.


    After three days, they finally arrived at the capital.


    Half a month had passed since they left the city, and the city was still bustling with activity. The windows were red, the trees were green, and the singing and dancing were even. In the entire continent, it could be called a dazzling pearl.


    Under such a beautiful appearance, Wang Su couldn''t find anything amiss. He didn''t know what kind of trick had come to cause Wang Su to feel like he was facing a great enemy ¡­


    The horse carriage stopped right in front of the Old Tutor''s house, and the three of them entered the house. Immediately, a servant came to greet them, but Wang Su was not in the mood to stop.


    Once again returning to the carriage, Zhuang Li had already changed back into the female officer''s silk undergarment. In the past, his clothes were very unremarkable in the palace, and could not even be compared to the empress or the palace maids serving Hanqin''s Imperial Noble Consort Palace. Now, after walking around in a circle, he realized that these clothes were much more exquisite than the outside world.


    Truly, the power of authority could at least make the best materials and tailors its own ¡­


    Wang Su had also changed into a new set of black embroidered dragon and cloud white clothes. Long Yanxiang had already done it before, her hair had been redone by a familiar servant in the house, and she had gold and jade on her bun. He was tidied up and had a dragon shaped safety button on his waist. This made Zhuang Li feel that he had become too eye-catching again.


    "Let''s go to Prime Minister Zhao''s residence." Wang Su instructed Yun Duan as he frowned. It seemed like he did not like the Prime Minister Zhao ¡­


    Zhuang Li didn''t recover her senses for a while, until the carriage stopped in front of a grand house. Although it was a long time ago, there was still a trace of a familiar memory left.


    Lord Zhao ¡­ Zhao Ci''s father...


    The place where she had landed when she first arrived in this world ¡­


    Zhuang Li sucked in a breath of cold air.


    When she left the Zhao Mansion ten years ago, she never thought that she would have the chance to appear in front of this house.


    Since Wang Su wanted to see the Prime Minister Zhao to discuss things, Yun Duan and Zhuang Li naturally had to follow behind. But Zhuang Li was in a difficult position.


    The people from the Zhao Mansion were all still there, but the few beauties were still there after all. She wasn''t worried that someone from the Zhao Mansion would be able to recognize that she was the Zhao Ci of the past. After all, her appearance had greatly changed. After all, they had all hated Du Yueyao to the core before, so how could they forget to carve that face into their minds? And the Old Prime Minister Zhao ¡­


    Regardless of how heartless he was in the past, he had always liked Du Yueyao, and he even gave birth to Zhao Ci. Now, seeing a woman who looked extremely similar to Du Yueyao following by the side of the Emperor, how would she feel? Could it be that she had some sort of plan?


    No matter what, in the end, there was still the daughter she doted on since childhood, Zhao Qin, who worked as a Imperial Noble Consort in the palace. The reason why the empress had been able to attract the attention of others today was because she had never given birth to a son of a dragon. In other words, both women were unfavoured ¡­ However, because of such reasons, the two of them were able to maintain a level balance in the imperial harem and maintain a normal relationship with each other. The powers of the imperial court and the harem were often inextricably linked, and now that Zhuang Li had appeared by the emperor''s side so easily, she could even be brought out by the emperor! In the end, she was the one who was to blame for Hanqin not getting a favour from her. Unfavorable to her... However, the most likely thing to happen was that the Prime Minister Zhao s who only knew how to be jealous of each other would run away screaming ghosts when they saw Zhuang Li''s face ¡­ At that time, the Emperor will investigate more and more ¡­


    Thinking about all these, Zhuang Li''s face did not look good, and he broke out in a cold sweat. The horse carriage stopped. Yun Duan had already jumped down to open the curtain for the emperor, but she suddenly couldn''t move his feet ¡­


    "Why?" Wang Su naturally noticed Zhuang Li''s abnormality, and without even thinking, he immediately placed his hand on Zhuang Li''s forehead. He could not help but scold himself in his heart, that ever since he received the report from the capital, he had been too busy rushing, and had not noticed her.


    "No ¡­." "It''s fine. Your majesty doesn''t need to worry about me being a servant. I-I''ll rest for a bit. I''ll be fine in a moment." She gave a wry smile, wishing she could stay in the carriage.


    "Alright, I''ll be back in a moment." Although he was slightly worried, the palace affairs were more important in the end. Wang Su got off the carriage and quickly followed Yun Duan into the Zhao Mansion.


    Zhuang Li hid in the carriage and lifted a small curtain, looking at the familiar palace in her mind, the big red door, in front of him squatted two stone lions. This was the main entrance to the Zhao Mansion, and many years had passed since then. This main entrance had clearly been rebuilt year by year, and was still brand-new as ever, and when she thought about the days she lived in the Zhao Mansion, she didn''t dare go through the main entrance, afraid that she would run into and her wife who were trying to stir up some trouble.


    It was just that after the few wives realized that Zhuang Li did not want to walk out the front door anymore, although their eyes were already clean, but the jealousy and resentment they had towards Du Yueyao in their hearts was not completely gone. They did not know who it was, but they actually led the servants to the back door, where Zhuang Li usually walked towards, and tied up Big Yellow who was originally tied up in the backyard.


    They only hoped that when Zhuang Li slipped out the back door, she would accidentally bite her, and it would be best if she could get to the point where she could bite her to death ¡­ Save yourself the trouble of getting angry about her in the future...


    Fortunately, in certain aspects, the beast was more sensible and emotional than the human. After feeding the big yellow dog a few hot buns, it no longer bothered Zhuang Li, and continued to wag its tail whenever it saw Zhuang Li. It seemed to know that Zhuang Li treated it better than her original master ¡­


    Thinking about all these, Zhuang Li couldn''t help but sigh. In her heart, she felt that it was funny that there would be such a woman that would not even let children go.


    Just as he was thinking about this, he saw a person pour out a cup of wine, as if he had drank too much. Every step he took seemed like he was about to fall onto the ground, as he walked towards the Zhao Mansion s gate while dragging his feet. It was a man, but he was extremely thin. He wore expensive dark green silk, and it seemed as if his body had been hollowed out by the wine and meat.


    Zhuang Li finally reacted and ¡­ With such an ordinary appearance, she could only be the young master of the Zhao Mansion ¡­

 C102

    When Zhuang Li was still in the Zhao Mansion, she did not interact with this young master at all. All she knew was that Lady Sun had told him that the two young masters were both the offspring of Prime Minister Zhao''s First Madame. This also established the status of the Zhao Mansion First Madame s in the palace. No one could truly take over the position of Lord Zhao.


    Among them, the most outrageous was the Eldest Young Master. It was one thing for him to not be able to read well, but he even spent his days in and out of the Smoky Willow Lane. Mix it with the painted pimps. Or else he would hang out with his bunch of friends and spend all his money on wine. If he were to put in effort, it would take ten days or half a month before he would be able to make a single return to the Zhao Mansion ¡­


    In the few months that Zhuang Li had stayed in the Zhao Mansion, she had only seen this fellow once during dinner.


    Prime Minister Zhao was very sad for this hate of his that failed, but he had no other choice. No matter how he tried to advise, this son of his still looked like mud that couldn''t support a wall. He wanted to be ruthless and properly discipline him, and since First Madame doted on the Eldest Young Master, he couldn''t bear to see him dissatisfied in the slightest. If Eldest Young Master suffered, First Madame would probably want to live in the palace. After tormenting himself for a few times, the Prime Minister Zhao was already tired of it, so he simply gave up all hope. As long as he could send his old age away in the future, it didn''t matter what kind of achievements he had or could not do anything.


    But from the looks of it, how could he send Prime Minister Zhao to the end with such a useless meal? He was really an old man, and the more he lived, the more naive he became ¡­


    The Eldest Young Master Zhuang Li should not have remembered the past, but coincidentally, he went back to the Prime Minister Zhao to ask for money. Coincidentally, they met Zhuang Li who was sneakily returning. That brief encounter had left a deep impression on Zhuang Li, as the Eldest Young Master even had an ugly mole on her face ¡­


    Now that Zhuang Li saw the person who was hollowed out by the wine and meat, she naturally thought of the Eldest Young Master. That mole is still there, extremely ugly... She lowered the curtain of the carriage and hid inside. She sighed and thought, "This kind of scourge has been entering and exiting the Flower Willow Land every day. I never thought that it had actually survived until now and no infectious diseases have died ¡­"


    She did not want to see the First Young Master''s disgusting look, so she withdrew back into the sedan, waiting for Wang Su and the others to quickly come out and leave the Zhao Mansion, which was a dangerous place to her.


    The eldest young master had also been wandering outside for several days and had spent the entire night with the little Miss Peach Blossom who he had hired at Spring Garden. It was only when the old procuress came to tell him that he had no money on his account that he remembered to go home. Say goodbye to his lover with his mouth full


    "Just you wait, your grandpa doesn''t care if I ask for money or not. I''ll be right back."


    Naturally, the girl was happy. If she met such a brainless financial backer, she had to seize the opportunity to ruthlessly pay him a sum of silver. He hurriedly said, "Master, I''ve been waiting for you." The sweet words that came out of her heart almost made her puke.


    The eldest young master walked out of Spring Garden''s small building and was somewhat sobered by the wind on the street. As early as last year, First Madame had already arranged for him to marry a wife. Although she was not the daughter of some rich family (All the rich families in the capital knew what kind of trash the young master of the Lord Zhao was, even though the Old Prime Minister Zhao had many powers in the capital, he was still unwilling to push his own daughter into a pit of fire), that was why after a few rounds, Madam Zhao had asked for a matchmaker to betroth her daughter to this young master of a small family. Although his appearance didn''t make anyone happy, he finally had a daughter-in-law. He was counting on the eldest young master to calm down.


    However, how could this daughter-in-law be comparable to the girl from the Spring Pavilion? Eldest Young Master naturally didn''t want to go home. Now that the wind was blowing on the street, although he was in a hurry to go home and get the silver from his mother, he still remembered that he had a wife. If I go back home and get caught by that tigress, I''ll probably cry for a long time. Thinking of this, he felt a headache coming on and didn''t want to go back. Since he did need silver, he had no choice. After some time, he finally arrived at the Zhao Mansion door.


    Before he entered, he saw that the door to the mansion was open and a carriage was parked in front.


    At a glance, he could tell that this carriage did not belong to his family. It looked like it had traveled a long way through the dust from the journey. Such a bedraggled appearance could not possibly belong to the other lords in the capital. From the looks of it, he was extremely low-key and didn''t seem like a rich master. Could it be that the young prefect there specially came to visit in order to bribe his father?


    Chills... He looked at her in disdain and prepared to leave. At this moment, a thought suddenly popped into his mind.


    If the carriage was bought by the officials below when they came to the capital to bribe his father, then if he could use the fact that he was the Eldest Young Master to extort some money from him, wouldn''t that save him the trouble of looking for his wife''s life in the Zhao Mansion?


    He was impressed by his intelligence as he thought of this. He carefully looked at the carriage in front of him, even though it didn''t seem to be worth much. Those horses are good. Even if this master didn''t have much money, he could still exchange these two horses for quite a bit of silver.


    When he thought of this, he became even more proud of his eyesight, and leaned on the carriage, waiting for the owner of the carriage to come out from the Zhao Mansion.


    Zhuang Li was originally just sitting in the carriage, and didn''t want to see the unlucky Eldest Young Master. Suddenly, the carriage moved slightly because of someone, and her first reaction was that it wouldn''t be possible for Wang Su and Yun Duan to return so quickly. Through the small curtain, she saw that the person leaning on the carriage was actually that unlucky Young Master from Zhao Mansion ¡­


    He didn''t know what was wrong with that fellow, why did he linger at the door when he was guarding the door?


    When the young master Zhao realized that there was someone in the carriage, he couldn''t help but feel delighted. There was no need to wait, there were already people waiting in the carriages. No matter who it was, give them money early or take the horses away for money. He could go to the Spring Pavilion earlier and Little Peach Blossom was waiting for him.


    "Come out." He shouted to the people in the carriage. Although he was obviously lacking in confidence, he was still confident and confident.


    Zhuang Li''s heart tightened. This guy was clearly going home, why did he come to this door and cause trouble for her? If she ignored him, who knew if she would open the curtain and enter. She purposely lowered her voice and said ¡­


    "May I ask what''s the matter, Young Master?"


    Young Master Zhao heard that the person in the carriage spoke. Although it was a woman, her voice was unpleasant to hear. Since he wasn''t interested, he continued.


    "If you meet me, hurry up and come out to greet me!"


    Zhuang Li cursed, she did not know what kind of evil spirit she had met, to be able to meet this bastard. coping channel


    "Young Master, your servant is ugly and embarrassed to see others." The master then instructed the servant to stay in the carriage. If there is anything that Young Master needs, you can wait for this servant''s master to come back before you discuss it. "


    When the Young Master Zhao heard that there was only a servant and his appearance was ugly, he naturally lost interest. However, it was within his expectations. And then he asked


    "What is your master''s background? To pay a visit to my father? What benefits do you want? "


    Zhuang Li sighed, if she was stupid, your father would probably kowtow to Wang Su and not dare to raise his head. What do you mean by visiting your father? But now, of course, it was more important to quickly send this god of pests away. In the end, she still coaxed him with a good temper.


    "Looks like young master is the young master of Lord Zhao, my master is the Young Master Wang at the east side of the city. This servant does not know what matter I have with Lord Zhao.


    Meanwhile, the Young Master Zhao calculated in his mind. The young master of the east side of the city? What could happen? There were many young masters in the capital. Could it be that he wanted my father to donate an official to him?


    He thought about it for a while.


    "Does your master know how to find my dad? Why does he have to go through me first?"


    It could be said that he had come to scheme for the money ¡­ Zhuang Li sighed, it seemed that the Young Master Zhao was not easy to deal with. It was Prime Minister Zhao''s retribution to raise such a son. No matter what was said, although Prime Minister Zhao was someone who had stirred up quite a lot of trouble in the fireworks, he still knew that taking face into consideration was truly a positive example compared to this son of retribution.


    "My family''s master rarely goes out, and he doesn''t know of such a rule. Many thanks to young master for your guidance."


    Zhuang Li did not want to let Young Master Zhao stay here for long, and did not want to wait for Wang Su to return either. Thus, a conflict arose between him and the Young Master Zhao, and if she were to come to a conclusion, it would definitely alarm Prime Minister Zhao and his wives. At that time, Zhuang Li would definitely be found out.


    If even Zhao Qin could easily recognize that Zhuang Li looked too much like Du Yueyao, then there would be even more people that would be recognized by the people in the Zhao Mansion. Inevitably, the Emperor would also begin to suspect her identity.


    Isn''t Young Master Zhao asking for money? Zhuang Li looked around, only to see Yun Duan and Wang Su going into the Zhao Mansion, the silver bags were left in the carriage, Zhuang Li took out a few silver notes from Yun Duan''s bag. She thought for a while and reached out her hand to the curtain of the carriage.


    Although it was extremely painful for him to get a sum of money, as a Young Master Zhao who did not learn martial arts, it was so easy. After so many years, although Zhuang Li had never found a place that required money to stay, she was still clear that money was a good thing. However, compared to the trouble this Young Master Zhao was causing ¡­ Zhuang Li sighed and could only endure the pain as she mumbled to herself ¡­


    [What a happy new year ¡­]


    "Please accept, young master ¡­"


    Young Master Zhao heard a light sound, and then he took out a bunch of silver notes from the gap of the carriage''s curtain. The silver was so easy to get? It was much easier than crying from Madame Zhao. Even he himself couldn''t help but burst out laughing.


    He decided that he might as well stay at the entrance of the residence and ask for money from the people who came to do business with him. Maybe after a year or so, he would be richer than his father.


    Young Master Zhao hurriedly reached out to grab the stack of silver bills, but just as he was about to touch the silver notes, he was suddenly distracted by the hand holding the silver notes.


    Those two hands were very pretty, slender and fair. Although they were not as delicate as a lady''s, they had a very good foundation. It almost reminded him of the words in the poetry books about delicate and gentle hands ¡­ This gave him an inexplicable feeling of wanting to see the woman inside the carriage. Although she said that she looked ugly, the Young Master Zhao had long forgotten about all this.


    He reached out to grab the banknote, but immediately grabbed it and dragged it out with all his might ¡­


    Zhuang Li had only hoped that the god of pests would hurry up and f * ck off once she took the money, but she hadn''t expected that the hands outside the curtain would suddenly be hugged. She wasn''t prepared and was directly pulled out of the carriage by those hands. All of a sudden, she felt dizzy ¡­

 C103

    Although her body was still in pain the moment she woke up, Zhuang Li knew that something was wrong. This calamity wouldn''t be so easily averted today.


    Although the Young Master Zhao also fell to the ground, he was already prepared. He was a step ahead of Zhuang Li in reacting, and also got up first, when he saw Zhuang Li''s astonished expression.


    He had been raised and spoiled by his mother. The silver taels with Zhao Mansion were everywhere in the city. The so-called beauties in the capital had all drunk with him before. He was someone who thought that he had experienced the beauty of this world. The only regret he had was that Liu Yiyi had already married into the Yin Clan. After all, she had already become the Fujin of the Yin Residence.


    Although the title of his wife was even more tempting to him, the Lord Yin Tai was still much more powerful than his old father. Furthermore, his father had restrained himself quite a bit over the years.


    He could only think about it in the dark about who he couldn''t afford to bully ¡­


    But if that Liu Yiyi was already an absolute beauty in the mortal world, then who was this woman in front of him? Even the Young Master Zhao who praised that he had seen much more of the world were also somewhat shocked. Although she was wearing a palace robe of low grade and looked like a mere servant, her face was extremely stunning.


    He was stunned for a few seconds. Zhuang Li took this opportunity to quickly crawl back up, and before the god of pests could react, she used her sleeves to cover her face.


    "Have I seen you before?"


    Zhuang Li did not expect the Young Master Zhao to actually open his mouth and say such a thing... He only came to his senses after a few seconds. Most likely, this Young Master Zhao also remembered Zhao Ci''s mother, Du Yue''er.


    "Young master has seen it too. This humble servant is from the palace. How can I possibly have seen Young Master when I''m in the courtyard with such a high wall?" I believe Young Master has also realized that my master, Young Master Wang, is someone in the palace that you cannot afford to offend. If Young Master understands the rules, then you should avoid causing trouble for your father, Prime Minister Zhao. "Take the banknotes and leave quickly."


    She calmed her mind and calmed down. He put down his sleeves and coldly looked at Young Master Zhao.


    The Young Master Zhao also gradually understood after hearing what the banner said. This woman was wearing palace clothes. Then her master was indeed someone from the palace. People in the palace, and they also had the surname Wang? Didn''t this world believe in kings and kings? He broke out in a cold sweat, guessing that this woman''s mistress was some sort of king of the city. He was almost scared to the point of bending his waist and bowing.


    But then he thought, no matter what kind of prince this woman''s master was, since she was able to drive all the way to this mansion today, there must be something that she needed father for. Thus, regardless of his status, he still had the upper hand.


    And the Prince? There are many sons of the constitutional emperor... Now, the prince was holding onto a bunch of them. But all of them were useless. If one were to talk about princes, it was likely that only Wang Bi, the Prince Bi, would be able to obtain some power. However, Wang Bi and his father were not from the same nation, how could they drive a carriage to the entrance of the mansion? If it were any other prince... Naturally, he didn''t care too much about it.


    Moreover, this woman was only a servant while he was still the young master of the Prime Minister''s family. Why should he fear her? Thinking up to here, the fear from earlier was swept away, and his heart was once again occupied by the peerless beauty in front of him. He cleared his throat and teased ¡­


    "Just a moment ago, my feet slipped and I offended you. Please forgive me."


    He had been in the limelight for more than ten years, and was extremely good at tricking women. Adding on his identity, he was naturally born with the aura of a Prime Minister of the Phoenix Dynasty, pretending to be a scholar.


    Zhuang Li saw that this fellow was not afraid and still wanted to seduce him, and couldn''t help but have a headache. He didn''t want to waste more time with this fellow, but this Young Master Zhao kept on saying that he had nothing to say and just refused to leave. She even looked like she was sure that Zhuang Li was dead meat. It took a lot of time and a lot of time. No matter how powerful and sinister Zhuang Li was, he looked like a cockroach that could not be killed.


    "I am only a servant, and it is inconvenient for me to chat with Young Master. It is getting late, Young Master should also return to the manor to pay respects to Prime Minister Zhao, and then we will part ways." Zhuang Li was too lazy to bother with him, she threw him down and started climbing towards the carriage.


    "Don''t, it was a good chat ¡­" How could he be willing to let such a beautiful woman like Zhuang Li go? If Zhuang Li was a young miss, then he was more or less afraid. However, the rare beauty in front of him was only a servant. No matter what the Young Master Wang was up to, he had to give his father some face. At most, he could just marry this maidservant of his and buy ten for him to take to the mansion tomorrow morning.


    This woman was truly peerless. If he had her by his side, then he might as well not go to the brothel. His father had long hoped that he would be able to turn the tables around. If he heard that the other party was willing to stop wasting time outside, he would naturally be extremely happy. What could he not accomplish?


    He thought, his courage grew, and saw that Zhuang Li was about to leave. Then, she reached out and grabbed Zhuang Li''s sleeve. The two of them dragged each other in the horse workshop. They did not realise that Prime Minister Zhao and Wang Su had already walked to the entrance of the residence.


    "How dare you!"


    The two of them were shocked by the sudden shout, they turned and saw Wang Su aggressively rushing towards them, raising his hand he pushed away the Young Master Zhao, who was usually at ease and comfortable, but who would have known that Wang Su had such ability, and was pushed to the ground immediately.


    The Prime Minister Zhao sent the Emperor out of the palace, but he didn''t expect to see his disappointing unfilial son and a young lady pulling each other by the side of the carriage just as he reached the door. He immediately realized that the young lady was someone close to the Emperor!


    As an unfilial son, he naturally knew how lustful and lustful he was. Now that he was being held back by the girl to prevent her from leaving, any blind person on the street could clearly see the hidden evil in his heart. He was so angry that his blood rushed to his head and he almost fainted on the spot.


    Then he saw the Emperor push the evil son to the ground and lift his foot to stomp on him. In a moment of anxiety, no matter what, he was still the emperor''s father-in-law, and that vile child was the emperor''s sister-in-law. Although the might of a dragon was not to be trifled with, it was still a terrible thing to do. The streets in front of the Zhao Mansion were bustling with noise and excitement.


    Even if the commoners in the capital did not know that the person was the Emperor, they would still be afraid that if someone who was interested in the matter were to see it, when it spread to the ears of the minister, the position in the that he occupied would probably become unstable due to the Emperor''s reputation as his father-in-law. Thinking about that, he immediately rushed forward, and risked his head to use the might of the dragon to stop Wang Su.


    "Wang, Young Master Wang, don''t be angry, you can''t lose your body. Leave this unfilial son to me. "Don''t let your feet get dirty ¡­" After saying so, he looked at his unfilial son''s disbelieving expression, closed his eyes, steeled his heart, and stomped down.


    Young Master Zhao naturally did not expect his father to actually be angry, and actually be angry to such an extent. Just as he was about to ask why ¡­ But he did not have the chance, and before he could even finish his words, he was kicked in the face by Prime Minister Zhao. He was kicked until he cried out in pain. The Prime Minister Zhao was also ruthless and did not show any mercy. Every kick was filled with all the strength he could muster.


    "Aiyo, aiyo, dad, why are you ¡­" "The tiger poison hasn''t eaten yet ¡­" His words were halting and filled with grievance. But how could that Prime Minister Zhao be in the mood to listen to his nonsense? If he didn''t kick this unfilial son of his forcefully, he would vent his anger for the Emperor. I''m afraid the unfilial son can''t even keep his head.


    "My leg''s broken ¡­" He tried his best to cry, but his father didn''t seem to stop at all. He could only find another way to save himself. He began to shout, "Mother, mother, ah ¡­" Your son is going to be beaten to death ¡­ "


    After a long while, Prime Minister Zhao was already exhausted to the point of gasping for breath. Although that unfilial son was still screaming, he no longer dared to speak carelessly. Only then did he stop and turn around.


    "Young Master Wang, it''s my fault that the older students are merciful, and have relaxed their children a little. I have been working day in and day out on national affairs, but now my family affairs are a total mess. I hope Young Master Wang will forgive me and not get angry. This matter shall be handled strictly by me, the unfilial son. "


    His face was full of sincerity as he used the old fox''s words to push all the blame onto his own wife. Furthermore, he even tried to clear things up because his wife was kind and had the surname of Buddha ¡­ It was really annoying to move out to serve the imperial government for so many years.


    "Family law?" I wonder what kind of family rules do you have in mind for your Zhao Mansion? " Wang Su naturally did not vent his anger just because the unfilial son had been given a simple beating. The Prime Minister Zhao naturally had to protect his children tightly. Furthermore, he was old, so how much strength did he have? If he were to fight himself, he wouldn''t be able to tolerate that fellow crying out at all. He would most likely lose his life with a single kick ¡­


    Moved his woman. He was still alive and kicking. He really thinks that the emperor is useless. If not for the fact that he was currently in Young Master Wang and it was only a secret that he came out of the palace, he would have executed him here.


    From the looks of it, the eldest young master had suffered a loss. When the Prime Minister Zhao was in the midst of beating the evil child up, he had already ran back to the manor and reported it to the First Madame.


    When the First Madame heard that her precious son had been beaten, she was so shocked that a good new tea set was accidentally smashed into pieces. She hurriedly rushed to the office under the lead of the gatekeeper.


    When the Prime Minister Zhao was tired and was coaxing the emperor, the First Madame had already walked to the door. Looking at his own son, whose head was bleeding profusely, he felt his heart ache so much that it felt like it was about to break. He rushed forward and hugged the eldest young master''s face as he cried. The eldest young master was originally confused by his father''s beating. Although he was indeed the one at fault, it wasn''t just a few days since he started acting like this. His father would usually turn a blind eye to him, but why was he acting like this now?


    Originally, Prime Minister Zhao had a face full of anger, but now that he had seen his own mother, he still had that doting attitude, and naturally began to cry and complain.


    Mother, I did not do anything. I only exchanged a few words with the servants of the Young Master Wang and then got beaten up. Your son is probably crippled now.


    His voice was filled with tears as he spoke. It was as if some enormous grievance had been buried in his heart ¡­


    When the First Madame heard how wronged her son was, naturally, her heart ached even more and she began to cry ¡­ ¡­


    "Master, you can''t wrongly accuse our son."


    "Enough, you unruly son spoiled by a woman. If you still want to quibble, you will be grounded as well!"


    First Madame was shocked, she did not expect the old master, who was usually easy to talk to, to be so tough. She then turned her head to look at the person beside her husband.


    He couldn''t help but be shocked in his heart ¡­ She had entered the palace many times as a first-name madame, so she naturally knew the Emperor. But it was indeed the Emperor ¡­


    The atmosphere changed, "Master, your son realized in shock that he is wrong. He may have offended the Young Master Wang, but the crime isn''t that big of a deal. Just because he is extremely filial and respectful, you have to forgive him. Young Master Wang might have some misunderstanding with my child.


    The anger in Wang Su''s heart had not subsided, it had left an expression that he would take care of you guys in the future, but when he turned back, if he wanted to be concerned about Zhuang Li, would he discover him?


    Ever since Prime Minister Zhao came over, he had been kneeling on the ground and listening to everything that was happening. He did not dare raise his head, afraid that Prime Minister Zhao would suspect that he was related to Du Yueyao. He was still kneeling on the floor. He didn''t dare to raise his head, nor did he dare to stand up.


    "Get up, you''re not wrong." Wang Su said.


    This disappointing woman, how could she be so easily trampled by others? In the future, she would have to watch over her a little more closely. Those who thought about her in the palace already knew a lot, and all of them wanted to imprison her within the Imperial Study. Now that he saw her like this, although he was still angry, he felt his heart soften ¡­


    Zhuang Li thought about how she could get up without being noticed. She didn''t notice that the Prime Minister Zhao had arrived, but another First Madame had arrived ¡­ How unlucky she was today ¡­


    That Madame Zhao was an extremely intelligent person, and understood the situation as soon as she saw Zhuang Li kneeling. It was probably his son''s doing, but if she didn''t help his son now, he really wouldn''t be able to see the sun tomorrow. When she went to check on his son''s injuries, Prime Minister Zhao was not bluffing for the Emperor to see, but she had really used all her strength to beat him up. Even though Old Zhao was old, didn''t she clearly know who his son was? Her body had long since been emptied by the alcohol and beauties, and she didn''t know how many bones she had broken. Just now, she was only able to exhale and no longer breathed ¡­


    However, it was naturally more important to coax the emperor. If the emperor was unhappy, then even a doctor would not be able to save his life ¡­


    She was a First Madame in terms of Zhao Mansion. If she could yield, what could she not do? After that, he went up and dragged Zhuang Li away with a sincere face.


    After coaxing the girl, the girl then asked the emperor. Who wouldn''t have a soft heart?


    "Miss, please don''t be offended. It was all a misunderstanding ¡­"


    Zhuang Li was forcefully pulled up by her, and in an instant, the First Madame saw Zhuang Li''s face.


    It was as if something extremely terrifying had struck her, and the hand that held Zhuang Li''s hand stiffened. She opened her mouth, but didn''t dare to speak. Then her eyes rolled back.


    When she fell to the ground, Zhuang Li could clearly see the corner of her mouth was Zhang He, and the word she wanted to say could not be more obvious ¡­


    She said


    "Ghost ¡­"

 C104

    It had been three or four days since Zhuang Li returned to the palace, but she did not even see Wang Su once. On the one hand, she was busy dealing with the reconstruction after the flood. What needs to be moved, what needs to be rebuilt, and what needs to be reorganized. The construction of the river segment and so on, had made a much more reliable decision in his mind. Don''t be disturbed by the meaningless quarrel on the imperial court. On the other hand, after the Emperor had been away from the palace for so long, although the Eunuch Li was able to handle all kinds of sudden incidents smoothly and keep this matter a secret, it still had been a long time since she last received the court officials.


    "The emperor has caused quite a bit of trouble in the past few days, so even though Eunuch Li was being cautious and prudent, there was still a bit of information leaked out. It was unknown where Lord Yuwen from the Ministry of Work had heard the news. It had been a long time since they had last seen the emperor, but he had instigated the official to suspect that the emperor was now infected with an epidemic disease. "They''re all talking about coming to meet us ¡­"


    Zhuang Li could not help but shake her head when she heard Qing You''s explanation ¡­


    "These people are too bold!"


    "That''s right. In the beginning, no one believed his nonsense. He was only guessing and speaking carefully. If it was in the past, as long as the Emperor came out to fend off the rumors, things would be solved. However, even after waiting for a long time, there was no sign of the Emperor. Even some ministers in the palace who didn''t believe these rumors began to waver. The Eunuch Li began to continuously pass down orders for the Emperor, and only then did he press down a few more days ¡­


    However, the emperor had not revealed himself for a long time, and in the end, there were still quite a few troubles. There were some lords who were suspicious of the imperial edict, and they came to the Imperial Study everyday to wait. It was just that the Lord Yin Tai s were not easy to handle and almost entered the Imperial Study several times.


    After you and the Emperor left, your Imperial Study had been sealed. According to Eunuch Li''s instructions, not even a mosquito could enter and leave your Imperial Study. Staying here everyday, you nearly suffocated me to death! "


    Zhuang Li was amused by Qing You''s unsatisfied look, and extended her hand out to scratch her nose.


    "Miss, quickly tell me, what sort of fun things have happened to you all along the way." She held her head in her hands and begged.


    Zhuang Li felt that too many things had happened along the way. The disasters she had witnessed, the love she had with her family, the weakness and evilness of humans. There were too many, and she could not help but feel a hint of sweetness in her heart.


    The emperor was still her Wang Su. Although she didn''t say it clearly, the feelings of certainty that arose between the two of them were real. Although he was too busy to pay any attention to her, he did not even see her when he returned to the palace. It made her wonder many times if they were real when they smiled and felt each other''s feelings.


    But she remembered their every move so well, and she remembered it deeply, and over and over again, she felt that she should have trusted him.


    But why had he never seen her since entering the palace?


    There was a difference between being inside the palace and being outside. Outside the palace, he was Wang Su and she was Zhuang Li. But the palace was as deep as the sea. He was the emperor, the core of the country, the target of thousands of people serving him. He was the husband of many women. And she? It was just a small tea-serving lady ¡­


    When they were outside the palace, they only had each other. But in the palace, he had far too many things ¡­ And she still only had him.


    But there was no doubt that she really liked him. There was no room for doubt.


    But what about them? Although she was the Emperor''s Imperial Noble Lady Ya in name, everyone in the palace knew that she was just a tea serving official. In the name of the Princess of West Cold and the identity of a protector on her body, Wang Su had never given her any promise, and even clearly stated his confession.


    But what did he want? Was he being too greedy? Wasn''t it already a great pleasure for her to be kept in the palace?


    But if Ge Ya was found and sent to the palace, would it still be the time for her to leave?


    He was the emperor, the king of a country. How could he become her husband? He had been thinking too much ¡­


    There was another thing that she was even more afraid of, and that was the Zhao Mansion First Madame ¡­


    That day, when the First Madame was pulling on her, she saw her appearance. She had experienced too many things, over the years, to see a poor scholar''s Lord Zhao obtain his current state step by step. What hadn''t she experienced from being poor all the way to her current status and achievements?


    But how could he claim to be someone with experience? When he saw the person he was certain to be dead appear in front of him, he became entangled with his son ¡­ Could it be a coincidence that her son was beaten half to death by her husband the moment she appeared?


    However, if it was not a coincidence, then it was revenge ¡­ In this situation, it was likely that anyone would feel afraid ¡­


    Zhuang Li naturally knew, but she had actually thought about it before, that First Madame of Zhao Mansion was not a simple character.


    After so many years, Prime Minister Zhao had married one after another in front of her eyes, what was there to not see? Otherwise, how could he steadily sit at the position of the Zhao Family First Madame?


    She had her methods and attitude to maintain her position as the boss among all the young women from the Lord Zhao who were trying to make a comeback. This woman was not someone who was easy to deal with.


    But the moment she saw him, she fainted. There could only be one reason. She must have mistaken him for Du Yueyao ¡­


    She had not expected that her own wife would make such a ruckus, and her son had been saved. She did not expect that she would faint at this time, so she had dared to quickly squat down to check on her own wife, seeing that the situation was getting bigger and bigger, causing the entire scene to become chaotic once again. This gave Zhuang Li the chance to return back to her room immediately, so from beginning to end, Prime Minister Zhao had never seen Zhuang Li like this.


    If he saw Zhuang Li like that, he would be so scared that he wouldn''t even need to hire a doctor, and would instead be dragged out of the city to be buried.


    He hurriedly ordered his servant to go find a doctor, and as he continued to apologize to Wang Su, he did not notice that Zhuang Li had already returned to the carriage. His mind was completely focused on removing the skin of that disappointing unfilial son, as for why First Madame would actually faint when he saw Zhuang Li.


    In the end, he still understood his First Madame. He always loved to act in front of him, and he would only stop when he had done a good job of acting ¡­ Although she didn''t expect that she would dare to exaggerate so much in front of the emperor, in the end, it was all to protect her son. Right now, he could only act with her.


    As he was extremely worried, he instructed his servants to quickly bring First Madame into the house while calling for a doctor.


    Prime Minister Zhao was someone who loved to show his love for his wife in front of outsiders. After all, it was the original owner''s dignity and face. However, once he closed the door to his room, he might not even go to the first wife''s room once a year. She spent all day hanging out with the ladies ¡­


    No matter what, he still had a lot of understanding of his original abilities. At the very least, such a flurry of emotions had really interrupted this farce. It would be hard to continue on with the investigation. The eldest young master was also carried back by the servants. Prime Minister Zhao wiped his perspiration as he continuously kowtowed to Wang Su to apologize. Swearing that he would definitely take care of that brat and help him skin off his face ¡­ Wang Su was annoyed when he heard it. He was too lazy to pursue the matter and returned to the palace.


    After that, Zhuang Li did not receive any more news about this incident, and could only console herself by saying, although the First Madame had recognized him at that time, she reckoned that it was just a mistake on her part to wake up. After all, Du Yueyao had already been dead for so many years, how could she possibly come out and cause trouble?


    Anyone with a bit of common sense should know that there are no ghosts in this world ¡­


    At the same time, in the First Madame Palace''s room, was another scene that Zhuang Li had thought of ¡­


    "Madam, it''s time to drink your medicine." A well-behaved little girl brought a bowl of black medicinal herbs to First Madame who was lying on the bed.


    She placed the tray on the table and brought the small medicine bowl to the front of the bed. Immediately, the silk curtain was filled with the fragrance of medicine.


    She originally thought that First Madame was faking it, and would wake up on her own once she carried him back to her room. However, First Madame did not wake up after so long, so she quickly asked the doctor who treated Eldest Young Master to come over and take a look.


    I didn''t expect that the doctor would come to the conclusion after a round of examination


    This First Madame has really fainted ¡­


    The doctor''s diagnosis is probably in the middle of work, too much brooding in the chest... This maidservant was rather strange. He had always been fine, but now he was feeling extremely proud and powerful in his residence ¡­ Everyone except the master has to listen to her...


    Apart from the fact that the old master hadn''t come to her room all year round, everything else was fine ¡­ Although this matter really made many women angry, what kind of person was First Madame? Married to a married couple that had been married to the Prime Minister Zhao for almost forty years ¡­ How could she not have gotten used to it ¡­


    Other than lying on the bed, he felt that it was an accident. She had lived quite happily on other matters. How could she suddenly say that the knot had been broken and the result was a knot?


    However, she had no choice but to quickly grab the medicine that the doctor had prescribed for First Madame to boil.


    As such, the moment he woke up, he immediately gave her some medicine to help her drink some ¡­


    "Take it out and get out of here too." The corner of her mouth was a bit dry and cracked, and her face was extremely haggard, but that medicinal fragrance couldn''t ease the wrinkles on her forehead. On the contrary, they sank deeper into the abyss.


    The more the medicine smelled, the more bitter it tasted ¡­


    That little girl did not leave. She had served the Prime Minister''s First Madame for a long time, so she was able to understand a lot of her temper. However, this time, she felt a little confused. However, he still shouted:


    "The doctor said that Madam''s heart was filled with anxiety and her liver qi was depressed. That''s how you get sick. "Although it''s not that serious, we still need to be very careful and orderly, so as to not leave any traces of illness behind ¡­"


    The doctor did say so. She said she had no symptoms of illness. However, he would only faint if he was angered.


    It was obvious that even the people from the Zhao Mansion were not convinced by this explanation. After all, it was not just a day or two for the young master to be so preposterous. First Madame had doted on her son since she was young, and he had always been indulgent. No matter how absurd it was, First Madame did her best to protect her, to keep her eyes and eyes closed, and had long gotten used to it. Why did she pass out from anger this time? Her lips were dry, as if she had sat on the bed for a long time to organize her thoughts and think about what had happened ¡­


    Then, she finally asked about something she was most concerned about ¡­


    "How is the eldest young master ¡­"


    The little girl who served First Madame had already expected that the First Madame would ask about this the moment she woke up. She was a little afraid that the First Madame would ask her about this, because even though she looked to be in a bad mood, she couldn''t do anything about it. After all, it wasn''t a blessing or a curse, so there was no way she could avoid it.


    "B-young master is still unconscious ¡­" The doctor said ¡­ "


    "What did the doctor say!?" "Stop talking rubbish with me ¡­"


    That little girl was even more afraid as she used the fastest tone and the fastest speed of speech to explain the entire matter in one go ¡­


    "The young master had two broken bones and his legs were fractured. There was also a head wound, and he was still unconscious on the bed ¡­ The doctor said he needed absolute rest... "Don''t think about getting out of bed for the past two months ¡­"


    "Oh ¡­"


    The First Madame seemed to react for a long time, then responded.


    That maidservant was also baffled. If it was in the past, First Madame would naturally take the kitchen knife and fight with the opponent.


    Thinking about it, it made sense. After all, the person who beat up the young master was the old master himself ¡­ But shouldn''t First Madame go to Master and cry?


    The First Madame was sick for several days and couldn''t even get up from her bed ¡­


    The servant girl was only curious, but no one knew the fear of the First Madame within the Zhao Mansion, fear of a woman ¡­


    Now, if she closed her eyes, she would be able to see that woman''s face ¡­ That was one of the women that Prime Minister Zhao married back home, and also the last woman he ever married ¡­


    As a First Madame of the Zhao Mansion, she had naturally experienced a bit more than anyone else, in order to firmly grasp all of this in her own hands. What hadn''t she seen? She knew too much about playing on the spot, and too much about how men didn''t spend too much time and effort on a woman. This was something she had already seen through long ago.


    Therefore, she didn''t care much about it. As long as he held the most power in his hands, she would remember to listen to him.


    But only one of these women was an exception.


    After that woman died, he finally woke up from the nightmare that he had been suppressed by her for a long time.


    However, she was frightened by that face. She would probably remember that woman forever ¡­


    Du Yueyao


    But Du Yueyao is clearly already dead ¡­ She was the one who took care of a lot of things. Was there really a ghost in this world?


    This made her feel extremely afraid. That woman''s ability had made her fearful when she was still alive, but she had not expected that she would not be able to live a peaceful life after death. Yet now she actually dared to harm her son!?


    She had been dead for so many years, why had she come back now?


    She just kept thinking about it and guessed her intentions. She didn''t want to eat, she couldn''t even be bothered to drink water, and with a sickly look on her face, she scared the little girl in the house. He had invited many doctors to help him, but none of them were able to understand what was going on.


    The pharmacies that were opened were all used to treat severe liver injuries, and they all felt depressed. However, no matter how much they ate, they didn''t see any signs of improvement at all ¡­


    She sat on the bed and said impatiently:


    "I''m not sick."


    "Since Madam isn''t sick, I''ll go heat up a bowl of meat porridge. If Madam wants more, it''ll be easier for you to get off the bed as soon as possible."


    "I don''t want porridge either. Where''s Eldest Young Master?"


    "Reporting to Madam, we didn''t see the Eldest Young Master. He might have gone out."


    "He went out? You still want to go out after getting so injured? What was young master Fu Jin doing? "You can''t even look at your own man?" She was a bit angry. In the end, she was still a bit angry. She had been married for two to three years, yet she hadn''t been able to give birth to a single child. He originally thought that he would keep his son at home and accompany his mother. However, in the end, he was still seduced by those brothel ladies.


    After all, that was her own son, and she had always been protective of him. No matter how many young masters people said, she was still helping her son. He even thought that if he wanted to go out, he could go out. In any case, it was perfectly justified for men to love beauties ¡­ After all, that useless daughter-in-law of his looked a little lacking in looks.


    But what she was afraid of now, was Du Yueyao ¡­ That Du Yueyao was indeed a poison, she had long experienced it before. She had harmed her own man and made things difficult for her, but now she had actually come to seduce her own son ¡­


    She greeted that little girl Ying''er and whispered a few words to her, telling her to go outside of the city and find a Goddess that she trusted to come to her mansion.


    In less than half a day, the Goddess was invited. An old lady with multiple braids on her head, whom she recognized, was the same one who had followed High Scholar Zhao into the capital to be an official. At that time, the Goddess was dressed like this as well. In a flash, dozens of years had passed. He had transformed from a beautiful young woman into the current Madame. The Goddess still seemed to have the same appearance.


    Not older, not young. It was just that the clothes on her body were a little dirtier, making her feel a little scared. However, as long as it was a good test, what was there to be afraid of ¡­

 C105

    She had interacted with the Goddess quite a bit. When she was still the beautiful young married woman, she wished that she could give birth to a son for Prime Minister Zhao. As expected, she gave birth to two sons ¡­ Afterwards, when the Prime Minister Zhao went out to drink wine and hook up with the Madam, Third and Fourth Wife ¡­ She then made a wish to marry that Goddess. Since she couldn''t stop the Prime Minister Zhao from continuously marrying women at home, she made a wish for them to not be able to have sons ¡­


    Sure enough, Zhao Qin and Zhao Min born to two wives and three wives, and even Zhao Ci born to Du Yueyao later on, were both daughters! To her, that goddess was extremely outstanding ¡­


    At this moment, when the Goddess saw her expression, she naturally understood that she must have suffered some sort of great blow. Thus, she leaned over and asked.


    "Madam, what are your orders?"


    First Madame looked at the Goddess and asked as if he was grabbing onto her lifesaver:


    "Is there a ghost in this world?"


    The Goddess didn''t expect First Madame to ask such a question. In this world, there were indeed strange and chaotic things that she couldn''t explain, which was why she was born into such a profession. It seems that First Madame must have met with some amazing things ¡­


    She stretched out her old, dry hands and caressed First Madame''s forehead, frowning as she recited a few scriptures. He didn''t seem to notice anything amiss.


    He then took out a crumpled piece of paper from a small pouch on his chest. Inside the paper, there was some extremely tiny powder, but he didn''t know what it was ¡­ She used her extremely long fingernail to pick it up and scattered it all over Madame Zhao''s body. Looking left and right, there didn''t seem to be any reaction.


    "First Madame, in my old woman''s opinion, you did not meet a ghost ¡­ "Perhaps I have encountered something that caused you to worry too much. This time around, I am truly unable to help ¡­"


    First Madame stared at her blankly: "Not a ghost?"


    The goddess nodded her head ¡­


    "How could it not be a ghost? "You better watch carefully ¡­"


    Since that grandma couldn''t bear her, she could only follow her instructions and use the same procedure as before to walk around ¡­


    The result was exactly the same as the first time ¡­


    "First Madame, in my old woman''s opinion, is it true that ghosts ¡­"


    She could see clearly that the woman looked exactly the same as Du Yueyao back then.


    Originally, when she married the Prime Minister Zhao, her life was exceptionally blissful ¡­ She wasn''t exactly beautiful, and her family wasn''t rich. However, that Prime Minister Zhao was only a poor scholar when he was young. He was already considered fortunate to be able to marry his wife.


    She obediently married into their family. After all, she was still young, and after the Prime Minister Zhao got her name, she moved her family to the capital. She was the original wife of the Prime Minister Zhao, and had already given Old Zhao two sons. He followed Prime Minister Zhao over to take care of the family matters. The more time passed, the more red the flames became.


    However, if a man was rich, his thoughts would naturally increase as well. He began to show mercy at every turn. Sometimes, he would even marry and bring back women. He was famous for his silver taels, so he was naturally no longer a free man to her.


    In the beginning, she had also been crying and making a ruckus. Marry the second one and hang yourself again.


    At first, Prime Minister Zhao had persuaded her to be happy, but in the end, she had married more and more, so she was naturally too lazy to comfort those women from before ¡­


    If you want to cry, then cry. If you want to cause trouble, then do so. If you really want to hang yourself, then do so at will ¡­ Too many women, too much commotion... After all, he had long since lost interest in the old woman. Don''t say that I''m used to seeing you cry, even if I saw you, I would still feel annoyed ¡­


    Thus ¡­ As time passed, she became more open to it. At the very least, no matter how many women he married back, she would always be the Palace''s First Madame. Her two sons would undoubtedly be the heirs to the Prime Minister Zhao''s family property. It would also be the support of her old age. Then why was she making a fuss? If he really hanged himself, then wouldn''t he be the one who wasn''t worth it?


    Although she and Old Zhao''s other wives and concubines couldn''t become brothers and sisters, they could still live peacefully together. No matter which wife or concubine was favored by, they still had to fear her, a Palace First Madame.


    It was normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines. Although she was unhappy in her heart, she couldn''t let it go ¡­


    Until that Du Yueyao was brought into the residence by the old master, she was still unconcerned at the start. No matter how many wives Prime Minister Zhao had, it no longer had anything to do with her. She was still the authority of the estate. The more new people came, the more Prime Minister Zhao liked the new people and forgot the old people. But even if it was a new person, sooner or later, they would become old people''s ¡­ Everyone had their own trust, so it was impossible for them to avoid becoming the fates of the old. Thus, there was nothing to be jealous of ¡­


    At the very least, her position was inconvenient ¡­ The lord of the estate. The old Prime Minister Zhao might not mention the second brother Old Third one day ¡­ In the end, she remembered that she was the one in charge of everything in the house.


    In the days when Du Yueyao had just arrived, no one had been on guard against her at all, and no one had even paid attention to her. She had never even stepped foot into her house, so naturally, no one knew what she really looked like.


    She remembered that when the other concubines had married into the mansion, although it was just a concubine''s room, she had been favoured at the time. She remembered that when the other concubines had married into the mansion, although it was a concubine''s room, she had been favored at the time. If there was a chance, then he would definitely invite all the guests to a banquet. Everyone knew that there were many wives in the old Zhao Family, if they didn''t make a good show, how would it show their place in the lord''s heart? If there were conflicts between sisters in the future, how would the outcome be decided?


    But First Madame clearly remembered that compared to those chirpy birds, that Du Yueyao was actually very different.


    She was extremely obedient, and when she married into the family, she did not even ask for a set of wedding clothes ¡­ She did not make any preparations, did not entertain any guests, and did not even post any words of happiness in her courtyard.


    Suspicion arose in his heart after all, and so he sent his own girl out to inquire about the origin of Du Yueyao.


    I just heard that Du Yueyao is an orphan, and also a prostitute ¡­ The new wife that Master wants is a prostitute!?


    This news instantly exploded within the Zhao Mansion ¡­ Originally, everyone was somewhat afraid of the newcomers. After all, the newcomers would still be favored for quite a while. But now that he knew that she was just a lowly child, it was still an insult to him to be so childish with her. He suddenly lost all interest in finding out more about the rookie ¡­


    Originally, everyone thought that she was too dirty and didn''t even want to pass through the entrance of her courtyard. But that Lord Zhao was different, as if she was poisoned, and whenever she was at home, she would stay in Du Yueyao''s courtyard and not come out ¡­


    For the past few months, her love for had increased, but all the treasures that the palace had bestowed upon her continued to move towards Du Yueyao''s residence.


    After all, this situation made the others feel uncomfortable, so they found an opportunity to come to her courtyard and make trouble for her.


    That was the first time she stepped into the residence of a prostitute that was born slightly lowly. That residence was randomly arranged at that time, and she didn''t put in all her effort, she only arranged a small courtyard there. But now that she stepped in, it was already completely different from when she first entered ¡­ The courtyard had long since been renovated. The furnishings inside were actually much more expensive than the things in her room ¡­ This was the first time she saw such a beautiful person. Not only was she young, she was also extremely beautiful. Every single one of her expressions and smiles was filled with love. And quite at ease under the eyes of the crowd.


    The people from the few houses didn''t get any advantage and chased her out. That person actually made Prime Minister Zhao buy a house for her outside, and just like that, the two of them lived outside ¡­


    This time, it truly made the concubines of those large houses fall into a panic ¡­ If the most important old master did not exist in a family, then who else could they serve?


    Even if the old master ignored them, they would at least know that the Lord Zhao was at home. However, this situation was extremely awkward. There was no room for the old master in a mansion. There were still a bunch of unattended concubines left ¡­


    If the news got out, wouldn''t they be filed away?


    Therefore, First Madame had no choice but to lower his head and invite her back ¡­


    At that time, Du Yueyao would already be pregnant ¡­


    Even though she was smiling on the surface, she still hated Du Yueyao from the bottom of her heart. She had taken away the last bit of her dignity as a First Madame ¡­


    During the dozen or so years that she had married into the Prime Minister Zhao, she had monopolized almost all of the''s favors, to the point where she didn''t even need to look at the First Madame''s face when she liked it. She lived in the''s residence and did as she pleased, almost as if she was the First Madame himself.


    This woman was something she dreaded and hated. Fortunately, she did not live for long. After her death, her ugly little daughter had naturally lost the patience and love of Prime Minister Zhao and was bullied over by a few concubines. In the end, he sent her to the Prime Minister Zhao''s hometown.


    And then there was no message...


    Towards that child, First Madame did not feel guilty at all. If that child remained in the Zhao Mansion, he would constantly remind the other women that he had once humiliated them before, and that he was not even comparable to a prostitute ¡­ Not only would he be unhappy, he would also be bullied to death by others sooner or later. Instead, he might as well just leave it at that and let her roll away, out of sight and out of mind, on her own.


    First Madame suddenly woke up. If it was a ghost, could it be that child?


    Although she had long since predicted that her hometown was a place filled with evil and destitute mountains and rivers, with such a little girl who had no money or influence, how could she possibly live to see the light of day? In her heart, she had long since assumed that the child had died. As the owner of the house, she said that she had asked her relatives to take care of her and had also sent some silver over every year. But in fact, after being away for so many years, she had almost forgotten about all the relatives in her hometown. She didn''t even know if that child had even arrived at her hometown.


    But she also remembered that the child was extremely ugly ¡­ Forget about Zhao Qin, even the average Zhao Min could not compare to him. How could this happen? Could it be that a person could really be reborn?


    If not for the old granny telling her that she did not meet a ghost, she would have sent someone to dig up Du Yueyao''s grave outside the city ¡­


    She sighed helplessly. Speaking of which, that child was Du Yueyao''s only bloodline in this world. The woman she saw that day was only around twenty years old.


    She had some lingering fear, but she couldn''t find anyone to discuss it with. Fortunately, Prime Minister Zhao had only focused on comforting and protecting the dragon''s aura that day. Furthermore, she had fainted and caused people to panic when she came out, so they did not see the woman. Otherwise, there might be some trouble.


    She was so afraid of that woman that she was almost unforgettable. She was afraid that her husband would see her again so that she wouldn''t have to put her life back in that hell.


    After sending the Goddess away, the little girl brought in a bowl of meat porridge. No matter what, she wanted to advise her to drink some.


    She was afraid that Du Yueyao''s ghost would come back to find trouble with her, and maybe take revenge on her for not doing her best to treat Du Yueyao''s illness. She even let the little girl steal a few medicinal herbs that were made for Du Yueyao. or perhaps it was revenge for not taking care of her little daughter. Although she was willful, after all, that child still possessed the bloodline of Zhao Family.


    It wasn''t that she hadn''t dreamed about it, but that Du Yueyao''s face was filled with malice in his dreams as he pointed at her nose and said, "I won''t let you go."


    She was trembling in fear as she hid in a corner of the room ¡­


    She wasn''t the only one who wanted to bully that child when she woke up. If she was going to take revenge, then she wasn''t the only one. Why would she be afraid?


    But in the end, she was still afraid.


    Fear of that woman''s beauty and curse.


    She calculated in her heart that since that woman appeared by the emperor''s side, she should be someone from the palace. Since the Lord Zhao had never heard of her before, she must be someone from a concubine''s palace.


    And Zhao Qin, wasn''t she the of the Emperor''s Imperial Seal? Within the palace, she had the right to be second only to the empress. If she wanted to find out more about this, it would be best to find her.


    Thinking of this, she suddenly made up her mind. She took the meat porridge from the little girl and drank it. She also asked the little girl to prepare hot water as she wanted to wash up and dress up. When everything was properly cleaned up, the Third Madam and Zhao Qin''s birth mother were invited over.


    Young Master had always been disappointing, but that Hanqin, on the other hand, had accidentally married Wang Su, who would have thought that today he would become a Imperial Noble Consort. Even the Prime Minister Zhao regarded this daughter of his, and the care and love he had for her far surpassed that of his own son ¡­


    Currently, the Third Madam also relied on her daughter''s status as the Emperor''s concubine to raise her status within the palace. Quite a few times, her position even exceeded her own. Her son was so terrible that she could only swallow her anger. But now, no matter what, she had to properly ask her.


    If she had the brains, she would still think of ways to do things for her daughter''s sake, and look for ways to help her daughter earn some benefits, so she had to think of an even more important way to eliminate Du Yueyao ¡­


    But, in the end, she still did not know whether that woman was Du Yueyao or not ¡­


    That woman who looked exactly like Du Yueyao, although she was not in front of him, but what was her motive? Since no one had noticed her yet, if he was able to get rid of her, it would naturally be considered as her own problem ¡­

 C106

    In the middle of August, it was sunny outside the window. The magpie hopped on the beam and the sky was filled with white clouds. Zhuang Li sat in the center of the Imperial Study pavilion, holding her head and looking at her opponent while lost in thought.


    "In the past, when the Emperor arrived at the Imperial Study, he was always flustered and flustered. But now that he isn''t here, I have nothing to do." Qing You said.


    When Zhuang Li returned, she interrogated him quite a bit. Just where did she go with the emperor? What happened? and so on...


    Zhuang Li cut a long story short, she only said that she was going to inspect the disaster area with the Emperor.


    "What else?"


    "There''s more ¡­" I also made a trip to the Immortal Crane Mountain to pay respects to some of the experts who have returned to the mountain forest. " She had wanted to talk about how her Master was able to see through one''s heart, and how she could travel back and forth between the waterfalls with such a ruinous kung fu ¡­ But Qing You was no longer interested in these things. His mouth opened again, complaining about how boring it was, she turned around and went to young eunuch to play cicada.


    That cicada was something the Emperor would only do when he was at the Imperial Study. Because it was too noisy, the Emperor didn''t like it. Normally, no one would care about it. After all, it would be too troublesome. They would need to climb a ladder or grab a bamboo pole ¡­ But now, he was too idle ¡­ If he did not find something for himself to do, he could only sit there until it got dark as usual.


    Not only Zhuang Li felt that sshe was free, even Qing You and the other young eunuch who had been serving at the Imperial Study felt that he was free all year round ¡­ Thus, when Qing You heard that they were going to fight cicadas, she jabbered on and on as she followed them.


    Zhuang Li never thought that she would actually be left hanging on the spot, she could only shake her head, and prop herself up as she thought about her own matters. She had never told anyone about the relationship between her and Wang Su. For no reason, she felt that it should be kept a secret. It was as if those feelings, once spoken, would be scorched dry by the August sun and vaporized into thin air.


    So she would hide them in her heart and nourish them with her warmest flesh. It was as if this was the only way for it to exist forever ¡­


    Under the scorching sun, the cool and refreshing feeling under the pavilion made her feel tired. The air was filled with a warm and harmonious smell, mixed with the smell of the plant juice being roasted by the sun. He couldn''t help but feel especially comfortable, blinking his eyes and finally closing them. Finally, he fell asleep.


    He felt an itch on his face. He frowned as he wiped his face with his sleeve. He still felt itchy. Finally, he opened his eyes. He saw a handsome face in front of him.


    Prince Bi...


    The latter was teasing her with a dogtail grass that had been folded in a flowerpot...


    "Look at how lazy you are... Even though the flower pots of the Imperial Study have grown dog''s tail grass, there is actually no one to take care of them ¡­ "


    He proudly brandished the blade of grass he had found ¡­


    It had been a long time since the emperor came to the Imperial Study. If the emperor didn''t come, then naturally the Eunuch Li wouldn''t come as well. This was a chain reaction.


    "Your Highness, do you think you''re young?" Even though her beautiful dream was disturbed, Zhuang Li was not annoyed. After all, the people in front of him were extremely close, like siblings.


    That fellow did not refute him. Instead, he said with a serious expression, "I am just a child ¡­"


    It had been over a month since they last met in the rain, but his body was completely recovered and his complexion was also very good. Perhaps it was because he had been sick for too long, but he had lost a lot of weight already. Moreover, it seemed that he had a lot on his mind.


    "Is it the next emperor? How did you get here? " Zhuang Li''s first reaction was to look left and right. Could it be that the Emperor''s Imperial Study would finally arrive today?


    Upon receiving no response, the other party smacked him on the forehead with the Sargasso grass once more.


    "Right now, the only thing left in your heart is the Emperor ¡­"


    Zhuang Li burst out laughing at his teasing. Wang Bi looked at her with a sense of loneliness.


    "Of course you are." After all, he was too smart. Even if she wanted to hide it, she might not be able to.


    Moreover, the Prince Bi was the only one that could understand her and make her feel trust him. Although a lot of things had happened in the palace in the past and Zhuang Li had no way of knowing, she still hoped that this pair of brothers could become trusted and return to the family relationships that she had once had.


    Although Zhuang Li realized that she was overthinking it after a long time ¡­


    However, Wang Bi could understand from his words that this girl had fallen in love with the Emperor, and did not feel bad about it. The last time they drank with Zhuang Li, they had already heard about the flood. He naturally had her own eyes in the palace, and when he came to the palace, she discovered that the Imperial Study was heavily guarded, preventing people from entering, and also preventing people from coming out, saying that it was under the emperor''s orders. She could roughly guess that the emperor had left the palace.


    To him, leaving the palace did not really matter, but then Xiao Wanzi actually said he found a few excuses to go around Imperial Study, and he actually did not see Imperial Noble Lady Ya either ¡­


    was also taken out of the palace by Wang Su?


    He naturally knew that although the Emperor had once snubbed that Imperial Noble Lady Ya of his for a year, and then put her on the side of Imperial Study, doing some menial work like adding tea and adding water. He spoke coldly on the surface, but in the end, he viewed that woman as different from the others in the imperial harem.


    It wasn''t different, it was very different. Even the empress had never received such attention from the emperor ¡­


    After that, the matter with the Astrology Platform happened. At that time, he was the one who received the news and rushed over to save the person, but when he saved Zhuang Li, he heard that the Emperor was also rushing over ¡­ He felt that not only did he care about the Imperial Noble Lady Ya, but the Emperor also cared a lot about him. Although Imperial Noble Lady Ya was fine that time, the Emperor had ordered to dig up the astrologer as well ¡­ No matter what happened, it was difficult for the people from the other palaces to enter the Imperial Study. He couldn''t help but suspect that the Emperor was really interested in the Imperial Noble Lady Ya?


    He had already realized that someone was harming the Imperial Noble Lady Ya, so he turned the Imperial Study into a palace. If no one could enter from the outside, then the Imperial Noble Lady Ya inside would be safe ¡­


    He watched his younger brother grow up. Although there were many disputes and irreconcilable conflicts between brothers, in the end, he still understood his younger brother.


    He wasn''t very talkative, but he knew how to endure. He would treat her well without saying anything, and even if he hated her, he would still take things step by step. There would definitely be a day where he would trample over her. However, this little brother was indeed not a bad person ¡­ Many times, even though he appeared strong and cold on the outside, his heart was actually made of glass, and he was in extreme pain. Sometimes, he would be so hard that even his own body would be pierced ¡­


    Ever since she was young, she had felt heartache for him many times ¡­


    If they weren''t born in the royal family, they would have become good brothers who understood each other and supported each other. It was just that the current situation had involved too many hidden secrets.


    Sometimes, he even hated himself for not bringing Zhuang Li out before going to Mongolia, so he didn''t want to send her back. Looking at Zhuang Li''s expression, she finally understood that she had a place in the heart of this palace.


    "The Emperor is still at the Heart Nurturing Palace. I came here specifically to see you, but you didn''t even come to make me a pot of tea."


    "Line Lines ¡­" The Prince Bi in front of Zhuang Li, who was extremely elegant, had no choice but to go to the teahouse and bring out a lake full of jade pools. The emperor had not come for a long time, but Zhuang Li had taken care of the things in the teahouse everyday. She was afraid that one day she would turn around and find Wang Su standing behind him.


    Therefore, every day, there would be warm water in the pot and tea leaves on the table ¡­ Since he was prepared, it was natural that tea would be brewed extremely quickly ¡­ When Prince Bi saw Zhuang Li bring out the tea in the blink of an eye, he knew in his heart that this fellow had been preparing to wait for the emperor to come over everyday. In the end, he was still a little jealous.


    Prince Bi took a sip, his beautiful face creased once again as his mouth shrunk. With a bitter face, he said, "It doesn''t taste good ¡­"


    "Is there?" Was it because he hadn''t brewed tea in too long a time that something went wrong? She poured herself a glass and took a sip.


    "That''s right, it''s a new supply of tea leaves."


    "It''s not as delicious as my house. Since the Emperor won''t come, why don''t you come to my place and have a drink? "


    "Huh?"


    "Alright, alright, I won''t make things difficult for you anymore. I''m going back. If the emperor really comes to this Imperial Study, he''s not willing to see me with you."


    "Oh." Zhuang Li didn''t know what to say either.


    He suddenly extended both his hands to support Zhuang Li''s shoulders as she stood up, wanting to leave. However, she remained standing where she was for a very long time.


    "It won''t be easy for you to fall in love with that person. If you ever want to leave this palace, no matter what happens or no matter where, I will bring you out without hesitation ¡­ "No matter where you wish to go ¡­"


    He thought for a moment. It seemed that what he had said was still not clear enough, not tempting enough ¡­


    Then add


    "Not to the Prince Bi Palace, not even to stay in the capital. Inner Mongolia? West Cold? Big Moon? "Wherever you want to go, I will accompany you there to live ¡­"


    He tried to smile, his face more beautiful than a woman''s. In the past, it used to be extremely beautiful, but now it was filled with bitterness. Zhuang Li stood up to send him off and felt that the usually extremely relaxed Prince Bi was not as relaxed as he was in the past.


    "Thank you, King Bi ¡­"


    When the Prince Bi heard these words, she naturally understood why she would be willing to leave.


    "I have a wide network of contacts ¡­" That sentence seemed to be trying to find a way out for himself, but it also seemed to be mocking himself ¡­ When he found out that he liked this woman, he was also extremely happy. He always thought about how to treat her, how to accompany her, and how to coax her into his grasp ¡­ He had even risked his life from being drenched by the rain, risking being ill in bed for half a year just to see her in the lotus pond ¡­


    He wanted to tell her that he wasn''t that weak and that he could protect her and give her a life of exceptional happiness ¡­


    However, before he could finish what he wanted to say, this girl already had someone else in her heart ¡­ It wasn''t that he, Wang Bi, had no temper, but that person was his own brother, the one who had once been full of guilt. He silently swore that he would never fight against him ¡­


    Thus, no matter what, he had to come over and confirm it once more. Want to seize the last chance to ask this woman want to go with him?


    But didn''t he already know the answer in his heart?


    She understood a little of what the Prince Bi had said at the end. Wang Su was the emperor, he was far above his, and Zhuang Li was not the only person he had. What he valued most in his heart was naturally the world of the Great Phoenix. Wang Su would never give her the same love as an ordinary person.


    Did she foolishly think that she would one day obtain all of her happiness?


    That person''s love was not easy, but she was still trapped within Wang Su''s smile, his every move.


    When smiling, when angry, when writing, when approving the paper.


    He loved every move of hers.


    She didn''t get everything he had, but back in the dungeon, on the roof of the Immortal Crane Mountain, perhaps earlier or earlier ¡­ She already felt the weight he held in her heart.


    He had never promised or even spoken his heart out loud. Since he had served tea in the palace, he had looked at her with cold eyes, or been filled with pleasure. She saw him almost every day.


    When she fell in love with him, she never thought that he was the Emperor ¡­


    It was just that after returning to the capital, he had suddenly been busy for almost half a month before coming to Imperial Study again. In the end, there was still a lot of unease that arose in his heart.


    She, Zhuang Li, had never been afraid of the torment of waiting. She only suddenly remembered that if Wang Su never came back to this Imperial Study again, she would continue to love him without even making a promise to hug him for warmth. These were perhaps Wang Bi''s worries ¡­


    After tossing and turning, Zhuang Li seemed to have realized that if the emperor did not come, he had nothing to do and all she did was play around with Qing You and chat with young eunuch all day long ¡­ After a long time, there would be no meaning.


    She sat under the pavilion and drank from the pot of tea she had brewed for Prince Bi. When she drank the tea dregs, she spat them out to the fish in the pond. Those fish would normally hide under the pavilion, and whenever the young eunuch came over to feed them, they would immediately gather around, squeezing and snatching the food from each other. They would not hesitate to put away the leftover rice grains in their stomachs. Zhuang Li would sometimes see carp jumping out of the water to eat the spiders that were crawling on the plants in the flower pot beside the pond.


    The pomegranate in front of his room seemed to have grown a bit during his absence, but it was still only a tiny fruit. It would be impossible to eat it or imagine the rich and juicy seeds inside.


    Ever since the day the pomegranate bloomed, she had been looking at it every day. The flower bloomed extremely brilliantly. The fruit was small and green. small oval fruit, at best like a larger green date. Regardless of whether she was in a room or a teahouse, she was used to looking at it whenever she was free. However, it still wasn''t big enough. She suddenly understood. That little pomegranate was originally an ornamental plant. How could she expect it to bear such a ripe fruit?


    The climate of the capital was not suitable for the cultivation of pomegranate. It was only because the flowers were red that they were introduced into the palace wall. In the palace wall, in an expensive flower pot, under the careful care of a gardener, the pomegranate sprouts. No matter how strong it was, it was still a sour fruit after all; after the season, it would fall into the pot and eventually turn into mud.

 C107

    After returning to the palace for more than half a month, Wang Su was busy with the various papers he had dropped earlier, as well as handling other matters in the palace. It was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and they had moved to the palace in the outskirts of the capital with the empress yesterday. He said that he wanted to see the full moon in the wilderness.


    After listening to the Imperial Study''s young eunuch speak, the period of time that the Emperor left the palace saw quite a few incidents. Not only were there people who suspected that the Emperor was suffering from an epidemic disease, the situation in the capital seemed to have quietly changed as well. Zhuang Li thought back to that day when Wang Su had rushed back to the capital to visit the Prime Minister Zhao after receiving Eunuch Li''s message.


    The situation in the capital had always changed in the blink of an eye. Now that it was finally a full moon, the matter of the water elementalists could barely be brought to a conclusion. The Emperor had arranged to see that all the important officials of the imperial court had already settled into the palace.


    No matter what, Zhuang Li had not seen Yue Susu ever since he returned, and she opened her eyes everyday. what they were facing were the palace walls on all four sides of the Imperial Study.


    As if nothing had happened, the four walls of Imperial Study, as usual, avoided the undercurrents in the palace. But this peace made Zhuang Li feel even more uneasy ¡­ It seemed to be brewing something.


    In this half a month, Zhuang Li had only seen Qing You and the only young eunuch he had. Li Liangxiao was also not in, but hearing that it was something to do in the capital, Zhuang Li''s intuition told him that it was related to West Cold, but he did not know whether to ask. She only said that last time she saw Little White, it said that he would go to the West Cold with Li Liangxiao.


    She started to worry about this matter again. Since it was related to West Cold, then naturally it was related to Ge Ya? Was she going to bring Ge Ya back?


    She didn''t know what kind of bad news would await her ¡­ Sometimes, she would worry about not knowing what her little sister looked like now ¡­ The Great Phoenix Emperor, whom they hated to the bones, had now become the person they loved. The person he wanted to protect by his side ¡­


    How to deal with these complex emotions?


    Nanny Lv, who was guarding the mountain as the sun set, brought over a lunchbox. In the evening, there were more mosquitoes, so Zhuang Li let Qing You take the lunchbox and eat inside the house.


    "Miss, it''s full moon today. Although the emperor isn''t in the palace and there''s no celebration in the palace, it''s still Mid-Autumn Festival."


    "Alright, alright, alright. After dinner, why don''t you come out at night and see the moon?"


    Naturally, she also didn''t want to miss out on the moon. When she was young, she lived together with her mother every year until the mid-autumn fifteenth. She would definitely watch the moon eat moon cakes.


    Later, when I went to college and was reluctant to go home to save money, I had to watch the moon call my mother. It was as if he could go back to when he was young and act coquettishly in his mother''s arms.


    He opened the first layer of the lunchbox, which contained a few small dishes, as well as a plate of delicately made mooncakes. The second layer contained meat and rice, while the last layer contained chopsticks.


    Zhuang Li always felt that it was a little strange when she picked up the chopsticks. Ever since Zhuang Li returned to the palace, she discovered that the chopsticks had been replaced with sandalwood that was carved with plum blossoms. The wooden chopsticks were light and smooth, bringing about a sense of beauty. However, when she held them in his hands today, she felt that they were a bit out of proportion to his hands. She took the two wooden chopsticks and weighed them in her hands. Only then did she realize that the two chopsticks looked exactly the same. When she held them in her hands, she realized that there was a difference in weight. Moreover, the difference was extremely obvious, as if it was purposely discovered.


    Zhuang Li brought the chopsticks to the window, and under the light of the sunlight, he observed carefully. Only then did she realise that the color and the material of the two chopsticks were slightly different, although she had already tried to hide it, but as long as she observed carefully, she could tell that they were not the same chopsticks.


    The slightly heavier chopstick had a slight mark on its tip, which seemed to be able to be opened. Zhuang Li grabbed both ends of the chopsticks and exerted a little strength, and as expected, the chopsticks separated from the crack.


    Is Hollow...


    "Miss ¡­ "This, this is ¡­" Just as Qing You was about to shout out, Zhuang Li hurriedly reached out and covered her mouth.


    It was obvious that someone wanted to use this method to send a message to her, and using such a secretive method was to hope that no one would know about it and not reveal it.


    She pulled out a roll of paper from her hollow chopsticks.


    At a quarter past nine, see you at the He Jiang pavilion...


    Zhuang Li did not recognize the words written on it, but the writing was beautiful, and it seemed to be written by a woman.


    It was very normal that she didn''t recognize him. After all, she hadn''t seen many people writing in the palace, and the only words that she could recognize were those of the emperor ¡­


    "Miss, what does that mean?"


    Zhuang Li was also confused, although on the surface, he only said that he had arranged to meet her, but who had? And what was it? Originally, Zhuang Li had not planned to bother with it, until Qing You had reminded him.


    "There are words after the note!"


    Zhuang Li turned the page, and sure enough, there were two words written on the back of the note. The words were written in the middle, so it was unclear if it was a form of address or signature. But when Zhuang Li saw those two words, her heart could not help but sink. She knew that she couldn''t avoid it this time.


    On the back of the note was written:


    Elaeagnus mollissima


    "Yueyu?" "Who''s Yueyao?"


    Zhuang Li frowned, at the time Qing You went to the Zhao Mansion to serve her, she was already very sick. She was assigned to work in the kitchen, and by the time she was officially transferred over to take care of Zhuang Li, Du Yueyao was already dead. She didn''t know Zhao Ci''s mother''s name, she only knew that there was a Sixth Madam who had died from illness and was arranged to take care of the child that Zhao Ci''s wife left behind.


    So when Qing You saw the two words Yue Yao, he didn''t know who it was.


    Qing You only knew that the way the Zhao Family treated Zhao Ci after the death of the Sixth Madam was really terrible. Therefore, Zhuang Li was extremely careful not to reveal her identity as Zhao Ci. She did not want to have anything to do with Zhao Family, and since she had lied to the Emperor, she would have to use many, many lies to make up for it ¡­ Since she had already walked this path, she would have no chance to turn back ¡­


    Seeing the word Yue Yao, Zhuang Li naturally understood that she was referring to Du Yueyao ¡­ Recently, she had been suspected by Zhao Qin and the First Madame and had even offended the empress. Naturally, there were people secretly trying to find out her identity.


    Could it be that it had already been discovered that she was the child that Du Yueyao had left behind after she died?


    It seemed that the disturbance caused by Du Yueyao''s Zhao Mansion back then was not small, so how could it be forgotten?


    So who was the person who wrote this note?


    There were many layers of tight security within the palace, so it was naturally impossible for it to be people outside. It was just those First Madame s in the Zhao Mansion who were harming her so it was impossible for them to send the letter in this way ¡­


    If that was the case, then he had to be someone from the palace ¡­


    There were only two people in the palace that wanted to harm her ¡­ Empress and Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin ¡­


    However, both of them were currently in the palace, so why would he invite her to the He Jiang pavilion in the palace?


    Zhuang Li bit her lips, momentarily losing her appetite to eat. Receiving such a note was definitely not a good thing, but if she didn''t go, then there might be something even more sinister waiting for her ¡­


    Someone who could hide a message so secretively in the chopsticks and pass it to her through the kitchen must be meticulous. Now, she was too lazy to think about how the kitchen owner had been bribed, or how the Nanny Lv, who delivered food to her, had been bribed. She sighed as she instructed Qing You to keep all the food. It was already a few minutes past midnight, so she stood up and prepared to leave.


    Qing You chased after her and stopped her. In the end, she was still afraid that what happened at Huhe Palace would happen again. There were a lot of things happening in the palace recently, but she didn''t receive any news. After what had happened, the Emperor no longer allowed anyone from outside the Imperial Study to enter the Imperial Study. If something happened, no one would know who to call for help.


    Zhuang Li could only comfort her by hugging her


    "I''m fine. The people who hate me in the palace are all gone, so what else could happen? You should rest early and not follow me. "


    Letting Zhuang Li stay behind was naturally for her sake. She did not wish for Qing You to become involved in some things as well. Having Qing You prepare the small lantern, even though there was still the sunset, and the sky was still long gone, Qing You reckoned that by the time she returned, the sky would have already turned dark.


    Hejiang Pavilion, Zhuang Li knew about it. It was located right beside the Agility River in the palace, and it was very close to the place where she and Li Liangxiao had placed the river lamp last time. Her letter said that the appointed time to meet was at fifteen minutes past eighteen, but the daily meal time at the kitchen, Green nanny, was fifteen minutes or so so, and from the Imperial Study to the He Jiang pavilion, they had to walk for at least half an hour. It seemed like this person had calculated the time, after Zhuang Li received the letter, she only had the time to decide whether to go or not, and didn''t have the opportunity to slowly investigate the intentions of the person who sent her off.


    Zhuang Li walked past those lonely pavilions. Although it was the Mid-Autumn Festival, the empress had already decided to go to the outskirts of the palace for festivals, so she didn''t make any preparations. However, the palace in the outskirts had probably already made preparations half a month ago. Normally, the servants and eunuchs of the palace''s adopted daughters were all there to serve them. Now that the masters were gone, and there weren''t any eunuchs or maids carrying things passing by on the way, the entire palace seemed to have become exceptionally quiet.


    The last time Zhuang Li took this road, she was accompanied by Li Liangxiao, which made him feel exceptionally safe. However, at this time, she also felt that this road had become especially lonely because of the emptiness.


    Under the setting sun, the beautiful pavilion by the Minsheng River appeared exceptionally empty. The pavilion was empty, and there was no one she had expected to find waiting.


    Was the time not up yet?


    However, a lot of time had passed since they arrived. How could they not have arrived yet?


    Zhuang Li could only sit in the small pavilion and watch Minsheng River in a daze. Until she heard someone call her.


    "Excuse me, are you Imperial Noble Lady Ya?"


    Zhuang Li turned her head around, and saw a eunuch standing in front of him. She felt that this young eunuch was somewhat familiar, but she couldn''t recall it right away. She had always been inside the Imperial Study and rarely had the time to walk around. She felt that the reason he looked so familiar was because she felt that the eunuchs in the palace were all dressed up in similar fashion ¡­


    "Yes, I am." Zhuang Li replied. The young eunuch stood in front of her, bent at the waist, looking extremely respectful.


    "My master ordered me to come and fetch the Imperial Noble Lady Ya. She has already set up a banquet in the palace."


    Zhuang Li was stunned. She still wanted to leave when she was at home? How many people in this palace could call themselves masters? Could there be another young master of the Imperial Noble Lady like her?


    But shouldn''t those young masters follow him to the palace? Even the princes and officials would have to go. If it was not because of some accident, the empress would not be fake.


    "Who is your master?" Zhuang Li asked.


    "Master said you will know when you get there."


    The young eunuch spoke as he bent down even more respectfully, reaching out his arm to help Zhuang Li up. Zhuang Li did not think too much, and held his hand.


    At that moment, a kind of stabbing pain transmitted from her hand. She cried out and almost took a step back. She stared fixedly at the eunuch, only to see a crafty smile appear on her previously sincere and obedient face.


    Zhuang Li retreated a few steps, wanting to stay away from the eunuch, but it was already too late. The eunuch did not chase after her, she only stood in place and looked at her, as if she was already prepared.


    The numbness in her hands gradually spread throughout her entire body, and Zhuang Li gradually kneeled on the ground while leaning against the pillar of the pavilion, as she gradually lost consciousness.

 C108

    Speaking of this year''s Mid-Autumn Festival, it was probably different from the previous years. empress felt that she was sick of staying in the palace. She said that she wanted to go to the temporary residence in the capital for festivals, and that the palace was located at the foot of the mountain. There were a few mountain springs and even some lakes. It was just that there were very few servants in the palace, and there weren''t any masters staying there all year round. If he wanted to spend the holidays there and also have to receive court officials, he would have to go through a set up and clean up.


    However, this matter was settled half a month ago. The empress had even specially dispatched a group of servants from the palace to help. They paid great attention to him. If I screw it up, I''m afraid I''ll be dragged into Minsheng River by the empress and drowned ¡­


    Thus, all the servants in the palace were fully focused in their preparations. They had been prepared as early as a few days ago. The colored lanterns that were to be hung were all of twelve sides. The lower part of the lanterns were tied into a flower shape, symbolizing that the moon was shining. In the middle of the lake, a bamboo raft set up a stage filled with osmanthus flowers. The chairs that the guests were sitting on had been delivered and had been properly arranged. The VIP seats and the guest seats had all been distinguished, and a pavilion had been set up in the open air. All the windows in the palace were decorated with moonlight bunnies and osmanthus trees, and the roof of the palace was decorated with firecrackers.


    If there was anything missing, it was probably something to invite guests for a feast. However, those requests were all fresh. Apart from the wine that had already been delivered, the rest would have to wait until the day before the romance banquet. Only then would they be brought over from other places.


    The day before the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Emperor and Empress, as well as the people from Imperial Noble Consort''s palace had all arrived. The ministers of the palace arrived on the second day. After all, the palace was in the outskirts of the capital, so it wasn''t too far away.


    This banquet was extremely careful. It was said that there were not only the royal family, but also the officials of the imperial court and the guests invited by the royal family.


    The opening day of the banquet was indeed bustling with noise and excitement. It was the busiest day in the past ten years. Under the platter were blooming osier osmanthus flowers and fine mooncakes on gilded plates. One''s appetite would involuntarily rise.


    The opening dance of the banquet had already begun as well. As most of the dancers stayed in the palace all year round, none of the palace maids had ever seen such a beautiful scene before.


    Dancing moon blossomed, and the osmanthus fragrance filled the air. The lakeshore shone with moonlight, as if it was the most beautiful object in the world.


    "Your majesty, the empress personally arranged everything, are you satisfied?" Hanqin seemed to be especially happy tonight as she flattered the empress and fawned over the emperor.


    High courtiers and foreign envoys also presented gifts to the royal family. Under Eunuch Li''s care, Wang Su leisurely ate the pastries as he looked at the moonlight reflected on the lake, as if he was thinking about something.


    A young eunuch hurriedly squeezed in, and along the way, they squeezed out a lot of people.


    "Who is this? This is ¡­"


    "What are you doing ¡­"


    He completely disregarded his pride and charged forward, obviously attracting a lot of complaints along the way. In the end, half the people at the banquet were staring at him.


    He finally squeezed to the side of Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin and bent down. His extremely worried expression seemed to say something in a low voice.


    Those people who had noticed the eunuch could not help but guess in their hearts what had happened. When he was about to report to the Imperial Noble Consort Empress, he saw that Imperial Noble Consort''s originally dignified and smiling face had gradually stiffened, and finally became absent-minded. She seemed to have been greatly frightened. Her hand trembled and touched the gilded porcelain plate on the table. The plate fell to the ground. Although the floor was covered with a carpet, it was not enough to stop the disc from shattering. With a crisp sound, the porcelain plate cracked into many pieces.


    The sound was extremely crisp after the singing and dancing that had just stopped. In an instant, everyone noticed this direction.


    Hanqin also realized that she had made too much noise just now. When she raised her head, she realized that everyone was staring at her, as if to cover her astonishment, and immediately covered her mouth with a handkerchief.


    It was obvious that this was a low-class action. Everyone was still curiously staring at her.


    "Hehe, it''s fine, it''s fine." She gave two hollow laughs, as if to hide her guilt. But no one bought it.


    "Imperial Noble Consort, what happened?" The empress was the one who spoke, and the person who was most suitable to ask this question broke the silence.


    "Reporting to the empress, it''s nothing. It''s just a small matter. Chenqie will definitely take care of it." She finally managed to return to her normal appearance with great difficulty. A smile hung on her face, but there was still a trace of indistinct oddity on it.


    "Since we are all family members, why not talk about it here. It just so happens that the Emperor is here as well, and he can still uphold justice for you. " The Queen continued, that Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin was obviously hiding something from her, why not ask her? She had always been quick-witted. If this opportunity passed, it would be difficult for her to ask about it.


    "This ¡­" Hanqin seemed to be in some kind of trouble.


    "Bold enough to say that what''s there to fear about the emperor making the decision for you here?"


    There seemed to be a trace of fear on Hanqin''s face. She stood up and walked to the front of the emperor, then suddenly knelt down. Lowering her head, no one noticed that the corners of her mouth had almost formed a proud smile ¡­ That smile seemed to be forcing me to say something? Alright, this is exactly what I want ¡­


    "Your Majesty, please forgive me. It was a thief who appeared in this subject''s Qingyang Palace, so it''s not a big deal. I don''t dare to disturb Your Majesty''s celebration. I hope that Your Majesty and the empress will forgive me. I''m afraid that Your Concubine will return to the palace to settle this. " Her extremely careful words and careful deliberation aroused the interest of the empress.


    "If you have anything to say, you can go." Wang Su turned his head and no longer looked at her. But the empress refused to give up.


    " A thief? Do you really need to go back personally? Little Sister Hanqin, your health isn''t too good either. You were severely ill before, so you shouldn''t go running around anymore. Just stay in the palace and have some fun with the Emperor. Don''t be in such a hurry to go back and deal with things that have nothing to do with you. "


    "Many, many thanks for the empress''s good intentions, but chenqie will probably insist on returning ¡­" She raised her head and looked at the empress with a resolute gaze. Even a fool would not believe that she had anything to do with a thief like that ¡­


    "Hanqin, it''s just a thief, what''s there to be done about it? Tell the servants to search for the stolen goods and have them hand them over to the justice courts, yet you insist on going back. If you don''t vent your anger, what precious things did he steal from you? Just find the stolen items and kill him with his staff. Could it be that you have something more to say? "


    The empress had naturally asked Hanqin what was hiding behind her back. Looking at her hesitating appearance, thinking that it was something beneficial to her, she had to find out.


    Anything that is disadvantageous to Hanqin is naturally something that is advantageous to him ¡­


    When Hanqin heard the empress say the two words "Sky Kill", she suddenly became flustered. Hurry up and say


    "I can''t, I can''t! empress is indeed a small matter. It''s enough for chenqie to take care of it herself. There won''t be anything that will damage the prestige of the royal family ¡­"


    The more Hanqin refused, the more the empress wanted to know, until the point that even the Emperor couldn''t take it anymore. Originally, Wang Su didn''t want to bother with these things, it wasn''t that he hadn''t experienced the tricks of the imperial harem, he didn''t like them, nor did he want to bother with them. But now that things had escalated to this point, all the guests''s eyes were focused on this place, and they were whispering about what was happening in the royal family, so he had no choice but to step in.


    "Just an ordinary thief?" Or is there something else? "


    Hanqin bit her lips and did not say another word. The messenger who was by her side just now, young eunuch, kneeled down with a "pu tong" sound.


    "Your majesty, spare me, empress, please spare me. Empress Hanqin did not want to speak about this because she wanted to protect her family. Please do not blame her."


    "What is it?"


    These words were like a thunderbolt from a clear sky. Every word struck the banquet and fell into everyone''s ears. Those who had been just watching the show all turned their attention to this side at this moment. His ears almost pricked up in fear of falling out of his mouth.


    And at this time, the one feeling most terrified was also the Prime Minister Zhao. He had heard the young eunuch talking about Hanqin''s family for no reason. Did something happen again? How could he not know? He simply knelt on the ground, not knowing what would happen next.


    The young eunuch stammered as though she did not dare to speak carelessly again, but when Hanqin heard this sentence, she actually began to sob and cry ¡­


    "Empress Hanqin, the family of the empress has committed an unforgivable crime of deceiving the monarch ¡­ I hope that the emperor can clear this place of Empress Hanqin''s feelings for her ¡­ She ¡­ she didn''t want anything to happen to her little sister ¡­ "


    What? These words caused Prime Minister Zhao, who was kneeling at the side, to be shocked, and he was momentarily at a loss. Hanqin''s sister? Wasn''t Zhao Qin''s little sister Zhao Min? Now she was having a baby at home. How could he have committed the crime of deceiving the monarch? How could he possibly steal from the palace?


    "The emperor has made a report, I am the only one who has two female children, Zhao Qin and Zhao Min. Zhao Min is currently nurturing babies in her mother''s family, how could she possibly commit any crime such as deceiving the monarch? This young eunuch doesn''t want to spray blood, it is wrongly accusing my Zhao Family!"


    Being reprimanded like that by the Prime Minister Zhao, the young eunuch became scared and quickly kneeled on the ground to kowtow to the Emperor. That person was also ruthless in his strikes. Soon, there would be a bloody mark on the top of his head.


    "Your Majesty, this little one doesn''t dare to speak carelessly ¡­" "I''m telling you the truth..."


    But at this time, Hanqin was kneeling on the ground with a deathly pale face, as if she was also frightened ¡­


    "What exactly is going on? Hanqin, tell me, is what young eunuch said true? " empress asked.


    "Return, return to the Empress." What young eunuch said was the truth. Only, the one who committed the crime of deceiving the monarch was not my sister Zhao Min ¡­ but my other sister... Zhao Ci... "


    In an instant, everyone was still lost in their own messy family relationships. Sometimes, they only had two daughters, and sometimes, a Zhao Ci popped out of nowhere.


    Prime Minister Zhao, who had finally understood what was going on, suddenly remembered something and his entire body immediately collapsed onto the ground ¡­

 C109

    Prime Minister Zhao, as an important official of the imperial government, had been in the capital for many years and was very famous in the capital. He was always proud of his two daughters.


    The eldest daughter, Zhao Qin, married the current Prince Su when she was seventeen and was the first woman of Prince Su. After Prince Su became the emperor, she also became the Imperial Noble Consort. This was an extremely glorious matter within the family. With the appearance of a Imperial Noble Consort in the Zhao Family, it made the Prime Minister''s Estate feel incomparably proud.


    The younger daughter, Zhao Qin, also married into the minister Palace after she had grown up. The marriage of the two daughters also helped to stabilize the position of the Prime Minister Zhao in the imperial court by quite a bit.


    No matter what, the Prime Minister Zhao caught Wang Su''s ride and became a relative of the Emperor, so naturally, he would be superior to others wherever he went. In addition, he didn''t give up any opportunity to praise his two capable daughters.


    What kind of reward did Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin give to herself for what she did to her father ¡­ The subtext was that she had an extremely high position in the palace and was related to the royal family ¡­


    But no one had ever heard that Prime Minister Zhao had another daughter besides her two daughters ¡­ Zhao Ci?


    At that moment, all the officials in the imperial court were whispering to each other. Originally, they had said that the young eunuch was making trouble and would have just said some nonsense. However, this matter was personally said by the Imperial Noble Consort Empress, it did not seem like a baseless act. Seeing that the Prime Minister Zhao was sitting paralyzed on the ground, his face was completely pale, and he felt that this matter was not fake ¡­ It seemed like there was still quite a bit of truth behind it ¡­


    empress was startled. She had thought that she would be rewarded for a month by coming out of the palace to take a breather. She didn''t expect that she would run into something that was worth taking part in. It was undeniable that her dignified makeup made her feel quite good ¡­ Naturally, the matters of the female servants in the imperial harem would be handled by her, the Imperial Mother. She stealthily cleared her throat and said.


    "Oh? She only knew that Hanqin did indeed have a little sister called Zhao Min, but she had never heard of anyone called Zhao Ci. This was originally a family matter for your Zhao Family, but ¡­


    The empress had obviously changed the topic. She didn''t want to miss out on this scene after all ¡­


    That young eunuch said that your sister Zhao Ci was captured for stealing property within the palace. As the mother of the nation, I naturally have to ask about it. "


    Her makeup was extremely exquisite, her hair was tied up in a neat bun, and she wore golden flowers on her head. Every frown and smile was extremely imposing. He had the demeanor of a mother.


    She once again turned her head towards the Prime Minister Zhao who was paralyzed on the ground:


    "Prime Minister, is that true? You still have a daughter in this palace, and I have never heard of her before.


    "Go back, go back to empress. This subject did indeed have a little girl once, and her name was Zhao Ci. But she was sent back to her hometown in Gansu many years ago, and we cut off contact after that ¡­ This subject ¡­ This subject does not know anything about her being in this palace. "


    Prime Minister Zhao was truly confused and extremely terrified in his heart. He did not remember Zhao Ci, but he could never forget her mother, Du Yueyao.


    From the moment she entered the manor, he doted on her, all the way until her death. He hated the daughter she had given birth to, unruly and ugly. No matter what, he always felt that she was just a burden. Furthermore, after Du Yueyao died, that Zhao Ci also caused a lot of trouble. In the end, he still felt embarrassed, so she decided to just send her away and settle the matter once and for all. Nothing was clear.


    Ever since Zhao Ci had been sent away, the First Madame had dismissed all the servants who had served her. The yard she lived in had been torn down, refurbished, and merged into the yard of the fifth house next door. For this, the fifth branch was very happy for quite a while.


    Once that child left, he had completely forgotten about her and for a few years, he didn''t even think of the name Zhao Ci.


    Du Yueyao had even picked this name herself. When she gave birth to Zhao Ci, the constitutional emperor of the palace just so happened to bestow upon the Prime Minister Zhao a pair of blue and white porcelain ware. Extremely fine. The Prime Minister Zhao naturally gave them to Du Yueyao in order to make her happy.


    He truly doted on her from the bottom of his heart. At that time, the emperor was still former emperor and he was still her favorite subject. At that time, no matter what he got, he would always send it to Du Yueyao. Even he himself knew that he had been poisoned by this woman. However, she had thousands upon millions of good seeds. Compared to the women he had married before, she was completely from two different worlds ¡­ There was really no way to compare those women with her. It was natural for him to pamper her ¡­


    Du Yueyao played with the porcelain for a long time. She said that although her looks are old, the porcelain will always be as good as new. Let''s call our daughter Zhao Ci.


    Old Prime Minister Zhao naturally agreed. He liked Du Yueyao and couldn''t explain the reason clearly. When he married Du Yueyao, he really didn''t care about anything else. Moreover, it was only because of Du Yueyao that he understood that a wife wasn''t everything. If she could have met Du Yueyao earlier, then she would have been more than enough to marry him ¡­


    He came from a poor and poor village, and was a high school High Scholar. He had achieved the position of Prime Minister, and was even as vulgar as a country bumpkin in the mountains. Du Yueyao''s beauty, however, satisfied all of his vanity ¡­


    After Du Yueyao passed away, he became depressed and depressed for a long time. She finally experienced the so-called sadness, and then she completely forgot about that woman. For several years, he did not bring up the name Du Yueyao, nor did he recall the name Du Yueyao. They had never thought that they still had a daughter.


    That daughter was not pleasing to the eye. Not only did she not inherit her mother''s beauty, she was even inferior to him. His character was also extremely unruly. Terribly stubborn. He hated her and wished he could never see her again.


    So he sent her far away.


    The matter of the female disciples was something that the First Madame s of the household were worried about, he did not want to bring it up. First Madame was his wife, but she was still dignified. If he really were to think of Zhao Ci''s name one day, she would only tell herself ¡­


    Since the First Madame would arrange it, she would probably send some silver every year.


    He had originally thought that he would be like this, and had finally forgotten about Du Yueyao. However, in these recent years, perhaps he had truly aged, and would suddenly remember that there was such a woman in his dreams within the middle of the night.


    She was still as beautiful and young as she was all those years ago when she first met him ¡­


    She was one of the renowned courtesans of the brothel boat that could move the capital. Almost no one knew about this, and they were extremely arrogant. Many wealthy families went over with the money, hoping to meet her once. She naturally had a character, and would act according to her preference in everything she did ¡­ Seeing that no one was around, they all looked at each other''s moods ¡­


    The whispers of court officials and guests were everywhere, breaking down into tiny pieces. It was like an endless spring rain. Although he could not hear clearly, but he could roughly guess that what they were discussing was nothing more than the Prime Minister Zhao''s family matters ¡­


    "Why haven''t I seen Lord Zhao and his daughter before?"


    "Don''t look, we''ve never heard of it before ¡­"


    "Didn''t you say that you were sent out just like that? Everyone in the Prime Minister Zhao has a plan in their hearts, they would only abandon things that do not have any benefits. "


    "That''s too heartless. They say tiger poison doesn''t eat seeds yet ¡­"


    "When did you see the Prime Minister Zhao being a tiger? "He has a smile on his face, but when he takes off his mask, he is like a venomous snake ¡­"


    "But she''s also his biological daughter. She''s fine in the capital, how could she be willing to go to the border of the mountains?"


    "Don''t go too far either. Maybe that little girl is really despicable, and that''s why you sent her away? Didn''t you say that you were stealing things from the palace? "


    "Who knows what''s going on ¡­" "Only that Master Zhao himself knows about these old debts. In any case, this old man believes that no matter how much conscience I owe, I will pay it off no matter if it is before I die."


    A chubby old man said as he rubbed his chubby belly. He had always been generous, and he believed in karma.


    The man who had just spoken was asking him.


    "How do you know to be clean before you die? "What if it is not cleaned up?"


    The kind grandpa wasn''t in a hurry. Instead, he continued to happily explain, "Heh heh ¡­"


    "Then, in my next life, I''ll continue ¡­"


    The waves of discussions and conjectures surged forth like floodwaters, completely submerging Prime Minister Zhao who was paralyzed on the ground. He was not sure what was going on, so why would Zhao Ci appear in the palace? How could such a disaster have occurred? It seemed that she was blaming herself for being soft-hearted at that time. If she hated her even more, he would have sent her further away so that she would never be able to return ¡­


    The empress looked around her and frowned at the loud chatter. This seemed odd, but there was nothing wrong with it. However, since she had already met them and there were still so many guests present, if she did not deal with them clearly, it was likely that she would invite others to discuss about them for a very long time. Right now, she could only temporarily bring the matters of the imperial harem onto the table. However, she did not like Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin. If this matter was detrimental to Hanqin, she would have taken advantage of him for free ¡­


    "Then where is your sister now?"


    Hanqin knelt on the ground, lowered her head, and carefully looked at the eunuch who reported the news.


    "In reply to the Empress, chenqie, I don''t know ¡­" He had the attitude of someone who had completely ignored him.


    The young eunuch said, "Yes, he''s heading towards this palace. Because things happened so suddenly, this little one doesn''t know how to handle it. If it was an ordinary maid in the palace, they would naturally send her to the Hall of Punishment. However, that person was the younger sister of the Imperial Noble Consort. "I want to ask the esteemed first what you think ¡­"


    The empress sneered, "You servants sure know how to protect your master." Have you ever been taught this way by the laws of the harem? I don''t even want to live anymore? "


    "Mother, pardon the Empress." Your Majesty, please forgive me. " The young eunuch was extremely afraid as he continued to kowtow on the ground. He was still sobbing and getting annoyed by the ruckus. He really didn''t want to look at all this nonsense. He got up and went to rest in the palace behind him, but the empress held onto his sleeve.


    "Your Majesty isn''t waiting? It''s not over yet. "


    "You are the empress, I believe that you can report this to the emperor to enforce the law." If you have any doubts, you can just come back and report to me. "


    The Eunuch Li was naturally very sensible and knew that the emperor didn''t want to participate in the battle between these two women. The only people who were big in the imperial harem were the Empress and Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin. On the surface, they looked kind and friendly, but in the end, they still had their own thoughts. Even the Eunuch Li had seen through him, how could he not be afraid of the Emperor?


    Wang Su was very clear what kind of woman the Empress was and what kind of mentality she had now to be handling this matter. He couldn''t be bothered with it either. The Queen and Hanqin had never been liked by him before.


    The reason why she married Hanqin was for the Prime Minister Zhao at that time. She could stand on her side and support her own strategy at that time to reorganize his West Cold. This was almost a kind of deal between him and the Prime Minister Zhao, so two years ago, when she returned from the West Cold, he married Zhao Qin and came to her house to be her princess ¡­ As for marrying the empress, their intentions were even more obvious ¡­ Kaiser''s family was too powerful. No matter who became the emperor, it would be a girl from his family that would become the queen. She was just a price she had to pay in order to obtain the great Phoenix River Mountain.


    He asked himself, "In the end, I don''t like them, so no matter what kind of trick they pull in the harem, I don''t care ¡­" What he wanted was peace in the mountains and a peaceful country.


    He was too lazy to bother with the troublesome matters of these women, so he let them do as they pleased ¡­


    "Alright, then your majesty can leave this matter to chenqie without worry." Chenqie will surely handle this matter well. Give the results to the Emperor. "


    She smiled sweetly, looking extremely dignified. He had already calculated several results.


    She did not wish for Hanqin to be too high-profile. This matter was not false, but since the emperor had asked for this matter, even if he gave it all to her on the surface, she was afraid that he would still leave some face for the Zhao Family. However, this did not matter. As long as he could gain some advantage, he would be happy ¡­ In the end, it was only Hanqin who could contend against her in the imperial harem. Furthermore, this woman was exceptionally smart ¡­ Only he knew how many times he had suffered at her hands ¡­ Now that there was such an opportunity to openly investigate her, even including her family ¡­ It was an unexpected surprise for them as they traveled further and further away ¡­


    She glanced at the trembling young eunuch, thinking that this fellow was in public, after all, he had to estimate his kindness and dignity, so she said:


    "Enough, enough, today''s festival, I will keep your little life for now. Anyway, the palace isn''t too far away, so I will bring her here. I am not one of you. I have never been related to that woman. Looks like it''s time to see what kind of game your Zhao Family is playing today. "

 C110

    Zhuang Li slept, but when she woke up, her entire body was in pain, she couldn''t remember what sort of dream she had. As her thoughts cleared, she realized that she had fainted.


    When he recalled that he initially went to He Jiang Pavilion according to the instructions on the note, he did not expect that he was tricked by someone else. That young eunuch must have had something poisonous in his hands that caused him to faint.


    Then where was he now? Who was the person who wanted to harm him?


    She opened her eyes, wanting to see more clearly, but all she saw was a blur. She couldn''t tell where she was, but she was sure she was in a certain room.


    Her head was dizzy due to what happened after she was stabbed, and she did not suffer from any of the wounds or pain from the heavy punishment. She could tell that it was due to the effects of the medicine that she was in such a condition ¡­


    A figure seemed to be approaching her, but she couldn''t see who it was. Then she felt another stab in her arm. The pain was still like before, but this time she didn''t faint. He only felt that his entire being had become more absent-minded.


    "Imperial Noble Lady Ya?"


    Zhuang Li bit her lips as her entire body uncontrollably trembled.


    "Who are you?" she asked weakly. However, she didn''t expect him to give her the answer.


    "Who is Zhao Ci?"


    She did not expect him to ask that question. There seemed to be a desire in her heart to tell him the truth, but she didn''t know where to begin.


    "I, I don''t know. "However, other than me, no one else knows ¡­" She spoke in a low voice, not knowing if the other party had heard her clearly.


    She turned her head from side to side, trying to see who she was talking to, but her vision was still blurry. The man''s voice came from above, filling her mind.


    "Stop with the nonsense, you should just remember now, you are Zhao Ci. If you were to spout nonsense in front of empress, that little girl called Qing You might not be able to live past today. "


    Zhuang Li could finally identify the person in front of her. It was the young eunuch she had met at the He Jiang pavilion. Isn''t this the young eunuch who guided her to meet Hanqin in the Qingyang Palace the last time?


    Then this fellow is Hanqin''s person? The one who wanted to harm him this time was Zhao Qin?


    Zhuang Li''s hands were tied behind her back, and then she was pushed into the carriage.


    She didn''t know what poison the young eunuch had used to stab her, but she felt that even though he was extremely clear-headed, her head would occasionally hurt slightly. If she were to think about it carefully, her head would hurt even more ¡­


    Her mind kept repeating the last words the young eunuch had said to her.


    "No matter what, your time is up today. It''s best for you to be obedient and not make unnecessary struggles. If you still care about keeping that girl alive ¡­


    After today, everyone will know that you are Zhao Ci ¡­ "


    Yeah, she was Zhao Ci after all ¡­


    She was the Imperial Noble Lady Ya, and the Imperial Noble Lady Ya was Zhuang Li ¡­ Zhuang Li is Zhao Ci...


    She thought she could safely consider herself as Zhuang Li, Wang Su''s Imperial Noble Lady Ya. But in the end, he still had to return to the original point ¡­


    like Zhao Ci who lent her body to atone for her sins ¡­


    If she admitted that she was Zhao Ci, then, what was the rest of her life?


    The medicine caused her body to tremble slightly, as if she was unable to control herself. Trembling, she wiped her face and found that it was full of tears. She had been crying. Yet, he didn''t feel anything ¡­


    It was as if he had realized for the first time that the body he possessed was not his ¡­


    in his head


    Whoever you are. From now on, you are Zhao Ci ¡­


    Zhao Ci...


    I''m going to have to face you eventually...


    The carriage moved very fast, and she could feel the wind rushing through the cracks in the carriage. He vaguely heard the sound of the city gate opening. It seemed like they were heading towards the outskirts?


    Then she thought of the obvious answer.


    Hanging Palace...


    At this time, there were quite a few people in the palace. The emperor, empress, officials ¡­ If she were to be found out that it was Zhao Ci, the crime of deceiving the monarch would be for naught ¡­


    Once this matter was brought up, under the pressure of so many pairs of eyes, he would definitely investigate to the end. Until the bottom of the water... Thinking of this, he couldn''t help but feel despair ¡­


    The carriage finally stopped. Before she could regain her senses, someone grabbed her and dragged her out of the carriage. She could not stand still and was dragged along the ground by two people holding her arms and feet. With every step he took, he felt as though his footsteps were extremely weak.


    She seemed to have made her way through the throng. He was dragged all the way into a palace. Her eyes could barely make out the surroundings, the colorful lanterns, the jade rabbits pasted on the windows ¡­


    Then, he suddenly remembered that it was the Mid-Autumn Festival. This was the encampment in the outskirts of the city. The emperor is going to have a holiday here...


    It was true that she hadn''t seen Wang Su for a long time, and when she thought of this place, she couldn''t help but look around.


    Wang Su was actually not here...


    She felt a little disappointed. She finally couldn''t see the person she met. If she died here today, he wouldn''t even know how she died.


    "What a bold servant, not even bowing when he sees empress."


    Before she could react, she was once again grabbed by the wrist that was tied behind her back. She pressed her head to the ground and kowtowed.


    "empress?"


    The clearer his consciousness became, the clearer the scenery in front of his eyes became. However, there was still a faint pain in his head. She was in a small resting place in the palace. The palace was very small, and the people sitting on the chairs on the stage were the empress and Hanqin. There were a few eunuchs and maids around him.


    empress supported herself with her head, lazily leaning on the chair, looking as though she had been waiting here for a long time. Hanqin sat on a chair beside her, unable to see her expression.


    "Hanqin, is this your sister?"


    "Yes."


    "Raise your head."


    When the empress on the stage spoke out, Zhuang Li''s neck was immediately twisted by the two people beside him. A look of surprise crossed the empress''s face.


    "How could it be this person ¡­"


    No one heard the empress''s whisper. When she saw the face, she was almost astonished and immediately realized that something was wrong.


    How could she not know this woman? To put it bluntly, this woman was the most breathtaking woman she had ever met since she was young. Although he wasn''t willing to admit it, he had no choice but to admit it ¡­ She was jealous, and extremely jealous. I saw her last time at Huhe Palace... Furthermore, he had no intention of letting her leave the Imperial Palace alive at that time ¡­


    But he never thought that he would actually still let her go out alive, and would even accompany the Emperor at his side everyday, serving within the Imperial Study. Even though he hated her to the point that his teeth itched, the emperor had already labeled this woman with his name and written it down clearly ¡­ How could she dare to so easily touch her again?


    But now, he had been sent to her as such. For a moment, she could not understand. Was this an opportunity given to her by the heavens? It was just a trap set up by the gods ¡­


    This was like trying to kill someone with your own hands. Someone would prepare a knife for you, and even tie that person up and give it to you, just waiting for you to kill it. She wasn''t that stupid, and she didn''t believe that there was such a great thing as a pie falling from the sky in this world ¡­


    But no matter what, since it had already been delivered to him, he had to ask clearly.


    "Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin. Since you found out about it first, then I''ll let you talk about it first.


    "When I returned to empress, I knew that I had two younger sisters from a young age, and I greatly doted on them. But the youngest sister, Zhao Ci, was sent back to her hometown because she was naturally mischievous and refused to stay in the capital. I was too young to look for her. It was only in recent years that he had heard of her ¡­ She never lived in her hometown...


    However, she no longer contacted the Zhao Family and no one knew where she went ¡­


    "Until one day, chenqie coincidentally met her in the palace ¡­"


    She turned her head to look at the little palace maid by her side. The little palace maid was quite quick-witted, so she quickly took out the items from her robes and handed them over to the empress. It was then handed to the empress ¡­


    It was a handwritten roll.


    Opening the letter, he realized that it was from a relative of Gan Su''s Zhao Mansion, which proved that Zhao Ci had never returned to Gan Su for more than ten years.


    "If what Hanqin said is all true, then you are truly amazing. It''s fine if the palace maid beside the emperor lied and claimed that she was from the Princess of West Cold, but in the end, she was the daughter of a palace minister?


    But at most, this scroll can only prove that the youngest daughter of Zhao Family had never lived in Gansu Province before, so it doesn''t mean that the Imperial Noble Lady Ya is your lost little sister? "


    "empress, chenqie has been looking for my sister for many years, so I naturally have my own judgment." Hanqin took a small paper box from young eunuch''s body and asked the servant beside him to present it.


    "This painting is my little sister''s mother. I have always carried it by my side and only recently did I realize that the Imperial Noble Lady Ya is no different from the person in the painting ¡­ "I think it''s because I''m afraid of the crime of deceiving the sovereign that I don''t dare to admit to being your older sister. Furthermore, I''ve committed a capital offense and came to my palace to steal the portrait ¡­"


    Hanqin didn''t need to continue speaking and only used her sleeve to cover her face, as if she was crying from the pain.


    The box was opened and the portrait inside was placed on the table in front of the empress.


    The picture scroll was a little yellow, but it was still preserved to the point of being perfect. The beauty on the picture scroll was just that her clothes were different from Zhuang Li''s, but her face was almost exactly the same.


    This was a peerless beauty in the world, but now, she was a weapon that could make Zhuang Li lose her life ¡­


    Zhuang Li only felt that it was extremely absurd, but it was a pity that Hanqin was speaking the truth, she was definitely Zhao Ci ¡­ Furthermore, the crime of bullying was also included. No matter which crime it was, it could be considered as a crime of death within the palace ¡­


    Naturally, she already knew that one day she would be exposed, but she didn''t expect it to be now ¡­


    "Is what Imperial Noble Consort said true? Imperial Noble Lady Ya? Now, what do you have to say for yourself? "


    As long as Zhuang Li tried to think a little, she felt a sharp pain in her head. It seemed that the poisonous substance was not simple either. She had dangerously avoided''s attacks several times, and did not seem to be injured at all. But now that she thought about it, Zhao Qin had gone all out, knowing that she was sharp tongued and was good at acting crazy, so naturally, she had taken every aspect into account this time. He must have found this poison because he wanted her to be unable to refute him.


    On the contrary, the thoughts in his head were exceptionally clear. He could clearly see this person trampling his own fate beneath his feet ¡­


    "empress is in charge ¡­"


    Zhuang Li finally opened his mouth. It took a lot of effort to say a single word. However, this was her fate. She hadn''t lived long enough ¡­


    "I did not know my past... Exile to West Cold at a young age. He became the servant of the Princess of West Cold. In his childhood memory, he could not remember it clearly ¡­ If, if Imperial Noble Consort can help me find my birth mother. "Your servant should be forever grateful ¡­"

 C111

    "So you mean the Imperial Noble Consort is wrongly accusing you?" The Queen didn''t want to look at the portrait anymore, so she made the nanny by her side pack up the portrait quickly. She had no choice but to think carefully and weigh the pros and cons ¡­


    First was young eunuch, who had appeared out of nowhere during the palace banquet and attracted the attention of others, reporting on information that should have been made with extreme caution. His goal seemed to be for more people to pay attention to this matter.


    Hanqin was not stupid, she had never seen her teach such a rash servant before ¡­ She was a lot more careful when doing things, and the servants in the palace were often subjected to extremely strict discipline. She reckoned that even if she was on fire, she would still calmly report it to her.


    But young eunuch had been tormenting himself all this time, and then Hanqin''s face had lost color. Compared to his usual calm demeanor, he seemed like a completely different person ¡­


    This all seemed to indicate that she was simply trying to uncover the truth of the matter ¡­ Furthermore, the bigger the matter, the better. That way, it would be enough to force the matter to the point that it had to be dealt with. Moreover, after dealing with this matter, it would be announced to be used as a counterattack ¡­


    The target of the attack was Imperial Noble Lady Ya, the one who would kill even him out of jealousy ¡­ Naturally, it wasn''t hard to understand ¡­


    But the reason was so ridiculous ¡­ There was even the mention of a long-lost sister ¡­ It was hard to not be convinced, but her words were plausible and there was even evidence ¡­ If it was fake. Isn''t this all too real ¡­


    The empress wasn''t stupid, so she knew that there was jealousy in the atmosphere. Her goal was naturally to kill the Imperial Noble Lady Ya and that land...


    As for the portrait, although it was strange, there must be some hidden secret within it. He didn''t have the time to worry about it ¡­


    In the end, she still possessed her own judgement and intelligence towards Hanqin. Ever since the Imperial Noble Lady Ya was released from her palace, she knew that this woman wasn''t simple. She was afraid that if she were to carelessly kill her, the emperor would definitely cause her trouble.


    That was why he hadn''t bothered to find trouble with her since that day. However, when they heard that Hanqin had sent palace maids over to the Imperial Study, they were all stopped in their tracks. She said that the Emperor had decreed that, other than those with Imperial Study, no one else was allowed to enter the study room.


    She already had an intuition in her heart at that time ¡­ The Emperor wanted to protect her ¡­


    Currently, she wasn''t willing to be used by Hanqin as a spear and let herself get rid of the Imperial Noble Lady Ya in front of her, but she wasn''t willing to just watch as the opportunity in her hands slipped away ¡­ The only way is to prove the crime... Everyone felt that she was flawless and had iron-like evidence. Even the Emperor would not speak up for her.


    If the emperor really wanted to protect her, then he himself would need Hanqin to clean up this mess. She was the empress, but she could do it with dignity.


    After making up her mind, the empress calmed down and summoned the old nanny by her side ¡­


    Go inform the emperor to come here, and ask the Prime Minister Zhao to come in and have a talk.


    Originally, they were watching the dance from the open air, but after being disturbed by this matter, a long time had passed before the Empress and could finally move to the hall to rest. Those civil and military court officials had also been placed in the palace.


    Looking at the Emperor''s attitude before, if she were to deal with this Imperial Noble Lady Ya, she would have to let the Emperor know, and even make her accusation such that the Emperor was unable to refute her. This was very simple, even the Prime Minister Zhao came forward to confront him. Since Hanqin wanted to put the Imperial Noble Lady Ya to death, she had naturally settled with her father long ago. No matter what, the Prime Minister Zhao would cooperate ¡­


    At this thought, the empress heaved a sigh of relief. It was as if she had finally put down the stone in her heart.


    Zhuang Li was still kneeling in front of the hall, as though her legs were no longer her, and her head was still aching faintly ¡­


    "empress is enlightened ¡­" When she saw that the person on the throne did not move for a while, the crying Hanqin made her head hurt even more.


    "Don''t worry, I naturally have to be clear-headed. I have already sent someone to invite the Emperor over to make the decision, and have also sent someone to summon the Prime Minister Zhao over to confront you. Even now, I still do not understand whether this matter is a matter of Zhao Family or that of the palace. I have no way of making the decision, so everything will be decided by your majesty. "


    No matter what, he is still my father, he will always stand by my side. Even if it is to reinforce my position in the palace, he will still help me without hesitation, but the empress still remembers to invite the emperor over, and her best prediction is that the empress will seize this opportunity to deal with Zhao Ci. If the emperor were to reprimand her, then I will only have to cry and complain to you, and this will be blamed on the empress ¡­ As the saying goes, having two birds with one stone means that one can achieve twice the result with half the effort ¡­ However, the worst case scenario would be that Zhao Ci would be sent to the Sky Prison to spend the rest of her life deceiving the monarch even if she was not put to death, even though it would take a lot of effort. However, being tortured in the Sky Prison was far better than dying in a daze like this ¡­


    When she heard the words'' Emperor '', Zhuang Li''s heart couldn''t help but beat wildly, as if she was happy for her master. But very soon, Zhuang Li was disappointed ¡­ Prime Minister Zhao?


    Who would the Prime Minister Zhao help? This was not something even a blind person could see? He had probably colluded with Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin long ago. She dodged left and right, afraid that the people from Zhao Family would recognize her, and that he still wouldn''t be able to dodge it ¡­


    Then, your majesty? The crime of bullying the monarch. Wang Su had always hated these things, and he had never made a single promise to himself. Now that he knew about this kind of thing, he would probably hate himself even more ¡­


    But thinking about that person always felt warm inside her heart. No matter what, she still missed him. Hearing his name made her eyes turn red in an instant. He mocked himself. Why is he so weak now ¡­


    "The emperor has arrived!"


    A familiar voice came from the Eunuch Li. Zhuang Li propped herself up on the ground with both hands. For the past half month, she had been looking forward to seeing the Emperor every single day, but she didn''t expect to see such a scene.


    Zhuang Li lifted her head and looked at Wang Su as she walked in. The moment his gaze fell on Zhuang Li''s face, it seemed to have been frozen.


    "Where did this mess come from!" He was not questioning, but questioning. He tried his best to restrain his urge to impulsively go over and pick Zhuang Li up from the ground.


    He was the Emperor, the son of the Great Phoenix, but there were many things he couldn''t accomplish.


    "Reporting to the emperor ¡­" The empress hurried down the hall and led her men to their knees to answer. Her tone was still full of confidence.


    "Yesterday, there was some trouble in the Imperial Noble Consort Palace of Hanqin. The guards captured a thief who stole paintings. "


    She indicated to nanny beside her to quickly unfurl the painting and present it to the Emperor.


    Although the lady in the painting had a different temperament and expression from Zhuang Li, her appearance was no different, as though she was a Zhuang Li from another world.


    "What Hanqin said about this painting is that it is her sister''s biological mother, in other words, the mother of the Prime Minister Zhao''s Third Miss. Yesterday, Imperial Noble Lady Ya was caught stealing this painting, and guessed to have destroyed evidence that she was a Zhao Family child. "If the evidence is true, then she has committed the crime of deceiving the monarch. I have already announced that the Prime Minister Zhao has come here to identify her. I hope that Your Majesty will decide ¡­"


    Her words were extremely tactful, as though she was worried about the emperor''s emotions. However, she didn''t have the slightest intention to let Zhuang Li go.


    "These are Imperial Noble Lady from my Imperial Study, you guys really have the guts to ¡­"


    "Chenqie naturally knows that she is a Imperial Noble Lady of the Imperial Study. As for the people around Your Majesty, I hope that Your Majesty will forgive Chenqie as well. The struggles in the harem are not small, and naturally, you have to treat justice as the most important thing. Chenqie isn''t trying to make things difficult for the Imperial Noble Lady Ya, she''s just trying to make things fair."


    Wang Su sneered: "Alright, we will wait here. You better remember what you said." His words came one word at a time and were extremely terrifying.


    With that, Cao Cao Cao arrived. Old Prime Minister Zhao was led into the hall by a young father-in-law. Once he entered, he hurriedly kneeled down, and went to pay his respects to the lord of the courtyard.


    The incident at the palace banquet had already caused him to feel extremely uneasy. After that, the Empress Imperial Noble Consort moved to the hall and arranged for him to wait at the side of the hall. She said she was waiting for news, so how could he sit still? Walking back and forth in the house, he was extremely uneasy. When he heard the empress announce his arrival, he became even more uneasy.


    "Prime Minister Zhao, you go take a look. Is that woman your daughter? After hearing that she was extremely similar to her mother, it was also because of this painting that Hanqin decided that she was her lost little sister.


    If she really was your daughter, I''m afraid she would have already committed the crime of deceiving the monarch. "


    He had never thought that there would actually come a day where he would be able to see Zhao Ci again. Honestly speaking, he even hoped that she would already be dead in order to save himself from all these troubles and troubles.


    Under the gazes of everyone present, he walked step by step towards Zhuang Li. Zhuang Li raised his head, and revealed that face.


    That face was extremely beautiful, and anyone who saw it would have such an image. It was already extremely perfect and flawless. But to Prime Minister Zhao, this face had an even more important meaning.


    Zhuang Li stared at him, she had not seen this old man for more than ten years as well ¡­ Ten years ago, she had just arrived in Zhao Ci''s body, and was still a child.


    At that time, she had thought about this Prime Minister''s father. She looked into his eyes, hoping to find some sort of love there. However, the young her was disappointed ¡­


    Now, ten years later, she still had the chance to look at him in such a manner.


    When Prime Minister Zhao saw this face, it was as if he had suddenly forgotten his age. He only remembered that on a certain spring and March day, he met a woman called Du Yueyao on the brothel boat in the capital.


    No matter what, that face was right in front of him. He couldn''t believe it ¡­


    He opened his mouth slightly, unsure of what to say.


    Did he believe it or not? This face was exactly the same as Du Yueyao''s. How could she not be her daughter? Looking at this child''s age, she was around the same age as Zhao Ci ¡­


    But now that he thought about it, that ugly girl from back then had once made him feel as if he had lost all his face. Yet now, she gave birth to such a face again? ¡­


    Prime Minister Zhao tried his best to conceal his astonishment. Then, he turned around, and just as Zhuang Li thought that he was dead for sure this time, he revealed his answer ¡­


    "No ¡­"


    No?! Immediately, the ones who were shocked were no longer the Prime Minister Zhao, but instead the Imperial Noble Consort, Empress and Zhuang Li ¡­

 C112

    The first to speak was the Empress. "Lord Zhao, look carefully ¡­"


    "To return to the empress, that is indeed not the case. To be honest, I wonder if the emperor still remembers that when this old subject sent the porcelain away, it was ten years ago. Although it was a little long, the emperor had indeed seen the porcelain once. Even though the Imperial Noble Lady Ya is extremely beautiful, if she was this old man''s daughter, this old man would naturally be someone blessed. But no. This old man naturally knows the appearance of my porcelain body. "


    "But I''ve met that Zhao Ci before, and she can be considered to be fated with me. I also don''t believe that she''s our Imperial Noble Lady Ya."


    It was as if that Imperial Noble Consort had just woken up from her stupor. She couldn''t help but be excited and couldn''t suppress the anger that suddenly rose in her heart any longer. She pretended to be gentle and virtuous and stood in front of Prime Minister Zhao.


    "Why not? Father, you abandoned your mother because of that woman, did you not remember? " She once again snatched the portrait over and held it in front of Prime Minister Zhao, as if she wanted him to look at it more clearly. But that Prime Minister Zhao didn''t want to see it.


    "Look, look, look, dad, you have kept this painting by your side for many years, you are in love with that woman." How could he forget her appearance? Have you forgotten? " She once again went berserk as if she was unwilling, and this time, she grabbed Zhuang Li who was kneeling on the ground.


    Zhuang Li was suddenly grabbed, her head was still in pain, but she had been kneeling for too long, and her knees were numb on the ground. It was obvious that she was focusing on the pain when she suddenly stood up. Hanqin dragged her hair in front of Prime Minister Zhao.


    How could Wang Su watch any longer? He quickly rushed to her side and snatched his away.


    "Men, take Imperial Noble Consort away." Wang Su shouted. The imperial guards did not dare to step forward with regards to matters of the imperial harem. Only a few eunuchs came up, but Hanqin was still in a rage, and did not allow anyone to approach her.


    Hanqin did not give up, and directly pulled Prime Minister Zhao in front of him. With one hand holding the portrait, and the other pointing at Zhuang Li, he said.


    "Look, look. The woman you love ¡­" But this woman, can actually look exactly like Du Yueyao ¡­ "


    As she spoke, tears flowed from the corners of her eyes. No one could guess what her feelings were. Earlier on, she was still crying in front of the empress saying that Zhuang Li was her younger sister. Although she had made a mistake, she was still her younger sister. And the more she thought about it, the more afraid she became that Zhuang Li had not committed any crimes ¡­


    In the end, he was still too young. After making so many preparations and doing all the calculations, he was afraid that the opportunity to be useful would slip away once again ¡­


    This caused everyone to become suspicious, so the empress had no choice but to conduct a proper interrogation before trapping Zhuang Li in the palace in advance to find a reason to make her commit the empress''s taboo.


    As a result, he specially found poisonous herbs that could make people lose consciousness, allowing the young eunuch to temper it with silver needles and pierce it into Zhuang Li''s body. He didn''t even have a chance to quibble ¡­


    She spoke almost crazily, revealing all her doubts.


    "I have specially sent people to Gansu to check, but Zhao Ci did not return, and never did. She''s not in Gansu. She''s in the capital, right in front of you. Father ¡­ Why don''t you understand? "


    Partly because the evidence was in front of him. How could the Prime Minister Zhao not see it? On the other hand, he was his father''s most beloved daughter. As the Imperial Noble Consort of the palace, he maintained the relationship between the Zhao Family and the Imperial Family. No matter which aspect it was said, Prime Minister Zhao should wholeheartedly help him. But why would he leave behind his own intentions?


    Prime Minister Zhao still had a blank look on his face. He looked like a completely different person compared to the usual blabbermouth him. Perhaps it was because the one fighting with him was not his enemy in the government, but his daughter. Moreover, it was the Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin. She was the emperor''s woman, and her status and identity were much higher than his own family.


    It was not his young, well-behaved daughter who was calling him daddy and making a ruckus.


    Towards the emperor''s woman, regardless of who they were or what status they had, they had to be respectful. Furthermore, the Emperor and the empress were present ¡­


    He paused for a moment before speaking slowly. His tone was extremely calm, as if he was using the confidence that he had accumulated throughout most of his career to explain this matter.


    "The woman in the painting is indeed extremely beautiful and is similar to the Imperial Noble Lady Ya in appearance, but she has nothing to do with this old subject ¡­


    "Everyone loves beauty ¡­"


    He spoke extremely slowly and methodically, and his eyes returned to the calm and tranquil state of a wily old fox. For a moment, no one was able to respond ¡­


    "I''m afraid Imperial Noble Consort has misunderstood. Furthermore, even if the emperor''s Imperial Noble Lady Ya looked similar to the woman in the portrait, it would not be enough to prove that the Imperial Noble Lady Ya is the daughter of the woman in the portrait ¡­ "


    For a moment, complete silence filled the air. Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin seemed to have been frightened into a daze, and did not know what to say. She looked at Prime Minister Zhao, almost in despair ¡­


    Father actually didn''t admit that he had married Du Yueyao before? What kind of logic was this!


    The woman he had doted on all those years ago was now admitting that he had married her?


    She had never expected things to turn out this way ¡­


    She set up the stage and sent the actor to the stage. But the only thing she didn''t expect was that the actors she invited didn''t want to sing the play at all...


    However, Hanqin also didn''t have any evidence to prove that the Prime Minister Zhao did indeed marry Du Yueyao. Twenty years had passed. Back then, when Du Yueyao did not talk about appearances, she did not entertain any guests, and did not even dress herself completely.


    She quietly married in. Although she had been popular in the capital for a while, she seemed to have suddenly calmed down and became the Sixth Madam in the small courtyard of Zhao Mansion ¡­


    However, Prime Minister Zhao was unwilling to admit that the one he was facing was his father, so she still had some sense of reason. He knew that his father, who had assaulted him in front of the emperor''s wife, had a few subordinates surrounding him. If his life in the Prime Minister Zhao wasn''t good, then it might not be good for her in the imperial harem as well.


    The women of the imperial harem, aside from their beauty, naturally also included their family behind them. This determined his status and rank in the imperial harem. Although her family was far inferior to the empress, they were still a far cry from other women. That was why she was in such a situation with the two empress s in the imperial harem.


    Was she wrong? But what was wrong with it? Hanqin almost collapsed as she slowly slid to the ground, supported by the Prime Minister Zhao.


    "Imperial Noble Consort''s body is not well, and she needs to rest well everyday. Your mother is also extremely worried about you, so don''t make her worry. "


    Hanqin looked at Prime Minister Zhao, and didn''t know what to say for a moment. Ever since she had entered the palace, it had been extremely rare for her to see his father and mother, and even if they met each other, it was still the etiquette of a monarch. After all these years, the number of times she had seen it could be counted on one hand.


    Prime Minister Zhao only lowered his head, no one knew what he was thinking. He was old, and the wrinkles on his face increased.


    He seemed to be sighing and didn''t know what to say.


    Hanqin couldn''t understand, the Prime Minister Zhao had always doted on him the most. Many times, that kind of love surpassed Big Brother''s Second Brother ¡­ He also far surpassed her eldest sister Zhao Min. As for Zhao Ci, he obviously disliked him. It was to the point that he didn''t care if she lived or died.


    Although she had never received the emperor''s love, she was still a Imperial Noble Consort of the palace, and was just below the empress. It was even a bridge that allowed Zhao Family to be related to the royal family. It could even be said that she was the protective umbrella for the Zhao Family in the palace. Because of her, the reverence the people on the imperial court had for the Prime Minister Zhao s grew even more.


    After all, there was a woman who was on the side of the emperor''s pillow. If the prime minister were to offend her, she would have to worry about her daughter blowing on the side of the emperor ¡­


    As for him, he was naturally doing his best to help his father ¡­


    But this time, her father didn''t help her?


    She closed her eyes as if she couldn''t bear the situation before her. The hand under Prime Minister Zhao''s sleeve pinched her wrist tightly. The meaning behind his words was obvious. He wanted her to stop messing around, as the Emperor was still here and had already lost a lot of composure. If he continued to let it go, it was likely that he would be the one to ignite the flames of war if he failed ¡­


    It was the empress who broke the silence. She smiled as if she had forgotten the events of the night.


    "Then, it seems that I have truly misunderstood ¡­" Fortunately, the Prime Minister Zhao was here and the misunderstanding was resolved. If something like this happened in the harem, it would naturally be my responsibility. Let''s stop at this point regarding Imperial Noble Lady Ya ¡­ Imperial Noble Consort Hanqin, perhaps it''s because I was a little under the control of the imperial harem in recent days and asked you to behave in a safe manner, to actually suspect a Imperial Noble Lady that had nothing to do with you. On the account that you are a Imperial Noble Consort, you have been locked up and meditated in the palace. You have copied down the scriptures of the buddhist gods ten times.


    Hanqin did not say anything this time. The situation had developed far beyond her expectations, and her goal was obvious from the stimulation. She wanted to get rid of Zhuang Li.


    It was just that his status was currently in the Imperial Noble Consort and he had the Prime Minister''s father supporting him within the palace. Otherwise, the Queen would continue to investigate her. She just kept her head down. If the empress had anything else to say, she could just agree.


    The Queen turned to see Zhuang Li, who was still being supported by the Emperor. Of course, she felt like she was being nailed in the eye, but what could she say now?


    Finally, Zhuang Li, who had struggled for the better part of the night, was able to have a good night''s sleep in this palace. The first person she saw when she opened her eyes was Wang Su.


    He thought it was an illusion, but then he felt his hand tighten on the outside of the blanket.


    It really was Wang Su. She then gave him a smile.


    Wang Su seemed to have lost some weight, and looked a little tired. Or perhaps it was only because he felt that it had been too long since he last saw him, but the person in front of him seemed to have become a little unfamiliar.


    In the period of time she didn''t see Wang Su after she returned, she actually thought of many possibilities. Perhaps it was Wang Su''s doing, he didn''t want to see her, and he didn''t like her either. The time she had spent with him every day had become unreal, but now that she had seen it, she still felt unreal.


    There seemed to be a lack of connection between them, which Zhuang Li was unable to explain. When she thought hard, she felt a dull pain in her head.

 C113

    When Wang Su saw her suddenly frown, he naturally started to worry.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "I''m fine ¡­"


    The dull pain seemed to have lessened a little. For some things, as long as she did not want to, her head would strangely not hurt ¡­


    She thought about it, but there were still some things that she couldn''t help but want to ask.


    There were so many things that if he did not say them now, he was afraid that he would not have the chance to do so in the future ¡­ She had always been the Imperial Noble Lady Ya and she was Zhuang Li. From the moment she put on her veil and came to the capital, she had been destined to produce many deceits ¡­


    The crime of deceiving the monarch was not something that she could endure. However, there was something more important ¡­ She had been buried deep in her heart. Not a few words have come out of my mouth...


    She, Zhao Ci...


    Now, however, you do not want to continue lying to me. Prince Bi said that if you fall in love with him, it would not be easy. Naturally, she knew. If she were to stay in this world and guard such a distant and approaching person, he would still be keeping so many secrets of his ¡­ How could it not be hard?


    "Does the emperor believe that I''m Du Yueyao''s daughter?" she asked.


    Wang Su did not speak for a while. His hand brushed across Zhuang Li''s forehead, as though he wanted to make her relax her brows. That gentleness was something the two of them had never done before.


    "I believe you ¡­"


    "Then does Your Majesty believe that I''m Zhao Ci?"


    She did not wait for a reply and opened her mouth again.


    "I am Zhao Ci ¡­" It was as if he was announcing his death sentence. He revealed the secret he was hiding. It was a feeling she could barely breathe.


    I am Zhao Ci. I remember where I came from and where I went. Hide yourself, hide yourself ¡­


    "I do."


    Wang Su only said those words softly, yet the hand that touched her forehead did not stop.


    Zhuang Li looked at him with some suspicion. The person in front of her was Wang Su. She felt that they were in love, but there were still more things that she did not know. And then ¡­


    "Before, I did not believe it, but now, I do. You are Zhao Ci, that reckless girl who deceived me ¡­"


    "Your Majesty ¡­"


    Wang Su seemed to have thought of what happened all those years ago, and the corners of his mouth actually hooked up. That memory was not bad ¡­ But this woman in front of him had actually hidden it from him for such a long time ¡­ She was Zhao Ci back then ¡­ He could not help but feel displeasure in his heart, but he also felt pain in his heart.


    "Then the emperor should''ve punished me for cheating on the sovereign ¡­" Zhuang Li said. It was not that Wang Su had never asked her about her past, but he had even mentioned the secret way West Cold.


    He didn''t know what this woman was thinking, but he liked her ¡­ When Hanqin exposed that she was actually Zhao Ci, she himself was shocked, and then she felt that the possibility of such a thing happening did not lie with him. He had always felt that she seemed to have known Zhuang Li for a long time, but she felt that her thoughts were just too bizarre ¡­


    How could that reckless and ugly girl from back then grow up to be like this? And low-key and cautious. Compared to the crazy girl in his heart, there seemed to be too big of a difference. After all, that crazy girl had to pay for her fall in the street. He didn''t know if it was because he was too gutsy or because his brain was too simple. He wasn''t afraid of people finding trouble with him.


    In the end, he was worried when he saw her in the carriage of the West Cold bandits. Even though he was still young and in a good mood, he had the courage to take down West Cold all by himself. However, he was still a lot older and more sensible than her. He knew how difficult the road ahead was. Although she appeared extremely cold and indifferent on the surface, she was still worried, which was why he wanted her to go back to the Great Phoenix. When she returned to her hometown, there was still someone left to take care of her.


    At that time, he felt that this damned girl wasn''t even related to him ¡­


    When they heard Hanqin''s accusation, many things suddenly matched up in their hearts. She came from the West Cold, knew about the secret passageway in the West Cold, knew about the Gobi Desert. And her attitude toward him was different from that of other women. She was afraid of him, but at the same time seemed to understand him. The feeling of sitting in the bumpy carriage with her was so familiar, so comforting, so familiar.


    She was indeed Zhao Ci. However, she didn''t feel anything was amiss and instead felt her heart ache.


    "Why didn''t you tell me this earlier?" he asked.


    Zhuang Li ignored them and struggled to sit up. The place she was staying should be the palace of the emperor in the imperial palace. It was spacious and luxurious. The dragon''s collapse was enormous, enough to sleep ten people. But now that she was lying down in a small corner beside the bed, Wang Su sat on the edge.


    This caused a trace of panic to suddenly flash through her heart ¡­ Where''s the queen... What about Zhao Qin ¡­


    Why was he in the emperor''s palace ¡­


    "There''s no one else here except us and you." As if he had seen through Zhuang Li''s thoughts, he consoled her.


    Zhuang Li was also relieved, "If I had told the emperor earlier, would the emperor have believed me?" Before this, although she knew that others would recognize her face sooner or later, she had never thought of telling Wang Su personally. She didn''t know what Wang Su''s reaction would be, and she didn''t have that kind of plan either.


    "The emperor knows, or doesn''t know, that I am all my own. "He would still walk such a path and do such a thing."


    Seeing how that fellow had never planned to tell him anything, Wang Su was still a little angry in his heart.


    "You don''t believe me?" It was because he didn''t believe her that he didn''t say ¡­ If she wasn''t found out by Hanqin, she would never say.


    He stood up, unsure for a moment whether he should slam the door. Was it because this woman did not trust him?


    However, the moment he turned around, he saw tears flowing down Zhuang Li''s face. Although he always felt that it was useless for a woman to cry, at that moment, the inside of his heart became exceptionally soft.


    "Does the emperor like me?" Did she really like Zhuang Li? Is it the Imperial Noble Lady Ya who likes to serve tea obediently or the crazy Zhao Ci? " Wang Su naturally didn''t think that she would ask such a question, and he didn''t even know how to reply her. There was no difference between the Imperial Noble Lady Ya and Zhao Ci in his heart now.


    But I do like the emperor. All I can think of is that I can stay in the palace, and even though there are four walls around the palace, I can accompany the emperor and guard the palace lamps. To me, I am the Imperial Noble Lady Ya, and I am also Zhao Ci. To me, the Emperor is the Emperor, and I am also Wang Su. " She wiped his tears dry and continued speaking, as if if if he did not say it now, he would never have the chance.


    "The crazed Zhao Ci is very happy everyday, but the Imperial Noble Lady Ya that follows obediently is not unhappy at all ¡­"


    It was because of the reason that she had been able to support her own life all this time that she had made it to this point.


    She didn''t speak anymore, and was suddenly enveloped by Wang Su''s embrace. Warmly wrapped in his arms. He was already exceptionally familiar with the smell on his body. On the journey of West Cold, in the carriage heading to Qing Qiao County, and now. He had been by her side all this time, and this sudden hug made her burst into tears again, and she couldn''t help but cry.


    Wang Su patted Zhuang Li who was in her embrace like a bathing child.


    "Of course I like you. It doesn''t matter if you''re a Imperial Noble Lady Ya or Zhao Ci ¡­"


    The person in his arms cried even more miserably.


    Only after a long time had passed did Zhuang Li finally stop. Wang Su who was above her, spoke to her seriously.


    "Then do you want to hear my secret?" Wang Su asked with a very soft voice.


    Although Zhuang Li did not say anything, she nodded her head. Then, she felt that the person above her seemed to be smiling.


    "You asked about my mother, Imperial Consort Mei. Although she is the consort, she has always lived within the Plum Court, and the struggles in the imperial harem are far from over ¡­


    She didn''t teach me many things, and she even hoped that I wasn''t smart enough to just peacefully stay with her in the Plum Garden.


    She was originally one of the palace''s concubines. When her concubine died, she moved to Plum Court to guard it, offering incense to her deceased mistress, while silently waiting for the right time to leave the palace.


    But later on, she was unable to successfully leave the palace and was chosen by her royal father ¡­


    This is what gave birth to me ¡­


    She still wasn''t willing to move into the palace, so she only asked royal father to let her bring me and live a safe life in Plum Court.


    She told me that I was a gift from heaven and that she wanted to live here with me in peace. I always thought the world was that simple. Until I went into my father''s study and was left to live in the palace.


    I used to believe in anyone, just like my mother. She never had any extravagant hopes or complaints, but she was far from the authority of the Great Phoenix.


    I wondered if she was right. Since he was living in the palace, he naturally had too many matters to attend to. The older he grew, the more puzzled he became. I then left her life and got used to the deceit of the palace. Gradually, he also became like them.


    However, if these days go on for too long, there will be no more hearts.


    I only knew about my mother. Since she was a child, she knew that I was too smart. Even if she wasn''t born well, I would still have a place for myself. But she didn''t want me to lose my heart.


    Relieved of, trusting of, and trusting of those around him. There was no fear.


    But I hope that the person who can live like that is you.


    It''s because I like you that I always want you to stay by my side... Whether it''s going out or in the study ¡­ When did you ever make you think I didn''t like you? "


    Zhuang Li was speechless for a moment.


    After they had confided in each other for so long, she suddenly felt that she had a lot of reasons to love Wang Su ¡­


    Then the embrace tightened again.


    "Is there anything else you have hidden from me?"


    Zhuang Li was shocked, and hurriedly spun a circle in her mind, and then, as if to confirm, shook her head.


    "Then this is the last one ¡­" "In the future, you''re not allowed to do anything like that again ¡­"

 C114

    In the spring, March was as natural as a young girl''s makeup. As the weather warmed up, people began to take off their heavy winter jackets and put on their bright and beautiful spring outfits. Every year at this time, something new would always happen in the capital. It was as if they had to endure the cold winter and struggle to cater to this long-lost and precious spring color. And this year, there were a few strange brothel boat parked by the most prosperous river in the capital. The people who passed by all stopped there to watch the commotion.


    The brothel boat s were not small, and their decorations were exquisite, with early spring apricot flowers on them. It seemed to imply that the beautiful spring lady was living on the boat.


    Although the boat suddenly appeared on the river overnight, the people who had seen the world were no strangers to this sort of scene. The boat was filled with flowers and the workmanship was extremely exquisite. The ship was divided into three layers: upper, middle and lower. The first floor appeared to be a small winery, while the second and third floors were surrounded by flowers, seemingly divided into many small rooms. This was the brothel boat in the capital. Actually, the brothel on the ship ¡­


    This was not the first time such a brothel boat had appeared in the capital, so everyone was naturally aware of it. Although the brothel''s reputation didn''t sound good, it was still able to attract many citizens to watch it. And there are all kinds of people. He was a young scholar, a carefree scoundrel, a simple passerby, a child with soy sauce, and even an old man selling vegetables ¡­ In short, any man who passed by would be willing to stand there foolishly. He hoped to see the makeup of the boat in the brothel boat Tower before it opened.


    Therefore, there was a song in Beijing about how the capital''s spring brothel boat opened, making it difficult for a son to find a home. The family was troubled. and go to the river and look for... It meant that starting from spring, the brothel boat would come at this time, making all the men stop to watch and forget to go home. So countless women with feather dusters went to the river to catch their husbands or children...


    The sight of the banner also became a grand occasion in the capital. It''s even more lively than a market...


    But it was not the fault of the men who stopped to watch the fun, it was the flower boat that got more and more eye-catching every year. The original owner of the flower boat was only a bawd in the capital. He had lost his business and his brothel had been mortgaged to the bank. But she refused to give up. In the second year, she actually bought a small boat and let her daughter stay in it to attract guests. In order to attract the men who passed by, the girls suddenly had the idea of tying the spring flowers on the boat, but they didn''t expect the business to be so good ¡­ The old procuress received quite a bit of silver and quickly redeemed the brothel she had already mortgaged ¡­


    And this actually became a model that other brothels followed one after the other. After all, the scenery on the river was better. Using the light of the mountains and rivers to get the girl to sing poems and urge the guests to drink on the lake, the effect was surprisingly good ¡­ The customer was also very straightforward about paying ¡­


    Gradually, it became a tradition. Almost every brothel had their own boat. In the spring. Summer is easy to flood, autumn flowers have almost withered, winter river surface ice. So this spring is a good time for the pleasure boat to do business. and through years of experience. The more carefully the brothel boat worked, the more flowers piled up on top of it. It was as if they could continue the good times of spring...


    The brothels were also secretly competing with each other. He secretly compared whose boat was the prettiest and had the most customers this year. The sweet taste in the girl''s mouth...


    Therefore, every spring, brothel boat that had been resting for nearly a year would carry all kinds of famous flowers and girls, and would unsteadily float to the bustling river bank of the capital. There were many cases where several brothel boats happened to be gathered together. Now there was going to be a good show to watch ¡­


    The girls who were usually smeared with makeup would fight over each other''s guests on their brothel boat s. If one was lucky, one would be able to see them bickering in a soft voice. The people who watched were so serious that they fell into the river...


    Although there were a lot of people watching, the people entering the ship were either nobles or rich and powerful nobles. There is only one reason... brothel boat was a boat after all, and they stood out amongst all the brothel boat for the sake of being able to compete for glory. The bawd and the girls did their best to ¡­ He piled all kinds of nice looking items on the boat. Seats are exquisite and precious. Add all kinds of small thoughts and small decorations, a boat will be tossed like a floating in the river like a building. and piled up so many flowers... Make the ship too heavy to carry too many people.


    And how could he make a brothel boat that he had spent a lot of money to create achieve her greatest benefit?


    The answer was obvious. Price Filter Customer...


    Some old men sighed. One boat, ten buildings. It described the outrageous prices of the brothel boat s'' wine and food. The price of eating a meal on a brothel boat could be 10 meals in an ordinary restaurant. After the prices had been filtered out, naturally only the young masters of wealthy families or wealthy families could enjoy themselves in the brothel boat s.


    Therefore, although there were a lot of people watching the show every year when the brothel boat sailed, the majority of them were just watching. After all, the boat maiden was the leader of every brothel. In order to reap the rewards from the brothel boat, he had to do his best to dress himself properly.


    There''s no one who doesn''t love beauties...


    And every year, the brothel boat would set sail and it would be as lively as a festival. The principle of the brothel boat was to lure guests onto the boat, and then arrange the girls to accompany the wine according to the customer''s preference. It was similar to the business in the brothels, but there were some differences.


    The girls in the brothel were always standing on Lou Lan, greeting the guests below. They were all dressed beautifully, hoping that more people would enter the brothel after seeing their beauty.


    On the other hand, the brothel boat was different. Since the guest being targeted was only a rich guest, the girl was naturally also extremely expensive. If a brothel could be said to recruit guests with a lady, then the brothel boat would be known to use flowers to recruit guests.


    The lady lived in the building day in and day out, but she didn''t easily show her face. Only after the guest had entered the boat did the door open to welcome the guest. Thus, before the guest entered the boat, he did not know the appearance of the girl in the boat. It was as if he knew that there was a beauty in the building, but had to enter the building to be able to see her. That feeling was naturally extremely wonderful and made one''s heart itch with jealousy.


    The surrounding onlookers naturally wouldn''t see the lady coming out to recruit guests. Only when the beauty opened the small window in the boat and drank with the guests would they be able to see which lady it was. The business model of carrying the lute in such a way was extremely successful. Not only were the guests in the building satisfied, but they also attracted more spectators.


    The more mysterious it was, the more attractive it was.


    There were three brothel boat s parked on the busiest bronze bridge by the river this year. They were Spring Brothel, Fragrant Storey, and the Na Hong Yuan Family''s three boats. The two boats were not much different from previous years. From the deck to the upper floors, all the open spaces were filled with flowers. Various colors. The flowers that can be found in the spring are all piled up here.


    The first floor and second floor were not much different from the Fragrant Storey and the Na Hong Yuan School. They were all piled together in a variety of colors, such as welcoming flowers, primrose flowers, fragrant incense, camellia, magnolia, jasmine, cuckoo, peony, cloves, tulips, and cyclamen ¡­ All kinds of things happened, leaving everyone dazzled. However, the third layer on top was special. It was filled with pink apricot flowers. Some of the apricot flowers were planted in pots on the boat, while others were plucked from tree branches and leaves. The boat was densely packed with apricot flowers, giving off a beautiful pink glow. It made people wonder if she had collected half of the apricot flowers in the capital ¡­


    "Why are there so many apricots? This boat is dressed so prettily, what is it going to do? " He could not be considered good-looking, but he had a bit of a delicate and pretty appearance.


    The people beside him looked at him as if they were looking at a ghost, unable to believe that there was actually such an idiot who didn''t even know about the annual Spring brothel boat ¡­ However, seeing his worn out appearance, he seemed to have traveled a long way. His clothes were not the usual attire of the people in the capital. Furthermore, carrying a bamboo frame on his back, it seemed like this was the first time he had come to the capital to take the Imperial Examinations. It was enough to understand why he didn''t even know this.


    Someone at the side immediately teased him, "You don''t know, right? Let me tell you, the person staying there is Fairy Apricot Flower!"


    That person had only been teasing them, but when the surrounding people heard his words, they also began to discuss amongst themselves.


    "Isn''t that so? It''s all a hundred flowers fighting, but it''s an almond flower fighting, that''s all."


    "But no one has ever heard of a girl in Spring Brothel who likes apricot flowers?"


    "Probably new. Letting the old procuress spend such a huge sum of money is definitely not an ordinary beauty. I wonder if someone like me would be fortunate enough to see it. "


    "It''s not necessarily true that she is as beautiful as an immortal. Maybe it''s just a gimmick. The old procuress just wants to make a surprise victory ¡­"


    "Yeah, yeah. Last year, there was a bawd from the Immortal-Painting Hall. She said that the girls on her boat were all goddesses that had descended to the mortal world, and not ordinary people ¡­ This made Young Master Li, who was not very wealthy at the edge of the city, envious. "He clearly can''t even compare to a normal street girl ¡­"


    "Tsk tsk, but taking this step is also dangerous. Once I ruin my reputation, it will be difficult for me to do business in the future ¡­" Look at that painting of the Immortal Tower this year, you know that they offended guests last year, and it seems that no brothel boat appeared this year! "


    Everyone''s discussion was especially lively. The young man who had initially come to watch the show did not understand. However, that brothel boat was tied up very nicely, and although everyone was talking about a lady or fairy, he did not see a single one ¡­


    His name was Yin Ci, and before entering the capital, his father had said that he wanted to see more and speak less. Ever since he was young, his father had scolded him for his stupidity, so he could only be more obedient. He told his father not to be angry. Thus, although he was the stupidest amongst the brothers, he was the most obedient and also the one who read the best books.


    He muttered softly to himself. He had only heard that fairies lived in the heavens. So it turned out that the fairies from the capital lived on boats. This was quite a rare sight ¡­


    As the crowd surged, his little doubts were drowned in the crowd as soon as they left his mouth ¡­

 C115

    Speaking of which, although Yin Ci had read the books extremely well and traveled a thousand miles to come to the capital from his hometown, logically speaking, he should have gone to the capital to hurry up and take the examination, but he actually didn''t do so ¡­


    Although his father did not have a rank as a government official, he was still a local tycoon and had no intention of letting him pass the examinations. He had two younger brothers under him, and although they were still young, they were extremely intelligent.


    "The brothel boat has opened, it has opened ¡­"


    Along with the shout, almost everyone looked at the brothel boat floating on the river. When the time came, and the brothel boat s for this year had already opened, the Nahong Courtyard''s brothel boat s were the most eye-catching. When the door was opened, a servant stood on the deck and placed a few flower picking firecrackers on it.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, this year, ten new ladies have entered our Red Court. All of them are extremely beautiful." "Also, there''s the Thousand Fragrance Wine from the Western Regions and the Soft Fragrance Tea from the Southern Sea. If you guys are interested, you should think about our brothel boat."


    Before the Lady Boss of the Na Hong Courtyard could finish her words, the Lady Boss who was on the brothel boat deck of the Incense Stick Restaurant had already snatched the conversation away. Even though she was still covered in makeup and carried on with her fresh flowers, she was no longer as beautiful as she usually was. If it wasn''t for the fact that they knew that she was the old procuress, they would still have thought that his dressing was very strange, but they couldn''t care less about these things. They had already started practicing their thick-skinned and sharp-tongued skills at drinking with the rich and rich, and with their arms crossed, they called out to the old lady of Fragrance Inn Inn Restaurant ¡­


    "What is both a fragrant wine and a fragrant tea? How could you possibly think of our Fragrant Storey? Lady Boss, aren''t you afraid of saying something big like that? Ten new girls? However, the looks of the ladies of the Na Hong Yuan are always ordinary. In terms of talent, they can only be considered to be so-so. "


    Naturally, the Lady Boss of the Na Hong Yuan Institution was angry. Her face was also covered with layers of powder. If she spoke too much, it would cause people to worry that her powder would fall down. But at this time, she shook with extreme confidence. An enormous peony was tied to the back of her head, bright red.


    "If you don''t know, then don''t spout nonsense. Why do you say that our Na Hong Yuan girls aren''t pretty?" Have you seen it? This year''s girls had all just been trained and had not seen their guests yet. "You must have instigated us because you fear our brothel boat is more beautiful than Fragrant Storey ¡­"


    "Oh, Mommy Chun, although I have not seen your family''s new girl, I am not a person who speaks lies, am I not? I''ve seen a lot of old girls in your family. It''s not like I said your lady isn''t good enough, why don''t you ask all the guests in the city? Besides, dragons give birth to dragons and phoenixes give birth to phoenixes. What does your lady look like? "I, on the other hand, am able to conclude that the young ladies of the Na Hong Yuan School have no business this year, just because you are a single person ¡­"


    She took small steps to the side of her brothel boat, and said in a low voice, deliberately, as she walked, closest to the Na Hong Yuan brothel boat.


    Although her appearance appeared to have lowered her voice, her sharp voice was still able to clearly spit out each word. Many of the onlookers on the shore could hear them clearly as well.


    "Mommy Chun, I also want to be honest with you. It''s actually all thanks to you exhausting yourself every year to train your family''s young lady to such a mediocre level. Every year, the guests who visit your house will come to our Fragrant Pavilion to talk about it. I don''t know, but once I get a shock, it turns out that our Fragrant Pavilion''s girl is really beautiful. "Your unintentional actions have added quite a few customers to our Fragrant Storey ¡­"


    Her voice was sharp, and when it entered the ears of the Mommy Chun on the opposing ship, it was as if they were stabbing at her bones.


    She didn''t have much talent, and she couldn''t teach more girls. Although the young ladies of the Redwood Institution were humble and studious, they didn''t have a good teacher. But at this moment, she didn''t seem to be very angry. Instead, he revealed a meaningful smile. She was no longer young and was already in her thirties. This was due to the fact that her skin was constantly smeared with makeup, making the quality of her skin worrisome. Furthermore, there were also quite a few wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. However, the makeup was extremely heavy, and her mouth was dyed red. That meaningful smile seemed to be drawn on her face.


    "I am indeed not that great, but in order to not ruin our new girl, I, Mommy Chun, have put in a lot of effort. I have invited the famous zither master Mu Wan Sighing from the martial arts world to specially teach our young lady how to play the zither. Although there were quite a few who were really unsuitable to learn the zither, there were two who were repeatedly praised by Mister Wan''er and became his favorite students. Better still, the girls were twins. Not to mention his dignified appearance, he had even more artistic skills at his disposal. It was because the two girls had a tacit understanding with each other when they played the song. I still don''t know who will be able to listen to them for the first time this year ¡­ "


    After the Mommy Chun finished speaking, he took a glance at the deck of the Fragrance Court as if she was demonstrating something. At that moment, the old procuress of Fragrant Pavilion lost her temper. Who would have thought that Mommy Chun would accept a team of twins this year? The brothel boat s of the twins, no one could resist the temptation to go and have a look ¡­


    Moreover, even though he had never seen that Mr. Wanxiang before, it was rumored that he was extremely proficient in the art of zither in the martial arts world. Legend has it that one year he passed by the prefectural yamen in a small place and heard two women quarreling inside. When he asked around, he found out that the two women were in love with the same man. Yet, this man was not a good person. He said ''not good'' in front of this man, and ''not good'' in front of that man. In the end, the two women got into an argument.


    The county magistrate naturally had no choice but to seek justice for them. Although the two women had a headache from quarreling with each other and wanted to quickly settle the matter for them, neither of the two women let the other go. The argument was not enough for two people to actually start a fight in front of the county magistrate. All of a sudden, the court was in a mess ¡­


    The county magistrate also had a helpless look on his face. At this time, Mr. Wan Xin did indeed laugh. He sat down on the floor, took out the zither from behind him and placed it on his lap before starting to play a song, Spring and Autumn Festival Gala.


    It was very popular at the time, and it was sung as they talked. He was talking about how a young woman could easily die. Time passed mercilessly. The sound of the zither penetrated the flesh and entered the hearts of the two girls who were playing with each other. For a moment, the two of them went soft as they each began to reflect on their own faults. They lamented why women had to make things difficult for women ¡­


    Seeing that he had achieved his goal, Mr. Wan Xin smiled. He kept his wooden zither and prepared to leave. The county magistrate repeatedly thanked Mr. Wan Zhe for using such a miraculous method to help him solve a problem.


    It was said that the sound of the zither that day was extremely moving, and that the sound penetrated through all matter to the human heart.


    From then on, Mister Wan Xin gained another title, "Qin Zhen ¡­"


    Even though the old procuress of the Fragrant Pavilion had never heard of Mr. Wanxiang playing the zither, she had long heard of his name and the name of "Zither Entering Heart". He was indeed well-known throughout the martial arts world. Unconsciously, he felt his body suddenly become shorter than the Mommy Chun.


    But she couldn''t give in at this moment. Today was the first day the brothel boat sailed on a ship to welcome guests. It was extremely important during the entire brothel boat season. After holding it in for the entire winter, the rich and rich young master finally walked out of the room that had been roasted by the coals. The silver in his arms was already ready to clink against each other. Each brothel boat had its own secret, and customers were curious about the girls on the brothel boat s. If it took too long, then which boat''s girl was good, and which family''s beauty, would be naturally spread out already. It was no longer a secret, and could not become a method to attract customers. If he could attract all the guests over, his income today would be quite high.


    As a result, she suppressed the discontent and anger in her heart and began to shout for the brothel boat in Fragrant Pavilion.


    "This year, the ladies of Fragrance Court have also brewed the rich fragrance of the Western Regions ¡­"


    As the bawd worked hard to advertise, the window of the brothel boat started to open. Although the girl inside could not be seen, one could still hear the sound of the zither from inside. Although the sound was faint, one could not tell who had made the new song.


    When the Mommy Chun saw the surprised expression of the people on the shore, she was naturally even more pleased. This is only the first song, but under the tutelage of Mr. Wan-Er, my family''s young lady had a total of six hands. Only the guests who have entered the brothel boat can enjoy the rest of the song. The spectators were distracted by the tune, and the window of the brothel boat of Fragrant Gem Restaurant opened as well. Strands of fragrance drifted out of the window. It made those who smelled it feel as if their souls had been lost. All she could think of was how to take a look at this lady''s appearance.


    When the old procuress of Fragrant Storey saw the expressions of the onlookers, she secretly rejoiced in her heart. In an instant, she felt that she had been revived. Satisfied explanation


    "This is the fragrance of our young lady. Not only is she beautiful, she is even more beautiful. Her fruit wine is also extremely intoxicating. She stared at a well-dressed man who looked like a nouveau riche. mei mei mei


    "This year''s new wine is a hundred times drunk. I wonder how many cups you can drink with our lady before you get drunk?"


    Although she was old, her figure could still be said to be graceful compared to the Mommy Chun next door. That mouth which was originally sharp to the point of speech was now soft and gentle, as the fragrance on her body almost blossomed into a flower.


    That chubby man with the appearance of a rich man, as if his soul had been lured away, laughed as he walked onto the brothel boat of Fragrance Court. Immediately, an attendant bent down extremely respectfully and sucked in all the fat on his body.


    "Mommy Chun, you''ve seen it too. At the very least, this year, the first guest on this river section belongs to our Fragrant Pavilion ¡­" As she spoke, she gave the Mommy Chun a coquettish look. It almost made the Mommy Chun jump up and down.


    The two brothel boat s were quarrelling extremely noisily, and this happened every year. The two brothel boat s coincidentally stopped together and were both women, so how could they avoid a competition and quarreling, causing the entire brothel boat season to be even more lively.


    The two ships had quarreled for a long time and had attracted many people''s attention, but only now did someone ask a question.


    "Why haven''t the brothel boat from the Spring Brothel made any move for so long?"

 C116

    Quite a few people noticed the Spring Brothel s at the side after they heard that person''s words. Logically speaking, whoever the brothel boat opened the door were fighting to get it, hoping to be ahead. However, this fellow was extremely patient, and had not made a move even now.


    The most eye-catching thing about the brothel was that there was an unwritten tradition of brothel boat being dressed in a hundred flowers at the same time. But the third floor of this Spring Brothel brothel boat was filled with pink apricot flowers. Amongst a group of colorful brothel boat, it was exceptionally eye-catching.


    Speaking of this Spring Brothel, even though it had been rooted in the capital for quite a few years, it was not warm at all. It was as if there had never been any famous girls, and no brothel boat had appeared during the first two years. This year''s appearance was particularly special, and it was even more eye-catching than the two beautiful ladies at the side.


    "He didn''t oversleep, did he?"


    "How can I oversleep when it''s such a big thing to open the door to welcome guests?"


    When the spectators were discussing amongst themselves, the Spring Brothel''s door finally opened. A bawd walked out of the house and pulled a little girl who was still skipping out.


    He didn''t say anything though. He cleaned up the area in front of the brothel boat, then placed a stool on the deck and sat on it.


    The two brothel boat s on both sides were trying their best to recommend their young lady because of their business, causing the Mommy Chun''s throat to turn hoarse. However, the Spring Brothel beside them had obviously woken up late, and their reputation was not as big as the two previous families, but they still lazily ignored them, as though they were carrying on with their business. Who wouldn''t be angry?


    The old procuress seemed to be very young, at most in her early thirties. She was different from the Mommy Chun, who seemed to be leaning on the deck chair, and did not even raise her head compared to the numerous onlookers on the pier. She tidied up a pot of lilies in front of him. She instructed the girl beside him.


    "Bring me a bowl of brine pig''s feet ¡­"


    "Huh?" The little girl was called Xiao Cui''er. After just a few days, her mother had passed away, and the only other father was now seriously ill, so she had no choice but to sell herself. She changed some money so that his father could keep some for treatment.


    However, even though she was too young and had gone to several wealthy families to look for work, no one was willing to take her. Said she was too young to do any work.


    No one paid any attention to her, even though she kept saying that she had been caring for her sick father for years and that she could do anything. She later heard that someone wanted her to go to the brothel and give it a try. The girls there can work there at all ages.


    It was the most bustling street in the east side of the city, where many brothels were densely packed. It was the first time for a young lady to visit such a place, but she was already frightened senseless the moment she stepped onto the street.


    "Uncle Li, you haven''t come to the Flower Fragrance Market to see the clouds for some time." Have you forgotten about me? " A red-clothed female was originally only standing upright at the store''s entrance. As if she had suddenly seen something, Xiao Cui''er only felt a red cloud float past her eyes. Although its color was beautiful, its speed and explosiveness was like a tornado that swept past. It quickly and accurately attached itself to a chubby man in the middle of the street.


    The man''s eyes were extremely small, and it seemed like he had to work hard to see who the person in front of him was.


    "Oh, so it''s Yunyun. I still have some matters to attend to today, so I''ll come to see you in two days. "


    The man said that he had business to attend to. While pushing the woman in red out, his other head was already moving in all directions. From afar, he could see a girl dressed in yellow standing at the top of Fragrant Pavilion. The man laughed until his eyes became slits.


    Obviously, the two of them had agreed to meet.


    Even a blind person could tell, how could the woman in red not know? However, she did not let go of the man, and continued to cling onto his body like an octopus. As he pouted, he changed from his previous valiant attitude to the one that sounded so sweet that it almost melted one''s heart.


    "Master Li ~"


    That ending sound trembled as it dragged on for an extremely long time. If one could use a ruler to measure it, it was likely that the length would be able to create several new sets of clothes. Xiao Cui''er trembled, and clearly felt goosebumps all over the ground.


    "Master Li!" She called out a few times, but her hands weren''t idle either. She began to wrap her arms around the man''s neck, and her lips were so close that they almost touched his face. The man was instantly stunned. His gaze no longer wandered around but gradually gathered on the woman called Yun Yun in front of him. Then, as if a spell had been cast, she was lured into the woman in red''s workshop.


    When the yellow-clothed woman from the Fragrant Pavilion saw this scene, she ruthlessly stomped her feet. She seemed to think that the ground was the face of the red-clothed girl and cursed a few times.


    "Stealing my business, you really are quite capable, just you wait ¡­"


    Xiao Cui''er was far away, of course she wouldn''t be able to hear what she had said, she could only see her beautiful face revealing a ferocious expression, and was completely shocked.


    Just as he stepped into the Flower Street, he ran out in fright.


    But as soon as she left the room, she stopped again ¡­ Daddy is still lying on the sickbed. If I don''t sell myself for some money, what will daddy do?


    As she thought of this, she felt her heart tighten uncomfortably. Tears began to fall from her eyes.


    "Little girl, did you lose yourself or get lost?"


    A soft, yet warm voice rang in her ear. She slowly raised her head. There was a woman in front of her. Her figure was graceful and her voice was young, but her face was covered by a pink veil, making it hard to see what she looked like.


    Lost or lost? These two questions seem to be pretty much the same...


    "I, am fine, I can find my home." Although he felt that the woman wasn''t a bad person, he still felt a little wary of strangers.


    "Why are you crying here if you can find a home?" Did you have a fight with your parents at home? "


    Even though she was concerned about him, but Xiao Cui''er felt terrible listening to her. Her father was lying on the sickbed, and he didn''t even have the strength to talk anymore.


    As for his mother ¡­ She hadn''t even seen her mother before ¡­


    Thinking of this, her tears couldn''t help but fall onto the ground.


    "Don''t cry, aiya ¡­"


    When the woman saw that the child was crying even harder, she began to worry. She felt around for a handkerchief. In the midst of the panic, the gentle breeze blew her veil up slightly. Naturally, Xiao Cui''er was able to see her appearance under the veil, and his mouth instantly gaped wide, as though she couldn''t close it ¡­


    She had never seen such a beautiful woman before. For a moment, a thought popped into her mind: "Is this woman a human?" How can a human be so good-looking? They must be deities, right?


    He didn''t feel like he had shouted it out while he was in a daze ¡­


    "Elder sister goddess ¡­"


    The woman finally found a handkerchief and stuffed it into Xiao Cui''er''s hands ¡­


    It was a soft and soft silk that Xiao Cui''er had never touched before. There were two fine flowers embroidered on it, it was extremely beautiful. In that instant, she had an extremely powerful feeling. She wanted to see what the figure under the veil looked like, but the wind had already stopped.


    "If you quarrel with your family, then go home and explain yourself." If you have any more difficulties, tell me, I will definitely help you. "


    Xiao Cui''er was still hesitating in her heart. How could she be so good?


    The woman just held her hand and walked home, talking to her as they walked.


    "My father is sick. I don''t know how to save him ¡­" Under her questioning, she finally managed to carefully speak out her inner thoughts.


    The lady seemed to agree with him and nodded, she started to rummage through her pockets, and after a while she pulled out a hairpin, and handed it over to Xiao Cui''er.


    "I don''t have any money for now, but I can exchange for some." She spoke extremely happily, as if she did not consider the Chai Zi to be a hair ornament that could make her look beautiful. Just how much silver?


    Xiao Cui''er held the bamboo shoot in her hand and looked it over. The workmanship was extremely exquisite, it was small and silver, with a round and bright pearl inlaid on top. It should be worth a lot of money, but for Xiao Cui''er, she had never seen so much money ¡­


    For a moment, she felt that the hairpin in her hand was a bit hot and she quickly shoved it into the woman''s hand.


    "It''s too, too precious. My father can''t afford to spend that much money to treat patients ¡­"


    That woman actually laughed lowly at her appearance.


    "Then take it as well. This illness is like a landslide, and going away is like drawing silk, understand? Your father will need to rest for a long time after he finishes his treatment, so you should treat this chaste as a treat, change some money, and buy him some delicious food. "You should eat some too. You look so small, so you should grow some meat as soon as possible ¡­"


    Only then did Xiao Cui''er put the hairpin back in her arms, and once again, she raised her head to ask the big sister.


    "Elder sister, what''s your name?" But where? It will be easier for me to return the money back to you. "


    The woman laughed again when she heard this


    "Don''t, if you don''t have enough money, you can come find me. I''ve been living in the Spring Brothel, my name is Du Yueyao ¡­"


    Du Yueyao... Xiao Cui''er silently recited these words, firmly memorizing them in her heart.


    She already felt less sad. It was as if her life wasn''t always filled with disasters, poverty, and hardships. After all, she had met a godlike elder sister ¡­


    Half a month later, a tiny figure appeared outside the Spring Brothel. The old procuress Lan Xiao asked her what was the matter and she was initially afraid when she passed through a whole flower street and saw the girls fighting for the right to be rid of each other. However, when she arrived at the Spring Brothel of a brothel, she suddenly felt calm in her heart.


    The old procuress, Lanxiao, was not a good-natured owner. She was in her thirties and originally had a boyish personality. She was also the daughter of a wealthy family in Suzhou. However, she was naturally lively and loved to mingle with boys. The Suzhou woman was gentle as water, but she had a fiery temper every day and loved to hang out outside. The young miss of the Lan family had a bad temper ¡­ The news spread like wildfire. It was as if a drop of clear oil had dripped into a bowl of clear water and quickly spread out. that made her twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old and a real old maid.


    Thus, she decided to just leave it at that. She threw all kinds of things in her room and swore in front of her father.


    "I''m not marrying, I''m not serving ¡­"


    He quickly carried the bundle on his back and left. After sneaking to the capital, he had no intentions of staying here any longer. One day, he suddenly had a strange idea and placed the Spring Brothel.


    She had a toothpick in her mouth and was extremely impatient with the weak voice of the young girl in front of her ¡­


    "To whom?"


    At this moment, the little girl suddenly spoke clearly to her with great courage ¡­


    "I''m looking for Du Yueyao!"

 C117

    Lan Xiao did not expect the little girl to be so resolute and decisive. She was still stunned for a moment.


    Xiao Cui''er realized that she had been too rash just now and hurriedly explained.


    "I, I''ve come to work for her. Before she gives me quite a bit, I have to work for her and return it to big sister ¡­"


    Lan Xiao herself had roamed the Jianghu for many years, and had seen many strange things, but today, someone had taken the initiative to pay him back. This was the first time, and for a moment, he did not believe this was true.


    "You won''t fucking tease me again ¡­" She looked at the tiny child in disbelief. He looked to be only eleven or twelve years old, yet he actually said that he had to work not to earn money, but to pay off his debts ¡­


    Du Yueyao was a good person in her shop, they had only known each other for a short while, Du Yueyao had not started to receive guests, but she was not lacking in money, and so she was extremely generous to her subordinates. Now there was actually someone who took the initiative to pay her back?


    Xiao Cui''er thought that she was too young and didn''t have the energy to work, so she hurriedly gritted her teeth and revealed her little arm. There was a small bag on his shoulder that couldn''t be considered as muscle ¡­ However, she still said very seriously ¡­


    "I have enough strength and I eat very little. I can do a lot of things ¡­"


    Lan Xiao was also unsure of what she should say, as she shook her head and stepped aside while trying to think of something ¡­


    "Go, go ¡­" "She''s upstairs ¡­"


    As he looked at the child, he politely bowed and thanked her, then ran upstairs, leaving her with only a small view of his back. He couldn''t help but shake his head as he muttered to himself:


    "Sure enough, people have lived for a long time in Doha... "I wonder what my father, who always goes around to collect debts, will think when he sees this scene ¡­"


    The brothel boat s from Spring Brothel began to receive the guests, only to see, the old procuress, practically lying on the deck of the brothel boat with her thorny body, and did not greet him, trying to advertise the girls in her shop. He just ignored the fact that he was holding a bowl of brine and his pig''s feet and eating them until his hands were covered in oil ¡­


    He was so busy that he barely had time to lift his head up...


    Xiao Cui''er cleaned up the entire deck, then ran over to the brothel boat s. The first and second floor were occupied by Cai Yun, Man Qing and her sisters. They had gotten up early and started to dress themselves up. Seeing that they had taken care of him till the point that he could not even put his hands on them, Xiao Cui''er then hurriedly ran to the top of the brothel boat, to the third floor that was full of apricots.


    Although the space on the third floor was much smaller than the first two floors, there was only one girl living here, and that was Xiao Cui''er''s pretty sister, Du Yueyao.


    When Xiao Cui had already finished her work downstairs and went back upstairs, that Du Yueyao lazily got up.


    After interacting with her for a while, Xiao Cui''er was finally able to confirm that Du Yueyao really wasn''t the celestial sister ¡­ Which family''s goddess-like sister would sleep until the third hour of the day before she got up ¡­ She was too lazy to wash her face and comb her hair. Hence, she casually put on a veil and walked on the street ¡­ Her body was thin and had a huge amount of food. Moreover, the other girls were discussing how to maintain a good figure. She was eating and drinking all by herself at the dining table...


    Lan Xiao would usually sit beside her in this kind of situation. She would first pretend to despise her and say something ¡­


    "With your ghastly appearance, I wonder if anyone else would like you ¡­" "After the complaints, she joined the ranks of the gluttons without caring about her image ¡­"


    Although Du Yueyao had not been in the capital for long and had not started to receive guests, a lot of jewelry was taken from her body. Sometimes she would take out a bracelet, and other times, she would take out a piece of jade ¡­


    Furthermore, they were all genuine items that were worth quite a bit of money ¡­


    After playing with it a few times, he suddenly put it on Xiao Cui''er. He said he didn''t like her, so he gave it to her ¡­


    Xiao Cui''er was still worried that one day, Du Yueyao would take away all her wealth. What would she eat?


    She carefully took out all of the jewelry that Du Yueyao had thrown to her and put them away in a box. She thought that if one day her sister really ran out of money, she could pawn these pawns and continue living ¡­


    But how could Du Yueyao understand the painstaking effort Xiao Cui''er had put in ¡­ She was still doing her own thing. She was truly showing the truth of the saying that money was only for personal use ¡­


    Lan Xiao carried a case of jewelry for Du Yueyao to choose from. It was almost spring, so Lan Xiao decided to make her own brothel boat s to play with. Naturally, Spring Brothel would close the room to thank customers, and the girls would stay in the house to play.


    But the girls were not idle. They were all busy preparing for the act of opening the brothel boat in the spring. Was he going to dress up as a fairy? Or was it the Seven Fairies? In green? Or colored silk?


    There were also programs to be performed during the brothel boat season. rehearse the dance of the nine heavens...


    Du Yueyao picked all the jewelry in Lan Xiao''s box and picked one that she was satisfied with. It was a Jingtai Blue bracelet, the workmanship was not considered exquisite, but there were actually many apricot flowers drawn on it.


    "Your eyes are so shallow?" "The jade bracelet that you threw out just now can buy one thousand of this Jingtai Lan''s Apricot Flower Bracelet ¡­"


    Xiao Cui''er had never seen any gold or silver jewelry, so she naturally did not know that the jade bracelet could actually sell for such a high price. She was so scared that she almost cried out ¡­ Oh my god, it''s actually so expensive ¡­ In the future, she would have to be even more careful when cleaning the rooms of all the girls. If she were to break a piece with a single step, she really wouldn''t be able to afford it ¡­


    On the other hand, Du Yueyao was hanging on the blue bracelet without a care for the King herself. She glanced at the priceless emerald with disdain ¡­


    "It''s an apricot flower after all ¡­"


    She looked at the bracelet on her wrist.


    Every person within the Spring Brothel knew that Du Yueyao liked the apricot flowers to the point of obsession. She did not love money, nor was she stingy. She was always extremely generous to her sisters or the servants who cleaned the room. Only one point... If she met with jewelry or clothes with apricot flowers, she would get them even if she had to ¡­


    No matter how cheap it is... As long as there was an apricot flower on it, she was determined to carve her own name, Du Yueyao, on it.


    However, she was indeed born and looked beautiful. Forget about this lady in the Spring Brothel, even on the entire Flower Street or in the entire capital, there was no other girl whose beauty could compare to hers.


    Even Lan Xiao, who had never been serious before, couldn''t help but exclaim.


    "How did your parents build you? It really is not one bit more than a little bit more... Maybe the empress s in that palace are not even half as beautiful as you ¡­ "


    Du Yueyao was naturally extremely happy to hear this. She likes to be praised...


    Moreover, she was worthy of those praises. Regardless of her appearance or figure, she was perfect to the point that there was nothing to criticize about her ¡­


    Furthermore, based on her appearance, regardless of whether it was cheap clothing or jewelry, anything that was on her would only make people feel that it was expensive ¡­


    But now, Du Yueyao who claimed that she was a collection of talent and beauty was groggily getting up from the bed, yawning and her hair was in disarray ¡­ His eyes blinked for a long moment before they opened ¡­


    "Have you eaten?" She blurrily asked Xiao Cui''er who was beside her, she had already brought her a pot of hot water and brought it to her bedside. She then took out the towel with the apricot flowers embroidered on it and soaked it in hot water, then pulled it out and placed it on her face.


    The temperature was just right, and it was so comfortable that Du Yueyao couldn''t help but exclaim, but then her mouth that was still under the towel continued to ask the question that she was most concerned about ¡­


    "Time for lunch?"


    There was nothing Xiao Cui''er could do about it, she could only tell her honestly ¡­ Eating time is past...


    "What!?" Immediately, Du Yueyao cried out as she felt a bolt from the blue.


    "Isn''t it unfair under this crappy boat?" Stumbling all night... Sleep, my head hurts... But he hadn''t eaten anything when he woke up? What kind of logic is that!? "


    Xiao Cui''er was helpless, she could only console her while saying that after a while, she would go to the nearby markets to buy some of his favorite apricot cakes to fill her stomach ¡­


    "Didn''t you still have a lot of pig''s feet yesterday?"


    Du Yueyao, who had treated eating as a major event in her life, did not plan to let Xiao Cui''er go just like that ¡­ Other than her mysterious stubbornness towards the issue of the apricot flowers, all she had left was to eat them ¡­ She had already noticed last night that there was still a pot of pig''s feet left in the ship''s kitchen. Although she wanted to eat, she really couldn''t eat, but she comforted herself by saying that she wouldn''t be able to finish it today and would save it for breakfast in the morning ¡­


    This question simply forced the kind Xiao Cui''er to the corner of the wall.


    "That... Elder sister ¡­ Lady Boss Lan Xiao is currently eating ¡­ "


    "What!" Du Yueyao went berserk, and fiercely pulled down the towel that was used to wash her face, and walked over to the window and pushed it open., who was on the deck, was currently eating her brine pig''s feet with all her might while lying down comfortably ¡­


    "You''ve gone too far!" She shouted towards Lan Xiao ¡­


    Then, he was quickly dragged back into the house by Xiao Cui''er and closed the window ¡­


    "Elder sister ¡­" Today was the day to open the brothel boat. "We have to remain mysterious, but we can''t casually open the windows for others to see ¡­"


    Du Yueyao sighed and shook her head. She could only obediently sit back at the table, and prepare to dress up.


    "Xiao Cui''er, do you not understand? With this older sister''s body, regardless of whether or not it is mysterious, Spring Brothel''s business will definitely be extremely good ¡­ "


    Xiao Cui''er naturally nodded her head repeatedly, she knew that Du Yueyao was speaking the truth ¡­


    Du Yueyao was still not satisfied, she swallowed her saliva and continued to speak.


    "Regardless of whether you draw or not, they are all extremely beautiful ¡­"


    Xiao Cui''er still nodded with a face full of sincerity.


    Du Yueyao said as she put down her hand that was about to draw her eyebrows and picked up the comb.


    But when the cancer flared up, she put down the comb in her hand ¡­


    "I don''t even care if I comb my hair or not ¡­"

 C118

    On the deck, Lan Xiao heard a fierce shout faintly. It seems like this is some kind of bullying ¡­ She guessed that Du Yueyao, who was on top of the boat, was in a rage. It was gratifying to know that she was not in a good mood.


    The three brothel boat were all gathered together now, which made the horses have an exceptionally large number of people. Beside the horses'' heads was a bridge. There were even more people gathered on the bridge. There were even some people who looked at each other and were pushed off the bridge just like that. With a splash, he fell head first into the river, and a burst of laughter instantly erupted from the shore. Instead of retreating, they crowded around the river, hoping to get a better look at the young lady on the boat.


    Lan Xiao glanced at Mommy Chun on top of the brothel boat next door. She shook her head and threw the empty food bowl to the side. She stood up and blinked her eyes as she looked at the people around him. Looking for guests at home.


    "Sister Lan? Why aren''t you shouting? " After she had served all the masters upstairs, Xiao Cui''er returned to the deck and asked Lan Xiao who looked like she was not worrying. Logically speaking, although Lan Xiao did not look like the Brothel Keeper, she should still be the Brothel Keeper. That Xiao Cui''er should have called her Mama Lan, but Lan Xiao refused. She felt disgusted with herself for calling her Mama Lan... She''s not even a mother yet ¡­ So let the girls call her Sister Lan...


    The only person who made her angry with her was Du Yueyao ¡­ She was in a good mood to call him sister Lan. If he met her in a bad mood, she would naturally have to call her Mama Lan ¡­


    Lan Xiao swept her gaze across the people who were watching the show on the horse. Ye Zichen shook her head.


    "No taste ¡­"


    "But Sister Lan, the brothel is for money. Shouldn''t all sorts of guests welcome him enthusiastically?"


    Lan Xiao rolled her eyes at Xiao Cui''er and said:


    "You''re still too inexperienced ¡­" "I''m telling you, remember, our girls are not so worthless ¡­"


    This logic came from following her father, the landowner, since she was young. Old Master Lan was a porcelain merchant, not much in appearance, but extremely tall ¡­


    He entered a pair of phoenix emperor''s round ears with a somewhat peculiar appearance. As for the glaze, it was made from the same material as usual. However, Master Lan didn''t sell it... The higher the bid, the higher the bid ¡­ In the end, he sold it at a price that was ten times more expensive.


    The reason the Mommy Chun was clamoring so loudly was naturally because the lady in front of her was indeed not that good. If she did not try her best to pull some guests over, there would not be any guests who would come.


    And her Spring Brothel this time, was indeed a rare commodity ¡­


    She raised her eyes to look at the third floor that was surrounded by the apricot flowers. Her gaze was so warm that it almost melted this brothel boat ¡­ How was that an apricot flower? It was obviously a boat full of gold ¡­


    Her arrogance had aroused the dissatisfaction of the Mommy Chun next door. He quickly shouted at her, "What do you mean our girl is not so worthless? How come our girl isn''t worth much anymore? However, after Mr. Wanxiang''s zither entered his heart and was trained...


    Mommy Chun was so angry that her eyes turned round. If not because she was worried that she was too old and her jumping ability was not that good, she would probably have flipped over onto the ship with Spring Brothel and fought with Lan Xiao ¡­


    There were too many people here for Lan Xiao to ignore, so she could only sigh and look at Mommy Chun.


    "It''s not like I named your girl by name ¡­ Aren''t you the right person to explain it in such a hurry? "


    The Mommy Chun was furious, but what Lan Xiao said did make sense. However, this was the first day of the brothel boat s welcome, if she lost her composure this day, then her business would be in trouble from now on ¡­ Thinking up to here, she was naturally unconvinced, and said to Lan Xiao.


    My family''s young lady is naturally excellent, but seeing that your mother is a novice, I will teach you, even if this brothel boat shouts it doesn''t have anything to do with the young lady''s worth of money. If I shout, the guests will be happy, the girls will be happy, and everyone will be very lively. Mother Lan, you should hurry up and increase the number of snacks to worry about your family''s business. "I''m just afraid that even this great spring light will be delayed by you. It doesn''t matter if you delay it, but don''t delay your young lady ¡­"


    Mommy Chun was delighted, in the end, she still felt that it was still not perfect, so she shouted towards the brothel boat with Spring Brothel. To make sure that all the girls on the boat could hear her, she was almost screaming at the top of her lungs.


    "Ah, ladies of the Spring Brothel, my Mommy Chun truly feels sorry for you all to have followed a person who doesn''t know how to do business like Mother Lan. If you all feel the same way, then come to my Mommy Chun''s Na Hong Yuan to earn a living. "However, my Mommy Chun is the first to speak, the Na Hong Yuan doesn''t accept too many young ladies ¡­"


    How could Lan Xiao, a merchant who was affected by her father, get mad at that trash of a woman, Mommy Chun?


    Mama Lan... How could I be that old?


    This fellow was truly infuriated. He picked up the empty food bowl on the ground and threw it towards the boat full of apricots.


    The empty bowl smashed onto Du Yueyao''s window and with a clang, it fell down and rolled on the ground, then stopped moving.


    "But he didn''t! Is there anyone panting? "This old lady will also cause a commotion ¡­"


    On the bridge, on the pier, everyone''s attention was focused on the weird Lan Xiao, they did not know what this old procuress was up to.


    Following which, the window on the second floor that was filled with flowers suddenly opened, and the ladies inside all appeared to be in a willowy state. He paid his respects to Lan Xiao one after another. They opened the window, but within was a screen that made it hard for people to see their faces clearly, but they had to swallow a mouthful of saliva to admit that they were all extremely beautiful.


    Before he could finish, the third floor full of apricots suddenly opened, revealing a girl who clearly hadn''t had the time to dress yet. He hadn''t combed his hair well, but there was an apricot flower sticking out of his hair carelessly.


    "Aiyo, you should still be more gentle ¡­" He was no longer a child, why did he have to get mad at the Mommy Chun? "But then again ¡­" Du Yueyao turned her head and looked at the dumbstruck Mommy Chun.


    "Mommy Chun, are you sure that the zither master you invited is Mr. Wan Zhe himself? Master Wan Xin only left from my place last month, but didn''t hear him say anything about going to your Mommy Chun''s place ~ "


    She suddenly lowered her head in contemplation. Her beautiful face was actually more beautiful with a frown.


    "Tsk tsk, although this zither music is somewhat wonderful, it shouldn''t be the zither music that enters one''s heart right ¡­" Why is it like this? Could it be that Young Master Wan''er was actually an evening singer? Tsk tsk tsk tsk ¡­ "After waking up in the morning, I''ve truly gained quite a bit of knowledge ¡­"


    After saying this, she shook her head and closed the window again. But now that she had closed the window, how could she not care about the crowd outside?


    Everyone was dumbstruck the moment she appeared. Even though she had yet to put on any makeup, she was already unimaginably beautiful. How could there be a woman with such a beautiful appearance in this world? It was as if all the brothel boat in the city had lost their color in front of her.


    The Mommy Chun was naturally furious. Blood gushed from the soles of her feet to her forehead. She almost couldn''t stand steadily for a moment ¡­ Indeed, she had never invited Mr. Wan''Huan to teach the zither to her. In her entire life, she had never seen the legendary and mysterious Wan''Huan gongzi. The person she invited to teach the lady was indeed Qin Huai He''s evening singing mother ¡­


    Even though Young Master Wan''er was extremely famous, he rarely showed himself. Even though most people had only heard of him, very few people had truly met him. He traveled all over the place and rarely spent half a month in one place. Back then, he had wanted to use this young noble''s reputation to gain a higher price for his own girl. There were almost no people in the capital who had seen Young Master Wan Li. However, everyone had heard of his name before. She had only borrowed the name of the young master Wan Li to deceive people. However, he didn''t expect that the woman would see through it with a single sentence ¡­


    She almost jumped to her feet in anger.


    "Damnit ¡­"


    However, what made her even angrier was that everyone noticed the almond-shaped brothel boat s and rushed towards them. Very quickly, no one stepped onto the deck of her Na Hong Yuan.


    She reached out and grabbed a guest as usual, wanting to bring him to the boat in a soft tone. However, that person actually managed to break free from her grasp.


    "I even said that I would be honored to listen to Young Master Wan''s beloved disciple play the zither. I didn''t expect that it would be taught by an evening singer ¡­" "What''s so strange about that ¡­"


    His face showed how unsightly he was, even among a few others.


    Correspondingly, a lot of guests suddenly surged onto the deck of Spring Brothel. Lan Xiao immediately called for the servant that came to help, and said.


    "Hurry, hurry and chase these people down. There can only be ten at a time. Be careful, don''t sink this old lady''s boat ¡­"


    She lay back in her chair again, inspecting the passengers on board. He happily waited for the silver coins to be collected. When they felt that the people on the boat were almost done, they all left the deck.


    "Sister Lan, may I ask what is the name of that girl from the Apricot Flower Hall? "What is there to like? This little one will go back first and prepare some gifts ¡­"


    "Yes." "A sensible and obedient child." Lan Xiao smiled and nodded. She was tired of having too many guests welcome her, and at this time, she was complaining why Du Yueyao had appeared so rashly.


    But she didn''t forget to look at Mommy Chun, who was standing beside the door, extremely pleased with herself. Ye Zichen sighed again and again.


    "What kind of world is this? Even if the business is too good, it''s still a confession ~"


    "Mother Lan, is the girl from the Apricot Flower Hall free?" My master told me to give her a hundred taels of gold first. " A servant respectfully brought a plate of gold ingots in front of Lan Xiao.


    "Who is your young master? You want me to take a look? "I''ll keep the gold first. Next time, I''ll bring some copper coins with me. Miss Du Yueyao needs some gold coins ¡­"


    Wherever there were men in the capital, they would all talk about the same woman.


    Du Yueyao...

 C119

    Du Yueyao''s fame was within Lan Xiao''s expectations, and her face was just too stunning. It was not enough to call her gold in the sand. She was practically a diamond in the sand ¡­ In addition to her excellent zither playing, there were far too many women of the same generation as her in terms of both looks and talent.


    However, she never thought that a small Du Yueyao could cause the business of the brothel to go so well ¡­


    The deck of the brothel boat was almost trampled to pieces by the young masters who came to visit her. In the past, Lan Xiao only knew that the girls talked a lot and spread it extremely fast. But today, she truly felt that the speed at which men gossiped was not any slower than those girls with tongues. In just one night, the men who had arrived in the capital had lined up in long queues. It''s all a rumor


    Within the Spring Brothel, there was a hidden, peerlessly beautiful woman ~


    At the same time, the legendary character of the third floor of the brothel boat,, who was almost sitting dead on a chair like a pig, got Xiao Cui''er to draw her eyebrows. Xiao Cui''er did not have much experience, so she could not help but feel her hands trembling. She was clumsy and extremely nervous due to shouldering such a large task.


    If it was a different master, he would probably scold her a bit and then get up to draw for himself. However, Du Yueyao was already in the late stage of the lazy cancer, there was almost no saving him ¡­ She happily accepted Xiao Cui''er''s curvy eyebrows. As she laid comfortably on the chair, a small crack appeared on the window of the brothel boat and the river wind continued to blow in. The petals of the apricot flower, mixed with the rain from last night, were now wet and stuck to the window frame of the moon.


    Yesterday night, there had been a young master from the minister Palace who came to pay respects, and it was simple wanting to meet Du Yueyao once. After all, it was rumored that she was not a person of the mortal world. In the end, the young master was filled with boundless curiosity and disbelief.


    It was just a look, but it was an extremely simple matter. Moreover, the young master had already sincerely offered five extremely precious jade hairpins. Du Yueyao hummed to herself as she watched the show once more. She picked out a hairpin that was meticulously carved with two butterflies, although she was not satisfied with it. However, she could still distinguish that the chaste was made of fine workmanship and the jade material was clear and valuable. She selected one and applied it to her own head, while Xiao Cui''er took the other four to divide it up with the sisters downstairs. Lan Xiao opened the door and let the Young Master on board.


    At first, the young master only thought it was a suspicion as he wanted to pay a high price to see what the legendary beauty looked like. The minister had been greedy and greedy for many years, so he naturally didn''t lack this precious son of his, Qian Hua. The young master wandered around the brothel all day and earned himself the title of one of the Four Young Masters. Although he was saying that he was one of the famous playboys in the capital, he was enjoying the show. He naturally categorized himself as someone who was extremely talented. He felt that his own portrayal was that he was young and rich. He had tasted all the wonders of the world, had seen all the beauties of the world.


    With regards to the rumors about Du Yueyao, naturally, the young master had countless of wine and meat friends, and it quickly spread to his ears. He didn''t really believe it. Could it be that I haven''t seen such a wondrous beauty in this world? she wondered to herself.


    He also heard that the beauty had already started to show her attitude. Many people were lined up at the entrance, inviting her to drink tea and listen to scenes, but she just didn''t want to see anyone. To the young master of minister''s family, this was a form of respect. Since this beauty was so arrogant, why couldn''t she just bow down to his beauty and talent?


    Even if Du Yueyao wasn''t as good as it was said to be, hshewould still expose her herself. When she chatted with her friends who were drinking meat and meat, he would say those words with a great deal of face.


    "The woman? "I have naturally seen it before, but it was nothing ¡­"


    It then attracted a lot of sighs and fawning on her


    "Young Master has even met her? "As expected of the number one young master in the capital."


    "Didn''t they say that Du Yueyao is extremely arrogant and does not want to see anyone?"


    "It is likely that Young Master is brimming with talent, and is also extremely rich. He is simply a rare genius in the capital. Then, Du Yueyao would also be under Young Master ¡­"


    "I heard that Du Yueyao said that she was missing a Chai Zi, did young master send her the five Cloud Platform''s top quality Chai Zi over?"


    The Cloud Platform was a workshop in Beijing that was only second to the jewelry shop in the palace. Not only was the price extremely expensive, but it was also very hard to find a hairpin. Even a good craftsman might not be able to create jewelry for himself even after a year.


    The young master from the minister Mansion could naturally continue on with these flattery and not cut anything else.


    "It''s just a few hairpins. My family has a lot of things to do. My elder sister is the current imperial concubine, so she only has Cyan Moon Geiger and the twelfth prince left. My family doesn''t lack even the palace''s jewelry." In my eyes, that Du Yueyao is but a prostitute who has become a little more charming ¡­ "


    This statement did indeed elicit a great deal of praise and the flattery of more people who wanted to curry favor with him.


    As the young master thought of this, he ordered his subordinates to prepare a greeting gift.


    This young master of the minister Palace, Du Yueyao, had only been in the capital for a short while, but he had heard of the other sisters in the brothel talking about him.


    "It doesn''t look good ¡­" In terms of talent, one would only be able to recite a few famous poems in a stiff manner. The legend in the capital was written by him. Those who knew of the words that were praised by the emperor all knew that it was written by his family''s teacher ¡­ The only thing that he could be sure of was that he had a lot of money ¡­ That fellow really has a lot of silver, I wonder how much of it Lord minister has collected ¡­ "


    "That young master is a son of a b * tch. Two years ago, there really was a silly brothel sister called Anhui Chun who was very pretty." He really thought that the young master really knew Feng Yuefeng and was filled with talent. He actually fell in love with him without a care for anything else. I thought he really wrote those words himself... Being together with him, how could that young master be any good thing? If he had enough fun, wouldn''t he be searching for a new beauty? Said my father wouldn''t let us be together. Then the prostitute would run away with him in delusions, not asking for money. He just wanted to find someone who could entrust his life to and marry him. How naive. What good end would come in the end? The young master continued to find new happiness and the brothel elder sister committed suicide. He even thought that he had died for his son''s sake. And the result? It just became another topic of discussion for him in the midst of his drunkenness. "


    Du Yueyao looked at the few hairpins that were given to him and asked worriedly:


    "Big sister, that young master isn''t anything good in the mouths of his other sisters. Don''t take his Dao for granted ¡­"


    Du Yueyao, on the other hand, still maintained a nonchalant look, and only looked at the hairpins. mumbling to herself


    "Not bad ¡­" It was indeed a good item. When it comes to ingenious ideas and exquisite workmanship, they are truly on par with those in the palace. "


    Frowning, she picked one out. He talked to Xiao Cui''er.


    "It is about time for Big Sister Gui to change her hairpin. Little Sister Feng also ¡­ Take it and share it with them, and remember to keep one. In the end, it was still a pretty good item. Even though I''m not lacking... However, it''s just a meeting, so it''s worth it. "


    When Xiao Cui''er saw that she was not listening to him speak, she was very anxious, but there was no use in being anxious, Lan Xiao was already downstairs saying that Young Master was up. She could only hurry back downstairs with the chaste.


    "Miss Yueyao, I wonder if you are satisfied with the gift I sent to you?"


    The young master stood behind the bead curtain at the door and gave a fake, respectful bow.


    Du Yueyao still had a carefree expression on her face ¡­


    "Just so-so. Young master has gone to great trouble ¡­"


    What a big tone... This was a new item from this year''s Grand Cloud Platform, and the price for it was extremely high. Usually, he would only send one out, but this caused the young lady to be overjoyed. This fellow had sent five of them in one go! Du Yueyao''s appetite was not small. He was afraid that she was just bluffing. She wasn''t as beautiful as the rumors said ¡­ Originally, I thought that she was just praising me, so I said something along the way. My family boasted about my family''s situation to make the beauty give up on me. However, this guy in front of me is someone who doesn''t buy it.


    "Oh? "At least you can consider it my admiration for you ¡­"


    This fellow was still trying to maintain his dignity, but on the other hand, Du Yueyao was already getting impatient.


    "Stop talking nonsense, how can you be even more talkative than the Mommy Chun next door, aren''t you here to see me? "Hurry up, come in from behind the bead curtain. Let''s go!"


    This continuous sound of choking made the minister Palace''s Young Master choke on some of the things he had prepared. He could not even cough or swallow, it was extremely uncomfortable, he was actually a little angry for a moment. I can''t help but think that a mere prostitute like you would dare to speak to me in such a manner!? It''s one thing to not be grateful for such a precious gift, but you actually dare to act so impudent! If you are inferior to me, I will naturally give you some face ¡­


    Seeing that the other party was still standing behind the bead curtain without movement, Du Yueyao naturally knew that she was angry. But it made her feel good. This kind of person who had read for many years but had never made any progress in her life really annoyed her. I don''t know why the heavens gave birth to such a son of a bitch to waste his youth.


    "What is it? If you don''t look, then hurry up and leave. "


    The Young Master was already somewhat angry, and unhappily pushed aside the bead curtain. He originally wanted to criticize a little, but suddenly closed his mouth the moment he saw Du Yueyao ¡­


    Du Yueyao obviously did not use all her effort to dress up and draw only one eyebrow, but her exquisite facial features, bright eyes like clear spring water, pretty little nose, and a trace of an unknown smile hanging on her lips ¡­


    She was truly a peerless beauty in the world.


    He was glad that he didn''t get angry and didn''t say anything else at the same time.


    "Have you seen it?" Du Yueyao asked him as she reached out her hand to check if there was anything delicious on the table beside her.


    minister''s young master did not speak, he just continued to watch blankly, and when he regained his senses, he quickly nodded. It was as if her soul had been hooked by the woman in front of her ¡­


    And the woman successfully found a chicken paw that Xiao Cui''er hid from her bite behind the mirror. She picked it up happily. As she spoke to the young master of the minister.


    "Once you''ve seen it, go out ¡­"

 C120

    "Moon ¡­" "Fairy Yue Yao ¡­" The young master of the minister Lord wanted to say something but Du Yueyao was too lazy to raise her head to look at him again. Immediately after, Lan Xiao, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, gave him a huge shock ¡­


    "Of course we have to leave after reading it. If we linger here like you, what else can we do?"


    As soon as he came out, countless people immediately surrounded him.


    "How is it? "How about it?"


    "Did you meet the legendary Miss Yueyao?"


    "How is it? You''re out so soon? "


    "Would the girl like to see him? Mother Lan always said the girl was busy... It couldn''t be just a joke, could it? Those rumors are fake? "


    At this time, the young master from the large family who was dragged out had already regained his senses ¡­ He instantly understood the situation around him. Countless people were waiting for him to speak. He instantly put on his usual brand of smile.


    "Me? Of course I did ¡­ That Miss Du Yueyao naturally knows the difference between me and all of you, so why would she let me wait here just like all of you? "


    "What is it after all?" Is that Du Yueyao really as beautiful as the rumors? "


    "That''s right, that''s right. Young master, quickly tell us. It''s unbelievable that such a rumor would arise in the capital overnight ¡­"


    The young master of the minister smiled again: "Of course the Miss Yueyao is beautiful, but how can I let ordinary people like you see it? You don''t have to worry about that, Miss Yueyao is naturally mine. You all, don''t waste your effort to pick the ladies on the Mommy Chun''s boat. "


    This fellow was not unreasonable, after all, there were not many people who had as deep of a background as he did. Wanting to see Du Yueyao was naturally not an easy thing to do.


    When the rich owner of the east side of the city sent the gold over, Du Yueyao did not see it when she returned. Instead, when she heard that Du Yueyao was missing Chai Zi, she immediately got people to create a unique hairpin.


    It was a pity that not a single one of the hundred hairpins were satisfied when he sent them over. Although the materials used to make the hairpin were extremely valuable, they weren''t made meticulously enough, and were all rushed out in a hurry ¡­ How was it possible to compare it with the cloud deck.


    The owner of the east side of the city was not someone who couldn''t afford to hire a craftsman from the Cloud Platform. Unfortunately, if one wanted to make any jewelry from the Cloud Platform, they would need to make an appointment, and the list of things to make was already next year. Moreover, the craftsmen there paid extra attention to the quality of the hairpin and Chen Xin.


    Therefore, the rich man could only find some famous blacksmiths in the capital to make them. Although they were not bad, they were still a little lacking compared to the ones on the Cloud Platform ¡­


    The young master of the minister family could actually take out five Cloud Platform''s pins in one go. Naturally, he couldn''t have only made them recently, but he stole four from her mother that year, as well as one from her little sister. Although they had been forged for quite some time now, after all, it had been created from the Cloud Platform. Little Sister was reluctant to bring it along, so it had always been new ¡­


    If the little sister knew that the thing she loved had been taken away by her brother, she would be sad for a while. But her brother was the only son, and her father and mother doted on him very much.


    She was just a concubine''s child, so she naturally had no way to argue with her brother. He could only quietly accept this loss ¡­


    Du Yueyao saw what happened on the deck through the window. She shook her head. Xiao Cui''er even started to complain that Du Yueyao was not worthy.


    "Elder sister, don''t fall for this kind of person. This kind of person doesn''t have any sincerity." She didn''t want to see anyone ever since Du Yueyao became famous, but now that she saw the young master of the minister''s family for the first time, she was afraid that Du Yueyao would fall for him. However, this person''s reputation was extremely poor. She had heard a lot about him from the girl on the boat all day, and she wasn''t someone who was worth entrusting her life to ¡­


    "To think that little Cui''er would think of such a thing, I''m going to die from laughter ¡­" Du Yueyao could not help but laugh.


    However, Xiao Cui''er still only had a worried look on his face. She did not know what Du Yueyao was thinking, and whether she had taken a fancy to it or what it was like. She absolutely did not wish for her elder sister to fall for such a slut ¡­


    "Xiao Cui''er, why would there be any sincerity in that? "How could I be so stupid as to entrust my sincerity to others?"


    Xiao Cui''er did not understand what she said, but there would be a day when she would understand ¡­


    Du Yueyao was originally from Taizhou, and could not be considered beautiful even when she was young. She was even looked down upon at home. Later on, her parents died of illness, leaving behind only her older brother, who was already married, and her sister-in-law, who was about to give birth to a baby.


    This should have been something to be happy about. However, in front of Du Yueyao, it had become a living disaster...


    His brother didn''t like her since she was young and thought that it was useless for her to be ugly. She was too young and didn''t have enough strength, so she couldn''t work well either. When I was about to die, I secretly gave Du Yueyao an almond flower bracelet and cried that there was nothing left for you to give me anymore. The pain is that I spent too much money and only have this bracelet that your mother likes the most, no matter what, I don''t want to be duped anymore.


    Before his death, the old father had still been holding onto Du Yueyao''s hand.


    "Daddy doesn''t have anything else to give you. Your brother has already grown up and he even got married, so he has helped me settle my heart. Right now, the only thing I''m worried about is you, Yueyu ¡­


    "This bracelet will be yours. It can be counted as daddy''s final gift to you ¡­"


    After the old man died, Du Yueyao, who was young, could only live with his brother, who was already married. But my brother is not a kind-hearted man. Furthermore, sister-in-law isn''t someone who is easy to deal with ¡­ The two of them had originally received quite a bit of money from the family before their father passed away, but because they couldn''t take care of the shop, they had to close the doors one after another. In the end, it had become difficult for them to even live.


    Then, brother started to coax the young Du Yueyao. She told him to give her the jade bracelet with the apricot flowers and sell it to her ¡­ Livelihoods.


    Du Yueyao was initially unwilling to do so. Currently, this was the only thing her mother had left for her. She slept with this jade artifact all night long, as if she was curled up in her mother''s embrace. But now that her brother was begging her and her life was indeed difficult, she naturally gave him this bracelet.


    The bracelet was made of apricot flower jade and carved with apricot flowers. Although it was not expensive, it was indeed very novel. He could still sell it for a lot of money. Originally, he thought that this matter might be over, but how could such a simple matter exist? Not long after, his brother''s life was unable to continue on. Gradually, he had everything that he could pawn moved away, and finally the foundation of the house.


    They do not learn to save because of poverty. No matter what, he still felt that he had to get drunk since he had wine this morning. Otherwise, why would he bring wine? As a result, the money he got from each pawn was quickly squandered ¡­


    After spending all his money, he would inevitably have ideas for Du Yueyao.


    Thus, he came up with a method that made him extremely excited ¡­


    Even though all the items that could be sold had been sold... But I have a sister to sell...


    This thought made him feel exceptionally smart, almost to the point of worshipping herself ¡­ It was a pity that Du Yueyao was too ugly, and that no wealthy family would be willing to buy him as a concubine, if she were to sell him to the poor. Those who can''t afford a wife buy to be a child''s daughter-in-law, that''s a prank, but how much silver can the poor have? This silver was probably not enough for him to open a game of gamble ¡­


    If he sold her to others to be a laborer, a girl or something ¡­ Then, it would be even less worth it. Du Yueyao would not only be ugly, she would also be thin and small. With just a look, one could tell that she was someone who did not have long to live, so how could she do such a tiring job? The price she offered was either too low or she wasn''t willing to take it ¡­


    Ye Zichen thought about it. He finally thought of a good place, a brothel ¡­


    The brothel was a good place with a lot of money. Many rich young masters and young masters spent a fortune on it. The girl and the bawd shared the money, so even though the bawd in the brothel looked extremely disgusting and despicable, it was still extremely rich ¡­


    And what was the situation in the brothel? There were bodyguards, servants, all of them. Young mistress, this servant serves you. It takes a wide variety of people to sustain a decent operation. That was the place Du Yueyao needed to stay at right now. She was still young and ugly, but at least she could support the beauty of those young misses ¡­


    Although she was weak and didn''t have much strength, she didn''t need to do any heavy work. Naturally, heavy work could be done by servants. There was naturally a special girl who served the young miss in such a meticulous and clean manner. A little girl like her could only fetch water and clean the fence. Or clean up the table and help with two bottles of flowers...


    She remembered that when her parents were still alive, she was extremely fond of arranging flowers. In this aspect of talent, she must have inherited the talent from the mother of the gardener''s daughter ¡­


    And my mother loves apricot flowers... Although apricot flowers can only be found in spring, she can concoct her own medicine and let the flower bloom from spring to summer ¡­


    Therefore, when her mother was alive, she loved and hated to wear it. In other words, that ''apricot bracelet'' ¡­


    Ye Zichen immediately did what he said. This brother had always been someone who kept his word. The next day, Xiao Yue Yao, who still wasn''t very sensible, was brought to the brothel to discuss the price with the old procuress ¡­

 C121

    After being sold by her big brother, Little Yueyao finally understood that she had nothing left to lose now ¡­ Not only had he lost his father''s home, even his mother''s bracelet no longer belonged to him. Brother and that old bawd signed a life-long slave contract. He took the silver that would keep him drunk for an entire night and went to spend it ¡­


    But now that she was in a situation where she wanted to cry but had no tears, she could only obediently plant flowers for the old procuress. Boiling water, cooking, and doing these menial chores in the woodshed were extremely diligent. The old procuress saw that this little girl''s life was miserable. In the end, she was still considered a diligent person. She was someone who liked her ¡­


    From time to time, he would give the little girl some clothes as a reward. To let her live a better life, to dress herself up and do good deeds when she reaches adulthood, to find an ordinary family and marry her out ¡­


    But this was also strange. That Du Yueyao seemed to have some sort of magic power. Year after year, she grew taller and taller, to the point that she was especially beautiful. Her eyes were opened, and her nose was straight ¡­ It was as if she had swapped her body for a leather bag ¡­ She was like a beautiful woman ¡­


    Although Du Yueyao''s life slave contract was still in the hands of the old procuress, at that time her brother only took Du Yueyao''s money to be a slave. Although he really wanted Du Yueyao to be the young miss of a brothel, she didn''t in the end. The reason was that Du Yueyao was too ugly, as a young miss, who would like her? Just wait for the money to be lost...


    But in the end, the bawd was not a bad person. It was not because of Du Yueyao''s contract, but seeing how beautiful she had become, she used this matter to coerce her to become her brothel''s young miss. She brought Du Yueyao to her own room and asked her if she wanted to take some silver to marry an ordinary person.


    This girl had already reached adulthood, and was already so beautiful. She had been busy in this brothel all year round, and many people had seen her. They all had a lot of ill intentions towards her. She had already become a bawd, but she did not want to hurt anyone. She wanted to give Du Yueyao a choice ¡­


    Even though she had spent many years in the brothel, her body was still innocent after all. If she were to marry now, there would definitely be people who would be willing to treat her well instead of wasting their lives ¡­


    That little Yueyue thought for a while and then said to that old bawd ¡­


    "I want to stay ¡­"


    Naturally, the old procuress could not believe that she did not cherish such a chance to return to the days of ordinary people ¡­


    Du Yueyao clearly said it again: "I want to stay, and be like those big sisters who are young ladies in a brothel ¡­"


    The old procuress could hardly believe her ears ¡­ Thinking about it, could it be that the child had been staying in the brothel for so many years that he had become a retard? Did she not understand how lowly a brothel lady was in society? In the end, it''s just a toy for those rich people...


    But why was the child willing to stay? Could it be that he had taken a fancy to some playboy who often came here?


    Du Yueyao had her own thoughts. She had seen too many men working in the brothel, so she naturally knew that none of them could entrust their lives to her. She had never felt that the prostitute''s status was as low as it could get. They relied on their own talents and bodies to eat.


    She also wanted to be able to support herself. Instead of relying on a man or an older brother ¡­ No one could rely on him. After walking down this road of despair, the only one who could be trusted was himself ¡­


    The old procuress, seeing her determination, did not try to dissuade her. She was a soft-hearted person. Seeing that Du Yueyao was so beautiful and was so different from normal girls, being together with her all year round, she couldn''t help but love him dearly and didn''t want to make him feel wronged.


    So he stopped her flower arrangement and the work in the kitchen. Let her begin to live like a prince.


    Speaking of Du Yueyao''s appearance, there was another special point that made people''s hearts ache ¡­ Even the old procuress began to feel sorry for her. She taught her how to sit, how to walk, how to wear clothes, how to comb her hair so it was especially beautiful ¡­ These were her own experiences. She even got someone to find the famous Young Master Wan Huan and told him to ask Du Yueyao to play the good zither no matter what. In the end, this fairy-like, beautiful woman still couldn''t bear to be trampled on by those stinking men. She wanted to be proficient in a technique that would allow her to have a status that was slightly different from Miss''s in the brothel ¡­ At least he could get rid of some of the slights ¡­


    Zither Lady ¡­


    Although she was already very old at learning skills, she was still very intelligent. It didn''t take long for her to master quite a few small notes, coupled with the training from Mr. Wan Huan, her sensitivity towards the zither music was naturally quite high.


    After using another two years, she was finally taught by Young Master Wan Huan to become a zither player that could be considered a top expert amongst experts ¡­


    Du Yueyao began to put up a sign for the old procuress in the brothel, valuing her, so that she could play the zither or sing a little song. However, her fame in the Taizhou region had already skyrocketed, far surpassing that of the previous prostitute. Her fame was something that no one had ever been able to achieve before.


    She didn''t have any men in her sights, nor did she have any so-called support. She relied on the old procuress to make money for her, as well as for herself. Although he was still young, he knew how to make a person happy. How to make your every move pleasing to the eye... Those are almost her natural talents... However, they were previously sealed in the bones. Now, it seemed that the seal had been released, allowing the demons to be released ¡­


    There was more and more stuff in her room. People continued to bring her jewelry, gold and silver, precious beads ¡­ She couldn''t even look at it ¡­


    But at night, when he lay in bed, he could hear the intermittent notes of a zither coming from outside his window. Although it wasn''t very pleasing to the ear, it still made her feel particularly tormented ¡­


    The sound of the zither was extremely sorrowful. She might be lamenting about her past, or she might just be missing some heartless man ¡­


    But in the end, it was because of this that made Du Yueyao feel such sorrow ¡­ She was better off now, with money to spend and jewelry to wear. She thought that if she had grown up a little earlier and had gotten that much money, then her father wouldn''t have to die from illness ¡­


    Perhaps they could even ask the best and most expensive doctor in the capital to survive until now. With her grandson around her lap, there was delicious food that she could enjoy ¡­


    Unfortunately, those were all if ¡­


    She thought of her mother. She missed the bracelet of her mother, who had accompanied her in her youth. It was a light pink, just like the warmth of apricot petals. It was as if she could smell the fragrance of apricot flowers with her eyes closed ¡­


    As a result, she began to pay special attention to the jewelry gifted to her by the rich young masters. Although it was extremely precious, it was still worthless in her heart ¡­


    What she wanted was an apricot bracelet ¡­


    I wonder who my brother pawned to all those years ago ¡­ Right now, she was willing to exchange everything she had for something else ¡­


    She began to like apricot flowers, like a mother... She always felt that the light and warm pink was her mother''s color, and that the small flower was her mother''s flower.


    That flower had once been carefully protected and taken care of by his mother. It bloomed so beautifully. So she started to collect the flowers... Everything with apricot flowers, bracelets, earrings, oaths, clothes, all began to be collected ¡­ One by one, they filled their own boxes...


    The old procuress still had some understanding towards this little girl. She was old and was not willing to open a brothel anymore, so she dismissed all the girls in her house. In the end, only Du Yueyao who refused to leave remained. However, she was very clear in her heart. How could this girl who had such an exquisite appearance be an object in the pond?


    She told Du Yueyao.


    "Go, there are still many beautiful places with apricot flowers in the world of Phoenix Dynasty. There are many apricot bracelets and earrings waiting for you to enjoy. "If you ever get tired of me and I''m not dead yet, come back and serve me ¡­"


    Du Yueyao bade farewell to the old procuress, and finally set foot on the road to the capital.


    She had seen many more men since then, and naturally gained more insight.


    The only thing that warmed her heart was the little family that her mother had once given her. How could she possibly care about those stinky young masters?


    She often appeared, so she sent word out that the girl needed earrings today and a bracelet tomorrow ¡­ He left behind all the apricot flowers and gave the rest to his sisters ¡­


    Later on, she met Lan Xiao, the new bawd. That kind of free, easy and special power made her feel amazed ¡­


    For a while he had been proud but also loyal, free, and very funny, almost to the point of putting a foot in every funny thing. Thinking about it, Lan Xiao was an elegant and noble young lady who could not be married off. If she did not marry off, then she would just be guarding her father''s gold mountain for the rest of her life. However, she didn''t expect Lanxiao to leave home and threaten to become a bawd ¡­


    What is the bawd? Brothel Lady''s mother ¡­


    She really did have enough ¡­


    However, he had been out for a long time, and he still needed a stable territory. He needed to earn money and buy all sorts of things from the apricot flowers ¡­ Wandering was not suitable for Du Yuyao; she was tired after all. Then, he proposed to become Lan Xiao''s ace in the hole ¡­


    One way, two ways... Just like that, he had achieved the feat of becoming famous in the capital, and in the same kind of brothels, his Spring Brothel was like a crane amongst a flock of chickens ¡­


    As for the young master from the minister Palace ¡­ She had seen many people with this kind of manly appearance long ago. Unless they were blind, they wouldn''t think highly of him...


    She and Xiao Cui''er could be considered fated. No matter how she cried, she still wanted to be her servant, but she didn''t ask for any compensation. She was more or less the same person as before, yet she was trying her best to do a lot of things. In the end, she still felt her heart ache.


    One day, he would definitely treat her the way the old procuress had treated her back then. He would give Xiao Cui''er a lot of silver and would marry her off without a hitch.

 C122

    Spring rain began in March. The rain also understood the feelings of sorrow and sadness, lingering on for an entire night, and even until the morning, it was still drifting about. The apricot flowers on the boat had all been wet, so it simply drizzled spring rain. However, it didn''t knock them off, but rather made them appear even brighter.


    She told Xiao Cui''er to take care of the flowers properly as she sat by the window and listened to the sound of the breeze hitting the window frame. The window was only half open, and she deliberately left it unlocked, so she heard the wind flapping it and smelled the air coming through the apricots.


    How boring ¡­.


    Now that Xiao Cui''er had a new worry, could it be that Du Yueyao had taken a fancy to some young master? She felt that none of the young masters in this brothel were good stuff.


    Maybe she was born to worry. Her mother died early, so she took care of his father as soon as she could. He washed clothes and cooked. Afterwards, her father got sick, and she did everything she could to save him. Get a doctor. Later on, when she looked down on sickness, she sat in front of the doctor''s pharmacy and listened to the conversation between the patient and the doctor, secretly learning and seeing what the herbs were. Since he couldn''t afford it, he took his hoe and went up the mountain to dig for himself. How can people in the village use medicine so easily? From ancient times until now, there have been many strange things in this world. There were often similar things, but when they were used, their effects were vastly different ¡­ Xiao Cui''er only listened to the doctor talking about it, how could she tell the difference between the medicinal herbs and the medicine ¡­


    Besides, there was still more to be used... It was very particular about how many pills to open. And those strange primers. Some were obviously poison, but they could save a person''s life if they had a proper grasp of it. If he ate more, he would only be able to go to the Western Heavens ¡­


    Such a complicated drug system. A mere little girl wanting to cure his father''s illness? It was simply a fantasy story ¡­ But when Xiao Cui''er heard this, he did not become depressed. However, every time she dug up a medicinal herb, she would personally try if there was poison inside. She would try it when the stew was ready and see if she could drink it or not...


    She didn''t know if it was because her medicine was truly useful, or if her own sincerity had truly moved the heavens. Her father had lived for several more years under her care. Although Xiao Cui''er was so hungry that her face was yellow and skinny, he was extremely happy ¡­


    One day, however, he was unable to drag on. His father, who was lying on the bed, suddenly spat out a large mouthful of blood. Thus, he had the thought of going to a brothel to sell himself.


    However, although Du Yueyao had finally managed to get a doctor to treat his father''s illness, the doctor was powerless to reverse the situation, and said that your father had already reached the end of his life, and it was already a miracle that he could drag it out to this point.


    Not long after, his father passed away. Xiao Cui''er buried his father and then went to find Du Yueyao''s residence. She was probably the best person he had ever met ¡­


    "How could I possibly like them? "I only smelled the fragrance of the apricot flowers and felt that the spring sunshine was very good ¡­"


    "Apricot flower? Do apricot flowers smell good? Why can''t I smell it? " Xiao Cui was also confused, she had never smelled any of the flowers that she took care of everyday before. After hearing what Du Yueyao said, she scrunched her nose and took a sniff, but she still couldn''t get anything out of it.


    At the same time, in another luxurious and spacious courtyard in the capital, a man became depressed because of the continuous spring rain. That person was Yin Ci, who came to visit them from his hometown.


    This time, he didn''t come to the capital just to visit relatives. Her mother had an old bracelet that she loved a lot. It was a light pink one with a few apricot flowers on it. However, when it entered her mother''s hands, the bracelet had already been broken into two pieces. But his mother was extremely fond of him. Always blabber about how wonderful it would be if the bracelet were intact.


    His mother had always said that such a beautiful bracelet was probably something that its original owner was extremely fond of. Now that it had come to him, he had to treat it well. However, the bracelet was broken now, and even the spiritual energy inside seemed to have broken apart ¡­ It was always a pity.


    His mother had never traveled far, and although her family was rich, she could not find anyone in the city who could repair the bracelet. The method that the self-proclaimed extremely skilled craftsmen gave her was to make a piece of gold ornament around the broken part of the bracelet, so that the broken part could be reconnected.


    His mother sighed. He felt that the simple tone of the bracelet had been completely broken. It seemed that the spiritual energy was gone as well.


    That was an apricot bracelet carved from apricot jade, how could it be related to the stench of copper?


    He overheard that there was such a capable person in the capital who could repair the broken jade bracelets. Furthermore, he didn''t use any gold or silver ornaments. However, the journey was very far and his mother''s body could not bear these bumps, so he could not be at ease with what she said to others. Coincidentally, his son Yin Ci was going to visit his relatives in the capital. This son was honest and responsible, and he also did things with great steadfastness. He was filial and filial to his mother, so the madam naturally felt at ease. Give the bracelet to your son to bring into the capital.


    She was a gentle woman with many strange ideas. Although she couldn''t help but marry into a rich porcelain merchant and give birth to a family of sons, perhaps it was because her family had always been rich and she had never experienced any hardships. In the end, she still retained the innocence of a pure woman. "He might even float out and tell me the story of the owner of this bracelet...


    It was absurd, but the lady had always believed it. And although the husband always thought his eldest son was stupid, stupid, unable to inherit business, and could only do his duty. Or help your brother in the future. However, she felt that his eldest son was the most similar to her. Yin Ci was her fairy ¡­


    These stories were all about the Spirit Demon and Spirit Demon. Although Yin Ci did not believe it, but on one hand, he treated his mother with respect, and pretended that he really believed those stories. On the other hand, as long as his mother was happy, he felt better, no matter what.


    He carefully wrapped the bracelet around himself and brought it to the capital. However, after searching the streets for several days, he still hadn''t found anyone who could repair that bracelet. All the craftsmen''s methods were similar to those described in Taizhou, so his mother definitely didn''t like them ¡­


    In the morning, this fellow took the box out to the streets for a stroll. He only came back when it was almost lunchtime. Although the spring rain was extremely small, it had already made his clothes wet. He was going to get sick if this went on. However, his illness was not that serious. In the end, he still could not find a person who could repair that bracelet. So what if he was young and sick? But how he wanted his loving mother to be happy.


    At this moment, she was wearing wet clothes as she watched the rain falling down from the sky. She always felt depressed in her heart ¡­


    He was indeed as useless as his father had said. He couldn''t even find a craftsman who made up the bracelet ¡­


    The owner of the house was his father''s brother, and as such, he was his nephew. In the capital, he was also extremely rich, and he had a few sons. cousin brother Yin Yaoli was assigned by his father to receive this nephew who came from afar.


    This Yin Yaoli was truly a lively young master. He was too busy drinking wine and walking around the brothel boat all day long, how could he have the mood to take care of this cousin who came from a foreign land. Even though his father had sternly ordered him to stay at home, he did not put it to heart. Ever since that day, when he had barely been able to stay at home to wait for Yin Ci to come and receive him, he started to ask all sorts of questions.


    But the questions were:


    What was the best place with the best Su Zhou?


    What was the name of the best wife? But what talent?


    Which restaurant would have the most expensive and most delicious wine? But how many years had it been?


    Although Yin Ci''s family was wealthy, the questions that the cousin brother asked he honestly did not know ¡­ Shaking his head with a blank look on his face, Yin Yaoli was extremely disappointed. He finally understood that his cousin''s taste and clothing were completely different, and his interests and interests were not even slightly related to each other. The principle of not meeting each other was something he understood.


    His father wanted him to take him shopping? What do you want? Did he bring him along when he went to the Flower Street? Listening to him continuously clamoring on the side, what was this strange question that caused the girl he had befriended to laugh out loud in the past?


    He could not afford to lose that man. His family was well-off, and he was one of the richest businessmen in the capital. He was an extremely generous and knowledgeable young master, why did he wish to bring such an ignorant and unromantic younger cousin to lose face? Thinking of this, he couldn''t help but shake his head in fright ¡­ She faked a few words of flattery, asking the servants to take good care of Yin Ci. They were all eating and drinking heartily ¡­ Enclosing a map of the capital, he escaped as though he was running around with oil. He had not seen Yin Ci for many days as well.


    Yin Ci is also extremely sincere, if only his own uncle smelt good, he would always reply that cousin brother is very good to him! They also took me out to play! I have my own matters to attend to these few days, so I do not have the time to travel to the capital with cousin brother. But the capital was really good! I''ll go back and talk to my father. I wonder how happy he will be!


    When he said that, his uncle naturally believed him. He even thought that his son had finally become sensible and that he hadn''t taught him all these years for nothing ¡­


    Originally, when Yin Yaoli heard his father asking about his younger cousin''s treatment, he was so scared that cold sweat broke out. Thinking that he would be severely scolded today, he didn''t think that that brat would actually be so sensible and not say anything. In fact, he even spoke of his extremely courteously. His father was naturally happy to praise his ¡­


    Thinking up to here, he couldn''t help but have a whole new level of respect for this kid who he thought was a fool previously ¡­


    He even felt a little guilty about not caring about Yue Yang at all. This made the servant specially move his own food to Yin Ci''s place and decided to have lunch with him to make up for his little guilty conscience ¡­

 C123

    Yin Ci was looking at the table that was filled with dishes and wine jugs. For a moment, he didn''t know what to do and felt embarrassed. He quickly said:


    "There is no need for the cousin brother to be so courteous. Living in this mansion, with servants waiting on you for food, clothing, and living here, you are already under the care of the cousin brother ¡­"


    Yin Yaoli did not know whether he was truly stupid or just pretending as he chuckled. He was given several dishes and a glass of wine.


    "Have a taste, this is the only ancient Worryfree Wine in the capital, are you used to drinking it? The aftereffects of the wine were not great, but it was exceptionally fragrant ¡­ The Prince Bi Lord of the palace had a birthday banquet when he was ten years old last year.


    Yin Ci was unable to refuse it, and could only take a small gulp. Unlike his father, he was more like his mother in every way. Since a young age, he had never touched a single drop of wine. There was quite a lot of good wine in the cellar at home, all treasured by his father. However, he did not seem to have the fortune to enjoy the aroma of wine that his father spoke of. Even a whiff of it would make him feel drunk ¡­ Not to mention letting him drink it ¡­


    However, the words of his cousin made him have no choice but to accept it and drink. After all, he had to be polite when he was out. His mother had taught him this.


    Strangely speaking, the Worryfree Wine tasted more like fruit juice, yet it didn''t make him feel intoxicated. After swallowing it, there was still a bit of aftertaste left in his mouth, making him feel extra comfortable ¡­


    When Yin Yaoli saw that the fellow drinking the wine that was suitable for kids to drink, he could not help but be amused. To him, that was not even considered alcohol, it was just a type of drink. He inwardly sighed to himself that this Yin Ci was indeed as innocent as a child. However, Yin Ci didn''t find him annoying, he just wanted to tease him for a bit.


    As he did so, he poured himself another bottle of wine, a new bottle of Wangyou. Even though there was only a difference of one word between the strength of the wine and the strength of the Worryfree Wine, there was a huge difference of one word between the power of the wine and the wine by a thousand miles ¡­


    That''s right, the worry about wine was the kind of wine that would make an innocent Yin Ci fall drunk from a single whiff.


    It was not a coincidence that the two wines had similar names. Rather, it was a deep portrayal of the wines they drank. The Worryfree Wine was not intoxicating, and there was only an extremely small amount of alcohol mixed with a large amount of fruit water. It was specially given to children to drink. Kids were naive and naive, where did their worries come from? Therefore, calling it "Worryfree Wine" was in keeping with the state of mind of a drinker.


    As for the Worry Wine, it went without saying. It can make people forget their worries, because it is not only alcohol, but also very strong. It was originally a wine unique to the Western Regions. These few years, the number of people with West Cold in the capital gradually increased. Those who drank this wine had an extremely strong aftertaste, and almost no one was able to withstand it.


    Seeing her drifting about in the clouds, she naturally no longer remembered her worries. Therefore, it was called the Wangyou Wine, and it was also the first choice for talented people to drink and write poems.


    Yin Yaoli felt that it was a pity that such fine wine was directed at a wood that drank fruit wine. But his cousin also amused him. He didn''t think about him these days. I wonder what this dumb mutt can do with a broken map? Did he go to those places these days? What do you think is the best in the capital? Do you need your own help and recommendations?


    If Yin Yaoli talked about the interesting things in the capital, he would probably talk about them for three days and three nights straight. Running horses in the suburbs, listening to the play in Pear Garden. The flower school sings the voice of the palace of the beautiful girl and the Liuzhou County of the Master Fang how the memory is superb. And within the zither room, Miss Pan Xue had an extraordinary temperament. How exquisite and rare were the dishes and wine in the Drunken Immortal Tavern? And how delicious was the taste of the fat crab in the Eight Treasures Lake ¡­ These were the treasures in his eyes ¡­ Furthermore, the brothel boat Beauty Du Yueyao, who was recently the most famous and was pushed to the forefront, was a pity that he was unable to get the chance to see Fang Rong even though he had lined up several times ¡­


    When Yin Ci heard the cousin brother ask those questions, he naturally answered honestly.


    "Recently, I''ve been strolling the streets of the east side of the city. When I''m hungry, I''ll go to a small shop to eat some vegetable porridge. The streets of the capital were many and complex. Almost all of them got lost, luckily I have the map cousin brother you gave me ¡­


    I went to see my silk shop and pulled out a few pieces of cloth for my mother to make clothes. The clothes weren''t as soft as the Su Zhou, but the color of the flowers was too much compared to the grandeur of the Su Zhou. Porcelain was naturally better than porcelain in the capital. I also changed my pony for a saddle. The craftsman had even carved my name on the saddle, which was not available at Su Zhou. "Furthermore, his cooking skills are exceptionally good ¡­"


    Yin Yaoli naturally did not think that he would say all this, and even said it with such relish. He could not help but yawn. Drinking wine for himself ¡­


    As expected, he shouldn''t have eaten with this piece of wood ¡­ What a waste of his time drinking to himself. He had failed to live up to the beauty in the west wing''s courtyard ¡­ As he thought about it, he couldn''t help but feel a bit tired ¡­


    However, Yin Ci was minding his own business, and also noticed that this cousin brother of his was a little impatient. He also obediently stopped talking and said the last question ¡­


    "I do have a question that I need to ask cousin brother."


    Yin Yaoli had finally recovered some of his thoughts from the Worry Wine. he asked dreamily.


    "Speak, I''m listening. There''s nothing in the capital that I, Yin Yaoli, am not clear about ¡­"


    He was already slightly drunk, and the aftereffects of the Wangyou Wine were well-known. Normally, when he got drunk, he would always have beauties accompanying him. While drinking, he would also be fed a lot of delicious food by the beauty.


    However, the person accompanying her was not a beauty. I can''t stop talking about all those silly bookworms. He was so angry that he regretted arranging this meal. His heart was filled with boredom. He also knew that he shouldn''t act up. He lowered his head as he thought about his own affairs. Then he gulped down cups after cups of wine. Now that he had regained his senses, half of the pot had already been swallowed into his stomach.


    Hearing that fellow''s words, that fellow finally thought of something to ask him. As he replied, he warned himself in his heart:


    "Brat, you better be able to ask some questions related to women ¡­"


    Yin Ci stopped looking and asked.


    "What I want to ask is, this matter is related to the bracelet, I wonder if cousin brother knows about it."


    Bracelet! This silly kid finally knew how to buy a bracelet to please a woman ¡­


    It was not as he had expected. He quickly said ¡­


    "I know I know. You want to buy a bracelet? Say it earlier. The first brand, Smokey, had told me that the best bracelet could be found on the second floor of Bright Moon Jewelry Shop. If you want to choose, I can still accompany you ¡­ "By the way, I also bought one for Miss Yan Liu to be happy about ¡­"


    While this fellow was still daydreaming, Yin Ci spoke up.


    "cousin brother, I''m not here to buy bangles."


    "You don''t buy bracelets? Then why did you ask? Do you have a bracelet to buy? Isn''t Uncle a porcelain seller? "


    "cousin brother, it''s like this ¡­ My mother has a broken bracelet. I want to find a good craftsman and fix it up ¡­ "


    Broken Bracelet... To complement... Broken Bracelet... Who would go and make up for their bangle? This brat was indeed not a normal person ¡­


    His face changed from one of anticipation to almost a grimace. His voice also became listless ¡­ who was sitting opposite to him on the table had already taken out a box from behind his back and opened it to show him the broken bracelet. Yin Yaoli''s heart was about to break. He was already extremely angry ¡­ However, he was unable to hold on for much longer due to the alcohol. If he didn''t have a beautiful woman accompanying him, his alcohol tolerance would be very shallow ¡­


    Helplessly waving at the pious Yin Ci at the side of the table. He shook his head again and fell onto the chair. He closed his eyes in despair ¡­


    At the very last moment of his sleep, he was thinking


    "Damn you ¡­" If the bracelet is broken, so be it ¡­ "How did I end up meeting such a boring little brother like you ¡­"


    On that day, Yin Yaoli and Yin Ci drank a good wine and chatted for an entire afternoon. When they woke up, they were already in their own rooms. He ran away again without eating dinner. If so, he might as well spend some time with her. Spring snack is worth a thousand gold, flowers have fragrance moon has yin... Don''t waste any more time on that nerd who can only read.


    Even if they were only queuing beside the brothel boat s with Spring Brothel, they would still be in an extremely good mood ¡­


    I heard that the young master of the minister Palace has already entered. She said she was a peerless beauty. Then Du Yueyao would soon have another private meeting with him, and she would have already wrapped this whole thing up ¡­ Although this made many people feel very disappointed or even desperate. But minister Zhao not only had money, he also had power. Although his family was extremely wealthy, they had no relationship with the imperial government. His father wasn''t his own father after all, so he only had the aura of a wealthy family on his head ¡­ How could he compete with the son of minister Zhao?


    However, if he was fated to meet that wife of Du Yueyao, it would also be extremely good to be able to meet her ¡­


    As for cousin brother, he continued to wait at the brothel boat s he loved, then Yin Ci would naturally obediently continue shopping, it was just that right now, the scope of his touring had already spread from the east gate to the west gate. Every day he led his horse. He strolled around. If he were to walk down a new street, the first thing he would see would be whether or not there was a jade artifact store. Afterwards, he would head over to find out if there were any good places to repair the jade artifacts.


    He didn''t bring the box with him. Was he afraid that he would accidentally break the bracelet, or was it safer to leave it at home?


    Every time he heard of a good place to repair the bracelet, he would ride home to get it. Show it to the craftsman. It was a pity that those who had seen it all shook their heads. Even if it could be repaired, it would be replaced with the previous gold ornament. or it could be entangled with a thread...


    This made him even more depressed ¡­ Every day, they would rush over in excitement and return in disappointment ¡­

 C124

    The turning point of the matter occurred roughly the seventh day since the brothel boat started sailing. Within a full seven days, the brothel boat set sail to welcome the guests. On the ship that carried Spring Brothel, people were in trouble every day. The wharf and the bridge were filled with people waiting to see Du Yueyao, but how could that Du Yueyao be able to see them just because she wanted to?


    Those who had seen her in the past seven days could be counted on one hand. He had most likely left after just meeting once, but he had also paid quite a hefty price. Gold and jewelry, they were all absolutely top-notch goods. There were even some products from the palace.


    After all, there was a rule in the palace that the craftsmen in the palace were not allowed to make things for anyone outside the palace in private. Furthermore, there weren''t many craftsmen in the palace; all of them were phoenixes of the entire Great Phoenix. Naturally, there weren''t many items.


    Only for the harem. Furthermore, he had to obtain the permission of the old master of the emperor to beat things for either a noble or a queen. The Emperor said that whoever was rewarded would receive one reward. Therefore, almost all of the gold jewelry was given through the emperor''s mouth. It was mostly used on the Imperial Noble Consort or the empress. How could it have flowed out?


    The only explanation was which prince had come out from the dressing table of his mother in the palace with a smile in order to win over that beauty ¡­


    The people outside did not know, since the gifts were all placed inside the boxes, they could not be seen inside. But Xiao Cui''er and Du Yueyao, Xiao Cui''er, naturally knew who gave them this gift. What did the person look like?


    When the emperor was sixteen years old and still a prince, he had already married two concubines. At that time, a prince had already been born, and even after the emperor was forty years old, he was still giving birth to a concubine. Therefore, some children had already grown up to the point where they were looking for flowers, while others were still in their infancy, waiting to be fed ¡­


    The most favored one among them was the current crown prince, who was only eleven years old.


    Du Yueyao looked at the golden ornament, although it was extremely exquisite, he did not receive any more of her praise. Xiao Cui''er then heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, her elder sister did not take a fancy to him, so the prince was not someone easy to entrust ¡­


    She didn''t know why, but when her elder sister saw every man, every time she accepted a gift, she looked as if she was facing a great enemy, afraid that Du Yueyao would just look at no one else ¡­


    Everyone who had gifted him the golden artifacts knew full well that it was the First Prince. He was already twenty years old. He was a full ten years older than the Second Prince, Wang Bi. According to the grade, he should have been the one to be the Crown Prince, but he was taken away by the Second Prince, a brat that was still wet behind the ears. I heard that the Emperor likes the Second Prince, Wang Bi. Comparing the two, Eldest Prince seemed stupid after all.


    Thinking about it, it made sense. The gold artefact that he sent over was stolen from his mother. It was from the emperor''s woman. Who would dare to bring it with them? Only the emperor would dare to bestow upon anyone who used the palace''s golden artifacts. Otherwise, even ten or so heads wouldn''t be enough to kill them.


    The First Prince took great pains to bring this over, obviously to make Du Yueyao happy. Although it was true that she was beautiful, no one dared to bring her along ¡­


    Du Yueyao received it. She glanced at it, then quickly told Xiao Cui to put it away properly. If the First Prince comes back one day, he would return it to him ¡­


    She had been staying in the brothel boat all day, and now that the ship was swaying, she no longer felt dizzy. Moreover, she and Xiao Cui''er lived alone on the third floor, which was pretty spacious.


    "Sister, there are too many people waiting outside. Sister Lan, do you want to see them?"


    Du Yueyao casually opened her eyes. Looking at the list of gifts in front of him. Jade, jewellery, hair accessories. All kinds, everything.


    He skimmed through it briefly. Not bad, there were still one or two items that made her feel satisfied. After that, the people outside also realized that Du Yueyao seemed to really like the almond flowers, and started to carve little things that could be considered good for her.


    Now, looking at the many gift boxes that were just brought in, Du Yueyao''s mood became better. Tao


    "See, see, let them all in ¡­"


    Xiao Cui''er could be considered to have gained some experience, and could even act like this, seeing a few more guests at once. You can also rest early ¡­


    And this time, among the few young masters, there was one called Yin Yaoli ¡­


    Yin Yaoli selectively found a few Apricot Flower Jades and gifted them to his, intentionally not forming them. He only said that these were absolute top-grade good jades, and this one didn''t dare to make the decision on his own. What kind of jade artifact one wanted to create would depend on the intentions of the Miss Yueyao.


    Such small thoughts were naturally useful. Du Yueyao accepted it, and even said that when she saw him, she was so happy that it felt like she was walking on cotton.


    When she really did enter that apricot brothel boat, the scene in front of him made him feel like he really had never missed a rumor. This woman was truly as beautiful as a goddess ¡­


    Du Yueyao was naturally not the only girl at the banquet, there were also quite a few other girls. All of them were girls on the boat, and the few young masters that entered were similar in age to their own families.


    They were all eating and drinking together, and there was even a poem that the young master wanted to write between the banquet tables. People who knew would naturally know that it was most likely written since the day they were born. They would just come here to recite it intentionally, and in order to obtain Miss Du Yueyao''s heart, these people would probably go all out ¡­ Then, when Yin Yaoli saw this, he started to regret why he did not know how many poems to memorize before he went out again. What if Lady Du Yueyao really had a good mouth like this?


    At this moment, he sincerely remembered that silly cousin of his. Although they didn''t interact much, and he already knew that the idiot was not a good brother of the same country as him, they couldn''t possibly have a common language, but he had to admit that the idiot was good at reading books. His father had praised this child''s literary talent again and again, to the point that his ears had calluses in them ¡­


    But that was the truth, and he had no choice but to admit it.


    I heard that it was only because that suddenly rich uncle of mine did not let him take the rank test, otherwise Yin Ci would definitely be on the top of the rankings ¡­


    As for why his uncle didn''t let him take the exam, it was said that he felt that his family business was too big, and that his son couldn''t be divided up ¡­


    At that time, he was still joking with Yin Ci.


    "It seems like there is only one uncle separating you and your title ¡­"


    "Young master, what are you thinking about?"


    Du Yueyao saw that Yin Yaoli seemed to be deep in thought and was curious about his reason. At that time, Yin Yaoli was also in a daze, blaming himself for not knowing more poems or something like that. It was indeed useless normally, but at this moment, he could definitely use it to show off ¡­


    He didn''t think too much about it and replied, "It''s nothing. I was thinking about a cousin of mine ¡­"


    "Oh? With a beautiful lady by his side, how could Young Master Yin think of his cousin? Young Master Yin is someone we have a whole new level of respect for. I don''t know if there''s anything fun to say, so we can all enjoy ourselves ¡­ "


    When Yin Yaoli said that he was thinking about his younger cousin, he immediately regretted it ¡­ He had been living for such a long time, yet she couldn''t figure out what she wanted him to do ¡­ Now, he wanted to cry, but there were no tears ¡­


    Think about what funny things could have happened to that boring idiot of his...


    Silently crying in his heart ¡­ Laughing dryly twice ¡­


    "That cousin of mine is from the Su Zhou, so he doesn''t have much experience."


    As soon as he finished this sentence, someone immediately gave up...


    "Brother Yin, you know about the rumors of heaven in the downstream of Suhang. That''s a great place! I heard that it''s even more interesting than the capital. Your cousin came from the Su Zhou, how could he not have seen it? "


    Yin Yaoli was also extremely regretful. He thought about how carefree and unrestrained he was normally, how he was nostalgic and at the location of the wind and moon, how he danced with women and drank with them everyday while talking and laughing with them. He thought that he was a very carefree person, but why did he not know how to speak today? In front of such a beautiful lady ¡­ Was he really possessed by a decaying god?


    And it just so happened that right at this moment, Du Yueyao smiled and added on ¡­


    "Young master, little girl Du Yueyao''s hometown is also a person from the Su Zhou, but I''ve never heard of the Su Zhou being a place with no experience, if young master is not able to explain himself today, I''m afraid this little girl will not let young master go ¡­"


    That Yin Yaoli wanted to cry but no tears came out ¡­ Why isn''t it suitable for me to travel today? Why did he have to offend a beauty?


    He could only honestly say, "I won''t hide it from the Miss, but I know that Su Zhou is a good place, but my little brother really makes people worry. He doesn''t know how to drink and he doesn''t know how to shop ¡­" I wanted to take him out for fun, to see where he liked to go, but if he had any preferences, I was willing to accompany him. But to be honest, I really don''t get along with him ¡­ I don''t think there''s going to be a common language in twenty years...


    He''s been wandering the streets all day, but guess what he''s doing? He was looking for a shop to fill up the jade artifacts. "One of his mother''s jade artifacts was broken, and she said that she wanted to find the best craftsmen to repair it unharmed ¡­"


    "This is rather boring indeed. I''ll have to trouble Brother Yin then." Another young master by his side comforted him.


    "Isn''t that so? I told him to leave it to my servant if he really wanted to do it ¡­" As long as the results are fixed... "But he didn''t want to. He said that he wasn''t at ease and was still wandering around this street day in and day out ¡­"

 C125

    " What did his mother look like when she broke the jade? But how valuable? If there are rare godly objects in this world, it would be worth it for him to put so much effort into making them. "


    As he spoke till here, Du Yueyao''s interest was also piqued. His eyes flickered as he looked at Yin Yaoli, seemingly hoping that he could say what kind of treasure it was.


    Everyone knew that it was true as well. Once the jade artifact shattered, it wouldn''t be worth much anymore ¡­ Even if it was true that someone had specially repaired the jade artifacts for them, it was in the end only to provide comfort to those who had feelings for a jade artifact.


    This and that broken mirror were exactly the same, there were cracks, and there were cracks as well. Therefore, if an ordinary jade artifact was broken, it would naturally be thrown away. However, if there was someone who was still so determined to repair a jade artifact, it would naturally make them think that it was an extremely rare item ¡­


    When Yin Yaoli saw that almost everyone was looking at him seriously, he felt a little awkward for a moment ¡­ Waving his hands to say


    "If it really is a God Equipment, then I don''t think that he is a boring idiot ¡­ That day, before I finished listening to him, I hadn''t even seen the jade artifact before I fell asleep ¡­ Waking up to think what treasure he had broken? Thus, I specially went to him and asked him about the jade artifact. So he showed it to me... Honestly speaking, his family also have wealthy families in Su Zhou. Originally, it should have been quite a good place, but I saw it, it was really just an ordinary almond flower jade bracelet ¡­ "


    He sighed, clearly seeing the disbelief in the eyes of those around him. He knew that he was in the wrong. and went on to say


    "If I were to say that this broken jade artifact is something that her mother has been toying with for many years, or something that someone had entrusted her with, it is naturally understandable if it is not because of the materials but because of the value of the relationship. Ask him what value this is to his aunt. I didn''t expect him to say it wasn''t... It was just a bracelet that was coming out from the pawnshop. Moreover, when his aunt had obtained this bracelet, it had already been broken into pieces ¡­ But my aunt always said she wanted to mend it... "That''s all ¡­"


    "Perhaps you can''t blame yourself for thinking that your little brother had no experience at all." There are so many fun places in the capital. All he does is stare at those worthless jade bracelets; how can he not be stupefied? "


    This time, there was finally someone who could understand Yin Yaoli''s bitterness. Only now did he feel relieved, and after this explanation did he carefully go over to see Du Yueyao''s reaction, only that person was holding the stopper, with an extremely beautiful face that seemed to have some thought. Then she looked up and said,


    "Young master''s words are not unreasonable, but it has piqued my curiosity. I''ve been in the capital for quite a while, and I''ve opened my eyes quite a lot in this bustling capital, but I''ve never seen someone like him before. If young master is fond of me, then this little girl has a request."


    When Yin Yaoli heard that Du Yueyao had something to ask of him, he naturally became extremely excited. In this capital, only those who wanted to meet Du Yueyao were lining up to meet her. It was already impressive for her to be able to talk to them for a bit longer, but the beauty in front of his was actually begging for something?


    "I am at your disposal. "To heaven and earth, even if I were to be smashed to smithereens, I would do it for you ¡­"


    Du Yueyao smiled, "How can it be as difficult as Young Noble has said? Although my matter is not a big matter, not to mention going to heaven and earth, not to mention my body being smashed to pieces, but in the end, I still need Young Noble to take care of me."


    She paused before continuing, "I heard from my young master that I would really like to meet a stupid cousin like you. You can be considered to have a lot of experience."


    Yin Yaoli was also startled. He did not expect Du Yueyao''s request to be this, so he quickly patted his chest and gave his a package.


    "No problem, of course not. Although my cousin doesn''t like this kind of place, I would send him to the lady even if I had to tie him up."


    When he sent that Yin Ci over, he would naturally be extremely happy to see him again. He had already calculated in his heart what kind of gifts he would prepare when he returned, and when he came next time, he would find a chance to get closer to the beauty.


    On one hand, they were surprised. On the other hand, they felt various kinds of jealousy, as though their thousand gold and ten thousand gold requests only allowed them one chance to see this lady, but that Yin Yaoli, with his silly little cousin, was able to see this lady again. He would probably become the first person in the capital who had seen Du Yueyao twice ¡­


    Du Yueyao looked around, and roughly knew what these people were scheming. In the end, she spoke warmly and gently to Yin Yaoli.


    "Young master, you don''t need to tie him up. Don''t you think the capital city''s people are all laughing at your father?"


    Yin Yaoli paused for a moment, which was also true, but how could he dare to hesitate in front of a beauty?


    "What does it matter? I will definitely bring him back to the young lady."


    Du Yueyao was about to laugh again, she held back her laughter, poured a full cup of apricot flower wine from her wine pot and handed it to Young Master Yin as she said:


    "Young master, don''t be rash. I only have a personal wish, how could I ruin your esteemed self''s reputation. However, I do have a choice, why is it so troublesome if you want to bring your younger cousin over?" Isn''t he always looking for a shop to repair the jade artifacts? Just tell him that I am the expert in repairing the jade artifacts in the capital. Naturally, he will bring that jade artifact to me. "


    "You''re so smart ¡­"


    The crowd began to exclaim in unison. Du Yueyao raised her wine cup and drank with the rest of the people ¡­


    After those people left, Du Yueyao flipped through some of the gifts she found pretty good and kept them, while taking the rest for the sisters to choose. Lan Xiao was frowning in satisfaction as she entered the room. That complacent look on her face naturally showed that she had won all of them ¡­


    Then, he listened to what Xiao Cui''er had to say. On the boat next to the boat, the Mommy Chun''s business started to decline. On the contrary, the business of Spring Brothel was flourishing every day.


    These days, he had tried to think of ways to spread rumors among the crowd that the girls in the Spring Brothel were all swindlers, and that Du Yueyao was indeed not as good-looking as the rumors said she was, thinking that doing so would be burying the business of the Spring Brothel, so she was extremely happy.


    But unexpectedly, Lan Xiao had already noticed all these, and laid down beside the flowers, waiting to hear what the old lady had to say. When that old woman turned around and saw her, she was naturally frightened to the point of trembling ¡­


    "What are you trying to hide behind me for!?" Do you really think you''re a ghost? "


    She pretended that she didn''t say anything ¡­


    However, her every word was clearly transmitted into Lan Xiao''s ears.


    "Don''t I have to think of myself as a ghost? If I were to cause a ruckus here, how would I have heard Mommy Chun''s words? "


    That Mommy Chun knew that the words she had just said were naturally in Lan Xiao''s ears. She knew that she was in the wrong, but he was still a person with extremely thick skin. Laughing


    "Yes, what did I say? Aren''t you also like a ghost that didn''t dare to come out and stop me? "


    She thought that she had the upper hand, and Lan Xiao was probably afraid of her. Otherwise, why would she not have come out to stop me when I was shaming my Spring Brothel?


    But Lan Xiao actually laughed with extreme pride, as if she was waiting for the Mommy Chun to say those words.


    "Mommy Chun, you really are that way too. At an age when you''re old, isn''t your brain no longer useful? "Of course I won''t come out on purpose ¡­"


    "What do you mean by that? Aren''t you afraid of me? "


    "Mommy Chun thinks too highly of herself. Since you helped me persuade the guests to leave, I should naturally thank you ¡­"


    His words really confused the Mommy Chun. She had secretly advised Lan Xiao to get rid of that guest, so why would Lan Xiao even need to thank her? Was this fellow insane or was he sick? No matter what, it doesn''t make sense?


    Lan Xiao was indeed very pleased with herself as she chuckled twice. Tao


    "Mommy Chun, look. Any man who wishes to board my brothel boat can queue from the deck all the way to the city gate ¡­ Do you know how much gold it takes to look at my brothel boat? " She made a number with her hands, causing the Mommy Chun''s chin to almost drop to the ground ¡­


    Lan Xiao didn''t mind, though. She continued to sprinkle salt on the Mommy Chun''s wounds.


    "There are also the offerings of all kinds of rare treasures. "How annoying, I''m a brothel boat here, not a treasured vessel, giving me so many treasures and having to go to Wang Bank to store them, so much of them are useless ¡­"


    When she saw that the Mommy Chun was about to collapse, she proudly placed the final straw that killed the camel on her body ¡­


    "Look, I haven''t been able to come to the bank to store the gold this whole day. Look, where did the waterline of my ship end up? "I''m really worried that too much gold will sink my ship."


    But to be able to take Xiao Cui''er in hand at this time was simply a fluke.


    "Sister Lan, Sister Yueyu wants you to go up and receive her gifts ¡­"


    Lan Xiao''s mood immediately became even better as she looked at the messy Mommy Chun in the wind with a tsk-tsk. In the recent days, she was in quite a miserable state, the brothel boat that she had spent a lot of money to create did not bring her any business, and this year, she had basically lost everything. She had also used up all her resources, but her business did not seem to improve at all. She never thought that after running amuck in the brothel for so many years, she was still unable to match up to a newly arrived Lan Xiao and Du Yueyao ¡­ She couldn''t help but place all of her hatred onto the two of them ¡­

 C126

    That Lan Xiao happily entered the house to see what good stuff Du Yueyao had obtained again, but that Xiao Cui''er had a new worry.


    After all, this was the first time she saw Du Yueyao saying that she wanted to meet someone. She was worried that Du Yueyao had fallen in love with that Young Master Yin Yaoli, or that silly cousin of his. Ever since she was young, she had always begged for help for her father. Naturally, she was used to seeing other people''s expressions and doing things for them. She was much more mature than other people in the same year, so she was also very happy about what she was thinking.


    For example, that big sister Du Yueyao. Although she looked to be laughing and laughing on the surface, in her heart, there was still worry and faint sadness.


    Or maybe, it was Lan Xiao. She was laughing and laughing, she was truly confident and confident, but she was also very resolute. Although she did not spare anyone with her words and fought with Du Yueyao over drinks all day, she still liked Du Yueyao.


    But when she looked at the men, they were all squeezed out of the boat with gold and presents, and they all said that they were going to look for Du Yueyao. Her expression was filled with desire and hope. But each of them had their own purpose. Woman. Vanity...


    Xiao Cui''er naturally knew that these were all bad things, dangerous things, but she had no choice. The brothel house relied on these to eat ¡­


    Although that Yin Yaoli didn''t have any evil intentions, but wasn''t he like those other men outside, trying to curry favor with big sister Yue Yao? The number one beauty in the capital, or the number one beauty in the Great Phoenix. What an honor it is to have her love you...


    But his sister actually said she wanted to see his cousin? What''s so good about a man you''ve never met? Was big sister going to meet her stupid cousin, or was she going to meet Yin Yaoli again, whose mouth had been smeared with honey?


    Looking at Yin Yaoli''s expression, one could naturally imagine that his little brother wasn''t that good either ¡­


    Thinking of this, he could not help but feel worried ¡­ He asked softly ¡­


    "Elder sister, have you fallen for that young master?"


    Du Yueyao was not surprised that she would ask that. She already knew that Xiao Cui''er was always afraid that she would fall in love with someone. Ever since she entered the brothel, Xiao Yue''er had heard stories from her elder sister downstairs. There were probably over a thousand of them ¡­


    And what stories could these prostitute tell? Naturally, it was all happening in the brothel ¡­


    What could happen in this brothel? Could it be that he was trying his best to come up with a story about the top scholar? How could this be possible ¡­ Of course, they were all tragic stories of how a girl in a brothel fell in love with a certain unscrupulous person ¡­


    Xiao Cui''er was young, and when she heard the words, negative energy filled her entire body, so naturally, her mood dropped as well ¡­ After that, Du Yueyao hurriedly stopped Xiao Cui''er from going to the second floor to serve her, and only served her on the third floor. However, all of this, in the end, planted a poisonous seed in her young heart, making her feel that all the men in the world were not so good ¡­


    Furthermore, his actions today were truly suspicious ¡­ She actually mentioned going to see a man ¡­ She had meant it. It was after hearing about the matter with Yin Yaoli''s cousin that he suddenly felt that there might be someone in this world who could understand him. She really wanted to meet that person. She had a feeling that if she did not meet him, she would miss him ¡­


    But seeing Xiao Cui''er''s worried look, she naturally comforted him and said.


    "I just want to meet him. It has nothing to do with whether I love him or not. Don''t worry ¡­"


    Xiao Yue''er was finally able to believe it ¡­


    On the way back to the Yin house, Yin Yaoli was naturally in high spirits. He started to lament over how his luck was so good ¡­


    He had too many friends around him. In fact, he was just a group of rich and headstrong young masters in the capital. Therefore, he was naturally very sensitive to all sorts of interesting things in the capital.


    The day he opened the brothel boat, he was trapped at home by his father for the whole day. The elder knew that even though his son was not bad, he was still somewhat restless. He was extremely interested in the matters of Feng Yue. If he was let out that day, who knows what trouble he would cause. After trapping him at home, he would at least be able to sleep peacefully for a bit. On the first day, when the limelight on the brothel boat had passed, he would naturally not bother with him anymore ¡­


    He was different from his brother who used Su Zhou. Although the two brothers made a living from doing business, and both managed the business extremely successfully, both were upstarts who had never read any books ¡­ However, he was different from his older brother. He had his own desire to study. Naturally, he had always hoped that his son would one day be able to become famous and shine in the eyes of his ancestors. Yet, his own son had failed ¡­


    From the bottom of his heart, he especially liked his nephew. Although his brother always thought that Yin Ci was too stupid, and did not have the ability to inherit his family business, he really wanted to give his family business to him. Compared to his own son, Yin Ci was too dependable and trustworthy. As long as someone entrusted it to him, he would go through fire and water to do it.


    Therefore, he hoped that his fickle son Yin Yaoli would be able to be with him, so that he could learn more ¡­


    Yin Yaoli naturally did not know of these painstaking efforts, and had never thought of doing so. If he knew that he wished to live the same life as Yin Ci, he would definitely take Yin Ci''s life ¡­


    How boring it would be... Even women couldn''t see it ¡­ Not even good wine.


    On that day, when the brothel boat was sailing, he had indeed been prepared for a big fight as his father had expected. He and his few good friends who were equally disappointing in their studies decided to become the Four Young Masters of the capital. Each of them spent a large amount of money to throw down the first four plates of brothel boat. It was a sensational event in the city''s fireworks world. But this did not happen. His father had kept him in the dark room of the house for a whole day, hungry, even though he was crying and making a ruckus at home.


    When he was released that night, the first news he got was that something big had happened in the capital ¡­


    This big event was the Spring Brothel''s brothel boat, where there was a peerless beauty that could not even be dressed in makeup and was already able to rule over the world. I heard that because she showed up at the window, many people fell into the river while struggling ¡­


    She was as beautiful as a fairy ¡­


    The friend''s words were extremely moving, almost making him hate his father ¡­ Although he might not be able to get that girl''s heart, he was truly happy to see her fall into the river ¡­


    He never read properly, the only thing that he remembered from the teacher''s words was


    "Even if I die under the peony flower, it would still be romantic to be a ghost ¡­"


    He had already remembered these words when he was young, and he had firmly remembered them. In the end, they became his motto ¡­ Father looked at how he was reading and once asked him what poems you could recite now. After hesitating for a long time, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence that made everyone''s blood boil ¡­ That day, her father chased the teacher out of the residence ¡­


    What kind of teachers are they, what are they taught...


    However, after changing teachers several times, Old Master Yin finally realized that the root of the problem wasn''t the teacher. In the end, he still blamed his son ¡­ If not, why did he still only know that line even after half a year of learning ¡­


    At that time, when Yin Yaoli heard his friend praise Du Yueyao so highly, but in the end, he had never seen him before, so he did not feel any particular regret. Now that he had actually seen her, he felt that the woman''s beauty was truly extraordinary. Even the entire capital had lost all its color for her. And now, she actually wanted to meet him again ¡­ Even though he had to bring that stupid little brother of his ¡­ However, this didn''t matter anymore ¡­ As long as he could see a beauty once, was there a reason why it was important to see her?


    The moment he entered the mansion, he had already started quarreling as if he was in the spring breeze ¡­ Although it was indeed spring ¡­


    "Where''s Yin Ci? Where''s Yin Ci? Where''s my brother? "Where''s the porcelain ¡­"


    He searched the entire courtyard, causing the people below to be puzzled when they saw him. What was going on with this young master today? To be especially close to Yin Ci for no reason at all ¡­ He even shouted out ''porcelain'' ¡­ Weren''t they always avoiding him?


    "That... "That young master ¡­" The young maid at the corner was somewhat afraid of the look on his face as she spoke carefully.


    "Um, Young Master Yin Ci is out ¡­ Say yes... "I still need to find that jade artifact cultivating shop ¡­"


    She had originally thought that her eldest young master would be angry after being splashed with such warm water. However, that eldest young master did not. His mood was still as high as before.


    "Really?" Oh, he went again... Not bad, not bad... What''s supposed to happen... Tell him to come find me as soon as he gets back... I still have a lot of things to do, and I''m not in a hurry to see him, but he definitely has to see me as soon as he returns ¡­ "


    He talked nonstop. Some words seemed to be said to him while some words seemed to be said to that little girl, causing her to feel a little warm up. She wondered if the young master''s head had broken after drinking so much today.


    The eldest young master, who was already blabbering away, suddenly turned around and actually bent down to kiss the little girl ¡­


    Suddenly, the little girl was scared silly like a wooden chicken ¡­


    By the time Yin Ci returned, the sun had already set in the west. There was still no progress today, but he had already spread his scope of activities all the way to the south city ¡­


    However, if he didn''t go, his heart would be even more upset ¡­


    He had just entered the courtyard and had yet to sit down and drink a mouthful of hot water when a young servant hurriedly rushed over and said ¡­


    "Young Master Yin Ci, then Young Master Yao Li requests you to go and find him as soon as you return ¡­"


    "What is brother looking for me for?"


    After hesitating for a long while, the servant actually whispered in his ear ¡­


    "Young Master Yin Ci, you must be careful ¡­ "We all feel that the young master isn''t normal today ¡­"


    These words naturally caused Yin Ci to be stunned yet again ¡­ Did something happen to my cousin? Then, he should go and take a look right away ¡­

 C127

    came to Yin Yaoli''s room. Only now did he realize that there was something wrong with Yin Yaoli ¡­


    His mood was extremely high. As soon as they saw each other, they quickly pulled him down and sat him down so that he could look at the table in front of him that was filled with all sorts of rare treasures.


    "Cousin, what are these?"


    "Baby, silly brother. Looking at something, tell your brother, your brother will have someone transport it back to your Su Zhou ¡­ "Today, you are big brother''s lucky star ¡­"


    Yin Ci did not understand what the fellow meant, but he continued to sit there in a daze. He continued to walk around the table as he talked to himself.


    "But before you choose anything, I have to choose one for Miss Du Yueyao. I don''t know what she likes, after all these are all the things that my father had collected, so how can I possibly have the girl''s feelings for me? "Besides, the old gramps being rich isn''t a good taste to have. Everyone can see that ¡­"


    He chattered on for a while, then cast Yin Ci to the side. However, he did not allow Yin Ci to leave. On the other hand, Yin Ci was well-behaved, he did not want to leave, and obediently sat there, looking at the person in front of him, and wondered if cousin brother was really sick, if not why would he be so crazy. Should he tell his uncle or not? I should at least bring a doctor over to take a look ¡­


    When he was young, there was an old lady near his house. She was just like that, mumbling to herself all day long. It was said that her family was once blessed, but the fire had burned almost everything. The old woman was the only one left, and she went mad, talking to herself all day long.


    But no one paid any attention to her. Many children were still scared of him. They were always scared that he would walk towards them, crazy and dirty. If they were to dirty their new robes, they would definitely be scolded when they returned home.


    The only person who was not afraid of that old woman was Yin Ci''s mother. She told Yin Ci that the old woman was a very pitiful person and that there were many sad stories hidden in her heart.


    As a result, mother often talked with the old granny. Even though the old granny didn''t pay attention to her at the beginning and only talked about what she said, but after a while, she realized that Yin Ci''s mother was always by her side. She started to chat with Yin Ci''s mother, although no one could understand what she was saying ¡­ But a long time passed just like that. That old woman actually accepted the help of Yin Ci''s mother, and one day, the new clothes that she received from Yin Ci''s mother were actually changed ¡­


    They finally became crazy, but there were too many hardships in their hearts. If they were to bury it in their hearts, no one would be able to explain it to them, and if their hearts were to suffer too much, their looks would also become vexed. In the end, they would just let their madness continue without a care for anything else, and just let it continue ¡­


    She said that the jade bracelet was the same. The jade bracelet was extremely smooth, and someone must have repeatedly touched it over and over again. He must have loved this jade bracelet, but what would bring it to the pawnshop?


    Did something happen to her? Moreover, that pawnshop had always carefully kept it, but this jade bracelet was actually broken.


    His mother said it was because the jade bracelet had a mind of its own after being loved for so long. There were many stories hidden in its heart, but it couldn''t see its owner. It cried every day.


    At that time, Yin Ci was still young. His face was wrinkled as he cried. He asked his mother, if she saw his original master, would she no longer feel sad and make peace with him?


    Mother looked at him and smiled.


    Say maybe. Because it will be sad, then it is a good jade bracelet ah, good jade bracelet will be protected.


    She said my china is a very good child too. She used her hand to lightly touch Yin Ci''s forehead, smoothing out the wrinkles that had become sad after hearing the sad story.


    My little porcelain child will understand sadness, so she is naturally a very good child. There will definitely be many more good things that will happen in the future ¡­


    Yin Ci looked at the current cousin brother. Although it was not messy, it was as if he could not see himself anymore. But listening to him ramble on for a long time, he finally understood. His cousin''s situation was all because of a woman ¡­


    A woman?


    Du Yueyao?


    This was the name that he had heard from his cousin. It seemed like he couldn''t tell uncle now ¡­ As long as it was related to a woman, uncle would definitely break his cousin''s legs ¡­


    After being busy for a long time, that Yin Yaoli had finally packed everything he needed properly. It was only then that he seemed to have noticed this good cousin who had been captured by his and had been waiting here without knowing what had happened.


    Very devoutly, I took his hand...


    "Porcelain ¡­"


    Although he knew that his cousin was unwilling to be bound by any form of etiquette, hearing his mother call him by his name like that was still a shock. His heart almost shook and goosebumps appeared ¡­


    Yin Yaoli did not seem to be satisfied, as he shouted again.


    "Porcelain, do I treat you well?"


    That Yin Ci didn''t understand, so the rest obediently nodded their heads ¡­


    That Yin Yaoli looked as if he was relieved, and said what he was thinking about ¡­


    "Tomorrow, you will follow big brother to meet someone ¡­"


    "Meet someone? Meet who? The woman you were talking about? Du Yueyao? "


    Yin Yaoli clapped. "Right!"


    Yin Ci was still a little dazed... Why would I want to see her?


    That Yin Yaoli was such a shrewd person, he naturally saw the little doubt in his little brother''s heart and immediately patted him as he spoke.


    "Because ¡­" He remembered what Du Yueyao had taught him. "Because she knows how to remove bracelets!"


    Yin Ci, who was still confused a moment ago, suddenly perked up, as though he had been injected with chicken blood.


    "She can fix bracelets? Really! That''s great, I must go visit her, tomorrow? "


    Seeing that this little kid was so gullible, Yin Yaoli sighed at the side and thought that it was good that he had a sane and clever mind. At the same time, he was also glad that he wasn''t a real trafficker ¡­ If he was really a trafficker, then Yin Ci would have long been tricked into becoming a bandit in the mountains.


    After all, Du Yueyao''s name had already been spread far and wide in the capital, and practically no one didn''t know of her name. If one asked around a little, they would know, or if one was in a restaurant, if one was a little bit more focused, they would hear any comments about her ¡­


    Thus, the next morning, the two brothers rode their horses, and the servants behind them held their gifts as they walked towards the river in a formidable array ¡­


    Of course, Yin Ci still recognized the river bank, and his memories of the boat full of fresh flowers was even more vivid. Wasn''t this the ship he had seen on his first day here? Back then, this place was filled with a sea of people. Who would have thought that it would still be so crowded today? Without showing any signs of weakening, he even turned to Yin Yaoli and said.


    "When I came here and saw this, I asked those people who lived on this ship and they told me that it was Fairy Apricot Flower. At that time, I still thought that how could there be a fairy?"


    Yin Yaoli naturally felt that it was funny, thinking that his little brother was really easy to deceive, he remembered these teasing words, he probably understood now that this was the famous brothel boat in the capital ¡­ After all, Su Zhou did not have such a tradition, so it was normal for him to not know about it when he first arrived. As he thought of this, he asked the old man a question.


    "What do you think now?"


    Who would have thought that Yin Ci''s answer would make him so angry that he spat white foam, then Yin Ci said.


    "Now it seems that all of this is true. If it was a fake, then how could there be so many people gathered here to watch the show? He didn''t know what Fairy Apricot Flower looked like ¡­ Big brother, did you bring me here to have the goddess of the apricot flowers repair my bracelet?


    "It shouldn''t be possible. My mother said that even if fairies did, they wouldn''t be able to do anything to help the mortal world. So even if this place had a flourishing incense burner ¡­"


    Yin Yaoli could not take it anymore, he could only turn around and say "Enough is enough ¡­"


    Seeing Yin Yaoli''s displeased face, the world immediately turned quiet.


    The attendant that led the way cleared a path through the crowd ¡­


    "Get out of the way, Young Master Yin had an appointment with Miss Du Yueyao ¡­"


    This kind of explosive news immediately caused an uproar in the crowd ¡­


    "Miss Du Yueyao''s guest is the first to hear of it!"


    "Didn''t this young master just come yesterday? to be able to date Lady Du Yueyao ¡­ "


    "Has the girl taken a fancy to him? "It seems like the minister Palace had always been bragging ¡­"


    "Quickly ask whose family this young master is. He should be as famous as Miss Du Yueyao tomorrow ¡­"


    Yin Yaoli would naturally enjoy listening to all of this. He felt really good in his heart, as this limelight had simply exceeded his expectations. He felt like he was about to fly off his horse...


    He passed through the bustling crowd and finally reached the deck. He carried a pile of gifts and walked into the brothel boat s, directly going to the third floor.


    Du Yueyao was naturally aware of the commotion happening within the crowd. Presumably, Yin Yaoli had come, so she was not surprised when Xiao Cui''er reported in front of the door. He had already prepared tea and a guqin, waiting for them to come in.


    During the journey, Yin Ci also saw a lot of young ladies on the second floor who were accompanying the guests. In the end, he wasn''t stupid, and understood that this was probably where the fireworks were going to be. Since his cousin had always told him to come, that girl must have something special to be able to fix his bracelet. If he could fix his mother''s bracelet, then he would naturally have to prepare gifts to thank her.


    Only after knowing that Yin Ci had sat down did he clearly see Du Yueyao''s appearance ¡­ He instantly felt a bit panicked.

 C128

    couldn''t tell what was so special about the woman in front of him. She didn''t put on any makeup, and didn''t even comb her hair, but she could tell that cousin brother''s eyeballs were about to fall out.


    Although he hadn''t looked at other women in detail, they were indeed extraordinary girls, and they seemed to be different from the other women he had met. At this moment, he had a clear intuition that this woman was trustworthy, and just like his mother said about the elves, they were all good ¡­


    "Miss Yueyao, this is my younger cousin ¡­" When he looked at Yin Ci who was in a daze, he couldn''t help but feel like he had failed. She forgot how many times more obsessed she was than this back then ¡­


    He reached out his hand and knocked on his cousin''s forehead. "Greetings ¡­"


    At this moment, Yin Ci finally regained his senses. He didn''t think that he would actually fall for that girl, and couldn''t help but blame himself in his heart for being too rude. Furthermore, he immediately realized that his purpose here wasn''t to look at that girl, but to repair his mother''s bracelet. He immediately brought the small box behind his to Du Yueyao.


    After waiting for so long, this was the first time she met a man who did not forget his initial intention even after meeting her.


    Yin Yaoli only felt that this little brother of his might just be too arrogant ¡­ At this moment, the one he was in love with was still that broken jade bracelet. He really didn''t understand what was going on ¡­ I wonder how he will marry her in the future ¡­


    "Young Master Yin, your cousin is indeed interesting."


    Yin Yaoli could only smile awkwardly and say, "Lady, please excuse my ridicule. My cousin is indeed lacking something, please don''t lower yourself to him ¡­


    Du Yueyao laughed again, she was so beautiful that she could almost topple cities, she could only smile as she looked at Yin Ci.


    "Since young master is here, let me take a look."


    Yin Ci eagerly started to open the box. When he opened the box, he found layers and layers of silk wrapped it, almost as if the things inside were extremely precious, and were treated as treasures. It was completely wrapped into the appearance of a mummy.


    Yin Ci removed the last layer of gauze and completely unfolded it, exposing the almond flower jade bracelet that was broken into two pieces.


    It was a light pink apricot flower jade, carved into a bracelet with a few apricot flowers on it. It was extremely smooth, as if it was being groped by its master. When the apricot flower bloomed, the stripes were still clearly visible. This was because the accumulation of years was getting increasingly radiant. However, it was a pity that it was broken into two ¡­


    Du Yueyao''s originally smiling face suddenly calmed down at this moment. Her beautiful face was lowered, as if she was thinking about something. Until she raised her head and asked Yin Ci ¡­


    "Why are you ¡­ To repair the bracelet... "


    Yin Ci didn''t know why Du Yueyao would ask such a question, but she was honest and answered truthfully.


    "This is my mother''s bracelet. Mother wishes to repair it, so I should do it for her ¡­" He spoke extremely seriously. However, Du Yueyao was frowning, as if she had thought of something. Yin Yaoli wanted to ask, but she didn''t dare to, for fear of disturbing the beauty''s train of thought.


    Du Yueyao just watched silently, and did not even need to touch the bracelet once, but she could not turn her gaze away, as though she had been frozen.


    Mother ¡­ I haven''t seen you in a long time, Mother, and I didn''t say those two words again even in my dreams at midnight. Sometimes, he did dream of his own mother. Walking far ahead, he wanted to shout, but the corners of his mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out ¡­


    When she woke up, she seemed to see her mother''s amiable and smiling face. She had always thought that if her mother sold the jade bracelet earlier and took the money to see a doctor, would she recover from her illness?


    In her dreams, her mother would always go further and further away. She would never be able to catch up with her mother. She wondered if she had lost her only connection with her mother just because she lost the jade bracelet ¡­ Mother is angry ¡­ Don''t want to be yourself...


    She had always had a fantasy, a hope that supported her. Even if she was this strong, there would be a day when she would live, and as long as she lived, she would still see that jade bracelet. The mother in her dreams would turn around and suddenly pull her into her arms ¡­


    "Yaoyao ¡­" Mother will forgive you ¡­ "


    However, as the jade bracelet was placed in front of him, although it was broken, the broken Jade Marrow suddenly became even more radiant ¡­


    Yin Ci did not notice the change in the air at all. and went on talking to himself


    "My mother said that she broke this jade bracelet herself ¡­ Because of its master''s love, it had become extremely exquisite, and even had thoughts of its own. Later on, it had been waiting for its master to come and find it, but it never did. Its heart was too bitter, so it simply shattered ¡­ "


    Yin Yaoli originally thought that this jade bracelet was extremely ordinary, and wasn''t any good person. His own foolish brother had always believed in his aunt''s strange words, but now, he felt that it was just a joke in the past, but today, he felt that the words were not fake. At this moment, the room that was filled with spring wind seemed to be exceptionally soft and quiet. On top of the Su Zhou silk cloth, the broken jade bracelet seemed to be extremely radiant, as if it had suddenly absorbed the spirit energy of this spring world, and became exceptionally bright ¡­


    Are there truly fairies in this world?


    "Young master ¡­" Du Yueyao had her head lowered for a long time. She had only said those two words softly, as though she had already exhausted all of her courage.


    Only after a very long time did she finally raise her head. Her appearance was still as beautiful as before, but her eyes were actually twinkling and filled with tears ¡­


    "Moon ¡­" "Lady Yue Yao ¡­"


    Yin Yaoli didn''t know what to do at this moment. He quickly looked around for a handkerchief and passed it to Du Yueyao to wipe his tears.


    Yin Ci originally did not notice anything in the air of the room. At this time, when he saw Du Yueyao raise his head, tears had already begun to flow from his eyes.


    She had never felt that kind of pain before ¡­


    It hurt more than if he had broken his arm when he was young, or it hurt even more than if he was sick ¡­


    There''s still a lot more pain...


    It was only later on that Yin Ci found out that what he did, was heartache ¡­ The most important thing in his body had already belonged to the woman in front of him since then ¡­


    Du Yueyao smiled. She didn''t make any movements, only looking at the person in front of her with a smile. Her eyes then curved, and that pool of tears was no longer stable.


    Those tears fell onto the silk cloth on the table and were instantly absorbed by the cloth, leaving no trace behind ¡­


    However, the two men''s hearts started to hurt ¡­


    "Miss Yueyao, don''t... Don''t... "I''m crying. If there is anything to be sad about, you can just tell us. My stupid cousin and I are both willing to go through fire and water for you ¡­"


    At this time, Yin Yaoli suddenly felt that other than being greedy for Du Yueyao''s beauty, there seemed to be something else surging inside his heart. He was always generous enough to admit that all of this was due to his own nature. You two elders shouldn''t have any illusions that I would change ¡­ Because this is the life that I, Yin Yaoli, want ¡­


    He had seen countless beauties in the capital cheering for them and giving them extremely expensive gifts. Anyway, he had an extremely rich family. He had the willful thought that if he didn''t spend some of his money, his father''s house wouldn''t be able to hold so much money ¡­


    Thus, he spent all his money to win the beauty''s smile ¡­


    There''s a lot of money, and I can''t finish it. If the beauty laughs, I''m happy with her. He had always thought that he was willing to do this for those beauties because he loved them. He felt for them from the bottom of his heart... He thought that was how he felt about love.


    The reason why he sought after Du Yueyao was naturally because of the same reason as well. He liked Du Yueyao because of her beauty and her vanity. He liked to live with the praises of others, liked the flattery of others, and also liked the smiles of beauties.


    But now that Du Yueyao was crying, he suddenly looked as if he was in a mess, and was at a loss of what to do.


    He felt that the Du Yueyao in front of him had become far too different in his heart ¡­ For the first time, he understood that some emotions were not something everyone could understand.


    About grief, about pain. The pain was so intense that it was like the stars were stabbing into one''s body. It was so densely packed that it numbed the pain in an instant.


    He was in pain for a while before it gradually spread out. He could not split his four limbs, but did not intend to let him go. Instead, he started to torture him even more harshly.


    He had always thought that the limitless brilliance of being in front of others was all he had, that he was in such a good mood, that when he could feel it, those who sought him could feel it, and he would be happier.


    However, the pain in his body was stabbing into his heart. It wasn''t something that could be felt in front of others ¡­


    This kind of heartache had to be felt in the exceptionally quiet room with his back facing the back. Under the cover of his best efforts, the room with the spring breeze suddenly broke out of the earth.


    If a beauty was happy, he would always be happy as well. However, if a beauty was sad ¡­


    He had never thought that he would feel so sad like this as well ¡­


    He had finally found the silk cloth and passed it to Du Yueyao. He actually felt ashamed ¡­


    Even his teacher had been driven away by his father before he could even teach him this phrase. But now, he suddenly remembered ¡­ That feeling of being willing to use his previous glory and the cheers of admiration to become the first guest of honor in Miss Yueyao was something he was willing to exchange ¡­


    This was the first time he wanted to use these things to exchange for a beauty''s smile. Not because the Yin family had too much money ¡­


    Then, many years later, as he gradually recovered from his many sorrows and old age, he began to have a virtuous wife and beautiful children. He realized it at last, when his children were as angry at him as his father had been at his own incompetence.


    A man''s understanding had probably started when he started trading what he thought was the most precious thing for someone else''s smile. He didn''t want to trade money for his most valuable thing in exchange for someone else''s smile ¡­


    Because it wasn''t true heartache ¡­


    His understanding of his life had started from the second time he saw Du Yueyao ¡­


    As for Du Yueyao, who was sitting opposite of him, she paused for a moment, as if she was trying to calm down the pain in her heart, and slowly spoke.


    "Young Master Yin, I apologize for my incompetence in repairing your mother''s bracelet ¡­" But your mother was right... This bracelet was too bitter, so it broke ¡­ There were many stories hidden within the hearts of the elves ¡­ If you want to know... I will... "I''ll explain it to you in detail..."

 C129

    No one interrupted Du Yueyao. Du Yueyao slowly said that sometimes she was all smiles and sometimes she was crying. She just sat there among the brothel boat that were surrounded by apricot flowers, those flowers blooming exceptionally bright in the spring breeze under Xiao Cui''er''s care ¡­


    A warm ray of light shot through the window and shined on the ground. It shone on Du Yueyao''s face and the jade bracelet. She seemed to be taking care of the emotions of the beauty as she walked through the window in an exceptionally gentle and quiet manner.


    As Du Yueyao spoke, she did not forget to make tea. That tea was very bitter, extremely bitter. But it was like a good medicine. If she had drunk it, her heart would not be as bitter ¡­


    The three of them sat around the table and drank cups of bitter tea throughout the entire afternoon. They had something that made them happy as well as they went along with Du Yueyao. If they encountered something that made them sad, they would also feel sad as well. All the girls'' thoughts were slowly revealed, but if it was said, then they wouldn''t be sad ¡­


    Du Yueyao also did not think that she would actually speak for so long.


    She had seen countless men in her life, drinking tea and chatting with countless men. She rarely talked about her past, and now felt that it was not her past, but the past of the elf. That elf was suffering so much that he had to break the jade bracelet. It shattered. His heart died with him.


    But now, she slowly recounted the past of that elf. It was as if she was talking about it, not letting its tired soul be trapped between the broken jade artifacts. If it was willing, it was already free ¡­


    She seemed to have become a lot more relaxed after this. At that time, it was the first time she was aware of the relationship between people.


    Share...


    When she said it, it was no longer as painful as when she was alone ¡­


    She had experienced countless men before and knew how to make them fall in love with her. However, she was also willing to speak of her past when she saw the two men in front of her ¡­ Let them share their sadness and sorrow...


    She didn''t speak again until she stopped. The three of them were silent. Du Yueyao said, however.


    "Young Master Yin, can you lend me your broken jade for one night?"


    She did not say the reason, not the reason, but Yin Ci nodded his head and said.


    "Miss, please feel free. Even if mother knows, she would still be very happy ¡­"


    Du Yueyao looked at the young man in front of him, who looked ordinary, and should be a few years younger than him. This time the smile was especially warm. It was warmth that came from the bottom of her heart. She had never thought that she would have such a smile in her entire life ¡­


    "And ¡­" She paused for a moment, then thanked Yin Yaoli and looked at him again.


    "Thank you, your mother ¡­ the elf said. Thank your mother. I used to take care of it so gently ¡­ "


    Yin Ci didn''t know what to say for a moment. It was not about love and affection, but he had actually walked over and hugged Du Yueyao. He had never held a woman in his life except his mother, but at that moment he wanted to hold that woman in his arms. Just one moment is enough


    "Don''t be sad anymore ¡­" My mother said ¡­ He was a good spirit. He would definitely encounter many good things. "As long as you''re a good person, you will encounter many good things in the future ¡­"


    Those words were said very softly, but each word seemed to have been left in the brothel boat Pavilion ¡­


    The two brothers who had returned were silent. Du Yueyao arranged to meet them to go back to the brothel boat s to visit that jade bracelet again tomorrow. In that case, Yin Yaoli would become the only man in the pavilion, with the ability to enter and exit Miss Du Yueyao three times ¡­


    But he did not seem happy about it. If he could exchange for it, he wouldn''t be a man who could enter Du Yueyao''s room three times. He only hoped that the woman wouldn''t cry anymore ¡­


    As for his usually silly little brother, Yin Ci, this time, he was especially silent. Although he didn''t usually talk much, his mood seemed to be a bit different this time. He was sad, as well as sad. This was the first time, because it was a woman other than his mother ¡­


    How could he make that woman happy?


    He thought ¡­ He was clumsy and could often ruin all the good things. He could never understand the words of others ¡­ Should he take her to see her mother? Mother is the best at making people happy ¡­ Mother would tell many stories, stories that would make people happy. She would think of all sorts of ways to tease her stupid son ¡­


    He had originally thought that his life would be very happy just because of himself and his mother, but there had never been someone else''s happiness that had so captivated his mind ¡­ He wanted her not to be sad.


    If he was with her, she wouldn''t feel bad, but he was with her.


    The two brothers silently walked to the front of the house. The servant at the door found it strange when he saw the two people ¡­ These two brothers, when it came out that they were in high spirits, one of them thought that his bracelet would be repaired, and the other kept muttering to Yue Yaoyue ¡­ He didn''t expect to be especially silent when he returned. It was as if the two of them had grown up. One was no longer dull and the other was no longer crazy. The servants did not dare to speak their master, and only silently guessed what was going on ¡­


    It was said that the temperament of these two were very different. Who would have thought that they would return in the same manner. It was rare to see them leave together ¡­


    The brothel boat s of the Spring Brothel naturally started a new round of liveliness in the dusk. If it was any other day, no matter how rich and rich Du Yueyao was, she would still meet one or two guests and might even play a song. But today, she had locked herself in his own room.


    As the curtain of night gradually descended, the flames of the lanterns by the river rose. It was extremely lively ¡­


    Lan Xiao came in and looked once, and then glanced at the jade bracelet on the table. She had always been intelligent, and normally, she would see that Du Yueyao had a kind of perverted pursuit for things related to the apricot flowers, so she must have some sort of secret story.


    Even though she had never heard of Du Yueyao''s past, anyone who wanted to become a prostitute must have their own sorrows. Just because she didn''t say anything didn''t mean that she wasn''t sad.


    She quietly closed the door and left the room, telling everyone on the boat not to go to the third floor. Seeing Du Yueyao''s current state, Xiao Cui''er was naturally very worried, but in the end, she still obediently retreated outside the door.


    Night had completely fallen. From downstairs came the sounds of singing and dancing, as well as the sound of noisy business. Only then did life in the brothel truly begin. Downstairs, Little Yue Niang was playing her lute, like a blooming flower in spring or on a moonlit night ¡­ As he played, he began to sing.


    Spring river tides connected with the sea level, the moon on the sea shared the tides.


    Wherever the wind blows, there is no moon. The river flows around the Fandian, the moonlight forest is like a graupel...


    The sky was filled with frost, but no one could see it. The sky above the river was devoid of dust, and the sky was full of lonely crescent moons ¡­


    Who was the first person to see the moon by the river? How could it be the beginning of the year? The generations of people had passed without end. Every year, it would only be similar to every other year ¡­


    I don''t know who Jiang Yue is, but I can see that the Yangtze River is sending water, the clouds are drifting in the air, and the Green Maple Valley has no one to worry about ¡­


    Whose family was it that had a small boat tonight, and where would they miss Brightmoon Restaurant?


    The curtains of the Jade Household could not be rolled over, so he had to brush his clothes back onto the chopping block. At this moment, they were all looking at each other without hearing anything. They were willing to follow the moonlight and shine on their sovereign ¡­


    The flying geese, the fish dragon diving into the water, last night''s idleness dream flowers, poor spring half home...


    The river flowed past the end of spring, the river pool fell to the west, the moon receded to the west, the moon sank to the horizon to hide the sea fog, the road was vast and boundless ¡­


    She didn''t know that Cheng Yue and the others would return, but Luo Hua was flirting with the Manjiang Tree...


    Her voice was filled with sorrow and beauty, seemingly hiding the endless feelings of a young girl.


    If she was a mother and father, then she would be talking and laughing with her parents and Yan Yan. But one day, he would become a prostitute. He had seen countless men and had roamed countless places ¡­


    As the years passed, she used the jade bracelet as a reference and collected all kinds of apricot ornaments. She always felt that one day, there would be a day when that jade bracelet would return to her side and she would see it as if it was her mother.


    It seemed to give him a chance to survive, a motivation to survive.


    He kept deceiving himself.


    Now that he saw it, his mother would naturally never come back.


    The moon was high in the sky when she opened her window. It was already completely silent outside, and the zither notes from the other brothel boat could still be heard from afar. It was intermittent, as if the lady playing the zither was also extremely tired.


    Perhaps she didn''t want to play the zither, she just wanted to have a good sleep ¡­


    But this was her life. There was no escape. She couldn''t forget it, and it had already become a part of her life ¡­


    The boat rocked slightly under the waves, as if urging her to sleep like a mother''s cradle.


    "Mother. Yao Yao is currently able to make a lot of money ¡­ "


    "I can buy all the good stuff for you and dad ¡­"


    "I can play the zither now. I''ve been learning from Mr. Wanxiang for a whole two years and played extremely well. The men outside are willing to pay a thousand gold just to listen to a song of mine ¡­"


    The jade bracelet was lying on the table quietly, listening to Du Yueyao''s chatter. They had been together again for many years. She was no longer the innocent little girl of her youth, and it no longer looked the same as it did before ¡­


    However, Du Yueyao thought of that man called Yin Ci. He brought this jade bracelet with him and searched everywhere, wanting to fix it until it was as good as new. He told her about her mother, the moment he obtained this jade bracelet, she already knew how bitter the jade bracelet was.


    She seemed to be able to see that little woman. Although he had already given birth to several children, they were still as innocent and innocent as a young girl. They believed in their gods and fairies, and they even taught their children that way. Whether or not she believed him, was in her heart ¡­


    Her pure and innocent son, how could she trust his mother''s words? Carrying this bracelet, she walked through thousands of mountains and rivers, all the way to the capital, riding her horse, traversing the bustling cities, and not stopping for any other reason. He only wanted to find a skilled craftsman to repair this broken piece.


    Sometimes in life, it is just so wonderful, you lose your precious thing, afraid that it will be hurt. But the heavens let a kind-hearted man find it, and love it as he loved it. He desperately wanted to make up for the deficiency in his heart ¡­


    Should she see hope in this life again?

 C130

    When Du Yueyao woke up in the morning, the sun was already shining down on him. From the start, Xiao Cui''er looked at her with extreme worry. She gave her a weak smile... After all, he had missed yesterday''s dinner and today''s breakfast ¡­


    "I''m fine now ¡­" If you can get me something to eat... "Then I won''t die ¡­"


    Seeing her speak so much today, Xiao Cui''er was naturally happier.''s death look yesterday had almost scared her to death ¡­


    He hurriedly said, "There''s a young master who promised to come and find you. He''s waiting on the deck, and doesn''t want us to wake you up. Just waiting like that ¡­"


    "There''s a Young Noble? Why not wait? "We can also go to the second floor to wait ¡­"


    Xiao Cui''er could only answer truthfully, "He felt embarrassed on the second floor, but right now, she is also feeling uncomfortable on the deck, being teased by Sister Lan ¡­"


    "What!" Du Yueyao quickly opened the window. The person on the deck was Yin Ci.


    She quickly took a look at the copper mirror. This ghastly appearance really looked haggard and haggard. Fortunately, that Young Master might not care about it, so he let Xiao Cui''er go and invite him up ¡­


    When Yin Ci saw Du Yueyao''s appearance, he was also somewhat shocked. Although she was still beautiful, she looked quite haggard. In the end, she was still sad ¡­ He began to feel uneasy. He had originally wanted to come over later, but something seemed to be weighing on her heart. He wanted to know whether that girl called Du Yueyao was doing well or not. No matter how he thought about it, he still chose to leave ¡­


    He went to find cousin brother Yin Yaoli, but he never thought that cousin brother would actually be unwilling to go with him.


    When Du Yueyao saw the small mountain of life''s bird''s nest in front of him, she couldn''t help but laugh ¡­


    "If you let me eat all of this, I''m afraid I''ll become a fat old lady like the Mommy Chun next door ¡­"


    Originally, Yin Ci did not know who that Mommy Chun was, but when he was on the deck downstairs, he heard Lan Xiao calling a beautiful big aunt who was trembling in fear, saying that she was a fat nanny ¡­ At this time, he knew what Du Yueyao meant. Tao


    "That doesn''t matter either. It''s pretty good that you became her ¡­"


    Du Yueyao asked curiously as she saw whether the fellow in front of him had no level of appreciation or simply had an odd appetite.


    "Would it be nice if I became a round, fat woman?"


    The other party answered almost immediately. During the stay, he blurted out the answer without even thinking ¡­


    "Beautiful!"


    Du Yueyao frowned. This fella had a good taste, so she continued to ask:


    "Is Lan Xiao beautiful?"


    "Beautiful?"


    "Is Xiao Cui''er beautiful?"


    "Beautiful?"


    " Am I pretty? "


    " "Beautiful ¡­"


    The position that he had in his heart was exactly the same as Lan Xiao, in the end, he simply did not feel a sense of accomplishment ¡­


    She shook her head, dismayed.


    "I am not very happy ¡­"


    That fellow hurriedly said after realizing that the kind words he said did not make the beauty happy ¡­


    "No, of course you''re beautiful ¡­" It''s not that Miss Lan Xiao isn''t pretty ¡­ " He tried his best to justify his actions, but it seemed that his words were simply to make things worse ¡­


    "Alright, alright ¡­" "I know you can''t speak ¡­" She seemed to comfort him with a few words, in case the child was too upset and looked pitiful ¡­


    He also handed him a wrapped box.


    "Take it back, that bracelet ¡­"


    This sentence of hers was especially gentle. Since she had seen that broken bracelet, she had already completed her wish. It could be said that she had sent away all the time in her life.


    Although there were regrets, who dared to say in their lives that they had no regrets?


    She could feel the weight of the bracelet, and was very glad that it was in the hands of a mother and son. For its running and cherishing, they seemed to make up for the lack of time in their own lives ¡­


    She had never seen her brother before, and even if she had, her brother would never recognize her again. No matter what, he would never have imagined that such a small and dark girl would grow up to be so beautiful ¡­ This was completely illogical.


    Everyone knew that Du Yueyao was extremely beautiful, but the person who knew her would associate this Du Yueyao, who was able to cause the downfall of nations, with a helpless, small, and ugly girl from back then ¡­


    When she left, she seemed to know that her sister-in-law was pregnant. She didn''t know if she was giving birth to a boy or a girl. But what was the use of a home like that? In the end, she was still willing to think about how she still had relatives in this world ¡­


    Thinking about it, she was exactly as Yin Ci''s mother had said. If she was a good person, then she would also encounter many good people, and many good things ¡­


    Perhaps it was because the heavens knew that she was a good child ¡­


    "Are you still going to repair this bracelet?"


    She asked that Yin Ci, as if she really wanted to know more about his future.


    "No need ¡­"


    "Why?"


    Yin Ci said honestly.


    "Perhaps there are even more difficult to find materials in this world that can mend broken things, because breaking them is breaking them ¡­" But there was no regret, my mother just hoped that this bracelet wouldn''t be sad. But now I know... It didn''t feel sad anymore ¡­ and also go back to Su Zhou to tell Mother ¡­ "


    "Ah, Su Zhou ¡­" Mentioning this, Du Yueyao started to want to go back.


    Xiao Cui''er had already brought over a small pastry, and the two of them sat in front of the table and ate it with tea.


    The topic of their conversation was definitely related to Su Zhou.


    "What are you so busy with at Su Zhou?"


    She remembered that Yin Yaoli had said that his cousin was extremely bored, so he wanted to hear it personally from him to see how he was bored ¡­


    "It''s nothing much. I was just helping my father manage the business in the shop. But my father said that I was stupid, so all I did was chores, just physical work ¡­" "However, I have two very smart younger brothers. In the future, as long as they inherit my family''s business ¡­"


    "What about other than taking care of the business?"


    "I helped my mother plant many, many flowers."


    "More than the flowers on the brothel boat?"


    "Not really, but it''s even more fragrant than the flowers on the brothel boat ¡­"


    "Oh, don''t let Lan Xiao hear your words ¡­"


    "Ah ¡­"


    "What else? "What else is there?"


    "Take my younger brother. My youngest brother is only ten years old and is still in the private school. But he can''t read books ¡­" But my dad said it was because I was stupid, because I was stupid to like reading books... In the end, he always felt that reading books was meaningless ¡­ "


    "There''s such a saying ¡­"


    "Yes, but my uncle thinks that reading is good as well ¡­" That''s right, my cousin brother''s father ¡­ However, my cousin brother does not like to read books ¡­ "


    "It''s that Yin Yaoli?"


    "Mn, but my cousin brother is smart ¡­ He''s really smarter than me by a lot. He knows everything that''s happened in the capital ¡­ "It''s good for me too ¡­"


    "Oh?" Even though Du Yueyao''s answer was extremely simple, she cupped her head with her hands and looked at Yin Ci with sparkling eyes, as if she was encouraging him to continue speaking ¡­


    "But my cousin brother just loves to drink too much ¡­ "It''s not good to drink ¡­"


    "Is that so? I drink a lot too ~ "


    "Then don''t drink it. "You''re too beautiful ¡­"


    These words had at least reached deep into Du Yueyao''s heart, even though drinking seemed to have nothing to do with one''s beauty ¡­


    However, to be praised as beautiful by that fool, he still felt a sense of accomplishment. Ye Zichen sighed to himself. It truly wasn''t easy waiting for him to say something like that ¡­


    "But I will also be old? Beautiful will grow old, will become ugly. "What do we do?"


    "It doesn''t matter if you look ugly. My grandparents were already over a hundred years old, but they were still very happy. However, they really weren''t good-looking. There were too many wrinkles ¡­ "My little brother cried when he saw it ¡­"


    Du Yueyao laughed in his heart. This child''s heart was simply too straightforward, to actually say it out so easily, and had she considered her grandparents'' feelings before?


    "But I can''t get old... "I still need to rely on my beauty to make money ¡­"


    Hearing this, Yin Ci''s heart ached again. He didn''t want the woman in front of him to live a life of making money by relying on her beauty. Her beauty had always been so precious. Regardless of whether it could be exchanged for money or not, regardless of whether it was beautiful or not, she was still extremely valuable.


    No matter what kind of people she met, she should be held in the palm of her hand and treated as a treasure. Where was the difference between beautiful and not beautiful?


    In any case, the thought that she was going to trade her beauty for money made him feel bad...


    "Then don''t live like this ¡­"


    "What kind of life? You think the woman in the fireworks area is bad? "


    In the end, Yin Ci was getting a little anxious. He normally did not like to talk, and he was not a child who could properly express his thoughts.


    Ye Zichen was stunned and didn''t know what to say ¡­


    He hurriedly explained, "There''s nothing wrong with you..." "You''re good everywhere ¡­"


    Seeing his anxious look, Yin Ci still thought that this child was extremely funny, and couldn''t help but tease him again and again.


    "What''s wrong with that?"


    She asked, still holding onto her head with one hand, staring intently at Yin Ci, causing him to become even more flustered. With his other hand, he fumbled with the biscuits on the teacup ¡­


    "You''re good everywhere. It was all their fault. You''re good everywhere. I was afraid they''d treat you badly. "


    The reason for the banner was something that Du Yueyao did not expect ¡­ She had lived in this land of fireworks for far too long. She had previously seen it as a means to her own survival, a hope to her own life. She clearly knew what kind of life in this place was and how the bawd tried to persuade her, but she still wanted to come in ¡­


    She once thought that she was already unlucky enough, so she wasn''t afraid that she would be even more unlucky ¡­


    She would use the money to exchange for one bracelet with apricot flowers after another. One apricot flower after another. Collect them and put them in a very large box. But now that he had found the bracelet, should he start a new life just like that?

 C131

    But how could she start a new life?


    Yin Ci, who was in front of him, seemed to have seen what the fellow was thinking about ¡­


    "Do you want your Su Zhou back? Follow me back to Su Zhou, my mother can also give you half of it ¡­ "


    would never have thought that the child would actually say such a thing, comparable to countless noble young masters outside her brothel boat holding a gift filled with gold, saying that she wanted to marry and bring it home.


    Compared to that promise, that kind of begging was much more touching ¡­ For a moment, Du Yueyao''s eyes were actually a little moist ¡­ She was tempted ¡­


    He suddenly remembered that he wanted to go back and see Su Zhou''s apricot flowers as well ¡­ But for a moment she couldn''t bring herself to say it. It wasn''t because of that moment, nor was it because of this question. No matter how one put it, she was still a prostitute ¡­ Her life was different from that of ordinary women, and she could not go back.


    The prostitute was born beautiful, and naturally praised by thousands of people, but in the end, what did she gain? Money, would feed him? Vanity?


    Night after night. Night after night, he sang those deeply emotional songs to make others happy. In reality, he was only lamenting that he was still a pitiful person ¡­


    Who would be willing to marry a prostitute and let others laugh at them?


    There were too many people chasing her, and there were too many willing to take her home. But how many of them could sincerely treat her? If her appearance was no longer there, those people would still treat her with such flattery. Watching his every move, every frown and smile.


    Bringing her home was just being one of their wives... Recently, there had been a man who was no longer young. He was at least twenty years older than her. However, what caused others to sigh in admiration was his identity ¡­ The Prime Minister of the imperial court ¡­


    Since Du Yueyao did not see him, he sent people over everyday to deliver many things. She didn''t know when the calculation would end. The money he gave away was naturally the money she had taken from them. I heard that she was an honest man who was studying, so when she entered the capital to become an official, she became even more unruly and took away five wives in one go ¡­ He didn''t mind that Du Yueyao was some kind of prostitute; after all, she was just a member of his wife''s group.


    Du Yueyao felt afraid just thinking about it. If it was her entire life that was entrusted to him, how could she marry that kind of person? It would be better for him to live freely and carefreely, just like Lan Xiao.


    If no one wanted me, then I will not marry anymore. If I am happy, then I will laugh out loud. If I am unhappy, then I will throw the flowers that I see into the river. If they were in a bad mood, they would scold those stinking men ¡­


    Mommy Chun was not happy with the good business with Spring Brothel, so she came over every few days to cause trouble. If it was a normal little girl, she would probably be able to hold herself back or cry when faced with such a shameless and difficult aunt ¡­ But if it''s Lan Xiao, if you dare to bully me, I will definitely make you feel extremely pained ¡­ A few days ago, the two families were having a very merry time, actually smashing their boats towards each other. In the end, it was naturally Mommy Chun who was forced to give in ¡­


    Du Yueyao had thought of this when she met Lan Xiao, to live like this woman. No bullying, no sadness. To live his entire life like this was the best reward she could get for his entire life ¡­


    But now, there was actually such a person appearing in front of him. He said these words.


    He was stupid, and was usually bullied by all kinds of people. cousin brother, friends, father, called him a stupid child.


    But this stupid child had now said the most touching words he had ever heard in his life ¡­


    My mother can give you half...


    She had never imagined that life would be like this. However, it was like half of a dark night that could suck a person in. It was extremely alluring. She was willing to give up almost all the other life she wanted.


    Another option that is not so tiring...


    However, she couldn''t choose. The man in front of her was too young ¡­ He might not even know what he was talking about ¡­ It was all his fault. Why would he tease him when he knew he was a child?


    "Alright, alright ¡­" Let''s be friends. If you return to the Su Zhou, I will send you off. If I want to return to Su Zhou in the future, I will definitely come and play with you. "


    Yin Ci was naturally unsatisfied with this reply. He had felt sad for a long time yesterday and also thought for a long time, which was a feeling he had almost never experienced before. He was unwilling to let go, unable to stop worrying, constantly telling himself ¡­


    What should he do?


    He didn''t know what to say or how to express himself, but after what he had just said, he obviously knew that he was right. He suddenly felt especially happy that he had expressed his meaning correctly.


    He just couldn''t be at ease with that girl. He would only feel at ease if he placed her in front of his eyes ¡­ There''s nothing to it about being beautiful...


    "I want to take you home. My mother will like you very much ¡­"


    Du Yueyao was silent. She actually reached out her hand to stroke the little man''s head. His hair was tied up in a neat bun. In the end, he was still a hardworking person ¡­


    "Stop messing around, it''s time for you to go back ¡­" They straightforwardly asked Xiao Cui''er to send the guests away.


    She had originally planned to go back to sleep, but after being tossed around like this, she was no longer able to sleep ¡­


    Lan Xiao and the Mommy Chun next door started to argue again ¡­ The business on the Mommy Chun became worse and worse. It was one thing for the girls on the boat to not be able to endure the bad business, but the Mommy Chun was still causing a ruckus day after day. At this moment, the Mommy Chun vented her anger on Lan Xiao once again. Furthermore, she hated Du Yueyao. She felt that it was all because of her. She had been putting on an act in the Apricot Flower Hall all day and had attracted a large number of guests, but she just didn''t see them. Let the guests wait outside the door all day long. She felt especially envious and envious. In the end, even he wasn''t in a good mood ¡­ She was in a bad mood. Naturally, she got angry with the girls ¡­ In the end, it was still because of that Du Yueyao ¡­


    The two girls who ran away last night were the twins who had the biggest gimmick. Because they could not attract the guests, they were scolded by the Mommy Chun for a long time. Finally, they could not take it anymore and ran out ¡­ They were the pillars of the Na Hong Courtyard. Mommy Chun was completely worried after they ran away. She didn''t even know how she was supposed to continue this business of his ¡­


    She yelled as she brought a flower pot and threw it at''s boat. A clay pot just happened to smash onto Lan Xiao''s feet. If Lan Xiao had taken a small step forward at that time, she would naturally have had her head bloodied ¡­


    Mommy Chun still wasn''t satisfied after smashing the things, and even made her ship''s attendants throw dirt towards Spring Brothel. They had intentionally not wanted Spring Brothel to properly do business. This naturally touched upon Lan Xiao''s bottom line. When had she ever been at such a disadvantage?


    Even though she was extremely intelligent and could speak glibly when she cursed others, the current situation was such that it was impossible for her to vent her anger ¡­ The Mommy Chun was completely insane ¡­ When Zhuang Li and Xiao Cui''er pushed open the window and looked downstairs, Lan Xiao was about to lead all the male servants on the boat to slaughter their way onto the brothel boat of the Na Hong Yuan. However, someone lifted up her fat body. She shouted the number one. Two. Three...


    At first, Du Yueyao did not understand what they were doing, but after she shouted for three times, he understood that they threw the fat Mommy Chun into the river.


    At this time, the Mommy Chun panicked and begged for mercy. The number of servants on her boat naturally could not be compared to her Spring Brothel. They originally thought it was just a battle of words between two bawds, but once they saw Lan Xiao bringing his men to their doorsteps, they were naturally extremely afraid. In just a moment, they were all gone ¡­


    Although the fat Mommy Chun would usually not show mercy when punishing girls, she was still scared to death right now as she continuously retreated.


    Although there were still quite a few girls left on her boat, she was usually too mean and no one dared to speak up at this moment.


    With an ordinary sound, he saw an enormous splash appear in the water beside the river. The Mommy Chun was struggling and rolling in the water ¡­


    "Save ¡­" Help... "Kill, kill ¡­"


    she cried out, but no one paid any attention to her.


    Lan Xiao patted herself and tidied up the dirt on her body. After she had taken care of herself, she quickly gathered herself on the deck and stuck her head out to see the Mommy Chun struggling in the water.


    Naturally, he heard her cry for help as well.


    He spoke slowly and unhurriedly:


    "Help? Save what? Save whose life? You have so much fat on you, and you won''t sink. Why should I save you? Do you think everyone is as free as you? What kind of joke was this? "I''m very busy ¡­"


    The one who threw the person down was a river stall that wasn''t too deep. After struggling for a long time, the Mommy Chun realised that his feet could actually reach the bottom of the river. When she looked up, she saw that the people on the shore were all looking at her and laughing.


    This Lan Xiao didn''t want her life, she just wanted to see her make a fool of herself...


    She was also extremely angry at the moment, but how could she be angered by Lan Xiao? After all, there were too many people, her business was poor, and brothel boat s were few in number. She could only curse viciously as she walked towards the shore ¡­


    The men who came here every day to see the brothel boat were also exceptionally happy. They were used to watching the two bawd each other out for business. However, this was the first time he saw someone fall into the water ¡­ Naturally, they were also coaxing him ¡­

 C132

    In April, Mommy Chun''s business had long since wilted along with her boat''s flowers, which were unable to afford the expensive maintenance expenses. A lot of the girls inside had already ran away. After all, the tree had fallen and the monkeys had scattered. Naturally, those girls had no feelings for her other than money. At this time, when they saw that the Na Hong Courtyard was about to disperse, they naturally packed their bags and made other plans.


    Some had taken advantage of the busy season of the flower boat to find a decent man to marry into his house, and others had found a new owner who was willing to take her in. One of them even found a flower boat from the nearby Fragrant Storey and went there to make a living.


    The brothel boat of the Fragrant Pavilion was originally leaning against the bridge, but the Lady Boss and the Mommy Chun kept arguing with each other. Although there were fewer guests, it was very quiet there. to let the Mommy Chun''s Na Hong Yuan and to find Lan Xiao''s Spring Brothel. It was just that he did not expect Lan Xiao to be such a ruthless character. Not only did the Mommy Chun not take any advantage, she was actually unable to continue doing business.


    I heard that Mommy Chun has been the brothel''s Madam for many years already, so she is naturally well-known in the capital. However, she has always been such a resentful person, so her business has always been tepid and calm. When the business is good, she has always kept a large amount of silver in her pocket, and when the business is not good, she is also unwilling to share it with the girls. If he could give her enough silver, he would have to keep the girl trapped in her flower tower for the rest of her life. As a result, although Mommy Chun could still be considered as someone who spoke well and had a sweet mouth, she knew all the young masters of all the families. However, in terms of business, there was no improvement that was particularly great.


    However, due to her stingy personality, she had saved up quite a bit of money. Every year, she would be able to dress up her brothel boat to earn some money. It was just that this year, she was really unlucky. If she did not do good business properly, why would she keep challenging Lan Xiao? Did she really think that there was no one in the capital that she could not afford to offend?


    Mommy Chun looked around, the boat was filled with broken flowers, the brothel boat s only had a few flowers that were directly planted inside the pots, but the pots were still heavy and bulky, there were too many beautiful objects on the ship, the weight was already more than the ship''s, in order to reduce the weight, they would directly decorate the brothel boat''s walls with flowers that would fade, and naturally need to constantly changing flowers. Meanwhile, during the past half month, the Na Hong Yuan Family''s income could not support the change of flowers for a long period of time. Many of the fallen petals fell to the ground, and there was even no one to take care of them.


    It was one thing if the Mommy Chun''s brothel boat did not smell good, but it actually had a faint smell of corruption ¡­ At this time, Lan Xiao, who was sitting next to the woman, took out a handkerchief and pretended to cover her nose.


    "Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk ¡­" "It really is a joke ¡­"


    She had originally been a bold and unrestrained person, but this time she had purposefully put on the appearance of a rich and noble lady. The word ''buried'' was spoken extremely slowly and deliberately, and even dragged on in a sweet and melodious tone. It made people even angrier ¡­


    The few remaining young ladies in the Na Hong Yuan School were also helpless. It was not that they did not want to leave Mommy Chun, but it was just that the contract they had signed with the Na Hong Yuan Academy was a lifelong contract. Now that she was trapped here, she couldn''t even speak.


    Mommy Chun was very confident, "If you guys dare to run, not only will I have to report this to the officials, I will also have to break your legs after I catch you guys and bring you back ¡­"


    They were all young girls, and normally, being bullied to the extreme by the Mommy Chun s, they were still afraid of her. He also knew that her heart wasn''t incapable of doing these things. Naturally, he still fearfully stayed on the boat of the Na Hong Yuan Institution. He would occasionally open the window and look at the red flowers and green willows on the Spring Brothel next door with extreme envy. All of them looked pitiful as they were tormented by the Mommy Chun.


    "He really isn''t some ordinary guy who''s going to bury others ¡­"


    Lan Xiao looked at the girl on the boat who looked even skinnier, and emphasized his tone of voice once again.


    "None of your business." Take a good look at your boat. Do you think it''s okay to have more people on board? "Be careful of the sinking ¡­"


    Although Mommy Chun was flustered and exasperated and still had that uncontrollable temper of her, she was still afraid of Lan Xiao ¡­ After all, Lan Xiao not only had a violent temper, but she could also get people on the ship whenever she wanted. She even threw her into the river last time.


    Although no one died, Mommy Chun was fat, and did not sink, only gulping down a few mouthfuls of the river water. Adding to the fact that she lost the shore, he could stand up straight from the river. So she didn''t really want to risk her life with her, she just wanted to humiliate her.


    That time, the people around him talked about it with relish for quite a few days, and even now, the Mommy Chun still held a grudge. However, she did not have anyone with the same amount of money as Lan Xiao and she did not have the power to force him. Although she hated that woman to the bones, she could only swear to herself that if she had the chance, Lan Xiao would definitely take it all off.


    Compared to the situation at the Spring Pavilion, the situation here was much better ¡­ Business was booming, and flowers were dazzling. Now it was the most attractive flowerboat on the river. Xiao Cui''er woke up early in the morning to watch the gardener replacing the withered flowers with fresh ones.


    The first and second floor were no longer filled with the color and flower from before. Only the third floor and Du Yueyao''s place was still filled with the first floor''s apricots, and Du Yueyao had never felt tired of them either. Fortunately, the apricot blooming period was also long, from March to May. There had always been fresh and good apricot flowers.


    The reputation of the Spring Brothel''s apricot brothel boat and the Du Yueyao on the boat naturally became even more famous. Not only in the capital, but many people from other places had come to watch the show as well. They had given away precious jade and gold ¡­


    He said she was the wife of an apricot, or perhaps the goddess of the apricot, the Hundred Flowers Fairy ¡­ They could say anything. He had the perfect zither skill. It made people unable to stop. Almost no one was able to resist her magic, and her face was even more powerful than that of a Heavenly Immortal ¡­


    Those who were able to see her were pitifully few in number. Whether they saw her or not all depended on her mood. If she was in a good mood, she would ask Lan Xiao to arrange a table of wine, and she would accompany the guests and chat merrily. When the wine was drunk, it would play two songs to cheer them up. If she were to act rashly, she would refuse all those who came to see her. She would sleep on her apricot brothel boat without the slightest bit of affection, until the sun shined down on her three legs ¡­ He gradually went out and thought about his own matters, like a young girl in a pavilion.


    Lan Xiao was not like the old procuress from Mommy Chun. She was an extremely casual person, and was extremely harmonious with a person as casual as Du Yueyao.


    After all, she was still young. In this world, her happiness was of the utmost importance.


    The girls stayed on the boat all day, naturally feeling depressed and flustered. Occasionally, they would travel together and stroll around the streets. Take a look at the new spring dresses, or the new jewellery from Cloud Square. Their eyes and hearts were firmly attracted by the small objects scattered across the street. They would not be able to come back until closing time. Only Du Yueyao seemed to have grown up on a boat ¡­ The sisters in the boat wouldn''t be willing to go out to persuade her against it ¡­


    If Xiao Cui''er was depressed, Du Yueyao would let him follow the other sisters out. She woke up as usual, or slept until the sun had set.


    However, she was still interested in the little things that Xiao Cui''er had brought back.


    Lan Xiao did not care, as though she had already seen through her. She just kept bringing the good wine and meat jewelry to her to choose. With such a willful master, Xiao Cui''er was naturally trapped on the ship, busy doing what she needed to do. Everyone on board the ship could see her busy figure shuttling back and forth between Du Yueyao''s room and the ground floor. Send different things, pass on messages for everyone. It was like a spinning top...


    She is a diligent and likeable little girl. Even someone like Lan Xiao, who disliked children, did not reject her.


    As time passed, not only did the people in the capital know about Du Yueyao''s good fortune, they also knew about her servant, Xiao Cui''er. She was the one who had the most contact with the legendary woman, if she wanted to meet Du Yueyao, she would have to pass on the message to him.


    In the morning, Xiao Cui''er went down to the deck, and saw that there were already many people waiting there.


    "Miss Cui Er, may I ask if your young miss has time?"


    "Miss Cui Er, may I trouble you to inform her that our young master came from Hangzhou to meet her." I just hope to be able to see Miss Yueyao at the first possible moment ¡­ "


    "Miss Cui Er, does your young miss like the pearls of the East Sea? This was dug out by our young master from a clam shell in the East China Sea to express his sincerity towards this girl.


    Ever since the brothel boat s started operating, Xiao Cui''er had long since gotten used to this scene. There were too many people who wanted to see Big Sister Yue Yao. Du Yueyao merely sat quietly amidst the apricot brothel boat, but the men outside seemed to have all been poisoned by her.


    In the end, Xiao Cui''er was still somewhat frightened by this battle, and did not know how to respond in that moment. She busied herself with her own matters, went downstairs to get some water, and then returned to the third floor, and poured some for the beautiful flowers. She didn''t notice that Du Yueyao had opened the window and was leaning on her forehead as she looked at her.


    The protagonist of the incident, Du Yueyao, had woken up not too late today and was blinking her eyes. She looked at the flowers by the window. Those apricot flowers were still in full bloom, beautiful to the point of almost dripping water under Xiao Cui''er''s meticulous care.


    She sighed for no reason.


    "It''s already April ¡­"


    Xiao Cui''er, who was working very hard, did not expect that she had already woken up. She jumped in shock, and immediately dropped the wooden ladle that was filled with water from the third floor onto the deck. With a "pa" sound, he fell to the ground and bounced back up. Using the round side to walk around on the ground.


    "Elder Sister Yueyu, you''re awake?"


    She remembered what Du Yueyao had said and quickly replied.


    "In mid-April, sister."


    Du Yueyao acknowledged. Ye Zichen couldn''t tell if she was in a good mood or bad mood, but she just continued to support her forehead lazily.


    "The apricot blossoms can still bloom for a few more days. By the time they wilt in May, the brothel boat''s business will also come to an end ¡­"


    Xiao Cui''er listened seriously, but she did not know why Du Yueyao would mention this all of the sudden. Every year, the brothel boat business would run from March to May. When May came, it would close, and the girls would start their own businesses in their brothels.


    "May ¡­" Du Yueyao seemed to be muttering to herself, and then, she spoke in a low voice that only she could hear.


    "When these apricot flowers wilt, I also want to regain my Su Zhou ¡­"


    Not long after, Lan Xiao brought up a top-quality brocade box. The brocade box was not very big, and there were some cloud flower engravings on it, making it look extremely exquisite.


    It was sent up by a young master downstairs. Presumably, it was also a piece of jewellery or something similar, but he still lazily opened it up to take a look.


    Du Yueyao opened the box. It was a wooden comb ¡­


    It couldn''t be considered to be exquisite, but it was made of an exceptionally high quality wood. It was a top-quality fragrant wood. A clear and serene aura could be felt from it ¡­


    The comb was naturally carved with a few apricot flowers ¡­ In other words, it was more than coquettish.


    Recently, the children who were able to speak all knew that there was a woman with apricot flowers in the capital. If people wanted to see her, the best gift was something related to apricots that she liked. The craftsmen in the capital had always carved peonies and Yulan ¡­ As the demand for these apricot items increased, they were all working on their own new apricot products. At first, the craftsmen only knew that the number of customers who needed to decorate the apricot flowers had increased rapidly, so they started to design new styles and designs. They didn''t know why, but could it be that this year''s apricot flowers were especially blooming?


    Later on, he realized that all of these accessories were designed for a woman who liked apricot flowers.


    All the artefacts with apricot blossoms would go up high ¡­ People couldn''t help but admire this Apricot Flower Fairy''s charisma.


    The carving of the apricot flower in front of him was not particularly exquisite. There were not many carvings on the comb, so a single apricot flower quietly bloomed on the back of the comb. Du Yueyao was completely captivated by it.


    She didn''t like this comb, but it seemed like she was just staring at it ¡­


    It was as if he was captivated by the scent of the comb ¡­ But that taste isn''t anything special?


    After a long while, Du Yueyao regained her senses ¡­


    " "Who gave this comb to you?"

 C133

    At that time, when Xiao Cui''er saw the exquisite box, she had especially asked Lan Xiao who gave it to him. This time, he pulled Du Yueyao to the side of the window and pointed out to her.


    "A manservant brought him in. However, his master has also come ¡­" She pointed to a palanquin by the river, which was covered with a dark curtain. The bearers and servants were waiting at the side, but the people in the palanquin did not come out. But in the end, they looked like rich families.


    In the entire brothel boat season, there were many rich young masters who came to the river bank. There were naturally many types of transportation as well. There were those who rode horses and those who sat in palanquins.


    However, as long as they reached the river and there were a lot of people, they would come down. I can''t just sit in the sedan all the time... However, the man who gave her the gift was already in the hands of the beauty, while she was still sitting in the sedan. She didn''t have the slightest intention of showing herself ¡­


    Du Yueyao looked at the palanquin for a while, seeing that the owner did not seem to want to get down, she muttered in her heart, there was no meaning to it. Just as she was about to turn around and continue with her work, Xiao Cui''er spoke.


    "Elder sister, I recognize that palanquin ¡­" "Every day ¡­"


    "Oh." Du Yueyao replied indifferently. There were more people every day, so she naturally did not mind ¡­


    At this time, the person in the carriage seemed to have received some sort of reaction, as he lifted up the curtain of the carriage to take a look at the brothel boat ¡­


    It was a man around forty years old. When he looked at the brothel boat, he just so happened to meet Du Yueyao''s gaze, and even he himself did not expect to meet Du Yueyao in such a coincidence. Even though they were separated by quite a distance, he could clearly feel that the beauty was not ordinary. He was instantly attracted by it. He just stood there, unable to shift her gaze away ¡­


    He was a man who liked to roam the brothels to begin with, so it was common for him to seek thrills. Recently, a lady with apricot flowers had come out, so he naturally wanted to know more about it.


    However, the sea of people before him had still far surpassed his imagination. Wanting to meet the legendary Lady Apricot Flower was not an easy matter.


    It was obvious that he had come, later than the others. However, the man''s curiosity continued to increase. He would come to the riverbank every day. If he didn''t see the boat, his heart would always feel empty as the boat''s apricot flowers caught his attention. He did not expect that the small gift he had sent in today would actually be received. He felt somewhat happy, and just happened to lift up the curtain to meet the eyes of that woman with the apricot flowers.


    As expected ¡­ She was so beautiful that it could not be said that she was an object from the mortal world. She was even more beautiful than Empress Zhang Mengyu by a few points. As for the few girls in his residence, they were naturally not on par with Du Yueyao.


    For a moment, he finally understood why these people would come here day after day to wait for the Lady Apricot to come out. He also realized that it was naturally worth it for him to wait so long.


    However, Du Yueyao was not the least bit interested in this kind of uncle. She was old enough to be her father ¡­ Since she was living in a brothel, what had she not seen in the world before? She had met someone who could be a grandfather before. But in the end, she still didn''t like it. After clicking her tongue a few times, she left the window.


    She didn''t care about money or rights, she was just happy in her heart. He naturally had to be picky about the topic.


    That man was old after all, but he still had a refined temperament to him. He had his reasons for sitting in the palanquin all this time.


    Not long later, a letter was delivered to him, hoping to meet with Du Yueyao. It was the middle-aged man who brought the comb over.


    Although Du Yueyao never planned to meet the man at all, she was still curious about him and took it and opened it, the handwriting was extremely neat and beautiful, and to be honest, this was the first time Du Yueyao had ever seen someone write a word like that, and it was signed by Zhao Zongming.


    "Zhao Zongming? "I seem to have heard of this name before ¡­" Du Yueyao pondered, he planned to take a hard look and pull this name out of his memories. He must have heard from a young master of some family.


    "Isn''t it just Lord Zhao ¡­"


    Just when she was unable to think of a difficult situation, Lan Xiao suddenly opened the door and entered.


    "The prime minister of the imperial government, Prime Minister Zhao Lord Zhao ¡­" She looked at Du Yueyao''s blank expression, and could only snappily remind her.


    Du Yueyao immediately responded with an "oh". She liked to see Lan Xiao''s disappointed expression when he looked at her.


    "So it''s Lord Prime Minister ¡­" No wonder he had to hide in the sedan like a turtle. If people were to recognize him at his age, it would be embarrassing for him to roam the brothel boat ¡­ "


    Lan Xiao shook her head disapprovingly.


    "This Prime Minister doesn''t seem to care about his reputation. There are already five madams in his family, but they still linger around the court all day long." However, recently he seems to have been especially attentive to you. He has been coming here every day since the beginning of the brothel boat s. "The gifts you give are different every day. Before, you gave him many expensive things, but didn''t bring up your interest. You threw them far away just by looking at them. Naturally, you don''t remember him. I didn''t think that you would see so many ordinary combs today ¡­"


    "There''s nothing to see ¡­" "The carving of the comb cannot be considered exquisite, but the wood is extremely good. I just feel that it''s a pity ¡­"


    "Maybe he just wanted to use this kind of beauty that could not be restrained to attract your attention?" Lan Xiao joked.


    "Then that can only prove that he failed again ¡­"


    Du Yueyao threw the comb and letter far away and laid back on her Imperial Noble Consort bed.


    After listening to her talk about it for a while, Xiao Cui''er heaved a sigh of relief. When she saw the man in the palanquin, she knew that he was quite different from the other young men she had met in the past. Regardless of whether it was his temperament or his background, he was definitely special. After hearing what Lan Xiao said, she felt that the stakes were even higher.


    The prime minister of the imperial court!


    Although her little head had always been living in poverty, the biggest official she had ever interacted with was Master county magistrate. However, regarding Redbud City or the imperial government ¡­ Words such as these were sacred and sacred in her past life... Were those words that the Emperor could only spit out from his mouth?


    How could a weak and poor person like her understand it so well? Not to mention understanding the meaning behind the words, even her father, who had never been to school and knew not a single word, wanted to quickly pull her down to his knees and kowtow when he heard these words. What sort of origin did he have to be able to say such a thing ¡­?


    She was not sure how many official positions there were between the county magistrate that a person like her feared and the Prime Minister that Lan Xiao had mentioned, but she was sure that there was definitely a huge gap in between, and that the old man that instantly made her feel a little afraid. He also heard Lan Xiao talk about that man already having five wives ¡­


    Although Phoenix Dynasty had always been about polygamous wives, people who had more money would also have more wives. However, when people talked about him, most of them were two or three wives. Unexpectedly, that man already had five wives ¡­ In the end, she didn''t think that he was someone she loved ¡­ However, now that he had gained the title of the imperial government, he felt a bit too much pressure for a moment. I can''t breathe.


    When she thought of the people in the imperial court, she always thought of his honest father, who was a peasant. Her legs turned weak and she could still vaguely remember the way her father urged her to kowtow ¡­


    Elder sister shouldn''t provoke such a person. Accompanying Jun Ruohuan was like accompanying a tiger, and moreover, it was a very influential official. However, it was different from the small fights that the rich young masters usually had.


    Luckily, Du Yueyao did not seem to have any interest in that man. At last, she was spirited, and sat up from the Imperial Noble Consort bed.


    "In that case, tell him that my body isn''t feeling well, and he''s still not seeing me. Let him leave quickly and peacefully ¡­"


    When Lan Xiao heard this, she hurriedly waved her hands.


    "Aunt, please don''t. You''re in a bad mood ¡­" If anyone found out that you were not feeling well, even the boys in the capital would have to bring you medicine ¡­


    Du Yueyao was still as indifferent as before: "Didn''t you want to open a pharmacy? "I brought you medicine, what''s wrong with that?"


    "Though I thought of opening a drugstore. However, he wasn''t in a hurry right now. This medicine has come, and you still have to leave it like this. I don''t know when or how long it will take, but I''m still going to say that you''re in a bad mood. "It would be more worthwhile to wait for those ingenious jewelry to be brought in to please you ¡­"


    "Aunt, I don''t think much of you ¡­"


    Du Yueyao glanced at it, and acted like she was not going to cut at all.


    "You don''t think so. There are other girls ¡­"


    Lan Xiao dragged her last words as she walked down the stairs. She was becoming more and more like a qualified bawd ¡­


    As expected, when the news that Miss Du Yueyao was in a bad mood and did not want to see the guest spread out, all sorts of snacks and snacks were brought in and Du Yueyao laid on the Imperial Noble Consort bed. She fiddled with the small accessory in her hand and threw it aside when she felt unhappy. Her expression was also extremely satisfied, and she still had that lazy look she had in the morning.


    But Xiao Cui''er couldn''t say it, there seemed to be some changes to Du Yueyao''s body, but she couldn''t say it clearly, since the apricot flowers bloomed better in April, but it could still be considered to be at their peak during the apricot season, and after half a month, it would probably start to decline.


    As long as she thought of these things, Xiao Cui''er would always feel especially sad in her heart.


    Her little woman be tease when her heart be see through by a group of girls


    "Xiao Cui''er understands now ¡­ "I know it''s bad news ¡­"


    Lan Xiao then spouted out a few sounds, and placed her hands on her waist, "Pah! Pah!"


    "Come on, you''re just a normal child half a year old. What are you crying for ¡­" "I don''t walk the world by relying on sorrow and sorrow ¡­"


    Amidst everyone''s playful laughter, Xiao Cui went to the pavilion. Du Yueyao did not sleep, but instead lit a candle and held it in her hand.


    The silhouette of her figure was vaguely visible on the stairs in the attic, swaying and swaying, as if she was burdened with endless worries.


    Her face was hidden under the candlelight. Although they had interacted with each other for a long time, facing each other daily, they couldn''t live and eat without Xiao Cui''er''s care. They were already so familiar with each other that they couldn''t get more familiar with each other. But when he saw her, he couldn''t help but feel amazement rise up from the bottom of his heart.


    In her heart, she was still as charming and beautiful as a fairy.


    She should be a god ¡­


    Xiao Cui''er walked in but didn''t say anything. Then, Du Yueyao naturally stopped in her tracks as she saw her.


    Xiao Cui''er raised her head and looked at that face carefully. Within her astonishment, she once again felt the endless grief that she had buried in the bottom of her heart. She didn''t know why she felt this way ¡­


    Her family had been poor since she was a child, but she was naive and happy. The wild flowers on the mountain and the sweet potatoes she had found in the fields made her happy. Then Daddy got sick. He began to understand the hardships of the human world and made a lot of efforts. Every day, all he thought about was the nightmare of his father leaving and how to feed him and his father.


    She had never led a good life.


    And yet here she was doing exceptionally well...

 C134

    Xiao Cui''er had never lived such a good life. To be able to wear such good clothes, eat such good food, and even live in such a beautiful and warm place ¡­


    However, she didn''t feel happy at all ¡­


    When she saw Du Yueyao, she also felt that Du Yueyao was not very happy ¡­


    Although she was still young and everyone said that she still didn''t understand, she still had her own thoughts and judgments. Du Yueyao might be able to hide her sadness, but she couldn''t.


    Although the lights on the pavilion were dim, Du Yueyao still saw the little girl in front of him who looked like she was about to cry. Her heart also felt pain ¡­ Could it be that she shouldn''t have brought this child to this brothel boat? Living in such an environment is not good for this child at all...


    The hand she was using to hold the candle stiffened. Then, Xiao Cui''er walked over and hugged her waist, burying her head into her body as tears began to flow.


    "Elder sister ¡­"


    This child seemed to have grown slightly taller than when he first saw her. Actually, after he had brought her in, he hadn''t taken much care of her either. On the contrary, it was Xiao Cui''er who had been taking care of him all along. I wonder how she eats every day ¡­


    In the end, he had been the one to blame for being careless ¡­


    That little child was like her own child, and now she felt a lot of guilt.


    In this world, there were many people who had never experienced any hardships since they were born. The departure of a loved one, or the misery of poverty. However, more and more people were struggling as well. He thought about what he would do in this world, what he would leave behind for himself, or what he would try to escape from.


    But why or what?


    When she closed her eyes, she thought of Yin Ci''s eyes. That child was practically obedient and made people feel pity for him. Every night, as long as the light in her room was on, she could see a vague figure on the far bank of the river. Dressed in plain silk clothing, her mouth was so clumsy that one could not even utter a few flowery words. However, one could tell that her eyes were filled with emotion that everyone could understand ¡­


    Du Yueyao did not want to see him, so he stayed like this until the lights on the brothel boat went out, and only then did he leave.


    This scene had become a secret in the depths of Du Yueyao''s heart. When she was slightly tipsy after sending her guests away, or when she slept until the evening, when the moonlight outside the window was bright and clear, Du Yueyao would naturally take action. She would look out the window at the figure in the distance. As if possessed, she seemed to be saying the best love words she had ever heard.


    Who in this world hadn''t felt pity?


    This was the best way for her and Yin Ci. Even if he missed it, it was for his own good.


    "Elder sister."


    Xiao Cui''er moved slightly in Du Yueyao''s embrace, lifting up her small face, which was still covered in tears, from her waist.


    Du Yueyao was startled, then patted on the head lightly.


    "When the brothel boat is done, sister will find a private school for you to go and read, okay?"


    Although Phoenix Dynasty did not specify a rule for women to not be allowed to take the exam, only girls from wealthy families would care about something that a woman would read one or two books about. However, she wanted Xiao Cui''er to live such a life, if she was allowed to grow up in a brothel like this, she would most likely become a prostitute in the future ¡­


    But she knew too well the grievances and difficulties of the brothel, the hardships of this road, and the disdain of the world in private. Although she had met someone like Lan Xiao and made the entire brothel warm and free, she didn''t want to let her live a life of grievance.


    She was living a casual life, but she still understood that life wasn''t something that could be lost with her unreasonable personality. It was because she had met with a broken family and her brother had made things difficult for her that she had no choice but to take this step. However, in her heart, she still yearned for a complete family, a strict father, and a gentle mother. She had no chance, little Cui Er still has.


    Xiao Cui''er never thought that Du Yueyao would say such a thing, how could she have thought that she would actually be able to go to a private school one day? How could it be possible for someone like her to be born?


    "But, I want to be with my sister even more."


    "Silly child."


    Du Yueyao gently patted the child''s head.


    "Come, let''s go find Mama Lan and join in the fun." She pulled her small face out of her arms and wiped away the tears on her face. Then, because it was so funny, she wiped her whole face like a kitten and couldn''t help laughing out loud.


    On the contrary, Du Yueyao''s Apricot Flower Hall was quiet, but downstairs was still a lively place filled with singing and dancing. After sending off the guests, the girls still couldn''t bear to sleep, so they continued to drink and chat merrily on the deck. The wine was tainted with the fragrance of a hundred flowers and seemed to be even more intoxicating.


    In terms of alcohol consumption, as long as Du Yueyao was willing to drink, she would not lose to anyone. Coincidentally, Lan Xiao was also known as the Master who wouldn''t fall even after drinking a thousand cups.


    The two of them toasted back and forth, only getting a little tipsy after a few rounds.


    Taking advantage of Du Yueyao''s good mood, the ladies, who rarely got a chance to chat with her, also came over at this time, chattering about the secret flowers in the room that the girls liked, the entire Spring Brothel was especially lively. Du Yueyao was also willing to chat with them, sharing the funny things about him being the wife of an apricot. It made those girls laugh.


    The full moon hung high in the sky, as if it was also helping the girls enjoy the wine, appearing exceptionally bright.


    "Xiao Cui''er, take out all the things that I have collected today and distribute them among your sisters."


    It was normal for Du Yueyao to give things to others, so it was not strange. Everyone was also overjoyed. After all, any item that Du Yueyao took out normally could be considered a top quality item.


    Besides, she didn''t need that much.


    Not long later, Xiao Cui''er came down with a box in her arms, which she had received recently. She opened the box and placed it in the middle of the table, letting the sisters slowly choose based on their preferences.


    There was laughter on the deck, the clinking of cups and the constant exclamations of admiration for the ornaments.


    With her sharp eyes, Lan Xiao saw the items that were wrapped in the little silk cloth one by one. When she opened them, she indeed saw it was as she had expected. Raising the peach blossom hairpin in her hand, she asked:


    "Aunt, this was given to me by that foolish brat called Yin Ci, right?"


    In terms of craftsmanship, the hairpin was not considered superior, but it was very carefully wrapped up. Presumably, that brat spent a lot of time to find it and sent it to the brothel boat.


    He was such a person. While he was unable to recognize what others thought of as treasures, the things that he had found were treated as treasures.


    Lan Xiao was the oldest, plus she was born intelligent, even though her entire body was filled with the bad style of a female ruffian, she was still a meticulous woman, and was well aware of these matters.


    Du Yueyao was especially different from that foolish brat. Although she had only seen him three times and never wanted to see him again, this made Lan Xiao even more suspicious.


    Lan Xiao had always been a carefree and straightforward person, the reason why she opened the brothels was not to be the procuress, she was young and mischievous, angering her father to death, but was just like those martial artists. It was just willfulness. She was never a bad person ¡­


    She had known Du Yueyao for a long time, even though she was only thinking about how noisy it was, she understood her a lot more than the other people who were truly confused.


    Du Yueyao was startled by her question, she didn''t think she would remember it. She gave a casual grunt of assent.


    Seeing her disinterested expression, Lan Xiao really did not know what she was worried about. She just casually put the hairpin back into the silk cloth and wrapped it up, then grabbed Du Yueyao''s hand and stuffed it into her palm.


    "You''d better keep it."


    When Lan Xiao sat back down, Du Yueyao was still standing there in shock, his palm still raised high in the air. She felt the soft touch of the piece of silk on his palm. It felt hot, but it soon cooled down.


    She pulled a girl beside her and put the silk cloth into her hands. She gave a warm smile.


    "This is for you."


    That girl was naturally very happy, but when she raised her head and saw Lan Xiao''s gaze, she seemed to be a little strange. She momentarily thanked him, but didn''t know if she should accept it or not. He realized that this was not an ordinary item to Du Yueyao, but if it was really something important, why would the Miss Yueyao give it to him?


    "Just take it with ease. It''s just a small gift, work ¡­" It''s not too good... Compared to the stuff in Cloud Workshop, it''s way too inferior, so don''t you mind it. "


    Du Yueyao smiled again. Her smile truly had that kind of magic, making people feel relaxed all of a sudden. After she said that, she reached for the jug of wine in the middle of the table and poured herself a cup. The jug was placed across the table as she poured Lan Xiao a cup.


    Lan Xiao could not bear to watch any longer, so she went over and pulled Du Yueyao to one side.


    "You''ve fallen for that silly kid, haven''t you?"


    "You know he''s stupid ¡­"


    "Why did you give him a gift?"


    "Speaking of the appearance of that hairpin, I, Du Yueyao, am much better than that good stuff. Right, wouldn''t it be better to let our sisters be happy for a while?"


    Lan Xiao could not bear to see Du Yueyao''s death, so she did not want to admit to one thing, but started to talk about other things instead. The Du Yueyao that she knew was not so timid.


    "Although that child is silly and insensible, he has a clean heart and is much better than those young masters whose mouths are filled with flowery nonsense. You clearly know in your heart that he is worthy of you entrusting your entire life to him ¡­ "If you don''t like him, it''s natural that no one will force you, but why do I feel like you''ve clearly thought about it ¡­"


    "I''ve really seen everything ¡­" How could the old procuress persuade him that the first card in the building was from the good side? Mama Lan... You are so funny today... Do you want to do business or not? Could it be that you really have thoughts of opening a medicine store? "


    Seeing her dead look, Lan Xiao felt hatred in her heart, and quickly stopped Du Yueyao who wanted to escape.


    "I''m not the Brothel Keeper, I consider you to be my friend ¡­ No one can restrain you. If you want to return to the Su Zhou with him, do you believe that I will beat the drum and beat the drum so that you can get married out ¡­ I hope for you to live a good life, do you really want to be a prostitute for your entire life? "As for the girls on this ship, no matter which one of them is suitable, I am willing to let them go."


    Although Lan Xiao usually spoke a lot, most of them were sarcastically and sarcastically instigated the Mommy Chun on the other side of the brothel boat. Even Du Yueyao who had been with her for a long time would rarely see her speak so much in a serious manner ¡­

 C135

    Du Yueyao was actually unable to respond to her words at that moment.


    She did not want to admit that she had thought of something, and had been hiding it the entire time, but she did not expect that Lan Xiao still saw it clearly. But what was the use of admitting? Her fate had been decided long ago, and it wasn''t something that could be changed just by thinking about.


    If changes were to be mentioned, this brothel boat probably had a chance to change a child like Xiao Cui''er. In order to survive, she spent her time trying to make men happy. Those charming and flirtatious smiles were carved into her bones, surrounding her completely. She would never be able to forget it for the rest of her life.


    Seeing that she did not make a sound, as if what she said was true, Lan Xiao did not seem to want to admit it and continued.


    "I''ve asked around about his family background for that child. In the Su Zhou, he''s not bad. If you care about your own birth, why not go under my father''s name and be his goddaughter? My father''s reputation in Su Zhou is not small at all, and being his daughter is something extremely honorable. Even though my father had a daughter like me, he probably already removed me from his list. It just so happens that you passed it to my dad ¡­ "When the time comes, I''ll be able to collect a large amount of matchmaker''s money ¡­"


    Du Yueyao knew that she had good intentions. Lan Xiao was usually careless, but in reality, her thoughts were extremely meticulous. Du Yueyao smiled, it was extremely natural. Then she returned to the table to get the jug.


    The bright moon hung high in the sky, and the entire capital was quiet because of the deep night. Soon, it would be May. The weather will begin to turn hot.


    The season for brothel boat only happened in the spring, because it was very difficult for summer flowers to be kept fresh for a long time, and the varieties were also very difficult to keep diverse. Furthermore, all the brothel boat were stationed at the shore, and in the summer, there were a lot of algae and a lot of fishy smell, and also a lot of mosquitoes.


    Thus, in May, they would return to the city to work in the brothels.


    Using the bright moonlight and the faint yellow candlelight, Du Yueyao could see the apricot flowers that were in bloom on the third floor of the brothel boat.


    "When May comes, the apricot blossoms will be gone ¡­" She said it in a barely audible voice.


    There did not seem to be anything special in April. The business of Spring Brothel was still so good that it made people jealous, the Mommy Chun next door still frequently came over to cause trouble, and Lan Xiao still tried to cover everything up. After she exposed all of her little tricks and thoughts, she would return them all.


    The days seemed to slip through her fingers one by one as Du Yueyao supported Lan Xiao to find a teacher willing to accept Xiao Cui''er, even the price did not matter. How could Du Yueyao be short of money? This news quickly spread across the brothel boat. Normally, when her little sisters saw Xiao Cui''er, they couldn''t help but joke around with her, not because they wanted to make fun of her, but more so to congratulate and envy Xiao Cui''er.


    What does reading require? I don''t know much about the women who grew up in the brothels... They did know quite a lot of zither, chess, calligraphy, and paintings, but these were all skills that they had learned in order to earn a living in the brothel. They were all techniques that they had learned in order to make a living in the brothel.


    As a result, the things that were stuffed into Xiao Cui''er''s hands became all sorts of different things ¡­


    But most of the stuff depends on the point spectrum...


    For example, the study room''s four treasures, or her own sewing bag ¡­ Although the bag was made of high-quality silk, there was even a large and alluring peony embroidered on it ¡­


    Xiao Cui''er took care of all the flowers on the boat one by one. Du Yueyu had not woken up yet, so she was not in a hurry to fetch water to take care of her. Sitting among the apricots with their heads on the fence, their feet hanging from the gap in the fence, they dangled in the air. As the temperature rose, she spent the day on the boat, scrubbing the floor until it shone, making it convenient for her to be barefoot all day, wearing a large, working-sized cotton dress with the sleeves rolled up almost to her arms.


    The top of his head was tied up in a high bun, as a few strands of hair were already hanging loose from his head from his morning run. It hung limply in front of his eyes, causing him to be in the way. She puffed out her cheeks and blew a few breaths into the top of her head. The few strands of hair that didn''t obey her flew up, and after a while, they drooped back down.


    With a sigh, she hugged the fence, tilting her head so that the tip of her nose touched an apricot flower beside her.


    That flower petal was so warm and pink. It was so soft ¡­


    Xiao Cui''er could not help but exclaim.


    Not long ago, she was still worrying about his father''s illness and not being able to eat enough. Even in his dreams, he didn''t dare imagine that he would have the chance to study under his teacher.


    When Du Yueyao said this, she thought that Du Yueyao was just joking ¡­ Though my sister almost never joked. She knew that she was extremely good to her, but she didn''t dare to think about it ¡­


    After all, in the Phoenix Dynasty, if a woman were to have the chance to go to school, that was something that only a lady from a noble family could do ¡­ She wasn''t a girl ¡­ In terms of birth, he could only be considered a lowly commoner ¡­


    Originally, he didn''t care too much about this matter. It was only when Du Yueyao asked Lan Xiao to help her keep an eye out for the nearby academies or whatever, that she realized Du Yueyao was seriously considering this matter ¡­


    His initial surprise turned to excitement, then anxiety and the melancholy of a young girl.


    For example, if he didn''t have any basic knowledge of himself, let alone his own father and mother ¡­ They had been digging up for several generations, but none of them could read ¡­ Would he be too stupid to read it? Would the teacher use a willow tree to hit his own hand? If it was just a small matter like this, he would be willing to do so. However, he was even more worried about being directly chased out by his teacher, as he was too stupid and was not suitable to read books. That would be utterly humiliating for her sister...


    When she mentioned that there would actually come a day where she would disappoint her elder sister''s good intentions, Xiao Cui''er shuddered coldly as she felt exceptionally sad in her heart.


    If I encounter such a situation, I''ll just beg the teacher to hit me a few more times to vent my anger. But no matter what, don''t throw me out ¡­


    If he was too stupid, he would have to put in ten times more effort than others ¡­


    Thinking about it, Xiao Cui''er smiled, anyone who saw it would feel especially happy.


    But then she suddenly thought, if I go to school, who will take care of these flowers? There were some servants on the boat, but Xiao Cui''er was worried that they might be careless and not be able to take care of them. Then, she felt that she was extremely stupid. When she went to study, the brothel boat had already packed up.


    I''m really stupid. Looks like I''ll have to suffer a lot of hardships from teacher from now on ¡­


    That government official called Zhao Chongming still visited his sister every day. His sister had always refused him before, and he had not even been able to enter the brothel boat. But ever since that night when she drank with Sister Lan Xiao, they started to see each other ¡­ Who knew what exactly he had said to Lan Xiao ¡­


    However, every time he saw big sister Lan Xiao looking at Zhao Chongming, he would feel extremely displeased.


    Zhao Chongming was a lot older than Du Yueyao, almost twenty years older. After hearing that she had become the prime minister in the imperial court, Xiao Cui''er only knew that she was a very, very big official ¡­


    She was very afraid of being an official, so she was naturally afraid of Zhao Chongming. However, that man wasn''t as scary as he thought he would be. Ever since his sister had met him, he had come almost every day ¡­ The things that were delivered became more and more valuable.


    After a short while, Du Yueyao was wrapped up. Although the time they spent together was not much, they still had to come and sit.


    As soon as the servant told him that Master Zhao had arrived, her sister would definitely dress up to welcome him. They drank pot after pot of apricot wine and listened to the song again and again. Her elder sister''s words were gentle and her smile was beautiful, yet Xiao Cui''er was unable to say anything. Was my sister unhappy?


    In her heart, she and Lan Xiao did not like that Zhao Chongming. She didn''t like the Shangguan family. She always felt that her heart was as deep as the sea, as if she was afraid of some suspicion and detection. She had heard Lan Xiao say one thing, that the young lady of a brothel would definitely marry out in the future, and wouldn''t truly become a prostitute for the rest of her life.


    After all, there would always be a day when one''s appearance would grow old. However, one day, when one''s appearance had become old, life would still continue. If he stayed in the brothel and continued to hang out like this ¡­ How should life go on?


    Therefore, not only would she not object, if any of the ladies in the brothel were to find a husband, Lan Xiao would also let them go.


    In addition, the girls who were working in the brothels were either poor or their parents had left a long time ago. Lan Xiao would also give them an extra large amount of silver, as a dowry from his parents.


    Was my elder sister willing to see the Prime Minister Zhao today to find a husband for me?


    Xiao Cui''er did not understand ¡­


    Although it was normal for Phoenix Dynasty men to have three wives and four concubines, and it was also normal for men to be around ten or twenty years older than their wives. But no matter what, Xiao Cui''er was unwilling for her sister to be willing to see that Prime Minister Zhao ¡­


    Even though he was extremely concerned about his sister and had quite a bit of power. Just by looking at his clothes, one could tell that he was definitely rich. To a prostitute, to be able to obtain his love, he would have to continuously breathe in the blessings from his previous life. But Xiao Cui''er did feel that her sister should not have seen him ¡­


    That man wasn''t worth it after all.


    Xiao Cui''er was still thinking about her own matters, and was almost infatuated. Until she was interrupted by the petals floating down from above his head. She raised his head and saw a beautiful hand on top of his head. It was holding a handful of flower petals and happily sprinkling them on her body ¡­


    Her hand was slender and fair, like the warmth of an eagle''s jade. On her fingers, there was a cocoon that had been growing out from the zither for a long time, but it was especially gentle.


    "Sister! When did you wake up? "


    Xiao Cui''er hurriedly stood up. Unknowingly, Du Yueyao had opened the window and was supporting her forehead with one hand. She was sizing up the flower petals with great interest. Seeing that Xiao Cui''er had discovered it, she could only throw away the remaining petal in his hand in dejection.


    "It''s so nice to watch. Can''t you just wait for me to finish sprinkling and then turn around?"

 C136

    Du Yueyao had indeed woken up a little earlier than usual, but she hadn''t had the time to clean herself yet. She was still in her pajamas with one hand on her head, leaning lazily on the windowsill. His hair had not been tied up yet. His hair was disheveled, and an apricot flower was sticking out of his head.


    Xiao Cui''er quickly entered the house and started running around barefoot on the wooden floor.


    "What kind of clothes does elder sister want to wear today? What hairpin? " She opened the closet door, opened the jewelry box, and turned to look at Du Yueyao for instructions.


    Du Yue looked at Xiao Cui''er who was by the side of the jewelry box, and her gaze moved from the jewelry box all the way to the window. She reached out to pick the apricot flowers off her head, and gently put them back on the window sill.


    "Pick a peony for me."


    "Huh?"


    Xiao Cui''er did not expect Du Yueyao to say this, so she quickly ran down the stairs, fretted about the flowers, and picked a peony that was in full bloom, before quickly returning to the third floor.


    "Yes, bring me this one."


    Bringing fresh flowers to her head wasn''t anything strange, but it was the first time Du Yueyao brought a peony on her head. As Xiao Cui''er tied up her hair, she also obediently put the peony back in place.


    It was painted with a faint frown, and her lips were dyed as bright as the peony. In an instant, his entire body radiated with a different laziness and nobility from before.


    Seemingly extremely satisfied with her outfit, Du Yueyao looked at herself in the copper mirror and nodded her head slightly. Her eyes turned elsewhere and it was quite interesting.


    He noticed that Xiao Cui''er, who was standing behind him, had a strange expression on her face.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Why did elder sister think of bringing Peony?"


    Du Yueyao was startled by the question, but quickly reacted.


    "Wouldn''t it look good if I brought peonies?"


    "It''s good, of course it''s good." Xiao Cui''er replied. She only suspected that based on her understanding of her elder sister, Du Yueyao had always dressed in simple and elegant attire.


    "Then it''s over." She smiled warmly, for the dress had a charming quality to it, and her eyes fell on the wardrobe, which had just been opened.


    "Go and bring me the clothes with the golden thread peony."


    That day, Du Yueyao had made a name for herself, and once again became the topic of discussion of interest when the brothel boat season was about to end.


    They only knew that the Miss Yueyao in the Apricot Flower Hall was elegant and had an extraordinary appearance. He didn''t expect it to be so gorgeous yet still so refined. Perhaps she was even more graceful and graceful than the current Queen.


    But no matter how much those people talked about it, what Du Yueyao saw today was still the Prime Minister Zhao ¡­


    Accompanying Prime Minister Zhao took up most of her day. By the time he had left, it was already on the bright moon.


    She took off her hair and makeup and put on her pajamas. Yawning, he went to the deck to drink tea and admire the moon with his sisters. It was a full moon hanging high above his head. It was exceptionally bright and moving. Although it was not as plump as August, it was already exceptionally pleasing.


    Everyone drank scented tea and snacks as they enjoyed the moon while talking about the interesting things that had happened today.


    They mostly talked about the guests they had met today, talking about all of them over and over again, all of them talking about the Mommy Chun.


    So one more thing had happened today. When that Mommy Chun came over to provoke him, she was naturally stopped by Lanxiao once again. Strangely speaking, it was not a big deal in the first place, but everyone had long gotten used to the Mommy Chun''s way of doing things. But after thinking about it carefully, she also felt that it was strange. Then, why was the Mommy Chun so engrossed in finding the fault with Spring Brothel?


    He was clearly overestimating himself, yet he seemed to be addicted to it. Until now, if she didn''t come looking for trouble one day, everyone would find it strange ¡­


    Under the night sky, there were no longer any fresh flowers on the brothel boat of the Mommy Chun sending them over. It was dark and not lit at all. At first glance, it looked rather creepy.


    Furthermore, it was not easy to create a brothel boat. It would take several years of income and it would only be used for a few months every year. Even though the brothel boat were managed well, the income for these few months would be equivalent to half a year''s worth of income.


    But in terms of cost, it would take several years to earn back.


    Aside from Lanxiao, who was originally rich to the point of overflowing with oil, a large portion of the brothel owners saw their brothel boat as their lifeblood and as an important part of themselves. They cherished him greatly and maintained him all day long.


    However, the brothel boat in front of them looked pitiful. It was so dark that it swayed slightly due to the weak hydrologic waves, and if it wasn''t for the fact that everyone knew the owner of the brothel boat, the Mommy Chun, being so unreasonable, they would probably feel sorry for the owner of the boat.


    Mommy Chun''s downfall was naturally because of her own mismanagement. However, she seemed to have targeted Spring Brothel, which had an extremely good business background. She only felt that the reason she had landed on this level was because her Spring Brothel was too good, and that it had broken her Na Hong Yuan''s feng shui ¡­


    He also directed all of his hatred onto the sharp-tongued Lan Xiao and Du Yuyao, who had the face and body of a fox. In her eyes, how was Du Yuyao a human? She was simply a demoness, a fiendish ghost that broke through her feng shui ¡­ If she were to meet him that day, he would definitely skin her skin. This would let everyone know that she was a demoness ¡­


    Du Yueyao looked at the boat, and felt that it was dangerous, so she stopped looking.


    Some girls also brought their guqin onto the deck and played a few of them, while others wanted Du Yueyao to play a few as well. She didn''t try to beat around the bush. She played the last part of a song of the White-headed Hymn.


    Spring flowers competing for Fang, five colors Ling Su, the zither is still under control, and the new sound is a story!


    The brocade water has Yuan, the Han Palace has water, the other thing is new, the people of the dead, the alarm is lewd and do not understand!


    He broke the vermilion string, broke the bright mirror, went to bed in the morning, and left with his head full of white hair. He tried his best to add more food to his meal, including the Jin Shui Tang Tang and the Jun Long Formula!


    This phrase was not something that was commonly used in prostitute, and it was something that Mr. Wan Zhe had accidentally played a few years ago, which Du Yueyao had to learn. At that time, Du Yueyao did not understand the meaning of this song, but played it lightly, causing Mr. Wan Zang to laugh at her young ignorance.


    As he grew older this year, he had learned too much about the sorrows between people. Naturally, he could read the thoughts of the aggrieved woman in the melody. In the past, when she was young, she had envied those beautiful young girls. It was as if they had endless feelings for each other, and their eyes were even deeper than that river water. However, it was only now that she finally experienced the sigh of Mr. Wan''er.


    He was indeed young and didn''t know how to feel about it ¡­


    The zither melody slowly spread out from his fingertips, landing on the soft bed of petals. He leapt into the air, and some of them followed the river, spreading out in the slow ripples to some silly figure standing by the river.


    Du Yueyao closed her eyes. She couldn''t see it, but she knew that Yin Ci was standing there.


    She had been fearless and happy because she was a prostitute. After all, she was just making her own money and buying things for herself.


    But as the days went by, it was the world that had worn down her spirit. She knew that she would eventually find someone to marry, someone who, like the women before her, would tolerate her identity, someone who would at least be a good woman and only care about her husband.


    But Yin Ci gave her too much. He not only tolerated her, he liked her. When she looked at that child, what kind of clean pair of eyes did he have? They were completely uncontaminated by the filth of the human world!


    It was as if in front of him, all of his usual cold and aloof beauty was excluded by his two eyes. With just a glance, he could see through his own heart.


    How could she be with such a clean child? Carrying a broken bracelet that he had never seen before, he was walking through the city, trying to repair it. His thoughts were as pure as the plot of a story.


    She had indeed been searching for that jade bracelet. But when he saw that jade bracelet, he realized once again that he was no longer the same as before ¡­


    His mother, whom he loved dearly, had played with her in her arms all those years ago, making her smile from ear to ear. Since he was now a different person from his own pure and innocent self at that time, she was naturally willing to be that silly, stinky little girl again.


    If it was really as Yin Ci''s mother had said, then that piece of jade was shattered because he missed his master and suffered too much in his heart.


    Perhaps that piece of jade was heartbroken because he had fallen into the wind and dust? Although she felt that all of this was a fantasy, she had changed too much in the end.


    He wondered what would happen if he met his mother underground when he died in the future ¡­ Will you be blamed...


    Her mother had always been a pure and innocent little woman. When she saw the bracelet, she suddenly understood that her mother and Yin Ci were the same. In the end, he was still a stranger to the people he liked, as well as his own family ¡­


    So even though the Prime Minister Zhao was not only old, but he already had five wives and two or three children, she still met the Prime Minister Zhao every day. The news that was spread around the capital would have already spread to the entire Yin family, so Yin Ci was naturally aware of it.


    She thought that Yin Ci would just give up and not reappear. However, when she walked to the window, the child was still standing dumbly in the distance.


    Du Yueyao''s zither skills were naturally incomparable to others. But before they could enjoy themselves, when they shouted for Du Yueyao to play another song, Spring Flower Moon Night, a gust of wind blew by, causing the boat to sway slightly ¡­


    A lot of the flowers on the boat had been blown off, and he could hear the leaves flapping against each other in the wind.


    Soon, he thought of the Spring Thunder ¡­

 C137

    The weather was strange. It was a clear and bright night. After a few thunderclaps, it started to rain. The girls on the brothel boat all went inside to shelter themselves from the rain, while the little fellows busied themselves with picking up the tea cups on the deck.


    Du Yueyao was also shocked. After returning to the brothel boat s, she immediately looked outside the window. The weather changed as soon as she wanted, and the river had always been windy, but now, it was blowing even harder than before, causing him to be unable to see clearly.


    Presumably, Yin Ci had gone back ¡­ However, he had heard that the Yin Family was very far away from here. If he didn''t bring his rain gear, wouldn''t he be drenched?


    He felt extremely uneasy in his heart, but he didn''t know what he should do ¡­


    He kept mumbling to himself in his heart. It didn''t matter if he said it, the ship was only a few days away, and he had to return to the Su Zhou. There was no need for him to see him again ¡­


    It suddenly started raining in the middle of the night. The people on the boat naturally couldn''t sleep well. When they woke up in the morning, they saw that it was a mess. Most of the flowers were already in a state of disarray.


    Originally, Lanxiao had wanted to directly change into a batch of flowers, but Du Yueyao advised him to keep the boat until two or three days later. Since there wouldn''t be many customers, there was no need to trouble herself to buy another batch of flowers. Those who moved in and out of the city would be delayed by a day''s work. And the money that had already been spent would not be any fresher.


    Thus, he asked the servant to clean up the boat. He also ordered a gardener to pick up the leaves. Then, the brothel boat s of Spring Brothel reopened.


    After the rain that day, the air was exceptionally clear, as if it were filled with the smell of the coming summer.


    Every year, the brothel boat season would end at the end of April or the beginning of May, and the brothels with better business would open more often.


    Spring Brothel''s brothel boat business was naturally exceptionally good, and was already one of the best in the capital city for this year''s brothels. The girls in the brothel were about to vomit ¡­ I might as well end this early...


    The other difference was that the brothel boat in Mommy Chun''s Na Hong Yuan should have long been there for, but she did not accept it. She just stayed on the surface of the river and there was no business. He had no idea what was going on inside his heart.


    Ever since that day the heavy rain had stopped, Du Yueyao had not seen Yin Ci near the brothel boat for quite a few days. She couldn''t help but wonder if something had happened to him.


    Or was he sick from the rain? Did anyone take care of him?


    It was ridiculous to think about it... The Yin family was a wealthy merchant in the capital, so it was impossible for their household to lack servants. It was useless for him to think about it.


    Yin Ci didn''t come naturally because he had given up, or perhaps it was because he had already returned to his hometown.


    Thinking of this, he couldn''t help but feel a little depressed.


    But no matter what, at least this year''s brothel boat season was about to end, and everyone could have a good rest. Furthermore, Lanxiao had already found a private school at the side of the city, and it was not far from the Spring Brothel. Xiao Cui''er could go to school soon, and after the school was over, she could return to the brothel. It was also very convenient to walk.


    As long as Du Yueyao did not speak, she would agree to let Du Yueyao in and out. As a result, he had already become a regular customer of the Spring Brothel, the moment she saw his horse carriage arrive, Little Si would immediately bring him to the ship. With the passage of time, it seemed that there was no need for Little Si to pass on the knowledge to him.


    It was only towards the last day of the ship''s return that Prime Minister Zhao came. However, he didn''t first look for Du Yueyao, and instead found Lan Xiao to ask about the matter of helping Du Yueyao to redeem herself. Lan Xiao was startled, but it wasn''t because she felt that the Prime Minister Zhao was truly interested in Du Yueyao.


    After all, there were many people in the capital who wanted to help Du Yueyao redeem himself, and it was not strange. Furthermore, she was friends with Du Yueyao, if Du Yueyao wanted to leave, she could just tell her.


    That Prime Minister Zhao actually came to find him first, saying that he would pay a full sum of money to give Yue Yao a pleasant surprise ¡­


    Lan Xiao silently said in her heart.


    "What surprise ¡­" "I think it''s due to fright ¡­" Your wife has enough power, even if you have both power and money, you would need Yue Yao''s respect if you want to marry Du Yueyao. Even if Yueyu was blind, she still had me to watch over this bunch of people ¡­


    Therefore, Lan Xiao casually found a reason to send Zhao Kangming away, and waited until she had plotted with Du Yueyao in the night before giving him an answer that she would never be able to implement.


    Before long, he saw Zhao Kangming coming down the stairs with a gloomy face. He must have also touched a nose full of dust. Lan Xiao quickly followed him upstairs, and coincidentally, Du Yueyao had brewed a pot of spring tea this year.


    "Lord Zhao said that he would marry me, but I did not agree."


    She saw that Lan Xiao had most likely guessed it by now, so she decided to let her see how she felt about watching a good show.


    Sure enough, Lan Xiao burst out in laughter. Du Yueyao could only consider herself unlucky to have lost a friend who took pleasure in another''s misfortune, and marry the Prime Minister Zhao who had been his equal for two whole rounds? How could she be willing? In the end, she was still the Du Yueyao who worked hard for her life ¡­


    Although it was morning, the weather wasn''t too good, and although it was morning, the sky had always been gloomy. The things on the boat had already been packed properly, and they drove the boat all the way to a bay at the edge of the city.


    The flower arrangement on the boat had also been cleaned up, revealing her original appearance. It made people feel like she was a stranger.


    Coincidentally, the Mommy Chun of Na Hong Yuan also decided to pack up her boat today. She had suffered quite a lot during the brothel boat season this year, and I heard that she was already prepared to sell her brothel boat and devote all of her experience to the management of the brothels.


    In the entire season, she had stirred up a lot of trouble for the Spring Brothel, but with Lan Xiao there, the Mommy Chun was at a disadvantage. Only in the last few days did she finally calm down a little. Originally, everyone thought that she was holding back some evil scheme in preparation to come and cause trouble again, but they didn''t expect her to actually calm down obediently.


    At the cry of the boatman, the ship, which had been moored at the docks for months, began to move slowly. The girls on the boat didn''t want to go ashore either, so everyone wanted to take the boat to the bay and come back from the city together. Du Yueyao pulled Xiao Cui''er''s hand. Once the boat reached the shore, she would bring Xiao Yue''er to see her future school.


    The end of the brothel boat season seemed to be even more exciting than the beginning. Maybe it was because Lan Xiao had let everyone say that they could take a long vacation.


    Xiao Cui''er was especially happy as well. She was going to see the teacher in a bit, so she dressed herself properly with her hair sticking up on top of her head, and was wearing a new set of clothes. It was her first time seeing her teacher, so she had to leave a good impression.


    The day was exceptionally long in Du Yueyao''s memories. The weather had never been too good, and with the clouds constantly pressing on top of their heads, it seemed to be slightly uncomfortable, but everyone was especially happy, and no one realized that danger was coming. The boat continued its journey until it reached the mouth of the river. There was no problem, and the boat from the Nahong Courtyard followed them all the way out of the city.


    At first, no one noticed anything amiss, but when someone cried out in shock, Du Yueyao turned to look at the source of the sound, only to realize that the brothel boat of the Na Hong Yuan that was following closely behind was rushing towards the brothel boat, as if it was possessed by a devil.


    Before they could avoid the brothel boat, they had already collided with it, and with a loud bang, the people on the boat fell onto the ground. When everyone came back to their senses, the deck of the brothel boat had already been cracked open and a large gash appeared.


    There were exclamations everywhere, random shouts, and the ship tilted. It seemed that someone had gotten stuck in the cabin ¡­


    "Big sister, big sister, what should we do ¡­" Xiao Cui''er was so scared that her voice changed.


    When the boat was hit, both she and Xiao Cui''er fell onto the ground. She directly slid out of the boat while hugging Xiao Cui''er, as the third floor they were on naturally tilted much more than the ones on the deck. She would definitely fall straight into the water.


    The people on both sides of the river had seen what happened, but unfortunately, there were not many people at the edge of the city. There were a few small fishing boats, and they wanted to come closer to help, but unfortunately, this part of the river was too swift.


    Amidst the noise, Du Yueyao vaguely heard Lan Xiao''s voice.


    "Yueyu?" How about it? "Hurry up and come up on deck!"


    Du Yueyao was unable to get up at the moment, but after feeling it for a bit, although she was not lightly hit on the railing, she did not receive any heavy injuries, and replied while dragging her throat.


    "I''m fine, I''ll be right down. Go take a look at the others ¡­"


    Du Yueyao hugged Xiao Cui''er who was scared witless, the thoughts in her head finally came back to her mind after Lan Xiao shouted for him. Go out on deck and wait for the fishing boats to rescue them.


    "I''m fine ¡­" She could only console Xiao Cui''er, gritting her teeth as she found a foothold to stand up.


    The ship''s hull had already tilted. It was only a matter of time before they would sink into the river. They had to find the boat and rescue her as soon as possible ¡­


    She looked up the river. Several small fishing boats had gathered around the brothel boat, but they were all unable to approach due to the river water being too swift.


    "Elder sister, are we going to die?"


    Xiao Cui''er asked in Du Yueyao''s embrace, because she was afraid that tears were already streaming down her face.


    "That won''t happen, after we cross this turbulent river section, the boat will be able to come over, and we''ll be saved ¡­"


    She comforted Xiao Cui''er as she helped him climb onto the deck. Due to the sharp tilt of the third floor, it was hard to deal with ordinary matters.


    The rear part of the boat had already been smashed apart, and after being filled with water, it became exceptionally heavy, as it had sunk. At this time, Lan Xiao and a few other girls were standing on the bow of the boat, they had to tightly grab onto the objects on the deck to be able to stand stably.

 C138

    Although the situation was dangerous, one could tell with a glance that the people on the boat were fine. The most dangerous person right now was only Du Yueyao, who was still on the third floor.


    Even if Du Yueyao was able to maintain her composure during normal times, at this moment, she was still a little flustered. She still had to comfort Xiao Cui''er. He knew that she heard a shout that sounded somewhat familiar.


    That voice was very young and pleasant to hear, but it also sounded very anxious at this time. Du Yueyao could not help but peek outside. It was just as she had expected.


    The owner of the voice was Yin Ci ¡­


    That day, the heavy rain had made him lie on the bed for a few days. After all, he was young and strong, and his body had recovered quite quickly. Just as he was able to walk around, he had thought to come to the river bank to take a look.


    He wrote a letter home telling his mother that he had fallen in love with a girl and that he must take her home to be his wife. He knew that he was stupid, did not understand the love between a man and a woman, and could not escape Du Yueyao''s happiness, so he begged his mother to stay in the capital for a little longer. No matter what worries the girl had, no matter how stupid he was, he had to see her again ¡­


    Yin Ci did not expect that the brothel boat had already begun to pack up. Everyone was extremely busy, so it was naturally inconvenient for him to go out and disturb them. He only watched from afar, and only when the Spring Brothel brothel boat left the shore did he realise that the Na Hong Yuan brothel boat was actually following behind him, and that the Lady Boss had actually prepared a small boat to follow behind her.


    Although he was suspicious, he didn''t know what was going on, so he could only continue to follow behind. Sure enough, when it reached the point where the water was rushing fast, the brothel boat of the Na Hong Yuan School suddenly lost control and rammed into the brothel boat in front of it. Afterwards, the female owner of the house, Mommy Chun, sat on the boat she had prepared a long time ago and together with a few servants, they separated from the brothel boat and rowed towards the shore ¡­


    Originally, he could have intercepted the Mommy Chun''s boat, but at this time, his mind was naturally full of whether or not Du Yueyao was in danger. Get your little boatman to lean the boat over and save them.


    Unfortunately, the current was too fast, and the Spring Brothel ship had already lost control, causing it to sway violently in the water. If he forced the boat over, it was possible that the boat would break apart.


    And at this moment, when Du Yueyao saw the nearby Yin Ci, he suddenly felt exceptionally relieved.


    She responded to the shouts downstairs while pulling Xiao Cui''er closer to the deck. Right at this moment, they suddenly heard the same surprised exclamation. Although it was extremely strange, it was hard to conceal the anxiety in that voice ¡­


    The cries came from the fishermen on the nearby boats, they knew the river very well, if it was only the torrent, it would be fine, after all the brothel boat''s tail had been smashed into pieces, but it could still hold on for a long period of time, but the bigger problem was that there were still many reefs in the river, and because the fishermen knew the danger had never passed by, they all took a detour, but at this moment, the brothel boat was flowing towards the reef without control ¡­


    All of the warnings were now useless. In the next moment, the brothel boat of Spring Brothel ruthlessly crashed onto a protruding reef ¡­


    The rock was not big, but it was especially sharp. Normally, when a brothel boat as big as the Spring Brothel was installed, it would at most make a hole in the boat, but the boat itself was very big, so Su Yun did not need to worry about it sinking. As long as he could repair it on the shore, it would be fine. The moment it hit the stone, the sharp stone actually split the boat into two ¡­


    The most frightening thing was that the moment the boat was loaded with rocks, the body of the boat could not withstand such a powerful shock. The fence on the third floor broke and fell into the river.


    Du Yueyao and Xiao Yue''er, who had been tightly grabbing onto the fence to maintain their balance, naturally fell into the river together with the fence ¡­ She only felt that the place where she was leaning on was suddenly empty, and directly plummeted down. Xiao Cui''er also took out from her arms and fell into the water with a splash. She was so insignificant that even the water didn''t splash much when she was in the water. After undulating slightly, she disappeared from Du Yueyao''s sight ¡­


    "Xiao Cui''er..."


    Her words had not even left her mouth before they were drowned in the river, which instantly enveloped her entire body.


    Du Yueyao did not know how to swim, and struggled for a bit, but the water flow was too fast, and the things that floated around her were all trash. It was impossible for her to lift her weight, and she was directly swept up by the water and sunk into the waves.


    "Xiao Cui ¡­"


    Du Yueyao moved up and down in the waves. When she fell into the water, a person jumped down from the boat with a loud voice. It was Lan Xiao ¡­ Lan Xiao had grown up by the riverside, and her personality was also as naughty as a boy''s. Even if she was able to stabilize herself in these kinds of waves, after Du Yueyao consecutively drank a few mouthfuls of the turbid river water, she accurately grabbed her back and propped him up ¡­


    "Xiao Cui, Lan Xiao, don''t worry about me ¡­"


    She didn''t know whether she was crying or not, so she just anxiously yelled with a hoarse voice to express her thoughts. Lan Xiao also understood, but she did not let go until she felt that another person had swam to her side. Lifting her up with both hands, she knew. Yin Ci is coming over ¡­


    Lan Xiao saw that Yin Ci had also come down, and was approaching him in the midst of the waves. She could tell that Yin Ci''s swimming ability was not good, and it took him a few ups and downs before he managed to swim over. She was not too worried about giving Du Yueyao to him, but she had no other choice. She turned around and saw that some fishermen had jumped off the fishing boats, and handed Du Yueyao to Yin Ci. She then dove into the water again, in the direction that Xiao Cui''er had gone.


    The situation in the river was much more complicated than it looked on the surface. Yin Ci could only barely lift Du Yueyao, but he was unable to retaliate against the rushing water current. He followed the complicated flow of the water and tumbled, but he still tried his best to maintain his balance, allowing Du Yueyao to reach the surface.


    The surrounding fishermen had already tried their best to get closer to them. When they finally managed to get Du Yueyao and onto the boat, cheers filled the air.


    But then a scream followed. Du Yueyao''s head didn''t seem to have woken up from this nightmare. In the blink of an eye, he had fallen into another nightmare ¡­ Probably because he was scratched by rocks in the water, once Yin Ci got ashore, his body was immediately dyed red with blood ¡­


    She couldn''t react for a long time. Other than crying, what else could she do?


    She continued to hug the silly man on the ground. She wanted to block his wounds, but blood still kept flowing out, staining the ground red.


    "You''re fine, you''re fine, I''ll go back to Su Zhou with you, okay?"


    The man had already turned pale from the loss of blood, but because of what he said, his face was flushed. He smiled warmly and reached out his ice-cold hand to touch Du Yueyao''s face. He had never touched a woman''s face except his mother''s.


    "Where''s the doctor? Where''s the doctor? "


    She held onto that hand and crazily begged the people around her to help her find a doctor to save her.


    However, the child suddenly stopped. He once again opened his mouth with great difficulty and spoke extremely slow words.


    "I... Not good enough for you... You have to find someone who''s better for you... "


    He had used up all his strength, but he couldn''t catch it in one breath. He looked at the sky.


    "Married ¡­"


    She was just so useless. If she couldn''t take care of her child, she wouldn''t be able to protect the people she liked ¡­


    In the past month, this matter had still been the subject of discussion for the people of the capital. The reason for it was that a problem with the brothel boat of the Na Hong Courtyard had occurred and they had bumped into the brothel boat of the Spring Brothel, resulting in the disappearance of a servant girl and the accidental death of a heroic young master of a rich family. As for the details, they had all come from the fisherman who had rescued them at that time.


    The Spring Brothel had been closed because the female boss, Lan Xiao, had gone to rescue her after falling into the water because of a young maid. She had not expected that three days after she had been found, she was washed to the riverbank far away from the capital, unconscious. A famous doctor in the capital once concluded that she could not have survived.


    But in the end she survived. Although he couldn''t speak yet, he needed to lie in bed and be cared for for for for a very long time before he could completely recover.


    And Spring Brothel''s number one, Du Yueyao? The woman who had shocked the capital a few months ago and became the dream girl of countless noble young masters had suddenly disappeared without a trace.


    He heard from the fishermen that an extremely beautiful woman had indeed fallen into the water, but it seemed that nothing had happened to the people who had saved her.


    But no one ever mentioned anything about her.


    [There are so many young masters who are still thinking about me. What about the number one card in the capital?] Where''s the lady with the apricot flowers? But sick? Or frightened? They asked around, but there was no answer.


    Could it be that Du Yueyao, who was already famous in the capital, had already left? Married? Wouldn''t that be such a pity ¡­


    Right now, she was sitting on the side of Lan Xiao''s bed. After what happened, she had already cried for a very long time, and her tears had long since dried ¡­ At one point, she couldn''t even see the object in front of him clearly. The doctor said that if she cried again, her beautiful eyes would not be able to be preserved.


    The sisters took turns to look after her and Lan Xiao.


    Du Yueyao didn''t cry anymore. She still needed her eyes, she really needed them ¡­ From the moment she was saved and landed, she had heard that the brothel boat of the Na Hong Yuan were slightly strange when they collided with the brothel boat of the Spring Brothel, that there seemed to be no one controlling the boat. She bumped into them unsteadily. Furthermore, not a single one of the people on the Na Hong Yuan board were hurt. It was as if the Mommy Chun knew that something was going to happen and was already prepared.


    "You know that, don''t you?" Du Yueyao had not completely recovered, her throat was already broken, and she could not make any sound for half a month. It was a little better now. Although her voice was no longer as gentle and beautiful as it used to be, it was still just like how it used to be.


    She was sitting on the headboard of Lan Xiao''s bed. Although Lan Xiao had survived, she had fallen into a deep slumber most of the time, so even when she woke up, she did not seem to be very clear-headed ¡­ The doctor said that maybe she had gotten injured in the head due to staying in the water for too long, but Du Yueyao did not believe him. She felt that since Lan Xiao could survive, it was only a matter of time before she would recover to her former state.


    "You''ll get better. I know you''ll get better, because I''ll get better too ¡­"


    And must get better.


    She spoke these words to Lan Xiao who was still in her sleep, as if she thought the other party would definitely hear it, or perhaps it was just her own words. She reached out her hand and gently touched the forehead of the person on the bed. Lan Xiao''s complexion looked much better than half a month ago.


    Du Yueyao repeatedly stared at the silk flower on her clothes, as though she had already said a lot of things in her heart. She knew that if she kept thinking about Yin Ci''s smile and his innocent look, she would definitely die.


    If she wanted to live, she couldn''t think about them anymore.


    But it was useless to think about it. It was already carved into his heart, dripping with blood.


    But she couldn''t die yet. She still had many things to do. She had to live for them. That was what she had to do now ¡­

 C139

    The Prime Minister Zhao''s residence was located in the city. These years, he had hooked up with the Ninth Prince, this master, and had done many bad things for him. Although it was different from his original desire to be an official, he wanted to be clean and honest. However, money and money were constantly flowing into the mansion.


    The Zhao Family had been changed to a large residence. The few wives also had their own courtyards, their arguments becoming less and less. The Zhao Family had returned to a particularly harmonious atmosphere, and Prime Minister Zhao was also a little proud. He was just coming down the street toward home. Originally, there was nothing special about this day. He was aware that a woman dressed in black had appeared in front of him.


    Prime Minister Zhao originally wanted to be angry, but no one had ever dared to so boldly stop his palanquin. Just as he was about to ask the servant to take down the person in front of him, he suddenly heard a slightly familiar voice.


    "How have you been, Master Zhao? Have you forgotten about me? "


    This voice was especially gentle and beautiful. He would never forget it in his entire life. He quickly called for his men to stop and pulled open the curtain of the sedan chair.


    The person in front of him was completely wrapped in a black robe from head to toe. Although his appearance was difficult to discern, one could tell that this person was slender and must be a woman. However, he still had a hint of hesitation. This voice sounded familiar, but he didn''t expect that the person in front of him was completely wrapped in a black robe from head to toe.


    "You ¡­"


    he asked the woman. The woman did not wait for him to finish asking his question, and instead, consciously lifted a corner of the black cloth that covered her face. Who else could she be other than Du Yueyao with those moist and bright eyes?


    "Master Zhao, do you not recognize me? Why don''t you invite me into the palanquin to have a drink? "


    Her voice was still soft and extremely pleasant to hear. It seemed like he was about to hook the soul of the Prime Minister Zhao ¡­


    How could the Prime Minister Zhao forget about this woman? The moment he saw this woman, his mind was immediately distracted. How could he possibly be an ordinary mortal with such a woman on his mind?


    After repeatedly giving away many things, he finally won the favor of that woman one day. He had never been able to forget that woman, and she had always been maintained with extreme care. That woman was extremely different from the five wives in his house, causing him to sigh in amazement at the fact that there was actually such a wondrous woman in the world.


    The fact that the woman was willing to see him every day almost made him excited. However, he couldn''t forget the woman when he was resting at home. He kept thinking about her and kept going to see him, as if he was possessed.


    Although Du Yueyao was just a prostitute, in Zhao Kangming''s eyes, who would care about his birth? Although he had already thought of marrying her home, when he was about to pack up the boat, he had mentioned it to the girl. Yet, she was actually rejected ¡­


    He was the prime minister of the imperial court and he was not lacking in power and money. He did not understand why he was rejected. Although he was rather discouraged at the time, that woman still made him fall in love with her. He thought that after the brothel boat season ended, he could go to the brothel to find her.


    But he never would have thought that the Spring Brothel would disappear just like that from the eyes of the masses ¡­


    In the following two months, Zhao Kangming only resumed his previous life of meeting Du Yueyao, going up and down. Handle family disputes. It was most likely due to the jealousy of the few madams here ¡­


    Life seems to be getting really boring and boring again...


    He already had enough money and power. He lived a life of luxury, living a life that was above tens of thousands of people. What else could have shaken his life?


    Thus, when he was quietly leaving his surroundings in the middle of the night, he thought of that woman called Du Yueyao more and more.


    Every frown and smile was so moving.


    At this moment, the woman that he had been yearning for day and night was standing right in front of him. He hurriedly invited Du Yueyao onto the palanquin and instructed the servants to go to the best restaurant and order a table of wine.


    The woman in front of him had taken off her black robe. Inside, the clothes were bright, and there was emotion in the eyes. She was slightly thinner than before, but she looked even more pitiful.


    They arrived at the restaurant''s entrance, Zhao Congming got off the car first, and then helped Du Yueyao off the carriage. The two of them walked into the restaurant as if they were husband and wife.


    "I''ve been thinking about it all because of sire''s grace. If sire had already forgotten about me, how could I have ¡­"


    "How could I forget?"


    Du Yueyao''s eyebrows twitched, she poured a cup for Prime Minister Zhao, and since she was the one who came looking for him, she did not continue to tease him, and started to explain her intentions.


    "I have spent the past two months after leaving you, my life is also like a year."


    She lowered her head, as if she was feeling wronged beyond words.


    "When my lord said that he wanted to marry me that day, I was naturally happy in my heart." Helpless, I am a prostitute. "If I were to marry my lord, I''m afraid my lord would have a lot of gossip in the eyes of the common people ¡­"


    "Although I can''t marry an adult, please forgive my painstaking efforts. If it wasn''t for my longing for you, I wouldn''t have stopped your palanquin today ¡­"


    The conversation wiped out the events of that day. Zhao Chongming did not care about what she said. His eyes never left her body as he thought about it, and he became even happier. In that case, Du Yueyao did not hate him? Or did she want to marry him?


    He had already married five wives at home, and there were all sorts of births. All of them were slightly pretty, but how could the Du Yueyao in front of him have any looks at all? She was clearly a peerless beauty in the world.


    As long as you are willing, I naturally hope to marry you into my family. Yueyao, although I, Zhao Chongming, am not considered a good official and have already had five wives, I am also unwilling to forget about you. I simply do not care about brothels or whatever birth it is; as long as you are willing to marry, I will definitely marry you. As long as you are willing to see me, I swear that I will treat you well for the rest of my life. "


    What Zhao Chongming said was indeed the truth. He admired Du Yueyao to the point that it made him lose her mind. He was not the only one, probably everyone in the capital who had seen Du Yueyao before would miss this woman.


    He had indeed already married five of his wives, but those five wives naturally couldn''t be compared with this woman in front of him.


    Zhao Chongming also came from a poor family. Moreover, he came from Gansu, which was very far away from his hometown. However, he was talented and had revealed a talent that was different from his other brothers since he was a child. His mind was nimble, and he was unwilling to accept his current situation. In his heart, he had always wanted to be above others and yearn for a life without worries. So he read hard. After studying hard for ten years, he would gather his wits and then head to the capital to take the test for his title.


    I didn''t expect to get into high school on my first try ¡­


    He had gotten what he wanted and lived the life he wanted. Merit, wealth, and beauties were all things that he could get his hands on. Other than the woman in front of him ¡­ It had been a long time since he longed for a woman like this.


    He couldn''t even forget her smile.


    Du Yueyao looked at the man in front of him and was sure that he was the only one thinking about him. He spoke slowly.


    "In that case, does Senior Sun''s words of marrying me still apply?"


    "Of course!"


    Zhao Chongming was almost excited.


    However, Du Yueyao''s eyes suddenly dimmed down.


    "But Du Yueyao still has one more thing. "If this matter cannot be accomplished, I will not be willing to marry ¡­"


    The Prime Minister Zhao hurriedly asked, "Is there anything else? "Yueyu, just say it ¡­"


    When Du Yueyao got married, there were no decorations, nor was there a banquet to invite guests. She put on her usual clothes and obediently got married on a palanquin.


    The Prime Minister Zhao had even went up to court at the time, but when Du Yueyao entered, the First Madame immediately brought her to her courtyard. He just sat by the window and waited for the Prime Minister to return.


    Although the Prime Minister Zhao''s other five wives were not considered beautiful, nor were they considered to be from a famous clan, but they were still people from a famous clan that had just married in, and all of them were decorated with lanterns and decorations, setting up a hundred or so guests, setting up the stage, and inviting the artistes to come over to sing. The room had to be covered with festive posters and lanterns, and this was the only way the dead man could prove how much he loved them.


    Now that he saw that Du Yueyao was just a small prostitute that didn''t even have any wedding clothes specially made for him, it was impossible for him to be doted on by the Prime Minister Zhao for a few days. Thinking of this, he calmed down and continued living her own life in her own room, completely disregarding Du Yueyao.


    Du Yueyao''s courtyard was small and extremely irregular. Zhao Chongming had always wanted to change the place for her, but she felt that this was for the best.


    Her first half of her life had been spent in the brothels. Now, all he wanted to do was to live a peaceful life.


    In the capital, Du Yueyao who had caused so much trouble suddenly disappeared, and very few people knew what happened. They only heard that she had married into the Prime Minister Zhao''s family. Some people said that they loved each other very much, but that was just a legend after all. It was only after the brothel boat season that the Spring Brothel was no longer activated. Not long after, the Mommy Chun''s Na Hong Courtyard also declared bankruptcy ¡­


    No one knew the secret behind it ¡­ However, all of them had seen the miserable state of Mommy Chun, with only two people left, and they were once forced to beg along the streets ¡­ I heard that the Na Hong Yuan School disappeared from the government. There were also people who said that the Mommy Chun did many evil deeds and now they have received punishment from the heavens ¡­


    In short, there was whatever it was that needed to be said, so Du Yueyao''s Zhao Mansion could be considered to be quite comfortable. She was an intelligent woman, and as long as Prime Minister Zhao thought about her, no one would be able to hurt her. The next year, she had a daughter.


    The name was taken by her, and her name was Zhao Ci ¡­ She always called her Porcelain, Porcelain ¡­


    It was like calling back an old friend ¡­


    Her doting towards Zhao Ci was simply obvious to all... Almost to the point of going too far... Don''t let her study, don''t let her learn to be a girl or two. It was as if she was afraid of something terrible in the book.


    One of the servants remembered that Zhao Ci had grabbed a book when she was trying to capture Zhou in the past 100 days. At that time, Du Yueyao had snatched the book from the little girl''s hands and threw it aside, then stuffed a gold ingot into her hands ¡­


    The child had practically been spoiled to the point of being a little overbearing, because the Prime Minister Zhao doted on Du Yueyao a lot. In fact, she had the shine of a mother, making her look like a little overlord in the palace.


    Du Yueyao was extremely smart, and naturally knew how to keep the man''s heart. That Prime Minister Zhao was extremely good to her, to the point where she thought that she was the only wife in the household.


    However, when it came to matters concerning Zhao Ci, Du Yueyao was completely unreasonable.


    He could not control that child, and it was fine to raise him anyway. He only liked Du Yueyao, and since Du Yueyao did not let him help the child, he would not help.


    And that child...


    She didn''t seem to have any feelings for his father, Prime Minister Zhao, but she felt at ease because her mother was too spoiled ¡­ But that father didn''t seem to like her much either ¡­ However, no matter what his mother said, his father would do ¡­


    Whatever she wanted, she could get ¡­


    No matter what kind of disaster she would cause in the entire Zhao Mansion, her beautiful mother would have ways to take care of it.


    No matter how domineering she was, she had never once felt proud or unruly because her father was the prime minister of the imperial court ¡­ The only thing that made her proud and willful was her mother, who was born in a brothel ¡­

 C140

    Zhuang Li was not especially clear about how the matter came to an end. When she woke up again, she was still on the bed in the western suburbs. She sighed with relief.


    "Miss, you really scared me to death ¡­ "One of them did not notice that something so big had happened."


    She thought, ''This is none of my business. I am also exceptionally innocent. Moreover, regardless of whether you are aware of it, I will still be unlucky ¡­''


    However, he had actually survived ¡­ This was truly the legendary physique of transcending worlds.


    However, the little girl in front of him was especially pitiful because she was worried about him. She almost looked like a little rabbit. If she had ears, she would definitely be a coward right now.


    Zhuang Li reached out a hand from within the quilt, wanting to gently touch her little head. Unfortunately, the length of his hand was limited, and while Qing You was still angry, she tilted his head and dodged it ¡­


    "I''m fine, aren''t I?" The only thing was probably the aftereffects of some headaches ¡­


    "Nothing at all ¡­" "Did you know that the palace is abuzz with rumors ¡­"


    "Oh?" Zhuang Li still held his head up playfully, and asked: "How did you pass it down to me?"


    "I said you went to steal things from the Imperial Noble Consort Palace of Hanqin ¡­ "The result was that I was caught ¡­"


    "Oh!" Zhuang Li had originally planned to kick her out of the palace with this kind of plan, so she would naturally spread the news within the palace and send Zhuang Li to jail for her crimes. The harder the better, so she wouldn''t have any chance to turn the situation around.


    Looking at Zhuang Li''s expression, it seemed that she had already predicted that the situation would develop in such a way, and instead, made Qing You lose any interest in keeping him in suspense. However, Qing You''s conversation suddenly changed.


    "But, miss, the strange thing is yet to come."


    Zhuang Li acknowledged her again and waited for her to finish. She didn''t know how long she had been lying there, but she still felt dizzy. Naturally, she wanted to know what else had happened.


    Qing You cleared her throat and continued, "This matter was originally only spread out from the Imperial Noble Consort Palace of Hanqin, but somehow, the palace maids also came in later on to say that it was true and that they were helping the people in the palace to spread the word. "In the beginning, it was only a private rumor, but after the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Empress and the Imperial Noble Consort had already returned to the palace. The news was even more passionate, and ¡­"


    "Even what?"


    "There is even a rumor that Miss has been framed for stealing things ¡­ And at that time, the Miss really hadn''t come back. It makes me anxious.


    He thought that something had really happened. At that time, the emperor still hadn''t returned, the Eunuch Li hadn''t returned, Xiao Bai and Li Liangxiao weren''t present either. I didn''t even have someone that I could ask for help with.


    The emperor finally returned to the palace during the night, but since he didn''t come to the Imperial Study, I naturally didn''t see him. Not long after that, I heard that the palace had sent several girls away. Originally, no one knew what crime they had committed, and it was only when Nanny Lv came to deliver food that she told me that those palace maids were dismissed because they had done the most unsuitable thing to do in the palace. "It means that they are just blabbering ¡­"


    "At that time, I still haven''t reacted to it. That Nanny Lv said, think about what kind of things have spread like wildfire in the recent two days? Of course it was the matter of the tea serving official at the Imperial Study stealing things.


    I carefully asked Nanny Lv if she had heard anything. Nanny Lv said that she had only heard that Eunuch Li was reorganizing his servants.


    After the Eunuch Li had a few people clean up the mess, the matter stopped. Then, at night, the emperor finally came to the Imperial Study. Naturally, I didn''t see him, but after finally seeing the Eunuch Li, I hurriedly asked him about your situation. Eunuch Li didn''t say anything, but he smiled faintly at me ¡­ He''s old and his face is full of wrinkles when he laughs. He''s ugly, but I know that you''re fine Miss ¡­


    "That very night, I was sent to this palace to take care of you ¡­"


    Zhuang Li looked at the little girl and her eyes seemed to shine brightly. He couldn''t help but laugh because he was infected by her. You said that Eunuch Li''s smile was especially ugly, aren''t you afraid that he''ll come and cause trouble for you in the future by sensing what you said? Maybe the palace was too far away from here, and the signal wasn''t good enough, so Eunuch Li''s telepathy couldn''t receive the message.


    She naturally knew Zhao Qin''s intentions. The Emperor did not execute her, and the Prime Minister''s father, who had always doted on her, did not help her at the critical moment. This made her especially angry, and made her helpless against him for a moment. Thus, he started to spread the news of Zhuang Li stealing the paintings. As long as this matter was known by everyone in the imperial harem, even if Zhuang Li jumped into the Yellow River, she would not be able to wash away her sins.


    It was likely that even if Zhuang Li was not executed, half of her life had already been taken away. It was impossible for everyone to let her continue to stay by the emperor''s side as if nothing had happened, and even if they did not punish her for it, they would transfer her far, far away from the emperor. They would not be able to see him again for the rest of their lives.


    Her plan was naturally to do things exceptionally well.


    Even though the Emperor had said that the Empress did not immediately execute Zhuang Li due to her feelings and feelings, there was still a knot in her heart long ago. She had helped spread rumors of the Qingyang Palace in order for Zhuang Li to die faster or to get as far away as possible from there.


    As long as he gave them a bit more effort, and let them spread the news a little longer, Zhuang Li would naturally not be able to escape her misfortune once again. Unfortunately, the emperor returned in time.


    He also made an extremely smart decision to not bring Zhuang Li back with him and instead place her in the palace outside the city first. This gave Zhuang Li extra time to catch her breath.


    Although the harem was taught by the empress, but the servants'' rules were set by the Eunuch Li. The Eunuch Li punished the servants who were blabbering on and on, as expected. It also indirectly stopped the endless rumors from spreading.


    And anything that the Eunuch Li does, is naturally what the Emperor intends to do ¡­


    When Zhuang Li returned to the palace like this, she estimated that many people had already been replaced by new disciples, and would no longer remember this matter.


    How long will I stay in this palace?


    However, those weren''t important anymore. She now knew that the Emperor liked her as seriously as she liked the Emperor ¡­ What other scruples are there?


    He was even happier than the entire house of gold. Regardless of whether the other party was in front of him or not, his heart was exceptionally at peace.


    Zhuang Li grabbed the ice bag and spread it on her forehead. She had seen a lot of imperial physicians recently, and although she felt that her body was fine, and that she was full of energy, she still felt dizzy.


    She had also asked the doctor about this. She had expressed that she seemed to have been pricked by some poison, and it had even caused her to be unable to control what she wanted to say ¡­


    Since he had been pricked by poison before, he had to first get rid of the poison. He also had to understand what poison it was. Unfortunately, by the time they went to look for that eunuch, there were already no traces of him. After some time, news spread and they found young eunuch''s corpse by the lake in the palace ¡­


    This time, he was dead for sure ¡­


    Fortunately, he was still young. No matter what kind of poison it was, he could quickly recover and expel it from his body. As expected, the exhaustion in his body recovered very quickly. Occasionally, he would feel a little dizzy.


    The doctor had someone serve him with ice cubes and said that if he was extremely dizzy, he would put some ice cubes on his forehead.


    Zhuang Li did not mind such medical treatment. After all, she didn''t have a fever. However, the weather was originally hot and the ice supply was sufficient to make her feel comfortable.


    She took the ice cloth bag off her face, and realised that Qing You was still staring at her surroundings, her heart seemed to be filled with excitement.


    "How happy are you? I''m not that big of a deal, you don''t have to be so agitated ¡­ "


    The expression in Qing You''s eyes made Zhuang Li a little confused, but the former still spoke out.


    "Miss, this is the first time I''ve left the palace in years!"


    didn''t expect that there would actually be such a relationship between them, and it was also true that the child had followed him from the West Cold to the palace. Although he had recently gone to see a water hazard with the emperor, that girl had been imprisoned within the palace all along. To have the opportunity to leave the palace like this, he was naturally secretly happy in his heart.


    "What''s there to be happy about? This isn''t a street, this is also the emperor''s palace."


    "That''s right, Miss. Not only did I leave the palace, I even saw the emperor''s sleeping quarters ¡­"


    She rolled her eyes a few times, as if trying to fit everything around her into her eyes.


    Zhuang Li who was infected with her also looked around, the place she was staying at seemed to be the emperor''s private palace. That was why it was so beautiful.


    Although the palace was also the emperor''s palace, how many years would it take for the emperor to think of living here this time? There was no emperor, nor was there a master in the imperial harem, but only the servants trained by the Eunuch Li were taking care of everything here, so the atmosphere was naturally especially different from the palace.


    He had to be careful and cautious in the palace, but here he was much more at ease. It was a sacred place that was close to the mountains and the water, a place where the royal family cultivated. He didn''t need to go in and out of the house to be afraid that he might accidentally offend the master, or say something wrong to offend someone.


    Thinking about it this way, Zhuang Li couldn''t help but cheer along with Qing You.


    The ones who served Zhuang Li before she came were the two young eunuch s left behind by the emperor, they were called in to inquire about the current situation. The palace had already been cleaned and properly settled down, the emperor only said to let the Imperial Noble Lady Ya rest in peace here, but didn''t mention anything else.


    "Help me up and take a look ¡­"


    Although he felt that his thoughts were extremely childish, it still made Zhuang Li suddenly feel like a tiger was not home and a monkey was a king ¡­


    She didn''t care who the tiger was or if she was a monkey. Let Qing You help her out of the house.


    Wang Su had been busy dealing with the war at the border ever since he came to power. He had caused all sorts of small disturbances, battling in places where he could fight, and recuperating in places where he could rest. No court of its own was built.


    Zhuang Li smiled. That man was not someone who cared about these things.


    What entered Zhuang Li''s eyes were the verdant mountains and the small pool of water at the foot of the mountain. Because they were outside the city, it was a lot cooler inside, and although that small pool of water was not big, it was dark green and mysterious, like a tribute to an agate pearl.


    Next to the pool of water was a rock with the words Jadestone Pond written on it. The young eunuch said that the resting place of this palace was planned by the late emperor himself. He lived here, and when he woke up, he could see the tall mountain and the small pond. He even put quite a few carp in the pond to raise. These fish are really fat ¡­

 C141

    Zhuang Li almost couldn''t wait to go to the side of the small pond to play a battle with Qing You. She estimated that there were people around, and so she remained calm and collected. young eunuch was sensible and brought Zhuang Li on a tour around the palace.


    Although Zhuang Li was spirited, she still kneeled on the ground for too long, and the wounds on her body couldn''t be healed within ten to fifteen days. The imperial physician had also instructed him not to touch the water, so she could only pretend to be a lady as she stood by the pool.


    In order to probably satisfy the previous emperor''s hobbies, the pool had been constructed with a trestle, connecting it to the sleeping quarters and the pool. One only had to stand at the edge of the fence to be able to see the fat fish swimming around in the pool.


    This dynasty had already nurtured red goldfish, and they were able to survive comfortably in the pond. Their water quality was good enough, and there were people throwing stones for them every day ¡­ It can be said that they just eat and play... It would be weird if he didn''t grow fat...


    If it was in the wild, Zhuang Li would definitely make Li Liangxiao catch two of them and roast them ¡­


    There were many rare items in this palace, and many of the things that had been gifted to the imperial court had been placed here by the late emperor. I heard that he often came here, and there were also many rabbit antelopes near the tall mountains. After all these years had passed, including the Mid-Autumn Festival some days ago, the emperor had only been to this palace twice. In total, he had only been here for a few days ¡­


    Before she could finish walking around the palace, Zhuang Li felt tired, and coincidentally, it was already time for lunch, so she returned to her room.


    After all, the Traveling Palace was located in the outskirts of the city, so the menu was naturally different from the palace. He just heard from young eunuch who served the food that all these were the wild game on the mountain. He only let the hunters hunt them in the morning.


    A palace maid came to deliver soup halfway through the meal. Zhuang Li had never seen the little palace maid before, at first she did not care about her, but after the little palace maid put down the bowl of soup, she intentionally took out a spoon from the embroidered box and placed it in front of Zhuang Li.


    Logically speaking, she only needed to place the spoon on the table, even if the palace had such a rule, she should have just handed the spoon over to Qing You, why did she have to hand it over to him?


    Qing You was also startled, but just as she was about to take it from Zhuang Li''s hands, Zhuang Li acted as if it was natural and scooped up a spoonful of soup into her own bowl. At that moment, she already felt that there was something else under the spoon in her hand. Naturally, she slipped the paper slip into her sleeve. Seeing the maid''s hesitant expression, she gave her a hint with her eyes.


    Meaning I got it...


    Zhuang Li did not know what exactly that little palace maid gave sher, but after eating her meal, he finally found a chance to take out the piece of paper from her sleeve.


    See you in Xi Ting...


    What the hell was this? She had received quite a few of these things so far this year. Qing You naturally wouldn''t let him go no matter what. This paper note was unclear, who had done it, and what kind of evil intentions did they have to guess?


    However, there was a name on the slip of paper: Porcelain ¡­


    Porcelain ¡­ Naturally, he was referring to the matter of her being Zhao Ci ¡­


    Then, the owner of this note would most likely be the Old Prime Minister Zhao ¡­


    Zhuang Li could roughly guess why Prime Minister Zhao would want to meet her, but what happened at that time truly surprised her. In her memory, that Zhao Qin was the flesh and blood of the old Prime Minister Zhao, but in regards to her daughter, he had always been extremely impatient, to the point where he didn''t even seem like a father at all.


    It could be said that he was extremely detested.


    But on the day that this happened, when Zhao Qin asked for Prime Minister Zhao to come out and identify him, the Prime Minister Zhao unexpectedly stood by his side without even thinking.


    It could be said that for him to be able to live until now, he still had many contributions from the Prime Minister Zhao ¡­ After all, if the Old Prime Minister Zhao had helped Zhao Qin identify him as Zhao Ci back then, he would have definitely given Zhuang Li the title of being a traitor.


    It was precisely due to Prime Minister Zhao admitting it or not, so no matter how the officials above imperial court speculated about it, there was no evidence that Zhao Ci committed any sort of crime ¡­


    Since she did not have any evidence, she gave Zhuang Li the chance to not admit her mistake ¡­


    She also could not guess why Old Prime Minister Zhao would do this, perhaps because she was clearly aware of the Emperor''s feelings for her. Zhao Qin and Zhao Ci were still her daughters after all. No matter who it was that received the emperor''s favor, he was still his father-in-law. It was definitely not a bad thing for him to be able to maintain his position as a relative of the royal family.


    Although she had always been afraid of meeting the Prime Minister Zhao, but now that the matter was clear, she was willing to meet him and listen to what he had to say.


    "But Miss, you might not be certain that it was Prime Minister Zhao who wrote this note?"


    "It doesn''t matter."


    "And even if it''s the Prime Minister Zhao, we still don''t know what his intentions are. Before this, he had never seen you as his daughter."


    When Zhuang Li was in trouble, Qing You was still in the palace, but she didn''t know that the Prime Minister Zhao would actually stand on Zhuang Li''s side at such a critical time. At this time, Zhuang Li was in good spirits, so she told Qing You in detail what happened that day.


    "So, so he actually helped you?"


    "Although I don''t know what plan he has in mind, he did let go of me when it was time to put me to death ¡­" Zhuang Li opened her hands and laughed helplessly.


    "However, if you go and see him, I feel that something is amiss." Qing You pouted, he did not look like he would be bought out just because of a little sweetness.


    "Alright, alright. I know, you just want to come with me." She extended her hand and scratched Qing You''s nose. Qing You had succeeded in picking up her little scheme, so she was naturally happy as well.


    Zhuang Li had no choice but to surrender and let the childish little girl follow him. Presumably, this was the palace of the emperor. From the very beginning, the previous emperor had been managed by the Eunuch Li, and they were all people close to the emperor, so there shouldn''t be any problems.


    The west wing was located at the westernmost area, which was mentioned by the young eunuch when he was taking a stroll around the city in the morning. It was just an unremarkable pavilion, and was very close to the back door of the palace.


    Even in the outskirts of the imperial palace, there was the royal family''s prestige and complicated procedures. Even if your position was very high, you couldn''t just enter as you pleased.


    Even though it was the imperial family''s courtyard, since there was no master living here, and Zhuang Li was a Imperial Noble Lady, he had become someone who could talk to others in the small palace. Where she wanted to go in the afternoon, no one dared to bother her.


    Thus, Zhuang Li and Qing You came to the west pavilion in the morning.


    As expected, the royal items were exuding the scent of a tycoon. It was said that this simple west pavilion had been painted with golden edges. The surroundings were also arranged with many scenery, exquisite and interesting.


    Zhuang Li''s head was still a little dizzy. She found a small stone chair to sit on, and not long after, she actually fell asleep on the table. Moreover, she slept exceptionally well.


    Seeing that she was sleeping soundly, Qing You naturally did not disturb her.


    The Prime Minister Zhao didn''t say when he would come here, so Qing You could only stand by, bored out of her mind, tapping on a tree branch like a child. Zhuang Li seemed to have dreamt, as she was dressing up in the mirror, a reflection of her appearance could faintly be seen in the mirror.


    However, Zhuang Li couldn''t quite put her finger on it. She felt that this person was him, but also felt that she was slightly different from him.


    Femininity...


    That kind of seductive and natural expression was something that was not on Zhuang Li.


    She stretched out her hand to touch her face, and what she touched seemed to have a faint scent of rouge. It seemed to be specially prepared for someone.


    It was only at this point that Zhuang Li understood, this woman might not be him, but Du Yueyao instead ¡­


    She calmly looked at the woman in front of her, patiently waiting for her to clean up properly. Finally, she casually took out an apricot flower from the vase and placed it in her hair bun. She seemed to like apricot flowers a lot ¡­


    Finally, that woman was very satisfied with her reflection in the mirror. She turned around and revealed a big smile when she saw her reflection in the mirror.


    Zhuang Li was unable to explain that feeling. That woman was originally extremely beautiful, and the moment she saw him, the happiness on her face couldn''t be hidden.


    She opened her mouth to say something, but Zhuang Li shook her awake.


    She held her head as she felt a wave of dizziness. After pausing for a moment, she realised that Prime Minister Zhao was coming over and hurriedly raised her head.


    She didn''t think that she would actually see Prime Minister Zhao in such a state. Without the emperor''s permission, even the court officials could not enter the palace without permission. However, every day, the food in the palace was brought in by the farmers outside. Thus, Prime Minister Zhao dressed up like a farmer, removing his official robe and arrogance. He wore coarse cloth clothes that only commoners in the city would wear, which made this old man in his sixties seem much more amiable than before.


    No matter what, he was already that old. Du Yueyao was his sixth wife, two rounds younger than him, so it wasn''t wrong for Zhao Ci to be considered his eldest son. Therefore, the old man in front of Zhao Ci right now had already grown many white hairs. Probably, she was not aware of it while hiding in her official hat, and only felt the majesty of power. But at this time, she clearly felt that even if it was power, it would still grow old.


    As long as it was attached to a person''s body, there would be a day when one would grow old.


    When the old man saw Zhuang Li, he was also startled. He did not bring a servant to serve him, and probably spent a lot of effort to bribe him to come in and meet Zhuang Li.


    He was now a farmer, how could he still have a servant?

 C142

    "You really are too similar to your mother back then ¡­"


    The old man slowly sat in front of Zhuang Li. His voice was practically trembling, as if he had already used a lot of his courage to speak these words.


    "That''s why you recognized me, right?"


    The old man in front of him was Zhao Ci''s biological father, but unfortunately, he was not Zhuang Li''s. Even though he had felt that it was a little hateful for him to be so heartless towards a child, after all, he was Zhuang Li, from the modern society, and was someone who had seen countless battles in the palace before. Furthermore, it had nothing to do with the old man in front of him being his useless father.


    Thus, even if she had abandoned her old man and stood before him, she would not have any hatred towards him ¡­


    She really did not want to hide anything from Wang Su anymore. As long as Wang Su wanted to know, she would tell him everything. Whether it was Hanqin, the Queen, or the old man in front of her. When they were all involved in the matter of the Imperial Noble Lady Ya being Zhao Ci and had all kinds of reactions to this matter. There was still one thing that everyone did not know.


    That was, Zhao Ci was not the original Zhao Ci ¡­


    She is Zhuang Li ¡­


    But no matter what, she could not explain this matter to Wang Su clearly. Who would believe that a soul possessed a body?


    "Yeah, I thought you wouldn''t grow up to look more and more like your mother... You weren''t like her at all when you were a kid... And not like me... And you''re not close to me either... So after your mother left, I just didn''t think anyone would ever remind me of her again. "


    Zhuang Li only looked at him, waiting for him to finish slowly. Most of the time, it seemed like he was hesitating whether he should say it or not ¡­


    "You did not expect me to live to this day? Right? "


    The old man laughed in an almost unbearable manner. It was extremely difficult for him to do so ¡­


    "I never thought I would see you again. Originally, I ¡­ Just live as if you were somewhere in the world away from me... Have a good life... "I didn''t think about it ¡­"


    If one were to look at it from Zhao Ci''s perspective, Zhuang Li did not know why this old man would think this way. As the biological father of a child, he had always been rumoured to like her mother very much. But why was she so cold?


    "Then have you ever dreamed of my mother? Did she ever ask about your children in your dreams? How are you? Warm? "


    The old man paused for a long time, as if seriously considering the question. And then he slowly answered,


    "Have you ever dreamed of her? Did she ask about me? I don''t think she has ever loved me, so I always look for her in my dreams, but she won''t come ¡­ "


    Zhuang Li didn''t know what to say. After all, she wasn''t Zhao Ci, so she naturally didn''t know what that flowery Du Yueyao would think.


    And no matter what kind of story they had, it would be wrong for them to give up on taking care of their own flesh and blood ¡­


    "I didn''t expect you to be this big now. For a long time, I thought I didn''t have a daughter like you ¡­ You might think I''m a very, very bad person. Maybe I am. Not a good officer, and not a good father. "


    "What else do you want to say?"


    Prime Minister Zhao let out a long sigh. He was already old and would soon return to his hometown. Even if he did not return to his hometown, he would start living in peace in his mansion in the capital and not meddle in matters of the imperial court.


    "There are a lot of things. It''s true that I''ve let you down, but I do like your mother."


    "She also dotes on you a lot ¡­" I''ve never seen a woman spoil a child so willfully... But that''s how she pampered you... I don''t understand why she dotes on you like that. My indifference towards you is because many times, I feel that you are the reason why I can''t enter into your mother''s heart ¡­ "


    "No matter how much I like your mother, I have never been able to truly read her heart. It wasn''t until later that I understood that she probably didn''t want me to understand her on purpose ¡­


    "However, I do love her a lot ¡­"


    Zhuang Li could not understand the relationship they had over this period of time. Prime Minister Zhao liked Du Yueyao, but not his daughter? After Du Yueyao died, he felt that his daughter''s life and death were of no concern to him.


    How could there be such a thing in the world? How could there be such a person?


    He seemed to have seen Zhuang Li''s puzzled expression.


    "At that time, you were still too young to understand that your mother was the most difficult woman in the world to have ¡­ But you''ll see... Because right now, you are exactly the same as her ¡­ "


    "Is that what you came here to say?"


    "I know, you might not want to see me ¡­ But no matter what, you are still my daughter ¡­ "It''s too late for me to understand ¡­"


    After he had said this, no one spoke for a long time. As Zhuang Li looked at him, she suddenly felt that even though the old man was still cold and detached, it was as if something had collapsed in his heart. Perhaps it was because he was old enough to realize that he had missed out on some sort of kinship? For a moment. Zhuang Li felt that he was indeed just an ordinary father ¡­


    Zhuang Li actually didn''t have a father, even from her very small memories. Her mother had brought her up with great difficulty, saving time and money to send her to school, and when she was about to have to pay the tuition, her life suddenly became extremely tight. At that time, she had already thought that if she could have a father that doted on her, wouldn''t life be so arduous? Mother, you don''t have to overwork yourself ¡­


    She didn''t know if she had ever asked who her mother''s father was. In short, she hadn''t asked this question since she was old enough to know. She realized that this question was a scar on her mother''s face.


    However, no matter what, she grew up healthy and even went to college due to her mother''s extreme care. He also found a job.


    With or without a father, what difference did it make?


    Who is he and what does it have to do with me?


    She had learned how to hold her mother''s care, gentleness and kindness. In order to protect her bitter and gentle mother, she had learned the strength and tenacity that her father should have. Frankly speaking, she had never felt that there was anything missing in her life ¡­


    She seemed to think that maybe the child called Zhao Ci was in some way similar to her. She had grown up with her mother''s great care and doting, and she had never even taken her father seriously ¡­ That was why she had always received such a sick and disregarded kinship.


    She was innocent. She was also especially sad. That was why he called his body over to a stranger named Zhuang Li. Maybe she wanted her to live for herself.


    "I don''t hate you ¡­" Maybe it''s because I''ve always felt that I had nothing to do with you ¡­ " Zhuang Li paused, the words in her head continued to spiral around her head, thinking about how to combine them. No matter what, she wanted what she said to be the truth as much as possible ¡­


    "Or maybe it was too young at that time ¡­ There are a lot of things I can''t remember right now... "But what you said now, I''ve already recorded it down ¡­"


    She could only say it for Zhao Ci to the extent where she could face this body''s father. She tried to be honest with himself and tell him how she felt. Though he may not be worth understanding...


    But she still wanted to say such words on Zhao Ci''s behalf, so that there might be a complete explanation for the relationship between them, whether it was good or bad ¡­


    The night scenery of the palace wasn''t as brightly lit as that of the palace, but there were also some stars that were particularly bright.


    Zhuang Li still could not sleep, so sshe could only pull Qing You along to the pavilion to look at the stars. They had been working too hard these past few days. When it finally subsided, young eunuch would passionately send them strange tonics. Originally, most of Zhuang Li''s injuries were superficial, but with her youth, he ate and slept well. Getting better was something that would happen sooner or later, but those imperial physicians didn''t see it that way.


    It was as if she was doing everything she could to this woman, who held a strange position in the Emperor''s heart ¡­ As she continuously delivered different prescriptions, at the beginning, Zhuang Li even asked what this medicine was used for. In the end, she didn''t ask about the potions anymore ¡­


    In any case, he couldn''t possibly die from the poison ¡­


    Even if you want to make up for it, you should at least make up for it ¡­ He reckoned that when he left the palace, he would be able to gain a huge amount of weight ¡­


    She took a sip and frowned.


    Qing You stood to the side like an adult, coaxing a child ¡­


    "A kind and bitter medicine ¡­"


    Zhuang Li could only shake her head and try her best to suppress the unhappiness in her heart, as she nearly drank it all up. While thinking, she also didn''t know what this strange bowl of soup was about ¡­


    When she had drank it all, she started to wonder what Wang Su was doing now.


    Although the rumors in the palace had been suppressed for the time being, if she were to return to the palace now, it would be like handing a handful of firewood over to the dying flames. Therefore, he didn''t know how long it would be before she could return to the palace.


    And in what capacity should she return to the palace? Imperial Noble Lady Ya? Or the tea lady? It might even be inappropriate.


    However, Zhuang Li had never felt this anxiety before. Currently, there was no lie between her and the Emperor that could separate them. She no longer feared anyone who knew that the Emperor was worried about her.


    There was no gap between the two hearts. Even if there was a great gap between the walls of the Thousand Water Thousand Mountains Palace, there was still a way for her to feel sad or lonely.


    But she still wanted to know what that person was doing. Busy approving papers at the Imperial Study? Or had he already rested? or perhaps, like her, when she was feeling sleepy, she would suddenly raise her head and glance at the sky outside the Imperial Study window, and all of a sudden, the entire world became bright.


    Did he think about himself, and how much?


    What did that child go through when he was young? What does he like to eat? What kind of books do you like to read? She wants to know everything... He wanted to become the person who understood him the best in this world. He wanted to take him back into his own pocket.


    And then she began to realize how stupid she was... As expected, a woman in love has a negative IQ...

 C143

    Although Zhuang Li felt that her days had been tough, but after spending ten days in the palace, her wounds were already better. Being taken care of by a few imperial physicians who treated her like a national treasure, it was hard to slow her down.


    This was probably the best and most cozy time Zhuang Li had had in the past few years. Although it wasn''t her original intention, it was probably because of Eunuch Li''s orders that all of the palace''s servants treated her like a treasure, as if she had become the temporary master of this place.


    Before Zhuang Li came to live in this place, sshe had not seen anything about a single person for over ten years. The Emperor may not be able to remember them even on New Year''s Day. Now that he was living with a master whose status and position was unclear, he could be considered a master after all.


    However, Zhuang Li did not feel too happy about it. What she wanted to see more was Wang Su, even if she was just a small palace maid serving tea to him, she would feel that it was extremely good.


    "Qing You, let''s go play in the city."


    Zhuang Li suddenly said, as if she was talking about an extremely ordinary matter. But Qing You was completely stunned by Zhuang Li''s actions.


    "Miss, are you crazy ¡­" "The emperor intentionally left you here to wait for the rumors to die down ¡­"


    She raised her hand and smacked Qing You''s head.


    "I said that we should go to the city, but I also didn''t say that we should go to the palace. Why are you so nervous? Even if I were to go to the palace, I would not want to! "


    "The emperor didn''t say anything about letting us out ¡­" "Even if we go out, this palace is still quite a distance away from the city, we won''t be able to find the way ¡­"


    "Isn''t this easy? "Every day, there are people who go to the city to buy some things. Why don''t we just follow them and walk a few rounds around the city before coming back and meeting up with them at the city gates? Isn''t that perfect ¡­"


    "What is perfection ¡­"


    "Perfect is really an excellent idea ¡­"


    No matter how worried Qing You was, she was still the one who was about to have problems with nothing, so early in the morning the next day, there were two new people in the crowd who had left the palace to purchase things.


    "Look, this mountain is so green. It''s much better looking than the mountain in the palace, right?" Zhuang Li naturally continued to build platforms for herself, to prove her decision was exceptionally wise ¡­


    "Miss, it''s clearly the same ¡­"


    Zhuang Li automatically ignored Qing You''s answer, as if she didn''t hear it. Continue to encourage:


    "Look, look. How green is the water ¡­" Ouch ¡­ "There are still mandarin ducks on top ¡­" She pointed to a small river, forcing Qing You, whose heart was filled with complaints, to take a look.


    "Miss, I know that''s a duck... Don''t make me happy... I was just worried that the emperor would find out ¡­ "


    "We''re here, we''re here ¡­" "Look, the city gate is so high ¡­"


    All his worries vanished after he entered the city. With so many small accidents and so many different kinds of shops, how could he not be interested in these two young girls? After agreeing with the leader that they would meet each other at the city gate when the sun went down, the two of them happily rushed into a shop decorated with colorful clay men. They picked up this shop and looked at it before looking at the other one. For a moment, he was overjoyed.


    Although the objects in the palace were exquisite, they did not have the aura of life. They came out of the clay shop, and in the blink of an eye, they entered the clothing store. She didn''t even know what kind of flowers and styles were popular among the Phoenix Dynasty ladies this year ¡­


    It was a rare occasion to be able to enter the city, so Zhuang Li''s wish was naturally to give herself and Qing You a new set of clothes. Wearing new clothes was like a magic spell worn everywhere to celebrate the new year. Buying two new clothes would cause one to feel like celebrating the new year. And now that Zhuang Li had survived a disaster, how could she possibly miss the chance to buy clothes?


    When Zhuang Li left the palace, she was already about to lose her life. How could she still have money?


    Fortunately, Qing You still had some silver notes on her body when she left the palace. Although Eunuch Li had only asked her to bring two pieces of clothes that were changed, and said that the palace was especially full of items, you just need to take care of her properly. But Qing You, who had followed Zhuang Li and drifted around the palace all these years, still knew how to be tactful, and came out with some silver notes. She only wanted to bring some silver taels with him no matter where she went. After all, no one in the palace was familiar with the situation and she didn''t know what it was like. If there was an emergency, she would have to spend some silver taels to reward the palace maids and eunuchs.


    Who would have thought that it would actually be used in a little girl''s dream.


    It was almost the end of summer, but the weather was still hot and humid. It was still a picture of a particularly popular flower. The woman''s wide robes were embroidered with a few bright flowers, making it seem especially fresh. This was because the patterns of those flowers, although far from being as exquisite and gorgeous as the imperial palace''s, were particularly moving. They were all styles and appearances that could not be seen normally in the palace.


    He tried on most of the clothes in that shop, but none of them felt tired. Zhuang Li sighed in her heart. Beauty was a woman''s natural instinct after all, and it was always the same no matter where one went.


    In the end, Zhuang Li chose a piece of cotton clothing with a few balls of silk on it. She didn''t want the shop owner to wrap it up, so she quickly changed her new clothes instead.


    Qing You chose a set of clothes with lotus flowers engraved on it, and the two of them walked out of the shop in new clothes.


    Then the two of them came out of the same shop like two prodigal women and went straight into the next, without the slightest sign of tiredness. The last time they roamed the streets of the capital like this was many years ago. That was the first time they walked out of the Zhao manor and stood pitifully on the street. They looked at this and touched it, but there was no money to buy it.


    The two of them strung together on the street without knowing what was going on. They were holding large and small bags in their hands, as if they were not in Phoenix Dynasty.


    Zhuang Li felt that this was the only way to truly live a real life, and experience all the joys of life.


    The Wang Su she loved was not the current emperor who stood on the pyramid of power, but was just an ordinary little merchant. The two of them would cook together and earn enough money to support his children, which was enough for her to buy a few beautiful new clothes every year.


    However, after thinking about it carefully, she knew that she was overthinking it. She wanted to live a life that was simply a dream. The ice face should be able to freeze the freshly baked sesame seed cake. The guests probably never ate anything that was too hot.


    And then, take a look at all the women on the streets, other than children, who else was as crazy as she was? It was as if they had never seen the world, or perhaps these two women had just been released from a madhouse.


    In the end, the women of this society still valued virtue and virtue. If she were to marry someone, she would have to try her best to dress in a simple and proper manner, and walk with a proper and upright manner. She would have to become a calm and dignified daughter-in-law before she could be worthy of her husband ¡­


    Now that he thought about it, this era''s men had three or four concubines, so it made sense for them to be rich. They both had a large family, just like in the palace. Men were responsible for national affairs. After that, all the mess in the palace was dealt with by the empress.


    It was the same for the families of the commoners. Naturally, there were quite a few women in the families. There were his mother-in-law, his downstream sister-in-law, the maidservants, and the servants that served him. There were around forty to fifty servants in total. Furthermore, the affairs of these people, including the silver moon as an example, were all handled by the First Madame, the eldest son of the family. If these First Madame were crazy, laughing when they saw the situation and crying when they were unhappy, how could they manage so many trivial matters in the clan in a neat and orderly manner?


    As long as one had a daughter, they would naturally hope to marry into a rich family and become their First Madame, thus becoming a unified education system. From childhood, they allowed her to read books on morality, to educate others without saying a word, to not panic in the face of trouble, to remain calm and composed, and to be a dignified woman.


    However, even in the First Madame, who would be willing to see their husbands have three wives and four concubines? The first person that came to Zhuang Li''s mind was the Empress. Although she was already one with the dignity of the world, but did she not do anything because of love and hatred?


    She was jealous of Zhuang Li. She was more afraid that the emperor would fall in love with her one day ¡­


    But the Emperor has fallen in love...


    With a bright future ahead of him, Zhuang Li couldn''t think of a way to continue ¡­


    He wandered along. When he was hungry, he would buy two meat buns and gnaw on them. He continued to stroll around after eating his fill. Both of them knew that this was a rare opportunity. Naturally, it could not be wasted. How could he bear to stop if he didn''t go for a walk?


    At first, Zhuang Li did not notice anything. However, when she saw the hairpin in the hand of a young noble on the counter, she took a closer look and realized that this was the most famous jewelry store in the capital, the Yao Fang.


    Women naturally had a natural attraction towards jewelry. Although Zhuang Li didn''t have a special cold, it was obvious that she had to stroll around before she could leave.


    After scrutinizing the items on the counter twice, Zhuang Li already realised that the items in this shop were not simple, ordinary people could not afford to use them, the materials and gems were all top quality goods, although they were still incomparable to the things offered by the palace, they were already considered top quality items among the commoners. Perhaps there were some things that came from the martial arts world, and their quality and appearance were even higher than that of the palace.


    In addition, the craftsmanship was also extremely particular. Different from the palace''s most sought after and luxurious style, the things here were more sought after by personality. Although a piece of raw material made from it was not as precious as the one made in the palace, it still made people feel that it was more useful.


    He didn''t know where the craftsman had found him, but there was nothing to say about his craftsmanship ¡­


    Zhuang Li stared at a jade earring while appreciating it, when she suddenly heard an extremely pleasant voice sound out from behind him.


    "Do you like it?"


    That voice wasn''t unfamiliar. It was just that it seemed like she hadn''t heard it for a long time. She hurriedly turned her head around, and as expected, it was as she had expected ¡­


    "Prince Bi ¡­"

 C144

    She reflexively pulled Qing You towards her and was about to bow, but she was stopped by the fast movements of the people in front of her. He smiled slightly and made a gesture of "hush". Zhuang Li then reacted, no one knew that he was the current Prince Bi, and Wang Bi did not want to alarm the commoners.


    Wang Bi was as beautiful as ever, his extraordinary face attracting countless gazes wherever he went. However, he only treated him as a beautiful and wealthy young master, at least he did not need to carry the dazzling reputation of a prince anymore.


    Zhuang Li had always felt that Wang Bi should be compatible with those halos. He seemed thinner than before.


    "You actually split up with me like this after not seeing me for a while ¡­"


    In the exquisite resting room upstairs at Yun Yao Workshop, the beautiful person complained as soon as she sat down.


    "Where did I ¡­"


    "He even learned to deny it ¡­" Just as Zhuang Li was about to speak up and defend herself, she was pushed back by that sharp tongue of her.


    I had no choice but to give in and say, "Okay okay, you''re right..." "I''m just a little mangy dog ¡­" Currently, he could only put on an appearance of a broken pot and let him do as he was told ¡­


    A pleased expression emerged on Prince Bi''s face as he reached out to pinch Zhuang Li''s face. Zhuang Li reflexively retreated, but that Prince Bi also stopped at the last moment, and his hand stayed in the air for a bit, before continuing to stretch over and pat Zhuang Li''s head.


    "If Your Majesty was here, I''m afraid you''d be even more at ease ¡­" It was unknown if he was speaking to Zhuang Li and Qing You or to himself.


    "¡­" Zhuang Li was actually unable to reply, for a moment she felt that a group of crows was flying above the room.


    From Zhuang Li''s appearance, Wang Bi knew that he had tacitly agreed, and sighed with melancholy. The manservant downstairs had pushed open the door at this moment and had finally broken the awkward stalemate.


    He first paid his respects to the three of them respectfully at the door, and then respectfully walked in front of Prince Bi, and took out a embroidered box wrapped in cloth from his hands.


    Prince Bi took the small box, glanced at it, and directly stuffed it into Zhuang Li''s hands.


    Zhuang Li took it and opened it.


    Wasn''t this the jade earring he saw earlier ¡­


    "Wang Bi... "I can''t accept ¡­"


    She didn''t know why, and she hadn''t returned the red jade bracelet back to Prince Bi yet either. She knew that Wang Bi had planned something for her. The more it was like this, the more guilty she felt in her heart.


    If you don''t like her, you can''t accept her gifts...


    She was already unable to respond to Wang Bi''s feelings, so how could she accept his things?


    Although that earring was pretty, she didn''t really like it either. He was only sighing at the fact that it was the upper echelon. However, he did not expect Wang Bi to buy it right away.


    "You took my gift. Are you afraid that the Emperor will be angry?"


    "¡­"


    "You''ll be finished if you don''t tell him ¡­"


    "Ahhh!"


    "Are you afraid that I''ll cause you trouble?"


    "No ¡­"


    "Then it''s over ¡­"


    "I ¡­"


    "I just want to buy things for the woman I like, that''s all. Don''t be too concerned ¡­"


    Instantly, ten thousand mud horses flew across Zhuang Li''s heart ¡­ How could I not be worried...


    "You never told me what you liked... "Sometimes, I think if I were the emperor and had you by my side every day, you might like me too ¡­"


    "¡­"


    Without waiting for Zhuang Li to speak, Wang Bi had already stood up. He stood up and was about to leave, but he suddenly stopped at the door ¡­


    "When I was a child, I felt pity for the Emperor. I have everything, but he has nothing. He was my younger brother, and at that time, I was willing to give him everything I had. However, only now did he realize ¡­ The one who''s really pitiful is me... "If you don''t like that earring, throw it away ¡­"


    He walked out. Zhuang Li stood in place, her mind still replaying every word that Wang Bi had said. The brocade box on the table was left alone, as if admiring its own elegance. Perhaps it was even lamenting that no one really liked it ¡­


    Zhuang Li sighed. What happened between Wang Su and Wang Bi earlier had always been a knot in her heart, she didn''t know what had happened between them, nor did she know what to do.


    Now that she loved Wang Su, it was natural for her to want to stay away from him. However, that man was so lonely that it made people''s heart ache.


    He had gone from being a high and mighty crown prince to becoming a king. Perhaps his heart had already been shattered more than once ¡­


    Only, Zhuang Li did not know that what Wang Bi had said at that time, had already sprouted in his heart. Under countless people''s promotions, the royal power began to stir up huge waves.


    Zhuang Li took the embroidered box and placed it in Qing You''s hands.


    "This is for you ¡­" "As a dowry for you ¡­"


    "But Miss... "We have to hurry. It''s already dusk and we''re still some distance away from the city gates. If we''re late, we might not be able to get out ¡­"


    "Why didn''t you say so earlier ¡­"


    Zhuang Li was so surprised that she immediately jumped, and sure enough, the sun outside the window was already setting, and if she waited any longer, the city gate would close, and they would definitely stay in the city, and the matter of them sneaking out would fall apart. She wondered how she would be scolded by the Eunuch Li in the future ¡­


    The two of them hung up all the items they had bought before in a messy manner and dashed down the stairs. He immediately flew towards the direction of the city gate. The passerby didn''t even have time to apologize. It was time for the hawkers on the street to pick up their stalls and watch the two of them gallop past with a murderous look on their faces. It was as if a gust of wind and smoke was blowing around him ¡­


    The speed was so fast that his appearance could not even be seen clearly.


    "What are you doing ¡­" Could it be that they are in a hurry to be reborn? "


    "There should be a fire at home ¡­"


    "Tsk tsk, I wonder which family''s unlucky lady she belongs to. How can she be married off with such a heartless and heartless appearance ¡­"


    Zhuang Li naturally did not hear the exciting comments behind him. If she had heard it, she would have definitely cursed herself to death in anger.


    "Why am I so heartless like this ¡­"


    The two of them rushed to the city gate. The city gate was still open, but it was about to close. The purchasing eunuchs who were waiting for them were anxiously waiting at the entrance to the city like ants on a hot pan ¡­


    These two were masters who the Eunuch Li had instructed to take care of, what if they lost them? I can''t keep my head... Who knows, he might even implicate his family ¡­


    For a moment, he was extremely frightened. He was cursing in his heart. If he knew about this earlier, he would have sent someone to follow her ¡­


    When she saw Zhuang Li and Qing You, who were flying over, her heart, that had been in suspense for a long time, finally relaxed as she hurried over to take the items from her.


    "Aunt, quickly go to the carriage and take a rest. Drink a mouthful of water." Finally back ¡­ "Thank god ¡­"


    Zhuang Li and Qing You were so tired that they couldn''t even straighten their backs. Finally, there was someone helping them remove the miscellaneous objects on their bodies, and they panted heavily, allowing the young eunuch to support them. They fanned themselves as they walked towards the carriage.


    After getting on the carriage for a while, the two of them were finally able to catch their breath. They looked at each other and saw the other party''s sorry state. Their hair was messy and they were drenched in sweat, so they couldn''t help but laugh out loud.


    young eunuch, who was driving, was puzzled. These two grandpas were indeed strange, and their conversation along the way was also weird. Sometimes, they didn''t know what happened, so the two of them would laugh in front of everyone while acting as if no one else was present. He was someone who had served his master in the palace before, but he realized that he was extremely different from this Imperial Noble Lady Ya. In front of them, he had to be extremely attentive. If he was slightly disappointed, his head would fall to the ground ¡­


    But Imperial Noble Lady Ya was indeed different, even though she didn''t have the chance to serve him. However, he felt extremely relaxed in front of her. There seemed to be no time for him to feel fear.


    She was just like an ordinary person, how could she be a master?


    The young eunuch thought as he drove the horse carriage ¡­ It could also be that the Imperial Noble Lady Ya did not have a high position and did not scare people ¡­ Just a small Imperial Noble Lady, perhaps he shouldn''t have put on airs in the first place ¡­


    Just as he walked to the entrance of the palace, he discovered that a small palace maid, who usually served Zhuang Li, was walking to and fro in front of the gates, as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Zhuang Li and Qing You were still silly enough to stick their heads out of the carriage and wave their hands to tell her not to worry, we''re already back ¡­


    However, before the carriage could come to a stop, the palace maid had already rushed up to them. It seemed that she didn''t care about her own life at all.


    "Don''t worry, we''ll be fine ¡­"


    Unexpectedly, this consolation had no effect, the palace maid grabbed Zhuang Li''s wrist and dragged her down from the carriage.


    "You''re fine ¡­" My good grandma... "We''re in big trouble ¡­"


    "What ¡­" What''s wrong? Could it really be a fire? If it''s a fire, it''s none of our business. "It''s not like we were the ones to set the fire ¡­"


    How could that palace maid have heard her chattering like this? She pulled her along as she walked faster and faster. In the end, she was about to run ¡­


    Being dragged by her until she couldn''t stop, Zhuang Li had no choice but to run after her, and she was so tired that she was gasping for breath ¡­ Could it be that I''ve been raised to be too fat in this palace recently? Is the heavens worried about my health? Did I have to run twice to consume some calories?


    As he sprinted, he occasionally squeezed out his own question ¡­


    "Is your house on fire? Is he in a hurry to be reborn? "


    That little palace maid was naturally quite angered by her ¡­


    "If it''s too late, we will really have to go back to being reincarnated ¡­"


    Zhuang Li didn''t really understand what she meant. The intense running caused her brain to feel lack of oxygen, but when she stopped all of a sudden, she couldn''t see anything. There were stars shining above her head ¡­


    This little bit of exercise is going to kill me... Looks like I really have to continue to stay in this palace and take care of it ¡­


    The hair on his forehead was already wet with sweat and stuck tightly together. It was sticky and extremely uncomfortable.


    An ice-cold hand appeared in front of him, clumsily pushing away his hair.


    "How dare you ¡­"


    "Huh?" Zhuang Li just happened to recover a bit, so she was barely able to see her surroundings.


    Your Majesty ¡­

 C145

    Zhuang Li''s heart had originally just been about to calm down, but the scene she saw was undoubtedly like a bolt from the blue.


    However, the corners of his mouth couldn''t help but grin as he returned a huge smile. He almost had to step behind his ear...


    She had thought about it for a few days, and could finally be considered to have met him ¡­


    He did not forget her, as if he had already given his best answer.


    Wang Su must have been watched by Eunuch Li like before, so he sneaked out of the palace by himself. He changed into a luxurious robe with bamboo patterns embroidered on it, looking like a noble child. He also wore a simple scented bag hanging from his waist. It seemed like the emperor''s clothing for leaving the palace was getting more and more complete and well-equipped ¡­


    "You still dare to laugh?" It wasn''t easy for Wang Su to free himself up, so he hurriedly sneaked out. He wanted to see how the stray kitten he kept looked like. Who would have thought that as the owner, she would actually be thrown into the air ¡­ As soon as he arrived, he was met with a question from the maid in charge. Only then did he realize that his little kitten had long since lost its patience, scratched its cage, and went out for a stroll.


    He was naturally especially angry in his heart. He almost had the impulse to drag all the servants in the palace out and beat them up. After calming down, he realized that he was actually throwing a tantrum like a child ¡­


    He suppressed the displeasure in his heart and continued to create cold air in the hall. Although it was a sunny day in August, no one dared to enjoy the cool air. He was afraid that he would be frostbitten and lose his life in serious cases.


    Wang Su came over from the afternoon and that audacious girl actually went crazy outside for an entire afternoon. He did not want to send people to find her, which would ruin her good mood.


    He still remembered the time when the two of them went to inspect the disaster together. That girl seemed to have returned to his home, feeling that everything was strange, wanting to see and touch everything. His eyes seemed to be filled with sparkling stars. He was especially happy.


    However, what he did not expect was that the girl''s guts had been fattened up quite a bit, and she did not return until dusk. He was dragged by the court lady until he appeared before her, out of breath. His entire face was covered in sweat, and his hair was jumping all over the place.


    In the end, he was still angry and thought that he should at least take care of this crazy girl. However, the person in front of him revealed a smile the moment he saw him.


    That smile was extremely brilliant, causing those who saw it to feel their hearts warm up. The fury that had been brewing just a moment ago had suddenly disappeared without them knowing where ¡­


    That small face was extremely beautiful, Wang Su wondered why he didn''t feel it before ¡­ Or was it just because he liked her now? His little kitten seemed to have recovered extremely well. That smile grew from his heart, instantly chasing away all the ice and snow around him.


    That face was covered in dust.


    However, he didn''t feel dirty and without thinking, he held his face up. It seemed that every time he held her in his hands, his heart would warm up with him.


    Although Zhuang Li heard the somewhat imposing rebuke, it did not affect her emotions in the slightest. She wandered outside for an entire day, and when she returned, she was unexpectedly able to see the emperor. This day was already exceptionally perfect ¡­ She was still muttering to herself: "Why didn''t I think about it when I left this morning ¡­"


    However, if she had known in the morning that Wang Su would come, then she would be unwilling to leave no matter what.


    Although the man seemed to be emitting cold air from all directions, he could not help but rush forward. Wants to warm him up.


    "When did the emperor come over?"


    "Noon."


    Zhuang Li''s heart still thumped once ¡­ It almost stopped ¡­


    He came over at noon ¡­ He was truly a coward ¡­ He left the emperor alone in the palace for the entire afternoon ¡­ How tiresome ¡­


    He forced a smile on his face.


    "Then... Then, Your Majesty, it''s a good thing that we didn''t miss dinner ¡­ Right... "Let''s go ¡­"


    As he spoke, even he began to tremble. Although he was very scared, he still felt guilt and extreme regret from the bottom of his heart. If he had known that he would come, he wouldn''t have had the time to stroll around.


    It had already been a long time since they last saw each other. Was that person fatter or skinnier? They both wanted to know in their hearts.


    Wang Su could only sigh helplessly, he pulled her hand and sat down, and at the same time, instructed the servants to prepare food.


    Zhuang Li was finally feeling hungry, and after seeing what was being eaten, she naturally began to wolf it down. Wang Su on the other hand, ate slowly and carefully, and spent the majority of the time watching Zhuang Li eat.


    No matter how thick-skinned she was, she would still feel embarrassed by what she saw. She hurriedly told the story of today while she was in the middle of chewing. She told Qing You about the strange things that she and Qing You had bought. From meat buns to small flower baskets. And then she would open her hand and pull at her clothes and talk


    "Look good, this year''s popular style ¡­" As she spoke, she stood up and walked around, as if this was the best she could do to let Wang Su clearly see the level of appreciation she had for him. Naturally, it was exceptionally high.


    It was like a prodigal woman patiently showing off her spoils of war.


    Later on, Zhuang Li thought about how she was really happy at that time. No matter when or where, women were always like this. She liked the odd bits and pieces. She collected them like her own treasures. If they were a modern couple, then it would definitely be a woman who took out her new clothes, bags, shoes, and other things from the bazaar and showed them to him one by one on the floor.


    Although the latter did not dare to be interested, she had the appearance of a strict wife who could not say anything. As long as his wife was happy, he could save a lot of trouble.


    The evening palace was actually the most beautiful time. The sky was very high and the sun had dyed the blue sky a brilliant golden color. The design of the palace was extremely tricky. Next to the palace was a high mountain, which also belonged to the royal garden. The mountain was lush with vegetation. During her stay here, Zhuang Li often saw wild rabbits.


    "I heard that there are deer, wild chickens ¡­"


    "There are also wild boars and leopards ¡­" Wang Su added


    "The Emperor has hunted on this mountain?"


    Wang Su shook his head. Only now did Zhuang Li remember what the young eunuch said. Wang Su rarely came to this palace, so he was probably not as familiar with the structure as he was before. However, a leopard ¡­ Wouldn''t that be dangerous?


    Wang Su looked at the little girl beside him, who had changed into a terrified expression, and started to laugh.


    "Yeah, when I was a kid. Father brought us brothers to the palace for the summer break. The next day Big Brother shouted that he was going hunting. Our brothers were only slightly older than him, so they all liked to listen to him. Halfway up the hill, we were separated. I was left behind. "I didn''t expect to meet a leopard ¡­"


    Zhuang Li could not help but take a deep breath and listen to what Wang Su was saying.


    "And then?" A child who was too young to fight a chicken, encountering a leopard was such a terrifying memory that it gave people goosebumps.


    "And then it was gone. I was cut by a leopard''s leg, so royal father sent me back to the palace in advance ¡­ "


    "Ah?" That''s it? "


    "That''s it." He spoke extremely casually. However, Zhuang Li could not help but start to daydream about how a little child who did not understand human nature would encounter a ferocious wild beast in the middle of the mountain forest.


    "Are you afraid?"


    Wang Su seemed to be carefully considering this question. Finally, he opened his mouth ¡­


    "I don''t think so. My mother loved to tell me stories about the countryside when I was a child, about how leopards and wolves fed their children. There was a leopard that was injured, but before dying, it struggled back into its own nest in order to give its cub a final feeding ¡­


    So when I saw the leopard... "It''s like seeing my mother''s mother, the mother of leopards ¡­"


    Zhuang Li shook her head like a rattle drum. This silly child really doesn''t know how high the sky is and how deep the earth is. A mother leopard is not someone that is easy to mess with.


    It seemed that if he had children in the future, he would have to carefully choose the bedtime story he wanted to tell them ¡­ It would be safer to talk about Snow White and the seven dwarfs.


    Wang Su actually couldn''t spend the night in the palace; he had hidden it from the palace when he came out, so it was natural that he wouldn''t be able to hide it for too long. He had to go back before the black was cut off, if not the Eunuch Li who were used as a shield in the palace would only be able to cry in front of the palace gate.


    "Stop wandering around... I''ll let you go this time ¡­ If you really want to go out, then bring along guards or something ¡­ Do you think you are very good with the Son of Heaven? "He is not a good person in the capital ¡­"


    Zhuang Li promptly waved her hand, "No need, no need. I am already safe enough ¡­ I''m just a little girl, it would be weird if I were to walk around the streets with a bodyguard ¡­ "On the contrary, it would attract quite a bit of gossip ¡­"


    "If you dislike guards, then I''ll send Yun Duan over to you ¡­"


    Zhuang Li shook his head with all her might once again, proving that it was exceptionally sturdy. There was no need for anyone to protect him. Yun Duan''s small talk and complaints could cost a person''s life... Moreover, that Yun Duan had put all his heart into Master. Let him protect me? Look at me, don''t I look like I''m the one who took away his lover''s enemy ¡­


    Just the thought of it was enough to send chills down one''s spine...


    In the end, he looked at Zhuang Li with extreme sincerity.


    "You can''t go back to the palace right now, and when you go back, you can''t be Zhao Ci, or else you can''t have the status of a tea lady. "I''ll come see you again, but you have to be good."


    His last sentence was exceptionally soft, and her eyes were filled with affection towards the little kitten that her family had raised ¡­ This caused Zhuang Li to fall into a warm and gentle land. It was as if her hands and feet were wrapped especially tightly by these warm words.


    Wang Su had already mounted his horse and left the palace. On the second day after the matter had passed, Yun Duan appeared at the entrance of the palace. Zhuang Li almost wanted to use the brick to knock himself out ¡­ Can God not torment me like this...

 C146

    When Zhuang Li woke up, she had already warned her that a man had arrived early in the morning and that he was sent by the Emperor to serve him.


    Hearing this, Zhuang Li naturally felt that it was strange, wasn''t there enough servants serving in the palace? Besides, she was not a hypocritical person. There was no need for someone else to serve him. Most of the time, she had already taken good care of herself.


    It was only when Zhuang Li came out from the palace and into the hall that she was suddenly struck dumb ¡­


    In front of him was Yun Duan, who was pinching his bag that was simple to the point where it trembled ¡­ Lord Yun ¡­


    She almost collapsed. Furthermore, Yun Duan merely gave her a cold glance before shifting his gaze elsewhere, not even willing to give her another glance. It was clear that he was very, very unhappy with her meaning ¡­


    Zhuang Li could only sigh, who would dare to order such an expert to take care of herself. Don''t you know how you died? She immediately patted Qing You''s head and introduced him to him.


    "Qing You, this is Yun Duan, Uncle Yun ¡­" He even waved his hand to gather the surrounding palace maids. Tell them clearly.


    "All of you have long eyes, please remember this clearly. This is Yun Duan, Master Yun, please serve me well."


    Yun Duan naturally could not bear her pretentious ways, and said straightforwardly.


    "I am the personal follower the Emperor sent to protect you."


    Personal servant? What companion?


    Yun Duan seemed to have become smarter, and seeing the doubt in Zhuang Li''s heart, he hurriedly explained.


    "Just your shadow, wherever you go. "Then I''ll go where ¡­"


    The sunny days outside the bed were clear and clear for thousands of miles. It was a pleasant autumn scenery. But why did he feel as if a thunder had just struck his head?


    Yun Duan''s thought process was very simple. The Emperor was his master, and his master-servant relationship was even greater than that of an ordinary monarch. Whatever his master ordered him to do, he would do it. This time, he was talking about going to the outskirts of the palace to be the Imperial Noble Lady Ya''s personal follower. He came over without asking any questions. He did not expect that she would know that the Imperial Noble Lady Ya was actually this woman ¡­ Although he wasn''t willing to waste his time with this woman, the emperor had instructed him that he would do his utmost to complete his task ¡­


    When the Emperor needed him, he would follow the Emperor across mountains and rivers to wherever the Emperor wanted to go. However, most of the time was spent in the camp. In addition, he was extremely unsuitable to stay in the palace. They felt that the red walls and the huge palace walls would cause them to be unable to hold back their urge to flip over them. On the contrary, they would attract a lot of trouble, so it was better for them to stay in the camp. He ate a lot of meat when he was hungry and drank a lot of wine when he was thirsty. Everyone knew that he was skilled in martial arts, so there were always generals who came to challenge him.


    He had lived a simple life, but instead of being pure, he had been happy.


    But to become the Imperial Noble Lady Ya''s personal follower, or in the palace?


    But he didn''t want to think too much about it. Other than going to the latrine, he would always follow that woman like a shadow that he could not shake off.


    Zhuang Li naturally understood the personality of the emperor. They just did not expect him to leave so quickly. Yun Duan had already arrived this morning.


    However, in her heart, this person was an outstanding martial artist. It was something that the unfathomable old men on the Immortal Crane Mountain had carefully taught him. Naturally, he did not dare to be negligent and instead, had to serve him well.


    Hurry up and arrange


    "Little Flower, hurry up and prepare breakfast." What? No lotus seed congee... Master Yun Duan likes to eat steamed buns. "


    "That''s right, that''s right. We also need to prepare steamed buns for lunch."


    "Xiao Hong, go clean up the rooms on the west side. From now on, Master Yun Duan will be living there."


    The servants were all at a loss of what to do. Was it just a small bodyguard? Zhuang Li actually acted as though she was facing a great enemy, what was going on?


    As Zhuang Li was busy giving orders, Yun Duan could not hold it in anymore.


    "I don''t sleep in a room ¡­"


    "Then where are you sleeping?"


    "I want to share a room with you, to protect your safety ¡­"


    "What ¡­"


    The sky seemed to have once again forcefully squeezed in a muffled thunder ¡­ Your majesty? You want me to share a room with a man? Do you really love me?... Are you so sure of him or are you so sure of me? Aren''t you jealous?


    "The Emperor ordered me to be in charge of protecting your safety. Naturally, I want to follow you around like a shadow. I want to be with you for twelve hours a day."


    Yun Duan spoke with confidence and confidence, but no matter how he looked at it, he still felt that it was a little strange.


    Naturally, Zhuang Li couldn''t win against him, so she at least understood Uncle Yun Duan a little. Her mind was as innocent as a child''s, and his martial arts were high as well. It was so high that it could almost reach beyond the heavens. It was just a tendon in her head. If she wanted to argue with him or compete for victory, wasn''t that just asking for death?


    Actually, if it wasn''t for the Emperor giving him such a good job. I should miss him quite a bit.


    The two of them said as they came up for breakfast. Master Yun Duan showed everyone his appetite once again. He had no interest in the exquisite dishes of the palace. He only grabbed a steamed bun and began to chew. It was as if the side dish could not fill his appetite at all.


    Zhuang Li was naturally clear that he would look like that, and did not reveal an expression of surprise like the other palace maids and eunuchs. At the same time, she very attentively passed the former a cup of water.


    "Slow down, slow down and eat." Seeing that the other party seemed to be in a good mood because of the food, he started to ask around carefully.


    "Master Yun Duan, what plans do you have for us to eat?"


    "I''m following you."


    The other party was honest and truthful. Zhuang Li was deflated and when she looked up, she noticed that the surrounding little palace maids were using their sleeves to cover their mouths as they snickered in an extremely secretive manner.


    Zhuang Li was not willing to give up and continued to ask.


    "I''m going to the latrine after dinner. Do you want to come with me?"


    After all, Zhuang Li was a modern man, she did not have to hide anything and her skin was thick enough.


    However, she hadn''t expected Yun Duan to be his master. Although Yun was not a modern man, he was a classic. Perhaps the difference between a man and a woman was especially ambiguous in his heart. There wasn''t the slightest shyness or estimation in their conversation. He picked up the water glass and took a swig. He said this to Zhuang Li.


    "I''ll go with you. I''ll guard you outside ¡­"


    Zhuang Li could only sigh and shake her head. Currently, there was someone personally accompanying them even in the toilet. There was no one left to receive such treatment ¡­


    Yun Duan didn''t like the life in the palace. However, living in a palace was different from living in a palace. There was no master living by the side of the mountain. Much freer than the public. Very soon, the palace maids in the palace realized that Yun Duan''s martial arts had reached an unparalleled high. The palace walls and garret in their palace were so tall, yet he could easily jump up and down. You thought he wasn''t here, but he suddenly jumped down from somewhere and appeared right in front of you.


    He was always by Zhuang Li''s side, but they often didn''t know where he was hiding.


    The evening was especially beautiful. The setting sun illuminated the entire palace. It seemed to be painted on.


    At this time, you can see Yun Duan''s figure freely shuttling between the palace walls and pavilion like a swallow, flying up and down. Nothing can stop him.


    His Qing Gong was much higher than Little White. Besides, Little White was only a child. The child''s weight was relatively light, so it had to be said that it had taken advantage of Qing Gong. However, Yun Duan was not one bit inferior to a child. Sometimes, when one sees Zhuang Li in a daze, an incomparably idiotic thought would actually emerge in one''s mind ¡­


    "Can he fly ¡­?"


    Later on, when he grew up, he began to feel that he was childish. He even thought that there really were those strange martial arts in this world.


    It wasn''t until the two of them got used to it that they both turned to look at the mountain on which the palace was leaning. Silly, jumping rabbits on the mountain. Suddenly life became much more interesting.


    "Uncle Yun, please take Qing You and I to fight rabbits."


    "What''s so good about rabbits?"


    "Don''t you think that the fact that they are jumping around randomly in the mountains is a provocation? Are they thinking about what you, Yun Duan, are planning? "It''s impossible to catch it ¡­"


    "Idiot, is there any use in provoking me?" Yun Duan suddenly turned exceptionally high and cold, and did not say a word.


    "That''s right, it''s useless to provoke Master Yun Duan. Just you wait, I will come and take care of you guys immediately." Zhuang Li yelled towards the mountain. Until she heard Yun Duan slowly sigh and say,


    "Idiot, I''m talking about your use of provoking me ¡­"


    Zhuang Li choked until she was rendered speechless. Zhuang Li suddenly felt that her life was already over ¡­


    However, Yun Duan was quickly lured back by the mountain again ¡­


    It was Zhuang Li who said that there was a leopard on that mountain.


    "There''s a leopard?" Yun Duan seemed to have found an opponent that he thought highly of, and in that instant, a glint shot out of his eyes.


    Zhuang Li immediately understood.


    This matter! There''s a door! He nodded his head repeatedly in confirmation.


    "It''s true. I personally saw it with the emperor ¡­" The emperor also likes to hunt on this mountain. If you were here, it would be easy. But if you weren''t, those imperial guards would all be as good as rice buckets ¡­ If that leopard were to injure the Emperor, it would be a huge problem ¡­


    It was clear that Zhuang Li''s strategy was effective against Yun Duan.

 C147

    Because he had raised little rabbits before, Qing You naturally had special feelings towards small animals. When Zhuang Li saw her, she could only sigh deeply. What she had experienced, was naturally a little more than what Qing You had experienced, and also a little more cruel. During the flood, not to mention rabbits, they even wanted to eat hungry people when they were hungry.


    Therefore, the rabbits that were scattered all over the mountains and plains were delicious, roasted rabbit meat in Zhuang Li''s eyes. When she was using her West Cold, she could only watch as Ge Ya cleanly peeled and cleaned the skin of a wild rabbit. Spill with salt... They roasted it beautifully over the fire.


    Wang Su was speaking of the leopard he had met on that mountain many, many years ago. Furthermore, after hearing about the incident, the late emperor, in order to keep the palace safe, had specially dispatched a group of hunters to search the mountains and eliminate all the leopards on the nearby mountains. After that, the palace walls were raised so high that not even a hare could get into the palace, much less a leopard. Therefore, Zhuang Li did not know whether or not the leopard still existed on the mountain, but he would first trick Yun Duan into going up there.


    Yun Duan listened to everything the emperor said. It was easy to believe what he said, very possible that Zhuang Li would lie to him using the words of the emperor. Moreover, Zhuang Li''s attitude was especially sincere, and what she said couldn''t be considered to be false. She had only concealed the appearance of the leopard the emperor mentioned a long, long time ago.


    As long as Yun Duan was coaxed up the mountain, was she afraid that he would not work for his?


    When they were in the palace, Zhuang Li could only watch as those wild rabbits that lacked natural enemies pranced happily through the mountains. They looked especially infuriating, but now, when they stepped onto the hillside, they discovered that the rabbits seemed to have been alerted beforehand and had hidden away. Zhuang Li could not help but sigh.


    The road up the mountain was not easy to tread on, but this garden belonged to the imperial family after all, so every year, hunters had to go into the mountain to manage it. So at least there was a way. Yun Duan could have just relied on his lightness skills to step on the tree tops and fly out. Unfortunately, he brought along Zhuang Li and Qing You, these two useless girls, and could not help but follow suit, stepping lightly on the pile of dead branches and fallen leaves. Yun Duan was done with it before he had walked far.


    "Rabbit footprints are everywhere. If there were leopards, how could there be so many rabbits ¡­"


    Zhuang Li could only pretend to be calm.


    "What is it? You don''t even believe the words of the Emperor? "


    "I don''t believe you ¡­"


    Were the food in the palace better than in the barracks? How did this fellow''s mind become so bright all of a sudden ¡­


    Seeing that she couldn''t continue acting, Zhuang Li could only coax him, "Even if there isn''t a leopard, there''s still a rabbit ¡­ How cute are the rabbits? How delicious are they roasted? Have you never eaten a roasted rabbit in your life? "


    When Qing You heard that Zhuang Li wanted to roast the rabbit, her heart skipped a beat and she immediately started protesting. Seeing that the two people beside him were about to break away from her control, Zhuang Li could only use all her strength to coax Qing You who was at her side.


    "Don''t you remember when we followed Ge Ya to hunt at West Cold? And the little sheep is so cute, aren''t you quite delicious? "Don''t worry, we ate rabbits, not flowers that you fed ¡­"


    Ever since Zhuang Li and Qing You moved out of the Plum Garden, Little White had kept the flowers. However, Little White had followed Li Liang to the border. In reality, Little Flower had grown into a big flower as a rabbit. "From a practical point of view, Li Liangxiao had found a calm night to roast it and eat it. It was just that Qing You did not know about it ¡­


    She suddenly felt that her thoughts right now were all evil, like a witch in a fairy tale, full of negative energy. And Qing You was naturally Princess Snow White, who had no idea what her wishes were for.


    Being amused by their own thoughts, the three of them could only stop to rest for a while. Although Yun Duan was dissatisfied and unhappy in all kinds of ways, he was still Zhuang Li''s bodyguard, so it was impossible for him to leave first. As for Qing You, he could only follow Zhuang Li. The three of them sat on a rock in the mountain forest. At the foot of the mountain was the emperor''s palace.


    It was a different experience to see the whole palace from here, compared to when he was at the foot of the mountain.


    During this time, Yun Duan left for a while, but he quickly returned with an unlucky rabbit at his waist.


    Zhuang Li was naturally unhappy. She did not peel the skin and cut the flesh, and she could not bring herself to do so. In the past when she was in the West Cold, such a thing was naturally left to Ge Ya. Now, she spread out her hands in front of Yun Duan, indicating that she didn''t know how to do it. Yun Duan had been exceptionally familiar with what Zhuang Li had said and thought that she would be an expert. He did not expect that after beating up a rabbit, he would have to peel his own skin off, so he was a little angry and asked in an extremely dissatisfied tone.


    What would he know? Of course he knew how to eat ¡­


    However, in order to not offend the old man in front of him, Zhuang Li still bashfully sold a smile that said she was weak and sent Yun Duan to peel off her skin.


    Very quickly, a bonfire rose up from the mountain. Zhuang Li had always been thinking of eating the roasted wild hare in her palace, so she was naturally prepared for that. Yun Duan saw that this fellow was already prepared, so he had no choice but to clean up by the small stream with the rabbit. He sharpened a wooden stick to put on the hare and gave it to Zhuang Li.


    Before long, a burst of light blue smoke rose up from the mountain. The aroma of the smoke attracted the three people and they roasted until their meat creaked, causing Qing You to no longer lament how pitiful that rabbit was. Seeing that everyone finally had the same opinion, Zhuang Li happily tore off one of the rabbit legs and gave it to Yun Duan.


    "Take it, take it. The fees ¡­"


    Yun Duan could understand why it was so tough, but he didn''t know what Fei meant. When he went to inspect the flood, he already knew that Zhuang Li was a woman who could spout out strange words at any time. However, he more or less understood what she meant, so he took the rabbit leg and began to gnaw on it.


    Zhuang Li then tore off the other rabbit leg and gave it to Qing You. Maybe Qing You rejected it in her heart, but her hands had already been extended under the temptation of her nose, and she took the rabbit leg.


    Actually, Qing You had already frequently eaten the wild rabbits that Ge Ya roasted during West Cold, but she had never seen the rabbit that jumped around fresh before.


    Zhuang Li didn''t care about all that ¡­ She was not young either. She knew that as long as humans were still eating meat, there would definitely be massacres. She might as well live frankly. There was no need to hide it. If she really couldn''t take it, then she just had to be a vegetarian.


    A rabbit fed the three of them to their heart''s content. The rabbit was very expensive, probably because there were very few natural enemies in this mountain forest. Amongst them, Yun Duan had eaten more than half of them alone. Zhuang Li and Qing You shared the remaining half. He was so full that he couldn''t walk anymore.


    The three of them reclined on the hillside, looking down at the westbound palace. For a moment, they felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.


    Ever since the emperor sent Yun Duan to guard Zhuang Li, his days seemed to have become more free. If it was time for meals in the past, perhaps Zhuang Li would have gone out ¡­ Then there would always be people searching for her throughout the world, and now it was better. They all knew that Yun Duan was watching over her anyway, so what could possibly happen? This allowed Zhuang Li to live her life with exceptional freedom.


    Looking at the exquisite palace at the foot of the mountain, it seemed a little too beautiful. It was as if she had fallen from one world to another. Compared to his previous few months of experience, it seemed like he had really lived a completely different life here. However, there was no Wang Su.


    She even felt that the life here was naturally excellent, but so what if she stayed by Wang Su''s side? She really wanted to see that person ¡­


    His gaze moved around the palace. She had been to all the other places in the palace. She counted the places next to her own chamber, but she had to walk for an hour to get close enough.


    Until her gaze suddenly fell upon a pavilion by the side of the palace ¡­


    "That ¡­"


    Qing You saw the doubt in Zhuang Li''s eyes, and followed her gaze. But she still did not know what Zhuang Li was suspicious of ¡­


    "The attic? Why haven''t I noticed it before? "


    The pavilion that Zhuang Li saw was already at the outskirts of the palace, a very remote place, but its dressing seemed to be similar to the buildings in the palace. The golden bricks, although different from the brilliance of the palace, showed that it was indeed the work of the imperial family.


    But why hadn''t he noticed it before?


    He had never been there and never heard of anyone mentioning it ¡­


    Judging from its outline, it could be considered to be exceptionally exquisite, but it wasn''t as lively as the other buildings in the palace.


    "Isn''t it just a building? Perhaps he had originally wanted it, but after realizing that it was unnecessary, he decided to draw it outside ¡­


    However, Zhuang Li still felt that something was amiss. Since she had decided not to, why not tear it down?


    "Perhaps if the people of the royal family don''t live there, they can stay and rest for those who pass by. "Miss, don''t worry too much ¡­"


    But because of this, Zhuang Li seemed to be attracted to that building. Although it was not some incredible discovery, it still made people feel that something was amiss. Why did she build a building and decide not to use it?


    She had already been in the palace for half a month. The young eunuch that served her had brought him around everywhere, but no one had mentioned the existence of this building.


    The skyscraper''s border was built with high walls, as if it was determined to keep the pavilion isolated. Zhuang Li''s gaze was firmly attracted by it and was unable to move away for a moment.


    The pavilion seemed to be surrounded by a dense forest, which isolated the building from the rest of the forest. It seemed exceptionally lonely, as if there were endless secrets hidden within, growing crazily away from the center.

 C148

    When Wang Su got down from the first floor, he walked on the road towards the Imperial Study extremely naturally, but Eunuch Li ran over and whispered a few words into his ear, causing him to have no choice but to frown.


    " "Not going." He continued to walk towards the Imperial Study. Without the slightest hesitation.


    However, in the days when he had his mother by his side, he never seemed to realize that he was a prince ¡­


    What kind of existence was a prince? Of course, he should be like the Second Brother, where eunuchs and palace maids would follow him around as they went out. If she tripped, the empress would take the heads of her peers.


    For a very, very long time, he lived quietly within the Plum Court with his mother. The Plum Garden were located deep within the palace, and very few people would come here. Thus, the mother and son pair were able to live here in peace.


    He didn''t really remember what happened when he was young, so even now, his mother''s face was still unclear in his heart. However, he remembered when he was very young, his mother had carried him up from the bed and made him sit in the courtyard to look at Luoxue and the plum blossoms.


    It was extremely cold in the winter. The two of them lacked extremely thick clothes, so his mother took his red hands and put them on her chest.


    In his heart, his mother had always been an overly humble woman. She had held his hand and brought back some seeds from outside the palace with great difficulty, carefully planting them in the courtyard like a precious treasure. Tell him when to plant? How long does it take for a radish to grow? The vegetables were ripe to the point of being timely?


    It was as if this was what he should learn. However, his mother treated him like a farmer and made him remember all of this in his heart. Four books and five scriptures, the essence of the Qi nation, and more important ¡­


    He only eagerly followed his mother, doing what she hoped he would learn. However, he had too many thoughts and doubts in his heart.


    In his short childhood, his only playmate was his own Second Brother.


    At that time, he still hadn''t realized that he was also a prince ¡­ He also did not realize that there was any difference between a prince and a prince. In his eyes, the Second Brother was like a big brother. Play with him. She brought him to study, but when she met something delicious, she kept it for him ¡­


    Their childhood was really extremely short. No matter how Imperial Consort Mei taught this child, he still possessed a brain as intelligent as his father''s. In the end, he could still be considered a teenager. He was sent by a eunuch to study the Imperial Theory under the Crown Prince''s guidance. At first no one took him seriously.


    When a prince left the Prince Bi, the rest of the people would just be reading with him. In the future, he would at most be a prince, and he might not even be able to become one. Prince Bi was talented, simple and honest. He was loved by the Emperor. As for the other princes, there were even the eldest son of the Minister, but because Prince Bi was old enough to go to school, all the children who were not too different in age were found, causing the Crown Prince to be more lively.


    However, Wang Su was an exception among them. He was a lot younger than the others. I heard that it was specifically requested by the Prince Bi. If the Prince Bi didn''t mention him, perhaps the entire palace would have forgotten that the Emperor had such a son.


    However, Wang Su, who had just entered the academy, had already displayed a talent that was exceptionally different from others. It was one thing to say that he had spent all his time in that small courtyard with his mother and hadn''t received any good instruction or words from the adults within the palace. However, at such a young age, he was actually much more intelligent than the others. All the things the teacher wanted to teach him were easy to understand. This news quickly spread throughout the palace.


    In the end, even the Emperor began to ask about this son that he had never asked about.


    "Your Majesty, the Lord Yin Tai is still waiting outside the hall?" Eunuch Li looked at the emperor with a tired expression and spoke exceptionally softly.


    "Let him in."


    Recently, the imperial court had been making a ruckus over the appointment of a new official. The floods in the south had yet to settle down, but these people had always been fighting for their own benefits, as if they were fighting for their lives on imperial court all day.


    When he brought the tea over, Wang Su habitually glanced at the man, scaring him to the point that he trembled. Oh, so it was only then that his father-in-law sent him away, so that someone else came to do some work for him.


    He thought of that woman. If he looked at her like that, she would definitely stare back ¡­


    I wonder how she''s doing in the palace...


    He could not remember Zhao Ci''s looks when he was young, he only knew that she was an ugly girl. They travelled to the West Cold together in the bandit''s dirty carriage. As if each of them had their own secrets, they leaned on each other to keep warm. It seemed to know that they were the same kind of people as everyone else.


    He knew that the girl was not the naughty girl he had first met. She had even more secrets and stories on her body. But no one mentioned it.


    At that time, he still had many more secrets. A change in the state of the nation as a whole, a desire for power.


    He sometimes thought that maybe the Second Brother wouldn''t understand him. Everyone''s life was different. Some people were born with everything, while others had to put forth their full power to get an opportunity.


    The tutor had said that the nine sons of the dragon were all different. But all nine of these sons had the possibility of becoming their own fathers, only the level of effort they put in were different.


    He also wanted to thank his mother for giving him such a possibility.


    What he wanted to fight for was this kind of opportunity. To let the father see him, to let the news of his mother''s death spread to the world, to let the truly damnable people die.


    His mother had never taught him like the Imperial Tutor, telling him that you were born in a house of kings, that you were the son of a man who now owned this world, and that she seemed extremely reluctant to mention such a thing, but had done her best to tell him that it was your duty to live well, to plant the land, to watch the sunset, to guard your mother''s knees, and not to exert all your strength, just to get an opportunity for your father to see you.


    When his mother died, he was kneeling in the mourning hall, his mind blank. He knew that he had lost a very important part of his life. It made him feel the pain of being gouged out. He had always thought that the amiable mother would be waiting for him at home, only when she was old and tortured by illness to the point where she didn''t want to stay in this world anymore.


    As he knelt there, he thought about many things. His father had never come, not even stopping by to take a look.


    He really wanted to ask his mother.


    Don''t you think what you''ve given me is just a normal life like a commoner outside the palace? But how could ordinary people, wives, and husbands not enter the mourning hall?


    If he was born in an ordinary family, why did he have to be on guard against everyone?


    His mother had just accepted him into the palace once and died upon his return. He frantically tried to find out what had happened. Until it turns out that all emotions are directed at one person...


    Prince Bi''s mother, Queen Mengyu.


    Did she care? Wasn''t he afraid of his mother instigating him to snatch the Prince Bi''s throne? He hated that two-faced woman, and he also hated the Prince Bi who was born with everything.


    For the first time, he had a desire for power. He needed to be strong enough to destroy everything.


    He was a prince, and his mother''s status was indeed low, making him extremely inconspicuous since he was young. Even his father wouldn''t be able to remember him, but he had already suffered the struggles and pain of being a prince. A great price has already been paid for this.


    He really wanted to ask the so-called father, "Why can''t you see me?"


    The young Wang Su already understood why his father couldn''t see him and why he had so many brothers. Why was it that although his father was the Emperor, he cared deeply about his mother''s status as a lowly person?


    Empress Mengyu''s family was a general who had just started the Empire, and she still held a heavy soldier in her hands. Half of the officials in the imperial court were extremely secretly connected to his family.


    At such a time, was he only facing his own father?


    Realizing the importance of military power, he began to practice martial arts. He began to learn deeply about the suffering of the people and the chaos along the borders. The argument over whether to fight or not on imperial court was really endless.


    Sometimes, he even felt that those officials were just acting out a lively drama for the father, with no conclusion to the argument. With the situation like this, things were delayed all day long. The people were still crying and the border was being invaded.


    In terms of governance, that''s not the way it is...


    The Confucians, who were revered by the father, also treated the people as their heaven ¡­


    So how do you change that? How do you get the throne?


    He finally began to cultivate his own influence, the kind of person who could speak for him in court. They travelled to the Western Regions to find a way to make a few of the Great Phoenix''s armies reach a surprise victory. He fought with the generals on the battlefield. Like they ask for more experience. It wasn''t that he wanted to ascend the throne, but that he wanted to become a person who took things step by step and became a force that couldn''t be ignored ¡­

 C149

    Ever since he came back from the mountain that day, the village had always been thinking about that pavilion. She also looked in the general direction she needed to go, but a large palace wall completely surrounded the building. There was a small wooden door at the bottom of the wall, but it was locked.


    Zhuang Li had been here before and had seen the locked wooden door before, but she had always thought that was only the back door of the palace. It was only now that she realized that this was a door that the palace had specially built to lead to the loft. But why not just put the loft inside the loft?


    She carefully observed that the first part of the palace wall should have been built behind the first part of the palace wall.


    Although the seams were very meticulously sewn together, there was still a difference.


    In other words, the pavilion was originally inside the palace, but for some reason, it was kept out of the palace ¡­


    How could there be such a strange thing?


    Zhuang Li couldn''t understand. She asked the little palace maid in the palace about it, but no one was willing to tell her ¡­


    However, she was extremely idle in the palace. Naturally, the more no one told her about it, the more she wanted to know. Since no one in the palace said it, and everyone pretended not to know, could I not go see it myself? She chuckled as she thought about how she could sneak over without anyone noticing ¡­


    The first problem is... Where is the key...


    The lock didn''t show any signs of rust, proving that someone was using it frequently. However, no matter how idle he was, it was impossible for him to just squat there all day waiting to see who would open the door ¡­


    Moreover, Qing You and Yun Duan were by her side ¡­


    Yun Duan...


    In that moment, it was as if a new hope had been discovered, and he couldn''t help but feel secretly delighted.


    Yeah, there''s still Yun Duan, why didn''t I think of that before ¡­


    Yun Duan was not only proficient in martial arts, his Qing Gong was also proficient in martial arts, bringing him over the wall, how hard could it be?


    Qing You slept soundly by her side, unable to resist the temptation outside the palace walls. She slept soundly in the middle of the night with her eyes wide open.


    At this point, the palace maids and eunuchs had already fallen asleep. Although there was a light hanging on the roof of the palace, this bit of light was like a cup of water or a cart of firewood in the dark night. Zhuang Li knew that the only person who could discover him was probably Yun Duan, who was keeping watch on the outside ¡­


    "Where to?" Yun Duan''s cold voice rose from behind him, it was extremely terrifying in this pitch-black night. If he had not been prepared, even Zhuang Li would have fallen down to the ground in fright ¡­


    The manor thought to itself, "Very good, I just want you to discover me ¡­"


    "The latrine ¡­" She spoke with a hidden smile.


    "Don''t you have a chamber pot in your room ¡­?"


    "Cough, cough ¡­" About that... "I''m not used to using that ¡­"


    She had to lure Yun Duan out first, then persuade his slowly in order to achieve the final result he wanted. Otherwise, with Yun Duan''s capabilities, he would probably be captured and brought back to the palace wall to sleep before he could even reach it.


    Yun Duan took out a fire piston and prepared to hit it, but the manor quickly grabbed onto both of Yun Duan''s hands.


    "Wait, wait ¡­" "I''m afraid of the light ¡­"


    Even though Master Yun Duan did not want to bother with Zhuang Li anymore, he could not help but get angry.


    "What did you say!?" "Say it again!"


    "¡­" The corner of Zhuang Li''s mouth twitched, but she did not dare open her mouth, afraid that Yun Duan would angrily push him back onto the bed.


    He could only sit down and pull Yun Duan''s hand, forcing him to sit down as well.


    Uncle Yun ¡­" The Emperor sent you to protect me and take care of me, didn''t he? So I can go anywhere I want, be it out of the palace or up the mountain... are all available... You should have stayed with me, right?


    "That''s not it, the emperor just told me to watch you ¡­"


    "..." "Are you sure the emperor said so ¡­" Zhuang Li already felt that she had nothing left to live for ¡­ However, since the matter had started and she hadn''t slept for half the night, she naturally had to persevere. Her mind was in a whirl as she quickly came up with a new plan to persuade her ¡­


    "You must have misunderstood His Majesty ¡­"


    "Impossible ¡­"


    Zhuang Li took another deep breath...


    "Sir Yun, how about this? Take me to a place, even if I have to be obedient in the future, I won''t trouble you anymore ¡­" "Well?"


    "Dream on ¡­"


    He felt his collar being lifted, so he unhesitatingly dragged towards the sleeping quarters ¡­ Quickly hug Yun Duan''s thigh ¡­


    "Please... "If I don''t go, I won''t be able to sleep ¡­"


    As expected, Yun Duan''s heart softened, and he stopped helplessly.


    "Fine, where are you going exactly ¡­"


    He happily stood under the palace wall and pointed at the top of his head, indicating that he wanted to go over ¡­ In modern times, Li Jun had never ridden a jumping-off machine in an amusement park. Now, it could be said that she had experienced it ¡­ When she came down from Yun Duan''s embrace, trembling, she was actually unable to believe that she was already here ¡­


    His legs still felt weak ¡­ Squatting on the ground, she told Yun Duan with some lingering fear ¡­ Alright, light the fire piston ¡­


    Looking around, he realized that he was probably in a dense forest, on the other side of the entrance to that small palace.


    "Fire, give me the fire?"


    When Yun Duan handed the lit candle to her, he lit up the small door beside his with the candle in his hand. From the very beginning, Zhuang Li felt that something was off about this place, only when he got closer did he realize that it was different from the other side of the palace gate in the palace. The palace doors within the palace were especially well maintained. It could be seen that the door had been painted after it was built, but this side of the palace door was mottled and the red paint was peeling off, revealing the rust underneath, making it look decadent and shabby.


    Since they all agreed to open the door, how could they paint one side but not the other side? What kind of logic was that? Take care of the snow in front of your own house, don''t care about other people getting covered in frost?


    This piqued Zhuang Li''s curiosity even more, and she immediately felt that her legs were not weak either. She quickly crawled back up, and saw the surrounding dense grass, and the trees on top of her head were extremely dense.


    There was a small path right beneath his feet, right next to the entrance of the palace. It was a very small path, but it was proof that this place had some sort of connection with the palace as people often went in and out.


    This place was not only cold and gloomy, but also permeated through people. It was different from the exquisite palaces and made people feel like it was another world. An inexplicable fear arose in their hearts and they could not help but hold on to Yun Duan''s arm.


    Yun Duan looked at this useless appearance and felt helpless. He really wanted to kill this guy, and now that he had come, he was extremely afraid ¡­


    "Your snacks ¡­" He reached out and grabbed the clothes at the back of Zhuang Li''s neck, almost lifting her up.


    The two of them walked along the small road into the depths. The forest was especially dense, and Yun Duan had to continuously pull apart the leaves in front of him.


    It was only until they arrived at the front of the pavilion that the manor finally noticed that there was actually a light on at the top floor of the pavilion ¡­


    The lamp was especially dim, almost like a candle. What Zhuang Li did not expect was that in such a weedy place, there would actually be someone living there ¡­


    Like the mottled palace doors, the attic had not been maintained for many years, making it look old and worn-out, but it was clean after all. The air in front of the pavilion was organized, and the dead branches and fallen leaves were swept to the side and piled up.


    He no longer had the excitement from before, but now, he felt a little more curious about the owner of this penthouse. He wondered what kind of person it was, living in a place that was just a wall away from the palace, there was definitely something he didn''t want others to know.


    There were only two floors to the pavilion, and the door was not locked. When she pushed the door open, there was a creaking sound, which scared Zhuang Li so much that she herself trembled.


    Presumably, the owner of the pavilion had already been woken up. Although the owner of the pavilion felt a little afraid to rashly go to see the person in the pavilion, since the owner already knew that you had come, it would only make him more angry if he continued to hide.


    Zhuang Li could only muster up her courage and go up the stairs.


    This was different from what he had expected. The pavilion, which he thought to be in ruins, was probably the same as well. Who would have thought that the inside of the pavilion was exceptionally clean and without a trace of moisture. On the contrary, there was a faint smell of incense. It smelled especially good.


    After a spin, a faint glow could be seen. At that moment, Zhuang Li''s heart was extremely nervous, her heart was beating normally, as if it was going to jump out at any moment.


    She was almost scared and held her breath.


    Yun Duan could not bear to see her terrified look, just as he was about to ask if it was convenient for the owner of the house to bother his, he heard a voice.


    It was the voice of an older woman, and a little fierce and unreasonable.


    "Where did this little thief come from?" "Since you dare to enter the Snow Tooth Tower, quickly show yourself. Otherwise, don''t blame me for being impolite."


    The manor was shocked when they heard the noise, cold sweat beading on their foreheads, as if their clothes were drenched in sweat. They heaved a sigh of relief when they heard a woman''s voice. However, the other party was not happy at all. To the point of fluster


    "Grandma ¡­" Grandma ¡­ "No, I''m a good person ¡­"


    He quickly pulled Yun Duan upstairs. In front of him was an old woman standing in the darkness. She was holding a light that was faint yellow in her hands, shining onto her for a bit, causing Zhuang Li to feel afraid. The old woman''s face seemed completely expressionless...


    Zhuang Li was so frightened that she almost hid behind Yun Duan. Yun Duan could also see that the old granny had some skills, and thus, she habitually tried to pull Zhuang Li behind her.

 C150

    Yun Duan had practiced martial arts for many years, and his martial arts were very profound. Even when he walked, his feet would not make a sound, not to mention in a place where he did not know the situation, he would naturally be more careful.


    That old woman''s martial arts level was not low, and although she was not young, her ears were exceptionally sharp. Just as she climbed over the palace walls, she heard a sound, and then, because of the noise made by Zhuang Li, knew that she had already went upstairs. Who would have thought that the person who would appear in front of them would be a silly little girl? She was reckless and didn''t have the slightest bit of manners. It was unknown where the barbarian came from, but just as he was about to teach her a lesson, a tall man suddenly came from behind him ¡­


    This man was not simple. He didn''t even sense a trace of his presence along the way. It seemed like martial arts wasn''t something he could deal with. He held it in for a moment. Asked


    "Speak your name. What are you plotting to come to this Snow Tooth Tower?"


    The manor stuck out its tongue. A conspiracy ¡­ What sort of conspiracy ¡­ Grandmother, are you really that scared ¡­ Or was there persecution delusions?


    "My name is Zhuang Li ¡­" She said her name out of reflex. No matter which old woman lived in such a secluded place, it was impossible for her to know her.


    "Zhuang family? Which guild? What are you doing here? "


    She spoke with extreme seriousness, almost overbearing.


    "What do you want to do... Nothing... I just came for a walk... "


    Zhuang Li couldn''t help but be a little afraid of some old man. If it wasn''t for Yun Duan giving him courage, he probably would have run out the door to escape.


    At this moment, another woman''s voice came from the depths of the room. Her voice was softer and gentler than the woman''s.


    "Alright, alright, Little Su. Don''t frighten the guests. Help me over there. "


    Zhuang Li was shocked, she never thought that there would be someone else in the pavilion. Why not light a lamp in such a dark place?


    Moreover, this old granny was already in her fifties, and that woman still wanted to call her Little Su? Then how old was that woman?


    Yun Duan, who was beside him, did not seem the least bit surprised. It was as if he had already expected that there was someone else in the darkness. When the old granny heard the words of the woman, she immediately became gentle and responded in kind. He hurried into the darkness. She held a candle in her hand and lowered her head to light the lamp by her side. She was very familiar with these objects in the darkness. In a few moments, she had lit up all the lampstands in the room.


    The previously dim light only allowed Zhuang Li to see the old granny. Now that the surroundings were lit up, everything in the room was illuminated in an instant. The information that entered her eyes shocked him. This pavilion was extremely spacious, and the things placed here were all treasures of the world. There was a four-coloured grid beside Zhuang Li''s hand, and in each grid was the little thing that Master usually liked to hold in her hand.


    The one closest to Zhuang Li was the Coral Peanut, and next to it was a scented bag embroidered with a phoenix. A few peas carved from white jade were placed in the past. Tie them together in a red string...


    Against the wall opposite was a large cabinet. Inside the cupboard, there were all sorts of treasures, which almost blinded Zhuang Li''s eyes.


    Naturally, they were exceptionally outstanding, but what attracted Zhuang Li''s attention the most was the fact that there was a bird perching stick on the window frame. However, there was no bird on the stick right now, and no bird was on it.


    She remembered looking at the pavilion from the hillside and feeling that it was not as bright as the one in the palace. However, after entering, he found out that the interior was huge and that there were exquisite walls on top of its head, each with golden lines drawn on them. Before Zhuang Li could finish looking, she heard the sound of someone getting up from behind the screen.


    The screen was especially large. There were actually two phoenixes embroidered on it with golden threads. His expression was spirited. The wood of the screen was inlaid with precious stones, and under the light of the candles in the room, they were reflecting a dazzling brilliance.


    Just as Zhuang Li''s gaze was fixated on the two phoenixes on the screen, unable to move away, a woman wearing a nightgown walked out from behind the screen.


    Perhaps other than being luxurious, there were many other words that could be used on this woman, such as beautiful, such as dignified. She walked very slowly until she reached a spot near the manor where she sat down. Only then did she raise her head. He looked at Zhuang Li.


    At that moment, a strange look flashed across her eyes.


    The woman looked to be around forty years old. Zhuang Li had judged her from her tone and clothes, but she had indeed maintained herself exceptionally well.


    "Your name is Zhuang Li?"


    "Yes." In that instant, she was so frightened by that woman''s majesty that she almost wanted to kneel down and kowtow and call her ''Empress''. But in the end, he still didn''t know which Empress was living here.


    That woman, however, looked just like the old granny beside her ¡­


    "Xiaosu, I''m really getting old. I''ve stayed here for too long. I didn''t know that there were already so many talents outside."


    Zhuang Li was also afraid, but with Yun Duan by her side, and the graceful woman who had collapsed on top of him, her gentle and gentle voice made feel a lot more at ease. Even if that old woman is evil, she can''t do anything to me.


    But then the lady on the bed slowly spoke up ¡­


    "Are you from the palace? Who has come from the palace? "


    "In that case, there isn''t any ¡­"


    Zhuang Li thought, this woman did not seem to understand the situation in the palace very well. Could it be that there really was no communication between the palace and this place? But who were this woman and this old woman? She couldn''t help but ask, unable to conceal the doubt in her heart ¡­


    "May I ask which palace you are from?" Why haven''t I heard of you? "


    "You actually dare to come here without knowing who I am?"


    "¡­" Zhuang Li broke into a cold sweat. You are in such a gloomy place, how could I possibly know who you are? Knowing that I might not come here anymore...


    "That''s true, that bitch''s son doesn''t want others to know I''m here, but it''s useless for him to do so. Just like her mother ¡­ "


    Zhuang Li did not know what the lady was saying to herself, but she could only pretend that he understood, looking at her, she was truly from the palace, and could only be so noble and proud.


    But how could she be the Empress at her age? Could it be the previous emperor''s? Old age here? Zhuang Li really couldn''t understand.


    "However, it''s a good thing that you don''t know who I am. I don''t want to scare you. But are you a member of the palace? She was exceptionally handsome but unfortunately had no rules. If she was back then, she would not have lived for more than a few days ¡­ "


    "¡­" To be able to act so arrogantly, it was no wonder that she had to live here. She probably did not have any friends and living outside would not attract attention. Zhuang Li only dared to think in her heart, after all, she had trespassed into the other person''s territory, and it was her fault in the end.


    "From the looks of it, it isn''t as simple as being a palace maid, or as simple as a daughter of some lord who is resting in a palace? Are there any adults with faith in the court? Or are you talking nonsense with me? "


    "..." I really am just a small palace maid. "


    "Is the little palace maid nowadays this unruly? Is there no matriarch in charge watching them? "


    "Then I, I, I didn''t expect there to be someone here. I thought there was no one here, so I came to take a look ¡­"


    "Really ¡­" He''s my friend. It''s the palace guards. " She reached out and pulled Yun Duan, doing her best to prove how reliable her words were. He didn''t know if that woman believed him or not.


    The lady seemed to be able to see through everyone as she stared at Zhuang Li, and then her gaze swept across Yun Duan, who was definitely not a kind person. He suddenly laughed.


    It''s been so many years. This is the first time someone has stolen a relationship with me?" You want to die just like that? " Her voice was still as gentle as ever, but the words that she said made people feel especially terrified. Zhuang Li''s heart once again skipped a beat. It''s over. So this strange woman actually thought that it was a secret affair between a palace maid and a guard ¡­


    Yun Duan and I have a secret affair ¡­ A face of Wang Su suddenly surfaced in her mind, as though she could almost feel the cold air of his ice mountain ¡­ How cold, I have a secret relationship with Yun Duan! This is what the heavens call a sneer ¡­


    "Empress ¡­" "You misunderstood ¡­"


    Zhuang Li was speaking the truth, but if the other party didn''t believe her, then she had no other choice.


    "Impudent! How can you speak to the Empress like that?" Zhuang Li did not know why the old granny was so angry, she had actually said something wrong.


    Following that, the old woman asked, "You can also call me ''Empress''?"


    Zhuang Li could only remain silent as she thought to herself, so what else can I call you?


    But at this moment, Yun Duan seemed to have sensed something, as he gently placed his hand on Zhuang Li''s body.


    In a few seconds, a bird flew back from outside the window, flapped its wings and stopped at the perching bird branch that Zhuang Li saw just now. It was a parrot, with an extremely special color, with a circle of green feathers on its back and a small bamboo tube tied to its leg.


    " I guess you guys are in luck. I''m not in the mood to bother about your insolence today, so hurry up and leave. " The lady suddenly did not want to bicker with Zhuang Li anymore, showing an attitude of chasing people away.


    "Yun Duan, tell me, this auntie is a little strange, right? She is staying in the palace with that strange old lady, yet she wants to stay here. Sometimes angry, sometimes laughing. You don''t understand a thing you''re saying


    He lived in a place that looked extremely eerie and shabby, but inside, it was so opulent. We won''t be spared for a while. Now you want to drive us away? How can there be so many troublesome wives. "


    " Didn''t you see the bamboo tube with Zhuang Xin tied to the bird''s leg? "


    " That... It''s so small, but it can be used to transmit messages? " Zhuang Li never thought that she would receive a message from the snow eagle that Ge Ya fed her in the Western Region. However, that bamboo tube was so much larger than this one.


    "Then Yun Duan, tell me, who is that woman? You''ve been by the side of the Emperor for a long time, so naturally you know much more than I do.


    Yun Duan naturally could not be bothered with her. Without the Emperor around, this woman''s mouth would spout out even more strange words. He shook his head. He did not know who that woman was, nor did he want to know. After what the emperor had told him, everything else had nothing to do with him. He only cared about pulling Zhuang Li along, and did not say a single word.


    Seeing Yun Duan being so nonchalant, Zhuang Li naturally knew that he couldn''t get anything out of him, but at least he knew that the house that was filled with treasures and two women that shouldn''t be trifled with, had greatly concealed her curiosity. At least he could go back and have a peaceful sleep.

 C151

    In the past, Yun Duan only knew that Zhuang Li was probably weirder than the girls who lived in the palace like the girls she saw in her previous life. After all, she always talked about weird things.


    Now that he had been sent by the emperor to follow Zhuang Li around the entire time, he finally understood that this fellow was truly a crazy girl. Let alone the fact that she was from the palace, even the ladies of ordinary people would not be as easy to deal with. Ever since he had roasted rabbits on the mountain that day, he realized that as long as Yun Duan was by his side, no one would bother him. Now, not only did he not feel that Yun Duan was a troublesome follower, he also felt that was a treasure. No matter where he went, he seemed to be afraid that Yun Duan would disappear.


    This made Yun Duan want to hide instead ¡­ At least hide...


    Furthermore, Yun Duan realized that he couldn''t do anything against women. No matter what Zhuang Li wanted to do, he couldn''t stop him.


    Therefore, he could only accompany Zhuang Li shopping, and enter those jewelry stores that he couldn''t understand at all. He had entered the city today without any exceptions, so he had resigned himself to his fate and decided to hang around with this crazy girl for the whole day.


    "Qing You, do you know where Xiao Bai''s family is?"


    Qing You shook her head and could only sigh.


    She knew that Li Liangxiao was currently living in the capital with the Uncle Zheng, but she didn''t know where she should go to find them. But the western part of the city is also very big ¡­


    The colorful shops did not want to enter anymore. Zhuang Li was not a stubborn woman with a strong desire to shop. Her previous excitement was only because she had been locked up in the palace for too long. She had a woman''s heart and love for the different little worlds outside.


    Now that he was living his freedom, how could he care about those things? But if she did not come out and only stayed in the palace, she would probably have to spend an entire day thinking about what Wang Su was doing now ¡­


    So he could only go out for a walk, which was much better than being cooped up in his bedroom.


    In the middle of September, the weather had already turned a bit cold. Although the sun was still high in the sky during the day, a cool breeze blew at night. If one didn''t close the window, they would feel especially cold.


    Qing You had already prepared two layers of slightly thicker clothes for her.


    He wandered around the West City for a long time, not knowing where his destination was. The three of them were already very hungry, so they found a noodle shop and sat down.


    A hot bowl of beef noodles enticed Zhuang Li greatly, she was already hungry to begin with, but after smelling the taste of the food, she couldn''t wait to drool.


    "Look at you, how do you look like a girl ¡­" Yun Duan was slightly displeased when he heard this sentence. But how was she someone who would yield? He quickly restrained his displeasure.


    "Do I look like a boy to you?" Her extremely gentle and beautiful words made she wrap her arms around Yun Duan''s shoulders in an extremely pretentious manner.


    They could even feel that the surrounding men were paying attention to them, and started to praise Zhuang Li''s appearance.


    It was a pity that even though Yun Duan had trained to the point of spasming his brain, he did not move an inch. He looked around and saw a child in the corner who looked like a beggar.


    "It''s like him ¡­"


    Say I''m like a beggar... He did not know when Yun Duan, a person who only knew martial arts manuals, had learnt to be so eloquent ¡­


    Zhuang Li was displeased in her heart and she was too lazy to care about him for a while. Seeing the child that Yun Duan was talking about still standing there pitifully, her heart couldn''t help but soften as she reached out to call the child over.


    "Are you hungry?" What do you want to eat? Just do it! "He pays ~"


    The child''s eyes were small and he didn''t look very smart, but he still thanked her obediently. Qing You started to ask.


    "Do you have a home? Where are your parents? Do you have brothers and sisters? What''s his name? " Crack! Crack! Crack! He asked a bunch of questions, but the child didn''t say anything else. He just buried his head and began to eat.


    Although his face wasn''t clean, his clothes weren''t shabby, and even looked a bit new. At first glance, he looked like a beggar, but upon closer inspection, it seemed to be someone''s child.


    But no matter how Qing You tried to coax her, the child just kept his head down and ate his food, not bothering to raise his head again.


    Qing You naturally gave up, and started to talk about other things with Zhuang Li.


    As they spoke, they continued to talk about their purpose of wandering around the western part of the city for the better part of a day.


    "I wonder how my Little Flower is doing ¡­" Qing You muttered, he was still thinking about the huge rabbit that he gave to Little White, the one that was already so fat that it could be used as a dish.


    When Li Liangxiao was mentioned, he naturally missed it dearly as well. He did not know what kind of situation he was facing right now, nor did he know if there was any danger.


    "If Lil ''White dares to be bad to my Flower, it would be strange if I don''t hack him ¡­"


    "Can you hit him?" Zhuang Li imagined Qing You running down the street after Little White, but unfortunately, she could not catch up with it at all.


    "If I can''t beat him, then I''ll ask Li Liangxiao to help. I''m afraid I can''t take care of that little kid? "


    Zhuang Li shook her head. She was too naive, if Little Flower was eaten, there would still be Li Liangxiao''s portion.


    The child who had been eating the noodles silently seemed to have a reaction to these two names. He raised his head and stared at Qing You.


    "Big Brother Xiaobai is raising Little Flower ¡­"


    Zhuang Li was stunned at first, then the three of them stared at the child.


    "You know Xiaobai?" You know Little Flower? You know Li Liangxiao? "


    The child immediately stopped eating his noodles and pushed the bowl away in front of him. He stood up and pulled Zhuang Li away.


    Zhuang Li had heard Li Liangxiao mention it before, he bought a house at the side of the city, the Uncle Zheng also lived there and adopted many children. She just didn''t expect this kid to be one of them. However, his brain didn''t seem to be too good. She would always run outside and make herself look dirty.


    The three were naturally happy to discover that the child actually knew where Li Liangxiao lived. Yun Duan also let out a long sigh. At least he didn''t have to follow Zhuang Li around the entire world aimlessly anymore.


    However, what they did not expect was that Li Liangxiao''s family was actually so far away ¡­ He made them walk for a full hour.


    The street was not very lively, but it was exceptionally quiet. It was a very neat courtyard with a few bamboos planted at the entrance. Zhuang Li was originally a little awkward standing at the door, but she was dragged inside by the child as if there was a hand pulling at the wind.


    There were two or three children playing in the yard, competing for a ball made of bamboo.


    How could he still remember about Zhuang Li''s situation? After putting down Zhuang Li''s hand, he ran over to the boys, but those boys instead noticed Zhuang Li and the other two, and stopped playing around to ask.


    Just when Zhuang Li wanted to say that we were Li Liangxiao''s friends and came over to see the Uncle Zheng, she suddenly saw the figure of an old uncle walking out from the house.


    For a moment, Zhuang Li felt that her nose was sore, but Qing You was already crying.


    That old man naturally saw Zhuang Li as well. He already had a lot of white hair, but he walked very quickly and his body looked pretty good. He was much better than Prime Minister Zhao, who was the same age as him.


    "Miss, who are you looking for?"


    Uncle Zheng asked, his tone exceptionally amiable.


    Then, he clearly saw Zhuang Li''s appearance. He suddenly stopped, as if he remembered something from a long time ago. Zhuang Li knew that he was also treating her as Zhao Ci''s mother. She had heard him mention her before, but she was not a bad person.


    "Uncle Zheng, I am Zhao Ci."


    Then the old man''s eyes suddenly turned red.


    "Miss?"


    Yun Duan was too lazy to get involved with things that were girls and girls, and it seemed like they wanted to show that he was a man who went to the courtyard to play with those kids. Those kids all knew some skills, and all of them had learned them from Li Liangxiao, but how could they compare to Yun Duan?


    Moreover, at times, Yun Duan''s mentality was no different from a half-grown child.


    As for Zhuang Li, who was brought into the room by the old man, she suddenly felt a feeling as if she was seeing her father.


    "The filial piety told me that I met Miss in the palace. At first I didn''t believe it. He was always worried that he might have made a mistake ¡­ Only now did he know that his young mistress looked exactly like his wife all those years ago ¡­


    Good filial piety is a good child, good heart, I began to take these children, he always helped me to do it. In any case, we were doing very well. "It is just that young mistress, the palace is too deep, it is not the best choice ¡­"


    Zhuang Li naturally knew that the Uncle Zheng was doing this for his own good. However, he couldn''t choose to do many things on his own, not to mention how much she loved the man on the throne.


    Sometimes life is strange. In the past, when Uncle Zheng and Prime Minister Zhao went to the capital to take their exams together, Prime Minister Zhao was the star of the high school, but when the Uncle Zheng met with the death of his parents, he did not have the heart to rely on them anymore. In order to earn a living, he worked as a groom for dozens of years at the Prime Minister Zhao''s house, doing the most dirty jobs, and in the end, was even arranged to send a lady who he despised to her hometown. She understood his meaning very well. Once she returned to her hometown, she wouldn''t be able to come back ¡­


    After walking around in a circle, he finally returned to the capital. Although it was not as extravagant as Prime Minister Zhao''s, it was much healthier. Every day, when he slept, he would feel at ease. There was no need to be worried about imperial court anymore. It was as if he was treading on thin ice ¡­


    He did not have that many calculations and wealth, but he had obtained even more peace and kinship. Although the Prime Minister Zhao had many wives and many children, who could compare to the affection between and the Uncle Zheng?


    Maybe life is like a play, but I don''t know what will happen when I sing it to the end.

 C152

    To Zhuang Li, compared to that Prime Minister Zhao, Uncle Zheng was actually a person who was even more amiable. When Zhuang Li was kicked out of the sect with no one to rely on, the Uncle Zheng actually gave him the greatest amount of care.


    From what Li Liangxiao had said, they had also fallen into an extremely miserable situation after the bandits had brought Uncle Zheng and Li Liangxiao away, and then encountered the troops sent by the Emperor to station themselves at the border.


    An old uncle bringing along a young and thin child to live with the army, and what kind of hardship and hardship did he have, Zhuang Li naturally understood. He had to rely on helping out in the army in exchange for food and clothing. He even helped the soldiers in the army to make up for their clothing and maintain their livelihood.


    She had always felt ashamed of that little life so full of courage and that kind old uncle. If it wasn''t for her, this destitute young lady, she probably wouldn''t have encountered such a situation. A good person would always be rewarded, so the current life was probably the best for them, even more so than the life of the lofty Prime Minister Zhao.


    As Zhuang Li thought about this, she unknowingly felt like crying too.


    It was unknown when the child who brought them here ran into the house. His dirty face had already been washed clean by his brothers who were outside.


    "This child is called Spiritual Light." Lil ''White gave it to him, because his brain isn''t very bright. " Uncle Zheng slowly said, as he held the child in his arms.


    Zhuang Li originally felt a bit of pain in her heart, but upon hearing this, she started laughing out loud. Could it be that she really needed to call it lacking something? Do you want to make up for what you eat? Where did this logic come from?


    And let free... It was really enough ¡­


    "This child always runs outside. If he doesn''t come back soon, we will go out and find him. He doesn''t seem to be able to stay at home."


    Zhuang Li reached out and rubbed the child''s head. I wish you would be as bright as your name.


    Li Liangxiao had always been working hard. At a young age, he had been helping the army camp work, secretly following behind the soldiers to study until the general took a fancy to him. He then entered the army camp and helped him deliver a few messages. Uncle Zheng helped the army drive the carriages and send them the food.


    Although Uncle Zheng didn''t have a top student in high school, he was still an Elementary Scholar who had studied hard for ten years. He helped the army with their daily jobs during the day and taught Li Liangxiao how to write at night.


    Li Liangxiao''s intelligence was quickly noticed by the general. No matter what he did, he started to like to bring Li Liangxiao along, so that Li Liangxiao could do things for him while teaching him martial arts and military affairs.


    Before Li Liangxiao reached adulthood, he was already a small army commander.


    When Uncle Zheng said these words, he felt both heartache and pride ¡­


    Zhuang Li could imagine how much effort that child must have put in in order for him to reach where he was today, from having nothing at all on his shoulders to not being worried about his food and clothing at all. He fell down and got up again and again during practice, climbing out from the pile of corpses on the battlefield time and again.


    Although the soldiers of West Cold had not reached their strongest, they could definitely trust Xi Cuo''s abilities. Zhuang Li knew how brave Xi Cuo''s army was. But Big Phoenix still won. At that time, she didn''t know that the Great Phoenix Army had a younger brother, the young General Li, who was his younger brother, Li Liangxiao.


    He had brought her across the endless West Cold and traveled a long distance, yet there was only a veil separating them. What if Li Liangxiao had recognized that she was Zhuang Li at that time? What would happen?


    She would perhaps stay in the capital with Li Liangxiao, or else she would not enter the Imperial Palace, nor would she fall in love with the emperor, nor would she encounter the Prince Bi.


    But there was no possibility in life.


    But she had never regretted it.


    She felt sorry for that little brother of hers. He had suffered a lot, and she was always afraid that he would suffer a loss when he was such an innocent child. He still felt sad just thinking about it. He had no choice but to rub his eyes as if the wind was blowing on him.


    "Miss, don''t be sad, we didn''t feel any pain, we saw those soldiers, it was also hard, we are at the back of the army camp, although the conditions are a bit difficult, but that general is very good at fighting, in the end he is still safe, but the soldiers that are with us are the ones that go to the front, every time we go, we come back with fewer people." Some people still have corpses. Some people can''t even find bones. "


    Uncle Zheng paused for a moment and continued.


    At least we don''t have to fight anymore. The filial piety that was sent to visit West Cold was only to pass down orders from the Emperor or to rectify and manage the situation. These past few years, I have been feeling much more at ease than when I was fighting in the past.


    "That''s right, the Emperor had reorganized the borders for so many years and attacked the capital city from the border. How many soldiers'' blood did he use to exchange for his return ¡­"


    "Later on, the emperor took a fancy to the filial piety and wanted the filial piety to stay by his side. However, two years earlier, he had to go to the West Cold no matter what, and I knew that he was going to look for you. Ever since he was young, he has only known older sister in his dreams. "


    "¡­"


    "The person he can''t let go of the most right now is you, Miss. As long as you are well, we can rest assured. "


    Zhuang Li felt unwell in her heart, both unwell and warm. However, it seemed that because of these feelings, she felt that her life was complete and strong.


    This house was especially quiet. As he sat in the house and watched the bamboo outside the window sway slightly in the breeze, it seemed as if his heart had become especially soft. She crawled out of the window, opened her eyes, and closed them again.


    The Uncle Zheng taught the children how to read just like how he taught the children that year when he was taking care of Li Liangxiao. Currently, there were seven to eight children in the courtyard. Some were around ten years old, while others were around five to six years old.


    It was said that before, there were even more children, just that they had learnt some martial arts from the Uncle Zheng. Some of them had even learned a few martial arts from Li Liangxiao, and were already able to cook and eat on their own. He would also often come back to help the Uncle Zheng take care of his brother.


    Uncle Zheng was especially proud when he mentioned this.


    "It''s only going to be lively during the new year. Are all these homeless people coming back? It''s going to be really lively here."


    Zhuang Li also laughed when she heard this. They were all people who had lost their loved ones, but now, this seemed to be a way to make up for the regrets in their lives. She now had countless relatives and family to care for.


    The lunch was made by an aunt, Li Liangxiao hired two servants, one of them was in charge of cooking, while the other one was a strong man who helped pick out the oil and salt from the money grubbers. In the past, this was all done by the Uncle Zheng, but he was still old. Although they were not willing to be served, they were still forced by Li Liangxiao to hire two people.


    In truth, for a young and capable general like Li Liangxiao, who would have thought that there were only two servants in his house? Which official in the capital didn''t have three wives, four concubines, and a bunch of servants to follow him around and wait on him? However, there were only two servants in her little brother''s house, a cute old uncle and a bunch of cute children. But this family made Zhuang Li exceptionally warm and proud.


    The lunch was made by the aunt, so Zhuang Li helped her cut vegetables. Qing You was in charge of searching for rice. It was obvious that Yun Duan was also extremely happy, probably because the atmosphere here was just too warm. It was probably similar to the Immortal Crane Mountain that he grew up in.


    They were all strangers who were unrelated to each other, yet they formed a new family in the mountains. They cared for each other and cherished each other as they grew up.


    Qing You naturally did not know about the matter regarding the Fairy Crane Villa.


    "Are there a lot of cranes?"


    "Yes."


    "Are there any deities?"


    "Of course."


    Zhuang Li was extremely happy, and she wondered how Yun Duan''s junior brother would be like right now ¡­ Had their master really thrown them into some strange and terrifying place?


    Although Uncle Zheng said that Li Liangxiao currently had a lot of military pay, and that he could not only save a lot of money, he was also a great general after all, and directly helped the Emperor. They had bought the house years ago, and now it was no problem for them to raise so many children. But Xiao Jiu''s mind still started to whirl rapidly.


    It was enough now, but it might not be enough in the future. Can''t my little brother marry a wife? With so many children here, who knew if they would be able to collect more. Could it be that everyone was huddled together to sleep? I''m still waiting to pick up my nephew...


    She brought a lot of jewelry from the West Cold, as well as the emperor''s occasional rewards from time to time, which were all still stored in the cabinet under the Imperial Study bed. They were all very valuable things, so she sold them to Li Liangxiao for a big house. Otherwise, she could just buy the two families next door and set up a lot of new properties. She was just waiting for her little brother to marry a virtuous wife and give birth to a whole house of young children.


    Just thinking about it made him happy.


    In fact, Uncle Zheng had been worrying about this issue since a long time ago. Every time Li Liangxiao took the money, he would give it to the Uncle Zheng to take care of. Other than raising those children, the rest of the Uncle Zheng s had all been put away, they only wanted Li Liangxiao to become his family. Although these children were not related to him by blood, they had long ago become closer than father and son. He would probably wake up from his sleep smiling as he hugged the baby that Li Liangxiao gave birth to.


    Out of the three bedrooms, he even made himself and the children sleep in the other two, leaving the largest one out, implying Li Liangxiao to bring the woman back quickly ¡­ But Li Liangxiao was not enlightened, he went back to walk around, and found that Uncle Zheng and the children were all crowded together in the other two rooms, so he pulled the children to sleep in his room, while he made a camp bed on the side ¡­


    The Uncle Zheng didn''t have any other choice but to sigh and shake his head, blaming himself for not teaching this child properly ¡­ Everyone was happy to hear that.

 C153

    In the afternoon, Yun Duan brought a group of children to play in the courtyard.


    Li Liangxiao was proficient in martial arts, leading troops to war, attacking cities and managing the rear. His martial arts had been honed from fighting on the battlefield.


    But Yun Duan was different. Yun Duan had been brought up by the immortal crane master, and his martial arts had surpassed a hundred families, so he was also an expert in countless surprises. It could be said that no matter how strange his martial arts was, or how his sword moves were, he needed Yun Duan to grasp them all. Therefore, although Yun Duan was not able to lead his troops to battle, he was able to take the general''s head out of the millions of enemies like he was searching for something.


    Therefore, Yun Duan spent most of his time on teaching those kids tricks, which was impossible for those kids to imagine. The entire yard was filled with laughter. It was only until the city gate was about to close that Zhuang Li and the other two were finally ready to leave.


    After leaving Li Liangxiao''s house, the three''s hearts were filled with emotion. There was a certain feeling in his heart that made him feel especially heavy.


    It was already autumn, and the weather had begun to cool down in the evening. It even felt somewhat chilly. They had already led their horses out of the city. Although the city was bustling with noise and excitement, once they left the city gates, it instantly became cold and cheerless. Not only was it desolate, it also made people feel that it was eerily quiet.


    After walking for more than five kilometers, Zhuang Li''s mind was still occupied with what had happened with Li Liangxiao, and did not know what to do. Qing You led her stallion and jumped up and down, looking like she was in a good mood. Just that Yun Duan had a calm face ever since he left Uncle Zheng''s place. It was unknown what he was thinking about, Wasn''t he very happy in the afternoon?


    When they arrived at a bend in the road, they saw that both sides of the road were covered with dense forest. The three of them walked past both sides and suddenly, countless birds flew out.


    Did we scare the bird by walking by?


    Zhuang Li wanted to ask Li Liangxiao, but Li Liangxiao suddenly stopped in his tracks.


    "Be careful!" He spoke coldly with an ashen face.


    Before Zhuang Li could react, two arrows flew towards her. Where would she be able to dodge in time? All she could hear was the sharp arrows tearing through the air twice, and the only reaction she had was to close his eyes, as she did not want to die a horrible death. Although when she thought about this, she immediately realized that closing her eyes had nothing to do with what she had died of.


    But just at that moment, Yun Duan seemed to have flashed past her in a flash, and pulled Zhuang Li away from his original position, little by little. But just that tiny bit caused the arrow tip to graze right past Zhuang Li''s face, and with a ''hua'' sound, it pierced the ground and smashed a rock on the ground into pieces. It seemed like the archer''s strength was not ordinary. She was also determined to kill Zhuang Li, even if there was someone blocking in front of Zhuang Li just now, the power of the arrow would be enough to shoot through two people at the same time.


    That was close...


    Zhuang Li was naturally still standing at her original position in shock. When she finally regained her senses, she quickly turned around to check if Qing You was alright. Qing You was also shocked, and fell to the ground. Zhuang Li hurried to pull him.


    However, just at this moment, a soft sound of shattering could be heard from the forests on both sides of the mountain. The sound came closer and closer, and they knew that at the edge of the forest, there were dozens of masked men jumping out.


    After walking for such a long time, the sky had already darkened. Although they could still see the shadows of people clearly, the most terrifying thing was that the blades in their hands still reflected a pale light under the moonlight.


    Although he still believed in Yun Duan''s abilities, when facing against dozens of men in black all by himself, with two bags on top of that ¡­ No matter how one thought of it, it was terrifying.


    However, the assassins didn''t give Zhuang Li much time to think, they had a clear goal, and had probably observed them for a long time already.


    Yun Duan was truly worthy of being called an expert, with a single flying kick, he managed to shake off the five to six people that were surrounding Zhuang Li. Zhuang Li realized that their target was exceptionally clear, and when it was only him, she pushed Qing You away, lest she accidentally die from injuries.


    When he pushed Qing You away, a killer had already arrived in front of Zhuang Li, wielding a shiny machete. Zhuang Li was always clumsy, how could she possibly dodge an attack from an expert like this? She had already fallen backwards onto the ground. The assassin didn''t give up and continued to grit his teeth. Just as the blade was about to cut down on her head ¡­


    "Clang", seemed to be the sound produced by the friction between the two blades, the expected hacking did not succeed, when Zhuang Li opened her eyes, it was Yun Duan who held onto the blade and directly aimed it at Zhuang Li. During the process of raising, Yun Duan''s hand subtly shook and the assassin felt his palm go numb. The blade fell out of his hand and was raised high up, before falling down again as if it was a slow shot. Swish!


    This life and death exchange had been so ingenious that Zhuang Li had no way of reacting. Not only was sshe sighing at Yun Duan''s martial arts, he was also throbbing after surviving the calamity, and she was still sprawled on the ground. There were still many people left besieging her, but under Yun Duan''s suppression, he was not able to get close to Zhuang Li.


    The blade that Yun Duan was using had always been on his waist, and he had never seen him take it out before. Now that he had seen it for the first time, Zhuang Li realized that it was different from the others.


    There was nothing special about the appearance of the blade, but there was a bright blue light on the blade, which was able to effortlessly cut the assassin''s blade apart from the middle, as though it was mud, and in that moment, several assassins retreated out of the encirclement because their blade was cut by Yun Duan.


    Yun Duan''s hands were too fast, his hands raised up into the air, and her blade fell down, and his hands were absolutely not weak. Zhuang Li heard several screams, and immediately saw two assassins who had failed in their attack getting their arms chopped off by Yun Duan, blood spurting out, causing the entire place to be filled with the smell of blood, it was extremely disgusting.


    That man had almost reached the level of an abnormal expert. With so many killers attacking Zhuang Li together to protect him, they actually couldn''t even take a step inside.


    The sound of swords and blades clashing was extremely sharp and filled his ears.


    Every single time, a fish that escaped from Yun Duan''s grasp would rush towards Zhuang Li with a blade in hand, only to be stabbed to death by Yun Duan who had eyes at the back of his head. The assassin did not expect Yun Duan to actually be able to make up for his loss with a backhand slash, which directly pierced through his heart, and then with a swoosh, he struck the blade out, causing blood to spurt out immediately and fall onto Zhuang Li''s face. Zhuang Li looked at the person who had just realised that she was dead with her eyes wide open, and fell down as though he had lost her center of gravity. Bang! She heavily smashed onto the ground beside Zhuang Li, and even Zhuang Li could feel that the dirt on the ground had been smashed by him to the point of flying.


    A quarter of an hour later, Yun Duan was still fighting bitterly, but he had already completely suppressed the situation, and was obviously at an advantage. The more corpses the assassin had, the less people he could fight with Yun Duan.


    Blood and flesh splattered, dyeing Zhuang Li''s body into spots. As for Yun Duan, although he was at the center of gravity in the battle, he was a bit cleaner than Zhuang Li. The place where he raised his blade was definitely covered in blood. However, that blade was also extremely strange. After fighting for such a long time, the blade was still as bright as ever, without the slightest hint of blood on it.


    The assassins realized that the man they were facing was a monster. He was not on the same level as them. If they kept killing like this, they would only end up getting wiped out.


    Suddenly, even Zhuang Li heard a strange whistle, it sounded very different from normal whistles. It was short and urgent, and was especially obvious in this kind of fight, but it seemed to have perfectly timed the fight and brought back the minds of the people who were still fighting. The remaining running killers, upon hearing the call, all retreated back into the forest.


    It seemed that the voice was calling them back.


    It was finally over. Zhuang Li sighed, although she didn''t have the time to guess who it was that wanted to kill him, what kind of goal and hatred did they have?


    She was only lamenting that she had survived the calamity and was about to think that she would be blessed if she didn''t die soon ¡­


    But before she could smooth her breathing and calm his pounding heart, Yun Duan had already jumped onto his horse and turned it in a circle. He then grabbed Zhuang Li and from the ground and stuffed them onto the other horse.


    The only words he could hear clearly were:


    "Sit tight."


    Then, that fellow brought them all rushing out like arrows.


    Zhuang Li could only lie on the horse''s back and tightly hug its neck, afraid that it would fall down, while Qing You tightly hugged her from behind.


    Just like that, Yun Duan dragged the two horses and rushed out by himself.


    He could clearly feel that Yun Duan was chasing after that group of assassins. As he listened to them disappear into the forest, he took a detour around the foot of the mountain to stop them.


    Zhuang Li didn''t want to continue chasing, but the current Yun Duan, was exceptionally resolute.


    She wanted to ask Yun Duan to stop, or listen to her say something like "don''t chase after a desperate situation," but Yun Duan didn''t have time to listen to it. Zhuang Li could only hug the horse''s neck tightly.


    After making a huge turn, Yun Duan was unwilling to stop, but he could feel that the escape route of the assassins was exactly the same as what Yun Duan was thinking.


    "Yun Duan. Can Yun Duan not be pursued? "Since we are fine and the assassin is severely injured, he surely wouldn''t dare to come back if he knew that there are some powerful experts among us."


    However, Yun Duan''s answer came with one sentence... It''s so clean and crisp that you can''t turn it down


    "The Emperor ordered us to kill them all."

 C154

    Those assassins clearly felt that Yun Duan wasn''t planning to let go of them, so they could only increase their speed, hoping that he would disappear into the forest. But in the end, they had still underestimated Yun Duan, as Yun Duan did not give them any opportunity to catch their breath. The horse was spurred forward.


    This jump path was originally built around the mountain, so no matter how the killers tried to escape in the mountain, Yun Duan would always follow them with his ghost like expression, not letting go.


    At first, the assassins had chosen to ambush them there because they had no chance to escape if they were attacked from both sides by the enemies in the middle of the road. He never thought that Yun Duan''s skills would be so perverted, to the point of him falling into despair and fleeing for his life ¡­


    Zhuang Li was shocked after hearing Yun Duan''s explanation. Is that why the Emperor sent Yun Duan to follow me? Because only Yun Duan was able to kill them all?


    She wasn''t a heartless person to begin with. On the contrary, her personality was a bit cowardly, and she didn''t want to offend me, so I didn''t want to offend her. If her opponent was strong and didn''t want her life, it didn''t matter if she lost a little. However, how could he make the Emperor say the words'' exorcism ''?


    Before she could think too much into it, Yun Duan had already stopped at a gentle place on a mountain.


    He had only said a few words to make Qing You wait obediently in place before he flew toward the mountain forest with Zhuang Li.


    "Will Qing You be in danger alone ¡­"


    After all, leaving Qing You alone on the road, which was exceptionally sparse, when the sky had already turned dark, he did not feel at ease at all. But Yun Duan said.


    "No, she''s more dangerous if you stay with her ¡­" It''s just you they want. "


    Previously, when Yun Duan carried Zhuang Li over the walls of the palace, he had already made Zhuang Li feel as if she was jumping off a building. Now, when he was carrying Zhuang Li, what kind of experience did running through the forest feel?


    Yun Duan''s speed was extremely fast, as though she was riding a roller coaster, and just passed by them. Not long after, she could hear the dense sounds coming from the forest below him. Zhuang Li knew that the assassins from before were currently trying to escape.


    This made Zhuang Li''s heart palpitate with extreme terror, as if he had fallen from the clouds. The feeling of weightlessness that made her almost collapse to the ground suddenly came to a halt, and Yun Duan hung her on a branch that protruded out of the ground, before continuing his downward dive. When he reached the ground, he lightly tapped and bounced his entire body off the ground, and grabbed the figure that was still struggling on the ground...


    How could it be possible for him to do this ¡­


    Zhuang Li had really been casually hung on a tree by Yun Duan ¡­ The branch was extremely thin, and Zhuang Li only felt herself shaking on top of it. Furthermore, she kept hearing the crackling sounds from the branch, which was especially terrifying. It was almost dark outside, so she couldn''t determine the height of the ground. She knew it was a height that could cripple her if she didn''t die ¡­


    After all, those assassins were well-trained, and had probably gone through a strict screening process to make up for the fact that they had a team like the one in the city. When Yun Duan suddenly descended from the sky, they knew that they had met a more genuine master. However, he did not panic. He was actually able to organize himself, flee, and resist. Once again, when Yun Duan neatly killed off two people, he guessed that there were five more people who had already split into several different directions, heading deeper into the forest.


    Yun Duan jumped up onto the treetop. That Zhuang Li seemed to be an item that he kept, and was retrieved from the branch by her. He suddenly stopped and stood on top of the tree. He seemed to be listening to something, figuring out where to go and wondering who he was going to kill.


    Then, he quickly made his decision. He once again dived into the forest with Zhuang Li in his arms.


    If a person was forced to continuously sit on a roller coaster that he had originally intended to refuse, then what would the situation be like?


    Zhuang Li was currently in a state where she hugged Yun Duan tightly, as if she was hugging the handrail of a roller coaster. She closed her eyes, completely ignoring the situation in front of him.


    But she knew that no matter how hard she hugged Yun Duan, it would be useless. If Yun Duan wanted to come out, he could hang her anywhere. However, out of instinct, she still clung tightly to his lifesaving straw, not daring to let go. Yun Duan ignored him. However, this time, he grabbed that person''s back and dragged him out from the bush.


    Zhuang Li had originally thought that this time, Yun Duan would be the same as before. She didn''t think that Yun Duan would actually break a branch that was as thick as his wrist from the side. Using a speed that Zhuang Li barely saw, he smashed into the man''s stomach, causing the man''s mouth to open instantly as he vomited a mouthful of stomach acid. Then, Yun Duan swiftly stuffed the piece of wood into the man''s mouth. He placed Zhuang Li on the ground and quickly tore off the assassin''s clothes, tying him up. After that, he took out a fire piston from his bosom. The branch wrapped around that person''s clothes, and with a light tap, it formed an extremely simple torch and held it in front of him.


    Only now did Zhuang Li have the time to clearly see the killer in front of him.


    He was originally wearing black night attire, but now Yun Duan had removed the outer layer, leaving the inner layer of the shirt inside. His clothes were still clean. It was obvious that he did not participate in the first battle. It should be the person who whistled.


    That face was originally extremely vicious, but unfortunately, Yun Duan had used a piece of wood to gag his mouth.


    When Yun Duan stuffed the wood into his mouth, he naturally didn''t want to do so, but Yun Duan''s methods and abilities did not give him the chance to reject. The wood was still forced into his mouth, and two of his teeth had broken, dripping blood along the corner of his mouth, causing his face to swell up to the point where he could not see his eyes anymore.


    "You stuck a piece of wood in his mouth because you were afraid that he would whistle again and control a group of assassins, right ¡­"


    Zhuang Li was curious, but she was still proud of her excellent judgement.


    "I did it so that he wouldn''t bite the poison packet in his mouth and commit suicide ¡­"


    For a moment, Yun Duan couldn''t help but roll his eyes at Zhuang Li as if he was looking at a retard.


    Zhuang Li naturally knew that she had said something foolish and quickly sealed her mouth tightly.


    He could only carry the torch back on his own as he walked down the mountain. Yun Duan let the man walk in front, while he pulled Zhuang Li behind him. There was no road in this forest, so walking on it was an extremely difficult task. The mountains were wet, and the soil under his feet was wet from the autumn rain. He didn''t know which part would be covered with moss. No wonder when those assassins were running in the forest, they couldn''t escape Yun Duan who was flying on the tree.


    She only stepped on the moss a few times, but she had to use all the strength in her body to control the balance and resolve these small accidents. Even though it was not worth mentioning, but after walking for a short while, Zhuang Li was already sweating profusely.


    He was even nostalgic about his previous experience on the roller coaster ¡­ Humans were just like this. They were clearly scared to death, yet they enjoyed the process extremely.


    But there was no use thinking about it. He couldn''t possibly let Yun Duan take him and that trussed up assassin away ¡­


    Zhuang Li never thought that Yun Duan would remember to tie one up alive after killing so many people. She asked along the way.


    "To find out who sent the killer?"


    Yun Duan shook his head, he was extremely serious.


    "No need, of course we know who sent them."


    "Ah?" Then why did she tie him up? What''s the use of it? "


    "The emperor said, this is a chance ¡­"


    "Opportunity? "What chance?"


    "I''ll give you a chance to return to the palace."


    Zhuang Li was stunned in place for a moment. She didn''t think that the emperor would use this opportunity to send her back to the palace and didn''t know what to say. She had the chance to return to the palace? Then he can continue to stay by the emperor''s side?


    With someone you like?


    She bit her lip and looked up at the torchlight, at the road ahead. It was pitch black, lit up by the torches bit by bit.


    She didn''t know what the emperor''s plan was, but she had a clear feeling that Wang Su was naturally extremely confident.


    When she entered the forest, she did not expect that the distance from the forest to the road would be so far. Furthermore, it was so bumpy. It seemed that there was danger everywhere. It was dark. However, she did not feel the slightest bit of fear, as if her entire body was especially warm because of the flow of her blood.


    However, no matter what, she had to quickly finish this section of the road. She wasn''t afraid, but she wanted to get back to the road as quickly as possible.


    In the end, Yun Duan had to carry Zhuang Li along as he walked. He really could not watch how stupid this woman was. Did he really have to step into a pit? It was clearly empty below, yet she seemed to be unable to feel it. Can''t you use it if you have more hands? The branches around her pierced her arm and her feet. Didn''t he know he had to push those thorny branches away? You want to hang me on it? When the emperor saw this, his heart ached and he muttered to himself for a long time.


    However, ever since Yun Duan resigned himself to his fate and dragged Zhuang Li away, the situation had turned for the better. However, the most pitiful one was most likely the assassin. His mouth was stuffed, his body was tied up, and he seemed to be unable to move. Not only did he get beaten black and blue from the fall, he also got scolded and despised by Yun Duan.


    After walking for an unknown amount of time, he finally heard the whinnying sound of a horse not far in front of him. They were almost there.

 C155

    As expected, Qing You was still waiting at the edge of the forest. But after waiting for a long time, she was finally worried for Zhuang Li. Now that she had finally seen Zhuang Li and the other two come out, she almost cheered out loud.


    Zhuang Li originally thought that she would directly return to the palace, but at this time, Yun Duan actually turned his horse around and said to himself,


    "Return to the palace."


    Because Zhuang Li''s body was stained with a lot of blood stains during her fight with the assassin, she now looked like a ghost. In reality, her body was covered in bruises caused by tree branches while she was walking through the forest.


    The city gate was already closed. Yun Duan took out his order badge and shouted to the people on the city wall. Although the sky had already turned dark, the lights of the city were still on. The night was just beginning, and a group of people were walking along the streets of the capital with blood flowing from their mouths. The people around them were all scared out of their wits, afraid that they would be implicated by some disaster.


    Yun Duan''s golden plate was especially useful, with it, it was as if there was no one else in the palace as the gates of the palace obediently opened one after another. But Yun Duan immediately went to the Imperial Study area, as if he had already known that the emperor was there.


    When he raised his head, he saw Zhuang Li, whose body was covered in bloodstains. Zhuang Li couldn''t help but run over, and check if Zhuang Li was alright.


    "This man must have some weight to him. I brought him back, and ran away with two. I''m sure the empress dowager hasn''t received any news yet."


    His gaze swept across the assassin''s face. That fear made everyone in the room tremble in fear, probably the assassin never would have thought that other than Yun Duan''s methods, there was actually an even more terrifying and unbearable rage.


    As Yun Duan said this, he took out a silver badge from his hand. Zhuang Li was unable to see it clearly, and could roughly guess that there was a phoenix on it.


    Phoenix? empress? The person who sent the killer to kill him turned out to be the empress? The empress had always hated him, but she had always understood the logic of protecting oneself by protecting one''s own mind.


    Furthermore, she had been living in the Xinggong Palace for so long. She had only seen the emperor here once, and it was the emperor who had secretly come to see her. Did she know about this?


    Wang Su received the command tablet and coldly glanced at it, then let Eunuch Li take Zhuang Li and Qing You to hide for a bit, then inform the empress right away.


    Zhuang Li was brought out of the Imperial Study by the Eunuch Li, and went around the Qiankun Palace. The Opposite Moon House on the west side stayed there, and before leaving, the Eunuch Li even instructed Zhuang Li to stay here peacefully. Perhaps, for a very long period of time, she would not be able to see the Emperor.


    Zhuang Li didn''t know how much the Empress hated her. She was clearly good enough, but the Emperor still couldn''t see her. If she was going to get it, she would have to take a path that was relatively risky. But who would have thought that the Emperor was already prepared? He had made another set of preparations without considering the consequences.


    Opposite Moon House were especially quiet, and it was just right in front of the window that the Imperial Study could be seen. It was just that on the second day, Eunuch Li came over to deliver food, telling her that she could already stay in the palace.


    The rest of the palace seemed to have quietly changed. The Queen''s Huhe Palace had now become a real cold palace.


    On the tenth day, the Eunuch Li brought a old nanny over. She said that she wanted to explain some rules to Zhuang Li, but her current identity was that of a porcelain concubine ¡­ Zhuang Li was first stunned, and did not react to it. It was only at this moment that she remembered that the emperor had always thought that she was Zhao Ci.


    Do you want to give me back the right name?


    She did feel a bit concerned, but afterwards, she felt even more weighed down by matters of the heart. She was not Zhao Ci, she was Zhuang Li ¡­


    The empress seemed to have been placed under house arrest, but it wasn''t just because she had murdered innocent people, it was also probably because of some imperial court matters. Once a person lost too much power, they would immediately become the topic of discussion within the palace. The current Empress was in such a situation, and Zhuang Li felt that it was truly a pity in her heart.


    This was because the women of the imperial harem had too many rights and interests involved. However, for a woman who only wants to marry a good husband, this is extremely unfair.


    Although the empress wanted to kill her, she felt that the empress loved Wang Su very much. How much did she love him?


    His identity was not known to anyone, it was only that the outside world knew that the Emperor had newly bestowed a concubine, and that his mother was probably related to the Prime Minister Zhao in some way.


    It''s just that the Empress'' family has always had a rather high position in terms of imperial court, and each colluded with the other. The Emperor had long wanted to take care of this matter, but he had never found the right opportunity.


    Wang Su had already been managing the imperial court for many years, so he naturally had his own base of influence and capable backers. He had fostered a group of his most trusted aides. With this, the authority on the imperial court began to unify. Most probably, aside from the part of the Lord Yin Tai that was unshakable, the rest had already successfully become the emperor''s subordinate.


    Just that after the authority was transferred over, Wang Su was even busier. Ever since Zhuang Li entered the palace, he had never gone to the Opposite Moon House even once. But if the Emperor is not free, Zhuang Li can go to the Imperial Study instead.


    Perhaps that was what Wang Su had planned from the start. He had arranged for Zhuang Li to stay at the Opposite Moon House and not enter the imperial harem.


    Furthermore, even though Zhuang Li was already a legitimate porcelain concubine, it wasn''t convenient for her to walk around the imperial harem. The imperial harem''s relationship was complicated, and Eunuch Li wasn''t able to manage the servants either. After all, there were still many people waiting for the Emperor to make a mistake so that they could dig out the old debts of the Imperial Noble Lady Ya.


    The location of the Opposite Moon House was rather awkward for the harem. It was controlled by the harem but it wasn''t built within the harem, so there was only a single wall separating the location of the Opposite Moon House. On the wall, a small door had already been built according to the emperor''s wishes ¡­


    It was just that Zhuang Li came over to the teahouse and served a cup of tea to the emperor.


    Wang Su was indeed very busy, he almost did not have time to speak, after all, the imperial court of the next dynasty was still very noisy, but compared to before, it was much better, after all, the people arguing with each other were all his own people, they all wanted to do more for the citizens, and place this matter at the top of their list.


    So, no matter what, they were able to achieve a result that the commoners were satisfied with.


    Zhuang Li''s Imperial Study''s time was basically at night. During the day, there were too many people gathered there, and most of them had a deep impression of her, this extremely beautiful female officer who served tea. Thus, it was not easy for her to show her face, so as to not let others who harbored ill intentions see her.


    The summer was over, and the autumn wind was blowing. A few months ago, Qing You was still in the small courtyard outside the Imperial Study, playing with a bird on a tree together with the young eunuch.


    In the summer, the small pomegranate that Zhuang Li had been thinking about everyday had already been moved away, and a lot of osmanthus trees had been transplanted here. They were opened extremely well, and practically covered the entire courtyard''s floor, Zhuang Li brought Qing You and the young eunuch who was attending to him from the Imperial Study to take a small dustpan.


    She remembered that when she was young, there were many osmanthus trees in her mother''s yard. In the fall, when they were a hundred meters away from the house, they would smell the osmanthus flowers, and all the aunties would come to the yard to pick up the osmanthus flowers and go back to make osmanthus cakes.


    His mother''s osmanthus cake was especially fragrant. When he was young, his mother went to work, leaving Zhuang Li alone at home.


    Zhuang Li sat at the door as she ate osmanthus cake and waited for her mother''s return. At that time, she felt that this was the best snack in the world.


    When the cinnamon cake was finished, she went alone to the yard to pick up the osmanthus flowers, picking them up one by one from the ground and placing them in the small purse. When her mother came home, she took out all the fruits from her small purse and held them in front of her mother with both hands, as if she gave her the most beautiful thing in the world.


    Afterwards, when she went out to university, her mother would still cook osmanthus cake at home every year, allowing Zhuang Li to pack them into her lunch box one by one and take them to school to share with her classmates. She seemed to be sharing the love and concern of a foreign land.


    So when Zhuang Li saw the osmanthus flowers that covered the ground in the Imperial Study courtyard, she couldn''t help but to pick them up. One after another, exactly like the osmanthus flowers she picked up for her mother when she was young. It was as if she was in the process of picking them up, picking up all the memories from her previous life as well.


    But there was no mother here.


    She picked up a basket full of osmanthus flowers and carried it to the entrance of Imperial Study''s teahouse. Watching the sunset. I wonder if my mother will also make osmanthus cake this year. If she does, who should she give it to?


    Her eyes were slightly blurred. But the tears did not fall.


    She sometimes felt that so much time had passed that her mother might have forgotten the pain of losing her. Even though she clearly knew in her heart that she couldn''t do it, even if she used all of her strength, she still couldn''t do it.


    Therefore, she could only bite her lip and not cry. She thought that the child had to grow up and the mother had to grow old.


    Even if nothing happened, the last two would still be different.


    In front of him was a figure that had just walked out of the house. Wang Su had been busy for a very long time, and only after seeing that Zhuang Li was sitting at the door without moving, did he decide to take a breather.


    Zhuang Li knew who the person in front of him was. She knew who she loved. She held out the basket of osmanthus flowers in front of Wang Su. It was as if this was the taste borne by the feelings of a lifetime.

 C156

    Zhuang Li did not know how to make osmanthus cake. When she was young, the osmanthus cake was all made by her mother, she had already developed the habit of waiting to eat it and did not want to learn it. Now, she had collected a lot of osmanthus cakes, but she did not know what to do with them.


    In the end, she could only ask Qing You to go to the imperial kitchen to find a nanny who knew how to make osmanthus cake to teach her Opposite Moon House and experiment again. But in the end, she still could not feel the taste of her mother.


    Zhuang Li could only sigh, staring at the pastries in front of him, not knowing how to handle it.


    She had thought that if it was delicious, she would send it over to the Emperor. In response to that sentence, if you want to pin a man''s heart, you have to tie his stomach first... Unfortunately, he couldn''t do it.


    She could not say that the Emperor had become busier in the recent days, because Wang Su had been busily working all year round.


    However, he still felt some unease, but in the end, he still could not say what had happened.


    Even though she was currently living in the palace, she still did not have the chance to see Wang Su for a long time. As a result, she had already gotten used to the moment Wang Su''s Imperial Study had quieted down, and went through the small door between them.


    The autumn scenery was naturally different, and the weather turned cold. The wind that blew through the teahouse smelled of sweet osmanthus. It seemed to be a taste of abundant harvest.


    When a person could peacefully fall asleep amidst the fragrance of flowers and tea, a great sense of satisfaction would arise in their heart. She opened the door to the tea room that was connected to Imperial Study, wanting Wang Su to smell the same fragrance. That person was busy looking through all sorts of papers. The autumn harvest was over, various places had to pay tribute to him. There were also many things that happened in the countries near the borders that practically trapped him in that dragon throne. Zhuang Li only stayed quietly in the teahouse, but when she woke up, he found that he was already lying on Opposite Moon House''s bed.


    Qing You said as she stood to the side.


    "Miss, the Emperor only brought you back this morning."


    "Oh." She responded faintly. His voice also carried the exhaustion of a night''s sleep. Her dizziness was not easy to pass through. It was just that the fragrance of the osmanthus flowers made her feel especially warm and comfortable, as if her mother was by her side.


    Sometimes she felt a sense of dread, for she had been thinking of her mother lately, of the osmanthus cake her mother had made for her, and of the schoolbag her mother had made for her.


    In the end, she did have many things she couldn''t bear to part with.


    "Miss ¡­"


    "What''s wrong?"


    "The Emperor carried you back this morning."


    "I know." Could it be that Eunuch Li was the one who carried her back ¡­


    "When the emperor left, he ate a piece ¡­ what you did... "Osmanthus Cake ¡­" Qing You''s voice became softer and softer, to the point where even Zhuang Li couldn''t hear him.


    "What?" "Your Majesty, he ¡­"


    Zhuang Li raised her head and saw that the plate on the corner of the table was food that even she hated the most.


    He couldn''t help but blame Qing You.


    "Why aren''t you stopping him ¡­"


    "I can''t stop them ¡­" "The emperor heard you personally made it. No matter what, you have to eat it ¡­"


    "..." "Then, then what did he say after eating?" Zhuang Li''s face immediately paled as he looked at Qing You like a wronged ghost.


    "Your Majesty ¡­" "Your majesty went out with an ashen face ¡­"


    Right now, Zhuang Li''s face was ashen as she continued to crawl into the blanket silently.


    In the afternoon when Zhuang Li was not here, the people serving tea were usually the Eunuch Li and a young eunuch. When Zhuang Li went to look for Wang Su in the evening, the young eunuch would consciously vacate the teahouse.


    Although she had always thought of staying up with Wang Su, she had almost fallen asleep due to her sleepiness. And every time he woke up in the middle of the night, Wang Su was still under the lamp, not having the slightest intention to rest. So Zhuang Li thought about why the Eternal Emperors did not live as long as people thought they would. In the end, there was still the reason why they had to spend so much time and effort on their bodies.


    In the evening, Zhuang Li reckoned that the emperor was the only one left with his Imperial Study, and got up to go over. She spent her days in the Opposite Moon House, unable to find out what was going on outside.


    He did not expect to find the Eunuch Li standing guard outside the Imperial Study door.


    "The emperor is still talking privately with the ministers. If the Empress wants to see the emperor, she should come back tomorrow."


    did not expect this result, that there would still be an adult Imperial Study? Why? She could only return to the Opposite Moon House filled with questions. It was as if he suddenly had nothing to do.


    Ever since she had returned to the palace, she had once again lived the life of a captive in the palace. If she didn''t feel uncomfortable about it, then she had spent quite a long time in the palace. But when he returned to the Opposite Moon House alone, his days seemed to become even longer.


    His heart was not empty, as he could see the light of the Imperial Study from the Opposite Moon House window.


    What was there to be unwilling about? Hadn''t she always wanted to live like this?


    This was his future life.


    Moreover, compared to the other empresses in the palace, Imperial Noble Lady was much better. Because if Wang Su had a total of ten minutes, perhaps ninety percent of his time would have been spent on national affairs. But the remaining points were all with Zhuang Li.


    She was well aware that she was currently in the Phoenix Dynasty, an era where men could have three wives and four concubines. Not modern. The person she fell in love with was also not an ordinary person, she was the master of the entire world.


    She should be satisfied with being able to maintain such a small life.


    If a woman was alone, she would definitely let her imagination run wild. After waking up in the morning, she found that he was feeling good, so she dragged Qing You out to walk around. Then he would have to go to the harem. She recalled the lotus pond that Prince Bi had brought her to, so she pulled Qing You along. However, the two of them were not familiar with the route inside the palace and actually passed by the entrance of Huhe Palace on the wrong path.


    Zhuang Li still remembered the first time she saw Huai He Palace. It was grand, beautiful and magnificent, as arrogant and elegant as her master. There was a righteousness to be shown to the whole nation.


    It was also from that woman that Zhuang Li could actually feel her love and hate. It was also her first time seeing a woman who was fed by Glory.


    But now? What could be left?


    Or maybe she couldn''t see her own right or wrong for the rest of her life.


    The door of Huhe Palace was tightly shut, and there were no more gatekeepers at the door. old nanny would come to deliver food every day, and there would be a lot of food and shelter. The maids and maids were not lacking either. However, he could no longer hold up the glory she had back then. She would never be able to leave the palace gate she wanted when she was young and innocent.


    The lotus flowers in the lotus pond had already withered away, leaving only the withered lotus leaves dangling on the lotus pond. Looking at them made one feel empty and empty.


    She noticed that no one mentioned the Prince Bi. It was as if he had never appeared on the imperial court in the first place.


    Did the Emperor send him out again? No one gave her an answer. Furthermore, there was no news of Li Liangxiao either. This made Zhuang Li feel even more empty in her heart, she seemed to have gained a lot, but had also lost a lot. An inexplicable feeling had been swirling in her heart, dominating her joy.


    The two boats were still leaning against the edge of the lotus pond. She didn''t get on the boat, and there was nothing to see in the lake anymore. He sat on the edge of the lotus pond, his feet dangling above the water. Every time he closed his eyes, he would open them as if many years had passed.


    This palace had probably always been like this. Every year, the trees would turn green and the flowers would bloom again. The people within the palace were busy, they had no way of stopping time from turning mottled. They just let it slowly consume their youth, helplessly watching with their eyes.


    Zhuang Li opened the box and took a look at the items inside. Ge Ya''s dowry back then, the jewelry, and a lot of the other things that she couldn''t bear to part with for all these years. Some things had even followed her for more than a decade.


    After storing all the valuable treasures into a wooden box, Yun Duan asked Yun Duan to take them out of the palace and pass them to the Uncle Zheng.


    Speaking of being able to see Yun Duan, it was probably the thing that made Zhuang Li the happiest other than seeing him at the palace.


    Zhuang Li understood the reason very well, because she was really someone from the palace now. She had completely become a part of the court. Although the Emperor had given her a lot of freedom, she had already tried her best to carry out the rules.


    But no matter what, Yun Duan would never be at ease. Fighting and killing on the battlefield, I will help the Uncle Zheng teach our children and help the Emperor to run errands for us. He did not have the temper of a palace and could not learn to flatter.


    Therefore, whenever Yun Duan entered the palace, he would always talk back to Zhuang Li like he despised him. He would gossip and play around with him, and at times like these, his days passed by really quickly ¡­


    Now, even the dumbest servant had already realized that even though the porcelain concubine lived in an extremely inconspicuous Opposite Moon House, a blind person could tell that the emperor had treated her differently. Everyone was respectful, afraid that if Zhuang Li was unhappy, they would all be sent to the guillotine. No matter how hard Zhuang Li tried to be modest and take good care of them.


    It was probably because of her that the empress had fallen ¡­ That''s why that woman wasn''t as simple as she appeared to be ¡­


    Zhuang Li had heard the rumours from other corners of the palace. She did not speak nor did she reprimand them, but she pretended that nothing had happened and left in front of the two young palace maids who were trembling with fear.


    These words would probably spread in the closed palace in two days.


    Therefore, Zhuang Li was too lazy to even use her Opposite Moon House ¡­ It was as if she had drawn an invisible prison for herself. She was trapped inside and did not want to come out ¡­

 C157

    Wang Su was getting busier and busier, and he didn''t even have time to see Zhuang Li. Even though Zhuang Li kept on telling him not to disturb him, he still felt unwell in his heart.


    Even she didn''t know what she was thinking. Didn''t she feel that as long as she could stay by that person''s side, it would be enough? Was it enough to know that he had his own heart?


    Then what was he feeling depressed about?


    Since Qing You had nothing better to do, she went out with the young eunuch s of the Imperial Study to join in the fun.


    She didn''t have the mood to go out, so she just sat on the stairs of the Opposite Moon House, and just sat there in a daze. Before Wang Su walked to her face and held it in his hands, she did not realize that he was already shedding tears.


    "Why are you crying?" Wang Su also never thought that the woman he longed for would actually sit here and cry by herself. He was especially upset, but he did not know the reason.


    "Maybe, maybe because I''m tired." She found it funny even when she said it. There were so many maids and eunuchs serving in the palace, so she almost didn''t have to do anything. Why was she so tired? You don''t know how to make it sound good even when you''re lying ¡­


    "Tell me if you have anything to feel bad about." He spoke with incomparable piety, placing both hands on her shoulders. He wanted to be sure that this woman took in every word he said.


    "I''ve been too busy recently and I can''t take care of you, so that''s why you''re sad?" Seeing that Zhuang Li was silent, he started to make her own guesses. Even though he didn''t understand women, he really wanted to read the woman in front of him.


    "Your Majesty ¡­"


    "You have to call me by my name. You used to call me by my name. Although he was still scared, he wasn''t like this. I don''t want to see you like this. "


    The Manor did not expect Wang Su to say that, and was stunned in place for a moment. Biting his lip.


    "Wang Su?"


    It was as if a knot in her heart was being untied bit by bit. She was continuously confirming that the man in front of her always had her in his heart.


    "Right." He spoke very softly as he slowly squatted down in front of Zhuang Li.


    "I don''t know what''s wrong with me. I know I''m fine."


    "I know."


    Zhuang Li looked at the man squatting in front of him, and for a moment, she didn''t know what to say.


    "I know, because my mother was the same back then."


    "Imperial Consort Mei?"


    Wang Su looked at Zhuang Li with her gentle phoenix eyes, as though she had a lot of things she wanted to say.


    "I have never treated her as my royal father''s woman, and no one in the palace has ever considered her as the Empress of the Imperial Consort Mei either ¡­


    She was originally just a maid to be married off to, but her young mistress was the concubine of the real royal father. Within two years of coming to this palace, he had died of an illness.


    Mother didn''t want to stay, but she had always felt sorry for her young lady. I want to accompany her for two more years and leave when she reaches her age. "


    "And then? And then she met the late emperor? " Zhuang Li was completely captivated by Wang Su''s story and was about to learn about what was going to happen next.


    "Just like you said, and then you had me. She had never thought that her son would become the Emperor, nor had she ever wished for such a thing.


    She is a very ordinary woman... She just treated me as her son and had never realized that I was a prince. "


    Zhuang Li listened particularly earnestly. She knew that the Emperor''s birth mother, Imperial Consort Mei, was a woman who especially liked peace and quiet. Otherwise, how would she have been living in such a remote Plum Court all this time?


    But she never thought that the Imperial Consort Mei would actually think like this ¡­


    "I am aware of the power in my hands. I am aware that there are some things I can fight for."


    Wang Su paused for a moment, as though it was difficult to find words to say.


    "I realize that I am also a prince like them, but they live in a large and luxurious palace, and I have always lived in a small Plum Court ¡­


    My mother didn''t want me to call her mother, so I called her mother. It was just like how she called her mother when she was a daughter. I am his very ordinary son...


    We live within the Plum Court, and before we went to school, I had almost never seen my royal father. My name was also given by my mother, who wanted me to stay with her forever in the Plum Court, and forget that I was the Emperor''s son ¡­


    But in the end, I am still unwilling ¡­ Compared to my mother, I inherited my father''s intelligence. The Imperial Tutor especially likes me, even more than he likes the crown prince ¡­


    I knew for the first time that I was liked by people other than my mother, and that I could use my cleverness to get more things...


    At that time, I would be too eager to learn ¡­ It was as if a brand-new world had been opened in front of me. I could have my own revenge, and I could use my own hard work to fight for more things, including the throne ¡­


    "I lost my mother the moment I realized I could fight for it.


    Because someone realized that this woman''s son might become a threat to her son... She wanted to kill me, but she accidentally killed my mother.


    For many years, I have been thinking about this problem. It was my greed that led to my mother''s death. It''s because this spot that I covet... Because of my desire and my consciousness. That''s what happened next...


    I think it was because of the throne that I lost my mother. "


    Zhuang Li looked at Wang Su with such warmth in his eyes. It was a bit uncomfortable, though, separated by a layer of mist.


    "No, not because of you."


    "It''s because of me. Although I hate others, I swear that I will definitely obtain the throne and eliminate all those I hate ¡­ I let them taste that taste and experience that pain, but I knew that the reason was because of me. It was because of my unwillingness to give up on myself ¡­ "Therefore, if I really want to hate someone, I must be hating the wrong person!"


    "¡­"


    "All of my reasons include myself ¡­"


    "That''s why I''m extremely afraid right now. If I lose you again ¡­" "Because the throne ¡­" He frowned, gradually squatting to the lowest point. That man who wielded all the power in the world was incomparably weak at this moment.


    There was nothing he could do.


    "You won''t ¡­"


    "I know you like it outside the palace."


    "¡­"


    "I know that you might prefer to live in a palace, but because of my desire to keep you by my side, I have confined your life. and even allowed you to live within the Opposite Moon House because this place is too close to me compared to the harem here. "


    "But I know how much you don''t want...


    If you want to go, I''ll take a walk with you, okay? If I am too busy, I will ask Yun Duan to accompany you ¡­ "


    "..." I don''t know if I want to... "Your Majesty ¡­" She suddenly felt how stupid she was. Why did she have to suspect whether she was staying in this palace? Was she really that lucky? She was already very happy ¡­ Why did she suspect this man? She knew how much she wanted to be with him.


    "Sometimes, I know that it''s because I''m too greedy and that I want too much. I want the world, and I want you as well. However, I''m not used to getting someone and being nice to someone. You have to give me time."


    "¡­"


    "I know you''re different, ever since the first time I met you ¡­" "But I don''t want to have any more secrets with you ¡­"


    "¡­"


    "I want you to be fine... I''ll tell you what I thought... "If you''re unhappy, tell me too ¡­"


    "Your Majesty ¡­" Zhuang Li was no longer able to control the tears that were streaming down her face. From the young man to the Wang Su now, she already knew how much she might want to accompany him alone in her heart.


    "I do like being outside the palace. Perhaps it''s because I''m used to living in the West Cold for so many years, but what I want more is to stay by your side ¡­"


    "You have to give me time... Get used to this palace ¡­ "


    I also like this Opposite Moon House because the light of the Imperial Study can be seen from the Opposite Moon House and I like to stay in the Imperial Study because I know that you are inside. I do like to go out of the palace with you, but maybe I''ll feel better as long as you''re by my side...


    There were many things that Zhuang Li could not say, but she was choked with sobs in her heart. She really wanted to tell Wang Su everything, but she could not. But she really wanted to say, "It''s okay, we still have a long way to go, we still have a long way to go, and we still have a long way to go ¡­"


    Before she fell in love with Wang Su, she had always wanted to go back to modern times and felt that that was her home.


    including the time when she was the happiest in West Cold.


    But now, she really wanted to stay ¡­


    It''s because I love someone that I can be considered to be worried about him in my heart. Even though we are separated by thousands of miles, I still clearly realize that my feelings are the best and the best that I want to give you ¡­


    She kept on crying, but her two hands were firmly holding onto Wang Su''s hand. She was unwilling to let go, as if she was afraid that if she let go of that man, she would really disappear ¡­


    "Don''t cry ¡­" He moved closer to Zhuang Li''s face with extreme gentleness, and kissed her face.


    This was the first time Zhuang Li felt warmth in her heart. That man would probably be her little sun from now on ¡­


    He kissed her eyes, kissed her lips, kissed her chin, kissed her neck ¡­


    Zhuang Li was startled, and blood almost flowed down her face. An especially strange feeling made her body feel strange yet afraid ¡­


    His hands reflexively pushed, pushing Wang Su away. Then, she was also stunned ¡­


    Why did she have to push Wang Su away ¡­


    It was impossible to describe the collapse of his heart with words ¡­


    "Huang ¡­" Your Majesty ¡­ That... "Then ¡­" For a moment, he didn''t know what to say ¡­ It was truly a collapse ¡­


    Am I f * cking looking to die ¡­


    He shook his head dejectedly. If no one really wanted to kill him, then so be it ¡­


    "Hahahaha ¡­" However, Wang Su started to laugh...


    "Are you very afraid of me?" He whispered in a very low voice in the manor, a whisper that made people blush even more. Instantly, Zhuang Li''s ears turned red all the way down to his face. And he couldn''t say a single word ¡­


    "It doesn''t matter. I''ll wait for you to think it through ¡­"


    Think well... What should I call thinking ¡­ Although Zhuang Li had not recovered from the fear just now, she had indeed thought about it ¡­ She had lived for so many years, so what else could she think about if she met a man she liked ¡­


    I''ve really lived for a long time...


    It was a pity that she could only shout out these words from the bottom of her heart ¡­ He bit his lips as he regretted not having enough strength ¡­


    Wang Su couldn''t help but want to laugh. Seeing Zhuang Li like this, he sized him up like a frightened rabbit, and felt that it was especially fun for a moment. In the end, he couldn''t help but come forward and kiss Zhuang Li''s forehead.


    That kiss was especially loud ¡­ Instantly, Zhuang Li''s forehead also turned red.


    Then, he appreciated his masterpiece with satisfaction ¡­


    Clear throat


    "Alright, I still have a lot of things to take care of. If you are really free, come and accompany me ¡­"


    He was about to leave when he stopped at the corner of the pavilion and said with his back facing Zhuang Li.


    "Also, the osmanthus cake that you made is really hard to eat ¡­" "Perhaps it will taste even worse than what Eunuch Li cooks ¡­" Zhuang Li was helpless, immediately her previously red face became pale white.


    What the hell? Compared to a eunuch... He lost in the end?

 C158

    When Qing You returned, it was not long after shshehad left. Just as she reached the door, he saw Zhuang Li who was still sitting blankly on the stairs, her face blushing white for some reason she did not know, after all, the young miss had not been in a good mood recently, could it be that she was sick?


    She quickly went forward and probed Zhuang Li''s forehead. It could be that she was feeling a little hot, could it be that she was sick? Then we have to hurry and tell the Eunuch Li to report this to the Emperor... It''s just that the Emperor has been too busy lately ¡­ Miss, are you worried?


    Zhuang Li looked up and saw Qing You''s appearance ¡­ She could probably guess what Qing You was thinking, but she really couldn''t stand her. If the emperor knew, then I might as well die ¡­ He spoke word by word in a rather irritable and irritable manner ¡­


    "I''m not sick ¡­" He turned around and headed upstairs ¡­


    There were very few days when the Emperor didn''t have to attend court. The rare good weather made him start writing at the window of Imperial Study.


    When Zhuang Li walked over, she saw that Wang Su had already written quite a bit. She quickly went to the teahouse and brought a cup of tea over.


    Just like that, she guarded Wang Su as she wrote her calligraphy. It was as if she was exceptionally happy.


    The desk in front of the window was very big. Zhuang Li was just lying on the corner with her head turned to look at the man beside him.


    As the light shone in, and the rare good weather in the autumn, Zhuang Li could only see the man''s face that was close to perfection ¡­


    She stared at him like he was an idiot ¡­


    I almost started to drool...


    If only she could keep looking at him like this ¡­ The chirping of a few birds outside the window was exceptionally clear. In the years to come, Zhuang Li would always remember that calm and tranquil day when she was so close to her happiness.


    Wang Su could only snicker when he saw her useless and useless appearance. So what if the woman he liked was like this?


    The Queen was like a mother to the world. Hanqin tried to befriend her... However, that was the appearance of the woman he liked. Sometimes, she was so stupid that it was hateful. Sometimes, she was so strong that she wanted others to love her ¡­ She had many facets that she didn''t know about. She would wait for him to slowly understand ¡­ They would end up together, in some way, embracing each other and encouraging each other to live slowly.


    He had already lost too much. He didn''t want to lose it again ¡­


    As for that woman, it was enough for him to laugh out loud while sleeping and get a good night''s sleep under his extremely exhausted body.


    It was at this time that a eunuch came to report, and news from the West Cold arrived.


    It was not a eunuch but a soldier. He glanced at Zhuang Li, as if he was hesitating on whether or not he should say it out loud.


    After all, it was a military intelligence report, and it was directly reported to the emperor. But there were women present. The military had always known that the emperor kept political affairs and women apart from each other, so they couldn''t decide whether to say it or not.


    "Speak, it doesn''t matter ¡­"


    Wang Su placed the brush back to the side and also stared at the soldier.


    Zhuang Li had originally planned to avoid them, but when she heard that the eunuch said the news regarding West Cold, she couldn''t help but feel her heart tighten.


    Frankly speaking, she really wanted to hear it ¡­ After all, she was inextricably linked to that city ¡­ But she also knew, if Wang Su was going to deal with government affairs, it would naturally be inappropriate for her to stay here.


    But just as she was about to leave, she saw the expression of agreement on Wang Su''s face, and she stayed behind.


    "How''s the situation with the West Cold?"


    "There are no problems with the various cities in the West Cold ¡­ Everything was normal... "However ¡­"


    "But what ¡­"


    That little soldier seemed to have something difficult to talk about, which made Zhuang Li feel even more apprehensive. Could it be that Ge Ya and the news that he was wrong?


    It had been too long since she had heard news of those two. Even though to them, without news, it was actually the best news, and even though they had already heard it before, the emperor actually wasn''t completely clueless about Western Paradise and Ge Ya''s hiding place, on the contrary, he had already confirmed it long ago. It was just that for some reason, they couldn''t make a decision, as if he had other plans.


    No matter what, it was best if there was no news about it. At the very least, it would prove that Ge Ya was still happily playing the role of her princess in a place unknown to the Great Phoenix. However, Zhuang Li was also really unable to hold back, and in the end, she still wanted to know ¡­


    After all, they had been together for so many years. They were like sisters taking care of each other, so how could they let go of each other ¡­


    She just wanted to know. She knew that she was doing well, and she knew that she was having a good time ¡­


    Whether it was Ge Ya or her mistake, they were no longer her concern and concern. Although there would always be an important position in her heart, the most important position already held Wang Su. The person she wanted to marry, the person she wanted to accompany ¡­ The person she liked was here, so she wouldn''t go anywhere, regardless of whether he loved her or not ¡­


    "It''s the General Li ¡­"


    "What!" The Emperor did not expect that the soldier would bring news of Li Liangxiao either.


    In the beginning, Zhuang Li didn''t know who the General Li was talking about, but after seeing the Emperor''s shocked expression and hearing that Li Liangxiao was going to be sent to Xi Liang, she finally realised that the person she was talking about was actually her own brother ¡­ Li Liangxiao? He was merely sent by the Emperor to patrol the city ¡­


    Even the Uncle Zheng was saying that it was already past the time for the flames of war to fly around. No matter where Li Liangxiao went, he was exceptionally at ease.


    Zhuang Li did not dare to be sure, so she quickly stood up and walked over to the soldier ¡­


    "General Li? The General Li you are talking about, is that Li Liangxiao ¡­ "


    The soldier did not expect Zhuang Li to have such a huge reaction to the General Li, but he still nodded honestly. He took a glance at the emperor''s eyes. He couldn''t read the huge worry contained within, so he could only speak the truth.


    "It is indeed General Li Li Liangxiao ¡­"


    "What happened to him? "Tell me, what happened to him?" She crouched down and grabbed the soldier by the shoulder, almost shaking him off.


    From the moment she entered the room, Zhuang Li had already realized that the soldier did not bring good news, but she never thought that it would be someone she was most concerned about.


    "General Li Liangxiao... The general has lost contact with us ¡­ "


    What...


    Zhuang Li''s mind went blank ¡­


    How, she thought, could they possibly lose touch? What kind of words were these? Such a large living being ¡­


    The story went like this. Because Li Liangxiao was exceptionally familiar with the various cities in the Western Region, and was even more familiar than the troops that were stationed at the West Cold throughout the years, he was sent by the emperor to inspect the various cities in the West Cold.


    Zhuang Li only felt that she was floating in the air and that her mind was completely blank. The dizziness from before had reappeared, and she could vaguely see the white light in her brain. Then, she tried to open her eyes and extend her hand to rub them, but unexpectedly, her face was filled with tears. Suddenly, she didn''t know anything and just fell backwards ¡­


    Although Da Feng had surrendered to the West Cold for two years already and had sent troops to guard it all year round, the Sovereign King was not appointed by Da Feng. Instead, it allowed the previous Third Prince in the West Cold to inherit the throne.


    After living together for two years, they had reached the borders safely. The troops that Da Feng had sent to station at the West Cold had also gotten along peacefully with the person from the West Cold. However, what they were afraid of was the calm on the surface, while the undercurrents were turbulent. In the end, the people of West Cold were born to love freedom and were famous for it. Now that they had trapped him, they were safe and sound.


    After Li Liang had laughed and disappeared, the army had also sent people to look for him in private. However, the people of West Cold were especially united, and didn''t reveal any news of Li Liang''s whereabouts.


    The city he planned to visit was the one that everyone said Li Liangxiao had never been there before.


    Only then did he get the army to tear Li and send someone back to report the news. After all, Li Liangxiao was a messenger sent by the imperial government to his family. According to the order of the army leader stationed there, 80% of Li Liangxiao was already dead.


    This news was either thunder from a clear sky for Zhuang Li or for Wang Su.


    opened her eyes once again. She had not returned to the Opposite Moon House, but instead, directly laid on the Imperial Noble Consort''s chair inside the Emperor''s Imperial Study. The moment she opened her eyes, she immediately recalled Li Liangxiao''s incident;


    If she could, she was willing to chase away the soldier who delivered the letter. She wanted her little brother, not a piece of bad news that might have already disappeared.


    She had originally wanted to give Li Liangxiao an exceptionally large mirror as his wedding present. They lived with the Uncle Zheng, and ate a good New Year''s Eve meal together with the children they had taken in this year ¡­


    She kept thinking, and her tears kept falling, rolling down her eyes and into her hair.


    "Something might not have happened, it might just have happened temporarily, he didn''t have the time to inform the back yet, I trust in Li Liangxiao''s martial arts, he won''t encounter any danger, moreover he''s too smart, those West Cold people can''t do anything to him ¡­"


    Zhuang Li naturally knew that Wang Su was only trying to comfort her. He had been missing for so many days. If he could spread the news, he would have already done so. Why drag it on until now?


    Moreover, Zhuang Li was extremely clear about what kind of place Western Lion was. There were also many experts hidden among the commoners, so how could the military find out about them?


    Her intuition told Zhuang Li that something must have happened to Li Liangxiao now, and it was especially serious as well.


    Zhuang Li closed her eyes as tears continuously flowed out from her eyes. She had been feeling especially uncomfortable this whole time, so why did the heavens never let go of those good people?


    Wang Su wanted to wipe her tears, but the more he wiped, the more he wiped. In the end, he could only stand up and inform her that he had to find Li Liangxiao.


    Zhuang Li spent the next two days lying on the bed. This time, she really had a high fever, and Qing You stayed by her side all night, but it was completely useless. She spoke gibberish and called her brother.


    It was as if all these years, Li Liangxiao had been calling her big sister in his dreams.


    It wasn''t easy for her to find him, so was she going to lose him again?


    How could she be willing ¡­


    The emperor had come to visit Zhuang Li a few times, practically every day, but he could not do anything about the woman on the bed ¡­

 C159

    It was already late in the night when Zhuang Li woke up again. Qing You had fallen asleep by her window. She felt that her mouth was extremely thirsty and wanted to drink some water, but she couldn''t bear to wake Qing You who was sleeping soundly, so she just sat up and crawled out. Just as she stood up, her center of gravity unsteadily fell forward, and her head coincidentally crashed into a chair beside the bed.


    "Miss, Miss ¡­"


    "Water ¡­"


    Although Zhuang Li''s words were vague, but Qing You had already lived with her for so many years, so it was natural that she could determine what Zhuang Li wanted with just a glance. She hurriedly stood up and helped Zhuang Li to sit on the bed, then stuffed a thick chrysanthemum pillow behind her back. She then went to get some water from the table.


    When the cup of water was fed to Zhuang Li''s mouth, she gulped it down. Suddenly, she felt that her throat was not as dry as before, and was almost splitting apart.


    When his mind cleared up quite a bit, he once again thought of Li Liangxiao''s matter. He did not feel a wave of discomfort, as if his heart was being overturned, and there were many things that he wanted to spit out that he was powerless to help.


    In the end, she could only sit obediently on the bed, letting Qing You light a candle for her, and stared at the ceiling of the bed, in a daze.


    She had slept for too long, and now she was afraid of falling asleep. Whenever she slept, she would think of that person calling her sister. Sister''s child. She followed behind the shabby carriage, unceasingly shouting as she ran, unwilling to stop.


    As she sat in the middle of the carriage, she felt very happy every time she heard the cry. She quickly stopped the carriage and turned around to search the road, but she couldn''t find the child ¡­


    She lost her brother...


    Although it was night and there was no light or mirror, he knew that he was exceptionally ugly. His eyes were swollen to the point that they could no longer be opened, and he could probably see through a crack to see the dim light of a candle on a table in the distance.


    "Miss, don''t worry, Li Liangxiao is so skilled, he can''t do anything, who can bully him?"


    Zhuang Li did not speak. Before they found that child again, most likely any kind of consolation would have no effect on her.


    "Miss, the emperor has already sent out several edict to find Li Liangxiao in the past few days, and has also sent out several groups of people. No matter who it is, they would heavily reward whoever finds Li Liangxiao. "There will always be brave men after being highly rewarded. You must have taught me this right ¡­"


    Nothing she said could affect Zhuang Li who was on the bed.


    In her heart, she kept thinking of that child''s appearance from when she was young until now.


    This was the first time he saw his dirty little face, but his eyes were as black as a deer''s, and they were filled with an incomparable devotion and elegance.


    The pair of eyes were especially dark and clear, like a bright mirror, like the most precious spring in the mountain. It was as if when a person looked at them, they would be drawn to his side.


    She cherished that child so much in her heart ¡­


    But now that he was gone, where was he? But do I need this sister?


    As Zhuang Li sat on the bed, she kept thinking about that child and how he kept calling out to her elder sister and elder sister. It was as warm as a small sun.


    He said that his sister had bought a house at the edge of the capital. It wasn''t big, but it was actually very warm.


    Zhuang Li remembered every word of all that he had said clearly in her heart, as if he was still speaking into her own ears ¡­


    The moment she closed her eyes, she would see Li Liangxiao, who was still a child, being grabbed by two big men, moving further and further away from her. He was afraid, but he didn''t cry.


    He kept appearing in front of Zhuang Li, and Zhuang Li just wanted to hug the skinny little child in her arms and hug him ¡­


    When he met the criminals at the border, he looked straight at Zhuang Li and spoke to him in an especially manly manner. Elder sister, don''t be afraid ¡­


    That look had accompanied him through many years of fear...


    It was as if Zhuang Li saw a treasure, but she accidentally lost him ¡­


    After sitting like this for the whole night, Zhuang Li finally fell asleep in the morning and Qing You brought her a bowl of porridge. After being tormented for so many days, she was finally hungry and brought it over to her for a few bites. She finally had the strength to get off the bed.


    The imperial physician came over after breakfast. I heard that there was an imperial physician who opened Zhuang Li''s meridians in the past few days, and the conclusion I got was that she was overthinking things ¡­ How could she prescribe medicine for such a problem? She could only think of opening some for herself...


    The emperor was naturally unhappy. He repeatedly said that these imperial physicians were incapable, but after changing several of them, the results were indeed exactly the same ¡­


    "The Empress''s illness isn''t in her body, but in her heart. As long as she''s at ease in her heart, her illness will recover ¡­"


    Wang Su naturally had no other choice.


    He knew that it was because of Li Liangxiao. He had heard Li Liangxiao talk about how when he was still a beggar, he met Zhao Ci and walked with him to Gansu and experienced many things. His sister said you had to learn kung fu, goods, and royalty.


    It was this sentence that had supported him through so many years, climbing down from the battlefield of heads littered with corpses.


    If it wasn''t for my elder sister, I would still be a beggar until now ¡­


    Li Liang was exceptionally honest with the emperor when he said this.


    Wang Su was even jealous of the man who had experienced too much with Zhuang Li.


    Honestly speaking, he had already harbored too many selfish motives towards Zhuang Li, so he naturally knew that Li Liangxiao''s feelings towards this elder sister were not only limited to that of elder sister. What he wanted more was to marry Zhuang Li into her family as a wife. When Li Liangxiao had first told the emperor that he was begging him not to kill Zhuang Li, he had already revealed his feelings for him. At that time, he didn''t feel that anything was amiss.


    He promised Li Liangxiao that he would send him out of the palace once the matter had settled down and lead him to the life his family wanted him to live. So he kept Zhuang Li''s life, caring about her little life, and it was all because of this reason that he realized that he had actually fallen in love with this woman when Zhuang Li came to the Imperial Study to serve his.


    She had thought that Zhuang Li was just a love debt owed by Li Liangxiao, but in the end, she had never thought that the person who was in debt to him, would actually be herself ¡­


    Even though he knew that Zhuang Li was only his sister and brother to Li Liangxiao, he was still worried when he saw that woman lying on the bed looking very sick, and the situation was getting worse.


    He naturally knew that the affection between the brother and sister was deep like the ocean. However, he did not want his woman to be like this and never be able to recover.


    Wang Su still wanted to go to the morning assembly, so naturally, the people there knew about it. Some adults said that the General Li was a heroic god, and that young and robust men would naturally be able to return safely.


    Some adults also said that these things couldn''t be a coincidence, and that it must have been done by that crafty West Cold person, wanting the emperor to properly torment the West Cold.


    West Cold person? What evidence? You want to make this war worse?


    Wang Su sighed, the weight of the dragon throne seemed to be especially heavy.


    The argument on the imperial court continued all the way until the Imperial Study. Wang Su pinched his forehead, he was tired.


    "Does Uncle Zheng know about this?" When Zhuang Li woke up, he suddenly remembered that there was such a problem. That old man had long since treated Li Liangxiao as his own child. His family had given him all the love and support they could get. If he knew what the current situation was like, he would feel such heartache.


    "I don''t think he knows yet. The Emperor seemed to have told Yun Duan not to talk about it. After all, this old man was too old, and he was afraid that Yun Duan wouldn''t be able to endure it. Furthermore, Li Liangxiao was not really sure that something has happened. Even Yun Duan was saying that he might be able to return one day ¡­ "


    "Also ¡­" Zhuang Li indifferently agreed, then took the healing medicine, and drank a mouthful.


    Although the imperial physician said that Zhuang Li''s illness was not a physical illness, but rather something within the heart, and could not be treated with any medicine, in the end, he still opened up two or three pills, which could be considered as a tonic. He could not let his heart not heal, but his body had collapsed again.


    These past few days, Zhuang Li had been drinking different kinds of strange medicinal ingredients every two months, and her body had already become unusually resistant to the bitter taste. She brought it over and gulped it down, refusing to even eat a piece of the red sugar that Qing You passed to him.


    He probably felt that his mouth was bitter, but his heart wasn''t bitter at all. Only then would he have the courage to live on.


    She really wanted to go see Uncle Zheng, but she was especially afraid. She had just woken up, and if she saw Uncle Zheng, it would be hard to stop crying. When Uncle Zheng asked what caused her to be so sad, how could she hide it?


    After thinking about it for a long time, he finally managed to wrap up the silver bills beside him, allowing Qing You to find Yun Duan and send them over.


    She had always viewed West Cold as her other hometown. The sky was especially blue, and the snowy mountain was especially high. It was as if everything around them was so familiar. At least, she and Ge Ya would hawk in the endless prairie. She and Xi Yu tread over the grass under the snow mountain and look at the snow lotus blooming all over the mountain.


    Blooming Blossom...


    The old monk said something like that, about a place blessed by the gods. But Li Liangxiao? Where in the world have you been forgotten?


    In the beginning, Zhuang Li had still been especially eager to have Qing You inquire about it, but every time sshe had returned, he would be disappointed to the point where Zhuang Li could more or less guess what had happened. In the end, she didn''t even ask herself.


    In any case, if there was any good news, the Eunuch Li himself would probably rush over quickly to talk about it.


    After a few days, Zhuang Li could finally be able to move around the ground, but she only let Qing You bring her to the window for a quarter of an hour before she helped her back.


    Seeing her unsightly expression, Qing You quickly poured a cup of honey and passed it to her.


    Zhuang Li shook her head. She just wasn''t at ease. It was as if things that were just getting better were starting to go wrong again...


    There are a lot of things in this world that we don''t realize how important they are until we lose them. At that time, we tortured ourselves over and over, thinking about how much we missed each other ¡­ However, if they missed it, they would miss it ¡­

 C160

    From the north side of the western border, close to the northern Mongols, they had almost reached the border where the three countries battled. The place was craggy and rugged, with snow-capped mountains. It was normal for them to be frozen in an enchantment created by the God of Heaven all year round.


    Very few people had set foot in that area. Even if there were, they were only local farmers. He went to the snowy mountain to gather an especially rare medicinal herb. It was a type of plant that only grew under boulders in the snow. When one moved the boulder away from them, they would see fruits that were like sparkling little stones. They would grow along the cracks of the rocks and stick close to the ground. The local residents called this plant the Stone Grass ¡­


    The treasure of Stone Grass lies in the harsh environment it grew in, which is rare and rarely seen. Although it grew in this region, it was also extremely rare and precious. According to the mountain villager who had the most experience in harvesting Stone Grass, he would need to turn over a hundred rocks in order to come across a rock with a Stone Grass living on it ¡­ Therefore, it was not only rare, but also priceless in the Western Regions.


    And what was the use of Stone Grass that everyone was chasing after? It was an especially miraculous type of trauma medicine. Compared to its rarity, it''s medicinal value was almost comparable to that of an ordinary wound medicine by a hundred times. Those patients who were left with barely a breath of life, if they were able to eat a Stone Grass, they would immediately be dragged back from the brink of death.


    When the Western Third Prince, Xi Cuo, was severely injured, he had to completely rely on this kind of medicine to be able to take back his life.


    To the people of the Western Regions who were ruled, Third Prince Xi Cuo was their god and their mystery. Ever since they had been defeated by the Great Phoenix Dynasty three years ago, the Third Prince who had given them hope, the future king of the Western Regions who was gentle but friendly, had disappeared without a trace.


    In the eyes of the people from the West Cold, he was probably the only prince capable of inheriting the legacy of the West Cold''s old king, but he had disappeared just like that. Some people had initially guessed that when his West Cold was defeated by Da Feng, his Third Prince had already died on the battlefield.


    What a blow to the people of Westcool." In fact, he had even discovered a secret path that only he himself knew about. It could be said that he had launched a surprise attack, and in addition to that, not long ago, he had also managed to calm down the internal strife within the palace. The Third Prince, in less than a year''s time, had managed to prepare an army of tigers and wolves for the country.


    Only the survivors of the war could tell how terrible it had been, for the fire had scorched any piece of land, orchards, and ditches that had spread. The temple that had been made of stone had been cracked, and statues from the previous year already existed.


    After the battle, the ground was littered with the corpses of the West Cold soldiers, swords, spears, and the indistinct flesh.


    With the news that the Third Prince had died in battle, countless people started to boil. Although it had only been a year since Third Prince gained power, he had already begun to conduct public investigations for the King. He had a very high reputation amongst the common folk living in the West Cold, so when the news of him dying in battle spread, many people were extremely saddened. There were even some victors who risked their lives to search for the corpse of the Third Prince on the battlefield.


    West Cold was originally a very small country, and their population was not that large. Under the leadership of the old king, they had gradually expanded to the current state, and other than being born with a love for war and strong soldiers, they also understood the principle of solidarity. If a group of people were to die in battle, the West Cold would be able to form an army, but what would happen to the future king of West Cold after a war? What was left of the country?


    After losing to Da Feng, the entire West Cold sank into an even deeper state of grief.


    It was only until a short while later did they hear the news that Xi Cuo was still alive from some extremely secretive place. It was only because of the heavy injuries from the battle and the fact that Da Feng was chasing after him was that they were forced to hide. Only at this time did the hearts of the citizens calm down a little, and they were only worried about the Prince''s injuries.


    As for what exactly happened at that time, and when the Prince would finally escape danger, there was only one person who knew about this from beginning to end. It was also a very, very long time later that Ge Ya told him about it, told this story to his children, and passed it on from generation to generation.


    Xi Cuo was heavily injured, and his Fanbo City was about to be captured, so they could only hide and hide. The old king had not been able to establish a powerful West Cold nation for long, and had never predicted that such a situation would occur, nor did he have the time to construct a mechanism to prevent such an event from happening. Ge Ya looked at his brother who was severely injured and unconscious on the bed, and he was nearing the edge of collapse.


    Her mother was a woman of the Great Phoenix. Although she never had the chance to be raised by her mother, she had heard many interesting stories about the Great Phoenix. Just like her mother''s homeland, the Great Phoenix, was bound to be a kind and warm existence. However, in the face of such a situation, she did not know how to judge or explain the Great Phoenix, who was right next to the boundaries of the West Cold. Grief was inevitable, as was anxiety and the current predicament.


    Until the loyal soldiers sent them to the Wu Xiang Kingdom.


    There was her last lifeline. Young Master Loulan and his subordinate, Luo Lihua.


    Living on the Duyue Restaurant was the hardest period of Ge Ya''s life. Her brother was still unconscious, so she had to shoulder the burden of handling the news from the outside world. When she was young, she had always liked to be a helper for his brother and father. When she was young, she could not understand the words on the book, but she could still help his father carry out his tasks by handing over a pen or a glass of water. In her heart, she had a sense of accomplishment.


    But now, all he had to do was wait for the news of the city''s fall.


    When the West Cold soldiers found out that Xi Cuo had died in battle, they almost collapsed. It could be said that he was in deep sorrow.


    She really wanted to secretly spread the news that Xi Cuo was still alive. But Young Master Loulan stopped her in time.


    "His Highness Third Prince is still unconscious, relying entirely on the Stone Grass to hang his life. If you spread the news now, the Great Phoenix Army would naturally not let it go, I''m afraid that they might even overturn their West Cold to reveal His Highness the Prince and Princess."


    "But look at this city surrounded by West Cold. One after another, they fell. How could the Great Phoenix be so cheap? West Cold is not a country where the hearts of soldiers are in turmoil. If elder brother was to wake up now, he would probably die from anger. "


    "So? So you are willing to risk your life and expose yourself? To let the mind of the West Cold stabilize because of a prince who was unconscious on the bed and did not know if he was dead or alive? Let those soldiers fight back? Even if we have to use our eggs to hit the rock? "


    Ge Ya was momentarily angered by the Young Master Loulan''s words. She was a princess who lived a luxurious life, and although he had never lacked anything and enjoyed life to the fullest, she had never been one to only know how to enjoy himself. He didn''t even have any companions of the same age, so he was surrounded by older brothers and had grown up with the energy of a wild girl.


    How could she stand the slightest criticism of the royal family and the nation?


    Under his father''s guidance, everyone in West Cold could sacrifice their flesh and blood, and pay with their lives and family. However, they had to be upright and upright people in West Cold ¡­


    How could he live his life like a rat underground just because he was afraid that he would be exposed? With ants and insects?!


    She frowned deeply as she pulled out the dagger at her waist and stabbed it towards Young Master Loulan. The person in front of her deserved to die, to actually dare offend the dignity of West Cold.


    "No matter how much misfortune our West Cold has suffered and how full of holes, we would never hesitate to kill a person like you ¡­ Even if I, Ge Ya, were to be taken away by the Great Phoenix Army, I would never plead for your protection. "


    That exquisite dagger was a sixteen year old gift from her father when he was alive, its crafting skills were especially exquisite, the hilt of the knife was inlaid with emerald coral, it looked like it was a plaything for a noble lady, but the blade itself was not inferior to the sharpness of the weapons on the battlefield, it was almost like cutting iron.


    When Ge Ya left the Fanbo City, he did not have the chance to bring more items with him. She was in a rush on this trip, but she did not want to give up on this small blade no matter what. Previously, she had thought that the knife''s decorations were too complicated, so she had tossed it aside. After his father died, he had worn the knife on her waist all day and all night like she was possessed. It was as if she could allow his father''s undead to find their way home.


    The speed of this slash was extremely fast, but this was within Young Master Loulan''s expectations. If he wanted to let the princess clearly understand the current situation, the first thing he needed to do was to anger the princess.


    What he did not expect was that the princess was not like the gaudy sword at his waist, just a useless embroidered pillow. On the contrary, although her martial arts could only be described as superficial and pitiful, it was still beyond Young Master Loulan''s expectations. She was not careful and flashed a little too late, so even though her small steel saber had only brushed past her cheek, it cut off a portion of Young Master Loulan''s hair that was previously cherished.


    He took the chance and turned, dissolving Ge Ya''s attack. He then made a turn with his hands and quickly tapped on the Princess''s wrist with two fingers. Ge Ya suddenly felt as if her fingertips had been electrocuted. With an "Ah" sound, the blade flew out of her hand.


    When she regained her senses, Young Master Loulan, who had a cut of her hair, was standing in front of her. He was still looking at her with a playful expression.

 C161

    After being bullied, her martial arts had also been humiliated. Although she usually had such an impudent attitude, she was still a princess in the end, and no one in the Xiao Imperial Palace had ever dared to go against her. How could he bear to be bullied like this? He immediately became even angrier. The grief and shame from the past few days seemed to have found out the culprit at this time. It was as if killing intent had truly erupted. Even if he were to put his life on the line, he had to die together with this shameless man in front of him.


    "I will definitely kill you today." She looked around and saw a jade vase. She felt even more infuriated. The style of the Duyue Restaurant and the building of the Great Phoenix were combined together, and this jade vase was precisely the product of the Great Phoenix. Ge Ya grabbed the vase and threw it towards Young Master Loulan.


    Even though the vase was valuable, Lou Lan did not accept it even though he was pained. The grievances Princess of West Cold had suffered in the past few days had to be vented out, so he just turned his body slightly, allowing the vase to pass by him and crash into the ground. He then smoothly handed the dagger which he had just snatched away to the princess.


    Ge Ya never thought that the scholar with jade-like face, who seemed like a shrewd merchant, would actually have such skill. Although Ge Ya was curious, she never expected that she would respectfully offer the blade she took away in front of him.


    The anger in his heart was still burning, naturally he was unwilling to let him go. He took the sword and pressed it against Young Master Loulan''s neck, which was whiter than a woman''s. As the tip of the blade pierced into the flesh, it was possible to see that fresh, red blood was already seeping out from the lower layer of the skin.


    "Aren''t you afraid that I''ll kill you?" Even a blind person would be able to tell that the Young Master Loulan''s skills were much better than his, but they had never thought that he would actually be willing to surrender without a fight.


    "Don''t worry, the princess won''t kill me."


    "Are you that sure? What makes you so sure? With this kind of hand, yet not willing to protect the borders of West Cold, and hiding in a brothel to live such a leisurely life, if I don''t work with a person like you, why wouldn''t I kill you? "


    Lou Lan sighed deeply. The princess was still young, and now she still needed Lou Lan to teach her better.


    "Princess, do you know what the wish of the West Cold is?"


    This question stunned Ge Ya completely. What problem is this? What was this strange Young Master Loulan up to?


    However, he seemed to be under magic as he answered the man''s question.


    "West Cold? the people of the country? "


    "Then how can I do it?"


    "Throw all of Da Feng''s army out ¡­"


    "How can I chase out the army of the Great Phoenix?"


    "¡­" Ge Ya was speechless. This was indeed a problem. Logically speaking, it should be able to use West Cold''s army to drive Da Feng''s army out of the country''s borders, but did the current West Cold have an army? Was there anyone else who could lead troops to war?


    Seeing that the little princess had finally begun to think things through, Young Master Loulan finally calmed down and started to speak the words that he had been holding in for a long time.


    "Princess wishes for the peace of the nation, knowing that the citizens of West Cold need these things right now. These are all very good, very good ¡­"


    He spoke very slowly, as if he had suddenly turned into an elder with a lot of care. In an instant, it was as if he had forgotten about his provocation towards the royal power, and now that he was extremely careful with every word he said, he also took into account the feelings of the princess, and began to think seriously.


    "But how can the princess do all this? Although our West Cold has been pushed back step by step, in the end, it is not that many people have died and our West Cold is lacking. What the princess needs is a king who can gather all our West Cold. "


    Ge Ya did not say anything. Looking at him, her gaze was no longer as fierce as before, but the blade was still stubbornly pressing onto Young Master Loulan''s neck, just that it was not as strong as before.


    "The king whom the princess needs is Xi Cuo, and now, everyone thinks that Prince Xi Cuo has died. Princess Ge Ya has also married a long time ago to the Great Phoenix. This was the situation with the current West Cold and was also the situation the people of the Great Phoenix hoped to see.


    Although the princess felt that the situation in front of her has become a mess and has almost reached a dead end, I still do not think so. "


    He slowly extended his hand and removed the blade that was pressed against the side of Ge Ya''s throat. The entire process was unquestionable, yet carried a certain power, making Ge Ya have no choice but to listen to his arrangements.


    "But right now, there is nothing lacking in West Cold. Even though the prince of West Cold is heavily injured, he is not beyond hope. Even though the princess of West Cold lives in a brothel like how you would think a mouse would be an ant, she has not married into the phoenix. I wonder if Princess can understand the heart of a common citizen with West Cold? You and the Prince are the most important safeguards in our hearts, and as long as you two are still alive, your West Cold will never be destroyed. "


    Ge Ya did not expect Lou Lan to say such words. She had never thought of this either. In this period of time, she had experienced too many things. Some things she had always believed in had already collapsed. There were no friends around her, no comfort from her brother, many things ¡­ She felt only shame and anger. She felt that the Great Phoenix had destroyed everything that was precious to her, but she had never realized the current situation she was in. She calmed down and thought about how she could do what she should for her family in her country.


    What she lost, she would take back.


    He must get it back ¡­


    "Not long after, Great Feng will find out that the Princess Ge Ya who was sent to reconcile with us is fake, and will find out that you have successfully hidden away. Under their watchful eyes, you have given us an extremely valuable opportunity to do your best to conceal you and the prince so as to heal the prince''s injuries. Princess, once you grow up, and are able to shoulder the responsibilities of West Cold, the first thing you must do, is to not let your friends die in vain, alright? "


    His last sentence was extremely slow, and fully took into account the princess'' state of mind. However, he unquestionably placed the most cruel reality in front of Ge Ya, causing the wound on the girl''s body, who wasn''t even twenty years old, to once again be ripped apart while dripping with blood. He wanted her to know that she was a princess of the West Cold and that even though she was in dire straits right now, countless people had paid with their blood and lives to buy that opportunity for her.


    Ge Ya''s hands drooped down, and for a moment, she was unable to stand steadily. She took a few steps back, and was about to fall, but in the end, she clenched her teeth and propped herself up. Her tears continuously fell.


    "Zhuang Li..."


    That woman had gone through countless years of spring and autumn with her. She had accompanied her, supported her, and helped her. She was her only companion. However, that woman had decisively embarked on a path of death. She also thought that she would eventually marry her brother and become the closest person to her, apart from her future husband.


    They had ridden their horses across the prairie, thinking they were strong enough to control their own destinies, and they had talked all night in their velvet quilts, thinking their future was as warm and beautiful as the little stove beside them, but what was left now?


    She remembered the first time she saw Zhuang Li, when that small body of hers was grabbed by the big sized man, looking like a wild beast in comparison.


    She had never seen a child like this who was so stubborn and stubborn. She only wanted to protect her; she was a princess. Whatever she wanted, she would get it. Her sword could pierce through the strongest armor, and her guards were strong enough to protect the child.


    She was so anxious to protect her safety.


    However, what filled her mind right now was the expression on Zhuang Li''s face as he pushed her away, stubbornly as unyielding as the little girl she saved all those years ago.


    She could not stop her tears. The pain of being gouged out from her bones was like a deep grudge that was carved into her bones.


    She clenched her fists, but her tears continued to flow ¡­


    The wound on Young Master Loulan''s neck was not deep. Only a small amount of blood flowed down along his neck, which rested on his collar, which was embroidered with jasmine flowers.


    Originally, the embroidered silk clothing was extremely extravagant and complicated, but at this moment, it gave off a feeling of softness and gentleness. His usually sharp eyes turned gentle once again. He took the little girl in front of him and hugged her to comfort her.


    In the future, the princess of this country would have to play an even more important role.


    "Don''t be afraid ¡­"


    "..." "I don''t want her to die ¡­"


    "I know ¡­"


    "¡­" She choked and couldn''t speak anymore. Leaning into the man''s arms.


    "Your Highness, I, Lou Lan, swear an oath to be loyal to you and Your Highness Xi Cuo. No matter what, I will use my life''s worth of energy to once again raise my West Cold."


    He spoke very earnestly, collecting all the teasing of the past. It was especially pious as it comforted and protected the child in his arms.


    Although he traveled around the countries, loved the cultures of the various places, and liked those gaudy decorations, deep down, he was a person of West Cold from the bottom of his heart.


    He had never thought that one day he would be involved in the struggle for power. Although he was extremely talented and had already displayed extraordinary talent at a young age, he had never thought of just being a rich and idle person, or a particularly wealthy and idle person.


    However, the current situation had indeed exceeded his expectations. But he had already made up his mind.


    Luo Lihua pushed the door open and saw that Ge Ya''s eyes were already red, yet she was extremely stubborn. In the blink of an eye, she saw that Lou Lan had already returned to her normal state and even winked at her.


    "Young Master?"


    "How is His Royal Highness now?" Lou Lan asked.


    Luo Lihua shook her head, only to see the wound on Young Master Loulan''s neck. She did not say anything, but went to the cabinet and took out the medicine for Young Master Loulan to apply.

 C162

    Everyone in the West Cold knew that Duyue Restaurant was the property of the renowned Young Master Loulan, and that the so-called Young Master Loulan was a legendary existence in their eyes. He was just an extremely wealthy merchant and had a carefree personality. What he liked were flowers, wine, and beauties. Even if he did not hold any official positions, he had never seen him fawning over the royal family.


    It had already been more than a month since Zhuang Li had traveled to the Great Phoenix with her identity as the Princess of West Cold. Naturally, the Great Phoenix had long exposed her identity, and naturally knew that the real Princess of West Cold was still hiding within the borders of the Great Phoenix. Logically speaking, Da Feng should have sent more people to search for Ge Ya. Previously, Young Master Loulan had made many preparations and arranged a few other secret courtyards under his name to be used for emergency purposes. However, every time he received news, there would be no movements from Da Feng and the army in the city would do whatever they had to do every day. There were no movements from door to door as they searched for people.


    "Could it be that they believe Little Li is Princess of West Cold?" Luo Lihua asked, even though she herself knew that the question she posed was exceptionally foolish.


    "Although Da Feng might have known that Princess of West Cold Ge Ya originally had half the blood of a Great Phoenix person and that he looked even more similar to the people of the Central Plains, it was still possible that the person who built this place had never seen Ge Ya before. However, this time, the person who went back with Zhuang Li was the one who had seen Ge Ya."


    "..." "Then, what will happen to Little Li?" Luo Lihua''s heart naturally tensed up. She and Zhuang Li both came from the Great Phoenix Sect, but the difference between them was that she was innately willing to be a prostitute and extremely enjoyed living a life of free and unfettered West Cold. However, Zhuang Li had a very reserved personality.


    If she wanted to go back, she should, but she shouldn''t go back this way, and she should not be punished for it.


    Young Master Loulan knew that Ge Ya was not around. No matter what, Ge Ya and Zhuang Li had been together for so many years, and the princess had never suffered such grievances, so naturally, she could not stop herself from crying. Lou Lan was only willing to share his thoughts with Luo Lihua when she was not around.


    If nothing unexpected happened, Zhuang Li should have already been executed ¡­


    These words were like a thunderbolt that struck Luo Lihua''s heart. Although she originally knew that this should be the only possibility, hearing the other person''s judgement made her heart feel even worse, She could not help but want to refute Young Master Loulan.


    "But if Little Li has already been executed, why is there not the slightest movement from the West Cold side? There should at least be movements from all over the city to chase after the Princess of West Cold, right? "


    "Although I also feel that this matter is extremely strange, it is extremely impossible for the Emperor to be foolishly concealed like this. The current situation can only mean that something has happened that we do not know about, and perhaps Great Feng has other plans. In this case, we have to be even more careful, in order to ensure the safety of the princess and prince."


    Xi Cuo woke up two months after he had lost the battle. These two months could be said to be extremely dangerous, and the injuries he had sustained repeatedly; thanks to the protected environment known as Duyue Restaurant, as well as the brilliant medical skills of the Young Master Loulan, the most important thing was the sufficient number of medicines. In his early years, the Young Master Loulan had painstakingly collected a large amount of precious medicines like the Stone Grass s, but this time, in order to save the Prince of West Cold, he had already emptied all of Lou Lan''s stock.


    But Young Master Loulan had never felt such a pity.


    "When Third Prince wakes up, I will have to ask him for some business benefits. How can I not be able to take it back?" As he spoke, his eyes revealed the cunning look of a merchant.


    Although Xi Cuo''s awakening was due to his Duyue Restaurant and the continuous effort Ge Ya had put in, in the Young Master Loulan''s expectations, he naturally believed 200% in his own medical skills and the exquisite medicinal ingredients that he had saved up. However, it was still a miracle for someone like him to survive after being seriously injured. At the very least, the soldiers who had snatched him back from the battlefield all felt that even if their country''s prince had died, they should have returned to their homeland to be buried alive, with little hope for his survival.


    When Xi Cuo first woke up, he was not too clear-headed and his thoughts were still blurry. He probably used a small amount of medicinal herbs that could paralyze him while he was trying to live. He slowly opened his eyes, which were moving back and forth as if he was examining his surroundings. He did not know where he was.


    Later, Xi Cuo recalled the scene at that time and only he himself roughly knew that he had opened his eyes. However, the sight before his eyes was indistinct and it seemed like he had slept for a very, very long time, to the point where his body had become stiff and unable to move. He felt as if he had just fallen asleep, and could still remember the blood and flesh splattering and fighting on the battlefield. The West Cold Army encountered an unprecedented ambush, and was utterly defeated. He was too tired to even lift his blade, and his body was completely numb. He did not know how many times he had been slashed or how many arrows he had been hit. His whole body seemed to be soaked in his own blood and the blood of his enemies. But how could he care about that? His nose and eyes had long since been burnt out by the smoke and fire, and his eyes were no longer clear. One eye was out of sight, probably swollen high.


    He was only relying on his willpower to vaguely identify the enemies that were charging at him. He didn''t care about the strength and skill, he just wanted them dead. A single stab had killed him.


    Because his status was special, the Great Phoenix was very wary of him. They had already instructed him not to harm his life. Since he was a prince of West Cold, he naturally had to capture him alive and report him to the higher-ups. If he fell into the hands of the phoenixes, there would be plenty of time to discuss with the West Cold again.


    So to him, the army of the Great Phoenix only wanted to wear him down and not injure him. After all, compared to dying, he was much more useful. It was only because of this that he had been able to fight until now.


    Xi Cuo only remembered that he was truly affected, but he faintly felt that if he closed his eyes, he probably wouldn''t wake up. So he bitterly endured. He couldn''t give in.


    Until another arrow pierced through his body, he was truly exhausted. Memories slowly fell down, and he wanted to have a good night''s sleep. After that, he fell into a deep slumber.


    He did not sleep soundly. He felt a faint sense of unease, as if his dream was being dragged by some force, causing him to try his best to wake up. And he naturally did not know that during the time he was in deep sleep, his West Cold had undergone a huge change.


    The army of West Cold had already been taken over by Da Feng, and his Fanbo City had also fallen. The citizens naturally could not accept the fact that the Second Prince had ascended to the throne and became the puppet king of Da Feng, but there was still no solution. Amongst all the changes, the one that made him the most upset was that Zhuang Li had already left for Da Feng as the Princess of West Cold.


    "Big brother ¡­" Ge Ya choked with sobs, he was only able to shout once, and she was already crying silently. Although Xi Cuo''s vision was still blurry, she could not help but raise the corner of her mouth, and although she had recovered quite a bit, she could still see that she was heavily injured as she reached out and caressed Ge Ya''s head.


    "I''m fine ¡­"


    It was as if the glory and suffering of the country had vanished into thin air, together with the history of the country.


    When Xi Cuo was recovering, the Young Master Loulan had naturally spread the news that he was still alive. They first sent people to the farthest towns within the boundaries of the West Cold to quietly spread the news, and even if Da Feng''s army noticed him, they would go to the faraway towns to look, and they never would have thought that Xi Cuo was hiding in the bustling cities with densely packed troops.


    Moreover, if the Great Phoenix Army were to take note of this news and start searching for Xi Cuo, it would just happen to fall into the Young Master Loulan''s hands. This way, they could save more effort and speed in spreading the news that Xi Cuo was still alive.


    No matter how many wars and disasters a country experiences, the last thing it should do is to let its people go." The only possibility that could rapidly gather the hearts of people was to let the commoners know that the prince they admired was still alive or that there would be a day when they would take back all the lost land ¡­


    If the will of the people does not disperse, then the nation will not perish.


    If they could win back the hearts of the people, they could secretly recruit troops and begin to fight back against the Great Phoenix''s plundering.


    Xi Cuo was in the midst of recovering, so the news of the royal family''s Worryfree had already spread out smoothly. Although it was all in the dark, everything had already stabilized.


    Although it looked like it was already calm on the surface, Da Feng was not someone who could be easily fooled. She had already started to look for the real Princess Ge Ya, but all of this was in the dark.


    This made Xi Cuo and the others more cautious. Although Stone Grass saved Xi Cuo''s life, they had to wait until he fully recovered and was able to at least injure the battlefield like he did in the past. At the very least, Duyue Restaurant provided such a condition. The houses in the districts that were covered by many Duyue Restaurant, even if there were maids and servants, there were at least eighty or more. Even if the Great Phoenix Sect secretly investigated, it was an extremely complicated task.


    The spacious jade artifacts in the inner courtyard of the Du Yue Restaurant were all treasures collected from various countries when they were travelling around Young Master Loulan. They were dazzling in the sky, constantly displaying their identity as a tycoon. Ge Ya was''s maid in name.

 C163

    When Xi Cuo found out that Zhuang Li was completely awake, the women he had always liked made him feel at ease. But now, she was already far from death, what could she do other than die to get revenge for her? He had always been a gentle and kind person. Regardless of whether she was bullied by her brothers or whether her father''s love was fair, he would never say a word more.


    He could be considered a prince with good character, so even though he was diligently practicing martial arts, in his father''s eyes, he was not the first choice for the King. Every time he mentioned the child, his father would say,


    "The child? He is a gentle and generous man, like his mother, incapable of temper, and has always been very obedient. "


    The old king sighed helplessly every time he finished speaking. It was as if he wanted to sigh out the pity in his heart.


    "But right now, the king of the Great Phoenix is not a weak and kind person. He is in high spirits and he has his own rules and methods for doing things. It can even be said that he is sinister and ruthless. It is impossible for Xi Cuo to fight against him ¡­"


    These were the words of the old king when he was alive.


    As he said these words, he slowly walked away. Even though he felt that it was a pity that this child''s gentle personality couldn''t bring him farther along on the throne, he still liked this child from the bottom of his heart. Although he was usually extremely cold and solemn towards his son, he would probably only put a trace of gentleness and doting on his face when Ge Ya, this lively and cute little girl, was by his side.


    The old king would never think of the hatred and vengeance that his gentle son now held in his heart. Even though Great Phoenix''s surprise attack had gained the upper hand, his West Cold had already lost way too completely, there was practically nothing left. The one who was in the same realm as the West Cold was naturally Xi Cuo.


    He had lost his loved ones and loved ones. He had also lost the country he had bitterly protected all this time. He had also been forced to the edge of the cliff and had no way out. He wanted revenge, with a viciousness that rose from his heart.


    If not for the fact that Young Master Loulan was extremely sensitive to such things, perhaps no one would have discovered that the Great Phoenix had secretly sent people to track the whereabouts of Xi Cuo and Ge Ya.


    Even though most of the news reached Young Master Loulan late, it was both shocking and joyful.


    The merchants that did business with West Cold in the Great Phoenix Capital City replied him with a piece of news ¡­ The Emperor took Princess of West Cold Ge Ya as his Imperial Noble Lady Ya ¡­


    After he became excited that Zhuang Li might still be alive, more questions began to be raised. What was the reason behind the Great Phoenix Emperor''s actions?


    "No matter what kind of scheme he is plotting, I will bring Zhuang Li back even if my body is smashed into smithereens." At the end of the month, they started heading towards the city on the edge of the West Cold. Xi Cuo had disguised himself as a person who was about to die from an infectious disease, which was why he was sent away to wait for death, while Ge Ya disguised as his young wife.


    With the Young Master Loulan making the arrangements, there was naturally no need to worry. However, there were two reasons why Xi Cuo was sent to the northern border.


    The first reason was because of the Stone Grass and herbs found deep in the mountains to the north. Xi Cuo''s injuries had already exhausted all of the stored medicine within his Duyue Restaurant, and the output of the Stone Grass was already exceptionally precious. As for Xi Cuo''s recovery, he still needed an exceptionally long process. Since he still needed a lot of Stone Grass, he might as well go live in the town that produced them. At the very least, he would be able to ensure that all the medicinal herbs that were flourishing would not leak out.


    Furthermore, the other reason was even more important. At the West Cold border, the town rich in Stone Grass happens to be the border of Inner Mongolia. Although the royal family can guarantee that it will gradually ease down, it will still take too long.


    No one could wait that long. Right now, time was especially important and precious to the West Cold royal family. They had too many things to do, recruiting troops, training in secret, contacting the various cities, and so on, but it was still not enough. If that was the case, perhaps ten years would be needed for the country to be restored.


    How much can you do in ten years? What kind of situation would the West Cold be at then?


    Xi Cuo couldn''t do it. Perhaps, no one in the West Cold who had lost a drop of blood would be able to do so. So all they had to do on this trip was contact Mongolia.


    When the old emperor was still alive, he went through a very long period of war, making the surrounding small countries extremely obedient. Inner Mongolia was one of them.


    The old king allowed the small nations that were friendly with him to offer annual offerings to him through West Cold, and the West Cold also responded accordingly, giving them some benefits. Although the old king had always been proud, in the end, his relationship with the surrounding kingdoms was still pretty good.


    So, the most important reason for this trip was naturally to reunite with Mongolia. Although West Cold was not as powerful and awe-inspiring as it was before, there were still a lot of possibilities.


    The nearby towns all had the troops of Da Feng. Even though there weren''t many people, they still had to keep a low profile and not attract any attention. As a result, aside from the supplies that he needed to provide, most of the time he had to circle around the town, trying to avoid appearing if possible.


    It had already been half a month since he had rushed to the border.


    Although the West Cold did not have a vast piece of land like the Great Phoenix, the span of the northern and southern regions was enormous.


    This place was located in a remote mountain region, and although the Great Phoenix had sent troops, they were exceptionally weak. On the other hand, the mountains that produced Stone Grass had not been invaded by the flames of war. Therefore, this was the weakest point under the control of the Great Phoenix.


    At the edge of the snowy mountain, no one was aware of what was happening around them. The area was covered in ice and snow all year round, and very few people appeared. The local people just kept watch over the snow mountain and didn''t want to leave. There were even some people who had never seen a stranger from birth to death. They built their buildings in the depths of the snow-capped mountain, wearing clothes made of thick bear skin, and walked through the depths of the snow-capped mountain.


    Every day, the strong men would go into the mountains to hunt and raise their own sheep, which was enough meat for them. The excess meat would then be transported down the mountain in exchange for fresh fruits and vegetables with the people living on the flat land.


    Towards these snow mountains, they had always held an infinite amount of reverence, and the most precious things within these snow mountains were the Stone Grass s that were hidden deep within the snow.


    Stone Grass s were a specialty of the Snow Mountain, but they were also extremely rare. It was impossible for outsiders to find Stone Grass s, and only the local residents were able to gather Stone Grass s, so they spent most of their time walking around the mountain. They carried their prized spades and carried the sack deep into the mountains. Discovering that the rocks could form the conditions for the Stone Grass to grow, they carefully picked up the rocks, and when they collected the Stone Grass below into the cloth bag, they grabbed a handful of deep snow and placed it under the rocks. Then, they carefully covered the stones on top of them.


    This way, he could guarantee that the Stone Grass would continue to grow under the rock.


    Those villagers had lived like this for generations, living their lives here. They rarely encountered strangers, until that day, when a group of people from outside the village entered the forest.


    Their clothing was simple, and they were even a bit decadent. They said that they had escaped here in distress, and that the flames of war were chaotic at the heart of their West Cold. This was a life that neither of them had ever experienced before, so they received these strangers with their own generosity and enthusiasm.


    The villagers could not say what they knew about those outsiders. They had never seen someone like this before. Under the heavy clothes, there were many extremely delicate faces.


    One of the men had not fully recovered from his injuries. They hoped to receive the freshest and biggest Stone Grass, so the villagers were all willing to help them.


    "It''s already June. The snow on this mountain seems to be in winter forever. If I didn''t mention it, I wouldn''t have realized that it''s currently extremely hot."


    Ge Ya stood on the side of the bed, slightly opening the heavy sheepskin curtain, and a cold wind immediately blew in bringing in the snow.


    The moment she put down the curtain, the snow and the dim light were immediately isolated outside the door. The temperature near the door also rose by a few degrees.


    This made the entire hut especially warm, but in the end, they were really frustrated. The Young Master Loulan''s spies would come every few days to report about the situation at the border, to communicate with the Mongol royalty, and when the time was ripe, they would meet again.


    Ge Ya spent most of her time inside the room with Luo Lihua to take care of her brother. Although Xi Cuo''s situation was getting better and better, it was also because of the new effects of the Stone Grass that he had gotten near the snow mountain. In less than half a month, he was able to get out of bed and walk around.


    The Young Master Loulan''s spies would usually come at night, although the Fringe City made people not as vigilant as them, it was still better to be cautious.


    When he entered the door, he saw Young Master Loulan and Xi Cuo. They hurriedly kneeled on the ground, and the snow that was swirling around them like the wind, which was brought in by his footsteps, slowly floated down to the ground.


    That person''s face was filled with fatigue. Naturally, it was the mountain road that they had traveled too far. He was dressed in the appearance of a travelling adventurer. His face was covered in dust, and his face was filled with the look of someone who had struggled in the snow.


    Dry, but determined.


    "Shouldn''t you come tomorrow?" Lou Lan asked as he sent the Fallen Flower Flower to brew a cup of snow-boiled ginseng tea.


    "Young master, I came across a special harvest in my trip to Inner Mongolia this time. That''s why I''m in such a hurry to come back."


    "What happened?"


    "I went to contact the inner circle of the Inner Mongolia Army and met a person."


    He paused for a moment. His mouth had been cracked because of the snow. He hurriedly took a sip of the ginseng tea and felt his fatigue fade away.


    Then, he looked at Young Master Loulan with fervent eyes as he slowly spoke.


    "It''s the King Bi of the Great Phoenix. He was sent by the Great Phoenix Emperor to contact his neighbors."

 C164

    When he thought of King Bi, Young Master Loulan seemed to immediately understand the meaning behind the servant''s words. He seemed to be deep in thought.


    Regarding Xi Cuo and Ge Ya who were members of the royal family, they were naturally more familiar with the royal family of the Great Phoenix than most others. When it came to the King Bi, they weren''t too familiar with it. However, there was one person in their memories that was particularly deep.


    Prince Bi...


    "King Bi? Is he the former Prince Bi? " Ge Ya asked. Almost never a question, but a statement. The mind of Phoenix Dynasty was especially strict. Other than him, who else could bear the burden of this jade word?


    Young Master Loulan seemed to slightly nod his head in thought, which was considered his answer.


    To King Bi, it was not a very familiar name, but when it came to Prince Bi, it was an especially resounding reputation. After all, before the Emperor ascended the throne, this name was exceptionally famous in the entire Great Phoenix Empire, and the envoy who had worked with Great Feng had also repeatedly mentioned this especially eye-catching Prince Bi. It was said that he was clever and had an exquisite appearance. The emperor of the Great Phoenix also doted on him. It was natural for him to become the emperor one day.


    It''s just that I don''t know why Wang Bi didn''t become the Emperor afterwards.


    Although Wang Bi was only following orders to do some touring around the country for the emperor, it was common sense that this would be considered a difficult task. With regards to the bustling and comfortable life in the capital, the King Bi had already gone to the battlefield more than once.


    "Is Your Highness planning to rebel against him?"


    The snow on the mountains at the border never melted, and at this time, fine snowflakes were drifting about. At this time, the flourishing towns in the center of the West Cold were in full swing, causing people to feel as if they were in the depths of an exceptionally magical scenery.


    No matter how much effort he put in, all he had to do was wait for more. He had more patience and hope, but all that supported him was his deep hatred and great desire.


    So one day, Ge Ya saw two strangers entering the mountain. That man was noble and alluring, and no matter how simple his attire was, it couldn''t cover up his extremely beautiful appearance.


    He only brought one bodyguard with him to the mountain. That guard happened to be one of Young Master Loulan''s subordinates.


    No matter how vast the Princess of West Cold he knew was, he couldn''t deny that the man in front of him was most likely a peerless beauty that he had never seen before in his entire life.


    Everyone in the room came out to greet him. With a pious heart, they put in their best to balance their own benefits.


    The Young Master Loulan personally went up to greet him and respectfully bowed.


    "King Bi, I have been waiting for you for a long time ¡­"


    The private conversation was held in a small hut beside a hot spring in the middle of a snow mountain. Only Xi Cuo and King Bi were present, and the rest of the people were waiting below the pavilion not too far away. A large fire was being built outside the building, and the charcoal was burning inside the furnace.


    At the beginning, Ge Ya was still a little worried, afraid that Xi Cuo would say that he couldn''t even move the King Bi. No matter what, the King Bi belonged to Da Feng, and the situation between the two countries was like this. To put it more bluntly, Xi Cuo was still a war criminal that the Da Feng was chasing.


    "Your Highness, please be at ease." Lou Lan also went closer to the fire stove to warm himself up, but when he saw Ge Ya''s worried look, he guessed most of the commotion.


    "My subordinates all knew their limits, and they carefully probed him for nearly two months before daring to speak out loud. Besides, he was willing to come alone ¡­ This at least proves that he had some purpose and ambition. "


    The matter of Prince Bi suddenly losing his throne and becoming a prince naturally had a reason that could not be investigated. All these years, Lou Lan had been keeping a close eye on the movements of the Great Phoenix Capital. He had many shops in the capital, and all sorts of information had been obtained through various channels.


    The current Emperor of West Cold was not a simple person at all. He was only the son of a maid in the beginning, and it was as if he was an existence that couldn''t even hope to touch the throne. Regardless if it was his family''s status, or his own personality, none of them were as influential as the Prince Bi in the imperial court. But how did he get the throne?


    To be able to compete with the Prince Bi Elder, who was doted upon by the Emperor and had a powerful family background, he was definitely not simple.


    The Young Master Loulan wanted to gamble, to see if this Lord Prince Bi in front of him was willing to accept it or not.


    "But ¡­" Ge Ya, however, still wanted to say something. There were naturally many more things she was worried about.


    That man called King Bi still had more meaning to her than that. For example, what happened to Zhuang Li?


    It had already been nearly a year since Zhuang Li left. Although she had gotten used to forgetting the life of that little sister during this past year, when she saw someone who might have seen her before, the emotions in her heart began to surge. She wanted to know what had happened to her. Had she become the concubine of the Great Phoenix Emperor? Or perhaps it was just a pretense put up by the Great Phoenix people, the Imperial Noble Lady Ya that they bestowed the title with was bestowed death long ago.


    "Relax ¡­" Luo Lihua used a hand that she had just warmed up from the brazier to grab hold of Ge Ya''s hand. She believed that Zhuang Li was still alive and well in some corner of this world.


    And in the future, they would definitely meet again.


    Wang Bi had rushed back to the border of Mongolia before the night had completely faded. The weather wasn''t as cold as it was on the snowy mountain, but the wind was blowing painfully on his cheeks. He wore a veil so that people passing by couldn''t see his appearance clearly. In his mind, he recalled the West Cold Prince he saw on the snowy mountain over and over again.


    The thing he was most anxious to ask about was actually a woman ¡­


    Zhuang Li?


    He was not familiar with this name, but when it came to the other person, he remembered that the Imperial Noble Lady Ya...


    Attacking on the West Cold to rectify the borders had always been the dream of his younger brother. Wang Bi was clear on this point, even as the previous Prince Bi who had been forced off his throne, he himself had still stood up for the imperial court and agreed to it.


    Attacking was one thing, but there were other reasons as well. Everyone knew that the border had always been chaotic, but no one wanted to say it out loud.


    After all, tidying up the borders or angering the West Cold, just thinking of Huang Sha and Da Mo would mean that it was definitely a hard job. Since they could comfortably enjoy the tea and books in the capital, and have tea and watch the most beautiful singing and dancing, how could there be an official who would be willing to stand up on his own in this kind of situation?


    As time passed, the situation on the border became even more chaotic due to everyone turning a blind eye to it. However, the officials in the capital treated it as though it was a transparent matter. In contrast, their own small days were becoming more and more comfortable.


    Wang Su had been extremely dissatisfied with the situation at the border since young, but he needed the authority and military power to resolve this issue. He needed to obtain the support of his officials and army. At that time, he was still not the emperor. Even if he had become the emperor, he wanted to balance the complicated relationships between the various departments that his father had left behind with the world''s pressure. All of these things were extremely complicated and exhausting of energy, all the way until he had the chance to declare war on West Cold. It was not that Wang Bi did not know how much effort his stubborn little brother had put in.


    Thus, no matter how much the people around him exhorted him, no matter if the man on the dragon throne would remember his good points, he would at least, at that moment, stand on the Emperor''s side without hesitation.


    Since the imperial government could no longer sway the emperor''s resolve to declare war, then it needed a final reason, a reason to start a war.


    Affinity...


    In Wang Bi''s opinion, this was an especially absurd joke. There were not many concubines by Wang Su''s side, which could be said to be extremely rare. But since it was just a reason to start a war, there was no other reason to make things difficult for King of West Cold other than wanting to take away the child beside him that he most doted on. If he were to agree to it for the sake of stabilizing the West Cold, then Da Feng would immediately find other reasons that would make it even more difficult for West Cold.


    In any case, he just wanted to fight. The people and things that would be sacrificed might have to blame his terrible fate, but he was just a victim of time.


    Wang Su had already prepared for these last ten meters for many years, and had personally explored the secret West Cold tunnel, training his soldiers, and picked out a group of capable generals for the border guards. This was because the smart emperor knew, if he wanted to consolidate his position and tidy up this chaotic situation, he would need to rely on the soldiers in the end.


    Therefore, Wang Bi was not surprised at all that West Cold was defeated.


    To obtain stability which was even longer than if one used force to maintain, what was needed was to grasp the weak point of the West Cold royal family. Thus, they had to sit down and declare war, and really marry Princess Ge Ya into their family.


    Wang Bi was naturally clear in his heart, that with the emperor''s temper, even if Ge Ya married into his family, he wouldn''t take a second look at her. This woman was just a tool he had used.


    He was not surprised that West Cold would truly send the princess to the capital. After all, that country had already been forced into a corner. If he wanted to request for a chance at survival above his desperate straits, he would naturally have to pay a precious price. The royal family loved each other, and even if they wanted to retaliate in the future, they would have to worry about Princess Ge Ya, who was in Wang Su''s hands. If he had hostages and a handle, it would be like having his hands and feet bound. At least for a long time, she would bow down to the Great Feng.

 C165

    Wang Bi clearly remembered that his own servant had hurriedly ran in, saying that Princess of West Cold had already been brought into the capital by General Li, that the streets were filled with people who came to watch the fun, and that Princess of West Cold, who was sitting in a carriage, had never been able to see her true appearance.


    Wang Su had not paid any attention to his, but in this world, there was one more unlucky woman. It had nothing to do with him.


    Even though his mother had left the palace for many years, there were still powers in the palace. Even though he did not like interacting with those people, no matter if they were loyal or not, he had already decided that the relationship between him and the throne was a grudge from his previous life. It was already over, now, he had to work hard for himself. Just be a rich and idle person.


    After his mother left the palace, he no longer gave any benefits or rewards to those servants, and refused to accept the network of relationships that his mother had left behind for him. However, those servants still worked so hard to find ways to help Prince Bi find opportunities to think about what they were doing; it could be seen how loyal they were to his mother.


    He didn''t know what kind of bewitching soup his mother had given them all those years ago, but they were so focused on power that they had forgotten to be themselves.


    The message sent by the eunuch was that Princess of West Cold had already entered the palace and something had happened that night. Even though no one knew exactly what happened that night, because at that time, there was only Princess Ge Ya, the Emperor, and the General Li left in the palace. Then the princess was sent to the cold palace.


    With the current situation between the West Cold and the Great Phoenix, even a blind person would be able to tell that Princess Ge Ya was merely a hostage of the Great Phoenix. Naturally, there was nothing to be surprised about.


    Not only did he infuriate the emperor, even if the Princess of West Cold were to take out a blade from his bosom, it would be understandable for him to want to take the life of the emperor.


    However, the eunuch spoke of this matter with extreme caution, as if there was something strange about it that no one else could see. He spoke with extreme seriousness ¡­


    "Although no one has seen this Princess of West Cold''s background and no one has seen if she''s like the fabled fishes and ducks, even the close nanny has no way of knowing that she''s wearing a veil from head to toe. The only thing that can be confirmed is that the princess is especially afraid."


    Scared? Wang Bi was also unable to understand this phrase. Why would she be afraid? Would it be better to come here with hatred as he had expected? Wasn''t it supposed to be filled with hatred and sorrow? In his impression, the people from the West Cold were all uninhibited and uninhibited, with pure intentions?


    He could not imagine what kind of person this Princess of West Cold, who he would feel fear, was.


    The other problem was that if even she was afraid, then why was Wang Su still angry? To a proton, the best request was simply to properly entertain her here, to control the distant activity on the land. Unless it was absolutely necessary, what was there to be angry about?


    Not to mention dealing with a girl who was scared.


    Wang Bi did not think about it, but he was unwilling to investigate further. In the end, he only wanted to become a rich and idle person, and was not willing to understand other matters of the royal family, even more so when it came to matters of the emperor''s mind. He was different from his mother after all, even though he had to enter the palace everyday, he was still eager to leave this place, and his mother, even though she was not in the palace right now. He was still trying his best to collect clues about the palace, hoping that one day, his son would be able to win the throne.


    She had been wrong from the start. How could he have such thoughts now?


    The eunuch who reported the news saw that Wang Bi was not paying attention to his information and was naturally a little disappointed, but he could not do anything about the idle prince. He could only find an opportunity to gather new clues. After repeatedly warning them, he had no choice but to leave the prince''s estate and return to the palace.


    It seemed like her life was destined to be a tragedy. Ever since she moved into that small and remote courtyard, she had never seen the Emperor.


    However, after Princess Ge Ya obtained it, she changed her mind and even ignored her. It seems that our Emperor was also just a playboy with a lot of power.


    People in the capital were talking about this matter, and even the teachers in the tea garden were gossiping about it. Perhaps they felt that they had too much brains, so they were not afraid of being cut.


    Wang Bi naturally did not have the leisure to listen to these idle chatter, although he felt more or less depressed in his heart.


    Until he was willing to understand the next step of the story was also because of his mother''s scout in the city. He said that every month, there would be people of the emperor disguised as commoners and headed towards the West Cold, seemingly searching for the whereabouts of someone. However, all of this was done in secret. However, every month, there would be people sent out, as well as letters from the people sent out earlier.


    This aroused Prince Bi''s curiosity in the end, and he decided to go to the palace to investigate.


    The road the young eunuch was talking about was extremely remote and practically no one would be able to move within the palace. They had already entered the palace''s extremely secluded area, and other than the surrounding birds, all they could hear was their own breathing.


    However, Wang Bi felt that something was strange. This quiet and secluded path was not unfamiliar to his memory.


    He had been here before ¡­ A long, long time ago ¡­


    It was a small house, almost to the end of the palace. It was exceptionally lonely, surrounded by tall walls. It seemed small and constrained.


    He had not been here for a very, very long time. According to his memories, this place was probably a mess, but he did not expect that after passing through a palace wall, this place seemed to be even more orderly than the wastelands on the way here. The two words "Plum Court" were cleaned up and hung neatly at the entrance of the courtyard.


    The courtyard was already filled with flowers, and a woman was lazily lying on a rattan chair with her back facing them. For a moment, it was hard to tell if he was inside the heavily guarded palace or in a remote and free farmyard outside the palace.


    When he saw the woman lying on the rattan chair, he immediately understood more than the message that was sent by the young eunuch.


    All doubts were explained in the most reasonable manner.


    That woman was especially beautiful. Even those who were experienced and knowledgeable had to admit that she was a beauty that they had never seen before. She opened her eyes under the sunlight with a frown, as if she was an otherworldly fairy.


    But that woman ¡­ She couldn''t be Princess of West Cold ¡­


    He had interacted with quite a few people in the West Cold and was naturally familiar with those people with high noses, big eyes, and golden hair. However, this Imperial Noble Lady Ya was dressed completely like the people of the Central Plains ¡­


    She''s a substitute for...


    This voice sounded heavy in his head. He did not know what had happened, did she have to come to the Great Phoenix to be a substitute for the Princess of West Cold? Or was it voluntary? And why volunteer?


    She was clearly from the Central Plains, so why was she born in West Cold? What was her relationship with the princess?


    At that moment, many questions popped up in his mind, one after another. However, he still held it in and didn''t ask any of them.


    Against the light, he gave the woman a smile.


    Since the emperor did not kill her, and did not direct his anger towards the West Cold, it was naturally impossible for Wang Bi to know the reason behind it, but more questions popped up one after another.


    The emperor had placed her at the edge of this region. Within the rarely seen Plum Court, he had cut off all communication between her and the people of the palace, preventing even more people from knowing that she was not a Princess of West Cold. But why would he do that?


    He frowned. For a moment, he could not come up with such a reason. However, in his heart, he felt a secret of the Great Phoenix Emperor.


    He did not ask that woman any questions. He did not want to say anything, so he just chatted casually until dusk before leaving. Although it was just a few simple chitchat, he could feel that the woman was not simple and had experienced a lot. He could vaguely feel that she was the same as him, but he couldn''t say it.


    When he turned around to leave, it actually made him sigh with emotion that was hard to come by ¡­


    He had never mentioned the woman to anyone, and it seemed to have become a secret of the Emperor and of himself. Mother''s spy came over to greet him, and Lord Yin Tai even brought up the matter. He wanted to know the reason behind all of this, and even if he managed to find a trace of the Emperor''s wrongdoings, all he could do was smile slightly and remain silent.


    He knew that woman would become a weakness of the Emperor. Perhaps it was due to him finding an excuse, but the sooner he mentioned her, the more harm she would cause the Emperor. If he waited until the Princess of West Cold''s reputation had already passed, then it would no longer matter if the Emperor hid anything from the people of the world.


    He also understood what those people who had secretly gone to the West Cold to search for were looking for ¡­ is the real Princess of West Cold ¡­


    He was unwilling to say that he would sometimes think of that woman. He didn''t know what kind of torture she would suffer in the depths of the palace with her free personality.


    His mother''s servants came to report to him one by one. He just sat in his chair and listened, never taking it seriously.


    He rejected the opportunity to impeach the Emperor or his people again and again.


    That throne wasn''t that attractive to him, and the person on that throne was, no matter what, the younger brother that he had walked over to by hand ¡­

 C166

    There was still no news of Li Liangxiao''s disappearance. Although this era had created a lot of situations without any news, because it was not the twenty-first century with mobile phones, one could report their safety once they reached a certain place. Even if their phone was lost, they could find a public phone by the side of the road to get in touch with their loved ones.


    Communications relied on horses and pigeons that Zhuang Li found unreliable. The horses were too slow, and it would take at least half a month for a letter to arrive in the capital. Although the pigeons were faster, they had already crossed thousands of miles in the middle of the mountain road.


    She kept comforting herself with these reasons, but it was only because something had happened to the horse or pigeon that Li Liangxiao sent the message to her did she not receive any news from the palace.


    However, the other messages in the palace used pigeons punctually arrived every day...


    She prayed at the door of the pigeon shed every day, but she still did not receive any news about Li Liangxiao ¡­


    "Miss, you should head back ¡­"


    Qing You stood at the side, causing her to become thinner, her worry for Li Liangxiao was not less than Zhuang Li''s by much. They were all young acquaintances, like siblings and family. That feeling flowed through her blood and would never be forgotten or washed away.


    However, compared to Zhuang Li who was extremely worried about her, she needed to take care of more things. The emperor had sent a few more girls to help with the Opposite Moon House. No matter how sad it was, they still had to take Zhuang Li''s body into consideration.


    She no longer cared about who she could offend in the palace as she slowly made her way back from the Xin Si palace. It was just that he would walk that path every day to take a look, and would not care in the slightest whether he passed by the Qingyang Palace entrance or the Huai He Palace. When he returned to the Opposite Moon House, the long and difficult night had finally begun.


    Waiting is this endless...


    When she opened her eyes again, it was already dawn.


    She no longer knew how many days and nights she had muddled through. She wanted an answer, an answer that she knew she could not wait to get back at him.


    Ever since Li Liangxiao''s incident, most of Zhuang Li''s activities had been conducted within the Opposite Moon House. The only difference was that she previously felt that it was enough with the emperor accompanying his in the vicinity, that there was a path to the Imperial Study in the Duyue Restaurant. So what if he could see the man he liked in the aroma of tea being drawn in the shadows? But now, she had locked himself within the Opposite Moon House. If he didn''t go out to check if there was any news from the Western Regions in the pigeon room, she would have never gone out.


    Thus, at least the maids around her always encouraged her to go out more, be it the lotus pond, imperial garden, or even outside the palace ¡­


    This was an order from the Eunuch Li, she was afraid that Zhuang Li would be too bored, if she wanted to leave the palace, she could only send Yun Duan to accompany him.


    Although Zhuang Li didn''t want to go out right now.


    "Miss, Yun Duan is here. We''re going for a stroll on the streets, it''s the Double Sun Festival right now. I heard from Yun Duan that there are a lot of strange things on the streets ¡­"


    After talking for a while, Zhuang Li saw that Qing You was about to cry and did not want to make things difficult for her, so she nodded, making the girls who were taking care of around her so happy that they almost jumped. She busied herself with packing up and gave her a comb to dress up with.


    At the very least, he needed to clean himself up a little ¡­


    The first thing that the little girl did every day when she woke up was to help her master dress up neatly. She was a young lady with extremely nimble hands and had also gone through the constant training in old nanny. Originally, the young master was slightly excited when he was sent by the Emperor to take care of the Duyue Restaurant. After all, he was personally appointed by the Emperor.


    However, when they reached the Opposite Moon House, they discovered that their skills were useless against this master ¡­


    She was sick of Yan Yan, and often did not have the mood to wake up. Although he had never felt sad for his servant, it was difficult for him to communicate with her. He would always stay at the window, and once his brother, whose life and death was unknown, was mentioned, he could not stop crying.


    Now, they were finally willing to dress up for going out. Those little girls naturally used all means at their disposal. After all, they had to wait for the next time when this grandma would be in a better mood and like to dress up.


    Therefore, Zhuang Li walked out of the building with that beautiful appearance, and when she looked up, she saw Yun Duan waiting downstairs.


    "How can you be like this? It was true that Li Liangxiao had lost contact, but to see the corpses of people while he was alive, it was not possible to determine that something had truly happened to him. You are in a good mood, this ghostly appearance, I wonder when General Li will come back and recognize you? "


    What he said was extremely casual, and those little girls did indeed dress Zhuang Li up to the best of their abilities. At the same time, the pretty appearance of Zhuang Li, who was gifted by the heavens, was also really giving those little girls a lot of face, providing them with an especially good foundation. But how could a martial arts genius like Yun Duan, who could not taste whether a woman was perfect, understand? He often ignored Zhuang Li''s appearance and paid attention to her mood.


    Zhuang Li didn''t say a word, which also stunned him for a moment. She could only let out a sigh, and said, "Let''s go."


    Zhuang Li originally thought that he was only in charge of accompanying her out of the palace, in and out of the palace gates, or in preparation for a carriage. She didn''t think that Yun Duan would actually wrap his arms around his waist after speaking of this, and with a leap, jump onto the palace walls, and with a stomp. After a few ups and downs between the walls of the palace and the pavilion, they had already landed outside the palace gate.


    Before Zhuang Li could think about it further, she was already disturbed by the chaotic scene in front of him. It was close to the Heavy Sun Festival, and the citizens of the capital viewed this holiday with great importance. It was very lively.


    However, those various kinds of strange shops were not that attractive to Zhuang Li, and it seemed that because of Li Liangxiao''s disappearance, she felt that all of those were meaningless.


    Yun Duan seemed to have already thought that Zhuang Li did not have the appetite to go shopping, and he helplessly pulled Zhuang Li toward the center of the city.


    Although they did not know where they were going, the surrounding people became more and more lively. Zhuang Li, who was far away, could smell a fragrance. That fragrance was especially special, but it was so strong that it woke him up.


    She didn''t realize it until they finally pushed their way through the crowd to their destination.


    It''s a flower market...


    The largest flower market in the capital was bustling with activity. Flowers were being sold and people were selling flowers to watch the fun. There were rows and rows of them piled up to the point where one couldn''t see the end of it. It was close to the Double Sun Festival, so most of the flowers sold were chrysanthemums. Although the variety raised in the imperial palace was not as delicate and wonderful, it was still especially fresh. The flowers were all grown big and bright.


    Most of the chrysanthemums with particularly heavy flowers belonged to the Jinbei breed. The branches were built continuously as they grew, causing a single chrysanthemum to grow from a single flower. Therefore, the chrysanthemum was especially heavy and plump. There were also pots of small chrysanthemums, the small flowers were of a very fine variety of colors, and the shape of the flowers was especially different after being cultivated. The fragrance was especially rich.


    Once it was out, every household loved to place a few pots of chrysanthemums in front of their own courtyard. They could also add medicine, soak in water, or even put them into their pillows after drying up. Sleep on pillows like that at night had the effect of refreshing the mind, so many farmers in the Great Phoenix spent a lot of effort to cultivate their chrysanthemum varieties. The biggest flower market in the capital was when they displayed the results of their year.


    Zhuang Li didn''t know what Yun Duan was thinking to actually be able to think of bringing him to such a special place. It would be difficult enough to think about it, but his mood had unexpectedly become a little bit clearer. Although she wasn''t someone who loved chrysanthemums as long as she lived, in the end, she was still captivated by the rich yet not boring smell. It was as if a medicinal effect was slowly seeping into her mind.


    There were many people watching the chrysanthemum, and there were also many people buying the chrysanthemums. There were many people buying the chrysanthemums, and there were many people piling up.


    Although Zhuang Li was a little curious, she didn''t have the mood to waste any effort. Instead, she just wanted to go to a place with fewer people, and see those small chrysanthemums that didn''t cause a sensation, blossom after flower of warmth.


    "Don''t you want to watch the show?" Yun Duan looked at the girl who had become a little sluggish, and suddenly felt a sense of anger in his heart. He hated her for her weakness, but after being provoked by her soft gaze, he couldn''t bear to reprimand her pitiful appearance.


    But is this still the Imperial Noble Lady Ya that I know? He had been fooling around in the palace, trying to catch rabbits in the mountains, or he was going to explore that weird house in the middle of the night.


    He shook his head and sighed, as if he considered himself unlucky and was at a loss for what to do with her. He stretched out his hand to pull her up from a small chrysanthemum flower on the ground. Then, he turned around and squeezed his way towards the most crowded group of people.


    Zhuang Li had naturally rejected them initially, so she was not in the mood to watch such a commotion. How could she have that kind of strength? However, when Yun Duan held her hand, it was as if there was some kind of power that separated the people on both sides, and those people immediately split apart when they saw Yun Duan. It was only then that Zhuang Li found out, because Yun Duan had used his internal energy.

 C167

    Because Yun Duan''s protector, Zhuang Li, was actually able to effortlessly walk to the center of the crowd. A peddler was splattering his saliva everywhere as he introduced the fire red chrysanthemum in front of him.


    "This chrysanthemum flower was brought back from the South Mountain to be planted. Because it was exposed to too much sunlight, it became a rare color. Red like fire, its name is Fire Phoenix ¡­"


    Although for Zhuang Li who had long seen the world, the majority of chrysanthemums were yellow in color, but after going through continuous breeding, the multicolored chrysanthemums in the modern world were no longer a rare sight. Instead, they were exceptionally common.


    However, in this era, chrysanthemums were mainly yellow and white. In contrast, the number of other colors of chrysanthemums was slightly fewer. Just now, they had encountered a purple plant on the way here, and the onlookers had blocked the way.


    The owner of that purple chrysanthemum flower was still fooling around. He said that this chrysanthemum flower was originally white as well, and that it could only turn purple when it had been transformed by the purple flower fairy from the heavens ¡­


    After all, things were still valuable, so it was naturally the words of the peddler. It was just like how, in ancient times, people did not know how the glass was refined in the west and felt that its bright and transparent color was exceptionally dazzling, even spending a large amount of money to buy it, thinking it was equivalent to a Night Pearl.


    People''s approval of things was indeed related to whether or not they knew that species.


    Hearing this, Zhuang Li could only sigh and shake her head nonstop in her heart ¡­ As expected, they were all ignorant humans ¡­ I don''t know who to send to save you.


    Although there were few red chrysanthemums on the market, they had been introduced to the palace. Nearing Zhong Yang, there were probably many places in the palace where chrysanthemums were changed. He lived under the Opposite Moon House, which was just an ordinary yellow color, but the large smell of the flowers was very faint. As a result, it did not attract Zhuang Li''s attention.


    The boss was still boasting about his amazing chrysanthemum. He wanted to sell it for a good price as long as there were more people around. The final bid was already as high as five taels of silver ¡­


    That was equivalent to the cost of a normal family for a month ¡­


    However, it was obvious that there were many young miss and young master from wealthy families visiting the flower market, so they were not afraid, and the prices continued to rise as they competed with each other.


    Zhuang Li naturally felt that it was meaningless after hearing it for a while, so she turned around and prepared to leave. Just as she was about to leave, he was attracted by an exceptionally exquisite yellow chrysanthemum flower beside him.


    It wasn''t because there was anything special about it, but because the flower pot was especially good. The flower pot was big and round, and the color was pure gold. Although there was nothing special about it, the most ordinary variety was particularly good.


    Coming out from the flower market, Zhuang Li dragged Yun Duan and aimlessly walked down the street. Yun Duan followed behind, carrying the pot of golden chrysanthemum in his arms.


    Normally, Zhuang Li would definitely go and tease him.


    It was near dusk and Zhuang Li was still wandering around, she did not want to return to the palace. Although she was not willing to come out previously, but after coming out, she did not want to, so she could not help but feel stifled.


    He walked aimlessly down the street, neither looking around nor caring about the messy items that littered the street. They were colorful, but they could not muster up a temper no matter what. Yun Duan also unexpectedly quietened down, and followed behind obediently with the potted flower in his arms.


    If it was any other time, they would probably have started bickering endlessly long ago.


    He didn''t know how long he had been walking, nor did he know whether he was in the east or west parts of the city. He only stopped in front of a pavilion and suddenly felt that it seemed somewhat familiar.


    Looking at the surroundings, it seemed like they were still within the bustling area of the capital, it was obvious that there was everything around them. The seller of noodles, the seller of cakes, and the owner of all sorts of small shops all lit up at night.


    The pavilion was just like that, quietly standing there with its doors closed. The roof was exquisite, but there was quite a bit of dust on it. It seemed like it had been idle for a long time.


    Why was no one living in a pavilion in a bustling area of the capital? Zhuang Li couldn''t help but start to think until she saw the exceptionally familiar and low-key signboard.


    Brightmoon Restaurant...


    Roughly ten years ago, when he had yet to leave the capital for the West Cold, this place was a bustling scene. At that time, she had just arrived at Zhao Ci''s body, and because she was living an uncomfortable life in the Prime Minister''s Estate, she would always rush over to the Brightmoon Restaurant to eat and drink.


    There was a Young Master Baishi inside the building, and there was also a Miss Hong Feng. Young Master Baishi wore a mask all year round, and was not willing to take it off easily.


    She never saw the face behind the mask again.


    "How did this building end up like this?" She was so confused that she couldn''t help but ask the people around her.


    "Old man, where are the people in this building?"


    She asked an old man who was doing business beside her. That old man looked at Zhuang Li as if he was looking at a weirdo. Everyone seemed to know about it.


    "What''s so strange about this building?"


    "Isn''t this Young Master Baishi''s Brightmoon Restaurant? Why did it become like this? Then where did the Young Master Baishi go? "


    Once he talked about Young Master Baishi, the old man seemed to finally understand what was going on. However, it seemed like a very long time had passed, he needed to frown as he tried his best to think about it.


    "Young Master Baishi? That was years ago, and then one day they moved out. No one remains. "


    "Then why is this building so empty? "This area is so bustling, yet no other merchants would go there to do business?"


    The old man laughed out loud, "You''re right. Quite a few merchants have taken a fancy to this building. However, the owner doesn''t want to sell it. He would rather be empty and willful ¡­" He chuckled, as if trying to remember something from a long time ago.


    "This building has already been empty for many years. Let me think, at that time, I was also doing business here. That''s right, the Young Master Baishi probably moved away when the Emperor ascended the throne ¡­" He continued to laugh heartily, and ignored Zhuang Li, busy with her own matters.


    That building stood lonely at the end of the street, as if it was extremely lonely. However, Zhuang Li really wanted to open the door and look at her memories of the capital. With the Young Master Baishi and Hong Feng, could they still remember the tables where the martial artists ate?


    In the end, she resisted her impulse and forcefully shifted her gaze away from the building. She was afraid that if she could not resist opening the sealed wooden door, her memories would rush in like floodwaters.


    Although he was a man, she could feel his exquisite and exquisite features. He was wearing a mask, which made people feel that he was incomparably mysterious.


    At that time, he was the only one who could move Liu Yiyi, the renowned courtesan in the capital.


    The zither''s melodious voice was like heavenly music to the ears, making one feel as if one had drunk a glass of wine.


    Zhuang Li couldn''t help but touch her forehead, as if she still remembered the Young Master Baishi''s words that he would be willing to accompany me to drink a cup when he grows up.


    That memory was like her own life being sucked into a whirlpool. She wanted to hold on to it, but it was impossible. In the end, she would follow her and disappear into the unknown.


    It was on the way back from the Brightmoon Restaurant that she met Wang Su and Li Liangxiao for the first time. The little beggar looked at himself with his shiny black eyes, full of gratitude. His heart immediately felt warm like a small sun.


    "Yun Duan." Zhuang Li shouted.


    "Do you know that this is the first time I''ve met you?" She said that she was looking at the streets outside the Brightmoon Restaurant. At that time, she met the young man here. Yun Duan pulled the rein in time so that he did not disfigure the horse.


    Yun Duan, on the other hand, was at a loss. For a while, he didn''t understand what Fu Li was talking about. Perhaps Zhuang Li had changed so much that he could not connect the two together. Or perhaps he had long forgotten about such a small incident.


    Zhuang Li slowly squatted down. She had always felt that she didn''t have much to do with this world, and that she wouldn''t have much to do with this capital, where she had no memories of her own, but at this time, she felt extremely uncomfortable. If she really never belonged to this world, then how could she have so many ties with this world?


    The scene before her eyes had become extremely blurry due to her tearful eyes. In a trance, she saw a carriage coming towards her, and she could only remember that back when Yun Duan was driving the carriage towards her. That kind of boundary allowed her to clearly distinguish between dream and reality.


    When the carriage came to a halt and stopped in front of her, she raised her head and shed a few tears before being carried by the person who had alighted from the carriage.


    Wang Su came out of the palace to pick her up...


    He opened his arms and held her in his arms as he softly and firmly said those words ¡­


    "It''s time to go home ¡­"


    An unexpected sense of belonging suddenly arose in his heart. She had been living in this world for too long, and yet she suddenly felt at home in front of her. She didn''t feel uncomfortable at all.


    Maybe even earlier, her heart had already treated the place with Wang Su as her home?


    She was twenty years old, and as Zhao Ci''s age she was already twenty. Even though she did not remember when she would be able to celebrate her birthday, Ge Ya had always treated the day of meeting Zhuang Li as her birthday, and had always been celebrating every year.


    In the blink of an eye, she had already been in this world for so long ¡­


    She, who was twenty years old, did not marry Xi Cuo as she had promised back then. Or perhaps she thought that she had already missed him too much and didn''t want to miss any more because of her hesitation ¡­

 C168

    When Zhuang Li turned around, she found that Wang Su was right beside him, almost touching his own cheeks. She lightly blinked her eyes as her eyelashes swept across that extraordinarily handsome face. She looked ice-cold, but a smile appeared in her eyes.


    Zhuang Li was actually a little shy for a moment, even she did not expect that, as a modern man ¡­ What have you never seen before?


    "Your Majesty ¡­" "This servant has something important to report ¡­"


    The person who spoke was the Eunuch Li outside the door, and his words carried a trace of anxiety.


    "I''ll be right back."


    Seeing Zhuang Li''s appearance, Wang Su actually felt that it was funny, even though he was unwilling to leave.


    Zhuang Li only made two "En" sounds, and then was buried under the blanket, her voice was low and muffled. Vaguely hearing the voice, Wang Su, who had already gotten up and changed his clothes, chuckled.


    When she sat up, Qing You was already waiting with the water basin in her hands.


    "What do you know ¡­" She patted the head of the servant who had grown up with her, not bothering to explain anymore, but even she herself could feel the happiness in her heart. She liked that person, and wanted to have a family. But she had a home. That person was Wang Su.


    She wanted to stay by that person''s side day and night, no longer fearing the loneliness of the palace. She wanted to look at him like that, to be where she was.


    She had just been groomed and washed by Qing You when she saw the small palace maid, who was being served by the Opposite Moon House, hurriedly enter.


    "What''s wrong?"


    The little palace maid did not expect that Zhuang Li would already be awake, but she was still shocked. She quickly walked over and cautiously said.


    "Empress, I heard that something happened in the imperial court today."


    "Something has happened!" Zhuang Li reflexively repeated herself, and for a moment, her head did not know what to say. The emperor had just left his place, what could happen? Could it be that just because they knew martial arts, someone had angered the Emperor?


    The small palace girl was also shocked by Zhuang Li''s reaction, but she managed to hold it in as she started to recount the news she heard.


    "Not long after the Emperor left for the imperial court, he received several reports from his lordship. They all impeached each other, and the person leading them seems to be the Great Master."


    Although Zhuang Li had never participated in the matters of imperial court, after being served by the Imperial Study for so long, she still knew the general situation. The Lord Yin Tai and the generals who supported the Emperor had always been incompatible, always finding fault. However, it was said that the Lord Yin Tai was a distant relative of the late emperor Zhang Mengyu, and was also the founder of the empire, so they were extremely closely linked to the previous imperial family and were naturally King Bi''s supporters. Although the Emperor had always wanted to drive him out of the imperial court, the helpless thing was that he had no proper excuse and his authority was too great.


    Whether it was in terms of imperial court in the capital or in the land controlled by the Great Phoenix, half of the officials in the counties or prefectures had direct or indirect connections to him, forming a chain of interests even stronger than the one used by the Ninth Prince in the past. No matter what he did, he would openly find out the opposite of the Emperor''s theory.


    The reason why Wang Su was willing to accept the Prime Minister Zhao, who was only a corrupt subject like him, to not pursue him down, and instead develop him into his own force, was because he still needed some cunning and crafty people to contend against Yin Tai. At the very least, the Emperor had played a decisive role in obtaining the throne back then.


    Now that he had stood up and launched an attack, it was likely something that would embarrass the emperor.


    "Who told you that?" She quickly asked the little girl in all seriousness. After all, there were plenty of things going on in the palace, so it was very likely that someone was trying to catch the wind and catch the shadows.


    "Empress, I didn''t dare to spread the news. It was the young eunuch that I heard from the Imperial Study, so I pulled him over and asked him in detail. However, he didn''t know what it was, and only said that when he was waiting outside the imperial court, he saw Lord Yin Tai being dragged out by the Emperor. I''ll come back and tell you. "


    Zhuang Li immediately sat back down. No matter what reason the emperor used, if he had already decided to make a move on the Lord Yin Tai, it would at least mean that the relationship between the emperor and the Prince Bi had truly ended this time.


    She only had a rough idea of what was going on between the two of them from the words of Prince Bi and Wang Su. Although Prince Bi had lost the throne to Wang Su, he had always felt guilty towards his younger brother, and this matter seemed to have something to do with Wang Su''s mother, Mei Fei.


    And Wang Su said that his mother was killed because of him when he tried to fight for the throne. Then what connection did he have with the Prince Bi?


    Zhuang Li immediately thought of that extremely powerful mother of the Prince Bi. Even after many years, no one was able to reach his level.


    Since her own son was doted on by the old emperor, the mother of the crown prince would naturally be the future empress dowager. If the Prince Bi was able to successfully inherit the throne back then, perhaps the entire imperial harem would be different from how it was now.


    Zhuang Li sighed, she had already vaguely felt the connection between these matters, only that she was even more certain now that the death of Wang Su''s mother, Imperial Consort Mei, was definitely related to the Prince Bi''s mother, the late emperor''s empress.


    Thus, these two brothers, who were clearly particularly good, were able to endure the current situation.


    But now that even the Lord Yin Tai had fallen, the factions that had split up in the empire would finally unite.


    And at this time, Zhuang Li suddenly thought of a person. She didn''t know why she would suddenly think of such a person.


    Lord Yin Tai''s Wife... Liu Yiyi...


    Fate with Liu Yiyi was naturally when she was hungry in the Brightmoon Restaurant back then, that beautiful woman who played the zither made little Zhuang Li feel ashamed of her appearance for the first time.


    When she returned to the capital, the only person she had seen was Lord Yin Tai''s wife, Liu Yiyi, who had informed the Hundred Flowers Banquet held in empress. She had heard that she had been married to Lord Yin Tai, whose age was higher than her, for several years already.


    Now that Yin Tai had fallen into such a predicament, it was unknown what she would do ¡­


    He was an old friend after all. Naturally, it was fated to be fated, so he couldn''t help but feel a bit worried. However, this might be the relationship between the human world and this. Everyone had their own destiny. Regardless of whether they deserved it or not, or whether it was worth it ¡­


    When Zhuang Li saw that the emperor was already deep into the night, she originally thought that the emperor would be at the Imperial Study realm tonight to deal with the events that would happen next, so she just sat in front of the window that could directly look at the Imperial Study, and waited to see the light of the Eunuch Li rise. So when someone hugged her from behind and put their head on her neck, she was also extremely shocked.


    "Your majesty?"


    "Just tell me to go to Wang Su."


    His voice was slow, seemingly filled with infinite exhaustion. Yes, his voice was deep and gentle. Zhuang Li did not notice that Wang Su''s voice could actually sound so nice.


    "Are you tired?" Zhuang Li asked him, wanting him to sit down, but the latter didn''t move, and just wanted to hug him like this.


    "I''ve finally chased him out today. I don''t need to see him again ¡­"


    "Are you talking about the Lord Yin Tai?"


    The people behind did not expect Zhuang Li to know about this, she simply nodded on her shoulder as an answer.


    "I know he''s done a lot of bad things to help the old ¡­ In the past, Zhang Mengyu did a lot of evil things, but I just couldn''t do anything about it ¡­ "


    Zhuang Li did not speak anymore, and only waited for the people behind him to slowly finish speaking.


    "Zhang Mengyu, is Wang Bi''s mother, and is also my sworn enemy ¡­"


    He said this almost through gritted teeth. Zhuang Li could feel just how much hatred was hidden within the man behind him. He had lost her mother when she was young, and had walked every step of the way up to this day. She didn''t want her fate to be left behind by those masked men, and if she wanted something, she would have to take it, fight for it, and keep her future firmly in her hands.


    He had already paid too much for this. From the child who had lost his only mother to the current Great Phoenix Emperor, how much effort had he expended? The power within the court was not as obedient as it seemed on the surface. He tried repeatedly to fight with those people. With the accumulation of time, that man''s power in his hands had increased more and more.


    Those people wore hypocritical masks, their hands were covered with the blood of kind-hearted people, but they were still able to openly stand within the imperial court and still face themselves. He was doing something that hurt the country he had to protect. How did he manage to get through all that?


    Only when he finally gathered his strength and found an opportunity to start his ambitions did he discover that there were some things that he might not be able to obtain even if he tried exceptionally hard.


    For example, if his mother didn''t return, he would no longer be able to like his big brother Wang Bi the way a child would be back then.


    Zhuang Li could not bear to be moved, she was afraid that she would be startled by the people resting behind him.


    He fell asleep...


    She couldn''t help but feel that the high and mighty Emperor was now like a child. She wanted to give him a home, a home deep in the palace, surrounded by layers of palace walls. As long as he wanted it, she would do it ¡­


    There was no longer any relation between power and benefits. The man beside him was just a husband who had been coexisting with him for a long time in modern times. The two of them might have been guarding their small family and already felt extremely happy.

 C169

    Zhuang Li had originally wanted to meet Liu Yiyi, but she didn''t know what kind of identity he should have right now.


    Besides, she didn''t know what kind of identity she should have to face that woman. Calling himself Zhao Ci?


    The chaos in the imperial court was not silenced by Yintai''s imprisonment. On the contrary, it intensified, but it did give the impression that things would finally get back on track after such chaos.


    However, the matter regarding the Lord Yin Tai had occurred because the emperor had pushed Wang Bi even further away from himself. It had been a long time since he last saw the Prince Bi, and it seemed that he had already broken off all contact with the imperial government.


    In the middle of the autumn, the chrysanthemums in the palace blossomed even more beautifully. The pot of chrysanthemums that he had bought at the Flower Market were properly placed and nourished at the entrance of the Opposite Moon House. It should have been given to him by Yun Duan, but he did not know when it was sent over. He was probably afraid of disturbing his, so he put down the flower pot and left.


    The chrysanthemums in the capital were exceptionally blooming, and some people even suggested that they stay in the outskirts of the palace for a period of time. However, he was too busy to stop and rest.


    After working until the end of the month, he finally felt a bit more relaxed, but then something happened. Although this matter was done out of the face of the dynasty, it was still related to Zhuang Li.


    The envoy from West Cold had arrived.


    Originally, Wang Su only wanted to let the environment on the borders of Phoenix Dynasty be improved so that the citizens on the borders could live a peaceful life. At the very least, he didn''t want to be harassed by the West Cold all the time and he didn''t want to control that country and keep it in his own pocket. Moreover, too many things had happened to the imperial court of the Great Phoenix recently, so their control over it had been even more loose. This time, the West Cold envoy had come to represent the King of West Cold, hoping that his sister Ge Ya would be able to return to the West Cold Province to visit the old king''s grave or something like that.


    They clearly knew that Zhuang Li was not the real Princess of West Cold, but she had played dumb. They did not know what she was up to.


    Wang Su was naturally especially unhappy. He did not pursue the matter of and Prince, which could be considered letting them go as well, but this matter of course caused him to be angry in his heart, and if it wasn''t for the imperial court, he would probably rush over and beat up that ungrateful envoy.


    However, that was above the imperial court that everyone respected. His entire face instantly fell, but he merely said those words in a cold and unhurried manner.


    "The princess is sick, I''m afraid she doesn''t have the stamina to travel to the West Cold from the Great Phoenix."


    Who would have thought that the envoy would be so shameless? He did not retreat tactfully at this time, but instead shouted:


    "Your Majesty, the reason why Princess of West Cold is so sick right now is definitely because she is extremely nostalgic, and it is even more appropriate for him to follow me back to the West Cold to recuperate for a period of time. To tell you the truth, our king is also sick, he is the princess'' Second Brother, we grew up together, there hasn''t been many people left in the royal family who have cared for his little sister.


    Wang Su frowned, restraining the impulse to run down and tear the person in front of him to shreds. However, he could only maintain a hypocritical smile as he continued to play around with him.


    "Princess is now my Ya Fei. Naturally, I want to understand your feelings and your body. I will make proper arrangements, and please go back and tell the king."


    When Zhuang Li started to gossip about this matter, she also found it extremely strange. This envoy was sent by the current king of the West Cold, so he was naturally the Second Prince Highness of the past. Because after Xi Cuo hid himself, he became the sole successor of the West Cold royalty. Although he was not a good king, he had taken on a lot of responsibilities. He knew that he wasn''t involved in Ge Ya''s business, and disguised as Ge Ya to head for the Great Phoenix was all he could do without''s help.


    However, talking about the past, he particularly hated himself. After all, the scheme he had plotted had been defeated by Ge Ya and himself.


    All those years ago, when he had dug a hole and plotted against Eldest Prince and Xi Cuo, he and Ge Ya had stood firmly by Xi Cuo''s side. Although the matter was already over, it was certain that the relationship between her and the Second Prince was different and they didn''t meet each other. How could he possibly come out at this time and say that he wanted to see her?


    Furthermore, she was naturally extremely unwilling to leave Wang Su.


    She already had a home, and the outside world was so vast. It all had nothing to do with her.


    But when could matters between countries be governed by a woman''s will?


    That fellow actually said that he was old friends with the princess and hoped to meet her once ¡­ Even though Wang Su had rejected her with her severe illness ¡­


    No matter what, they could not understand why West Cold would suddenly bring up this issue. At this moment, when they were still unable to raise their heads from being defeated by Da Feng, suddenly mentioning their weaknesses, wasn''t this equivalent to courting death ¡­


    Zhuang Li only heard about this kind of thing when she was in the Imperial Study tea house waiting for him, but when she asked about Wang Su at night, Zhuang Li told him not to think too much about it.


    "Just ignore them, do they really want to expose their weaknesses? It''s most likely because I''ve done them too much favors in the past year, and that I''ve withdrawn troops from many towns, there''s almost no control over them. I naturally hope that both nations will stay in the water and not touch the river. Even if it''s the most barren border of our Great Phoenix Country, they will consciously not provoke us. Now that they saw that Da Feng had treated them well and given them many benefits, they were naturally unwilling to accept it. "It seems like the tactics that will be used against them next year will have to change ¡­"


    As he continued to speak, she fell asleep. Zhuang Li did not ask too much and was comforted somewhat, but she still had a lot of doubts in her heart and could only sleep with a heavy heart.


    Although the West Cold looked calm on the surface, a lot of tiny things still quietly happened under the undercurrent. For example, for Li Liangxiao. Thinking about it, Zhuang Li couldn''t help but burst into tears. If she did not have to worry about the relationship between West Cold and the Great Phoenix, and Wang Su''s emotions, she really wished that he could ride his Little Flower Horse alone and go through the endless West Cold to find his little brother.


    Although Wang Su knew that it was useless, and even sent a lot of people to secretly investigate, there was still no result.


    There were also many things that seemed to imply something. Those traces were extremely secretive, making it difficult for one to guess the meaning behind them.


    Furthermore, even after this matter had occurred, the envoy of the West Cold still resided in the capital. However, Wang Su intentionally allowed Zhuang Li to avoid the Imperial Study, and it was rare for him to know the rest of this matter.


    The next day, when Zhuang Li was about to go to Imperial Study, he met Eunuch Li. She blocked the way out of the teahouse.


    "The emperor said he would discuss matters with the minister, but the anger is too great. Even the Empress can''t go in now ¡­"


    Zhuang Li naturally felt that something was amiss. Although Eunuch Li was a man who never spoke ill of others, and no one had ever been able to pry out the slightest bit of information they wanted to know, Zhuang Li could only give it a try.


    "Eunuch, did something happen at court? You know that I only know how to do good for the emperor and don''t have any other intentions. What I want to know is, did something happen that would make things difficult for the emperor? Does it have anything to do with me? "


    She looked at Eunuch Li especially seriously, hoping to see something from that calm face.


    But the latter didn''t have the slightest reaction and was still the same as before.


    "Empress, you''re overthinking things. Even this servant doesn''t know about the matters of the court. This servant only dares to wait outside the door ¡­"


    Zhuang Li did not have a choice, although in her heart she was thinking, you are probably just waiting for me to stop.


    Disappointed, he knew that it was useless to continue arguing over the matter. Thus, he turned around to leave. She heard the Eunuch Li behind her speak again.


    "Empress, don''t worry. The Emperor is extremely fond of the Empress." "This servant has been in the palace for so many years. Although I''m old, I know ¡­"


    This was probably the warmest thing that the old man could say. In that moment, Zhuang Li was still moved, but she felt a lot more relaxed.


    At night, the emperor did not come over. Zhuang Li sat by the window the entire time, watching the Imperial Study in the slightly swaying light. She thought about how the man she loved had written that beautiful handwriting under the light.


    The moment she closed her eyes, she felt as if she was sitting in a teahouse, just like she had done for days and nights, guarding the person she especially liked.


    The lights were on until very late at night. It was so late that Zhuang Li fell asleep right in front of the window. She woke up only when she almost bumped into the table.


    The sky was already bright as he opened his eyes, and hurriedly looked in the direction of the Imperial Study. The gentle morning sunlight shone on the palace. The numerous plants in the sky also attracted a lot of birds that were building their nests. A few sparrows were calling out from the windows, appearing exceptionally lively.


    She suddenly felt very fond of days like this. It was as if she wasn''t in a palace with layers of high walls, but rather in a small farmyard, with a husband who liked her. She wanted to save this life. If only she could live this life forever, how good would it be?


    Naturally, everything Zhuang Li thought of was too simple. On that morning, she saw an unfamiliar eunuch. The eunuch walked all the way to the Opposite Moon House with a bow, saying that he had something to see Zhuang Li about.


    Zhuang Li was not a person with airs. Although she did not have much contact with the palace, there were still quite a few s from different departments who would occasionally ask for an audience, order new clothes, or fawn over the legendary Ya Fei. Although they did not like her, they still had to deal with her occasionally.


    "Let him in."


    Only after that person had entered the Opposite Moon House did he properly stand up. His figure was far larger than his appearance, and his face was that of a standard West Cold person''s.


    It''s the people at the West Cold Envoys ¡­

 C170

    Zhuang Li had tried her best to ask about the information regarding the West Cold before. Was Xi Cuo still alive, and had Da Feng found out where they were? She wanted to hear the news that all was well.


    In this past year, the West Cold had gradually walked out of the chaos that had occurred during the war, and every single word that he heard from the teahouse was talking about the economy of the West Cold.


    Since her West Cold had already settled, there was naturally no need for the people she was worried about to worry. She was always by Wang Su''s side and she naturally knew that Wang Su had never once thought of forcing his West Cold onto a path of no return. He even clearly knew the general direction in which Ge Ya and Xi Cuo were going, but he was too lazy to chase after them. All he wanted was for them to be obedient so that when Da Feng completely withdrew his troops from the West Cold, they would protect their own responsibilities and not cause trouble at the border anymore ¡­


    After all, Zhuang Li had always felt satisfied just by being able to live carefree.


    At this time, he suddenly saw that the eunuch, who was originally bent over to look especially short, had suddenly stood up, revealing his tall stature. His deep eyes, clearly showed that he was a person of West Cold ¡­


    He sighed in his heart out of reflex. Was this guy giving up his life?


    Before, he had many questions and worries about West Cold, but now, facing a West Cold practitioner who clearly wanted to pass on a message, he suddenly couldn''t open his mouth. He couldn''t seem to remember anything.


    That West Cold individual risked his life to pass through those heavy palace gates, and in the end, arrived in front of, but Zhuang Li was not the least bit touched. However, at this moment, she needed him. She needed his information. She also needed him to mention the information she had sent him.


    "My name is Matsumoto, and I am here for the princess. The Princess said that maybe I can call you Princess Zhuang Li. Your position in the Xiao Imperial Palace is as noble as her. "


    Sure enough, he had come in Ge Ya''s stead, and was not the current king of West Cold, the Second Prince Highness back then. For a moment, his impression of him increased greatly, and he wanted to ask about the situation of her old friend.


    "No need. If you''re someone from Ge Ya''s clan, you can just call me Zhuang Li." She looked at the man in front of her, and Ge Ya''s spirited face appeared in her mind.


    When the West Cold disciple called Matsumoto saw Zhuang Li''s easygoing attitude, he immediately heaved a sigh of relief, as if he still doubted Ge Ya''s words before she came.


    "The princess wants me to come to the capital to meet you no matter what ¡­"


    "How is she?" Zhuang Li interrupted him and asked about the situation of her little sister who was still far away.


    "The princess is very well, and the prince is very well as well ¡­" He seemed to be afraid that Zhuang Li wouldn''t understand, so he added another sentence.


    "It''s His Highness Xi Cuo ¡­"


    "I got it ¡­" "Go back and tell them that I''m fine too ¡­"


    That person from the West Cold seemed to not know what to say after hearing Zhuang Li''s straightforward and simple reply. Initially, when she came, the princess was still tearing for her friend because her fate in the palace was unfair. She wanted to think of a way to save her, but the woman in front of her, with just a few simple words, had sent her away? Was the friend that she and Princess Ge Ya were talking about the same person?


    "..." Don''t you want to leave the palace? Princess Ge Ya gave us an order to bring you back to the West Cold no matter what happens. I''m here to contact you first, there are still many people outside the city who will listen to your orders ¡­ "


    Zhuang Li naturally did not expect Ge Ya to have such a plan, although it was too reckless, for these people, to mix in with them, was it really luck, did they think that there would not be any experts in the Great Phoenix? If she met someone like Yun Duan, he would not even be able to go through the Opposite Moon House.


    "Since you came here with the envoy, then do your duty of protecting the envoy''s safety. I''ve heard that the envoy angered the emperor, so if you''re interested, you should try to persuade him. Also, please tell Princess Ge Ya that everything is fine for me and that I''m not willing to leave the Great Phoenix. I know she''s doing well, but I also feel relieved. If fate has brought us together in this life, we will naturally meet again. "


    That person from the West Cold was naturally stunned by Zhuang Li''s words. He had never imagined that Zhuang Li seemed to be unwilling to leave the palace as he thought about how to avoid the guards, how to sneak into the palace, and how to take Zhuang Li out of the palace. What kind of arrangements should be made to ensure that she completed Princess Ge Ya''s orders.


    He could not understand what Zhuang Li was really thinking. She had snuck all the way into this layers of a palace, and even though she felt it was grand and magnificent, it was more like a heavy chain that imprisoned a person. How could anyone not want to leave?


    The people of West Cold loved freedom, and they had always heard the Princess talk about them being the two little magpies on the West Cold grape arbour. However, if Zhuang Li was the magpie who yearned for freedom as mentioned by the princess, how could she fly and start singing in such a deep palace?


    "Why? Would Princess Zhuang Li not like to return to the West Cold? You don''t want to see Princess Ge Ya and Her Highness Xi Cuo again? " He couldn''t help but ask for the princess''s sake.


    "Just tell the princess that I am now the wife of the Great Phoenix Emperor and that I have given my heart to him. Since I love him, I will naturally stay here. There was a chance to meet Princess Ge Ya, so the two nations could not possibly continue their stalemate. Please also tell His Highness Xi Cuo ¡­ "


    She had originally wanted to say more, but the Great Phoenix did not have any plans to merge the West Cold. It was just that the disputes between the West Cold and the borders of the Great Phoenix were far too numerous. But how could he bear to say that to his friend when he thought about it? The war had cost the old king his life, even though he was old and not well enough to go downhill year after year. And it was undeniable that his life had ended because of the war.


    Xi Cuo, on the other hand, was only saved after wandering around the gates of hell for so long because of his injuries during the battle. To them, the Great Phoenix was their national hatred, so how could they be willing to listen to what he had to say? I''m afraid the relationship between the two countries will be even worse.


    After all, in that war, the West Cold royal family had indeed paid the price of blood ¡­


    But, the borders of the Great Phoenix had already shed blood and cried for many years due to the harassment from the West Cold. The barren land might not be enough to make the citizens lower their heads, but what was even more troubling was the prolonged invasion of West Cold bandits. They plundered money until they realized that the place was already poor, and then they began to attack women and children...


    Wasn''t this why I reached the West Cold back then? Wasn''t she clear about what kind of ordeal she had experienced? If not for the fact that Xi Cuo and Ge Ya, who happened to pass by that time to save her, she wouldn''t even dare to imagine what kind of fate would have befallen her because of those bandits ¡­


    However, how could a person who carried a national grudge consider such things? However, she still had to pass on her feelings to him.


    She loved Wang Su. Even if it meant living in a palace, she would still live here, and she was willing to do so.


    That kind of love was extremely strong. She wanted to guard him like this and light the candles in the night for him. Watching him fall asleep with his eyelashes quivering, he felt sorry for anyone.


    No matter what she did, she would make that person feel happy. That was her best wish.


    Zhuang Li''s words made that envoy from the West Cold unable to react. He was still unable to accept it in the end. Why was the woman in front of him different from what Princess Ge Ya had said? Why wasn''t she willing to follow him back to the West Cold? Why did she suddenly fall in love with the cold and heartless Emperor of the Great Phoenix?


    The Great Phoenix Emperor had so many wives, but this was because Xi Cuo wanted to wait for this woman in front of him to never get married.


    He wasn''t sure if he should knock out the woman in front of him, then stuff her into a sack and bring her back to the West Cold. He would think about it after seeing the princess.


    However, on the way here, he naturally knew that the imperial palace of the Great Phoenix was heavily guarded. It was already too difficult for him to sneak in, so how could he bring a reluctant woman in a cloth bag and escape from the palace?


    But no matter what, he still had to ask a few questions for His Royal Highness.


    "Have you never loved His Highness Xi Cuo? Your Highness has been waiting for you to return. In his heart, you have long been his only wangfei. "


    Zhuang Li didn''t know how to explain this to the man standing in front of him. She couldn''t explain the relationship between a man and a woman herself, let alone a man who looked like a fool and hadn''t even been in a relationship. She had indeed tacitly allowed him to be her consort on many occasions, but how could she explain her feelings to the person in front of her? What kind of feelings could be considered love?


    Should she write a love poem on the spot to express how much she loved Wang Su? What kind of love?


    Whether that man was passionate or indifferent to her, she liked all of them ¡­


    She could only constantly emphasize this to the West Cold user, as she herself would not return there. Right now, the Great Phoenix was her true homeland ¡­


    Seeing that persuading Zhuang Li was ineffective, the person from West Cold was unwilling. Before leaving, he gave a small bamboo tube to Zhuang Li to keep.


    "These are fireworks with special characteristics, we are still about ten days away from leaving. If you change your mind, you can release the fireworks into the sky at night. No matter what the situation in the palace is like, or whether it is paying with your life or something, we will definitely come to pick you up and bring you back to West Cold."


    His words were especially cautious, causing Zhuang Li to have no choice but to keep the firework, although she knew that it was impossible for her to light it up.


    However, perhaps he could just leave them for her to think about. The feelings of a distant friend towards him, letting him feel their feelings, was already the best belonging to this relationship ¡­

 C171

    Only after the people from the West Cold had left did Zhuang Li allow Qing You to enter. Presumably, she had long since heard their conversation from outside the door.


    "Do you miss West Cold? Do you like this palace? " Zhuang Li asked.


    The little girl from back then was now slim and graceful. Compared to Zhuang Li, she seemed much more lively and spirited.


    "I''ve long since gotten used to this place. Wherever the young miss is, I''ll be there ¡­"


    Zhuang Li looked at this little girl, she seemed to be even taller than him. It had been so many years, no matter what had happened, she had always been by her side, and did not really live her life. At most, she would wait for another year before sending her out. Her future life would be around her husband and children, so how could she waste it on herself ¡­


    Autumn passed quickly, and soon it was winter. The day before, he seemed to have been sighing about how long the chrysanthemums had been blooming, and then he saw their large flowers wither.


    The capital was located to the north. Winter was fast and cold. Just after October, the Emperor had already sent someone to deliver Jadefallen''s cotton-padded clothing. Although Zhuang Li felt cold, she didn''t want to wear it. She would even learn from the common sense her mother had taught him when she was young, saying that if Dong Tianleng was stronger, her body would be stronger.


    But it all broke down one cold, rainy morning. When he woke up in the morning and had just opened the window, cold wind blew in from outside. The wind was mixed with the cold rain water and caused Zhuang Li to shiver. He quickly jumped back from the window.


    He crawled back into the blanket.


    The people from the West Cold had never come to find her again. Perhaps, on the night before their departure, they would stand by the window and look in the direction of the Imperial Palace, hoping that Zhuang Li would light up her fireworks before they took her away.


    She thought back to how she and Ge Ya had curled up on top of a small bed while the wind was blowing white in those years of West Cold. They were squeezed together in such a warm manner.


    At that time, the relationship between the two of them had long surpassed that of sisters, which was why she could understand what kind of person Ge Ya was. She was the Princess of West Cold, and had a very long and good life ahead of her.


    That was why she had to leave her in the West Cold. Protecting her freedom was more important than her sisters and relatives.


    How could she miss her after so many years?


    The envoy of the West Cold had already left half a month ago, so Zhuang Li took out the firework pipe and showed it to the young eunuch s of the Imperial Study to play with. When asked, he said it was brought in from outside the palace when she was last out.


    The weather was getting colder and colder, yet Zhuang Li, who had been holed up in his Opposite Moon House all day, could not feel it. The emperor had already instructed him to tidy up the Opposite Moon House so that it would become warm.


    At the end of November, the first snow fell on the capital.


    She followed Yun Duan to Li Liangxiao''s home at the side of the city. All this while, she had been unwilling to face Uncle Zheng. She did not want to spread such news.


    As you get older, you lose more and more. But the last thing the white-haired man wanted to see was a black-haired man. That seems to remind them that


    You have nothing more to lose now...


    Zhuang Li said with certainty that perhaps Li Liangxiao was just in an accident, but he was still alive and well. There will be a day when he will return ¡­


    And after the first snowfall, Zhuang Li saw another person. She had always wanted to see him, but there was no reason or opportunity. Now that person had found her. They were waiting right outside Li Liangxiao''s door. When she and Yun Duan came out, they immediately saw her wrapped in a thick cloak.


    Liu Yiyi...


    Even though she was not implicated after the Lord Yin Tai went to prison, she had already been through a lot of raids on her family. Although there had never been any disgrace under her control, her vitality had been greatly damaged. Perhaps, it should be said to be even more serious. Now, she couldn''t even protect herself anymore ¡­


    She naturally did not expect that Liu Yiyi would take the initiative to meet her.


    In a small tavern near the capital, it wasn''t easy to find a quiet room upstairs. The waiter brought two cups of hot wine and the woman put down her cloak.


    Her appearance seemed to have changed a lot. When he saw her in the past thousand years, she was still as radiant as ever. There were almost no signs of time on her face, but now she seemed tired and haggard.


    No matter what happened, that woman''s demeanor and pride never changed when she encountered such an unexpected situation ¡­


    "I only know that your majesty Ya Fei resides in the palace and her actions are low-key. It''s rare for anyone to see her, but I never thought that she would actually be such a beauty ¡­ It''s no wonder that so many men have their souls sucked away by you ¡­ "


    She said those words unhappily, causing Zhuang Li to not know whether to ridicule or praise her. She was naturally arrogant, had a capable, astute, beautiful looks, and was also quite talented. She had always been a legendary woman in the capital when people told her about it.


    Back when she was in the capital, there was almost no one who could win her radiance. It was said that it was extremely rare to meet her once in a lifetime.


    However, she just had to buy the Young Master Baishi''s account, and she came here almost at any time.


    She was considered one of the only old friends Zhuang Li had, but even if this old friend was sitting in front of him, he wouldn''t be able to go up and tell her that he was the little girl from back then.


    She still needed to care about the emperor''s face ¡­


    However, she couldn''t think of why Liu Yiyi would look for her at this time ¡­ Did she need her help? A Lord Yin Tai in prison? Thus, he continued.


    "Has Lady Yin come to see me today in hopes of meeting the Lord Yin Tai?"


    Regardless if it was the old couple or not, how many people said that Liu Yiyi suddenly changed her personality? She coveted wealth and fame, which was why she married Yin Tai so quickly, becoming one of the countless women of the old man ¡­ However, no matter how many days a husband and wife had spent together, their relationship still remained the same ¡­


    "If Madam Yin wants to see her husband, I will do my best to help ¡­" Zhuang Li continued to speak, he was exceptionally considerate to the relationship between husband and wife ¡­


    "You really are so stupid that you don''t know anything ¡­" The woman opposite him, however, giggled. Although her face was exhausted and didn''t have the same glorious appearance as the day before, her laughter was still filled with so much charm that it was intoxicating ¡­


    She had thought that she was thinking on behalf of someone else, but upon hearing these words, she felt like she was touching a cold butt instead ¡­


    Zhuang Li didn''t know how to react to this either.


    "Didn''t the Emperor tell you? I am from the Prince Bi ¡­ "


    Prince Bi... Prince Bi? There had been no Prince Bi in this world for a long time, and she actually dared to call him that. Zhuang Li suddenly seemed to understand something ¡­


    Liu Yiyi seemed to be especially satisfied with Zhuang Li''s reaction. She felt shocked, or perhaps felt that she was ignorant ¡­


    She only knew that Liu Yiyi had married Yin Tai, but she did not know that Liu Yiyi had married Yin Tai to work for Wang Bi. Furthermore, in her eyes, the Prince Bi seemed to be the legitimate king ¡­


    "Then what do you want me to do?"


    Since she couldn''t guess, she could only wait for her to say it herself ¡­


    "Although I have ended up in such a miserable state, in your eyes, I do not feel the slightest bit of regret. After all, I love him and am willing to do anything for him ¡­ "


    The him that she spoke of would naturally no longer be Yin Tai, but the Prince Bi in her heart ¡­


    "When I met him when I was young, he wasn''t a person who cared about low status and paid attention to low status. No matter if I was a prostitute or not, he would still be willing to help me. "From that time on, I became his person. As long as it''s something good for him, I will do it ¡­"


    "In my heart, he is the true master of the Great Phoenix ¡­"


    She paused, then raised her head suddenly and looked carefully at Zhuang Li''s face.


    Her meticulous observation made Zhuang Li suddenly have the thought that this woman was probably crazy.


    "But I didn''t expect him to fall in love with you ¡­"


    Zhuang Li looked at the woman. She knew what the Prince Bi was thinking, even though she had never revealed it herself. That man was indeed a very good person. He was warm, relaxed, and beautiful to the point of letting out sighs of admiration. But she could not respond to the man''s feelings. She loved Wang Su ¡­


    Liu Yiyi seemed to be especially dissatisfied with Zhuang Li''s expressionless face. She was angry in her heart, and had been holding it in for far too long, and had been wronged for far too long.


    "Yes, the person you love is Your Majesty ¡­ Do you know how sad he is? "


    Zhuang Li still looked at her coldly. She had no way of connecting this woman and the green clothed girl who was playing the zither in Young Master Baishi''s Brightmoon Restaurant. At that time, how much did she envy the woman in front of her? Her pretty face and superior zither skills ¡­


    But how did it become like this? With her shrewd mind and beautiful appearance, how could the number of men who did the wrong things because of her be few? Wouldn''t their lives be as cheap as grass in her eyes?


    "What do you want me to do?" She really didn''t want to hear any more. He directly interrupted the woman''s complaints, hoping for an answer.


    "I hope you can help me deliver a letter to the people at the edge of the palace ¡­"


    Jade Fragment Pavilion? This name was not foreign to Zhuang Li, and there was also the outskirts of the palace, so there was no mistake. It was the pavilion that she and Yun Duan had visited late into the night, where lived a fierce old nanny and a young lady who was still as pretty as ever.


    Why? What was the relationship between those two people? What does that have to do with Liu Yiyi?


    "Can''t you send it yourself? How could the clever Liu Yiyi from back then not send a letter out of the city? It might be easier than being in the palace with me ¡­


    She couldn''t understand why Liu Yiyi would beg her for this. It didn''t sound like it was a difficult task. Liu Yiyi was not someone who would go easy on others. Although the Lord Yin Tai was finished, she had to keep her own methods and people, why would she need him to deliver a letter for her? He had to understand the reason behind this.


    "I have no way of getting close to that building. The current situation is that it is even more impossible ¡­"


    Zhuang Li still looked at her, and didn''t understand what she meant.


    "The Emperor set up an army to guard that building. He''s your man, but what I can''t do, you have the chance to do ¡­"


    "I didn''t ¡­" Zhuang Li stood up and prepared to leave.


    Although she did not understand the reasons behind it, she did not expect the woman in front of her to honestly tell her that she could not do it, much less work for someone else for no reason.


    Liu Yiyi did not think that Zhuang Li would reject her so easily, and started to panic a little. She reached out and grabbed Zhuang Li, but just grabbed onto the corner of her clothes.


    "Then consider it as me begging you ¡­" She seemed to find it hard to speak, but finally she did.


    "Please, look at the person living in the pavilion, he is Prince Bi''s biological mother ¡­ Tell her to escape as soon as possible ¡­ "


    Zhuang Li never thought that she would receive such an answer, but she was also stunned for a moment. She stabilized her state of mind, turned and said to Liu Yiyi.


    "I can''t do it ¡­"


    Liu Yiyi looked at Zhuang Li, unable to comprehend what she had just heard. She had heard Wang Bi talk about a lot of things regarding Zhuang Li before. Can''t we help him?


    Zhuang Li looked at her with extreme seriousness, and said word by word.


    "I can''t do it... "Because I also have things that you don''t know ¡­" She abandoned her and left the restaurant. She didn''t even want to look back ¡­

 C172

    This was not a small blow to Zhuang Li. She only knew that the woman in the pavilion was indeed not ordinary, but she had never thought that she would be the former Empress, the mother of the Prince Bi ¡­


    The Emperor knew that his birth mother had died innocently, and the culprit behind her was the empress, Empress Mengyu, who imprisoned her forever after she ascended the throne. She was also displeased with her own royal brother, Wang Bi. Liu Yiyi naturally cried out for Wang Bi, and helped him do anything.


    But she never thought that Wang Bi had never had any expectations for the throne. He also felt guilty towards his younger brother because he knew that his biological mother was the cause of his death. Thus, he felt guilty for the countless years that followed. Had he ever thought of becoming enemies with Wang Su?


    Now that his whereabouts were unknown, his strongest supporter, the Lord Yin Tai had already lost her power, so if Liu Yiyi wanted Zhang Mengyu to escape, it was only to prevent him from having any weaknesses or worries in the capital. If that was the case, wouldn''t she become the real enemy of the two brothers?


    Moreover, she knew that the Broken Jade Pavilion was under strict security. Even she could not get close to it. She probably did not want Mengyu to escape at all, she only wanted Zhang Mengyu to not become a King Bi no matter what. She was afraid that she could only fight to the death with the guards.


    Whether it was a dead person or no news from outside the borders of the world, they would never become a stumbling block for King Bi ¡­ Why was her heart so vicious?


    Zhuang Li sighed, no one would interfere with Liu Yiyi''s resolute decision. Just what kind of love did this woman give to turn her into such a frightening appearance?


    It had already been five to six years since the emperor ascended the throne. The empress who once thought that he was a mother to the world had already lived among her various treasures for five to six years ¡­


    She was originally the empress, so it was reasonable to say that no matter which prince took the throne, she would be the legitimate empress dowager. However, the enmity of killing his mother was unforgettable to the emperor.


    Zhuang Li returned to her Opposite Moon House. In the end, she still felt sad. The lights on the Imperial Study had not been extinguished yet. She sighed and forced herself to reveal a smile, completely covering up her exhaustion. She put on a thick fur and went down to the tea house.


    It had already snowed in the capital, and the emperor was drinking tea with the new snow water he had prepared this year. She picked up the delicate little copper stove and placed it on top of the fire to roast it, thoroughly melting the snow inside.


    The new snow water was brewing old tea, yet the smell was especially rich.


    And this year''s new chrysanthemums.


    Originally, Zhuang Li felt that it was a pity when she saw the chrysanthemum. Wasn''t the courtyard where she raised her Opposite Moon House?


    But then he thought that he might not be able to bear it. Those chrysanthemums were so lively, and every single one was extremely beautiful. He was afraid that he would not have the heart to pluck them while they were blooming.


    No matter what, Zhuang Li placed the originally brewed old black tea to the side and started to study the chrysanthemums.


    The chrysanthemums naturally had to be mixed with sugar. After mixing a cup, he carried it over to Wang Su, then turned around and returned to the teahouse.


    She had been worrying too much during this period of time, and had truly forgotten about the matters of the Prince Bi.


    She was worried about Wang Su, worried about Ge Ya, and sad about Li Liangxiao for a long time. She was also afraid that Uncle Zheng, who was already old, wouldn''t be able to take such a blow.


    But she had indeed forgotten about the Prince Bi.


    Perhaps it was because she did not love him, but after he had expressed his feelings to her, because she could not respond, she instinctively decided to avoid him, and even did not wish to meet him.


    Thus, he truly disappeared. From the imperial court, in the capital, he completely disappeared ¡­


    The last time she saw him was when she was still in the palace and had come to the capital to shop and meet him. He had given her a pair of earrings and she had already felt his depression and abnormal mood at that time. He didn''t have the time to think about it ¡­


    Had he left by that time? To a place where no one could hurt him again?


    Prince Bi was a gentle and kind person, Zhuang Li naturally knew about it. His jade-like appearance and mental state seemed to be even more dazzling than bricks and stones no matter where they were placed.


    He was still a prince, and even used to be a Prince Bi ¡­ He got all the favors, but he was also very lonely...


    He was never wrong. It was probably because everyone around him didn''t understand him and loved him too much, wanting to hand over all the power to his hands and silently do so many things for him. That was why he felt even more despondent ¡­


    Perhaps from the moment Zhang Mengyu was threatened by the Empress for Wang Bi''s absolute power and killed his mother, not only had she destroyed the precious love between brothers, she had also personally pushed his own son into an unrecoverable abyss ¡­


    Then where was Wang Bi now? Zhuang Li couldn''t think of anything. Was he going to find a place where no one knew him and continue living?


    Although it was small, it was still exceptionally warm. At that time, she had only moved here from the Plum Garden, and lived right here, beginning to guard the emperor.


    Every day, I would make tea in a daze, watching the small pomegranate grow up by the window...


    After she left, there was no one else who stayed in the room. Although they still sent people to clean up the place often, they did not allow anyone else to go in.


    She couldn''t help but push open the door to the small room. It was cold air that came towards him, but it was also extremely hurried. Looks like they were cleaned today.


    After lighting up the candlestick on the table, he suddenly felt that the interior of the room had become much warmer. She hadn''t moved her trivial things yet, and the box she brought back from West Cold was still properly placed under the bed.


    Although he hadn''t opened it for a year or two. At this time, he dragged the box out on a whim, and opened the lid. Inside was Ge Ya''s dowry from that year, gold and jewelry, as well as his pretty clothes.


    For example, the exquisite lotus flower that the Young Master Baishi gave him, and the jade that Wang Su gave him when he was still a child.


    He said that if you want to return to the Great Phoenix, then sell this piece of jade to keep you company. He had never thought that he would be able to walk with such a beautiful young man to this day.


    Zhuang Li laid on her old bed, looking at the ceiling above her. Maybe she had experienced too many things, but she was especially tired today.


    When Zhuang Li woke up, it was already in the middle of the night. The emperor had been busy the entire night, so he was afraid that he had to go to the imperial court. Just as he was thinking about it, he heard the door creak, and then he saw Wang Su''s face. He originally thought that Zhuang Li was sleeping, so her movements were especially gentle. He didn''t expect to see that Zhuang Li''s eyes were actually open the moment she entered the room. Although she was surprised, the two of them had already reached a tacit understanding between each other and couldn''t help but smile.


    "Don''t get up. It''s cold outside. I''m about to go to court, but you can still sleep." The way he spoke was especially casual, but it was already close to gentleness, causing Zhuang Li''s heart to soften as well.


    Zhuang Li only smiled. She had already gotten the man she loved the most, what reason would there be to not be satisfied?


    After that, Wang Su''s gaze moved away from Zhuang Li''s face and actually saw that Zhuang Li had opened the box beside the bed. His originally gentle gaze suddenly froze when it swept over an item. It was as if the surrounding air had been frozen.


    He extended his hand to pick up the exquisite lotus flower from the box, and his expression suddenly became exceptionally gloomy.


    "Where did this come from?"


    Zhuang Li did not expect Wang Su to be interested in such a lotus, but she had not realized it yet, even though she felt it to be strange.


    "A gift from a friend... "Many years ¡­" That lotus flower was given to him by the Young Master Baishi as a trick. Although he didn''t know where the Young Master Baishi was currently, he still remembered that he had a special friend.


    "Friends?" Wang Su''s face unexpectedly sank even more. This made Zhuang Li feel uneasy, as if she had sensed something, but she was still unable to figure out what exactly had happened ¡­


    Wang Su seemed to be trying his best to hold back his anger, as the Eunuch Li outside urged for an assembly. Naturally, he could not predict what had happened to the two inside.


    Wang Su coldly stood up, and for a moment, it was as if he was separated from Zhuang Li. It was as if he had returned to his own world, or chased Zhuang Li out of his own world.


    He spoke coldly through gritted teeth.


    "Only one person has ever had such a lotus flower in the capital. "He''s my enemy who killed my mother ¡­" He fell down and walked out of the door, as if he was ignoring Eunuch Li, and Zhuang Li was even more shocked, as he stood still in place ¡­


    Why hadn''t she thought of it?


    Liu Yiyi was one of Wang Bi''s men, but back then, when Liu Yiyi''s name shook the capital, there was only one person who could move her, and that person was the masked Young Master Baishi ¡­


    The famous and famous Young Master Baishi in the capital was a rich and unoccupied person. He liked to listen to stories and also liked people in the martial world. Isn''t that Wang Bi?


    She had actually already known the Prince Bi at that time when she was that young ¡­


    This shock didn''t last long before he thought of an even more worrisome situation ¡­


    The emperor thinks he is from the Prince Bi ¡­


    In an instant, Zhuang Li felt flustered. She wanted to rush into the imperial court and explain everything to that man, but now ¡­ Is it any use?

 C173

    Zhuang Li had not seen Wang Su for the past few days, even though he had seen the lights that he was occasionally busy with in the study. It was true that she had not been able to get to the study room, but there were always Eunuch Li outside, stopping him, saying something about the emperor being busy ¡­


    After calming down, she felt that she no longer wanted to explain. She loved that man. What was she going to say? She could not lie to him. She did indeed know Young Master Baishi, who was at that time, and in front of Wang Su, she had truly treated him as a good friend of hers. Many years ago, she had even felt nostalgic when she saw the Brightmoon Restaurant at that time on the corner of that street. In the end, such carefree days are gone forever ¡­


    The Prince Bi that sat behind the pearl curtain back then, had he also thought about today''s situation?


    No one could predict what kind of person they would become and what kind of person they would fall in love with.


    At least Zhuang Li knew that no matter what, she already loved that man sitting upright on top of the imperial court too much ¡­ Whether or not he suspected her in her heart, was angry with her ¡­ She was going to wait for him on the spot. As long as he turned around, she would still be in the palace ¡­


    Zhuang Li did not wait for Wang Su to come back to Opposite Moon House before waiting for another piece of news.


    At first, it was just a small border town. However, Big Phoenix was disinclined to dispatch her troops. Suddenly, it erupted and consecutively attacked several nearby towns where even the Great Phoenix didn''t have many troops stationed.


    Originally, Da Feng did not plan to completely control the West Cold either. Since the number of troops guarding the place was not much, most of them had already retreated back to the border. Now that he had been caught unprepared, it was only natural that he would be caught unprepared.


    And the one who was leading them this time was none other than the Third Prince of the West Cold, Xi Cuo.


    His highness Xi Cuo''s prestige in the West Cold had never been low, and he had a great reputation, so naturally, whenever he came out to call for an uprising, he would echo it with shouts and cries. Moreover, if he had endured until now, he would have planned long ago.


    It seemed like the reason why the envoys from the West Cold had come to ask for the princess to return to their homeland was to find a reason to rebel ¡­


    Zhuang Li felt that her hands and feet were cold, but it had nothing to do with the snow outside.


    It was about rights and status. How could he have achieved it so easily?


    Qing You would ask a few eunuchs who she was familiar with about this news everyday, but how many people knew about the matters of imperial court?


    "I''m afraid they know, but they''re unwilling to speak." Qing You complained.


    "Even the Emperor isn''t clear about the matters of the imperial court. Even if they don''t know, it''s very normal. Don''t make things difficult for them. " Zhuang Li felt that it was funny seeing Qing You''s flustered and exasperated look.


    "Miss, you actually have the mood to make fun of me ¡­"


    "It''s already like this, now I don''t have any more worries. Since Xi Cuo and Ge Ya were alright, the West Cold uprising would happen sooner or later.


    "What''s more ¡­"


    She rested her forehead on her hand, her thoughts already drifting away.


    No matter what, in terms of imperial court, he is still the emperor''s subordinate. His upper and lower heart are exceptionally unified, and now, if he wants to attack West Cold again, it will no longer be as troublesome as it was before.


    Moreover, the current Emperor''s army was even stronger, so even if Xi Cuo were to come back, he would not be the least bit afraid.


    After thinking about it, Zhuang Li was not too worried.


    She was afraid that the Wang Su before had fought alone on the imperial court, and only wanted to create a stable life for the citizens at the border. In the end, she did not need to do this anymore. It was even more stable and powerful than when the late emperor was here.


    From then on, Zhuang Li didn''t even allow her to investigate further, she continued to live her daily life. In the morning, she would get up and dress up in the sunlight, waiting to waste an entire day. She was waiting for someone, but that person never came.


    The winter in the capital was extremely cold, but this year, it made her feel especially cold. The stove in the room was raised all day long, but it still made him feel as if he couldn''t withstand the cold.


    This made her feel a little discouraged. In the end, she had still lived in a place with ice and snow for so many years and played around with Ge Ya in the snow, but she had never felt cold at that time.


    But now, he actually felt the cold to the point that he couldn''t take it anymore. Was he really old?


    However, Zhao Ci''s body was only around twenty years of age. Could it be that the women of this era were all that young, that they were so busy getting married at such a young age?


    Zhuang Li didn''t wait for the emperor to arrive, but at dusk, she waited for the Eunuch Li with a palace lamp.


    She did not expect that the Eunuch Li would visit his so late in the night. He was surprised for a moment, but he had also expected something else.


    "Eunuch, is it the Emperor who has announced me?"


    Eunuch Li shook his head before kneeling down.


    "Empress, this servant has always been a cautious person in my life, never surpassing my duty. However, I have come here today not because of my master''s orders, but because I am a servant seeking one thing from the Empress."


    This completely stunned Zhuang Li, but she quickly squatted down as well and helped the Eunuch Li up before inviting him into the room. Although she did not stand outside for too long, it was enough to make Zhuang Li feel cold to the point that she could not stand it.


    "Just tell me what it is you need."


    When Eunuch Li opened his mouth again, there was no longer any hesitation.


    "I know that the Empress and His Majesty''s relationship has not been as close as before, but the Empress really does have to believe in the emperor. In his heart, however, the Empress has always been in his heart."


    "I know ¡­"


    "Perhaps the Empress still hasn''t found out that the war in the West Cold has been tense recently. Although the Emperor can obtain all the support in the court, in the end, he still needs the support of the Empress ¡­"


    "¡­"


    "After all, the Emperor just unified his power not long ago. Thus, he decided to personally take part in this war ¡­"


    This was something that Zhuang Li did not expect, and she could not help but be stunned.


    "Personal? "Why would the emperor want to personally take the field? His prestige is already sufficient. The imperial government and the borders of the Great Phoenix are already unified. He shouldn''t take this risk ¡­"


    But at this time, the Eunuch Li didn''t say anything ¡­


    "Empress, the emperor naturally has his own plans. Since he is the Great Phoenix''s master ¡­ However ¡­ This old servant was also worried about the emperor''s personal army ¡­ "


    "What can I do?" she asked urgently, almost anxiously.


    "Empress, Empress Hanqin has already released news that she wants to follow the emperor in his personal battle ¡­"


    "Eunuch, I know what to do now... Rest assured... "You''ve never been here ¡­"


    "Empress, I, your servant, have served my master for the rest of my life. I personally watched the emperor grow up. What I did for him could probably only be considered a little bit of selfishness on the part of my servant. "If there were any consequences, I would definitely be willing to bear the consequences with the Empress ¡­"


    He knelt again and kowtowed several times.


    As a servant, the Eunuch Li that normally would not speak much, was actually able to do this. However, Zhuang Li admired him, and was grateful to him for the news he had told his.


    Zhuang Li had originally hoped that she could follow the emperor in her personal battle, but there was no response from the Ministry of Revenue. I even heard that the Imperial Noble Consort was rejected because of the Emperor''s unwillingness. She did not dare to blow the matter up, so as to not create more trouble for Eunuch Li. However, she allowed Qing You to bribe quite a number of palace eunuchs.


    As the day of the emperor''s conquest neared, Wang Su still had not come to see Zhuang Li, even though he really wanted to see that person once.


    That day, when the doors to the palace had been completely opened, Wang Su sat on the horse and followed the generals in the army to head to the West Cold. They walked out of one palace after another, and then towards the city gate. With their fastest speed, they rushed towards the border between the Great Phoenix and West Cold.


    At the end of the carriage, there was an extremely small and unremarkable carriage mixed with the soldiers. Qing You lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked around. It seemed that she was in a good mood because of the clear sky. She slipped into the carriage like a clever little mouse.


    "Miss, we''re in Gansu now!"


    "Oh!" Another woman was in the carriage, leaning against a pile of quilts lazily.


    Zhuang Li was originally sleeping, but this shout by Qing You caused him to slowly wake up. She bribed the soldiers in the military before she finally managed to get her horse carriage to quietly follow behind the army. She thought about how the person she loved was on the horse not far away and felt comforted, even though that person did not know about it.


    "Are we already in Gansu? "So fast ¡­" She saw that Qing You was not satisfied with her reaction and was a little dejected, so she added a sentence to show that she was really listening to what she said with all her heart.


    It had been half a month since their departure from the capital. During this half a month, Zhuang Li had spent most of her time in the carriage, sleeping soundly.


    But that was also good. After all, he had fallen asleep, so he could no longer feel the pain of bumpiness. On the contrary, he felt that his journey was especially quick.


    Qing You was only worried that her young miss might not be sick, and seeing that Zhuang Li had actually woken up and ignored her, she started to feel happy. She pushed aside the curtain to let Zhuang Li see the rare sunlight outside the carriage.


    "Then, miss, would you like to get out of the carriage and take a walk? The weather outside is really good. Let''s go to the little town in front to rest. I heard that there''s a small river nearby. Let''s go take a look. "


    Zhuang Li felt that even though she had woken up, her body was still exceptionally tired. Furthermore, perhaps because she had been exceptionally exhausted recently, she felt that her body was also relaxed and exhausted to the point of death. She didn''t have the strength to get off the carriage and walk around, but she couldn''t make Qing You worry.


    "I don''t want it. I''m no longer a child. If you want to play, then go and play ¡­" "When you get married, you won''t have so much freedom left ¡­"


    She didn''t even forget to tease Qing You, to let him see that she was in good shape and that she was no longer a problem. Go and get her food.


    Along the way, they had all eaten military rations and foodstuffs. Although the tea was full, it was after all very coarse, and after only taking two bites, Zhuang Li already felt that her stomach was suffering from a hard and hard food, and started to vomit ¡­

 C174

    She was not used to eating meals in the army. Qing You wanted to buy food for her in a nearby town, but Zhuang Li had become unruly and unruly, and the food in the town had become rich with local characteristics, so they could not be considered delicious, and did not suit Zhuang Li''s appetite. Along the way, she almost never had a good meal twice. She almost always vomited whatever she ate. She might as well eat military rations with them. Since it was rice she brought out from the capital, it gave Zhuang Li some psychological comfort.


    Although the weather outside was especially good, the temperature did not rise. After all, it was winter now, and Zhuang Li, wrapped in thick fur, could not endure Qing You''s urging. She could only extend her arm and pull open the curtain when the carriage stopped to rest.


    In a split-second, the bright sunlight pierced her eyes, forcing her to quickly close them. He stretched out his hand to block the warm but bright light above him... It was as if he had the illusion that he was a vampire ¡­


    These past few days of bumpiness had made her especially thin. Her bones had become more obvious, and her chin had become sharper. If one did not look carefully, it would seem as if she had become a completely different person.


    It doesn''t matter whether it''s soil and water or not, it''s always good to bask in the sun.


    Ten years ago, when they were on the way to West Cold, Qing You had been sick all the way. Feng Shui''s circulation wasn''t merely an old saying, the Old Ancestor still had quite a bit of wisdom ¡­


    The army had settled down at the Moon River for the past two years. During this time, the border had been settled, and small towns had been established by the Moon River. Although this place was next door to the water, it was very lush. Now that there was a battle with West Cold, in the end, there were no more bandits that came to disturb the citizens, which made the people at the border sigh in relief, and began to move towards this side. Since there were people who came to settle down their homes, naturally there would be merchants to do some small business here.


    The people were simple and honest, scattered on both sides of the Moon River. Although it was not very dense, it was as if there were pearls scattered along the river.


    The place where the troops were stationed was on the other side of the river, closer to the West Cold. One could see those small villages on the other side.


    Today, they were able to live and work in peace in this place that they did not dare approach, living their own little life. This was the reward of the battle that Wang Su had insisted on doing back then ¡­


    If it weren''t for the accident with the West Cold this time, the emperor probably would have built a slightly larger viewing city here.


    Although they were far away from the emperor, they were still in the army. They didn''t even need to ask about the news of the battle ahead. She had been living in a carriage surrounded by tents set up by soldiers in the army. If you want to know about the war, you can just listen carefully.


    Zhuang Li was only two miles away from the tent. As long as she opened the curtain, she would be able to see what was going on inside. However, Wang Su spent most of his time inside the tent and rarely came out.


    She closed the curtain and continued to curl up in the pile of fur.


    Three days later, Wang Su''s army and the West Cold were fighting for the first time. Listening to the surrounding soldiers talk about how it seemed easy to win, after all, the soldiers and horses of the West Cold were weak, and basically could not go toe to toe with the Great Phoenix''s army.


    "Miss, have you heard? The Emperor has won! " Qing You ran back excitedly to read the news.


    However, compared to Qing You''s naivety, Zhuang Li felt that things weren''t as optimistic.


    Xi Cuo was not a furious person, how could he dare to declare war on him like the Great Phoenix without sufficient preparation? But in this first battle, the soldiers and horses who could clearly feel the West Cold had not completely recovered.


    It was clearly a gamble that they would lose, why did they still fight?


    Zhuang Li couldn''t understand, and this was probably the reason why Wang Su was suspicious. Great Phoenix almost effortlessly defeated the West Cold troops who came to challenge them.


    However, because of this battle, Wang Su had no choice but to get serious, and think about what tricks he had up his sleeve.


    "Miss, perhaps you are overthinking things. Originally, it was impossible for the West Cold army to recover so quickly. Even if the Emperor did not really care about West Cold, and did not guard them closely enough, in the end, West Cold''s military strength was developed under guard. How many people could there be? "Maybe there won''t even be a chance to train ¡­"


    "Xi Cuo is not that kind of person. He''s smart enough, so how could he do such a stupid thing? "


    "But this might not necessarily be done by Big Brother Xi Cuo." Qing You continued.


    "Isn''t there another Second Prince who is extremely good at scheming and yet will not lead troops to war? If Xi Cuo did not die, then his position as king would be shaken, and if he insisted on fighting, then it was to show off his king''s strength, or was he simply trying to kill Xi Cuo? "


    Qing You''s worry was not unreasonable, but it did not make Zhuang Li feel relieved. After all, she did not want Xi Cuo to be harmed anymore. That way, the relationship between the two countries might really not be able to be restored ¡­


    Due to the revolt of the West Cold, the few people of the Great Phoenix that were stationed at the West Cold had already returned to the borders of the Great Phoenix. Other than a portion of the lands to the south, a large portion of the land had also returned under the control of the West Cold.


    According to the reaction of the soldiers who had returned, they had always been guarding West Cold. Indeed, they did not discover that there were any more large scale troops or horses hidden in West Cold.


    Although the winter outside was cold, it was not as cold as it was in the capital. At the very least, they were in the south and the sun could still be seen rising every day. The light was especially dazzling. When the sun set, the sky was filled with colorful clouds. It was a fascinating sight to behold. She hadn''t had a good meal in days. The hard and dry rations had caused her illness to never fully recover. It was always Sick Yan. However, his mood was not affected in the slightest.


    The small army that Zhuang Li was part of was raised up by Li Liangxiao, and the head soldier was even more so raised up by Li Liangxiao himself. He came to visit almost every day.


    Today, the head sergeant was full of smiles.


    "Esteemed Empress, today the Emperor allowed us to hunt at the borders, so we caught quite a few rabbits. There are also a few pheasants. I''ll stew one for you at night to make up for it. After all, you really aren''t suitable for this desolate wilderness. "


    He knew that Zhuang Li was a very important older sister to the General Li. Coming to this border, her body had never been well, so it was natural for him to take care of her as the leader of the General Li.


    Things at the border were naturally not as good as those in the capital. They couldn''t even gather a bowl of soft rice. However, there was quite a bit of game. His muscles were sturdy. The smell was also good, it had stewed quite a bit in the pot at night, maybe Zhuang Li could eat quite a bit.


    Qing You was naturally happy, the Miss had indeed not eaten a good meal for a long time. When she heard this news, she could not help but express her thanks. This made the sergeant major feel embarrassed.


    They were all people who had come from poor families to feed their families in the army. He had been in the army for many years. From his youth he had grown into an uncle with a beard, and he had not been able to marry and have children. She was probably the woman in charge of food in the army. Seeing how Qing You''s little sister was smiling, she naturally got up and ran away in a hurry. Qing You could not help but laugh.


    Zhuang Li could only sigh. She did not know how she could be so disappointing, all the way, she seemed to be in a sickly state. If she could not eat, she would not be able to sleep, or else she would not be able to wake up. She didn''t look like this in the past, but now that she was like this, who would believe him?


    At night, bonfires were built along the banks of the Moon River. Everyone was naturally especially happy as they had obtained quite a few good items from their hunt today. When the bonfire was burning bright, there were soldiers singing around it.


    Qing You lifted the curtain, and instantly, Zhuang Li saw the bonfire outside. The smell of the smoke and fire was blown into the carriage, and she felt extremely comfortable.


    Qing You brought her out and sat her on the side of the carriage. She leaned against the blanket that was brought out and leaned against the side of the carriage, feeling extremely comfortable.


    She sat there, holding a small stove that warmed her hands. The nearby bonfire floated towards her along the wind. Surprisingly, she didn''t feel any pungent smell at all.


    Instead, he hoped that the smell would be stronger.


    Many people were already surrounding the bonfire, and through the gaps in the gaps, one could see the rising flames. It seemed as if her heart was also burning because of it.


    She thought back to ten years ago when she was in the desert, when Wang Su slept while leaning on her shoulder by the bonfire. At that time, he was still a young man, but he had already started to possess a proud and noble quality.


    He fell asleep while leaning on her shoulder, faintly calling out to her, "Mother ¡­"


    At that time, Zhuang Li had mocked him and thought that she really was a little brat that was still wet behind the ears ¡­


    At that time, she didn''t know how much sadness that child had experienced in his life. His mother had been killed by the empress, and he had split from his favorite brother.


    Even though he was a noble prince, he no longer had the ability to rest properly. He needed to run and run, continuously study, only then would he be able to make up for the difference in his status as a prince.


    Zhuang Li looked at the direction of the tent; it was so far away that it was almost impossible to see it clearly. She wanted to know if Wang Su thought of her now as well. She also thought of when they went to the West Cold realm back then, and how they snuggled together in front of a bonfire to keep themselves warm.


    Zhuang Li had not eaten much since the march because sshe was not used to the food of the army. Even the smell of the hard dry rations was enough to make him puke. However, when Qing You handed her the rabbit leg, she suddenly felt hungry ¡­ Very, very, very hungry ¡­ As expected, he was still a carnivorous animal ¡­


    That rabbit leg allowed Zhuang Li to throw all the etiquette norms behind her head. After receiving it, she immediately took a big bite, which made Qing You especially shocked.


    The roasted hare''s legs tasted of smoke and desert, dry and warm, like a warm little sun. As it ate into the stomach, it would become warm along with it.


    "Miss, please slow down... "There''s more ¡­" No one expected that Zhuang Li would suddenly become so gluttonous, so the soldier hurriedly brought another rabbit over. He told Zhuang Li to eat slowly because he had even stewed an entire chicken soup for him ¡­


    How could Zhuang Li care so much? It was rare for him to feel that her stomach was this hungry.


    She liked the smell of the bonfire and the sweet taste of the rabbit meat. It was as if she had become many times more energetic. Qing You had originally been worried about whether Zhuang Li was sick or not, but now that she saw this situation, all her worries had disappeared without a trace. The little miss'' illness will be cured ¡­

 C175

    Zhuang Li ate roasted rabbit soup like this for two consecutive days and drank for two days straight. Every day, she ate until her stomach swelled and drank until she could no longer drink. After being nurtured for the past two days, it had truly caused Zhuang Li''s complexion to become exceptionally good, and her spirit had also improved quite a bit. She actually felt that she was no longer afraid of the cold, and had even walked around in the carriage twice, blowing on the dry breeze that was unique to the place next door. It was all sweet to the smell, or perhaps, as she stood on the carriage and looked at Wang Su''s tent from afar, she already felt warm in her heart.


    Probably Wang Su still thought that she was sleeping peacefully in the distant capital.


    She couldn''t help but raise the corner of her mouth as she imagined how that person would look if he saw her as if he had seen a ghost ¡­


    If it had not been for the war, it would have been even more pleasing to see the landscape now formed by the armies of both countries. The place along the river had never been so lively before ¡­


    Even Zhuang Li could feel the especially obvious atmosphere. It was so dry that it was compressed in the air, causing him to unconsciously become nervous.


    "Esteemed wangfei, the war is at hand. I plan to send you to a nearby village. It would be better to eat and live there, and it would also be safer. The Moon River has become our frontline ¡­"


    Zhuang Li was naturally unwilling. Since Wang Su was already here, why should she leave, it was naturally because he did not agree. The head soldier was also as determined as if he had eaten a load, and would not let Zhuang Li stay no matter what.


    He had brought Zhuang Li all the way for the sake of the General Li, and to fulfill Zhuang Li''s sincerity towards the Emperor. But, a great battle was approaching, and once the two sides started fighting, they still did not know what the Crescent Moon Lake would look like. No matter how Zhuang Li thought about it, it was not worth it to give up her life in the end ¡­


    The other party had the advantage of numbers, so it was possible that they could even carry Zhuang Li and her horse carriage to a nearby village. She only had Qing You, a young servant girl, by her side, how could she possibly win against him?


    In the end, Zhuang Li could only compromise and move to a nearby village with Qing You.


    He was especially kind and smiling, because when the Military Chief sent Zhuang Li over, he especially asked her to take good care of this lady who was not well, and also sent a lot of prey over. As a result, when it came time to eat dinner, Zhuang Li once again ate the fluffy chicken soup.


    "Miss is from the capital. I believe you are not used to the dry weather here ¡­" She smiled and looked at Zhuang Li as if she was looking at her own child. Extremely mild ¡­


    "No, I thought this place was pretty good ¡­" As long as there''s meat to eat... She added this sentence silently in her heart.


    "Hehe, this place is already much better. Because by leaning on the Moon River, the land is fertile, so it is indeed a good place to settle down. "However, these two years have been much better ¡­"


    Zhuang Li only cared about taking big gulps of her own meat, her mouth was filled with food, her speech also became low and muffled, many times she did not even care to accompany the old granny to chat. Fortunately, Qing You was here, so Qing You began to ask all kinds of questions like a curious baby.


    "Why are you the only one living here, Grandma?" Do you have any other family members? "


    I once had a daughter. Later on, this place was full of gangsters, so I took her away ¡­ To tell the truth, I don''t even know if she''s still alive... My wife died a long time ago, so now only I am an old woman ¡­ "When the sergeant major said he wanted to find a place for you to stay, the village chief immediately said he would arrange it for me.


    Zhuang Li raised her head from her wild eating and muttered:


    "Elder, I have troubled you ¡­" When she spoke, the words in her mouth caused her to be unable to speak properly, but she still managed to express her meaning clearly with great difficulty ¡­


    "Where''s the trouble? You guys came here, I''m happy. It''s like my kid is back ¡­" Accompanying this old woman whose body was half buried in the ground ¡­


    When she was taken away by the West Cold people, she was very young, only a few years old. I have always believed that she is still alive in this world. As long as she can stay alive, I will be happy ¡­


    A few years ago, the border area was too chaotic. The residents here were suffering unspeakably. Stealing some of their finances was a small matter. What they feared the most was losing their loved ones ¡­ Many of the old neighbors couldn''t take it anymore and moved to the Central Plains one after another. Although they didn''t know anyone there, they still weren''t from the same hometown. No matter if it was food, clothing or living accommodations, they were all unaccustomed to them. But there was no other way ¡­ It''s better than living in your hometown with your head on your belt... All day long, he had to warn her to be more cautious ¡­


    At that time, my old neighbor asked me if I should go with them. I didn''t want to ¡­


    They say you''re a loner, why are you here alone? I said I could wait for my daughter. What if she doesn''t find me?


    They all laughed. They said your daughter was so young when she was taken, how could she remember to come back?


    "I know they''re right, but I can''t accept it ¡­"


    As the old granny grew older, she talked more like she was talking to herself, and she could not stop at all. Qing You looked at her with eyes filled with tears.


    Zhuang Li could only sigh and continue eating her chicken leg. There were already too many unlucky people in this world, but they still persisted and fought against fate. Only when she died would she know if she had won or not ¡­


    The old woman continued.


    "But it was better after that, when the Great Phoenix attacked the West Cold, it allowed the borders to be completely settled. Many of the old neighbors who left in the past have now moved back ¡­ "Girl, why did you come here with the army?"


    That old granny was just talking to herself in the beginning, so Zhuang Li had already changed to talking about her own chicken as she listened. She didn''t expect her to suddenly ask him a question ¡­


    "My husband is in the army, I want to accompany him ¡­"


    "Tsk tsk tsk tsk, you must really love him ¡­"


    Zhuang Li chewed the food in her mouth, but she still managed to squeeze out a few words.


    "He also loves me a lot ¡­"


    Although she hadn''t seen him for a long time and hadn''t heard him say a word of consolation ¡­ But she still believed in him. She believed in him. She believed in him. She believed in him ¡­


    That''s why he was willing to follow them even though he didn''t care about anything else ¡­


    Even though he had endured too many bumps along the way, the man didn''t even know he was so close to him ¡­


    But he was willing ¡­ If he stayed in the capital, his days would be even more difficult ¡­


    She wanted to accompany him on the road of West Cold that they had walked together many years ago. It seemed that only then would the two of them be considered complete ¡­


    The second day after Zhuang Li moved to the old granny''s house, a war between the West Cold and the Great Phoenix started. Since Zhuang Li couldn''t go to the front lines, she could only ask the village chief for more information.


    This battle was extremely stalemate. It was obvious that the battle strength of West Cold was much stronger than that of the previous war, but in the end, it still could not be compared to the Great Phoenix ¡­


    "Miss, don''t worry. Great Phoenix will definitely win ¡­" Your husband will come here to pick you up ¡­ "


    Zhuang Li could only sigh and mutter.


    "He must come and pick me up ¡­" She had asked the sergeant major to send a letter to the emperor after the war, informing him of his existence. She urgently wanted to resolve the misunderstanding between the two of them ¡­


    In fact, it was more likely that the two of them were just smiling at each other when they met again ¡­ All the unpleasantness was thrown to the back of his mind ¡­


    It wasn''t until the evening that the news came back ¡­ When the village chief came running over, he was extremely anxious ¡­ Behind him were a few other soldiers. Zhuang Li recognized that they were the soldiers under the Chief Officer.


    "Occurs... "What happened ¡­" A bad premonition began to spread within her heart, and for a moment, it made her feel especially afraid ¡­


    "The troops of West Cold are being forced back bit by bit, while the emperor is leading the frontliners to pursue and attack them. But suddenly, an army is forced in diagonally, cutting off the emperor''s path of retreat ¡­ Therefore, right now, the emperor had already been captured by the West Cold camp ¡­


    "An army that suddenly appeared?" Zhuang Li was originally still puzzled, but when she heard an answer that made her even more shocked ¡­


    "Yes ¡­" is someone from the Prince Bi. "


    This answer made Zhuang Li feel like she was struck by lightning as she powerlessly sat back in her chair. She could guess any answer, but she had never thought that the Prince Bi would join hands with Xi Cuo.


    The brotherly love had been broken. Now, all that was left was probably hatred and revenge ¡­


    Prince Bi had already been away from the capital for a long time, and no longer bothered with the matters of the capital and imperial court. Perhaps it was because the fall of Lord Yin Tai had provoked him, or perhaps it was because under Liu Yiyi''s instigation, his mother really did something too extreme, and caused the Prince Bi to have no choice but to take action ¡­ Or perhaps he had been wrong from the start and no one would forget to hate him ¡­ The longer it took, the more vicious it would become ¡­


    This kind of defeat and powerlessness made Zhuang Li feel dizzy, her stomach turned over, and she couldn''t help but vomit ¡­ ¡­


    [It seems that I won''t be able to recover now ¡­]


    "Take me back ¡­" "Back to camp ¡­"


    Although Zhuang Li did not know what was the use of going back, she was just a lowly concubine, and no one in the Great Phoenix Army would listen to her orders, she still wanted to go back. She wanted an answer, wanted a result ¡­


    The carriage had sent Zhuang Li to the front of the tent previously, but now that they had lost the emperor''s army, they were as miserable as a drowning dog. There were only a few generals left in the tent, and when they saw Zhuang Li, they were especially astonished.


    "What conditions did the West Cold raise?"

 C176

    In a war between two countries, there would naturally be benefits and a reason. If the two countries were to engage in some scheme to capture the king of the other country, naturally, the changes would be related to the benefits and the conditions ¡­


    Wang Su himself was useless against West Cold. What was effective was Wang Su''s status as the ruler of a nation. He was the emperor of the Great Phoenix Empire, so obtaining him was naturally as though he was holding down the throat of the Great Phoenix Empire ¡­


    He now had a favorable target for Da Feng, just like how Da Feng had once requested Princess of West Cold to enter the capital to be his imperial concubine ¡­


    With regards to the Prince Bi, the benefits were obvious. Wang Su did not have a son, if something happened to Wang Su and the person to inherit the Great Phoenix throne, it would be the Prince Bi. The powers that were suppressed by Wang Su earlier would rekindle because of the return of the Prince Bi ¡­


    But what about West Cold? What did Xi Cuo want?


    To cede the land? Money? Even Zhuang Li couldn''t imagine it ¡­ Wang Su had never thought of stealing and devouring West Cold, so if Xi Cuo wanted to recover his freedom in West Cold, Wang Su could definitely give it to him. There was no need to waste so much energy...


    There were too many things that needed to be done to reach such a stage today. First, they had to start a war between the West Cold and the Great Phoenix, and then they had to lure Wang Su to the border.


    Even the Prince Bi had plotted against him, so it was impossible for him to have any ulterior motives.


    They must have plotted for too long, maybe that battle between them, Prince Bi was also lying in ambush nearby, it''s just that this time, they met a good opportunity ¡­


    She naturally knew that by doing this, West Cold must have other motives other than war ¡­


    "What do they want?" She once again asked the wounded general who had just come down from the battlefield. When she looked into his eyes, she almost forced him into a corner ¡­


    They want esteemed imperial concubine to ¡­" Although the woman in front of him was a little thin, she was exceptionally beautiful. He had lived for so long, but this was the first time he had seen such a beautiful woman ¡­ For a moment he understood that the big move had been to make a request about a woman.


    "..." Good... "Very good ¡­" She slowly turned her head to look at the general before she spoke again word by word ¡­


    "..." "Then give them ¡­"


    Sending Zhuang Li to the West Cold was secretly being done according to Zhuang Li''s request. Other than the two generals, no one knew the reason behind the event and it was also late at night when Zhuang Li was being sent off. She was wearing a thick cloak, and under the weak light of the fire, she sat in a carriage.


    They bumpily headed towards the camp of West Cold ¡­


    She closed her eyes. She knew that no one would do anything to her, whether it be Ge Ya or Xi Cuo, even Prince Bi ¡­ But perhaps, she would never be able to see Wang Su again ¡­


    Zhuang Li''s convoy could only stop at a distance of five kilometers from the main West Cold camp. Then, they were caught by West Cold''s horse carriage, and once again, they headed towards the West Cold camp. From the start of the incident until now, nearly two days had already passed. Now that she was hit hard, he felt like vomiting.


    The driver stopped the carriage and vomited for a while. Unfortunately, there was no food left in his stomach, so all he vomited out was some heartache.


    Qing You immediately fed the water bag to Zhuang Li''s mouth, allowing her to drink a few mouthfuls.


    Originally, Zhuang Li didn''t want to bring Qing You over. Although she knew that no one would make things difficult for him, leaving the Great Feng would make it difficult for him to return.


    His so-called hometown was something he didn''t care about in the ordinary days. When he really left, he would be able to see his hometown vividly, thinking about it day and night ¡­


    But that little girl could not even kick him out, she was worried about Zhuang Li''s body, and did not care about anything else. She had grown up with Zhuang Li, and most of the time, they were even closer than sisters. To her, she only lived a little, as if there were no longer any relatives in the world, leaving only this big sister, who could be considered a close relative, as a bond. Home is where it is.


    "Alright, I think Ge Ya misses you a lot too ¡­"


    She looked at Qing You and wanted to give the child a smile, but she couldn''t do it.


    She knew that it was impossible for what she was thinking to be so simple. In such a battle, so many people had died, yet the West Cold Prince, Xi Cuo, had only wanted to exchange his life for a woman.


    However, even if West Cold had any other thoughts, right now, she had no way of knowing. She could only do it first, and only then would she have the chance to know what kind of conditions West Cold would bring up next ¡­


    When the carriage slowly stopped, she already felt that she was gasping for breath inside the carriage, and that the situation was probably caused by her being hungry and learning too little candy, but no matter what, when the carriage slowly stopped, she could only sigh in relief. Looking at the carriage''s curtain, the first two people she saw were Ge Ya and Xi Cuo, who were flying towards her, and had even opened her arms.


    She tried her best to force out a smile as well, but her body was still in motion. When she jumped off the carriage, she almost fell to the ground. Just as she was about to greet him, she felt dizzy. That dizziness had caused her to be unable to balance her body. She had just gotten off the carriage and she was already unsteady from standing. Qing You who was behind her wanted to pull her back, but when she extended her hand out, she only touched her hair with her fingertip. She could no longer hold on and gradually lost consciousness and fell towards him.


    Zhuang Li felt as if she was in a dream. She once again felt the state she was in a few days ago. Her body became exceptionally heavy, almost unable to withstand a single blow. "She was clearly just lying on her bed, but she seemed to have walked far down the mountain road and was forced to do a lot of work ¡­


    She couldn''t help but sigh. She was indeed old ¡­


    However, Zhao Ci''s twenty year old body, no matter how one looked at it, was in the prime of her life.


    Perhaps the time limit for him to stay in this world was approaching ¡­ No matter what, there''s a sense of impending doom...


    This was the first time she felt a little panicked. She hadn''t lived long enough ¡­ She didn''t want to leave ¡­ She still had a lot of things she wanted to say to Wang Su ¡­


    She was even afraid that by the time she opened her eyes, she was already modern ¡­ the doctor was surrounding her, one of the doctors asked


    "Why did this patient suddenly faint?"


    The old doctor who was standing at the side replied with a hint of joy:


    "They''re all hungry ¡­"


    So she kept her eyes closed until she confirmed that she had heard Qing You''s voice. Then, she spoke in an extremely soft voice near her ¡­


    "He hasn''t woken up yet ¡­" Only then did she muster the courage to do so. She tried her best to open her eyes ¡­


    "Qing You..."


    Qing You hurriedly supported her up and stuffed the velvet pillow under her waist ¡­


    "Don''t be nervous, I''m just hungry ¡­" She remembered the dream she''d had when she was half asleep, a group of doctors gathered in front of her bed, saying she''d fainted because she was too hungry.


    After saying that, he couldn''t help but laugh to himself ¡­


    As if he had already expected Zhuang Li to wake up and eat, chicken soup was already simmering on the stove beside him. It was to Zhuang Li''s liking. Ge Ya who pushed the door in held a roasted rabbit.


    Why does it feel so familiar ¡­


    Zhuang Li lowered his head and buried his head in the bowl, continuing to eat his bowl of soup, pretending that she did not notice Ge Ya who was seated beside him. Then, when she had slowly finished her drink, she inadvertently raised her head and took the rabbit from Ge Ya''s hands to gnaw on it ¡­


    It had been three years since she last saw her sister ¡­ Compared to Zhuang Li''s change, she had changed a lot in the past three years. She used to be a little girl, but now she had become a beautiful and beautiful woman ¡­


    It was as though the two sides had reached a tacit understanding of each other amidst the crackling sounds of the flames burning in the furnace ¡­


    When Zhuang Li took a large bite of the rabbit''s leg, she started to chew with all her might, but her eyes were already filled with tears like the little sister in front of him ¡­


    She laughed, and her tears dropped. She could only laugh and look around.


    "The environment is amazing for food that suits my appetite. Compared to the army of the Great Phoenix, I wonder how many times better it is ¡­" "If you keep me up like this, I''m afraid I won''t be able to stay alive for more than two days ¡­"


    At first, Ge Ya did not say anything, but after being made a ruckus by Zhuang Li, she could not care less as she threw herself into Zhuang Li''s embrace that was lying on the bed, and started crying loudly.


    This time, she had been saving her tears for too long. She had many questions to ask the person in front of her.


    Why were you so stupid? How are you doing? What should we do in the future...


    Even though Zhuang Li wanted to pat her, she had taken into consideration that her hands were covered in grease, so she stopped at this moment. She sighed, and in the end, her palm still landed on Ge Ya''s back ¡­


    Time and again, as if he was looking back to the years that had passed ¡­


    After a very, very long time, until the soup in the pot had turned cold, Qing You once again placed the small pot on the stove to heat it up. Ge Ya''s tears were also almost flowing down completely, but she still opened her mouth in the end ¡­


    "Where''s Big Brother Xi Cuo? "I need to talk to him ¡­"


    Talking about how to treat Wang Su, he had to guarantee that Wang Su would leave the West Cold camp grounds unharmed no matter what. This was her goal, his only goal ¡­ No matter what the price...


    "My brother is quiet ¡­" "I reckon you''ll have to wait a bit longer ¡­"


    "Quiet?" Zhuang Li was frightened by this word, and she felt an especially indescribable sense of joy ¡­


    ''He''s thinking... How do I accept you again... And ¡­ "Your child ¡­"


    Ge Ya stuttered as she spoke. At first, Zhuang Li did not understand the meaning of those words, but when she realized the huge information contained in them, she could not help but let out a cry of surprise. It was as if thunder had struck the heavens ¡­


    Miss ¡­ "You''re pregnant ¡­" "Qing You couldn''t help but look at Zhuang Li''s stupefied expression as she silently spoke the truth ¡­


    "It''s already been two months ¡­"


    The thunder that rolled across the sky just now seemed to have rolled back again. In an instant, the top of Zhuang Li''s head started to roll with heavenly thunder, causing both of Zhuang Li''s ears to go numb, as she was unable to hear anything else ¡­


    She unconsciously reached out and touched her belly ¡­ For a moment, his hands felt somewhat hot ¡­


    Inside... There is a child... Wang Su''s child... Grass...


    She had never thought that tears would come crashing down like that, as if her entire life had been thrown into disarray ¡­

 C177

    The news of the child''s arrival made Zhuang Li immediately crash into the bed of Ge Ya''s velvet bed, and she was unable to recover her senses for a long, long time ¡­


    I''m pregnant... I have a little life throbbing in my stomach now... He was no longer alone ¡­


    After thinking carefully about Yan Yan, who had been sick for the past month, could fall asleep at any time. Furthermore, she would wake up very easily at night. If she could not eat, she would vomit as much as she wanted for military rations ¡­


    When he encountered delicious food, he couldn''t stop himself from eating. It was as if he had been hungry for hundreds of years ¡­


    So many symptoms... Shouldn''t he have thought of it long ago ¡­? Were these not the symptoms that were usually seen in the Grimoire of Pregnancy that was written in so many dog-blooded romance dramas in the modern era ¡­?


    He suddenly had a lot of scruples and thoughts about this tiny life of his ¡­ Zhuang Li, who pretended to be extremely calm, also had countless of little hesitations ¡­


    When she came over, she carried the thought that she might never be able to see Wang Su again in this life, that she might have made up her mind to the best of her ability. Two months ¡­ Although Zhuang Li was a modern person, she was an especially conservative woman. She did not have the concept of not getting pregnant at all ¡­ Moreover, this era ¡­ Even the technical content couldn''t hit...


    After the blank state of his mind had been crushed once, all sorts of doubts surfaced ¡­


    Does this child want it or not? Could it be that she wanted him to be born in West Cold? She couldn''t count on Xi Cuo to let her and Wang Su go back, otherwise, what was the point of causing such a ruckus and so many people dying ¡­ Now, Zhuang Li didn''t even dare to think about whether she would be able to return Wang Su safely ¡­ After all, how could her power be comparable to the Emperor of the Great Phoenix?


    Was he going to be a single mother and have this child spend the rest of his life in West Cold? Tell him who his father was. Why can''t I see you...


    and... More importantly, whether or not the people from the West Cold can accommodate the children of the Great Phoenix Emperor ¡­


    Zhuang Li unconsciously moved her hand to her abdomen, wondering if the little creature inside could feel what her mother was thinking ¡­


    Do I get the same prenatal depression that Mary Sue''s pigfeet usually get in dog blood TV dramas?


    But no matter what ¡­


    It''s with me... No matter what I face in the future... At least one more child with me...


    Naturally, she wanted to properly give birth to her, protect her, love her, raise her and tell her her stories. She could even tell her that your mother had transmigrated here from a modern era that was very, very far away from here.


    But that little life would unconditionally believe her ¡­ Because it was her own child...


    She would tell her more and more strange things. For example, this world is not circular, the earth is round, we have the change of spring, summer, autumn and winter because the earth is revolving around the sun... and the moon is spinning around us again... Maybe many, many years from now, real people will be able to fly in the sky, because there will be people who will invent such a magical thing as an airplane...


    She had so many things to say, so many secrets. Now that she finally found someone she could confide in, that person wouldn''t suspect her in the slightest. She would call her mother in a soft voice ¡­ It was just like how she used to call her mother, whose love was not lucky. How many times had her mother said that she originally thought that it was impossible for her to live with her child by herself? However, it was precisely because she heard Zhuang Li call her name again and again that she was able to endure.


    Become exceptionally strong...


    She closed her eyes and leaned against the bed, tears streaming down her face ¡­


    It was much easier than comparing it to Ge Ya. After all, she was Zhuang Li''s child. She did not think much into it and hurriedly sent this news back into the West Cold. At the very least, Luo Lihua and Young Master Loulan had already heard this news that they did not know whether or not it was worth celebrating ¡­


    A series of small jewelry worn around the neck and in the hands of craftsmen to make children. Actually, these were still the habits of a phoenix person, because Ge Ya''s mother was a phoenix person. After that, he successfully blended in the colors of the Western Regions and sent her some small vests, or perhaps it was due to him capturing Zhou''s activities ¡­ She had been asking Water Nanny about these things all day long, adding fuel to the fire with her own thoughts. She was extremely busy ¡­


    Qing You just waited on him more carefully. No one expected that Zhuang Li had already thought of so many things in her heart, whether she should or should not ¡­


    Meeting with Xi Cuo was the morning of the second day. Just as Zhuang Li finished eating a big bowl of Eight Treasures Porridge, she saw Xi Cuo push open the door and enter.


    Compared to three years ago, he seemed much more mature and thinner. Perhaps it was because he was injured, but his body was no longer the same as it was before. When he saw Zhuang Li, his eyes turned red, but he held back his tears.


    She knew how much the man in front of her loved her, and she also knew that she had promised to marry him when she turned twenty ¡­ But at that time, she didn''t know whether to like it or not.


    At that time, it was because she didn''t fall in love that she would say stupid things like "when I''m twenty and I marry you" ¡­


    Now, she understood that the person she loved was only Wang Su ¡­


    Even if she saw the faint yellow light from the Imperial Study in her pavilion, her entire person would still be able to calm down from her anxiety. It was as if the person he liked was sitting right in front of him ¡­ She stood guard in the teahouse, not moving an inch away from him. She wanted to make a pot of new tea for that person, and as she watched that person''s quiet face amidst the fragrance of the tea, it was as if she had obtained the most important treasure of her life ¡­


    "I hope... You let Wang Su go... "I can stay ¡­"


    Xi Cuo obviously did not expect Zhuang Li to be the one to speak first. It was especially natural, as if he had already thought about it carefully ¡­


    "You ¡­"


    Zhuang Li only looked at him, not changing from the Xi Cuo in her memories. This man had a good temper, and always had a strong sense of justice and determination to protect the weak. He was a kind person, and made her feel safe. Even now, she had never felt that Xi Cuo would hurt her at all ¡­


    She was even willing to entrust her life to this man ¡­


    The helplessness and sadness she faced were two different countries'' standpoints, but it was never this man who was a bad person ¡­ She touched the child in her belly. If it was a boy, she would call him Wang Liangxiao ¡­ If it was a girl ¡­ She was going to call him Wang Wai ¡­


    "Zhuang Li... "You don''t have to do this ¡­" When that man spoke, his eyes were shining brightly like the stars in the sky above the Western Regions ¡­


    "I will let Wang Su go, and I will wait for you ¡­"


    "¡­"


    "I do hate him, but I also didn''t believe that you loved him ¡­ But I don''t believe it either... I want to work hard for myself too... "


    He did not say much, and was especially concise. After he finished speaking, he even let Zhuang Li have a good rest.


    What West Cold needed was freedom, his own sovereignty. Thus, he had resisted because he did not want Da Feng to interfere with anything that happened with them ¡­ What he wanted to obtain was already very perfect ¡­ When he returned to the West Cold, all the people of the West Cold would support Xi Cuo to become king ¡­


    Zhuang Li''s final request was to be able to send Wang Su out of the West Cold. She was going to send him off herself ¡­


    He did not know if this was the last time he would see Wang Su in this life ¡­


    He covered his face, and was brought before Zhuang Li by two soldiers of the West Cold. The soldier originally wanted to take Wang Su''s mask away, but was stopped by Zhuang Li''s wave of her hand, and for the last part of the journey, she could not let Wang Su know who she was ¡­


    She walked over and held Wang Su''s hand ¡­


    It had been a long time since she held this hand properly. Due to the wounds on her hand that was covered with troops, Wang Su didn''t notice that the owner of these hands was actually Zhuang Li ¡­ At the beginning, he struggled a little, but under Zhuang Li''s insistence, he silently accepted Zhuang Li''s orders, and allowed her to hold his hand and walk away.


    Originally, the West Cold people had prepared a carriage and was sent away by Zhuang Li. There were already soldiers of the Great Phoenix waiting for the emperor five kilometers away.


    Thus, she led Wang Su to walk in front while the West Cold carriage leisurely followed behind.


    She also really wanted to look at Wang Su''s face again. That face was exceptionally handsome and cold, and when she was angry, it could cause the coldest white wind to blow, but if she smiled, she could also melt all of the winter snow in the capital city ¡­


    She really wanted to hold that hand and keep walking ¡­


    If a person''s heart could communicate with their skin, she smiled lightly as she kept thinking in her mind.


    I have your child in my womb...


    If it''s a girl... I''ll just call her Wang Wangyou...


    Her tears once again burst out of the dike and splattered down onto the ground beneath her feet, but she didn''t need to wipe them away with her hands ¡­


    Along the way, she didn''t speak. Zhuang Li had been afraid that Yun Che would hear his voice, since he didn''t know the situation he was in at all.


    He walked all the way to the border of Da Feng and waited for the Emperor''s carriage to be prepared. Zhuang Li handed him over to the soldier of Da Feng and indicated for him to wait until he had left before taking off Wang Su''s mask.


    Just as she was about to let go, she suddenly felt Wang Su''s hand tighten, as though he was about to pull her into his embrace.


    "Are you Little Li?" His unfounded doubts caused Zhuang Li''s scalp to go numb, and he almost cried out in an instant, wanting to struggle free. Yet the other party''s grip was getting tighter and tighter ¡­


    Although he did not believe that Zhuang Li, who was originally far away in the capital, would appear here, holding her own hand with her own hand that was covered in small wounds, he could not forget a certain memory in her heart. No matter whether it was at the ends of the earth, she would feel an exceptionally strong heart palpitating and heartache whenever she thought of that woman ¡­


    He had long since stopped doubting her and no longer harboring any more of her anger ¡­ If there was an accident, he might as well leave her with a heartless look ¡­


    Instead of seeing her, it was better that he didn''t miss her ¡­


    The soldiers of West Cold immediately separated Wang Su from Zhuang Li, and without saying a word, they pushed Zhuang Li back into the carriage, and went towards West Cold.


    Along the way, Zhuang Li only remembered that she kept crying, and she kept calling out to him for warmth. Warm Wang...


    It was as if he had gained the courage to use it limitlessly ¡­


    Currently, that child was the only thing she had the courage to continue living on ¡­ She wanted to be with her forever ¡­

 C178

    She didn''t dare to turn around and open the curtains of the carriage. She had already heard Wang Su''s shout and almost shouted out her name to get off the carriage and return home with her ¡­ He himself had prepared a carriage, but he did not allow Da Feng''s army to prepare a carriage. How could Wang Su possibly catch up?


    Zhuang Li had always thought that wherever there was Wang Su, there would be a home. Whether it was in the barren wilderness or the deep palaces with high walls that she didn''t like ¡­ She even felt that as long as Wang Su was here, she would be able to live a good life.


    But at that time, she had never thought about how she would survive if she had to leave Wang Su''s side one day. She kept patting her abdomen that had yet to swell.


    Now I''m going to give you a home...


    Although the battle on West Cold''s side had already settled down and what they wanted had already been obtained, they could even withdraw. However, it was not so easy for the Great Phoenix to stop. They had to reorganize the soldiers and prepare to attack again ¡­


    He had lost control of his West Cold and lost his concubine ¡­ How could a large country take this lying down? Although Xi Cuo knew that he had not recovered his strength, the West Cold Army was still much weaker than the army that the Great Phoenix had operated for many years. However, Xi Cuo did not seem to care at all, as if he was saying ''Great Feng, just come at me''.


    He had already tried to lose more, so he wasn''t afraid of losing more. The lost land could still be returned to him. What was there to be afraid of ¡­ After all, he had already escaped from death once ¡­


    Moreover, the West Cold was not alone in battle ¡­ These past few days, Zhuang Li had almost forgotten about him.


    She did know that Wang Bi was in this camp of the West Cold army, but Wang Bi had never come to see her, so Ge Ya was the one to explain to him why he was doing this ¡­


    Speaking of which, it was Wang Bi who found them on his own accord ¡­


    Zhuang Li did believe that maybe Wang Bi had really planned to forget about the conflict within the imperial government, and find a beautiful place to live the life of a rich man. But his mother was unwilling ¡­


    The reason behind this matter was not too far from Zhuang Li''s guess. Zhang Mengyu''s identity was noble, no matter if it was her family''s power or her own unique methods, all of these made her the unquestionable empress, ruling over the imperial harem.


    At that time, the imperial harem was exceptionally lively ¡­ There were hundreds of concubines and Imperial Noble Lady s on the list ¡­ Although many people had stayed in the palace until their deaths and never had the chance to meet the late emperor ¡­ No matter what, Zhang Mengyu was a woman who had reached the pinnacle of the great phoenix race in every aspect. With her there, all the women in the imperial harem would keep their guard up, and being able to bear the concubine of a prince was something that she had carefully selected, so it was definitely not a threat to her. But later on, no matter how many children the emperor received, they would never waver over her position ¡­


    because she gave birth to Wang Bi ¡­


    The so called Wang Bi, was the jade from the royal family.


    The late emperor was especially fond of him, and that child was indeed exceptionally beautiful. Moreover, it was also extremely intelligent and had almost obtained all the attention of the late emperor.


    So when he was two years old, the emperor had already made him Prince Bi ¡­ A mother to her son, and that Zhang Mengyu was originally the Sovereign Queen, so naturally she was even more noble ¡­


    As a matriarch to the world, she was naturally in charge of all the rights in the harem. Although the princes were born one after another, they were all within the range that she had agreed to. The only exception was Wang Su ¡­


    She was just a child of a mere servant, and her mother was exceptionally obedient. Even if the emperor conferred her the title of an imperial concubine, she was still willing to live in a remote place like the Plum Court. The emperor probably wouldn''t go there even once every ten years ¡­


    She didn''t care about this woman at first, she was just a fool without a brain. She spent the entire day taking care of her rundown little yard, teaching her child to be no different from a farmer in the mountains and plains outside the palace. She passed around all her gossip in the palace, and everyone only treated her as a joke ¡­


    What made Zhang Mengyu pay attention to her again was the child ¡­


    When Wang Su finally reached the age to study, regardless of whether his mother was willing or not, she had to realize that Wang Su was the Emperor''s child. Thus, that child finally got the chance to go to the palace to study, and unexpectedly had a particularly good relationship with Wang Bi.


    That was probably the first time he realized that his father was the king of an entire country, and what he possessed was the same inherent and noble authority as the other princes.


    He loved to read and knew countless of things, but they could be obtained through his own efforts. For example, his mother had stayed in the deepest part of the palace, but had never seen the Emperor.


    However, if he were to diligently study, the Emperor would be able to notice him.


    His studies in politics had been recognized by the emperor, and he had even gone deep into the palace to visit that woman as a reward. In the end, this still made Zhang Mengyu unresigned in his heart.


    At first, she thought that she was wrong. She thought that the Imperial Consort Mei was just an honest and brainless person, but now, she realized that the son that she had taught was not simple at all ¡­ She had instinctively considered that it was all because of the Imperial Consort Mei ¡­


    First, he forced Imperial Consort Mei to teach his son a good lesson so that he wouldn''t rise to the top. Since Imperial Consort Mei couldn''t do it, he might as well kill his son ¡­


    Wang Su knew about this matter, and Wang Bi also knew about it. He knew that his mother was cruel and that his own unwillingness to fight for the throne was the greatest revenge he could take against his mother ¡­


    Zhang Mengyu was the late emperor''s rightful and proper Queen, so no matter who inherited the position of emperor, she was still the legitimate empress dowager. Even if Wang Bi didn''t fight for it, for Wang Su to be able to climb up the throne of emperor right under her noses was already heaven defying ¡­


    But how could Wang Su bear to see his enemy, who killed his mother, sitting in a position that could block his control? Not long after, he found a reason to keep the empress dowager under house arrest in the Broken Jade Pavilion outside the palace.


    But Zhang Mengyu was not an ordinary person, even at this step, she was still controlling the movement of the court, she had always hoped that Prince Bi would carry out a coup, and had prepared many times, but was rejected by Wang Bi.


    Until when the Lord Yin Tai fell and Liu Yiyi went to inform the Empress Dowager Mengyu who was on top of the broken jade. When she felt that the chance was here, she purposely argued with the soldiers and lost her life.


    Her obsession for the throne. Even if she had to throw away her life, she would still enrage her own son and make him fight for it ¡­


    Thus, when Xi Cuo once again made a request for an alliance with Wang Bi, Wang Bi almost agreed without hesitation ¡­


    Thus, the current situation ¡­


    "Then how is he now?" Zhuang Li asked.


    "Put yourself in the tent, and drive out all the servants. Drink all the liquor by yourself, and you won''t wake up ¡­"


    "Let me go see him ¡­"


    "He doesn''t want to see anyone ¡­"


    "He will be willing to see me ¡­"


    Wang Bi''s tent was built exceptionally wide and exquisite, there were beaded curtains inside too. Just as she entered the house, he heard Wang Bi throw a jug of wine in front of her, causing her to take a step back in shock.


    "Scram ¡­"


    Zhuang Li would not shrink back because of this, instead, she became even calmer ¡­


    "I''m not coming in. I''m just sitting here." There was a string of pearl curtain separating her and Wang Bi, so she could vaguely see his figure on the reclining chair.


    "Do you hate me?" the man asked.


    "Why should I hate you?"


    "Because of my obsession, I wanted to let that man taste the taste of loss as well. That''s why I helped West Cold ¡­ "He''s actually just my favorite brother ¡­"


    "You''re not wrong... No matter if I hate you for it or not, you should not continue to live. Live well, and you should still be that Prince Bi ¡­ "


    "But you will never see him again ¡­ When I knew that you had already entered the West Cold Palace, I already knew exactly how much you loved him, which was why I was willing to exchange myself for it, even if it meant that I wouldn''t be able to see him again ¡­ I''ve regretted it for a long time, but there''s no medicine for regret in this world ¡­ "I''m a bad guy. Even if I''ve already regretted it, you can''t become happy ¡­"


    Sometimes, I feel that my life isn''t lucky. After being the crown prince for so many years and enjoying a wealth that ordinary people can''t even enjoy, I have fallen to the point that I don''t even have someone to talk to me with ¡­


    "When I was young, I was just an ignorant girl from the Zhao Mansion. My appearance was not very pretty, and I wasn''t favored by my father.


    At that time, I lost my mother, so I was too young. Without the protection of that powerful mother, I was pushed around and bullied.


    But then I met someone.


    He was so noble and quick that I could not bear to look him in the eye. He was willing to listen to all the nonsense I said and never laugh at me, and he was willing to understand all the strange things I did. I was so ugly that even my own father would despise me, but he was willing to accept me, saying that when I grow up, he''s going to boat and drink with me on the lake ¡­


    He was clearly a good friend, but because of various matters, I was unable to get along with him as properly as before ¡­


    I always thought maybe this was fate,


    But one day I suddenly did not miss him because of this, we not only drank wine together, but also walked the streets together, have tea together... I didn''t know it was him...


    Speaking to this point, Zhuang Li was already filled with tears.


    "Am I right?" Young Master Baishi... I have never been able to understand why you are called Young Master Baishi. "It''s Wang Baishi ¡­"

 C179

    Wang Bi was naturally unable to conceal his astonishment. He was indeed the Young Master Baishi.


    He was born in a noble family and had everything since the moment he was born. Infinite rights and riches... His mother was an exceptionally strong woman with a beautiful appearance and boundless wealth, as well as the right to be a mother to the world ¡­ Anyone who tried to stand in their way would not be able to survive ¡­ Therefore, as the son of a woman who had brought out all of the advantages that others could envy, Wang Bi possessed an astonishing appearance, wealth, and the right of the crown prince to inherit the entire country in the future.


    It could be seen that she had already done enough. Whether it was in terms of power, position, or wealth, Wang Bi had already surpassed all the princes in terms of position, making him an existence that almost no other prince could match up to.


    A person like Zhang Mengyu would not be able to hold even a speck of sand in her eyes. What she wanted to do was to do it, even if it was Zhu Tianming. If someone went against her wishes, they would naturally die no matter what ¡­


    With the accumulation of years, the number of ghosts killed by her naturally increased. She wanted to put his son on the throne, so anyone who felt that Wang Bi was a threat to her would naturally become her enemy. If she didn''t become friends with him, then the only thing she could do was die ¡­


    Wang Su''s appearance made her extremely angry. How could the son of a woman born into a farmer''s family be qualified to compete with his own son? Although this was the younger brother that Wang Bi liked the most. She definitely wanted his child to become the emperor. This was a wish that she wanted to fulfill with her entire life. Her courage was not enough to kill a prince, but to kill a Imperial Consort Mei without any status or position was more than enough. After all, her son was taught to his by his mother, if he did not have a mother, would Wang Su still be as arrogant as he is now? Dream...


    Without the slightest hesitation, she pushed her to the brink of death, even watching her die with her own eyes ¡­ But she did not think that her own son would be unable to bear the weight of her sins and the weight of the throne ¡­


    Wang Bi had seen enough of the both of us in the palace. On the contrary, he had even more of the same thoughts as those people in the martial world who were loyal to him. Thus, at that time, there would be Brightmoon Restaurant ¡­ With Young Master Baishi... He wanted to escape from his mother, whose hands were stained with blood. She was his mother after all. He couldn''t hate her, but he could leave her.


    He wanted to know about the trivial matters of the martial arts world and listen to those people''s strange stories and legends. He wanted to take them as a form of entertainment, as if this would become another stable world for him to escape from his mother ¡­


    At that time, he had met that child ¡­


    That little girl wasn''t beautiful, but she made him feel that she was special. The story she told seemed to make a lot of sense. Those stories were even beyond what he had previously known.


    The child was very young, only around ten years old, but he occasionally revealed an expression that far surpassed her age.


    After so long, he actually fell in love with her and listened to her talk ¡­


    Wang Bi closed his eyes. Beside him was a small jar made of straw. It felt like he was about to be released ¡­


    There were some things that were clearly obtained before him, but in the end, they weren''t his. There were some people that were born when he encountered them, but they weren''t his ¡­


    He chuckled. His voice was exceptionally soft, so soft that it seemed to belong to his soul ¡­ He seemed as if he still had more to say, but a faint sound was emitted from his throat, like a sigh ¡­


    Zhuang Li sensed that something was wrong and hurriedly pushed the pearl curtain open, only to see that Prince Bi was lying on the bed in front of him, his hand was resting on a small jar made from straw, and a small black snake was coiled around his wrist.


    Zhuang Li was so frightened that she almost shouted. She wanted to call for help but she realized that there were already two extremely thin wounds on Prince Bi''s wrist.


    Too late ¡­ She rushed over and the snake was startled by the movement of Zhuang Li. It slithered back into its small jar.


    How could Zhuang Li take care of it? She began to drink the black blood from the wrist. The next time she spit it out, it was already black ¡­


    She didn''t know how many times she had repeated this action. She could only gradually feel her body becoming numb ¡­


    Until someone rushed in and held her face in his hands ¡­


    "Elder sister ¡­" "Elder sister ¡­"


    The man''s voice was tearful, making people feel especially sad.


    She opened her eyes and faintly saw Li Liangxiao''s face ¡­ She wanted to touch him, but she didn''t have the strength to do so ¡­


    The sounds of war and fire seemed to be coming from the surroundings. Could it be that the Great Phoenix had already attacked? In the end, these two countries still couldn''t avoid a life and death struggle?


    Tears flowed down her eyes. She had always wanted to do it well, but in the end, she had still failed ¡­


    "Sister, I will bring you to him. "I''ll take you to him now ¡­"


    Li Liangxiao carried Zhuang Li and placed him on Xiao Hua''s horse, who was waiting outside, then jumped onto the horse. Da Feng''s army had already charged over and rushed to the entrance of West Cold Camp. She could feel the battle flames and the scent of Xiao Yan in the surroundings. But gradually, her aura grew weaker and weaker. He could feel that even if he were to open his eyes, he wouldn''t be able to see anything. The noise in his ears was getting quieter and quieter ¡­


    Her features are failing...


    She used all her remaining strength to open her eyes, and what she saw was Wang Su looking at her terrified face. He managed a smile.


    You have to be fine... I''ve already said goodbye to you ¡­ Keep it up... I''ll be fine too...


    "You still came ¡­" "I''ve been waiting for you..."


    The one guarding in front of Zhuang Li was actually a white-haired old man. He looked a little familiar, but it was hard to tell where he had seen him before ¡­


    "You are ¡­?" She could only ask him for advice, but she felt that doing so would be disrespectful. After all, he clearly knew who you were.


    "It''s fine if you don''t remember me. In any case, I am only a fortune-teller ¡­"


    Zhuang Li was speechless. She seemed to have realized something, that when she was a little girl and teleported into Zhao Ci''s body, she seemed to have met a fortune-teller like this ¡­


    At that time, she was still forcing him to tell her when he would be able to return to the modern era ¡­ Now that he thought about it, he understood why that old man didn''t say anything about it back then ¡­ Back then, he had been extremely anxious to go back. If that old man had told him that he was going to live here for over ten years ¡­ Wouldn''t he be beaten to death on the spot ¡­?


    But when he thought about it, fortune made a fool of people, and now he actually didn''t want to go back.


    "I''m leaving, is my child still around?"


    Seeing that Zhuang Li was not angry, the old man calmed down and sighed. She extended her hand to feel Zhuang Li''s pulse, and shook her head.


    "It''s dead in the womb ¡­" His sigh seemed to have some sympathy to it, as if he was purely trying to resonate with Zhuang Li''s emotions. At the same time, he was wondering if Zhuang Li''s brain had a problem. Could a child born two months ago be born?


    "Oh ¡­" Zhuang Li felt very sad. Her nose felt sour, but her tears did not come.


    "I want to see it, see my child ¡­"


    The old man shook his head.


    "She is Zhao Ci''s child, and not yours. Once you die, she will be reborn ¡­"


    Although she really wanted to beat up the old man in front of her, what was the point of this useless old man coming here? However, when a person was under an eaves, he had no choice but to lower his head. No matter what, even if the two of them were both ghosts, they were both void now. He could only beg in a low voice.


    "Then you have to help me find a good family for her ¡­"


    This request shouldn''t be too difficult, but the old man still shook his head.


    "Everyone has their own destiny. Wealth lies in the sky. How can I help her?"


    These words enraged Zhuang Li, and she exploded as she grabbed onto Zhuang Li''s collar.


    "If you can''t do anything, then what are you doing here? I might as well just leave in peace. What''s the point of coming here to cause a ruckus? Even if I was a weak girl, how much effort would it take to deal with an old man like you? "Scram, I don''t want to play anymore. Send me back, and I''ll fight again. Isn''t it just snake venom ¡­"


    "You''re already dead, how could you possibly be alive? Furthermore, I have already died, which is why you are here to see me ¡­ "


    These words made Zhuang Li feel that it was believable, and she suddenly felt especially sad. She bit her lips, and for a moment, she didn''t know what she should say.


    "But I want to see him again... I love him. I still have a lot of things I haven''t told him ¡­ "


    "Since you''ve already left, the rest of the matters are theirs. People have their own destinies to begin with, so you''ve already given them a hand. Perhaps they''ve only returned to their original positions ¡­


    "But I still have too much to tell him ¡­"


    I have never said that I am not Zhao Ci, and I have also never said that our child''s name is Wang Qinghou ¡­ That kid likes to eat stewed rabbit and drink chicken soup... like the smell of war smoke... "If it was a girl, she would probably be especially muscular ¡­"


    Zhuang Li was nagging. She had to say everything she wanted to say before she completely forgot about these people. Otherwise, she would feel regret in her heart ¡­


    The old man had finally recovered from his state of cynicism the forbearance and kindness of an old man, and the wisdom of a demigod ¡­


    "You are only allowed to come and find him. Don''t tell me you want him to not come and find you?"


    "¡­"


    "I''ve long since said that we''re destined to meet after a thousand miles ¡­"

 C180

    Wang Baishi woke up in the morning, as usual, on a calm and relaxed afternoon of an unknown year. He took care of his own yard, lifted the water, and watered the flowers ¡­ Planting...


    The courtyard wasn''t big, but it was beautifully decorated. Rare and precious plants mixed with ordinary vegetables to grow. It was hard to tell how much it tasted like ¡­ But these were all taken care of meticulously by the Young Master Baishi, and in his words, they were all treated like children.


    Young Master Baishi''s courtyard was very big. Furthermore, it was close to the river bank. The aquatic plants there were beautiful, and although there were no extravagant decorations, they lived a very meticulous life. One could tell the taste and value of the owner of the courtyard just by looking at a small piece of exquisite silk ¡­ It had to be a great figure who lived in seclusion here.


    Young Master Baishi never defended himself. He didn''t compete for fame and wealth, and he didn''t even negotiate with the neighbors. It was clear that he was just a rich and idle person ¡­ Not deny, not defend...


    He remembered that when he first moved here, he said he had everything.


    His family business was exceptionally huge, yet he had moved outside the city instead of the bustling and bustling area of the city where every inch of land was worth every penny. Some people said that the young master of a noble family probably committed a crime and came here to take shelter ¡­ Some said that it was probably a high official who had returned to his hometown after having stolen a lot of money, and was now here to spend the rest of his life in peace ¡­


    As time went on, these rumors broke down. First of all, the Young Master Baishi did things in an extremely high-profile manner. As soon as he arrived, he chose this quiet and chaotic place and spent a huge amount of money to tidy up the courtyard.


    He was exceptionally handsome, and there were often fishes swimming into the pond along the waterway, playing around under the lotus leaves. There was a plum tree in the center of the courtyard, but that ordinary plum tree that could be found everywhere was specially transported from the capital. Naturally, the amount of manpower and resources spent on the journey was not small ¡­ Although they were all ordinary things, they still showed the astonishing wealth of the Young Master Baishi. How could such a high-profile person who did those things be able to avoid disaster?


    However, if it was mentioned that he was a high-ranking official who had returned home to return home, then that would be impossible. The Young Master Baishi was only in his thirties, how could he have the appearance of returning home?


    What was even more amazing was his appearance. In this poor and remote area, he had never seen such a beautiful man before ¡­


    At the beginning, when he moved in, it was so sudden, almost without any warning, that it made the surrounding residents feel extremely flattered. How could there be someone so strange that would be willing to move in with us as our neighbor?


    The longer the days passed, the more used to it. The Young Master Baishi that was moved over to them were all very polite and occasionally there would even be benefits, even though it was only his own family that needed repair? Need to fill in the soil? The neighborhood offered them a high price to work. However, this made the residents extremely satisfied ¡­


    There were about 10 or so servants who were lighting fires to cook. Although to the rich and powerful families in the capital, the servants were pitifully few, but to the poor and destitute residents, this was an unimaginably wealthy family. However, the garden in the Young Master Baishi had never been willing to let the servants interfere. It relied solely on his own hands, as if it was a secret garden that belonged to him, other than his wife ¡­


    His wife was a gentle girl, and was much more amiable than the Young Master Baishi and his neighbors. Her name was Yan Luoxue. He was as pure and gentle as Luoxue. If it wasn''t for the fact that she was already married, and was even a married Young Master Baishi, the person who proposed to marry would have long ago stepped over the threshold of his house ¡­


    Just after the end of the year, an exceptionally exquisite carriage stopped at the entrance of the courtyard, and the man who got out of the carriage was as elegant as the man in the wind. There was a hint of sadness and loneliness.


    "It''s good that you''ve hidden here. If you''ve had enough fun, why don''t you go back and help me ¡­"


    The man had a delicate and pretty bearing between his brows, but compared to the gentle Bai Shi, he was much sharper.


    "The situation in the country is great, there is nothing I can do to help you ¡­" "On the other hand, if you are free, help me with the plum trees in my courtyard ¡­"


    Surprisingly, he brought the man to his treasured courtyard and showed him his plants. Until they stopped in front of the plum tree.


    Luoxue brewed a pot of tea for the two men and brought it to the table under the plum tree, giving the two men who hadn''t seen each other for a long time a chance to chat. After she finished serving the tea, she walked away with a smile. She had already obtained what she wanted the most. That man''s happiness was also her greatest happiness ¡­


    "Beginners'' tea and light rice can''t be compared with the food in the palace, but it''s more fragrant and sweet."


    The man didn''t care and picked it up to take a sip. It was a very common tea in the countryside. It was just that the stew was especially meticulous and carried the scent of grass. Although it could not be considered tasty, it was still particularly tasty.


    "It is the greatest honor of that girl who made the tea, if your tongue says that it is just the beginning of tea and the beginning of rice ¡­"


    They chatted all the way until dusk and had dinner in the courtyard. Although this place was not far from the capital, it would still take them less than half a day before they could return ¡­


    "The emperor should head back early to rest. I estimate that we''ll still be able to sleep in the carriage for a while, and will still be able to go to court tomorrow ¡­"


    Bai Shi seemed to hesitate and said.


    "When she left, she seemed to have said something ¡­ She said that we were able to meet because of fate. Everyone should live well, if you keep feeling sad. ''Presumably, she won''t be able to sleep soundly either ¡­ ''


    The man only paused for a split-second before he got on the car and said in an extremely soft voice,


    "I got it ¡­" He then mounted his horse and left, disappearing into the boundless night without even turning his head back ¡­


    Many of the villagers stood on the streets watching the man leave. This place was remote and there were very few strangers here, so no matter which family they came across, they would all stand out and watch the show. When they returned home, they would gossip with their families. From the moment they saw the carriage with black flowers and golden threads, they knew that the person inside was not simple.


    That horse carriage was truly adorned with golden threads. Even the old man who thought himself to be the most knowledgeable had never seen such an extravagant piece of cloth ¡­


    However, that man was a guest of the Young Master Baishi, so he was naturally not a simple person ¡­ After all, the Young Master Baishi had countless of secrets in their hearts. He was probably a very mysterious person. Even though the mysterious person was currently enjoying the small happiness of having a wife make him some pastries in the yard.


    No one knew that the person sitting in the carriage was the current emperor. Even though he could obtain everything in the world, he had suffered great sorrow and would suddenly wake up in the middle of the night to cry ¡­


    He was the emperor of the Great Phoenix, so he didn''t have the right to grieve or flee ¡­


    He had also merged his secret into the boundless night ¡­

 C181

    When Zhuang Li woke up, she saw his mother. Although she was surprised, she immediately accepted the reality of the current situation. She had already been lying in the hospital for four whole months. Although she hadn''t received any heavy injuries, she had just been in a coma, relying on her blood to maintain her life. This made her appear extremely thin.


    The mother in front of him was also very thin, almost a full circle thinner than before. She couldn''t help but feel pain in her heart, as if a needle had pierced her.


    "Mom ¡­" She shouted, but the business was exceptionally hoarse. Despite the fact that her hand was still in the IV drip, she threw herself into her mother''s embrace.


    His mother was crying tears of joy. As she sobbed, she held her child in her arms, unable to say anything for a long time.


    Since Zhuang Li had already woken up and her body was no longer in a critical condition, she could return home to recuperate. Hearing that she had already been discharged, quite a few of her classmates and good friends came to visit him, with Duan Weilan taking the lead. Almost every day, they would run back to Zhuang Li''s house after work. It was as if the two of them had never seen each other in their lives. Although she often visited Zhuang Li when she was in the hospital, it was just that Zhuang Li did not have the means to chat with her at that time ¡­


    "You don''t know how annoying my boss is ¡­" From the looks of it, she had already accumulated too many grievances and grudges, but she just did not find a suitable person to complain about. Now that Zhuang Li had woken up, she would definitely display all of the points that she had accumulated over the years to her.


    Even though Zhuang Li felt tired from time to time and should normally rest well, how could she sleep well with Duan Weilan by her side?


    She kept talking about herself, talking about her emotions. She even danced about for a bit, making Zhuang Li feel especially old. She even had the urge to have her mother close the door and send him off ¡­


    Zhuang Li had been lying in bed for almost the entire winter, and when she woke up, it was already spring.


    Their home was an extremely old-fashioned residential area. It was narrow, small and old, but Zhuang Li had lived here her entire life.


    The small courtyard only had neighbors living there for over ten years, and the kitchen window was directly facing the courtyard.


    There were several tall parasol trees in the yard, and my mother was busy in the kitchen, preparing to cut noodles. She rubbed her face, Zhuang Li moved over while leaning on the door frame, watching the woman who had raised him up with much effort.


    She almost thought she would never see her again. Thinking of this, he felt that his eyes were moist, feeling that he needed to cherish his life.


    "Mom, in a few days I''ll go to Duan Weilan''s place to work."


    "You''re the good one, stay home and rest for two more months. Mom can still afford to raise you." The woman lifted her head and glanced at her stubborn daughter. Although her family wasn''t rich, and she couldn''t even be considered a well-off family, she still had to give her daughter the best protection. She always blamed herself for not giving the child a better life. If Zhuang Li had been able to live a better life, perhaps she would not have suffered so much ¡­


    "Mom ¡­" I''m a good foot player, okay... "I can jump and run, what''s there to worry about. I have to go out to exercise, so I can recover faster ¡­"


    "You''re a good person, yet you haven''t woken up even after so long. I still want to live a little longer, don''t scare me ¡­" "Be good at home and stay home obediently ¡­"


    "Don''t worry, Duan Weilan is a manager right now, I''ll go to her department and work under her protection, I won''t be bullied ¡­"


    She watched her mother knead the dough, then reached out and plucked a small golden fish. She pinched a small golden fish and used her tail to pick the leaves from the parasol tree that stuck out of the window to rub them on. Laughed by my mother


    "Do you think you''re still a child ¡­"


    She looked at her daughter, who was already so slim, and thought of the difficulties she had gone through to raise her. It wasn''t hard to raise a child. She just wanted to make life better for her. She always felt sorry for her ¡­


    She had followed him since childhood without wearing any new clothes. In her class, she had always been bullied by her classmates. She had never carried a new schoolbag on her back, as she had always used things to make up for her previous mistakes ¡­


    However, although they were living in poverty, the two mothers were exceptionally happy as well.


    When spring came, they would take their canteens and go on a spring tour. The two of them would eat the same orange on the riverbank.


    She was afraid that she was sad, so she didn''t remarry, didn''t want to have children, and sometimes felt that their lives had already been blessed by the world. Even though she was living a poor life, the happiness and happiness that that little kid had brought her was overwhelming ¡­


    Zhuang Li reached out and hugged her from his mother''s back, locking her small worries into her embrace. She giggled, as if she had returned back to her childhood. She reached out and put the little goldfish she made on the windowsill in front of his mother.


    "Don''t throw it away, it''s called Wang Qingrou ¡­"


    The mother looked at her daughter, who was still very childish, and could do nothing but sigh and tell her that spring was still cold and to wear more clothes. The child, however, seemed to be showing off that he had changed into a spring outfit as if he were physically strong.


    When she came back, she also thought about what had happened in that world, and she thought about it often, so much so that she had to get rid of all the characters in her head. She had to continue living, and she also had to put in new feelings and efforts for her life in order to be able to lead a better life for herself and her mother.


    Sometimes, when she looked at the tall buildings that were erected around her, she would think that she had probably just had a dream. She looked at her phone, her computer, the people passing by, the engineering blueprints that Duan Weilan had drawn... She couldn''t help but laugh... How could this be possible ¡­ It was just a dream ¡­


    It was just that this dream had been too profound for her to forget ¡­


    She even hoped to find traces of that world among the people around her ¡­


    She just wanted to know if those things really happened in the past ¡­


    She only felt for those people, for Wang Su, and for Qing You ¡­ His heart ached for Li Liangxiao ¡­ She hoped that they would all be fine, but she would never have the chance to participate in their ending ¡­


    Occasionally at midnight, she would call out the child''s name ¡­ Warm Wang...


    She sat up from the bed, and for a moment, even thought that Wang Su was lying beside her ¡­


    Regardless of whether that world was real or not, she had truly given out her feelings. For everyone ¡­ Even in her dreams, she had truly cried for them.


    Let her die...


    Her mother couldn''t bear her and had no choice but to let her go to work. In the end, she still carried her school bag and appeared in front of the new company, feeling exceptionally excited.


    Everyday, after work, she would quickly finish punching the card and run home, followed by Duan Weilan who went to get food.


    She wanted to spend more time with her mother. She had almost lost her once, and she knew too well how to think and feel. His mother was very happy when she saw Zhuang Li and come over. With an extra person who spoke a lot now, it was especially lively.


    She had already retired. What she loved to do the most every day was to cook for the two kids and take care of household chores. The small room was especially warm after being tidied up.


    This day, when Zhuang Li returned home, she saw her mother rummaging for something under the bed.


    "I want to tidy up the things you had when you were young, and pile them up under the bed in such a mess ¡­"


    "Oh," said Zhuang Li, but her interest was piqued as she shouted loudly.


    "Auntie, Auntie, let me help you ¡­" She rolled up her sleeves and followed her down the bed. Zhuang Li shook her head. She really didn''t want to see such an overzealous friend at home, so she decided to stay away from him. She went to the kitchen to see what was there to eat. She picked up the kitchen knife and continued cleaning up.


    "Lalalalalala!" Following an extremely happy cheer, Duan Weilan crawled out from under the bed. She held something up high, as if she had discovered a pirate''s treasure trove of excitement.


    "This is your classmate record from when you were young ¡­"


    "¡­" Zhuang Li could not be bothered with her and was only concerned with the chores in her hands. Duan Weilan had always been especially excited about extremely boring things ¡­


    "Aiyo, it''s actually someone from the calligraphy class..." I was in the countryside when I was a kid, and my mom only let me go there all day, so I can''t write well ¡­ " Her pure excuse made Zhuang Li even more lazy to bother with her. In her memory, she had indeed been in a calligraphy class for a period of time.


    "Look, your teacher looks so weird ¡­" "Why does it look like my mother''s calf ¡­" Zhuang Li was normally disinclined to pay any attention to this kind of inexplicable and completely irrelevant commentary. It was just that the other party had already placed the album right in front of him with exceptional enthusiasm, so she couldn''t help but perfunctorily glance at it ¡­


    This glance immediately caused Zhuang Li to fix her gaze on the picture ¡­


    It was a group photo. The tiny little girl looked like she was about to be submerged within the crowd, but she seemed especially spirited. But the most important thing was that there were many little boys standing beside her, causing Zhuang Li to uncontrollably yell out.


    "..." Wang Su... "


    The boy was small, his facial features were especially exquisite, and was exactly half a head taller than the little Zhuang Li. Holding Zhuang Li''s hand, her smile was exceptionally brilliant...


    For a moment, Zhuang Li felt as if time had frozen. She thought about the dream she had when she was in the Great Phoenix Palace, where her life was at stake. She raised her head from the desk and saw that Wang Su, who was sitting opposite her, was writing something down. His writing was especially serious. The sunlight shone in from outside the window, and the light from the Wutong tree leaf casually reflected on his forehead. It swayed slightly, as if the entire world had extended endlessly for this single second ¡­


    She thought, if only I could keep looking at you like this ¡­ How nice it would be...


    His mother also came to join in the fun. Looking at this photo album, he didn''t know whether to laugh or to cry ¡­


    "If you didn''t tell me, I would have forgotten. When you were in the hospital bed, I even received a call from your former calligraphy teacher, saying that your classmate wanted to set up a reunion and invited you to join. I naturally rejected it back then. In that situation of yours, it is unknown whether you are dead or alive ¡­ Right, it should be next month, right ¡­ "Do you want to go?"


    Zhuang Li suddenly smiled, giving a particularly brilliant response to her mother.


    "Of course I have to go ¡­"